#[ does... does he just want to hear jim admit he'd miss him? ]

[gabessquishytum]

maybe the ask didn't go through but hi, it's the House of Night anon again?? bless💄for adding to that ask btw bc here is more

so something only hinted at in the last ask is that it's an au to the comic canon. Basically what if Morpheus reincarnated like Nada once Daniel took over?

he still met Hob in 1389, but because in this universe Night/Nyx is meddling permanently with humans, her reaction to Morpheus' wager is "alright then, he's mine now", leading to Hob being an Ultra-Late-Bloomer (thirties instead of late teens-early twenties back then. doesn't make sense to turn some malnourished 15 year old if the change woud kill them, does it?)

his working theory is that the Trackers just missed him in the midst of the plague and battlefield and that his Stranger gave them a firm talking to, since no other mature vampyr has heard of a similar case and hey he gets it, it's kinda Embarassing to admit if it was their fault

now this is a bit of a problem, because when Morpheus entered the house of night, it was easy enough thougt to push back. Hob wasn't joking when he said that Morpheus fit right in- he's pale and graceful, but clearly still human. any similarities to his Stranger are a coincidence

and then they go from sneaking around to sneaking around, Morpheus cornering him in the classroom or the stacks in the library, expression every bit of imperious Lordling while also shyly wringing his hands

it's so easy to draw him in, to press kisses to his high, dramatic cheeks, to offer his own neck in return while shoving his tigh in-between Morpheus'. everything he'd wanted to offer to his Stranger but didn't get a chance to

which means this is the perfect time for one of Hob's old mentees to pay a visit

the first time Morpheus finds Hob sitting at one of the library tables, deep in conversation with this unknown vampyr, all he wants to do is take a seat in Hob's lap because Hob is his. Better yet, drag Hob back to his flat and rub up against hjm until every vampyr in London can smell Morpheus on him

of course before he can actually try to follow through on that impulse, Hob catches sight of him and waves him over

"this here is Jim", Hob introduces them, "my very first mentee. i thought maybe you'd like to hear someone else chatter about their experiences for a change."

of course when he hears "Mentee" Morpheus hears "other person I slept with" and is as grumpy and taciturn as always

Jim, bless him, takes the entire thing with good humor and pulls out the most embarrassing stories of Hob he has once they are left alone together

only under the threat of death will Morpheus admit that it works and that he starts to relax eventually. even permits Jim to squeeze his shoulder

"Don't worry about the crush", Jim says, "But don't get your hopes up either. Hob will never do anything to embarrass you, but he's too far gone on this 'old friend' to consider anyone else"

Morpheus thinks of all the things he did with Hob barely 24 hours ago and swallows

I’m so sorry your first ask got lost!! Thank you so much for making the effort and resending this.

As I mentioned, I haven’t actually read this book series but. BUT. I am still so invested in this au. Hob pining for his Stranger, not knowing that Morpheus is his stranger??? Amazing. The internal angst of Hob wanting to remain loyal to his stranger, loving him eternally but also…… he has this spark with Morpheus that he can’t ignore! He can’t stop himself from wanting to give Morpheus everything, too!!

Also love and appreciation for Jim, I love all Jim content but this feels especially perfect with Morpheus being jealous aksjdjfjf. I’m imagining them seeing the tension between Morpheus and Hob and slowly, slowly realising… Jim pulls Hob off to one side and is like “are you????? fucking??????” And Hob turns bright red. Oops.

It’s too late now, Hob doesn’t think he could stop if he tried. And Morpheus is obsessed. There’s probably nothing he wouldn’t do to stay with Hob. This “old friend” person can kindly fuck off, alright? Hob belongs to Morpheus now.

Little does he know… he always did.

[forensicated]

Smiffina Episodes - Episode 171

Gabriel is in trouble, Jim is out cold after he's hit him with a bottle, Marie is out cold drunk - he does his best to fake the scene to look like he broke in whilst Marie and Jim were mid-argument.

Gina takes Eva to the hospital to gather evidence from Marie and dispatches Smithy to the scene for Gabriel to update him and to see how Jim is. Jim and Marie are taken to the hospital as Smithy and Gabriel hear movement from upstairs. Concerned it's an intruder, Smithy shakes his asp out and makes his way upstairs to find Marie's son, Ben. Gabriel is nervous, wondering if Ben saw or heard anything. Smithy brings Ben into the station with them whilst they wait for family to take him in.

At the hospital, Eva tries to take Marie's clothes as evidence and Marie protests, asking if they're doing the same to 'that copper', accusing them of closing ranks. She makes a full accusation against Gabriel for hitting Jim with the bottle. At the station, Smithy and Gina interview Gabriel for his side of the situation. Smithy is open to believing what Gabriel says, given Marie's an alcoholic and was out cold when he arrived. Gina, knowing Gabriel's true nature, is suspicious.

Ben is closed off with June, insisting that his mother and stepfather were just 'fighting about stuff' with the air of a child who has heard and seen it all many times. He admits he didn't see either of them hit the other 'this time'. Defensive of his mum, he insists that it's Jim who hits Marie, not the other way around. In an off record chat with June, Smithy and Gina, Eva admits that she's seen what she believes to be Jim being rough with Marie - when really he was restraining her from attacking him at the time. She also admits that he, a recovering alcoholic, had a drink when he was her FLO when her daughter was missing.

Smithy attends hospital when Jim comes round to take his statement. Jim doesn't want it taking to court. Smithy tells him it's not that simple as Marie is accusing Gabriel of assaulting Jim. Smithy openly floats the suggestion that it might be her covering for Jim by blaming Gabriel. Jim throws Smithy out of his hospital room.

At the station, Gabriel is panicking about having his uniform tested for blood and quickly swaps it for Tony's, hiding the actual uniform in his locker. June visits the hospital and speaks to Jim, explaining to him what was revealed in the off record chat and their shared knowledge of Marie being violent to Jim (and attacking June). Jim refuses to bring any accusations against Marie and insists he believes her claim that Gabriel did assault him. He insults June, claiming she just wants someone to mother to make her drop her attempts to make him tell the truth and leave him alone.

Eva asks Marie about her drinking and tries to get information from her about Jim attacking her. She then goes to Jim and accuses him of attacking Marie, claiming she won't cover for him anymore. Overwrought, Jim pulls the neck of his gown down to show her older injuries that he'd sustained from Marie, telling Eva it's Marie who hurts him and puts her cigarettes out on him. Ben speaks to Jim at the hospital and he tells him that everything will be ok and that he doesn't blame him for saying that he had hit his mum, he understands that Ben was scared of his family breaking up. Marie won't take any of the blame and tells Ben that it's all Jim's fault. Ben won't leave his mum to go with Jim as he moves out and Jim has to leave him behind - whilst Marie just continues drinking.

Smithy catches Gina looking at Gabriel's personal file as she's checking back to see if he had any history at Hendon. She speaks to Audrey, the CSE for evidence of Jim's injuries and what she suspects could have happened and then confronts Gabriel to see if his story matches the evidence. It doesn't. Gina returns to her office to find Smithy there with Audrey. She tells Gina that Marie's clothes were covered in Jim's blood and there's not a speck of it on Gabriel's uniform - funny that. Smithy insists to Gina that means Gabriel's in the clear but she tells him that the evidence doesn't match Gabriel's story and that he was the reason Ruby resigned. She doesn't want him on her relief. Smithy accuses her of making it personal and says she's clutching at straws when she reveals Gabriel requested Sun Hill as his posting instead of the West End for the action where most probationers want to go.

Gina questions June about Gabriel who insists he's a good man. Gabriel witnesses and asks June what Gina has been saying about him now. Gina speaks to West Essex Social Services department and asks them to send her Gabriel's record - by pretending she's investing Gabriel for fraud. Smithy warns her if she keeps digging then Gabriel has enough for a bullying charge against her. He's confused to why - if the case is NFA'd - she is still looking into it. Gina simply tells him that she's in charge - and she's suspicious. Gina lets Gabriel know she's spoken to a witness who heard a window break 5 minutes after Gabriel called for an ambulance. She asks Gabriel why he's there and what his connection is with Sun Hill. He changes the subject and says Jim has dropped the case because he doesn't know what happened. Gabriel just shrugs. "Forensics never lie." "But you do." Muses Gina, as Smithy calls her in to tell her that Jim does want to make a statement after all. "... oh blimey."

Smithy and Gina are horrified to see the physical evidence on Jim's body of Marie's beatings and attacks and even more so when he tells them what had happened, admitting it started 2 weeks after they married. When arrested, a drunk Marie shouts public accusations against Jim, insisting he's a bully but noone listens, she has no proof and Jim has a body full. Gina tells him he could have come forward sooner, and Jim points out that they all believed it was him yesterday. He doesn't blame anymore - he knows how difficult, from past experience as an officer, it is for male victims of domestic abuse to be believed.

In the canteen Gabriel tells Jim how brave he is for speaking out and that he doesn't blame him for believing Marie's accusation at first. Witnessing June push Jim away when he tries to apologise, Gabriel manipulates her telling her he cares what she thinks about him and he tears his transfer request up in front of her. Outside he asks her on a date and kisses her in front of the station.. In CAD, Smithy receives a fax for Gina's attention from West Essex Social Services. He reads it - horrified by its contents. He rushes to Gina's office to update her on what he's found out - Gabriel's birth mother is listed as one June Ackland.

[izzy-b-hands]

Random lil thing. Implied past blackhands that neither of them were proper in declaring or talking about, so now there are Hurt Feelings that need dealing with. Implied early rizzy, ongoing blackbonnet, and freshly restarted blackhands.

---

"I guess I never saw it that way," Ed shrugs.

Izzy nods, and leaves the reacting to the rest of them.

This conversation should have stayed between the two of them anyway.

But the crew was there and is there and he does hear them calling for him as he leaves the galley.

He doesn't quite have it in him to turn around, not after that.

Not after even Bonnet acknowledged his devotion, listed things he'd seen done since his return-

Not after he'd struggled to his knees, and Ed had so gently reached down and cradled his face, and looked him dead in the eyes-

"I guess I never saw it that way."

Jack said Ed had issues with that. Not that Jack doesn't have his own with intimacy of varying kinds, as do most pirates they know, but...

Had he simply not seen, or refused to look?

Izzy can see, now, horribly, that he was refusing to look at any of it himself. Or he looked beyond, or too deeply maybe, or-

"Ed's worried about you," Jim peeks out of the galley door. "Come back in?"

"I don't think I can."

"Okay."

He knows of one of Bonnet's passageways, and takes it to its final destination behind the brig.

--

"Jack said you and Izzy had been together before," Roach says.

"Jack says a lot of things."

"Were you?"

"As friends and then as...I don't know."

"And you never thought to talk about it?"

"We're pirates; we're busy-"

"Right. He's missing, by the way."

"Not very devotional of him to keep disappearing on me like this, hm?"

"Don't be fucking cruel," Roach hisses. "Jim, any ideas yet on where he-"

"Why do all of you suddenly care?" Ed sighs. "Why does it matter?"

"We talk things through," Stede says quietly, but firmly. "Despite admitting he didn't have the words, he came in and sat down and tried. He got on his knees and..."

He shakes his head. "He left himself open in front of us all. And, you want him here still I assume."

"Of course I do!"

"Then you see why it matters."

--

It's a snug spot, filled with thin extra blankets, pillows, and not much else.

It just might be his favourite spot on the ship.

He hears them search the empty brig, but doesn't offer a sound until he hears Roach and Jim walk in.

"If he's jumped-"

Izzy knocks against the wall nearest him.

"Izzy?"

He knocks again.

"Fuck. Okay. You're okay. Fucking thanks for finally letting us know!" Jim scoffs. "Please come out."

His knuckles rest against the whorls of the wooden wall.

"Come on," Roach adds. "I know, that... sucked. Was weird, or felt weird. Whatever. We can't move on if you refuse to leave wherever you are right now. In here, somewhere, yes?"

A light rap of his knuckles.

"Okay. You aren't coming back out yet, are you?"

He knocks.

"Please sneak out for food at least. I'll have things in the galley for you."

Jim's frustrated groan echoes as they leave the brig.

--

Ed stares at the little model ship in progress on his lap.

"They know he's in one of the hidden passageways," Stede sighs and sits next to him on the couch. "Shall I go find him?"

"I just realised," Ed murmurs. "I think Izzy would like this. This thing."

"It's a lovely model!"

"He made one himself, out of shards of wood," Ed continues. "After a hit to our ship that took out much of the rail...left those clean splinters all over, you know."

"Hm."

"Collected them for weeks as we fixed and cleaned. Used them all to make that model of his."

"Does he still have it?"

"He gave it to me. I don't know where it is," Ed leans back and stares at the ceiling of their quarters.

"I didn't see it that way. Jack says I miss some of the 'smaller' things...that I did it with him too."

"Oh?"

"Jack gave me fourteen hand-retrieved and handmade shark tooth necklaces before I finally thought he might mean it as anything other than...I guess I don't know," Ed continues. "I thought...Izzy doesn't put names to his feelings. To things and flings he's had. I would never have thought to address it; to designate it without his prompting-"

The in-progress ship hits the opposite wall.

"I wish I knew where that stupid fucking little model was."

--

The soup bowl is clearly a recent Black Pete creation: perfectly formed and with a latch that keeps everything inside until he's settled in his tiny hatch again.

"Soup is wonderful," Izzy says to himself.

"Glad you like it."

"Roach, are you in the brig?"

"Jim was in here earlier and was going to tell you some of us would be taking turns hanging out with you. They fell asleep for a bit though, so you guys might have missed each other."

"I was out cold earlier myself; I almost definitely missed it."

"Ed doesn't know exactly where you are, if you're wondering."

"Does he care?"

"Would you really want to hear that answer from me?"

"Good point. Pete should sell these bowls; they're-"

"I know! I told him that too, but he likes them being exclusive to our crew," Roach cries. "Sorry, too loud?"

"No, you're fine. Are you staying?"

"Later, here? Yeah. Why?"

"Could come in here instead."

He's never been good at admitting when he's lonely.

--

"I think you're lonely without him and don't want to say it," Stede scoffs. "Ed, I've said it's fine! You are to each other what you are, and then you and I have each other as we do! Things can be fine like this."

Another sharpened splinter of wood hits the ceiling of their quarters.

"Ed."

Then another.

"Ed!"

The pile of splinters at Ed's side is seemingly unending.

--

"Not a fucking word," Roach mutters to Stede as he rushes Izzy into the galley. "Not yet."

"I know."

--

Two days later, it's the four of them at the galley table with the pile of splinters, and mini ship models in progress.

"Jim and Olu have command, and Buttons the helm I assume?" Izzy asks Ed.

It's the first thing he's said to him, since...

"Yeah. Say, how do you make it do that little bend there without breaking the entire piece you're working with?"

"That? Oh," Izzy's hand tentatively, hesitantly, lays over one of Ed's and directs his fingers. "Like this, but it's finicky, so it doesn't always work."

"Who taught you this?"

"You, years ago."

"Well," Ed smiles. "Kept you round for a reason."

"You did."

Roach and Stede note the smiles and giggles, to the silent conclusion that Izzy and Ed going forward may not look anything like they're expecting.

It can only look like the two of them, and apparently, it never met most common expectations to begin with.

But they're not seeing any of it like they used to, and so it really need not meet anything other than what they two need it to.

[deliverydefresas]

another aeroplane, another sunny place

AKA, the final bonus part of shape of you that wasn't posted here, but on wp. very much inspired by michael bublé's song 'home' back in 2017 that i finally finished writing a while ago. technically it can be read as a standalone os since that's how it was originally written as, but it also makes sense in the sofy universe. (just like another os i will post sometime next week that i *also* posted on wp but not on here)

ANYWAYS feel free to ignore if you've read it already, since i'm mostly just posting it here in case i need to reference it later!

may be surrounded by a million people i still feel alone, i just wanna go home

oh, i miss you, you know

He'd been on the road for eight months now.

He was grateful of all the success the Rollerband was getting; a worldwide sold-out tour, thousands of records sold, a renewed signing contract for another three years. He knew he was lucky, and he couldn't deny it.

Career-wise, he was happy, living his rock-star dream. His personal life was a whole different thing.

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. And it was true, honestly. If he thought he loved his girlfriend before, he knew for sure now that he was ten thousand kilometers away. However, what they don't tell you, it's how hard it can get when such a distance is formed. He hadn't talked to Ámbar, like really talked, in two months.

Their relationship had gotten to an only-texting communication, with hello's and goodnight's texts received every day. The phone calls had reduced to once a week, if that.

It hadn't started that way, though. The first three months consisted of daily three-hours-long video calls, with the occasional visit if uni and her schedule allowed her, then they passed to a one-hour daily cellphone call... now they were lucky they even remembered to put 'i love you' at the end of their texts.

He didn't like it, not one bit. He knew where they were leading; he'd seen it first with Jim and Nico years ago (which was a reason he tried not to date anyone seriously), and then a few months later with Delfi and Pedro. Simón didn't want that for Ámbar and himself.

He checked the time; almost midnight where he was, so it'd only be around 7 PM in Buenos Aires. Her uni classes ended at three, so either she was at the J&R or doing homework.

Deciding he didn't have anything to lose, he pressed 'call' on his phone. Five rings later, she picked up, her beaming face appearing on his screen. Gosh, how he'd missed her.

"Aló, Simón?!" Her voice sounded a little breathy, but overall excited. He had to smile when he heard her. "How are you? I miss you," she sighed wistfully on the other side of the line. The hand she wasn't using to hold the phone went to her hair, twirling a lock away from her face.

"I miss you too," Simón answered, a small smile gracing his lips, "I'm coming home soon, only a couple of weeks more, little gem."

"It feels like too long, but at least it's sooner than eight months," she mumbled, sighing again, "how's Spain? Didn't you have a show tonight?"

"Spain's great, full of life," he remembered the crowd, screaming and singing along, "the show ended an hour ago. I'm feeling a little homesick, I guess," he admitted, "I wish I was there with you."

"Don't," she reprimanded him, shaking her head a little, "you'll be here soon, enjoy tour life while you can."

"That's the thing... I'm not enjoying it anymore." Ámbar went still at this. If it weren't for the tenue sound of music she was listening on her side and that he could hear through the phone, he'd have thought it's freezed on him; when he realized that wasn't the case, he continued. "It's been too long. I miss our bed, I miss waking up next to you, hugging you, kissing you... I miss our dog and I miss our friends. This life... it feels so empty, little gem." He wasn't ashamed to say he was close to tears. He loved touring, giving concerts in different parts of the world, meeting fans all over the globe... those were heavy pros. Simón just wished he'd have more time for his family.

"Don't think like that, Simón, please." She begged him, the little tremble in her voice gave away her emotions, her face had barely moved. Simón knew it was more for his sake than for hers. "I miss you too, so much it hurts sometimes. But this is your dream, love, this is what you've worked so hard for; don't let homesickness stop you from finding joy in what you love the most."

"I'll try, I promise I will. I just... I don't know..."

"I get it, I'm the same sometimes. But you must understand; we're not them, Simón." Her voice turned softer, understanding, and soothing. He loved that about her, that she seemed to know what to say and how to say it without a prompt given. "Do you know why they didn't work out? It's not because they loved each other less, or because the distance was too much. It was the pressure of feeling that if they weren't near each other, if they didn't talk to the other 24/7, their bond would break. It was too much, and it ended up leaving them strained."

"Is this your way of telling me you don't want to talk to me anymore?" he joked, his smile growing as she rolled her eyes.

"You're an idiot." She deadpanned, changing her position on the bed to recline her back on their bedrest. "Seriously, though, do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yes, love. I know I shouldn't care too much about how much we talk as it does not define our relationship but what can I say? I miss you." She grinned at him.

"I miss you, too. I'm always a call away," she promised him, but then she frowned, "unless I'm at class, then sorry, you'll have to talk to my voicemail."

He laughed, "I see how it is, a boring class is way more important than funny me. How's everything over there? How's my princess?"

"Always." She winked at him. "Everything's fine. I had lunch with my mom today, she made mushroom lasagna, I told her already that mushrooms taste like nothing, but she swears they're flavorful; I might go visit my dad tomorrow as well; he's been bugging me about having dinner with him and his family," he absentmindedly scrunched his nose at the mention of the fungi, he hated them, "Toppy is here, I can put you on speaker so you can talk to her, if you want. I can't promise she'll answer, though, she's been giving me an attitude lately."

"An attitude? You're rubbing on her, aren't you? When I get home, I'll come back to two Ámbar's instead of one." He teased her, earning a huff from his girl. "Let me talk to her, I bet she doesn't even recognize my voice anymore."

"You've always been her favorite, she will." She replied softly, and then it was quiet for a couple of seconds, while she took off the earphones' plug from her phone. "Okay, you're on speaker now. Toppy, babe, come greet daddy." Simón waited until he heard a 'thud' – followed by Ámbar adjusting her phone's camera so he could see both his girl and their pet- to speak again.

"Toppy?" Not a sound.

Before he could get sad he got no response, Ámbar spoke. "She's smelling my phone, talk again." She sounded amused, so Simón complied, cheerier this time.

"How's my favorite puppet doing? I heard you're giving mommy a bit of trouble. What happened to my good girl?" He wasn't done with his first question when the barking started, his pup's little whines sounded almost as if she was reprimanding his absence.

"She's missed you." His girlfriend exclaimed over the barking, chuckling at the way Toppy's tail swat rapidly.

"I miss her too." He sighed again, "I miss you both a lot."

"Just a few more weeks." She reminded him, her smile and tone wistful as she tried to contain the pup's wriggling body. He had to smile at that.

"Just a few more weeks." He echoed, the underlying promise loud to their ears. "I love you."

"I love you too." She paused for a second, before speaking again, "now please go to sleep, you look like you died a week ago." Simón laughed at that, but he knew better than to fight her when she was trying to take care of him.

"I'll call you tomorrow, alright?"

His words were met with a grin. "Not if I text you first. I love you so much, Simón."

"I love you more, little gem. Take care, okay? I'll see you as soon as I can." She sent him a kiss through the phone, before disconnecting the call. He stared at the screen for a couple of minutes, before the 'low battery' notification popped up and he had to charge it. The call left him feeling much better, so he decided to go to bed already.

Just a few more weeks ran like a mantra trough his mind, soothing his fears and anxiety. Just a few more weeks and I'll be home.