#also side note i love these photos so much ah

[queuesims]

[obbystars]

Encounter Nihilism

Synopsis: “Just because they don’t have any eyes doesn’t mean they don’t have other senses. Come on, you should know that by now.” Z-13 (Sebastian Solace)

Notes: Not exactly a Sebastian Solace x Reader fic but you can read it as such / read When Light Fades before reading this / Reader deaths, nothing too angsty though / Sebastian being an asshole (and we love him for it) / Experimental deaths + cutting off limbs / Brief angst at the end / may be a tad bit shorter than my usual (it bothers me)

Credits: dividers by @cafekitsune

(Is it obvious this is self indulgent? I really love When Light Fades, super proud of it. I haven’t decided if I’m gonna take this concept and use it for an OC yet, but oh boy, it’s getting strong. Anyway, this fic’s meant to explore more on the reader featured in When Light Fades while also continuing to experiment with Sebastian’s character.)

As you swam to the next door, you hear strange noises coming from the other side. It’s not the Good People, they can’t come into the flooded rooms. It doesn’t sound like an angler either. You continued forward and the next door slid open. Your eyes widened at the sight of the creature on the other side as it looked at you.

Panicked, you try to climb into a locker. You don’t make it in time as you feel its tentacles wrap around your head to crush your diving mask, but that isn’t what kills you. The creature manages to trick the operator behind the PDG by attempting to remove it, causing immediate detonation.

You woke up with a gasp in an all too familiar room.

“I heard that,” Sebastian leans on his hand as his lure flickers on, “What’d you run into this time… Ah,”

You looked down as he slides over the document. An image of the creature you encountered is shown and beside it was another photo that was redacted. Maybe in another death you’ll see what that other photo is.

Nihilism was the codename Urbanshade had given it. A lot of the text within the first page was left redacted, and only a few lines were on the second page were visible.

“If by chance any operative encounters Z-8 within any flooded rooms, it is advised to remain still and turn off any light source currently in possession. Wait for Z-8 to pass.”

That was the only line you were able to read. Sebastian begins to tap his finger against the desk. You sit back and he takes that as the signal you’re done, but it’s not like you read much anyway.

He sighs as he closes the document, “Think of if as Red Light, Green Light. Surely you’ve played that game before,”

“Ugh, this feels worse than Pandemonium…” you groaned, leaning on the table.

“Pretend you’re a corpse floating in the water. That should be pretty easy for you, yeah? I mean, you have died quite a lot,”

“Screw you…”

Upon your next life, you find yourself in the trench tunnels about 20 doors in. It was an area in Hadal Blacksite you despised since it showed you that the anglers can attack from the front. You stepped out of the locker once the angler passed by and turned on your flashlight. There’s no squiddles in this room so you decided to look through the drawers for anything useful.

In the corner of your eye, you swear you saw something moving in the dark water. It wasn’t the Eyefestation as you didn’t see a green glow. Instead, it was Z-8. You freeze once you finally realized it, and you clicked your flashlight off. They looked like they were just passing by, but they suddenly turned to look at your general direction. Did they somehow sense you turning it off?

“Are you alive?”

You actually freeze up this time. It was a voice inside your head, but it wasn’t like Eyefestation where it tried to mimic the voice of the person in the PA. This was its own voice.

“I can sense you there,”

You start taking shallow breaths, almost resorting to holding it.

“Don’t worry. I can’t reach you. But when I do, it’s not personal,” it continues, “We’re both fighting for what we want, right? Freedom from this place?”

You try to not listen, thinking it’s only try to persuade you into meeting up with it. Maybe even striking up some sort of deal.

“I wish this wasn’t how we met, but I owe Sebastian. This is my favor to him,” its tone suddenly changes, “We can’t let you get that crystal,”

“…they owe Sebastian?” You whispered to yourself.

The Eyefestation suddenly emerges from the dark, and Z-8 swims out of her way as her eyes turned red. A new voice cried inside your head, pleading for you to look into its eyes. The next thing you knew, you were back in the room with Sebastian who stifled a laugh as he slides over the document to you. You had questions concerning what Z-8 had said, but maybe now’s not the right time to ask.

“For unknown reasons, Z-8 is somehow able to communicate with Z-317 “The Eyefestation.” Should operatives see Z-8 outside the windows, or hear its voice, DO NOT LISTEN and keep moving forward as they cannot reach you. They have already called “The Eyefestation” and are trying to keep you in the room.”

Sebastian closes the document, still trying to keep himself from laughing, “A tag-team! Who would’ve thought, huh?”

You rolled your eyes, “I can’t believe that’s how I died,”

“Like a deer in headlights,” he smirks as he leans closer, “Happens to all of us, but man, I thought you’d be used to seeing that shark considering the amount of times you looked at her,”

“She just startled me! I’d love to look at her if she wasn’t able to kill me just by making me look at her,” you shrugged, “She is a beautiful shark,”

Sebastian gives you an odd look and groans, “Get out of here already,”

“Fair enough,”

The next few deaths to Z-8 were more of trial and error. In your most recent death, you learned the hard way that Z-8 does not like the flash beacon and did not hesitate to detonate your PDG. You felt like it was a strange reaction considering it took them a moment to even react when you used any other light source.

“Got grabbed again, did ya?” Sebastian laughed.

He then slides the document to you, now revealing the entire document with some text still left redacted. Some documents contained those, such as his own, and you learned to stop caring about it. At least it wasn’t like the Multi-Monster. Previously redacted photo was now uncovered. A person whose face was obscured.

Z-8 - Codename: Nihilism. Real name: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇

In early 2011, five LR-Ps were selected to be a part of an experiment to achieve immortality. Out of the five selected, only Z-8 survived the first round of tests. Z-9, Z-10, Z-11, and Z-12 all succumbed to different effects as each subject was given a different dosage. Although Z-8 survived, they were not immune to the effects their dosage brought. As a result, the experiment was left on hold until researchers found a better source to reach the desired goal.

By 2013, the experiment resumed using the immortal jellyfish as originally planned along with the mimic octopus, the ▇▇▇, and ▇▇▇▇. Z-8 was used again for the next test and hasn’t experienced any side effects on the first day. Two days later, a guardsman escorting Z-8 noticed they have been stumbling and bumping into the walls. On the seventh day, Z-8 had gone completely blind. However, it has been noted that Z-8 is capable of sensing where there is light and where someone is even if they are not moving.

Z-8 soon began to struggle walking and can’t seem to have a tight grip. It didn’t take very long for them to lose all feeling in their arms and legs. They were still able to move their torso as well as their head. They were still capable of speech, but Z-8 has been refusing to talk.

Z-8 was meant to be executed due to the state they were in, but thirty minutes after their heart seemingly stopped, it soon started to beat again. They wake up an hour later as if they had just taken a nap with all of their memories still intact, but Z-8 still cannot see and still cannot walk or move their arms. This resulted in having to move Z-8’s location into a more suitable cell for testing.

Z-8 has endured 5 deaths before changes in their body started becoming clear. Shortly after, testing and studying the regenerative properties Z-8 should have began. Due to poor execution during the procedures, Z-8 ended up enduring 7 more deaths. By the 4th death, a new side effect to Z-8’s resurrection was noted. Upon death, coral (polyps) begins to form on their body.

Their body soon takes the form of a humanoid jellyfish, leading to having to relocate them again. Z-8 no longer turns to others when they are near until they shine a light. The behavior they show gives the impression they like the light and often try to follow it, sometimes moving their head or even their entire body.

Z-8 will then be used to study the regenerative properties further until it can be refined in a way that is desirable.

Before the lockdown was in effect, Z-8 was going to be sold at The Anomalous Auctions as Z-8 had been deemed of no monetary value, nor can be used for work. 5 hours into the lockdown, camera footage caught Z-13 transporting Z-8 to an unknown location.

If by chance any operative encounters Z-8 within any flooded rooms, it is advised to remain still and turn off any light source currently in possession. Wait for Z-8 to pass.

DO NOT move as Z-8 can sense you nearby, but they can’t differentiate between a corpse and a living person until you move.

Turn off any and all light sources in your possession as Z-8 can sense it and become curios. Your window to turn it off is narrow, but it’s still wide enough to not raise their suspicion.

There is a chance where operatives may find Z-8 roaming in a dark flooded room with S-Q. If the room prior has lights on, Z-8 will go into that room. It is safe to move in the dark room as Z-8 cannot tell the difference between you and the S-Q.

For unknown reasons, Z-8 is somehow able to communicate with Z-317 “The Eyefestation.” Should operatives see Z-8 outside the windows, or hear its voice, DO NOT LISTEN and keep moving forward as they cannot reach you. They have already called “The Eyefestation” and are trying to keep you in the room.

Unlike Z-13, operatives are instructed to contain Z-8 as it is impossible for the subject to stay dead.

You’re not exactly sure what to say to all of this. Sebastian is being much quieter than usual too, not even closing the document when you sat back. You look up at him, building up the courage to speak.

“So that’s what they meant when they said they owe you…”

“They don’t owe me anything,” his voice lowered into a growl, “It was their choice to stay much like that shark,”

You look down at the document again and sighed, “Kinda feels like there’s much more than that,”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

You sighed again as you stood up to leave. Sebastian watches you go and looks back down at the document, then closes it without another word.

[wosoragebaiter69]

double wham

patri guijarro x fem!reader

request: here

A/N: only 1 post tonight 😔 sorry guys, been busy with work and this was surprisingly hard to write… so it’s short, sorry anon

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

*NOT PROOFREAD*

Today is the day that I finally propose to my girlfriend. We’ve been dating for 4 years and it’s been the absolute best of my life. It seemed fitting because the whole team is going out on a hike through the mountains, so not only will it be scenic but it will also be in front of our other teammates.

I’ve already told Frido, Lucy and Mapi. Who probably told others in the process. So most of the team likely know my plan. The only thing I don’t have control over is the answer Patri gives. I know she’ll probably say yes but I can’t help but feel nervous.

Little did I know.

Patri and I arrive together, as per usual and she immediately goes to sit with Claudia. Again nothing unusual. I go and sit down next to Lucy who has a massive grin on her face.

“Jesus Lucy, I haven’t even asked yet.” I lean over, whispering in a hushed tone.

“Ohhh, I know. Can’t wait to see her reaction.” I squint my eyes, she knows something.

I shrug it off, plugging in my headphones, ready for the hour bus ride we have to make before getting to our destination.

- - - - -

Once we arrive, Mapi pats me on the back before going to annoy Ingrid about something. I make my way to find Patri, interlocking my fingers with her own. Too focused on my own nerves, I fail to see hers.

We start the trek, observing the views of the city and other wildlife around the place. Taking photos every so often. The weather is nice, not too hot and cool enough so that when we do sweat it’s a cooling feeling.

After an hour or so, we make it to the top. The views are absolutely gorgeous as the city is lit up by the glowing sun. In the distance, I can see the bay. The water glistening even from so far away.

(side note why tf do i keep rhyming things help)

This is the moment. I have to ask, so I pull Patri aside and make her sit down. We’re away from most of the others but the views do not miss.

“So what is it?” She asks, slightly nervous.

“Well I… We’ve been dating for quite a while and I thought, there’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with, soo.” I pause, pulling the box out of my bag.

“Will you marry me?” I ask.

I watch as her smile grows, and she starts laughing slightly.

“What’s so funny?” I smile, confused.

“Because, I was going to ask you the same thing.” She then proceeds to pull out her own box with a ring. Now it’s my turn to laugh.

“Oh God!” I yell into her shoulder, tears streaming out of my eyes.

“Well, I’ll put the ring I got on you, vice versa.” She nods and I take the ring out of the box, placing it delicately on her finger. It’s clear it suits her so well, even if my bank account cried for days. I’m assuming hers did as well.

Because when that ring is put on my finger, all I can think about is how right this feels. To the point I start crying.

“What’s wrong amor?” She wipes the tears away.

“Nothing, this just feels so right. I love you so much bebé” Her hands are on my face still, and she pulls me in for a long kiss.

When it’s done, realisation dawns upon me.

“Wait… do you think all the girls knew? I told Lucy, Frido and Mapi who probably told others and if you told people that means-“ Her eyes also go wide.

“True, very true. How about we go show them ah?” I nod and we get up walking toward everyone else.

“WE’RE GETTING MARRIED BITCHES!” Patri screams.

Most of them respond with the same energy, but all I can think about is how lucky I am to have someone like Patri. Someone I love so deeply.

[ccraccz]

Yone x fem reader semi-smut hc's

Augh this man is everything I want and need

(Also I lost the original ask so I'm so so sorry anon! I'll make this extra extra special for you because of that 💙💙💙)

Yone, this man is just so, so perfect in every which way it's CRAZY

Anyways

he'd love a good red and black ligerie on you

He would be more of a giver than a receiver

Yone would totally love you being loud, but he would never mind you being quite, those light whimpers that you'd let out

He would totally be salivating at the thought but he has more self control than most.

Yone is a total thigh person

He loves them pressing his head when eating you out

He loves them around his hips, bringing him closer

He loves them on his shoulders

He loverls them in his hands

He kisses them and bites and licks them

He loves tight garters and thigh-high socks around them too

He would never mind you making a mess on the bed, that's exactly what sex is all about, making a mess

But he'd prefer it to be minimal

Yone loves orgasming inside of you

I feel like, after a long talk, and seeing you with a few kiddos, he's probably develop a breeding kink

But it all depends if you want a kid

Even if you aren't able to have children

He just loves seeing his cum dribble out of you

Talking about cum!

He cums a lot

Like an insane amount

Most likely has hyperspermmia

It's also slightly more on the liquid side.

The color is clear with white, and it has a slight salty taste, but doesn't have an after taste

Does the carpet match the drapes?

No

Yone had black pubes, BUT he keeps himself trimmed to perfection

He has a small happy trail but it's just for the imagination of the fans

Everything else? For you pooks

He's a good ol 6'3 inches, a good amount of girth and his tip is a very nice pink color

You're his first priority

He will make you cum twice before putting it in

Maybe even more

And if it's your first time? Even more important

For a first-timer reader? He'd be so gentle, so lovable, asking them if what he's doing is okay.

The first thing they do before that, is talk about their boundaries ofc

They set up a safe word so that he could know

If not a first time reader, he'd be more relaxed, but they'd still jabe talk about boundaries and kinks

Communication is very important to Yone.

Kinks!

As I said before, thighs and black and red lingerie are magnification for him

But he also likes tummy

And getting called sir...

His favorite positions are the "G-Whiz" "missionary" and the "wrapped lotus"

He also really enjoys mutual masturbation

He, as a part of a very popular band now, also likes recording you while yo6ur having sex and / or masturbating to have it on the go

Those videos are in a a hidden file that is very secure.

But he rarely uses those videos and photos because he has so much work, poor yone

He likes marking you on discreet ways and expects you to do so too

He doesn't like having marks in places that can be easily seen, so sadly, no hikeys on the neck, but on the collarbone? Yes

Only if he knows that on the next day he'll be wearing something to cover it though!

He also doesn't make much sound, just a lot of heavy breathing, kisses, and groans.

He's only vocal when he gets closer and closer

And when he cuts, he lets out a long whine before kissing you.

He's such an icon

He also wouldn't mind showing you off to specific band members like aphelios or K'sante

But he would never EVER show you off to kayn or ezreal.

In the end, most of the time, he gets pleasure from your pleasure and would live nothing more than for you to enjoy yourself with him.

He's such a sweet heart! ❤️❤️❤️

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

Note!

Ah IM SO SORRY ANON I LOST THE ASK I HOPE THIS IS THAT YOUD LIKE 😭😭 Thank you so so so much for requesting lovely! Hope you enjoyed!! 💙💙💙

[meraki-yao]

RWRB Script: Meraki Thoughts and Notes, ACT I

...Remember when I said if we don't get something new I'll reach the phase where I dissect the movie frame to frame?

Yeah so I did decide to annotate the bloody script I am that obsessed, will put this into either two parts or three parts, this is from the start to Paris

Highlight:

Red: Deleted Scenes

Yellow: Different from the movie

Blue: Fun/Interesting Movement Descriptions

Green: Extra Information of character/set

Right off the bat, we have a deleted scene

I need someone to enlighten me about these markings: what do the numbers and letters mean? I searched online and it said that numbers means a scene, but what counts as one scene? And what is the letter then?

Again, three more deleted scenes, what the fuck. And why is the first one labelled 1? Was the movie originally supposed to start there before they added the receiving line in re-shoots?

Henry was shaking a person's hand when Alex comes up to him in the movie

TRIES TO LICK IT???? ALEX THE FUCK

Also note how the frosting thing is before "tell me something" here but after that line in the movie: In the movie, Henry didn't not see any of the frosting shenanigans since he turned away to greet someone else. The script doesn't state what Henry's doing while Alex fucks up

Two more deleted scenes!!! One of which should be Aneesh's favourite scene to film where Alex asks her how much trouble does she think he's in

Canonical Zahra and Ellen age

Ellen staring at Alex was not in the final cut, we go from the credits directly to Ellen's line. Also the "killing him" is sort of a book reference: P28 Ellen: "all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term"

TWO MORE DELETED SCENES WHAT THE FUCK

ANOTHER ONE

Ah so that's why Taylor's post of him in "Kensington Gardens" captioned “IT'S ALL LUSHHH”

Huh, he's awed

Nick improvised Henry's "Both" line

Clench teeth not that visible in the actual scene but we get the message

"Juicy photo" what the fuck

"This won't be fun" about that Alex....

Two more, one of which is the Cornetto scene, what's the other one?

Obviously we did not get this line about the outlets in the movie, but also ??? Do American outlets not have lights? Is he talking about this thing? (the red part is a light)

Henry you're enjoying yourself aren't you

ANOTHER ONE

Well this is a mess

"Essentially Spooning" WHAT

I feel like "isn't entirely unsexy" is from the book but I can't remember???

"The most shit-eating of grins"

He didn't wave, he did the V hands. That was probably Taylor lol

Canonical Oscar Age! So both Oscar and Ellen are 55, let's say movie Alex is 25 then Jesus Christ he's right they were babies when they had Alex

ANOTHER ONE I'M SOBBING AT HOW MANY AT THIS POINT

Firstprince Book list!!!

So this is the opposite in the movie: Henry was the one to turn around and face up instead of Alex, Alex was staring at imaginary Henry the whole time until he went to press "hang up" on his phone, on his other side

what the fuck 😭

Canon Percy Age: 24!

He was in fact wearing a white blazer with black swirls (I really liked that outfit).

"Percy is just as impressive as his clothes" HELL YEAH

"coppery-mustard"

"knowing smirk" the fuck

POST WALLFLOWER LMFAO

"dancing his ass off" love your word choice Matthew

"subtly bops to the music" yup, somehow think that applied to Nick at parties too

Aww Alex finds it "ridiculously endearing"

"even sexier midnight kiss" lmfao

"crestfallen" awww nooo Henry bbg :(

"Everyone's hands are on him, wanting a piece of ACD"... huh.

WHAT IS IT NOW

"They look so right together"

"panic growing in his chest, genuine fear crossing his face" HENRY　😭

"utterly gobsmacked" again, interesting choice of words, but accurate

TWO MORE WHAT THE FUCK

Alex was not on the floor, he was stretching against the sofa, I feel like that's a Taylor thing, but also he needs to see the TV on the wall

AGAIN????? MATTHEW!!!!

"Young James Bond" YUP

"entranced by Henry"

THREE???? ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

"trying out the perfect suave and sophisticated pose to greet Henry" ends up just standing straight

Can you fucking imagine the table read and Matthew saying "and THEY GO AT IT BABY"

"raw and aggressive and hot -- like they're trying to eat each other"

Note that the movement description didn't mention lifting Henry on the table or Alex hitching his thigh up, so that was designed on set

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A CLOSE-UP????

“Gently” are we sure about that

"the bluest balls on the planet" lmfao

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE DELETED HERE OH MY GOD

"utterly devasting" yup

Okay there's a lot of differences here: Henry doesn't close the door, Alex grabs Henry's waist not vice verse, Henry kissed down his neck and chest after this dialogue and they tumble over the sofa, but also how to you expect him to kiss Alex's chest while simultaneously unbuttoning his shirt when they're both verticle

"J Crew finest" straight from the book

"The power of his thighs", "his arse bouncing hard in the saddle"

"who has never been so jealous of a saddle" OH MY GOD PFFTTT

I guess 55 is the extended polo scene with Bea and Pez

"attack each other" "pawing"

"Alex can't decide where to put his hands because he wants to put them everywhere at once" Istg this is a book line but I can't find it at the moment, will update when I do

YANKS in all caps

"Their meals are gone" So the photos from Matthew's BTS post where they had their meals was before this scene? But there isn't a deleted scene before or after the Paris cafe scene in the script?

Henry is charmed, huh

"whistles in amazement"

HE WAS SUPPOSED TO WINK?

Alex didn't laugh, we start the hotel scene with his back to the camera

"Henry wraps his arms around him" ... sorta? But in the movie it's Alex's shoulders

"on Henry's chest" okay yeah so this was for short Alex, TZP would have to contort himself to do that

In the movie we only see Henry undressing

(Dammit two more images but I reached the posting limit, hang on)

[riddles-n-games]

Exposed

Pairing: N/A Summary: Grayson gets to enjoy a late start for once with his best girl, Tiramisu. Unfortunately, someone decides to spoil that dreamless sleep and expose his closely guarded secret. Puppy cuddles are therapeutic for the soul. Sue him. Length: Moderate Story Type: One Shot

A/N: Hey guys, sorry this is a bit late but this is my dedication to Grayson's birthday appreciation. Originally this was supposed to be a bonus fic after I released my second horse fic but as you can see that hasn't happened so I thought why not just get it done for his bday? (Ok, I know it's past his birthday but ignore that.)

    Disaster struck, tragedy ensued. He was discovered, his secret exposed. The world would know his wrath but world domination would have to wait a bit because at the moment, there was still a snuggly bundle curled up next to him asleep in his arms. He smiled down at her. 

    Tiramisu Panini Hawthorne. The Hawthorne puppy was not so small anymore as she was five months old now but she was just as wriggly, happy, and fluffier than ever. And also a backstabber by choosing him as her favorite Hawthorne which must have been the reason for the flash breakin that woke him. He heard sniggering and hushed voices down the hall which meant two suspects; Xander and Jameson. On an infamous night when a certain incident occurred perhaps involving the tightest pair of leather pants in existence, videos and photos were taken and posted that unfortunately went viral.

    While he managed to deep clean the Internet in only the way Grayson Hawthorne could, the original menac-posters still had the content saved to their devices, several of them. He feared how much new blackmail material they got away with this time. He would scour every corner, surface and dark web, deep cleaning the Internet of all footage just like the first time. He’d get his revenge, he just had to bide his time.     

Grayson would not be dubbed Mr. Cuddles and yes, he would decline the puppy interview to keep his sanity, no matter how many hearts were broken or the adorableness of the pups. He would not yield. This was a call to war; a total and absolute declaration. In such a case, Hawthornes loved getting down in the dirt and Grayson didn’t mind getting his hands dirty to get things squared. Playing dirty meant gloves off; that was the Hawthorne way. So maybe his homicidal mother was right about something after all.

    But till then he’d relax in his bed and enjoy a late morning for once, though the photographer in him was now itching for a photo. The rays of sunlight coming in through the blinds, the way it lit up the carpet and the left side of his bed, the adorable puppy snoozing happily under his comforter- Ah yes, her. She would be his subject but he was too comfortable to get up and he didn’t want to disturb her. Besides, growing puppies still need plenty of sleep.  “Just don’t grow up too quickly,” he whispered. The photoshoot could happen later.

    Suddenly, Tiramisu shifted in his arms and started pawing at his chest, whimpering as the swiping got faster. Nightmare?  Note to self, look into dog dreaming. “Shh, girl. You’re alright.”

   Grayson moved away to avoid getting scratched and quickly turned her over so that her legs were away from him, hugging her tight and readjusting the blanket over them. When he got resettled, he brought a hand to her ear and rubbed gentle circles into the fur with his thumb. He loved her ears; they were super soft, curly, fluffy, and floppy. Oh how time went by; it was funny, he mused, how attached to the puppy he became after a few short months. Who knew that all it took was a puppy to single-handedly turn Grayson Hawthorne into a pile of mush? 

    Yes, so he was wrapped around her cute little paw. He’d hurt anyone who dared make a move. But it’d taken being at his lowest to get where he was now. 

    After Atonement Night, he often found her wandering his wing or lying down at the foot of his door, waiting to be let in. Her tail would instantly start wagging when he approached and those forlorn puppy eyes would stare deep into his soul, so hopeful that he’d let her in and how could he say no to that face? 

     He’d sigh a little dramatically and just before he unlocked the door, she’d get up, waiting expectantly as he scanned the hall for uninvited visitors and extra cameras. When he opened the door, he would pause so she could go in first and prance right past him, heading for his closet. It confused him as to what the pup found so interesting there as he would set down his stuff on and around the desk before heading for the ensuite. Most times he’d leave her be as there were spare clothes in the bathroom but one time he forgot so when he entered the closet, he found her wrapped in old shirts and socks with one of his slippers in her possession. He wasn’t sure what to make of it but she looked too cute and innocent with those big eyes that he just had to take a picture. 

    Some weeks passed and the pattern continued; every time he checked on her, she had his slipper and rested on a particular shirt that he discovered was from his HCD days. She also started staying late into the night in his room, sleeping at the foot of his bed right next to his slippers; another photo op. Eventually that too changed as when he woke early to swim, a chocolate brown lump would greet him at the edge of his bed which often got him smiling to himself. He would do his best to slip out of bed without disturbing her and before he left, scratched behind her ears and placed a fluffy blanket on top of her. 

    It didn’t take long for him to jump the gun and when he finally caught her sneaking onto the bed one night, he called to her and patted the spot next to him. Tiramisu had all too eagerly bounded toward him, all happy tail wags and pants before she laid her head on his side and settled down. 

    When she fell asleep, Grayson stayed awake, stroking her fur and staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. For the first time he’d realized that something about him was changing; he’d been careless. No, not in a bad way but he hadn’t been paying much attention to his actions for once, at least, in regards to the puppy. Though he remained his usual controlled self wherever he was in the House and in his wing with Tiramisu in tow, he hadn’t bothered acting removed or unaffected by her happy presence. He could just be. Sure, he wasn’t around her much those first few weeks but he hadn’t been cold or distanced when they were alone. It was just that the little happy accidents had finally gotten the ball rolling and pushed them together to start bonding properly. He never relaxed that quickly around anybody so it was a shock to him how quickly he adapted to being laid back and receptive to her in his privacy, his safe space. She made him happier, more smiley (that was still something he didn’t want to easily admit); that was when he knew Xander had been right. No wall was too high or too strong for her to knock down with just a blink of her big eyes. But Xan would never get to know that unless he ran out of secrets to share during Chutes and Ladders which he doubted would ever happen. But most important of all, she made him feel carefree. 

    For so long, he had to keep his guard up and be perfect; that was his curse as heir apparent. Former heir apparent. Eve and Emily, they’d been awful lapses in judgment but dwelling on the past did nothing to wash away the sins. And he’d been learning to let that go, slowly. Spending time with the puppy in his room helped that progress and relieved the ache of responsibility off his shoulders. With Tiramisu, he finally felt that long needed peace and it was nice that she had no expectations of that sort. All she needed was food, water, sleep, and play while all she wanted was a bit of attention, snuggles, walks, and love. Grayson knew he could give that much because what was a dog’s duty as man’s best friend in comparison? 

    They were expected to be loyal, trusting, fearless, protective, playful, and loving. They had to give all of themselves to their purpose and one could beat them, hurt them, scare them into submission, break them completely and a dog would still give and give and give in hopes that they would be enough for their owner’s expectations. That they would be worthy of just a bit of affection that their owner could spare no matter what they went through because it was in their nature. And hadn’t that been him his entire life thus far?

    He’d given and given more every time as he bent over backwards trying to please his grandfather and the world as the heir, as the second eldest, as the one with the brightest future of all his brothers. He dedicated himself wholly; heart, body, mind, and soul to perfecting each talent, every skill, every part of his being to be the perfect well-oiled machine of control. And it was all for naught. But that hadn’t been Avery’s fault. It was just that begged the question, What now? What to do with his life after all he’d been promised and told to do so he could become the rightful successor worthy of his grandfather’s place was ripped right from under him? He didn’t know. The foundation wasn’t going to need him forever and he dropped Harvard so what next? 

    The chocolate Labradoodle obscured that and he’d been immensely thankful for it. She reminded him that there was a time and a place and maybe where he needed to be was just in the right now. He could do that and he would have her to keep that new motto going. Having a new pet in Hawthorne House in general had been good; it gave him and his brothers a change of pace. He looked into the science of pet therapy and the specifics of having a dog as said therapeutic animal. It had to be done from a secret laptop to ensure Xan wouldn’t snoop; he already had too many hacked gadgets, even an old camera! At first, it had been mild interest but the more papers he read and explanations from credited sources, he became more and more invested. It was very a Hawthorne thing for him to do. But in the end, it did serve a purpose as he shifted from needing everything to be perfect.

    When he went home after working into the night at the office and he was too tired to properly function, he gladly scooped up the puppy and leaned his head against her neck as he fell asleep. He didn’t care that he shouldn’t need a cuddle buddy. He started keeping a bag of her favorite treats in a desk drawer and got a dog bed complete with a little pillow and the old swim athletics shirt. Grayson had realized his scent was still on the shirt since he hadn’t washed that one in a long time and she liked his smell so he let her have it. There was also a little basket with some toys wrapped in an old pillowcase but her favorite thing was still his slipper which he amended by getting a new pair so the other single slipper would be hers as well if she wanted. He even came up with a special secret nickname for her that he’d use when no one was around and used it indulgently; Misu. Funny enough, he found out that it was also a real thing, a Korean beverage made of grain powder.

    On sleepless nights, he would start telling her about his day which eventually led to him admitting his fears out loud and whispering his worst secrets in the dark. At first, he tried to refrain but when he forced him to say it, he felt better. It didn’t have to be this way anymore. He could have something better, something he wanted. And anyways, it wasn’t like Tiramisu was going to say anything but knowing that he could confess without fear of judgment or anyone knowing yet before he was ready to share, he felt relief. So much so that sometimes he could feel the sting of tears prickling at the corners of his eyes but he’d swiped them away before they could become fully formed. He wasn’t there yet in his emotional acceptance. Long story short, since then, she’d become his closest confidante and as of the moment, favorite family member. 

    At some point in his mindless reminiscing, somebody had woken up. Grayson had been stroking her fur, letting his hand glide through the curls and when he once again reached the top of her head, he felt eyes on him. He turned his head and saw Tiramisu looking at him in that innocent way that dogs did when they were expecting something. He smiled. “Hi girl, did you sleep well?” 

    She butted her head against his palm gently as he stroked the side of her snout. Then, she got up and shook herself off before stepping over him and sniffed curiously at his neck and shoulders. He scratched her neck in response. 

    “We had some very rude intruders this morning, Misu. Wanna help me get back at them? You distract and I will set up cameras.”

    She licked his nose. He chuckled.

    “I’ll take that as a yes.”

A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed that. See you in the next one. But before I forget, I'm thinking of starting a tag list. Let me know if you want to be put on it for my next fic. Bye!

Bonus:

These were some earlier tries (don't even ask about the dozens of awful attempts which will stay there to purposefully haunt me) that were among my faves. Unfortunately, different AI generators either couldn't get Grayson to look like a young man WITHOUT a beard (they insisted that be a feature almost every time) or they messed up the chocolate brown of Tiramisu. Not to mention the extra limbs, eugh.

[tiny-sassy-aggressive]

I am living blogging my reaction to the second watch through of WDAPTEO 4 bc the first run through was so much

00:00- I screamed when I saw the notif. I was alone in the car. Just pulled up to my apt looked at my phone and screamed “ no way “ I still can’t believe we got it

00:01- hi, they are SO BEAUTIFUL I’m squealing. I cannot stop staring it’s embarassing

00:27 what’s going on here? “Nothing” my heart. The smiles

00:50 oh I am LOVING the feature wall. And fish tank reveal project??

01:00 how dare they throw THAT japhan photo up there like it’s just some example. Who the hell do they think they are- also I want that doomed hoodie :( he is snug as a bug in a rug

01:50 terror not even 2 minute in and crack

02:03 I’m sorry Dan asking Phil about TikTok stuff is precious

02:13(What is cba)

02:39 I CACKLED. Phil’s sarcastic ass omg

02:44 dans little pat

02:58 phivorce

03:05 I know the ft, they are friends of course. But seeing the messages really warms my heart. Like it’s so normal why am I emotional

03:52 of course Phil sends millions of memes

04:10 how in the fuck did Phil catch his phone what??? Ft dans face during the whole interaction.

Ad time —— 04:25. Im sorry Dan looks fucking amazing, his hair is so curled and pretty? And he looks so comfy cozy and soft??? My Dannie side is really coming out rn

04:59 handsome devil, damn straight. Love this man he’s too precious for this world

05:23 🍑

05:55 are the Brits okay??? Bone daddies?? I’m too American for this

06:30 perfectly encapsulated Dan and Phil energy

06:35 Dan saying dude scratches a weird itch in my brain

06:55 again! Totally normal to call a friend in a taxi. But this moment makes them so real in my mind like yes. Call that friend. In that taxi. Make it less awkward. Why did I like this moment so much

07:05 A PRETEND CONVO OF COURSE HE WOULD. He’s so real for that

07:34 “these are very dan and Phil”

07:42 I’m in pain. Koala content and ouch I can’t even put into words

08:44 three days without a text sounds exaggerated. Or lie. Like cmon. All those messages and convos and yall went 3 days without a word?? Sounds fake

08:58 asking what he should do for his nails!!? Again totally normal but UGH I love their friendship

09:01 also Phil coming in with a STELLAR idea, hope to see it happen

09:11 Phil’s a little shit OMG he hated the nails Dan got.

09:38: dans precious little selfies

09:44 also who tf is that that does not look like Dan

09:52 wtf do you mean that they had the same weird Swedish bakery???? 10 years apart???? WHAT THE HELL??????

10:35 fuckin nerds ft cute ft selfie

10:52 Dan in Phil’s glasses hi what the fuck? Precious. Phil loves to take photos of Dan sleeping.

11:02 jump. Scare.

11:28 PHIL CALLED HIS MOM. NURSE LESTER.

12:11 Dan stalking the ring doorbell is not something I expected?

12:20 glad to know Phil and I share that we can’t hear someone saw our name bc it’s too intimate

13:16 ordering a roast dinner is so cute idk why

13:35 jump. Scare.

14:26 I hate them :( i so long for what they have

15:04 they didn’t see death note the musical!! Haters!!!!

15:20 HOT

16:00 Phil papping Dan>>>>>>

16:20 I rewatched this part so many times. Thsi entire sequence. This whole. Dare i say SCENE. Disgustingly familiar. Disgustingly cute. I- karaoke game???? What??? It was for them

17:06 omatone :(

18:22 hot? Worrying? Hmm???

18:45 Phil is so dramatic I love him

19:01 genre to dinner? I don’t get them

19:10 DAAAAAN AHHHHH

19:20 SCRIPTS AH???????3@2/9/@/9@22929 more writer Dan

20:17 this is so familiar

20:50 this has “would you still love me if I was a worm” energy? Can’t explain

22:53 “we dan and phil-ed it” we have to steal that! Asap’

23:24 when Dan sits up he is soooo much taller than Phil but he constantly slumps down and looks up to Phil. It’s very cute to watch.

24:30 oh they are fully embracing the joint channel and slowly moving away from gaming and honestly. I’m alright with it. They look so happy

Guys this was too much. So I just started reading fanfic and these conversations were right out of what I’ve been reading which is very odd tbh? But we were fed. This was amazing content and I can’t wait to see what the writers do with this. Cheers

[jiselleeeeeeeeeee]

VIP (Luca Kaneshiro)

Author's notes: why am I writing this? Because i need a sugar daddy ✨ will try to finish up reqs!

Character: Luca Kaneshiro

Warnings: just a lil NSFW at the back, but nothing intense. STILL, MINORS DNI!

Tags: Luca kaneshiro w/ fem reader

Life can get pretty boring working in a bar, I mean sure many times filthy rich people visit, but to you, they are nothing more than dirty, disrespectful freaks.

Today was different, though. You were told to serve a guest in the VIP room.

“It's not one of those old, wasted man, right? Please tell me it isn't.” You are so done with your job. “You're so wrong bestie, I caught a glimpse, he's really hot. Also, change into something cuter, he's a VIP ya know” Your co-worker gave you a wink and urged you to hurry.

You changed into a cute, one piece black dress. “Good enough” You mentally prepared yourself for the worst and knocked on the door. you were shocked to see two tall bodyguards standing on each side of the door. “Uhhh, I'm here to serve, I got the order.” You presented the tray, and they finally allowed you to enter.

You looked up and made direct eye contact with the man sitting right in the middle of the sofa and holy- you co-worker ain't lying at all. Those purple hues, those tattoos, and oh my that chest of his. Perhaps you were too focused on his body that you didn't even realise that he was staring at you the whole time. “Ya done staring sweetheart?” He let out a soft laugh, you were SO embarrassed.

“I- I uhhh...here's your order sir!” you placed the tray on the table and wanted to run off immediately. However, you felt a strong force that pulled you right onto his lap. “Leaving already? After staring at me for such a long time?” He wrapped his arms around your waist. “I'm Luca, by the way”

“Ah...Luca, right? You see, I need to get back to work, i-if you need anything, just ask for y/n, yeah?” You tried to wiggle your way out. “y/n? Such a cute name for such a pretty girl.” Luca tightened his arms around you. “Also, quit this job, I can offer you so much more sweetheart~” He took out his wallet and took out a card, not just any card, a black card. “Eh? Luca I'm not sure if...” You definitely found him attractive and all, but a black card? Surely you had to do something for him, right? “Well sweetheart? How's the offer?” He admired you from head to toe. “But Luca...I can't accept this unless I do something for you too.” I started running your fingers through his hair, you couldn't resist, he was just too attractive.

“Well, just attend events with me, I'll bring you on dates as well. And if everything goes well, we could...start being more intimate. Hm?” He rested his head on your chest, starting to feel comfortable with your constant running fingers on his scalp. “Hmm, I like the sound of that...wait, Luca? You...” you felt something growing bigger against your lower body. “Hmm? Oh...” Luca finally realised why you started blushing furiously. “Y/n~, just stay like that, I like it” His large hands roaming down to your ass, fumbling it slowly. And that's how you ended up on his lap, and him being soft and comfortable, cuddling you closer to him. Of course once in a while you like to tease him by grinding against him, earning a soft moan from him.

Ever since you quitted your job, you friends have been questioning you about how you're still able to afford going shopping and going home with bags of branded items, eating at the finest restaurants and even getting your nails done every week. Well, you decided to answer their questions by posting photos that you took with Luca, he did propose this idea after all. I mean, you were winning in life, Luca's good looking and successful, and not to mention how well he treats you. What's there not to love~

[wheeboo]

05:17pm | joshua hong

SYNOPSIS. in which you and your cousin joshua go on a trip together. PAIRING. cousin!joshua x gn!reader (ft. mentions of seungcheol x reader) GENRE. fluff, platonic/familial relationship WARNINGS. details in the drabble alluding to emergency contact WORD COUNT. 763

requested from anon: Hello emergency contact anon here! I just want to say thank you so much for accepting my request & doing them! I love the series so much and it brings me comfort whenever I read it 😊 (especially the final). Although I’m sad that we won’t know how Joshua got them together… And I also hope you don’t mind if I can please request platonic older cousin Joshua x reader? Whether as a side story of emergency contact or as a different story, that’s if you’re alright with writing platonic that is 🥺 Thank you again so much!

notes: i hope you’re fine with a brief drabble emergency contact anon (pls i love calling u that its so cute and if u want to be referred as something else lmk!) honestly was trying to think of a side plot and then i saw these gum wall photos on his insta and was like LMAO also cousin!joshua is a vibe he’d be so fun to hang out with

“Wait, wait, Y/N! Can you take some pictures of me in front of the gum wall?” Joshua shoves his phone in your hands, making you groan in annoyance as you switch to the camera and turn around to take some photos of him. 

You are met with an explosive array of colours and flavours of the gum wall as Joshua steps ridiculously close to it, posing in front as if the intense smell of old and dry bubblegum wasn’t surrounding the two of you and all the other tourists around. Okay, but who thought that planting bubblegum on the wall was a grand idea? It’s a strangely appealing popular attraction, but... why?

You couldn’t help but cringe playfully at some of the poses he was taking, but you obliged anyway knowing how much capturing memories meant to him and how much he thrived on posting photos online to his Instagram. You end up spamming probably around twenty photos in his camera roll, and perhaps a total of nearly a thousand throughout the entirety of the trip.

Once Joshua steps down from the wall, he walks up to you and eagerly grabs his phone back, flipping through the multitude of photos you took of him from all kinds of angles. 

“Wow, you got great shots,” Joshua gives you a few thankful pats on the back as the two of you quickly scatter out of the alleyway and back onto the bustling city sidewalks. “Thanks, Y/N.”

You scoff teasingly. “Pfft, what am I? Your personal photographer? You better be giving me credits when we get back home.”

Joshua gasps dramatically, raising a hand up as if surrendering. “It’s quite rude of you to think that I won’t be crediting you. I’ll even tag every single one of your socials, including your private accounts.”

You playfully shove him away, shaking your head dismissively. “Ah, I take it back. Don’t give me credits, please.”

Joshua just gives you a mischevious, amused look. “Too late. Come on, I know a good café around here.”

He leads you into a nearby café down a couple blocks away. As you enter together, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and pastries fills the air, and you already begin to feel the excitement of the day begin to subside into the café’s cozy and relaxing atmosphere. This was definitely your preferred place and crowd to exist in.

You find a table in the corner as Joshua heads to order for the two of you, peering around to the other tables to find everyone seemingly in their own little world. After a few moments, you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket, and you swiftly reach in to take it out.

The name that pops up in your notifications brings an immediate grin to your face, enough to somehow make the entire world fade into insignificance.

And you probably get a bit too lost that you don’t notice Joshua approaching with drinks.

“Texting Seungcheol?”

His voice almost makes you drop your phone in a panic.

“I... No, I-I wasn’t.” You snatch your drink from his hands and take a long sip to relieve yourself.

“Come on, I know you like him. Ever since the birthday party the two of you looked awfully close.” Joshua comments teasingly, sliding into the seat in front of you and leaning in close. “I think... if I remember correctly, the two of you left the house together for a walk at some point?”

Is this man a telepath or something? A wizard of some sorts? Was it the cousin instincts in him that was kicking in?

You feel the blush growing in your cheeks, making you take another sip of your drink to help cool away your nervousness. Joshua always had a knack for picking up the subtleties of your body language, even if he was all the way across a damn café. Or maybe you were just blatantly obvious𑁋that’s probably what it is.

“Out of all people he just happens to be one of your best friends.” You murmur lowly under your breath. 

“You’re saying that like it’s a curse.” Joshua chuckles, sipping his own drink.

You smile faintly to yourself. “It’s nothing like that. It’s just...” You look up to meet Joshua’s intrigued eyes. “...I want to do it right, you know? Relationships... have never been my thing.”

Joshua leans back in the seat, heaving out a sigh. He understands your hesitation. “Yeah, I know,” Then he leans back in. “but Seungcheol is patient, I can assure you. And... if you want to know anything more about him or any advice, you can always come to me. I can always work my magic.” And then he gives a stupidly disgusting wink.

All you do giggle and give him a grateful nod. Joshua is truly your cousin and best friend in one.

“Thanks, Shua.”

[how-do-i-delete-this-acc]

happy birthday, kenma.

kenma x gn reader

warnings: post timeskip, reader and kenma live together and share finances

a/n: I LOVE KENMA HE'S BEEN MY FAV SINCE DAY ONE IM SO EXCITED

"y/n?" kenma called out. why were all the shades down? it was kind of creepy.

he turned on the bedroom light and walked out to the hall, and then to the living room, flipping light switches as he walked.

this is kind of weird. kenma thought as he walked into the kitchen. maybe they just went out?

he flipped the kitchen light switch.

"SURPRISE!" y/n yelled.

"AH!" kenma yelped, startled by the sudden noise. when he realized what was going on, he immediately bounced into his usual, calm expression, but this time with a small smile.

on the kitchen table, there were a couple wrapped boxes, some balloons, and an apple pie instead of a cake. "what's all this?"

"happy birthday kenma!" y/n said, a cheery grin on their face as they ran up to him and gave him a big hug.

oh. "it's my birthday today?" kenma asked. if he was being honest, he had no idea what the date was.

their heart dropped. "i-is it not today? your birthday's october 16th, right?"

"oh. i guess so. i forgot that that was today."

y/n let out a small sigh of relief and smiled. "that's another year. love you, kenma." they gave him a peck to the cheek.

he smiled. "love you too, y/n."

they gestured to the boxes on the table. "open your presents!"

he opened the first one. a small one. he tore the red wrapping paper off to reveal a box containing a couple of red hair clips, one with a pudding charm, and the other with a heart charm. he smiled. he had complained to them last week that his hair was always getting into his face, and it meant a lot to him that they took note of that and gave him this cute gift.

"well?" y/n asked. "do you like it?"

'yeah," kenma replied, pressing a kiss to their forehead. "i do."

"i knew i had to get these when i saw the pudding one, you pudding head." y/n teased, to which kenma rolled his eyes playfully.

"open the next one!" y/n said, their eyes eager and excited.

kenma tore off the wrapping paper of and opened a slightly larger box to reveal a picture frame. inside the frame was one of his favorite photos of both of them together, which was a photo kuroo had taken and sent to him. it was a picture of him and y/n on the couch, cuddling and watching a movie. except not actually watching it because they had both fallen fast asleep.

he smiled. he would put this near his gaming setup, he decided. it would remind him of the love of his life everyday, and he was very happy with it.

"i love it. it's cute." kenma said, pressing another peck onto y/n's forehead.

"open the last one!" y/n said, a grin stuck permanently on their face.

the last one was big. really big. "i hope that you didn't spend too much money on this one." seeing as how they shared finances and he made a handsome salary off of his company and gaming career, money wasn't too much of an issue, but he still didn't want them spending too much on his birthday. birthdays were never THAT important to him, after all.

"don't worry." y/n said, excitement clear in their eyes. "just open it!"

kenma ripped off the wrapping paper and opened up the box.

"a.. pet bed? and a litter box? what's this, a crate, or carrier or something? and a.. scratching post? huh?" that wasn't all. there was also an automatic wet cat food dispenser, a pet water fountain, some cat toys, a brush and comb, premium wet cat food, a blanket, a cute red cat collar, a large bag of litter, and an envelope.

"y/n what is all this?" kenma was honestly genuinely confused. in the back of his mind, he had a little panic attack thinking that his s/o might be a furry.

"just open the envelope!" y/n said, shoving it into his hands.

he pulled out a piece of paper and tossed the envelope to the side before reading the contents of the paper. it was the confirmation of an adoption fee. the adoption fee of a calico cat. a female, 8-pound, 2 year old calico cat.

he looked back at y/n. "is this.. our cat?"

they smiled. "im picking her up tomorrow if you want to come. i've already met her, and she's very friendly."

kenma was.. so happy. he had always wanted a cat, ever since he was a kid. he didn't know what to say. he simply pulled y/n into a big hug, holder them tight. "of course. i love you. thanks for.. all this."

the two spent the rest of the day playing games, watching shows, eating the apple pie, and opening gifts he had gotten from friends.

kenma was never very good with words. he didn't really know what to say whenever he was presented with really any situation that he couldn't script. but that was ok. because even if his only words to y/n's efforts were "i love you" or "thank you," y/n knew very well just how grateful he was.

and that was enough.

happy birthday to you. happy birthday to you. happy birthday dear kenma! happy birthday to you!

love you sm kenma <33 u have always been my fav muah muah

-luvsoji

happy kenma day!

[tranquilpetrichor]

as we navigate the stars

synopsis: it is never easy following the path of an aeon, let alone one whose existence came to an end unexpectedly. however, hongjoong and the rest of the astral express crew do their best, following the tracks of the star rail.

cast: hongjoong, yeosang, wooyoung, seonghwa (ateez)

genre: sci-fi, honkai: star rail!au

wc: 638

warnings: n/a, but not proofread

a/n: i love the idea of ateez in space. could expand on this au because i love this game so much but i wanted to write a few paragraphs to start out with and see how i feel from there. might need to make a glossary of all the unfamiliar terms i used lol. consider this very rudimentary because i want my inspiration for writing back and this piece just made me happy.

navigator kim hongjoong has spent a long time traversing the universe on the astral express. since the first time he was able to get the train to even start, to meeting the express's conductor and beginning to stride on the path of the nameless, he's seen countless events, enough to fill many lifetimes.

naturally, passengers come and go like the passing of seasons, becoming a small part of the express's journey. of course, there were a few passengers that have stayed for a while now and made a memorable impression on hongjoong.

there's kang yeosang, who's cold and somewhat awkward on first impression. hongjoong likes him, though for being a hard worker and protective of his friends. since his arrival, he's wholly dedicated himself to recording timely and accurate data entries in the express's database and guarding the express with his trusty spear, cloud-piercer.

sometimes, hongjoong wonders if yeosang is pushing himself too much, but it's yeosang. he's capable of quite a lot—perhaps, even more than hongjoong is aware of. still, that boy needed to rest sometimes.

note: check up on him in the next few days.

his own past on the xianzhou luofu is something he rarely talks about though, and the crew (mostly) respects it, even the perpetually talkative wooyoung.

ah, speaking of wooyoung. he too, was memorable in his own way. hongjoong still remembers the day the express encountered a boy floating in the middle of deep space, frozen in a block of ice.

after saving him, hongjoong asked the stranger what his name was.

he looked at the red-haired man before him with confusion. "well i... i don't really know," was his response. "can i choose one?"

the captain nodded, and the boy continued.

he was more hesitant back then, less sure of himself. "how about... wooyoung?"

hongjoong gave him a warm smile. "alright, then. welcome aboard the astral express, wooyoung."

as a passenger, wooyoung has been bright and energetic, capturing photos and making those around him smile. those who didn't know him well enough would never guess that he harbors a deep-seated desire to uncover his past. hopefully, he would get his wish.

hongjoong spots a sketchbook on a side table, no doubt belonging to park seonghwa, another seasoned member of the astral express. as someone with a wide breadth of knowledge on various topics, he is a valuable companion to have when visiting other worlds.

he also used to be an animator but still maintains his passion for art, hence the sketchbook.

but beyond that, seonghwa is perhaps the closest friend that hongjoong has ever had. everyone's paths are different on this train, but the two seem to be destined to be intertwined on this celestial voyage for a while.

maybe it was due to them being the senior members of the crew, but there's something to be said about a long-lasting friendship.

hongjoong walks into the passenger cabin. his energy is dropping, and even though he could probably get by with another coffee, a nap would probably be more beneficial. he opens a door leading to a long hallway—his room is further down.

on the way, he runs into the conductor, pom-pom. they're quite short and cute-looking with bunny-like ears, but hongjoong would never doubt the creature's experience. the cuteness of a child with the responsibilities of an adult.

(actually, he's not sure if the conductor's considered an adult within their species—well, he doesn't even know what the conductor's species is. an inquiry for another time).

"off for an afternoon nap?"

he stifles a yawn. "yep, the usual."

"alright then, get some good rest! wouldn't want you tired when we reach the space station."

hongjoong can't help but smile at their caring words. "thank you, pom-pom."

such is another day on the train that travels throughout the universe.

[taevbears]

Magic Shop - 06

He’s waited a long time to see you again.

⤑ pairing: (eventual) OT7 x female witch!reader; Taehyung focused  ⤑ genre: magic au, romance, hurt/comfort, slow burn ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 8.2k ⤑ warnings: minor character death, abandonment/loss, depression/grief, oppression against mages, a bit of self-deprecation, brief description of sexual activities.   ⤑ note: Happy birthday Taehyung! Your chapter happens to fall align with your birthday lol (at least, in the time I’m posting it. I seriously didn’t intend for it to happen, but it worked out this way!). For all my visual readers, the references I used for the shop are from the FESTA 2020 staircase photoshoot, BE concept photos, and of course, the 5th Muster: Magic Shop intermission clips. I also couldn’t decide if I wanted to make Taehyung a crow or a raven lol. But I’m happy to finally change gears from the dark and dreary with this story and into more light-hearted and fluffy moments. There are only a couple more chapters left until this first part of the series is done, so thank you so much for sticking with me and all the lovely comments ^^ I hope you all have a wonderful, warm, and safe new year!

Chapters:   01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 (final)

An awkward silence passes as the mysterious man smiles at you all. Then, hesitantly, after clearing his throat, Seokjin is the first to speak up. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

“Ah, that’s a good question.” The man rubs his chin, taking his time to think of an answer. Then, with a slight smirk, he replies, “You can call me whatever you want.”

“Don’t you have a name?” Namjoon tries.

He shrugs his shoulders. “My last owner called me Taehyung.”

“Okay. Taehyung,” you test out his name as he turns his full attention to you. His eyes are a dark amber, almost like honey. It’s a little difficult to look away from them. “H-How do you know who we are?”

His smirk widens as he quirks up an eyebrow. “Ah, that’s a shame. It sounds like you don’t remember me yet, darling.”

You blink. “Wait. What?”

“We used to be lovers.”

“Wait—”

“WHAT?!” the boys echo around you, nearly screaming, just in as much shock as you are. Maybe even more so.

The mix of confusion, disbelief, and panic causes Taehyung to burst into laughter. He claps his hands, eyes squinting to crescents between his fits of giggles. “I’m kidding! You guys are too funny.”

“That doesn’t answer… I’m…” you start, your brain seizing over the fact that a mysterious, handsome, possibly Wicked man is joking about you two being lovers once. You know it isn’t true. You’ve never seen this man before in your life. Yet, you feel so flustered.

In your arms, you feel Yoongi brush his tail around your arm. His dark eyes are trained on Taehyung, watching him carefully. It’s as if he isn’t sure what to make of him just yet either.

“Why don’t you all come inside? You seem pretty tired,” Taehyung suggests, gesturing at the old and broken building. He doesn’t wait for an answer as he spins around, walks down the short pathway, and leaves the door wide open.

“This is a bad idea,” Seokjin whispers as the four of you huddle together in a circle to discuss. And he’s right. None of you have ever met this man, yet he seems to know you quite well. The building is sketchy and in disarray, as if no one has taken care of it for years. The entire thing looks like it’s on its last leg and could collapse at any given moment. It’d be incredibly stupid if you blindly take his word and follow him straight into a trap.

“Let’s just hear him out,” Hoseok surprisingly disagrees. He’s usually more on the cautious side, especially when it comes to trusting strangers. “He might be able to help us lay low from the wardens.”

“Didn’t you see his eyes? He looks like he’s Wicked,” Namjoon argues. “He could corrupt our minds and devour our hearts.”

“And turn us into toads,” Seokjin adds with an affirmative nod.

The black cat in your arms meows, causing the boys to glance down at him before looking to you for a translation. “Yoongi said he’s not Wicked. He’s something else.”

“What? A mage?”

“A demon?”

“Familiar,” Taehyung answers right beside you, somehow joining your little circle without any of you noticing. There’s a brief glimpse of amusement in his golden eyes when you all jump back and yell in surprise, but the expression quickly changes. With a long, exasperated sigh, he tilts his head to the side and calmly reasons, “Come on. You guys didn’t mind me when I was with you in the forest. Do you dislike my human form this much?”

“He did help us out,” Hoseok points out, eyes flickering between you guys and the man.

“It’s not the best-looking place right now,” Taehyung admits, nodding toward the building as a piece of plaster falls off. He promptly ignores it and continues, “But the wardens won’t know you’re here. The shop will keep you safe from anyone troubling you. And you guys can stay as long as you like! There are enough beds for each of you.”

Namjoon sighs and rubs the back of his stiff neck. All of you haven’t had much of a proper rest since the night of the attack, always on the move and always on your guard. “That does sound better than sleeping on the ground for another night.”

“I’m not a good cook, but I can see what I have and get a stew going. There’s a marketplace in town with good meat and vegetables, too. Whatever ingredients we’ll need for supper, we can find it there.”

Seokjin’s stomach growls at the mention of food and he curses under his breath. Ears red, he mumbles, “Maybe we should stay for dinner at least.”

You watch as your companions are won over with the promise of a hot meal, Hoseok and Namjoon immediately agreeing to Seokjin’s suggestion. Throwing caution to the wind, the three of them enter the suddenly inviting abode.

That just leaves you and Yoongi.

The cat’s dark eyes have Taehyung in his gaze since he appeared before you all. Suspicious and weary, but Yoongi doesn’t seem to think that the man intends to harm any of you. And while he observes the amber-eyed brunet, your gaze is fixed on the building before you.

It’s odd.

You were so young when you were taken to Blackstone Castle, you don’t remember your parents or the town you were born in. You don’t know if you’re from the countryside like Namjoon, who helped his family pick ripe tomatoes and other crops in the summer and grew up in a tight-knit community. You don’t know if you’re from the seaside like Seokjin, who’d go on fishing trips with his father and older brother and help his mother at their family restaurant. Like Hoseok, who was born in the castle, you’ve never been outside those walls until now.

Yet, you feel like you’ve seen this place somewhere before.

Taehyung’s gaze is intense as he stares at you, drinking you in. Almost like he can’t believe you’re real and standing before him. Your attention is pulled away from the building when he inquires, “Aren’t you curious?”

It’s an innocent question, but it draws you toward him all the same. Taehyung, with his hypnotizing eyes and alluring voice, extends an arm like a gentleman for you to take. Your determination to seek answers falls right into his hand as he leads you through the threshold with a smirk and shuts the door behind you.

Once upon a time, when the trading town of New Haven was just beginning to develop, a mysterious shop seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The first settlers, exhausted and burnt out from working nonstop, stumbled through the large doors and were pleasantly surprised to find exactly what they were looking for: a table with a delicious feast, soft beds for a good night’s rest, warm shelter against the grueling cold night. After spending some time to refresh themselves and heal their tired hearts, they were able to head back to work the next day happier and with rejuvenated energy. However, just as strangely as the shop arrived, it vanished just as quickly, as if the shop itself was made of magic.

Some people claim that the shop only appears when you need it the most; when the days are hard and difficult and you’re in need of comfort and love. Others would say that the shop didn’t exist at all, and that the settlers were just dreaming of their heart’s desires after they built the town. Either way, the story has become a legend.

Over the years, the type of shop it was has changed. Some stories say it’s a teahouse and pub with brewed teas, coffees, and homemade alcohol that have healing properties or a bakery with bread that always tastes freshly-baked and buttery, no matter how long it’s been put on display behind the wooden shelves. Some say it’s a quaint inn with the softest beds, guaranteeing the best sleep of your life. Some say it’s an entertainment lounge with musical instruments that play on its own, and the sounds of laughter and dancing can be heard long after the building is empty. Some say it’s an actual shop with oddities from foreign lands and objects that symbolizes luck, wealth, protection, or love.

What is consistent, however, is that the shop is almost unnoticeable upon first glance, seamlessly blending in with the surrounding neighborhood wherever it pops up. And once it’s fulfilled its task, it disappears as if it were just a dream. Like magic.

Stories like this have become forgotten when the teachings of the Devoted interfered with the whimsical and wonderful curiosities of the masses. New Haven, built upon by hard work and dedication, provided a safe place for weary travelers coming from the ominous forests and long, worn-down roads. People come and trade goods for coins, share stories of wild tales from their quests, provide information with fellow travelers, and recruit help from the growing guilds. The story of the settlers and the first discovery of the shop is kept alive through word of mouth from the townsfolk, but not many people believe it anymore.

Magic, after all, is forbidden. Even in a town like this.

Thus, without a purpose, the shop begins to deteriorate. The vibrant colors within the shop fades, the displays of artifacts and souvenirs collect dust among the untouched books, the breads are stale and the drinks are not as tasty, the instruments are out of tune and the equipment for other hobbies are broken, and the building itself becomes an empty shell of the liveliness it once had.

People pass by the shop all the time, but no one ever stops by to look inside. It’s become abandoned, haunted, left to rot with the elements.

And the only living thing near the old building is a lonely raven, whose unwavering belief and magical affinity keeps the shop on its last leg, long after its previous owners have left him all alone.

Inside the old shop are remnants of what the place used to be.

At the entrance is a small lobby with a check-in counter and a seating area. Behind the worn-out leather couch is an antique shelf collecting dust and cobwebs among its books and decorative pieces. On the other side of the entrance is a mysterious dark-painted door that seems to be permanently locked. A light above the door with a strange symbol of mirrored parallelograms doesn’t seem to work.

To your left is a faded teal-colored parlor room with an upright piano that is out of tune and an easel by the window with spots of colorful painted residue. Oddities collected from travels are displayed in this room, from dolls with inhabited spirits to scales and fossilized eggs of a mythical beast. They’re decorated around a round wooden coffee table with a fancy red sofa and white chairs pulled around it, inviting and cozy for long talks, playing music, and hanging out. At the back of the room is a reading nook with several books off its shelf, untouched for years with paper yellowing over time. And just above the reading nook is a loft that overlooks the entire parlor and entrance, where a fortress of blankets and pillows have been made.

To the right is a cozy tavern with a long bar separating the kitchen from the seating area. Bottles of wine and ale are aging behind the bar, as well as jars of half-empty coffee beans, tea leaves, and other herbs and aromatics. Various pots and pans are in the kitchen, as well as a huge cauldron that sits on the hearth of a fireplace. Mixed chairs of different colors and designs are gathered around the tables. Though, the one that stands out is a long table by a window with a long bench on one side and five different chairs; an arrangement perfect for a big family or a group of friends.

There are stairs between the entrance and the tavern that seem to lead to the bedrooms that Taehyung promised. From the outside, the floorplan of this building doesn’t make a lot of sense. With such limited space, it feels like you’ve entered a rundown shack and crossed the threshold of a hidden mansion.

“What do you think?” Taehyung asks, observing each of your reactions.

Namjoon is already thumbing through some old books on a shelf, eyes sparkling when he seems to find some he hasn’t read before. Seokjin looks puzzled and curious at some of the runes and artifacts on display, as Hoseok picks up one of the jars of pot pourri and observes the ingredients inside. Even Yoongi leaps from your arms and finds a spot on the couch he feels comfortable in.

“This is amazing, Taehyung,” you breathe, taking it all in. It’s weak, and the place could use a good cleaning and fixing, but there’s a whimsical feeling that you know all too well.

This is a building full of magic.

“I’m glad,” Taehyung replies warmly, eyes squinting to crescents and cheeks rising as he smiles. “This is the Fate Reader’s Requiem. At least, that’s what my old owner called it. The shop has had many names over the years, as it’s served different purposes. Lately, I’ve been calling it The Raven’s Nest, but it could use a new name.”

“What do you mean by that?” Hoseok asks, looking over his shoulder at him.

“Come on! I have to show you upstairs!” he urges with a flash of a boxy smile. Your arm is still linked with his as he pulls you along, and the others stop what they’re doing and follow after you two, a bit worried that he might hurt you with his eagerness. The wide, creaking steps lead to a single white window. There isn’t a hallway, but along the diagonal walls are eight doors. Four on each side, facing each other. All the doors look identical to each other except for one. That one, you assume, leads to Taehyung’s room. The two of you stop in the middle of the narrow room – the steps barely wide enough for three of you to stand side by side – as he beams down at the others. “See? I told you there are enough beds. Go ahead and pick one.”

You exchange looks with the others, all who seem more curious than anything else. Then, curiosity bubbles to anticipation as each of you stand before your own door.

“There’s even one for you, Yoongi,” you note with an excited smile, seeing as the room next to yours has a cat door. Though, you’re not sure if the previous owners happened to have small pets, or if the building itself put one for him.

Regardless, the excitement is hard to contain as you grasp the doorknob and push it open. You hear Hoseok and Seokjin shout in awe, and Namjoon gasp as they enter their rooms. But you stand, silently stunned at the room before you.

It’s a simple room with basic furniture: a bed, a bureau, a mirror, a wooden chest, a simple table, and a reading chair. There’s an ensuite bathroom with scented oils and essences already in stock. It’s much bigger and nicer than the dorm you shared with Mina and your other roommates in Blackstone Castle, and even more so than the tiny bedroom you moved into in the enchanter’s quarters.

What gets you is the wave of nostalgia you feel upon seeing it. Even though it’s your first time being here, you’ve seen this room before. You’ve dreamt of it so many times, even during your Harrowing.

“You picked that room last time, too,” Taehyung quietly tells you.

You turn around to face him, not sure if he’s just messing with you this time. “Taehyung…”

“Wow, pretty girl,” Hoseok interrupts, coming to peer into your room with the others. He wraps his arm around you with a cheerful smile. “This one suits you.”

“I don’t think I want to leave,” Seokjin admits with a bashful laugh through his chosen door. “The room I have is perfect!”

“It’s definitely better than just sleeping anywhere else, I think,” Namjoon confesses, not sure if he’d be able to give this place up after what you’ve all seen. You’re sure he, Hoseok, and even Yoongi could feel the faint, protective, magical aura this place has as well.

“I’ll give you some time to settle in while I get the stew started. The rooms should have everything that you need,” Taehyung tells you all, though his amber eyes don't leave your gaze. He offers a small smile. “We can discuss it after we eat and rest up, yeah?”

“What do you make of all this?” you quietly ask, sinking deeper in the warm bath water. The white foam from the soaps and shampoo are your favorite scent, filling the bathroom with the distinct aroma.

Yoongi sits on the edge of the bathtub, seeming tempted to pop some of the foaming suds covering the bath water.

“I don’t know if we can trust him,” he says, sounding distracted. He raises a delicate hand, eyes focused on a particularly big bubble by your leg.

“Should we stay the night?”

Yoongi hisses when you move your knee the second he strikes, causing him to miss and nearly fall into the tub. You bite back a snicker as he grabs your thighs to keep his balance, glad that he’s in his human form so he can’t claw you. 

“We could,” he replies, coolly, calmly, as if he isn’t half-drenched in your bath water. “He’s a bit strange, but Taehyung doesn’t have any malicious intent.”

“His eyes are of a Wicked man, though.”

“Your eyes were almost Wicked too,” Yoongi mutters under his breath, casually dropping a shocking revelation to you as he wipes his wet hands on his pants.

You sit up straight in the tub. “What! When?!”

“It was when Seokjin got hurt. When you were fighting Adriel,” Yoongi answers, refusing to look at you. His cheeks distinctly turn red as he turns his gaze at a random tile on the wall.

You’re in shock, not realizing you almost turned Wicked. You just remember feeling so angry. When you found Seokjin, he was at the brink of death. And at the time, you couldn’t help but think of the what-ifs: what if you hadn’t gotten there sooner, what if Miss Eunjeong stayed behind with the children, what if he didn’t make it that night. Once you were certain that Seokjin was alive, you just attacked. You didn’t hold back as you cast spell after spell at the beast, not realizing that Adriel was the monster.

The only reason you stopped was because—

“Don’t think about it,” Yoongi cuts in sharply, snapping you out of your thoughts. You blink rapidly. You’re hugging yourself so tightly, your nails are digging into your skin. Your heart is racing so fast, your breath is short. As if the outrage, helplessness, and fear back then were just beginning to resurface again. “It’s in the past now. Seokjin and the others are okay.”

You stopped because you heard Seokjin call for you. You stopped because, when he could’ve sworn he saw a flash of golden amber in your eyes, he looked terrified of you.

“Sorry,” you mumble, sinking down in the bath water again. He’s right. Seokjin is probably asleep in his room, or helping Taehyung with supper. Hoseok and Namjoon are freshening up and resting around the shop as well. “I didn’t know… I thought he…”

You feel Yoongi place his hand on your knee, trying to comfort you. “Taehyung… he has an innocent aura to him. It’s almost child-like,” Yoongi tells you, and you try not to shiver when his thumb rubs your skin. “He must have lost someone important to him to have turned Wicked. But he must have found something within himself that gave him reason to hold onto his humanity.”

A heaviness fills your heart. Taehyung mentioned a previous owner, but it looks like no one has entered this shop for a very long time. Has he been here all alone all this time? When he appeared before you and Hoseok as a baby bird in the castle, and as a raven in the forest, was he trying to seek you out?

I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.

We used to be lovers.

You picked that room last time, too.

Does Taehyung think you’re his previous owner?

“Yoongi,” you ask, thinking about how both Adriel and Taehyung managed to regain their humanity after they’ve turned. “What exactly makes a person Wicked?”

It’s a bit funny what humans deem as magic and what they think is entertainment. In the Fate Reader’s Requiem, the shop was just that. Entertainment. Bells and whistles and illusions as the owner, known as the clairvoyant, pulls wool over people’s eyes for a pretty penny and a good laugh.

“It’s not real,” they would say, eager to see what trick she has up her sleeve. Eager to break the illusion and find out how she does it.

To many mages, it’s almost a mockery of what true magic really entails.

But to the beautiful and mischievous clairvoyant, it’s just as entertaining for her to have them believe they know better.

“Oh, you got me again!” she would say with a perfect smile, promising to find a better way to prank them next time. And Taehyung, her raven familiar, would wonder why she dabbles into silly tricks and games in the first place. When the clairvoyant is actually a proficient fortune teller and potion master. “It’s just for fun, and the customers are happy when they think they’re right. If they walk out of this shop feeling happier than they did coming in, that’s all that matters to me.”

She was selflessly kind, as charismatic as she was beautiful. Found him during a particularly harsh winter, and called him the greatest and warmest gift.

And Taehyung was in love.

It was just the two of them, aimless wanderers as they traveled the roads together by carriage, helping curious adventurers with vague advice for their journey or playing a game for trade during their quests. While she enjoyed pranking the skeptics, she also genuinely helped a lot of her clients as well: selling handmade lucky bracelets with protection spells, adding essence of magic in the baked goods, giving accurate and helpful advice to those who truly want to seek answers. And in their travels, the shop would appear at every stop, providing them a home they can settle into before they must pack up and disappear again.

New Haven was the town she liked most. It was a bustling town, full of fellow travelers and stories. It was the place she and Taehyung spent the most time in, a place that they could settle together, a place that they called home.

She told Taehyung that’s all she ever wanted for them. A place to settle down, a permanent residence for the shop. While it’s nice to travel the world and take in new sights and experiences, she’s always wanted to find a place she could always come back to. And New Haven, to her, seemed to be that place.

Despite how often her abilities teetered between magic and illusion, she was always so careful. After all, real magic was taboo. And her foresight has always been reliable, letting her know when it’s time to move to a new place, when people are becoming too suspicious.

“I’m tired of running away all the time,” she confesses to Taehyung one day, petting his feathers as she looked out the window, into the town she loved so much. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could stay here for a long time too?”

They didn’t leave as baseless gossip around the pubs spread about her and her affinity to magic. They didn’t leave when some of the townsfolk threw stones at them, trying to drive them out of New Haven. They didn’t leave when they tried to burn the shop and almost killed them.

They should've left when the hunters came.

They’re a ruthless, violent group. Persistent as they knock on the doors and demand to know how the clairvoyant does her tricks and illusions, forcing her into revealing her secrets. They drove all the customers away, turned the once beloved regulars against her, creating more hearsay as they called her a con artist and a scammer.

Taehyung doesn’t remember the reason why they took her and tied her up against the wooden pole, throwing stacks of hay and easily flammable foliage around her feet. He doesn’t remember the reason why a preacher from the Devoted stood before the rowdy crowd, calling her a sinner as he riled them up more. He doesn’t remember why no one stood up for her when all she wanted to do was make people happy.

He does remember the hurt and fear in his owner’s eyes before the anger started to seep in. Taking over him completely, until he saw red. Until all he could feel was something pure and foreign. 

Hatred.

Black feathers sprout from his arm and his nails sharpen into talons. He gasps and tries to hide it, to shift back into a full human. Among the outrage, the terror, and the betrayal that weighs heavily in his broken heart, he can feel something fighting against it, trying to keep him from transforming.

“Taehyung, don’t lose yourself,” the clairvoyant pleads as the smoke rises and the embers grow. Although she’s being made a spectacle, he can hear her voice as if she’s standing before him. “I have one more prediction. It’s about your future. Won’t you listen to it?”

There’s too much going on. The clamor of the crowd, chanting like a cult. The fires grow steadily as smoke fills the air and goes into her lungs.

Physically, he starts to change. As he blinks, his eyes become a little more golden. The suppressed darkness and negativity start to taint veins, coloring them black against his skin and spreading from his chest to his neck.

“One day, Taehyung, we’ll meet again. You’ll be happier then. More than you’ve ever been at this point. You’ll fall in love again. You’ll be surrounded by good people who will keep the shop alive, who will give comfort and joy to people better than I ever could by myself. Those people will be your family, Taehyung. And they’ll love you so much.”

Taehyung doesn’t realize he’s crying. He feels so small. He feels so helpless.

It isn’t fair. Why her? Why did they all turn against her? She did nothing wrong. She only wanted to make others happy.

“Don’t lose yourself, Taehyung. Keep holding on. I’m sorry I won’t be with you much longer, but take care of yourself. Take care of the shop. Remember, no matter how harsh the winters are, you’re a person full of love and warmth.”

Taehyung sobs as her screams pierce the smoky air.

When you come down from your bath, you see Seokjin cutting some vegetables in the kitchen and Namjoon dutifully stands by the cauldron and stirs the pot.

“I thought Taehyung was cooking the stew.”

“He’s playing with Hoseok,” Seokjin says, nodding toward one of the small tables where the two of them are laughing together and peeling potatoes. It seems like they’re trying to see who can make the longest peel without magic. “All he’s doing is boiling some meat, so I’m adding more ingredients to make it tastier.”

“Do you need help?”

“Yeah, grab a spoon and let me taste the broth,” he instructs, hands full as he continues to chop cabbage and carrots into chunky pieces. You pick up a ladle, scoop up a spoonful from the cauldron, and carefully take it to Seokjin. You watch a little too intently as he leans toward you, puckers his plush lips, and blows gently on the liquid before tasting it. HIs lips smack a little as he nods his head. “It’s better.”

“Really?”

“I want a taste too,” Hoseok tells you, pouting playfully when he sees you and Seokjin.

“Me too!” Taehyung chimes after. Even cat Yoongi hops on the counter and meows at you that he’s hungry.

Thus, somehow, you end up going around and feeding each of them. Even Namjoon, who could perfectly get some himself as he’s supposed to keep an eye on the soup. He smirks as you glare at him, muttering, “I hope you burn your tongue.”

“Behave, baby,” is all he says, voice deep as he raises an eyebrow. You ignore the skip in your heart as you maintain a straight face and flip him off.

Taehyung smiles as he observes your interactions with each of them. “You know, this is the liveliest this place has been in a long time. It’s really nice.”

There’s a tug in your heart when you recall what Yoongi said. How he must’ve lost someone important to him. How quiet and lonely the shop was in all these years. Quietly, you ask, “Can you tell us more about the previous owner?”

“Ah, she was a lot like you. Pretty. Kind. Brave.” He trails off a bit, and you can see the lingering love he has for her in his voice and his face. The fond expression is clouded with sadness as he continues, “She passed away a long time ago, though. As you can see, her magic is fading from this place and the shop needs new owners to keep it alive.”

“New owners?” Seokjin repeats, carefully dumping the cut vegetables into the stew. He glances over at you, and you meet his gaze for a brief second, shocked.

“That’s right. The shop runs through magic. Without it, it’ll just deteriorate and collapse upon itself,” Taehyung explains, looking at the current state of the shop. “Actually, I wanted to ask if you’d want to be the new owners.”

“Why us?” Namjoon asks, a bit hesitant. Only because it seems too good to be true. You and the others need a place to stay, and the shop, although falling apart, feels more like home than Blackstone Castle ever did.

“Destiny,” Taehyung simply replies, glancing over to you as well. “I think there’s a reason that we met, and why I found you guys again in the forest. I think there’s a reason why the three of you have all dreamt of this place.”

Your eyes widen as you look at Namjoon and Hoseok. “You guys too?”

“It was only once or twice,” Namjoon admits from behind you, “but after dreaming of running and being chased, I sometimes ended up here. Whenever I dreamt of reaching this place, it didn’t feel like a nightmare anymore.”

“I saw it in Divination class,” Hoseok says, a bit bashful. “There were lots of people living with us, cooking and eating together, playing music and dancing, laughing and having fun. We were a family. I didn’t think it would come true at first, but I wanted it so badly.”

“Me too,” you murmur, looking at Seokjin. You’ve told him your prediction about the shop that fulfills many needs and comforts. “I didn’t think it’d come true either.”

“I’ll give you some time to think about it. I think there’s still enough magic in this shop for three more days. Then, once it runs out, it’ll disappear for good,” Taehyung explains as he holds up three fingers. Then, his face lights up when he suddenly remembers something. “Ah! But I do have one more question.”

“What’s that?”

There’s a glint in his amber eyes as he asks, “Do any of you need a familiar?”

It feels like the world moved on too fast after she left.

Sunlight peeks from a heavily curtained window, shining some light into a dark and gloomy room. But Taehyung has long since been awake, hand touching the side of the bed where she would’ve laid. Sometimes, he doesn’t bother to get out of bed at all, even when the shop provides him all the things that would’ve made him happy: instruments like trumpets, trombones, and saxophones playing a jazzy tune, a new canvas upon an easel with vivid colors of paint to use, fresh strawberries and cooked meat already waiting for him at the dining table. Eventually, the music stops, the muse to create remains untouched, and the food becomes cold.

The hunters leave after tearing the shop apart, only finding a lonely raven hiding in its nest.

One of the hunters gives a young boy a dagger. “Take care of that animal, boy.”

The young boy nods and approaches the loft where Taehyung hides. He raises the weapon, sharp tip pointing right at him, but Taehyung doesn’t move. Perhaps this is better than having to spend another day without her.

But the boy has a change of heart. When the other hunters aren’t looking, he carries the raven to a window and sets him free. “Go. Before they notice.”

So, Taehyung flew off to start anew.

Years passed, and day by day, things got a little easier. He still feels so small and fragile, and it shows in his form as a baby bird. And while he wishes he could put everything behind him, the magic shop still follows him. Whether he’s in an eastern temple, a southern desert, a northern snowscape, or a western forest, the shop is always there to comfort him.

And then, one day, when he feels numb enough to forget the pain, he enters it with the intention of releasing its contract with him. With dead, amber eyes, he stares at the dark-painted door by the entrance. 

A door that leads to the heart of the shop.

Beyond it is a small, empty room with white walls, but it can transform into whatever the owner of the shop desires: a banquet, a loft, a studio, a game room. As Taehyung enters, it's a séance room. One that the previous owner held many of her readings, whether true or not.

Sitting on the table is a crystal ball. To his surprise, he sees an image inside it.

He sees her. The old owner. She smiles and waves at him, keeping her promise of meeting him again. Taehyung grabs the ball in his hands, looking into it with disbelief. “Clairvoyant!” 

The image changes. An ominous fortress. Blackstone Castle.

Is he meant to go there?

As a small raven, he flies across a thick forest until his wings are exhausted. But like most familiars, he can sense magical auras nearby. It gives him the strength to keep going. Many animals are attracted to mages, including dangerous predators. It isn’t uncommon for wolves, bears, and big cats to lurk near the castle. He does his best to avoid getting attacked by any of them.

By the time he reaches it, he collapses from a tree, dizzy, tired, hungry.

“Hoseok, look!”

When Taehyung opens his eyes, he’s being carried by warm, gentle hands. He feels the tips of fingers carefully rub his feathers, and two faces peering down at him. Yours and Hoseok’s.

Contracts between a mage and a familiar tend to be straight-forward. For Hoseok, who is still considered an apprentice, it’s simple.

“Defeat me in battle, and I’ll become your familiar,” Taehyung dramatically tells him. 

The two stand across from each other in front of the shop. Hoseok seems nervous as he holds onto his wand, glancing around as if anyone would stumble upon you guys at any given moment. Even though Taehyung has assured you all that he’s put up invisible portals to prevent any human from walking into the match, turning them around if they happen to walk through it. The rest of you sit on the porch steps with Yoongi on your lap and Seokjin passing some snacks over your head to Namjoon.

It’s the second day. Dawn barely breaks through the horizon before flashes of bright colors emitting from Hoseok’s wand light the dark skies. After supper together and wishing each other good night before breaking off into your separate rooms, all of you feel more rejuvenated than you had in days. Fed, well-rested, safe, and sheltered. You can’t quite imagine a better place than this.

Yoongi purrs in your lap, his eyes darting back and forth between Hoseok and Taehyung with interest. Effortlessly, Taehyung becomes a raven and flies overhead, dodging the bullets of light that shoots from Hoseok’s wand. Neither of them are holding back as Taehyung would swoop down and peck his ear, tug on his hair, or scratch his shoulder.

This is how it should be, Yoongi seems to tell you. No need for Harrowings or unnecessary deaths. Just a good, ol’ fashion duel between magical beings.

Twenty minutes later, Hoseok lands a hit on Taehyung, who dives down and rolls on the ground, shifting into his human form. “Ow. You win.”

“I won?”

“He went easy on him,” Seokjin scoffs, munching on his snacks.

“Hoseok knows how to make ambrosia. That’s the hardest concoction to make,” Namjoon points out, not only because of how rare the ingredients are, but because of how difficult and time-consuming it is to get them. And even then, it is very easy to mess it up. “We can let him pass this one.”

“Hoseok! You won!” you cheer, running up to him as Hoseok screams in triumph. He catches you in his arms and spins you around in glee. 

Taehyung, voice hoarse, dramatically rolls to his back and looks up at Hoseok. “You have proven your worth, apprentice. No, enchanter. I shall be your familiar and help guide you through your magical journey from now on.”

Hoseok laughs as he extends a hand to the raven. “I’m looking forward to having you by my side, Taehyung.”

A connection between them is instantly made. A special bond between familiar and mage. You look over at your own familiar, sharing a knowing look with him.

“We should celebrate,” Seokjin suggests as he stands up with a proud smile. “I’ll cook something nice for all of us.”

“Maybe we can look around town as well,” Namjoon adds, seeming curious about what's in New Haven. The rest of you agree, in need of new clothes and supplies since everything has been left behind at Blackstone Castle.

Before heading out, Namjoon warns you and Hoseok not to use any magic. Even if the people seem friendly, they could easily turn you to the hunters if you warrant enough suspicion. Taehyung is eager to help you guys blend in, transforming your enchanter robes into casual attires.

It feels a bit strange. You’re not used to wearing something so pretty. In comparison, the enchanter robes are so plain and simple. One bland color without design or appeal.

Taehyung takes a step back to admire his work once the illusion spell is cast on your old clothes. There’s a sincerity in his voice as he murmurs, “You’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you,” you reply back, a bit flustered. Perhaps it’s because Taehyung himself is so handsome, or perhaps it’s his honesty that makes you know he means what he says, but he has a way of making you feel so shy.

The boys have changed their robes and armor for suits, and at the entrance where you’re all gathered, it’s like you can’t stop looking at each other.

“Wow! Jin, you’re so handsome!” Namjoon loudly exclaims, causing Seokjin’s ears to turn red as Hoseok touches the fabric of his suit. Even though he and Namjoon are wearing something similar.

“You don’t look bad yourself, Joon,” you comment when Taehyung brings you in. Hoseok’s jaw falls open as the redness from Seokjin’s ears spreads to his face and neck. In the tiniest, quietest voice, you think Namjoon compliments you back. But Hoseok is already all over you, openly admiring how nice you look in your new outfit. Even Yoongi stares at you so intensely, you almost want to ask your cat if anything is wrong.

The five of you enter town and spend the day exploring. 

You and Hoseok feel like children, fascinated with everything around you. He excitedly points at horses pulling a carriage or some of the funny hats some people wear on their heads. At a clothing shop, the two of you try on some of the silly hats you guys saw, bursting into fits of laughter the more flamboyant and ridiculous they are. When he hears music from street performers, he pulls you along to dance with him, both of you giggling as one song blends into another and another.

Seokjin has your arm linked around his when you enter the famous marketplace. It feels like a place that’s easy to get lost in. Merchants have set up stands, selling everything from armors and weapons, common and rare artifacts and accessories, and daily ingredients for home-cooked meals. He sees you eyeing one that sells flowers and buys a small bouquet for you. His whole face turns suspiciously red when the old merchant smiles at him and says, “You make a lovely couple.”

For lunch, Taehyung shows you a place by a river that instantly becomes Namjoon’s favorite spot. The five of you sit by the grassy bank, admiring the way the sunlight shimmers off the reflection of the water. Yoongi growls at him in disdain when Namjoon rests his head on his spot – your lap – but proceeds to climb on his chest and glare down at him menacingly. Seokjin and Hoseok finally share a drink together, clinking bottles of alcohol. You giggle when Hoseok gives a curious Taehyung a sip of his, and laugh harder at the utter disgust on his face that follows afterwards. Namjoon smiles when he feels you absently run your fingers through his hair. He tells you that he’s happy, and you admit that you are as well.

By sunset, when all of you finally return back to the shop, you and Seokjin immediately prepare a celebratory supper for Hoseok and Taehyung. Although you were all gone most of the day, the place suddenly seems cleaner. Brighter. You hear Taehyung playing with the piano and it doesn’t sound out of tune like it had before. Even the food tastes more delicious, and you’re not sure if it’s because Seokjin has an eye for high quality ingredients and impeccable cooking skills, or if there’s a bit of magic that’s poured in from the shop.

“Taehyung,” Namjoon begins as dinner begins to wind down. “I think we’ve all made our decision already. About the shop.”

After meeting you and Hoseok, Taehyung can’t get you out of his mind.

Perhaps it’s because you really do remind him of his previous owner. Even if he isn’t completely certain you’re her in another life.

For days, Taehyung would watch you from the crystal ball, seeing little glimpses of your life. He sees that you’re a hard-worker, serious about your studies, and self-motivated in learning new things. He finds you really admirable, and knows that you’re very kind with the way you took care of him until he got better.

He sees your relationships with the other boys, and how easily drawn you are toward each of them. Namjoon and his admirable intelligence and gentle nature. Seokjin and his witty humor, playfulness, and consideration. Hoseok and his fervent passion and unyielding optimism. Yoongi and his calm, comforting aura and constant assurance.

He feels a bit envious, wishing he could be a part of that too.

The shop, once a place of painful memories, suddenly gives him a bit of hope. It isn’t every day that he is able to look into your life. Sometimes it’d take weeks or months for a new vision to appear. But every time it does, the warm and optimistic feeling of hope resurges within him.

Taehyung sees visions of darkness, flames, betrayal, loss, and terror that occurs during that fateful night. He sees how it’s ripped you all away from everything you’ve known and everything you’re used to. But a smile appears on his face when he sees something else.

You, at the shop, helping Seokjin cook for everybody and sharing quick kisses when he passes by you to grab a utensil or an ingredient. You with Namjoon at the reading nook, noses stuck in your own books and heads resting on big pillows on the floor, but you’re reading the same lines over and over as his fingers absently massages and trace patterns on your leg. You and Hoseok dancing together at the parlor room, even when there isn’t music playing, and he’s incredibly smitten as he spins you around and dips you before slowly bringing you back up for a kiss. You and Yoongi napping together in the afternoon, seemingly innocently, had it not been for the fresh bite marks against your thighs and neck.

Then, he sees you and him. 

Taehyung gifts you pretty things: coins, jewelry, bottle caps, buttons, polished rocks. He sings to you while you work, pecking your face with teasing kisses before pressing his lips against yours. At night, he shows you his nest at the loft and has you lie among his collection of pretty, shiny things. There’s an alluring look in your eyes as his hands tugs on the strings of your corset. His eyes seem to glow with desire as he drinks you in, watching your reactions as he tenderly kisses your neck, your collarbone, your breast, your torso. He sees his large hand pin your wrist down as he brings your hips to him, and how your hand clenches the fabric of a blanket beneath you as your lips part open.

There’s more that the crystal shows him, but Taehyung is already gone. Determined and flustered to see you again.

On the third day, all of you have gathered around the dining table with the deed to the shop sitting before you. It feels like an easy decision. 

Of course, all of you had to treat it like a business and figure out ways to make profit. Seokjin and Hoseok like the idea of keeping the tavern and providing warm meals and cold drinks to customers. Although none of you have experience in owning a shop, Namjoon is good at numbers and offers to take care of the back-end of the business, such as bookkeeping finances and sales. Taehyung is adamant about the mysterious room in the entrance, selling you to the idea that it can have many uses in both the professional and personal sense. And all of you, including Yoongi, like the idea of providing entertainment at the parlor room with music, dancing, and games.

“Is there a catch that we should know about?” Hoseok asks as he reads through the contents of the deed one more time. All of you look at Taehyung for confirmation.

“It’s not a catch, per say,” Taehyung begins, shifting uneasily as the room falls silent. “I just want to reiterate that the shop is driven by magic.”

“So, is the shop going to drain our magic or something?” Namjoon asks, hesitant.

“No, nothing like that,” he assures you all. “One mage alone can power the shop by casting spells, doing small rituals, and crafting potions. Three mages and two familiars living here will make the upkeep easy.”

“What about non-magical beings? What can I do?” Seokjin nervously questions, seeming to want to contribute as well.

A slow, boxy smile appears on Taehyung’s face as he locks eyes with you. “Do you know what the most powerful kind of magic is? It’s love.”

Seokjin snorts in disbelief. “Isn’t that a little too cheesy?”

“He’s right, though,” Hoseok defends, sighing as he thinks of Miss Eunjeong’s parting words to him. “It sounds simple, but loving yourself, loving others, sharing that unconditional and mutual feeling with someone can be difficult.”

“You have to face the ugliest parts about yourself and accept it. Find ways to choose love when things become tough. It’s a constant effort,” Namjoon adds, and it feels like all of them are looking right at you when he says, “You can love someone so much, and never know if they truly love you back.”

“It’s a little scary,” you admit quietly. Even now, you feel so vulnerable opening up like this. Are you even a person worthy of being loved like that? Although you know that you love the boys, are you deserving of theirs?

All of you fall quiet again, thinking about it. With all of them, you had to hide your feelings from them in one way or another. With Hoseok, it was because he was in love with someone else. With Namjoon, you were both rivals and had a reputation to keep. With Seokjin, it’s because an affair between a mage and warden is forbidden. Even you and Yoongi stay strictly in the lane of mage and familiar.

“But you’re willing to try, right?” Taehyung asks, looking between you all as if he already knows the answer. “As long as we all love each other, as long as we’re together, the shop will become more than just a business. It’ll be a home. We can settle down and continue to have happier days from now on.”

“We give the best of each other,” Namjoon says with a soft smile toward you, being the first to sign. “I’ll show you.”

Hoseok signs as well. So does Seokjin. Yoongi dabs his paw in the ink and presses it on the paper. Taehyung’s name is already on the paper. That just leaves yours.

You pick up the quill and draw in a breath. It feels like all your dreams are coming true. A new home, a new family, a new life.

Ink spills into your signature and seals the deal.

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated! Taglist: @natalie-rdr​; @scentisterror; @aloneatpeace ​ To join the tag list, please read [here].

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[misc-obeyme]

A mini fic update, I love that ajdjf. I'm glad someone else is enjoying this too 😭 my silly little poly ship. And I'm taking screenshots of my asks to put into a doc later whenever I finally have free time !! I sent them to a friend as well and she says she'd read it if I wrote it too which made me 🥹 i also have my notes app for when i gotta write down an idea at work

i forgot that group chats will usually share the same name across all phones, and was completely ready for everyone to have their own unique chat. Though, this could be a funny idea later when I start realizing the feelings, and I change the group chat to "my dumbasses <3" without realizing it changes it for everyone. Neither Solomon or Mammon mention it (at least not for a while. Or they do when I finally come to terms with my feelings LMAO).

Mammon's would've been "More than regulars" but Solomon ?? He knows I like FOB, so he would've suggested "Coffee's for Closers" or "Music or the Macchiato" because it connects everyone. It's a reference to Music or the Misery which makes me happy, Solomon is literally going to college for music, and a macchiato is a coffee so that's how it ties Mammon in.

The group chat is them all sending snippets of their day. Mammon trying new latte art. Solomon sending a pic of a half finished score. Me sending photos of new things I got in. Solomon sending a photo that Friday, and it's a pic of his coffee. On the side is written "good luck with your exam" with a doodle of a calculator. And maybe a scribbled out heart. "I got a doodle today! :]" "Aww!! Good luck with your exam!! Also, what's that blob scribbled out?" "ADKSJ IRS NTOJING. NOTHING. SHUR UP. TOU DONT SEE ANYRHIJF." (it's written like that, broken up into multiple messages. I think I remember Mammon key smashed when Solomon listed those 10 reasons to him about mc.)

Okay but last time Solomon was cramming for the exam and mentioning how he has limited hours at school to use the grand piano, right? Well, the old owner used to play piano, and had one in the shop in the corner. But when he left and passed on the shop, it started collecting dust and wasn't getting used. It probably went out of tune, and it definitely made me sad seeing it all lonely (and made me miss the owner), but I wasn't about to sell it either. I end up blocking it off with standing dividers, and using those as a board for upcoming events around the city and to hang posters.

But it's now Monday, and all I can think about is what Solomon said. I'm zoning out, staring at the dividers when Lucifer walks in. He has to wave his hand in front of my face, effectively scaring me, but only because he called my name like three times and I didn't answer.

He scolds me, saying I should be more aware of my surroundings in case something happens. He asks out of curiosity why my shop was closed an extra day, and I sheepishly told him a vague version of Wednesday of how I was hanging out with another regular and Mammon at his cafe. How I lost track of time and fell behind. He raises an eyebrow. I feel like I'm dying of embarrassment.

He asks if that's why I was zoning out, because I was reminiscing, and I shrugged. I told him what Solomon said about piano time and then explained how I was thinking about the piano the old owner left, and the problems with it/why it's blocked off. Lucifer perks up considerably, and asks to see the piano. I'm extremely confused, but there's no one else shopping, so I move the dividers and show off the piano. "May I?" Lucifer asks, wanting to be respectful. I nod, watching curiously.

We both wince at the first note, and it's definitely out of tune. But Lucifer plays a small piece, and I've never seen him look so content. "I didn't know you played piano." "Ah, yes. It's a big passion of mine, but I don't have much time nowadays. I actually tried to teach one of my brothers to play, but he wasn't very interested." "Oh. Which one?" "Mammon, of course." "Mammon... Can play the piano?" "I wouldn't say he knows, but you could ask him to play. If it's for you, I'm sure he would try. If you'll allow me to fix this piano for you, that is." "Wait, what?!" "Hm? Was I not clear enough? I can fix this for you, I take care of my own at home. And then you can tell your friend he can use it. Or is that not what you were aiming for?" "No, this is- Lucifer, thank you so much. I swear, I'll hunt down a really cool record for you as thanks!" "I'm simply doing a favor for another music lover. There's no need to repay me." "Too bad, because I'm doing it anyway. Also... What did you mean by 'if it's for you'?" "If you haven't figured it out now, you will in due time. I'll be back tomorrow when you open to fix it." "Huh- LUCIFER !! YOU CAN'T SAY CRYPTIC SHIT LIKE THAT!! What the hell does that mean anyway?"

I think when Luci checks in on Mammon at the cafe, he either asks about the regulars, or Mammon tells him about them unprompted. And both mine and Solomon's name keep popping up. Mammon's ears turn red when he's talking about us I bet.

okay I'm done aaa. Next is the horror night idea? Maybe? Also I googled if you could tune a piano yourself, and one result said getting it done by a professional could cost upwards of $300. 😭 Luci definitely does his own maintenance to save money.

- ✨ anon

Phew, I'm relieved to know you are saving everything because I'm like listen you gotta keep track of these things you're putting in the ask box!! LOL!

Oh my gosh the synced group chat situation is so crazy like who came up with that? My nieces keep changing the family group chat. It was Chicken Nuggets for the longest time... I don't remember what it is now, they had like a group chat renaming battle with my brother-in-law and I stopped keeping track. Anyway, sorry for that tangent!!

I love the idea that you didn't know it did that and changed the group name to my dumbasses, that's adorable!

Trust Solomon to come up with something so specific but that still works for everyone... he's so funny I love him.

OH NO the calculator and crossed out heart is SO CUTE I'm dead.

Okay so as a piano person, I can tell you that tuning a piano is no easy task & a lot of times, you gotta hire the professional because you run the risk of messing it up. (This is also why they charge so much - 'cause they got that knowledge lol.) And the older the piano, the more difficult it is to tune it or fix it up. It'd probably need to be cleaned out too, possibly have repairs and parts replaced. It likely needs a full restoration or refurbishment.

The thing about these kinda details, though, is that it's really up to you how you wanna go about it! It's a story, you can easily just say Lucifer did all the necessary training and that takes care of that. You could also say the piano itself is not that old and only needs tuning rather than a full restoration.

It's the magic of ~fiction~! Plus unless your readers know about pianos, they likely won't even register this lol. I just happen to know about it, so.

Anyway, I really like the idea of Lucifer getting involved and doing something nice like that - he cares about everybody and wants to see you guys get together hee hee!

Uh oh horror night?? I'm worried about Mams lol!

[crow-stars]

❝CHOCOLATE KISSES, VALENTINE'S WISHES❞

❦summary;  as the day of st. valentine approaches near, one can wonder how the students of nrc plan to celebrate

♪the characters in this story; trey clover, cater diamond, leona kingscholar, vil schoenheit, rook hunt, malleus draconia, lilia vanrouge, gn!reader

✎word count; ~3,409

❀what do the ghosts say?; romantic relationships, bullet point format, giving of chocolates and other sweets, blushing/flustered students

☛the author's notes; i don't write a lot for trey, you all know this, be nice to me please ヾ(´ ▽ ` )

☪look at the catalogue?

❝TREY CLOVER❞

♡ I actually think that Trey’s pretty fond of valentine’s, to some extent

♡ Like, for a bakery, valentine’s is going to be a very busy time, so young Trey must have been running around helping his parents at the bakery

♡ And then his siblings are all getting a bunch of candy and chocolates and it’s just a really hectic, but energetic time for him

♡ I also think that he really likes making/getting cards, so that’s also something he’s doing 

♡ So Trey actually really likes valentine’s ( ˙▿˙ )

♡ Besides childhood memories or whatever, Trey’s definitely going to be making something on the day of

♡ Maybe some cupcakes for the dorm, a small cake for Riddle, cake pops for ADeuce

♡ Just lots of things being made man

♡ Of course, he’ll always remind those people to brush their teeth thoroughly once the day is done

♡ Trey probably wouldn’t be very against or for getting a card/letter. He’ll take it with a smile and then thank you for it

“Ah, a card. I like the cover on this, did you make it yourself? It’s cute.”

♡ If the card you give him is sweet and sugary like those cakes he makes, there’s gonna be a bit of a blush across his cheeks.

“Your card is pretty nice. How long did it take you to make this, huh?”

♡ Either way, Trey will be thanking you, but that’s it.

♡ When you’re Trey’s partner for valentine’s, you’ll definitely be getting a bit more than if you weren’t

♡ Trey’s definitely going to be making something for you, that’s no doubt

♡ Maybe your favorite cake, a treat you particularly like, he’s going to be making something you can eat together

♡ If you prefer something less sweet, I know some people don’t like sweets, Trey will still do his best to make something to your tastes

♡ I think that Trey would also get you a small gift along with whatever he makes you

♡ Maybe a small bouquet of flowers, or a teddy bear that’s on the smaller side

♡ Nothing big and grandiose 

♡ Now, date-wise, nothing romantic is gonna happen until towards the end of the day, as both of you have stuff to do during the day and Trey wouldn’t want to interrupt your schedule

♡ That won’t stop him from giving you small kisses throughout the day, just to remind you that he remembers about this day of love

♡ Your date together will most likely be in Heartslaybul in the gardens without any interruptions from the underclassmen 

♡ Trey’s going to be feeding you that treat he made of his. And if you get something on your cheeks? He’ll lick it away and kiss that area <3

❝CATER DIAMOND❞

♡ Oh my gosh, first thought is that Cater’s that type of person to be liking and reposting those aesthetic valentine’s mood boards or stuff with pink aesthetics during February 

♡ Cater is going to be so hyped about valentine’s 

♡ He loves the holiday so much because it’s just such an attractive time of the year, in his eyes

♡ Like, there’s so many good places for photo ops, so many shops having valentine’s themed stuff!

♡ There’s gonna be such good magicammable things, Cater’s gonna be busy

♡ Cater isn’t going to be much of a giver, he’ll be getting things, but not many people are getting things in return

♡ Maybe, he’ll go to Sam’s and get some heart shaped lollipops for his dormmates

♡ I don’t think he’d like getting any chocolates or sweets, we all know this. I think there’s spicy chocolate though, so I think that’s just for him

♡ Or chocolate covered fruit, one of those two things, Cater will like getting either 

♡ When getting cards, Cater’s gonna be ecstatic and, before getting anything else, he’ll be snapping a quick pic of it before reading it

“Aaw, you got me a letter, how sweet! Gimme a sec to take a pic before I read it though...”

♡ When the card is sweet in words and romantic in theme, be prepared for some teasing, because he’s going to be teasing ♡(>ᴗ•)

“Ooh, it looks like someone’s confessing their love for me here, huh? Hey, don’t shy away now!”

♡ He’s going to take a selfie with you and the card, but he won’t post that one

♡ Spending valentine’s with Cater as his partner is going to include lots of photo ops and lots of cute date places

♡ Definitely going to be getting you a bouquet of roses, that’s for sure

♡ He’s going to be very affectionate during the day, like just going up to you and peppering you with kisses before leaving 

♡ Cater has a date all planned and ready to go towards the end of the day, so expect him to remind you about it

♡ I think he’s going to actually dress up for your date together and will want to match with you

♡ He’s going to take a pic of the both of you together before the date and then after

♡ Maybe taking a picture of the food

♡ And where’s his phone for the other majority of the date? Well it’s away, cause he has to eat!

♡ His other hand is holding yours <3

❝LEONA KINGSCHOLAR❞

♡ Doesn’t care for valentine’s, kinda hates it

♡ But Leona hates everything, so that’s not new

♡ Even though he’s second prince, I’m sure he still gets a bunch of letters and cards as he’s still a prince and people wanna marry princes 

♡ So he hates having to receive all that junk from people who just want something from him 

♡ Leona is going to be spending valentine’s as any other day, which is sleeping, skipping on his classes, and being generally apathetic to what’s happening around him

♡ Like, I can’t emphasize enough, Leona just hates holidays like this

♡ Obviously, Leona is going to be a big receiver, but not a giver

♡ Any chocolates, treats, or gifts he gets that he doesn’t like, he’ll probably just give it to Ruggie or any other person who will take it

♡ I think he’s someone who prefers dark chocolate over the usual milk chocolate that valentine’s chocolates are made of

♡ Though, I think he does find amusement in chocolates shaped like little animals. Or peeps. I think Leona likes biting the heads off

♡ Getting a card isn’t going to garner much reaction from this lazy lion, so don’t be disappointed if he doesn’t immediately read it

“A card, huh? Ugh, great. What’s with the look? Do you know how many I got today? Heh, I’ll read it later, if that makes you so happy.”

♡ On the off chance that he does read it in a five minute timeframe from when he gets it and it’s a card with genuine words and compliments, Leona will get a bit smug

“Hehe, your card’s cute. Didn’t know you could write such flowery things. What, hate it? I mean, I don’t dislike it....”

♡ I think that how genuine a card is matters to Leona, because of how many letters he gets with people who are just trying to get on his good side

♡ Even if Leona hates valentine’s, with a partner, he’s going to try a bit more for them

♡ There’s a good chance he’ll regift some of the stuff he’s received from admirers, but you’ll be getting your own gift, don’t worry

♡ And also don’t be surprised by the large bouquet of your favorite flowers that suddenly appeared overnight. It’s just ‘a little something’ as the attached letter from Leona says

♡ Leona is definitely going to drag you away from any responsibilities you have on valentine’s so you can spend the day with him

♡ He’s your partner, and it’s valentine’s, so it makes sense, alright? 

♡ Even though he is dragging you away from the responsibilities of the real world, Leona will still be very sweet towards you

♡ He’s going to bring you to his room where there’s many comfy pillows and blankets and all the things needed for a relaxing chill day

♡ He’ll be cuddling you and falling in and out of sleep as you do whatever you please

♡ And, as an additional bonus, when Leona is awake, he’s going to be giving you many soft kisses and small words of ‘i love you’

♡ Even towards the end of the day, as he’s finally going to sleep, Leona will give you one last kiss and a muttered ‘love ya’ before falling asleep <3

❝VIL SCHOENHEIT❞

♡ A busy, busy man

♡ Valentine’s means lots of companies promoting products for couples, which means models being needed, which means Vil has things to be doing 

♡ Obviously, they won’t be doing shoots on valentine’s itself, but I’m sure that by then, Vil will be quite exhausted by then

♡ And, as Vil is someone who’s quite famous, he’s going to be receiving a lot of letters, gifts, the like

♡ So then there’ll be that Vil has to deal with

♡ Rook will be helping him, of course, but it’ll still be exhausting to deal with for him

♡ Despite this he’s going to be making something for his fellow dormmates 

♡ Everyone is getting a neatly written letter, a single rose, and some rose or candy scented cosmetic product

♡ It’s all presented quite beautifully, even Epel will admit it

♡ For Vil, when getting a card, it honestly depends on the presentation of the card when he first sees it. 

“Hm... I have to say, the cover of your card is quite appealing. I’ll make sure to read it and tell you my thoughts later.”

♡ If he does read it right then, Vil is going to give you his thoughts once he’s finished reading

“Heh, how cute, though I do have to applaud your words. Quite well worded, dear.”

♡ Don’t talk anything he says as mean or condescending though, he truly means it if he likes what you’ve written ♡( ◡‿◡ )

♡ For spending valentine’s with Vil as his partner, get ready to be spoooiled 

♡ You will be given a nice outfit, a beautiful flower arrangement, and your absolute favorite treat

♡ Vil will treat you like a queen/king, as you should be treated

♡ A hand will be around your waist as the two of you walk together and you both will look like a picturesque couple 

♡ Rook is going to be gushing over to two of you for a good chunk of the day, saying how perfect the two of you look, how beautiful your relationship is, etc etc

♡ Vil has definitely set up a dinner for the two of you towards the end of the day and he’ll be making sure the two of you dress well

♡ You two will have a room reserved to yourselves, so nothing is going to interrupt you. 

♡ And the view is going to be beautiful! So Vil can’t help but kiss you as the sun sets <3

❝ROOK HUNT❞

♡ Ohoho 

♡ Mans loves valentine’s 

♡ I’m pretty sure that Rook would love to run a valentine’s gram service and then deliver all the grams by arrow

♡ But Azul probably stole that this year, so he’ll have to do something different

♡ Rook is the self-proclaimed hunter of love, this is his holiday!

♡ So, as the hunter of love, Rook just has to make sure everyone knows that valentine’s is drawing near

♡ He will be doing his best to celebrate valentine’s to the fullest

♡ I think that Rook would be organizing something for the dorm or school

♡ Hell, he could even be running an anonymous confession service for people, there’s no stopping this man

♡ If Rook gets a card, putting aside the thought of if its romantic or not, he’s going to be going into a full soliloquy 

“A card, for me! Oh, how my heart soars at this! I could simply take you into my arms and hug you, mon cher! Why, I—”

♡ Just know you’re going to have to stop him at some point, unless you like listening to him use a shit ton of metaphors

♡ This is going to be heightened if the card is actually romantic, like, he’s going to be starstruck. And speaking a lot of French.

“Ah! Mon cher! C’est magnifique! Mon cœur bat si vite! Ayez pitié de moi!”

♡ To translate in simpler terms; he is very happy about your card and pretty much is about to kiss you ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

♡ And if you’re his partner on valentine’s? Hooo boy, here we go

♡ I will start by saying that when you wake up, you will be hit by a strong floral scent. This is because there are many, many flowers in your room

♡ And by your bedside, a note from Rook. He’s arranged a little scavenger hunt for you! How nice! What are you gonna do about the flowers though...

♡ The scavenger hunt is going to be fun actually, but clues will also be in places that you have no idea how Rook got into, like the Savanaclaw dorm because everyone there hates him

♡ Regardless of all these questions, you’ll find yourself in the woods by the school 

♡ And when you reach the final location, you’ll find Rook in the middle of a beautiful clearing with a picnic ready for the two of you

♡ The food’s actually gonna be really good and Rook is going to compliment almost everything you’re doing. Yes, even if you eat

♡ I think that Rook would gift you a necklace as his valentine’s gift and he’ll personally put it on you himself

♡ And when it’s time to pack up, Rook is going to be holding your hand and giving you such a loving look the whole way back <3

❝IDIA SHROUD❞

♡ He likes valentine’s, but only for the events that happen in his games. So, besides that, Idia doesn’t like valentine’s

♡ Idia hates all that advertising of love and happy couples and blegh

♡ It’s disgusting, in his eyes, and Idia hates seeing it so much

♡ He’s gonna be playing a bunch of visual novels during this time 

♡ I think that Idia is someone who is a receiver rather than a giver, and for a good reason too 

♡ Idia would be nervous as hell trying to give someone a card, afraid of getting rejected, or a bad impression, you know how this goes

♡ The only reason Idia would leave is if Ortho wanted to go see something and Idia wants to go support his brother 

♡ But other than that, he’s staying shut inside his room

♡ Giving a card to Idia is going to be a task in itself, lemme tell you

♡ Of course, Ortho would be happy to give it to Idia for you, but there is a chance Idia could just throw it out or something

♡ Though, I think making him a digital card and sending it to him would be just as good as giving one to him in person

♡ Let’s assume you’re able to give the card to Idia in person and he doesn’t kick you out or something 

“E-Eh? A card? Fo-For me?! Wh-Why me? I’m just some 3-star character, nobody wants them! Okay, okay! I’ll read it...”

♡ And seven forbid if the card you give him has romantic and sweet words towards him because we’re going to have a fire hazard

“Wh-Wh-Wha— Wh-Why did you—?! Are you tr-trying to kill me?!”

♡ Dramatics aside, Idia’s actually going to be really appreciative of your card, even if he doesn’t act like it

♡ Being Idia’s partner on valentine’s isn’t going to be much different than any other day, let’s be honest

♡ Idia isn’t going to be taking you outside on any dates, unsurprisingly, but he has something planned for you two in his room!

♡ He’s going to have all your favorite snacks lined up and all your favorite games

♡ Even if he hates the games you like, he’ll let you play them on the big screen while he uses a handheld 

♡ Idia will even get some chocolate/strawberry flavored treats if you’d like

♡ But that’s pretty much going to be the whole of your day

♡ Where is Idia going to be sitting while you’re gaming? 

♡ Right beside you of course! And when you get an achievement, you’ll be getting a peck on the cheek <3

❝MALLEUS DRACONIA❞

♡ He’s just a bit confused

♡ Malleus doesn’t particularly understand why there’s a whole holiday centered around love

♡ Especially with all the roses and chocolate stuff

♡ Regardless, he does find it interesting to observed

♡ And maybe he wants to receive what his other classmates receive too, but he’s alright for the most part

♡ Malleus is definitely going to be giving for valentine’s

♡ He’s going to be making cards and get chocolates for Lilia, Silver, and Sebek 

♡  Rest of the time, I think Malleus is just going to be observing, people watching

♡ He wants to know about the intricacies of the holiday. He’s a curious being overall

♡ Getting a card, for Malleus, I think he’d be overjoyed about it because there’s a very good chance that the poor dragon boy won’t be getting many cards

“Oh, a card. Why thank you, child of man. I appreciate this greatly.”

♡ When the card is more romantic than what Malleus would flush, just a little, but there’s a bit of a smirk on his lips too

“These words... Hm? Oh no, I don’t dislike it. I find it quite adorable.”

♡ Malleus is definitely going to be keeping that card in a safe area where it won’t be damaged 

♡ Now, on valentine’s, as Malleus’ partner, you will be coddled and cuddled by this big ‘ol dragon

♡ Definitely going to get you an obscenely big bouquet of roses, no doubt 

♡ Also a bunch of chocolates, like a lot of them

♡ Please explain to him that chocolates and roses aren’t the only things that he can gift on valentine’s, unless you want all that

♡ Anyway, Malleus is going to steal you away first thing in the morning and take you back to his room 

♡ And in his room, there is going to be a nest with lots of fluffy blankets and pillows ready to be resting on

♡ No, you will not be able to leave, Lilia will get you anything you need

♡ Yes, you will be there basically the whole day

♡ You will also be kissed a bunch, so I hope you have fun <3

❝LILIA VANROUGE❞

♡ He is vibrating with excitement, look at him shake

♡ I like to think that Lilia loves celebrating all holidays 

♡ Doesn’t matter he doesn’t celebrate it himself, he finds it so interesting and intriguing that he can’t help but be interested

♡ Lilia will definitely be trying to get the rest of the Diasomnia in the mood of valentine’s 

♡ So, if you visit, during this time, expect to see quite a lot of pink and balloons

♡ That aside, Lilia is definitely getting something of the rest of the Diasomnia crew

♡ And he’ll make sure that all the gifts are to each boy’s liking

♡ Like, for example, Lilia probably got Silver a squishmallow or something and a pack of coffee

♡ All three boys are going to get really good gifts, you’d think that it’s christmas for them

♡ If Lilia gets a card, he’s going to be really teasing with you, but will thank you overall

“Kehehe, a card, hm? Ah, makes me feel like a youngin again, getting one of these~ Thank you, dear.”

♡ And if your card is more romantic, Lilia is going to be all over you and teasing you relentlessly

“Oh, how cute! I never knew that you could write such sweet words! Hm, are you blushing? Don’t shy away now!”

♡ Regardless, you will be teased by this old fae, so i hope you’re prepared for that (/_＼)

♡ Spending valentine’s with Lilia as his partner... well.

♡ He’s going to try making you chocolate for valentine’s and will do his best to make sure it’s perfect

♡ Of course, we know that it won’t go well, but at least he tried! Just don’t eat the chocolate...

♡ Lilia will definitely be holding your hand for a majority of the day and be told time and time again that you’re beautiful, handsome, gorgeous, all the compliments that Lilia can manage

♡ You are also going to be bitten. A lot

♡ Not in a sexual way, but in a more sign of affection. Just a little nip on your wrist or on your shoulder

♡ Towards the end of the day, Lilia is going to whisk you away for a night walk together in the forest 

♡ The forest is going to be alight with fireflies and it’s honestly so beautiful to look at 

♡ Lilia is going to be holding your hand the whole way through, guiding through the forest 

♡ It’ll truly be a beautiful sight, especially with you by his side <3

[sunnysideoflondon]

can i just say i love the demoni album (by joker out)?? every song literally goes so hard even the one i'd rank last if i had to is really goddamn good. i also like how the album contrasts with umazane misli (the album not the song) as its sort of about falling in love whilst demoni is like falling out of love? i haven't listened to the majority of umazane misli so im sorry if im wrong lmfao anyway. i had a thought that was like "the track order is usually on purpose right?" so that prompted me to make a summary of the contents of each song and i was like wait. this is a storyline. sorry again if these summaries are not fully correct i made them with one braincell and i dont have the energy to look up the lyrics again haha ok so katrina is like just post-breakup. "why do you keep on playing me. do you love me or not? i need you and hate you at the same time". ne bi smel is like "im sorry this was all my fault but i didnt have any other choice. i want you back but i know i betrayed you. it's my fault. im sorry". plastika is sort of like a side thing possibly its about hating how you look and having surgery to look perfect and beautiful. "it doesn't matter about anything else, im perfect now". i think this song has a deeper meaning that would fit more cleanly into the storyline of the other songs but im not big brained enough to figure out how exactly if i figure out ill update this. now, massive whiplash as we jump into demoni which is like "i need you here. when im not here my demons play with me" (idk how to better explain it besides just drawing from the og lyrics hah) important to note that this song is the title track. padam is like "i should've believed them instead of going through with us. someone help me. please. where is everyone?" vse kar vem is like "everything ends eventually, you just didn't need me anymore". ona is like "you never cared. but i care so much. so so much". tokio is like "we're not gonna see each other again. only photos will know we were together". note the more peaceful music as opposed to the deeply upset vibe of the others. kind of ironic how ngvot is like "ah, so we meet again. we've both changed albeit differently. we don't talk about it anymore though!" note the incredibly happy music of the song it's so incredibly jarring hearing them repeat "we dont talk about it anymore" with this happy ass music lmfao lastly novi val is like really abstract and could really mean a lot of things. i take it as a general message but it could really be anything. also note that it makes me want to cry so bad. one day im gonna bawl my eyes out because of that goddamn song agh OKAY UM OKAY. so basically the whole album is about a slow acceptance of the breakup but still feeling bitter about it at the end. i think. however this mystery person (probably called katrina) that the singer broke up with could've been anything tbh. you can interpret this really broadly and i think that's why i like the album so much too. it doesnt have to just be about events and feelings post-breakup but also just things in a general sense. so you can find solace in the album regardless of what your situation is. i think thats pretty neat.

or maybe im just overthinking it haha :D

[shadowbunnydragon]

Here is a special peek into an alternate universe! One where everyone's gender is swapped! It was a lot of fun and kinda a trip to go back and rewrite previous parts of the story. I hope you all like it!

And, I hope you all like the picture WastedTimeEE drew of Marigold (the female version of Marcus) in a family photo with her mom and dad, Zelda (Zach's female alternate version) and Varun (Vanna's male form)! It came out just so gosh dang cute and sweet! You can find it here on my SoFurry page in the link below! You can also find it on Wasted's pages over there and on FurAffinity!

Found (Genderswapped Shenanigans)

By

ShadowBunnyDragon

"What's the matter, Puppy Love?" Don asked, the diminutive ram reaching up to take the large gray she-wolf's paw in his hooves. Vera looked down at her mate with a smile before letting out a sigh, her ears and tail drooping a bit.

"Sweet sawgrass, Honey Ram," she said, rubbing her temple with her free paw. "That last place... did ya see the way that guy was looking at us? Ya'd think we were drooling, snarling monsters the way he acted!"

"I know, Vera," Don said with a note of sadness in his voice, "that is to be expected. B-between us being a pred/prey couple... and my criminal history... adopting for us was never going to be easy." The ram looked down at his hooves, only to be swept up into a (near) bone crushing hug by his much larger mate.

"Honey Ram, ya've more than made up fer that. Yer a hero! Anyone who holds yer past against ya like this, ta this degree, is just bein' more stubborn than Ma can be." Don let out a surprised OOF, but recovered and started to rub his mate's arms with his hooves. "We're two mammals lookin' to give some pups a lovin' and stable home, and gettin' passed over like that... it just ain't right."

"I know, Puppy," Don said as he was set back down. He adjusted his tie and lime green sweater vest. Rather than a full suit and tie, Don had decided to dress more upscale casual, so as to leave a good impression. Vera was wearing a light blue sundress. Normally a bit more tomboyish, she too had decided that their chances would be helped by dressing up a bit. "I suppose we have no choice but to just keep pressing forward. If it's any consolation, this place seemed much more promising than the previous one when I booked our appointment. And that was after they had completed a full background check on us." Looking up at his mate, Don's heart skipped a beat when he saw the smile that grew on Vera's muzzle. He was reminded daily of just how much he loved this she-wolf. It had been five years since their tithe and the subsequent caprid ceremony, but they still acted like newlyweds.

"I really hope that there's a little pup and lamb in there that we can open our home to," Vera said, standing up straighter and smoothing out her dress.

"I'm sure we will!" Holding his hoof in her much larger paw, Vera and Don walked up the well-maintained sidewalk path, Vera spotting the sign on the manicured front lawn.

"Warm Hearts, Warm Hearth's Children's Center," she read aloud. The red brick building, not being too far from Little Rodentia, was itself a bit on the small side. From the children's drawings taped to the windows to how well-kept the property was, it gave off more of a cozy feeling, as opposed to the more austere feeling the last facility gave off. It was a very welcome contrast to the couple as they entered the front doorway.

"Welcome," said a male kangaroo with a kind smile as he entered the reception area, wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans. Out from a nearby doorway came the excited squeals and happy laughter of children. "How can I help you?"

"W-we're the Hunter-Bellwethers. I believe that we spoke on the phone?" Don said, adjusting his glasses.

"Ah yes," the kangaroo said, heading on over to his desk and motioning for the couple to sit down in the chairs opposite it. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Hunter-Bellwether. I'm Adam Hopper, by the way, director here at Warm Hearts, Warm Hearths. You two are early, by the way."

"We're just that eager ta adopt," Vera said, still holding Don's hoof in her paw. She could feel him give her a reassuring squeeze.

"I like that," Adam said, "and if you two are here, then that means that you have been approved to adopt."

The wolf and ram could hardly believe their ears. They shared a look, both with excited grins on their faces, before looking back to Adam.

"That's wonderful news," Don said. Vera was silent, but her tail thumping her chair spoke volumes to her joy. It was then that Don spotted a small wire picture frame on the desk, containing a picture of the kangaroo before them and a tiger, both wearing white tuxedos, the latter nuzzling the former. Don had to stop himself from cooing at how precious the moment captured was, but Adam seemed to have noticed. There was a certain sparkle in his eye as he continued.

"My mate and I know how hard it can be for pred/prey couples to adopt. But I want to assure you both that you have nothing to worry about moving forward."

"Uhm," Don said, shifting a bit in his seat, "a-are you sure? I mean... y-you must know about my... past."

"Mr. Hunter-Bellwether," Adam said, taking note of how the she-wolf leaned down to hug her smaller mate, "everyone makes mistakes in their past. What is important is that you have not only been able to move past it, but even gone on to become a hero to the entire city, at great risk to yourself no less. I promise you, there is no problem here." Don and Vera both felt assured by that. "Now, moving on, you said on the phone that you would prefer children older than infants or toddlers?"

"Y-yes," Don said, feeling suddenly nervous again.

"We know that most couples tend ta adopt the really little ones more than the older pups," Vera explained, "so we were hopin' ta make a difference fer some pups more in the six ta nine age-range."

"Understandable, and you really will." Adam smiled again, quickly getting back to business. "Now, you also expressed a desire to adopt a wolf and a sheep? May I ask why that is?"

"W-well, we felt that it would probably help us to connect with them and better guide them through certain things and instincts in life. L-like the headbutting phase," Don said with a blush. He received a kiss to his forehead from Vera.

"And o'course, the howling urges," the she-wolf said simply. "But we'll still happily adopt outside our species, so it's not a dealbreaker."

"Absolutely! We just want to be parents!" Don chimed in.

Adam chuckled at that. "That's good to hear," he said, pulling out a file from his desk and opening it. He grabbed a photo and passed it to the couple. "As it just so happens, we have a trio that fits what you're looking for almost perfectly." The ram and she-wolf looked down at the photo to see three young mammals, smiling and hugging in a pose for the camera. One was a black wolf pup, wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue shorts, with bright yellow eyes. Then there was a little black-wooled ewe, in a yellow sundress. And sandwiched in between the two was... a largely furless mammal. He, as Don presumed the child was a boy, was wearing a similar shirt and shorts to the wolf pup. He had a shaggy patch of chestnut brown fur atop his head, but based on the rest of his face and arms and legs, he looked like he was otherwise devoid of any fur.

"This cute little trio think of each other as siblings, and have refused to be separated. The oldest, the little wolf boy, is Alex. He's eight. Tiffany, a sweetheart, is the ewe, and she's seven. And there in the middle is little Leon. He's six."

"Oh my... well, we only discussed having two lambs... but I don't think that three would be a problem, Puppy?" Don looked up at his mate, who was looking between him and the picture. Her tail was still wagging.

"True... three is a bigger commitment than two already was... but I ain't gunna go separatin' siblings from one another, even ones not related by blood. Though, I gotta ask, what species is little Leon? Don't get me wrong, he seems just as adorable as his brother and sister. I just never saw one of... whatever he is before," Vera said.

Adam began to rub the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. "Well, that's the thing. We don't know. We even had a sample of his DNA tested, but all we got back was an Unknown. And he doesn't match any kind of species on any registry we've been able to find. So... he's still an unknown species. And all we have to go on is that he was picked up from the streets at around age three or four."

"Oh," Don said, looking down at the picture again. "The poor little guy. He must've been so scared!"

Vera frowned at the thought of a child that young being all alone without anyone to take care of them, and let out a small whine. "Not knowin' what his species is might make it a bit harder ta relate ta him or some of the things his species goes through as they get older... but whatever he is. He and his brother and sister are more than welcome ta join our little pack... if'n they want. Right, Ramchop?"

Don looked up at his mate and, hopping up in his seat, he reached up to kiss his she-wolf on her nose.

"Of course, Puppy," Don said, handing back the photo to Adam, who kept in a snicker at how cute the couple across from him was together.

"Well, in that case, how about we introduce you two to them, and move on from there?" With an enthusiastic assent from the couple, Adam got up and led them through a short hallway into a room with some couches in it. Vera and Don took a seat on a maroon leather couch across from a navy blue one and waited while the kangaroo exited to go and get the children. Adam returned shortly afterwards, herding three young mammals into the room. Right away, Don and Vera noticed how Alex, who was wearing a red shirt with black shorts, was placing himself in front of the other two protectively, looking over at the two strange mammals with determined yellow eyes. Tiffany, who was wearing a blue dress similar to Vera's with a matching bow on her head floof, and Leon, who was in a green shirt and blue shorts, were both looking over his shoulder, soft hazel and curious deep blue respectively. Leon, despite being the youngest, seemed to be taller than his brother and sister, and was hugging a green stuffed dragon to his chest. Nervously, the three walked to the other couch and took a seat on it, huddling close together. Don and Vera both had to hold back a coo at the cuteness.

"Alex, Tiffany, Leon, this is Mr. and Mrs. Hunter-Bellwether; what do we say when we meet new people?" Adam asked in a gentle voice.

"H-hi," Tiffany spoke first. This was chorused by Leon and Alex.

"Hi there, pups!" Vera said, excited. Her tail was making a thumping sound against the couch where she sat, and that made Leon and Tiffany giggle. Alex turned to look at his siblings, before looking back at the strange couple before them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you three," Don said, beaming at the little lambs. After the initial introductions, the conversation continued, albeit a bit awkwardly at first. Don and Vera learned that Alex loved soccer, Tiffany enjoyed writing, and Leon liked to draw and explore.

"Are you going to adopt us?" Tiffany asked, putting a hoof around Leon and pulling him into a side hug. "'Cause Leon's our baby brother, and where we go, he comes with." The little ewe was polite, but very firm in her statement. Adam looked shocked and a little worriedly at Don and Vera, who both seemed to be holding back chuckles at the brave little lamb.

"Well, if y'all three don't mind the idea of us becommin' yer parents, we really would like ta adopt all three of ya," Vera said. At that, the pups seemed to relax a bit.

"You three do deserve to know that... because we're a predator and prey couple, we sometimes receive harassment for it. And... well, we just wanted to make sure you knew that, before deciding if you would like to come home with us." Don suddenly realized just how nervous he felt at that moment. Vera took his hoof in her paw and gave it another reassuring squeeze. The children huddled together on the couch, whispering to each other. Vera's ears twitched as she heard Leon's voice lightly drift over as he said "I think they're nice." Seeming to have reached a consensus, the three broke apart the huddle and, with Alex acting as the spokemammal for their group, he cleared his throat.

"... So long as me, my brother, and my sister can all stay together... then yes," Alex said, starting off sounding confident and strong, but his voice breaking a little at the end there, his little tail tucking itself as his ears started to droop a bit. Vera felt an urge to go over and give the pup a hug, but restrained herself. Instead, she and Don excitedly grinned and spoke with the children for almost another half an hour. When it was time for them to go, Adam led the children away, returning to see the couple out, and assure them that from that point onward, the adoption process was going to be much quicker. In a few more days, the couple would be able to take their children home with them. Walking back out and towards the minivan they had gotten, the she-wolf stopped and swept her mate up into another hug, which he was of course happy to return.

"This is really happening, Honey Ram," Vera said "it's like a dream!"

"I know, Puppy," Don said, suddenly finding himself sitting on Vera's shoulder. He let out an involuntary laugh-bleat. "We're about to become parents! Oh! There is so much we need to do now!"

"I know, darlin'! We gotta start clearin' out a third room, and triple check that the house is safe fer pups. And then we should probably hit up a toy store or two, and we'll need ta get a third bed for Leon, and then--" Vera was cut off by Don grabbing her head and turning it towards him. His lips met hers, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around him. Breaking apart, she felt a bit calmer, although her tail felt like it might just go ahead and break off from how hard it was wagging.

"Y'know, Honey Ram," Vera said as they continued to their car, now a husky tone to her voice, "when we get home, just because we're adoptin', that doesn't mean we can't try the old fashioned way to have yet another pup runnin' around with the three we're already gettin'." As the two buckled up, with Vera in the driver's seat, she leaned over and began to nuzzle the now-blushing Don, who had to remove his fogged-up glasses.

"I do believe that you make a very valid point, Puppy Love," he said, turning to look up at his mate with love and adoration in his eyes, that were mirrored in the bright green ones looking back at him. The two shared another kiss just as Vera turned the key in the ignition.

* * *

"Thankfully she was brought in when she was. The injury to the leg was beginning to show signs of infection," Doctor Catson said, adjusting her glasses as she looked up at Doreen. The lynx was consulting a chart, a slight frown on her muzzle. "If she had been out there much longer, she'd be potentially looking at a major infection. Which, when considering how malnourished she is, and her living conditions..." she trailed off, not needing to spell it out to the law she-wolf.

"Accordin' to my daughter and her mate, the two did some poking around the areas they believed she was livin'. Apparently she's been living off of foragin' and creek water, and some kinda canned foods. Sleepin' outside, I'm surprised she didn't get pneumonia, considerin' how wet and cold it's been lately."

"It's a miracle she was found when she was... but there's something else." Doctor Catson's small frown was now much more pronounced. This made Doreen pause.

"What is it, Layla?"

"Based... on her behavior, as well as some physical scarring, I believe that she had been subjected to physical abuse," the lynx said, her ears drooping.

Doreen grimaced but nodded, having had a similar thought based on how terrified the girl had been. Not to mention how she jumped from even the slightest noise or whenever someone spoke.

"Ya mentioned scarring?"

Layla nodded, shuffling her documents a bit, holding out a couple of photos to the white she-wolf. Doreen looked them over.

"There's scarring on the backs of her paws, but those pale in comparison to the ones on her back."

Doreen saw for herself in the picture, the small series of faded pink lines going down the backs of the child's paws. It was when she looked at the photo of her back that caused Doreen to wince, and even let out a whine. The child's back was a crisscross network of much larger, more fervent-looking scars that were much more pronounced, and nearly covered the entirety of her back. Doreen handed the photos back, a sick feeling in her gut.

"Know what coulda done something like that?" Doreen asked, a few ideas of her own in the back of her mind.

"Well, a knife or even a claw is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. However, it is in my opinion that the injuries to her back were caused by a whip."

Doreen winced again, the idea of those having been scars from a whip having been a theory that she was hoping had not been the case. After confirming that Child Services had been contacted, Doreen started to head towards the room that the mystery mammal was in, an idea beginning to take root in her mind. She quietly opened the door, entering with a practiced warm smile on her muzzle, taking slow and deliberate steps so as not to spook her.

"Now, Pup," Doreen said as she settled into the chair by the hospital bed. She looked at the older mystery mammal, who sat there in a hospital gown, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked upon the older law she-wolf with blue eyes filled with worry and fear. Doreen tok some solace in the fact that the girl was no longer shivering. "How about we start with somethin' simple, like yer name?"

"M-my name?" the young girl asked, scooting a little bit away on the bed, looking confused.

"Yep. Mine's Doreen." She gave what she hoped was a comforting smile.

"U-uh..." The girl looked away as she started to speak, now trying to make her voice sound deeper. "M-Marcus."

Doreen sighed and shook her head, internally muttering something about Pups not being good at lying. "Sorry, Pup, but yer gunna have ta do better than that."

Flinching a little, the furless mammal looked to be mulling it over. "Uh... I m-meant to say... my name's Eli?" Doreen just looked at her with an unamused, half-lidded stare. "B-Barry," she squeaked out, the falsetto now gone. After a moment of silence, she hanged her head, realizing the jig was up, and looked Doreen in the eyes. "M-my name is a-actually... Marigold."

Doreen's tail started to wag as her frown broke into a happy smile. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"... I g-guess not," Marigold said, gulping audibly.

"Now, mind tellin' me why you tried ta claim y'all were a boy?"

"... B-because p-people always said b-bad things happen to girls when they go into the 'system'," Marigold said.

"I promise that nothin's gunna happen ta ya so long as I'm around, Miss Marigold. Ya can count on that," Doreen said with a wag of her tail. "Now, how old are ya?"

"... 18."

Doreen sighed and just silently sat there, staring at the girl. Marigold fidgeted and squirmed before sighing.

"I j-just turned 12," she said, now a look of pleading in her eyes. "P-please don't p-put me in the system! I can take care of myself!"

"Oh, can ya now?" Doreen asked, pointedly looking to the bandage wrapped around the girl's calf. "'Cause according ta the doctor, that little injury there was close ta becomin' infected. And also, from the tests they ran, yer pretty underweight. How long were you out in the woods?"

"Uh... m-maybe a month?"

"And ya were by yerself that whole time?"

Marigold just nodded silently at that, a couple silent tears streaming down her pale cheeks. The sight hurt the she-wolf's heart. Looking at the vulnerable, frightened young girl sitting there, Doreen couldn't help thinking about her own girls. The idea of any one of them, being left alone at such a young age, to fend for themselves in the wilderness, made Doreen want to howl in anger and sorrow.

"Where are yer parents?" Doreen asked. Seeing how the girl began to hyperventilate at that question, once she calmed back down, the she-wolf decided to hold off on questioning further in that area for the time being. Noticing how the girl kept nodding off, Doreen smiled.

"Ya know, yer not the first of yer species I've encountered," Doreen said, taking note of the look of worry in the girl's eyes.

"I-I'm not?"

"Nope. My daughter and her mate actually adopted a group of pups not too long ago, and the youngest, my little grandson Leon, is one of yer species. And he's just the sweetest little guy. But the thing of it is... he doesn't know what yer species is called, and no one we've been askin' seems to have encountered anyone like y'all before either. So I was wonderin' iffin' you could tell me what yer species' name is?"

"... H-human," Marigold said in a faint voice, looking very confused.

"Uman? Mind spellin' that fer me?" Marigold did, after stifling a yawn.

"Okay, you've answered enough questions so far, missy. Right now it looks ta me like you could use some shuteye," Doreen said. While her mate Addy was the more emotional and nurturing of their tithing, she still had mothering skills she had developed after raising seven pups. The older she-wolf gently took the blanket and pulled it up over Marigold. The furless young mammal seemed surprised at first, before letting out a big yawn and laying down.

"Uhm... th-thank you, sheriff," Marigold said in a sleepy voice.

"Yer welcome, Marigold. Now, we'll be nearby if ya need us. I promise, ya ain't gunna be alone anymore," Doreen said softly as she exited the room. Walking out into the waiting area, she had to hold back a snort. She saw Yuki sitting with her arms crossed, looking annoyed, with a large quartz crystal sitting on her head. Right next to her was Undine, who was slowly waving another, smaller crystal, looking like an amethyst, around Yuki's head.

"This will align your chakras and help alleviate some of that stress I am sensing coming off you, Yuke." Doreen held back a chuckle at the sight of her daughters, the two younger black she-wolves oblivious to their mother's amusement. It was while looking around that Doreen spotted just the russet-and gray-colored she-wolf she was looking for, currently talking on her phone.

"Zelda," Doreen said, getting her attention. Zelda saw that her mother was motioning for her to follow, so she made quick work of hanging up and entering an empty room right behind Doreen. With the door closed, the white wolf looked upon her daughter with a smile on her muzzle.

"So what's happenin' with the girl, Ma?" Zelda asked.

"Well, that's what I wanted ta talk to ya about, Hun," Doreen started, a sly smile on her muzzle. "See, as ya can tell, she's had a bit of a rough go o' thangs, and is now all alone. And I personally hate the idea of her just goin' ta some foster home where she will be the only known member of her species. And, what's more, Vera and Don haven't been able to uncover any information about Leon's species, so it wouldn't really be a benefit fer anyone fer the poor gal ta just be shipped off to who knows where and surrounded by strangers. At least here we've been able to build a rapport..."

At that, Zelda's ears perked up and her tail started to wag. "So you and Pa are gunna take her in!"

Doreen chuckled at that. "Well, I'm sure Addy would be more than happy ta. But, we're makin' some... alterations at the ranch."

"So Don and Vera then?"

"I'd be willin' ta bet good money that they'd be willin' ta as well, but with the new pups 'n all, they don't really got that much space..."

"But, then, who else? Yuki and Adamo have barely enough time fer themselves over in Seaotter, and... wait a sec, Ma. Hold the phone!"

"What? You and Varun have that big 'ol house all ta yerselves, plus I know that Addy would just love to have another grandpup nearby ta dote on and spoil."

"Yeah, but," Zelda said, now looking thoughtful.

"Plus she's gunna need some stability with a good, permanent home. And you and Varun said ya were both talkin' 'bout adoptin'."

"... I'll have ta talk with Varun about this first," Zelda said, sounding like her mind was elsewhere, her tail starting to wag. Doreen bit down on a smirk, knowing that her daughter had already been sold on the idea.

"Absolutely! You go on and think what I said over and talk to yer mate." Doreen watched Zelda head out the door to look for the large tiger, and waited until she was out of earshot before pulling out her phone. Tapping on it, she dialed up a number. The other end rang a few times before it was picked up.

"Hey, Xena, I'm so sorry, Sweetheart, I know ya and Melly are enjoyin' some much needed R and R, but Zelda and Varun really need yer help right now. See, they decided ta become foster parents. Yes, that's right, the pup we found in the woods."

Elsewhere in the hospital, Zelda had found her mate sitting with the other Hunter boys (as they like to call themselves), with Tarin having been sitting on his head. Seeing his mate wanting a word alone, he had plucked the black-furred fox tod off his head, and instead deposited the small canid onto the head of a certain hyena.

"Hey! My head ain't no jungle-gym!" Adamo barked out in his Barx accent. Varun chuckled as he walked off so he and Zelda could speak. Of all the things he had been expecting, what came out of his she-wolf's mouth was not one of them.

"You want us to become foster parents to that poor girl?" he asked, scratching his chin.

"I know it's sudden, but we need ta act now! She needs stability and Ma and Pa can't provide it 'cause... well, Ma didn't elaborate as ta why she and Pa can't do it, but the point still stands!"

"Hmm," Varun looked to be deep in thought as Zelda continued.

"Plus, Don and Vera need all the help they can get in understanding all they can about Leon's species. And on top of that we've both agreed that we want to adopt. Granted, we thought about getting a feline or a canid child, but I think we could provide an excellent home for her and--"

"I agree," Varun said, his deep and soft voice cutting off the she-wolf mid-explanation.

"... Huh?" Zelda was stunned.

Varun chuffed happily and smiled at his mate, his tail swishing as he wrapped his powerful arms around her waist, making her blush as he nuzzled the top of her head.

"I'll admit I'm a little nervous about becoming a father, even a foster father. But... I like the idea of opening our home to the poor girl. And with Mama and Papa Hunter being nearby, it's not like we would be truly on our own."

Zelda's tail became a blur of joy, fighting back the urge to howl in pure excitement. She had been warned twice before if she did so in the hospital again that she would be given a fine. "I know we're probably gunna have ta take it slow... but I'm just so excited at the idea! Us, having a daughter!" The two shared a long and passionate kiss.

* * *

Morning sunlight cascaded through the bedroom window, bathing everything it touched in a warm golden glow. This included the cuddled up forms of Vera and Don, the former of which was practically encircling the latter with her body. Slowly, the two began to stir. Don's eyes fluttered open as he buried his face in his mate's neck ruff, while Vera affectionately nuzzled his head floof.

"Mornin', Floofy," Vera said with a smile, her tail thumping the bed.

"Good morning, Puppy," Don replied with a yawn and a smile.

Vera looked her mate over as she stretched a little. "Ya had the dream again, didn't'cha?"

The ram winced and nodded. "Y-yes, but instead of it just being Diana and my m-mother, there were also what I think my subconscious decided were what adult humans looked like for my dream. Only instead of looking more like Marigold or just a taller Leon, they had long gangly arms with many different joints, and could unhinge their jaws. And they kept trying to take Leon away with them." Don shuddered at the memory of the dream, feeling comfort from Vera gently pulling him closer.

"Hey, now, that's never gunna happen, Darlin'," Vera said, looking Don in the eye. "Leon, just like his brother and sister, is our pup, and no one is gunna take any of them from us."

"I know, Puppy Love... but a part of me just can't stop worrying."

"That's just you being a good dad." Vera smiled and kissed her ram on his nose, making him blush and let out a happy bleat. Don snickered and reached up into Vera's ruff, easily finding the spot he was looking for and scratching it. Vera's right leg immediately started to twitch as her tongue lolled out and she rolled over, unable to stop herself. Don stopped when he heard some giggling coming from their bedroom door. Vera's ears twitching at the sound, the two turned to look and saw their children poking their heads through, only to suddenly dart back out having been caught.

"Am I correct to believe that some little lambs decided to peek in on Mommy and Daddy this morning?" Don called out with a smile on his muzzle. There were some giggles outside the door, before the children apparently composed themselves, and opened it properly. In they came, with Alex in the lead carrying a tray with food on it, followed close behind by Tiffany, who was cuddling her new wolf plush named Mrs. Sniffy, and Leon, who was carrying a relaxing Sir Callibrie in his arms, the little lizard looking about and letting out a content chirp. The children were still all in their pj's, Alex in his soccer-themed pajamas, Tiffany in her yellow nightgown, and Leon wearing his much-too-large for him black Samurai Snakes t-shirt over gray pajama bottoms.

"Happy birthday, Daddy!" the little human boy called out in excitement.

"Uh... w-we thought you might like breakfast in bed?" Alex said, looking away and trying to sound casual, but his perked up ears and slowly wagging tail were a dead giveaway for his anticipation. Don let out a coo at the cuteness before him as Vera chuckled and the two disentangled to allow the children to approach.

"Well now, that sounds so thoughtful," the ram said, grabbing his glasses from the bedside table and putting them on. Alex carefully, but quickly walked over to set the tray down in front of Don. "Now, what do we have here? Oh! Why, is that a fruit salad I spy?" Seeing Alex blush beneath his dark fur while looking away was a dead giveaway to Don. "Do I have you to thank for this thoughtful and tasty-looking salad, Alex?"

"Uh... w-well... yeah," Alex smiled as Don took a few bits of the cubed honeydew and mango, popping a strawberry in his mouth as well.

"It's delicious, thank you, Alex," Don said, leaning over and pulling his oldest son into a hug. The young wolf let out a surprised yip, but was quick to return the hug, now blushing more.

"And what's this little treat here?" Vera asked, pointing to two pieces of toast that appeared to have some kind of black frosting spread over them, with a white face drawn on, and plenty of black and white and purple sprinkles.

"I made Pirate Toast!" Leon said proudly, setting a squirming Sir Callibrie down on the bed, who darted over to Dawn and up his arm, coming to rest on his head floof, curling up to relax once again.

"Pirate Toast? Now that sounds adventurous," Don said, picking up a slice. "Did you design them to look like little pirate flags?" He smiled when Leon proudly nodded. "You are such a little artist! They look just like the real thing... only toastier!" That got a giggle from the lambs.

"I used the vanilla cake frosting I found in the cupboard, and didja know that if you mix the red, green, and blue food colorings together in it, it turns black?"

"I certainly didn't," Vera said, scooping Leon and Tiffany into her arms and setting them on her lap, her tail thumping. "What else is in it?"

"Well, I also added some sprinkles I found," Leon said as Don took a big bite of his toast, "and some red glitter!" Don froze at that, immediately feeling the tiny pieces of decorative plastic in his mouth. Vera looked to be holding back a snicker while Don continued to chew his bite, giving it a swallow while Leon looked on with joy in his eyes.

"Ah, so you did. Well... that is truly delicious, buddy, thank you." Don was quick to grab the glass of cloudy dark liquid and take a sip. It had a sweet, citrusy taste to it. "Oh my, this is lovely. What is this juice?"

"I made you Outer Space Juice, Daddy!" Tiffany squeaked.

"Now what's all in Outer Space Juice, sweetie-pie?" Vera asked, looking down at the ewe in her lap. Tiffany gazed back up at her mother with a bright smile.

"It's cranberry juice with the powdered orange drink for Astronauts mixed in! Though I wanted to pour some Deep Space Cocoa Spheres in, Alex said not to." Tiffany was very matter-of-factly about her response, letting out a giggle when Vera gave both her and her little brother a loving squeeze.

"We can make some more juice and fruit salads and pirate toast for everybody," Leon chimed in, prompting Vera to stand up, setting the two of her younger pups on her shoulders.

"Why don't I come down and help y'all with that, honey?"

"'Kay, Mommy!" Leon reached over and wrapped his little arms around her neck. The she-wolf's tail started to wag while she looked at her mate and gave him a wink. Don looked relieved as, with Leon watching, he hesitantly took another bite of the pirate toast. With the younger lambs now out of the room and down the stairs, Don sighed with relief and let out a chuckle. He then looked over to Alex, who was shuffling uncomfortably on his paws.

"Something wrong, Alex?" Don asked.

"Uh... I guess while I was busy keeping the cereal out of the juice, I musta missed Leon getting the glitter... sorry," Alex said, only to find himself being hugged again.

"There's nothing to apologize for, son," Don said with a warm and gentle smile. "That was a lovely breakfast."

Down in the kitchen, Leon was in the middle of making up some more batches of pirate toast, with Vera 'making sure thangs ran smoothly'. When Leon wasn't looking, she grabbed the jar of glitter and dumped it down the sink drain.

"Aw, shucks, honey," Vera said, feigning disappointment. "It looks like we're all out of glitter."

"Awww! But pirate toast needs glitter!" Leon looked contemplative. "I guess I'll just have to borrow some of Tiffany's glitter glue in a little bit."

Vera left Leon at the counter and took the little ewe who had been mixing some more glasses of juice together aside, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Alright, darlin', I'll give ya five bucks if ya can hide the glitter glue in yer room from Leon."

"Why, Mommy?" Tiffany whispered back.

"Uh... th-there's a glitter shortage and we need ta preserve as much as we can?"

"I'm on it!" Tiffany said, quickly running off.

"Where'd Tiffany go?" Leon asked, looking up at Vera with wide blue eyes.

"Er... she went ta go see if she can get ya that glitter glue ya mentioned. But she thinks it might be lost."

"Oh no!" Leon whined in disappointment. Vera was quick to wrap a loving arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay, sugar-pie! Pirate toast can still be great even iffin' we're outta glitter of any kind." She kissed the top of his headfur, making her little boy giggle.

"Okay, Mommy!" And with that, Leon dove right back into it, using some of the frosting he had separated and not added any food coloring to it to draw the skull and crossbones on the toast.

* * *

The sun had just dipped below the horizon, the twilight slowly giving way to the growing dark. Varun sat leaning up against a tree, looking at the first twinkling stars beginning to show, letting out a contented sigh. The large tiger's ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps. His tail swished as he smiled at his mate sidling up next to him. Varun slipped an arm around Zelda's waist as she leaned into his powerful frame.

"Yer just so sweet with Marigold!" Zelda said, her tail a happy blur. "She looked like she was havin' a lot of fun playin' catch!" She thought back to how nervous their foster pup had been when they'd first brought her home, always walking on eggshells around the two of them. It had broken her heart how often the girl would flinch whenever someone spoke to her.

"It did seem to help her come out of her shell a bit," Varun chuckled. "I'm actually thinking about teaching her how to play baseball. We've got a bat in addition to the gloves."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Zelda felt like she could howl. "I just love havin' a little girl ta dote on and do Mother-Daughter thangs with!"

Varun chuckled. He had found Zelda's adoration of Marigold adorable, especially since the girl didn't seem to have had any positive female role models, at least based on how much she went out of her way to try and please Zelda. He had found that the girl had seemed especially nervous around him at first, though Varun had taken the initiative to help break the ice by playing some games with her. She had seemed very confused about how the Z-Box One worked as well as video games as a whole, but starting with a simple game of catch, he had found the young girl had started to open up.

"I never took you for much of a girly-girl," Varun teased, kissing Zelda's nose. She rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive paw.

"Oh hush. I'm just as feminine as the next gal. It's just that li'l Marigold desperately needs some TLC and somethin' we could both bond over."

"Like dress shopping?" Varun chuckled, taking note of the light green sundress his mate was wearing, and how it was a similar shade of green as their uniform shirts. Zelda just rolled her eyes.

"We were out in town today and I saw her lookin' in the display windows. 'Course I took her inside so we could find somethin' she'd like... the fact that she and I got matchin' dresses, the exception bein' hers needed to be tailored a bit so that it didn't have a tail hole in the back, was just a happy coincidence." Zelda blushed a little, though her tail continued to wag. Varun let out a happy chuff, and held her tighter.

"Of course, my love," he said, looking around. "Where is Marigold, anyway?"

"Oh, she said she was feelin' a little worn from the day, what with goin' out with me, and then that cute little pie caper Leon went and solved," Zelda said with a slight giggle. "I still can't believe that Tarin tried to frame that cute li'l lizard of Leon's... or how well he figured it all out."

"Mama Doreen certainly seemed excited by his detective work."

"Don't let Vera hear ya say that," Zelda giggled, "she's so worried that Ma will try and push policin' on him that she's tryin' ta clamp down on anythang of the sort around her pups."

Varun looked off in the distance, stiffening suddenly. "Zelda, you said that Marigold was going to rest, correct?"

"Yeah, why darlin'?" Zelda asked, confused.

"Because I just saw her climbing out of her bedroom window with that little case in her arms, running off into the forest," Varun said simply.

"What?!" Zelda jerked around and, sure enough, she could just make out a figure running away from their house and deeper into the trees. Without a work, she grabbed her mate's paw, and started to drag him through the trees after them. "Somethin's gotta be wrong! And what if she hurts herself again like when we first found her?!"

"My love, please try and calm down, I'm sure that everything's fine," Varun said in an attempt to reassure his mate, but with a pit of worry forming in his own gut regardless. They stopped not too far from their house, near the edge of a small clearing with a stump near the center. Varun and Zelda were hiding behind a tree as Marigold was looking around, a worried expression on her face. She was still wearing the same green sundress from earlier, it taking on an ethereal glow in the fading twilight as the light of the full moon was beginning to shine. All around, fireflies were starting to take flight.

"We gotta be quiet, or else she'll hear us," Zelda said from where she was crouched.

"So whatcha think she's up to?" Tarin asked, poking his head up from a bush to Zelda's left.

"I'm not really sure yet, we just saw her runnin' off and... Tarin? What're ya doin' here?" Zelda asked, looking down at the black-furred fox tod who was smiling casually back up at her.

"I saw you both running off into the woods and decided ta see what was happening. I figured that it might be something fun."

Zelda rolled her eyes while Varun had to choke down a chuckle at the antics of his unofficial brother, as all the 'Hunter Boys' liked to think of themselves.

"Tarin, ya ain't s'posed ta be here, now git!" Zelda hissed.

"Who ain't s'posed ta be here?" Tyra asked. The arctic she-wolf scooped up her mate and set him on her shoulders.

"T-Tyra?!"

"What? I saw my cute little ball of fluff run off inta the woods, naturally I'd follow him," Tyra said as Tarin rested his head on hers.

"Sounds ta me like youse was thinkin' of maybe gettin' up ta somethin' naughty out here in da woods, away from where anybody could see or hear yas," Adamo said, stepping from behind a tree, the male hyena grinning with a toothpick in his mouth.

"Adamo?!" Zelda clapped a paw to her forehead. Removing it, she saw Yuki standing there, trying to look bored.

"We were makin' out when ya two started yappin' about Zelda bein' a girly-girl and then heard ya decide ta chase after Marigold," the black she-wolf growled as Adamo squeezed her side.

"Yeah, and we wanted ta make sure dat youse wasn't gunna go and invade that goil's proivacy," Adamo said, looking pointedly at Zelda, whol was wringing her paws.

"I thought that she might be tryin' ta run away or somethin'... I just wanted ta make sure she was safe! That's my puppy after all!" Zelda blushed, clearly flustered. Adamo pulled her into a hug to comfort her.

"She was probably drawn to this spot thanks to all the positive energies that emanate from it," Undine's voice could be heard up above. Looking up, everyone saw her sitting on a tree branch with Melvin laying in her lap.

"It is a pretty peaceful spot," the male honey badger said, looking up at the stars through the canopy. He was holding a bowl of popcorn in his claws.

"What, did a memo go out or somethin'?!" Zelda asked, exasperated.

"Now now, sweetie," Adrian said, inexplicably standing next to a very surprised Adamo and Yuki, with an embarrassed-looking Doreen standing next to her. "As it just so happens, this here spot is a favorite fer yer Ma and me fer our little picnics."

"Well, they start out as picnics," Doreen said, wrapping her arms around Adrian's waist, making the older gray wolf wag his tail and chuckle.

"Ma! We didn't need ta hear 'bout that!" Vera said from right next to Zelda, making the auburn she-wolf whip around. She saw Don perched on his mate's shoulders.

"Okay, is everyone we know here in the woods tonight?!" Zelda demanded. Right then, as if on cue, Gareth tumbled to the ground nearby, Winnie in his arms, Xena and Melanie tangled up in the gangly giraffe's legs.

"Oi! You two! What's the big idea about scamperin' in between me legs?!"

"It wasn't our fault that you didn't look where you were walking," Xena pointed out, adjusting her glasses. Standing up and brushing herself off, she reached down and scooped Melanie up into her arms, the two kissing. "Are you alright, Butterball?"

"I'm just fine, Fluffytail," Melanie said, putting her arms around her mate's neck, all the while Winnie was helping her own mate to his shakey hooves.

"No need to fret over me, love," Gareth said, leaning his head and neck down to smile at the she-wolf he was lucky to have found.

"Hey, that just seemed like a nasty fall, that's all," Winnie said, her tail swishing.

"Can y'all just keep it down! I'm amazed that Marigold hasn't heard all y'all!" Zelda quietly snapped. Everyone grew silent at that, and looked out into the clearing. Marigold was kneeling next to the stump, where she had set her case down on it and opened it. From inside, she pulled out a photograph.

"Hey, Ryan," they could hear the girl's soft voice float over on the gentle breeze. "I just... I remembered that today is... was... your birthday... and I just wanted to let you know that I'm keeping my promise." Her voice hitched a little, but she composed herself. "I'm still moving forward, b-big brother... I m-miss you so much." She wiped a tear from her cheek, before she stood up and pulled out a well-cared for violin from inside the case. She tested the strings to make sure they were in tune before taking a stance.

"Happy birthday, Ryan," she said, raising the bow to the strings. Then, she began to play. As the tune began to ring out gently in the clearing, sounding like a bouncy and fun folk tune, Marigold began to sway and twirl, spinning on her feet. As the music picked up the pace, but the tone became something more melancholic, Zelda realized that not only was Marigold skilled at playing her fiddle, but she also had some training in ballet. With each new song, the girl would dance and pirouette, leap and spin-turn, and perform other moves that Zelda didn't know the names of. She and the rest of the family watched, entranced and silent, at this little concert that the newest addition to their family was putting on, for her brother who, most of them guessed based on what they had overheard, was no longer alive. The full weight of what this moment must represent to her foster daughter suddenly hit Zelda, just as Marigold seemed to be slowing down in both the dancing and her playing.

"S-sweet sawgrass," Zelda said as Marigold seemed to be finishing on a long, mournful note. "W-we all can't let her know we saw this!"

"Truly a great invasion of her privacy," Xena mused, only to suddenly be pushed by Zelda.

"Enough musin', we gotta move, now," she barked as quietly as she could. Everyone started to head back the way they had all come, when there was a sudden loud CLICK. Turning, they all saw that Marigold had returned everything to her case and snapped the latch shut. She got up and proceeded to walk back to the house... which was in the same direction everyone in the family sans Vera and Don's pups were in at that moment. Scrambling, the Hunters and their mates ran through the trees and underbrush, avoiding the scant trail like the plague. Everyone darted around to the other side of Zelda and Varun's house. Varun stealthily peeked out from around the corner, watching as Marigold was looking all around, before trying to stealthily climb back in through her bedroom window. A few very loud thumps later, and she was back inside, none the wiser. Varun released the breath he had no idea he had been holding, all the while Zelda was making everyone swear that they wouldn't say a thing to Marigold about this.

"B-but," Undine whined, holding up her camera, "it was so in line with the natural energies of the clearing! Folks would be so energized and helped by seeing the video I took of it!

And here it is! The peek into the genderswapped AU of Found! I might do another in the future, but holy crap did this one take a bit of time! I hope everyone is having a great summer!