OMG HIIIIII HI ME AND YOOMTAH TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY TODAY OMG<3<3<3i made an IMAGE im so happy ive been with yoomie for this long i love her SO MUCH MWAH I KISY HER SHES SO CUTE
i (right) use they/them pronouns and yoomtah (left) uses she/her
pr*shippers/ageuppers/adults who ship with minors etc stay away from me
yeah yeah, I know, I never finish stories but I super wanted to show this fic because I'm having so much fun with it!! So this is the first part of an au with my Descendants s/i where she is a guidance counselor at Dragon Hall. Hades is his usual obnoxious self 🤭 and it features my best friend @galaxysships s/I as well!!
Early mornings on the Isle were nothing like the kingdom of Rose's youth. In Corona, bells would swing from towers, bread would rise in ovens, children were woken by a smiling parent and proud sunshine or a gentle rainfall. On the Isle of the Lost, the noisy cacophony of the morning market replaced bells in towers, there were putrid pots of old coffee percolating instead of bread, and most children on the Isle didn't expect a loving wake up call, let alone sunshine. Rose had learned a while ago to not let that affect her as she thought about it on her way to Dragon Hall.
Since coming to the Isle, part of the same social program that brought Yid Sen across the bridge, Rose had learned quite a bit.
Don't walk alone in certain areas.
Keep your hands in your pockets and wrapped around anything valuable.
Eyes down, walk fast.
Get to work early, before anyone else is awake.
These were just simple survival tactics if you wanted to live on the Isle. And Rose knew it was fucking strange to want to live on the Isle. But she wasn't doing it for the beautiful ocean view or the charming locals. The second she'd heard of villains having kids, trying to create some kind of legacy, she'd left her kingdom to advocate for their education. Her first meeting with the High King Beast had been nerve wracking, but she'd found a surprising amount of support from the Magical Council. Yid Sen himself had stood with her. Now they were both educators on the Isle, 15 years later, trying to counter the harmful things their parents were trying to impart to them.
The smog was lifting incrementally when Rose arrived at the school. No one except some of the cleaning staff and Yen Sid showed up this early, so she had a set of keys to let herself in. Rose was surprised when they’d tossed the key ring at her, wondering why such an untrusting lot would allow her any sort of power. After a few months, she understood; no villain or their kids cared very much for rigorous education so what was the harm?
“Just another 9 hours, then back home,” She muttered to herself, stowing the keys back in her pocket as she let herself in. It was getting harder to pry herself out of bed every day and she found her work following her home more nights than not.
Her office was stowed at the back of a dingy, disorganized maze of hallways in the administrative wing of the school. Most days, Rose considered it a miracle if she found it in less than 10 minutes. She knew there was no magic on the Isle, but surely these walls moved because there was no other explanation. Paperwork at Dragon Hall was messy and complicated and hardly ever dealt with so she’d stopped trying to fight to get the piles of it that littered her office. Her filing cabinets were organized by her own special system that nobody but herself could understand.
The only thing she actively tried to care for were the multitude of plants she’d brought across the bridge with her. She didn’t have much of a green thumb before she came, but having some greenery around her kept her grounded on the tough days. So she made sure to water them each week and keep a rotating schedule of a few in the sun each day. At least she had a few windows all the way back here, even if the light was dingy and weak sometimes.
Most of the day flew by, just another day of filling reports for nobody to read and seeing a student or two about their grades. Finally, her open office hour rolled around after lunch and she heard an exuberant knock at her door.
“Come in!” A small warm smile crept across her face as she called out, already knowing who it was.
The door burst inward, letting the group of mischievous teenagers spill into her tiny office. Mal and Star were at the front, arms linked as always. Evie breezed through after them, smiling fondly at her best friend and her not-so-secret crush. Bringing up the rear, Jay and Carlos were arguing good-naturedly.
They threw down their book bags and took up any vacant seating Rose had around the room. Since Mal’s crew had started hanging around more often, Rose had traveled back to Auradon to bring a couch and some chairs for them. Some of her supervisors shook their head and thought it was a waste of money.
Well, Rose thought, They don’t know the first thing about these kids.
Like most days, they were packed into her office to escape the eyes of their keen-eyed teachers. Nobody expected them to be in a place like this, so it was perfect to hide away in. That and the fact that Rose didn’t try to police their words or behavior. It had taken a long time for them to trust her, but every minute was worth it when Rose saw the heavy weight in their eyes lift as they came through her door.
“Carlos, how’s your latest invention coming along?” Rose asked and settled in to listen to the teen as he eagerly pulled a contraption out of his bag and began explaining its features to her.
Over the course of the hour, she got around to speaking with each teen personally, making sure each one got to rant and let out any bottled feelings. She didn’t press and didn’t offer advice unless they asked her for help. Rose wanted them to just have a safe space to say what they wanted, even if she couldn’t fix much. If she could help even one of them, it made the past 2 years worth all the ridicule she’d gotten from her peers.
Before the hour was over, she spoke with Star and her sister. They’d crashed on the couch, legs in each other’s laps.
“-she just screams at us before giving us a chance to explain!” Star said, her mouth twisting into an uncomfortable frown. She wouldn’t admit it, but Rose could see the pain in her face.
“Yeah, it’s like every week, she gets more and more disappointed with us,” Mal interjected. “But, what can we do? We’re stuck here too and there’s only so many evil tricks and plots we can come up with before it just gets boring.”
Rose held her tongue. The nasty antics the Isle kids liked to pull weren’t good by any means, but Rose knew it wasn’t that simple. Pressure from their parents and their peers had created a self-sustaining hurricane of hurt and hostility. Star and Mal and their friends were victims of one horrible decision of a King who didn’t give a damn about them. So she never held the way they acted out against them.
“I don’t know. Sometimes...” Mal sighed and looked away guiltily, worrying her lip between her teeth. “Sometimes, I wonder if it’s going to be like this forever and ever, and we’ll be stuck like this until-”
She didn’t finish the sentence, but Rose and Star knew what she meant. No one wanted to say it, but until something changed, life on the Isle would be unbearable. They made happy moments between them, piecing together their own families and communities out of spite and hard-won loyalty. But there was only so much room on Isle; they couldn’t just run away if they had to.
“Remember, Mal, that’s why I’m here,” Although she desperately wanted to, Rose didn’t lay a gentle hand on her student’s arm. She’d learned the rules a long time ago in this prison. “Yen-Sid and I are doing what we can, just be patient. This won’t be forever.”
Mal didn’t smile, but the haunted look in her eyes faded a bit as she nodded at the counselor. By then, the hour was up and the bell rang, spurring the kids into movement. Rose waved them out the door and turned back to her never-ending pile of paperwork.
3 more hours, Rose thought with a sigh and got to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of the requirements of the job was that Rose had to stay to make sure all the students had gone home for the day or were accounted for in their after-school clubs. Fortunately, Isle school days were already short to begin with, and even after being here with Yen-Sid for 2 years, the options for extra curricular activities were abysmal. Rose knew she shouldn’t be relieved to go home early when she’d fought so hard to be here in the first place. But, unlike most of the Isle residents, she was only human.
So it was with a sigh of relief that Rose pushed her way out the office’s side door to go home. It had been a busier day than usual, so busy that she was bringing home a satchel stuffed full of paperwork. Even adults had to suffer the pains of homework sometimes. Rose gave a mirthless snort, wishing her teachers had imparted that little nugget of information to her when she was young.
She was still muttering to herself when a dark shadow flashed in the corner of her eye just as she passed an empty alley. Rose froze, her jovial mood evaporating instantly. Her skin prickled as she stared intently down the dark, narrow street, every nerve on alert. But after a moment of stillness, Rose shook her head.
This is still the Isle, she told herself. Even if there’s nothing there, it’s best not to linger and become a target.
Rose turned on her heel, ready to get home before any trouble found her, and ran face-first into a wall of black leather and heat.
“What the fuck!” Rose yelled, backpedaling as fast as she could.
The six and a half foot tall god, whose chest her nose had just become acquainted with, crossed his arms and raised an impressed eyebrow. “Didn’t expect an Auradon agent to have such a mouth. Aren’t you guys all sugar, spice, and everything nice?” Hades mocked.
“Aren’t you all rudeness and sarcasm and-” She shot back, the words flying out of her mouth before she could really think it through. She froze, unable to think of anything to finish with and Hades’ smug persona dropped for a second, genuine amusement taking over.
“No, go on. You find something that rhymes with sarcasm and makes sense, and I’ll stop acting like an asshole.” He gave an exaggerated gracious hand wave. Indignation and embarrassment flushed Rose’s cheeks.
“What do you want?” She huffed, in no mood for games. It had been a long day, like always, and her bed was calling her name.
They’d never met, but of course Rose knew Hades was bad news. The kids she helped on the Isle were innocent victims of the Auradon justice system; Hades was not. Coming face to face with one of the darkest villains banished here sent a thrill of adrenaline through her veins, but she forced any reaction other than utter disinterest down. Out here, he was just as powerless as she was. That was a hefty advantage.
Hades smirked, undaunted by her defensive nature. “Heard that you’re one of the Auradon outcasts at Dragon Hall.”
It could have been a question, but he stated it like he already knew it was true, like he already knew everything about her. Nothing impressive there; Rose and Yen-Sid’s resettlement on the Isle had been a juicy piece of gossip when they first arrived. Still, Rose didn’t like the thought of being on a villain’s radar, especially Hades’.
He advanced on her slowly, a grin as sharp and ruthless as a shark’s creeping across his face. Every step edged them further into the mouth of the alley. He didn’t get very far before Rose planted her feet. Like hell I’m going to let him cut off any chance of escape.
Hades paused, blinking in confusion when she let him come chest to chest with her. Wasn’t she going to even try to put some distance between them? He was the infamous Lord of the Underworld, she should have been cowering by now! Instead, she glared up at him, hands balled into fists on her hips. The sight was familiar; Maleficent had often given him the same reaction.
But instead of a derisive sneer and a malicious response to whatever he’d been saying, the teacher only had a determined set to her mouth and a stern look in her green eyes. Hades felt his heart twist with a complicated tangle of regret and loathing, and forced himself to focus on why he was here.
“Mal and Star seem to like you for some reason.” He continued.
Rose’s eyes narrowed with no small amount of suspicion. “Why would you care about the daughters of Maleficent?”
Hades looked away from her briefly, hesitating long enough for Rose to put the pieces together. The girls never talked about their father, but that had never struck the guidance counselor as odd. Most of the kids she took care of came from single parent families.
Rose couldn’t stop the incredulous laughter bursting out of her. “Really? You? And Maleficent?”
At first, it made a sort of sense. Power and status were everything to the inmates of the Isle. Pairing up with someone on your level was obvious. But Rose tried to imagine that tiny, ridiculous, loud-mouthed dark faerie with this skulking, sleazy, grungy ex-god and found her imagination lacking.
What must that relationship been like? She thought briefly before immediately rejecting the notion. Yikes.
“Stay in your lane, little Miss Nosey!” Hades snapped, letting his intimidating frame tower over her.
“I’m sorry, who cornered who in this alley?” Rose asked. “You’re kind of making it my business by stalking me!”
Hades scowled but couldn’t argue the point. “Look, forget that! I’m here to ask a... favor.” He spit the word out like it was a burning hot coal on his tongue. It wasn’t in his nature to ask for anything. When he was in charge of the Underworld, it was as simple as issuing a command, and Pain and Panic would scramble to follow it. But he had nothing on this woman from Auradon, so he was forced to beg, like a common mortal.
“You. Need a favor. From me?” She repeated, disbelief coating every word.
“Yes,” Hades hissed. “Ever since their mother and I- split, let’s say- it hasn’t been easy keeping an eye on them.”
Rose crossed her arms, thoroughly fed up with this round-about way of talking he had. “You know using vague one-liners is not actual communication, right?”
If they were in Auradon, Rose was sure she would see steam rolling off of his shoulders by now. Hades snarled, anger in his eyes. Mortals sassing him never went over well. For the mortal, at least. But there was nothing he could do about it as a prisoner on the Isle.
“What is it with you mortals and the attitude?” He exclaimed, remembering a certain purple-eyed mortal he’d made the mistake of striking a deal with all those years ago. “Alright, look, I just want to know how they’re doing, what they’re like now that they’re grown up.”
“And you can’t just ask them yourself, because...?”
He scoffed, spreading his hands in exasperation. “Oh yeah, like their mother hasn’t filled their heads with a thousand little nasty rumors about me. They wouldn’t give me the time of day if I tried.”
“You don’t know that,” Rose said quietly, remembering her conversation with the girls just a few hours ago. “If you gave them a chance to-”
“A chance? What, a chance to throw me under a bus? Spit in my face and walk away?” Rose’s eyebrows shot up, surprised by the vulnerable look on Hades face.
“They aren’t their mother and that’s a horrible thing to assume about them. Especially when, one) you don’t know them and, two) you’re asking me to spy on them for you.” She shook her head, regretting the words already. She tried not to respond so emotionally when someone needed her guidance; these were not her issues, they were Hades’. But she cared for Mal and Star and their friends, and she could never stand by when someone bad mouthed kids.
“Listen, Hades,” Rose sighed. Maybe she should have been concerned by how far her guard had dropped so quickly around him, but she didn’t realize it. Something about this conversation was almost comfortable. She chalked it up to being in her element; someone was having trouble with a loved one and asking for her help. “I understand you’re... unsure about trying to reconnect with them, but this doesn’t seem like the healthiest way to do it.”
“Why are you making it such a big deal! Chaos, you Auradon saps and your morals!” Throwing up his hands in disgust, Hades paced away from her. “And another thing, I am not scared!”
Rose only raised a single skeptical eyebrow.
“Shut up.”
“Fine! If you don’t want my help or my advice, I’m going home now.” She hoisted her heavy bag back up on her shoulder and moved to leave when Hades jumped into her path.
“Alright, alright, I’ll admit I have some... doubts about succeeding by myself. Happy? Will you just do it?”
This was a bad idea, Rose told herself, an absolutely idiotic, ill-conceived, ridiculous idea. However, Rose wondered if she could really do this and maybe help this broken little family heal, just a bit. The soft, hidden romantic spot in her heart was weakening to the thought.
“I will.” She said and couldn’t help smiling inwardly at the way Hades lit up with her answer. Before Hades could celebrate too much, she held up a finger. “But! You have to do something for me in return, especially since this is technically illegal and I could lose my job.”
“Hey, I know all about the give and take of a deal. What can the Lord of the Dead do for ya, sweetheart?” Hades smirked, seeming quite unbothered by her demand. He lost his grin, however, when she told him her conditions.
“You can be my bodyguard.”
“Ex-cuse me?” Enjoying how shocked she’d made the oh-so-ferocious villain, Rose shrugged innocently.
“If you want to know more about your daughters, it’s going to mean spending a substantial amount of my free time with you. None of the other villains will bother me anymore if they know I’m under your protection.”
“Do I look like a babysitter to you?”
“No, you look like a racoon that just fell out of a dumpster.” She replied and smirked at his gobsmacked face. “That’s my only condition. Take it or leave it.”
Hades stewed in his thoughts for a few seconds, huffing and grumbling to himself as he thought it over. But, finally he grudgingly held out a hand. “Alright, it’s a deal. Meet me at the entrance of my lair, same time tomorrow.”
Rose didn’t hesitate, shaking his hand firmly twice before adjusting her bag, “See you tomorrow, Hot Head!” She sauntered around him, out of the alley, feeling his eyes on her as she left him behind.
Neither of them noticed a scrawny teen with certain white hair watching the entire exchange from a balcony nearby. Carlos was close enough to make out the identity of the two shadowy figures in the alley, but he couldn’t hear most of their conversation, the wind stealing away the majority of the words before they could reach him. Seeing the reclusive God of the Dead was enough to snag his attention no matter what.
He liked the guidance counselor from the other side of the barrier, even if most of his classmates didn’t. They all thought she was trying to brainwash them and scorned anyone who went to see her. Carlos was already used to being the outcast of outcasts, so he didn’t mind it.
He didn’t want to see her get hurt and this looked like trouble to him. Carlos waited until Hades slunk away, crawling back to his “hidden” lair once more, before leaving to find his crew and telling them everything.
In the past few days, I've been hard at work designing a brand new self-insert for a video game franchise I've recently started to get back into thanks to a close friend of mine! The design of the S/I itself is about 95% done (All that's left is to make some final color changes and draw key art for him), and now I'm working on getting some backstory and facts written out for when I eventually unveil him. I am super excited to show this particular self-insert off!
As for what said video game franchise is... let's just say it's had a fast resurgence after a certain film released not too long ago 👀
[This post kinda sorta contains funney rat game spoilers]
(Drops this and runs)
Here's my epic S/I for MRD hiiii <3 I'm too lazy to actually fully draw them RN or ever probably but they're Rat Monarch and are also quite gender! They're technically the same thing as Ra/t G/od, but a different representation of it!!
“No matter what others tell me, no matter what I tell myself, my f/o loves me with all their heart. They love me through all my worries, my doubts, my imperfections.. and not a thing will ever change that.”
