#( i would give my life for him OTL )

[brokenmagxc]

[foxpunk]

okay i love that you made a haurchefant lives au where he survives the unsurvivable unhealable attack. genuinely i love to see it, i love him and miss him and think the "if he lived it would ruin the timeline" thing is stupid as hell. (like, narratively i had made peace with his death, that part is as okay as it can be to me, but then they come up with this cop out "no fun allowed, he Has to die" bullshit come ON thats stupid AND defeats the true tragedy of his death shut UP.)

anyways, thats beside the point, my real question is why is he never disabled though (an obvious question with an obvious answer, but so many people do not even bother asking lmao). like. in these aus i see him either miraculously fully healed or with a bitchin scar. and that scar is oftentimes huge and RIGHT over his spine??? hello. why is he never disabled. why does that seem like a fate as bad as or worse than death to so many of you.

[hamadacare]

an ordinary day where tadashi bothers his little brother, @hamadaprodigy

“Hey, do you think you could-”

So suddenly, he is given undivided attention by his younger brother so promptly, it’s actually suspicious. Whether Hiro genuinely wanted to be polite to his sibling today or had something interesting on screen that couldn’t be shared with him was up for interpretation. Tadashi chooses to be suspicious that Hiro is hiding something in his phone because that’s what brothers do.

“What was that about? Huh? I bet you’re … looking up things, aren’t you?”

There goes a raise of an eyebrow and his playful tone to put the child on trial. And Tadashi’s staple smile, whether it was a curious or teasing one, was up to Hiro to decide.

[venomgender]

CHOI JAEHUI

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

🎃nightmare suit groovies~🎃

***Spoilers below the cut!! Please note: The R cards (Azul, Epel, Vil, Malleus) do not have new illustrations.***

OH MY GOD STOOOOP 😭 NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS CHARACTER CAMEOS IN THE GROOVIES??? ?? ?????? ??!???!? ?? ??? YOU MIGHT AS GFWELL WALK RIGHT UP TO ME AND IRiP MY FRIGIGN HEART OT RIGHT NOW

wWAHASL,ADFJHHDUPGFFI42T69O38QGPEGBIP;DGN;GDN;J J WORD SQUASHED U P IN THE AMYOR'S LITTLE CAR.. . . ....... . . . ... . . .. . ...... . . . OTL With the hair pushed back like that, teeth out, and eyes lidded, Jade almost looks like Floyd here. I THPOGU TI WOULDN'T BE sURIRPISED BY HIS SMIELS ANYMORE BUT I GUESS SI AWAS WRONG... This smile's very different than his unhinged/suspicious/evil ones and his pure ones, it's charming but more on the relaxed side. I also noticed the teeth are wider than usual (again, very Floyd-like), Jade's are narrower/smaller.

I like Trey's Groovy a ton! A lot more than I thought I would, actually. The blueish lighting and him looming over Sally's pot reminds me of his Club Wear card. ahdbasdlai There's also a slight sheen to his eyes, so Trey comes off like he's fascinated by her cooking and wants to learn more about Sally's techniques. He looks slightly shady too though, like some drug dealer inspecting the goods...

FHLBOQYW8QYFAFWI LRIDDLE'S RIDING IN THE CURSED CHILDREN'S BATHTUB... It's a little terrifying how hyperdetailed Lock, Shock, and Barrel's faces are and how they're all staring right at the camera. Riddle seems so calm, glancing at you over his shoulder with a little smirk. I usually don't use this adjective for him, but it makes Riddle feel cool! And since the image is shot from a slight worm's eye view angle, it gives him the illusion of being taller than he actually is--

Go figure, you slap the mad scientist character with the mad scientist of Halloween Town. Perfect pairing, honestly. I get very similar vibes between Idia and Dr. Finkelstein as I did with Trey and Sally; Idia is showing a real interest in the good (?) doctor's work and they appear to be deep in a discussion about it. The way Idia is bending over the table adgvkadsdval it kinda gives his body a more... triangular shape... that I just KNOW bro doesn't actually have. His face here seems more elegant than usual, almost Vil-like.

Thanks for the uncalled for viewing of the underside of your boot, Sebek 💀asjldboaysvyfevfeq I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS, he's trying so hard to come off as intimidating but I cannot see him as "the boss", even if he is posed like one. Give that jack 'o lantern some credit though, it sure is doing a fine job of supporting Sebek's big ol' beefy arm. Jack Skellington in the back is also sending me... Is he supposed to be intimidating??? That positioning just makes me think of someone leaning against a doorframe and trying to flirt by calling you their babygirl. GHBLIABFYIABFIAF ANYWAY I DON'T THINK THIS GROOVY WAS FOR ME

... wHAT THEFUCK. That was NOT what I expected of Jamil's Groovy. First was the weird pumpkin stroking, now bro's dancing with skeletons?????? IS THIS JUST WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'REEMOTIONALLY REPREssED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE... YOU POP OFF AND DO THE MOST OUT OF PocKET THINGS FOR FUNSIES?????? Jamil looks so smug as he's doing it too, it feels like he's shittalking you like a Mean Girl while he's busting a sick dance move. (Cameo: his toof) Jack in the background also looks the most sinister of all the SSRs. That combination of laughter and showing off his teeth... Unsettling.

.

.

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waht the hell. What HTBbr heLL. WHAT THE ACUTLA EHLLMIS THIIISISISISISSJISISISSSZ>/>?????w?f>fwlwkwfkfwjfwjkqljirtfyqnNOEGWOQG.,P57KIRJEI0RW08J:????>f>>fw>f>fw<wf<q>:q?q>v?v?v?v??gogibopobfuiibadh wnethuhw

WHYT THEUFKC FDUCC DOES THIS SLAP SO HARFZD OTL

ADSHJFIAGVTFVUOQEFVUBKQDWLGYQERGYOQF evyEROYNTHING AB OITU T THIS IS JSUT.... AKJBFLIUHADFIADFLF RIGHT UP MY lallEY... The extreme bird's eye view angle????? Jack with his arms crossed and that skeletal smirk??? Zero's little duck beak-shaped mouth?? The eerie green glow emanating from the fountain water below them? NLBVHDSKIUEGFABOGVSAEFYIPodp D nad HE WHOS HALL NOT BE NAMED V,NJ DBIOADFVIYOADFOTVFE8AYPFIEGWOBPFQEBOVGWIPEGBSNMVPOADVBN;DDBK;RWHOUGWBIQEPGNJQEG TH wE WHAYT THE FUCKCING ANGLR FRAMES HIS TITS AND MAKES HIS LEGS LOOKN EXTRA LONG, THE GRIBGKDJULBADFLBAFD CAPE WSWISHinG EVEYRWHERE, THe LIGHTONIGF FON HIS AHDNNEOMS E DAFACE, THE FUIDFSLBDFBKHAEFLBHQEFALBFEAL FA HADN TTHE FEGRIIGGING HAND HE'S OVFFERINGF TO YOU7? ? ???????? ? ?b?@??gb ? ? ? ? ? ?b>b>KNBNRIOBIGEBOYVDOGY8EANOapnjbgywt80pboqegwp,m iS THIS FUCKING BITCH ASKING FOR OUR HAND??? ? ?? ?? ?DOOahaaHAHhhghghghhghhgHHHHHhhhHHHHARRHRHGHGHGHGHHHHGHGHGHGHHHHHH HH H HHHH H H H H H I WANNNA bE SANDED TO BE PUT ouT OF MY MiSERY, I'M TAKING SO JCMUCH PSYCHICHDAMAG E I CAN'T TAKE IT I';N M GOINC CGATRAZXY. .. . . .BVL;,DFIPTOTO OT LTLTKT FLFL BHIVUASFOVUAFSA

gGUSY I THINK TI',M GDON E FOR, IT'S LEoVER FOR ME I SPENT SO LONG DENYRINH IT I DIDN'T WANNA ADMITR IT FOR MY OWN PRIDE BUT I'M DONE fRO I'M A GONRER BYE IT'S JFDAUBIADGOVUAFODUTVEFTI7EFWOIAVD;LIVOYGPGWEFQOIGYEQPgkjd TIUFQETO3R1QEFOTFQEG.5OIMH903GW9UPBAfpjFOVHDN;./'[;,KP[K,[LN,,L>:c<<l:LBHIDABIOUFPAOYGVEQBFPGWBPGHLGWBPQEFPGIAE whnEN YOU YSEE ME DNEXT I'M OGNNA BE LAid OUT IN A PIUMPKING PATCH DECATINGF CUZ THSI GROOVFY KILELD ME

[merakiui]

which of the twst boys do you think would be the most gone if you ride them? like their eyes are rolling back at first you think you might’ve caused a seizure

I feel like you could put most of them in this situation because a lot of them are virgins, but right now my heart is saying Skully. Please hear me out and consider the vision:

He comes from a time period in which everything was immensely traditional (regarding how Halloween is celebrated, at least), and he was so stubborn in his values. Imagine if he has traditional views on sex. That it's for the sake of procreation. That you only have sex when you're married and it's with your beloved. Purity and modesty taken to extremes for the sake of remaining virtuous. A gentleman dedicated to his darling. <3

Imagine he's so determined to marry you and please you, but on your wedding night you shove him down onto the bed and straddle him; and poor Skully is so red in the face and stumbling over his words, looking up at you like you've just taken him to heaven (and you haven't even put it in yet). Shouldn't it be the other way around? >_< shouldn't he be on top???? What happened to missionary?!?!?!?! OTL I think if you give Skully a blowjob or do anything else that isn't vanilla sex or missionary (read: anything outside of his traditional ideals) he might just die.

Poor Skully is so embarrassed and ashamed when you lower yourself and suddenly your tight heat is wrapped around the head of his cock, and he can see all of you above him. Your beautiful, lovely body... be still, Victorian heart of his!!!!! He isn't ready!!! He cums right then and there with a full-body shudder because omg he was not prepared for such a marvelous connection. They talk of little death (orgasm euphemism), but that was more like a huge death. T^T please give him time to recover and you can try again,,, maybe this is even better than what he initially had in mind. (๑/////๑ " ) his heart won't stop hammering...... riding him is a life-changing, world-altering event for Skully.

[stillwatervoid]

(Weeps) I had so much written out the first time that Tumblr chucked me outta the app 😭 I hope it doesn’t mess with it again. OTL Also I apologize for typing a lot! You being a fellow Invincible fan AND liking (bottom) male reader, too? You ignited my yapper lol

(Cracks knuckles) Aight, I fully believe that Omni-Mark is all for an ownership kink. That dude is HEAVILY into collaring 24/7. ❤️

Mark giving his BF/sub a lovely collar (or maybe a necklace to be more discreet - they could switch it up between it being an actual collar and a necklace, depending on if they’re at home or in public), and Mark wears a matching bracelet. They could’ve also had a ceremony for themselves. 👀 His BF could’ve been the one to offer the idea, wanting to submit to him~. Not exactly giving Mark “control” per se, but surrendering to him. He trusts him to let Mark make every decision for him, to ease the weight of choices off his BF’s shoulders and lead him.

Ugh, I love the communication, the respect, and the trust that comes with collaring. 🥰

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the dom/sub play in the bedroom (A LOT), but I also adore the stuff outside of it, of it mingling with their normal life. Like, Mark gives his BF/sub a routine to follow (that they both agreed on before going further into initiating into their [technically] new life): his BF wearing the clothes that Mark lays out everyday, Mark preferring to being called “Sir” or “Master” when it’s just them, his BF having his meals prepped that he must eat, Mark making him get rid of unhealthy habits (e.g. adding more healthy foods to his diet, suggesting he needs to sleep more [then once his BF starts making that first step on his own, Mark tries to slowly ease him into a sleep schedule that hopefully and eventually gets added to their mutual agreement of rules], ect), the home being clean when Mark gets back (if they live under the same roof, his BF awaiting at the door before Mark walks in to greet him (perhaps his BF is standing or kneeling 👀).

His BF LOVES rewards. When his BF has been a good boy, Mark pets him and calls him a “good boy” or “my good boy,” and other praises. It’s fast and easy, and something his BF truly relishes. Other rewards can range from Mark permitting his BF to choose an activity for them, such as going to the movies, picking out a movie, or just going out in general anywhere together to have fun. Maybe he asks Mark to even fly them somewhere in the world since that’s easily within Mark’s capabilities. Another can be that Mark bathes his BF. Sometimes, he does this for himself because his BF belongs to him, and Mark believes that part of taking proper care of what he owns is to ensure that’s it’s clean and in proper order, and that includes his BF. These things aren’t ALWAYS rewards, but they often can be. Other rewards can be an extra hour to read, watch TV, play games. Gifting him treats/gifts - Mark usually picks them up all around the world and has them stored away to give. Cuddling. He takes over one of his BF’s usual chores. He fucks his BF in the best way he likes it, for ever how long his BF wants it (that Viltrumite endurance comes in great handy ☝️).

Maybe there’s days when his BF is unable to follow certain rules, and it could range from feeling sick or not doing well emotionally or mentally. In that case, Mark would, ofc, give no punishment whatsoever. He’ll tend to him and take care of him until he feels better. That’s all that matters. 🥹

Theeen, there may be days that his BF purposefully breaks the rules. Him not wearing the shirt Mark laid out? Not putting back Mark’s stuff (collectibles, comics) exactly the way it was after his BF got done borrowing them? Going somewhere without telling Mark first and getting approved? His BF sometimes just wants to see how much he can get away with before his dom cracks that calculating tough guy exterior he always has on.

Mark has him explain (usually in writing) why he disobeyed, in detail. Mark asks that his BF takes time, reflecting on his actions to determine exactly what motivated him, including motivations his BF weren't aware of. Mark discusses this with him and provides his own input because he often notice things his BF doesn’t.

However, if he sees that his BF is continuing to misbehave, he’ll punish him severely on the spot. Mark will get him really gagging for it, spank him, vibe him, specially when he is restrained, put nipple clamps on him, put the wand on his dick. Get him into a situation where his BF is bouncing off the ceiling with lust. Then Mark walks away. It’s evil, but effective, and it always has his BF pleading his apologies and begging for Mark before it’s even over. Later on, his BF can be seen kneeling in front of Mark while he’s sitting down, his head in his thigh, begging for forgiveness and to allow Mark to touch himself. Mark doesn’t let him for that rest of the day.

Omg I loved reading all of this!! I’m here for all the headcanons and rants 😭

Honestly, I feel like Omni-Mark is such a soft dom—he’s got that serious, no-nonsense exterior, but he completely melts for his person. The dynamic you described is so good, and you explained it so well hehe. You’ve definitely got me thinking now too 🤭

[accidentally-in-fictional-love]

omg may I pretty please request 😚and🎵??

Meet Me At The Faire - Hank/Reader

Warnings: Gender-neutral reader, no use of Y/N, unending cuteness, bit of self-confidence issues, fluff.

Wordcount: 15086

Summary: When your rent unexpectedly is raised and you need to make ends meet before your new hours at work kick in, you find a lot more than what you were looking for when you start up a temporary job at the local Ren Faire.

Notes: I started writing this immediately after the last one, even did a lot that first day, but then things kicked in again and between finishing LtF, getting sleep, and both jobs it's taken me all month to finish OTL which is a shame, since this is probably the biggest Hank fic out there and I've really wanted to share it with you this whole time. I adore how much he loves music, like look at that gif, it's cute enough to make a person cry. I loved getting the chance to write this much for him, and even though it's been a long while by now, I hope you see this and enjoy, anon 💗💗💗

This was the only song in my mind when writing the ending, give it a listen if you want the full effect of the finale.

Renaissance Faire worker wasn't your first choice of summer jobs when your rent increased and you couldn't get enough hours, but it certainly was a fun one you were quick to discover. You'd been to them before, school trips as a kid with everyone going their own ways and eyeing up the cool things their allowance couldn't afford. The light had gone from your eyes as you got older and lost interest without the childish wonder of knights and princesses and giant pickles on sticks in place of rent and jobs and bills to pay.

You were all grown up now, and this was the only real job that didn't require you to write up a 20 page resume just for a few extra bucks to keep a roof over your head until you found something more permanent. Your boss was kind and understood the struggles, so, when summer was over, you'd be grabbing up an extra shift or two from another employee who was getting promoted soon, add a few more hours to your current shifts while the rest was handed out to others who'd be there as long as you, it all depended on what he could shift around. You just need to do this first in the meantime, save up before the change took place, prepare for the strain it’d put on on once it all kicked in; it was the best you could do without finding a second full-time job, so once you were approved you hopped into your car and took a visit to the nearest thrift store.

One wardrobe you could donate to charity in two months later and you were ready to step back into the Renaissance Era for a few hours every weekend, the first step in your rent being secured once more now underway; you'd been planning on moving anyways, the extra money would come in handy so this wouldn't have to happen again under the cruel greediness of your current landlord. Satisfied and ready to act, you pulled into the staff lot for the first time, a small badge flashed to the security officer with a bright smile when the nostalgia hit you and hard. All the sights, the delicious smells, it made you feel like a kid again the moment you stepped through the doorway - a tall wall surrounded the area, wooden stakes on the inside and brick on the outside to keep products and property safe as well as immersion - your eyes instantly taking everything in before you could consult your map.

You were stationed at one of the many merchandise stalls situated around the compound, yours in the entertainment area with different shows all around. You got to listen to them depending on which side you focused on, music to the left, jousting to the right, and a rotation of plays ahead, the others were too far to pick out. You preferred the music or the plays, jousting was mostly just yelling after all, and you found the hours flying by as you quickly got used to the life; you ended up sticking to the leftmost stall in the row of three, that selection of merch tended to go the fastest so the extra help was appreciated instead of you being tossed between all three.

Instead of one person doing it all, you were now there to handle the various toys your specific stall sold, knights and wizards and other ‘boyish’ things, your neighbour being plushies of different types from armoured stallions to dragons, the final stall dealing in princesses and other pretty ‘girlish’ things, so each one could be stuffed as full as possible with everything that fell within and around the subjects. While your co-worker handled the money with hands so fast the line was never kept waiting, it didn't take long for you to get used to where everything was no matter which item it was, even the small things stacked in boxes behind the counters, and even though it wasn't the type of work you were used to, you found yourself really looking forward to the weekend even after only two days.

You were so excited in fact you nearly went shopping again to vary your outfits a bit, but you only had eight weeks of this, it was an unnecessary expense considering you planned on donating it all at the end.

Weekend #2 had you packing a lunch, your wallet was straining enough until your paycheck came in so the less temptations from those Faire foods the better, and when your break finally came around to took your paper bag and grabbed a seat at the current play a little ways down the worn dirt path. You stuck to the back so you could get away with eating your modern food, and you were halfway through your sandwich when you found you knew this scene; you tried to recall if you'd already gotten used to it when a line stuck out to you, this was familiar, and you ran the line over and over in your head until it hit you.

‘Star Wars!’ you exclaimed to yourself in recognition, the family ahead of yourself looking back to glare before turning back to the stage.

‘Took you this long?’ someone asked from your left, and you jumped and nearly dropped your food in surprise. ‘Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, you're just… that's my seat,’ the stranger whispered to you, and you looked back to check for a sign only to make him laugh. ‘I usually sit back here on my breaks, everyone else would rather gather in one of the staff tents and grab some pizza than head to the food courtyard or pack anything themselves, you must be new.’

‘I am, yeah, just started last week,’ you replied, your sandwich started to be put away when he motioned for you to continue, no need to skip your food just because he was there, ‘you been here long?’

‘Yeah, for quite a few years now,’ he told you with his own lunch coming out, his in a worn bag to sell the immersion, he was a pro. ‘My mom got me this job so it'd get me outta the house for the summer, but it was so much fun I decided to stay for the whole year and just never left, what about you?’ He took out a sub on fresh bread, it really fit in more than your sliced bread, and when he took a drink it was from a wooden flask, was he a time traveller? ‘Ha, it's just glued on and painted, my friend works at a stall that makes things so I kinda picked it up on the way with him, so if I need to eat at my own I don't stand out too much.’

‘Smart, I just have a tumbler,’ you grinned, yours covered in stickers of things you liked, and while no one noticed it at your first job, it certainly stood out here. ‘I'm just on for the summer, getting a little emergency money,’ you replied honestly after you finished another bite.

‘Bills?’

‘Rent increase.’

‘Ouch, know how that feels, got so bad at my old place I had to move back in with my mom while I found a new one,’ he winced for you, and while you thought he might complain about that he didn't seem embarrassed about the situation. ‘I'm in a better place now, it's not as big, but my mom likes having her office back. I could give you the address if you want? Not to invite you over or anything, just in case you wanted to consider the building.’

He turned away from you to blush, which he failed at hiding behind a big bite of sandwich and a long gulp from his drink; it was cute, usually people would keep the invitation to their apartment open, even as a joke if the flirting didn't land, but he didn't, he just wanted to help out. It was refreshing to see, so you didn't point out the obvious joke in favour of keeping things light. ‘Glad you were able to find one, apartment hunting always takes it outta me,’ you wished him, which he agreed with. ‘But I've still got two months to search, my lease is up in September when the increase kicks in, so I want to be ready before then.’

‘A friend of mine is really good at finding places, he found me mine, I can get him to look again for you?’ he asked easily, so friendly that he didn't catch how forward he was being in such a genuine way that he stumbled his next words. ‘Or I can just give you the address to mine, whatever you'd like.’

He was too cute for it to be an extension of his immersion, like the flask. ‘Thanks, but I've already started looking and have a couple places in mind, I'll figure things out,’ you laughed quietly so you wouldn't disturb the family ahead of you again, your words drowned out by the audience gasping loudly. ‘They did a good job with this one, do they do other sci-fi movies as old timey adaptations?’ you wondered aloud as you watched along with everyone else a moment, now that you knew what the source was it was interesting to see how they interpreted the sets and costumes, your eyes so focused that you almost missed the way his own were focused entirely on you.

He looked away fast when you turned back to him, his eyes on the ground. ‘Uh, not always sci-fi, but those ones tend to fill the seats the most compared to other modern stuff, as long as it isn't already, y'know, “old timey”,’ he let you know with a small shrug, King Vader being threatened on stage with a proper sword instead of a lightsaber.

‘You must’ve seen a lot of these shows to know what works, do you also work in this section?’ you asked in genuine curiosity, and he watched the actors boast their voices and wave their swords around a moment before longingly shaking his head. 

‘I'm not much of an actor,’ he smiled almost sadly, a wistfulness to him now as his eyes followed their movements; you expected him to say more but he never did, his phone then coming out of his pocket and revealing a lockscreen of him with three others huddling close together for the photo, as well as the time, the only break in his immersion. ‘Darn, I gotta get back, but it was fun talking to you, uh, I never caught your name?’ You gave it to him, and he smiled away the wistfulness again at the sound of it. ‘I'm Hank, it was nice to meet you.’

He shook your hand, and his grip was just as gentle as his smile. ‘Same to you, I'd better get back too, those overpriced plastic swords aren't gunna sell themselves,’ you joked as you both gathered up your unfinished lunches. He chuckled to himself and then he was gone, weaving through the crowds coming in to catch the ending last second so he could make it back to wherever he was stationed in time. You watched him go until you lost him, and made a mental note to stop by the bakery for your shift tomorrow.

You put a bit more effort into your lunch for Sunday, waking up a little earlier than usual to stock your brown paper bag with foods that wouldn't clash centuries with your outfit. It was fun to do so, to put in the effort because you wanted to, not because Management was asking you to, and you figured this must be what he felt when he did the same. You briefly wondered if he was doing the same, you didn't know his shift length, but if he liked the place enough for it to be his permanent job you guessed that he also had one of the all day shifts, not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

It was strange, you'd only just met but somehow he stuck in your mind all night, not exactly a blossoming crush, but somehow still just as powerful in your desire to know more; he was a pro, and while, a month ago, you wouldn't have thought twice about some Renaissance Faire Professional, now he had you constantly wondering if you'd see him again today. The thought made you eager to get to work before opening to explore, see if you could find where he was stationed, maybe become more acquainted with the park outside of your route and section out of pure curiosity. You pulled into the lot, dropped off your belongings apart from your phone - for emergencies only and stuffed into your deep pocket - and your lunch so you wouldn't have to make the long trek back and waste time, and did just so, taking your time while everyone else did some last minute rehearsals, stall setups, fed the animals, all the fun things the people outside didn't see before they stepped back in time.

You traveled the well worn paths weathered from thousands of feet just from the past week alone, getting very acquainted indeed with every other stall and show until you reached familiar ground, and with a bit of time to spare you decided to drop off your lunch and check out a little more past your radius when you heard it; it was soft, a tune played over a phone speaker and muffled by the sounds of everyone else, but not nearly enough to be fully drowned out. You followed the sound, an even softer voice reaching your ears the closer you got, something drawing you to it as you entered the music section, several stalls hosting musical instruments for the kids and fun adults to try out. There was also another walled off stage at the end for the band and other musical acts to rotate through instead of plays and actors, the walls high and thick so the sounds wouldn't clash too much with the stalls and become distracting for both sides. It was bigger than you thought, a lot of them still empty since tuning wasn't needed or was already done so their owners were free to walk around and take their time.

The sound was getting stronger, from one of the stalls near the theater, your eyes scanning every which way until your ears locked in on it to your left, to the furthest booth before you crossed over into the theater where the band was practicing first. You wanted to call out but decided against it, just listening to the soft voice sing along to showtunes instead of more old timey covers like everyone else, your brain scrambling to pick out the name when suddenly it stopped. The quiet made you stumble and try and find it again, but the band was now sharing a stage with the a cappella group and helping them with their pitch, your mysterious singer vanished into thin air. You frowned, they hadn't been bad, their voice soft but still strong enough to show off at least a casual love for singing, but when everyone started to head for their stalls you had to chalk it down to stage fright and race back before the doors opened.

You didn't see him until your lunch was nearly over that day, that week's play more recognizable as Star Wars as you ate your sandwich alone, but you had no time to talk between catching just a glimpse of him heading for the opposite side of the theater, maybe he wasn't in the mood to talk.

Weekend #3 was a lot more enjoyable, Hank surprising you at your stall right before the park opened with a much more friendly hello. Your smile brightened before you could stop it after the cold shoulder, and he didn't miss the way it also cooled when your initial happiness at seeing him again started to fade. ‘Sorry for not joining you last weekend, I had a bit of a cold coming on and I didn't want to risk spreading it by being too close to anyone, I actually had to break immersion and mask up before heading home,’ he apologized before you could say anything, ‘my stallmate wasn't too happy about handling the rush without me.’

‘Kinda irresponsible to come in while sick,’ you said as you continued restocking the displays for the day, with summer break starting and kids more ready to come in, certain toys were selling out faster than others you quickly had to learn.

‘I know, I just- I like this place so much, I thought I could power through,’ he winced so sheepishly that you couldn't possibly be mad at him. ‘But I'm feeling better this week! No more mask.’

You looked him over, saw that he did look like he had a healthy glow to him, or perhaps it was just the way the morning sun was filtering through the decorational trees of the compound and shining down on him. ‘You still should've told me,’ you grumbled just to see him wince again, ‘I could've brought you some soup or something.’

His resulting smile was brighter than the sun. ‘I will next time, this place has some excellent homemade soup down in the food courtyard, it's second to none,’ he grinned widely at you, the feeling spreading before you knew it. ‘You should really try it sometime, have you gotten anything from here yet?’

‘Pickle on a stick, of course,’ you joked as you stood with an armful of merch, but his giggle caught you so off guard you nearly dropped it all. ‘That section does smell damn good though when the wind’s just right and it reaches over here, even with all those horses in the way, how do you stand it?’

‘I don't, I usually grab something to go with my sandwich,’ he admitted without hesitation, ‘why don't we go down today? It'll be busy, but they know me, another one of my friends works there, so I might be able to sneak us around back and grab something good.’

‘Didn't know I was befriending a delinquent,’ you fake gasped, Hank rubbing the back of his neck with a small blush.

‘I like to think of myself as a Robin Hood type, at least when I'm here, I'm more of a ranger when I'm out there,’ he smiled softly, like he was in on a joke you weren't. ‘Although… I do want… nevermind, it's silly.’

You raised an eyebrow at him, your interest piqued. ‘You want?’ you encouraged him to finish, but things were picking up, the gates would open soon, and he needed to return to his own stall. 

‘Maybe next time,’ he offered as he walked away, but he didn't sound very convinced himself as he disappeared into the thin crowd of employees walking around.

You didn't see him again until lunch, Hank sneaking you away from your stall to lead you to the courtyard dedicated entirely to food, as promised. He was already out of breath when he got to you, like he'd run your way the second he was able to, and you just smiled and let him catch his breath as he got you to hurry before the lines took over and you ran out of time. The courtyard was filled with a proper set of buildings, some like food trucks and one big indoor eating area for rainy days. He was leading you to one of the smaller stalls, one that specialized in soups and stews that paired perfectly with their neighbouring stall of fresh breads and other baked goods, the smells of everything hitting you so hard your pitiful sandwich in your lunch bag would never compare.

‘Here, grab us a table, I'll order around back,’ he whispered so the customers waiting patiently in line wouldn't overhear, but you shook your head, you wanted to check out the menu for your first time. He didn't rush you even though you had a time limit, everything looking so good that you had to give in and take his word for it.

‘Chicken noodle, you've got me craving it now,’ you gave in, and he nodded before fully embodying a sneaky Robin Hood and heading around back where he wouldn't be seen. You chuckled and found a thankfully empty table, it was by the garbage bins but that just meant no one would be begging for your seat anytime soon, and you waited admittedly impatiently for him to return with each second the smells made you hungrier. When he returned you felt ravenous at the sight of two large bowls with slices of fresh bread to go with them, his cheeks lighting again at how excited you must've looked, and he went to sit next to you before catching himself and moving to the seat opposite of you.

‘Here you are, freshly made,’ he announced with a flourish when he put the bowl down in front of you, but nerves got the better of him immediately and forced him to hurry up and sit down. ‘I texted them early so they could set some aside from the new batch, I had a feeling you might go with the chicken noodle.’

‘It did come highly recommended,’ you reminded him with a grin, and when you picked up your spoon you couldn't help but close your eyes and breathe in the delicious aroma. It'd been a while since you'd had homemade soup like this, the canned variety was easiest and cheapest to get if you were in the mood, and the first spoonful was like heaven reincarnated into food form. You dipped the bread next and it was so fresh the crust crunched under your teeth. You didn't mean to but you moaned at the tastes, Hank laughing behind his hand at your reaction, and you could tell he was also trying to hide his smug smile at being so right. ‘Okay, you were right, this is amazing.’

‘Toldja, you'll want to come here every weekend now,’ he teased, but you both frowned at the thought of your chances to enjoy this soup as an employee being limited, you were already almost halfway through them. ‘Would… would it be okay if I as- if we ate here again tomorrow?’ he mumbled almost to himself he was so nervous of your answer, and you reached across the table to rest your hand over his to get him to look up.

‘Only if we get to try a new menu tomorrow, then the next weekend, and the next,’ you compromised like this was troublesome, when in reality you wanted nothing more than that, and when he caught on that you wanted to spend so much time with him his eyes lit up so bright you had to wonder if the sun was coming out from the clouds over your heads.

‘It's a da- deal,’ he stuttered, and you let him have that one with a grin of your own as you stole his bread and took a big bite before he could stop you.

The rest of the day flew by after you rushed back to your stalls, your stomach full of soup and making you contentedly full while you finished out the rest of your busy shift. Your feet ached and your back was screaming from all the standing and bending over but you didn't even notice the aches until you got home and flopped onto your couch. You were really enjoying this, you already had been but thanks to him you couldn't wait for your next shift to start so you could hang out again. The thought made you sit up until a particularly painful twinge made you flinch, it not stopping your train of thought as you wondered to yourself, why are we only hanging out at work if I'm enjoying this so much?

You hadn't thought about it before, but if you were this ready to work on Sunday because of a single man then maybe there was something more going on here, something you should be paying attention to. It felt a bit too soon, but you'd missed him while he was out sick, and his presence made a fun job even more fun, so maybe you should see where this went? You didn't want to get ahead of yourself or anything, but it seemed like he was also interested, if you did say so yourself, so you made the decision to test the waters tomorrow over lunch, maybe by asking him to one of the shows while you ate instead of sitting by the garbage. If that went well then maybe you could try something outside of the compound, see if you were compatible for more than just when you were professionally cosplaying as Renaissance workers, and you ate the sandwich you'd made for lunch as your dinner while still in your ‘uniform’, a big smile on your face the whole while.

Because of this decision your heart raced while you drove to work the next day, extra early so you had time to find out where he worked and could meet him for once, and you had an almost giddy skip to your step as you traversed the compound, your mental map getting stronger and stronger with each shift. You reached your crossroads as the starting point and headed in the direction you always saw him go, but when you didn't see him on the main path, and you knew he wasn't in the actor section based on your first conversation, you doubled back and headed into the music section to see if he was there. It was quiet again while the main shows practiced and tuned on the main stage beyond the walls, and you peeked into every stall before music reached your ears: showtunes.

The mysterious singer was here, and you stuck to the walls and listened for them, a soft voice chiming in while its owner got ready while no one was around. You made sure to keep out of sight, channeling your own inner Robin Hood and upping your Sneak Factor all the way to 10 to satisfy your curiosity, you could bail once you knew who the voice belonged to, and you tracked it down to the final stall right next to the wall. The singer hadn't heard you coming over the various noises this time, and you crouched down until your knees were almost hitting the dirt in order to take a peek when you heard them turn away from you based on the sound getting muffled; your eyes widened when you saw who was singing softly to himself, his usually sweet voice even sweeter when you could put his voice to the notes, and your heart pounded as Hank smiled to himself and finished his song.

‘If you will meet me in St. Louis, Louis, meet me at the fair,’ he sang gently, his eyes on the musical-based merchandise he was sorting, your own mouth opening to join in when he suddenly stopped like he could feel your eyes on him; he stood up straight and moved to turn and catch you, your head sinking back down as fast as you could, his footsteps telling you to move. You muddied your hands and knees as you crawled in the dirt to escape his eyes, he obviously didn't want to get caught and you didn't want to stop any potential dates before you could even ask him out, your breath held hard and your movements thankfully hidden over the noise when he leaned out over the wooden counter to look around.

You were safe and so was his secret, although why he didn't want anyone to know he could sing was a surprise to you with how good he was, although you could certainly understand stage fright when he acted like he did off of any stage. Still, even if you wouldn't catch him off guard and potentially embarrass him, you couldn't let this slide, not when you kind of wanted to hear him again, but you didn't feel like sitting in the dirt to do it. You frowned to yourself, this was a tough one, but you'd already made up your mind to see if this could go any further, you were on the shore of the waters you were metaphorically testing at that very moment, you just needed to make sure the splash that would come from this wouldn't be big enough to rock the boat and send you overboard.

Okay, you might've gone a bit overboard just with the metaphor, but Hank did mean a lot to you already, and you took the back way out of the section to get out of there before he decided to search more thoroughly.

It was extra busy for a Sunday since it was so nice out after the rain that plagued the town all night long, and you actually needed to make a run to get more swords of every kind before the kids threw a fit. The stall was fine without you, they were also all pros after all, but you did really need to hurry as fast as you could before any complaints were lodged, the warehouse in the very center of the compound so everyone could get to it. You hadn't been in there yet, everything else was too alluring, but thankfully you did know where it was so you wouldn't get lost, and before you could run in you were stopped by one of the managers.

You could tell that was who was calling to you based on his outfit, managers always wore ‘richer’ looking clothes when they had to be outside, an indication of their both real life and fictional statuses, and you gave the warehouse a glance before rushing over. ‘What is it?’ you asked as politely as you could, the man flipping through a barely disguised clipboard until he found the page he was looking for.

‘We’ve been hearing great things about how well you’re settling in here, you’re the one who’s only on til September, right?’ he confirmed, and you nodded. ‘It says here that you’re only doing part-time shifts, but the summers are always busy for us, and Urith has been telling us every weekend how much she appreciates your help; would you be interested in upping the rest of your hours to full-time, starting today? We’ll update your payroll for today before it goes out, or we can tack it onto the next, whichever you prefer.’

You could hardly believe your luck, getting to double your money would be a lifesaver for the move, and you could only nod in total agreement. ‘Yes, absolutely, thank you so much for the opportunity,’ you finally got yourself to say as he wrote it down, and he tapped the page and gave you a nod of his own as he turned to walk away.

‘You’re here til closing for the next five weeks, then,’ he let you know, a sentence that would’ve given you nightmares at your first job, the words only bringing you joy as you grinned wide and headed for the warehouse. You only had to show off your empty basket for another employee to unlock the door for you, your feet quickly carrying you inside so you could fill up your extra large basket with the desired products. There were containers upon containers of merch, spare outfits and other costume pieces, decorations, and food, as well as a million other things that the workers would need in a pinch. It was a little intimidating to stand in front of it all, but the kids needed you, and you quickly found the section dedicated to products when you ran into someone.

‘Sorry! I'm so sorry, I- You run out too?’ you blurted out in a panic before you saw that it was Hank, his own basket in hand.

‘Yeah, it's crazy out there today,’ he winced as he thought about the pandemonium waiting for him, which made you do the same, but getting to see him for just this brief moment was enough to let you focus again. ‘My stall is fine, but the guys next to us ran out of plastic flutes, so I offered to grab him some,’ he explained as he looked for what he was searching for, the box in question up high and just within his reach. He set his basket down and stood on his tiptoes to get it, your eyes drawn to the way his costume lifted up just enough to become untucked from his pants and show off a little bit of hip and stomach; you quickly looked away and focused on your own search, one of your own boxes also up high just to your luck, and this one unfortunately not within your reach.

Once the rest of the swords were stacked in a way that wouldn’t poke you, you needed to grab a ladder in order to get up to the most desired ones, you didn't want to distract him while he loaded up, and you climbed the few rungs in order to get your preciously needed toys. You were used to the weight of the packed up merch, so that wasn't a surprise, but the way it threw you off balance that high up and made you wobble, that's where the surprise lay; you let out a yelp as the ladder tilted back before you could correct it, you were going down, so much for that second month of double pay, when you felt hands catch you before you could hit the ground or the shelves behind you. 

Hank cradled your head to his chest as he stumbled to the floor with you in his arms, the ladder clattering to the ground with a loud series of bangs that filled the room all the way up to the ceiling; he was protecting you from any damage of the fall, and this close you could smell his deodorant hidden under the smells of the heat and Faire. It was enough to make your heart race, you'd never noticed before outside surrounded by people, but in here you could tell that he smelled good, and you nuzzled into the crook of his neck as he worriedly checked you over to make sure you weren't hurt.

‘Are you okay? I should've spotted you, I'm so sorry, you could've really hurt yourself,’ he panicked above you, but you were perfectly fine thanks to his quick thinking, and you let him know it as you backed up and pretended like your cheeks were red because of the scare.

‘I'm good, thank you, you caught me in time, maybe you are the Robin Hood type after all,’ you joked as you straightened yourself up, your words now making him blush once he was sure you really were fine. He let out a nervously small laugh as he retrieved your box for you and helped you load up the remaining space in your basket, but when it all proved to be heavier than his flutes he offered to switch.

‘You're on the way, I don't mind,’ he blushed without looking at you, and you couldn't say no in light of what he's just done for you, your hero.

‘If you're okay with it,’ you conceded immediately just to see him smile at being able to do this for you. ‘I think this might cut into our lunch with how hectic it is out there, would you want to- I mean, you don't have to, but I'd like to treat you for all this, I might've had to make a serious trip to the medical tent if I'd done this alone,’ you tried, testing those waters to see if he'd take the bait, and you got your answer right away when his eyes lit up.

‘Really? We can just meet up for lunch next weekend, you don't have to cancel any plans for me,’ he offered to give you an out, but you wouldn't take it, you were on a mission here after all.

‘I've got nothing going on, why don't you meet me at the café by my place Friday night and we'll go from there?’ You said it as nonchalantly as you could, you didn't want to scare him away after all, and he fumbled around with his own basket for a moment, passing it between his hands before reaching out to take yours so you could switch.

‘Do you want me to dress up so you recognize me out there in modern times?’ he joked with a small smile shot to the ground just in case it didn't land, but of course it did, that was why you were doing this after all. You handed over your heavy basket and took his, felt the way the wicker was still warm from his hands, and you made sure he saw your smile as you started to back up towards the door.

‘It's a date.’ He choked on air with a nervous laugh, you had to be joking, and you took pity on him and laughed as well. ‘I'll give you my number after closing, don't want everyone out there seeing technology after all,’ you grinned, relishing in your success as you rejoined the rest of your small world, the two of you hurrying back before the era-appropriate torches and pitchforks were pulled out in response to their toys not being available. You kept close to him through the crowds, your free hand held over the basket to make sure nothing was snatched when you weren't looking, and it honestly felt pretty on brand when the children without coins eyed your wares; absolutely not, you wouldn't get fired over this, but there were more dangers out there, one of them being the still muddy ground your gripless shoes were currently trampling, and when you stumbled and nearly dropped everything you lost him for a second. ‘Hank, wait!’ you called out to him even though you were heading in the same direction, everyone's eyes on you as you quickly brushed off the dirt and packed his flutes back into his basket.

You were falling behind, you couldn't let him go back without these, but the crowd was thick and no one paid any mind to you as you fought to gather the stragglers up before they could be stepped on or stolen. You swore to yourself and stood, everything accounted for but he was gone, you'd gotten turned around because he'd been leading, where were you? You were lost in your panic, he was going to have to go back again for more or even get in trouble because of you, how could you do this to him? You felt overwhelmed as the faces blurred, if you'd just handled your own basket he'd be fine, you needed to get to him, you needed to-

A hand shot out of the crowd and latched onto your sleeve, Hank coming into view and pulling you to him with surprising strength, and you blushed into his chest before he was guarding you and leading the way again. He didn't say anything, he was used to the rush and was concentrating on getting back, and he led you to the back of your stall and kept you out of sight so you could catch your breath. ‘I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I thought you were right behind me,’ he apologized profusely like it was his fault, and you set down his basket on the ground before pulling him into a hug.

‘Thought I was a goner out there, thanks, Robin Hood,’ you mumbled into his shoulder, and you felt him shiver before his hands came up to pat you on the back.

‘It was nothing,’ he breathed into the side of your head, and you smiled but didn't call him out on it when you heard him faintly smell your hair before he caught himself. You got him back while you were that close again, now that you were back outside he mostly just smelled like the outdoors again, with the fading scent of detergent still clinging to his clothes, but there was that something else there underneath it all; a bit of soap, maybe deodorant, maybe even it was just him, and you caught yourself before you could try again to figure it out, save it for after the date. ‘I gotta get back, thanks so much for walking with me, sorry it was too busy to talk,’ he quickly said as he bent down to pick up his flutes, and you noticed a few of them still had dirt on them.

‘Yeah, sorry I kinda dropped a few, I wish I could go help you clean them up but I'm stuck here,’ you frowned, and he opened his mouth to say something before closing it again; now that was a curious one, but he just brushed a bit of the dirt off and gave a shrug.

‘I'll just set them aside for tomorrow, I doubt we'll sell out again today and I always get here early,’ he reassured you, which did help a little.

‘Maybe I'll call in sick, stop by here and help you then,’ you joked as he turned to leave in the direction of the music section, and again he looked like he wanted to say something but didn't. That was fine, you still had to go from co-workers to whatever came next, there was no rush, but when you went to slip through the curtain to get back inside your stall, he cleared his throat to get your attention.

‘I-I wouldn't object to it if you did,’ he mumbled sheepishly, his eyes on the ground again, and before you could continue your stallmate, Urith, peeked through to tell you to hurry; when you looked back he was gone again, you couldn't blame him for that, and for once you found yourself excited for Friday for more reasons than just the weekend coming the next day.

Thankfully the rest of the day eventually gave way to the usual flow instead of LA-Style Rush Hour, and you did indeed manage to give him the address of the café near your place on your way to your car. He had to wait for the bus, thankfully this place had its own stop due to being a big tourist area, and when you found out you couldn't help the question from naturally coming out. ‘I could give you a ride, y'know, I don't mind it,’ you offered, Hank draping a custom backpack over his shoulder even though he didn't have to go this far, the patrons would never see it, although he had changed his shoes into sneakers instead, and his cloak was exchanged for a hoodie.

‘I wouldn't wanna impose,’ he tried but there was no imposition at all, and he'd fought and failed to hide his smile all the way to where you parked. ‘Thanks for this, I've got a bus pass but I just can't work on my license right now, too busy, although I do have my eyes on this older model that's been around for a while at the dealership,’ he explained to you as you both hopped into the front seat, a quick tossing of trash to the back lighting your cheeks even though he didn't seem to care. ‘It's a 2011, and I know it's a bit more than just old by now, but it's been my dream car for years, ever since- sorry, I didn't mean to ramble.’

Your eyes shot to him so fast you almost ran a red. ‘I didn't think you were rambling, c’mon, tell me why it's still your dream car,’ you encouraged him, and he played with a tear over the knee of his pants with a shrug.

‘Just saw it in a movie once, thought it was cool, that's all,’ he gave you, and you frowned at the weirdness filling the car. ‘Hey, I know that you wanna thank me, but we don't have to meet up for it, I'm just happy you're okay,’ he suddenly said, the light still red above you even though no one was around.

‘I wanna meet up, in fact, let's do dinner, okay? Right now, I mean you're here, I'm here, we don't even have to get changed, I doubt anyone would care,’ you pitched to him, Hank sinking into his seat instead of looking excited again. ‘Or we don't have to, I just thought-’

‘You're really kind, you know that?’ he told you almost to himself it was so quiet, your hand gripping the wheel hard. ‘I know I take it too seriously, not everyone loves working there but I do, but I live for this stuff, and I don't- I don't want you to look at me differently when you figure out…’

‘When I figure out?’

He pulled at the tear until you could see skin under the fraying threads. ‘When you figure out that it's not an act, that I'm just a big loser who loves Ren Faires and Star Wars and getting to wear this stuff, I… ha, I still can't believe you talk to me in there when you're so outta my league.’

This was something you didn't expect, and since no one was coming you didn't step on the gas when the light changed. ‘Hank,’ you said as you turned in your seat, his eyes refusing to meet yours, ‘I think you might’ve spent too much time in there, because if you seriously think I'm out of your league, then you’ve gotta be living in a fantasy,’ you corrected him, his lips pursing in embarrassment. ‘I mean it, I chose to work there too you know, I keep going all out on my outfits because this is fun, and getting to meet you has been great, getting to see you every weekend has made everything okay when the rest of the week I'm honestly stressed out of my mind because if I can't pull this off, if my budgeting was wrong, then I could end up evicted by next month if I can’t find a new place.’ 

He finally turned to look at you at your shared vulnerability, and you just barely avoided being honked at when the light turned red again and forced the car coming up behind you to wait.

‘I know we haven't known each other that long, but I want you to know me better, alright? And I want to know you better too, but I just really want you to know that I asked you out because I-

‘You asked me out?’ he interrupted, your mouth closing in surprise as you just stared at each other. You stared for so long that the light turned again, and you received a very angry honk before the people behind you sped on by when you still didn't move. Even with them screaming expletives through their windows you didn't move, Hank's eyes wide and his face bright red as he remained frozen until he looked away in a panic. ‘What? Ca-can you blame me? I'm not exactly Prince Charming around the Faire,’ he muttered to himself, all curled up in his costume in your car, a bit of immersion broken as he picked at the hole again; your hand shot forward to stop him, rest on his over his knees, and he stared at the contact until your laugh drew his attention.

‘No, you're not,’ you simply said, his eyes downturned again, ‘you're Robin Hood.’

His chest puffed up with the big breath he took at that, you were nothing but as genuine as he was so there was no need to tease or lie, and he could see it in your eyes. You kept holding his hand, your heart pounding as you remained stopped at the light, and just when you saw him start to lean in you heard more tires pull up beside you. ‘Need any hel- Hank, what're you doing now?’ came a man's voice from your window, and you turned to see not another angry stranger but a cop, Hank's face crumbling in embarrassment as he gave the older man a small wave.

‘Hey dad…’

After a quick conversation that ended with your car finally going on green and you not receiving a ticket thanks to your company and the hopeful look in his father’s eyes at the sight of you, the two of you sped off down the road towards his place when he told you to take a left. You did as you were told, the silence more comfortable as he went to pick at the hole and stopped himself, his hand placed in between the two of you instead. He waited, purposefully not looking as his fingers lightly twitched in anticipation, and you smiled and let go of the wheel in order to take his hand instead.

You could feel his excitement in the small action, your smile sticking all the way not to an apartment building, but to a small bar instead, a place you'd driven by before but never actually gone in. You turned to look at him in confusion, you could've sworn the windows above the place led to the owner's house, not apartments, but he just flashed you a smile of his own before exiting and car and shutting the door. That was even more confusing, wasn't he even going to say goodbye after that, and you went to leave when he tapped on your door and motioned for you to follow. You did as you were told, your windows raised and the engine shut off as you followed him inside, and what greeted you were some vaguely familiar faces already gathered around a table while someone sang badly on the small stage in the corner, although they didn't seem to care because they were having fun.

‘You asked me out, right? I thought we could come here,’ he finally let you know, and your heart soared as you nodded and grabbed a seat with him at the table. ‘You've probably already met them, but these are my friends, we all got the job together; Bruce’s the one who hooked us up for lunch, Gary’s the one who builds stuff and helped me with my flask, and Paul is all the way over with the games, he’s running this huge interactive campaign for everyone to drop in on again for the summer,’ he said as he introduced the other men there, names finally going to faces as they told you all went into a bit more detail about their own jobs. It turned out they'd been friends for well over 10 years, so when the job openings had come up they'd been fast to apply together, all of them getting in thanks to the harsh demand of the need for staff.

All the while he watched you as you listened, you could see him do it out of the corner of your eye, his attention especially on you when it was brought up that they ran their own campaign together, which you didn't get until they explained it was Dungeons and Dragons. You laughed in surprise, that definitely made sense, and you held his hand under the table when you asked them how that all worked. His smile glowed as he took over, he was so passionate about all of it, and when he told you all about his chosen class as a ranger, everyone laughed and started to tease while you smiled in confusion.

‘He says a ranger, but we all know he wants to be a bard,’ Bruce teased, your eyes going to Hank when you figured out what that meant.

‘You know I don't,’ he tried to say but they wouldn't listen, they were too full of beer and good food to not want to embarrass their friend in front of you. 

‘Yeah yeah, get up on that stage and say otherwise,’ Gary urged him, and when he wouldn't go they went themselves and started up a very loud rendition of Don't Rain on My Parade. Their voices echoed around the bar, some people laughing, some joining in thanks to their enthusiasm, Hank just staring at the table and playing with his fries while his friends had fun without him.

‘Why don't you go up? I don't know this one, but I can pick something I like for the next one, if you need some incentive,’ you tempted him, Hank looking to the stage and shaking his head.

‘Told you I'm not much of a singer,’ he mumbled, the memory coming to you and making you shake your head.

‘You said you weren't much of an actor,’ you corrected him quickly.

‘Not much of a singer either.’

‘Well, neither am I, but I'll go up if you do.’ You didn't want to push him, but you could tell he did want to go even if he was shy, and for a moment it looked like he might when he shook his head and sank back into his seat.

‘Not much of a singer,’ he repeated softly to himself, and he stayed true to his word and remained in his seat even when his friends invited you up for the next song, which you did indeed get to pick. You sang just for him even though your voice shook something awful, you weren't much of a karaoke person at all, but when he looked up at you, his eyes only on you, you felt like you could get a bit used to it as you closed your eyes and belted out the long note even though your voice cracked. Everyone applauded your own enthusiasm either way, a few whistles even thrown your way over your costume, but it was especially his friends who cheered beside you for going for it, and you were panting and sweating when it was over. All four of you took a deep bow before returning to the table, a couple coming up next to try it out since you warmed it up for them, and Hank gave you a glass of water as soon as you were sat back down.

‘Never done that before,’ you breathed with red cheeks and sweat beading on your forehead from the nerves and the lights, ‘it was more fun than I thought, but I honestly felt like I might throw up for a second there.’

Hank just admired you in front of everyone for a moment before he remembered to speak. ‘You were pretty good,’ he blurted out much too fast, his friends nudging each other and trying to keep their chuckles under control.

‘Thanks, but I heard that crack at the end, I'm just glad we weren't at work, I feel like it might've been pretty on point for everyone to suddenly be carrying tomatoes at singing that bad,’ you laughed while rubbing at your warm neck, Hank shaking his head and moving his chair closer to yours.

‘I wouldn't let them,’ he swore to you, the seriousness in his voice telling you that even in your joke he'd protect you from hecklers. Again he caught himself and backed up, and you held his hand and waited for the couple to finish before nodding in the direction of the stage.

‘Wanna go up with me?’ you asked one more time, you wouldn't ask again if he said no, you wouldn't push him, and he looked at the stage before shaking his head, that was that.

‘No, but… do you wanna get outta here?’ he whispered instead, your hand still in his as he tossed down some money for the food and drink before leading you back to your car when you said yes.

You drove for about an hour before he told you the way to his place, just aimlessly driving all over town and talking the whole time without any friends to insert their comments into everything he said; they didn't do it to be malicious, but it was clear they thought him being on a date at his age was adorable, and as such couldn't help themselves, they were just that close by now. Still, it was nice to have it just be you again, and he talked so easily when it was only you to listen as intently as you did. You almost didn't want the night to end, but it was getting late, the both of you needed a proper dinner and it seemed like he wasn't ready to invite you in for pizza or anything, so when you finally reached his place you took a moment to remember the address and really look at the building.

It was pretty big and well kept, and he leaned over to your side of the car to point up through your door at the topmost windows. ‘That one's me,’ he said with a smile, his face very close to yours, ‘those three windows right there, the units are decently priced but they're also pretty big, I even got a second bedroom, but I mostly just fill it with…’ He finally noticed your closeness, his eyes going wide again before his entire face softened. ‘My collections,’ he finished, his eyes on your lips, ‘I've got a bunch in there, ton of figurines, few spaceships I built, Legos, records…’

‘You have a record player?’ you whispered back, both of your voices so low because of the distance.

‘Yeah, it was my dad's, you just met him.’ He swallowed, his eyes still on you, the distance starting to close when he hesitated. ‘Sorry, I haven't- I mean, I guess I'll see you next weekend?’ he backed out before he could finish his thought, the hopeful pounding in your heart slowing as the disappointment took over.

‘Yeah, see you Saturday,’ you gave in, Hank returning to his seat and reaching for the door when he hesitated again; you froze when he spun back around and leaned in with his eyes shut tight, his nervously chapped lips thanks to worrying teeth pressing a kiss to your cheek.

‘Bye,’ he whispered breathlessly like it was the best kiss he'd ever had, your hand crossing the gap and pulling him right back over for a proper kiss before he could get too far. It was chaste but it was still nice, he was older than you but you could tell he hadn't dated much based on the way he let out a surprised whimper when you licked at his bottom lip to be let in, and you chuckled against his mouth and decided to go easy on him, for now.

‘Bye,’ you said right back, Hank now very breathless as he nodded and scrambled out of the car. He crossed the street when the light traffic eased up, his hand held high to wave to you all the way to his door, and you waited until he was inside before heading home, a huge smile on your face to match his.

So much for making a ripple, you were ready to dive right in.

Next Saturday couldn't come faster, your paycheck freshly deposited and your first month on the job completing over the next two days more than enough reason to celebrate because you were about to find out if this extra cash would be enough to make up the rest of your rent no matter which new place you went with. Your math couldn't be wrong using the new amount as a basis, you'd done it so many times that just looking at numbers was enough to give you a headache for the entire day afterwards, which sucked considering you mostly worked register at your first job, but still you went over it one more time with your first two paychecks spread out in front of you. This was it, rent was due on Monday but you had more than enough to cover it and put away the rest, things would still be a bit tight but you could do this for just another month until your new hours kicked in and set you up for the move.

Just another month.

You felt almost sad at the reminder that the Faire was supposed to be a temporary thing, instead of spending your weekend giving merch to kids and eating homemade food with Hank you'd have to start picking up those extra shifts at your first job, the one that would tip the scales from tight back to fine because the hours were longer and pay was higher, even though it might kill you. You’d just gotten the confirmation that you’d be working all weekend as well as adding on a few hours each day of the week once the new schedule kicked in, and instead of being happy about it, you already just felt tired; instead of easy 10AM mornings stretching into date-ready 7PM nights, you’d be stuck going from 7 to 10, a crueler and longer weekend set of shifts just to continue to make ends meet.

You almost didn't want that despite the money that would be coming in, you were going to miss how fun your weekends were even though you were working them now and had limited free time, but you honestly barely noticed between it all. No, you knew you didn't want that, there was no doubt about it, but your lease would be up soon and you hadn’t had any time to tour any of the places you’d bookmarked, not to mention you couldn't just give your hours back up after everything your boss was pulling together for you, you needed to go through with this, you had no choice.

You felt a little melancholy as you drove in to work, your good mood replaced by the fact that you were now aware of the countdown, of the fact that in one month from now you'd be heading into your other job instead of here. You'd have to donate your costume as planned, you wouldn't need to make stops for fresh bread to keep up the act, you wouldn't get to hear the plays across from you, the music beside you, walk down to get good food and enjoy the company of the man you were seriously crushing on, even if he didn't completely believe it. You didn't want to, you didn't want to trade these walks to your stall to walking to the register, from giving out merch to ringing up food, from making emergency trips to the warehouse to restocking endless shelves.

It sucked, you'd asked for it and it fucking sucked, and you kicked at your stall because no one was around to see it yet. It hurt, it was solid wood after all, and you hissed and hopped on one foot before slumping against the side and resisting the temptation to slide down into the dirt; you couldn't live off this, Hank could because this was his full-time job and his rent was secure, but you couldn't because your apartment was just too expensive to live in anymore, it was this or get back to that hunt for someplace new, set up some meetings and pick whatever was cheapest before you ran out of time.

Wait a minute…

You whipped out your phone and typed in Hank's address, your eyes scanning the screen as you swiped and scrolled and clicked until you found what you wanted. This was crazy, he knew you'd been looking but you couldn't possibly consider this, right? You knew you shouldn't, but he had offered up the place as an option, and you bookmarked a page to wait with the others with a hopeful grin as you started to rework your math.

It ended up being pretty slow for a Saturday, something big was going on in the city so everyone was flocking to it, and as such you didn't have to sneak around back to get some food as Hank nervously escorted you towards the delicious smells of lunch. ‘It's a big thing, I heard some TV show is being filmed in town so everyone keeps trying to catch a glimpse of the actors,’ he informed you when you grabbed your table, today's menu consisting of a meat sandwich absolutely stuffed with the good stuff, the meats being cut and cooked and filling the area with aromas that made your mouth water even more; you nearly drooled all over your sandwich as you took a bite of it, and that fresh bread really tied it all together again with a satisfied moan as you chewed.

‘Why don't we try too? I don't think I've ever met a celebrity before, what're their names?’ you asked around your ambitiously large bite of food, Hank thinking to himself before giving in and taking out his phone, no one was paying attention to you two anyway.

‘Some guy named Tod was mentioned as a lead, I think I recognize his face from something, but maybe I know his last name from someone else,’ he figured before flipping his phone around so you could see, and sure enough he looked familiar but you couldn't place from where, the picture that of a handsome man with blonde hair down to his shoulders caught behind the scenes with another man you almost recognized standing beside him. 

‘His friend looks familiar too, it'd be rude to walk up to them and ask what else they've been in, though,’ you scoffed at yourself for considering it instead of just looking them up when Hank put away his phone and waited almost expectantly across from you. ‘...What?’

‘It's just that… you've been here a month, and you've only got one left, so I thought…’ he mumbled mostly to himself before an extravagant cupcake was placed in front of you, a tiny dragon made of icing carefully piped on top with little sprinkle spikes sticking out of its back all the way to its tail. ‘Don't worry about paying me back or anything, it's a gift, but I wouldn't mind a bit of tail…’

You reached across the table and pulled him into another kiss, your dragon almost getting smushed between you as Hank flailed over the very public display of affection in front of Bruce. The man didn't seem to mind though, and he laughed himself all the way back to the stand now that his task was over. When your thank you was successfully delivered you sat back again, your gift safe between your bodies as he turned into a very realistic Hank Puppet with how still he was, his face even brighter red than the weekend before. You picked up the cupcake and held it out for him to claim the tail, his eyes going down to it before he did just that with shaking hands, green icing smeared around his mouth when he was done. You laughed and took your own bite of mostly icing, a bit of sprinkles, and a sliver of cupcake, and when he saw the mess left behind his laugh matched your own.

You spent the rest of your break wanting to go around to his side of the table as you took turns eating the treat along with your lunch, napkins and phone cameras called for thanks to how much they'd layered on, although having Hank nervously try to wipe the icing off the tip of your nose for you was a lot nicer than holding up your screen so you could use it like a mirror. You didn't want this to end, there had to be something you could do, you decided as you walked back to your stall with him, his hand linked with yours not just to keep you from getting lost in the crowd this time. 

Maybe you could do both, take the Saturday there doing whatever they needed since it’d be busier and more warranted, and keep the Sunday here; it'd keep things tight but maybe your math might come through, and you made up your mind to at least ask about it, see if you could fill up your weekdays even more in return, maybe next weekend after seeing what could be done on Monday. You couldn't just give this up, not when you'd already come out of it halfway with a very very possible boyfriend, maybe you'd even be able to work in the music section along with him, and when you reached your stall you held on a little tighter and pulled him back towards you when he tried to leave with only a small smile.

‘I'd still like to do dinner with you,’ you let him know, his hopeful smile growing like he'd somehow been thinking you didn't despite all the signs you were throwing his way. ‘Maybe not this weekend, I've got some things to do, but how about next weekend after our shifts?’

‘I can do that,’ he grinned eagerly like you were about to go right now, your hand in his keeping him from sprinting to his locker so he could gather his things. You chuckled and licked your thumb so you could rub away a pesky smudge of green still remaining on the corner of his mouth, his eyes shutting tight at the motion, and when it was over he looked like he could run a mile. ‘I've gotta get back, would you wanna meet up again? Like, to drive me home? You don't have to, I still have my bus pass-’

‘I'd love to, tomorrow too, and the weekend after that,’ you smiled before kissing him goodbye, the two of you parting when a child saw your display and laughed about it with his friends. Hank frowned with pursed lips that made him look positively adorable, and finally you let him go before any more children could bully the two of you. You waved him goodbye, his form disappearing in the crowd, and you practically floated your way into the stall only to be met with gossip, but not about you.

‘I heard he's been trying to- hey, finally, can you work on that box please? We're almost out again,’ Urith asked as soon as she saw you, the demand for more plastic swords and wands and staffs strong again today.

‘I don't think he'll go, he's all talk, like, he's performing at a Ren Faire, that's not gunna get him on the show when he doesn't even know the plot,’ your neighbour, Jaeden, continued while you tore open the box and restocked the baskets, the kids on the other side of the shelves pointing to what they wanted until their parents conceded.

‘That's what I'm saying, but that's just what I heard, that's what Niki told me,’ Urith replied before tending to the line with a smile, the gossip on pause until things calmed again. ‘Anyway, I really don't think there's room for a singer in whatever that show is doing, doesn't matter if he can bring the rest of the band or not, cause Niki's not skipping work to sing unless she knows it's a sure thing.’

‘What’s happening?’ you asked as you stuffed the box into the hidden trash bin now that it wouldn't be seen, the two turning to you.

‘You know Dani from over in Music? The tall one with the green and blue hair he has to hide under that awful wig while he's on stage? He thinks he's gunna get his and Niki's band in that show that's filming here for the next few weeks,’ she told you, and you tried to think back but you hadn't gotten to spend any real time around the music section apart from your snooping. ‘I'm telling you it's not gunna happen though, he might be older, but it's Niki's band, and she takes this shit too seriously to ditch for an audition she can't even confirm is real or not.’

‘He tried yesterday, I heard he came in late, he just might get one,’ Jaeden spoke up after helping a customer, your stallmate shaking her head.

‘Trust me, if they're filming they're not looking for random rock bands to appear in the background,’ she insisted, the conversation going on without you as you started to space out and think of Hank; the show itself was still a mystery, all that'd been released was a bit of the cast thanks to the local news covering it, and it was silly to think he'd want to follow in this guy's footsteps, but you couldn't help but daydream about seeing him sing on the big screen, to take the band's audition for himself. Definitely silly when he wouldn't even sing if he thought someone was listening, but you couldn't help but go back to it throughout the day seeing as he was on your mind already.

The rest of the day passed by before you knew it, but then again it always did in this place in a good way, and you gathered up your things and met up with Hank in the parking lot again. If dating him meant getting to see his happy smile once you came into view you definitely couldn't let this job expire without trying everything you could first, and he pushed his longish bangs behind his ear before eagerly wrapping his arms around your waist in a twirling hug. ‘Sorry!’ he apologized when you yelped in surprise, his hands flying off of you and held up by his chest as he leapt apart from you again while you steadied your footing the moment you were back on solid ground. ‘I don't know why I did that!’

‘It couldn't be because you missed me?’ you offered innocently, your hips swaying to the side and letting him know that you weren't mad, and he slowly lowered his hands as he chewed at his lip.

‘Maybe…’

He was fucking adorable. You couldn't let this go, and you hugged him right back before dragging him over to your car when the two of you got in the way of someone else trying to go home for the night. You dropped him off on time tonight, you had a lot to prepare for come Monday, but not before stealing a proper kiss goodbye, no misses this time. You went over your math again while still in costume, crunching the numbers over and over while adjusting your budget for everything else, and after about a half hour of working you finally ended up with enough money for both rent, bills, and groceries, you could still make this work once you could put your new plan into action.

You didn't have to leave the Faire.

You went back the next day in much higher spirits, it would suck to live on such a tight budget if the second part of the plan fell through, but it'd be worth it to be able to stay here, your heart flying as everyone else tiredly said hello and got everything ready for the day. They were completely oblivious to your joy about staying there, to them it was just a job, but this place felt special to you now, a getaway from real life in the same way he probably saw it. You dropped off your modern things and made your way to your stall, a comfortable quietness filling the air as everyone set up on time, the sounds of the acts practicing and the bands warming up sounding off all around you.

You already planned on treating Hank while you still could, you'd have to go back to packing lunches until you could get your weekday hours extended, and even though the thought made you terribly tired you already couldn't wait to see the look on his face when you'd be able to take him to the places he wanted to share with you, and vice versa. There was something so soft about him that drew you in, something so different from the other people you'd met, and you already couldn't wait to meet him for lunch.

Your mind was on what you'd say to your boss come tomorrow, there was still time to give your new hours away to someone else on either Saturday or Sunday if need be, and you wondered just how many you could do in a week until you could free both days back up until your spacing out got you in trouble. You tried not to think about it, it was no good to you to get fired now, but as soon as it was time for your break you eagerly waited for Hank to come pick you up as it were, the two of you always walking to get food together without fail.

When he didn't show you became worried, maybe he was sick again or it was so busy he couldn't escape to eat, and you were about to go see which one it was when your neighbour returned from his own break. ‘He did it, he actually went and did it, it's chaos over there,’ he hissed to the two of you, your eyes widening in realization before you took off; you hurried for the music section, a bunch of annoyed patrons talking amongst themselves as disappointed kids and scathing teens left the arena, the stage absolutely silent for once ahead of you. You made your way to Hank's stall but he wasn't there, a quick question about where he was finally bringing you inside the one place you'd had yet to visit.

People were in their seats and waiting, but a lot of them were on their phones, the stage very much empty and telling you that Dani had taken the band and gone off to audition after all. That left a lot of disappointed customers and the rest of the section unable to fill the space thanks to his ambition - or complete lack of awareness for everyone left behind in his absence, more rather - the other acts resting up so they wouldn't throw out their voices from going hours without a break. Hank was standing with a bunch of them backstage as they tried to figure out what the hell to do, the general consensus you walked up on being that they could just close the place until it was time for the next band to come out, but having someone to go out there and entertain the people already waiting was their main priority so they wouldn't get a mountain of complaints.

‘I'd be less pissed if he'd just called in yesterday if he knew he was gunna try again today,’ someone was attempting not to shout in her exasperation, everyone nodding in agreement, ‘you seriously didn't know he was gunna pull this shit on us today?’

‘Hey, I'm his sister, not his mother, he bailed on me too,’ a woman with blue hair groaned, her own wig held in her hand, that must've been the Niki you'd been hearing about. ‘I can still go out there on my own, I just need a bit of backup-’

‘No, we know you can do it, but all your songs play off having the whole band there, why couldn’t he at least leave one of them with us so you wouldn't be high and dry out here?’ The other woman peeked through the curtain just as Hank noticed you were there, and he flashed you an apologetic smile with a wave for you to come over, guess your lunch date wasn't going to happen for a while today.

‘I can improvise, we can't just leave them out there.’

‘They’re on break, but maybe if I text Theo real fast she can get Hannah to play something on the keyboard-’

‘I'll do it.’ Everyone turned to look at Hank, yourself included, his face resolute in his decision. ‘I can go out there with her, if it's just for one performance until Dani gets back with everyone else, I can do it.’

‘Do you play?’ Niki asked him, her shorter stature having her look up so high to talk to him that it really put his height into perspective.

‘No, but… I- yeah, I can sing,’ he told her confidently, but you could feel the way his hands shook when you touched his arm. ‘If you play something I know, I'll be your backup.’

‘Okay, fine, just get out there and fast, please, before Shoshy notices something is wrong and comes down here,’ the woman begged them as she walked away, her phone out so she could text for more temporary acts to fill the space, and Niki ran off to quickly put on her wig as you circled Hank to look at him.

‘You sure you wanna go out there?’ you asked worried but still supportively, and he honestly looked like he might throw up or pass out as the sweat started to bead, maybe both, his face terribly pale from the nerves.

‘Yeah, I can do it,’ he repeated more to himself than to answer you, and he had only a second to prepare before a fully costumed Niki returned with her guitar and a spare mic.

‘Here's a list of songs I can play,’ she told him while handing over a hastily scribbled piece of paper but he ignored it, he already had a song in mind; he handed it back to her, his finger pointing to one you couldn't make out, and she nodded before rolling her neck and cracking her fingers. ‘Although, let's do this.’

‘Break a leg,’ you whispered before he walked out on stage, and you hurriedly jogged back for the audience to grab a seat, you wouldn't miss this. Everyone was shushing each other as it spread that something was indeed happening even if it wasn't what was scheduled, and Niki gave Hank another look and a nod before music filled the small arena. It was a familiar tune, one you hadn't heard in a long time, and you were sure that if the whole band were there then it might be a wonderful piece, but all they had were her notes drifting through the air. It was peaceful, nostalgic, and she got ready to sing when that beautiful voice you'd heard filled the area instead, he was taking the lead.

‘Are you going to Scarborough Fair?’ he asked, your heart panging and her mouth falling open in surprise at how wonderful he sounded when his voice could surround you so entirely, even if he did shake a little. ‘Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme…’

His song spread, the newness of his presence calling others from the places outside of this bubble, more coming in from the doorway in order to grab a seat.

‘Remember me to one who lives there,’ he sang gently, his voice evening out the more he went, his hands clasped around the mic while Niki strummed confidently beside him with a soft but proud grin, ‘she once was a true love of mine.’

The audience was dead silent all around you, your heart continuing to pound as he went into the second verse, Niki jumping in with the backup vocals without missing a beat. Everyone was enraptured by him, and you couldn't help but also feel proud even though he couldn't even open his eyes to look at the people who were listening so intently. Even a manager you’d never seen before came out to listen, word must’ve gotten to Shoshy after all, and you felt a tremble in your bottom lip when she looked down to type to someone on her phone before watching like she had an idea.

‘Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather,’ he ordered to his messenger in the song, Niki singing about war in the background, the mixture of their voices so melancholy as he tried to give his lover a chance to win him back with his impossible tasks he knew she’d never accomplish, ‘and gather it all in a bunch of heather, then she’ll be a true love of mine.’ The song was almost over, Niki falling silent again as she got ready to play him out, the world beyond the walls silent just for him as he took in a breath. ‘Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine… then you’ll be a true love of mine.’

His eyes opened on the last line, Hank finding you at once from across the arena, your breath catching in your throat as Niki finished the song with a lonely solitary note and everything fell silent again. You knew everyone else felt the same, Niki’s band played old songs like this all the time, it’s what they all expected, but no one expected his rendition, the way he sounded, the way you’d memorized it to heart from that first moment you’d heard him. You could hear his soft breaths hit the mic and echo around you like he was standing before you, just inches away, and just when he was about to take the silence and go as validation for why he wasn't much of a singer, the sound of clapping began, everyone standing and applauding in their appreciation.

He froze, Niki used to the attention and grabbing his hand to get him to bow politely, his eyes lighting up and his cheeks turning red as he got the recognition he deserved. It took you a moment to realize you were also clapping, you’d been the one to start it, and you let out a cheer over everyone else that made a streak shine on his cheek in the sunlight as he smiled widely at everyone with an emotionally furrowed expression; you gasped, he was happy, and your hands tingled as you rushed to the stage. You reached up as high as you could, Hank approaching the edge to see what you wanted, and you just pulled him down to his knees in surprise, his eyes wet and wide as you kissed him in front of everyone.

He let out a muffled noise as everyone gazed upon how much you cared for him, the only reason it ended faster than you wanted thanks to needing to get the next act out, this wasn't the performance everyone had come to see. You smiled up at him as he handed the mic back to Niki and hopped down to join you, but before you could grab some lunch with him before your breaks were up, he was stopped in the doorway. ‘I think we need to have a talk,’ Shoshy grinned at him, his pulse pounding under your grip, and you gave his hand a squeeze before letting go.

‘We can talk about it tonight,’ you whispered as the stage was prepared for who you guessed was Hannah when a keyboard was carried out, and he had no choice but to nod and accept your goodbye kiss to the cheek before he was taken away, his rhapsodic tears wetting your lips. You got lunch by yourself, your adrenaline still racing at being able to see him like that, this really was a magical place and you didn’t want to leave, especially if they were talking about what you thought they were talking about. You couldn’t wait to hear the news, your stomach actually getting upset with how worked up you were, and therefore how fast you ate, and you ended up needing to ditch your stall to lay down before you threw up all over the plastic swords.

It wasn't a super great ending to the performance, but you certainly felt better, and when you got word to head home without him from Gary to get ready for ‘something special’, his number finally given to you by him, you couldn’t help but speed all the way home to change. Your phone felt so heavy and light at the same time in your pocket, your steps skipping up each stair; tonight was cause for celebration indeed and you were going to dress up properly, let him see the real you now that he’d shown everyone the real him. You were in the middle of turning the key in the lock when you noticed the rent note, thanks for the reminder, and you grabbed it and headed inside to go over it again when you froze in growing dread.

It wasn't a reminder, it was a correction, the landlord had gotten his own math wrong - gotten greedy with everyone agreeing to the raise even reluctantly - and had increased your current bill from $1250 all the way up to $1700, claiming that it would go towards fixing the building up and adding new amenities. The math you’d been pouring over for weeks only went up to $1400, you couldn’t possibly afford to stay here with that big of an increase, even if you found a way to cut back on all of you spending, including food and canceling every single subscription you still had, it wouldn’t be enough, the Faire just wouldn’t pay enough on those hours.

You rushed to your computer and booted it up, every single page of available apartments that you’d been bookmarking opened and rechecked, and one by one you saw each place go off the market, even the place in Hank’s building, you’d waited too long. This was your only option if nothing else opened within your $1400 budget, there was nowhere else to go because you’d kept hoping the apartments would always be there while you waited on your hours to be approved, and now that they had been without you going back to the hunt, you’d driven yourself into a corner. Your plan to keep one day a week couldn’t satisfy the greed any longer, even your full hours at your first job couldn’t cover it all unless you started at opening and went all the way to closing every single day just like you feared and worse, 7 days of 15 hour shifts just to keep a roof over your head and feed yourself.

You couldn’t stay at the Faire.

[lixenn]

OCtober 2024 day 9: relationships

I'm taking this oppurtunity to offer more insight into Dan's platonic relationships since the romance features heavily in the later part of the sequel and I'm not really comfortable sharing snippets from that story until everything is properly hammered out.

So, I will talk a bit more about Dan's friendship with Vlasta. For everyone new: Vlasta is heavily inspired by my dear friend @childe-of-saulot and I love them to bits even though it feels like I don't talk much about them on tumblr OTL

Vlasta is part of Varia Housekeeping and they work as a gardener but honestly they will do all sorts of menial tasks as they are really the opposite of squeamish. Their friendship with Dan started mostly with their common interest in plants and developed from there. Dan likes Vlasta a lot, though he's often heavily exasperated with their freaky sex life and their wish to include him in on it. Otherwise they get along fine, bonding over poisonous plants and trolling people with their matching deadpan faces.

On other news! I have finally named Dan's brother, once again thank you @myrmyrtheorca for your help, I'd be lost without you bud 🫡💜

Anyways enough of my yapping enjoy the snippet under the cut, hope you guys like it 🫡

---

Dan gave Vlasta a hard stare. “No, you aren’t allowed to sleep with my sister.”

That earned him their special version of a pout, which took the form of a slight frown and crossed arms. “Why not?”

“First of all: she’s married.”

“I don’t see your point, that’s just makes her hotter.”

“Second of all,” Dan stressed before Vlasta can go on more about his sister’s hotness. “she doesn’t do casual intimate relationships. Also, she prefers men.”

The smirk on Vlasta’s face filled Dan with pure dread. Whatever would come out of their mouth was going to require heavy brainbleach, he could already tell.

They tilted their head, eyes glinting, probably smelling Dan’s desperation in the air. “I could fuck her better than any man she’s ever been with.”

Goddammit.

Dan wanted to crawl into a hole and never speak to another person again. He would never be able to unhear this, it was going to turn up in his nightmares. Maybe he should just bash his head against the wall in the hopes that it would give him temporary amnesia.

…

No, he couldn’t afford to lose the brain cells.

He sighed. “No fucking my sister, don’t even talk about sex and Rina in any kind of context. Actually, don’t think about her at all.”

His words were met with more frowny pouting. “You’re such a buzzkill sometimes, Chief.”

“Excuse me for not being interested in my sister’s sex life,” Dan deadpanned, hoping to end this discussion to spare him further psychic damage.

But Vlasta was on the hunt now and they showed him no mercy.

“So, about your parents-”

He didn’t let them finish. “No! No fucking my parents either, what is wrong with you?” He held up his hand. “Don’t answer that.”

Vlasta closed their mouth, actually looking disappointed like they would have been delighted to list all their mental illnesses in alphabetical order. They probably had it written down somewhere to show it off to anyone interested because “tmi” is not part of their vocabulary.

“Wait.” Goosebumps ran down Dan’s spine, he might develop an allergy to Vlasta’s voice if this continued. “Don’t you have a brother?”

Dan was ready to utter another scathing retort on how his family members are entirely of limits for Vlasta’s version of bonding-activities, but he stopped himself at the last moment. Turned the words over in his head. Inspected them from head to toe. Considered the situation. And made a choice.

“Fine.”

Surprise crept on Vlasta’s face. “Fine? Seriously? Just like that?”

Dan nodded. “Just like that.”

“Why?”

Now, Dan could lie here. Make up some bullshit, smidge the truth a bit. His pokerface was excellent and while Vlasta might be able to see through him because they are observant and used to his lack of facial expressions, they might just roll with it if it was funny enough. Or they might call him out but it’s not like Dan ever really cared when somebody commented on his hypocrisy. Shame? Don’t know her.

But.

He didn’t really want to, so he just went with the truth.

“I don’t like him.”

“You… don’t like him.”

It was hard to pinpoint Vlasta’s tone. The slight curve to their lips and the tilt of their head hinted at a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Like a cat finding a new toy it can destroy. But one never can be sure what really goes on in Vlasta’s brain, for that way lies madness and chaos which was better left alone.

“Yeah,” Dan shrugged. “He’s a bit of a stuck-up twat to be honest. You can have him if you want, just don’t do permanent damage it would make Ma’ sad.”

Vlasta smirked. “Oh, we wouldn’t want upset Ma’, would we?” At his sharp look, they held up their hands in surrender. “No worries, Chief. I will take good care of your brother.”

Dan imagined Francesco facing what Vlasta would consider good care. And burst out into pearling laughter. His brother would be horrified, scandalized, shaken to his very core.

Honestly deserved. He really needs to get that stick out of his ass.

His chuckles died off, mouth hurting from laughing so hard. He gave Vlasta a small grin, relishing in their widened eyes. “Sure, have fun. Say hi to Checco for me, will you?”

[vomitspit2]

hello hello, re-l!!

Do you read books outside of fanfics? Or if mainly fainfics, what inspirations do you have? I'm looking for stuff to read, but I mainly only ever like reading your stuff and two other writers🤧

If you have any books or authors that inspire you, I would love to know!

Ofc, no need to respond if you don't want to! ^^

hello hello icarus!!! 💕

i am a huge reader! have been since elementary school and i’ve always been ‘that’ cousin who brings a book to family get-togethers! so i do have a tons of recommendations for novels and short stories!

(but before that, my inspiration for fanfiction is mostly stockpiled in my ao3 bookmarks)

i‘ll try not to include novels that are mostly high school or college required reading. while i did enjoy some of them immensely, what’s the point of rec-ing something if the chance another person has read it is already pretty high! so here’s a list of novels/short stories that i personally adore:

1. grendel by john gardner

it’s about 10 chapters on a paperback so a relatively short read; told from the perspective of the villain in the beowulf legend — it anglo saxon like king arthur so you know it’s my cup of tea

changed my life truthfully; i’m still waiting to get my ‘grendel had an accident, so may you all’ tattoo one day :)

2. master and the margarita by mikhail bulgakov

a decently sized novel and it’s by a russian author so you know you’re in for a good read; plot line is about the devil and his entourage visiting the officially atheistic soviet union.

tells a lot about the volatile state of censorship and how we must preserve through it, excellent social commentary on one of my favorite historical time periods

3. life of pi by yann martel

a story about a young Indian boy, my beloved protagonist ‘Pi’, who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age.

cannot be more grateful to have read this; it made me sob at the end like a little baby and i am known for being very stoic and difficult to make cry.

4. beasts by joyce carol oates

fun story about this one, the only reason i read it was because my dad and i were cleaning out his large library together (i inherited the mental disease of writer from him) and i was in my senior year of high school about to start looking at colleges …

he hands me the book and says ‘read this before you go to college’ and then he took a moment before firmly saying ‘don’t fall in love with your professors’ i was floored.

5. something wicked this way comes by ray bradbury

oh fahrenheit 451 is his best book … oh ray bradbury’s a one hit wonder … no i refuse, everyone should read this. really gives ‘floyd and jade in playful land’ vibes

//short stories

6. i have no mouth and i must scream

i have cognito ergo sum tattooed under my boob, ENOUGH SAID!

7. white nights (clogged in a collection of other short stories)

patrick read this aloud for me once, a very peaceful memory of mine <3

8. the disappearing act (clogged in a collection of other short stories)

inspired one of my favorite twilight zone episodes <3

9. 1408

i would include all of stephen king books on this list but we would be here forever, here is an underappreciated gem!

10. cigarette (clogged in a collection of other short stories)

yukio mishima the writer that you are OTL OTL OTL

[hydrangeapartridge]

Thoughts on the true start of Emmrich's romance under the cut for spoilers:

1. Since the Astarion romance it is now common to have dates in cemeteries/graveyards XD I always choose those men it seems

2. The romance for me feels like a tempory commitment because of the Liche thing and so I was joyful but somehow nervous and not fully into it. I'd hate for Emmrich to abandon his dream because we bardged into his life but as a potential love interest it was also difficult to fully support him when he talked about it. It didn't know what dialogue choices to make XD. There is a reason he didn't commit to it yet however so I'm looking forward to the end of his quests to know how this will turn out and what choices we'll get. It would be so bitter sweet if he changed like that while Rook remained mortal. I came for the kindness and sweetness, please don't give me angst OTL my poor heart can't handle it again.

3. On a brighter side, the get to know each other dinner was nice AND Guys, he said Rook had something "indomitable" in her !!! I had intense flashbacks from DAI !

4. Emmrich's favourite colour is Lilac... I love him.

(BTW if Rook doesn't have a happy ending romance, let Solavellan return please!!)

I sense that I'm heading towards the end of the game. It's both exciting and sad.

[synamartia]

Haunted part 4? 🧎🏻‍♀️

Ahh, I'm so sorry for the delayed reply, dear! 2025 has decided it wants to torment me, and I've spent the last three months just trying to keep my head above water.

To answer your question: it's coming, I promise! Truthfully, I've sorta lost steam on that particular project, so it's been slow going in the way of transferring the story from my head to paper (pixel?). But I haven't abandoned the fic and am still fully committed to getting it out there for all my lovely followers, I assure you. My attention has simply been focused on my personal life and a new, shiny project I got in the works. My wip doc just keeps getting longer and longer with zero progress "OTL

I can't give an estimate for when Pt. 4 will be out because we'll all end up feeling disappointed in me if I can't make the set deadline, and that's a road that will subsequently affect anything else I choose to work on negatively. But I promise, it is coming, and I am so, so, SO grateful for your continued patience with my snail's pace!

In the meantime, have a little headcanon for Angel Dust that I fully intend to feature in upcoming chapters for Haunted!

So, does anyone remember that one post that was going around years ago about the Gay Avenger? Yeah, that's Angel Dust. He's constantly being harassed and taken advantage of by Valentino and other demons much more powerful than him, and even ones that would drop dead from simply being in the same room as him if Val orders it. But Hell would literally freeze over before he sat back and watched someone else (especially someone he cares about, like Cherri or Nifty) go through the same shit. If he sees someone being harassed - for example, creeps that can't take a hint and leave someone alone in a bar - you can bet he's gonna insert himself in the situation in the most obnoxious, flamboyant way until said creep leaves. Someone's getting a little too handsy? He's grinding and pelvic thrusting Creep from behind. Creep is being too vulgar and uncouth with the things they're saying? He's firing right back with highly descriptive scenarios of what he wants Creep to do to him and vice versa, complete with the most pornographic sounds he's capable of making. Giving them a taste of their own medicine is his philosophy. Don't fuck with his friends.

Please note that this is a very targeted headcanon, and that I am well aware this might not be an effective method considering the fact they are in literal Hell, a place writhe with debauchery and characters that would be 100% okay with this. But for story-telling purposes, the ones he does this to are NOT okay with it.

(For those that have never seen the Gay Avenger story, here is the aforementioned post)

Thank you for your continued patience, doll! I hope you have a wonderful day/night, wherever you are in the world! 💖

[ibunyang]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA TONTON HCS ANON AGAIN YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WRITE ??!?!?!???!!?!?! giggling and kicking my feet reading your answer and I Demand More Please!!!!!!!!!! either more about general hcs or more about your fav skinships...... modern au...... ANYTHING.........

HELLO AGAIN ANOONNN!!!!!!!!!!!! AHDJASHDAKJ THANK YOU for letting me yap!!! i used to write, but i orphaned all the fics i made on ao3 when i was 18 or smth when i wrote them now its hard to look at it without feeling shy.. HAHAHJDHAD embarrassed i might take another shot at writing for this ship again tho HEHE

BUT ANYWAY my favorite skin ships… oh.. my favorite skinship is moleswift (soo normal about them definitely.. )

I wanna blab about them here..

< norton just got out of the mines accident and mike also just survived the fire of his circus is what i like to think for moleswift to happen, except they didnt get invited to the manor and instead found each other to somehow lift each other up.

mike who basically had nothing but the clothes on his back and the shit ton of money that Bernards untimely death gave him, hes still actively looking for the other survivors, but he found Murro and he's the one that somewhat convinced mike to give up on his quest for revenge and live life to the fullest, essentially telling him to rise from the ashes. (nod) and with this resolve he gets to doing it.

it was hard for him to give up on searching for the person he thinks is responsible for the fire, so he still has that one guy (i forgot his name rn) to search every possible corner, but at some point they did lose natalies tail. he doesnt want to say hes given up but he has no choice but to look towards the future of his own circus.

i see him as someone who always wanted to be the ringleader, and while he was already the main star of his previous one i dont think it was the same as having his own circus to run, having this chance given to him even though it was through dire circumstances was a god sent gift. so i know he gets to work finding all the acts hiring all the people, and finally his mole.

HIS MOLEE AUGDHAHGDHAD

norton has been looking for a job, sees the advert looking to hire an assistant for the circus (he probably thought of it like man power, or smth) but he takes the job he needs money, he knows how to follow the scent of money. his resume doesnt look as good as the other people being interviewed but the moment he stepped in the tent mike knew found the other half of his act.

Everyone he was interviewing didn't seem to mesh well with him, and he would like someone he could have fun with. Personal preference.

norton obviously wasnt as sure anymore at this point, since the job description was far form the work he was used to doing (and he did think it was mostly manpower for a job) but YOU KNOW he convinces him with the riches that mike already has, "i can give you more than this you know, I see you eyeing it… and Its clear to me that your greed has no filter Mr.Campbell" WITH A SMILE.

Initially Norton doesnt like how Mike is, hes bold, brazen, and thinks that everything that he wants should be fulfilled at the drop of a hat, like??? does he think he has super powers to magic up the fund for something that he wants so out of the blue? But of course Norton is as stubborn as a mole, he can and will do whatever it is thats asked of him. Hes willing to do whatever it takes to be able to prove him wrong and even sometimes surprise Swift with what he can accomplish.

"What we accomplished together." Swift would say.

Norton ignores the throb in his heart as he looks at Mike who was looking around in awe at the decorations in the main tent, thankfully with his connections from doing VARIOUS odd jobs all his life apart from mining, he has a pretty good network.

Its safe to say that I think these guys are literally two halves of a whole OTL there can never be a Swift without his Mole and vice versa !!!!!!!

Mole whos admiration turns to worship, even if he doesnt know it and Swift who cherishes him, and never wishes to part. They both helped each other reach the best outcome of their lives !!!!!!!!!! Norton having a stable job and never having to fear when he gets to eat again and Mike back in the circus where he belongs under the spotlight.

TLDR THIS IS MY FAVORITE SKINSHIP EVER.

< i joke about them being divorced husbands but honestly its more like the old married couple vibes in the long run, they banter and they yell sometimes they pull at each others hair but its all in good fun. they have a drink together with swift on moles lap as they run through the circus expenses together. (a love language) < i dont know WHEN exactly they would have gotten together. bc to me they were married from the start??? i dont know how to explain it it just happened. <mike probably just casually mentions he loves him at one point.. or something along the lines of "i want to keep you forever. I wouldnt know what to do without you by my side." and mole just assumed this was when they start dating seriously because HE is NOT leaving. EVER. < "then keep me forever" < cue MAKE OUT MUSIC. < they have a little two man act sometimes on stage, mole usually prefers to be off the stage because he doesnt want to steal swifts spotlight (where he thinks he shines brightest) < "but i shine the brightest when im with you" referring to his head light. but mole just dies on the inside i think TEEHEE

[merakiui]

going back to read your contractual fwb azul cause it’s my favourite fic ever and i have to wonder; what would azul do if you never used his wishes to your own advantage? like it was always small stuff, so you ended up having to get a new job (sex is banned and let’s pretend like theres some random cafe on sage island or something like that you’re picking up shifts. just not the monstro lounge) and the hours you work there give him less time. would he beg you to use his money? to take advantage of him? it feels like the terms he picked also come from a domestic standpoint of wanting to provide for you. and your new job is really getting in the way of that. rely on him and no one else >:(

(also i’d like to imagine you falling asleep sitting in his lap in his office chair sometime before the confession so he carries you back to his room and you spend the night. the next morning you wake up to him pulling away and in your extremely sleep deprived mind you get upset that he’s leaving. cue him promising he’ll be back—maybe a quick round just so he can get you to wish it and no it’s definitely not because he wants sleepy morning sex—and eventually he comes to wake you back up with flowers, tea (you know the one), and telling you you have a day off somehow.) thank you for listening to my tiny brain rambles

hiiiiiii this is just a question i forgot to add to my last ask that i submitted like 2 seconds ago.

how does your relationship with azul go now that you’re actually in one and not just fwb? like does he still spoil you with whatever you ask for in exchange for sex or just give it to you and sex happens whenever? (more than the average couple cause, cmon) he gave you the fish shoes even though you lost so it stands that he’d spoil the hell out of you whenever he can

- - -

Hi hiiii!! :D omg contractual fwb tako..... I miss thinking about that fic. Peak Azul is him developing a relationship with darling via contractual means and slowly but surely the feelings shift (through dubious efforts hehehe). >:D that dynamic is just so *chef's kiss*!!!!!

Oooo if reader got a job!!! If not at the lounge, which is secretly what Azul hopes, then the place better pay good wages and the hours and work better be reasonable!! >:( he won't have his angelfish struggle. Maybe he'd even visit you during your shifts on occasion and make up some excuse like "I need to know what sort of competition the lounge has" blah blah blah etc etc even though it's quite clear he's checking up on you. T_T I like to think Azul wants you to take advantage of him because it's a deal in which you're both using the other for certain things, so wouldn't that make the most sense?? That's how the logic works in his give-and-take, equivalent-exchange brain.

Azul gets really particularly when it comes to giving gifts and he always seems to want a valid reason for the exchange (like in Glomas where he buys souvenirs for his dorm so that they can remember this good deed and know that they are technically indebted to him even though to Deuce and Epel it appears as though he's just being a kind Housewarden). But also,,, he's so iffy when it comes to accepting gifts himself and always seems to think there's some underlying reason behind it. ^^;; perhaps he'd just feel more comfortable if you were openly using him and this deal to your benefit just as he's doing the same with you. It's probably why he even makes the terms so domestic because, beneath all of the pompous showmanship and businessman flair, he genuinely wants to provide for you and make your life better and be your beloved. <3 but because he's Azul he can't just tell you that. >_<

AAAAA FALLING ASLEEP IN HIS OFFICE!!!!! OTL waking up in his bed all bleary-eyed and sleepy....... grabbing at his arm and begging him to stay,,, the sleepy morning sex... maybe it's the one moment he allows just some of his defenses to fall because most of yours are nonexistent in this moment. Having sex just to have sex without any thoughts about your contract..... of course he's still going to remind you later and insist you use one of your wishes/favors since you technically indulged him with sex, but then you wanted it, too. He's so fussy!!!! Please just ask him for something—anything! He isn't going to beg, but sometimes you really do make him contemplate it when you're so determined to not make use of him and his connections.

You're one of Azul's greatest weaknesses and if you know this then you can easily exploit this because this tako adores you. He is so utterly whipped. Whatever you want, you can have it. Spoiling you is one of his many love languages. He loves giving you gifts, especially when he knows they'll make you happy. Like those silly fish slippers. They are so dumb, but they make his angelfish smile and that's enough reason to purchase them for you. I think once you're in a real relationship the fwb contract is dissolved, but a lot of what you did during those two months still occurs into your relationship. Like the smoldering tension and the chemistry. The silly banter and smart quips. The attraction. And of course lots of love (real and potion-induced mwahaha) and sex. He railed you once in mer form and you better believe he'll do it again now that he's slowly finding the confidence to do so with you.

[tweetsongs]

'cause my love will be fierce (and your love will be missed)

my other prompt for @orv-gotcha-for-gaza for @evelinadodge! i am SO sorry about how long this took. i have no excuses except for uh. underestimating law school OTL. i hope this is even slightly what you're looking for!

Sometimes Yoo Joonghyuk thinks that the whole traveling mercenary thing leaves much less to be desired than advertised. Then he steps into a court again and remembers the alternative.

“Lord Yoo,” someone says, and he resists the urge to grimace. He turns around, and a woman with auburn hair smiles at him, bows. He nods back, not responding. 

The woman doesn’t seem to be bothered by this, eyes scanning over him. It’s not the look he’s used to getting from young noblewomen, the one that wonders whether he still has enough pedigree to be worth marrying, or, at the very least, a night of fun (the answer to both questions is and always has been an empathetic no). Rather, it looks like she’s looking him over for something, some quality or characteristic that makes him feel oddly seen. It is not an especially comfortable feeling.

“What do you want,” Namwoon scowls at her from behind him. Yoo Joonghyuk resists the urge to sigh - he really should’ve known better than to bring him to these sorts of functions by now. Though, on the other hand, the alternative option would’ve been leaving him without supervision, which was equally risky.

On Namwoon’s side, Jihye punches him in the shoulder, which is no less rude but does the job. “Stop embarrassing Master!” she hisses, not quite soft enough to be discreet. Yoo Joonghyuk tries not to close his eyes against the incoming headache.

Thankfully, Hyunsung steps forward then, more affable than their entire party combined: “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady,” he says with a knight’s easy charm. “My name is Lee Hyunsung. May I have your name, and what your business is with the lord?”

Yoo Joonghyuk barely manages not to grimace at being called a lord. This night was really getting worse and worse.

The woman glances at them, then shares a look with the woman beside her, clad in knight’s clothing. “My name is Yoo Sangah,” she says. “This is Sir Heewon. And we...may be in need of your assistance.”

--

The story is a typical one: a tyrant who went too far, an uprising, a queen who is deposed alongside her husband, a prince in a dungeon. A line of executions.

“And you want me to stop the executions,” Yoo Joonghyuk says. They’re on a balcony now, away from prying ears. 

Yoo Sangah shakes her head. “I want you to save him.”

“Just him?”

A hesitation.

“Just him.”

“Why?”

She smiles, slight. “He was my betrothed,” she says.

He considers her - she doesn’t seem the kind of person who is easily taken in by sweet words or false gestures. “So it’s because of love?”

“Not- the way you think. We were not...romantically involved. But he was...unlike the rumors. Kind. He was a good friend, and would have made a good partner, if nothing else.” there is no sign of a lie in her voice. “He was my best friend, and-”

“He was my brother,” Sir Heewon says. “In all but blood. He cared for his people, even when his ma- the former king tried to force him not to. He was the only reason the revolution succeeded. But now-” her fists clench. “He told us that it was better for them to all be executed, for the story to have a clean ending. He pretended- he pretended to hold Lady Sangah hostage, so that she would not be seen as complicit. He bade me go with her to make sure she was protected. He got every one of the innocent castle staff to escape. It’s unjust, for him to die. I am his knight. I can’t allow it.”

“We can compensate you,” Lady Sangah rushes to reassure him. “My family - my dowry is still intact, so I can give you as much as you need.”

It is a startling story, an almost unbelievable one. What kind of prince gives up his power, his title, his life, just for the sake of a story? He looks behind him, and meets the eyes of his companions. They understand each other.

“...alright,” he says. If nothing else, he wants to meet the person who inspired such loyalty.

--

It is, he will admit, a very neat ending that Kim Dokja had orchestrated.

The commoners in the yard, holding weapons made from improvised tools. The bodies already piled up, dressed in royal blues, the blood staining them closer to violet. The prince, plain but for the strange calmness of his expression, the almost excited glint in his eyes, standing atop the execution stand.

“And we will finally be free,” the lady-knight in front of the stand says, steady hand on a leather-wrapped sheath. “From the tyranny that the Demon King has held us under, the cruelty of their progeny- let us live, now, as we were meant to. Let us live as people, rather than cattle.”

A cheer echoes down the crowd, the sound like a church bell or a horn -- something like change, like revolution. And in the centre, the prince that nobody knows has orchestrated all of it, hemp woven in a loop along a pale throat in a noose he wears like a crown.

“You sure we actually wanna save the guy?” Namwoon mutters out of the side of his mouth, cloak thankfully covering his fidgeting. “It feels kind of like a bummer for these guys. They’re probably gonna throw a party after this.”

“Shut up,” Jihye’s voice, echoing in their ears via Uriel’s carefully-maintained communications spell, says before Joonghyuk can say the same thing. “I’m ready, master.”

Yoo Joonghyuk nods slightly. The signal. He sees her begin to move from the corner of his eye, the slight slide of her palm to unsheathe her shield-

- and then an arrow pierces the air, cutting through the noose. The lady-knight draws her sword, swings it towards him - good instincts - but it is stopped by a shield the size of a man. Hyunsung, always quicker on the draw than people would assume of his stature, meets her sword with a clang of metal on metal. Defending, because this revolution was not wrong, even if the one they’re executing may not be the man they thought he was.

Yoo Joonghyuk is moving before his mind catches up with his steps, a hand slipping around the no-longer-prince’s waist and hauling him over a shoulder. He isn’t sure why he’s moving so quickly, except that something about the resignation in his eyes feels familiar, irksome.

“If you want to hold someone hostage, I must warn you now that I have few around willing to pay any ransom,” Kim Dokja says, strangely placid for the situation. If it weren’t for the momentary tenseness of his body, the flash of confusion in his expression before it disappeared over Yoo Joonghyuk’s shoulder, he would’ve been fooled into thinking that  the former prince had predicted all of this.

As it is, he replies: “You are worth more than you think.” it seems to startle Kim Dokja into silence, until Kim Namwoon joins them, a smirk on his face: “Your girlfriend paid us a pretty sum for saving you -- I hope you’re ready to be a concub- argh!”

Yoo Joonghyuk removes his palm from the back of the teenage boy’s head, rolling his eyes. Strangely, this makes Kim Dokja even more tense. “My-”

“Lady Sangah hired us,” Yoo Joonghyuk says, not mincing words. They weave through the back of buildings, commoner-knights and determined farmers and soot-covered revolutionaries beating footsteps fainter and fainter behind them. It is a shame- their determination brought them victory against their leaders, but it is not quite enough against Yoo Joonghyuk’s team. Or their magic.

“Where are you taking me?” Kim Dokja says, as they go further and further towards the outskirts of the city. Instead of answering, Yoo Joonghyuk runs faster towards their meeting spot, where Jihye and Hyunsung will meet them before they go back to the location Yoo Sangah gave to them. After a few moments of quiet, realizing that he was not being given an answer, Kim Dokja continues: “I see that the rumors about Lord Yoo becoming a renegade were accurate, though I admit I would’ve imagined you to be taking more noble jobs then this.”

“Bold words for the one who’s keeping you alive,” Yoo Joonghyuk says, without thinking. He blinks as he catches the edge of a smirk out of the corner of his eye. He was trying to get a reaction, he realizes. That little-

“Jihye!” His attention is snapped back by Namwoon’s shout, and his feet stop sharply at the sight of his student, standing where they were supposed to meet.

A knife at her throat.

“I would thank you to put that boy down,” the one holding the dagger says evenly, their clock wreathing them like a shadow. Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes sweep over her face, tense but carefully calm. To Hyunsung beside her, a hand hovering over his shoulder, where a bloom of red is spreading from an arrow sticking grotesquely out of his shirt. He hesitates. Holds out an arm to stop Namwoon from taking a step forward.

“Who are you?” he asks instead, keeping his voice level.

The figure makes a sound like a scoff. “You’re in no position to ask.”

“But I am,” Kim Dokja says. Yoo Joonghyuk hisses as he feels the tip of a foot dig into his waist, as if he were a horse that Kim Dokja were trying to put to heel. “Put me down, you stupid sunfish.”

“Do you want to die?”

“Well, now that you’ve ruined my first plan, no. I don’t plan on dying in a random place outside my former kingdom, felled in the midst of strangers. But that’s not what’s going to happen. Trust me.”

What an absurd thing to ask, of a person you’ve just met. A person you yourself have no reason to trust.

He cared for his people.

He was a good friend.

Trust me.

He puts the former prince down.

“What-” Kim Namwoon begins to protest, but Kim Dokja’s voice cuts him off, steady and with the words that Yoo Joonghyuk may have least expected.

“What are you doing back, mother?”

[lixenn]

Lovely Lili, hi hi! I hope you're well today 🫶🏾💜💜💜 wanted to ask...what does Magan-Xirsi think of René? How do they get along? Also heights of Magan, Cilmi and René?

MY DARLING MOMO!!! I think we are mind melded cause I actually wanted to talk about the Magan-Xirsi and René dynamic for ages but I kept putting off writing it down, so thank you so much for giving me an excuse to ramble, love 💜💜🥹

But let's start with heights first because that's easier lol

René: 157 cm (he's smoll okay that's important)

Cilmi: 173 cm (I actually despaired about this because I couldn't remember if I already decided on Cilmi's height or not. But since I haven't noted it down in his wiki page yet I'll just assume I didn't so this is now the official Cilmi height 🫡<- note to self update the wiki page OTL)

Magan-Xirsi: 195 cm (he's a big boy hehehe)

Now. I started with heights because I needed to establish those in order to explain how fucking funny the relationship between Magan and René is. So, in one corner we've got Magan: big guy, built like a tank, covered in scars with the Cryptid™️aura enveloping him like an overdramatic cloak. People aren't pants pissing scared of him as much as they are unsettled. At least with the Boss you know where you're at. Fuck up, get shot. Easy math. But that guy? What the fuck is up with him? What's his deal? Nobody fucking knows! He could be sweet giant but he could also sacrifice babies for breakfast and everyone just collectively decides not to find out which one is the truth. And honestly that's such a shame because Magan is such a chill dude! For an assassin he's a pretty nice guy, very down to earth, nothing really rattles him. And he gives great hugs! Why is nobody befriending him; this is a crime! <- says the author who literally decides over his fate lmaoooo Anyways... In the other corner we have René: literal baby, scared of his own shadow, smart but with the social graces of drunk fawn. One would think if you put him and Magan in one room, René would jump out of the second floor window to get away from the other guy. HAH! WRONG! Magan is literally one of the few people alive that René is super comfortable with. Since René and Cilmi are childhood friends he spend a lot of time at Cilmi's house so he grew up surrounded by his friend's family. Out of all of Cilmi's siblings Magan is René's favourite. He never judges René about being a complete mess and always listens to his struggles. Also, he's great at cuddling! There are a lot of pictures of small René just straight up napping on Magan while the older boy reads a book lmaoo. So, basically René sees Magan as his kinda older brother. It doesn't really work in English because the way you adress people is different imo but if they were speaking Japanese René would call Magan Nii-san. That kinda vibe, y'know? The feeling's mutual btw because Magan thinks René is an adorable lil bean. He often teases Cilmi that he'd much rather prefer René as his little brother because he's "much easier to handle, he even comes in pocket size. Great for carrying around." Cilmi gets pissed about it because 1) stop talking shit I'm a great brother (not) 2) leave René alone, that's my best friend back off! and 3) you are so fucking embarrassing go die in a fire! Cilmi can be so prickly sometimes it's great 🤣🤣 I love the dynamic between those three, it's very fun. Also, the fact that René is so comfortable around the local Cryptid (/potential cult leader/baby eater/eldritch being that crawled out of the sewers) gives our anxious scientist a lot of street cred. Like maybe that guy can't hold a presentation to save his life but he can talk to Magan-Xirsi??? Respect! Maybe he's not as much as a whimp as he looks like. (René doesn't realise at all that him casually chatting with Magan impresses his colleauges. Like, "it's just Magan??? There's nothing scary about him." Meanwhile cut to Alberico preparing an excorism because he saw Vlasta bro-nodding to Magan and now thinks they are in cahoots lmaooo)