#Guy did not express ANY emotions. tail on fire? yeah that’s the us (however you spell that one way people shorten usual)

[krystaldeath]

Been thinking about… possible fursona…

I still cannot really draw animals, anthro or otherwise, but… hmm

Yellow cat… with bat wings… and sometimes maybe the tail is a snake (not snake tail. Snake). Specifically a Black and Yellow banded krait

[twst-bs]

NRC Students and an Anxious MC

And with this, I've done all of the students at NRC!! Well, with the nervous MC, anyway, I have some other stuff in the works too.

Also, in case anyone was wondering, I'm open for both requests and commissions!

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Ace: “You look awful.”

The Ramshackle Prefect shot Ace a glare, but it lacked their usual fire. “Thanks, Ace.”

“Come on, I didn’t mean it like that and you know it.” he caught up with them easily when they turned around to keep walking. “I just meant you looked like you had a rough night. Or like you’re stressed out. You know.”

“Your grave only has to be six feet, Ace, you can stop digging now.”

Ace rolled his eyes. “You aren’t usually this crabby. Seriously, what’s up?”

They sighed. “You’re right, I had a rough night.”

“Any particular reason why? Or just ‘cause?”

The two of them had reached Crewel’s classroom, but they still had a few minutes before they had to be in there. The Prefect bit their lip nervously. “I kind of freaked out last night because of the homework.”

“It was pretty hard, huh?”

“Well, that too,” they crossed their arms, almost like they were trying to hide themself. “But, it’s like...I feel stupid, you know? You guys all know this magic stuff, but I’m struggled to handle even the basics. Then I thought, well, if I can’t handle the basics, I’m going to get punished, and I would deserve it because I’m an idiot, and...you can see how the spiral went.”

Ace was quiet for a moment, studying them with an unreadable expression. Then, he heaved out a side and grabbed their wrist, tugging them into the classroom. “I guess it can’t be helped, then.”

“Huh?”

He plopped unceremoniously into his seat and dug around in his bag. “Be quick about it, okay? Queen only knows what Crewel’s punishment for getting caught copying homework is.”

The Prefect stared at Ace with wide eyes. “Seriously?”

“It’s better than nothing,” Ace shrugged, slapping his notebook down on the desk. “If he says anything, I’ll tell him you helped me word it. Now, come on!”

Deuce: They weren’t getting anywhere.

The longer they stared at the question on their worksheet, the less they could focus. Apparently this was supposed to be basic stuff, but there were so many strange ingredients with different magical properties that they couldn’t keep track. And the more that had to flip back and forth between their textbook and worksheet, the more stupid they felt.

“...right? Hey, are you alright?”

Deuce’s voice broke through the panic that was beginning to set in, and when they finally looked up, his blue eyes were wide with concern.

“What? I’m sorry, Deuce, I kinda...spaced there for a minute.”

That only made the crease in Deuce’s brow deepen. “You looked really freaked out. Is something wrong?”

The two of them had made a habit out of studying in the library together. Since Deuce wasn’t the best student and the Prefect was playing a very intense game of catch up, they figured they could motivate each other while studying. But lately, all they had been able to do was sit there and be anxious about everything.

"I...um…" They absent-mindedly clicked their pen, unable to look Deuce in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" he asked incredulously. "For real, are you alright?"

The genuine worry in his expression made something in them burst. They threw their pen down on the table and buried their face in their hands. "I don't know what I'm doing! I went from magic not existing to suddenly having to study it, and I can't even master the basics! I'm terrified that I'll fail and Crowley will kick me out and -"

"Whoa, whoa, hey, it's okay!" Deuce's chair scraped against the floor as he hurried over to their side, grasping their hands in his. "Everything's gonna be okay."

Their chest heaved as they tried to suck in enough air. "But -"

"Listen," he cut them off. "The stuff you have to deal with is a lot. And I'm sorry for not realizing it earlier. If you want, we can go to Professor Crewel and ask for some tutoring, or even remedial lessons. Whatever you need, I'll help."

Cater: “What are you looking at?”

At the sound of the Ramshackle Prefect’s voice from behind the couch he was sitting on in the Heartslabyul lounge, Cater lolled his head back to grin at them. “Heya! Just scrolling through Magicam, what else is new?”

“That is your favorite pastime, huh?” they leaned on the back of the couch, looking at the screen.

“What are you doing in Heartslabyul, anyway?” he asked.

“Ace thought he could get away with not studying if he ‘forgot’ his textbooks at Ramshackle. I’m returning them before Riddle thinks I was in on it.””

“Yeah, that tracks.”

The two of them lapsed into a companionable silence, the Prefect watching as Cater scrolled. However, out of the corner of his eye, he could see their expression gradually get tighter and tighter, like they were trying to control whatever emotion was trying to show through.

“What’s with that face?”

“What face?” they asked defensively. “This is just my face.”

“That’s the face you make when you start having bad thoughts but don’t want anybody to know.”

“Get out of my head, Cater.”

He snorted, turning so he was sitting sideways on the couch and could get a better look at them. “Come on, tell Cay what’s on your mind.”

They hesitated, picking idly at the loose thread on the couch. “...It’s just me being stupid.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“...The people on Magicam are way more good-looking than I am.” the finally mumbled, looking away. “I keep wondering when you’ll realize that.”

Cater’s green eyes widened before he giggled. “Nope.”

“Nope what?”

“I won’t realize it,” he reached around them to pull their face closer, kissing them affectionately on the cheek. “Because it’s not true. And whenever you start to think like that, you tell me, so I can reassure you.”

Jack: Something felt off.

Nothing in particular had happened, it was just one of those days. But, it was bad enough that they thought about just going back to Ramshackle instead of waiting for Jack like they normally did. Waiting outside of the classroom just made them feel even more antsy.

Just as they were about to shoot him a text to say that they weren’t feeling well - which wasn’t technically a lie - said wolf came out of the classroom, tail wagging involuntarily when he saw them waiting like it wasn’t an everyday occurrence.

Before he could even greet them, however, his nose scrunched up. Furrowing his eyebrows, he leaned down and began sniffing them.

“Jack, what the hell?”

“You’re nervous about something.”

Right. Nothing could beat that canine sense of smell.

“It’s nothing.” Jack opened his mouth to reply, but they cut him off. “No, literally. Nothing actually happened, it’s just a...a weird day, I guess.”

It was clear from the expression on his face that Jack didn’t quite understand, but the guy was nothing if not sympathetic. “Do you need help with anything?”

“Nah, it should eventually work itself out.” They tried to muster up an encouraging grin, but from the look on Jack’s face, they didn’t quite hit the mark. “I’m fine, Jack, promise.”

His tail had dropped, and his ears were pressed against his head. “...When I get worked up, going for a jog usually helps me. Gets all the energy out.”

They raised an eyebrow. “You and I both know that your jogging is my sprinting.”

“Then I’ll walk and you jog,” he grinned. “If you want to, that is.”

They paused before shrugging. “I probably won’t do a good job on the homework if I’m like this, anyway.”

Floyd: Don’t fall asleep. Don’t fall asleep. Crewel will turn you into a rug if he catches you falling asleep.

Their internal monologue was the only thing preventing them from passing out onto their desk. They had had a hard time falling asleep last night, and of course they were working on sleeping draughts in Alchemy today. The vapor wafting from the cauldron was enough to knock them out.

They hadn’t noticed that their eyes had closed until a hard knock on the classroom door startled them open. When Crewel called out for whoever it was to come in, the door opened to reveal Floyd.

“The Headmaster wants to see Shrimpy!” he sang, leaning against the doorframe. Crewel nodded, motioning with his pointed cane for the Prefect to get out.

Physically shaking themself awake, they stood. Next to them, Ace went “Oooooooh~”

“Trappola, just for that, you’re responsible for giving them the notes for the lesson.”

“Aw, come on!”

They didn’t even have the energy to stick their tongue out like they usually would. They just inched past all of the other students until they were at Floyd’s side. The merman casually slung an arm around their shoulder and steered them out of the classroom.

“What does the Headmaster want?” they asked. It could literally be anything, honestly.

“Oh, I lied!” Floyd giggled. “He doesn’t need to see you at all.”

“Huh?”

“You looked exhausted this morning,” Floyd tugged them closer. Not quite a squeeze, but there was something intensely protective in the embrace. “I figured you could use a nap.”

“So you busted me out of class?”

“Yup! This makes me your favorite, right?” he grinned, showing all of his teeth.

“Definitely.”

Epel: They always did have a nervous stomach.

There was a test in Trein’s class that day. No matter how much they studied the night before, they didn’t feel prepared, and their stomach was committing mutiny in response. They hadn’t been able to eat any breakfast, so now they were nauseated and hungry at the same time. They were either going to puke on the test or eat it, they hadn’t decided yet.

“Are you alright?”

They jumped. They had been so caught up in their own head that they hadn’t even heard Epel approach. “Hey. Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit of test anxiety, haha.”

Epel didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure? You look kinda pale.”

“Really, I’m fine. I was just a bit too nervous to eat breakfast.” they insisted.

“Well, that’s not good.” Epel frowned. “You’ll do even worse on the test if you’re hungry.”

Oh, why did he have to phrase it like that? Just the thought made their already roiling stomach turn, and they whined softly as they hugged themself around the middle.

“Ah, wait, I didn’t mean it like that!” he backtracked. “I just meant it won’t do you any good!”

Epel reached into his bag for a moment, mumbling to himself. “I know I have some in here...ah-ha!” he pulled out a bag of dried apple chips. “Here! It’s not exactly a full meal, but it’ll help. And they’re really light, so if you’re sick because of nerves, they won’t upset your stomach.”

“Are you sure?” they asked as Epel handed them the bag.

“Pos’tive.” he grinned. “I’ve got plenty back at the dorm. And Ma’s always sending me stuff from the farm anyway. So go ahead, I don’t want you passing out!”

Sebek: They had no idea what he was talking about.

It was a feat in and of itself to be able to not pay attention to Sebek. The man was a walking lightning bolt. But today was just not a good day, mentally.

A pity, too. They always liked walking around in the woods with Sebek. Something about being in nature and listening to him talk passionately about whatever was on his mind was almost soothing, but it just wasn’t working this time.

“Are you listening?”

They jumped when he said their name. They had gotten so sucked into their own head that they hadn’t noticed him turn his monologue into a conversation. “I’m sorry!”

“What are you sorry for? Is everything alright?” he looked them up and down with sharp amber eyes, scanning for anything that could present any danger. “Are you ill?”

“No, no, it’s not…” they sighed, shoulders slumping. “I didn’t sleep well last night. Nightmares.”

Bad dreams had been a problem before they arrived in Twisted Wonderland, but now they were really plaguing them. It made concentrating difficult, even on simple things such as a walk with their partner.

Sebek stepped in front of them, forcing them to stop in their tracks. His angular features were serious, thrown into deep contrast from the light of the sun setting between the leaves. He clasped both of their hands in his own, holding them tightly as he looked into their eyes.

“You needn’t worry about such things. I will not let anything harm you, even your own mind.” he squeezed their hands. “On my honor as a knight.”

Silver: Watching Silver train with a sword was...something else.

They could watch him all day, going after the training dummy like it was actually an enemy.

Well, usually, they could.

It had been another sleepless night, up worrying about all the various things they needed to do. They only managed to fall asleep around four AM, and they needed to be at their first class by eight, so they hadn’t exactly gotten well-rested. They were impressed that they had managed to stay awake during their lessons, but now it was catching up to them.

The warm sun shining on their face and the rhythmic swishing of Silver’s practice sword was vaguely soothing, and before they really knew it they had slumped against the tree they were sitting under, fast asleep.

When they awoke, they were moving. It took a minute to gather themself, and they blinked sleepily at their surroundings.

“You can go back to sleep.” Silver’s voice rumbled against their side. He was carrying them. “We aren’t that far from Ramshackle.”

“...You could have woken me up.” they mumbled, nuzzled closer to his chest. “I would have walked.”

“You looked so peaceful.” he responded, adjusting his grip. “Unless you want me to put you down?”

“No.” they sighed. “This is nice. Me and Grim are always saying that it takes forever to get to Ramshackle from anywhere in the school, I’ll take the ride.”

Silver chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to their forehead. “Go to sleep.”

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS | EPILOGUE

💖 story masterlist 💖

This is it. This is the happy ending they deserve. Fluff. Fem!Loki, because we don't get enough of Loki's female form. Some musings about relationships in general, I think. Guys, I'm crying as I'm posting this.

note: I've got two posts of outtakes coming out sometime this week. Snippets that didn't fit in the story but that have the needed vibe, y kno? As well as a new story is coming out soon... Be sure to check out my main masterlist and taglist if you like my writing <3

I want to thank all my readers for this amazing journey. I love all of you, really, like- I haven't figured out how to produce serotonin on my own ever since I hit puberty, and you guys, you are an amazing source for it. I appreciate the time and the patience that it took to read this 120k word thing and I hope you found a little something for yourself in my writing. A comfort, maybe, because everyone deserves to be happy. I love you all 3000.

"You suck," I grumbled in Peter's direction. Luckily, the little shit was out of my immediate eyesight and I couldn't just pelt him with the assorted items that were scattered around me; luckily for him - after enduring hours of non-stop rambling from the spider boy, I was ready to bargain with Stephen for the sorcerer to put a temporary mute ban on Pete. His nervousness was becoming contagious.

"And you swallow," Pietro replied with a snicker as I heard him wrestle with Peter's tie over the pathetic noises of whining and grumbling coming from the younger man.

"I'm lady, ladies don't spit," I rolled my eyes into the skies, catching Loki's appreciative snicker. She - and yes, Loki was in her female form for this event - carefully combed and did my hair, something completely out of this world, all puns intended. I supposed she was feeling generous, because her female form generally made Loki even more moody and unapproachable. But in a hot way. I hope she didn't notice me ogling her like some kind of gallery painting. "You're a goddess, I can't believe you're friends with me," I addressed Loki, watching the careful movements of her slender hands in the mirror.

A small smirk and a dusting of pink over her pale cheeks was what I got, but the silence was so, so loud.

"Stop flirting," Wanda remarked from her spot by the window where she was doing Natasha's make-up with surgical precision. "You already have three boyfriends, leave some for us, Jesus," Her tone was playful.

"Oh my God, like you didn't brainfreeze and run into the fucking wall, forehead-first, when you saw Loki walk in," I scoffed as Loki's blush deepened.

My witchy friend grumbled something rude in Sokovian under her breath but refrained from any more comments, choosing to simp in defiant silence. Well, good for her, because I was about a hundred and five percent sure that Loki was as equally as smitten with her. It's just that neither of them knew how to approach the other. What can I say, idiots in love...

And yes, yes, I can say that because it takes one to know one. My own idiots were somewhere on the upper floors - getting ready in their own rooms, pulling out their brand new suits and ties for the annual Stark gala. It was supposed to be a charity fundraiser but as all of us were quite disillusioned, we knew it was nothing but a pissing contest between people with small PP syndrome. Even Tony himself said so.

Which is why I had assembled all the girls and theys in my room for a mission debrief. My own personal pride wouldn't let me be anything but a star, and to be completely honest, I just wanted to show off my family to the world - even if the delicate parts of our relationship were hidden from the general public, it filled me with immense amount of joy to be surrounded by my very own at their absolute best.

As for Pietro and Peter, they arrived not too long after me, Wanda, Natasha and Loki made camp in the biggest room with the most amount of natural light, surrounded by make-up and other assorted tools. Both boys were bickering but it was obvious that some of the older men had gotten on their nerves, forcing the youngsters seek solace with their peers.

"You know, Vanity Fair better be talking about us for at least a week," I grouched as Wanda helped me into my dress before I returned the favour. "The amount of people I had to actually, physically talk to, to get us these fucking gowns, is frankly disgusting."

"Agreed," Loki admired herself in the mirror, smoothing out invisible creases in her gown. "Although I must say, the dressmakers on Midgard are far more patient and open-minded than on Asgard." Truly, Loki had nearly driven the poor lady crazy. But on the upside, Loki looked like a living doll. Pristine, perfect.

"Our whims are their wages," Natasha piped up with a chuckle.

We stepped out into the main room, taking note of the men scattered on the couches, all of them wearing an almost identical expression of being already done with the formal event - which, I didn't blame them. Having gotten used to the informal, communal-living atmosphere, I wasn't overly keen on being surrounded by random rich douchebags either; as it was unavoidable, I was going to be miserable - but at least I was going to be miserable in style.

Predictably, the menfolk froze and hurried to pelt us with compliments as they surveyed our ensemble - all of our dresses had a distinct vibe despite carrying a sense of individuality to each gown. That was my idea, actually, to present the team as a family - both to satisfy my own need for one and to present a good public image for the press. Call it getting good cookie from the public - in advance.

"Stunning, absolutely beautiful," Tony chastely kissed my cheek, leading my by the arm towards the limo, Stephen and Bruce a pace behind us. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"We are," Bruce corrected him mutely. Stephen's smirk was a mile wide. "It'll be hard to keep my hands to myself for four hours but I'll manage," The scientist added, eyes briefly flashing a fluorescent green.

"There are children here," Peter interjected, nervously waving a hand. I gently elbowed Tony, speaking with my eyes rather than words, that Pete was in dire need of emotional support for his first big public event. With a sigh, the engineer relocated to sit next to the spider boy, both of them talking in hushed tones.

"Now, Bruce," I smiled innocently. "Why would I refuse a dance or five to my favourite lab partner in crime?" I winked at him as giggles erupted all around us. "And I'm sure there's a point somewhere about wizards sweeping princesses off their feet," I kept up the banter in hopes that any remaining tension would evaporate before we arrive to the venue.

I, however, couldn't lose all of it for we were absolutely assaulted by the photographers and press as we arrived to the red carpet; it was only sheer luck that me and Wanda didn't stumble ass over heels out of the limo. That luck's name was Loki: her magic delicately helped us to exit the car with grace despite our large gowns. Mental note to buy Loki all the chocolate: add to priority list.

It went about as good as it could. Peter was introduced as a trainee - and nearly had an aneurysm when Tony none-too-kindly corrected the host, calling Peter his protégée and successor. As for little old me? Rising star of biochemical engineering. No titles, no direct titles, but it was heavily implied we were involved.

I could fell the old, white rich men leering at me despite the layers of silk and tulle. Nobody was commenting on my champagne intake so I downed one after the other until I had a comfortable buzz going on. I could absolutely see why female scientists became either reclusive or brash.

Bruce's eyes followed me wherever I went. I had encountered some people I vaguely knew from all the socialite events I had to attend with my mother, so it wasn't as if I was a fish out of the water; it's just that every time I strayed further than ten feet from out group, I instantly grew a tail in the form of one of the Avengers.

"Sam, quit being creepy," I exited the ladies room, immediately spying the handsome man just 'casually' hanging out by a potted plant, glued to his smartphone and pretending to be very busy.

He looked up guiltily, shutting down Minesweeper and pocketing the phone. "Not taking any risks this time 'round, Princess," He offered me his arm, leading us back to our table. "Tony would have my head."

I rolled my eyes, falling into the chair next to Stephen. "My tracker implant is still in and the bracelets Natasha loaned me are actually tasers. Bird, chill," My hand snuck under the tablecloth, blindly groping for Stephen's hand. It didn't take much time for him to respond, cradling my smaller palm in his larger one, offering the small comfort with a tiny tilt to his lips. Both my large skirt and the fabric covering the table aided the secrecy; I felt like a middle schooler sneaking a kiss from my first crush behind the bleachers.

Coupled with the bubbles in my champagne, it made me giddy.

"Sam is just being careful, Princess," Stephen rumbled patiently. "This ball will be over soon."

I snorted, "But Stephen, I love balls," Causing the whole table erupt in bashful snickers.

"Yeah, think to me about it," Wanda downed the remnants of her wine glass, eyes wide, looking to the side. The giggling became a full belly-laugh as I didn't have the decency to play coy. I just smirked because, yeah, I did love me some...

The final hour dragged on forever. My feet hurt from the dancing. I had my suspicions that time would pass faster if I actually move around so I didn't waste the chance and cajoled Bruce into several slow dances with me. The energy between us was electric; I hoped my wife eyes and the red crawling up his neck would be attributed to alcohol. We spoke in hushed tones, about nothing in particular, the words being like sticks we threw into our fire.

Tony wasn't around much, way too busy to do much more than stop by our table every now and then. I both envied and admired him; he handled everything with grace and serendipity. Tony was right there next to Thor and Loki - literal royalty - and I had to pinch myself to prevent myself from ogling him, sighing in lovesickness every goddamn minute.

"If you ever stop looking at him like that, I don't think he'll survive," Stephen's tone was cheeky; his eyes were intense as he looked down at me as we danced. My sorcerer was rarely sappy, but when he found the words to describe his feelings... It was serious.

I met his eyes slowly, letting him soak in the very same admiration and awe I felt when I was with him. I felt his shudder, I heard the hitch in his breath. He wasn't jealous, no, he simply observed. I wanted him to see what I saw. "The day that I stop looking at you all like that is the day that I need to get my head screwed on straight." I wasn't a poet but neither was this a romance novel. "As far as I'm concerned, I won the lottery, the grand prize and the fucking life."

He chuckled. "You have way too much faith in us, Princess," Twirling me as to avoid the out of habit embrace.

Did I, though? I was inclined to disagree. Sure, we had our spits and arguments and sometimes Stephen would stick his cold ass feet under my blankets, Bruce's love for curry was a crime against anyone who slept in the same room as he and Tony routinely flirted with everyone and everything that had a pulse. I had days where my mother's temper surfaced.

Sometimes, one of us would inadvertently hog the other person and the remaining two would pout, roll their eyes or pitch a fit.

I just didn't see it as a big deal. All of those parts were normal - what couldn't be said about the rest of our situation. Compared to couples I've seen around, I thought we're happy. My boyfriends seemed to be happy, too, and if they weren't, it usually was pretty obvious.

So - okay, perhaps we definitely should be working on verbalizing our feelings. That would definitely solve if not world hunger, then at least the world war three that occasionally erupted in Tony's penthouse. And the ups and downs - not the steep kind, but ones not too different from waves rolling ashore - was what held us together. Because, well, our world was hectic and fast-paced and sometimes we needed that gentle rocking motion to sway us back to peace.

Tony's arm on my waist pulled me back to reality, steering me towards the balcony. Bruce and Stephen followed, all four of us power-walking through the inebriated crowd.

"Just so you know, I'm on board with whatever crazy shit you're planning," Stephen raised a palm towards a smirking Tony.

His mouth immediately dropped into a pout I could barely resist kissing. "But... I had a whole speech prepared," The engineer retorted indignantly, discreetly attempting to swat the sorcerer on the ass.

"And I'm sure it was amazing, honey," Bruce placated the upset Tony with a laugh, causing the latter to intensify his pout, eyeing us with mirth over the rim of his glasses, his stupid, lovely face more kissable than ever.

@another-stark-sub @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit @littlegasps @pilloclock @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads @hermione-grangers-wife @individualistfem @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie @mikariell95 @gladiosamicitias @warrior1-19 @toomanyrobins

[askmyboys]

Osmund

Finally posting here again lmao even tho this blog is probs just gonna stay dead at this rate

anyways here’s giant pig god dude

| Name: Osmundus (Osmund from what I looked up, the name means Divine Protector p much)

| Nicknames: Oz/Ozzy or you can just call him Osmund in general

| Gender: He/They (usually that’s what the humans/books said pronouns wise and he seems to like em enough sooo)

| Age: Unknown but he’s p ancient

| Species/Race: Giant Pig God (he’s a Wild Boar to be MORE specific on his species)

| Height: 100ft (he can actually size shift though)

| Hair Color: Dark Grey (his hair is long so he keeps it in a braid)

| Eye Color: His left eye is Charcoal Black and his right eye has three claw slashes over it and the eye itself is white and cloudy (he can’t see in that one obvs)

| Appearance: Let’s start off with his actual appearance before outfits, he’s p much anthropomorphic, he looks like a mixture between a human and wild board obvs- anyways- his ears are pointed (not like my usual characters, his ears are pointed but they are kinda pointed out to the sides instead of upwards if that makes ANY sense?) His feet are hooves of course and his hands are also hooves but he seems to actually be able to grab things (he has a hoof thumb, i'm bad- with describing this shit lmao but i'm trying my best and I mean listen he’s GOTTA be able to grab things) he also has a curly tail as well, his bottom canines are fairly large tusks that stick up from his mouth, the rest of his teeth are fairly sharp as well.

He does have a human esque body and face actually, he also has a dark grey circle beard as well, the only actual pig parts he has are his legs/hooves, tusks/teeth, his tail, and then finally his ears (his skin color is dark grey and he does have bristles on his arms and legs mostly btw) now onto what he wears! First thing’s first, he wears a LOT of golden hoop earrings on both ears (none of those BIG hoops, its all small ones), he also has a golden nose piercing he wears, they also wear a LOT of golden bracelets going up from their wrists to halfway up their arms, he also wears a golden wedding ring as a necklace (I mean… he can’t necessarily wear it on his finger given its a hoof, but he found a work around and he’s NEVER taken that necklace off other than to sleep and even then it’s locked in a golden chest (yes, they are married, i’ll talk about their husband in side facts)

His main outfit is a black cape with golden spots on the outside (its a golden color on the inside as well) with a brownish-white fur hood that has black spots on it, it also has fur going down the front ends of the cape (you know the kinda fur like on a typical king’s outfit, yeah that) underneath the cape is just a dark grey chestplate, the chestplace looks very worn and it’s got a good bit of damage but it still looks safe tbh (he never takes his armor off chest wise)

Finally, he wears, of course, a golden crown with black obsidian stones/crystals acting like the gemstones you’d find in any type of other crown, he chooses black obsidian for its protection against the negative and harmful energies.

| Personality: Osmund is… An ancient God, they have been around for who knows how long really, it's been longer than anyone could ever remember, he’s essentially a very old man, he’s got a LOT of wisdom and he’s highly intelligent but of course, that doesn’t mean he always was… Osmund will even admit he was careless and so reckless when he was a youngling, he’s very embarrassed with how he used to act, such a careless being… They knew no better for the trouble they got themselves into, but he knows there is no changing the past, and mistakes are always here for a reason… And besides he wouldn’t have learned half of what he did had it not been for his reckless nature.

Osmund can almost be like a fucking DICTIONARY sometimes, they have knowledge on MANY topics, their favorite topics to talk about seem to be nature, various crystals, herbs, etc- Osmund has SO many books, like SO many, it’s centuries worth of collections really- He always loves a good book even if he’s read them all before and besides there’s always someone out there to teach so its good to keep them around.

Osmund, as his name suggests is a Divine Protector, even people who didn’t believe in him, he’d protect EVERYONE he could, they were a warrior, a VERY strong warrior and I won’t say they aren’t now, if they needed to, they would ABSOLUTELY go to fight… Osmund won’t ever get into fights however himself, in fact despite being such a strong warrior, he doesn’t actually like fighting at all, if there’s a way, they’d always try to solve things peacefully instead but if there really wasn’t any other option then… So be it… Once he’s pushed to this point however, there is no going back, they won’t back down and they won’t stop.

When it comes to mortals, Osmund doesn’t let himself be seen too often, but sometimes when a mortal stumbles across him, well, they aren’t going to be rude if they want to have a conversation, sure he might can size shift but there isn’t any hiding other features and they don’t even really care about hiding those features (Osmund only size shifts when he goes down to the mortals world but that’s only because well, even if most know of them based on stories and legends, etc- it IS still terrifying to see a giant, let alone a giant god so he tries to be mindful) there has been the occasion where a mortal stumbles into his world, there IS a strict policy being that no mortal should enter the gods/goddesses worlds BUT… Osmund holds no grudges, it usually stems from a curiosity, but they do send them back on their way by the end of the day, it's too big of a risk for them to STAY here.

Because he’s an old man essentially, Osmund CAN be grumbly n a bit grumpy sometimes but he genuinely means no harm, just sometimes that cranky side happens, usually when he’s woken up from a nap or sleep or interrupted by someone wanting to challenge him, 

you wouldn’t believe how many times they’ve been challenged by various other beings and even some mortals! It’s part of the reason they never take their armor off… Osmund as you can imagine has created TONS and TONS of enemies over the centuries, and one time he got a bit too careless because it was nothing but peaceful for a long few years… And that one time… Almost cost him his life, ever since then they’ve AT LEAST kept the chestplate on (speaking of, i forgot, he has a TON of scars all over his body, the one they have that almost cost them their life is right above the heart)

(tl;dr: An old soul literally, has centuries of knowledge and still has books lying around even though he genuinely doesn’t even need to read them at this point, they’ve read all those p much but still, loves to teach younglings/even mortals if he gets the chance, was once a warrior and he still can be but it’s only if pushed to those circumstances, a peaceful guy and honestly prefers peace over war and violence, can be grumbly/grumpy when challenged or disturbed, loves nature/crystals/herbs/etc a LOT, overall pretty friendly, sweet, kind, and caring, he IS a protector after all… Never going to take that armor off even if its hard to sleep in, too big of a risk… The shit they’ve seen over the centuries… The wars, the fighting, the violence, literally ALL of it would scar a person beyond belief and well there’s probably some trauma in there more than likely but he’s pretty stoic looking, always has had that stoic expression really

And honestly even if there’s something going on in there he’s NEVER been the type to talk/open up about his feelings/thoughts/emotions really, he usually bottles things up if anything, they’ve barely even told anything to their husband)

| Side Facts: ALRIGHT I know what you’ve been waiting for- You want me to talk about his husband, alrighty here we go- Imma be making a separate doc for him, but I’ll at LEAST introduce him and what he is-  his husband is a giant goat god, his name is Arvish and well… He was an… Interesting fellow I’ll say that at the very least, alright, moving on.

Osmund’s favorite types of tea are Mint Tea, Herbal Tea, and Oolong Tea.

Like I said before, Osmund has his own type of world essentially, his world is made up of wintery elements, he has a large wood cabin far out in the snowy forest that he resides in, he loves the cabin not only because it’s VERY well hidden but because of, despite being in a cold climate he DOES think it’s very cozy, he loves sitting by the fire and reading one of the books while drinking tea.

Despite being a peaceful god, they do have VARIOUS weapons, his main one and most prized possession being a longsword, the blade is black and the handle is golden.

There are more than just pig-esque people in his world as well, there’s VARYING gods/goddesses that roam the place, he IS the ruler of the world after all, it’s LITERALLY his world! And it’s such a peaceful one so it’s a nice place to live or go visit actually, the gods/goddesses can always relax here.

[be-dazzled]

#TheVampireTales, #TVT Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser FFnet link: click here Author: K.T. Adlam (xxbedazzledxx) Genre: Supernatural, Romance, Drama

Something always brings me back to you It never takes too long

 How long has it been since Juvia was in an actual classroom? She couldn’t recall. All she could remember were the tall book cases lining the Lockser Castle’s study. For almost a century, the study has served as her classroom. She learnt through private tutors. All attention on her. No classmates, no friends, no visitors. Most of those days she planned how to escape today’s lessons instead of actually learning.

 Juvia slipped into one of the desks without giving it so much a thought. The powerful feeling clung to her like a bad hung-over. But her heart throbbed instead of her head. She listened to every beat, the mutters and noise drowned in her own heartbeat.

 One voice stood out, calling her name. She jumped at the sudden realization. Juvia was not aware that she was in a daze, blankly staring at her desk, until Lucy yelled her name. Juvia glanced at her side to meet a worried Lucy.

 “Hey, is something bothering you?”

 Juvia was rather preoccupied; her mind somewhere else. It took her a moment to register Lucy’s concern.

 “No.” answered Juvia “Nothing. Just don’t mind me.” She masked herself with a simper.

 It was the third time, the third time she lied today.

 Lucy did not inquire any further but her brows were still furrowed in worry. She wanted to say something. Ask the princess. There was something bothering Juvia and when she used to tell Lucy everything. Lately, however, she felt a distance was growing between them. Lucy hated it. She hated it when she did not know what the princess was thinking. However, before the young blonde could voice out her concerns, the first period teacher arrived. Mr. Wolfheim always had the worst timing.

 Juvia stared at the small body in front of her; old age slowed him down. Her eyes followed his every stroke. Mr. Wolfheim was writing names of dead poets on the board. She wasn’t really interested. She watched him enunciate every word but it escaped her. Her mind has flown somewhere else, wrapped in a different thought – Gray.

 No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone

How has he been? How was he coping up? Did he ever think of her? Of how she was coping up?

 Gray was the only person with her when it happened – the worst night of her life. It was something only the two of them shared. Too bad it had to be a tragedy.

 The memory was clawing its way out of the box where she hid it. It was trying to climb up the surface. So clear that she could almost hear every sound, every voice.

 Her own when she called out for Trevor in the forest.

 “Let him die.”

 The words falling off Trevor’s lips.

 The faint sound of a heartbeat.

 “I said leave him to die!”

 The memories were so clear that Juvia could feel every emotion.

 How she felt when she found Gray against the old oak tree, clinging for his life. The sensation of blood sipping out of her when she fed Gray her own blood. The rage rippling around Trevor. The fear that almost paralyzed Juvia when she looked into Trevor’s brown eyes that turned to a glowing vivid red.

 Juvia wasn’t just remembering, she was reliving the nightmare.

 Juvia felt her arm yanked. The memory was dragged back to where it belonged, in the dark, at the furthest back of her mind. She glanced to the side to see Lucy staring at her. Juvia watched the young blonde’s lips opened to form words: Are you okay? The princess responded with a mechanical smile and nodded. She turned her attention back at the teacher who started giving out books and received her own copy from Lucy. She then wrote her name on it.

 Then, the teacher expressed his regret as he was not feeling well. He dismissed the class after giving the latter next meeting’s assigned readings.

 The rest of the day was uneventful. All she did was attending classes and accommodating strangers. Her jaw was hurting from all the friendly greeting and smiling. The only time she did not need to fake a smile was when Knight and Erza started their usual banter. But every now and then, Juvia caught herself thinking about Gray. When she saw him near the vending machine, when they passed each other at the hall and when their eyes locked briefly during class. Thoughts about him lingered. She had to stop herself. Nothing good came out when he crossed her mind.

 Juvia was anxious to get out of the Academy as soon as possible. Waiting for time to pass was not only tormenting but also exhausting. Lucy was already out too. She asked permission from the teacher to be excused. It was for a welcome party or something. Juvia did not really care about it. She just wanted to leave school. So when the last bell rang, Juvia could breathe again.

 The students flooded the hallway, still excited and energized. As if the day’s activities did not take a toll on them. They were probably celebrating the end of the first day of class. Juvia just wanted the day to end and fast.

 The river of students parted when the royals walked down the hallway to the building’s main entrance; all eyes on the four royals. Behind them was a young man maneuvering the busy hallway, making his way towards the royal group; heading straight to the Southern princess.

 He introduced himself. Dan Straight. His jersey jacket screamed jock.

 “There’s a party later this evening. Just a little gathering to welcome the new school year. If your Royal Highness will allow, we’d be honored to be graced by your presence.”

 The boy had defined features: high cheekbones and chiseled jawline. Even through the thick letterman jacket Juvia could tell that his body was lean and muscular; a product of athleticism.

 “It’s a sort of tradition.” added he.

 Dan’s smile was confident, like no one ever said no to him.

 Juvia could sense Mira’s interest when the Southern Princess tucked a few strands behind her ear. The other three showed indifference. Gajeel had no interest in joining a high-school party; way below him. Knight couldn’t care less. And Juvia, she just wanted the curl up in bed.

 “I like parties. We’ll be there.”

 Mira was quick in answering; not even consulting the rest.

 “Well, we don’t have anything else to do. So…” Gajeel shrugged in agreement. As he said, there was nothing else to do. Besides, the group of female seniors hanging at the back was eagerly awaiting his response.

 “See you, later then.”

 To anyone watching, that undeniably hot senior was definitely hitting on the Southern Princess.

 “Yeah. See you!”

 Mira hit back on with much gusto.

 As Juvia turned to leave, she saw him once more. Their eyes met and they both held the gaze for a moment. A confusing mix of feelings of pain and guilt coursed through her. Pain and guilt were never a good combination. She always felt it stronger with every passing moment. Much more when Gray met her blue eyes with a smile that she felt obligated to return. To Juvia, however, it was all what it was – a responsive, almost mechanical, smile.

 But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down

 Juvia then turned away from him and started for the door. She couldn’t stand to be in that place for one more second.

  Mira descended the grand staircase, pulling her hair back and wrapped it in place with a pony tail. If she was going to go dancing tonight, and sure she was, Mira liked her hair to be in place and not distracting.

 “Are you guys ready?” she asked distractedly as she checked herself in the mirror.

 She tilted her head on the side as her expert eyes scanned the top that wrapped around her slim figure, tightly tied around her torso. She turned half-away, round blue eyes still fixed at the figure in the mirror. Satisfied with how her figure was complimented by her choice of outfit, she finally did a once over.

 “Guys?” she called out.

 Mira withdrew away from the mirror when she realized that no one was answering her.

 “Where are these people?”

 It was a rhetorical question since she knew where to find them – the parlour.

 Mirajane crossed the narrow hallway, lined with bookshelves and other antiques, which led to the living room located at the heart of the Dreyar Mansion. She followed the sound of the crackle of fire and, as expected, there she found two royal princes lounging about in front of the elaborate fireplace, warm and cozy. She didn’t like it.

 Mirajane was a patient woman but her temper rose a little when she saw the two royal princes lazing around the fireplace; acting like they were not supposed to be in a party right now.

 “Ah, hello?”

 Her temper spiked a little more when the latter refused to acknowledge her presence. She stormed in, descending two steps into the impressive living room and stomped towards the lazy royals.

 Mira cleared her throat to get their attention but it proved futile. The two princes were drowned in what they each were doing. She cleared her throat the second time. Still, to no avail. Embarrassed and already running out of patience, she pushed Gajeel’s feet off the table to get the attention she needed.

 “Hey!”

 The complaining prince accidentally dropped the phone he was playing with right in his face. If it was another person, Gajeel wouldn’t have any second thoughts in beating the hell out of him.

 “Are you guys deliberately ignoring me?”

 “We’re not.”

 Mira glared at Knight through the book that he was reading. She could bore holes on the covers with the way she was eyeing at it. Mira could not help but feel, with the way the Northern prince covered his face as he answered, that he had all intentions to ignore her.

 “C’mon, everybody’s waiting.” whined Mira, checking her wrist watch impatiently.

 “Well, you didn’t even ask us if we wanted to come.” said Juvia just coming out from the kitchen with a bowl of cereals in hand. She dropped on the single couch next to the bookworm.

 A snort came from the direction of the Redfox prince.

 “Like we have anything else better to do. I’m with Mira in this. Get your asses of the couch and let’s go.” ordered Gajeel.

 “I don’t know about you guys but I obviously have something to do.”

 Knight dangled the leather-bound in front of the two before he set it on the coffee table. Then after, he grabbed the bowl from the unsuspecting princess and took a spoonful.

 “Hey!” complained Juvia. “Go make your own.”

 The cereal almost spilled when she grabbed it back from Knight’s hands. The two youngest royals in the room started playing a childish game of tug of war with the bowl.

 “First of all, is that what you’re eating for dinner?” judged Mira, eyeing the bowl with disgust. “And second of all…” She started building her case. “Everyone’s expecting us. It is our duty to attend this kind of gatherings since we already said yes to the invitation–”

 “–you did.”

 “Don’t interrupt me.” She reprimanded the youngest royal.

 “As I was saying, we accepted the invitation. It is our social responsibility to attend this kind of gatherings. If you wanna wear the crown you have to bear its weight.”

 The two opposers fell silent. Mira was right. Being royalty was not all fun and games. It carried with it the obligation to fulfill certain duties.

 “And finally, since I’m the oldest around here, I’m going to appoint myself the governess of this house so you have to follow what I say.”

 “First of all…” interposed the Prince of the North. “You are forgetting who owns this house.”

 “The Eldest.”

 The three royals answered in unison with a tone that mocked the Dreyar heir.

 “I’m his grandson so I have the right to inherit this house. Me. Knightus Dreyar. The one and only.” Knight pointed at himself as he emphasized that he was the last descendant of the Dreyar Royal line. “Therefore, you guys should follow what I say.” stated he as if the conclusion was obvious.

 “But since the Eldest is still alive all you have is an inchoate right so… yes I know my laws you little judger.” Mirajane turned defensive when Knight stared in surprise at her knowledge.

 “So can we wrap up this conversation I have no interest in?”

 The Southern Princess walked to the dresser to do an onceover. The stress in hauling these two stubborn royals was drawing lines on her forehead. It wasn’t a good sight. Then, an idea came floating above her head. She turned around with a glint of mischief in her round blue eyes.

 “And besides, why won’t you go, Knight? Are you hiding from someone?” teased Mira.

 Mira knew, and she was sure, that there was a certain redhead at the party whom the prince would rather avoid.

 “No, I’m not.” denied Knight, point blank.

 “So why won’t you go?”

 Mirajane Strauss has so many tricks hidden up her sleeves. If she was going to corner one of Northern Kingdom’s Wisest Generals, there was only one path to take. Wasn’t it that pride will come before the fall? It was rather childish and a little underhanded but he really left her no other choice. She was going to that party by hook or by crook.

 “Don’t tell me it’s because you’re going to finish that book because I have seen you read that a thousand times.”

 Mira discreetly elbowed Gajeel, signaling him to wade in.

 “Yeah, Knight. Why won’t you go?”

 Knight felt cornered. He glanced at Juvia, his alarmed eyes asking for help. But the latter shrugged; not knowing what answer to offer. So, Knight quickly thought of a way out of the situation without revealing a hand, dignity intact.

 “I never said I didn’t want to go.”

 South – 1, North – 0.

 “It’s settled then.”

 Mira announced triumphantly, all giddy and excited. She marched out of the parlour and waited for her company at the door.

 “After you.”

 Just to make sure none of her sheep got lost, she held the door open for her herd. She disregarded the dirty look Knight threw her way and met it with a gloat instead.

 “To a kick-ass year!” exclaimed Mira, throwing a fist in the air.

 “If she says woohoo, I’m out of here.” announced Knight bitterly.

  Rosewoods still belonged to the Dreyar Manor, south of the Mansion. Compared to the Forbidden Forest, Rosewoods was more habitable. The pathway was cleared, well-lit and was broad enough to let even big vehicles pass through. A few slapdash built bungalows scattered around.

 Tonight, the light of a roaring bonfire illuminated the clearing. The students from the Academy gathered around it, dancing without care, marrying the night. The sounds of the night drowned in the loud music that filtered through the speakers placed on the cargo bed of some pick-up. The students celebrated the beginning of the semester under the full moon.

 Knight parked his Royce at the impromptu parking space next to the others. The students quickly recognized it. Like the scene earlier at the Academy’s yard, the students paused for a moment to watch the scene unfold before their eyes; watched as the shimmering light from the moon and the bonfire danced on their features. Awe struck them like thunder. Even Erza Scarlet, who was not all thrilled to see Prince Dead To Me, fell in daze at the sight – a sight to behold.

 The Royal vampires approached the clearing. The darkness of the night lent them mystery; the pale silver light bathed their figures in a hauntingly beautiful glow. They were almost otherworldly and it almost hurt to look at them. As if none of the students there deserved their presence. The royal bunch sliced through the sea of people; blending in but somehow standing out.

 Dan Straight, the jock that invited them earlier, was the first student to greet the new arrivals.

 “You made it.” He looked so happy to see the Southern princess; never taking his eyes off her.

 Taking the hint and not wanting to watch Mira getting hit on, Gajeel was first to break out from the group. He tapped the still bitter royal and invited, “C’mon, let’s grace these beauties with our presence.”

 Knight followed behind without hesitation. He didn’t plan on staying to watch Dan the Jock put the moves on Mira. He did not like that kind of men who exuded pretentious confidence.

 Mirajane was already in a conversation with the jock. Juvia could smell a whiff of manly cologne and the distinct aroma of human blood. Suddenly, she felt thirsty.

 “I’m gonna get us drinks.” informed Juvia through the cacophony of loud music and indistinct chatters.

 She walked towards a group of people gathered around by the coolers and kegs. She took note of the discarded red cups on the grass. High School students are a wild bunch, she thought. Juvia approached the man behind a makeshift counter pouring drinks on new red cups and handing them to random students. The princess kept her distance, treating the counter as some kind of line she did not want to cross. But she leaned over it as she signaled tonight’s bar tender for two bottles.

 The underage bartender excused himself to crouch over one of the coolers where, Juvia assumed, they kept the stash.

 As the princess waited for the boy to spring up behind the counter and hand her the bottles, she roamed her blue eyes around the party that went on in the middle of Rosewoods. From two girls chattering animatedly whom she heard talking about Knight’s soft blue eyes and Gajeel’s rugged good looks. Onto a group of jocks who, beers in their hands, scanned the sea of people, probably looking for potential conquests. When a girl in a mini skirt passed by the group, their eyes trained on the stranger’s behind. Juvia frowned in disapproval. Some things never change, whether in this era or another.

 Her passing eyes landed on the Southern princess who was standing next to Dan, deep in a conversation. He leaned in and whispered something to her ear, grazing the left ear with his lips. Mira giggled at him or from the sensation, Juvia couldn’t tell. Mira spoke through her actions. When Juvia noticed that the Southern princess tucked a band of lose hair behind her ear, she took her hint.

 “Actually, just one will do.”

 The bartender handed her one opened bottle and kept the other for himself. “Here you go, your Highness.”

 Juvia simpered at the sound of his address. She turned a heel and bumped into something hard, stumbling a little and almost spilling the contents of her beer. She checked her pants to confirm if the beers did spill. Luckily, her pants were still dry.

  “I’m so sorry I didn’t–”

 Juvia looked up to apologize. She was taken-aback realizing who it was.

 “–see you.” ended Juvia.

 Juvia only realized that Gray had his hands on her shoulders, keeping her from falling. She jerked back as the warmth of his palm penetrated through the fabric of her top. His grip tightened though, thinking that has not gained her balance. He helped her steady herself. When she regained her composure, Gray dropped his hands on either side and took a step back to respect her space.

 “Hi.” greeted Gray.

 “Oh, hi.” replied Juvia.

  Gray held her gaze for a moment without speaking. The sound of chatters blended with the music dulled in their presence. His eyes were soft and pondering. Juvia sensed that he was going to say something but she beat him to it. The princess turned a heel and spoke without even looking at him, “Well, see you around.”

 Before the darkness that plagued her since that fateful night come back to haunt her, Juvia walked away from Gray, almost running. The Eastern heiress kept herself together. A trembling has already started in her in a magnitude she struggled to control. Juvia could feel her knees giving in and she barely made it in time when she sank on a marbled bench, safely away from him – the raven-haired boy. She was able to breathe when she realized that Gray did not follow her. She was in a safe distance.

 You hold me without touch You keep me without chains

 “Let him be.”

 But the suffocating feeling had burst out of the safe where she compressed it.

 “Leave him to die!”

 It already broke through the surface.

 “Don’t you see it, Juvia? He is the only one standing between us.”

 “Hey.”

 Juvia jumped when she felt a hand grab her shoulders. Mira sat next to her. If it wasn’t for the silver moonlight, Mira would have panic to see Juvia turn pale.

 “You alright? You are a little jumpy.”

 “I’m okay.” dismissed Juvia. She really was a little jumpy lately. “You surprised me is all.” covered Juvia. She wasn’t sure if Mira bought her lie or was just being polite, letting her be. But through the darkness she could see how her eyes squinted at her.

 “I thought you’re going to get us drinks?” asked Mira, changing the subject.

 “I didn’t want to ruin the moment.” answered Juvia. Color slowly returning to her. “You looked like you were having a good time with that cute guy.” Her racing heartbeat faltered to normal.

 “Right? He is really cute.”

 The Southern princess threw a longing look at Dan who met her glance and acknowledged it.

 “But he can wait. I’ll keep you company.”

 “No.”

 Juvia already dragged her to this prison. She couldn’t let Mira and the others worry about her all the time. She’d hate herself it that happens.

 “Don’t let me keep you.”

 “Juvia–”

 “–I’m fine. Really.”

 Juvia could read the expression on Mira’s face. The latter casted her a doubtful look. After what happened just now. How could she convince Mira that she was fine?

 “I’ll go mingle, later. I promise.”

 “Are you sure?”

 “I’m sure. Now, go! Don’t let the cute guy waiting.”

 Mira was still hesitant to leave her but Juvia was already half-shoving her away. The former surrendered, stood up from the bench and made her way towards Dan. Halfway through it, Mira threw the younger princess a confirming glance, asking without words. The bluenette playfully sent her away with a flick of her hand.

 Finally alone again, Juvia closed the lid off her pandora’s box and sealed the darkness for tonight. All thanks to Mira’s distraction. Coldness stung her palm. When she looked down she remembered the bottle of beer in her hand, demanding her attention. She took a sip from it and grimaced at the taste of the beer as the liquid burned her throat and disappeared in the pit of her stomach. Juvia inspected the label on the bottle, her eyes narrowed in disappointment. Not the best beer in town but it would do.

 Juvia listened to the music these kids listened to this day: Young Blood. She watched the kids dancing around the bonfire, not having a care in the world. Their beating hearts, their pumping veins, their labored breathing, she could all hear them. Juvia closed her eyes and bask at the exhilarating harmony mixing with the climax of the music. They were alive.

 The bottle was snatched away from her hands, its coldness lingering in her palm. She flicked her eyes open to meet the culprit – a good-looking golden boy, Knightus Dreyar. She stared at him with eyes that gloated as he made the same face she did at the taste of the alcohol.

 “I can’t believe they like this kind.” scowled Knight at the half-empty bottle in his hand.

 High pitched giggles pulled the attention of the two Regals toward a group of high school girls circling the Redfox Prince. Prince Gajeel, ever the charmer, magnetizing women with his devilishly good looks.

 “I can’t believe you’re not there enjoying the attention.”

 “I took a break.” He sighed. “Man, when will this attention ever gonna go away?”

 “Well, sleeping with a royal is always a good story to tell, even the off-limits one. Girls like a challenge.” answered Juvia matter-of-factly.

 They held each other’s gaze waiting for the punch line to sink in.

 “Wow, you’re not funny anywhere, are you?”

 Knight smiled at Juvia’s lame attempt at a joke, mocking her subtly. He took another sip of the poor-tasting beer and swore to ban such disgrace of a liquor.

 “You should talk to him, you know.”

 Juvia fixed her eyes at a light beaming at a distance.

 “He looked like he wanted to talk.”

 “We had a conversation.”

 “‘Hi. Oh, hi’. Isn’t really a conversation, you know.”

 “You’re one to say.” Juvia finally tore her gaze away from the flickering light to look at Knight. “You haven’t even properly spoken to Erza since we arrived.”

 “We had a conversation.”

 Juvia quickly jumped at the opportunity to sting the prince back using his own words against him.

 “‘Drop dead. Same to you.’ Isn’t really a conversation, you know.”

 “Touché.”

 “Touché.” mimicked Juvia.

 “Guess we are not so different, after all.”

 Juvia leaned against Knight and rested her head on his broad shoulders. A moment of doubt flicked at the back of her mind. Were they really the same? Did he have innocent blood on his hands too?

 “I guess so.”

 Her voice was weak, answering him above whisper. Juvia stopped herself from overthinking herself into depression. She cleared out her mind, not wanting to think about anything. Her eyes were now shut close. Mind blank. She just wanted to go to sleep.

 “There you are!”

 Two heads whipped around to the direction where the voice came from. The voice belonged to Lucy Heartfilia who scurried towards them. “Been looking everywhere for you.”

 “I’m right here.”

 She dropped beside Juvia, catching her breath. “Yes, I can see that.”

 Juvia noted the bags under Lucy’s usually bright blue eyes. She remembered not seeing the young blonde earlier at the mansion.

 “I’m so thirsty.”

 Once again, the bottle in her hand was easily snatched away by the new comer. Juvia didn’t fight her over it but she started wondering why everyone so interested her beer.

 A new set of footsteps approached the three.

 “Hey, Luce! They need more bottles there. Oh, your highness!”

 Juvia almost laughed at the Dragneel’s sudden stiffness. He froze on the spot suddenly not knowing where to place his hands.

 “No need to be too formal, Natsu.”

 Natsu Dragneel looked anywhere but the owner of the sweet voice, intimidated by her title.

 “Fine. Fine. I’m coming.”

 Lucy did not notice the awkwardness that enveloped the usually lively Natsu. She just wanted to rest a little. She has been running around doing errands for Erza. A little break wouldn’t hurt. But she had responsibilities. Before Lucy left, she addressed Juvia. “See you at the Mansion?”

 Juvia nodded.

 “Let’s go, Natsu.”

 The blonde grabbed the shy boy by the arm and hurriedly dragged him back to the party. If Erza found out she was slacking off, Lucy was good as dead.

 Before they disappeared back to the sea of people, Juvia picked up the clear comment from Dragneel.

 “Damn, Luce. Imagine if I won the Selection,” started Natsu, regret laced in his voice. “The Princess would have been mine. Ouch! What was that for?”

 There was a sound of hand slapping the skin. Juvia assumed, since her back was on them, that it was Lucy’s hand that made contact with Natsu’s skin. She giggled. Juvia was fond of Natsu.

 “Don’t you have any respect for Gray’s feelings?”

 The curve on her lips dropped. Gray. Why did his name feel like a stake in the heart?

  Knight shut the engine off. He turned his car’s light off and unlocked the doors. Knight asked Mira why she did not go with the jock earlier. She answered she was not up for it.

 “Why didn’t you go with Gajeel?” asked Mira, a hint of mischief in her voice.

 “Wasn’t up for it.”

 Knight gave the eldest among the three a knowing smile. He knew Mirajane hated when he disregarded her seniority. The latter glared at him. Are you mocking me, said her challenging eyes. The Northern Prince used her words against her just like what she did with Juvia. Both women knew he was doing it on purpose.

 “Riiiight,” sang Mira, “you’re kind of engaged now. Aren’t you?”

 Mira was quick in cooking up a comeback.

 “I guess you should be heading straight to her room then.”

 Knight walked away from them and into the house. He ignored the princess with the white silver hair calling after him.

 “It’s the 2nd door on your left!”

 It was unsolicited information but one that got under Knight’s nerve.

 “Good night. Don’t let the big bugs bite. Or let it. Up to you.”  

 So much so that, before he disappeared behind the door, the Prince of the North Kingdom threw the older royal vampire the finger.

 Mira laughed her heart out. Knight Dreyar was still as immature and childish as he was a century ago.

 “Such a touchy fellow.”

 She turned around to call Juvia who fell behind, brushing a few tears off at the corner of her eyes as she did. It has been a while since Mirajane had a good laugh.

 “Shall we go? Oh. Gray.”

 Juvia felt ice cold wind slap her. Gray? What was he doing here, she thought.

 “I should leave you two alone.”

 Mira hesitated. She searched for Juvia’s approval but her eyes were devoid of any clue. The younger princess was blankly staring on the ground. Mira decided Gray was harmless. So, she took her leave after reminding Juvia not to stay out late since it was a school night.

 “Hi.”

 Gray’s voice was cautious. His steps were measured, like Juvia was a cornered animal that needed to be approached warily. He stopped when she turned to face him; face devoid of emotion.

 “Oh, hi.”

 There they go again. Their conversations never lasted more than two words.

 “I hope you won’t think I’m kind of a stalker.” It was Gray who broke the silence first. “I haven’t seen you since that day…” he trailed off, not wanting to reopen old wounds. But Gray was really worried. Even until now.

 “I-I just…” Gray searched for the right words. He was never so unsure in his life. “I needed to know you were okay.” He finally spitted out.

 Gray had faint memory of the fateful night. All he could remember was that Juvia was there kneeling beside a fallen figure. He was dead. Gray was alive. But after that fateful night, Juvia was never the same. He would seldom see her and an opportunity to talk to her never presented itself. It was almost as if Juvia was avoiding him. But why? Regardless, all Gray wanted to ask was if she was okay.

 “I’m not.”

 Juvia wanted to be honest, at least. She would smile and nod as if everything was fine. But in the nights, nightmares and the darkness that came with them would pay her unwanted visits. Until they came in the days too. She isolated herself from everyone, slowly falling into an abyss of endless bleak. Slowly, she was becoming an entire different person that she herself couldn’t recognize.

 “But I will be.”

 It was both a plea and a prayer.

 She wanted to be better. Juvia wanted to feel like her old self again: happy and free. If she could forget about that night, that night that changed everything, she would do it in a heartbeat. But everything that happened in our lives, both the good and the bad, became a part of us. It would never go away. They would follow us wherever we go. There was no escape. We just need to learn to live with it. So that we can live. So that we can function. She knew that now.

 “I will be okay. You don’t have to worry about me, Gray.”

 Gray stepped forward, bridging the small distance between them.

 But you touch me for a little while And all my fragile strength is gone

 “I can’t help it.” whispered Gray, raising his hand, wanting to touch her, feel her.

 The princess took a step back. The wall between them, it won’t come down. As much as Juvia wanted to tear it down, it wouldn’t budge. His presence suffocated her. His voice clutched her heart; gripping at it with a crashing force. Gray was a constant reminder of the night she could never take away. He was the only reminder.

 “If you wouldn’t mind. It’s been a long day.”

 She ripped her gaze away from his. When she looked into his eyes, all she could see was Trevor dying in her arms.

 “Of course. You must be tired.”

 Juvia turned away from the boy completely and headed to the door without so much as a back glance.

 “Good night, Princess.” He called after her.

 His words, the same words he said to her the first time they met, staked her in the heart.

 Set me free, leave me be I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity

 Juvia crossed the threshold and locked the door behind her. She then let her knees give in as the weight of the world came crashing down at once. She leaned her back at the door for support and placed a hand on her chest where she assumed her heart was. She gripped at it, only to gather cloth in her fist. The pain consumed her entire being. She let it. She let it swallow her whole. Juvia never knew the pain could physically hurt. But it did. She wanted to reap her heart out in order not to feel. But like what that one book said, pain demanded to be felt.

 Here I am, and I stand So tall, just the way I'm supposed to be

 And pain was standing behind that door staring at the ghost of her presence.

 Pain was Gray Fullbuster.

 But you're on to me and all over me

AN: Chapter 2 up! Hope you guys like it. Happy Halloween you lovely people!

[st-crylo]

Undercover & Undone 4

A/N: Yall I had to hold back bc tbh i was like yall need to kiss but its all good. Anyways sorry for being kinda MIA, I’ve been busy with school so it’s been a little difficult for me to write, but now that I’ve got the hang of things, I should be able to get more content out. Thanks for being patient, hope you guys enjoy!!!

Warnings: None

Word Count: 4.8K

Tagging: @stressedoutkylo

U&U Masterlist

Full Masterlist

You felt stress bubble up inside you as you waited for Matt and Ben to arrive. They were going to wish you good luck before you headed to the Cortenshis Estate. Thinking about how tonight was the night filled you with more anxiety than anything ever had. You kept fiddling with your fingers, unable to stay still as you waited for your two closest friends to arrive before you had to get ready. You couldn’t think of any way that this could go any easier, especially since you were terrified. What would you say? How would he react to seeing you again? Would he be happy or angry? You were making yourself sick just thinking about it. You had to find some sense of relief for your stress before the start of the Gala.

A knock at your door broke your haze of anxiety, causing you to hop up from your place on your loveseat and head over to open the door. Once you did, you were greeted by the smiling face of Matt, his glasses slightly frosted around the edges, and Ben, whose nose was slightly red at the tip from the wind.

“Hey, (y/n)!” Matt said as he walked into your apartment, shaking the snow off of his coat. He pulled you in for a hug, which had you shivering.

“Can you not just wait to hug me until after you take off your coat?” You asked as he pulled away. Ben simply gave you a pat on the back and smiled warmly at you.

“Well I figured that would be pointless since we aren’t staying very long,” Matt noted, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. You let out a light laugh and shook your head at him.

“So, how you feeling kid?” Ben asked, causing you to turn and face him. You grimaced at the question, beginning to twiddle your thumbs.

“I’m pretty nervous, actually,” you said softly, looking down at your hands. You felt a hand placed on your shoulder and looked up, making eye contact with Ben. His eyes seemed to burn with emotion, but what emotion you couldn’t quite distinguish.

“(y/n), you will do fine. I’m sure you’ve got this. We all believe in you,” he said reassuringly, causing you to smile. Hearing that everyone’s confidence was in you made you feel better about the situation as a whole.

“Well, we came to wish you good luck, and we’ve done that,” Matt said, breaking the silence between the three of you. You looked towards the blond and nodded, giving him a smile.

“Yeah, I need to call Luka so he can come pick me up,” you stated, giving the two Solo boys one last hug before they set off again. They both stomped over to the doorway and smiled back at you, waving goodbye before closing the door behind them as you rang up Luka. Knowing they had faith in you felt all the more better about tonight, and your ability to do the job at hand.

Kylo stared down at the black tuxedo laid across his bed. He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his head, scratching as he came to the back of his head. He wanted this night to be over as soon as possible, especially since he didn’t really want to socialize. He just wished he could send Tal and Valerium in his place, but he knew Cortenshis would take offense to something like that.

“Kylo, you in here?” came Phasma’s voice from outside the door, along with the barking of his two dogs.

“Yeah, why?” Kylo asked, walking over to the bedroom door. As soon as he did, the two pitbulls were jumping on him, and he scratched behind their ears before looking up at Phasma.

“I thought you’d like to know that Hux is probably going to start drama. At least, that’s what Mitaka was saying. He’s hoping that if he can get you angry enough, you’ll make a bad impression to Cortenshis,” she stated, a piece of her short blonde hair falling in front of her eyes.

“Of course he is,” Kylo said flatly. If Hux’s men were going to be insulting, Kylo highly doubted any of them could really hold back. Knowing it was deliberate, though, did help. Kylo let out a sigh as he scratched the back of his head. He couldn’t really expect Hux to be civil, could he? Even if he was planning to be civil with Hux, a rare occasion in and of itself.

“Also, Valerium and Tal are downstairs waiting for you. They have some questions about tonight that they want you to answer,” Phasma said before walking away. The dogs stopped wagging their tails as they watched Phasma walk away, and as soon as she was out of sight they returned their attention to Kylo. He leaned down to scratch both of their heads before walking out of his room and heading downstairs.

Valerium and Tal were both in the sitting room, each in their own armchair, both smoking on a cigarette. Valerium was very easily distinguished from Tal, as he sat with his back straights, legs crossed, and pale blond hair parted neatly. He wasn’t as rough as some of the other members of the Knights of Ren, but he was just as fierce. Tal, however, seemed to be more carefree than Valerium. He sat back in a very relaxed manner, his legs parted, and a smug grin on his face. His brown hair was in disarray on top of his head, heading in every which direction, looking blown from the winter wind outside. As Kylo approached, however, both men stood from the armchairs and shook the hand of their leader.

“You ready for tonight?” Tal asked Kylo, who simply shrugged before grabbing a cigarette of his own and taking the lighter from the table. After he took a drag, blowing out the light billowing smoke, he sat down.

“I just want it to be over,” Kylo remarked, taking another drag from his cigarette. The other men also sat down, taking drags themselves and returning to their previous postures.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Valerium responded, looking off into the distance and out of the large diamond pane window.

“It shouldn’t be too bad. If we don’t get bothered by Hux’s assholes, we should have this in the bag,” Tal stated, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray and cracking his knuckles.

“Yes, well, if they try to insult you, remember to keep your cool. We can’t afford to let this go in their favor,” Kylo stated before putting out his own cigarette and standing from his armchair. “I guess it’s time we go get ready.”

You stared at your reflection in Anne’s vanity mirror in awe. She’d made you absolutely gorgeous, and you almost didn’t recognize yourself with how dolled up you were. You couldn’t help but keep your mouth agape as you stared at your own reflection.

“Luka!” Anne called out through your haze of examining yourself. Luka quickly ran into the room, straightening himself up as he stepped beside his mother.

“Yes mom?” He asked, looking her in the eye. She returned a smile to him and then indicated to you.

“How does she look?”

You looked up at Luka, who instantly smiled when he saw you. His smile made you feel even more confident in yourself.

“You look amazing, (y/n). Wonderful job, Mom,” he said, resting his hand on his chin. You blushed, turning away and back to the vanity mirror.

“Now, we get you in the dress. Luka, go get the dress from the guest bedroom closet,” Anne demanded, holding out a hand to you so you could rise from the seat in front of the vanity.

After Luka retrieved the dress, you quickly got into it, afterwards adding the final touch of a beautiful silver necklace with a cut of aquamarine in the pendant.

“I think this fits very well with your outfit dear. Now, go wait with Luka downstairs. Guests should be arriving any time soon,” Anne said, pushing her blonde hair back as she shooed you out of the room. You softly thanked her before rushing out and then down the grand staircase of the magnificent home. Downstairs, there was a pair of shoes waiting for you by the end of the steps. You slipped them on with ease, growing a couple of inches from the heels, and then you headed to the sitting room where Luka was waiting for you.

To say you were nervous was an understatement, but as each passing second went by, you were filled less with dread and more with excitement. There were no real words to describe how wonderful it would be to see Kylo again after all these years. After all, out of the three Solo brothers, you were always closest to Kylo. Meeting him again was like a dream you’d never expected to become reality.

“You seem excited,” Luka noted as you sat down, flattening your gown as you plopped onto the armchair. You smiled and nodded, looking at the lit fireplace as the firewood crackled in the heat.

“It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. I never thought I’d see him again,” you said, not looking up from the fire. The expression on your face dropped as anxiety filled you once more.

“You never explained to me how you knew each other,” Luka said, leaning forward in his seat so he could listen to your tale. You knew eventually you had to explain, it wasn’t like your familiarity with Kylo was anything bad, it was just simply something you had put off sharing. You smiled, though, as you thought of all the happy memories from childhood.

“Well, we actually grew up together, in Alderaan. It was me, Poe Dameron, Kylo, and his two brothers, Matt and Ben. I was closest with Kylo though,” you said, smiling fondly as you looked over to Luka. He smiled as well as he watched you, your reminiscent happiness almost contagious. “We used to go out to the lake every Sunday to skip rocks. I was always bad at it, but Kylo was like a master at it. Also, we’d always go to the movies together, sometimes it was all five of us, sometimes it was just me and Kylo.”

“So what happened?” Luka asked, causing the smile on your face to slowly drop. You wrapped an arm around yourself and looked back at the fireplace.

“He wasn’t happy staying in Alderaan anymore. Snoke sought him out because of who his grandfather was, and Kylo was just like Anakin. Even his mother thinks so. The last day I saw him, he said that the only reason he hadn’t gone with Snoke yet was because of me. I told him I didn’t want to be the thing keeping him in a place where he wasn’t happy,” you said, letting out a sigh. You remembered that day very vividly. You also remembered the phone call you’d received the next day from Ben telling you that Kylo had disappeared. Your heart had been broken but you felt at the time he would be happier.

“I’m sorry,” Luka said very softly, also turning to look to the fireplace pensively.

All of the sudden, a loud and resounding knock at the door caused the two of you to snap out of your depressing haze, and caused you to both look up.

“Well, I guess it’s time we make our way to the ballroom,” Luka said, standing from the armchair. You copied him, dusting off your skirt before following Luka out of the sitting room.

The haze of guests packed into the once empty ballroom as people in elegant gowns all crowded within. Kylo pulled lightly on his tie to help relive him from the stuffiness of the room. He looked over at Tal, who always walked with an air of confidence and always seemed to know what to do in social situations. Very much unlike Kylo.

“What’re you looking so anxious about?” Tal asked as he grabbed two flutes of champagne from a butler who walked by and handed Kylo one while he sipped from the other. Kylo frowned before taking a swig from the glass and then sighing.

“Because I don’t normally do this, Tal. You’re the one who does all the socializing,” Kylo said, his baritone voice rumbling deep in his chest. Tal shrugged as he took another sip from his champagne. His eyes wandered around the room, surveying all the guests he could see from where he, Tal, and Valerium were sitting.

“Val, why don’t you have some champagne?” Tal asked, looking past Kylo to see Valerium’s stone cold expression. Valerium frowned at Tal, which was something quite common, and let out a sigh.

“Because, Tal, someone has to be responsible here. Besides, I don’t like champagne,” Valerium stated very matter of factly as he pushed a piece of his silvery-blonde hair behind his ear. Tal threw his head back in a laugh as Kylo continued to shift awkwardly between the two. He was beginning to wonder if he should’ve brought more than just Tal and Valerium.

You scanned the ballroom in search of Kylo, hoping that you could at least catch a glimpse of him. However, with the ballroom beginning to fill up even more with all of Cortenshis’ guests, it was harder to distinguish any one person, so you resigned to eating some of the small snack foods laid out on the table that you and Luka happened to be standing by. Luka saw your resigned look and let out a laugh, taking hold of one of the toothpicks that had some random cheese attached.

“You’ll find him eventually. There’s only so many people here,” Luka assured you as he bit into the cheese. You sighed and turned away, looking out to the magnificent windows that lined the ballroom walls. The snow was falling lightly outside in the night air, riding along the wind wistfully.

The clinking of a spoon on glass had you snapped from your thoughts as you looked to where Lukas Cortenshis was standing, next to the small orchestra he’d hired for the night. Your eyes watched him as he cleared his throat, the ballroom going silent as their attention turned to their host.

“I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight,” Cortenshis started, “It’s always a pleasure to throw this gala every year, and it’s even better to see new faces each time. However, I of course do not do all the preparation alone. I’d like to thank my son Luka for helping organize the food and the guests for this year’s gala.”

Everyone clapped and turned to face Luka. As Kylo did so, he noticed someone next to him, smiling widely at Luka as he accepted all the compliments from the guests surrounding him.

For a moment, Kylo’s world went silent as he realized who it was standing next to Luka. He stopped clapping and simply stared wide eyed at the beautiful face he thought he’d never see again. You looked like a winter goddess in his eyes, the dress you were wearing looked like it was made from the snow falling from the sky and the bright winter sky in midday. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest as he watched you smile, a smile still so radiant it put the stars to shame.

“Kylo?” Tal all but yelled as the clapping died away and the guests returned to their socializing. Kylo turned towards Tal, his brows furrowed in confusion. Why were you here? Was it even you he was seeing, or someone who looked eerily like you? Kylo had to know so he turned towards Tal once more.

“Tal I need you to do me a favor,” Kylo said, running a hand through his jet black hair.

“Yeah, sure boss,” Tal said, standing up straighter next to Kylo. Kylo felt a tightness of anxiety in his chest as he turned back to where you and Luka were standing.

“That woman standing Luka, I need you to find out what her name is,” Kylo said softly, only loud enough for Tal to hear. Tal was confused by Kylo’s request, but nodded and headed towards Luka nonetheless.

You laughed at Luka’s comment about his father’s soon to be drunkenness when you noticed a tall figure approach the two of you. When you looked over, you felt a bit of disappointment seeing that it wasn’t Kylo. However, you did notice that Luka’s grin widened.

“Hello Tal,” Luka said, smirking at the man who’d just appeared.

“Hello Luka. Unfortunately I didn’t come just for you. Your friend here-“ Tal turned to look at you, giving you a warm smile, “has attracted the attention of a very nervous and unsociable man who would like to know her name. So, Madame, what is your name?” You blushed lightly at the thought of someone being too nervous to speak to you, but you still felt disappointed about Kylo, so you simply smiled back at Tal.

“It’s (y/n) (y/l/n),” you stated.

Kylo saw Tal pushing his way through the crowd of elegantly dressed guests and make his way ack to Kylo. Kylo started anxiously fiddling his fingers as Tal stepped closer until his friend was right in front of him.

“So?” Kylo asked, eager to see if it was really you.

“Her name is (y/n) (y/l/n),” Tal stated, a smile on his face. For the second time that night, everything seemed to slow down in Kylo’s world. So it was you, after all these years. You’d somehow manage to weasel your way back into his life, and he was nothing but elated, and yet terrified at the same time.

Kylo started walking towards you, ready to finally hear your voice again after all this time. It was too good to be true though, when he was stopped by a strong arm wrapped around his shoulder, causing him to be pulled back. Kylo let out a frustrated sigh as he looked down at the drunken face of Lukas Cortenshis. Suddenly, he was reminded of why he was even here in the first place, so he turned to Cortenshis with as much of a smile as he could muster.

“Kylo, my lad. I was beginning to worry you hadn’t come! So, how are you doing?” Cortenshis said, his cheeks rosy from the heat of the room and the alcohol combined. Kylo kept his forced smile on his face as he thought only about meeting up with you again.

“I’ve been good, Lukas. This really is a wonderful gala,” Kylo noted, trying to butter his way into Cortenshis’ favor so that he could slip away quickly.

“That’s damn good! Well, I know I’m being sought out by my wife somewhere, so I’ll speak with you later,” Cortenshis leaned in and lowered his voice. Kylo also leaned towards him so that he could hear the older man better. “I want to meet you and Hux in my office after most of the guests have left.” Kylo nodded and then watched as Cortenshis walked away, parting the crowd of people all socializing and dancing.

Kylo let out a sigh of relief as he turned back to head towards you…except you were no longer there. Kylo let out a groan of frustration as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Tal smirking at him.

“Follow me boss,” he said, indicating for Kylo to follow him.

You shivered as you felt the cold wind hit your bare shoulders on the balcony that you and Luka had just gone to in order to escape the crowd within the ballroom. Though the garden from the view of the balcony was gorgeous, bushes of evergreen topped in snow, the cobblestone path through the garden cleared of all the snow, making the atmosphere surreal, you couldn’t help but still be a little anxious. You still hadn’t seen any trace of Kylo, and you doubted that he would find you out here on the balcony.

“Don’t worry, he’ll come soon enough,” Luka said, as if reading your thoughts. He was seated on the stone bench by the railing, his ankles crossed as he stretched his legs out. You frowned as you moved to sit next to him.

“How can you be so sure?” You asked with a sigh, threading your fingers together and placing them down on the skirt of your dress. You heard Luka let out a chuckle from beside you.

“Because I told Tal to come here, remember? Tal is Kylo’s right hand man,” Luka stated, causing you to perk up. So it was Kylo who had asked about your name earlier. The thought alone had a blush rising to your cheeks. You couldn’t wait until Luka brought him around.

As if on cue, the door to the balcony suddenly opened, revealing two men in black tuxedos walking out. You recognized Tal as soon as he stepped out, as he was the first of the two to join Luka and yourself on the balcony. As soon as you laid eyes on the second man, though, you slowly stood, watching him in awe.

He was slightly taller than when you’d last seen him, his hair longer as well. His overall appearance was more rugged, but in a way, you loved it, and it made him even more handsome. He had the same expression on his face that you did as he stared back at you, equally in awe of the situation.

For a moment, you forgot about everything, your shitty apartment, less than perfect job, or the task that Ben, Matt, and Poe had given you. The only thing you could focus on was Kylo, and you didn’t even notice yourself walking towards him until you found yourself wrapping your arms around him, burying your face into his chest.

He was shocked at first, after all part of him was convinced you’d never really wanted him, but after a few moments, he slowly wrapped his arms around you, pressing his cheek against the top of your head. He couldn’t really describe what he was feeling, he was simply overwhelmed with emotion.

“Luka, let’s leave them be,” Tal said to his lover as he pulled on the young man who was staring at you and Kylo with a dreamy expression on his face. Once the two of you were alone on the balcony, you looked up at Kylo’s face, taking him in as if he were merely a figment of your imagination, one that would blow away with the winter wind.

“Why are you here? Of all places, here, at Cortenshis’ winter gala?” Kylo asked, a bit of a chuckle in his voice as he looked down at you. You laughed as well, pushing a stray piece of hair behind your ear.

“Because I’ve been friends with Luka for about a month now. He invited me. Of course, his father thinks I might make his interest in men go away, but I doubt that will ever happen,” you said, letting out a laugh. You felt your cheeks heat up slightly as you watched Kylo’s expression.

The rest of the gala was spent talking to each other endlessly, catching up after all the years the two of you had gone without seeing each other, and also occasionally dancing together, causing other people to leave room for the two of you in the ballroom. Everyone watched in awe, trying to get a look at the girl who had all of Kylo Ren’s attention. You couldn’t give them any thought though, you were just happy to be with Kylo again.

“And to think that I’ll be working at this awful diner until I can find something better is driving me insane,” you ranted as the two of you stood by the food table, sipping on champagne as Kylo listened to your ramblings intently. It was something you’d always appreciated about him, his ability to listen attentively.

Suddenly, you heard someone clearing their throat beside the two of you. You looked up at a man who was almost as tall as Kylo, but not quite, his blue eyes seeming cold, and his silvery blonde hair slicked back neatly.

“Ren, Cortenshis is looking for us,” he stated, looking at Kylo and purposely keeping his gaze away from you. You frowned at this man’s behavior. What had you done to him?

“Of course, thanks Valerium. (y/n), you should wait until I’m done speaking with Cortenshis. There’s something I want to ask you when I’m done,” he said, giving you a smirk that made your heart leap in your chest. As Kylo walked away, the man called Valerium gave you a once over, and a flash of disgust appeared on his face before he followed Kylo. You frowned as you watched the two of them walk away.

After a few seconds, Luka appeared next to you, his hair in disarray and a smirk on his face.

“I suppose your job was easier than everyone was making it seem, huh?” he asked as he leaned against the table containing the last of the food in the now emptying ballroom. Your frowned deepened at his words as everything you were meant to be doing came back to you.

“Yeah, I guess so. It’s amazing what missing a person can do,” you noted, your eyes scanning the ballroom for nothing in particular.

“Are you talking about you or him?” You frowned as you looked up at Luka, confused by his question.

“What do you mean?” you asked, crossing your arms and furrowing your brows as you leaned against the table as well.

“C’mon, (y/n), it’s obvious you missed him, and that you care for him. The question is though, do you care for him enough to not do the job that Dameron expects of you?”

You thought a bit about his question before letting out a sigh. In a way, he had a point, not that you would ever admit it to anyone other than Luka. However, no, you didn’t think you cared enough about Kylo to completely omit the friends who had been by your side since childhood.

After a while of you and Luka waiting for Kylo and Tal, the two men finally walked into the ballroom, Kylo expressionless, but Tal holding the widest grin you’d ever seen in your life. You turned to Kylo who seemed a bit nervous as he looked down at you before giving you a small smirk.

“Will you come with me really quick?” he asked, holding out his hand for you to take. You felt your heart flip again, but then you remembered. I have a job to do, I can’t let him charm me like he used to. You took his hand and he lead you back out to the balcony, the winds now calmed from earlier, and snow no longer falling from the sky.

“I just, uh, wanted to know if, um, you aren’t busy on Tuesday, if you would want to get dinner,” he said, looking down at his feet as he asked. You felt a blush creep up on your cheeks and you mentally cursed yourself for feeling anything for him.

“I would love to,” you said softly, smiling up at him. His face came up to look at yours, searching it as if to make sure he had heard you right, and that he was looking for any indication otherwise. After he realized that he had indeed heard you right, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile.

“Great! Do you want me to take you home tonight? I’m sure my driver wouldn’t mind,” he said, running a hand through his black hair.

“Thanks for the offer, but Luka is gonna take me home tonight. I’ll give you my telephone number though, so you can call me and I’ll tell you my address,” you said. He grimaced and nodded, following you inside so that you could give him your telephone number. Once you’d done so, the two of you exchanged your goodbyes for the night. Kylo brought you in for a quick hug and looked over you once more as if to assure himself that you were real.

“I’ll call you,” he said with a smile before turning towards Tal and Valerium, both of which were holding completely opposite expressions.

After everyone had gone, you got undressed and then back into the clothes in which you arrived. As soon as you went down the stairs, Luka was waiting for you, the keys to his Cadillac in hand.

Once you had gotten home, you changed into a nightgown and laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling as you thought about the night you’d just had. With a sigh, you kept thinking back to Kylo’s face when he first saw you. With a frown, you scowled at yourself for being attracted to him, but deep down you knew there was no real way to stop it. The connection between you had always been there, and it seemed that even the years apart couldn’t break that bond.

[theseventhhex]

Azar Swan Interview

Zohra Atash & Joshua Strawn,

Photo by Angelle Leigh Breaux

Azar Swan’s latest release entitled ‘Savage Exile’ is as much of a reflection of the band’s personal experiences as their professional ones. Unlike previous Azar Swan records, which had been collaborative in the sense that both band members had usually contributed something substantial to each song, ‘Savage Exile’ is more starkly divided between songs which Zohra Atash wrote, performed and recorded almost entirely herself and those where Joshua Strawn did the same. The album is a journey rather than a message, one made in the belief that truthful art made is still a dagger in the heart of pervasive evil. The album’s title refers both to the exile of “savages” and the savagery of exiling, as well as the need to create a home when all the forces around you don’t seem to care if you’re homeless. When people don’t have a sanctuary, they create one in their mind. ‘Savage Exile’ is not intended to be an easy listen. It’s both comfort and wound, blood as balm and evidence… We talk to Azar Swan about overcoming restrictions, using logic and downtime…

TSH: How do you feel your creative partnership has evolved in the lead-up to ‘Savage Exile’?

Joshua: I guess the evolution of our creative partnership has been organic, but it does feel different than before. Previously, Zohra would write a bulk of the demos and send them to me and I’d add my two scents with my production capacity. But now things feel even more collaborative than normal...

Zohra: Yeah, I think we have different ways of expressing ourselves. However, I could never do this without Josh. The collaboration factor is so important between us. It’s not about who plays what, we are very much a team.

TSH: What sort of ideas were you passing along to each other for this current release?

Joshua: Zohra was sending me videos of horrific plane crashes, but not in a distasteful way, she’d had an unfortunate experience which lead her to looking into this. All in all, most of the songs were written before Trump and Brexit. We were mainly obsessing over this fragile space, where you feel vulnerable and everything could fall apart.

Zohra: Yeah, so I was fascinated by pilot aviation in duress, in particular how when a plane crash is about to happen how the pilot and passengers react to the problem. I had this fascination with the way that people interact in those final moments when you know you’re going to die. It’s unlike a car accident and you even have time to pray. I looked into this because I had a fire scare in my building, which lasted for like 45 seconds. I was fortunate that a neighbour let me in to his house because I thought I was going to die. It was really bizarre, the thoughts that went through my mind. I fell to pieces without any survival techniques.

TSH: Did you decide early on to sequence ‘Shock’ as the album opener?

Zohra: Yeah, it was definitely intentional. We wanted to open with intensity and I really like how the song has a disruptive narrative as an opener. For that one, Josh was soundtracking textural parts of my voice to give it more of a cinematic feel. We were trying to find a natural way to express my voice without steeping on toes and bringing to mind the styles of other female vocalists.

TSH: What are the origins of ‘Territorial’?

Joshua: Well, the original version of ‘Territorial’ was completed a while back and it was mostly mixed too, but Zohra went back to the drawing board with that one. She decided to start again, much to my frustration, haha! The original was very was hooky and less pop-oriented. Nonetheless, I like how Zohra came back with a weird, twisted and dark throbbing version that you hear now.

Zohra: With this one, I wanted to convey what my favourite artists do, where the words are falling out of their mouths as they are singing. I wasn’t interested in making it simple ear candy to enjoy, so I purposely annoyed myself with this song ... and I hit a block. I just really wanted to compose a complexity with this song and find the cadence of the lyrics to the melodies. It took me a year to get this one right. In that time I almost lost my voice. I definitely had to go into a focused headspace to get it sounding musically satisfying.

TSH: Josh, you must have been very impressed seeing Zohra dedicate herself in this way?

Joshua: You know, I’ve made many records in the last 10-15 years and I’ve done a lot of different collaborations with various musicians. However, I’ve never seen somebody re-write music quite like Zohra with this record, haha! Regardless, I admire her dedication. Zohra can be so meticulous with her re-tweaking - it really is fascinating to see. It was frustrating for me initially, but I really feel that she nailed the end product.

TSH: Did you feel liberated having pushed your boundaries to excel with this record?

Zohra: Only now! I normally hate it when people use hyperbolics when they talk about creating music, but this album really was difficult and like a birthing process for me. It was tough for me to get out of a frame of mind where I wasn’t doing analysis paralysis. I really wanted to make this body of work something that was not an overthought, which lead to me chasing my own tail with constant overthinking. I was so focused on forming art that would move me, alongside expressions that come from an honest place. I’m just glad that I got there in the end.

TSH: How did you overcome the restrictions that you encountered with this record?

Zohra: To be honest, I thought I was going to lose the few people I had around me in life that relied on me. I had held up this record for over a year and I had this constant fear that if I didn’t make music no more, I’d go crazy. It got to a point where I was so deep into it and at the same time being surrounded by such awful political and personal issues made me really weak and put me in an emotional place. Once it was done, I was really thankful to Josh, who I’d made wait for so long. We had a timeline worked out and I messed that up, which is a serious issue in a partnership, but I‘m so grateful that Josh was supportive towards me the whole time.

TSH: You’re both very vocal about the injustices in America and lobbying for positive change. How do you stay upbeat amidst the bedlam?

Zohra: We’ll always be proponents for using logic in every situation. You have to be aware of the world around you - baby steps and patience is the only way to remedy the deep primordial fear we have of one another. It’s not as simple as just loving each other, it takes understanding. I believe a great deal of positivity will come into play if we use simple logic. Overall, I just feel that interacting with people helps. I mean not everyone is an awful YouTube commenter.

Joshua: For me, it’s been encouraging to see people I follow who have good political minds and are good political writers making positive steps and offering great advice amidst so much chaos in America. After all, everyone goes out into the real world and acts different to what they do on the internet. Also, I recently found myself thinking about why we are so bad at talking to one another these days. I went into this headspace and obsessed over technology and the history of the internet. I soon discovered how a lot of political philosophers are dealing with technology and the internet, which gave me some clarity. I do feel that I have a better understanding of where problems stem from and I feel like I can walk out into the world with a better understanding of what life is about.

TSH: Did you guys find out if Azar Swan Avenue in Las Vegas really exists?

Zohra: Haha! Well, I chose the band name before this was even discovered. Azar Swan is definitely an original name. But yeah, this neighbourhood is right off of Rhiannon Court. Oh, and they never offered us one of the houses, haha! It’s all really strange and funny to me.

Joshua: It definitely exists. I know someone who went past and snapped a photo of it.

TSH: What’s downtime like for you both?

Zohra: I tend to make sure that I don’t allow myself to be in a state of constant rumination and mulling over anxiety. So I stay positive and surround myself with loved ones.

Joshua: Well, I have a four year old daughter and I like to go camping with her at his time of year. My life consists of being present and responsible as a parent. It can be difficult to compartmentalise art and the frustrations of the world with family life, but I’ve managed to create switches that I can turn on and off which help me.

TSH: What’s the Azar Swan ethos for future plans?

Zohra: Our music has to be something that is useful to us in the making of it, because if it’s not, then it’s not going to resonate at all. The idea of being able to creatively traverse in a way that’s respectful to our art remains essential. Art can be such a healing expression and to be able to sing is truly great for the soul. Josh has always been there for me and the trust I have in him musically has been so integral.

Joshua: I’m really excited because I feel the field is really open for us to explore. I love that this record is an evolution and extension of our artistic intentions. Looking ahead, we can satisfyingly go into completely different and experimental directions with future music. We don’t know where we’ll end up next, but the door is wide open for us to discover new possibilities.

Azar Swan - “The Golden Age of Hate”

SAVAGE EXILE

[mistymoonstorm]

GMS Fanfiction - Sherlock/MC - Meeting

Partly due to a spell of writer’s block - and partly because I wanted to XD - I took a story prompt from @jane-runs-fast, so this is for you! The prompt is Sherlock meeting the MC from his point of view.

Sorry for the wait, and sorry for the fact that it might be a little boring. As this is a rewrite, I had to borrow a bunch of dialogue from the prologue to keep it consistent, so none of the dialogue here is mine, even if I may have tweaked a little bit. Enjoy!

Sherlock didn’t hear the door start to open, nor Mikah’s excited greeting in return to whomever had come to visit. He was lost in his mind, the conversation between John and Lestrade as they droned on about some boring, uninteresting case merely white noise in the backdrop. Easily ignored.

The most recent episode of ‘The Midfall Murders’ was flashing through his thoughts, tiny scenes and details picked clean of all they could offer him. He often did this while waiting for the next plotline to analyze, lest he be driven to other, less harmless activities to keep him occupied.

Such as firing rounds at the wall, even if Mikah had turned a rather peculiar shade of red the last time he’d done so.

A soft feminine voice sounded over the banister near the entrance to the hall, drawing him from his reverie. Sherlock turned his head slowly. Something was familiar.

“He’s just in here-” Mikah was saying, as the boy’s golden head came into view.

“Stop right there,” said Sherlock, glancing at him sharply. There was a woman behind him, her face mostly concealed by shadows cast from the window. From her posture, he would guess she was- “A flight attendant? No. An actress, since childhood.”

“Don’t change the subject, Sherlock!” growled Lestrade. “John, this is your fault. You’re supposed to keep an eye on him, aren’t you?”

“George,” began John coolly. He sighed. “I’m not Sherlock’s mother. Or his father, obviously. And even if I did keep an eye on him, Sherlock will always be Sherlock. Even the Queen herself couldn’t control him.”

As they were speaking, Irene leaped down from where she’d been lying in Mikah’s arms, darting across the rug. Her tail flicked, irritable from the commotion.

The mystery woman cleared her throat. “Um, they look kind of busy. Maybe I’d better come back another time..“

Mikah half-turned to smile at her. “Don’t worry. They’re always like this.” After he was finished speaking, he moved further into the room. “Alright, guys. No more arguing. We have a guest.” He made a motion to the woman, who hesitated for only a moment before stepping into the light.

Sherlock felt his mind come to a screeching halt, leaving him with a jarring moment of silence where nothing was thought or deduced. Flaxen hair. Amber eyes. Features he recognized even now that his brilliance was failing him.

Guinevere Stark stood in his apartment, lingering somewhat awkwardly near the door even if her squared shoulders warned of confident determination. She wore a faint, nervous smile as she looked briefly over them, as if she’d come here without prior knowledge of what to expect.

“Hello,” she said. Her voice, clear and unobstructed by walls, sent Sherlock further into his spiral.

John held his hand out to her, smiling calmly. “Nice to meet you. I’m John H Watson. Feel free to call me John.” Judging by the look on his face, John already liked what he saw. A muscle in Sherlock’s jaw ticked, but try as he may, he couldn’t manage to do anything but stare.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you John. I believe I’ve read that you’re Mr. Holmes’ assistant?” she asked, shaking his hand.

John’s answering smile was wry. “I suppose so. I’m actually a doctor, but no one seems to know me as that anymore.”

Lestrade offered his hand next. “George Lestrade.”

“He doesn’t look it, but he’s actually a police inspector at Scotland Yard,” said John amusedly.

Lestrade eyed him grumpily, too used to the barbs to get truly angry. “You could have left that part out.”

Guinevere just smiled, shaking his hand as well. “It’s nice to meet you, Inspector Lestrade.”

Her eyes flicked to Sherlock. Almost unconsciously, he sat up a little straighter, his heart squeezing. He was largely unfamiliar with the emotions that ran through him as their gazes met, but they were not unpleasant by any definition of the word.

“By the way,” said Lestrade thoughtfully, breaking their stare. Annoyance washed through Sherlock, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly. “Pardon my asking, but have we met before?”

John shook his head, exasperated. “George. That’s a little rude. Honestly, everyone sees where you’re trying to take this.”

Mikah was quick to nod his agreement. “Yeah. That’s a pretty old pick-up line, huh?”

Lestrade floundered, ears reddening. “W-wait! No! I wasn’t trying to come on to her! I really have seen her somewhere before!”

John glanced back to Guinevere. Comprehension lit his eyes. “..Hold on. Now that you mention it, I think I have seen her somewhere.”

Guinevere’s lips twitched. She was obviously used to this. “That’s probably because I’m-”

Sherlock’s brain finally snapped back to life, running a million miles a minute. He had so much he wanted to say, to ask. Before his conscious could catch up, his mouth was already moving. “So you’ve come to hire me? If it turns out to be a boring assignment, I’ll be quite upset.” His tone was frosty, his words biting.

He immediately wanted to take it back, but could not. So he continued.

Sherlock rose from his chair, striding briskly to where Guinevere stood, stiff with shock. “Let us review. You’re an actress. You started acting as a child, and now you’re preparing for your first lead role. You don’t have any fans who present you with money or gifts.”

Lestrade watched them quietly. “An actress? You were saying something about that before she showed up here, weren’t you?”

But Sherlock wasn’t listening. His focus was on Guinevere, on the shifting emotions she was displaying.

He saw her surprise fade into confusion, then understanding. She had clearly settled on the fact that he must know her purely from the television. She was wrong.

“After rehearsal, you came straight here-” He cut himself off, cocking his head. “No. You stopped by a cafe.”

“Aha!” exclaimed John from the other side of the room. “I’m sure I’ve seen her before. She’s-”

“You had cinnamon tea at Lucci & Mason,” said Sherlock. The scent of the spice clung to her, however indistinct. “And you’re also the one who figured out the answer to that quiz I gave Mikah, aren’t you?”

It was a rhetorical question. He knew the answer.

“Aww.” Mikah sighed. “So you figured out I wasn’t the one who solved it. I knew you would.“

Sherlock continued to observe Guinevere’s changing expressions, unconcerned by the growing chaos from the others. She was staring at him, eyes wide.

Then she was beaming up at him, brighter than the sun. “Amazing! You’re just as good as they say in the newspapers, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.”

Heat rose in Sherlock’s chest and drifted up his throat towards his ears. “Better, actually,” he said, using his most indifferent tone in an attempt to combat the flush he felt creeping on him from her praise.

John was still excited about his ‘discovery’ behind them, trying to catch Sherlock’s attention. “Listen, Sherlock! She was in-”

“Mikah,” said Sherlock, his eyes still on Guinevere. “Get Ms. Stark some tea.”

Mikah frowned hard at him. “I don’t mind getting tea, Sherlock. But how many times do I have to tell you to not shoot your gun at the wall?” He gestured pointedly to the pattern of holes in question. “If the wall ends up crumbling, I’m not going to just send you a repair bill. I’m going to have you build me an entirely new house.”

Sherlock didn’t spare him a glance. “I’m always careful to not let that happen when I shoot.”

John was already shaking his head. “You have the patience of a saint, Mikah.”

“You’re too patient!” protested Lestrade. “Every time he’s bored, he shoots off that gun, and guess who has to respond to the calls? Think about what that’s like for me!”

This time, Sherlock did look at them, though there was no apology for them on his tongue. “All I’m doing is having a little fun to stave off the boredom, yet every time I do you come barging in here. Think about what that’s like for me, Lestrade.”

Lestrade’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me?!”

Guinevere just stared, unsure what to say.

John took pity on her, touching her arm lightly and leading her towards the couch. “Don’t worry. They’ll stop soon. Just have a seat over here, Guinevere.”

She smiled, though her eyes were still troubled. “Thank you.”

Mikah was already disappearing into the kitchen. “I’ll get some tea!”

“Just how many shots have you fired into this wall? The holes seem to spell out letters,” Lestrade was saying, squinting at the pattern.

Sherlock regarded him with disdain. “They’re initials. H.L.”

Lestrade blinked. “Whose initials?”

“Yours. Harold Lestrade.”

Lestrade’s face went crimson. “My name is GEORGE! You should know that by now!”

Sherlock waved him off, apathy returning now that his moment of weakness was cooling. “I use every last bit of my brain’s processing power, so I always delete unnecessary information from my internal memory.”

It made perfect sense to him, but Lestrade apparently thought otherwise. “Are you saying my name is unnecessary information?!”

Sherlock ignored his outrage, sitting back down in his chair just as Irene hopped onto the arm. He stroked her absentmindedly beneath the chin.

“This is a surprise,” John said to Guinevere, smiling. “I never expected you to show up here. To tell you the truth, Sherlock is a big fan of ‘The Mid-’”

“She has good posture, and from her movements, the way she walks and the clarity of her voice, I can tell she’s had formal training in each,” interrupted Sherlock, as he returned to studying her.

“Hey, Sherlock.” John frowned at him. “I’m talking to her right-”

“She’s with three men she’s never met before, and yet the smile on her face is very natural, not timid or nervous. She’s used to having all sorts of people she doesn’t know look at her.”

“So you’re telling me to shut up then? Alright. I’ll shut up.”

“When she breathes, she doesn’t raise her shoulders or chest. That’s because she learned to breathe from the abdomen when she was a child. In other words, she’s been acting since she was a child. For the most part, she’s not wearing brand-name clothing, and her jewelry has been passed down from her mother. So she doesn’t have any fans giving her money or gifts.” He paused as understanding dawned on her face. She’d figured out that he was explaining for her benefit. “A script is visible within her bag. It’s too early for her to be coming back from a performance. She’s on her way back from a rehearsal. Judging by how worn out that script is, and the number of pages you have labeled as well as their distribution throughout the book, you’re playing a major role. The title of your play is written on the spine of the script. In that particular play, the only major role played by a young woman is the female lead - the heroine. So you’re new to major roles, and they have high hopes for you.”

“A moment ago you were saying that I drank cinnamon tea at Lucci & Mason’s,” said Guinevere. She gazed at him curiously. “Could you tell that just by looking at me?”

“No,” replied Sherlock evenly. “Your fingertips give off a faint aroma of cinnamon. That’s because just earlier you were stirring tea with a cinnamon stick. The only place in London that serves Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka is Lucci & Mason.”

Though he did not usually feel pride from his deductions, he felt it now, blossoming in his chest as Guinevere smiled.

“Okay then. How did you know I solved that quiz you gave Mikah?”

“Mikah always passes by Lucci & Mason when he takes his walk, and rushes when presented with a deadline, so his judgement is not always what it would otherwise be. It was a simple quiz, but I did not expect him to bring me the solution before time was up. And yet he did. Mikah is friendly by nature, but the tone he used with you showed that he liked and felt gratitude towards you. This is because he met you on the road, and you told him the answer to his quiz. And there you have it.”

“I guess I did make the right choice in coming to you for this, Mr. Holmes.” She was still smiling, but unlike those she had shared earlier, this one was tinged with relief.

Though his mind was quickly processing this new development, Sherlock’s face did not change. “And you’re just now realizing that?”

John quickly stepped in, grinning. “What he means to say is that he’s glad you think so.”

Guinevere laughed. “It’s okay, John. It doesn’t bother me.”

“So she’s a saint, then,” said Lestrade, blinking. “She’s too good to be your client, Sherlock.”

“Quiet.”

“Yes, sir,” he muttered sarcastically.

“I’m done with my little show,” Sherlock said, once again addressing Guinevere. “I’ve shown you what I can do, now it’s your turn to talk, Ms. Stark. I hope your request won’t be one I find boring.”

It was a bluff, of course, even if he refused to actually admit it. He would take any case that came from her, regardless of its actual level of mystery.

End

[splatoontrio]

Splatoon Trio #1

INTRODUCING THE SPLATOON TRIO!!!

A buzzer blared as one squid kid in a yellow sweater and backwards cap rocketed off ahead of his four squid team. His Splattershot Pro firing far and hard as the yellow kid shifted into squid form and blazed through the ink faster than he shot it. He chuckled to himself as he swiftly swam half way across Saltspray Rig. He stood over the incline, pulling a triangular device out of his sweater pocket. Flicking the device, it activated and expanded to a pyramid shaped Splat Bomb with the word “Grougal” engraved on the bottom. Tossing it forward, the bomb landed before two purple squids and the duo recoiled while the explosive went off; demolishing the two.

“Hah! Two in one shot!” The kid exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air before walking over to the elevators and looking down. Beneath him was one more purple squid, a splat roller. A massive grin grew on our yellow warrior’s face. The kid released a ground shaking scream. Jumping off the top of the elevator, he fired rapidly and annihilated the splat roller; making sure the ground was yellow before he even landed.

“Heh, Splat THAT.” He chuckled, flipping his gun and catching it. He looked over to the southern nook of the map and found the fourth purple squid. “Oh! Perfect! Do I have enough for…” The kid pulled another device out of his pocket; it was a PDA that stated ’78%’. He groaned and quickly started shooting in one direction; watching as the percent rose and stopping every so often to reload. Once at ‘100%’ the kid regained his massive grin and started pressing on the screen. Within moments, he lowered the screen and watched as a missile fell from the sky. The purple squid looked up as panic filled her face and she made a dash away; however couldn’t quite make it as the massive storm of yellow obliterated the squid.

“DI-RECT HIT!” He cheered before swiftly going back to work, searching for the opposite team. As minutes ran passed the time began to count down from 10 to 0. As the buzzer rang, the squids all jumped back to their bases. The four yellow members checked their individual screens as it began to count the scores.

“And the winners are…” Time almost stopped as everyone waited for Judd to announce the winning team. “PURPLE!” Hearts sank as Purple team cheered. Our kid looked at his score. Fourth on the team was “Finn” and next to his name was a Splat ratio. He splated 11 other squids to his 2 deaths. Within moments, the squids super jumped back to Inkopolis.

“What!? What happened!?!” Finn exclaimed, his gun now put away.

“Maybe, if someone FOCUSED ON THE MISSION we would’ve had a better shot!” One girl with aviators yelled over at him as the four walked back to the tower.

“Seriously man, 289 points? What were you doing the whole time?” A guy with aviation goggles stated.

“Kickin’ butt and taking names of course! It’s what I do.” Finn bragged, “Seriously! You guys hardly made half my score!”

“Your score isn’t about splatting!” She yelled at him as they approached the tower once again, entering the lobby. “It’s Turf War! It’s all about inking the turf! But you’re too busy aiming at the other team!” She turned towards a computer screen in the lobby and started to set up another match.

“Well maybe if someone would take advantage of their ten second respond time we wouldn’t have this problem.” Finn muttered under his breath. A hand was placed on Finn’s shoulder. Looking over to him was the fourth member of their group, someone with a Paintball mask. From under it came a deep voice.

“Maybe you should sit this one out.” They stated as the three of them walked towards the center of the lobby.

“Pfft- Fine. I can plaster some bad guys on my own! No problem!” Finn chuckled his emotions off, giving a thumbs up. He sighed as the middle of the lobby lifted as an elevator; taking the three teammates to the next floor. Finn crossed his arms in a huff and walked back out to Inkopolis. As much fun as he had soloing, he really didn’t work well outside of his team. He walked towards the center of Inkopolis’s hot spot and noticed something that would absolutely change his luck. A light blue dot soared through the sky and, upon seeing the dot, Finn started waving.

“HEY, TENTA!” he chuckled to himself as the dot touched down in the hotspot and emerging was a Cyan Squidkid, just now pulling his tentacles back into a ponytail.

“Hey, Finn! You’re here… surprisingly early!” The new member stated, fairly impressed.

“Yeah, I was warming up a bit y’know! Made a few new rivals, couple new friends, those friends became rivals, same old, same old.”

“Jeez, you’ve been warming up for a while now?” He asked as the two started walking over to the shops.

“Y-yeah! It’s been a few hours now!” Finn chuckled to himself.

“A few hours?…” Tenta looked over at Finn questioningly, analyzing his face and realizing something important “Finn. Did you stay up all night battling in Turf Wars?”

“No! Of course not!” The exhausted Finn laughed and looked away, caught in his lie. “There were some Splatzones too.” He muttered under his breath.

“Splatzones?! Finn, you look exhausted!!” Tenta exclaimed in worry, the two of them stopped outside of Jelly Fresh.

“I know, I- Look though! Look at this!” Finn pulled his screen out of his sweater pocket and showed Tenta his profile. “Check it man! B. A solid B, man! Isn’t that awesome!”

“I- Holy sea cow that’s incredible- But Finn, you’re not getting around this man! You gotta get some rest dude.”

“Bahhh, I will, I will. Coral probably won’t be here for a few more hours anyway.” Finn stated, walking over to an Inkopolis bench and quickly laying down on top of it. Tenta started walking towards the shop.

“Alright man, well I’m gonna go through the shops real quick alright? When I’m done we’ll-“ Tenta looked over his shoulder and noticed that Finn was immediately out like a light. Tenta sighed and entered Jelly fresh, shopping and keeping an eye on the sleeping Finn whenever he could, to make sure the yellow squid was safe. After a discussion with Jelonzo, the shop owner, Tenta said his farewells and swiftly left the store. No new clothes as of yet.

Tenta approached the sleeping Finn and pulled out his own PDA. Taking a seat near the bench, he began to burn time by checking the Squid Hub and trying to get in contact with their third member, Coral. Odds are though, she was still asleep. After about 20 minutes, Tenta stood up and put the PDA away. He figured that it’d be best he gets warmed up before the day gets going but first, he walked down a nearby alleyway. At the end of this alleyway was a relaxed sea-urchin named "Spike.”

“Hey, Spike!” Tenta began the conversation as Spike just looked up at the squid asking for his attention.

“How’s it goin’ mate?” He asked, his accent thick as ever.

“I had a quick request. Nothing major, but Finn fell asleep on the bench over there. Would you be able to keep an eye on him? I’ve gotta warm up for today’s matches.” Tenta explained, Spikes eyebrows rose as he just nodded his head.

“Sure thing, mate. I’ll keep an eye on the yellow squidie, no worries.” He stated as Tenta gave a swift thumbs up,

“Awesome! I’ll be back in about 5 minutes. Thanks a ton!” Tenta expressed his gratitude as Spike just raised his hand in response. With that blessing, Tenta made a beeline towards Inkopolis Tower. Inside, he began to search for matches inside of the tower using his PDA. It was only a matter of seconds before he found a match. Turf War on Blackbelly Skatepark. Working fast, he changed his weapons accordingly, equipping his Aerospray and dashing towards the nearby elevators. Once in the elevators, he was raised near the top of the tower and, from there, he super jumped towards the Skatepark.

With a SPLAT, Tenta landed at the home base, right in the navy blue starting ink. Upon landing in the ink, Tenta’s color slowly changed from Teal to Navy Blue, officially coloring him with the other three squid kids he was paired with. Tenta’s grin grew as he looked outward, watching the opposing team land on the other side of the stage. Looked like two splat rollers, a charger, and an ink brush! Tenta chuckled to himself at the odds.

“Only ONE person with an ink gun and it’s a sniper?? This should be an interesting match...” With a confident smile, the readied his Golden Aerospray Ink Gun and took off as soon as the match started. Tenta focused on inking the turf, making sure to throw splat bombs over obstacles and around corners that he didn’t have time to check. Over analyzing the scenario he was in, he knew that he was going to have a tough time with his short ranged gun, so for him it’d be best to fight from a distance with bombs. Tenta stayed very wary, trying to not get pounced on by the splat rollers. Of course, it wasn’t long before he ran into one on the right side of the skatepark.

Tenta quickly threw a bomb as the orange squid started closing the gap, however the bomb missed whizzing right over the roller’s right shoulder. In a rush and nearly cornered, Tenta quickly began to paint the wall. Now, in Turf Wars, painting a wall doesn’t get you any points; however that’s not what Tenta was aiming for. Tenta knew that in order to get points and keep turf, he had to do one obvious thing: survive. As the Roller closed the gap, Tenta quickly turned into a squid and jumped into the ink on the side of the wall, dashing pass the aggressor and ending up on the other side.

Tenta let out a chuckle as he began to run off, the Roller tailing him closely. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the second roller on the enemy team had noticed him and was following as well now. Looking up at the tower in the middle of the stage, the blue squid kid saw a laser light pointing outward, meaning that a sniper was on top of that tower. Tenta swiftly swam up the tower with half the enemy team behind him. Once he was up there, he was met with the enemy sniper and, surprisingly, the enemy with the ink brush.

Without even looking, Tenta took out his PDA, and pressed a button on it; grinning ear to ear as the two rollers joined him on top of the tower. Within a second Tenta was hit from four angles at once, completely taking him out of the game and forcing him to go back to the spawn pad. However, as he respawned he looked out over the dips and twists of the skate park, and watched as an ink strike crashed down on top of the enemy team; sweeping them all in a vortex of blue ink. Tenta couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he began inking turf again.

“Heheheh, man. Finn is gonna be ticked when he hears that I did a team wipe without him.” He stated gleefully to himself, as he carried on with the match."

Meanwhile, back at the Plaza, Finn was completely passed out on the bench, practically snoring as a small, bright pink inkling approached him. This inkling didn’t say a word and shrouded her face in a gas mask. She only sat down on the edge of the bench, leaned back as far as she could, and began to rest her eyes as well…

This young inkling is named Coral. Unlike Finn or Tenta, two inklings who never seem to shut up, Coral is very quiet and reserved. She may have a bit of a tough looking exterior with the spooky gas mask, but the truth of the matter is that she’s a lot softer than many would give her credit for. That’s not to say one should underestimate her however; in fact, that was a mistake that Finn made on day one…

Finn stood on his spawn pad, three teammates to his side as he mentally prepared for match ahead of him. Once the buzzer sounded, Finn was gone in a flash. He dashed ahead making it to the middle boxes and leaving his team in his ink. He aimed and fired at the first pink squid he saw, immediately plastering the enemy. He grinned getting back into the game and ready for the opponent as he jumped off of the boxes and started running forward.

“Ready or not, here I- Whoa!” Finn was interrupted as a suction bomb stuck in front of him and plastered him within the next second. While respawning, his spirit looked over towards the squid girl who splattered him. Armed with a Splash-o-matic, pink sweatshirt, and gas mask, she continued to ink up the turf in front of her as if nothing happened. Upon respawning, Finn dashed forward again, ready to take on this new challenger. However, as he reached the center field, he noticed another suction bomb landing in front of him. Letting out a yelp, Finn jumped back and witnessed this new rival throwing multiple suction bombs off the top of the boxes. Realizing that now was his chance, Finn quickly took out his splatbomb and tossed it up at her. The girl’s eyes widened and she let out a quick shriek as a flash of yellow blasted her off of the boxes and back to the pink base.

“HAH! That’s Grougal!” Finn taunted with a thumbs up. The rest of the match just consisted of war. Finn racked up splats but would always trade off blows with the gas masked squid. After minutes passed, the last few seconds began to count down.

“C’mon, one more splat! One more splat!” Finn yelled, looking everywhere for a pink squid. As the clock ticked from five, he heard maniacal laughter from behind him. The gas masked squid had another bomb rush up her sleeve. Finn had a massive smile as he swiftly swam up towards her and, only a few feet away, he aimed the splattershot at her, only to meet her Splash-o-matic. At the count of one, the two fired, decimating each other as the buzzer went off.

The two respawned and watched as the scores nearly matched each other. “The winner is…” Silence went on for a few more moments. “YELLOW!”

“YES!” Finn cheered in glee, completely feeling better as the two groups prepared to jump back towards Inkopolis. Getting a last second look at the screen he noticed the gas masked squid named ‘Coral' at number one on her team, scoring over a thousand points even though they didn’t win.

“Hey… Finn… Coral… Up and at ‘em, sleepyheads!” Tenta shook the feet of Coral and Finn as the two slowly opened their eyes. Finn let out a groan as he sat up and Coral slowly and shakily stood up, still a little drowsy.

“We’ve got a whole day of Turf Wars ahead of us, you guys ready?” Tenta questioned with a hand on his hip. Finn yawn and let out a “yeah, yeah” as Coral simply nodded. Tenta grinned wide as Finn jumped to his feet, finally fully awakened.

“Alright! Let’s head on over to the tower then!” Tenta led the way with Finn and Coral following behind him, once they reached the inside of the Tower they reached a computer monitor. There they typed in their names and the name of their new team: “The Splatoon Trio.” The machine synchronized with their PDAs and gave them a match out in Saltspray Rig. The three then walked over to the elevator, rode it to the top and super jumped out towards Saltspray Rig; ready to take on their first match as a team.