#also the library. he did also use the library. but that’s less funny and more practical

[heroesriseandfall]

Kind of funny when fanfic writers have Tim figure out Dick’s identity by seeing Robin do a quadruple flip in person, because DC writers didn’t even think of that back when they were trying to make it a rule that Robin couldn’t be seen on TV so the Batfam could be urban legends. They just still had Tim see Robin do a flip on TV and never tried to explain how Robin could be an urban legend and still have his exploits broadcasted on TV by professional news media.

[unconventional-lawnchair]

Can you do a Remus Lupin and Reader where she gets hurt during quidditch and he helps her around the castle? Thank you so much and I love your writing

A/n: Thank you so much for the request!! I literally dropped everything to do this, oml. I will always priorities Reqs but this was so cute!!

Also, just realized requests weren't set to allow annon automatically?? That has been fixed on my end

Break a Leg Not My Heart

Can't Help Falling in Love Elvis Presley

Remus Lupin x Reader

Wc- 4960

Cw; Use of Y/N, Cussing, negative thoughts, reader is unhinged, reader is unsirius, (Tell me if i missed anything!)

taglist- @otterlockholmes

Everyone knew Remus Lupin could be a bit of a push over. 

Now, that's not to say he wasn't stern and serious when he needed to be, when he knew what was best, or just when Sirius said much of anything that started with ‘Hear me out.’

He was a Prefect, he was known for being a certain quality of student. Studious, always in the library studying with Lily Evans and {Y/N} {L/N}. Wise beyond his years, helping anyone who needed it. He volunteered to help tutor some of the first years with {Y/N} most Sunday evenings. Punctural, made a point to be on time to everything. Well, if he could help it, you did like to sleep in.

Not many people noticed the common theme in his actions. The traits that made up the Lycan were so tightly woven into his friendships, well, more particularly his friendship with you. He never gave up who he was, he never went that far, but it was clear that in the forethought of his, you were in every equation. Sirius certainly noticed.

Sirius would bemoan about it all the time, how you both insisted you were friends, absolutely clueless. He stood by it, however, friends don't look at eachother like you do. Remus insisted you were friends. Best friends.

The feeling was mutual, of course it was. Who doesn't want to spend every second of the day with their platonic soulmate? You would make a point to drag him around with you everywhere you went. You were never shy about it, your words slowly going from questioning to affirmatives. 

“Remus, I am heading to lunch now, come with me?”

“Remus, we are going to the Black Lake, it's hot.”

“Remus, I have Quidditch practice.”

That was another trait of Remus Lupin. He could care less about Quidditch, but not much less. He would complain about going, as he followed you upstairs to your dorm to help bring your gear down. Would try to decipher the ridiculous rules while finding a seat in the stands with Lily and Mary, both coming to support their respective partners.

That's how you got here now, same routine. You were floating above the stands, even as a backup beater you still had to attend every practice. You would complain to James about it, seeing as you only agreed to it as a favor, but he would tease you about it every time. He was lucky some stuff he said was funny. He so rarely was.

You watched Sirius, who was currently the one you were assigned to tag out. It was a lot of time wasted, just floating near your friends and talking when you were sure James didn't notice. Eventually, you turned to Remus in the stands and smiled to see him furrowing his brow at the strange reps James was making the two beaters do. 

“Rem!” You called over to him and lowered down to his eye level, still a good few yards away from them. He looked up at you and lifted an eyebrow. 

“Yeah?”

“Knock knock!”

He looked at you confused before Lily nudged him. “The muggle joke?”

He furrowed his eyebrows at her next before they shot up in realization. “Ah! Who's knocking?” He called over and you threw your head back in a laugh as Lily covered her mouth with a snicker. Mary holding Lily's shoulder as Remus looked at you three incredulously. 

“That's the bloody line, right?”

“Who's there?” Lily laughed out, and you began to dry your tears.

“Tank!”

“Tank who?”

“You're welc-” Before you could even finish the line there was a loud thud and your head jerked forward. You were confused for a moment, smile slowly falling as you looked at the three.

Everything was slowing down, and no matter how hard you squinted, your vision continued to blur. Suddenly, and gradually, hot burning pain rushed threw the back of your head. It was so jarring you teared up, and you could faintly hear a bunch of voices, but you couldn't make out what they said. Slowly, your grip on your broom lessened. 

Warm drops of what you could only assume was your own ichor dropped down your face. Then, your vision started to flash. You were far too loopy to panic, images of you on your broom slipped into a slideshow of you falling, that ended right before you hit the ground.

~~~

“She'll need to rest for the next two days for it to heal, her head is fine but her leg will need some getting used to. Two days in a cast should do her fine.”

Madam Pomfrey’s voice filled the room and you stirred with a whine. Eyes fluttering open and blinded by the lights above. 

“Ugh.. my head…” You groaned, bringing your wrist to your throbbing temple. You fluttered open your eyes and looked around you, seeing James pacing the room and Sirius in front him, while Remus seemed to be shouting at him. Your ears began to ring as your blood rushed, so you couldn't hear him, but you could see the vain in his neck bulging out at his irritation. His tanned face a deep red, and Sirius looked apologetic, just taking the verbal battering.

There was a hand on your shoulder and you turned to see Lily and Mary sitting on the chairs beside you, Peter was behind them smiling softly. “Hey,” You couldn't hear him, but you could see his lips moving. You frowned as the words became more elaborate so you couldn't quite track them.

You looked around at your friends' concerned faces. Lily looked past you and you turned, seeing Remus was kneeling by your bed and saying something you couldn't hear. You huffed and rubbed your temple, closing your eyes. The ringing slowly stopped, but the sounds of the room never returned. You opened your eyes and Remus was looking at you, filled with concern. “Starlight?”

That was a mouth shape you recognized. You reached out to touch his hand and squeeze it, blinking a bit before you spoke. “I can't hear a damned thing. But did you get my joke?” 

You watched as Remus seemed to go through the five stages of grief, before he settled on giving you the most unamused, annoyed, dead inside look you had ever witnessed. That made you smile. Well, smirk, mischievously. “That joke is literal gold, you just don't know talent.”

This time, Remus stood up and walked over to madam Pomfrey and after a small exchange she walked off. You looked around the room idly, trying to pretend you weren't anxious, patting your palms against your blanket covered legs. You could see your friends talking, but you couldn't hear a thing. Your nerves were on end. They looked worried, but you tried your best to keep calm and collected. You knew that if you began to worry, show even a bit of panic or upset, everyone else would too. What was the point anyway? Panicking wouldn't fix your hearing.

At least you don't think so-

Eventually, a hand rested on your shoulder. It was comforting and large, your right hand instinctively crossed your body to rest on it. You turned and smiled up at Remus. He held out a parchment to you and it had large chicken scratch on it. You always found how messy his handwriting was hilarious. He thinks faster than he writes.

‘You broke your leg. Pomfrey says it has to stay in a cast for a day or two, as for your hearing, she says it's a trauma response. Your body will return it when it's ready.’

You scoffed and looked at your hands with an offended bravado. “Who says they get to pick when my hearing goes? No appreciation! I keep you alive, you dumb thing!”

You didn't notice how Remus laughed at how ridiculous you were being. He always admired how easily you could brush stuff so big off. Like when you found out about his condition.

“Oh damn. That's.. so not the bee’s knees.’

Not the bee's knees. He had to have Lily explain that to him. Who in their right mind says that? To their friend in the hospital wing after confessing one of his most hated parts of himself?

He didn't know if he hated or loved you in that moment.

It grew on him, even if he denied it. You were just so damn strange.

“Darn, I guess no classes, hm?” You gave a faux sigh of disappointment. You turned to see Remus say something to Madam before turning back to you, smiling and waving his hand the quill began to write.

‘She says I can monitor you for classes, you should be fine.’

You gave him the dirtiest look you could muster.

“Hey, Rem, so you actually suck a lot.”

~~~

Remus had insisted on walking you back to the Gryffindor commons, carrying your equipment the whole way. You had to use a cane for the time being, so the second you tried to pick up the heavy bag you about gave Remus a heart attack.

Sirius, still pouting even after you accepted his millionth apology, coasted behind you both. You really wish you knew what Remus had said to him. 

When you got to your dorm Remus set your things down and set your bed up with a prop for your leg. You continued to complain about the special treatment as he nagged you for your messy side of the dorm while he was at it. You had to admit, Remus was incredibly sweet. It made your heart clench a bit at how much he seemed to care about your current state. 

You sat on your bed, taking off your robe and letting it fall behind you. Watching Remus rant on, for once, a little sad you couldn't hear his lecture. He seemed so determined to make sure you were comfortable.

Little did you know, to Remus, this was the perfect opportunity to return your kindness. To repay you for all the nights you spent with him in the infirmary, the forgiveness and patience you extended to him during the days up to the full moon, and the doting you gave him after. Not to mention, it felt a bit domestic. He would process his guilt over it later, indulging up such a thought with you unaware. 

Eventually, your roommates got annoyed with his rambling. Marlene threw a pillow at him and she grabbed you from behind making you almost scream in surprise. 

She said something to Remus that made him look away bashfully, and he looked at you, mouthing a goodnight that you returned.

~~~

Remus was at your door early in the morning, which gave you a right scare. He offered you his hand and you looked at it before tilting your head at him curiously he mouthed something and you'd don't quite understand, slowly setting your hand in his extended one.

He gave several different expressions in the matter of a second, before he threw his head back in a laugh. Usually, you'd be embarrassed, but you ended up laughing along with him. He looked happy and you knew Remus would never make fun of you out of malice.

He calmed his breathing and lowered your hand back to your cane, before reaching over this time to take your books and make, your mouth opening and a low, “Ooooohhh,” left you. He laughed at that too.

When you made it to breakfast you were talking animatedly and Remus was listening thoughtfully. He would occasionally make a nod or shake his head at some things you said, not able to face you with how your gaze was locked on him to gather all his micro expressions. He had set himself up for disaster.

Once you sat at the table and greeted everyone, you hardly paid attention to Remus. You focused mostly on your food. 

You loved being around your friends, you did, but not being able to hear them was so isolating. You could see Remus talking to James, and by the look on his face, it was likely about something they had done they most certainly shouldn't have. You could see Lily, also giving James the most incredulous look ever. 

Mary and Marlene were talking and glancing at the Hufflepuff table, but you couldn't gather a thing otherwise. Sirius was debating something with Peter who you could only describe as distressed. Some interesting hand movements later and a slap from Marlene, you could assume it was something vile. Soon, you gave in and just soaked up their presence. You didn't need to hear them to be a part of the group, just.. the conversation. 

Suddenly, you gave a small yelp as your leg was lifted. Remus, without stoping his verbal battle with James, lifted your ankle and rested your hurt foot on his lap. You melted a bit, it was always the smaller things he did that let you know you had a best friend in him. 

Just a best friend.

Even as his thumb trailed circles on your exposed knee, his forefingers resting on your inner thigh. Yup. Totally best friends.

~~~

Your leg ended up falling asleep like that. You playfully reprimanded him and he just gave you a laugh that you couldn't hear but your mind filled in the blanks. You noticed how proud and confident he seemed to be, taking care of you. It was sweet.

As you walked from class to class he carried your things and was there at your desk the second the bell rang. Then there were potions.

You shared potions with all of the boys and Lily, so you usually sat with Peter so Sirius could bum off of Remus’s hard work, leaving James to swoon while his girlfriend did all the work. You looked to the board and grimaced, wiggenweld. You knew it was a practice instead of theory day, but you were hoping for an easier potion.

To your surprise, Peter was sitting with a pouting Sirius, your usual spot cleared up. Before you could make a remark Remus put his things down and sat where Peter usually did. You found yourself smiling bright. “What the heck Remus?” You teased and sat down, once again, he lifted your leg onto his lap to keep it elevated.

Like a best friend would do.

“Can't leave me be for a half hour, Remmy?” You teased him as he took out his parchment and began to pull aside ingredients you couldn't reach with your stationary leg.

You were distracted storing out the ingredients by order and scribbling down notes on the more vague steps. You didn't get a chance to notice Remus smiling at you, his eyes sparking with new found fondness. “No I can not.” He muttered to no one in particular.

Not noticing himself as Sirius gestured aggressively to you two in aspiration. Lily laughed at his display and James covered his mouth to hide his smile. Seems Remus was finally clued in.

You began to work on the potion as Slughorn dismissed the class to their assignments. You prepped the ingredients and fell into an easy and fluid motion with Remus. You didn't have a clue why you hadn't worked together before, you did everything together anyway, and Sirius could suck it.

Your friends watched as you smiled down at the horklump, rubbing a spoon over it threw a strainer, giving a laugh as it splattered on your face. Remus watched you, smiling softly. He seemed distracted the whole practical exam, but there wasn't a moment he wasn't listening to you. 

Your test ended with a passing grade, that's all you really needed. Still, Remus apologized for being distracted. 

Remus Lupin was a perfectionist in everything he did. He felt that even in his best moments he was seconds away from failing. He improved himself until there was nothing to improve upon. He aced assignments, mentored underclassmen, pulled off some of the most outrageous pranks in Hogwarts history, he even turned down the head boy position for James, everything he had done in the last seven years felt unsatisfactory. Apathy wasn't a foreign concept to him.

Neither was pity. Those two things were handed out to him in the eyes of everyone he'd ever met. No matter how far Remus came, disappointment was still holding him by his in a silent reminder that nothing would outshine the worst of him. It swallowed him whole most days, his self doubt. So he stayed distracted, chasing the high of praise and approval. 

He was much like Sirius in that regard, but Sirius acted out and Remus did his best to go unnoticed by anyone other than the people closest to him. Unless it was about his achievements.

He wanted to be remarkable and unnoticed, it was the contradiction that was Remus Lupin.

You made him feel those two things, like he was the most important thing in the world, like you couldn't do anything without him. Then, you made him feel like a normal student. Like he was just someone in the herd. He liked that about you.

But having you depend on him, just today, there was something new brimming in his chest. He grappled with the realization that you being dependent on him for a change was more fulfilling than his collective five years of overshadowed achievements.

You seemed him out; when you found him you needed him. Not that it couldn't be anyone else, you chose him. Well, he volunteered, but when you looked up at him with those eyes of yours he knew you had no qualms with it. He felt strong, he felt needed, and he felt like he wasn't the one hurting. 

{Y/N} {L/N} never needed anyone. You made that clear since first year, you were remarkably strange and friendly, you never filtered yourself out for anyone. You were you, that's all you needed to be. You didn't need to be witnessed to live.

But you wanted Remus to witness you.

He was learning that he loved to. To witness you. 

Yet here you were, none the wiser, while Remus realized how far he had fallen for his best friend. And in all honesty;

He wasn't scared.

~~~

Once dinner came around you were reminded just how out of the loop you were without your hearing. You were poking at your meal with your head down, pushing around a bit of your uneaten food. Today had been long, and every break mostly consisted of you trailing after your group and watching them laugh and indulge in each other's presence. 

You knew it wasn't the end of the world, tomorrow morning you would be cut free of your cast and eventually your hearing would come back.

It drove you mad not knowing when though. You knew it wouldn't stay forever, you were self assured in that fact, but knowing the possibility of it being weeks, months, Merlin, even a year? An entire year of not hearing your friends' voices. Dragging Remus down with you.

You didn't notice your friend's concerned look. Eventually, as you stared down at the fork in your hand, a note slid into your peripheral, it was Lily's handwriting, the only person you know to be able to flow her letters so perfectly.

‘Ready?’

You looked up to see people had started packing up. You nodded and began to stand, Remus slipping his hand behind your lower back making you jolt a bit. He flinched away and you immediately cursed, ‘come baaaccck.’

~~~~

Your thoughts followed you to the common room. Before you could escape your friends, go allow yourself to mope, everyone insisted on drinking and talking. 

You didn't want to. You really didn't. Remus was staying behind, however, and you know how much he hated when you'd leave him to be the only responsible drinker. Not that he had to worry too much, Mary always stayed sober to reel in Marlene.

You let yourself believe he just wanted to spend time with you. 

So here you were, sitting on the couch, leaning you back against the arm rest and staring at the group as they talked. Your legs were resting over Remus’s, his lithe fingers rubbing up and down your exposed knee to the bottom of your skirt. Now, this was something Remus would never do, but you didn't even have time to enjoy the satisfying moment of slight intimacy, still too in the dumps.

Your frown deepened as you watched people get up to dance around you. Lily had put a song on the record, you only knew it to be ‘Love Grow(where my Rosemary goes)’ by Edison Lighthouse, because of the album cover she brandished to James with a little wiggle of her eyebrows. One of your favorites. 

At this point, your arms were crossed in a pout as you watched everyone dance but you and Remus. You blinked away those thoughts and turned to Remus. 

“You can go dance, I won't be offended.” You muttered out with a pout. He turned to look at you from the dancing figures. He seemed to come to some conclusion, and tapped your calf. You moved your legs and went back to watching the group before his hand was in your face. You looked up at him confused to see him offering it to you. You carefully took his hand and he lifted you up, leading you on the dance floor. You were wobbly, but he nudged your hurt foot until you arched it up, he took on most of your weight and you leaned into his chest to balance.

He began to sway, you laughed, and he beamed at how happy you seemed. It was ridiculous, you both looked ridiculous, Sirius gave a wolf whistle you couldn't hear and he couldn't give less of a fuck. 

As you got more comfortable he pulled back and began to spin and slide with you. You were a giggling mess and he wrapped his arms around your waist and faced you away from him, making you tilt your head all the way back to see him. He could have died right there. 

As the song faded out, you guys stopped your completely tone deaf moves, and he looked back with a dazzling smile at Lily who put on another song. He was panting, he could see all his friends watching with what seemed to be far too interested looks.

When his eyes went back to you, you were still staring up at him with a bright rush of affection. Somehow, always, Remus knew just what to do. Just what to say. 

The song kicked up and Remus thinned his lips a bit.

‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Elvis Presley. 

He knew he shouldn't. He should fool himself with something so intimate. But you were looking back at him with so much excitement, so much love, who the hell was he to say no?

… Wise men say

Only fools rush in

He nodded to you and you spun to face him again, leg swaying a bit from where you kept it up. You moved to put some space between you, but instead, he wrapped one hand around your lower back and took your other hand. His movements were identical to Marlene with Mary and James with Lily, Sirius even managed to get a girl from one of the many onlookers to dance with him. His being much more professional.

But I can't help falling in love with you

You were confused at first, but you wouldn't say you hated it. It was intimate, as he pulled your chest to his and gave you his smile now. You pressed your tongue to your cheek and smirked at him. He gave you a playful wink as you rolled your eyes.

Shall I stay?

Would it be a sin

If I can't help falling in love with you?

He gave you a slow and careful swirl, and when you returned to him, he pulled your head to his chest and rested his chin to your head.

… Like a river flows

Surely to the sea

Darling, so it goes

Some things are meant to be

He gave you a playful dip and you finally laughed, relaxing fully into the oddly familiar feeling. He's held you before, but never so carefully. Like he could loser you at any point if one thumb was misplaced. 

… Take my hand

Take my whole life, too

He suddenly flattened out his hand against yours. You turned to look from where your face was peacefully nuzzled into his chest. You watched as he spread his fingers, and in turn, yours. Before he interlocked them. You bit your bottom lip and looked up at him. He was mouthing some of the lyrics, and you just managed to watch the last verse.

“For I can't help falling in love with you.”

Your eyes widened. Was he.. was he serious? His eyes were staring into yours like he was putting himself on the line with those words. You took a deep breath and held it, as he leaned down towards you as you both slowed to a stop. You stared at his lips, waiting so patiently for his next words.

“I love you, {Y/N}.” 

The words looked so natural on his lips. You didn't know what to say. You knew what he said. You didn't have a doubt in your mind about it. You suddenly moved in and kissed him, eyes closed before you pulled away. It was quick, it was a bit hard. His lips were chapped and his eyes were still on yours when you opened them. 

He looked stunned, and you couldn't hear the loud, “Finally!” From Sirius.

Nor could you hear Lily’s delighted gasp when he moved in and kissed you again. His hands left your side and hand, grabbing your cheeks. His fingers loosen when you meet him halfway, moving down to your neck and resting his thumbs on your cheeks.

You broke the kiss again, forgetting how to breathe. His lips followed yours before his eyes fluttered but stayed closed. You looked at him in pure shock. What do you do now? What do you say? Did it matter?

Suddenly his face scrunched up and you narrowed your eyes a bit.

“Ow ow ow ow..” Remus muttered and you flinched back when you read his lips. You had rested your casted foot against his toes. Wincing and apologizing like crazy, you moved too quickly and the weight shift caused you to fall back. He quickly caught you in a very deep dip. One hand around your neck and the other around your lower back. Your arms wrapped around his neck and everything was slow.

What a lovely cliche. 

It got even better, as he lifted you closer and kissed you again. His hand from your neck sliding down to help keep your casted leg bent to his hip. 

It was perfect.

~~~ Bonus Scene ~~~

You woke up to the sound of Marlene and Lily talking idly in your dorm room. A few days after the dancing and you and Remus had slipped from friends to more in such a simple and seamless mesh. 

A mesh of messy kisses and rushed ‘I love you’s in the hall. Late night rendezvous in the common room grossing out your friends with all the stolen kisses and messy cuddles where limbs weren't easily identifiable in the dark.

You smiled softly, unable to tame how your heart clenched and a goofy smile took your lips. Then it hit you. You could hear.

You shot your head up and began tos scramble for Remus’s jumper he left over last night. Marlene and Lily snapping over to look at you but not getting a word in before you were dashing out of the room in just your pajama pants and his sweater. 

You don't know how quickly you were running until you made it to his dorm. Your healed leg throbbing from lack of use but you couldn't care less. You slammed your way into the prefect dorms, Remus long since given you the password.

You ignored fussy prefects and walked right up to Remus’s dorm. You knocked in a rush, and the door opened to show James. You'd didn't even care to ask him why he wasn't in the Head Boy dorms, just shoving past him to hurry into the room. 

Sirius looked up from a lounge chair in the corner and smirked when he saw you, opening his mouth to make a smart remark before you interrupted him. 

“Remus?”

“Starlight?” Remus called out from the closet, stepping out in pajama pants as well, no short, and a towel in his messy hair. He couldn't help but smile at your rosey cheeked winded gasps, despite his confusion. “What are you-”

“Say it.” You demanded quickly and closed the gap between them. He looked at you confused before it suddenly hit him that you had responded and reacted to his words. You could hear him.

He let the towel fall from his hair to his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around your waist and brought you close. “Say what?”

“You love me.” You commanded with puffy flustered cheeks. Suddenly so much less confident now that you faced him. He laughed and moved his hands to your cheeks.

“You came running all the way here for that?”

“Remus, I've been waiting years.”

“I love you, {Y/N}.” He whispered and pulled you into a kiss. You smiled and gave a sigh of bliss into it. This time, you were able to hear Sirius wolf whistle behind you.

[losver07]

part 2 to this

drama, kinda(?) harsh vocab, a bit of angst and mentions of su!c!de but not in a serious (lol sirius) way, mainly just drama

Smells Like Warm

“Moony, have a minute?”

Oh God, Remus thinks, sucking in a deep breath as he puts on the biggest, fakest smile that's ever touched his face. This is the end.

“Sure.”

“In potions class,” Sirius begins, choosing every word with great caution, “you said something.”

“Yes,” Remus answers. It's too late to lie. And, even if he could lie, why would he? They've been together for over a year now, it's not his fault that he's got feelings, that's just what being human means. Right?

“You... understand what it means, right? I mean—

“Yes,” he cuts him off. “James told me. I know.”

He needs to control the conversation, or else the conversation will control him and lead him out of a window, down to the quidditch pitch face first.

“OK. So, is it... Did it really smell like me?”

Maybe the window option is not that bad. He'll keep it in the back of his mind, just in case. An easy escape route.

“Look, I know your narcissistic ass would love to know more, but I'm not in the mood for talking, I'm sorry.”

That seems to hurt Sirius. Good.

“No, okay, it's fine, I didn't mean to...”

“I'll shut up about it next time,” he promises, lifting his chin, using what's left of his dignity. “I know you don't want people to know.”

He wants him to feel ashamed, guilty, responsible for his own pain. After all, it's Sirius' fault he fell in love with him. He wouldn't have, if only he were less... him.

“It's fine, really, I don't care, I just—

“I'm going to the library,” Remus says, and starts walking without expecting a response. If he gets one, anyway, it'll be nothing more than stuttering and fake apologies. So he clutches the strap of his book bag and carries on along the empty hallway, his steps the only audible things that follow him. That, and:

“Mine smelled like you too.”

He stops in his tracks, nearly falling to the ground, chest suddenly heavy with something he should be able to name.

He looks back. His lungs feel like they're going to collapse, which makes him want a fag so fucking bad he almost forgets about the love confession he just got.

“What?”

No, he's still getting it. He still has to deal with it. With Sirius being honest. Telling the truth. Talking about his feelings.

It's shocking enough that he's got feelings, and now he's... What is he doing, really?

“The amortentia,” he says, more slowly now that he knows he's got Remus' attention. “It smelled like you.”

And then it hits him.

“It's not funny, Black.”

He looks around hoping for James to appear out of somewhere, hiding under the cloak until this very moment, giggling at his stupid oversensitive queer ass. Another one of their pranks, this time with Remus as the target.

But nothing happens. He only hears two sets of breaths, two heartbeats. And they both seem to be running a fucking marathon.

“I don't want it to be,” Sirius says, steadily. Well, as steady as one can be when he feels about to throw up.

“How'd you know it's me?” Remus still doesn't buy it. It can't be. Love is hard, it's tough, and Sirius has always been so cool about every-fucking-thing, so free and so easy. It just can't be. “I know your scent, but you...— You can't know what I smell like. You can't know.”

“It's not like a need a bloody potion to tell me, Moony, I'm a bit more self-aware than that,” he says, half-grinning, half-dying inside. “And, also, I do know what you smell like. It's like... Well, like the forest. Like trees and the earth and rain... and chocolate, somehow. It just smells like warm. Like that red jumper of yours.”

Remus takes a breath.

“Padfoot,” he says. He doesn't know what else to say. “That's...”

“I know, I know,” the Black haired boy braces himself, suddenly feeling as vulnerable as glass, his cheeks burning with the embarrassment of spilling his guts all over someone and not being able to take them back and shove them into his body, where they should have stayed in the first place. “Fucking corny.”

But it's Remus. Everything's different with Remus.

“It's beautiful,” he whispers, out of breath.

“Yeah,” Sirius smiles. “Yeah, it is.”

ummm here's part 3 lol

[erinawritesheadcanons2]

Could I ask for either a poly or love triangle with the DreamTale twins? They’re my comfort characters and I’m not doing too well emotionally recently. Love what I’ve read of your work! Have a good day! <3

Nightmare Sans and Dream Sans Love Triangle Headcanons, Ink and Error Love Triangle, Underfell Sans and Underswap Sans Love Triangle

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A/N: Hello there @artsyfangirl! I hope you do not mind that I am adding Fell and Blueberry as well as Ink and Error. Just take it as a bonus for you since you don't really have a good day!

Warning: Cursing from Fell

Gender: Neutral

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Nightmare Sans and Dream Sans

Almost impossible because the two of them are different and we cannot forget that Dream Sans and Nightmare Sans would always fight with each other as Nightmare is the leader of Bad Sanses and Dream Sans is the leader of Star Sanses.

It is like a war because the two of them are going to end up fighting with each other despite the war between the Bad Sanses and the Star Sanses ended many years ago but it's not as aggressive between Ink and Error Sans

Dream Sans going to steal your attention by trying to make you laugh with his silly antics or his stupid but funny jokes as he would talk with you.

He would also try to steal your attention by giving small but meaningful gifts, something like little trinkets, keychains, or maybe a hand-made sweet ( I headcanon that Dream can bake).

And he would also always listen to you talking about anything even though he does not understand. He would try to understand them and give the response that you want but sometimes....it fails.

Unlike Dream, Nightmare is much less obvious when he tries to steal your attention away from Dream Sans. He would secretly tell you about all the bad things Dream did.

When Dream is not around, he keeps you in his room and not letting you go out but keeps you around as his tentacles would hold you. Sometimes, his words could make you turn red because he would whisper those 'You look dazzling my dear in this outfit but you look even more amazing if you don't wear them.' (AYO- WHAT THE FUCK)

Trying to impress you by showing you what Dream might not have but he has it (For example, if you love the library. He would allow you to read the books in there and he would be your tutor).

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The stars sparkle under the darkness of the sky and two creatures stand together to see all of the stars since the stars shine the brightest at twelve at midnight. A skeleton with a golden cape and light blue jacket standing close next to his crush. They/he/she has (H/C) hair colour with (H/L) hair length with a pair of mesmerizing (E/C) eye colours and (S/C) skin colour.

Using his powers and the staff he always brought around, he created a portal into the Outertale Universe, a place where the stars were brighter than ever, and dreams seemed to come to life. (Y/N) was completely captivated by the mesmerizing beauty of the Outertale Universe. The stars twinkled with an enchanting light, and the whole place exuded a sense of peace.

On the other realm were a pair of cyan eyes seeing the sight from the crystal ball. A skeleton with tentacles and goopy slime all over him watched his brother being romantic to (Y/N) from the shadows, jealousy brewing within him as he saw Dream Sans and (Y/N) together in the Outertale Universe.

It did not take much time for a dark and swirling portal to appear far away from where Dream Sans and (Y/N) stood together to enjoy the sight of the stars, and ominous black tentacles emerged. They snaked towards you, reaching out like a rubber band and wrapping around (Y/N).

The cold sensation around the waist made (Y/N) (L/N) gasps in aghast, horror, and surprise. It was tight enough so you could not escape from the grip but it was not hard enough to hurt you in any way since he did not want you to get hurt. Nightmare Sans, who had been lurking in the shadows, had seized this opportunity to snatch you away from Dream Sans

Dream Sans was taken aback, a mixture of shock and horror painted across his usually cheerful face. In the blink of an eye, the person with (H/C) hair colour and (S/C) skin colour was taken away from Dream Sans and Outertale, leaving him in a stupor. "Oh no! I should go to Nightmare's castle!" He pulled out the staff from his belt.

On the other side of the world, (Y/N) crosses her/his/their arms together and stares at the goopy skeleton with a black stare. You are clearly not amused by his little stunt. "What are you looking at, don't give me that look," Nightmare Sans rolls his pinpricks. "Really? Suddenly kidnapping me out of nowhere when I was hangout with Dream?" (Y/N) squints her/his/their eyes. "Ughh, what so great about Outertale? I can bring you there every day if you want. I could even bring you to a better place," Nightmare scoffs.

The battle between the two brothers raged on, neither willing to back down as they wanted your attention and no one else could have it. . As this pattern continued, (Y/N) grew increasingly not amused with Dream Sans and Nightmare Sans constantly kidnapping her/him/them out of nowhere.

The constant fighting between the two skeleton brothers had become more of a burden than a romantic pursuit, and they/she/he wished for a way to break free from this never-ending cycle. "You two really acting like five years old. I'm even more impressed nowadays kids seem to be more mature than you two," (Y/N) mutters.

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Ink Sans and Error Sans

If the love triangle between Nightmare and Dream Sans is already bad. Ink Sans and Error Sand would be much worse than those two because they would constantly FIGHT for your attention.

It is so bad that sometimes it feels like you could just take a chair and popcorn just to watch the drama between these two because they would fight for anything, not just your attention.

Ink Sans when trying to get your attention is by bringing you to the portal and showing you all of the beautiful Alternate Universes to impress you since he is the protector of Aus.

He would also just steal you away when you have free time to draw together with him. Sometimes, he would throw bits of compliments on your drawing, even if it was bad. He just likes your creativity.

He would also try to create something out of his paintbrush, small gifts maybe something adorable such as plushies and giving it to you to make you happy.

Error Sans is not as romantic as Ink Sans sadly so he had difficulty stealing your attention but I can see that he would bring you to some beautiful AUS despite him being an AU's destroyer, to watch the star.

Protects you from the other skeletons surprisingly and not letting anyone touch you, especially Ink Sans as he glares at the protector of AU's since he knows Ink also has a crush on you.

Also, he's a bit of a bully. To get your attention, he would make fun of you and give you tons or ridiculous nicknames just to piss you off and he's always amused each time you react to him.

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On the small beanbag inside of the living room, a person with (H/C) hair colour with (H/L) hair length and a pair of (E/C) eye colour as well as (S/C) skin colour sitting on it with books sprawled around the small chair. (Y/N) had been enjoying a peaceful afternoon, nestled comfortably in the bean bag. Their/her/his eyes scan every word of the book.

The room was bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, the perfect ambience for your novel. You had just begun to immerse yourself in the world of words when, out of nowhere, a mysterious portal appeared in the corner of the room. The portal was glowing with the colour of the rainbow decorating it.

Startled by the sudden appearance of the portal, (Y/N) dropped their book, their heart racing. From the portal emerged the skeleton with a spot of ink on his cheek, a giant paintbrush on his back and a giant brown cape draped on his back. The protector of the multiverse as he would protect the universes from certain skeletons.

"Hey (Y/N)!" Ink said cheerfully, a wide smile on his face. "What are you doing?" "I was just reading, Ink. What's going on?" Still, a bit bewildered by the unexpected visit, (Y/N) stammered to Ink Sans. "Well, I had this idea for some collaborative drawing, and I thought, who better to join me than you? We could create something amazing together!" Ink's pinpricks twinkled in excitement.

(Y/N) was initially hesitant because the books that you had been reading had not finished and it was in the chapter where the main character faced their rival. But the idea of spending time drawing and the thought about the possibility of creating art together with Ink sounded fun too. "Sure, why not? Let's go," (Y/N) agreed with a smile.

With a bright smile, Ink Sans gestured for (Y/N) to follow him back through the portal and leave behind the book that (Y/N) still had not finished. But all of that excitement was gone as (Y/N) and Ink went inside the portal. Unsurprisingly, there is another guest who was not invited by Ink. "Oh no....you gotta be kidding me," Ink sighs.

The skeleton stepped off from the strings once he saw Ink and (Y/N) on the ground. The familiar black skeleton with a black coat, blue hood and black slippers strutted up to both Ink Sans and (Y/N). "iT HaS BeEn SuCh a LonG Time Isn'T it? bUddY?" A smug smile spread across his face. "Error, Leave us alone. You had already spent time with (Y/N) yesterday. Today is my turn," Ink Sans rolls his pinpricks. "NaAh. I Don't ThiNK sO," Another portal appears behind him.

Ink Sans quickly took the giant paintbrush from his back so he could create a shield for you but he was too late because the strings were wrapped on every one of your limbs. Error Sans created another portal of his own and, with (Y/N) wrapped on his strings, stepped into it, disappearing from Ink's realm.

You couldn't help but let out a sigh of frustration. Turning to Error Sans, he was smirking and holding you as if you were his captive. "Error, you know we spent time together yesterday. You could have given Ink a chance. This isn't fair to him," you scold him,your irritation was evident in your tone.

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Underfell Sans and Underswap Sans

A love triangle between Underfell Sans, You, and Underswap Sans might be a little ridiculous because it feels like you are taking care of a skeleton that acts like a golden retriever and also some kind of skeleton that acts like an emo with anger issues.

The other one is going to bully you just to get your attention and just to see your reaction and the other one is trying to hog all of your attention and will follow you everywhere.

Underswap Sans can be a little bit of an attention seeker because he would try to make tacos ( and end up burning all of them or using the wrong condiment and creating something inedible).

If you are busy, would give you that sad look on you before begging you to hang out with him and when Underfell was too late to ask you, he would secretly smirk.

He actually knows that he does look innocent and cute despite he hate of getting called cute but when Fell was angry at him and you saw him. He will use his cuteness to get you on his side.

Underfell Sans can be a bully just like Error Sans but a little bit worse because he won't just be calling you ridiculous names. He would make you dress up for a deal, make you watch a scary movie, and be a menace.

Not surprisingly he would bring you to Grillby's bar to hang out with you and surprisingly he asked Grilly to help him out. Even though, he would end up having more tabs. He would pay for your meals and drinks as he wants you to taste the monster food too.

Underfell Sans also steals your attention by playing games together with you. I believe he knows many great games and he always invites you to play a multiplayer game with him.

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The temperature of the kitchen is rising as the sun goes up in the middle of the day, a person with luscious (H/C) hair and striking (E/C) eyes sat in the kitchen, typing away on your computer. The soft glow of her screencast a warm, amber hue across your face, illuminating the (E/C) eye colours.

It had been a long day, and they/she/he was racing against the clock to finish the mountain of files that had been assigned to her/him/them by the old-bladed head manager. But it won't stop nature from doing its job as (Y/N)'s stomach chooses this inopportune moment to growl with hunger.

You could not help but let out a quiet sigh, torn between your desire for food or the commitment to completing the tasks that had piled up. (Y/N) knew that they/she/he couldn't afford to lose any more time, but the rumbling stomach seemed to have other plans. With a heavy heart, (Y/N) decided to take a brief break.

She/he/they stood up from the chair and stretched their/her/his tired limbs and (Y/N) knew a hungry tummy would only distract the process of working and finishing the papers. In the fridge, you found some leftover chicken and colourful bell peppers. It was the perfect opportunity to whip up something quick and satisfying.

Before (Y/N) could make something, you could hear someone scream, "Mwehehehee! The magnificent blue is here!" Startled, (Y/N) turns around to see Underswap Sans. "Oh, hey Blue. Do you need anything?" (Y/N) tilts their/her/his head a little bit in curiosity. "Human! I heard your stomach grumbling! It was quite loud, human! how 'bout I whip up some tasty tacos for you??" The skeleton asks.

(Y/N) couldn't help but glance up at the ceiling, remembering that the Jolly Skeleton wasn't the best cook. His previous attempt at making tacos had been a disaster, he managed to burn them, and then, in a whimsical attempt to salvage the situation, he had sprinkled glitter on the charred mess. (Y/N) had tried to be polite and take a bite, but it had been quite a horrible mistake.

As (Y/N) hesitated, contemplating whether to accept his offer or not, the door to the kitchen from the living room was suddenly slammed open, causing both Underswap Sans and (Y/N) to jump in surprise. Standing in the doorway was Underfell Sans. "Oi, loser, You said you're hungry? Why don't we get some grillby on the corner? The dumb baby tacos aren't edible for your intestine," Underfell Sans grumbled as he glanced at Underswap Sans.

(Y/N) felt relieved as Underfell Sans gave a solution or an easy way out of the situation. You didn't want to hurt Underswap Sans's feelings, but you also didn't want to endure another round of eating burnt glittery tacos. (Y/N) turned to Underswap Sans and gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks for the offer, Sans, but I think I'll go with Underfell Sans this time. I'm craving for French fries," You told him. "B-but those are unhealthy! They have so much grease!" Underswap Sans said.

Underswap Sans couldn't hide the disappointment that washed over him when (Y/N) rejected his offer. He let out a resigned sigh and watched as Underfell Sans escorted (Y/N) out of the kitchen. There was a pang of sadness in his eye sockets before his eyes shifted to Underfell Sans who silently glared at him, puffing his cheeks altogether.

He turned to look at Underfell, who was secretly smirking at him. Underfell was well aware that he had managed to steal (Y/N)'s attention away, and the competitive edge between the two skeletons continued to burn.

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[awriterinthenight]

"I Think You Look Good in Purple"-George Weasley

requested: anonymous

words: 1054

warnings: a prank, a small argument, reader legit hates life, a decent amount of swearing, not my best work, I wrote this last night, then finished it today cause I was tired last night, so its a bit disjointed I think, idk enjoy though

summary: When one of the Weasley pranks doesn't go as planned and they end up pranking the one Slytherin they like, especially George, George regrets.

Not all Slytherins were horrible, and you proved that. You were kind to first years, befriended muggle-borns, and were just a good person in general. When the twins pranked Slytherin they made sure to keep you out of it as best as possible. Since you weren't an asshole like the others, and also because George Weasley might've had a small crush on you.

The Weasley twins' latest prank didn't go exactly as planned. Their idea was to put a potion in some of the goblets, so that when the people drank it their hair would change to weird colours. They would only put it in some, so that way there would be more chaos when people would point fingers at those whose hair didn't change. The twins made sure to not put the potion in your general area so that you didn't end up with colored hair for weeks.

The only thing the twins didn't account for was you not sitting in your usual spot. So when suddenly during dinner half of the Slytherins turned every colour of the rainbow, and it included you, the twins knew you weren't going to be happy.

Your day was already really shitty so the sudden change in hair colour was unappreciated. The second you say the twins leave the Great Hall you immediately follow after them.

"This was you two, wasn't it," you said fuming, as the two stopped and turned to look at you.

Fred let out a small chuckle, while George stayed rather quiet, "It's just a simple prank. Besides, it'll come out in a couple weeks," Fred said, as if it was the most casual thing ever, which to him it was.

You were still annoyed by the two and their stupidity, "Do you two ever stop and think before you do something stupid," you yelled at them, "Matter of fact do you ever think." You didn't even let them respond before you stormed away, furious as the two redheads.

Fred seemed confused by why she was so angry, "Merlin, who spat in her pumpkin juice."

George finally spoke up, "Well we did technically spike her pumpkin juice. She's just angry at us, just give it some time and hopefully she'll be less angry," he defended, feeling bad for what he did.

The two left it at that and continued on with their day. You on the other hand were having the worst time ever. You had just practically bombed a potions test since who the fuck has all the ingredients for polyjuice potion memorized off the top of their head. Your friend had cancelled on your Hogsmeade trip the upcoming weekend, since their date was more important than the trip you had planned for two weeks, and now to make everything worse, you were stuck with purple hair for weeks.

You were hoping that maybe your luck would be better as your week went on. Apparently you were way too optimistic. While you were the least hated Slytherin, some Gryffindors still hated you just for being a Slytherin, so they were mean to you, calling you things like 'grape-head' which was just stupid, but you know Gryffindors. Some of the muggle-borns called you 'Barney the Dinosaur' behind your back, which you had to admit was a bit funny.

Even worse was that Snape had seemed to try to make you suffer even more by making you work on a potion all week while being partnered with Marcus Flint, who made you want to gouge out your eyes. School in general was also kicking your ass. It was as if every teacher forgot you had other classes. When you tried to get your work done in the library Peeves showed up, disorganizing every book.

By the end of the week you were ready to collapse. The worst was that almost no one noticed, except for your few close friends, but they didn't push much when you said you were fine. The only person to really notice was George Weasley.

He would try to make conversation with you, but you would ignore him, still angry from the dumb prank. He felt truly horrible, but you wouldn't give him the chance to apologise.

George waited outside your class so that he could try to finally apologise, "Hey, Y/N wait," he yelled out when you walked right by him. You continued to ignore him, being stubborn and not wanting to hear what he had to say, "Can you just hear me out for five minutes, please."

You stopped walking, finally giving into the little voice in your head telling you to stop being stubborn and talk to him, "Fine, one minute, make it quick."

"I'm so sorry for what happened. We didn't mean for it to affect you, I even tried to make sure it was nowhere near where you usually sat. I'm just really sorry, please don't hate me anymore," he explained, not wasting a second.

You had basically already forgiven him at this point, but the part about you hating him stuck out to him, "Hate you, why would I hate you?" you questioned him, since he could never make you hate him.

"I-I, umm..." George said stumbling, "I just, you seemed so angry I thought you hated me," he explained, a little bit quieter now.

You let out a breath, "I could never hate you George," you told him, fully meaning it, nothing could make you hate him, "I was just having a shitty day, and I've been having a lot recently."

A soft smile graced George's face at your words, "I'm glad you don't hate me, and I'm sorry about that. I noticed you didn't seem to be your friendly self as much, but maybe now that you don't hate me I can brighten up your day, and make it better," he joked, trying to make you smile, and being successful.

You shook your head at him, "Yeah, yeah, I'm still stuck with this purple hair, so you're not off the hook till it's gone," you said, crossing your arms.

"Well in my defence," George said, twisting a strand of your hair, "I think you look good in purple." You could feel your cheeks heat up and turn red. If you weren't already head over heels for George, you definitely were now. 

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@almost-gabrielle @scarlett-8 @atashiboba @that1deerpersondownstairs

[thewritetofreespeech]

Astarion x Reader

words: 2.6K

rating: E

pairing: Ascended!Astarion x Tav (female)

tags: heterosexual sex, fingering, sex on a table, vampire nibbles, soft ascended!astarion (sort of), cazador servants

summary: why do formal tables have to be so long? luckily they are also sturdy. [x]

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He’d been lost in the halls of the palace for hours. Though he had lived here all of his undead life, 200 years of being trapped in these walls, Astarion had never been allowed to roam free. There were still secrets to the palace left to unlock. Secrets that Cazador had kept from them, far worse and far more subtle than the grand temple he had built in the ‘basement’.

Now that it was all his, Astarion felt this incredible urge to leave no stone unturned. Partly to understand his new home. Mostly, just to spite Cazador still.

“Master Astarion.” He turned around fast to see Vilhelm standing there. Still getting used to his new role and that he could be here in the library as he wished. The human, for his part, seemed perfectly comfortable in his new role. Funny how a tenday ago he would have spit on his shoes should they pass in the hall. Now he was quick to lick them should Astarion ask. “Dinner has been served and the mistress is waiting. But if you would like! I can have it sent back to the kitchen and await your orders.”

“No, no.” He tutted at the man. Who seems an odd combination of relieved and terrified at being corrected. “A gentleman never keeps a lady waiting.”

He had no idea that dinner had even been prepared. Nor that that was something to be expected. Now that he had ascended, the hunger that tormented him for centuries had finally been sated. He wondered, as he walked the halls with Vilhelm just behind him, if he could ever be hungry again. Would ever be hungry again.

The doors to the dinning room open for him and Astarion stepped in to observe the marvelous setting. His beloved at one end of the table while candles, silver chaffers, and decorative fruits littered the mahogany all the way to the other end. “Are we expecting royalty?”

“The master…I mean…the old master preferred a formal setting when he supped.” Varderola explained. A fact that Astarion would never know because he had never been in this room to eat, only to be paraded in front of Cazador’s guest before being shunned off to dine on his dinner of rats. He truly never even knew that Cazador ate anything. “But if the master would prefer-“No.” Astarion cut in quickly with a wave of his hand. “No. This is fine.” If it was good enough for Cazador, certainly such effort was good enough for him.

He walked over to Tav and gave her a kiss on the cheek, before going to his seat at the other end of the table. Less impressed with the table setting now that he was at one end of it and her at the other. Astarion could barely see her through all the candles & greenery.

“How was the tour of the palace?” He looked up when Tav spoke. Syrin poured her wine while Vilhelm on his left did the same. “Find any bodies stuffed in a trunk somewhere?”

Astarion chuckled. “No. Not yet.” This all felt so straight.

A few months ago, he would never have dreamed to be sitting here. He would have been absolutely terrified to even consider it. Now, here he was. Free, all powerful, the people who once shunned & ridiculed him waiting on him hand and foot, richer than probably any noble in Baldur’s Gate, beloved by the most beautiful woman in the realms. Things he had dreamed of when he was shackled below, where just one of them seemed out of reach. Now he had it all.

“Is everything alright?” Tav’s voice broke him out of his thoughts again. Speaking of so far out of reach….

“Yes, it’s just…you’re so far away.” Though it still seemed strange, the comedy of all this being for just the two of them was starting to sink in.

“Oh. Well. That’s a quick fix.”

Practical, yet as impulsive as ever, Tav simply picked up her wine and her plate at walked over to his end of the table. The servants seemed mortified, but Astarion was grinning ear to ear. Of course, a simple solution.

A new chair was brought up for her and she sat down to continue their meal. As if she hadn’t just broken probably 14 etiquette rules with her stunt. “I’m glad you liked your tour. I was nervous you might have found it…overwhelming.” Her concern for his well-being, even as he was all powerful now, made his chest feel tight and his cock hard. “But I had a thought. What if we redecorated this place? Made it our own?”

Astarion sat back in his seat and sipped his wine. Leaving his rare meat untouched. “Hmm…I suppose. Cazador always did have the most abysmal taste.” He could say that out loud now. “I don’t think one thing has been updated since I was here. And that’s saying something.”

Tav scoffed. “I’m sure it will take time. And money.”

“Which is no object now.”

“And of course I would want your opinion on things.”

“Of course you would darling.” Astarion replied with his standard, jovial way. “We certainly can’t have your design expertise lead the way. The whole place would be swords, pelts, and big shiny rocks you’ve found.”

“Ha ha….” He tried to hide his grin in his wine glass. “Besides that, I wasn’t sure if there would be anything you’d want to keep. Something….sentimental?”

“You could literally pack up everything in this place and throw it into the sea for all I care.” Sentimental. What a disturbingly odd word for these walls. “Honestly, do whatever you would like. Fill the ballroom with peacocks. Paint the walls whatever color you wish. Tear the walls down if you would like. Just, one thing I do ask,” he sat his glass down and took Tav’s hand in his, “you leave the bedroom design to me.”

He kissed her hand and watched her face flush. Suddenly he was very hungry. But it wasn’t for food.

“Get out.” He heard the shuffle of feet around them, but Astarion wasn’t looking at anyone but Tav. Once he heard the doors close and latch, he surged forward. Ensnaring them in a brutal kiss. Hot and heavy. Intoxicating as much as the wine on their lips.

The hand still wrapped around Tav’s held tighter and pulled forward. Jutting her out of her seat as he fell back. Making her a new seat in his lap. Astarion grinned, all teeth, against her lips as he nipped at them. His hands all over the soft silk on her hips and back as she sighed breathless into his kiss. He’d have to remember that she needed to breathe more than him now.

“Where did you get this lovely dress?” He asked as he gave Tav a chance to do that, but still peppered kisses over her chin, neck, and delicious neck.

“I uh…Syrin found it for me….” Her responses were staggered. He had to assume that it was hard to think in the fog he was creating. “Said I should dress for dinner.”

“You needn’t do anything you don’t want to, my treasure.” Astarion told her. “If you wish to dress down, or simply be naked, then that is what you will do. Personally, I would prefer the former. Though I doubt either one of us would get anything done in a day if this perfect body was on display all the time.” The only thing they would ‘get done�� was each other. “However, I just wanted to make sure this wasn’t one of your favorites as, although it is lovely, it’s in my way.”

 The silk stood no chance against him as Astarion gripped the fine material and under tulle and ripped. Tav let out a gasp as he broke her dress skirt free. It didn’t sound like one of alarm or shock, but one of arousal. One that was quickly confirmed when she rolled her hips against him. “Astarion….”

He felt that hunger grow in him again and he pulled Tav down for another long kiss. That perfect body that had slayed goblins, monsters, undead, and near gods, writhing & quivering against him in desire. It was truly more than a man could dream of.

Holding onto their kiss, Astarion blindly fumbled behind them against the table. Then, with one sweep of his long arm, sent his dinner, her dinner, the cups, the silverware, and napkins all tumbling to the ground. All of it made a horrible racket of shattered glass and broken plates, but Astarion couldn’t hear anything over Tav’s panting and the soft moan she made when he lifted her up and sat her down where all of it once was.

He pulled back to look at her. His beautiful consort. Laid out on the table on display and the picture of want. The only meal he was interested in now. “You’re radiant my treasure.”

Tav gasped. A soft sound past her lips as his cool fingers ran from them down her bodice, fingers flicking over the gold, before slipping under the edges of her torn skirt. Her shoulders lifting off the table a little with another soft gasp when he touched her entrance.

The candlelight flickered across her face in a mesmerizing dance as he continued to toy with her. “Astarion….”

“Do you like that my love.” He leaned over them to give Tav a soft kiss. To be that much closer when he whispered. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want you.” Simple. Practical.

“I know you do my sweet. And you have me. As I have you. Aeterna Amantes.” He had meant what he said. They would be together forever. Gods willing, even after that. Surely there was some method to his new power that would make it so. But, for now, “I want you to tell me what you want. Right now.” Tav let out a sharp gasp when he ran his thumb over her clit and curled his fingers inside her the way she liked. “Let me feast on your words.”

“I want you to fuck me.” Astarion smirked. What a vulgar little kitten. Gods how he loved that something so beautiful could be so….dirty. “Fuck me Astarion. I want to cum on your cock. I want you to cum inside me. I want to feel you inside me when you cum. Fuck me right here on this table.”

“My sweet, sweet treasure.” He pulled his fingers free from her cunt. Her thighs quivered a bit at the loss as he undid his trousers. “How could I say no?”

He stripped out of the rest of his clothes quickly. Like a new alabaster statue for the dining room. Then he gripped Tav’s hips and yanked her to the end of the table. She made a surprised sound but bit her lip seductively right after and spread her legs wide. ‘That’s my good girl.’

Astarion lined up and thrust forward when she opened her legs for him. His treasure let out the most delicious moan when he filled her. Her back arching high off the table. Hands scrambling for purchase on the wood as she tried to anchor in the wave of pleasure. He himself felt a bit overcome, and just had to take a moment to hold still and run his thumb over the soft embroidery of her bodice with his hands still at her waist.

With his newfound abilities, his senses were also sharper than they had ever been. Even sharper than when his treasure first let him start feeding on him and he knew what feeding on thinking creatures was like. It was like the world had gone from being in a fog or dim torch light in a cave to bright, vibrant display all around him. All the colors. All the sounds. All the tastes and touch. He wanted to explore all of it. And, especially, explore all of that with Tav right now.

His hips pulled back and he thrust into her again. She called his name, and he did it again. Over and over until he was pistoling his cock into her. Much to her delight, apparently, as Tav moaned and squealed and panted beneath him.

Astarion grinned wickedly as he watched his beloved and the city’s hero fall apart under him. Beautifully taking his cock. Thrusting up to meet him in perfect unison like the perfect pair they were. That wonderful look of agonizing ecstasy on their face.

The vampire lifted one of Tav’s legs wrapped around his waist up to his shoulder. The change in position lets him thrust harder, deeper and they cry out louder for him. He kissed the inside of their ankle and gave them a brief glance before he sunk his teeth into it. “Ah…Astarion….” His beloved fell back against the table. Nearly liquid as he drained hers from her body. His thrusts slowing from a hard fuck to something more sensual.

He felt a little drunk. All parts of him consumed in this moment as he literally consumed Tav. Body and soul. Astarion’s fangs release from her flesh and his treasure let out a little whimper when he did. “That’s it my sweet. Let it go.” He reached down between them to rub her clit. A set of sharp inhales following as Tav seemed desperate to get air in her lungs to withstand this pleasure. “You wanted to cum on my cock, right? Feel me cum inside you? Well, as always, I provide. Cum for me, my treasure. Break open for me.”

His words and touch seem to do the trick as Tav’s walls were quickly seizing around his cock, while screaming out in pleasure from her orgasm. Music to his ears.

Astarion continued to thrust through her orgasm but quickly followed. Spilling his seed inside her, as requested, before he collapsed in his chair from exhaustion soon after. From this angle, he was greeted with a perfect view of her cunt. Red and swollen. Wet from her juices and his cum. He was tempted to lean forward and taste it. Dessert after his meal, if he could only get out of this chair.

The moment past though as Tav quickly sat up on her elbows and closed her legs. Spoil sport. “We ruined dinner.”

“So?” Actually, he had had his dinner. In case she forgot.

“But they worked so hard on it. I feel bad we wasted it.”

Astarion scoffed. Of course his beloved would feel sorry for the servants. She had a big heart for the less fortunate. Like him, or who he used to be. “Their job is to work. Not be appreciated.” He told her.

Getting a second wind, Astarion stood from his seat again and wrapped his arm around Tav as he stood between his legs. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure some of it can be saved if you want a nibble later. I know I will.” He loved the sound of her giggle when he nipped at her ear. More music from his precious consort. “But, for now, let’s retire to our chambers and let them clean this up. We can discuss how to improve them. I’m thinking gossamer curtains, a four-post bed, and a mirror above it now that I can see my reflection with you in it.” Tav laughed as if it were a joke, but it wasn’t.

He would let her know about that later. Right now, he wanted to go back to the bedroom and sate this hunger that was still inside him.

His hunger for blood may have been sated with his ascension, but hunger for sex & Tav seemed stronger than ever now.

[cyanide-mustard]

I don't have the words to describe (how much you mean to me) Chapter 2

Also on Ao3

Summary:

James, Viktor and Jayce go to the library

Notes:

AN: My hope with not including the translations until the end is to make readers just as confused as Jayce and Viktor. Thank you to my wonderful friend who helped me edit this! I cannot spell for the life of me and I am trying my best! I will be updating every week sometime from Thursday to Saturday. Also, Piltovian slippers are just Crocs

Viktor and Jayce’s apartment (formerly just Viktor’s, until Jayce moved in and never seemed to move out) was a small two-bedroom apartment with a bathroom and kitchen. Most of the apartment was not used fully; it was less of a home and more of a landing pad, given how much time the two men spent at the lab. Based on this fact, one would assume the apartment would be slightly empty with how much time they didn’t spend there.

This was not the case.

Stepping through the door, the state they had left the apartment in, made its way into the boys’ consciousness. The kitchen had at least twenty dishes in the sink, dried and just waiting to be put away, a mixture of tea mugs and water glasses on the counter and a very sad-looking pantry. The only saving grace for the kitchen was that Jayce and Viktor agreed when they first started living together, that they would never leave dirty dishes and food out, lest their haven from work turn into a haven for rats. The living room on the other hand was filled with loose sheets of paper, scrolls, and piles of books almost taller than Viktor on nearly every surface.

The two men scrambled to make their home more presentable for their unexpected guest, who wore a sly grin on her face at seeing their rush.

“It’s normally cleaner than this” Jayce said to James.

“No, it is not, do not lie to her” Viktor chimes in.

“She doesn’t even know what I’m saying!”

“Yes, but she can sense the tone” Viktor mused, locking eyes with James whose grin disappeared into a soft blush. Her eyes averted his to take in the room once more.

It took a moment for Jayce to realize that they had both left her standing in the doorway. Quickly, he turned back, extending his hand toward her. Her gaze flicked from his eyes to his outstretched hand, hesitating before lightly placing hers in his. He guided her inside, leading her to the couch. He disappeared into a room only to reappear with a toothbrush but promptly went back in after he placed the item on the table. Jayce continued like that a couple more times. Bringing stuff out which he deemed necessary for James, to only forget another thing and rush back to grab it.

While he did that, Viktor moved the few books lying on the couch, onto the floor. He watched James as she struggled to stay awake, eyes closing only to flutter back open before repeating the same cycle. Viktor grabbed the pillow Jayce had placed on the table and put it on the end of the couch, guiding James down to it before laying a blanket over the top of her sleeping form.

Viktor watched her as he waited for Jayce to rush out again. Her furrowed brow and the lines around her eyes and mouth, all the signs of stress from the day, melted off her face as she fell into deeper sleep.

Jayce returned again, still in a semi-frantic rush to make sure the woman had everything she needed when he felt Viktor’s hand on his shoulder. He looked at his partner and then to the sleeping woman on the couch. Jayce ran a hand over his face. It was then that Viktor looked at what he was holding in his hand.

“A loofah Jayce, really?”

“I don’t know, what if she wanted to shower?!”

Viktor looked at the man with an amused grin. Watching his partner run around like a headless chicken was funny but his determination to make sure this woman was comfortable and had everything she needed was exactly the type of sweet thing Jayce would do.

“She can shower in the morning if she would like, for now, she can sleep. Who knows what she has gone through” Viktor said as the two started walking towards their room.

“How are we going to help her? She doesn’t speak any language I’ve ever heard and it’s not like we can just get her a tutor. People will start asking questions about where she’s from and we already decided that’s not an option”

“We will have to keep her a secret for now. We will help her where we can. There are sure to be a couple of books at the library about teaching languages. When we go tomorrow we will find one” Viktor reassuringly told Jayce. However, he wasn’t sure this reassured him too.

“We’ll find a way to get her home,” Jayce said determinedly “We just might need a lot more caffeine to figure out how”

Viktor chuckled as they made their way into bed.

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

The smell of coffee in the morning was one of Jayce’s favourite smells. Moreover, it was more what the smell meant. It meant one of two things. One he was about to drink what he considered the nectar of gods (Viktor thinks Jayce is dramatic). And two, his sweet wonderful boyfriend was awake and they would start their day together. However, as he gained more awareness of his surroundings, he realised the other man was right beside him, his arm still curled up around him.

“Vitya” he whispered in the other man’s ear.

“Mmh” Viktor responded less than fully conscious

“V, I think someone broke in”

Viktor opened an eye at this

“Why would anyone break into our house? We have nothing to steal”

“Well I smell coffee and you’re here so who else could it be”

“Yes I am sure someone broke into our apartment to drink our shitty coffee”

Jayce rolled his eyes at his sarcastic retort. Getting out of bed to investigate the smell. As he walked forward he picked up a small paperweight.

“Oh yes I am sure our intruders will be very scared of you now”

“Are you going to help me or are you just gonna sit there and heckle me”

He huffed before trailing behind the taller man.

They opened the door, looking around the living room, seeing three sets of plates with eggs, bacon and toast along with three mugs of fresh coffee. The two men relaxed slightly seeing as there was no intruder, until the door to the bathroom opened. Jayce lifted the paperweight.

“AHHHHHHH” “AHHHHHHH” “𝜩𝝺𝝺𝝺𝝺𝝺𝝺𝝺𝝺𝝺”

They all screamed as James exited the bathroom.

“Oh my god it’s just you” Jayce said with a breath of relief

“𝝣𝜓𝞏𝞒𝞏, 𝛴𝝠𝞖’𝞔 𝞏𝝃𝜩𝞀𝜓 𝜩 𝝋𝛃𝞀𝟄 𝟄𝛃𝝥𝜓 𝞔𝝺𝜩𝞔!”

As they all took a moment to recover, the two men noticed James’ appearance. She was no longer wearing her torn clothes, instead a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants Jayce had left out the night before. Her hair was also damp indicating she took a shower, which seemed to do her good as the dirt and stress washed away leaving her face looking brighter and younger than it had last night. She grabbed their hands and led them to the small table where the food laid.

“𝜣𝞀𝜓𝜩𝝥𝝇𝜩𝞏𝞔” she motioned to the plates “𝞔𝝺𝜩𝞖𝝥 𝞾𝝠𝞒”

“Thank you” Viktor smiled softly

“Thank you James” Jayce said from beside him.

“𝞔han𝝥 yo𝞒” James tested the word on her tongue and tried again “Thank you”

They sat down and started their meals as they watched James finish what was left on her already half-eaten plate and open up her notebook. When she turned the notebook around to show the two men, they saw that many of the pages were already filled out with lists, pictures, diagrams and schedules.

“Looks like you won’t be keeping your stash for long V”

She drew their attention closer to a set of detailed pictures. The first was a picture of them at the library, followed by pictures that seemed to detail James learning more and more of Piltovian. The final three images detailed the three of them making a machine, a portal opening and then James disappearing.

The boys took a big breath of relief, extremely grateful that at least one of the three of them seemed to know what they were doing.

“Okay library first, James can grab what she needs, then I’ll bring her back here, while you go to the Kiramman’s and grab clothes” Viktor said to the two.

“Library?” James asked.

“Yes,” Jayce confirmed.

She stood. Rushing over to the door and putting on the slightly too small slippers Viktor had lent her last night in order to get home.

“Jayce, we should also buy her a pair of shoes. I do not think she will enjoy walking everywhere in mine”

“I’ll do that after the library,” He said as he walked over to James and put one of his satchels across her shoulder.

Viktor and Jayce quickly finished washing the dishes (Remember! Haven from work, not a haven for rats!) and made their way to James, who was trying to hold in her anticipation. They left the house, Jayce locking the door behind him.

In the light of day, all of Piltover was open to see and from beside the two men, James was buzzing with excitement. Her eyes moved all around taking in the stores, people and buildings. As much as she seemed to want to explore, she never left her spot in between Jayce and Viktor. She paid extra attention to one of the bakeries with a large display of Piltover’s sweet delicacies.

When they finally arrived at the library, James’ breath was taken away by the interior which had shelves that never seemed to stop and then when it looked like it was over there were staircases leading both up and down. Viktor let out a chuckle at her face of awe. He guided her down to the languages section. It would be difficult for James to find material that suited her given that her language seemed to be one that had never seen Piltover. They started picking out books that looked like they would be beginner-friendly; the pile in all their arms growing.

The wonderful thing about Jayce and Viktor is when they get into a task they put their whole concentration into it. The bad thing about Jayce and Viktor is that when they get into a task they put their whole concentration into it. It was when Jayce went to show James a book and realized he couldn’t find her in the entire section.

“Viktor! She’s gone”

“What? Who’s gone?”

“James, She’s not here”

“No she is rig-” Viktor looked behind him. “I swear she was there two seconds ago”

“I looked already she’s not in this whole section”

Viktor passed the books in his arms off onto Jayce as he walked hurriedly off to other parts of the library. The two boys went from section to section quietly calling out her name until they got to the one part of the library they hadn’t checked yet. The children’s section. Viktor entered and started calling her name as loudly as he could in the library.

“𝑗𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠”

Almost immediately her head popped up from one of the small bookcases. He made his way closer to her

“Where did you go? We thought we lost you or something happened” Though James didn’t understand the words he was saying she seemed to understand the worry on his face clearly

“𝞏𝝠𝞀𝞀𝞾,” she said touching his upper forearm, not noticing his slight blush, she continued talking animatedly, “𝛃 𝝸𝜩𝞏 𝟄𝝠𝝠𝝥𝛃𝞖𝝋 𝝇𝝠𝞀 𝜣𝝠𝝠𝝥𝞏 𝝸𝛃𝞔𝝺 𝟇𝝠𝞀𝜓 𝝮𝛃𝝃𝞔𝞒𝞀𝜓𝞏 𝜩𝞖𝛴 𝝥𝛃𝛴𝞏 𝜣𝝠𝝠𝝥𝞏 𝜩𝞀𝜓 𝝮𝜓𝞀𝝇𝜓𝝃𝞔! 𝞔𝝺𝜓𝞾 𝝺𝜩𝞃𝜓 𝞏𝛃𝟇𝝮𝟄𝜓 𝞃𝝠𝝃𝜩𝜣𝞒𝟄𝜩𝞀𝞾 𝜩𝞖𝛴 𝞔𝝺𝜓 𝝋𝞀𝜩𝟇𝟇𝜩𝞀 𝛃𝞏𝞖’𝞔 𝞃𝜓𝞀𝞾 𝝃𝝠𝟇𝝮𝟄𝛃….”

When she looked up she noticed Viktor’s lost face and disappointment made itself apparent on her face. She pushed the feelings away for now as she pointed to a bunch of pictures in the kids’ books

“Of course. Books for kids would make it easier to understand because of the pictures” he realised

Jayce found them shortly after, relief clear on his face as he ran up and examined James’ face in his hands. Checking for any cuts or signs she had been hurt. Once he was satisfied he moved his hands and took a step back, rosy blush working its way onto his cheeks. Viktor smiled at his partner's actions and ensuing embarrassment.

“James was just looking for appropriate reading material” supplied Viktor, getting him up to speed on their recent adventure.

James grabbed the rest of the books, brows furrowing when she noticed the boys lack of books. They walked back to the pile of books they had left in the other section and made their way to check out. James piled book after book into the bag Jayce had given to her, then into Jayce’s bag and Viktor’s after. She still had to hold a couple in her arms on the way back home. Jayce had left them halfway on the return home as she and Viktor continued to the apartment.

Once in the door, she took off her shoes and raced to the couch, dropping all the books around her. Viktor moved to sit beside her as she started going over each letter in the alphabet, practicing

She pointed at the first letter, A, tapping it and looking at Viktor. He looked at her confused. She tapped a finger to her lips telling him she wanted him to make the sound of the letter. They went through the list, him sounding out the letters and her repeating after him until it sounded like how he said it.

After she was satisfied with her progress, she moved on to one of the vocab books with pictures. Viktor watched as she took a sticky pad and placed a note on the table, labelling it in Piltovian and her language. She looked at him, asking him silently if it was okay. When he nodded in response, she stood up getting to work placing the notes on objects all around the house. He watched her work and was reminded of the concentration Jayce and himself often displayed. When she looked up from her most recent labelling, Viktor was caught in his staring and quickly moved to open a book.

When Jayce returned home the first thing he saw was a sheet of paper stuck on the wall. It held a small drawing of three stick figures, two labelled Jayce and Viktor standing next to each other and a third labelled James standing further off to the side. He looked around the house and found many more images or sticky notes holding words written in a language he recognized and one he didn’t. When he looked to the couch, he saw Viktor and James sitting, the former reading and the latter intensely writing notes.

It took a second for the pair to notice that the taller man had returned home. When he reached the two, he passed two of the three bags he had been holding to her. She looked at him with a confused expression which Jayce just smiled and nodded at her to continue. She opened the first, which held various items of clothing, and the second, which carried a pair of shoes. He then passed her the third bag, she took out the box from inside and when she opened it, her eyes widened. Inside was a variety of pastries she had seen from the bakery they had walked past.

“Thank you!” She said genuinely

“You’re welcome” he smiled gently in response as he held a hand out. “Come with me”

She placed her hand in his as he guided her to the spare room, that once used to be Jayce’s.

“It’s yours” he said, taking the bags and placing them by the bed. “For James”

“𝟇𝛃𝞖𝜓?” she questioned “James?”

“Yes”

“Thank you,” she said as tears started to form in her eyes, overwhelmed by both of their kindness. She placed her hand on his upper forearm. “𝞾𝝠𝞒 𝛴𝝠𝞖’𝞔 𝝺𝜩𝞃𝜓 𝞔𝝠 𝛴𝝠 𝞔𝝺𝛃𝞏. Thank you”

He held her eyes for a second, trying to tell her words of comfort he couldn’t speak. They made their way back to the couch, the three of them quietly reading or working, James breaking the silence every now and then to ask them how to say a word. Warm comfort filled the room as they passed the afternoon like this.

Translations:

“𝝣𝜓𝞏𝞒𝞏, 𝛴𝝠𝞖’𝞔 𝞏𝝃𝜩𝞀𝜓 𝜩 𝝋𝛃𝞀𝟄 𝟄𝛃𝝥𝜓 𝞔𝝺𝜩𝞔” = “Jesus, Don’t scare a girl like that”, “𝜣𝞀𝜓𝜩𝝥𝝇𝜩𝞏𝞔” = “Breakfast”, Thank you = 𝞔𝝺𝜩𝞖𝝥 𝞾𝝠𝞒, “𝞏𝝠𝞀𝞀𝞾” = “Sorry”, “I was looking for books with more pictures and kids' books are perfect! They have simple vocabulary and the grammar isn’t very compli…. = 𝛃 𝝸𝜩𝞏 𝟄𝝠𝝠𝝥𝛃𝞖𝝋 𝝇𝝠𝞀 𝜣𝝠𝝠𝝥𝞏 𝝸𝛃𝞔𝝺 𝟇𝝠𝞀𝜓 𝝮𝛃𝝃𝞔𝞒𝞀𝜓𝞏 𝜩𝞖𝛴 𝝥𝛃𝛴𝞏 𝜣𝝠𝝠𝝥𝞏 𝜩𝞀𝜓 𝝮𝜓𝞀𝝇𝜓𝝃𝞔! 𝞔𝝺𝜓𝞾 𝝺𝜩𝞃𝜓 𝞏𝛃𝟇𝝮𝟄𝜓 𝞃𝝠𝝃𝜩𝜣𝞒𝟄𝜩𝞀𝞾 𝜩𝞖𝛴 𝞔𝝺𝜓 𝝋𝞀𝜩𝟇𝟇𝜩𝞀 𝛃𝞏𝞖’𝞔 𝞃𝜓𝞀𝞾 𝝃𝝠𝟇𝝮𝟄𝛃…., 𝟇𝛃𝞖𝜓? = Mine?,“𝞾𝝠𝞒 𝛴𝝠𝞖’𝞔 𝝺𝜩𝞃𝜓 𝞔𝝠 𝛴𝝠 𝞔𝝺𝛃𝞏” = “You don’t have to do this” Lmk if the translations are too difficult/or compact to read and I can play with formatting.

Taglist:

@im-just-a-simp-le-whore

[vashti-lives]

i haven't seen anyone else mention this so i feel compelled to bring it up

So Running Close to the Wind was the first book by Alexandra Rowland that I read-- as someone who is too much of a killjoy to like Our Flag Means Death I got extremely excited at the prospect of some fictional queer pirate shenanigans-- but while buying the audio version I noted with some confusion that A Taste of Gold and Iron was already in the family audible library.*

I still started with the pirate book because I'm very picky about royal romances and also tbh at the time I didn't really understand it's relation to A Taste of Gold and Iron anyway, but after enjoying it so much I decided to give A Taste of Gold and Iron a chance and yeah it was great! It took me a minute to get into the headspace for it after Running Close to the Wind but Evemer being an absolute judgemental bitch in the beginning of the book really helped with that.

Anyway now that I've read it it's really dawning on me how much funnier Running Close to the Wind is with the context of A Taste of Gold and Iron because like... oh my god Avra and Teveri and Julian are going to fully ruin Kadou's life for at least a year. Possibly closer to three years! It's gonna take a while for Araşt to recover from this.

To be clear I love Kadou and Evemer but class solidarity means I am fully on the side of giving up the trade secrets. There is however no question that this shit is going to push Kadou into having at least one nervous breakdown; which unfortunately I do find darkly funny. Sorry Kadou, but you're a prince and you have a family that loves you you'll be fine.

Also the fact that these two books have the same setting and more or less take place at the same time is just, so wild. It's like if the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise also had movies that were more or less straightforward period romances and the primary reason you knew they shared a setting was because Captain Norrington's brother was a side character in the the period romances and he occasionally referenced the fact that his brother was off dealing with pirates.

This is extremely fun and crunchy world building and I think more authors should do it! But oh my god to write a book where you casually talk about a character's blue roan horse (a real horse color which is a silvery gray) AND THEN to write another book in the same setting where Blues Clues dogs also exist. Amazing. 10/10. Obviously Julian's reaction tells us that in most of the world blues clues dogs are not a thing but seeing a whole book's worth of this more orderly version world is a whole different matter.

*which I for sure did not buy and nobody else in the family will admit to buying it either, a mystery compounded by the fact that the second chant book is also in our library, but the first one is not???

[lizziehatters-teacards]

Introducing Wilbur, from Mandela county

Introduction + backstory

Wilbur doesn't have many friends, friends are a lost cost of you live in Mandela county. He has been here all his life, and it's where he is doomed to be for maybe the rest of his life.

Life in Mandela county can never be good. If it weren't for these alternates, the population wouldn't have been so less that only a few people would live. What's worse is that Mandela county isn't the only county that faces situations like this. Almost the entire state has faced this issue. Although at this point it would be better off known as a desperate crisis. And one of the victims of this crisis had to be Wilburs younger brother, didn't it?

His father was definitely someone, abducted and killed by someone he looked like apparently. His body was never found. From what Wilbur understood from the cops is that his father took his own life. But Wilbur knew better, he knew his father WOULDN'T have committed suicide. Wilbur knows the cops are no better to trust.

Wilbur knows the cops have done nothing. Nothing when the mother lost her child to the intruder, killing herself then after. Nothing when somebody died mysteriously, followed by the disappearance of his best friend right after visiting his home. No investigations, No police, no nothing. Almost 3,426 children missing, many more people dead. Not a single body unearthed.

It's funny to say that Wilbur hates the cops, despite his father use to be working for the Mandela police station, before he passed away. At the time Wilbur was just 17 and his brother Tom, or better known as Tommy, was just 7.

There was a very important broadcast by the Mandela county police department about what to do when there is a situation where you come face to face with an alternate. Turns out the volumes has been somehow tampered with this leaving huge missing pieces from the analog. How ever Wilbur finds enough information from them, how to protect himself and his brother.

Wilbur knew the existance of alternates, infact almost everyone knew what alternates were, but no one knew what they are. No one could even speak about them to anyone, they just co exist with human being, as a parasite. The alternates existance apear almost anywhere. Safe to say that staying away from them isn't enough to keep them safe.

But on the 7 month after losing a father right at December, just near Christmas, Wilbur lost his brother. His brother has all of a sudden fallen pray to the alternates. The police investigation said that the disappearance had occured, cuz of an alternate with expert knowledge on hiding evidence. Wilbur knew better. The case came to a cold end, when the cops refused to dig deeper into the situation, afraid that they may too fall victim to an alternate, the other officers did.

The actions of the police come off suspicious to him every time. Even more as the days pass by, more incidents occur, but the police never do anything. It seems that there was a greater fear in wilburs life than robbers, murderers, or even worse. This fear made Wilbur stay indoors most of the time, only coming out in day for an hour a week. He knows the police can't be trusted with security, but he can trust himself to protect himself. This fear has also made Wilbur get rid of the TV, Because he knows that the alternate was the intruder throughout the screens, the intruder stealing infants and kids through the screens, the intruder who stole his brother from him.

He decided to keep A gun, a note book, and a flashlight with him at all times ias his main essentials.

God knows what does these alternates want from mere humans. Or what if there even is a God? Probably not. If he did existed, then his family would be alive today, then humans didn't have to fear trusting anyone. Then there would have been nothing called an alternate.

Wilbur had been like this, for 6 years after. Wilbur works at a library, he looked high and low for a job that was willing to give morning shift. He needed a job if he had to pay rent, just to live. His working place isn't as bad as he thought though, most of the time the library stays empty, and the main people who come and go were collage students. Wilbur wished he could compete collage, but all this mishap had lead to otherwise.

So far now, wilburs life is smooth, smooth enough to survive. He did have some friends, but it's better to call them " people who are trust worthy enough but you don't trust anyways ". After all, you can't trust anyone, especially when you are living in a place called Mandela county.

And sure enough, Wilbur doesn't trust anyone .

[noel-levine-fan]

noel & isolation

i've mentioned this several times before but i wanted to make a post solely about this going into it more in depth

warning: looong

i've thought a lot about how isolated noel is from the world. like... when he was with nicholas, he was forbidden from leaving the house... then, he got sent to hell, which he literally could not leave unless to go to the mansion, but he almost never did unless to scare intruders away... maybe you could say before his mother died, he might've been less isolated... but i think he was probably pretty isolated then to, due to my headcanons (those headcanons are probably better reserved for another post). despite being an adult, i feel noel probably doesn't have most of the experiences that the other humans in the mansion have had.

first of all, people. noel has never been around that many people, except when he saw the witch hunt. in fact, my thought is, besides the witch hunt, the parts of bonus stage where the demons all enter the mansion is probably the first time he's even been in a space with that number of people before. i feel like if you threw him into society he'd have a very hard time coping with the sheer amount of people everywhere because he just hasn't seen that many people aside from a rather traumatizing circumstance.

second of all, socialization. this ties into the people thing, but if we look at the examples he has for relationships, they're... not exactly ideal. his father, well. yeah. claire and sirius are better, but he also interacted with them when he was an 11 year old presenting as a girl, so, the experience in such a case might not really be that useful for living life as an adult man, though it's better than nothing. then there's the demons, which... i love them but we all know they're not ideal in the slightest. the purebreds don't get humans, the haters are very dysfunctional, all of them are kind of into seeing humans suffer and. noel is. a human. (mostly.) all of them are also, i imagine, pretty out of touch with human society and social expectations. i would say i'm honestly a little surprised noel isn't a total mess that doesn't understand how to interact with others but considering he's repeated this thousands of times he's probably learned pretty well what makes people go "huh??" and what doesn't. if at the beginning of the loop he was a complete cringefail who didn't really know how to talk to people i would not be surprised. it's both funny and sad that the timeloop is possibly the best experience he's had to prepare him to be able to socialize with people because that's an extremely narrow set of repeating experiences, which is also better than nothing, but like, if you actually put him out there, he'd probably end up in a lot of new situations where he wouldn't know what to do or how to behave.

third, life experience. noel doesn't understand the value of money and has never had to cook for himself, but also, just hasn't had a very wide set of experiences in general. like, noel has never gone to a grocery store, never been to a library, never had a stable relationship that lasted more than a few months aside from the demons but i don't really count them as stable (and his mom but but he only probably remembers a couple years of that considering he would've been very young for most of that time), and in general probably doesn't know a lot of things about the way the world and society in general function. this is another thing where i wouldn't be surprised if he said things that made him seem very out of touch with the world at the beginning of the loop which largely got filtered out as he learned what not to say. i do think noel would have a hard time sustaining himself if you put him into the world however, considering especially him not really understanding money and not being able to make food.

fourth, space. the most spacious place noel has been is the forest in the woods. and to be fair that's quite a bit of space. but he's never actually been... Anywhere in the world except his home, the mansion, and the woods in between (and a small part of the town, briefly). he's been in hell most of this time. i feel like going on a long travel might be pretty disorienting because i'm sure he knows how big the world is in concept but it might surprise him to actually see how much space exists. not to mention i feel like being stuck in the same place for. as someone put it, an entire human lifetime (since the timeloop is estimated to have lasted about 82 years by me) might... warp your perception of space as it exists? (i wouldn't be surprised if his idea of time would probably be pretty warped too.)

it's just so interesting to me how disconnected noel is from human society, and that no matter how well mannered he is or how well he can play a part, he fundamentally does not understand the world in the same way the other humans do. sure, they all think differently about the world and space and time from one another, but they all have a lot of shared experience noel does not. (they're also all isolated in one way or another - sirius is the one who comes most close to the same amount of isolation, but sirius still knows how to make food for himself and goes to the store and sells stuff.)

this is a bit of an aside, but i always wondered how lime could justify thinking she'll make noel understand her by making him suffer when his life just wasn't as bad by her standards. she even points this out herself sometimes. like, noel has happy memories. noel loved and was loved. and even if she had somehow broke him, he'd never understand her in the way she wanted to be understood because of that. this warrants a post of its own because i really find their relationship super interesting. however a small part of it may be lime's obsession with choice. "you had the choice to live a better life, you had the choice to go wherever you wanted and do whatever you wanted to do."

while noel has had many more choices than lime did when she was alive, a lot of that isn't true for him. noel never had the choice to just leave whatever situation he was in and go live his life. noel had a shitty life and then he went to hell and is incapable of leaving. he could never choose to just go somewhere else, to live amongst others, to see the world, to leave it all behind. he never found out so many things about the world and the way it looks and functions and would be unprepared for it if he was put there. that's a lot like lime. she couldn't choose, and now can't imagine a life outside the one she has because she never had those experiences. and honestly, i think that is a way in which they could understand each other, even if it was worse in lime's case. there are certainly a lot of cases in which noel chooses things that actively make his life worse (choosing to isolate himself from sirius, choosing to loop over and over), but even if he hadn't made those choices, he'd still have such a narrow view of the world, and still wouldn't be able to choose to just go live life, to go see things. can lime honestly say she would've lived his life better? in some ways, yes. as mentioned, the timeloop was totally his choice. but i think it'd be harder to say that for him than for others when it comes to the overall trend of his life. (honestly, even lime has more choice in this area now. lime can go out into the world now if she wants to. noel cannot.) this might be part of what she sees in him as far as understanding.

in general it's sad that various aspects of lime are shared with other characters. sirius's jealousy of others, the "how come everyone else got to be happy," noel's isolation, charlotte's hatred of humanity. i'm sure there's more.

while thinking about this, it feels honestly understandable he looped so much. because... what else does noel have going for him? his life in hell was probably fine, i mean aside from the monster stuff (which was almost certainly WAY less bad than how it was in the game) and maybe the demons bothering him it was probably peaceful enough. but he also is never going to see the world, never have a real relationship with a human again, never... yeah. and the fact that this was preceded by an endlessly horrible situation and that's most of his experience of life... i don't think he looped because he thought it'd be a better life experience - in fact i think it was probably a lot worse than his time in hell and he didn't even get to develop any relationships because he only has 5 days max with anyone - but i think you can understand how someone with so little would feel like nothing matters if claire isn't there, understand why he continues to do all this when there's not much else for him, when his world is otherwise so empty. though i do think it was mainly out of devotion, that's another thing i think about too.

i just love the idea of him having to go out into the world, having to learn new things and have new experiences, but more importantly, having a fuller life and a fuller world. it'd be very hard for him i'm sure, but i'd like that for him...

[speeps-highway]

hiya speeps! love your mods and videos, they have fueled my sonic hyperfixations very well! anyway, in one of your older videos you briefly mentioned how sa1 having cutscenes play over top of gameplay was why characters could "make faces" in that game but not sa2. could you go into more detail as to why this is?

In SA1 the cutscenes are done like an RPGMaker event, it has a library of event-specific functions to control characters/objects etc. and forms a list of them as one big script.

Here's an example from one of Sonic's events:

Here's what a few of them do:

EV_MovePoint2: Move a character to coordinates with specified speed and acceleration. There's also a simpler, less used version called EV_MovePoint that does the same thing but at a fixed speed.

EV_SetAction: Give an object an action (Model+Animation) and textures. You can also specify the speed of the animation, whether it loops and (if another EV_SetAction is playing) how many frames to interpolate to this animation from the previous one. (Think every time Sonic moves his hands around while he says "Ah Yeah this is Happenin'", that uses it)

EV_SetFace: Give a character a list of preset facial animations to do (Each letter in the string corresponds to one) . It only works on Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Tikal - no other character has faces. (Except for Big, but the game will do an out of bounds crash since he only has 6 faces instead of 20)

EV _Wait: Pause the event thread for X frames.

Here's some others that aren't in that image:

EV_CreateObject: Creates a blank object, usually used for props by giving them an appearance with EV_SetAction.

EV_PlayPad: Plays back recorded user input, Sonic Team used this whenever they wanted Sonic to jump or do a spindash.

While this way can make everything look stiff at times, it's pretty flexible and easy to play with in a mod. It's also why the game has 8 character slots and why Eggman, Tikal and event ZERO are technically player characters.

The best part about it is that the two aren't mutually exclusive, you can call anything from an event in during gameplay and vice versa, the game does this itself a few times too, like setting a flag that keeps the hint monitors active for the Twinkle Park scene.

The faces are part of the characters themselves and they'll switch to them at any time if the relevant values are changed, so I managed to figure out how to do it in the Dreamcast version in 2017. (Funnily enough, also August).

As I said above with EV_SetFace, there's only 20 faces to hold up the entire game's dialogue with (even fewer in actuality given the ones either reserved for blinking or unused) and they seem to be focused more on expression than speaking, at least for Sonic and Knuckles, which is why a lot of people find them goofy.

There's only one situation the game uses the animations for outside cutscenes - when the player gets hurt, they'll do one of their screaming animations for a few frames. (There's also a funny issue where Sonic does it after hitting Knuckles in his boss fight)

Anyway, you can call any event animation, any face and even spawn event objects (such as Chaos event actors) whenever you want in that game. Usually the only thing they need is their textures loaded.

Here's a few things I did when I first figured out how to do it:

SA2's cutscenes are full 3D animations (like Blender) in the game's event folder, everything in them is entirely separate to the gameplay stuff, so the in-game characters have no mouths or cutscene-specific animations to play around with.

It meant they didn't need to deal with gameplay limitations (like player physics) and were easier for them to test as they have a fixed timeline rather than relying on in-game sequences to fall into place.

They also had much greater control over character expressions. The mouth and head are separated and they aren't limited to the list of 20 faces. Here's a bunch I dug out a few years ago for Amy's brow alone:

They used to be really annoying to edit (I had to use a Hex Editor) but I think the SA2 Modding community has had breakthroughs since. Still, I suck at 3D modelling so I prefer SA1's.

I decompiled all of SADX PC's event scripts a few years ago so if you want to learn exactly what they do (and change them, as it's in mod form) take a look:

[misc-obeyme]

Okay okay I was not at all expecting the new lesson to drop so soon. I was in the middle of writing that nsfw Barbatos prompt when I got the alert yesterday and was like what?!

They're really going hard with the lore and stuff, huh?? I don't have time to write a ton about it, but there's so much to process I have to write a short thing, so here I am.

Spoilers below!

Okay, Barbatos is Nightbringer. Right? I mean it's not like we haven't had a TON of proof, but I did think it would be interesting if it all turned out to be a misdirection. But at this point... I'm like... it's not, though, right?

I am feeling a tiny bit apprehensive about it. Because listen, it could turn out to be super cool but they could also totally screw it up.

I was just getting such villain vibes from Nightbringer and that just doesn't jibe with my understanding of Barbatos's character. So either Nightbringer is less villain-y than he seems, Nightbringer is Barb from another timeline/a different version of him, or my understanding of his character is off. Or all of the above, even!

Still we got some new stuff about him - the Celestial Realm calling him the father of all demons, huh? That's certainly interesting. And we know Barb has been around since before the Devildom really existed... also there's the whole "goes by many names" situation. I just don't see how they could have it be anybody else. Unless it's an entirely new character that we haven't met yet and that Barbatos is somehow tied to...

But anyway...

I LOVED the new lore about the Little Ds!!! I was so happy that they get to have a more important role without it changing them as being little castle cleaning helpers. See, that was well done, imo. They didn't change anything, they just gave us more info. Little Ds born from a tree, sorta fairies but call themselves demons, and we still don't really get how it works? Perfect. Also note how Barbatos is the one who knows all this lore...

Also, without spoilers, I loved the hard lesson lol.

Anyway, Little Ds are great, Little D No 2 is especially my fave, and I am so interested to see how this part of the story goes.

I was gonna stop there, but really quick I HAVE to talk about Mammon and Asmo oh my god...

Their fight in the library!!!

I mean of course it's bad when the boys fight and obviously Mammon is not in his right mind, but the way Asmo just goes for it, like he is ready to throw down.

And all the other brothers are staying surprisingly calm and trying to stop them!!

I just really love how Asmo seems like the kind of character who wouldn't jump in to fight immediately, but in reality he absolutely is. It reminded me of the way he went after those rumor spreading demons in the Princess event (which is funny since he was doing it to protect Mammon in that event).

And then Lucifer's just like ugh what now lol. I can't deny that using a little bit of his magic to knock Mammon out entirely was pretty cool.

Anyway, I'm worried about Mammon, but I'm sure this is all going to be resolved somehow. I found it very interesting how when we go into his mind with Little D No 2 at the very end, we're in the Celestial Realm. Wonder what that's about? Hmm.

Okay, now I'm done. Sorry for the lack of screenshots this time around, but I just didn't have time to fit them in lol.

[nicos-w101-liveblog]

Cyclops Lane Post-Commentary

Nolan Stormgate is British, for some reason. Probably because he's a pompous prick.

Legit never paid enough attention to know the Trolls and Warhorns were summoned by Cyrus. Which begs the question: Why didn't he just unsummon them when he learned they were rioting? How many can one Conjurer summon at a time? And how long can they last?

I like to think that every time I curse at a fizzle, Nico does the same. He's twelve. That's old enough to know the fuck word. But Bartelby censors it to The Good Place swears.

Nolan Stormgate my beloathed.

Made it to Level 9 in Sorcery Stones when I needed to fill my potion bottle. My enjoyment of that game is ridiculous.

I dunno if its a Hallowe'en event thing or not, but I see a ghost island where the Death School used to be. Building included. It's probably the event combat tower, but it looks super cool.

Cyrus Drake you ignorant slut. "You're one of those fast talkers, aren't you?" They're mentally ill Cyrus. You're being a dick to a child.

Monquistans mentioned!! By Victor Darkwood, random clothier. Lil monkey guys we don't see til Azteca iirc.

AND THEN he says he "doesn't mind there being one less (Drake) around these days" SIR

Hot take, I actually really enjoy the fishing and crafting quests.

Nolan is so useless I swear.

How many names from mythology can they fit in here? Achilles/Akilles, Romulus (usually paired with Remus). So silly.

Hearing the Great One get so hyped up as a terrifying being only to be a cute little vampire ghost bunny is so funny to me, actually. An actual baby. Also: Darkmoor mention!!

Power Pip at level 10 let's go

Wait. Isn't "The Great One" a Lemuria thing? I haven't gotten that far, but I know the name comes back. Is it the same guy? Does he really come back? It'd be hilarious if he came back actual years later. Like a full decade or more later.

Who tf is this "we" you're talking about, Nolan? I did all the work. And even dudebro Garrick acknowledges it.

Speaking of, Garrick, I am not "Your Wiz". Stop calling me that.

Is Klortho (the guy in the library who gives you your first Wooden Skeleton Key) related to the librarian in the Arcanum? Both are grumpy monkeys with dragon wings so...

Diego and Roberto's rivalry (? sibling enemyship?) is everything to me actually. They can't fight because they promised their mom on her deathbed but also can't not fight due to a promise made to their dad on his deathbed.

The "Fear of Drowning" enemy is just La Llorona, right? It feels like she's La Llorona. She scolds you for interrupting like a mother would.

"Fear of Gentle Breezes" is so funny, actually.

Like sure I saved the world from malicious ghosts but there's gonna be a Then-Faire.

Funny Dialogue:

[aluria-sevhex]

posting's been more infrequent because i feel like i've hit a bit of a harder spot with figuring shit out and also have had less mental energy ig :P

update: fuck man it's been like over a week since i intended to post this and i also feel bad for not doing art fight stuffs or working on other projects... what not leaving the house much for a few weeks does to an mf apparently:

[Hi stardust!~ All of the posts in this series can be found in this masterpost and are tagged as #Aluria plays ISAT for the first time (please don't spoil)]

notes:

-i'm back bitch :3

-waiting for it to load and the sweet sweet title theme to hit my ears

-YEAHHHHHHHH

-i always let it finish :3

-time to help everybody

-this time i decided to ask Charline for the book. Odile now thinks Sif is sus! which. yeah.

-"You don't have to remember to yell" :(

-hehe Sif is now asking Loop if they have any theories on the loops

-"Your name is LITERALLY 'Loop'."

-"Don't you 'teehee' me."

-yeah! why don't time freeze skills count as death!

-"what if you loop when something keeps you from advancing?" good theory, but what about the loops where i got stuck in the house on floor 3? i didn't immediately loop back... then again there are the small few-minute loops...

-O_O. HANG OUT WITH LOOP???

-yeah sure i didn't really have any plans for this loop

-i climbed the tree and uh. this music is kinda ominous

-how did Loop 'kind of' know about Sif before they met?

-why did Loop choose to help Sif?

-Loop is stuck with Siffrin... and seems to have been in a time loop before?

-guys i don't think Loop is fine

-yeah Loop tell me about YOU

- >:P

-what'll happen- OH. LOOP. BRUH.

-"it makes you see something, doesn't it?" yeah. "you see a vision of the future"

-Sif is breaking down :(

-SIFFRIN JUST PULLED OUT THEIR DAGGER

-hm. why did i loop if i didn't die?

-aight time to talk to Isabeau

-i love this scene

-...everybody is suspicious of my apparent grace and good attacking skills ._.

-"I'm as tall as you, Mira..."

Mira: looks at their shoes

-funny how Isa's 'worst-case scenario' for uses of Time Craft is... exactly what Siffrin is doing

-inverted Six of Pentacles?

-ah yes. a pit-iful experience

-after i checked the gardening closet, Odile said something's weird...

-checked the book and Isa noticed something off

-i've been trying to make things as suspicious as possible

-hm... what *is* the deal with the book in the secret library? with the tree on the cover and it's in the headache language

-...the book on shields has the weird sugar smell?

-i feel like shields that reflect attacks will become important later

-what if things that have been tampered with all smell like Time Craft? like the various equipment that you can pick up? and that's part of the weirdness?

-sheesh, Tear You Apart is really effective

-bathroom again

-Sif is once again claiming they're fine

-huh. i didn't see the ghost this time

-tried to sharpen the keyknife. Isa made a comment about Sif usually saying something when he sharpens things, but he can't remember

-hm... where would i find carving tools

-"In this moment, you are loved."

"(Because you forced them to.)" FUCK THAT'S. OOF.

-*sighs* time to talk to Euphrasie again

-the others noticed me again...

-"in this moment, she loves you!"

"in this moment, he loves you!"

"in this moment, they love you!"

"in this moment, she loves you!"

FUCK.

-Sif's sad hollow smile and big eye...

-"they all love you!"

"isn't it wonderful"

"you could do this forever!!!"

-"you're happy to have helped everyone become the best versions of themselves again!"

-lol Sif called Loop awkward

-"because you're what's left" of what???

-Sif is level 75 now...

-stopping for now

[digitaldoeslmk]

woe, idle hcs be upon you:

Mei has hyperpigmentation/melasma, and due to her rough and tumble disposition, she's covered in pockmarks from bruises, scrapes and the occasional acne;

Mei also has little budding horns on her head, she just covers them with her pigtails so they don't snag or catch into stuff;

she has several social media accts, her largest ones are her speedrunning stream channel and her bike racing and modding blog;

she finds dragon tattoos funny cus "lmao that looks like my great-cousin before he hit his growth spurt bahahaha!";

MK is nonbinary masc trans; he got blockers prior to his teens, but he stopped T only a year before the events of the series;

He has a small cloud handpoke tattoo on his ankle, he did it himself on a whim and its shaky and wonky but he treasures it a lot;

He has several piercing scars on his ears and nose, and on his eyebrows. He tried to make them last, but the moment he loses piercings like you wouldn't believe. He eventually stopped when one got torn during martial arts practice;

Hai'er isn't too bothered by pronouns, but he prefers masc adjectives;

He often wears traditional clothes, but he prioritizes practicality overall, especially qhen he's at his workshop;

He's incredibly strict when it comes to safety gear and measures. If you won't respect his labs and workshops for the SAW traps that they are, then be gone;

Pigsy used to ride bikes, he was big on wheels until he sold his pride and joy to get the remaining money he needed to open the noodle shop;

Pigsy and Sandy met on the bike "gang" scene, though it was less a gang and more several younger folk who enjoyed riding and causing the occasional trouble, but not real gang-related crimes;

And the two met Tang when he walked in on them doing a small fundraiser for the shop;

he became a regular on Pigsy's food stand and even rambled about his food to his colleagues;

Tang and Pigsy are in a steady relationship together, and they are both legal guardians of MK;

The monkeys at FFM call MK either "little sage" or "prince", much to his bashfulness. it's cute when the cubs do it though;

after MK had a proper introduction to the folks of the mountain, he's constantly invited to take part in their life. festivals, holidays, birthday parties, he always get invited to come over and join them for it;

before the novelty of the Monkie Kid went away, Pigsy had to install some safety measures on the noodles delivery app, cus people kept ordering noodles only to see MK and ask for signatures and such;

Mei is a restaurant's worst nightmare because she's So Picky when it comes to seafood;

'Mei' and 'MK' are nicknames they both got in the martial arts academy, their names are still Long Xiaojiao and Qi Xiaotian;

Sandy used to do boat transportation, but he retired to do engineering work instead. he got a degree thanks to Tang's encouragement and support;

Mei is on prep school for electrical engineering college; her parents wanted something more law-oriented but this was their compromise, since Mei didn't want to do college At All;

Tang is an academics jack-of-all-trades; he messed up his tenure so now he does academic book revisions, translations and editorials. Hes also affiliated with a number of libraries, and manages read-alongs, study groups and other events. On occasion he gets advisory jobs on documentaries and such, and he's even been asked on a few interviews;

He gets supremely insufferable about his curriculum if you get him talking about it;

He's got a near flawless memory of every book he's read, able to quote exact lines and identify the chapter and pages from them;

Tang speaks a number of languages, and sometimes takes students from fellow teachers who might need some private lessons to catch up;

His tenure was put on pause so he could help Pigsy with raising baby MK, and he doesn't regret his choice one moment;

[milkywaydrabbles]

Fluff 7 with Alucard! I imagine a very snarky s/o for this one XD

- tentacle anon

A/N: smoochies tentacle anon I hope you're doing well xx This one's also a bit short, I technically did this prompt already but I'm doing it from his POV now, I hope this is what you envisioned! Enjoy! MWUAH

"I could just stare at you forever" x Alucard

Alucard was throwing a party tonight.

Well, you were throwing a party tonight. It was Alucard’s birthday, and you wanted to celebrate with everyone in the village. They were all so kind and grateful for him, of course they all agreed. He kept trying to beg that he didn’t need a party. That it would be less stressful on everyone if he didn’t have one. But you were having none of it! You also decided not to tell him any of the details outside the time everyone would be over. You wanted him to be relaxed, even though it felt like he had porcupine quills in his skin any time he thought about having so many people over to celebrate the day of his birth. Even Sypha and Trevor teased him about how doting you were; how much thought you were putting into this. But how couldn’t you! You loved him dearly, and wanted him to be celebrating.

You also just loved hosting. So of course you would love to host a party this big. But you digress. 

You forced him to stay upstairs in the corridor of your shared room. He had free range of the study, the library, you’d even bring him up food if he so asked. But he wasn’t allowed anywhere near downstairs, not until you were done. At one point, you even asked Trevor to keep an eye on him in the beginning when he was much too nosy. Trevor blocked the door to the room, begging that he listen to you just this once and not go downstairs, “I’ll be hung by my dick if you see anything before it’s done Alucard, I’m begging just don’t look” As funny of a thought that was, he decided to spare the new father of your torture (though he really wanted to see you strangle him.)

You’d finally come upstairs to him, kissing all over his face with a smile. “Okay, now it’s time for us to get ready!” giving him another smooch and bounding to the bathroom, to prep and pamper for the party. He chuckled, playfully rolling his eyes as he followed you.

-

Adrian was actually quite grateful to you, bathing with him and washing his hair, detangling, the works. You wanted to pamper him just as much as you wanted to pamper yourself. It felt nice, and Adrian relaxed for the first time today in your arms while you lathered him in creams and colognes. “Here, Adrian, you have to wear this tonight!” Huh, you’d already picked out the outfit of the night. It was a nice suit, just..not something he wore a lot. He wondered more and more of your plans for the night. “Okay, now sit over there and just look pretty--I have to finish!” 

It didn’t take too much longer for you to finish up, coming out of the bathroom dressed to the nines. “Alright, pretty boy, what do you think?” Alucard had been reading a book that was on the corner of his nightstand to waste some time, not expecting the sight in front of him.

You were gorgeous, a beautiful floor length dress with a deep cut in the back, a beautifully rich color to match his suit. He couldn’t help but gawk at you, book forgotten quickly. He moved across the room to you, blatantly eyeing you up--hands moved on his own accord to trace the fabric of the dress on your waist. You chuckled, nervously, before gingerly holding his jaw and having him look at you. “You’re making me nervous Adrian, do you like it?”

Like it?

“I could just stare at you forever. I love it.” And he thinks he would stare at you forever if you let him. You barked out a laugh with a roll of your eyes, “creep.” He kissed at your cheek, and jaw, and traced down your neck before hearing the grand bang of the door knocker downstairs. You pushed him off with a smirk.

“Come on, lover boy, your guests are waiting.”