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lulublack90 · 2 months ago

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Prompt 29 - Frost

@wolfstarmicrofic December 29, word count 816

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He took a deep breath and unlocked the door at the top of the stairs that led to his flat. Flat was a generous name for it. Bedsit was probably more accurate. It was all one room, but he’d sectioned off where his bed sat with a collection of blankets he’d collected from charity shops and sewn together. He’d thought the giant picture of a grey tabby kitten on a hot pink background had been funny when he put it in the centre of the fabric divide, but now he felt ridiculous. He cringed inwardly. He could hardly hide it either. It was the first thing your eye was drawn to when you entered the place.

He heard Sirius snort behind him.

“Interesting decorating choices,” he said. Remus turned to look at him, but Sirius was only teasing; there was no judgment there—well, maybe a little.

“Please, sit,” Remus told Sirius, waving his hand towards the bright green sofa he’d got off a guy from across the street who was moving out and hadn’t found anyone to buy it. It was horribly uncomfortable. Whoever had designed it clearly didn’t have a spine, or else it wouldn’t have been so bad to sit on. It did, however, fold flat into a single bed. Remus tended to drop it flat when he used it and piled his duvet and pillows behind him to lean on while he played Crash Bandicoot. He was on the lookout for a replacement, but sofas were damn expensive.

Sirius sat down and gazed around the room, taking everything in while Remus flitted about tidying up. He’d left plates, chocolate wrappers and, to his absolute horror, a pair of socks on the coffee table. He snatched them up and threw everything in the kitchen area, bar the socks. They went in the hamper outside his minuscule bathroom.

“What do you want to drink?” He asked, coming back to where Sirius was waiting patiently for him. “I have tea, coffee, water?” He said the last item with a smile stretching his lips, unable to keep a straight face.

“Hmmm, actually, I’d kill for a cuppa. Black, no sugar. Please,” Sirius answered, wiggling on the sofa, trying to find a comfortable spot. Remus was a bit stunned. You didn’t find many people who drank tea like he did. It was a staple when he went out to remind everyone not to put milk in his drinks. They got it right about half the time.

He came back with two steaming cups of tea and a plate of chocolate hobnobs. Sirius reached out and grabbed one.

“I’m liking you more and more Remus,” Sirius beamed at him as he bit into the chocolate-oaty biscuit “Although. I’m sorry Remus, but is there something wrong with your sofa?” He complained, cracking his shoulders as he stretched his back.

“Erm, yeah, sorry, it's shit. It was free. Here, hop up, and I’ll put it how I normally have it.” Sirius obediently got up, and Remus quickly dropped the sofa flat. He walked behind the blanket curtain and grabbed everything off his bed, making sure there weren’t any pants hidden in them, and plopped them down onto the sofa bed. He manoeuvred his pillows and duvet until he’d made a little backrest for them both. Sirius just stared at him when he was done.

“Is this your idea of getting me into your bed?” Sirius asked, the corners of his lips twitching as he tried to hold in his laughter. Remus blushed beet-red.

“Oh—er—no, I swear—I…” Sirius clapped him on the back and got onto the makeshift seating. He shuffled until he was comfortable and looked up at Remus expectantly. Remus didn’t know what else to do but sit down and turn the TV on.

He couldn’t remember what he’d been watching, but when he turned the DVD player on, the beginning of an episode of A Touch of Frost was playing.

“Are you watching Frost?”

“Er yeah, the entire box set was in the charity shop down the road for a fiver and I couldn’t pass up the bargain. I don’t have a TV licence, so I just watch DVDs…” He petered out. He didn’t know why he kept oversharing. Sirius didn’t need to know all this. “I have loads of movies and stuff if you want to pick one?” Sirius turned to him with his mouth aghast.

“Are you mental? Don’t you dare turn Frost off,” And just to make sure Remus didn’t, Sirius snatched the remote out of his hand and put it out of his reach. Remus was slightly taken aback, but when he sat back and Sirius moved so he was pressed up against Remus, he forgot to care, and they watched a few episodes of A Touch of Frost while they drank their tea and munched their way through the biscuits.

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deathsplaything · 1 year ago

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Tea and Biscuits || Jonas & Alistair

LOCATION: The Bread Cemetery TIMING: Early January PARTIES: Alistair (@deathsplaything) & Jonas (@thesilentmedium) SUMMARY: Alistair visits the Bread Cemetery for potential business and gets a haunted bagel instead. WARNINGS: None

Paws slipped against the freshly polished floor as Blue chased the cackling bread roll through the front of the bakery. Jonas was quick on her heels, doing his best to avoid bumping into any of the bread he already had stacked for the day but that was proving pointless as his left hip hit another batch of loaves. “Oh please.” He muttered out, not really able to pause and pick it up in his chase of the wayward bagel. This morning had been so peaceful, he was starting to feel a bit more confident on opening the store on his own when Chris was taking the later half of the day to run the bakery. Now he was flustered as one of the bagels he freshly baked sprung to life and began reeking havoc upon his store.

The baked good rolled under the counter just out of reach of Blue’s angry jaws. Jonas turned to grab a broom when he saw the front doors open. “I am so sorry! The bakery is um closed at the moment!” A little gasp left him as the bagel made a beeline for the door, still laughing. “Close the door!” He didn’t mean to be rude to a customer but the bagel simply could not be allowed to leave. A tsukumogami inhabiting a piece of bread was hardly dangerous but it was better to be safe than sorry in Jonas’ experience, especially when it could still cause inconveniences on others even if it did not harm them directly.

It had been Melody’s idea to extend the olive branch out to the business known as the Bread Cemetery. As far as names went, Alistair wasn’t sure how good that would be at drawing people in, but seeing as how they were well versed in death themselves, they could appreciate it. As soon as they opened the door to the shop, Alistair’s eyes went wide behind their sunglasses, and quickly slammed the door shut as requested.

Immediately, Brutus started acting off. “What’s wrong with you?” They asked their dog, who yanked them further toward the haunted bagel that Alistair still had no idea about. Instead of being pulled to the ground, Alistair dropped Brutus’s lead and let the dog join in the other to chase the bagel around the store. “Right.” They spoke, clapping their hands together and staring straight forward. “I need you to paint me a picture of what the bloody hell is going on.” They insisted, hearing the distinct pattering of two sets of paw prints and one set of human footsteps. “I’m Alistair, and I’m quite blind.”

“I um am very sorry you had to come in at this moment, Alistair!” Jonas sounded out of breath as he paused to look at the other. The name seemed familiar, if Jonas wasn’t currently chasing down the spirit he would take a moment to actually think on why that was. “I do not um I am not quite sure how to explain this if I am being honest.” His shoes skid on the wooden floor as he rounded a shelf in the middle of the store. The bagel was trapped between him and two angry dogs or so it seemed. The roll quickly darted through the gaps in the wood and made a beeline for the blind person.

Jonas was quick to course correct and managed to reach Alistair before the tsukumogami did, causing the prankster to giggle and run away. Jonas took a moment to pause and catch his breath after averting a small disaster. “There is um a well… there is a bagel running loose in my shop. It is haunted.” He was panting and doing his best not to get too close to the older person while still keeping his good eye on their lips. He was getting serious deja vu from all this, though the bagel Regan had dealt with was more talkative than this one and honestly easier to handle. He still felt bad that Blue shoved it in her pocket but it did solve the issue. He wasn’t going to allow that to happen again, however, he doubted the bagel would even keep still enough to shove into someone’s pocket.

This brief pause that allowed him to reminisce also allowed him to think about where he had heard the name Alistair before. “Oh! You um run The Sugar Pot. We have talked online before, I am Jonas. I am sorry we did not meet under calmer circumstances.”

As soon as the words haunted bagel reached Alistair’s ears, they knew they were in for a treat. A slow smile spread across their face at the prospect of haunted baked goods. “Well that just sounds lovely, and explains why Brutus has decided to commune with his ancestors and go absolutely feral for the thing.” Alistair turned their head in the direction of Jonas’s voice and changed their smile from mischievous to friendly. “Do you often deal with haunted pastries?” They found themselves asking, discretely allowing themselves to see through Brutus’s eyes, watching as the dog ran around, desperately trying to catch the bagel with their new friend.

Suddenly, Jonas was right in front of them and panting. “Sneaky bugger’s really giving you a run for your money, isn’t it?” The smile went crooked, and they stuck a hand into their pocket and stuck their hip out. “Well it’s nice to finally meet in person, even if there are sinister bagels being chased by dogs.” Alistair paused, listening to the dogs running around, chasing after the bagel. “Between you and me, I don’t think that bagel’s making it out of here in one piece. Brutus is a fiend for bread. Can’t leave it out on the counter without the beast jumping onto the counter and tearing the bag open.” They pulled a face, then shook their head, displeased.

“But anyway!” They spoke, trying to change the subject to what they came there for. “Melody’s always trying to be the sensible one of the Sugar Pot business owners and thinks it would be good if we met with you to try to strike up some kind of working relationship with one other. Promote each other’s businesses. I don’t sell pastries, and a lot of people are always asking if we ever would, but I’d rather not have more competition than I already have with the coffee shops in the area.”

“I am happy to say that I um do not.” A hand went to his chest as he willed his heart rate to go down. He wasn’t out of shape by any means but he felt like he’d been chasing that bagel for nearly an hour at this point, “Brutus? What a lovely name.” Jonas looked the smaller dog over as he ran around, admiring the floppy ears. “He does seem to be having fun. I am glad Blue’s size is not off putting for him.” Blue rarely had the chance to make friends with other dogs, she was too busy acting as a guard for her boy, and when she wasn't, people were often too uncomfortable to let her play with their dogs. He didn’t blame them; she could be rather intimidating to those who didn’t know how much of a gentle giant she really was.

“Blue prefers her dog treats. But um I cannot blame him for liking bread. I have made a living off of it.” Jonas smiled, even if the other couldn’t see it, “It is lovely to meet you as well. I um do hope they are able to handle it. I am in need of a break.” The possessed bagel was no more dangerous than a regular one, even if it was a tad quicker. Jonas was a little glad Alistair couldn’t see his disheveled appearance. He must look terrible after running around and knocking things over. His apron was still covered in flour from this morning’s bake session as well.

“Oh! Well I um would be happy to accommodate you. I would invite you to the back room to talk properly if it were not for the uh bagel.” Jonas’ words trailed off slightly as said bagel rolled in front of the pair, cackling like a maniac with the two dogs hot on its tracks. Blue went to bite it only to miss by an inch. Really whatever spirit was in that thing must never get tired. “I um would love to supply your store with pastries if that is what you are looking to do,I have a few select pastries that would go lovely with some of your um more seasonal teas.” it was odd to be talking shop while chaos was occurring around you but he supposed this was just how Wicked’s Rest was. If you didn’t learn to roll with the weirdness you’d be stopped in your tracks every five minutes.

“Your dog huge or something?” Alistair asked, cocking his head to the side. “Size of the dog don’t matter to Brutus, as long as they’re willing to play nice.” they shrugged a shoulder as they crossed their arms across their chest. “I’m not one to judge someone by their size or appearance.” They added, waving a hand in front of their face. “Not like I can exactly see it.” The quirked a half-smile, as if it were a little joke to themselves.

“Brutus will eat anything he’s told he can eat. Especially if he’s off duty.” Alistair quirked a brow and raised his voice, “which he’s not off duty!” They reminded Brutus, who’s ears went back and immediately heeled to Alistair’s side. “Good boy.” They remarked, patting the top of their head, but heard Brutus lick his chops at the idea of getting a bite out of the bagel. “Laigh sios.” Alistair commanded, and Brutus laid down at their feet. Alistair’s posture seemed to relax as soon as they had their dog under control. They hadn’t brought their mobility cane, so if Brutus wasn’t cooperating, they were in trouble.

The spellcaster’s face twisted up as they thought about it, then shook their head. “Not sure if I want to deal with a display case, honestly. But I’m sure we could work out some kind of deal where they buy something here, they can get a discount at The Sugar Pot.” Alistair suggested with a lofted brow. For some reason, Alistair wasn’t at all phased by the chaos unfolding around them. It wasn’t the first time something stupid had happened like this, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, not by a long shot.

“Oh she is um quite big.” Big was really an understatement when it came to Blue. The dog was only two inches shorter than him, really lending to her status as a bad omen though Jonas never could see her as such. She was too sweet to be a bad omen, if anything she was just an early warning system. How early depended on when she got to you if she bothered to at all. Lately she was content to stay by Jonas’ side, especially after the kidnapping incident. She was practically glued to his hip when, at least when she wasn’t chasing reindeer away from the store. Her rivalry with them seemed to outweigh her desire to keep an eye on her boy. “Perhaps if our um business plan goes well then they will get to see more of each other. Blue is in need of more dog friends, of course when he is um not busy working.” Jonas would never suggest the other let their service dog play with Blue while he was helping the blind person.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Jonas tucked his hands into his pocket and pulled out a notebook jotting a few things down, “I um… We can always schedule a later date to go over the finer details.” Blue, noticing her new friend was no longer in the action, huffed and trotted over to Jonas complaining the whole way. Jonas shook his head and ruffled Blue’s fur, “It is okay to take a break Blue, we will get it um eventually.” The large dog whined and leaned on her boy eliciting a small ‘oof’ from him. Eventually Jonas settled for wrapping his arms around her neck and writing in his notebook that way. “Brutus is a very pretty dog.” He commented letting the other person know he hadn’t forgotten about them, “I am um just writing down some ideas for later.”

The bagel realizing it was being ignored began to circle the small group trying to get their attention. It wasn’t ready to stop having fun and started hopping in front of the dogs. “Oh please it is time to stop now. I um do not mean you, the bagel is… Well being the bagel.” Jonas wasn’t sure how else to really explain what the bread was up to. It’s laugh was starting to die down into frustrated grumbles.

Alistair nodded their head slowly as Jonas spoke to the size of Blue. “Well there’s always more to a dog than their size, no?” they asked, tilting their head to the side with a lofted brow. “I’m sure she’s great. And between you and me, Brutus could use a friend.” A soft smile broke out across their face, nodding. “Even if our business plan doesn’t prevail, I’m sure the two of them will say that this meeting was a success.” Alistair pointed down to Brutus, who was aggressively wagging his tail at the chance to get to interact with Blue again. They could feel the whacking of their dog’s tail against their shin.

“I would love to not talk business any longer, seeing as how there’s a bagel on the loose.” Alistair wiggled their fingers with wide eyes behind their large lenses. “I think you’ll find that talking with my business partner much easier than with me. She’s the one with the big ideas, I’m just the one that goes along for the ride.” They shrugged a shoulder, a smug look on their face. “Why thank you,” Alistair responded in kind to the compliment for their dog. “He’s a black lab mixed with a Burnese mountain dog. So big and fluffy.” They grinned, patting the whining dog’s head.

A brow lofted in amusement as Jonas told them to stop, and chuckled as Jonas quickly corrected himself. “I think the bagel is not at all being a bagel, dear boy.” Alistair was quick to respond with, amusement laced in their features. “I think I know the answer to our problem.” They spoke, pointing down to Brutus who was all but ready to pounce on the thing again. “Brutus.” They spoke in a commanding tone, which immediately drew the dog’s attention. “Fetch.” They let go of the lead, and Brutus immediately sprung into action. Before the bagel could so much as react, Brutus chomped down on the bagel. The thing screamed as it was torn into pieces, giving Brutus a much deserved snack. “There. Bagel gone.” Alistair exclaimed with a mischievous grin etched onto their face.

“Oh of course they should be friends!” Jonas was more than happy to have Blue gain another friend. The big dog wagged her tail in response to Brutus’s enthusiasm. “We will have to make sure we set up a playdate for them, I am sure they would love to go to the park together.” He tucked the notebook into his pocket and ruffled Blue’s fur. Luna and Auggie were good friends but having one that was a dog would be something special. Or Jonas hoped so, he knew it was special to have a friend that understood the same things you did.

Lil was always good for that, they knew each other better than anyone else and their shared experiences made it easier to approach her about things. Although he seemed to be doing that less and less these days, perhaps to avoid burdening her with anymore than she already had going on. Jonas knew she wouldn’t mind but he did. He didn’t want her to have to carry everything all of the time and right now Jonas had a lot to unload but he was doing his best not to think about it which made talking a lot harder than normal. As much as he wouldn’t like to admit it, the bagel was probably a good distraction. At least it was.

Jonas’ hand went to his mouth as the bagel was dealt with swiftly as it had become a problem. “I um.. Well I suppose that takes care of that.” Now that the menace was dealt with he took in the state of the bakery and sighed. It was a mess and anything not packaged would have to be tossed. “I do not um mean to force you out, but I unfortunately have quite the mess to clean up. Oh! Let me uh get my card so your partner can contact me. I would not want you to leave without it.” He shuffled through the scattered rolls of bread and slipped behind the counter. Blue was sitting and waiting, tail wagging and silently praising her new friend for his speedy reaction. Jonas did not take long to return, “Here you are, if you um hold out your hand I can place it there for you.” He didn’t want to just grab a blind man or force something into his hand without permission. As lovely and the older gentlemen seemed to be, he was sure he wouldn’t take kindly to such an intrusion. “I am happy we can work together, and please feel free to come by again once I have had a chance to clean. I will um be much more free then.”

Part of Alistair wanted to do right by Brutus, who seemed happy to finish the now very dead bagel and agree to a dog playdate. It was very seldom that his dog got to truly be a dog. “Maybe.” He finally said with a half-hearted smile. It was hard to get himself to leave his comfort zone from time to time, and the idea of going somewhere foreign where his dog couldn’t be his guide, it made him a bit worried. “Brutus, thig!” Alistair spoke, which immediately caused Brutus to trot over to his human with a wagging tail, back in work mode the moment that Gaelic was spoken. “I’m sure Brutus would have no qualms with it. I just am…” he sighed, shaking his head despite himself. “I’m just bad at doing things without him as my guide, is all. But he deserves to be a dog and not just a working dog.” He finally decided, giving a genuine smile.

“If I had working eyes, I’d certainly help you out,” Alistair remarked as he held his hand out, the card swiftly deposited into his grasp. “I’ll be sure to reach out.” He spoke with a nod before heading toward the door. “Sorry about the evil bagel!” He called over his shoulder before walking out of the shop. As soon as he was outside of the shop, Alistair made a face and looked down at Brutus. “Ye cannae fuckin’ behave yerself fer two fockin’ minutes, can ya?” His Scottish accent came out fully, truly astonished by Brutus’s behavior. “At least y’got the thing.” He decided, then headed on his way towards home, satisfied dog guiding the way with a wag of his tail.

#tea and biscuits #threads #thesilentmedium

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