She asked him to do it. Esther Valencia asked him to kill her fiance, sobbing in his arms behind his childhood home. Javier was damned from the start. He'd loved her since he was twelve, had known her even longer. He didn't question if she truly meant it, if this was just her pain speaking. In fact, his own easy willingness to act on it was as damning a sin as actually killing the man in Javier's eyes. Despite how things turned out—his complicated feelings toward Esther—he never voices this part of the story to anyone. He paints it as his own choice. Still a man killing a monster for the woman he loved, but without her involvement. Call it one final act of love, to not sully her name.

"Staying up to hear another scary story, Hen?" A fond nickname he rarely trotted out since college—one that stung a little bit. One he was perhaps using as he leaned his shoulder against Henry's, the sigh that passed his lips visible in the rapidly descending temperature. "I believe I already told my best ones—" the ones that had Michael grinning toothily while the other children had to be mildly soothed, "—but I suppose I can whip something up." He was all humor, all while his hand slipped between them to find Henry's own, gaze flickering toward the quiet tents. Silence. "Maybe something about a man in the forest." His voice was barely audible, the corners of his lips still curved upward as fingers intertwined with Henry's. "A man willing to do anything to get what he wants." He laughed then, no more than a soft huff. It was a joke even he didn't fully recognize the darkness in—not fully, not yet. "And all he wanted was—well, guess, Henry."

Now THAT was a rancid thought. The one thing...well...PERSON...that he despised the most was his father. Spencer made a promise to himself from a young age that he would NEVER be like his father. The ex-jock turned businessman with a trophy young girlfriend that he had no business with, the homewrecking cheater who blames his marriage falling apart on his son and not on his inability to keep his dick in his pants, and above all the emotionally abusive father who only sees his son as a potential trophy on his mantle; not accepting the thought of his son being interested in anything other than football and date-raping his female peers. The thought of Spencer still somehow turning into the splitting image of his father, even after all the years of deconstructing his trauma and trying his best to be his father's opposite, made chills run up his spine. "I'm not like HIM. I never WANT to be like HIM. My father has been nothing but the worst since I was at least 10 years old. I don't want kids personally, but if I do end up having them for some reason, I've already promised myself that I wouldn't repeat my father's mistakes."

there seems to be not much of a rush this morning — after the hunt, the king saw himself generous as allowing his guests to sleep, as long as they appeared on time for the activities to run as they should — so joanna sees no need (or wish) to hasten her breakfast. instead, she lounges, lingering on her bites, enjoying the little calm even if something pokes like a bothersome prickle of the finger. "ah, ser dayne." she peers up when the knight appear, waving a hand to beckon him close. hardly ever did she bother with kingsguard — she's had her own for twenty five years now, and could have no need of changing it when he serves her so well — but, sometimes, joanna can indulge herself out of her own person, if only out of duty for her children. "have you eaten? i heard you are enlisted for the melee later today. my kingly husband shall approve of that." despite the query, she cares not if he has eaten — nor does she bother him to join her table (could you imagine?). "i was wondering if you would do me a favour, during the match."

Eobard and his brother, Thaddeus, are both named after their uncle; since their father and uncle have been close since they were kids. (Eobard’s middle name is Malcolm) Malcolm is one of two people who knows about Eobard’s powers and that he is the Flash running around in the future (their present), the other person being Eobard’s mother.