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vermillionbones · 3 years ago

Note

I'd love to hear more of your Phobditor HCs!!

ohoho thank you for enabling me anon i am going to kiss you directly on the mouth /pl

also slight warning for spoilers to the new(??) ending of project nexus!! i don't talk explicitly about what happens in general, but the stuff involving phobos is mentioned in the very first hc so for those of you who don't wanna be spoiled you can just skip that one lol. grab sum popcorn lads this one's a long one snbcnkcnvmv

Phobditor HCs!!

rbs very much appreciated 👉👈

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so i hc that phobos didn't actually get banished at the end of MPN, but he did get his ass handed to him to the point where he was so injured and drained of energy that he couldn't use most of his abilities. he went into hiding for a while and eventually found the AAHW, which he proceeded to join since he didn't really have anywhere else to go. after he'd healed and returned to his full strengh the auditor recognised how potentially useful he could be as a second in command, but ofc he'd have to earn her trust first. normally i don't try to make things make sense like this but since the auditor isn't actually in MPN i thought i'd at least try lmao

the auditor: ruthless girlboss by day, feral spouse-adjacent shithead by night

phobos is basically the same but instead he's manipulate mansplain by day and malewife manwhore by night /hj

before they got closer they'd never really physically interacted w/ each other, so phobos kind of assumed the auditor would be at least slightly painful to touch [cuz yknow. she's made of fire lmao]. plus he'd witnessed her setting things and people on fire with her bare hands before and he'd rather not get turned into a walking bonfire, thanks. the closest she'd ever been to touching him previously was like flicking the antenna on his helmet to piss him off

but like way, WAY later he finds out that audi can actually manipulate the temperature of their flames to an extent, so when they touch his hand for the first time he's really surprised when they're just like. pleasantly warm. kinda like the fuzziness you feel after you drink something hot but on the outside of your body

however this has also resulted in phobos using her as a mobile safety blanket lmao. sometimes if it gets too cold in the office he'll wander up to her and bug her until she folds a wing around him and tucks his head under her chin

when he's being a shithead sometimes she'll just pick him up by the back of his jacket and drag him off like a disobedient kitten lmao

They don't really have a super crazy height difference normally [i hc that audi is around 6'3 and phobos is 5'10 if he's not slouching] but sometimes she just morphs herself to have a several-foot height advantage just to fuck with him. like she'll appear in his office as this 9-foot-tall behemoth and he'll just be like "?? excuse me?? ma'am?? you can't do this to me???"

before he got to know her better, phobos had no idea the auditor preferred she/they pronouns over they/it like the agents around him seemed to think. he never made a big deal out of it and never explicitly brought it up, but he remembers to switch it up for her every now and then. plus whenever audi overhears him doing that she gets all fuzzy inside sfbfnckvj

phobos really likes her wings. he actually might be a little jealous of them, but he'd never tell her that sfvngk

ever since audi found out about this, they tend to subtly unfurl them and use them to gesticulate more when he's around. occasionally she'll use the claws at the peaks of her wings on touchscreens in place of a finger n stuff. she's also [gently] swatted him upside the head with a wing a few times when he was being a dickhead, but it doesn't really hurt him lol

she also lets him pet them when they're not busy. contrary to what he'd assumed, it doesn't actually feel like a whole lot to her - she's described the feeling as something similar to how it feels to have someone tracing their fingers along the back of your hand

phobos stims sometimes!! he has a bad habit of masking while he's working since a few of them are vocal and he doesn't want to distract anyone, but if he's just hanging out with audi he's totally chill. one of his more common ones is when he thinks out loud, either quietly narrating his current train of thought or saying unrelated words - usually confirmations like 'yeah' or 'mhm' - out loud cuz he thinks they're fun to say. occasionally he'll start humming low in his throat kinda like a microwave cuz he likes how his voice feels in his chest

also when he's standing idle sometimes he holds his arms closer to his chest and fidget with them

the auditor doesn't stim, but to people who know them well their wings are like big signs that can wordlessly describe how they're feeling [which is like my favourite thing to write cos wing emoting is really fun skdjbknk]. occasionally they might subtly flutter their wings when they're very pleased or receive good news, or flare them out when they're irritated/stressed

i always forget that phobos is actually like super powerful in canon so i hc that audi does too lmao. like it always slips her mind that he can teleport too so she'll dramatically disappear after telling him off for doing some dumb shit and fuckin scream when he somehow appears in the same room as her less than a second later

phobos has a red and black lava lamp in his office!! he'd never admit it but he got it cuz it reminds him of audi :]

phobos loves watching audi in combat for some reason. i mean he already likes watching them do stuff so he can backseat drive, but he's also quietly admitted that her fighting style is interesting to watch

he can't really put it into words, but it's because the way they fight looks incredibly effortless and fluid, mainly due to them having so much time to adapt to and understand their powers [both their original powers and the ones granted by the halo]. when phobos' own abilities started to surface he was incredibly unstable and struggled to properly harness them for months, so he thinks it's nice to watch someone who actually knows what they're doing for once.

much to the auditor's surprise, phobos is actually a bit insecure behind all that confudence, particularly about scars. after being close to her for a while, phobos came out of his shell a bit and explained how he managed to grant himself his powers/abilities, which is something i'll absolutely go further in depth with later [via a longer hc that i'm gonna post eventually lol] but to summarise he basically infused himself with raw madness in what he's eloquently dubbed 'the incident'. Of course, doing that to himself didn't come without consequence, and he's permanently scored with a variation of lightning & burn scars on his forearms, thighs, and most of his torso.

for the longest time, the most casual thing he'd wear even around just her was the long-sleeved sweater he wore underneath his trench coat, and he refused to change even if he was literally overheating. though eventually after he told her about what happened he felt way more comfortable and now whenever they're in their shared room audi practically has to throw a shirt at him to get him to wear one sbkcjcnk

the auditor has a sort of subspace/pocket dimension where they can store different items and recall them at will. normally it's pretty empty, but ever since she grew to like phobos she's started keeping miscellaneous things in there for him. sometimes she pulls out a drink or snack that he likes, sometimes she pulls out a little water gun with phobos' name scrawled on it and shoots him with it when he's being a shithead

they are both,, SO fucking touch-starved. like they will not let go of each other [at least if they're not currently in the middle of something or around agency employees] cuz internally they're both just going "wow!!! that's a hand i'm holding!!!!! there's a hand holding my hand!!!! wow!!!!!! i love this!!!!!"

having one eye isn't exactly the best thing for depth perception, especially when you're really tired, so sometimes audi has to hold phobos' hand and guide him around in the mornings because he can [and has] walked into walls and counters

even since before they became a thing, phobos had been a little envious of the auditor's halo and the powers it granted her. he used to subtly try to yoink it from her, maliciously at first but far more playfully later, where he'd like lightly grab it and give it a gentle spin above her head like a mobile. but his infatuation with the halo kinda died after she decided to let him borrow/try it out once by allowing him to link with it

by linking i essentially mean like wearing it, but the halo is so powerful that you can't just 'wear' it without letting it bond with a part of you

long story short, he went into it with far too much overconfidence & cockiness and the halo violently rejected him, kind of like how it rejected the auditor once. he wasn't at all prepared for the sheer amount of power that surged through him the moment it started to link with him, so it essentially short-circuited his brain and knocked him unconscious for the better part of a week. when he woke again, the auditor told him he was lucky his head didn't explode and calmly suggested they never tried that again, and he felt inclined to agree.

of course, he still toys with the halo while the auditor's properly linked with it since he knows it can't link to more than one host at a time. and despite his seeming ease and "it's in the past" sort of mentality about the whole event, if someone mentions the concept of him actually taking the halo and linking with it again, he'll shudder and shake his head, saying it's not his place to do so.

the auditor has no doubt it delivered a pretty harsh blow to his ego [being rejected by the thing that would make him a god would prolly do that], but knows he's too prideful to admit that.

audi likes listening to phobos when he goes off on super long monologues, especially if they're like those super cheesy villain monologues. like he could literally be talking about anything and she'll sit there to hear him out, especially if it's less related to work and more about himself

the auditor is super deliberate in the way they pronounce things and they tend to casually drawl their words out to further cement their cool, unbothered boss persona. however the way she talks doesn't really intimidate phobos anymore since he's also been next to her right after she's been woken up, when she's mumbling quietly & slurring some of her words together. he knows the big scary boss side of the auditor is just a persona used for everyone but him, so he feels a lot more at ease with them even when they're trying to be scary

even after being together for a while, phobos still has no fucking idea what the auditor is made of. like he's admitted to her that he's genuinely clueless, and if she lets him he'll spend like 99% of their downtime quietly interacting with her flames [read: curling his fingers through them and petting them] while he muses about his hypotheses for how stuff like her liquidy-shadow form works. they were a little suspicious of his motives at first, but after they relaxed they realised he was just genuinely curious and willing to share his concepts to see if he was right

they have like. the smoothest banter anyone at the agency has seen. like it's super cheesy back-and-forth stuff that wouldn't sound out of place in an 80s sitcom, but it just kinda flows out when they're both comfortable. and ofc they'd deny it if anyone mentioned it but they literally banter like an old married couple lmAO

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#madness combat #madness auditor #madness phobos #phobditor #this ended up being way longer than i anticipated but writing this was the most fun i've had in months /gen #oh and sorry if the formatting is a little fucky lmao #i tried to keep related hcs closer together while setting different ones apart if that makes sense??#gfnsbkjck i had to refrain myself from writing more about certain hcs like audi's wing emoting or phobos fucking up his link with the halo #if anyone wants me to elaborate on those i won't shut up about them ever LMAO #still tysm anon this was very very fun /gen #gel.txt

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namjoontunes · 7 years ago

Text

Lost and Found, Chapter Two

BTS Members x Reader

Genre: Fantasy AU, Fluff

Warnings: Implied depression?

Word Count: 2.8k

Author’s Notes: I almost broke this into two chapters but I decided to just keep it as one longer one. Updates are probably gonna be a little slower from now on just because I’m heading into kind of unplanned territory, but I’ll still try to post updates as soon as possible! Also I know I said last time that we were getting to human stuff in this chapter but I promise next chapter it’ll happen, I just ended up finding a better stopping point than the one I had initially planned. Thank you guys for the positive feedback I’ve gotten so far, I really appreciate it and it’s a big inspiration to keep this up! I wasn’t sure at first if this was going to be something I stuck with but now I really want to! I hope you enjoy!

AO3

Previous || Next

Prologue || Most Recent

The next month was a strange time in Y/n’s life. After knocking over the table, the shapeshifter worried that she had made herself out to be more trouble than she was worth. But the boys seemed more amused than upset. They didn’t even bother scolding her over it, figuring it was a simple accident.

Later that day, Jin went to the store and picked up everything he thought she needed: a food bowl, a water bowl, wet and dry food (she avoided the dry food when she could, grimacing at the tastelessness of it), toys, a scratching post, a bed that never saw much use (she preferred the recliner at first, and the boys’ beds as time went on), a litter box, and of course, treats. It was strange living with so many people after so much time spent surviving on her own, but there was something about the boys that put her at ease. It wasn’t long before she started feeling at home with them.

Hobi was the one she got comfortable with first. Part of the reason was that he was the one that healed her, but she also found that his cheery demeanor made her feel safe and welcomed. The angel was an instructor at a dance studio, and Y/n loved watching him whenever he practiced at home. She tried copying his moves once, unaware that there had been a camera filming them until he was excitedly calling the rest of the guys over to watch the video. She was pretty sure it got posted to youtube after that.

Hobi was probably the most affectionate with her, often picking her up and planting kisses all over her. Sometimes she’d meow in complaint, but she really didn’t mind. She liked it when he walked around with her on his shoulder, the view much better than the one she usually got from the ground.

Taehyung was a close second when it came to affection, but first when it came to how much time he spent with her. Like Hobi, Tae loved picking her up and snuggling her, but he also loved to just watch what she was doing or play with her. About a week and a half after she had arrived, he decided that the toys Jin had picked up must be getting boring for Y/n, since there was only so much fun you could have with some feathers on a string or a fake mouse. In an effort to mix it up he set up a little obstacle course for her to run through with help from Jimin and Jungkook.

Jungkook and Tae were usually the ones that used the course with her. One of them would lead her through it with one of her old toys and she’d try to navigate the course as fast as she could. When she got comfortable with it, they’d rearrange it to keep it fresh and exciting. Y/n wasn’t sure about the obstacle course at first but realized that it was actually a lot of fun. Plus, she always got treats at the end.

It seemed like most of her time with Jungkook was spent playing games. When they weren’t using the course or just the regular toys, Y/n liked to watch him play video games. Even as a human she hadn’t played video games too often, so a lot of the time she spent watching was just trying to understand what was going on on the screen. When she grew bored of watching, she’d look for ways to interfere with his game, whether it be sitting in front of the screen or trying to lay on his controller so it was harder for him to play.

Jungkook never really got mad at her though, usually gently pushing her out of the way or pausing the game to pay attention to her. Sometimes when the game itself frustrated him, she could see small embers start leaping from his mouth whenever he spoke. She didn’t dare mess with the game during these moments, but she’d always try to get his attention away from the infuriating game by meowing or headbutting his arm. Eventually he’d look down at the little kitten, and she could see his anger soften. He’d always put the game down after seeing her.

She liked Jimin a lot. She spent a lot of time just relaxing with him while he watched television or read a book, curled up in his lap while he idly stroked her fur. As much fun as Jungkook and Tae were, it was nice to just relax every once in awhile.

Of course, her opinion of Jimin may have been influenced by him being her #1 treat supplier. When he had noticed how quick she was learning the obstacle courses, he decided to see if she’d be able to learn tricks as well. Y/n played dumb the best she could, pretending not to understand what he was saying the first few times, but those treats were surprisingly yummy and she could only resist temptation for so long. Jimin seemed to take pride in how quickly she learned, and was always showing off how smart she was to the other boys.

Jin on the other hand was always complaining about how smart she was. Of course, it didn’t help that he was Y/n’s favorite person to mess with. She couldn’t help it, his reactions were always hilarious so of course she’d keep trying to get those reactions out of him. Plus, it made the other boys laugh too. She liked hearing them laugh.

She never did anything but inconvenience him and he never actually got mad at her. Her way of bothering him was usually just stuff like moving the pen he had just been using, always being in the way of what he was trying to, or knocking something off the counter and darting in to grab a piece of his food while he bent to pick it up. Despite frequently getting herself kicked out of the kitchen, she liked to watch Jin cook. When she was behaving herself he’d let her sit on one of the counters and give her little bits of the food to try.

While Jin was the one that complained about her the most, he was also the one that took the most care of her. He always made sure her food and water bowl were full and clean, kept tabs on how much food and litter she had left, brushed out her fur (“What, like I’m gonna let my cat be any less handsome than I am?), and always kept an eye on her health. Her leg healed well, but there were still a few times that Jin insisted they should take her to a vet, just for a checkup. For some reason though, Y/n mysteriously disappeared whenever the vet was mentioned.

She hadn’t planned on sharing a bed with any of the boys at first, since she was plenty satisfied with her position on the recliner. However, not long after she arrived a thunderstorm tore through the area. When it first set in Y/n told herself that she was fine, if just a bit on edge. But when the night set in and the thunder grew louder, she felt panic setting in. A particularly loud clap of thunder found her scurrying towards the nearest safe looking place: Yoongi’s bed. The boy was surprised by her sudden dive under his covers, but quickly took petting her and murmuring soft reassurances in an effort to calm her down. After that night, she realized that it wasn’t that bad falling asleep close to someone. Though she alternated beds quite frequently, she ended up sleeping in Yoongi’s the most.

Namjoon always interacted with her as if he was afraid of breaking her. His hands gentle when he pet her, his voice soft, and when he picked her up he acted as if he were carrying a glass vase. She was confused at first, of course none of them were really rough with her, but Namjoon went out of his way to be careful. It wasn’t until she saw him break a completely metal ladle while trying to stir soup that she understood where his caution came from.

There were some nights where Y/n found Namjoon alone on the couch late at night. He was quiet, staring out the window as if the answers to whatever was going on in his mind lay out there. On those nights, she’d join him on the couch, meowing to draw his attention from the answerless window. He’d pull her close to his chest, petting her fur absently as he vented his feelings to the small cat. When his emotions overwhelmed him, and his quiet words quickly turned to muffled sobs, Y/n did her best to lick the tears from his face. In her current state she was unable to offer any words of comfort, but her concern seemed to remind him that someone cared and pull him back from that dark place in his mind.

She spent late nights with Yoongi as well, but those were quieter. There were no tears or murmured confessions, not much indication at all that something was wrong. But Y/n knew. She knew when his movements were stiffer, his silences longer, his responses more irritable, that she’d find him at two in the morning with open eyes, not seeming to actually be looking at anything. When she knew he’d be awake, Y/n would march onto his bed and station herself on top of his chest, purring as loud as she could. Her presence dragged him from his thoughts and into the present moment. Soon his eyes would slide shut, and Y/n would join him in sleep.

There wasn’t much Y/n could do to repay the kindnesses given to her by the boys, but she did her best. She always tried to notice when any of them needed cheering up, and do whatever it took to ease their mind whether that meant making them laugh, being something they could vent to, or just spending time with them. Y/n wasn’t always sure that she was doing enough to help, but each of the boys had discovered a newfound appreciation for her and her presence in their lives.

She had never intended to, but slowly and surely Y/n let herself get comfortable with these boys, let herself fall into the rhythm of their life. She knew who woke up first and who hit snooze five times, who was the first to go to work and who was the last to come home, who always forgot their wallet and who was always prepared. She listened to them, watched them, learned favorite colors and favorite movies, pet peeves and little quirks they had.

She let herself feel at home with them.

She let herself get attached.

Her plan had been to get help and then leave. That was the plan that carried the least amount of risk, the least likely for her to get revealed for what she was. Who knew what they’d do if they found out she was a shapeshifter. Kick her out? Attack her? There were too many things she couldn’t predict, too many bad outcomes she had seen play out too many times before. It was best to just keep moving. If no one knew what she was, and no one became important to her, then no one could hurt her.

The only problem with that plan was how lonely it was.

So when she found people that seemed kind, that treated her well and took care of her, she stayed. Even if they didn’t know the truth about her, and even if she couldn’t be a human like she wanted to be, it was better than being alone. It wasn’t until after dinner one night that she was reminded why she should have left.

The conversation began innocently enough. Jimin had been boasting about how smart she was, using how quickly she had learned to roll over as evidence of her intelligence, when Hobi brought it up.

“You know,” he started, his voice light with laughter in that way people speak when they’re talking about something they think is ridiculous, “I was reading the comments on that video of Mittens dancing I posted a while ago and there were some people who were insisting she was some sort of shape shifter, claiming that wasn’t ‘normal cat behavior’ and ‘an obvious sign she had human intelligence.’ Weird, right?”

Y/n’s heart stopped. Every inch of her being wanted to run, wanted to sprint out of that house before the conversation got any farther. But if they weren’t sure of it already, wouldn’t that just prove her guilt? She heard the boys laugh behind her, and she stayed frozen where she was.

“That is a pretty far fetched theory. Though, come to think of it, Mittens is smarter than any cat I’ve ever met,” Namjoon pointed out.

“Yeah, sometimes I swear she can understand everything we’re saying,” Yoongi added.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and Y/n whipped around. Jin was standing up, staring seriously at her with his hands flat on the table. She saw him approaching, his face devoid of any fond smile and this time maybe running was the smart thing to do but she was still frozen in place. The rest of the boys watched in confused silence as Jin picked the kitten up and held her face inches from his.

“I swear to god,” he began, his voice low, “if I find out that after all this time, after every bite of food stolen and pen that I know you misplaced, that you’ve been a shapeshifter this entire time?”

He paused, and Y/n’s heart sunk deeper into her stomach. She should’ve left as soon as her leg was healed. She had only set herself up for heartbreak. No one would accept a lying, fake, traitorous shapeshifter into their home, and she wouldn’t have been able to stay hidden forever anyways.

“You will be on dish duty for a month.”

Wait, what?

Dish duty? Y/n’s fear turned to confusion as she tried to process what he said. Had she misheard him? She must’ve. There was no way that was his idea of punishment for keeping this from them, for being what she was.

“Jin-hyung, leave her alone!” Jimin called out from the table. “Even if she is a shapeshifter, we’d just accept her as part of the family, right guys? I would’ve messed with you too if I were in her shoes. Well, paws.”

“Of course she can be part of the family,” Jin replied, rolling his eyes as if that were an obvious fact, “but she has stolen too many bites of my perfect chicken alfredo to get off without dish duty.”

“Jin-hyung you’re scaring her, just look how puffed up her tail is,” Tae scolded, walking over to Jin and gently removing the kitten from his hands.

“Ah, was I? I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry Mittens,” Jin apologized, his playful anger softening as he realized how frightened she looked.

“Don’t worry about him Mittens,” Tae said, cradling her to his chest. “He was just playing around. If you are a shapeshifter, I’ll cover dish duty for you! So don’t be afraid to tell us.”

“You know, it’d actually be pretty cool if Mittens turned out to be a shapeshifter,” Jungkook chimed in. “Maybe then she could actually play video games with me instead of just sitting on my controller.”

“That’s great and all, but how many of you guys have changed in front of her?” Yoongi pointed out.

An embarrassed silence fell over the rest of the boys, and Yoongi just chuckled, shaking his head. The conversation shifted after that, but Y/n’s mind was stuck on a loop, going over what they had said again and again.

After so long expecting only rejection and anger, their words sounded like a different language to her. It was one thing to not be angry, maybe Y/n could comprehend that. But acceptance into their family? Hell, even excitement at the idea that she could be a shapeshifter? Those ideas were so far from her expectations that trying to wrap her mind around them was like trying to wrap a shoelace around a bus.

She didn’t sleep much that night, fears and uncertainties fighting against the boys’ words as she tried to decide what to do next. There were so many risks to her revealing she was a shapeshifter, but the rewards were so tantalizing it was hard to resist just throwing caution to the wind and telling them right away. But there were so many ways it could go wrong, even if she did reveal herself she’d have to be careful. When would be the best time to tell them? Should she wait or tell them sooner so there’s less time she was keeping this from them? Would it be better to tell them all at once or just start with one person? Who would that person be?

All through the night Y/n debated with herself, playing through all different outcomes and weighing all the options until she finally let sleep take her, feeling as though she had thought it through well enough.

Come morning, she had made up her mind.

#bts #bts fanfic #bts fantasy au #bts fic #bts fanfiction #bts scenarios #fanfiction #fantasy au #bts x reader #btsxreader #vampire!yoongi #dryad!jin #dragon!jungkook #angel!hobi #angel!hoseok #werewolf!namjoon #fairy!taehyung #kitsune!jimin #lost and found

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elegant-etienne · 8 years ago

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After the party

"What about a fancy ring?" Etienne says, making sure to keep his voice breezy, teasing.

"A ring...?" He blinks a little bit, ears wiggling. "I've...ever really worn much jewelry before...."

Etienne tugs on one of Sizha's ears playfully. "Do you think you might consider it? If I gave you one?"

Sizhas ears flicked before he even touched them due to a tickle as he sort of stares at Etienne. "If it's from you...then yes, I'd be happy to wear it."

"And what about my hand? Would you take that as well?"

Etienne took his time getting back to the apartment, stopping by the ossuary to pray and give a few gil. He returns without announcing himself, not sure if Sizha is back yet. He fusses with his sandals near the doorway, and Velvet tries to help with each loose strap.

Having been attuned to the aetherite just outside the apartment, Sizha was able to slingshot himself closer to it and much faster. He was currently in the bedroom, changing out of the formal suit to be waited on again until it needed use.

Etienne chats quietly with Velvet. "Yes, yes, I have some more mitten crab for you, the good stuff! Good girl..." He'll spend some time out in the living area with Velvet, feeding her and playing with her. Sizha changed into looser pants and a larger shirt for comfort, walking out quietly to watch them play.

Etienne sits cross-legged on the couch with Velvet in his lap, letting the kitten chew and gnaw on his hand. His expression is vague but contented. It's hard to be anything but at least a little bit happy with a kitten in his lap. Sizha watches them for some time before walking over to the couch and sitting nearby.

"Uh-oh, time to go to Sizha-papa," Etienne teases, gently pushing the kitten in Sizha's direction. She takes notice of his tail and pounces for it.

"Ahh...my tail is in danger...!" He jokes, flicking the tail away to entice her. He can't help chuckling at the way she plays tag with it. It's awfully cute.

Velvet is quite determined to catch and chew on Sizha's tail. But she's still not quite coordinated to the point where she pounces perfectly well, and she can't account for tails being flicked out of the way. In any case, it's as good a toy, if not better, than any that could be bought at a pet store. Etienne stands from the couch, pressing a kiss to Sizha's cheek. "I'm going to get changed," he explains, slipping into the bedroom.

Sizha’s tail flicks involuntarily at the kiss and goes still as he watches him. "Alright."

Etienne changes into his more casual clothes, the dark trousers and the white blouse he prefers, skipping the vest. Rather than return to the living room, he sits on the bed, enjoying the quiet and privacy for awhile. But he forgets the passage of time and ends up sitting there for quite awhile without a word of explanation about it.

Sizha became equally distracted by the kitten, (who wouldn't!) and ended up needing to use the whole couch as a little playing gym. Upon the point he nearly rolled off of it, his eyes caught sight of the door to the bedroom and the thought was brought back to him. He caught one of the paper balls from under the couch and tossed it, sure that since he had gotten Velvet all riled up for play that he would be permitted to go into the room without trouble. He slipped inside quickly while she was distracted and blinked ahead as he searched for Etienne.

He finds Etienne sitting on the bed, his hands on his lap, staring at the corner of wall behind the low little table they often use for tea. He startles, much like he had when Sizha approached him to introduce Yuki and Rexah. "Sizha!"

Sizha’s tail bristles lightly at the sudden call. "Etie, it's me....I'm sorry. I had to escape while Velvet was playing...you've been gone a while. Are you alright...?"

Etienne motions for Sizha to come closer. When he stands close enough, Etienne will wrap his arms around his waist and presses his face against his stomach silently.

Sizha hesitantly runs a hand over his head as he stands still, letting Etienne hold him as long as he needed to. He says nothing and simply lets the silence be. Etienne holds onto him tightly like this for a long time, attempting to soothe himself this way, without words describing why his heart has become so heavy. After many minutes of this, he finally withdraws.

"...It was a beautiful song you had her play at the party," Etienne says softly. "Where did you hear it?"

"I think...I heard it out in the shroud once on one of my travels. A bard was singing that day at a rest stop...and I haven't heard anyone quite like them since. But I remembered the song and I...had to share it. I felt like it was for your ears...."

"Thank you." Etienne murmurs. "It was a perfect moment." He is quiet for another moment, this one seeming quite a lot less perfect. A sort of heavy tension suffuses his body. "Will you lay with me for awhile?"

"...." Sizha nodded and climbed into the bed with him, laying down.

Etienne curls up against him, pressing his face to Sizha's shoulder. "I wish I could just... tell you all of it, without having to speak it. I wish my heart were less full of these petty dreads. I want to have a good night."

Sizha remains calm, resting his arms around him as he gently holds his body. "......" He's not sure anything he says will help so he simply remains a presence for now.

Etienne stays clenched like this, tense, until he works to slow his breathing and relax little by little, until he's almost dozing. "Do you have.... any wishes for the new year?" he asks quietly against Sizha.

"I have my wish....and that's all I need." Sizha responds softly, idly rubbing a thumb on the back of his head.

"Hm, really? What wish is that?" Etienne sits up enough to peer down into Sizha's face, curious.

"Hm...you're here. And Aethertide is my family. I'm not sure what more I could ask for...."

"Nothing else, hmm? That will make shopping for you in the future difficult." Etienne settles back down against him, tucked near his shoulder.

Sizha rests his head against his. "I'm sorry....I don't usually want anything....I'm bad at gifts."

"What about a fancy ring?" Etienne says, making sure to keep his voice breezy, teasing.

"A ring...?" He blinks a little bit, ears wiggling. "I've...ever really worn much jewelry before...."

Etienne tugs on one of Sizha's ears playfully. "Do you think you might consider it? If I gave you one?"

Sizhas ears flicked before he even touched them due to a tickle as he sort of stares at Etienne. "If it's from you...then yes, I'd be happy to wear it."

"And what about my hand? Would you take that as well?"

Sizha blinked again, his ears folding to the sides. "Your...." He shifted a bit as it dawned on him slowly. "E...etie, are....are you.....?"

Etienne allows a rare smile. "I'm just asking what sort of things you might want this year."

Sizha’s cheeks were darkening by the second as his heart pounded. "I-I...m-mean I would, y-y-yes....if...y-you wanted....too...."

"We already live together and support one another... it seems like the next logical step. If we're both ready to make our pact official to the Twelve and all our friends and family."

Sizha holds him tightly, biting his own lip. "Etienne...I would do this...if I had to stand before every one of them....yes...."

Etienne squeezes Sizha gently in return. "Good to know where you stand on the matter," he says.

Sizha closes his eyes, nuzzling his shoulder. "Whatever I...need to do to help make it happen....anything, Etie...."

"I thought about it, while we were dancing together, and while we were on the beach. We've said before we can't live without one another. With everything we've conquered together, I think our relationship is only growing stronger. So." Etienne gently cups Sizha's chin, making sure their gazes meet. "I suppose I should officially ask, will you marry me?"

Sizha meets his eyes, even as his own gain a shining gleam to them. "Yes, Etienne...yes with all my being...." He managed to say before he's in danger of losing his breath.

Etienne smiles right back. "Oh, thank the Fury, what would I have done if you said no?"

"I don't know but you asked!!" He practically pounces him and scoops him up into a full body hug, giggling rather giddily as the tears of happiness bubble over.

Etienne returns the hug, kissing away the tears as they spill. He's smiling again, brightly, though it quavers sometimes, the muscles fatigued.

Sizha catches it, gently stroking his back as he draws back and sniffles. "E...etie, have you been w-worrying over what I might say...? Twelve forgive...!"

"I've been worrying it's too soon," Etienne admits. "I asked Serjei his advice on it two months ago. And I just sort of realized I don't need to ask someone's guidance on it. If this is what we want, why wait?"

Sizha nods, petting him even though he's still shaking. "I agree....it is up to the people getting married....a personal pact between them and the Twelve...."

Etienne offers him another gentle little kiss, this one landing on his temple. "Ah, there's so much planning to be done, we will have to decide on a date, and a guest list - hells, I haven't even met your brother yet...!"

Sizha gazes at him in awe, reeling with so many emotions. "I...yes, you should meet him...there's so much to...ah...yes, there is a lot to do....but...I'm perfectly fine just...feeling this for right now...." He gasped, ears appreciatively swiveling.

Etienne offers him one real, soft kiss, before gather him up in his arms again. "What a night," he sighs.

Sizha holds him tightly, brightly smiling. He just can't stop smiling...he's so red. ".....A night imprinted...oh Twelve...."

Etienne simply rests against him. "Who are you going to tell first?"

"I...I don't know...." He breaths, having trouble trying to think. "Ah...w-wait, I think I know...."

Etienne pets Sizha's hair and ears, trying to soothe him. "Who?"

"John...." He chuckles, ears wiggling.

"I thought you'd say John. I suppose he's going to have to get used to me now."

"He likes you...you don't have to worry...."

"Then I hope he is happy for you. I think any brother of yours might be bound to think you can do better than I."

"Etie...I doubt they think that. And if they do, they wouldn't be welcome around you. I'm happy...."

"Well, as long as you're happy... perhaps I should have asked sooner," Etienne teases. "But I am glad I asked tonight. It seemed the right moment."

"Etie...I t-think it was....I couldn't have picked anything better than what you just did....I didn't expect...." He wipes his eyes a little, smiling. "That was smart of you...."

"I thought of doing it at the party and really causing a commotion, like in a romantic story, but in the end I want this to be a decision between us, not just something we do for the sake of an audience." Etienne returns the smile, though it is smaller, and kisses Sizha's cheek.

Sizha purrs softly, cheeks red. "Oh....Etie....it was perfect....." He rests his head against his. "Perfect...."

Etienne smooths his fingers through Sizha's hair, enjoying the security that comes along with his purring. There's nothing in the world that warms him like that. "I love you."

He lifts his head and meets his eyes again. They're perhaps the softest, most peaceful they've ever been; a kind of innocence in his eyes and purity that once shown when they first met. "I love you too, Etienne Clairemont." Though he pauses, turning pink. "Oh....the last names....." His ears burn at the thought. "Should I take yours....since you asked? Although I don't know if N'az rolls off the tongue after such a name like yours....i-it's a bit wild, not elegant, I think, in comparison..."

"I didn't even think about that," Etienne admits. "I would be honored if you would take my name, but I by no means would ask you to. N'az is a name that connects you to your family."

The smile flickered a little. "Etie....that name was made for us to do with as we please. It's a symbol of our freedom." He blinked a little, surprised at the memory. "....G'az told me that...." His eyes went to the bed and then back to Etienne. "I don't have ties to any of my family other than by blood. And that can't change. I don't know anyone else and I don't know if I'll ever find them. But I'm alright...with that..." That was a small lie. "If our names were given to us in freedom to do what we choose, then...I want to take yours. I have the choice of making my life into something special...more meaningful than I could have dared to dream of...and it starts with you. Let me carry your name, if you would have that, and we'll build a foundation together...."

Etienne goes quiet, his eyes tearing up a little. "That you would want to be part of my family in such a way... oh, Sizha." He can't find the words for it. He always felt adrift, disconnected with the name his adoptive mother gave him, disconnected with the idea of his own family. That Sizha would deliberately join with him in name means more than he ever could have imagined.

Sizha gently wipes the tears with his thumb. "Etienne.....are you crying....?"

"A little," Etienne mutters, leaning into his touch. "I'm touched. You know my name's from my mother, right? She let everyone believe I was someone's bastard, even though she couldn't have any more children. And she was a whore. She... ended up threading me into that life too. I know that it means something else to you, but that's the legacy you would be part of."

"Etienne, that has never stopped me then and it won't stop me now. As I said, we can build together, whatever your...our...dream says. I'll accept the legacy and carry it with you."

"Something ours alone," Etienne says, "Our legacy. Well, we'll need to figure out what that's going to be. You've already saved so many lives. Time for me to pull my weight." He turns enough to kiss Sizha's palm, filled with a sweet, ironic humor.

Sizha is about to say something but stops and closes his eyes. He smile softly. "I'll support you...."

Tentative fingers slip through Sizha's hair. "Tired, love?"

"Only a little...mostly through social interactions...but...I'll be fine." He opens his eyes again to stare back at him. He's been floored by everything but it's left him in such a state of peace.

"I'm exhausted," Etienne admits. "You gave me quite a workout with all of that dancing."

Sizha chuckles a little, stroking his hair. "You taught me well....let,s just not speak of the time I fell, okay?"

"What? You fell? I don't remember that." Etienne says in his best deadpan.

Sizha smiled brightly and chuckled in response, kissing him on the head. "Hehehe....."

Etienne smiles again. "You're too adorable, you know? My face is going to get wrinkled from all of this ridiculous smiling. Then how will you show me off?"

"I don't care about your wrinkles....I don't even think elezen wrinkle that badly compared to other races. You have plenty of time, Etie...." He smirked lightheartedly.

"We'll have a hundred years, at least. And when we get to the end of that, I'll petition Nald'thal to keep us together. I just paid him a tribute before I came home, he'll have to listen to me."

Sizha eyes him, hand going down to his cheek. "Oh? I should pay mine as well...of course...if we're making a pact with the Twelve......."

"We should probably ask Mephina first and foremost. I simply had the feeling I should be in Nald'thal's favor." Etienne is quiet. "Perhaps because weddings are expensive?"

Sizha eyes him in silence for a few moments. Ideas were coming to him of why but he didn't speak them. "Yes, they are. But price is no object...not when the most incredible time of my life is happening...."

"Unfortunately, we haven't parents to sponge off of financially. It may take some time to get together the gil to do this properly. And I would like to. Flowers from ceiling to floor, new clothes, everything!" Etienne bumps his forehead to Sizha's, wanting to dissipate the gloomy mood he almost re-introduced to the conversation. "I can't wait to see you surrounded with the most expensive, elaborate, ridiculous flowers the Botanist Guild has to offer!"

"Ridiculous..." He snickers. "And you wouldn't be any better...? Surrounded by all sorts of flowers and the like...?"

"My dear, I am always ridiculous. Did you see what I wore to that party?" Etienne says with a mock-serious expression.

"All of the gold....? That wasn't ridiculous- or do you mean opulent...?" He seemed a bit confused.

"I was showing a lot of skin," Etienne says, "But it seemed to work to get the attention of my future husband, so I'm alright with it."

"You weren't showing /that/ much skin...but...it was more than usual, yes...."

"I'll have to work to top the look." Etienne smooths his hair behind his ears, lingering on the outer ear he's kept bare since he gave Sizha his ear cuff.

Sizha notices and clears his throat a little. Flicking an ear, he brings out a necklace from under his shirt, a very thin and normally hidden chain, but at it's end, fashioned into a pendant is the earring cuff. "I wanted to wear it but...these ears aren't like yours..."

"Oh. I didn't - I wasn't -" Etienne presses his lips together. He touches the cuff, but it seems foreign to him so out of context. "It still feels strange, I've always worn two. But I like it where it is. It looks good there."

“You don’t mind...?”

"I could wear a different ear cuff, or buy a new set. You should have that one." Etienne nods, brushing his lips to Sizha's forehead. "So you can always remember me. Like when I wear the pearl earrings."

He blushes a little again. "You do seem to like them....they really do look nice against you...."

"Do you remember when you gave them to me?"

He stared at the earrings for a while. "Hm...." He closed his eyes in deeper thought. ".....I remember saying...that your eyes reminded me of pearls....so I made you those earrings because I wanted you to know how precious you felt to me."

"You made me some soup while you were staying at Red Rooster Strand, and suggested I take up fishing as another way to bring in gil. And I found it quite overwhelming that you made me such a fine gift, but now I wear them almost every day."

"You do...don't you..." He responded, as if affirming. ".....it really made an impression on you....."

"Until we exchange rings, we can use these things to have a little piece of each other."

Sizha smiles at him softly, stroking his cheek. "Yes...it's a grand idea. I don't know...if I could wait without them....I'm so thrilled but...I'm happy that you asked...."

Etienne yawns, closing his eyes. "I didn't think you would be so surprised."

"I...I just didn't expect it to be....I-I wasn't sure when...." He blushed again. "Perhaps it was obvious and I didn't see it...."

"It's been awhile since we've talked about it. But I think the time is right. We've both come so far in the last month, and we have a... relatively clear view of our future. It feels right."

Sizha pulls him close to his body, snuggling. "....I felt it....I don't think I would have changed a thing....I believe in us...."

Etienne is quiet, not wanting to disagree with the sentiment. There are plenty of things he wishes were different, plenty of problems and worries with ends so open they're like gates to the Void he doesn't know how to seal. Their current peace is at the price of a lot of pain, and nothing can really shake him from the sense that more could be around the corner. Hard to say from where, as they've both made disastrous mistakes on more than one occasion, and the job is dangerous. And that is what is terrifying about this. But he assumes that fear will always be there, and he knows more than anything else he doesn't want to face it alone. He doesn't want to face it without Sizha. "I believe in us too, my dear Sizha," he whispers. "I... will dream of you tonight, love."

#the cat and pearl #writing

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