#Darius is so cheeky

[twistiraki]

🎀Headcanons how Twisted Wonderland boys met you and what kind of family you'd have 🎀 Ignihyde and Diasomnia

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗ TᗯIᔕTEᗪ ᗯOᑎᗪEᖇᒪᗩᑎᗪ Characters Leona, Ruggie, Jack, Azul, Jade, Floyd x F!Reader Warnings none ‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗

💀Idia Shroud

Idia and Y/n's paths crossed at an anime convention where they both shared a love for games and geek culture. Y/n donned a cosplay of one of Idia's favorite game characters, catching his eye instantly. Nervously, he mustered the courage to ask for a photo, and to his delight, Y/n gladly agreed with a bright smile. However, underneath his hoodie, Y/n noticed a faint glow, and her curiosity was piqued. Blushing and feeling anxious, Idia admitted that it was not a cosplay but his actual, blue flamy hair. Y/n found him even more exciting and beautiful, and without hesitation, she asked him on a date. Idia tried to deny it, but his heart had already been stolen by her charm. Unable to resist, he agreed.

Idia and Y/n are blessed with two wonderful children. Their daughter, Lyra, has inherited her father's shy and withdrawn nature, but with Y/n's gentle encouragement, she blossoms into a confident and creative young girl. Their son, Darius, is the spitting image of Idia, with the same blue flamy hair and sharp teeth. He shares his father's enthusiasm for gaming and engineering, and together with Y/n's support, he excels in both fields.

🐉Malleus Draconia:

Y/n worked as a knowledgeable guide at an old castle with intricate gargoyles. She, a knowledgeable guide, led tours and noticed Malleus returning again and again. He couldn't resist coming back for her tours, enchanted by both the castle's beauty and Y/n's expertise. On the third tour, she couldn't help but recognize his unique horns. Intrigued, she asked him what fascinated him so much about the tour, and Malleus couldn't resist sharing that he was captivated by the castle's most beautiful gargoyle – Y/n herself. As they exchanged stories and knowledge, their hearts connected like magic. To express his gratitude, Malleus invited Y/n to his palace, where she was not only in awe of the magnificent gargoyles but also utterly charmed by Malleus's princely demeanor. It was love at first sight, and their hearts were forever intertwined in a fairy-tale romance.

Malleus and Y/n are proud parents to four lovely daughters. Each girl possesses a unique blend of her parents' traits. The eldest, Aviv, takes after her father's calm and respectful demeanor, often displaying her magical talents with grace. The second daughter, Aurelia, shares her father's yearning for connection with others, and she has a caring and nurturing nature. The third daughter, Aspen, shows signs of Malleus' naive and childish side, bringing joy and laughter to the family. Lastly, the youngest daughter, Arun, is fiercely protective, just like her father, especially when it comes to her sisters.

🦇Lilia Vanrouge

Y/n's dreams came true as she performed on stage with her new metal band. Amidst the electrifying music and energy of the crowd, she noticed a guy in the audience with an infectious smile, singing along to her solo. Their eyes met, and in that moment, time seemed to stand still. Feeling a connection like never before, Y/n impulsively took off her bracelet and playfully tossed it to him. With a wink, he caught it, stealing her heart in the process. After the show, Lilia approached Y/n backstage, returning the bracelet with a cheeky smile. However, he had a mischievous request – he wanted a date with the talented and enchanting rockstar Y/n. Flattered and blushing, Y/n happily agreed, and their love story became history.

Lilia and Y/n's family is a harmonious blend of both biological and adoptive children. Their biological son, Goldewin, is playful and friendly like his father, and he loves teasing his brother and friends. Silver, Lilia's adoptive son, has found a loving home and a caring mother figure in Y/n. Together, the family creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, filled with laughter and camaraderie.

💤Silver

Y/n's pet bunny escaped in the park, and she frantically searched for him. Panicking, she searched everywhere until a sweet and gentle boy with shimmering white hair appeared, holding her furry friend in his arms. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Y/n insisted on showing her thanks, but Silver simply smiled and declined any reward. Instead, he expressed that helping her was enough. Impressed by his kindness and adorable airheaded nature, Y/n insisted on repaying his kindness with a cup of tea at her home. As they sipped tea and shared stories, their hearts warmed, and Y/n discovered that Silver was not only a kind soul but also the missing piece to her heart's puzzle.

Silver and Y/n embrace the joys and challenges of raising triplets. Their daughters, Marin and Kathrine, have inherited their father's serious and reserved demeanor, but they also show glimpses of Y/n's thoughtful and caring nature. The youngest son, Kayden, takes after Silver's airheaded moments but has a strong sense of responsibility like his mother. The family shares a deep bond, and Silver is particularly cautious and protective of his children, ensuring their safety with unwavering dedication.

⚡Sebek Zigvolt

Y/n's path crossed with Sebek's in a hilarious mishap. He accidentally tackled her to the ground, assuming she was a threat to his dear Liege Malleus. Though Y/n was perfectly fine, Sebek's genuine concern touched her heart. Amused by his hot-blooded and prideful nature, she reassured him, but he couldn't believe it. From that day on, whenever Y/n had something to do in Briar Valley, she would catch glimpses of Sebek trying to help, with endearing and poor results. To try to make the damage less as possible, Y/n decided to invite him on a tour of the romantic spots in Briar Valley. Sebek was over the moon with excitement, and as they explored together, their hearts raced with laughter and love.

Sebek's household is full of energy and passion with his three children. His son, Kai, is a mirror image of his father, proudly displaying Sebek's traits and taking on the role of the family's protector. His elder daughter, Anaya, has inherited Sebek's loud and prideful nature, while his younger daughter, Poppy, balances it with Y/n's gentle and honest qualities. As a father, Sebek encourages his children to be true to themselves and embraces their individuality. The family's love and respect for each other create a lively and dynamic atmosphere in their home.

You can find the other parts here! Hearstlabyul Savanaclaw/Octavinelle Scarabia/Pomefiore Ignihyde/Diasomnia (You are here)

[lycemagee]

Do you have a list of your most interesting Character in Ikemen Villains and your least? Like those where you have questions, you are thinking hard. Those who make your brain like brrr (Not favourite!)

I think atm mine is looking like this?

Alfons (Yes he is my favourite but he is an enigma (or not) and would he sit in front of me I would ask him many questions (and probably wouldn't get any answers)

Victor (Enigma too maybe even worse than Alfons. Like we know nothing. NOTHING. EVEN ROGER DOESN'T KNOW SHIT. HOW SHOULD WE???? And his behaviour is so eccentric but so kind I feel like something is off. Something does not fit right.)

Darius (Just look at his face and tell what's going on inside of him. For real. I cannot grasp his being or maybe I think I can but then I feel like it's wrong. He feels like water)

William (His way of behaving, dealing with gruesome experience with such a calm and carefree attitude like huhh??? Also his people pleasing behaviour like rationally I cannot understand this man AT ALL. He does not make sense for me. He is so caring and so on but also so cold gruesome in his actions sometimes like I don't get. ESPECIALLY WHEN ELBERT TOLD KATE HIS REACTION WHEN ELBERT STOOD ON WILLIAMS SHADOW LIKE HOW??????I wanna break his head open to look inside)

Nica (what's going on behind his cheeky attitude full of sarcasm. When I am listening to him speak I cannot tell what he means seriously and what not. He is even more aggravating than Alfons I feel like.)

Elbert (He is definitely not my cup of tea romance wise but his behaviour and his attitude is really interesting to watch and analyse. Especially in combination with the relationship he has with Alfons I just wanna look inside his head. (I should finally play Liam's route to an end and then begin his route ffs)

Ring (idk what makes me so interested in him. Maybe the contrast to his brother? His Naivity? His innocence? His dumbfounded way? Or even his development from this Naivity to something else...?)

Liam (I mean I am in his route and similar to Elbert, his behaviour is interesting to watch and to question.)

Jude (I hate this man but sadly I am also fascinated by him and want to know more about him? (Just to threaten him and use it against him lmao)

Ellis (I would like to know where his obsession for Happiness comes from and why does it result in such extreme violence? I mean I have some suspicions where it could come from or what his goal is but ye... Really a bizarre creature.)

Harrison (idk why but I don't have a strong interest in his character? I just have some basic questions towards him but nothing special)

Roger (Like one of the most normal ones. I don't really have many questions about him. He is really reasonable)

[dereliction-if]

How would the RO's react when mc picks a leaf off their head and smiles softly as they remove it and saying that "You got a leaf over your head"

Ok that is super cute, and I am on the train so I have a few moments to type the answer. Did I say cute already?? Below it is, as it is long ^^

>> The Heir (Prince Solas / Princess Sonea): Crushing Stage: A cheeky smile on their lips is the first reaction „Oh, well …thank you.“ in a lighthearted tone leaving them. They’d look you deep into your eyes and you could see the wheels turning, a million different thoughts crossing their mind. What are they thinking? Relationship Stage: „Huh? Where did this come from? Are you trying to find reasons to get close…again?“ snapping the leaf from your hand, they’d tickle your nose. A flirty wink thrown at you before placing a soft kiss on your lips. 

>> The Commander (Cedric Mallory): Crushing Stage: „I swear if you ever touch me again…!“ *clenching his jaw and blushing hard before slapping your hand away* Relationship Stage: He tenses up a bit, a barely noticeable smile on his lips. He doesn’t say a word but something in his expression changes. A moment passes as you both lock eyes before he seems to awake out of the mesmerized state, turns around and leaves.

>> The Sovereign (Amara Dougal): Crushing Stage: Grabbing your wrist and looking into your eyes, with a raised eyebrow she responds „My my, what an attentive kitten you are.“ She takes the leaf out of your hand, her eyes following the movement as she lets it gently touch your cheek, running it down your jaw, neck and further down to your sternum, before she lets it fall to the ground.  Relationship Stage: „You‘re a touchy little thing, aren‘t you?“ She takes the leaf out of your hand, a moment later it begins to glimmer and turn to ash, their eyes showing a slight red glow, a smirk on their lips. - Did you have plans for today? Cause they have some for you.

>> The Mage (Jia):  Crushing Stage: They look surprised for a second before an honest smile appears on their lips. „May I?“ they ask before taking the leaf and whispering something into their hand - letting the leaf fly away like a butterfly. Relationship Stage: They grin from ear to ear and place a kiss on your cheek. „I hope you don’t mind…“ gently placing a hand over the leaf between your fingers, they hush some words turning the leaf into a flower, then watch your reaction with genuine affection as they place it behind your ear. „Thank you *the name they got for you, just you 🤐* “

>> The Mercenary (Havu Guillame): Crushing Stage: „W-what… what are you doing?“ You can see their confusion on their face as they tense up. They don’t dare to move before they are sure you won’t touch them again. Relationship Stage: same *lol* - Ok, no, they would hold their breath and the tension would leave their body once their brain processed the smile on your face. An awkward silence following, they would blush before thanking you in a volume so low you barely hear it.

>> The Knight (Darius Baran / Daria Baran): Crushing Stage: //same gender: You never saw them so stiff before. They tense up, eyes open wide, their face full red. „Eh.. t-thank..you…“ clearing their throat they would throw another glance at you before turning away and leaving. //opposite gender: With furrowed brows you’d get a sober „Thank you…“, brushing their hand over their own head again to make sure there is nothing else you could possibly want to remove. You can see the tips of their ears turning red. Relationship Stage: //same gender: - no spoiler here - //opposite gender: They’d take hold of your hand, smile at you and place a gentle kiss on your forehead before they stroke your cheek with the back of their hand, not letting go of the one they are holding already - no words are needed as their smile says all there is to say.

[whumpty-dumpty-doo]

"We Are TroubleD" Bonus content - Trick-or-treat shorts!

Tristan and Darius were so happy to see everyone during Ask box Trick-or-treating! Thanks for knocking on their door!

I got a little excited and wrote more responses than I got asks, so here are three other possible outcomes that people could have gotten!

----- 🍭🍬 Treat! 🍬🍭

Darius opens the door, and his eyebrows raise in a friendly smile, though he doesn’t recognize who you’re dressed as. It’s not that you did a bad job, it’s that he’s totally behind on the hottest new TV show and hasn’t seen that yet.

“Oh, that’s awesome!” he says, complimenting you all the same. “Here you go! Just take one though, got more people coming through tonight.”

He extends the candy bowl out to you and waits for you to make your decision. Once you’ve chosen your sugary treat, he nods and dismisses you with an upbeat “Have a good night!”

----- 🍭🍬 Treat! 🍬🍭

Darius opens the door and is clearly delighted with your costume. He hesitates as he reaches into his candy bowl though and gives the contents a disapproving look.

“No.” he says, and for a moment you wonder if you've done something wrong. Did you stumble over the words ‘Trick-or-treat?’

“No.” he repeats. “No, no. Come on, you’re dressed as one of my favorite characters. This just won’t do. Hold tight. Stay right there.” He puts the candy bowl down on the catch-all table by the door, and you stand there awkwardly, wondering if you’re meant to take from it yourself, or if Darius will give you a piece when he gets back.

Luckily, you don’t have to wait long. Darius quickly reappears and pulls something from behind his back: a full-size candy bar. It's a brand that you’ve never heard of, but the packaging looks fancy. 

“Swiss chocolate." he explains. "The nice stuff. Imported. I have a secret stash.” He gently plops it into your trick or treat bag with a smile.

It seems that something dawns on him, and he suddenly looks a bit alarmed. “Ah, please don’t tell anyone that you got it here, though. I don’t have a lot of it, and it’s expensive, so… yeah, I’m not gonna give it out to the whole town. This is a one-time only thing, okay? Everyone else gets the standard multi-pack fare. This is our little secret.”

-----

👻 Trick! 👻

Tristan opens the door but looks forlorn.

 “Oh dang it! We just ran out of candy! I’m so sorry!” he watches as your face falls.

“Ha! Just kidding!” He drops a bag of gummy worms into your bag, and you thank him, then turn to leave.

As you start to walk away, you feel some resistance, like someone’s tugging on your bag. Suddenly the gummy worms jump out of your bag on their own, and you watch in disbelief as they slide their way back toward Tristan. How are they doing that?!

Tristan cracks up. “Oh my gosh… I’m so sorry, but the look on your face is priceless! I just wanted to try out this prank.” He holds up the gummy worm bag, and you see that he had taped a fishing line to it that he used to pull it back to him.

“I know, it was kind of mean spirited, but I had to use something as bait.”

You look unamused. Tristan manages to come down from his laughing.

“Okay, okay! Sorry! I won’t do it again.” He pulls the line off of the bag and then drops the gummy worms into your trick-or-treat sack. You pick up the candy and examine it, just to make sure there are no more strings attached (literally).

Tristan rolls his eyes lightly, but in a friendly way accompanied by a cheeky grin. It’s only fair that you’re skeptical of him now.

“It’s clean! I promise!” he says. “Happy Halloween!”

[sleekervae]

So Good [0.3]

Masterlist

A/N: we're in spooky month!! the best time of the year! My updates are going to be coming out slower for my stories (I know, such a shock coming from me) but I am back in school and I have a new job so I'm stretched lol. But I'm still lurking here and I'm still working away. Love you lots!

Warnings: none

Purple text is Korean

The girls had seats on the mid mezzanine, not so high up but not so close to the stage. Never the less the view was incredible, the energy buzzing under the stadium roof. There was this simmering fuse that was dialling further and further, everybody seemed to be on edge as they waited for the show to begin. The energy even seemed to affect Kimberly as her knee bounced on the spot. She couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as she gazed at the thousands of fans filling the space, all buzzing with anticipation. The arena was alive with energy, and colorful lights danced across the audience, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Darius had his hand over her shoulder, rubbing her affectionately to try to ease whatever tension was coursing through her.

"Dude," Chloe nudged her with her elbow, "Why you looking like that?"

"Like what?" Kimberly asked.

"It's the same face you had on when we first performed at the VMAs," she pointed out.

To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure why she as so nervous, so she chalked it down to baser excuses, "Just feels weird being here without Charlotte," she replied.

"Ah, she'll be fine," Chloe replied, "She's probably sucking face with Hemmings as we speak..."

"Are we gonna' be happy or upset if that happens? Maria asked, waving around a sphere on a handle, clicking the button to change the colours. Kimberly glanced at her.

"I... happy, I guess -- Where'd you get that?" she asked.

"Jungkook gave it to me," Maria replied, waving it around, "Everybody's got one!" the other three looked around, it was only then they noticed the sea of bright orbs illuminating through the dark stadium threshold.

As the lights in the arena dimmed, the crowd erupted into deafening screams of excitement. Kimberly's heart pounded in her chest as the LED screen on the massive stage came to life, displaying the opening titles.

"Here we go," Darius awed from beside her. She smiled sweetly at him, her elation fluttering from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Behind the curtain the boys were lined up on the mechanized riser, the screams of their fans penetrating through the floor and their in-ear sets. Namjoon was always apprehensive before a show, he always wanted go perform well, give the people a reason to come back -- and considering the stakes they were playing at right now, he knew BTS had to deliver. Tonight however there was an added pressure knowing that Kimberly was somewhere out there, he had to give her reason to remember him and his bandmates.

Kimberly, and her boyfriend...

Get it together!

Suddenly, a pulsating electronic beat filled the air, and the curtain exploded with vibrant visuals of the guys paired with anecdotes from their album, projected above from... somewhere. Every face that appeared on the projection got a hearty round of screams, their personalities varying from soft smoulders to cheeky smirks; the tension was drawn out until the last possible moment.

Chloe nudged Maria, "Hey! Why don't we do visuals like that at our shows?" she asked over the hype.

Maria cocked a brow at her, "Go ask Terryn, and she's gonna huck her budget book at your head," she replied, referring to their stifling manager. Chloe shrugged back.

Kimberly wasn't paying her friends much mind, too caught up in the build up. The crowd began to chant over and over, minutes closing to seconds and seconds zeroing out until finally, finally the curtain was pulled away in a dramatic bang, and all seven members of BTS came into view. The crowd's energy surged to a fever pitch.

Kimberly couldn't hide the excitement off of her face as Not Today began to open, gaze falling over Namjoon with his intro. His confidence was undeniable, far away and still so imposing on the T-stage. He exuded an air of powerfulness that straddled the fence between human and God status; he knew they had the crowd by their throats.

Even as Suga flew into his verse, her eyes always stayed focused on Namjoon, effortlessly following every sharp, coordinated move. He was even more mesmerizing to watch in person than on any screen; and he and the boys were so precise that she too couldn't deny how hard they had worked to pull it off.

What was even more impressive was how the crowd sang along so sharply in English and Korean, matching the boys' infectious energy. Kimberly and her friends were instantly swept up into the hype, the energy taking on a different type that they had never experienced, not even while they were performing.

The entire show was over two hours long, but it felt like it just flew by. Though time wasn't a constant whenever BTS were performing, they were losing themselves in their craft, enamoured with the high they were riding at each dance break, taking time to talk and get to know their crowd. And of course, it wouldn't be a BTS concert if Jimin wasn't slipped around on the floor, or Jungkook and Taehyung were getting into mischief together. Suga was shy as always, muttering some words here or there, and Jin was pouting whenever someone would take the piss out of him, leaving Hobi to release his infectious giggles. It was during these less serious times that Namjoon could relax and take in the moment, marvelling at the scale of what he and his friends had built in the last five years.

His gaze fixated on the middle mezzanine, off to the right he could make out Kimberly and her group. She was close enough to be recognizable in the sea of dark masses and scattering strobe lights, but he could pick her out like he was aiming for the bullseye of a dart board. Now and again he'd watch her dance with her friends, or with Darius, and he'd do his best to keep his composure whenever he saw her in his arms. No one else was privy to the boost of energy he'd taken on during his cues.

He had caught Kimberly's eye somewhere between Danger and Run, decided to test his boundaries -- pretending Darius wasn't there for a moment -- as he winked at her on the fly. Of course Kimberly caught him, but she chose to keep that to herself as neither her friends or her boyfriend seemed to notice amidst the hysteria.

Muscles ached and feet were sore, and as much as the guys loved to perform, coming back into the green room was a great relief for them. Taehyung barely made it onto the couch before he flopped down with a heavy sigh, and Hobi -- in truest fashion -- toppled onto him.

"Ah!" he cried out, part defiant part exhaustive, "You're heavy! Get off!"

"But you're so comfy!" he whined back.

Namjoon took a seat on the opposing couch, his once perfectly tousled hair damp with sweat, pushed back off of his head; he was grateful as one of the crew handed him some cold water to splash across his face.

"That was so good!" Suga cried, the loudest he had been all day, before he took slumped down on Taehyung's legs. The younger boy cried out again.

"Hey! I'm not a love seat!"

"How many seats is Staples centre?" Jungkook asked, puffing from the ground, "Did we sell out?"

"And then some!" Jimin too decided to fall on top of Taehyung and Hobi.

"Ah! Help!" the younger boy squealed, struggling to turn his head to Jin, "Hyung! They're tryna' crush me!"

The eldest member pushed his sweaty-drenched hair out of his eyes, shaking his head at his friends' shenanigans as he waved off Taehyung, "Ah, you'll live,"

"Some help you are," he grumbled, squirming as Suga started to bounce up and down on his spot, "Namjoon!"

Namjoon rolled his eyes, "If you guys crush him, you have to nurse him back to health," he reminded the boys.

Just as Suga hopped off of Taehyung, the door to the green room opened again. One of their roadies had Catch the Caper in tow behind him, all of them ecstatic after the show.

Chloe knocked on the door frame, "Can we come in?"

Jungkook immediately lit up, "Yeah, yeah! Come!" he waved them over.

Kimberly simpered at the mess of boys on the couch, with Maria and Darius trailing behind her. She looked to Namjoon, pointing, "Is he okay?" referring to Taehyung.

Namjoon nodded with a tired smile, "Yeah, he'll be fine," he assured her, "Did you have fun?"

"Did we!?" Chloe nearly hollered, her dimples on full display as she beamed brightly.

Maria nodded, "You guys, that was so good! You were awesome!"

"And you know it's good if Maria's saying it," Chloe added, "She almost didn't come tonight,"

"What're you talking about?" Maria smacked her arm, "I was always gonna come, right Kim?" she turned to her bassist.

"That's right, honey," Kimberly chuckled.

Jimin suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! You bring Charlotte next time, yeah?"

"Why didn't Charlotte come, anyway?" Jin asked.

Suga shrugged back, "I think it's about a boyfriend or something,"

Taehyung finally struggled enough so he could throw Jimin and Hobi off of him, the pair tumbled to the ground. Hobi groaned as he banged his hip.

"Thanks for the help, guys," Taehyung grumbled, sitting up quickly and stretching out his spine.

Kimberly looked to Namjoon again, who simply shook his head in a silent 'don't ask'.

"Anyway, we're gonna let you guys get your rest," Kimberly said, "Just wanted to say thanks again for the tickets. You guys were incredible,"

"Totally," Darius chimed in, "Best show I've seen in a while. And I've worked a few of 'em,"

"Thanks, man," Namjoon bumped his fist, "Are you guys leaving?"

"Yeah. You guys look like you could use a good night sleep, anyway," Maria replied.

"What are they talking about?" Hobi asked.

"I think they're leaving," Taehyung replied with a pout.

"Are you guys in LA for long? Maybe we can drag Lottie out with us before you go?" Chloe asked, teetering on hopeful.

Regretfully, Namjoon shook his head, cautiously making eye contact with their tour manager, "We'd love to, but I'm afraid we're taking off again tomorrow,"

Kimberly couldn't hide the flicker of disappointment in her eyes, nevertheless she understood that they had a tight schedule. Her chest felt heavy as she wondered when again she might be able to see Namjoon.

"Shit," Maria tsked, pulling her out of her headspace, "We get it, though,"

Chloe then piped in, "Hey, but we're supposed to be in Korea next spring! Maybe we can make a weekend out of it?" she looked the girls hopefully.

Jin's face lit up, nodding fervently, "Yeah! Come on! We'll have party!" he started to dance on the spot, much to the other's amusement.

Kimberly smiled, trying to keep her elation in check, "Let's talk to Terryn about it," she said to her bandmates.

Jungkook then cut in, "Okay, but... but before you leave; Maria:" he spoke slowly, pushing himself to stand up from the floor, "One, erm -- an geim deo," he pointed to the foosball table, then looked to Namjoon, "How do I say --"

"Game," he corrected him, "One game,"

"Okay," he nodded, "One game?" he looked to Maria again.

Maria cocked a brow at the younger boy, "You're not tired?" she asked, unsure.

Jungkook shook his head, already bouncing on the spot, "I am okay! One game," he assured her, "This time -- you on mine team,"

Taehyung pouted, "What? Who do I play with, then?"

Darius stepped forward, "I'll take him, if he wants," he offered. Namjoon quickly translated for Taehyung; the younger boy took one glance at Darius before jumping up, suddenly just as reinvigorated as his bandmate.

"Yeah! Le's go!"

Maria looked to Kimberly and Chloe, who gave no objections as she agreed, "Okay, let's do it!" they four of them migrated back to the foosball table.

Chloe and Kimberly just laughed with each other, "We're never gonna leave," Chloe muttered.

"Nope," Kimberly shook her head.

"Hey, hey, come-eu!" Jimin ushered them over, "You come-eu... I don't know how to say it,"

Namjoon simpered, the familiar ache in his chest returning with some faint excitement, getting to spend a little more time with Kimberly, "Make yourselves comfy,"

When exactly Kimberly and Namjoon would get to see each other again would be a mystery -- for now, anyway.

Until then, they had to settle for texting, sometimes chatting on the phone. The boys had returned to Korea, so of course timing was a little difficult to master. However, they soon worked out the kinks. Namjoon would wake up -- sometimes at nine, sometimes later -- and he'd be excited to see another message from Kimberly. Or Kimberly would be up in her LA apartment, either with company or by herself in the evening, and she'd light up when he'd give her a call. On their off days, they could talk for hours; discussing music, different artists and recommendations, books both fiction or not, or they would discuss what was going on in their day-to-day, be it career-wise or personal.

Namjoon knew he was walking a sensitive tight rope, especially as he got to hear her voice more and more. He could picture her lounging around on her sofa, no make up, comfy sweats thrown on while she laughed at one of his stories. He'd pace around the kitchen, trying to cook while he listened to her list off what movies she loved and why Monty Python and the Holy Grail was her favourite.

"I don't think I've watched it," he admitted sheepishly, waiting patiently by the stove for his rice to boil. His smile grew when he heard Kimberly gasp, feigning insult.

"You've never -- Oh my God! You have missed out!" she gaped, simultaneously brewing a pot of tea in her kitchenette.

"Now hold on -- I said I don't 'think' I've watched it. Give me a break," he chuckled back, "I've watched Airplane... I think,"

Kimberly simpered on the other end, "You think, hm? You hear that sound?"

Namjoon moved to check his rice, "-- What sound?"

"Your audacity showing through the phone," she replied, disposing of her teabag. Namjoon laughed, clearly picturing that coy little smile on her face as she teased him.

"I'm sorry. I hope this won't affect our friendship too badly," he said. He was satisfied the rice was finished boiling, so he took it off the burner and started fluffing it up with a fork, just like Jin had shown him.

"I think I can look past it," Kimberly noted. By now she had a steaming mug of chamomile tea in her hand, curling up on her sofa while the book she'd been reading lay open against the cushions.

Namjoon awed at her, "So merciful, thank you," he was none the wiser as Jungkook shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his bleary eyes and yet, curios to see Namjoon seemingly talk to himself. He was still too bleary to note the headphones in his ears connected to his phone.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked, his voice groggy and soft.

Namjoon glanced up at him, "Kimberly," he answered simply. A particular thrill raced down Kimberly's spine, hearing him say her name in his dialect.

Jungkook narrowed his eyes, "In America?"

"Yeah,"

"Isn't that crazy expensive?"

"Not with WhatsApp," he shrugged.

"Who's that?" Kimberly asked, the younger boy's voice echoing in the background.

"Jungkook. He's not a morning person," Namjoon replied, smirking at the younger boy as he collapsed into a chair at the table, "Go make some coffee! Or get some fresh air! You look zombified," he told him.

Jungkook groaned, "V is so clingy when he sleeps. It gets too hot in his room, I had to peel him off me all night," he replied.

Namjoon quirked a brow, "Why were you sleeping in V's room?" he asked.

"Because my bed's too crowded" he replied simply.

"... What's on your bed?" Namjoon asked warily.

"Clothes. Some shoes. A hair dryer," he smiled sheepishly.

They'd had this talk before, and if he wasn't taking another phone call, Namjoon might've lectured him on keeping his room tidy. And while he certainly was no cleaning freak himself, he liked having order in his room, and he especially kept his bed clean so he could sleep.

"Oh my... wow," he grumbled.

Kimberly laughed on the other end, sensing his grumbling, "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it," Namjoon replied, "What are you up to tonight?"

Kimberly glanced at her book cover, "Nothing, really. Might try to finish this book I'm reading," she said.

"What're you reading?"

"It's called 'Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars'," she read aloud, simpering a little, "I picked it up when we were in Montreal,"

"Oh yeah? What's that about?"

"A transgender woman leaves her abusive household behind to run off to the Street of Miracles, where she joins a vigilante gang of glamorous warrior femmes called --" she checked the back of the book's synopsis, smiling to herself, " -- the Lipstick Lacerators,"

Namjoon chuckled with intrigue, "Really?"

"Yeah. They go around avenging murdered trans and BIPOC women, and the heroine goes on a whole self discovery journey while she's at it," she explained, "It's kind of a lot, I know. But the story sounded cool and the cover is really cute,"

"That sounds really interesting, actually. Do you like it?" he said, eyeing the bottom of the pot curiously.

"So far so good, yeah," she replied.

He noting the gummy, glommed on rice stick to the metal. He cursed under his breath, "Ah, fuck,"

"What happened?" she asked.

He sighed heavily, "I over boiled my rice again," he grumbled, "Sorry -- it's not a big deal,"

"Oh, it's okay," she assured him, "Is it sticky or just mushy?"

He poked at the rice grains with his fork, noting the texture, "More sticky,"

"Run the rice under cool water, and you can dislodge it with your fingers," she explained.

Namjoon cocked a brow, "But the bowl's gonna fill up with water," he pointed out.

Kimberly bit at her lip, trying to gauge whether or not he was joking, "Joon... you put the rice in a colander, then you run the water," she had a hard time trying not to smile at his cluelessness. He had told her he wasn't so keen in the kitchen, but she didn't think he was that bad.

"Ah," he nodded sheepishly, "That makes more sense. You're a genius,"

"I wouldn't go that far," she replied, "But I do usually tend to be right,"

Namjoon smirked, rustling through their cupboards for a colander, "Is that so?"

"If you ask Chloe, she'll say otherwise. But I got a pretty good track record," she assured him.

Jungkook couldn't help but watch from the table, curious to see Namjoon appearing so happy -- despite his rice debacle. He knew he had been talking to Kimberly for a while, even before they left the states, he would peek over his shoulder to see he would be texting her. His English wasn't so good that he could understand what they were talking about, but he could tell Namjoon put an effort into talking to her. And while he never said anything, whether he was texting or on the phone with Kimberly, Jungkook found Namjoon's little spark of joy quite endearing.

He was pretty sure he and only a couple of the other guys new about his crush on Kimberly -- he knew Jin certainly had. Jungkook had overheard their hushed conversations, with Namjoon confiding in his hyung and wishing their contracts were a little more lenient with personal relationships. Jungkook wouldn't admit it out loud, but he too wished sometimes that their contracts weren't so strict. He felt for Namjoon; and though he may deny it, it was becoming clear that Namjoon was feeling some type of way for Kimberly that he shouldn't be discussing out loud. But Namjoon knew if the guys or anybody on management had asked him about her, he would swear up and down they were just friends.

They had just renewed their contracts for another seven years. They asked for a little bit more leniency in their day to day lives, their acknowledgements, credits and whatnot; trying to make the dotted lines more empowering to them. At the moment, none of the members of BTS had thought to renegotiate the dating rhetoric, they were so busy and knew that if their American debut took off -- as it had -- their schedules would become twice what they were before. So the no-dating clause had been left out, nobody dreaming -- especially Namjoon -- that they'd meet or like somebody enough to send them into a head spin.

Namjoon wasn't sure why he had taken to Kimberly so much, he'd never had that at-first-sight moment with many girls. Jin told him it was probably because she was American and quote-on-quote "exotic" to him; but they'd met American girls before and he hadn't reacted the same way to them. Her overall personality drew him in like a good book; so many pages to peel back and so much to learn, not to mention her cover was absolutely gorgeous.

"I found it!" he cried triumphantly, holding up the colander like a trophy. Jungkook snickered from the table, still not making any movement to get up and do something productive.

"Amazing!" Kimberly awed, already hearing the rush of water running in the background, "Are you reading any good books?"

He took a moment to think it over, the first big title shifting to the forefront of his brain as he answered, "I am. It's called 'The Vegetarian',"

"The Vegetarian?" she echoed curiously, " -- are you a vegetarian?"

"Definitely not," Namjoon replied with a snicker, "But the book follows this young woman telling her family that she's turning to vegetarianism, and it sets off this whole array of unsettling events between her and her family, and her husband leaves her and... it's insane, but it's a really good read,"

"All that over being a vegetarian?" Kimberly asked, feigning shock, "Holy shit,"

"I mean -- it's not a big deal in Korea. We eat a lot of meat but we also have a lot of veggie dishes -- bibimbap, mandu, mung bean pancakes..." he listed off.

"Japjae?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah, that's a good one!" he replied, "You gotta' be careful when you order it, if you're a vegan -- sometimes they make it with animal stock,"

"Good to know," she nodded, chuckling, "I'm not a vegetarian anyway, my family might disown me if I was,"

"I have a hard time believing that. You got a favourite food?" he asked.

"Oooh, that depends," she awed, "Are we talking home cooked meals or any type cuisine?"

"How about one and one?" he decided, "I can go first, if you like,"

Kimberly curled up tighter on her sofa, her book long forgotten now, listening to his mellifluous tone, "Sure,"

"My home meal would definitely be kalguksu," he started, "It's kind of like chicken noodle soup, but with fish broth instead. It's pretty good,"

"Kalguksu... did I say it okay?" she laughed sheepishly.

"You said it perfectly," he chuckled, "And my non-Korean cuisine would be a good pizza... or churros,"

"Mmm, you'll love Brooklyn, then," she noted.

"What about you?" he asked.

"... My home meal is a really good grilled cheese. You need the good sourdough and butter on both sides," she said, "And I loooove sushi,"

Namjoon grimaced, "Raw fish?"

"Yeah,"

"I'm not particular on fish raw. Seafood in general, really," he replied.

Kimberly gasped, about to scold him, when she suddenly came upon a daunting realization, "Wait -- but you said your favourite soup comes in a fish broth!"

"Yeah, but there's no fish in it!" he replied matter of factly, "I pick it out,"

"You pick out the -- oh my god," she shook her head, her smile getting bigger as she heard him laugh, "Do you like cheese?" she asked suddenly.

"Of course I do,"

"And peanut butter?"

"Yeah,"

"Okay, you'll be fine, then," she decided.

"Thank God! I can enjoy my day, now," he pulled the rice from under the water and fluffed it with the fork again, impressed as the grains weren't so gummy anymore, "Your rice hack worked, by the way,"

"Oh, good,"

"Speaking of disowning -- my mom's gonna rip me a new one if she finds out I don't know how to cook rice properly," he shook his head.

She tsked, "What? You mean k-pop stars struggle to do simple, mundane things like we peasants do? Unbelievable!"

"I know," he chuckled, "We're just like you, it's incredible,"

Jungkook scoffed, picking up on some key English phrases so he could call him out "Namjoon! Tell her about the time you tried to cut an onion with the cover still on the knife!"

Namjoon glowered at him, "... how about I tell her about the time you fell asleep standing up?" he snapped back.

Kimberly simpered, "What's going on?"

His glare never left the smirking maknae, grumbling into the speaker, "Don't worry about it,"

They continued to chat well into the evening, or in Namjoon's case, in the early afternoon. They could've chatted for hours more, though Kimberly had to go to bed and Namjoon had more work he had to get done.

Exchanging good nights and good mornings was comical to say the least; and when the dial clicked and she was left in silence Kimberly sat on her sofa, her book long forgotten, and she felt this odd pull in her chest. She liked Namjoon, that went without saying, she knew the moment she walked out of that arena that she would be anxiously anticipating when they could see each other again. If she had to settle for phone calls and social media for now, then so be it; she loved learning every little thing about him, tucking away the details like priceless gems in her jewelry box.

Kimberly curled up in her bed, tucking her book in her lap to try and get some reading done. Darius' name flashed across her screen, he was letting her know that he would be working late at the club and he'd be home at some point in the early morning. They didn't live together, Kimberly had decorated the apartment to be a perfect reflection of her, and Darius would come over now and again after his shift and spend the night. She never liked sleeping alone; and she respected Darius' job and she never faulted him for it, but she sometimes wished she didn't have to go to bed alone.

Even if he was on the other side of the world, Namjoon was still there at least, he would pick up and answer if she so dared called him. Over the phone, he instilled the same comfort in her as though he was still in the room with her, and she was excited for the familiarity, the infectious glow that his presence provided her from the first moment she saw him.

[violetjedisylveon]

Sewing Lessons And Blood Magic

Blue Guard AU chapter 14

Summary: Hunter and Argi get their sewing lesson from Darius.

Word count: 3.4k

Warnings: blood, mentions of blood, mentions of injury, child injury, referenced child abuse.

A/N: back with more of this! Forgot I've had this chapter done for a while😅

Blue Guard AU Masterpost

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Argi dropped her torn cloak onto her bed and pulled out her first aid kit from under her bed. She only had a few minor scrapes from her fight at Hexside. A bit of gauze and she'd be just fine.

Her cloak definitely needed more work than she did. She grabbed the small sewing kit that she kept in her first aid pack.

She patched herself up, then started to fix up her cloak. It was getting pretty beat up, covered in her quick patch up work, she probably needed a new one soon.

She settled into the near mindless task of stitching her cloak back together, then ended up zoning out and stabbing her finger with the needle.

"Shit!"

She pinched the wound, forcing the bright red blood to come out faster. She eyed the ruby red liquid curiously, it looked like her blood, but at the same time, it didn't. It looked slightly darker, almost more purple. She blamed it on a trick of the light.

Recalling her earlier accident, she made a small spell circle with her bleeding finger.

Like before, it wasn't her normal blue circle, it was bright, bold red.

Phoebe fluttered down from her nest and perched on her shoulder, the ancient Palisman eyed her new spell circle.

"What do you think Phoebe?" She prompted the old bird.

"I think it took you long enough." Phoebe chirped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

The bird just gave her a cheeky look.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"You're such a shit." Argi gently flicked the bird's beak with her tail.

Her ears twitched, someone was coming towards her room.

She extinguished the spell circle and smeared the blood on her cloak where it would be inconspicuous. She immediately relaxed when it was just Hunter.

"Hi Hunter, whatcha up to?" She asked.

"You got into a fight at hexside." He said in his serious older brother voice.

"And?" She leaned forwards slightly.

Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Did you get hurt?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Nope." She chirped.

"There's fresh blood on your cloak." He pointed out.

"Pricked my finger before you came in." She said, showing him the injured finger.

He sighed and leaned against her desk, absentmindedly fiddling with one of her carvings. She felt that tug towards his mind, something was troubling him and something in her was telling her to just jump on into his head and see what was bugging him.

She wasn't going to, the pesky instinct was only giving her a suggestion this time, not throwing her fully into someone else's head.

"Wanna talk?"

Hunter glanced up at her, then back down to the carving in his hands.

"I've been thinking about yesterday…" he admitted.

Does he wanna talk about Willow? Argi's ears perked and she shuffled a bit closer to him.

"I was wondering… do you think it would be a good idea to ask Darius about the previous Golden Guard?"

Oh. That's good too. She stifled her mild disappointment.

"Depends on his mood honestly." She said.

"That doesn't help."

"It also depends on what you ask, what do you want to know?" She said.

"Everything really. I wanna know what he was like, how he came to train Darius, what happened to him… everything." Hunter smiled softly as he spoke.

"I- do you think he knew my mom? They were around at the same time." Hunter said, a cautious hint of excitement in his voice.

"Uh yeah, he definitely knew your mom." Argi scoffed.

Honestly, how could her brother miss something so obvious.

"How do you know?" Hunter asked.

"Because they're siblings…?" Argi told him slowly.

Hunter stared at her like she'd just denounced Belos.

"Grab your cloak, we're going to Darius." He said.

"Wait what?"

XXX

Someone was knocking.

Darius sighed and begrudgingly opened his door.

The little prince was standing there with a determined expression, holding his irritated sister by her arm, said sister was grumbling and mumbling under her breath.

"What do you-"

"Was your mentor my uncle?!" The little prince blurted before he could finish.

Darius glanced at the annoyed Palisde.

"I thought he already knew." She said in defense of herself.

Darius rubbed his eyes, any plans of a calm night were out the window now.

"Yes, he was."

Darius raised his hand before the little prince could bombard him with questions.

"Before you say anything else, what is that?" He pointed to the tattered bunch of cloth Silver was holding in her free hand.

"My uniform?" Silver said uncertainly.

"No, it's an insult to my eyes." Darius scoffed.

The assassin scowled at him, the dark red tint to her eyes normally made for a threatening look but her fully revealed, scared face made it far less effective.

The uniform was covered in (ugly) surgical suture stitches. That was a stitch she could do very well, she did it on herself, by herself, more times than he was comfortable with. Regardless of how good she was at stitching skin together, sutures weren't that good for fabric, and they looked awful.

"Your mentor was my uncle?" The little prince asked.

Darius glanced down at him, the little prince looked annoyingly similar to his mother, and her brother, his big brother mentor. His eyes were like Pyrite's. Too much like Pyrite’s.

"You want that sewing lesson, don't you?" Darius guessed.

Hunter flushed and nodded shyly. Silver grumbled, trying to pull away from her brother again.

"I already know how to sew, Hunter, let me fix this and go to bed." She complained.

"You use sutures, they're for flesh, not fabric. You are coming too." Darius wrapped his abomination arm around both little guards and pulled them into his room.

He tossed a few cushions down by the fireplace near his sewing chair and grabbed the blanket he had been mending for Eberwolf. A blanket that was older than the two children sitting in front of him.

It was an odd sight, seeing a face that was so much like his brother's mentor's looking up to him for guidance.

The pair of guards watched him patiently, almost eagerly.

Two scrawny, messy, sleep deprived and battle hardened teenagers were a strangely adorable sight when they looked at him with the innocence of children.

He took Silver's uniform and examined the new tears. In all honesty she should just get a new one, but she'd never ask the Emperor herself. He could have Jayr get her a new one, they had been talking about how she might need one soon. This made for good practice fabric.

"This is a fairly easy tear for beginners like you two." He said.

"We'll start slow, first you thread the needle and…"

XXX

All in all, the two little guards were quick and eager learners. A quick pick up for a new skill was expected from Silver, Palisde were famous for their expert memories.

The only problem was Hunter's insistence that he wear his gloves. It made his fingers stiff.

Then the little prince had gotten so frustrated he threw his work to the ground and his glove came off with it anyway.

Sweet Titan!

The way the kid had panicked with his glove off, he reacted like he'd just spit on Belos. His sister wasn't too far behind him, going from mild to murderous at the flip of a switch.

Seeing Hunter's hand made it a little understandable, the hand was scarred and cracked with angry red patches of swollen skin. Eczema on top of the boy's bruises and scars had to be painful.

He really was his mother's son.

That matter had been settled shortly and now both guards were back to a calmer, significantly less murdery state. Darius was searching through his closet for something to help the boy. He finally found the box he hadn't touched in years. Inside and right on top was a healing coven prescribed ointment.

He chuckled internally at the slightly annoyed note that was attached to the tube. Jayr had to constantly be on Sunnie to use her medicine.

He sat back down and tossed the medicine to Hunter. He wasn't paying attention, Silver, as always, was. She caught it with one of her tails and gave him a dirty look. Darius rolled his eyes at the young assassin's behavior.

"It's medicine for your hands, your predecessor and mother both used it." He told Hunter.

That caught Hunter's attention and he looked up in surprised.

"y-You knew my m-mother?" He asked timidly.

That peeked Silver's interest as well. She was very alert and stared directly at him in that unsettling, distinctly Palisde way. Wide open eyes that were somehow scrutinizing and judgemental at the same time.

"Yes, I knew her. It was hard not to when she hung around my mentor all the time. Little sisters tend to be like that." Darius shrugged.

It wasn't that important. Nazik knew her, helped raise her actually, Eberwolf knew her, Jayr did too, basically anyone of note who worked in the covens for the last twenty or so years knew of Sunniva Sinoe.

"c-Can you... Uh, umm... w-what... what's her name?" Hunter's voice was very small and uncertain.

He… doesn't know his own mother's name?

Darius stared at the boy, so afraid of asking for basic information about his own mother.

"i-I, uh, don't remember… and she never used her real one… before I, well, you know…" was brought here.

There was a flicker of hope in his magenta eyes as he looked up.

Darius remembered Hunter's sudden arrival, the little prince was a half feral bastard towards everyone but Jayr. When Belos claimed the boy as his grand nephew, everyone who knew put the pieces together. Sunnie had been pregnant when she went missing, Hunter was about the right age and he only liked Jayr, Sunnie's partner. It was an easy enough conclusion to make.

"Sunniva. Sunniva Sinoe. That was her name." Darius told him.

Hunter's eyes shone and he scooted closer.

"c-Could... would you mind telling me about her?" Hunter asked timidly.

Not at all.

"That's a perfectly reasonable request, little prince." Darius said.

"Sunnie was raised by her mother in the early years of the Covens, she and your predecessor were siblings, the predominant theory is that they were half siblings and shared a parent related to Belos. Sunnie never gave anyone a straight answer when they asked her, she was absolutely infuriating." Darius said, catching the siblings sitting before him giggling.

"Why didn't she grow up around Belos like us?" Silver asked curiously.

"Her mother didn't like Belos, and she didn't trust the stability of the new government." Darius explained.

"How did she meet the previous Golden Guard?" Hunter asked eagerly.

"She kicked his ass when she was causing trouble as a six year old."

"What?!" Hunter exclaimed.

"Whoa! Your mom was awesome! She took down the Golden Guard when she was six!" Silver exclaimed, tails lashing around wildly.

"He was ten at the time." Darius added.

"Still cool, she was six." Silver argued.

Darius waited for the pair to settle down before he allowed any more questions.

"What was her Palisman?" Silver asked.

"Hers was a wolf, she carved it young from a living tree so it was a very unique Palisman, her staff was constantly budding." Darius said, shaking his head at the memory of her having to trim back the buds in her staff so she could use the damn thing.

"So that wolf was a Palisman!" Silver exclaimed.

"Wolf?"

"Hunter tells me about this wolf that his mom left to watch him when he was little, he didn't think it was a Palisman." Silver said proudly.

Darius answered the Guards questions for a good while, until he noticed Silver getting tired and decided to end the session. He wrapped up his supplies as the little guards shuffled out of his room.

"Uh, Darius?"

"Yes little prince?" Darius prompted without looking at the boy.

"Do you… do you have any idea who… if my mom ever… do you know if she uh… had any…" Hunter trailed off with a burning face, too embarrassed to finish his question.

"Are you asking if your mother ever had any romantic or sexual partners?"

The teen's face turned appleblood red and he shyly nodded.

"Well, seeing as you aren't an exact copy of your mother, she must have made you with someone." Darius said, teasing the boy just a bit.

His face burned brighter with the indignant scowl he gave him.

"She did have a partner."

"Who was it?" The hope in his voice was unbearable.

Jayr had always acted parently to their wife's son, even as it became increasingly clear that Hunter wasn't (genetically) their child as well. Darius knew better than most that Jayr did love Hunter like he was their own son.

They were just… persuaded from expressing that love and had to settle for a more professional relationship with him. Jayr cared for both guards as if they were their own children. They certainly had a more active (and positive) role in both children's lives than Belos.

Jayr had never told Hunter, for whatever reason, and since the Caprine had long since earned his respect and trust, Darius was going to honor that. Hunter could ask someone else.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." He admitted, avoiding the boy's crestfallen look.

"Oh."

"I'm certain you can find someone else who can.” He added.

“Now, off to bed with you, little prince.” Darius instructed, patting the boy's head.

XXX

Argi dropped her stitched up uniform into her laundry basket, changed into her pajamas and dropped her other clothes into the laundry too.

I'll have to do that tomorrow. If Uncle doesn't send me out again.

She flopped onto her bed and pulled out her scroll. She was bored, Enzo wasn't around, Phoebe was sleeping and she didn't want to go to sleep yet. Her body was tired, but her mind was wide awake.

A lot happened today. Scratch that, a lot happened these last two days that she was still not totally sure what she felt about or why she felt that way.

She checked her penstagram messages, maybe Skara had messaged or given her contact out? She didn't think it would get out to anyone outside of Willow's team, they understandably hadn't made any effort to contact her.

Someone had messaged her. It wasn't who she was hoping for.

It was Luz.

She was still online, having only recently sent the message half an hour ago.

A simple question had been sent.

L: You are adopted right?

You: Yeah…

The typing sign popped up almost immediately, was the human waiting for her response?

L: Do you know why?

Argi scowled at her screen, instantly regretting her decision to answer. The human had no right to poke around her personal life. She didn't know what motivated Belos to save and take her in anyway.

She should have stopped the conversation right there.

She did not.

You: Not entirely. I don't know what happened, Uncle says there was a really big accident, a lot of Palisde died, he found me and saved me. I don't really remember anything before that. The castle is all I've know.

You: It's hardly important anyway.

L: Do you think that or did Belos tell you it wasn't important?

Argi wanted to throw her hands up. This human was so confusing, the most confusing human she'd ever met, well she was the only one but still.

You: It isn't something we talk about.

L: Why is that? Don't you wanna know more about where you came from?

Talking to Belos about her origins was something she had quickly learned to stop asking about. He didn't like talking about Palisde. She didn't know the answer to that either-

Her head exploded into pain.

“-Demonic hellspawn!”

She flinched and dropped her scroll onto her pillow.

What the fuck was that? Why did it sound like Uncle?

She rubbed her forehead until the sudden headache subsided. She didn't remember any event where Belos had called her that, or any reason he would. She shook her head and pushed the odd memory to the back of her mind. Her head was just weird like that sometimes.

You: It would be nice to know, but it doesn't matter at the end of the day, everyone there died. Besides, Uncle doesn't want to talk about it.

L: And you don't find that weird?

You: Unlike you, I've learned not to ask questions!

She immediately regretted that last message. It was never good to reveal too much of herself and her work.

L: Bet that makes your job easier.

Argi felt her blood freeze.

She couldn't know, there wasn't any way she could know, right?

You: I protect Hunter and get rid of dangerous criminals. Why would I question any of that?

L: Sure you do.

Her blood boiled.

L: Do you ever question your orders?

You: Just shut up!

A spark of lightning flicked out of her tail and hit the wall.

L: Do you ever think for yourself or do you just do what you're told?

Argi’s eyes burned with rage.

You: Do you ever think for more than two seconds about trusting someone you've only known through some damn book!

…

L: … how do you know about that?

You: it doesn't fucking matter, unlike you, I think about the consequences of my actions. The emperor is not a forgiving man.

Argi shut her scroll off, tossed it off her bed and screamed into her pillow.

That stupid human has no right to ask her anything or even say anything about her, she didn't know the half of it! She was making the worst assumptions based on their few interactions with each other where she was just doing her Titan's damned job!

Because there was no way the human knew. No one really knew except Belos and the Coven Heads, and Belos made sure no word got out about it. It was an important, secret job she had to do.

There was no reason for him to let the information out and there was certainly no reason for him to lie to her about why she was given that job!

It was so she could help the Isles, get rid of the bad people that couldn't be removed any other way.

Today proved that her work was good, she had saved that student from the thugs, she did good work. It was just… a bloody sort of good. She didn't ask questions because she didn't need too, she didn't want to, couldn't without harm-

She stubbornly shut her mind off and tried to sleep.

Her back pain immediately exploded, she felt nauseous from the wave of pain. Her mouth hurt, her legs hurt, her arms hurt, her tails hurt, her ears hurt, her horns hurt, Titan! her entire fucking body was hurting.

She rolled off her bed and let herself flop onto the floor.

Enzo wasn't anywhere near, she doubted she would get a visit from them tonight, it was just her, alone with her thoughts and pain all night long.

She didn't want to be alone.

She grabbed a blanket and pillow, walked through the halls to Hunter's room and knocked on the door.

She heard Hunter stumble around a bit before he opened the door, looking the slightest bit pissed.

“Argi? What're you-”

“I can't sleep, can I stay with you?” She asked.

Hunter's expression softened with understanding, she hated being alone and unable to sleep. He stepped aside and pulled out the trundle from under his bed. It was almost always ready for her.

She had one for him too, but he hadn't used it once in the month they had been reintroduced, he rarely used it before.

“Do you want me to stay up with you?” He asked once she got settled in.

“I just need you here.” she mumbled.

“Okay.” Hunter shrugged and turned out the light.

She stared up at Hunter's bare ceiling, just laying there and listening to Hunter's heart beat. The sound of his heart had always been more soothing than others, it had a special quality she couldn't name.

It made his heart very easy to track.

She laid there, listening to her brother's soothing heartbeat until she managed to fall into a restless sleep.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Lil fun fact, I intentionally designed Argi and Palisde to be very demonic and devilish in appearance. Big horns, pointed tails, fangs, long tongue and not humanly colored.

They come in lots of colors but I specifically gave Argi a yellow to red gradient with her limbs and horns being the most red. I literally wanted her to look like the devil in old paintings when I first made her in like, October 2021, she's almost three years old.

I thought it would be kinda funny/telling of how twisted and delusional Belos is, that he is a witch hunter who stole a very classically demonic looking child and is using that child as an assassin. To his eyes she probably looks like the devil, the real devil here isn't the one who looks the part.

The name “Palisde” is shortened from “Palistrom demons”, which is what they are. Palisde is singular and plural.

I hope you all have a good day whatever that is for you!

VJS Out!

[lcnelyday]

[ CARESS ]  for one muse to possessively kiss the other in public. also throw whoever!!

jealous, fiercely protective & territorial: darius & levi

darius was never a jealous man, that much was obvious by his often polyamorous relationships. he would have happily dated levi while levi also dated whitney despite his own personal history with whitney. he believed that the love and attention cannot be taken from one relationship and given to another, but that didn't mean he never got a little possessive. the good company was busier than all hell when levi showed up. darius was supposed to slip away from the bar and go out with levi, but it was his damn bar, and so he had to wrap some things up before they could leave. levi was levi, and didn't mind waiting at the bar for darius to finish. the very attractive con artist who spent more nights at the bar than not, had decided to shoot their shot with levi and darius couldn't help but watch the whole interaction. winnie was at the bar, eyes shifting between levi and the redhead and then back to darius. "boss. just go. i've got things here. jesus." she muttered, and darius shot her a cheeky grin before he slipped out of the bar and around to where levi was sitting.

darius wasted no time, and went full spectacle, snaking an arm around their waist as he dipped levi down slightly, capturing their lips with his own. never all that possessive, but he loved to brag more than anything else. he had no idea what their intentions with levi had been, a con, a passionate night, a job, who knew, because darius was there, it was his bar, and unless levi told him otherwise, he was theirs, and they were his. darius pressed into the kiss, a teasing sort of desperation tinged in the playful move it really was before he brought them back upright, breaking their kiss. he pressed one more quick kiss to levi's nose before glancing over to the con artist—forrest! god, he was terrible with names, not that it mattered, as forrest had disappeared by the time he looked back. "sorry, i wanted to see if that would scare them off." he chuckled lowly.

[riiseandfall]

caesar flickerman :

“ so , dante . before we go any further , we have to address your look from the tribute ball . it’s all anyone can talk about — care to comment ? ”

“ you must be so proud to see your brother follow in your footsteps , just how excited are you to take part in the games and possibly produce another victor for your family ? ”

“ is there anyone out there you’re struggling to say goodbye to ? it must be a difficult task after all . ”

— feel free to include more questions & answers , caesar usually has around 5 minutes with each tribute

interviews were easy. dante had a role and he knew how to play it well. hell, since moving to the capitol he played it almost every day. this was nothing new. he could handle this. was it a game he liked to play? no. but it was one he could play.

as soon as he steps onto that stage, the screams and cheers are greeted only with that sly, razor sharp grin. it isn't him but it's the victor they loved.

“ so , dante . before we go any further , we have to address your look from the tribute ball . it’s all anyone can talk about — care to comment ? ”

the question is greeted with several 'oooh's from the audience and a quiet chuckle from dante, brows raising as he runs a hand through his hair. there's no purple on his face, but it is accented in his jewelry, in the rings on his fingers and on a pendant that hangs from his neck. purple and silver. "aw, c'mon now, caesar, don't tell me you were surprised. have you known me to be anything but bold?" it gets a laugh out of the host.

"our victor from two! always so cheeky! i suppose not but - really, tell us about that look. it. was. stunning."

he had hoped to move on - saying nothing about the makeup was almost as damning as if he speaks on it. figures that caesar wouldn't let it drop so easily. "not sure what there is to say, i have a skilled stylist team and after that perfect score, well-" he pauses, shrugs, considers for a moment. "-i thought a change of look was in order." keep the fire off augustus. insist it was your idea. "since i'm going back in for such a memorable game, why not highlight an equally memorable game?"

"well, trust me when i say that look isn't going to leave anyone's mind anytime soon, am i right?" the crowd cheers in response as caesar holds a hand out with a wide grin. "now-you must be so proud to see your brother follow in your footsteps , just how excited are you to take part in the games and possibly produce another victor for your family?”

play the role. "oh, well you met darius-" caesar nods, comments on how the tributes were interviewed first. charming young man, reminds me of you at that age. dante nods, "-i'm incredibly proud of him. he's a good kid and if i can do anything to help him walk out of that arena as a victor, i'm going to do it."

"he certainly has big shoes to fill. youngest ever to win the games - and a quarter quell at that! seems only fitting that he be reaped for games that will, no doubt be equally exciting! but it isn't the first time you've had a brother go into the arena, have you?"

dante tenses, nails bite into his palm. not this - don't go here please.

"i'm sure we all remember the tragic death of your brother, damon, wasn't it?" dante simply nods, play the role. "my deepest condolences, i can't imagine how hard that must have been for you and your family. no doubt that was part of the reason you volunteered for darius this year?"

dante forces that grin back on his face. "couldn't let darius have all the fun, now could i?"

the audience laughs, caesar echoes it. "of course not! we certainly don't blame you and i believe i speak for all of us when i say how excited we are to see darius in that arena. and you as well!"

more cheers. he feels sick to his stomach, he wants to dart off that stage, wants to throw caesar and that fake smile across it, wants to do anything but continue to sit here. but his time isn't up yet.

play the role.

“ is there anyone out there you’re struggling to say goodbye to ? it must be a difficult task after all . ”

this question is...oddly easier. dante sighs heavily, "the goodbyes are the hardest part for any tribute. the capitol has been my home for years and saying goodbye to so many of you is...a lot tougher than i expected it to be." a lie, but the crowd eats it up all the same. caesar nod solemnly. "but - the more personal goodbyes have already been said." max and that lingering kiss at the ball. kaleb and their foreheads pressed together and a promise to come back. two declarations, two possible goodbyes. things that the capitol didn't deserve to know the details of. "there's no easy way to say goodbye to the people you've gotten so close to." the people dante loved. "and…i did make a mistake with one. said something i didn’t mean but…it is one that i hope to fix…that—that i hope to do right while i still have the chance—getting so close to the arena makes you realize that…there are so many things you want to say—things that you should have said a long time ago. so, i hope to get the chance to say everything.” he deserves that. after everything. i have to make things right. “—but outside of that? everything has been said that needs to be said.”

"a solemn and - dare i say - bittersweet note to end on. thank you dante, and best of luck to you in the arena, let's hear it for the victor from two!"

the cheers barely get a response now as dante damn near bolts from that stage.

he needs a damn cigarette.

[fmhiphop]

Usher Gets a Bit Cheeky In Response To Keke Palmer Drama

Today Usher is the highlight of conversation over a recent post in response to the Keke Palmer debacle. While many may expect something profound, that's not how the artist responded. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Keke Palmer's Drama "The Vortex" On July 6, 2023, Keke Palmer went viral. Masses weighed on relationship drama, of which Palmer was the nucleus. As most now know, the beautiful new mother attended a concert headlined by Usher. It was only a short time before video footage of the star enjoying the performance made its rounds. While there is nothing unordinary about one artist enjoying the performance of another, there was more to this story. Palmer's partner, Darius Jackson, offered a public response to the video making its rounds. According to multiple sources, the tweet read, "It's the outfit tho... you a mom." https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1676724667397156864?s=20 That post triggered the great debate of 2023, the trending topic, should she have, or shouldn't she? And that was followed by the quintessential question of the partner's rights regarding voicing concern and proper etiquette in doing so. What's Usher Got to Do With It? Since then, people have weighed in from around the globe with varying perspectives. But another centrifugal figure in this dramatic narrative had yet to say anything. And that was Usher. Those who followed the endless debates on social media understand Usher was also pointed out as a big factor in the escalation of this issue. Some argued that Palmer's reaction to Usher was at the vortex of this relational tsunami. https://youtu.be/pq_RxfbkUvg   But that is neither here nor there. The primary fact is Palmer attended his concert in attire her partner found distasteful. And Usher was caught on camera serenading the gorgeous Palmer. And so, undoubtedly, some expected Usher to weigh in. Today, Usher has responded. But it is not in how a good deal might expect. The "You Got It Bad" crooner created an Instagram post stating, "Am I trending yet?" What Does Usher's Post Mean? There are multiple ways to interpret it. The question is, does anyone need to? Many dig too deep. Some may find it insensitive or cheeky. Others will take it for what it is. But does it matter? Perhaps he doesn't really have anything to add. And if he did, in such situations, would it be beneficial to add anything? Compared to the larger word, contextually, this is small. And this, too, will pass. Today it was Palmer; tomorrow, it will be someone and something else. So, he kept it moving. Written By: Renae Richardson Read the full article

[drbtinglecannon]

I know I'm a typical Darius fan who loves to talk about him regardless how relevant it is, but his inclusion in that framed art actually melts my heart

Even if we didn't get to see all the ways how, he actually is as plot heavy of a character as his fans like to imagine he could be. We know he's deeply tied to the story, it's generational trauma, the main villain, the grimwalkers/Hunter, Eda/Raine/Lilith, & the major turning point in the story, but to get this art where he has a clear established place in Eda's past reflecting Luz's present & the current narrative as a whole is just so cool

Every step of being a Darius fan has been further validation of my opinion, it's fucking amazing. Anyway what a guy

[logicalbookthief]

Hm..83, involving Hunter and Dadrius?

83. Another sleepless night, huh?

Thank you @red-lion-of-voltron for reading my mind and sending a Dadrius prompt lol.

The bed is too soft. Hunter can’t sleep.

Of all the complaints to have about his new living arrangement, that sounds like the most lackluster. He should be thankful he was offered a bed in the first place, let alone one so comfortable it feels like he could sink into the sheets. Darius isn’t the type of man who skimps on the quality of his quilts or pillows. 

The bed is too soft, and his skin chafes under every stitch, unable to shake this restless itch. He shouldn’t be nestled in blankets that're far warmer, cozier than anything he had back at the castle. He should be working. Patrolling, training. Gathering intel for the new government, going on missions for Darius or whoever, anything but this—this foreboding sense of calm.

He knows it won't last. 

Maybe that is why he's on edge, why his body can't settle, even in the depths of night, when exhaustion's tugging at his eyelids, staring listlessly at the dim light of the crystal ball.

He’s waiting for orders that will never come. Expecting a threat that no longer exists.

It begs the question of why he's even staying at Darius's house. It doesn't really seem like he's needed? He would understand if he had something to do, some skill or task so he could be useful to his host. 

However, Darius prefers to have his abominations handle the cleaning and Hunter has barely any experience with cooking, which exempts him from most of the chores. And Darius flat-out refused to give him a job, despite the fact that he does have experience in that.

By his own admission, Darius has grown a little fond of him, but it’s still a stretch to think that is enough repayment for what he’s offering. Sure, he might’ve protected Hunter a few times, and acted a bit distraught on his behalf; all of that could be chalked up to his innate sense of decency. I’m glad you didn’t die is a far cry from I’m willing to tolerate you living in my house for free.

Particularly since Hunter doubts he’s the easiest tenant. Why, the amount he’s woken the house with nightmares alone—

“Another sleepless night, huh?”

Hunter swivels around to see Darius leaning on the back of the couch. His hair looks mussed, his clothes in an unusual state of disarray. He was clearly fast asleep not too long ago and Hunter gets a fresh stab of guilt.

“Sorry,” he says softly, ears flattening against his head. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll go—”

He reaches for the crystal ball screen. His hand pauses midair, started by a blanket unceremoniously dropped over his shoulders. A string of abomination fusses with the fringes, tucking it in around his arms, effectively stopping any movement.

“Relax,” Darius huffs. “You didn’t wake me. Even if you did, I’d be grateful it isn’t Eberwolf running amok at 3am for once. He gets a burst of energy and likes to spend it rolling around, knocking over furniture, scaling the curtains.”

Hunter blinks. “Like a cat?”

“A much larger, more annoying cat.” Darius smirks. “Dare I ask why you’re up this late?”

“Technically, it’s early,” Hunter replies. Just to be contrary.

Darius swats at him for that, which Hunter dodges, more out of instinct than fear. A cheeky smile tugs at his lips.  

The warm, mushy feelings dissipate when Darius prods, “Nightmare?”

He pitches his voice low, gentle. Hunter hunches his shoulders, reluctant to explain that—what? After all Darius had done to earn his trust, his brain refused to believe this was for, that he was safe?  “Not exactly,” he murmurs, shiftily.

“Mm,” Darius hums. “Well, that makes two of us.”

Hunter frowns, suspicious of that. It could be a pretense designed to get him to talk. Leading by example, uh huh. Classic interrogation technique.“Really?” he asks skeptically.

“Not a nightmare, per se. They don’t always have to be,” Darius remarks. “It was more like... A memory.”

Sympathy causes Hunter to wince, recalling too many of his own trips down memory lane. If it’s a lie, it’s a damn good one. “A bad one?” 

“Not exactly,” Darius echoes, smiling wanly. “I dreamt I was speaking with an old friend.”

He doesn’t need a to ask to know which old friend he’s referring to.

“Oh,” Hunter whispers, the exhalation punched out of his chest. He tips his chin, studying his hands in his lap. Suddenly, he wishes he was on his obnoxiously comfy sheets, with only the itch for company. 

Strange to think that Darius has memories of a Golden Guard that aren’t tainted by cracked masks tangled up in dead roots, or left to rot in a pit of bones.

And yet he lives with the very reminder that that Golden Guard is gone.

Silence reigns over the room, the only sound coming from the chatter of the crystal ball. Darius appears to be waiting for Hunter to pick up the thread of conversation, if he wants. Though he seems equally as content to sit here and watch mind-numbing television until they both succumb to sleep.

By the time Hunter summons the nerve to speak, he’s waited too long, the context nearly forgotten.

"I'm sorry."

Tearing his eyes away from the crystal ball, Darius glances quizzically at him. "For what?"

"For replacing him. Your mentor."

Darius jolts as if struck. Instantly the air in the room thickens, almost suffocating with its tension. "You don't have to apologize for that,” he says, quick yet strained, but he’s lying.

Why does Darius look so sad here?

"I know it made you upset,” he insists. “And angry."

Discomfort bleeds into his face. "I—“

"You don't have to pretend.” His voice comes out far more harshly than he intended. "Or always be this nice to me."

Darius looks at a loss for words. His expression twists into something indecipherable, so Hunter doesn’t bother. 

He looks away, his mouth pressed into a firm line. "I'm tired of pretending. I'd rather you be honest and hate me than pretend."

It isn't quite the truth. Because he wants Darius to think he's worthy of his time. Like a child still chasing after the approval of every adult in his life, all of whom ranged from disinterested, disdainful or openly hostile. All except for his uncle, who assured Hunter he could be good if he followed every order without question, who gave chance after chance for Hunter to prove his worth.

But it was all a lie. None of it made a difference, none of it spared Hunter in the end. No amount of loyalty or love could sway his uncle’s decision. His mind seemed to be set from the moment he brought his grimwalker to life.

Hatred is better than a lie. Bitterness is better than a lie. He's sick of the lying, the wondering, the worrying. Second-guessing every interaction, weighing the cost of happiness over the urgency of survival.

The weight pressing against the back of the couch disappears. Darius must be leaving.

Good, Hunter shuts his eyes, ignoring the ache in his chest that disagrees. The waiting is over. The ruse has dropped. Everything can go back to normal.

He tenses as the cushion he’s sitting on shifts, dipping at the additional weight. His eyes shoot open, yet he doesn’t speak, the lump in his throat constricting any speech.

"I never hated you, Hunter."

And he can't help the scoff he lets out at that. Darius grimaces, though he doesn’t defend himself.

"First of all, you didn't replace him. Belos did." Darius rubs the side of his neck, looking as close to sheepish as Hunter has ever seen. "I suppose... I’m the one who needed that reminder.” 

Hunter stares at the man as he sighs, not fully comprehending.

“I let my resentment over his decision influence my opinion of you. I didn't even try to get to know you first. And that was my mistake. I’m sorry, little prince."

The apology hits with more impact than he expected. It sounds like a such small thing — a thing he’s said a million times before, and it never meant much, not to Belos, at least — but he can’t remember when an adult has ever directed those words at him.

"You weren't wrong," Hunter replies solemnly. "I was always doing what he told me. Just blindly following orders I bet your mentor wasn’t that dumb,” he snorts.

“When I met your predecessor, he was already a man. And he’d done plenty of things in the name of the emperor that he grew to regret,” Darius imparts, nudging Hunter’s arm with his own. “Realizing that is the first step to becoming a proper rebel. The courage to fight comes after.”

"I didn't rebel because I was smart enough to realize,” Hunter snaps, cringing at how desperately he’d rationalized his uncle’s actions in the mindscape, even with all evidence to the contrary. “Or brave enough to do what's right. I was just—”

What a shame. Out of all the grimwalkers, you looked the most—

He stops, catches his breath, exhales it. “I was scared. I didn’t want to die.”

There. If the confession doesn’t show what a poor excuse for a replacement he is, what else would?

"Believe me when I say that not dying was pretty high on my priority list, too,” Darius says wryly. “And it became quite a motivator for the rebellion, too.” 

Knitting his brow, Hunter contorts his face into such bewilderment that Darius chuckles. He can’t tell if he’s teasing or serious.

"Self-interest is not a crime, little prince. Your uncle may not have taught you that," Darius goes on, totally sincere. He bumps his hand gently against Hunter’s head, the gesture so well-worn by now that he doesn’t even flinch. "But I can assure you it's the truth."

No more lies. That’s what Hunter wanted, right? Even if the truth confuses more than comforts, or it isn’t the dynamic he’s used to…

He sucks in a breath, slowly letting it go, just like he was taught. Does it until his limbs go lax, until the itch is soothed, no longer the consuming thing it was. His eyelids grow heavier, fluttering as he strains to focus on the crystal ball. 

His head lolls, and he blames it all on gravity, the way his head tips to the side, his cheek landing on Darius’s shoulder. He finds he’s too tired to remove himself. If he want his space, Darius will have to shove him off. 

Hunter may have mumbled that aloud, if the huff of laughter that tickles his hair is any indication.

The couch isn’t as soft as his bed. For tonight, it will do.

[pxmun]

It was a face off, Diesel 10 against the Trainyard Trio and their engines.  “You’ve been nothing but a bully Diesel 10, it’s about high time that someone put you in a time out.” Darius said sternly. “If you are so unwilling to get over your hatred of steamies, then maybe you don’t belong on the North Western Railway.” Romeo added. “No matter how far technology advances the railway, engines from any period in time will always find a home on Sodor”! Cleo stated. With that the siblings blew into their whistles in unison, with a big huff and a mighty puff, steam flew out of each of the three steam engines funnels and gathered together into a huge steam cloud. It roared above Diesel 10 who feared of being struck by lightning and his mechanical parts short circuiting. Instead, though it began to rain. Immediately Diesel 10 noticed that the whatever was falling from the magical cloud wasn’t water. It smelt sweet and felt sticky as it rained down on him. “Syrup”? Diesel 10 asked in confusion. “Indeed, the syrup should prevent you and Pinchy there from causing any more trouble.” Scotsman said. “You’ll be stuck to the track until Sir Topham Hatt can figure out what to do with you.” Gordon added. “And that will be quiet the sticky situation.” Thomas finished. Diesel 10 was enraged. “You steamies and your brats might’ve won the battle, but you haven’t won the war yet scrap piles! I’ll be back”! Diesel 10 threatened. The group however just ignored the diesel and left to check in on their friends. When they returned, the group was greeted with happy whistles and toots from the other engines. To the team’s surprise Lady was among the crowd, she approached them. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say we can’t begin to thank all of you for saving us from Diesel 10.” Lady said. “Think nothing of it Lady. We couldn’t just sit by and allow Diesel 10 to harm our friends.” Romeo said. “Three cheers for our friends”! Shouted Percy. All the engines applauded the group of heroes. Soon they were in the midst of a party, Romeo and Cleo were having a wonderful time. Cleo was playing a game with Thomas, Dowager Hatt, Percy, and Edward while Romeo, Patty, and Victor were working together to fix Gordon’s damaged tender. Darius was just chilling out against the wall, watching Scotsman tell Spencer and a few other Mainland engines about his adventure. Lady had rolled up on the track closest to the young adult. “You’re not joining the party”? She asked. “Nah, I’m not much of a party goer.” Darius responded. The two watched as the Earl joined in on the game Cleo and the others were playing. From what Darius could see the game was pin the tail on the donkey, the humans would blind fold themselves and take instructions from whichever engine’s turn it was. The Earl was going on behalf of Percy, the little green engine was being cheeky by having the Earl go the wrong way and he ended up placing the tail on the back of Sir Topham Hatt’s hat.  Both men were surprised by what had just happened but ended up laughing over Percy’s prank.  Darius couldn’t help but smile as he watched his little sister play and talk with others, back home Cleo would usually keep to herself and would hardly ever interact with her classmates at school. Darius soon turned to Lady. “Why did you bring us to Sodor”? He asked. Lady knew that this question would’ve been asked sooner or later, yet she still felt unprepared. “I thought you and your siblings came to Shining Time Station to help Sodor.  At first, I thought Mr. Conductor had summoned me to pick you three up and bring all of you to our realm, but later I discovered that he is no longer at Shining Time.” Lady tried to explain. “So, let me get this straight, this Mr. Conductor or whoever is supposed to find people who can help Sodor, and have you come over into our world to bring those helpers to Sodor, but it turns out that this Mr. Conductor is no longer at Shining Time Station.” Darius repeated. “Yes.” Lady replied. Darius had a worried look. “If it wasn’t Mr. Conductor who called you over to our world to take us, then who was it”? Darius asked.

[justmypartner]

Make it Work: Chapter 1

Summary: When offered a permanent position with the FBI, Hailey agrees to take it under one condition: Jay comes too. As their personal lives and work lives begin to change, the two partners find it increasingly difficult to navigate their complex relationship and manage their feelings for one another. *Picks up at the 8x03 bar scene.

Writer’s Note: I’m so excited to share my first multi-chapter fic. I really enjoyed Hailey’s FBI episode and how seamlessly she was able to adapt to that world, so I thought it would be fun to explore how Jay might fit into that world and how different the adjustment may be for him. When writing the first chapter I was really inspired by the song (what i wish just one person would say to me) by Lany, because I felt like it fit Jay’s perspective perfectly. As much as our guy loves Hailey, he was always going to put her wishes above his own. That’s what the song is all about, so you can see a few lines inspired by the song sprinkled throughout the chapter (the title is also taken from the song). Please enjoy Chapter 1 of Make it Work!

Read on AO3 or below

“Alright. Let’s do this, rip the bandaid off. What did the FBI offer you?” Jay said straightly, trying to hide the worry that coursed throughout his entire body.

Earlier that day he had discovered the FBI had Hailey on their radar, and he hadn’t stopped thinking about it since. After what went down with his last partner, simply hearing someone say “FBI” left a bad taste in his mouth. He wouldn’t openly admit it, but he was worried about Hailey taking the offer. Ever since she had returned from New York, she had been fairly quiet about how it went. Her feelings seemed indifferent, but part of him had to wonder why she would hide the fact that they were sending her job offers. He hated the idea of being left alone again, but ultimately he just wanted what was best for her, even if that meant moving thousands of miles away.

Jay had been seeing Hailey differently for a while. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly when his feelings shifted, but he knew things were different. If anyone asked, she was his partner and his best friend, but he knew deep down that she was more than that. There were even a handful of moments when he almost told her how he felt but Jay, never a man of openly expressing his feelings, failed to get a single word out every time. He had fought those feelings for so long, keeping them hidden deep in the depths of his closed-off heart, but her time away in New York proved this impossible. He had picked her up from the airport when she got back in Chicago, and the second he saw her he couldn’t deny the way she set his heart aflame. So, hearing that the FBI was trying to steal her away permanently was messing with his head. He had sat on his concern all day, but his patience was running thin.

“Mm okay. Joint level task-force, with the HIG, all interrogations, all high-level targets,” she told him, a slight smirk on her face as she awaited his reaction.

“Sure.. Sure, sure, sure, yeah, that sounds awesome,” he said sarcastically as she chuckled. “Is it good pay?” He asked her, a sense of defeat in his voice.

“Great pay. Honestly made me a little embarrassed about what we get paid,” she said with a smile. This was not what he was hoping for, but he pressed forward.

“Well, you’d probably be really good at it,” he responded, feigning support as the words killed him inside. He knew she would be good at it, there was no doubt in his mind. The job sounded perfect for her, but he just hated where it was and what it could mean for them.

“Yeah,” she muttered, pausing briefly and looking out the window as if her next words were lingering somewhere outside and she was trying to find them. “Yeah, I hope so because I told them I would take it,” she finally said, her eyes slowly traveling back to his. The smile on her face was replaced by a look of sincerity. He felt his heart drop into his stomach as he clenched his jaw, trying to conceal the myriad of emotions consuming him.

“Well, I.. I’m happy for you,” he said unconvincingly before bringing his glass back to his mouth, taking a large swig of his drink. He couldn’t look her in the eye because he knew she’d be able to read right through him. So, he focused on the bottom of his glass, fingers fidgeting with the rim waiting for her to say something.

“Yeah, well I should be saying the same to you,” she told him. With this, he raised his eyes back up to meet hers and returned her words with a raised brow, sending a questioning look her way.

“I told them I wasn’t going anywhere without my partner, so they took a look at your file and they were very impressed by your background. They said if you’re good enough for me to bargain with, you must be worth having on their team,” she paused briefly and he watched her swallow hard before her next words. “Jay the offer is extended to the both of us.. that is if it is something you’re interested in,” she said, tilting her head to the side as she tried to read his reaction.

A moment of what felt like his world falling apart was now being strung back together with a sliver of hope for the two of them. Being a fed was never in any of Jay’s plans. In fact, he always found himself carrying an unwarranted detestation for them that made those government positions sound completely unappealing. He never imagined he’d be willing to give up Chicago, let alone his position in Intelligence, especially for a job with the feds, but if it meant being with Hailey he was going to consider it. Romantically or not he knew he needed her in his life and as he told her not too long ago, he would follow her anywhere.

“I- wha- I-“ he stuttered out, not being able to form a coherent word.

“Look, I know it is a lot to ask of you. I know it may not seem fair of me to offer you up like that without asking first, but the way I figured it, we’re good at our jobs and we’re good together. I mean new job, new city, it all sounded so crazy to me at first. I’ve never pictured myself anywhere outside of CPD, but then I took a step back and realized what it could mean big picture. My time in New York, the cases I was working, they showed me just how big and bad this world can be. I mean I was chasing after dudes that make guys like Darius Walker look like frickin saints. The whole time I just kept thinking, I could really see myself doing this every day. I felt fulfilled in a way I hadn’t in years, but every night I’d go home, especially after the bad ones, and I felt like something was missing. Then one night after a really bad one I was sitting in my hotel room, wallowing in the heaviness of that day and my phone rang. It was you calling to check up because you had a bad case too and you needed whatever this thing is between us that always seems to work. That’s when I realized what it was that was missing. It was you,” she shrugged, the corners of her mouth curling up in a shameful smile.

“Hailey..” Jay said as his eyes glossed over with tears. He sat there silently, looking into the endless depth of her eyes and hoping the right words would come to him. His thoughts were jumbled and he was having trouble grounding himself in reality. The whiplash of thinking he was losing the most important person in his life to hearing her tell him her life wasn’t complete without him left him in a state of disorient. He was relieved when she continued on before he had the chance to stumble over words once more.  

“Look Jay, I don’t expect you to have an answer now. I just needed to tell you where I’m coming from so you’d have a full perspective to guide your decision. I know leaving Chicago, leaving our family at the 21st wouldn’t be easy, but I feel like this opportunity is something worth pursuing. I also think it’s something that would be made easier if we did it together,” she admitted, finishing her piece.

Her words echoed in his head as he seriously thought through the opportunity. Jay was wired to be a cop, to right wrongs, help victims find justice, and chase the highs of dangerous cases. He found his life’s purpose doing just that, starting in the Rangers and leading to his spot in Intelligence. He appreciated the fulfillment his work in Intelligence brought him, but what if he could do that on a much larger scale - with her by his side no less. All of a sudden he was picturing a life in New York and working at the FBI. He felt like it could make sense and it caught him by surprise, but it seemed clear.

“Do you remember when the unit was under siege and we thought it was the end of Intelligence? We had just gotten back from that major bust and we were talking about what would happen if we got shut down.. where we would go. Do you remember what I said to you?” He asked her, his newfound clarity allowed him to string a coherent thought together. She nodded in response.

“You told me you’re going where I go and that it’s hard to find a good partner,” she said softly, her eyes staying locked with his.

“I meant it then, and I mean it now. I’ve spent my whole life fighting to help people, and I like to think we’ve done some really great things in Intelligence. You were right when you said we’re good together, and if this job means we can make an even bigger difference than the one we do now, I’m all in,” he said, causing a big smile to form across her face.  

“Yeah?”

“Hell yeah. I mean I’d like to know more about the position and everything, but if you say it’s worth it, then I trust you.. we’ll make it work. Plus, our thing just isn’t the same over the phone. You’d be lost without me,” he told her with a cheeky smile, eliciting an eye roll from her.

“Yeah, you mean you’d be lost without me,” she responded, standing from her chair to grab her coat. Jay laughed and took the check before rising to put his coat on as well. As they made their way to the door, Jay turned to face Hailey as a concerned look overcame his face.

“Wait- have you planned on how we’re going to tell Voight about this?” He asked. She returned his question with an expression matching his.

“Uh ah, I didn’t get that far. I didn’t think you would actually agree to be honest.”

“Come on, we’ve built a pretty strong partnership here, at least part of you had to think there was a chance I’d say yes,” he told her.

“Yeah, no I wasn’t thinking about that. I was thinking the fact that it’s a job with the feds and the idea of having to wear a suit everyday would have left no room for consideration,” she said with a chuckle. She pushed her body against the door, grimacing at the sudden sensation of the cold Chicago wind against her face, leaving a suspended Jay stood in the doorway.

“Suit.. everyday.. I-“ he said upon realizing that part of the job he hadn’t considered.

“Woah, woah, woah, you already said yes, no turning back now,” she teased. He groaned and dragged his feet out the door to join her in the cold. They walked shoulder to shoulder down the street in a comfortable silence.

“That doesn’t sound so bad you know,” she said, breaking through the silence as they reached their cars. She turned to face him, her eyes carrying a glimmer he hadn’t noticed before.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“Getting to see you in a suit every day,” she said confidently before realizing the coy nature of the statement and bashfully looking away. Jay could feel the heat rush to his face despite the chilling wind blowing against him. He smiled down at his feet, hoping if she could notice the redness of his cheeks, she accounted it to the cold. There was a long pause before he brought his eyes back up to hers once again.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” she said, placing a hand on his chest lightly before passing him to get into her car.

Jay wasn’t sure where their future was going or what direction it would take them, but he knew as long as she was in his life, he was set. His eyes followed her as she got in her car and started the engine. She gave him a small wave before pulling out into the street. Yet again there he was suppressing his feelings for his partner, but this time it felt worth it. A lot in their lives was about to change, he didn’t need to add the heaviness of his feelings to the mix. He was anxious about what was to come, but he ultimately felt content with his decision.

[actualbird]

Okay before reading this, just in case, wait till 10 or like a decent time. ———— Good? Okay so like the NXX crew, with Animal Crossing (yall were talking about the 2020 hot games so) and like this is the future will it be like VR animal crossing? - Book

hi, Book!!! some things before i get started: 1) i saw this ask at 5am and misread it, 2) bc i saw it at 5am i cant stop myself from answering it at 8am, 3) ive never played New Horizons so this is gonna be VERY off in many places unintentionally and also intentionally, and lastly 4) how did i misread it?

i thought you said "NXX crew as Animal Crossing villagers"

and well, my brain already thought SO MUCH ABOUT THAT so imma go in that direction even if i understand what u really said, SORRY KJBJSDKF

MC is a a rabbit, artem is a bear, vyn is a deer, marius is a cat, and luke is a wolf. they, along with other villagers (celestine the ostrich, kiki the mouse, darius the lion, I COULD GO ON FOREVER), live on STELLIS ISLAND!!! away from the pressures of city life, everybody now has the time to focus on basically everything theyve been putting off, which, for the nxx boys, is basically their METRIC FUCKTON of pining for MC.

//cue animal crossing opening music

i like to imagine the nxx ac au as an idyllic kind of romantic comedy scenario also everybody is animals. theres no player character human but somebody is mayor/museum curator/tom nook/etc. (another chara from tot, not the ingame ac npcs bc im not strong enough to do crossovers omg).

actually kjsbfgjskJBJ WAIT marius still vaguely owns pax here and this whole island is basically a pax development thing and marius very often goes over to mc's house going "isnt this island great? arent i your favooooorite? do you wanna go to the beach because i got great desserts from the city----" and then luke comes over flailing a net around and "accidentally" herding a bunch of wasps towards marius

luke: oops, sorry marius!

marius: //animal crossing language screaming

luke: well, i guess he's busy then. mc, wanna go fruit picking :D

marius: //animal crossing language screaming but PISSED OFF NOW

mc does not want to go fruit picking while marius is running for his life, so mc and luke do save him together and then all three of them go to the beach and then go fruit picking together. all three of them have a great time, but marius and luke wont admit it to the other that they had fun in the other's presence (well, they wont admit it for now, theyll admit it eventually, every au of mine will end in found family whether they LIKE IT OR NOT)

vyn is very often at the island's museum, the nature parts, and whenever mc wants a little bit of a quieter time, all she has to do is go there and theyll both sit down on a bench in the butterfly exhibit and if she has any questions, all she has to do is ask to hear vyn explain in a gentle voice, his fluffy ears twitching (flustered) whenever mc nods or goes "oooh".

if mc wants a more cheeky museum experience, she can go ask marius to come with her and he'll go full art guide mode the entire time. she'll roll her eyes at marius' smugness but also feel her own kind of affectionate smugness when she sees marius' tail sway from side to side, happy and satisfied.

artem is most often found fishing by the rivers and the beach and mc is Very Bad at fishing and cant make much sense of the intricacies of fishing rods or reeling techniques, but artem always assures her that he enjoys being with her nonetheless. his normally stoic, intimidating face always softens whenever she sits down next to him on the shores, his bear nose adorably twitching in restrained happiness.

and luke always seems to be working on something. he and mc hang out a lot, but when they arent, she sees luke going around the island, tail wagging as he collects resources, terraforms land chunks, etc. mc knows that when luke is keeping a secret, he'll almost never tell her, so she starts investigating

mc: do you know what luke is doing?

artem: n....no....i do...not....

mc: youre a terrible liar skjdfsjd. vyn! what's luke doing?

vyn: a passion project of sorts :)

mc: that is an answer that tells me nothing, actually. MARIUS! what is luke up to?

marius: miss :(((( wouldnt you like to ask me what im up to :(((

mc: oh my god you guys

eventually what luke is working on does reach completion, and mc, led by the rest of the boys, is shown to a little secret picnic area in the island, big enough not just for two animals, but five. luke explains that he originally made this place as a gift for her but then //grumbling, luke realized that mc is happiest when theyre all together, so luke made some changes and luke doesnt get to explain past that because mc tackle hugs him in a rabbit hop of gratitude.

mc is so so so happy and the little picnic area becomes a wonderful little area for all of them to go to whenever they want to. there, under the clear skies, mc figures that maybe what they all want can be found in a place like this.

[jeannereames]

Since you wrote about undergarments (and how Macedonian clothes were expensive)... how do you think Alexander and Co. dressed in general? Do we know if Alexander became more Persianized in clothing as he marched futher East? How "mixed" do you picture him dressed by the end of his life?

First, a quick clarification on clothing expense in larger context….

The ideal for an ancient Greek family was independence: meaning they could produce everything they absolutely needed at home. If we have the so-called “American Dream” (or whatever country), that was theirs.

To us today, in our highly interwoven society, this might be a startling expectation. It involved growing their own food, pressing their own oil, and making their own wine, raising animals for dairy and meat, plus some sheep for wool, and even making cheap pottery and wooden utensils. Surplus would then be sold. It left very little they had to buy (shoes, blacksmith-produced items, etc.). Also, more Greeks lived in villages and hamlets than in cities, and these villages and even hamlets might have the local blacksmith or potter. While there were certainly city dwellers pursuing craft occupations, and of course fishermen, Greeks elevated the farmer or landowner. Owning even a little bit of land for a garden was pursued by all (yes, sailors and craftmen as well). We have, in some towns, evidence for “urban gardens” with olive and fruit trees, etc., maintained by citizens.

Some items, such as olive oil, olives, bread, and pottery, were relatively cheap. That pretty painted stuff pulled out of tombs is NOT daily stuff. They went through pottery like we go through plastic—to the point broken pot sherds were used to scribble shopping lists, etc.

Due to the process from shearing through cleaning, carding, spinning, dyeing, and weaving, cloth production took a while. And yes, they could sew seams and such (just take a gander at fancy Minoan dress), but they figured out ways not to have to bother. But consequently, those big pieces of cloth, especially for a woman’s peplos or chiton, or a himation (either gender) was a significant investment. Normally, it was done by the women of the family. In fact, WEAVING, not baking, house cleaning, or child-care was considered the quintessential woman’s work.

If one was single and poor, without women in the family, and no household, or land, one had to BUY all those things, which were pretty damn expensive. So it kept one poor.

In general, the average farmer’s family would have two garments each, maybe three, plus a cloak, a pair of shoes, and a hat. Basically, you wore your clothes while the other set was being washed. Due to sweatshop labor overseas, here in the west clothing is now super-cheap. It didn’t used to be. The number of clothes that Americans have these days is a bit obscene.

Even for someone of Alexander’s rank, his clothes were made by his family. Weaving was a mark of pride for Greek (and Macedonian) women. There’s a story that Alexander accidentally insulted the Persian royal women by sending them some wool and looms! He meant it to be kind, in case they were bored. They assumed they were meant to be reduced to common laborers. In Persia, weaving was an industry, not something royals did. In short, Alexander wore clothes his mommy made him. :-D

Now, after the burning of Persepolis and Darius’s death, we know he did adopt some Persian dress, some of the time for state affairs. Specifically, the Persian long robe with the purple stripe down it, and the diadem (the white band tied around his head). He specifically rejected wearing trousers (NOT a Greek thing), and the upright tiara—that fluted hat on the head of the Persian king. Below, see a recreation of the hat, and then a picture of Darius the Great, seated on a throne, bearing a scepter and lotus flower, and dressed in the robe of the kings.*

On the Alexander sarcophagus (below), we see Alexander and other Macedonians wearing a long-sleeve chiton. Some have suggested that’s evidence of early “Medizing” in Alexander’s dress, as it’s not that different from what the Persians are wearing. Yet Macedonia got colder than the south, so the idea that they might have a long-sleeved version of the chiton is not only not a surprise, but I’d be shocked if they didn’t. it snows there. Not regularly in the lowlands, but it does snow, especially up in the mountains!

Alexander’s Macedonians, especially Philip’s veterans, were not charmed by Alexander’s clothing changes, seeing it as kow-towing to the very people they just defeated. They were pretty dismissive of Persians and quite ethnocentric.

I really need somebody to sketch for me a picture of an old Macedonian soldier in uniform with a red “Make Macedonia Great Again” petasos. That’s up there with “Alexander-the-Energizer-Bunny-of-World-Conquerors” sketch.

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

* Thrones—for kings—appear to have been an Ancient Near Eastern thing, not Greek until after Alexander, art historian Olga Palagia argues, soundly I might add. Up to that point in Greece, they were for gods and the gods’ priests/priestesses. That’s why, in Dancing with the Lion: Becoming, I have Hephaistion observe that Philip sitting on a throne was rather cheeky of him. He can get away with it because, as king, he was also high priest of the Macedonian royal cult. Whether Philip actually used one is unclear.

[redrosesartcabin]

The cave incident: Kenji x first perspective reader pt. 1 of 2

(This is happening between season 2 and season 3. So, basically whatever is to happen in season 3 hasn’t happened yet but the entirety of season 2 has)

(I hope you like this little intro and tell me if you like this kinda story and writing style. You can also give me requests for one shots if you like. That being said: I hope you like the story!)

 Relieved yet kind of saddened, that yet another rescue had failed, we stood there, looking out at the sea. I still couldn’t believe Ben was alive. Or that the only people that had the capacity to safe us had been evil. It was all so overwhelming.

After a while of contemplating our fates, we had decided to drive back for now to the treehouse we had built to think about our next step and get some rest. Because as Darius had put it: We were done waiting for the rescue.

 Since we were a big group we had to travel back in two groups. One riding on Bumpy and one on the motorcycle. Since the motorcycle was harder to ride we argued back and forth who would ride on it until all eyes were stuck on Kenji.

“Can’t anyone else ride a motorcycle here?”, Kenji asked with a long groan but received no positive feedback, which led him to let out another typical groan.

I had to hold back an amused laugh as he did. He was adorable when he would lay down his rich, cool, unimpressed guy act…

Yeah… I have a crush on him.

I know: A bad timing to be falling for someone. We barely have time to sit down! But maybe it was exactly that environment and these circumstances that had made it possible for me to fall for him.

It had made it possible for him to grow as person, or rather ‘ungrow’ the person he had become because of how he was raised. Because though he had always looked good to me, he had appeared rather… not that nice. But now: Gosh now I could swoon all day…

 Anyhow, I digress: What I was able convince him to ride the motorcycle again. With me of course. I wouldn’t pass that opportunity.

“Hey”, I said, “I know you are exhausted, but you are the only one who can ride it, plus: It’s too heavy for Bumpy to carry us all and we’d be too crowded. One of us would fall off her for sure! Come on: I’ll even forego riding on Bumpy and accompany you”

He let out a sigh, but quickly gave in and agreed with a light smile. My heart fluttered at that and I could feel my cheeks grow bright red. I hoped he didn’t notice, but he seemed to be oblivious to it as he had to all other instances where it could’ve been obvious that I was crushing hard.

Unlike Brooklyn who gave me a cheeky grin and mouthed something that I was sure meant ‘you are so into him’. Typical Brooklyn: She notices everything.

She had been doing that for at least two weeks now and every time I gave her a death glare, that she however would just laugh at. She knew she was right, and I did too. It was just a matter of me being too chicken and fearing the friendship I had miraculously been able to build with him, would be destroyed if I confessed I had these kinda feelings for him.

 Surprisingly, over our time together I had to recognize that we had more in common than I thought. Besides being the same age, we also both hated math and liked bowling. Though Kenji and I had to admit that we probably weren’t very good at it. In my case it was because I didn’t get to do it often, in Kenji’s case it was because his father’s staff would always let him win and thusly, he hadn’t gotten proper practice. He had told me that with a laugh, as if though it was supposed to be amusing, but really, I could see the pain in his eyes.

One could say his life of wealthiness gave him a lot of incredible privileges and made his life in many aspects easier for him than for others. But in truth, being treated that differently, like a little child, a being from out of space, or like some kinda god even, when you are neither of these things, messes with you after a while. You are treated that way, but when you act it, you are hated. Why? You don’t understand. How could you understand? Aren’t you the most important person in the world? Deep down you know you aren’t, and you feel it most when you don’t receive the affection a human being craves for. He has a father, but he didn’t grow up with one. He grew up with servants. Wealthiness was his parent.

And suddenly I had understood where he was coming from, why he acted the way he did.

I never directly told him, that I understand it, because there was still too much pride in him to admit it. I had decided, it was better to just listen and engage in conversation with him, even if he acts immature in certain situations.

And I had been right.

And so, we connected. As friends. Though to me it quickly became more than that.

It felt wrong though, in this situation. Was it just the drill of it all? The hormones going crazy? A savior complex?

He wasn’t a bad person though. He wasn’t inherently abusive, so he didn’t need a savior, someone to make him ‘right’. He needed someone who understood that beautiful person he was hiding. Also: What kind of drill we lived through could make you fall in love? Seeing the other person screaming and seething in the dirt, on the run from a dinosaur? Yeah: Very attractive (that was sarcasm if that wasn’t obvious).

 ‘This is all stupid’, I thought as I was leaning against his back, my arms wrapped around his stomach and chest as we were riding in a comfortable silence along the jungle, ‘this entire thought process is just a way to tell myself that these feelings aren’t real, so that I can run away from it forever’. I sighed, trying to forget my overthinking for once.

I loved this moment. The warmth I felt as I was cuddled against him. Riding with him was a good excuse for proximity I’d otherwise would never get-

 But it was rudely interrupted by a shove that came from the right.

We didn’t see the dinosaur coming, or at least not soon enough. It was just too fast.

The motorcycle went flying down a steep hill we had been driving by. I heard our screams as we came crashing down in what seemed to be slow motion moment.

With all his might, Kenji tried turning the bike around to get some footing again, but only managed to find stability enough so that we wouldn’t fall to our death by being crushed by the vehicle and twisting our bodies, but instead fall, with the tires on the downside, into a big hole in the ground. It reminded me of a cave with an open ceiling.

The motorcycle finally came to a hold. We were breathing heavily, still in shock.

At the same time, we turned our heads up.

The hole wasn’t that deep, but just deep enough we couldn’t get out so easily.

“Oh no”, we said at the same time.

“Looks like we are stuck here”