#I’ve known here for years and I see a lot of her art on here without any credit

[sakurapika]

A (possibly) helpful guide to the Nikki-verse for Infinity Nikki Players

❄️Updated December 28th

Although it’s not at all necessary to know the lore of the previous games (Love Nikki, Shining Nikki), here is some info that you might benefit from if you’re joining the fandom with Infinity Nikki!

❄️General Info:

Love Nikki, Shining Nikki, and Infinity Nikki are all stand-alone games with self-contained stories, but they have some commonalities that I will get into later.

Love Nikki (LN) has a 2D art style, and is where many of us "veteran" players began our journey. Shining Nikki (SN) has both 2D and 3D art. Both of these games are stunning, so check them out!

Before Love Nikki, there were two other dress-up games in this series that did not involve being transported into a magical world. They were called NikkiUp2U (released 2012) and Hello Nikki (released around 2016). These games are more obscure, with the latter currently only being available in China, so not much is known about them to international fans.

The developers of the game are Chinese, so expect to get a lot of goodies around Lunar New Year and other major Chinese holidays!

According to Hello Nikki, our main character is around 19 years old. In Shining Nikki, she talks about how she used to go to college before getting transported to Miraland. Her birthday is December 6, which is why Infinity Nikki came out last week and why we got a free outfit (we’ll get a new one every year!)

Nikki's Chinese name is Nuan Nuan, how cute!

Momo claims he’s not a cat, but a member of the “Momo Clan” (LN). He was a little annoying in Love Nikki, but he’s more endearing in later games.

Nikki and Momo are the only recurring characters in the franchise.

The biggest advice I can give as a veteran is: Don't bother with trying to make a visually cohesive outfit for styling battles unless you have a lot of clothing. We've all tried it. It won't work. For now, just layer on everything that has high stats. You're always free to wear your fashionable outfits during regular gameplay, and "glow up" your favorite clothes when you have enough resources, so that you can make better outfits for later battles.

I've seen a lot of people in other places asking about whether the Nikki games will have more androgynous or masculine clothing, and they probably will! It took a while for these clothes to appear in LN and SN, but there are definitely several options out there, from ouji fashion to streetwear to military-style outfits. Read about the seven nations below to find out more.

A lot of people also seem curious about representation for people of color. Unfortunately, the options can be quite limited, as it took a while for textured hair options to appear for players in Love Nikki, and I'm not quite sure about the situation in Shining Nikki. Different cultures are represented in Miraland (as explained below) but they still have their limitations. With Infinity Nikki being more oriented towards an international fanbase than previous games, though, perhaps the developers will be encouraged to branch out more.

❄️Worldbuilding

The world that Nikki has been transported into is called Miraland.

Miraland is composed of seven nations, each with their own distinct fashion style. That means that if you do not like the style of clothes we’ve been seeing so far in Infinity Nikki, do not worry! They’ll have everything eventually.

For some reason, they changed the names of the countries in Infinity Nikki, and I’m not sure why (I’m going to keep mixing them up…). Below, I’ve listed their LN/SN names first, and their Infinity Nikki names second.

The seven nations are:

🎀Lilith/Ninir/Heartcraft Kingdom: In the older games, it was known mostly for fairytale-inspired clothing and lolita fashion, with the occasional “pastoral” suit. It looks like Heartcraft Kingdom in Infinity Nikki has been leaning more into the pastoral aesthetic, but Nonoy’s outfit seems to be in the lolita style. Also, the suits we have been crafting so far for catching bugs and petting the animals is at least lolita-inspired. (People who wear lolita fashion, please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the Chinese version of this fashion is a lot more loose with the rules than the Japanese version I am more familiar with). This kingdom is always the first to be introduced in these games. Expect drama to follow whenever we get introduced to the royal family of this kingdom…it always happens. Nikki's first friend is always from this kingdom--we started with Bobo in Love Nikki, then Joy in Shining Nikki, and now Nonoy in Infinity Nikki.

🐉Cloud Empire/Lanling Empire: Known for traditional and modern Asian fashion. A vast majority of the fashions are going to be inspired by Chinese fashion, so if you’re a fan of period dramas or xianxia, you’re in luck! Aside from hanfu and qipao, they also usually have some representation of other East Asian cultures, featuring several kimono and the occasional hanbok. (Due to some controversies in Shining Nikki relating to conflicts between China and Korea, however, I’m not sure if the developers will continue to add hanbok in future games). Love Nikki also included some outfits for Chinese ethnic minorities like the Miao, and Vietnamese ao dai if I remember correctly. All games also have at least one Peking Opera costume—it’s like an industry staple. Overall, Cloud Empire is usually the second kingdom to be introduced in the game, so I’m sure we’ll see it pretty soon. Maybe we’ll go along with Tan Youyou, depending on how the story will go.

👠Apple Federation/Starhail Federation: Known for streetwear, high fashion, and casual clothing (like what you’d wear on an average day). I think Dada and Bebe’s outfits would be classified as Apple, even though they live in Heartcraft. Unlike the rural towns we have seen so far, Apple tends to be a very urban, city-based environment, filled with spies and shady businessmen. Nikki's girlfriend, Kimi (from Love Nikki), is also from here.

👑Pigeon Kingdom/Twinmoon Kingdom: Known for European fashions, including fairy costumes, witch/sorcerer outfits, Rococo dresses (with long skirts, compared to the lolita style in Lilith/Ninir/Heartcraft), and anything else you’d expect to see in a Western fantasy or period drama. Funnily enough, there is always at least one scene in the Pigeon Kingdom that has to do with a cathedral, so expect some fashions with gothic and Catholic-inspired imagery as well. Some of the inhabitants who live there are elves and fairies, like Timis. Although most of the ability outfits we have so far look like they're from Lilith/Ninir/Heartcraft, the "purification" outfit strikes me as something more typical of Pigeon.

⚔️North Kingdom/Empire of Light: A cold country best known for winter clothing—heavy scarves, overcoats, and hats—as well as military attire. There is also at least one "ice queen" style suit in every game. If I recall correctly, this kingdom has been having civil wars since Love Nikki, so expect a lot of action in this area. I suspect that Bettina is from here, but I'm not sure yet.

🐪Wasteland/Terra Alliance: The original name of this country sparked a lot of controversy, so I'm glad that they have changed it. This kingdom usually has desert-themed clothing, ancient Greek/Egyptian clothing, clothing inspired by nature, bohemian clothing, South, and Southeast Asian clothing (the cultural representation isn’t always the best, unfortunately…but I am optimistic that Shining Nikki and Infinity Nikki are more culturally sensitive than Love Nikki).

🤖Ruin Island/Whaleport: A mysterious island that features “futuristic” or sci-fi inspired clothing. In previous games, we have seen medical doctors with dubious legitimacy, scientists who experiment on themselves (?) and androids, so I’m curious to see who we’ll meet this time. Many players from the previous games who liked this style have felt that the developers often neglect this kingdom, unfortunately.

❄️Story and gameplay advice

Without spoiling the older games, I can say that, generally...

Most of the story is based on conflicts between different characters and sometimes different kingdoms. These problems, as mentioned before, are solved through styling battles.

Infinity Nikki seems to be going for a cozier vibe. However, both of its predecessors have sometimes gone into dark territories, featuring themes of war, violence, and betrayal. (I may or may not have cried over the death of a certain someone in Love Nikki...)

Therefore, dramatic things could very well happen in Infinity Nikki. I'm not saying that it can't be your comfort game if that is what you are hoping for, as the other games can still also be light, funny, and cozy. I just want to warn more sensitive players who might not be expecting it from a dress-up game.

When I first wrote this guide, I initially thought that the miracle outfits were like the "lifetime suits" of previous games, where crafting them was optional and not necessary to progress through the story. However, this seems not to be the case. Nevertheless, take your time while crafting them--there's no need to rush.

I'm not sure how f2p-friendly Infinity Nikki will be, but I haven't spent anything on either of the other games and I've been able to buy many of the suits I wanted. Just make sure that you budget accordingly and remember that if you want one suit but can't afford it at the time, another suit with a similar aesthetic might come out in the future. Also banners can re-run!

Keep an eye out for redeem codes! These are often posted by the game's social media, and you can get a lot of free stuff.

The fan-favorite kingdoms are usually Lilith/Ninir (Heartcraft) and Cloud (Lanling), followed by Pigeon (Twinmoon) and Apple (Starhail). The other three tend to get neglected, so if you like the sound of those the most, I'm sorry... :(

The last two sections include speculation, trivia, and an explanation of some inside jokes from the other games. Feel free to skip them if needed!

❄️Continuity and Fandom References to Other Nikki Games

Like I said earlier, the Nikki games can all work as standalone games, and the only returning characters are Nikki and Momo.

However, I've added this section to discuss possible theories and connections, as well as catch others up to speed on some of the inside jokes and characters that we Nikki veterans like to talk about.

If you keep hearing names like "Bobo," "Lunar," "Kimi," and "Nidhogg," these are characters from Love Nikki.

Bobo and Lunar are some of the first characters we met in LN. Kimi is the closest character we have to a canon love interest for Nikki. All of them are fan-favorites, so we're hoping to see any references to them in Infinity Nikki as well.

I can't say much about the very controversial and very popular Nidhogg without spoiling LN, but at least you now know where the name is from.

In Love Nikki, there is a "blood curse" that prevents people from using violence. Therefore, people often resolve conflicts by entering styling battles and destroying each other with the power of a good outfit.

Never ask a Love Nikki player what happened in Chapter 15.

Shining Nikki takes place roughly 700 years before Love Nikki, where there is no blood curse (which means certain people have managed to commit certain crimes...). Several SN characters are the ancestors of, or otherwise related to, LN characters.

Nikki veterans often like to make references to Ashley, Lilith (the person), Joy, and Qin Yi. These are all Shining Nikki characters.

So far, we haven't seen such a connection between old games and Infinity Nikki, so a lot of people suspect that this might be an alternate universe. When more about this version of Miraland is known, I might make another post.

❄️My predictions for future updates

Every time we enter a new country in Miraland, we will have new ability outfits to craft to fit the style of the new setting. This is because most of the outfits we have so far look like Lilith/Ninir suits in previous games, with very few influences from other nations.

The next country to be introduced will most likely be Lanling. I originally thought that they'd let us visit Lanling in time for Lunar New Year, but with the scope of the story, I think it may take some more time before that.

The next big update will be around Lunar New Year, where they'll probably hold some five-star banners, give free diamonds as a login event, and make a new short story, if they celebrate the same way as in Shining Nikki. They're probably also going to give us another free suit. (I hope it's Legend of the White Snake themed, since next year is Year of the Snake!)

Then, we'll probably see the equivalent of the Apple Federation, followed by Pigeon Kingdom.

We will get a new version of this stunning dress. It's called the Star Sea and has shown up in every game so far. I'm actually surprised we haven't heard about it in Infinity Nikki yet.

Please let me know if this guide has been useful, and if there's other parts of the games you'd like me to cover!

[colgatebluemintygel]

helloooooo <333 it’s been a while!! i haven’t really known how to come back to this account, or what to say. there’s a lot to say!! ummm where 2 start… i’m back! sort of! i’m so nearly finished up w postgrad, and i’ll soon be back to writing. i will finish on another ocean! but after that? i don’t really know lol. i have a million more ideas for wolfstar, but there is a huge ol something holding me back from even thinking about starting to write them. everyone will have their own feelings about jkr and the role that fic plays in promoting her brand, and a few layers below that, her beliefs. i don’t have the answers as for what’s right, but i can say with certainty that writing harry potter fanfiction has not sat right with me for a while now. i feel like i’m letting my trans friends down by being here. they would never, ever say this to me, or tell me that i should be ashamed, but it’s how i feel. and i do believe there’s a good reason for that. guilt can be a very good teacher; it’s very tempting to try and find ways to nullify it, to reason it away. but there’s a reason i feel guilty about my involvement in this fandom. because, to an extent, whether it is small or not-so-small, i am guilty. in a way, i am complicit. i’ve sat with my feelings on this matter for years now, and they have not changed; all the while, jkr has doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and quintupled down on her transphobia in ways that are truly, truly horrifying and that actively harm trans people every single fucking day. that is the reality, and i can’t separate the art from that. i know there are trans folk in this space who still find a lot of comfort in this world and these characters. we need to hold them extra tight in times like these, and to amplify their voices. when trans people tell you that it hurts them, harms them, to see people still casually buying merch or talking about the new hbo show, you need to listen. solidarity and allyship is not about platitudes. if trans people don’t feel safe in this fandom - which, i have on v good authority, many do not!!! - then we are failing them. we all need to do better.

beyond that, this fandom is totally fucking cooked. HAHA. umm? i’m genuinely baffled by the amount of creators i’ve seen chased out and harassed. this fandom is actively autocannibalising in a v unsexy way. and i honestly don’t think that’s going to change, which makes me v sad. in lots of ways i’ve been lucky: i haven’t been doxxed or deadnamed, or received death threats, but there have been months (even years) where i haven’t enjoyed being here one single bit. and that’s a buzzy environment to be in when you’re trying (and expected to) create for other people. not even medication can mollify my terror of posting another story for this fandom, which is fucked because they’ve helped me to confront my greatest lifelong fears LOL.

this post doesn’t really have a conclusion. there are a million reasons i should leave, and they’re all very good reasons. i still can’t fully bring myself to peace out tho, at least not until oao is finished. i promised yall (and myself) i’d finish it and i intend to do good by that promise!

again soon!!! tp <3

[mediumgayitalian]

okay i’ve seen the take around and i have to add. it’s killing me.

i do not agree that will would avoid the medical arts when he gets older.

i see the argument about trauma and growing from it. and, like, yeah. he had so much on his shoulders from so ridiculously young, it had to be rough.

but it’s also like.

what he’s good at.

let me tell you a story. there was a girl. when she was a year and a half old her first sister was born. and her mother’s family warned her to keep her away from her sister: she had been an only child for her entire life up to this point, she would be jealous of the baby. she might even try to hurt her.

but the mother shook her head and reclined on her hospital bed with her new baby in her arms. and she called her daughter softly up and showed her how to sit, how to fold her hands. she placed her newborn into her daughters arms and her daughter, he toddler, stayed there for hours. for hours, mesmerized by her baby sister, holding her carefully.

that daughter doesn’t remember, obviously. but her mother tells her this story often, smiling. the daughter had hands to hold from infancy.

the daughter gets another sister when she is three. and another when she is eight, and a brother when she is ten. she has been surrounded by babies her whole life, while her parents work. she learned to change diapers before she could divide, learned how to cook before she learned to play properly with friends. she has known domesticity every day of her life.

and she excels at it.

she chafes, a little. of course she does. when she takes her baby brother to the park people confuse her for his mother — she is ten years old. she is used to walking with a child on her hip. her name was her brother’s third ever word, and sometimes — often times — her siblings seek her out instead of her parents. she is made to do thrice the chores her siblings must because she is more organized, because she is more capable. she is meant to take them safely to places — no one takes her safely to places.

but she glows when her siblings need her. at family reunions, she volunteers to mind the babies, nervous about conversation with adults. she is the only one patient enough to tutor her siblings when they’re struggling and frustrated and pride blooms in her chest. when she cleans, her anxious mind quiets.

she grows up to be an elementary school teacher, after a couple years of discovering.

do you see the projection connection i am trying to make here. it is hard to be trained your whole life for something — there is part of you, always, that will resent it, that will wonder.

but it is another thing when the training is so easy because you are so good at it already. when doing what you have been trained to do makes you calm after a long day, when the tedious tasks that others spurn brings a smile to your face. yes, i’m sure healing carries a lot of pain for will. yes, i’m sure he’s frustrated. yes, i’m sure he takes some time to experiment.

but he is good at healing. and he likes to be needed, to be the rock upon which others need: if he is the rock it means he is strong, he is steady. when he doubts himself he can remember those he has helped and it is impossible to write off his own importance. he has healer’s hands, builder’s hands, carer’s hands — to be anything else would be a struggle, first, but it would not bring the same relief. the same steadiness in knowing that he is capable and righteously proud.

i don’t know. this isn’t a real essay and i don’t have a real conclusion. i just cannot find it in myself to imagine a future where my path is dark and overgrown with foreign weeds, rather than peppered with the flowers i grew up tending. i doubt will can either.

[love-quinn]

THE GOOD WITCH

featuring . . . ! patrick zweig, art donaldson, remus lupin, rafe cameron, steve harrington, spencer reid, aaron hotchner, tasm!peter parker, dodge mason, dave lizewski

─── hello hello how are we ??? i’ve been a huge maisie peters fan for a few years now, and since she’s been teasing her next album i thought i’d do something fun to kind of commemorate the good witch before we move on to MP3. i’ve also been experiencing some major writers block :/// so! to combat that, here are some fics that are VERY VERY loosely inspired by some of the songs from the album <333 i hope you enjoy !!

TRACK ONE : THE GOOD WITCH [patrick zweig x reader]

when all i do is think about the past, create a universe that you can live in

you’ve done a lot of growing in the 4 years you and patrick have been broken up. you’re hoping he has as well because you’re still desperately in love with him.

TRACK TWO : COMING OF AGE [dave lizewski x reader]

baby i am the iliad, of course you couldn’t read me. so i’ll leave you behind but that don’t mean it’s easy

dave’s had a crush on you since he could remember, but he’d driven you away with his superhero duties. you’re the TA of his class and he’s determined to get it right this time.

TRACK THREE : WATCH [spencer reid x reader]

nobody actually happy and healthy has ever felt so desperate to prove it

you’re trying to show the team that you’re fine after spencer’s return from prison. if you were coping well, you probably wouldn’t have to try so hard.

TRACK FOUR : BODY BETTER [art donaldson x reader]

i can’t help thinking has she got a better body? has she got a body better than mine?

your boyfriend patrick is convinced that you have a thing for tennis players. you say the same about him. it doesn’t help that you’re both sleeping with one.

TRACK FIVE : WANT YOU BACK [remus lupin x reader]

and what was cheap to you, to me was all i had. the issue is i know all of this and i still want you back

remus was punishing you for something that wasn’t your fault. you should hate him. unfortunately, you can’t bring yourself to.

TRACK SIX : THE BAND AND I [dodge mason x reader]

told her you were just a friend, told her i was homesick. i hadn’t thought of home twice

after moving across the country to go live with your aunt and participate in panic, you’re wary of the boy who works at the diner she owns. he’s wary of you too.

TRACK SEVEN : YOU’RE JUST A BOY (AIKTM) [aaron hotchner x reader]

don't you see what i'm giving up and you can't even text? don't be surprised now i'm giving up, god, what did you expect?

aaron isn't a bad boyfriend, he just tends to get caught up in his job. you wouldn't mind his constant abandonment so much if he didn't always forget to tell you.

TRACK EIGHT : LOST THE BREAKUP [tasm!peter parker x reader]

so, i'm feeling and i'm dealing with the heart you broke, while you do press-ups and repress us and take off her clothes.

for peter parker, you're it: the one that got away, the best thing that ever happened to him. now that you're broken up, he expects that you hate him. he could be right; you can hate someone and still need them to save your life.

TRACK NINE : WENDY [rafe cameron x reader]

then you're evasive on the phone until you're sorry on the floor. so i'm throwing you a bone cause you want me and you're sure. if i'm not careful i'll wake up and we'll be married and i'll still flinch at the sound of a door.

it's been unspoken and set in stone for as long as you'd known each other: you and rafe were in it for the long haul. you've loved rafe since you were young. now that you've grown up, your feelings haven't changed, you're just waiting for him to grow up as well.

TRACK TEN : BSC [steve harrington x reader]

i'm gonna throw you down the river, your mom can watch it over dinner, golden boy you've dropped the ball. i am annie fucking hall. if you don't love me, what was april?

steve thought breaking up with you after his experience with the upside down would be his best bet of keeping you safe. unfortunately for him, you don't know how to keep your nose out of his business.

these will come out every so often depending on how well they do lmao i hope u like them ik this is different than the stuff i’ve done so far :]]] ty to @robinsgrl and @xxepherr for letting me yap abt these as much as i like :]

[aspenmissing]

hellohello!! i hope your doing well, and i just wanna say im a HUGE fan of your work, especially your arcane oneshots!!

I was wondering if you could write oneshots for arcane characters dating a socialite!reader? for most of my life, my dad has been a popular businessman and entrepreneur with a lot of influence in my area, and I often attend social gatherings and parties with him to build connections with well-known people, which has led me to have a reputation of being my fathers daughter at every event.

i love to see all the different characters you write for, but i especially love the way you write jayce and viktor!! i can imagine a scenario where jayce asks the reader for help and tips for talking to investors once hextech is about to be/was released to the public and wnjsbjdbbfk

if you do choose to write this, thank you so much!! make sure your taking breaks and getting plenty of rest ❤️

ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʟɪᴛᴇ

ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ | ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ | ᴊᴀʏᴠɪᴋ | ᴠᴀɴᴅᴇʀ | ꜱɪʟᴄᴏ | ᴍᴇʟ || ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ || 6877 ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ || ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: ɴᴏɴᴇ?

ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ: ʜᴇʟʟᴏ ʜᴇʟʟᴏ ʜᴇʟʟᴏᴏᴏᴏᴏᴏ! ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴍʏ ᴅᴀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ꜰᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ!! ɪ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛ ꜱᴏᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ!! ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪꜱ!!! <3 <3

ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ | ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ | ᴠᴀɴᴅᴇʀ | ꜱɪʟᴄᴏ | ᴍᴇʟ

JAYCE

It was a bright morning in Piltover, the kind where the sun's rays pierced through the towering spires of the city and reflected off the newly polished streets. The air was filled with anticipation, not just for the day ahead but for what was about to unfold—the public release of Hextech, a revolution Jayce had dreamed of for years. But as much as he had poured his heart and soul into the creation of this groundbreaking technology, there was something weighing heavily on him.

As the inventor leaned over his desk, carefully inspecting the designs for the Hextech prototype, he sighed. It wasn’t the invention that bothered him, nor the mechanics behind it. It was the next step—the investors. Hextech would change everything, and the financial support needed to make it a reality on a global scale was crucial.

That’s when he heard the soft click of heels on the stone floor of his workshop.

“Still lost in thought, Jayce?” a teasing voice echoed, warm and confident. Y/N, his beloved, strode in with the poise of someone born into the highest circles of society. As a socialite, she had mastered the art of public relations, charming everyone from the wealthy elite to the diplomats with a mere smile. And though her upbringing might have seemed like a world away from Jayce's scientific endeavors, their bond was undeniable.

Jayce glanced up, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. I think I’m going to need your help more than I thought.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, setting her delicate gloves aside and walking closer to his workstation. “Help? With what? You’re the genius here.”

He sighed again, rubbing his temple. “Well, that’s the thing. I’ve created Hextech, but now it’s time to present it to the investors. It’s not just about the technology. It’s about selling them on the vision, making them believe in it—making them believe in me. I know the science, but... I’m not exactly a charmer when it comes to high society. I need tips, advice, someone who knows how to get their attention.”

Y/N’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “So, you want the socialite’s guide to winning over Piltover’s elite?”

Jayce hesitated, but then nodded. “Exactly. I’ve read the books, but I’m not sure I can pull it off without you.”

Y/N’s confidence was a calm anchor in the midst of Jayce’s whirlwind of nerves. She walked around to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder, offering a comforting touch. “Don’t worry. You’ve got this. But let’s break it down.”

She paused, making sure she had his full attention before continuing. “The first thing is to walk in there with confidence. You’ve built something monumental, and they need to know that. Don’t just show them the device—show them your passion for it. The moment you stop believing in it, they’ll stop believing in it.”

Jayce straightened up, nodding. “I can do that.”

“Good,” she said with a playful glint in her eye. “Now, remember, they’re not just buying a product. They’re buying into you as the inventor. The way you present yourself, the way you speak, it all matters. So, get rid of the technical jargon. They’re not looking for someone to speak in equations. You need to be persuasive, not confusing.”

Jayce chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s definitely something I’ll need to work on.”

Y/N smiled knowingly. “I’ll help with that, too. Focus on the future. Talk about how Hextech will change the world—their world. How it will open new avenues of profit, how it will secure Piltover’s place in history. But never forget to make them feel like they’re part of it. Everyone loves to feel included.”

Jayce felt a sense of reassurance wash over him as she spoke. She had an uncanny way of making the seemingly insurmountable seem achievable.

“And one last thing,” Y/N added with a wink. “Dress the part. When you walk into that room, make them see you not just as a scientist, but as someone with vision, someone who belongs in their world. You can’t just be a man of inventions—you have to be a man of influence, too.”

Jayce’s eyes softened with appreciation as he looked at her. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Y/N tilted her head, giving him a playful smirk. “You’d probably fumble through it and still somehow manage to charm them. But lucky for you, I’m here to help.”

Jayce chuckled, stepping closer to her. “Maybe I do need a little bit of luck.”

“You’ve got more than luck on your side, Jayce,” she said, her gaze softening. “You’ve got your talent, your vision, and... well, you’ve got me.”

And with that, they stood together in the workshop, surrounded by the hum of the Hextech prototypes, ready to face the challenges ahead, knowing that with each other’s support, they could conquer anything—even the boardrooms of Piltover’s most powerful investors.

=

The night before the big presentation, Y/N had one more idea to help Jayce. She knew how overwhelming it could be to stand before a room full of powerful people and try to sell not only an invention but a dream. So, she pulled out her personal stationery and carefully crafted a set of flashcards, each one containing key points she had drilled into his head that day: confidence, vision, inclusivity.

Each card had a simple, elegant note on it—just enough to jog his memory. She even added a few motivational words like “You’ve got this!” or “This is your future!” with a small sketch of a Hextech device on the back. Her handwriting was immaculate, the neat, flowing strokes giving him the comfort he needed in times of doubt. When she handed the stack to him, her eyes softened with affection.

“I’m going to make sure you’re ready,” Y/N said with a smile. “Use these if you need them. But I know you’ll do just fine without them.”

Jayce stared at the stack, the simple act of her preparing these cards made his heart swell. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Y/N shrugged, a playful gleam in her eye. “You don’t need to. Just come back to me with success in your hands, and we’ll have more than enough to celebrate.”

VIKTOR

The room was alight with the clinking of glasses, the soft murmur of conversations, and the elegant waltz of socialites in the grand hall. Y/N, with her presence marked by the subtle yet undeniable confidence that came from growing up in the heart of high society, was the shining star of the gathering. She glided through the crowd effortlessly, a vision in her gown as her laughter rang like chimes in the air.

But amidst the sea of people, there was one constant that stood by her side—Viktor. He leaned on his cane, the polished metal clicking softly against the marble floor as he walked beside her, his usually stern and thoughtful expression softened by the comfort of her presence. Viktor had never been one for crowds, preferring the quiet solace of his work, but when it came to Y/N, he didn’t mind these gatherings as much. Her gentle smile and the way she quietly brought warmth to him in the midst of a bustling world made it bearable. But still, Viktor’s discomfort was evident in the subtle stiffness of his posture, the way his eyes kept darting to the exit as if ready to leave at any moment.

“You know, you don’t have to stand so stiffly,” Y/N murmured, noticing the tension in his frame. She gently nudged his side with her elbow, flashing him a reassuring smile. “I know these events aren’t exactly your cup of tea, but... it’s not so bad, right?”

Viktor gave her a small, tight-lipped smile, though his gaze remained fixed ahead, scanning the crowd. “It’s not the event. It’s... the crowd,” he admitted quietly. “I’m more used to the solitude of my work. This is... overwhelming.”

Y/N’s eyes softened with understanding, but a playful spark lit up in them as she grasped his arm a little tighter, guiding him through the crowd. “Well, you’re in luck,” she said brightly, her voice carrying just enough enthusiasm to pull him from his thoughts. “Because I’m about to give you an insider’s tour of this gathering. You might find some of these people a bit... amusing.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Amusing?”

“Oh, absolutely,” she replied, her smile wide and mischievous. “For instance, you see Lord Gresham’s wife over there?” She gestured discreetly across the room. “She’s convinced her husband is secretly a war hero. The man attended a battle once, but only for an hour, and he didn’t even get close to the front lines.”

Viktor’s lips quirked up into a slight smirk. “How... inspiring,” he said dryly, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. “I take it she hasn’t learned the truth yet?”

“Of course not,” Y/N whispered, her voice full of mischief. “He tells her the same stories every year, and she believes him each time. It’s honestly impressive how long he’s been able to keep up the ruse.”

Viktor chuckled quietly, the tension in his shoulders beginning to ease. She had a way of making the absurdities of this world sound so light-hearted, so funny, that it made even the most uncomfortable of moments seem bearable. As they continued walking, she leaned in just a little closer, her voice low enough to keep their conversation private.

“And over there,” she nodded towards another figure, “you see Lady Lila? The one in the pale blue gown? She’s the woman who insists that no one should ever wear the color blue because it 'steals the soul from the eyes.' She told me that the first time I wore a sapphire dress to one of these events. Can you imagine?”

Viktor’s lips twitched, the rarest of smiles forming at the absurdity of it all. He glanced at Lady Lila, a serious-looking woman with an exaggerated air of refinement, and then back at Y/N, whose eyes sparkled with the mischief of knowing such peculiar details.

“And here I thought the blue of the sky and the sea stole souls,” he remarked dryly, his voice carrying a faint warmth that only she could bring out in him.

Y/N laughed softly, her fingers gently tapping his arm as she guided him through the crowd with newfound ease. “You’d be surprised. She’s very serious about it. And there’s more—Lady Montclair, the one over by the window? She once asked me if my earrings would predict the future. Her exact words were, 'Will they reveal how your evening will unfold?' Like they were some sort of mystical artifact.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking to Y/N’s simple yet elegant diamond earrings, then back at her, his amusement barely contained. “And what did you tell her? That they were more interested in the present than the future?”

Y/N’s lips curved into a sly grin. “Exactly. I told her that these little gems are more concerned with the sparkle of the moment than with making any grand predictions about the night.” She gave a small laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. “Sometimes, I think people here would believe anything if you say it with enough conviction.”

Viktor couldn’t help but laugh at that, a low, quiet sound that was genuine and free of his usual restraint. His grip on his cane had relaxed slightly, and the stiffness in his posture was no longer as noticeable. He was starting to enjoy himself, despite his natural aversion to these gatherings. Perhaps, he thought, it wasn’t so bad, especially when Y/N was by his side.

“Do you make a habit of learning all of these little... secrets?” Viktor asked, his voice softer now, filled with a touch of wonder.

Y/N smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling as she shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, I’ve had years to observe and pick up on them. It’s practically a skill at this point. You’d be amazed how many oddities exist beneath all the polished façades of these people.”

“I’m sure I would,” Viktor replied, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

They paused for a moment near the edge of the ballroom, watching the others as they mingled and danced. The noise of the gathering seemed to fade, the murmur of voices and clinking glasses becoming distant as Y/N turned to Viktor, her expression softening.

“I’m really glad you’re here with me,” she said quietly, her voice sincere. “I know you’d probably prefer the quiet of your lab or the comfort of solitude, but... it means a lot that you’re here, standing in this sea of people just for me.”

Viktor’s gaze softened, his blue eyes meeting hers with an intensity that only grew stronger with every passing moment they spent together. His voice was low and warm when he spoke. “I’m here because you’re here, Y/N. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Y/N smiled, her heart swelling with affection. In that moment, the entire room seemed to fade away. It was just the two of them—her with her bright smile and sparkling eyes, and him, the brilliant but often misunderstood man, wrapped in their own world of quiet humor and shared moments.

She looped her arm through his, resting her shoulder lightly against his. “Well, I’m glad, because I’m never letting you go.”

He chuckled softly, the sound rich and soothing. “And I wouldn’t want you to.”

With Viktor by her side, the noise of the gathering, the strange and absurd people, and the weight of her family’s expectations faded into the background. For her, the evening was already perfect. And for Viktor, it was no longer a room full of strangers—it was a night spent with the one person who could turn a world of noise into a place of peace.

JAYVIK

It was an evening draped in elegance, with chandeliers casting their golden glow upon the extravagant ballroom. The air was filled with the soft murmurs of high society—an endless sea of tailored suits, silk dresses, and the subtle clink of fine glassware. This was the world Y/N had known for most of her life, yet it always felt like a cage. Her parents, as ever, had dragged her here tonight with the same tired excuse: to meet the right people, to build connections, to secure her future. They’d never seen her as anything but an extension of their own social ladder, a tool to climb higher.

She stood at the edge of the room, trying her best to blend into the crowd of strangers, her mother already deep in conversation with a group of important figures. Y/N had been introduced as nothing more than "Mr. ___ daughter"—her name scarcely mentioned. It was always like that. It stung every time, but she had long learned to swallow her bitterness and play the role of the perfect daughter.

=

It had been hours since the gala began, and Y/N was already exhausted. Every moment seemed to blur into the next as her father pulled her from one conversation to the next. Each time, it was the same. A well-placed compliment about her family's wealth, a brief mention of her accomplishments—none of it felt real. None of it felt like her. Her mother, too, had taken the opportunity to introduce her to all the right people, each person a potential business partner or connection. Y/N felt like a puppet on a string, her every move directed by the expectations of others. There was no space for her to breathe, no room to escape.

The whispers of "Mr. ___ daughter" followed her like a shadow. Her name was never spoken. She was a tool, a symbol of their success, nothing more.

As her father dragged her yet again to another conversation, Y/N could feel her patience wearing thin. Her smile was starting to feel strained, her energy ebbing away like the fading echoes of the orchestra’s soft lullaby. She excused herself with a polite, practiced smile and tried to slip away from the crowd. The ballroom seemed to close in around her, and the weight of the evening’s obligations made her feel smaller and smaller. Her thoughts were a swirling mess of frustration and resignation. She didn’t want to be here, caught in a world where she was a mere pawn in her family's social game.

But then, she felt a hand on her arm—light but firm—and turned to find Viktor standing beside her. His gaze was steady, the ever-present calmness of his demeanor a sharp contrast to the chaotic whirlwind of the gala. His eyes, always perceptive, took in the subtle signs of her exhaustion.

"Are you all right?" Viktor asked quietly, his voice soft but cutting through the noise of the room like a lifeline.

She let out a small, tired laugh. "I’m fine, just... a little tired of being 'Mr. ___ daughter.'" She gave him a knowing glance, grateful for his understanding.

Before Viktor could respond, the sharp, confident voice of Jayce cut through the hum of conversation. "I think our dear Y/N is in need of a break." Jayce’s easy smile appeared as he slid in next to her, his presence offering a certain lightness amidst the suffocating formality of the event. "What do you say we make our own escape?"

Y/N’s heart felt a flutter of relief at the thought. Jayce’s smile always made her feel at ease, a sharp contrast to the cold, calculated world she often found herself trapped in. She looked between him and Viktor, silently thankful that they knew exactly how she was feeling without needing to say a word.

Before she could say anything, Jayce turned, his eyes locking onto her father, who had been scanning the room, no doubt looking for his next opportunity. With the same casual charm he always exuded, Jayce made his way over to Mr. ___.

"Ah, Mr. ___!" Jayce greeted him with a broad grin. "I hope the evening has been treating you well. I was just telling your daughter how wonderful it’s been to catch up with her." He paused for effect, giving Mr. ___ a slight wink. "But I think it’s time we ‘borrow’ her for a bit, if you don’t mind. She’s been such a delightful guest, and I’d love to give her a little more... personal attention for the rest of the evening."

Mr. ___ , caught slightly off guard, blinked for a moment before his expression softened into one of polite acceptance. He nodded, too accustomed to Jayce’s charisma to put up much of a fight. "Well, of course. I suppose I can spare her for a little while longer, Mr. Talis" He gave Y/N a knowing smile, one that carried the silent message of don’t be too long before he turned back to his next conversation.

Y/N suppressed a sigh of relief. She gave Jayce a grateful smile as he turned back to her.

"Shall we?" Jayce said, his voice filled with a lightness that felt like the first breath of fresh air. He placed his hand gently at the small of her back, guiding her away from the crowd. Viktor, already a step ahead, led the way, his eyes meeting hers with that familiar, understanding gaze. She felt herself relax as they walked away from the chaos, the weight of the evening slowly lifting.

=

They moved through the ballroom, dodging the glances and murmurs of people who seemed far too interested in who was with whom and what they were doing. But all of that faded away as they found a quiet alcove, tucked far from the noise and the expectations. The lights here were dimmer, the atmosphere far more intimate, and for the first time that night, Y/N felt like she could breathe.

Viktor stood close to her, the air between them calm and filled with understanding. "Better?" he asked softly, his hand brushing against hers in a quiet gesture of reassurance.

"Much better," she replied, her voice filled with gratitude. The weight of the evening’s obligations seemed to melt away as she sank into the comfort of their company.

Jayce leaned casually against the wall, his smile never fading. "I think that’s enough ‘business’ for tonight, don’t you? You don’t have to be anyone but yourself here, Y/N."

Viktor nodded in agreement, his gaze soft but unwavering. "You don’t owe anyone anything. Not here. Not now."

Y/N’s heart swelled with warmth. She had spent so long being shaped by the expectations of her family and society, trying to fit into the mold of Mr. ___ daughter, but here, with Viktor and Jayce, she didn’t need to pretend. There were no titles to live up to. There was just Y/N.

"I think I might just be the happiest I’ve been all night," she said, her voice sincere as she looked at the two of them.

Viktor offered her a small, rare smile, one that warmed her from the inside. "Then let’s make sure the rest of this night is about you."

Jayce grinned mischievously. "And if we happen to stir up a little chaos? All the better."

Y/N laughed, the sound light and genuine, free of any strain. For the first time in hours, she felt like herself. There were no expectations. No weighty legacy. Just the two people who truly understood her, who saw her for who she really was, not just the name she carried.

With Viktor and Jayce by her side, she was no longer just Mr. ___ daughter. She was Y/N.

As they stayed in the alcove, Y/N felt time slow down, the world outside muffled by the intimate, quiet space they’d created together. No longer confined to the duties of her family's expectations, she found herself finally able to think for herself, to laugh without hesitation. Tonight was for her—no performances, no obligations. Just the freedom to exist as she was, with the people who accepted her without the need for approval. And for once, that felt like everything.

VANDER

The city of Zaun was a place of contradictions—dark alleys where deals were made in the shadows, and bright, polished surfaces that hinted at wealth and power. Among the elite who resided above, far from the grime of the undercity, there was Y/N. A socialite, a name whispered in high society, known for both her charm and the influence she wielded. She moved through the glittering circles of wealth and power like a dancer, graceful and calculated, never too far from the pulse of Zaun’s more dangerous undercurrents. Her world was Piltover—a world of high society, fine art, grand estates, and people who looked down their noses at the undercity, the very place where her heart secretly resided.

Y/N had connections that most would kill for, and while the gleaming streets of Piltover offered their own kind of thrill, it was the chaos, the vibrancy, and the raw energy of Zaun that always called to her. It was in the undercity that she found something more real, more untamed. And it was there, in the spaces between the glittering lights and the darkness, that she met Vander.

Vander was different from the men of her world. Rugged, imposing, yet carrying an unspoken kindness beneath the hardened exterior of a man who had lived a life fighting for survival. While Y/N had her connections, Vander had his street-fighting roots, his loyalty to the children of the undercity, and an honor that ran deeper than any riches or titles.

Vander’s fight was always one of survival, of keeping his family safe in a world that was determined to leave them in the dust. He’d built something in the undercity—something that meant more to him than anything else. It was his people, the kids, and the promise he’d made to protect them. And when the tension between Vander’s crew and the Enforcers escalated, it was only a matter of time before violence would erupt.

But Y/N had never been one to shy away from danger. She knew Grayson, after all. Grayson, the woman who ruled the Enforcers with a sharp mind and an even sharper edge. She wasn’t the kind of person Y/N would cross unless she was certain of her ground. Thankfully, Y/N knew how to play the game better than anyone. Her relationships with Piltover’s elite, her ability to manipulate the right strings in the right ears, made her invaluable.

The tension between Vander’s crew and the Enforcers had been rising, and the last thing the city needed was another bloodbath. So, Y/N did what she did best—she made a deal.

=

Y/N arranged a meeting with Grayson, in the polished boardrooms far above the grime of the streets. She’d crossed paths with her many times before, her dealings with Grayson always keeping a delicate balance. Both women were aware of the power they held in different ways, but Y/N knew how to speak Grayson’s language—power, control, and profit. In Grayson’s eyes, Y/N was no different from the powerful elite of Piltover, and perhaps that’s why she was able to broker such a deal.

It wasn’t easy, but Y/N knew the price. She’d asked for the one thing that would keep Vander’s streets safe—Grayson’s agreement to hold her Enforcers back from Vander’s turf in exchange for a subtle understanding: Vander would keep his operations on the up-and-up, pay his dues, and avoid creating any more headaches for the Enforcers. It was a delicate negotiation, but Y/N had made it work.

Before Y/N left Grayson’s office, she made sure to slip in a few more words for good measure. “You know Marcus is getting a little too bold lately,” she said, eyes narrowing with a glimmer of humor. “I’d suggest knocking him down a few pegs, or you might find him a little too comfortable in your shadow. You might want to remind him who calls the shots here.”

Grayson’s icy demeanor faltered for the briefest of moments, and Y/N caught the faintest flash of approval in her eyes. Grayson didn’t let many people speak to her that way—but Y/N knew how to push the right buttons.

By the time Y/N returned to Vander, her deal was sealed, and Grayson was bound by her word. It was strange, working with someone like Grayson, but in a city where power played its own dangerous game, sometimes alliances were necessary. Y/N had gotten what she needed, and more importantly, she’d kept Vander—and his ragtag group of kids—safe.

=

As Y/N entered the small bar where Vander had made his home, the warmth of the place felt like a contrast to the cold elegance of Piltover’s high halls. It was a space carved from the undercity’s heart, a place where Vander had built not just a safe haven, but a family. When his eyes caught hers, they softened, the harshness of the world outside slipping away. Y/N had kept her promise, and in the way he looked at her, she could see the gratitude, the respect, and something deeper that had grown over time.

“You did it, didn’t you?” Vander’s voice was low, but there was a warmth in it that made her chest tighten. His usual gruffness softened as he walked toward her, the tension of the last few days seemingly vanishing in an instant.

Y/N smiled, her heart racing as she walked into his embrace. "I made sure Grayson would keep her Enforcers off your streets, and in return, you would do the same. The deal’s done."

His rough fingers brushed against the back of her hand, a tender gesture that betrayed his usual tough exterior. "I don’t know how you do it," he murmured, leaning closer. “But I’m grateful. We owe you more than we can ever repay.”

There was something in his eyes then—something Y/N hadn’t seen before. A look that said more than words could ever convey. Without thinking, she closed the distance between them both and kissed him. The kiss was soft, tentative, but it spoke volumes about everything that had been growing between them. They weren’t just allies, they weren’t just partners—they were more than that. They shared a bond forged not only through deals and whispered promises but through a shared understanding of what it meant to fight for something—someone—worth protecting.

Vander’s arms wrapped around her, his warmth enveloping her as he pulled her closer. "You’re not just a pretty face in Piltover’s high circles, Y/N," he murmured against her ear, his breath warm and comforting. “You’re the heart of it all. And I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Those words hit Y/N in a way she hadn’t expected. His rough exterior hid a heart that was as loyal as they came, and for the first time, she allowed herself to truly believe that she, too, was part of something bigger—something that could make a difference in this world of light and shadows.

The city outside was full of danger, and there was no telling what tomorrow would bring, but for now, in the warmth of Vander’s embrace, Y/N knew that this fight—this love, this shared vision—was something worth continuing. Two people from vastly different worlds, bound together not by circumstance, but by choice. In this city of contradictions, the one thing that was certain was that they would continue to fight for each other, for these streets, and for the people they both loved.

SILCO

The city of Zaun was always dark, but it was a kind of darkness that felt like home for Y/N. She stood by the window of the luxurious apartment she had arranged for herself, a place where opulence met the underbelly of the city she loved. Beyond the glass, the haze of the polluted air mingled with the glow of the industrial lights from Piltover. The rhythmic hum of the machines below felt like a heartbeat, steady and constant, much like the world she had come to dominate in her own way.

The apartment itself was a reflection of her duality—rich velvet curtains alongside sleek, modern furniture, all bathed in the dim glow of carefully placed lights. It was a place of refuge for Y/N, and though it was filled with the trappings of wealth, there was always something raw about it, something unpolished. A perfect blend of beauty and danger, much like its owner.

A soft knock came at the door before it opened, and in walked Silco, his presence as commanding as ever. He wore that familiar tight-lipped smile, a contrast to the deep intensity in his eyes. The heavy door clicked shut behind him, his steps deliberate, measured.

Y/N didn’t turn to greet him right away. Instead, she took another slow sip of her drink, savoring the taste of fine whiskey as the amber liquid slid down her throat. Her eyes stayed on the skyline outside, pretending to focus on the world that lay beyond her reach, though it was only Silco she cared for in that moment. Silco’s eyes flickered over to her glass, then back to her face, a silent acknowledgment of the shared intimacy between them.

“You’ve been drinking alone,” he remarked, his tone a mixture of amusement and curiosity, his voice as smooth as silk, but edged with something darker.

Y/N’s lips curled into a faint smile, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her glass. “Not alone, Silco,” she said, voice soft yet steady, “not when you’re always with me.”

She finally turned to face him, allowing her eyes to linger on him, meeting his gaze with a knowing intensity. Her beauty was undeniable, a polished elegance that stood in stark contrast to the grime of the city. Yet it was that very world that had drawn her to him—the grit, the fight, the power. Silco had never been one for the glittering balls or social events she thrived in, but he understood the power of connections and influence—something she had plenty of.

She took a step toward him, her heels clicking against the marble floor with every movement, the sound deliberate, like a promise. The room was filled with that electric tension between them, a current neither could deny.

“I’ve spoken to my contacts,” Y/N said, her eyes gleaming with a hidden satisfaction as she stood just inches from him now. “The shipment you were waiting for—your new supply of shimmer—will arrive ahead of schedule. They’ll get it to you safely, no questions asked.”

Silco’s lips twitched upward, a rare moment of appreciation for the socialite in front of him. His eyes softened, just for a moment, before he regained his usual icy composure. “You’ve done well, darling,” he said, his voice smooth and low. “I always knew I could count on you.”

Y/N’s eyes sparkled, the edge of triumph evident in her gaze. It was a rare moment where Silco allowed himself to acknowledge the strength of her work. She was a force of her own, and he couldn’t help but respect her for it. But there was also something more between them—something unspoken, a bond they’d forged over time, despite the differences in their worlds.

Y/N took another step forward, her body almost pressing against his. The air between them seemed to thicken, charged with anticipation. She let her hand trail along the back of his neck, the touch light, yet possessing a sense of ownership. Her fingers grazed the fine line of his jaw, a subtle reminder of how far she could reach into his world.

“Of course, Silco. Anything for you,” she whispered, her voice low and breathless.

There was a moment of silence, heavy and thick, where the weight of their connection hung in the air. Y/N felt it—the way the room seemed to shrink around them, as though the entire world outside disappeared the moment their eyes locked. Slowly, she stepped even closer, her heart pounding in her chest.

She raised her hand to touch his face, her fingers brushing against the scar that marred his once-perfect visage. It was a reminder of everything he had fought for, everything he had become. She didn’t flinch from it, though. She understood it, better than most. Her hand slid to the back of his head, pulling him in slightly, as she tilted her head to meet his lips with hers.

The kiss was slow at first—lingering, soft, a dance of control and surrender. But soon, it deepened, growing more insistent as their bodies pressed closer. Silco’s hands found her waist, gripping her firmly as if to remind her that, even in the comfort of her world, he was the one who held the power.

When they finally broke apart, the air between them crackled, but neither seemed willing to fully let go. Silco’s lips curled into a wry, knowing smile. His voice was low, almost a growl as he whispered against her ear. “You are a dangerous woman, Y/N,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. “You know that?”

Y/N chuckled softly, her fingers threading through his hair as she leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his ear. “I know,” she whispered back, her voice laden with something deeper, darker. “But I think you like it.”

A fire sparked in Silco’s eyes, the raw intensity that had always been there, hidden beneath the cool exterior. His grip on her waist tightened, pulling her even closer until there was no space left between them. Before she could say anything more, he pulled her into a deeper kiss, his lips claiming hers with a hunger that left no room for doubt. In that moment, the world outside seemed irrelevant—nothing mattered except the two of them, tangled in a web of power, passion, and everything they had built together.

In his world, power was everything. But in this moment, with Y/N in his arms, the world of influence and wealth she inhabited seemed like nothing more than a shadow. They were together, and that was all that mattered.

MEL

It was another night of glittering chandeliers, laughter echoing through the halls of the grand estate, and conversations dripping with carefully concealed motives. The gathering had been long—everyone playing their part, exchanging pleasantries, and using their charm to win favor. But as the evening drew to a close, you and Mel finally slipped away from the crowd. The two of you, never far from each other, made your way back to your shared apartment.

The door closed behind you with a soft click, and instantly, the weight of the night began to lift. You both had been on your best behavior all night—smiling, nodding, keeping up with the latest gossip, but now, in the quiet of your home, you could finally drop the masks.

Mel sighed and slung her coat over the back of the couch, her usual graceful composure softening into something more comfortable, more real. "I swear, if I hear about Lord Di'ana's 'new invention' one more time..." she muttered, shaking her head. "The man’s been talking about it for months. I’m starting to think it’s just an elaborate excuse to sell overpriced scraps."

You couldn't help but laugh. "I overheard someone say his invention was meant to 'revolutionize' transportation. But after seeing his demonstration, I’d say it was more of a fire hazard than anything else." You raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe with a smile. "I also heard someone whispering that his wife is... shall we say, 'entertained' by a few more guests than she lets on."

Mel snorted, her lips curling into an amused grin. "Oh, I’m sure that’s true. Everyone knows she's always had an eye for the finer things in life. But a few guests? I’d say it’s a lot more than that." She winked, and the playful sparkle in her eyes made your heart skip a beat.

You stepped into the living room, taking a seat next to her on the couch. "And what about Lady Sevrin? I overheard her telling people that you were ‘on her list’ of ‘troublesome’ women to keep an eye on," you said, your tone teasing. "I have to say, I feel rather honoured to be included in such illustrious company."

Mel rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the amused smile tugging at her lips. "As if she could do anything about it. She’s too busy gossiping about anyone with power to actually keep up with them. And don’t even get me started on her newest ‘business ventures.’ That woman’s completely delusional." She paused, her voice lowering, as if she were revealing a well-kept secret. "But here's the funniest part: I overheard one of the servants whispering that she’s secretly in debt up to her eyeballs. All those ‘business ventures’ are just to keep up the facade of success. She’s one bad investment away from losing it all."

You raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed. "Now that's a bit of juicy gossip. I’ll be sure to keep that one in my back pocket for the next time she gives me that look of hers."

Mel leaned back, her arm brushing against yours, and sighed contentedly. "It’s always amusing what people will reveal when they think no one's listening. It’s a game, really—pretend to be someone else, hide your true intentions, all while trying to figure out everyone else’s secrets."

You smiled softly, glancing over at her. "Speaking of secrets... how are you feeling about all of this? The masks, the games, the endless performances?"

Mel’s expression softened, her eyes thoughtful for a moment before she spoke, her voice quieter now. "I’m fine. It’s... what I’m good at. It’s who I am, at least in this world. But sometimes, I wish things were simpler. That we could just—" She stopped, and when she looked at you again, there was a rare vulnerability in her gaze. "That I could just be with you without the constant weight of all this. Without needing to be someone else."

You reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair away from her face, a soft smile tugging at your lips. "You don’t need to be anyone else with me, Mel. I love you for who you are—behind the masks, behind all the roles you play. And you’re not alone in this. We both have to play these games, but we don’t have to play them alone."

She leaned in, her lips brushing against your forehead in a tender kiss. "I don’t know what I’d do without you, you know? You make all of this feel... bearable."

You wrapped your arms around her, pulling her close. "Same here. We’re in this together, Mel. Always."

As the city buzzed outside your windows, the two of you sat in the quiet of your apartment, the secrets of the evening forgotten for a moment, wrapped in each other’s presence. The masks, for now, could wait.

[nakidoriii]

See you Later, Mr.President Part 7

Hawks x Fem!Reader Mini Series

FIND PARTS 1-6 HERE

Warnings: Smut, unprotected sex, sex in public, || MDNI!!!

Art: @/lunalovelingo2

Keigo is starting to panic internally. Did I say something wrong to her? What can I say or do to cheer her up? He keeps driving for a few miles until he sees a park. He pulls into the lot and parks the car. You were confused as to what he was doing but you didn’t question him. He turns towards you and caresses your face.

“What’s going on in that head yours, hmm?” He asks softly. 

You’re practically melting under his touch. He knew how to get you to talk but it’s gonna take alot more than his usual sweet talk. You just weren’t sure how to tell him how you were feeling. It’s kind of hard to ask someone to open up… especially when they specialize in being surface level with everyone. 

“You lie so well…�� Tears form in your eyes as you reveal some of what’s on your mind. It felt so stupid to cry over this. Maybe it’s the stress of potentially losing your job that’s finally hitting you. 

“Yeah I do. Kinda comes with the title. Being President and a retired spy means I have to be a good liar.” He chuckles. “What’s going on, pretty girl? Be honest.” He urges you. 

“Keigo, I don't know anything about you. You’re a sweet guy and you care about me so much. You’ve always been open in regards to your feelings about me. But don't you think it’s a little crazy that we’re getting so deeply involved with each other so fast? I’m moving into your house after knowing you for two months.” You admit.

Keigo stops and thinks for a moment. You’re right. He was so busy trying to get you to open up that he didn’t open up to you. It wasn’t like he was withholding information on purpose. He’s just so used to getting information out of people with nothing in exchange. 

“You’re right. It’s a nasty habit I’m still trying to shake. I’m sorry.” He lightly caresses your face. “You’re sacrificing a lot just to clear my name when you don’t have to. The least I could do is open up more.” 

“Only if you’re ready for that. I don’t want to force you to open about things that could be traumatic. I just wanted you to know that I am here to listen when you are ready. I want to know about the experiences that shaped you into the man that I am falling for.” You explain. 

“Falling for? You’re falling for me?” Keigo mumbles. 

“I am. That’s why I’m scared. I’ve never felt like this before in such a short amount of time… and I didn’t think I would at 28 years old.” You admit. 

Hearing you confess your feelings to Keigo jump started his pulse. All of his prying and romantic gestures finally paid off.

“You don’t understand what you do to me, Y/N. Meeting you flipped my whole world upside down. I’m a retired pro hero and the President of the HPSC, I wasn’t looking for love. I tried for weeks fighting off my feelings for you. It just kept growing stronger and stronger every interaction we had. Fate brought us together that night at the bar and I don’t regret a thing.” He presses your hand to his cheek and looks lovingly in her eyes. “I know I promised that you wouldn’t lose your job. I am still going to fulfill that promise, one way or another. Trust me when I say that. Being with you brings me a peace I’ve never known and I would do anything to keep that peace.” He admits. 

Your eyes start to water as you process what he’s saying to you. You weren’t one to be emotional but due to all the stress, you've been crying quite a bit. Keigo gently wipes your tears as he says, “You crying? I didn’t say anything too bad did I?” 

“No, everything you said was amazing. I-I just have been so emotional lately. I usually don’t cry like this.” You say as Keigo consoles you. 

“Whhaaaa! You’re emotional over potentially losing your job?  Why would you cry over that?” He sarcastically states. 

You chuckle at him and say, “Right, only a pussy would cry over that.”

You both share a light chuckle as he kisses your forehead. 

“Once we have the press conference, let’s use the rest of the week to relax. Maybe Mira can come visit if she isn’t so busy at the clinic?” He suggests. 

You nod your head in agreement and relax into the passenger seat. You text your best friend, telling her how much you miss her. 

𝚈𝚘𝚞: 𝙸 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑🙃 𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗’𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚟𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗? 

𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚊: 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝙿𝚃𝙾. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚌 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚎. 

𝚈𝚘𝚞: 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳!! 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳!!!

𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚊: 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑!!! 𝙸 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚙 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚟𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 👀

𝚈𝚘𝚞: 𝚆𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚙𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎 🤤

𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚊: 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚖𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚛.𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝? 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚜𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍….

𝚈𝚘𝚞: 𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚢 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕,,, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 

𝙼𝚒𝚛𝚊: 🤭

“She said she’ll try to get a flight tomorrow if there’s any available.” 

“My guess is she’ll be able to get an evening flight for tomorrow and arrive after the conference if it’s not too bad with the tourists.” Keigo says as he rests his hand on your thigh. “I’m excited to meet someone so important to you.” 

Once you two got back, you started unpacking your personal belongings. Keigo insisted you put everything in his room. 

“You’re gonna be sleeping in there anyway. Might as well.” He says while carrying your luggage upstairs. 

You didn’t fight him on this. His bedroom and bathroom are so spacious and beautifully decorated like the rest of his house. You follow him upstairs with the rest of your belongings. He already has your suitcases opened and is putting your clothes on hangers. 

“I bet you look fucking hot in this.” He says holding up a skimpy lingerie slip you bought ages ago. 

“Oh I do.” You state nonchalantly as you walk over to the bathroom and unpack your toiletries. 

You got his mind wondering. The minute you got out of sight, Keigo stared at the lewd slip dress. A transparent lace makes up the top and bottom of the tiny dress while silk makes up the middle of the slip. He rubbed the material between his fingers as he thought of you wearing it. The thought of being able to see your breasts through the transparent lace excited him. He looks over at the bathroom to make sure you are preoccupied with organizing your skin care. He holds the fabric up to his face, feeling the soft silk rub against his flushed cheeks. Just the lingering smell of you on the fabric got his dick semi hard. 

He quickly puts the slip down as you come back into the room. The apples of his cheeks were red as he continued placing your clothes on hangers. You stop to notice that he’s blushing. 

“You okay?” you ask.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Keigo says making direct eye contact. 

You flash a look of doubt and ask, “Why are you blushing then?”

He lightly chuckles and says, “Honestly, I imagined you wearing the lingerie. I know, that’s perverted.” 

“I don’t mind… I’ll wear it for you soon so you don’t have to imagine.” You say leaving the room to continue your task.

Keigo just now realized that having you here is going to be very difficult for him. Having to have self control at work was one thing but to have self control in his own home? That's asking alot of the poor guy. But he managed. The day was spent getting you settled into his home, figuring out a course of action for the conference meeting and catching up on presidential duties. You and Kegio spent 3 hours on the phone with Keigo’s publicist working on the speeches and gathering information on what the public thinks. After that, you two sat on the floor in the living room, working damn near 5 hours to get Keigo caught up on his work.

“Ooookay, I think that’s enough seriousness for today.” Keigo says as he closes his laptop. 

“You sure? I was thinking we could get ahead for the week.” You say looking over his paperwork.

He stares at you in silence right before he flicks you on the forehead and says, “Stop trying to do my job for me. You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

You rub your forehead as he gathers all the paperwork scattered in front of you. 

“You’re right, I know I should be relaxing. I just feel so empty without my job.” You admit. 

Keigo furrows his brows together as he scratches his head in confusion. 

“You… want to work?” Keigo asks.

You laugh knowing Keigo’s relationship with work. He would love to have a break. 

“Okay, hear me out.” You say crawling over to him and sitting in his lap. 

He wraps his arms around you and says, “I’m listening.”

“It wasn’t until I worked on the Administrative side of Social Work that I felt like I was making a change. Actually being about to develop better programs for people with unusual quirks, villain rehabilitation, and quirk counseling. When I was just starting, I watched so many people get failed by the system and made me hate my job but now I’ve seen the change because I forced the change. I know I can just get hired by another organization that does the same thing. I was just really excited to be so heavily involved in developing a collaboration program with Japan’s HPSC.” She admits. 

“We’re very similar, you know. I took my position for that same reason. Wanting to rebuild the system that failed so many heroes…” Keigo says as he nuzzles his head into your neck and squeezes you. “The commission used to own me. I was bought from my mother and was trained to be used as the HPSC’s personal weapon.”

Your lips slightly part as you process what he’s telling you. You rub his arms as a way to comfort him. You knew he worked for the commission when he was a hero but to be bought and separated from his mother is a whole other story. These were the types of situations you’d hear about that made you get into the field. 

“Being the president of the organization that held you captive to dismantle the corruption from within. You really are the ultimate hero.” You say softly. 

Every time you learned more about him, it made you fall deeper in love with him. You admired his selflessness and devotion to making this world a safer place for the next generation.  

“You think so?” He questions. 

“Yeah, I do. You’re my number one hero.” You claim. 

***********

The vibration of Keigo’s phone on his night stand caused him to wake up. You were asleep on his chest as he reached over to grab his phone. It was a text from his assistant. 

“I saw you turned in everything last night. Have a good two days off! I’ll let you know if anything comes up.” 

All of that work you helped him do last night was actually for the next two days off. Today he wanted to take you out on a date and give you a nice day off. Who knows what chaos this conference will bring tomorrow so today is all about making you feel good. His plan was to make you breakfast and take you to a private onsen just for the two of you. It had been awhile since Keigo had been to an onsen. He thought that it would be a perfect thing for you to relax…but of course he has an ulterior motive. He wanted to have a reason to see his beautiful girlfriend naked and oiled up. He blushed to himself as he envisioned it. He didn’t realize how touch starved he was until he started seeing you. He gets up and starts his morning routine. While doing so he thinks of other things you guys could do that’s relaxing. 

“Ohayo.” You mumble from the bed. 

“Ohayo. Yoku yasumemashita ka?” He says as he dries his face. 

You think for a second, trying to see if you know what he said. 

“Did I rest well? Hai.” You say. 

“Gokuro sama, baby.” Keigo says, tilting his head to the side. 

You get up and walk into the bathroom and hug him from behind. He kisses your cheek and pats your head. 

“Your sexy, strong, boyfriend is taking you somewhere cool today.” He sings. 

“That’s sweet of you. Where are we going?” You ask.

“I’m not telling you. Why would I do that?” He says while furrowing his brow. 

You laugh at his contradicting statements and said, “Can you at least tell me what to wear?” 

“Sundress. No bra, no panties.” Keigo states with his usual half lidded eyes. 

“……okay where the fuck are we going?” You say with a chuckle. 

“I’ll tell you because without context, it sounds crazy. I’m taking you to a spa that has rooms with private open air onsen.” He says with a chuckle.

 “Ohhh, I was about to say…” you say while giving Keigo a side eye. 

************** 

Once you get to the onsen, you and Keigo shower down. Keigo insists on washing every crevice of your body for you. You let him as long as you get to return the favor.

“Your skin is always so smooth and soft. You barely have any scars.” He says rubbing the wash cloth over your back. 

“My parents were very protective of me growing up. I was their little princess.” You say with your eyes closed.

“I can tell. I can't help but to spoil you every chance I get.” He says running the water over your naked body to get the soap off. 

You chuckle and say, “My turn.”

You lather up the soap in the washcloth and start by washing his torso. You were gentle when washing over any of his scars. He had hundreds of them. 

“I got that scar when I got stabbed by a bioengineered creature.” He says nonchalantly. 

You look at him and sarcastically say, “Love!”

You two giggle. You run your wash cloth over a scar that starts on his ribcage and stretches over his entire upper back and say, “This is a big one.”

“Yea, I got burned pretty badly. My feathers took forever to grow back.” He says. 

You move on to another on his shoulder. 

“I got shot.”

His neck.

“Blade.” 

Once you rinsed the soap off of him, you kissed the scar on his shoulder. He looks down at you and kisses the top of your head. He loved how you comfort him with physical touch. He knows you can’t relate to him all the time but you find ways to make him feel as if he isn’t alone. He loved this about you. You two walk over to the hotspring and slowly get in. It took Keigo a minute for his body to adjust to the heat but once he did, he sat across from you. You both closed your eyes as you took in the sounds of nature. An occasional breeze would come and blow past the two of you as you soaked. He spoke softly about his past, informing you about his previous travels and adventures he went on with his wings.

“It’s been about 15 minutes. Do you wanna get out for a bit and relax in the room? I can give you a massage on the bed?” Keigo offers. 

You nod your head and agree. He gets out the spring and grabs you a towel. He wraps one around his waist as you wrap one around your chest. Keigo pours oil in his hand right before he rubs them together. 

“You ready? Come lay down on your stomach.” Keigo says with a smirk. 

You roll your eyes and press your lips together as you laid down on the massage table. You know Keigo has ulterior motives, when does he not? He may be doing this out of the kindness of his heart but it’s gonna lead to him getting his dick wet. He starts with your legs, running his hands down the back of your thighs and calves. He grabs your right foot and gently messages them with his thumbs. Keigo doesn’t have a foot fetish but your feet have always been exceptionally pretty to him. He works his fingers in between your painted toes. He moves up to your calves, and then your thighs again. You slightly separate your legs so he could see your glistening cunt underneath your towel. He immediately bites his lip once he sees how wet you are. He swiftly slides two fingers into your cunt. 

He bends down, placing his mouth right next to your ear and whispers, “You’d think we’d learn our lesson after the security footage leaked, but nope. Here you are letting me finger you at the onsen. At least no one can see us but they would be able to hear you. So you’ve got to be quiet, pretty girl. Let’s make this quick.” 

You nod your head as he continues to push his digits deeper in you. His left hand was massaging the plump of your ass, while you let out the smallest whimpers as you grind on his fingers.

“That’s it, baby.” He whispers. 

He starts licking and biting the side of your neck as you pleasure yourself on his fingers. He slides his fingers out of you whilst lifting your hips off the massage table, causing your ass to be in the air. He drags his tongue over your wetness, eating you out from the back. Your toes curl as he pushes his tongue between your folds, groaning as if the pleasure was his. 

A breathless, “Yes” falls from your lips as he continues to devour you.

 He made it so hard to be quiet, yet he loved to have his way with you in public settings. He pulls away from your wetness, giving it one more kiss before he was truly done. You sit up on your butt, letting your legs dangle off the side of the massage table. Keigo pulls you into a kiss, making you taste yourself. He fondled your round breasts while caressing your tongue against his. You wrap your arms around his neck as he lifts you up by your thighs. He pushes your back up against the cool wall as he pushes the tip of his dick inside of you. 

“Ī ko chan (good girl).” He whispers into your ear with slow hard thrusts from his hips. He digs his calloused fingertips in your thigh as he makes his way deeper inside you. “Nureteru (You’re so wet).” He hums.

You gasp and jokingly cover his mouth. He chuckles, knowing that you're on to him. He never ‘talks you through it’ in Japanese but of course he would when it raises the chances of you two getting caught. 

“You’re not slick -hah!- I know what you’re doing.” Your words coming out in between moans as he  repeatedly lowers you on his dick. 

“I can’t help it. I wish the world could watch me fuck you.” He admits as he speeds up.

He didn’t want to get caught but he wasn’t stopping until he hits your g spot. Each thrust was formulated, constantly adjusting and changing his approach until he finally felt that spongy area on the tip of his dick. You quickly cover your mouth, muffling the yelp you let out.

“Atta (There it is).” He groans as your walls tighten around his shaft.

Once he hits it, he doesn’t miss. He drills into you repeatedly, eventually not caring if he’s making noise. He places all his weight on you, making sure you stay in place while you take his dick. You run your nails down his scarred back as you bite your lip, whimpering lightly. Sweat drips down his forehead as he throws his head back and grunts the word, “Iku (I’m cumming).”

You don’t even have to say the words, he knew you were cumming by the way your walls were pulsating around him. You wrap your legs around his hips to pull him closer to you causing him to paint your walls with his warm cum. He mumbles the words “I love you” in your ear as you both ride out your orgasm. 

Hearing those words send a jolt through your body. He didn’t mean that, did he? That’s the first time he’s ever said those words to you… and he said while balls deep in you. 

“Keigo, did you mean..that.” You say as he puts you down, your eyes locked onto his half lidded ones. 

“Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?” He says in a low voice. “I would feel stupid giving you this if I didn't tell you my true feelings first.”

You and him both get dressed in robes that were left in the room for guests to use.He walks into the bathroom and returns with a tiny box in his hand. He hands you the box with a smirk on his face. You look down at it and then back up at him.

“Open it.” He says. 

You open the box to reveal a gorgeous ring. You gasp and cover your mouth as you stare at the ring. You’re aware that he isn’t really proposing and this is a fake engagement ring to fool the public but it’s a nice one. It has to be like 4 carats!? He really went all out on this. 

“Keigo….” You say in shock. 

“I know, I know. It’s one hell of a promise ring… and it’s moissanite. I know how you feel about real diamonds.” He chuckles. “I know that this is technically a fake engagement but my love for you is real. This ring is a promise to you. I promise to be the person you can lean on whenever. I promise to make you happy everyday for the rest of your life….. and I promise to make you feel loved in any way that I can. Y/N, I love you.” He rambles.

“I love you, too.” You say you pull him into a hug.

So sorry for the long wait!!! I have been so preoccupied this month but this series is almost done!!! Next chapter we get the press conference and your best friend comes into town!!! Thank you for the patience and thank you for reading!!!

Taglist: @zinflo @seijuroww @beabamboo @beautifulsandwichcrown {open}

Please do not copy or steal my work ©️

[sanjerina]

I’ve reread the whole of the Goblin Emperor books and am neck-deep in fanfic ahead of the release of THE TOMB OF DRAGONS in a few days. (Do not spoil me for a couple of days — we’re short-handed at work so I actually need to go to work on release day…. Anyway!)

The fanfic in this fandom is at such a fantastically good standard, but there are these little worldbuilding infelicities sometimes. I’m aware people don’t like concrit in their comments anymore in these days of easy polarization. But I’m about to go off on a whole rant here anyway.

Language things:

- In general, switching registers (We/I, You/Thou) is a conscious choice which has a lot of emotional meaning in this series. Fluent speakers of languages which have both a formal and informal register rarely confuse them within a given interaction. Maia’s minor errors of register at the beginning of TGE emphasize his isolation and insecurity.

- Thou art the subject when I am speaking to thee about thine usage and thy grammar. I thank thee for thy sufferance and appreciate that thou art doing thine own best. (Didst thou see what I have wrought here?)

- The stem for Maia’s house name is Drazh- — it’s Drazhar, Drazhin, Drazharan, Drazhada, Drazhadeise. Take off the -in, -ar, or -aran to discover the stem. I’ve seen *Drazharda, which does not need the R in it.

- then there’s the -zh endings, which… sigh.

- look, there’s a guide, it’s fantastic, please read it, elrohir wrote it already, so nobody else has to reinvent the wheel here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62916235/chapters/161109679

Canon things:

- Tomasaran’s maiden name would have been Rozhin, I think — her family were the Rozhemada. Her name was not ever Tomasin. That was an error on Vernezar’s part; he seems to have not known/cared that she was a widow.

- Women can attend the universities, but at the start of Maia’s reign it’s explained that this marks noblewomen as unfeminine and not fit for marriage among their own rank. Vedero and Csethiro and their circle can’t study at the universities, but women from less rarified ranks can and do. Presumably this will change during Maia’s reign. I expect Ino or Mirëan will be able to attend if they want and may be trailblazers.

- it’s honestly not clear from canon whether nohecharei all have to die with their emperor if he, like, dies of a virus. They are expected to commit revethvoran if their negligence causes the emperor’s death. It’s also not clear if both sets would have to die on that event, or just the ones on duty. Also also, what if an emperor reigns a long time and the dudes who are with him for the first forty years up and retire? Who has the honor/duty of being buried with the emperor?

Anyway, there are several stories that play with this in various ways, so I got curious — my own guess would be that early emperors were buried with a full retinue of dead people, and then just the nohecherei, and if that IS still a rule I expect it will not be as soon as Maia gets so much as a head cold.

- Shalëan, Ursu, Holitho, and Nadeian are the natural or illegitimate daughters of the Great Avar. His legítimate daughters are Thever and Chenelo. Of them all, only Chenelo and Ursu have had children so far. And of course Chenelo has died (except in AUs and that one story that’s still updating).

Anyway, Chenelo’s estimable sisters are all Maia’s aunts, not his cousins. His only first cousins, unless I have miscalculated, would be Ursu’s children.

- I am so happy to share my utterly useless Chronicles of Osreth canon hyperfixation with literally anybody writing more fanfic for me to devour like the shark that I am. Here or Discord are good places to find me, same username.

- I can also do these stupid canon tricks for Victoria Goddard’s Nine Worlds series, but as I am but a humble unmarriageable min of the middle classes, I now must go to my “job” and do “work.”

[magidoggie]

A LOOK INTO SHI/HIR PRONOUNS AND THEIR ORIGINS

So I’ve seen people claim that shi/hir pronouns are intersex exclusive (mostly intersex people), and others say they aren’t (mostly non-intersex people)

As an intersex person, I've been confused about this for a while, so I decided to look into it

THIS POST WILL CONTAIN NSFW TOPICS, FURRIES, TALKS OF FETISHIZATION OF INTERSEX BODIES, AND INTERSEX SLURS!

Most of the users of these pronouns seem to be non-intersex people, but there are also intersex people who use them.

I've seen a decent amount of intersex people say that shi/hir pronouns are only ours to use, as they were used against us (like a shortened version of he-she). This would make them basically slurs that only we can reclaim.

I've even seen some claims that Geoffrey Chaucer himself coined these words?? (The chaucer thing, I haven't been able to find a source for. Even so, it is most likely just an old spelling of "she/her")

I’ve seen people say it originated on 4chan. It'd be hard to verify, as 4chan is known for not keeping threads up for long. There are 4chan archives, but I've tried my hardest to look for any combinations of things like "shi" and different terms that could work with it like "intersex" "freak" or "hermaphrodite" . I don't doubt it's been used on 4chan, but I can't find much, and archival sites don't go back far enough.

Regardless, the pronouns seem quite old. One thing I did find under the search of ""4chan" shi hir" on Google, was a.. descriptive post on a furry porn website called e621.net

Okay, 13 years ago, that's a start. It certainly contains the word "herm" (short for hermaphrodite), and the word intersex used with this pronoun.

Godspeed TheShadowfox42 I hope you found the image.

Using Google's "Before:(date)" feature, I searched "shi herm before:2010", and unsurprisingly, I found a lot of furry porn.

Stories on sofurry.com, a furry website that looks to be from at least 2007, if not older. I'll spare you the details, but indeed, there, they use shi/hir pronouns for their "herm" characters. Did these pronouns originate from.. furries?? I put that though aside for now, to look further into other uses.

As it turns out, the journey does not end at 2007. Urban dictionary has an entry from 2003

No slurs here, it looks like a neutral usage. Again, going back to Google. Now, search terms "hir "gender neutral" before:2004"

Many results show up now, now articles rather than furries. American.edu (seems to be a university), Swarthmore.edu (this is a college), both from 2001. jstor.org with a journal article from 1999. Unfortunately I can't read that one, as I have to pay a whole $63 to purchase it. I even found a PDF file from 1994 by core.ac.uk

But, what I've realized now is this is not usage of shi/hir pronouns. All of these use Ze/hir pronouns. I don't know if there is any link, but the last pronoun looking the same must've obscured the results.

From the american.edu article on these pronouns. You can see the usage of "hir" alongside "ze", and below it, the usage of ze/zir pronouns, which seem to be used more today.

Shit.. Doing the search all over again with the pronoun "shi" yields.. very few results apart from people talking about Chinese words.

Wait what about those furries from earlier? The tvtropes.org article does include this:

Chakona space? Chakats? Pronouns he came up with? Admittedly I kept seeing these centaur feline hybrid characters come up quite consistently during this dive, but I had to look into it further.

Oh buddy what did I get myself into. This is from 2001 best I can tell, so we're getting quite old here. I scroll down on the page.

And lower down.

Now this is all very interesting speculative biology, but what I'm focusing on is again, the usage of "hermaphrodite" together with the pronouns "shi/hir". Did a furry artist named Bernard Doove come up with these pronouns.

It gets yet older.. New search, "chakats "shi" before:2001"

Again, Bernard Doove's art from 2000, 1999, 1998,

I find a website called yerf.metafur.org It has furry art, dating all the way back to the mid 1990's, but here, on December 23 1998, is the first appearance of these pronouns on that site.

This Bernard Doove person has been at this project, with these pronouns for a while.

From what I can tell, many of his art pieces, they seem to be quite sexual beings. Quite fetishistic of hermaphroditism at times. (or intersexuality, take your pick)

The other thing I found with my search was a website, furry.org.au/bosshoss/

My search says it's from September 14 1998.

That's certainly some information, but it might come in handy. So Chakat Goldfur provided this website? Who is that? Looking into it, that seems to be a character created by Bernard Doove, that acts as an alter ego. Further down, the person running this website lists some other websites they enjoy. One being "Proxima Centauri", which seems to be another furry artist.

"I met this one at ConFURence 8. Very interesting. (Did I mention shi is a hermaphrodite uni-centaur?)"

(For context, ConFURence is a furry convention held in 1997)

Again, the usage of hermaphrodite, and the pronoun shi. At this point, the website being linked to is long gone, but the wayback machine provides help. The website, http://www.spots.ab.ca/~unicorn/main.htm has been captured all the way back to October 8th 1997.

At this time, the website was under construction. No images are willing to load and haven't been archived, but the description is intact.

So this person uses shi/hir pronouns for their hermaphroditic character all the way back in 1997. There are links to other places where this person used to host their works, but they are all down and haven't been archived. The thread is running thin..

Back to Bernard Doove, the Chakat creator. There must be something more to this. Turns out, there was. On the "yerf" website, I actually found several art pieces that were not picked up by Google.

Febuary 22 1997. Getting yet older. In some art pieces, Bernard references "Forest Tale" and "forest tales", so I went looking for whatever that was.

1995?? you've got to be kidding. It's an adult story involving these "chakat" beings, and sure enough, down the page

Shi/hir pronouns used over and over again.

With the use of hermaphrodite.

But.. This is kind of where it ends. I couldn't seem to find anything older, and I'm not going to contact Bernard Doove over this. Even something as old as 29 years is impressive to me. Bernard Doove states his characters were inspired by other furry artists' creatures of the time, but since it's 1995, there isn't much left for me to find here. Anything before that time is probably lost.

With all the information I have been able to gather, it looks to shi/hir pronouns were created by Bernard Doove who is a furry author and artist. Shi/hir were made to be a midway between "she" and "him" in some way, to be a gender neutral word for hermaphroditic genetically modified beings called "chakats" in his stories. As an intersex person myself, I don't enjoy the use of "hermaphrodite" in such a way, as it's a slur for us. But these types of characters also seem to be very old, and we, and our struggles, were completely unknown to the vast majority of people, even moreso than nowadays.

If you use those pronouns for an intersex person who doesn't use them, it is indeed intersexist, as you are implying we are hermaphrodites.

But as for whether only intersex people can use them? I'm not sure. The original intent doesn't seem be directly linked to intersex people. You could argue that these hermaphroditic characters are fetishized versions of how many people see us, and have seen us for a long time. Afterall, hermaphrodite was, and still is, a common slur for us.

I don't doubt some people have used these pronouns as slurs against us as well, but I also haven't found anything specifically that supports that. It always seemed to be for specific fictional characters that COULD be based off specific intersex attributes

I'm not going to argue one way or the other. This was just me trying to find what I could about these pronouns and their history. Just be mindful of how you use these pronouns, and the connections they have to fetishes revolving around the common misinterpretation of intersex bodies (as in, "having both parts")

Thank you for reading.

I hope you learned something. I know I did, and I now have a headache.

[luffytheworld]

Hidden feelings

A/N: Hihi! First mini(?) series about cute kdrama romantic school au for luffy bc i love him and i’ve been binging dramas lately. :P enjoy!! Also i wrote this through hs and i’m barely now uploading it bc.. why not. So bare with me with the writing and updating T_T it’s not yet completed.

Pairing: Luffy x Fem reader.

Warnings: mid writing (first work published …) & cursing.

Word Count: 2.4k.

Chapter 1: Yearning

The sun shone brightly over Grand Line High School, signaling the start of another typical school day. Students filled the hallways, chatting excitedly about their weekend plans. Among the crowd, you walked quietly, blending into the background as you always did.

It was start of your lunch period and you were making your way to the cafeteria, hoping to find your lunch table mates. It was your first year here at Grand Line and even after 3 months into the school year, you had yet to make stable friends. Sure, you had your lunch table mates who were welcoming and kind enough to let you sit with them and avoid sitting alone at lunch. Even so, they didn’t really make an effort to talk to you outside of class.

Lost in your own thoughts, you failed to notice Tashigi approaching you in the hall.

“Hey Y/N. You’re heading to lunch?” Tashigi’s voice cut through the hallway noise, her glasses slightly askew and her bright smile, walking alongside you.

You nodded and offered a small smile in return. “Yeah I am.”

As you walked down the bustling hallways, Tashigi chatted animatedly about history class, her words flowing in a stream of excitement. You listened attentively, nodding and offering a few soft responses here and there. Preferring to observe and listen rather than dominating conversations, you find comfort in the background.

“You know, I think I finally understand that chapter about the Void Century,” Tashigi said, adjusting her glasses. “I mean, Professor Clover explains it well, but it’s so much to take in!”

You smiled slightly, appreciating Tashigi’s enthusiasm. “Yeah, it’s a lot of information. You did well on the last quiz, though.”

Tashigi’s face lit up with pride. “Thanks! I’ve been studying hard. What about you? How do you feel about it?”

“It’s interesting,” Y/N replied softly. “So much mystery. Makes you wonder what really happened.”

You both approached the cafeteria and told Tashigi that you would be lining up for the food offered at the cafeteria today. “Ah okay. I heard from Vivi that they’ll be serving sandwiches. Go now so the line doesn’t get too long.” Tashigi said and motioned to go sit at your lunch table, who you saw Vivi, Cody and Shirahosi already settled in.

You hummed and made your way to the kitchen line. The noise level had increased from the halls to the cafeteria has increased. The air filled with the chatter and laugher of students. Nearing the line, you noticed a familiar group of students already lined up. It was the Strawhat Club.

A group of chaotic and energetic filled students, whom you had no idea what their club was even focused but they seemed to always stick with each other and cause chaos here and there. You were however, kinda familiar with their leader. Luffy.

You observed and saw Luffy at the front of the line, animatedly talking with Usopp and Nami. Luffy’s laugher was infectious, his energy seemingly boundless. He was effortlessly charming, always drawing people to him like a magnet. Very known throughout the school, mostly from causing lots of trouble and bothering a couple of teachers.

As you inched forward the line, you couldn’t help but feel a pang of longing seeing Luffy so vibrant and happy. Your mind drifted back to the moment you first fell for him—a memory you cherished secretly.

It was a rainy afternoon a few months ago, and you were struggling to carry a stack of heavy boxes filled with supplies for art class. You managed to get them halfway down the hall when you tripped, the boxes teetering precariously. You just laid there, fighting the urge to cry. You were already having the most saddest and shittiest day recently and you couldn’t even muster the courage to get up and pick the loaded boxes.

“Need a hand?” a cheerful voice called out from afar.

You heard and quickly composed yourself, looking up to see one of you the students here, Luffy, wearing his signature cap turned back and a bright grin on his face. Without waiting for your response, he grabbed the boxes from the floor and steadied the rest with ease.

“Thanks,” You mumbled, feeling your cheeks warm.

“No problem! These look heavy,” Luffy said, effortlessly lifting the boxes as if they weighed nothing. He carried them to the art room, setting them down with a satisfied sigh. “There you go!”

You smiled shyly. “Thank you. That was really kind of you.”

Luffy grinned and waved it off. “Anytime! See you around.”

With that, he was off, joining his friends down the other hall. For Luffy, it was just a brief, friendly interaction, one of many in his day.

But for you, it was a moment that changed everything. His genuine kindness and the way he acknowledged your existence left a lasting impression, especially with some past events that had left your heart feeling heavy. From that day forward though, you found yourself intrigued and looking forward to getting glimpses of him in the hallways and during lunch breaks.

You became familiar with his friend group as well, observing and learning some of his friend’s name and attitudes. Which is why it didn’t surprise you that the reason why the line was sightly being held up was due to a certain moss headed individual and one of the kitchen’s student chief volunteers as well as Luffy’s friend, Sanji. Their bickering over the food options had amused you, forming a little smile your face but, was really holding up the line now.

You were startled by the loud yelling behind you.

“HURRY UP AND GET YOUR SHIT!” A certain red headed dude exclaimed. Eustass Kid. You were acquaintance with him before through a past… somebody. He had always scared you, not just with his big tall built, which suited his position in the wrestling team but with his loud angering attitude.

The arguing between the 2 from before had stopped and the group ahead served their lunches and moved out the line. Finally, it was your turn to get her lunch. Kid’s yelling from before had tensed you up so you quickly picked up a tray and moved toward the sandwich station, where Sanji was serving as a lunch volunteer. His blond hair fell elegantly over one eye, and he wore a charming smile that surely made the girls in line blush.

“Well, well, if it isn’t a lovely lady.” Sanji said with a playful wink. “What can I get for you today, beautiful? We’ve got ham and cheese, turkey, or a classic BLT.”

You felt her cheeks heat up under his gaze, used to having someone flirt at you even if you knew he’s known to do that with every girl near him. Still you managed to keep your composure. “I’ll have a turkey sandwich, please.”

“Excellent choice,” Sanji said, swiftly preparing the sandwich with a flourish. “Anything for you, my dear. How about some extra lettuce and tomatoes? Just for you.”

“Anything is fine.” you softly replied.

Sanji finished the sandwich and handed it to you with a dramatic bow. “Here you go. Made with extra care.”

“Thank you,” you gestured your tray up.

“Anytime, mademoiselle,” Sanji replied, his eyes twinkling.

With your tray in hand, you looked around for your lunch table again. The cafeteria was crowded, but seeing one of your lunch table mates fall figure, Shirahoshi, made it easier to spot your table. You made your way over, setting your tray down and taking a seat.

“Hi Y/N!” Your lunch table greeted.

Unpacked lunch boxes and books loaded with worksheets filled most of the table.

Shirahoshi sent you a cheerful smile and offered one of her yogurts to you. You smiled and kindly declined.

Observing the rest of your friends. Vivi was writing her little heart away in what you assumed was an essay prompt worksheet and Koby with Tashigi, quizzing each other using one of those heavy thick books loaded up with Marine corps information.

All of them wearing their signature student council vests. Sitting with them made you stick out like a thumb, since you didn’t have the beige colored uniform they were awarded with for being part of Student Council.

You continued eating your lunch quietly, every once in a while contributing to the conversations in the table but even so, still reserved and isolated. While you greatly appreciated them, you didn’t really feel connected with your friends. All of them were really close with one another due to the club they're all in, leaving you left out from many conversafions and activities they do.

You didn’t mind it though. They really influenced you to maintain your outstanding grades and care for your future after graduation. You were also very use to the solitude and isolation, both during in and outside of school. You had to admit though, it sucked missing out on many accompanied experiences and you missed having solid friends.

Lunch period went on and you remained quiet and reserved. Your vision drifting the table where Luffy and his friends sit at. You observed them and noticed their perfect dynamic. Luffy being the heart of the group. Teasing and bickering with one another, their affection unmistakable.

You longed to be part of something like that—a close-knit group of friends who accepted each other unconditionally, flaws and all. The groups table was a whirlwind of chaos and joy, a vivid contrast to your own quiet, isolated tiny space. Even with the yearning to be part of them, be part of Luffy’s bubble, you deemed you were not fit for such group. Your quiet and unnoticed character didn’t blend in with theirs.

That was okay. You found solace in your own quiet company, observing the world around you and cherishing the small, unnoticed moments.

~

The rest of the school day flew by in a blur for you. After lunch, you kept to herself, moving from one class to another, focusing entirely on your studies. Taking detailed notes and completing your assignments with care. Interactions with your classmates were minimal, your reserved nature making her almost invisible in the bustling environment of Grand Line High School.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, you packed up your things and made your way to the locker hall. The hallways, usually bustling with students, were quieter than usual today due to a late dismissal. You had to quickly for a favor of turning in papers to the office from your chemistry teacher, Caesar Clown. Seriously whose name is clown…

Most students had already left, leaving the school eerily calm.

You closed her locker and turned to leave, only to bump into a familiar figure. Your books and papers scattered across the floor, and you found herself face-to-face with Luffy, his wide grin and bright eyes catching you off guard.

"Hey, Y/N, right?" he said, his voice cheerful and energetic.

Startled, you blinked in surprise. "Uh, hi, Luffy," you replied softly, your voice barely audible in the nearly empty hallway. Quickly kneeling to pick up your scattered belongings, feeling your cheeks warm slightly with embarrassment.

Luffy immediately crouched down to help, his grin never wavering. "You hang out with Vivi sometimes, don’t you? I think I’ve seen you with her.

"Yeah, we sit together at lunch," You said, fumbling to gather your things. You weren’t used to being the center of attention, especially not from someone as popular as Luffy.

As you both stood up, your hands brushed briefly, causing you to pull yours back quickly. Luffy didn’t seem to notice, his attention already shifting to the empty hallway. "Cool," he said, nodding. He then glanced around, a look of slight concern crossing his face. "Hey, have you seen a yellow with red cap around here? I think I might've dropped it."

You heart skipped a beat. You shook her head. "No, I haven’t seen it today," your voice soft. "But I can help you look for it if you want."

Luffy’s face lit up with his characteristic grin. "Really? Thanks! I was just heading this way, so maybe it fell somewhere nearby."

Together, you started retracing his steps. You tried to focus on looking for the hat, but you just couldn’t help but steal glances at Luffy. His carefree nature and the way he treated everyone so kindly made your heart flutter.

As you both moved through the quiet hallway and out to the courtyard, Luffy chatted easily about his day, sharing funny anecdotes and laughing. You listened, smiling at his stories, feeling more at ease with every step.

After a few minutes, Luffy sighed, scratching his head. "Guess it’s really gone, huh? I’ll have to look for it again tomorrow."

You nodded, feeling a mix of guilt and anticipation. "Yeah, maybe it will turn up."

Luffy looked at you with genuine appreciation. "You’re really nice, Y/N. We should hang out more often."

You felt your warm warm at his words, and you nodded shyly. "Yeah, maybe."

As they parted ways, You felt a warmth in her chest. Your interaction had been brief, but it left you with a feeling of hope and excitement. For Luffy, it was just a simple request for help, another moment in his busy day. But for you, it was something more—a fleeting connection that made you feel seen and acknowledged.

As you walked home, you took a different route through the school courtyard to get home and to your bus stop faster.

It was there, under a bench, that you spotted a crumpled, dirty yellow striped with red hat. Your heart raced as you picked it up, recognizing it immediately as Luffy’s. The brim was torn, and it looked like it had been stepped on.

Without a second thought, you decided to take it home. Once at home, you cleaned the hat, mended the tear, and restored it as best you could. As you worked, you thought about how surprised Luffy would be when you returned it to him the next day.

You will finally have a reason to approach him again, and with any luck, it could be the beginning of something new. You hoped, but mostly for courage and confident to even approach Luffy.

For now, you felt a tiny spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, you weren’t as invisible as you thought. And maybe there was a chance for you to find a place among the chaos and camaraderie that is Luffy’s bubble.

To be continued…

a/n: yay! first ever work. sorry if it’s boring rn i just like story building n small details. luffy soon. new chap soon. as well.

[cloverchameleon]

It Has to be Perfect! Sonic Big Bang 2025!

This year I participated in a Sonic the Hedgehog Big Bang event via @sthbigbang as a fic writer. This will be my first time posting a fic to tumblr, so that'll be interesting. As part of this event, I collaborated with a few artists who've drawn some amazing pieces for this story!

@thekeerok [art link]

@chiaraeliz [art link]

@pyriteparasite [art link]

Beta read by @harthic

It Has to be Perfect! Pairing: Tangle/Whisper (IDW comics) Length: 7,141 words, oneshot Rating: G Summary: Tangle is a lemur on a mission. A mission to create one grand, absolutely perfect, peak romance date for her girlfriend, Whisper. But with so many wacky characters around, something is bound to go a little sideways - okay, maybe a lot of somethings. But she can salvage this! ...right?

[SPOILER WARNING: THIS FIC CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE IDW SONIC COMICS UP TO ISSUE #75, INCLUDING THE TANGLE & WHISPER MINISERIES]

Jewel the Beetle flits comfortably through the familiar streets of Spiral Hill Village on a beautiful, quiet day. Every day in Spiral Hill tends to be very quiet – with a few very notable and extreme exceptions. It’s part of what she always liked about it, having as nervous of a temperament as she does; the slow, monotonous day to day of such a place, even from more of a leadership position, was always a cozy, manageable level of stress. And when anxiety makes a few misappropriated agates feel like the world crashing down, this place really did feel like the most she would ever be able to handle. It’s a little strange to be back here now, after everything she’d gotten wrapped up in and the genuine world-crashing stakes she’s had to lead people through. But just as much as this place has a comforting pillow-fort security to it to her, she knows one girl who finds that kind of peace and quiet stifling to the point of madness. In fact, that’s why she’s on a mission here now. It’s because she knows that Tangle the Lemur was coming home for a little while between adventures – and that if she hasn’t heard back from her, whining about being bored or cooking up some new thing to chase down, she may well have gotten caught up in another incident in this town’s sudden increase in incidents per year.

Jewel flies up to the door of Tangle’s home and gives it a nervous little knock.

“…maybe she’s not h-“

The door slams open. “HELLO?”

Tangle is wide-eyed, restless, disheveled. That sort of post all-nighter so-tired-it-looped-back-around-to-hyper jittery. “Oh, hey Jewel! I’m kinda busy – is everything okay?”

Jewel is taken aback – and not just the distance she had to get aback to dodge the door.

“I’m… fine. Are you?”

“I’m great – I’m so good! Oh! You like planning stuff! Come here, you’ll love this!”

“AAH!”

Tangle pulls Jewel along like a startled balloon into the house, excitedly rambling “I’ve been working on this for ages, but I’ve finally got every detail ironed out – it’s a foolproof plan, Jewel! Every possibility accounted for!”

“You… planned something?”

“Yeah!”

“In detail?”

“All the detail!! That’s why I wanna show you, you’re the most enthusiastic planner I know, I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of… this?”

Tangle trails off looking back at Jewel. Jewel in the meantime has snagged an umbrella and tearfully holds it overhead, ready to bash.

“Alright, shapeshifter – where’s the real Tangle?”

Tangle looks unimpressed. She plucks the umbrella away with her tail.

“I’m not a shapeshifter, I’m planning a date for Whisper. Do you want to see my cool plans or not?”

Jewel looks skeptical.

Tangle sighs. “When we were 9 you submitted an anonymous tip to the town newspaper to complain about the font choice for the new street signs and got embarrassed because everyone knew it was you.”

“It wasn’t a good font… Okay, fine, I believe you’re you. But can you blame me? I’ve never known you to plan anything in high detail. Do you usually do this for dates?”

“Only when it really matters.” Tangle flings the umbrella to go crash into some other part of the room that can be a later problem. She opens a door and triumphantly bounces in. “Check it, Jewel!”

Jewel’s eyes widen taking in the scene.

“Oh… oh my.”

“BAM!” Tangle throws her arms open wide, slapping the wall where she’s set out a conspiracy board of sorts – pictures, notes, printed reviews and menus, a big world map festooned with little doodles and pins – even bits of red string that don’t seem to be actually connecting ideas to each other. Simply there because boards have red string.

“I’ve been working on it all week! Ha-HAH! It’s gonna be GREAT!!” She grins and bounces in place. “I’ve been reading a ton of articles about all the most romantic places and things in the world – I’ve become a whole romance-ologist!”

“I don’t think that’s a word.”

Jewel’s quiet objection is completely bowled over by Tangle cartwheeling to the far end of the chart and carrying on. “But I hear ya, Jewel – ‘Tangle, these are all over the place! There’s no way you can do them all in one date!’ WRONG! Cause Tails gave me this!”

She whips out a small, yellow-orange remote control, with a zig-zaggy antenna with a ball on the end, a little keyboard and screen, and a tiny little fox nose and whiskers decal on it.

“This bad boy’ll let me put in the coordinates of anywhere on the planet and zip-zap-zop, there we are!! He said – he said, uh – that’s it! He said:

‘That multi-portal Eggman and I built with Starline’s weird tech got me thinking. We have friends all over the world – Sonic’s fast, but even he gets tired running back and forth across the whole ocean when someone needs him – and that doesn’t help the rest of us get there to help too! I can only make the Tornado so fast before it’s too dangerous for passengers. So I’ve been reverse engineering the blah blah blah tech talk, satellites or something, I dunno – to make the MOVE System! All my tests have been going great, it’s safe to use, it just needs a stress test to see how much use it can take! And I can’t think of anyone better to stress it out than you.’

“So he gave me the remote, showed me how to use it, and bada-bing bada-boom, IDEA!” she slaps the chart again, “OPERATION KISS THE GIRL!”

Jewel reels – as she often does when trying to keep up with Tangle – and looks at all the pinned stops. “Put in… coordinates? Tangle, doesn’t that mean you need to know the exact latitude and longitude of every place on this list? There’s no way you can memorize all-“

“I WAS UP ALL NIGHT MEMORIZING ALL OF THEM!” she pumps her arms triumphantly. She turns and starts pointing at places, listing off coordinate codes at top Tangle speed until Jewel puts a hand over her mouth.

“Sweetie, don’t you think this is all a bit… much? This is far too much pressure to put on yourself for one date.”

“No it’s not.”

Jewel jumps at her sudden serious tone.

“Whisper trusts me. I know you don’t know her like I do, but that’s a big deal. She deserves better – she deserves everything.” Tangle wrings the hem of her shirt. “She deserves this much effort and so much more, and I’m gonna give it all to her. I’ll make sure she doesn’t regret it.”

“Regret it? Tangle…”

Jewel is cut off this time by a loud beeping. Tangle shoves back the edge of her glove to reveal a little watch and turns off its alarm.

“THAT’S TIME!! I gotta go pick up my girlfriend! Bye Jewel, see ya later, stay safe, byeeeee!!!”

She speeds off, sending papers flying off her chart in the slipstream. Jewel reaches for her helplessly. Worried.

Whisper the Wolf meanders peacefully through Spiral Hill Village. It’s a much more pleasant place to visit when you’re not in a high stakes game of cat and mouse with a murderous traitor or… something. Yeah, much nicer without something like that hanging over one’s head. It’s hard to imagine someone like Tangle coming from such a calm place. Or maybe it makes sense that an adventurous spirit would get that hyper with so few adventures in arm or tail’s reach. At the very least, it makes sense that such a sleepy town tasked with raising a Tangle would be as ready to brace and dodge that swinging, flipping, bouncing ball of energy as the way Whisper watches them respond to her running up the street toward her.

“HIIII WHISPER!” Tangle calls, waving enthusiastically. She dives at Whisper, who just as readily braces herself to let Tangle swing her momentum out – revolving around her before wrapping back into a hug.

“You seem extra excited… something to do with that surprise you promised me?” Whisper’s soft, quiet voice teases.

Tangle grabs onto Whisper’s shoulders to lean back and squeal. “Yes yes yes it is! Cause I have this!” She whips out the little remote.

Whisper shifts her mask to eye it curiously. “…what is it?”

“This, my fair lady, is the very first remote for the – the, uh – the-“ she squints at the label maker sticker on the back, “Mobility Over Variable Energies… system.”

They both stare at the cartoony device.

“You know, I think he comes up with a good acronym first and then picks whatever words he can make fit it.” Tangle says.

“It also has two-way radio, so maybe watch what buttons you’re pressing before you start making comments.” The device crackles back.

Tangle grimaces. “Sorry, Tails – thank you, Tails.” She releases the microphone button. “A-anyway. As I was saying – I have big plans for us today, Whisper! First stop, Apotos!!”

Whisper tilts her head. “Apotos? If this is going to be a whole trip, I could use a little more time to prepare…”

“Why Whisper, my dear, who needs to take a whole long, expensive trip like that when we can have a one-day Apotos vacation at the push of a button?”

Tangle types. And types. “…at the push of several buttons HEY there we GO!”

She points the remote at an empty space nearby and confirms her coordinates in the system. Almost instantly, space wibbles and warps, ripples spreading out like a pebble dropped in a pond. A whirling, light orange portal sits in front of them. Tangle gives a little bow and holds her arm out to Whisper with a wink.

“Shall we depart, miss?”

Whisper breathes out a tiny laugh and takes her arm. Together, they step through the whirling light. Back at Spiral Hill, the portal closes quickly behind them.

The two of them are hit with a sensation not unlike missing a step on a staircase. A disoriented lurch and the sensation of falling toward very close ground. They support each other as they catch their footing on the other side of a rippling orange circle that’s waved to life just above pale cobblestone paths.

The duo step, blinking against the brighter light, out into a breezy Apotos morning. The sunlight bounces off the white buildings, making them look almost luminous. Seabirds drift lazily on the ocean breeze coming off the perfectly blue water rolling invitingly a little ways off. Whisper approaches the wall of the raised walkway they’re on and leans on it to look out over the water.

“It’s beautiful…”

“Yeah…” Tangle smiles toward her. “Y-yeah! Top ten vacation spot!”

Whisper looks at her curiously.

“S-so I hear – always wanted to visit, so hey, why not, y’know? But uh, yeah, I figure we could…” she does a little circling motion with her finger, “…walk around a bit? Take in the sights, maybe, uh – hey!”

Tangle hops around her, guiding her gaze over toward an ice cream stand opening up for the day.

“Maybe some ice cream for the walk? I’m pretty sure it’s like 8am here, but hey, it was afternoon back home, and clearly no one ever told this guy ice cream isn’t a breakfast food – so that works out for us!”

Whisper snickers. “Sure, ice cream sounds nice.”

And so they stroll together down the alabaster streets of the island, hand-in-hand. It’s certainly a far cry from Spiral Hill – but even the beaches back home have a very different atmosphere to them. There’s simply something in the way the breeze rolls off the ocean here that feels warm and serene compared to their coast’s playfulness. Tangle steals a look over at Whisper. She looks happy. Curious and relaxed, taking in the sights in a way that doesn’t feel tactical this time. Tangle can’t help but smile. She’s doing it! She’s going to get a good grade in girlfriending! A very normal thing to think!! 

Just as they get close enough to the ice cream booth to read the menu, they see the truly decadent cone the vendor is assembling in a little stand and wonder at the balancing act of it all – chocolate and vanilla scoops dotted with chunks of chocolate, multiple fruits both chocolate-dipped and plain around the edge, pocky and an extra wedge of waffle cone in it for good measure – confidently slid across to the edge of the counter at its completion. A work of art to be sure. Although there’s no sign of any customer waiting to eat it before it melts. Before an eager-looking Tangle can volunteer on their behalf, they both jump – battle-ready, alert – at the blur that shoots by and sets the stand spinning in a clattering circle. Robbed of its pride and joy.

Sonic leans against the corner of the booth and looks over the frosty treat. He gives an appreciative whistle. 

“This might be your best one yet! Take a look at that!” he shares a friendly, familiar smile with the shopkeeper before plucking a chocolate-dipped strawberry off to pop into his mouth.

“Only the best for my best customer! And how about you ladies? You look like you could use a scoop or two. What can I get you?”

Sonic follows his eyes to them and waves.

“Well, hey there! Fancy seeing you two here!”

“HI SONIC!” Tangle waves back.

“Hello!” Whisper puts her hand up.

“Friends of yours, I take it?” the vendor asks him.

“Oh yeah, you know me. Mr. Popular over here. I’m guessing they’re here to try the best ice cream in the world – is that right, girls?”

Tangle’s eyes sparkle. “The best in the world? Really?”

“Oh yeah! If you’re looking for recommendations, you’ve got to try the Sundae Supreme,” he waggles the impressive cone, “they come with a hefty seal of approval.”

“A favorite of yours? It doesn’t seem like your usual fare.” Whisper teases.

“Hah, not quite. But a close friend loved them. I come by to get them – for him, you know? And they’re great every time!”

Whisper nods solemnly.

Tangle gulps. The atmosphere is taking a turn for the sad – gotta get this train back on the track!

“SO! If they’re that good, we’ll take two!” She calls, a bit too loudly, to the vendor.

He matches her energy with an equally loud and enthusiastic “Two Sundae Supremes for the lovely ladies, coming right up!”

Tangle taps her foot anxiously, watching Whisper and Sonic continue to chat. They lean on the wall lining the walkway and look out over the water, talking about the scenery here. What if they talk more about this whole memorial ceremony he’s doing – it’s not that she doesn’t care about his loss, that sucks, she’d love to talk about it another time for sure! But what if they start talking about it, and Whisper starts thinking too much about her old friends, and everything she’s done for their memories, and then she gets sad, and she doesn’t want to keep doing this date! And then when she thinks about dates with Tangle she thinks about being miserable in such a pretty place and she doesn’t want to go on any more dates at all, and then she doesn’t want to be her girlfriend at all, and breakups are so awkward, so she stops wanting to see her anywhere, and she leaves, and it’s all her fault, and-

Tangle’s anxious, tapping, spiraling mess of thoughts are interrupted by a loud crash that shakes the walkway. She runs up to the wall and looks down with the others. A submarine of some sort has emerged from the water and started spitting out badniks that are already beginning to attack the outskirts of town.

“Tch, can’t even take one morning off, huh? Alright.” Sonic scarfs down the ice cream cone. “If that’s how Eggman wants to – ahhh ah-ah-ah, brain freeze!”

Whisper points the ice cream vendor toward the buildings. “Go. Get somewhere safe.”

“Good call, Whisper. Ah, geeze, gotta stop eating cold stuff that fast! Alright!” He steps up onto the wall and does a couple stretches in place, “Change of plans! Let’s scramble some eggs, and then ice cream’s on me!”

Whisper nods and draws her wispon.

“WAAAAIIIIT!”

They both stop. They turn, utterly confused, to Tangle.

“Hi, yeah, sorry – actually, Sonic, do you mind if we… maybe dip? We’re uh – we’re sort of on a date? Right now?”

Sonic blinks. “Oh.” He looks between them. “Oh – OH! Yeah, of course! Go, go, have fun! There’s barely any bots here, I can handle this solo no problem – you two go get your romance on! Sorry, Tangle!”

“No problem! We’re just gonna – yeah! We’re just gonna head out!”

She hooks Whisper’s arm and types a new code onto the remote, quickly popping up a new portal.

“Ooh, fresh Tails tech?”

“Yeah!”

“Nice. Alright, you kids have fun now. I’ll catch ya later!” Sonic gives them a little salute and hops off the wall.

“Come on, he’s got this. And we’ve got plans!” Tangle encourages Whisper. She sighs and begrudgingly puts her wispon away.

“Okay… where did you have in mind?”

They step through to a bustling city center, alive with chatter and cars – a sharp contrast to the slow, relaxed Apatos coast.

“Tah-dah!” Tangle trumpets at a crosswalk. “Oh. Wait-“ she takes Whisper’s shoulders and rotates both of them. “-tah-dah!”

They stand in front of a neon wonder – a world of flashing lights and dinging, singing machinery known as Secret Zone Games.

“Come on! I bet I can win more tickets than you!” Tangle teases.

Whisper snickers and nods. “You’re on.”

They pick through the digital playground, caught up in mostly friendly competition. Rolling skee-balls, mashing buttons, trying to pick the next nearest game they each think they’ll have the advantage in when they start slipping behind.

“I don’t remember Super Monkey Ball being that hard!” Tangle groans.

Whisper shrugs. “Never played it before.”

“What!? But you totally kicked my tail!!”

“Hm. Skill issue.”

“Ah! AH! Skill issue?? Oh, those are fighting words – that’s it. No more missus nice lemur – let’s cut the kiddie stuff and go where the real warriors test their skills, then we’ll see who has a skill issue!”

“And where would that be?”

“The rhythm games. Sure, you’ve revolutioned, but can you dance, dance?”

“I don’t think revolutioned is a word.”

“She’s dodging the question!” Tangle declares to an imaginary jury, “Sounds like someone’s scared to get shown up!”

Whisper grins. “You’re on.”

“Then let’s go, let’s settle this – all or nothin!”

Racing to the next section of games, they round the corner to an unexpected sight.

“Shadow?” Tangle asks.

Sure enough, the ultimate lifeform stands with his arms crossed next to a large claw machine full of adorable, multi-colored plush chao. And standing at the controls is a little cream-colored rabbit girl with her tongue out in intense concentration. She carefully lines up the claw and pushes the button to lower it into a plushy pile. As the claw makes contact with a doll, she starts aggressively mashing the button – but the doll slips right out of the claw’s loose grip and back into the pile.

“Dang it!” she huffs.

“Why are you hitting the button like that?” Shadow asks her incredulously.

“The internet says it helps.”

Shadow sneers. “Don’t just believe everything you read on the internet, Cream. It’s full of fools and liars.”

“And recipes.”

“Fine, fools, liars, and sometimes recipes.”

Tangle lands on top of the claw machine without warning.

“Hi Shadow! Hi Cream! I didn’t expect to see the two of you here – together, no less! How’d that happen?”

“Hi, Miss Tangle!” Cream waves.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but Vanilla called in a favor. And lucky for her, I had nothing better to do today with Rouge taking Omega for maintenance.”

“Mister Shadow babysits me when Mom and Gemerl are busy!”

Tangle grins down at the kid. “Awww, isn’t that sweet! I knew you were a big ol softie, ya ol’ sharp, dark, and broody.”

Shadow snarls up at her. “Aren’t you busy right now?” he demands, gesturing back at Whisper. Her and Cream wave at each other.

“Ah!! You’re right, you’re right – sorry, Whisper! Have fun, Cream! See you around, Shadow!” She flips off of the claw machine.

“Not if I can help it.” Shadow grumbles at her back as she links arms with Whisper and they run off together. And so he turns his attention back to his charge – who is currently counting out her game tokens to see how many more chances she gets to win that chao doll.

“Don’t you want to try a different game?” he asks her, “It may be time to give up on this one.”

“Sonic says you can accomplish anything as long as you don’t give up. So I’m not gonna give up on this toy! I’m gonna win!”

“Tch, what does that guy know? The only thing he can actually outrun is his own sense of reason.”

“So… it doesn’t matter if I try my hardest, I still can’t win?”

“Someti-“ Shadow catches himself. And he catches those big, sad eyes – looking up to him, begging him to tell her the world can be fair. He can’t take it.

“…give it one more try, and then I see something I want to play.”

“Wow, really? Okay! One more try!”

Shadow leans against the machine with a huff while the little girl hypes herself up and inserts her tokens. He checks the coast is clear. And seeing no one looking their way, he presses a hand to the side of the machine. Just a bit more power to the claw. Make sure it holds onto the doll, make sure it carries it by whatever part of the damn thing it touches clear to the chute and into her eager little arms. He whispers to himself, buried under the hyperactive calls of a hundred games that couldn’t take her attention from her dreams.

“Chaos… control.”

Tangle and Whisper watch the commotion from the established perimeter. Whisper watches the action curiously. Tangle gapes in disbelief.

“What… do you mean… it caught fire!? Where?? How!?”

Whisper shrugs. “A lot of machines. Maybe the wiring couldn’t handle it.”

“It’s an arcade!!”

“Was an arcade.”

“It’s still an arcade, it’s just a slightly more on fire arcade!” Tangle looks around at the utter chaos. “Oh – HEY! CREAM, SHADOW – THAT WAS CRAZY, RIGHT??”

Shadow is carrying Cream on his back, and she looks absolutely shocked.

“It was the claw machine,” she tells them quietly, “I almost got my doll and the whole thing sparked green and started melting. How did that happen – did I do that?”

Shadow clears his throat uncomfortably. “It chose death rather than allow you victory over it. A coward’s way out.”

“Coward.” Cream parrots. Whisper nods.

“Yeesh, well that sucks.” Tangle rubs her neck with a grimace. “Guess that’s a sour note on both our days out, huh?”

Cream perks up. “Shadow says we’re gonna go to the toy store and I can pick out any doll I want!”

“She earned her victory square, I’ll not let her go home empty-handed.” He looks at Tangle smirking at him. “…stop that.”

“And in exchange, I don’t tell Momma we burned an arcade down!”

“IT’S NOT BURNED DOWN, IT’S JUST A LITTLE MORE ON FIRE.” Shadow and Tangle both exclaim.

Tangle puts her hands up before Shadow can glare at her any harder. “Okay, okay – well you two have fun with that! Whisper and I also have a backup plan~!”

“We do?”

“Yes indeed we do – I think we need more fun and games a lot closer to a source of water, don’t you?” She punches some numbers into her remote. “All aboard the romance train! Next stop, Emerald Coast! WHOO-WHOO!”

Tangle dances through the portal backwards, keeping an eye on Whisper, who gives her a little smile and a little, reserved arm waggling in return on their way through.

The air immediately smells and feels a world apart from the city. Now it’s heavy with the smells of fried foods and sweet treats galore, carried on a fresh saltwater breeze, and music and chatter carry across it more freely in the more open space.

“Tah-dah! There’s a carnival in town today! Come on, let’s play a couple more games and get that arcade energy out of us!”

“And then we can get some of those delicious-smelling snacks, right?”

“Well, if you insist.”

Whisper gives a little giggle, taking Tangle’s arm again. It’s perfect, she’ll win ring toss, or that milk bottle game, or both! And then she can give Whisper the prize from those and impress her! And if Whisper wants, she’d be a shoe-in for those shooting games these things always have, being a sniper and all, so she can also have a chance to show off and be so cool and pretty and – and then! She knows exactly what time they need to get on that big, beautiful ferris wheel in a few hours so they’ll be up at the top when the sun’s setting into the water, and it’ll be gorgeous and romantic and maybe they’ll even kiss and-

“Actually,” Whisper leans through Tangle’s thought bubble, “I’m kind of hungry. How about we get some food now and eat it by the beach? We can play afterwards.”

“Oh! Yeah! Yeah!!” Tangle pivots away from the game alley. “Yeah, let’s eat first! The beach looks great right now too, that’s a great idea!”

So they instead follow the siren call of unholy amounts of breaded and fried food. Soon they’re making their way down the pier, balancing their greasy treasures. In one hand Whisper holds the stick of a silly sort of corndog with a second, mini corndog jabbed on under it to make a little exclamation point  - in the other, a tray of fresh, hot onion rings. Tangle pants, trying to not burn her mouth on the ring sacrificed to make room for little paper cups of ketchup and mustard, her own hands occupied with a truly staggering concoction that might have once been considered tater tots, but has since been drowned beyond recognition in shredded meat, hot peppers, and Gaia knows what else hiding under all that cheese sauce – and an enormous lemonade. With two straws, naturally. The couple finds a nice spot along the edge of the walkway and sit down, dangling their legs out over the idyllic blue water. They watch the birds sweep easy arches toward the sea and back up into the sky while they eat.

It's a comfortable sort of quiet. Peaceful. The kind of moment neither of them had known in a long time, if ever, before they found each other. Whisper’s not very talkative anyway, but since losing the original Diamond Cutters, she’s grown used to long stretches of quiet. But that’s a hollow kind of quiet. The kind that feels heavy from what is supposed to be filling it but can’t anymore. Hours, days, weeks left alone with just her thoughts and replays of better times to keep her company. It grew comfortable in the same way being cold for too long makes you start to feel warm. And then there was Tangle. A loud, relentlessly chatty, energetic summer’s day. Thawing out hurt. But now that she’s been warm again, a cool breeze – a moment of close quiet like this – feels good.

Heaven help Tangle if she’s ever been able to let a room stay quiet for more than a minute in her life. Spiral Hill is great, she loves her home, but it’s always been so boriiiiiiing! Just sitting there like a blank canvas begging for a splash of paint to liven it up! For years Tangle’s been the only one holding a paintbrush, bouncing off every wall, filling the sleepy quiet with any adventure she could scrape together from misplaced tools and lone stray badniks. And then she met the Sonic – and because of him, she met Whisper! And sure she was quiet too, but she had all these adventures, and cool battle skills, and a mysterious past! And a painful past. And a good reason to want to stay small and quiet. And Tangle felt so, so guilty for… for a lot of things she messed up with her. And now she kind of got it. How sometimes, it’s just nice to enjoy a moment of quiet for a bit and know it doesn’t need to be filled with noise right now. Because that moment of peace and quiet made a pretty wolf trying to find the mustard stuck on her fur look that unguarded.

But a quiet moment is just that: a moment. Tangle has too much planned to spend the rest of the day sitting on some wood staring at the water – totally just at the water, that’s all she was staring at! She pops back up to her feet.

“Alright! That was delicious, buuuut! I believe we have a date with some games, don’t we?”

“Do we? That’s odd…” Whisper tilts her head.

Tangle’s tail droops. “Do… do we not?”

“It’s just,” Whisper smiles, “I could have sworn my date was with you.”

Tangle snorts. “Okay, very funny.” She reaches down to help Whisper up and bundles their collective lunch trash into a proper container. “Come on, come on, come on! Those booths are callin’ our names, I can hear them from here!”

They hold hands and stroll their way back down the pier. Tangle gestures with her tail to make up for the occupied hand.

“Sooo, how are you at hoops? These things always have a basketball thing, yeah?”

“Why Tangle, are you questioning my aim?” Whisper teases.

“No, I’m questioning your throwing arm.” Tangle teases right back.

“Those sound like fighting words.”

“Well maybe they are! So come on, let’s… rumble?”

They pause, looking around for a source for the rumbling affecting the pier, making the wooden structure shake like an earthquake.

“Move, move, move!!” someone yells.

“WHAT!?” Tangle screeches, seeing the source.

Amy Rose, hammer out, runs full tilt down the walkway while frantically shouting for everyone on it ahead of her to run back to safety. And behind her an absolutely gargantuan orca!? An orca bigger than Tangle even thought they got is crashing through the pier CHASING HER DOWN.

“Tangle! Come on!” Whisper tugs the stunned lemur’s hand, running them both toward safety. She shakes off the shock and also focuses on running. Before long she’s pulling ahead of Whisper and dragging her along at her speed. All the while behind them, Amy swings and smashes at chunks of wooden planks, intercepting them in mid-air from hitting the fleeing carnival-goers.

Once they reach the end of the pier, Tangle and Whisper turn back, with tail and wispon protecting the gathered people from debris so Amy can focus on spinning, winding up, charging up a decisive slam of her hammer into the orca, finally redirecting it away from all the people. They all wait, watching for a surprise second phase… but it seems the danger’s passed for now. Amy twirls on her heel and bounces the hammer up on her shoulder.

“Hey, girls!” she waves.

Whisper slowly lowers her wispon and awkwardly waves back. Tangle’s tail, arms, ears – everything that can droop droops, staring at the floating pile of debris that was, until very recently, the Emerald Coast boardwalk.

“Wha… that… why…” she stammers.

“Oh, that whole thing?” Amy gestures too casually at the wreckage. “Eh, it happens sometimes.”

“WHALES HAPPEN SOMETIMES!?”

“Well, actually orcas are more closely related to dolphins?” Amy taps the hammer handle thoughtfully.

“Oh sweet Gaia.”

“Is that why you were in the area?” Whisper tilts her head.

“What? Oh, no, no – I mean, it’s lucky I was! Or maybe fate? I actually had a little fortune telling booth set up over there, I was giving tarot readings.” Amy pulls a deck of unevenly stacked cards out of her pocket. “But then, you know… orca happened.”

A breeze off the water sends a particularly loose card flying out of the set and away before Amy can drop her hammer and grab it – so it’s Whisper snatching it out of the air. And holding it back out to her. She sighs in relief, more fazed by almost losing a card than being chased by a dock-destroying murder dolphin.

“Oh my goodness, thank you! They’re not really together properly, it’s so hard to gather cards in a hurry! Oh – but as they say! If a card jumps out, it’s trying to tell you something! So let’s see what card jumped at you… Ooh, The Lovers, I adore that one!” Amy looks up from the card at them. She looks like she’s about to say more, but she holds that thought. She looks between Whisper, and just behind her where Tangle is pulling on her own ears in stress.

Amy claps her hands over her mouth with a gasp. “Were you two on a date??”

“Yes, we were just about to play some games. But it, uhm…” Whisper leans to look past Amy at the destruction and the amount of the boardwalk now out of reach. “…I assume the carnival is closing early.”

“But that doesn’t mean the romance train is derailed!” Tangle bursts in, already punching new coordinates – maybe harder than is very nice to the buttons – onto the remote. “We’ve got more stops to go! CHOO CHOO! ROMANCE!” She insists, punching the activation button and opening a new portal.

“Oh! Neat, is that Tails’ newest…” Amy tries.

“DEPARTING NOW! ALL ABOARD!” Tangle calls, sliding Whisper through and following close behind. To the next stop. The next perfect date spot, the next backup of a backup of a backup plan!

Backups of backups of backups become backup-backup-backup-backups, become back-back-back-back-backups, become –

Becomes a beautiful day at the Sunset City Central Park, until Rouge and Omega come crashing through, shrubbery catching on fire from Omega’s thrusters, bag leaking jewelry with guards hot on their tail.

Becomes a cute little café and bakery in Seaside City with delicious sweets, coffee, and tea galore – until Vector crashes through the awning onto their table, Espio and Charmy close behind on some investigation or other – becomes Silver and Blaze rushing up to them, saying something about a timeline-altering event about to happen that-

“NO!!”

Tangle grabs the remote once again, by now starting to feel very warm, and smacks in some more numbers, slams the activation button again, drags Whisper through another portal to another spot where another plan can go all

Wrong. She put in the coordinates wrong. They’re on land at least, barely, popping out on a cliffside overlooking the water once again. Problem is, she has no idea where this is, she doesn’t even know which ocean she’s looking at right now. She chokes down an aggravated screech into more of an angry beep and starts trying to punch in on the remote. But the casing feels so hot, the numbers are flickering on and off the screen as she tries to type them. Finally with an anticlimactic pop, the little fox-faced remote fizzles out.

Tangle stares at it. She tries to push the buttons. It does nothing. She tries to turn it off and back on again. It does nothing. It does nothing, it does nothing, it does nothing, it

Her hands shake. Her grip threatens to crack the plastic casing – as if she could make it any less functional. Her vision gets blurry. She can’t think of anything else to do, so she spikes the remote to the ground and collapses. She curls tight in on herself, wrapping her tail around her like a cocoon.

Stupid – how could she be so stupid! All this work to try and impress Whisper, to try and do something right for her, just this one time to think ahead – to look before she leaps so she doesn’t make a mess of things – and where did it get her? Where did it get both of them!? Stranded Gaia-knows-where. And it’s all her fault. It keeps being all her own fault.

“Tangle?”

She can’t summon up an answer. Apologizing again feels so hollow. She doesn’t have an excuse for this.

Whisper, softly as her name implies, steps closer. She looks over the tight coil of fur, staggered by the intensity of it all. Her hand stutters in the air between them, wanting to reach for Tangle but… not sure if she should. Not sure how to handle this at all. She knows Tangle wears her heart on her sleeve and feels everything so fully – it’s one of the things she loves most about her. But she’s seen her unbridled joy, her righteous fury, her seemingly boundless excitement over everything. She’s even, on rare occasion, seen her slammed-brake brand of hesitation, of doubt.

She’s never known her to break like this.

So she does what Tangle would. She pushes forward, running her hand softly, hopefully comfortingly, across the tail enveloping her.

“Tangle, what’s wrong?” she tries, a little louder.

“…I broke it…” Tangle sniffles.

“No,” Whisper gently corrects, settling to the ground next to her, shoulder to tail. “I don’t mean what happened to the remote. I mean… I didn’t know how to say it earlier. You’ve been on edge all day.”

She nestles in closer and rests her cheek against Tangle’s tail.

“You’ve been so jumpy. You’re running away from fighting alongside our friends. Even if they don’t need us for these little things, that’s not like you. Even now – we both know you hate small spaces like that, you can’t feel better wrapping yourself up like this. Tangle, did something happen?”

She slides her fingers between the coils as if she could pry them open and free Tangle from her self-imposed cage. She presses her forehead into the fur.

“You’re always there for me when there’s too much for me to handle on my own. From the moment we met, you’ve never let me face a battle alone. Please. Whatever happened, whatever hurt you – we’ll face it together.”

Tangle’s tail loosens. The loops gradually slipping, melting off of her into a limp, pathetic nest. She looks to Whisper with big, teary eyes and a hiccuped sob. She tips over, dropping her head into Whisper’s waiting shoulder to be hugged.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles wetly, “I messed it all up, I’m sorry.”

Whisper shushes her and rubs the back of her head. “It was an accident. Everyone said that remote was new, right? How would you know that would-“

“No, no, no! I mean – yeah, I broke the remote too – but it’s not just the remote, it’s the whole rotten thing!” Tangle sits back. “I picked all those stupid places, and every single one of them went wrong! I just wanted to give you one perfect day – no fights, no stakes – just one day where you could relax and have fun and not have to worry about anything! You deserve so much more than that, but I messed it up again!”

“What?” Whisper reaches for Tangle’s cheek. “Again?”

“Yeah, again! After everything you went through before, you still trusted me – and what did I do with that? I got got by the zombots and made you go through all that again!”

“You didn’t mean to – you didn’t even know back then.”

“And then when you were dealing with Mimic I let him trick me – twice! In one day! And when he came back again I didn’t have your back, I let him pull one over on me again instead of listening to you! I took the Diamond Cutter name without asking you first – I keep pushing you and messing things up for you, and not thinking and getting you hurt, and you deserve better than any of it – you deserve better than you’ve gotten – you deserve better than me!”

“Tangle!”

Whisper cups Tangle’s face, wet with tears, and makes her look at her. She thumbs across her cheeks to wipe some of it away.

“Tangle, I don’t care about any of that. I don’t blame you for half of that stuff, and the things I was mad at you for, I already forgave you. And I’ve been having a lot of fun today. I’ve just been worried about you. I’ve been worried about you being so stressed because I love you. And I want you to be okay too.” She presses their foreheads together. “We’ve both made our mistakes. And I think we’re going to make more. But I trust you. Whether I wanted to or not, I trust you. So I trust that whatever else happens, we’ll get through it together. That’s all I could want from you.”

Tangle sniffles. She wraps her hand around Whisper’s on her cheek and closes her eyes, leaning into the embrace.

“It doesn’t have to be perfect…” Whisper breathes, “…it just needs to be us.”

Her hands fall off Tangle’s face as the lemur lurches forward and pulls her into a tight embrace. Tangle’s tail wraps behind her to catch them from completely falling into the grass, giving them a soft place to sit and melt into each other’s grip. Even once they relax back into a less overwhelmed cuddle, it serves as a nice cushion for them to look out over the water and finally take in the view they stumbled into. Wherever they are, it’s evening here, as the sun is setting in just the right way to paint the clouds vibrant oranges and pinks and the sea the kind of almost purple-ish color they talk about in old poetry.

With a crackle and a pop, Tails' voice calls out to them. "Tangle? Whisper? Are you guys still together?"

Tangle grabs the remote the voice is coming from. "Of course we're still together!" she cries back at it, gripping it tightly in both hands, "It didn't go that badly!!"

"Oh good!" Tails gives a staticy, compressed sigh of relief. "When I got a critical error message from the MOVE System, I was worried. But it put you both in the same place, that's good!"

"Oh! Yeah!" Tangle sweats. "Yep, physical proximity! We're sure in the same location in space, yep, no worries!"

Whisper snickers behind her mask.

"Okay, great! I'm going to triangulate the distress signal from your remote off the other Tails-tech around - I'll come get you in the Tornado as soon as I can!"

Tangle and Whisper look at each other for a moment. Whisper gives her a soft, encouraging smile. Tangle grins back and lifts the remote.

“Take your time, Tails.”

Tangle settles back, pulling her tail a little closer around the two of them.

“We’ll be alright.”

[prythiansprincess]

kiss with a fist | chapter six.

home | chapters | playlist

pairing: theodore nott x reader.

song inspiration: w.i.t.c.h. - devon cole

author's note: some cute soft fluff cause i'm in a tender mood.

In all your years at Hogwarts, you could count the amount of times you’ve attended a quidditch game on one hand and you wouldn't even need to utilize all of your fingers. Needless to say, you weren’t really into the rowdiness and belligerence of sporting events, but a bargain was a bargain. You were just glad to have Luna with you. Even if it meant enduring Pansy Parkinson’s presence. 

“Be nice,” Luna warned as you approached the stands. 

“I won’t bite if she doesn’t,” you murmured back. 

Luna nodded, knowing that it was the closest thing to an agreement she was ever going to get out of you. Despite your surliness, your friend seemed to brighten the minute she spotted Pansy. In a sea of blue and gold, the dark haired witch was the only one clad in green and silver. Your housemates kept exchanging wary glances at the Slytherin in their midst, but they were wise enough to keep their mouths shut. 

You watched quietly as Pansy and Luna exchanged pleasantries. While your friend was generally a bubbly person, she seemed extra giddy as she spoke. There was something about the way that she softened that convinced you to ease up on the scowls. It must have been contagious, because Pansy actually smiled and it wasn’t a derisive sneer or a smug smirk, but a genuine smile. You didn’t even know the witch was capable of it. 

Finally, she seemed to take stock of your presence. The dark haired girl jutted her chin out proudly, her aristocratic features schooled into forced neutrality. It occurred to you that Pansy probably received a similar warning to attempt decency. 

“Y/N,” she said. 

“Pansy,” you replied. 

The two of you eyed each other. Sizing up your opponent. The eagle versus the snake, claws against teeth. The staredown was purely psychological warfare. 

You squinted. Hurt her and I’ll maim you. 

The silent warning didn’t seem to offend Pansy. Instead, she gave a subtle nod of her chin and made way for you and Luna to sit. You settled in, trying not to peer down at the drop. Heights had never really been your thing. 

Pansy observed you curiously as Luna patted your arm. “Y/N’s not a big fan of heights.” 

“Oh?” Parkinson asked. 

“I generally prefer solid ground. It reduces the chances of me falling and breaking my neck.” The corner of Pansy’s mouth quirked. “What about you, Parkinson? Are you keen on flying?” 

“A bit.” 

Luna brightened. “She’s being modest. Pansy here is a very talented flyer. She’s got an Abraxan named Circe.”

“The most powerful witch to ever live,” you noted. “She used to turn men into swine.” 

“A lost art, really.” 

You smirked. “The classic femme fatale. A personification of the dangers of femininity. They always paint powerful women in a terrible light, don’t they?” 

“Perhaps it makes the men feel better about their own inadequacies.” 

“We’re always making men feel better about their inadequacies,” you answered thoughtfully. “Convenient that the myths fail to mention that Circe was one of the first pharmakis. Modern magic would not be what it is without her extensive knowledge of herbs and plants and yet she’s rarely credited in any potions books we read.”

Pansy nodded, eyeing you in amusement. “I can see why Nott has taken a liking to you.” 

You turned to Luna who immediately shook her head. Pansy laughed. “Don’t worry, Lovegood didn’t tell me a thing. She didn’t have to. Theodore never stops talking about you, you know.” 

There was no hiding the flush that crept up to your cheeks. “We’re both vying for the top spot in Slughorn’s class. I assume he has a lot to say about his competition.” 

“It’s more than that,” Pansy said. “I’ve known Theodore since birth and I’ve never seen him put this much effort into anything. He’s always been naturally talented at potions, given his mum’s background, but you challenge him. For the first time in a long time, he’s found someone who’s actually up to par. I, for one, enjoy watching you put him in his place.” 

You smiled. “I quite enjoy it too.” 

Luna looked at you, then at Pansy before a huge grin graced her lips. It was obvious that she was pleased at the sight of her best friend and her…potential more-than-friend getting along.

The game started not long after. Your comprehension of the rules were rudimentary at best, but Luna made sure to explain as best as she could. From what you gathered, there were four positions: seeker, beater, chaser, and keeper. The chasers attempted to score as many goals as they could by throwing the quaffle through the posts, which the keepers guarded. The beaters used the bludgers to disrupt the other players. The seeker, on the other hand, needed to catch the golden snitch. All while floating on a broom hundreds of feet in the air. 

This match, Pansy explained, had been anticipated to be the most brutal of the season. The enmity between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins translated very clearly on the field. While there had always been a divide of support between the other houses, you could tell that the majority of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff stands were cheering for the Gryffindors. 

You wondered how that made the Slytherins feel. Three houses against one. After the war, Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic droned on and on about the importance of unity and reconciliation. Professor Slughorn even delivered a speech during your first potions class, but the disparity between words and actions were painfully obvious. 

The rest of the school still mistrusted the Slytherins. If any of them cared, you wouldn’t have been able to tell. Especially not as they played. The quidditch team was deadly. You watched as green and silver robes whizzed past, familiar names sprawled on the jerseys. Malfoy, Zabini, Riddle, Berkshire, Warrington, Rosier, and Nott. 

Theo winked as he flew past your portion of the stands. You rolled your eyes, but held your breath as he careened towards one of the goal posts. Ron Weasley stood guard, squinting suspiciously at Theo. The flash of the quaffle was too fast for your eyes to follow, but it sliced the air all the same, slipping through an opening above Ron’s shoulder. The redhead cursed as Theo gave him a mocking bow. 

Pansy was the lone witch in your section to cheer for the Slytherins. Luna joined her in solidarity when the crowd grew quiet. Suspicious glances were cast in your direction, which you rebuffed with a menacing glare. They all found something else to look at rather quickly. 

Displeasure rippled over the crowd as the Slytherins kept scoring. Theo was an unstoppable force. Warrington and Riddle flanked him at each side, throwing bludgers at anyone who attempted to thwart his efforts. The other two chasers, Berkshire and Zabini, circled around them in an aerial formation that confused the opposing team. The Gryffindors grew increasingly frustrated when Evangeline Rosier kept rebuffing their attempts to score. 

Both teams played well, but the Slytherins were ruthless, tactical, and efficient. They used the opposing team’s weaknesses against them. The Gryffindors tended to be over reactive and Theo used it to his advantage. He baited them into making rash plays, which left openings for him and the other chasers to exploit. 

By the end of the game, it was Berkshire who scored the winning goal. The discrepancy between the cheers and booing was insurmountable, but Pansy didn’t seem to care. She cheered for the team louder than anyone. As the win was formally announced, you heard murmurs coming from below you. 

“Stupid Death Eater bitch.” 

From the corner of your eye, you saw Pansy tense. Luna’s mouth hung agape as she wheeled around to identify the foul mouthed culprit. You were quicker. 

“What did you just say?” you asked in a deathly quiet voice.

The conversations around you stopped as you faced Romilda Vane. The smug faced witch crossed her arms, her scarlet and gold scarf billowing in the wind as she looked up at the three of you. 

“You heard me,” Romilda said in a haughty voice. “Her father was one of the Dark Lord’s staunchest supporters. As were the Malfoys and Notts. Not to mention Riddle. How he was allowed back at school is a mystery to me. They should all be in Azkaban.” 

Your ears began to ring. The crowd parted as you descended the bleachers, bringing you face to face with Romilda. “I wasn’t aware that you’d recently earned a place in the Wizengamot. For all your prattling, you’d think you were the Chief Warlock.” 

She cowered under your glare, but doubled down as she looked towards her friends. “I’m only saying what everyone else is thinking. As far as I’m concerned, the Slytherins should be punished for their crimes.” 

“I hardly think you’re speaking from any moral high ground, Romilda. Didn’t you try to dose Potter with Amortentia in sixth year?”

Romilda reddened as she sputtered nonsense. The students around you snickered, but all you could hear was the rush of blood in your ears. You clenched your fists so tightly that your nails dug painfully into your palms. If you hadn’t, you might’ve punched that stupid smirk right off of her face. 

But you knew that physical violence was not the answer. There were far more strategic ways to land a blow and you were an expert in this type of warfare. 

“I suppose Harry’s lucky that your potion making is about as incompetent as your critical thinking skills. Now move before I make you.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing getting tangled up with all those snakes. They’ll sink their teeth into your back the second you turn it.” 

“One of them is worth ten of you. At least the Slytherins fought to defend the castle instead of running off like a coward. They may have teeth, but at least they know how to use them. You’re all roar and no bite.” 

“You’re a bitch, Y/N.” 

You reared back, baring your teeth. “Oh you have no idea, Vane. But I’d be glad to demonstrate.” 

Romilda held her ground. For a split second, you weighed the consequences of harming a fellow student versus the satisfaction of pummeling Romilda to the ground. Luckily for the idiotic Gryffindor, Luna gently gripped you by the elbow. 

“It’s not worth it, Y/N.” 

You looked at your friend who wore an expression of concern. Beside her, Pansy didn’t say a word. She was utterly silent, almost resigned like she encountered this treatment on a daily basis. We all pay the price, Theo had said. 

Without another word, you nodded and bulldozed through Romilda as you exited the stands. It was only when the three of you reached the ground when you finally realized that you were shaking from anger. 

“Are you alright, Pans?” Luna asked, clasping Parkinson’s hand. 

Pansy shrugged. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, Luna. If I let the opinion of an airheaded twat affect my day, I’d never have a good one again.” 

“Are you sure—” Luna fretted. 

Pansy smiled gently and squeezed her hand in assurance. “Truly, I’m alright. The only thing upsetting me at the moment is that I’ve left my scarf up there running from those hags. Would you mind getting it for me, Lu?” 

Your friend still looked worried, but she nodded and made the trek back up. You and Pansy stood in silence, watching as the last of the crowd trickled out of the stands. 

“Vane had no right to say that,” you said. It came out harsher than you expected. 

“At least she had the gall to say it to my face,” Parkinson stated with a shrug. “I don’t know if that makes her brave or stupid.” 

“Gryffindors often have trouble making the distinction.” 

The dark haired witch laughed. “You didn’t have to do that, you know. As moronic as she is, Vane is right. She was only voicing the opinion of the masses."

“But you fought in the final battle. I saw you rallying the others against the Death Eaters. Romilda wasn’t even there. She didn’t even fight.”

Pansy sighed. “A lot of good that did. I had to watch my friends duel against their own parents and yet this entire school still mistrusts us. I suppose I can’t blame them. The majority of the Dark Lord’s followers were produced by our house.”

“Not all Slytherins are bad. The world isn’t so black and white,” you said adamantly. “Most of us operate in the gray areas, whether we admit it or not. The only difference is that you lot don’t try to hide it.” 

“Yes, but a snake is a snake. Even when we shed our skin, they still see deception when they look at us.” 

“And you’re willing to just accept that?” 

Parkinson gave you a pointed look. What choice did she have? What choice did any of them have? 

After a beat of silence, you cleared your throat. “Are you sure you’re alright? Luna’s worried.” 

“I assure you, being villainized isn’t anything new to me. I suppose that’s why I named my horse after Circe," Pansy mused thoughtfully. "It’s better for them to believe that I’m some sort of evil sorceress than to realize that I am more shackled by my circumstances than I could ever be at Azkaban. My family name is a collar around my neck, waiting to choke me at any moment, but they’re so blinded by their own misconceptions that all they see are my teeth. I prefer it that way.”

“Oderint dum metuant.”

"Let them hate, as long as they fear." A faint smile bloomed on Pansy’s lips. "That’s awfully Slytherin of you to say. Are you sure you’re in the right house, Y/N?”

You chuckled. A beat of silence followed as understanding passed between you. Perhaps you had more in common with Pansy Parkinson than you thought. 

When Luna returned, the two of them tried to convince you to join them at the common room party, but you declined. You weren’t really in the mood to be around people. 

“You two go ahead. I’ll catch up later.” 

As the sun set over the school grounds, you found yourself at the Black Lake. Dusk tinged the horizon with pink and purple and the fluffy white clouds hung low enough to kiss the dark water. You settled at the end of the dock and dipped your toes into the lake, watching as the motion made ripples across the surface. Maybe it was unwise to linger here given that the lake was home to the merpeople and the giant squid, but they would be far in the depths and you were honestly too knackered to care. 

Sighing, you pulled out a silver flask from your robes. You had initially brought it for the after party, but it would’ve been a shame to let the firewhisky go to waste. 

“Illegal contraband?” A familiar voice teased just as the wood gave way beside you. Theo bumped his shoulder against yours as he sat. “I didn’t know you had it in you, Y/N.”

“Yeah, well maybe your idiotic tendencies are rubbing off on me.” 

“I’d like to rub more than just my tendencies on you.” 

You rolled your eyes and handed him the flask. “Just fucking drink, Theodore.” 

He grinned before taking a swig. You chuckled at the face he made from the burn of the Ogden’s. “That is straight up liquor," Theo remarked through his coughing fit. "You're out of control, diavolina. Should I be concerned?”

“We’re celebrating,” you said. “At least you should be. That was quite a win out there. I didn’t expect you to be so….efficient.” 

“Careful, Y/N. That was almost a compliment.” 

You shrugged. “To be fair, I haven’t been to a game in years. You could’ve been absolutely rubbish and I’d still think it was a feat that you managed to stay seated on that broom.” 

“Well, it is a pretty important component of quidditch. Did you at least attempt to enjoy yourself?” 

“It was a brutal game. There’s a lot more strategy and planning that goes into quidditch than I initially thought. It’s like chess, but you’re allowed to hit people. I had a blast.” 

Theo chuckled. “I should’ve known you’d get a kick out of all that violence.” 

Warmth spread through your body as you took another swig. “Shouldn’t you be celebrating your win at the party?” 

His fingers brushed yours as you handed the flask back to him. “I’m where I want to be.” 

This time, you weren’t sure if it was the firewhisky or Theo’s presence making you flush. The two of you kept drinking in silence as you peered up at the sky. Back home in London, you never would’ve been able to see the stars this clearly. They glittered in the night sky like tiny diamonds etched through the darkness. 

“I heard about what happened earlier,” Theo said after a moment. 

You weren’t surprised. Word traveled fast around this school. “Luna told you?” 

“No. Pansy did.” He shifted, turning over to look at you. Like a moth drawn to a flame, you did too. “You did a good thing, Y/N. You stood up for Pansy. I can’t thank you enough.” 

“I was only doing what anyone else would’ve done.” 

“No. You weren’t.” Theo set the flask down. “No one else would’ve come to her defense. Pansy, she’s the strongest one out of all of us. Draco, Mattheo, and I, we can always resort to punches when we’re insulted, but Pansy doesn’t have that option. She just has to sit there and take it. It means a lot that someone spoke up for her.”

“I did the bare minimum.”

“It still meant a lot.” 

“There’s no need to thank me for—”

Theo sighed in exasperation. “For Salazar’s sake, will you just take my gratitude without arguing?”

You bit back a smile. “Fine. I acknowledge your gratitude.” 

You downed the rest of the flask as Theo lit a cigarette. The flame from that curious Zippo flickered in the darkness as smoke filled the air.

“So,” Theo started, taking a deep inhale. “Are you ready for the slug club dinner next week? I’m not even invited to the bloody thing and yet I still know every detail thanks to McLaggen’s incessant prattling. What a twat.” 

“Cormac is kind of a twat, isn’t he?” you asked, giggling as the alcohol started taking its effect. “I heard that he kisses like a fork tongued lizard.” 

Theo’s eyes flashed. “You better not know that firsthand.” 

You wrinkled your nose. “I wouldn’t go near McLaggen’s mouth with a ten foot broom.” 

“Good. I can rest easy that you won’t be replacing me with a reptilian snogger.”

“You can rest easy either way. I’m not going to that dinner.” 

Theo paused, the cigarette hanging haphazardly from between his lips. “What do you mean you’re not going?” 

“It’s a pretty straightforward sentence, Nott. I will not be attending Professor Slughorn’s ridiculous dinner.” 

“You have to go,” he declared firmly. 

“I’m confused. Do you want me to snog the lizard or not?” 

Theo frowned. “Do not snog McLaggen unless you want me to turn him into an actual reptile.” He exhaled and smoke curled around his lips. “You can’t miss that dinner.”

“I have no interest in attending.” 

He stared at you, his gaze fixed with determination. “Is this about what Slughorn said the other day?” 

You picked at your fingers, avoiding his eyes. “It’s probably going to be boring, anyways. Just a pissing contest for us to compare our grades and achievements like we’re puppets on a string.” 

“You should still go.” 

“Why?” you asked, a bit irritated that Theo was pushing for this so hard. You would’ve thought that he of all people would understand your choice. “Why would I subject myself to be part of something that judges people based on prejudice rather than merit?”

Theo’s expression softened. “Because it’ll raise your chances of joining the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers. That’s your dream, isn’t it?”

You reeled back in surprise. “How do you know about that?” 

He rolled his eyes. “You only talk about it a thousand times a day.” Theo raised his brow in challenge. “Slughorn’s one of the most influential members. If you go to the dinner, it might solidify a formal invitation.” 

Theo was right. You didn’t want him to be, but he was right. Under any other circumstance, you would’ve sabotaged and plotted and schemed for a way in. This was an opportunity to distinguish yourself from your fellow classmates, so why were you hesitating?

You knew why. You were looking right at him.

“I’ll drag you there myself if I have to,” Theo declared. 

You sighed. There was no way he was going to let this go. “Fine, I’ll think about it.” 

Theo smiled triumphantly. You kicked at the water, sending a wave across the still lake. “You know, if Slughorn knew that you were a Marchesi, he’d probably fall all over himself to recruit you. Hell, anyone would. You’re practically guaranteed a place at the Society, too.”

Theo shrugged nonchalantly. “Where would the fun be in that?” 

“I’m serious, Nott. It could open up doors for you.”

He sighed. “That’s exactly why I’ve kept the knowledge to myself. I’m tired of everyone judging me based on my family, good or bad. I want to accomplish something that’s solely mine. Not Nott, not Marchesi. Just Theo.”

“That’s uncharacteristically noble of you.”

“I told you, I’m not just a pretty face. I’m also rich, witty, intelligent, athletic, etc. Honestly, the list goes on and on.”

You snorted. “Just don’t expect humble to be part of that little myriad, Theo.”

Theo paused. The moment of silence swelled between you like an errant wave. Then, a huge smile broke out on his face. 

“What?” you asked. 

“You called me Theo.”

“Well, that is your name. Has quidditch concussed you so severely that you’ve forgotten?

He responded with an eye roll. “I’m perfectly lucid, thank you very much. Well, besides the firewhisky. I’m a little bit sloshed from that, but not sloshed enough to not notice you call me by my actual name. Not Theodore, not Nott, not twat, not oh god—”

“I get it, Theo.”

His grin grew wider. “There it is again. Theo.”

“It’s just a name, nothing special.”

“It is when you’re the one saying it.” 

“Oh, shut up.”

The satisfied smirk on his face refused to budge even as the sky grew darker. The two of you sprawled out on the dock, staring up at the sky and enjoying the comfortable silence. Theo toyed with his lighter, rubbing his thumb over the spark wheel, which caused the flame to flicker on and off.

You stared at the lighter, vision blurring from the alcohol. “Why do you have that thing?”

“I told you, Mattheo’s a little thief.” 

“No, I mean I know the reason. But I just can’t figure out why.” 

Theo scrunched his brows in confusion. “Are you sure you’re not the one concussed?” 

“Would a concussed person be able to do this?”

You propped yourself up on your elbows and slightly flipped to the side. The action made your hair come loose. 

“What in Merlin’s name am I supposed to be looking at right now?” 

“I’m obviously doing a cartwheel,” you deadpanned. “Aren’t I?” 

Theo chuckled. “You are one drunk witch, Y/N.” 

“M’not drunk.” He raised a brow. “Fine, maybe I’m a tiny bit bevved, but you’re the one avoiding my question.”

“Sorry,” Theo said rather unapologetically. “I’m a bit distracted at the moment.” 

“By what?” 

“Your hair,” he murmured softly. Theo reached out and toyed with a loose strand, twisting a long lock between his fingers. He swallowed thickly, his voice lower and huskier than it was a minute ago. “You should wear it down more often.” 

“It’s a hassle.” 

He swept it over your shoulder, knuckles brushing your cheek. “It’s beautiful.” 

Your cheeks warmed. Whether from the alcohol or his touch, you couldn’t differentiate. “Stop deflecting, Nott.” 

Theo rolled his eyes. “Relentless witch. Can’t you see I’m trying to have a moment here?” 

You gave him a pointed look. Theo sighed before handing over his lighter. Up close, you could see that the silver was worn and dented. It looked much older than you initially thought. To your surprise, Theo silently waved his wand and the lighter transformed into a heart shaped locket. 

“When my nonna gave me the grimoire, it came with this. It was Alessandra’s old locket. She treasured it more than the grimoire itself.” 

“What’s so special about it?” 

“Open it.” 

Your fingers stilled. “Are you sure?”

“Don’t get shy now, diavolina. You wanted to know and now I’m telling you.” 

You hesitated for a moment before curiosity got the best of you. The locket popped open easily. Inside was a picture of a dark haired woman standing next to a man with watercolor eyes and thick brown curls. The couple looked at each other with love and adoration in their eyes. 

“That’s Alessandra, obviously. The man was Damiano, her closest friend, the mad scientist of the village, and the cleverest muggle she’d ever met. He helped author the grimoire.” 

“I never knew that Alessandra had help with her inventions.” 

Theo nodded. “As my family intended. They didn’t approve of her relationship with Damiano, but she didn’t care. They fell madly in love and eventually married.” 

“How is it possible that no one knew about him?”

“Damiano was born with a unique illness that was incurable even with magic. Alessandra poured years of her life into finding a cure, but in the end he succumbed to it. She passed away only a year after him. My nonna said that she died of a broken heart.” Theo took the chain and traced his fingers over the picture. “They left behind two young children who were eventually raised by Alessandra’s parents. Their son and daughter grew up not knowing who their father was. The Marchesis did everything in their power to keep the knowledge to themselves. They didn’t want anyone to know that their great bloodline was tainted by a muggle.” 

Theo bowed his head in shame. He avoided your gaze, choosing to look out at the Black Lake instead. “There it is. The secret that my family has guarded for centuries. The sad part is that some of them still hold those bigoted beliefs, so when people assume the worst of me, I can’t blame them. The Marchesis, the Notts, either way you look at it, there’s bad blood coursing through my veins.” 

“That’s not true, Theo,” you said softly. “You know I don’t think that of you, right?” 

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Everyone else does.” 

“Well, I don’t,” you said firmly. “You said it earlier. Family isn’t all that a person amounts to. When I look at you, I don’t see a Nott or a Marchesi. I just see Theo.” 

“I don’t deserve that,” he whispered. The saddest part was that you were sure he meant it. “My great great great grandmother fell in love with a muggle and how did my family repay her for it? They blotted him out of existence.” 

The starlight caressed his forlorn expression with its silver glow, painting a heartbreaking depiction of Theo that you had never seen before. It reminded you of that day in the potions lab when he was talking about his mother. There was such an openness and vulnerability in him then that was present now as well and you realized why he looked at you the way he did that day. 

Theo hadn’t been waiting for you to give him an out. He wanted—no, he needed a friend and you had been too scared to step up then, but you weren’t now. You could be that for him. You wanted to be that for him. A friend. 

Without second guessing yourself, you reached out in the space between you and grabbed hold of his hand. Theo stared at your intertwined fingers in surprise. 

“The love between Damiano and Alessandra lives on,” you said with a small smile. “In their children and their children’s children. In…you.” 

Those watercolor eyes, the very same ones that you had grown so familiar with shone with emotion. Unlike the day in the lab, Theo didn’t put up his mask of cockiness and arrogance and you realized with a start that you didn’t want him to. 

He smiled and squeezed your hand gently. “Yes, I suppose I inherited Damiano’s affinity for cruel, brilliant witches.”

"Affinity is putting it lightly," you said teasingly. "Admit it. You're obsessed with me, Nott."

You blinked as Theo hovered over you. The weight of his body pressed against yours ignited a flame of fiendfyre in your core. He dipped his head down, his curls tickling your nose. "No, not Nott. Not Theodore. Try that again, diavolina."

You wriggled underneath him, but Theo held your hips in place. He brushed his lips against yours and smirked when you tried to kiss him. His low rumble of laughter sent shivers down your spine. "Say it. Say my name again."

"If I say it, will you stop being a tease?"

Theo kissed your neck and laughed when you pouted in response. "Only one way to find out."

"I'll knee you in the crotch if you do that again, Theo."

He grinned. "There's a good girl," Theo said rather suggestively. You fought the urge to squirm at his words. He peppered kisses along your neck, your jaw, and your cheeks while you burst into a fit of drunken giggles. "For the record, I am obsessed with you, but I think you're a little bit obsessed with me too."

"You wish, Theo."

"You're going to be the death of me," he said huskily as he unbuttoned your cardigan. Theo's eyes were full of mischief as he dipped between your breasts, sucking on your flesh and leaving marks in his wake. "But I'm willing to die a happy man, Y/N."

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[writinginaforrest]

Yes, I’m Transgender, but I’m not “Trans”

(31st Aug 2024)

When I think about this too much, I always come to the conclusion that I have got some internalised Transphobia. I identify as Male. I use He/Him pronouns. I dress in a way that conforms to the Gendered Norms of my culture. I’m just a guy. When “Trans” is added as a descriptor, not only does that become a thing about me, but it also sets me aside from other men. I’m not a Man, I’m a Trans Man. I’m a pseudo-masculine thing. When people realise I’m Transgender, I feel Castrated. That sounds pretty dang transphobic, doesn’t it. 

The way people have expected me to be Trans often Superseded what Transness is to me. I had a lecturer in college who insisted that my depression was, In part, a result of my going home every day to a family who did not know I was Trans. She sat there and looked me in the eyes and I watched myself in the reflection of her eyes becoming an anecdote in real time. I’ll always be her “Trans Student” who did remarkably well in her class before dropping off in his second year when he got a different teacher. For reference, my family may not have known that I am Trans, but It’s very rare that my deadname is used in my home. I’m referred to by my Middle name almost exclusively. Jeff (Jeffrey). And in reality. Transness was not something that was always on my mind and even now, I can be sure that it was not fueling my depression. My Undealt with sexual trauma? That’s a different story. But my being Trans wasn’t it. I didn’t even think about it that much. I still don’t. It’s not something that is an integral part of me. I would be no different If I had been born Cisgender. 

And that’s the thing. “Trans” carries a lot of weight to it, doesn’t it? A lot of people really connect to it on a level beyond it being simply a descriptor. It’s a culture, an experience, a mindset, an ideology, and what can I say to those people? Well done? Thank you? I don’t really have much to say, and that’s part of my problem. A lot of Trans artists are, at least partly, inspired by their queer experiences. I’m an artist (I yell into the void) and yet nothing about being Queer inspires art within me. I have nothing to say. My art would be the same if I were Cisgender. If I were Allosexual. I would be the same because I am not these descriptors that have been decided for me based on the way I live my life. 

“Trans” has become a commodity that I can’t escape. It’s something I’m supposed to stick on my laptop. It’s something I’m supposed to pin on my wall. It’s a lifestyle. A trait. A Community. A Culture. An Ideology. A Concept. An Abstraction. It’s everything and it’s nothing. I’m supposed to disclose it with pride when I meet new people. I’m supposed to warn Littluns about the dangers of not expressing themselves and being comfortable in their identity when I can’t even deliver on that. I’m supposed to do all these things. 

But no one is asking me to. 

No one is telling me to be “Trans”. 

I’m looking around at all of my Trans brothers and sisters and wondering if that’s behaviour I should emulate because I  have a) no frame of reference and b) no connection to Transess as a concept. I feel like I’m doing a disservice to those who feel a connection to it as a concept, when I only see it as an adjective. When I try to remove myself from it as much as possible. And again here comes the internalised Transphobia knocking at my window.

I’m an artist, A filmmaker, and a writer. I’ve never felt compelled to tell Trans stories. Is it because I don’t want to be pigeonholed into this idea of Transness that again, supersedes my own, or is it because I’m ashamed of it? Am I acknowledging that I am more than a Trans artist or am I just not taking pride in the fact that I’m going to have to live with being Trans for the rest of my life? It’s not something that goes away. Trans doesn’t stop. I Will always be Transgender and I have to cope with that because I am male and I was not born that way. 

I don’t Identify with Queerness. I don’t identify as Transgender. It is something I am, a thing that I cannot help. I Identify as Male, Transgender was just something that came free in the post. I didn't understand the terms and conditions of it. I'm dyslexic, you expect me to read the fine print?

Where does this end? What’s the accumulation of all of this thinking? I do not know. It doesn’t end. The debate where I am my own interlocutor only ends with more questions that I must ask myself. 

[leeannsparks]

Jackson's Own Rockstar: Chapter 2

CH 1 & CH 3

Synopsis: Let it be known that on September 26th, 2003 your life almost ended along with the world because you had a pair of fucking headphones on at work. Absolutely ridiculous looking back on it, but god if you don’t miss that record store sometimes. It’s like you can almost see the way it was before monsters started crashing through the windows and your boss dragged you into the back room. Now, twenty years later, you’ve finally found a little bit of home to grow your peace in, but when gruffness and kindness walk through the gates of Jackson, that peace starts to grow on a shakier foundation.

Pairing: Jackson Joel Miller x Female Reader

Chapter Two: Advice For The Young At Heart

Quiet means safe.

Quiet means there can’t be judgment or danger. 

Sometimes, when you’re lucky enough to get a full night's sleep, on nights where it's quiet, it’s like you can feel the bed rocking to and fro on top of never still waters. A mimic of the waves that used to lull you to sleep, lapping at broken barriers. 

As long as you don’t open your eyes, the rays of the sun won’t find you, won’t parch your throat, won’t remind you that it’s another day-

BANG BANG BANG

It’s not quiet anymore.

Your body disconnected from the bed as you jolted up, you’re still in your room, four corners, ground beneath your feet.

BANG BANG BANG 

You glanced at the alarm clock on your bedside table and groaned. Should’ve known Ellie would wake you at, fuck what was it, 7:30 AM.

There was limited time for you to fully wake up since there was a good chance she would keep knocking until someone answered. So you slipped out of bed, the pajama pants you fell asleep in falling to your ankles from where they had ridden up during the night.

When you opened the door, you could see the culprit fidgeting on your front porch, but still looking as giddy as she had been the night before. 

You fought down the yawn rising in the back of your throat, blinking away the drowsiness before fixing her with a knowing look. “How did I know you were gonna be here before breakfast, huh?”

She shrugged, “s’not my fault, you should’ve said ‘Ellie, I’m old, I need sleep, don’t be here before nine.’ But you didn’t, so now I’m here.” This little shit.

“Oh yeah, it’s definitely my fault for being so old and decrepit,” she just nodded along as if it was the most truthful thing that was ever spoken. You shook it off with a laugh and stepped aside. “Well, come on in then, make yourself at home.” 

You could hear the soft ‘woah’ that Ellie let out as she took in the small expanse of your home. She lost her balance once or twice while trying to toe off her shoes since she refused to look away from the walls. Her eyes were drawn to the empty album covers collaged with weathered posters thumbtacked to the wall. She traced the skeleton of the T-rex embedded in a red circle and pressed a finger over E.T.’s outstretched one. She seemed to admire the moon on the last one longer than any of the others. Moving on her feet shuffled over to the record player that was situated beside the small box TV, hands hovering around it as if she wouldn’t dare touch it.

She turned around and stared at you like you had just shown her the holy grail. “Dude, where did you get all this stuff?”

You could really only offer her a shrug, “I’ve just been collecting since I got here, I guess. A lot of the bigger stuff I got from a few trades around here, but the rest have just been from trips with Eugene.”

“Who’s Eugene?” She asked while admiring the art on the opposite wall.

“He’s one of the people on patrol, really good guy, you’ll probably meet him at some point.” All the teens know Eugene. 

The idea of you leaving the safety of Jackson seemed to excite her, but why you couldn’t tell.“Where do you guys go?”

You noticed the clutter surrounding the TV stand and coffee table and decided it would give your idle hands something to do. It’s not often that you have visitors come over. Mars Eugene and Gail tended to be your most frequent guests, and even they never stayed for more than an hour or two. “We found this town that’s a couple days out, was mostly abandoned, a few infected, but Eugene and I hit the jackpot with that place.” You set aside the stack of vinyls that would need to be sorted later. “Record store, comic shop, and a pharmacy, oh, it was like Christmas. Course, we couldn’t take everything back with us the first time since it was just us two, but we were able to get permission from the town to head down there every couple of months. After bringing back all the ‘essentials’ first of course,” you emphasized with a quick wink her way.

“That’s awesome…so you like comics too?”

“Yeah, didn’t really get into them until I was a teenager, but yeah.”

“You ever read Savage Starlight?” The name sounded familiar; you’d probably passed by it a million times before when you were younger, and now you were wondering if you had glanced over it on one of your trips with Eugene.

“You know, surprisingly, I haven’t, guess you’ll have to educate me on it.” 

She seemed excited by the idea, “cool…so is this all the albums you have?” You saw her gesture towards the singular box beside the record player. 

Oh, she has no idea. “Ha, yeah no, that’s not all of them, here come on.” You motioned for her to follow you to the door of the spare room. There was theatricality in the way you slowly opened the door to reveal what was inside to her.

“No fucking way…”

It was like her eyes didn’t know what to look at first, rapidly darting between the numerous movie posters, magazine clippings on the wall, and knick-knacks on top of the dresser. Ellie mentally counted the six no eight full boxes of vinyls, there were two by the door. Part of you was hesitant to put up any of the stuff you’d collected within that first year. But with every inch of the wall that was covered, it slowly started to remind you of your room at mom's house. You wondered if, even miles away and years apart, did it still look the same?

“Oh, but wait, there’s more,” you said while dragging the weighty green storage bin from the corner towards the middle of the room. She looked between you and the bin like she wasn’t sure what you wanted her to do. “Open it.”

Without any further encouragement, she popped the lid off and lost her mind at the brightly colored graphics of the dozens of comic books inside. “There’s so many,” she said while picking up a copy of the Uncanny X-Men, one of your most recent selections. You knew she would fall in love with that one. “Have you read all of these?”

“Not yet, I’ve gotten through a good chunk of them, but I’ve been using them for trades lately, let the kids have something fun to read now and then.” She had already opened the front page and was devouring the new material like it was going to leave her hands at any moment. You realized that the two of you could spend the whole day just going through this one bin if you didn’t offer up anything else. “Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

She didn’t bother looking up from the comic. “No, Joel usually makes something in the morning, but he was still asleep when I left. Pretty sure he’s got patrol today.” 

“Well, that’s alright…here,” you said while dragging one of the many milk crates over to Ellie. This one was labelled Classics, and you were interested to see which ones she would choose from it.“Why don’t you pick out five from here that catch your eye while I get started on breakfast? Sound good?”

She gave you a mock salute and immediately dropped the comic book before turning to rifle through the crate. 

There was only one pan in the cabinet, ridiculously large for the amount of eggs you were cooking, but the rest of your meager cooking utensils were being used for leftovers in the fridge. Shit, and you only had three slices of bacon, kids need more than that right? Luckily enough, you still had half a loaf of bread in the fridge, hopefully a bacon and egg sandwich would be enough to tide you both over until the mess hall served lunch. 

Once everything had been placed on the counter and the pan was heated enough, you called out over your shoulder, “how do you take your eggs Ellie?”

“Any way is fine as long as the yellow thing isn’t wiggly!” She yelled back from the room. 

The yellow thing, “you mean the yolk?”

“Yeah, that thing!” Your shoulders shook with the laughter you tried to contain. In your opinion, a runny yolk is superior, but you could so how a kid would find it appalling. There were a lot of things you didn’t like at her age, back when you had the privilege of being picky about what you would eat for dinner that night. 

You ended up giving Ellie two slices of the bacon and an extra egg just in case the girl was a bottomless pit like you used to be. 

The sandwiches were put on a plate and you were about to call for Ellie to come eat when you heard her exclaim, “holy shit!”

Curious about what she found, you started walking back to the room, “everything okay?” Wait, she's not in this room.

“This is the coolest guitar I’ve ever seen!” Fuck she’s in my room. You took in a deep breath at the flash of anger that rushed through you at the realization. She’s just a kid, she doesn’t know any better.

You walked back out and took the few steps towards your room to see her gazing up at the Peavey Star Tracer hanging on your wall. A near-perfect replica of the one you…lost. 

“I gave you that whole room in there, and you still decide to snoop in here?” There was an overabundance of teasing in your tone to make up for the smidgen of anger you were trying to tamp down.

Fuck it’s hard to stay mad at her when she looks so excited. “Yeah, but that room didn’t have this.” She gave the biggest gesture towards the guitar as if to say, ‘see, look at it!’

You walked towards her, offering the plate that held her sandwich. “Well, looks like you found Rene…” she snatched the food off of it and took a ferocious bite like it was about to be stolen from her.

“You named your guitar?” She asked through a mouthful of the sandwich, a bit of yolk stuck to the side of her mouth. 

You took your own bite, “yeah, of course, if you’re gonna pick it up every day and play it, at least show it some respect and give it a name.”

Her head bobbed up and down in confused agreement. “What about the one you were playing last night?”

“That one’s called Boise.” You said, pointing towards the guitar case beside your bed. Just like the instrument inside, it was covered in faded and scratched stickers that you had managed to collect over the years. The case was undeniably a bit more barren than what it housed. 

“Hmm, weird name,” yeah, weird name. “So does this one even work, or is it just for show?”

“Sadly, Rene’s been out of commission for a long time.”

“What do you need to fix it?”

“Shit that I don’t have and skills that I don’t have, but it’s fine, I knew I’d have a snowball's chance of getting it to work when I brought it here.”

She asked why you even brought it with you if it didn’t work. “Because I had one just like it, back before all of this. Got it for my twelfth birthday, played it every day, even tried to bring it with me when we had to leave, but…nothing like that lasts out there. Figured it couldn’t just be a coincidence when I found her sitting beside Boise in her case, so I brought them both back with me.”

There was investment in her eyes, “you know, Joel told me a while back that he probably would’ve been able to fix a guitar for me when we got here…maybe he can take a look at that one too.” The sentiment, while sweet, was pretty impossible. Not only were you not going to ask a new resident to do something for you, but there was also no way anyone was touching that guitar. 

You both finished off the last bite of your sandwiches. “Yeah, maybe…so which records did you end up picking?” 

One after another, you looked through what caught her eye. Joan, Ziggy, Tears for Fears, Depeche, aww, and look at that, she even chose Meat Loaf. My money is on her picking that one solely because of the name.  “Oh Ellie, Ellie, Ellie…these are all excellent choices.”

She seemed mighty pleased with the verdict, even gave herself a congratulatory high-five. “I knew it, so which one should we start with?”

A little confused because you thought she would want the first pick, you asked, “you want me to pick?” Her head just nodded like it was obvious, “alright then…well, I guess we’ve gotta start with the always fabulous Bowie.”

“You had a lot of his albums, what’s so ‘fabulous’ about him?”

“Oh my sweet summer child, I don’t think you’re ready. Listening to this album will change your entire outlook on life. You think you can handle that?” She laughed off the insanity of your question, and you won’t lie, you were playing it up for her benefit, but come on, you only listen to Bowie for the first time once in your life.

After setting down the small stack of records, you threw down the blanket that lay over the back of your couch onto the ground along with two of the pillows. Ellie looked at you like you were clinically insane now, “what are you doing?”

“I’m giving you the full experience Ellie.” She still didn’t look convinced. “Once I turned sixteen and started making my own money, I would come home with a new record whenever I could. And in my opinion, this was the best way to listen to them, just…trust me, okay.”

She huffed while going to lie down, resting her head on the cushion, she raised her hands like she was waiting for the supposed ‘miracle’ that was about to happen. You slid the vinyl out of its sleeve and carefully placed it on the turntable before moving the needle. Once the first song started, you quickly ran over and lay down opposite her so that only your heads were next to one another on separate pillows. She shook her head again before the lyrics began, and then she was quiet, oh so quiet.

You didn’t dare say anything, not until the end, why am I nervous about her liking it, god, I really hope she does. 

“Okay, yeah…yeah, I get it now…” her voice was so soft next to you. You turned your head towards her and saw that she was a bit misty-eyed. 

“Told ya,” you responded just as softly.

Hours passed between you two, song after song, question after question, only getting up for the occasional drink and snack. It was…perfect. One of those days that makes you wonder if you had ever really been as lonely as you thought. 

You were just about to put on Ellie’s next pick when there was a knock on the door. The thought that it might be Joel here to pick her up crossed your mind, but it was still light outside.

“Hang tight, let me see who that is.”

When you opened the door, you saw Mars on your porch looking a bit sheepish. “Hey Mars, what’s up?”

You immediately knew that he wanted something based on his demeanor. “Hiya Star, I’m sorry to bug you. I know it’s your day off…”

“Hmmm, but you’re still doing it…whatcha need?” Mars wasn’t a bad guy, but he did tend to need your help more than anyone else in this town. It does mean you get extra honey each harvest, so the favors tend to even themselves out.

“My radio’s been acting up again, was hoping you could take a look at it.” Him and that damn radio, you keep telling him to try and trade for a new one when people outside come by but he never listens to you.

“And your bees couldn’t survive until tomorrow, huh?” You saw him flounder at your teasing and cut in before it took him too long to realize he was being messed with. “It shouldn’t be a problem, let me go check with the present company real quick.” Gently closing the door, you looked back inside to see that she had heard the entire conversation. She looked upset like you were seconds away from kicking her out. 

“Hey Ellie, you wanna take a field trip with me real quick?” That question immediately perked her back up.

“To where?” She asked the question even though she was already running over to put her shoes back on. 

You started to put your boots on after turning the record player off, briefly giving thought to changing out of your sleepwear, but decided there was no point this late in the day. “Down to Mars’s place, near the apiary…it’s where all the bee hives are, it’s how we get honey for the town. We won’t be there long, just gotta fix something for him real quick.”

“Yeah, sure that’s fine.” It was like she purposely tried to sound uninterested, but you could see the excitement on her face. “Wait, are the bees gonna bite me?” You just laughed and started to guide her out the door. 

It took you a bit longer than expected to fix the radio, and you were pretty sure that this would be the last repair the small device could take. Ellie didn’t seem to mind the long hours though, but that’s probably because she was bribed with cookies the second she got there. She had actually enjoyed talking to Mars once she got comfortable, asking him a billion questions about the bees in Jackson. Even daring to get closer to them once she realized they wouldn’t ‘bite’ her. 

Now the two of you were walking back into town after telling Mars you had to leave once the sun started going down. 

“So what did you think?”

Ellie was practically buzzing with excitement, probably from the dozen cookies she managed to sneak. “Pretty cool, not gonna lie, I didn’t even know that bees are responsible for like all of this.”

“Didn’t bother to teach you that in FEDRA school, huh?” You had never been in one of the established QZs and were surprised at the conditions she described. Most of the people who came from a QZ in Jackson didn’t like to talk about their time there, so your knowledge was limited.

“They didn’t teach us shit.” She said matter-of-factly, and you were pretty sure you said the same thing about school at one point in your life. 

“Well, come on, let’s get you back home before Joel tears down the town looking for you.”

The two of you had almost reached your house and stopped when you saw an approaching figure coming up the pathway. Ellie clocked who it was before you did and called out, “what are you doing here Joel?”

He slowed his stride and waited by the porch for us to meet him. “Came by to pick you up, where you two coming from?” 

“I had a friend come by for a favor, so I brought Ellie with me, showed her around the apiary.” Joel Miller didn’t look too happy about that, well, he hasn’t looked too happy anytime you’ve met him, but that’s beside the point. You worried that you might have made a big mistake by taking her somewhere that he didn’t know about. 

At least you’ve got Ellie to alleviate the tension. “Did you know bees make everything grow using their butts?” 

You saw Ellie smirk at Joel like she was purposefully trying to make him crack. “You don’t say.” He was trying to hold back a laugh, and you thought, maybe he still doesn't think he can yet.

Maybe there was a chance you could apologize for kinda ‘kidnapping’ his daughter. Even though you couldn’t understand why the trip might have upset him, he did give permission for her to come over after all. Regardless, you’d rather stay on Joel Miller’s good side, “hey, I know Ellie hasn’t, but have you had dinner yet Joel?”

He opened his mouth to respond before Ellie chimed in, “he hasn’t, he’d forget to breathe if I didn’t remind him.” She looked so mischievous, like she was saying, ‘yes, look how well I know him, look how I embarrass him.’

Joel didn’t even bother to answer your question after that, “well, in that case, I’ve got some soup I was gonna heat up if you guys are hungry, save you a trip to the mess hall.”

“That’d be great, right Joel?” She directed the question at him, but he knew that he really had no say in this situation, so he gave her a tilt of his head in agreement. 

The three of you made your way up the steps to your house after you opened the door to let them in. You went straight for the kitchen, kicking your boots off along the way. “Y’all make yourself at home, I’m gonna put the soup on real quick.” Ellie ran off to the living room, picking up the blanket and pillows off the floor before falling onto the couch.

After you grabbed the pot of soup out of the fridge and set it on the stove, you turned back around and saw Joel still hovering by the now closed door. Why does he look nervous? I should be the nervous one. You couldn’t help but wonder if this was the first time he had been invited over to someone’s home since coming here, but that couldn’t be right, not since he had Tommy and Maria. “Do you uh…shoes off or on?” He managed to get out at some point.

Now he was just staring down at yours and Ellie’s shoes like they would answer for him. Looking at his mud-caked boots, you immediately wanted to say off but thought better of it. “You can leave ‘em on if it’s more comfortable. I’ve gotta clean up tomorrow anyway, so don’t worry about it.” 

While he started walking towards the living room, you heard distant shuffling in the spare room and saw that your other guest was no longer sitting on the couch. When did she even get up? “Ellie, are you rifling through my comics back there?”

“...no!” 

“She hasn’t been giving you too much trouble, has she?” God, he really is a dad.

You turned to look at him while one arm continuously stirred the pot simmering on the stove. “No, not at all, she’s been great, we were just hanging out here before Mars came by, but yeah, no, she’s no trouble, she’s a really great kid Joel.” 

He pointed down to the crate of vinyls, similar to Ellie this morning. “You’ve got an impressive collection here.”

Grabbing the remaining loaf of bread from the fridge, you sliced it and threw the pieces along with a small pad of butter in the pan that you had used to cook breakfast.  “Thanks, you know it’s funny, before all of this I barely even had a fourth of what I do now.”

“Yeah, I imagine they’re less expensive now.” Not entirely true, the trips it took to get them cost you a fair share of exhaustion and sleepless nights. Still, it ended up being worth it in the end. 

You tacked on, “less expensive, but absolutely priceless.” He was still staring at the crate despite the rapport between you two. Wondering when the last time he had the chance to listen to a record was, you decided that he deserved the opportunity since Ellie had listened to nearly ten today.  You thought about what you knew of him, older than Tommy, grew up in Texas, and plays a little guitar. Surely there’s something in your collection for him. 

Leaving the bread alone for a minute, you walked over to where he was standing and dragged the records in front of you. You tried not to think about how, for some stupid reason, being next to him like this felt…nice. “Okay, hold on lemme see,” you spoke to yourself while sifting through the many albums. “Here it is,” holding out your find for him to grab the music, you stood back up, “you look like a George Strait fan…would I be correct, Joel Miller?”

He looked at the record in his hands, flipping it over to the faded print on the back before handing it back to you. “Won’t hear me complainin’.” 

I’ll take that as a victory, you thought while swapping out the selection on the record player, turning the volume knob down just a touch.“I’ll keep the volume a bit low so Ellie doesn’t complain about our ‘old people music’.” It was almost like you could see a fraction of a smile on his face, but you must have been imagining things because when you blinked, it was gone. 

You left him and the record in peace while you went back into the kitchen, hurriedly moving the bread that was a minute away from being burned off the unit. “Would’ve never pictured you as a George Strait fan.” He must not have seen your panic from where he was posted, which worked in your favor. Better for him to not witness your lackluster culinary prowess on the first meal after all, not that it mattered what he thought of you, you reminded yourself. It was more for Ellie’s sake, couldn’t serve the girl burnt bread after all.  

“Honestly, I’ve never met a genre I couldn’t find something to like in.” It’s true, music is music, why limit yourself to one specific part of it? Do you think I’d be as successful with this store if I didn’t give something new a try? Sol's words echoed in your mind. But his voice wasn’t what you wanted to hear right now. “Do you want something to drink?”

He just grunted, stuck staring at the spinning tracks like they would stop at any moment if he looked away.

“Well, watcha in the mood for? I’ve got water, tea, lemonade, coffee-”

“You’ve got coffee?” Oh that certainly got his attention. It was like someone had activated a secret code inside him somewhere. Your feet brought you over to the cabinet that held the airtight jar of pre-ground coffee you had made yesterday for a few trades. 

It was almost methodical now, the way you prepared the moka pot, like you had been doing it for years. You had never even touched one of these before the world fell apart, relying on the leftovers in the coffee pot that was always left plugged in back home. “Yeah, but don’t go sharing that with the rest of the town, I don’t need them knowing how much I’ve been hoarding.”

He seemed to be drawn in by the sound of the grounds being spooned into the filter. You didn’t think he would voluntarily get this close to anyone but Ellie, seems like it must be the caffeine's siren call. “Where the hell did you get coffee?”

“Eugene and I found an abandoned Denny’s one day, made off with about ten bags of beans.” You remember the way you and Eugene had torn into one of the bags to make sure you weren’t dreaming. The smell wasn’t as potent as you thought it was going to be, but it still brought tears to your eyes that day. 

His eyes expressed his surprise and respect. If he had a find like that back in Boston, it probably would have set him up rather nicely. “How much you want for one?” He wasn’t entirely sure why he even bothered asking, it wasn’t like he had anything of value to trade at the moment. 

You laughed at the haggling persona he donned, like he was at a normal garage sale. “What, you still carrying cash on you?” You teased, he just shook his head knowing damn well you knew what he meant.” I’m technically down to my fifth bag since Eugene took two, so I can’t give you a full one, but I’m more than willing to make a trade for some.”

His arms crossed in front of him as he leaned against the counter, “name your price.” He was determined to not leave here without it, and it was the first time you noticed just how broad this man was. Especially when his flannel stretched over his arms and chest. No, no, no, absolutely not. 

You went back to stirring the soup as an excuse to drag your eyes away from him. “No talking shop at dinner Mr Miller, but we’ll discuss the terms later.” He seemed unwilling to put a pause on his negotiating, but just offered another grunt. “Ellie, you want something to drink?” You called out over your shoulder. 

There was no response, but you heard her start to walk back into the kitchen, pausing at the entryway and taking a deep breath in through her nose. “Holy shit that smells so good,” there was no point in fighting the smile that crept onto your lips at her words. It did smell good, but then again, neither of you had really eaten since breakfast, and the cookies from Mars definitely didn’t count.

You went to the fridge to pour her something and noticed the odd look she gave Joel in passing. It was like there was a silent conversation happening between the two of them, but for the life of you, you couldn’t understand it. “It’s nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. Here you go.” You said while handing her a glass of lemonade after closing the refrigerator door. 

She stared at the liquid in the glass like it was going to bite back at her, “this isn’t more of your ‘juice’, is it?” Why the fuck would she say that in front of Joel it’s supposed to be our secret.

You shook your head at her while walking over to the cabinets to get three bowls down. They were all mismatched, but luckily didn’t contain any cracks, so they worked well enough. “No you little shit, it’s just lemonade.”

“Then why does it look like that?” She asked while holding the glass up to the light as if it would expose whatever she was looking for. 

“Cause it’s got blackberries in it.” Blackberries, honey, and a twenty-year-old lemonade packet, but it still tasted just as good. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say ‘oh, okay,’ before draining half the glass in one go. Her hand stretched out to offer some to Joel ‘dude, you gotta try this,’ but he just shook his head at her, probably thinking of nothing but the coffee that was almost finished. Seeing that he had no interest in her drink, she walked over to the stove to peer down into the pot that had now started to bubble. 

“So what’s in the soup?”

“We got beef, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, some green beans, and carrots.” You responded to her while taking the glass from her hand and refilling it so she would have a full glass for dinner. When you went to hand it back to her, you saw that she was seconds away from sticking a finger into the steaming mixture. 

You were about to say something before Joel stepped in and gently swatted her hand away from the food. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, it’s hot Ellie.”

She shrugged like it wasn’t that big of a deal, “it would have been fine.”

“You would’ve burned your finger, you crazy child.” You said while finally handing her the glass back, hoping it would deter her from sticking her hands into any more dangerously hot substances. Stirring the soup one more time, you decided it was good to go, “should be heated up enough, y’all go ahead and take a seat.” Your dining table was small, shoved against the wall in the kitchen. It realistically should only seat two people, but it can squeeze in another person just fine.

Joel and Ellie went to take a seat at the table beside one another, you saw the way Joel paused when the chair creaked under his large frame. The chairs were old and needed some maintenance, but most of the time, you’re eating by yourself on the couch, so they didn’t exactly take priority. The only thing you could hope for is that the chair wouldn’t choose tonight to break beneath him. You ladled the soup into each of the bowls, trying to get more meat and vegetables than broth in their dishes before placing a piece of bread on the side.

Silently, you hoped that they would dig in once you set the bowls down in front of them so they wouldn’t notice how eager you were to see their reactions. Cooking had been something that your mom taught you, and later became a decent way for you to contribute on the days that she was too tired to make something. You kept waiting for the sound of their spoons being lifted while you poured Joel and yourself a cup of coffee, but it never came. However, you did hear Ellie regale Joel with more of the bee facts she had learned since he was being held hostage at your table. He seemed to get a kick out of the fact that bees apparently danced to communicate with one another. 

“Here, figured you take it black, so if you tell me you’d like some sugar, I’m gonna be surprised.” You said while handing him a cup of the steaming liquid before taking a seat at the other end of the short table. The way he held the cup made it seem like it was more precious than gold, which you suppose in this age it might as well be. 

He brought the coffee to his lips, inhaling the scent, a satisfied groan trapped in the back of his throat at the first burning sip. “Nah, this is fine.” 

You set your own cup aside to let it cool off, not willing to scorch your tongue as he had been. Ellie started to eat the moment you sat down, well, ‘eat’ was putting it lightly, it was more like watching a vacuum at work. Picking up a spoonful, you were brought back to the weeks when this would be the cheapest thing you could afford to make, and somehow it always tasted better the next day. After the first bite, you realized you were forgetting one more thing and went to the fridge to grab it. You walked back to the table with a small glass bottle in your hand, failing to notice the surprised look Joel was giving you as you poured a few drops of the reddish-orange liquid into your soup. “Now how the hell did you get a bottle of Texas Pete?”

You looked between him and the faded label on the bottle. “Oh no, this isn’t the actual stuff, more like a bastardized version. Smithy has been growing a few pepper plants, so he’s been experimenting. You want some?” The bottle was held out by your hand in the middle of the table, waiting for him to reach out and take it. 

He silently took the bottle from you, and you tried again not to think about just how nice his hands admittedly are. There was a moment where he placed a small drop on his spoon before bringing it up to his lips, and now you were senselessly staring at his mouth. You had never really cared for facial hair in your youth, it was irritating and scratchy when it rubbed against you. Then again, none of those guys had a beard quite as nice as his. Brushing away the stupid distraction like an errant cobweb in your mind, you thought, this man is nothing but trouble for me. Little did you know, at some point in the night, he had thought something similar about you. 

Joel added about the same amount to his bowl as you did before putting it back in the middle of the table. “Can I try it?” Ellie asked, reaching for it as soon as he put it down, but he stopped her with a gentle hand.

His tone was deadly serious with his next question, “you want your stomach hatin’ you later?”

She seemed to genuinely contemplate it, “uhm…yes?”

You and Joel looked at one another with raised brows, both of you knowing that it was going to be too spicy for her, especially if she had never had hot sauce before in her life. Joel unscrewed the cap on the bottle before putting a small drop on her waiting spoon, “here just a little bit to try okay, shit’s hotter than you think it is.”

She just eagerly nodded her head before shoving the spoon in her mouth, looking between you two as if to say, ‘see it’s not so bad.’ Honestly, you thought she might have been fine until the spice hit the back of her throat and she started coughing. This act was the one that finally cracked Joel, even if he only let out a short laugh, over before it even started, but it was still a laugh. 

You scooted Ellie’s glass of lemonade towards her, gently patting her on the back while she got through her fit. Of course, she tried to play it off, saying ‘yeah, it wasn’t that hot,’ even after she had finished the rest of her drink. 

With the time you had spent on your own, you thought the silence at the table wouldn’t bother you as much as it did. When the bowls were clean and the coffee was gone, something inside of you just felt off. Maybe it was all of the dinners at Eugene’s, the easy conversations, there was no need to fill a silent void. But here, for some reason, you were dying to.

“Y’all got room for dessert?” Ellie’s head rolled forward from where it was leaning over the back of the chair. A far cry from the girl who looked ready to pass out after two full bowls of soup.

“There’s dessert?” You thought about teasing her, asking her, ‘what, you didn’t get enough sweets today?’ but even you knew that there was always room for something sweet.

Standing from your chair, you went to pull out the tupperware container from the fridge. “Don’t get too excited, it’s just cookies,” you said while popping off the lid. The peanut butter cookies were, to put it bluntly, hideous to look at, but they didn’t require an oven or hard work, just a few spare electrical parts for ingredients.

Her hand reached out and plucked two off the top, not caring about what they looked like. “Holy shit these are even better than the ones Mars had…don’t tell him I said that.” 

You made the motion of zipping your lips, “secrets safe with me.” Joel had made no move to take one of the cookies, so you held out the container a bit closer to him. Once again, there was a hesitancy about him, and you just couldn’t understand why it stemmed from something as simple as cookies. Finally, he reached for one, and you were unable to hear the low ‘thanks’ he gave you over the sound of him picking up the treat. 

The cookies were set on the table in case either one of them wanted another. “Here, y’all take as many as you want.” You turned away from the table to walk towards the spare room, “I’ll be right back, there’s some stuff I wanna send home with you Ellie.”

“Really?” She was bouncing in her seat as she scarfed down another cookie.

“Yeah, now you stay there, alright, no peeking.” Her head nodded while her hand reached for one more sweet. You did not envy Joel for the sugar crash that he was going to have to deal with. Once you walked into the room, you shut the door behind you, just in case they decided to talk while you were gone, or if Ellie decided to be sneaky. 

Grabbing one of the bags that hung off the closet door knob you went over to the comic tote and set aside the one she had picked up earlier. You tried to make sure she had a variety of superheroes to choose from and included a few of the cooler-looking action figures from the collection on your shelves. Once she and Joel were able to get their own way to listen, you would start sending her home with a few albums, but for now, you’ve got a few books that she’d probably enjoy. 

You had a decent selection of adult and children's books, you liked to keep them around for trades in the library, or just in case any of the moms in town needed something for their kids. You had a pretty decent idea of what she would like music-wise wise but you were kind of lost when it came to literature. Eventually, you decided on a few Magic Tree House books and a couple mysteries, she’d probably like trying to solve them before the end. 

With the last few items in your hand, you carefully placed them in the bag before zipping it up and heading back out to the kitchen. Ellie eyed the large bag you had slung over your shoulders before handing it to her. 

She immediately placed it on the table and yanked the zipper down, apparently, she was unable to wait until she got home. “Woah, I can keep these?” She asked while holding up the comic she had begun to read earlier and a Raphael action figure.

You pointed to the novels on the side, “well, I do want the books back when you’re finished since I lend those out a lot, but yeah, everything else is yours.”

“Even the comics?” It was like she couldn’t believe that any of this was actually hers to take, and quite frankly, it broke your heart a little bit. 

“Yeah, I’ve read those plenty of times, so go nuts. I’m planning on picking up a few more next time I go out anyway.” Something passed over Joel’s face at the mention of you leaving the gates at some point, but just like his brief smiles, it was gone before you could understand it. Your gaze found the E.T. poster in your living room, the one she had stared at longer than any others. “Gimme just one more sec, okay,” you said while walking over to the poster, carefully pulling out each thumbtack until the last one remained. Once it was off the wall, you rolled it up before walking back over to her, holding out your hand for her to take it.

“Dude, are you serious?” There was so much caution in the way she held the poster, afraid of ripping it more than it already was. 

You crossed your arms, hoping to convey that it wasn’t a big deal, even though happiness and warmth were abundant inside your chest. The fact that something so small could light her up enough to fill the room, well, it sure was something. “I saw how much you liked it this morning, and I figured you’d hate to look at blank walls every day, so yeah. Think of it like the first of many.” 

It looked like she didn’t know what to say at first, and that was fine, as long as she was happy. “This is awesome Star, thanks.” Suddenly, her arms were wrapped around your middle, and you felt like you had briefly turned to stone. Fuck, when was the last time someone had hugged you like this. It was enough to make you blink back the emotions welling behind your eyes. Thankfully, you did in fact remember how to hug her back. It wasn’t a long hug, solid and shaky, but it was nice. 

“You’re welcome hun. I figured you’d want some stuff for your new room, help make it a bit homier.” She dropped her arms, which made you feel safe enough to retract yours. The poster was placed carefully inside the bag along with everything else she was bringing home. 

Once she zipped up the bag and threw it over her shoulder, Joel finally spoke up. “Go ahead and head on back Ellie.” She figured that was the plan since she was already pulling on her shoes, but she noticed that Joel wasn’t following her, which confused you as well. 

She asked, “why aren’t you coming,” even though her hand was already on the door knob. Her eagerness to see what else was in the bag pushed her to get home.

“Star was kind enough to feed us, so I’m gonna help her clean up.” That kind of makes sense, but why isn’t he having Ellie help?

“Okayyy…” she dragged out the word, looking between you two as if there was some big secret being hidden. Was there? You honestly couldn’t tell. Why the hell is Joel offering to stay? “Can I come by again tomorrow?” 

Joel tried to sway her away from the idea, “I’m sure she’s got stuff to do Ellie.” You did, but you honestly didn’t mind another visit from her. 

“It’s alright really, I’m not gonna be at the house tomorrow cause I’ve got work with Mars and then I’m supposed to help out at the stables, but you’re welcome to tag along if you’d like.” Ellie would probably love being able to visit the animals, so it wasn’t a bad idea for her to join. 

She gave her response before you were able to get out the rest of your sentence, “that’s fine with me.” Then she left as if the person who had come to pick her up wasn’t still here.

Why the hell am I alone in my house with Joel Miller, you asked yourself. 

Deciding not to dwell on the fact that this man, who was practically a stranger to you, chose to stay behind and help, you started clearing away the dishes on the table. However, unsurprisingly, he was just standing there. “So…are you actually here to help me, or are you just gonna shake me down and steal all my beans?”

“Hand me the damn bowl.” The way he said it wasn’t harsh by any means, but it did make you smile, and hand over the stack of bowls in your hand. 

Once he placed the dishes in the sink, you stopped him before he could reach for the soap. “You don’t have to worry about the dishes, honestly, if you just wanna rinse them off I was planning on doing them tomorrow anyway.” He did as you asked, silently, and you were thankful that there were still a few tracks left on the album in the living room. 

His voice cut through the music after the last dish had been set aside. “I uhm, I wanted to say thanks…for spending the day with Ellie, for being kind to her, for everything else too.” The way he ground out the words was sort of endearing, as if he wasn’t sure if he had found the right thing to say.

“Why did it look like you were fighting with that gratitude?” He looked ready to take back every word he had just said, but you cut him off before he could. “Hey, it’s really no problem, like I said, she’s a great kid, it’s been nice spending time with her. I don’t know, she reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age…it’s nice being able to make her smile, feels like I’m doing something right.” 

He nodded his head while drying off his hands with the dish towel hanging on the stove. It was as if he understood exactly what you meant, he was probably the only other person who would understand. “Now about the coffee…”

You pointed an accusatory finger at him, “I knew that was the real reason you stayed behind.”

“What do you want for it?” Oh, all business now is he?

Leaning against the counter, head cocked in contemplation, you said, “let me think on that for a minute…” You wondered what he would do if you said ‘no chance, find your coffee elsewhere’, it would be in jest of course. Especially since you already decided that he would get some regardless of whether he could make a decent trade or not. You doubted that in the short time the two of them had been here that they had made any connections for goods. Then the thought struck you like a bolt of lightning, “wait, I got it. Ellie’s birthday is in a couple of months, right?”

He actually looked horrified at the question, “it is?” Oh, he didn’t know…

You tried to think of what to say so he wouldn’t feel like the worst father of the year. Maybe he just didn't ask, or maybe Ellie never bothered to tell him when they were out there together. “Don’t feel bad Joel, she only told me cause we were talking about a concert I went to for mine one year.” He still didn’t seem convinced that he wasn’t a piece of shit for not knowing. “But that’s beside the point, hold on, stay here for a sec, I’ll be right back.” God, how many times have you said that tonight? 

Knowing exactly what you were looking for, you went into your room and grabbed one of the guitar cases that were underneath your bed before heading back out. Once you reached Joel you stood beside him to set the case on top of the counter, flipped the latches, and lifted the lid to reveal the instrument inside. The guitar was weathered but still in decent condition, it needed new strings and a lot of love, but it looked better than the ones that had been left on the walls beside it to rot. 

Joel let out a low whistle beside you as he inspected it, his hands coming up to run along the length of the neck, god, his hands. 

“Beautiful, isn’t she?”

He nodded, letting out a soft “yeah…” maybe one day he’ll feel fine enough to pick up one for himself again. 

“Well, it’s been sitting under my bed for over a year now, and I don’t know what to do with it. So how about this? You take it, fix it up for Ellie and give it to her for her birthday and we’ll call it even.” It was definitely one of your better ideas, and you hoped that he agreed. 

His hand left the guitar, “as a gift from you?”

You turned away from him to grab the tin of coffee grounds out of the cabinet, “no, not from me, from you, you’d be the one fixing it after all.”

Joel really couldn’t understand you, your kindness, just everything about you, he couldn’t understand it, and it frustrated him. “Why? Doesn’t seem like you’re getting much out of it.”

Since arriving in Jackson, you’ve done many things with little gain. It used to bother the selfish side of you, but now, sometimes it was enough for the reward to be the little glimpses of warmth, like the ones you’ve felt throughout the day. “Ellie wants to learn, and I trust the kid, but I’d still rather not have to use mine to help her if I don’t have to.” You were still selfish when it came to certain things.

“That’s understandable.”

You poured the rest of the coffee from the moka into your thermos and set it beside the guitar case along with the tin. “So what do you say, do we have a deal?” This part usually involves a handshake, but you wouldn’t dare risk that since his hands have some mystical power over you for some reason. 

“Deal,” he said while closing the guitar case and picking it up, he nodded at the tin and thermos, “you sure?”

You nodded, pushing the items even closer to him.“Yeah, I try not to drink too much before bed, so it’ll just go to waste if you don’t take it. Just bring my thermos back before next week and we won’t have any problems.” The last sentence was said with all the mock authority of a warden, which Joel found sort of amusing. 

He grabbed the spoils of his one-sided trade in one hand and the guitar in the other. “Understood ma’am.” The term ma’am caught you off guard while you were in the process of opening the front door for him. You had always hated being called that. Growing up in the south, it was normal to hear it, hell, it was all you had been called when you first started working. Maybe it was all the Texan charm he was hiding away, but you didn’t entirely hate the way it sounded coming from him. 

“And don’t call me ma’am.” You said once he stepped outside, there wasn’t any animosity in your words, more teasing than anything else. 

The asshole waited until he was on the last step to turn around and say, “yes ma’am.”

You were afraid of what might come out of your mouth if you responded, possibly even more afraid that nothing would come out, so you just shook your head at him and closed the door. The house was quiet, the record was still spinning, and there it was again, loneliness, creeping back into your home after it had been gone all day. 

Everything felt too quiet now.

A/N: That's a wrap on chapter two! Hope you all liked it! Just a reminder that this story is also over on AO3 if you'd rather read it through there. LINK. See y'all next time, happy reading! - Lee <3 Chapter Playlist: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (Full Album)- David Bowie Bad Reputation (Full Album) - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts The Seeds of Love (Full Album) - Tears For Fears Violator (Full Album) - Depeche Mode Bat Out Of Hell (Full Album) - Meat Loaf Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (Full Album) - George Strait

[stemclann]

Hi! i’m going around asking different clangens for different clangen reccs bc I’ve been interested in reading more! Do you have any reccs?

Oh I DO !!!

A lot of the blogs I follow feature heavily stylised characters and colorful pages, wich I love. For some of them I'm not even quite caught-up but I just love seing their art coming across my dash because I love making my tumblr feed an inspiring place (don't we all) Also, I'm fairly new to the Clangen side of the WC community tbh, so some blogs featured here might be already pretty well known in the community.. But who doesn't love a nice shoutout <3 🥰 For some of these blogs I don't know wich pronouns their user might want to be used, so I'll refer to them as they/them.

☁️ First off, the blog that litteraly inspired me to start my own : https://www.tumblr.com/vaporclan @vaporclan // I just LOVE their character designs and expressions. plus the intrigue is REALLY GOOD. They also have a side-blog wich is very promising : 🐅 https://www.tumblr.com/tigeroftheskies

💧 Second one that I came across : https://www.tumblr.com/moons-of-dewclan @moons-of-dewclan // BEAUTIFUL artstyle. The composition of each page is gorgeous and the ambiance is always on point. Can't wait to read more about their traumatized cats.

🪴 @gray-thistleclan // I realize from the amount of notes that their art is already pretty well received in the community, but I LOVE the character designs featured on this blog, plus the intrigue is really unique and fairly new in the WC community (depending on if you were here when we all thought Bramblestar was gonna get rabies lol) But yeah, gorgeous art with very intense moments of drama!! Can't wait to read more!!!

🪩 splinterclan.tumblr.com @splinterclan // Artstyle is *chef kiss*, immaculate, very modern, I love the way they portray their character interactions it's always very believable.

🍄 https://www.tumblr.com/sporeclan @sporeclan // First of all how great is this Clan name --- Second, I found this blog throught the official Clangen blog, and fell in love with the way the artist composes her pages, it's beautifully done. Her colour palettes are also very pretty, and tho I'm not perfectly caught up with the intrigue I admit that I followed her when I saw the family tree she composed for her allegiances. Very efficient, beautiful, and the expressions are very cute.

🪷 @lotusclans-luck // This blog is kinda on hold right now but their artstyle is just a joy to watch, very delicious, I would eat it for breakfast everyday. Very 2D animation style, I can't wait to see more of their art in the future if they update it !

🐌 @snailstep-and-her-clan // The story here is really interesting, I love the main character, Snailstep, and her developement. Also, the character designs (I feel like I'm saying it about every blog ahahah) and colour palettes of this blog are so cute, unique, and original. I love when artists have fun with their palettes,, ugh...

🌿 @juniper-clan // This artist has been posting about his clan for almost a year now, and I LOVE how it evolved. It's very refined, the setting is unique and their characters have a beautiful depth that's a joy to explore. I can't wait to read more about Heronstar, she might be one of the characters I like the most out of all these blog listed. (With Snailstep)

🔊 loudclan-clangen.tumblr.com @loudclan-clangen // Very unique and interesting artstyle, designs are handeled with a lot of care and efficiency, you just can feel that the artist knows her characters on the tip of their fingers. Alos, character interactions / jokes are GOLD omg the writting is so good. I wanna be able to write such good dialogue that naturally (but the neurodivergence is holding me BACK fljgdjgs).

𓀒 fallenclan.tumblr.com @fallenclan // The story is immaculate and I can't wait to read more even tho there's so much lore that I know I won't be able to keep up entirely 🥹 But the artstyle is very efficient here as well and the character designs are very memorable. Once again, character interactions are on point and very natural, it's a pleasure for the eyes.

🦋 @the-blight-of-mothclan // Who doesn't love a good lineless artstyle ?! It's so pretty, and the soft colour palettes pleases my eyes a lot. Beautiful backgrounds also ! It must take so much time to paint those, couldn't be me 😭

And finally :

🎍 @black-buttercup-clangen // HUGE inspiration when it comes to palettes. I don't know how they manage to make their art so textured with such effective and "simple" (NOT derogatory, quite the opposite) details. The artstyle is SO effective and the colour palettes are just beautiful. Go check them all out they all deserve support and love <3 I hope I helped you discover some gem that you will like :D 🤌🏼 🎨 Also, for more discoveries, you should DEFINITELY check out @officialclangen - They often reblog some very interesting and cool blogs, that's how I came across a lot of these.

[baejax-the-great]

One Last Drink

“Well, here we are old friend.”

Varric takes one cup out of his pack, then another. He plonks each down on the creepy green stone he supposes he’ll be seeing a lot more of in the coming days and pours in some brandy from his flask.

He raises his cup aloft and says, “I always wanted to have one last drink with you.”

This is a lie. But then Varric is a liar. Hawke would forgive him for it.

He didn’t want to have one last drink with Hawke—he wanted a hundred more drinks with Hawke, a thousand. He wanted to sit around with her in their old age with creaky knees and white hair drinking mead and shouting over the table because their ears were both shot. He wanted to slide into old age listening to her sass all those heroes that have followed in her footsteps. He wanted to see her wielding a cane in a bar fight.

But this—this is what he has.

He taps the rim of his cup to Hawke's. The brandy goes down burning.

“You know, I somehow doubt drinking in the Fade will make it any better,” he says. “Seems like the place you’d probably want to be sober for.”

His ears strain. Was that a whisper somewhere? The Fade is weird. Maybe he’ll get a response. What would Hawke say, anyway?

Isn’t the end of the world a good enough occasion for you?

Something like that. Light tone of voice, half twisted smile at the end, she’d clink her cup to his and take a swig, maybe point out that if the Fade is now leaking into everywhere, then anywhere is as good a place to sit and drink with a friend.

“This new generation,” he says, “They’re something. They grew up hungry for a fight. Fearless. They saw the sky explode as kids. They’ve known something was wrong their entire lives. But then, I guess you also were forged in the crucible of apocalyptic disaster.”

Lothering wasn’t that bad.

This she’d say with an artful quirk of her eyebrow before letting her smile take over her face.

Varric fills his cup again. He’s played this game before, become the author of who Hawke would be if she was still anyone. He can hear her voice in his head so clearly, but for years he’s had that creeping doubt that her voice is actually just his. It’s been ten years after all.

He doesn’t know why he thought the Fade might do something nice for once. Solas always talked about those friendly spirits, but it looks like one can’t be assed to channel Hawke for Varric.

“These Veil Jumpers—out of their minds. You know they come here on purpose? Reminds me of you and all those damn caves you dragged us into, except the caves didn’t shift around while we weren’t paying attention. Similar number of demons, though.”

Not by the time I got done with them.

“They told me that right here, right where we are? That’s a fixed point. A landmark.”

“Creepy, isn’t it?” Bellara had said when Varric stopped in his tracks on seeing the statue. “She always seems to be pointed toward an exit, though, so we’re always on the lookout for her. We call her Macabre Martha.”

I’ve been called worse and you know it. You wrote all those names down in your book—you know them better than I do. Not to mention the atrocious name my own mother gave me.

Varric pats the foot of the statue next to him.

“Should I tell them who you are?”

That question he has not been able to answer for her. He looks up the silent statue, Hawke, caught in the moment a spider’s claw pierced her chest, her mouth open, her eyes wide in horror, both woman and spider leg petrified together.

He somehow thought in this place, in this warped reality, if he summoned her up in his mind, maybe she’d still be here. Maybe she’d speak to him. Maybe he could get her to look less scared.

This isn't how she'd want anyone to remember her.

“Never thought I’d see a statue of you worse than the one we put down by the docks.”

Varric pushes himself to his feet. He puts a hand on her arm as if to comfort her in the last frozen moment of her life. He thinks maybe this time the stone will crumble under his hands and reveal her, still fighting, still able to be saved, still ready with a joke.

This? Minor flesh wound. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve been impaled.

It’s just stone under his hand. Stone, and half his heart stuck in this awful place for the rest of time.

He picks up Hawke’s cup and drinks that, too. He places the half-full flask at her feet in case she ever gets thirsty.  

“So long, old friend.” He gives her one last squeeze on the arm, then shuffles off in the direction of her terrified expression. The next generation of adventurers awaits, and Varric isn’t so quick these days.

The susurrations of the Fade are all that answers him, but he still calls her voice to mind. So long, Varric.

[scribblad]

Favorite pony ask blogs? (Yeah, yeah, generic question here sorry)

Lucky for you, I love talking about the things I’m passionate about!

I originally joined Tumblr mostly for the pony ask-blogs. Even though it might not seem like it, I’ve been on the platform for several years, and I was so captivated by those blogs that I wanted to create one of my own (spoiler: I couldn't). I have a lot of respect for the people who run them—it takes a great deal of patience, love, and dedication.

My only fault is that I am terrible at interacting with them! So I only look at their posts but sometimes I forget to even follow them, bruh. So far I have come across these and they have been my favorites (although there may be more).

@aerialaim (Her art style is so dynamic, as is her main blog and I love that one too).

@ask-gadzooks (I love seeing variety here in Tumblr and this blog make it possible).

@whirlwindflux (Seriously, he responds quickly and with quality pieces of art).

@ask-summer-epos (A queen in every sense of the word, gosh. I love her and her beautiful hair.)

@ask-donkey-in-trouble (I see the art style and I want to devour it completely, not to mention the very creative character).

@askmidnightspell (I've only known him for a few weeks, but if anything happens to him I swear I'll explode. Peak art style).

All blogs related to @dawns-laboratory, (I seriously don't know how he can have so many and still deliver peak).

And the list would go on and on, sorry for not expressing my love until now, mwah mwah.