#There was a very special set of circumstances that brought her into our lives

[arlo-venn]

Who is Ottile? I thought you had two cats and one was named Dinova??? Where did a third one come from..🤨

You’re correct! It was originally Rory and Dinova. There’s still only two, but here’s the story:

Chapter One:

When Rory and Dinova came to live with me here after the surrender prevention program they were in, Dinova became severely depressed. Worse than I’d ever seen her; she’d always struggled with Arlo, but even with medication and time to adjust, she wasn’t coping— she would not leave from her shelf in the tool room/basement cat room, stopped eating, stopped grooming. So even though it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, I had to allow the people from the surrender prevention program to find her a more suitable home. They did, and although I’m not allowed to know the details of where she is or who she’s with, I do know that she’s happier and healthier now, and she’s in a home with no dogs. I know it may seem terrible to rehome my eldest child for being unable to cope with my youngest, but Arlo would not be okay without me (and I wouldn’t be okay without him), whereas Dinova can be taken care of by anyone so long as they’re loving and are able to provide a space that she feels comfortable in. I wasn’t able to provide that for her.

Before we lost our home, I’d moved us into a larger, two bedroom home for the same reason— she wasn’t coping in a smaller space with Arlo, even after a few years. Unfortunately, even once I’m approved for disability, I will never realistically be able to afford a home large enough to accommodate the space she needs to comfortably live with a dog again. It would have been selfish of me to keep her with us just because I loved her.

Chapter Two:

Rory had never been an only cat before, not ever in her life. She’d also gone through the trauma of losing her home and her parent for a whole year without being able to understand why, only to lose her sister not long after being reunited with her parent in a bizarre new environment. So, after Dinova left, Rory became incredibly depressed. My silly goofy silky wind ferret alien thing was confused and lethargic and wouldn’t play, not even with her buddy Arlo. This lasted for some time with no improvement.

Eventually, Tyrell adopted Ottilie for Rory. How I came to find and select Ottilie is a whole story in itself, for another day maybe, but— Tyrell paid for Ottilie to be adopted and agreed to cover any emergency vet costs that may arise until we’re back on our feet (and cat food when I am unable to cover it myself). Once we brought her home, Rory was back to normal almost instantaneously. Not only that, but— while Dinova did love Rory, she was still always very standoffish with other pets and had trained Rory not to engage in play with her. Ottilie is the exact opposite— she’s brave and bold, playful and silly, and not shy with any animal, so over time Ottilie re-taught Rory how to play with her own species. It was very sweet watching Rory figure it all out.

Tyrell was also okay with adopting Ottilie because she and Thom had recently lost their 18+ year old gray cat, Winky, which was very very hard on them both. So on top of filling the Dinova shaped hole for Rory (and me), it also filled the little gray cat shaped hole in their hearts, too. Rory is happier than I’ve ever seen her. Ottilie has a home. Wherever she is, Dinova is happy and thriving for the first time in almost 7 years. Tyrell and Thom’s hearts are a little more soothed. My guilt is practically cured.

[bohobooks]

Detention- (Garreth x Sharp!reader)

Description: As the daughter of ex-auror and current potions professor Aesop Sharp, Y/n has lived a pretty straight edged life. Well, that is she did, before she met a certain Weasley who gave her a taste of mischief. This time, though they didn't move fast enough and have to deal with the consequences.

Warnings: slight spice, swearing.

✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷

"Shit, run!" Garreth sprung from our vantage point in the dark corridor where we had set up to watch our firework display light up the Great Hall. My attention came back to the present, where we were sprinting past the house hourglasses and out the doors heading quickly to the doors leading outside. 

"A few feet, just a few more feet-" Garreth huffed under his breath as we neared the wooden doors. 

I pull out my wand and aim for the doors, intending to have them open by the time we reach them, "Accio!" 

A few students dodge out of our path as we near the door. Just as it was in reach, another voice rang out through the hall, sending the few remaining students skittering down the corridors.

"Colloportus!" The doors slam shut violently just as we reach them, causing Garreth to stop abruptly. Momentum sent me striking into his back, sending us both to the floor. My wand rolls to the side, and I scurry on my hands and knees to grab it when it flies out of my grasp. 

My eyes follow it, knowing who I was about to see. Surely enough, as Garreth and I sat there- his hand still holding my wrist- none other than Professor Weasley and my father approach. My eyes find father's first, searching them for his reaction. Instantly, I wish I wouldn't have. He was pissed.

Garreths hand slides down from my wrist to find my hand and squeeze tightly as Professor Weasley begins to speak, "One would think," her tone was as sharp as my fathers gaze, "That having family members in the schools faculty would make certain students behave."

My father brought a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I don't know what to do with the two of you. Detention for the rest of the month."

"Dad! That's unfair! It was just fireworks!" I whine. Surely a month of detention was a bit overkill for just a few fireworks, right?

"Your fireworks," Professor Weasley began, "Set Duncan Hobhouse's robes alight."

Beside me, Garreth chuckles, and I drive my elbow into his side.

"The pair of you are lucky that a classmate nearby was quick thinking enough to put out the flames before they damaged anything other than mere clothing!"

"We couldn't have set Puffskein Dunkien on fire with the fireworks! They were our new invention, specially made for indoor use! If they could catch people on fire I'd be an inferi by now!"

"I don't want to hear it!" Professor Weasley barked, "To your dorms, both of you! And I expect to see you bright and early for detention tomorrow!"

◇◇◇◇◇◆◇◇◇◆◇◇◇◇◆◇◇◇◇◆◇◇◇◇

The morning sun stained the sky vivid colors that in any other circumstances I'd find beautiful. I trudged down the winding path of the hill to the unused cottage at the edge of the property where Professor Weasley's owl had instructed me to be.

It was a quaint little thing, definitely needing some love, but I could see wonderful memories being made here in the future. The door opens as I approach, the crunch of frost underneath my boots alerting to my presence, as my father steps out. Behind him, Garreth follows quietly.

"Good morning, darling." Dads voice hinted that he was still angry, but the fact he was referring to me as anything but a troubled student was a good sign, "Today, you will be cleaning this hut by hand. No magic use, understood?"

"Yes, sir." I mumbled.

"Very good. A house elf will bring you your meals, and I don't want to see you at the castle until sunset." I watched as he began up the hill, rolling my eyes.

I wait until father is out of earshot, turning to Garreth, "We both agree that there's no possible way our fireworks set Duncan on fire, right?"

Garreth laughed, turning to head back into the hut, "Oh, agreed. I have a certain pair of Slytherins looking into that whole thing."

The inside of the hut was an absolute dusty mess, filled with dead bugs and cobwebs. I grab a broom and prop open the door so the dirt can escape.

"Sebastian and Ominis?" I ask, disbelieving, "How on earth did you manage to talk them into it?"

Garreth grabbed the other broom, sweeping along side me, "Oh, when it comes to Puffskein Dunkien, Gaunt doesn't need convincing at all."

I chuckle, thinking about all of the times I've heard Ominis giving Duncan grief in the hall. "I just wonder what he really did to get set on fire? Did that little rat really just stick his sleeve into a candle flame?"

Garreth snorted, "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised."

A few quiet moments passed before garreth threw his broom to the ground, "This is impossible! We aren't even making a dent!"

The sudden commotion startles me, causing me to inhale the dust cloud Garreth had stirred up. In a fit of coughing, I stumble my way out of the cottage. Once my lungs deemed the air clean enough, I fell to my butt in the damp dew-ridden grass, attempting to gulp in air.

Garreth rushed out and kneeled infront of me, "Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

Vision diluted with tears, my eyes find Garreths face. His pale skin was reddened so much he reminded me of a tomato. A laugh bubbled up through the gasps, and next thing I know the reason I can breath is laughter.

Garreth, instead of looking on like I was insane, began laughing along side me. Together we sat and laughed, and when the laughter died down Garreth spoke between attempts to catch his breath, "Why are you even laughing?"

I reach forward and trace a line along his cheek, "Has anyone ever told you you turn red when you're worried?"

The boy scoffs, lightly slapping away my hand and pulls me to my feet, "Once or twice. Although it happens when I'm angry, sad, tired- you name it. It's part of the ginger curse." He wiggled his fingers at me, quickly springing towards me in attempt to tickle me.

I squeal, running into the hut and grabbing my broom for protection. Garreth walks in hands above his head, imitating a monster. He dropped his voice dramatically low "No broom can stop the tickle monster."

I laugh as he gets closer, weilding the broom infront of me, "Please, no! I'll clean this entire place by myself if you just swear not to-"

Garreth lunges, knocking the broom out of my hands and begins to tickle my stomach. Uncontrollable laughter leaves my lips as I attempt to back out of his grasp, until my back hits the table. Stuck leaning against the wooden piece of furniture, I just keep laughing and attempting to push the redhead away.

His hands stop moving, and I open my eyes to see his face only a few inches from mine suddenly looking very serious. His eyes bore into mine, and I can tell he is thinking. Debating.

Not moving he begins to speak carefully, as if he was afraid the words that left his lips would scare me away. "Only you," his voice was low and deep, "Could make this dreadful task enjoyable."

His eyes flicked down to my lips, his tongue running over his bottom lip briefly before he bites it. He really appears to be holding something back, his eyes full of conflict. His face begins to turn red, small blotches traveling down his neck and onto his chest.

Despite the tension in the moment, I begin to giggle, "Gare, you're turning red again."

My laughter breaks something in him, letting loose that bit of resolve he had. He let's out a breathy laugh, "Fuck it."

Suddenly, his lips are on mine. The kiss is rough- needy, as if he had been holding himself back from this for ages. His hands, still on my waist drop to my hips and lift me up so I'm perched on the edge of the table. He moves his body in between my legs, pulling me closer to him.

My hands find their way into his hair, fingers tangled in the red locks. When I pull, he let's out a small noise, a moan, really. He takes that moment to decide to pull his lips from mine, leaving us still so close that I could feel his ragged breath heave his chest into mine.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this here, love." Garreth laughed looking down at me, "If we continue, I won't be able to stop, and I really don't want your dad to walk in on that."

"They'd never leave us alone again," I laugh, "I'm pretty sure the only reason they leave us alone together is because they think we are only friends."

Garreth smiled down at me, "I take it that means we're not just friend?"

I can only scoff, pulling him close, "Not after that, no."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BONUS: The Slytherin Boy's and the Investgation of the Flaming Hobhouse.

"Shush, I can hear him and his friends coming." Ominis crouched behind the potted plant in one of the many sitting areas in the Dark Arts Tower. To anyone else, the two boys hiding in the corner would appear to be nothing more than a shimmer- a minor displacement of light.

"He has friends?

"Shush, Sebastian."

"It was the perfect opportunity," Duncan's obnoxious voice rang loudly down the hallway, causing the hair on the back of Ominis's neck to raise. Oh man, did he really hate this git. "The second the fireworks began I knew I had the perfect opportunity to not only get those freaks in trouble, but even get a brand new robe out of it."

Sebastian went to stand, but Ominis stopped him. He gestured to the magical recorder in his hand, and Sebastian slowly lowered back down.

Meanwhile, Duncan continued talking, "All I had to do was hold my sleeve over one of the candles they have on the table. I knew they could afford buying me a new robe. I mean they're family of Professors here."

Ominis stood up, dropping the disillusionment charm. Sebastian quickly following suit.

"Well Ominis, I think that's all we need." Sebastian spoke comically loud, sure to catch Duncan's attention.

"I agree Sebastian," Ominis brushed off his robe, "Gee, this recorder sure is nifty. I say we go show Professor Sharp. I think he'd love it."

Duncan's bravado dropped, and he began to approach the pair of Slytherins, "Gaunt, Sallow. Please don't. Please, I'll do anything."

Ominis pointed his wand at Duncan, beginning to walk backwards, "Come any closer, Hobhouse, and I'll melt your eyebrows off. Now, if you excuse us. We are off to see a Professor."

Sebastian turned to face Duncan as Ominis began to stride away. The boy pretended to search his pockets, then pulled out his middle finger, mouthing a proud, "Fuck you."

[chloe-spade]

Frozen Heart Prologue: Beware the Frozen Heart

Na na na heia na

Na hi ja na

Na heia heia na

Ja no a Na ha

Ha na hei o Ja na

No a na ha ha ja Ha ha ja

No a no Na ja

No a heia no Na va ja

No a no Na ja va na

No a heia no

No a no Na va ja

No a no Na va

Na na na heia na

Na hi ja na

⛄

This was a tale of two brothers, each unique in their way. The eldest, Malleus, exuded a calm and revered aura, while the youngest, Silver, was gentle and caring, especially towards the animal friends he had made. Yet, amidst these differences, their love for each other and the affection their father bestowed upon them remained unwavering.

But there is also one more difference that the brothers had.

⛄

Do you want to build a snowman?

C'mon let's go and play

I could cover this whole place in snow

I'm not supposed to though

Yeah, just do it anyway

Do it for your brother

Malleus, please, oh please

I can't do the things you do

⛄

Malleus was born with the extraordinary power to create snow and ice, a gift that set him apart from others. However, with his brother's unwavering support and the joy he brought to Silver with their shared snowman creations, Malleus learned to embrace his magic. This acceptance and the bond with his brother filled him with pride and empowerment.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Cheered Silver as he felt the magic around them.

⛄

You really want to build a snowman? ("You know I do!")

We'll stay up late and build that snowman! ("Yes!")

Me and you

Na na hi ja na

Na na hi ja na

Once there was a family beloved by all

A king, and two princes

And the story starts when they were small

⛄

"Boys, what have you been up to?"King Lilia laughed.

"Nothing!" The brothers called out mischievously as they watched the nanny waddle with her frozen butt, a sight that never failed to make them burst into laughter.

"I wish I had your powers," Pouted Silver.

"Me too."

King Lilia was the boys adoptive father, both under odd circumstances. Malleus's mother was unfortunately poisoned when Malleus was barely a year old, and Lilia was her proudest knight, especially her general. But on her deathbed, she made Lilia King of her kingdom and the father of her young son, Malleus.

He found Silver a few years later when Malleus was only 103. He was a young baby stuck in an unfortunate snowstorm, and his hair was as white as the snow around him. Lilia took him under his wing, and he took him in as his own for Malleus' amusement.

⛄

Malleus was a special child

From his first frozen tear

His magic filled his parents' hearts

With so much love and fear

⛄

"Malleus, no!" Lilia gasped. "What did we say?"

"Magic must stay a secret," Malleus sighed, "I'm sorry, Father."

"And there's just some things we can't do in public," Lilia added, sighing.

"Like run naked in the breeze!" Silver joked.

"Silver…"

⛄

Let the sun shine on

Let our hearts be light

Like this perfect, happy, shiny, summer day

Let the sun shine on

'Cause it's all alright

Together we can keep the storm at bay

⛄

King Lilia couldn't help but worry about Malleus's magic later in life, especially since he seemed to manage it quite well. However, the future can be very uncertain, and he hopes that one day, he can learn why Malleus was born with such an incredibly magical and potentially dangerous gift. He did promise Malleus's late mother that he would before her passing.

"Handshake time!" Silver announced, grabbing Malleus's arm.

"Okay, ready?"

⛄

One, two, three together

Clap together, snap together

You and me together

Knees together, freeze together

Up or down together

Princes crown together

Always be together

You and me!

Once there was a family

With secrets to keep

As rulers in a land

Where respect for the crown runs deep

⛄

"Freeze my butt!" Silver suggested, laughing.

"No way!" Malleus gagged.

⛄

And so the royal family is ever on display (Na na hi ja na)

And people loved the princes (Na na hi ja)

And watch them as they play

Let the sun shine on

Let our lives be free

Let the promise of our land be sure and strong

Let our hearts be warmed by this melody

All of winter long

No a no Na ja

No a heia no Na va ja

No a no Na ja va na

No a heia no

Na va ja na va

Let the sun shine on

Over Arendelle

Let the crown be strong

And let your love be true

Bless our children fair

Who we love so well

We will look to you

⛄

Stars appeared as Malleus and Silver played on the floor; underneath them were full of snow and ice figurines that Silver had made to create a small castle.

"And do you think we should have a royal stable?" Malleus pondered as he started to create some horses.

"Oh, most definitely." Silver nodded. "A prince always should have a horse; I heard it's supposed to be very princely."

Malleus laughed as Silver directed him to create the stables and the horses, but he couldn't complain. He loved his spunky younger brother and his crazy ideas; they gave him some reason to practice his magic and learn what he could do.

It always made him feel happy.

But that fun was shortened as Lilia walked in and couldn't help but laugh at the two on the floor.

"Oh my," Lilia giggled. "I can see why Silver loves horses so dearly. And always wants Malleus to make ice horses," he cleared his throat. "Alright, boys. It's time for bed. You know we have to meet up with the Kingscholars tomorrow morning."

"Ugh, not them again." Malleus groaned. "Leona's always so mean to me."

"Yes, but in order to be in peace, we have to get along," Lilia smiled and helped the boys onto their beds. "I can promise you that tomorrow will be much more fun than last time. But we need our boys nice and well rested."

Silver huffed. "Yeah, you can not get me to sleep."

"I can't?" Lilia challenged.

"Never!"

Lilia giggles as he takes Epel in his arms and starts to sing.

❤️‍🔥

Where the North wind meets the sea

There's a river full of memory

Sleep, my darling, safe and sound

For in this river, all is found

❤️‍🔥

Lilia smiles as she hears Silver's tiny snores. He kisses his forehead before tucking him into the bed, then turns over to Mallues, carefully holding him in her arms, and sings more.

❤️‍🔥

In her waters, deep and true

Lie the answers and a path for you

Dive down deep into her sound

But not too far, or you'll be drowned

Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear

And in her song, all magic flows

But can you brave what you most fear?

Can you face what the river knows?

❤️‍🔥

Malleus always loves his mother's old lullaby. He doesn't know why, but he always gets good dreams whenever he listens to them before bed. His mother always ensures he's tucked in, which makes him feel even better. He stared at Lilia before he slowly drifted into sleep.

❤️‍🔥

Where the North wind meets the sea

There's a mother full of memory

Come, my darling, homeward-bound

When all is lost, then all is found

❤️‍🔥

Lilia smiled as they watched his sons fall asleep deep into the night.

Or so they thought.

����

Silver couldn't help but wake up. But he noticed the sun's peak through the dark sky, still yet to rise. And as his father's says, as soon as the sun's awake, so does Silver.

So, it wasn't a surprise that Silver decided to bother Malleus at the peak of dawn. It was always hard to wake up his older brother, but he knew that jumping onto him worked, as he noticed Malleus's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, creaking one eye open.

"Silver," he yawned. "Go to bed. You know that today's important.."

"I know, but the sun's awake, so I'm awake! I need to play somethinhg!"

Malleus pouted as he pushed Silver off the bed. "Go play by yourself then. I need my sleep."

Silver, now on the floor, pouted. But his eyes brightened with an idea that Malleus could not refuse.

So he climbed back onto Malleus's bed, using his hands to force Malleus's eyes open.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Malleus looked at Silver with a sly grin. Even if he wanted to say no, Malleus couldn't pass up an opportunity like that. So, much to Silver's excitement, he got up and quickly and quietly went into the throne room, only the lights from the windows illuminating it.

"Come on!" Silver urged. "Do the magic!"

Malleus giggled and swirled his hands together, creating a snowball floating midair.

"Ready?"

"Yes!"

Malleus releases the snowball into the air, and with a burst, snow begins to fall. Silver jumped up and down, cheering excitedly.

"How about this?"

The floor becomes ice with a stomp on the ground, and they can skate on it. Malleus watched as Silver began to slide away, making him giggle, but that was only the beginning of the night.

"You know," Malleus hummed, "there’s a recipe to making a proper snowman."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh!"

❄️

A little bit of you, a little bit of me

A part that loves to dream

A part that swings from a tree

A little like me, a little like you

A part that’s nice

A part that’s naughty too

A loyal friend who is there no matter what

A big round belly

And a big bouncy butt!

He’ll love warm hugs and the bright sunlight

And he’ll really love the summer

But he’ll melt!

Yeah, You’re right

Oh! So we’ll build him back together

Yes, together, that’s the key

‘Cause he’s a little bit of you and me

⛄

"Okay, time for bed." Malleus laughed as he started to walk towards the door.

"What? No!" Silver gasped and went in front of Malleus, blocking him. "Time for more magic, please, and thank you!"

"Silver, you know I’m not supposed even to be doing this!" Malleus reminded. "And father will-"

"But your magic is the most beautiful, wonderful, perfectful thing in the whole wide world!" Silver complimented, his eyes looking amazed.

"Do you really think so?" Mallues pondered, feeling honored.

"Yes! So do it, please, before I burst from inside to outside!" Silver cheered and jumped.

"Okay, okay, don’t burst!"

Against his better judgment, Malleus created more snow, recreating mountains of it for sledding.

"Whoa!"

⛄

A little bit of you, a little bit of me

You do the magic, and I get to see

A little bit of fun

A little bit of fun in the middle of the night

A little bit of magic and it all takes flight

⛄

Malleus continued with Silver's urging. He couldn't help it, as it may be the last time before hiding his powers forever if his parents ever so desired, and it's nice to have fun with his younger brother.

Silver started to jump onto the mountains of snow, with Malleus creating more for Silver to jump on.

⛄

La la la lala lalala la la

This is so amazing! More, more, more!

A little bit of you!

Magic! Magic! Do it, Malleus, do it more!

A little bit of me

Me me me me me me me

Little bit of you, little bit of me!

Yippee!

⛄

Malleus laughed, but due to his excitement, he slipped down on the ice as Silver jumped again. Malleus, panicking, tried to create a new one, but with a slip of his fingertips, a sliver of ice magic zoomed toward Silver, striking him in the forehead. Luckily for Malleus, Silver landed on a new smaller amount of snow but was unresponsive.

"Silver!" Malleus cried out, rushing towards his unconscious brother. "Papa!"

He began to hold Silver close, the ground frozen as the snow crumbled around him. He watched as Silver's silver hair streak became a pale blue.

"It's ok, Silver, I got you," Malleus whispered, holding his brother close.

The doors slammed open as Lilia emerged, rushing towards his sons.

"Malleus! What happened?" Lilia asked. "This has officially gotten out of hand."

"It was an accident," Malleus whimpered."I'm sorry, Silver,"

Lilia picked up Silver and gasped at the sensation of his skin. "He's ice cold. What should we do," Lilia paused. "I know where we need to go, but we need to rush!"

Grabbing Malleus and a nearby horse, they zoomed toward the forest and onto the rocky mountains. As they began to walk, leaving the horses, Malleus looked around and saw geysers spilling warm mist into the air.

"Where are we?" Malleus gulped.

"The home of the trolls," Lilia explained. "They can help Silver."

Malleus nodded as they walked through. He clutched onto his father, trying to control the ice that formed beneath him, but it was futile.

"Hello!" he heard his father say. "Please, you have to help my son!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Malleus whispered.

The shuffle of rocks collided with each other as they quickly zoomed past the family before revealing themselves as trolls. Trolls are known for having magic that extends generations, and they often help the unfortunate, so it was a good idea to bring Silver to them.

"What is the problem?" Asked The Elder Troll.

"My son, he was accidentally stricken with ice magic," Lilia explained, bowing down for the troll to feel Silver.

The Elder Troll raised his hand over Silver, feeling his cold forehead.

"It's not too serious," he mumbled, "but you should be lucky it wasn't his heart. This can be fixed by magic."

With the waves of his hand, The Elder Troll created various memories of Silver and Malleus playing in the throne room full of snow, but with the wave of his hands, each memory was transformed into a snowy mountain with formal winter wear.

"I have to get rid of each memory of magic," the Elder Troll explained. But you shall not worry; though he may not remember the magic, I will remain the fun."

"But he won't remember that I have magic?" Malleus asked. "That's unfair."

"I know," Lilia sighed. "But it's for the best."

"Oh, dear Malleus," The Elder Troll spoke up, leading Malleus towards him. "You, like your mother, have extraordinary magic, but with magic like yours…it's a gift, but it's an unfornate curse."

The Elder Troll waved his hand to create a view of Malleus using his magic, creating a magical snowflake. However, once he mentioned the word 'cursed, ' it turned red, and black mist created different mobs surrounding them.

"With dangerous magic, it can cause trouble. And with people who do not understand it," The Elder Troll explained. "They will find any ways to destroy it."

Malleus watched as the mob surrounded him and went to attack him, which caused him to rush towards Lilia in fear, now crying.

"Please, do not scare my son," Lilia lectured. "This will be avoided. We will do whatever it will take for him to control his magic. Malleus, do you understand?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then we shall be careful. We have to limit your contact with some of our people. No one should know," Lilia explained. "You will practice controlling it until you are ready. Until then, we have to do what we must….which means you and Silver.."

"Have to be seperated?"

"Only for the time being, I'm sure." Lilia smiled. "It's only for his protection. And don't worry, there will be times that you two will be together."

"I worry it could be a lifetime," the Elder Troll spoke. "But I do trust your judgement, King Lilia. Please to see it that Malleus is in full control of his powers."

"I will."

❤️‍🔥

"Mm," Silver groaned, nuzzling into the blankets.

"He's awake," Lilia announced. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Good morning, Father," Silver yawned. "What happened last night?"

"Oh, you were playing with Malleus and you hit your head," Lilia laughed and kissed his forehead. "Now, rest up and the maids will bring you tea in a moment."

"Thank you," Silver yawned. "Where's Malleus?"

"Getting ready for the day," Lilia answered. "Now sleep my son."

Lilia smiled and exited the room. Sighing, he walks over to Malleus's room, who is sadly staring at his mirror.

"You know this isn't permanent," Lilia said. "It's just until you can handle it. And I trust that you can, Malleus. Just hang in there."

"I will…I hope I can," gulped Malleus.

❤️‍🔥

A year has passed, and winter has arrived. Silver watched as the snow fell onto the ground excitedly. Silver rushed over to Malleus's room.

"It's snowing! Malleus!"

Silver grinned and knocked on the door.

🌷

Do you want to build a snowman?

C'mon let's go and play

I never see you anymore

Come out the door

It's like you've gone away

We used to be best buddies

🌷

Silver pouted, looking down underneath the door frame, trying to look for Malleus. But he couldn't find his older brother.

🌷

And now we're not

I wish you would tell me why

Do you want to build a snowman?

It doesn't have to be a snowman.

🌷

"Leave me alone, Silver."

Silver sighs and walks away, very upset.

"Okay, bye."

Malleus sighed. He was distraught that he made Silver cry, but it was for his protection. he didn't want to hurt Silver in the future, but he wouldn't if he practiced.

"I'm doing everything you said, Papa, and the gloves are helping!" Malleus grinned, happy.

"That's Good, but there will come a day when you have to stand before your people without them. You must be prepared for everything, Malleus. Now again," Lilia instructed.

"Conceal it, don't feel it," Malleus started.

"Don't let it show." Both finished.

Five years have passed since then; Silver, now only ten, rushed back towards Malleus's room, knocking on it again. He knows it's a loss, but he wants to try again. However, he was relieved that Malleus had started to hang out with Silver like he used to.

🌷

Do you wanna build a snowman?

Or ride our bikes around the halls?

I think some company is overdue

🌷

Malleus gasped as he saw Silver slumped onto the knight, pouting. He quickly rushed out to see Silver in the art gallery, jumping on the couches.

🌷

I've started talking to the pictures on the walls

Hang in there, Joan

It gets a little lonely

All these empty rooms

Just watching the hours tick by

🌷

"And what are you doing?" Malleus hid a laugh. "You look ridiculous."

"Letting the clock tick," Silver sighed sadly. "Oh! Malleus!"

Silver gasped and hugged his brother.

"It's great to see you too," Malleus laughed. "I can't believe you would talk to paintings all day."

"You're not around," Silver pouted. "So you don't have a say of what I do during my past time."

"Reading a book is a better idea." Malleus chuckles. "I hope you know that."

"Oh hush."

Malleus laughed, but his smile turned into a frown as he felt the ice beneath him. But he managed to keep his composure.

"How about we go outside together? Like a picnic."

"Yes! I'll ask the chef to make more sandwiches for us!"

Malleus watched Silver leave the room. Malleus groaned, upset that ice was forming around him.

"It's getting stronger! I can't laugh, I can't cry, I can't dream, I can't live without it bursting out!" Malleus hissed to himself. "Ok, Malleus, you got this. It's for Silver, remember that. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. You got this, Malleus..you got this."

"I got it!" Silver came back from the basket. "And I got your favoirte drinks as well, as it's hot outside."

"Yet, you ask me to build a snowman?"

"You like that question," Silver teased.

"I do. I do a lot," Malleus admitted.

"And besides, it does make me feel a little better with Father gone and all."

"It's only a few weeks, Silver," Malleus smiles. "You know Father, a strong and capable man who could survive a little war. He always writes to us."

"I know," Silver sighs as they enter the gardens. "I just wish it was all three of us, like old times."

"I wish that too." Malleus sat down. "Now, how about you tell me about your day? Other than talking to paintings?"

As Malleus listened to Silver, he felt worried about his powers. He wasn't supposed to be out of his room to talk to Silver, but what's the problem with being with his younger brother, even just for a short while?

"I'm so sorry," Malleus thought. "It's my fault we can't hang out like this like we used to, but once I manage my powers, I will. I know I will, I just have to pratice. But I hope that one day I get to tell you that you being here really helps my powers at bay. I am so lucky to have a brother lke you."

"Malleus!" called out a maid. "What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be in your room studying!"

"But, ma'am, it's just a small picnic, really." Malleus gasped as the maid dragged him away.

"I know but I am sorry, Malleus, but your father instructed that you stay in your room until your father has returned!"

"But-," Silver protested.

"Ah, let's not argue, Silver," the maid said. "Lest you also want to stay in your room, too?"

Silver backed up and looked down. "No, ma'am."

"That's what I thought."

🌷

Lilia came back only a few weeks later, but he was so severely injured that he was in a coma when he came back. When he woke up, he was happy to see his sons, both incredibly worried about him.

"My boys," he laughed. "I am so happy to see you again."

"I was so worried," Silver spoke, wiping his tears.

"So was I," Malleus added. "We thought you might've perished."

"Of course I wouldn't," Lilia laughed. "I have two sons that I still want to see. But I do have some unfortunate news."

"How unfornate?"

"Well, my advisor advised me that once Malleus become King, I will retire and step down as King. But that's not for a while, hm?"

"But I'm not ready," Malleus gasped.

"That's why I need to train you more than ever, Malleus," he said. "But don't worry, I'm still here. And look at you, managing yourself while I was gone. I am so proud of you, Malleus and you made a great king."

"I promise that I will work on it."

But the news made Malleus nervous, to the point that his room was covered in ice and snow. As he promised, he practiced his coronation every day. He was so busy that it was futile when Silver tried to get his attention.

Time had passed, and now Malleus was of age and ready to take care of the kingdom. He was still nervous, but he needed to calm down. Maybe he should take a walk?

He jumped as he heard a knock. It was Silver again.

🌷

Malleus?

Please, I know you're in there

I'm just wondering how you've been

Do you maybe want to take a walk

Or sit and talk or let me in?

Are you ready for tomorrow?

It's your big day. Is there anything I can do?

🌷

Malleus, against his better judgment, opened the door.

❄️

Do you wanna build a snowman?

❄️

Silver grinned and took Malleus's gloved hand. "How about a quick trip to the libary? Just the two of us?"

Malleus looked back at his room and nodded. "Perfectly fine with me."

[funsizedcrow]

ok the post got a few likes and one person responded so i will talk abt it. this ones for you @orange-enjoyer

Pizza Zelda: the zelda game me and my younger sister are creating by talking about it sometimes. other titles from our google doc include: "The Legend of Zelda: The Seal of Darkness" and "The Legend of Zelda: The Real Triforce was the Friends we Made Along the Way"

putting this under a cut because it is getting long.

It is called Pizza Zelda because the idea was spawned by a collection of things. The first was I was bored out of my mind in class and told my friend to give me things to draw and she told me to draw link as a fast food employee. i would post a picture of that but i dont currently have that sketchbook or a picture :(

the next thing was this one piece of concept art from breath of the wild: creating a champion. my older sister hates it, she thinks the idea of link wearing jeans is wrong. so obviously my link must wear jeans.

So, the story. It takes place a few generations after Spirit Tracks, where technology has progressed significantly, and Castle Town has become Castle City, a bustling metropolis. A few decades before the game, an expedition to Old Hyrule under the ocean, researchers brought up the "statue" of Ganondorf, with the master sword still embedded in his forehead. The statue has decayed significantly, and many scholars and sages feared that it meant the seal was also decaying with it, so they brought it to hyrule castle for safekeeping.

Unfortunately for them, they were very right about the seal decaying. and now i am going to copy and paste from our google doc.

The before: 

Link is a minimum wage employee at Mario’s Pizza. He is a delivery driver who sometimes dabbles in the kitchen. Unbeknownst to him, he is also the chosen hero of the goddesses, and the wielder of the triforce of courage

Zelda is the princess of Hyrule, and lives in the castle–right smack dab in the middle of the bustling Castle City. Her family has been charged with keeping watch over the Master Sword, which holds in place a seal, locking away the spirit of Demise. She is the next in the line of the blood of the Goddess Hylia, and has been training in combat for much of her life. 

Ganondorf is a chef, and an old childhood friend of Link’s. He works at his family store, Gerudo Gespacho. Despite ancient legends of the Gerudo stating that the male born every one hundred years is to become their chief, he is not anybody special. The Gerudo people have since become a democracy, and he has no wishes to become the politician. Unfortunately for him, he was born with the power of the triforce of power, leaving him a prime target for the spirit of Demise, in his quest to gain the full power of the triforce. 

The inciting incident: 

The seal has begun to crack, letting darkness and evil seep out. Link is sent to deliver a pizza order to Hyrule Castle, and a large pizza order too. However, due to unfortunate circumstances (fate), monsters happen to break into the castle at the exact same time. Zelda grabs Link (and the pizza), in an effort to drag him to safety. Somewhere in the commotion, Link and Zelda get separated, and Link ends up in the chamber of the Master Sword. 

Something deep inside of him tells him to pull it, and he does, easily. He uses the sword to cut down the monsters that appear, but in doing so, he has unleashed the seal, letting out the power of Demise.

The game:

 The pedestel/seal/whatever breaks into X number of pieces, scattered across Hyrule. He finds Zelda, who is horrified, and they set off on a quest to recover these pieces, in order to reseal Demise. 

Unfortunately, unleashing this seal also unleashed the power of Ganondorf, who’s power has made him a suitable host for Demise, who takes over his body. 

Link and Zelda explore Hyrule, going through dungeons and finding all of the pieces. At the end, when they are trying to finish it, they discover that there is one piece missing, and who has it but–Ganondorf! Link who knows and is friends with Ganondorf is horrified. 

They fight Ganon, and at the end, they put together the seal, which does not entirely work. Demise is re-sealed, and Ganondorf is freed, but cracks soon appear again.

 They speak to Impa, who informs them that the seal is not complete, not without the full power of the triforce. So they must journey to the three spirits of the Goddesses to unlock their full power, so that the Master Sword will be sufficiently powerful enough. 

Leaving the Master Sword behind in the seal, Link uses another weapon, and now Ganondorf is a playable character! They journey to the three goddesses, and go through dungeons. Each dungeon plays to the strengths of the character, eg dungeon of wisdom plays more towards zelda’s strengths (magic and long-range combat.)

At the end, they fight Demise, who has broken out of the seal) in a more monstrous form (think dark beast ganon), and use their combined powers to reseal him, leading to another few generations of peace and prosperity, before the cycle inevitably continues.

The actual gameplay i imagine would be somewhat of a cross between classic 2d zelda dungeon puzzles and a turn-based rpg fighting system, im thinking something like final fantasy vi. i think. idk its been a while since i watched my dad play thru that game lol.

anyways! art. i have zelda's character design pretty solid, and ive drawn link a few times but i havent fully decided on an outfit other than his work uniform. ganondorf's design is still a work in progress. unfortunately i do not currently have the sketchbook that has a lot of my design work but i did take a bunch of pictures of the zeldas i drew.

these are not finalized designs but its the only art i have in color. here's link and zelda, zelda in casual and formal outfits, link in casual and work uniform.

i have. So many drawings of my zelda. Heres a few highlights

and heres link

Heres some sketches of ganondorf i whipped up real fast bc i have nothing for him. well i know ive drawn him but i dont have those drawings. sigh.

[consumeronionbulletin]

Our Blues (2022)

Ever want to spend a few months living in a small community in Jeju island? Now's your chance...

This show is huge. It's a sprawling slice of life drama with twenty episodes and maybe two dozen main and supporting characters. It's great, but it's a huge investment and probably not for kdrama newbies. It's worth watching, without a doubt.

What Worked

The actors are all good and they all brought their A-game. The writing does an excellent job of giving the whole story of these characters. Even when the focus shifts to another character, the show still gives us updates on everyone and keeps their story going, which gives the audience this a feeling like you're watching the lives of a real community.

Also, the setting was amazing, and the camera work did an excellent job of highlighting that.

What Didn't Work

There were very few missteps in the writing or the acting. My biggest complaint was not getting as much time seeing my favorite characters as I liked. It's hard to fault a show that is over twenty hours, and still leaves you wanting more in places.

I will say, that sometimes it felt like the show wrapped things up a little too neatly in a couple of arcs, but it does such a good job of putting the messiness of these relationships out there, that I was okay with that. I even welcomed it as I just needed a chance to breathe.

The Performances

There's too much to cover in a decent amount of time. I'll sum up things as best I can.

Shin Min-a as Min Seon-ah. Her character's arc was one of the highlights for me, as it gave enough context and backstory to help me understand several of the other relationships, while providing a touching and realistic portrayal of someone going through a very difficult time. It's messy, and there are no easy answers, but it's very good viewing. I also liked the times when we got to go back and check up on her later on in the show, even briefly.

Lee Byung-hun as Lee Dong-seok. I really disliked this guy at the start of the show, though he was amusing at times. But the more I learned about his story, the more I felt for him and by the end I enjoyed him. Some of that is in the writing, but the performance is what shown through. You could tell that this was a guy that has been through some stuff, and he's still trying his best to care for others in his own gruff way. Special shoutout to Ryu Hae-jun as young Lee Dong-seok. The flashbacks worked so well because of his performance.

Lee Jung-eun as Jeong Eun-hee. The actress does a good job of making this character fun and lovable while still being prickly and difficult. Her arc at the start of the show was awkward, but the portrayal felt real. Her later arc with Go Mi-ran was another highlight of the show for me.

Cha Seung-won as Choi Han-soo. He gave a great performance as the banker returning home under tough circumstances. The arc he was in was one of my least favorite, but that was because he and Lee Jung-eun did such a good job portraying a difficult relationship.

Uhm Jung-hwa as Go Mi-ran. I really liked the arc she was in. The writers did a good job of giving us all these layers to a complicated character that seems kind of shallow at first glance, but Uhm Jung-hwa was able to put all of that writing together to make Mi-ran come to life. I really liked the way her relationship with Eun-hee played out.

Han Ji-min as Lee Young-ok. I loved this character as well. I got a little frustrated with how mysterious the writers were playing things, but when we finally get her arc with her sister, it all makes sense and we get a few of the most touching scenes in the show. All of her scenes on the ocean with the haenyeos were shot beautifully and were amazing to watch, and that helped as well.

Kim Woo-bin as Park Jeong-joon. Every show needs someone who is a standup guy that you can depend on and Kim Woo-bin played that character beautifully. It's easy for a character like that to get lost in the background or to turn boring, but that never happens here, and that's great.

Kim Hye-ja as Kang Ok-dong. Her character's arc with Lee Dong-seok was well done, but also very hard to watch at times. Everything works and the story the show told us felt real and important, but I also welcomed the breaks they gave us at times.

Go Doo-shim as Hyeon Chun-hee. This was one of my favorite characters. She was a rock through most of it even though the show (and life) put her through some stuff. I had trouble with the arc with her son and grandson. It was still interesting, just rough to watch.

Roh Yoon-seo as Bang Young-joo and Bae Hyun-sung as Jung Hyun. I liked their story arc, it was sweet at times, and appropriately dramatic at others. Roh Yoon-seo was especially good and I loved watching what she did with the character. My only quibble was with the way Jung Hyun acted at times during the start of their arc (when he found out Young-joo was pregnant), but I came around as the character remained supportive throughout and it ended up being a good story arc overall.

Park Ji-hwan as Jung In-kwon and Choi Young-joon as Bang Ho-sik. I really liked the story the show told about these two. I had a big problem with Park Ji-hwan's character at the start (it didn't helped that I remembered what a terrible person he was in Black Dog), but as you learned more about them, you ended up feeling a grudging respect and by the end of the series they were both in a good place. I was never like "I can't wait to see more of them," but I still enjoyed them when they were on screen.

Everyone else. The cast is huge, and even the minor characters were given alot of care by the writers, which helped the actors bring their best to the role. I especially liked the performance of Jung Eun-hye as Lee Young-hui (Lee Young-ok's sister who has Down syndrome). You rarely see characters like that in any media, but the writers made sure and cover all of the complications around the relationship between the two sisters in a way that was thoughtful and rarely felt too preachy.

TL; DR:

This is a show that takes an investment to get through, but it pays off well. I learned after the first few episodes to just trust the show runners, and they made sure to tell a good story that was thoughtful, touching, and rewarding.

[moorheadthanyoucanhandle]

HAUNT GENERATOR

Opening this weekend:

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice--To the list of Gen X-era movie favorites getting very belated sequels, the sweetly macabre 1988 comedy Beetlejuice may now be added. You may remember the title character (spelled, outside of the title, like the red giant star in Orion) is a manic ghost who specialized in exorcizing the unwelcome living from haunted houses. Like Clive Barker's Candyman, he could be conjured into the world of the quick by speaking his name aloud three consecutive times, after which he would wreak havoc.

It's one of the signature roles of the great Michael Keaton; probably his greatest comedic triumph. The film also featured a breakthrough performance by Winona Ryder as the endearing, self-consciously "goth" heroine Lydia, and was a showcase for the visual and comic style of director Tim Burton. It's unquestionably a classic of '80s popular cinema, and it gave rise to a TV cartoon, video games, comics, a long-running stage show at Universal Studios theme parks, and eventually a Broadway musical that put Representative Lauren Boebert into an uncommonly good mood.

None of which necessarily means, of course, that a sequel was required. But one has been made, directed by Burton, starring Keaton, Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara, and scored by Danny Elfman. It has, in short, the stamp of authenticity, and this many years later it's a bit surprising that the original makers have managed to infuse, if anything, even more craziness into it.

Ryder's Lydia, now widowed, is still able to see ghosts, including the occasional startling glimpse of her old nemesis. She's the host of a paranormal TV show produced by her intolerable boyfriend (Justin Theroux). Relations between Lydia and her teenage daughter Astrid (Jenny Ortega) are tense, but circumstances bring the two of them and Lydia's stepmother Delia (O'Hara) back to the old house in picturesque small-town Connecticut. Before long, the boundary between our world and the Kafkaesque, DMV-style bureaucratic afterlife has been breached, and the title ghoul is trying to insinuate himself back into the picture.

What ensues, strung along a script by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar from a story by Seth Grahame-Smith, are more of Burton's elaborate yet non-sequitur slapstick set pieces. The gross-out content is slightly higher here than back in 1988, but it works. The original, you'll recall, had a fixation with Harry Belafonte songs from which its most memorable sequences arose; the new movie is likewise enriched by similarly out-of-nowhere musical interests, even more grandly staged. There are sequence here that achieve true, weapons-grade silliness.

Ortega is touching, and there are other effective new additions to the cast, like Willem Dafoe as an afterlife cop--he was a movie cop in this life--with an exposed brain, or Arthur Conti, excellent as a local kid who charms Astrid. Best of all is Monica Belluci, formidable as the enraged ghost of the leader of a "soul-sucking death cult" who has an unhappy history with our titular hero. The scene in which she pulls herself together with the help of a staple gun is a Burton classic.

Keaton, though used somewhat sparingly, slips easily back into his role, tossing off asides in his muttering natter (or nattering mutter?) with the same moldered aplomb, and moving with the same light-footed exuberance, with which he conducted himself three decades ago. Ryder is also perfectly convincing as the middle-aged version of Lydia; tinged with a hint of emotional desperation in her interactions with Astrid.

I know it sounds ridiculous, and maybe I'm just projecting, but I thought that Ryder, O'Hara and even Keaton brought a subdued, rueful undercurrent to their performances, as if stirred-up memories of the first film's events had awakened genuine emotional pain. Don't misunderstand; if it's there, it's done without the slightest heavy-handed intentionality; it may not even have been conscious on the part of the actors. But it deepens both this film and the original.

[renna-fyth]

Dearest Journal,

Theres been a lot of excitement for us in the past few suns. After a lot of ordering, heavy lifting, and hard work, we have finally managed to open our company doors. Our new home turned out beautifully, and if I can start to climatize to the…well climate, I think the move will be great decisions for us, and the start of something truly special.

To start – we had our very first recruit come on board, and what a tremendous impact she's made. Lilipa Lipa, a beautiful Lalafell Retainer came to our doors shortly after we placed our flyers at the tavern. I admit I was a bit puzzled as to why a Retainer might want to join a mercenary company, but now I know exactly why as I can’t live without her. It feels like every facet of our company has been improved since her joining. The smithy has gone from just an old house to a home, as everything is stocked, organized, and in its right place before I even need to think about it. She’s so incredibly helpful, and I can’t thank her enough for all she does. I need to get better about doing that…

No sooner than Miss Lilipa joining on with us, Kyni secured us another assignment with Renaux. I must admit, after the last job the Elezen had gotten us, I was quite eager to work with him again. Whatever the wild job might be, I knew that a fitting reward would be in store afterwards, and so we prepared our company to answer the call.

In the fort just north of town, we met up with the Elezen…of course…in the local pub. With him, Renaux had enlisted Waluigi Potatoluigi, a skilled Lalafell Archer and Tracker, who was going to accompany us for the mission. His task was for us to investigate why several camps had suddenly become vacant, as their occupants had all been found to be missing in action, or frozen completely by unusual circumstances.

With the party set, we found our way through the snow to an encampment with an old fractured aetheryte. Several tents lay empty, toppled by a half-burying of snowfall, as old barrels and crates remained stacked neatly, with cargo still intact. The camp hadn't been taken by bandits...so if not them...then who? The answer soon came as we came across a soldier who had been blinded by some sort of iced magick. As we rendered aid we were suddenly attacked by a massive ice flan, who looked like he had been feeding quite well off these lands!

What followed, was a sore battle…as the creature seemed to be quite resistant to everything that Kyni and I had brought to the table. Thank goodness for our new companions! Searching the battlefield, Lilipa discovered some old oil lanterns, and quickly used them to burn the beast. With the newly-opened, thickened wounds, Waluigi was able to fire off several pinpoint shots, advancing the spread of the damage to deeper and more vital areas of the creature. With their combined skill and determination, the battle was decidedly turned. Not even a frighteningly close canon misfire could stop our team as we claimed our victory and the sweet prize. I am…so grateful that canon didn’t injure Miss Lilipa more than it did…

A few days later, Waluigi, Kyni, and I set out to go fishing near Tailfeather, while Lilipa stayed at the company house to work on the paperwork I had let pile up. This was the first real time I had gotten to know our young Archer, as I had been eager for him to sign on and stay with us after our job in the Highlands. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that his father ran some sort of mining operation, and had trusted Waluigi to help run things over his other brothers. He is certainly an impressive Plainsfolks, and I was extremely excited when he offered to open a repair shop in our company home. Journal, he wanted to sign on!

And so, in just a few day our little company has begun to grow. I am so happy to have Kyni and Lilipa and Waluigi with us, as each of us seem to fill in that little needed something that another might be lacking. We truly are stronger together, and as the company continues to grow, I hope this core unit stays together forever.

~Goodnight

[ladysunbite]

Orianna's study, a semi-private arrangement, inevitably brought the visitors a sense of unease. There was no denial it was tastefully decorated, without a hint of garishness or brooding neglect and yet...one could almost swear they were walking into a living, beating, hungry heart. Was the shades of dull crimson to blame, or the dimmed lights, or the ever-changing sinewy-softness of carpets and floorboards underfoot? Every step felt like a prelude to a trap, and a sound of a gritting teeth, a closing maw would be very much at place there. All of that was - naturally - lost to its mistress. In truth, Vernon's fit played her a good hand and gave her time and space to write to Francis an enquire, in the most cryptic yet clearly vexed and stern form, how did he manage to get the ex-special forces commander on his back. Did he truly killed his mistress without a care to cover his tracks? Orianna set the raven to fly and stood for a moment in front of the window, letting the moon cool her annoyance and pinching the bridge of her nose. Surely, she did not need glasses, but wearing them seemed like a kind of a inside joke, another detail at her human-mask. The little thing also helped her to focus. "Very good. I can tell it is truly you now, not a wandering ghoul." he still smelled like open wounds, unclean bandages and a very good portion of self-disqust. The sun-eyed noticed the gloves, arched an eyebrow, but bit her tongue. If the little soldier needed rituals and lies to make peace with the beast within once again, she would not deny him. For all her vexation at his suffering. At his need to hide from her. "Your...evidence..." although the refined vampiress did not curse, the way she spoke the last word sipped with contempt. Could he at least kept the thing more...presentable. Now it was lying at her table, perched upon a peace of leather, least it polluted the wood with its stench. If she did not know beforehand how Francis' blood tasted, how Vernon's own sang, it would make any information almost impossible to scry. "...disclosed the following. It belonged to a man. No diseases ravaging his body or mind, no magic shielding him. Extreme fondness of caramel, if you fancy a poison. Age..." a finger was pressed to her crescent-thin mouth, thoughtfully. For all her sharp insights, the flow of time as the other races perceived it, was sometimes baffling. "...middle." her tone was unusually up-to-the-point, clipped, nothing coy about it now. The sun-eyed fancied the temerian would like it, if he reeled at her gentleness. "However, if you fancied I was some mystical sort of a beagle our Duchess so favours, you are in the wrong. I am not able to lead you to the exact location, from another kingdom. You said the man you seek to slay resides in the north and is called...mmm... "The King of Beggars"?" the chilly disinterest was cast perfectly upon her chiseled features. There was no need to let her temerian know how well she knew Francis. At least not before she dug her fangs deeper into the situation.

"What I can do for you is ask my connections about the man, without letting him know the trouble is at his tail. I have some good acquaintances in Novigrad, if the direction is correct? But I need you to tell me more. In details."

It was cruel to dig into his wound like that, but it was not unlike what a surgeon had to do, the sun-eyed imagined. In any case, playing along was better than to lock the stubborn temerian into the dungeon, safe and sound, the collar around his neck, until the desire to live returned to him. It was something the sun-eyed was ready to do. Helping out in dire and ugly circumstances was what friends blood-kin were for, was it not?

All of this, because of bloody vengeance and lust for revenge.

She knew the story, what he had done, how this all came to be, how it was himself, looking for Ves, trying to find her, instead he found the blind witch, there was blood already on his hands, one king was dead, the last unicorn slain, why not a second with the youthful king who was taking the land, but the witch.

How he loathed their kind.

He hated them more than elves, she called him a beast, nothing more than a dumb dog, loyal to one master and then another and she cursed him, and despite completing his work, she left, without a word, the problem with witches, when you have your opening to take their head, not taking it, means you will never get the chance again and since then all those years ago.

nothing.

“Then what are you good for then, truly if not this, then I have wasted my time, coming here!” As he snapped, this was the only place he could have gone, everyone else was dead, or they would know, the things he had done, what he was as well, they would sooner turn on him than aid him.

“Tsh.”

Again, expected, every single time he comes here, he feels a little bit more of himself dying within, she was dangerous, she was a bitch, but she was a friend, in this fucked up world, he considered cunts like her to be a friend, at least she was open and honest, with her threats and actions, no plotting and no scheming, he could at least tolerate someone flat out telling him they where going to stab him, instead of waiting for his back to be turned.

“Who you fuck and who you eat, if you want to do the two at the same time, is your business.” As he pointed out, he was not here, to help her, every single time that shit happened, it ended, with him, truly changed, no man, just the wolf, upon all fours, howling, and devouring her enemies for her, and he did not come here for anything of the sorts, as he looked down at her hand.

And refused.

He got up himself and turned and walked away from her, he knew this estate, he knew it all too well as he would move and walk away, heading to the bathing room as he would strip, wash and change, checking himself in the mirror, despite the bath, that turned brown with filth, he was still looking awful, as he opened and closed his mouth, fantastic, this was all he needed now, as he placed on the gloves to hide the claws there as he would walk back down.

After doing as she asked then when it came to a more simple thing, he would find her once more, he had washed, was she pleased now, would she shut the fuck up about it, would it be more than enough to have her stop fucking around with him now and to start to help him, because the debt was the one she owed and he was not going to be roped into anything else, he was a human!

A fucking human!

Not the hound that she could whistle for and have hunt for her, protect her, kill for her, all of that was done, when he was finished, with what he had to do, he was going to end his life once and for all, all of this had to end, and he was more than ready to end it once and for all, if he never saw her again.

Well that would be an added bonus.

[actualbird]

Oh god!

I really love the poly headcanons they are so sweet.... (or don't but that's part of it and i think the tot boys+MC deserve all the love the world has to give).

But, liking it or not, our 4 beloved boys are kinda complicated (that's what makes them perfect). Plus I never thought about how people get in poly relationships. So i was thinking, how do you think they all get into a polyrelationship together?

(I really have no idea of how that would happen)

hi, two anons!! im glad you guys liked my nxx team polycule stuff!! i'll answer these in one go, my "headcanon" (in quotes because i think this kinda turned into a character analysis/minific of sorts HAHA) being what first anon asked, How They Get Together.

heads up, wc of this is 1.9k words long so buckle up for a bit of a read jfsjdfkjbf

because first anon, youre right!!! the boys are stupendously complicated which i love so so much but canon has also shown us clearly that each of the boys' quirks and habits and tendencies causes a lot of (mostly played for laughs) friction. the bickering, the backhanded insults, the "im the best one here" preening contests. theyre all SOOOO RIDICULOUS and it is hilarious but yep! the boys r complex!! and that means this beautiful ship, imo, has a lot of phases to get to the actual romantic relationship bit.

how they get together, in my opinion, starts because of mc.

not in the sense that she matchmakes them all, but like.

phase 1 of the nxx team polycule is this:

through being in love with her (which we all know the boys 100% are), each of the boys come to terms with their own flaws and weaknesses. it's very apparent to me in all the story thus far that these boys are flawed as hell, it's very compelling but even more compelling to me is how all of them also do intense mental gymnastics to Not Confront Those Flaws. like, marius is a dickbag always teasing and toeing the line of insincerity, vyn is a controlling mf who always tries to sway situations to his benefit, artem is so repressed to the point that he has genuine trouble with emotions, luke is a self sacrificial bastard and also a huge hypocrite about how no, actually, hes the only one that should be hiding his pain and being dishonest, no dishonesty from other people!! in the beginning of the story, all the boys have their flaws and seem to have just kinda...not addressed how those flaws are harming them and the people around them.

and then mc rolls around and they all fall in love with her. and she sees those flaws and she doesnt let them slide. she challenges the boys in her own ways to see another side of the situation, to acknowledge what theyre doing. she doesnt want to get rid of flaws, thats impossible and also not cool. she just has this beautiful hope for like, all of humanity, that goodness can prevail with the right work. so when she sees her beloved nxx boys, she believes that for them as well.

which leads to phase 2 of the nxx team polycule:

the boys, more aware of themselves, become more aware of each other.

they werent Unaware of the others of course. it's just that they didnt like...truly connect on a personal level just yet. they saw the other teammembers with their emotional armor and flaws and saw a wall that wasnt worth looking past.

but after mc makes them realize that hey, flaws arent the end of the world actually, it's alright and the person behind them may just be worth it, the boys like. end up understanding the others. A LOT OF THIS BIT IS UNINTENTIONAL, ON THEIR PARTS KJDSBFS. like they stumble into understanding each other by accident, they didnt plan it, but over the course of nxx investigations, it's inevitable that they end up seeing the depths of the others. i delve into this a little bit in my fanfic "filler eps of the lost gold" where the boys are just going thru their actions and then trip over another boy's fears or desires and through that, gain a deeper understanding mutually.

and with understanding, sometimes, comes trust.

phase 3 of the nxx team polycule goes like this:

everybody in this team, whether they like it or not, whether they know it or not, has a heart that wants to give love so desperately.

marius lives in a world full of snakes so he cant have his heart on his sleeve for his own protection. vyn wants to be seen as perfect and the heart is inherently messy so he holds it back. artem for a very very long time was focused on work and success and achievement that he neglected his heart. and luke has been giving love all his life in a sense but in a way thats hidden.

all these tendencies that are brought upon their life circumstances results in this: they want to love honestly but they havent been able to do this

until mc. and all of them want to push back whatever fears or patterns their life has instilled in them because they see her and see somebody so unwaveringly good that all their hearts begin giving love to her to make her happy and to make themselves happy as well.

but heres the thing. the boys dont just see mc. by this point, they have connected and understood and come to trust each other as well, and the consequence of that is that They Can See Each Other Now Too, Truly.

and heres the thing. all of the boys are unwaveringly good as well.

one by one, each of the boys realize that what they feel for the other boys in the team starts to...change. yeah theyre all friends, they pick on each other a lot of the time, but the bedrock of the relationship is solid and strong now. but when marius is with luke, marius sees a light inside of luke so bright that he seems unaware that he gives off. when artem is with vyn, artem sees a goodness inside of vyn that hesitates to make itself obvious and known because vyn is scared of getting hurt thanks to it. all of them see the other and their goodness and, unbidden, their hearts want to give love to each other as well.

and because theyre all a bit stupid in their own way theyre like, huh, weird! wonder why this feeling is so familiar! and yet i cant seem to name it...and then they all independently compare these feeling with the feelings they have for mc, a feeling they do know the name of, and theyre like.

WAIT.

THESE FEELINGS ARE...VERY BASICALLY EXACTLY WHAT I FEEL FOR MC.

which only means one thing: theyve fallen in love with everybody else

marius: //goes to his studio to Think and sees that a bunch of his recent art actually had little crumbs of these feelings already, etched into the brushstrokes and scenes. has an emotional crisis about it

vyn: //records a 1 hour long entry in his audio diary to examine and gain control of his feelings but by the end of the hour all he knows is that he wants to hold these people and be held by them

artem: //quite literally just bluescreens, artem.exe has stopped working, sits at his study and slowly, slowly, thunks his head down onto his desk, valiantly trying to ignore the fast pulse of his heart

luke: //manically vents about it to peanut who, by virtue of being a bird, doesnt get it. just keeps talking at peanut to get a grasp of it all and then lies down on the floor, overwhelmed

mc, sitting in her apartment watching some netflix: ...why do i inexplicably feel as if something very, very important has just happened?

phase 4 of the nxx team polycule is basically:

pining: extreme difficulty level

because pining is already hard when ur pining for one person. what more for an additional 3 more people. and those additional 3 more people are pining back.

and all these boys are SOOOO OBVIOUS with their romantic feelings, in their own special way. the way they show their affection to mc starts to bleed into their interactions with the others and everybody can CLEARLY SEE WHAT IS GOING ON, LOL, but also all the boys are too chickenshit to confront it, because if they confront it, what will even happen??? being in love with each other, all of them, thats going to be such a complicated fucking relationship, holy shit. it's 2030, yeah, being a polyamorous group relationship isnt completely unheard of, but sue them, theyre scared.

but mc (who i forgot to mention already knows of the boys' romantic feelings for her, shes just hasnt made a move yet on any of them because SHES IN LOVE WITH ALL OF THEM AS WELL and shes been trying to figure out how the hell to make that work, she cant bear to choose just one of them, she'd be heartbroken over leaving the rest of them behind) sees that the nxx investigation team is now all pining for each other FULLY and she kinda wants to laugh when she realizes whats going on because like, what are the chances? that this would happen? that they all found each other and their feelings fell into just the right place for nobody to be left behind?

theyre all scared, she can tell. and she is as well, she wont lie.

but shes always had a belief that goodness can prevail with the right work.

and love is one of the greatest goods out there.

phase 5 of the nxx team polycule:

It's Time For Communication, Baby!!!!!

the exact scenes of how this happens is a bit vague to me. it could go two ways: mc going to each of the boys independently to talk about feelings, hers about everybodys and his about everybodys as well. OR they have a fucking meeting about it all together and artem literally schedules it in his google calendar, or something.

either way, they like, actually talk about this. starts casual, maybe over a chill date, maybe over dinner at a nice restaurant, maybe over a walk in the park as the sun is starting to set. but where ever it happens, the end result is the same: a heart is laid out bare and it is taken in gentle, grateful hands.

marius: OKAY, NOW THAT THE FEELINGS ARE OUT OF THE WAY, CAN I PLEASE KISS ONE OR ALL OF YOU, PLEASE, IVE BEEN WANTING TO KISS U GUYS FOR FOREVER

vyn, laughing fondly: has anybody ever told you patience is a virtue? we quite literally just talked it all out.

marius: //needy whining noises

artem, embarrassed: ive...never kissed anybody before

luke, embarrassed but trying to play it Cool: ....same here

mc: kissing is great, you two will love it!

marius: awesome, awesome, so is ANYBODY going to give me a go ahead or WHAT????

phase 6 of the nxx team polycule:

i dont want to say it's happily ever after, once they all get together. thats not really realistic.

they all have their quirks and tendencies and habits. and those will inevitable clash against each other. theyll have their arguments, theyll get upset, theyll sulk and be angry, sometimes. but also...

theyll see each other smile and feel like their love shining so brightly. theyll reach out for another's hand and be held in such a way that makes them think that their heart is in a safe place. theyll love each other and theyll put in the work to continue loving each other. because goodness will prevail.

and they all see each other as the most good people in the world.

so whatever happens, theyll get through it together.

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E129 (March 16, 2021)

Tonight’s guests are Matt Mercer and Taliesin Jaffe!

Matt, on DMing Luc’s Revivify: “That was weird. It’s one thing when it happens because of player action and circumstances and the choices they make. When it’s entirely on me, unintentional, and just realizing different chess pieces you’ve set up, that’s rough.” It was especially rough since this was a child NPC related to a PC. “I was hoping somebody had a spell slot left.” He kept in mind that there are two clerics in the room and that they could resurrect the next day even if the Revivify went poorly. “A good chance, since it’s his first time. Okay, okay, okay, okay, I think we’ll be okay, we’ll see how this goes. It was really stressful in the moment! I did not set out to have that happen, but when I realized what was going to happen, I tried to see it through.” He wouldn’t have prevented a chance to bring him back. “There may have been an offshoot short-run series of games to find a way to bring him back. I would have found some way to correct the circumstance so the players could feel good about moving forward with the story and there was no undue punishment beyond their control.”

Taliesin on Cad’s response: “This is a big thing if you’re a cleric. It was very much coming in like an EMT. Everything should be fine... hopefully. Just focused in and got it done. The minute things started to go south it was like, okay, that’s the next problem.”

On Yeza’s feelings: “It is a very complicated situation. I think he, much like how Veth is trying to figure out what it is that she wants, I think he’s trying to help her find that while also figuring it out for himself. I think Yeza’s also noticing that because Veth’s the more active of the two of them she also takes the weight of the responsibility and the blame for things when they go wrong, unnecessarily. Especially when he himself acknowledges that he’s partially at fault for even dragging everyone in with the Conclave. As much as he’s appreciative for them coming back for him, there’s a lot of back and forth. He’s filled with a lot of regret, too, but he’s very much trying to convince Veth that it’s a burden that she doesn’t have to keep to herself, that they can share it and work through it together.” Matt mentions that, as an actor, he really loves exploring interactions between characters first and foremost. “Especially when you don’t know where it’s going to go.” He also praises Sam as a scene partner - “I really cherish that.”

How does Caduceus feel about Revivify and Speak with Dead? “Speak with Dead is an interesting middle ground, because he knows that it’s not actually speaking with the dead. It’s really just-- it’s almost medical, really. This is just reactivating a brain at a certain point. It’s practically just a muscle twitch at this point. That doesn’t really prod him in that direction. Revivify is interesting, because it had never really come up. At first I thought of it as bending the rules, but it’s not bending the rules. You knock over a plant, you replant it, you don’t stare at it and go ‘Well, that’s over.’ This is just doing the work. No, we can bring this thing back to health. This is all part of the circle of life, that sometimes we can save something. Especially given the stress that he’s put himself through over the past year of being with these people. He’s started to think of himself a bit as a battlefield medic, and triage is just part of the deal, and it’s completely acceptable.”

Did Trent really just want to talk? “Yeah, that circumstance, as it came together, Trent would never have arrived if there wasn’t an indication that there was some kind of infiltration or attack. Even beyond that, it was Jester breaking the concentration on her charm on that one guard when she created her duplicate.” The guards’ job is to inform a member of the Cerberus Assembly, and Trent lived the closest. “He didn’t know who it was, didn’t have any expectation necessarily. The minute he saw the illusion, he knew a powerful magic user was involved.” Seeing Caleb was an unexpected surprise. “I don’t think he wanted to throw down necessarily. He was more interested in figuring out exactly what the nature of this was.” Matt had multiple battlemaps that didn’t get used. “They managed to cleverly out-maneuver him in his surprise of seeing them.” The Nein rocketed up his priority list after that very quickly. Taliesin: “We’re so fucked.”

On Cad being “Uncle Caduceus” to Luc: “It’s the thing he misses most about home, is being a juvenile shit. It’s nice to be able to express that part of him again, as opposed to the serious, life-threatening, constant intensity. I’m very at home just being a little difficult.”

Cosplay of the Week: an amazing Beau! (_rumor_king, photography by kourtyardproductions on Instagram)

On Marion: “Like a lot of people in this whole narrative from the beginning, getting swept up in things larger than her and trying to adapt. This is a circumstance she’s avoided for a long time. She’s having a rough time in some ways, but simultaneously, she’s enduring. Like a mother would. She’s adapting, she’s making it work. Without much of a choice, you just kind of do the best you can and lean on the people around you to help you where they can. Luckily she has a daughter there. She’s probably surprising herself at how well she’s doing given the circumstances.” Matt talks about how weird it is to feel proud of character he’s created. “Of the many things Marion is incredible at, she’s a studier of the human condition. She’s seen and heard the stories of so many. That gives her a very special perspective. She can see elements of that fractured individual within Caleb, and knowing the good that he’s brought to his friends, and knowing he’s possibly saved her life from bad circumstances, she couldn’t not speak up. She very easily falls into that role of maternal comforter, because it’s one of the many things she’s really good at, she enjoys it, and she can see well when people need it.” He’s been enjoying having Marion along for this (despite the difficult circumstances) because he was always a little sad that they only got to see her for short periods of time.

On the Blooming Grove’s safety: “He’s afraid that it’s a premonition. He’s not pinned it down, but he’s happy to let his imagination wander. He at the very least feels like there’s a reason he’s having these thoughts, and that there’s a reason to go there. He’s a big believer that these things don’t just happen. He’s more likely to think that there’s a good reason to go versus a danger to go. He’s had a couple of ominous warnings lately, and he’s not used to them and not a fan. He’s more likely to read something like that as, there is something there waiting for you that you have to discover. There is something that is going to be helpful to you, even if it hurts.”

On Astrid: “While maybe not as readable in overall personality as Trent is, I still want to be careful to not discuss things that are still being discussed within the game and tossed around as possibilities. Astrid is another complicated character, as anyone would be who’s been through the life she has. I can’t say too much. I can say she’s definitely legitimately happy to see Bren/Caleb after all this time.” His reemergence definitely caught her off guard. “We’ll have to see where it goes from there.”

On Cad’s successful Divine Intervention: “He’s definitely hit the ‘on a mission from god’ stage. He’s been that way for the entire campaign of, this, this is what I’ve been waiting for. Even when it sucks a lot, it’s been nice that those things have popped up to remind him, no, no, you’re doing it right, everything’s good. Probably not going to survive the next week, but you’re doing good! Not quite 1 in a 100 chance, but I forget so often to make that roll, and it’s such a great roleplaying roll. I don’t know how at level 20 you could deal with the fact that you can do that every day.” 

On Zeenoth getting his comeuppance: the kidnapping was a concept Marisha brought up for Beau’s backstory, and Matt went with it even though it was opposed to the Cobalt Soul’s philosophy because he knew rooting it out would make for an interesting story. “I felt it was an important beat to bring to her, because it was something that she was wronged by. And to show that there are still some good people out there who are trying to make things right.” After the tentative peace, dealing with this became Dairon’s next focus. “I was glad we finally got to it. So many people don’t have the opportunity in their lives to get that sort of justice and vindication, so if I can bring elements of that justice into our world, even for our own hope, I’m going to do that. Especially for my wife’s character, especially for a character that deserves that.” Taliesin points out that if it had come too early, Beau wouldn’t have believed it.

Cad’s thoughts on the Tomb Taker betrayal? “He knew it was gonna come at some point. There was no way that was gonna last. He was hoping it was gonna last a little longer. He was really hoping they had a vested interest in getting them all the way to the end. Nope, this is apparently as far as we go, and he was not prepared for that.” He was expecting the potential for de-escalation. “Caduceus is the only character in there that doesn’t have a history with Lucien. I think he sees him a little more clearly than everybody else does. They’re all looking for this person that Clay, at least, is of the opinion that he’s just not there. This is a very manipulative, very dangerous infernal human. Just smarter than all of them. Really aware that there is no calculating what the hell is going to happen. Conversation is the only way you can deal with someone like that.”

Fan Art of the Week: An amazing Caleb closeup! (rynn_birb on Twitter)

Taliesin on Lucien: “I’m excited he’s the one that’s going to kill us all. Poetic that this is how the game ends.” Matt was delighted when Taliesin handed him carte blanche to do what he wanted with Molly’s past. “I was like ‘shit... oh, wait!’ The character of Lucien was always intended to be an antagonist so that it would have been Molly being chased by the person who wanted their body back. But then it happened that he got his body back.” Taliesin: “He’s so much worse than I ever hoped.”

Matt, on the Holy Avenger: “I hadn’t thought to initially even give that sword.” The good roll was the only reason Kima handed that over. “Well, sure, you get the sword. It was very reactionary, it wasn’t my intent originally. I was like, well, I mean, there’s two avenues she can take with this.” Multiclass into Paladin, or lean into the fact that her subclass is essentially a barbarian paladin. “This really works out in a uniquely beautiful way. Let me see if I can lay out a path for her to earn it.”

On Cad’s attempt at lying blowing up in his face: “He was like that kid that had a really bad day in high school and was like, you know what? I’m going to let loose. This is it. I’m gonna dye a streak in my hair. And then tries to give himself a haircut and ends up with half bangs. Well, okay, obviously I’m not that person. I was feeling a little distraught and I didn’t handle it well. Maybe I’m going dark... no, I’m not going dark. Nope.” Matt mentions how much he relates to Caduceus.

Matt, on the Eyes: “What can I tell you? I’m enjoying the hell out of it. The moment they began to really push to read that book, I was like, okay, this is on you. I’m excited for the point in the narrative where the march continues back to Eiselcross. I am almost impatient - not really - because we’re on the cusp of getting to more of the meat. There’s so much to learn, so much to see, so much to explore. I love instilling my players with absolute terror.”

Thoughts on Jester’s Tarot reading? Taliesin cackles. “Molly made the cards, so. Did it to himself, he did, he did.” Matt: “Once again, another example of things working out unexpectedly and too perfectly for an improvised moment. Fuck.” Taliesin: “Bless the wisdom of chaos.” Matt: “I love that even at this point in the campaign, Molly continues to fuck with people. I’m just so proud. That deeply shook Lucien, for reasons.” Taliesin: “It’s the everlasting gobstopper smoke bomb.”

[by-nina]

Exchange

Artwork by @caesurables​​; do not repost.

AO3 | FFN Royai Week 2021 | Day 1 – King’s gambit/Queen’s gambit Rating: M (light drinking, sexual content) Genre: Lemon Word Count: 3,230

A/N: Happy Royai Week, everyone! Welcome to the spiciest thing I've written so far, which marks the first time I'm starting Royai Week with smut. I hope this feeds you well. Special shoutout to Mica for adding life to this with the gorgeous art! 😍

Something stirs in her; on one hand, it would be easy to call it yearning. But on the other, nothing that concerns Roy Mustang has ever been easy. Riza has always equated these things with methodical moves and calculated risks.

And so, for once, Riza pictures herself playing her game not for Roy’s sake, but for hers. She imagines that the stakes are different, the rules may be broken, and the only person she has ever wanted is both her gamble and her prize. She could have it all now—she need only play her piece.

———

Roy Mustang was made for a night like this. Handsome, stylish dress uniform, hair slicked back like a frame around his striking facial features, an air of dignity in his walk, his posture, even his gaze. He wears it all so well that he stands out from older, more distinguished company in the East City Hotel, where tonight, the Eastern Army is holding an extravagant ball in recognition of its recently promoted officers.

Riza is present as well, of course. For the occasion, she has traded her usual military attire for a blue satin gown with a flatteringly slender silhouette. A sash pinned with the insignia of her rank hangs from her shoulder to her hip. Having gone up the stage much earlier in the program for her own recognition, she has now retreated to the far end of the room, from where she’s got a full view of Roy as he waits to be called in front of the crowd.

Her promotion from Second to First Lieutenant is nowhere near as significant as his becoming Colonel, but it is no less her night than his. Selfish though the thought may be, it’s true that Roy owes this night to her, every title and every honor conferred to him. In every aspect of his life, she has made a crucial choice that allowed him to take a step in the right direction towards their goals—his goals that she has chosen to make her own.

“For the rank of Colonel, Roy Mustang…”

It was Riza’s choice to join him in the military, and it was this choice that has kept him on his path and his eyes on these goals. She has been devoted to his success just as much as to her act of atonement, but she was not subservient to either. Roy also carries with him the burden of their sins in Ishval. Her responsibility over his atonement means that she has more power than a subordinate would normally have under their superior. Anyone could be a dutiful subordinate or competent bodyguard, after all, but only she could be trusted with his life as well as his death.

“… the formidable Flame Alchemist…”

And it was her choice to reveal the secrets of flame alchemy, entrusted to her by her father, that first set him on the path towards his goals for the people and the country in the first place. Had she not trusted him, Roy would have searched further and longer for some other practice of alchemy. Had Riza chosen to die with her father’s secrets, Roy might not have come anywhere near who he is now.

“… and Hero of Ishval.”

Every choice she has made in their intertwined lives has determined the course of his, even when he should have been none of her concern. This was especially true in Ishval. She could have pulled the trigger at any time when she despised him most. She could have reversed the choice that brought him to Ishval. Riza chose instead to be an ally—a friend in a war where every other sense of humanity seemed to have been lost.

The Hero of Ishval was made through her actions; as was the Flame Alchemist; as was this shiny new Colonel Roy Mustang. As he is introduced by Lieutenant General Grumman, he takes his place at the center of the ballroom stage, and his titles and promotion seem all the more impressive due to the fact that he is the only new Colonel being recognized tonight. The crowd erupts in a reverent applause which Riza does not join in.

In different circumstances, if it weren’t for the very cards they have been dealt, tonight could have truly been happy, a cause for celebration. But their plans continue forming and unfolding; this game on which they have staked their lives does not pause. And so Riza watches him as she drinks her champagne, quietly imagining the steps they ought to take next, the moves they must plan, the sacrifices she must make in this gambit where she is both player and piece and he is the king set to take it all.

Her life is a game which she plays for Roy Mustang to win.

When his moment passes and the ceremony moves on, Roy descends from the stage, searching through the crowd for Riza. He finds her and meets her gaze across the room, and for a moment she wavers in her train of thought. She is familiar with this feeling. She has felt its pull before, but never this strongly, never with enough clarity so as to explicitly name him its object. How could she possibly feel it towards someone for whose sake she has forgotten her own needs and her own desires? How could she not be indifferent instead?

Riza leaves her champagne on a nearby table and turns in the opposite direction to walk off its effects. The party thankfully offers plenty enough distraction from the drink and from Roy. She meets a few colleagues here and there, makes small talk, and when she loses sight of Roy, she’s certain that he has been intercepted by people wishing to congratulate him or rub elbows with him for his prodigious rise through the ranks. She soon manages to extricate herself from the crowd and disappear from the ballroom.

———

“You should be celebrating tonight, Lieutenant.”

Riza knows that Roy has found her before he even speaks. She didn’t think that he would. She had wandered around the hotel until she found herself in distant, unfamiliar hallways decorated with beautiful artwork that she could admire until her intoxication had worn off enough to safely drive home. But there is no mistaking the sound of his footsteps or the scent of his perfume tinged with the liquor from the party. Part of her wants to disappear again, but his proximity in an otherwise deserted place seems to further slow down her currently unreliable reflexes.

Riza smiles dryly. “Does it matter if we received our actual promotions a week ago? We all know this is just an excuse to flatter ourselves and have a good time without spending our own money.” Roy smirks as she shakes her head. “Either way, I think I'll enjoy the party much better here, away from the crowd. But you're everyone's darling for the evening. They'll be wanting you back."

Roy sighs and rubs the side of his head, as if the very thought tires him. "I see enough of them at work. And there's going to be more of them around now, especially when we get transferred to Central. This night isn't about them."

The mention of Central causes Riza to bristle with alertness. She whips her head around to ascertain that the hallway is deserted. Behind her, she finds an intricately carved double door, and she quickly strides across the hallway to it. To her surprise, it is unlocked; the room beyond it appears to be dark and deserted. Riza shoots a glance at Roy as she enters. He swiftly follows.

Riza spots a nearby floor lamp just before she locks the door. For a moment, the room is pitch black, then Riza switches on the lamp. Its warm glow is just enough for her to make out Roy’s face and the silhouettes of the furniture in the room. They seem to have found themselves in a lavish parlour with a high-backed sofa and matching armchairs, a handsome tea table for two, a fireplace carved from white marble, and a vintage piano.

“I see you’re already making plans for proceeding to Central,” Riza begins. “We should be more careful about discussing them from now on, Colonel. Everyone has their eyes on you.”

Roy stares at her questioningly. Then, a small laugh breaks through his expression, and he shakes his head. “I’m not. I didn’t come looking for you to talk about our plans.”

She frowns. “What is it, then?”

“It’s just like I said. You should be celebrating tonight.” He draws what sounds like both a nervous breath and a laugh. “It wouldn’t have been right to enjoy the party without you. You’re the reason we’ve both come this far.” He pauses, and then his voice turns softer than before. There is no trace of a smile left in it or on his face. “I know you know that, Lieutenant.”

In the soft light, Roy’s face appears flushed, his features softer than they were when she watched him back at the ballroom. Riza doesn’t realize just how close he is until the scent of champagne on her is lost to his raspberry wine. Something stirs in her; on one hand, it would be easy to call it yearning. But on the other, nothing that concerns Roy Mustang has ever been easy. Riza has always equated these things with methodical moves and calculated risks.

And so, for once, Riza pictures herself playing her game not for Roy’s sake, but for hers. She imagines that the stakes are different, the rules may be broken, and the only person she has ever wanted is both her gamble and her prize. She could have it all now—she need only play her piece.

But never in any of their plans or her own did she consider this a possible outcome, that Roy Mustang would be kissing her with one gentle hand on her face and another on her waist, or that the warmth of his body could be such a welcome comfort. He kisses her as if he has known for a long time just how closely he would need to lean in, how to tilt his head to the correct angle so that the curve of his lips would fit perfectly with hers. Riza senses this not because of unrestrained passion—on the contrary, Roy is perfectly still. The kiss is tender, but the rest of him is tense, as if it’s the only thing holding him together now. Or as if it’s the only thing he has held out for all this time.

Roy breaks away from her slowly, and it’s Riza whose heart is thundering in her chest. Perhaps, had the game been hers alone to play, it wouldn’t have led them so far so soon. Had it been she to approach him first, they might have only teetered over their fragile lines and not fully crossed to a point of no return. But Roy has taken her by surprise where the playing field has always seemed to be even between them. This, she cannot accept—she has never made a gamble that she did not see through. This will not change now.

She will play her game on her own terms.

Riza flings her arms over Roy’s shoulders as she kisses him, one hand running through his hair and undoing it back to the style she knows and likes best on him. It makes her want more—thank heavens that he realizes it right away. He responds so ardently that they stumble, so he steers her until she falls back against the piano and dissonant notes blare over their sighs. His hand runs down her side, over her hip and into the slit of her blue dress, where he reaches under her thigh and lifts it up against his leg.

But Riza refuses to give in so easily. She trails her hand down his front, all the way down to where he has started to turn hard. A gasp escapes him when she wraps her fingers around his erection and tugs at it. It gives her an opportunity to push back and reverse their positions so he is seated on the piano—it clangs unpleasantly again—and she is leaning over him as she makes short work of his jacket and his shirt to kiss his chest. The further down Riza drags her lips, the less familiar she is with the territory she is exploring, but she goes on until she brushes against that warm, rough outline. Riza tugs his trousers down, and when he springs free of his clothing, she takes Roy into her mouth.

He is exactly how she wants him right now, inelegant and vulnerable with his head hanging all the way back. Riza starts off slowly, but she is eager to figure out whether she can get him to unravel more quickly with her lips running back and forth along the length of him, or with her fingers massaging the base which her mouth cannot reach. His pleasure seems to build unhurriedly until she twists her tongue around, making him throb and moan quaveringly. She becomes hungry to hear more of him and picks up the pace, never mind that the effort is choking her. Roy grips her hair until it falls out of its pins, ultimately coming loose down her back. She goes, and goes, and she thinks he might be close, but then—

But then Roy pulls her up so he could kiss her, and Riza sighs in pleasure, and it isn’t enough for her just to watch him unravel anymore. She falls into him in a blissful, drunken haze, allowing him to kiss and caress her and unzip her dress. She could burst into flames at every part of her that he touches, even the scars that he had left on her back when their game was at its deadliest. He begins rubbing her between her legs, and there it hardly matters whether his touch flutters over her skin like candlelight or pushes as suddenly as lightning—the sensation just builds and builds, like a storm stirring up the sea.

How could he know so well what to do with her, how to give her just enough and yet leave her wanting more without ever having explored her this way before? The question is quickly lost in Riza’s mind as he finds other ways to arouse her. Now, he’s pulling the top of her dress down, switching positions with her again, alternating between kissing her lips and her breasts. It’s easy to follow him where he goes when he’s leading her through a dazzling trance, easier than it has ever been to follow him in any other way.

The storm slows only once as Roy’s lips brush against her ear with a stammering plea. “Do you want me to—can I keep going?”

Riza hardly recognizes the sound of her own voice when she gasps, “Please.”

Slowly, carefully, he enters her, with her dress hiked up above her hips. Despite the mild ache that comes with it at first, it feels better than anything she could have planned or imagined. Riza is shaking now. She buries her face in Roy’s neck and moans there, where only he can hear her, and she feels his excitement growing at the sound of it. He begins to thrust into her—clang, clang, clang, goes the piano—first at an even pace, which helps ease away her initial discomfort. When the tension disappears from her shoulders, she finds herself swaying against him hungrily. He varies from going exhilaratingly fast to tantalizingly slow—clang, clang, clang!—and at some point, she whimpers—

“Roy—"

It seems to awaken something feral in him. Everything he does with her is greedy now, from his kisses running clumsily from her neck to her lips and back, to his hands grabbing at every part of her that he can reach—and although she likes him like this, unhinged and at the same time in complete control, it makes her want to give him more than she is getting.

Riza pushes herself off the piano and into Roy, and he is more than willing to let her drive him down to the floor. There, she pulls at his hair as she kisses him, then shifts slightly so he can kiss her chest while she slowly sinks down and allows him back into her. Their rhythm is easier to find this time. She starts off at a pace that builds up the heat in her body just right, then later allows his hands and hips to guide her with more fervor and intent. Soon, the pleasure is just too close for her to wait any longer, and they are both overcome with an aching desperation—

“Roy”—she pleads, groans—“oh—"

“Riza—ahh—fuck—”

 “Don’t stop, don’t stop—"

Roy climbs over her, snaking his arms around her to grab at her chest, and he enters her from behind without breaking their rhythm, thrusting vigorously until and throughout her release. The rush, the bliss, the high is simply unthinkable—Riza presses her forehead down and bites her own hand hard to keep herself from screaming. She sinks into an ungraceful sprawl on the floor, drenched in sweat and tremors and Roy’s weight all over her body, but also as feeling if she were made purely of her sensations, with no physical body at all.

A moment passes, or two, or an eternity before she turns to lie on her back. Roy has collapsed next to her and entangled with her, so he adjusts to make way for her. She then finds herself looking up at him; Roy is leaning over her, seeming like an entirely different person with his gentle gaze, his tousled hair, his clothes only barely clinging to his body. His clothes—a reminder of who he is, and therefore, the gravity of what they have just done.

The high subsides almost as quickly as it came over her.

The room is piercingly silent as they scramble back to their feet and several meters away from each other. They keep their backs turned as they smooth their clothes back onto themselves and comb their hair into some normal, unquestionable style. Riza’s senses settle back into rationality at last. This was not a different way to play their old game. This was a temporary escape, a rare exception to her life’s unwavering rules.

“Riza.”

It’s unsettling how he says her name as if it were what he normally calls her, so she does not respond. Surely, he understands that what has just transpired between them must remain in the past, in favor of the reality that they left outside the door. Surely, he knows as well as she does that that reality has already resumed before they have even left the room.

He calls her name again. Riza, again, refuses to acknowledge him.

“Lieutenant.”

Her resolve wavers for only a moment. Riza knows exactly what he is doing. She knows her own excuse for this lapse in judgment—she knows how to keep it from happening ever again. But she can tell by his current insistence and his earlier passion that he doesn’t consider this a mistake like she does. This is, after all, exactly how he plays the game—head on, without hesitation. Roy has broken the rules more thoroughly than she has. He would have done so without her instigation. He has made perfectly clear the gamble that he is willing to make for her.

Riza turns, brushing past Roy and out of the room without so much as looking at him—leaving him behind the door, leaving as much of her selfish desires as she can possibly let go of—because she knows she must keep him from gambling everything away.

[6blackfilin9]

I love your Anko fanart! Tell me, what are your views/headcannons on Anko X Kazuku?

hThank you so much for the ask, finally I can answer it

here is my big thank you for the waitng

In a nutshell, the shipp was created by accident while me and my buddy were working on our first Naruto AU in 2019, where Kakuzu and Deidara survived their shitty plotholes end eventually ended up in Konoha

Yeah

so, the shipp’s birth date is july the 1, 2019

anything like classy, aristocracy kind of tension-filled passionate gothic romance with playful, psychological games & hurt/comfort vibes with slight scent of rivalry is KakuAnko

Basically, they are: a very, very old man with absolutely horrendous background who’s trying to finally have his mother*cking 10 or 30 years of peace, and a rather young lady with a rocky youth who’s being good & noble yet has very strong antihero tendencies

You know, I think they do have potential, since, in fact, they seem to be very similar, at the core

They are both very pragmatic realists, the people of logic and reason, yet if Kakuzu’s irritability doesn’t affect him a tiny bit due to his ideal self-control, Anko’s can lead her to quite bad places, sometimes. They put their interests in the first place, and even though she tries to attach them to Konoha’s, she still has ‘personal’ things (I’ll write ‘bout it lower*). Their mindsets are so complicatedly organized that, at some point & way, it prevents them from having many close people, and makes them very hard to see through and predict

Both of them are very flexible & adaptive, independent individuals with similar outlooks on plenty of things and high intellectual level. They clearly can find plenty of traits that they would highly respect and adore in each other

Here I will speak mostly for “why and how” kind of things, bc both of them are terribly tricky to accurately figure out. But there will be some headcanons too

So, there are still some odds about them, due to the strong difference in their occupation, like, in plenty of cases they are really tricky to be brought together, because:

- Of the job

In original, Anko is a Konoha’s special jounin, and she is very dedicated to serving the country. Independently of whether she likes her job or not (depends on the plot), she orienteers at the people, at society’s gain from her work. So, accordingly, in any other AU her job is somehow connected to civil service, whether it’s something police-like, connected to science, or something like CCG in Tokyo Ghoul

Kakuzu, on the other hand, is a hitman and a persona non grata in literally all the five big countries, Konoha too (which makes it barely possible to bring them together in the original universe without hard complications or heavy drama. But still possible). He orienteers on his own gain alone, but, depending on the job, it can include others’ gain, too.

This detail makes him a saint once he holds supervising position in some company or any high position in the government (the better the working conditions of the staff now- the more money in the prospective), and the sheer nightmare once he has it on the opposite side of the law. Him as a mob boss is a complete different topic for discussion, but to get the point, in this case, the trouble isn’t him increasing the level of criminality (its rather vice-versa), but taking hold of too much control in the high and underground structures. Even as an ordinary hitman he’s rather tricky, since everything depends on the case

In most of the stories, they come to some sort of compromise, and how hard it is to reach it depends on how shitty his job is and how attached they are to each other at the moment

Like, in the above mentioned Shippuden AU and Harry Potter AU (which I also wrote with my buddy) everything went like clockwork, because there they are both more or less on this side of the law, in Tokyo Ghoul AU (which I also wrote with my buddy) it is a bit more complicated, with her being in-law and him being very much outlaw, in the Avatar AU (which I also figured out with my buddy, but we never happened to write it) it is also pretty smooth, with both of them being outlaws and then jumping out to the glory after all the shit is done, but in another Shippuden AU of mine, this all would be just a motherfucking bloody disaster

- Kakuzu is actually a hard nut to get attached to anyone

He lived too long to be truly afraid of anything, though. Its mostly because he doesn’t really need to get attached to or become close with someone to satisfy his need for communication. The man can get along with anyone once he wishes to, he can have countless acquaintances and plenty of buddies, but he doesn’t have many comrades and barely can call anyone a friend. Because he is used to lose everything and everyone he ever had or happened to have, because of his inhumanly lengthened lifespan.

It requires time for him to get used to the person, and then, eventually, in some cases, spend plenty of it to get attached

Plus, for him, due to his profession, each close connection is a really great responsibility for him. In most cases, he’d think twice of weather he is ready to take it or not

Though it of course has the personal factor, too

In Anko’s case, she has a grand privilege by being a very intelligent and keen woman, not just in cognitive plane, but in emotional, too. High emotional intellect is actually a rare trait, so she automatically stands out of the crowd for him. Even though it won’t guarantee his alliance, it will grant her his high respect and some sort of sympathy

- Kakuzu is, technically, an asshole

He does have his moral compass, which includes a great amount of common social morality, but he also has that “I am working” state

Even though Kakusu has a set of professional principles, and he still acts accordingly to what he thinks is right, one and the very same situation can be solved diametrically different once the context changes from working to casual and vice versa

This, and him being very independent and quite antisocial, makes the degree of assholeness depend on various factors

This can lead to major conflicts of interests, and if they are possible to have any compromise or not is strongly attached to the circumstances. After all, both are very, very prideful and dignified people

- In other words, the only major issue for them would be morality questions. It’s possible to make the case acceptable for Anko, since both of them ain’t truly squeaky clean, along with Kakuzu being willing enough to watch his borders

- She is provident and doesn’t really need a lot of money on a daily basis, which is much of a joy to him lol

- *they both seek for the stable ground, first of all

Taking in consideration the life conditions Kakuzu had in his youth (despite war state, he still stably had family, friends, grand respect from everyone, home, warmth and food) and how terribly he was torn out of his secured social environment, I believe what he seeks through all his bounty hunt and other money-connected manipulations is stability. Sustainability he had back then. The only way to have it in the conditions of our existent world order is to have money (and a very good mind and luck)

Anko has indeed much more altruistic motives, yet it’s still not that simple. It seems to be, on the first sight, yet considering the “Orochimaru related cases” and her very wayward behavior toward them, it’s clear she keeps her own motives and needs in mind oh so well. The service she has is very well payed, it allows her to do what she likes or believes is right, and to have the living conditions she finds comfortable. And only here, relying on the made sustainable basis, she does what she does

- Thus, they both illustrate the principle “first help yourself, next help the other” just right

- She knows she can keep an eye on him, yet it’s clear for her that her influence isn’t borderless, as well as telling him off some stuff is kind of a not wise thing to do. So in the majority of cases, she never interferes

- This is not common, yet he can actually change some plans if the situation is serious and the compromise can’t be found. He is that kind of person who works on a further prospective, and in this context, this would be the relationship with his loved one

- While Kakuzu is quite conflicted and has very reserved controversial persona, Anko is both controversial, conflicted, and sort of two-faced, on top of that

She is a very sincere, cheerful and humbly honest human being, yet she has some darker natural traits of her character that became rather strong with age and traumatic experience. Cunningness, guile, ways-depend-on-the-case and a bit of ruthlessness, that is. Moreover, she has some unsolved personal issues, which makes her even more twisted.

Like, remember the time when she confronted Orochimaru during the exam? And Kabuto, on the war? Getting rid of them is indeed beneficial for Konoha, but it’s clear that for her it is personal vendetta in the first place. She wouldn’t have tried to do this alone, otherwise, because these two are rather dangerous ones, to say the least.

She uses greater good to cover her real motives (even though it is not truly complete bullshit), and seems to have a terrible habit to keep silence about really important things, which makes her quite prone to lying, in some cases

And sometimes it very badly pisses Kakuzu off, since it makes her prone to doing useless but dangerous shit too

Yet this not any kind of separate hidden side, it is integrated into her personality, and coexists with her bright one. That’s where her violent humour comes from, for example.

But Kakuzu, on the other side, is completely monolith individual, yet sometimes his mindset can create contradictions when it comes to something important to him. but it's another topic

And seeing these layered constructions, and motives, they can pretty finely predict each other’s behavior. Not super-neatly, but they for sure see the basis. This is what helps Kakuzu to prevent Anko from doing some stupid shit, sometimes

- Anko has a role of an indicator for the people who don’t understand and see the changes in Kakuzu’s mood sometimes, since she usually reacts quite openly. Yet, when she has the same unreadable mask of cold, or one of guile, it’s a nightmare for them

- They prefer the non-verbal way to show their feelings, even though Anko is obviously the more chatty one

- They don’t say things such as “I love you”, or other sensual stuff like that really often, believing it to be some sort of cherished words that shall not be spelled mindlessly

- Anko isn’t majorly into PDA, but she fancies it much more than Kakuzu does. She has her whole moments of studying something with her hands, whether it’s a hand, scar or face. He’s more into passive display of affection, like wrapping an arm over her waist or leaning to her or something of this kind; they can allow themselves to (not sexually) kiss in public though

- She knows he doesn’t like to walk hand in hand due to considering it a youthful thing, so there are times when she intentionally walks holding on to his sleeve; generally they walk separately in order not to bother each other, but sometimes they walk arm in arm (like an old Victorian couple lol)

- Being older and wiser, Kakuzu eventually upholds some kind of mentoring position, yet he never considers himself any kind of a teacher or master to Anko, believing her to have a good head of her own. He is just insightful enough to break something through to her or give a word of advise

- This, combined with his highly powerful demeanor, also makes him have the leading position in their relationship

- Anko respects him much enough to fortify this, entrusting with plenty of life questions (like organizing the family budget), even though they make the majority of decisions together. Mostly because he is truly wise and highly experienced individual.

- This makes him one of the very few people Anko would actually listen to and take their opinion in consideration

- So basically they have equal relationship with some tendency to patriarchal order

- And it is, really, mostly economically-based disbalance, with him earning much more than she does

- Yet they never have any financial-based issues, since both of them keep in mind and respect the contributions of each

- There is major power play here, too. He has the absolute might, she has seduction. Anko loves how he makes her want to submit to him, let him have all the power, so she likes provoking him. And she knows he adores it, loves the subtle control she has over him

- They don’t have conflicts in their everyday life. Each knows how to avoid pissing one another off

- He cherishes her playful demeanor, her intellect. Combined with her cunningness, it allows her to rival him, in social sphere. The way she constructs her phrases, the way she speaks, mimics, moves, how bewitchingly it suits her feminine snaky features makes his blood boil and heart melt

- Both of them, actually, have rather specific kind of dry, dark humour. Kakuzu’s is very cynical, satirical, quite often menacing and subtly demeaning; Anko’s is very sarcastic and quite dirty, even gruesome and rather violent

- Sometimes they “fight” verbally as a form of a play. In some circumstances they may sound pretty vile, so some unobservant people mistake this for display of hate

- In general, Anko is the one to heat things up with her playful demeanor, which can include provocation and rivalry, and Kakuzu is the one to keep this energy in borders, accumulating it up to much more intense states

- They both put the comfort in the first place when it comes to household. Everything must be cozy, useful, silent and super clean

- Yet they are both very unpretentious and modest, really

- She absolutely adores when he is showing his serious, severe side, or powerful demeanor. She finds it incredibly suitable for him. She also likes how his real age is sliding out in this or that way. Like, even though he has rather young face (that of 37-40 y.o.), his eyes give away that he’ve seen oh so much more than it seems; the grumpy noises and grunts he makes, the lazy attitude in movements and the way how rapidly he finds a comfy pose once he has a chance to take a seat

- They are both rather patriotic, yet while in the most stories Anko’s feelings mostly lay towards the country she lives in, Kakuzu’s more often lay towards some places, so called small motherland.

- Kakuzu actually could be a source of deep, strong admiration and delight for her, despite all of his bullshit. The unbreakable will he has, mighty burning heart, all the wisdom, talents and mind. Being sent to fight god damn Hashirama, clearly a genius of his times, financial & management genius at the least. And, still, after all the hard times he’ve been through, he maintained the very strong sense of dignity and nobility, even though slightly twisted due to the profession and abnormal lifespan

- And the very same things can serve as the source for her chagrin: with all those traits, he could have been so much more rather than a criminal. With all the gifts he’ve got, he could have been of great use to society. He’s much easier about this, since his prospective is much wider and embraces decades (and in some universes even centuries) instead of months & years, and he knows that he’d be switching sides throughout his life, being on this and that side of the law, yet he still is a bit uncomfortable once it’s brought up

- They are deeply into science, which makes them atheists. He’s into medicine and human biology, she’s into chemistry and reptilian biology; both of them are nuts for physics, history and psychology

- They solve complicated physical and mathematical problems together time to time. She is the first one to have tea-breaks due to losing her temper over it, he tries to figure things out right until you can sense the smoke coming off his head

- Actually, they do have a stumbling stone aside from job & morality complications. And this is Anko’s attitude towards Orochimaru

What she does is basically ruins her life very-very slowly, maintaining the issues she has and planning to make him pay for all he’s done

Kakuzu knows exactly what is really going on with this attitude and why, but he can’t really do anything about it. Like, he knows he can’t make her change her mind or put something into her head

All he can do is really nothing but try to explain how those things are working, and even this option is basically a landmine field for him. At some level she does understand that he could probably be right, yet she just refuses to go back on her mind. And this is actually really dangerous, so at some moments they can fight quite badly about it

- He’s scared shitless to lose her, though; especially like that, even though he knows clearly that he will, anyway, sooner or later

- he knows that losing loved ones ends up with sheer disaster for him, yet he isn’t afraid to pay such a high price for those six, five or four decades of being with her. Because these decades are that of a paradise ones for him. Wife and family, as well as stable job, incomes and life conditions, are some sort of physical definitions of sustainability he craves. Especially family, yet it’s far ahead to plan

- The fact that he will have to bury her one day makes her rather depressed, as well as the knowledge that the only thing she can really do about it is to try to bring him as much happiness and comfort as possible before she dies

thank you, i'd say more, but it's too much already

[wordsnwhiskey]

As It Should Be | Chapter 4: Company

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x F!Reader x Frankie Morales

Summary: Whiskey gets a surprised call and he and Frankie have a long talk.

Rating: M

Warnings: Talks of drug use, alcohol, mentions of character death, mentions of canon typical violence, PTSD, violent nightmare

A/N: I really wanted this conversation to happen between these two given their respective histories. We all know that Whiskey needed therapy and in this verse he gets it. It’s also my HC, from what I vaguely know (I’m not an expert and I could be very wrong), that Whiskey was an officer in the Air Force where he flew/placed in jets and that’s how he knows how to fly an F-22 (The Silver Pony).

We are getting some angst and some fluff this time folks!

Also, yes I do have a specific soap in mind for Whiskey, it's Old Glory by Duke Cannon

Huge special thanks to mi esposa @danniburgh and my friend Agent Capri Sun for the betas and encouragement!!

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Chapter 3: Statesmen & Demons | AO3

He was drowning. He needed...something. He needed help.

Frankie pulled his phone out, went to the recent number that was, as of yet, unsaved, and pressed ‘call’. His shaky hand brought the phone up to his ear as the line rang.

Whiskey’s hair was still wet from his shower, and his white t-shirt clung to his damp skin. Eyeing the take out on his counter, he sank into his couch and smiled at your texts:

Whiskey: Thai sound good, sweetheart?

Bourbon: God yes Jack, I’m starving!

Whiskey: I’ll let you know when I get outta the shower, see you soon sweetheart

He was just about to send you a message to come on over when his phone rang. Glancing at the clock on his stove, then back to the unfamiliar Texas number on his caller ID, he frowned.

“Whiskey.”

His greeting was curt. Who the hell would be calling at 8:30 pm on a Wednesday?

“H-hey Whiskey, it’s me, Frankie. Is… uh, is she there?”

Whiskey’s frown deepened, not that he minded Frankie calling him, far from it, but his voice was cracking like he’d been... crying?

“Oh, hey there, Flyboy. No she isn’t, do you need me to get her?”

“N-no, no… I, uh, I don’t want her to see me right now. I’m, uh,” Whiskey could hear Frankie take a deep breath on the other side of the line. “I’m having a bad night, Jack. Could you come get me? I’m at the hotel.”

Jack shot straight up, practically leaping to his feet.

“Did you…?”

The question clung to the air like lead, crushing both of their chests in the silence.

“No, I haven’t… I just… fuck.”

Jack was moving, grabbing his leather jacket, keys, and Stetson, practically sprinting out the door.

“Don’t worry about it, Flyboy. I’m headed your way.”

He shifted his weight while he waited for the elevator to take him to the parking garage, shooting off a quick text to you in apology. Frankie’s words, “I don’t want her to see me,” rung in his ears and he decided to hold off on telling you what had come up, at least until he could see you at the office tomorrow.

Whiskey: Hey sweetheart, sorry something came up and I can’t do dinner tonight. Everything’s fine, see you at the office, sugar. X

Your phone went off and you quickly unlocked it, eager to hear back from Jack so you could head over. A frown pulled the corners of your lips down at his text, but you knew he wouldn’t cancel on you without good reason.

You: See you tomorrow, cowboy. Better make it up to me ;)

Frankie had left the door slightly ajar and was pacing around his room, arms crossed in front of him when he heard a quick knock, then the handle was turning and Whiskey crossed the threshold. He took a cursory glance around the room: nothing but minibar booze bottles, thankfully. Whiskey let out a sigh of relief that was short-lived when he took in Frankie’s demeanor. Frankie’s face was taut with shame, and his gaze refused to rise any higher than Whiskey’s boots.

“I didn’t know who else to call,” Frankie choked out, “ Pope, and Hawk… I can’t disappoint them again. I’ve been clean for three years, and I didn’t…”

Jack shook his head and beckoned Frankie over, wrapping his arm around the other man’s shoulders and pulling him in for a quick, tight hug.

“C’mon, Flyboy, this is not the time nor the place to talk about this. I’m taking you back to my place, and we’re gonna have some whiskey that’s much better than what you’ve had here, and then we can talk.”

Frankie nodded and grabbed his hat, planting it on his head as Whiskey tugged him out of the hotel room. He was so deep in his thoughts and his guilt for having Whiskey come out that he didn’t realize where he was until the elevator dinged. Whiskey unlocked and opened the door to his condo, giving way to a view so incredible Frankie almost forgot to breathe. Across from the entryway, on the far side of the condo, the gorgeous New York night skyline twinkled back at them from beyond the wall of glass windows. Frankie marveled at the rustic elegance of Jack’s home. It had an entirely open floor plan, giving Frankie a view of the dark cherry butcher block island, the top-of-the-line range top, and other appliances, all immaculately clean. For a moment, he wondered if that was because Whiskey ordered out more than he cooked, but then he saw the bags of takeout on the counter and immediately felt guilty.

“I’m sorry, looks like I interrupted your dinner plans.”

Whiskey closed and locked the door behind him, hanging his jacket up on the nearby hook. He glanced over at the takeout, then put his hand on Frankie’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, partner. I just told her something came up. You hungry? I ordered her Drunken Noodles, be a shame to put them to waste.”

Frankie was about to decline when his stomach rumbled, and Whiskey chuckled.

“C’mon, Flyboy, go sit down on the couch and I’ll bring the food and some whiskey round.”

With a nod, he toed his dress shoes off (they were all he had without his go bag) and made for the brown leather couch. He sat down a bit stiffly, feeling awkward given the circumstances. Whiskey brought over the containers of food, handing one to Frankie and resting his own on the coffee table before grabbing them the promised drinks. He sat down, and Frankie took his drink in one hand, relishing in the smooth burn as he took a sip, then set it down to dive into his food.

They ate in a relaxed and cozy silence. Frankie finished first, which wasn’t a surprise. When Whiskey finished, he took Frankie’s empty container with him to toss in the garbage before he made his way back. An awkward silence replaced the previous comfortable one, and Frankie found himself having a hard time pulling his gaze from the amber liquid in his glass. Whiskey took a deep breath, then turned on the couch to face Frankie.

“Santiago said you’ve been clean for three years? That’s quite the accomplishment.”

“Yeah, thanks. Doesn’t really feel like it right now. I feel like I failed. I’m worried I’ll slip up.”

“I don’t think you will, Frankie. Neither do Pope or Bourbon.”

Jack didn’t know why, but the words rang true in his mind, even though he hadn’t known Frankie for very long.

“You don’t seem like the kind of guy to throw three years of hard work away, Flyboy.”

A small smile tugged at Frankie’s lips and he took a sip from his glass.

“Must’ve been weird for Halcón. Last time she saw me, fuck, I was barely with it. The suspension hit me hard. I had been getting my shit together before Colombia and the funeral. I just wanted to be able to fly. I couldn’t and still can’t stand the idea of being grounded. That, and I knew my fianceé would leave me if I didn’t get it together. But then, well, we all went to Colombia.”

“I couldn’t imagine being grounded. I don’t fly often, but to not have the option? I dunno what I’d do.”

Whiskey shook his head and grimaced. Frankie perked up, head snapping to meet Whiskey’s gaze.

“You fly?”

“Mmmhmm, was in the Air Force for a bit, did jets. Statesmen has an F-22, the Silver Pony, that I fly.”

A small buzz of excitement was washing over Frankie, and he subconsciously scooted closer to Whiskey. He didn’t really have anyone to talk to about flying, even if helicopters and jets were two very different means of flying.

“What made you risk it, Flyboy? What happened in Colombia?”

Frankie frowned and let out a deep sigh.

“Pope had been down there for a few years, chasing a narco named Gabriel Martín Lorea. He finally got a break when his CI told him she knew where he was hiding out and where he was stashing his money. He showed up outta the blue asking us, our old team, to come down and do recon, $17k just for a week of recon. If we wanted to stay on after that, we’d be entitled to 25% of whatever we seized, and the rumour was that Lorea had $75M on him. I’m guessing Halcón was busy with a mission for you guys, and I’m glad she was. It ended up being a fucking shitshow.”

Whiskey noted the faraway look in Frankie’s eyes as he sighed and took another swig from his glass, shaking his head as Frankie recalled the events.

“After the recon, Pope said he thought we could do the job ourselves, take all the money and not tell the local governments. We found out that the local agency hadn’t been the ones to pay us the $17k. That had come out of Pope’s pocket. He was so sure that the locals were on Lorea’s payroll, and if he went to the local agency, Lorea would disappear with the money. At the end of the day, none of us could say no. Turned out the rumors of Lorea having $75M were wrong. The house was stuffed, literally, with cash. Tom, our captain, got greedy. He ignored our hard-out time and insisted we take more loads of cash. We ended up stealing close to $250M, then we burned the house down.”

Whiskey whistled. “$250M is a lot of money, partner…”

Frankie barked out a humorless laugh, his eyes rueful.

“Too much. Our helo couldn’t take it all and make it over the Andes. I knew it before take off, and I warned Tom and Pope, but all any of us could see was the money. Tom didn’t want to leave it on the runway. I almost had us over the Andes when a gearbox blew, and I had to get us back to flat. We had to cut the money net, and it was just our luck that it happened to be over a coke farm. It was a bad landing. I honestly don’t know how none of us were seriously injured, but Pope and Tom went to go and convince the farmers to get out of the money. Our comms were out, so we were going off of hand signals. Tom got too trigger happy, and he dropped a few of the villagers. I-I provided cover fire, too…”

Frankie hung his head, no matter how much Will, Benny, or Pope had tried to reassure him, he still held an enormous amount of guilt over what had happened. He felt Whiskey’s hand rest on his shoulder, and he leaned into the touch.

“That’s what you were trained to do, Flyboy. You couldn’t have known any different, especially without comms.”

Frankie nodded, taking a large gulp of his whiskey, then continued on.

“A couple days later, we took fire in the mountains, and they got Tom. It ended up being a kid and another guy from the coke farm. We killed them, but there was nothing we could do for Tom. Headshot, he died instantly. 10 years we all served together, and then he was gone, leaving behind an ex and two daughters. It could have been any one of us though, Jack… we all took lives during that mission. Tom just took the wrong ones. It… it could have been me even, I shot some of those villagers, too.”

Frankie felt Whiskey’s grip on his shoulder tighten and looked up to see the empathetic sadness of someone who truly understood how he felt reflected back in Whiskey’s eyes. Frankie cleared his throat.

“We ended up bailing on a lot of the cash, taking only what we could carry in our daypacks and tossing the rest in a ravine so we could haul Tom’s body out with us. At the end of it, we made out with around $5M, but we all agreed it should go to Tom’s family. I got back to find my fianceé had left. She couldn’t stand my leaving with Pope. Looking back, my addiction is probably what really did us in, but I was devastated to come home to an empty house after everything that had happened. Things got… dark after that. I fell back on old habits, fuck, I had barely been clean a few months when we went to Colombia. I didn’t want to think about what we’d done there, didn’t want to feel the emptiness, didn’t want to sleep and deal with the nightmares. I was a mess, and I… uh, I took too much one day. Pope found me unconscious, lying on the ground, and got me to the hospital. When I came to, I realized I didn’t want to end up dead in my shitty apartment, once they discharged me, I checked into rehab.”

Frankie took another drink. No one other than Pope knew that knocking on death’s door had been the turning point for him. Whiskey chewed on his lip, taking a drink and debating whether he should share his past as well.

“Drugs are… a terrible thing to get hooked on. My high school sweetheart, carrying my unborn son, was murdered by two meth head freaks robbing a fucking convenience store. I was on leave from the Air Force, waiting for them to come home when I got the call. I didn’t realize how much it festered in me until about a year back when we were taking down the Golden Circle.”

Frankie nodded. He remembered that he had been glad he was clean by then.

“I’m sorry, Whiskey… I didn’t know, I shouldn’t have-”

Jack’s hand moved from Frankie’s shoulder to rub his back reassuringly.

“Listen, the things you’ve done and seen for our country… and not, well, it’s a lot, and I know it’s not the same as the freaks who… it’s not the same. I almost sabotaged the mission. My hate-addled brain thought it would be justice… It was Bourbon who very literally knocked me on my ass and kept me from making a decision I’d regret. She encouraged me to see a Statesmen counselor, which has been a lot of work, but has been more helpful than I ever thought it would be. Have you thought about that?”

Frankie was distracted for a moment by Jack’s hand. It felt nice, reassuring, safe, things that had been sorely lacking for him today.

“I have and I did, well, I had to as part of the program, and I kept it up for a bit after. It helped, but… I couldn’t really talk about what happened with Tom. Sure there’s confidentiality and all that, but what we did is all kinds of illegal. I couldn’t exactly bring that to a session or group.”

Frankie snorted, a ghost of a smile tugged at a corner of his mouth.

“Really though, aside from the program I was in after rehab to get my license back, I’ve gotten some hobbies and some other out-outlets. This was just a lot. I needed to not be alone.”

Jack cocked his head at the way Frankie stuttered and subconsciously fidgeted with the bandage on his right wrist. He had picked up from the night prior that Frankie had a thing for pain, and Frankie’s reaction when he had bandaged him up was further proof of that. But using it as his sole outlet or method of working through his issues was something he wouldn’t enable. His eyes narrowed, and before Frankie could blink, Jack snatched his left hand, mindful of the tender marks as he held fast and fixed Frankie with a hard stare. Frankie flinched at the sudden movement then his eyes widened a little.

“You know this ain’t a solution, Flyboy.”

Jack’s voice had an edge to it bordering on a growl. Frankie shook his head quickly.

“Shit, no, Whiskey, the i-impact p-play stuff, i-it’s an outlet, and it’s not my only outlet. I met my old partners, Sam and then later on her husband, a year and a half or two years ago. I was a year clean before I even had my first session with either of them. I met Sam when she booked a flight tour, and one thing led to another… She’d come back into town and sometimes her husband would come with, but we all kept everything pretty quiet. They helped me relax, and they had their fun.”

Frankie was doing his best to be nonchalant, but he couldn’t help the slight bitterness creeping into his voice. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Jack’s tone had thrown him off guard, unexpectedly stirring something in him. Whiskey, of course noticed on both counts, having been trained to do so. He could see through Frankie a mile away. Frankie nervously took another sip from his glass, shuddering as Whiskey’s thumb gingerly rubbed circles over the marks, seemingly accepting his explanation.

“You know, had I known about your… interests, I would have done things a bit differently last night, Flyboy.” He winked at Frankie, then smirked as he examined Frankie’s wrist more thoughtfully. “How are they doing?”

“G-good, thanks. And uh, well, you’re one of 3 people who know.” Frankie murmured.

Whiskey’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise as he nodded and released Frankie’s hand.

“Really? Not Pope or Bourbon?”

“Are you kidding me? Pope would never let me hear the end of it. There are some things he doesn’t need to know.” Frankie chuckled and shook his head. “And Halcón? Well, there was never any reason for her to know. We never did anything together before last night.”

“How long has it been since you last saw Sam or her husband?”

Frankie downed the rest of his whiskey, eyes far away for a moment, remembering their last session, the sharp pain followed by a rush of endorphins and the occasional soothing praise. He shook his head gently, blinking himself out of his memories at the feeling of Jack’s warm hand on his knee.

“It’s been a while, six months? They moved overseas.”

There was a beat of silence, Whiskey could sense there was something up, it was a subtle shadow flitting across Frankie’s face. He decided to push a little more.

“Did you have feelings for them?”

“It was complicated.”

The edge in Frankie’s voice was tinged with pain, and he tried to cover it up with a laugh that came out humorless.

“I guess it isn’t that complicated. After six months, things shifted, and they made it clear I wasn’t part of their long term plan. It became very transactional, which was fine, but there was less and less... care after.”

“Oh.”

The response slipped from Jack’s lips, and he was momentarily stunned quiet before his temper began to flare. His index finger and thumb gently gripped Frankie’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze.

“Listen carefully, Flyboy. What I did last night was the bare minimum of what someone should do in that kind of situation. Anything less is negligent. Christ, how was this ever stress relief for you if you were left to free fall afterwards?”

Whiskey’s voice was calm and even, but Frankie could see the fury raging in his eyes. Sensing Whiskey’s desire for understanding, he nodded then shrugged.

“I guess I’d try to go on a hike with one of the guys or go train at the gym.”

Silence fell between them, a muscle in Whiskey’s jaw clenching before he glanced at the clock and let out a deep sigh, willing himself to calm down.

“It’s already just about midnight, Flyboy. Why don’t you go shower, and I’ll put on a clean bandage for you once you’re done. You can use my bathroom. There’s a clean towel hanging you can use. Don’t worry about clothes, I’ll leave something for you to sleep in on my bed so you can change while I set up the guest room for you.”

Frankie was about to protest, saying he could do his own bandages, but Whiskey fixed him with a stare and shook his head.

“Go on Flyboy, get yourself in the shower. Head down the hall, second door on the left. Your room is across the hall. I’ll be waiting there with the medkit when you’re done.”

Whiskey took Frankie’s empty glass and stood, taking their glasses to the sink while Frankie got up and made his way to the shower. A pensive frown tugged at Whiskey’s lips. Tonight certainly explained a lot of things. The sharp fury that permeated Whiskey’s chest when they were talking about Frankie’s previous partners returned. How could someone not be bothered with aftercare? It was also clear that Frankie felt abandoned by them. On some level, the poor man was probably terrified of that happening again, if he even entertained the thought of something between the three of you. Whiskey waited a few moments until he heard the water running before heading into his room. He let out a sigh as he grabbed a white t-shirt and a pair of linen shorts for Frankie to wear, leaving them on the bed before he left to make sure the guest room was all set.

Frankie undressed quickly, folding his clothes and setting them down on the vanity in a neat pile crowned with his hat. Next, he made quick work of unwrapping the bandage around his wrist and tossing the materials in the garbage. He let out a sigh of relief as he stepped into the shower and the hot water scoured the last two days from his skin. The relief was quickly replaced with a small whine of pain as the water hit his wrist. Closing his eyes and bracing himself against the wall with his forearm he breathed through the pain, acclimating to the sensation. Frankie took a minute to just exist, trying to enjoy the quiet that had slowly crept back into his mind. Taking a deep breath, he set to work getting himself clean. The steam made the air thick and heavy with the scent of Whiskey’s soap, something akin to leather and tobacco leaves. It clung to Frankie’s lungs, and he could have stayed there enjoying it for considerably longer. But, he didn’t want to keep Whiskey waiting, so he rinsed off and hopped out of the shower. He toweled off, smirking to himself when he saw it was monogrammed (because of course it was), then headed out and changed quickly into the shirt and shorts that had been left for him.

Whiskey looked up in time to see Frankie stride through the doorway wearing his shirt and shorts, smelling like him, his soap. He swallowed thickly and tried to recover with a smile.

“Feel better, Flyboy? C’mon, sit down. Let’s have a look.”

Frankie nodded, then took a seat next to Whiskey on the bed and gave him his right hand. Whiskey hummed his approval at the lack of resistance from Frankie, something the pilot felt tug at his chest.

“This is looking much better, Flyboy, should be completely healed in a few days.”

Whiskey smiled as he finished tending to and wrapping up Frankie’s wrist. Without prompting, Frankie offered his other wrist and Whiskey couldn’t bite back the smirk that followed. He was glad though, glad that Frankie was trusting him with this and was embracing these moments, even if it was for something small. Frankie’s left wrist was considerably better off, but even so, Whiskey was still gentle as he looked him over.

Frankie’s heart fluttered at the intimacy of what was happening. Here was Jack, a man he’d known for barely 48 hours, who was taking care of him, who had dropped everything to come get him, who had spent his evening letting Frankie talk. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had treated him this way.

There was an overwhelming urge building in his chest, and without thinking, he acted on it.

He gripped the collar of Whiskey’s t-shirt with one hand, tugging him closer as Frankie leaned in and kissed him. Whiskey was shocked for a moment, it had been the last thing he had been expecting, but he quickly recovered when he felt Frankie’s tongue swipe at his lip. His hand rested along the column of Frankie’s throat, thumb grazing over the scruff along his jaw as he deepened the kiss, leaning into Frankie and tasting him.

A small moan pulled Jack back to his senses, resting his forehead against Frankie’s and cupping his jaw with this other hand. They both panted, trying to catch their breath, and Whiskey smiled as he gave Frankie another quick kiss. For a moment, Frankie was worried he had overstepped when Whiskey cut off their kiss, but looking into the other man’s eyes, he knew that wasn’t the case.

“You’ve had a long day, Flyboy, we’re not gonna do anything tonight. Tomorrow though, if you want, I could help you get rid of some of that stress and help you come down the right way. No rush, no pressure, you can say no and nothing changes. I don’t want an answer right now either, sleep on it.”

Frankie’s breath quickened and his pupils dilated at the thought, but one thing nagged at him.

“What about Halcón?”

Whiskey chuckled and patted Frankie’s shoulder.

“Well it’s what we both want, in a manner of speaking. She’d be onboard, but she doesn’t have to know exactly what we do for now unless you’re comfortable with it. A lot of this is stuff I know she wants to go over on Friday, but for now, when it comes to me and Bourbon, keep an open mind and try not to overthink it, partner. If you want to do this tomorrow, then we can do it. If not, no harm, no foul, you’re still welcome to stay here and keep me company.”

Frankie nodded, still processing what Whiskey had said and more than a little surprised that Whiskey was inviting him back regardless of his decision. Whiskey stood up then, squeezing Frankie’s shoulder.

“G’night, Flyboy. Holler if you need anything.”

Frankie was back in Colombia. He felt sluggish, his feet refusing to respond the way he wanted them to. He saw the villager from the cocaine farm pop up from the rocky outcrop, but Frankie couldn’t move, couldn’t draw his gun to take him out. He cried out in anguish as the man fired.

“No! Tom!”

Then he was surrounded by Pope, Benny, Will, you, and Whiskey, statuesque as the man who killed Tom lined up and dropped Pope, moving his way down the line. Frankie was sobbing now, he was being swallowed up by the ground, sinking helplessly as the people he cared for were murdered.

Whiskey woke with a start to the sound of shouting.

Ripping the sheet and comforter off, Whiskey glanced at the clock. It read 01:30 and he sighed. Frankie just couldn’t catch a break.

“P-please, No! Po-Pope, God, n-no, Hal-Halcón! Whiskey!”

He really didn’t want to shake Frankie awake, worried as to how he might react waking up from that sort of dream, but Jack had to do something.

“Hey, Frankie, I’m right here, you gotta wake up. Wake up, Flyboy.”

Frankie shot up, feeling like ice water had been poured down his spine. He was wild-eyed and breathing heavily, but once again, Whiskey’s soothing words served to ground him, and he clung to them with all he had. He felt Whiskey pull him into a hug, and Frankie didn’t care about the awkward angle, he clung to the embrace as well.

Whiskey’s heart ached at the way Frankie clutched at him after hearing him call out Pope’s, his, and your names. He had a vague idea of what might have happened, he still had dreams where he couldn’t save his loved ones every now and then. Once Frankie’s breathing calmed a bit, Whiskey tugged him up out of bed.

“C’mon Flyboy, you’re coming with me.”

Frankie didn’t argue, he just followed, grateful that Whiskey was pulling him by his hand, needing that point of contact. Whiskey pulled back the covers on the side opposite of his and waited until Frankie crawled in before he pulled the covers over him, then slid in on his side of the bed. He scooted a bit closer, not wanting to crowd Frankie unless he wanted the contact, and was pleased when the other man scooted back until his back rested against Jack’s chest.

“Get some sleep, Flyboy. I’ve got you.”

Sooner than he expected, Whiskey heard soft snores coming from Frankie. He smiled then wrapped his arm around him and pulled him closer.

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[halsteadsfave]

Sex On Legs - Part 2 (j.l.s)

Part 1

Pairing: Jesse Lee Soffer x Reader

Word Count: 1611

Warnings: alcohol, possible spelling errors

A/N: here is part 2 for you! hope you’ll enjoy (:  Once again: Send in some request! You can send some prompts too!

xoxo

____

Climbing into Jesse’s car, you were putting on your seatbelt.

'Where do you live (Y/N)?' He asked, starting the engine and driving to the gate of the Universal Studios.

'Currently, I’m living in a hotel. I haven’t had time to look for a suitable apartment. Plus I’m new in Chicago' you said, watching him drive his car.

Jesse had an amused grin on his face. 'So, you’re telling me you’re living the hotel life? This sounds pretty nice though'

'Oh trust me, it is‘ you laughed a little. ‚Getting food 24/7, having your room cleaned and the hotel feeling is fantastic.'

'I never thought of it. This is amazing. Life would be so much easier.' Jesse was in his thoughts and you had to laugh again.

'To be honest, it is quite expensive and you can’t have everything as you want it' you added and he shrugged.

'I just imagine it being super cool. Walking into a hotel every day like a real businessman? I’m still waiting for this job offer' he commented and you both laughed.

It was really nice being around him. Jesse had a great sense of humor.

'You can pay me a visit if you want' you suggested and he smiled at you for a moment.

'Been waiting for this offer' he winked at looked back at the streets.

'Oh, I already thought so' you grinned.

'Ok, so we’re nearly there' he told you, while you took a look at your surroundings.

Some minutes later you were in his apartment, which was amazing. The sunset was shown through the big windows. It really looked magical. You liked his interior and it smelled very good.

The doorbell rang and Jesse went to open it. Miranda, Taylor, Tracy, and Kara came in. They brought pizza and beers.

You sat down at the big table next to the kitchen. Miranda sat across from you and winked. You could just shake your head and laugh.

'Why are you laughing?' Kara said with her mouth full of the first piece of pizza. '(Y/N)’s just falling in love with the owner of this wonderful apartment' Miranda replied to her before you could say anything.

Your eyes went wide. 'Would you stop it?' You whispered fully aware that the other three of you were still in the kitchen and probably couldn’t hear her comment.

'Really? That would be amazing!' Kara ignored your reaction.

'What would be amazing?' Tracy came in and took the seat next to Miranda.

'I was just talking about (Y/N)-' 'Taylor could you help us to cut the pizza?' You asked him a little bit louder to stop Miranda talking about your little crush.

'Umm, I can do that' Jesse came up to you with the cutter. Standing next to you, you had to think about who smelled better. The pizza or the absolutely handsome man next to you.

Taking the piece of pizza out of his hand you saw Miranda watching you two. You kicked her under the table and she mumbled a little 'Ouch.' You could just smile to yourself while she was glaring at you.

**

'I think we could go for a round of strip poker. What do you think guys?' Miranda asked after we all cleaned up the mess we made while eating.

'Be right back' Jesse told her after everybody agreed. You definitely will lose a lot of clothes, because poker wasn’t made for you.

'I suck at this' you admitted. 'Me too. Let’s strip together' Tracy laughed and fist-bumped you.

Jesse came back with the game and Kara prepared everything.

'I hope you all are wearing something nice under your tops and bottoms' Taylor grinned. 'Except for Jesse of course' he added quickly and we laughed.

'I actually do wear boxer shorts, but I hope I can keep my jeans on' he smirked and popped another beer open.

You were thinking of what you are wearing today, but it was nothing special. It was probably a set of black underwear. Re-checking with taking a look through your shirt, you saw the black lace.

'Already preparing for getting rid of your shirt?' Miranda smirked. 'No, just checking if everything sits right' you gave her a quick smile before taking your cards.

While Taylor and Tracy were discussing the rules, you caught Jesse's eyes and smiled at him. He smiled back and turned to a poker face afterward. You both had to cover your laugh because Kara was starting the round.

To your surprise, you weren’t the first person to get rid of a piece of clothes. It was Kara. 'So I’m going for my jeans, but don’t expect something hot. I’m on my period' she said while stepping out of the jeans.

Miranda fake whistled while admiring the black panties with little red hearts on them. 'Kara, you can’t be serious' Tracy laughed at Kara wiggling her butt at her.

A round later it was Jesse’s turn. He lost because you had the better cards at the end. 'Oh (Y/N) I promise you, you’ll be the next' he said with a mischievous smile.

'In your dreams, Soffer' you grinned and he took off his shirt. You froze for a second. Scanning his body, you completely lost it. He was charming, funny as hell, with clothes hella attractive, and now?

'I told you, girl. He’s the definition of „sex on legs“!' Miranda laughed.

'You really introduced him to her like that?' Taylor asked her with a surprised face.

'How could she not?' Jesse interrupted trying to make a shocked expression and threw his t-shirt into Taylor’s face.

'Have you seen my body?' Taylor asked, removing Jesse’s shirt. I took a sip of the beer bottle in front of me and followed the conversation with my eyes.

'Sadly yes. I had to shoot some scenes with you, my love' Miranda winked at him and everybody laughed.

'Time for a revenge' Jesse mentioned and took his cards. You were looking at him and his body again. Did you already think about how perfect he is? His eyes, his freckles, his smile, his arms, his...

'Earth to (Y/N)?' Kara was waving her hands in front of your face. You shook your head a little and met the warm green eyes, you were looking at before. Jesse laughed to himself and you turned red.

'Yes, I lost. What do you wanna see?' You asked, trying to cover your embarrassment.

'Take off the top' Tracy told you. Quickly removing it and throwing it on the floor. Avoiding the glances of the others, you were taking another sip.

'Damn, you look hot' Tracy rose her voice again. You felt the redness coming back. Of course, the whole nation saw you in your bra before, but these were other circumstances.

'Thanks to you' you smiled at her and saw Jesse agreeing with nodding a little and taking a sip of the beer just like you before.

Continuing with the game, everybody had either their pants or their tops next to them on the ground. It was a lot of fun because everybody seemed to suck at this game. But maybe this was the intention of playing it.

You didn’t mind seeing the other ones without clothing. You were all trained and perfectly in shape. But one of them especially caught your eye.

Jesse lost again and was standing up. He opened his belt and his jeans straight after it. Of course, you were watching him. Everybody did. Except for Miranda. She was watching you with an amused smirk on her face.

'Sorry to tell you that, but you will see me in my boxers' Jesse looked next to him. Taylor laughed. 'I was already aware of it. Don’t worry. The other ones won’t mind at all.'

Stepping out of his jeans, you had to look at the white Ralph Lauren boxer he was wearing. Thinking of things you shouldn’t, you looked away and took your cards.

'Next one who will lose has to host our next match' Kara announced and your eyebrow shot up in surprise.

'This is a good one. (Y/N) maybe you could lose. I’m sure we all agree that a hotel would be nice for hosting it' Jesse said while sitting down onto his chair again.

‚Pah, you wish' you grinned at him. Of course, you’ll lose. You had no concentration left and under pressure, you sucked the most.

Some minutes later, you leaned back, crossing your arms in front of you. Yes, you lost.

'Is there a spa at the hotel? Maybe we could go in there after getting rid of all our clothes next time' Taylor asked grinning like an idiot. Everybody was pretty happy about you losing the last round.

'You have to show your beautiful bum, (Y/N). Even though it is the last round and we can technically put our clothes on again, you owe us the show' Miranda raised her voice.

You exhaled loudly and stood up. Quickly opening your jeans, you were removing them. 'There you go' you said. This was embarrassing, but you didn’t mind anymore. The beer you were consuming the last hour, was worth it now.

'Oh man, that looks hot' Jesse admitted and winked. Everybody drank a lot, but he sounded totally sober. It made you blush again.

'I wouldn’t mind if you girls would just stay like this' Taylor added and you all laughed.

Continuing after the game with a lot of talking and laughing. When you finally arrived home, you were absolutely happy. The whole evening and night were hilarious. You couldn’t wait for the next time. Furthermore, you couldn't wait to meet Jesse again.

PS: I won’t upload tomorrow

[scapegrace74-blog]

New Ways of Turning into Stone, Chapter 3

A/N As promised, Jamie returns in this chapter.  He has an appointment to keep, after all.   Because I can’t think of anything more creative, this chapter is entitled “Second Appointment”.  For previous chapters, your best bet is to check out the story on my AO3 page.

The week both crept and flew past, like one of those dreams in which she ran until her lungs burned, but never managed to get anywhere.  Kinetic motion trapped in amber.   Claire never did tell Geillis about her excursion to Corstorphine Hill over the weekend, embarrassed by how it had ended.  

And now it was Thursday.  She’d opted for a protein smoothie for lunch, a meal with no chance of leaving leafy residue between her teeth.  It was likely wasted vanity.  As two o’clock drew near, she bargained with herself to abandon any hope she may be harbouring.  Jamie Fraser had shown no interest in participating in the psychiatric process during his first appointment.  Fraternal obligation had brought him to her office once, but he didn’t strike her as a man who yielded the reins of his life easily.  It wasn’t likely he would return.

When it came his distinctive knock, crisp and insistent, caught her unawares, even though she’d just been staring at his name in her planner.  She hastily pushed the items on her desk to one side, patted uselessly at her curls, and called out for him to enter.

“Good afternoon, Doctor Beauchamp,” he greeted cautiously.  “Miss Duncan told me tae come straight in.”

There was something different about him today.  His clothing, certainly.  Instead of casual wear, he wore trousers and a button down, wet splotches over the shoulders attesting to the fact that it had begun raining again.  And while he still took up an inordinate amount of space in her small office, he seemed... diminished, somehow.  A paler echo of the fireworks display of his first visit.

“Of course.  Please have a seat, Mister Fraser.”

“Jamie, if you will,” he corrected as he settled gingerly into the armchair.  “Mister Fraser was my Da.”

Something about his tone and the fact his laser blue eyes wouldn’t meet her own as he spoke the words caused her to lean into his statement.

“Did your father pass away recently, Jamie?”

A moment, an indrawn breath of panic, and then it was cleverly masked with a wry glance.

“Aye, last year.  An’ yer no’ very subtle, doctor.”

“I didn’t realize subtlety was called for,” she parried.  “You made another appointment, and I specialize in grief counselling.  Why else would you be here?”

Despite the fact that it wasn’t productive from a psychiatric point of view, she enjoyed his reluctance to hastily expose his inner demons.  Too often, her practice required her to work carefully in order to avoid shaping the pliable emotions of her patients.  While obviously hurting, Jamie had an unflinching, unalterable quality that she admired.  Not to mention that the intellectual game of cat and mouse they were playing was wildly stimulating.

“I suppose I enjoyed our conversation,” Jamie teased.  “An’ Miss Duncan’s shortbread.”

With an awkward squint that she imagined was meant to be a wink, her patient rose to investigate the current offerings on her tea table.

“Och, petit fours!” he exclaimed with childlike glee and perfect French pronunciation.  “There was a café none too far from my flat in Paris tha’ made these.  I’d often grab some on my way tae the office.”

He returned to the desk with a small plate of the pastries, pushing it towards her as he settled into his seat.

“No, thank you.  I’ve just eaten.”

Like a searchlight, his bright eyes didn’t miss much.  He glanced significantly at the half-empty plastic smoothie container to one side of her desk.  Rather than chide her for her austerity, as Geillis frequently did, he instead made a show of biting into each of the four little squares until there was nothing left but crumbs.  Her stomach muttered in complaint.

“What did you do in Paris?” she asked as he finished his snack with a contented sigh.

“Oh, a wee bit of this and that,” he demurred.  In response to her exasperated look, he continued, “I started out at the Bourse.  Futures, options, arbitrage, that sort of thing.  I have a good ear fer languages, sae from there I went into foreign exchange.  Import export, and the like.”

“You’re a financier?” she asked, somewhat more incredulous than she ought to be.  She wasn’t certain what she had pictured James Fraser doing for a living, but greasing the wheels of capitalism definitely wasn’t it.

“Was,” he corrected.  “I quit an’ came home tae Scotland last year.”

“When your father died,” she guessed.

“Aye.”

She once again had the sense of standing in front of a locked door that Jamie had no intention of opening.  Rather than hammer uselessly on its stubborn surface, she nimbly diverted the conversation sideways.

“What do you do for work now?”

A slow blink followed by a dawning smile indicated he was aware of her stratagem.

“I’m a carpenter.”

It was rare for Claire to be truly surprised by people.  She made a living reading their unspoken cues.  Twice in the same conversation was unheard of.

“A carpenter?” she repeated as though she hadn’t heard him perfectly well the first time.

“Aye.  Like Jesus, ye ken?”

With a quicksilver grin, Jamie launched into a description of his current occupation, which involved the making of reproduction antiques and custom pieces for clients around Scotland.  She realized with a start that she’d read an article about his business in a popular local magazine.  

International financier.  Self-made entrepreneur.  Tall drink of water.  James Fraser had a lot of things going for him.  And yet here he sat, paying her by the hour to listen to him avoid talking about whatever hardship had befallen him.

She mentally composed a list of the topics he was deftly avoiding with his charming anecdotes.  His father’s recent death.  The reason behind a radical change in career.  Living in the city on account of unspoken ‘family obligations’, even though his verbal reminiscence of the Highlands was so poetic it damn near made her cry.  There was something raw just below the surface of his nonchalance, and her innate curiosity cried out to find out what it was.

“You told me last week that your sister, Jenny, insisted you attend counselling.  But you said that you’re handling matters fine on your own.  Can you tell me why your sister believes otherwise?”

It might have been amusing to see such a large man squirm in different circumstances.  His left hand furrowed through his hair, setting the autumn waves on end.  His mouth, so recently relaxed and mobile as he eagerly shared the details of his craft, froze in a pained frown.  She considered whether she had pushed too hard too soon.

“I gave a lot of thought tae what ye said when we parted last week,” Jamie began at last.  “Tae be honest, it haunted me.  Jen kens me better than anyone, an’ while I like tae complain tha’ she meddles where she doesna belong, the truth is she’s truly scared fer me.  An’ even if I dinna agree tha’ my lifestyle is cause fer concern, I owe it tae her tae try tae sort myself out.  I owe her far more than that,” he finished with a rueful shake of his head.

“What kind of lifestyle has your sister so worried?” she probed.

“Whisky, women and song,” he quipped, before adding, “Weel, I canna carry a tune, but twa out of three isna half bad.”

He tried to smile away the awkward tension that descended on the office, the air ripe with unspoken words.  Claire felt disappointment whirlpool in her gut.  Just another charming rake, after all.  It really shouldn’t matter, and yet somehow it did.  More than she dared to admit.

“Yes, well, the road of excess leads to the palace of consequences, ” she sniffed at last, angry at herself for sounding like a schoolmarm.  What a bore she must seem to him, with her regimented behaviour and rigid morals.

Jamie rose abruptly, and for a half-second she imagined he might lunge at her, or storm from the room.   Instead, he spun around to face the door.  Without a word, he untucked his shirt and began to expose his lower back.

Claire was momentarily stunned silent.  Just as she managed to draw a deep enough breath to censure Jamie for his highly inappropriate strip tease, the golden velour of his lower back transformed without warning into a furrowed landscape of scar tissue, ripples and craters left by some massive trauma.  The air left her lungs on a questioning sigh.

“I ken all about consequences, Doctor Beauchamp,” he stated.  “I live with them every moment of my life.”

Her fingers found the knotted skin, surprisingly warm and mobile beneath her touch.  A shiver shimmered over the unmarred muscle of his flanks.

Before she could find any appropriate words of apology, the office door opened and Geillis stuck her head in.  She barked a cough upon seeing Jamie’s state of undress and Claire’s position, leaning across her desk.  Doctor and patient jumped apart like opposing magnets.

“Sae sorry for the interruption, but yer three o’clock is here.  Should I tell her ye’ve been... delayed?”

Jamie muttered an obscenity under his breath which Claire whole-heartedly seconded.  There was no way Geillis wasn’t going to be utterly insufferable about this.

“Mister Fraser was just leaving, Geillis.”

With a lewd wink and a nod, the door closed.

“Look, Jamie...” she began just as he apologized.  “I’m sae sorry, lass.”

They both laughed nervously.  Jamie finished tucking his shirt into his pants and turned to face the desk.

“I hope this willna cause ye any difficulties with Miss Duncan,” he began, eyes wide with concern.

“No more so than usual,” she sighed. “Geillis is a good friend.  She just... doesn’t know when to quit, sometimes,” she explained.

“Sounds jus’ like my sister.  Perhaps we should introduce them.”

She smiled, struggling to find something else to say to move past the moment.  She could hear Geillis and her next patient conversing just outside the door.  There was no time left for subtlety.

“Will I see you again next week, Jamie?” she asked, giving up on finding a more oblique way of phrasing the question that was reverberating through her mind.

Jamie’s bashful smile dipped towards the floor, causing his hair to fall in front of his eyes.

“Aye.  I’ll even keep my clothes on, if ye ask nicely.”

It was that smile, that hair, those eyes, that carried her through the rest of her week, aloft on the anticipation of something utterly forbidden.

[path-of-my-childhood]

‘Willow’ Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto Didn’t Know Taylor Swift Had a New Album, Either

By: Claire Shaffer for Rolling Stone Date: December 14th 2020

When award-winning cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto started working on the video for “Willow” with Taylor Swift in November, he didn’t know that it was a part of her new surprise album, Evermore.

“I thought maybe it was a video for the previous album. I didn’t even know what the song was at our first meeting.”

Prieto wasn’t the only one in the dark about the new record; Swift dropped Evermore last week with a very similar rollout to her previous LP Folklore, complete with a self-directed music video released at midnight along with the album: “Willow.” The video serves as a narrative continuation of the story in the “Cardigan” music video — which Prieto also worked on — featuring a ton of visual references to tracks from Folklore.

As with the “Cardigan” video, Swift, Prieto and the production team not only had to keep the shoot under wraps, but also find innovative ways to film the project under Covid-19 safety protocols without endangering the lives of the crew. Prieto spoke to Rolling Stone about the production this time around, and how the team brought Swift’s witchy vision for “Willow” to life.

How did the “Willow” shoot differ from “Cardigan”? It looks like you guys were able to have other actors on set this time around, but how did that change the safety measures you had to follow?

It was still very, very strict. A big part of it was the whole testing protocols, which we also did last time. But when we were doing this video, we knew more [about the virus], and the safety guidelines were more specific. We followed the same ones the DGA has done, that my union Local 600 has done, SAG — they’ve all put in place these protocols that we did follow, and were very careful about it.

For instance, in the scene with the choreography around the tree and the clearing, you know, with a sort of dance around these magical orbs, there was a limit on how many actors and dancers we could have there. That was created by visual effects, actually — they added in more dancers. I think the actual number was 10 dancers when we were filming, and they all have masks on, actually. We can’t see their faces, and that’s partly because they have masks.

There’s only really one moment, in the cabin, where she’s in close contact with [another actor], with the man that she’s been missing at all these different moments. But, of course, both were tested, and they’d only take off their masks in the moment where we’re actually shooting. Everyone else would always wear masks on. And similar to last time, anybody who was in the immediate vicinity of the scene had to have a red wristband — it was all color-coded, in terms of who could be close to the scene and the actors. And certainly, it was very important to have not only a mask, but a face shield whenever we were anywhere close to Taylor or any of the other actors or dancers.

I still used the remote camera on a crane, so there wasn’t even a camera operator close to anybody. We were still following all the guidelines very closely, but now, it felt more relaxed in the sense that we have more information. We could just follow all these protocols. And we knew that we’d be safe because it was all pretty strict.

You mentioned last time that communication could sometimes be difficult on the “Cardigan” set because everyone had to kind of yell at each other or point to things since they couldn’t get in close proximity. Was Taylor able to be more hands-on in her directing this time around, like she was while you were shooting the music video for “The Man?”

That was still was the case — especially when you have a mask and a face shield, and you’re six feet away, you have to be a little louder to be heard. So we did maintain that protocol. But she was still very involved. I would stay at my monitor at the DIT [digital imaging technician] station, because it was the best image, but everyone would all be kind of looking at it from a distance, from six feet away.

But there was one moment that was unforgettable. And she actually has mentioned it, which was, just as we were starting to film on November 7th, we got the news of the election result. We were both looking at the monitor at the DIT station, and she got a text alert or something like that. Obviously, at that moment, we were all working on the video, but in the back of our minds we’re all like, OK, what’s gonna happen? And she was the only one who could actually look at her phone, because in fact, everybody had to relinquish their phones in the beginning so that nobody would take photos of anything, except for a few people like myself, who could sometimes use our phone to take a photograph as reference. And I was only using it very, very sporadically for that sort of thing.

So Taylor ended up being the messenger for the election results on set.

Exactly. So, she’s next to me — six feet away, but she was next to me. And she got this text, and she showed it to me. So I learned of the result from her at that moment, and what I told her was, “I will never forget this moment,” both because it’s such a historically important moment and because she was the one who showed me this information, you know. That was pretty special. Yeah. I felt like celebrating and doing a little dance, but I didn’t — we’re professionals and we’re working and also, I wanted to be respectful of anybody who had voted differently. But it was a very incredible moment, and just the beginning of a three-day shoot that turned out to be an adventure.

This video makes so many references to songs on Folklore and older songs from Taylor’s discography, both obvious and hidden. How did she lay out her vision to you?

The first meeting was talking about the story and the ideas. I still didn’t know the song, but the first thing was figuring out that it’s a continuation of the previous one we did together. At that moment, she was still kind of developing her ideas and trying to figure out exactly what was going to happen — for example, the ending wasn’t quite clear yet. She knew that she wanted to finish again in the cabin and that [the man] would be there, right. But during that meeting, we decided to have them both leave the cabin. That was an idea that came to us as we were talking as a team.

And then we went back and forth — at first she thought it should be night outside because it’s always been night, and then she changed her mind and said it should be daytime, so we were like, OK, what does it look like out there? Is it just the limbo? And then Ethan Tobin, our production designer, said it should be this sort of autumn forest. She was very much appreciative of that and really listened to everybody’s ideas.

There was also discussion about that moment in the clearing, about whether it should be a bonfire or not. First of all, with production, we would have had to shoot it outside and that would have been very complicated. But also she felt that, even with special effects, it was not a good thing to show with all the wildfires going on in California. So she came up with the concept of some type of orbs, something more magical, and Ethan Tobin came up with a bunch of different reference photos for that. That was the way we developed these concepts — even with the willow tree, Ethan sent some images and ideas, and one of them had these magenta leaves on the ground, which was weird and magical. Taylor and I loved that. It was that kind of back-and-forth in the pre-production phase, before we even heard the music.

It’s amazing how you were able to pull this off under such complicated circumstances — communicating back-and-forth over Zoom, and then with the actual video shoot itself.

It’s pretty tricky to get such a complicated and really technically challenging shoot off the ground, but we planned it all beforehand. Ethan Tobin was working with his art director Simon Morgan on designing the sets over Zoom. So, it was all overhead plans, and then you have to go to the set and map it out. For that clearing scene, for instance, Simon Morgan and myself, and my gaffer Manny Tapia and my key grip Donald Reynolds, we went to the soundstage first and taped the space in the center where the magic orbs would be. And then we measured the distance to the background with the blue screen, and taped where all the trees would be, and then figured out where all the lighting would be for there and the carnival set — everything had to be very, very precise, and the distance had to all be worked out. It really helped when we were actually shooting, because it went very smoothly. So, that’s how we made it.