#She can mostly just swish-swish oh well

[rafeandonlyrafe]

the bosses daughter part one

words: 1.9k

warnings: 18+ only, smut, male and female receiving oral, p in v sex, unprotected sex, semi public sex, golfer!rafe

part one / part two

“who is that?” rafe asks, leaning forward to get a better view of the ponytail that's swishing through a sea of polo shirts.

“bosses daughter.” his coworker quickly warns. “don't even acknowledge her of he'll fire your ass.”

rafe doesn't take the threat too seriously. he's mostly just working to please his dad and show ward that he can commit to something, even if it is just teaching golf lessons twice a week.

“she's hot though.” he argues back, eyes moving down your back to the short golf skirt covering your ass, accentuated by your thick thighs.

“which is why she'll never go for you anyways.” despite his coworkers jokes, he's got it all wrong.

“why hello.” you smile, walking up to rafe a while later, when he's out away from the central club and warming up with some swings. “i don't think we've met before. im y/n.”

“rafe.” he answers happily, finishing the last ball of the line off with a powerful swing that you both watch go sailing through the air. “pleasure to meet you.”

“you haven't been working here long.” you state. “im sure i would have remembered you.”

“oh yeah?” rafe smirks. “and why's that?”

your cheeks tinge with blush but it doesn't stop your tongue. “you're just my type. i already remember all the cute golf guys.”

“all of them?” rafe raises his eyebrows. “you're already making me jealous, princess.”

“well, if it makes you feel better you're the one i left the club to find.” you hum out, leaning your hip against his golf cart.

“and it would make me feel even better if you found me again after my lesson.” rafe looks at the 10 year old he's been teaching as he trods through the grass. “don't want your dad to get mad about me missing a lesson, though i would for you gorgeous.”

you smile, biting your tongue to stop yourself from continuing to flirt as the mother of the young golfer crests the hill. you watch the lesson for a few minutes before retreating back to the country club.

“any of the guys giving you shit, y/n?” your dad calls as you enter into the bar area, of course sat chatting with a customer and longtime family friend, which was the category most of the clientele

fell into.

“nope.” you answer, popping your p. “i was just watching a lesson for a bit. cute little kid and the instructor was real nice. i think he's new.”

“rafe?” your dad raises his eyebrows and you don't miss his friend chuckling. “you stay away from him y/n.” he says sternly.

“ugh, you tell me to stay away from everyone dad.” you roll your eyes dramatically.

“exactly.” your dad says, giving you a pointed look. 

you give him a pout right back and leave the room, finding a quiet spot to scroll on your phone as you wait for time to pass, ready to not take your father's advice.

you figure rafes lesson must be over by now and make your way back outside, deciding to ditch the golf cart and go on foot looking for him. you make it only a short distance down the main path until you spot him.

“still jealous?” you question, sliding into the passenger seat of his golf cart. rafe instantly takes off, driving you slowly away from the centralized area.

“depends on what you were doing while i was teaching.” rafe hums out, a hand reaching over to place itself on your thigh, a still respectable distance for now.

“oh, just getting a lecture from my dad to stay away from you.”

“and yet here you are…” rafes hand inches higher. “letting me drive you away from the club.”

“hopefully to the most isolated spot…” you take rafes hand and move it upwards, guiding his fingers underneath your skirt, making your intentions blatantly obvious.

“as concealed as possible, yeah?” rafe asks, hand slipping between your thighs, pressing against your core as he begins to stroke softly. “not a fan of being watched?”

“not when everyone would run back to tell my father.” you chuckle before gasping as rafes fingers change their angle to rub directly against your clit.

“then your better keep a straight face while we drive past these guys.” rafe warns. your eyes blink open, you hadn't even realized that you closed them. 

you let out a soft moan as rafe presses further into your clit, knowing that the front of the golf cart is blocking their view of his hand underneath your skirt.

“come on, at least try to hide how good im making you feel.” rafe smirks at you as you attempt to straighten out your face as you drive by, thankfully the golfers are more interested in their game than whoever is speeding by.

rafe moves to a hole that's been taken off the course in favor for new builds, waiting for it to be revamped, meaning no one is likely to be around.

“behind the trees.” you point ahead at a patch of pines that should conceal you perfectly.

rafe pulls his hand from your pants as you let out a huff of disapproval, only for him to quickly put the car into park. 

you both jump at each other at the same time, lips finding lips as you straddle rafe, hands on his neck as you kiss him passionately.

rafes hands are now free to explore without worrying about wandering eyes, rubbing down your back before dropping to grip your ass from underneath the flap of your skirt.

you can't help yourself, needing the stimulation back on your clit as you push your hips down, grinding against rafes cock as you feel him stiffening and growing underneath you.

“wanna suck you off.” you tell rafe, sliding off his lap and onto the floor of the golf cart.

“hell fucking yeah.” rafe growls out, watching with anticipation as you reach for the zipper on his golf shorts, tugging at the metal until he lifts his hips to help you pull the khaki material down to his ankles.

your eyes crinkle with a smile as you see rafes length clearly pushing against the fabric of his underwear.

despite needing him desperately, you can't help but tease him as you press kisses from his base to the head of his cock, a small wet spot already forming.

your tongue pokes out to taste him, wetting the material even more until you can't take the barrier any longer and shove rafes underwear down, allowing his cock to spring out.

you open your mouth to tell rafe how big his cock is, when his hips surge forward and his hand comes to the back of your neck at the same time, pushing your head down onto his cock.

you gag at the sudden and unexpected intrusion, but the sound only seems to turn rafe on more as his cock twitches in your mouth.

you begin to start a steady rhythm, rafes hips raising to meet yours as you get used to the feeling of his length down your throat.

“fuck!” rafe groans out. “what a mouth you got on you.”

you try to resist the urge to smile, but rafe can still feel the sides of your mouth quirking up.

rafe pulls you by your hair, raising your face up to meet his as he smashes his lips against his, not caring that he can taste himself slightly under the overpowering flavor of your strawberry chapstick.

“need you.” rafe says, tugging on your hair again.

you move quickly, standing up with slightly wobbly knees as you pull your skirt and panties down in one smooth go.

“shit.” rafe groans, pussy right at his eye level. “need to do this first though.”

rafes chin forces your thighs further apart as you fall backwards, bum landing on the steering wheel while his mouth finds your cunt, tongue teasing your clit in wide circles as you wait for him to finally pass over the bundle of nerves.

just when you think that rafe isn't going to, his tongue flicks against your clit before latching around it, sucking harshly as he looks up, watching the way you moan out, still trying not to be too loud.

“ride me.” rafe says, pulling away, knowing he could eat your pussy forever but that you both don't have the luxury of time. certainly your dad would be getting suspicious of your absence soon.

rafe leans back, allowing you to straddle him again, knees pressing into the leathery seat material.

you reach down to take his cock in your hand by the base, lining him up with your entrance before sinking down with a moan falling from both of your lips.

“god, you're so warm and wet.” rafe moans out, eyes glossed over as he looks at you, both soaking in the moment of your bodies joined together before you start to move, hips rising up before falling quickly, pussy clenching around his cock with every movement.

“you feel perfect.” you tell rafe honestly, loving the way he hits that hidden sweet spot inside of you every single time without fail.

you place your hands on rafes chest, providing you some more stability as you speed up until you're bouncing up and down on his dick.

rafes hands find your hips, helping you move up and down the second you show any sign of fatigue.

“im- i don't know how much longer im going to last.” rafe warns. he wishes he could keep going, but with already having your mouth around him, he knows he's about to reach his limit. 

“touch my clit.” you command rafe, knowing that's all you need to reach your own high.

rafe listens to your demands instantly, thumb finding your clit as he places the pad over it, rubbing in quick circles, even concentrating enough to spell out the letters of his name onto your clit.

“f-fuck!” you squeal. “keep going!”

rafe begins to push his hips up to join you, both of you pushing your tired muscles as hard as you can, waiting to see who the first one will be to break.

your high breeches suddenly, back arching as you cum with a gasp of rafes name. you push yourself as deep onto rafes cock as you can, moaning when you feel him release, cum flooding your insides as you reach your highs simultaneously.

you fall forward as rafe gives a few more thrusts to help ride out your highs.

“shit.” you whine with a giggle as your face presses into rafes chest. “that was so fucking good.”

“honestly, i could stay like this forever.” rafe says, hand squeezing your ass.

“but…” 

“but your dad.”

“ugh.” you sit up, pushing a couple strands of hair off your face that are sticking to your sweaty forehead. “i hate that you're right.”

“but my next lesson is thursday.” rafe says as you carefully slide off his cock, knowing you need to redress immediately. “if you'd like to find me after that shift.”

“hm…” you sit back down next to rafe once you've got your skirt on, watching as he covers himself back up and makes himself presentable again. “i think i can do that.”

“promise you baby, you won't have to look too hard.” rafe pulls you into one last strong kiss before taking off back towards the club.

[crescenthistory]

saw ur post about all the angsty requests and i simply cannot let that happen so may i present my request of the lovely barty:

slytherin is throwing a party and barty is already there when reader gets there late but they can’t find each other bc it’s so crowded. but junior being, well him, he’s loud and brash and so some that’s a bad thing but to reader it’s so perfect.

i can imagine him standing on a table, maybe drunk, singing at the top of his lungs for his lovely treasure (reader) and when r does find him, they give him a light hearted scolding but thank him for always finding them in every crowd.

i love barty so much and when i imagine him in love, he’s IN LOVE and he’s so loud about it and it’s just perfect

- 🐈‍⬛

if nobody else has my back, i know komi has my back 🙏👯‍♀️ just a silly little drabble with our best boy

Words: 1.6k

Warnings: fem!reader, use of y/n, alcohol (firewhiskey), reference to smoking, slytherin party, pda, barty pov (so max chaotic energy), romanian!barty, kissing<3, slytherin skittles shenanigans all around

"You know, Junior," Dorcas drawled from where she was leaning against Marlene as one might lean on a wall. "You're supposed to at least pretend to enjoy spending time with your friends."

"Oh, come off it, Cassie," Barty replied while still not looking at her. His face was turned towards the ever-growing crowd in the Slytherin common room, eyes scanning. "You know I'd die for ya."

She mumbled something into her drink that Barty didn't quite catch, but Marlene apparently found hilarious.

"What's got him in a tizzy?" Regulus asked absentmindedly. Barty hadn't even noticed him reappear, but the sounds of liquids swishing revealed it was likely to get a drink and not to spend time with his lovely friends. Dorcas should really be scolding him.

"Y/N's not here yet." Marlene supplied it so matter-of-factly you might not have realised she is a recent addition to the group via Dorcas. Barty did not much care for her yet – but she wasn't wrong.

The two of you always attended parties together. Always had, since the first time Barty all but dragged you along and you found that you actually quite enjoyed them, as long as he was by your side. It had inflated Barty’s ego beyond what it probably needed to – according to Regulus, at least – but more importantly, it was one of the things that first made him feel secure in your relationship. Wanted, needed.

Barty was also at the point where he did not enjoy anything particularly much if you were not there. He could do shots with Evan and rile Dorcas up into picking on Regulus with him, but it didn’t give him that same buzz that ran over his exposed skin. Didn’t make his dead heart beat.

Tonight, though, for the traditional half-term rager thrown sloppily together in Slytherin, you were running late. By some terrible coincidence, you had your prefect rounds the same day, and could not get ready with Barty like you usually did.

He was left standing by the drinks table so that you could easily spot him whenever you returned – but as more and more people streamed in, your face was not among them. And the more crowded the room got, the rowdier it became, and Barty no longer had a clear sight of the entry. 

You could be here and he might not know. That just wouldn’t do.

“Hate to agree with the lion, but she’s right,” he announced then, clapping his hands together as he turned to his audience. Otherwise known as his friends and their mostly uninterested gazes. “My darling sweet angel, light of my life and yours is not here yet, and we need to do something about it.”

Regulus and Dorcas shared a look through bitten-back smiles. “And why is she not here?” Regulus asked, perhaps to avoid the last part of Barty's sentence.

“She has the audacity to follow rules and regulations,” Barty said with a straight face.

Regulus looked back to Dorcas for a translation. “Prefect rounds.” He rolled his eyes at that, a fellow abider of rules and regulations apparently. 

“Being the attentive individual she is, she likely overextended her help and ran late. And now there’s too many people here for me to spot her.” Barty spoke slowly, like he was spelling it out for children. Regulus’ huffing was becoming too frequent and petulant for his current taste. “So. Desperate times?”

He trailed off the end of his sentence, looking to Dorcas to complete it. Instead she asked, “What desperate measures are you aiming at here, B?”

A Cheshire cat grin split Barty’s face in half. “So glad you asked, my dear Dorc.”

Marlene winced and tightened her hold on Dorcas who had already opened her mouth, no doubt to tell him where to shove that nickname, but Barty was already backing away from the trio with his arms spread out wide.

He bodily pushed at a few fifth years standing around a table to make room for him to jump onto it, with no regard for the card game he was disrupting. The table was wobbly, but it carried Barty’s weight with no problem. From this new height, he could see most of the room clearly, eagle-like gaze already working overtime to see if there was a you to locate there yet.

Regulus walked up to stand in front of him on the ground. Barty grinned down at him questioning.

“Joining me, Reggie boy?”

“You wish.” Regulus moved his grip on a flask of firewhiskey to underneath it, so he could most effectively lift it up towards Barty without spilling any. “If you’re on tables already, you ought to have more in your system.”

“What a terrible influence you are, Black. I’m writing straight home to Walburga.” Immediately after his quip, Barty brought the flask to his lips, chugging, while Regulus rolled his eyes in a way that simply must be painful. 

Cheers from around Barty erupted at his very visible drinking, some already pissed students yelling chug, chug, chug. What can he say, Barty’s never one to back down from a challenge.

With an audible pop, he released the bottle from his lips and howled obnoxiously. He could hear Marlene yell a “yeah!” from behind him.

Maybe she wasn’t that bad.

Then, Barty at the top of his burning lungs yelled. “Y/N?! Dragă?!”

No answer. Or, well, no answer from you. Some stupid sods tried to respond, as if he’d ever call them darling.

“Oi! What are you on about?” Some bloke yelled at him from the opposite wall.

“Looking for my bird, you prick!” 

This earned him several wolf-whistles and hollers, which he promptly neglected as he turned around on the table, to no avail. He did not find you – but he had not exhausted the room in his search either. He still could not see every corner.

Using his thumb as a makeshift cap for the bottle, Barty cast a spell to move a table in the middle of the room closer to him while mid-leap towards it. His feet just barely hit the end of it, screech-laughing throughout his entire flight. 

This earned him even more hoots and hollers. Barty would be feeling quite chuffed if it wasn’t for your remaining status as missing. He took a few more swings of the bottle while his hungry eyes swept over all the heads. 

Then, the room must have lit up, because at last he saw you. Standing near the fireplace, squished between several other partiers, trying to gain your own bearings and locate your people.

“Dragă!”

Your head snapped up at Barty’s nickname for you, and the sweetest, most kissable smile spread across your lips. Oh, how Barty needed you to get your arse over here this instant.

He jumped off the table while punching the air in success, manhandling his way through the crowd towards where he now knew you to be. Smartly, you remained put, but your arms were opened for him by the time he got to you.

Swooping in, he abandoned the flask in favour of circling his arms around your waist and spinning you around, relishing in the giggles that escaped you.

“Buburuză, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He spoke into your neck, breathing you in, before pulling away enough to see your face. His smile must be blinding.

“The other prefect didn’t show, so I had double the amount of work,” you said simply, as if that was not an egregious crime against the loveliest prefect there was.

He opened his mouth to say as much, but you cut him off with a kiss, lips curled against his. Barty couldn’t help but sigh happily into you.

“Which can be dealt with later,” you said pointedly once you felt you had mollified him enough with your kisses. “For now, it seems I have to catch up with you. Starting without me?” Whether you had seen the bottle or smelled it on his breath he did not know, he just wanted you to keep talking.

The teasing tone in your voice did something funny to his stomach. “Entirely Reggie’s fault – extensive peer pressure, I tell you. I have Dorcas as my witness.” He nodded solemnly, as if he was presenting his case for a judge.

You shook your head at him and breathed a laughter against his lips as you kissed him again. He surely tasted of firewhiskey and the smoke he had earlier, but you didn’t seem to mind – he loved you all the more for it.

“Come now, there is something we need to do,” he said the second you pulled apart. One of his hands found yours while his other settled around your waist, hooking his thumb in your waistband. 

You furrowed your brows in confused entertainment, but let him lead you through the crowd towards the table in the middle that he abandoned earlier. 

“Barty, what–” you tried to ask, but he tightened his grip around your waist and used it to lift you, abusing a poor chair as a stepping stone to get the two of you on top of the table once more. 

Before you could question him, he spun you around like a trophy and shouted above the music, “I FOUND HER!”, victory evident in his tone.

This time, the wolf-whistles and hollers were even louder, some students stomping their feet to create a drumming sound. You flushed under the attention, melting impossibly further into Barty’s side, but laughter spilled over your lips, albeit nervously. When he looked down, he found you beaming at him. 

He knew himself to look twice as lovestruck as you, but he was happy to report that that was saying something.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” came the chants from the crowd then.

When a brief once-over of you showed no discomfort despite your light embarrassment – you were growing rapidly immune to that through your relationship – he figured, who was he to argue with a drunken room?

He swept you into a deep and passionate kiss, bending you slightly backward with his wide hands splayed across your back. 

“Now that I’m reunited with my love, what do you say we get the party properly started, yeah?”

[goldfades]

can you do some mom paige for us pretty please

this actually might be the cutest concept i've come with, not to brag but uh

you watch from the porch as paige adjusts the laces on derek’s sneakers, her fingers quick and practiced, like she’s tying up the past and the present all in one knot. the sun dips lower, casting an orange glow over the driveway court, and you can’t help but smile at how small he used to look next to her. your little boy with his gap-toothed grin and his insistence that one day, he’d be able to “take mom down” on the court.

today might actually be that day.

“you sure you’re ready for this?” paige teases, standing up to her full height and giving derek a pointed look. she spins the ball between her hands, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. she’s trying to act unfazed, but you know her too well. there’s a flicker of something in her eyes—a mix of pride and maybe just a tiny bit of panic.

derek grins, taller now than you ever thought possible, with a confidence that makes your heart ache in the best way. “are you ready, old lady?”

“old lady?” paige echoes, mock-offended as she bounces the ball once, hard enough to make a statement. “i’m still the queen of this court. don’t get it twisted.”

you laugh softly under your breath, crossing your arms as you lean against the porch railing. it’s surreal, watching them like this. he’s got her sharpness, her competitive streak, but there’s so much of you in him too—his patience, his quiet fire.

the game starts, and at first, it’s all jokes and lighthearted trash talk. derek takes a shot, and paige swats it away with a grin. “come on, d! you gotta bring more than that.”

but then it shifts. derek gets past her with a quick move, one you swear you’ve seen her do a thousand times, and sinks a layup. he turns, flashing her a cocky smile, and that’s when you see it.

paige freezes for half a second, the ball clutched in her hands, and it’s like the realization hits her all at once. this isn’t her little boy chasing after her in light-up sneakers anymore. this is a young man, strong and fast and determined, standing toe-to-toe with her in a way she’s not sure she’s ready for.

“okay,” she mutters, mostly to herself, before squaring up again. her smirk is back, but there’s a crack in it now, something raw and real.

you can’t tell if she’s about to cry or pull out some WNBA-level moves to humble him. probably both.

she pivots quickly, pushing past whatever moment of realization is trying to overwhelm her, and spins the ball on her finger. it’s her signature move—flashy, playful, a little intimidating—and derek doesn’t even flinch.

“you ready, champ?” she asks, her voice lighter now, but there’s an edge of something sharper beneath it. a challenge.

derek doesn’t answer with words. instead, he spreads his arms wide, crouching into a defensive stance that is so polished, so deliberate, you know paige is holding her breath. he looks so much like her right now that it’s almost comical.

she dribbles once, twice, testing his reactions, and when she goes for her crossover, derek reads it perfectly. he steps in, steals the ball clean, and sprints toward the hoop.

“oh no, you didn’t!” paige calls out, chasing after him with a burst of speed that makes you forget, for a second, how many years it’s been since she was tearing up college courts.

but derek is quick too. too quick. he pulls up just outside the key and lets the ball fly.

swish.

“ha!” derek pumps his fist, turning to face her with a grin that practically splits his face in two. “what was that about being the queen of the court?”

paige stares at him, wide-eyed and speechless, and for a second, you wonder if she’s about to break into some long-winded lecture about fundamentals or footwork. but then she starts laughing. not her usual confident chuckle, but a real, uncontrollable laugh that fills the yard and makes derek laugh too, even though he’s not entirely sure what’s so funny.

“okay, okay,” she says, shaking her head and wiping the corner of her eye. “you got one. one. don’t let it go to your head, kid.”

but you can see the way she’s looking at him now, how her expression has softened. she’s proud, maybe even a little in awe, but there’s something else too. a quiet grief tucked beneath all that love, the kind that only comes with watching your child grow into someone who doesn’t need you quite as much as they used to.

“you gonna keep standing there, or you want a rematch?” derek asks, spinning the ball on one finger like he’s trying to show off.

paige’s eyebrows shoot up. “oh, you’re feeling bold now, huh?”

she lunges for him, snatching the ball back before he can react, and charges toward the hoop with a determination that feels almost desperate. you watch her lay it in, clean and smooth, and as she jogs back to her side of the makeshift court, you catch her glance in your direction.

there’s a flicker of something in her eyes. something just for you.

he’s growing up too fast, isn’t he?

you smile at her, a small, knowing smile that says i see you, and i feel it too.

the game gets more intense after that. derek stops holding back, and so does paige. it’s not just a casual driveway scrimmage anymore—it’s two competitors locked in battle. paige pulls out her best moves, step-backs and fadeaways that she used to dominate with back in her UConn days. derek matches her with raw energy and a knack for improvisation that makes you think he might actually have a shot at going pro someday.

“fifteen-fourteen,” paige says, breathless as she dribbles at the top of the key. “game point. you sure you’re ready for this?”

“are you?” derek shoots back, grinning as he wipes sweat from his brow.

you lean against the railing, your heart pounding in your chest, and you wonder if they even realize you’re still there. probably not. this moment is theirs, and you’re happy to let them have it.

paige makes her move, driving hard to the left before spinning back to her right, but derek is ready. he’s there, blocking her path, his hands up and his stance steady. she tries to shoot over him, but he’s too tall now, too quick, and he swats the ball away with a force that makes it bounce halfway across the driveway.

“game,” he says, breathless but triumphant.

paige just stands there, hands on her hips, staring at him like she can’t quite believe what just happened. and maybe she can’t. maybe none of you can.

“guess the torch has officially been passed,” you say, stepping off the porch and walking toward them.

paige looks at you, her mouth opening like she’s about to argue, but then she closes it again. she shakes her head, laughing softly, and pulls derek into a hug that’s more aggressive than affectionate but still manages to say everything she can’t.

“you did good, kid,” she murmurs, her voice softer now, almost fragile.

“thanks, mom,” derek says, his own voice quiet but steady.

and as you stand there, watching the two of them, you feel it too—the ache, the pride, the bittersweet weight of it all. he’s not her little boy anymore. he’s not your little boy anymore. but he’ll always be yours, in every way that matters.

later that night, the house feels softer somehow, quieter. derek is curled up in your lap on the couch, his head resting against your chest, his breath steady and even in sleep. the game must have worn him out, and it’s in this peaceful stillness that you really notice how much he’s grown. his limbs are long now, gangly in a way that’s both awkward and endearing, and his features are sharper, more defined.

paige is sitting across from you, one leg tucked under her, cradling a mug of tea she hasn’t touched. the warm glow of the lamp casts a golden hue over her face, softening the edges of her playful smirk. but there’s something in her eyes, something that lingers even when she cracks a small grin.

“you remember when he couldn’t even dribble without falling over?” she says, breaking the silence. her voice is light, teasing, but there’s a thread of something deeper woven into her words.

you hum, brushing a hand gently through derek’s hair. “barely. feels like it was forever ago.”

“right?” she leans back, balancing the mug on her knee as she looks at the two of you. “i mean, this is the same kid who cried for two hours because he lost his first pair of basketball shoes. two hours, babe. and now he’s out there blocking me like he’s—i don’t know—prime lebron or something.”

you laugh softly, careful not to wake derek. “he’s got your moves, though. the spin, the step-back? that’s all you.”

“yeah, well, he didn’t get my height,” she quips, a hand running through her hair. “dude’s a giant already. where’s he even getting that from?”

but you see it—the way she bites the corner of her lip, the way her fingers fidget with the handle of her mug. she’s trying to hide it, trying to mask the ache with humor, and it’s so her that it makes your chest tighten.

“you okay?” you ask gently, your eyes meeting hers.

paige hesitates, her smirk faltering for a fraction of a second before she shrugs. “yeah. i’m fine. it’s just… weird, you know? one minute, he’s begging me to let him stay up late to watch a game, and the next, he’s dunking on me in the driveway.”

“he didn’t actually dunk on you,” you tease, and it earns you a soft laugh.

“okay, fine, but you know what i mean.” she sets the mug down on the coffee table, leaning forward now, her elbows resting on her knees. “he’s just… he’s not a kid anymore. i mean, he is, but he’s not, you know? like, i remember his first steps. he was so wobbly, and now he’s out there moving like he’s been doing it forever.”

her voice gets quieter, her words slower, and you can see the way she’s fighting to keep it together. “and then his first basket? oh my god, i thought i was gonna lose my mind. he was so proud of himself. remember how he made us watch the highlight reel he edited for three weeks straight?”

“complete with slow-motion replays,” you add with a soft smile.

“exactly!” she laughs again, but it’s shaky, like she’s holding something back. “and now he’s… i don’t know. he’s just different. he’s taller, faster, better. and that’s the point, right? we’re supposed to want him to grow up, but…”

“it’s hard,” you finish for her, because you know exactly what she’s trying to say.

paige nods, her gaze dropping to her hands. “yeah. it’s hard.”

you reach out, brushing your fingers against hers, and she looks up at you with that same mixture of pride and vulnerability that makes your heart ache. “he’s still our little boy, though,” you remind her, your voice barely above a whisper.

she smiles at that, a small, genuine smile that reaches her eyes. “yeah. he’ll always be ours.”

for a moment, neither of you say anything. the only sounds are the soft hum of the heater and derek’s quiet breaths, and it feels like the three of you are wrapped up in a bubble of warmth and love.

“you know,” paige says finally, her voice lighter again, “i think i let him win today.”

you raise an eyebrow, barely holding back a laugh. “oh, really?”

“yep. totally on purpose.” she leans back against the couch, crossing her arms like she’s trying to convince herself as much as she’s trying to convince you. “i just wanted to boost his confidence. good parenting, you know?”

“uh-huh,” you say, smirking as you run your fingers through derek’s hair again.

but the look she gives you—soft, teasing, and a little bit raw—reminds you of why you fell in love with her in the first place. she loves so fiercely, even when it hurts, even when she’s not sure how to handle it. and as you sit there together, watching your son sleep, you think that maybe, just maybe, your heart has never been so full.

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[ofaatuu]

Similar.

quick thought.. I have never seen this but what about a Polynesian!reader with Ronal and tonowari? Just think, they have similar tattoos and culture(mostly from Māori tho.)

warnings: none but fluff and maybe slight angst I can’t tell

read part 2 here !

should I make a sequel?

(not my gif)

You waited outside of the marui as Norm and Max where discussing Kiri’s affects from the seizure. You heard loud stomping as you looked up to see the Tsahik of the clan, but quickly moved out the way, not wanting her to see you as you’re still scared of the large Na’vi species. You’re only the pilot for them after all. This is the first time you came here.

“I see that I am not needed here.” Ronal says after seeing all of the sky demon devices. “You are Tsahik.” Neytiri hisses out as she pulls her arm back, desperately looking at her to help her daughter. Ronal sighs and nods. “Get out! You have done nothing.” Neytiri hisses loudly at the sky demon and the avatar as they quickly gather their things and leave. “Ma Jake. Let the Tsahik handle this.”

Ronal sighs standing next to her mate. “This family is driving me insane.” She says rubbing her temple. Tonowari looks at her and mumbled something but something or someone caught Ronal’s eye. “Ronal?” Tonowari snaps her out of her gaze as she clears her throat. “Sorry I-“ she gets cut off by tonowari. “I’m sorry Ronal but you seem distracted, what’s wrong my mate? You can tell me.” Ronal beckons him to follow. They stop once they are near the sky demon ship. “Look. That demon has our tattoos.” They both look but catch eachothers tails swishing. “Oh great Eywa.” They say in unison.

(This takes place after Neteyam died ☹️ ⬇️)

“Hey norm! How did Kiris check up go?” You asked an annoyed Norm. “Terrible. Again! Jakes mate needs to stop kicking us out!” He says annoyed “well it’s very foreign to her, remember she isn’t an avatar like Jake, she’s real na’vi!” Max said. You nod your head agreeing, continuing the conversation but suddenly feel eyes burning into the back of your head and turn around, instantly regretting it as you see the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan of the clan. Quickly turning around and joining the conversation again with your face flushed “The Tsahik here scares the shit out of me man, she looks to serious and scary. I would get on my knees for her though..” you say out loud and laugh, getting weird looks from norm and max. you suddenly feel a tap on your shoulder and turn around and see them again.”oh shit you think they heard that??” You say is a panicked voice.“Oel ngati kameie Tsahik and Olo'eyktan. Is there anything I can help you with?” You say confused as to they are talking to you know after you’ve been here for awhile. “Yes, what is your name demon?” The woman says as her piercing eyes look into yours. “Uhm, y/n. Y/n L/n.” She hums looking down at your tribal tattoos and your thick wavy/curly long hair(poly boys also have long hair)”Well Y/n L/n, we need to talk to you. Now.” The man says in a deep voice giving you chills. “Oh uhm, yes of course.” You walk with them wondering what is it they need to talk to you about because this is the first time they interacted with you throughout the whole time of you coming here, they brought you to a little cave. You looked around scared and confused. But little do you know they’ve kept their eye on you.

“They definitely fucking heard me.”

that was my first writing!! Please leave any tips or something I might need to add due to this is my first time! Sorry if the grammar is bad and this is all over the place! English is not my first language! Tongan is !

[ryin-silverfish]

JTTW Discord Summer Contest Entry: South Seas Sojourn

AO3 Mirror

-In collaboration with the amazing @ejaysstuff, who did the art!

-I'd say "This is mostly me nerding out about folklore", except that sums up all my recent one-shots.

-An LMK fanfic about Wukong going on a vacation, set between S3 and S4. 

---

"I'm going on a vacation!"

Before anyone in the noodle shop could let out a groan or a cry of "Again?!", Sun Wukong immediately added, "And you are coming too, MK. I ain't leaving my disciple out of the fun, not after, well, everything."

"But it's okay to leave me out of the fun?" Mei sulked, as she tried to make the tea inside her cup rise up, yet only created a little ripple. 

"Hey, I'm not the one who signed you up for that internship at your uncle's place." Sun Wukong said. "But maybe we can drop by once we are done! Take a break from the heat in the cool air of the North Sea."

"Yeah, the nice, cool, sub-zero-degree air of the arctic zone..." Mei sighed. "Don't wanna beat on that dead horse, but I'm so, so sick of icy stuff."

"Aw, bummers. Guess you won't be a fan of my new tea recipe, then." Sandy poked his head out from inside the kitchen. MK could hear ice cubes clinking inside a glass, and so did Mei, since she perked up within seconds and looked like she was on the verge of backflipping over the counter.

"Sandy, Sandy my man, I'll never not be a fan of your tea recipe!" 

"Uh, where are we even going?" MK asked, in between the sound of icy lemon tea being slurped through a twisty straw. "Don't get me wrong, I'm super duper up to it! But Mr. Tang had been complaining non-stop on MeChat about Pigsy's decision to drag him to Chang'e's virtual concert during summer break, where every major tourist spot is packed with kids. I hope we are going somewhere...quieter, that's all."

"Oh, no worries. It won't be deserted, but it ain't gonna be nearly as crowded." Sun Wukong paused, striking a pose. "We are going to the South Seas, bud!"

"...Where?" MK and Mei asked in unison, drowning out Sandy's faint "Wait, like, Guanyin's place?".

"Out south. In the oceans. Duh." 

"That explains nothi——"

"And no, my big blue friend, I won't be knocking on her doors at Potaloka unless someone needs saving! She's gonna be real busy in the next few weeks anyways." Sun Wukong continued. "For you less geographically gifted kids: it's where Lion City and Betel City are. Ring any bells?"

Mei made an "Oooo" noise. "You mean the place with the mermaid lion? Man, I was so disappointed when I found out it wasn't a real critter working for the South Sea Dragons." 

"I still have no idea what you are talking about!" 

"Ah well, MK, you'll be finding out soon enough." Sun Wukong said. "So go give your Dadsy a holler, and start packing up! We'll be leaving next week or the week after that, depending on when Nezha gets off work." A pause. "Yeah, he's coming too."

...

"We aren't really going on a vacation, are we?" MK asked, as he dragged his luggage up the creaky wooden walkway near the Megapolis harbor beach. 

Dangit, who knew that mosquito repellent and sunscreen could weigh so much? (Tang and Pigsy were very adamant about the importance of taking enough of these, once they heard the news over MeChat.)

"What makes you think that?" Sun Wukong replied, swishing his tail at the daring seagulls who kept trying to peck it. 

"Well, last time you said you were going on a vacation, you weren't really telling the truth." MK let out a nervous chuckle. "And Nezha's coming too. I don't know him all that well, but he doesn't sound like the kind of guy who'll, uh, join in on the fun just because?"

"Yeah. Sorry again, MK," he sighed. "But you are half-right. It's not a complete vacation, and more of a vacation-slash-summer school, slash-free exposure therapy..."

"What was that last part?"

"Nothing!" Sun Wukong exclaimed cheerfully. "Basically, you are gonna learn how to be a god, MK."

"I——WHAT?!"

"Relax, bud! It's not as serious as you think." A pause. "How do I put it...hmm, it's like being a hero, but more down-to-earth. Where, instead of people asking you to save them from big bad demons, they are asking you to solve their personal problems."

"Like?"

"Win lottery tickets. And discipline their kids for them."

"Speak for yourself."  

A familiar voice echoed through the evening air. The next second, in a blaze of pink fire, the Third Lotus Prince was standing tall on his wheels, his sash flowing in the wind. 

"Oooh, what did I just hear? Good ol' Brother Nezha, Electro-Techno Third Prince, The Other God You Go To For Lottery Tickets, acting all uppity and serious!" Sun Wukong stuck his tongue out at the new arrival. "Nice entrance, by the way. Very flashy." 

"You know very well I don't answer every desperate addict who doesn't know when to quit, nor do I play games of chance for fun! I play them to win!" Nezha retorted. "Also, thanks for the compliment, Great Sage."

"You are welcome, Laodi."

"Are we really going on a vacation to...help people gamble?" MK nervously raised a hand. "Isn't that, like, against the law?"

"Goodness, what have you been telling your disciple before my arrival? No, what have you left out?" Nezha groaned. "Well, since your mentor clearly hasn't explained our goals properly, I suppose I'll have to substitute for him. Again."

"Hey! Professor Sun is getting to it, Teaching Assistant Nezha——"

"In the next week, we shall be visiting and staying in multiple cities of the South Seas. Now that my true body isn't guarding the Samadhi Fire, I can finally start answering the more tricky prayers," Nezha sighed, "Which will only continue to pile up, since the Seventh Month is imminent."

"Seventh Month?" MK asked, reaching into his pocket with one hand. "But it's August the third already! Lemme check the calendar again..."

"Lunar Seventh Month. Also known as the Ghost Month." Nezha shot a look at Sun Wukong, his expression a mix between annoyance and slight concern. "Someone has picked a great time and place to take his student on a trip."

"What could I say? It sure is less depressing than Qingming nowadays. And they won't fine you for burning paper effigies in the South Seas, or so I've heard!"

"I…no matter." Nezha's look softened a bit, but not by much. "Back to what I was saying. Once the gates of the Underworld open, all the spirits will come out, go visit their families, enjoy the offerings as much as they can under the watch of Dashi Ye, Lady Guanyin's ghostly manifestation."

"We'll be assisting him, much like my brother and all the local gods. Keeping order, giving directions, and all that. In between these shifts, I’ll finally get to perform my duties in my actual physical body instead of the youthful manifestations mortals expect to see, and your mentor is free to monkey around with you and his worshippers at his own temples. All clear?"

"So we are gonna be, like, tour guides and security, but for dead people?" MK asked. "That doesn't…sound too bad, actually! Also, you have a brother, Nezha?"

"No, I pop out of a rock, just like your master." Nezha said flatly, then added, "Goodness, I wish. Muzha can be a bit much, but he's a lot more bearable while on the job, so no worries."

"Someone's getting jealous again, I see," Sun Wukong reached over to pat him on the head, and received an annoyed glare. "Oh, and don't let Nezha's sour attitude fool you, MK. We are still on a vacation, it ain't gonna be all work and no play! And the work won't start until several days later, so we'll have plenty of time."

…

This didn't seem like a great start for our vacation, MK thought. 

Okay, it did, for about three minutes, after they got off the somersault cloud. 

The palm trees were swaying in the wind, the two-story buildings with red-tiled roofs were glowing under the tropical sun, and Nezha reluctantly glamoured a lotus-patterned T-shirt and some baggy pants over his armor after rejecting Sun Wukong's more outlandish suggestions ("You should totally change your wheels into flaming flip-flops!"). Not a single dangerous, vacation-ruining, world-destroying threat in sight.

Then a giant rain cloud appeared out of nowhere, driving most of the crowd indoors and leaving the unfortunate ones seeking shelter under the nearest rooftops and bus stations. 

Not that it helped much——MK felt like he was standing behind the waterfall at Flower Fruit Mountain again, as raindrops slammed into the ground with a fury and created splashes of watery mists.

"Okay, Nezha, Did you anger the local dragons again?" Sun Wukong asked, holding the monkey-hair-turned-umbrella over MK's head.

"Nonsense! Not even the East Sea ones hold a grudge for this long, and I've never seen a South Sea dragon other than their king," Nezha said, then added, "and my brother's co-worker. Are you sure you have a temple nearby?"

"Eh, maybe. I saw a bunch of faith beacons up there, all clustered together." Sun Wukong shrugged. "Some of these have to be mine."

"Have to be yours? Oh, that's rich, coming from someone who hasn't visited the South Seas in person since the 19th century——"

"And they still love me, bud. Deal with it."

"Um, what's a faith beacon?" MK wiped the water droplets off his phone screen with one thumb, trying and failing to steer his luggage away from the puddles. "I'm not seeing any on CloudMap."

"Well, you won't, unless you are a patron god of IT workers or some other technology-related stuff!" Sun Wukong said. "How do I put it, hmmm…after people have prayed to you for a while, offered enough incense, you can just sense the places they are doing it at. Usually, it looks like a beam or a glowy aura, but some gods can smell or hear it too."

"Wow, that's so cool! It's like a mystical VR goggle. Is it something you can learn, though?"

"Look, I'm glad that you are doing your job as a mentor, but can we please get some actual directions?" Nezha sighed. "Temples here aren't always their own separate buildings. I've been summoned inside too many HDB flats to count, and you won't know that by looking at the beacons alone."

"We are heading in that direction right now. It'll get clearer once I get closer to the place. So be patient, will ya'?"

"Well, isn't that just the most reassuring answer I've ever heard. 'We'll get there when we get there'." Nezha muttered, as the group took a turn into a narrow side street, ducking below the swaying lanterns and multilingual shop signs. "Just so you know, if the rain doesn't stop and we don't get there in two hours, I'm dragging both of you onto a bus and to my temple instead."

"Why, you three sound like you are lost! Need a tour guide?"

Abruptly, a high-pitched, child-like voice resounded through the torrential rain, coming out of the alleyway to their left. MK turned to look at the speaker—

—and stared straight into the lifeless glowing eyes of a chalk-faced monstrosity, its red tongue hanging out of its mouth.

With a scream, his staff was out, and in a split second, connected with the thing's head and sent it flying into the nearest wall. It slid off the yellowed concrete, landed with a splash, then went completely still. 

A spiderweb crack was spreading across its porcelain mask——Oh goodness, it's a puppet, which was somehow even worse.

"Ah. The answer is 'No', it seems."

He nearly extended the staff and hit the puppet again when it spoke, had Sun Wukong not dashed forth and, in one swift motion, dragged a pale specter out of it by the robe collar.

"Glad to see you again, Xiao Xie!" He grinned in a rather dangerous way, like what Mr. Tang said non-intelligent monkeys really meant when they bore their teeth. "Is there any particular reason why you are jumpscaring my student in broad daylight, or do you just have nothing better to do?"

"Yes, because this one knows it will happen!" The specter, still in Sun Wukong's grip, said in a cheerfully oblivious voice. “The vision caught this one by surprise too. It's not every day that you see the Great Sage's golden staff approaching your face at lethal speed, especially when you have done nothing to offend him. Good thing this one did not come in his contractor's body!"

Behind them, Nezha let out a groan. "Oh joy, it's these two clowns again."

"W-W-What the heck just happened?! And what's THAT?" MK pointed at the specter. Outside of that creepy puppet, it just looked like a lanky, unnaturally pale youth in an oversized mandarin jacket and a tall hat.

Before Nezha could answer, another sullen voice cut him off.

"You knew you'd get smacked in the face if you came, so naturally, you possessed the creepiest vessel you could find and headed straight in this direction." The air suddenly got a lot colder. "I don't need precognition to know you deserve to be smacked at this point."

The water in a nearby puddle rippled. Okay, technically, it never stopped rippling because of the rain, but this one was a lot bigger, as if something was about to crawl out.

MK took a step back. Seconds later, the murky water turned inky black, rising up into the air and coalescing into the form of a short, stern-faced kid, wearing the same clothings as the pale specter, except they were all black-colored.

"Darn right, Lao—" Sun Wukong paused, as he turned and took a closer look at the newcomer. "Xiao Fan? Huh, didn't expect to see this you here. Not that I'm complaining."

"I'm absolutely complaining." The kid replied. "Our main souls have been attending one meeting after another at Fengdu since the Ivory Lady Incident, which is why I'm currently on," He shot a pointed look at his ghostly companion, "babysitting duty. You gonna smack him or not? Cause I won't mind if you do, Great Sage."

"Aww, really, Xiao Fan? You, of all people, should know that everything this one sees will happen, even if he doesn't know how or why. Since trying to avoid a future is the best way to unknowingly make it come true, this one can only try to soften the impacts and minimize the risks."

"By making sure you would, one-hundred-percent, get hit in the face by someone?" Fan snorted. "Way to go, brother."

"By making sure that staff wasn't slamming into this one's soul, or a flesh-and-blood vessel!" Xie replied. "And the mission is a success! Only a single puppet is harmed."

Nezha threw his hands up in the air. "How did you manage to be even more annoying and nonsensical than your main soul?"

"Welcome to my fucking un-life." Fan mumbled.

"Um, hello?" MK waved awkwardly. "Have you guys suddenly started speaking in some sort of secret code mid-conversation, cause I don't understand a single word you just said."

"Gosh! Sorry, bud," Sun Wukong finally let go of Xie's collars (now that MK thought about it, how did you even grab a ghost's collars? Mystic Monkey Magic at play again?) "Get a bit carried away there."

He pointed at the two specters. "Meet the Heibai Wuchang. The ghost cops, or rather, parts of them. Remember your hair clones? Xiao Xie and Xiao Fan here are kinda like that, but with their souls."

"T-The ghost cops?" MK squirmed. The downpour had become a light drizzle, but he still felt chilly, and it wasn't because his T-shirt sleeves and socks were now soaked. "Like…the ones you see when you are about to die?"

"Don't worry, bud! They aren't here to take any of us away. I think." Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes slightly, "and even if they were, I'd like to see them try."

"Nah. Not a chance. This one still values his un-life—"

"Yeah? Then apologizing to my student and stop wandering around in that thing will be a good start!"

"—so yes, he is very sorry for the distress he caused, young one. The 'wandering around in possessed objects' part, though, is perfectly legal, and this one still has to take the puppet back to his temple, so sorry, no can do."

"You have a temple now?" Sun Wukong let out a chuckle of disbelief. "You two?"

"You really haven't been around here in a while, have you, Great Sage?" Nezha said. "Yes, unfortunately. It's a new South Seas trend, and I hope it stays where it is."

"Our main altar here is still inside the City God's temple. But there are more temples dedicated to us alone, across the strait." Fan said. "And I'm obligated to inform you that all deities who visit the South Seas in their true bodies instead of using clones or astral projections must notify the local City God's temple beforehand, or submit the relevant paperwork immediately after arrival."

"Hmm, and if I don't?" Sun Wukong raised an eyebrow. "What are you gonna do?"

"Other than following you around and staring at you judgmentally? Nothing substantial." Fan said, before sighing deeply. "But if you can at least pretend to respect us and not treat Underworld officials like the complete pushovers we are, we'd really appreciate it."

Sun Wukong hollered at that. "Y'know what? I think I'll do just that, since this you are a lot cuter and not a raging jerk!"

"You know my main soul can hear you, right?"

"Exactly." Sun Wukong grinned. Unlike a few minutes ago, it was a lot less tense. "So lead the way, Xiao Fan!"

…

When MK heard the whole…ghost temple thing, he was expecting skeletons, eerie lighting, spooky stuff.

Okay, some of the statues and puppets were still creepy. Same for the possessions. 

Sure, the ghost cops had explained that they had human "contractors" who'd let them possess their bodies willingly, after signing a lengthy form where all the risks and duties are spelled out clearly.

But when he thought of possessions, the only images that came to mind was LBD's host, shaking like she was in the middle of winter again despite sitting inside the safe, cozy confines of Pigsy's Noodles. And Sun Wukong's golden eyes glowing frost blue, devoid of all warmth and emotions.

Well, better get used to it now. Gonna see a lot more ghosts once the…summer school part of the vacation-slash-summer school starts.

MK took a deep breath and began to make his way back through the corridors, a small incense burner in hand. The exterior of the temple was dated and slightly out of place, sitting beneath towering skyscrapers and surrounded by neatly trimmed park lawn.

Past the main hall and the altar room behind it, however, the place could be mistaken for any modern office building. Or the background of a Monkey Cop episode, except the cops were all ghosts and the monkey was filling in the divine equivalent of a customs form.

"There, done." Sun Wukong said, putting the pen down, "Right in the nick of time! For real, though, couldn't you ghosts just burn the paperwork together with the rest of the effigies?"

"And get them stuck beneath a mountain of sports cars, or whatever insane vehicles people decide to send to their ancestors nowadays? No thanks." 

As he handed the incense burner over to Sun Wukong, who crumpled the form into a ball and tossed it inside, MK caught a glimpse of a dark blue aura, enveloping the handle of the back door before it opened on its own. Two more uniformed ghosts hovered in, telekinetically carrying multiple pitched paper objects.

"Speak of the devil…" Fan turned towards his partner, who was leaning leisurely against a wall. "This year's bunch are already coming in, and if you bothered working with a contractor today, you better put that physical body to good use and start helping!"

"Alright, alright, This one hears you." Xie yawned, then walked over and grabbed the floating effigies. "Hmmm, no helicopters or private jets this year? That's a bit disappointing."

"Well, Mr. Chow sent a pretty big table, boss. We don't think it's gonna fit through the backdoor, so we left it in the park pavilion."

"Excuse me?" MK perked up. At last, a chance to do something instead of just standing there and watching awkwardly. "Do you need something resized? Cause I have just the power for that!"

…

"Y'know, I was wondering what's so special about a table," Sun Wukong poked his head out from behind the door frame, trying very hard to suppress the giggles, "or why they'd make a live-sized one in the first place. Now I get it." 

"Kudos for dedication, I guess?" MK shrugged. "I'm sure their loved ones would, uh, appreciate the gift down there."

With a snap of his fingers, the paper Mahjong table returned to its original size, drastically reducing the remaining space inside the storage room. 

Yeah, the "craft" part of "Arts & Crafts" wasn't really his strong suit, but a piece this detailed and lovingly crafted? It probably took weeks to make. And cost more than an actual Mahjong table.

"Are you two done admiring the beauty of that absurd object? Can we please leave and go somewhere else now?" Nezha's muffled complaint came from the corridors. “It's raining outside again, and if we don't hurry——"

"Even if you do hurry, this one doubts you will be able to get any further than the bus stop, in the two minutes it shall take for the drizzle to become a downpour once more." Xie said, then tossed the last stack of golden joss paper into the storage room.

"Great! Wonderful! Yeah, I'm just looking forward to spending more time with you and your clowns-in-training." Nezha snarked. "How will we ever get anywhere in life without your nifty short-term prophecies?"

"Hey hey, Nezha, chill out. A dash of salt is good n' all, but you are getting spicy over there." Sun Wukong said. "But, speaking of ways to pass the time during a rainy day…"

There was a mischievous glint in his eyes, as he turned to look at Xie. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Judging by what this one just saw? Yes."

"Great! Come here, bud, I have something that will make our stay a lot less boring."

Sun Wukong beckoned MK over, back into the big guest room, then pulled out a tuft of hair. Seconds later, an actual Mahjong table landed squarely on the floor with a thud, complete with chairs and Mahjong sets, followed by an "Ohoho, lovely!" and two simultaneous shouts.

"Seriously? Don't set a bad example for your student!"

"Don't you dare corrupt our guests, Xiao Xie!"

"Please, this one is just joining in on the fun. Our guests have no problem 'corrupting' themselves, so to speak!"

"Oh, c'mon, it's not gambling if you aren't betting actual money!” Sun Wukong exclaimed. "It's like poker, but…for old people. Right, MK?"

"Um, one problem: I don't know how to play Mahjong! Or poker!" MK said, scratching his head. "The only card game I know is Uno."

"Great! You can just learn it on the fly, then, under the watchful eyes of Professor Sun and Teaching Assistant Nezha!"

"No way, Great Sage. I'm not helping you lure your student astray into a potential lifetime of wasted hours and petty vices."

"Really?" Sun Wukong flashed a taunting smile. "I bet you only said that 'cause you don't wanna lose too badly to me. Again."

"Oh, you take that back right now, monkey!" Nezha jabbed a finger at him. "If we were back in the old days and in a gambling house, you'd be going home in nothing but your undershirt and breeches by the end of the day!"

MK did not miss the implication that, at some point in the past, these two had indeed been to an actual gambling house.

"A bold challenge if I've ever heard one!" Sun Wukong's grin widened. "Or is your bark worse than your bite? Brag all you like, but the only way to prove it is to get on the table yourself."

"I——Screw this, I'm in," Nezha took a deep breath, “But only because it will be quite satisfying, kicking the collective behinds of the two most annoying gods I've ever met." A glare at Sun Wukong, then, at Xie. "So. Get. Ready."

"That's the Third Prince I know!" Sun Wukong gave him a thumbs-up. "Bring it on, lad!"

MK gulped. "Yeah, sorry, I think I'm just gonna watch you guys play first. Get a feel of the game before jumping in. Is that alright?"

"No prob. Though this did put us in the most classic bind in the entire history of Mahjong…" Sun Wukong paused dramatically. "The 'Short of a Fourth' problem."

"That won't be me." Fan immediately said, before walking through the nearest wall. "Still have a job to do." He turned, poking his head out of the wall once more. "But by all means, teach Xiao Xie a lesson for me."

"Ah well." Sun Wukong shrugged, reaching towards his head. "Guess this calls for my clone——"

"No!" Nezha smacked his hand away. "That's just blatant cheating!"

"But literal future vision isn't?"

"Hey, it's not like this one can turn it off." Xie protested. He looked like he wanted to say something else, before Sun Wukong stood up, dashing out of the door and towards the altar room. 

"Guys! We are one person short of a Mahjong game here!" A pause. "Niang Niang? Ah Pek? Datuk? Hello? Anyone up to it?"

"...What's he doing?"

"The divine equivalent of spamming telephone calls." Nezha rolled his eyes. "Yelling into the ears of every deity's idol he can find, and hoping for a response."

"For your knowledge, we have a three-people variant of the game here," Xie added, unhelpfully.

…

Way after Sun Wukong had returned, sulking a little but soon jumped right into arguing with Nezha, MK heard a chime. 

Like someone had just dropped a bunch of coins onto a marble floor, but…louder. Okay, he wasn't too sure about that last part, because if the others heard it too, they did not react to the noise at all.

"It's still not gambling! Just a way to keep the score, yanno?" Sun Wukong continued, tossing a tangerine back and forth between his hands——one he probably pinched from a random altar table on his way back. "Also, the game will be pretty boring if you aren't winning something."

"That's the very definition of gambling." Nezha said, with a deadpan expression. "Wagering money or other stakes in a game of chance."

"It's only a stake if it's something of value, and outside of sentimental ones, these offerings have none." Sun Wukong turned to Xie. "Otherwise you won't give them away to folks for free before they spoil, right?"

"Indeed, for we've already eaten them." 

MK squinted at the fruit; not a single bite mark or patch of peeled skin was found on its exterior.

"Ewww." Sun Wukong grimaced. "Anyways, that just makes them even less valuable and further proves my point."

"Is that supposed to be convincing? Because I'm not taking home a bunch of ghost-eaten fruits even if you give them to me for free——"

"Greetings," someone cleared their throat, then said in a deep, magnetic voice, "Is it you who invited this Zhao to your humble temple for a game, friends?"

The door curtain jingled; in walked a dark-faced man with an impressively bushy beard, clad in gilded black armor and red-gold robes. The only thing that didn't make him as intimidating as he should was the black tiger cub, clinging onto his shoulder pauldron like an oversized housecat.

"Yep, Lao Zhao!" Sun Wukong cheered, "Didn't think you'd have the time, but here you are!" He winked at MK, "Now, ya' ever seen a God of Wealth statue in your Dadsy's store? If you did: this is your guy in the flesh, Zhao Gongming himself."

"Oh yeah! The statue," MK tried his best to recall something that looked like the man, yet the only thing that came to mind was the adorable and totally dissimilar one on the counter. "You mean he's..the cat?"

"Ha! I like your little disciple, Great Sage." Zhao Gongming laughed. "Sadly, no. The only feline here is my steed, Biandan Hua." He pointed to the tiger cub. "In her baby form, so I don't get animal control called on me again. Mortals these days are so easily startled, I swear."

"Aww, that's the cutest name I ever heard." Sun Wukong cooed, earning an unimpressed look from the tiger. "Anyways, since we have our fourth guy here, without further ado, let's begin——"

"A second. I'm here for business too. Serious business," he held up a hand. "Have any of you seen a golden scissor? It's about this size, but becomes a lot bigger when transformed," a gesture, "about the size of a city block. Ah, and it can turn into two flood dragons."

"Nope!"

"Hmm. This one doesn't think so."

"The Golden Dragon Shears?" Nezha’s eyes widened. "How did you lose *that*, Marshal Zhao?!"

"I didn't! It's probably my youngest sister again. Bixiao is still rummaging through our study, so I may as well check in the Lower Realms while she's at it." He said. "Make sure no one has 'borrowed' it without their permission."

"Why are y'all looking at me?" 

Awkward silence ensued, broken immediately by Sun Wukong's indignant huff.

"Okay, first, I'm insulted by your insinuations! You eat a few peaches, and suddenly you are THE suspect whenever something goes missing up there." He shook his head. "Second, you have sisters, Lao Zhao? Huh, never know that."

"Well, unless you are planning to have kids in the immediate future, Great Sage, your paths are unlikely to cross!" Zhao Gongming laughed, before resuming his frown. "Our scissors are far from the only missing treasure, though. Other palaces have also reported similar cases over the last hour. I'll just have to go shake down Spirit Official Ma again——wouldn't be the first time that little candlewick bugger tried to pin his thefts on someone else."

At the mention of Spirit Official Ma, Nezha mouthed something that sounded suspiciously like a swear word. Sun Wukong made a face. 

"Yeah, show that Huaguang brat who's boss! But before that, surely you still have time for a Mahjong game? It'll only be a minute up there." 

"Hmm, I suppose it won't hurt." Zhao Gongming replied, twirling his beard. "But with one condition: no one uses their godly powers."

"Define 'godly powers'?" 

"Anything that requires intent to activate." Zhao Gongming said. "Your golden vision, active divination instead of passive, uncontrollable foresights, my power over fortune..."

A sigh. "I've played enough games where that is allowed. With my disciples it always turns into a teaching session, and playing against my fellow gods of wealth feels more like a power-measuring contest than a true match of skills, especially when Bi Gan was involved." He shook his head. "For a scholarly god of wealth, the old man can be more competitive than us martial ones."

"I feel ya', Lao Zhao. It's always the old geezers who play dirty."

"Hello? Excuse me?" Nezha asked. "Am I the only one who's more concerned about the missing treasure of mass destruction than the silly Mahjong game?!"

"Yes, yes you are." Sun Wukong smirked. "It's just a tiny scissor! What mass destruction can it cause, other than to Art & Crafts materials?"

"Says the blissfully ignorant monkey who has never seen it in action," Nezha retorted, then lowered his head with a defeated look. "Whatever. I don't care anymore. Just don't mention me when the Celestial Host starts pointing fingers and your sisters come knocking, Marshal Zhao."

"You have my words, Third Prince." Zhao Gongming made a fist-and-palm salute, almost jokingly. "For I'm not one to tattle, even if it means enduring Yunxiao's scolding alone. Now, what are the stakes for this game?"

…

After a brief discussion, the four had settled on using some unopened and unoffered snacks as their stakes. Which still didn't beat the gambling allegations, according to Nezha. 

Well, it was better than betting all your belongings on a rigged game and losing them all, at least. And after watching a few rounds of their play, MK's only thought was Dang, if that goldfish demon chose this game back then, he wouldn't even need to cheat to wipe the floor with me.

"You know, if someone tells me I'll be watching the Great Sage, two celestial gods, and a ghost play Mahjong like old people at a community center during the first day of our vacation..." MK mumbled to himself, "I'll probably believe it, actually."

Despite having only the vaguest idea of the rules——whoever completed a set of certain tiles first won the game——and not getting any closer to understanding them, he was determined to keep watching. 

If only because Sun Wukong winked at him right before tossing the dice and starting the round, and he was pretty sure it meant "Watch and learn, bud!" in a way that suggested the message went beyond a simple Mahjong game.

"What you are seeing now is not a typical day for most of us, if that makes you feel less disillusioned." Fan said, without looking up from the documents he was flipping through. 

A while ago, the ghost had returned with a stack of them, and the papers were now floating around him in a ring, suspended by the dark blue glow of telekinesis. If that wasn't the most stylish way of doing paperworks, MK didn’t know what was.

"Uh, but I'm not?" MK said. "It's just…a lot less serious than I thought, this whole 'gods' business, and honestly, I'm not complaining! The Great Sage looks like he’s having a good time too."

Back on the table, Sun Wukong and Nezha yelled "Pong!" at the same time, then immediately glared at each other.

"Hey, I said that first!"

"That doesn’t matter, because you are cheating!" Nezha huffed. "It is impossible for two players to Pong at the same time unless someone has sneaked an extra tile in there while shuffling them, and we all know who that is."

"Well yeah, but I'm just evening the odds in a rigged game, Laodi." Sun Wukong said, eyeing Xie sharply. "For the sake of fairness, I'll allow you to cheat back too. How 'bout that?"

"Good grief, and I thought Master Taiyi was the most unabashed cheater I ever met on the table." Nezha took a deep breath and announced, "New battle objective: show the two cheaters who's boss, without lowering myself to their level."

"Well, this one can't blame the Great Sage for it. Two more turns, and he’ll claim the first win."

"Keep your visions to yourself, ghost!"

"Thanks a lot, Xiao Xie." Sun Wukong grinned. "That gives me even more reason to do it."

A few more turns, a few more clacks, and the monkey was left staring wordlessly at the table.

"Hey, what the heck! Your vision isn't right."

"This one's vision is always right. That, however, isn't one." Xie gave them an innocent look. "It's just the time-honored tactic of 'lying', friend."

"Serve you right for trusting him and cheating." Nezha snorted, before reaching out to claim the discarded tile.

"Why, ya' little——!"

"Credit where credit's due, that sure is a more entertaining use of precognition than the average Dipper Mansion chess game." Zhao Gongming commented, amidst the chaos. "I look forward to what you will bring to the table next, budding little wealth god."

"More bullshit, that's what he'll bring." Fan crossed his arms. "And he wonders why I don't play chess with him anymore."

"Well, I guess it could be worse." MK said. "They could be playing Monopoly."

"What's a Mono-poly?"

"A game that ruins friendships and turns family members against each other. Mei tried introducing her cousins to that during a New Year gathering." MK shuddered. "Some of them still won't talk to her."

"Sounds like it needs to be exorcized." Fan said, without a single hint that he was joking. 

"Please don't."

MK kind of got the impression that he was the "by-the-book" cop of their buddy cop pair, who sounded serious whether he meant it or not, but maybe the kiddy soul would take things just that literally.

Sadly, his clarification ended up killing the conversation. For the next few moments, they just sat side-by-side, listening to the clacking of Mahjong tiles.

And the clacking had intensified, as the game picked up speed. Sun Wukong in particular was speeding up into a blur, fidgeting in his chair, using only one hand to move the tiles while juggling the same poor tangerine with the other.

Now, he was always in motion, gesturing as he talked, grabbing something or the other wherever they went. But the fidgeting had intensified to a point well beyond what MK was used to, which was making him fidgety too.

After a loud "Would you please stop that?" from Nezha, MK finally mustered enough courage to half-prod at Fan——and immediately drew his hand back! Wow, ghosts are freezing to the touch. 

(Okay, he wasn't really touching anything solid, but it felt like reaching into a pocket of sub-zero-degree air, made even more jarring by the heat of summer.)

"Sorry sir, one question." MK asked. "I don't really have a good grip on the rules yet, but is the Great Sage in trouble now? Like, is he losing?"

"No idea. I'm not bored enough to watch and guess their sets." Fan said. "But if you are talking about his hyperactivity, that's not a result of panic."

"Then what’s he doing?"

"He's teaching you how to fight someone with precognition."

"By…acting like a wind-up toy?"

"On the surface level, yes." He answered. "How much do you know about divination?"

To pain. 

No, not that one. MK shook his head wildly. "Next to nothing, I guess."

"Good. You aren't losing out on much." Fan said, before frowning. "I'd rather know less about it, but Xiao Xie just has to be an insufferable prick, so here we are. Essentially, think of Fate like a game of cards, or Mahjong, or whatever game of chance of your liking."

MK chuckled. The idea of Fate being a Uno game was quite a funny one, not gonna lie, if only because he'd get to figuratively shout "Reverse!" at someone.

"The Way is the ruleset, what is allowed and not allowed to happen. The winning and losing conditions. The cards and tiles are the individual events and outcomes, happening to a being as they draw them, one by one."

"To the Dipper Mansion celestials in charge of Fate, divination is like having your master's golden eyes and fiery vision. They can see through the cards and tiles, know what's on them instinctively, and are thus banned from playing, only able to shuffle and deal them out on the Celestial Host's orders."

Zhao Gongming's tiger, having jumped off its master's shoulder long ago, pawed at Sun Wukong's twitching tail. This only egged the monkey on, as they promptly began a game of 'catch my tail if you can' off the table.

"For some," he looked at Nezha, his face a mask of intense concentration, "it isn't so much divination as making snap-second, highly accurate guesses, aided by superb memorization skills. To the more unfortunate mortals, however, it's like seeing recordings of multiple games playing side-by-side, with no way of knowing which one is theirs."

"Lucky for my sworn brother and almost no one else, he can see snippets of a single recording, which just happens to be ours." Fan said. "It's also random, very short-reaching, and makes the part of his soul that bears the brunt of it into a kooky brat with no self-preservation instincts. But I've complained enough. Now that you know how his precognition works, what will you do to counter it?"

"Does not playing the game count?"

"A wise choice. But suppose you don't get to choose."

"I, uh." Think, smartie kid, think! What is the relationship between ultra-hyperactive monkey behavior and beating a ghost with future vision on the Mahjong table? (Oh geez, it's like that one question about ravens and writing desks in that foreign children's book again…)

"I guess I'll make myself, well, unpredictable and even more random?" He finally said, hesitantly.

"Not very specific, but you get the gist of it." Fan nodded. "Going back to my analogy, your master knows his opponent is making a random draw too, except each card he draws allows him to see others claiming or discarding a certain tile."

"So he decides to add more useless cards into the pool. False maneuvers, feints," Fan pointed to the tiger, still pawing at Sun Wukong’s tail, "Artificially creating another game on the side to divert the visions. Nothing can be a hundred percent predictable, not even literal future vision, and if only my partner realized that, he'd be a lot less annoying and not on the way to getting absolutely destroyed in this game."

"Wow. That's very clever and all, but should you really be telling me this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't know much about the Underworld, outside of how Monkey King wrecked the place and scribbled him and his monkeys' name off the Book of Life and Death——" MK waved nervously, "No hard feelings 'bout that, ey? But if the Great Sage is teaching me how to counter you guys, does that mean you'll be going after us at some point in the future?"

"Technically, we'll be going after everyone who isn't an immortal or formally ranked celestial, sooner or later." Fan said. "Your master is firmly in the first category, and for you, that won't be in a long, long time, if it eases your worries."

"Yeah, no. Not at all. Thanks."

"You don't like ghosts very much, do you." He said, then, before MK could reply, added, "Which is fine. We don't like ourselves either."

"Uhhhh, don't be?" Oh gosh, was there really a way to word this without offending ghosts more? "It's not like I dislike you guys! Like, you and the other ghost cops seem pretty chill. It's just, y'know, a bit freaky, seeing the walking reminder of my inevitable mortality and all, ahahaha…"

"It is. And I won't tell you what to feel about that." Fan held up a finger, and the documents he had been reading were instantly sorted into neat little stacks in midair. "But if there is one thing you remember from our conversation, let it be this: no game lasts forever."

"One has to end in order for another to begin, and a game where no one wins or loses is gonna be a very boring one. We, officials of the Ten Courts, are but the keepers of scores, and you don't have to win in order to have fun while it lasts."

"Hu le." Zhao Gongming's calm voice cut through the chit-chat, followed by a light thud of him pushing the tiles over. "Four Kongs."

All eyes were immediately on him.

"By Buddha, Lao Zhao! No wonder you've been so quiet."

"Ugh!" Nezha facepalmed. "I was so close!" He shot a half-hearted glare at Sun Wukong. "This is all your fault, by the way. Without the extra tiles you snuck in there, he'd have never gotten such a rare combination."

"C'mon, maybe he's just that lucky?"

"Very enlightening." Xie hummed, handing over the bag of peach-flavored chips to Zhao. "This one knows he won't be winning the first round, but its certainly a great start!"

"And this is why you don't gamble with a literal, formally ranked, celestial god of wealth." Fan said, after a long, stunned silence. "Even when he isn't actively using his influence, for fairness's sake."

"He's not?"

"If he did, he'd just win every round, and there wouldn't be a game to speak of."

…

They stopped playing when the rain stopped, at which point the sun had already disappeared below the horizon. Zhao Gongming left halfway after getting an astral call from his sisters, shaking his head, giving MK the chance to finally join in. 

Sun Wukong had stopped cheating after that——at least not as blatantly, if Nezha's words were to be believed. To MK, he just settled back into his old laid back attitude, which, in turn, made his own palms less sweaty as he faced off against the other two.

He still lost, badly, only barely managing a win at the very end. Not that it mattered, since Nezha had soundly kicked everyone's butts like he wanted, coming out at the top by a wide margin of three bags of chips and a single Tau Sar Piah.

"Let this be your lesson, Monkie Kid," he said, with a hint of childish glee, "That hard work, knowledge of statistics, and memorization skills will always triumph over luck and a bunch of cheating clowns."

"Ah well. I'll let you have your moment, Laodi, since it's pretty much the only fight you can win against me." Sun Wukong responded with a cheeky smile, then tore open his bag of chips and started munching loudly on them. 

"Yes, keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll actually start believing in it." Nezha smirked, before standing up from his chair. "I'll just be over here, basking in the glow of victory and trying to not run into my brother on the way back——"

As if on cue, a shout came from outside.

"GREETINGS! This Hui An pays his respect to the City God and his attendants!"

"Annnnnd there goes my good mood." Nezha muttered. A formation started glowing under his feet. "Goodbye. If anyone asks, I've never been here."

Almost immediately after he disappeared in a blaze of pink fire, the speaker outside with the loud, booming, megaphone-against-your-ears voice marched through the doorway.

"Oh. Hi there, Muzha."

"HI THERE, as the younger generation says these days!" The tall man replied cheerfully. The dangling green ties on his hair bun were swaying back and forth, as he made a bow. 

"Heard you yelling into Lady Guanyin's statue a while ago, Great Sage, so I decided to pay a visit. Is my brother here too? Longnü said she saw you two flying together, while weaving the storm clouds with her kins."

"Well, in Nezha's exact words, 'If anyone asks, I've never been here'." Sun Wukong shrugged.  "So no, he is not here." 

"Ah. Embarrassed, I see!" He exclaimed, making his way to the Mahjong table and staring down at the tiles. "He really shouldn't be, though. By my religious vows, I'm supposed to refrain from such worldly pass-times, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be preachy about it!"

Now MK was starting to have an idea of what "Too much" meant. Namely, his complete lack of volume control.

"Well, looks like I've dropped by at a rather inopportune time, so I won't keep you fellows any longer, Great Sage. Thanks for keeping my little brother company, though——"

His sight met MK's, and only then did Muzha seem to notice his presence. "And DEAR ME! Is that your new disciple I've heard so much about? A pleasure to meet you too, young one!"

He reached out for a handshake. MK made the mistake of taking it, and immediately winced. 

"Oww, owww——Nice to meet you too?!"

"Please stop crashing my disciple's hand, Muzha."

"Sorry, sorry!" He laughed, releasing his iron grip at last. "It's just so wonderful to see the juniors coming into their own, I get a bit carried away. Still, this acolyte looks forward to working with you in the days to come!"

"Man, we are busy here today, aren't we?" Xie commented, just as the overly cheerful and loud immortal made a turn and headed for the backdoor. "So many visitors. Not that this one is complaining."

"...Yeah." MK agreed, after awkwardly waving Muzha goodbye.

Well, one thing was certain: godhood internship or not, he'd sure have one hell of a story to tell once he got back home.

[amalthea-fictions]

Can you make a Charlie Weasley x Jacob's sibling where the reader can actually speak to dragons? Like Hiccup in httyd books or Harry with the snake-like beings

Oooh interesting concept! For purposes of the piece I'm not gonna worry about why or how the MC can speak to dragons and we're just gonna not ask questions~

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

"[Y/N!] Have you seen Charlie?"

You look up from your sandwich and shake your head, mouth still half-full.

"I haven't. Is he okay?"

Bill runs his hand through his hair, and you realize he's sweating. "I'm worried he's not. I haven't seen him all day, and we were supposed to meet for lunch. It's unlike him to be this late."

You hear a scoff from behind you. Merula lilts her head.

"The second filthy Weasley?" She snorts. "He probably heard Barnaby going on about the dragon he saw in the forest today. Apparently Kettleburn let it loose or something."

Bill blanches. "Oh bloody hell."

You and Bill sprint to the forest with such speed and determination that you're both heaving by the time you get there. Bill is frantic.

"Where--where did Barnaby say he saw it again?" He pants.

You point in the general direction as you try and catch your breath.

Bill springs forward, and you follow closely. Greenery whips against your face as you push through branches. Leaves crack under your boots as you race through. Bowtruckles scatter above. Until finally, you emerge into a clearing--

--and see Charlie, alone, holding a steak out in front of him.

Bill sighs.

"Bill?" Charlie looks up. "Oh, crap. Did I lose track of time?"

"Yes!" He marches forward to his younger brother and inspects him. "You had me worried sick! I thought you were dragon bait."

Charlie shakes his head. "No, unfortunately not."

Bill spits. "Unfortunately?!"

"Well-- you know, Barnaby said that Kettleburn's dragon escaped, and so I was hoping to see it-- I didn't mean to worry anybody--"

Charlie continues, and Bill begins lecturing him, but you notice the Bowtruckles and the Fairies have suddenly begun to hide.

"Um, boys?"

They don't hear you.

"Why would you go looking for a dragon ALONE?"

"Well, Barnaby said it's green, so it's probably only a Welsh Green. They're mostly harmless--"

The leaves on the trees begin to shake.

"Boys," you say a bit louder. "I think--"

ROAARR!!

A huge dragon booms into the clearing, the force of its wings knocking everyone over as it lands.

Bill and Charlie scramble back.

"Oh crap," Charlie mutters.

"Charlies? You said Welsh Greens are harmless, right?"

Charlie shakes his head. "This isn't a Green. It's a Norwegian Ridgeback. And she seems hungry."

The dragon swishes its tail and cuts through a row of trees like they're made of butter. They groan as they fall to the forest floor.

You hurry and scramble to your feet.

"Charlie!" Bill cries. "Throw it the bloody steak at it so we can get away!"

Charlie tosses the steak forward, but the dragon screeches, uninterested. It takes a step forward.

Bill tries to draw his wand.

You leap forward, between the dragon and the boys. You hold both palms open towards the dragon.

"[Y/N]?!" Bill shouts. "Move! You'll get killed!"

You ignore him and keep your eyes solely on the dragon.

"We mean you no harm," you say in draconic.

The dragon swishes its tail, agitated. It snorts, and steam furls out of its nostrils.

"Why are you upset?" You try again.

"[Y/N]?" Charlie asks. You hear the two boys moving to their feet behind you. "What's going on?"

Finally, the dragon lowers its head to you. A low growl rumbles from its throat.

You swallow. "She--she's upset," you explain, "because some First Year let her out of Care for Creatures. She misses Kettleburn."

You briefly look behind you and see that Bill's jaw has dropped, dumbfounded, and Charlie's eyes are twinkling.

"Are you a dovahkiin-tongue, [Y/N]?! Why did you never tell me this before?!"

Bill punches him on the arm.

You turn your attention back to the dragon, and inch forward, your palms still open. "We can take you back to Kettleburn. He will probably feed you there, too. We just need you to stay calm."

The dragon narrows its eyes at you, its nostrils flaring again. But then, it nods.

You all sigh with relief.

~~~~

Under your guidance, the Weasley boys manage to heard the Norwegian Ridgeback back into Care for Magical Creatures. Kettleburn asked Bill, as the senior student, to help him feed the beast. Bill obeyed, but promised to give Charlie a stern talking-to later.

You and Charlie watch as they disappear behind the treeline.

Finally, Charlie turns to you and grabs your hands.

"[Y/N]!" He exclaims. "That was brilliant! Why didn't you tell me you could speak to dragons!?"

Your face turns hot. You blink, your mind going blank.

Charlie's hands are warm around yours. He's beaming.

"Um," you try, "I. I guess I always thought it's weird, so I don't talk about--"

"Weird?!" He interrupts. "Are you joking?! What I'd give to be a dovahkiin-tongue! That's incredible! You're incredible!"

His smile brightens, and you feel the blood rush into your ears.

"C'mon," he says, and begins pulling you off. "We've got to talk more about this. I have SO many questions!"

~~~

For the rest of the day, Charlie would not stop asking you questions about your unique skill. Not that you minded the extra time with him, of course.

You're both sitting in the courtyard together, the clear night sky twinkling overhead.

"Fus," you try explaining again.

"Fus," he says, but his pronunciation is... horribly off.

Your bite your cheek. "How can I explain it... less 'oo' like a cow mooing."

He laughs, then perks up. "Hey! Maybe it would help if I actually feel the shape of your facial muscles when you do it. Would you mind that?"

The sparkle in his eyes is so enthusiastic, so sincere, it makes your brain freeze.

"U-uhm, sure," you start, but before you even finish, he's reached his hand out to cup your cheek.

You hope the starlight above isn't enough to illuminate how intensely your face is burning.

"Now, let's try again," Charlie beams.

You gulp and feel your heart restart from where it was frozen.

"Fus," you manage to stutter.

Charlie blinks, then smiles his brilliant smile.

"Interesting," he muses. "I think that helped. I felt that you actually suck your cheek in, like in a whistle, for the vowel."

His hand is still on your cheek, soft and warm. All you can do is nod.

He holds your gaze and doesn't move. He doesn't say anything for the next moment-- only stares at you, his lips curled into a soft smile.

"You know," he finally says, gently. "You have really soft skin, [Y/N.]"

Your heart backflips.

And --for a second, under the moonlight-- you swear you see his freckled cheeks dusted pink, too.

After what feels like an eternity, he lowers his hand and clears his throat. "Well, ah," he says, "it's getting late, isn't it? We should probably head back to the dorms before the professors yell at us."

You nod hastily, your heart still pounding. "Yes, you're right."

"But! We'll definitely pick up where we left off tomorrow!"

He bids you goodnight, and later that night, in bed, you can't help but inch your hand up to the cheek he had held so intently.

Pick up where we left off...

You smile as you drift to sleep.

[snowblossomreads]

Day 19- A Helping Hand

Pairing(s)/Character(s): Lionel Shabandar x Fem!Reader, Lionel Shabandar & OC (Angie Huang), Background Sinclair Bryant x OC (Amiee Huang)

Summary: In where Lionel needs a helping hand after his previous curator's screw up. Continuation of Day 11 Out of Reach

Tag(s)/Warning(s): None!

A/N: We are backkkk! This part is kind of told from Lionel's POV but like in a third person kind of way LOL. It's mostly focused on him but reader is there to she's just in the bg for this one 😂. Anyways let's see how Lionel is going to fix the mess Earl made.

"Hello?"

'Who's that?'

'Lionel!'

'At 9 pm? Did someone kick the bucket?'

"Not yet. But if things continue as they are, my previous curator may find himself in a bit of a dilemma."

"Oh, Li don't say that like that, I'm sure it was an honest mistake! Worst time to make one but a mistake all the same."

"Well, he is free to find somewhere else to make idiotic mistakes as effective today he is no longer on my payroll," Lionel groused, still burning at the thought of Earl's major fuck up that was threatening to make him look like a fool. And no one made Lionel Shabandar look foolish. "Now may I speak to your soon-to-be fiancé about this business?"

The way Sinclair sputtered on the other end of the phone at him saying the F word out loud gave Lionel some satisfaction. No one else knew at that point, considering his cousin had come to him asking if it was possible to book a private showing at Monet's house in Giverny next year. The plan was for Sinclair to propose to Amiee there on the Japanese bridge in the spring, right when all the flowers were in bloom, and the temperature was perfect.

And being the kind cousin he was, who also happened to be a generous sponsor to the Monet foundation, well, those strings were not hard at all to pull. 

"Shhh! Why would you say that out loud? You better be glad she just went back into the bathroom," Sinclair hissed lowly at his cousin whose smirk was ear to ear at how flustered the other man was. "Just wait a minute let me put you on hold okay?"

"Yes, yes that's fine," Lionel responded before the opposite line went silent for a few moments. 

He waited as patiently as a man on a deadline could, tapping his foot as he tried to pay attention to some work. However, he ended up being distracted by his cat jumping on his lap, and looking for attention from him which Lionel gave. Petting the orange cat, with a lion's shave as its tail swished slowly as it relaxed in his owner's lap Lionel waited.

No more than five minutes could have passed before he heard a click on the other end, signaling he had been taken off hold, and then a warm feminine voice came through the line.

"Hiya Lionel!" Amiee answered, "Sorry about the wait, was getting some stuff sorted before bed. Clair said you needed to ask me something?"

"Yes actually, am I correct in thinking he already told you about my little debacle with my curator?"

"Oh yeah," there was a tone of sympathy in her voice as she spoke.  "We were at lunch today and he told me all about it, sorry to hear about that. Do you think everything's going to be fixed by gala time?"

"Well that is the hope and the reason I'm calling you."

"Huh?"

"Your sister, was she not doing a degree in fine arts at the Royal Academy?"

There was a pause on the line before she answered. 

"Mhmm, yeah actually. I think she's currently interning for Tate Modern to finish some stuff out for her dissertation. And I can feel you rolling your eyes." And he was. "But modern art is as important as any type of art."

"Even if you admit you don't understand it either?" He asked knowing they had had this conversation before.

"Yes, maybe."

A short huff of amusement left his lips, and the sound of her laughing came through the receiver. 

"Well, I'm assuming that with that degree she doesn't just have an education in modern art?"

"Course not, they have all sorts of courses, or they better have with how much it costs. I think her focus is on painting and design. You'd have to ask her about details though." 

"Excellent to hear, because the reason I’m calling,  is that I would like to see if she could help with this little dilemma that we are facing, and I needed her phone number. Sinclair wasn't keen on giving it out without your approval, which I think was silly, and said I needed to talk to you."

"Hahah! Did he really tell you that?" 

"We are talking at the moment are we not?"

"We are. Hold on Lionel one second."

And he did, his fingers still scratching the now-napping cat in his lap, as he heard the one side of her and Sinclair's background conversation.

'Did  you actually tell him you couldn't give him Angie's number without asking me? '

He didn't hear what Sinclair said but whatever it did had her giggling and what sounded like a kiss was exchanged.

'Love you.'

"Am I interrupting something?" Lionel asked.

"Aww, am I mithering you with kissing your cousin?" Amiee teased, her voice still holding a titter of laughter in it as she came back. 

"No, but I don't fancy hearing you snog him."

"Fair enough. But of course you can have her number! You actually already do."

"What?" 

"Angie lives in my flat! You have that number; just give it a ring and you should get her."

The urge to give his cousin a brotherly smack was strong and he couldn't stop the irritated huff that he let out.

"Also, Sinclair is laughing."

"Tell him, I'm very keen for him to meet my new security system when he comes to visit the estate next week."

"That doesn't make any sense but I'll let him know!"

The conversation continued for a few more minutes before he hung up, not before wishing them a good night though, and thanking Amiee once again for being more helpful than his cousin.  

Letting out a sigh, he checked the time to decide whether he would give the other woman a call, but he decided to wait, as the clock showed a quarter till 10. As anxious as he was to get this sorted, not that he would let anyone see that, he decided against calling right then. Better not to bother someone so late before asking for their assistance.

"Lionel?" [Y/n], his trusty assistant called out to him from her desk. His attention went from his work to her, as he watched her place her phone down on the desk to speak to him.  "There's an Angela Huang here to see you. I didn't see her in your diary today though…do you want me to tell her you're busy at the moment?" 

"No, it's fine it slipped my mind to let you know she was coming today, tell downstairs to let her up."

"Of course!"  

Doing as she was told, and telling the front reception to let the guest come up, he listened to her thank them before hanging up and posing a question to him.

"Also, who is she?"

"Hopefully the person that is going to help us clean Earl's mess up," he grumbled, still quite bitter at how all of this was turning out. "She might even become my new curator depending on how things go. Though, she comes highly recommended from people I know." 

Her sister and his cousin.

He watched as [Y/n] bit the inside of her cheek and tilted her head in a fashion that signaled that she was thinking, and the action was quite adorable to him. 

What was she thinking about? He wondered. He didn't have time to ask before her desk phone rang again, causing her to focus back on the present. With a fluid motion, she picked up and listened to the person on the other end before nodding and saying,

"Yes, let her in, he's waiting for her." Before hanging back up. 

That meant their guest was just outside. Pushing himself away from his desk, Lionel stretched his limbs, letting out a low groan as he released the tension in his muscles.   If he had looked towards [Y/n], he would have noticed her staring awfully hard at him, before turning her attention towards the foggy glass door at the sound of a light tap.

"Come in," he called, as he walked toward the middle of the room just as the door opened to reveal their guest.

An Asian woman with doe eyes, and dark hair, dressed casually in a turtle neck jumper with a leather jacket, paired with jeans and boots walked in with a grin plastered across her lips. 

"Lionel Shabandar!" She shouted with glee, as she approached him like a woman on a mission. And she was on a mission. "Who would have thought London's richest man would need a helping hand from a little old Manc girl?" 

"Richest man in the UK, love," he corrected with a smug smile on his face as he met her in the middle. They both stopped in front of each other as [Y/n] was in the back watching this all unfold with an intense interest. 

"Oh I'm so sorry, should I bow to you, Lord Shabandar?"  She snarked with ease.

"I wouldn't be against you doing that," he shot back without hesitation.

They both stood in front of each other and from [Y/n] position it was like they were sizing each other up. Yet within seconds, Angela was snickering while Lionel let out a deep chuckle as he went to kiss both her cheeks.

"Angie."

"Lionel."

They greeted each other warmly, and made the other woman who was watching the scene wonder if they actually knew each other, as you usually don't walk in to a meeting with such bravado. Especially , when meeting someone like Lionel. But he seemed more than happy to play along. An uncomfortable twist made its way into [Y/n] stomach, as she watched them talk comfortably for a moment before her eyes met Angie's.

The dark haired woman paused her conversation with Lionel and smiled at her before speaking.

"Hiya over there, and what's your name?"

"[Y/n][L/n], ma'am."

"Oh no, no ma'am stuff I'm not a part of the posh community like your boss is," Angie pointed out throwing up a glance to Lionel who narrowed his eyes playfully at her, "just Angie is fine! Lionel, you don't make her call you sir do you?" The woman asked, turning her attention back to Lionel.

"Of course not, we've always been on a first name basis haven't we not [Y/n]?"

"Yes, ever since I started working here actually," she responded truthfully. 

It wasn't the same for the other staff she worked with. They would call him sir or even Lord sometimes, but he had insisted she just call him Lionel. Saying something about how they were working so closely together, that it be best that she was comfortable being informal with him.

"Wow, that's so nice of you, not making people call you Lord Shabandar. I think Amiee's right, Sinclair might be rubbing off on you."

Lionel rolled his eyes at her statement before he turned on his business mode, they had little time and much to do. 

"Yes well, now that we've gotten through the pleasantries, I think we should have a seat and discuss in detail why I've asked you to come," he explained as he led the woman to a sofa on one side of the office. "[Y/n] could you please bring us the rest of the notes you have?"

"Of course!" The pep in her voice had Angie raising an eyebrow at the woman, and [Y/n] had to stop the bashful look that tried to paint itself on her face. 

Once she had come over and sat down in front of the pair, she and Lionel explained that Earl had gotten the theme and preferences of the gala all mixed up, and now, they were running up against a deadline and Lionel was not about to be made a fool of. The ask was simple. To fix it. The process though, not that simple. But he be a fool to let the previous man fix what he had messed up in the first place.

And that was how he wrangled his future sister-in-law to help them curate the gala collection with only a few weeks left. She clearly told him she had only some experience working with others when it came to curating and organizing, but she would do as much as she could to make sure that everything came together as he imagined in such a short time.  And if she was anything like her sister when it came to work, he had no doubt that her best was better than many others. 

For three weeks, the three of them worked overtime. And if it wasn't for Lionel's distaste for sleeping on anything other than a firm king-size mattress with premium sheets, they would be sleeping in the office. Which both Angie and [Y/n] agreed was a blessing in disguise, not having to sleep in the office that is. 

It was on one of those late nights, where Lionel was sitting behind his desk, Angie standing beside him as she pointed out the reason she was arranging things like she was, did he find his mind and eyes begin to wander.

The subject of his wander was his little assistant who was dozing off at her desk. Her head bobbed up and down as she tried to stay awake to look at her notes and finish up some things that he had thrown at her. With the gala stuff moving at a furious pace, he had no time to look at some of the things his staff had sent so he had been piling it all on her.

Add to that, and her also having to help with gala stuff, she was running on fumes. They all were but she was having a harder time not showing it and he could tell.

"If you're not going to pay attention to me, can you at least go and tell her to go home. She's gonna get a crick in her neck," Angie murmured, pausing her explanation seeing as she might as well be explaining herself to thin air since he wasn't listening.

"Mmm you're right, it is getting a bit late isn't it," Lionel acknowledged as he looked at the clock on his desk that read 12:45 am. It was already a new day how nice. "We still have work to do, but no use in making her stay."

"Yeah, lucky her for having a boss that likes her so much," she responded with a tiny smirk as she caught him looking over in [Y/n]'s direction once again, "while you do that I'm going to go to the toilet and get more coffee."

"Hmm alright, a little break between this shouldn't put us behind," he answered, looking down at the mock-up of where each art piece would be placed and how they corresponded with the theme. "We seem to almost be done it looks like actually."

"We? You mean me, right?" Angie corrected before she circled around the desk to leave the room for a short break. 

Leaving him and his assistant in the room, Lionel got up from his desk and walked over to [Y/n] who was moments away from truly falling asleep. It seemed the sound of his shoes clicking against the polished office floor, was enough to bring her back to attention, her eyes widening as he approached, and she began to move things around her desk as if she hadn't been falling asleep.

A smirk crossed his face as she pretended that nothing was wrong, and he couldn't help the amusement that he felt bubble up in his chest.

"[Y/n] that's enough for tonight, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for a meeting with the investors at nine."

She frowned at his words, not very keen on leaving until they were done with their work for both work reasons, and well personal ones that were kind of selfish, but he didn't need to know. "But I thought you both were still working on the art organization? I'll wait until you're both done, god knows I have stuff I need to finish filing away." 

"We are, but I don't see the need to keep you here when you've already done enough for the day. Go home, get some rest. Your filing will still be here tomorrow."

"No, Lionel it's fine I'll stay it's not a -," she began to protest that she was fine to work, but that was quickly put on hold when she let out the largest yawn that seemed to go on for a few minutes too long.  When she was done, she couldn't the heat that made it’s way to her cheeks as Lionel looked at her with a raised eyebrow that practically said, 'I told you so.'

"You were saying?" 

Biting her bottom lip, she avoided his gaze, looking at the mess of work on her desk, yet her brain was too tired to even focus on it. Maybe he was right…

"Okay okay I guess I should call it a night," she sighed, resigned that she really needed to get some rest even if she wanted to stay. "I'm really sorry Lionel I'll make it up to you." 

"Make it up to me? Darling please," he sighed, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze. She so wanted to melt into his touch, warm and firm but she held back, keeping her eyes on him as he spoke. "You've already made it up to me by running about putting out fires with the departments while I try to get a handle on this gala. I believe I'm the one who should be making it up to you after this."

"Well, it's my job to make sure everything you do ends  in success, even if it's just me running around and telling everyone what you need from them," she replied truthfully.

He smiled, a warm genuine smile, and it made her stomach flip. His smile was so nice, especially when it reached his eyes that while also seemingly tired were still very beautiful.

"Yes and you can't do your job if you're moments from falling asleep in a pile of papers, so please go home, I'll be here in the morning and so will your work."

Mulling over his words, and just feeling how her eyes burned and her limbs ached, she finally relented.

"Okay okay you're right," she answered, "I'm no use if I'm drooling all over the papers."

Or drooling over him really.

"Exactly, get some rest [Y/n]."

"Yes sir," she answered with some cheek that had Lionel smirking.

Taking some time to gather her stuff, she finished by clicking off her desk lamp and saying good night to Lionel who had been gazing out the window and looking at the quiet London streets. He wished her goodnight and watched her make her way to the door, only to be stopped by Angie who was coming in. A cup of coffee was in her hand as they chatted briefly before they said good night to each other, and Angie then made her way towards him as he sat back behind his desk and she took her seat in front of him.

"You know, I'm pretty sure [Y/n] likes you," the woman spoke as she took a sip of her coffee, and looked at the spread of photos on his desk. 

"I'm sure she does, her salary is almost triple the average of some of the executive assistants in London. I'd like me to."

He watched her roll her eyes at his statement before she sat the coffee cup down, her arms crossed against her chest and a barely audible sigh leaving her. "Are you daft or something? Would it be clearer if I said she fancies you?"

"No need to be so up in arms Angie," he teased, causing her to narrow her eyes in annoyance at him. It only made him let out a muted chuckle as she leaned back in her chair. "I understand what you meant the first time, don't worry. Now, that begs the question of why do you think that?"

"Oh please don't act like you don't notice it, I noticed it the minute I walked in. She stares at you when she thinks you don't notice and is terrible at hiding it too."

"Yes I have noticed."

"See! Also, she really doesn't have to be here this late to help us, considering we're almost to the end but she did. All to make sure we probably weren't snogging or something."

"Well, if you are interested in doing that we can." 

"Thanks but no thanks. You're not my type, and I'm not yours either"

"Really? And how would you know that" He drawled, doing his best to give her the most smoldering look even if it was just to tease her. "I find that most women fall prey to the Shabandar charm easily, care to test that theory out?"

He was met with her staring blankly at him, and for a moment, he was slightly put off which was very usual. "Yeah no thanks. Again that doesn't get me off, and you know what I've just noticed, you look waaaay too much like Sinclair. Sure you two aren't twins or something?"

"Our mum's are."

"Ah that makes sense, so genetically brothers?"

"Have you been hanging out regularly with him because that is something he would say." 

"Well he is trying to marr-." 

She stopped short of finishing her sentence, eyes going wide as if she knew she was almost about to spill a secret, which she was. Thankfully though it was a shared one.

"I thought I was the only one who knew. Don't worry he came to me for help about a proposal venue."

"Oh thank god, okay. Phew," she sighed in relief, wiping an imaginary bead of sweat off her forehead. "Almost mucked that up didn't I."

"Almost."

"Anyways this isn't about them this is about you, and [Y/n]. She fancies you Lionel and so do you. Most bosses aren't as nice to their assistant and they sure aren't as touchy feely either." 

"Most aren't because they probably find themselves on the wrong side of a lawsuit," he pointed out.

"Exactly, but she's not suing you anytime soon, you should ask her out after this. Oh!" A thought popped into Angie's head and she clapped her hands at how brilliant it was. "Bring her to Amiee's 30th it's right after the gala. She can meet her future in-laws."

"Ah yes, Sinclair did ask if I was coming, I told him I wasn't sure yet with everything going on."

"Well now you are."

Lionel paused and looked at her strangely.

"Have you always been like this?"

"Like what?" She asked, sipping her coffee as her eyes continued to roam over the photos on his desk and back to him.

"Straightforward, crass, outspoken."

"I know you want to say lower class and I'm proud of you for not. So yes, mostly. Amiee and me joke that even if she's older, I somehow got all the audacity."

"I can tell."

"Great! Now that we got that settled," she announced clapping her hands together. "I think it's about time we put these pieces together because I don't think this coffee is going to keep me awake too much longer," Angie pointed out as she stood up to get a better view of everything as Lionel just shook his head in amusement.

Hmm, he may have just found his new personal curator, and wing woman too at this point in his helping hand. 

[clangenrising]

Month 7 - Leaffall

“Tangletooth,” Sagetooth purred as she and Oddstripe arrived at the River of the Stars, “How are you, friend?” 

The older ginger tom smiled and gladly bumped foreheads with her. “Well,” he nodded, “Well. Did you hear about Couragecry?” 

“Who?” Sagetooth tilted her head as she and Oddstripe settled down next to him. Was this perhaps one of Tangletooth’s elders, someone he used to know? Soberly, she wondered if he was starting to lose his grasp on time.

“The kittypet,” he replied brightly to her surprise. “Charredbranch found a kittypet in the mountains and he’s decided to stick around. His name is Couragecry.” 

“Really,” Sagetooth frowned. “Whatever for?”

“Pardon?” asked Tangletooth. Oddstripe pursed his lips.

Sagetooth caught herself and changed course. “I meant, what was he doing in the mountains?” 

“Oh!” Tangletooth nodded and licked his lips. “Yes, well, apparently there’s a lake just over them and he used to live there with his Twolegs but they seem to have disappeared. He went looking for them and found us instead.” 

“I see,” Sagetooth hummed. She supposed that was alright then. If his Twolegs were missing then there was nothing for him to go back to. And, she rationalized, it suited her just fine if SkyClan’s warriors weren’t very good fighters or hunters. 

“Well, I hope he’s settling in alright,” Oddstripe said shyly. 

“I think he’s doing alright,” rasped Tangletooth. “He’s taught Pebblefall and Greyvoice a thing or two about fishing at least.” Behind them the sound of gentle pawsteps sounded in the tunnel and they turned to look as a pair of grey eyes and fluffy grey ears poked out of the darkness. 

“Stormwhisper,” Sagetooth addressed him sternly. He flinched but straightened his posture under her gaze.

“Yes?” he asked, feathery tail swishing, “I’m not that late, am I?” 

Sagetooth shook her head. “No, I wanted to ask if you had any word about Blazingbrush. She’s missed three meetings already, this will be the fourth, and you still haven’t said if she has Red Gut or not. I’m starting to think I need to make the trip to FallenClan to sort the whole thing out myself.” Stormwhisper’s fur bristled subtly and he stiffened, eyes wide, which only made Sagetooth frown deeper. Something was off here. 

“Oh, no, it’s not Red Gut,” he said, glancing at Oddstripe briefly, “But she’s isolating nonetheless. She says she doesn’t want to take any risks, that’s all.” 

“Is that so?” Sagetooth narrowed her eyes. 

“Um, yes?” replied Stormwhisper with a nervous grimace. 

“Are you asking me or telling me?” she huffed, tail starting to twitch. “You’re being incredibly strange.”

“Sorry,” he shook his head, forcing a smile. “I’m just out of sorts. Everything has been tense since Toadpaw was taken.” He stepped up to sit between Oddstripe and Tangletooth. 

“Oh, no,” Oddstripe fawned, causing Sagetooth’s ear to twitch. “I can’t imagine…” 

“Yeah,” he swallowed. “Orangestar is considering stepping down.” 

“What?” snapped Sagetooth, causing both of the younger healers to flinch. “She can’t do that!” 

“She just doesn’t see how she can lead a Clan when she couldn’t even save her own apprentice.” Stormwhisper looked at his paws. “I can’t say I blame her.” 

“Leaders can’t do everything,” Tangletooth said. “It’s important for her to learn that.”

“Yes,” agreed Sagetooth definitively. “You need to advise her, Stormwhisper. You’re her Healer, you bring her StarClan’s wisdom. Make sure she knows that they chose her for a reason and that she has a duty to her Clan to uphold their decision.” 

“Yeah,” he nodded, mostly to himself it seemed. “I’ll try.”

“Don’t try,” Sagetooth huffed, “Do.” 

“Your dreams tonight will guide you,” Tangletooth rasped, bumping his muzzle against Stormwhisper’s shoulder. “Come, let us drink.” 

~~~

After the meeting, the Healers said their goodbyes and Sagetooth and Oddstripe began making their way through the canyon back towards their camp, but something wouldn’t stop pulling at Sagetooth’s brain. She didn't know what was going on but something about Stormwhisper and Blazingbrush kept drawing her attention and she couldn’t put the thought away. She paused as they reached the river and Oddstripe stopped to look back at her.

“Is everything alright, Sagetooth?” he asked, big blue eyes blinking in the moonlight. 

“I’m fine,” she flicked an ear dismissively. “I think I’m going to head to FallenClan and check on Blazingbrush though.”

“Do you think she’s okay?” 

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “but I think I need to speak with her anyway.” 

Oddstripe shuffled. “Do you want me to come with you?” She could tell by the way he spoke that he didn’t want to. He probably wanted to get back to camp and eat his fill like he did after every meeting. Even now that the kits weren’t nursing anymore he still wasn’t quite used to the empty stomach the half moon gatherings demanded. 

“No,” Sagetooth sighed. “Go back home, see your kits. I should be back before the sun is up.” 

“Okay,” smiled Oddstripe, clearly relieved. “May StarClan light your path.” Sagetooth smiled. He was a quick study and a good apprentice, if a naive one. 

“Thank you,” she purred, “I’ll see you back at camp.” With that, she turned westward and set off across the rolling hills. Eventually the foothills turned to forests which turned thick and dark and wild. Somewhere in the night an owl hooted to her mate and little things scuttled through the underbrush temptingly. Sagetooth stomped down on any desires to catch them. Even a Healer had no right to hunt in another Clan’s territory. 

She found and then followed a well worn trail until she finally came upon a scattering of large stones, the leftovers of an ancient landslide, overgrown by brambles that had been shaped and woven into the walls of the FallenClan camp. As she approached, she gave a soft meow to declare her presence and was quickly met by the marbled blue face of the camp guard, Ryestripe.

“Who goes there?” he asked firmly, voice soft. 

“Sagetooth, Healer of RisingClan,” she said, stopping where he could see her and offering a slow blink. 

Ryestripe shifted, swallowed, and glanced over his shoulder before replying. “How can I help you, Sagetooth?” 

“I’m here to speak with Blazingbrush,” she said. “I’ve heard she’s unwell.” 

“She is,” he said, a bit too quickly. Her eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, you can’t see her right now.” 

“I know how to handle myself around disease, boy,” she huffed. “If there’s a sickness in FallenClan I have every right to know.” 

“I’m sorry,” he said again, squaring his shoulders to fill the hole in the bramble wall. “You can’t come in, Flightstar’s orders.”

“Flightstar’s-” she cut herself off with a scoff and shifted her weight on her aching hips. She hadn’t walked so much in a long time and her age was not having it. “On what basis has he made those orders?” 

Ryestripe shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “Look, I don’t-” 

“It’s alright, Ryestripe,” said a gentle voice behind him, warm and sweet like honey. “I’ll speak to her.” 

The warrior glanced back and whispered, “Are you sure, Poppybird?” 

“I’m sure.” 

“Alright.” Ryestripe shuffled to the side, allowing the mediator to pass. Her black pelt glimmered under the moonlight that made its way through the trees, its dappling mixing with the dappling of ginger in her fur. She smiled sympathetically as she walked out to meet Sagetooth. 

“I’m sorry about that,” she said, curling her tail around her white paws as she sat. “He means well.” 

“What’s this about Flightstar’s orders?” grumbled Sagetooth. “If I want to speak with Blazingbrush he has no right to forbid me to do so.” 

“I agree,” nodded Poppybird, “but I have a feeling you’ll understand his reasoning once you hear it.”

“Well, what is it then?” 

“Blazingbrush has committed an… indiscretion,” said Poppybird carefully. “And I’d like to tell you, but we’re all quite determined to keep this quiet. Can I count on you to handle the information with care, Sagetooth?”

“Yes,” Sagetooth said, tail twitching. “Come on, out with it.” 

“Blazingbrush has had a kitten,” Poppybird said softly and Sagetooth immediately understood. “We don’t know the father or how she met him, but she’s decided not to keep him. The kit, I mean.” 

Sagetooth sighed and shook her head. “Oh, that fool of a girl… She always did have her head in the clouds. I’m glad she’s decided to do the right thing though.” Giving the kit up was for the best, she thought. The kit could live his life without being attached to the shame of his mother’s broken vow.

Poppybird’s smile tightened for a moment, face the picture of sympathy. “You can see why we’ve been keeping things quiet. I trust you’ll do the same?” 

“Yes, of course,” nodded Sagetooth. “I’ll speak to her about it some other time. She’s alright though?” 

“Yes, yes, she’s fine,” nodded Poppybird immediately. "She just doesn’t want to be seen while she’s forced to nurse."

“Understood. Thank you for sating my curiosity,” Sagetooth said, getting to her feet. 

“Thank you for your understanding,” nodded Poppybird as she likewise stood. “Safe travels home.” 

Sagetooth simply grunted and turned to make her way back along the hunting trail. She sighed to herself. Stormwhisper knew. She wondered if he was the father. If he were, that would at least mean that he wasn’t likely to seduce Oddstripe as well. Trying to focus on that silver lining, she made her way home and fell into her nest, exhausted.

[spankingwishes2]

In the Vase

@agbbswts said:

"Birching you? With these? I was only planning to spank you with my sandal, and trust me, you won't want an additional punishment when I'm finished with you. But now that you're suggesting it, try not to earn anything worse while you're across my lap. Like exclaiming names or trying to wriggle your way out. We both know how bad it ended for your backside the last time it happened."

***

I don’t know what came over me… I just saw the wands in the vase and my brain jumped to being birched!  And then it was out my mouth!

I’ve never been birched and the idea fascinated - and kind of terrified - me.  And if for no other reason, the way she said ‘trust me’ made me backpedal in a hurry!

“Wow,” she said after roasting my bottom with her sandal and setting me in the corner, “You really were on your best behavior.”  And I had been - no reaching back, no ‘inappropriate’ exclamations (besides ‘Ow!’ and the like, repeatedly), no complaints about my corner time.  Not even asking if she had unfairly extended my spanking just to prove her point about me not wanting more.  It seemed like it would have been appropriate, but I wasn’t even tempted.

Still, later in bed, I couldn’t help wondering…

Two nights later, in the ‘afterglow’, she asked, “You’ve been particularly attentive and, well, submissive all evening.  Want to tell me what’s up?”

“It’s those birches,” I blurted, perhaps unwisely.  “I just can’t stop thinking about them.”

“Ah,” she replied, “So you need a good birching?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“Oh, I think you do,” she said, without saying whether I did know or…

“So what shall we do?” she continued.  “Keep you in suspense until you mis-bee-hayve?” she teased.  “That could be weeks.  Or make something up?  That seems to be your preference,” she claimed, referring to my tendency to want her to cite a specific reason for even a ‘pretend’ spanking.  “Or I could just give to a demonstration,” she suggested.

“That might be best,” I conceded.  I wasn’t as hesitant in my speech as I was in my mind.

“Tomorrow night - your curiosity will be satisfied and any and all questions answered.”

***

“Stand in the corner, facing me,” she directed.  I was naked, naturally, and she had the wet end of the bundle in her hand, swishing it, mostly slowly, through the air.  A quick movement produced a sharp hiss that was quite scary.  “That’s the sound that you’ll be making, I expect,” she predicted.

“You’ll want your feet together, most likely,” she went on.  “Bend forward and put your hands on the floor - you can bend your knees - a little.”  I got into this unfamiliar position, which did nothing to relieve my anxiety, though I couldn’t deny how aroused I was.  “Walk your hand forward a bit and put your elbows on the floor.  You can rest your head on your hands,” I was told.

“Now,” she explained as she swished the arrangement menacingly, amused by my flinching, “I’m going to straddle you and birch you down your bottom and legs.”  I shivered, grateful for the suggestion of having my feet together!

“I’m going to aim for two minutes, take a very short break, and repeat.”  That seemed difficult - though I was expecting no less - but I knew I’d manage it.  “When I’m getting close to satisfied,” she continued, “I’ll probably cut back to one-minute intervals - except, maybe, the last.”

So it no longer sounded like only two intervals.  I shivered a lot more.

“When I’m finished, maybe you can explain to me why it is that when I warn you that you don’t want something, or won’t enjoy it, you find it necessary to find out for yourself, no matter how often I’m right,” she scolded.  (This was a little unfair because she hadn’t warned me, but it was the pretense we were ‘playing’ under.)  “I am going to make very sure that you find my warning completely accurate in this case - and am considering using this ‘birching’ approach in all future cases, which, if they are as prevalent in the future as they have been in the past, will make it quite common!”

With that she slashed at my bottom with her hand-held bouquet, three times on my right cheek.

“Eeeeeek!” I think best describes the sound I made.  The branches had a small, sharp, slicing sting that felt particularly ‘angry’, for some reason, with an element of ‘dangerous’.  No doubt they weren’t truly carving into my skin, even on this micro-scale - and if they were, surely she would stop, regardless of how annoyed she was!

That was the thought of an instant as three matching swipes found my left cheek, then back on the right.  She was working very quickly, as is her wont, and, I suspected, not even particularly hard.  Still, her prediction that I would make hissing sounds was proven correct again and again.

It felt like she was attacking my right cheek from her right - my left - that is, inside-to-outside, and my left cheek at a similar angle, reversed.  In fact, on that side she seemed to be focusing entirely on the inside curve of my cheek, even more than my right.

Bracing herself on the wall with one hand, she absolutely rained the whippy blows on my bottom and thighs as if she was afraid of running out of time!  (She wasn’t.)  I couldn’t help but bend my knees (though I can’t claim that they buckled), causing her to growl, ‘Get that bottom up!’.  I complied immediately, but not for long - until she reached down, grabbing me at the ribs and making me rise!  Two minutes couldn’t be over fast enough.

“How are you liking it so far?” she asked when she stopped (that is, paused).

“It stings!  So bad!  It hurts!” was all I could get out.

“Yessss,” she drawled, “It certainly sounds like it.

“Here we go again!”

She turned her hips a bit so she could come straight down on the cleft between my cheeks (tightly squeezed together, of course).  “Tickles your crack a bit, doesn’t it?”

“Please!  Please!  Please - don’t!” I begged in a weirdly high, tight voice as stroke after stroke marked up and down the middle of my bottom and legs.

“But Baby!” she cooed, trying to sound sympathetic, “You wanted me to show you what it’s like!”  (Crazily, this was true!)  “Well, this is what it’s like!

“Is it awful?”

“Yes!  Yes!” I assured her.

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“Yes!” I lied.

“Are you starting to wish you listened to me?”

“I do!  I do!  I’m sorry!”

“This is why you should always listen to me - when I tell you something for your own good!”

“I will!  I will!  Always!”  I hadn’t realized that she’d slowed down while she was talking - until she sped back up!  I wailed into the floor.

“Promise?” she said sweetly (best I could tell!).

“Promise!  Promise promise!”

“Next time?  Every time?”

“Every time!”

“Okay then,” she said, stopping abruptly.

“Ow oh ow oh ow oh ow…” I complained.

Stepping back from astride me she said, “I think I’ve made my point.”  I don’t think she was expecting a reply but I said ‘Yes, Ma’am,’ just in case.

***

“Wow… so that was awful,” she said later, back in the ‘afterglow’.

“Yes… God, it was,” I agreed.

“But hot…” she said.

“Well…” I hesitated.  She gave me a stern look.  “Okay, yes, it was hot…”

“Really hot…” she insisted.

“Well… yes.”

She let out a long sigh and drew on my shoulder with her finger.  “They don’t all have to be that bad.”

“They?  What ‘they’?”

“All your birchings,” she said casually.

I was lying on my stomach, obviously, and she slid a hand under me.

“Want to hear about your next one?” she asked, her fingers searching.  Without waiting for an answer, she went on, “Over the arm of the sofa… I want to focus on your crease… not the one between your cheeks - at the base…

“Maybe on a sore bottom… a very sore bottom… a really well-slippered, resisting or complaining bottom…”

[bitwynn]

Playlist Clips

These are just short snippets inbetween the main fics and action, like those 4komas in mangas. Although the entire Playlist series is literally just (mostly) snippets inbetween the main action of running for your life away from the "fire nation". Also, yes its not lost on me that the entire thing is VERY similar to ATLA because, while they are running for their lives, a lot of the eps are very chill lol

Blue for Barbara, Yellow/Gold for Zhongli, Green for Wanderer, red for Diluc, Italics is Reader/General, Combined is Everyone. Colors only used for singing parts.

---

"No, no, no-- you don't just move your hand down, you're drawing a heart! Like-- half of one. Here, like this."

Barbara takes a step back, as you demonstrate. You hum as you dance, getting to the mentioned dance move.

"...I wanna know, know, know, know,"

"What is love!"

And with a swish of your hand, Barbara nods in understanding. "See? Just like that." After a moment of silence, she nods to herself.

"What if I do a little something like this?"

She does the move, drawing a half heart in the heart. But as she does so, hydro energy trails after her finger and actually drawing the heart in the air.

"Oh my god Barbara, that's actually perfect!"

She giggles as she waves away the energy into a mist of twinkling stars. "Its all thanks to you, really. I couldn't have become such a wonderful idol and Vision holder without you!"

"Awh, you're too sweet Barbs."

You could almost see the sweat drop form as she says these next words. "Although, I'd preferably become a better idol without the threat of death everywhere we go." "Gomen."

---

You were hauled over Diluc’s shoulder, as you two were running from the Treasure Hoarders you encountered while picking fruits. Wanderer was providing cover as Diluc ran, dark slashes of wind trailing down on the enemy.

But, you really needed these Hoarders off your tail and running while Wanderer wildly blasts air at them won't really do much. Diluc knows this as well, as he tightens his grip on you and puts on his game face.

"Hold on."

And as you scramble to find a good grip, Diluc skids to a stop-- practically drifting as he turns to face them. They couldn't know what was coming for them as Diluc suddenly showers them in a rain of throwing knives. All that was left to do was for Wanderer to finish them off. With a great leap, he jumps onto a tree and starts running on errant branches to reach camp.

Diluc sighs as he hears you start to giggle in his ear. "What is it this time?"

"Na na na na na na na, naaa na na na na na na, BATMAN!"

He sighs again, a smile forming on his face. No matter how much he denies it, he can see the comparison.

---

"Augh, Archons! Even babies can speak better Inazuman than you!" Wanderer was fuming as you sat with him near the fire. "The i in 'sekai' is silent, and its not pronounced like a bird caw, you imbecile!"

You wilt in your seat. "Man, I was just introducing you to a song!"

"Well, the song is in Inazuman! You think I'd just shut up here and listen to your screeching as you butcher my language?!"

Sheepish, you poke your fingers together. "Jeez, I was right to introduce you to this song..."

He raises an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Looking away, a wry smile blooms on your face. "Because you really are the 'ichiban ohimesama'..."

"I'm going to strangle you now." "Fair."

---

He finds you in the dead of night, tears rolling down your face. He sits beside you, pressing a warm, tiny cup of tea into your hands. You curl up tighter in your balled up position, leeching off as much warmth as you can from your tea.

Zhongli's shoulder presses beside yours as he takes in a breath.

"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow,"

This pries a short laugh out of you, wet and harsh. A small, sad smile graces his lips.

"Like fragile tiny shells, drifting in the foam,"

You sniffle, wiping away some of your tears. "This'll only make me feel worse y'know?"

He hums. "I've found that... the catharsis in the reminiscing of old memories is much better than stewing in your grief." Zhongli looks down into his steaming tea. "Life must go on, even if we're without them."

You take a sip of the tea he brought you. "Do you ever stop missing them?" It's chamomile.

"No."

"Will it ever stop hurting?"

"The pain will fade."

You look at him, tears having dried on your face. "Then... I guess we'll be okay."

[gimgerrat]

I FINALLY WROTE MORE HORIZONS X MHA AU LIKODOT FLUFF!! ヾ(≧∇≦*)ヾYIPPEE! So theres two one pre getting together and one post.

~~~~~~~Freckles (pre-relationship)~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Dot?" Liko vacillated figdeting with her hands "Hmm?" hummed the Hydra as she twisted her head to look at the other hero in training. "I was wondering, Why do you hide your freckles?" Dot stopped walking uncertainty and fear? No that wasn't it fear felt slightly different this was apprehension. 

The nauseating swirl of emotions from Dot made the Liko backpedal "you don't have to answer if you don't want too." Dot huffed, running her claws though her mane. "It's a little... How do I put this? Complicated." turning away from the moth

Her tail swished about as she continued "I hide them mostly because I wouldn't get made fun of." taking a quick glance at Liko who only had focused expression, listening intently to her. "Huh? I don't think I quite understand why you'd be picked on for that," Dot was a little flustered from the sincerity of Likos words and output. 

"It uh-- you see my freckles glow when I feeling intense emotions," the leviathan shifted on her feet "and uh the others picked up on it made fun of me or hurt me to make me glow" the lizard shrunk in on herself before she spluttered the next part "they thought it was funny, they did it over and over again, so I started hiding them so they would stop." 

Liko was horrified at that, every fiber of her being wanted to find those kid and teach them a lesson. "Well those people are awful to do such things, it makes me want to UUGH!!" the Hydra was both touched and afraid of the amount of righteous anger coming from Liko. 

The Moth-like girl obviously felt Dots emotions and took several deep breaths to calm down. She took a couple steps forward before spinning on her heel to face Dot. 

She reached out a hand towards her snout, stopping just before she could touch it. "May I?" Liko asked,  antenna perked upwards. Dot stared at her for a moment before nodding. 

Now having consent Liko brushed their hair out of her face exposing the glowing freckles. "Beautiful" a soft mumble sounded from the moth who was entranced by the purple light, “their like little stars” the bioluminescence got even brighter and Liko felt the flustered emotions from Dot. She was about to pull her hand back but the leviathan grabbed it, keeping it on her cheek and leaning her head further into it. In response the bluenette had begun to stroke her hands through the hydras mane, enjoying how soft it was. 

Not long after she did this she heard a deep rumble originating from Dot. ‘oh my god, ohmygod she purrs, how cute!!!’ unbeknownst to Liko her internal squealing translated to her squeaking happily out loud, causing Dot to pull away embarrassment and shame burning through her. The leviathan cleared her throat “we should probably go home…” Liko felt incredibly awkward,  “that's probably for the best.”

~~~~~~~~~First Flight (Post)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Standing in one of UAs many training rooms, Liko had squeezed Dot's hand in anxiety. “I'm scared, what if I fall?” the Hydra squeezed her hand back, brushing her hair behind her ear that had fallen into her face. “don't worry this room is pretty padded so it won't hurt much and besides I'll catch you.” Liko wings fluttered with her girlfriend's earnest vote of confidence. 

The moth took a shuddering breath, nodding at them before moving away to prepare to take off. “ok, I can do this,” unfurling her wings, giving them a couple test flaps. “You got this Liko!! I believe in you!” Dot shouting reassurance from where she was, that loosened her up a bit making her even more determined to go airborne. 

The first few attempts failed, only getting a few inches off the ground. “That last one was good, you almost got it, relax and you’ll get it!” Likos heart warmed, she loved how supportive the leviathan was. She extended her wings again thinking about how amazing Dot was, giving a few powerful beats of her wings to get off the ground. Though Liko wasn't focused on flying,  no her mind had drifted off to the serpentine girl. They’d only started dating a few days ago and yet she was the happiest she had ever remembered being. 

“WOOOO! YEAH! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!” Dot's ecstatic voice snapped Liko out of her thoughts. She was flying, she was really flying! The moth-like girl let out a whoop in delight, soaring around. She did some simple maneuvers even performing an aileron roll. Somehow just being in the sky felt right to her, like she was complete. Well almost complete as she spotted Dot on the ground, waving her hands at her with a bright purple glow. 

She felt a sudden urge to be in her arms and wanted to share her joy with them. So that's what she did. She made a dive towards her not thinking about the fact that she didn't know how to land. Liko was approaching the ground fast panic searing though her as she couldn't slow down enough as Dot rushed to catch her. 

Liko collided with the serpentine, knocking them both to the ground. “Oh my god! I'm so sorry, are you ok?” the moth fretting over Dot pushing a little energy to her to heal any injury that she might have sustained. The hydra only let out a guffaw seeing Likos wings buzzing in worry. “Huh? So you did fall from heaven, glad to have that confirmed.” they quipped with the largest and proudest cheshire grin stretched across her features. Dot only laughed harder when Liko gave them a light smack to the arm out of embarrassment. “DOT STOP THAT WAS SO CHEESY!” The winged girl managed to sputter out between fits of giggles. 

Their laughter and joy petered out as Dot sat up to cradle Liko in her lap better, wrapping her arms around waist. They shared adoring gazes, Liko leaning her head on their shoulder letting out a sigh of content. If being in the air felt right then being held by Dot was on a whole other level. The two stayed like that for a while basking in each other's affection, with the only thing breaking the comfortable silence was joyful squeaks and throaty purrs. 

[obsidiancreates]

Icewild (Part 3)

"Hey man. Yer butt flap is down."

"What?!" Taishen reaches back to feel, his golden scales turning bright molten orange as he blushes. "So indecent! Thank you for telling me! Would you like me to check your backside?"

"Nah, if mines down its just a nice fuckin' view." Gideon chuckles deeply and puffs his cigar. "Not to brag or anythin'."

"Well... alright." Taishen peeks anyway, because even if Damien ashamed there are possibly still ghosts down here who might not want to see any bare behinds. Gideon is buttoned up fine, though the overalls are clearly too small for him. Taishen would feel bad for him about that if the man's regular clothes seemed like they fit, but they also seemed a bit small.

Maybe he does that on purpose. Why he would, Taishen doesn't know. It seems very uncomfortable.

"Well, uh, let''s see. I've never really handled plumbing before..."

"Then why the hell'd you offer to check it out?"

"Well, I figured if it's just frozen I could melt it." Taishen produces a gorgeous flame in his palm, a delicate and refined dancing flame that, though it may be the same as what he uses in battle, is more settled in this peaceful context.

"Oh-ho yeah. I can help with that." Gideon grins, his beard sparking and crackling like the beginnings of a wildfire. Taishen's flame is reflected in Gideon's eyes, but the reflection seems wilder, raging, all-consuming.

"Um... well." Taishen holds his hand out in front of him to light their way. "How-how did you unlock your powers, then?"

"Fuckin' born with 'em, man."

"Oh! You didn't have an grand adventures, or... meetings with great beings?"

"I mean... my Pa was a pretty great guy."

"Oh! So you get if from him?"

"Nah, Pa was human."

"... I'm not sure we're getting anywhere with this."

"Well, why're ya askin'? Weren't you born with yours?"

"Not exactly. My niece went missing, and while searching for her I met a great ancient dragon, who awoke the powers within me."

"... Pretty fuckin' cool backstory." Gideon nods. "Hey, quick question. Does your niece bite you?"

"Not since she was a baby, I raised her not to do such things!"

"Wait, you raised her?"

"Well, yes-"

"Geez, man, you outta talk with Gricko later! Couple a single dads, he'd fuckin' love that. Unless you're not single, then maybe it wouldn't be as fun for 'im."

"Well, I am single, but I don't see how that matters."

"Matters 'cause he is too."

"I don't know if we'll really have much to talk about anyway. His... daughter, seems... seem to be a different situation."

"How?"

"Well... she's an owlbear."

"And? All kinds of different fuckin' people in the world, man."

"No, that's not what I meant-"

"Guess I found out why you're single."

"I- well it's mostly because I'm exploring the world and trying not to freeze to death-"

"And how do you keep warm to not freeze to death? Having some fun, if you know what I mean, heh-heh." Gideon elbows Taishen, knocking him into the wall of the waterways by accident. Taishen gives a little shout and rights himself, used to such things from Barnabos but still caught off guards thanks to the current subject matter.

"It's really just not the time or place for that kind of thing!" Taishen gestures around them. "My life recently has been very much a life-or-death situation!"

"And?"

"And-! And so it's just not the time for that sort of thing!"

"... We're on different fuckin' pages, man. I sleep with people in the middle of major situations all the fuckin' time."

"And that's very disturbing to know, please do not tell me these things!" Taishen prays they're close to the opening to the cave. "I spent years raising my niece, and now I'm trying to survive long enough to get back to her!"

"Alright, alright, I get it." They walk in silence for a little while.

"... But just so you know, ladies love the fire tricks." Gideon takes a swig from his flask, swishes it around, tilts his head up, and spits out a fountain of fire! The whole corridor lights up, and Taishen shouts as he ducks out of the way.

"Goodness!"

"Fuckin' cool, right?" Gideon hands the flask over. "Try it, man! Just light it in your mouth and spit it real quick!"

"Spitting it seems a little gross."

"It's fire. Fire can't be dirty."

"Well, that does make sense..."

"Yeah, man!"

"Should you step out of the way? Can you be burned?"

"Eh, barely."

"Alright then..."

Taishen takes a tentative drink.

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

Queenie sits on Jornir's shoulder. "Why're we watchin' this guy again?"

Torbek, but a few feet away, sits chewing on a rock. Frost uses his mind hand to remove the rock, and Torbek makes a sad noise. Frost gives Torbek a piece of soft wood, which Torbek also begins to gnaw on.

"His state... concerns me."

"Ha, no shit." Skrimm sits nearby, swirling a bottle of brandy. "That guy's life seems fucked, and that's comin' from me." He takes a big drink.

"Skrimm, didn't you say you can do that thing where you look in souls or somethin'?" Queenie sighs, leaning against Jornir's head. "I don't think he's very malicious."

"Oh, look at that! Finally someone asks about my powers!" Skrimm looks at Torbek. "I'll try it, but if I had to bet I'd bet all I'll get is sad."

Skrimm focuses on Torbek and, like how he can summon the Brutal Blade with the mere flick of a wrist, flicks something in his mind or soul to see in Torbek's.

After a moment Skrimm hears, whispered in the back of his mind and drifting to the forefront, the word content.

"He's just relaxing." Skrimm shrugs, leaning back again. "He's content. Guess the guy has some pretty low standards." Skrimm takes another drink of his cheap brandy and a bite of some definitely-gone-off cheese.

Jornir eyes Skrimm, but doesn't say anything.

Queenie hops off of Jornir's back. "Well in that case, I'm gonna go make him feel a little more welcome. Jornir's been glarin' at him all day."

"I am not glaring. I am just... looking."

"You've been glarin', Jornir, ya wear you're heart on your sleeve sometimes."

"... I do?" Jornir looks at Skrimm, who makes an exaggerated face of confusion and shrugs.

Queenie hops away without another word, right up to Torbek. Torbek startles a little when she does.

"Ah! Did Torbek do something wrong?! Torbek is only chewing on what Frost says he can chew on!"

"Why're you chewin' on anythin', honey?"

"Mmmm, Torbek is bored."

"So yer chewin' on rocks?"

"Torbek chews on rocks often."

"Well, how about we find you a game or somethin' instead, how's that sound?"

Torbek lights right up! "Torbek loves games! He helped Mr. Kremy rig them all the time!"

"Torbek!" Kremy hisses.

"He did though, Kremy," Gricko chimes in.

"We're not talkin' about the carnival with folks who didn't work the carnival!"

"Sorry, Mr. Kremy." Torbek shrinks down a bit.

"Hey, don't you be snappin' at him!" Queenie snaps back.

"Excuse you, he's my em- I mean, my friend!"

"Oooooh, Torbek doesn't want more fighting!" Torbek covers his ears. "Torbek wants to play that game, pleaseeee, Torbek will never ask for anything else!"

"Alright, alright." Queenie glares ar Kremy again while she takes Torbek's hand and leads him away. "There's some snow just over there at the edge of the clearin', you ever made a snow angel before?"

"Noooo."

"Well neither have I, but I heard they're real fun so let's try it out."

Queenie and Torbek head off, and Kremy keeps an eye on them until they're out of sight. "Gotta bad feelin' about that, fellas."

"Oh, what's the worst that could happen, Kremy?" Gricko says. "In fact, Hootsie! Why don't we go join them, ah, ah? Alright let's go!" Gricko and Hootsie race off.

"It seems like a bad idea to me as vell."

Kremy and Frost both scream and jump up, Frost's fur standing on end and Kremy's shadow wiggling like a snake in a trap.

"I am Ketrothstein, but ah, you may call me Ket." He nods at them. "And I am also stuck in this vorld vhere I do not belong, as I have heard you are, and I thinkve should vork together to all return to our homes."

[sagesolsticewrites]

happy birthday Vika my beloved!!!

— “shush, i don’t want to hear it. you deserve all of this and more, so don’t you dare try and convince yourself or me otherwise.” it's so her 🥺 anyway she deserves the world I love her

Thanks so much for the request Winnie darling! It’s been lots of fun imagining what the Book Club Girlies do for bday celebrations 🤭 (I’m running on maybe 4 hours of sleep so apologies if this lil blurb makes absolutely no sense lmao)

from this prompt list 🥳🤍

“shush, i don’t want to hear it. you deserve all of this and more, so don’t you dare try and convince yourself or me otherwise.”

“Jules, seriously,” Vika giggles, fiddling with the chain resting at her throat as her friend guides her up the walk, “I know how to get inside your house. And remind me why we decided on dressing up for this month’s meeting?”

“Just for fun,” her friend says, her voice pitched much higher than usual, changing the subject quickly. “Oh, and happy birthday by the way!”

She laughs, “Thanks, Jules.”

“Did you get a chance to celebrate with your parents?”

“A little bit,” Vika shrugs, “We did our usual breakfast, Mammi surprised me with a new dress”— she pauses to swish the deep purple skirt around her knees, much nicer than what she’d normally wear for a visit to her friends— “but aside from that it’s mostly been a quiet day. Benny and I were supposed to have lunch, but he had something come up. He promised he’d make up for it, though.”

“I’m sure he will,” Juliet says, her smile growing even wider as they move up the front steps of the Brady home.

“Jules…” Vika says warningly, catching her expression and knowing exactly what it means, “What did you do?”

“Who, me?” Her friend’s voice is pitched even higher now, “Do what? I really don’t have any idea—”

“Happy birthday!”

A chorus of voices rings out as the front door swings open to reveal the other members of the book club— Olive, Val, Jean, and Jo— as well as their male counterparts, Benny standing in the center of it all, beaming.

Vika is stunned into silence for a moment, eyes wide as she takes in the elaborate decorations, trays of her favorite foods scattered about the room, the cake just visible on the table in the dining room, all of her friends smiling expectantly at her.

“Oh… my goodness…” she manages to breathe, not quite sure what to say. “You did all this…?”

“It’s your birthday, Vika,” Juliet slides an arm around her shoulders and pulls her in for a hug, “Of course we wanted to celebrate you.”

“I—” Vika can barely speak around her grin, “Oh goodness, what in the world did I do to deserve such wonderful friends?”

“It was Benny’s idea,” Olive volunteers, beaming as Benny’s cheeks flame pink.

Vika’s smile softens, her gaze shining and warm as she turns to the man in question. Her friends politely turn their attention to other things as she approaches him, leaving them in a sweet little bubble of privacy in the middle of the Brady’s living room.

“You did all of this?” Vika murmurs in disbelief, leaning into him as Benny’s arms wind easily around her waist.

“You didn’t think I was just gonna take you out to lunch like I do every week for your birthday, did you?”

“Benny,” she sighs, “You really didn’t need to do all this. It’s very sweet, but… I don’t deserve such a big fuss, it’s just me.”

His smile progressively fades into a not-quite-frown as she speaks, and she finds herself wanting to kiss away the little divot that appears as his brow furrows.

“I mean… all this work, I can’t imagine how long it must have taken—”

“Shush,” Benny interrupts, pressing a finger to her lips, “I don’t want to hear it.” Vika blinks in surprise, and he continues.

“You deserve all of this and more,” he murmurs, brown eyes looking deep into her own, “so don’t you dare try and convince yourself or me otherwise.”

“But—”

Vika falls silent as Benny raises an eyebrow in a near-perfect imitation of Val DiRosano.

“You deserve this,” Benny insists again, effectively silencing any future protests with a tender kiss.

“I love you,” is all she can say after they pull apart, heart fluttering her chest at the fondness in his gaze.

“I love you more.”

“Not possible.”

“Try me,” he grins, gesturing to the party in full swing around them, and she concedes happily.

“Now come on, let’s see if we can sneak some cake without Jean noticing.”

[infinitethree]

i'm

i

i'm

I'M LIKE YOUR TUBBO??/

INNITT!!!

i. this is a positive reaction by the way

*so many hugs*

i'm honoured!!!

oh!! by the way! you've been referred to by it/its by default, but do you have other pronouns you prefer?

oh and we can't forget the food.. how about some eggrolls andd pancakes?

Innit perks up as Asher scrambles into its arms, their paws patting excitedly at its face.

It beams, hugging them as they chitter at it. “I'm glad you're happy with that. You're here the most, and you– you really care, y'know? So…so, of course I treasure you. I'd be crazy not to.”

The question makes it hum in thought, its tail swishing back and forth. “Uhm…I've never really thought about it? I know I'm not a she, though. He is closer, but not quite right…”

It takes a moment for it to remember the other one. “Ah, right! They/them would be nice. Since…I mean, it was really ‘cause I was…I was always thought of as the bad parts of him. A monster, really. Something to cage and fear, not…a person.”

Dwelling on its pain about that is exhausting and depressing, though.

“So, uh, maybe…I guess I like they/them better than it,” Innit says, ears perking up a little. “I don’t think I’d have changed it without– I mean, it never crossed my mind. Thank you, Asher. I appreciate you a lot.”

They beam, nuzzling their face into their friend’s fur.

It actually catches them off guard when food appears, and they have to scramble to grab the plates without also dropping Asher. They laugh, proud that they managed to do it, though.

They squeak in alarm, having to let go of Asher– who scrambles onto their shoulder instead– in order to grab all of the food.

A pout forms. “That was mean! I almost dropped them all…”

They sit down to eat, and their other friends come to sit beside them. They hum happily as they enjoy the treats being given to them.

The pancakes are its favorite. Fluffy, stuffed with chocolate chips, topped with whipped cream, and gloriously sweet, it knows it will have to try and find someone who makes something similar.

They reply, “I’m really gonna enjoy walking around, too. I think…I think, as soon as we know everything is stable and I have just– the basics of having an actual body down? I want to go and explore. There are some groups that do that kind of thing, y’know? Uhm, some clubs and stuff. And there’s some jobs for it, too– people need places to live, and some people really like being super far out. There’s cavers, gatherers, and whatnot, since some stuff you have to find rather than grow.”

According to the gossip that Innit has had no choice but to hear, there are often new biomes, structures, and even loot that shows up. Supposedly, the newer something is, the more likely you are to find good stuff.

San, being a sucker, can’t help but baby their residents.

Innit would love to know how much control they have and if they tweak things based on who is finding it.

They also wonder if some of Daz’s favor will rub off on them. Maybe if they talk to the server like they wish someone had talked to them, San will love them even more than they love Daz.

“I’m really excited for the chance to do stuff like that, though. I know I said I'd live with Aster, but, I mean–”

They can't help but feel a little bitter about how he's mostly forgotten about them. Instead, his focus is on the bastard and their burgeoning romance.

No matter how much they want to burst the bubble, they also don't have the heart to do that.

And…it’s a risk, too. 

Everyone is willing to let them out because they're free in the timeline Aster and Daz are seeing, but if that certainty in their goodness goes away–

Well. All the more reason to weasel their way into an exploration team.

If they bond with someone there, maybe they won't need to rely on Daz’s circle.

And the more people who know and care about them, the less likely it is that they can be forced back into Daz’s head again, or exiled, or otherwise forced to leave Sanctuary.

Maybe, during the period where they’re gaining enough trust to be allowed to wander like they want, they can make good use of being in Daz’s head and make some friends.

Especially some powerful ones. Ones who can raise a huge stink if anything happened to them.

[tavyliasin]

Raphael Aftercare - Extract from ATG 10: Cat? Claw

The following is the ending of ATG chapter 10, "Cat? Claw." (The full work is here, and the chapter before it with just Haarlep and Tav is here). It's the second half to a 2 part scenario, where f!Tav enters the House of Hope for the first time in desperation, seeking help to find a lost companion. All she finds, however, is Haarlep. Unfortunately, the all-too-bold Tav is too eager to be with someone who looks just like the demon who has been trying to seduce her, and takes in far too much of the aphrodisiac saliva in Haarlep's kiss. This chapter, ATG 10, begins with Raphael walking in on Haarlep toying with his Little Mouse, to relieve her of the problem she has caused for herself, and he has a decision to make. At first he just watches, feeling the connection to Haarlep's twisted mirror of his body, but he cannot stay an observer forever... This extract is from the end, Tav is well and truly spent at last, thoroughly "tended to" by the Master of the House and his incubus. Usually, Raphael has no use for aftercare, it would almost be an insult to him. However, Haarlep knows he can be pushed into caring for the client he has been obsessed with as of late, even if he denies it at every turn. So here, enjoy some "Soft Raphael", probably one of the few times I have him slip into this more comforting action. But he is capable, and much to his surprise he doesn't hate it either.

Extract from ATG 10 - Cat? Claw.

“You went too far.” Raphael snarled, pulling Tav’s body towards him and leaning her against his chest.

“I went as far as I had to go. I told you, she took too much from me because what she really wanted was you . I gave her that much. You also seemed to enjoy yourself quite thoroughly~” Haarlep laughed, stepping off the bed and walking a little ahead towards the wide open bathing pool on the other side of the room. A small power move, tail swishing happily as they swayed their hips in a mockery of seduction.”She will be fine, bring her over.” Without much choice in the matter, the fiend scooped the exhausted elf up against his chest, tail guiding her weak arms to wrap around his shoulders. To an outsider, it might’ve looked like a lover’s carry, tender arms hooked under knees that had long since gone limp, one hand holding her head against him as she made soft noises now, a barely conscious mess in the aftermath of unbearable lust.

Clawed feet clicked on the hard stone floor, careful footsteps finally arriving at the water’s edge. It was cool, soothing, from the first moment his toes broke the surface. The cambion lowered himself gently into the bath as his incubus scattered scented petals through the water, preparing soaps, oils and salves.

“Such a beautiful canvas, don’t you think? And so wonderfully painted~” Haarlep purred happily, completely satisfied, as they sank into the water beside Raphael. They caressed the hair of their new favourite toy with a smile. “Next time-”

“Next time? Have you forgotten whose home this is? Whose-” The angry snarl was cut off by a sigh from within his arms. The water was beginning to do its work. “Now, now, you can bicker with me later .  Now how about you take proper care of your Little Mouse ?” They stroked the wounds they’d inflicted on the cambion’s own back, digging a talon in one moment and soothing the swollen welts with balms the next.

For his part, the master of the house was carefully holding Tav in his lap, letting the healing pool slowly do its work, watching as wounds knitted closed and allowing her to relax further until only her head was above water.  “I could so easily just drown you right here, Little Mouse, and you’d never even know.” He mused, mostly to himself. There was as little chance of her hearing him as there was actual intention behind his words. “Oh you would never.” Haarlep laughed, not letting the chance to mock their so-called master slip through their clawed fingers. “Let her up a little again, that filthy hair needs a wash. Even a Little Rat should get clean now and then.”

“Rat,” Raphael tested the word, deciding it felt entirely wrong on his tongue, “where did that come from?”

“Never you mind about that,” they deflected his comment easily, pouring a little scented soap into their hands and working it into Tav’s hair, carefully massaging her scalp. “Just was her body down, and use that salve on the bruises, if you please.” Her eyelids fluttered a little, but he could feel her body had yet to regain its strength, muscles completely relaxed in the most dangerous place she could possibly be…and yet she could also be no safer than held between two fiends in the middle of Avernus. The irony might have amused her, had she been able to form a thought yet.

---

Tav was somewhere. Drifting, her consciousness afloat in another space, barely aware of the soothing feeling of gentle hands and healing waters. One by one, her senses returned to her. She moaned softly at the feeling of claws gently combing through her hair, the scent of the soaps warm and delightful. The other warm thing was the…pillow? Wall? Whatever soft and firm thing it was that she was laid against. “A lost little mouse, scurried through the house, looking for all the things she should not find. Footsteps, tippy tap, the mouse tripped the trap, leaving all her dreams behind.” The rumbling of the deep voice vibrated through the wall…no, the chest, her head was leaning on. Her eyelids fluttered, the world still a blur of ambient light, the feeling of cool water becoming clearer as she moved her fingers to test if they were still there at all. All present and accounted for , she thought, relieved. There were places on her body that stung and ached, but this seemed to be dissolving away. “Slowly, Little Mouse, do not run too fast. Trip now, and the fall could be your last.” The voice was closer now as she became more fully present in her body. Tav suddenly realised who it belonged to, a swell of panic rising up from her guts as that little part of her mind that had been screaming danger for hours finally made itself heard. Oh fu- “Drink up, Thief. You might as well enjoy the spoils of your adventures to the full~ Oh, and consider the deal on hold, for now.” The owner of the second voice came into view, holding out a large chalice. “Drink first, there’s food after. You did so very well, I’m almost impressed.” They understated their satisfaction, unwilling to give too much praise to a mere scrap of a mortal…yet not withholding their smile either. “We can discuss exactly what in the hells you were doing here later. I look forward to hearing your excuses, Little Mouse, so do make them entertaining.” His voice was cold and flat, yet his arms remained around her, not yet willing to cast her aside even though she was recovering. ---

[asleepinawell]

i'm in some sort of Mood about finishing the kh series (for a given value of finished) since I've been playing it since kh1 on ps2 a million years ago but instead of dealing with that i'm going to write my mini retrospective of the titles based on my replay

rest below the line

kh1

story - 7/10. it wasn't the most interesting but it was the first and laid the groundwork for the series. maleficent had a lot of screentime which is always a big plus. love her evil ass. it's also the start of the 'kairi never gets to do anything ever and gets kidnapped every time she tries' persisting problem in the whole series

gameplay - 6/10. feels a bit clunky now in comparison to some of the newer ones. it was harder than some later ones, but mostly because of wonky control issues and not great boss fights. but it's very playable and fun still. mushrooms do a little dance and shake their butt at you. i will never not feel nostalgic about traverse town music. THANK GOD YOU CAN SKIP THE PRE FIGHT CUTSCENES ON RETRIES NOW OH MY GOD YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ONE BEFORE THE DARK RIKU FIGHT WAS LIKE TEN MINUTES AND BACK IN THE DAY YOU HAD TO REWATCH IT EVERY TIME AAHHHHJHHH *i am tranquilized and removed from the room*

re: chain of memories

story - 8/10. i love the focus on the organization 13 internal drama. bitches are running around bad mouthing and killing each other. larxene is a constant joy. marluxia is pretty and goes swish swish and makes flowers. axel was an instant fave. zexion is a shitty twink and i do so love shitty twinks. there was some disney stuff too i guess

gameplay - 2/10. the first time i played it my brother was crashing at my apartment and watching me play and got very into making cool deck combos. so i had him do that for me and i did the combat and the fun sibling shenanigans got me through it. this time i quit after thirty minutes and watched the cutscenes on youtube. it's just so repetitive and meh

358/2 days

story - 7/10. that's too many soras! put some back! story was a bit slow at times but i did enjoy seeing the daily life of the organization and axel/saïx handling their divorce so so well. needed more demyx

gameplay - it's packaged as a movie now so i did not replay the game and can't fairly rate it. i remember it being not the best combat but not terrible for a ds game

kh2

story - 8/10. it would get higher but the fact the beginning is incomprehensible if you haven't played com and 358 loses it some points....i had not played com when i got kh2 and boy howdy. it made more sense on the replay of course and yeah it's a good story. obsessed with how maleficent remains one of the main recurring characters in this series and just Does Shit from time to time because why not. god forbid women do anything etc. also the gay divorce continues to go terribly. saïx is handling this so well i say as he goes into berserk mode again. needed more riku screentime tho

gameplay - 9/10. huge upgrade from previous titles. it was very fun and fluid. the form shifts were a great addition. there were a lot of options but it didn't feel overwhelming or like it disrupted combat. my only real complaint was it felt a bit too on rails at some parts... like cutscene, battle, walk three steps repeat. oh and i hated the gummi missions but i am a gummi hater in general. oh also antiform was amazing. sora can turn into a feral creature... as a treat

birth by sleep

story - 10/10. fuck i love birth by sleep. aqua my beloved daughter who is the most terrifying keyblade master ever. terra my troubled son who got fucked over by shitty adults on an hourly basis. ven the thousand year old little kid who has never caught a break once. also hey it's xehanort and he also has ex husband drama. only note is that aqua should get to say fuck

gameplay - 10/10. the command deck was right up my alley and command forms were the best form gameplay they've done. i loved how all three kids had a unique style and abilities. i loved melding cards and gems to make new cards. i enjoyed playing monopoly. i thought it was the best game in the series when i first played it and that remains true

re:coded

story - 6/10. it was okay? it was largely a rehash but did add a few things. my friend and i kept saying welcome back alvis whenever data riku used a computer so that was fun

gameplay - this was also presented as a movie in the bundle so i won't score it. i don't even remember how it was from way back when i played it

dream drop distance

story- 9/10. the games that switch between multiple perspectives seem to be my favorites and i think it's partly that it makes the story more interesting. the time traveling norts were a bit wtf but that's just an inescapable part of the series. inspired me to get twewy which i will be playing next. MEOW WOW!!!!!

gameplay - 9/10. flowmotion was really neat and fit the style well. i loved the pokemon aspect so much you have no idea. i was a little sad you couldn't meld command cards but it would have been Too Much with all the other stuff going on. a few fights near the end had some really dumb mechanics (the type where when you look up a guide it just says good luck) but there were also some excellent ones. i do think it lost a little something in the port because the stylus on 3ds was important. however there is nothing is quite as satisfying as seeing meow wow hit xehanort with giant bouncy orbs so I'm willing to forgive it a lot

union x/back cover/dark road

story - 9/10. i was shocked how much i enjoyed the story of these. i got very invested and i was only watching the cutscenes, not playing. really interesting world building and the master of masters was an instant fave. one of the only kh titles that passes (barely) the bechdel somehow. also could be retitled as kh: dead kids, because boy did a lot of kids die! extra points for maleficent managing to set major events in motion twice and being very eh whatever about it. love her for that. and the backstory of the xehanort/eraqus divorce, of course. i love a good divorce

gameplay - didn't play this one, just watched ELEVEN HOURS of cutscenes. no longer available which is hilarious considering how much important lore is in it that is referenced in kh3. hopefully they make it into a single player offline game someday with better gameplay

fragmentary passage

story - 8/10. very short but filled in some gaps. i love aqua so i was predisposed to love this one

gameplay - 8/10. it felt like a rough draft for kh3 and that meant it didn't have all the annoying extra crap kh3 added in and played pretty smoothly. i liked the little puzzles. it was a unique game and i enjoyed it more than i expected

kh3

story - 6/10. the fact i had to sit through entire disney movies worth of cutscenes brings the score way down. we did not need to see 3 musical numbers in frozen. if i wanted that I'd watch the movie. i just wanted to play the damn game. the majority of the game is sora got benched and has to get his groove back which was very disappointing for the climatic finale to the series. once i got into the end game though it was much better (i would rate the later game stuff way above a 6 which just makes my frustration with earlier stuff worse). re:mind added in the bits i felt were missing and i came away satisfied overall with the wrap up. axel/saïx had divorce arc three and then got back together finally 🏳️‍🌈🥂🎉. xehanort/eraqus also got back together as they fucked off to be gay in the afterlife. finally we are free of the norts (OR ARE WE???) and the master and the foretellers are slated to come back next from the looks of things. maleficent continues to hang out in the wings waiting for opportunities to #girlboss and I'm excited too see what cataclysmic events she sets off next

so that's it. i did watch the brief melody of a memory scenes but there wasn't too much new there. i may watch the cs from the missing link beta at some point. otherwise it's back to my life long journey of waiting for the next title to drop

gameplay - 5/10. ugh. i bought the game when it came out but between the full length disney movies and the over saturated gameplay gimmicks i didn't get far. this time i powered through and by the end i was enjoying it for the most part because I'd figured out what things to ignore and how to avoid them. attractions were the worst addition to gameplay ever. everything was too flashy. way too many instances of being locked in a "cool" transition animation instead of actually doing combat which broke up the flow of things. i missed the command deck and how much it let you customize your play style. i didn't like the keys being locked to command forms as much as the bbs forms since it meant if you had a keyblade with better stats but hated the special on it you were kinda fucked. this became less of a problem as the game went but was still annoying. overall felt like a step back from the others. they tried to do too much. oh also why were there ten thousand instances of having to learn new controls for some new mini game in every area??? just let me hit things i am begging you. it really felt like they went for cool spectacles over satisfying gameplay

general notes on all of them: i enjoyed the story much more this time due to being able to play them in order. the fact they all released on different platforms originally made the complicated story even more confusing since i couldn't afford to buy a new system every time a new one came out. i really hope they veer away from that practice in the future but i kinda doubt it especially since they've got another mobile game lined up already. while the disney stories were fun early on it felt like the story outgrew them (except for the characters who were in the main story as well like mickey and maleficent) and they were kinda a drag by 3. i doubt they can move away from those since they're the whole gimmick of the series but it would be better imo. deeply worried they'll start bringing in newer disney acquisitions.

one of my biggest complaints about the series has always been how few female characters there are and how little many of them are used. it got slightly better later in the series but overall was still not great, especially for kairi. i kept wondering if they added stuff for her in re:mind due to complaints about this.... the dlc felt like an apology for several things tbh. aqua was great but she shouldn't be the only one and even she got upstaged in kh3 when she's supposed to be the third most powerful keyblade master. weirdly enough maleficent was probably the best written female character. really wild how much she wove into the plot and affected events so much without even trying to (especially in union x). she should fire pete though (i think she should hire demyx)

I'd like to see them let you play as characters other than sora more often since that was always really neat (he's had a billion games to himself now). I'd love a kairi and aqua game but i can imagine square and disney both clutching their pearls over female protagonists

something i noticed was that playing them when i was older i liked sora much better. when i started the series as a teenager i found him annoying. as an adult i have more sympathy and tolerance for teenaged boys who are Going Through It. growth or something