#also ignore those two troublemakers in the background

[amc-minx]

Gonna leave this here for everyone’s viewing pleasure.

[regaliasonata]

Ninja Storm AU lore dump

Marah and Kapri's parents, Kairi and Gasharioto

Psst @lordkingsmith @skyland2703 @ninjastormz made more on this 👌🏾

(Temporary images to get some idea before I draw their designs, Gasharioto is based both on Gasha Jr from Kakuranger and Rito from mmpr with a little of Skull mixed in)

Anyways, Kairi was adopted when Kiya and Kanoi were four years old. Their parents were on a retrieval mission stationed in New Zealand due to a hidden town being destroyed mysteriously and in the remnants of a few relics they found an infant no older than two years old, black and pinkish hair.

The parents never were able to have a third child so they decided to adopt the infant and named her Kairi. Both Kiya and Kanoi cared for her very much, Kiya seemed to have a better bond with her considering his negative upbringing and drifting away from his twin brother. Kairi was described as a very adventurous person as she would stay up for many nights looking to the stars and wondering about “other worlds” as she saw something that the others didn’t, her teen years consisted of a little rebel phase and enjoying rock music.

One night when she was twenty three a flash from the sky shot down and a man in spatial clothes with a rebellious style appeared and fled the scene. Without any notice Kairi went on to wonder what happened to that mysterious individual but flash forward a few months later she met the man during a small rock shoe and the two hit it off with a marriage? He went by Gash for short and soon after a few dates the two were obsessed with each other, Gash revealed himself to be a karmanian which from the show are being of energy who pass their powers onto another being when they pass on.

As to why this man from the stars arrived on earth stayed unknown for a while but ignoring his purpose he took Kairi on a honeymoon trip to enjoy music and see the stars, due to going without notice everyone assumed Kairi up and dissapeared for a year causing a grave panic for Kiya and Kanoi. She returned from space with Gash and with her were two twin infants, Marah and Kapri, of course her brothers were skeptical as they were unaware of the marriage nor did they know about the space antics and origin behind Gash, Kiya was quite untrustworthy of Gash but hey what are you going to do?

1989, the twins are now five and Gash is starting to act weird, something or someone has been making the karmanian feel on edge and Kairi can sense this. The couple has been living on their own for a while and also overseeing Marah and Kapri as they went to attend ninja school, on one tragic night another light fell from the sky causing Gash to get Kairi and flee, though it was too late as whatever caught up with Gash from his past managed to not only to torch their house but ended up killing Kairi before going after Gash.

Marah and Kapri were staying other at the Watanabe estate with their cousin and uncles(Miko as well) when the news was shared about their mother’s passing, Gash wasn’t found and presumed dead as well. Outside of the family being heartbroken, it’s also rather tragic as the year after Miko Watanabe would pass way from a sickness. With the loss of their parents Marah and Kapri tended to act out on their own and usually tried keeping to themselves, gaining quite a reputation within school of being semi troublemakers, Kiya seemed to be very attentive to them throughout it as he could relate in being a problem child within the family. Gash’s true form is very human like but the aura he emits with Ki turns into a rockstar like suit as it reflects his own persona, he hid it while on earth due to how strong it was but Marah and Kapri also have this trait with being half karmanian hence why their true forms consists of those serpent and insect related outfits.

The Karmanians and the lore I’ve created for their species will come in later story wise but this is all to explain a bit of the background between the sisters and family stuff. This was a bit sad but I have lots of cool stuff planned for them when I get further into the AU 🩷🧡🩷🧡

[danpuff-ao3]

Heroes, Villains, and Blorbos

Being a fan of both Snape and the Marauders is fun, in that -- okay that's a lie, it's not fun really. So few people I know actually like both sides. Most people I know pick a side and stick with it. 

Why is that? I figure it's one, or both, of two things. One: each side attracts a certain sort of person that will naturally disdain the other side. Two: by loving one, you must hate their enemies. 

Love makes us blind, though, doesn't it? We defend our faves to the bitter end. That's a bit harder to manage when what I love about all of these characters are...well...their faults. 

The Marauders

Their story is quite admirable, isn't it? It's fun! Four very close, loyal friends. Friends who go to great lengths for one another, and go on grand adventures together. 

At the helm: two privileged boys. James and Sirius were born with pure blood and wealth. James, the only son of two older parents. Sirius, the heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Both handsome and charming. Both big, bold personalities.

Then Remus, of course. Their quiet, patient, studious housemate turned friend. And Peter, accused of gravitating to those bigger and stronger than himself. But that's a bit unfair, I think. Peter had something to offer; something that drew him to, and kept him with the Marauders. 

You have the full range in the Marauders. The "too cool for school" Sirius. James, the Quidditch star (and eventual Head Boy!) Remus the responsible prefect. Peter, the sweetheart (he did seem rather sweet in those earlier days.) 

More than that: they were highly intelligent and skilled. They deduced Remus' secret. They sneaked out and explored. They created the Marauder's Map! Not only a feat of magic, but requiring knowledge of cartography and knowledge of the grounds! They cared for their friend enough to become Animagi -- advanced magic they were self-taught in and accomplished without anyone being the wiser for it! 

Competency is sexy, okay? Of course people are drawn to the Marauders! 

There is so much good in them. Their capacity for friendship and loyalty. How driven they are by their values. All they worked for just to help Remus through full moons. James opening his home to Sirius when he needed to escape his family. They kept each other's secrets. They relied on one another. 

It was this sense of goodness, I think, that drove them to such heinous acts. It's the only thing that makes sense to me. 

Sirius, disillusioned by his family, standing against all they stood for. James, of the Main Character Syndrome, and a desire to play hero. They were all sorted into Gryffindor, sharing values of bravery and chivalry. They would go on to join the Order of the Phoenix and fight in the war effort right after graduating. Setting aside Peter (with his unknown background and motivations; not knowing when or why he turned on his friends), they all had a sense of their morals and a willingness to abide by them. They all had a sense of right and wrong.

But think: for all of their goodness, they were troublemakers and lawbreakers. They were above the rules. Due to ego and entitlement in some ways (especially for our privileged James and Sirius), but also a sense of righteousness. They were young boys chasing adventure and playing hero. They were unregistered Animagi, remember: but for a good cause! 

They were also bullies. 

For a good cause, of course! Snievellus deserved it. A strange, intense boy. A Slytherin. For knowing more curses in his first year than most seventh years. (For knowing; not using.) For existing. 

"They were just kids"; it's not an excuse, but a place to begin to understand. They were young. They were ignorant and immature. People also fear what they don't understand. This is why people who are "different" are so often "othered" and mistreated. 

A hostile first interaction, on all sides, and they painted Severus as a "villain." And it's up to heroes to bring down villains, isn't it? 

One hostile, first meeting and James tried to trip Severus. One interaction and he was already resorting to physical harm. And the trend would continue. Public humiliation, sexual assault, and a near death experience. Four wizards routinely targeting and tormenting one. 

They were arrogant, cruel, and judgmental (primarily James and Sirius), or passive and enabling (more Remus and Peter.) 

Their behavior was reprehensible and inexcusable.

The Half-Blood Prince

Of course, Severus Snape was no angel himself. 

Like the Marauders, Severus was intelligent, skilled, and accomplished. Unlike them, Severus wasn't privileged. He was a half-blood. He was raised in poverty; raised in neglect and abuse. He wasn't blessed with good looks or charm. He was bitter, odd, obsessive. 

He was a wizard trapped in a dingy, Muggle town, raised by a magic-hating Muggle of a father. Petunia called him "that awful Snape boy."

Lily was the first spot of brightness in his life. His first connection to magic, and kindness. When it was time for them to attend Hogwarts, life was meant to improve. He was going to be with Lily; he was going to escape. 

Instead Severus walked out of one trauma, and right into another.

Separated from his best friend. Targeted from day one. Overlooked in favor for his more likeable and attractive peers. He was brilliant, and dedicated, and ambitious. He worked hard. He did great things. He improved potions and invented spells.

Control and power would appeal to people like Severus. People who have never had either. People who have been crushed beneath the boots of people in control, and in power. 

When he nearly walked into his death, there was no real consequences for his attackers. And he was forced into silence. 

Of course Severus was bitter. And of course he was tempted.

Severus went down the wrong path. And he befriended the wrong people. He invented a heinous curse. He used a slur against his best friend. There is no excuse for Severus. No reason to forgive his sins. But we can understand them, can't we? We can understand what might drive a person to such extremes, such horrors.

Changed Men

These were young people growing up in the time of war. And the moment they were able, they chose their sides. 

Peter is the most interesting case to explore. What drove him to betraying his friends? When did he decide this? Was he always a rat? Or did time in his friends' shadows twist him? Was it a big event that turned him?

Sirius would lose his best friend and be falsely imprisoned. He managed to escape the inescapable Azkaban, driven by the need to protect Harry. He opened his home to the Order. He was open to doing more; he felt compelled to offer more than anyone would take. Sirius was troubled, of course, traumatized not only by loss of loved ones, but the loss of his freedom. Exposed to Dementors for years and years. He never had the chance to really grow up. But he remained strong, and dedicated. He remained clever, and strong, and willing to fight. 

Remus faced many hardships through his life. He lost all of his friends in one fell swoop. The love and support he'd been blessed with, now gone. Trudging through life in a world that judged and feared him. He kept going with grace and compassion, in spite of all he endured. He was patient and wise. He was a supportive teacher. He was also careless, and put many lives at risk by not taking his potion. He nearly abandoned his wife and unborn child. Remus was a great, but imperfect man. 

James learned and grew bit by bit. He matured. He put in the effort to be a better person. He saved Severus' life. He pranked and bullied less often. He became Head Boy. He saw enough growth to earn that title, despite his troubled past, and despite not making prefect. He saw enough growth that Lily saw him in a new light. And at the tender age of twenty-one he lost his life to protect his wife and son. 

Severus had the biggest task of all. He (likely) committed atrocities as a Death Eater. But when he realized how wrong he had been, he was strong enough to change. Too few people own up to their mistakes and are willing to change. Severus had to face how truly horrendous his choices had been. He had to change his whole belief system. And, again, so young, he put his life at risk by entering Dumbledore's service and turning spy on Voldemort. He remained in a job he hated for years and years. And when Voldemort returned, Severus returned to his terrible duty. Was he a nice man? No. But he was brave. He was strong. He worked hard to atone for his mistakes. He was forever haunted by the horrors of his life. And he died, unappreciated and unrecognized for all he had done. 

None of them were perfect. All of them had potential. 

So much of their promise died in the war. They were all so damn young, and so deeply impacted. They all made grave mistakes. They all achieved great feats. 

But what draws me to them all above all else is the horrible humanity of them. All of their virtues, and especially all of their flaws. 

Additional Reading

Flaws in Fiction: Character Edition

Flaws in Fiction: Appearance Edition

The Astrology of James Potter

The Astrology of Sirius Black

The Astrology of Remus Lupin

The Astrology of Peter Pettigrew

The Astrology of Severus Snape

[panthera-tigris-venenata]

If you're still doing the Descendants prompts? "What do you mean I'm grounded?" CJ yelled into the phone. "You can't ground me!"

I am still doing the prompts! When I have the time and when I like them, anyway.

I hope you enjoy this!

And al tinny bit of background info for this fic. There are following background relationships at play: Harriet Hook/Anthony Tremaine (Because that’s my default by now, honestly), and Ben/Harry Hook/Uma (Because it’s funny in this prompt.) If you look for it, you might also find CJ/Freddie, but, you know. Romantic relationships are a suggestion, and the only characters that appear are Ben and CJ anyway.

So, right. The story. Enjoy!

Ben takes a deep breath and presses the call button: The cheery dial tone sounds through the otherwise empty room. He should figure out how to change it, but oh, well. Still better than the Auradonian hymn his previous phone had as a default for everything.

The tone stops, replaced by mildly annoyed „Yeah?“ and a blur of gold and red appears on the screen. He stares at it for a bit.

Well.

He did not expect her to actually pick up.

„Hey? Beastie-princeling?“ 

Ben frowns at the unnecessarily elaborate and also factually incorrect nickname.

„What d’ya want?“

The camera jumps and jumbles around and momentarily focuses on the background, and, oh sweet heavens, she is running. She is running.

That, knowing CJ Hook, is never a good sign. (There are no good signs whatsoever when it comes to her, Ben thinks.)

Anyway, he gathers all his nerves and calmly states:

„CJ. You are grounded.“

The picture comes to halt and the camera abruptly focuses on CJ’s dishevelled expression, and, wait, is that soot on her cheek?!

„What?!“ she yells into the phone, „You can’t do that!“

„Why not?“ he asks, trying very hard to start calm.

She looks into the distance, frowns, and then grins: „You don’t have the authority to do so! Now, excuse me for a moment–“

The video starts jumping around again, and Ben tries very hard to ignore the faint curses and, wait, are those gunshots?!

What on Earth is she doing?!

„CJ!“ he calls out, „What is going on?!“

Harry would probably be upset if anything happened to his little sister, and, goodness, Ben himself has grown somewhat attached to the troublemaker. Against his better judgement, but hey. The other people who kidnapped him also turned out to be quite great, so honestly, cease point.

No answer, though. Just more blurry lines and more shouting and CJ‘s fast breathing. He is surprised she didn’t hang up yet, but honestly, maybe she just forgot he was calling. That happens.

„CJ!“ He calls out again anyway.

„Ssh!“ she shushes him, whisper-yelling, „Not now, princey boy! I’m running for my life, can’t you see?!“

…Is it bad that he can’t actually tell if she’s exaggerating or not? It is, right?

What did she do this time?

Honestly, as if the robbed bank from yesterday  wasn’t enough!

(The only reason why she isn’t running from the police right now is that when she robbed the bank, she proceeded to throw the money up in the air at the steps and throw a dance party to It’s Raining Men for all the bystanders and staff to attend. Oh, and the fact that he still doesn’t have a functional police force, as Uma keeps reminding him.)

So Ben is left staring at blurry colours and imagining the worst case scenario. He’d rather not, thank you.

And thankfully, it’s not too long until CJ’s voice pulls him out of his thoughts again.

„Yeah?“ she asks, „What did you want, majesty?“

Ben knows only about four other people who can say „Majesty“ like it is an insulting nickname at best. Two of them are her siblings.

He breathes out and for the second time that day, he tells her that she is grounded.

„What?! You can’t do that!“

Yep. Just like the first time. He can’t help the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

„Why not?“

„Eh, I don’t know. You just don’t have the authority to do so,“ she waves her hand dismissively, flashing bloodied knuckles in front of the camera. Oh, dear.

Now, ben doesn’t really like pulling rank, however much certain other people seem to enjoy doing so, but in this case? He genuinely thinks CJ forgot that he is the High King of Auradon.

„…And?“

„I’m the High King, CJ.“

„…I heard you the first time. I just don’t know how that gives you the authority to ground me.“

Of course she doesn’t.

„Hey, excuse me for a moment–“ She partially covers the camera with her palm and yells something Ben is fairly sure are horrific death threats in pirate slang, too wild for him to keep up. Not that he particularly wishes to hear her death threats. Just saying. She can be very creative, and, in fact, Ben would be very glad if she toned that down a little.

„Yeah, we’re good. Where were we? Oh, right! Just because you are the king doesn’t mean that I have to listen to you!“

Ben silently starts praying.

Then he says: „I’m also dating your older brother. That gives me some authority to ground you, right?“

She giggles. She giggles and giggles, like the insufferable menace she is.

„No!“ she tells him, voice chiming like jingle bells, „It does not!“

„What? But Uma grounds you all the time!“

CJ makes a face at him, sticking her lips out in a caricature of a pout: „Well, yes, but, you see, boy king, Uma is actually scary. Unlike you.“

Well. That hurt. 

But it was also true.

Uma is scary, in the best and nicest way possible.

So, you know what, fair.

But…

„And what about Anthony Tremaine?“

And she goes into a ramble. Of course she does. Ben quietly ponders his life decisions as CJ explains that no, while Anthony is not really that scary, he will bitch about her and Dizzy might overhear and Dizzy will definitely tell Celia and then Freddie will know and Freddie will then be cross with her and she doesn’t  like when Freddie does that and also Anthony knows where her blackmail book is–

And Ben would say that this whole affair has more to do with the fact that Anthony has no qualms calling Harriet the second CJ starts being annoying than anything else.

Speaking of which.

„Either you and I come to an understanding, or I call Harriet.“

She whistles and grins into the camera: „You are learning, baby beast, you are learning. You must have some good influence on you. I’m willing to lay low for, say, two days if you don’t tell Harriet.“

„That–“ In the second it takes Ben’s brain to catch up, she is speaking again, because god forbid a Hook ever gave him a time to think.

„Great! See ya later, Benny boo! Gotta go, running for my life and all that! Anyway, salutations and all that, and don’t bother giving my greetings to Harry! Byeee!“

And she hung up. 

Of course she did.

But, well, Ben tried. And two days is better than nothing, right? 

…Right?

[twistedwonderlandsimps]

Valac!Yuu

I'm just here to mix-and-match different kinds of Yuus with different kinds of personalities to see what monstrosity I can make. That being said,,, Valac!Yuu brainrot!

You don’t know who Clara Valac is? Shame, shame on you!

Hahaha, but for real though, I recommend checking Mairimashita Iruma-kun out. It has an anime (about 2 seasons in for now) and a manga (more advanced than the anime so I recommend this first). It has a good, wholesome story and interesting characters with great character developments.

That being said, on with the headcanons! Though there might be some slight spoilers here about the extent of Clara’s abilities so be warned!

The moment Grim opens the coffin that Yuu is in, he gets tackled by the gremlin-like person and both of them are sent rolling to the other side of the room.

“Roll!~ Strike! Ahahahaha!”

“What-- What the heck is wrong with you, human?!”

Yuu ignores his questions and starts telling him about themselves in a rapid pace.

Grim manages to interject and tries to intimidate the other to give them their ceremony robe which Yuu gave them happily.

Threats and intimidation don’t and will never work for Valac!Yuu. They will just laugh it off and do whatever they want to do.

Of course the two take their time cause Valac!Yuu wanted to play with Grim and kept chasing him, only to find that a whip was suddenly wrapped around the cat.

Enter Crowley, who Valac!Yuu immediately bombards with questions.

“Hey, hey! You look very funny! Are you a bird? Ne, ne, I’m Yuu, nice to meet you! This is Connor and this one’s Murphy! Do you know where I am? I don’t know where I am so I went roll, rolling out when I got out and then bam! I hit the kitty cat and—“

They were quite an odd and eccentric one, very energetic, and did they just name their footwear Connor and Murphy? Also, did those things’ eyes just looked at him? Ah well.

Crowley paid no mind to what they were saying and proceeded to guide them to the ceremony because time’s a’ticking.

He told Yuu to get their robes back from their familiar which they replied that their familiar didn’t have any robe and that they didn’t like the robe anyway.

Crowley turned back to see that Yuu was somehow wearing a cute but weird-looking mascot suit.

Which was honestly adorable on them.

He paused then shrugged and decided that the suit was good enough before they headed to the ceremony hall.

So, the people present in the entrance ceremony sees the strange sight of a weird flaming cat wearing an oversized ceremonial robe and a weirder person in a weird mascot costume.

Riddle looked at Valac!Yuu and could already sense that they were going to be a troublemaker.

He was absolutely right.

The moment the fire incident broke out? Valac!Yuu reveled in it, clapping their hands happily and joined in the chase of Grim because they wanted to ‘play’.

In the end, Yuu was caught by Jack who they took a shine to.

So, Ramshackle…

Yuu was not a bit intimidated by the ghosts while Grim was in the background trying to save the idiot human who was about to get killed.

Yuu wanted to see if they could ride on the ghosts’ backs and see if they can touch them.

They found out that they can, in fact, touch them.

Uber Ghosts 2022 except the ghosts sometime forget that other people can’t pass through walls so Yuu has been smacked into walls a couple of times.

The ghosts of Ramshackle were kind enough to indulge in Yuu’s childish whims. They act like doting grandparents.

Also, Grim going,,,

Yuu, introducing Falfal to Grim: “Say hi to each other!”

Falfal: “Falfal.”

Grim: “Henchuman… what’s that thing?”

Yuu: “It’s Falfal!”

Grim: “That doesn’t explain anything.”

Regarding Valac!Yuu’s ability, well…

Grim might have taken advantage of it first.

Most of us love the little shite but we have to remember that he’s mischievous and narcissistic.

Grim makes an offhand comment about wanting to eat lots and lots of tuna and suddenly he’s besieged by tuna cans.

Grim, with sparkles in his eyes: “Human??? Where did you get all these tuna cans?”

Yuu: “It’s my family’s special skill! I can pull out anything I’ve seen before! proceeds to show Grim as they pull out a weird, wriggling, snake-looking creature and a simple trident from their pocket linings

Grim will absolutely take advantage of their powers but they will be very protective if other tried to do the same.

You know like the, ‘Only I can do it, no one else! Back off!!!’

Although Grim wants to brag about Yuu’s powers, he also knows that dangers that come with it, especially when Valac!Yuu’s power’s limit is practically unknown, seemingly limitless as of now.

It doesn’t matter what the size or weight the inanimate or animate object is, Yuu can and will pull it out of their pockets.

By the way, do you know what Valac!Yuu’s favorite method of attacking?

A vending machine to the face. This is not a joke, this is a threat.

The overblot boys better watch out cause Yuu will not hesitate to do it if they have to.

Someone: *overblots*

Valac!Yuu: *Throws an entire vending machine at them*

Additionally is their most dangerous ability, the mascot suit which they can use their bloodline magic on to recognize it as one of their ‘pockets’.

With this, they can make an illusionary realm where they can create anything they want inside and drag people into it (whether by shoving them through the zipper at the front or like those mascot entertainment thing in sport games where they ‘eat’ the cheerleaders) and drain them of their magic.

Though, they only use this when they really need to since it tires them out, too.

Most of the time, their mind wanders off so they have their fair share of staring into nothing while thinking of bizarre things.

Due to their unpredictable nature, Floyd likes playing with them, and by that I meant squeezing (affection) them.

Valac!Yuu can  and will match Floyd’s feral energy.  The two of them cause havoc in the school and no one can stop them.

Jade also has a soft spot for them and sometimes asks them if they can pull certain types of mushroom from their pockets.

Now that I think about it, Valac!Yuu’s teeth are sharp but rather than looking intimidating, it adds more on to their adorableness and appeal as opposed to looking scary like Floyd and Jade does.

People also occasionally see Yuu around the campus stalking Azul for some unknown reason while holding a large catching net that looks like it could fit one octopus man inside.

Those people willfully look the other way.

Azul has tried multiple times to get Valac!Yuu into a contract but they always foil their plans one way or another.

One time, he thought that he managed to successfully make them sign a contract, only to realize that it was their green odd-looking familiar named Falfal who actually signed it.

Oddly enough, it was actually a good waiter.

Also, Yuu has a habit of climbing on others’ backs. Most notably, Jack’s back. Jack just sighs but lets them anyway.

Riddle found Yuu frustrating at first due to all the rules they’re undoubtedly breaking but they’ve grown on him.

Valac!Yuu looks at Ruggie once and showers them with food.

Ruggie has acquired himself a glucose guardian and he’s loving it.

Leona: sleeping

Valac!Yuu: “I am about to end this whole man’s sleeping career.”

[They proceed to lunge and flop over the sleeping lion and had to run away when he was, unsurprisingly, angry from getting woken up from his nap.]

Also...

Crowley: “So you’re telling me you can create anything that you’ve seen?”

Valac!Yuu: “Yeah!”

Crowley: already sliding a stack of bills across the table slowly “Anything?”

Someone: “I’m pretty sure this is illegal, somebody stop him.”

Someone Valac!Yuu can also vibe with is Kalim. They will match their energy and play around together (and also cause chaos together).

Meanwhile Jamil is in the background, crying.

The two are known as the sunshine duo.

Add Ortho to the mix and it’s like staring straight into the sun.

They’re all so pure that no one has the heart to even say anything bad about them.

Just imagine RSA seeing them and being like, “Wait, what are those three doing in NRC? Is this… Is this even allowed?”

Yuu sometimes pops in Sam’s shop from time to time.

Sam shakes his head affectionally at them, pats their head, and reminds them not to copy anything in his shop without his permission.

Yuu also likes to give nicknames to the people they like.

Lilia: chilling upside down on the ceiling

Malleus: “Child of man, Lilia, it’s good to see that you two are bonding with each other.”

Lilia: finally noticing Valac!Yuu hanging upside down beside them

Valac!Yuu: “Ne, ne! What are we doing up here? Are we playing a game? Did I win? I won right? Yay! Let’s go play!”

Lilia: under their breath “What the fuck…”

Vil looks at Valac!Yuu’s fashion choice and has an existential crisis.

Though, he slowly starts to see its charm and appeal and even sometimes help Yuu design their clothes.

For some reason, Yuu keeps giving apples to Epel whenever they meet but hey, free food.

Besides, Yuu likes to sit and attentively watch him carve apples, becoming really happy and cheering when he gives some to them.

Also, Valac!Yuu taking out weird-looking creatures from their pockets and people remembering that Valac!Yuu can only pull out things from their pockets if they’ve seen it before, meaning that these weird-looking creatures actually exists somewhere.

“What kinds of thing have you been seeing???”

This starts a school-wide search hunt to see if they can find these creatures anywhere near the school.

Rook was unsurprisingly the first one who found one of the weird creatures.

[yanderecandystore]

How about some yandere!giant headcannons please?

(Yes I took the lazy route when drawing this, and if you see people you don't recognize it's because I decided to put my friends in it-)

(( I also had drawn Mikudayo and Miko because I just thought it was funny to make them considering the time I had mistaken them for each other-))

TW/tags: gender neutral reader // I'm gonna make the giant male because you didn't really say giantess? So I'm assuming it's male/gender neutral pronouns // being treated like a doll/pet // kidnapping // language barrier cause I'm yearning- // very generic giant story // delusional thinking // slight stockholm syndrome

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Don't even ask me, y'all read about eldritch creatures so a giant is literally no big deal- [Yandere!Giant x Reader - Headcanon]:

Oh dear, oh goodie, oh Lord-

Does anyone need a bit of context? Maybe a little storyline to start with? I could just go straight to the good stuff though??

Listen- I could pull out so many mother fucking posts under the category of Yandere Giants- Almost all Eldritch content in my blog involves the height difference of: vewy tol x vewy smol UwU

Anyway- Malos, the giant of our story. I'm going to go very generically since I didn't want to say something that could possibly not be of your taste boo-

Malos is your classic troublemaking giant, the type of which you would hear about in fairy tales created to scare the human folk all around your kingdom. All those stories talked about the world beyond the clouds, the giant's kingdom, living their lives in wealth, very far from the ground below where humans (their "favorite delicacy", allegedly) lived.

The one thing that all those stories shared in common was the violent behavior of the tyrants above, their arrogant and greedy nature mixed with the horrifying sightings of giants who would somehow find their way to get on land, specifically targeting a small town to torment. Many have said to have faced a big beast walking around in the woods, some would claim that they actually fought a giant or two, although there is no way to confirm such bold claims of being true.

Were you a common townsfolk who got themselves too far into the woods? An adventurer finding their way into a town surrounded by mystery? Or were you perhaps a noble who by terrible misfortune, had their carriage be stuck during a heavy storm in the dark of night?

It doesn't really matter which one you choose, considering that what happens next would be inevitable. You get lost at the dead of night, the townsfolk not even being able to comprehend how someone can simply disappear like this. You would wake up at a place you couldn't even begin to recognize, it was a very well decorated room yet none of it felt familiar to you.

Maybe it was because of how fancy and modern it was compared to what you were more accustomed with on land, or maybe it was the simple fact that everything in this room was awfully huge compared to you. It took you quite some time to realize that you were not only on top of a massive bed- But that you were trapped inside a bird cage.

Before you could question whether you were having a hallucination or not, your joyful captor made its way inside the bedroom. With such a blissful expression that makes a chill run down your spine- He was so big, it was obvious your captor would have been a giant considering your current location, yet it still shocked you for some reason.

Much to your dismay, your captor does not speak the same language as you, which made you scream at him to free you and put you back where he found you. You have noticed he wasn't understanding a single word coming out of your mouth the moment you started crying at the giant, begging for mercy in fear of what could be your destiny here.

Yet here you were, just- Being observed by such gentle eyes, concerned of your current state. He could talk and shush your cries all he wanted, but you couldn't understand a single thing he meant, the only certainty in this case being the fact you ain't getting out of here so soon.

Malos isn't evil, even if you can't understand what he says- You can tell he is very gentle with you, maybe because he sees how scared and panicky you are, or because he sees you as a pet- Who knows?

He did give you a lot of signs of seeing you as possibly just a "pocket companion", a pet and a doll, someone he could take care of and take wherever he wanted. You noticed how there was no one else who lived with him, maybe he was that lonely and desperate to find a friend that he took you- Without considering your actual feelings on the action.

You weren't too small compared to him, you were basically the height of his hand- A small doll to him, just for him. Whatever life you used to have could be kissed goodbye at this point, because even if you wish everything could go back to normal, that ain't happening, boo.

Malos loves dressing you up, giving you little trinkets to use, giving you small portions of his own food, hearing you make all those lovely sounds he doesn't understand one bit off yet it is still willing to try and comprehend it. He is a very skilled crafter, you know? He knows how to create small toys that will make wonderful gifts for you, at least in his own mind.

Whatever situation you were in that would have brought you to meet him, he would have thought the same thing regardless of what background you could choose for yourself- In Malos eyes, you were lost in the cold of the night, looking so lonely and in need of someone's attention, which he could relate to since he was also lonely and looking for company.

Malos is quite delusional, he has his moments where he has to face reality as a lonely toy maker who kidnapped a human to be his little companion. In these moments of lucidity, he will look at you as if he was lost, as if he was searching for an answer- A confirmation of his actions.

And looking at your cute small little self, confirms his beliefs. You were lost, he was also lost- Yet you found each other, and that's all that matters for him.

After being faced with so much love and attention, considering how weeks and months have passed since he got you here, it's not hard to imagine you feeling more comfortable in his presence.

His skin is so much warmer than yours, his rough hands hold you with such care- It's hard to not give yourself in to his gentle touches, to his incomprehensible whispers, he has such a smooth voice that is hard to not enjoy listening to it.

You didn't plan this to happen- But on each day that passes by, you start feeling like being taken care off is way better than having to fend for yourself down there with the other humans. His company has been so heartwarming, and it hurts you the times he has to go out and take long periods of time outside his house, probably selling his toys or even buying more food for you two.

It's so unfortunate to think that you, someone who was once a person, was now submitting to him and enjoying being treated like this- You would curse at yourself for being so weak, so desperate for his affection, to the point you enjoy being petted and loved as a doll.

With Malos, you could ignore the voices screaming at you to get yourself out of his house in the clouds, but whenever you were left alone locked inside a doll house he built, you would cry yourself to sleep until you could ignore your conscience telling you how much of a failure you are.

If Malos was somehow aware of this confusing thoughts inside you, he would try his best to calm you down, while also pulling you closer to the confirmation that he is here to help you, to take care of you and that there is no shame in you liking him as well. He already loves you so much, he just needs you to do the same for him.

However, Malos isn't always gentle with you- Not only is he easily excited, but he is also easily angered, very childishly. His outbursts are never on you, but rather on the things around you. You can feel the table under you shake whenever he has his temper tantrums, you can see him taking away some of your items as a form of punishment in case you have been acting up.

He would also give you an ice shoulder for some time if he felt as if you were in need of apologizing (even if he didn't understand your language, he could still see through your mannerisms if you were truly sorry or not). He wouldn't ignore you for long, considering how he is also very touch-starved, which leads into the next point:

Malos loves petting you, and touching you. You're soft and squishy and so charming to hold- How can he not love you to bits??!

He gets very confused sometimes, he isn't sure if he sees you as a small pet-like companion, or as a possible- Well, partner. His adoration towards you will start to twist into actual romantic interest, and I warn you to be careful darling-

The moment he sets his mind into something, it's nearly impossible to change it back.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[neomanateefromexiletribe]

red dress

Diavolo x Lucifer, DiaLuci

Fluff

Diavolo receives a dress, and Lucifer quite likes it after all. Inspired by the demon brothers creating stickers for Princess Diavolo wearing a red dress and Prince Lucifer.

There are days Lucifer wonders why he bothered even leaving his bed. Today is one of these days, for when Diavolo summoned him to his castle earlier under the pretense that he had something interesting to show him, Lucifer came – only to be met with Diavolo wearing an extravagant red dress.

The red dress isn’t ugly per se, far from it. It’s a gorgeous shade of red, with some golden seams and pieces of jewelry artfully sewn into the chest part. It leaves the shoulders exposed, and the puffy sleeves reach Diavolo’s elbows. On top of everything, it seems as though the dress was tailored for Diavolo specifically, because it fits his body in all the rights places.

Lucifer has so many questions. Why is Diavolo wearing that dress. Why does the dress fit him perfectly. Whose idea was this. Who does he have to torture – potentially murder?

However, before he can utter a single word, Diavolo greets him with his trademark grin and opens his arms.

“Lucifer, there you are at last! I was wondering how much longer you were planning on making me wait.”

“Sorry, I came as quickly as I could,” Lucifer amends, unable to tear his eyes off the dress. “May I inquire why you’re wearing a dress?”

“Oh, this? It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Diavolo cheers, turning around to show how the lower part of the dress floats in the air. “It’s a gift.”

Lucifer’s eyebrow twitches, but he tries not to let his annoyance show on his face.

“From whom?”

“Your brothers and MC,” Diavolo answers, still smiling, “they said they wanted to make new outfits for everyone and they thought it’d be interesting to go through a radical change, so they ended up creating a dress for me.”

Of course. Lucifer doesn’t even know why he asked, because he had a hunch his brothers and MC had something to do with this – and they are so going to get an earful when he’s back to the House of Lamentation.

“Lucifer?” Diavolo calls him out, tilting his head.

“Sorry, I got distracted by my thoughts,” Lucifer amends, “what are you planning on doing with this dress?”

“I’m keeping it, of course! It’s a gift after all.”

“I suppose you can’t indeed throw it away,” Lucifer sighs.

“Why would I throw it away? I won’t wear it every day, but they did go through the trouble of tailoring it specifically for me.”

There’s no winning against Diavolo when he’s set on something, so Lucifer decides not to argue further. After all, maybe his brothers and MC, those damned troublemakers, didn’t mean any harm in crafting a dress for the Demon Prince. And the dress does suit Diavolo very much, so… maybe he can just keep it.

“You know, I’ve been thinking of something ever since I put the dress on,” Diavolo says.

“Yes?”

“I thought it’d be really nice to have a dance with you. You know, you could be wearing a suit and I’d be wearing the dress and we could waltz around the ballroom.”

Lucifer can’t hold back an amused snigger at Diavolo’s words, and he gets closer to the prince.

“Well, I may be wearing regular clothes, but I’d say they’re not too bad for a waltz. Shall we?” Lucifer declares, holding out an elegant gloved hand to Diavolo.

Diavolo takes his hand, beaming at him, and they step closer so as to hold each other properly for their dance. Lucifer takes the lead, and while part of him is kind of mortified to be dancing in the empty ballroom of the Demon Lord’s castle without any music in the background, another part, buried deep in his heart, is appreciating this moment with Diavolo.

They don’t talk as they dance, not that they need to anyway. In this kind of intimate moments, they both know words aren’t necessary. While they do have their issues every other day, because they’re still two different beings with personalities that can clash, when they’re on the same, peaceful wavelength, it’s as though their souls are becoming one.

Their steps slow down, and Diavolo brings Lucifer closer to him for a kiss on the lips. Lucifer tries his best to let go of any feelings of embarrassment associated with being seen kissing the Demon Prince openly, and kisses Diavolo back, slowly.

At this point, there isn't a single being in the Devildom who is ignorant of the nature of their relationship as lovers, but embarrassment is something Lucifer has always had trouble shaking off.

They part, a thin thread of saliva linking their mouths, and Diavolo looks down, flushing.

“I was also thinking I’d probably need your help to take the dress off,” he says, “would you accompany me to my room?”

“Your wish is my command,” Lucifer answers, and he leans in to kiss Diavolo once more.

Maybe that dress wasn’t such a bad gift idea, after all.

[archivingspn]

2019: Twitter- Eric Kripke

therealKripke: “In honor of #SPN300, here's my original #SPN pitch from 2004. The pilot story is very different, but the tone always rang clear to me. Could never have imagined what this show became and the good it's done. Humbled and grateful beyond words to you all. #SPNFamily @cw_spn ‘[images of spn pilot’s 4pg script]’“ - 12:08 PM Feb 7, 2019

[source]

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Supernatural

Pitch by Eric Kripke August 30, 2004

I. TONE AND WORLD

In one sentence, this is X-FILES meets ROUTE 66. Two brothers, cruising the dusty back roads in their trusty 64 Mustang, battling the things that go bump in the night. But much more than that, it's a show about an obsession of mine...

Throughout the U.S., (especially the MIDDLE, where I'm from), we have a folklore, as uniquely American as baseball, as rich and varied as any world mythology, and almost nobody knows it. For instance, Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil, at an abandoned Mississippi crossroads, to be the world's greatest guitarist. But he died violently, poisoned at age 26, screaming about Hellhounds as he choked on his own blood. In the shadowy north woods of Minnesota, lives a creature named the Wendigo. Translated from Native American, it means "evil that devours.” It feeds on human flesh. And even today, dozens of witnesses say it's very real.

There are literally HUNDREDS of these stories and legends and urban legends. There are dark and dangerous things out there in the corners of our country. So here's a show that travels the diverse highways and byways of supernatural America. Black woods, ghost towns, those tourist trap mystery spots. Really, a show ABOUT our country-the bloody, beating heart of America.

Unlike X-FILES, this show isn't Vancouver rainy. It's brighter, more colorful, more VISCERAL, and more irreverent. The humor here is extremely important to me—but it has to arise from the characters and their attitudes. The characters can be funny, but the weekly stories have to be SCARY AS SHIT– I'm talking THE RING; how what you don't see is much more terrifying than what you do. I'm talking about making this series as scary as I possibly can, until you guys call and yell at me.

But I also want the tone to be GROUNDED. Where BUFFY, for example, felt HEIGHTENED, our show should feel like OUR WORLD, real-life America. With a darkness that bubbles and boils just beneath the surface. And I want to keep the weekly stories CREDIBLE- leave 'em with a question mark, the possibility of a rational explanation. Something early X-Files did very well.

Finally, I want this show to capture a certain SPIRIT. For one, that youthful electricity of dropping out and hitting the open road; the freedom of wide-open American spaces. But also, EVERY road trip story-from FEAR and LOATHING to Kerouac to The Odyssey, are inherently mythic quests, hero's journeys, real Joseph Campbell stuff. The way STAR WARS, LORD OF THE RINGS, and MATRIX are all the same story, with the same beats. So our series, too, is an epic hero's quest-- across the United States. Almost like a modern western, and our heroes are gunslingers. Or, as I like to call it - it's STAR WARS in TRUCK STOP AMERICA.

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II. CHARACTERS AND FRANCHISE

Now, let's get into establishing our characters, and launching our franchise.

So if this is STAR WARS, meet LUKE SKYWALKER. SAM HARRISON, 21. Think Jake Gyllenhall, or Tobey Maguire. Smart, funny, handsome, maybe a little type-A. He just graduated Stanford with a 4.0, and now he's heading back down to L.A., where he lives with his Aunt and Uncle, he'll spend the summer clerking at a powerful law firm. And in the Fall... Harvard Law, thank you very much. Pedal to the metal, Sam is cruising the track to success. But, like all good Luke Skywalker heroes, Sam is vaguely restless. He tells his girlfriend, maybe he should drop everything this summer and blow off to Europe. But of course, he doesn't. He has too many responsibilities.

Sam's well adjusted, successful life, it's a real triumph, especially considering his background. Fifteen years ago, his dad JACK became increasingly dark and depressed. He drank. A lot. Until Mom and Dad were in a car crash. Dad was driving. He lived. Mom didn't. That triggered a schizophrenic breakdown in Dad. He swore that twisted, dark, horrific things caused that crash and took Mom away. And those same dark things were chasing after him. Dad was institutionalized. But he escaped. And disappeared.

Sam is ashamed of his tragic past. Hates his Dad, blames him for killing Mom, and NEVER, EVER talks about it.

Now, Sam's mythic CALL TO ADVENTURE, the events that will change his life forever, begin simply enough. When his big brother DEAN rolls into town. Meet DEAN HARRISON, 25, think Colin Farrel. If Sam's the good kid, Dean's the troublemaker. If Sam's Luke Skywalker, Dean's Han Solo. Charismatic and dangerous. Cocky confidence masking a troubled soul. Sam hated Dad, but Dean was older and remembered Dad in brighter days, and he worshipped the man. Sam buried his past and ignored it, but Dean was haunted by it, never quite got his shit together. Dean never went to college. Just sort of traveled around. In fact, Sam hasn't heard from Dean in almost 3 years, which Sam clearly resents.

And now... Dean makes Sam a proposition. Let me drive you down to L.A.- it's just one day, we'll get a chance to catch up a little. Reluctant, Sam agrees.

At first, they're enjoying the electric, carefree pleasures of a ROAD TRIP. Top down, radio blaring, singing their lungs out to AC/DC.

But then... at twilight... on an empty stretch of highway... Dean's driving. And he has to make a confession. (Though I'm sure we'll break this up into a few different scenes.) "Sam. There's something I need to tell you," Dean says. “I went looking for Dad. And I found him. Took just about every dime I had, but I found him. And I've been with him, for almost 2 years." Sam is shocked and betrayed: "what?! Why didn't you tell me?!" But Dean continues: "listen. I know this is hard to believe. But Dad WASN'T nuts.

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Demons really DID kill Mom. Dark, awful things WERE following Dad. I know. Because I can see them. Because they're following me, too."

Obviously, Sam is BEYOND freaked and well aware that schizophrenia is hereditary. Dean goes on, getting worked up-“so Dad figured out how to kill these things, and he showed me how. Until they caught up to us in Baker. They got Dad. Before I got them." "What do you mean, you GOT them?” asks Sam. “I killed a demon. In human form," says Dean. “You killed somebody?!" "No, I killed a DEMON, it only LOOKED human.” (Which could be a scary, visceral teaser, by the way.) Anyway, DEAN continues: “Listen to me, Sam... it was Dad's wish, his DYING WISH, that I find you, that I teach you the way he taught me.” At this point, Sam goes into placating, survival mode. “Okay. Sure. Just calm down." But Sam's terrified-of his own brother.

Meanwhile, as this conversation's going on, Dean isn't going to L.A. He takes a detour-- for all intents and purposes, kidnapping Sam. They pull into a small, faded, all-American town in Central California. It's 1950's American optimism gone to seed. Basically, they pull right into the pilot's SELF ENCLOSED B-STORY. Whatever it is, the story should be simple, giving us room to focus on the brothers. It should be based in Folklore. And it should be personal—the job their father never completed.

Now, here's an example of exactly the kind of story I'm talking about. The real life ghost story of the "Weeping Woman," a sobbing wraith in a bloody white nightgown. She murdered her children by the river side, as revenge against her unfaithful husband. And today, it's said she lures unfaithful men to the river and drowns them. And sure enough, several MEN in this town have turned up dead by the river's edge. Anyway, something like this. And Dean, despite his smart ass jokes and references to the movie Poltergeist, seems to be taking this SERIOUSLY.

But Sam doesn't believe a WORD of it. First moment he's alone, he calls his Aunt and Uncle. “I'm with Dean, I think he's sick.” They tell him—"cops in Baker found your Dad's body. And a truck driver's body, too. Dean's the suspect. You have to get away! Where are you?!” But before Sam can answer-he pivots, right into Dean. Who grabs the phone, SMASHING it, furious: “Dammit, Sam, I'm not insane," Dean says, “Caspar the unfriendly fucker is really out there!"

Then, as Dean delves deeper and deeper into the ghost story, dragging a reluctant Sam along with him... INEXPLICABLE SUPERNATURAL phenomenon begin to occur, which SERIOUSLY RATTLES Sam. We'll have several good, scary set pieces. And soon, Sam doesn't know WHAT to think. And in the B-STORY'S climax, he'll even save Dean at some crucial point. (Though we'll be careful to leave things open ended, with just the possibility of a logical explanation.)

Afterwards, a beat in which Dean, vulnerable, says to his brother-"I've been thinking. And you're going home, Sam. You're smart, and you've got everything going for you. I don't care what Dad said, I can't let you live like this... Still," says Dean, "it was nice having you around. When you're with somebody... you just don't feel as crazy as

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often." Sam's very conflicted, and he feels awful, but he can't just abandon his old life. So the brothers part ways. Sam hitchhikes up the road. Meanwhile, thanks to his Aunt and Uncle, the cops have been searching for Sam, and now they find him.

At the station, Sam tells the cops, Dean's in Colorado by now. But a patrol car has spotted Dean's parked Mustang at a nearby motel. The police grab SHOTGUNS, they're going to take Dean with force. And in the face of ONE PASSING COP, Sam sees-a glimpse. A shimmer. Something DEMONIC and INHUMAN flashes across the cop's face-and then it's gone, just as quick. Did Sam imagine it? Is he going insane, too? Or is Dean really in danger? Are dark, awful things really after him, like he said?

This is Sam's crossroads moment. And he makes a decision-he takes off. Steals a car. Beats the cops back to Dean. Warns him at the last minute. It's very TIGHT and very HECTIC, but Sam and Dean get away. Escaping by the skin of their teeth.

As we leave Sam... he doesn't know if he's losing his mind. He doesn't know if Dean's a hero or a homicidal schizophrenic. All he knows is-Dean's his brother, and he needs help. And for now, that's enough.

III. THE SERIES ITSELF

I think the overall GOAL here, is building an engine that gives us SELF ENCLOSED STORIES. I am gonna pitch some very simple mythology, but STAND ALONES are a format I really believe in, they're the shows I loved and grew up on. Like the best EARLY episodes of X-FILES.

So basically, our two heroes, avenging their parents' death, cruise the golden backroads of America-picture chrome diners and bucolic farms and dusty Route 66 towns. Places that are mythic and American, but also haunting, in a way. Places where horror can strike in broad daylight. Sam and Dean are kind of like classic gunslingers, or dragon slayers, finding-and KILLING—the monsters of American folklore.

So first question-how do they find the damn things? Dean tracks these creatures in a low-tech way. He scans obituaries for strange deaths. Dean also has a loose network of contacts - defrocked ministers and trailer park psychics, who impart information to our heroes whenever necessary.

Second question-how do they KILL the damn things? The answer—they have no fucking idea. They're outgunned and desperate and in completely over their heads. They don't have a WATCHER, like in BUFFY. They don't have an OBI WAN. They're on their own. Each week, they gotta figure out what the hell they're dealing with, and how the hell to kill it. And a lot of the time, they're wrong, and they have to improvise. Whether it's finding a ghost's remains - and burning them into dust; or loading a shotgun with silver buckshot, our guys will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

[adenei]

Remembrance

Now that my Round 1 story has been posted to FFN, here is the story I wrote for The House Cup Competition! 

My Prompts were:

[Character] Minerva McGonagall

[Event] A commemorative ball honoring those lost in the war

Here’s the link to the story on FFN if you’d like to leave a review!

******************

Remembrance

Minerva looked around the Great Hall, inspecting the decorations and making sure they were not too frilly. This was not a ball meant for frivolity and merriment. No, this was to be a solemn event. The look was clean and inviting. White linens adorned the tables, and the silver cutlery stood out as it gleamed in the soft glow of the candlelight. Four brilliant House banners hung proudly behind the head table, flanking either side of the Ministry of Magic banner that hung in the center. The night sky that shone from the enchanted ceiling was clear, with the stars twinkling down. 

She nodded curtly to herself, satisfied that everything met her expectations. Today marked one year since the Battle of Hogwarts, and was proving to be a very emotional day. When the Minister of Magic approached her some three months ago, the Headmistress was insistent that the commemorative Anniversary Ball take place at Hogwarts. She remembered the conversation vividly.

“With all due respect, Minerva, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” Kingsley said to her.

“I can’t imagine why not!” she contested. “What better way to honor those who lost their lives than hosting such an event on the grounds where the battle took place?”

“The Ministry is more than capable of hosting the event. I did not come here to contest the location of the ball,” the Minister said sternly.

“And I am merely suggesting that Hogwarts would be a better place to host the event. Or did you forget so quickly how many students and professors here aided in the battle? If this is to be a ball to acknowledge the anniversary of the end of the war, and honor those who gave their lives for the magical world, then it should be here,” Minerva pressed.

“You make a convincing argument, however—”

“Do you really think it’s prudent otherwise?” she asked, cutting him off. “You came here to ask my permission to invite those who were involved in the Battle of Hogwarts to attend the Anniversary Ball, did you not?”

“I did.”

“So, you’d rather the castle be left unguarded as you invite the vast majority of our staff? And what about those students who participated? Under normal circumstances they are not to leave the castle, save for Hogsmeade weekends. Do you truly expect Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood and countless others to simply stay here?” Minerva paused briefly to allow her words to sink in, as any veteran teacher would do. “And what about those students who lost family members in the war? Should they be forced to decline their invitation because they are in school?”

Kingsley held up a hand. “You have made a strong case for your argument. I’m listening.”

“Surely the Ministry would be able to provide security if we were to host the ball here. Any students who do not receive an invitation will be expected to remain in their common rooms and dorms for the evening. I will ensure the proper punishments are given to any students who attempt to break the rules.”

Kingsley nodded slowly. “That would simplify matters of transportation, but what of those attending from outside Hogwarts?”

“We are fully capable of allowing guests in the castle for one evening, including the Creevey family and any other families of our lost Muggleborn students. They may apparate into Hogsmeade, and Hagrid will arrange for the carriages to bring guests up to the castle. I assume they’ll need to present their invitation for entry?”

“Naturally.” Kingsley still looked pensive. “You don’t think it will be too difficult for those who fought to return?”

“Of course it will be difficult,” McGonagall said, her eyes misting ever so slightly as she held her head high, “but necessary, I think. It will be a statement. We will show the whole of Britain that we cannot be broken. That we persevered and rebuilt these walls so that Hogwarts could remain a safe and reputable school for Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

“Then it’s settled. The Anniversary Ball will be held at Hogwarts.”

Minerva heard someone clear their throat in the distance, bringing her back to the present. “Headmistress, I’m sorry to interrupt, but the guests are beginning to arrive,” one of the guards called to her from the large oak doors. 

Minerva’s eyes swept past the large room once more. The round tables were set immaculately for the arriving guests and the Head table set for the Minister, herself, and the rest of the staff. It was Kingsley’s original intention to have Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger also at the forefront. Minerva chuckled to herself at the recollection of how that went over. She could have told the Minister that Mr. Potter would want nothing to do with that arrangement, and naturally, she was correct. Some things would truly never change, she thought, as the tiniest of smiles crossed her thin lips. 

Turning on her heel, Minerva made her way over to Kingsley by the Entrance Hall as the guests began filing in. She made sure to position herself so she could keep an eye on the students who would no doubt be entering soon from within the castle. The Heads of Houses were tasked with ensuring only those with an invitation were permitted to enter the Great Hall, but she could never be too sure. 

Pleasantries were exchanged as she welcomed so many familiar faces. Minerva remained stoic even as her heart ached for the Creevey family, and Andromeda Tonks, who carried little Teddy in her arms. Infants were not typically invited to such an event, yet Kingsley had deemed it important for Tonks and Lupin’s son to be there. 

Had the event’s mood not been determined by the nature of honor and remembrance, it would have felt more like a reunion of friends. She watched as the Patil twins walked by, followed shortly after by Neville Longbottom and his grandmother. Minerva nodded to the group of recent Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw graduates, who had no doubt chosen to stick together. 

The official start of the Anniversary Ball was inching nearer and nearer, but there were several faces she’d not yet seen. It was a relief when, no sooner had she thought of the red headed clan, they disembarked out of two carriages at the end of the lane, with one dark haired young man in tow.

“Ah, there they are,” Kingsley said quietly beside her. 

“Did you truly think they wouldn’t show?” Minerva asked him.

“Not at all, Minerva. Though, I will not feign ignorance over Harry’s apprehension of the whole ordeal.”

“He never was one for attention,” she agreed. 

Her mind flitted back to memories of Harry’s time at Hogwarts. In retrospect, she understood that all of Harry’s adventures and knack for troublemaking were never entirely his fault. It always came back to Voldemort, and she knew now that Harry was the only one who could have done what he did. Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger always had a choice, and they were loyal to him to a fault. 

Minerva looked on as Kingsley shook hands with each Weasley, and she greeted them with a brief nod and pleasantries. Everyone had gone through an enormous amount over the past year, but this family had overcome so much. Even with the loss of Fred, they’d managed to put their family back together, and had each other to lean on as all the emotional and physical scars healed.

As the final group made their way into the Entrance Hall, she noticed Harry linger behind with Ron at his side. “Minister, may I have a word?” she heard him ask.

“Of course, Harry. What is it?” Kingsley asked him.

“I know I said I didn’t want to speak tonight, but after thinking about it, there is something I’d like to say,” Harry told him.

Kingsley looked surprised at Harry’s change of opinion. “I’m sure we can work that into the schedule of events, can’t we, Minerva?”

“Yes, of course,” she agreed. Minerva looked over at the young man, ensuring it was something he truly wanted to do.

“I was thinking I could go just before the dancing starts,” Harry suggested. He’d clearly thought about this. When neither she nor Kingsley answered right away, Harry continued awkwardly, “Er, there will be dancing, I assume? This is a ball, right?”

Minerva couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her lips at his bluntness while Kingsley beamed. “Yes, Mr. Potter, there will be dancing. I will work in a moment for you to address tonight’s guests as dinner concludes.”

“Thank you, Prof—er, Headmistress.”

“Professor McGonagall is just fine, Mr. Potter. Now, I believe there are two young ladies waiting inside for the two of you,” she said as she smiled knowingly. 

She glanced back at Miss Weasley and Ms. Granger, who were standing just across the hall, as the boys took off to collect their dates. Turning to Kingsley, Minerva asked, “Shall we get started, then?” Kingsley nodded and gestured for her to begin making her way into the Great Hall.

Everyone seemed to have settled at the various tables that had been laid out for the evening. She noticed many quiet conversations as the string quartet played quietly in the background. Minerva’s dress robes swished regally across the floor as she made her way to the head table, closely followed by Kingsley. Anyone who had not previously sat down now made their way to their seats.

Minerva approached the podium in the center of the raised platform to give the opening remarks. The hush of voices immediately quieted as she looked up. She smiled inwardly, pleased with how well she could command attention of a room. 

“Good evening, everyone,” she began. “Thank you for joining us on the anniversary of such an important day in our history. It is hard to believe that only one year ago we prevailed in the fight for wizardkind. We would not be here today without the efforts from so many of you, and from the sacrifices those close to us have made. 

“I understand how difficult it may be to sit here in this hall, the very same where we subsequently counted our fallen and witnessed Voldemort’s demise. It was my hope to help you find peace in returning here when I appealed to the Minister to host the Anniversary Ball at Hogwarts. To show those who still defy our world that we are strong, and that we will not fall to their evil beliefs. It is because of each and every one of you in this room, and even those who are with us in spirit, that we find ourselves in a time of peace for the first time in many years.”

Minerva took a deep breath before continuing. “We are here tonight for many reasons. To reminisce, to celebrate, and most of all, to remember those we lost because of one man’s dreadful hate. While we cannot bring those that we lost back, we can certainly honor them and tell their stories. With that said, I am pleased to announce an endeavor I have been working on for the better part of the year.”

Taking her wand out of her robes, Minerva waved it around and portraits of the fallen appeared on the walls of the Great Hall. She listened as everyone in attendance had gasped in awe. Many had broken out in what she knew to be appreciative tears as the smiling faces of those they’d lost a year ago were looking down on them. 

After the crowd quieted down, the Headmistress continued. “I’d like to thank all of those involved in making these portraits a reality. It is the least we could do here at Hogwarts to honor their memory. Following the Anniversary Ball, the portraits will be moved to the corridor on the third floor, where they will reside for present and future Hogwarts students to see and interact with.” 

Applause broke out at her words, and Minerva smiled graciously at the gesture. When she deemed the applause enough, she held up her hands in a similar fashion as her predecessor. Satisfied that everyone was listening again, she finished her speech.

“As I’ve mentioned before, I hope you are all able to find enjoyment and peace this evening. The feast will begin momentarily, and we will have a few more speakers after we eat. We will end the evening with dancing. Thank you.” Minerva turned to take her seat as applause erupted once more and meals magically appeared on everyone’s plates.

Minerva tucked into her own meal as she quietly began conversing with Kingsley and the other staff members around her. Kingsley expressed his shock and gratitude for the portraits to her, as the other staff members commented on how the reveal was perfectly executed. Her eyes drifted around the room, ensuring that everyone was satisfied and able to enjoy their time. She felt an immense amount of relief when Kingsley congratulated her on a job well done with the planning efforts for the event. Everything seemed to go off without a hitch.

When the plates were cleared after pudding had been served, Kingsley made his way up to the podium and addressed the crowd. His words were the perfect mixture of formal and uplifting. Like Minerva, he thanked everyone for agreeing to attend despite knowing how challenging it may have been. 

“At this time, I would like to welcome one more speaker up to the podium. Without this young man, we would not be here this evening.” Minerva watched as Kingsley nodded to Harry who stood and made his way to the front of the room.

Minerva gave Harry her rapt attention as he spoke. “Er, hi everyone,” he began. “I—” she watched as Harry paused and scratched his head before continuing. “ I wasn’t planning on speaking this evening, but I did think of a couple things I wanted to say.”

Minerva shook her head. Remind me to speak with the other staff members about incorporating more public speaking into our curriculum, she thought to herself. After making her mental note, she refocused on Harry’s words.

“I know how hard it is to be here. I, er, almost didn’t want to attend myself. I’m glad I did, though. Thank you, Professor McGonagall, for making the portraits happen. It’s really great to see all of their faces again, and I know many future students will appreciate being able to see their loved ones.” Minerva knew Harry was speaking particularly of little Teddy.

“Anyways, er, what I wanted to say is, I know we’re here to remember and honor those we lost. And though it seems like that would make this more of a depressing event, I think about the ones I was close to, and what they would think. Fred, Remus, Tonks, Colin, Lavender, even Professor Snape…” Harry paused between each name, allowing them to sink in. 

“They wouldn’t want us wallowing over their deaths anymore. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, let’s enjoy the evening by having fun and celebrating a magical world no longer living in fear. It’s what they would have wanted. Well, except maybe Professor Snape, he never was one for fun.” His audience was quiet, save for a few chuckles, when someone broke the silence. 

“Hear, hear!” came a shout from Fred’s portrait.

The attendees were silent for a moment before breaking out in applause and laughter. As Harry’s speech concluded, Minerva didn’t bother to hide the tears that had gathered in her eyes. That young man standing in front of her had risked so much, and lost much more for wizardkind. Her heart swelled with pride, and she thanked Merlin for this moment right here, where so many former and current students were gathered, all who fought bravely in the war.

She raised her wand and cast Sonorous on her throat in order to be heard above the applause. “Let the celebration commence!” she said happily before casting the counter spell. Right on cue, the music began with an upbeat melody as guests made their way to the dance floor.

All in all, Minerva couldn’t be happier with how the event turned out. The mood had shifted from mournful to hopeful as the night carried on. The Anniversary Ball had truly become a special event that was able to offer another form of closure to families. Minerva was honored to be part of planning such an event that would set the precedent of anniversaries for years to come.

[softheartedscorpio]

14 - Wolfstar/Drary

Winter/Holiday Prompt #14: Home for the holidays, but my parents won’t let us share a room so we sneak out to see each other.

Pairing: Wolfstar

Background: Sixth year. Remus and Sirius have been together for about a year now. Sirius is already living with the Potters because that’s his ✨true family✨ and Mrs. Potter won’t let Remus and Sirius share a room. (Also I know that Dorea and Charlus aren’t James’s parents but this is my own HC 🥺👉🏽👈🏽)

So you also put Drarry and I just wanted to let you know that I did this prompt for Drarry so I hope you enjoy that one as well 🥺❤️ but here’s some wolfstar for you 🥰

—

“I can’t believe she won’t let me and Moony stay in the same room,” Sirius grumbled as he laid in James’s bed while Remus changed. Peter snickered from his spot on the floor, “She knows you two won’t keep your hands to yourself.” Peter commented as he munched on some crisps. James smirked, “I think it’s because last time you stayed together, she walked in on you both making out.” Sirius pouted before turning over, “Whatever. I’m ignoring you both.”

“Awww,” James threw himself on the bed with a magazine in hand. “Don’t be like that Siri.” He emphasized Remus’s nickname for Sirius as he pinched the pouting teen’s cheek. Sirius swatted at James, “I will hex you Potter.” James laughed as he pulled away and settled among the pillows before opening his magazine, “It’s just a few nights.” Sirius grunted but didn’t respond as Remus stepped back into the room, “Still complaining?” The dry tone had Sirius rolling over and beaming at him.

“The injustice of it all,” Sirius declared as he watched Remus pull on a shirt. “Is that she doesn’t trust us.” Remus gave him a flat look, “We did get caught last time.” Sirius huffed before hiding a smirk as an idea came to mind, “Fine. I’ll sleep in my own cold bed. Alone.” The three other boys exchanged a look of disbelief, “What are you up to Padfoot?” Peter questioned, setting the bag of food down. “Me? Nothing,” Sirius said affronted before standing up. “I’m going to go change.”

“He’s up to something,” Remus sighed but couldn’t hide the fondness from his voice as James shook his head in amusement. “I can’t wait for it to backfire spectacularly.” Peter snickered again as he nodded in agreement.

...

The boys had gone to bed about three hours ago and Dorea Potter made her rounds, double checking that Sirius was in his own bed, she knew Remus would respect her wishes. She slowly peeked in on Sirius who was snoring softly. She smirked in success. She outlasted her little troublemaking adopted son. She practically skipped down the hall to her own room to share the good news with Charlus.

...

Sirius peeked an eye open when he heard his adopted mother move away. He thanked everything in him that he had become an animagus with sensitive hearing before sneaking out of his room and across the hall into Remus’s.

‘It was just cruel to put him so close yet so far from his Moony,’ Sirius thought as he let the door close softly behind him. He snuck into the bed, being careful not to alert the sleeping werewolf, and crawled under the covers. He grinned proudly before snuggling up to his boyfriend. ‘Everything was going according to—’ His smug thoughts cut off as Remus yelped and rolled away from him, “What the fuck Sirius?” Remus’s senses told him who was near as he tried to calm his heart, “You about gave me a bloody heart atta—”

Sirius’s hand clamped over his mouth as he shushed him, “Why don’t you wake up the whole house then Moony?” Sirius’s voice hissed in his ear. Remus took a deep breath as he counted silently to ten. Sirius moved his hand. “I’m going to kill you,” Remus breathed out in a gentle tone before tackling his boyfriend back to the bed. “Wha-...Hey...stop-” Muffled curses left both boy’s mouths as they wrestled before Remus pinned down a pouting Sirius.

“Go back to your own room,” Remus said quietly. Sirius shook his head stubbornly. “Sirius.” “No.” Remus rested his forehead against his, “Why? I know you’re used to us sleeping together at school but Siri, it’s just a few nights.” To his horror, tears gathered in grey eyes, “Siri?” “It’s nothing,” Sirius said as he turned away. “Get off. I’ll go back to my room.” His voice trembled slightly as he pushed at Remus’s shoulder. Remus’s eyebrows furrowed as he racked his brain, trying to figure out what upset his lover, “Sirius. It’s no big deal.” “I said get off,” Sirius’s tone darkened even as a tear slid down his cheek. “Siri-” “Get off Remus!”

Remus flinched back at the harsh tone, and watched with wide eyes as Sirius left the room silently without turning back. He tried to assure himself that Sirius was just mad he didn’t go along with his plan, that he was okay, but deep down he knew something was wrong. He laid on his back, staring at the ceiling, thoughts stuck on the teary grey eyes.

...

“Padfoot?” The soft tone broke the silence of the room as a soft click signaled the closing of a door. Sirius stayed silent, back to Remus as he remained as still as possible. “Siri?” Quiet footsteps came closer before a weight settled on the bed and fingers combed through his hair, “I don’t know what’s wrong if you don’t tell me. I can’t fix this if we don’t talk.” Sirius felt himself give a little at the slight desperation in his boyfriend’s voice.

“I can’t sleep without you,” The response was so quiet that Remus had to strain to hear him. “What?” Remus questioned as he played with Sirius’s hair. Sirius sighed and rolled over to face Remus, eyes ringed with red, “I can’t sleep without you.” He repeated as he stared stubbornly over his lover’s shoulder. “Sirius,” Remus tried to make eye contact. “What are you talking...” He trailed off as flashes of 5th year came to mind; dark circles, quick temper, unable to focus, flinching away from contact.

“I...” Sirius bit his lip, not wanting to say more, “I have nightmares.” He breathed out, “Of m-my mother. I can still feel the pain of the c-cruciatus-” His hands trembled as he clenched them into fists, hating that he was so weak. Remus sucked in a breath and pulled Sirius into his arms, “Baby...” Sirius buried his face into Remus’s chest as he held on tightly to his shirt. “I’ve never realized. I...” Remus felt tears burn at the back of his eyes, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He murmured finally after a moment. “S’not your fault,” Sirius shrugged as he listened to the steady heartbeat and closed his eyes. “I didn’t tell anyone.”

Remus shifted them so they were laying on the bed, “It never occurred to me that you were still...” He trailed off. He couldn’t find a word to fit the situation and wouldn’t offend his lover. Sirius simply snuggled closer as his eyes drooped, “I started sleeping better after we started sharing a bed so I didn’t think of it.” His voice was sluggish, “I only know I can’t sleep without because of those three days you went home because of you father’s health.” Remus remembered that. He came back to a very clingy Sirius who looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Remus felt even more stupid as he realized the signs were all there.

“I’m here now,” Remus soothed as he ran his fingers through long, wavy hair and smiled softly as Sirius’s eyes slipped closed. “Love you Moony...” Sirius mumbled sleepily before he dozed off. “I love you too Pads,” Remus said to the now silent room as he held his boyfriend close. A few moments later, he too fell asleep as a realization dawned on him that he slept better with Sirius next to him as well.

...

Dorea slowly stepped away from the door, tears running down her cheek when she heard the even breathing of the two boys. She hadn’t realized how bad it was for Sirius. She thought that he was over what happened and, now she realized, how foolish that thought was. Sirius had always been a good actor. She closed her eyes, sending out a silent prayer that she could protect that sweet boy who wormed his way into her family and made her way back to her room.

Perhaps those two could share a room after all. She’ll just have to check on them to make sure they behaved.

[agerefandom]

Books and Pigments

(art by @sparrowinged​, story written for @sparrowinged​)

Fandom: Critical Role

Characters: Regressor!Caleb, regressor!Jester, featuring Mama!Nott, caregiver!Ford, and the rest of the Mighty Nein in the background (Beau, Yasha, and Molly)

Words: 3,000

Summary: Upstairs, Jester gives Caleb a bath and they both find the process nostalgic. Downstairs, the others discuss ‘somechildren,’ people who never fully grow up. They’re well-known in Wildemount, but much more accepted on the Menagerie Coast.

Content warnings: ‘Little’ is used as an adjective, but not a noun. Caleb’s backstory is briefly alluded to, as is memory loss from trauma. There is drinking (done by adults). Nott is considered a mother and is referred to as such.

Note: I’m only on episode 47, please excuse any backstory gaps!

Nott was the last to join the table, crawling onto a chair and grabbing a drink that was already on the table, downing most of it in one go.

“Nott!” Molly greeted her from the other side of the table, raising his own tankard to her. “Are the others not coming?”

“Jester has insisted on giving Caleb a bath,” Nott said once she was finished with her beer. “I left him in her capable hands.”

“Capable at many things,” Fjord pointed out. “I hope she’s feeling kind this evening, or Caleb may be in trouble.”

“He’ll be fine.” Nott crawled partly onto the table to drag a plate of meat towards herself, tucking some of it into her pockets. “He does have magic, after all.”

“So does Jester,” Beau said from across the table. Nott flapped a hand at her dismissively.

“Caleb is better.”

“Okay, but if the two of them were in a fight,” Beau started, leaning forwards.

“Jester would win,” Yasha finished.

Nott glared at them both, crossing her arms. “You don’t have enough faith in him,” she said reproachfully. “He’s a very powerful wizard!”

“Yeah, but have you seen Jester’s biceps?” Beau asked.

Nott gave up on the battle in the interest of fitting as much ham as possible into her mouth, and the conversation moved onto arm wrestling shortly after that, shifting with the usual chaos of the Mighty Nein’s evenings off.

--

Meanwhile, upstairs:

Jester was gentler than Caleb had expected, double-checking the temperature of the water and adding another half-bucket before gesturing for Caleb to undress. She hovered around him, snatching his clothes as he removed them and folding them to lie on the bench by the door. Once he was naked, she ushered him towards the washtub.

Sure enough, the water was perfect as Caleb sank into it, not hot enough to scald but warm enough to turn his pale skin rosy as it met the surface.

“Look at your freckles!” Jester cooed, poking Caleb’s shoulders as she bustled around him, preparing the soaps. Caleb hunched forward, self-conscious despite himself. They had all been in the public baths together, and had helped each other with their armour many times. Nevertheless, he was aware of his scars and spots, and didn’t appreciate Jester’s wandering hands.

“Relax,” Jester ordered, as if sensing Caleb’s wandering thoughts. “I am a good girl, I can keep my hands on task.” This was apparently all the warning she deemed necessary before dumping a bucket of lukewarm water over Caleb’s head, plastering his hair over his face until he spat it out of his mouth and tried to push it back.

“Leave it!” Jester’s hands batted Caleb’s away, and she guided him to lean against the edge of the washtub, combing his hair back with sudsy hands. “You’ll just get it more dirty with your stinky fingers.” Caleb was about to protest her wording when she started to dig her fingers into his scalp, and he abruptly found himself melting into the touch. He had not had someone else wash his hair for a very long time, not since far into his childhood. He closed his eyes, although he wasn’t sure if he wanted to chase the memories or push them away. Parts of his childhood had been missing when he’d returned to himself, gaps in his memory that led to disorienting echoes like Jester’s fingers in his hair. Jester’s voice brought him back from the confusion, humming a quiet tune that Caleb did not recognize.

Caleb found himself drifting through the rest of the bath, with Jester’s hands shielding his eyes from the suds she rinsed out of his hair, guiding him from position to position so that she could rub sweet-smelling lotions into his hair, his cheeks, his back. She even washed the bottoms of his feet before smearing a handful of soap into his palm and gesturing for him to finish the rest of his body. Through every motion, her humming got louder, until she was singing little pieces of foreign songs to herself as she brought over the final bucket of water.

The washing water had become quite dirty, and Jester rinsed Caleb’s body with the last fresh water as he stood up from the tub. She wrapped a soft blanket around him and tugged him out of the bath with a giggle. Caleb followed where she led, feeling pleasantly distant and oddly content.

Jester sat him on a stool and started to comb out his hair, making tiny braids as she sang those little snatches of simple but unfamiliar songs.

Jester had been singing for long enough that her speaking voice almost startled Caleb when she put down the comb. “Do you want to take a nap?” She ran her hands through his hair. “Or I could give you a haircut.”

“Nap,” Caleb said quickly. It was the preferable of the two options: Jester had been gentle enough with the comb, but he didn’t want to test their luck with a sharp blade near his ears. “Nap is good.”

“Naps are the best,” Jester corrected, pulling Caleb off the stool and towards the door without sparing a glance at his clothes. “Come on, let’s go!”

“Clothes,” Caleb managed to protest.

“Who needs clothes?”

“Me!” Caleb managed to pull his wrist free of Jester’s grasp and scoop up his abandoned clothes with one arm. His outer layers and everything important were back in his room, but he didn’t want to leave things in the bath room to get taken.

“We’ll get fresh clothes in your room, but I want to nap in my bed,” Jester said, in a tone that invited no challenges. Caleb nodded and followed her down the hallway, watching Jester’s skirts swish as she skipped past each door, her tail bobbing behind her. She stopped outside of Caleb and Nott’s room, gesturing for Caleb to go in and get changed. Caleb wandered into the room, sat down on the bed, and decided that he didn’t want to get up. The warm water of the bath and the gentle washing had made him too sleepy, and there was no way he was budging.

“Caaaaleb,” Jester whined from the doorway. “I want to go to my room!” Caleb ignored her, leaning back on the mattress and wrapping his blanket tighter around him. It was soft and perfect and he wasn’t leaving, no matter how loudly Jester protested. “Caaaaleb!!” Although her voice was rather disturbing the tranquility of the room. “Nap in my room! Get your clothes!”

With a huff, Caleb rolled sideways off the bed and managed to collect a few items of clothing, stumbling towards Jester in the doorway and accepting the hand she had stretched out towards him. She pulled him down the hallway and into the room that the girls shared, shutting the door behind them before jumping at the double bed with an impressive leap and rolling across it in a blur of petticoats and skirts.

“Sleepover, Caleb!” Jester popped back up to sitting, and patted the bed beside her enthusiastically. Caleb wandered over and she pulled him down on the mattress with a little more force than necessary. It was very comfortable, Caleb acknowledged. Maybe even more comfortable than the bed in his room. He wiggled back and forth to get himself properly wrapped up in his blanket, and then let his head rest against the covers of the bed. Jester was arranging herself beside him, wrapping one arm over his swaddled side and pulling him back against her. She was inhumanly warm, impossibly cozy, and as she started to hum a quiet song, Caleb felt his eyes drifting closed.

--

“Oh, that was nothing, remember the time that she decided to drop a box of manure on that priest of the Allhammer?”

“Classic!”

“Y’all think Jester is a troublemaker now, you should see her when she’s feeling little,” Fjord offered to the discussion. “No one is safe.”

“Jester’s a somechild?” Molly asked, leaning forwards. “I’m surprised I didn’t realize sooner.”

“Oh yeah. She isn’t little often.” Fjord finished his drink and wiggled it in the air for a refill. “Sweetest thing but a handful for anyone. I met her when she was little, actually.”

“Are somechildren more common where you come from?” Nott asked.

“Yeah, the Menagerie Coast is a lot better about them,” Fjord said. “Nicodranas has a whole district dedicated to them, and it’s the loudest part of the city. Empire kids come there all the time for a break, I hear.”  

“Most of the Empire’s not big on them,” Beau confirmed. “Never understood why, I think they’re sweet. And it doesn’t stop Jester from being the most badass tiefling I’ve ever met—no offence, Molly.”

“Jester can have the baddest ass as long as I have the sweetest,” Mollymauk laughed. “Also, I bet I could take Jester in a fight.” Beau made a doubtful sound. “What, don’t believe me? I’ll go and get her now, settle it here.”

“Fuck yeah!” Beau sprang to her feet. “I’ll come with you and get her.”

“Two gold on Molly,” Nott muttered to Fjord.

“I’ll take that bet. He’s gonna go easy on her.”

“You clearly don’t know him well enough,” Yasha interjected. “He doesn’t go easy on anyone over the age of fifteen.”

“Either way, I think we’ll be spending our bet money repairing the bar if we don’t convince them to take it outside,” Fjord pointed out, and made to follow the two who’d already left. The others brought their drinks, but trailed obediently up the stairs to watch the outcome.

--

“They only need to drink every few days, and retrieve much of their hydration from the plant matter they consume.” Jester giggled at Caleb’s fancy words, focused on the drawing that she was working on. “They can eat up to seventy-five stones worth of vegetation in a single day, but do not kill the trees they feed on.”

“They eat stones?” Jester asked, reaching for a different colour.

“Nein!” Caleb laughed. “Die bäume! Leaves!”

“Ohhhh.” Jester added a rock anyways in the grass. “Keep reading!”

“Um… The trees of the area are best known for their wide leaves, and their layered appearance.” Caleb’s voice was different when he was reading, his accent lighter with the care he used in pronouncing each word. Jester looked critically at the tree she had already drawn and was about to start on another one when the door opened.

“Here they are!” Molly’s voice came from behind her.

Jester turned with a smile, putting down the stick of pigment that she had been using to draw. “Hi Molly! Caleb is teaching me about South Marquet! Have you ever seen a giraffe?”

“Can’t say that I have, sweetheart.” Molly leaned himself against the doorframe, all sparkly and pretty. Jester wanted to draw a star on his cheek, but she would have to wait until he was asleep, probably. “Have you?”

“I saw one in a cage once! It looked like this!” Jester showed Molly her drawing.

“Hmm, that’s pretty neat.” Molly came closer to look at it. “You’re a very good artist, Jester.”

“I know I am!” Jester had to lean around Molly’s legs to look at Caleb. He was curled up on the bed with a pile of blankets around him, a big book open on his lap. He’d stopped reading when Molly came in and now he looked like he was trying to hide himself in the blankets. “Caleb, what are you doing?”

Jester received no answer, only a muffled squeak from the pile of blankets. She pushed herself to her feet, ready to go extract her friend from his hiding place, but Fjord walked in the door and she froze, tucking her hands behind her back and puffing out her chest.

Fjord’s gaze travelled over the room before landing on her, and he sighed. “Jester, you know you’re supposed to come and find me when you’re little.”

“I’m not!” Jester protested. “I’m big!”

“Uh-huh. Because I know for a fact that big Jester wouldn’t be very happy to get pigment all over her nice blue dress, and tends to use paper like a big girl, and not draw on the walls of an inn that she’ll have to pay for.” Jester glanced back at her drawing, which was indeed on the wall of the room.

“That was Caleb,” she tried. “I didn’t do it.”

“Oh.” Fjord nodded understandingly. “And did he get pigments on your dress as well?”

“Yep!” Jester bobbed her head. Thank goodness, he was going for it! Maybe Caleb would get in trouble and she would get to watch.

“Alright.” Fjord got really close to her, all unfairly tall and wide and green. “Let me see your hands.” Jester hesitated, but when Fjord put his hands out, palms-up, she obediently put her hands into his. He traced the lines of colour on her palms, showing where she had held the sticks of pigment. “That’s what I thought.” He dropped Jester’s hands and she hunched her shoulders, embarrassed at being caught in the lie. It wasn’t her fault! Fjord was just really smart. That was why he was going to the Academy when they got there!

“You ready to be honest with me?” Jester nodded her head wordlessly. “That’s good. Are you little, Jester?” Jester couldn’t help pouting at the question, but she nodded anyways. “Thank you. And why are you supposed to come and get me when you’re little?”

“Cause it’s dangerous,” Jester sighed. “And I could get hurt.”

“That’s right.” Fjord put a hand on the top of her head, right between her curved horns. “We’re visiting the Empire right now, and they aren’t as friendly as in Nicodranas, so it’s important to stick close.”

“Okay.” She didn’t know why they were visiting the stupid Empire anyways when people in Nicodranas were so much more fun. Stupid Empire. Stupid Fjord.

“Where’s Caleb gone, anyways?”

Jester lifted her head to see that Molly had left the room at some point, and Caleb had effectively hidden himself in the blankets, with only the still-open book poking out from the pile.

“He’s playing hide and seek!” She shook off Fjord’s hand and bounced towards the bed. “Caaaleb, I’m coming to find you!” Caleb stayed quiet, but Jester knew where he was. She pounced on the pile and sure enough it squirmed underneath her, trying to push her off.

“Lass den Quatsch!!” she heard Caleb protesting, and she rolled off with a giggle, helping him remove the blankets. Once Caleb was revealed, he was pouting, his hair a staticky mess from the struggle.

“Found you!” Jester pulled him in for a hug and he allowed it, wrapping his arms back around her. When she finally released him, he wriggled backwards into the blanket pile again, pulling one around his shoulders. Caleb sure liked blankets a lot!

Jester glanced over her shoulder at Fjord, who was watching them curiously without saying anything.

“Do you want to play with us? You can hide next if you want!”

Caleb made a sound like a deflating balloon and flopped forwards, his blanket covering his head.

“Stop that!” Jester pulled him back up to sitting. “You’re not supposed to hide anymore, I found you.” Caleb whined, tugging against Jester’s grasp on his blanket.

“Caleb?” Nott appeared in the doorway as if summoned by the noise, and was pushing Jester away before she could even blink.

“Hey!” Jester protested, trying to get back to Caleb.

“You were hurting him!” Nott accused, standing between them. She was eye-level with Jester like this, with Jester kneeling on the bed, and she looked super mad and scary.

“I wasn’t! He was hiding!”

“Mama?” Caleb’s voice was quiet, but Nott immediately turned to him. “She’s nice.”

“Okay. I believe you.” Nott gave Jester a second look, still not looking very friendly, and then swept Caleb up in a hug, her arms and legs wrapping around his shoulders and torso. Caleb buried his nose in her shoulder, and Jester subsided onto her butt, letting them have their moment.

“Do you want me to send them away?” Nott asked, her voice quiet. Jester was still close enough to hear the question.

Caleb shook his head, and Nott detached from him, lowering her feet to the mattress and keeping one hand on Caleb’s cheek. “Okay.”

“I understand why you were asking about the Menagerie Coast now,” Fjord said from behind them. “Didn’t realize you were a caregiver.”

“Mother,” Nott corrected him, stroking clawed fingers through Caleb’s newly clean and shiny hair. “I did tell you that he was my boy.”

“Right, right.” Fjord nodded. “I’m sorry for intruding, I didn’t know he and Jester were playing together.”

“He was telling me about giraffes!” Jester said, pointing to her art again.

“He’s a very clever boy, isn’t he?” Nott sounded proud. Jester thought she was probably a really good mom. She could tell those kinds of things about people.

“He can read all kinds of books and he doesn’t even sound really funny most of the time when he’s reading!” Jester said. Caleb made a ‘hmph’ sound. “I mean, he doesn’t sound funny at all ever!” she added. “He’s really smart.”

Caleb’s hands reached for the book, pulling it onto his lap and hugging it to his chest.

“Would you read to me again?” Jester asked, scooting forwards on the bed. “I was really enjoying it.”

“Do you want some paper for your illustrations this time?” Fjord asked, already holding it out in her direction.

“Yeah!” Jester stretched her arms out and waited for Fjord to bring it over. “I can make you more pictures!”

“Mm-hm.” Caleb opened the book and spent a few seconds flicking through the pages before settling on one, looking up and waiting for everyone to settle down. Fjord closed the door and took a seat on the floor by the bed once Jester’s paper had been delivered, joining the audience for Caleb’s story. Caleb glanced nervously at him, and then up at Nott standing beside him.

“You are very good at reading,” Nott told him. “But you don’t have to.”

Caleb cleared his throat, put one finger under the line he was reading, and started again. “The trees in the region are best known for their wide leaves and layered appearance.” Jester started on her drawing, all four of them settling in for an unplanned quiet evening.

[kpop-zone]

All About You pt.2 | Wendy

Genre: fluff

Wordcount: 2,361

A/N: I’m sorry to the anon who requested this. The story kinda became focused on RV instead of the love story :D

“Why are you looking out of the window like that?”

Yeri asked in confusion as she stepped into the living room and saw Joohyun basically being glued to the window.

“Seungwan just left to get boba.”

She answered absentmindedly and Yeri looked at her considering whether she had lost her mind now.

“Alright... That totally explains your weird behavior.”

Yeri commented cynically and finally Joohyun moved away from the window before rolling her eyes.

“I think Seungwan is seeing someone.”

She explained and Yeri looked at her with wide eyes.

“She’s doing what???”

Yeri yelled in shock causing Seulgi and Sooyoung to jump in surprise as they were just entering the apartment.

“Joohyun are you teasing the maknae again?”

Seulgi asked reproachfully, but Yeri quickly cleared things up.

“Did you know that Seungwan is dating?”

The other members looked equally as shocked and searched for answers from their leader.

“I don’t know for sure. But she has been going out alone a lot lately and I’ve caught her smiling at her phone several times now.”

Irene explained causing Sooyoung to gasp scandalized.

“You mean all those times she has been going out to get “boba”?”

Sooyoung put the word boba in quotation marks and Irene nodded affirmatively.

“I can’t believe her! Is she out now? We have to follow her immediately!”

She exclaimed and Yeri immediately agreed with her.

“Whoa slow down. We can’t do that. She’s going to tell us when she’s ready. It’s none of our business.”

Irene tried to be rational, but the younger members couldn’t be stopped anymore.

“She’s my best friend! Her relationship is my relationship. And it’s inacceptable that she has been keeping it from me.”

Sooyoung complained loudly and Irene sighed in defeat. Her members could be so dramatic sometimes.

But she knew them long enough to understand that she couldn’t talk sense into them anyways. Therefore, she agreed to their plan to follow Seungwan to her secret date and hoped that she could keep them at bay.

Their driver brought them to the only Gong Cha shop that was near enough at their company for Seungwan to go there in her breaks. They got out of the car a block before reaching their destination as to not get recognized by Seungwan.

Like in a spy movie, they walked the rest of the way while looking around as if Seungwan could wait for them around every corner. Eventually they ended up in front of the Gong Cha shop and peaked through the windows.

“Oh my god.”

Seulgi gasped in shock when she spotted her friend sitting at one of the tables.

“Sh!!!”

The other members immediately shushed her, because they were afraid of getting caught.

“She’s just drinking some boba. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Irene tried to calm them, but when the cashier walked around the counter and sat next to Seungwan, there was no holding back.

“Such a liar!”

Sooyoung whisper yelled while watching how her best friend lowkey flirted with you.

Although all of them were offended that Seungwan hadn’t told them about her secret dates, they didn’t want to disturb the two of you and kept lurking in front of the shop. Seungwan deserved to be happy and by the look on her face, she was exactly that when she was around you. It was heart melting and awkward the same time to watch her attempts to flirt with you and Irene had to hold Sooyoung back several times, because she couldn’t stand the second-hand embarrassment anymore because of Seungwan’s lack of smoothness. You didn’t seem to mind though as you were looking at her with sparkling eyes and hung on her every word.

Deciding that Seungwan was able to manage the situation on her own, the members eventually decided to leave the two of you alone. Right when they wanted to go home, however, the two of you suddenly walked to the exit of the shop and they needed to hide behind some dumpsters in order for Seungwan not to see them.

“Where are they going?”

Yeri whispered while observing how you locked the shop and walked away with Seungwan.

“We need to find out.”

Suddenly Irene was seized by curiosity and she wanted to know how the two of you would spend the rest of the evening.

Disguised with sunglasses and hats, the four of them started following you while making sure to keep enough distance. For a while you just strolled around the city while awkwardly brushing your hands against each other several times. But then at one point, you actually started to hold hands, causing all of the members to almost squeal in excitement, but they managed to pull themselves together in the last second. After what felt like ages, the two of you finally ended up in a little restaurant and Sooyoung naturally wanted to follow you inside.

“What are you doing? We can’t go in. They will notice us.”

Irene quickly held her back, but Sooyoung shook her off.

“We’ll be lowkey.”

She rolled her eyes before walking to the entrance, closely followed by the other members. Not wanting to be a bad sport, Irene ignored her concerns and quickly caught up to them.

Carefully they entered the restaurant and looked for the two of you. They spotted you sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant. Therefore, they chose a table in the middle of the restaurant where some people were surrounding them, so that Wendy didn’t have unobstructed view on them. Unsuspiciously, they browsed through the menu while keeping an eye on you and thinking that they were being lowkey. What they didn’t consider though, was your sharp eye.

---

This night couldn’t have gone any better. The waiting finally had an end. All these times, you weren’t sure whether Seungwan was just being nice. And now you were sitting in a restaurant to have your first real date. You hadn’t been delusional, and she was actually feeling the same way as you did. Everything was perfect.

Almost perfect.

Throughout the whole night, you couldn’t seem to be able to relax. Something had felt off the whole time. But it surely wasn’t the chemistry between Seungwan and you, because you felt like a million butterflies were caged in your stomach whenever she looked at you. It took you a while till you figured out what was bothering you. But eventually you could put a finger on it.

You felt watched.

In the beginning, you tried to ignore it, thinking that you were just being paranoid because you were nervous. But then your insecurities increased. What if you were truly being watched? Although you had never talked about it, you knew that Seungwan was famous, so it was not that unlikely that some paparazzi had followed her. Attentively you scanned the restaurant in search for any unusual guests, causing Seungwan to look at you in confusion.

“Is everything ok?”

She asked concerned when she noticed your strange behavior.

“I kind of have the feeling that we’re being watched. Could it be that the paparazzi followed you?”

You responded and Seungwan’s expression immediately changed.

She frowned thoughtfully and looked a lot more serious.

“It could be, but I was really careful. But maybe some fans tipped them off.”

Slowly an unsettling feeling started to form in your stomach. You had never been in a situation like this. What were you supposed to do now? You didn’t want Seungwan to get in trouble because of you and it was also clear that a scandal like this would kill your relationship before it had even started.

“What are we supposed to do now?”

You asked nervously, but Seungwan immediately sensed your discomfort.

Quickly her expression softened, and she smiled at you.

“Don’t worry. I��m sure everything will be fine. Maybe it’s just some fans that want an autograph.”

Seungwan reached out to take your hand, but stopped in the last second, looking at you apologetically instead. But you understood that you had to be more careful now, so you smiled at her. Lowkey, Seungwan took a glance over her shoulder, searching for anyone that looked suspicious. There were no windows near you, so the only way someone could have snapped pictures of you would have been from the inside.

Suddenly something had apparently caught Seugnwan’s attention, because she stopped dead in her tracks and narrowed her eyes at something.

“What? Is it the paparazzi?”

You asked slightly panicked, but Seungwan ignored you and looked really indignant instead.

“I can’t believe them.”

She muttered under her breath and you ended up frowning in confusion.

You were just about to ask whether everything was alright, when Seungwan suddenly leaped to her feet and spurted away. With wide eyes, you gazed back at her while your heart beat twice as fast. She went straight to a table that was occupied by four persons. Their faces were all buried behind the menu, so you couldn’t see who they were. But by the look on Seungwan’s face, she wasn’t amused that they were there.

Once she reached the table, she started gesturing wildly. The noise in the background made it impossible though to understand what she was saying. You tried making sense of the scenario in front of you, but you couldn’t come up with a plausible explanation. Who were the persons? And why was Seungwan yelling at them? Soon your questions should be answered though.

After being scolded another time, the persons at the table finally lowered the menus and you gasped in surprise when you saw their faces. They looked over at you and waved sheepishly, causing you to chuckle. The scene in front of you was almost too absurd to be true. The troublemakers were none other than Seungwan’s group members. A wave of relief washed over you and you tried to greet them politely from afar.

Then, however, Seungwan waved you over and your grin faltered. You weren’t ready to meet Red Velvet yet. This night had been full of surprises and you weren’t sure if you could take any more excitement. But Seungwan held her hand out for you to take, so you slowly walked over to the table.

“Good evening.”

You greeted them shyly, so Seungwan immediately put her arm around your waist and pulled you closer.

“Don’t be so nice to them. They scared you and have absolutely no business being here.”

Seungwan grumbled and you almost had to start laughing again, because of the guilty faces of the other members.

“If you would have been honest, it wouldn’t have come this far.”

Sooyoung responded grumpily while crossing her arms, causing Seungwan to look at her indignant.

She wanted to talk back, but you quickly patted her arm and beat her to starting a fight with her best friend.

“I’m relieved that it has just been you guys and not the paparazzi.”

You tried to calm the situation and Seungwan’s stern gaze actually softened when she looked at you.

“Yeah I wouldn’t have wanted our relationship to start with a scandal.”

She smiled, but you didn’t get to respond, because a loud gasp from the table interrupted you.

“You’re in a relationship?”

Yeri almost shouted, causing Seungwan to blush profoundly.

“Well... actually I didn’t get to ask Y/N yet. But I would love to make it official.”

Shyly she looked at you and a wide smile spread on your face.

“I am all in.”

You grinned happily, causing Seungwan to squeal in joy before leaping into your arms.

Tightly you hugged her while lifting her a little off the ground, making her giggle like a little child.

“Ugh ok stop that.”

Irene murmured and you quickly put Seungwan back on the floor, while looking apologetically at her leader who’s expression was hard to read for you.

“So if we are all here, should we just eat together?”

Seulgi suddenly chimed in with a wide smile, causing everybody to look at you.

“That’s fine with me.”

You answered, because you were looking forward to getting to know the people that Seungwan spent her days with.

Everyone agreed with you and although it was a little tight, there was enough space for everyone at the table in the end. The members immediately started chatting, but you didn’t really know how to contribute to the conversation. After all, you didn’t know them that well. Nervously you started fidgeting with your fingers, because you realized that you were like an intruder in their friendship group.

Then, however, Seungwan took your hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze while smiling at you from the side.

“Thanks for putting up with all this.”

She chuckled sheepishly, referring to the rollercoaster ride that this night had been so far.

“I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

You replied, realizing that you were already too far gone to be scared off by anything.

Mesmerized by Seungwan’s eyes deeply staring into yours, your face automatically moved closer to hers. Her gaze flickered to your lips and you licked them reflexively while almost being able to feel Seungwan’s breath tickling your skin.

“Y/N! Now to the important questions.”

Sooyoung’s loud voice suddenly cut through the tension between Seungwan and you, causing you to jump in surprise and hitting your knee hard on the table.

Completely confused and a little nervous, you looked at the raven-haired girl that had a victorious smirk on her face.

“Do you like dogs?”

She asked cheekily, making all the members at the table groan in response while Irene shoved her shoulders.

“What? It’s an important question!”

Sooyoung justified herself, but her members immediately started scolding her, leading to a heated discussion.

With a smile playing on your lips, you watched the scene in front of you. You had probably never met a more chaotic bunch of people. But you didn’t mind one bit.

Wasn’t life all about surrounding yourself with the right people?

And you were sure that you had just found yours.

[commander-rahrah]

Alone with You - A Ride or Die Short (Logan x MC)

Pairing: MC Ellie Wheeler x Logan

Chapter Rating: T

Word Count: 3600+

Description: It’s been two years since Ellie and Logan said goodbye. And now he’s standing in front of her. 

Disclaimer: Characters are from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, backgrounds, etc. 

Author’s Note: 1 billion years ago I said that I had re-read Ride or Die and it made me have a lot of feelings and ideas about what happened to Ellie and Logan (since ROD2 is never going to happen?!!?!!?!). Well, I wrote it. Finally.

The two have been stuck in my head for so long -- I have a playlist for them, I have a pinterest board for them. I am so happy to finally have fully written this little short out. And who knows... if people like it, maybe it can become a little mini series? 

As always any likes, reblogs and comments are very appreciated. 

Taglist: @omgjasminesimone​ @brightpinkpeppercorn​ @choicesarehard​ (hope this is OK, I remember you three being excited for this lol)

Full choices masterlist: here

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

I wanna be alone Alone with you, does that make sense? I wanna steal your soul And hide you in my treasure chest I don't know what to do To do with your kiss on my neck I don't know what feels true But this feels right so stay a sec Yeah, you feel right so stay a sec

“Ellie?”

She froze — her hands hovering on the latch for the car hood. Gulping, she snagged it with a tan finger before turning around.

It was really him.

He looked exactly the same. His brown hair, perfectly waved around his face. His puppy dog eyes were big as he took her in. A black t-shirt clung to his chest and biceps — his arms hanging loosely at his sides, his car keys dangling from his fingers.

“L-Logan?” She stammered, wiping her greasy hands on her jean shorts.

He took two giant steps, before enveloping her into his arms.

Ellie stood frozen for a moment — standing in shock. Before she blinked back to reality, and threw her skinny arms around him. He placed his forehead into the crook of her neck, holding her tighter as she hugged him back.

“What — what are you doing here?” She muttered through his wavy, brown hair. Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as she pulled away from him.

“I’ve just been driving — and I needed to stop and do some work,” He pointed a finger behind him to the familiar GT — that was painted matte black now. “I usually go to a little Ma and Pop like this...” He voice trailed off as he took her in. “You look good Troublemaker,”

Ellie ignored the feeling that nickname gave her, following her train of thought. “You were just driving? You didn’t realize you were getting close to my college town?”

He hesitated, “I—I’ve been driving for a while, didn’t really pay attention to where I was going.”

“Right.” She said, not believing him.

He peered over her shoulder to the white convertible she was working on. It was sitting half out of the garage, shining in the sun. “230SL, hey? She’s pretty.”

“Thanks, she’s mine.” She looked back at the car, licking her lips.

His dark brows furrowed in confusion, “What happened to the Panther?”

Ellie ignored the question, “Logan, what are we doing?”

He shrugged, not sure what she was implying. “What do you mean?”

“I mean — I haven’t seen you in two years, and we— we’re just, what? Shooting the shit at this garage?” Her voice started to raise a little — her emotions getting the best of her.

His dark eyes went wide, “Well, no—“

“Well, what Logan? I didn’t think I was ever gonna see you again. And now you’re just here and you’re asking me about my car?!” Her arms wrapped around her torso as she started to tremble.

Logan moved his hands out to touch her — but then thought better of it. He played it off instead, running his fingers through his dark waves, “Ellie... I know this is so unexpected. If you could — just gimme two hours. Two hours of just normal stuff. I missed you — more than I want to admit.”

“I missed you too.” She croaked out, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones. “We’ll trade out spots in the  garage. Take my car.”

Logan hesitated — looking back at his car with a twisted mouth.

“It’s that or you can pay like $25 an hour to park near my apartment.”

“Way too rich for my blood.” He smiled sheepishly, before unlatching his key from his belt loop.

The pair reversed and drove around each other — before Logan slid into her white convertible. His hands ran over the fine stitching on the leather seats — a smile spreading across his face as he took in the vintage car. “You have to tell me how you got this.”

Ellie swallowed as she watched him — following his calloused fingers softly touching the console and arm rests, “I bought it at an estate sale actually. This guy’s son was selling it — said his dad was working on it for most of his life. Poor guy died before he got the chance to finish it and it was way over the sons head.”

His thick brows raised on his forehead, “You low ball him?”

“For a 230SL? No. But I made sure I had enough leftover to fix it up.”

Looking over her shoulder, Ellie reversed out of the parking lot with ease and started to drive them through the streets of Cambridge.

Logan was looking through the passenger window — watching all of the brown stones whiz by, “So, you work at the garage?”

“No,” She shook her head, imagining the little two car garage mechanic shop in her head,  “I just made an arrangement with Mr. Kim, the owner. He lets me work on the car and get it fixed up when I want.”

“So you did all of this?” His mouth opened in slight shock.

“Everything but the paint.” She shrugged nonchalantly.

“Damn, Ellie.” A grin spread across his face as he was genuinely impressed with her. “You a grease monkey now?”

She smirked at him, “Mechanical engineer actually.”

“That’s what you decided on for school?” His voice was so genuine — it was killing her.

She nodded in reply, her eyes focused on the road. Her fingers were tight around the steering wheel.

“Good for you. I’m glad.” There it was again — and he was probably looking at her with those big brown eyes.

Licking her lips, she changed the subject, “You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Good thing I know the best place to get burgers in Cambridge.”

______________________________________________________________________

“Can we get also get two doubles, well done and crispy fries? Thanks Joe.” Ellie rattled off the order without looking at the menu. She gave them a smile, but then quickly her eyebrows shot up, “Oh! And no mustard on one!” She turned around to face Logan.

“You remembered?” His heart fluttered.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal.” She shrugged, before putting the straw to her milkshake back in her mouth — chewing it slightly.

But it was a big deal to Logan. His heart was melting because she had remembered he didn’t like mustard. Two years later.

God, he was a mess.

He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to act right now. All he wanted to do was to hold her, to make her laugh again. To kiss her soft pink lips.

“EJ?!”

Logan ignored the voice, instead drawing his eyes away from her and looking out of the window at all the people walking by — all of them mostly students.

“Austin, hey.” Logan’s ears perked up as he heard Ellie’s voice. Turning around he watched as she was approached by a tall guy with a black cap and MIT hoodie.

His stomach burned with jealousy as they hugged.

The young man pulled his arms back from around her, looking down at her with a warm smile, “We were just talking about you,” He gestured behind him to a group of guys sitting at a table, “You heading to the track tonight?”

“Oh, uh,” Ellie clammed up, “No actually I have—“

“Hey I’m Logan.” He stepped forward — his calloused hands outstretched for a handshake.

“Logan?! Like hometown, Cali Logan? Nice to meet you man.” He clapped his hand to his, gripping it tightly.

“Yeah — that’s me.” So Ellie has talked about him to other people?

Ellie sidled up in between them, waving her hand at the guy in the cap, “This is Austin. He’s in eng — engineering with me at school.”

Logan scrutinized him quickly — he was a lot bigger then him. But that wouldn’t be a big deal — he had fought guys much bigger than him his whole life and usually came out the winner. “Austin” had way too perfect stubble and the vest he was wearing over his hoodie probably cost $250.

“EJ’s our resident brainiac.” Austin flashed a megawatt smile — his teeth were perfect too.

Logan’s first instinct was to hate this guy, “Sounds about right.” He said casually, looking over to Ellie who had her arms crossed over her torso.

“He’s just saying that.” She said, her eyes low.

“EJ, foods up!” The man working the countered yelled from behind them.

She sighed in relief, and quickly turned to get the bags. Shuffling back towards them she gave a sheepish smile, “All ready to go.”

“Enjoy you two. If we won’t see you at the track tonight, we’ll catch you at Ash’s birthday tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure. Probably.” She nodded nervously, “Okay, talk to you guys later.” She waved her full hands to the table of guys behind Austin and started to walk away.

Logan followed her out, looking back over his shoulder at the group once more — his brows furrowed as he watched Austin return to the group — all of them chatting excitedly and watching them leave.

He grabbed the car door for her, before grabbing the brown bags of food so she could climb in.  Getting in himself, he couldn’t help but notice how nervous she seemed as she fumbled with her keys to start the car.

They sat in silence for a moment — the only sound was the rustling of the bags on his lap as they drove through the downtown streets. Finally he broke the quiet.

“So, EJ huh?”

She licked her lips before speaking, “Yeah. Ellie J—“

“Jane. I know.” He nodded, remembering the night she had told him her middle name. She had been curled up in his arms in his little loft above the garage — she had drawn circles on his arms as she spoke about her mother, her namesake.

“Of course...” She glanced over to him — her face was hard to read. “When I moved here I just — I wanted to be someone else. Not just Ellie. So I introduced myself as EJ.”

“So what’s this EJ like? She hangs out with people like Austin...”

“Austin’s a good guy. All of them are. We lived in the same building freshmen year.” She chewed her lip, “It’s a tough program — we all take care of each other.”

“Right.” Logan felt his stomach twist — someone had to take care of her. It couldn’t be him, he knew that.

She pulled up in front of an empty park filled with trees, and cut the engine. Leaning back in her seat, she closed her eyes as she breathed in the fresh air with the top down in her car.

He gulped as he watched her — his eyes following the line of her nose, curves of her lips and throat. Coughing slightly he composed himself as she started digging through the brown paper bags.

She handed him one of the burgers, wrapped with a napkin.

“Do you usually eat greasy take out in a priceless vintage car?”

“It’s my right as an American.” She grinned at him, before taking a big bite of her food.

Slowly unwrapping the burger, he took a bite and let out a moan, “Oh, that’s good.”

“The best.” Ellie said through chewing. Ripping the brown bag a little with a free hand, she poured out fries onto the brown bag for them to share. “Probably been a while since you’ve had decent food? Being on the road?”

“Yeah... yeah it’s been... I mean I didn’t have to do a huge drive recently. But I was trying to go from coast to coast.”

“Were you following me?” She joked.

“Right, yeah. I guess you made the same drive.” He sat the burger down in his lap and ran his fingers nervously through his hair. “But I — I didn’t make it.”

“Oh?”

Shit. Okay, he was going to do this. “I got arrested.”

“Logan, I— I had no idea. I’m sorry.” Her voice turned quiet — but genuine.

“S’okay.” He mumbled out, “I mean — it was just a matter of time honestly.” He gave her a sad smile, “I made it to Colorado at least.”

“What happened?”

“I got a lesser sentence for agreeing to be a key witness against Shaw. Served for a year, got out on remission... Served a probation order.” He nervously ran his fingers through his wavy hair.

“Wow...”

“And now...”

“You’re here.” She moved her knee closer to his — her bare skin brushing up against his jeans.

“I’m here.” His dark eyes met her light ones — going back and forth between them. He had missed them, as corny as that was to admit. “I was living in New York before—“

“Before?”

“I didn’t mean to come here.” He admitted.

“You didn’t?”  She asked — a line forming between her brows.

“Not at first. Not on purpose.” He gulped as he looked up at her, “I just started driving. And this is where I ended up. And then I thought — I could just drive by your school, through the town— just see what you see. I didn’t think I’d actually find you.”

“But you did.”

“But I did.”

They locked eyes again, studying each other.

“Do you wanna see apartment?” She asked simply.

He gulped — he suddenly felt nervous and clammy. “I — sure, if you’re okay with it.”

“Mhmm.” She said with a nod, before turning the key in the ignition and starting to drive away with one hand on the wheel and the other clutching her burger.

After a ten minute drive, she pulled up in front a row of studio apartments that were in alternating colours of brown and orange.

Logan followed Ellie up the sidewalk and into the apartment complex. They padded down the empty, carpeted hallways and up a set of stairs. Her keys jingled in her hand as she let them in to apartment 2-7.

Logan’s heart fluttered as he stepped into her apartment. He had never gotten to see her bedroom in California — and stepping into her little home now was like stepping into her mind.

It was a studio apartment — just a tiny little thing. The first thing he noticed was the big window at the back of the apartment, pouring in the afternoon light. Christmas lights were wrapped around the frame, turned off at the moment.

A little kitchenette sat off to the side — scarred wooden counter tops and vintage appliances showing the age of the building. There wasn’t any where to sit — a bed sat in front of the large window, a mattress on wheels. It was messily made with a sunny yellow duvet. Night stands on either side were made of stacks of books, and a little green plant was sat precariously on top of one. He could see a few photographs taped on the far wall — but it was too small to see from the front entrance.

It was so messily organized and soft and simple — it was so Ellie.

“It’s not much.” She shrugged as she stepped in.

“I love it.” Using his toes, Logan kicked off his shoes and followed Ellie farther into the apartment. He was trying to be nonchalant about looking around — he didn’t want to seem like he was prying. But every little detail — even the magnets on her fridge shed a light onto the young woman in front of him.

His fingers trailed on a framed photo — Ellie in her red cap and gown from her graduation. Her dad standing next to her — big smiles on their faces for the photo. He could try and determine how fake the pose was, knowing everything that had led up to that photo, but he didn’t want to go down that road.

Moving his dark eyes, he let out a chuckle as he saw an extremely organized calendar stuck to the fridge door. “I see you haven’t lost your passion for organization.” He thumbed through the pages, noticing all the stickers and highlighter.

Her face turned red as she realized what he was looking at. “You have to be with my course load. I’m taking extra classes on top of my usual work load.”

“Trying to graduate early, nerd?” He teased.

Her face fell. “Uh, no. I have to take extra courses if I want to graduate on time actually.”

He raised a dark brow at her, “What? Did you take a light course load or something?”

“Yeah — light course load. An extremely light course load.” She let out a heavy sigh, “I took off a whole semester actually.”

He almost scoffed but he stopped himself. “You love school. I highly doubt you took off a semester to travel abroad.”

“I, uh, I didn’t. I went home.” Ellie had wrapped her arms around her torso, starting to hug herself.

“You went back to LA?”

“Well, I went there for the summer.” She chewed her lip, “And then I stayed throughout the semester.”

Logan studied her carefully, “Okay, what are you not telling me?” It had been two years, but he still knew how to read her.

When she didn’t answer him right away, his stomach twisted. “Ellie?”

She kept her eyes to the worn floorboards, but finally opened her mouth. “At first, it was just for summer break. But while I was there — Dad got sick.”

“Ellie, I’m so sorry.”

“He collapsed at work — apparently it had happened before, when he was home alone. That’s when the doctors found it...,” Her voice trailed off, “The cancer.”

He crossed over to her — getting closer, but not touching. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to do that. “What— what happened?” His voice was quiet — gentle.

“School gave me an extended absence — they held my spot and scholarship for me. Due to family distress. I — I stayed there. I took care of him, drove him to chemo... I was all he had.”

“Ellie...,” A sharp breath escaped him — imagining the pain she had gone through. The pain she was still going through. Was he...

Logan didn’t even want to think it.

“Wh—what happened?”

“He died.” She croaked, before exploding into uncontrollable sobs. She tried to speak again but all that could be heard was hiccups and gasps of breath.

Logan didn’t know what to say. He’d never been one with words.

So instead he did the only thing he could think to do — wrap his arms around her. She fell into him easily — her face burying into his chest as she started to soak his t-shirt.

As he felt her start to crumble into him, he softly lowered them until they were sitting on the edge of her mattress — her face still glued to his shoulder.

He wasn’t sure how long they sat like that for — and he didn’t care. He would sit with her all night if she wanted him too. But finally she shifted around, keeping her face tucked to his chest but she wrapped her arms around his torso.

“Ellie — I’m so so sorry.” He said softly, rubbing her back as she sniffled, “About your dad. And you having to go through that by yourself. No one should have to do that. And for what I put you two through — the wedge I drove between you and your dad is unforgivable I know that, I—.”

“We were okay. In the end.” She said through her sniffles — her voice muffled through his shirt, “We were good.”

He let out a sigh of relief.

“And I’m sorry for keeping my promise — to stay away.”

She turned her face up to his — her blue eyes wide as she listened. He stared into them — his heart beating faster as he thought about what he was going to say.  

“I wanted to be there in little ways — maybe a letter or even just to call, and hear your voice — heck, even hearing your voicemail would have tied me over. But I was so afraid. I’m still afraid.”

“Why?” She asked — her voice a whisper again.

“Because the way you make me feel, Ellie Wheeler, terrifies me.” He used his thumb to brush some of the lingering tears on her cheek away. “I haven’t seen you in two years — and the moment I saw you it felt like I had gotten a sucker punch to the stomach.”

“And I’m sure you know what that feels like — I assume  you’ve been punched in the stomach a lot.” She said, a smile forming on her lips. They let our breathy laughs together.

“I have. Look I have no idea what I’m doing, Ellie. All I know is—,” He gulped, “That the last couple hours I’ve spent with you ... have been the highlight of my life for the last two years.”

He hung his eyes low for a moment, his dark brows furrowing, “And I know that I’m scum. I’m trash. A freakin’ ex-convict... I know, I don’t deserve someone like you.”

“Logan, what are you saying?” She moved her fingers to his chin, moving it so he was looking at her again.

He took a deep breath before speaking.

“I’m saying that I love you, Ellie Wheeler. Troublemaker. EJ. Every side of you. The valedictorian. The speed demon. I love you.” He looked up at her through his brown waves, his dark eyes big as he tried to read her face — trying to figure how royally he had just screwed everything up.

“I’m sorry — I shouldn’t have said anything, I’m such an id—“ But his words were interrupted as Ellie crashed her mouth onto his.

A surprised gasp escaped Logan — not able to comprehend what was happening. Before his lips met hers again — the kiss was needy and desperate. It had been so long — too long. He almost forgot what her soft, pink lips had felt like, how she had tasted. He felt goosebumps start to cover his skin as she moved her fingers up the nape of his neck and into his thick hair. He moved his hands onto her waist carefully, pulling her into him. Their kiss softened as she parted her mouth for him, deepening it.

They sat like that for a moment, relishing in the feeling of each other until Logan felt dizzy. Their lips stuck together slightly as they pulled away. He gulped as he looked down at her — waiting for her to say something.

“I love you Logan,” She said simply, her fingers trailing down his tan jawline, “You’ve always been my ride or die.”

He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.

[nothingbutfangirlsmut]

Girl out of Time

Pairing: Bucky x Reader and Sam x Reader

Background: Willow Roffe was born and raised in Brooklyn. She lived her life as happily as she could with her two childhood best friends Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers. When they both left her to join the military she tried to continue with life but that didn't get to happen for her for the simple fact that she meant something to James Buchanan Barnes.

Rating: Story will be overall MATURE but not every chapter. There will be strong language, talk of both mental and physical abuse, some good ole angst, and smut. There will be a warning at the beginning of the chapter when it includes smut.

Chapter 23

Brooklyn, NY 1943

I had spent most of my day at the hospital working my volunteer shift. As soon as I left the hospital there was James Buchanan Barnes standing in full head to toe army uniform. The sight of him took my breath away but shattered my heart. He did it. He enlisted. I smiled even though I suddenly wanted to cry.

“Well hello soldier” I teased as I stepped over to him.

He smiled down at me as he offered me his hand.

“How would you like to join me in finding our little troublemaker then enjoying a night of unashamed fun?” He asked as I grabbed his hand.

I laughed but nodded.

“Let me call my house real quick.” I said then turned to go back into the hospital.

“Why?” Jamie asked as he followed me.

“To tell my Pa I’m working a double shift.” I said looking back at him over my shoulder.

He chuckled and nodded. I walked over to the desk where one of the nurses were sitting. I pointed at the phone which she happily handed to me. I dialed my home number. My mother answered but was quickly replaced by my father after she said my name.

“Hey Pa, I was asked to work a double shift. They’re a bit short staffed.” I said sweetly.

“You got your blade?” He asked.

“Of course” I answered.

“Good, keep it with you. Be safe coming home.” He said in his normal soft tone.

“I will Pa” I said then hung up the phone.

I turned back to Jamie who was smirking devilishly. God he should be illegal. Especially in that uniform. I followed him back out of the hospital towards one of the recruitment centers.

“You seriously think he’d try again?” I asked him as we walked inside.

“You don’t?” He asked raising a brow.

Ok he had a good point. Steve was never one to back down from anything. No matter how many times he got hit he’d always get back up. He was tough but stupid at times. Jamie asked the nurse at the desk about Steve. She told us he was here but was denied. Big shocker. Jamie sighed then thanked her. We walked back out to the street.

“Where do you think he went?” I asked.

He shrugged. We walked a short distance down the street. We passed the theater. Just as we got to the alley beside the theater we both heard grunting and the sound of fists hitting flesh. We looked at each other then darted down the alley. Sure enough there was our Stevie getting the shit punched out of him.

“Hey!” Jamie shouted as he grabbed the guy.

He pushed him towards me making me step to the side.

“Pick on someone your own size.” He ordered the stranger.

The man swung at Jamie but he was quick to dodge it and throw his own punch which connected perfectly. I ran around them to Steve so I could help him back to his feet. Jamie was at our side a few seconds later.

“Sometimes I think you like getting punched.” Jamie said as he stopped in front of us.

“I had em on the ropes.” Stevie panted.

“How many times is this?” Jamie asked as he bent down and picked up a paper.

He opened it to see what it said. I had a feeling it was another one of Steve’s enlistment forms.

“Oh, you’re from Paramus now. You know it’s illegal to lie on your enlistment form. And seriously? Jersey?” He asked looking slightly disgusted.

Steve sighed as he took in Jamie’s full appearance.

“You get your orders?” He asked gesturing to the uniform.

Jamie was the one to sigh this time. My heart sped up at the anticipation for his answer.

“107th, Sergeant James Barnes. Shipping out for England first thing tomorrow.” He said as he stood tall.

Tomorrow? He’s leaving tomorrow?

“I should be going.” Steve said softly.

James chuckled then threw his arm over Steve’s shoulders.

“Come on man. My last night. Gotta get you cleaned up.” He said as he reached back for me.

I grabbed his extended hand then happily walked next to him. He let go of Steve but kept holding my hand. Would I ever see him again after tonight? Would he make it home? There was so many things I thought about telling him. Tings I thought I should tell him but I didn’t think I’d have the courage. What was the point anyway?

“Why? Where are we going?” Steve asked as we walked out of the alley.

Jamie handed him the paper in his hand.

“The future” he chuckled.

The Stark expo was always something special. That man was an incredible genius. I’d met him once or twice when he worked with my father. He was nice but a bit arrogant. The place was crowded as we walked inside.

“I don’t see what the problem is. You’re about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know there’s 3 and a half million women here.” Bucky said as we walked.

“I’d settle for just one.” Steve muttered.

“Bucky!” A girl shouted from a few feet away.

James smiled as he waved at her and her friend.

“Good thing I took care of that for you.” James chuckled.

I stopped in my tracks as I watched both boys walk over to the two very pretty girls. My heart plummeted. Absolutely no reason for me to tell him anything. Right in front of me was what he wanted. I’m 23 years old and the only man I’ve ever wanted was one of my best friends. Now he’s leaving to fight in the war tomorrow and most likely I’d never see him again. It was time I just accepted that I’d never get what I wanted. Just as I turned to walk away from them I heard James shout my name. I ignored him as tears began to fall down my cheeks. How could I be so stupid.

I didn’t stop moving until I got to the pier. It was less crowded here. Most of the city was at the expo. I walked over to the bench closest to the water then sat down.

“Stupid” I whispered as the tears continued to fall.

“Why am I so stupid?” I asked myself.

I leaned forward putting my face in my hands. I let it out. Everything I’d held in and kept to myself all these years. Everything I wanted to say to James was now drowning me. I should have told him a long time ago. I don’t know how long I sat there crying but it felt like an eternity. I really hope James was enjoying his last night. I only wish I could have said goodbye to him.

“What the hell?” The familiar voice asked harshly.

Sat up straight but didn’t turn around. He sounded like he was panting. He stepped in front of me but I only looked at his shoes. They were shiny and brand new.

“Willow” he said softly.

He kneeled in front of me as he grabbed my chin. He held my head in place so he could look at me.

“Why did you run off like that? Why are you crying?” He asked looking genuinely worried.

I sniffled then pulled my chin out of his grasp.

“It doesn’t matter.” I whispered.

“It matters to me.” He said softly.

The look on his face was genuine concern. I knew he did care just not the way I wanted him to.

“I should have told you a long time ago James. I like you. A lot. I always have. Over the years I’ve known you it’s only grown stronger. Now you’re leaving to go fight in a war you might not come back from. I’m scared and I’m heart broken.” I spoke threw my tears.

James sighed then pulled me to my feet. He wrapped his arms around my waist holding me tightly against his chest. He kissed the top of my head which only made me cry harder.

“Willow, I love you. I’ve loved you since the day I met you. I always thought you could do better than me so I never tried to be anything more than your friend. All those girls I dated only lasted a week or less because they never came close to you. I think we were both idiots. We both should have had the guts to fess up to each other. We can’t take that back now but we can change it now.” He explained softly.

I took a deep breath then look up at him. He gently wiped my cheeks.

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“I want to make you a promise. I will be come home. I’ll come home for you. When I do come home I want to marry you. Give you anything and everything you could ever want. Everything you deserve.” He spoke softly as his thumbs rubbed my cheeks.

I was speechless. He smiled softly then stepped back from me.

“You want to marry me?” I asked in almost a whisper.

“I couldn’t think of any other woman I’d want to annoy the piss out of for the rest of my life.” He chuckled.

“You idiot” I breathed out as I threw myself into his arms.

He hugged me tightly then kissed my temple.

“Is that a yes?” He asked when he pulled away.

“You better come home Barnes. I’ll be waiting to be Mrs. Barnes.” I said quietly.

He grabbed my face again then pressed his lips to mine. My mind went blank as my entire body came to life. Not only was this my first kiss but it was also sealing a promise between myself and Jamie. A promise I would hold him to for the rest of eternity.

“We should get back to Steve before he gets himself into trouble.” Jamie whispered.

I nodded. James grabbed my hand tangling his fingers with mine. The smile that took over my face felt peaceful. Everything felt brand new. It didn’t take long for us to get back into the crowd of people. Steve was sitting on a bench alone eating some popcorn.

“Stevie!” James shouted to get his attention.

Steve’s head popped up as he searched the crowd. When he found us he was on his feet speed walking to us. As soon as he reached us a man carrying a camera appeared out of the crowd. He noticed James then came over to us.

“Hello soldier, when’s your ship date?” He asked James.

“Tomorrow” Jamie said simply.

“Well why don’t you let me get a picture for ya?” He smiled.

“Sure why not” James chuckled.

He moved to put me in the middle of him and Steve. James put his arm around my waist pulling my body into his. Steve had to stand on his top toes to put his arm over my shoulders. I laughed at the sight of him just as the man took the photo. James thanked the man then gave him his mother’s address to send the photo to.

“Now we should go dancing.” James beamed as he clapped his hands together.

“Sounds fun” I chuckled.

I turned to ask Steve to join us but the blonde was no longer standing there.

“Where’d he go?” I asked James.

“Why does he do that?” James asked in a hushed voice.

We both scanned the area looking for our friend. My eyes landed on the recruitment center only a few feet away from us. I nudged Jamie with my elbow then nodded at it. He sighed then started walking towards it as he pulled me by my hand. Sure enough, Steve was standing right inside looking at an enlistment poster. James grabbed his shoulder to turn him around.

“You’re missing the point of tonight.” James told him with a small smile.

Steve shoved his hands into his pockets.

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up.” Steve said softly.

James sighed.

“You really gonna do this again?” He asked the smaller man.

“Well, it’s a fair. I’m gonna try my luck.” Steve shrugged.

“Stevie” I said softly as I stepped closer to him.

“As who? Steve from Ohio? They’ll catch you or worse they’ll actually take you.” James said harshly.

“Look, I know you don’t think I can do this.” Steve said as he looked down.

“This isn’t about gallantry Steve. It’s war.” James said sternly.

“James that’s-“ I started but Steve stepped forward.

“I know it’s a war.” He said glaring up at James.

“Why? Why are you so keen to fight? There’s so many important jobs.” James tried to explain.

“What do you want me to do? Collect scrap metal in my little red wagon?” Steve asked in disbelief.

“Yes!” Jamie shouted.

“Ok that’s enough.” I said trying to pull James back.

“I’m not gonna sit in a factory Bucky.” Steve said simply.

James tried to ramble on.

“Bucky!” Steve shouted making James shut up.

We both stared at the blonde in disbelief.

“Come on, there are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do anything less than that. That’s what you don’t understand. This isn’t about me.” Steve said in an exasperated tone.

“Yea right, cause you got nothin to prove.” James said narrowing his eyes at his friend.

I grabbed Jamie’s hand trying to get his attention. He sighed then looked down at me. He squeezed my hand then gave me a small smile.

“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” James said as he stepped backwards pulling me with him.

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” Steve said loudly.

James chuckled softly.

“You’re a punk.” He said as he walked back over to Steve.

The two boys hugged each other.

“Jerk” Steve said quietly.

James let him go then stepped back.

“Be careful” Steve told him.

James started to walk backwards again towards me.

“Don’t win the war until I get there!” Steve shouted.

James stopped then saluted Stevie before turning back to me. He draped his arm over my shoulders then guided me back into the crowd.

“You think he’s gonna be alright?” I asked softly.

James kisses the top of my head.

“Of course he is. He’s tough.” James said into my hair.

I didn’t want the night to end but eventually it did. James walked me all the way to the street next to mine. He kissed me several times on the lips, my cheeks, forehead, and temples. He rested his forehead against mine as he sighed.

“Please be careful James. I just got you. I can’t loose you.” I whispered.

“I’ll always be with you Willow. No matter what. I made you a promise didn’t I? I’ll be home before you know it and I’ll put a ring on this pretty little hand.” He said softly.

He grabbed my hand raising it up to his lips. He placed a soft kiss to my knuckles then let me go.

“Try not to worry about me doll. I’ll be fine.” He whispered.

He kissed me once last time then started walking away.

“James!” I shouted.

He stopped but didn’t turn around.

“I love you.” I told him.

He looked back over his should with a small smile.

“I love you Willow.” He said softly then continued walking.

—

[notchesandbullets]

Halloween Special: Caramel Apples and Tricksters [Oneshot] Modern AU (Part 1/2)

Part 1

Words: 4k

(OC from my fanfic: “The Varied Path”)

They had finally fully settled into their new home, and the girls went a little crazy with the decorating, as Halloween was just around the corner. Hand-painted jack-o-lanterns stood guard at the front door, and colorful lights were hung at the front of their mansion.

Inside, every single surface was draped in marigold tablecloths and cinnamon candles burned brightly, the spice wafting through every inch of the house. Garlands were draped over the railings in an artful arrangement of autumn leaves and cranberries. The usual white towels in the bathrooms and the kitchen were replaced with seasonal ones and Zeno added a bit of spooky touches all over the place.

Plastic bats hanging from the ceiling upstairs, a ghost at the foot of the basement stairs, and several well-placed traps so that whenever someone opened up a cupboard, they got a face full of goo launched at their head.

But in a house full of trained agents and spies, it was more fun than anything else to try and dodge the sticky substance.

The leaves had changed shades, indicating the much beloved season transformation by the one and only Calista.

She loved how the forest green gradually transformed into ruby reds and lavish golds, leaves spiraling gently to the ground as the autumn breeze whispered by. It was the season of pumpkin spice, fresh air, apple pie, and warmth that came from sitting by the fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Hak and Jae-ha had undertaken some projects for the new house when they first moved in during the summer, installing top of the line appliances for the giant kitchen. A huge fridge for Yoon to stock with all sorts of food to feed the hungry bunch of eight, and a state of the art oven complete with a industry standard stovetop.

They had also turned the unfinished, extremely creepy basement into an automated training space. They all used it for shooting practice, hand to hand combat and wrestling.

Kija had repainted nearly all of the rooms in the house, with a little help from Yona and Zeno. While they were doing that, Shin-ah and Calista were busy helping the movers bring all of their stuff inside under the direction of a pretty boy genius barking out commands at the front door.

"You!! Bring that into the kitchen, but watch out for the paint and the tools lying around."

"Don't forget to grab the rugs, those need to go in first before we can put any of this away."

"No— No!! I need this first before you bring in that!!"

"BE CAREFUL WITH THAT, IT'S GLASS YOU IDIOT!!!!!"

Calista chuckled to herself as she carefully maneuvered around the sharp corner from the hallway that led from the foyer. Panting with exertion, she helped Shin-ah move the plush sofa into the living room. They set it down heavily, but luckily Yoon was too far away and too consumed with drilling the movers to hear that they may have scratched his hardwood floors.

Wiping the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand, she grinned at the blue-haired man who was scanning around for any boxes that needed unloading in their vicinity. She pushed herself up onto her feet, punching his shoulder good-naturedly when she passed him.

"C'mon, I'll race ya!!"

She broke into a sprint, and he chased after her. Their friends, in various places of the house cracked smiles and shared jokes as they heard the laughter coming from downstairs, knowing that the two must be up to their shenanigans again.

It had been months since then, and everyone had pretty much settled into a rhythm comfortable enough for Calista to hit the stores with Yona long enough without the boys destroying the place.

Hopefully.

The girls picked out just about anything that caught their interest, bringing along Tae-yeon and Hani last minute with Mundok's and Gi-gan's permission. They were the children's respective guardians but it wasn't much of an issue seeing as how they were all family.

Calista had been in the store less than a minute before there was a loud commotion behind her.

Internally wincing, she turned around to see what trouble the children had gotten themselves into this time. But her eyes widened in surprise as she saw five familiar figures, Hani frozen from where she faceplanted into Nier's legs. Tae-yeon was staring up at Tae-jun with big, innocent eyes and Yona smiled sheepishly at Heuk-chi, apologizing to both of them for the collision while the children righted themselves.

The guardian brushed it off, his unofficial bodyguard going along with him. If she didn't know any better, Calista would say that the tall man was blushing badly in the presence of the sweet redhead. But she chose not to comment on it as Hani and Tae-yeon ran back to her, wanting to spare her friend any embarrassment.

"We weren't expecting to see you guys until later tonight." Calista pitched in, ruffling the children's hair as she directed her attention past the triplets. "We're getting some stuff for later on, want to come with?"

With an eager, mutual agreement to join forces, the huge and rambunctious group of nine browsed the aisles of the store, buying way more than they should have with the children throwing things in the cart more than would've been allowed if any real adults were present.

Tae-jun didn't count, he caved every time Opal turned his watery eyes on him and Calista cursed her spinelessness, giving in just as bad when it came to her youngest brother and the golden-haired, little girl.

Squeals echoed off of the shelves and she whipped around as the triplets and the younger two pulled a huge cake out from the bakery section.

"Oh no, absolutely not." Calista held up her hand, averting her gaze from their puppy eyes. "Yoon will throw a fit if he sees this."

"But Notch~" Opal whined. "Please!!"

His brothers chorused their persuasion and while she had to admit it was sort of endearing seeing the fifteen-year-old boys beg for permission to buy a ridiculously humongous treat, she redirected their efforts towards a panicking Tae-jun beside her.

There wasn't any way she would be able to hold up against all five of them if they continued, she barely had enough strength to resist Hani's puppy dog eyes.

But once she turned her gaze on her youngest brother and saw how Tae-yeon's lower lip trembled dangerously, she sped to his side, dropping down on her knees, ignoring how harshly she landed on them in her haste.

"Tae-yeon," Her soft voice broke as desperation seeped through, gripping his shoulders gently in an effort to convey how bad of an idea this was. "Gramps is gonna kill me."

He beamed up at her, tears suddenly vanishing. "No, he loves you, remember?"

Calista's eyes rounded pathetically at that and she coughed to cover it up.

"Alright, fine." She finally surrendered, throwing up her hands.

Their shrieks of excitement and victory shattered any semblance of silence in the marketplace and she winced at their volume, shaking her head in amusement as they rushed to shove it in the already crammed shopping cart.

Yona drifted over to her side, clasping her hands behind her back playfully.

"You caved~" The redhead sang, giggling.

A fond smile made its way onto the older girl's face, gazing after them as they disappeared around the corner with a worried Tae-jun hot on their tail to make sure they didn't get lost. Or end up causing chaos that couldn't be contained by the mere mention of his title.

Chuckling, Calista began pushing the cart to follow after them. "I always do..."

After numerous attempts to convince their temporary guardians to buy them all the snacks they wanted, five failed chances taken to sneak electronics into the cart and two feeble efforts to buy candy bars at the checkout lane, Calista, Yona, and all the others finally left the supermarket.

Though they were armed to the teeth with food and amenities for later that night.

They hopped into their separate cars, but Tae-jun followed them back to the house so the triplets could spend some more time with Calista.

Kicking open the door with one foot, the raven-haired girl yelled out that they were back as the three troublemakers along with Tae-yeon and Hani shot past her, vanishing from her view within seconds.

She had just set down the groceries and supplies on the floor when she heard two loud crashes come from upstairs and the kitchen at the same time an outraged cry reached her ears.

"Are you all alright?!" Calista shouted out as she untied her shoes and gathered up the food that needed to be refrigerated.

A chorus of reassurances were screamed back and she chuckled to herself, nudging the door with her foot to close it. She had a feeling Yoon would take care of whatever that was all about. Jae-ha appeared at the base of the stairs in a flash, paint in his hair.

She stifled a laugh that bubbled up, opting for a wild gesture that could have been interpreted as anything. But judging by the chuckle and the hand that was raised to wipe the excess away for the time being, he knew what she was getting at.

"Do I want to know?" She teased the eldest, handing him two of the larger bags.

Jae-ha's violet eyes crinkled at her ask, a smirk curling at the edge of his mouth. "Maybe not, my dear."

The pair made their way into the kitchen, both lifting an eyebrow at the pristine state. They glanced at each other and then shrugged. Yoon must have cleaned up whatever was spilled already, he couldn't stand the messes.

Zeno and Hak were sitting in the family room, crowded around some sort of card game, roping Heuk-chi into it the moment he passed by. A movie was playing in the background, but no one was paying attention to it. Some sort of Disney film that Calista knew Hak had put on for the kids after he was alerted of their impromptu meeting at the store.

Good thing she had sent him that text.

She had asked him to clean up the house and rid it of any exposed weapons when they ran into Tae-jun and the triplets in the store, having a suspicion that they were going to tag along all the way back to the house.

The night before, she was cleaning her knives and reassembling her sniper rifle. She hadn't gotten a chance to put it away, believing she had enough time before they were set to come over. Knowing her brother though, he had tossed them all on her bed without a second thought. It didn't matter, just as long as the children didn't see them.

It wasn't like they weren't aware of it, but in their line of work, they were better protected the less they were exposed to their lifestyle.

In tandem, the green-haired man and the raven-haired girl began to put away the various food items, Jae-ha automatically taking over the fridge and Calista the pantry. However, she dropped what she was doing the instant she heard a small cough.

Clicking her tongue in worry, she hurriedly filled a cup with water, handing it to Tae-yeon, who had just sprinted into the vicinity with Hani right behind him.

He coughed again as he tried to drink it too fast and she hushed him.

"Smaller sips, Tae-yeon. There you go..." Calista encouraged him quietly, masking her concern so that she didn't accidentally scare him.

Eventually, his breathing steadied and she was less panicked than before.

Patting him on the head gently, she asked, "Did you need your medicine? Are you sure you're alright?"

He nodded cutely, raising the cup above his head in an attempt to put it in the sink but he was struggling. His older sister watched him for a moment, letting him try for himself. But he couldn't do it and after another minute of struggling, he reluctantly asked her if she could do it for him.

Hani hopped up and down on her little feet, golden hair bouncing with her as Calista set it down in the sink. "Yeonie, Yeonie, Yeonie, come and meet my pet ladybug!! She's outside!!"

His eyes lit up and Calista was left alone as the kids shot off.

"Wait!!" She called after them worriedly, starting after them as they slid open the glass door leading to the backyard. "Both of you be careful please!!"

"Relax, Calista dear, they'll be fine." Jae-ha reassured her as he put the milk and the giant cake away in the fridge.

Hak was weird, he only ate bakery if it was cold and Yona made sure to call him out on it more than once.

Calista snorted, hesitating for a beat before giving in, knowing he was right. "Only if someone's watching them to make sure they don't accidentally get in trouble like last time."

Jae-ha shook his head slightly, eyes filled with light humor. "They're on our property. What could possibly happen?"

Once, Kija had mistakenly left the two children alone with the triplets, and somehow the five of them managed to land themselves in a police station within the hour. Something about escaped shelter animals and a raid on a corner store with a stereo. She couldn't even make sense of the police report when they had given it to her, and now she just knew better than to ask.

"Hak—"

"I'm on it." He interrupted his sister, already halfway out the door that led to the acres of open land naturally fenced by several hundred-year-old trees. Zeno skipped cheerily after him, closing the door behind him to conserve the heat inside.

Following his younger brother in order to make sure his allergies didn't act up due to his weak lungs, Hak grabbed a spare rake from the shed in the back. He might as well do this now so that he didn't have to do it tomorrow, plus it would make the lawn easier to mow later on. Zeno took the smaller one to help after he played games with Tae-yeon while Hani went to look for her tiny friend.

They raked all the fallen leaves into a huge pile.

But the second Hak turned his back, he heard a yell of, "Cannonball!!", and in came the pitter-patter of small feet shaking the earth.

He let out a shout at the wave of dead leaves that he had just collected showered over him. Spitting out the ones that landed in his mouth, he glared in mock annoyance at his sheepish brother and the delighted golden-haired girl beside him. Zeno threw up his hands, having dived in with the children and sent another torrent of leaves up in the air, beaming widely.

"Mister!! Come on in!!"

Hak shrugged, tossing aside the rake as he sprinted towards them. Work would have to wait.

Hani and Tae-yeon shrieked as he leaped and clumsily scattered about, thoroughly diminishing all of his hard work. But he couldn't bring himself to care as he began to chase them around in a spontaneous game of tag.

Zeno sat on the ground with his legs crossed in front of him, scarf bundled up to his nose as a chilly wind blew by. "Zeno wants the little miss to win!!"

"But what about me?" Tae-yeon whined with big eyes, doubling over in a fit of giggles as Hak scooped him up, tickling his stomach. "Hak— hehe!! Stop!!"

His big brother didn't let up until Hani tackled him with a warrior cry, latching her tiny arms around his neck to get him off of her friend. Hak stood up with a loud but playful roar, chasing the two around the empty field until all of them collapsed in a fit of ringing laughter.

Hours passed before the four reentered into the house, teeth chattering with the need for a hot beverage.

Jae-ha had disappeared back upstairs. Something about a project with Kija and Yona that he had yet to complete. But Calista was still in the kitchen, and now so was Yoon.

Calista told the freezing bunch to go change into something warmer so that they didn't catch a cold and instructed her brother to sift through her closet to find spare jackets for the little ones. While he was busy doing that, she gathered what she needed to make them something hot so that they could warm up on the inside.

Coffee for Hak, and hot chocolate for the kids and Zeno.

Helping the small children onto the kitchen stools on the opposite side of the island where Yoon was at so that they didn't accidentally get in his way, Calista made sure they weren't going to fall off but guiding them to first blow on their hot chocolate before taking a small sip. Things wouldn't go well for the rest of the evening if they burned their tongues while attempting to chug the drink.

Hani swung her feet playfully, emerald eyes eager as she reached for the liquid chocolate.

Pulling back her hand that held the steaming, small mug, Calista stared at her intently. "Drink it slowly, okay, little one?"

She nodded enthusiastically, making grabby hands for it. The older girl finally handed it over, watching her carefully for a minute to make sure she was being careful. The little girl had a history of being too hurried that had unfortunate consequences.

Three sets of footsteps could be heard from the second floor as the triplets ran down the stairs, skidding to a halt once they reached the kitchen, resembling dominoes as Nier crashed into Opal and Yue crashed into his brothers. They fell into a heap on the carpeted floor, with a very winded Tae-jun trailing after them.

Stifling a giggle as the energetic boys sprang back up, she clapped a hand over her mouth as the sound escaped nonetheless and she was faced with three playful brooding looks.

"I didn't do anything." Calista claimed, shrieking and then breaking into a run the second she saw the look in their eyes.

"Get her!!!" Opal screamed, chasing her through the house with his brothers hot on his tail.

"Wait what?! Why me?!?!" She yelled over her shoulder, weaving in and out of the corridors at a breaknecking speed.

Dodging the sharp corner that separated the living room and the foyer, she twisted and turned throughout the extensive first floor of the house. Her memorization of every nook and cranny came in handy. They stumbled after her, not quite as fluent in the layout as she was, eventually giving up and declaring her victory.

"Marshy!!" Calista yelled, completely out of breath, resting her hands on her knees. "When's Gramps coming over?"

Hak checked his watch, keeping Yona at bay with the other hand as he held her out at arms length. They were playing a game of charades with Opal and Yue since Nier declined to have anything to do with lifting a finger after that exhausting chase through the house.

"In an hour." He answered her leisurely, a smirk of amusement stretching across his features as the redhead puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Yoon, what's for dinner?"

"Hold your horses, you rare beasts!!" Yoon shouted over his shoulder, bustling around the massive kitchen, doing a hundred things at once.

Peering over the kitchen island, Calista tapped on his shoulder when she saw a pause in his purposeful stride.

"Anything I can do to help?" She offered.

She was a complete klutz in the kitchen, but she still wanted to be there for him so that he wasn't so stressed. Still, she wasn't sure if she brought anything to the table. What could a genius pretty boy possibly need from a clumsy girl like her?

Calista could barely keep track of Tae-yeon and Hani as they skipped around, their tiny heads bobbing into view every time one of them got too excited and started jumping up and down.

Yoon never got a chance to answer her as he saw her speed towards the door the second she heard it ring.

Throwing it open, Calista was surprised to find Gi-gan standing on the other side instead of Mundok. Nevertheless, she quickly invited her inside so that the elder woman was out of the cold.

"Would you like some tea?" She offered, taking her coat off and hanging it up for her on the antique coat rack Yona got from a thrift shop. "Is it that time already?"

Gi-gan rubbed her hands together in an effort to get the blood flowing again, sending the raven-haired girl a rare warm smile. "No, no, not yet. The little ones are going trick-or-treating later, yes? Tea sounds wonderful, girl. Thank you."

Flashing her a grin, she led her into the family room filled with laughter and all sorts of shenanigans.

Jae-ha stood up immediately, greeting his old guardian with a trademark, suggestive remark that had the elder smacking him upside the head for his language.

"I didn't teach you that, you brat." Gi-gan fired at him mercilessly.

Simply smiling, Jae-ha dodged the second blow aimed at his head, green ponytail streaming behind him as he escaped her. "Now, Captain, you wouldn't want to scratch a face this beautiful, would you?"

"You overestimate your beauty."

The offended gasp at the flat retort had everyone dying of laughter.

As Calista caught her breath, she boiled some water, gaze drifting to a mop of golden hair that came bounding up to her hopefully. Steering Hani away from the stove so that she didn't accidentally burn herself like last time she got too close, she crouched down to the little girl's level, who now was avoiding her gaze.

"Hey... what's the matter, little one?"

Hani pouted slightly, emerald orbs rounding as she exclaimed, "Can we make caramel apples?"

Chuckling, Calista pushed herself up and held out her hand. The golden-haired girl eagerly took it, pulling out the apples from the fridge as the older one fetched the caramel dip from the pantry.

"Guys!!" She shouted over the noise of their heated game of monopoly. "We're making caramel apples if you want to join!!"

"Not now, Bat-Ears!!" Hak fired back. "I'm just about to win!!"

Rolling her eyes, a crafty smile played upon her lips. "He's cheating."

"I KNEW IT!!!!!" Kija yelled, bolting up.

"Zeno wanted to join!!"

Jae-ha smoothly got to his feet as the two went head to head, whisking Tae-yeon away from the chaotic scene while the two of them bickered over who was right, the triplets egging on the grown men without any hesitation.

Tae-jun was lounging on the couch with Heuk-chi, flipping through the channels on the TV, trying to ignore the massive headache he had coming on.

Swiftly turning off the fire as the kettle began to whistle, Calista placed some jasmine tea leaves in a porcelain cup, leaving it alone to steep for a couple of minutes. Jae-ha and Yona had been the ones to convince Hak they needed nice silverware and fine china. Her idiot-of-a-brother was going to buy plastic utensils and plates from the dollar tree for crying out loud!

She set it down silently on the end table next to Gi-gan, trying not to disturb her.

Yona and Gi-gan were engaged in a casual conversation while the rest of them dipped fuji apples in smooth caramel, placing the finished but messy treats on a parchment paper lined tray so that the taffy treat could set.

The children eagerly waited by the countertop, much too hyper to eat one to even think about sitting down.

Calista gave up trying to pry them away from the island, leaving them to do whatever they wanted now that Yoon was finished making dinner and the kitchen was no longer that hazardous. Collapsing on a velvet chair, she sprawled herself out lazily, done moving for the rest of the day.

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion as she heard the doorbell ring, but sat up with a groan and ran to answer it when no one else got up.

It wasn't even five yet and people were already trick-or-treating?! Unbelievable.

Flinging open the door to give whoever was on the other side a piece of her mind, all words died on her tongue when cropped, blue hair flashed into view. She clapped a hand over her mouth in shock, taking in the signature red marks decorating his cheekbones and those piercing, golden eyes.

Calista choked on air, tears pricking at the back of her eyes.

"Shin-ah?"

[mirainawen]

“But I don’t need a jacket.”

Dean tossed the paper beside Sam. “Spirit of Halloween Strikes Local Pumpkin Patch.”

Sam frowned, returning his attention to the open germanic text before him. “Jude Lawson,” he guessed, and turned a page.

“Not the byline, Sam.”

He paused, looking up at his brother. Dean’s brows rose, eyes gesturing to the paper. Sam sighed, sitting back to drag the newsprint closer. “Halloween irritates me as much as it does you, Dean.” He began, but trailed off as he skimmed the first part of the article. 

“Of the two of us, who’s willingly gone to a Halloween party?”

“Pretty sure you went to a few in high school,” Sam mumbled as he unfolded the paper to find the rest of the article.

“Lot of hot girls at those parties.”

“Right.” He only half-acknowledged his brother, focusing on the article. He read, then re-skimmed it. Flipped the paper back to the front page, where the original headline was tucked into the bottom corner.

Wasn’t considered important enough to beat out the front and center announcement Baldwin City Oktoberfest Sees Record Numbers At New Location.

Who wanted to frighten the local yayhoos with stupid concerns like “disturbing messages painted in goat’s blood on various pumpkins throughout hay bale maze.”

“You think this is something more than some local kids, uh,” Sam cleared his throat, “getting in the spirit?”

Dean shot him a look like don’t try to be funny, and shrugged, letting his hands fall from the back of the chair as he straightened up. “Doesn’t hurt to check it out.”

He shrugged, unable to argue that point. “Okay, so, you want us to go with you?” he asked.

Dean huffed, shaking his head. “No, I think I can investigate a pumpkin maze by myself, Sam.”

He shrugged again. “I’ll stay here with Adam then.”

“Right.” Dean nodded. “Uh, Sam…?”

He looked up, brows raised in question.

“Don’t tell him where I’m at.” Dean lowered his voice.

Sam paused, glancing unnecessarily towards the hall leading to their rooms. 

“Kid’s been begging to go since last week.”

His brow furrowed. “How did he know about it?”

“Some kid at daycare.” Dean pulled a face.

The word still felt like a coldwater shock to just throw it out there so casually. Five months in and not a single part of the new-normal felt...well, normal.

“Wants to go trick-or-treating too.”

He reacted strongly. “What did you tell him?” Trick-or-treating…he’d do a lot of things for Adam he’d never saw himself doing in a million years, but… He hated Halloween so much.

Dean grinned. “Told him you’d love to dress up and take him.”

“Dean.”

“Good luck, Sammy!”

*

Sam paused and glanced up. It’d been a couple hours now and he’d yet to see Adam. The bunker was unusually quiet. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Dean had taken Adam with him.

He didn’t think there was anything to find out there at the maze, dumb teenagers being stupid, but he also recognized when Dean was getting stir-crazy.

Neither of them was addressing it yet, but they hadn’t heard from adult-Adam in long enough that things were looking…permanent.

Checking his watch, he called, “Adam? Hey, buddy, what do you want for lunch?”

There’s no answer, and Sam sighed. He shouldn’t have left the kid alone as long as he did. So much he was still getting used to.

“Adam?” he called again, making his way down the hall towards their rooms. Their doors were closed, but Adam’s was cracked. He pushed it open to look inside.

The room was dark. The bed was messily made but made. No sign of Adam.

He sighed. “Alright, shortstack—this isn’t funny! Where are you?” He hoped the nickname at least would raise a protest.

Another thing that had been slowly disappearing.

Still nothing. He checked the bathroom, the kitchen, library, couch, and when that produced no sign of his little brother, something frantic beat against irritation in his chest.

Adam had a tendency to disappear and appear in places he wasn’t supposed to be.

He grabbed a flashlight and headed for the closest storage room when he heard his phone ringing from the library. He ignored it, calling for his brother.

It stopped, and started ringing again. Rang twice, stopped. Rang again, once, twice, three, pick up Sammy. Stopped.

In the ten second delay he knew would come, he rushed back to grab his phone. He answered on the first ring, already knowing who it was.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t tell me it took you this long to realize.” Dean said, exasperated.

“Realize-”

“Adam’s with me.”

Sam froze. He can hear and read Dean’s mood through the phone—it’s not amused, and it’s not entirely directed at him. This wasn’t a game.

He walked back to the library, gesturing in agitation. “What the hell, Dean? How did-”

“Kid snuck into the back seat before I left.” He directed some of that disapproval towards their resident troublemaker.

“Because I just knew you weren’t gonna take me!” Adam griped in the background. “And I wanted to-”

“Hey, what did I tell you? Shut up.” Dean told him. “You coulda given Sam a heart attack if Sam noticed.”

“I noticed,” he shot back, ruffled at the way that last was actually directed at him. “I’ve been looking for him!”

“Obviously not very good.” Dean said, though even he couldn’t be sure what he meant by that.

Sam stewed in the irritation rather than rise to it.

“I’m not done here.” Dean’s voice was briefly lost in a burst of wind.

“I don’t wanna go home!” Adam protested.

“Adam.” When Dean used his name and not some form of kid, usually meant Adam was in serious hot water.

And to be fair, Sam couldn’t imagine anything less. He could’ve given Adam a decent lecture all his own, except that he knew Dean would have him beat.

“I’ll come get him.” He said.

“Bring his jacket, and…” Dean hesitated. The Impala door slammed shut. There was still background noise, so he must’ve closed Adam in the car. “Make it quick, Sam.”

He hung up.

*

The hundreds, if not thousands of people, that were gathered in Baldwin flooded the fairgrounds. Sam called Dean at the entrance, because he had the feeling he could drive dozens of rows and still not find them.

Adam answered. “Sam, do we have to go home?”

No greeting from their rather precocious five-year-old. The thorn in their sides. The whirlwind of energy turning their lives lopsided. The reason Sam was thinking about hanging it up and making sure the world was much safer this time around for his little brother.

“Buddy,” he sighed. He knew that tone. “You snuck out.”

“Yeah, because Dean lied to me!”

“No, don’t make this about Dean-”

“He said we weren’t gonna go! Then he went!”

“Adam. He’s here to investigate. Not to have fun.”

He thought he heard Adam kick the seat. Dean would be pissed.

The door cranked open. “Hey,” Dean’s voice in the background. Sure enough, not happy. “Don’t think I didn’t see that. Cut it out- who are you talking to?”

“Sam.”

He must have gestured or otherwise forcibly taken the phone. “Sam?”

“Where are you guys?”

“Fifth row, by the front.”

He scanned the crowd. “I see you.”

Dean snapped the phone shut.

He tossed his as he pulled up behind the Impala.

“Bring his jacket?” Dean asked as soon as he stepped out. It was windy out, the cool autumn air alternately bursting and going quiet.

Sam grabbed it.

Adam pushed his door open, sitting on the edge of the seat. He looked absolutely mournful, pleading—and he had the look turned on Sam.

Sam ignored him. “Find out anything?”

“Maybe.” Dean hedged. “They’ve already cleared the area.”

He winced, nodding. Made sense. “Gonna stick around tonight?”

“I’m thinkin’ about it.”

He nodded again, moving over towards Adam. “Come on, shortstack.”

“I don’t. Wanna. Go. Sam.” Adam said quietly.

“Here.” He handed him his jacket. “And we’re going.”

Adam refused it, not moving. He looked away.

“Adam.” Sam warned.

“But I don’t NEED a jacket!”

“Kid.” Dean spoke. “Out of the car. Put on the jacket. Go with Sam. Not. Another. Word.” The last minced out when Adam opened his mouth.

He hopped out of the car. “But Dean-”

“Adam.”

He took it mulishly. “I’m not cold, though!”

“Hey, buddy- even I have a jacket on.” Sam huffed, just wanting to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible.

Adam looked up at him. “Please Sam.”

Not about the jacket.

“Turn off the puppy eyes, kid. You’re going home with Sam.”

“Come on, bud- just get in the car.”

Not all the fight had left him. It was obvious in the way he stormed over to the SUV, hauling the door open with his entire body weight cause he could barely reach the handle.

Sam glanced back at Dean. “Uh,” he shrugged, “let me know if you find something?”

Dean nodded. “Oh, and Sam?”

He paused.

“Look up from your romance novels now and again.”

“Haha, very funny.”

*

Adam’s very much ignoring him, staring resolutely out the window. Today, he hates the booster seat, he hates being a kid, he hates being bossed around, and he hates it when Sam tells him no.

Sam sighed. “Hey, how about an ice cream cone?” He glanced in the rearview mirror. Adam didn’t move. “Or...we could go get pie at Zoe’s. Not tell Dean. Our secret. You want that?”

“I want to take this jacket off! I’m hot!”

“Hey.” He caught Adam’s eye. “Don’t yell at me.”

God, he sounded like an overworked mom. How had that happened?

He was a crappy one, to say the least. 

“Saaaaaaaaaaam,” Adam groaned, thunking his head against the back of his seat. He kicked his legs. “I’m just really hot!”

“Okay, calm down.” He recognized the beginnings of a meltdown when he saw one. “Take off the jacket. Just take it off.”

Adam practically threw it. Huffed. Sat back and folded his arms.

“Better?” Sam asked, checking the crossroad before turning.

“No. I want to go back.”

“We’re not going back.”

“But I want to go with Dean!”

“You are not going with Dean.” Now he was irritated.

“But I want to be with Dean!”

“He’s busy.”

“SAM!”

He startled, glancing back. Adam’s eyes had welled up and his chin was trembling, breath hitching.

“What? What’s the matter?”

Adam threw his head back.

“Hey! Talk to me—what’s wrong?”

“I said I don’t need a jacket and you made me wear a jacket!”

“Buddy.” Sam clung to the other side of exasperation for all it was worth. “We took it off. You took it off. Why are you upset?”

“I don’t wanna go hooooooooooome.” Adam sobbed.

“We don’t have to—I said we could go get an ice cream, or pie.”

“I don’t want pie!”

“Okay, no pie.”

“I don’t want pie! I don’t want a jacket! I don’t want ice cream!”

“Then what do you want? We could go to the park?” he offered, scanning the road.

“Noooooo!”

“I don’t know what you want then.”

“I want! Dean!”

“Adam-”

“I don’t feel well!”

Shit. Sam glanced back. Adam’s face was red, covered in tears and snot.

“You feel sick?”

“UhHUH!”

“Okay, okay, calm down.” Sam soothed. “I’m pulling over.” Shit shit shit

He might’ve pulled off a little too fast for comfort. He was too distracted to flip off the Ford tailing his ass when the asshole slammed on the horn. 

They were too close to the highway to let Adam get out by himself, so Sam pulled the door open and scooped him up. He barely made it around the car to set him down before Adam puked.

He hadn’t just been being difficult when he insisted he didn’t need a jacket. He was burning up.