#A wonderful mixture of peaceful and uneasy

[ms-snape]

Jealous severus x reader? maybe involving lockheart

Title: Someone Like Me?

Warning: Angst, jealous severus, lockhart

Words Count: 3000+

Masterlist

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The air in the Hogwarts greenhouse was thick with the scent of soil and herbs as Y/N moved gently through the rows of plants. She had always found comfort here, among the vibrant greenery and the soft hum of magical growth. Herbology was her sanctuary, and each day she poured her heart into tending to the rare plants and teaching her students how to care for them with the same tenderness.

It was peaceful, or at least, it had been until recently.

As of late, her tranquility had been invaded by a certain new presence at the school—Gilderoy Lockhart, the newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. His arrival had caused quite the stir, especially among the female students and even some of the staff, but for Y/N, his constant attention was becoming more than a little uncomfortable.

At first, she had thought it was just harmless friendliness. Lockhart had swept into her greenhouse on the first week of term, his toothy smile gleaming as brightly as the medals on his robes.

"My dear Professor Y/N!" he had exclaimed, clasping his hands together in a gesture that was all too theatrical. "I must say, you have the most enchanting little space here! It’s no wonder the students speak so highly of you."

Y/N had blushed, embarrassed by the attention, and murmured something about the plants deserving the praise, not her. Lockhart, however, had waved away her modesty with a laugh that echoed too loudly in the intimate confines of the greenhouse.

"Nonsense, nonsense! I can see that you put as much care into your work as I do into my own," he said, leaning in just a little too close. "You and I, we have much in common, I think."

She had smiled politely, trying not to shrink under his overly familiar presence. She wasn’t used to people being so forward with her. It wasn’t that she was oblivious—Y/N had noticed Lockhart’s flirtations—but she simply didn’t know how to respond. Confrontation wasn’t in her nature, and she didn’t want to create awkwardness among the staff. So, she had smiled, and tried to extricate herself from his attention as gracefully as she could.

But it didn’t stop there.

Lockhart’s visits to the greenhouse became more frequent. He would find reasons to come by during her lessons, interrupting her with flamboyant anecdotes about his supposed adventures. The students would giggle or roll their eyes, but Y/N found herself growing more and more uneasy. His compliments had become more pointed, more personal, always accompanied by a lingering touch on her arm or a too-familiar smile.

"Professor Y/N," Lockhart had said one afternoon, as he appeared at her greenhouse once more, his robes billowing dramatically behind him. "I was just telling the Headmaster how much we make the perfect team, you and I. Perhaps we should write a book together! Herbs and Heroics, don’t you think? It would sell like that." He snapped his fingers, leaning toward her again.

Y/N’s discomfort had risen, her hands twisting nervously around a sprig of dittany. "I—I’m really not a writer, Professor Lockhart. I don’t think—"

"Nonsense!" he interrupted, his tone dripping with charm. "With your knowledge of plants and my experience, we’d make quite the pair. Don’t you think?"

His hand brushed her shoulder as he spoke, and Y/N stiffened slightly. She gave a weak smile, hoping he’d take the hint, but once again, she found herself trapped by her own politeness. She didn’t want to upset him, didn’t want to cause a scene, but Merlin, how she wished he would leave her alone.

Across the castle, in the dimly lit Potions classroom, Severus Snape stood over a cauldron, stirring the mixture with precise movements, though his mind was far from the task at hand.

For weeks now, he had been watching. Watching as Lockhart fawned over Y/N, as he invaded her personal space with that nauseating smile and those absurd stories. It was infuriating. Severus had always been protective of Y/N—more than he would ever admit. They had worked together for years now, and though their relationship had never ventured beyond professional, he had long harbored feelings for her that he kept buried deep inside.

He had always told himself that Y/N deserved better than him, better than someone as broken and cold as he was. She was kind, too kind for the likes of him. So, he had never acted on his feelings, content to watch from the sidelines, to enjoy the small moments when they shared quiet conversations about rare herbs or discussed the latest potions ingredients she had gathered for him.

But now, with Lockhart constantly hovering around her, Severus found his resolve crumbling.

At first, he had tried to ignore it. Lockhart was a buffoon, and surely Y/N would see through his ridiculous posturing soon enough. But day after day, Severus watched as Lockhart showered her with attention, and worst of all, Y/N didn’t reject him. She didn’t push him away. She didn’t seem to be upset by his advances.

And that was what hurt the most.

Perhaps, Severus thought bitterly, she liked Lockhart’s attention. Perhaps she enjoyed the compliments, the flirtation. Why wouldn’t she? Lockhart was everything Severus wasn’t—charming, outgoing, and confident. And while Severus could see through the man’s facade, perhaps Y/N couldn’t.

Perhaps she was falling for him.

The thought sent a cold wave of pain through Severus, and he found himself withdrawing from Y/N more and more. It was easier that way. Easier to distance himself before he had to watch her fall into Lockhart’s arms. He started avoiding her, no longer lingering in the staffroom when she entered, no longer stopping by her greenhouse to ask for ingredients. He couldn’t bear it. Couldn’t bear to watch her be swept away by someone so unworthy of her, and yet… someone she seemed to be accepting.

Y/N had noticed the change almost immediately.

Severus was avoiding her.

For weeks now, he had been cold, distant, and she couldn’t understand why. She had always admired Severus, despite his stern demeanor and cutting remarks. There was something about him that intrigued her, something deeper, and over the years, she had come to value the rare moments when he let his guard down, even if just for a second.

But now, it was as if he had built a wall between them. She couldn’t even catch his eye in the hallways, and whenever she tried to speak to him, he dismissed her with a curt nod or a sharp word. It hurt more than she cared to admit. She missed him, missed their quiet conversations and the way he would surprise her with his vast knowledge of plants and potions.

At first, she thought she had done something to upset him, but no matter how many times she went over their last conversations, she couldn’t find anything wrong. It wasn’t until she saw the way Severus’s eyes flickered with something close to anger when he caught her speaking with Lockhart that she began to piece it together.

Could it be… jealousy?

The thought was almost too much to believe. Severus, jealous of Lockhart? The idea seemed absurd, and yet, the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. She had seen the way his expression darkened when Lockhart was near, the way his jaw clenched whenever the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor tried to engage her in conversation.

But if Severus was upset, he wasn’t going to tell her. He was too stubborn for that.

So, after weeks of being brushed aside, Y/N decided she needed to confront him. She couldn’t take the cold distance anymore, and if he was angry with her, she needed to know why.

One evening, after a particularly long day in the greenhouse, Y/N made her way down to the dungeons. She had seen Severus slip out of the Great Hall after dinner, his usual shadowy presence retreating into the depths of the castle. She followed him, her heart pounding in her chest with nerves, but she was determined to get answers.

She found him in his office, sitting behind his desk, a quill in hand as he scrawled something into a large, leather-bound book. He didn’t look up when she knocked softly on the doorframe.

"Severus," she said quietly, stepping into the room.

He didn’t respond at first, his eyes remaining fixed on the parchment before him.

"Severus," she repeated, a little more firmly.

With a sigh of irritation, he finally glanced up, his dark eyes cold and unreadable. "What do you want, Y/N?"

Y/N hesitated, her fingers twisting nervously together. "I… I need to know why you’ve been avoiding me."

Severus’s expression didn’t change. He set his quill down, leaning back in his chair with a look of cool indifference. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Yes, you do," Y/N pressed, stepping closer to his desk. "You’ve been avoiding me for weeks now, and I don’t understand why. Did I do something to upset you?"

He let out a harsh laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Upset me? No, Y/N, you didn’t upset me. I simply have no interest in wasting my time with someone like you."

The words hit her like a physical blow, and she took a step back, her eyes widening in hurt and confusion. "Someone like me? What does that mean?"

Severus’s gaze was sharp, his voice colder than she had ever heard it. "You know exactly what it means. I’ve seen the way you prance around with Lockhart, letting him fawn over you like some lovesick puppy. Clearly, you enjoy the attention."

Y/N’s heart clenched painfully in her chest. "I—Severus, it’s not like that. I don’t—"

But he cut her off, his words laced with bitterness. "Don’t insult my intelligence, Y/N. I’ve seen how you let him flirt with you, how you blush and smile like a schoolgirl..I don’t have time for someone like you. If you enjoy Lockhart’s company so much, then by all means, continue. But don’t expect me to waste my time on someone who can’t even see past his ridiculous charm."

Y/N felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, the weight of his cruel words crushing her. She had never seen Severus like this, so angry, so hurt. She opened her mouth to speak, to defend herself, but the words wouldn’t come. All she could do was stand there, frozen in place, as Severus’s cold gaze bore into her.

When she finally found her voice, it was barely a whisper. "I never wanted his attention, Severus. I’ve only ever—"

"Enough," Severus snapped, standing abruptly and turning away from her. "I don’t want to hear it. If you wish to continue entertaining that fool, that’s your business. But I will not be part of it."

With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving Y/N standing there, her heart shattered and tears spilling down her cheeks. She had come for answers, but all she had found was pain.

The following days were a blur for Y/N. She avoided the staffroom, avoided Severus, and kept to herself in the greenhouse. She couldn’t stop replaying their conversation in her head, his harsh words echoing painfully in her mind. I simply have no interest in wasting my time with someone like you.

She hadn’t known it was possible to feel this hurt, this rejected. For the first time, she found herself dreading the start of each day, dreading the possibility of seeing Severus in the halls. The spark of happiness that usually came with her work had dimmed, replaced by a hollow sadness that seemed to follow her everywhere she went.

Even her students noticed the change in her demeanor, though they were too polite to mention it. She tried to hide her feelings, tried to put on a brave face, but it was difficult. Every time she passed Severus in the corridors, her heart ached with the memory of his words, and every time Lockhart made his usual visits to the greenhouse, she felt a wave of nausea rise in her throat.

It didn’t take long for Minerva McGonagall to notice.

One afternoon, as Y/N was tending to a bed of mandrakes, Minerva appeared at the door of the greenhouse, her sharp eyes studying Y/N with a knowing look.

"Y/N," she said softly, stepping into the room. "May I have a word?"

Y/N looked up, startled, and quickly wiped her hands on her apron. "Of course, Minerva."

Minerva approached her, her expression softening as she saw the sadness in Y/N’s eyes. "You’ve been rather quiet lately, my dear. Is everything all right?"

Y/N forced a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m fine, just… busy."

Minerva didn’t seem convinced. She took a seat on one of the nearby benches, folding her hands in her lap as she spoke. "You’ve been avoiding the staffroom, and I can’t help but notice that you haven’t been your usual self. Is there something going on? Does it have to do with Severus?"

The mention of his name sent a sharp pang through Y/N’s chest, and she looked away, her hands trembling slightly as she fussed with the dirt on her fingertips.

"I… I don’t know," she admitted quietly. "I thought we were friends, but lately… I think I’ve upset him. He won’t talk to me anymore."

Minerva’s brow furrowed, concern flashing across her features. "I see. Severus can be… difficult, at times. But I know he holds you in high regard. It’s unlike him to act this way without reason."

Y/N let out a soft sigh, her voice tinged with sadness. "I don’t know what I did wrong. He said I was wasting his time, that he didn’t want to deal with me anymore. And now… now he won’t even look at me."

Minerva’s eyes softened, and she reached out to place a comforting hand on Y/N’s arm. "I don’t believe that’s true, my dear. Severus may not always show it, but he cares deeply for the people in his life. Whatever has caused this rift between you, I don’t believe it’s something you’ve done."

Y/N shook her head, her throat tightening with the weight of her emotions. "But he’s so angry with me. He thinks… he thinks I like Lockhart."

At the mention of Lockhart’s name, Minerva’s expression shifted into something closer to exasperation. "Lockhart? Merlin, that man has been more of a nuisance than I expected. But Severus should know better than to assume that you have any interest in him. He’s clearly projecting his own insecurities onto you."

Y/N blinked, surprised by Minerva’s words. "You think… you think Severus is jealous?"

Minerva smiled faintly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I do, Y/N. It’s quite obvious to those of us who know him well. Severus may not be the most forthcoming when it comes to his feelings, but it’s clear that he has feelings for you. He’s just too proud—and too afraid—to admit it."

Y/N’s heart skipped a beat at Minerva’s words. Could it be true? Could Severus’s coldness and bitterness be a result of jealousy?

Minerva gave her a knowing look, standing up from the bench. "I suggest you talk to him, Y/N. Really talk to him. He may not make it easy, but I think you’ll find that he cares more than he lets on."

Severus paced his chambers, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions. He had hurt her—he knew that much. The look in her eyes when he had spoken those cruel words haunted him, and yet, he couldn’t stop the bitterness that had fueled his anger.

It was easier this way, he told himself. Easier to push her away before she had the chance to reject him. Easier to convince himself that she wanted someone else—someone like Lockhart—than to face the truth of his own feelings.

But the truth was becoming harder and harder to ignore.

There was a knock at the door, and Severus’s heart leapt into his throat when he saw Y/N standing there, her eyes red-rimmed but determined.

"Severus," she said, her voice soft but steady. "We need to talk."

He turned away from her, trying to compose himself, but the sight of her standing there, vulnerable and hurt, made his resolve crumble.

"Y/N, I—" He paused, his throat tightening with guilt. "I’m sorry."

She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "I don’t understand, Severus. Why are you pushing me away? Why are you so angry with me?"

Severus closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. He couldn’t keep lying to her—not anymore.

"I’m not angry with you," he said finally, his voice low. "I’m angry with myself."

Y/N frowned, stepping closer. "What does that mean?"

Severus hesitated, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. He hated this—hated being vulnerable, hated exposing the raw, aching feelings that he had spent so long trying to bury. But he owed her the truth.

"I saw the way Lockhart was… pursuing you," Severus began, his voice tight. "And I thought… I thought you were enjoying it. That you wanted his attention. It hurt, Y/N. It hurt to think that you could fall for someone like him when…" He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Y/N’s eyes softened with understanding. "When what, Severus?"

He met her gaze, his dark eyes filled with something raw and unspoken. "When I’ve been in love with you for years."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and vulnerable. Y/N’s breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest.

"I never wanted his attention, Severus," she said softly, her voice trembling. "I never wanted anyone’s attention but yours."

Severus stared at her, stunned by her words. For a moment, he couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. And then, slowly, he closed the distance between them, his hand trembling slightly as he reached out to cup her cheek.

"I’m sorry," he whispered again, his voice thick with emotion. "I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’m sorry for hurting you."

Y/N smiled through her tears, leaning into his touch. "I forgive you, Severus."

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Severus allowed himself to hope.

[hisuianhellion]

Reflections In A Flame

A small red candle.

It sat upon a small desk before Rose, the warm light gently flickering upon a waxen body.

A void to the left. An abyss to the right. Past the candle-lit desk was emptiness, and behind her was nothing but nothingness itself.

She didn't know where she was. She couldn't know where she was. There was nothing to learn. There was nothing but the candle to see. The one real light in the darkness.

She didn't know how she had arrived here. It was peaceful. A gentle silence, lacking the oppression such a lack of sound would normally hold, was surrounding the candle and woman within its radiance. Her glasses shimmered visibly in the light ring of warmth it emanated.

She stepped forward. It did not seem to be any closer.

She stepped forward once more, a few more times to make sure. The fire seemed to ignore her attempts to approach.

Her brow furrowed, and her legs began to jog to bridge the gap. The candle merely scoffed at her attempts, visibly flickering in what she could only perceive as mild annoyance.

Why do you approach?

The question settled in her mind like a memory playing in real time. No voice spoke it. No air passed any lips, no sound to pierce the silence. But she knew what was conveyed. She felt the power behind it.

Her mouth opened to speak. No voice spoke out. No air passed her lips, her tones never piercing the silence. And she was immediately met with the recollection of an immediate thought once more.

Do not use your words. They hold no power. Words are a tool that serve no purpose here. Words hold mistruths and half-lies. You will speak with your own convictions, or not at all.

Her eyes blinked. She tapped her lips softly in response for a few longer moments before looking to the side.

Curiosity. Fear. A mixture of both in equal measure.

The flame flickered once again, and a small drop of wax dripped upwards. It vanished into the darkness above, leaving the candle as if it had never even been upon it.

Well isn't that interesting? You approach to sate your burning curiosity despite the fear coldly clinging to your chest? No wonder you seek the flame... Step forward. Once.

She obeyed soundly. The candle visibly became closer. She was only a few steps away, but she could tell. Reaching forward would serve only a lack of purpose.

What do you desire from the flame? If that wording is too vague, simply answer what you are curious about.

That gave her pause. It was enough that not one, but two drips of the candle's wax spread away from it. One to the left, another straight back, vanishing into the black void. The candle was shrinking, but it was at a rather steady rate. One that she could not shake an uneasy feeling about.

I don't know. I'm not sure what the flame is. What you are. I know the name Reshiram, but is that truly you?

The candlelight seemed to shift backwards, bobbing back then up straight, back then up. A soundless laugh, the amusement oozing into her former, made present thoughts.

How quaint! You admit to knowing my name. And yet it cannot be inferred why you should. Step forward once more. You are more honest than most to be so forward with that question.

Her foot clicked onto the nothingness before the table. She was just out of reach. Maybe one step would do it. She could have taken a larger step, but her fear held her back just enough to be at a "safe" distance as she watched another drop of wax swirl away past her head. Pulled away by the void once more. Was the flame... losing its candle? It's foundation? She could not wait.

I know this is your domain, but are you safe? Are you alright? You're losing wax, or... whatever the wax may represent.

Concern for the unknown? For a being you fear? Now isn't that something... There is merit to your fear, however, and it is why the foundation of the flame must be kept strong.

The candle dripped once more, the wax hotly slipping down its length until colliding with the table below it.

It cut right through, smoking with the second sense Rose could pull together: the smell of wood burning. It cracked visibly and audibly, finally giving her the third sense of sound, and making her blink and reach forward.

She didn't know how she had grasped the candle, but she felt that she had to in order to save it from the table. She didn't know why the candle seemed to allow her to grasp it. But the candle finally gave her a fourth sense, the final of her repertoire: the feeling of heat. Searing heat. Burning heat. Rose let go in alarm with a soundless yelp, the candle landing right back on its base upon the table as she stepped back once again, putting that light distance between herself and it as she looked down at her now harshly reddened hands. The table was steady... for now. But the candle was looking smaller than ever.

The flame is not something to simply be looked upon with no fear. You had been losing that as you approached despite your unease. You need to know that there is pain if the flame cannot have a solid foundation within you. A solid conviction. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the perseverance despite it. And the knowledge that anything it touches could burn away in a moment's notice. Yourself included.

She looked down at the flame, the pain in her hand numbing gently in the coldness of the void surrounding her. Stasis to stop the pain. A draining of the burn's effects... as she felt the absence of its warmth spreading through her. She slowly panted. And very quietly... she let her teeth grit. A glance at the candle, and she felt her body flare. Light settled upon the table... but it was not from the flame, oblivious to this fact as she was.

How dare you! How dare you! I reached out to help you, afraid you were about to lose your support, and you promptly lecture me for trying?! You think hurting someone to teach them a lesson is the way to convey that? You think pain is a suitable teacher for forming a strong conviction? No! It teaches fear and fear alone! It inspires nothing but following the directions you're told! You can give me any warning you want "but I will not listen to someone forcing whatever they think is true through pain!"

She hadn't even realized her voice had barked outwards, piercing the silence even further than the crack in the table had. The candle shrank with each word, and her hand reached out, grabbing the table to pull it towards her more. Despite her fingers and palm screaming in agony as she had done it, tears perking at her eyes, she reached out to grasp at the candle once more.

It tilted on its own. The candle was not what met her hand. It was the fire itself. Her fingers nearly snuffed it out, but once she realized what had happened, they loosened. The candle fell, lifeless and empty. But the table remained illuminated. Lit from Rose's hand and Rose's direction. And as she opened her hand to look at the flame... she noted the blue hue it had taken. It should've been hotter. The closer to white it was, the more searing the heat would become. And yet... it felt almost meekly cool. Warm, yes. But not painfully so. Soon, as she studied, even cradled the fire with a tense curiosity, she sighed, searching her memories to see if a new one was forming. And it was, the flame's conveyance settling with a quieter tone than before despite its soundlessness.

You speak with such conviction that it broke my hold over you. I should be insulted. I should be furious at you. I may even be. And yet even with how violently your fire burned as a result of the pain I inflicted, I could not feel hatred. I could not feel a desire to harm. And I have a curiosity in my core that feels... new. Overpowering to the fury. Tell me one more thing. If you will allow me.

Rose stared. Her eyes stared hard, piercingly sharp in the blue glow upon her hand and the orange one surrounding her. "... Fine. Ask."

What is an irrevocable truth of the world? One you would see as what defines it. One that cannot, should not, would not ever change under your watch. That you would use your own convictions and perseverance to uphold.

"That humans and Pokemon are not destined to stay separated for their own good. We can be partners. We can be family. We can honestly and truly help each other in a way that should never be taken for granted. I'd be a nobody without my family. And the trust they look at me with when we explore and battle tells me they love me just as much as I love them."

Blue eyes met blue. The soft, rounded pupils of Rose's met the angular, sharp ones of Reshiram. And after a moment of looking her over from the flame, they closed gently before nodding in response.

Travel with your family, then. Show me the strength of your truth. Convince me of it. I will be watching to see how brightly your flame can burn. And I will see if you can keep that flame from burning yourself or those around you. To the one who spoke to me with words I did not see as lies... I will be watching.

Rose twitched. She felt her bedroll beneath her. She felt the egg in her arms. She looked about, feeling one hand gingerly coiled about by a still sleeping Barry as the light from the sun gently peaked into the closed window beside her. Nanami glanced over in her direction, giving a soft murp of concern. But he was met by Rose softly smiling at him and reaching up to pet along his head.

Eventually, though, her eyes settled back on the windowsill. The Light Stone sat there, motionless. It... was that where she was? Brought into the stone through her dreams? Hmm...

Her eyes sagged gently, and she nestled into the pillows once again, sighing out of her nose. She felt... tired. But relatively peaceful. A peer at her hand, and the lack of a burn upon it helped solidify that peace.

... Alright, Reshiram. She'd bite. She'd take your little test. And rub your damn snout into it when she proved herself right.

[swampstew]

What's the Magic Word?

Chapter 29: Here Comes the Fight

Eustass Kid had heard that there was a stretch of ocean in the New World where the water was so clear you could see a mile under the sea. The water reflected the sky perfectly, and it was said that sunsets and sunrises were so vivid, sailors felt like the sun was swallowing them up or sinking them whole with how the world changed colors both above and below.

It was also, allegedly, one of the most romantic spots in the world.

At least, that was what he’d overheard some vendors say as he and the crew had picked up sheets of glass and other building materials. Their hideout was nearly complete – structurally. The inside still needed some fixing up, the windows needed to be installed, and that wasn’t even mentioning the decorating and fixtures they still had to get and also install themselves. Constructing the perfect base wasn’t easy work but it was going to be damned worth it.

The Kid Pirates spent months going to and from their base to other islands in search of supplies, furniture, and anything they could think of in order to create their hideout. They were short journeys as Kid insisted Rowena stay behind to guard the base, and then he’d rush to get back home to her each time.

On this supply run, the Witch rejoined the crew in their travels at Kid’s suggestion. Claiming he needed her help potentially bewitching a crabby merchant the redhead had squabbled with one too many times. Rather than kill him, Kid wanted to do some light manipulation so he didn’t lose a good supplier over dumb shit he instigated.

They took the long route to get to the merchant because Kid wanted to explore the so called ‘Perfect Pool of Peace.’ If it ended up looking cool or fancy, he’d take credit for Rowena’s excitement and happiness. If it didn’t yield shit, well what’s a few more days sailing with his crew and lady? Win-win situation all around.

Killer and Kid looked over the maps to determine their heading, unsure if they were lost or not as they’d not seen the world wonder yet.

“Master Kid! Look to port!” Heat screeched from door of the helms room.

On the horizon, ships. Marine ships. A shit ton of Marines. Kid cursed and stomped to the top of the dinosaur skull to get a better grasp of the situation.

It wasn’t looking good.

17 ships and 3 battleships.

“Great fucking timing,” Kid grunted sarcastically. “PIRATES! GET READY AND MAN YOUR STATIONS!”

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Killer yelled from the main deck. “ROWENA TALK SOME SENSE INTO HIM!”

“ME?! YOU’RE HIS FIRST MATE!”

“YOU WANT TO FIGHT AGAINST THAT?!?!” the blonde hoisted the Witch over the railing.

“Of course not! But he gave an order, he’s not going to listen to me!” she exclaimed, fidgeting to be put down. Killer was too agitated to notice and did not loosen his grip, pacing the deck with the Witch in his arms like a rag doll.

“Kid that’s a fucking fleet!! They’ll catch up to us in less than three hours!” Killer argued. “We should have Rowena use Titanic Push to get us the hell out of here. You can do your thing LATER!”

“Boss, I’m with Killer on this one!” Wire’s normally aloof eyes looked alarmed. “Let’s just outrun them with the wind. Victoria can sail faster than those ships.”

Heat grabbed Rowena from Killer and set her down, “Can you do anything else to get us out of here faster? I’ve heard of wind knots, are those a thing?”

“Yeah they are, they’re tricky to use though – if you overdo it too quickly it’ll turn the weather. Titanic Push would be the better option.”

Kid stomped down to the deck, “We’re not running away! Kid Pirates DO NOT turn their backs on the enemy!”

“Rowena, I’m willing to take ANYTHING you can give us,” Wire pleaded.

Killer nodded, “ANYTHING. But prioritize our survival.”

The Witch looked to the crews’ faces – a mixture of uneasiness, fierceness, determination, even some questionable excitement. Kid’s face was the easiest to read: never give up, never surrender. She admired his tenacity. Loved his crazy ass to pieces.

“I can maybe slow them down,” Rowena finally spoke up. All eyes turned to her and she stood in silent shock for a moment, not used to being considered a real voice at the Kid Pirate ‘table’ as it were.

“I uhm,” her suddenly anxious eyes met Kid’s and he gave her an encouraging head nod. “Witches knot it is. I can generate enough wind power to have Victoria give them a run for their berri. But it will create a storm. Can get as bad as a typhoon. It would impact all of us but we have the advantage of me being able to manipulate the waves around us while it beats down on them. Should buy us time to escape or attack.”

Kid’s smirk grew into a sinister smile, “Can you handle that while in the midst of battle?”

“Dunno, never done it before. Can you sail through a storm that bad?”

“Kiiiid, I have a bad feeling about this,” Killer whined.

“Tsk, ok can you give us a tropical cyclone instead? Enough to fuck with the Marines but not enough to take away your attention from the fight. You’re gonna go all out – every technique you’ve learned and honed while on my ship. Consider it a test. It’s assessing your magical and fighting abilities in one glorious battle!”

“…I’ll try.”

“You’ll succeed, I know you will,” Kid said softly.

Rowena blushed. “Oh you can see into the future now, can you? Before we do ANYTHING, I need everyone to drink my tonics. I’ll be damned if any of you try and fight without some enhancements,” she dipped her hands deep inside her waist bag until her armpits were at the zipper entrance, yanking out glass bottles and ingredients.

“Errrmmmm, Wire! I need you to bring my cauldron from Kid’s room here and toss these in the bowl but don’t mix them. I’ll whip up the wind and come back to brew them. Ahhhhh Bubblegum, remember when we made that purple corn juice??? Bring me the dispenser Kid made for it and fill it with a liter of water.”

With Kid, Killer, and Heat on her heels, Rowena ran to the quarterdeck while tying three knots on a short rope. Using his power, Kid created a metal platform with adjustable straps that he helped secure the Witch on. Raising it into the sky so the Witch could reach the mizzenmast, she held the thrice knotted rope in front of her, prepared to begin.

“Once the ship’s speeds up you’ll have to make sure this platform keeps up or I’ll get left behind,” she called down to Kid.

“I got you baby!”

With a measured breath, Rowena unraveled all three knots at once.

The sky darkened immediately as thunder rolled and echoed in the sky. Lightning arced across the sky while multiple branches struck down into the water causing the sea to glow. The water slapped aggressively against the hull of the ship, the sails flapped and whipped loudly as the wind picked up thrice as fast as before. Kid swiftly brought the platform down and helped Rowena off, the wind whipped her thick hair against his body and it lightly stung his skin like a thousand tiny lashes striking him all at once.

Then the rain started. Fat droplets hammered the deck and partly blinded the crew as the wind viciously picked up even more aggressively.

“Kid! Hold me so I don’t stumble!” Rowena cried.

He grabbed the small Witch and held her firmly in his hands, using his tall figure to sort of shield her from the rain.

“Thanks!” she said as she grabbed her wand and firmly planted her feet on the ground. She tipped her want to the sky and began chanting in a foreign language so rapidly Kid couldn’t hope to make out a single syllable she said. The effect was immediate.

The dark gray cloud pattern had begun to churn, creating a massive circular disk in the blackened sky. The wind whipped rapidly to create a massive vortex over the water, causing the sea to get pulled into the swirling storm. With another wave of her wand, Rowena began chanting louder and she directed her wand towards the Marine ships. The storm followed her direction and began moving in the direction of the oncoming fleet.

While the Marines tried to take evasive maneuvers, the sudden and intense storm overwhelmed them immediately. As they were battered with devastating winds, waves, and hail, the Kid Pirates focused on sailing away from the strengthening cyclone. Brought to the helms room, Rowena worked furiously to create tonics that would enhance the crews’ agility, give them a boost of energy, and heighten their senses.

It gave them a few hours head start but the Marines were persistent. Rowena did as much as she could to both temper the storm from battering the Victoria Punk too much and also made healing potions that it took a toll on the small Witch. Kid made her pause to regain her strength, making her ingest her own tonics as well.

The soldiers were tactical enough to not shoot their canons right away, fully aware of Kid’s abilities and reputation for taking personal glee in exploding vessels on his own. Instead they used the strong winds and current to close the gap – ships pulled up on either side of the punk-themed ship and the battle began. Bold colors and printed fabrics clashed against monotone uniforms as pirates and soldiers fought a grizzly fight to the death. Between the sounds of clashing weapons, thunder and lightning from the weakening cyclone, screaming, and ocean swells threatening to swallow them all – time didn’t seem to exist. Everyone fought with every fiber of their being with each swing of sword and fist. No one dared to show exhaustion or weakness to the enemy.

“AUGH THATS FUCKING IT!!” Kid roared in fury, launching his metal arm across the main deck and punched a row of marines clean off the ship. The severe wind sprayed sea water on his face, he brought his flesh arm up to shield himself, searching for Rowena.

She was by the bow of the ship, fighting alongside Killer as they slaughtered the marines swarming them with their blades. Kid ran to them, attracting his metal arm back and repelling the cannon balls that shot from the battleships that had finally surrounded them. Rowena’s cyclone had done a great job of bottle necking the Marine’s attack but now they were pulling through again, their numbers dwindled to half.

“The battleships need serious attention but we need to cut through these small fries now!” Kid yelled over the chaos of battle.

The crew battered by weather and adrenaline regained new life, casting deadly glares at the new wave of marines coming through the sheets of water splashing over the decks and railings. Kid began attracting metal from all the ships. While he focused on using his devil fruit, the crew fought around him to keep him from being harmed.

Rowena had moved to the dinosaur skull, doing her intricate, fluid motions to manipulate the ocean once more. Completely drenched in sweat and sea water, her chest heaved as she followed the movements with her entire being. Intuitively connecting with the sea at a molecular level, her body moved to maintain the harmony of the connective flow. To guide it for what she needed it to do.

She threw her arms up and funnels of water ripped up from the depths of the ocean in sync with her movements. Smashing her arms together in a similar fashion to Franky’s Super Battle Cry, the two water funnels slammed together to combine a singular, massive – and still growing – sea entity.

A smile curled on her face as she got creative with her power.

“HEEEYYYYY KIIIIIID!!!!” She yelled at the top of her lungs, wanting him to see her in action.

Captain Kid turned his head and saw the massive water vortex twist and take form. It stood tall at 20 feet with a thick, spinosaurid body build. His eyes were as large as dinner plates as he watched the head and hands of the massive water beast freeze over. The hands now possessed razor sharp ice daggers and the head wore what Kid could only describe as an icy battle helmet that looked metal as hell.

“HOLY FUCK THAT’S SO COOL BABE!!!!!!!!”

“KID PAY ATTENTION!” Killer screamed, cutting down the soldier who tried to attack the Captain at the knees.

“Thanks, its hydrokinesis magic with a bit of flair!” she shouted back, whipping her arm to make a wall of ocean water rise up and freeze, blocking incoming canon fire. Yanking her wand from its sheath once more, the Witch used her left hand to connect with the ocean monster, holding her wand in her right hand to point straight at it. The crystal gem began to glow brightly.

“Defende navem meam – dele inimicos nostros!” she repeatedly chanted in a steady tone as a glowing light swelled within the eye socket of the ice helmet.

The behemoth turned its head down to the small Witch before it turned to look at the nearest Marine ship. It then let out a terrifying screech that made the Victoria Punk quiver, the high-pitched wailing reverberated through the air making everyone pause their battles to cover their ears.

It turned its body towards the closest ship, dipping several feet into the water before shooting up and slashing its icy claws down at the wooden vessel. The ship immediately began to take in water, Marines shot at the beast in vain quickly abandoned their guns to clumsily jump into their lifeboats. The ocean beast slashed at the ship several times, parts of the broken ship flew towards the Victoria Punk from the force of impact.

Rowena jumped off the bow to the raised deck above the helms room. Taking a running leap towards the main deck, she flipped horizontally in the air and spun rapidly to manipulate the wind into massive air whips to block the flying debris from hitting the crew below.

Kid’s Punk Gibson cleared the area for Rowena. She stumbled on the landing but Kid swiftly grabbed and clutched her to his chest.

“Can I name the beast?!” his voice was heavy with excitement. The Witch nodded with an ecstatic smile.

“PUNK FROST GOJIRA!!!” He roared while in the background the beast bashed its ice helmet forcefully into the ruined Marine ship, effectively destroying and sinking it. The ice horn on the right side of its head cracked from the impact; rearing its head, it moved on to the next ship.

“That’ll be effective for five minutes or less, let’s make it count!” Rowena yelled.

“Rowena!” Kid held her by her shoulders, his eyes twinkling amidst the chaos. The malice and hatred that had darkened his features with the Marine’s arrival completely lifted.

“MARRY ME!”

She blinked, “What right now?!”

“YEAH!”

“WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING!”

“KILLER!!!!” Kid bellowed, not realizing Killer was already behind him. “Did you get the license and shit!?!?!”

The masked man nodded furiously, “Back in Dressrosa but now isn’t the best time you numbskull!!!”

“Now is the perfect time!” Kid scowled, still gripping Rowena. The crew created a barrier around them as the Marines prepared their next offensive wave.

“I’ve been trying to do this but every time it keeps getting fucked up! I’m not letting anything else get in our way. Not Dressrosa’s army, not the Big Mom pirates, not a missing hand that can’t wear a wedding band, and definitely not these fucking assholes. And if for any insane gods damned reason we perish in this fight, than I wanna die with you as my wife!”

“Kid!” Rowena’s eyes became glassy, “If we die immediately than it’ll be the shortest marriage in history!”

Kid’s eyes had a spark of mischief that blended well with his insanity, “Then we better make sure it doesn’t get cut short! Fight and vows, let’s fucking go!”

Heat let out a wide berth of flames to keep the assaulting solders at bay. He wiped the outer corners of his eyes, “I never knew Master Kid could be so romantic.”

“That’s our Boss, head over heels!” Wire boomed, striking his trident into uniformed bodies.

Punk Frost Gojira crashed through another two ships, moving on to a third and absorbing all attacks launched at it. The Victoria Punk bobbed violently in the sea from turbulent waves while two Marine ships had gained enough proximity to start boarding her again. The battle cries of men clashed with the lightning blasting in the skies. Another caterwaul from the oceanic beast ripped through the air as the Kid Pirates fought back.

Killer frantically rushed through the declarations of intent while dodging swords trying to hack him down, slashing his Punishers around him as efficiently as possible. An opening in the crew’s barrier was breached – Kid’s massive mechanical arms were already built and Rowena unsheathed her blades again.

Fighting side by side and back-to-back, Kid and Rowena hacked down, crushed, sliced, smashed, and gutted Marines. All the while maneuvering around each other in balanced synchronization. Protecting each other.

“SAY YOUR VOWS!” Killer screeched, finally able to hyperfocus on his prey. He took a running leap into the air to intercept some rope swinging bastards. Cutting their lines, they flew into the tumultuous sea.

Heat managed to get himself on one of the enemy ships. Taking advantage of its wooden structure, he started streaming fire to the sails and lines and quickly changed targets when he realized it was all too soaked to catch. Running towards the guns station, he burned that up instead. Giving one final blast, he hauled his ass back to the Victoria Punk. Leaping over the railing and landed safely on deck as the Marine’s gun powders and explosives combusted from the fire.

Laughing maniacally, Kid forced apart the massive mechanical arm from his flesh arm for scrap. “Genocide Raid!” he screamed, purple sparks emitted from his fingers and danced around all metal and steel items on the ships. The magnetization propelled weapons and other items to whip around in the air; he directed the magnetic pull towards the soldiers while simultaneously yelling, “PIRATES HIT THE DECK!”

The Kid Pirates all dropped to the wooden floor and flattened themselves as much as possible. Kid grabbed Rowena and dove to the floor, covering her body with his own as the metals battered anyone left standing. Bloodied bodies began to hit the floor while Kid cradled her face as he looked down at her.

“Rowena, I love you so fucking much. Everything I said the night of my birthday still stands true. I don’t deserve you but I want you all the same. I want to be bonded with you forever and I want the whole fucking world to know it. You’re mine Ro’. For better or worse, in sickness and health, till death do us part. Do you take me as your husband?”

“I do!” she gasped, tears leaked sideways into her hair. His face flushed deeply as he smiled at her, eyes almost closing from how wide his smile was.

Kid’s genuinely happy smile was broken as he leapt up from the floor. He tucked under the attack and hooked the fairly large Marine over his shoulders, sending him through the air and into the sea.

Rowena leapt up too, gasping at the new ship that had pulled up port side. The Marines were already boarding, the crew scrambling up from the floor too slowly, in immediate danger. More canons went off from the battleships around them.

“Pirates run to starboard! Kid handle those cannon balls!!!” the Witch yelled, not waiting for a response.

Watching a massive wave crash over both ship prow’s, the water crested over the deck and gave her the perfect opportunity. She flipped her hands flat, palms facing the heavens and the wave crest paused in the air. Bringing her hands downward and flexing her fingers into claws, the water began to swirl in circular motion above the marine ship, its diameter spanning over both ship decks as it hovered 15 feet from the wooden flooring. She manipulated its reach to cover where most of the marines stood.

“Icicle volley!”

Rowena snapped her wrists down, her fingers curled slightly as she followed through the motion with her arms. Striking her hands and arms down, 3-foot-long icicle spikes began shooting down from the swirling watery disc that was still hovering in the sky. Raining down and impaling Marines indiscriminately.

Spinning on her heel, the Witch ran to Kid who was already reaching for her. Gripping each other tightly, she pressed into his frame.

“Kid, I know you resent not being the one who freed me from Thriller Bark. But you’ve saved me so many times since in your own right. Starting from the day you granted me sanctuary on your ship. I’m as strong as I am now because of you. I fucking love you, Red. You’re mine as I’m yours. For better or worse, in sickness and health, till death do us part. Do you take me to be your wife?”

A face splitting grin on his face, “Fuck yeah I do!”

“Great! By the power vested in me as the officiant, best friend, best man, and maid of honor, you’re fucking married!! You can now—” Killer was cut off.

Punk Frost Gojira let out another wail, though it was not as fierce as the previous ones. The pirates snapped their heads in the direction of the ocean beast where it stood at half its height. Raking fractured ice daggers into the steel of the battleship, it was going down swinging. The watery beast sank into the ocean and pulled back several feet. As it rose, its body was struggling to stay cohesive.

With a final plunge, Punk Frost Gojira bashed its fractured ice helmet into the side of the steel battleship. The ship made a groaning sound as it was lifted from the impact and began to tilt on its side. Punk Frost Gojira’s form fell apart and thousands of gallons of ocean water surged down on the Marine ship, forcing it to a watery grave.

The Kid Pirates started cheering at the destruction the animated behemoth wreaked. There were only two battleships and three standard Marine vessels left. The survivors of Rowena’s ice attack had regrouped with reinforcements.

The pirates and marines were opposing waves that crashed against each other. Kid kept Rowena by his side as he relieved the Marines of their weapons once more and his crew overpowered them. All except one. A Captain.

A bold-faced bastard struck his hands out and let out a high-pressure jet stream of water right at the couple. The water hit Kid’s giant metal arm at a high force, breaking between the scrap pieces holding the metal form together. Rowena ducked under Kid’s attempts to shield her and with a huff, redirected the stream of water upwards and away from them.

“So you’re a fruit user or something?” Kid growled out.

“That’s right! I ate the Mizu Mizu No Mi Fruit and became a water human! While most people average 60% of water in their bodies, I am 100% water! My logia capabilities will overpower you all and the Kid Pirates will be nothing but a forgotten memory!!”

“You hear that Kid? He’s a water man,” Rowena grinned wickedly.

“Ooohh you’re fucked idiot. Get him babe!”

The Marine Captain’s face was visibly shocked. Beady eyes darting between Kid and Rowena, trying to ascertain what her attack would be.

“I’ll make it quick, you’re interrupting our shot gun wedding!” she growled. Stomping her foot on the floor, she thrust both hands out and curled her fingertips inwardly. The air grew cold rapidly, frosty whisps flowing in a vortex like pattern over the enemy Captain. His feet began to turn blue.

He couldn’t get a word out. His hyperventilating whimpers intermixed with his hypothermic convulsive whimpers as his entire body turned blue. Rowena released her fingers to extend fully and the sound of crackling and a humming vibration overpowered the sounds of fighting. In an instant, the Marine Captain’s entire body expanded and froze over, icicle daggers jutting from around his frame.

“Now he’s an ice man,” Rowena clicked her tongue. “Wanna break him open?”

Kid grinned, “I’d love to.”

Reforming his metal fist, he pulled his right arm back and jutted it out in a fierce punch with a roar. The Marine Captain exploded from the impact, icy chunks littered the deck and flew over the rails.

“I haven’t met a logia type I’ve liked so far,” she sneered her lip at the bloody and frosted remains.

“Paramencia types are better,” Kid winked at her.

“They sure are,” she waved and bobbed her arms, calling forth ocean waves to rinse the deck clean. Wiping all trace of the Marine Captain to the sea.

“You can now ki—oh come on!” Killer wailed, dodging another blow. He was gone in a flash to cut down the new wave of Marines off the battleship.

“Fucking bugs!” Kid groaned, repelling his arm.

Kid and Rowena jumped into their respective fights. Rowena began using her magic to defend and attack, blocking blows with massive ice fists and returning sword thrusts by melting her ice fists and reforming them into icicle spears. Using wind gusts from the dying cyclone to push back the rabid Marines to give herself and the crew some berth.

“You can kiss—” Killer was cut off again as he evaded weapons repelled by Kid. “WATCH WHERE YOU’RE THROWING SHIT!”

Heat slashed his way towards the battleship and began breathing fire again to force soldiers back, pushing his limits to shoot the flames as far as he could. Wire, Pomp, Rekt, Bubblegum, veteran and new crew members fought across the deck. Rowena could see the battle was taking a toll on them. Before she could do anything about it—

She slid on her knees to avoid the weapons lunging at her. Pulling her blades from her back, she parried with the Marine and gutted him. Three more took his place. Blades crashed against each other as she fought one against three. Walking backwards, she lost her focus for a moment when she thought she saw Pomp go down.

One of the Marines managed to knock a blade out of her hand. She kicked him in the crotch before he could step back and she hacked him down. Thrusting her free hand out, she forced a gale of wind to push back the two advancing Marines out of the way and subsequently, moved Pomp out of harm’s way from the Marine who tried to cut him down.

The two Marines were back on her with ferocity. Rowena kept them at bay, swinging her sword and letting out screams of exasperation. Trying to call forth more wind to push them back or trip them up but they were on her ass, not giving her any room or time to magic her way out of the duel. Making a wild swing that sent both Marines into defensive poses, Rowena pulled back and unceremoniously ran to Kid for safety.

“JUST KISS!” Killer screamed out in frustration, blonde hair soaked in blood as was the rest of his clothes and mask. Slashing and kicking down another Marine in a long line of men to be executed, hoping to stop their impending doom by putting up a fight.

Kid turned to face Rowena, his arm stopping in midair as he went from trying to embrace her to defend her. Purple sparks flashed chaotically between his fingers as all the metals around him began to rise and rush forward. Guns firing at random, swords and daggers stabbing the air indiscriminately. Not watching his back, Kid didn’t register the marines that had pulled themselves from over the railing.

Rowena noticed them as she was rushing to Kid’s embrace and then out of his direct path to avoid the onslaught of weapons. She sprinted and slid to a stop just beside him, a whip of water skirted into the air from her boots skimming the drenched floor. It was enough. Curling her palms inward, she thrust them out and the short wave of water became small ice pikes that shot forth. Impaling the Marines and sending their bodies tumbling to the sea.

Weapons whipping wildly in response to Kid’s power, she dodged and blocked scraps before having enough of it.

Squatting down on one knee with her arms held out in arcs, she swiftly shot up to stand and twirled into tight spins, arms curved and generating wind as did the ends of her long-slit dress. She came to a stop facing the Marines as was Kid, she pushed her body forward with palms together and a vortex of wind shot out. Marines and weapons were swept away from the gusts as the Witch aimed at every angle around Kid.

“C’mere, wife!” Kid called out, grabbing Rowena’s shoulders.

At the disruption of her vortex, metal and harsh gales swirled around them battering the others; not falling on or disrupting the newlyweds, as if there was an invisible barrier to shield them.

However, in that moment neither pirate was using their power.

Magic and Devil Fruit far forgotten as Rowena leapt into Kid’s arms. He clutched her body to his as if he was trying to meld them into one, putting his entire heart into their first kiss as husband and wife. Lips fastened to each other’s as if their lives depended on it. Pressing into each other as deeply possible as if afraid they may be ripped apart at any moment. Rowena’s hand found purchase on Kid’s neck, rubbing a lock of his hair between her fingers as she poured her soul into their kiss.

From the moment their lips touched, they both felt it.

Permanence.

Exactly where they wanted to be. Together, and so fucking in love with each other.

The sheer heat between them as their lips molded against each other’s made Rowena gasp and shudder. Kid supported her body in his arms with the dedication to support her for the rest of his life; tongue slipping past her lips and thrusting fervently with need. She welcomed him with a moan as fire spread through her body. The flames of his passionate heart stoking her own internal fire. Wanting to light up in sparkles and crackles of fire from the way she felt so happy.

Rowena responded with equal hunger, burrowing her right hand into his hair to anchor herself, to hold him tenderly and firmly. Each press of her lips against Kid’s was a gentle promise: that he would always find home, safety, and love with her. Like she imparted a piece of her soul inside of him or saved his own soul from damnation; whatever the hell it meant when kissing felt like it was both drowning and baptizing him. It made him want to melt, freeze up and combust into tiny pieces, flying freely through the air like dandelion seeds.

“OI! IT’S A KISS NOT A MAKEOUT!” Killer hollered from across the deck.

Not that it mattered anymore. The last remaining battleship had taken the opportunity to flee, leaving behind the smoldering wreckage of their comrades.

With great reluctance the couple pulled apart, a thin strand of saliva snapped, breaking their connection. Kid whistled at the number of bodies piled all over his ship, again when he noticed the number of survivors left behind.

For once in his pirating career, Eustass Kid did not feel the hunger for abhorrent cruelty.

Seeing the prisoners, all he felt was weariness at the thought of having to slaughter them in terribly creative ways to prove a point and then also dump their bodies. Not when there were more important matters to attend to.

“I’m not much in the mood for playing with our hostages. Grant them quick deaths and deal with the mess. I’m going to clean all this blood off me and my wife. Be quick about it, I want to party tonight!”

The reaction was a mixture of excitement and exhaustion. They Kid Pirates loved murdering Marines like any other pirates but they were all on the brink of collapse.

“Wait!” One Marine called out from the group of hostages.

Kid cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Wait. We told them it was bad idea to confront you but those Captains! They just wanted fame and glory and didn’t give a shit about how many of us had to die. And for what? All to go running back to HQ with one ship left, tail between their legs and not even attempting to save their fallen comrades?! WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THAT?!!!”

Kid sneered at the Marine, “That’s called being on the wrong side of history. That’s what happens when you follow the World Government like mindless sheep and not question the fucking crap they sing and swing.”

“You’re right. I never once questioned it, and when I did I didn’t do enough to question or push back against the hypocrisy. Then this is what I deserve. If I could do it again, I sure as fuck wouldn’t choose to be a Marine again.”

Barking with laughter, “We got a talkative one, boys! Hey, how many of you assholes feel the same as this asshole?”

Of the 50 or so Marines, about half nodded affirmatively. Kid was kind of shocked. He always saw regret on some of these douchebag’s faces when they met their ends by him. But he had never seen, what he could at least perceive to be, authentic disgust on a measly ant’s face for his role in the hive.

“And let me guess, with your sudden shift in perspective of the Marine’s version of Justice, you want to what, be a pirate now?”

The Kid Pirates laughed and mocked the prisoners.

“I don’t know about them but all I want is freedom. The freedom to not die because some legacy Marine brat decided he could take on what others couldn’t do.”

Well, this was new indeed. Kid thought in contemplative silence for a few minutes, wrapping his flesh arm around Rowena while he mulled his thoughts.

“You should have them dispose of their fallen comrade’s bodies and clean the deck under supervision so the rest of your crew can rest,” Rowena whispered to him. His puzzled amber eyes locked to hers.

“Have them kill the other prisoners who refuse the order. If they can do all that, I think they are more likely to not to mutiny the ship.”

“Ro’ that sounds like the exact kind of motivation they would need to kill us all in our sleep.”

“That one is being genuine I can feel it. Just a nobody who didn’t know better used as a pawn, and he’s aware of that now. I understand your hesitance but…I think there’s an opportunity here.”

Killer, Heat and Wire huddled around the married couple to hear Rowena better.

“You’ve said before you want a fleet instead of making alliances. What better place to start then with a bunch of defected Marines? Obviously trust is built slowly, I’m not saying let them out of their prison cells immediately. But they might have useful inside knowledge they can impart, they have the skills for sailing and there’s a perfectly good ship that needs some work done, right over there,” pointing to the last remaining Marine ship that was dead in the water with torn sails and holes littered on the deck. “At the very least, extra bodies at your disposal.”

“Rowena what are you talking about? We can’t do that!”

“Who says you can’t? And more importantly, when do you ever listen when someone says you can’t or shouldn’t do something?”

Before Kid could respond or do something stupid like agree, Killer spoke up, “Just because Kid can do something doesn’t always mean he should…”

“Losing less of our main crew isn’t necessarily a downside,” Wire muttered.

“I don’t love the idea of showing mercy to Marines but at the same time, using them as meat shields has merit,” Heat weighed in.

Kid’s scowl was set on his face, “If there was a way we could trust them implicitly and immediately I would consider your arrangement. We don’t have the stamina right now to babysit and I don’t really want to make the effort to win their loyalty over.”

“I can hex them,” Rowena offered.

All eyes turned to her: shock, and fear {Heat} reflected in them.

“I can create a binding spell and if the bounded party breaks the terms of the contract, they’re cursed to be dragged to hell.”

“Like metaphorically or—” Killer asked.

“No literally. A burst of flames will engulf them and they’ll be dragged down by the hounds of hell.”

“Done!” Kid picked Rowena up in a hug and broke the meeting circle apart. “Please do it quickly.”

Kid gave the prisoners a choice – swear loyalty to his crew or die. They all immediately choose to swear loyalty. He was suspicious of that but he decided to trust Rowena entirely. The Witch had the Kid Pirates work in groups of 20, lining up in front of the shackled prisoners to hasten the process. One pirate to grasp arms with a prisoner to swear fealty and her magic would do the rest.

“Just so everyone is aware of the limitations of this spell, under no circumstances will you be able to harm anyone on the crew. Doing so will result in immediate and painful damnation. You won’t be able to touch any of them, you won’t be able to think a single thought of harm or mutiny on the crew without the curse taking into effect. This is your last chance – do you swear undying loyalty to Eustass ‘Captain’ Kid and the Kid Pirate Fleet?”

Kid’s eyes narrowed as he clasped the arm of the ex-Marine who had spoken up for the others, watching the column of his throat struggle as the man swallowed in fear.

“I swear it,” the prisoners vowed.

Taking a firm grip on Kid’s right forearm, Rowena pointed the tip of her sheathed wand down the line of arms grasped together.

“Notetur quod isti animas huic pacto juraverunt. Nullius mali aut mali inten- tio accidet his qui fidelitatem jurant ne in eternum damnentur,” Rowena chanted.

A thick red rope cord sprouted from the tip and quickly wrapped itself around each set of clasped arms. When it reached the last set of arms, the rope seemingly tightened against all their skin and sunk below the surface of muscle. It didn’t feel like there was anything physically touching them but pirates and prisoners alike gasped in shock as they felt heat shoot inside their veins momentarily as the rope disappeared.

The sound of menacing howls broke the anticipatory silence.

“LIARS!” Rowena hissed, eyes flashing sharply at the last 10 prisoners down the line. The sound of barking and snapping surrounded them all, thundering echoes of a pack running under the ship had them all whipping their heads looking for the stampede that was coming for them.

Flames shot up from the wooden deck, engulfing the liars who intended to break their vows. Though their arms were still clasped with the Kid Pirates, only the prisoners felt the pain of the fire that consumed their bodies. Their screams becoming higher and more deranged when the jaws of hell hounds snapped over their legs.

Massive sharp, slobbering maws clamped down on the prisoners, teeth sharply sinking into flesh as the men wailed in pain and fear. Just as quickly as they arrived, the hell hounds yanked down the offenders clean through the floors. The rope that bound them to the crew unraveled as they were dragged down and Rowena quickly sliced the cord with her unsheathed wand.

The howling did not end and a single, massive black scaled hell hound wormed its way through a closing portal of hell fire. It stalked the deck of the Victoria Punk, snapping its jaws and watching the prisoners intently.

“Uhhhhhh Rowena???” Killer’s voice had an edge in it.

“That’s the big bastard in charge,” Rowena said softly, watching it intently. “I think it senses that there are more liars amongst the prisoners. Let this be a warning to you all.”

The crew repeated the process several more times, losing another eight prisoners to the hex. Kid never stopped watching the hell hound as it stood beside Rowena, seemingly howling in command every time a prisoner broke the vow once it was completed, heralding its subordinates to drag another stupid son of a whore down to hell.

During the final set of prisoners, there was only one betrayer left and the massive hell hound personally chomped over the lying bastard’s head and dragged him to hell, closing the portal of fire as they cleared the surface. The howling that had echoed in the air was gone. Kid let out a final whistle as the remaining prisoners all let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Not gonna lie, thought they would all turn and we’d have a full-blown inferno on our hands,” Kid crowed. “Killer get the fucked-up ship tied to ours. Have small squads rotate to watch over this lot and cleanup. Everyone else rest up. Let’s save the party for tomorrow. No self-respecting husband should have to touch that many men before touching his new wife.”

With a wave of his mechanical hand, Kid scooped Rowena into his arms and walked them inside the ship. Pressing his forehead to hers, he whispered, “You’re the coolest fucking wife in the entire world.”

Read on AO3

[flovverworks]

' are you an idiot?! ' the four-legged thing that could have crushed akira's head within its jaws writhes and shrieks when metal impales it. for as much as others might have looked down on huan for his bloody habits, it was always during moments like these that a life was nevertheless saved. even then, this hare-brained princess might have still felt sympathy for the roaring creature, and that too would have another fatal mistake. ' these parts aren't safe, moron! don't tell me you came out here expecting nothing more than a nice walk! ' amidst the struggle, a grunt and heave. retrieving the draw of his weapon, he sets himself squarely between akira and his newfound quarry, a growling beast sizing up another growling beast. had the farms and peaceful little village softened the other's common sense into dirt? the instant anyone stepped into these sorts of boundaries, the world became harsh and cruel, a ring of competition. with huan readying himself for a lunge, the wounded thing merely roars, then turns and bounds away. a harsh leer chases after it, but huan nevertheless stays still and remains. until he turns, his gaze piercing through the other next. brows set and the silence is brief. ' ... well? what do you have to say for yourself? '

Nothing, really. Or better yet; nothing they could say in this moment. In books being saved was always a dramatic and beautiful endeavor. The one protected would be feeling relief and awe when their savior appears, drawing their sword heroically and speaking a threat if the attacker were not to withdraw, and maybe the one protected would even launch themself at the other to embrace them once safety was ensured. A moment of thrill and excitement and doing your utmost to not sneak a peak at the next page to see how the scenario turned out.

All Akira was feeling was nausea.

Their legs had given out around the time he had appeared, the overwhelming fear for their life and relief to see someone they knew mixing into something too big to handle. They should have been moving, if not away then enough to give them both space, but at that moment it hadn't been an option, let alone a consideration. Instead they looked on in horrific amazement, just as unable to cover their eyes and ears despite wishing for it. It hurts to see anything (anyone) in pain, so they feel bad for it, they don't feel bad for it, and they pray he won't get hurt.

It's difficult to get upset over Jia Huans words when he put himself in harms way for you.

"I'm sorry", spoken with a voice that wavers with the same tears that was stinging in their eyes, gaze dropping to the side. It doesn't matter, even if they can't see him properly they still feel the stare. They can't even look at him. He had no obligation to save them, yet he did, and they can't even look at him. Guilt seeps into the mixture of emotions, a pain in their stomach, an uneasy feeling in their arms, did he think of it as pathetic? Akira did. 'I didn't think it'd happen', what good did that do? The reason wasn't anything special either. He already disliked them, would this make it cross over to hate? They didn't want that. They didn't want that at all.

"I..." it was their fault, and he had looked unbelievably cool. Maybe later, when they had calmed down, the ordeal would seem more heroic, but now...(and maybe later, they would wonder how he was so quick to find them). "...Thank you", they start, voice still weak, but a gnawing feeling that if they kept quiet it might make matters worse. "There's...a flower. My sister said in a letter she wanted to see it...that's all. I'm sorry."

[starsofmilos]

Stay with Me! (Adrian Chase x reader)

Request: Hello! Just wanna say your fics are so good. I love it sm 🥰 And if it’s possible, can I have a request on which the reader is pregnant with Adrian Chase's baby but then his wife and the baby had an accident stuff then much and much of sadness and angst but the ending is up to you ( sorry if it’s too angsty, i’m sucker for this stuff rn 😅 

Request: Heyy!! 🥰 Love you stories!! <33 Can I please request for Adrian Chase x Fem! Reader : “ hey, hey, hey, it's okay... it's okay. you're okay. “ and “stay with me” from the hurt/comfort prompts? Thank youu ☺️

A/N: Hoi everyone usually I don’t really do these, but I wanna say thank you to all of you! To the people who send me the requests that I’ve been having so much fun doing thank you! To everyone who’s been reading my stories and enjoying and liking them Thank you too!! I really do appreciate all the support and love my stories have been getting and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Masterlist

Warnings: angst, cursing, violence, mentions of sex, happy ending and no child was harmed at all! 

Adrian stared in awe as you looked at yourself in the mirror trying to find a flattering angle. “I look huge..” “Yeah you are..” You turned glaring at him. “You know most guys reassure they’re pregnant fiancé’s that they aren’t just a huge blob.” 

Adrian chuckled. “I’m an honest person and you’re not a blob..You are a beauty..I love your belly. Knowing in there is a mixture of both of us and that I put it in there..Wow. If you weren’t too sensitive for it now I’d eat you up.” You laughed as he stood up wrapping his arms around you. 

You were about eight months along and Adrian was loving every second of it. “You are so hot.” You groaned leaning against him. “I don’t feel it. I feel huge and just standing here my feet already hurt.” You whined. 

“Then what are you doing up!” Adrian dragged you to the bed settling you down. “I gotta go on patrol soon. Are you sure you’re gonna be okay here by yourself?” You nodded. 

“Yeah I’m just gonna miss you and try to ignore your child punching my guts.” Adrian laughed leaning down to your stomach. “Stop hurting my wife!” You chuckled as he argued with your stomach.

“Listen here little us! If you keep hurting your mom when you come out and get old enough I will kick your ass!” “Adrian!” He looked at you confused. “What? No one can hurt you while I’m around not even our spawn.” 

You laughed pulling him into a kiss. “I love you, but go now.” He groaned against you. “Can I just stay here with you two?” “Us two made you promise not to stop doing what you love because of us.” He nodded. 

You smiled as he got changed before looking down at your bulging stomach. You don’t know what came over you, but something was telling you that something bad was gonna happen.

You were a firm believer that peace doesn’t last forever. It always confused Adrian how you always knew when something bad was coming. 

He called it your premonitions. He hated them to say the least so you usually told him when they were coming so he could prepare. “Adrian.” He grabbed his mask walking to you. “What’s up marshmallow?” 

“Can you promise me something?” “Promise you what?” “If something happens to us and you have to choose between us save them not me.” “What?” “I know this is coming out of nowhere but-” “No I don’t wanna do that? Do you think I’ll have to do that? I can’t choose! You’re both the most important thing in the world to me! Y/N-” 

“Hey hey calm down! I’m sorry I brought it up it was just a random thought. If it ever comes down to it. I just want you to save them because you both are the most important thing to me.” 

Adrian looked at you worriedly. “I’m staying home-” “No! You are not. Go do your patrol Vigilante and I promise you we’ll both be here when you get back. It was a stupid pregnancy brain thought.” He sighed still feeling uneasy. “Please don’t scare me like that. I don’t feel things okay? But with you..I can’t lose you or whoever is in your stomach.” You laughed kissing his cheek. 

“Go Adrian.” He nodded heading out. “I love you.” “I love you too.” He left out the window still feeling uneasy. He would soon regret not staying home.

You sighed in relief knowing you managed to calm him somewhat. Things still felt off though. You squirmed a bit in bed wanting to relax. Feeling the need to pee, you groaned. “Fuck you little dude I just peed twenty minutes ago. “

You struggled to get out of bed waddling to the restroom. A knock on your door interrupted your thoughts while you washed your hands. Heading to the door, you sighed seeing Chris. “Oh you scared me.” Chris laughed a bit. “Sorry Adrian told me to check on you?” 

You sighed shaking your head. “Yeah he’s just really worried.” Chris nodded coming inside. “I’m surprised you’re not with him.” He shook his head. “I wanted to be, but he seemed on edge.” 

“Fuck that might be my fault.” Chris tilted his head as you offered him a water bottle. He accepted before standing up seeing you struggle to sit down. “Here let me-” “Nope I got it!” You sat down sighing in relief. “I’m not completely helpless anyways it’s my fault that Adrian is on edge besides being pregnant..I got a bad feeling.”

Chris shook his head. “I still don’t believe in that bull.” “I know you don’t but usually when I get these there right.” “It could just be your pregnancy brain.” You nodded. “I tried to reassure him. Sorry i didn’t think he’d force you to come check on me.” Chris shook his head. “Nah I don’t mind-” A knock on the door interrupted him. 

Chris stood up telling you to sit down as he opened the door seeing no one there. “What the fuck..” You tilted your head standing up. He tensed up seeing a couple drops of blood on your front porch. It was fresh.“Y/N go hide.” “Chris-” “Go hide where does Adrian keep his guns.” You pointed towards the closet. “There’s a code.” “Okay go hide.” “What’s going on?” 

“I think someone’s here now go.” You nodded heading to your bedroom. Adrian had made a safe room in case something like this happened. You opened the closet siding the emergency door behind his clothes to go into the room.

Adrian always kept it stocked with snacks and water not knowing when you’d need it. He had hoped never. You slid down the wall closing the door locking it. Adrian said to grab the cell phone burner he had in there to call him.

Adrian sighed. Nothing was really going on for him on patrol. He was still on edge from your conversation. Adrian grunted seeing nothing from Chris yet. He grabbed his phone about to call him before seeing his phone ring. It was an unknown number.

“Hello?..” “Adrian..” You whispered out panicked. “Y/N?” He tensed up hearing your ragged breaths. “You need to come home. Chris is here and trying to find the people here-” You jumped hearing a gunshot. “Adrian I’m scared..” Adrian ran to his car. “I’m on my way Y/N! Stay on the line! Do you know what happened?!”

You shook your head. “No we heard a knock and Chris opened the door before yelling at me to hide.” You jumped a bit hearing a loud bang inside the room. You grabbed your stomach as Adrian drove like a maniac. “Adrian...I love you..protect the baby no matter what..” 

“Y/N-” You hung up holding the door hearing someone tear through the closet. You closed your mouth feeling a sharp pain in your stomach. The found the latch struggling to open it as you looked around for something anything to defend yourself. Chris ran into the room ripping the man away from the closet shooting them. 

Two more men ran in attacking Chris as you struggled not to cry out from the pain. Contractions..It was contractions, but it was too early..

You gripped the door tightly trying to stay quiet before yelping out as one of them tore the door open. You looked up teary eyed crying out as he grabbed you. 

Chris stood up pointing one of Adrian’s guns he kept under the bed at his friend. “Let her go.” You whimpered as the man pulled your hair. “No please!” You cried out as he dragged a knife across your neck. 

Chris shook. “Put the gun down and the girl is safe.” You shook your head. “Chris put the gun down!” “I can’t do that Y/N!” “Please don’t hurt me!!” Chris grit his teeth as you squirmed in the mans’s hold before crying out looking down. “What the fuck...” 

Your water broke. 

Chris took the opportunity shooting the man holding you then the man he had the gun pointed at. The man who was holding you stabbed you before falling to his death,

“Chris!!” He ran to you helping you up. “Don’t worry you’re gonna be okay!” He picked you up running outside to his car. You grabbed your stomach trying to stop the bleeding.

“Protect the baby..” “You’re both gonna be okay. You have too. Adrian will kill me if you and the baby die.” You shook your head. “Wasn’t your fault.” You coughed seeing some blood come up. Adrian pulled into the driveway right as Chris ran out. 

“Stay in the fucking car!” He yelled out placing you in the back. Adrian tore his mask off getting teary eyed seeing you. “What the fuck happened?!” “Attacked! She’s in labor!” Adrian moved to the back with you letting Chris drive. “Adrian...” “Hey hey..hey, it's okay... it's okay. you're okay..You’re gonna be okay..You and little bean are gonna be fine just hold on..” “Promise me..” “No.”

He shook his head. “Save them not me..Please..” He shook his head. You coughed choking a bit. Adrian turned you to your side, “I’m not gonna have to pick you’re both gonna be just fine..STEP ON IT!!” Chris drove through red lights not caring as he rushed you to the hospital. 

“We never thought of a name..I like Damien for a boy and Scarlet for a girl..” “I like those names..” “See make sure you take care of them good okay Adrian..” He shook his head. “I can’t do it without you...” He cried out gripping your hand tightly. Chris tossed him his mask as he parked the car ripping the door open. 

Chris carried you inside as Adrian screamed for help. The nurses ran to you calling a code blue. All hands on deck. Adrian tried to follow before being stopped by Chris. 

“Dude she needs me! FUCK SHE NEEDS ME!! I WASN’T THERE BEFORE I NEED TO BE NOW!!” He cried out falling to the floor. 

Chris grabbed his phone calling the team once he got Adrian to sit down. They needed to find the men who targeted you. “Vig everyone is coming to help us find the men who came to your home.” He nodded. “Tell me when you find the motherfuckers.” 

Chris nodded as the doctor came out. Adrian stood up. The doctor looked confused seeing Vigilante with another man in a red shirt and white pants. “How is she?” Chris asked him. “She’s stable..” “And the baby?” Adrian asked terrified at the thought of your baby not being okay.

“Congrats whoever is the father..It’s a girl. Premature birth, but eight months along so she is okay.” “It’s a girl?..” Adrian smiled a bit under his mask as the doctor nodded. 

“Yeah so call the father for me.” Adrian nodded running to his car for his change of clothes. He threw his armor running inside as the doctor smiled seeing him. “I’m assuming you’re the father?” He nodded. 

“Your wife is stable for the time and your baby is okay...She is doing great if you wanna see her.” He nodded as Chris gave him a nod telling him to go. “I’ll let the team know.” He nodded.

Adrian stared in awe seeing the pink bundle of joy laying in a small box. “Is she okay?” “She’s fine..She’s just needs a little bit of time, but congrats Mr.Chase your daughter is just fine and healthy.” He nodded. “My fiancé ?” 

The doctor sighed. “As I said before she is stable, she basically begged us to save your daughter, but we managed to save her. She’s in critical condition. Hey body has gone through it and to be honest. Your wife is one of the strongest person I think I’ve ever met. She should be way worse.” He nodded.

“Can I see her?” She nodded leading him to your room. Adrian grew teary eyed seeing you wired up. “Would you like me to bring your daughter in here?” “Wait is that okay?” “Yeah if anything I think it’ll be good for her to have some skin to skin contact with her father.” 

He nodded sitting in the seat next to you grabbing your hand. After a bit a nurse walked in rolling your baby in, “Mr.Chase?” He looked up still holding your hand.

“Here she is.” They gently picked her up as she fussed. Adrian gasped a bit as she was placed in his arms. “I can hold her?” The nurse nodded. “You won’t hurt her. Look how happy she is her dad is holding her.” Adrian gulped nervously looking down at her.

She was so beautiful. 

She had his green eyes, but your hair. “Hi..Scarlet..” She fussed a bit in his hand as the nurse smiled before leaving. He couldn’t stop staring at her as she slept in his arms. “Wow...” He smiled teary eyed looking up to smile at you. 

“Y/N she’s-” He stopped himself seeing you still unconscious. “Fuck..I’m so sorry..I’m so fucking sorry..” He began to sob as the baby fussed a bit. His shoulders shook as he cried. “I should’ve stayed home..I’m so fucking sorry..” 

Chris came in a while later as Adrian sat still looking at the baby. “Hey..” “Hey...dude thanks for protecting her as best as you could,.” Chris shook his head. “It wasn’t enough sorry dude..”Adrian shook his head. “She’s safe and Y/N will make it through. You protected my family.”

Chris sighed looking down. “Everyone else is here can they come in?..” Adrian nodded as Adebayo, Emilia, and John walked in. “Hey Adrian..” Adebayo smiled seeing Scarlet in his arms. 

“Can I hold her?” Adrian nodded pointing at the hand sanitizer. “Use that first.” She nodded smiling happily as Adrian passed Scarlet to her. “Wow..Adrian she looks like you.” He smiled a bit holding your hand. 

“Did you find the people?” Adebayo passed Scarlet to Harcourt who looked slightly panicked holding the baby. John nodded taking a seat. “We did..how is she?” Adrian sighed. “Stable for now.” 

Emilia sat down looking in shock at the small human in her arms. “She’s cute...” She mumbled out quietly. Adrian grinned a bit seeing Emilia look up at him. “Here you should take her back..You are her dad.”Adrian nodded. “It’s okay..You can hold her longer. I think she likes you.” 

“It seems like it, so you guys found them.” John nodded. “Yeah we did so we were thinking..” John looked down. Chris cleared his throat taking over, “Adrian we’ll handle them-” “No.” “Adrian-” Adebayo tried to speak to him. 

“No they hurt her and almost hurt my baby.” “Calm down.” Emilia held Scarlet a bit tighter. Adrian laughed a bit. “I’m gonna fucking go after them. None of you are stopping me,so you can help me or stay here.” 

Emilia sighed. “We’re not gonna be able to talk him out of this.” She turned towards Adrian. “You need to promise not to be fucking reckless.” 

“I know not to be. I need someone to stay here to protect them.” Adebayo nodded. “I’ll do it.” He nodded in thanks. 

“What are waiting for? Let’s go.” He grabbed his sweater walking out with everyone.

It was weird to everyone to see Adrian so serious. He was more calculated in his moves. Practically a killing machine. He tore through each room looking for the person responsible. 

Adebayo sat there with you smiling as Scarlet fussed in her crib. “Oh I’m sorry you probably want your dad here huh?” She grabbed her trying to calm her as she glanced to you. “Dude you’re gonna be kinda sad when you see she’s practically a carbon copy of Adrian.”

Adebayo hummed a bit before stopping hearing you speak. “I wanted her to look like Adrian.” She gasped seeing you struggling to sit up. “Is she okay?” Adebayo nodded as you winced. “Stay down! I’m gonna get a doctor! Yeah a doctor!!” She set Scarlet down running out of the room. 

You smiled seeing Scarlet in her crib. “Hi..I waited so long to meet you..Sorry you had to come out earlier than I wanted you too..” Adebayo ran in with the doctor letting them look you over. 

Once they left the room, you asked Adebayo to let you hold Scarlet. “Where’s Adrian?” “He found the people that went to your home.” You nodded. “Shit..” “What?” “She doesn’t look like a Scarlet like I wanted her too.” Adebayo chuckled a bit. 

“Is that what’s important?” You nodded. “Yeah Adrian will be back. He always comes back for me. So I know he’d want me to find a new name if I no longer like this one. I’m thinking Aurora or Athena. Both sound good. Athena Chase? No Aurora Chase...Now that’s perfect.” 

It took Adrian a full day to come back. He had gotten there late showering before heading to the hospital. He walked in scared to see you once again wired up and asleep. Only to find you awake holding your baby...

“Y/N..” You smiled. “Hey Adrian..sorry I didn’t wake up sooner..” Adrian immediately ran to you kissing you forcefully.Adebayo smiled softly walking out to give you two some space. You smiled against him as he took your guy’s baby from you. 

“Hi you two..” Adrian weakly smiled before breaking down a bit as you caressed his cheek. “I’m so sorry..” He cried out as you pulled him close letting him sob into you. “Fuck me I was so scared..” You nodded. 

“I know..I’m sorry-” “You do not apologize! It was my fault. I shouldn’t have left! I’m so fucking sorry-” “Adrian it’s okay-”

“It’s not okay! I almost lost you both! Y/N I can’t lose you! I can’t do this parent thing without you..I wasn’t there when you needed me! I’m so sorry..” He sobbed out as you teared up pulling him to lay his head against yours. 

“I’m okay..I’m here..Our baby is beautiful huh?..” Adrian sniffled wiping his face. “She’s great. She’s so beautiful dude..She looks like you. Well I think so everyone else says she looks like me.” You laughed a bit as Adrian smiled. “I’m sorry..” 

“Wasn’t your fault.” “It was-” “No Adrian it wasn’t. I promise you it was not. I owe Chris though..He tried so hard to protect me. I’m happy Aurora is okay..” “So we’re not sticking with the name Scarlet?” Adrian smiled a bit as you shook your head. “Doesn’t suit her I like Aurora better. It has a nice ring to it. Aurora Chase. Why do you not?” 

“I don’t care what her name is at the end of the day she’s my kid no matter what and as long as you stay with me I’m happy..” Adrian kissed you softly.  “Adrian she looks like you..” He shook his head. 

“No but she is a beauty..” He grinned as you both sat there fawning over her. Adrian rested his hand on your knee wanting you both close to him for a while as you held her close. 

To be honest he doesn’t think he can go a day without you guys near him at all times after this. “I’m okay we’re okay. Neither of us are going anywhere..” You reassured him before wincing in pain. 

He placed Aurora down to sleep as he moved to sit next to you. “Dude you’re literally so cool. You were stabbed and you gave birth. Aurora is lucky to have such a strong mom.”

You grinned grabbing his hand tightly. “She is so lucky to have you. If i didn’t make it, I know you’d protect her with your life..” “I’m gonna protect both of you with every fiber of my being. You both are my everything. I never thought I’d get this in my life at all. I don’t know Aurora yet, but if anyone or anything tried to hurt her I’d kill them.” 

You chuckled. “I love you Adrian..I’m sorry I scared you.” “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” You shook your head once more. “I’m staying with you till the end of the line. I promise Adrian.” “Good I’m holding you to that promise.” 

[ask-runaan-anything]

Any hurt/comfort stories to share?

I don't seem to have any hurt/comfort tucked away. Will you accept comfort instead?

Markings are an integral part of Moonshadow culture. Our paintings are visual representations of our pasts, presents, and futures. My markings are very stabby looking indeed, meanwhile Ethari's represent friendlier shapes, and even the briars of a rose shrub. The paint we use is temporary, but not overly so--we only have to repaint them every few months.

The days Ethari and I dedicate to painting each other's markings are always some of our favourites. They are soft, intimate, and peaceful times that we get to spend in each other's company, enjoying our *ahem* work.

However, it has been said before that I am quite sensitive to the outside world in ways I cannot control. Therefore, the paint we use for markings is no different, unfortunately.

It is never enough to send me into overload, thankfully, but I do need to take breaks to let my brain calm down from all the sensations against my bare skin. All I need to do is communicate our signal for him to stop working before he quietly gives me space to do some rocking and swaying until I feel better.

Ethari and I have tried alternative methods of applying the paint, such as specific brush strokes or different mixtures, but none worked well enough to reduce my reaction completely. But there is one thing that has helped.

After one of our painting days, Ethari sought help from a new source without me knowing. When it came time to repaint our markings, he started us off differently than usual. He pulled out a new paintbrush, with swirlies engraved on its hilt and an unusual black feathery tip. I eyed it questioningly, immediately suspicious of the new tool.

Before I could inquire, Ethari beat me to it.

"Give it a feel," he encouraged, bringing it closer to me. I looked at him again before running a finger over the bristles, which I had just discovered were impossibly soft; a very pleasant sensation indeed.

"This feels wonderful," I told him, watching a satisfied smile grow on his face. "What is it made from?"

"Guess," he challenged.

"I don't believe you're the type to steal fur from random animals..." I admitted. He guffawed heartily.

"Very true, darling. Alright, I suppose that gives it away. It was Tethu."

"And did he consent to having you use his fur?" I teased.

Another chuckle. "I'll have you know he practically leapt into my lap when I told him my plans. He was very happy to oblige."

"That's good. I will have to thank him later."

"He says he was only willing to trade his fur for at least an hour of cuddles and a handful of treats, if you're in for that."

"It's a deal," I agreed, dropping a quick kiss to my husband's lips. "Do you think it will help the application of paint feel better?"

Ethari nodded. "It might. We'll only know if we try."

And there was my cue to let him begin his work. I gave him my permission to dip the new brush into indigo paint, letting it fall against my skin in even, calculated strokes.

It did not eliminate each of the unwanted sensations, but we both noticed a significant difference. Less breaks were taken, and Ethari told me he observed less tension than usual in my body language. By the time my markings were fully painted on to perfection, I felt more relaxed than uneasy. It was a great success, and Tethu got his well deserved cuddles and treats, and of course, Ethari got his kisses and all of my appreciation.

[fangirl-ramblings]

Pairing: Arthur x gn!reader

Characters: Reader, Simon Pearson, Mary Linton, Arthur Morgan

Word count: 3306

Summary: You and Arthur have recently made your relationship official by moving into his tent...but is he really into you...or is he still holding onto his past?

Notes: SFW, Angst leading to fluff

After requesting several wonderful stories from one of my favourite writers and people, I was super honoured to have the chance to be able to write something for the super talented and lovely @littlestarofthewest -  Merry Christmas from your secret santa 😘😘

Also a huge thank you to @horsegirl1h (who helped me plot this out) @verai-marcel (for wrangling in all my stupid grammatical mistakes) & @mileycyprus-hill who took a quick look over this and gave me a much better character note on how to improve Arthur's feelings in this story and give me a far better title I could ever think of myself. Thank you all 😘

~* Tumblr Masterlist | Stories on AO3 *~

The First Shall Be Forgotten

You slowly opened your eyes, only to find the cot next to you still empty. It was fairly late when you'd finally taken yourself off to bed last night, but you had found yourself unable to keep your eyes open as you'd sat around the scout fire. Your hope of Arthur riding back into camp and joining you in lying down for the night had turned into a wishful dream of waking up with his strong arms wrapped around you, but it turns out it was just that - merely a pleasant dream. 

It was only a few months since you'd started dating, with most of that time spent being inseparable, but lately you noticed that Arthur was staying away from camp longer and longer. Yes - the events of Blackwater had changed the gang's luck and the likes of Dutch and Strauss kept giving Arthur more and more tasks to do, but you'd felt like that most of these jobs could be done well before nightfall. Surely Arthur wasn't avoiding you because he was bored of you already….could he?

You sat upright, shaking your head free of any more of those nasty thoughts, quickly making the decision that you should get dressed and help out around camp before Miss Grimshaw marched over to berate you for wasting so much time idling about.

There was a chill floating in the air this morning in camp and so you found yourself shivering as you looked around for your light jacket. Opening your shared trunk, you proceeded to pile a mixture of both yours and Arthur's clothes on to the cot in your quest to find your missing coat. Though you soon found yourself distracted as you lifted one of Arthur's shirts up, tutting to yourself as you saw just how worn and dirt stained they all were. You swore that that man would wear these offending items until they fell apart on him...and some were close to doing so, judging by how often they'd been patched up.

   "Ah, there you are," Pearson's cheerful voice booming from behind you, making you jump out of your skin, "I need a helping hand gathering supplies in town and was wondering if you could come along with me for the ride"

   "Me? Surely there's someone more capable about?" Although Valentine was only a short ride away, the idea of being Mr. Pearson's captive audience for that short length of time was not high on your list of priorities for the day. 

   "Well, I don't know if you noticed but we are stretched a little thin on the ground right now," his hands gesturing to the almost empty camp area in front of you, "Mr. Smith & Mr. Escuella are yet to return from Blackwater with young Sean and, as you well know, Mr. Morgan is still yet to return from wherever he has took himself off to. As for the girls..." you tried to stifle a chuckle as he trailed off to glance nervously over at where Tilly, Mary-Beth and Karen were currently sitting at their wagon, making sure they couldn't hear this conversation, "...I'd rather not ask them. Uncle told me of the trouble they got up to on their last visit into Valentine."

You couldn't help but burst out laughing at Pearson's fear of trying to keep three excited young women from creating chaos. "Sorry, sorry," you apologised, wiping your eyes as he looked at you with confusion, "Well...since you have no other options, I'll join you. I've been wanting to pick Arthur up a new shirt anyways." Spotting your jacket at the bottom of the truck, you quickly threw it on, leaving all the other clothes heaped on the bed, "Shall we go now then?"

"Goddamit, why does there have to be a train in the station?" you grumbled as Pearson pulled the horses to a stop at the crossing, which was blocked by one of the carriages belonging to the offending train. After being waylaid by the shop boy slowly loading the wagon with all the goods Pearson had chosen for camp - not that any of these ingredients would do much to improve his cooking, you cruelly thought to yourself - your head was starting to ache from listening to Pearson's constant tall tales. All you had wanted to do was get back to camp and sleep off your headache, but that didn't seem to be happening anytime soon, thanks to this stupid train.

   "I know what you mean, I was hoping to get back and make a start on preparing supper," Pearson sighed before suddenly cheering up, "But, hey, at least it gives me more time to tell you about my time at sea. There was this other time..."

Internally, you found yourself groaning, trying to zone out the older man as he recounted yet another story, that this time seemed to involve him somehow, inexplicably fighting a walrus -  single-handedly -  to save his crew.

You glanced around, finding yourself admiring all the different horses hitched up around the station...until a familiar sight caught your eye.

   "Hey isn't that Brutus?" you interrupted Pearson mid-sentence, gesturing towards the big, black Shire horse that Hosea had gifted Arthur a few weeks ago. Arthur had rarely named his horses after losing his beloved Boudicca in Blackwater and was more than content to just refer to this one as "Boy", but after overhearing Hosea called this giant a brute, you'd jokingly suggested the name Brutus, a name that had tickled Arthur and agreed it was the perfect name for this beast.

Put out a little by the fact you had rudely interrupted him just as the story was getting good, Pearson grudgingly glanced over to the direction in which you were pointing.

   "Er, it does look like it. So anyway after I killed the Walrus with nothing but my bare hands…" 

   'So this is where you've gotten to Morgan,' you thought to yourself, once again not listening to Pearson's story. 'Here's hoping you're on your way home too.'

Smiling to yourself that your lover would hopefully be by your side once more, you absent-mindedly found yourself scanning the crowd of people that was starting to thin out as they slowly stepped onto the carriages...until you saw him standing with his back to you.

A smile started to creep over your face as you recognised Arthur's dirty blond hair, broad frame and filthy blue shirt. Just the fact you could see how dirty it was from this distance made you glad that you'd made the decision to buy him a new one now, as that one needed throwing out, never mind a good wash. Anybody would think that man spent most of his time rolling around in the mud than riding a horse around.

With his hands on his gun belt, he shifted his weight to one side and the smile on your face was replaced with a look of confusion as a young lady was revealed to be standing next to him, deep in an intimate conversation.

Unconsciously scowling at her, you were unable to shake the feeling that you've seen her somewhere before, but for the life of you, you couldn't quite place where.

You squinted your eyes to try and focus your vision on her delicate features before a feeling of rage bubbled up from your stomach as she kissed Arthur's cheek, in a way that suggested more than just friendship.

"And I'll tell you - I used that walrus meat to feed a crew of 50...and not one of them complained the way you and the rest of camp do about my cooking" Pearson waffled on down your ear, distracting you from your thoughts about this mysterious woman and how you wanted to jump down and throttle her. Instead you suddenly had the urge to wrap your hands around the cook's neck. 

Turning to face him, you barked, "Maybe being at sea for weeks at end with no food makes people more appreciative of the slop you always manage to serve up - no matter the ingredients." 

You instantly felt regret as the words left your mouth and you saw the hurt in the older man's eyes.

   "Christ, I'm sorry Mr. Pearson. I didn’t mean to take it out on you..." You paused, thinking about telling him about what you just saw, but you doubted this old sea dog would give a damn about your love life and so explained "I just have a real bad headache and it's put me in a bad mood."

He nodded softly and turned away so you wouldn't see him wipe the sting of the tears from his eyes.

Feeling guilty from the hurt you just caused, you looked away to the source of your own pain, only to find Arthur had disappeared from the platform and the train was now pulling out the station. Had he gotten on board with his mystery woman? Gone off to start a new life with her and left you and the outlaw life behind him? These thoughts rattled around your head as Pearson told the horses to giddy up and the pair of you headed back to camp in an awkward silence.

Jumping down from the wagon, you helped Pearson unload the wagon - still with an uneasy tension in the air, before you tried to broker the peace between you both by offering to help prepare the next meal as a peace offering.

   "No, it's quite okay," Pearson patted you shoulder to show there was no hard feelings, "You go sleep off that sore head of yours"

You nodded appreciatively, finding yourself thanking him and apologising once more as you picked up the wrapped parcel containing Arthur's new shirt, and headed back to your tent. 

As you walked over, you rolled your eyes in annoyance at yourself as you caught sight of the mess you'd left behind this morning. Picking the mountain of clothes up, you threw them in straight at the trunk at the end of the cot, surprising yourself as you heard a loud clatter of something hitting the side of the chest and then dropping onto the floor.

Peering over, you saw that a few shirts and a pair of trousers had missed their target and were now scattered over the floor... alongside a wooden photoframe, laying face down on the ground, that definitely wasn't there before.

Picking it up, you recognised the image of a younger, but still very handsome version of Arthur standing on the left.

'You've always been a good-looking bastard haven't you?' half smiling as you took in his handsome features, 'No wonder you have a long list of admirers to spend all your time instead of me.'

Well before you and Arthur had started dating, you had seen this photograph before. You recalled picking it up from his bedside table back then too, in order to get a closer look of how attractive Arthur's always been.

But sometime between then and making your relationship official, Arthur must have removed it and hidden it out of sight from you. Just as you were about to ask yourself why, you spotted who else was in the picture.

   'No…no it can't be,' you thought to yourself as you stared at the beautiful, dark haired woman standing next to him in the image. But, as much as you didn’t want it to be, it certainly was. Looking straight back at you was a younger version of the same woman from the train station…the same woman who had ripped Arthur's heart out and tore it into a million pieces all those years ago when she called off their engagement - Mary.

Time seemed to slow down as your mind went into overdrive. Did he simply remove the picture as a thoughtful gesture so you wouldn't wake up to a younger Arthur and his ex-fiancee looking at you…or did he hide it because he still loved her and her alone? Were you just a stopgap - something to fill the emptiness in his heart until she came back to him? Is that the real reason Arthur had hidden the picture and not gotten rid of it completely? So once he had managed to win her back, he could toss you aside and place it once more on his bedside to stare lovingly at while he held her in his arms?

You hadn’t realise you were crying or just how hard you were gripping the frame until you heard the sudden sound of glass cracking and a mix of your blood and tears began to streak all over her stupid, perfect face. Standing frozen to the spot, you stared and stared at her image, slowly disappearing under the physical manifestations of your hurt and betrayal, until you heard Arthur bellow out your name as he rode back into camp.

   "Hey you. Boy, did I sure miss you while I was gone," he cheerfully greeted you as he strode towards you, "I tell you, there's some strange sights out there that I've been dyin' to tell you all 'bout."

   "Tell me?" you snarled, acting the wounded animal you currently felt like, "Don't you have other people you'd rather spend your time with?"

   "What? What's got into you?" 

Your heart panged as you saw the hurt cross his face as he saw how upset you were. 

"Listen, if this 'bout me spendin' so much time from camp recently, then I am sorry - but I did miss you somethin' fierce y'know" he assured you, placing his arms around your waist.

   "Just like you've missed Mary for all these years?" Just saying her name out loud felt like you had tasted venom on your lips and needed to quickly spit it out.

"Mary? Where's all this comin' from?" He flustered, averting his eyes downwards as not to meet your steely gaze. Upon seeing you holding the photograph, he exclaimed, "Christ alive, you're bleedin'. Here lemme fix you up."

"I'm fine," you snapped at him, pulling your hand away from his gentle touch. Any other time, this small act of affection - the big mean outlaw gently cradling your hand in his - would have made you melt on the spot, but today your inner rage wasn't having any of it. Instead you blurted out, "I saw you. At the train station…with her."

Realising he had been caught out and couldn't bluff his way out of this sorry mess, he sat down on the cot and tried to explain.

   "Okay, yeah, I was at the train station with her, but it really ain't what you think…"

   "I saw her kiss you."

  "You mean when she kissed my cheek? That was her sayin' goodbye. Her and her brother are headin' back East to find their father."

You sat next to him, the photograph still in your hands.

   "Still doesn't explain why you were with her in the first place."

   "No it doesn't, does it." He sighed, running his hand down his face. "I was on my way back to camp, ridin' through Valentine when I thought I'd check and see if there was any post. Lo' and behold there was just the one - a letter from Mary askin' if I could help with a small problem of hers."

   "So you must have been in contact with her if she knew you were in town."

He shook his head. "No. No, she'd recognised the girls after their last trip into town and wrote to me on the off-chance I was also in the area."

   "Why?"

"Her kid brother, Jamie, he'd gone and got himself mixed up in this weird cult up in Cumberland Forest. Christ, you shoulda seen them all listenin' on as this lunatic spouted some nonsense about turtles or somethin'," laughing, he patted his leg until he saw your stony expression still waiting for the answer to your question.

   "Get to the point please, Arthur."

   "You're right, sorry," he said as he nodded, "Jamie was the only one in her family who stood up for me and I owed it to *him*, not Mary, him -  to help get him away from those crazy fools."

You fidgeted slightly next to him. You wanted to believe him, but he seemed to be avoiding the main topic of conversation.

   "So say I believe you about your reasonings for helping her…why did you keep a picture of her?"

Silence filled the air for a second before he simply answered. "I shoved it in there so you wouldn't have to keep lookin' at it when we lay together...and I guess I forgot all 'bout it."

You looked away as more tears fell down your cheeks. Gently placing his hand under your chin, Arthur turned your face to face his, looking deep into your eyes he told you, 

   "You’re overthinking – I’m yours. That’s all I want to be.”

   "Prove it." You pleaded.

   "Okay then...this should show you she's nothin' to me now." He took the broken frame from your grasp and carefully removed the picture from the frame, lingering for a moment before crumpling it up in his hand and walking towards the campfire.

Though his stride was purposeful, you couldn't help but feel he faltered once more as he looked at the flames, but those fears disappeared as he turned to look back at you with a warmth in his eyes and a smile stretching wide across his face. Looking straight at you, his hand opened and the picture fell into the flames, where it lay for a few moments as it slowly rendered into nothing but a pile of ashes.

Making his way back over to you, he picked you up and spun you around his arms.

   "I'm all yours...are you mine?"

Bonus scene: Arthur's POV

He slowly removed the picture from the frame, partly being careful not to cut himself on broken shards of glass and partly because he wanted to make sure he was making the right decision. He was convinced that after Mary called it all off between them, he'd never smile, let alone love again. But then you'd walked into his life and brought light back into the darkness he'd found himself in.

But maybe there was a reason he'd held on to this photograph for all this time - a reminder of the good times that existed between them. Heartbreak has a funny way of erasing those memories, but seeing the woman you once considered the love of your life in person has an equally funny way of making those feelings rush back.

But no, the heartache he'd felt for all these years outweighed the fleeting moments of happiness he'd felt with Mary. And that kiss on the cheek to say goodbye that she'd given him at the train station? It certainly didn't give him butterflies like it used too. Looking at her image one last time, he crumpled it up and walked over to the campfire.

Though he had confidently strode over to flames, he once more had doubts he was right to finally let Mary go. Turning to face you, everything suddenly became very clear in Arthur's mind. Everything he ever wanted: someone who loved the group of people he considered family, as well as loving him for the man he was - despite his faults, someone who was willing to stick with him through thick and thin, make him laugh when he was down, and never fail to make him smile, that special someone he wanted to grow old with with...he already had that with you.

Without thinking, he opened his hand and let the battered photograph waft downwards, enveloped by the flames and turning to nothingness as he made his way back over to you, picking you up and spinning you around his arms.

   "I'm all yours...are you mine?"

[chierafied]

Do I Remind You of Somewhere You Wanna Be - Part 4 (SKW2021D5)

Blue: Luck / Calmness & Stability

—

Previous Part

—

I Wish You’d Open up to Me, ‘Cause I Wanna Know You

—

Kagome’s knees were weak as she followed Sesshoumaru inside the house. Her heart was racing in her chest and her head was light and buzzing.

So many times in the past ten years she’d gone away to the remote corners of the country, chasing after that elusive moment when for a couple of seconds she could forget. When she stood in an untouched wilderness and for a moment could imagine herself back in time. When the veil between her present and her past felt so thin that reaching out with her fingers she could almost grasp that which she had lost.

And now here it was. A sliver of her past, in flesh and blood. If not for the very real hand still firmly pressing against the small of her back, or the way the demonic energy she hadn’t felt in so long licked against her skin, she might have thought she’d slipped into a dream.

But no subconscious of hers could have conjured up Sesshoumaru, in his dark-blue kimono, in this old, simply furnished house. A Sesshoumaru who had held onto her so tightly, with such desperation her soul had ached for him. A Sesshoumaru who’d bestowed such soft kisses on her.

It all made her mind reel. She couldn’t believe that she was here. Even though the tatami she now was sitting on was very solid beneath her folded knees, the ceramic surface of the teacup in her hands soothingly warm. Even though Sesshoumaru sat across from her, those golden eyes glowing. His gaze had never left her. His youki was coiled around her like a cocoon.

Then again, she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him, either. She kept thinking that any moment now she would wake up, that he would once again slip away, tearing that frail connection to the past from her fingers. It was so startling to sit across from him, basking in his presence. Sesshoumaru looked exactly as he had the last Kagome had seen him when they had fought side by side, facing Naraku that one final time. Of course, his outfit was different. Now he wore just a simple dark-blue kimono; there was no sign of his armour or swords. She supposed he had much less use for them now the land was not teeming with demons and being torn apart by war.

But that pale skin, the vivid markings creating contrast, the elegant, claw-tipped hands, the long silver-white hair flowing down his back… Everything about him looked just as she remembered. Except for his eyes.

They were still that same amber hue but there was a look in them she’d never seen before. A mixture of silent pain and frail hope. A fierce longing. She was trapped by that stare. It held her transfixed, like a mirror image, echoing that burning in her own soul, that deep ache in her own heart. Kagome hadn’t really known Sesshoumaru, before. They’d been enemies, uneasy allies, passing acquaintances at best. But she recognised that look. It resonated with her down to her bones. Here and now, she felt a tangible kinship with him. She could tell they’d known the same pain. That they both longed for a time and place long lost.

And as Kagome held Sesshoumaru’s gaze and sipped her tea, she realised something else. Bathed in his youki, sitting here with him, having finally found a way to revisit the past, the tightness was gone. Her skin no longer itched, she no longer felt the urgency to escape. The restlessness had vanished completely.

Here and now, with him, she felt at peace.

A smile rose to her lips and wanting more of that connection, she held out her free hand.

He grasped it, his thumb brushing gently across her knuckles.

“You said you’d tell me everything I wanted to know,” she spoke, breaking that comfortable silence they’d been wrapped in.

His head dipped in assent. “I did.”

There were too many questions whirling in Kagome’s mind, too many things she ached to know and yet didn’t yet dare to ask him about. So she chose what seemed to be the most pressing; Sesshoumaru’s cryptic warning from before.

“What did you mean by not letting me go this time?”

Sesshoumaru’s gaze was calm and steady as he considered his answer.

“We did not meet on auspicious terms,” he finally began.

Kagome’s lips twitched into a smile. “You mean when you tried to kill me?”

He shrugged his shoulder. “We were adversaries in the beginning. But even on that very first day of our acquaintance, your bravery and actions earned my respect.”

“Oh,” Kagome breathed softly, taken aback.

“And then, when those many months later we fought against Naraku side by side, I realised that these… feelings were starting to grow and shift. That my regard for you was changing from mere respect to something different. Deeper.”

Kagome swallowed to ease her dry throat. She stared into his earnest golden eyes and squeezed his hand.

“Of course, I did not truly understand the full extent of this shift until after you were gone. I did not know where you had disappeared, nor how nor why. So since then, I’ve been stuck, always wondering what would have happened if you hadn’t gone.”

She looked away then, down at their entwined hands and how carefully he held hers in a gentle grip.

“I had no idea,” she said after a moment, her voice scarcely above a whisper.

“You could not have known,” Sesshoumaru told her, his stable voice soothing. “I hardly knew myself, might not even know now had I not had all those years to reflect, had time not stolen you so suddenly.”

“Well, it’s brought us back, hasn’t it?”

His eyes flashed molten gold.

“Indeed it has. Luck is on our side, or perhaps it is fate. I care not which, I’m just glad you have found me at last.”

Kagome’s heart fluttered in her chest. She set down her tea, unable to resist the impulse to close the distance, to cup his warm cheek in her palm.

“I’m glad I found you too. I wasn’t even trying to. I mean in a way I was… Well, not trying to find you but trying to find a way to connect with the past again, to feel closer to Sengoku jidai and to forget…”

“Trying to forget the now and the world you do not fit in, wishing yourself back in time, impossible as it is.”

Tears pricked in Kagome’s eyes, threatening to spill. Her smile was wide and wobbly as she squeezed his hand like a lifeline.

He knew.

He understood.

Sesshoumaru and her, they were the same.

A single tear fell, trailing down Kagome’s cheek. Sesshoumaru leaned in, brushed it away with his thumb.

And then, meeting her gaze with his hooded eyes, he inched even closer.

Kagome sat still, breathless, entranced, her heart beating a mad rhythm as their breaths mingled.

“I am going to kiss you now,” Sesshoumaru told her.

--

Next Part

[sserpente]

Ablaze (Part II)

A/N: I am way too excited about this TV series. I wonder how many theories will make sense in the end. Here goes Part II, enjoy everyone! ♥

Read Part I here.

Words: 4138 Warnings: there’s going to be a gory corpse

A dark scream ripped you from your uneasy sleep. Alarmed, you sat up straight, ready to defend yourself with the next-best weapon within your reach—a table lamp, in this case. But there was no one there to hurt you. Instead, you noticed Loki, the god who was practically holding you hostage in your own flat after setting the headquarters of TVA, the secret organisation monitoring the multiverse, on fire, thrashing in bed right next to you as if he was possessed. Wait… was he… dreaming?

“No…” He growled. “No!”

Still giddy, you switched on the table lamp and studied the heavily breathing Trickster by your side. His blue eyes were closed. So he was having a nightmare. Should you… should you wake him? What if he accidentally hurt you in his frenzy?

Biting your lower lip, and with your heart pounding in your chest like a steam hammer, you reached for him, carefully grabbing his bare shoulder. The singeing sensation of his remarkably cool skin under your palm made you flinch.

“L-Loki? Loki, wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”

You gasped for air, terrified, when he opened his eyes with a start, momentarily disoriented. His hand darted forward to snatch your wrist so firmly it hurt. You winced.

“Loki…”

It took him another moment to realise you were no threat to him. Finally, his deadly expression softened. His breath was shaky, sweat pooling on his forehead, his neck and even his chest, shimmering in the artificial light of your table lamp. It was, quite strangely, a sight which would have aroused you if it wasn’t for the fact he was a war and time criminal, held you captive and could have killed you in his sleep just a moment ago. God, how could you even think about his looks in this whole horrifying situation?

With a start, Loki let go of his wrists as if hot flames were licking at his cold fingers, defending your body.

He said nothing more. Instead, he merely turned his back to you again… almost as if nothing had happened at all. You would never find out that he noticed you spent the majority of the rest of the night wide awake. But so did he.

-

Drowsily, you blinked against the gentle sunlight fighting its way through your curtains. It was a beautiful morning, peaceful. You sat up, your eyes registering an empty mug and a dark stain on your carpet.

Your heart skipped a beat when you remembered. Last night, you had involuntarily fallen asleep next to the God of Mischief who had taken you hostage in your own flat after destroying TVA’s headquarters like a house made of LEGO bricks. You remembered his nightmare, too. The way he had had jerked and grunted, almost as if his own subconscious was inflicting serious pain on him… as if it was torturing him. What, for Heaven’s sake, caused such terrifying bad dreams? What… what had he been through opening and travelling through all those portals on your radar?

You were in danger, serious danger so. You had no clue if Loki planned to kill you anytime soon. If he forced you into doing his biddings with violence… no. No, he did not seem like the sort of person who would physically harm women simply for the sake of it. There were limits even to his malice, you were sure of it. Or at least, that was what you were hoping.

As expected, and much to your relief, the other side of the bed was empty, the sheets unmade. You could hear him in the kitchen, opening drawers and cupboards almost frantically. With your heart in your mouth, you made your way into the kitchen.

“Is there anything edible in your accommodation?” He complained, shutting the fridge shut without even spinning around to face you. “Where is the sweet hot chocolate mixture you used last night?”

“In the cupboard above the counter.” I mean, what was the point of lying? He would find it anyway, at some point, only angrier. You almost snorted at the thought of trading your survival for hot chocolate.

“Make us something to eat. I need sustenance.”

Make us something to eat? You clenched your fists, eyeing the coffee machine in the corner of the kitchen and wondering if you were less likely to risk your life by talking back once you had pumped your body full of caffeine.

Your heart was pounding. You barely dared to move around him. Loki glared at you but said nothing. It was like he felt you remembering what had happened last night.

“If you lose a word about what you witnessed last night…” He growled darkly.

“Don’t threaten me,” you whispered weakly. “It’s not like I have anyone left to tell anyway.” You paused, curious whether he was going to reply. He did not. “I-I’m having cereal.” You said, despite your lack of appetite. “You can have a bowl too.” As if I had a choice sharing my food with you…

You had just poured some milk into both your cereal bowls when a loud song ripped apart the tense silence in the kitchen. Your phone! Your eyes widened. Oh God, you still had your phone! How could you have been so stupid?

Starting for the living room, you were panting by the time you picked up. It was Isabelle, one of your co-workers. A fellow agent who must have survived! Your hands were shaking.

“Hello?”

“(Y/N)! Thank the Lord, you’re okay.”

“So are you! I-I am… more or less, I…” You did not need to turn around to feel his presence behind you. Loki was eyeing you threateningly, circling you slowly. The message was clear—if you told anyone he was here, you would be in some serious trouble. You swallowed thickly.

“Do you… do you know who else made it out?”

“I’ve been on the phone all morning but nothing’s confirmed yet. They’re optimistic but Jed is devastated. He’s trying to get us all back on track… whoever’s left of us, anyway.” Jed was your boss, more or less, guiding your missions and keeping a neat overview over everything that happened within TVA. You eyed Loki from the corners of his eyes, looking for anything to ease your mind. A hint of remorse, perhaps. Regret, pity, anything would have sufficed. He was like an impenetrable wall.

“Can you meet us? By the river? Jed is already on his way.”

“W-why?”

“We found traces of another portal but…”

“But what?!”

“This time… there is… (Y/N), someone has been murdered.” You took a sharp breath. Ever since Loki’s capture, you had almost forgotten about those mysterious portals that seemed to keep appearing out of nowhere. For a moment there, you had all assumed it had been Loki himself, repeatedly using the Tesseract. Given that he had been with you last night, however, and before that, had spent his time in custody at TVA’s headquarters... before he had… burned them all down… it could not possibly have been him. You swallowed. For once, you knew that he was innocent. There was someone else still out there. And they were, so it appeared, equally dangerous. “Where are you right now?”

It was then Loki snatched the phone from your grasp, clutching it so tightly the screen cracked… and went black. Fuck. You should have screamed bloody murder the minute you had picked it up.

“W-what…”

“Do you truly think I will let you tell them about your whereabouts so lightly?” He snarled.

“They will get suspicious if I don’t show up!” You yelled, your lower lip shaking.

“Show up where?”

“T-the crime scene. There has been a murder.”

Loki frowned. “I believed you are monitoring time travel, not petty crimes.”

Slowly, you shook your head. Murder was hardly petty. Well… perhaps it was to him, given you were only humans. Swallowing your anger, you looked up at him with courage. “We normally don’t but…”

“But?” He probed strictly when you trailed off. You flinched.

“There… we have repeatedly recorded interdimensional portals. They interfere with our readings. Something is… off about this and now someone is dead and I… we have been trying to find out what it is even before you came along and destroyed our headquarters, you know.” It was just that SHIELD wouldn’t let you. It was a fight over power and recognition, really.

“I want to see it.” Loki stated simply. Your eyes widened. “How many portals have there been?”

“Thirteen.”

“You believe they have a harmful cause?”

“We don’t know that yet. We are monitoring everything. Those energy waves did not go unnoticed by our radars, they are going to start tearing time and reality apart if we don’t stop whoever is creating them. SHIELD has already…”

Loki’s face distorted.

“You work with SHIELD?”

“We do, if we must but we prefer to keep our distance.”

He rolled his eyes. “I see. When did the first portals begin to appear?”

“A few weeks ago. Whoever it is… I don’t think they realise that they are being watched.” Hugging yourself, you took the opportunity to move away from him a little, watching from a safer distance how he pensively looked out of the window. Suddenly, the weather did not at all fit the depressing situation you were in, let alone the topic you were talking about.

“Yes… I can imagine that.”

“W-what?” You frowned. “What do you mean by that? Do you know who it could be? Is it one of your allies?”

Loki’s gaze darted back to you—seriously. “I don’t have allies,” he spat. “I shall join you.”

“You can’t just… walk in on a crime scene unauthorised.”

“I just walked into your flat, did I not?” He mocked.

“They will recognise you.” You argued, voice shaking audibly.

“They will not.” Loki smirked. “No one but you will be able to see who I truly am.”

Fuck. Did you have a choice? After what he had done last night… could you refuse him? You sighed, defeated. No. Probably not.

-

There were thunders in the distance when you left, the initially blue sky slowly turning grey. Heavy clouds pushed in front of the sun, blocking its light from reaching Earth. That is more like it. If you got suspended today because you brought a war criminal to a crime scene revealing important details about another potential threat, at least it would not happen in broad and warm sunlight.

You were nervous. No, you were terrified. If there was one thing your boss did not accept, it was weakness and fear of what might happen if you chose to prioritise your survival over protecting life in the multiverse. It sounded cruel and ridiculously altruistic but you had known what you got yourself into with working for TVA. There was only one thing worse than egoism. And that was treason.

Yet here you were now, approaching a crime scene with a criminal who had ensured you he would be looking like a normal Midgardian man to anyone you met. Spotting SHIELD first thing you arrived did not exactly ease your nerves. Taking a shaky breath, you approached them. Rain was falling by now, wetting the asphalt and your clothes. At least, part of your uniform was waterproof.

You could tell Loki was watching you intently as you tensed the closer you got. He was dressed in a surprisingly inconspicuous police uniform—plain beige trousers and a white shirt, a black tie and an equally beige police jacket with a badge.

Luckily enough, Jed arrived just when the SHIELD agent, Jeff, so you knew, lifted his arms to stop you from stepping over the barrier tape despite your ID. With his blonde hair fluttering in the wind, he looked a little like Owen Wilson. He even sounded a little like him too.

“What are you doing here, TVA?” Jeff groaned with dismay. “This is our crime scene. You have no business here.”

“Shut it. The energy readings we keep getting from these portals say something different. They have been interfering with our radars for weeks now. We can’t keep the world safe from potential threats in time and the multiverse if we can’t observe it properly. So I disagree. This is our crime scene too. Now get out of my way.” He paused, turning to you. “(Y/N), I’m glad to see you’re well.”

“You too.” You replied with a court nod.

“Who is that?”

“Uh… He is, uh, with the… the police.” You lied quickly. You couldn’t believe you were doing this. Help me, you attempted to scream with your eyes. You must realise that something is wrong! But he did not.

“Luke.” Loki jumped in, letting his charm do all the work as he offered Jed his hand. He took and shook it, his initial suspicion dying down once the God of Mischief gave him a sly smile.

“Right. Pleased to meet you, Sir. We’ll do our best to get the situation under control, then I promise we’ll leave you to it. A lot of my agents have been in a critical state in the hospital since that Asgardian arsehole escaped from us last night. There is no excuse for that faux-pas but he is… difficult to say the least. It’ll take us a while to make amends.”

“Asgardian arsehole?” Jeff interrupted. “What are you talking about? The war criminal Loki was taken back to Asgard by Thor years ago.”

Jed pressed his lips together to a thin line. “It’s complicated.”

Panicking, you gasped for air but much to your surprise, Loki did nothing whatsoever. He only smiled—maliciously so.

“I am deeply sorry for your loss.” He stated hollowly, making you swallow thickly. If Jed only knew… “So? What is it that interferes with your radars, agent?”

“We don’t know. It almost feels like…” Jed looked at you.

“As if there are remnants of… magic… it’s crackling.” The both of you were unable to tell him more than you already had. As a TVA agent, you were not dealing with murders often. Accidents, yes but actual murder? Hardly, fortunately.

Loki lifted his chin. “Show me this corpse.”

-

“Here,” you announced, taking a step back when you felt the energy waves pushing against every fibre of your skin. You had been focused not to give the dead body surrounded by barrier tape and a pool of blood more glances than absolutely necessary, to ignore the dreadful and almost sweet stench of decay. It had been… cut in half. The victim must have tried to enter the portal after whoever had created it—but had been too slow to make it through entirely. Scrunching up your nose, you resisted a gag. You were a TVA agent, for Goodness sake. Pull yourself together. There are worse things. Just like being kept hostage by a dangerous god without anyone even knowing. It certainly was a good sign he had not harmed you as of yet though, no? What, however, would happen once you got a chance to tell Jed the truth? Would he kill you after all? Set your flat on fire as well?

Gulping, you wiped your sweaty palms on your trousers, your heart speeding up in your chest when you felt his presence behind you. His body temperature was remarkably cool, yet you could practically feel the heat radiating off of him, making you feel small and powerless next to him. Still, there was this tiny part of you—a barely audible voice whispering in your mind—that enjoyed the fear and the excitement that came with being Loki’s… captive.

The urge to slap yourself rose.

“What causes this?” You managed to choke out.

You watched, almost in awe, how he brought up his palm to touch the remaining energy waves your radars had recorded prior to arriving at the crime scene. Unlike yours, however, his palms began to shimmer in a green light.

“It is unlike the gamma radiation the Tesseract emits. It’s more… crackling. That probably doesn’t make any sense.”

“Oh, it makes perfect sense.” Loki replied matter-of-factly. “The crackling, as you describe it, is of magical origin. On Asgard, we call it seidr. Few can wield it, fewer are able to take their skills beyond simple tricks.”

“What… are you saying that whoever is creating these portals is Asgardian too?”

“I am not…” Loki took a deep breath and pressed his lips together to a thin line before speaking on. “They might be. I only know one person who would be capable of finding a way to open doors to other realities like that.”

Glancing at him in utter shock, you waited for him to continue. He did not. Instead, he directed his attention at the person approaching you before you even registered the footsteps on the wet asphalt yourself. You were hauled into a hug, all air pressed from your lungs and your eyesight blocked by waves of her long ginger hair.

“Isabelle!”

“Don’t you dare scare me like that ever again! The connection was lost and when I tried to call you back, I could only reach your voicemail. What happened? I thought Loki attacked you!”

Well, technically… you swallowed thickly. “No, I, um… I was doing the washing up to distract myself from… you know… and the phone fell into the sink. I put it in a bowl of rice, it should be fine again tomorrow.” There went another lie. You would have to buy a new phone and you sincerely doubted that Loki would let you. Next to you, the God of Mischief chuckled maliciously. Bastard.

“Who are you?” Isabelle frowned at him.

“Luke. Officer Luke.”

“He’s with the… police.”

“I see. You are here alone?” She probed suspiciously.

“I am. I am merely here to ensure things are… taken care of, so to speak.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Your superiors are familiar with our work and how significant it is for all our wellbeing.” Loki only raised his eyebrows in a seemingly unimpressed manner.

You wondered, briefly, what would happen if you screamed bloody murder and warned her about him, gave away his identity. Would he kill you straight away? Torture you first? After he had set the TVA headquarters on fire, anything was possible. Bruce Banner had not been wrong. That man’s mind was like a bag full of cats.

“Where is the rest of our team?” You asked her instead. “Have they still not arrived? Jed said a lot of them are being treated in the hospital but…”

“They’re busy finding Loki.”

“Do you, um…” Your voice was shaky. Clearing your throat, you continued despite his threatening presence right beside you. “I didn’t dare to ask Jed back there.” Or Loki, for that matter. “How many agents died in the fire?”

“Only two. Pete and Roth.” The very same agents who had caught Loki. Loki barely put any effort into hiding his satisfaction. Clearly, he had planned this. Taken his revenge. It made you wonder what else he’d have in store for this world even without you spilling his dirty secret. But then again… you remembered how vulnerable he had looked last night in his sleep. There had to be more. So much more.

A loud and alarming bleeping tore through the crispy air with a start. Both Isabelle und you flinched, turning your heads towards the computer station Jed had by now stationed at the crime scene with the help of another agent. The radar was blinking red and purple, the noise downright ear-piercing.

“Jed, what is it?” Isabelle covered her ears.

“Another portal opened.” Loki answered for him, his expression hardening.

“What?! When?! Now?”

He did not reply—instead, he turned on his heel and ran, presumably straight towards the source of the readings.

“Officer! Officer Sir, no, it’s too dangerous! Officer! Damn it. (Y/N), stay where you are!” But you weren’t listening either. You hurried after him, for what reason you did not know yourself. Loki was perfectly capable of defending himself—you were not. If what he had said was true and there was another Asgardian wreaking havoc in this city, you’d do well to leg it and flee. Besides… why would you care? If he died playing curiosity kills the cat, your entire organisation had one problem less to deal with. Why, for Heaven’s sake, did part of you feel like you owed him in spite of this nerve-wrecking fear?

“Stay back!” He yelled.

Gnashing your teeth, you stopped dead in your tracks, blinded by the bright green lights illuminating the narrow alley Loki had run off into.

The energy the portal was radiating was numbing, almost. Like an invisible wall you were trying to step closer, tensing every single muscle in your body to no avail. Loki, however, seemed to have no problems approaching the hazardous time threat at all.

Finally, a tall, blonde woman stepped through. The portal closed behind her, drowning the alley in rainy darkness once more. The impact of the energy ebbing away nearly knocked you off your feet. Right before you could fall, however, a strong and cold hand wrapped around your wrist and pulled you up again seemingly without any effort whatsoever. Gazing up, bedazzled, you met Loki’s serious and reproachful glare.

“I told you to stay back.” He growled, his grip around your wrist almost painful. It was the one already forming a bruise from his sleepy attack last night. He let go as if he had burned himself when he noticed, leaving you there all exhausted and trembling. It was then an almost soft voice sounded behind him, making him stiffen and go pale—if only just a little. Your lips parted.

“By Odin’s beard… Loki?!”

The God of Mischief took a deep breath. “Sylvie.” He too, was surprised, to say the least. Yet if there was one thing Loki was really good at, it was hiding his feelings. So they knew each other. Just great.

“I would recognise that mischievous voice anywhere. What in the nine realms happened to your face?” With some words, it almost sounded like she had a lisp.

“An illusion. I am a fugitive, so it seems.”

“Oh, what have you done now, hmm?” Her laughter tore through the dark alley, next you thing you witnessed she had already thrown herself into his arms, her feet dangling in the air. Loki, albeit hesitantly, reciprocated the hug. “I missed you! Midgard is so boring without you.” She pouted. Never before had you felt as redundant as you did now. It seemed to have been your cue.

“Oh, not again…” She suddenly complained, her brown eyes finding you standing in the background. She glared at you darkly. “Didn’t you see what happened to the last human who attempted to follow me? You would do well to leave me alone if you do not wish to suffer from the same fate.”

“You look very human to me.” At least she was dressed human, unlike Loki when they had first found and brought them to your headquarters.

“Well, I am not. I am Asgardian.” Loki opened his mouth. He never got to say what he intended to.

“Put your hands up in the air and no harm will come to you!” It was Jed’s voice that ripped you all from this uncomfortable and undoubtedly dangerous situation. His gun was aimed at the blonde who rolled her eyes in response. “Officer, step away from her, please! She is likely a hostile!”

The curse Loki uttered sounded a lot like he had spoken it in a foreign language. “We need to leave, now. They have weapons which immobilise even me—long enough for them to shackle you.”

“What? Those meagre mortals? Oh, please…” While the strange woman crossed her arms, Loki reacted already. Unceremoniously, he pulled out the Tesseract out of… seemingly nowhere—your heart skipped a beat when it appeared in his hand and he held it without any sort of protection—and offered her his arm. The woman’s eyes widened. Without any hesitation, she took it. And then, everything happened at once.

“Sir, what are you… the Tesseract. This is Loki! Everyone, this is Loki! Fuck!” More guns were aimed at you all, a low chuckle from the God of Mischief sending ice-cold shivers up and down your spine.

“Wait, don’t shoot! (Y/N) is in the line of fire!” Isabelle’s ear-piercing scream barely reached you when the first gunshots tore through the air as wild as a swarm of wasps. So this was it. You would be shot by your own colleagues and a handful of SHIELD agents.

The last thing you expected Loki to do, however, was to grab you, pull you flush against him and tear you with him into the unknown.

-

A/N: Stay tuned for Part III!

Check out my blog to find more Imagines and take a glimpse at my first (to be) published novel! If you enjoyed this story, I would appreciate so much if you supported me on Kofi! ko-fi.com/sserpente ♥

[yeeters-muse-archive]

Blueberry Potion Cynthia!

[@universeofmuses9 ]

From the Nexus point cane out a blue candy and a beaker with a blue liquid and they were given to the former Sinnoh champion, Cynthia.

”Odd,” said Cynthia who took the candy and the beaker. “I wonder why the Nexus Point decided to give me these. Oh well, down the hatch!”

She then popped the candy into her mouth and drank the liquid in the beaker with a sudden feeling of uneasiness in her stomach. Suddenly, the candy started generating vast amounts of some juice with the blue liquid which s were getting soaked into the cells of her body like it was being stored as fat like the fat that was already present in the rotund former champion already. Due to this, she started to, for some reason start turning blue through her skin, starting with her belly and working it’s way all throughout her body.

”Huh,” she asked as she finally turned compl blue, a sign that the two things she injested were working REALLY quick. “W-what‘s going on?”

With the constant juice being absorbed by her body at such a rapid pace, hee body not only turned blue but swelled at a rapid pace as well. Her belly would be the biggest out of everything due to taking the brunt of it all with an part of her body nearby being not far behind. Due to this juice being stored like normal fat, it was limited with how her body naturally distributed such a substance.

[Sorry blueberry lovers, no spherical, blueberry inflation here. You’re most likely not gonna get it from me at all anyway. I’m more of a fan of the more body fat, looking blueberry inflation.]

The swellin would eventually start in Cynthi’s limbs whi made her fall onto her ass.

“WHOAH!”

From this point onwards, she was incapable of moving her legs. Cynthia would start calling out to Nessa who was in the Multiversal Hallway, contemplating where to go, but Cynthia quickly swelled up in her face to the point where she couldn’t even open her mouth without juice flooding out of it. Not long before that happened though, her arms were swoll from so much juice that she couldn’t move them. Soon, the juice couldn’t find places to be stored within her cells.

With this brief moment of peace, Cynthia thought to herself, “How can…a piece of candy…and that liqui…have so much…nutrients?”

Soon the peace subsided, and she felt herself swelling once more, but not the way she originally was. Due to all the cells in her body not capable of storing more juice, the constant flow started to flow between the gaps and push her cells apart.

Eventually, all her limbs fused into the pile of blue flesh and blueberry juice that was Cynthia’s body. She was now a helpless blob of flesh and juice. A few minutes after her becoming this blob, her breasts, which were surprisingly flat due to just fusing into the blobby mass, would start to feel warm and full. The nipples would plumpen up and start leaking a blue liquid that seemed to be a mixture of very fattening milk and blueberry juice.

Finally after about a few seconds fro her breasts being the juice from the potion and candy finally stopped. Her blobby mass was an outstanding 5 meters tall, 10 meters from ass to belly, and 5 meters from side to side.

She would then have two messages appear from the Nexus Point and float above her face, which was now consta facing the ceiling of the Nexus Point Room, read them, and give a furious expression…at least to the best of her ability. She wold then exclaim a rhetorical question in her head, “what kind of person would give me such a candy and such a potion?!”

[rhys-writes-sometimes]

Music Worth Making Part 5: The Other Side of Hollywood

Requested: sort of

Warnings: some angst, bad writing, the feeling that something is off (I can’t really describe it, but feel free to send in an ask/comment on the fic if you want me to tag it)

Series Summery: When the readers life is ripped from them, they're left distraught. However, with the help of their best friends, Julie and Flynn, and a band of three certain ghosts, the afterlife might not be so bad after all.

Chapter Summery: You and the boys go to the Hollywood Ghost Club

Words: 2964

A/N: I’m going to be trying to write as much as I can this week because school starts up again next week. After that I won’t have a break until summer vacation, so I’m not sure how much writing I’ll get done. I’ll do my best to keep writing, though!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 6 | Masterlist

______________________________________________________

“That’s him,” you said to Luke, your eyes wide.

“Who?”

“The man who killed me.”

Luke looked at you in shock. “What?”

You didn’t answer him, however. You were staring at the man with a mixture of shock and terror as he started singing and moved towards you. 

You gripped the edges of your chair in horror as you realized you recognized the song. It was the one you had been hearing in the back of your mind since you died. 

“Let me introduce myself, we got some time to kill,” the man sang, moving closer to your table. “Consider me the pearly gates to your new favorite thrills.”

You could feel the music pulling at you, trying to get you to join in, but you held back. Caleb narrowed his eyes slightly as he spotted you.

“We could go make history, or you could rest in peace. But here there ain’t no misery, ‘cause on the other side we live like kings.”

The pulling was becoming so powerful it hurt. You squeezed your eyes shut.

“Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do?

Let your body loose, let your body loose.

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do?

Show you a thing or two, cause you ain’t seen nothing!”

You couldn’t hold out any longer. You felt the wooshing sensation of teleporting, and suddenly you were on the stage with a bunch of other people you could only assume were ghosts. Your clothes had changed, too. You were wearing a two-piece that revealed way too much in your opinion. It was mostly the color of Caleb’s suit, with a few black highlights. You looked like a matching set with him. 

You had no control over your body as you danced around him. The audience was loving it, clapping and cheering. 

And suddenly, you were singing.

“Everything has got a price, but happiness is free. 

Just so happens you’re in luck, we got a vacancy.”

Caleb joined you, your voices blending perfectly together as you danced. “We can set the night on fire and break out of the scene!

Your soul print on the walk of fame on the boulevard of your wildest dreams!”

You broke away from him and jumped onto the boy’s table, dancing on top of it. 

“Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do, boys?”

“Let your body loose, let your body loose.”

“Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do, boys?”

Your foot almost hit Reggie’s face, but Caleb stopped it just in time. 

“Ain’t bragging if it’s true, no you ain’t seen nothing!

Life is good on the other side of Hollywood! 

Life is good on the other side of Hollywood!

So welcome to the brotherhood where you won’t be misunderstood!

Life is good on the other side of Hollywood!”

You danced around the stage, most often by the boys table. Even though they were seated in the middle, you didn’t think that was a coincidence. 

You belted out the lyrics along with Caleb, until the end when he disappeared behind a sheet. Everyone, including the boys, stood and clapped as you took a bow. 

Suddenly you were back at your table, in your regular clothes. 

Luke looked at you in shock. “How’d you do that?” 

“I don’t know,” you said with a frown. You didn’t know if he meant the dancing or the singing or, well, whatever had just happened, but you had the same answer for all the questions. 

“This is so cool!!” Reggie waved at some lifers across the club. 

“Man, dude, I knew I recognized him! He’s the guy who bumped into me outside the Orpheum,” Alex said. 

“Wait, isn’t he that magician dude that died a horrible death doing a trick?” Reggie asked, causing you to laugh.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t really bring that up when we meet him.”

“Yeah, but you guys should come back when he shows one of his movies,” Willie said with a smile. “I mean, for Titanic, he literally floods the entire place. I mean, the guy has got skills.”

“Alright, but he can just wave his arms and make ghosts visible to lifers?” Luke said, crossing his arms.

“Told you, the guy’s got skills,” Willie said with a small chuckle.

“So… where’d he go?” Reggie asked, looking around. His eyes landed right behind you. “Oh! Found him!”

You turned around and almost ran into him. 

“Hello, gentleman, and gentlefolk,” he added, turning to look at you. “Caleb Covington. Welcome to the Hollywood Ghost Club. Enjoying the show?”

“Yo, that was….. I mean… did you, like….” Luke said, unable to form a complete sentence at the thought of the show. 

Caleb chuckled. “I know, right?”

“This is Alex, Luke, Reggie, and Y/N,” Willie said, pointing to each of you in turn. 

“We’ve already met,” you said, smiling coldly at your host. 

“Indeed we have!” Caleb kissed your hand. “And may I say, you make a wonderful dance partner.”

“Yeah, you guys were amazing up there!” Reggie exclaimed. 

Caleb smiled. “Nothing warms my heart more than sharing this magic with new friends. Please, sit.”

Luke pulled out a chair for you again, and you took it, smiling at him. You glanced at Caleb again, who was looking your way with a puzzling expression on his face.

“Thank you for the invite,” Alex said. 

“Of course, of course. Now! My friend Willie tells me that you boys have some magic of your own.”

Alex glanced between him and Willie. “Well, Willie and I? I mean, I wouldn’t really call it magic, but I mean…” His voice was higher than usual. 

“Oh, no, he means your ghost abilities. You know, like, to be seen by everybody when you play with Julie,” Willie corrected him. 

Alex stared at him for a moment before continuing. “No, totally. Right, no. ‘Cause when you said that, I was like ‘Is that what he said’? ‘Cause….”

Caleb waved a hand, letting him know it was fine. 

“Yeah, but we can’t really, uh, wave our arms and do all this magic stuff,” Luke said, trying to save his friend from further embarrassment.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of practice. Our gifts are so rare, so special. It’s not often I come across other spirits that possess similar talents.” Caleb smiled at the boys. “It’s no surprise we found each other.”

“Yeah, that, definitely,” Luke said.

“Well, if you forgive me fella’s, I gotta go pay the bills, if you know what I’m saying,” Caleb said, standing up. “I’ll be back later to chat.”

Reggie had a dopey grin on his face. “I love that dude! Please tell me this party is never gonna end.”

Your uneasy feeling from earlier was starting to fade into the back of your mind. He couldn’t be the man who killed you, could he? He was so nice.

A little while later, you found yourself talking to some lifers with Luke and Reggie. Alex and Willie had stayed behind to talk. 

“Wait, they made eight more Star Wars movies, and they killed Han Solo? What kind of future is this?” Reggie asked with tears in his eyes. He stormed away.

“We found out like, two weeks ago, okay? We just didn’t have the heart to tell him,” Luke said after he was gone. “Just please don’t mention Jar Jar.”

You heard Alex and Willie talking behind you. “There’s a lot to, um, like here,” Willie said before getting up from the table. 

“Oh, you got a crush on Willie!” you said, walking over to him.

Alex looked at you. “What? No, no, we’re just-”

“Alex, we’re happy for you,” Luke cut him off, coming over. 

“You guys are not gonna believe this,” Reggie said, walking over. “But someone just told me they added a character named Jar Jar. What’s a Jar Jar?!”

“I take it you all are enjoying yourselves?” Caleb asked, appearing behind Reggie.

“Yeah, I mean, you’d have to be insane to have a bad time here,” you giggled, all bad feelings gone. 

Caleb smiled at you. “Well, entertainment is our specialty. Now, I understand there is something I can help you with.”

“We hope so. There’s an old buddy of ours who ripped us off big time, and we wanna make things right,” Reggie said. 

“Yeah, we wanna look him in the eyes and make him admit what he did to us. So if you could make us visible, that would be perfect,” Luke added. 

Caleb hummed. “Well sure, I could do that, but we’re at a party! Why focus on those who have wronged us when we’re among friends?” He seemed to be speaking directly to you.

A bad feeling started to creep back in, but it went away before you could even realize why it had been there. 

“What about you, my little raven? What can I do for you?” He asked you. 

“Me? Oh, I’m fine! I just follow the boys around,” you giggled, a bit surprised by the pet name. You put your arms around Luke and Reggie’s shoulders, pulling them into a side hug. They seemed a bit surprised, but pleased.

Caleb nodded. “Well please, sit,” he said, gesturing to the chairs as he sat.

“What if I were to tell you that with a wave of my hand, you could share the spotlight with me… and join my houseband?”

“Oh, uh, we… we already have a band,” Luke said awkwardly. 

“Yes, but when you’re done performing, you disappear. You cease to exist. No bows. No soaking up the applause. No… no real connection to the audience. Here, the audience knows what you are, and more importantly, they know how special you are.”

You all looked at each other. 

“Well, it could be cool to play here,” Luke said hesitantly.

“Oh, it’s not just here,” Caleb said quickly. “No, we party like this all over the world. Tonight, Hollywood, tomorrow, Paris!”

“Oh là là,” Reggie said, leaning forward in his chair.

“It is all your dreams come true, forever.” Caleb drew out the proposal, then stood up quickly. “I’m gonna give you some time to think about it.”

“Oh, by the way,” he called out as he walked away, “make sure to try the sliders. They’re to die for.”

“We can eat?” Reggie asked excitedly.

Caleb nodded. “Here you can.”

A waiter came by carrying trays heaping with food and set them down on your table. 

You started to reach for a slice of pizza, but Alex suddenly said “Wait!” You all looked at him in shock.

“I want the one without cheese.”

You dug in, eating for what felt like the first time in forever. 

You all mumbled inhoherntly for a bit, enjoying the food.

“This is a meatball sub!” Luke exclaimed. “Oh my god!”

A little while later, you had finished shoving your face. Willie had come back over. Luke and Reggie were still eating, however.

“Pizza, man, I missed you!” Luke said, staring at the pizza. You laughed. 

“Reggie, are you kissing that meatball sub?” Alex questioned. You looked over at Reggie to see a blush creeping over his cheeks. 

“It’s what you do with the things you love,” he said defensively. Luke reached over and took your hand. You smiled at him.

“I take it you’re all enjoying the feast?” Caleb called from the stage. You hollered along with the rest of the crowd. 

“So many delicious sights, so many tantalizing sounds… but your eyes still hunger for more. Something sweet. Something… savory. How many newcomers do we have in the club tonight?”

You raised your hand along with Luke, holding your joined hands for everyone to see. 

Caleb smiled and turned to his band. “Ladies… let’s show our guests how we do dessert.”

The music started up again, Caleb scatting along. 

“I said, watch me make a move, watch me make a move, yeah!”

“Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do?” you sang along with the rest of the crowd.

Suddenly you were on the dance floor again, in your normal clothes this time. You found that you didn’t mind. Willie was there with you.

“Life is good on the other side of Hollywood!”

The boys stood up as a girl danced over to them, swinging around Luke before doing a full body shimmy in front of Reggie, causing the poor boy to almost faint. You felt a twang of jealousy in your heart, but you couldn’t figure out why. 

Two of the showgirls moved in on them, dancing with the boys. You caught a glimpse of Alex dancing with two of the men that worked at the club. Suddenly you were pulled into a dance with a guy and a girl. Smiling and laughing, you danced with both of them, gasping in delight as they dipped you at the end of the song. 

The clock chimes rang out the hour.

“Oh, the haunting hour is upon us!” Caleb said ominously. 

You looked at the clock in fear. “How is it midnight?”

You heard Luke calling your name. “Sorry,” you mumbled to your dance partners before jogging over to him. Reggie and Alex were already walking towards the door. 

Before you could leave, however, Caleb teleported in front of you. 

“Gentleman, gentlefolk, what’s the rush? The party’s just getting started, and you have an eternity, after all.”

“You know that girl who can see us? We sort of bailed on her. See there’s this dance at her school, and her friend, Flynn, is a super cool DJ, like-”

“Yeah, I don’t think he has an eternity to hear this story,” Alex said, cutting off Reggie’s hasty explanation. 

“Basically, we’re late for a gig,” you said. 

Caleb frowned at you. “But what about my offer?”

“It’s very cool of you, Mr. Covington,” Luke said. “But like I said, we already have a-”

“A band of your own. I understand.”

You started to move past him, but he stopped you. 

“Oh, boys,” he said, looking past you. “If you ever want to come back and fix that little problem with your friend, the Hollywood Ghost Club is always open.”

Luke smiled. “Yeah, we’d love to come back.”

“Music to my ears,” Caleb smiled back. He shook hands with the boys, leaving a stamp on their wrists. You all looked at him in confusion. You were more confused why you didn’t have one then what they meant, however. 

“It’s just a little club stamp,” Caleb said in response to the boy’s unasked question. 

“Excuse me? Mr. Covington?” you asked. You didn’t usually ask questions, but something in you made you feel a bit more reckless than usual. “Why don’t I get one?”

Caleb smiled. “You already have one, my little raven.” Noticing your confusion, he added: “Check your ankle.”

You had forgotten about your ankle. Strange, it hadn’t hurt at all after you met Caleb. 

Sure enough, when you glanced down, there was a purple stamp.

“Whoa!” you exclaimed. “How’d you do that?”

Caleb smiled. “Magic. Until next time.”

You nodded and walked past him. 

“Peace,” Luke said. 

Reggie smiled at him, then walked past him to you and Luke. Alex joined you a moment later.

“Ready to go see our girl?” you asked, grabbing hands with Luke. The others nodded as you poofed out.

-----

“Julie, we are ready to rock this dance!” Reggie said as the four of you ran into the gym. “Which….is clearly over….”

“Jules, we are so, so sorry that we bailed on you,” you started, tears starting to form in your eyes as you truely realized what you had done to one of your best friends.

“Yeah, I mean, the night really got away from us,” Alex said. 

“And the twins,” Reggie muttered. Luke smacked him. 

“Y/N, I know you wouldn’t do this to me on purpose,” Julie said, ignoring the boys. “Flynn’s in the cafeteria getting ice cream. Do you wanna go help her?”

“Oh, um, yeah. Thanks,” you said, poofing out into the cafeteria.

“Hey, Flynn,” you said glumly. She jumped slightly, startled at your sudden appearance. 

“Oh, hey, Y/N. Where were you guys?” She asked, shutting the freezer door with her foot. 

“The boys dragged me along to a club. We only meant to stay an hour, but it was some kind of… time warp.” You shrugged. 

“Oh. And I’m assuming Jules is yelling at them now, but knew you would never intentionally hurt her, so she sent you to go find me?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

You had been walking as you talked. Before you realized it, you were outside of the gym again. 

Sharing a look, you and Flynn both pressed an ear to the door. 

“This was a mistake,” Julie said.

“You- you mean the school dance, right?” Luke asked.

“No. I mean joining a band with you guys”

You heard footsteps and shooed Flynn away from the doors. You poofed down the hallway so it would seem like you were just heading in that direction. 

“Hey. You okay?” Flynn asked as Julie came running out of the gym. 

She sighed. “I will be. Let’s just… go home.” She turned to look at you. “Y/N, if you don’t mind, would you mind staying with the guys? I don’t want them getting into any more trouble.”

You nodded. “Goodnight, guys,” you said before poofing back into the gym. 

“Uh, hey,” you said awkwardly. Luke nodded as hello. 

Reggie looked worried. “If… if Julie’s not in the band, then….”

“Then there is no band,” Luke sighed. 

Pain coursed through your body, starting at your ankle.

“Agh!” you heard the guys gasp as the same thing happened to them. 

“What was that?” Alex asked.

“It felt like we were dying all over again,” Reggie said, breathing heavily. 

Luke locked eyes with you. “How can we die if we’re already dead?”

Taglist: @sunsetcurvej @ifilwtmfc @xplrreylo @phantompogues @caitsymichelle13 @yagorlemmalyn

[kumakuma-chi]

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. I have decided that I'd just do some Christmas scenarios/hc's(?) for all of the dorms, some of them will be short scenarios/hc's as well so I apologise in advance.

Fluff ☁

Warning(s): None

Platonic relationship

Gender-neutral reader!

A/N: sorry if this is a bit rushed, I wanted to try and finish this before Christmas night so I didn't have the best ideas for it as some of them are repeatedly the same for some dorms.

• It's that time of year where family and friends gather around and do fun activities. Yourself and Grim hanged out at the Heartslabyul dormitory since neither of you is wanting to stay in the filthy dorm that was given as shelter to you by the oh-so gracious Crowley.

• While spending your time at the Heartslabyul dorm, you had also gotten them some Santa hats or reindeer headbands just so you could get a little laugh of it, though you had to emit they did look cute in them.

• Riddle, Trey and yourself were in the kitchen, baking some sweets and Riddles favourite, strawberry tarts. You also had to make sure that Trey wasn't tricking you into putting oyster sauce in any of the foods.

• In the end, yourself, Grim and the others had a great time, laughter, games, chatting and many more. Though by the time it turns night at the dorm your already tired, finding a nearby couch in the lounge room you sit down with Grim on your lap, soon your eyes start to close and soon before you knew it, you were asleep along with Grim, snuggled up to you.

• The others couldn't seem to find you until Ace saw you soundly asleep on the couch in the lounge room. Deuce, looking at your sleeping figure, thought that you might have been cold so he took off his blazer and placed it on your shoulders soon sitting on the right side of you and (a jealous Ace) Ace sitting on your left.

• Soon they started to fell a little sleepy themselves and fell asleep with both of the boys leaning their head on your shoulder for support. Cater, Riddle and Trey were passing by when they saw the scene, Cater giggling while getting his phone out to take a picture and the other two chuckling to themselves.

• Of course, Leona declined at first since he was too lazy to be spending Christmas when he could just be sleeping all day long on a comfy couch or bed. It took some time to convince him to join you, Ruggie and Jack seem to not mind the idea about it some it would be nice to spend some time off of chores and stuff.

• Leona soon agreed to it only if you would shut up and stop irritating him, aggressively nodding Leona let a deep sigh from his throat though he had a small smirk plastered onto his face.

• You had made some Santa hat's at home with some holes in them so that they could stick their ears through them so it wouldn't be irritating. When you told them to put them on they obliged, you quickly took a picture of all three of them as they blushed.

• You all went to the lounge at night since it was more fitting and that none of the other students could disrupt any of you's. You've always wondered what their tails and ear would feel like, you first asked Jack at first he was going no but since you did ask he lets you pat it.

• You both sat down as you gently pet his wolf ears and tail, they were soft and fluffly, his tail could literally work as a pillow. Jack would try to keep a straight face as he folds his arms, acting as if he doesn't care but his little blush and his wagging tail says otherwise.

• You had then went to Ruggie, Ruggie happily lets you pet his hyena ears as he lays down on your lap facing upwards so you could pet both of the ears at the same time if wanting to but for him, it was just so he could get a glance at you as je closes his eyes, enjoying the touch of you petting them.

• You saw Leona laying down and eyes closed, you already knew for a fact that he wouldn't let you touch them plus he looked like he was having a peaceful nap and you didn't want to disturb his nap anyway since he would just wake up all grumpy.

• Leona could feel like someone was watching him, opening one eye he spots you staring at him, sighing he tells you to come closer to him. He knows what you want from him since you would always be bothering him about it. "I'll only let you this once, got it herbivore?" he said.

• You nod, understanding as you gently started to pet them, Leona had shut his eyes heaving a sigh, he couldn't deny it but it felt nice.

• Since it was Christmas, the Octavinelle trio wanted to change some of the foods on the menu for the Monstro lounge and you were there with them helping then with getting the ingredients for them or by letting you mix the mixture.

• It was fun with them around, decorating the Monstro lounge with tinsel or streamers hanging around. And if you couldn't reach a certain place then no problem! Politely ask Jade or Floyd for their help since their tall and they'll gladly be of assistance.

• Jade would put his hands on your waist and lift you up and gently put you down again before going back to what he was doing. Floyd will crouch down for you to get on his back and stand up, wrapping his hands around your thigh for support so you wouldn't fall, he will place you down, hugging you and smile at you before continuing with what he was doing.

• If you couldn't figure out how to do a recipe then you can ask Azul for help, he will be beside you telling what to do next or what would the next step be. He will let you do the mixing while he would pour in the needed ingredients. When finishing the food he will compliment you about how well you did, giving a small smile and returning to his contracts once again.

• In the end, all of you were worked up by serving the customers or by having to deal with more students wanting to make a contract with Azul. When night time rolls around you are all pilled together, legs entangled and arms wrapped around the waist or holding your hand.

• Spending Christmas with Kalim and Jamil had to the best, sure, Jamil may always keep a straight face and seem like he didn't care but as long as you and Kalim are having fun then he doesn't seem to mind as much.

• At some point of the day you three would go flying on Kalim's rug around the dorm, at first you were a bit scared to go on it thoughts like "what happens if I fall off?" or "is it safe for me?" would come into mind. Jamil noticed your uneasiness and calms you down by making sure that you won't fall off and if you were to he would catch you.

• After hearing his reassuring words you calmed down, knowing that he would make sure that none of those things will happen. When it was time to go rug flying you shut your eyes tight soon you opened one of them slowly getting used to the idea of your high in the sky.

• It was beautiful, you could see everything from above and everything below you looked like ants. When the ride ends the three of you have dinner together, laughter and stories were told.

• At night, you were all telling each other scary stories though Jamil didn't seem scared as much. He had also let you play with his hair, it was long and silky. Kalim may not have long hair but he wanted to join in so he sat behind you and just randomly started to play with it.

• Spending time with Vil, Rook and Epel was quite hectic you could say but you didn't seem to mind it, at least you weren't spending Christmas all alone.

• During the stay in the Pomefiore dormitory Vil had put some makeup on you since he wanted to test how it would look like on you and by the end of that, he said that you looked quite beautiful with it. Grim giggled a bit as you turned your head to him and gave him a death stare which immediately shut him up.

• You always wanted to learn how to use a bow and arrow so what's a better way than asking Rook himself! He was happy that you had asked him to teach you, you would use trees as a target to an apple. Rook would stand behind you placing his hands on yours, correcting how the bow should be held or by lifting your arms a bit so you wouldn't miss the target.

• You and Epel were just hanging around the Pomefiore dorm, you guys talked about school-related stuff and about what your homeland was like since Epel was curious where you lived and what your world looked like. You had also asked Epel if you could play with his hair while talking, he blushed and slowly nodded while you sat behind him and just started to run your fingers through his hair.

• His hair was soft and wavy. If felt nice that you could just fall asleep in it as it acts as a pillow.

• Spending time with Idia and Ortho was better than expected, sure, Idia was too caught up in his gaming to pay attention to you and Ortho. But in the end, you had used your 'puppy eyes' in trying to get him to stop and it worked.

• Before even coming to the Dorm, you had prepared some food for Idia and yourself since Ortho wasn't exactly a human but he didn't seem to mind, he still joined the both of you's starting some conversations.

• Though, you did soon get interested in some of the games the Idia would play so you asked him if you could watch him, he blushed at first but did let you watch him, though not knowing about it you were pretty close to him while watching and his face was bright red.

• Night time soon rolled in and Idia was going to take a shower so he could change into different clothes, you didn't mind and let him do it though, while he was taking a shower you had noticed that he had left his jumper on his bed, curious, you slipped the large jumper onto yourself, the sleeves dripping from your arms and covers up just about knee-length.

• His jumper was comfortable and soft that you fell asleep in it on his bed. When Idia came back and saw you wearing his jumper his face was red once again and the tip of his hair became pink. He slipped into his bed, sitting up straight, Ortho came into the room, Idia patted his leg saying that he could lay on his lap as well. Ortho happily did so now Idia was watching the both of you's sleeping on his lap, smiling to himself.

• At least this time Malleus was invited, well it was only going to be you, Malleus, Lilia and Silver. You did try to get Sebek to join but of course, he denied since he thought it was a pretty useless holiday that humans would celebrate but after knowing that Malleus was joining in he immediately joined in.

• Lilia kept telling stories to you about Malleus and Silver when they were young while you two were hanging little decorations here and there. Majority of the ones he told were embarrassing yet funny. You knew that if Malleus and Silver were with you's as well they would have been blushing messes.

• Silver has been sleeping the majority of the time on a comfy couch and you have always thought to yourself does he ever get cold? You then went to get a spare blanket and placed it on top of him. You left him to sleep but what you didn't notice is that when you left he had a small blush and a smile on his face.

• Malleus, Sebek and yourself were decorating a Christmas tree that had colourful baubles and some fairy lights. You had some questions for Malleus about what was it like being a fae? Sebek also listened to them as well since Malleus is his role model after all.

• You all had dinner together as it was filled with conversations and more stories about baby Malleus and Silver. The two boys would just blush in embarrassment, sigh or face palm.

• Later that day, night came around and you were taking a stroll near the Diasomnia dorm. While taking the stroll, you had spotted a bench near a lamp post and decided to sit down for a while but tiredness started to take over you as you fell asleep.

• Malleus also happened to be taking a night stroll when he spotted you asleep on the bench, it didn't look so comfortable. So, he had sat beside you and carefully placed your head on his shoulder, keeping an arm around the waist for support. Though Malleus has failed to see Lila hanging from a tree branch that wasn't far away but enough to see the both of you's. "Oh, my boy is growing so fast," he says wiping a fake tear.

[ofstoriesandstardust]

what’s left of us

a/n: welcome to the first chapter of ‘the choices we make’. I've been teasing this for so long that I'm so excited to finally have something to show for it. I really hope someone reads it. 

main masterlist | the choices we make masterlist | story description | discovery

summary: The Hargreeves have slowly been putting the pieces of their lives back together after coming back from the 60’s. Upon clearing out Reginald’s old office, the siblings find a box containing the files of their birth families. What happens when Luther makes the choice to open his?

warnings: swearing, canon childhood abuse and trauma, canon death/murders

word count: 1,566

The siblings stood in the doorway, no one daring to go in. Diego awkwardly cleared his throat. “So... who first?” Luther glanced down at him as Klaus shoved past. “Oh, you big bunch of babies. He’s dead.” Klaus waved his arm about as he moved further into the office, the bottle of brandy in his hand. 

“Are you seriously drinking right now?” Diego asked incredulously. 

“Well, the bastard might be dead but”, he shuddered, “I still don’t like thinking about dear old dad.” 

“Well, the study won’t clean itself.” Five said, following Klaus into the room. “Everyone take a box. Like the rest of the house, if you think it’s important, bring it up, otherwise trash it. We don’t need more of the old man’s stuff than necessary.” The siblings moved apart, some grumbling, others sighing. The clocked ticked as they worked, and Luther thought back to how they got here. After getting back to 2019, after saving the world, the family had planned to settle in and enjoy being together. Unfortunately, the consequences of what came before were bound to catch up with them sooner rather than later. Diego and Vanya had both been arrested almost immediately following their arrival. While Klaus got shitfaced and Allison called every lawyer friend she had, Ben and Luther sat and sat, wondering where to go from there. But yet again, Five seemed to have a plan, and had somehow managed to get Hazel and Cha-Cha’s guns to the police without suspicion of family involvement. Diego had been released pretty quickly afterwards, and so had Vanya, on account of Leonard’s murder being self-defense. Diego suspected his death had probably done the police department a favor, given Leonard’s history and the fact that he had killed at least 2 other people that they knew of. Ben rejoining the living after the doomsday incident in Texas had been a welcome relief to all of them, and the family had never felt more cohesive. The town had mostly left them alone, but the siblings were trying pretty hard to stay out of the public’s way. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, guys, I think I found something.” Allison’s voice broke through Luther’s thoughts and he looked over to where Allison was lifting a big box onto the desk. The siblings turned and gathered around the desk. Five grabbed the box from Allison, and his eyes widened. 

“What? What is it?” Diego asked, standing next to Luther. 

“It’s our files.” Five said quietly. 

“Our what?” Luther asked, eyebrows raising. 

“Our files. All the information about our biological families, it’s in here.” Five responded. An uncomfortable tension settled over the siblings as they looked at the box. 

“So... who wants to go first?” Klaus asked tentatively. Five shook his head. 

“Forget about it, I’m not interested.” Five said, moving away from the box. Allison let go of it and moved back from the table and Diego turned back to his project. Klaus and Ben moved back over to the fireplace, where they were definitely not cleaning. Vanya and Luther looked at each other. Vanya eventually shrugged, and moved back to her earlier spot. Luther swallowed. Why was he so curious?

-

Luther couldn’t stop thinking about the file and the information it might contain. He was content sure, happy even, but he couldn’t stop wondering. Did he have a biological sister? A biological brother, maybe? What about his parents? Why had they given him up? Did they regret it? Luther’s thoughts consumed him so much that he missed the uneasy looks his siblings shared over breakfast the next morning. “Whatcha thinking about?” Klaus singsonged, sitting down next to him. Luther startled, and looked up at him. He sighed and sat back in his chair. 

“Are you guys really not going to look at your file?” Luther asked. The siblings all looked at him, worry etched onto their faces. 

“What, this family not good enough for you or something buddy?” Diego half-joked. 

“I just... how are you not curious?” 

Allison shrugged. “I’ve got you guys. Isn’t that enough?” Luther sighed. 

“Luther, opening those files is opening a can of worms you can’t close again. Once you know, you know. And you may not like what you find.” Five said solemnly. 

“Yeah, whose to say any of our biological parents were any better than dear old Dad?” Klaus said. 

“I mean, they did give us up. For money.” Vanya said, sitting down next to him. Luther looked at her. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” That seemed to be the end of the conversation, and the family resumed their normal breakfast chatter. And yet... Luther continued to wonder. 

-

The Academy was dark and quiet, the only semblance of peace this place seemed to get. It was 3:32 am and Luther was trying desperately not to wake anyone as he snuck into Dad’s study. He needed to know, can of worms be damned. This was driving him crazy, and he just... he needed to know. He pulled the box out from where it had been set in the corner, and pulled the lid off. His file was the first one, labeled NUMBER ONE. Luther sighed, and closed his eyes. Was he really going to do this? Luther opened his eyes and flipped the folder open. His eyes flicked over the page, looking for the information he cared about. 

Mother: Taunya Roberts

In a relationship with Richard Gray. Might prove to have complications later on.

Paid: $7 million

Location: San Diego, California

Luther’s eyes focused on the name of his biological mother. Taunya. Huh. Not exactly what he had been expecting, but it would do. The page mentioned nothing about already existing siblings, but he was curious about the “complications” his father mentioned. 

Which is how he wound up at the police station the next morning asking Diego’s cop buddy that had helped him escape if he could track down his mother for him. He had agreed and promised to give Luther a call when he found something. It hadn’t taken long and he met him back at the police station a few hours later, almost anxious to finally get an answer. Luther sat down at the man’s desk and he sighed. “Well, you’re in luck. Found the family. From San Diego like you mentioned. Here, take a look for yourself.” He turned the computer towards Luther and he leaned in, eyes scanning the document. 

Taunya had married Richard in 1990. Richard and Taunya divorced in 2006.

Had four kids. Elena, Steve, Madison, Addison.  Elena, born in 1993. Steve, born in 1996. Madison, born in 2000. Addison, born in 2001. 

Luther’s eyes continued to skim the document. All still living in San Diego until- there. 

Elena Gray current place of employment: Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

Elena Gray current location of residence: Manhattan, New York

Luther sat back in his chair. Not only did he have 4 biological siblings, but he had a chance to talk, meet, see one of them? Manhattan wasn’t too far, only a few hours drive. He sighed, thanking the man. Luther mulled this thought over in his head. Was he really going to do this?

-

Apparently, he was. Luther took a deep breath and shook out his nerves as he stood in front of the prestigious looking building. 1 Hogan Place. That’s what the information Diego’s police buddy had given him. There were no guarantees she’d be here, or that she’d even want to see him, so he’d written a letter, just in case. He walked in, and the front desk lady directed him to the office he presumed was hers. There was girl sitting at a desk in front of the office and Luther’s heart skipped a beat, wondering if this was her. The girl looked up at him and gave him a smile. “How may I help you?” She asked politely. 

“Hi, um, I’m looking for Elena Gray?” Luther asked, hoping the girl-Lucy, the name plaque said, he noted- didn’t notice how much his voice was shaking. His nerves were vastly vanishing and he was wondering why he hadn’t listened to Five when he’d had the chance. 

“Oh, she’s not here at the moment. She in court.” Lucy offered, still smiling. “Can I pass along a message for you when she gets back?” 

“Actually, uhm yeah. Could you give her this letter?” Luther said, extending the arm grasping the paper. 

“Of course. Who should I say it’s from?” Lucy said, taking it from him and placing a sticky note upon it. 

“Uh, Luther. Luther Hargreeves.” Luther said nervously and Lucy’s eyebrow quirked. “What?”

“Nothing... it’s just that your family is a bit uh.. notorious around these parts.” He nodded, not sure how to respond. “And would you like to leave a phone number so she can get back into contact with you?” 

“Uh, it’s in there.” He said, nodded to the letter. Lucy nodded, and looked back up at him. 

“Perfect. I’ll give that to her once she gets back. Anything else I can do for you?” Luther shook his head and realized his feet needed to start moving for fear of embarrassing himself any further. 

“Thanks for your help.” Luther offered the girl a smile and headed out of the building to his car. As he walked he began to feel a painful mixture of regret and elation. What did he just do?

[ramblings-of-a-foolish-mortal]

Wolfstar Fanfic - Constellations in Your Soul.

///I started writing a Wolfstar fanfic, it’s my first fanfic that I’ve actually written with the intent to post. If you like it, let me know and I’ll post more on it. Also, plot suggestions are welcome. I’m not actually all that creative, most of the stuff I make is inspired by existing things. It would actually be really helpful if you’d leave comments and maybe be my beta readers? I’m not super great with editing. :) ///

    Remus strolled through the wall that led to Platform Nine and Three Quarters after he’d replayed it over and over in his mind, both of his canvas suitcases in tow behind him. As he paced towards the train awaiting him and other students he tried to keep his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him, hoping that he wouldn’t run into anyone on his way to the doors. The stairs to the train were shorter than he remembered them being, but that could be drawn up to his growth spurt this summer. The small smile that snuck onto his face once the cool air from the inside of the train hit him was unintentional, but when you smell home, there’s not much you can do but smile. The train had a tendency to carry many smells at once and it would often overwhelm Remus’ senses to the point that he would have to cover his nose until he got to whatever booth his friends were in, but this year he’d come early for the specific reason of being able to pick an ideal booth where everyone would comfortably fit rather than one barely big enough to fit the four of them, as had happened in all previous years of riding the train. 

    He shifted so his things were single file with him and slipped into an empty booth in the back corner that was slightly larger than the other aisle booths. Once his luggage was in the overhead, he sat close to the glass doors of the booth, in clear sight of the aisle so he could catch James or Sirius before they went into a different compartment and made him move. Peter was always late, last year he’d almost missed the train entirely. Remus smiled slightly at the memory of his friend falling over in the middle of the walkway as the train started to move, barely pulling his bag through closing doors. 

    I wonder whether James or Sirius will arrive first this year. If James managed to beat Sirius to the train, Sirius would be stuck with the middle seat, which was unfortunate as he enjoyed watching the scenery pass by. Remus could easily recall most of Sirius’ facial expressions, and he always seemed peaceful when watching the scenery pass by, even if it was moving too fast to distinctly make out. However, if Sirius got here first, James would spend the whole time getting up to go get snacks or to flirt with Lily Evans. Poor Lily, she has to put up with James being even more obnoxious than he is around me. He smiled slightly, becoming lost in thought about his friends, and about how the upcoming year would turn out. Surely they could have one year where no one almost died in a Quidditch match or deciding to explore the Forbidden Forest. Then again, he was friends with James Potter and Sirius Black. If anything did happen, he was sure he would be in the middle of it with them. Maybe I can try to reason them out of doing something lethally idiotic-

    His thoughts were interrupted by Sirius knocking on the glass of the compartment door before sliding in, flashing Remus one of those confident smiles he threw around. Remus stood, hugging him with a light clap on the back.

    “Hey Remus! Did you do anything fun this summer?” Sirius pulled out of the hug after a moment, though he seemed a little stiff, and heaved his things into the overhead before sitting down. Remus sat back down by the glass door, offering a shrug with his response.     “If by fun you mean idiotic and likely resulting in injury, no.” Sirius made a small offended noise, as if he didn’t know exactly what Remus was jabbing at. “However, I did acquire something you might want to use.” 

    Sirius noted the glint in Remus’ eye and grinned. Most people probably would have thought he was the innocent caretaker of the group, but the fact was, he was most often the main perpetrator in planning each prank and assault. Sirius made a hand motion that could be easily interpreted as, Hand it over. Remus handed Sirius a bottle of muggle hair dye. They both gave somewhat villainous smiles before quickly returning back to normal behavior as Remus barely caught sight of James before he burst into the compartment. Sirius shoved the bottle into his robes inner pocket.

    “Helloooooo Beauties! How are you guys! I hope you’re ready because I’ve been planning pranks and ‘creative activities’ all summer.” Sirius stood to give James a bone-crushing hug, back and shoulders stiffening when James squeezed back, before sitting back down. Remus frowned slightly at that, though started smiling again once in Sirius’ line of sight. James tossed his things carelessly into the overhead on Sirius’ side, all but falling into his seat as he launched into his plans for this year. Is he uncomfortable, maybe his muscles are stiff if he did something strenuous recently. Remus grimaced slightly at the not-so-faint scent of fabric softener, covering his nose while his thoughts were interrupted with a wave of nausea. James went on about letting loose a number of nifflers in the Great Hall, setting off fireworks over Gryffindor Tower, hiding tiny rubber ducks (a muggle toy) all over the prefects bathroom, and a number of other pranks that would likely require much revision by Remus to be feasible. It took him a couple minutes to realise Remus was looking nauseous. 

    “Remus, you look pale. What’s up?” James frowned slightly, worried about his friend. Remus couldn’t do much about it and simply summarized,

“Just the smell, James. Did your family begin using a new fabric softener in the wash?” He crossed his legs so his stomach didn’t feel so uneasy. “Sirius, would you open the window, please.” his voice came out a mutter through the sleeve of his robes. Sirius immediately pulled open the window, looking mildly concerned. Remus felt a surge of appreciation as fresh air flooded the compartment. 

“Actually, yeah. I think my mum switched which one she uses. Is it bothering you?” James took off his Robe. “She washed my robe this morning, sorry. I didn’t think about the smell.” James stuffed the robe into this bag, hoping that would limit the scent for Remus. 

Remus shrugged. “It’s not your fault James, you don’t have to apologize. Thank you for putting it away.” He kept his sleeve up to cover his mouth and nose for a while before he felt his nose was safe enough to lower it. James continued on about where he thought they could get the nifflers, and about where to acquire the fireworks for Gryffindor Tower, though Remus didn’t miss the occasional glance to check on him. Peter didn’t get to their compartment until the train was starting to pull out of station, huffing for air while looking somewhat exhausted. 

“H-hi guys, I’m sorry I’m late… Again. I really didn’t- didn’t mean to, there was bad traffic and then I saw this cat at Kingscross Station and it was so cute, I couldn’t-” Sirius gave him a huge hug, similar to the ones he’d given Remus and James. Chamomile and mint seemed to be faintly emanating off of Peter.  

“No problem, Pete! At least you’re on the train. I almost thought you weren’t going to make it.” Sirius spoke as he sat down while Peter climbed on the seat to push his bags into the overhead on Remus’ side. Remus smiled slightly at Peter, still a little sick to his stomach, but feeling much better than earlier. 

“Nice to see you after summer break, Peter. Is your garden doing well?” Remus smiled slightly at the light that overtook Peter's expression. 

“Oh, yes! My Lavender and Chamomile are maturing beautifully. I even brought some homemade tea-bags, I designed the mixture myself. I think you’ll like it. There’s mint in it too, and some other things, the odor shouldn’t be too strong, so you’ll be able to drink it even around full-moon.” Peter rushed the words out quickly, digging around in his pockets before pulling out a small cloth bag with the mixture inside. Remus smiled wider, letting Peter place it in his palm before his hands returned to his pockets and pulled out a small strip of woven embroidery thread, running his fingers over it and twisting it into different shapes. 

“Thank you, Peter. I really appreciate it.” Remus put the cloth bag in his robes inner pocket. 

The ride to Hogwarts seemed shorter than the actual 9 hour ride, but that was likely because they spent the whole time either talking or sleeping. Remus spent only the last 20 minutes dozing in his corner, abruptly woken by the train’s whistle, alerting everyone of their soon arrival. James was continually talking, frequently interrupted by Sirius interjecting another thought that was usually more stupid or more dangerous. They hustled out of the compartment and off of the train. Remus and Peter were mostly quiet while navigating through hundreds of students and dozens of teachers helping to guide the tide of children and adolescents. 

Remus kept a careful eye on Sirius and James so he didn’t lose them, while Peter was barely avoiding running into Remus with all the people trying to shove past and into them. I hate crowds. So many people. Too many smells. Remus grimaced at the clashing sounds and sights of the hoard around them. Relatively soon everyone halted, waiting for transportation up to the school grounds. 

The school kept transportation orderly, sending each group of 4 to 5 students up to the school grounds 5 or 6 groups at a time. It wasn’t much of a wait to be able to sit down in the Great Hall. Everyone was very loud, voices garbling and rumbling over each other before they got to Remus’ ears. He glanced over at James, then felt his eyes roll while James was unabashedly staring at a red-headed Lily Evans only six or seven seats down. Sirius frowned when he saw Remus’ reaction before seeing the cause and grinning evilly.

Sirius threw a roll at James’ head to snap him out of it. “Careful, James. Or you face might get stuck in a stupid look. Oh, sorry, I forgot it was already stuck like that.” 

James scoffed at that, throwing the roll back at Sirius. “Whatever, Drama Queen.” Remus smiled a bit, sighing. This is going to be a very long year, isn’t it? He glanced at Sirius, then felt his face flush a little. God damn he’s beautiful though. 

    Sirius shifted how he was sitting throughout the meal, leaning forward, or slouching a bit, or propping a leg up on his knee. It wasn’t uncomfortable shifts, but they made him look more ordinary than the rest of his family. His sibling, cousins, his whole family sat with stiff backs and airy postures. No doubt that’s his intent though. Remus noted how much more down to earth and grounded Sirius had always been. Stomach laughs and crooked smiles and mischief. None of his family’s superiority bullshit. Remus risked a glance at Sirius, trying to pinpoint why his movements were off. He seemed fine moving around, but every so often he’d start moving one way and abruptly stop, like something was blocking him. What on earth? 

    Remus kept a careful eye on Sirius the rest of dinner, even while the first years were being sorted into their houses. Sirius wasn’t entirely oblivious to Remus’ attention and looks of concern, but he didn’t seem to mind or care. Near the end of dinner, Remus mouthed, ‘Are you okay?’ Sirius only gave a stupid smile and nodded, like ‘Duh, why wouldn’t I be.’ Remus frowned as Sirius turned away from their brief interaction to talk to James and Peter. He’s definitely not okay… 

    As dinner came to a close, everyone started trickling out of the Great Hall, tired and full of food. Peter was the first to turn in. 

    “I’ll see you guys in the dorm room, I’m kind of tired though, so I might be asleep. See you tomorrow.” He gave a wave before quickly walking off to the dorm rooms. Peter tended to walk quickly, avoiding attention where he could.

“He had a good idea there.” James shrugged, standing only a few minutes after Peter left. “I’ve got to get my beauty sleep if I want Evans to fall for me, and most of the people should already be in bed. I’ll see you boys later in the dormitories.” He gave a quick smile and walked off slowly, winking at Lily on his way out. She only rolled her eyes at him and continued on with her current conversation. 

    Remus was quiet for a few minutes before looking Sirius in the eyes, a controlled expression on his face. “Sirius, what’s wrong.” Sirius’ face was blank for a moment before smiling widely, though his eyes looked caught. 

    “What do you mean? You shouldn’t be all cryptic Remus, someone might mistake your sock-folding arse for a mysterious type.” he pointed at Remus. “You do know girls go for the mysterious quiet type, don’t you?” 

    “Stop deflecting. I know something is wrong. You don’t have a full range of movement and you keep flinching when you try to move your shoulder back. I can’t figure out if you got injured or if you’re just feeling weird today. I mean it’s not like-” Remus paused, eyes widening. -like somebody beat you. He was about to say. Poor choice of words Remus. You know how his family treats him. “Oh. This morning?” Remus frowned, studying Sirius’ face. Sirius frowned, nodding in small motions. “You haven’t had somebody look at it yet, have you.” Sirius shook his head, lips pulled tight. Oh I am going to murder them. Just as soon as I get the chance their heads are going t- 

    “Remus, you’re getting angry again.” Sirius spoke quietly, calmly, gently taking Remus’ attention. 

    “I thought you said they were going to control themselves over the summer. They said they’d minimize damage.” Remus couldn’t help the slight growl that crept into his voice. He’s my friend. It should be me instead. He doesn’t deserve this, I do. Why does he have the shitty family? Remus knew his thought process was illogical. Neither of them had control over their families or who was in them, but he still felt that Sirius deserved none of the lot given to him. 

    “They did. This was the first time in two weeks, Remus. Calm down a bit. I was going to ask you to help me out a bit once the others were in bed.” Sirius gave a small comforting smile. Sirius is in pain and he’s comforting me? 

    “Yeah...okay. Abandoned bathroom?” Remus looked to Sirius for his response, wanting to help. Sirius gave a quick nod and they both stood up, walking out of the Great Hall. At least he’ll be safe here at school. I’m glad we get to go to Hogwarts.

[athingthatwantsvirginia]

Catherine, Heathcliff, and Shangri-la

PART TEN OF THE DO YOU SEE HER FACE? SERIES

Pairing: Jess Mariano x Original Character (Ella Stevens)

Warnings: mentions of death, smoking, plentiful pop culture references

Word Count: 4.9K

Summary: Though she plans to spend her birthday alone, Ella ends up passing time on the late August evening with Jess, eating old pie and playing cards.

She looked like a dream in her sundress. Late August light bathed the crowds at the summer festival, and Ella practically glimmered when Jess spotted her from across the square. It made him feel like an idiot thinking the way he was, but she had an effect on him which he’d previously only read about in books. He wasn’t sure exactly when the tipping point had been, when he’d truly fallen in love with her, passed the point of no return. But he had. And he was. He loved a girl who didn’t believe in love, who wasn’t into dating, who didn’t feel the same. It had never been so complicated before, and he’d never been so completely screwed. There were moments, times when his heart nearly burst from the hope. When she laughed at one of his wiseass remarks, or ran her fingertips over the notes he’d left in the margins of her poetry books, or let her eyes linger on him for just a second too long. But each time, she would brush it off, act like nothing had happened. And he’d be forced to wonder if he’d imagined the electricity passing between them.

Slowly, over the course of the summer, he was beginning to come to terms with it. Maybe they could just be friends, coworkers. Maybe all he needed was to make out with Shane until his lips were swollen and his mind was blank and his memory would be wiped clean of all the times Ella had made him feel deeper than he ever had before. Besides, he had never fallen in love before, had never uttered the three fateful words in all his seventeen years. A small part of him believed he could snap out of it easily.

He took his eyes back from her form, concentrating on the girl in front of him. The girl who wanted him and nothing more. Who meant nothing but ease and pleasure. Sliding his hands down in her back pockets, Jess closed his eyes and placed kisses down Shane’s neck, the bark of the tree they leaned on rough against his back.

.   .   .

“She’s back with a vengeance!” Ella exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Rory in a gleeful embrace.

They stood together near a flower stand, the fragrant display adding sweetness to the air. Despite the barber shop quartet droning on in the background, Ella felt her spirits lift at the sight of Rory Gilmore, her confidant missing in action over the summer at an internship in Washington. In the back of her mind, Ella couldn’t help reminding herself that soon, she would have to deal with the constant separation. Rory would be off at Harvard, Lane would be touring with her band (hopefully), and Ella would be stuck. As she always had been. She’d have to fill Rory in on how the college applications were going later.

Rory laughed happily, pulling away from Ella and holding her at an arm’s length. “Yes, and with all the hot DC gossip.”

“I’m intrigued,” Ella said, raising an eyebrow.

From behind them, Lorelai beamed, her own face painted with joy, her daughter back in town. Ella loved that about summer. It had a special kind of magic no other season could manage, positivity radiating from everyone, dampened only by the occasional rainy day.

“Alright, let’s go find Lane, and we are in for a movie night of epic proportions!” Lorelai announced, strolling around the square with the two teens in tow.

Before they departed completely, however, Rory followed Ella’s distracted gaze to the old oak where Jess stood, eating his girlfriend’s face.

“Oh, God!” Rory exclaimed, scrunching up her face in disgust.

Ella blushed, Rory having noticed her staring. She hadn’t meant to. But seeing the two of them together, considering the many fights with Shane the summer had brought, gave her a feeling of irritated uneasiness. Like a car crash she couldn’t look away from. Morbid interest feeding morbid interest in a vicious, voyeuristic cycle.

Tilting her head to the scene in question, Lorelai scoffed. “Guess he’s got his ‘What I Did This Summer’ essay all planned out.”

“I know,” Ella groaned. “America’s youth really does have such admirable modesty.”

Snorting a laugh, Rory shot a knowing look at her mother. “Have they been at that a lot?”

Ella nodded, speeding up in her stride a little to get out of view of the display. “Yep. It’s now part of the Early Bird Special at the diner. Dinner and a show.”

Lorelai faked a gag. “I told you. The kid gives off major Sid Vicious vibes.”

“Looks like he’s found his Nancy,” Rory added.

“And he’s been so weird at work lately. He barely talks to me, just sits on his little stool. Reading, brooding, scaring off small children. Maybe I pissed him off. I don’t know,” Ella said. She fiddled with the chain of her necklace.

“Um….Ella?” Rory began, bringing a hand to the blonde girl’s shoulder. “Do you not realize you’re the Catherine to his Heathcliff?”

Ella scoffed, laughing breathily. “What?”

“He’s totally into you!” Lorelai exclaimed.

Raising a brow, Ella rolled her eyes and kept walking. She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. “Very funny.”

“Every time he looks at you…” Lorelai said, feigning a swoony look. “It’s sickening.”

“Yeah, right. I bet it’s Rory he’s into,” Ella argued, shrugging them off once more.

“Oh really?” Rory asked skeptically. “Then why does he make those notes in your margins? In the poetry books he said he hated when he first got here?”

“It’s mutually assured destruction,” Ella explained. “If he stops taking a chance on poetry, I’ll stop taking a chance on the beats. The arguments would ensue, the diner would descend into chaos. In an effort to avoid certain death during our shifts together, we compromise.”

“Ah, the key to a strong relationship’s foundation,” Lorelai retorted.

Snorting a laugh, Ella shook her head. Without the flowers and the serenity of solitude, the less desirable aspects of the festival began to wear on Ella’s psyche. The barber shop quartet spun around and around in her head, making her dizzy, and the sun beat down on them. Stray strands of hair, fallen from her bun, began to stick to her damp forehead.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Ella. “Rory, my dear?”

“Yes?” Rory answered with suspicion.

“You know how you always give me presents on my birthday even though I tell you not to?” Ella asked.

“I’m aware of the annual birthday commiseration,” Rory said, nodding.

“Well, I’d like to request, as a birthday present for your favorite waitress, a moratorium on the Jess talk until I am seventeen years and one day old,” Ella suggested, fluttering her eyelashes jokingly.

Sighing, Rory linked her arm with Ella’s. “Alright, but only because you asked so very nicely.”

“Good to have you back, Thelma,” Ella smiled fondly, pulling her friend a little closer.

“Same to you, Louise.”

Lorelai chuckled and shook her head, watching as the girls ascended the steps to Lane’s door.

.   .   .

Mercifully, Ella had made it through the day with minimal birthday wishes and no attempts at gift-giving. Lorelai and Rory had teased her about a surprise party, but she knew they wouldn’t truly dare. Instead of going home, where she knew she’d have to brave Fiona’s pathetic attempts at celebration, she wandered around town aimlessly. It made her feel guilty to snap at the woman so much, but she just couldn’t help herself. Watching Fiona, only twelve years her senior, traipsing around in her house, humming the Dixie Chicks songs she knew her mother would’ve hated. Before she could apply any rational thought to the decision, she found her way to the bridge. The greenish-black water sparkled in glowing moonlight. Crickets sung and cicadas buzzed, a low summer tune. She hung her booted feet over the edge, the black cotton of her dress pooling around her knees. Rifling through her shoulder bag to the side, she found a copy of The Grapes of Wrath. A perfect book to sustain her gloomy mood. She laid back against the wooden planks of the pier, holding the novel above her face, blocking out the view of the clear night. The humidity had dissipated, and a cool breeze blew past her.

A few peaceful moments had passed before she heard footfalls thumping heavily, vibrating beneath her back. She sighed as the noise got closer, letting the book fall to her chest and rolling her eyes.

“Stealing my spot, huh?” Jess spoke up as he approached, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“Sorry, didn’t realize you’d bought the property.”

“Touché.”

Though Ella still hadn’t looked over at him, she heard him sit down next to her. She could smell the subtle mixture of hair gel and pine.

“By all means, sit down,” she snapped, sitting up again, placing her scrap of construction paper back in the book to save her place. She stuffed it back in her bag to the left. Fiddling with the end of the loose braid which hung over her shoulder, she sighed again.

Jess scoffed. “Jeez, Daria. Don’t pull your punches.”

“Bite me, Jess,” she replied flatly, staring out across the water. In the light, she knew she would’ve been able to watch schools of tiny grey fish whizzing by. As a child, she’d imagined small mermaids living in a crystalline village beneath the surface of the dull silt and sand.

“Feelin’ pithy tonight?” he drawled, an eyebrow raised.

“You could say that.”

He only nodded, leaning back on his palms. Silence stood between the two of them, heavy in the nighttime air. Ella almost put her nails to her mouth, then thought better of it. When Jess still didn’t speak, she huffed out a big breath and finally tossed him a glance.

“Don’t you have someone to verbally abuse at the diner or a girlfriend’s face to suck or something?” she asked.

Jess shot her a look. Before he could even respond, Ella spoke again.

“As long as you’re here, could you loan me a cigarette?” she asked, a shameful blush coloring her cheeks. As much as the request embarrassed her, she couldn’t stand the way her skin was crawling.

“What?” Jess blurted out, eyes wide. “What happened to the periodic surgeon general’s warnings?”

She sighed, dropping her gaze to her lap and clearing her throat. “I’ve gotta keep you on your toes, don’t I?”

Though slightly flabbergasted, Jess’s eyes shone fondly, remembering the carriage ride they’d taken at the Bracebridge dinner so many months ago. After a moment, he produced a crumpled packet and a lighter from his pocket and handed them to her.

“Thank you,” she muttered, placing a cigarette between her lips. It surprised her that he actually obliged, considering how stand-offish he’d been at work lately. The lighter struck on the first try, the small orange flame flickering warmly in the darkness. And Jess could tell immediately it was far from the first time she’d smoked. She handed the supplies back to him.

He took a cigarette of his own and lit it up.

“Don’t tell Luke,” she said, voice slightly husky as she exhaled the first puff of smoke. Her words came out in dim blue clouds.

“I wouldn’t dare,” he replied, tapping ash into the lake and watching it burn out. “Your secret is safe, Stevens.”

“Thanks. I’ll consider it a birthday present,” she grumbled, feeling the familiar burn of smoke in her chest. She knew she would regret the decision in the morning.

“It’s your birthday?”

“Yep.”

“Happy birthday,” he said reflexively, eyebrows raised.

Scoffing bitterly, Ella flicked ash off her cigarette with her thumb. “Thanks, Mariano.”

“Is that why you’re gonna bite my head off at the next wrong move?”

She laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, birthdays aren’t my thing.”

“Huh. And I guess that’s why no one said anything at work?”

Ella nodded. “Yeah, after a few crying customers last year, Luke ordered the diner a birthday-free zone.”

“Wise of him.”

“It was.”

Regarding her in the moonlight, Jess sighed. “Any particular reason for the birthday allergy?”

Swallowing harshly, Ella brought her free hand to her necklace and a smirk formed on her face. “It’s just...my mom was a big birthday person. Without her here, it just all feels a little artificial. It’s weird. The anniversary of the day she died never hits me as hard as Mother’s Day, or today.”

He nodded, solemn as she continued.

“I try to spend as little time at home as I can. And Rory and Lorelai always try to get me to do something,” she said, pausing to inhale deeply and blow out a stream of smoke. “But I am nothing if not pertinacious.”

“Nice. Ten-cent word.”

“Thanks. Used it in the crossword this morning. I’d say it’s at least twenty cents,” she said, scoffing in mock offense.

Jess chuckled. “Alright, I’ll cave for the birthday girl.”

“How kind of you.”

Crushing the smoldering butt of her cigarette on the weathered bridge wood, Ella exhaled out her nose and crossed one leg over the other.  She smoothed her hands over her dress. Somewhere, a loon cried. Jess sat quietly beside her, the last of his cigarette glowing as he inhaled. When he put it out, he stood up and made to leave. Ella didn’t say a word, didn’t even look at him. After a second of thought, he held a hesitant hand out to her.

“Let’s go back to the diner,” he proposed with finality. “We can eat the leftover pie. There will be no birthday talk whatsoever. I promise.”

Looking at his hand, Ella thought of the book in her bag. The hours she could spend alone with nothing but Steinbeck to entertain her. But then, she felt a sudden rush of courage at the thought of Luke’s. Free of people, with pastries under the glass domes on the counters and stale pies in the back fridge. And Jess. She heaved a sigh, then slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed his hand.

.   .   .

“No way,” Jess said, shaking his head doubtfully as he took another bite of the pie.

Ella smiled, nodding. “I swear. I was named the worst dancer out of all the little girls ever taught at Miss Patty’s by the Gazette. I was responsible for the domino incident of 1992 which caused two sprained ankles and one broken arm. Suffice it to say, the arm was mine.”

“Jesus,” Jess laughed, his eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, I’m Patrick Swayze’s worst nightmare.”

Jess rolled his eyes and threw his head back with a dramatic groan. “I’ll never understand your fixation with those cheesy eighties movies.”

“You bite your tongue, heathen,” she said lightly, digging another bite from the cold apple pie in the tin between them.

“Well, at least we can agree on Steinbeck,” he shrugged through a laugh.

She nodded and sighed tiredly, brought a hand to her necklace.

The diner shone brightly against the otherwise dark landscape of Main Street. Ella could hear Luke snoring from all the way upstairs, but it was almost comforting if not amusing. With the leftover pie between them, she and Jess sat alone amongst chairs stacked on tables and cutlery put away. It smelled vaguely of disinfectant, but the pine was still there, making her heart feel just a touch less broken. Maybe being alone wasn’t the best way to pass one of the hardest days of her year.

“I’m surprised she still even lets you step foot in the studio, leaving that much carnage in your wake,” Jess said, smirking at the way the tension slowly released from her shoulders.

Snorting a laugh, Ella took another bite of the pie. She could tell it was made from her recipe, heavy on the cinnamon. “Well, the years have improved my coordination a little bit.”

“But have they?” he teased.

“Shut up,” she retorted, good nature in her voice.

A comfortable pause filled the air. Jess’s eyes caught her thin fingers still rolling the silver chain of her necklace. She blew up a long breath and straightened up, putting her fork back down in the tin, the half-pie almost all the way gone.

Nodding, Jess swallowed dryly and bit at his lip. “Why do you wear that necklace every day?”

Eyes widening, Ella couldn’t help but feel taken aback by the question. She let out a self-conscious scoff and her hand immediately dropped away from her collar. The small silver charm, a key, glinted in the yellow diner light.

“My grandmother gave it to me,” she explained, her tone even though she avoided his eyes. “It’s the key to the jewelry box she had when she was little. The box got lost, but the key stayed. She was a singer. Friends with Miss Patty. Pretty fucking cool.”

Jess smiled a tiny smile. “Sounds like it.”

“Yeah,” she replied, the word a sigh. Then, after a beat, she regained her direct nature and looked him in the eye. “Okay, since we’re asking questions tonight: why the hell are there bongos on the shelf above your desk?”

Jess laughed, but his cheeks reddened a touch. “Those were there when I moved in. Scout’s Honor.”

She rolled her eyes. “You are the last person in the world they would ever let into the Scouts.”

“Wow, that one hurt.”

Ella smiled. “Then what’s Luke doing with those bongos?”

“Preparing for a Matthew McConaughey,” Jess shot back knowingly.

“Ugh, that image is gonna be burned in my mind forever,” she groaned, nose scrunching up in disgust.

“You’re welcome.”

“Fuck you,” she said, grinning.

“Right back at ya.”

Suddenly, a loud snore came from the floor above them.

“Speaking of,” Ella grumbled, only in mock irritation.

“Like you don’t snore.”

“Only when I’m drunk,” she said, then looked up at him, accusatory. “But you. Oh my god, it was all night long. Really, the two of you put together could probably break some sonic records.”

Instead of retorting, Jess retrieved his weathered deck of cards from one of his jean pockets. He raised his eyebrows as a challenge and began shuffling. “Just for that last comment, you’re about to be massacred at Rummy.”

.   .   .

A knot of anxiety sat in her stomach, but work was helping her keep it at bay. It was the last Saturday of summer, Monday the start of senior year. But the waves of butterflies fluttering around in her chest weren’t ones of nervousness, more only of dread. The constant drudgery of school work, the monotony of the day. She liked summer for more reasons than the mood and the weather. Free time to read, to draw, to paint. And she much preferred painting the full greenery over the desolate landscapes of a Connecticut winter. The fact she hadn’t seen Jess since the night before, when she left the diner satisfied with herself for winning three hands in a row, was doing nothing to calm her either. After cleaning up from the breakfast rush, Ella was mindlessly reorganizing the mugs on the cubby shelf to the left of the counter by color and size.

“Alright, this is ridiculous,” Luke admonished, walking up behind her.

She scoffed. “It’s not my fault these mugs haven’t been reorganized since Reagan was president.”

“Because they were the last ones you hadn’t got your hands on. You’re starting to sound like Taylor.”

Instantly, she turned and narrowed her eyes at him. “The next time you say that to me I’m turning in my apron and never looking back!”

Luke scoffed in disbelief at her dramatics. “Just take your break, Ella.”

“You think I’m bluffing,” she warned, untying her apron and leaving it on the hook near the kitchen window, “but I’m dead serious.”

“I’m quaking in my boots,” Luke replied flatly, gathering some receipts from the side of the cash register.

“I bet,” she shot back, rounding the corner and going to dig through her bag, hanging by the front door. “Is Jess here? I’ve got a book for him.”

“Upstairs,” Luke said shortly.

Retracting her hand from the shoulder bag, with a worn collection of Dorothy Parker, she rolled her eyes. She tucked her hair behind her ears and prepared to disappear behind the checkered curtain on the way to the stairs.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a master conversationalist?” she asked.

“Shaddup,” he groaned, waving an annoyed hand at her in the direction of the apartment.

Ella snickered, then bounded up the stairs, the soles of her old converse a little slippery on the creaking wood. She heard the TV droning on from inside, daytime Saturday shows. Only a couple short knocks sounded on the door before she let herself in, as she had so many times before when fetching random items during her shifts.

“Hey, Jess-” she began, turning to the left, Jess’s room.

Cut off by a sudden flash of noise, she watched Jess stuff a blue mesh vest quickly into the top drawer of his dresser. Eyes wide with surprise, he faced her with a scowl, brows scrunched up.

“Ever hear of knocking, Daria?” he snapped.

Processing the scene before her, Ella blinked a couple times and bit the inside of her cheek. “Sorry. Guess I was too quiet.”

“Apparently.” He crossed his arms over his Punk Planet t-shirt and looked at her expectantly. “You need something?”

Ella cleared her throat, looking down at the book in her hands. “Yeah, I had that Dorothy Parker I was telling you about last night and…” she paused, glancing at his dresser. “I’m sorry, Jess, but I simply can’t ignore this. Was that a Walmart vest?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

He straightened up, defensively. “No.”

“Really?”

“You heard me,” he shot back.

Pursing her lips, she nodded, unconvinced. She stepped a little closer to him, one hand on the hip of her skirt. “So, what was it?”

“A shirt.”

“A shirt with a Walmart logo on it?” she asked, her voice gaining a teasing lilt.

Jess scoffed. “I think you need glasses.”

A momentary staring contest ensued, and she watched him squirm under her hazel gaze. “Do you work at Walmart, Jess?”

Sighing through his nose, Jess glared at her. Then, he ran a hand through his hair and side-stepped Ella, making his way to the kitchen. “Fine. Yes. You happy?”

Instantly, a smile spread wide on her face. “Oh, so very happy.”

“Glad to hear it,” he growled, avoiding eye contact as he popped open a can of soda. He sat down at the kitchen table, facing the I Dream of Jeannie rerun.

Biting back her giggles, Ella came over to take the rickety kitchen chair next to him. Clearing her throat, she put the book in her hand on the table between then. She smoothed her slightly wrinkled Patti Smith t-shirt and tried to appear nonchalant, a smirk ever-present on her lips. Jess sipped his soda, eyes dark and moody, embarrassment underneath a thin layer of irritation. Nearly five minutes passed on the oven clock in the small kitchen, both of them watching Barbara Eden’s foibles in silence. Ella bit a little at her nails, but only to mask her amused expression.

“So...all this time...Shangri-la was Walmart?” she asked.

Jess sighed, rolling his eyes. “Eleanor-”

“You work at Walmart,” she repeated, chuckling a little.

“Whatever. You smoke,” he countered.

“Like, twice a year,” she said defensively. “When did you even start that job?”

Bowing his head slightly, Jess finally dropped the act a bit. “June. When you were in New Britain.”

She sighed, nodding, then brought a hand to his arm. “I’m really proud of you. I mean, you can’t waste all your people skills at the diner.”

Jess shook her off and rolled his eyes again. “Shut up. I move stock around on a fork-lift in the back.”

“Okay, tough guy.”

“And don’t tell Luke,” he said, finally looking her in the eye.

She shrugged. “Fine, I won’t. Cross my heart.”

“Thank you,” he snapped.

“You’re very welcome,” she replied, still grinning. “Seriously, though, it’s not that lame. Trust me. I think it’s cool. You have your own thing going, y’know?”

Jess scoffed in doubt but said nothing more.

Clearing her throat, Ella shifted her eyes down to her lap for a second, the tone of her voice changing. “But enough about your double-life, Mr. Bond. I just wanted to bring you that book. And also thank you for last night.”

Jess raised a brow, eyes on the TV screen. “For what?”

“I don’t know. If you hadn’t come along, my plan was to read Steinbeck at the lake, then sneak home and listen to Nirvana through my headphones,” she explained. “But instead I got to eat old pie and kick your ass at cards.”

“Such a sore winner,” he muttered, cracking a little smirk.

She laughed quietly, her fingers finding their way to her necklace. “And sorry if I was...I don’t usually talk about my mom. Not exactly a crowd-pleasing topic. Just on Mother’s Day and my birthday, I...You didn’t have to listen.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t do things I don’t wanna do,” he said, casting her a momentary glance, a small, lopsided smile on his face. It was more genuine than she was prepared for, and she had to look away as her cheeks heated up.

Rising from the table, she made to leave, hoping not to overstay her welcome. “Anyway, thanks. It was the best birthday I’ve had in awhile.”

Running a hand over his mouth, Jess blew out a breath and faced her fully again. “Anytime, Stevens.”

He looked as though he were about to say something more, but she could practically see him swallow it down. Instead, he got up from his seat and switched off the TV. Going over to his side of the apartment, she watched him grab a CD from the top of a small stack on his dresser. She couldn’t quite read the cover, but could see it was filled with shades of black and red.

“How long do you have left on your break?”

Ella looked down at her watch then back up at him. “Still have about twenty minutes.”

He nodded, gesturing to the CD. “I get fifteen percent off at the store, so I picked this up the other day. Just came out. It made me think of you. I thought you might wanna listen?”

“Oh,” she said dumbly, surprised. She nodded. “Yeah, yeah, sure. As long as it’s not jazz.”

“It’s not,” Jess assured her, chuckling.

As he opened his closet and brought out the small stereo, she took a few steps closer, arms crossed. She couldn’t help the fluttering in her chest or the way her cheeks flushed with heat. In all the time she’d known Jess, she couldn’t remember ever feeling quite so anxious around him. Quite so antsy. She almost couldn’t explain the feeling, but it wasn’t one she minded.

“I would’ve shown you last night if I knew it was your birthday,” he mentioned as he pressed play.

As the music started, he suddenly didn’t know what to do with himself. Sit on the bed? On his desk chair? Instead, he leaned on the desktop itself, hands stuffed in his pockets. He regretted the decision already, showing her the music. He’d meant to do it at some point, during one of their friendly book exchanges. But then the air between them had become charged again, and she was about to walk away from the moment. He wanted it to last just a little longer, time with the one person in Stars Hollow he actually enjoyed being with. Even if she didn’t feel quite the same as him, even if she never would.

Ella felt the slight vibrations of the music in the soles of her soles as she stepped closer to the stereo, picking up the CD case from his dresser. She turned it over in her hands. Turn on the Bright Lights by Interpol. It surprised her she hadn’t heard of them before; Lane usually kept her in the know about such things. They must have been very young, very new. But she liked it, the echoing guitars and the drums. Judging from the back cover, the song to which they now listened was simply called “Untitled.”

“They’re good,” she said, putting the case back down. “Different. I like it.”

Jess shrugged. “Figured you would. What with all that sad shit you listen to. The other songs are a little more lively. They’re no Fleetwood Mac, but…”

Walking closer still, she stopped when she was only a couple feet in front of him. Her heart beat with the music, and she swallowed dryly. Something was clicking in her head.

“Jess?”

He looked up, and his brown eyes locked with hers. “Yeah?”

Before she could rethink it, before she could talk herself out of it, before she could silence her heart with her head, she brought a hand to the back of his neck and kissed him. His shock was sudden but brief. Almost immediately, he wound his arms around her waist. And he was kissing back, sweetly, gently at first, then deeper. She was flush against him, smiling into it. The music beat quietly around them, and his grip was warm, and his lips felt exactly right. Ella wanted it to never end, for the moment to last forever, alive, and never cross over and turn to mere memory.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Absorbing culture

Public advisory notice: - All those traveling to the Planet Earth are hereby warned to keep their visits short.  - Continued exposure to Human culture has known side effects of confusion, uneasiness,and head pain. - Keep all possessions close at hand at all times. - Humanity lacks a single language so if you do not speak them naturally have your translator set to the most popular languages which include: English,  Mandarin Chinese,  Spanish,  Hindustanti,  Arabic,  Malay, and Russian. - Be prepared for oddities possible misunderstandings.     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mara read the public notice at the spaceport and laughed. Hefting her backpack, she walked past the sign and continued to the exit of the spaceport. All my friends are going to be so jealous, she thought as she passed by scores of alien tourists who had just arrived alongside here. “Mara, you’re so brave!” “Mara, i can’t believe you went to see those blood thirsty humans!” “Mara, I never knew you were so brave, please go out with me!” The visions of her friends all looking on at her when she came back from her trip in awe made he smile.  This would be her first time on Earth and her first time seeing humans up close. She had seen them before on news broadcasts back on her home world.They’d always be stories about some war they had just fought or some act of brutality they had committed against their enemies. The news had made them out to be technological barbarians that had carved out a pocket empire in the stars; making them a perfect place for Mara to visit.  She was not very popular back home and often passed over to go to parties. But when Mara saw the news that humanity had signed peace treaties with their warring neighbors which included open trade and travel. That was when lightning struck.  If she went to Earth for a vacation, people at home would see her as awesome and want to be with her. She did research and found that shuttles were now running between her world and the human’s capital planet called “Earth” which in the human tongue translated to “dirt”. She never got tired of hearing that. To prepare herself she got a translator unit and had it begin downloading the human languages while also taking some self defense classes. No war like human was going to get the drop on her and if they tried anything she’d snap them like a twig.  She reached the exit of the star port and took a deep breath. She felt her bag twitching against shoulder and looked to see what was causing it. Too her surprise it was her own hand grabbing the strap. It was shaking and fidgeting.  It was one thing to talk about doing something people consider dangerous with no fear, but now that Mara was on Earth about to meet what some called the most war like species in the universe, she felt the fear she had long suppressed begin creeping up again.  Thankfully sometimes the universe throws you a bone and makes the choice for you because the rest of the crowd of exiting tourists came up behind Mara as she was struggling with her dilemma and through sheer numbers.  The doors opened wide and she was carried outside, the blazing sun causing her to shield her eyes. When she opened them again she was standing face to face with a human. Mara couldn’t say a thing and just stood there frozen. From her research she could tell it was a male standing at roughly the same height as she was. “I know I know.” The human said with a hint of agitation in their voice. “Seeing a human for the first time, so scary. Yada yada yada. Can you please move? I need to catch my flight.” When she didn’t move, still trapped in shock, he just simply pushed passed her.  The push jolted her back into reality. She thought the human was about to attack her so she got ready to defend herself but before she could throw a punch but the human was already gone.  She turned around saw Earth for the first time. The area outside the star port was packed with not only aliens but also humans going in and out in so many different sizes, shapes, and colors. She could hear them and realized the warning wasn’t entirely wrong as there were several humans speaking different languages.  Reminded by it, Mara pulled out her translator unit. She wrapped the vocal unit around her throat and put on the ear pieces.  The sudden roar of a star ship taking off made her look up. As the smoke cleared she was taken aback by the sudden mountain looming over the star port. But there was something strange about it, it was moving in places. She looked closer and to her wonder it dawned on her that it wasn’t a mountain at all, it was a city.  A collection of buildings clustered together, towering into the sky like a titans hand reaching out to grasp the sun. Swarming around it were hundreds of ships and vehicles that looked like ants. Mara took a deep breath and realized that would be the best place to start her vacation and set off for the city.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mara had researched humans with what was available to her and everything said that humans lacked any sense of culture and were devoted to acquiring technology for war. From what Mara had seen after entering the city was that that statement was only half true. Humans were acquiring technology, but not for war.  As she walked through the choked streets she saw countless oddities that seemed so out of place in human culture. On one human she saw their hair braided techno tentacles of the Havara people which interwove themselves into different patterns every few minutes. Another human had shaved half of their hair on their head diagonally and had died the remaining half a mixtures of shades of purple and green that was found among the Bobako species. She was even amazed when she past a human whose arm wasn’t made of flesh, but composed of a series of cubes that as far as Mara knew were only used by the sentient machines of Lunar Hegemony. She saw the human approach a door and the cubes slid along themselves in perfect formation to grab hold of the handle and pull it open.  As she adventured deeper into the city she saw more and more mixing of cultures that she had never even dreamed of until she felt like the near madness of it all would over take her and she quickly left to find a hotel to stay the night.  After stumbling around the streets for some time she found herself in front of a hotel called “Gardens of  Versailles “. She was just about to open the door when it swung outwards and knocked her off her feet.  “On my gosh I’m so sorry!” She heard someone say as a hand reached out. Mara took it and hauled herself back to her feet before getting a good look at the speaker and falling back down again. Nestled on a series of mechanical spider legs in place of real ones was a human woman who now looked down at Mara even more puzzled. “Did you slip again?” the woman asked as she extended her arm again, though this time Mara backed away and rose to her feet on her own. The woman stared at Mara as she rose. “You alright?” Mara stared at the metal legs before realizing the human had asked spoken to her. She tapped her translator and it identified the language as English. “Could you say that again?” Mara asked trying out the translator for the first time. The woman smiled. “Ah, you must be new here. I asked if you were alright.” Mara nodded. She remembered humans found it disrespectful when those speaking to them did not look at their face, but she found her gaze drifting down to the metal spider legs.  “Impressive aren’t they?” The woman began moving her spider legs one at a time showing them off to Mara. “Indeed, most impressive.” “I got the idea when humans began trading with the Insectoid Hive. Those little buggers can really move around.”  Humans traded with the insects? Mara thought. The woman extended her hand again. “Forgive me, I’m Elizabeth.” “Mara.” She took Elizabeth’s hand and shook it. “So you cut off your own legs for the Inesctoids?” Elizabeth looked at her and laughed. “I never looked at it that way, but you could say so.”  The metal exoskeleton Elizabeth was wearing parted and opened up in the front. Mara saw that Elizabeth’s real legs were still attached to her but tucked away inside the frame. Elizabeth smacked her legs hard to Mara’s confusion. “See?” She asked Mara, but Mara did not understand the question. “My real legs don’t work. I’ve been paralyzed from the waist down my entire life.”  Understanding hit Mara and she realized her questions were rude. “I am so sorry. Please accept my apology for my rude question.” The exoskeleton sealed itself back up again. “Don’t be. It’s a natural question when you see something as scary as me.” She laughed and Mara felt like she could calm down some.  “But if there is technology to get new legs, why did you not get a pair that matched your old ones?” Elizabeth shrugged. “I never knew what it was like to use my legs so I guess I am somewhat detached from any connection to looking what I would be like if my legs did work.” She flexed her metallic legs. “But that’s not the only reason, I had another.” Mara looked at Elizabeth and saw wonder in her eyes and something more when she spoke of her new legs. When she spoke about them it was as if she had a glow around her, something that when looked upon infected you with its radiance and filled you with the same joy.    “But that’s enough about me, what brings you to Earth?” Mara laughed nervously. “Well, I wanted to impress my friends by visiting humanities home world all by myself. It’s not what I expected to see.” “Not as barbaric as the rest of the galaxy thinks are we?” Elizabeth said with a smirk. Mara nodded. “Well if it’ll help you you could take a picture of me attacking you with my robot legs and send it back to your friends.”  Mara backed away instantly at the mention of her attacking Mara. Elizabeth saw it and held up her hands. “Oh no, no, no. I wouldn’t really be attacking you! But they wouldn’t know that now would they?” Mara paused to consider it. It would make her look brave and cool. “That’s....actually not a bad idea.” “You’ll find Mara that we humans are chalk full of ideas.”  “I must ask you though,” Mara said as she waved her arms at the surrounding people and buildings, “I see many different species culture here but none that are specifically human. Do you not have your own or has it been erased as you opened to the galactic community?”  Elizabeth shrugged. “A bit of both you could say. Humans do have our own culture, but we also have what we like to call the “Mixing pot”. That means we take other cultures and add them to our own, mixing them in with our daily lives until we don’t see them as other cultures but ours as well.” “Doesn’t that upset you though?” Mara pressed. “That you rather have the styles of others rather than develop your own?” She pointed to Elizabeth’s legs. “You even chose the legs of another species rather than your own to make prosthetics for.” Elizabeth looked down at her spider legs and ran a hand over them. The polished steel catching the street light to make them almost appear glowing.  “For most of my life I had been confined to a wheelchair having either someone or myself pushing me from place to place. I watched others run and jump and climb mountains and swim across rivers all my life. All I wanted to do was join them. But then I would look down at my legs and feel sadness. But one day I remember seeing the Insectoid Hive on TV for the first time. They were coming back with the representative that had been sent to the Cosmic Federation. I remember how nimble they were, how their slender limbs could scale any surface with such ease and grace, how powerful they were that let them jump meters into the air on a whim. I knew then and there, that those were the legs for me, not my own legs. So when I stumbled across an Insectoid shop that had setup a here I came as fast as could to see there wears and low and behold they had this exoskeleton. It was designed to help rehabilitate Insectoids as they recovered from leg injuries but with a little modification I turned this bad boy into my personal chariot. Now I can do things like this!” Elizabeth leaped into the air several meters high before coming down with a thunderous crash. “And this!” She shouted as she began scaling the wall beside her as Mara watched from the ground below. “And even this!” She joyfully announced before letting go of the building and performing several flips, landing on a single mechanical leg in perfect balance.  “Humans are a odd bunch for sure Mara.” Elizabeth said while still standing on a single leg. Her others began moving on their own and striking poses. Mara snorted as Elizabeth began taking ever funnier poses. “You make it sound like you all are a pack of scavengers.”    “When we find something we like we adapt it to our own and it that sense it becomes our culture just as much as those who it originated from.” She lowered herself down to all of her legs. “I could show you a few places that would blow your mind if you wanted.” Mara looked on at Elizabeth’s radiant glow and smiled. “I think I’d like that.”