#actually they gave me the choice between pink and green

[airenyah]

i went to a thai restaurant for dinner tonight and they had pink milk on the menu so ofc yours truly had to try it

[certifiedlovergirlsstuff]

lesson in words | s.r. x pregnant!fem reader

for some reason today, annabeth was not in the mood for her princess dresses or jelly shoes. she raised her voice when you were shuffling around her room, trying to find something appropriate for the aquarium. she didn’t want her sage green pants, or her lavender plaid shorts, not even her scratchy sparkling pink skirt.

“i want these!” kicking her legs in the air to indicate her unicorn pajama pants. you just sighed, not wanting to indulge her antics, “honey, those are house clothes. you sleep in those for a long time, they’re not appropriate for a day out. now, what’s our second choice?” leaning against her dresser with a fist beside your growing bump.

“unicorn! i want unicorn!” she jumped her body against her mattress, the springs creaking. a headache brewing behind your eyes, “annabeth diana reid,” you kept your voice stern and level, “if you can’t pick out day clothes then we can’t go to the aquarium. that means you can’t see the stingrays for another month.”

she pouted as she crossed her small arms over her chest, her hectic bed head another part you’ll have to deal with. “i hate you,” she said it mostly quiet, probably meant to be a whisper but doesn’t understand how that works yet.

you pursed your lips while diverting your eyes to the floor, “well i’m sorry you feel that way, but if you can’t fix your attitude and change your clothes then you can stay in your room for the day.” leaving your daughter behind as you headed to your shared bedroom where your husband was tidying the space.

he turned when you stepped on a specific creaky spot, he greeted you with a smile that dropped when you assumed he saw your upset pout and wet eyes. “what’s wrong?” quick to hurry at your side with his hands caressing your elbows.

“hormones mostly,” sniffling, “and annabeth has decided to be stubborn today and says she hates me cause i won’t allow her to wear her pjs out the house.” spilling what happen in the last five minutes as fat tears collected on your lash line, one blink and they slid down your pregnancy cheeks.

“oh honey,” spencer leaned your head into his chest, neglected nails curling into his navy polo. one of his hands slid along the back of your head to keep you hidden while his other rubbed soothing circles between your shoulder blades. “she doesn’t actually mean it.”

“i know i know,” you sniffled as you moved to place your ear to his heart, “just hurts having her say those words. she probably doesn’t understand the extent of its meaning.” taking a deep sigh as you gathered yourself to lean away from spencer.

“why don’t i go talk to her? try from a different perspective.” his warm palms rubbed at your upper arms as he stared softly into your wet eyes.

you sniffled, “she is a daddy’s girl. listens to you more no matter what.” chuckling wetly when spencer just shrugged. he pecked a kiss to your forehead and guided you to the made bed, telling you to rest for now as he went to talk with your four year old.

spencer knocked gentle on her cracked door, “can i come in?” both of you were making sure to teach the importance of knocking before entering a room. she almost caught the act of making her new siblings.

“yes,” she replied quietly. spencer slowly pushed open her decorated door, his head peaking in first before completely entering and closing them in.

his daughter lay in her bed, her flower comforter swallowing her. only a small lump shifting gave away her hiding spot, spencer took a seat at the foot of her twin.

he gave what felt like her calf a loving squeeze, “wanna come out and talk?” her small heel nudged into his knee, “no.” spencer could hear her pout.

“why not?” “cause i-i-i was a meanie to-to mommy,” annabeth began to hiccup through her words. spencer quickly pulled her sheets back and frowned at her rosy wet cheeks, along with a line of snot leaving her tiny nose.

“oh honey, come here.” spencer wrapped his arms behind her back as she threw hers around his neck. she crawled into his lap, her small legs stopping at his hips. “do we feel bad about our earlier emotions?” spencer rubbed a large palm in soothing circles.

“ye- yes. i-i want to see sti- stingrays, and i-i want to match with mo- my mommy.” her words a blubbering mess as she panicked over something small for the adults but other worldly for her child mind.

spencer cooed in her ear, “why don’t we go apologize first. see if she’ll accept.” he felt annabeth nod in agreement. he carried her the short distance to the master bedroom where you were laying on your back as your palms rubbed your stomach and you stared at the ceiling.

you turned your head at a small knock, your face softening at the sight before you. “someone has something to say,” spencer said as he let annabeth’s feet sit on the bed.

the young girl untangled from her father’s hold and slowly walked to sit beside you. you could hear her ragged inhales and frowned at her flushed face. “i- i- i am sorry for ye- yelling. i want to go to aquarium and you- you can help dress me, mo- mommy.” her tiny hands pulled at the helm of her sleep shirt.

you let a palm caress her warm cheek, “i was a little hurt when you said you hate me,” wanting to be truthful to your brilliant child.

her lip wobbled, “i- i didn’t mean it. i lo- love you with my whole body.” something you say to her to show your complete extent of affections. “i heard that it was an unkind word, i- i re- regret saying it.”

“i know you do, honey.” pulling her into your chest for an awkward side hug. “let’s be mindful of our words, alright? they’re very powerful.” petting down her hair, you felt her nod on your shoulder.

“are my two girls friends again?” spencer spoke up during the moment. he stayed near the edge of the room to give the both of you space.

you pressed a kiss into annabeth’s temple, “i think so. what about you bethie, do you want to wear matching overalls today?”

her eyes peeked at your through clumped lashes, “can- can we also do bows?”

you squeezed her side, “of course, bethie-boo.”

-

a/n: i took this idea from @khxna that they left on a post of mine. thank you for sharing💗

[napakmahal]

I can imagine your baby being born with a higher IQ, so they pick up on things faster Graham most kids. As a pet name, you Tadashi call you ‘baby’ or ‘hunny’ sometimes and they pick up on it

“What is she doing right now?” You asked, heart slightly picking up the pace at the silence. When Bodie was a baby, all you wanted was for her to stop crying and be quiet every once in a while. Now that she’s older, silence is what worries you the most. That and finding a loose marker cap, with the marker itself nowhere to be found.

Tadashi took off his reading glasses and looked over at you from his laptop. “She’s playing, she said she wanted to do a puzzle today.”

“Well it’s almost 12, can you ask her if she wants her snack now?” You peeled apart the slices of clementines. “Cause’ she’s been doing that puzzle for like 20 minutes, I don’t want her to be waiting on us.”

Your baby daddy grunted, standing from the position he’d been sitting at for nearly two hours. “Yeah, I got it.”

“Thank you baby.” You called out.

Now technically, you aren’t married. But if your name pops up in conversation with people that don’t know you, Tadashi will refer to you as “my wife”. He hates the term girlfriend because he thinks your so much more, and he despises the term baby mama because to him that’s like calling you a baby machine. But you two had agreed you’re too young to actually get married. Maybe after you guys graduate and get jobs.

Down the hall behind the door with Bodies name plastered on it with fake wooden butterfly’s attached to it, was your baby girl trying her best to figure out a 15 piece puzzle.

Tadashi knocked before barging in.

“Bodie,” he cooed at the little girl, lying stomach down on the floor and kicking her tiny feet. “Hi hunny.”

Without looking up she squeaked, “Hi!”

“Do you want your snack right now? Or are you not hungry and you’ll eat it in 10 minutes?” You two had made sure that giving her a choice in certain things was vital. Obviously, things like bed time and screen time was non negotiable but when it came to when she got to eat a snack that was all up to her.

“Ummm,” She forced her little toddler arms to push herself right side up and look Tadashi in the eye. “Right now, please.”

“Now? Okay, let’s go.” He walked over to her and scooped her up off the floor. You’d said countless times that he needed to stop carrying her and she needed to walk on her own. He knew you were right, but she had little legs. What if they got tired?

When he walked back to the small kitchen/living room you weren’t there. But the sound of the fan whirling from the bathroom door was a giveaway. Luckily, you’d already placed all the snacks on a small plastic pink compartment tray.

He plopped her down in her chair and slid the tray with clementines, green grapes, and goldfish crackers on it towards her little body.

“Thank you baby!” She smiled at him.

Tadashi froze in his tracks. “What did you say, Bodie?”

Confused, she blinked at him with her giant chocolate brown eyes she got from him and repeated, “Thank you baby.”

He put his hands on his hips and stared at her. “Are you being funny? I’m not baby, I’m daddy. You’re baby.”

Bodie looked at him and gave him the most adorable toddler laugh. “Nooooo. You’re baby.”

“Why do you think I’m baby?” He’d always referred to her as ‘baby’. Maybe that’s where she learned it from.

“Mommy sayses you’re baby, so I call you baby.”

OHHHHHHHH. There was rarely a time where you called Tadashi by his actual name, and it was usually when you were mad or annoyed with him. Your default name: baby.

Just then, the door to the bathroom opened and you walked out to see the scene between the two. It gave you yet another opportunity to see how similar they looked. It wasn’t fair! You held her for 9 months, nursed her and everything. And when she came out, she looked exactly like him.

Tadashi looked at you. “Tell mommy what you told me.”

“What?” Confusion and concern lacing your tone. “Tell mommy what?”

Bodie stuffed a goldfish cracker in her mouth before answering. “You calls daddy baby, so I calls daddy baby.” She said it like it was the simplest thing in the world.

You walked over to Tadashi with you jaw hung low and slammed your head into his chest. She was so fucking adorable.

“Oh my god.” You whispered in disbelief.

“I know.”

Bodie sensed something wasn’t right while she ate.

“Wrong?” She asked.

A few months ago, you and Tadashi had learned that was her way of asking ‘is something wrong?’ Through trial and error.

You two let go of each other and Tadashi immediately scooped her up out of her chair and started kissing her hair and smelling her cheek.

“No baby, nothings wrong.” He assured her. “You’re just the cutest baby in the whole wide world!”

Bodie let out the funniest baby laugh before kicking her feet and squealing at him pressing kisses all over he head.

[msmk11]

James and His Damned Owl

James Potter x gn!muggle!reader

Word count: 1.5k

CW: Mentions of food/eating, mentions of alcohol, ornithophobia

Summary: Having a wizard boyfriend is strange to say the least. While it certainly has its perks, it also has its quirks… In particular, you’re not very much a fan of the magic world’s choice in pets.

Author’s Note: So you know how this type of fanfic is called self-insert, well this is the most self-insert fic I’ve ever written. Reader is me, I am a reader. BIRDS ARE SCARY, okay?! Anyways, this fic is the silliest one I’ve written so far and I had so much fun doing it! I hope you enjoy :)

Having a boyfriend who is a wizard is strange in a number of ways. Truthfully, when James first confessed his secret to you a few weeks ago, you laughed right in his face. It wasn’t until he pulled out his wand and literally started doing magic in front of you that you believed him. It’s safe to say you were in shock, and you’re not quite sure that feeling has faded yet. After James gave you a day or two to process the news, his magic usage around you went from 0 to 100. More times than you’d like to count, your mischievous boyfriend has scared the ever-loving shit out of you by randomly appearing in your home or on the street out of thin air. Now too, instead of walking or driving to your house like a normal person, James will randomly tumble out of your fireplace in a burst of green flames. Not only did you nearly die on the spot the first time it happened, but you’ve since bitched to James many times about how the soot he tracks in is ruining your very nice rug.

The moving pictures he has gives you the creeps, you find it laughable that he prefers using a quill and ink to a pen, and your head swarms every time James mentions some spell, potion, or magical creature whose name sounds like complete and utter gibberish.

But, despite your groans and whining, you do really think that James being a wizard is super cool. Like a child seeing a magician, you’re constantly begging your boyfriend to do different things with his magic so you can ooh and aah over them. When you found out James is an ani- animungal? Anamatronic?- the thing where you can turn into an animal, you were even more ecstatic. Admittedly, you may have once or twice begged James to assume his deer form so that you could ride on his back through the woods like some Disney princess probably would.

Magic has its perks too outside of your own personal entertainment. For example, now, instead of having to do dishes when one of the two of you cook dinner, a flick of James’ wand has them cleaning themselves. Other chores are now taken care of similarly, leaving you with a lot more free time to be with your lovely boyfriend.

This evening is one perfect example. After getting off work, you were surprised to find James waiting outside your office, a bouquet of pretty pink flowers in hand. The evening sun rested lovingly on his peaceful face so that his brown skin seemed to actually glow. It was a wonderful surprise and your trip back to his flat was much more pleasant than usual- defined by clasped hands swinging between you and teasing conversation.

The night only seemed to get better when you arrived at James’ place and were met with the delicious smell of garlic and pasta. The table was set nicely, and your two plates were already prepared, kept warm by the wonders of magic.

Things were perfect. Maybe a little too much so.

******

When you and James finish dinner, he stands and grabs your plates. Usually, you would protest- claiming that whoever didn’t cook has to do dishes- but you know magic will take care of it all. James then kisses you quick before taking a trip to the bathroom.

As you’re sitting at the kitchen table still, reveling in your full belly and nursing your glass of wine, your peace is rudely disrupted. With it being pleasantly warm out this evening, James had left the windows open. This seemed like a great idea until now- when a big brown owl comes swooping into the kitchen.

While anyone would surely be startled by the bird’s random appearance, you are especially so because you’re terrified of birds. The bloodcurdling scream you let out is akin to someone who is dying- but in your mind is appropriate for the situation at hand. A string of curses leave your mouth as you jump up and hesitantly back away from the owl perched on one of the kitchen chairs. You grope for the counter behind you, never taking your eye off the owl as you maneuver around the island to hide behind it.

Of course, your scream has resulted in a panicked James and shouts of your name. He comes barreling into the kitchen in only his shirt and boxers, wand at the ready. He whips his head around, looking for you and the supposed threat that caused you to scream. He calls your name again and your head pops up from behind the counter.

“Lovey? What is it?” He asks anxiously.

You whimper a little and, with a shaky hand, point at the big bird across the room. When James sees what you’re pointing at, he visibly relaxes and lowers his wand.

“Oh, him? That’s just Hootie,” he tells you casually, “Probably should’ve mentioned I have a pet owl.”

You stare at him in complete and utter shock then shrilly squeal, “How’d you forget to mention that you have a pet owl?!!”

James shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly and places his wand on the counter, walking towards you, “Well, I guess I didn’t really think too much about it. It’s very common in the magic world to have one, so I didn’t consider that it’d be abnormal. It’s just like having a dog in the muggle world.”

You don’t respond with any English, instead sputtering anxiously.

James crouches beside you, “So are you going to come out now? There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

You shake your head no aggressively and shrink into his side, “No way, Jamie. Birds are terrifying- with their big beaks and beady eyes. And who knows what diseases they carry- no offense.”

Your boyfriend wraps his arm around you and soothingly rubs your side, “Awe, sweetheart, I didn’t know you’re afraid of birds.”

“Oh yes, very. Have been since I was five and a bird pooped on me at the zoo.”

You don’t miss the chuckle and small smirk on James’ face and huff, pulling away.

“It’s not funny Jamie! It’s a real fear!”

He puts his hands up in surrender, “I know, I know. I’m sorry, sweetheart. It is a real fear. But it’s an irrational one, you know.”

You huff again and roll your eyes, grumbling under your breath. James then stands and stretches out his hands, “Here, why don’t you come meet Hootie and see birds aren’t all so bad.”

You hesitantly take his hand and stand. You slowly walk out from behind the counter and only make it a few steps before the damned bird shifts, ruffling its feathers.

You squeal again and let go of James’ hand, this time hiding behind his broad frame, “I don’t think I can do this Jamie.”

He turns around and looks at you softly before pulling you into a tight hug. You relax a little against his chest, but your eyes never leave the owl over his shoulder, “I believe in you, lovey. Why don’t you let me go first, to show you that Hootie won’t hurt you, and then we can try together, yeah?”

You hesitantly reply with an okay.

James lets go of you and turns around. He walks over to the brown owl easily and coos a little, petting its back softly as it nuzzles into his touch. The owl then juts its head out, seeming to be waiting for something. James, apparently, knows what this means, and reaches behind him to grab some sort of pellet out of the cabinet and feed it to the bird.

“Okay, sweetheart. Now why don’t you come over and give Hootie a pet.”

He walks over and grabs your hand. Your smaller one fits into his nicely and you grip onto it with a death-grip. The two of you slowly make your way over to the owl and stand beside it. You sort of half stand behind James while still holding his hand. Fingers intertwined, James slowly starts moving your joint arms out, “Ready?

You very slightly shake your head and then your palm makes connection with the soft feathers of Hootie. The bird stares at you with its big eyes and, like it did for James, nuzzles into your touch.

Some of the tension in your shoulders eases a little and you decide that maybe birds aren’t so bad.

As you pull away, James squeezes your hand gently, “See? You did it. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”

Just as you’re beginning to feel proud of yourself too, the owl shuffles a little and rotates its head 180, so it’s no longer staring at you. The range of motion it has terrifies you and you scream again, running down the hall away from James and his damned owl.

[hybbart]

i love your magical girl designs for the seablings, could we get some more info on the choices of colour and stuff? i'm super into character design and love seeing peoples thought on stuff like that ^^

Sure!

A big influence was precure, obviously, as a fan. Many palettes aren't too far off from various precure if you look for them. I am generaly a bit unhappy with the mishmash of 20 different colours used in modern cures, but they did help me be a bit bolder with choices as I'll talk about later. I also tossed out their "avoid green as a main colour" rule like everyone else. I have no idea what sort of wack marketting advice convinced every girls show that girls don't like green and we probably will never know. Irrelevant...

My first step was assigning each mode its own colour. Since they're a duo I was tempted to do either contrasting or complimentary colours, but that went out the window quick. E1 seablings already had very distinctly assigned colours of green and purple, and they were the easiest that I already had ideas for, so I tossed that and just tried to not have them overlap. I still ended up with green, cyan, AND blue as main colours but I adjusted it with the secondary colours.

For the e1 seablings outfits it was primarily colour picked from my actual designs for the codfather and ocean queen, but tweaked to be more saturated, so their main colour theme is green (pink secondary) and purple (blue secondary). It's also when I decided to give them a highlight colour in their hair, as is popular with modern magical girls, since my codfather design already has this. (Also I stole the veil from cure Spicy. Her little veil/napkin hat I immediately fell in love with and thought it would work as a lily pad like hat on Jimmy when designing him, and it fit well with the slight wedding theme I gave them.)

Lizzie's colours are pretty much just various shades of purple and and blue based on her axolotl ocean goddess design. Jimmy's colours are supposed to be like a water lily, of course, and I made the greens less sickly than his codfather design which are meant to be more swampy and go with the browns of the cod. Both the seablings' secondary coloura are references to each other in this btw, as is the case in my codfather design to designate him as the ocean queen's family. Jimmy isn't inherently associated with blue in this au but I did manage to slip it into all three designs since outside of it he is.

The life series designs were veeery easy for Jimmy and much more difficult for Lizzie, but the actual colour choices were both easy once I worked out a design. Lizzie never had an actual skin for her faerie fort self, and her base skin is purple just like the ocean queen, which is also the case for her clothes in e2, so this is where I started taking liberties with her and assigned her other things and desided to throw out the idea of the colour palettes being in neat little boxes. This is the closest to a rainbow cure they get, but I made Lizzie's official main colour cyan and secondary green. Jimmy by contrast is the most monochromatic he gets here, with a main colour of blue and secondary yellow.

Butterfly Lizzie is actually the only time I had multiple palette ideas that I had to make a hard choice between because I liked them all so much, usually I was struggling to find shades I enjoyed being paired since I don't usually work with such saturated palettes. I guess it's fitting, since cyan/teal is minecraft's bets colour that's easy to slap on any build to make it look elegant. Jimmy's palette itself was pretty easy, took a lot of notes from cure sky for him in colour AND design, but it was a matter of where to put what colours. I think I changed the colour of his shorts more times than any other article.

E2 designs were the first I actually designed and thenthe last ones I made palettes for. Their main colours were red and orange... which are quite difficult to work with in such high saturation, and especially with trying to avoid overlaping. I ended up using very unconventional palettes way out of my comfort zone. Brown in general is very unconventional for a magical girl, but there's been a few curea like cure chocolat and cure wing that utilized it that gave the inspiration. It was an easy decision to make her hair and ears based on her calico design after that, though I had trouble deciding exactly where to incorperate the brown into her actual outfit. The purple just came very natural after that. I often use purple instead of actual brown for dark browns so it made sense to me, at least. It was a nice pop against the orange and also contrast the yellow.

E2 Jimmy is the one I am least satisfied with. It was the only one that was not based off his skin the same way Lizzie's weren't. I still look at it and think if theres anything else I could try. By far the most difficult. Red's a very bold colour so it's hard to match without just using different tones of red, and the wrong shade would make the whole rhing look off. I also already knew I wanted yellow/orange in the design because of the sherrif star, but I didn't want it to be his life design with a different primary colour. I decided to try incorperating his blue, and I like it in concept but I still am not sure about the specific shade. After that I thought to add green to make it that classic childish primaries colour, make the design like a space cowboy almost. The star on his hat, the hat in general actually, ended up being the biggest help to decide.

At one point I experimented with a full on rainbow theme but it did not work out. I think it could have with a slightly different design and somekne better at picking colours, but I scrapped it. I also decided to use a lot of darker shades since red is already so bold and bright. Still unhappy with the pants, but white was just a bit too bright and the secondaries were too bold to use. This was the only time I actually messed with the design itself to try and help make colours work, but it didn't work out. I'd say overall I'm happy enough with it but I could have done a lot better.

Also I decided to adjust Lizzie's pink hair slightly with each to match the palettes. I was trying to avoid it, but it's so pink and there's so much it really affected the rest of her design a lot, so I made her e2 hair a more salmon pink and her life design a more bubblegum pink.

As for their wands I just went with an unobtrusive white and pastel rainbow colour scheme. The white matches their outfits and the rainbow doesn't clash too hard with anything. Joel I obbiously just made green and Norman was a bit more awkward but I went with a grey to match the real Norman since a full blue palette made him look like a generic cat faerie and not specifically Norman.

[delphiealmond]

A Fallen Apple From the Apple Tree

⋆☾⋆𓅮❦⛧⋆☾⋆

Pairing ➸ Lucifer Morningstar x Alastor

Synopsis ➸ Lucifer Morningstar believed that Heaven was a sanctuary, the best place for a soul to be in. Growing up with his brothers was the easy part, until God summoned him and his older brother Michael to guard over the portal between realms. Slowly, Lucifer begins to see how frightful Heaven really was. Sought out to defend the sinners of Hell, tragedy strikes among the Archangels. But a familiar face makes Lucifer think that maybe defending his opinion wasn't the worst idea he could've had. Does this familiar face bring him peace? Or does Lucifer end up getting stuck in another twisting cycle of lies and betrayals?

Warnings ➸ None for this chapter

⋆☾⋆𓅮❦⛧⋆☾⋆

MASTERLIST | Next

Chapter One (1.2k)

The world around them was nothing like the world they had grown accustomed to. An array of reds and blacks. The sky was blood red with a design etched into it that the young soul couldn’t recognize. Everything around him was violent, scary even. He kept himself close to his father, yet his little heart wanted to see what else there was to this different, twisted world he just entered. 

Souls were fighting with each other, beating each other up in a way the child had never seen before. The man beside him, stood tall as he beckoned both boys into a venue. It wasn’t anything as fancy as the ones back at home. It was breaking, cracks in the walls, spiders in the corners and what Lucifer could only imagine were dead bodies. 

Beside him, Michael grabbed onto his hand, gripping it tightly as he couldn’t bear to look at the world around him. He kept his eyes to the ground, kept close to his brother, kept close to his father. But Lucifer on the other hand, couldn’t help but look at the wreckage around them. 

“Father-”

“Not now, Luci.” He glanced down to Lucifer, only to gently pat his head. “We won’t be here for long,” He encouraged. Lucifer gave the tall man a small nod, before he looked at his brother. 

“Did you hear him? We won’t be here for long, Michael.” He tried, hoping to help his older brother feel a tiny bit better. Yet, Michael didn’t look up. He held onto his brother firmly, following after their father, two Cherubims stuck close to them, wielding angelic weapons in their hands. 

After a long hallway, Lucifer found himself standing behind his father, two large double doors being pushed open. 

The room was full of people. Those who towered over the little ones. They stood tall, determined and looked almost angry. Though, Lucifer couldn’t exactly tell why. His father wasn’t a bad man, so why did they look so mad at him? 

“So the deity finally decided to show up.” One of them said, though, to Lucifer he looked sort of like a clown. He found clowns funny, actually, as he tried to hide his smile behind his hand. 

“I didn’t expect you to actually say yes to this kind of meeting.” The hound girl said. Her hair flowed like honey, an array of blues, pinks, oranges and yellows. She was quite pretty. He wanted to touch her hair, though he stayed close to his father, nearly clinging onto the end of his jacket with Michael attached to his father by the hip. 

“I had no other choice.” His voice almost beamed through the room. “You threatened Heaven, and we can’t have that happening.” 

“So they sent the big man out here huh?” The clown-man leaned back in his chair, beginning to play with a small doll that he held in his hand. “Why not one of your… What are they?” He looked at the rest of them. 

Sat around the table were four other people. One man looked like the ocean, a deep blue with greens and purples. The others, Lucifer couldn’t really get a good look at, though, he felt intimidated by them. 

“Come sit, old friend.” The blue-man said, gesturing to the empty seat at the table. 

“Don’t call me a friend, Asmodeus. I am only here to do work.” He spoke, entering the room. Both boys, Lucifer and Michael, clung onto him, following him into the room. 

“Wait, wait…” The hound girl held up her hands, her ears tilting back as she looked at the two boys. Lucifer almost felt nervous when she caught his eye. He hid behind his father, yet peered out from behind him. Michael, on the other hand, stayed quiet, not even looking up to see the other people in the room. “You… Who are these kids?” She asked, gesturing to them. 

The two Cherubims took a step forward, almost protecting the two boys. 

“Ah,” Lucifer looked up at his father, when he reached down and patted his head. “These boys are my sons.” He looked over at Michael, and did the same thing. 

“You brought your sons to a meeting like this?” The clown-man laughed, holding his large stomach. “You must be joking, was there no baby sitter??!” He cackled. 

“Mammon.” Another deep voice startled Lucifer closer to his father, as he held onto his pant leg. Sat in the middle of the room, a tall man had his hands clasped together. “Be respectful.” He said, before gesturing to the boy next to him. 

Lucifer’s interest peaked, looking at the boy who stood next to this man. He stood silently, his hands held behind his back as he watched the meeting take place. He was dressed in red, a formal outfit with black frill. Yet, this wasn’t what caught his attention. He had a pair of fluffy ears sitting on top of his head, two little nubs accompanying them. 

Lucifer gently pulled on his father’s pant leg, yet he almost waved the boy’s need for attention away. 

“Yeah, whatever.” Mammon sunk in his spot, looking unimpressed with the leader. 

“I do have to admit though…” The man looked at this little boy, and pet his head. His ears twitched as he stood his ground. “Maybe having children here wouldn’t be the best idea…”

“That's what I was going to say…” The hound-girl muttered, looking at Lucifer and Michael. “Hey, why don’t I bring them to one of the extra rooms? They’ll be safe there, you can even have one of your angel guys with them.” 

“All children?” Lucifer’s father asked, his hands coming down to land on his boy’s heads. 

“Alastor is no harm.” The man said, looking at the boy. “Isn’t that right? You’ll do well not to hurt them?”

Alastor looked at him, before nodding. 

“Father-” Lucifer smiled up at him, gently pulling on his pant leg once more. “Please…” His father looked down at him. A worried expression riddled his face before he knelt down. 

“Michael, how do you feel about this?” Michael frowned, yet shook his head, holding onto his father for everything he’s got. He sighed, looking at Lucifer. He could see the pure excitement in that boy's eyes. The thrill for a new friend, the creativity he could show this other boy. 

“Fine.” He stood, Michael in his arms. “But the Cherubim never leaves the room they’re in.” 

“Is this fine…?” Alastor asked, looking at the man. 

“Yes, go..” The man gently nudged him. “The meeting shouldn’t last long.” He smiled at Alastor, before looking at the hound-girl. “Bee, will you do the honors?”

“Of course!” She stood from her seat, holding out her hand to Alastor. The boy took it, following after her over to the three strangers. 

Lucifer paused, looking up at how tall ‘Bee’ was. She didn’t tower over his father, but she was still so tall. And right across from him, Alastor, the other boy. His ears twitched as they tempted to lay flat against his head. 

“Go on Luci. You will be fine…” His father muttered. Lucifer swallowed hard, but he took Bee’s hand and the two boys were led out of the room, a cherubim following after them.

[frightenedcricket]

Be mine.

Nicholas Ruffilo x OC. Fluff.

Summary: after a long friendship, Louise has started touring with BO. What will it lead to?

Warnings: things get heated, but not smutty. Alcohol consumption.

It was a sight to be seen. The scenario looked so chaotic. The visuals, lights, fire,... It was awesome. It was overwhelming, but in a good way. It was hypnotic and she hated every second she had to look down at the pc. And between all that mess, there he was.

Nicholas had that something that kept calling her name. Maybe it was his slow movements on the stage or quiet presence backstage. He was calm in the storm. He was the steady hand ready to support you. And how when he actually showed some character. She liked the contrast between his peaceful sway and brutal stomps and head banging. She like how much he lost himself in the songs and how she could faintly hear him only the little times he got close to the microphone.

"Wow" Louise muttered. Davis, who was really close, could hear her and chuckle.

It was a mix of everything, but she felt on cloud nine and her stomach flipped when the lights went off - she was in charge of that actually - and the fans erupted in cheers. That was Dethrone and the end of the set.

She turned the lights back on and the band said their goodbyes.

"Well done, good job" Matt patted her on the back.

"Yeah, same. Good show"

It had truly been an amazing show. An awesome first show back. And an awesome first show for her. She was buzzing with energy, too stimulated from everything.

"Let's go" Someone called once they finished everything.

Once they arrived with the guys, they were all resting in their room, with some drinks, some friends,...

At this moments, she felt a bit out of place. She had just arrived and she knew everyone by name, but there was so much people she hadn't spoke to. She used to stick next to Matt. He kind of was her boss, but they also knew each other for ages.

"Beer?"

"Uh no."

Matt shrugged. "For me then"

She chuckled and grabbed a bottle of water.

"How was it? You felt good, right?"

"Everything was good" She nodded at Matt's words. Even when she had been working as a sound engineer for so long already, it was her first time in a festival with a band.

"I'm proud" He side hug her.

"Oh are you turning into a softie now?" She teased before looking around the room.

Louise felt her cheeks burn when her eyes found a pair of blue ones.

"Oops" Matt chuckled. "I got goosebumps. Creepy eyes. Good luck with that"

"Matt, no! Where are you going?"

Louise found herself alone, but Nicholas wasn't looking at her anymore. He was listening to something Folio was saying. His eyes were on the floor and he had a little smile on his lips. She looked around and found Matt, he pointed at Nicholas and gave her the eyes.

She took a deep breath. You can do this. He is nice. He has only been nice to you. He even considers you a friend, right?

Nicholas and Lou actually knew each other for a while. They had met at Noah's birthday a few years ago. Dressed in green with a big pink rabbit hat, Nicholas laughed as soon as he opened the door for her. "Oh wow, Louise. Good choice. Bob's burgers. It's Nicholas" He was a bit tipsy. "Louise" "And your real name?" "Louise" She giggled. They had become friends quickly and actually had a lot of fun that night. And from then, she got closer to the group and then started working on production with with the band. They adored her, but it was Nicholas who had the soft spot for Louise. Always nice, always keeping an eye on her, always with an extra coffee - double sugar, cream and vanilla, she didn't like the coffee's sourness. Matt said she didn't like coffee-, always laying a guitar on her lap when he found her bored in a corner.

Louise found herself walking to them.

"Hey guys" She stood there, quite awkward, but smiley. "Good show. It was awesome"

"You are just saying that because we pay you" Folio teased.

"Shut up" She giggled. "I'm not allowed to talk about that"

Nicholas took a sip of his beer and nodded at her. "Thank you. You guys did awesome too"

"It's nothing. All for you" She then realized how it could sound and sook her head. "For your performance, I mean. You worked a lot on this set, you know? We can only make it happen. It's a pleasure, though. The fire was such a good idea. And the-"

"Breathe" Folio giggled. "We get it"

"Do you?" Oh god, she was a mess.

"Yeah. Don't worry" Nicholas leaned against the wall. "I think it was a good start. You felt good back there, right?"

Did she feel good? Oh yeah, she felt awesome.

"So good"

Nicholas features twitched for a second. But it was so quick that she thought she had imagined it.

"Okay" Folio cleared his throat. "I'm itchy. And I want to celebrate tonight, so I'm gonna shower."

"Be quick. I wanna wash myself too" Nicholas warned him.

When the drummer left, Louise felt trapped. You are friends. It's just a crush. Friendship came first. You can do this.

"You are coming tonight, right?" Nicholas asked.

"Of course, yes. I just need to change too and... Yeah"

"You look good" The bassist said knowing well how she would react. Lou hated him for that. He was so calm and she was such a mess.

"I don't-"

"I designed this" When his hand move do her direction, she gasped. But then he pulled her t-shirt a bit and she looked down. "Looks good on you"

Maybe he was more on the quiet side, but he could definitely flirt.

"OKAY! LET'S GO. LET'S GET READY AND CELEBRATE THIS"

An hour later, she was already waiting. Matt had called her saying they were almost there. Which meant someone was still naked and another one in the shower. But at least Louise had time to think and prepare herself.

"Lou"

She looked up at the sound of boots in the pavement getting closer. She was sitting in the curb with her phone on her hands, checking over and over again for a new message from Matt.

"Nicholas" She was actually out of breath. In contrast with his usual black clothes, he wore a light pink shirt. His hair was up in a bun and he had a black denim jacket on his hand. "Where are the others?"

"Remember when Folio said he wanted a shower? He got distracted and had just came out of the shower when I left. They should be here soon."

He sat next to her, checking her out in the most discreet way. Black stockings, black boots, skirt, dark jacket,... Oh lord, it's gonna be difficult...

"And you..." There was some curiosity blooming on her chest. Why would he come alone?

"Matt said you were here already. I thought of keeping you in company"

Oh was the only thing she could mutter.

"Bryan was also ready, shouldn't take long"

She nodded slowly. He had come to see her.

"Are you tired?" She asked in a nervous attempt to avoid silence.

"Uh... A bit. The adrenile came down a while ago and that shower..." He chuckled. "If I sit in a sofa I will fall asleep"

Louise smiled softly. One day while producing the album, after a long day fixing stuff over and over again, she was sitting with her laptop on the sofa. Nicholas had been quietly watching her work and answering doubts. But after a few minutes of silence, his head fell on her shoulder. He was out, so tightly asleep that she couldn't make him lay. So she simply sat there working with him sleeping on her shoulder. Matt had teased her for days after that.

"But I feel good, feels good to be back. I didn't miss this, though"

He showed her his middle fingertip and she gasped. "Nicky! What had you done?"

"I wish I knew" He chuckled.

There was a gnash on his finger from one of the strings. She grabbed his hand to examine it. "Have you cleaned it?"

"Mhm"

"It's like if you hadn't been playing in years"

"Yeah... I think I maybe got a bit carried away"

She giggled. "Yeah, Dethrone hits hard."

"C'mon, it's you favourite. I... We have to do it good"

She heard him. He prayed she didn't, but she did and her cheeks were burning. She lowered her eyes to his finger. His hand was bigger than hers and really calloused from the strings. She brought it to her lips and pressed a little kiss on the wounded finger. "Healing kiss"

Nicholas felt a warm feeling on his body.

"For..." He pushed her to continue.

"For playing Dethrone for me" She whispered out of breath. Why had she done that? Good question. Did she regret it? Not when Nicholas was looking at her with those eyes.

"Hey! I though you would have found a table" Noah's big figure appeared almost put of nowhere, followed by Jolly and Bryan.

"I just arrived" Nicholas said. He got up, but almost didn't let go of Louise's hand. He helped her to stand. Clumsily, she stumbled and for a second their chests touched, but Nicholas grabbed her waist with his free hand.

"These boots..." She tried to excuse herself. But it only led Nicholas to look down her stockings cladded legs. And then he licked his lips and she almost fainted.

Noah cleared his throat and the two of them put some distance between them.

"Ready to get inside or..." There was a smirk on his lips and Nicholas had to give him a warning look, but he didn't care.

Luckily, the others arrived and Matt rescued Lou, who took a deep breath and hugged her best friend. She wouldn't admit it, but she was shaking.

Noah waited until they were far enough to punch Nicholas arm.

"You have to do something"

Nicholas put his hands on his pockets. "I know"

"C'mon... It's tonight. I know it's tonight" Noah begged.

Nicholas rolled his eyes, but he smiled.

"I will try my best"

"You have her, Nicky. You were all cosy in there... Hand holding... All cute"

Nicholas laughed and elbowed him. "Let's go inside"

"Yeah"

The bar was cool, it wasn't too pack and had good music. It was colorful and had some retro aura. His eyes scanned the place and there she was. Right next to Matt.

"Matt won't kill you for this, right?"

Nicholas shrugged. "It depends on how the day has gone"

"Okay... Go for it then."

Nicholas nodded and walked in their direction.

"What do you have?" His eyes roamed over her once more, her jacket was now on her arm and there it was. The t-shirt he designed was now tucked in her skirt and hugged her so nice. She had kept it and it felt like a victory on his side.

"A beer" She said as if was the most obvious thing in the world. But it was actually only her trying to breathe properly with Nicholas hand on her lower back.

"Two" The bassist told the bartender.

"Three, I'm also here" Matt teased.

Lou rolled her eyes at him.

"Wanna sit? Folio and Bryan are already playing pool"

She turned to look at them, part of the crew was around that table.

"Uh... I'm not the best."

"We can sit in that corner. Noah is already there."

"Yeah"

Twenty minutes, they were sitting in the leather sofa, their drink were on the table, and Noah, Jolly and other people was also there. But they hadn't paid a second of attention.

"So... If you stay with us you will have to sleep in the bus"

She fake gagged and Nicholas laughed loudly.

"It's not that bad"

"Oh sure it's not. A bunch of adult men living together in a reduced space. For weeks. Going to bed late, traveling all day... Sounds like a dream"

"You are just dramatic. I'm really tidy"

She giggled. "I never said you weren't..."

"Oh but you totally meant it."

"C'mon... I have seen how you guys keep the studio"

Nicholas laughed and brought the beer to his lips, not missing the way Lou's eyes followed his actions.

"That's Folio" He muttered still with wet lips. Her mouth watered. How could someone be so damn handsome? "But really, I'll make them behave if that means you stay"

Her heart beated like mad.

"I'm gonna stay, Nicky. I already work for you"

Nicholas let his hand fall on her tight and she froze. For a moment, he stood still. Maybe he got it all wrong, maybe he was going too fast for her.

Lou on the other side felt exposed. She wanted him. She was aching for him. But the bar was full and noisy, there was people interrupting them every few minutes. So she crossed her legs, and grabbed his hand. She didn't push it away, she only placed it comfortably over her thighs with her eyes on his. She wanted him, just not here.

Nicholas didn't want to be that kind of man. He didn't want to think of her like that because it would only scare her away. But the way his arm was now laying across her legs, how his fingers now were splayed over the side of her thigh,... Oh shit, if this is nod some kind of declaration... He didn't want to be possessive over her, if she wanted to leave she could. But he liked the idea of her showing everyone else who she was interested in.

"Lou..."

"Mhm"

"If you stay with us... I think there are a couple of things that need to be fixed"

"Like..." She was feeling bold. Her hands were now around his biceps.

"Like this" He pointed between them. "Us"

"Does it need to be fixed?"

Nicholas laughed and finished his beer.

"Yeah, well. I hope we are on the same page but... I belive there is a couple of things that should change. And another few I should control, yeah"

Lou was burning. She was probably even sweating too. The bar started to feel too warm and charged. But it wasn't just that obviously. It was also his hand on her thigh, with his fingers gripping her hard.

They hadn't noticed, but the others had left them alone a while ago.

"You don't have to worry about Matt." She muttered.

Nicholas stared at her for long seconds. It was her turn to drink. But as soon as she beer was back on the table and the liquid still lingering on her lips, Nicholas used his free hand to grab her jaw and turned her face to him. He didn't say anything, but with his blue eyes on her lips he gave her time to pull away.

Lou didn't want to moan like that when he finally kissed her. But he was so hungry. There was no tentative kisses, no. Open lips collided and tongues instantly met each other.

For a second, anxiety filled her chest. It was as if she could see them from outside. For a moment she thought about what people would think. Her body turned to him and his hands on hers, his torso tilted in her direction. Then she thought about it for a bit more and felt full conscious of his fingers on her jaw and how hot it actually was. Because well, Nicholas may be quiet and more on the shy side - not different than her - but he wasn't ashamed of moving his fingers to the back of her head to kiss her deeper.

They had to pull back and when they did they looked at each other. Lou caressed his cheek softly. "Nicky..."

"I also have to make sure you don't loose your job because I fucking need you here"

Lou felt out of breath.

"I won't. I won't, Nicky. My boss is my best friend"

Nicholas leaned to kiss her again. Same passion, same intensity. This time, she was the one pulling his hair.

"Is this why you want me in the bus?"

Nicholas laughed over her lips.

"Oh sweetheart, I can't do all things I want to do to you in that bus" He said with a smile. Little tease.

Lou was actually speechless.

"Don't look at me like that..." He giggled. He moved his thumb to her cheek bone. "You really got me since you appeared with those bunny ears"

"Oh, c'mon... That was years ago..." She groaned.

"Mhm. A little crush"

"No, you didn't..." If she could, she would hide. She was so embarrassed.

"It was quite platonical at first. Dierkes fault"

She gasped. "What?"

"He will kill me for telling you this... You know, don't even dare to look at her..."

"He did not"

"Oh he did. But we were kids. And quite stupid. So... Yeah. He did good"

Louise's eyes softened. They were quite a wreck in those years. She had seen them get wasted to the point of sleeping on the floor. She had gone out with them many times, partied at home with them, have innocent movie nights with them...

"I rather have you know"

"Nicky..."

"I know what I want"

She let a shaky breath out.

"And what is that?"

He smiled and kissed her again, but it was all sweet now.

"You"

Louise smiled over his lips and gave him another soft kiss.

"Well... The solution is easy..."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhm"

"And what's the solution?"

They heard a click on their side. Noah was there and so were the van keys.

"Listen. We are in for a long night here. Take the keys. Go and have fun, take care and love each other a lot. But do it in another place because..." He fake gagged.

That was it for Louise. She covered her face in embarrassment and completely missed the eyes Noah gave Nicholas.

"We were having a serious conversation in here"

"There is a dinner down the road, go and have it here. Some romance, Nicholas, please"

Lou looked between her fingers and giggled, sound that made Nicky smile.

"Okay, you win" Nicholas grabbed the keys and Lou's hand, who smiled at Noah when he gave her thumbs up.

"Uh... Do you wanna go? Maybe you can explain me that solution somewhere else"

Lou bit her lip. "I definitely need to explain that somewhere else" She whispered.

"Oh really? I thought it was gonna be an ask me to be yours kind of thing"

"Well, more like a make me yours kind of thing"

How he loved when she showed this side of her...

"Then we definitely need to go somewhere else"

Only ten minutes later, Nicholas had her perched against the van with a leg between hers and his lips over her mouth.

"Okay... Say it"

"Make me yours, Nicky. And be mine"

"My pleasure" He said before a kiss.

I really got carried away with this one, it was supposed to be a short blurb :)

[tgmsunmontue]

Another Time (Chapter 13/14)

ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE

Summary: Jake wakes up in Rooster's body ~30 hours post-Mission and they have to deal with it. They're adults. Apparently.

(Posting on Tumblr, chapter a day until it's complete, after it's complete I will post it on AO3 once a day until it's completed there as well).

Odd chapter = Jake POV, Even chapter = Bradley POV

THIRTEEN

                Jake has a fiberglass cast and strict instructions to rest with it up as much as possible. The soft-tissue damage isn’t as bad as they first feared, but they need to fix the bone first. Pheonix had taken far too much joy in slapping a pair of boardshorts on his chest, covered in a horribly bright and garish print for him to change into so they could set his leg. They’re clearly Bradley’s and he looks ridiculous with his khaki uniform top and board shorts on the bottom. He’s allowing the wheelchair only because he can use a hospital blanket to cover them up. He really hopes he doesn’t have to go through all the physical therapy that it’s going to take, although he guesses if this… thing with Rooster pans out he’s going to be there anyway. Wants to be there.

                He used to think he had taste, but Rooster is… he groans. As a person he’s actually good. Decent, for all the baggage he’s apparently dragging around with him. The whole clothing choices are just dressing, and he knows he’d rather have a good person with bad taste in clothes than a bad person with good taste in clothes. He’s been fooled by window dressing before. Fuck. He hopes he doesn’t have to talk about that. He lets the nurse wheel him out the waiting room and spies a wide-eyed Maverick (clearly now in the know with the hunted looks he’s swinging between himself and Rooster).

                “Uh, Roo- Bra-“

                “Say it a little faster and you’ll sound like a clown horn,” Jake supplies and then Rooster is swatting him on the shoulder and he supposes he should probably be nicer to his… Rooster’s… dad? Oof. That’s a whole carrier load of shit to unpack there and he’s going to avoid it for as long as possible.

                “Hey, you ready to go? Wait… why are you in a chair?” Rooster asks, peering down at him and he resists the urge to give him the finger.

                “I’m not wearing pants.”

                He watches his own face, eyes going wide in disbelief. He looks good but he still thinks Rooster looks better. He’s hit then with a desperate stab of longing; he wants to be looking at Rooster properly, through his own eyes, in his own body.

                “No, it’s worse. He’s wearing a pair of yours. The lime green and pink ones,” Phoenix says, looking gleeful. He should have fucking known.

                “Did you deliberately choose the worse pair?”

                “Hey! I bought you those ones! But yes, of course I dd. You didn’t make me pancakes.”

                “Jesus Nat…”

                He watches them bicker and he’s reminded that their relationship is a lot longer and stronger than this burgeoning thing he has with Rooster, the hopeful beginning of something more. Part of him though is immensely glad that Rooster didn’t pay good money for the atrocity he is currently wearing and he lets the longing ebb away, nothing he can do about it right now.

                “Okay, so lunch and then we’ve got the debrief… did that, uh, get sorted?” He asks, looking at Maverick. Maverick looks torn, clearly wanting to move to be nearer the physical body of his pseudo-kid but also talk with him, looks between the two of them like he’s not sure where to start.

                “Yeah. Yeah it did. It’s going to be a review of the one you gave on the carrier, and there are some follow up questions they want addressed. Around Bradley’s especially.” He looks between them again and Jake nods, because out of all of them, Bradley is the one who out-right disobeyed direct orders. Jake himself preempted some of his orders, Hondo telling him to get back in his jet and running through the pre-flight checks as soon as he found out that Bradley’s tracker was supersonic. He would have disobeyed direct orders if he’d needed to though, but Hondo was already there, wire in his ear and telling him to get in the air.

                “I’m going to have mine first. I’ll see you all there. Enjoy your lunch.”

                He gets an awkward hug from Mav given that he’s in a wheelchair with a leg up, and then he watches as Mav gives Rooster one as well, and Mav looks uncomfortable, says something so quiet he can’t catch it.

                “Mav, we’ll talk when we get this figured out okay?”

                “Yeah, of course kid.”

                There’s a back slap and little finger salute and then Mav is striding out and Jake cannot believe that out of all of them it’s the dude that’s nearly sixty walking around like he hasn’t just lived through hell.

                “He has his first so Ice can yell at him in private.”

                “Speaking from experience?”

                “Yep. Mav’s done a lot of stupid shit, and he just told me that they’re still together, so that’s hopefully going to make things… smoother.”

                “Not above using your connections?” Jake asks, and winces a little internally, reminds himself he’s trying to be less of an asshole, fully expects Rooster to give him the finger but instead he just looks serious and resigned.

                “I’ll take whatever they dish out. I don’t regret it. I’d do it again.”

                “Fuck. I don’t know if that’s what you should be saying.”

                Rooster shrugs and Jake reaches for his hand, grips it tight before letting it go. They make their way out to the parking lot and Phoenix waves, telling them she’ll meet them at the diner and Jake looks sharply at Bradley.

                “Take me home. Back to you place. I am not being seen in public like this.”

                “No one knows it’s you, you’re fine.”

                “Come on, please…”

                “Ugh. Fine. I think I have a pair of black shorts that should fit over the cast.”

                Jake feels a little thrill at getting his way, lets Bradley help him into the car and return the wheelchair. The leg is achy, but it is duller now, low and constant. Easily manageable and almost ignorable. As long as he doesn’t try walking on it. He changes out of the horrendous shorts and jokingly asks if he can burn them, which makes Rooster laugh. Then they’re enroute to the diner, and when he gets there, he really wishes that he’d thought to invite Javy. Bob is there along with Fanboy and Payback, Phoenix already sipping at a smoothie and they all politely shuffle so he can sit while Bradley gets him a chair to rest his leg on, giving him a look when he grumbles.

                “So, do you have any idea as to why we’re now having our debrief with Admiral Kazansky?” Fanboy asks, and Jake grimaces. If this lasts longer, they’ll tell them as well, can’t keep it from them,

                “Yeah… there’s a situation which needs some, uh, closed door conversations,” Jake provides, pulling a face, because that sounds fucking awful. And Rooster didn’t follow orders, which, okay, it saved the life of the Admiral’s boyfriend (his brain goes !?!?!) so Bradley’s got that going for him in the pro column, even if he does say he’d fucking disobey orders again. Jake’s pretty sure that only he and Phoenix know about Kazansky’s relationship with Mav and Rooster, he wouldn’t discount Bob though. He’ll never discount Bob for anything ever again.

                It’s mostly quiet while they eat, a little conversation about plans for leave once it’s confirmed. He realizes that they’re all still decompressing, just like he was doing before waking up in the sick bay and not in his own body and had a whole new problem to focus on. He lets them tidy the table, notices that they’re all even more comfortable in each other’s space than usual, like they want to be there, or reassuring themselves that they’re there. He reaches for Bradley’s hand then, suddenly gets it, because he’s already had one dream of not making it in time and watching the F14 explode into pieces in front of him and needs the reassurance of warm flesh under his fingertips. They’re both alive.

                They have a convoy of three cars heading to base, and Bradley makes him sit in the back so he can have his leg up, which Jake rolls his eyes at but still does it. He gets dropped off as close to the entrance as possible so he doesn’t need to walk with the crutches, waits for them to join him before they straighten their service khakis and he feels all sorts of wrong not fully fitted out, but figure he’s in Rooster’s body and if he’s going to be court martialed then not being in proper uniform isn’t going to matter.

                They’re made to wait outside, and Jake receives a funny look from the secretary and he wonders if he’s meant to know who they are or if it’s the shorts. They wait in silence and exactly at fourteen hundred the door opens and Maverick waves them in. At a conference table sits Admiral Bates and someone who looks like a civilian. Admiral Kazansky is standing though, his expression stony and Jake swallows, suddenly nervous for no reason. Worryingly Rooster also looks a little taken aback by the cold reception and he wonders about their history. Rooster had clearly not anticipated it and seems wrong-footed but Jake wasn’t expecting anything other than the formal reception he’s received. Even knowing how the pieces fit together he can’t see the picture clearly.

                “Now that Captain Mitchell has completed his debrief he can be your interpreter… Sir.”

                Admiral Kazansky nods, signs thank you and goodbye before turning back to the five of them and Jake moves to allow the light to show his face, before realizing that Admiral Kazansky can hear everyone perfectly, so he doesn’t have to think about shadows hiding facial features.

                “Why do you need an interpreter?” Rooster asks, looking at the closed door where the ASL interpreter had departed from and Jake realizes then that Bradley doesn’t know thatAdmiral Kazansky can’t or doesn’t talk. “Ice? Why do you need an interpreter?”

                “He had cancer. Throat –” Maverick starts, but Ice has made a short sharp STOP and Maverick immediately stops, jaw shutting with an audible click.

                Why is Lieutenant Serensin calling me Ice? Admiral Kazansky signs to Maverick.

                “That’s a damn good question,” Jake says, and signs please don’t hold it against me sir to Admiral Kazansky, whose eyes narrow on him before shifting to Rooster.

                “What is going on?” Payback and Fanboy ask, and Jake looks to Javy, Phoenix and Bob.

                “Ah. Admiral Bates sir, we’re just going to wait outside. Would you like to maybe join us?” Bob asks, and then he’s shepherding the others out with a mere glance and Admiral Bates is looking between them, stands slowly before following them and Jakes wishes he could follow; the atmosphere in the room is thick with tension.

                Have you talked to him yet? Maverick shakes his head in response and Jake wants to interject. Tell him Pete. You tell him now or I do. And then he has to apologize to you. I’m furious with him.

                Jake watches the rapid pace of signing, if the Admiral was talking, he’d be shouting. He looks at Rooster and notes he’s gone pale, is trembling and he stops watching Admiral Kazansky because he’s pretty sure Rooster is about to pass out. Maverick’s signing isn’t anywhere near as fluent, clearly simply used to just talking and he can see Admiral Kazansky becoming more frustrated with the aborted attempts of communication. Maverick might be able to understand ASL but he sure as fuck can’t communicate in it.

                “Now is really not the best time –” Maverick starts, clearly giving up on trying to sign.

                Sir. Rooster and I have switched bodies. Jake signs, and he meets the Admiral’s eyes with grim determination, tries to convince him with just the sheer force of his gaze. He pushes Rooster down into a chair, can hear the rapid shallow breathing and he drags another chair close and sits beside him, gets his face in his line of sight, glances up to see that the Admiral has moved so Jake can still see him.

                “Rooster, hey, shh, Bradley… it’s okay.”

                “He had. Throat cancer. He. Can’t talk. He didn’t. Tell me…”

                “Shh… Breath with me… in for four…”

                “This is the situation we, uh, wanted to talk to you about,” Maverick says and Jake glances up while he counts slowly to see Admiral Kazansky make the sign for idiot, before seeing Maverick sign back your idiot. Another fond eyeroll.

                “And out for four… nice and slow…” He gets a tap on his shoulder and he looks up.

                Tell him that he was on deployment when I was diagnosed. He couldn’t have done anything. I’m fine now.

                “Bradley…” he says softly, waiting for him to meet his eyes. “Admiral Kazansky says you were on deployment, that there was nothing you could have done. He’s fine. Okay?”

                Rooster gives a sharp nod but is still concentrating on his breathing and Jake wonders if it was a panic attack or shock. And he wonders what kind of fucked up family dynamics they have to not share that type of critical information. He knows he has issues, but he hadn’t quite realized the sheer scope of fuckery going on here.

                “So, do you believe us sir?”

                To the best of my knowledge my godson does not know ASL. However I’m familiar with your file and know that you do.

                Jake is left reeling, seeing Rooster get called godson by the fucking COMPACFLT. And that the COMPACFLT is familiar enough with his file to know ASL is his first language.

                “Okay, he believes that we’ve switched –”

                Rooster is standing then and Jake leans back out of his way, watches as Rooster lurches toward Admiral Kazansky and hugs him, tight, crying and muttering apologies into his neck and Jake seriously considers taking out his phone to snap a shot because this is so weird. But it would be a major dick move and also it’s his body so it’s not quite the incriminating evidence he’d want to hang over someone as potential blackmail material.

                “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you…”

                Admiral Kazansky hugs him back and pats him on the back, but Jake catches the look in his eyes as he looks at Maverick. Whatever Rooster did to make the Admiral angry is still there, but obviously not so big a thing that he won’t comfort Bradley right now.

                “So yeah, we haven’t really had a proper chance to talk yet,” Maverick states, the expression on his face bemused, like he’s enjoying the sheer chaos of the situation.

                Bullshit. Admiral Kazansky signs behind Bradley’s back, letting Bradley continue to hug him and Jake wonders what the hell the others would think if they came back into the room right now. Maverick is laughing, and Jake catches the gaze of Admiral Kazansky, who is looking at him, eyes serious and shrewd.

                He told Maverick that no one would grieve him if he died. No wife. No kids.

                “Jesus Bradley, you really use your words like a weapon when you’re angry huh?”

                “Uh…” Bradley turns to look at him and fucking hell, Jake takes in his own face looking absolutely wrecked, eyes red and puffy, cheeks wet with tears and his heart breaks for him a little.

                “Or when you don’t want people getting close…” he realizes then, remembering all of the little antagonistic and cruel comments, one of which they’d talked about just last night and he wants to gather Bradley in his arms and just hold him and make things right in his world. He doesn’t know if he’s quite up for the job though.

FOURTEEN

[alphacrone]

COLORS!

when i can't sleep i think about colors in netflix shows apparently and this has been haunting me

(ha! a pun)

*BOOK SPOILERS AT END.*

the primary color scheme of this show is blue&green/orange&red. it's done very obviously and veery intentionally.

blue is, clearly, Lucy's Color.

not only is it the only color she wears, she is the only character who wears it, with the exception of about 1/3 of the guests at the fittes ball. we will return to that. we will not return to that because i forgot my theory for why that was. aesthetics, we'll say.

similar to lucy, orange is George's Color. it's more or less the only color he wears, but he not the only person who wears it. joplin wears a good amount of orange and red as well.

Lockwood's color scheme is, for the most part, black and white. He does wear ties in shades of red and blue, but they're dark and muted. (also the gray hoodie of despair.) this could be to paint him as a colorless, "hollow" person, but could also be a reflection of his black and white approach to ghosts: they are not people, they are evil, they should be destroyed and thinking about them beyond that is a waste of time. if the show is renewed, it would be interesting to see if his color scheme changes over time. (possibly hard to do with his very specific outfit of choice)

(ok but sidenote, love that he wears versions of "lucy's color" and "george's color" over his heart ok bye)

(george and lucy do also sometimes wear bits of each other's colors as well and that also makes me happy)

this black and white, law and order, unnuanced approach to ghosts is also reflected in barnes and deprac as a whole:

now Fittes:

Fittes is gray, yes. That is their official color. Perhaps to represent iron and silver. Perhaps to represent the nuance between the black and white of DEPRAC. perhaps because marissa had boring taste. who's to say.

Fittes House also has quite a bit of red/orange in it. The uniforms have stripes of orange along the side.

making orange George's color could be a reference to him as a former Fittes employee. OR it could represent something that he and Fittes have in common.

i find it an interesting choice, given that Rotwell's color is red. you would think they'd want to use blue or purple or green to differentiate themselves. could mean something. could also just be that fittes had a zealous branding team.

are these rotwell agents? maybe! i hope that's a lion on their collars, that would be hilarious.

(tangent: i have a theory that, if the show is renewed, red would be holly's color. HOWEVER, i think she would either start red--as a "seductress" in lucy's mind or to represent rotwell--and fade to pink to show her true self, OR she would start a demure, feminine pink and dress in more reds as she lets herself be brave and a little unhinged. i'd take it either way. i love my daughter holly)

related: jacobs was red and yellow. perhaps a rudimentary version of fittes orange? a knock-off of the rotwell red? the costume department having a good time at the expense of these children? hard to say.

ghosts themselves come in shades of white, black, blue, green, and red. so far this hasn't proven to mean anything...unless??

yeah i don't know. i have ideas but i don't think they're sane or rational.

why did i include ghost pictures. their colors don't have meaning to me. i couldn't find a pattern. i am so tired.

but anna, you might be saying. who cares? it doesn't actually mean anything. they're just colors assigned to characters and lucy, as the main character, gets to be special and monopolize blue. it's just a stylistic choice.

that's what i assumed. but then i saw THIS bad boy:

i might be grasping at straws. that center light might actually be white. maybe it's a Portal reference.

(tbh, it might actually be a Portal reference)

but knowing what i know about Fittes from the books...it gave me pause.

so what is it that these colors actually represent? it's not as simple as humans vs. ghosts, because the ghosts aren't all blue.

let's look closer at the dichotomy of george and lucy. in a way, they're two sides of the same coin when it comes to Visitors. where lockwood has no interest in ghosts other than eliminating them, george and lucy both want to know everything about them. lucy wants to know them as sentient beings, as people to help; george wants to know the what and why and how of it all, wants to end the problem, or at least understand it. they're the head and the heart of the agency. which leaves lockwood to be the hands. (insert sex joke here)

so, orange/red--george, joplin, fittes. even rotwell, though we don't see them. these are entities who are, for better or worse, trying to understand the problem, trying to get to the other side.

the opposite color, blue? it is the other side:

lucy is our liaison to the world of ghosts. she can hear them across the veil. the only one in blue. the only one with this connection. (other than marissa)

SO. A BLUE CIRCLE IN A RED/ORANGE CIRCLE. WHAT COULD IT MEAN.

WHAT COULD FITTES POSSIBLY BE UP TO.

in conclusion, i'm tired as fuck, i think i just ranted about a basic color scheme for too long, and i think there was no reason to try and figure this out.

this might have just been a reason to ramble about how these two complement each other and they're best friends and i love them.

in conclusion: colors!

[manyothermusingsofmine]

Masquerade of Units || Chapter 3/5

Prev: Chapter 2 Start: Chapter 1 Fandom: Xmen

Warnings: None

Wordcount: 2506

Summary: Hey you know what solves the questline sooner? When two of the three party members start arguing about stuff until the third one is questioning his life choices -------------------------

The three of them stared at the guy at the door, with Gambit leaning back with an annoyed groan. Seemed like tonight was the night of running into people he didn’t necessarily want to run into in the first place. But at least this one shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with as he lightly elbow pushed Miranda forward by a smidge.

“You go distract him.”

“Wh- wait, hold up a minute, why me?!” she asked in a high, annoyed whisper, “you’re the one with the charm gift here, not me.” “I haven’t had any luck with my supposed charm all evening,” he replied back in an equal hiss of a whisper, “besides, not even my charm is going to work on an actual straight guy, Miranda!”

“Who’s married, by the way,” Forge dryly remarked in a soft tone as he was behind both of them listening to the argument unfold, “with two kids.”

“Two?” Gambit asked, as both of the other mutants turned to Forge while he casually dropped this bit of knowledge into their lap.

“Yup, second one on the way from what I’ve heard through the grapevine.”

“…. Huh.”

Forge tried to keep his face unmoving as Miranda almost dramatically turned to Gambit, green eyes spewing fire and oh, if only they actually could.

“You knew he was married and you still want me to go over there and flirt with him?!” the tone of her whisper sharp and almost venomous as her ire seeped through in every word she hissed through her teeth.

“I said nothing about flirting, don’t be putting words I never said in my mouth!” his tone was just as sharp if not more so than hers, not appreciating it in the slightest that she implied he wanted her to start messing about in someone’s marriage, “just distract him, there’s other ways to do that than sweettalking someone!” “Then why don’t you do it?!”

“Because luck has been abandoning me all evening!”

Forge just looked back and forth to whomever was speaking, a sigh coming from what seemed to be the deepest pit of his soul as these two were having an argument on who had to talk to the guy at the door, rolling his eyes and wishing he had brought popcorn along to watch the debate. What finally stopped the whispered bickering between the two was when the actual lights started flickering, all three looking up at the light fixtures as Gambit grumbled that that was a great secondary problem that decided to make itself known if it wasn’t a mere fluke of the gods getting equally annoyed at their squabbling. Miranda on the other hand zoned out for a moment, her mind concocting a plan with the sudden flickering of the light as she looked at the guy.

“… Then I hope he’s superstitious,” she muttered, taking off her gloves and immediately without a word handing them over to Gambit, who just stared at her in an attempt to figure out what the hell she meant by that. She took out her ruby earrings, wanting to hand them over to Gambit as well when her hand suddenly halted above his in a moment of hesitation as she rolled her eyes to him.

“I want those back. They cost me a pretty penny.”

The absolute death glare she got in response would have been funny had she not been serious, and had Remy not taken genuine offense at the implication that he would steal from a friend as his red eyes were now the ones ablaze with anger

“Skill issue.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up.”

“I don’t want your damn rubies; I can get my own for whatever purpose I need, thank you very much.”

“Oh, sure, because you gave that zircon you quote unquote found to Shadow out of the mere goodness of your heart, huh?”

“Miranda,” he growled, eyes flashing pink in a warning that she was seriously pushing his buttons right about now, to which Forge reacted by actually stepping in before these two decided to turn on each other like two rabid dogs fighting over the same bone

“Will you two knock it off?! Seriously, having to listen to you argue like a set of school children is making me want to be a part of this less and less by the minute, so get a move on; we have more important things to worry about than this childish argument between the two of you!” Miranda dropped the earrings on top of the gloves, vanishing from sight as soon as they hit the fabric with the only thing still showing being the sparkles of her dress in the light. She had no intent of being graceful about this anymore, walking over with an annoyed growl coming out of her that she could easily use for the plan she had been trying to set into motion. It was enough to startle the man with the dark curls and green spotted skin away from his leaning against the door enough that with a simple approach and a hard push with her hip she shoved him further away. She threw the door to maintenance open, easily spotting a light switch that she angrily and rapidly pushed on and off to make the lights down the hallway flicker. 

Deep brown eyes looked on in increasing concern and a faint sense of horror as all he saw was light reflecting off shining particles before an almost poltergeist scenario played out in front of him

“Uh, that’s-“

His sentence interrupted by the loud slam of the door being forcefully thrown shut on it’s own with no one nearby, the frog mutant instinctively leaped up and back from the noise, temporarily sticking to a window near the base of the stairs before sliding down and leaping up again as the door was throw back open with the same angry vibe coming off from the force

“… something I’m not dealing with on my own,” he concluded to himself, hopping off in big jumps down the hall back to the ballroom to find one of his friends. Miranda didn’t care if he brought the whole party, flicking back into view herself while leaning on the wall near the door with her arms crossed over her chest as Gambit and Forge approached.

“…. Subtle,” Gambit remarked, dropping her belongings into the hand she held out to him as soon as he got close enough, “see, no need for flirting with a married man. Thanks, by the way, for thinking that’s what I wanted you to do, like I’m some sort of homewreckin’ heartbreaker.”

“Now who’s putting words into someone’s mouth?”

“I seem to be learning from the best, here.”

“Stop,” Forge bit at the both of them as Miranda inhaled to start the argument back up again, deciding that if they still didn’t want to play nice with each other, he was going to take reign on this operation if they had any hope of actually finishing what they set out to do, “You, you stay by this door and let us know if anything happens. There’s a unit to your left, over there; if that starts working we should be in the clear. And you-”

He turned to Gambit, clearly and absolutely fed up with their arguing and stabbing at each other that he had decided the best course of action was to physically separate them for the time being

“Come with me,” it was a firm request he didn’t give an opt out option to, his gaze firmly on the other mutant, “I need your help with this AC.”

“N-“

“Do not argue with me,” and the almost parental tone of his voice finally seemed to shut both of them up despite Gambit having a need to always have the last word in a conversation, “come with me. Now.”

Gambit groaned, but obeyed the command regardless, with Miranda silently mocking him and the situation as they left, despite still fuming internally at the whole thing. She just listened as their footsteps went further away down the hall to what she hoped was whatever controlled the AC units, so when they fixed it the whole night would be fine and she didn’t have to deal with either of them for the rest of the damn evening. The boiling rage in her stomach seemed to cool and settle, and with it her heart sank a little. Her mind took over, overthinking the situation while guilt started swirling in her chest over the things she had said. Remy was right, she was implying things about him she had no right to put on him. She shut her eyes to try and ban the tension head ache that started to emerge, only to open them and look directly in brown eyes so dark they were near pitch black. She let out a mangled, soft yelp at the sudden presence of someone way too close in her personal space like that. The silver haired man tilted his head like a curious dog, looking her up and down and immediately laughing when her invisibility flicked on- there was little point in hiding from someone who knew where she was already, and he placed two arms on each side of her with a speed she had no hope of ever matching, trapping her in.

“No you don’t, hi, mind telling me why you’re scaring the living daylights out of my friend, hm?”

“When you’re done sulking, will you give me that miniature wrench over there?” Gambit huffed at the request, but grabbed the tool and handed it over to Forge.

“Dunno, by how this evening is going, someone’s brother is going to accuse Gambit of stealin’ that off him.”

“Remy, will you stop?”

“She started it by implying I wanted her to flirt with a married man and that I would steal from my friends, like I don’t have enough on my plate without her accusations. I gave her back the stupid earrings, what do you want?!”

“For you to breathe, and cool your temper for a minute. Fine, she started it, you’re right, is that what you want to hear? You did little to deescalate the situation back there, or anything to explain what you actually wanted from her.”

“Oh so the logic there is that because I don’t tell her what kind of distraction I need we’re just all going to assume I want her to jump Tolansky’s bones, or what?! Grand. Really making me feel appreciated right about now, when I’m trying to save this evening for her sake.”

“Are you? Because to me, it’s starting to sound like you’re doing what she did to you; putting words in our mouths. I certainly didn’t expect that to be your intent, but neither her, me or you possess telepathy. Unless both of you start talking about what the plan actually is, without taking stabs at each other over things the other has no control over, the two of you will never form an actual good, functioning team, now will you?” “She wouldn’t be here if I didn’t convince her to go, which means she would miss out on an evening with Nightcrawler; insulting me, accusing me of shit I didn’t do is her way of repaying that?”

“Oh, and what a night it’s been; Nightcrawler amongst many boiling alive in a mansion that forgot that machinery like this need maintenance that they haven’t bothered to hire the staff for apparently, and Gambit meddling in the business of his friends because he’d rather set those two up then deal with his own business, causing him to cold shoulder ignore the woman making heart eyes at him as soon as he appears on the scene. Am I missing anything, or is that an accurate enough summary?” The call out hit him hard and raw, as Gambit crossed his arms with a scowl and leaned back on the nearest flat surface. Yes, Forge was missing something, the part where Miranda implied he was going around wrecking the relationships of others for the hell of it or for quick gain. As if he wasn’t in the middle of trying to tie off the loose ends between the residue remaining of how he had felt about Rogue, while simultaneously trying to make sense of the absolute overpowering wave of emotions and feelings Shadow shook loose in him by merely looking at him.

… Which she couldn’t actually know about, and for what it was worth Miranda had kept her word about not telling anyone about seeing him and Shadow kiss. Sure, bringing up the zircon was a stupid stab; but giving someone a gift was something he could still play off and come back from in a way he couldn’t if she ran her mouth about that kiss instead. Tension left his shoulders as he could at the very least not blame her for the bind he found himself in; Miranda had nothing to do with the struggle he felt between two women he did genuinely care a lot for.

“Why did you bring me here, Forge? You don’t actually need Gambit to help you with any mechanical know how.”

“I brought you here to stop you and the lady from actually tearing each other’s throats out back there. You’re both bullheaded and enjoy pressing the buttons of the other too much to walk away when things get too real, so I figured if you two weren’t going to separate yourselves I would step in and make you; before someone said something they couldn’t take back or turned it physical; I saw that warning flare in your eyes, Gambit. You two genuinely fight like siblings, so I figured I would treat you as a pair to give both of you some time to mull it over, away from each other. Speaking of,” Forge leaned back, looking on one of his widgets to check the time, “that should have given us just about enough time.”

“For what, the AC to be fixed?”

“For Todd to get back up.”

“…. Wait, what?”

Forge rolled his head to Gambit, a neutral expression on his face as he sat down by the machinery he almost had running again, waiting for a minute to see if the situation dawned upon Gambit by himself.

“As far as Todd is concerned, he got attacked by a Victorian ghost haunting this place. You know as well as I do that he went to go grab a friend to come help him check it out. Fast,” and as soon as he emphasized that last word, Gambit turned his eyes to the ceiling in a groan as if his soul wanted to escape and in turn haunt the mansion they were in. “Merde. He’s bringing Maximoff.”

“Yup, and if her claim of you having the better talking skills holds any water, then she isn’t talking herself out of that one.”

“… I’m going back.” “Good choice, my friend.”

[mistresslrigtar]

Reposting Yearning for @zelinkcommunity Zelink Week 2023 July 10

Rated M for blood, implied consensual sex (off page), one curse word

Summary:

Link is an embittered soldier fighting a losing battle in a holy war against the Demon King Demise, who is determined to claim Hyrule and the Triforce. When the goddess, Hylia, reenters Link’s life, his hope for victory is renewed. Their reunion rekindles their love for each other, but will it be enough to emerge victorious?

An AU origin story of a future princess, hero, and a magical sword

Chapter One - Yearning

“You have over-stepped your bounds and broken our most sacred rule!” Nayru’s blue eyes burn with an ire so intense Hylia fears actual flames may flare out to smite her where she stands before her three sisters in the central garden of their celestial palace.

The setting sun casts long shadows over the marble floor, and Hylia’s gaze drifts to the clouds, tinged pale pink and yellow, drifting past a nearby balcony railing. So peaceful as opposed to the tension settling between her and her sisters. 

Din looks at Hylia with cold amber eyes, her lips curling. “How could you consort…. with a mortal?” 

Of course, her sisters will never understand what it is to yearn for something beyond what they are and have been for eons. They cannot comprehend the joy of loving and being loved unconditionally. Link expects no more than what Hylia is willing and able to give. But what she feels for him — she would give him the sun, moon, and stars if he asked. 

“Nayru. Din.” Farore steps in, her green hair streaked with gold that shimmers in the waning light, holding her hands out to appease them. “She is a child.”

“Do not defend her, dear sister!” Nayru spits, turning her anger upon Farore. “The mortal is the child, and you encouraged her to pursue him!”

“I offered her counsel.” Farore’s green eyes return Nayru’s hard look with a firm one of their own.

“To do as she wills?” Nayru sweeps her hands in a broad circle indicating the landscape below them. “Toy with the affections of this mortal who is little more than a clay puppet of your creation, Farore?”

No. That is not what Hylia did. She never subjugated Link. She gave him the choice, and he chose to see her of his own free will. They began as friends, enjoying each other’s companionship and learning from each other. He taught her simple things like how to fish and hunt. And more complex things when they forged a sword together. He shared his hopes and dreams with her, and she shared stories of her life with her sisters and her love of music, teaching him to play her harp. Nayru knows nothing of Link’s kindness of heart and purity of soul. 

“His depth of feeling far outstrips yours, dear sister! And I love him!” Hylia’s hands fly to her mouth, but the words of truth have already been spoken. 

Nayru’s sharp intake of breath stills them all. Face paling in stark contrast to her midnight blue hair, her lips form a thin line that preludes a lecture. “To feel is to lose focus and the will to be decisive when action is necessary. Worse, to love is to lose your objectivity.”

“You will bring downfall to us all with this reckless behavior!” Din growls, tossing her flaming red hair over her shoulder, eyes wide with barely contained fury. 

Hylia’s love for Link has nothing to do with the chaos threatening the earth, and she has never allowed it to interfere with her sacred duties. “My love does not feel wrong to me.”

Nayru walks to the balcony railing and gazes at the landscape far below. “The point is moot; your mortal received notice today and is being sent across the continent.”

Hylia’s heart drops into her stomach at Nayru’s words. The other side of the continent is where the battle against Demise rages. It is a death sentence to any mortal sent to fend off the demons and monsters who lay claim to the land. 

“Nayru! No!” Hylia rushes over and falls to her knees at Nayru’s feet, clutching at the hem of her pale blue gown, not caring how she looks. Hylia turns her eyes upward, pleading for mercy. “Please, dear sister, you can stop this!”

“Your spectacle is unbecoming!” The words drip with Din’s anger, always simmering beneath the surface. She grabs Hylia’s arm and hauls her back to her feet. “The boy has a warrior’s heart; he may do well there.”

Hylia sways to regain her balance when Din releases her and reaches for the railing. It feels as if the room is spinning off its axis, for surely this cannot be happening. Perhaps it is all a dream. But no, Hylia feels the ache where Din squeezed her arm too tightly. 

“You know we cannot interfere. Our duty is to observe.” Nayru cocks her head to the side, her hair rippling in the slight breeze. “His love for you will keep him strong and determined to fight in your name.” 

Hylia turns to Farore, who has been frustratingly silent during the exchange. Surely she can be a voice of reason and convince Nayru to change her mind and intercede this one time. “Farore, please!”

Farore’s face falls as she shakes her head. “It is out of my hands, dear sister.”

Moments ago, Hylia had been in Link’s arms, the pair professing their undying love and sharing a kiss. The dream of building a life with him crumbles before her eyes. How foolish of her to think she would ever have been able to balance her relationship with him and her sacred duty without her sisters' knowledge. Now that the truth was revealed, there was no need to hide. Swiping angrily at her eyes, Hylia looks upon Nayru.

“You cannot stop me from going to him.” Hylia resolves that she will protect Link one way or the other. 

“Oh, dear sister.” Nayru reaches over and takes Hylia’s hands, holding them tightly. She pulls her away from the railing and over to the pedestal where the Triforce hovers. It spins on an invisible axis, surrounded by hanging vines of ivy. “You will not be able to. The battles being waged are increasing, and the demons are winning. We must act swiftly; therefore, we are leaving this plane and taking as many demons as possible.”

Panic swiftly replaces Hylia’s anger, and she looks between her three sisters to verify Nayru’s words. “What? When was this decided?”

“While you were neglecting your duty to liaise with your mortal.” Din purses her lips around the final word as if it leaves a sour taste in her mouth.

“The Triforce cannot be moved; it is allied with this plane. Are we to leave it unattended?” Hylia reminds Nayru.

“You speak truth.” Nayru's gaze does not waver, and Hylia’s hands begin to tremble in her sister’s firm grip. “Therefore, one of us must remain behind and devote her life to protect it at all costs against those that will continue to battle for domination below.” 

The blood drains from Hylia’s face as she realizes they have already decided who will remain behind. “You would sentence me to a life of loneliness and misery chained to the Triforce for one transgression?” 

“Sacrifices must be made in the name of love,” Nayru states. “By guarding the Triforce and saving the earth from demons, your mortal may be saved.”

Her mind reeling, Hylia looks between her three sisters. Words fail her, and bitter tears spring to her eyes, trickling down her cheeks to splatter on the marble floor. How can she refute the wisdom of Nayru’s words?

Joining hands, her sisters encircle her and begin to chant. The timbre of their voices blends as they recite the binding rite, dulling Hylia’s senses. A ring of light grows until she is engulfed, and she must close her eyes against blinding brightness. She feels her feet lift from the floor, and her back arches when the light coils around her body and limbs. Her mouth opens in a silent scream when an invisible chain tethers her to the Triforce. 

Plummeting to the floor, Hylia barely hunches over on her hands and knees before she retches. Nayru’s expression softens, and kneeling before Hylia, she pulls her long, golden hair from her face. “Dear sister, do not think this means we love you any less. Our sacred duty must come first. It has always been the way.” Hylia nods, shackles tightening about her heart as her power leeches away to form an impenetrable shield around the sacred relic.

Nayru lifts Hylia’s chin with her fingertips. “I will not leave you completely bereft.” Closing her eyes, she places her palm against Hylia’s brow. “I grant you the power of my wisdom; may its truth guide you along the critical path you must take. My favor goes with you, always.”

Rising, Nayru backs away, beckoning Din and Farore to join her. As they leave her, Hylia reaches out before Farore passes, gripping her hand. Her heart aching that she will be too weak to go to him anytime soon, she must try again to plead for mercy for Link. 

Farore looks down with shuttered eyes, her bottom lip trembling. “Farore.” Hylia presses her hands together, beseeching her. “Please cast your blessing upon Link, and offer him your protection. Do this final act for me, sister favored above the others?”

Farore hesitates, conflicted, more than likely fearful of overstepping her bounds concerning mortal life. Hylia has always been closest to Farore, and Hylia can only hope the bond they share will speak to Farore’s heart. Holding her gaze, Hylia silently pleads that Farore’s love for her will sway her to acquiesce.

Finally, Farore’s eyes soften, and she nods. “For you, dear sister, I will grant him my blessing. May my strength guide his hand in the battles that lie ahead and my courage shield him.”

“Thank you.” Hylia squeezes her hand one last time before releasing Farore. With a watery smile, Farore steps back to join Din and Nayru. As they fade from existence, Hylia calls to them one last time before she falls into a healing slumber. “I will honor my sacred duty and safeguard the Triforce in your name, dear sisters.”

Her sisters' plan works somewhat, and most of the demons depart, but the most powerful and persistent of all, Demise, the Demon King, remains. Hylia spends her days in meditation, focusing only on restoring her divine power once more. Once she does so, she can travel down to the surface to aid the Hylians in their cause. Until then, she can only stand helplessly by and watch from the astral plane as Demise’s monster horde ravages the land. 

And Link does possess a warrior's heart, as Din had said. Hylia witnesses his transformation from the gentle boy who taught her to fish, hunt, and forge a sword into a force to be reckoned with, fueled by bitter rage. He undoubtedly thinks she has abandoned him in his greatest hour of need. The darkness will inevitably seek to claim him and do everything within its power to extinguish the light that burns within him.  

The weight of his suffering nearly rips him apart, and Hylia weeps bitter tears. She aches to mend the fragments of his shattered spirit and unravel the shadows that claim him. Day after day, she dreams of cradling him in her embrace and easing the pain of his wounds - in flesh and spirit. She envisions a world where their love can blossom, flourish, and overcome any obstacle. Her passion for him burns ever brighter, despite the years that pass as she grows stronger again. 

She yearns for the day she can go to him. To finally lay beside him under a moonlit sky, sharing stolen kisses and breathless whispers of affection. She will kiss each scar won in battle and mend his ravaged soul. She will enthrall him into sweet submission, and he will worship her as he once did…. so long ago.  

Closing her eyes for one final healing meditation, Hylia senses him and hears his fierce battle cry. She reaches out to him with a promise –  Soon, my love. Soon. 

__

Present day:

“In the name of Hylia!” Facing a monster stronghold, the battle cry moves like a wave through the ranks of the troops rallied under Link’s command. The name tastes like ash in his mouth, but not because of the enemy fortress’s bonfires that rage in the distance. It’s been five years since he professed his undying love to Hylia, only to never see her again.

Since that sunny day that feels like a lifetime ago and belonging to someone else, he’s lost his mother and father. His sister married, only to become a widow while expecting a child. She now lives with her husband’s family on the opposite side of the world. Link has yet to see his nephew and doubts he ever will. He can only hope his sister remains healthy and has found happiness in her child.

Hylia’s loftwing pendant, her gift to him when they first met, bounces against the bare skin of his chest as he runs. He gave up calling to her three years ago, but he can’t bring himself to part with the necklace. When he can rest, his head fills with thoughts of her sitting by the pond at sunrise. Her beauty and grace are hazy memories that can still take his breath away. And his heart aches for her as strongly as it had when he was young and naive.

If she did return, he doubts she’d want the scarred, battle-hardened soldier he has become. So longing for something that was never meant to be only makes it more challenging to go on. The battlefield is no place for his youthful fantasies.

Soon enough, Link and his men are in the thick of a deadly fray, and the screams of men falling around him drive any further thought of Hylia from his mind. It isn’t long before his sword arm aches from striking and slashing so many of their foes that he has lost count. And still, it is to no avail; the horde just keeps coming. For every monster they kill, two more take their place. Through the smoke, Link sees the orchestrator of the chaos, the Demon King, Demise overseeing the carnage. With each passing day, he and his army grow more assertive, while the Hylians that remain to fight the war struggle to regroup. 

A blow to Link’s head sends him reeling, teeth clattering, biting his tongue. The iron taste of warm blood fills his mouth. Wheeling about, he viciously slashes his sword at a horned two-legged creature that had once been a wild boar until Demise’s magic turned it into a slobbering monster. Blood splatters across Link’s face and tunic when his blade slits the animal’s throat.

“Fall back! Fall back!” Link shouts as the animal topples to the ground. Chest heaving, sweat from the flames, and his exertion dripping in his eyes, Link sweeps his sword in an arc as he retreats. The smoke shrouds Demise, but his horde rages on, pushing further into the diminishing ranks of Link’s men. By the time they retreat to the neutral zone of their camp, over three-quarters of Link’s men are either dead or wounded. 

The stench of blood hangs heavy in the air, and the cries of the wounded and dying rend another gaping hole in Link’s ragged heart. Their forces are severely diminished, and they cannot withstand another assault by Demise. Already the Demon King has plunged this part of their continent into darkness. A darkness that threatens to encroach into all of the surrounding regions. What will happen when the last of the Hylians falls?

Link sees that the wounded are cared for and that the men still standing receive sustenance before reporting to his commanding officer. 

“What happened out there?” The general shouts, white mustache and mutton chops quivering angrily before the tent flap falls behind Link’s entrance. The older man takes an unhealthy swig of whiskey from a bottle before slamming it on a desk covered with battle plans. Liquor splashes over his hand to spill across the parchment.

“What do you think? You sent us into a slaughter. Same as always.” Link spits blood on the floor at the general’s feet. He stares the man down, the animosity palpable between them. Days of friendships and camaraderie are long past. The souls of all that have passed weigh upon those that survive. Coughing and the moans of the wounded filter through the tent’s thin canvas walls.

“See here, boy! You may wear a captain’s colors, but your insolence has no place here. Those men’s deaths are on your head!” The general’s one good eye burns, while the other, lost to battle long ago, is an empty socket covered by a patch. “And yet, you always prevail. One would think you were favored by the goddesses. If not them, then the demons themselves. Eh?”

It is not the first time this commander and others have insinuated that Link has divine protection. When he first joined the army, he was as green as they came, and no one thought he would last a fortnight. But as he prevailed, growing stronger and more skilled daily, Link also began to believe the rumors. That was before he found himself gravely wounded after a battle that left nearly everyone else dead. Link supposes he should consider himself lucky he survived. If only this was a world worth surviving and living for. Clenching his fists, Link’s jaw aches with suppressed anger that boils to the surface.

“Fuck you!” Link yanks at the forest green sash adorned to his tunic. “And you can keep your captain’s colors! I never wanted them or any of this!” With a ripping of fabric, he tears the sash free, exposing his chest and a jagged scar that runs the length of his torso. “I wear the scars of battle, same as you, old man.”

The general’s lips curl into a sneer, his steely grey eye brittle and mean, rakes over another scar stretching from Link’s ear down the side of his once smooth, boyish features. “Yes, not so pretty now, are you? If the goddesses ever did shine upon you, they certainly don’t anymore.”

“The goddesses abandoned us all long ago.” With a final defiant glare, Link turns on his heel and storms out of the tent without waiting to be dismissed. He welcomes the feel of the cool evening breeze against his burning skin. His boots thud on the uneven ground as he walks through the tumult of the camp. The suffocating smell of iron, and the charred flesh of the bodies being burned in bonfires at the edges of the battlefield, mingle with the rotten stench of all the decaying carcasses of Hylian and monsters that remain in piles to meet the same fate. Surely, this is what hell looks and smells like.

Longing for a moment of peace and quiet, he continues walking past his tent and enters the surrounding forest. But he can’t escape the turmoil of his mind and the thought that his commander is correct. Any favor Link may have had with Hylia is gone. Sometimes he wonders if any time he spent with Hylia was real or a figment of his imagination. 

However, the sword that bounces against his back as he walks and the pendant around his neck are bittersweet reminders of the life he once had and the moments he had shared with Hylia. He should have parted with both long ago but could never bring himself to do so. 

Slowing his pace, Link hears the faint sound of a babbling brook and heads in that direction. Dim moonlight filters through the canopy of the tall trees surrounding him, and in the distance, a wolf howls mournfully. The trees begin to thin, and soon he finds himself in a clearing with a stream running through it. Crouching on the sandy bank, Link splashes the cool water on his face. He dips his hands in the water again, washing the blood, dirt, and grime from his arms and chest. But no amount of scrubbing can cleanse his tarnished soul. 

Link stares at his reflection in the rippling water. He doesn’t recognize the blurry visage of a man with unkempt long blond hair and vacant eyes staring back at him, a ghost of someone he used to be. The moonlight reflects off the polished loftwing pendant resting against his heart. His lips form a grim line as he reaches up and yanks the charm, snapping the leather lanyard about his neck.

He grips it tightly, the pointed wings digging into his palm's flesh, but Link barely acknowledges the pain. He had told Hylia long ago he understood that her sacred duty came before him, but somehow he never thought she would actually have to choose. Uncurling his fingers, he looks down at the crimson bird resting in his palm. Maybe if he lets it go, he can finally find some peace. Slowly, he turns his hand over and watches as the weight of the pendant pulls the leather lanyard through his fingers. It falls into the brook with a quiet plop and disappears beneath the surface. He watches as the ends of the rope swirl in the eddies as the movement of the water pulls it downstream. Regret wells up in his throat, and Link swallows it down to lie heavily in his gut.

Wiping his hands on the skirt of his tunic, Link rises, reaching behind him to grab the hilt of the sword. It is the last weapon he forged at his apprenticeship, with Hylia by his side, eager to learn the craft. The blacksmith sent it with Link when he was called to the front lines, hoping it would bring him luck. Perhaps it did, as it had served him well, and Link was still standing. He releases the handle. He’ll keep the sword until death or the war's end - whichever comes first.

When Link turns, Hylia stands there, a white vision glowing in a shaft of moonlight, and a quiet gasp escapes his lips. Long golden blonde hair cascades about her slender shoulders, and shining sea-green eyes look expectantly at him as if it hasn’t been years, and she is patiently waiting for him to teach her something new.

They stare at each other for what feels like an eternity. Link drinks in the sight of her, knowing she is probably an apparition but cataloging this moment all the same. She drifts with fluid grace across the clearing toward him, and he can’t seem to make his leaden feet move. His heart and mind war within him, one wanting her, the other wanting nothing to do with her.

“Link.” Her melodic voice is like a sweet caress to his ears, and the pointed tips prick, straining to hear more.

But the spell is broken when Hylia tenderly touches the scar on his face. The tendons in his neck stand out, and his jaw clenches. Swallowing, Link exhales a shaky breath through his nose. “Don’t.” His voice rasps as he jerks back his head and roughly grabs her hand with his callused one. “Don’t touch me.” 

Dropping her hand as if it scalds, he turns away, seeking distance from her effervescent beauty. It hurts too much to look at her. So pure and bright like a fallen star standing in this dark and dismal place. He sullies the air that she breathes just being near her. If Link thought he didn’t deserve her before, he knows he doesn’t now. Not anymore.

He reaches the tree line and stops, staring into the darkness beyond. Darkness that encroaches further within him with each passing day. Why did she come now, after all this time? After he was broken?

“Link.” Her voice is a whisper now, just behind his shoulder. He can practically feel the frisson between them, her hands raised, wanting to touch but refraining.

“Why are you here?” He can’t look at her again. Whatever bit of sanity he has left will surely break if he does. 

“Let me explain what transpired between my sisters and me.” An unspoken plea behind her statement begs him to understand and forgive. Link isn’t certain there is room in his heart for either, but he will listen. Goddess, be damned; she owes him an explanation.

[beesflowers]

𝓔𝓲𝓶𝓲 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓿𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓼

Characters: Eimi Ochida, Haruka Kiritani, Mafuyu Asahina, Emu Otori, Shiho Hinomori

Type: headcanons, fluff

Note: Just realized I didn't made any hcs of lovers for Eimi- Also she's not cannonically shipped by me with anyone so feel free to take your pick or maybe even suggest someone!

Haruka Kiritani

Their relationship would be most likely through idol career since that's mostly how they met in the first place... I mean... it's technically perfect but at the same time very risky! Eimi can't let it show too much to not loose her job and Haruka can't let it show because it'll go all around the internet in just a second!

As for their match... they're both rather calm and hardworking but also caring for others! So I just feel like they'd watch out after each other to make sure none of them is overworking themselves. They're also really quiet and rarely affectionate couple but actually really sweet!

"Haruka, you've been working out for 2 hours straight... let's take a break now, I'll give you a massage."

"Was it this long? Wel... alright. Even if I decline, I know you'll be persistant..."

"Ah- I'm sorry... I simply care about you. So I'd say it'd be the best if you stop for now or even today and we could get some comfort food after the massage?"

"Then best to order it! I didn't took my disguise with me today..."

Mafuyu Asahina

This choice might be surprising for some and I'm gonna spoil some backstory here but I want to give accurate hcs so! but both of the girls actually have bad relationship with their parents. Eimi is just noticing they're actually bad while Mafuyu stays slightly oblivious to that fact so far. And while purple haired girl can get emotionless in a second and actually shows her true self, green haired girl has small problem with that... untill she got into relationship with Mafuyu! She began trusting her and now just she knows her worries~

As for their relationship... they're helping each other in different ways! Eimi offers her girlfriend a place to stay when she decides to run off or have a break, while Mafuyu let's her lover get her emotions out into her shoulders and give her advices, and speak words she needed to hear.

"So, are you running away for good or did you made sleepover excuse again?"

"Sleepover."

"Fair enough. I'm happy to have you around then~"

Emu Otori

Chaotic ray of sunshine and her calm girlfriend who get's her out of trouble... that's relationship between them! But they're so different... you may ask yourself, how did they even got together? Well... Eimi fell for pink haired girl's childishness and how she can always brighten the mood! While Emu fell for green haired girl's ability of never being tired from her ideas and always indulging in them, thinking of better solution instead of straight up rejecting them, it showed she cares!

Plus, Emu doesn't need to worry about her family accepting Eimi, since she's naturally pretty formal and from rich family so she knows how to make good first impression. In fact, they may've even trusted their youngest sister when her girlfriend's around!

"Won... Wonderhoy, Eimi! Gues what I got for us today!!"

Wonderhoy, Emu~ Well... I'd guess it has something to do with the taiyaki you're hiding behind your back?"

"AH- How did you know?!! But yes! I wanted to have super fun date with you before show starts!"

Shiho Hinomori

Similiar with first pairing... both have actually rather similiar personalities! Not as much, but still rather similiar... except! Eimi is usually gentle with her remarks and suggestions, while Shiho can be considered a bit cold sometimes... but that never was a problem to green haired girl! In fact, she liked how she didn't hid anything nad spoke her mind out. As for gray haired girl... she liked dedication of the other girl towards her profession and the perfect advices she always gave.

And their relationship... both usually settle on quieter date's, when both can work on their stuff usually handholding or Eimi having her hand on her lover's lap if she's playing on bass. The manager is also working free for Leo/need since she can't help but help with their grow when she sees them and her girlfriend so motivated!

"Hm hm hm hm~♪"

"Peaky Peaky?"

"Yeah... but how did you know? I played it once to you and in it's demo..."

"I tend to remember your songs~"

[nitrosodiumfmp]

Colour and Connotations

This is another deconstruction of Sinister's aesthetic, but less of a "this inspired me" and more of a "this is why it looks the way it does" retrospective. As you have probably noticed, the game is very colourful, using a lot of dramatic lighting (mostly inspired by the work of HawkSandwich).

The sky itself is a grim and dreary turquoise, almost the exact same shade as the surrounding ocean. It gives a murky and desolate atmosphere to the level, and the long shadows cast by the sun low on the horizon create a light level akin to twilight, the state between sunset and full night. This limbo-esque theming is also relevant for the spinning towers, which flood the area with pink-purple light. Purple is an interesting colour with a lot of meanings; while it can represent decadence, it also represents magic and mystery. That makes sense for a dimension that blurs the lines between life and death. I watched a really interesting video about colour theory actually; specifically, about purple, and how it is often used as the colour of encroaching corruption and decay. This is especially relevant for Sinister, where a god's catatonic dreams are corrupting the world.

However, there's more to the look than greenish skies and the occasional eyeball-searing beams of molten magenta magnesium. After being told that my doors didn't stand out, I gave them all a blue light. Blue is quite an eye-catching colour, being a primary colour, and it also stands out among other colours, so it doesn't blend into the already colour-heavy environment. I also found out that blue is good for drawing attention to specific elements of a design, which is exactly what I wanted.

There are a few other lights used in the current Sinister map, but they're not too relevant. The windows have yellow light coming from them, but this was simply to create a striking visual where I felt pure white light wouldn't work as well. The Bollard enemy has a cone of green light coming from it, but this was also a meaningless artistic choice, since I'm not using that enemy type anyway.

[gruesomejack]

Looking at Charlie as he spoke, the expression on the man's face shifted between amusement and understanding. It sounded to him like he and Charlie had even more in common. The story sounded familiar. Maybe the details were a little different, but the theme was one he knew very well. Glancing away just to take in the decorations around them, he hummed quietly to himself. Despite their less than gleeful conversational topic of choice, he couldn't help but feel content to be here with him. Charlie made him feel... grounded. The few people he attempted to date, rather than leaving things exclusively casual, had all left him feeling like he needed to put on a perpetual performance-- Like he was never allowed to calm down. It fueled his episodes, and each relationship burned up and fell apart, leaving both parties deeply hurt. Next to Charlie, though, he felt like he could just be... Victory.

When he looked back at Charlie, he was smiling again and drinking up those pretty greys. His own eyes were soft and shiny, touched with deep affection for the man holding his hand. Following a gentle urge, he brought their hands up and ducked to press a soft kiss to Charlie's knuckles. His skin felt warm on his lips; it made his heart flutter. "Lucky..." He mused, "Sunshine, I feel like I hit the jackpot." Breaking into a grin, he leaned over and kissed his cheek, too. "Actually, that reminds me of something I did. I've ruined my fair share of holidays and dinners, too." He told him, bumping their arms together. "We had this... charity dinner once around Christmas. I didn't want to go, so I thought I'd take a handful of pills beforehand and just sort of... float through the night, you know?" Vi tongued the inside of his cheek and tilted his head, giggling a little at the thought. "I don't remember anything after getting there, but apparently about halfway through the dinner I'd crawled up onto one of the tables and gave a half slurred stand up routine and a rousing rendition of O Holy Night." He said, "...Before throwing up on myself and passing out."

Vico warmed and knit his brows, "Life is both fleeting and unbearably long. You can replace clothes and get your carpet cleaned, but--" Hesitating, he glanced at Charlie and smiled softly. "I'd rather you feel safe. If you ever get to that point and you need a place to be belligerent in a space where you won't be judged, my door is always open." He said, "I know that's a strange offer but... I-It's something I wish I had during the worst of it all. Just a little empathy."

Stopping in front of a tent, Vi watched a man set up the milk jars for a little kid to try knocking down. Three softballs later, the kid was left with a disappointed face, turning back to their mother for the money to try again. Lips pursing, Vi glanced at Charlie and thought for a second before approaching the counter. Fishing a few dollars from his wallet, he set them down and looked the man in the eyes. The young guy behind the counter hesitated, his eyes moving over Vi in a way too slow to be put off by him. Vico's smile went from small to near sharkish and leaned forward on his hand. "Hi there. How do I win the bear?" He asked, looking up and nodding at the pink stuffed animal hanging above them.

The boy stuttered and warmed, "U-Uh... Knock the bottles down in one." He managed. Vico tapped the dollars and smiled again, "Set me up." Watching him scuttle to set the jugs back up, he glanced back at Charlie and flashed a grin. The boy finished and brought over the softball for him, placing it almost gingerly on the counter. He looked like he might try to say something, but Vico cut in. "Actually, I know you've got different colors behind the tent. Can you check for a green one? Please?" He asked, turning up the charming coo in his voice as he leaned in even closer. The boy hitched and nodded, before skittering to peek at the other prizes.

The moment his eyes were off him, Vi pulled his cane up and used it to hit the jars like a cue ball, aiming at their center of gravity. They went down all at once, and Vi tossed the softball into the bucket in front of it. "I-I don't see a green one, but-" The boy tottered back and blinked, looking between the knocked over jugs and Vi's innocent smile. Vico shrugged for him, "That's alright. I like pink."

Once the bear was in his arms, Vi glanced back. He scanned the nearby booths and smiled as he found the little kid again. Strolling over, he tapped their mother's shoulder and handed the plush over to her, grinning as the kid started to celebrate. Brushing off her offer to pay for it, he let them go and found his way back to Charlie. It only took a second of meeting his gaze for him to burst into a fit of laughter, "The games are rigged anyway, right? I'm just... leveling the playing field."

It'd been three weeks. Nick was tired of him coming home exhausted and heartbroken, but for every shop he crossed off, he was one more closer to finding Charlie-- And this time, he had a good feeling. The last shop he'd been to focused mostly on bodywork, and the owner mentioned a younger guy who occasionally came into do paint work for them. Charlie Reimes was the name he eventually shook out of him. And the description was dead on. Lonely, blonde, a little scruffy-- It had to be him. After getting the address to his setup, there was no reason to wait.

Pulling up outside of the garage, Vi took in a shaky breath and parked. He glanced back towards the road and fought down the anxious bubbling in his stomach, threatening to make him sick. Yanking down the sun visor, he grimaced at himself in the mirror and flipped it back up. He didn't have the time to worry about dark circles. Vico grabbed his cane from the passenger seat and slid out.

If anything was clear, he stuck out. The area was a little outside the more urban parts of the city. It was green and homey and he-- Well. Brushing the wrinkles from the shirt he wore, he peeked at his reflection in the maserati's window and wondered if pink leopard print was too much. He debated for a moment on zippering up his leather jacket and decided it really didn't matter. One hand in his pocket, the other on his cane, he moved toward the open garage doors.

Vi peeked in and hummed, his eyes moving over the tools and parts scattered around the place. After three weeks of bouncing between shop to shop, the metal clutter and thick scent of grease and gas almost felt comfortable. Lifting his cane, he used it to knock on the frame and cleared his throat. "...Anyone around?"

@purposefully-lost

[messers-moony]

Annotated Books & Sleek Hardcovers | R.B

Paring: Regulus Black X Fem!Lupin!Reader

Summary: Everything told them to be apart, but they said fuck the world.

Inspiration: Click

People would describe the younger Lupin sibling as warm and bright. She shined like the sun and was warm like a sunny summer day. She was the breeze on a warm summer day and the sun on a chilly autumn morning. She was worn books with annotations in the margins, highlighting, and scribbles. She was dependable, sweet, kind, and loving. 

Dependable like a best friend. Sweet like Honeydukes chocolate. Kind of like a puppy dog who had been just adopted and as lovable as soft blankets. Her brother was no different. He oozed shyness, charisma, and intelligence. His tousled sandy hair and gleaming green eyes made everyone bend to his will. He didn’t even know that he was doing it. 

But by fifth year, Remus Lupin had come out as gay. A month later, Sirius Black was on top of the Gryffindor table with a blushing Remus announcing their relationship. Remus had given his sister a sheepish look as he sat back down. Y/n had just kissed his cheek and smiled. 

Y/n and Regulus had been sitting beside each other when Sirius had taken the Great Hall by storm. Instinctively, Regulus tightened his grip on her hand, and Y/n allowed her thumb to run along his. She watched as his shoulders relaxed a prominent amount. 

“Well,” Regulus whispered, “I wasn’t expecting that. Did you know?”

Y/n shook her head, “No, but I’m happy for them. Are you?”

“I ‘spose.” Regulus shrugged, “When do you think they’ll find out about us?”

“Remus is a bit oblivious.” Y/n replied, “Sirius doesn’t really turn his head in your direction.”

Regulus looked down at his lap, “So if anything, we’ll have to tell them.”

“Do you think,” His voice was lower than a whisper, “That he’ll ever be my brother again?”

“I do.” Y/n leaned her head on his shoulder, “Siblings have a special bond.”

“I hope you’re right.”

She snorted, “I’m always right.”

At that, he cracked a smile. 

Maybe it was her warmth that melted the ice surrounding Regulus’ heart. The icy, cold, Regulus Black. It wasn’t like they were hiding their relationship, but people were terrified to talk about it. They didn’t want to face the wrath of the young Black brother. 

Regulus was described as the dark, cold winter nights people despised. The winter nights that were so low in temperature that even staying inside with the heat on, blankets on, and layers of clothes couldn’t warm. He was sleek, hardcover books and soggy leaves in the fall that left you disappointed when the satisfying crunch didn’t echo through your ears. 

Regulus Black was everything but warm. He was your least favorite color. Your least favorite food. He was everything you hated. Perhaps it was Y/n’s sweetness that brought some of the crunchiness back to his leaf, the pen to his book, and the folded pages. 

They were star-crossed lovers. Everything in the universe was trying to keep them apart from the colors of their robes and the clashing of their personalities. Regulus was the dry autumn and brash winter. Y/n was the prospering spring and hopeful summer. Perhaps they were the best of both worlds, and that’s why they worked together so well. 

It wasn’t until their sixth year when their relationship had become the talk of the school. Regulus had begun wearing long sleeves even in the hot months, and people grew suspicious. Only he and she knew what laid beneath that crisp white button-up. Beneath the cold ice he kept around his heart. 

Y/n looked around Platform Nine and Three-Quarters for her raven-haired boyfriend as Remus joined his friends on the train. When she did find him, it wasn’t pleasant. Walburga had been fussing with his sleeve, making sure it stayed down, and she had slapped the back of his head for slouching over. Regulus had rolled his shoulders to stand up straight. Orion didn’t look impressed, and Walburga murmured something along the lines of, “Good enough.”

“Now, what do we say, Regulus?”

Regulus caught Y/n’s eyes for just a split second, and he looked away hastily, “Toujours Pur.”

“Good.” Walburga stated, “Now go.”

He nodded and began walking toward Y/n’s general direction. Regulus took her hand in his directing her on another path, “Meet at our usual compartment.”

Y/n gave him a smile in response as she walked away. It left Regulus with a pink hue coating his usually pale skin. His stomach fluttered, and his heart palpitated. They entered the train on opposite sides and met in the middle at their compartment. She was already sitting down when he plopped down beside her. His head was leaning on her shoulder. 

“Missed you.” Regulus slurred, sleep evident in his tone, “Wish I could’ve escaped.”

“I missed you too, Reggie.” Y/n took his left hand in hers, “But I know that we have a lot to talk about.”

He tensed, “I suppose we do.” 

“Things like what’s on your left forearm?”

“Y/n, please-“

“I’m not mad.”

“But you’re disappointed.”

Her light laugh confused him, “I’m not either, actually.”

Regulus lifted his head to look at her, “You aren’t?”

“I just want to know what you plan on doing with that mark.”

“I don’t have a choice.” Regulus stated, slumping down again, “I have to serve him.”

Y/n hesitated, “You have choices.”

“What are they?”

“Be a spy.” 

“A spy?” Regulus queried incredulously, “Are you serious?”

A silly smile graced her features, “Actually. Forget I asked that. Are you daft?”

“No.” Y/n replied, “I’m actually top of our class, so.”

“If he finds out I’m a spy. Then I’d be killed, Y/n.” Regulus said softly, “It’d be different if I didn’t care about anyone. If I had nothing to lose, but I do, and I don’t want to lose a chance at a future with you because of it.”

Y/n took his face into her hands, “You can’t do this. You can’t work for him. You’ll kill yourself slowly anyway.”

“I don’t have a choice.” He wiped a tear from her cheek, “This was bound to happen. This was my fate.”

“Who gives a shit about fate.” Y/n chuckled tearfully, “Professor Trelawney always said that you could change fate.”

Regulus cracked a tiny smile, “You would pay attention in Divination, wouldn’t you.”

“Someone’s gotta give Sirius the notes.” 

“Sirius… I didn’t even think about-“ Regulus stopped, “He’s- He’s gonna hate me.”

“Hey, Regulus, look at me.” His breathing sped up, and his hands began to tremble, “Sirius isn’t going to hate you.”

He shook his head, “No, he’s- he’s gonna- I’m gonna-“

Y/n wrapped her arms around him. Regulus nosed at the crook of her neck, breathing in the sweet perfume. The fragrance smelt of crisp apples mixed along with her scent of caramel, chocolate, and marshmallow. It gave him something to focus on, and with his muddled mind, Regulus fell asleep. 

Regulus was still asleep three hours later when Sirius came barging into the compartment stopping in his tracks. Y/n brought her index finger to her lips, ordering him to be quiet. Sirius shut the door and sat in front of them. Regulus’ face was out of view from his older brother's. His nose was nuzzled in Y/n’s neck, and his hair hid his face. 

“So,” Sirius began quietly, the atmosphere had never been so thick, “How long?”

“Fourth year.” Y/n thought Sirius’ eyes were going to bulge out of his head. 

“But you- and him- you don’t-“

“Don’t belong together?”

Sirius nodded, “Who are you to say? Technically I could say the same about you and my brother.”

“Fair point.” Sirius muttered. 

It was quiet again, and all that was heard was the slashing of rain on the window of the train, “How- How is he?” Sirius’ voice had never been so quiet before. 

“He’ll be okay.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

Before Y/n could respond, Regulus began to tremble again. He was trying to dig his nose deeper into her neck and reaching desperately for something to hold onto. Y/n allowed his hand to grasp hers tightly. His trembling subsided, and Y/n gently kissed the crown of his head, allowing him to relax finally. 

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“I never-“ Sirius looked shocked, “I could never calm his nightmares….”

Y/n gave him a soft smile, “Perhaps it’s a Lupin talent.”

“Perhaps.” Sirius replied, “But, is he okay?”

“He will be.”

“What does that mean?” Sirius questioned loudly, and Y/n hushed him, “They didn’t- did they?”

She nodded solemnly, “We’re gonna- We’re gonna work through it together.” 

Sirius could see her swallowing the lump in her throat. Sirius could see the dullness in her eyes, the same dull that Remus’ eyes got after the full moon. Sirius could always read Remus through his eyes. They were a tell-tale of his emotions. It seemed that he could do the same with Y/n. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, untold trauma, and unspoken words. 

“Take care of him, yeah?” Sirius requested quietly as he stood up to leave the compartment. 

She nodded, “Yeah.”

He closed the sliding door quietly. It was a quiet walk back to his own compartment with the Marauders. The task of getting the summer homework to copy turned into an entirely new adventure. Sirius opened the door to his compartment to find James and Peter talking animately. Remus sat with his head against the glass and head in a book. He had some muggle markers beside him that Sirius liked to draw with. 

Sirius slumped beside Remus putting space between them. That was the first tell. The second tell was that Sirius didn’t speak, and he stared out to the train's hallway. Remus closed his book, placing it back beside him, and wrapped his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. 

“What’s wrong?” His voice was low and hot in Sirius’ ear. 

“Nothing.” Sirius replied, still not looking into Remus’ eyes, “Your sister was no help. Said I needed to do the homework on my own. Said I was a tosser for not doing it.”

Remus snorted and nuzzled his nose into Sirius’ cheek, “Well, perhaps I ought to tell her that’s not how she should speak to my boyfriend.” 

“No.” Sirius hated how distant he sounded, “She’s got other things to worry about.”

The lycanthrope furrowed his eyebrows, “Like what?”

“Like you.” Sirius lied like it was nothing, “Who do you think puts hot cocoa and Honeydukes chocolate at your bedside after the full?”

“Then I should give her a sister of the year award.” Remus corrected, and Sirius nodded, “Perhaps you should.”

If only I could get a best brother award, Sirius thought. It was selfish. He knew that. It was wrong to envy Y/n and Remus’ relationship. Unfit to be jealous of his brothers relationship, but he couldn’t help it. Sirius wanted to be the one to chase all of Regulus’ demons away. Sirius wanted to hold him during every thunderstorm as he used to as children. Sirius should be happy for Regulus even if it weren’t because of him. 

It took a month before Remus was storming into the common room and yelled insanities at his sister. Remus wasn’t thinking, words fell from his mouth so carelessly, and the entire common room stared as Remus had his sister pushed against a wall, hands holding her up from the collar on her shirt, seething at her. 

“You must be one of the stupidest people I’ve ever met.” Remus seethed, and Y/n flinched, “You must be fucking insane.”

Sirius could do nothing but stare, “Maybe I should’ve disowned you as my sister the minute I saw you hanging out with him.”

Tears ebbed at Y/n’s eyes, “But I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I trusted you, and you betrayed me.”

James couldn’t tell what was worse, the fact that Remus was so calm and his voice was so low or when Remus yelled, “You were my everything. My sister, my partner in crime, my other half, and you fucking destroyed it.”

“Mate, stop.” James tried to interject, but Remus just shoved her against the wall harder, and streaks of silver appeared on her cheeks. 

“Wonder what dad would do if he found out.” Remus taunted, and Y/n shook her head, “You know how much dad despises them.”

Y/n choked, “Remus-“

“Don’t.” He snarled, “My name isn’t allowed to fall from your mouth. Fucking traitor.”

Sirius had enough, “Remus, stop. That’s enough.”

Remus whirled around, Y/n sliding to the floor, knees to her chest, “Who are you talk? You did the same thing back in fifth year.”

“I’m not your bloody sister.” Sirius snapped, “She’s been there with you through everything. Maybe if you let her explain, then you could understand.”

Remus pointed at her and looked at Sirius with fire in his eyes, “She isn’t my sister. She’ll never be my sister again.”

Sirius could remember the exact same words falling from his mouth only a year earlier, and it crushed him. Y/n was sobbing, and her knees were pulled tightly under her chin. James was trying to console her, but it wasn’t working as Remus and Sirius went toe to toe. Y/n didn’t deserve this for loving who she loved. 

Remus scoffed when Sirius wouldn’t back down and stormed up to the boy's dormitory. Sirius knelt before her and lifted her head from her lap. His thumbs wiped away the tears, and he took her into his arms. So much built-up pain, built-up trauma, built-up lies. She was finally crumbling like a tower on an unsteady foundation. Y/n was a one-hundred-story tower that was collapsing from the bottom up. 

Debris falling everywhere and soot clouding the atmosphere. He could see the smog slipping in her mind, clouding up her judgment and thoughts. Sirius could see the debris cluttering and scraping away at her heart. With every scrap and every tear, her heart began to give out. It felt like being crushed in an elevator, with no room to breathe and no room for moving. She was stuck, and that was it. 

Y/n couldn’t remember much after feeling Sirius’ lips on the top of her head. But she woke up on the plush of the common room couch. The rough maroon fabric was felt beneath her fingertips. Beside her was a boy in an armchair. He was curled up, and a black fleece blanket covered his body from the coldness of the Gryffindor common room. 

Beside her was a glass of water and a note. She picked up the water and allowed it to glide down her throat, soothing the ache from her earlier crying. Her nose still felt stuffy, and she willed herself to sniffle quietly, trying not to wake the boy beside her. The parchment was ripped at the edges and was written in beautiful calligraphy. 

"Il y a toujours des ténèbres avant que la lumière brille."

She folded the note and placed it back on the side table with the empty glass. The fire had gone out fully in the common room, allowing the temperature in the room to fall. It was cold, dry, and dark. Y/n had never seen the common room so dark. Not a candle was lit, and no light was shining from the windows. Just the slightest bit of moonlight. Gently she stood up and reached for the boy's hand in the armchair. 

“Reggie.” Her voice was smooth and soft, “Reg.”

He stirred and opened his eyes to meet his girlfriend's warm ones. Sirius had rushed to the Slytherin common room despite all prejudice. Some of the Slytherins spat at him when he asked for the password. It took ten people before Regulus finally answered to the incessant knocking. He was shocked to be met with his older brother. 

There Sirius had told him what happened, how Remus had shoved his sister against the wall accusing her of betraying him for dating him. Regulus felt ashamed. He didn’t want to be the reason they didn’t get to be civil with each other. Sirius even uttered the exact words Remus had, “She isn’t my sister. She’ll never be my sister again.” Regulus had to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying anything. 

People stared at the younger Black brother as he walked into the Gryffindor common room. The Gryffindor’s glared, spat, and insulted, but he didn’t care. He found his girlfriend lying on the couch with a thick red blanket surrounding her. Sirius had claimed that Marlene had brought it for her, and Sirius had been the one to move her to the couch. Regulus saw the dried tear stains, the swollen eyes, and the bruised lip. 

“It wasn’t pretty.” Sirius had muttered, “Remus isn’t one to hold back.”

Regulus smoothed her hair back, “This is because of me….”

“Reg, no.” Sirius had replied, “Remus will come around. He just doesn’t know how to digest this.”

The common room was silent, and Regulus just held her hand. His thumb stroked the back of her hand softly. Sirius watched as Regulus went through a wave of emotions. He was hurt, confused, concerned, and terrified. It was like watching the seasons go by. Watching everything welt, die, grow back and prosper just to repeat the cycle. It was like watching a new book turn into an old one as the ink was embedded onto the pages, the papers getting folded, tabs being placed, and the spine being cracked. 

Regulus appeared to be a sleek hardcover book, but she was his person. She turned him into a used paperback. One with highlighting, tabs, folded pages, a cracked spine, and a loved cover. His heart beat for her. She was the reason he woke up every morning, the reason he ate, the reason he got good marks. She was his reason. 

“I tried talking sense into him.” Sirius confessed quietly, “He just brought up the incident in fifth year.”

Regulus closed his eyes tightly and tried to withhold his tears, “Maybe I should talk to him.”

“No.” Sirius said sternly, “You’ll be asking for death.”

“What do I do, Sirius?” 

His blue-grey eyes were glittering with desperation, “Nothing… Take care of her.” 

With that, Sirius left a kiss on his younger brother's head and left the common room, retreating to the dormitory. Regulus sighed and placed his forehead on the back of her hand. Tears slipped from his eyes and onto the material of the couch. Everyone was gone at that point. The common room wholly cleared and the fire slowly decaying in the fireplace as Regulus Black finally allowed himself to break. 

He woke up on an armchair with a soft thick black blanket covering his limbs. Red rimmed e/c eyes met his blue-grey ones, and he felt a wave of relief. Y/n reached her hand out, and Regulus took it, keeping the blanket around his shoulders as she brought him to her dormitory. The girls were sleeping, and Y/n sat down on her bed, Regulus doing the same. She drew the curtains and muttered a silencing spell. 

Regulus laid with his head on her pillow, pulling her to lay on his chest. He wrapped the fuzzy black blanket around them. Y/n nuzzled into his side, and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. They didn’t need to exchange words for expressing how they felt. They knew how the other felt. There was no need on elaborating. She fell asleep not too long after, and Regulus laid awake trying of solutions. 

Even when the sun broke the horizon, Regulus still had nothing. 

They continued the year like this. Remus and Y/n didn’t speak at all anymore. Remus went as far as to change his schedule and ignore the sweets left on his bedside after the full moons. Sirius would pretend it came from him, but Remus still would budge. He would chuck the chocolate in the trash even though he knew that Y/n barely had money in the first place to buy it. He’d dump the hot chocolate in the waste bin and smash the mug to get out any frustration. 

Sirius thought that the worst part was Remus never grieved for his sister. He never saw Remus cry or get upset about what he did. It was like Remus had no remorse for what he did. Sirius had grieved. He had sobbed in the midst of twilight with shit silencing charms. Sirius had wailed and clutched his blanket close to his chest, hoping it would soothe the aching of his heart. 

When they graduated, Remus didn’t look for his sister in the crowd. He didn’t care if she was there or not, but she was. Y/n was there holding Regulus’ hand tightly, watching her brother shake Dumbledore’s hand. She watched as Sirius embraced Regulus in a tight hug in the shadows. Y/n smiled bittersweetly at their embrace as Regulus took her hand back in his. 

Sirius began to open his mouth, “No need to lie. I know he doesn’t care if I was here or not.”

Y/n shuffled on her feet, and Sirius took her into his arms. Sirius was shorter than Regulus, and he didn’t smell the same, but his hugs were just as comforting in a brotherly way. His hand caressed her hair, and Sirius couldn’t help the way his heart ached. He shouldn’t be the one hugging her, Remus should, but he isn’t. Sirius kissed her forehead and released her from his hug. 

“I’ll write to you guys.” 

“Don’t get into too much trouble.” Y/n replied with tear-filled eyes, “I can’t imagine you gone.”

Sirius smirked, “Yes, ma’am. Don’t you know I always obey the rules?”

“She’s being real, Sirius.” Regulus didn’t crack a smile, “This war isn’t a joke, and I’d- I’d like to see you next year when I graduate.”

“I’ll be there.” Sirius said solemnly, “I won’t leave you guys. They won’t take me alive.”

Y/n cracked a smile, “Good.”

Regulus nudged his girlfriend, and she wiped the tears from her cheeks, “Protect him. He gets reckless and forgets about himself. Don’t let him do anything stupid.” 

Sirius could still hear Remus’ voice in their first Order meeting, “I swear on all Merlin if they touch her, they’ll be sorry.” 

“‘Course. Don’t forget he’s still my boyfriend.” Sirius replied, and Y/n smiled, “‘S why I’m asking you and not James. Keep- Keep my brother safe, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They joined the Order of the Phoenix without looking back. Remus, James, Sirius, and Peter quickly became some of the best Aurors of the Ministry of Magic. Sirius had made the Daily Prophet multiple for putting Death Eaters in Azkaban. Many citizens of the Wizarding community thought of him as the next Alastor Moody. 

Seventh year was the worst one yet. Most of the Slytherin Death Eaters were attacking the younger kids. Most of the older Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs had to defend them from the unforgivable curses. It seemed normal to hear the crucio curse being thrown away and seeing green flashes. It made Y/n sick to her stomach. 

It got so surreal that Y/n and Regulus had begun sleeping behind tapestries or hidden tunnels. Dormitories and common rooms were no longer safe. Their backs ached, and body’s sore from lying on concrete, but it was better than dying. Graduation was not a celebration, and no one from outside was allowed in, but Sirius waited for them at Kings Cross. 

The next time Y/n saw Remus was when she was being sworn into the Order, and he barely spared her a glance. Not long after the speech was being spoken, another person entered the meeting point. He was shockingly familiar with wavy black hair and blue-grey eyes. Remus jumped out of his seat, and James had to hold him back. Regulus released a breath and stood beside his girlfriend. 

“Now. I’m sure there’s a lot of confusion.” Dumbledore began calmly, “Regulus has sworn to be our spy.”

Remus growled, “He’s a Death Eater.”

“Exactly.” Remus glared at the old Professor, “Therefore, he can enter and participate in their meetings. Then he can come back here and report what he knows.” 

“I don’t like it any more than you do.” Regulus said, “I don’t want to put anyone in danger, but someone needs to do it.”

Remus went to speak, but Regulus cut him off, “Someone needs to protect your sister.”

Everyone stared in shock at the bold statement that came from the young Black brother's mouth, and Remus leaped from his seat, “She is a traitor. Just like you.”

Instinctively Regulus moved her behind him as Remus was now face to face with him, “She’s everything but. Wasn’t she the one who stopped Fenrir Greyback from killing you?”

“Shut up.”

“Wasn’t she the one who cleaned your wounds after the full moons before the Marauders?” 

“I’m warning you.”

“Wasn’t she the one who used to make you hot chocolate when the nightmares got too bad that you couldn’t sleep?”

Remus snapped, and Sirius pulled him away from Regulus. But they all saw how Y/n cowered when he lunged forward, how she flinched back, covering her face with her hands. Regulus kept a tight hold on her hand, and they watched as Sirius calmed Remus down, bringing him upstairs. When Remus was gone, Dumbledore spoke again. 

“Well, the first Order meeting will be announced in just a couple of days. It allows Y/n and Regulus to get in their positions.” Dumbledore announced, “It allows Y/n to get some training and Regulus to get Voldemort’s trust.”

Everyone dispersed. Y/n and Regulus apparated to a flat they had bought in London. It was relatively modern for the time and had everything they needed. The place was clean and brand new. When they landed in the living room, she went straight to the bedroom. Regulus prepared her a hot drink and set it at her bedside table with a warming charm. He laid beside her, placing her head on his heart. 

“Je Vous Aime.” His french accent was so smooth and gentle, like a baby blanket, “Je t'aime aussi.”

Everything just got more stressful as time passed. Regulus’ job got more and more dangerous, making Y/n worry profusely. It got to times where they had to pretend to throw curses back and forth so he could prove that he was loyal to them. It wasn’t until a rumor of a spy for the Death Eaters came out that Regulus’ job became crucial. It took three more meetings, and on October 15th Regulus knew who it was. 

He could remember the day vividly how Voldemort welcomed Peter Pettigrew to the Death Eaters with open arms. Regulus had stared in mock happiness but, in reality, had been shocked. Someone so close to the Potters had gone and betrayed him. So when Peter was absent from one meeting, Regulus brought it up. 

“They spy is Pettigrew.”

“No.” James chuckled, “You’re lying, right?”

Regulus shook his head, “He plans to kill you, Lily, and Harry on Halloween.”

Everyone stiffened. The air was tense, but Dumbledore smiled victoriously, “Beautiful work, Regulus. We’ll apprehend Pettigrew when he’s seen again.”

They had set up a false meeting where Peter got sent to Azkaban only two days later after Regulus announced he was the traitor. That sparked the war between them, and this time, Regulus was on the right side, the side he always wanted to be on. A week later, and on Halloween, Voldemort was dead. Many people's lives were lost, but many were saved. 

After the war, Remus had proposed to Sirius, and yet Y/n was still not invited to the wedding. Sirius had begged Remus to make amends with her. The war was over. This nonsense was not needed anymore. But Remus was stubborn, and Y/n was too afraid to approach him, so James gave her the invisibility cloak to watch her brother marry. Not the ideal way she planned on watching her brother and his love get married. 

A couple of months later, Regulus and Y/n did the same. Except they did it alone, with Sirius being their only witness and the person marrying them. Sirius couldn’t help but feel awful for Remus not being able to walk her down the aisle, not to see her in the pretty dress she had picked out. It wasn’t until fifteen years later when Y/n had two teenage boys, and a little girl did someone came knocking on her door during the winter holidays. 

Both boys were running around the house, and their little sister was trying to keep up. Two twin boys who were fifteen - Romeo and Romulus. A little girl who was just about ten named Ascella. Romulus was a carbon copy of Sirius. Romeo had the Lupin sandy hair and the Black family eyes with the Black family defined face. He was the best of both worlds. Ascella looked like a female Regulus. 

Romeo was the Keeper of the Slytherin house for Quidditch. Romulus played Beater for Gryffindor, and little Ascella would get her Hogwarts letter in just about a year. Regulus and Y/n both predicted she’d be in Gryffindor with her brave, mischievous nature. Y/n was the one to get the door with her two boys behind her. Ascella had been called into the living room by her father. 

Y/n was shocked to meet familiar green eyes, “Um- hi.”

“Hey.” Remus said nervously, scratching the back of his head, “I hope I’m not intruding.”

Both boys behind her looked confused, “Mum, who is this?”

A pang of hurt hit Remus, “This- This is my brother.”

“Brother?” Romulus questioned, “Like he’s our uncle?”

“Yes.” Y/n retorted, “Now you boys grab your sister. Go do something upstairs while we talk, yeah?” 

Romeo looked crestfallen, “Mum, we aren’t five.”

“I know, but we have a lot of talking to do.”

Romeo sighed, “Fine but be safe.” 

She kissed the tops of their heads, “Of course.”

Ascella was running to her brothers within seconds after Romulus called for her. Remus saw her black hair flutter around as she followed her brothers up the steps. Y/n smiled and motioned for Remus to come inside. The house was lovely and decorated for the holidays. Y/n walked through the hallway to the living room, and Remus followed. 

“I apologize for the mess.” She chuckled, “Having the boys home makes the house messy.”

Remus saw the pictures on the wall, “A Slytherin and a Gryffindor.”

Y/n smiled, “Yep. Romeos the Slytherin, and Romulus is the Gryffindor. We have a feeling Ascella will be in Gryffindor too.”

He placed the picture back down and sighed, “Merlin, what did I miss?”

Regulus was still stiff and stern, “A lot if you couldn’t tell already. That’s what happens when you call your sister a traitor and decide to disown her.”

All three children were listening secretly and grimaced at their father's words, “But don’t worry. I’ve done your job. I’ve been there for her, protected her, and made sure she was happy.” Regulus snapped, “And Sirius did your job of being the children’s uncle.”

“He didn’t even tell me you guys had kids.” Remus muttered, “‘Course he didn’t. In case you don’t remember, you didn’t want anything to do with us.” Regulus retorted. 

The children had never heard their father speak this way with so much ice in his words. Regulus was blunt and unapologetic, “We wanted you to be a part of our family, Remus, we really did. But we didn’t know how you’d feel.” Y/n informed. 

“Plus, the last time you saw us, you tried to kill Regulus.” Ascella covered her ears, and Romeo ushered them to his room to stop listening, “Yeah, so forgive us for not inviting you to be a part of our family.”

Regulus punctuated his statement by putting his arm around Y/n’s waist, “I’m sorry.” Remus murmured. 

“I’m really sorry for how I acted. It was immature and stupid of me.” He continued, “I didn’t know how to feel when I heard my sister was with a Death Eater at the time, and I was just scared.”

Y/n stood up and hugged him, “Remus. What you did isn’t going to be forgiven. I’m sorry.”

He had tears glazing in his emerald green eyes that dulled with age, “I know we were young, but that doesn’t excuse the words you said or how you acted. Trying to kill my husband and saying god awful things about me.”

Y/n took her seat beside Regulus, and Remus sniffled, “You did this. Not us.” Regulus reminded, and Remus nodded. 

“Okay, I just- I’ll go.” Remus stood up from his seat and walked down the hallway to the front door; he took in every family portrait. 

When he got to the door, Y/n opened it for him, and he walked out, “Remus.”

He turned, and Y/n hugged him one last time. His chin rested on top of her head, breathing in her shampoo that still hadn’t changed since third year. The same perfume from fourth year. Her arms fit around him just the same way as they had when they were little children running around the lake. Y/n kissed his cheek and released herself from his embrace. 

“I may not be your sister.” Y/n repeated with tear-filled eyes, and Remus allowed the tears to fall; her two boys were standing beside her, “But you’ll always be my brother.”

The door had closed, and Remus decided that that was the end of his chapter. He had underlined, circled, highlighted, and folded every significant page, but this was the end of the chapter. He was flipping to the next page, where the new chapter began. The new chapter where he had to live without his sister or his niece and nephews. 

Remus always loved fragile, cracked paperbacks. 

[beels-burger-babe]

With You Always

***So I really really really love this idea, but I'm going to tweak it just a little bit so rather than only seeing them in mirrors, MC can just always see them when the brothers aren't around. This one is going to take place after they return to the human realm. I'm also going to be using he/him pronouns for the crush that'll be mentioned. I figured since all the dateables in the game identify as male, it'd be a safe bet. Thank you so so much for this creative request @gender-less-lemon (also I freaking love your profile picture. Monster Camp/Prom is hilarious)***

Summary: An average day of high school with MC...and the seven pact manifestations that haunt their vision.

TW: Bullying You were awoken not by an alarm, or your guardian, or even some random noise from outside, but rather a phantom gnawing on your arm. With a groan, you blinked open your eyes and saw just your regular old room, with one minor difference; a spectral red bear was happily teething on your elbow. You chuckled and pet the manifestation, noting the brightly glowing symbol of gluttony resting in its stomach. "Okay, Beel," you mumbled to yourself as you dragged yourself out of bed, pushing the purple translucent calf sleeping on your stomach, in the process. "I hear you." Ever since you had returned to the human realm, you had been followed around by spectral manifestations of the seven pacts that you owned. By the looks of things, no one else could see them, and they only appeared when the connected sin was active or needed, but it helped you feel less alone. You missed the brothers more than you had anticipated. It was more than a little bit of a culture shock to go from being loved and spoiled every day to being the misfit in your high school. Speaking of which, you needed to get going if you weren't going to be late. As you rushed around our room frantically grabbing the things you needed to get ready, the calf-like manifestation of sloth sat on your bed mooing in complaint. You sent a glare over to it as you finished collecting your belongings. "Trust me, I rather stay home and sleep too, buddy. But I have to go." Grabbing some fruit on your way out the door, you just managed to make it to school on time. Now it was simply a matter of surviving the day.

In all honesty, you preferred RAD to high school. In RAD, the subjects were interesting and grasped your attention without any problems at all. You had friends, even outside of the brothers. Sure there were always demons that would talk down about the kid human that clung to the demon lords, but you had the brothers to protect you. It was nice.

Now that you were back in the human world, you had none of that. In fact, you were even more of a misfit than when you were before. The teenager that vanished for a year and came back weirder than before; that was you. At first, you couldn't get people to leave you alone, but once they realized you weren't going to give them answers they backed off. You would occasionally laugh or whisper to the manifestations, which would earn you some more than weird looks, but you didn't care. These weird little ghost-like creatures were one of the only things you had connecting you to the Devildom. They meant more to you than anything else. As you entered your classroom, you had to bite back a laugh at the sight of one of your classmates looking around in confusion as, unknown to them, a golden yellow crow flapped around their head and pecked at the shiny earrings they were wearing. You took your seat in the back of the classroom and watch in amusement as the crow continued pecking at the various belongings of students, causing subtle chaos and confusion. Leave it to Mammon to make your day even when he wasn't actually there. Your teacher walked in and sat down in his chair. "Alright, class. Today we're going to continue with our history presentations. Remember these were subjects of your choice, so I do hope that you can at least pretend to be interested," he sighed and pulled out a clipboard. "Looks like the next person presenting is...MC." You winced and looked down at your notes. The topic was definitely one you were confident in, but to present it in front of your class. What if no one liked it? What if people laughed? What if- You felt a nudge on your arm. You glanced over to see a dazzling blue peacock, straightening its long neck out high as it puffed out its chest. The pride manifestation gestured forward with its head and almost seemed to smile at you. You smiled gently as you felt warmth grow from his pact mark on your inner wrist and stood up beside the peacock. It cawed and began to strut forward, leading the way to the front of the class. The mental image of Lucifer doing the same almost caused you to burst out laughing. You finally turned to the class and held your head up proudly as you began to speak. "My presentation today will be on biblical demonology and the way it has evolved throughout the eons of its existence." It was the best presentation you had ever given in your life. Riding off of the high from history class, the day seemed to fly by. Before you knew it was time for lunch. The bear was back, this time just softly moaning it continued butting your back with its head in an attempt to get you to go to the cafeteria faster. With one particularly heard shove, you were sent stumbling forward, directly into the chest of someone. "I'm so sorry! I'm a total clutz. I just tripped, I hadn't meant to-" you cut yourself off as you looked up and noticed you were looking at your crush. Your jaw snapped shut as you felt your face suddenly become uncomfortably hot. He smiled and waved off the apology. "It's alright. Just an accident right?" Your face became even hotter as you noticed a bright pink rabbit jumping up and down happily behind him. "I- Uh...Ehm...Y-Yeah! Yeah, t-totally an accident. I'm seat so I should go find my hungry. I-I mean!" He chuckled and nodded. "No worries, I get what you're trying to say. Enjoy your seat, MC," he gave you a wink, causing you to squeak as he walked off. You glared down at the rabbit running happy circles around your feet and the red bear that was sulking guiltily in a corner. "I blame you two for this." With an embarrassed huff, you entered the cafeteria and found yourself instantly wanting to walk back out. Everyone was laughing and talking with one another in their friend groups at their tables. Some gossiped eagerly over a magazine. Others sat silently with one another while they gamed or read books. There was even a table where a group of theatre kids were drumming out a soundtrack beat on the table while singing their favourite

songs. You ducked your head down and grabbed a tray of food before moving to the lonely table in the back, doing your best to ignore the giant orange snake that slithered between the tables, occasionally hissing and tripping students. You tried not to think of how you could be just like those groups of laughing friends, if only you were still at RAD. Your heart ached as you thought about the brothers. Maybe you could call them tonight. You let out a heavy sigh as you stood up and went to leave. You had almost made it to the door when a familiar face stopped you. Standing just a couple inches taller than you, surrounded by their groupies, was your tormentor, Taylor. You weren't entirely sure why they hated you so much. You just knew that they did, and that it got even worse when you came back from the Devildom. Taylor smirked with their arms crossed over their chest. "Where do you think your going? You haven't come to say hello yet." You scoffed and tried to walk past them. "Leave me alone, Taylor. I'm not in the mood for this today," before you could get very far, you were harshly onto the floor, stealing the breath from your lungs. You gasped and glared up at them. "What the fuck?!" The bully just sneered down at you. "You may not be in the mood for this, but I am. You know I heard about your weirdo presentation. Demons? Really? What are you, a satanist?" Their word choice was really ironic, for at that moment you noticed the large, white unicorn with flaming green hair and eyes appear behind them. The beast stomped its hooves and whinnied dangerously. You gulped nervously and looked up at Taylor. "Even if I was, it's not your business. I just find the topic interesting is all." You went to stand up, and therefore force the angry horse with a horn away from Taylor, but were stopped as they placed their foot on top of your chest. "I bet that's why you have all those weird tattoos, huh? What did you run away and join a cult for a year? Freak!" You could feel Satan's pact mark on the back of your neck grow hotter and hotter to the point that you were concerned the manifestation may be trying to summon him. Your eyes widen as you noticed it back up a few steps and point its horn at Taylor. You knew that the creatures normally could do small interactions with others, such as tripping or pushing, but you had never seen them attempt anything so violent. You couldn't just let it kill someone. "STOP!" The cafeteria fell quiet, but you weren't looking at them or even Taylor, you were looking at the unicorn. The manifestation neighed in frustration and jumped around, but obeyed your command. You slumped in relief. Looking back over to Taylor, you found them glaring down at you like you were nothing but a bug. They opened their mouth to degrade you even further when a teacher finally stepped forward. "What is happening here?" You walked over to the unicorn while Taylor fed the teacher a handful of lies. You leaned over to the manifestation and whispered under your breath. "Thank you for trying to protect me, but you can't hurt people. Just leave it be." The creature snorted and nuzzled your shoulder. In comparison to the hectic lunch hour, the rest of the day passed by with ease. In no time at all, you were back home in your room. You had just plopped onto your bed, when you heard a familiar ringtone. You smiled brightly and quickly grabbed your D.D.D. before immediately answering the phone. "Hello?" "Oh, you answered that quite quickly," you grinned at the surprise in Satan's tone. "I was just calling to-" "IS THAT MC?! GIMME!!!" You laughed as the sounds of Satan yelling and running from Mammon came through the other end. There was a yelp, a bang, and a victorious whoop before you could hear the device get picked up by someone. "'Hey MC! How was your day? I hope you didn't miss the great Mammon too badly. N-Not that I've missed you or anything just wanted to know how you're doin' is all." Belphie's purple calf climbed its way into your lap once more as you gently patted its head.

"I miss you too, Mammon. And today wasn't bad. I'd say it was pretty average overall." You could hear Satan growl in the background before there was a loud thud followed by a scream from Mammon. Satan took the phone back. "Just average you say? Nothing special?" You frowned and narrowed your eyebrows in confusion. "No, why?" To your right, the unicorn neighed softly and plopped down beside your bed. "Well, I could've sworn I felt our pact become triggered at some point today and...Well in all honesty I was concerned. We worry about you getting hurt without us there with you, MC." You couldn't help but smile softly as one by one each of the manifestations of your pacts made their way to your bed and laid down. "I know," you replied affectionately. "Though I'm never completely alone. So long as I have my pacts, you guys will always be with me." ***This was such an interesting concept to toy around with. I hope this wasn't too confusing and actually makes sense 😅😅 Thanks again for the amazing request @gender-less-lemon!***

Taglist @thegrimgrinningghost

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@satans-beloved-riv

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