Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: ART | Perihelion & Murderbot
Characters: Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), ART | Perihelion
Additional Tags: fan comic, Child Abuse, Psychiatric Abuse, Ableism, Overdose, Ganaka Pit (Murderbot Diaries), Alternate Universe - Human, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Misgendering, tapan and co are there for half a second in chapter 2 but im not gonna put their character tags cos that feels. misleading lol
Summary:
reupload of my human!AU ganaka pit comics! mind the tags <3
Good morning, since that's probably when you're gonna see it!
I don't know those ocs, but I wanna learn more, so for each of them:
🌟🌙👑
Me, realising I have 10 people to get through:
like actually this is really long, I'm not joking, you have to be PREPARED (get it)
TW for domestic violence, suicide mention, death mentions
Furona
-Furona is genderfluid and on a typical day his default pronouns are he/him, he uses she/her when he’s comfortable and in a safe place, most of the time it depends on his mood/the situation-
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Standing up for himself and those he cares about. It grew into his loyalty, protectiveness and love for his family and friends, but also formed his self-sacrificial complex and made him believe he always needs to remain in control of everything to keep others safe. Because he's the leader, he thinks he has to be perfect.
He’s also very observative- he can see things that people try to hide and reads micro-expressions because he makes them himself. This eventually allowed him to see and understand people who looked fine but were actually drowning. Growing up, it also affected his magic- now it’s an extension of observation and understanding where his sword can fragment and be passed on to others to wield. The fragments themselves transform into temporary suitable weapons/tools that match others in what they need e.g. blades/guns/screwdrivers/nails.
His other magic is illusions for defensive decoys and deception- ironically it also allows him to wear masks and pretend he's fine in public/convince others he’s perfect when in reality he feels otherwise.
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Now most of the time peacefully. But when he was younger, constantly. Fuyine had nightmares of being left alone/dying alone. She was scared of pain because her arranged fiance was a bad man to say the least, and her father wanted her to be a ‘proper woman’.
Adult male figures in her life did not make her feel safe, except her older brother Skirn who looked out for her and protected her whenever he could. But most of the time Skirn too was busy with school/his duties at AVA -he’s Class V’s Class Leader- and Fuyine was alone. In the morning she picks herself up and puts on a smile to hide the exhaustion underneath.
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
I’d count Fu as a protagonist who starts out on the ‘good’ spectrum but as the story progresses, people both in- and out-of-universe realise he’s not a clear good/bad person but rather in the middle with shades of grey. After a near-death experience involving people outside his class, Fu’s mask cracks and he becomes uncaring and sociopathic to non-Class W people/family/known friends, even seeing others outside of his inner circle as a threat that needs to be removed permanently.
Nyrus
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Adult Nyrus comes off as cold, distant and blunt, but is actually a softie underneath the outward glacier. He doesn’t like talking about his past because his father Nasar had drinking issues and was physically abusive to him and his mother Yukai- domestic violence.
Nasar was the ruler of an entire district known as a Ring, he was the Crown of Ring 7 specifically so Nyrus’ family had pretty high social standing. Thing is Nyrus was always humble and never flaunted this. As a kid, he was introverted and quiet but he was a sweet boy, he’d feed stray cats and take injured birds home to nurse them back to health. It was small but he’s observative and notices details as an adult, and he’s very willing to protect the people he cares about and would go to any length for them.
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Nightmares definitely before a turning point in the story. Young Nyrus either rarely dreamt or had nightmares of his dad being abusive. Adult Nyrus had nightmares that looped a specific day- July 12th of Etherium Year 7021. That day 17yo Nyrus came home from school, only to find Nasar had, in a fit of drunken rage, stabbed Yukai and she was dying.
This is 5 days out from Nyrus’ 18th birthday on July 17th, where he planned to take his mother and move out of Ring 7 to elsewhere far from Nasar. And after years of staying silent and putting up with Nasar’s abuse (he tried calling the authorities when he was young, but because of Nasar’s status they did nothing and it made things worse), Nyrus snapped. Yukai’s birthday gift for Nyrus was a pair of black blades, on her dying breath she told him happy birthday, that she loved him, and for him to live on.
While Nasar was still panicking over killing his wife, Nyrus walked to where the dual blades were, took them and killed Nasar. Something died in Nyrus when his mother died, and he was ready to end it himself before he met Furona on July 13th- Furona looked into his eyes and saw a protector instead of a murderer. (their meeting is a key part in Nyrus’ story)
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
Nyrus’ whole journey is basically those of a survivor of domestic abuse and loss trying to find a reason to live again. He would never call himself a hero, not after murdering his father even though Nasar to some degree deserved it. After Yukai’s death, he basically wanted to kill himself because he didn't have anything or anyone else left and believed he didn't deserve anything good in the world, until he met Furona.
Emerith
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Emerith as an adult has DID, in her youth she struggled with emphasising with others and understanding why people did certain things out of politeness for example. She’d see a queue for a shop and just walk to the front bc ‘why am I waiting at the back when the people selling stuff are at the front?’ She doesn’t understand what some social boundaries are and just does what she thinks is ‘optimal’.
Her older twin sister Amelith spent a lot of time patiently explaining how society works to her so that Emerith understands what is considered a ‘good’ thing to do and what’s ‘bad’.
This resulted in Emerith being really attached to her sister and tailed her like her shadow. She essentially became a copycat because she looked up to Amelith as a role model; when she ran into situations she tried to solve them with ‘what would Amelith do’ as a thought. She tried to become her sister, and after Amelith was killed in an accident during AVA’s entry exam, Emerith developed two personas as a way to cope. One is [Amelith], her sister’s kind, passionate and caring persona, while the second is the real her she keeps buried- monotone, distant and morbidly curious.
(if you’re getting some Cyrixia vibes then yep, Cyrixia’s drafts were unintentionally written based off of this design for Em when I designed Em in 2020)
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Most of the time peacefully, on bad nights she dreams about losing herself and it’s an identity crisis because is she even herself? Or Amelith?
But usually Em likes cute stuff and I go for the cute/cheerful schoolgirl theme for her so she gets peaceful dreams of cotton candy and fluffy cats ^^
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
In the grand scope of things she’s on the ‘good’ side. However she does work for the Council for a while as a double agent when Class W gets on the Council’s radar, and that makes Furona believe she’s a traitor when actually she isn’t.
Achane
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Achane always enjoyed stargazing. Her adoptive father used to be in the space fleet and had plentiful resources on astronomy and stars. Her passion for the stars led her to study astronomy at AVA and eventually space warfare in the fleet.
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Achane rarely has nightmares but she’s scared of being abandoned and alone because she’s insecure about her true parents and why they abandoned her.
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
I kinda sleep on her at the start but fr she gets the spotlight later with the exploration of who her true parents are. She’s good in the long term, but I won’t say there aren’t any moments when she does things that hurt the Class.
Kinarus
Kinarus fr is such a character that I debated with on her birth-gender for ages since my 2020 draft like damn, she has insane history + draft male Kinarus is also a thing I might randomly talk about (like male Kinarus is such a menace, I love him but I did scrap him in the end for this main story -he’ll pop up in AUs-)
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Kinarus was good with tech and enjoyed using computers/Ipads, this made her get into IT and cybersecurity to become a hacker. Being Fuyine’s childhood friend, she wanted to support and protect her too- so while physically she wasn’t strong, she made up for it by being an expert at technology.
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Peacefully most of the time, though she sometimes does get bad flashbacks to her abusive brother Renar. (halfway through the list I start to realise oh wow I gave a lot of people family issues damn)
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
Kin in this story is a sweet and good character though she’s not comfortable being called the hero (too much spotlight in her opinion aaaa! ><).
Kaiori
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Kaiori was always tinkering with little things. Her father being a famous engineer meant that she always had a bunch of toys to play around with and that inspired her to get into robotics. Now at AVA she’s studying robotic engineering, though it’s not offensive machines she’s interested in- she could make those, but she wants to improve quality of life for everyone so she makes small things that help around with household chores/repetitive tasks. She has a robot cat called Robo Kitty that can talk, launch missiles and shoot lasers :3
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Peacefully, with sunshine and rainbows and robot cats <3
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
Me interviewing Kaiori- (you can tell I’m having fun here with the last question)
Kaiori: uhhh I kinda don’t wanna be the main hero, like it sounds cool but they get into all kinds of situations! Like I’d rather be one of the people in their team than directly the hero ^^
Siora
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Siora is a Seer which means she can See the future in visions. Her childhood was mixed because her birth parents were terrified she kept Seeing all kinds of negative futures. And because Siora was very blunt from a young age and openly talked about her visions, her non-superstitious parents dropped her off for adoption and she was adopted by Lunith, the Head Seer in Voken society.
Siora always followed instructions as a child and was never rebellious, and fr this hints to the future because when she met Class W she actually went against orders to save Kaiori from a falling lamp that would have hit her head and killed her; an event that led to her joining the Class.
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Siora has a sleep schedule that’s opposite of everybody else’s and naps during the day tbh, her plush rabbit Bun eats nightmares quite literally :)
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
When she’s introduced in the Prequel (how everybody met and the Class was formed) she’s supposed to be a very suspicious character like an antagonist, but eventually becomes part of the squad later on.
Havrius
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Honestly Havrius just took care of people, especially his younger siblings. He was in a family with five children in total where he was the oldest, and was used to hard work and looking out for people at a young age. That’s what he was good at, when he joined the Class he became the reliable big brother of the group pretty much almost immediately.
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Half the class sleeps non-peacefully so he has to go into the peaceful side to balance things out. Nightmares he’d have before Class W would be running out of money/food to feed his siblings or failing to keep them safe. Nowadays he doesn’t need to worry about this anymore.
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
Hav stays good throughout the main series (Evil AUs exist for everyone I have a ton). His younger siblings think of their big brother as a hero ^^
Zelan
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
Zelan is known for being a mischievous menace, the comic relief of the group that pranks people and jokes all the time. She was rebellious and tomboyish when young, not afraid to voice her disagreements and often got into detention for physical altercations.
It did lead up to her cocky, impulsive personality today where she swears on a casual basis and is considered a bit of a delinquent, but she was also very protective of her little brother Vari- a shy bookworm that liked tinkering and inventing. (not gonna spoil what happened to him >:3)
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
She’s a night owl and stays up late gaming/phone scrolling, and is known for getting into bed at ungodly 1-3ams. She has bipolar so the dreams range from her doing ‘cool shit’ to awful nightmares about her little brother- if she drinks the night before it’s especially bad.
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
Zelan thinks being a hero is too exhausting and if she could write her own story, she'd personally be a foil to the MC or antagonist -she also doesn’t believe she can be the hero. She's not one here obviously but she wouldn't call herself someone morally good, just someone that doesn't want to watch people she cares about get hurt. Plus if she could, she’d resolve everything with brute force/violence because to her that’s ‘easier’ than being nice.
Enath
🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?
He liked taking care of things as a child, he was a plant lover and kept lots of little succulents. Now he’s studying to become a surgeon, inspired by his mother.
🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?
Peaceful sleep! One of the few people who sleep peacefully often and rarely gets nightmares.
👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?
He’s good here don't worry about that, I write him as a calm, kind, humble guy who really likes plants and is really chill 👍
(Not gonna expand on my evil AU where I’d probably have to add trigger warnings for the unethical experiments he does)
Steve is standing on Eddie’s porch, trying not to freak out. The nerves have been buzzing ever since the phone call ended. He could barely sleep but forced himself to try because he couldn’t think straight. Eddie probably couldn’t either, probably can’t even now. But Steve can’t wait any longer, so Eddie’s just going to have to deal with it while being hungover.
Just getting into his car to drive here this morning made Steve so nervous he almost didn’t come at at. Having to face the drunken words that Eddie whispered into the phone last night is frightening. Especially since he might not even have meant to say it, might not even remember it.
Steve has only seen Eddie drunk a few times. All of it has been like it was last night, slurring words and overly affectionate. If Steve was there next to him, Eddie would have been lying across him in some sort of way, just getting as close to Steve as he possibly could. Some of those times, Eddie would say something that he didn’t remember the next morning, but would own up to it in the morning, cause it came out of his mouth so it must have been true. Drunk words being sober thoughts and all that.
The thing is though, the words Eddie spoke didn’t feel like drunk words. Sure he was drunk, but Eddie said it so softly that it sounded like he meant it. There wasn’t any slurring, no messing up or taking any breaks. He knew what he was saying, just needed the confidence to do so.
For some reason, that was what Steve scared the most. He was prepared to deal with it being a joke, that Eddie was just messing with him because he was wasted. He was prepared for Eddie to take it all back and run away from his feelings and they would just go back to normal.
What scared him though was if Eddie admitted it. Admitted that he meant what he said and he does like Steve back. He wants something more and hopes to god that Steve wants it too. He doesn’t think Steve likes him back, so he’d be scared and hope that they could still be friends after this. The same fear that has crushed Steve since he realized too.
Admitting it to him isn’t what scared him though, what happens after does. Would they give this a try? Would it work? Or would it all come crumbling down like the last time Steve was in love?
Steve isn’t in love with Eddie, not yet. But he can tell that given the chance, he could. And he knows that that love could be really good. The type of love you know could last forever, but when it doesn’t it leaves you shattered. Steve doesn’t want to shatter again. He knows that Eddie has the capability to do it though. The feelings that he has for the other man are just too much for him to handle.
With a shaky hand, Steve knocks on the door. He has to get this over with, has to know. Can’t walk away without knowing if he meant it. If the words whispered so quietly that Steve could barely hear are true.
The door creaks open as Steve is met with Eddie in his pajamas, squinting at the sunlight. “Hey, Steve,” he says, almost defeated.
“Hey, can I come in?”
“Can’t say that I’ll be the best company, but sure.” After Steve walks into the trailer, Eddie lets the door slam shut before walking over to the couch and faceplanting with a long groan.
“Tough night?” Steve asks, acting innocent.
Eddie turns his head to the side to glare at Steve. “Take a look in the trash can.”
Lifting up the lid, Steve finds a pile of beer bottles. “Yeah, sounds about right. You eat yet?”
“No, been trying not to throw up.”
“I’m making you some food,” Steve concludes, already opening the fridge. He expects Eddie to protest, but he says nothing.
He starts the coffee pot before cracking some eggs into a pan. Eddie slumps off of the couch before slinking over to the counter, taking a seat when Steve plates the eggs.
“Thanks,” he mutters as Steve slides the plate in front of him. Steve pours coffee into a mug and adds sugar and creamer before placing that in front of Eddie as well.
He washes the dishes as Eddie eats in silence. When Eddie finishes the eggs, he washes that plate too.
“So,” Steve starts, not exactly knowing how to finish. “You called me last night.”
Eddie hangs his head. “Yeah,” he presses his fingertips into his eye, “Yeah I did.”
“You remember what you said?” Steve asks, heart beating fast.
He shakes his head, ashamed. “Yeah, shit.” Eddie braces his elbows on the counter and holds his head in his hands. “I do.”
“Ok.” Steve doesn’t quite know how to move on.
“Did you, did you hear everything?” Eddie says, muffled by his hands.
Steve crosses his arms and leans against the sink. “I think I did.”
“Shit, I’m too hungover for this conversation.” Eddie continues to hide in his hands, hiding his expression from Steve.
“I can go if you want.” He doesn’t want to, but seeing Eddie struggling to face this is enough to push him away.
Eddie shakes his head, pulling himself out of his hands and chugging the rest of the coffee. “No, no. As much as I hate it, I said what I said and I’m sure you have questions. I would rather get it over with than prolong the inevitable. I’m going to go get changed, and then we’ll. Fuck, we’ll talk about it.”
He gets up without looking at Steve, shutting the door to his bedroom softly behind him. Steve walks out of the kitchen, running his hands through his hair. Eddie remembers what he said, and it sounds like he means it. Disbelief fills Steve, unable to even think that is the truth. He crosses his arms, trying to not pace around the room waiting for Eddie to come out.
When he does, he walks back to the living room, nervously playing with a piece of his hair. “So,” he says, looking at Steve.
“So.”
“Um. So I heard the last part of the conversation you had with Robin that morning,” Eddie starts.
Steve nods. “Yeah, you said that.”
Eddie crosses his arms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, just happened. Thin walls and all. I-I want you to know that I don’t have a problem with it. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to tell me on your own terms, but you didn’t know I was gay, which I am by the way, so I understand how scary that has been for you.”
“Thank you. For the apology and for telling me.”
“I was going to tell you eventually, just didn’t know when to say it.”
Steve clears his throat. “How much exactly did you hear?”
“That you haven’t felt like this in a while. Then Robin asked if you were sure that he didn’t like you back, which revealed that you like guys and that you were sure he didn’t. Which is stupid by the way, whoever you like is dumb for not liking you back.”
The irony in that statement almost makes Steve smile. “You said that too. More detailed though.”
“Yeah,” Eddie’s jaw clenches. “Yeah, I know. Just so I know, you don’t have to say, but do you still like, you know?”
“Yeah, I still like girls. I like both. Don’t really know what it means though.”
“That’s ok. You can always figure out if you want to label that later but-.” Eddie breaks eye contact with Steve again. “Did you hear what I said right before I hung up?”
How could Steve not, those words have been floating around his head all night. “Yes, I did.”
“Fuck,” Eddie exhales, hiding his face in his hands again and walking in a circle. “So you know.”
“Know what, Eddie?” As much as he would love to give Eddie a break, he needs to hear the words in order to actually believe them.
Eddie faces him again, arms falling to his sides. He looks defeated, upset, opening his mouth up and closing it again. Until he says, “That I like you.”
“You like me,” Steve says, breath punched out of his lungs.
“That is what I said,” Eddie nods.
Steve walks over to Eddie and grabs him by the arms. “You, Eddie Munson, like me, Steve Harrington?”
“Yes, Steve, I do.”
He needs to hear it, craves to hear it again and again until his brain chooses to believe it. “Really. You really like me?”
“Yes,” Eddie says annoyed. “How many times do I have to tell you? If you have a problem with it just tell me and I’ll piss off and-”
Eddie can’t finish his sentence before Steve lets himself make a stupid decision, finally doing what he wants and kisses him. Grabbing Eddie’s head with both hands without thinking and pulls him in, pressing their lips together awkwardly as Eddie is still talking. Eddie’s surprised at first, but quickly starts to kiss back. Wrapping an arm around Steve’s back and cupping his cheek with the other.
They break before coming back together again, Steve’s hands sliding back into Eddie’s hair. He can’t believe that it’s really happening, that this is something that’s even real. The flutter in his heart is the only thing reminding him that he’s still awake. That this isn’t some dream but reality.
He thinks that it’s stupid that he wasted so much time being scared about this. That he almost walked away before he knocked, risking leaving this behind. Sure he’s scared. These feelings he has for Eddie are real and they go deep. Deeper feelings than he’s had with any of his other first kisses. But right now, that doesn’t matter. Right now, Eddie’s kissing him back, showing him he wants this too. That he’s as happy that Steve kissed him as Steve is.
Steve’s scared, a part of him always will be. There’s always the chance that this won’t work out, that he’ll end up shattered again. But right now, that doesn’t matter. Some risks are worth taking when they make you feel like this.
Eddie breaks the kiss, pressing his forehead against Steve’s. When he opens his eyes, the first thing Steve sees is Eddie’s smile, and he can’t help but smile back.
“So,” Steve starts, giggling. “You are the guy that I like, if you couldn’t tell.”
Eddie laughs. “I sure hope I was. You don’t kiss people like that if you don’t like them. At least I hope not.”
“I do though,” Steve says, running his thumb across Eddie’s cheek, because he can. “I really do like you.”
“Well good. Cause I really like you, Steve.” Eddie kisses him again, shorter this time, but sweeter. “I was so scared that I ruined everything last night.”
Steve shakes his head. “You didn’t. Honestly, if you hadn’t called, this probably wouldn’t have happened. I was so scared that you would have found out and that would have ruined it.”
“It wouldn’t have. What I said was right, whoever you liked would have been stupid for not liking you back. And I’m a lot of things but apparently stupid isn’t one of them.”
“No, you’re not.” Steve kisses him again, bringing him as close as possible.
He’s happy, the worries and stresses evaporated as if they were never there. All that is left is him and Eddie, together. It doesn’t matter what they are, or what they’re going to be. Not right now at least. All that matters is that he’s here. He might not have been the one to say it first, but who cares? Eddie likes him back, and Steve told him he likes him too. Something so simple but so hard at the same time.
But more importantly, this doesn’t feel wrong to him anymore, it feels like the most right thing he’s ever done.
full will be on ao3 later tonight
Thanks to all of you who followed along, hope you enjoyed the story. This was my first time doing a story that was posted weekly on tumblr and not ao3 and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be doing this a lot more. Thank you once again to @imfinereallyy for the post that inspired this piece.
Chapters: 8/40
Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ned Stark/Original Female Character(s), Stannis Baratheon/Catelyn Tully Stark, Robert Baratheon & Ned Stark, Jon Snow & Arya Stark & Bran Stark & Ned Stark & Rickon Stark & Robb Stark & Sansa Stark, Renly Baratheon & Stannis Baratheon, Theon Greyjoy & Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy & Jon Snow, Theon Greyjoy & Ned Stark
Characters: Ned Stark, Catelyn Tully Stark, Stannis Baratheon, Jon Snow, Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Rickon Stark, Renly Baratheon, Theon Greyjoy
Additional Tags: Lemon, Minor Brandon Stark/Catelyn Tully Stark, Angst and Fluff and Smut, R Plus L Equals J | Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen are Jon Snow's Parents, Ned Stark Doesn't Become the Hand of the King, Good Parent Ned Stark, Ned and his wife are bad at emotional communication, Luwin is an icon, Explicit Language, Bobby B is Bobby B-ing, Ned and his wife are both bi, Brynden being the best guncle, partially beta read so we aren’t dying but we’re bleeding heavily, like Robert before his wound gets infected
Series: Part 1 of Frosted Fox AU
Summary:
After a moon of courting, an adventure to Harrenhal, and a lovely wedding at Riverrun, Alyssandra journeys north with her new husband to help plan the wedding that will truly join their houses; that of his brother, Brandon, and her cousin, Catelyn. But then Lyanna disappears, and Brandon is killed, and Catelyn is wed to a Baratheon and taken across the continent from Alyssandra. Then Ned comes home with a baby, and well, she can't be mad a baby, can she? And her husband is such a good man. She'll probably forgive him.
Catelyn, having been hustled off to Storm's End, spends a year trying to warm her husband's heart and eating rats, then spends many years navigating Robert and Cersei. A lot of pettiness ensues.
AKA What if Ned had a wife he chose and she actually forgave him and loved Jon as her own son, and what if Stannis had a wife he actually liked?
Imagine: Imagine leaving LA after feeling like an outsider in your relationship with Bobby and Athena as they seem to pull away and distance themselves from you. Only to find that it is almost impossible to actually walk away.
Warnings: Angst with happy ending, AU, Bisexual Athena, BDSM
“I desperately wanted to hate what I could see growing before my eyes, whilst I felt the sting of bitterness deepening within the depths of my soul.
Knowing I was being unintentionally pushed aside, I couldn’t bring myself to hate such tender love, pure and healing those festering wounds within you both. I knew there was no way forward. This was my out and I had to take it before those dreaded dark seeds blossomed. I could not be the one to tear down love as beautiful as yours.”
The sound of silence was almost deafening in how all-consuming it was, as you stood staring straight ahead. You had brought the axe down hard, cutting the conversation dead in its tracks. What else could be said after such a heart-breaking confession?
Your mouth was dryer than the Sahara desert as you waited for the oppressive atmosphere to pass. You would have regretted the moment those words crossed your lips if they had been a falsehood, a lie to distract from the truth. However this was your reality, this was how you truly felt. You watched as Bobby’s hope deflated as he began to disappear into himself once more.
This cut deeper than anything else, as you witnessed his confidence and self-worth splinter into a million differently shaped pieces. This was not what you wanted but a by-product of your choices.
No matter how you phrased it, no carefully thought-through planned statement could have stopped the blunt force of agony that swiftly followed. It was a hard pill to swallow but you couldn’t skirt around what this was. This was the end of the road when hearts got broken, where feelings were pushed out of the way for the cold harsh light of day. This was a break-up, one that had been long coming. You had heard the deafening sirens in the distance but ignored them for as long as possible. You had truly wanted this to work, you had clung to the notion that they were it, your endgame.
This was failure plain and simple, no matter how it was presented even neatly with a bow tied on top. This attempt at an unconventional relationship, a throuple had crashed and burnt in a way that you hadn’t given a second thought to. Yet here you were with an increasingly despondent Bobby. Athena had held steadfast to her Second Amendment rights, falling silent and staring anywhere else in the room to avoid your gaze.
You felt as if you had been caught with your hand in a cookie jar when you had been told no treats before dinner. At this moment, shame and guilt were the most prevalent emotions but shades of regret and the anguish of waking up alone tomorrow were starting to manifest, mixing in. The weight of this new dawn was unlike what you had experienced before. You had navigated through both messy and amicable breaks before but this felt on another level.
This would be a whole new scenario to manoeuvre through, the various twists and turns that encompassed the maze that you standing in with walls that stretched as far as the eye could see. Your reality had somewhat shifted, changing the illusionary location rapidly. In a blink of an eye, the interrogation room melted away. This was what your mind replaced it with. An inescapable maze of your own design, that you rushed through but constantly failed to find the correct path that would lead you out.
This was your anticipated worst-case scenario in one way yet things were not playing out as you initially imagined. It was a hell of a lot worse, than anything that your twisted mind would conjure up. You should feel relieved as the pressure on your chest was finally released as you spoke what had been lingering in the back of your mind. However, that dejected look in Athena’s eyes stung more than you ever thought it might as if that knife you used to cut the thread connecting you to them had been turned around and wrapped itself around your damaged heart.
It twisted left then right, damaging just enough with each turn to leave a permanent mark behind. A reminder whenever you found yourself alone with your thoughts. There it would be, a figurative wound, raw and never truly closing for all your days to come. A fractured heart, aching to be healed but the missing piece could never be reclaimed. This was the price too high that would be paid here and now. The piper was calling and this was your reply.
What else was there to be said? The ball was in their court, you just needed to be patient and wait to see what happened next. Bobby Nash, Fire Captain of Firehouse 118 stood off to one side contemplating how small his world had just become. In a few short minutes, his happy little world had frozen over as feelings of failure, inadequacy, confusion and grief overtook his peripheral vision. Sliding over him like the visor clicking down on his helmet.
This felt like a step to the side, not a step backwards into the darkness. He wasn’t alone in his despair this time. He had a partner along for the ride, sharing the load as he felt Athena slide along before placing her hand into his. An act of comfort, this was what he needed. Tears would come but not quite yet. He had cried enough for more than one lifetime. Athena barely contained the sorrow as it quelled beneath her simmering fury.
The storm had come and gone, brushed aside in the heat of the moment. A numbness soon followed, settling over the two of them as they took their first steps back into the world, their hearts bruised and cracked but holding firm. Knitting the threads that held them together tighter than before. This had tested them, pushing them to the edge, only to pull them back again.
One where things hadn’t worked out when they tried taking a different path, by inviting one another in and opening up their cosy relationship. It had been one hell of a ride, where flames of passion smouldered. Ultimately the spark dimmed as that once fierce blaze cooled until three had disappeared right back to where it had been in the beginning, just the two of them. Where a couple stood on by, watching as their third left.
Had the right person stumbled in at the wrong time? This bizarre thought dared to cross his mind. Maybe this was simply poor timing and ill-planning. He had nothing but time to run through all the questions, the what-ifs and the rabbit holes that it might lead him down. Athena would be there to set him straight when he’d evitable delve too far into the depths of his mind, becoming lost in the dark. She would be the light to emulate the path hidden from his sight.
This was both an end and a new beginning. It would be an uphill battle, only this time he would have someone else along for the journey. “This was never the plan when Athena and I opened up our relationship, to invite you in for a time and then to push you right back out into the cold” He started as he worked through his thoughts, trying to vocalize his rapidly shifting feelings.
He was everything all at once. A perfect storm locked away in a glass flask but the fierce winds were steadily calming. Athena was another story together as she had remained tight-lipped. All her words were locked away in a vault, under lock and key. There was no doubt that she would make one hell of a poker player, as she masked through each time she bluffed about the cards in her hand. Winning round after round with ease. Burning holes in various pockets and wallets like a seasoned pro. This was different, this was her vanishing beneath her mask and simply walking away.
Storm Athena had vanished in a blink of an eye but was it for the better? That would be the question you would be battling with in the days to come. Overanalyzing all the little details of this moment, trying to find sense and logic in her actions. Trying to almost read what was happening within, to hear those precious few thoughts that indicated her next play, the steps that she would inevitably take.
Would things ever be amicable? You hoped that would be the case in time but that’s all you could do. Hope that the day would crest over the horizon sooner rather than later but you wouldn’t push. They deserved all the time in the world as the walls sheltering their little piece of paradise began to rebuild. As their battered and bruised hearts started on the next stage of their healing journey without you. This was how it needed to be. Athena, I know that you don’t want to talk to me. Hell, I don’t expect you to even respond or read this but please know that I never meant to hurt you or Bobby. I saw the door start to close and simply reacted.
I should have tried harder to reach out, to be heard but we are long since past that. I don’t know if I’ll be back this way but please know that I did cherish the time that I was there, standing toe to toe with you and Bobby. I would never want to stand in the way, have that loving affection turn sour and embittered by the very experience of having a front-row seat to a show that slowly capsizing.
You deserve better than this, you both do. The dear John letter was a stupid and careless idea that I never thought all the way through but please know that I will never freeze out the lines of communication if you ever think of me and want to reach out for that long overdue talk. I will say this one last thing,
I did deeply care about the pair of you, you meant the world to me but this was not our time. This was not ours but it is yours and Bobby’s. I saw that secret smile whenever you locked eyes with him and vice versa. A love story in motion but I was grateful to have been a part of it. I wish you nothing but all the happiness in the world for all that is to come.
Clicking send hadn’t been the hardest part, as you sat in the back row of the Grey Hound bus heading out of town. The hospital had arranged transport to the bus station then the rest had been up to you. Your one-way ticket was tucked firmly between the pages of the cheesy romance book you had picked up in the little shop at the hospital on your way out. Something to keep your mind preoccupied for the long hours ahead.
You had let yourself chuckle softly when you had first pulled it out of your bag. You hadn’t even checked the title when choosing between the limited range and selection staring up from the shelves. there had been a grand total of three different books to choose from, you had split down the middle and just gone for door room two which had turned out to be the only romance-heavy option. It was truly karma in action, a borderline cruel reminder of what once had been yours.
An epic love for ages, well it might have been if the fire hadn’t been blown out. You had been one to finish off those embers, never once giving them a chance to reignite. Now as you sat staring out of the window watching the world rush past. A sense of conflicted peace rolled over. This was a new beginning, a chapter closing as you started on a new adventure into pastures unknown.
Whether the grass was greener on the other side, you’d soon find out as the bus turned the corner and headed out onto the freeway. You had crossed the point of no return more than once in the last few hours. Or so it felt but there was no point in looking backwards, no matter how much it hurt to admit.
Silently you muttered a single word, finally cutting the tattered remains of the thread that held you in place.
It had been a rollercoaster of ups and downs in the years since you had last dared to step foot in Los Angeles. Both professionally and personally. You pushed any thoughts of those failed relationships and the dead-end jobs that landed at your feet when you had struggled to begin again.
Home had found you when an unmissable job opportunity crossed your desk one fine day, three months back. It was almost impossible to stop your fingers from typing up and updating your resume. Before you had known it, you had completed the application and clicked the send button launching into the depths of the electronic superhighway that was the internet. Regret did not follow in its wake. You had anticipated some awkwardness resonating within you but nothing occurred.
You had expected nothing to come from it, it was a shot in the dark. Yes, you had the skills and the experience in a similar field but would that be enough? As you worked your socks off day in and day out, you had pretty much forgotten about that one particular job application sent three weeks prior.
You had long since concluded that if you hadn’t heard by now then you were highly unlikely to hear anything at all. You pushed forward with the daily grind. Going to work and then back home. Rinse, lather and repeat.
Until that one notification last thing on Friday night shook things up. An interview came and went before a second dropped in and then a third soon followed after. Before long an offer of another job, a chance to spread your wings and take flight back to the City of Angels manifested. All that you needed to do was simply say yes, well that and find a place to set up shop. Apartment hunting pre-pandemic was hard enough but this was a whole new ball game. Virtual viewings were the done thing in the post-pandemic world.
Viewing a possible home through the screen of any available device, a tour at your fingertips allowed you to go from room to room as you tried to ascertain whether this one, the third tour of the day was the one. Whether it met all your basic requirements. Was it too far from your base of operations? Was it located in a reasonable neighbourhood? Were there good transportation links into the city itself?
Question after question arose as you continued to scroll into the next room. This seemed a lot harder than all the times before when you had needed to go apartment hunting. It was turning into a headache, they all could easily be made to look rather bigger with the click of a well-positioned camera lens.
As text came through lighting up your phone screen, you paused the video for a moment. The name displayed above the message knocked you for six. You hesitated opening it, for it could easily go one or two ways. At this moment in time, you were solely existing in Schrödinger's cat type of scenario.
It could both be a harmless conversation starter, cracking open what once had been slammed shut or yet it could be something that held steadfast to the notion of flogging a dead horse. Or it be both at the same time but until you dared to look inside that box, you wouldn’t know. Without a second more to mull it over, you clicked upon it. You held your breath as the message revealed itself to your increasingly growing anxiety that bubbled within.
After all this time, Athena responded and replied to the mammoth message you sent way back when. Your olive branch to do right by her, to have the chance to sit down and talk like adults. To see if it was truly possible to let sleeping dogs lie and move forward as friends. You hated the idea of completely burning that bridge and cutting her and Bobby out of your life because of the mistakes that had been made. There had been the building blocks for a stable foundation which you have decided had been breaking apart at the seams.
In the time since then, you had searched through every avenue of what had been. Through rose-tinted glasses, you had viewed the long hours, the lapses in replies and the never-ending chain of cancellations and rearranged dates in haste. They were a part of the daily ups and downs when dating two first responders. You had acted with the emotional range of a moody teenager. You hadn’t taken the time to consider what it meant for them, who you were at the end of the day.
You were meant to be their safe harbour, away from the multiple emergencies that lingered on the other side of that door. When it closed, you could have their light in the dark leading through the long nights. Instead of being the salve to heal their wounds, you had ripped them wide out, tearing out their hearts, watching as they bled at your feet when you had penned that letter without even giving either of them a second thought.
It had all been about you. You had changed and grown as a person since then learning more about how to navigate a relationship. The many twists and turns that came and went day in and day out and learning from your past indiscretion. When it came to communication, it truly did lay at the heart of every relationship. Looking back, it hadn’t been your finest hour, the last time you were even in the state. You had run away, with your tail tucked firmly between your legs. Across several state lines until you found yourself darkening your brother’s door. He had been expecting you.
Only a few weeks later than initially planned. You had kept him updated from your hospital bed, your ear red raw from his worried rants, stuck on repeat like a broken record. Each time you called, he softened his tone and inclination and by the time you arrived. The once bare-to-the-bone wire-like threads that had once connected you had begun to heal, deepened as that proud man opened his heart and mind to welcome home the sibling that had been pushed away. It had been a challenging climb but he had been by your side, walking in tandem. He had grown as a man, a brother and a human being.
One relationship had flourished, whilst another faded away. However this message, oh how it made your heart skip a beat. Anxious laden but still hope began to flutter its paper-thin wings as it flicked back to life.
I will not deny that your actions hurt, not only me but Bobby too. It has taken me years to come to terms with how things went down. I’m ready to talk, understand and move forward then we can go from there.
It had been frank and straight to the point like the woman behind those words but it was a chance. One that you won’t waste this go around. It was hard not to smile, to fight back those feelings that you long since buried. Soon enough those dreaded butterflies would take up residence within your stomach but you won’t let them consume you. This was a fresh start, not a blank slate.
Athena, thank you for this. Let me know when you are free to speak. I am ready to answer all the questions you have. I’m sure that there are plenty, I will be nothing short of completely honest with you
You watched the screen, waiting for those two little ticks to appear. The sign that the message had been delivered then you’d have to kill time until the colour changed from grey to blue showing that Athena had read your message. You placed your phone down as you couldn’t be glued to that device like a lovesick fool. The ball was now in her court now.
When the message arrived, it was simple. A date and time staring up at you. A question then arose in the back of your mind, who would be the one to initiate the phone call in question? However, before you could even type out a response, another message appeared. She would be the one to call you. It felt damn near bizarre finding yourself in a situation such as this. However, you’d pushed on through, if it meant salvaging a relationship from the burnt-out wreckage. Even if it would be nothing but wholly platonic in the long run.
As you typed out a quick reply, you smiled softly feeling happier than you had in months, as a renewed sense of peace washed over you as you made your way out of the room. A list as long as your arm began to form in your mind of all the possible questions that might soon be coming your way.
“It’s a start. It's the best that I could have hoped for” You softly repeat like a mantra as you consider the next steps. Whatever they might be. The bounce in your step would come in time but still, each stride no longer felt like you were walking in treacle. Weighed down by the guilt that you had long since carried upon your shoulders.
Peace was just the beginning if things truly went well. This was only the first of hopefully many steps upon this new trail off the beaten path.
New memories were to be made, once you had truly arrived but you knew that shouldn’t get ahead of yourself. One foot in front of the other, never pushing forward unless the opportunity presented itself. You finally could let go of that aching sense of guilt that hung deftly around your neck. The hangman’s noose tightened of its own accord through the day, worsening when you were lying alone at night, clock-watching until sleep overtook you.
Pushing away the persistent thought of what if, what if you could go back and change the order that events had played out. You simply couldn’t but it was in the past, finally buried when Athena knew the reasoning behind your actions. The why, the how and the emotions that drove your hand when drawing the next card from the deck of life.
When you drew the next one, it would be the one that changed your tomorrow. There'd be a bright light that you’d lovingly strive to keep joyfully humming in all the days that were to come. Through the many ups and downs as you rode through the hard and trying times, through the days when the sun shone brightest as if it was only illuminated for you and the ones you loved.
The hours seemed to rush past waiting for the sun to slip beneath the horizon. As day seamlessly melted away, the night took hold. You stood silent as a mouse, staring out at the night sky smiling to yourself as innocent enough thoughts overtook as you pictured a new dawn. This was only the beginning, to gain Athena’s forgiveness, trust and friendship was a road that needed to be walked. A journey that you had started, crossing the threshold when you had held out an olive branch.
You had gained ground but that conversation was all that mattered. You wanted to make good on your promise. Tomorrow was now more than just another day, one to toil through the hours until it was time to head home. Athena then maybe one day you could bring yourself to face Bobby.
As you rebuild your world, one thread at a time. It would not be the same as before but still, it would be home.
This post will explain the origins and past of Dimentio and how he came to be prior to Super Paper Mario. I would like to make it clear that everything I say here is not canon and it should not be taken as clear facts or evidence. This is my telling of his story so if you disagree with certain points of the document… that is perfectly okay. I am not here to force anyone to tell the same story as I do. However; I do take a lot of inspiration and points from Garson/Carson.
>Another thing, I might change some things in the future, especially in terms of designs or names. I will keep this document updated whenever I make any said changes.
Also please don’t go through my doc picking apart my grammar and english mistakes. I know I’m not a professional writer. Thank you
Enough rambling/disclaimers
Let’s begin
The Beginning
The story starts off with a small family of four.
(The dad’s design is not finished)
(Will update it when I do)
A mom, a dad, a daughter and a son. The dad was an all-powerful magician with the power to bend and create dimensions while the mom was an ancient who had the power to produce illusions. They were both named Universi and Illumina. They then named their kids Damon (Dimi) and Poppy respectfully as they were born. The family was a content family with only the goal to help the other ancients and provide a safe, healthy economy. Using their magic, they would help the civilizations. However, fate had other plans.
Around the time Dimi was 10 he would come crawling to his mom about certain nightmares he has been having. Each new nightmare shares very similar attributes and traits to the previous one. They all had a forbidding message about a heart made of chaos that would wipe out everything as we know it. Of course these were just dreams right? That’s what Illumina thought of at first until she started getting visions with the same descriptors.
This grew worry in her as she anxiously watched over Dimi as he continued to live his childfree life. The fear only seemed to grow as the visions got worse for them both. Universi soon caught wind of what was happening and quickly asked what they all meant. He would then ask Dimi the same questions making sure everything was all right. The story was always the same in these visions/nightmares of a masked man who would use the heart of chaos to live out a prophecy that would wipe out every dimension. Once it was clear that Dimi would be that man one day- the terror grew quickly.
Universi quickly disposed of that thought and decided to fight the future. He went into action to start taking more responsibility in leading Dimi the right way. He would direct him to doing the right thing and nag him constantly about what was right or wrong. His punishments were harsh when he did mess up and his words were stern despite Dimi still being really young. Their relationship grew really shaky as both parents had all their attention on him. This only caused more issues than good.
With all this attention on Damon, Poppy started to get neglected. She was often placed aside because the fears of Dimi’s future were more worrisome than hers. The parents never meant to do this to her but the consequences will take a toll. One day, Poppy started to get very sick as she lay to rest hoping it was just a fever. Not too long after, it took her life as Illumina screamed in terror. Grief quickly took over the family as the dad mourned his daughter for days upon end. With the family completely in shambles, both parents were once again focused on other things as Dimi finally had a chance to breathe and do his own thing. He really didn’t do much aside from locking himself in his room, reading or studying magic. This is where he starts to come up with a book that will be detrimental to super paper mario as a whole. The dark prognosticus.
Now… At the time it wasn’t really much. It was just a bunch of random notes and diary documents about what his dreams were like and certain spells he jotted down. It was supposed to help him get an understanding of his future and basically get his visions onto paper so he wouldn’t forget them. He even recorded some of his spells that his dad had been practicing. Even an important one that was supposed to bring the dead back to life in a new body. Whatever that meant. While he was researching that, both Dimi and his mom didn’t have much to do so Illumina decided to promise Dimi that he would take him out on a little vacation. It was probably the only time in such a long while that Dimi would be excited for something.
A couple weeks passed and nothing much has changed. Luckily it was the day of vacation as Illumina beckoned Dimi to come with him. It would help calm both of their nerves as well as maybe rekindling their relationship. She was hoping to help apologize for being a terrible mother as she guided him towards one of the dimension doors.
The next events came as a surprise.
Before the two could make it to the door, a large explosion happened. At the time, no one knew what caused it. (Frankly someone hypothesized it was faulty wiring to old broken machines).
Illumina was now dead.
The accident caused an uproar amongst many as people far and wide came to debate and decipher the events of the explosion. The magician’s wife was dead and his son now was nowhere to be seen. News caught wind to Universi as he began to now mourn the death of his entire family. Everything was taken away from him in the span of a couple years.
Dimi, although presumed to be dead by the public, was actually not really dead. He was caught in the explosion, yes, but he ended up surviving. (Warning for wound depictions and injuries.)
When the explosion happened, it burned his face and his arms were deeply scarred. He didn’t seek help right away, afraid of his father’s reaction so instead he ran away and lived in a shack far from the town. He wasn’t really sure what to do now. Both his mom and his sister were gone, his father was in heavy grieving, and now his own body was injured. He waited it out nonetheless. He didn’t want to go back. Not now.
Time passed as things at the village started to settle down. Universi became consumed in his work as he was seen to never leave his house aside from calling forth an assistant he hired to help him out. Even the people at the town have become shaken by the events that transpired before them. Silence was thought to have been forever until Universi had an epiphany.
Once again he refused to let fate describe his future so he did the unthinkable one day. Taking his daughter, he was able to transport her soul into a new corpable body in which he proclaimed as the first ever pixl. He named her the pixl queen and finally came out of his house to shout the praise of his new work.
News spread fast as the Magician taught his discovery to various other ancients his power of creating pixls. Building tools and ways to bring dead ones back to life as a second chance. A way to preserve the souls of family members. It was a huge success and soon ancients across multiple dimensions were practicing his ways. Universi couldn’t have been happier as he rejoiced at bringing his own daughter back. There was one big issue though, she had no memories or relocation of her past. When she became the pixl queen, all her thoughts and past were erased from her mind. She did not know who he was, or where she came from. All pixls didn’t seem to remember who they were previously. This would soon become an issue later on but let’s get back to Dimi.
Damon was actually seemingly doing better as he thought that he would finally return home. He got up and headed back with a heavy sigh in his breath. When he came back he couldn’t believe his eyes. The civilization has flourished since he left with people everywhere exclaiming about how the pixls have vastly improved everything in their lives. Dimi, bewildered, went back home to see his dad once more. Of course Universi was even more ecstatic to see his son was actually alive. He helped him settle back in as he helped tend to Damon’s wounds.
(Not an important note but I wanted to say this anyway. This is where Dimi gets his floaty hands since his arms were way too damaged. His dad helped him out with this)
Dimi wasn’t too fond of what his dad was doing however. Pixls? Reviving dead members? Assistants? He was completely delusional from grief that he didn’t even have a grasp on what he was actually doing. Damon’s own sister doesn’t even recognize him anymore. Dislike for his father started to become hatred as he quickly started to separate himself from Universi again.
His relationship with Poppy or well.. The Pixl Queen wasn’t even the same anymore. She was very derogatory of him and often would want nothing to do with Dimi. She had a strong hatred for the ancients for some reason and Damon didn’t get a pass. He started to hate her too as isolation got the best of him. He would go back to what he was doing before all this went down and idly sit in his room. Ashamed of his own face he tried finding a cure and even began wearing a mask to hide his injuries. He couldn’t look at himself anymore in the mirror.
Things played out normally after that or well.. Somewhat normally. Universi would continue to do his own work as both Damon and his sister did her own things. Dimi however was starting to lose it as he became more and more enamored in darker forms of magic. It completely enthralled him as he finally found perhaps a spell that can finally fix his broken face. Upon practice, it worked. His face finally healed and he no longer had scars that plagued his skin. That’s what happened at first at least. Time passed and everything seemed to have gone wrong. The magic backfired and completely corrupted his body. His face especially was now only void. Damon was no longer the same person anymore as this was his last push over the edge. He officially ran away and didn’t look back.
That’s basically the main gist of what I wanted to write here. A couple years into the future he would soon dawn his new jester attire for he was enamored by the theatrical arts. He then would go completely insane and wish to wipe out all the dimensions and become ruler of them all. I could also get into the nitty gritty of the Pixl Queen revolution against the ancients, how the war was started, or how the Pixl queen became Shadoo but this document is long enough. (Maybe in the future I’ll explain that too who knows)
But that’s all I wanted to explain today and I thank everyone who read it.
