#I hope you enjoy this none the less aight

[ohitslen]

Sharing a meal

I wrote something for this below the cut if you’re interested :)

They never eat anything too tasty, surviving with packeted rations and canned food in their journey. Sometimes they would stop at a little restaurant and eat a nice meal; it really tasted like something gourmet after days of going with grain bars and dry jerky.

There were fleeting moments in between conversations in which one of them would remember some dish, from back in the day when things were easier and they didn’t worry about too many things. They never went deeper into the topic, just mentioning how they missed a good meal.

Staying at an inn or any motel was an expensive thing to pay for. However sometimes they had some extra money from an odd job Vash did or from Wolfwood’s undertaker services, and they would always rent a room as a treat for themselves.

It was a surprise when they entered the room and saw a small kitchen. The space was a little too cramped but it had everything they needed, it was like a deluxe room when they though about all the places they had been at. None of them had a kitchen at all, maybe they had a tiny stove or a mini fridge, perhaps a table sometimes but never the whole set together.

They both looked at each other to confirm they really were seeing the thing, smiling excitedly.

They could make a meal for themselves.

Vash knew how to cook, he had done some work on kitchens throughout his life. A few times he helped Rem when he was a child, he knows how to defend himself. Yet he didn’t know any recipes by heart, not any that would be inside their budget at least. He could get creative and probably whip up a thing or two if he was given enough time.

“I know what to do” Wolfwood said with a smile that irradiated a melancholic warmth interrupting his thoughts . A smile Vash had only seen when he talked about the things he loved.

Vash didn’t suggest anything in the end and just followed what the other man told him to do.

He went to buy all the things Wolfwood asked him for. Vegetables and some thoma meat. There seemed to be some spices in the room so he only bought garlic and onion as per Wolfwood’s request.

When Vash got back, he found Nick at the table arranging the ingredients the kitchen already had. He was already showered, hair messy and with droplets of water hanging on the tips. Getting closer, he could smell the soap, the cheap shampoo and the lingering scent of nicotine that never seemed to go away. He was changed into a black, long sleeved shirt and a pair of loose dark blue pants.

His overall appearance made Vash think how the edges of the man were less sharp, he seemed more relaxed and at ease, even if it wasn’t entirely the case. He just looked, soft.

“Hey welcome back, did you bring what I asked you for or will I have to use your meat for this?” Wolfwood greeted him without looking up from his task, the ingredients being the most interesting thing in the world it seemed.

Something warm pooled at the pit of Vash’s stomach, he didn’t know why that was and didn’t bother to think about it either, just enjoying the feeling.

Smiling, he placed the bags on the table in front of Wolfwood, taking out its contents. “I’m sure I brought everything yeah, I hope my life can be spared”.

The priest snorted at him and grabbed a potato that was rolling off the table. “Aight then, make yourself useful and start washing these and then chop ‘em to reasonable bitable sizes”. Losing no time, he took the meat and was cutting it while giving out the instructions.

While Vash was washing and chopping, the other was already preparing the meat putting it in a pot with boiling water. Once Vash was finished with all he was asked to do, Wolfwood ushered him to take a shower while the food was done, wanting to have more space in the narrow place. Vash did as told in that as well.

The shower felt great, all of the gross stickiness from the sweat and other things were finally washed off from his body. He felt light and a thousand times more content.

As he opened the door the smell hit him in the face, a delicious scent that surely tasted even better. Wolfwood was stirring the pot, poking some of the potatoes to make sure they were on the right term, and they seemed to be as he turned off the stove.

Vash got closer, mouth already watering just from the thought of how it’d taste “That smells so good! What did you make?” He asked with a big grin plastered all over his face.

Wolfwood pointed at the table with his hand, signaling him to sit down a little dismissively while he looked for the bowls on his own. It seemed like he was the kind that with less people on the kitchen when he was there, the better. “Just a broth, nothing too wow it’s something easy, and on budget”. Vash hummed with wonder and served two cups of water to busy himself with something.

Wolfwood poured the two servings of the broth, it was still hot and the bowl must surely be scalding. Yet Wolfwood’s calloused hands never flinched, placing their food on the table without much trouble along with a pair of long spoons.

“Be careful or you will murder your tongue” he warned and Vash chuckled.

“Thanks for the heads up chef, ‘preciate it” the other just scoffed at the title and sat down across him .

They both mixed the broth while blowing at it in hopes for it to cool down a little. However seeing how they were both starving and didn’t care too much about getting burnt or not, they just started to dig in.

Wolfwood was eating eagerly, having spoonful after spoonful of his food. He was beyond delighted. It had been a long time since he had the chance to prepare the broth he used to have back at the Orphanage.

“It’s…delicious” he heard Vash say in a low and calm tone. When he looked up to see the man, he was shocked to find him with reddish eyes that were glistening with tears. It didn’t seem like when was doing a show or anything of the sorts, he just seemed…at peace.

It wasn’t anything extravagant, quite possibly one of the most simple dishes Vash has ever eaten. It was made with the things that they could afford with the little money they could spare, the ingredients were definitely not of the best quality, the vegetables could have used a little more time on the pot. And it was delicious.

Vash felt incredibly warm inside, similar to how he felt when Wolfwood greeted him when he got back, just a thousand times stronger. The first sip he had of it tasted like the best thing ever cooked in his whole life, something he would have every day of the year for the rest of eternity. He didn’t know why that was at first, but after having a second spoon of it he could tell what it was.

It tasted like home.

The flavor of it, it was homely, the savor of melancholy. It tasted like their conversations about missing the past. The tang of the times they would have a peaceful night in the desert grilling worm meat around a campfire. It reminded him when he got sick and an old lady had given him a bowl of soup. It tasted like the first time Rem had given them a try of what meat and vegetables tasted like. It tasted like all the things he missed, and the things Nicholas most likely missed too.

The familiarity of it made him feel fuzzy and full on the inside, and he couldn’t stop eating. He was slow while doing it, wanting to savor every bit of what he could have while it lasted. It was rich, it was simple and it was perfect.

“…You want some more?” At some point, Nicholas had already finished his own bowl and brought the pot over to serve himself again. He looked at Vash with something soft in his eyes the other could not name, his voice was gentle and gravely, sweet and easy on his ears just adding more to the warmth inside of him.

“Yes…yes please” Vash answered, voice cracking a little. Nicholas served him, the sound of the liquid being poured soothing his soul.

Vash ate again, and Wolfwood was looking at him. The priest was taking small sips of water from his cup, always holding it against his mouth even if he wasn’t drinking anything. Vash didn’t really notice when he had started tearing up, thick streams of salty water running through his cheeks, a pool of them welling up at his chin and falling down the wooden table making a puddle of happy tears.

Vash enjoyed the heartfelt broth. He was happy, that bit of simplicity was enough to make him forget of everything else and just focus on that moment.

It was so mundane. Vash smiled with overflowing tears in his eyes while Wolfwood just watched with a fond smile of his own behind his empty cup of water.

At that moment, they were not in a random room at a random place. They were in a place where they had brought their home to, sharing a meal with each other.

[brighteststar707]

Aight, I'm so happy I woke up before all the promts got snatched up jftjftht I was out like THE LIGHT yesterday 💀

Congrats again on your amazing milestone, I hope u celebrated it with a piece of cake or something else you really enjoy <3 As for the promt, how about an odd couple like 'sour candy' and none other than Suit Saeran himself? 👀 That'll be interesting to see for sure!

Mia! I'm happy you managed to grab a slot for this event, your support always means the world to me.

You're right, it's a very interesting pairing, and I think this is my first time writing suit so I'm still trying to find his voice. That being said, it was really interesting to explore his mindset throughout this scenario.

Thank you for the request and I hope you enjoy!

✧ Sour candy ~ Confessions

Saeran likes control. Especially after the danger he has just passed through, he cannot afford anything less than perfect control. He is the strongest, and nobody will take that away from him.

He especially likes to exercise his control through games. Games that only he knows the rules to.

The strings in his hands, his puppet following his lead. She wears the clothes he has chosen for her, she goes only where he allows her to. She eats when he says so and doesn’t speak unless spoken to. She does her work until he is bored and needs entertainment. Then they play. He tugs at the strings and she dances, he finds all her weak spots and pushes until she threatens to break.

That’s the plan. Nice and easy. And it works, at least for a while. At least, until he notices the disturbances.

It is difficult to look at her face. That’s where it begins. The first few times, it sets off something bubbling in his chest, it makes him feel nervous.

It’s her eyes. Wide and unflinching, they watch his every movement attentively, but without the fear he is trying to instigate in her. Then, when he threatens her, she has the nerve to look at him with concern. The same look she used to give him before. That look is dangerous.

He decides to make her look away when he talks to her so he doesn’t have to deal with it. She obeys without arguing, and he is annoyed to find that even that doesn’t please him. He insults her looks, tells her she looks pathetic, that her face disgusts him. Anything to make him feel like he has the reins again.

Her hair falls in front of her face and hides her features when he speaks to her now. With nothing to react to, his mind fills in her expressions for him. When they aren’t memories from before, all softness and smiles, they’re looks of fear and horror. The ones he has been trying to elicit this whole time. Yet, they still don’t satisfy him.

Even though she looks away when he tells her to, she still finds other ways to disobey. She asks him questions about himself (as if she really cares about what he has to say) and makes observations so startlingly accurate it makes him feel exposed and vulnerable.

“You’re waiting for Ray, aren’t you? He was pathetic, just like you. No wonder you miss him so much.”

She shakes her head, with her eyes fixed firmly on the floor.

“I want to know about you, Saeran.”

He clenches his fists at his sides and twists his face into what he hopes is a threatening glare.

"You're greedy, aren't you? Well, there's nothing to know, and if there was, I wouldn't want to share it with someone as pathetic as you."

He thinks that maybe he wants her to cry. Maybe that will make him happy. But she does not. She stubbornly keeps asking about him (not the other one, the weaker one, about him), his wellbeing, his duties. It confuses him.

The game starts to turn on its head. His objective is no longer so clear. When she refuses to play along, it frustrates him (the audacity of her). When she does, it angers him (she’s too submissive, the game is not fun). He returns to his work more and more unsettled with each day. He has to break her, whatever that means.

His outbursts become more erratic, his words become harsher, each insult more personal, more spiteful. So, why is she not reacting like she should? Why is he the one who is getting more drained and hurt by the day? This is not how their game is supposed to work.

He cannot stand that look on her face. Even when she is not looking at him, he can see it, the crease in her eyebrows and her earnest eyes. It makes him feel weak when he is not. When he cannot be. He is not a thing to be pitied.

He knows now that she is playing a game as well. She tells lies like this to make him soft. She acts like she's worried about him so that he will slip up. If she wins, he will fall apart and be lost forever. It cannot happen.

One day, he finally snaps. The fury escapes him, it hurts his throat and makes him feel emptier than before.

“Ray is gone! I killed him! That weakling is gone for good, and you’ll never see him again!”

He notices the flash of pain on her face. It should please him, that he finally found something to hurt her with. Instead, her reaction stings somewhere deep inside of him, somewhere he is not used to hurting. A new pain, that’s a surprise. He was sure he already knew all the ways he could hurt.

She lifts her head, daring to look at him properly.

"Saeran, you're exhausted. I'm worried about you."

She’s lying. She never wanted him. Obviously. She wants Ray. Too bad she’ll never be allowed near him again after what happened last time.

Last time… the softness of her lips, the sounds of crickets in the garden and the scent of her surrounding him. Everything threatens to tip upside-down, to throw him off and down into the chaos below. He cannot be weak right now.

He opens his mouth to reply - something scathing and dismissive - but he cannot find the words. He takes a step towards her, invading her personal space and forcing her to take a step away – towards the wall.

He stands over her, face twisted into a grimace, trying to piece together something that will truly hurt her but he is distracted by the scent of her shampoo, the proximity of their faces. Instead of insults, he is reminded of last time… last time…

Saeran is so tired. He doesn’t want to play anymore. He doesn't want her to cry. He doesn't want her to hurt. That's the terrible truth of it. It's why none of his tormenting is bringing him any satisfaction. He wants her to worry for him, to care for him truly. If only it hadn't resulted in so much pain last time he felt this way.

He wants to curl into a ball and have her tell him that it’s going to be okay, because he’s not sure about anything anymore.

He pulls away from her and staggers backwards. His head spins, Ray’s voice is louder than ever in his head, begging to let her in. For once, he doesn’t try to stifle it. Instead, he lets those feelings guide him for what he is going to say next. When he speaks, him and Ray speak as one, spurred on by each other's feelings.

He looks at her, and for once isn’t worried about what she sees when she looks at him.

“Do… you really mean all that? What you’ve been saying?”

“I do. I care deeply for Ray, but I care for you too.”

“Then… I will do what I can. To get you away from this place before the cleansing.” Away from him.

“What about you?”

There she goes again, the questions that are asking more than he can answer.

“I will stay here. I don’t belong out there.”

“I don’t believe that.”

She must see how tired he is, how much he is struggling internally to hold it together. It must be why she holds out her arms to him, even after all that he has done to her.

It’s forfeiting the game. He knows it already as he takes a step towards her. It’s giving up on his strict rules, giving up control.

He sinks into her arms and finds that letting go feels a lot nicer than fighting ever did.

[closingwaters]

PARTIES: @nogreatergood @closingwaters

TIMING: A few days before A Tail Told Twice

SUMMARY: While Rayne takes care of a Ballybog, Teagan hears its pained cries and rushes to help. After a brief standoff, the two work together to help a friendly creature.

WARNINGS: None

They were nonviolent creatures. Everything that Rayne had learned about them in the Library over the years had always pointed to ballybogs as peaceful. Defensive and certainly deadly if the poison they spat out was ingested, but otherwise? They were just frogs of a special nature. With the gloves from her usual bag of tricks, Rayne covered her hands before touching the creature gently. It rolled as she touched it and let out an anguished sound, it was in a terrible state. Likely a human had done this, like most harm done to innocent creatures, it had to be human. 

Humming gently, she ran her hand over the side of the creature, waiting for it to calm under her touch, hopefully recognizing her as a friend. But as their breathing slowed to a normal rhythm, the offering that Rayne carried in her bag just a foot away from it, she slowly reached for her other tools. The anatomy of the creature was unknown to her, but the superficial wounds, she could do something for. 

The ballybog moved again, this time it was focusing on something in the brush, just outside of Rayne’s view. “It’s gonna be okay, yeah?” Rayne whispered to the creature, “They ain’t gonna have a second go at ya.” She pulled out the first aid kit, but kept a careful eye on the brush the creature had been looking at. Debating on grabbing the knife that was also in her bag, just in case it was someone less friendly. 

A loud and pitiful whine echoed against the trees, traveling down to where Teagan lay. She had been relaxing, enjoying the calm afternoon, appreciating the peace. Her body bristled and she shot up, looking around at her surroundings. Another whine reached her ears, the pain in it obvious and heartbreaking. Teagan rose to her feet and ran toward the source of the sound, unholstering her blade in preparation. 

Teagan sprinted against the burning in her lungs, trying desperately to reach her destination. Two silhouettes came into focus, anger spreading across the nix’s chest at the sight. She was never any good at taking a moment to process, a little too explosive for her own good. Teagan’s mother always said as much.

“Oi!” She yelled out, charging toward the stranger and the ballybog. “You’ll get me tampin’ and all outta sorts if you lay a finger on ‘em!” Teagan reached the pair, blade pointed and ready to sink into flesh. 

With each stitch, the creature let out a low whine, and it broke Rayne’s heart. Moving as delicately and as quickly as she could, she whispered a lullaby to the creature, one that her mother had sung to her when she was younger. Even with the estrangement between them now, the rhythm brought her some comfort. 

Unfortunately for her, the noise that the ballybog had been responding to, and perhaps calling out to, became a fully realized person too quickly. And the person who emerged was furious. “Whatcha been sayin’ about me?” Rayne questioned the creature before lifting one of her hands. The knife she had tucked away in her bag was too far to reach, and she wasn’t about to take a knife to the neck trying to pull it out. 

“Now listen, I don’t know what ya thought my friend here was sayin’, but he’s hurt in a bad way.” Not bad enough to be lethal, Rayne hoped, but bad enough she couldn’t move her other hand without risking the wound tearing open again and popping the already placed stitches. “I’d rather not get stabbed t’night, but if ya don’t mind, I’mma keep stitchin’, aight?” She made eye contact with the other before slowly dropping her hand and grabbing her tools again. Despite her surprise, her hands remained steady, as did her voice. But she waited a beat, giving the stranger room to speak before she made the next stitch. Not wanting to antagonize the stranger. At least not now. 

Guilt ran like cold water down the nix’s spine, the frost leaving the haze of a burn. The ballybog may have been crying out, but they were sounds of a mending pain. Teagan felt the ghost of her shame when she finally took a steadying breath. She gave a half-hearted smile, forming only a thin line. “I’m sorry.” Taking a few steps forward, Teagan put her blade away, hands rising up in front of her as a sign of peace. There didn’t need to be a fight. 

“Been many a hunter here lately, and I reacted too quickly.” A look of shame washed over Teagan’s features, and she closed the distance. “And this isn’t a he.” She knelt down, hand hovering over the ballybog as she cooed lovingly. The creature moaned weakly, leaning into the nix’s touch. “This lassie here is a female, and she’s still growin’, aren’t ya?” Teagan chuckled, “Well, they don’t stop. Not really.” Her eyes gleamed with a fondness, recalling the way her and Aeron would watch ballybogs and played with them as children. Teagan sighed, lids fluttering the thoughts away so she could focus. 

“Okay, tell me how I can help. You’ve already started. No point in me taking over.

The apology was unexpected. As was everything that came after. Rayne looked at the woman for a long moment, her eyes not betraying much of her thoughts. She had gotten good at keeping an emotional distance when it came to other people, and the sudden influx of information and the lowered knife—and the knowledge of hunters? The protectiveness of the creature at hand? She tried to put the pieces together and then scolded herself for looking too deeply into someone who had already disarmed themselves. Rayne didn’t need protection against her, did she? 

“Agreed. I was hopin’ it was some kids that did this instead of them, but such is the world we live in.” Rayne watched as the woman looked at the ballywag like it was an old friend, and for a moment, she remembered the warmth she had once felt studying with her fellow Scribes. The sense of belonging and the understanding. “A girl, huh?” She looked at the creature again and let out a soft laugh. “No wonder ya were so mad at me.” 

Her eyes flickered between the ballbog and the stranger, “The kit there, I need a thicker string,” Rayne explained, holding out the needle to her. “And… I woulda done the same thing. No such thing as too cautions these days.” 

Teagan nodded passively, her mind too preoccupied with the painful mewls of the ballybog. At the new distance, she was able to recognize the sweet thing. The familiar cluster of patches on her head made it easy. “Oh, Seren. Some daft fuck had the audacity to mess with ya.” 

With a sigh, Teagan let her glamour fall, recognition tethering itself to the Seren’s noises. “Aye, my love. It’s Teagan. You relax now. We’ll take care of ya.” Finding the first-aid kit, the fae was able to sift through its contents and retrieve what was asked. “What’s your name, lass?” Teagan jutted her chin toward her new friend, handing over the string as she soothingly caressed the ballybog’s head. The poor thing leaned into the touch, seeking comfort, and Teagan couldn’t help but tear up. Her heart ached any time a creature she was meant to protect was harmed.

“Now that I think about it…” A past conversation with Alex came to mind. “Construction is supposed to start somewhere nearby. Some twp from that might be the culprit.”

The glamour dropped and Rayne was quiet for a moment, processing what she had just witnessed. She had always thought that a fae's true form was something special. Carefully hidden and only shown to those that they trusted. Rayne knew better than to believe she was chosen to be trusted, especially so quickly, but this woman had done it for the ballybog. This creature was important to her, and she knew it by name. Seren.

When presented the string, Rayne instructed Teagan to hold the ballybog where she had been while threading the needle. The creature was much calmer in the other's presence. A good sign. It could still recognize those around it, despite it's wound and all the pain. "I'm Rayne," she introduced before letting out a soft sigh. She hated this, hated seeing animals like this suffer especially when it was something that was human caused. Animals went at each other all the time, but that was nature. What people did? It was cruelty. Biting back her anger, her hands remained steady as she made quick work of the stitches, hoping the ballybog would take comfort with their friend being with them.

"Construction?" Rayne repeated, her nose wrinkling as she spoke. "Ya gotta be shittin' me, outta all the places? I thought-" she cut herself off, scoffing at the thought. "Thought these places were supposed t' be protected." A moment passed and Rayne collected herself. Breathing easy once more.

Any fae’s true form was something to behold, a sight that few others that weren’t kin got to witness. It wasn’t as if Teagan wasn’t beginning to trust Rayne, the woman was helping an injured creature for Fate’s sake, but she didn’t know her. Not as well as she knew Seren, and not as well as she knew other fae she hadn’t even met yet. 

“Pleasure to meet you Rayne, even if it is under these circumstances.” Teagan paused, shushing the painful moans from the ballybog with a few gentle caresses. The sounds made the nix’s eyes well with tears, the connection she felt with the water squeezing her chest. “It’s all right, lass. Shh…” Teagan smiled wanly, the wound mended and the ballybog relaxing in her hands. This was what she was after. Peace.

“In the process of moving ‘em. The ballybogs, I mean. Want them to be safe.” The back of her finger lightly grazed Seren’s forehead, and she sounded happy at the affection. Teagan smiled a little more genuinely then, but it fell just as quickly. “Friend of mine mentioned something about capitalism and how the one percent takes advantage of people’s labor. I’m torn, really. I’d sooner kill them just for hurting my little ones, but now I’m with a human, and it’s all out of sorts now.” A dry chuckle escaped her and she shook her head, eyes remaining on Seren. 

“Not so easy to kill humans now or act brashly.”

When she was younger and fully believed in the Scribes and the oath they had taken, she might have reacted differently. Focusing on the care of the creature at hand and ignoring what the humans were doing nearby. But the carelessness was hard for Rayne to ignore. It was selfish and wrong, but there was no changing the minds of those around her without showing them why. And those secrets? As much as she wanted a more free exchange of information, she wasn't prepared to reveal that much to other humans.

And chances were, it wouldn't have changed anything anyway.

The frown deepened on Rayne's features as she continued her work. Moving swiftly until the wound was closed. Her gloved hands dropped away from the creature and she scooted back to give Teagan more room with her. "Ya partner is human?" It wasn't a common situation to find a fae in, but it was another mark in her book why they were better.

"It's all about money t' them," Rayne confirmed somberly. "Even if ya didn't have ya partner, I woulda warned ya - lots of wardens around it seems these days." It wasn't uncommon for them to come through Wicked's Rest, but the commotion of them was new. To her, at least. (Or maybe it was just her unfiltered anger that was new.)

“Aye. She’s human. The good sort. The…best sort. It’s me who’s the wicked one, and that’s not…” Teagan trailed off, chuckling dryly. “Not even because I’m not human.”

The ballybog rolled slowly onto her feet, croaking and hopping in place with a slight limp. She winced at the exertion, to which Teagan chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, come now, Seren. You’ve got to be careful.” The creature croaked at the nix playfully, hopping to turn and look at Rayne. “She likes you.” Teagan smiled, “Not often you can gain favor with these fellas without a token in their territory. You’re welcome here from now on.” 

Seren croaked again, and then several more times, summoning two smaller ballybogs, much to Teagan’s surprise. Her brows raised and she gasped lightly, taken aback by the vote of confidence Rayne was receiving. “She just called for Bryn and Alwynn. That’s what I call ‘em. Both boys. Her kin.” Carefully, Teagan gestured for the two to come closer, Bryn trotting quickly over to the fae’s lap. “Oh, hello, lad. Been a bit, huh?” Meanwhile, Alwynn was still unsure, but with some insistence from Seren, he quickly made his way into the group.

“Look at that. More than just me that appreciates you. Wardens and corporations may work hard, but you work harder, eh? You’ve done a mighty good thing today.”

There was something familiar about the declaration. A kinship that Rayne hadn't anticipated. "Monsters come in all shapes an' sizes." Looking at Teagan, she might not have seen a monster, but deeds done said a lot about a person. Remorse though? "Most o' the wicked ones don't take the time t' reflect on it." Rayne shrugged a moment later. "But I don't presume t' know ya."

Seren looked to be in better spirits and at the sign of improvement, Rayne had moved to pack up before realizing this wasn't finished. Seren croaked a few times and Teagan was saying something about how Seren liked her. Like a page out of a fairytale, in moments there were three ballybogs where there had been one. "Welcome?" The word repeated as a question.

The three of them were close now, one shier than the others, but Teagan's words ran through her head. "I wasn't expectin' that." Clearly. Rayne cleared her throat and then reached out to one, gloves still covering her hands, and waited until one approached and tapped their body against her hand. "Don't know if I'd call it mighty, just... the right thing." It was often overlooked, she knew. Most people did what they wanted for themselves and cared little for the life around them.

But the reward of acceptance from animals that didn't share the language? It was hard to put into words how much that had touched Rayne. "How much time do ya need t' get them relocated? I don't think I can stop what they're doin' out here... but maybe I can delay it."

“Not all people get that m’fraid.” Teagan continued to caress the young ballybog’s head as she spoke, humming with a hint of glee when he leaned into it. That was always the best. When claws could be dull and docile. Violence, Teagan had learned, was exhausting, and she’d been living in it for over twenty years by that point. Moments like that, the kind that left her soft and rejuvenated. So, in turn, she savored the instances she could exist that way.

“You don’t have to be so nervous, Rayne. Take off them gloves. Feel them and appreciate them. They trust you now. That doesn’t come easy, and doing the right thing hardly is too. Trust me, I know.” Teagan looked away then, looking toward Seren as she limped and made her way to the nix and her babe. Rayne had truly turned what could’ve been a bloody interaction, into something beautiful. She kept the balance when all Teagan had set to do was kill. She was humbled by that fact. Grateful, even. Especially when Rayne seemed to be offering even more help. 

“Need a month. Don’t know all the ballybogs yet, but I think what happened to Seren will be enough to get the word out. Found a nice spot down the way. The river runs long, and there’s lots of ‘em, but I’m sure with your help, we can manage it.” Teagan laid her free hand on Rayne’s shoulder, eyes full of gratitude. “If you can do that, I’ll give you a single favor. You more than deserve it.

Most people didn’t get other people much, either. They were too busy looking at their own best interests to see the people around them, and there had been a time where Rayne had been like that too. Listening to her parents, following orders like she had no soul of her own to protect. (Did she have anything left to protect anyway?) “Hard t’ get people t’ care about things other than themselves.” The cruel truth of the world. Something that Rayne had learned twenty-three years too late.

Rayne paused, looking at the gloves and wondering if Teagan was right. Was there nothing to worry about? “Are ya sure?” There wasn’t much documentation about many of the creatures that lurked in the outskirts of town, but she had heard never to touch them with her bare hands. Though, that might have been something the creatures had done as a way of protecting themselves. Peeling off her gloves, she gently ran her hand down the back of the ballybog, a faint smile appearing on her features. “I didn’t…” come here expecting this? It was a strange back and forth in her mind, not wanting to reject the trust but conflicted as to why she had it. She was being rewarded for kindness, so why did it feel wrong? “Feels like I did very little t’ get a reward o’ this size.” 

A month. Rayne made a mental note of the time and nodded her head. It might take using some of her pull in other places to stall them, but if there was a chance to get them all out safely, she’d do what she could to ensure it happened. “Won’t make any promises, but I’ll do what I can.” Looking up from the ballywogs, Rayne met Teagan’s gaze. “Careful, ya might get me doin’ nice things just t’ hear ya say that again.” Doing nice things for other people came with consequences though, and while Rayne had already decided what she was going to do here, she wondered, absently, if this was going to bite her in the ass the way it had her sibling. “I’ll keep ya in the loop, yeah?” 

Teagan smiled, the way Rayne took her own words seriously, showing her respect for the value in the nix’s offer. She wouldn’t take it lightly, and that was saying something. Non-fae simply didn’t understand what it meant to owe an open favor, but it seemed to Teagan that Rayne had an inkling. She’d have to reach out for them to talk over tea. Something calmer and under the roof of safety. Until then, looping back would serve well. 

“Right. Keep me in the loop. That works for me.” Standing up slowly, Teagan gave a departing peck to Seren and her babes, bowing her head with a smile to Rayne. She’d return within a few days and begin the big move with the ballybogs, hopeful that they’d be comfortable and safe in their new home. 

[killerqueenmachine]

Ahhhh congrats on 300!! Would you do a blurb on Ben being super duper protective / jealous / possessive over his girlfriend who's younger than him (like 20ish?) cause that's fuckin hot lol or it could be Roger, which ever you prefer! Or whoever you want, they'd all be hot as heck all jealous like that

Oh my God hi. I got this request SO long ago and I’m SO sorry I’ve been so darn slow. I literally don’t deserve you guys, oh God. Well.. The day is finally here and I got around to writing this, so here we go!

“Are you ready to go, babe?” Bens voice rang out through his flat.

You were still in his bathroom doing the final touches on your hair before you were finally confident enough to call it a day. Your 21st birthday party was ready and waiting for you.

“One second!” you laughed as you sprayed a little perfume in to your hair and threw your lipstick in your bag.

Ben was standing at one of the windows looking out, back turned to the rest of the flat. You stepped out from the bathroom and silently walked across the flat and when you finally reached your boyfriend you slowly ran your hands from his hip and up his back until you reached his shoulders.

“Let’s go” you purred in his ear, gently pushing your body against his back.

He spun around in your arms and pressed a soft kiss on your forehead before taking a step back to admire your beauty.

“And to think you’re all mine? I’m the luckiest man alive” he mumbled before pressing a soft kiss to your nose, which made the blood rush to your cheeks.

“Stop it, you… Let’s go before you get any funny thoughts” you whispered against his lips as you kissed him softly.

“Funny thoughts, yeah?” he laughed and smacked your ass.

“Exactly! Now - come on old man! I wanna go to my party and do some shots!” you cheered before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the front door.

A car came to pick you up a few moments later and before you knew it, you had arrived at the venue of your 21st birthday. You were welcomed by all of your friends, most of whom, had already had plenty to drink. The music was loud, and the atmosphere was ecstatic. You were quickly pulled away from Ben and right over to the dance floor where one of your best friends loudly announced your presence and before you even had a chance to greet everyone who had shown up to your party, a round of shots were brought to you. You downed the shots in a few quick seconds and cheered along with everybody else, when you downed the last one. The party went on and you spend an hour or so on the dance floor, before retreating to the bar where Ben had been sitting for a while.

“Hey baby” you purred drunkenly before you pulled him in for a hug and a quick kiss.

“Hello, you little dancing Queen. Having a good night?” he laughed, gesturing to the bartender who brought over another pint of beer.

“Yes! I’m having so much fun, oh my god. Twenty-one is the BEST!” you laughed and grabbed the beer from the bar, clinking the glass against Bens before taking a large swig of the liquid.

He wrapped his arm around your waist and kept your body close to his for a while and you stood in silence, taking in the smell of him and the feeling of his touch.

“(Y/N), Oh my god! Happy birthday!”

You heard one of your old friends say, before he placed his hand firmly on your shoulder, pulling you away from Ben and in for a hug.

“Wow, hi! It’s been so long - thank you so much for coming!” You laughed embracing your old friend.

“All my pleasure - who’s this?” he said, gesturing towards Ben.

“I’m Ben - (Y/N)s boyfriend” Ben said in a low voice, rising from the barstool he had been sat on, reaching his hand out to give your friend a firm handshake. The handshake seemed firmer than you had usually seen and something in Ben’s eyes had changed.

“It’s uh.. Nice to meet you, sir” your friend replied before quickly turning his attention towards you again.

“Come on, beautiful! Can I have the next dance?” he laughed, grabbing your hand and pulling you away from Ben.

You just barely managed to place your beer back on the bar before you got pulled away. You broke out in a fit of laughter before you reached the dancefloor and your friend pulled you close and dancing with you.

The dance went on for quite some time. Suddenly you felt your friends hands travel slowly but surely down your back until he rested them on the very top of your butt. You grabbed his wrists and pulled away from him just a little bit to signal that you weren’t comfortable with him touching you like that. He didn’t seem to care a whole lot though, because within a few moments, he had pulled you close again, moving his hands all over your body.

Your eyes scanned the room, desperate for Ben to find you. You found him leaning against a wall with this almost empty beer-glass against his lips, slowly slurping the last drops before walking back to the bar and leaving his glass. With fire in his eyes he made his way through the mob of people before he finally reached you and pulled you away from your handsy friend.

“What part of boyfriend slipped your mind there, pal?” Ben warned as his arm wrapped around your shoulders, holding you close to his body.

“I’m sorry - she’s so stunning it’s hard to keep your hands away from her, am I right?” Your friend cockily replied.

Ben simply shook his head in response.

“How about we share her, yeah? Just for the night” your friend proposed, which caused you to wince in disgust.

“Absolutely not mate. Absolutely not.” Ben warned, lowering his voice a little which almost made him sound like he was growling. His grip on your body tightened as he pulled you away and all the way outside.

“You’re okay?” he asked, his voice thick with worry.

“Yeah, yeah. ’M fine. He isn’t that creepy usually. Alcohol really does change people, huh” you replied, unwrapping yourself from Ben’s tight grip.

“Seeing his hands all over you almost made me sick” he whispered against your neck, pulling you close to him again.

He peppered your neck and shoulder with soft kisses until his hand found your chin, tilting it up so he could kiss your lips. His plump pink lips pressed against yours with a possessiveness and passion you had never felt before.

“You okay there, Ben?” you giggled against his lips.

“Mmm” he growled.

“You have no idea how bad I just wanna.. Mark you as mine” he hissed and gently bit your neck.

You whimpered and you felt your knees buck, luckily Ben caught you and kept you on your feet.

“Mm baby.. Please” you whined.

“Please what?”

“Mark me.. Please Ben” you mewled and pulled him away from the building and away from the party to somewhere out to a nearby bunch of trees.

“As you wish, baby-doll. As you wish”

[chromes-corner]

Hello, if it's not too much trouble, could you write Reader x Dark Cacao while having a date in a garden? plz Your writing is beautiful and immersive! <3

HELL YEAH I GET TO WRITE FOR CACAO LETS GOOOOOO

thank you for the request (and compliment <3) anon!!! hope ya enjoy!!!!!!!!!

---

Respite

Dark Cacao/Reader

Notes: fluff

Content Warnings: none

A/N: been having some creativity block as of late so this one's a bit shorter and a bit less meaty than my other fics, but hopefully its aight :thumbs_up:

The tea has gotten cold.

It shouldn’t be a surprise, considering your surroundings. Snow capped mountains commune with a frigid blue sky that stretches to infinity above you. Melted ice drips from reinforced black walls into patches of adamant grass that have survived the previous season. Hardy winter flowers sparsely dot the flowerbeds that are still overflowing with snow. A glacial whisper of wind caresses your bones with an aching chill, piercing right through your insulated wool mantle. 

Though spring has begun to take root in the Dark Cacao Kingdom, the frosty terrain and the bite in the air remain. The only hint of the turning of the seasons is the ancient cherry tree in the castle courtyard where you find yourself. Pink blossoms sprout outwards from its ample branches, encompassing nearly half of the open space.

The touch of the blushing hue against the stark black and white of the Citadel is enchanting — at least, that’s what those not native to the Kingdom say. To the denizens of Cacao, the blooming of the tree symbolizes a reprieve; an exhale of relief at the sunset of the winter’s cruel hold on the land. It is considered good luck for the tree to bloom early, so much so that there are offerings in the form of celebration to cultivate an early end to the coldest months.

The cold has not been entirely swept away, however, if your brew is anything to go by. The ghost of winter remains, but still, you worry yourself over the cold tea. Perhaps you were foolish to have poured it prematurely. Perhaps you were foolish to have waited outside, among the elements. Perhaps you were foolish for even brewing any at all.

Your musings wander as you watch the cherry blossoms sway lazily in the brisk spring air. While you are cycling through a checklist of tasks to ask of your dutiful servants, your thoughts are interrupted. Behind you, a sharp voice barks an order. It is followed by a courteous reply and the sound of the heavy door that leads to the castle’s interior latching shut. You shoot one last glance at the pathetically cold drink before you are no longer alone at the little garden table.

Dark Cacao drops into the chair across from yours with a heavy huff and an incomprehensible grumble. His hair has been pulled into a tight bundle on the back of his head, away from his gaunt, pallid face. Worry lines crease over his forehead as though they have been etched there by a sculptor. Intense violet eyes do not meet yours. They are cast downwards, clouded and dull, looking at nothing in particular as he worries his thoughts over the pleads and concerns of those he met with today.

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting, dearest,” he finally says. He leans his elbows on the table and rubs his temple. “The crowd seeking my audience was greater than I have ever seen before.”

Your earlier dilemma about the tea dissipates into a frivolous notion at the distress of your husband. “My King…” you begin sympathetically as you reach to touch the sleeve of his hanbok. Before you can console his grievances, however, he continues to speak.

“Every day there are more and more reports of tribes being attacked, or of villagers going missing, or of the scarcity of food. I am met with multitudes of citizens, all looking for my help, but our troops are spread so thin. I don’t know how to help them all.”

“My King–”

“What’s more is that my soldiers inform me of movement in the Licorice Sea. We must allocate our resources accordingly towards the Wall, but those resources have become sparse during the wintering months. What soldiers I have that aren’t posted among the settlements are reinforcing the Wall, but with so few working, I fear the preparations are not being made fast enough.”

“My King–”

“I cannot fail my own people. What sort of king would that make me? I–”

“Dark Cacao.” You cup a hand over Dark Cacao’s cheek, and he freezes. Your voice is stern, like a parent scolding a child. He, for all his stoicism, is utterly shocked, eyes wide and at your attention and mouth agape from stopping mid-sentence.

He looks to the side, concern replaced with melancholy as he presses his hand over the back of yours. “Your hands are cold,” he says quietly. “I kept you waiting out here for longer than I thought.”

The resolution that drives Dark Cacao is the greatest strength he can offer his kingdom, but it is also his greatest downfall. The title of “King” is more than a title to him. It is who he is. It is his first name rather than his position. The line that separates his personal life and his duties to his citizens grows very thin at times, and sometimes the line between blurs and the sides bleed into one another. He does not have the introspection to keep the two sides of his life apart, so that is where you must come in.

“You have been the King for long enough today,” you say. You lift the burdensome crown from Dark Cacao’s head with both hands. The metal ring is cold, and it chills your fingertips to the bone. He watches you thumb over the diamond-shaped teeth before you set it onto the table. Some days, you are proud of the headpiece he wears. Other days, you rue the piece of scrap.

“Right now,” you say, reaching across the table and untying Dark Cacao’s hair, “you are my husband.” Thick black strands cascade down his back. You usher two strands on either side of his head forward to rest in front of his shoulders. He looks younger with his hair down, you think, as a stray strand falls out of place over his eye.

Dark Cacao sighs and closes his eyes. He takes your hand and threads his fingers into yours. “I forget myself, sometimes, my dear, and for that, I am sorry.” He squeezes your hand. “I… I do not know what I would do without you by my side.”

“Please, I am only doing my duties as the King’s spouse.” The lament in Dark Cacao’s features fade away, replaced with a warm smile capable of melting away all the snow in the Citadel. It is a rare sight meant for your eyes only. He brings your hand to his lips and hums as he kisses your knuckles. That, too, is meant for you and you alone.

“Then it is only right for me to distract you from your duties as well.”

“Ah, I believe that job is for our Prince,” you chuckle. Only yesterday, the young heir demanded you watch him practice his sparring on a rather beat-up training dummy. He had proudly showed you his spinning slashes and complex combinations of moves that he made up on the spot as he hacked away at the bundle of licorice. Dark Cacao smiles wider as you recount the event.

“Our Dark Choco has a bright future ahead of him as a warrior,” he says. “Where is the boy, anyway?”

“He’s off playing with some of the soldiers’ children. I’m sure they’re having some extravagant jousting competition right about now.”

“Hm, just as long as he’s finished his training for the day. I do not want to get after him for slacking off.” Dark Cacao shakes his head, then notices the two cups that have been sitting patiently on the table from the very start. He reaches for one, but you grab his hand.

“Wait,” you say nervously. “It’s cold. I can have some more made–”

“Let’s make some more together.” Dark Cacao has a twinkle in his amethyst eyes. “Let’s cook dinner together, too. Like we used to.”

You can’t help the warming excitement that rises in your chest. “That sounds perfect.”

[flying-nightwing]

Damn Him

Hi, this is average af but I needed to post something. You’ll probably be disappointed lmao. Anyway, enjoy some Dick Grayson content!

More on my masterlist, pinned as a top post!

Pairing: Dick Grayson x Reader

Word count: 4798

Warnings: None

Summary: Dick Grayson never seems to say the right thing around you, and it’s not quite for the reason you initially thought

You looked up from your book when your cellphone vibrated on your desk beside you. You were in the midst of studying for your last exam of the semester, so you had your phone on a strict do not disturb schedule, which meant it remained on 24/7. Your notifications were blocked for any social media, text or calls you might receive, well, except for your one emergency contact: Bruce Wayne. He knew he was supposed to contact you only if he had no other choice but ask for your help, and never had he even used that card ever since you knew him. Reluctantly, you put down you book and marker to switch them for your phone. Turning on the screen, you ignored the various hidden notifications, focusing only on the single line that stared back at you.

Call me when you can - B.

Sighing, you unlocked your phone and pressed the contact name, then the phone icon next to it. It rang twice before Bruce picked up.

"(Y/N), how are you?"

"A bit stressed out, but it could be worse" You replied truthfully. "What's up?"

"I hope you know I wouldn't do this if I had any other solution" He began. "But I need your help on a recon mission, almost all my effective got busted last night"

"Oh my, are they okay?" You frowned with concern, even if he couldn't see you.

"Yes, don't worry" He said, "I'll explain in person, that is if you agree to come. I'd understand if you refused, though"

You rubbed the bridge of your nose and closed your eyes for a second. You owed a lot to Bruce, and since it was a simple recon stakeout, you could take one or two nights off to help him out. You were already ahead of schedule in your studying and confident in your knowledge of the material.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be there" You finally answered. "What time do you want me over?"

"As soon as you can"

"Aight, see ya"

You hung up the phone and put it back on your desk, observing it for a second. It had been gifted to you by Bruce after you began going on missions more regularly with the batlings, he said that way he knew for sure all communications would be secure and sheltered from hacking or government surveillance. You had to admit, having an encrypted phone was pretty neat, as it ran entirely on Wayne Enterprises servers and networks. The simple thought of not having to suffer through youtube ads was satisfactory enough on its own to justify the need for it, even if you didn't join missions as much as you used to.

You finally stood up and went to change from your yoga pants and loose tank top to black jeans and a sweater, then jumped in your car and drove to the manor. You punched in your code at the gate and took the right to the garages, where you entered a second code to open the doors. Your car was several notches under those parked there, but you had to have something less flashy as not to attract too much attention. Still, it was more than a majority of college students even had. You had to thank Bruce for that too. He wasn't your adopted father per say, since he found you a few days before your eighteenth birthday, but he still acted like a guardian and mentor for you.

You jogged down to the batcave, where you instantly spotted a chatty blonde sprawled in a seat, making wild gesture. She sprung up straight at the sound of you coming in and her face split in a wide grin. She jumped on her feet and skipped toward you.

"Hey giiiiirl" She drawled out excitedly. "Long time no see!"

"Hey Steph" You chuckled, going for the hug. "Sorry I didn't call, I have no excuses"

"Don't worry about it" She waved off with an airy laugh. She knew how busy school kept you, and how you kind of wanted to separate yourself fromthe vigilante life. "I'm just glad you're here"

"So am I" Bruce called from the computers. He gave you a subtle smile, and you nodded back to him. "It seems like we're in a bit of an impasse here"

You didn't miss the quick glare he sent to Tim and Steph, who sheepishly avoided looking back at him. It didn't seem too serious though, or the air would have drastically changed.

"Before he says anything, know it wasn't our fault" Steph hurried to say.

"We were totally ambushed by Vicky Vale" Tim nodded along."No idea what she did there, but she was, and she saw right through our disguises.We had to bolt before she exposed us"

You frowned in confusion. "Okay can someone tell me what is going on here?"

"Tim and Steph were supposed to go undercover and cozy up with the high leaders of what I have suspicions on good authority are transiting premium grade opium into the US and Europe, and are close partners to Count Vertigo" Bruce began, already exhausted. "But as they said, Vicky Vale was somehow invited to the banquet and singled them out immediately before they could get even near the big guys"

"My magnificent blond mane attracts way too much attention, I'm afraid" Steph sighed sadly, making you chuckle. "It's a curse, babes. I tell ya"

"Keep telling yourself that, Stephi" A new voice came from the top of the stairs. You both wanted suddenly to go back to your books as a big part of why you barely tag along on missions anymore skipped down the stairs. Damn Dick Grayson, damn him. "We all know covert missions are not your strong point"

"I'm gonna kill you in your sleep, Grayson" She smiled sweetly at him.

"No, because you suck at being subtle" He returned the grin, just as sweetly if not more. He ruffled her hair as he passed by. "What's up Timbo"

He hummed something unintelligible, flipping his brother off. Dick laughed, then almost added something when he finally noticed you. His laughter died down and his eyes widened, and suddenly he looked uncomfortable. "Oh, you're here"

"So it seems" You replied as flatly as he spoke. It wasn't new, you had never known how to act around each other. Did you hate him? Of course not, you had absolutely no reason to. Did you consider him your friend? Hard to say. All you knew was that any and every encounter you had with Dick Grayson was awkward. You got along with Tim just fine, and even Jason when he was still around. You loved Cass and Duke, and you even managed to get on Dami's good side, or most of the time anyway. But Dick remained a mystery to you, one that had eluded you for years now. You didn't understand a single thing about that boy, and you doubted you ever would. You've had conversations before, loads of them, and you had no doubt he would make an amazing friend, but you couldn't seem to get past the stage of acquaintances.

Which was frankly disappointing, because you had been instantly attracted by his charms and easygoing nature when you first met. You had been drawn to him, and you couldn't try and pretend you hadn't pinned after him for the longest time. But you hit a wall when his behaviour began changing wildly around you, right around the time you slipped flirts every now and then to let him know that you were into him. Right now, you were just really over his poor attempts at pretending he never noticed it happen.

"So" Bruce spoke up, breaking the tension that had suddenly arisen in the cave. "Tomorrow night we'll have a new opening to try and get to them, hopefully without interruption this time. I've taken a look at the list, and no reporter was on it. We should be good"

"But Tim and Steph already got busted" You pointed out. "They'll know something is up if they show up again"

"That's why they will be seen at the Gotham Charity Auction at the museum" He explained, meeting your eyes. "That's why I called you up. You'll be going undercover with Dick as husband and wife"

"What?" Dick coughed almost immediately. "We're not–" He laughed nervously. "Us? As a married couple? This is ridiculous"

Your head turned sharply toward him, your eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Wow, thanks a lot for the vote of confidence" You snapped. "I didn't know being my fake husband was such a terrible perspective"

"No– Wait– That's not–" He stuttered, his eyes wide. "I didn't mean it that way"

"Sure" You rolled your eyes, before turning to Bruce again. He had an unreadable expression on his face, more unreadable than usually anyway. Tim and Steph stood there in stunned silence, not daring to speak up. "What's the briefing?"

Bruce glanced in between you and Dick, before looking back at you again. "Félix Lachance and Stella Gustavsson, they're the one you need to befriend. Since you're not known to the public, it'll be easier for Dick to pass under the radar and not cause an incident like last time"

"We get it, B" Tim muttered under his breath as Bruce passed you the files with the pictures.

"I need you to retrieve any information you can" He continued, ignoring Tim's comment. "Names of business partners, location of transactions, dates, anything, you know the gig. Your occupation and alias if you want one will be at your discretion, I trust you can deal with that. As always you need to be extremely careful as not to alert them, because this is our last chance to get the critical Intel we need to take this down. So I'll need you at your A game, both of you"

This was a warning and you knew it. He let you know more or less subtly to put aside whatever was happening between you and behave like adults. You straightened your back and took a deep breath, getting your head in the right mindset.

"Alright, I'll be ready for tomorrow night" You nodded as you gathered the files. "Can I stay over tonight? There is no point in trying to study now"

"You don't need to ask, (Y/N), you're always welcome here" Bruce said, a hint of fondness in his voice. He always liked having you around, he said your presence tamed the boys. You nodded and made your way upstairs, finding the room you claimed as your own for about a year, and the same you always came back to when you stayed the night.

You went to the drawers, fishing out old training clothes you had left behind. You weren't sure all those were yours, they were probably mixed with pieces you stole from Steph and Cass. In return, they probably did also steal from your drawer occasionally, balancing it all out. You were about to change into something comfy for bed when a soft knock at your door caught your attention. You walked to it and tentatively opening the door, your expression flattening when you saw how it was.

"Yes?"

"Hey um" Dick scratched the back of his neck. "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry it came out that way. I just meant that it would be, you know, weird"

You stared at him blankly. "You're not helping your case here, Dick"

"Shit, that's not what I mean either!" He hurried to say, realizing his mistake. But you were already closing the door. "Please (Y/N)–"

"Get some rest Dick" You said as you pushed the door closed. You sighed and shook your head before adding in a whisper, "God knows we'll need it"

------

You had done covert missions before, but this was the first time you were operating in such conditions. You finished retouching your hair, staring at yourself in the mirror, wondering whether or not it was more expensive than your total life income. The floor length champagne coloured dress was stunning, tailored to your form and just sparkly enough to let you shine through the design. You suspected the shoes were made especially to fit with the dress, as they resembled its lace and belt colour. You were sporting on top of that a heavy diamond necklace with matching earrings, proving the general high cost of the outfit. Your comm was carefully tucked in your ear, functional and well hidden.

"Oh my my" Steph whistled lowly. "If I wasn't dating Timbers I would date you"

You laughed. "This is the outfit talking. You haven't seen me tired and puffy in sweatpants just yet"

"Grump, just take the damn compliment" She playfully poked your exposed shoulder.

"Alright alright, thanks" You rolled your eyes. "Since it's gonna be the only one coming from this household anyway"

Steph wiggled her eyebrows. "Wouldn't be so sure about that" She said in a sing-song voice. "Your fake boyfriend may have some thoughts too"

"Ha" You snorted, walking out of your room with her following at your side. "It's good, that you're wishful thinking. The boy can't seem to talk to me without insulting me lately"

"Trust me, he won't be able to resist to this bombshell" She gestured at your form. "Dick's a people pleaser, and looking like a whole five course meal like that, you sure are easy to please if you want my opinion"

You shook your head, a small grin on your face. Steph had always been your favourite for a reason. She knew how you felt about Dick, but she never meddled. Well, not more than she typically would anyway, and not enough to cross your boundaries. And even then, she had no explanation either for his behaviour. You finally reached the foyer, where Bruce was dressed casually, sleeves rolled up and without a tie, talking to an all dressed up Dick, his hair now dark red and with almost black contact lenses. Your heels clicking on the stairs was what snapped their attention to you; Bruce nodding at his choice of dress for you, and Dick, his mouth slightly agape. You felt Steph gently but excitedly elbowing your ribs.

"Ah, (Y/N), there you are" Bruce said. "I'm glad to see the dress fits well"

"Yeah" Dick tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "You look okay"

You blinked in disbelief as you heard Steph's facepalm behind you. You closed your eyes and exhaled through your nose, while Bruce shook his head slightly at his son.

"Yikes" Tim made his presence known. You shared this one word mood immensely right about now. "Way to go D"

Dick cleared his throat, trying to push back the embarrassment blush creeping up his cheeks. "Uh, shall we go?"

"That would be preferable, yes" Bruce replied, making Steph choke and cover he laughter with a cough. The way he said it was clearly meant to be a jab to his son's tactless attitude. "Be careful"

"Of course" You smiled tightly and all but dragged Dick outside. You'd take one of Bruce's luxury car to get there, and it was already waiting in the driveway. Dick pressed the door button and slowly, they lifted up to let you in. You slid in the passenger seat without waiting for Dick's help and you kept your eyes on the windshield in from of you as he began to drive. The ride was silent until he decided to speak again, tentatively.

"It's nice to see you all dressed up, for once" He said, still clearly not thinking of his choice of words more carefully. "It's different. A good different!"

For once? Was he serious?

You audibly sighed. "I'm begging you to just stop talking"

"What?" He objected, confused. "What did I say wrong this time– Oh"

"Yeah" You replied, your tone clipped and dry.

"I'm an idiot" He mumbled under his breath. That you could agree on, but you didn't voice it out loud.

He couldn't pull into the driveway fast enough. You slipped on your fake engagement ring as Dick stopped in front of the awaiting valet, doing himself the same thing. You both had a recording device slipped in your clothes, and the ring allowed you to turn it on and off at will, as well as the comm in your ear. You turned both off for the awaiting scan at the entrance, as not to emit detectable frequencies.

"Ready?" He asked, and you gave him a firm nod. He got out first and rounded the car, opening your door for you as he would be expected to by this particular crowd. You took his offered hand to climb out and linked your arm to his as he gave the keys to the valet in exchange for a ticket. He left a tip before you walked inside, registering to the guest list. You passed the security checkpoint without a hassle and found yourself in the hall where the auction was held. You turned on your comm and recording device again.

"Recon first, then regroup?" You suggested in a mutter as you were both visually scanning the room.

"Yep" He replied shortly. "B, copy?"

"Crystal clear" 

"Good. Let's go"

While Dick headed to the bar, you opted for the art collection on display, pretending to scout for potential pieces to bid on. But your eyes weren't on the expensive paintings and statues, but moved around the room to spot some VIP lounge or area where the big shots might hang out at. There was a room where attendees came and went, but you shrugged it off as there wasn't enough security for the profile you were searching for. You paused your recon for small talk here and there, and you were in the middle of a casual chat about painted landscapes with an older gentleman when Dick rejoined your side, handing you a drink.

"There you are honey" He smiled sweetly, his unusually dark brown eyes reflecting the light from the chandelier.

"Joey, my love, allow me to introduce you to Sir Fernand Bretworth of Essex" His alias flew out of your mouth naturally, then you took a small sip of your drink. Non alcoholic, nice thinking. "We were discussing impressionism and its influence on modern art"

You wanted to smirk at the clueless look Dick gave you. He was a prodigy in a lot of things, but art wasn't one. It was more Damian's thing, or Tim's if he tried hard enough, but definitely not Dick's. Take that now. 

"Ah, yes..." He replied slowly. "Fascinating indeed"

"Alright" You let out a small, cover up laugh as your hand rested on his bicep. "My husband has little interest in art, my apologies"

"No offence taken" He chuckled. "I'll leave you two, my wife must be looking for me. An old fool like me gets easily distracted!"

You laughed along with him until he was out of earshot. Then you dropped your hand and turned to him. "Noticed anything?"

"Yeah, there is a guarded room with special access" He said as you walked deeper into the crowd not to look suspicious. "Only owned of a special pass can go in, and the guards are very thorough"

"Great" You breathed. "Now let's hope out lovebirds will come out to mingle"

"As it turns out..." He trailed off, and instinctively, you began turning your head toward where his gaze lead. He immediately redirected your head back to him with a firm, but gentle touch on your cheek. His hand remained there for about three seconds longer than necessary, until he realized what he did and retracted his arm. You could have almost enjoyed it if he didn't look like he was touched by literal fire. "Don't look"

"Sorry" You mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

"... They got out, they're talking to people" He informed you, ignoring what just went down. "You go for Stella, I'll take Felix. Remember, friendly but not suspicious. Sweet talk your way into spilling the beans"

"I know" You bit back, your voice low. "Not my first mission, remember? I know what to do"

"I was just reminding you"

"Yeah, I got that" You scoffed. "If you don't trust me, just say so, it'll save you trouble of babying me"

"Come on, that's not–"

He began arguing, but you walked away before you could slip up and say his real name. It would give him one more reason to come down on you like you were a beginner in need of guidance. You were rusty, not stupid. You didn't need him insulting your undercover talents as well. You stopped in front of a beautiful emerald necklace that had a start bid of ten millions dollars and took a long sip of your drink, now kind of bummed it was non alcoholic. But that very detail was probably why you felt a presence approaching you from behind, giving you a few seconds to compose yourself and sweep your frustration under the rug.

"Trouble in paradise?"

You turned around, surprised. It looked like the voice made you jump, when it was in fact the nature of the question that threw you off, as well as the person who had spoken. Before you could ask, the Stella Gustavsson smiled warmly and nodded to where Dick had been seconds earlier.

"I saw what happened" She began, and your heart skipped a beat, hoping she hadn't overheard. "Those frustrated hands gesture are all too familiar. What did he do?"

You relaxed slightly, for now. "We've been having trouble lately, well, more than usually" You explained with a little complicit cock of your head. She seemed to get it. You, on the other hand, knew Dick was hearing everything on his comm, so you decided to go for it. "He's acting... Weird. Can't seem to talk to me without irritating me, whether on purpose or not. I'm sorry, I'm venting to a stranger, I can't imagine how it must look look like.

"Don't worry about it dear, I asked" She winked, extending her hand. "I'm Stella"

"Aleka" You shook her hand.

"Your dress is stunning, by the way!" She exclaimed. "Which designer?”

You froze for a second before shrugging. "No idea, my designer got it for me" You brushed off. "As long as it looks good, I don't care where it comes from"

"Amen" She said, taking a sip of her champagne. "Although, I need to know the name of your designer. They have amazing taste, and I'm looking for a new one for myself"

Oh shit.

"It's B" You replied instantly.

"Bee?"

"Yeah" You nodded, and she looked at you incredulously. "I mean, that's what we all call him. I'm sure he has a name, but I pay him to dress me, not to know his personal life"

"Harsh, (Y/N)" Bruce said in your ear, and you remembered he had been listening to everything. "But nice save"

She laughed, unaware of the comments from Batman himself. "That is very true. How have I not met you before? I feel we have a lot in common"

"I sincerely have no idea" You replied, adding a little gasp of disbelief.

"You're different from this crowd, I can feel it" She kept going on as you started walking side by side in the exposition room. "Everyone here only cares about petty, trivial things. You have a head on your shoulders, you're smart. Too bad your man can't seem to see what's in front of him"

You sighed in agreement to hide the fist pump of victory that threatened to come up. Just like that, you had won Stella over. "I don't know what to do about it. I've tried to talk to him, but it just makes it worse"

"But have you tried to make him jealous?" She suggested with a perfectly shaped eyebrow raised. "There are plenty of young men around, or older bachelors if you're into that. Flirt with them, make sure he sees you, he'll come running, take my word"

"It won't work, he's not–" Even my boyfriend, you were about to say, but you saved your fall just on time. Still, you could practically see Dick's glare in the back of your head at the almost slip up. "Jealous. He's not a jealous man, he's very confident and secure"

"What a shame" She drawled out, going for her champagne again. "Here's what you can do then. Go to him, take him by the neck and french kiss him like there is no tomorrow”

You choked on your saliva as she watched you with a mischievous grin. "Excuse me?"

"It's guaranteed to work, darling" She lifted her shoulder in an elegant shrug. "Then you hold him off. You'll thank me later tonight when you're back at home, just wait and see"

You were about to argue some more, but her insisting stare told you she wasn't just going to let it go. So you scanned the crowd for Dick, spotting him casually excusing himself from a conversation group, going for a refill at the bar. You reached him and grabbed him by the elbow, bringing him face to face with you. You made sure your back was to Stella before beginning to explain the situation.

"I heard" He told you in a mutter, making sure his lips were unreadable under Stella's stare from the distance.

"Then you know what she expects" You sighed, slipping your hands behind his neck. "It doesn't have to be deep, just convincing. Can you do this without grimacing?"

You thought he would stumble into some weak apology, or say something clever. He did neither, instead dived straight for your lips so quickly it was you who was taken by surprise. Naturally, all you could do is kiss him back and try to keep up with him. At some point you thought he would break off, but you weren't prepared for him to actually deepen the kiss. He wasn't letting you go, and it made you dizzy in all the best ways. Let's say you were thankful for his arm around your waist right about now. Finally, you still had to breathe, so you parted reluctantly.

"What was that for?" You asked, your eyes still dazed.

"An apology for irritating you unintentionally" He grinned boyishly, for probably the first time ever directed at you. "I'm an idiot"

"Can confirm" You replied, bringing him down on your lips again. This time, it was a bit shorter, but the spark was still very much present. "You should have done this a long time ago"

"I know" He nodded, his head slightly down and his puppy dog eyes shining even underneath the dark contact lenses. "You're a bit intimidating, I didn't know how to act"

You let out a loud laugh at his confession. "You're kidding"

He pouted.

"Me?" You repeated. "But you're– You're you!"

"Well, duh" He chuckled. "You've got me all tangled in here," He pointed at his chest. "Made me nervous all the time"

You melted just a little bit at his little display, before remembering doing this was a specialty of his. You were just not used to be on the receiving end of it. "You're lucky you're cute, and that I'm already sold on you"

The bright grin returned.

"As heartwarming as this moment is, please focus on the task at hand" Bruce's stern voice echoed in your head, and you were suddenly reminded your conversation had been integrally transmitted to him.

"Right, sorry" Dick apologized sheepishly.

"See, I told you"

This time, you were taken by surprise by Stella walking on you. Even Bruce's intervention hadn't quite brought you back to reality. Damn Dick Grayson, damn him. You turned around, trying to hide your flustered state and instead focusing on the tall gentleman at her side. Must be Felix Lachance, you thought.

"It works every time" She added, sipping from a new glass of champagne.

"You were right" You let out an airy laugh. "Stella, this is my husband Joey Moore. Joey, this is my new friend Stella"

They shook hands before she introduced her husband to the both of you. You already knew his name, but you both pretended you didn't for the sake of your covers.

"Nice to meet you two" Félix smiled politely.

"Hey, would you like to go for a drink after this?" Stella asked. "I sure would like to get to know you two better"

Dick and you exchanged a glance, knowing you had locked the target. Acquiring intel from now on would only be a piece of cake, the base was laid for further actions. You smiled, returning your glance to Stella.

"That would be absolutely lovely"

[blackmissfrizzle]

Meet The Furys

Characters: Erik Stevens x black!reader, Nicky Fury x daughter!reader

Summary: Its time for your dad to meet your boyfriend.

Warnings: None

A/N: Based off this imagine. After almost a year its finally here! I hope you all enjoy it.

“Okay, remember to play nice. My dad can be intense.” You warned Erik before ringing the doorbell.

“As long as he ain’t on some fuck shit.” Erik was already not too fond of the work your father did.

“Erik!”

“Aight, I’ll be nice.” He changed the tune of his story when he saw the crazy look in your eyes.

The front door opened and revealed Tony Stark. “What are you doing here?” You asked shoving the cake in his hands.

“Nice to see you too, kid.” He kissed the top of your head. Despite your love-hate relationship, Tony was like a big brother to you. Actually, all the avengers were like older siblings to you.

“Stevens.”

“Stark.”

Erik and Tony greeted each other. Neither one liked the other. You believed it was because there was no room big enough to hold both of their egos.

“Please you two, no arguing today. I got enough to worry about.” You continued to venture into the house.

“Erik, my man!” Sam came up and clapped Erik’s hand and gave him a one arm hug. “What you been up to?”

Tony leaned into you and asked, “Why doesn’t he greet me like that?”

You rolled your eyes and turned over your hand. “You know why.”

“Shit, nothing. I’m just out here trying to survive.” Erik ended the clap with a snap. He hit Sam in the middle in the chest. “I see you hitting them weights. You out here trying to get swole?”

“Nah, man I’m trying to get like you.”

“Trust me you don’t wanna be like him.” You interrupted the nigga-fest before it went too far.

“She’s always hating.” Erik whispered to Sam. “I’ll get at you later.”

Erik followed you throughout the house. The two of you constantly stopping to greet everyone. Eventually, you made it outside to see your dad at the pit.

“Hey Daddy!” As you reached up to kiss his cheek, you had to restrain yourself from hitting Erik when you heard him mumble, “I’m the only one she calls daddy.”

Nick put the spatula down and hugged his baby girl. “How is it possible you get more beautiful every time I see you?”

“I get it from my daddy.” You boosted his ego. “Anyway, there’s someone I want you to meet.” You tugged on Erik’s hand to bring him next to you. “Daddy this is Erik, Erik this is Nick Fury.”

Erik stuck out his hand to shake your dad’s. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

Nick looked at the young man’s hand for some time. Before everything went down in Wakanda, Nick heard of Erik or better yet Killmonger. He wanted to bring him into SHIELD, but decided he was too volatile and stubborn for the organization. Now that same man is dating his baby girl. Fate had a cruel sense of humor.

“Hmmph.” Nick looked Erik up and down before shaking his hand. “You treating my daughter right?”

“Yes, sir. I’m the one you should be checking on.”  Erik rubbed up and down on the bicep you hit him on earlier. “She’s always hitting me.”

“Don’t act like you don’t deserve it. You always testing me.” You bucked at him.

Erik was about to mush your head, but he remembered his surroundings and that he was supposed to be making a good impression. “See, you got a little thug over there.”

“She ain’t the thug I see.” You knew your dad would be snarky when he met Erik, but you didn’t think he would be going this hard this early.

You saw Sam behind Erik, cracking some joke with Bucky. Quickly, you motioned for him to come get Erik. “E, you wanna go grab a drink and dig into that cake before anyone else can?”

Erik looked to you if it was okay for him to leave. Even though he was already itching to leave he didn’t want to piss you off.

“Yeah, go.” You waved him off. “Me and Daddy need to have a talk.”

With your go ahead, Erik took off. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold his tongue.

Once Erik was out of earshot, you poked your dad in the shoulder and got on his ass. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Nick played dumb as he flipped the burgers.

You flicked your dad’s ear and quickly got out of arm’s reach. “That elitist nigga bullshit you just pulled by calling Erik a thug.”

Nick gave you the full Fury glare that was usually reserved for Tony. He pointed the spatula at you. “You got that one free lick. You don’t get anymore.” Closing the pit, your dad came next to you. “And the last thing I wanna be is one of those siddity niggas. I just…I just expected you with someone different that’s all.

“Elitist bullshit.” You mocked him by singing.

He held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, I was a little elitist. I’ll be better, I promise.”

If you consider better as not talking to one another then better happened. The barbecue was tense due to the obvious animosity between your dad and boyfriend. No matter how hard you, Sam, Bruce, and Steve tried to ease the tension, somehow your dad and Erik found a way to throw off-hand comments. And Tony was no help because he liked to add fuel to the fire.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when Sam complimented Erik’s hair and your dad mumbled, “I don’t know why you young niggas think that’s a good look.”

Erik’s smile before he said anything told you everything you needed to know, and you knew there was no way to stop it. “I’m sorry that your receding hairline made you cut your hair. But hey, you rock that Samuel L. Jackson look.”

“What’s wrong with Sam L? That man got style.” Nick looked at Erik incredulously. He choose the wrong one today. “And while we on the subject of hair. Son, if you can’t grow a full beard then at least have the sense to cut that shit off.”

You almost spat your drink out. Erik’s been using some oils to grow his beard completely and it was working so well, you thought it was full. Leave it to your dad to find the last patch.

“At least I’m not dressed like Shaft. Nigga it’s 85 degrees right now, why you got on that hot ass leather duster for? Ole Little Bill lookin ass with an eyepatch.” Erik refused to be outdone by this old head.

They continued to trade jabs. It was like watching a tennis match when neither player could score. Each jab was hitting its mark. If this wasn’t your dad and Erik, then you would be cracking up like everyone else.

You needed to stop their bickering before it got too far. Out of the two, your dad would be the easiest to stop. “Daddy!” You called out to him, trying to redirect his attention.

“What?!” Both Erik and your dad turned to you. When you saw your dad’s face processing that Erik answered as well, you knew right then and there you would have to kill Erik. You’ll just tell T’Challa and Shuri that he died in a horrible car crash. It would be believable, because that nigga doesn’t know what a speed limit is.

Sam slid out of his chair in silent laughter, Tony spat out his drink and was howling in laughter, Steve’s face flushed red in embarrassment for you, Bucky looked like he wanted to congratulate Erik, Wanda and Nat offered you sympathetic smiles, and Peter was confused to why everyone was in a state of shock.

That shit-eating grin was wiped off Erik’s face when he looked at you. Was it possible to plan your own funeral, he thought.

“Y/N, why did he answer you?” Nick asked his lovely daughter. He knew his daughter was grown and she was most likely doing grown people activities, but that didn’t mean he needed to be blatantly reminded of it.

“Cause I’m her daddy, nigga!” Erik was done playing nice. Nick Fury needed to know he was serious about you and he wasn’t going anywhere.

Tony wiped tears from his eyes. “This keeps getting better and better.” Nat kicked the leg from under his chair causing him to fall.

‘Thank you’ you mouthed to her. Tony obnoxious ass was next on your hit list after Erik.

Standing up, Nick pointed between him and Erik. “Me and you about to have a little talk.”

You tried to follow them inside the house, but your dad stopped you. He said they needed to have a talk man to man.

The longer they were away, the more you worried. For sure, you thought you would hear yelling. Neither one of them were afraid to get loud. Maybe one of em killed the other, you thought. Nah couldn’t be, neither one would go quietly.

Suddenly, your dad’s laughter was wafting through the air and that didn’t happen too often. Rounding the corner was a happy Erik and your dad, laughing with each other like they just weren’t at each other’s necks.

“What is this?” You asked surprised that they weren’t arguing.

Erik came to your side and kissed your temple. “Me and your pops came to an understanding.”

“And that is?”

“None of your business.” Your dad told you, leaving you speechless. Wow, did your dad and Erik have secrets now?

You asked Erik the same question and got the same answer. Erik was your best bet to tell you their secret, so you pinched him to get him to spill the beans.

In less than five seconds you felt a flick to your ear. “Keep your hands off that boy. I forgot how mean your little ass can be.”

You grabbed your ear and looked at your dad in awe. “What the hell is this?! Y’all friends all of a sudden?” You had to be in the twilight zone, because now your dad was defending Erik.

Both men turned to you and simultaneously repeated, “None of your business.” You decided to give up for the moment. You would have to divide and conquer to get any info.

The rest of dinner went really well considering where it started. Instead of roasting each other, Erik and your dad ganged up on Tony and it was your turn to laugh at his pain and suffering.

At the end of the night, it was only you, your dad, and Erik left. On your way out, Erik promised your dad he would come to his poker night and that they could hustle Tony out of some money. These niggas were really best friends now.

Finally, in the car you could try to pry some information out of Erik. Your dad would never tell you what they talked about. He was the king of secrets.

“What?” Erik’s lip slightly curled up when he felt you staring at him.

“What did you and my dad talk about earlier?” You pinched his arm. “And don’t tell me it’s none of my business.”

Erik slid his eyes at you when he came to the stop sign. “Imma handle that ass when we get home.”

“Promises, promises.”

Erik shook his head at you. He contemplated telling you the truth and decided to give you an abridged version, because he knew your ass wouldn’t stop bugging him until you got something. “All you need to know is that we both have your best interest and love you. Anything else you wanna know, you gotta ask your pops.” Taking the hand that was intertwined with his, Erik kissed the back of your wrist.

That answer would have to do for now. Just like Erik said you could get the rest from your dad with a lot of  begging and honestly, Erik might tell you more, because either way you looked at it you were daddy’s little girl and neither one of them would want to disappoint you.

Tagging:@lostennyc @chaneajoyyy​ @vikkidc​ @ginghampearlsnsweettea @honeyflii​ @youwishiwasyobabymama​ @just-juicee​ @quietpoeticheart​ @soufcakmistress​ @twistedcharismaaa​ @marvelmaree​ @thickemadame​ @titty-teetee​

[ksqwildwest]

YOOOO IT'S GEORGE—aight question spam time, hope you're fine with that lmao

So, what does he think of the town? How long do you think it'll take for him to get used to the area? What do the other members think of him?

On one hand, I feel like none of them would be able to comprehend that the priest had just summoned a mushroom dude from some blood and an old book. On the other hand, they've probably seen weirder things, considering the town and it's nature.

And where will he stay in town? Who will he first bond with? My bets are on the very person who summoned him lol

Thank you for the ask and I love question spams! You all are so creative and come up with so many cool ideas!

George thinks of the town, less as a town and more of the best nap spot he has ever found. He settles in pretty much immediately, enjoying the quiet in the rafters of the church and the occasional conversation.

I plan on writing the towns folks reaction to George so I'll hold off on that question for now. I will say, their reaction is less of, "how did you summon him?" more of, "how do you unsummon him?"

He ends up staying at the church. He lays on the roof during the day to absorb the sunlight and lounges in the rafters of the church at night. This leads to him bonding with the Priest quite a lot! And yes, the Priest is the first person that George bonds with!

[by-inky]

Why Twisted Wonderland fandom is so toxic, a draft by inky’s experiences

You’re not forced to read this. Yet, I hope this spreads more awareness.

First clear-up; I won’t accept any kind of criticism, constructive or not. I just don’t care if you have something to say against this, or if you attack me I still won’t give a flying fuck. I’m basing all this in my personal experiences.

Second clear up; I am not calling out anyone with this, or any past public drama that may have happened in the Twisted Wonderland fandom. You’ll feel attacked only if you actually have done or still do one or more of the things I mention in this text. THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK.

Third clear up; If you noticed I’m ruder in here, you’re kind of right. I’m just really done with people who keep throwing crap on a fandom that has everything (it has a nice story, amazing characters, material, merch, awesome fanart and fanfics, fancreations…) it’s the most complete fandom I’ve been in and still some people keep making the community hostile to stay in.

  I think we all know at this point that twst’s fandom is toxic. Now there are different factors for this.

I’ll start by the one that surprised me the most.

1. A HUGE part of the fandom is formed by adults. I don’t mind this, however this is frustrating.

I completely don’t mind if you’re 26 or 14, as long as you’re having fun without harming anyone you can stay around. My theory of why there are so many grown-up people is because Disney children are now older. Now, what’s frustrating is not that there are adults, but the fact that they don’t behave like some.

I apologize, but you simply can’t ask for a teen (because they exist too) to equal their “matureness” with yours. How for instance, a 16 year-old person gets in an argument with a, let’s say, 22 year-old person, the teen has less experience want it or not. You can’t just pretend they have an intellectual similar to yours. On the other hand, there are cases where the adult behaves like a girl with perenne period.

The fact I, a 15 year-old person, got into a few arguments with straight up adults that reason like a child proves this point. I’m not someone who likes to get into fights or discussions with other people, but when they get to the point to get even bratty when they’re clearly in the wrong annoys me so much.

Just mind your own business.

2. Public blaming. Seriously what’s up with this. I’ve seen quite some arguments online, public so lots of people could see, on topics that aren’t even important? Please wash your dirty clothes in private, direct messages or with a small group still in private, honestly making stuff public doesn’t help but create drama and make the problem even bigger.

However, I can understand when a user is really toxic, and someone who calls them out is really brave. But please keep small discussions behind closed doors and move on. I know it can be difficult, but you’ll be better.

Add-up: tumblr is -5$. It’s a crappy website where people bicker to kill time. It’s not worth it. If you need help, you can DM me at any time if you trust me, and everything will be between me and you without getting out of the chat. I’ll help you at the best of my abilities.

3. Support. I haven’t been in a more hostile and cold fandom than this one. Where are the likes? The support crew? Does that not exist?

Small blogs are being stepped on by huge, bigger ones. It seriously looks like nobody cares. And what’s more draining, people usually get the same blogs and posts recommended.

I have several experiences with this, and tumblr is a place where you grow if you’re lucky and noticed. I’m calling this fact out since I’m now a medium account and send asks to smaller accounts like crazy in hope the blogs get noticed, but knowing this is still crushing. And what’s worse, that most people do not care at all. Please support creators, everyone deserves love.

And if you like someone’s content, a kind ask (small blog or big) can make a person’s whole day. 4. Anons. WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIS ANON HATE. I just- why?

Aight I’ve been in lots of fandoms (Kimetsu no Yaiba, Yuri on Ice, Dangerous Fellows, Mystoc Messenger, Nanbaka, Hetalia, Haikyuu, etc), and none of this was as hateful as the Twisted Wonderland one. Usually are the small blogs the ones that get targeted since the big ones already have a “backup” of people who support them no matter what.

I got quite a few anon hate as well, but honestly I couldn’t care less because I post what I like and I still enjoy posting, but I understand there are people who take it to the personal and anons like this unmotivates them. Please support them. They’re people, they’re humans too. And most of them don’t deserve the hate.

Also if you got anon hate, it’s probably just a bored person. I know it can be difficult, but shrug it off. 

5. Blogs and toxicity. Connecting this to the previous point. Accounts are people before they are blogs. Follow blogs for the people before you follow for the content. There can be really toxic people behind amazing material. If you realize an admin of a blog is toxic, is better unfollow them than keep following for content. It seems almost like you’re supporting them.

Congrats for reaching this far! Here have a cookie

If you need support, or vent, or even have a small chat my DMs are always open! You can text me via Discord as well (by Inky#6188) and I’ll do my best!

[ice-emperor-zane]

*inhales* Yellow cyan violet black gray claret penny ash jade pecan wine cherry ginger rust honey frost coconut fulvous mauve erin

Sorry not sorry I’m a curious simp

Oki, wow, this is a lot, aight lets do this lmao :)

Yellow: Name of an artist you think is underappreciated

oh god idk, hmm, @bigeloo? Idk im in a ninjago discord with them and sometimes they send their art there and its really cool

Cyan: Are you Religious? Spiritual?

I was raised Catholic but im now Agnostic (meaning I don’t know if theres a God or any Gods and im not gonna pretend to know)

Violet: Are you a part of the Lgbt+ community?

Yup :) Im nonbinary, im asexual, and i might be panromantic, or demiromamtic, im not sure, still questioning on that part tbh

Black: Would you ever try going vegetarian or vegan?

Im currently vegetarian, tho I dont care if yall eat meat or whatever, im lucky to be in a situation where I can be vegetarian and I completely understand that some ppl can’t or just don’t want to, besides, theres way bigger problems on this earth right now than wether people eat meat or not. I doubt i’ll ever go vegan, because cheese and chocolate is very tasty, but maybe someday when the vegan substitutes for those things improve, then maybe I might :)

Gray: How many Languages Do you speak? Do you want to learn more?

Mostly English, and very minimal French and Spanish from school. I’ve tried to learn Japanese before too from like duolingo, so i know a little bit of that, and I made myself memorise how to say ‘sorry, I don’t speak much of [insert language], do you speak English?’ in a few languages for if I ever end up traveling there before learning to speak the language. But im only really like fluent in English lol

Claret: Do you play an instrument? do you want to learn to play any?

I did piano lessons for about a year until quarantine and I’ve learnt a few songs from those youtube tutorials, but other than that I dont know any. It would be cool to do singing lessons, because unfortunately I am a little bit of a theatre kid and would love to randomly start singing ‘Michael in the bathroom’ from Be More Chill

Penny: Icecream or cake?

Both are poggers, probably icecream, but oh my fsm, my Mom makes the best cakes ever, she could do it professionally, they are so nice, yall have no idea

Ash: Can you do your own makeup?

Yeah, i love doing makeup, i once tried to have a makeup instagram account, it didnt go too well (i quit after about a month) but i still love doing it as a hobby :) (im actually trying to do makeup less at the moment though, it was making me a little bit dysphoric, but as an occasional thing, like being a drag queen, its great!)

Jade: Ever written fanfiction?

Yeah, mostly just one shots and little drabbles though, and I haven’t in a while, might start doing stuff again soon, maybe, idk

Pecan: Shuffle your playlist, what’s the first song that comes up

It was this: https://youtu.be/DGTDcZxs0ww (“Sub Urban- Cradles (slowed)”)

Wine: do you have a ‘type’?

Kinda debatable,, most/all the people I’ve dated have had similar vibes, but wether I actually liked any of them is a different question 😳😳😳

Cherry: youtubers you enjoy watching

Maybe Jessie Paege? Or Pm Seymour? To be honest, most of my youtube recommendations are somehow tiktok compilations, because my tiktok fyp has always been really weird so instead of actually using tiktok on the app i use it via youtube

Ginger: any sideblogs?

yeah and im embarrassed of them, yall will never know 😳

wait theres one yall can know about, i have the url “Wohira” but I’ve never like posted anything there

Rust: form of art you enjoy doing?

As well as makeup which i mentioned before, theres also digital art, which i do the most often :)

Honey: your thoughts on magic? Does it exist?

I think it’d be very cool if it did, and i hope it does? Like ive never seen magic stuff ofc, and i have my doubts that its real, but it sounds fun so like idk, maybe it is? I’d like to believe it is?

Frost: a -core you enjoy

Looking at the aesthetics wiki, i think maybe mostly bloomcore?

Coconut: a subject you enjoy learning about

Psychology, its all really interesting and i wish they taught it at my school, because where I am you have to take it as an option that only starts in 11th grade (currently in 9th grade)

Fulvous: another name you think would suit you?

Buddy im still trying to find one, im currently going by Rae and that seems nice maybe? but oh my god ive used like 20 names before now and not a single one of them seemed right lmao

Mauve: any unpopular oppinions?

I probably have a few, but i can’t think of them off the top of my head, and im not really looking for discourse,, so,,, no?

Erin: What Was/Is your best school subject

Ive already answered this one, i’ll copy/paste it? Oki so

Maybe maths? Or art? Tho honestly, none of my grades are consistent and I can go from an A to an Ungraded and back again in a heartbeat 😎 (and not even an F, an ungraded, like they litterally cant grade it its so bad lmao 🤩✨) I think it depends more on what teacher i have for the lesson and how tired I am on the day of any tests more than subject itself? If that makes sense lol

And its done! Heck yeah! :)

[lunawritesaa]

Scenario request: Blackquill is planning to ask their S/O on a coffee date but he doesn't know how because he has no prior experience + they're super shy, so he asks Athena for advice and thus, wacky set ups ensue around the office. The S/O is finally the one to nervously break the ice after many Simons failed attempts. Sorry if this too long/elaborate asffhldfj,,, feel free to skip if it's too much!

——

character: simon blackquill

warnings: none

genre: request, fluff

a/n: aight i hope you enjoy! thanks for waiting~ also i suck at writing endings so sorry that it ends terribly lmaoo

[requests are closed, rules are pinned]

——

Simon Blackquill is a man of many talents. 

When you mention his name most people would mention his stoic, disciplined personality. They’d mention his outstanding abilities in the courtroom or his use of physiological manipulation to always get the information he wanted. No matter what they would say, the fact that he was incredibly focused on his job would always be brought up. 

Never would one of those people guess that Simon Blackquill, mastermind in the courtroom, struggles when it comes to asking his crush out. 

For weeks now, he had one thing constantly on his mind: you. You, the most beautiful person he had ever met both inside and out. You understood him, listened to him, saw sides of him that no one ever saw. 

So of course, he found himself falling for you. 

He liked you, he liked you a lot. So he knew that being blunt or direct wasn’t the best approach. But how else should he do it? No matter how much he tried he could never get rid of that side of him; his post UR-1 facade. Truth be told, he wanted to be more like how he was before his time in prison. But not even he could deny that his long seven years changed him as a person. No amount of time outside of jail could change him back to his old personality. 

However, deep inside of his heart, there was a soft spot in him. A side of him that he only really showed to those really close to him. He’s been vulnerable around you a few times, sure. But he still had his doubts and insecurities. He knew you would never judge him for anything, but the thought of being completely open with his emotions scared him. 

Hence why he’s backed out every time that he thought of asking you out. 

Simon has never been one to shy away from a challenge, especially after his time spent in jail. But for some unknown reason, he just can’t help the nerves that creep every time he stands before you with the intent on asking you out. 

It only took so many times of the same exact thing happening before he decided that he should seek out someone who has expertise with this sort of thing. Who better to go to than someone who is good at analyzing emotions? 

No matter how many crazy things Simon had come to Athena to talk about, she found this one to be one of the most unexpected. She didn’t expect him to ever tell her about his love life much less come to her for her help. Not that she was complaining about him coming to her; it was just the last thing she expected to come from someone like Simon Blackquill. 

She didn’t have much expereince in the area herself. Most of her knowledge on the subject came from people she knew, or things that she saw in movies. It wasn’t her forte and she knew it. But she would do anything to help her long term friend, and if that meant giving him some love advice, she’d sure as hell do it. 

“Be genuine! Be sincere with your emotions! Trust me, (Y/N) loves you back, you just gotta do it and go for it!”

Athena didn’t know if her words would really help him that much. In fact, she was sure that he had probably heard that from anyone when it came to love and asking someone out. She was out of her field, but she still tried to give Simon the most honest advice that she could.

She gave him a few more pointers and tips to ask you out alongside that. But most of all, she wanted her friend to just be himself. That was all he could do after all. 

The words echoed in his head every day until he saw you again. You were visiting him in his office, as you usually did on days that you had planned to get lunch together.

As the man stood before you once again, this time with Athena’s advice to help him, he felt his face heating up ever so slightly as the words died before they could leave his mouth. All of the sudden everything that his red headed friend had told him had completely escaped his mind. 

He opened his mouth to speak, trying to find some sort of topic to talk about with you that would take his mind off of asking you out. No words came out. You just looked up at him expectantly with bright eyes. 

“Did you want to ask me something, Simon?” you asked quietly. He swallowed hard, trying to gain the courage to ask you the stupid question he’s had on his mind for more than a month now. 

But he couldn’t get the words out. 

“N..no. Why?” 

“You just seemed... tense? If that makes sense. Like something was on your mind..” You trailed off as you began to fiddle with your fingers, your gaze looking anywhere but him. 

Not that he was any better. His face was slightly pink as he had to practically force himself to look at you. He cursed inside his head as the moment was fleeting. 

He had missed his chance, again. 

Turning away from you, he made his way over to the window behind his desk in his office. He tried to recuperate his thoughts so maybe he couple salvage the situation. To you, he must seem like he was deep in thought about something important. Not something as silly as asking you out.

“H-hey, Simon?” you asked suddenly, breaking him out of his trance. He turned away from the window to face you.

“Hmm? Yes, what is it (Y/N)?” He looked at you expectantly as you still refused to look back at him. If he looked close enough, he’d notice that your face was nearly entirely red as you tried to speak. 

“I was just wondering.. if you.. if you maybe wanted to go out sometime with me?” you said, the second half of your sentence coming out quicker than the rest. His eyes widened as your words registered to him.

For a split second he didn’t know how to respond. Everything had happened so quickly, and on top of that he didn’t expect that to come out of your mouth. 

But he was more relieved than anything. As much as he wanted to ask you out first, he now felt a huge weight lifted off of his chest as he smiled slightly at you. 

“Yes, that would be lovely.”

Simon Blackquill is a man of many talents. 

Asking you out was most definitely not one of them. 

——

[shaekingshitup]

unintended part two

A/N: ALRIGHTY FOLKS! WE ARE BACK WITH SOME MORE ACTION FOR MR. JACKSON! As of now, the face claim for the reader is going to be Keke Palmer

But, if you’re anything like me. All I did was just post a picture of someone who wishes they were you and in this fic with you and Trevor Jackson haha. Whatever floats your boats friends. Please note that echoic memory is a real thing. It just doesn’t work how I described it haha. More like echoic and As always thanks to @glittermakesmesmile​ for giving me the first feedback and confidence to even post these things. Also big shout out to @twistedcharismaaa​ who helped me challenge myself to write more even if I don’t feel like it. So, this series will hopefully get some more chapters coming soon!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Pairing: Trevor Jackson x Black OC

Warnings: NONE

Word Count: approx 2500

HERE WE GO!

^ Jayden’s Song Association Fit

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

“Let me take my Black ass to the restroom while we got ourselfs a break. ROCKSY, what’s that cam’ra lookin’ like? We need another battery?”

“We’re good. Jayden, you want a snack?” Roxy redirected at their latest arrival. Jayden tried to sneak a look at the biggest one in the room and failed. He smiled at her. Her glance had caught both of them off guard and it made him feel giddy. It was the most beautiful and natural response she'd received from him-or anyone for that matter- in a while.

“I’m good.” she said hiding her own bashfulness behind her steely exterior. She maintained eye contact with Trevor. Roxy opened up a cabinet to pull out an assortment of Lays and refill the chip bowls that Trevor had demolished when he’d shown up 

“ Imma keep tryin. Venmo? Paypal? Zelle? CashApp? Damn, I can get it to you in Bitcoin if that’s what you prefer.”

“How have you done on the game so far?” Jayden again completely ignored his attempts to repay her. She wasn’t concerned about a few extra dollars. 

“I’m doin alright so far." He also refused to break contact first "So far Song Association has been the easiest game for me to navigate today.” Jayden blinked and conceded for now. Motivated by his win Trevor strolled over to the living room where she was admiring some of Terrell’s music selection.

“Clever.” she tossed over her shoulder as she reached for a vinyl. In one swift motion, Trevor had taken it from her mid-review. 

“Al Green?” He smirked. “ You’ve got taste J. Let me guess.. uh, track 5?”

“What?”

“That’s your single. I see it. No worries though. We can work on that.” he said just as he caught a glimpse of Terrell returning back into the room. Trevor placed the album back in her hands and returned to his stool, readjusting his mic. 

“Alright, Mr. Jackson. YA READY?! No more stoppin’ this midnight train to Georgia.” Terrell hollered. Jayden giggled at his silliness as she glanced at the tracklist for Al Green’s Greatest Hits. 

Track 5: Tired of Being Alone

Damn he cocky. Jayden thought. At least it wasn’t in an overbearing manner. It was a little endearing. He seems a little goofy. That smile was very telling.  But she wouldn’t show that just yet. Sitting back in her audience of one, Jayden watched them continue to play.

 “If I gave you the word “Never” what hits your mind?” Terrell asked the singer. Trevor starts going into a Jackson 5 single that Jayden honestly didn’t know. But, she knows that he is DOING IT. Her eyes go wide as his Michael impression is spot on and before she can even register her own body's movements, she's vibing with it. Music always had a way of helping her with her emotions and channeling a less.. “feisty”,as it had been put earlier, connection with herself and the rest of the world. She was moving around in her seat and doing her best not to spill her coffee over herself or her new friend’s floor.

"Oh shit!" she said clamping her hand over her mouth immediately. That was louder than she expected. Especially since it hadn't meant to leave her head at all. "I'm sorry," she whispered. 

"AHA HA" Roxy guffawed. "I tried to warn you. Don't worry Jayden.  We'll fix it in post anyways"

"Jayden you good girl. I had the same reACTion the first time I laid my eyes- I meant my ears on Trevor" Terrell stated taking a very pointed sip from his mug. Everyone knew he'd meant what he'd said the first time and it was causing them all to try not to break into laughter so they could push forward. 

"Yeah. Very natural response J. Hakuna matata" Trevor confirmed. Jayden playfully rolled her eyes. 

"What's the next word? He's a lil too comfortable" she spoke up.

Terrell nodded at Jayden and refocused on Trevor. "WAY. w-a-y" 

Without hesitation, he bursted into song. It was another that Jayden was sadly unfamiliar with. 

What is in this man's repertoire?

Soon enough Terrell explained that it was an original off of a project called Rough Drafts 2. At once Jayden grabbed her phone and opened her Spotify app. Creating a new playlist, she glanced up at the boys and locking in on Trevor she came up with an idea. "Thotful n Tired 💭" she titled it. She was adding damn near his whole discography when her ears perked up at the fact that he had an additional 200 unreleased singles on his computer at home. The more time spent in his presence the more the question of "Who the hell is this nigga?" rose in Jayden's mind. 

Trevor responded to Terrell all the while staring at Jayden and answering her unspoken question as well.

"So any fans that live in L.A. and you wanna just come and listen to new music not recorded.." he trailed off leaving an open invitation for Jayden and the rest of LA.

He really just said: Come find out

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

Jayden was both relieved and saddened when Trevor was finished with his Song Association. In a very short time, she'd learned a lot about this person she'd never even heard of until that afternoon. As his song had promised, he truly had her beggin for more.  The way they interacted and the feelings she felt towards him had grown quickly but it was familiar. It seemed as if they'd already done this dance before. Jayden was trying to figure out how to rationalize this to herself but she couldn't. It was the way that she and Trevor had silently held private conversations  in a room with others.  Even as they were learning one another, a lot of the pieces already seemed to be connected. 

Trevor was filming his spot for Terrell’s outro. It took every ounce of restraint in Jayden not to cackle out loud when he said “I think we’re gonna queue the rain right now. Mm hmm. You feel that? This is not a joke. It’s a motion in your ocean.” 

Trevor had made her feel a range of emotions in their time together. Jayden had laughed, she’d pondered a topic or two she’d never fully considered, she’d felt sexy and above all else- she felt noticed. Truly seen.  It was a lot. But, the girl was a hustler by nature. So, she was keeping up with each curveball that day had thrown at her. 

“Imma run to the restroom” Jayden announced. She wasn’t certain why she felt the need to do so. But it seemed far more courteous than roaming through Terrell’s halls. 

“Alright we gotta get ready for you when ya done Miss Jayden!” Terrell called out. 

When she returned, there was no Trevor in sight. Just Roxy and Terrell. Jayden wasn’t disappointed for them being there. Although she was a little put off that Trevor had exited so quickly and without saying goodbye?  She wasn’t about to let that show though. Sure, she really thought she’d felt a connection with him. But, she wasn’t going to let it get in the way of the single calendar event of her year- outside of her birthweek of course. 

“My turn?” Jayden asked as she returned back into the kitchen where the green screen was.  

“Mmmhhmm” Terrell affirmed “I just gotta follow you to this res’room. I dun broke my damn seal. Plus,  we waitin on Trevuh to finish his call.” As if he heard his queue, the front door opened and Trevor came back in. 

“Oh.” Jayden let out. Trevor studied her as Terrell turned towards his restroom. Roxy was on the balcony getting some air and making a call of her own. 

She was feening her cool, unbothered mask. But that one syllable had given her away. “What? You thought I left?” he asked. 

“I mean you were gone. So, yeah.” Jayden said shrugging her shoulders and throwing her wrist back dismissively.

  “Huh.” Trevor stared back quizzically. “I can’t do that just yet. One: I don’t think it’s fair that you got to see mine and I don’t get to see yours and two: I still need to figure out a way to make sure we’re even.”

“Ahh. So you’re stayin?”

“I got a little extra time. Plus, this is definitely worth it. But look, promise me something real quick.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“Since you’re so gung-ho on not taking back the money which is owed to you. Let me pay my debt another way.”

“What if I like the notion of Trevor Jackson being forever indebted to me?” The smolder he returned to her made her feel that someone had pressed play on Puddles again. But she simply crossed her arms and cocked her head at him. They were in yet another staring contest. 

Trevor let a beat pass as he wound up his pitch in his mind. “Aight, how about-

“Okay. I hope ya’ll enjoyed.. Ya break,” Terrell trailed off as he walked in on the tension that occupied the room. Jayden took a small step back from Trevor. She hadn’t realized that they were all in each other's personal space. 

“Yup. I’m ready.” Roxy re-entered from the balcony and grabbed the mic Trevor had used earlier that day to affix to Jayden. “Feel okay?”

“It does.” Jayden said. All of a sudden all of that calm she’d felt left her. She was getting the nerves again. She wasn’t certain if it was because of the game she was going to play or the one she’d been entangled in since she’d laid eyes on Trevor. He himself was still trying to figure out this woman. She had a hard exterior and a beguiling sexual energy that he couldn’t detach himself from. When she sat on that stool allowing Terrell to compliment her outfit and introduce herself a little bit, she radiated. She also had a pretty good voice too for a Shits and Giggles winner. 

“I’m mad at you” Terrell said. 

“Why?” Jayden

“I hear it. I hear that there in ya throat box. You got them vocals.” Terrell said. “Why you hidin?”

“Ohmygod. Hush. I can hold a tune here and there. But I don’t know about them vocals. I don’t know how to control it.” 

Terrell squinted his eyes. “I don’t believe it. Sing that song again. Because you got the emotion. I can tell you feel these songs here. You haf’way there but you too worried about sounded perfect. Let that go.” 

Jayden was quick to adapt. She took that advice from Terrell and moments later you could hear the difference. Closing her eyes she tried again

Have you ever found the one

You've dreamed of all of your life

Do just about anything to look into their eyes

Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to

Jayden tried her best not to get into her head about fucking up and pushed the nervousness down within her. Because when she became tense it would lock up her voice and she would miss her mark altogether

Only to find that one won't give their heart to you

She exhaled from her nose and smiled because she’d clearly sounded better than the first time 

Have you ever closed your eyes and

Dreamed that they were there

Jayden opened her eyes and stopped. She may not have control; but, she knew her limit 

“Now I know you didn’t stop.” Jayden picked up some of the liquid courage Terrell had fixed her. Her coffee was long gone by this point. She couldn’t keep the fear at bay. She didn’t want to make that big of a fool of herself today and have her voice crack like a pre-pubescent teen. 

Trevor was taking it all in.  She was a whole party when put on the spot and she easily gave off a coolness that made you certain to never cross her. She was not one to be played with.  But it was obvious that music opened up another avenue to Jayden. Trevor had seen it when their roles were reversed. She was empathetic to the emotions of  whichever song he sang. 

Her music taste was eclectic as well. She’d come through with country, gospel, r&b, showtunes and she seemed to have every Chicago rapper’s discography down pat. Trevor was genuinely impressed by her ability to copy and paste an artist’s essence into her own. She was fucking up the game and had songs for every word Terrell threw her way. 

“RIGHT R-I-G-H-T” Terrell announced. Jayden glanced a look at Trevor and then she gave her undivided attention to Terrell. 

Just stand right here

Let me show you what I'm about

To do to that body

And come down here

Let me show you where to touch my body

Let the foreplay begiiiin

Bet you never had this before

Cause once I go iiiiiiin

I'm gone have you begging for more

Boy, I'm talking right now, right now, right now, yeah

Right now, oh

Can we make some love right now? 

Jayden laughed and when she’d finished, there was silence. It was like someone had pressed the mute button in real life. Then the room erupted with noise at once 

“UH UH”

“hOw?” 

“Whoa whoa whoa”  all crashed on top of each other. 

“What?” Jayden asked. 

“WHAT?! This heffa really just said WHAT? TUH!” Terrell hollered.

“Wait. You said you’d never heard of Trevor before,” said a very baffled Roxy.

“Before a few hours ago, no. I hadn’t.” Roxy said. Jayden gave a shrug in Trevor’s direction. 

“But you just sang his song?” Roxy asked

“Yeah. Because I heard him sing it earlier. 

“You mean to tell me, that you heard this negro sang that song one time half an hour ago and you committed it to your memory?”

“Yes. I have perfect echoic memory. Obviously I don’t always process this in a way where I can duplicate it perfectly. But, I can mimic it pretty close.”

Trevor finally spoke up. “So when you hear something you can pull up that audio in your mind and not only play it back for yourself but you’ve trained yourself to be able to mimic it almost dead ass spot on?”

“Yeah. That’s pretty much it.” Jayden said as if she’d just read rattled off the day’s weather report. “You’re pretty sharp.” The compliment rolled off of Trevor in his astonished state of mind. Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. “Damn” he muttered looking at the screen. “Aite y’all, that’s my cue.” I gotta head out. Just as his mother had done, Trevor said goodbye to everyone individually. He saved Jayden for last.  “Good luck Jayden. It was nice meeting you. Matter of fact, let me get your info so I can follow up with you to see if you really get that perfect score” He offered his phone out to her with the keypad pulled up. 

“Oh, you already know that I came to win today.” she tapped some buttons and gave him back his phone. Looking down, Trevor realized that she’d followed herself on his Instagram account.  She smiled but her eyes only said one word: 

Checkmate. 

---

TAG LIST: @twistedcharismaaa​ @mygirlrenee @glittermakesmesmile @sarcastic-sunshines @chaneajoyyy @shewrites02 @ghostfacekill-monger @raysunshine78 @shewritestheblues @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade  @fd-writes @eyeknowmywrites​ @thadelightfulone​ @yoyolovesbucky

Imma update my tag list and this fic soon y’all. Hold me to it. 

[skeletorific]

Okay then, can I please get some good ol cuddlin with Marvus an a short female s/o that has been down in the dumps lately?

Oh now you’ve gone and done it. Marvus is on a one man quest to ruin my life, and what’s worse is, he’s succeeding. This got LONG but here we go!!!

The green rooms of clowntown were never exactly the most hospitable place to hang out. Aside from the usual motley crew of unstable clowns ( no one on Marvus’ team would kill you, necessarily, but that doesn’t mean injury wasn’t a threat when a clown was on a rager), the hygiene of the place left something to be desired. Sweat, spilled faygo, sopor slime usually smeared on the walls, as well as a medley of other fluids you usually didn’t care to think about. Combine that with the odors usually wafting from the concert pits out front and, well…..it took some getting used to, to say the least. You showed up to see him after his concerts when you weren’t busy, but all told, not your favorite locale on Alternia.

Usually Marvus’ dressing room was a bit nicer. In fact you could probably head back there now, but…something kept you rooted to the couch, curled up and facing away from the door. The same as when you’d first walked in and collapsed there a couple hours prior. Mindlessly scrolling through Chittr, barely absorbing what you were seeing but incessantly refreshing. 

You weren’t feeling up to it. That was happening more and more lately. It was odd, like the more friends you made, the more that empty spot inside you seemed to gape. And the harder it was to face it. It was like…how much more could you give? Or not give…devour. That’s what it felt like. Like you were one of those perpetually hungry insect lusii that demanded blood from their charges at all costs. Never satisfied, only in search of the next friendship meal.

And it was starting to burn you out.

That wasn’t the only factor, of course. Lack of sleep. Low seratonin. General Alternian shittiness. Rainy Day Syndrome or whatever the hell you wanted to call it. You were so tired and nebulously sad that all you wanted to do was burrow into your makeshift bed back at the outpost, but you’d done that all morning. Only made you feel worse.

So…..you came here.

Marvus was busy, which is a bit like saying the sky is gray or a tealblood loves justice. Its one of those immutable facts of nature that hardly bears repeating. But you came anyways. Because coming here, even those brief snatches of moments he could usually spare you after shows were usually enough to leave you feeling a bit….more real, if that made sense. Like you were a little more tethered to solid ground.

It was probably useless to try and define what you were. Tagora, who’d insisted on knowing the details of  your relationship (and the name of Marvus’ usual legal representation, “just in case” he was looking for someone with a bit more “verve”) had said it was floating on the edges of some quadrant, he just wasn’t sure which one. Tyzias had bluntly asked whether you’d found a matesprit, and Polypa wanted to know if you were looking for a bit of flexibility with the moiraillegiance.

The truth was you weren’t sure where things stood with you. Not just because the quadrants were still relatively alien to you, but also because Marvus didn’t seem pressed to put a word on it himself. Like nearly everything he did there was a casualness to it. He seemed to enjoy your company, and you enjoyed his. He was physically affectionate, but in a manner so light it felt entirely natural. Intuitively you knew that if you ever asked him to stop, he would.

You weren’t fooling yourself: this was something beyond friendship. But oddly enough the ambiguity of it all was appealing. It was nice to have something without the usual batshit stakes everything on Alternia seemed to have. 

You were so lost in this contemplation that you didn’t notice the music fading into screams, which signified the end of a show. The green room slowly filled with idle chatter and sounds of furniture moving as the clowns unwound. But it was a hand on your arm that finally snapped you out of your thoughts. You turned your head to see a familiar face.

“hey” Marvus said, the usual lazy grin on his face as he looked down on you. He looked almost as beat as you felt, sweaty from the stage lights and eyelids drooping low. Despite that, you feel your troubles start to dim a bit just looking at him.

You smile slightly, sitting up a bit to cover his hand with your own. “hey. Finished up for the night.”

“ye. big crowd 2nite so the roadies r gunna b cleanin up for a while. gunna crash here 2nite and head for the next spot in the mornin.” His thumb traced a slow spiral on your arm as he cocked a painted eyebrow. “u doin aight?”

“…yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”  You say, hoping that pause wasn’t as long as it felt. “Why? Something wrong?”

“nah lol. just usually dm me when ur gunna turn up.”

“Is it ok that I’m here?”

“Mmm…” He smirks, pretending to consider it before leaning down to peck your cheek. It pulls an unwitting grin from you, despite the definite greasepaint smudge its left behind. “maybe. u wanna eat smthn?”

You shook your head. You weren’t hungry.

“aight. brb. gunna grab somethin b4 i pass out.” He rose to his feet with his usual casual grace. 

“Ok.” You let go of his hand. He winks and heads for the catering table.

There’s a warm flutter in your chest, but…not as much as you were hoping? No, that’s not fair. But you’re looking around at all these chatty juggalos and it’s only making you realize how tired you are. You just want to decompress right now, but he’s a chronic extrovert. He could be in here for hours, and you didn’t want to pull him away from that just to tend to your own vague emotional needs right now. 

With a resigned sigh, you turn back to your phone. It’s fine. You’ve definitely put up with worse. And at least you’d get to spend some time with him…

About ten minutes later you hear footsteps behind you, getting closer, and then coming to a stop right behind you. You don’t turn around, just scoot your legs a big to give him the room to sit down. You hear a heavy sigh from him that you assume is the precursor to collapsing into the couch. 

Only to be startled by an arm slipping around your waist and hoisting you into the air. 

You yelp, nearly dropping your phone in surprise as you scramble to catch yourself against him. With a couple of effortless turns of your body, Marvus braces you on his hip with one arm and steadies a plate of food with the other, heading out of the room. 

You feel your cheeks growing warmer as you get a grip on his shoulders. None of the other clowns even spare you a glance as he walks by, but despite the apparent frequency of its occurrence, you don’t think you’re ever going to get used to him carting you around like a toddler. Marvus is average by highblood standards, but that doesn’t mean much to a tiny human. Something he takes no small amount of glee in reminding you of as often as possible.

“U-uh….where are we going?” You manage to splutter out. 

“dressin room” He said simply, nudging the door open with his foot and heading inside. The quarters, as always, are somewhat cramped, but luxuriously decked out, closets stuffed with fashionably shredded clothes, a recuperacoon in the corner, and a sectional sofa big enough to double as a bed. Not that anyone on this planet knows what a bed is. Marvus sets the plate of food down on the vanity and shakes off his jacket, trading you from arm to arm. 

“Er…didn’t you want to….” 

“mm. think they can live w/o me 4 a bit lol” Jacket successfully discarded to the floor, he tossed you on the couch like a sack of potatoes and crawled in next to you, bringing the plate with him and propping his elbow up on the arm of the couch to eat.

You frown, sitting up a bit. Marvus never leaves early. You’re lucky if you can drag him out after half the crew has blacked out from the faygo, and-….

Troll fucking jegus, did he really.

“….you don’t have to do this just for me.”

He flicked his eyebrows in that infuriatingly coy way he has, like a silent question mark. “do what”

“Put yourself out for my sake.” 

Dead silence. Which from Marvus is as damning as anything.

You look down at the couch, suddenly unable meet his gaze. There’s a loose thread that you pick at. “It’s not a big deal. Just a low tank day. I’ll survive.”

“if that were true ya wouldn’t be here”

“I wanted to see you.”

“so, ur seein me.” He grinned, licking a stray crumb off his fingertips. “less ur interested in seein more, cuz dan.”

You flush, nudging his shoulder. “I’m serious. Don’t worry about it. You can go out if you want.”

Marvus sighs, tugging lightly at the strings of your hoodie till you’re laying down face to face with him. He pushes some hair out of your face, claws scratching lightly at your scalp. It melts you, like always. Your eyelids lower instinctively as you lean into the touch.

“u think ‘m here against my wishin? shizz, babe, i ain’t that nice a guy.” He grins, continuing to stroke your hair. “‘m here cuz it don’t feel good watchin u b all low n slow. sacriligeous, if u think abt it.” 

His hand slowly traces from your hair, down to your side, coaxing you towards him. You give up fighting it, burying your face in your chest and wrapping your arms around him tight. He tucks his head in the crook of your neck, his breath ghosting on your skin. Like most highbloods, his skin was on the chillier side, but it contrasts nicely with the muggy heat of his dressing room. You feel his fangs gently scraping your neck as he kisses you softly.

“just lemme do my m-fin good deed for the day, aight?” He murmurs. “i gotcha…”

And somehow, you know that even if that hole isn’t getting any smaller….it sure as hell isn’t getting any bigger. 

Not with him around. 

[artisticestheticreads]

Off Script (3)

A/N: Haaaaiiii. Okay, sorry I have not been active on here.This chapter is really short but hopefully it would get better next chapter. So, this is the third chapter of the MBJ X OC series Off Script. I hope y’all enjoy it.

Warning: Super Short. Don’t judge me. I work management in retail and holiday season kicked my thick ass so yeah..

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to songs. Songs are from face claim’s own music.

Word Count: 2475

Today was the day that Candace was waiting for. The day everyone will know she was the new addition to Ryan Coogler’s new movie. She had to go to Comic Con to meet fans of Mortal Kombt with her old loved cast which made the whole thing less suspicious. She pulled out a sheer crop button down top with a pair of leather flare pants since she had to dress similar to her persona, Jade. She wore a long twenty four inch lace front with a part in the middle and tucked one side behind her ear. She showed of her right shoulder and stood in the mirror slipping into her heels. Her black bralette covered her chest nicely as always. She grabbed her backpack with water, a portable charger and her phone to make sure she was all covered. Geo walked up the steps in his usual get up and said “best friend, ready?”

“Yeah, my mom will be here taking care of the dogs since we gonna be all gone today.”

“That’s the plan. I’m real happy for you.”

“Thanks, G. Let’s get going. We needa beat traffic out there because muthafuckas don’t know how to drive.” They made their way down and Candace saw her parents on the couch. “Hey, y’all. I’m out. No parties while I’m gone, no boys, no drugs, alcoholic and no nonsense either.” Tanisha turned to her daughter and smiled. “Look at our baby, Tony. Just flourishing and what not.” Candace and Tanisha were like clones but just a huge age different. Tony turned to his women and laughed. Now, Tony could have past to be Terry Crews long lost brother due to his physique and bald head. She kissed her parents cheeks and said her goodbyes. They hopped into her cherry red 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe with the top down, on their way to Comic Con. Candace asked for Geo to film like she did ever year. “Ok, guys. So today is Comic Con and the cast and I will have a real special announcement plus one for myself but y’all gotta wait for that. But let’s just say that I will be helping making history. I hope to see y’all there.” Geo made the camera pane to the sky as he cut the camera off. “Okay, now the filming crew will be there with us the whole time so you just gonna be guarding and what not”, she said to Geo and her nodded fixing his tie.

When they pulled up to the celebrity parking, she gave her key to valet as they both got out. “Alright, Terry just text me and told me they here already with Oliva and nem. We can get on the next elevator ride and meet them. After, we gotta meet with Ryan and talk about my entrance.” As she said that, Geo ran to the elevator door and held it open with his foot and left hand. “G, you are always so extra. I meant the next ride down beside it might be crowded”, she said with a laugh. When she finally made it over, she saw the cast of Black Panther II. She saw Ryan wink at her from the back as she stepped in. Lupita hugged her first before they began talking and then she turned to see Chadwick, Leticia and Danai smiling and waving with Michael standing to his Ryan’s left. “Y’all smell that? That’s that black magic”, said Leticia grinning and elbowing her on screen brother. Chadwick seemed happier since his lady Simone was no where around. Candy smiled as she laughed and said “I smell Oscars and then some.” Danai pointed to her and gave her a homegirl high five. Candy looked around and curiously asked “is Winnie not in the new movie?”

“No, he is. He is downstairs waiting for us. How come you’re here? Thought you were on vacation”, Lupita asked and Candy simply told them “well, Mortal Kombat is releasing a new project for the public. Well, I guess I can tell y’all. It’s a new video game with our faces in it. We basically are doing all the moves, voices and all. It’s pretty realistic. With me being a video gamer and anime fan, it was perfect to get involved in.” Chadwick dug his hands in the pockets of his black trousers and said “well, that sounds fun. I may have to come by the booth and check it out.”

“Please do. I would love that. Y’all can all come actually. If y’all like. Show some support, y’know?”

“I’m down”, Leticia said and so did the other except for Michael who just watched and nodded. Geo held his ear piece closed and spoke into it then to Candy. “Alright, baby girl. We arrive in five...” As he continued to countdown, Candace took a deep breath and smiled towards the door with her right leg out and hands on her hips. When the doors open, her camera crew was ready and her fans cheered her name behind the rope. She winked at her future cast and was off, doing her Jade model walk. She made it to her booth and began signing autographs. Ryan said that he would be ready at around 2:45pm and to wait by stage until he did the introduction; it was 12:39 pm, Chadwick came by around 1 pm and saw Candy. “Hey, there. Do you mind if I get a few autographs for my nephews. They’re fans of yours”, he asked handing them to her. She smiled and said “sure but I need yours for my god sons. Little boys been bugging me all week about it.” He knelt down as she signed the pictures and whispered. “Y’know, when I heard you know who got the part, I was upset.”

 Candace looked up to him and finally got what he was talking about; she looked up letting him continue. “I don’t see her like that. She can sing and dance but acting is not her thing at all. I heard it was a girl way better. She even came with her hair dyed and everything. To be honest, you would have been perfect. I’ve seen you as Jade and your videos of your African impression were spot on. And you look good in cat suit. But I’m glad you are taking time from all this to be with your family. Enjoy it while it lasts, baby girl. You have many of years to work hard. You’re still young, explore the world.”

“Thanks, Chad. I’ll be over there in a minute, okay”, she kissed his cheek as he placed the pictures in his bag and made his way. Candy smiled and bit her lip as she thought that maybe it was worth not taking a vacation for. Geo came to her side and whispered “let’s make our way. We got 45 minutes to get over there in time.” They made their way over, she stood by the stage waiting to watch them when she felt two strong hands on shoulders. She turned to see a familiar face. “Winnie”, she jumped into his arms as he swung her around. He wore a yellow sweatshirt with camouflage bottoms and yellow sneakers. He placed her down gently and asked “came to see me?”

“Of course I did, Sir Winston C. Duke.” They laughed as Angela Basset came by. “Look at my Delta baby. How are you doing, Miss Candace?” Angela gave her a big church mother hug and Candace replied with “I’m blessed.” Angela agreed with a smile and told Winston, “I’m sorry to interrupt but Ryan needs us backstage. We are about to start.” Winston nodded his hand before giving Candy one more bear hug. “Good luck, guys”, Candace waved and waited. Geo stood beside her, leaning into her ear. “They finna get a surprise on their hands, huh?”

“Sure are. Y’know Chad back there told me something at my booth a few minutes ago.”

“What he say?”

“He said I would have been perfect. But also said I have plenty of time to work.” Geo stood closer to her and asked “do you regret taking the part, now?” She looked at him and said “nah, but I am def taking a damn break after this one. A good year or so. Probably go back to Africa or something.” Geo nodded as they watched Ryan Coogler take stage. He wore black sweatershirt, jean, sneaker combination. “Hey, hey. How y’all doing”; the crowd cheered. “I wanna thank all of you for coming out to the Comic Con 2020. I am blessed to be back to direct for this new installment. We have an amazing cast for y’all and hope to top the first. Y’all ready?” The crowd cheered once again as Candace playfully covered her ears watching. “First off, we have the man himself. Give it up for Chadwick Boseman a.k.a T’Challa. KING OF WAKANDA!” The crowd went crazy as Chadwick strolled on stage being as smooth as always. He gave Ryan brotherly love and stood beside him. “Next up, we have the smartest princess of Wakanda. Give it up for Princess Shuri, LETICIA WRIGHT.” Leticia walked on stage doing a little dance that her and Chadwick did to make one another laugh and stood beside him. One by one, he called the others and lastly was everyone’s favorite villain. “Give it up for the prince himself, MICHAEL B. JORDAN.” Everyone went crazy when he approached the stage. He walked with a confident stride bowing to the crowd and do his signature hand pose.

  A woman with red hair came to Candace side and led Geo and herself to the backstage as Ryan spoke more. “Aight, so y’all must have heard what has been going on with the new member of the cast. Media been going crazy for the actress everyone thought we hired but I’m here to tell y’all none of that was true. The real actress is already here to make this announcement for you. Please give it up for one of the hardest working young ladies. Star of her own YouTube channel for fifteen years, Oscar and Tony winner, Angela Basset’s sorority daughter and her first role that got her where she is now. Give it up for Madam Slay herself… CANDACE ‘BABY GIRL’ MONROOOOOOOOE.” The crowd went crazy as Candace took stage, waving and smiling. Lupita and Angela were the first to run to her and give her so much love. Candace giggled as Lupita kept holding on to her and Letitia made her way to the group smiling and gave her a hug as well as Chadwick made his way over. He gave Candace a dap and a hug as they all made their way back in line. Candace stood next to Michael who paid her no mind. “Aight, aight. See y’all at the panel.” The cast all waved to the crowd and Chadwick was the first to step down, helping all the ladies down.

 An interviewer sat them down at a table where the women sat and the men stood. “Thank you guys for joining me”, the male said and they all nodded. “This looks a very well planned cast. Congratulations to the amazing Candace Monroe. How do you feel?” Candace smiled as she answered.

“Blessed. Blessed to be with such an amazing cast and blessed to just be here.” The man smiled with a nod and asked Chadwick. “Chadwick, how do you feel that you have a woman who does most of her own stunts like Miss Monroe here?” He stood behind her with his hands behind his back and said “feels great to have her on the team. I’ve been watching her since MK and I know she will bring a lot to the table.” Candace looked back and to the camera with her charming smile. The interviewer looked to Ryan and asked “Ryan, how was her audition?”

“She did really, really well. Madam Slay is the perfect character for her but it will also will be a challenge that I know she can handle.”

“How does everyone else feel?” Danai looked over to Candace then to the man and said “I am very happy. She is a talented individual that will do great,” Danai finished with wink to her. Angela hugged Candace’s shoulder and said “I couldn’t have said it any better.” Everyone agreed but Michael only nodded. After the questions ended, the group made their way to the panel and sat waiting for the Q and A portion. A woman dressed in a Jade costume stood at the microphone and asked “this is for Candace.” The crowded cheered and Candace leaned into her mic with a smile and said “yes, my sweet baby?”

“How do you think you would do in Black Panther?” Candace folded her hands and said “well, to be honest. I am a tad anxious. I always am when I take on a new role in anything I do. I’m nervous that I won’t bring anything to the table and let down everyone that believes in me. But, all I can do is try my hardest and do my absolute best.” The crowd clapped as she smiled small and Winston kissed her head. A man dressed as Killmonger in the museum scene said “this is for Mike. Michael, how you feel that you got a beautiful woman like Candace as your lady in the movie?” The group turned to him slightly before looking ahead. “I’m thankful. We might be a good pair but only time will tell. She got talent and she works hard so I’m a happy man.” Candace smiled a little as she sipped her water.

 Finally, the panel came to an end and the group got to just enjoy the rest of their time. Geo came to Candace’s side and asked “where to first, boss?” She looked up at him and flicked his ears. “Bwoy, you forget we friends huh?” Leticia laughed at the pair and said “well, I’m finna get out of here. I got a photoshoot tomorrow so I gotta take care of some stuff.”

“Okay, T. But don’t forget we start reading tomorrow and all month with training starting in two weeks”, Ryan said before she said her goodbyes. Candace played with her lanyard as she watched all the people pass her. She really was terrified on being Madam Slay but all she had to so was just hope for the better. “Well, I don’t know about you guys but I will be living my Comic Con fantasy and buy all the stuffies my little hands touch. Oh and get some food or what not.” They laughed expect for Michael who looked around. Ryan told her “I will text you the details in a few. Enjoy ya night, Madam.”

*𝕋𝔸𝔾𝔾𝔼𝔻 𝕃𝕆𝕍𝔼𝕊*

@muse-of-mbaku @im5ftbutmythroat66 @chaneajoyyy @melanin-samii @theunsweetenedtruth @doux-ciel @unicornluvin8765@vikkidc @wakandantings @thadelightfulone @mzamethystp@simbiann @tropicalsun10 @babydoll756 @notoriouslynay@vminax @quinsly @pinkdemolition @quietstorm-73@chaoticcashfancroissant @bugngiz @chocolatedippedinhoney@yafavcocoa @lostgalaxies @mbakuwife@youreadthatright@babygotl01292003 @acceptyourselfloveyourself @madamslayyy@yoyolovesbucky @theogbadbitch @wakanda-inspired@bitchacho25 @toniilaney @wakandascrystal@girlsneedlovingfanfics @raysunshine78 @melodyofmbaku@hearteyes-for-killmonger @silenceisplatinum @thickemadame@shookmcgookqueen @heykillmongerluhme@fonville-designs @cutewylie @allhailqueennel @10bsatatime @nickidub718 @lildashofmelanin @allhailqueennel @amirra88 @hakunalive4eva@thickemadame @ghostfacekill-monger @cherrystainedlipsbaby

[seromreven]

title: names.

anonymous requested: “Some Lennstarr pet names perhaps?? ‘,:)”

author’s note: aight, slept a lot and ate myself sick in sushi so i’m feeling much better now. poured a bit of my sad mood into this fic so... enjoy! ;)

---

1960,

John saw him across the bar as he was performing and knew that was it- he was completely and utterly smitten. Ringo Starr, the drummer for the band that had played earlier- Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, stood leaned up against the bar and looked towards the stage with his blue eyes that John felt he could just fall into and never get out. None of that was ever going to be said out loud or admitted to anyone by the singer, of course, but he would still shoot his shot at the other man in hopes of his trousers tightening feelings were reciprocated. So the moment his band’s set were done, John jumped off the stage and made his way towards the man and the bar. Ringo were quick to noticing him to- his eyes turning to John, his Tony Curtis styled hair bouncing slightly as he turned towards the approaching singer.

“H-Hey,” John’s words came out in a jumble and he cursed audibly at himself. He had to be smooth! Sauvy! This was no different with girls! Ringo looked at him, slightly pitying, but overall amused. “Hi, John,” he said with a smile and John just about swooned at his deep voice. Man… what was going on with him. John shook his head, and- hey! He knew his name! “You… You know who I am?”

John felt his face flush and cursed- this time inwardly at himself. He was acting like a total love-struck bird. “Of course,” Ringo chuckled, “I’m a big fan, kid.” Ignoring the fact that Ringo couldn’t be much older than himself, he stuttered at the compliment and leaned against the bar in a cool and not at all stifled manner. “Let me buy you a bevvy then,” he smirked and waved down the bartender. Ringo gave a bark of laughter and patted John on the back, sending hard shivers down his spine, “go ‘ed, lad.”

---

1964,

John woke up in bed one exhausting morning. It was the day after a long and hard night of performing and screaming girls but today- today was their day off and he had planned to stay in bed as long as he could with Ringo’s arms around him the entire time. He gave the man’s waist a soft squeeze as he snuggled in tighter. There was a small rumble, making the chub of his cheeks shake and he leaned back to find Ringo smiling brightly down at him, “mornin’, love,” he whispered in a loving voice and John’s cheeks grew warm. “Didn’t mean to wake ya, Rings,” John muttered into the man’s naked chest but couldn’t help but smile at the overwhelming love that grew in his chest at the sound of the drummer’s relaxed breathing and the beating of his heart. Ringo’s arm tightened around him and he felt a kiss land on the top of his head, “‘s all right, dear.”

---

1969,

Ringo and John’s relationship were in… a disarray. And it was safe to say it had been for a while now. They hadn’t argued or disagreed or… anything like it. They were just growing further apart. The entire band was. The appearance of Yoko certainly hadn’t helped. John wanted both. He wanted from Ringo what he couldn’t get from Yoko and vice versa and… Ringo tried so hard to comply. He still loved him so deeply, but it was growing increasingly… challenging. No longer did they stay overnight at each other’s houses. They had gone from long stay-ins in bed to quickies in the studio’s bathrooms or in various rooms of John’s large house whenever Yoko was out doing whatever. John showered him with filthy words and names as they fucked against walls and tables. From ‘handsome’ whispered into Ringo’s ears as he went past John to his drum set to ‘lover’ and ‘lover boy’ as he was railed in John’s marital bed.

---

1980,

John called one early December morning, sounding tired and distraught. He had had a nightmare and Yoko was out with Sean, and he knew not who to call but Ringo. They had seen much less of each other but more so than they saw of the other Beatles. John told him was his dream with whispers of ‘old friend’. Told him of increasing darkness and bleak endless corridors lining his dreams. He whimpered as he retold of his worries and Ringo tried to calm him down over their transatlantic call. Told him stories of their golden days with hushed reassurances and warm, cosy, ideas of what to do once they saw each other again. “I’ll be all right, dear,” Ringo comforted his friend, “we’ll see each other again real soon.”

[youreallyshouldtalkmore]

Wakandan OutReach Center_HalloweenSpecial_ Part 2

This is a Halloween special that is part of the Lion and his Lamb series!

I also think this can double as black cosplay/cosplayer fan fiction as well!! 

Tags: @chaneajoyyy​

Part 2

It was finally Halloween Night and the center was flooded.

Flooded, do you hear me!

People pouring every which a way.  You couldn’t remember a time when this many people were at the center at one time. Everyone from the young to the old were there. Many were in costumes but some were not. For this Halloween party, a costume was not mandatory to join. None of you wanted anyone to feel left out so you didn’t make it an requirement. However for the less fortunate younger children, you had a rack of some basic costumes so they could feel the joy in dressing up.

You were dressed as a fairy and was in charge of face painting. You didn’t realize just how popular the face painting session would be. Especially for the younger children so at the beginning of the party you spent most of your time with them painting the little faces.

The younger children were in awe of your costume, especially since you were not a black Tinkerbell. Instead you decided it would be cool to be an aziza, which was an African fairy of the Dahomey tribes.  So many people were shocked to know that Africa even had their version of fairies.

You had just finished a little boy’s face and gave him a hug before sending him on his way.  The party had only been going for a half an hour so far. You hadn’t seen either T’Challa or Nakia so you wondered when they’d make their entrance. You hadn’t seen their final costume either so you were looking forward to it.

You stood with a small stretch and almost jumped when you heard the suddenly grotesque laughter coming from the haunted house that was on the parking lot.

From your basic understanding, apparently Shuri had invented some space condrium thing that allowed the haunted house to be bigger on the inside than the space it took up on the parking lot. It also generated some heat allowing it to not be so cold around the center. Killed two birds with one stone, she said.  

You hadn’t been in the haunted house and if you had your way you’d stay out. You weren’t particularly fond of haunted houses or being scared in general. Something that Erik had teased you about since he found out.

Speaking of Erik, you heard the familiar group of giggles from the female teenagers before you saw him.  You giggled when he came into view, surrounded by the teenagers. 

Ahh, you had to say, this was your best work.

You didn’t think your boyfriend counted on the fact that dressing as an African vampire would go over so well. As such he had garnered a little following for the night. You looked him over.

You thought he was handsome anyway but as a vampire…...

He wore Nigerian outfit and fangs. 

You made him outline his eyes which he gripped about. 

He apparently had his fangs custom made because they were gold fangs. (And he kept telling everyone else who’d listen that they were way too into the Halloween thing...) 

He was even wearing golden earrings. 

And he carried an apple around as a prop.

You can see why when the girls saw him they went absolutely insane. They had never seen a vampire like this before.

“Aight, Imma go see my girl….” Erik stressed as he spotted you across the room.

“Okay!” the girls chorus all giggling again.

You saw them tittering as he walked over you, dragging you into the corner without pause in his step. He looked over his shoulders once and the girls tittered again before looking at you.

He gave you a hard stare, “Imma blame you for this.”

“You’re welcome!” you chirped.

Erik forked and eyebrow, “Ain’t you jealous?”

You waved your hands, “Of them 18-20 year olds? Naahhh….in the interest of education and fun this season, I can share my boyfriend for a few hours.”

Erik gazed down at you and you couldn’t help the shiver in your heart. His gaze seemed especially piercing as his eyes were outlined. Finally he grinning showing off his golden fangs, “Aight….”

You suddenly became suspicious, “Alright?”

Erik nodded, “ Yeah, I can do no other than what my woman wants. If she wants to share her boyfriend with some underage girls in the spirit of the season, who am I to argue?”

You twitched once. How the devil was this man twisting your words?

Erik shrugged an turned around to give a nod to the girls who suddenly started flitting all over themselves, “As a vampire, I do have a reputation to uphold. We know that vampires like young blood….”

He went to walk away but you reached out and grabbed his wrist. He didn’t turn around though there was a mad grin on his face. Slowly he turned his head and looked at you before looking pointedly at your grip. His dark eyes went back to yours.

You looked at him coolly, “Try it and this fairy will come out of her ant hill to stab you.”

Erik cackled then before turned to you and gripping both sides of your face with his hands. He leaned down until his lips was next to your ear, “Ain’t you cute….?”

You pushed him back with a roll of your eyes.

Suddenly the lights in the center flickered making you look around worriedly until you heard Shuri on an speaker.

When and how she did that, you won’t ask.

“Can I have everyone’s attention please? I need everyone to come out to the parking lot as we have a special surprise for you. One that cannot be missed. This is your 2 minute warning. Thank you!”

Both eyebrows went up and you looked up at Erik, “Know something about this?”

Erik shrugged, “It’s Shuri….do we need a reason?”

You nodded and both of your filed out with the rest of the group. Shuri was standing in front of the haunted house, holding her tablet and when she saw you both, she waved. Erik and you made your way to her side.

Shuri decided to be a mad scientist, with goggles on top of her head. When you heard her idea, you thought it was perfect. She added her own flair which made her doctor’s coat, have African prints instead of being a pure white lab coat. 

“Sister Y/N….Cousin!!” she greeted with a huge smile.

“So, what’s going on?” you asked looking around.

Shuri gave a secretive smirk, “You’ll know when you see it.”

Without another word she stepped up to address the crowd who quieted down,

“Ladies and Gentlemen!!” Shuri cried, “I present to you….the King and Queen of the Nile…..”

Shuri pressed something on her tablet and stepped to the side. Everyone looked around waiting to see what would happen. After a second you along with everyone else saw a light in the sky and looked up. 

You saw T’Challa ship slowly float down to the ground across the way. The ship hovered before the the hatch open. 

Suddenly, music began to filter out into the parking lot.

Your eyes widen as you watched in anticipation. After a moment, eight Dora filled out in two lines. What caught you off guard was that they were dressed in Egyptian style armor instead of their normal uniforms.  They marched perfectly in sync down the platform before they turned so they were facing each other.

A hush fell of the crowd, even as the music continued and although Shuri wasn’t saying anything you could hear the cackle in her smirk.

After a moment, two identical looking Egyptian thrones came floating out side by side. Suddenly you were getting Stargate SG-1 feels….

Your mouth fell open as you saw T’Challa and Nakia dressed to the gills as the Pharaoh and Queen of Egypt. They looked looked regal and solemn though you could see the mirth in their eyes from where they sat. They even were holding scepters that the Egyptian royalty held.

The audience began to titter as excitement flowed through. You barely gave the audience an glance so enthralled with this production. You could heard and saw a few phone cameras going off though.

The chairs floated to front of the crowd and landed. T’Challa gracefully stood up and held out his hand to Nakia who took it and stood. The chairs then, seemingly on their own, turned and floated back to the ship which at sometime floated back up to the sky and disappeared, but you certainly didn’t notice as you were taken with the couple.

T’Challa step forward to draw attention to himself. He must have been wearing some kind of microphone you couldn’t see as his voice was amplified.

“Welcome, my children!”  he intone, “I hope that you are enjoying this Halloween party. We the King and Queen of Egypt have come from the Nile to join you this evening.”  

You were floored. You never thought that they would take your idea and run this far with it. You gazed around finally looking at some of the reactions of the crowd. Even the older people seemed in stunned awe just at the younger ones. You blinked. Why the devil did you feel a little misty all of a sudden?   

It takes a lot for Erik to become speechless but this was one moment it managed to be accomplished. In all his life, he had never seen a more accurate representation of the Nile and even at his age it stunned him. Although he would not tell them, he was suddenly filled with a sense of pride watching T’Challa and Nakia enter the building followed by a large portion of the crowd. He heard Shuri telling that that there was going to a selfie station if anyone wanted photos with the Pharaoh and his Queen.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Erik gave a laugh as he slipped his arms around your shoulder without taking his eyes off of the people around them, “You did good, ma.”

He frowned when he heard a sniff and looked down to see you were fanning yourself and blinking rapidly.

“Are you crying?” Erik asked incredulously.

“I ain’t crying….my sinuses acting up.” you said. Erik thought it might be prudent to not mention that your voice wobbled once.  

Instead he said with a roll of his eyes, “You better watch that makeup.”

You waved your hand at him, “Don't’ worry about it. It’s waterproof.”

Erik looked down at your incredulously, “Waterproof? You planned for this didn’t you? What did you spend another $100 on makeup like you did last time?”

“Nope! I kept it shy of $50!!” answered with a chirp before walking toward the building.

Erik rolled his eyes and followed. As expected Erik could see a line of the people waiting to get photos with T’Challa and Nakia.

Neither of you could figure out, since it wasn’t there before, there were a section of the gym that had became a selfie station with the throne of the Pharaoh and Queen with a smaller throne between them for the person to sit in on a dais. 

To come up the four stairs you had to pass two Dora Milaje facing each other. The other Dora were lined around the gym. You giggled to see a few kids running up to them to get a better look at them in their costumes. 

Behind T’Challa and Nakia was a digital representation of a throne room.  

Shuri was monitoring taking the photos. 

You shook your head and giggled, “Your family is so extra!!”

Erik sighed, “I notice.”

The two of you watched a moment longer before Erik suddenly through his arm around your shoulder. You looked at him warily as he grinned, golden fangs and kohl making him look downright devilish, “Now what I got to do to get you into that haunted house, ma?”

You glared at him, “You trying to die tonight?”

Erik cackled.

A.N: I just want to put it out there. If we can get someone to do Chadwick Boseman as an Pharaoh drawing the way we have Lupita as Nefertiti.....I’m just saying.... 

Pass the word....