#also as per usual I apologize for lemon in advance

[rendy-a]

Hello~ hopefully you have a wonderful day today and apologies in advance for flooding your ask box 👀💦

Ever since trey's birthday line... This one specifically

Make sense, cuz it's a birthday... BUT like what if on mc/Yuu/reader's birthday, they ask for the Heartslabyul boys on a date, hang out or sthg for the whole day ajfhsuchsb

Idk how many characters you can write per post (terribly sorry if this more than what you usually write... You can do it parts or not idk akfhsjsn...)

Thank you if you decide to write this 💕💕

I had also noticed that line and thought it seemed interesting.  So I am more than happy to take you, mischievous reader, on an adventure with the Heartslabyul crew.  Thank you for requesting and enjoy!

My Birthday My Way

Riddle has planned you a tea party for two.  He has set up a small table with cute linens and a matching tea set.  It looks very photogenic, Cater would totally approve!

Refreshments are a platter of finger sandwiches; it looks like 3 or 4 varieties at least.  The tiny sandwiches are arranged in an appealing way, like a picture that belongs in a magazine.  You wonder if this is in response to some tea-party rule or just his own strict standards.

Riddle brings your favorite tea; he will even look the other way if your preference doesn’t exactly match the Queen’s rules.  If you happen to prefer lemon tea with two sugar cubes, well that is just perfect! 

After tea, he thanks you for your time and invites you to join the next croquet game at Heartslabyul.  He gives you a small nod of the head and offers to escort you to the mirror.

You approach the mirror of Heartslabyul that leads to the mirror chamber, accompanied by Housewarden Riddle.  “Again, thank you for joining me for tea today, Prefect.  I hope you enjoyed yourself and have a very merry birthday.”  Riddle gives you a small smile and gestures to the mirror as if to say, here we part. 

“Not so fast Riddle, I don’t think we are done here yet,” you say slyly.  “I think now you are going to accompany me to Mostro Lounge to try the limited dessert menu they have there.”  For just a moment, you’ve taken Riddle by complete surprise.  His eyes open slightly wider and his mouth falls open into a small O; giving him a very innocent look.  This small moment quickly gives way to anger; his eyebrows come to such a drastic slant that they almost touch, his mouth thins to an angry line and his face flushes until he is red as the roses he is named after. 

“You must be feeling very bold today, Prefect,” he starts coldly “to tell me what to do.”  You confidently smile back at him.  “Well of course I’m feeling bold Riddle, it’s my birthday!” you cheerily tell him.  “I know as well as you do that the Queen of Hearts rule states that a person should get whatever they wish for on their birthday.  So really…you can’t refuse now, can you?” You give him a cheeky look, knowing you have him trapped. 

You can imagine the gears in his head spinning as he goes over the last few minutes.  His color slowly returns to normal as he thinks over the trap you’ve laid for him.  Finally, he crosses his arms, gives you a pout and agrees with you.  “Well, I suppose that is the rule.  If it is your birthday wish, then I cannot refuse.”

“Awe thanks Riddle!” you shout as you grab onto his arm.  “I just know we are going to have so much fun!”  Riddle still looks at you dubiously, but your smile seems to win him over; he seems less angry than he was a moment ago.  “Well then Prefect, shall we go?” he says as he again gestures to the Heartslabyul mirror.  Arm in arm, you go through the mirror; first to the mirror chamber and then again through the mirror to Octavinelle. 

You can only assume that sometime in his past, Riddle has some sort of “how to escort someone to dinner” lesson.  He knows just the right way to hold his arm out, walk beside you and make smart, witty conversation.  His very proper manners seem to elevate your silly impromptu outing, so by the time you arrive at the entrance of Mostro Lounge, you feel very fancy indeed.

Jade greets you at the entrance of the lounge.  He seems amused to see Riddle in such a situation.  “How honored we are that you have chosen Mostro Lounge for your date tonight,” Jade says with an amused smile.  Riddle flusters and quickly says, “D date! It’s not a date!  I’m merely treating the prefect to dessert for their birthday!   Please keep such strange ideas to yourself!” 

You chuckle at the situation and ask Jade if they still have the special limited dessert today.  Jade allows himself to be diverted and informs you, “Why yes, we do.  I’ll grab you both a dessert menu and seat you right near the coral reef window.  The view from there is most excellent, perfect for a date.”  Riddle gives a small yelp at Jade’s comment, but you just grab onto his arm tighter and pull him after Jade.

You slide into the booth Jade leads you to and Riddle slides next to you.  Jade was right, the view truly is amazing.  You smile and take the menu Jade hands you before he departs to give you time to decide on your selection.  Riddle studies the menu with a serious look, as though his dessert selection were an important test he was in danger of failing.  “Don’t worry about it, Riddle,” you say.  “I’m sure they all will be delicious!” 

Riddle looks at you with mild reproach, “Well then, what dessert have you decided on, if it is so easy to choose?”  He makes a good point.  The special dessert menu Azul has put together for the lounge this week has many tempting items.  “Um…well, I think I’m going to have the hazelnut pudding and ice cream.  Why…what were you thinking of?”  Riddle eventually decides on macaron with a dish of berries and cream accompaniment. 

Jade takes your order and heads back to the kitchen.  You are just about to make some small talk when you hear a shout of “Date!” echo from the kitchen.  You both look up to see Floyd poke his head out the kitchen door with a mischievous smile.  His eyes settle on Riddle and his smile grows even wider.  You are glad when Jade pulls him back into the kitchen before he can rush over to your table.

You both try to ignore the sense of foreboding and make conversation, but your worries are proven correct when Floyd comes to your table with your desserts.  “Hey Goldfishie, I didn’t know you were dating Shrimpy!  What gives?  You aren’t going to tell your best friend about your date?” Floyd teases Riddle.  Riddle gets flustered and starts sputtering, which seems to satisfy Floyd enough that he leaves your desserts and goes.

You laugh into your pudding and dig right in.  Disappointingly, Riddle refuses to share his dessert; he claims it is unhygienic.  At least your own choice is satisfying.  As you finish the final spoonful, who should arrive at the table but Azul personally to drop off the bill.  “Mostro Lounge thanks you for thinking of us for your special date,” he says in his smooth business-like voice.  Riddle merely sighs, it seems he has given up on convincing anyone that this is not in fact a date.

You try to pay for your own dessert, but Riddle insists that it just wouldn't be proper to pay for your own dessert on your birthday.  Riddle stands and offers his arm, escorting you back to the mirror chamber.  It was a memorable night, one that neither you nor Riddle was likely to forget.  Especially with Floyd, Jade and Azul ready to remind you! 

It’s handy being a baker when a birthday comes around.  It means you are always prepared with cake!  Trey has made your favorite flavor for your special day.

He hand-delivers the cake to Ramshackle in the morning along with some extra plates and silverware.  He knows you’ll want to share and worries that a dorm like Ramshackle won’t have enough dishes for everyone.

If you offer, he is even happy to stay and have a slice with you.  It is satisfying to see someone enjoy the items he has baked.  You’ll have to give him feedback on it so he can keep improving.

“And remember to brush your teeth extra carefully tonight, you wouldn’t want to get cavities,” Trey says to you as he heads toward the door of Ramshackle.  “Let me know if you ever need help with anything else.  Have a happy birthday Prefect.”

Before he can leave, you slide in front of him and place your arm across the doorway, baring him from exit.  “Well, since you brought it up,” you say in an innocent voice, “I could actually use your help on my botany homework.  You do that stuff in the science club, yeah?” 

Trey gives you a startled look, having not anticipated you’d actually take him up on his offer.  Or at least, not so soon.  He adjusts his glasses to give himself a moment to think.  “As much as I’d like to help you right now, I think I have to help Riddle with some paperwork today. 

You give him a mischievous smile and tell him, “Oh, Riddle won’t mind.  After all, it’s a part of the rules.” Trey gives you a confused smile. “Oh?”  You throw an arm around him and remind him, “Yeah.  Luckily, I have this senior that told me recently that the Queen of Hearts has a rule that you should get whatever you want on your birthday.  How lucky for me, huh?”

You can tell by the expression on his face that he remembers those as his own words.  “Well, I guess we can’t go breaking rules on your birthday.  What sort of homework are you having troubles with?” he asks good-naturedly.  You raise your fist in the air in a victory salute before dragging him off towards the botanical garden. 

On the way, you explain about your assignment to grow a moon blossom flower and how you can’t get yours to bloom.  You arrive at the patch dedicated to the first-years botanical projects and show him your blossom.  The leaves are slightly yellow and wilted.  Trey smiles and explains to you that your plant needs more nitrogen in the soil.  He takes you over to the fertilizer area to show you what options are good for adding that to soil. 

You are carrying a pail of fertilizer back to the patch when a small alarm sounds above you both.  You know that sound, it is the warning that the automated rainfall system will be beginning momentarily.  You look guiltily over at Trey moments before the artificial rain starts soaking you both.  Trey seems to find humor in the situation, laughing instead of getting mad.  Now he is the one pulling you along, back to your project to add your fertilizer, so you can both get out of the rain as fast as possible.  In a short time, you both stand outside the botanical garden once again. 

The cold air hits you as you step outside.  You shiver and take stock of your clothing.  The wet shirt you wear has become semi-transparent and you cross your arms over your chest in embarrassment.  Trey notices this as well and looks politely away before handing you his jacket.  You wrap up in it gratefully. 

“Well, this is certainly a birthday story to remember!” you jokingly tell him.  “Thanks for all your help today, Trey.”  He smiles over at you while wiping the moisture from his glasses with the edge of his shirt.  “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself Prefect but now I really must be going before Riddle sees me wet.  You don’t want to know what rule 124 says about getting soaked in the rain.” Trey sets off to Heartslabyul with a nod in parting.  You can’t help but wonder; what does rule 124 say about being caught in the rain?  Maybe you’ll ask Riddle tomorrow.

Cater invites you to have lunch at a café in town.  It’s all the rage on Magicam right now!  Isn’t it just the cutest place?

He encourages you to get an extra dessert.  What?  You think it’s just so he can take pictures of them for his Magicam without needing to eat the sweets?  Ok, that is true but he is paying so just have the cake!  Remember to not get a frozen one or it could melt by the time Cater has grabbed the perfect shot for his account!

The conversation is great.  Cater knows all the current gossip about school and celebrities.  It’s just so easy to lose track of time talking about everything and nothing.  The balance between eating and chatting makes for a very enjoyable experience.

Cater pays for your meals and helps you out of your chair.  You thank him again for the meal and take his arm as he walks you back to the gates of Night Raven College.  “Well Prefect, this was great.  Let’s do it again sometime!” Cater says, giving you a gesture more suited for a selfie than a goodbye.    

“Oh sure,” you start, “in fact lets have some more fun right now!”  Cater gives you a startled glance.  “Ah, I was sort of hoping to get back and start editing the pics I took at lunch.  Maybe another time.”  He starts backing away slowly, as though to demonstrate just how badly he needed to go. 

“How sad,” you say while wiping a fake tear from your eye, “and I thought all Heartslabyul students would be wanting to honor the Queen of Heart’s rule today.  Trey was so kind to remind me that I should get anything I want on my Birthday, it’s a rule.”  You step closer to him and tilt your head a little to the side.  “I wonder what Riddle would say about this.  Well, it probably doesn’t matter.  You don’t need your head to edit photos.” 

Cater grimaces and gives you a calculating look.  “Alright Prefect, you win.  What do I have to do to get out of this with my head?”  You beam back at him.  “I’m glad you see it my way!  All I want is a little flying lesson.”  Cater gives you a confused look, “Yeah but you don’t have magic, so you can’t fly anyway.” 

You give him a bashful look.  “That is the point.  I hear Grim and my friends talk about flying class and it just sounds so fun.  I’d like to try it at least once.  Deuce told me you are really good at flight class, so I thought I’d ask you about it.  I just don’t want to keep feeling like my friends are leaving me behind; you know?”  Cater gives you a sad smile for a moment before putting back on his cheery face.  “Alright Prefect, Cay-Cay is going to give you the greatest birthday flight lesson ever!”

You excitedly follow Cater to the sports field where the brooms are stored.  Cater looks them over and chooses one for you using some criteria that is a mystery to you.  You are only aware that he is considering it carefully by the way he looks over at you a time or two while making the selection.  “Here we go!” Cater says cheerfully.  He brings his selection to your side and straddles it while motioning for you to get on the back.  You hop on behind him and place your hands on his shoulders for balance.  “You might want to hold on better than that.” Cater says as the broom lifts you both slightly off the ground and you wobble on the back of the broom.  “Try wrapping your arms around my waist.  Don’t be shy,” Cater says with a teasing voice and a wink. 

You quickly comply as Cater takes the broom to what would be standing height for you.  It’s both thrilling and a touch frightening to hover off the ground with no barriers to falling.  “Ready Prefect?” Cater asks.  You give his waist a reassuring squeeze and tell him to go for it!  He complies, taking you on a thrilling ride around the sports field.  He gives you some quick turns and height changes; once even doing a fast loop, which left your heart in your stomach.  “Maybe no more loops,” you say as you squeeze Cater tightly, to remind yourself that you are safe in his hands. 

Cater seems to consider something before asking, “Want to go up and see the view?” He nods his head to the top of the NRC tower.  It’s higher than you’d like but you know this might be a once in a lifetime chance to fly, so you nod and say, “Yes, I want to see it.”  Cater takes you up slowly, going from rooftop to rooftop, gently increasing the height each time.  Its fun to see your school from a new perspective; you happily shout to Cater about things you pass, “Hey, that’s our alchemy classroom!” and suchlike.

When you reach the summit, Cater has the broom hoover before telling you to take your look and let him know when you area ready to go back.  You lean closer to Cater to look over his shoulder and see the whole of Sage Island laid out before you.  You gasp and marvel at the sight, truly a grand sort of birthday gift.  You continue to search out memorable landmarks but now have shifted to places tied to your memorable year at NRC. 

“You can see Port Harbor!  Oh, Portfest was so fun!” and “This would have been a great place to see the VDC, look how you could see right into the coliseum!”  You know you are babbling a bit, but you are just excited to see it all.  “Hey Cater, look, that is where we got knocked out of Beansfest.  We made a good team, didn’t we?” you ask, leaning your head against his back in a sort of half-hug.  Cater is silent, as though thinking over his own memory of that day and what sort of duo you make.

Finally, you give a small sigh, “Ok, I think I’m ready to go back.”  He looks over his shoulder and smiles wickedly.  “You want down now?  Well, I suppose I need to give you exactly what you ask for on your birthday.”  Your eyes get large, and you start saying, “no, no, no” right before Cater laughs and you both start on a dizzying descent, worthy of any roller coaster you’ve ever been on.

When you reach the ground (safely!) you are clinging to Cater for dear life.  Cater sets his feet on the ground and leans back into you.  For a few moments, you stay that way; you embracing him tightly and him quietly taking in the sensation.  Eventually, your mind seems to catch up and you realize you can set your feet back on the ground.  You end your death-grip on Cater and drag yourself off the broom. 

You look over at Cater and say, “You did that on purpose.”  He doesn’t look up and seems lost in thought instead, thinking about the ride or perhaps your strange behavior upon landing.  After a moment, he does seem to sense you looking at him and meets your eye.  You think this is the most genuine you’ve ever seen him, not trying to hide behind his usual cheerful persona.  It is gone in a flash as Cater seems to recall himself and puts back on his cheerful smile.  “Hey Prefect, I’m just making some memories for you!  Ooh, lets take a selfie! #FlyingLessons #ProfCay-Cay #NRCviews.” 

You aren’t sure exactly what Cater had gotten out of the experience, but you know you do have some special new memories to carry with you.

Ace wakes up surprisingly early on your birthday and heads to Ramshackle to make you breakfast!  Its like a double gift because you don’t have to cook, and you don’t have to use your meager allowance on ingredients.

The Queendom of Roses is known for its sweet foods, so its no surprise that Ace makes pancakes for breakfast!  There are also some sausages to go with it.  He tosses a few apples on the counter too, but they feel more like an afterthought.  Perhaps Riddle told him his breakfast wasn’t nutritious enough?

How is Ace’s cooking?  Not bad.  The pancakes get a trifle overdone but not enough to affect the taste.  Plus, when you cover it all with maple syrup or powdered sugar, any imperfections seem to disappear.

After breakfast, Ace stacks the dishes in the sink and offers to walk you to class.  You notice he doesn’t actually do the dishes, but you figure you can only expect so much out of your slacker friend.

The bell rings on the last class of the day.  You stand from your seat and head over to chat with Ace and Deuce before they leave for club activities.  Both of your friends seem enthusiastic about their upcoming sports club activities.  You feel slightly left out that Crowley just assigned you to be the recorder alone in place of letting you join your classmates in a proper club.

“Sorry you didn’t get to join a sports club, Prefect.” Deuce says to you, echoing your thoughts.  “There is nothing like having a good run after a day sitting in classes.  It gets me so pumped up!”  Deuce gives you his delinquent grin while cracking his knuckles.  Ace gives you a smirk and says, “Guess you’ll have to find another way to burn off those pancakes, Prefect.”  You look at Ace with narrowed eyes.  “Is that so?  Well, if you have such great ideas on working off breakfast, maybe I should go with you to Basketball Club?” 

Ace’s eyes widen and he sputters, “W w what?  You can’t just come to another club!  Its not allowed!  Plus...,” he hesitates before saying under his breath, “they guys would tease me relentlessly.”  You smile, this does sound like the just the right way to end your special day and get back at Ace for leaving you with the dishes.  “I think this is a great idea.  I’m definitely going!”  Ace looks back and forth, as if searching for an escape.  “The the RULES!  We can’t just break rules when we are in Heartslabyul.  You know, Queens spirit and all.”  You smile back at him.  “Well, fortunately for you, Trey informs me it is a rule that someone gets to do everything they want on their birthday.  So why don’t we get moving, pal?”

Ace tries to bargain with you more but Deuce shuts him down, not letting him get a word of excuses in.  As the time to club activities draws closer, Ace finally realizes his isn’t going to win this exchange and agrees.  You cheerfully follow after him to the gymnasium where the basketball club practices.  Jamil greets you curiously as you enter and you explain your desire to sit in on their practice.  “Unfortunately, we have an even number in the basketball club currently, so you’ll have to sit and watch.”  A slight tip of his head directs you to a set of bleachers where you head to settle in.

“Shrimpy!!!” a cry comes from the locker-room’s direction.  Floyd comes barreling into you and gives you a squeeze.  “What are you doing here Shrimpy?  Did you come to watch my cool moves?”  You gasp for breath in his tight squeeze and explain to Floyd that you came with Ace.  Floyd turns to look at Ace and asks, “What, why does Crabby get to bring a date to club?”  Ace sputters back at him.  Jamil rolls his eyes and corrals the students into teams for drills.

To your great surprise, Ace is pretty good.  He makes a good percentage of the shots he takes and doesn’t get many fouls called on him.  The only downside is he is somewhat of a ball-hog but honestly, this is NRC, they all seem to think that they are the star player.  You’ve come with Ace though, so you decide to cheer him on like his own personal cheer squad.  This is not helpful as you thought it would be, as the stilly cheers actually seem to make Ace play worse.

“Go, go, go!  You can do it!” you shout jubilantly.  “Shoot!  Shoot!  Go…..ok no big deal, maybe next time.” Ace gives you a withering look after missing a shot.  His embarrassment of your cheering only makes you want to do it more.  Jamil and Floyd are so entertained by the situation that they egg you on as well. The whole practice ends up being like something from a TV sitcom. 

“Shrimpy better start motivating Crabby before I come over there and steal the ball.”  Floyd yells to the stands.  You oblige by staring a nonsense chant.  “Ace, Ace, he’s our man.  If he can’t do it, no one can!”  Then you follow up that poetic inspiration with a hearty Wooooo!  Ace stumbles at your ridiculous cheer and Floyd does in fact steal the ball out from his grasp.  The face he makes as he watches Floyd take the ball all the way to the hoop for a dunk is so funny that Jamil has to excuse himself to go laugh in the locker room.  You and Floyd are not so polite and share a hearty laugh from where you are.  Ace rolls his eyes at your childishness and tries to psych his team up for the next play before Jamil can return to resume the game.  The rest of the practice continues in a similar manner, to Ace’s dismay and everyone else’s delight.

After the practice finishes, you walk to Ace and give him a playful punch on the shoulder.  “Better luck next time, Champ.”  Ace gives you a frustrated look for a second before it transforms into a wide smirk.  Now you are on your guard.  “What’s with that look?” you ask.  “Oh, I was just thinking,” Ace starts, “about all the fun we are going to have when its MY birthday, Prefect.”  This was an angle you hadn’t considered.  “Just you wait, Prefect, the payback is going to be even sweeter than my cake!” 

You’ll have to speak to Crowley later about how that research into finding you a way home is going.

Deuce isn’t the richest friend you have, which is why he chose to help you out around Ramshackle as his gift.  He shows up bright and early in his gym uniform, ready to work!  Don’t hold back, he is used to doing housework from helping his Mom out back home.

You are more than happy to take advantage of his offer and start him on dusting.  You wish you could monopolize his labor all day long but settle for having the lounge area and a spare room for guests done. 

Then, you let Deuce help you sweep the floor while you wash the windows.  You chat as the work goes along.  It’s not necessarily fun but having someone there to help with the work (because no way you can pin Grim down to do chores) really helps the time pass. 

Deuce holds his fist up to his chest with a look of pride on his face as he looks over the lounge.  His smile is infectious, and you find yourself smiling back at him as well.  “That went well,” You say happily, “I think we really made this place look presentable!”  Deuce bashfully accepts the compliment and tells you that he’ll come help you again sometime.

You walk Deuce to the door but the more you think on it, the more you are sure you aren’t ready for your day with Deuce to be over.  Luckily, Trey had recently let you in on a good tip…  “Say Deuce, I think we should do something else.  It’s my birthday, so I want to have even more fun today!” you start smiling slyly as you say, “and you know that on your birthday...”  “OK.” Deuce interrupts you.  “I’m sorry, what?” you ask him in surprise.  “I said Ok.  Its your birthday, so we will do what you want to do.” Deuce replies earnestly.  “I thought I was going to have to talk him into it,” you think to yourself.

“So, Prefect, what did you have in mind?” Deuce asks you.  You hadn’t really planned anything; it was more of a spur of the moment thought.  “Well, something exciting or fun maybe?” you say in an unsure voice.  Deuce looks like he is pondering your request before straightening up with a smile.  “Meet me in fifteen minutes on Main Street!  I know just the thing!”  Then he dashes away, quickly using his speed to fall from your sight. 

Around fifteen minutes later, you stand looking at the statues of the Great Seven, waiting for Deuce to arrive.  You look at the Queen of Hearts statue and recall she is the reason you even met your good friends Ace and Deuce.  If it hadn’t been for the shenanigans of Ace and Grim on that first day, who knows if you’d have formed the bonds you have. 

Your reminiscent thoughts are interrupted by the roar of machinery.  You quickly jump to the side of the path to make way for whatever vehicle was coming.  It turns out to be unnecessary as the sound proves to be a magic wheel which the driver pulls to a sweeping stop right in front of you.  With a flourish, Deuce removes his helmet, setting it on his knee as he greets you.  “Ah, there you are Prefect.  You said you wanted excitement, so I thought what’s more exciting than a fast-paced ride on a magic wheel!” Deuce says cracking his knuckles with a wild smile.  

He reaches behind him where he has another helmet secured and hands it to you.  You gingerly put it on before getting behind him on the magic wheel.  You have a moment of panic; Deuce isn’t exactly your most responsible friend.  Will you be safe?  Then your chance for contemplation is over as Deuce sets the magic wheel into sudden and rapid motion.  For one moment, your hands tighten in fear before the wind whips into your body and your fear melts into pure exhilaration.

“Woo!” you yell out behind Deuce, sometimes laughing and other times shouting in excitement at the ride.  Deuce knows his way around a magic wheel and it shows.  He takes you on a winding path and makes exciting hairpin turns that leave you breathless.  Then he finds large straightaways where he can open the speed up to max!   From moment to moment, you are never sure what will come next.

Finally, the speed of the magic wheel reduces and you see that you’ve reached a beach in the town below Night Raven.  “I came here with a friend once before.  It’s a great place to watch a sunset.” Deuce tells you.  He is right.  As the sun slowly sets, the colors of the sky reflect beautifully upon the sea water.  The sound of the waves is comforting, and the calls of the seabirds create their own kind of music to accompany the event. 

As the sun finally falls below the horizon, you say to Deuce, “That was beautiful.  I’m glad you were able to get permission from Dorm Leader Riddle to be out after curfew to show it to me.”  The sudden way Deuce stiffens lets you know that he had not in fact thought of getting permission.  You look at each other in mild panic before you both rush back to the magic wheel to return to school, hopefully before you are missed. 

When you reach the gates of NRC, you see your hopes were in vain.  Riddle is waiting for you both with an angry look upon his face.  “You have some nerve breaking the rules, you two.”  You grimace as he continues to rant angerly at Deuce about the importance of following school rules, especially in Heartslabyul.  This gives you a sudden sense of inspiration.  You know it is a long shot but you tentatively interrupt Riddle’s scolding.  “Dorm leader, I am so sorry for keeping Deuce out late.  I wouldn’t normally but you see, it is my birthday today.  I know the Queen’s rule state that you should get everything you want on your birthday, so I thought it would be alright.  I see now that I was wrong.  Please forgive us, Dorm Leader!” you shout as you both bow your heads.

Riddle lets you both stay with your bowed heads for an uncomfortably long time before scoffing at you.  “Well, if that is how it is, I guess I can let it go this time.”  You jump up in excitement.  “Oh, thank you, Dorm Leader!  We promise not to do it again!”  Riddle seems mollified by your statement and replies, “Yes, yes.  See that you don’t.  And Prefect, I hope you had the merriest of Birthdays.” Then he motions for Deuce to follow him.  You wave at your friend as he departs back toward the main campus behind his imposing Dorm Leader.

Ramshackle comes into view and you see Grim standing outside holding a slice of cake.  “You have no idea how hard it was for the Great Grim to save this slice of cake for you henchman!” he shouts.  “Now take it before I change my mind.”  You smile and accept his gift.  He looks at you carefully, “Did you have a good day?”  It really was a great Birthday.  You smile down at your furry companion, “Yeah Grim, I got everything I wanted today.”  Happy Birthday Prefect. 

[ladydelilah]

To Help a Gentleman (Ernest Sinclaire x MC) [one shot]

❀ Word Count: 1141

 ❀ Summary: 

Following the betrayal and death of his wife, Ernest Sinclaire turns to the only comfort he knows. Alcohol. As his addiction gets out of hand, Lady Victoria of Edgewater comes to his rescue.

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Before we begin, I would like to preface that this is just a free-writing exercise. This is also the first Desire and Decorum fan-fiction I've ever written. I'm not entirely happy with the story since it wasn't mapped out in advance. I think I did pretty well for never having written a piece from this time period.  I don't have much writing experience. My grammar may be inadequate at times. Apologies for any mistakes. I hope you enjoy!

_____________________________

Ernest leaned his curl-adorned head against the large Oak tree that lived on the property neighboring his own. He made a distinct effort to kept his gray-blue irises exposed to the cool fall air. He tampered with the edges of the soft white pages of the book that the Earl had loaned him from his personal library. He wasn't able to concentrate on the book. He could hardly even make out the words on the page. Each block of text warped into a large black mass. "I was foolish to think that I could read in my state." He groaned to himself as he ran a clammy palm over his face.

He felt as though his fine clothes were fiery pythons pouncing on their prey. Beads of sweat ran down his pale forehead though the broad leaves of the Oak swayed above him. He casted the leather-bound book out of his hands before making quick work of untying his cotton cravat and releasing the fabric into the autumn breeze. He watched the white square waltz out of his line of sight. He took quick, shallow breaths as his vision blurred before he finally succumbed to the darkness of his mind.

ஓ๑♡๑ஓ

"Mr. Sinclaire?" Victoria muttered to no one in particular as she spotted the gentleman leaned against her favorite tree in the distance. She always sought refuge in the garden, particularly in the shade of the Oak tree that sat at the furthest corner of the Edgewater grounds. She had made a dashing escape from Countess Henrietta's brutal remarks, per usual. She would often swipe a book from the library or her father's study before retreating to her shady green sanctuary. Today was no exception. Today's book of the day was Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice had been many days' "book of the day". She had finished over half of the book before she took tea with the Dowager Countess.

As she further approached the familiar man, she noticed his often stern eyes were closed and his usually neat clothes were disheveled. She had never seen him like this. She was in shock to say the least. She knew something was wrong. She hiked up her long silk skirts as she ran to the side of Mr. Sinclaire.

"Mr. Sinclaire! Sir!" She cried as she frantically shook the gentleman's arm. The smell of scotch wafted towards her. She could feel the heat radiating through his several layers of clothes. A pit grew in her stomach as she continued to nudge the man.

ஓ๑♡๑ஓ

Ernest was awoken by a gentle knock at the door. The sound, although soft, struck him like a lead pipe to the cranium. The sunlight seeping through the thin curtains scalded his retinas even through his closed eyelids. The pain pried his eyes open, further exposing him to the morning rays. He noticed Lady Victoria peering at him coyly from behind the doorframe. She wore her usual soft smile, but this time it was laced with an emotion Ernest couldn't quite put his finger on.

"May I come in, sir?" She inquired when she noticed Ernest's newfound consciousness.

He silently nodded, trying his best to smile. 

As she approached him, he noticed the steaming mug in her hand.

"Ginger Lemon tea." She stated, placing the mug on the nightstand.

"It works wonders." She winked with a giggle.

Her laugh made the butterflies in Ernest's stomach escape from their cocoons.

"Thank you, my lady. It is much appreciated." He takes a sip of the warm beverage.

"Of course! Are you feeling alright? Do you need me to do anything for you?" 

"You've been a great help already." 

Lady Victoria stands up but before she can get very far, Ernest grabs her hand, gently reeling her back in.

"Lady Victoria, I must ask, is the book alright?"

"The book?" She said as she sits on the edge of the bed.

"Yes. The book I borrowed from your father. The Iliad. Is it in decent condition?" He asked with concern lacing his voice.

"Mr.Sinclaire, do not spare a second thought for the book. I'd suppose that book is the least of your troubles." Lady Edgewater answered with a grimace.

Ernest shoots the woman a confused glance.

"Why, sir, you can't be serious! You mustn't think it acceptable to pass out, inebriated in the garden of your neighbor!"

"No. I suppose you're correct. My apologies, my lady." His voice rattled with shame.

"I thank you, sir. Although, I am not so worried about properity as I am for your health and well-being. I understand loss can be hard. But you cannot let yourself be buried with the one you love."

His eyes start to burn and well with tears. He doesn't know if he is crying for the loss of his wife, the death of his wife, or the shame and embarrassment of Victoria's truthful words.

She wipes the tears from the man's face.

"My father knows. I couldn't get you to bed by myself. Aside from him I will tell no one of the events that occurred today. I'm sure people are speculating about your whereabouts already. As far as anyone is concerned, you are in a business meeting with the earl. I, myself, have suffered many losses. I have taught myself to cope. Now I will teach you."

"Thank you, my lady!" He said eagerly.

He lets out a small cough. "Thank you." He said, correcting his enthusiasm.

"You best be on your way before the servants come in and get the wrong idea." She grins once again.

"Yes, thank you, Victoria." 

When he realized his mistake it was too late to correct it.

"Victoria, eh?" She scoffed.

"My apologies. I-"

"You think just because you're in my bed you can call me by my given name?" She jokes with fake alarm.

A bright blush spread on Mr. Sinclaire's cheeks, earning a hardy chuckle from the woman beside him.

"I'll be taking me leave." He scurried away, flustered.

________________________

[lem0nsheadz]

🍋    all my drafts are queued! woo!  they’ll be dropping out over the rest of this week so look forward to them beebs. 🍋

[killmebutneverinsultme2]

Rules for mobile (Pinned Post)

The Code

Success. I’ve sufficiently pestered the wench to make me a blog, much to the cost of a certain behorned mischief god whose presence I must share. Follow the rules below, and there’ll be smooth sailin’, savvy?

This be an exceptionally selective blog. I was me mun’s first ever muse yonks back and I’ve pestered her into writing me again, BUT, she’s horribly pressed for time. Partners will likely be very few, else ones doubling up with Loki’s. Anyone is welcome to approach and enquire, but she and I will be leaning toward those either from me own universe or crossovers with which she’s highly familiar and characters in whom she’s especially interested. Ye have been warned.

Replies are like to be slow, up to a few weeks at most.

Partners must be 18+. Various themes of an adult nature may be found here. Sexual things will be tagged ‘#filthy pirate’ with whatever level/variety of sin I deem them. More details below.

Behave. There shall be no rudeness, no passive aggression, no hate, no censorship or generally being a twit. Do I make meself clear?

The Code - Extended (below the cut)

Hi, guys. I’m Pirate (oddly known as this long before I made Jack a tumblr). Here are my more detailed rules and guidelines for writing with me on this blog, though the absolute basics are at the top as, honestly, it’s never easy to remember everyone’s requirements.

Jack is a sideblog. If you’re being followed by a benevolentgodloki that means I’m following you back. I don’t need us to be mutuals (both following each other) for us to write together, but there is a greater chance of us having a partnership if we’re letting each other know we’re interested.

How I Roll

I note myself as ‘highly selective’. This isn’t to be an elitist bugger, it’s because we all only have a limited amount of time we can put in. I want to write what I enjoy with people I enjoy. I am married with two attention-seeking cats, two jobs, a slow-brewing intended writing career and a video game addiction.

Asks/Memes - I will usually answer these no matter who they are from but I may or may not turn them into a thread I intend to keep. Some memes are very much designed to be something that continues so context can be key. If you would like to know in advance whether I intend to answer and/or keep something, please do pop me a message and I will be kind and honest.

My Threads - While Jack’s blog is still exciting and new, I’m being a bit all over the place with who and what I reply to depending on which way Jack’s.. compass.. is pointing. I do have a rolling turn order that I adhere to (to the point that I can genuinely tell you who is next at any given moment) but it’s all piled in with Loki’s threads, meaning I can take a few weeks to get round everything. Every partner gets one of their threads answered within that ‘round’ and then I go round again. However, when I’m really into something/finding something easy to pop back, I treat myself to spamming certain threads or partners at my whim. I use rpthreadtracker.com to maintain what I have. 

I will remind partners of threads that have not been replied to for more than three months. If I do not do this, I have either forgotten/lost it myself, I’m not too fussed about keeping it at that stage, or you were absent for a long period of time. 

My Style - I will write in both past or present tense depending on partner preference. My default is past but I like either. Please kick me if I screw up and write the wrong one. I prefer using regular size font but I will make mine small on replies to people who use the smaller so that it looks neat. I will often match partners’ lengths and some formatting details e.g. bolding dialogue, but I struggle with doing novella-length posts for reasons below.

I have a bugbear to admit about role-play. What we call splicing. A good half of my partners write this way so I’m not about to tell everyone to stop but if you’re someone who does this, you will occasionally run into some frustrations when writing with me. ‘Splicing’ is when you retrospectively write dialogue or actions as having previously happened during your partner’s last post. These things are fine when they’re passive i.e. your character muttered them, thought them or you were writing what your character was doing at the time because that’s pretty much essential. The trouble comes usually when my characters talk a lot/ask rhetorical questions and partners choose to answer every single one despite the fact my character carried on talking. I know it’s an ass that I have talkative muses and you really want to respond to every point/get a word in, but putting words and actions into the past effectively godmods my muse into accepting they happened. If you feel your muse would have full-on interjected midway through their ramble, please ask me to edit my post/stop it at that point. Otherwise if you do prefer to splice, my muse will only respond to whatever it is your character did or said last in their post. This is one of the reasons I can’t write novella, because often there is only so much you can write before you’re stepping into the territory of changing what went before and not allowing your partner to do anything about it.

TL;DR don’t ever worry about your post being too short for me. If it’s one sentence long but it’s because something fast-paced is happening, I won’t be miffed.

Shipping! - no not that kind of ship, Jack. I love shipping. Ships all around. Let’s face it, romance can be one of the most exciting reasons we bother writing. I am open to a lot of ships for Jack, practically all of them. Yes, even that one. I will do downright nasty, toxic, horrible stuff, savvy? It’s fiction and Jack is a great indulgence for bad things happening to him as much as good. That said, of course don’t force something on him without prior agreement between us. Well, I mean, your muse can try and accost him and see what he does, just don’t expect him to definitely reciprocate. Jack and I are bi/pansexual. We’re open to everything. I will admit a heavy lean toward m/m but, that said, Jack is extremely fond of the ladies, more so than Loki. I am very into Sparrington especially.

Not Safe For Ye Olde Work

Sliding down from the above topic, I enjoy the occasional smutting. It is not a requirement from my partners. In fact, I’m warming very much to fading to black depending on the context/mood/if things feel a bit repetitive. I do feel a touch more comfortable with partners who don’t need that boundary but as I’ve recently figured ‘if it needs a cut, then it’s smut’ I know when to skip on.

Saucy material will go under cuts/Read More’s and be tagged as mentioned above with ‘filthy pirate’. Additional tags will be based on the citrus scale: ‘lime’ for general grabbing, ‘lemon’ for full on sexual content and ‘grapefruit’ if things get extra kinky. I will tag things such as ‘rape tw’ or ‘noncon tw’ or ‘dubcon tw’ where necessary. Please blacklist any or all of these at your leisure, or search them if you fancy :U I do NOT tag these as ‘ns.fw’ because tumblr just completely hides them from being searchable which is useless for my partners.

OC’s - Due to my time constraints I am extremely picky when it comes to OC’s. This is a good fandom for well-thought-out muses and I know firsthand how hard it is to make headway as an OC in the RP world. However, I also understand that for people like me, I want to dip in on this site to mostly play with the characters and worlds I’m really absorbed in and ship my weaselly black guts out. Some people have more time than others to really give your OCs the time and love they deserve. Unless I’ve played with you a long time and I really like the cut of your and your muse’s jib, it’s very unlikely I’ll bite. Apologies! The same goes for crossover muses from fandoms I’m unfamiliar with, but I will let you know if that’s the case.

Limits

Threads - I don’t have a strict limit on how many to have per person but please bear in mind that the more of these you have with me the longer it will take me to get to a particular one (unless I’m spamming it back and forth). This is more a mun/muse context how many I accept.

Exclusives/mains - I don’t do these although I may consider having a maximum of 3 or 4 of one muse depending on activity levels and to ensure plots don’t get mixed up or attention feel unfairly balanced.

Triggers/squicks - I don’t like body horror e.g. graphic detail of squishy bits having bad things happen to them. I’m writing a pirate so there’s absolutely allowed to be elements of torture/violence, just don’t stab him in the eye or chop bits off him. One torture-related thing sends me into a complete freakout which I’ll discuss with partners if we’re doing a thread of that ilk as needed. Kink-wise I’m not into mpreg, A/B/O or infantilism or toilet things. Just ask me/Jack if you’re after something XD

Who I Am/What I Need From You

Being yourself is the most important thing and I promise I am not a scary person (usually). We’re only human and it’s natural that we’ll get along better with some rather than others. This is more to give you a gist of the sort of person I am and who I gel with best.

So I’m a shy hermit at the best of times. I’m trying to be better at engaging and enthusing with partners over our threads because I realise more than ever this does keep things alive and make for a more enjoyable experience. I’m not always great at it. I work best with people who are patient and don’t worry too much on what I think of them and their writing, with people who are happy to keep threads going for the longhaul rather than keep dropping everything before I’ve had the time to get to the next post, and most especially people who accept that fiction =/= reality. I do need a certain level of quality, which doesn’t always mean perfect grammar, but it must be coherent, fun and creative. I like a relaxed approach, sharing mutual enjoyment in silly fantasy world sandboxes as escapism from (and exploration of) this complicated world we live in.

If you managed to read all of this, have a drink (even if it’s water). You’re a diamond. 

Pirate xxx

[dungeonqueering]

Tonight's Game Night recipe is.... Baked Salmon with roasted asparagus and homemade garlic mashed potatoes!

I apologize in advance, I am from Kentucky where we don't measure things, we just sprinkle till the voice of our grandmother shushes us from the ether. I will try my best to approximate.

You will need:

Cookware:

One Chef's Knife

One Cutting Board

An oven w/ stove

A medium or larger mixing bowl

A slotted spoon (or collander)

A baking sheet (ideally wrapped in parchment paper)

One large pot

One small ramiken (or regular bowl if you don't have the itty bitty bowls)

One basting brush (you can use a spoon if you don't have one)

One Potato Masher

Vegetable peeler (A knife if you're very very brave)

Aluminum foil

Ingredients:

For the potatoes:

One bulb of garlic

About 6 medium Russet Potatoes. Use whatever u got

You can mix in any spices etc you want to. For a creamier consistency, add a little milk, (unflavored) yogurt, sour cream, etc. You can add cheese, parsley for color, etc.

2 Tbsp butter

For the salmon:

Enough Salmon Fillets for whoever is eating. I bought medium ones and am cutting them into halves. You do eat the skin.

Onion powder

Parsley

Honey

Soy sauce

Lemon juice

Thyme leaves

Paprika

Minced garlic. I recommend the preminced jars, since this doesn't need to be whole.

For the asparagus:

One bundle per two people

Olive oil (vegetable oil is fine)

Salt/pepper

Grated Parmesan (shakey cheese is fine)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 (THIS IS IN FARENHEIT, CONVERT IF YOU LIVE SOMEWHERE THAT TEACHES YOU A CIVILIZED MEASURING SYSTEM)

2. Peel your garlic and wrap the peeled bulbs loosely in aluminum foil. Bake it for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside whenever it's done.

3. Set your large pot of water at medium high heat.

4. While that's going, wash and peel your potatoes. Chop them into small pieces, around the size of a standard d6. I recommend cutting the whole potato lengthwise, then laying the halves flat. Cut them into thirds lengthwise, and then chop along their length to the desired size.

5. Put your potato bits into the hot water. Cook them until you can stick a fork in them easily. Pull a piece out and set it aside to taste if you aren't sure if it's done. Let it cool first, please.

6. Drain your potatoes, either by slotted spoon or collander, and put them in your mixing bowl with the garlic. Mash it up! I recommend adding a little bit of dairy for creaminess, but that's optional. Add some parsley for color, probably about 1/2 to 1 tbsp. Add 2 Tbsp butter. You can melt it in the microwave or let the hot mashed potatoes do it like I did. Add any other spices you like in your mashed potatoes: Garlic Powder, onion powder, etc. Mix, set aside.

7. Rinse your asparagus and chop off the bottom 1/4. This but is usually woody and no good. You can also hold your stalks close to the bottom and bend until they snap naturally. This will get you even closer to the woody bit.

8. Get our a baking sheet, and toss your asparagus with olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the parmesan if you're using it. Leave space on your baking sheet. You may need a second sheet in a moment. The goal is to not stack the asparagus, but if it's gotta happen then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

9. Mix together 1 pinch each salt and pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp Paprika, 1 and 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp parsley, 1 tsp honey, 2 tsp olive oil (vegetable is fine), and some garlic. I did not measure the garlic because I tend to use way too much.

10. Lightly coat your salmon filets in olive oil, both sides. Then, baste the spice mixture on your filets. I used all of it, from the measurements I just gave you, on 4 filets.

11. Bake the asparagus AND salmon at 425 for 20 minutes.

12. Enjoy!

Review / Results:

The edges of the salmon skin burned to the pan slightly, I did not use wax paper as I would have liked. The salmon itself is cooked perfectly. The asparagus could have been a teeny little bit crispier, but that's because it was so close on my own. The potatoes got cold by the time I ate them, and I wished I had sour cream and more garlic.

My final critique is that I wish I had made my glaze a little thicker, though I'll have to think about how to do that. Otherwise, delicious!

[strayraccoon]

A Taste of Venderbight

A continuation of my crossover between Kekkai Sensen and Fallen London / Sunless Sea. [Link] Turned out bigger than I expected. Again, apologize in advance for mobile users

Everything in the Neath is absurd. You prepared yourself the moment you were taken into the Neath as London sunk, whatever the subterranean world would throw at you, you were determined to be relentless. Yet the absurd scene before you had thrown you off your feet. Figuratively and literally.

Darcy Pearce's lips met Klaus', for a brief seconds which felt like an eternity to you. Your literary rival seemed to be savoring Klaus' lips to the fullest before they parted. Klaus became extremely tense afterwards, the back of his neck and ears turned beet crimson. Darcy Pearce looked at you triumphantly, lifting his chin ever upwards, exhibiting his dominance.

'You thought you're going to kiss him first. But alas, it was me, Darcy' 

Your descend into Venderbight madness started a year after Darcy Pearce's attempt to pin you as one of revolutionary party supported, ending your literary career prematurely. Fortunately, an unlikely savior whisked you away minutes before the constables could get a hold of you. With aid from a vigilante group, Libra, you managed to clear your name, send your rival to exile, and was invited into the Shuttered Palace as strawberry on top. It didn't come at a price, obviously, but one you're willing to pay.

As one of new member of Libra, you're tasked in observing individuals and social circles within the Shuttered Palace, therefore adding another layer of complexity on your daily activities. There were other observers like you posted throughout the city. Compiled reports on odd activities and slight rumors might save someone in need. Similar issue occurred to your case as well. One of Libra members overheard Pearce's drunken boast and reported it to the inner circle. Hence sparking the incident.

For a year, you have been spending most of your time in the Shuttered Palace, reciting your poem and novels. Socializing with the higher echelon of society. Other than that, you would be in Libra's headquarters, bringing some snacks you smuggled from the palace's kitchen. Most of your time in the headquarters would be compiling reports and chatting with the lunch trio and Chain, sharing the day's loot (snacks and takeaways). On occasion, you would be joining the actions. Hard shooting lessons from K.K often saved you from a pinch. Though, you would be mostly running along with Leo in not-a-fighter club or getting thrown around by other members with better affinity at fighting. Libra's most feared enemy would be the vampires, elder beings who maintain their immortality by drinking blood. This is a good reason for Libra to provision their members with silver equipment. As for you, silver bullets and cross as a charm against blood-suckers.

On brief chances, you would be sitting in Klaus' greenhouse, drinking tea with him and discussing literary work. He's definitely educated in literature field and a good critic. Klaus, Steven, and K.K gave you a lot of inputs on your works before they are submitted to your editor. The Libra's executive director would sometime request that you would tone down the 'Master of Crime' character in your novels, knowing he's based on Klaus himself. To that request you would simply grin mischievously. Long story short, brief chances became an unspoken arrangement and you always looked forward to each 'Tea Party'.

On one day, Steven and Klaus mentioned a trip to Venderbight, one of the bigger Tomb Colonies due north of Fallen London. Death does not come naturally in the Neath. Those who died would remain as rotting corpses. These unfortunate souls would spend the rest of their remaining time, as much as their flesh allowed, in the tomb colonies. Far away enough from the living beings, preventing them from unnerving the Londoners. It is a fate shared by everyone living in the Neath.

'To Venderbight it is, we have to make the trip' Steven said as he set down a filer on Klaus' desk. His eyes were blood-shot red and stubbles decorated his chin, Steven had been overworked yet once again. 'I've made arrangement for the other items, but only this one require further inquiries'

The owner of the desk ceased playing chess-like game called Prosfair and read Steven's file. Klaus considered for a moment, scratching his chin while reading the file. 'I suppose so, we can't afford to turn this opportunity sour. Gilbert, could you make the arrangement?'

'Certainly, Young Master' Gilbert nodded gracefully, ever ready at his position behind Klaus. The butler didn't exhibit his utmost attention in his expression, yet he noticed your excitement. 'Who else will be going? I see our poeta is interested as well, ohohoho'

'May I?' you asked, but it was clear to the others that you were excited at the prospect.

Klaus covered his mouth elegantly in order to hide an amused smile, yet he was beaming 'I don't see any reason to prohibit you from it. I remember you need a struck of inspiration for your upcoming work'

'I did mention something like that' you answered and tried to recall whether you did mention suffering from a writer's block during one of your tea parties. You didn't catch Steven and Gilbert grinning.

'Oho~' . 'Heehe..'

'This is going to very much exciting! I have never left London before. After it's sunk, mind' you admitted honestly. 'To be fair though, I could not even remember London before it's covered in dark smokes and low hanging grey clouds'

'You're pretty giddy for going to place you were about to be exiled at' Steven commented non-chalantly, sipping his black coffee as he returned to his seat.

'No need to remind me of that'

Despite having almost exiled into the tomb colony yourself, you were intrigued in visiting Venderbight. You thought it would be a good experience and a chance to seek inspiration outside the humdrum of the Fifth City. A simple escapade away from London's stuffy air filled with smoke, sewage odor, and cheap musk. Away from prying eyes and gossiping noblemen in the Shuttered Palace.

You mused at the thought of Venderbight, your mind racing with the possibilities of stories unfolding within. A battle between a protagonist and bitter rival, perhaps? Chasing the villain through maze-like alleyways, ending it with a duel where only one escapes. The villain received unnatural power from an unknown patron, per chance? You were giddy with the possibility.

Ships of all kind and origin docks in Wolfstack Harbor, coming from all direction in Unterzee. The Docks itself were bustling with activity, with various produce/merchandise shipped in and out. Harbormaster and constables busy inspecting the cargo, ensuring there were no contrabands brought into Fallen London. Should one was caught carrying contrabands, there will be huge fine involved and possibly free lodging in prison. There were sailors both on and off duty traipsing about the harbor. There were also 'land lubbers' like you, who seek passage to other islands in the other side of Unterzee, far beyond home waters of London.

Strange wonders were in the far reaches of Unterzee. Iron Republic, elusive Elder Continent due south, an artificial sun callen Dawn Machine, an undergound Volcano, a palace made of ice due north, Seas of Coral, the Khanate, Fathomking's Hold where drowned dead reside, and so many other wondrous locales you wish to visit. For the time being, Venderbight beckons.

You walked along the docks, carrying a small suitcase for the travel, passing a few bars where fishermen and sailors alike enjoying their pints of beer during shore leave. The atmosphere were rowdy but honest, unlike masked companies in the Shuttered Palace. From within each tavern and bars, sea shanties could be heard. It gave off an impression that the sailors brought the Unterzee with them onto the land. Alas, you couldn't stay and listen for too long. You carried on until you reached a fish market.

Near the fish market you could see stalls selling seafood dishes. Most of them were using Unterzee fish instead, but they were delectable still. There were London staples such as fish and chip or fish pie. More exotic establishment offered sliced raw fish or cured fish. On good days, there would be fresh sea urchin on sale. Easterner fish market would provide a variety of fresh catch and cured products for specific clientele.

For a London-bred such as you, fish and chip or pie would be a more reasonable choice compared to those heavy on spice. Observing both stall owners preparing their dishes, you were mulling over which you would buy. Fish pie with gravy and mashed potato or fried fish and chip. Skewered grilled fish. Fresh clam with simple lemon and parsley dressing. Those were hard contender to choose from. In the end you chose fish and chips because the owner provided a practical paper cone made of old Gazette papers for travelers on the go.

'Sauce or vinegar?' he asked, pointing at two bottles which obviously contained the forementioned sauce and vinegar. He seemed to be anticipating your answer, so did the pie stall owner behind him.

'Vinegar' you answered, thinking you'll need something acid and fresh for fried food.

'Good choice there, always trust anyone who prefers vinegar' the stall owner grinned as he liberally poured vinegar over your portion of fish and chips.

'Please' the fish pie stall owner beside him scoffed 'Nothing beats fish and thick sauce'

'That's why you're stuck selling pie and I sell chips, damn bastard' replied the fish and chips stall owner 'Here you go, extra chips on the house for your friend'

'Eh, sure thanks. Friend?' You received the chips gratefully. The moment you turned your back, you found Klaus standing behind you. He was wearing a travel coat over his usual vest and suit. A blue shawl was left hung on his coat instead of tied around his neck, which made him appeared akin to Italian mafia don you saw in still movies. None of the stall owners were taken aback with Klaus appearance as they were used to shady characters. Gilbert was beside him, carrying a small trunk. Then you realized the stall owner was referring to them. 'Oh'

'Welcome, welcome. Young Master! Try a bit of my fish and chip, you'll get hooked in no time!'

'Don't listen to this bollocks, grab me pie instead. Made with quality dough and fresh eel directly from local fish market'

'Interesting' Klaus muttered after taking and tasting one of your piece of chip.

'Have you never had this before?'

'Unfortunately, no. Madam was quite strict with Young Master's upbringing. ' It was Gilbert who answered your question as Klaus was busy eating your fish and chip eagerly. Humming cheerfully as he did so. When you looked at your paper cone, there was nothing left.

'Eh...’ 

'Young Master...'

'M-my apologies, I'll buy you a fresh portion' Klaus stammered, realizing he had practically eaten your meal.

'Glad you like it, Young Master! Vinegar or sauce?' the stall owner grinned, clearly amused by the scene unfolding before him. He had prepared another batch for freshly fried fish and potatoes ready on his drying tray. To emphasize his question, he pointed towards his sauce bottles with vinegar and sauce within.

Klaus pondered for a second then said cheerfully, 'Let's have both, then we can share and compare. Also, one portion of fish pie please. Gilbert, I remember you talked about eating fish pie in the docks. So this one here is for you'

'Indeed I did, so you remembered it, Young Master' Gilbert said cheerfully.

'There's people like this too, huh?' the fish and chip stall owner commented as he prepared both portion as requested. 

The pie stall owner simply shrugged 'Nothing beats fresh fish, eh!'

'Yep, yep' replied the chips stall owner 'Can you even imagine curing fish? Hear tell people up in Norway eats rotten sharks!'

'Eh, remember that one fish cook in Uptown? He used to cook strangest of catch. From deep in Unterzee. I'd say our Surface brothers are far better compared to him'

Klaus listened to the stall owners chattering about an odd duck of a fish cook intently, at least until they handed him his orders. Klaus and you shared portions of fish and chips with vinegar and sauce, while Gilbert keeps his pie until he returned to Libra headquarters.

The three of you reached the dock where the sea vessel which would take you to Venderbight was docked. Some ship hands were busy working on the ship's cargo.  Another were taking notes of the ship's cargo and inventory. You recognized some crates of wines and mushroom for export purposes. There were separate cargo space reserved for ship supplies, whether spare parts or crew and guest meal. Then you noticed a stack of wooden coffin rattling some distance away from the other cargo. You knew right away those coffins contained tomb-colonists.

'Scary bunch, 'eh? Pay 'em no mind. They'll rot in the cargo hold' one of the sailors addressed you as he noticed your uneasy gaze towards the coffins containing tomb-colonists. He then pointed at a well-dressed man nearby. He was talking with Steven and K.K, who had arrived at the Docks earlier 'Captain's over there'

Steven noticed the three of you approaching and waved his hand. 'Took you long enough...anything left for me?' he said in pleasant tone, as he peeked into paper cones both you and Klaus held. He took one from the batch with thick sauce.

'Bah, sauce lover' commented the Captain. He turned towards the newcomers afterwards 'Welcome to my ship, the Odyssey. You'll have a fine trip to Venderbight, no problem. We'll just have a brief stop at Hunter's Keep then straight to Tomb Colony. Hopefully there would be no trouble aside from clouds of sea bats. We'll have no encounter with Sea Crabs enroute to Venderbight. Unless you're asking for a detour to Stone Sphynx or something'

'I'll leave the route planning to your discretion, good Captain' Klaus said as he bowed slightly, to which the Captain returned politely. In turn he addressed K.K 'How's your children, K.K. Will they be fine with you away from home for some time?'

'No need to worry, my husband is taking care of them' K.K answered, then glared at Steven 'It'd be better if I didn't become a pinch hitter, though'

Steven merely laughed weakly.

'I thought you were coming' you exclaimed in surprise.

'Unfortunately, I'd have to hold on. There's an incident in Veilgarden again, there's a lot of feather ruffled this time around' Steven said as he scratched his head. 'That's for me to take care of, you three have fun in tomb colony'

Klaus nodded excitedly, K.K sighed, and you replied excitedly. The Captain then called foe the threw of you to embark on the ship. Steven stayed with your group until the three of you are settled in respective rooms and leave minutes just before the ship departs from dock. He had to run back into city proper the moment he saw pillar of fire coming from the general direction of the city, with Gilbert behind him.

The Odyssey embarked out of Wolfstack Docks after thorough custom inspection and inventory checks. It's steam whistle resounded throughout the docks, signaling a departing ship into the darkness of Unterzee, far beyond home waters. Slowly but surely, the vision of home would be drowned beneath dark horizon. You looked at Fallen London from a distance. The gigantic city would be engulfed by darkness were not for its skyline and a certain pillar of fire somewhere within the cityscape.

 As It was the first time ever you sailed from Fallen London, constantly swaying ship was only the first of your woes. It didn't take long for continuously swaying ship and waves to induce seasickness into you. With your stomach churning and head spinning, you spend most of the time sleeping inside your cabin, utterly defeated. Even so, you found it difficult to sleep as the ship constantly sway due to unterzee waves.

Klaus and K.K took turns in checking your condition. It was mostly the nervous Libra leader, bringing mineral water and light meal.  In general he tried to make you feel  more comfortable. You swore you could hear K.K giggling outside your cabin.

The only times you were able to walk free on the decks was the moment The Odyssey docks in Hunter's Keep. An isolated island not far from the Fifth City, just at the border of home waters. A solitary mansion erected on the island. The captain was making supply drops for three noble sisters who lived in the island. All the while you and your company waits inside the ship as the captain warned you against taking a stroll around the island. It was for a reason he would not divulge but a good one nevertheless.

'What sort of affair are you having in Venderbight? Not many deliberately visit the tomb colony while they're…alive' you said to Klaus on one moment you're free of seasickness and the confines of your constantly swaying cabin. You recalled tales from Venderbight. Colonies of dead men wrapped in bandages. Only the bandages were not to cover wounds but rather tying rotting flesh together. Sea captain would bring tomb-colonist coffins whenever they are passing by Venderbight. Simple delivery made for good echoes, which in turn would be used for either a night in Venderbight bar or buying supplies.

Klaus, who leaned his arms on the deck's railings, hair constantly swaying under cold sea winds, answered, 'We're hosting a meeting with a dignitary coming from the Surface. For all purposes and intentions, we need to leave a good impression. Therefore we need to recruit a good chef. I heard from some of our friends in the Palace, there's a talented one working in Venderbight. He used to have a restaurant near palace district'

You knew exactly who he was talking about, as one of palace dignitaries couldn't stop raising praises, 'The Bandaged Poissonier in the Vengeance of Jonah, I recall. Supposedly prepare divine seafood dishes. Combining seven flavors while maintaining its balance? How is that supposed to happen?'

'It happens when you've cooked for prominent figures in the Neath. Before his journey to Tomb Colony, this poissonier used to cook for the Khan and even the Empress herself' K.K explained as he leafed through a dossier Steven left behind in a hurry. 'Hmmhmm, quite a reputation he built. I can't wait to sample his dishes~ I wish I could bring some for my hubby~'

'That is something to look forward to' Klaus said to you, encouraging you to be patient on the journey to Venderbight.

You could feel the blood rush to the back of your neck, and the edges of your ears felt like burning. You addressed K.K then, 'You look pretty fine, K.K. Do you sail a lot?'

K.K grinned, knowing full well your attempt at misdirection. 'I traveled for some time, yes. That's before I met my husband. One tend to settle down after establishing a family after all. What do you think, Klaucchie? Do you think you will settle down in the Fifth City?'

Klaus inclined his head, pondering for a moment then answered. 'Most likely, this is where our work is needed. Are you implying we should broaden our efforts to Khanate and Iron Republic as well? I must admit there's little information we have gained from each...'

''No,no, Klaucchie. That's not what I meant. Do you think you'll be able to establish a family here in the Neath is what I'm asking' K.K sighed in disbelief how gullible and serious the Libra leader is.

''Uh? Oh...um" Klaus uttered in exasperation after realizing K.K's real question. He scratched the back of his neck. 'I...suppose so"

''Hmmhmm, got a candidate in mind?" K.K inquired further, both in tease and pure curiosity.

You thought this has gone into a dangerous region, so you quickly attempted to divert the topic ,'So...so! Did you know that Norway men eats rotten shark and shark blood pudding?!'

''Wh-why yes! I had heard that sharks in Norway waters are extremely venomous and have tougher skin. So the locals have to cure them for at least a month before consuming the meat. Hear tell the shark meat is extremely pungent" Klaus chimed in, panicking.

''Oh, you two" K.K muttered in disappointment, but secretly was happy with the development.

Venderbight, the tomb colony where your rival was exiled into, was as dire as you heard in stories provided by sailors and Singing Mandrake guests. The city was dark yet unnervingly functioning. There was unnerving silence hung about the city, as well as permeating odor of preservatives. A dark humongous pillar stood tall in the middle of the city. On it's base were a few residence building and its top couldn't be viewed as it was far above visible skyline of Venderbight.

On the docks were normal human mingling with bandaged men. As it was in Wolfstack Docks, the bandaged men acted as custom officers and harbormaster or workers. They  were checking the shipments, especially so for wooden coffins containing tomb colonists. Indeed the shambling 'corpses' makes you unnerved most of the time, but the atmosphere was intriguing enough to call you for a brief walk throughout the city.

Both K.K and Klaus were not affected with at all. The ship crew, on the other hand, preferred to stay on board instead of taking the chance getting a leave on shore. There were a couple of bars down in the docks, but most men wouldn't risk taking a shore leave due to their fear of tomb colonists.

The three of you navigated the city, seeking for a particular restaurant owned by this well-known poissonier, the Vengeance of Jonah. An auspicious name for a store, but it's quite catching as a lot of Londoners speaks praises of the restaurant. With its sublime seafood cuisine in general, particularly the highly praised chef himself. The Fifth City lost a prominent figure once the poisonnier

Following directions provided by bandaged locals and shopkeepers, the three of you traversed winding alleyways. Fortunately there were a few boards directing tourists and locals alike to Vengeance of Jonah. Unfortunately for you, your literary rival was waiting for you in the middle of an alleyway as if he had known of your arrival beforehand. You knew there was a risk of encountering Darcy Pearce in the tomb colony, but assured yourself the chance was low it's practically impossible.

You cursed yourself internally for not being careful enough. Before any words were traded between the two of you, Darcy Pearce approached Klaus and did the unexpected. Both of you and K.K were stunned with Darcy's action. After he finished gloating, K.K instantly drew her handgun.

'Ah, ah, ah. Is this what you guys do to polite company? I was merely greeting him. You're going to be the one drawing the first shot' Darcy claimed, his tone indicated him being on the higher ground. He lifted both of his arms in mockery before continuing, 'I did no damage to you three'

K.K was having none of it, therefore she screamed in anger 'You damaged Klaucchie innocence, damn it!' as he pulled her handgun's trigger

Darcy Pearce remained calm, letting the bullet came to him, even on the last second he made no effort to evade the pullet. In fact, the bullet went through him effortlessly, as if he was mere fog. Klaus and K.K's eyes widened witnessing the sight, knowing what entails. Darcy Pearce was no mere mortal, he had turned into vampirism. Their on the spot conjecture was supported as Darcy smiled, revealing sharp upper fangs.  

'Who did this to you?' Klaus asked after wiping his lips with the back of his hands. His gaze which normally gentle turned determined, to the point where even the hardiest of soul would relent. By every Gods in the Neath, when he gets serious, it became intense.

Darcy trembled for a bit before returning to his smug behavior, 'A benefactor, I must say. Someone who would like to appreciate my art for eternity'

'You got a name, or do they think you're too insignificant to be a real acquaintance?' storm rages inside you, which you tried hard to quell but couldn't help but unleashing it in your sentences. Your stomach churned and it was not only from seasickness that ailed you these couple of days.

Your inquire seemed to make a real dent on Darcy Pearce's pride, as your question hits the mark.  He hissed, mixing in venomous words as best as he could, 'What of it? What matters is that I've got more than enough power to defeat you, take my rightful place in the Shuttered Palace. It's too good for shitty novelist such as you'

'Standard villain speech. 0/10' you commented.

Your words managed to taunt Darcy Pearce into acting. He disappeared in one second, and another appeared right in front of you, his visage filled with pure jealousy and hatred. You pulled out your gun, trying your best to remember K.K's teaching. Klaus, knowing that Darcy is directly attacking you, quickly approached your position trying to defend you. K.K on the other hand, went on the offensive. Bullets fired, coagulated blood shield appearing near you. Darcy's frustrated scream. Everything happened at once.

'Tch. I see your over the top characters wasn't all a figment of your imagination' Darcy spat. He didn't disappear quickly enough to avoid bullet hail.

'Reality is stranger than fiction' K.K grinned, her handguns ever focused on Pearce.

'This isn't exactly the right time for literature review' Klaus interjected, but his focus remained fixed upon the rogue poet. He observed that Darcy's wound isn't healing as fast as he thought. Darcy's has not been turned long for him to have better control on his new nature.

Darcy touched his bullet wound, he wasn't pleased with the searing pain and lodged bullet inside his flesh. He quickly retreated into the darkness of Venderbight alleyway. For reasons unknown to you, you dashed from where you stood, chasing after the disappearing figure. You could barely heard Klaus calling your name as blood rushed into your head. You could feel yourself boiling in anger. Not now, not now, not ever.

You followed a trail of blood deep into old Venderbight district, the residences and buildings around you gradually became older and decrepit. To the point where walls had shattered and fallen, only a few pillars and house frame remained standing. The moment you saw Darcy's figure at the edge of your sight, you shot. The gunshot noise echoed unnervingly. Darcy continued to retreat and the dance went on. Neither of you relent in an endless carousel dance.

At one point you arrived at ruins of an amphitheater. You could see the architecture in its glorious days. But at that moment, there were only remains of a golden age and emptiness. There were thin mist around you.

Darcy appeared before you, to which you automatically shoot your gun. But at that one point where you needed the most, the gun ran out of bullets. In your rage, you forgot to reload your hard earned Carrow's Steel gun. Seeing the realization in your face, Darcy grinned, two unnaturally sharp upper fangs decorated his white teeth. He slammed you onto the floor of the amphitheater. In a quick succession he planted his booted leg onto your chest. There was not enough force to break anything, yet it was enough to push the air out of your chest.

'Lucky bastard'

He kicks

'If it weren't for you…'

He kicks

'…my…dience…'

He kicks

'MINE!...ALL… …THEM!'

You covered your face and turned into a fetal position to protect vital areas as Darcy Pearce kicked you. Without anyone backing you up, you were literally a punching bag against newly birthed vampire. As weak as he is, Darcy Pearce was stronger than a normal human. When he was satisfied kicking you, he straddled you and reached for your neck. He was about to crush your neck when his hand started burning. You weakly reached for your neck and found silver chain and cross.

'AAAAAARGH' Darcy Pearce screamed in pain as chain and cross shaped wound didn't cease to burn his flesh.

At that moment, a gunshot resounded throughout the ruined amphitheater. A silver bullet drove through Darcy's right arm. He screamed in pain. Before he could react, a numerous amount of cross-shaped spears rained down on him. Klaus crouched beside you, checking your condition. You could feel the temperature around him raised to a dangerous degree. A glint in the darkness was the only thing you need to tell you where K.K was.

Darcy Peace didn't die that easily, he appeared from under cross-shaped spears. His wounds slowly regenerated. He addressed you then, 'I'll be making waves, big enough to engulf you all in it. For now, I'll just take this small victory' to which afterwards he deliberately licked his lips in the most seductive manner he could muster.

K.K once again shot at his direction. Klaus created a spear using his blood technique. But at the time the bullets and spear about to connect with Pearce, he had turned into fog, leaving the dangerous substances planted into nearby alleyway walls.  You could hear his laughter echoing till it disappears completely. 

In the end the thought of your rival coming back with worse force behind him made your malady even worse. You returned to the ship and confined yourself inside the cabin, not before the ship's doctor tend to your injuries and preached on about how one should take care of their own welfare and health. Especially after seeing what happened to unnatural deaths in the Neath. You felt disappointed for not being able to sample the Vengeance of Jonah's finest cuisine, but you would sense nothing even if you drag yourself to the restaurant. With less swaying on the boat you managed to catch a bit of sleep. Though your dreams were not peaceful.

You woke up to the ship's steam engine noise, sound signals signifying that the ship is embarking from Venderbight docks. You forced yourself to drink some water and exited your room. Your wounds aches still. When you reached the deck, Venderbight had been some distance away. What was in lesser distance was Klaus, who once again leaned his arm on the railings.

'Hey'

'Good evening'

Klaus' greeting made you automatically checked your pocket watch. It's 22.00 in the evening. They didn't need to embark so late at night, but the crew were more than happy to put a distance from Venderbight. You sighed, the trip you looked forward to became a complete fiasco thanks to your unrelenting rival.

'How's your…wound?' Klaus asked, hesitating.

'It's still aching. Here I thought writers could only lift pens' you answered, trying to lightened the mood.

'Is that so? Good to know' Klaus replied. You caught a short chuckle between breaths. Though there's still an awkward atmosphere between the two of you.

'How's the tasting?' you asked, trying to divert your mind from Darcy's unfortunate greeting.

'There were no words best to describe it' Klaus beamed in glee, recalling the dishes he had in Vengeance of Jonah. 'They weren't jesting in regards of the chef. The poissonier will be hired for the meeting next month. His prices and kitchen requirements are steep, nevertheless it's manageable and definitely worth the investment'

'That does sound wonderful' you commented, trying to hid your disappointment.

'He doesn't do takeaways, unfortunately' Klaus said in disappointed voice, then continued 'But you'll definitely have some of his cooking on the meeting. Please look forward to it'

'Oh right, that I will' Klaus reassurance perked you up.

You couldn’t help but smile whenever Klaus was around. You were too busy imagining kinds of dishes the Poissonier would prepare for the meeting to realize that Klaus was approaching you. He slipped an index finger under your chin and slightly lifted your face. Then he brushed his lips against yours ever so gently. Taking great care that his protruding fangs did not pierce your skin. It was short, but you could sense a hit of spiciness. Heat of chilies in the background. He left at the right moment, whether Klaus realized it or not, which left you wanting for more. You could hear him muttering under his breath shyly, '…all I can do for now'.

There was an uneasy silence between the two of you, which lasted for a short time. Mostly thanks to K.K appearing at the right time, 'Oh my God, Klaucchie, that was so BOLD'

'W-wait, this is not--' 'No, no! Not what you think!'

Steven merely laughed after he finished reading the reports, in addition to K.K's testimony to chain of events. Not the rest of Libra members. Whenever either you or Klaus present, they would deliberately use words such as taste, aroma, and other culinary related vocabulary. Both of you and Klaus would be beet red whenever the shenanigans occurred, and you swore you could see some white mist exuded from the Libra's leader himself. You were seriously considering to throw a thick dictionary at the rest of your colleague in Libra, especially on Zapp who continuously harassing you, as proxy for the more pleasant souls like Chain and Leo. After all, hitting Chain would be downright impossible and improper.

'Are you writing this into a novel?' Steven asked as he grinned, once again sipping his coffee from his favorite mug. He looked more disheveled compared to he was before you left for Venderbight.

'Probably not, romance is prohibited. I think…' you said, unsure, while re-reading your report on encounter with your former rival turned mortal enemy in Venderbight '…this counts as one, yes?A drama of sorts in the Shuttered Palace would be good. The nobles don't watch romances, you see. They like it but never admit it openly. You can't arrest something that does not exist'

'I noticed'

'Now stop grinning before I make you cast Mister Darcy. You know what that entails' you hissed.

To which Steven merely raised his hands in defeat gesture, but a smug smile still remained on his face. His smile grew into an annoying grin as he saw Klaus approaching, 'Ah, here's the Hatter. Have fun, you two'