#Cassia gonna take care of him

[tinycoded360]

Sterling Household-Sick Giant

"I'm going to help Sterling." Cassia declared at the table in their tiny kitchen, hidden within the walls of the human’s home.

Milton jerked back in surprise, choking on his tea. “Wh…what do you mean?”

“He’s been sick for the past day. Throwing up and bedridden. I think it would be good for us to help somehow.” Cassia explained. “He already knows about us and has saved Emma and our kids. I think this would be good for our relations.”

“Relations?! There are no relations with a human!” Milton looked shocked and confused.

“It can’t be helped. We have relations with him now. We either make them good, or we move. What if he gets annoyed with us? Hmmm?” Cassia challenged her husband.

Milton sighed. Cassia grinned, knowing she had won.

“See? Relations can’t be helped now. We might as well take advantage of a tame bean.”

“What do we suggest we do?” Milton asked.

***** ��This is insane!” Emma grumbled as she helped Cassia gather supplies- a thimble for carrying water, thread for rope, an upturned metal cap for a pot, and other gear that would be useful for their task.

“Well, we don’t want to seem ungrateful; he did help you, after all.” Cassia pointed out.

“I know, I know. But I don’t have to like it.”

“Did you get what I asked for?” Cassia asked her friend.

“Of course! It was easy, I’m a pro at fishing, I know all the best spots.” Emma said with pride. She pulled off her backpack and opened it showing three big fish. Or big fish compared to the borrowers, to a human the fish would be more like small guppies.

“Perfect! Milton’s gonna use those to lure Whiskers out of the way!”

Cassia took a deep breath and stepped out from the walls, exposed on the giant's countertop.

Milton stood at the bottom with their children. He threw a grappling hook to the counter, which Cassia helped latch. Then, they worked together to get their children to climb up. Next, Cassia lowered the fish down.

“Why can’t I stay with Papa? I can help!” Agnes protested with a pout.

“You stay with your mother; I don’t want you near his cat! It’s better if I do this alone. Now you be good for her. She’ll need all the help she can get for this,” Milton shouted up to his family and disgruntled daughter.

Cassia shot her husband a grateful smile. "It'll be alright, dear. We'll look out for each other," she said gently. “Now, you be careful!”

Milton nodded. Leaving to find the giant feline.

"Here, kitty-kitty..." Milton called in a sing-song voice, watching Whiskers' ears perk up from her dozing spot by the hearth. With a flick of her tail, she rose, her movements graceful and silent—a stark contrast to the frantic beating of Milton's heart. Milton had tied the fish together to a string. He broke out in a run, pulling the treat with him.

Leading her through the open back door, Milton danced just beyond her reach, the string pulling a fat, yummy fish, enticing the cat. Whiskers pounced, playful yet deadly. He darted left, then right, his small size an advantage in the game of cat and mouse they played. He spun around as Whiskers took hold of the fish. Whiskers started purring up a storm as she ate the treat. Giving Milton time to move around her and push the door closed, using all his might.

On top of the counter, the borrowers paused to catch their breath, the vast kitchen spreading out before them. Cassia took charge, pointing out the locations of knives, cutting boards, and ingredients.

"We'll need to work together to manage these giant tools," she said. Emma and her children voiced their agreement.

They slowly dragged the knife across the counter to a potato, then worked in unison to slice off chunks of the hearty vegetable. Their tiny arms strained from the effort.

Emma and Cassia worked together to push one of the pots still on the stovetop onto the burner. They then turned on the stove and filled the pot with water, using their buckets. This took a long time, and they only managed to fill it about ¼ of the way.

Soon, aromatic steam rose from their pot as the broth simmered. Cassia gave an approving nod, heart swelling with pride for her family and friends. By working together, they could achieve the impossible.

Emma turned off the giant stove, the dial clicking loudly in the silence of the kitchen. The rich scent of herbs permeated the air as the borrowers peered into the steaming pot.

"It's ready," Emma declared. "Let's fill up our containers and get this to Sterling."

The group worked efficiently, ladling the fragrant broth into thimble-sized buckets. The tiny containers looked almost comical next to the giant pot, but the borrowers knew every drop could aid in Sterling's recovery. Or, at the very least, Sterling would be flattered they went to all this work for him.

The borrowers entered Sterling's room. The giant bed loomed before them, its great expanse of fabric forming rolling hills and valleys from their minuscule perspective.

Cassia secured her rope and began scaling the bedspread, gripping the fibers like climbing holds. Emma followed close behind until they reached the summit.

Carefully, Cassia slid the bucket off her back and gazed at Sterling. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, face flushed with fever. She felt a pang of sympathy for the ailing man.

Cassia looked over the edge of the bed; she sighed in relief to see that her husband Milton had returned. Cassia tugged on the rope, helping Milton haul up the soaked cloth they had prepared. Though thin as gauze to Sterling, it took all their strength to shift the giant fabric.

Soon, the other borrowers joined them on the bed. Together, they took up positions around the cloth and heaved, maneuvering it towards Sterling's head. Their tiny hands strained against the weight, muscles burning with effort.

Finally, they aligned the cloth over Sterling's forehead. The man sighed, his body relaxing subtly as the cool fabric soothed him. The borrowers released their grip, allowing themselves a moment of rest before moving to administer the broth.

Cassia took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she approached Sterling's head, a thimble of broth in hand. She was struck by how vulnerable the human looked in repose, his usually lively features now slackened by fever. Gingerly, she climbed onto his pillow, boots denting the fabric. At this proximity, she was dwarfed by his enormous size, barely the length of his ear. Still, she felt no malice from the gentle man.

Joining Cassia, the other borrowers followed suit, tiny feet padding over Sterling's blanketed form. Their movements were cautious but purposeful as they positioned themselves around the giant's head.

Lila bounced excitedly.

Pippin looked nervous but determined.

Finn was clinging onto his father’s back in a piggyback ride. He was too small to carry the thimbles by himself. But he was happy to watch from the safety of his papa’s back as they fed the giant.

Agnes stood by Emma with her own thimble. She shifted with nervousness. While Sterling had been gentle with her when he had caught her, she was still scared of his massive presence.

Emma nodded at Cassia, signaling they were ready. Cassia tipped the thimble to Sterling's parted lips with great care, letting the broth trickle in. His throat bobbed reflexively. They continued taking turns, administering the medicine thimble by tiny thimbleful.

Suddenly, Sterling stirred, his eyelids fluttering open. The borrowers froze as his gaze found them, crowded on his pillow. Confusion clouded his expression. Then, awareness lit his eyes.

Cassia met his look unflinchingly. To her surprise, his lips curved into a tired smile.

"Wha….What are you doing?" he rasped, voice hoarse and confused.

Sterling's deep voice rumbled around the tiny borrowers gathered on his pillow.

Cassia steadied herself, pushing down her instinctive fear. This was the first time she had revealed herself to a human, but her family owed him a debt for protecting her children.

"We made you broth with medicine and herbs, so you're welcome," she said, her voice clear and strong. "I'm Cassia. My family and I want to help you get well."

Sterling's gaze shifted to her. Though she barely reached the height of his chin, the look in his eyes was one of respect.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cassia," he replied. "I wish I wasn’t sick to meet you. You didn’t have to do this; I don’t want you guys to get sick.”

"You've kept my children from harm. I wanted to say Thank you." She smiled up at him. "Now rest. You need your strength back."

Sterling's eyes crinkled happily. He struggled to keep his eyes open, wanting to drink in the tiny people gathered around him. He tried not to shift too much, noticing how his movements caused the little people to stumble on his pillow to catch their balance. His eyes were alight with awe and affection. He found it cute to see them with their tiny thimbles, trying to nurse him back to health. He ponders on how this must have taken so much of their time. Sterling’s heart fills with a warm feeling at the thought.

Sterling froze when a tiny hand patted him on his cheek. He shifted his gaze and landed on the tiny woman, Cassia. She smiled at him. He could only really see her from the corner of his eye. “You need to rest; we can talk more when you’re better.” Sterling was fixated on the feel of such a tiny, delicate hand resting on his cheekbone. Each finger was so tiny. He could hardly see them, and certainly not at this angle, but he could feel the tiny twitches of the tiny hand.

Sterling’s smile softened, his features relaxing into lines of gentle amusement. "I'm glad you feel safe enough to speak to me." With that, Sterling closed his eyes and let sleep take him. 

Chapter 8

[wa-royal-tea]

Previous | Beginning | Next

(Transcript under the cut - Click Pics for HQ Version!)

@thebrixtons

Cassia Garden, Belcoast (10:55pm)

Catalina *whispering*: God why is it taking so long?

Catalina: *gasps* Oh my god…

*knock knock*

Indirah (from outside): Who’s in there?

Catalina: It’s Lina! Hold on.

Indirah: Oh. Is everything alright in there?

Catalina: Y-yeah. I…I’m gonna be in here for a while. Can you tell Alfie to meet me at the photo booth? I need to talk to him.

Indirah: Sure. Are you okay? Is something wrong?

Catalina: I’m fine! I promise. Just tell him that I want to see him.

Indirah: Well, alright.

*door opens and closes*

Alfie: Sayang? Dira said you wanted to talk to me. Is everything alright?

Alfie: Did you…did you cry? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?

Catalina: *laughs* No, I’m fine. I’m just…feeling a lot of things right now.

Alfie: Well, do you want to talk it out? Maybe it’ll make you feel better?

Catalina: It’s not anything bad, Alfie. I promise.

Alfie: Then why did you cry? You’re making me worry, Lina.

Alfie: Oh god…sayang. Are you…?

Catalina: Mhm. I’m pregnant.

Alfie: A-are you sure? You…we’re….?

Catalina: This is my third test. I took three tests just now.

Alfie: Oh my god! Oh my— I can’t believe this! We’re having a baby!

Catalina: *giggles* Shhh! Keep it down! I don’t want everyone to know yet! It’s too early to tell and we’re at Ginny’s wedding!

Alfie: Oof, sorry. I got too excited.

Catalina: I’m excited too. But I don’t want to be that person and announce our pregnancy at someone else’s wedding. That’s rude.

Alfie: *chuckles* Yeah, I understand.

Alfie: You have no idea how happy I am now, Lina.

Catalina: I can see it on your face. I’m glad that you’re happy too.

Alfie: I promise that I’ll take good care of you and our baby. Nothing will hurt you both. Not on my watch.

Catalina: I believe you.

[ldysmfrst]

American Mate (10) - A Date in the Right Direction

In honor of Kim Seokjin's return from the military, my Jin-centric Chapter 10 is live for those with a Patreon Membership. This chapter is out sooner than I was expecting, but I wanted to make sure to honor the eldest member.

I hope you enjoy it, my dearest readers.

This chapter is a total of 11,976 words long. Read below for a little taste! 💜💜💜

The next morning is a complete departure from your usual routine. You had meticulously set your alarm for 7:30 am, anticipating a quick shower would suffice before your medical appointment. But fate had other plans in store for you.

Shuffling, giggling, and the hushed ��Quiet Kookie” woke you. Wait… is that water running? What time… what?

Stretching as you blink your eyes, you end up face to face with Jungkook, “Ah! Jungkook! What are you doing?”

“Good morning, my sweets,” the bunny smiled brightly with his big eyes. No care in the world that he just spooked you await.

Still hearing movement, you take a look around. Jungkook is kneeling on the bed but not inside your fort. Yoongi has popped his head out of your bathroom, and Seokjin stands at the entry door with a tray.

“Good morning, Jungkook, Seokjin, Yoongi. What time is it?’ rubbing your eyes and stretching again. Man, that was the deepest sleep you have gotten in a long time. 

Each Alpha wants to coo at your cute little stretches, which are maddeningly hidden by Taehyung’s blanket. 

Seokjin is the first to snap out of watching you, “It’s almost 7 am, dear. I have a light breakfast, and Yoongi is drawing a bath for you. We want to make sure you're comfortable and ready for your day.

Looking at Seokjin with a bit of a question furrowing your brow. Yoongi retreats into the bathroom now that he sees you are not upset at the intrusion

 “Sweets, we heard your doctor’s appointment was this morning. I hate doctor’s appointments, and we thought it might be uncomfortable for you, too.” Jungkook says while he giggles at your expression.

“Thank you, Alphas. I was going to try a shower today, but a bath sounds good,” you say. A smile blooms on your face at the knowledge of the Alphas trying to make your day good.

“Princess, the bath is ready. I used the Cassia and Cherry scented bath bomb for you today. I set a towel to the side for you like last time. When you are done, please call for any of us to help dry your hair, okay?” asks Yoongi as he heads toward the door.

“Sure thing, Yoongi. Thank you again.” With another smile, Yoongi looks pointedly at the youngest packmate before leaving to get ready, presumably.

“Jin, is breakfast something that will get cold, or can I eat it after the bath?” you ask. Meanwhile, you note that Jungkook has scooted closer to you but still not close enough to touch you or your fort. 

“It’s a simple breakfast: just some fruits and a bagel with cream cheese,” his eyes widened. He looked at the tray and then back at you. “You do like fruit, bagels, and cream cheese, right?”

Giggling, you kick out of the blankets and start scooting toward him. “Who doesn’t like those? They would be crazy not to like those!” 

You look at the array of foods on the tray, “Thank you, Jin. It looks good. Oh, you got mangos, my favorite!” 

You happily take a large bite of the slice and close your eyes to enjoy the burst of flavor. Seokjin watches you eat intensely, and Jungkook approaches your side.

Opening your eyes, you look back at the bunny, asking, “Can you have mangos?” At his nodding, you offer him to take the rest of the mango in your hand. 

Leaning forward, Jungkook eats the mango from your hand. His lips barely touch your fingertips, temporarily short-circuiting you. 

You immediately drop your hand and look back at Seokjin, only to notice he is watching Jungkook eat. You feel like you are getting too warm over witnessing something that should be between mates only.

“Umm... I am gonna go take that bath now,” you say softly. 

Bolting into the walk-in closet, you look for something comfortable and yours to wear today. You pull out a pair of leggings, a sports bra, a crisscross tank, and a non-thousand-dollar sweater.

When you leave the closet, you notice that the tray has been left at the end of the bed, and the two remaining Alphas have left the room. 

Softly, you bang your head on the door frame and mumble, “Good job, y/n. Way to keep professionalism.”

[incorrect-primarchs-quotes]

So I finished the first run of "Rogue trader"

And I have a piece of advice in case someone hasn't yet played it: do your companions quest + helps your colonies.

I speedrunned this first run, and I believe the "bad" results at the end - when they tell you what happens in the future - are because I didn't care about fixing them.

For example: I never helped Pasqual with his quests, he had no answers to his doubts and in the end he k1lled himself. Cassia too had a 'bad' ending because probably I never helped her or her House. I never cared about Heinrix, nor did I bring him with me, so I had no infos about his future.

Best ones were probably the three I helped in everything - even if I'm a bit deluded Marazhai didn't became an Archon despite I did everything I could (can he become one tho? Idk)

Now I'm gonna make a second run where I'll take my time with everything, let's see how much different things will be.

[downwithpeople]

rogue trader

on the whole a very good game. still my favourite wh40k thing i've played. i love tooling around the koronus expanse with my gang of miscellaneous shitheads.

i think splitting up the game into arbitrary arcs was either a mistake or something that was probably a holdover from an earlier version of the game that had more stuff in it. the big story stuff takes a back-seat in part 3 with the whole 'abducted by dark elves' thing. most of part 4 feels like tying up loose ends and part 5 is just kind of like, two companion quests and the final boss. it's nice that you get to see a huge swathe of the setting but the game probably should have stuck to three enigmatic enemies instead of like, five. you meet your rival rogue traders twice and in the second meeting you kill them.

the companions are very good. this cast is so much better than any bioware cast you care to mention. dragon age companions vacillate wildly between boring, annoying and desperate to suck your dick. the worst companion in this game is heinrix, because he's a cop, but that's only when you compare him to someone genuinely fascinating like marazhai or ulfar.

that's just in terms of personality though. in terms of mechanical usefulness i always had abelard and cassia and i was normally extremely reluctant to cycle argenta out of the party. abelard tanks and cassia and argenta completely depopulate the screen. both characters have been significantly nerfed since release but they're both incredible powerhouses.

some of these classes are not like the others. soldier/arch-militant is rightfully touted as an extremely powerful class that combos well with the officer; the arch-militant takes out three enemies per round and the officer gives them the extra turns they need to bring that number up to six. the operative felt like such a finicky waste of time, especially since applying debuffs felt like a waste of time compared to something like, cassia's notch of purpose + unblinking gaze combo that would drag every enemy into a 3x3 grid to get the ark of the covenant treatment. it's entirely possible that the normal difficulty is just tuned a bit low.

spaceship combat and exploration was tedious busywork. supposedly one of the upcoming dlcs is gonna massively expand those systems but we'll see. colony management was a fine bit of background spreadsheet tinkering but it would sometimes require you to travel to the colony in-person, which would require you to hope from star system to star system and deal with pointless encounters along the way.

i'm replaying the game on dogmatic and i'll be interested to see how that changes things. apparently heretic is fairly lame which doesn't surprise me. the rogue trader is a one-man east india company and that gives you all the delicious evil you could want. kowtowing to khorne or what have you isn't gonna add much more and apparently it also costs you almost all of your companions. so fuck that

[milkywaygg]

Lost Child Chapter 8

The next morning, Linnie woke up overwhelmed with emotion and anxiety. Replaying the events of last night over and over in his mind, Linnie struggled to understand why decency and kindness was so hard for his family. To him, even after her death, Nora’s influence seemed to still have an everlasting grip on his family, and Linnie swore at himself for staying with her as long as he did. Tossing and turning, Linnie tried to sleep at least for 30 more minutes before he had to get up, shutting his eyes and attempting to drown his mind out, only for his same worries to form once again.

It wasn’t even his family that he was worried about anyways. Linnie had yet to take Julie to see the police and figure out where she came from and what his next steps are. Despite all the commotion that happened under his apartment, Linnie was at least glad she was starting to at least look better. Linnie managed to get some of the knots out of her hair and was wearing cleaner, albeit a little too big clothes on her back. He also made sure that she had plenty of food and snacks throughout the day, and often checked in if he had to leave her with Darren for a little while.

Even though she was getting better physically, Linnie couldn’t say the same about her emotional well-being. She was still as skittish as the day they first met her, and it wasn’t rare that she would burst into tears after everyone started raising their voices. Linnie felt his heart sank as he thought about it and wish he knew how to make things better for her. She was so sweet and shy; Linnie felt like he saw a part of himself everything he saw Julie, so it broke his heart knowing that she wasn’t in a peace of mind, not that he could blame her. She deserved a loving family, and Linnie was damned if he wasn’t gonna give that to her.

After losing his battle, Linnie finally got out of bed and went to the kitchen, prepping his coffee for the day, trying to make it as sweet as possible. To his surprise, Julie was up at the table, drinking a bottle of orange juice. Not wanting to startle her, Linnie smiled gently at her.

“Good morning, darling. Sleep well? You want something to eat?”, Linnie asked, before receiving a shake, frowning, “Aw sweetie, what’s the matter? Are you not feeling well? Or is it about last night?”

“Why is your family so mean, Mr Linnie? Why is everyone so angry at each other?”, Julie asked, “That man was mean. I don’t want him to hurt Poof. I like Poof. He was nice to me.”

Almost instantly, Linnie knew that she was talking about Cosmo’s drunken rampage last night. He sighed; he really needed to have a serious talk with both of his sons about communication and respect. He took a seat next to Julie at he made a mental note to himself to call Cosmo, or at least the kids to make sure they didn’t get hit or anything.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry. You know, I haven’t exactly come from the best family either. I know how you feel.”, Linnie started, “I know everything seems awful right now, but I promise you that there are people that care so much about you. Sometimes, it just seems like the whole world is against you. But I know there are people out there that love you and would do anything to keep you safe.”

“Like Poof?”

“Mhm, and Cassia, and Darren, and even myself. Ever since we found you, I’ve been worried sick trying to figure out where you come from, and what to do next, because I want you to be somewhere safe. I don’t want you to keep getting yelled at or hit anymore. You don’t deserve that.”

“Y-Yes I do.”

“No you don’t darling. Please don’t think that. Sometimes, there’s just going to be bad people that hurt you for no reason, but that doesn’t mean you should have to put up with it.”, Linnie said softly, stroking her back to comfort her, “I promise everything is going to be ok and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure of it.”

“You mean it?”

“I mean it.”, Linnie smiled, before leaving his seat, “Now then, I was able to request the day off work so I will be taking you down to the police station instead of Darren, since I don’t think he’s the best at keeping you calm. I-I know you’re not hungry but I’m making eggs, if you would at least eat a little bit for me? Please?”

“O-Ok”, Julie said quietly as he turned around to gather what he needed, “Mr Linnie?”

“Yes sweetheart?”

“Thank you.”

  An hour or so had passed until Linnie started to hear Darren shuffle around in his room, moaning and groaning that his body wouldn’t let him go back to sleep. Linnie set a plate of eggs aside for Darren as he washed his and Julie’s dishes, with Julie sent off to pick an outfit before having a bath. Meanwhile, Darren stumbled out in the kitchen, dozily sitting down to scarf down his eggs, with barely any thoughts to his actions last night.

“Good morning Darren.”, Linnie started off, not coldy but clear that he was still annoyed from last night, “Sleep alright?”

“Yeah, guess so.”, Darren said, as he stuffed hid mouth with egg.

“That’s good. Listen, I don’t really have time to right now, but later on, I think you and I need to talk.”

“Why? Is it about last night?”, Darren questioned, “In my defense, she deserved it.”

“I don’t completely disagree, but I’m not really concerned about Wanda. I just don’t think it was appropriate of you to drag the children down and teach them how to disrespect other people’s property, even if it is family.”

“Yeah well, that’s what Cosmo’s bitch ass gets for all that shit he said about Julie at dinner. I mean, I don’t really like her either, but damn. It was like he had something against her or something.”, Darren said bluntly, shoving down another spoonful of eggs. Linnie sighed.

“Darren, I know you meant well, and it’s clear to me that you care about her, whether or not you want to admit it. I just think you need to think about your response to things sometimes. That’s all.”, Linnie said, “I worry about all 3 of you daily. I really don’t want you back in prison again, or even worse.”

“Yeah yeah.”, Darren rolled his eyes, “At some point Dad, you’ve got to realize that I’m a grown ass man and fully capable to watching out for myself. I know what I’m doing. It just doesn’t seem like you trust me.”

“Honestly Darren, you’ve made it pretty hard to.”, Linnie glared, crossing his arms, “And at some point, you need to realize that you are still living under my room, so until you find your own place to live, you need to abide by my rules. We’ve already been through this conversation once with the beer, and it’s not fair to me that I have to keep compromising my rules just so you can do reckless things and get yourself and the children hurt.”

“Hey, I’m doing the best I can finding a job, Dad! Keep in mind, I still have yet to hear from that banking job.”

“I know hun. I didn’t say you weren’t. I just ask that you try to be a little more responsible. I mean, what if one day you want to start a family of your own?”

“Pfft yeah right. Like that’s ever gonna happen.”, Darren smirked, “I don’t even have a girl right now, and I’m not exactly scrolling through dating sites right now. All I want is to get my own place and live my own life.”

“Well I’m just saying, all this is something to think about. At the very least, if you don’t plan on having kids, then that’s fine. Just please…take better care of youirself, ok? And please respect the rules I have in my house. Is that too much to ask?”

“Ugh…I guess not. Fine.”, Darren grunted, eating his last bite of eggs, “I dunno why you’re only telling me this though. I bet you have yet to tell Cosmo the same thing.”

“Oh believe me, dear. I do plan on talking to him about his attitude lately. Obviously, I don’t like how he treated Julie, and I’m worried about Cassia and Poof. I really hope he didn’t hit them.”

“I doubt it. He says a lot of shit but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him go through with it. Usually by the time he does get the motivation to, he ends up just breaking down and crying. Really, the man’s a piece of work ever since Wanda started pulling her shit.”

“Still. I don’t think that’s any excuse.”, Linnie said quietly, finishing the last of the dishes, “Here, I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got to get ready to take Julie to the police station. I’m going to go see if I can go call Cosmo real fast and talk to him. If you don’t mind watching Julie for a little bit while I get ready so that I can give her a bath, I’ve got some business to take care of”

“Heh. Good luck.”

Rolling his eyes, Linnie left his ‘oh so supportive’ son to finish his breakfast and to clean up after himself as he went to the room, taking a shower and getting dressed for the day before he grabbed his phone, taking a deep breath, and pressing Cosmo’s contact number. He held the phone up to his ear as it rang, struggling to get a response. Linnie had to repeat the process multiple times, with some attempts ending earlier than usual, before he sighed in defeat, scrolling up the contact list a little bit. Checking the time, he knew that she wouldn’t be at school for a little bit longer, before pressing her number, the same ringing repeating itself. However, this time, there was a voice.

“Hello?”

“Hi sweetheart. How are you? Are you ok?”

“Grandpa Cosma? What are you calling for? Thought you’d be at work.”

“Well I just wanted to check in on things. I’ve tried calling your father earlier but he wasn’t answering. Is he still asleep by any chance?”

“Not sure. Poof and I left the house just before we could run into him.”

“He didn’t hurt you two, did he?”

“Well, he didn’t hit us, but he was pretty mad when we got home after spending the night with you. He yelled at us for a good hour and a half before sending us to bed and grounding us, even though it was Uncle Darren’s idea.”

“Oh dear. I’m sorry kids. I didn’t mean for the both of you to get in trouble, but you know how your Uncle Darren is. He doesn’t always think things through.”

“Yeah. Hey, Poof wants to know if Julie’s ok?”

“She’s fine at the moment. I’m taking her to the police station in a little while to get to the bottom of things, but I just hope she finds a nice, loving family soon. I’m not sure if it would be wise for her to stay here, and we don’t even know where her real parents are.”, Linnie complained sadly, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to force adult problems on you guys, but I’m just so worried.”

“Yeah..us too.”

“Yes dear. Well listen, I won’t keep you too long. I know you have to catch the bus darling, but I just wanted to make sure you were ok. If Cosmo or Wanda ever hits you or Poof, give me a call please. I will not hesitate to come over there. Understand?”

“Yes Grandpa Cosma.”

“Good. I’ll let you go then darling. Have a good day at school.”

“Thanks Grandpa. Love you.”

“I love you too sweetheart.”

Upon hanging up the phone, Linnie felt slightly relieved that the kids were not hurt at least, although he made a mental note to call Cosmo again and try to see if he can talk some sense into that man. Finally, he got up and placed the phone on his nightstand.

“Julie dear? It’s time for your bath.”

[semper-legens]

99. The Wolf Den, by Elodie Harper

Owned?: No, library Page count: 452 My summary: Amara is the lowest of the low. A slave and a prostitute at one of Pompeii's most notorious brothels, she's had to fight to stay alive and stay ahead of the game. Buying her freedom is an impossibility. So if Amara ever wants to return to the blissful past where she lived and breathed free, she's going to need all her wits about her. My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

This was another random find on the shelves at work. My entry to being interested in history generally, and historical fiction specifically, was through Ancient Rome - long-time readers of this blog might remember me talking about the Roman Mysteries series, something I adored as a kid and still hold a lot of affection for. I haven't, however, read much fiction about ancient Rome meant for adults. But when this book crossed my path, I knew I wanted to check it out. The author wanted to shed light onto an aspect of Ancient Roman (or more accurately, ancient Pompeiian) society that is not spoken of as often - not just the lot of the woman, the slave, or the sex worker, but someone who is all three. And that makes this a really interesting novel in and of itself. I really enjoyed it, to the point that I tracked down the other two books in this trilogy and I'm gonna read them next!

I'm gonna talk about sex work, sexual slavery, rape, and other forms of sexual assault and harassment under the cut, so please be warned.

Our protagonist is Amara, a headstrong young woman who was born free, having been sold when her father died and her mother could no longer keep the family afloat. She was originally a concubine, but was bought by a pimp and became a sex worker. She's shrewd but struggles with despair, recognising that she's never going to be able to buy herself out of slavery and that she will need to be careful if she wants to survive. Amara consistently butts against her own morality. She takes loans from women for her predatory loan shark pimp, knowing he's exploiting them but needing her cut of the take. She makes opportunities for herself and the other girls, knowing she's putting them into danger. And that's the push and pull of Amara's character, she's trying to harden her heart to get the best she can out of life, but hates herself for it. It's a very realistic depiction of a person forced to the absolute edge by her circumstances, forced into making choices that she may or may not be able to live with just so that she can survive another day. It's notable that, as cold as Amara can be at times, your sympathy remains with her. Even when she's doing her most ruthless actions, you understand why and how she's been forced to this point. It's a tragedy, not a villain narrative, and the story understands and balances that really well.

Ancient Rome was not a nice place to live. Particularly as a slave. One thing I really admired about this book was its depiction of how slavery might have worked from the experience of an enslaved person. Amara is a commodity, her body is not her own, and neither is her life. Even when she is legally freed, she's still beholden to a patron as a concubine, hiding any true emotions she might have about him in order to play the fragile bird he wants to see. The girls are very matter-of-fact about how awful their lot in life is. We have Dido, a beautiful girl born free who doesn't take well to her life; Britannia, a fiery Briton who resists and rebels; Cassia, a woman worn down by years of forced sex work and losing a child that she kills herself; Paris, son of an enslaved sex worker who is forced into the same trade; Victoria, who is almost gaslit into loving Felix, their pimp. Even Felix has had a hard life. Also the son of an enslaved sex worker, he was abused as a child and young man - but that doesn't justify treating the girls the same way. But that's normalised in their society. Sexual abuse and harassment of enslaved women was normal and encouraged for freeborn men; the same for younger enslaved men. I think this book does a really good job of showing that, in a lot of these cases and particularly under Ancient Roman thinking, sexual assault like this isn't really about sex, it's about power. Men use their power over Amara constantly - they rape her, they force her into situations where she is powerless, they hurt and abuse her. She ends up having to attach herself to a rich patron in order to have a hope of getting away - and she's lucky he's not violent or abusive himself. But still. There's a man, Menander; another Greek like Amara, he's enslaved by a potter, and he and Amara strike up a genuine romance. Of sorts. They can barely ever meet and exchange notes via graffiti, and see each other maybe one every few months. And in the end, Amara is faced with a choice when Menander approaches her at a festival with a beautiful, thoughtful gift…in front of her new patron, Rufus. She scorns Menander and breaks the gift. And it breaks her heart! But Menander can't offer her freedom, can't offer her a way out of the Wolf Den, can't offer her anything but love. But Amara needs safety. So she makes her choice. It's a tragedy, but this is the lack of autonomy that enslaved people had in this era. And it's shown very organically and engagingly here.

The only real thing I have to criticise here is the writing style. Sometimes it's a little too plain or obvious - stating what a character is feeling or thinking directly when showing it might have been more effective, that sort of thing. It's not a dealbreaker for me, I still enjoyed the book, but it's something I kept noticing. The narrative also makes the choice not to actually depict any of the sex, which is fair enough as a choice (I get not wanting to over-eroticise or sexualise the abuse and exploitation that Amara and the others at the brothel experience) but does sometimes ring a little hollow in the specific choices made. Like, there's a few instances where Amara is mentioned as using her 'tricks', but the fact that we never learn what they are or what's actually going on…it just makes the author sound like she doesn't know what that might have been, and is just awkwardly papering over the cracks? It's awkward, I think that's the word I mean. Again, not a dealbreaker, and I totally understand the motivation there, it's just a little clunky in the wider context of the narrative.

Next, not too far away in subject, although a leap into the future. It's 1710 - welcome to Mother Clap's.

[ofbloodshed]

gonna put a lil blurb abt clove’s family ( my version ) beneath the cut bc i have Thoughts teehee <3

clove was born as the runt of the litter; she was smaller than her siblings, and thus considered weaker. her father, flint, was a peacekeeper and an avid supporter of the hunger games. her mother, cassia, came from a long line of strong stonemasons with favor from the capitol.

she grew up with four brothers and three sisters; of her brothers, two were sent to the academy to train for the games and two were trained to follow in their father’s footsteps as peacekeepers. one of her sisters went to the academy, the other two marrying prominent men in the district and starting families young.

when she was just a girl, clove saw one of her brothers die in the arena. she watched as her father slammed his fist against the table in rage and her mother simply bowed her head in disappointment and went on with her day. there was no extravagant funeral; he was sent home in a wooden box, sprinkled with bread crumbs, and that was that. he was a disappointment, and thus was never mentioned again. any and all tears shed over him brought punishment, which was always corporal in nature due to her father’s occupation.

when her two other siblings were sent into the arena and inevitably killed, tears weren’t shed. she knew better. at the small age of nine, she watched three siblings die and simply lost touch with the other three. they were as good as dead, too. but when she really thought about it, everybody in her family was as good as dead to her from the moment she was born; there was no love lost, not even a smile spared in her direction.

like all of her siblings, she was presented with two options: go to the academy and train ( even if both parents believed it to be futile ) or marry a wealthy man. her parents hardly cared either way — she’d be dead or out of their hair. clove was filled to the brim with spite, determined to make her parents really see her and eat their words.

and so young clove was sent to the academy. she was all alone, but really, that was no different than what she was used to growing up. she quickly found a proficiency for knives, and the more she grew, the more strength she gained. still, she was smaller than every other student, and any strength she gained was minimal in comparison to the strength they were born with.

she was subject to mockery and taunting, but she didn’t take it. she always bit back. however, she only gained the attention of her peers when she nearly strangled a boy twice her size for sneering at her. that was the day she befriended cato, a boy who could snap necks with his bare hands but seemed to develop a strange fondness for her.

it felt foreign, really. she wasn’t used to anyone tolerating her, much less liking her. but he did. and slowly but surely, clove began to like him too. together, they crafted a dream of volunteering together, never quite thinking about the idea of only one of them making it back alive. in her eyes, the only person she’d want to win over her was cato.

and so, eventually, they did just that. they volunteered together when clove was just fifteen years old. she presented a sadistic, biting nature that intrigued the capitol. despite her small stature, bets were made in her favor. her father was shocked to see his scrawny runt of a child thrive the way she did.

when clove died in the arena, she died with the demeanor of a scared little girl. she shrieked for the only person she knew would care; not her parents, not her siblings. cato. like her siblings before her, clove was sent home in a wooden box. her father wouldn’t look at her corpse, with her skull dented in. the capitol couldn’t even be damned to make her look human in death. her mother, for the first time, wept; the agony of losing so many children finally caught up with her.

when katniss and peeta visited the district on their victory tour, clove’s father stood on the stage of the mourning for the third time, deeply embarrassed and ashamed. her mother fought back broken sobs that were slapped out of her by clove’s father with an angry, open fist.

she didn’t bring pride to her district like she dreamed of doing. she only brought shame.

[kaminocasey]

Bonsoir Chapter 4: Don't Worry Baby

Bonsoir Masterlist

Bonsoir Playlist

Cassia’s Apt insp.

Summary: Cassia and Gregor spend as much time together as they can before he leaves.

Pairing: Pre MIA ep!Gregor x OC!Cassia Nu

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI; SMUT. Like... A LOT of smut. Bathroom sex (Twice; Once at home, another in a public bathroom). Oral (F receiving). Smacking. Rough sex. Unprotected sex (wrap it up, y'all.) Angst. Feelings.

WC: 4.7k

A/N: This is the last chapter of happiness for a little bit. Just a warning. Next chapter is definitely gonna hurt. Also, here is the lingerie I was thinking of while writing that scene.

The next morning rolls around and Cassia is reminded of the night before as soon as she wakes up, feeling the warm sun start to shine in through the window. She rolls over to throw her arm over Gregor but is met with her comforter instead. Confused, she opens her eyes, finding a note on the pillow that Gregor used the last two nights. She opens it and it reads:

Mesh’la,

You looked so peaceful sleeping, I couldn’t bear the thought of waking you. Especially after wearing you out last night. I have to be back at the base before my Commander wakes up, but there’s a fresh pot of caf waiting for you. Hopefully that makes up for my absence a little bit? I’ll be back by nightfall, I promise. Have a great day.

Love,  

Gregor

P.S. I fed Wedge for you. We’re best friends now.

Cassia grins to herself, holding the note to her chest like a silly lovestruck teenager. She can’t believe how lucky she is. She also can’t wait to have Gregor back home with her tonight. The thought of Gregor willingly hanging out with Wedge while she slept warms her heart. 

Is Gregor the one? 

She looks over at the time and realizes she needs to get up and get a shower so that she can open the shop. She needs to mentally prepare because she knows that Mara is going to ask for all of the details. 

She pours herself a cup of caf from the pot that Gregor had made and watches Wedge laying in his spot by the AC unit where he usually goes after his breakfast. She can’t help but smile to herself, knowing that Gregor went out of his way to try to take care of her and Wedge this morning. That means more to her than anything. It shows that Gregor cares. 

Can you see yourself with him in the future? She asks herself.

She knows that it wouldn’t be for a while. Not while this war was going on. She still has hope, though. 

When she finally gets to the shop and opens, Mara strolls right in, leaning against the front counter, bright eyed and ready for details.

“Spill. Now.” Mara demands, excitedly.

This is Cassia’s first relationship. She’s always put her ambitions ahead of her personal life. She knows if this thing with Gregor blows up, it’s going to hurt worse than she could ever imagine.

“What, no good morning?” Cassia laughs.

Mara sighs dramatically. “Good morning. Now spill please.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” Cassia teases Mara, smirking.

Mara smacks Cassia playfully. “You canceled our weekly lunch, which you never cancel. That’s how I know you’re lying.” 

Cassia smiles to herself, her thoughts immediately going to Gregor. 

“What do you want to know?” Cassia asks her, putting the register out. 

“Um, everything?” Mara smacks the counter, excitedly.

So Cassia tells her everything, leaving out the sexy bits. She wants to keep those parts to herself. Thankfully, Mara doesn’t pry too much. She also can’t help but think about yesterday in the park. About that terribly prejudiced man…

“You’re literally glowing.” Mara compliments her, squeezing her hand across the counter before starting to go unlock the door and flip the closed sign over to open.

“There’s something else, though.” Cassia tells her.

“What?” She asks, tilting her head.

“We were at the park yesterday afternoon… and this guy harassed us about being together… you know because he was a clone.” Cassia sighs. “I had no idea that people on Coruscant felt this way about clones… and it just breaks my heart, you know?”

“What did Gregor do?” Mara asks, concern on her face.

“He tried to get me to keep walking but… my inner Mara came out and I confronted the guy and put him in his place.” Cassia slightly smiles.

Mara laughs. “Well, first of all, I’m proud of you. And second, I’m so sorry that happened.” 

Cassia shrugs. “It’s just upsetting that people feel that way.” 

Mara comes back around the counter and pulls Cassia into her arms. She realizes right then that this is going to be her life with Gregor when they’re out in public. She doesn’t mind, but she knows she’s either going to have to get thicker skin and ignore the assholes or she’s going to end up arrested for fighting someone. 

The rest of the day goes by quickly and when Gregor shows up, grinning widely at her in the doorway of the shop, Cassia forgets everything about yesterday in the park and allows him to pull her into his arms and kiss her. “Well, I guess that’s my cue.” Mara winks. “I’ll lock up.” 

“You go ahead up.” Cassia tells Gregor. “I’ll meet you up there.” 

“Alright. I’m going to hop in the shower, if that’s okay?” Gregor tells her. 

“Sounds good.” She smiles. 

When Gregor is out of earshot, she turns to Mara and just needs a moment to freak out about how into him she is. 

“He is so hot.” Mara gushes to her, completely understanding. 

“Maker, I know right?” Cassia replies, excitedly.

“Now, go join your man for some steamy shower sex.” Mara pushes Cassia toward the back. 

“See you tomorrow.” She grins and heads upstairs.

As soon as Cassia gets up to her apartment, she feeds Wedge and then goes to open the fresher door, finding Gregor scrubbing himself clean. She leans in the doorway, grinning at the handsome man in front of her. 

“Are you just going to stand there and stare or are you going to get in here and join me?” He starts to rinse off, winking at her through the clear door. 

“Hm… I’m not sure if I’m dirty enough for a shower.” She challenges him.

“I can definitely change that.” He opens the shower door.

She takes her shirt off and then her pants, letting them drop into the pile that Gregor’s bodysuit was in. She steps into the shower and he backs her up against the wall as soon she shuts the door, crushing his lips to hers. She moans against his lips and he smirks against hers. 

“Been thinking about this all day.” He slides his hand down to her pussy, beginning to tease her clit, earning a whimper from her. “Could barely focus, my dick kept getting so hard.”

She pants against his lips, trying to buck into his hand. 

He slips a single finger into her and hums. “So wet and needy for me already, huh?” 

She nods, holding onto his strong, toned biceps, her nails lightly scraping against his wet skin. He kisses her one last time before sinking to his knees. She watches him with needy, lust filled eyes. 

“Been thinking about you all day.” He tells her, kissing her hip. 

“Me too.” She admits. “Non stop.” 

He licks a stripe up her already dripping folds and she lets out a soft whimper, needing more. He already knows her… knows what she wants… what she needs. 

“My pretty cyare.” He hums before diving into her cunt. 

She lets out a sharp gasp, her hands flying to his hair, needing to hold onto something… anything. She makes a mental note to ask him what that word means. 

He lifts her leg over his shoulder for an easier angle as he reaches around to hold onto her by her ass to make sure she can’t go anywhere. He moans desperately into her, loving the way she tastes, craving it even. He knows it shouldn’t be possible to be this in love with someone after only knowing them a few days, but he’s aware his life is short. And it’s not just sex that he thinks about. It’s everything. Coming back to her every day, listening to her read to him, watching her dancing around the kitchen, watching her talk to Wedge. He’s got it bad.

He inserts a finger into her and starts to suck her clit. He can’t get over how wet she is, all for him. 

“Fuck… right there.” She whines when he reaches deep into her.

“Yeah, that feel good, love?” He coos up at her and she nods, unable to form anymore words. “You gonna come all over my fingers like this?” 

She lets out a moan, the words completely lost. He can’t help but grin up at her, thinking to himself how beautiful she is like this, looking like a goddess. Like she hung the stars and galaxies herself.

Gregor continues sucking her clit fervently, adding another finger and pumping into her as she grabs his head, pressing against his mouth as much as she can, making him groan against her clit. 

That’s what sends Cassia over her edge, moaning Gregor’s name loudly and desperately. He stands up, unable to hold back any longer and picks her up, pressing her up against the wall. She wraps her legs and arms around him as he quickly lines himself up with her entrance.

“Need to feel you around me…” He whispers, the need for her clear in his voice. “Can I-”

“Please” is all Cassia can whimper, desperately holding onto him. 

He pushes into her and buries his face in her breasts, biting down, sucking a mark into her breast so that when she looks at herself, she’ll be reminded of him. She rests her forehead against his head as she moans against him. Gregor starts to thrust into Cassia and he looks up into her eyes so that he can see her come apart under him. The look she gives him can only be described as intense and loving. 

Gregor continues thrusting, one of his hands traveling up her back to her hair so he can pull it back and expose her throat. He places light kisses along her throat at first. When he bites, Cassia gasps softly and he smirks against her throat. 

“Feel good?” He chuckles.

“Mmhmm.” She nods, eyes closed and smiling.

Once again, he’s completely enamored with her, watching her enjoying herself on his cock. She starts helping him by rolling her hips against him. 

“Fuck, Cash-” He moans her name, becoming so overwhelmed with his feelings for her that he finishes inside of her too quickly.

He groans against her chest again, breathing deeply. When he looks up at her, he starts to apologize but she doesn’t let him because she crushes her lips to his, indicating that she doesn’t care how quick he finishes. As long as they’re together, it doesn’t matter.

Two weeks go by of Cassia and Gregor’s routine. She goes to work, he comes back to her at the end of the day. They lounge on the couch together with Wedge, of course. Cassia sometimes reads to Gregor when his head is in her lap and Wedge lays about on his stomach. It’s the most peaceful she’s ever felt and she knows that he’s going to be gone in a week and she’s not going to know what to do with herself. 

“Do you want to go out tonight?” Gregor asks her while she closes up the shop. “Both of you?” 

He’s already showered and put on a fresh pair of Cassia’s grandfather’s clothes that she emptied out a drawer for. It’s now deemed as “Gregor’s drawer”. He also has a toothbrush next to hers. 

Mara’s head perks up for once at the thought of going out. “Where?” 

“Well… I’d like for my brothers to meet you before we ship out next week.” He smiles at Cassia.

Cassia looks at Mara, unsure. 

“We’re going.” Mara nods to Gregor and Gregor reaches out for a hi-five. “Where should I meet you?” 

“79s?” Gregor suggests.

“Alright. I’m going home to change. I’ll see you guys there.” Mara starts to head out the door.

Cassia shoots Mara a look and Mara smirks. 

“Don’t get distracted.” Mara winks and then leaves.

Cassia looks at Gregor, smiling softly. “Wanna get ‘distracted’?” 

“When we get home, absolutely.” He pulls her into his arms, grinning down at her.

Her look softens and he notices and tilts his head. 

“What?” He asks.

“You called my apartment ‘home’.” She rests her chin on his chest, looking up at him as she wraps her arms around his waist. He wraps his arms around her, kissing her on the head. “Is that alright?”

“More than.” She grins.

He didn’t even mean to call her apartment home, it just slipped out. He’s glad she’s okay with it though. He hopes that Cassia knows that wherever she’s at is what he considers ‘home’.

“Now, go put that black dress on that I fucked you in the very first time.” He twirls her toward the back stairs, smacking her on the ass. 

She looks back at him with an amused look. He follows her up the stairs and she starts to grab Wedge’s dinner but Gregor shoos her away and tells her he’s got it. 

I’m gonna marry him, she thinks to herself as she goes to her room.

She stops dead in her tracks. “Marry?” 

“What was that, love?” Gregor calls from the kitchen.

“Nothing!” She calls back. “Was just talking to myself.” 

She tries to push the thought from her mind and sets her dress out and then settles on the cute black lingerie she bought when Gregor wasn’t looking. She puts it all on then runs to the fresher to put her hair up in a high ponytail. She puts on a little makeup and when she comes out of the fresher, she finds Gregor squatting and talking to Wedge while he eats.

Well… I guess I am gonna marry him, she accepts.

“I’m ready.” She tells him.

He stands up and then looks at her, his lips parting immediately. She feels her face go warm and can’t help but feel kind of silly.

“Do I look okay?” She asks him.

“Fuck… mesh’la.” He groans, the sight of her going straight to his cock.

He crosses the kitchen in three strides and pulls her into his arms. He can’t help but kiss her as a response. She drops her purse to the floor and wraps her arms around him. He backs her up against the couch arm rest and then spins her around, bending her over it. He runs a hand down her back and she lets out a soft moan, tilting her head to the side and closing her eyes. He grinds his already hardening length over her ass. 

“Mara said not to get distracted.” She tries to make a joke but he places a smack to her ass and she lets out a whimper.

“I can be quick.” Gregor leans over her and whispers in her ear.

He sinks to his knees and when he lifts her dress, he’s met with the surprise lingerie. He nearly cums in his pants right then. 

“Are you serious right now?” Gregor groans, biting her ass, making her yelp.

“You like?” She chuckles.

“I love.” He gets an idea. “I’m gonna make you cum in these and you’re gonna be soaked all night. That way when we get home, I’m gonna shove my cock into you so easily, you’re not going to be able to think straight.”

She whimpers again, already becoming wet at the thought. She loved the way he talked dirty to her. It got her instantly wet every single time without fail. 

“Is that alright?” He whispers.

“Yes, Captain.” She whispers back.

He smirks, placing a kiss to one of her cheeks and then makes his way to her barely clothed cunt, which is begging to be licked and teased. He can’t help but think to himself how truly lucky is to have met this perfect woman. 

Cassia feels his warm breath through the thin fabric and waits for him to bury his face in her already wet pussy. When she feels his tongue trace along the fabric just barely over her cunt, she lets out a soft whine. 

“You have the prettiest pussy, cyare. I swear. I’m so hard right now. Just for you.” Gregor murmurs, running a finger over her barely covered slit, settling on her clit, just lightly teasing her enough to get her squirming.

He continues teasing her clit as he starts licking against her clothed warmth. He grips her ass cheeks hard enough that there’s sure to be marks in the morning. He can’t wait to see. 

“What does cyare mean?” She asks him, breathlessly.

Her question takes him off guard and he feels warmth go to his cheeks. “It means beloved… or loved.” 

“I love that.” She smiles back at him.

He places a loving kiss to the back of her thigh and then starts to lick against her pussy again until she starts to shake, struggling to stand. He keeps her up by holding onto her thighs until she cums in the lingerie, on his face. Regardless of the fabric, his lower half of his face is still soaked and he leans back, looking at her dripping mess down her legs. He admires the mess for a moment before licking it up and pulling her dress down. He helps her stand on wobbly legs and he can see that she’s slightly flushed. 

“I probably look terrible now.” She says, self-consciously.

“You look like an angel.” He kisses her lips, making her taste herself on him, and then picks up her purse and hands it to her. “Ready?”

“Ready.” She grins up at him, blushing softly.

He leads her out the door and calls out to the Tooka somewhere in the apartment. “Bye Wedge. Don’t wait up.”

I’m definitely in love, she thinks happily.

When they finally get to 79s, Mara is outside waiting for them, looking at the time on her comm. 

“You guys definitely got distracted.” Mara shakes her head, clearly amused, when she sees them. 

“No idea what you’re talking about.” Gregor grins and squeezes Cassia’s ass. 

“Yeah, sure.” Mara smirks at Cassia. 

Cassia laughs and then Gregor leads them inside. 

The music in 79s is loud and bumping and she can feel it in her feet as they walk. The lights are flashing all sorts of colors while people dance against each other. Cassia isn’t used to such loud music and tries to tune it out as Gregor leads them back to a booth where four other clones are sitting.

“Hello, boys!” Gregor greets them. “Hey Cap!” They greet him. “Captain!”

“Boys, this is Cassia.” He introduces, making them scoot over so they can all sit. “And this is her friend Mara.”

Immediately, they start getting excited, leaning over the table to shake hers and Mara’s hands.

“This is Dyer.” Gregor gestures to the man next to him. 

He has long silver hair that’s pulled back in a bun and he’s grinning at Cassia, clearly excited to finally meet her. His eyes dart to Mara and suddenly, he can’t take his eyes off of her. Mara rolls her eyes and orders a drink from the waitress walking by.

“I’m Alfie!” The curly, short, dark-haired man next to Dyer introduces himself, happily. “We’re excited to finally meet the woman who stole our vod’s heart!” 

“Vod?” Cassia asks Gregor.

“Brother.” Gregor explains.

She nods, understanding. She loved hearing Mando’a. She wanted to know more about it.

“This is Lore.” Alfie introduces the one on the other side of him.

Lore has a yellow bandana holding his grown out afro back. He has an eyebrow piercing and you notice that he’s already got five empty drinks in front of him.

“I’m Noff.” The one with a clean cut almost like Gregor’s nods to Cassia. 

She smiles, politely. “I’m so happy to meet you guys!”

Gregor rests his arm around Cassia and his other hand on her thigh. She becomes hyperaware of how it starts sliding up higher. Mara doesn’t notice because she starts talking to Dyer about the store. 

Gregor’s brothers all ask Cassia a hundred questions at a klik a minute. She tries to answer as many as possible. In return, she asks them questions like what Gregor is like as a Captain. They all only have supportive and kind things to say about him, which warms her heart. She can tell they all truly care about each other. 

“You should see him with my Tooka.” She smiles fondly.

“Oh come on, Cap’s not a Tooka guy.” Alfie teases Gregor, reaching over and tousling his hair.

She really likes Alfie, he’s been very personable so far. 

“Well, he is now. My Wedge won him over. Isn’t that right, love?” She asks Gregor, grinning up at him.

All he can do is grin right back, fighting the urge to kiss her. “That’s right. The little furrball won me over in about a minute flat.” 

He just hopes none of the boys mention that he threatened them to not make fun of Wedge’s name. So far so good.

Cassia is about two drinks in when she starts feeling warm inside. She can’t stop grinning and Mara tells her that she needs to get home because she’s got moving to do tomorrow. 

“I can help her get home.” Dyer smiles, softly. “If that’s alright with you?”

“Sure.” Mara smirks.

Gregor pulls him in with a serious look, murmuring something. Dyer nods when Gregor pulls away.

“Yes, sir.” Dyer replies then turns to Cassia. “It was so wonderful meeting you. We definitely hope to see you next time.”

Mara and Dyer walk into the crowd and Cassia leans in close to Gregor. “What did you say to him?”

“I told him he better be respectful and make sure she’s safe or he’d be stuck cleaning the urinals on base instead of shipping out with us.” Gregor smiles, glancing down at her lips.

Cassia’s heart clenches and she realizes just how much she truly loves him. He’s so kind, even to Mara, who’s basically like her sister. She doesn’t know how she got so lucky. She kisses him, not caring who’s watching. How could she not?

Alfie and Lore cheer, teasingly. Noff smirks and sips from his drink. 

“Do you want to get out of here?” Gregor murmurs, lowly in her ear.

“I don’t think I can wait until we get home.” She warns him, against his ear, nipping slightly. “I need you.”

His grip on her thigh tightens. “Follow me.”

He pulls her out of the booth, ignoring the teasing from his brothers. He leads her to the fresher, not caring who sees. She can’t help but laugh at the boldness, feeling out of her comfort zone but not in a bad way. 

Gregor leads her into a stall and locks it. He pushes her up against the door, kissing her deeply. He pushes his hardened length against her hip and she moans softly against his lips. 

“You feel what you do to me?” He whispers in a raspy voice, needy.

“Yeah well, wait til you feel how soaked I am for you.” She whispers back, biting his lip.

He quickly undoes his belt, releasing his length from its confinements and she moans at the sight of him, like always. She’s never going to get sick of the sight of it. If she wasn’t so desperate to have him inside her, she’d drop to her knees right now.

He picks her up and she helps him by pulling her dress up and her underwear aside so he can push into her. It’s as easy as he said it was going to be. She’s absolutely soaked. “Oh fu-” He starts to groan but she hushes him by crushing her lips to his again.

“Told you.” She whispers against his lips. “Now fuck me like you mean it.”

He slams her against the door with excitement and starts relentlessly fucking into her. 

“Gonna make you wear my cum… gonna look so pretty.” He grunts, trying to be as quiet as possible. 

She whimpers against his lips, quietly, letting him thrust into her as hard as he wants. She’ll proudly wear his cum, letting it drip from her cunt, happily. She knows he’ll clean her up and take care of her properly when they get home. 

“Fill me up, Captain.” She whimpers in his ear.

“Fuck!” He practically shouts, immediately emptying into her dripping cunt. 

He continues thrusting into her until he’s absolutely sure he’s pushed his cum as deep inside of her as possible. He’s a panting mess and Cassia’s sure everyone outside of the stall and fresher heard Gregor have the most intense orgasm he’s ever had. 

She’s grinning at him and he almost looks embarrassed. 

“That was… Maker…” He groans, pulling out of her and grabbing toilet paper to clean himself up a bit and then flush it. 

She pulls him down toward her by his neck, kissing him heatedly. 

“Do… you want me to clean you up now?” He asks her, still panting as he rests his forehead against hers.

She shakes her head. “When we get home.”

They leave the stall and in deed get several dirty looks as they leave the fresher. They couldn’t care less, they’re too busy being all over each other even as they walk back to the table. 

“Not a word.” Gregor tells his brothers, seriously. 

They don’t say a word.

The next week goes by almost too quickly. It’s the last night that Cassia and Gregor have together. Cassia can’t help but try to push the lump down. She knows he’s going to return to her and everything will be alright. But it still doesn’t stop the heartache from making itself known.

“It’s only a month, right?” She asks him as he plays with her hair while she reads to him in bed.

“Exactly. It’ll go by in no time.” Gregor smiles, encouragingly.

They both know he’s lying. He’s trying to keep a smile on his face to not seem so sad.

Cassia grabs his hand to bring it to her lips when she notices the flower bracelet missing. “Did it finally fall off?” 

“Yes, but I’m using it as a bookmark in the book you gave me.” He slides up to kiss her. “I’m going to look at it every single day.”

She nods, tears starting to spring to her eyes and the lump being unavoidable now. 

“Oh, cyare…” He notices right away and pulls her into his arms. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” She mumbles.

He chuckles. “I’m making this one.” 

She smiles, wiping her eyes and they lay like that for a while. He starts tracing her face, letting his fingers trace down to her chest and her stomach and back up.

“I think I’m too sad to have sex.” She mumbles. 

“That’s alright, cyar’ika. We can just lay here. I’m happy to just hold you.” He kisses her on the head. 

“Do you want me to wake you in the morning?” He asks her, softly.

She shakes her head. “I don’t want you to see the mess I’m going to be.”

He pulls her face to look up at him. “I don’t want you to hide your emotions on my behalf.” 

“Why? It’s what you’ve been doing all week.” She shrugs, not meaning to be pessimistic.

It’s just harder than she thought it would be. She knew what she was getting herself into when she fell in love with a clone who had to go and fight in a terribly stupid war.

He sighs. “You’re right. I’m a hypocrite. I’m sorry.” 

She tucks her leg in between his and rests her chin on her hand which lays on his chest, looking up at him. 

“I’m a mess too…” He whispers. “For the first time in my life, I’m thinking of not going… I’m thinking about what it’d be like just staying here with you…”

“But?” She feels the tears pricking her eyes again.

“But… my vod need me.” He tells her.

She nods, understanding. “It’s okay.” 

“Can I tell you something?” He asks her, tracing lazy circles on her back.

“Anything.” She smiles, sadly.

He looks down at her, seriously. “You’re the fiercest, funniest, most wonderfully kind, absolutely gorgeous person I’ve ever met… and falling in love with you was the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

Wait, what? 

“You’re in love with me?” She asks, sitting up.

Her heart skips a beat. Two beats. 

“I am.” He sits up with her.

“I’m relieved to hear that…” She breathes. “I’m in love with you, too.” 

He grins widely and cups her face with one hand. “I swear to you, I’m going to come back to you no matter what.” 

And Cassia believes him when he says it.

TAGS: @livi-s @studioramekin @brynhildrmimi @madameminor @dumfanting @rain-on-kamino @wolveria @misogirl828 @rexandechosandwich @corona-one @tecker @ladykatakuri @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @twistedstitcher27 @zoeykallus @maulslittlemeowmeow @littlemousedroid

[daandyli0n]

*sighs*

i have more (ocs). two more, to be specific.

they’re twins.

cassia “cas” petalstep (yellow moobloom hybrid. 19 years old at first appearance, 20 currently. therapist. she/her. demisexual lesbian. tbh, she needs therapy herself (she has some self worth issues))

wilten “wilt” petalstep (“witherbloom”; wither rose moobloom hybrid. 19 years old at first appearance, 20 years old currently. doctor, but can also be a therapist if it’s needed. they/them. not sure on an exact label, but they like men. they’re the older twin and is the more “get it done” of the pair (they’re also a bit unhinged, tbh))

some facts of these two:

-the pair are both very close, and both would probably lose it if the other twin died.

-cas is pretty dependent on wilt, due to wilt having taken care of her when they were kids. cas is trying to distance herself so that she can try to take care of herself.

-the dynamic between the pair is based off of the song “our word” from 36 questions. due to this, the voice claim i imagine cassia to have is the woman singer who sang this song.

-wilt’s eyes aren’t completely white, and are just very pale. their eyes also don’t glow.

-cas lives in the main area of the server while wilt lives in las nevadas.

-marsh and wilt are dating. look, i’m going to try and at least give marsh one good thing. and i think that the personality difference between the two is interesting (anxious, socially awkward fish boy and unhinged, semi-flirty witherbloom)

-cassia functions as the main therapist on the server after puffy quit, with wilt occasionally helping as well. wilt functions as a doctor alongside ponk, but wilt’s office is located in las nevadas.

-quackity and wilt just have this unspoken rule between themselves which is just “Don’t f**k with me, I won’t f**k with you.” now, for quackity, it should at least sort of obvious (he’s blown up someone’s ufo, he’s literally tortured one of the most feared men on the server, etc.). for wilt? well, all i’m gonna say is that they know how to preform a surgery. take that as you will. they’re also the only other doctor on the server, and even quackity has enough sense to not anger a doctor.

-wilt is an unhinged, no nonsense type of person.

-cassia is very sweet and truly just wants to help.

-the pair joined at around the beginning of the l’manburg independence war. the pair were both medics. wilt died in the final control room to dream, while cassia stayed behind in l’manburg. she is the only og l’manburg soldier who didn’t lose a life. she still feels the survivor’s guilt to this day.

-both of them were very upset with the fact exile existed. their reasons were very different though, even if both truly cared for tommy. cassia’s reason was “He’s just lost his older brother figure! He’s already not doing great mentally! Isolating him will simply make it worse!” wilt’s reason was “You’re dragging him away from every possible doctor on the server. What’s gonna happen if he breaks a bone? Needs a blood transfusion? At least take a first aid kit-”

if y’all have any questions on these two, feel free to ask them! i’ve technically had these two for quite a while, but i’ve decided to just indert them into this universe now.

[gray-isnt-real]

Flying Lessons

Siren Kratts AU Writing Excerpt :3

Little Martin stood atop the rocks, his bluish-grey wings spread but his stance screaming to all who were watching that he wasn’t ready to take flight. He was only eight now, eight years old and his wings were strong enough to start flying. The only problem? He was much too nervous to jump, especially with all eyes were on him. His mother, his brother, the sirens he considered sisters and aunts. They were all watching with anticipation. He locked eyes with one particular siren, one whom he referred to as Aunt Juno.

Aunt Juno was one siren who he wanted to impress most, if he was honest with himself. After all, she was the self-proclaimed matriarch of the cove they resided in, and she always talked him up, as if he’d be one of the biggest, strongest sirens in the Greek isles. But he didn’t really believe it, he’d admit. He was scrawny and scared and dampened his wings every chance he got just to observe the sea nymphs and the creatures that visited them every now and again. He preferred to swim rather than fly.

“Come on, Martin! You can do it!” Thea shouted from below. Another siren whom he considered family, whom he looked up to. She was a strong flier, her voice had range, and she took him exploring along the coast. She was brave- more brave than he was at this very moment.

“Remember that wing flapping I showed you!” another voice joined in. Aunt Cassia.

“You can do it, honey!”

His mother. Chris looked up at him with wide eyes from down below. Only four years old, his wings starting to develop. He was in awe, waiting to see what he’d someday be able to do. But it was hard. With all eyes on him and the thought of falling and embarrassing himself- it was a lot for a little boy.

“What if I can’t?”

His fearful question silenced them. His voice was shaking. He was nervous- rightfully so, his mother thought to herself. “What if I fall? What if I can’t do it?!” There was so much pressure to be able to fly, to be able to do this one little thing. It was terrifying. What if they laughed? What if his mother was upset with him? What if he hurt himself?

Finally, he heard Aunt Juno’s voice after what felt like an eternity of silence.

“I’ll catch you, little one. You’ll be safe.”

You’ll be safe...

Her voice was tender, caring as she called up to him. Juno wouldn’t let him get hurt; she’d never make him do something if she didn’t have faith in his availability. Aunt Juno would catch him. He’d be okay, he could do this... The young blond kept telling himself this as he backed up, backed up to the edge of the rock. His family couldn’t see him now. There was no response from him; the silence was worrisome. What could he be doing up there?

“Do you think he’s coming down?” Cassia questioned the boy’s mother. She shrugged, glancing at the other.

“I don’t know. Maybe he just needs a moment,” she said softly, holding her younger son close. “Flying for the first time is pretty jarring for a young one-“

“Oh heavens!”

Without a single word of warning, the young siren had taken the jump, eyes closed and hoping he didn’t fall into the water from this height. The sirens down below went wide-eyed. Juno was braced to catch the boy while the others watched on in shock.

“He’s not flapping his wings-“

“He’s gonna fall, oh my goodness-!”

“Give him a second!”

He was falling- falling fast, though it felt like an eternity. His eyes were shut tight. He couldn’t stand to look down. But he’d be safe- he’d be okay. His family would catch him. His family was there.

Come on...come on...!

His wings flapped haphazardly at first, sloppy and out of sync. Martin felt himself tilt and jolted, his eyes opened, his heart raced the moment he realized he wasn’t that far from hitting the water. He could do this! He could do it!

The boy felt himself jolt upwards. His wings had caught up with one another, his form straightened... And here his mother had thought he’d hit the water. They all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief watching his face light up with pride, even as he found himself wobbling. He’d get better at it.

“I DID IT! I’m doing it!”

“We knew you could, little grebe!”

•••

“....Juno.”

Cassia turned towards the older siren, brushing long brown locks of hair from her face. Her tan wing were outspread in an attempt to shield herself from the cool ocean air. The older woman groaned softly as she turned to face her companion.

“What is it, dear?”

“Do you ever think about the boys at all? Like you remember little things and then you just st-“

“Start worrying?” Juno seemed to avoid looking her dear friend in the eyes as she hesitated. It’d been so long since she’d seen them, heard their voices, anything. She wanted more than anything to see those sweet faces, rid of grief and bitterness. That was how she’d seen them last. “...All the time.”

Silence fell.

“I hope they’re doing okay. Wherever they are...”

[lady-of-the-spirit]

At this rate they're gonna have to magically handcuff him to their wrists or something because he can't be left alone for five minutes without something horrible happening.

Cassia 🤝 Hestia feeling more attached to 2012 Loki than their own Lokis. Hestia has accepted there's no way of getting back to her timeline and her people so this Loki is all she has. She's not losing him or anyone else she loves ever again if she has anything to say about it.

(As soon as Cassia steps out Hestia's also gonna yell at him for sacrificing himself because he has Cassia and even if she's not specifically his daughter technically, he's still a variant of her father and he's gotta be more responsible!!! "Stop trying to sacrifice yourself, I'm not taking care of my niece alone!")

Cassia and Hestia are gonna yell at Loki so much after they save him from his self-sacrificing ways in the finale. Right after they hold him in their arms for a few hours because they almost lost him again.

He needs to be yelled at bc he's making the stupidest choices in this series!!!! But also yes, they are hugging him so tight after all that nonsense bc stop being an idiot Dad/brother-in-law!!!!!

Not to get thinking really deeply into this but at this point Cassia probably feels closer to variant!2012!Loki than she does to her actual father from her own timeline, which definitely adds to the "STOP TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED/LOST -" that she's always yelling as she runs after him to stop him from doing stupid stuff.

[mackeydoodledoo]

Promises

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Cassia Beryl (Fem!Demigod), Agnes/Agatha Harkness x Cassia Beryl (Fem!Demigod) [Non-romantic]

Summary: For as long as you've been existing, you posess powers of a God. The Greek God of the ocean to be specific. Knowing Wanda since Ultron. You vowed to protect Wanda. Keeping her promise to Vision before the mind stone was ripped from him. When you rescue Wanda's kids from a witch named Agatha Harkness, using your godly abilities, she begins seeing something in you that she hasn't seen in a very, very long time.

Warning(s): WandaVision Finale Spoilers

A/N: hi, I recently finished Wandavision and let me tell you I'm bittersweet. Cassia Beryl is my MCU Character!

--------------------------------------

As you peek around the corner, you notice two kids being held by some kind of purple magic string. If i can sneak over there I can get those kids out of there. And that’s exactly what you do. You bob and weave through backyard after backyard until you're directly next to the witch. 

"This is Chaos Magic Wanda, and that makes you the Scarlet-" 

You throw your trident that pierces right through the magic, disappearing. Your trident lands into the ground on the other side of the road. 

"She really is special," you smirk, slapping the witch with water and picking up the boys 

"Cass?.." Wanda calls out to you 

"Hey Wans," you smile, turning to her 

"Mom!" One boy said, running to her as you let them down 

Mom? She's.. a mom? You were given a mission, from the Rambeau; Monica, to try and save Wanda from spiraling down into a Villain. You were pretty close with Wanda, considering how the two of you both joined after the Battle of Sokovia. 

"Get inside boys!" She replies, "Go in your rooms!" 

You watch Wanda's boys head into their house, you hold your hand out, your glove glowing. Your trident comes back toward you. You catch it with no recoil on the impact. 

"It can't be...." Agatha says, breathlessly, looking at you 

"Can't be what?" You ask 

"I know those colored eyes anywhere," she replies, "You're-you're Poseidon's kid!" 

"And? Your point is?" You snarl back, "I want NOTHING to do with my father!" 

Angered, you propel water from your feet and use it to kick Agatha into towns Square. With Wanda in tow. You watch Wanda throw one of her Psonic power however, you notice how Agatha absorbs it rather than falling back. 

"Wans?..." you call, noticing her black tipped fingers 

"I absorb your magic," Agatha speaks, "It's kinda my thing." 

You walk over to Wanda and feel her hands and try to rub off the black. Even with your water powers nothing came off. 

"I'll handle this," you say before your neck is wrapped with purple magic and you're dragged back 

As you turned around you feel your hands wrapped, unable to hydro kenesis. 

"Cass!" Wanda calls 

You wanted to let out a snarl but feeling the magic wrapped around your neck getting tighter. 

"You and I have a lot to catch up on darling," Agatha smirks before she's finally knocked back by Wanda 

Trying to gather your bearings, vision fuzzy, you begin falling. Expecting to hit the solid ground below you, you were wrong. But feeling a familiar, soothing feeling. It felt like a water current but you knew it wasn't water, cuz when you opened your eyes Wanda was standing in front of you. 

"Are you hurt?" Wanda asks, her accent coming in 

"I almost got choked to death," you laugh, getting up to stand by her side, "But other than that I'm dandy." 

You look over and Wanda's hands are continuing to turn black. 

"You built this town to feed your need to have Vision back," Agatha states, "You make these people feel your pain." 

You and Wanda look over and you see a lady's eyes turn gold and then back to normal. 

"Dottie?" Wanda asks, as she's walking over to the two of you 

"My name is Sarah actually," she says, "I have a daughter, Eight years old. I can't see her, she's locked in her room, if you could let me see her please." 

As Agatha 'frees' everyone from Wanda's unintentional mind control, they all begin ranting on about how they have families outside of Westview and how they wanna leave. You pull Wanda into your arms tk try and calm her down as she was beginning to break. However, she loses it and begins putting red magic around the people, excluding yourself. 

"No, I'm sorry," she cries, releasing her magic from them 

Without thinking, she begins releasing her magic against the barrier. 

"Everyone out, now!" Wanda commands 

As they begin running, you begin hearing military trucks... 

"Hayward... that lying rat!" You yell 

However, before you could reach them, they reached you. Westview Vision and Wanda's kids join up with you two. However, almost dissipating... Wanda closes the Hex, regaining their form. 

"Boys, take care of the military," Wanda demands, as Vision becomes occupied with white Vision, "Mommy will be right back." 

You follow Wanda as you both head for Agatha, "Wans, Can you reach into her mind and force her to show her greatest fear?" You ask, looking at her, "I'll keep her distracted. Apparently she has history with my father... Time to get a crash course." 

Wanda smiles as she disappears as you land right in front of Agatha, "You have history with my father? Let's talk then." 

You put your trident against your back. No tricks. Or maybe one trick. 

"Your father, he-" 

Before she could even start, Wanda flicks her magic into Agatha's temples. Taking the both of us back to her... trial? 

"No no no no," Agatha shutters, "You tricked me!" 

"Well, you should have remembered I want nothing to do with my father," you said 

But you were also interested. Why was Agatha keen on talking to you about the father you never want contact with? Oh well, save it for later. You look around the dead corpses and realize there was a body of water nearby. Kinda made sense. But also not. However, once Wanda resurrected Agatha's coven members, they push you out of the way and gather around Wanda and begin bringing her o to the stake instead of Agatha who was free. You tried to get up but purple magic held you down. 

"No! Wanda!" You call out 

"You can't win Wanda," Agatha smiles, "You lack knowledge." 

As you looked up you noticed a crown forming along Wanda's head... Your eyes gape in awe, you knew Wanda was capable of so many things. Reaching her full potential as someone with magical abilities is one of them. She launched at Agatha, bringing you guys back to reality. Free from the magic shackle, you launch yourself with Wanda as you two slam Agatha into the ground. However, Wanda's arms completely black. 

"Mom!" The boys call out 

You turn however Wanda pushed you back toward them as she begins lifting herself up into the air. The boys help you up as you three watch. As Wanda continuously throws magic after magic, you realize she's getting weaker; her attacks becoming less forceful. 

"Auntie will be right back," you tell the two boys as you, with sheer willpower, must up all that you have, create a water vortex, lifting yourself towards Wanda. 

"Wanda! Hang in there!" You call out to her 

You realize she's just standing there, however, begin noticing runes all around the Hex. You don't say anything or do anything else but just watch as Wanda's complexion go back to normal. But, she began to re-take her magic. You couldn't make out what they were saying but you knew Wanda was doing.... You just sit in your vortex and watch in awe as you realize Wanda is becoming The Scarlet Witch.You realize she also has a new costume, and you fell in love with Wanda all over again. 

"Wow..." was the only thing that came out of your mouth as you let the vortex go and watch Wanda land as Agatha lies on the ground. 

"So, are you just gonna lock me up somewhere?" She asks, angrily 

"Not somewhere, here." Wanda replies, "you have the role I give you; the nosy neighbor." 

"You can't do this," Agatha, "You don't know what you've unleashed. You're gonna need me," she retorts back 

"Will I?" Wanda replies, "I know where to find you if I need you. You have your role here now." 

"No no please!" Agatha pleas 

Before Wanda could mind control her again, you gently touch Wanda's outstretched hand. Wanda stands down, a little angered. Agatha smiles as you kneelt down to her. But the smile faded when you didn't smile back. 

"Your history with my father...," you start, "I'll come around once I'm ready to talk." 

You stand and turn to Wanda, signifying she can control her again. Thus, she does. 

"Hiya hon," she says cheerfully, "Quite the getup hot stuff." 

Not sure if she's talking to you or Wanda. As your back was turned to her. You watch Wanda as she embraces her boys and Vision. 

"You'll make things right Wanda, just not for us," Vision smiles, "Lets go home." 

They all nod in agreement as Wanda begins releasing The Hex. As they pass by you, Vision stops. 

"You," Vision calls, you end up looking at him, "Would you like to join us?" 

You smile and nod as Wanda slings her arm around you as you follow them to their home. 

"Thank you Cass," Wanda says 

"Always Wans," you smile

As you watch Wanda and Vision tuck Billy and Tommy [you finally learned their names] into bed. 

"Thanks for saving us today," Billy states, looking at uou 

"Cassia Beryl," you smile, "I'm a close friend of your mom's." 

They smile as Wanda and Vision sit at their bedside. You standing at the doorway. 

"Your mother and I," Vision starts, "Are very proud of you. 

"The both of us," Wanda says, her accent slipping in 

You heard her accent clearly. You loved Wanda's accent. You look out the window and sigh, realizing Wanda is gonna be alone again. 

"Cassia is it?" Vision asks 

"Yeah," you reply 

"May I have a word with you? Alone?" He asks, looking at Wanda to stay with the boys for now 

"Yeah, sure," you say, going downstairs 

Once the two of you reach the main floor, you turn to Vision. 

"You, I don't know you at all but you seem to have a close connection with Wanda. Before I'm gone, I must know your connection with her." Vision asks 

You sigh, "I can't put it in words. However, I can show you my history with Wanda." 

A single tear drops down and you catch it with your finger. It then turns into regular water. 

"I hope this works," you whisper as you flick your memory water at Vision 

"You know I could have stopped him myself, disarmed him, killed him," you say, "But I didn't do anything. We all played our pieces, some aren't going to end as pretty as you hoped." 

[...] 

"Can you play me a song Cass?" Wanda requests 

"Always." You smile, grabbing Wanda's guitar as she seats herself right next to you 

[...] 

"Cass, I didn't mean to-" 

"Save it Wanda," you sigh, "Besides, you've looked happier without me." 

[...] 

"Cassia, can you keep a promise for me?" Vision asks, pulling you into a corridor 

"Of course Vision," You reply 

"I need you to look after Wanda for me," Vision blurts, "Should anything happen to me, Wanda is going to need someone. I don't want her being alone. You're the second most person she trusts." 

[...] 

"Vision, I don't know how I'm going to look after her without you," you choke out on a sob 

"It'll be alright Cassia," he says calmly, "You'll be able to figure it out." 

[...] 

"VISION NO!" You scream, scrambling up to your feet and attempt to save Vision again from Thanos. But he bsck-hands you into a tree, knocking you out 

[...] 

As you regain consciousness you see Wanda beginning to become dust. As half-consciouss as you were, you scrambled up to your knees and launched yourself with whatever energy you have left to reach Wanda. 

"Wanda NO!!!" You scream as a last effort 

She dusts right as you try to cup her cheek with your hand, a couple of dust. You open your hand and begin banshee screaming.

You let out a sigh once Vision comes to. 

"The last five years were horrible," you sigh, "Trying to get my mind off of Wanda in said years, didn't help. She'd often be in my dreams. Hoping I could revive you or get her back." 

"So in other words," Vision starts, "I left a promise to you that would look after Wanda after I'd be gone?" 

You nod, blushing a deep red as soon as you look over Vision's shoulder; Wanda standing at the bottom of the stairs. 

"W-Wanda," you stutter, "How long were you standing there?" 

"Long enough." She smiles, but the smile faded as the Hex was getting even closer 

You motion for Vision to Wanda in his final moments. You look on as Waves and Vision embrace. 

"Before I go Wanda, I must know. What am I?" He asks 

"You are Vision," she smiles sadly, "You are my sadness, my hope. But most importantly, you are my love." 

He smiles as he kisses Wanda for the last time as the house begins going back to its original state. You felt tears run down your face as you watch Vision disappear. 

"Goodbye Cassia," Vision says, "take care of Wanda for me. " 

You ugly cry as you try to smile and nod at his request. 

"So long darling," he finally says as he disappeared, the go far to its foundation 

You regain yourself as you begin walking toward Wanda. 

"You okay Wans?" You ask, hectic putting your hand on her shoulder 

She sighs at your touch. 

"Cass, make your own life worth while. I'm not worth it, " Wanda says 

You meet her face, "Wans, your worth a million universes to me. Besides, I like adventure." 

"Cass, you do know that once you go with me, you can't turn back right?" She asks 

"I'm fully aware doll," you say, holding her hand, "Where you go, I go." 

"You-you don't hate me? For leaving you?" She asks 

You take her hand in yours and intertwine your fingers together, "I never did." 

You place a gentle kiss on her forehead before you put on her hoodie as you begin leading her away from the foundation to leave Westview. However, you felt eyes on Wanda... Not the good kind either. However, you meet up with Monica. 

"You don't hate me?" Wanda asks 

"With your situation and your kind of power," Monica starts, "I'd bring back my mom." 

"That makes two of us," you emphasize with Monica, "I'm sorry." 

"I'm sorry too," Wanda says, 

"They'll never know what you've sacrificed for them," Monica states 

"I don't think it'll change how they see me," Wanda adds, "Goodbye Monica." 

You casually salute three fingers up to her and give her a smile. Wanda wraps her soothing red magic around you along with her arm slithering around your waist and you two turn to the edge of Westview. 

"We're going to be okay Wans," You say 

You weren't fully sure. But you were certainly going to give it your all to protect Wanda. For Vision. Real and Westview Vision.

Epilogue You emerge from the waters that was right in front of your shared cabin with Wanda. It was way off grid. That's whats gonna stay that way. You look up and see Wanda holding a towel out to you. You first wipe your face dry and then your hair. 

"I have tea warming up just for you love," Wanda smiles as she brings you inside, her fingers gently running along your bare back, "Your favorite."

Sometime later, you knock on the doorframe to your bedroom and peek around the door. As much as you didn't want to disturb her, you wanted to check on her and you wanted to see her as her true self. She smiles when she sees you. She stops her studies and walks over to you. 

"You doing okay?" You ask 

"Yeah I'm alright Cass," she smiles, kissing your nose, "I'm beginning to think Vis let you come with us is that smiles they're gone, I still have someone to look at." 

"I think he was right," you put your forehead onto Wanda's, "I never want to let you go away from me again."

[milkywaygg]

FOP- Lost Child Ch. 5

Gonna update the story on fanfiction in the morning. I’ve just gotten back from a football game and I’m a bit too sleepy right now to care lol. Here’s the next chapter though. While Darren finished up in the shower, Linnie had gotten around to wiping down the dinner table one last time before Cosmo had arrived, checking on the potatoes and chicken that were being cooked on the stove and oven respectively. After finishing the cleaning, he poofed out a green table cloth and set the table, putting a plate, fork, and knife at each placement, alongside a glass for everyone to have a drink.

“Julie, what would you like to drink, sweetie?” Linnie asked, smiling kindly, “Did you like the apple juice you had this morning?”

“Uhm, yes please.”, Julie said quietly, as Linnie got out a plastic cup for the kids, pouring apple juice into Julie’s, setting it down on one of the open seats. Not too much longer after, Darren had gotten out of the shower, sporting a black t-shirt and light blue jeans, headed to the fridge for a beer.

“Uhm, Darren, maybe you could hold off on the drinking tonight?”, Linnie asked, “Cosmo’s bringing the kids over and I don’t think we should be drinking around any children to keep them safe.”

“Why? It’s just a beer.”, Darren shrugged, before Linnie gave a pleading look, forcing him to roll his eyes and put it back, “God, fine.”

“It’ll only be for tonight dear, and after they’re gone, you can have one if you want….I guess. Just not around Cassia and Poof.”, Linnie lectured before hearing the door knock, “I think he’s here. Just try to be polite.”

Darren couldn’t help but feel somewhat nervous as Linnie began walking to door. Ever since his arrest 10,000 years ago, Darren wasn’t sure if there was much else he could say. I’m sorry for stealing? I’m sorry for letting our family down? On top of it all, Darren was pleading mentally to himself that Cosmo didn’t bring Wanda. He watched solemnly as Linnie finally answered the door, sighing in relief as he didn’t see a sign of pink anywhere, other than Cassia’s star headband.

“Hi sweetie, I’m glad you could make it after all.”, Linnie hugged Cosmo, “No Wanda?”

“Nope. She’s still working. I swear, one of these days I’m going to call her dad and ask her what gives, and why he can’t get one of his little goons to do the job.”, Cosmo smirked, nudging the kids and himself inside, clutching a black, paper bag in his right hand, and the Star Liquor logo written elegantly in white cursive. Upon seeing the bag, Linnie frowned disappointedly.

“Oh dear, Cosmo. I really wish you wouldn’t have brought that-”, Linnie jumped, Cosmo’s harsh tone barking suddenly.

“Hey, you didn’t say a damn thing about no alcohol and you know I get withdrawal symptoms easily, so I don’t want to hear jack shit!” Cosmo screamed suddenly, shoving himself into the house past Linnie, putting the bottle on the table and cracking it open, pouring the wine into one of the open glasses.

‘Oh..uhm…I-I’m sorry dear, I didn’t mean to..It’s just you know how I feel about alcohol and I just thought it would be nice to have an alcohol-free dinner, especially with the kids...…oh…”, Linnie muttered, Julie shaking in her seat as she watched Cosmo take his seat, while Linnie desperately tried to find a way to change the conversation. Frowning deeply, Darren took a seat on one of the ends of the table, catching Cosmo by surprise.

“Damn, someone’s in a shity mood.”, Darren commented, Linnie scolding him for his language in the background, “What’s wrong. Cat got your tongue?”

“Uh…I-I just didn’t expect you here. When did you get out, and what are you doing here? Don’t you have your own apartment to go to?”, Cosmo asked.

“About a few months ago, and no, I got evicted since I wasn’t paying my rent, not that it’s any of your business.”, Darren snarked. Cosmo rolled his eyes.

“Go figure.”, he said, looking towards his kids, “Cassia, Poof, this is your Uncle Darren, my older brother. Darren, Cassia, Poof.”

“Uh hey kids.”, Darren waved awkwardly, looking towards Julie, “Uh..this is Julie. This is the kid we found on the streets and are trying to find her parents. Think she’s about your age, Poof. 5,000?”

“Her hair’s so pretty!”, Poof cheering, catching Julie’s attention. Instead of thanking him however, she blushed shyly and smiled, Cosmo’s eyes rolling and looking at Julie.

“You know, you could say thank you. That’s what you do when someone compliments you. It’s not hard.”, Cosmo snapped, “Alongside, washing your hair.”

“Alright Cosmo, let’s not talk to her like that please.”, Linnie said gently, “She’s going through a lot right now, and I invited you and your family over to discuss the situation with her, in case we need your help with anything.”

“Uh…Dad? Meet me in the hallway real fast?”, Darren asked, surprised by Cosmo’s recent behavior. Linnie nodded and followed him, making sure the two of them were unheard, “Uh..did something happen to Cosmo or something? What the hell’s his problem?”

“Well..”, Linnie sighed sadly, trying to shake it off and lower his voice, “He’s been going through a tough time with his marriage, and recently, he’s had a miscarriage. Everything’s just been going downhill for him ever since. He’s a lot snippier than a few years back, and his patience for things has just been withering.”

“Yeah, because last time, I don’t remember having an entitled piece of shit for a brother.”, Darren snarled, ignoring Linnie’s plea to stop cussing, “I’m not wrong though! He shouldn’t have yelled at you like that and you should have told him off.”

“I know dear, but honestly, I’m a little more concerned about the Julie situation at the moment. Don’t worry, I do plan on talking to Cosmo about his behavior this evening, but we really need to figure this Julie situation out right now. In the meantime, just try to bare with me, ok?”

Without much choice, Darren nodded as the two made their way back towards the kitchen, clearing their plates and taking their glasses into the living room, Cosmo carrying the wine bottle to the coffee table, much to Linnie’s discomfort. After dinner, Poof and Cassia ran towards Cosmo, with Julie not too far behind them. 

“Daddy? Daddy, can we and Julie play after dinner?”, Poof asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. 

“I guess so. Just don’t be too loud. The adults and I have something to discuss.”, Cosmo said, offering the bottle of wine to Darren and Linnie. Linnie shook his head while Darren helped himself, nearly pouring the wine out of the glass. The dinner was silent and awkward, with Darren and Cosmo casting silent looks at each other, while Linnie looked nervous the entire time. It wasn’t until the children were sent off to play with some of the toys Linnie had provided, that the talk started, Cosmo pouring himself and Darren more wine. 

“So, what is this about? What’s with that girl, and why was she so rude when Poof complimented her earlier?”, Cosmo demanded, “You know he’s just about the nicest boy there is, so I want to make sure he gets the respect he deserves. Seems like this Julie girl needs to be taught some manners.”

“Cosmo, I really wish you wouldn’t be so hard on her.”, Linnie sighed, “Darren found her actually. He had a job interview and found her on his way home, cold, and hungry. We don’t know where the people that left her there are, she barely has any clothes that fit or are clean, and to top if off, there’s a bunch of scars on her legs and arms.”

“And none of those are self-inflicted?”

“Cosmo, come on. She’s a little kid. I seriously doubt she’d do something like that.”, Darren commented, “She has been very skittish around her though. Just the other day, she pissed all over the carpet when she needed the bathroom.”

“Seriously?”, Cosmo snarled, “I mean, I get that she’s scared right now. I would be too, but it’s not hard to go to the bathroom.”

“Darren, we don’t need to keep bringing that up, please.”, Linnie sighed, feeling as his words were going in one ear and out the other, “Anyways, I’ve just been so worried and stressed out about her, and I don’t think she has a home that’s taking care of her right now.”

“Right, and what’s that got to do with me?” Cosmo asked, sipping the wine, “I’m not looking to adopt. I wanted my own child, and plus, I don’t need another child for Wanda to ignore and act like they don’t exist.”

“Yes no, we’re not offering her. After all, we still need to figure out where she came from.”, Linnie stuttered, “I was just wondering if maybe we could have you help out when we need it. Maybe if Darren and I aren’t home, you could watch her for a little while, and I’m sure Cassia and Poof would like another playmate.”

“Maybe. I guess I could talk to Wanda about it if she ever gets her ass home, hic.”, Cosmo hiccuped, the wine really kicking in his system, “Tell you what though, she better learn some manners before then. At the very least please and thank you.”

“We’ll work on that.”, Linnie said quietly, before hearing a phone ring, coming from Cosmo’s pants pocket.

“Hang on.”, Cosmo said, headed towards the hallway, picking up his phone, “Hello? I’m at Dad’s, Wanda. Yes, the kids are with me too. No, you didn’t communicate that with me! Why do you only ever call me or talk to me when you need shit huh? Why don’t you ever call me to check on me and the kids? You think you’re too good for a family now, huh? Fine, see you later. Don’t bother picking me up.”

“Uhm..”, Linnie said softly, “So given the circumstances, I”m guessing you need to stay the night dear?”

“Well duh. I’ve been drinking, hadn’t I? Obviously I can’t go nowhere.”, Cosmo said sarcastically, “Do you have any more spare mattresses?”

“Well…no. I-I think if you want to take one of the couches, I can take the other, and then Cassia, Julie, and Poof can all sleep on my bed in the master room and Darren just sleep in his room, and we can take you home in the morning before I head to work.”

“Can’t I just take the bed and the kids take the couch? They’re smaller.”, Cosmo complained, getting Darren angry.

“Goddamn, just do what dad says already and quit acting like such an asshat. This isn’t your fucking house!”, Darren screamed, Linnie rubbing his temples, and feeling his heart pounding from all the stress he had been experiencing.

“You know what?”, he yelled suddenly, standing up, “Darren, watch the kids for a few minutes and you two figure it out. I don’t care right now. I-I..I think I'm going on a walk.”

[fallencrowns]

Reid had turned his attention back to the pool of water below when he felt her grip on his arm. His head whipped back to see her hand on his arm, eyes moving to her face before giving his other shoulder a shrug, careful not to move the one she had a grip on. This? This was nothing. And yet here she was practically CLINGING to him like Tyler when he was younger and figuring out his powers. Blue eyes watched Cassia, almost like he was expecting her to lose her footing and he’d have to catch her. Last thing either of them needed was a headline of ‘College Student Nearly Dies After Plummeting From A Cliff’ plastered all over the campus. Reid wasn’t adverse to troublemaking but THAT would definitely get him booted out. 

He let out a scoff at her next words, eyes rolling and immediately looking away from her to take a moment to lift his shirt up and over his head, tossing the fabric to the side.   ❝  C’mon, don’t be such a scaredy-cat. You’re starting to sound like Caleb and I get enough LECTURES from him.  ❞  He was an adult now and he still had to hear the whole ‘talk’ from Caleb now and again even with the older Son at an entirely different college. Even Pogue was better at understanding you couldn’t hold back ALL the time.   ❝  Witch and warlock, what the fuck are we supposed to do with our powers? Just be totally NORMAL people? Not happening.  ❞  Sure, he didn’t use as much as he did as a teenager but—— why not have at least a little FUN?

❝  Drown? You’re not gonna drown. You just swim back up and——   ❞  The warlock paused, the gears finally clicking into place before turning to her fully with a smile more out of astonishment than finding any humour.   ❝  Holy shit, you can’t SWIM, can you? Hey, perfect time to learn. Like I said, I was on the swimming team back in high school and a good chance to try out your powers more, right?   ❞  His eyebrows lifted, giving a small jerk of his head back to the cliffside as if to CONVINCE her to just come with him. 

She knew how Reid was, and she was honestly a little surprised he hadn't suggested this earlier. In fact, she'd almost thought that they were gonna get out of here without him mentioning it at all. But... leave it to him to think the best way to beat a moment of boredom was to go jumping off of a cliff. Sure, there was water beneath, and, yes, he had powers... but if anything went wrong, he'd wind up dead. Or at least with plenty of broken bones. She did not want to see that mess, much less be part of it.

She finally ventured her way closer to the edge. Cass couldn't just teleport or whatever like Reid could- her powers were different, more limited, and she was actually a bit nervous of making a wrong step and falling straight off the cliff. Hell, even if she survived the impact by some miracle, she'd never learned to swim, so... She stood a couple feet back from the edge, gently gripped his arm as if to steady herself, then leaned forward a bit to peer down into the black water beneath. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, a rush of fear washing over her. Then she reeled back a bit, only letting go of him when she felt safe enough to do so. "I'm actually more concerned that it doesn't scare you," She admitted, still trying to calm her racing heart. "Besides, shouldn't you be just a bit more careful with your powers?" She didn't know everything about it, but she knew it was both addictive and also tied to his literal life. Overuse meant premature aging and then... "Are you actually going to do this, Reid? I'm not coming with you. I'm in no mood to drown."

[ryuichifoxe]

I lost a full day of productivity yesterday when a file containing button designs corrupted, so I'm gonna talk about Skyrim and updated Steffan lore under the cut. It's a little lengthy.

The Cornelius family is an incredibly wealthy, politically influential family in Cyrodiil City. A relatively unknown family pre-dating (my) Hero of Kvatch, Cassia, but her involvement during the Oblivion Crisis earned them prestige. In the years since, they've built a reputation within the Imperial Legionnaires. Steffan as born 8 and 11 years after Gallus and Cassian respectfully. So, by the time he was old enough to really start developing relationships with his brothers, Cassian was already enlisted. Their relationship is the most strained, with Cas treating him more like a little soldier than a brother. Being a Legate, Cassian is always on the go, posted wherever he's needed most. Gallus is the mediator, the glue and heart that keeps everyone together. He's a respectable member of the Legion and rarely leaves Cyrodiil, preferring to stay and take care of the family. Being the youngest of three boys, Stef was pushed to become a politician rather than serving in the Legion. He hated it. He’d never have learned about the Dark Brotherhood so young otherwise though, browsing through the piles of books. It was a morbid curiosity that someone should’ve curbed but didn’t. Dealing with political rivals with violence? Fascinating~ He wasn’t a violent child, death and war tactics were simply…interesting.

He did accidentally kill a rival his age in the months leading up to Skyrim though. His family, rightfully, freaked the hell out and pulled all the strings they could to cover it up. Cassian suggested perhaps Steffan could avoid further trouble and shape up by joining the Legion after all, his parents agreed. But at this point in his life, Stef had little interest in playing soldier and was, frankly, tired of having no say in what direction his life should go.

Stef gunned it for the border and was arrested almost immediately by stealing a cloak and a horse from a Stormcloak encampment instead. Not that he knew they were Stormcloaks, he was just cold and lost all his provisions crossing over from Bruma.

Certain being an Imperial would guarantee his release, he wasn’t worried and annoyed the hell out of everyone on the ride to Helgen. Indignation followed, then fear, which might've amused Kaelion on some level?? Before I move on to the Civil War and how his family impacts this now, Steffan 100% took Aventus Aretino's contract hoping the Dark Brotherhood would find him. He wanted in and was overeager to prove himself. Stef let himself get very attached to everyone in the Brotherhood, seeing bits and pieces of the family he left behind in them. This is why Astrid's betrayal hit so hard. Now, I'm not saying I created Cassian as a way to get Steffan (and myself) to care about the Civil War portion of the game. Not denying it either though >_> I mostly wanted to flesh out his history. That said, Cassian is the reason General Tullius knows who Steffan is later on and why he pushes so hard for him to join the Legion. This does nothing to actually sway Stef’s opinion, he still assassinates his own Emperor and electrocutes Maro on the docks in broad daylight.

I imagine though, that Cassian makes an appearance during the peace talks. For a couple of reasons, 1) Cas wants to bring him back home and 2) Tullius hopes this will spin the talks in his favor with at least one dragonborn. Stef doesn't take the surprise well at all but bites his tongue until a neutral truce is arranged.

There's a lot of yelling between brothers once the room clears. How could you be so irresponsible? We only wanted what was best for you. Think of all the good being the fabled dragonborn could do for the empire and the family. No one would even care that you killed someone with such a title! Stef having absolutely none of it and hating being talked about like some sort of pawn.

They don't end on a good note but Cassian still wishes him luck in his fight. That he should write to Gallus, who took his loss the hardest out of everyone, if he survives.