#and obviously I needed one drawing where all three siblings are just happy

[morningmask27]

catified resident lover, Bela edition

happy birthday to the one and only character that matters!

I make an offering of assorted Bela drawings on this holy day

[irish-urn]

I absolutely LOVED your response, and I agree! thanks for spending time on it <3 what draws me in about dasey is how complex it is, its forbidden love, “if its wrong I don’t want to be right”, the family dynamic, the drama, the suspense! so it’s always a let down when they hype it up so much and then nothing happens lol I want to see how dasey faces this hardship and how they present themselves moving forward. I’m so curious to hear about your after-LWL hc! I wonder how the family would react now that kids and divorce are involved. I know you’re currently writing a series about this so you don’t have to reveal too much, but how would Casey and Derek handle this as young adults? It’s not all unicorns and rainbows when dasey gets together, there’s definitely a storm coming.

LOOK, I didn't understand Taylor Swift's reputation album before I re-discovered Dasey. But now I do understand; and someone please remind me to put "But Daddy, I Love Him" on my kick at the darkness playlist because... Damn. If that isn't them.

Ohhhh Life With Luca!! You're right, I am writing a series about this — I'm actually writing, like, three parts all at once? (*hides face in shame*). The really interesting thing about the LWL world, though, is that Derek and Casey's priorities have shifted. No longer are they majorly concerned with George and Nora's opinions, but instead they're far more worried about Luca, Molly, Kai, and Skyler's opinions. And, maybe it's just me being a bit of a romantic, but I truly believe the only one of those four that would have some trouble with them getting together would be Luca: and that's because he still has a relationship with his dad. So for his mom to move on would be very painful for him to witness; but he's also very obviously fond of Derek. The six of them just really worked as a unit in the movie, and I think everyone can see that.

I strongly believe that Skyler would do everything in her power to see her dad happy; I actually HC that she figures out his feelings for Casey within weeks of them moving into the Guest House. And as for Molly and Kai -- we never see them even mention their dad, except for one instance where Kai says that "Mom and Dad don't let us swear"; and Molly tells Skyler that she wishes they could be "cousins AND sisters" -- so I think they're far more concerned with everyone being happy and them getting the attention they need than any social weirdness.

SO! With all that being said, I'm working on a part of that series where Dasey are together (because we all know that's where we're headed) and there is drama happening in the background. There's a little bit about how George and Nora did not react well -- to quote one part, "…Unfortunately, Nora and George were not handling this new relationship with any sort of grace, and there was no way they were going to take the kids so Derek and Casey could happily fuck themselves into oblivion." -- and I think Nora and George are choosing to view this relationship as a TERRIBLE REBOUND for Casey and both of them are calling Derek and Casey incredibly selfish and have they even thought about the kids?

(This, of course, made both Derek and Casey livid because, uh? George and Nora got engaged before ANY of them had met ANY of the other family; so who's considering who now???? Where they currently stand in that part of the series is that both parties are giving the other the silent treatment.)

I still think Edwin, Lizzie, and Marti would react the same way, no matter the ages. There's a little bit of concern regarding the children, but as soon as they checked in and saw that Derek and Casey are constantly checking in with the children and being as open as they can about the whole thing, I think they would just... be happy for them.

But Simon is struggling. Simon is struggling because he sees these two as his big BIG siblings, and unlike the others where blood only connects half of them, he IS connected by blood to ALL OF THEM. And, y'know, Casey has been with Peter for as long as Simon can remember -- one of his earliest memories is getting to hold baby!Luca. But Casey is so obviously happy and calmer with Derek, and Derek is happy and HOME so Simon can actually SEE him; so he's trying very hard to get on board. He fails a bit, says some things he probably shouldn't, but he's trying really, really, really hard.

I think, if he were a child, it would be easier for him to adapt. With my kick at the darkness series, for instance, he won't bat an eye — he's never going to remember a time when they weren't together, so he'll just... accept it as a part of his weird family. I'm currently playing with a sequel to "sick with sadness" as well, and he's 9/10 in that story; he finds it weird and kind of gross, but with the middle McTuris' help, he adapts quickly too. I got the sense from LWL that Simon loves Derek and Casey a whole bunch; looks up to them and trusts them, much like the younger three looked up to them in LWD. So I think love is going to win.

The fun thing is, I can actually see divorced!Casey caring a lot less about her mother's opinion about her and Derek because Casey has already been through a failed relationship, one where she tried to do the right thing -- I am a strong believer that Derek took off in LWL canon because he and Casey were teetering on the edge of the knife and someone stepped over the line and the other panicked. I suspect Derek is the one that leaned in too close or said something, and Casey FREAKED, and so he took off -- and doing the right thing didn't last. It hasn't stopped her from loving Derek, nor from him loving her. So why should she fight it any longer? She's already hurt the two of them enough; so what if Nora isn't happy? Casey is an adult living on her own, and she's tired of doing only what she's supposed to. She's going to get it right this time -- very much in the same way Nora is determined to get it right this second time too. Gosh, they really are mother and daughter, huh?

(Any other questions? I'm still not sure I really answered this one correctly...)

[queen-dragon-wolf-18]

Inktober Writing

I had two busy weeks at my university, so I didn't have time to make the inktober drawings, and since I was late, I decided to write the story (more or less) of what this inktober was going to be and (if I get busy) some drawings I had planned.

Now, let's get started.

References to the characters of Jazmín, Gigi and Julián here:

https://www.instagram.com/jaz_fresi_?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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

At the beginning of October, Creator was in her room, doing autumn cleaning, she was really bored, she wanted to do something outside, but she didn't know what.... Until Benjamin ran into the room with two backpacks and looked very happy.

Creator saw him confused, it was not uncommon for the dragon-rabbit to enter Creator's room by surprise, but what confused her was that he had two backpacks.

She soon understood why....

Benjamin explained his plan to Creator, he organized a month-long outing to a special place, but he didn't just organize it with the boss, no, he also included her siblings, since the four of them needed a break from technology and the city.

Creator wasn't quite sure about the idea, she'd love to go out and have fun with her adventure partner and siblings, but that would mean leaving the set unsupervised... Along with the actors...

Before she could think any more, Benjamin told her that everything was arranged, he had spoken with Regina and Aniger, they would be in charge of the set and the actors, plus her siblings had already gone to the place where the little trip would begin.

Creator was quite surprised by this and accepted, knowing that everything would be fine and that she needed to rest...

While packing everything she need in one of the backpacks (which she soon noticed were pocket dimensions), Benjamin told her that he had already packed the necessary food and also the tents, in addition to telling her that they would be away all month, the idea was that everyone would take different routes and at some point meet again, but since the place was an open and new area, they had to make the trip in pairs.

Creator asked how the couples were, and Benjamin answered the following, Julian and Jazmin were the first, going out together, Gigi wanted to wait for her sister, but Benjamin had to convince her before, since Creator was the last to know, so Gigi came out second in the company of Vorror, so Benjamin and Creator were the last two to leave.

Obviously, Benjamin received a zap from Creator for not telling her about his idea before, but in the end, the she-wolf couldn't be angry with her fellow adventurer partner, she knew that Benjamin was also stressed with all this stuff of being some kind of god or demi-god, just like her when she was younger.

When they finished packing and explaining the situation to the rest of the actors, in addition to threatening them not to destroy the set in their absence, Creator and Benjamin left through a portal at the beginning of their small getaway and vacation.

Creator was surprised, the place was an unexplored forest, at least not for the wolf, but thanks to autumn, the forest was slowly turning into an orange and yellow landscape, the cool wind was blowing lightly and Creator felt so relaxed to feel the fresh and natural smell of the forest... Although she soon got cold, she had to put on a sweater to be comfortable.

So, they began their walk, Benjamin had already explored the place previously and had traced three different routes that led to a marked and perfect area for everyone to meet there, in addition to passing through some places that Benjamin found relaxing or fun.

As they walked, they began to talk about anything, Benjamin prevented his friend from focusing on the set or other dimensions, he made her talk more about her life before being the leader of the set, something that did not escape Creator, she knew very well that her friend and partner in adventures was trying to find out more about her life, he only knew some things about her, but not all, and the reason was simple, the she-wolf did not tell anyone about her life.

Gigi, with a lot of patience and for the simple fact that she won the affection of Creator, knows most of Creator's life, although not everything because the wolf has blocked certain memories, Julian is almost equal to Gigi, but it is more difficult for him than the she-wolf to spoke, mainly she does not like to look vulnerable to him, and with Jazmín... Well, Creator doesn't want to burden her young sister with all her past, but sometimes she misses saying some things.

Returning to the dynamic duo, Creator gave small anecdotes to the light blue rabbit, but not very important things, at least for her... For Benjamin, it was all he needed, he just wanted to know more about her, the good and the bad, he wanted her to trust him as much as she did with her older sister, and he was partly succeeding... Until Creator asked about the rabbit's life.

Benjamin was taken by surprise by that question, it is rare that he talks about his life, he and his sister had a... Difficult life, the only one who knows the full story of the two is his brother-in-law...

Seeing her friend's doubtful face, Creator said that it was not necessary to say anything to her, she respects the privacy of her friends and actors, in addition to just returning the question, that calmed Benjamin down and he decided to share small anecdotes that his sister had told him when he was little and when his parents were still alive...

Creator listened to him in the same way he listened to her, being patient with him and more when she saw him with some tears, it was rare to see him cry while he still had a smile, mainly because it is rare to see him cry, but the she-wolf consoled him, and they stopped to be able to compose themselves... Since at some point Creator also gave him some small details of her childhood that brought her melancholy.

And that was only the first day, at night they made a small fire and set up the tents... Or rather, the camping tent... Benjamin had to explain that he had planned to bring his sister first, and that Creator would go with Gigi... But as he said at the last moment... Well, he forgot to pack another tent...

Luckily for the rabbit, the she-wolf was not angry, and she looked grateful for this small mistake, Benjamin at first did not know why... Until he remembered Creator's fear of the dark and possibly being or sleeping (even both) in an environment completely unknown to her, she needed to feel familiar with something, anything, in order to sleep in peace.

So, after dinner, they both sleep back-to-back, Benjamin being able to feel the tension of Creator, he knew that it was not because of him, but because of the darkness, since he had to put out the fire to avoid attracting the attention of wild animals or that it would cause a fire, so they were in complete darkness.

After a while, Benjamin was able to come up with an idea, he began to tell Creator a story, the story of a beast and a vampire in love, the she-wolf did not say anything but listened attentively to the point of closing her eyes and imagining what the rabbit was saying to her... To the point of falling completely asleep, causing Benjamin to stop with the story and he could also sleep.

Several days passed with the same routine of talking, eating and sleeping, at night Benjamin continued with his story until Creator fell asleep, at one point of the trip, the she-wolf told the rabbit to call her R, a nickname only used by Darkre, her childhood friend, that made him feel honored, as trust between them was growing.

At some point during the trip, they stumbled upon a waterfall that filled a small lake, the good thing is that there were white crystals in it, meaning that the water was clean and drinkable... Although it was not the only thing they used it for, after several days without a shower and without changing clothes, they urgently needed a shower.

Maybe they didn't have bathing suits, but they had shorts and short shirts, at least for Creator, both did not hesitate to jump from the waterfall into the cold water, neither of them thought to throw a fire crystal to heat the water, but at least they had fun for a while, even Creator taught Benjamin how to swim like a dragon,  Although unlike the wolf, the rabbit could not be underwater for so long, having to poke his nose out to take a breath, lack of practice.

As they went out and put on warmer clothes while their clothes dried, Creator opened up a little more with Benjamin, who was cooking, Creator told him how her grandfather had a pool that was big but shallow, perfect for a puppy, she spent her time swimming while her grandfather watched over her, even though it was night she continued swimming, hence her great ability to swim so well, but she also admitted that she was afraid of swimming in the sea.

This did not surprise Benjamin much, knowing that the she-wolf did not like the beach, but the she-wolf soon admitted that in addition to the heat, she did not like the sea because as a child she almost drowned in it, she had gone to rescue her cousin who went deep into the sea, there were large waves that almost drowned her, in the end it was her cousin who brought her to the shore and since then she has not entered the sea much, she has respect and fear of that wild water.

The rabbit asked if her grandfather wasn't there when it happened, to which the she-wolf only laughed, saying that her grandfather didn't travel much when she was born, he preferred his home, a feeling that the wolf shared with that old dragon, moreover, she admitted that she didn't tell any adults of her attempted heroic act, so she couldn't blame anyone either, except his cousin who had strayed too far.

After that, they both continued to talk about trivial things while eating, deciding to camp for the night there, and it was the best option, at night, the crystals shone and, in the starlight, some beautiful crystal flowers of different colors opened, being a beautiful view, it was as if the lake was the moonlight and the flowers the stars.

It didn't take long for both of them to climb the waterfall and start drawing the scene in their respective personal journals, obviously they had brought things to draw and the she-wolf's snapshot camera, after all, open landscapes are always the best.

When they finished, they both went to sleep, this time Creator was able to sleep more peacefully, although the next morning, Benjamin woke up with the wolf hugging him as if she were a koala, he was not surprised, Creator had the habit of hugging while she slept, either a stuffed animal or a person, and that night she was able to sleep completely in peace,  without the need for a story.

So, they continued on their way, leaving behind the Glade of the Moon and the Stars (that's what they decided to call the place), enjoying nature and sometimes taking photos or playing games, at a certain point, Creator had taken a thick branch that she had found on the road, starting to carve something into it with the help of her claws.

Halfway through way (and the month), they had to take refuge in a large cave, since a small storm had started, they managed to enter the cave before the storm arrived thanks to Benjamin, who managed to feel it before it arrived, so they would have to be there until the storm passed or calmed down, whatever came first.

When night fell, the cave became very dark and cold, so they had to use the fire crystals to keep the tent warm and light, they were sleeping when they heard footsteps in the cave, if it wasn't for their good hearing, they wouldn't have heard them because of how light they were.

Both were ready to attack, until they heard the voice of the person who entered, Creator was the first to leave the tent, followed by Benjamin. Both were surprised to see Gigi completely soaked next to Vorror, equal or more soaked than the yellow rabbit, in addition to the clear trembling of both from the cold.

In a few minutes, the wolf and the rabbit made a quick fire to their two new companions, in addition to giving them warmer and obviously dry clothes, and towels and blankets, Creator being the one who used her shadow abilities so that they would have more privacy when changing and be more comfortable... Although yes, while Vorror preferred to be surrounded by the fire crystals, Gigi preferred to be between the two dragon hybrids, which were already emanating heat so she would stop shaking.

Gigi explained to them what happened, she had been walking along different routes with Vorror, wanting to see everything that Benjamin had marked, at some point they arrived at the same route that the dragon hybrids were taking, but they had also been caught by the storm, if it had not been for the light emitted by the fire crystals,  they would not have found them and would possibly be lost in the storm.

Creator worried, if Gigi was there by a miracle, where were her other two siblings? Were they lost in the storm without any shelter?

Noticing the she-wolf's clear concern, Benjamin had to take his phone out of his backpack, it was the only technology they had but it was for in case of emergency, and this was one, the rabbit did not take long to call the two missing canines, which luckily answered quickly, and to everyone's relief, they were fine, Jazmin had sensed that a storm was coming and luckily they found an old but sturdy cabin, they were there now.

Benjamin remembered the cabin, saying that in fact, that was the meeting point, so they had already arrived, now only the four of them were missing, he also told them where the generator is and that it activated with fire crystals, after that, they said goodbye and hung up.

With that resolve, Creator relaxed when she knew that her siblings were fine, now she only had to worry about giving warmth to her older sister, who luckily had stopped shaking and was already dry, even so, Creator wanted to transform into the beast in order to keep Gigi safe... And both rabbits noticed it, the wolf's pupils were too expanded...

Before the obvious happened, Creator was hit in the face by a pillow, surprising all three... Just to remember that Vorror was there and that he was obviously going to prevent the she-wolf from repeating last October's situation.

After reacting, the four went to sleep, Vorror staying in the fire crystals, but the other three slept in the tent, mainly to conserve warmth, although well, it was more to prevent the beast from leaving, Creator fell asleep hugging her sister and Benjamin turning his back to the two, knowing that the she-wolf missed Gigi.

The next day, the storm had calmed down and now it was just raining, so they made use of the wings of the dragon hybrids to cover themselves from the rain, Vorror, who didn't want to get his fur dirty again, became smaller so that he could go on Gigi's shoulders, who was under her sister's wing.

So they were walking for a while, having some difficulties with the mud, but they were going well, but soon Creator remembered something she liked to do as a child and said it out loud, she said that as a child she transformed into a domestic wolf and ran through the rain, without caring if it was dirty or not, and that gave her an idea,  since the rain was light, she challenged Benjamin to a race, she would take care of carrying his sister and the grumpy snake.

Benjamin was not sure, not wanting his friend to get tired quickly, but the wolf assured him that it would be fine and even give him an advantage, the rabbit accepted, but not before noticing Gigi's face, a face that said, "you fell very fast".

The rabbit began to run, waiting for his friend to catch up with him, he couldn't see back but at some point, he began to hear heavy passes, when he turned around, he could barely react before Creator turned into the beast, jumped over him and continued running on all fours, with Gigi on her back.

He must have guessed, Creator said that she transformed to run, so he would also play her game, transforming into a beast with his dragon parts, he ran on his four legs in the same direction as the she-wolf, soon caught up with her and now they were on par.

Gigi only smiled and held on to her sister's mane, Vorror was well tucked into his mistress's backpack, not wanting to fall into the mud, the yellow rabbit already knew about her sister's plan and knew that at some point she was going to shoot out to be able to run like an animal, somehow or another,  It was her nature after all.

Thanks to the powerful legs of the two beasts, they were able to go all the way they had lost the day before and even more, their legs were not stuck in the mud and their agility made it easier for them to run between the trees, yes, at some point Gigi had to be closer to her sister's mane to avoid the cold air and light rain.

Once night came, it felt colder, it was no longer raining but the cold left by the rain, so they set up their camp, Creator stayed like a beast so that Gigi did not have to go down and detach herself from the heat, Benjamin noticed this and knew that it had to do with the fact that she did not want her to get sick,  so Vorror was helping him make a fire and set up the tents.

When they finished, they began to eat, Creator returned to normal to be able to eat better, yes, she still did not detach herself from Gigi, Benjamin noticing this, if he knew something very well about Creator, it was that she was always with Gigi, either in dimension 17 or in the wolf's office, even somewhere on the set,  you could tell that they were united and that Creator cared about her older sister to the point of being able to get into fights with the poor deluded person who thought of insulting the yellow rabbit.

Benjamin took advantage of this to get Creator to leave the set, in a way he did it on purpose by telling the last one, he knew that if he didn't, she wouldn't leave the set so easily, but if he told her that Gigi had already left, well, it was going to be a big push to go, more so when he mentioned the rest of her siblings.

Returning to the present, Creator noticed that her fur marks were shining a little, knowing what it means, she put out the campfire, which annoyed Vorror and confused the two rabbits, only for them to notice later that they were not in complete darkness, on the contrary, there was a peculiar glow from the sky, and that's when they saw it.

The stars were resplendent, and a light blue nebula was noticeable, being so far from the city and civilization in general, the stars were much more visible, and the marks of Creator reacted to these, it was beautiful, and the four of them enjoyed it.

Of course, the she-wolf transformed into the beast again to keep her sister warm, after all, it was still cold and Vorror was shivering, so they spent the night, tucked into the tent, uncovering the top, and seeing the night sky all night, Benjamin drawing the scene and Creator taking a photo.

The next day, Benjamin woke up on top of Creator, who was sleeping in her beast form and hugging Gigi, who was hugging Vorror... It was kind of funny to watch...

After everyone woke up, the four of them decided that they should get to the meeting point quickly, taking small breaks when necessary, but they should arrive early to spend more time together, so, after putting everything away, the two beasts started running through the forest, Benjamin guiding Creator who was running by his side while holding Gigi on her back while Vorror held on with his life from the backpack of the yellow rabbit.

Benjamin must have admitted something, when the she-wolf transformed into the beast, she was a completely different person from the one she showed in public or on set, in fact, he realized that it was the same personality that she took with Gigi when they were alone, he admitted that from time to time he saw them in passing, but he hadn't noticed the change that much until this trip.... He realized that Creator showed her true self with him, the beast was her true self... And he wanted it to always be like that.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a slight tug on his mane, when he looked, he saw that Creator had gently pulled his mane with her mouth, perhaps he could not speak (yet) in that way, but in her eyes you could see the concern towards him, the rabbit only smiled at her while they were still running, and continued to guide the way,  he would think about that later.

After several hours, basically all that was left of the day, they arrived at the meeting point, a large but well-kept old cabin, the lights were on, so Creator made an appearance, howling, causing the last two siblings to come out of the cabin to greet them.

Both beasts returned to normal, the four siblings met and Vorror quickly got into the cabin, needing an urgent bath, while Benjamin watched the scene, he noticed how Creator changed her personality, with Jazmin she was very protective and treated her as her younger sister, which she was, but with Julian she took a more serious stance,  unfortunately, Benjamin knew why, the two siblings had had a fight a long time ago, causing the blue wolf to return to her state of being on the defensive with Julian, the light blue rabbit did not know many details of the fight, but after this trip, he knew that the fight was not good.

Thinking about that made him unconsciously look seriously at Julian, luckily, the Mexican wolf did not notice it, but Gigi did, who preferred not to get involved in the fights of those two while it will not seriously affect any of her sisters.

After a while talking to you outdoors, Gigi, Jazmin and Julian entered the cabin, Creator was going to stay outside for a while to see the stars, and Benjamin wanted to accompany her, so they both sat on the stairs of the portico, watching the stars and enjoying the sound of the forest.

At some point in the comfortable silence, Benjamin asked if everything was okay between her and Julian, at first, Creator did not answer, Benjamin thought that the wolf was lost in thought, but after a few minutes, she answered and her answer was short and simple, they were fine, but the wolf needed time to regain the trust she built with her brother all those years ago,  also telling him not to worry so much about her, she wasn't as naïve as before.

To the rabbit's surprise, he didn't even have to ask what she meant, the she-wolf told him why, years ago she had a very close friend, but she admitted that she was a bad influence on her, it made her very rebellious, more with her own mother, in case Purple Wolf already made it difficult, her friend only made it worse, the she-wolf said that she regretted her behavior to her mother, not seeing at that time how hard it was for her to take care of her children, but taking up her story, not only was her friend a bad influence, she was also a bad friend, sometimes she took control of the wolf's events, putting her aside, no matter that she felt bad, more on her birthdays, but she never cared because she blindly loved her friend and that was her worst mistake.

One day, she was simply betrayed by her friend, at that time they were working on their first story, everything was going well until it was no longer fine... Her friend had been upset that she was not invited to the she-wolf's 15th birthday, the reason was simply, Creator's mother was fed up with her daughter's birthdays being ruined by her own friend and her sister, who Creator said was an uncontrollable spoiled somewhat violent, so she was not invited and her friend in an act of revenge, tried to steal Creator's characters, but since she had no proof, her friend ran away, abandoning Misty in the process, one of her few original creations.

Creator tried many times to try to fix the friendship, since her friend made her feel guilty, to the point of begging and when nothing worked, she was furious with her and told her never to show her face near her again, she had been betrayed for the last time and was furious, the she-wolf said that if it were not for Gigi,  Possibly she would have done something stupid to take revenge on that girl who did her so much harm.

But... She also admitted that she did some things right for her, and then she dropped the bombshell that she had never told anyone, and that was that she began to feel love for her friend, that's why her betrayal hurt her so much...

Returning to the present, Creator told Benjamin that she doesn't feel love for Julian any more than the sisterhood, but even so, she wasn't going to fall or beg for a friendship again unless she made the mistake, but still, it would cost her... She also admitted that this is why it is difficult for her to create friendships.

Benjamin analyzed the whole story of the she-wolf and understood it completely, he was slow to trust people due to past experiences, only trusting his sister and brother-in-law, but not anyone else... Until he arrived on set, and now he felt that he could trust Creator, more so when she told him things about her life, trusting him...

Seeing the stars, Benjamin said that this was not the first time he made this trip, he had lived a long time in that forest, since he lost his parents to humans, he hid in the forest for years, being a beast all that time, that's why he knew the forest so well,  he admitted that every so often he returned and spent all that time transformed, but this time he wanted to share the experience with Creator and her siblings, he wanted to spend time with his friend...

Creator was surprised by that, she didn't know that place was so special to Benjamin, she remembered when she found him, it was a huge beast trapped in a cage small for his size, he had its snout sewn with metal thread, in those times the she-wolf was a human hybrid and Benjamin growled at her, but that didn't stop her from basically fighting with the human sellers and helping the rabbit, initiating their unusual friendship.

Creator wanted to do something for her friend knowing that he brought them to their secret and special place... And soon she did something... The she-wolf remembered all the times that the rabbit played fights with his sister, fights between a beast and a vampire, they both looked happy...

The she-wolf transformed into the beast and gently pulled the rabbit's ear, Benjamin saw her surprised, but soon noticed the look of the wolf, inviting him to play and enjoy a small moment between the two of them, the rabbit hesitated but in the end, he transformed into a beast and both began to play as if they were two cubs,  unknowingly, Gigi was looking at them with a smile, knowing that they would soon have a new member in the family.

The next few days were very quiet, all doing different activities and the hybrids spending time together, Benjamin showing beautiful places to his friend and Creator teaching her more of being a dragon, having fun and spending quality time, everyone was happy.

On the last day, Halloween, they made an outdoor bonfire and there, the two hybrids began to play the violin while doing a small choreography, almost as if they were narrating a story with their bodies, to the point that even their shadows, reflected by the campfire, changed and synchronized, if one missed a note or a step,  the other instantly intervened to make it seem like part of the song or choreography, the brothers were impressed, and happy...

That last night, Creator did not spend the night with Gigi, but with Benjamin, sleeping with him and listening to his story that he had continued throughout the trip, and it was time to finish the story...

Benjamin said that the beast and the vampire had ended up being a couple and having two children, both inheriting the gifts of the parents, the boy being a beast and the girl a vampire, both having electrical powers... The she-wolf didn't have to ask what happened next; she realized that it was his life story... He had told her his life as a story...

The next day, Gigi entered the room to wake her sister, only to find the sleeping hybrids in each other's arms, both smiling and with their tails attached... Benjamin became Creator's fourth brother.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Bonus:

-Back on set-

Creator: What the hell did they do?!

Regina: they had a Halloween party... I went to eat; I left them alone for a few hours *with her ears down*

Actors: *with heads down and nervous* sorry...

Benjamin: *seeing the ceiling* How did you manage to leave slime on the ceiling?

Aniger: don't ask...

Creator: You have an hour to leave the set shiny... Or you go sleep in the basement!

Actors: Yes boss! *They run for the cleaning stuff*

Creator: *snort and open a portal* sister, let's go to your dimension

Gigi: with pleasure *enter the portal*

Julian: uff let's go Jaz *opens a portal and enters the portal*

Jazmin: see you Sister *enters the portal, closing it behind her*

Creator: come on Benjamin *smile and enter*

Benjamin: *smiles and enters the doorway*

The End

[blackbat05]

You’re the best to me

Dad Shangqi x Mom Reader

A/N: Well! This idea came out pretty quickly! I guess some of these experiences are what I experienced with my dad and I thought hey, why not spread some joy into these fics? It may be a bit different from what I originally planned but I really hope that you guys like it!🙇🏽‍♀️ <University Blues> is kinda like a prequel to this?

Genre: PG 13

Warnings: Rude parents, subtle racism in between the lines (please everyone, in this difficult time, we could treat one another nicely) and if you consider Shangqi absolutely adoring his little Princess a warning and just being a supportive Sports Dad in general than suree haha👍🏽

The arena was filled with noise as the Xu family stepped in. Little Xu Xiayi was clearly nervous as she gripped her father’s hand tightly. It was natural of course, because she would be competing in her first competition.

Shangqi bends down, adjusting his daughter’s taekwondo uniform. ‘How we feeling?’ Placing his hand against her heart he gasps dramatically for god measure, ‘Wow there’s a train in there!’ It did work for a few seconds as he manages to elicit a tiny smile.

‘You nervous?’

‘A little,’ Xiayi fiddles with her belt. How he wished he could take away the nerves for his baby girl. But if there was one thing he learnt from his own father, once you’re on the stage, you have to learn how to handle the nerves. Still he was aware that his girl was only 7 years old and was just starting out in competitive martial arts.

‘Baobei, look at me.’ He sees her brown eyes that she had inherited from him. ‘Whatever the result may be, as long as you gave it your all, me and your mama will be very proud of you.’

You bend down, huddling together with your two favorite people. ‘Baba is right, whatever the outcome, we know you tried your very best!’ In an effort to make Xiayi less nervous, you squeeze your baby in a big bear hug. Just then her number is called with another girl who was at least half a head taller.

‘Go Xiayi!’ You cheered, giving her a good luck kiss while Shangqi fist bumps her small hands. As she walks away, you notice Shangqi smiling to himself.

‘What’s in there mister?’ You teased. ‘Sad to see your little treasure finally being free?’

Your husband rolls his eyes as he slings his arm across your shoulder, trying to find seats among the other parents in the stands. ‘You wish. As long as I’m alive, Xiayi will never be free from me. I’m just happy to see Xiayi being such a strong girl. I was able to do something for her that I couldn’t do for my sister.’

You knew about the siblings’ rough childhood. ‘I’m sure Xialing would be proud of her niece. She told me she really wanted to come but something held her up back in Macau. She sends her best.’

The two of you manage to find pretty decent seats near where Xiayi was competing. And it looks like both the girl’s parents came too. Let’s just say you didn’t like the haughty looks on their faces. Still, you and Shangqi remained civil.

The match was more intense than you expected. And you felt yourself glowing with pride seeing how Xiayi matched up against the girl. As the two of you settled into your seats, more curious parents came by to see who was this unknown wonder kid. A mom with two other kids in tow tells you that Xiayi’s opponent is the number two seed in the draw.

But you knew Shangqi and you couldn’t agree with him more - matches were meant to have upsets. Seeding was just another thing of the past.

Throughout the match, both girls couldn’t break away. Until now. Xiayi manages to get a well-aimed kick at her head, helping her to break away from the tied score.

Time-out. The two went to the benches below the stands, taking much needed sips of water. Shangqi motions for me to stay put as the other girl’s parents rush to her. Xiayi needs to stay focused.

Just then, the girl’s father makes a comment to his daughter that causes your blood to rise in temperature. ‘Hurt her if you have to. Make sure that Chinese girl doesn’t stand a chance.’

Your head whips to Shangqi. He’s heard it too and boy, you have never seen him that pissed off before. But he won’t blow up now. For Xiayi, he must stay cool. He still tells her one thing before she gets back on the map.

‘Stay cool. Do what you’ve been doing.’

You could not bear the intensity that was unfolding in front of your eyes. For god sake this was just a children’s match! Shutting your eyes, you lean into your husband, praying for the best. You prayed that your little baby would show those arrogant assholes that they were wrong. That they should not have messed with the daughter of a martial arts master.

‘Babe, you don’t want to miss this.’ Shangqi nudges you, giving you the confidence you needed to see it through.

And Xiayi’s done it. She’s managed to do a roundhouse kick to the girl’s chest plate, taking home the win.

‘XU XIAYI!!!’ You grabbed Shangqi, jumping up and down in joy. Your girl had just caused a major upset in her very first tournament.

If you were ecstatic, Shangqi was over the freaking moon. He flew down the steps of the stands, letting Xiayi run into his arms before lifting her up and attacking her in kisses.

‘Hey! Hahaha! Baba stop! It tickles!’ You smile fondly at the wonderful sight in front of you. Suddenly, all these fears that Shangqi had of not being a good father, becoming like his dad who was filled with nothing but hatred just went out of the window at this very moment.

A loud crash is heard behind the father-daughter duo. Xiayi’s opponent throws her bag down in anger, storming ahead of her mother who is left to pick up her forgotten bag as the father walks beside to appease his own daughter. He sees the three of you celebrating and decides to continue to make the parade of uncalled comments. Shangqi tells you to take Xiayi away first.

‘She got lucky you know? No small sized Asian brat can beat our champ.’ Shangqi wonders, he wouldn’t exactly seek his father for advice but what would he do? He decides to walk forward, extending a hand. The other man is puzzled that Shangqi didn’t flip out completely but eventually takes his hand.

Shangqi sees the two of you from the corner of his eyes. No one insults his family and gets away with it. No one will undermine his daughter’s efforts because she’s different from others. With that in mind, he attacks every pressure point that he was taught, refusing to let the other hand go. Obviously the man couldn’t do anything as his daughter was watching this standoff, ‘Daddy what are you doing! Let’s go!’

‘Hold on a second hon-’ He leans forward, possibly to beg Shangqi to release his hand before it gets severed due to blood loss. But Shangqi beats him to it, ‘If I ever hear you say anything like that three feet within my daughter and wife you son of a bitch, your hands won’t be the one in pain.’

The man nods meekly, on the verge of crying out loud. Once Shangqi lets him go, the obnoxious family got out of the arena faster than you could say ‘Cheese’.

‘Baba! That was so cool! You’ve got to teach me that so that I can teach the boys in my school a lesson not to pick on me and Jenny!’ Xiayi runs into him, wrapping her small arms around his waist. He turns to you for answers only for you to mouth, she knew.

Although Xiayi was just a kid, but she was very perceptive. For now, Shangqi doesn’t want that incident interrupting his kid’s moment of glory. So he settles with a, ‘Sure baobei, baba will teach you one day.’ He bobs her crinkled nose.

You decide to interrupt. ‘Now I usually don’t allow this, but who wants boba?’

At this moment, you wondering if you were raising one or two children. ‘Last one out of here is a dumpling!’ Shangqi pretends to sprint ahead with Xiayi running after her father, leaving you behind.

How blessed were you, when this man popped into your life. All because you ran into him on a basketball court years ago?

With Xiayi now, there will definitely be ups and downs, but you felt that as long Shangqi was there with you, nothing felt too much.

A/N: Omg I have no idea how this turned out from the idea in my head HAHA😬 I hope it’s alright! Not an expert in taekwondo or martial arts in general so I tried to rack some basic information that is buried deep in my brain. As always, like and comment if you wish and thank you for reading!❤️

Special shout-out to @wint3r-h3art @crazycookiecrumbles @ntlmundy for encouraging me to write this piece that I had in my brain within such a short span of time! I thought that maybe you would like to read it the moment it comes out🙆🏽‍♀️

[mediumsizedpidegon]

okay I have to talk about Bingge actually. or rather: Bingge's wives.

I'm not talking about Sha Hualing or Ning Yingying or Liu Mingyan. I'm not talking about the Qin siblings or the Little Palace Mistress. They named, they're titled, they're known to the narrative. Let's talk about the forgotten wives, the ones who don't have names, the ones running from terrible things and ended up in LBG's hands, sure he would help. And he did. But at a price.

Let's say the families of those women end up in the sinkhole city and these women get to be girls. Let's say that Wife #15 has ribbons and bells woven into her hair and horns, mud on her feet, sweat on her brow. let's say she always wanted to dance, wanted to juggle flame and hot coals, jump high enough to touch the sky. Let's say that here, she does. Let's say she's a troublemaker, and her clothes have countless rips but her father is alive and loves her, and embroiders the rips shut into something more beautiful than before. Let's have... Wife #34 work in SXY's court system as a lawyer and she draws fun stories about birds of prey and has a vine of sweet fuschia flowers in her bedroom that she's proud of. Maybe Wife #76 works in Luo Jiahui's restaurant part-time so she can buy sour candy she doesn't have to share with her siblings. I think Wife #63 is a successful explorer, cartographer and has excellent enough handwriting to sell her calligraphy for a good price. She always has an extra knife and makes her own ink because she's picky about it.

I don't know– I'm not satisfied with svsss on account of fleshing out the female characters, or the amount of female characters, even in the background of the story. It's great but like. what the fuck is happening to LBH's canonical wives when the plot went off the rails? What were their names?? What were their stories??? 300-600 is a low ball estimate of the how many of them there were. I see some people saying there were over a thousand. Did some of them die? Did the tragedies that would have brought them to LBH never happen? Since the svsss setting was based as much on the more filled out notes of SQH as PIDW (if it wasn't then all of SQQ's backstory shit that SQH never included in PIDW wouldn't have happened) does that mean that these women had agency in their choices and got out themselves or with help from family and friends? Are they happy and undisturbed by the plot?

Let's say they have names, for all that I haven't come up with them yet. And let's say Bingge comes to this AU.

It's not enough for me to hit Bingge over the head with a reality where all three of his parents are alive and his childhood and disciple-hood have been happy. I need everyone in the sinkhole city, the "wives" included, reacting to this shit. I need all of them beating him to death and sealing his miserable fate with a story. I need the women that maybe even Luo BINGGE has forgotten the names of, to be the ones to steal Xin Mo, accidentally stumble into PIDW and wreck incredible havoc. Not enough to have Luo Bingge reacting to the AU! Time to have the AU react to PIDW! (maybe SQH ends up stumbling in with them but I'm leaning towards no. No one should have any idea of what's going on.)

Just. the potential for tragedy and bittersweet meetings and what-could-beens for the PIDW characters. The rampant disgust and rage of the AU folks. The chaos of it all.

Girls with big grins whose PIDW counterparts don't smile at all. A Liu Mingyan that put down her writing before the fall of her sect and then never picked it back up. Women and girls faced with almost- mirror images that are obviously off and having very different reactions.

thinking about Shang Qinghua as a calamity again…

[awhitehead17]

Batfam Alphabet: I - Injuries

Summary: When an offhand comment gets made about who receives the most injuries a big debate takes place to discuss this. Unable to agree on anything, the Bats decide to keep score of who gets the most injuries over the next 12 months. The results may surprise you. 

Enjoy! :D

The blissful silence within his apartment is rudely interrupted by the shrill of his phone suddenly ringing inside his pocket. Jason groans. Five minutes. Why couldn’t he just get five minutes of peace? Was that so much to ask for?

Cursing every god imaginable, Jason digs through his pocket until he finds and receives the device before scowling upon seeing the caller ID. Answering the call, he brings it up to his ear and doesn’t hesitate to snap a greeting, making it clear he isn’t pleased about being disturbed. “What do you want?”

“So there’s been a situation…” a hesitant voice speaks up on the other side of the phone.

Jason reaches up and pinches the bridge of his nose. That sentence alone is enough to start giving him a headache.

“How the fuck is there a situation? I left you guys not even fifteen minutes ago! I thought you were heading back to the cave?”

“Yeah, we were, but on the way back we heard gun shots and we found a gang fight happening. We intervened but while fighting Nightwing unfortunately got stabbed.”

Being told his brother has been stabbed makes Jason pause. There’s a remark on the end of his tongue that desperately wants to slip out but he doesn’t know if this is the right time for it. The tone of voice on the other side of the line makes it difficult to determine how serious the situation is.

“How bad is it?”

“Oh not that bad!” Tim chirps, Jason could now hear the amusement lacing his tone. “It’s just a stab wound on the thigh, more of a scratch than anything. Won’t need stitches or nothing. I figured I’d ring you to let you know because this now changes the board.”

Jason breathes out a long sigh and feels the tension leave his body. At least it’s not life threatening. This fucking family, he swears to God, if he hadn’t already been sent to an early grave he certainly would be now.

“So it’s enough to warrant a mark on the board?” Jason questions eagerly, already knowing what impact the answer will have. Now he knows it’s not serious he can think about other things.

“Oh yeah definitely.” Tim claims and Jason could easily hear the smile in his voice. “Even when it happened he muttered a curse and mentioned how it’s unfair because that now puts you ahead of him.”

At that Jason cackles. He bids his brother a goodbye before hanging up. Still laughing Jason moves through his apartment to his kitchen, digging through one of the draws he pulls out a large whiteboard and makes the needed changes to it.

This is something they all came up with at the start of the year from an offhand comment about who gets the most/least injuries out of their family. The comment triggered off a big debate and the result of it was to keep score of who gets the most injuries in the next 12 months.

They do not count life threatening injuries, because believe it or not they are not assholes and it wouldn’t be fair or even funny. Any minor injury can count (or at least minor for them). Any injuries done outside of the costume also count.

There are only a couple months left of the year but it’s currently pretty tight between most of them. Surprisingly Steph is winning with the least number of injuries so far. Following her, again surprisingly, is Damian. After him is Harper, Duke, Tim and then Jason. With his new injury today that puts Dick in last place, officially making Jason second to last. They hadn’t included Cass because firstly she didn’t want to be involved and secondly anytime she does get injured, which is extremely rare, it’s usually serious, so they collectively decided to not have Cass participate. Babs wasn’t interested and made it very clear on what her opinions of the competition was.

Before the new injury, Jason and Dick were in joint last place. His older brother now sustaining a new non-life-threatening injury changes the board. Jason couldn’t be happier, now he just has to make sure to not get injured at all in the next couple of months.

That in itself will be a challenge, but one not to be beaten easily Jason is up for it. He doesn’t care where he comes on the board, just as long as he beats Dick that’s all that matters.

---------

Like most of the year, the last few months fly by and before Jason knows it, it’s New Year’s Eve and he’s attending a party with all of his friends and family.

While the party is being hosted at Wayne Manor, so somewhere familiar, there’s tension in the air which can be felt no matter where you go. To most it’s probably the anticipation of midnight approaching, that excitement that comes along with the clock striking twelve and the supposedly start of something new.

To Jason, however, it’s a count down until the results are revealed.

Jason has a vague idea of what the final results are going to be, after all he kept track of everything himself. Then again, it’s vague because he’s been away on a mission for the last three weeks only having gotten back two days ago. He hasn’t yet had a chance to catch up with everything that may have happened in those weeks he had been gone. For all he knows the board may have changed significantly and he wouldn’t have a clue.

Not long before midnight, Jason soon finds himself in the library with his siblings and friends. They’re scattered around the room sitting on the sofas and the floor with the news on in the background.

Cass stands front and center with a white board in hand ready to announce the results of who has sustained the least and the greatest number of injuries in the past year. They asked Cass to announce it as she hadn’t taken part, that way it’s fair and not biased.

Looking around the room Jason could see a variety of facial expression on his siblings faces. Some wearing smirks, like they know exactly what the results are, while other’s wear an expression of anticipation, clearly unsure on where they’ve come on the board.

Cass announces the names in ascending order, starting with last place first. To Jason’s absolute delight, Dick is in last place. He’s so happy to hear that he had beaten his brother in getting less injuries than him in a year. Dick simply sends Cass a tight smile and nod, obviously knowing he had lost before anything was declared.

After Dick is Jason. If he’s being honest, Jason is actually happier about that than the principle of being second to last, he beat Dick and that’s all that mattered. He certainly made sure Dick was aware of his delight.

After Jason is Duke, followed by Steph which was a surprise considering she had been in first for a really long time. Apparently she had a bad couple of months, reckless behaviour and stupid mistakes eventually added to her total therefore dropping her down the leader board.

Taking third place is Damian. Jason looks over at where he’s sat and he finds the kid fuming, clearly unhappy with his final position. In second place is Tim, which seems to surprise almost everyone, including Tim himself. The teenager sits on the sofa looking completely baffled but thrilled at the news. That finally leaves Harper taking first place as the person to have the least number of injuries in the past year. She jumps up to her feet yelling with joy and dancing around the room excitedly.

After the scores are announced Cass gives out little awards just as something extra which makes it all the more entertaining.

The most out-of-costume injuries award goes to Tim, who instantly claims that most of his injuries are because his best friends are meta’s and because he skateboards. No one believes the excuses however they don’t call him out on it.

The most ridiculous injury goes to Dick, who then explains how he got said injury. Apparently he miscalculated a jump when chasing someone and ended up scraping his side on a metal bin. Everyone stares at him after that story, wondering how such an experienced vigilante and acrobat even does that.

The most badass injury goes to Steph. She had gotten into a fist fight in the middle of the mall after some guys started shouting out vulgar language. Not taking any of their shit Steph beat them all to a pulp but not without taking some collateral damage herself. That award felt well deserved though it could have gone to someone else.

After wrapping up their competition they all decide to stay in the library and chill. They cheer for the new year when the clock strikes twelve and all exchange “happy new year’s.” They don’t go adventuring out to the party again which inevitably leads to Bruce hunting for them, out of worry or suspicion Jason’s not sure but when his adoptive father eventually walks into the library he’s met with a loud chorus of greetings

Bruce studies the group with narrowed eyes in suspicion. He meets each of their gazes before straightening up and leveling them all a glare.

“What’s going on? I haven’t seen any of you in a few hours only to find you all gathered in here, not fighting may I add. What have you done?”

Dick’s the first to respond. Being the oldest of the group he probably feels inclined to, especially when no one else offers up an explanation. “Wow Bruce, give us a benefit of the doubt would you, we’re simply enjoying being with one another for a change. New year and all that. Who knows, this may the start of something new.”

Bruce’s disbelieving expression conveys perfectly what he thinks of that explanation.

The room falls silent as they all stare at one another. Gestures and nods are shared between them as they try to get someone else to speak up but everyone stays silent, no one saying a peep. They never told Bruce about the competition; they really don’t know how the man would take the news but they’re all certain it wouldn’t be taken well. He definitely wouldn’t see the funny side of the whole thing, even if they explain the rules to it and how they’re not actually assholes and wouldn’t include life threatening wounds to the count.

In the end it doesn’t matter because eventually Bruce puts his hands up and shakes his head. “You know what, I don’t want to know. Whatever it is just keep it to yourselves and if you make a mess, clean it up. The less I know the better.”

With no more words Bruce turns around and leaves the room. For several moments after the man’s sudden departure they each exchange baffled looks, silently questioning what just happened. It stays like that for a while until several members of the family simultaneously shrug. The action causes an eruption of laughter and all of them end up cackling until they couldn’t breathe and had tears running down their faces.

[poetrusicperry]

the poets and their first summer jobs

i’ve seen some discourse about how rich all the boys/their families are, and of course there would be like very little reason for them to work, but i couldn’t help wondering who would do what for their first jobs (summer jobs bc they couldn’t work while they’re at school). andddd that led me to writing this lol

neil: so neil would have like absolutely zero time for a job between all his normal coursework/extracurriculars and his summer classes (”you know me, always taking on too much”), but i guarantee you he would still take the time to get a job and have his own money to do with whatever he chose. mr. perry wouldn’t care much because it showed neil “taking initiative” or whatever. neil would likely work at a diner as either a bus boy or a waiter. he’s super personable, so he’d always strike up conversations with people sitting at the counter, and he’d get loads of tips bc he’s cute (: he’d bring his summer school work with him to do during lulls in business, which his boss didn’t mind because it’s neil and everyone knows how responsible he is. the poets would come visit him pretty much every day (to eat, see neil, and escape the heat in the air conditioning), likely taking up a whole booth, and making an absolute mess of the area. charlie would be making spitballs, aiming at cameron and knox every time (earning a “charlie, knock it off, i told you three times already! so mature of you, really.” from cameron) and meeks/pitts would try to see how many straws they could connect to make “ultra straw.” todd would come hang out at the counter when neil was closing, admiring his pretty bf as he worked (’: neil would always make todd a chocolate milkshake with whipped cream and rainbow jimmies on the house, claiming, “we have to empty out the ice cream machine anyway” (but really he’d take the cost out of his paycheck, just wanting to make todd happy). his boss would hire him back every summer, loving how much business neil drove in (even if the poets made a mess every time they hung out and ate) and absolutely adoring how much effort neil put into what anyone else would seemingly call a “meaningless” job.

todd: you can’t tell me that todd wouldn’t look forward to working. especially during the summers, it would get him out of the house and away from his parents judging his every move. being the shy introvert he is, he’d likely do things like mowing lawns or gardening for people around his neighborhood. minimal interactions, but still decent pay (as all the people in his neighborhood were likely super rich and could afford to pay him well). the poets’ parents would hire him, after much convincing from their sons (”todd’s just trying to make some money, dad. please?”) and todd would appreciate this more than they ever knew. he’d become super familiar with flower types and he’d become a lot more nurturing after taking care of plants and grass for multiple summers. he’d keep a little journal or notebook with drawings or sketches of the flowers he’d taken care of, complete with descriptions and magazine/newspaper clippings from his mom’s better homes and garden subscription (a lot of his poetry would become nature-related as well). it would be his late night project, or something he’d do if he couldn't sleep (which was pretty common for todd). he’d call neil on the phone some nights and just gush about all kinds of flowers or tell neil how he accidentally got stung by a bee and cried about it because he knew the bee would die (all the while, neil would be listening so intently, taking note about which flowers were todd’s favorites for future use (’: the calls would have to be pretty planned, bc if neil wasn’t working, he was doing school work, or his parents were keeping an annoyingly close watch on him. but sometimes neil would call him impromptu and that made todd just the happiest little camper ever). todd’s nails would be really short (he’d cut them really often because he doesn’t like the feeling of dirt under his nails), which means he couldn’t bite his nails anymore, causing him to pick up a new anxious habit of biting the inside of his bottom lip ): overall, though, todd would like his job, and even find pleasure in being surrounded by little flowers all day. also if/when neil ever got the chance, he’d absolutely tag along to see his sweaty boyfriend in action (come on, neil would go absolutely nuts for todd in a cutoff shirt, 5″ inseam shorts, and converse mowing a lawn looking all manly and tough). 

charlie: obviously, charlie wouldn’t need to work because of his financial situation, but his mom would 110% make him get a job just so he wouldn’t be around the house causing trouble/bothering his siblings for fun (”i’m hosting a lot of book club meetings for the country club this summer, i can’t have you putting spiders in the ladies’ hats again, charles”). similar to neil, mr. charlie dalton would work his summers at an ice cream/custard stand. he’d have to wear a white, short sleeve button up, a red and white striped apron, and one of those white, rectangular hats (his least favorite part HAHA, stating, “my hair is one of my best features and this just takes it all away. it’s unfair.”). the poets would visit often, both for ice cream, but primarily to give him a hard time about his uniform (”i’ll give you twenty bucks to wear this on our first day of classes” meeks would tease, completely gobsmacked when charlie showed up to their first chemistry class in his uniform, earning lots of demerits, but also twenty dollars). charlie would hate it at first, but obviously he’d adjust, being the extroverted/personable person, not taking himself too seriously and being one of the best ice cream slingers anyone had ever seen. he’d give the cute girls (and boys) extra scoops of ice cream for free, winking as he handed them their orders. like neil’s boss, charlie’s boss was even more thankful for charlie’s presence because they’d likely be raking in at least triple the income they would in a summer without him. he’d become a sundae expert, spending many dead poets meeting making them for his friends while they read poems and stories. that being said, he’d come to hate eating ice cream, publishing an article in welton’s honor demanding that they remove ice cream from their dessert menu (yes, almost exactly like the “girls at welton” prank, but he’d make the call collect this time. mr. nolan would be fed up to the point where he wouldn’t even punish charlie physically, just suspend him from rowing [which charlie wouldn’t mind at all HAHA]).

meeks & pitts: after their hi-fi success and the fact that they are seemingly inseparable, they both sought out jobs at the local radio station where they were hired as interns/assistants, running errands and picking up coffee or lunch for the station. but sometimes, when they worked pretty late, the night shift dj would let them pick the records and show them how everything worked (: after nights like that, meeks and pitts would go to one of their houses and add modifications to their hi-fi radio, staying up all night modifying and researching (by the end of the summer, they had made another hi-fi (portable) and their og hi-fi would have been morphed into a huge nationally reaching radio that they keep in the cave (since it would be disallowed in their room at welton). another job that the two of them would have would be answering calls for the station about song requests. with this knowledge, charlie and the other poets would hang out at someone’s house, calling and requesting the same songs over and over and over again. their biggest task for the summer would be organizing the shelves with all the records into alphabetical order (”duh, we should go by first name, meeks. which other way would it be” pitts would argue, only to find out that after they had spent about three weeks alphabetizing by first name, they were supposed to go by last name. “now who’s the idiot?” meeks would jeer, beginning to pull the records off the shelves). they’d also learn a lot about music from their night shift coworker, which would help in their quest to woo some ladies the following school year.

cameron: cameron liked spending his summers doing research projects for fun and just reading a whole lot, so you can imagine his displeasure at when his parents asked him to get a job (presumably to help with paying for his schooling). while upset about it, he wouldn’t complain, and took it on the chin, understanding the reasoning. he’d apply to a couple places, but ultimately end up as a grocery store cashier/stock boy. much like charlie, he’d have the same kind of uniform, but with a green apron instead. he’d spend most of his shift ringing people up at the register, being friendly and personable (something no one ever really realized about him !!). the poets’ moms would always see him and choose his register on purpose, using it as a chance to catch up or tell him to tell his parents that “the overstreets say hello!” or “mrs. anderson says hi!” pitts, meeks, and charlie would utilize cameron’s position at the supermarket to buy nudie magazines unembarrassed/slightly illegally HAHA (”come on, cameron! it’s not like you won’t be included in seeing them next year, too. we bring them to the meetings, you know that!” charlie would say, leaving cameron at a loss, reluctantly scanning the magazines and bagging them as pitts and meeks sniggered). charlie would wave, blow him a kiss, and wink as they left, “love you, richardddd.” sure enough, the magazines would make an appearance during the following school year and cameron was glad he had decided to let them buy the magazines lol. 

knox: out of all the poets, i feel like our knoxious would be the least inclined to work (yes, even less inclined than charlie). his parents wouldn’t even make him get a job because he simply didn’t need to, but to everyone’s surprise, he would volunteer at the animal shelter. the poets would later find out that it was a great way to meet girls (which is why he did it lmfao so they endlessly goaded him about it). charlie would visit often, and even took a rescue puppy home, much to charlie’s younger sister’s delight. charlie even wanted to start volunteering at the shelter to also meet girls, but he was too busy at the ice cream stand (plus, he had really grown to like it there so he didn’t want to leave). another effect of volunteering made knox super interested in zoology and animals, which brought out a newer, more nurturing/caring side to him, and who knows, maybe he’d go vegetarian somehow. he’d want to pursue a career in animal science or becoming a veterinarian, but mr. overstreet was hellbent on knox taking over the firm, so it seemed like a pipe dream. knox would continue to volunteer at the animal shelter, well into his career as a lawyer, and would even go to veterinary school in his 30s (when he was a nationally famous, established lawyer) to get certification to work with animals in a broader way (: 

hope you guys liked these. it was pretty fun to write, and i'd pay such good money to see neil, charlie, and cameron in their uniforms (and todd, but that’s neither here nor there). happy thursday !! let me know what you guys think of these <3(:

[lifeofkaze]

A Very Hexley Birthday

A/N: Seeing all those beautiful edits on my dash for the birthday of my favourite twins in the Potterverse (I said what I said), I knew I couldn't possibly do any better. So instead, let's have a look what Ethel and Jim are up to on their birthday, shall we?

This is for you, Bestie! @the-al-chemist

Happy Birthday, Jim and Ethel! 💛❤️

Naturally, Ethel and Jim Hexley and Héloïse Perrault belong to my favourite person in this world @the-al-chemist. The attending guests belong to @slytherindisaster (Lysander Mercury), @kc-and-oc (Siobhan Llewellyn, Bradford Pendleton, Oliver and Eliot Gerard, Ivy Anders), @hogwartsmysteryho (Vinny Raymond), @that-scouse-wizard (Cledwyn Ironwood), @cursebreakerfarrier (Galen Stagg), and @unfortunate-arrow (Anthony Rosen).

Even though the golden arrows of the September sun were showing themselves on the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Jeremiah Hexley was in a rather glum mood when he reached for the huge bowl of porridge at the Hufflepuff House table.

It was just out of his reach and his fingertips only grazed the rim; he simply would have needed to stand up to get it, but that would only draw attention to the tall, lankish boy, which was something he generally tried to avoid, but especially so today. So Jim sat straight again and reached for a slice of toast instead.

“I wish you the finest of mornings,” he heard a voice call out to him, “isn’t it a wonderful day outside? You should have seen the colours of the sunrise; no one can paint anything as beautiful as that.”

The voice belonged to Lysander Mercury, another Hufflepuff boy from his year, and undoubtedly Jim’s best friend. He had a spring in his step as he walked up to Jim, and his thumbs were hooked under the straps of his suspenders; he hadn’t bothered putting the black jumper of their school uniform over them yet.

He sat down opposite Jim with a graceful motion, grabbing the porridge bowl in the same instance and pushing it over to Jim. Giving Lysander a grateful look, Jim helped himself to a healthy portion and drizzled a teaspoon full of dark golden honey on top, just the way he liked it. But even the prospect of his favourite breakfast wasn’t enough to lighten Jim’s mood, and it wasn’t lost on Lysander.

“Why such a long face, old fellow?” he grinned, and his stress on the word ‘old’ wasn’t lost on Jim, quite the contrary. “It’s not a day to be brooding!”

Jim opened his mouth to explain himself, but was interrupted by the sound of quick footsteps approaching from behind him; a moment later two pairs of arms were flung around his neck and Jim almost knocked over his bowl of porridge in his attempt to not be thrown off the bench.

“Happy Birthday, Jim!” two girls shouted into his ears in perfect unison, of course they did. The sound of their excitement cut through Jim’s eardrums and he winced as he pushed them away.

“Uhm, thank you,” he muttered, “Happy Birthday to you as well,” he said in the direction of the smaller of the two.

Ethel Hexley, his twin sister and complete opposite and in every aspect imaginable, grinned and clapped Jim on his back so hard he almost lurched forward. “Thanks, kiddo. One more year of making sure my little brother has at least some fun in his life.”

“Like a proper big sister should,” her best friend Selene Fraser added with a knowing nod. Not even the Sorting Hat had been able to separate these two, and sometimes Jim wondered who out of them three actually were the twin siblings.

“But, er, you know Effy’s only older by a few minutes... so she isn’t really my big sister, if you want to put it that way…”

Jim trailed off when he saw something whisk past him into the direction of the porridge bowl. Before he had the chance to dive straight into it though, Lysander had already gotten hold of the brown and white ferret Ethel and Selene shared custody of; Alan’s nose twitched as Lysander held him out to Ethel.

“Take your ferret back, Hexley,” he said, “I’d say you two are looking like the actual twins here, but seeing as it’s unfortunately your birthday as well, I’ll let it pass. Consider this my present.”

“Seeing as Alan definitely is the best looking guy I’ve spoken to today, I’ll take that as a compliment, Mercury,” Ethel immediately shot back, with that unmistakable glint in her eyes that Jim knew promised nothing but bother, very wordy bother.

Lysander had already leaned slightly forward as well, his eyes fixed on Jim’s twin sister, ready for their morning round of bickering and Jim sighed.

“Could you two, uhm… maybe, just maybe… perhaps stop it? Just for today?”

“Leave him, Effy, he’s not worth it. Not a match for you anyway,” Selene muttered to her best friend; Jim gave her a grateful look.

“True, Sels, I won’t have my birthday spoiled by a wanna-be artist in suspenders,” Ethel said indignantly, and Lysander opened his mouth in protest. Selene elbowed Ethel into the side, before setting Alan onto her shoulder and linking arms with her, quickly pulling her away before things would escalate. Again.

Selene turned around after a few steps and called over her shoulder. “Come to the Quidditch pitch after classes, Jim, will you? We have a little surprise for you!”

*

Throughout the whole day, Jim wasn’t sure what made him more uncomfortable: all the attention he got because it was his birthday, or the prospect of a surprise set up for him by Ethel and Selene. The sheer idea of everything these two could have been planning was enough to upset Jim’s stomach and he couldn’t even enjoy his favourite roast beef for lunch.

When their last class of the day was over, Jim reluctantly made his may over to the Quidditch pitch, as he had been told to. He had wanted to ask Lysander to come, but then again, bringing Ethel and Lysander into the same space was too much for him today; or any day, to be precise.

As soon as he stepped through the opening in the wooden perimeter of the pitch, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. Ethel and Selene had laid out several red and white chequered picnic blankets in the middle of the immaculate green lawn, just like the ones their parents had at home. He could see baskets full of sandwiches, little cakes, fruit and cheese on every single one of them, alongside countless jugs of pumpkin juice.

Naturally, Ethel and Selene were standing in the midst of the people already gathered there, laughing and joking and having a wonderful time, and Jim’s heart sank a little. He saw many familiar faces; he saw Siobhan Llewellyn and her best friend Galen Stagg, who were feeding slices of roast beef to a very content looking Alan; he saw Oliver Gerard who was laughing with Ethel about a lively story she was telling; he had brought his brother, Eliot, a Ravenclaw boy Jim didn’t really know, and who was looking very comfortable talking to Selene, who was standing next to Ivy Anders and Vinny Raymond were sharing some cake; he could even spy the eternally grumpy Cledwyn Ironwood, who never got tired of proclaiming he wasn’t Ethel’s friend but, just like Jim, had obviously stood no chance in declining the invitation.

All of these people were there, but all of them were Ethel’s friends, not his. Jim sighed; he knew Ethel and Selene had meant well, but they just didn’t understand him, they never really did.

“I ‘ope we aren’t late, non?”

Upon hearing the familiar French accent, Jim’s heart skipped a beat before beating doubly as fast as before. He turned around and his eyes went wide when he saw the group of people who had quietly come up behind him.

“Bon anniversaire, Jim!” Héloïse swept in and quickly kissed him on both cheeks in close succession, before pushing an immaculately wrapped gift into his hands, the edges of the paper sharp and the bow perfectly tied. Jim tried to thank her but his words came out as a horrible stutter and he felt the heat rise to his face; it felt particularly warm where Héloïse had kissed him.

Next up came his dear friend Bradford, who shared his enthusiasm for painting; he extended his hand to Jim to wish him a happy birthday as well, and the gift he was handing over to him felt suspiciously like the elaborate sketchbook Jim had seen on his last trip to Hogsmeade.

His roommate Anthony was there, too, as always accompanied by his wolfhound Conall. Jim bent down to pet the animal and scratch his ears. He had to smile when he saw how enthusiastic Conall was at the prospect of all the attention; at least one of them was, then.

Even Lysander had been invited, or had in any case decided to show up; you never knew with Ethel and him. But whether he had actually been asked to be here or not, Jim was glad to see him.

By Brady’s side, more quiet than the rest, stood Brady’s friend - or at least that’s what they claimed to be - Carolyn Nyberg. Jim was surprised to see her here; he and Carolyn didn’t really have anything in common but Brady, but then again, they were seldomly seen without each other these days. She inclined her head and quietly congratulated him.

The question as to why Carolyn had come, though, was quickly answered when Ethel spotted the new arrivals and bounded over to them. “It’s so good you came! I’m so happy all of you could make it to our birthday picnic. Most of you, that is,” she said with a pointed look in Lysander’s direction, but before he could shoot back, her attention had already shifted to Carolyn.

“Did you manage to make what we talked about?”

Jim could see Carolyn was trying hard not to roll her eyes. “Please, who do you take me for? That was a child’s play.”

Brady gave her a pointed look. “Be nice, Caro, it’s their birthday.”

She sighed, but her face softened and she reached into the hidden pocket in her dress, producing a small, stoppered vial with purple liquid inside. She weighed it in her hands, looking at the mugs of pumpkin juice on the picnic blankets. “I’d say six drops per mug should be sufficient.” She moved the vial out of Ethel’s reach when she extended her hand towards it. “Not one drop more, you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

Jim’s apprehension about Ethel putting a potion into their drinks soon vanished when he saw what it was that Carolyn had brewed on his sister’s request. After drinking from the modified juice, everyone of their guests had a distinct spring to their step that made them jump a little every time they moved. He remembered how much fun Ethel and Selene had had when they had turned the floor of the courtyard elastic with the Spongify charm; it had gotten them three weeks worth of detention and a passion for jumping as high as they possibly could.

Not being particularly keen on moving around like a bouncing ball, Jim had only taken the tiniest sip of pumpkin juice when Ethel had offered it to him; it was enough to give his step a tolerable spring, but not enough to make him bounce like the others, and that was just the way Jim preferred it to be.

Jim usually didn’t feel comfortable among so many people, but he had to give Ethel that, even he was enjoying himself. He watched Héloïse and Selene sharing excited whispers about the latest story of the Muggle detective they were so keen about, while Brady was bickering with Siobhan over one thing or the other, and Lysander was busy trying to place Alan on top of Carolyn’s head, who told him very sternly to stop it if he didn’t want a swig of Veritaserum served with his next meal.

Happy that his and Ethel’s friends seemed to be having a good time, Jim sat down on one of the blankets, partly because he wanted to eat something, and partly because he needed a step back from the hustle and bustle.

It wasn’t long, however, before Ethel spotted him. She walked over to him, jumping into the air with each step, and slumped down onto the blanket beside him.

“Aren’t you enjoying yourself?” she wanted to know. For a very brief moment, concern flickered over her freckled face. “Because I did my very best to make this fun for both of us. Look, I even invited that horrible friend of yours,” she said and pulled a face in Lysander’s direction; he stuck his tongue out at her in response before turning away.

“No, uhm, I just needed a short break,” Jim answered and set down his plate. “You, er… you did a great job, Effy, you know? I’m having fun, I think… It’s a lovely birthday party, really… so thank you. I, uhm, I didn’t expect this, to be honest.”

“But why?” Ethel asked; she looked truly baffled at his words.

“We’re just so… uhm, how do I say it… we’re just so different, you and I. I’m quiet and, er, shy, I guess and you’re so… loud and popular and we’re just not much alike.”

Ethel dipped her head back and laughed loudly. “I’m not popular, Jim,” she sniggered, “I just don’t leave people alone. Tell them you’re friends often enough and they end up believing it,” she grinned and waved to Cledwyn, who rolled his eyes and looked away. “There’s nothing more to it than that. I bet you could do it, too.”

But Jim shook his head. “I’m not really so sure of that... I think.”

Ethel nudged him into the side with her shoulder. “Give yourself more credit. You’re my twin brother after all, that has to account for something. If this is any help, we may be polar opposites, but you’re still my favourite person in this world.”

“Uhm, what about Selene?”

Ethel pursed her lips. “Okay, maybe it’s a tie.”

Jim had to smile at that. Remembering something, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a piece of parchment, tied to a scroll with a crimson piece of ribbon.

“Happy Birthday, Effy,” he said, for once without a stutter.

Ethel’s eyes went wide when she saw the picture Jim had drawn for her. It showed the two of them, laughing with each other. Ethel, despite being smaller than Jim, had his head in a headlock and was ruffling his hair while he was trying to escape, but he was laughing just as much as she was. The drawn versions of themselves were moving over the parchment in fluent motions. Jim had asked for Héloïse’s help with enchanting it; with his French still being awful, it had been one of the most awkward and complicated conversations in his entire life.

“It’s beautiful, Jim, thank you,” she said and flung her arms around his neck. When she let go, she looked a little sheepish. “Now I feel stupid for what I got you, although I’m pretty sure you can need it.”

With a wink, she produced her own gift. Jim could see she had wrapped it in her typical Ethel-style, with way too much wrapping paper and loads of colourful ribbons; one of them looking suspiciously like the hair tie their grandmother had gotten Ethel for Christmas. He blushed deeply when he read the cover of the small red book the parcel contained:

101 Foolproof Ways to a French Witch’s Heart - A Guide for Modern Gentlemen

“Effy… that… um… you… why…” Jim stuttered, his face a deeper shade of red than the Gryffindor banners hanging from the wooden tower behind Ethel.

His twin sister only sniggered. “Read it and thank me later.”

She got to her feet and pulled Jim along, motioning to the entrance of the pitch, where Selene was in the process of levitating a giant birthday cake onto the field. It had enchanted lion and badger figurines on top; the lion was throwing tiny pieces of cake after the badger, who caught it with its mouth.

“Come on now, dear brother,” she said as she linked arms with him and half marched, half dragged him across the lawn towards their friends. “We have a cake to cut.”

[erzaguin]

Huntmira Week Day 5/6/7: Masquerade/First Kiss/Favorite Headcanon

Intro

“Welcome one and all to the Emperor’s Coven celebration of the fast approaching day of unity! Emperor Bolos has graciously opened his home to all of you for a masquerade ball! Now come in and celebrate with us!” 

Once the announcer's speech was over the gates to the Emperor’s Coven were open to the select few that had been invited to the ball. Only the most high tear residents of the Boiling Isles had been granted the honor of attending the event. 

“Alright you three I want everyone to be on their best behavior, only the most elite were invited to this event so we should take advantage of this opportunity to make new connections.¨ said Odalia as she scanned the room for potential targets. ¨These masks will make things a bit more difficult but itś nothing we can't handle.¨

“You two know what you need to do right?” asked Odalia while holding on to her husband's arm to keep him from running off on his own. The man is a genius when it comes to inventing new products but he needs a bit of help when it comes to socializing. A skill that is essential to growing their business.

“Yes mother” responded the twins in unison giving her their best smiles. 

“Good now go mingle” she said as she started pulling her husband along with her towards an unsuspecting group of potential clients. 

While their younger sister was charged with testing and showing off Blight industry products the twins were tasked with being the faces of the company. They were meant to one day take over their mother's role as promoters of the family business. She knew that the twins were more than capable at speaking with clients and investors which is why she always kept them on the forefront during social events. They were naturally charismatic and had inherited her quick witts. One day they would be the ones running the company so it was important they build strong business relations. 

Twins

 “So what do you think?” asked Edric as he squinted in an attempt to survey the room. He needed glasses but he never wore them in front of others. The only times he used them was when he was home alone doing homework. 

They were already drawing a lot of attention. Though this was intentional Odalia liked for all of them to stand out in these types of events. Making a lasting impression was good for business. 

Emira was wearing a big beautiful off the shoulder golden gown with emerald detailings with her hair done up in a bun wearing a mask that matched her dress. Edric who was standing next to her was wearing a suit similar in design to his sisters with a matching mask.  Even in a room filled with extravagant attire the two still stood out.

“You heard what mother said we have to mingle. See anyone we know?” responded Emira while she scanned the faces of the people starting to make their way to them. 

“Nope I can’t tell who anyone is with all these flamboyant outfits. Want to just hit the obdurves table?” 

“Amity is lucky she didn't have to come. She gets to hang out with her girlfriend while we get to mingle with business partners” mumbled Emira to herself. 

“I see you’re mad you don’t get to see your boyfriend today” said Edric without thinking. Emira had still not fully forgiven him for ruining the first time she and Hunter met outside the library. “I mean uh yeah today is when you would normally go meet up with Hunter right?” he added in a panicked tone. The look on Emira’s face made him regret bringing up the subject.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve already told you we are just friends. Besides, we haven’t spoken since that day at the carnival.” noted Emira in a grim tone. 

“I’m really sorry Em I really messed things up between you guys” apologized Edric feeling genuinely remorseful. Emira had helped him find a partner and he had ruined her relationship with the first boy she liked. 

“Like I said there was never anything between us. Let’s just go, come on.” mumbled Emira as she started to make her way to the obvdorbes table with Edric quick behind her heels. 

It was true there wasn't anything between her and the Hunter. They were just friends if you could call them that. Even though they had been spending a lot of time together for a few months now Emira was not sure how Hunter saw her. They had never spent any time together outside of the library. He never spoke about himself to her all Emira knew was that Hunter was raised by his uncle but he wouldn’t say more than that. Most of the time he acted like he didn’t want her there. 

It was her own fault. She knew better. The number one rule that has been drilled into all three siblings is do not get attached. The moment you get attached to something you lose. But I had been sure it would be different with Hunter. It was different with him. They would spend the days they weren’t together sending messages to one another. Or at least they had until that day at the carnival. It had already been a week since then and Hunter had still not spoken to her. The only message he had sent her after the carnival just said one word. 

“I know Ed blames himself and at first I blamed him too but I know it’s not his fault. I was the one that fantacied there was something there when there obviously wasn’t. Live and learn right? At least it ended before it started. I just wish he would have said something instead of just ghosting me. I thought that at the very least the time we had spent together would have earned me that much.  Who knows maybe I’ll meet someone here? One thing's for sure next time around I won’t be making the same mistake again.” thought Emira to herself as she kept moving forward.  

Hunter

"She's pretty" noted Emperor Belos from his throne to Hunter who was standing next to him.

"Huh? Who?" Question Hunter puzzled by his uncle's words. He had never heard Emperor Belos refer to anyone as pretty or even note a person’s appearance. It somehow felt wrong coming from him, especially while he was wearing his mask. 

"The girl you've been staring at all evening" teased Emperor Belos who was now looking directly at him. 

Hunter had never been so happy to be wearing his helmet as it shielded his burning face from his uncle. "No I wasn't… I was scanning the room for threats… yeah threats'' sputtered Hunter as he panicked at the sudden accusation.  His uncle had no idea of the secret meetups he had been having with Emira over the past few months and Hunter prefered to keep it that way. 

“Ah yes that young lady does certainly look very threatening.” mused Belos looking back in the direction of the. “ Is she? She’s the eldest Blight girl right? That’s her brother next to her. Hmmm looks like she doesn't have a date. You know you should ask her for a dance. That way you can put your suspicions to rest.”  said Belos as he leaned in towards Hunter so only he could hear him. 

Although he knew it was impossible Hunter was afraid that his uncle was able to see how red his face had become through his mask or that he could hear the beating of his heart which sounded like drums playing to him. He was at a complete loss of words at his sudden brashness. “...I … no I have to stay close incase of trouble.” managed Hunter. Belos gave a light chuckle before putting a hand on Hunter’s shoulder and giving him a slight push forward. “Go have fun, this is a celebration after all. And don’t worry about me, I think I can manage without you for the duration of a dance or two.” he jested in a warm tone. 

Hunter stumbled forward before taking a look back at his uncle who was gesturing for him to go. This was not like him at all although they had never been in a situation where Hunter could actually socialize with people that were not in the coven or direct followers of Emperor Belos. It still felt wrong. 

“That’s an order, go have fun.” added Emperor Belos in a more authoritative tone but Hunter could still hear the smile behind his mask. “Besides, we need someone that represents me to interact with our guests. Who better than my right hand man?” he added in a more relaxed tone. 

Hunter took in his uncle's words before responding “Yes Emperor Belos”as he gave a bow in the direction of his uncle. He then turned around and started making his way through the crowd in the direction of Emira.  

Twins

Edric noticed him first. It was the Golden Guard making his way straight to them ignoring everyone that tried to make conversation with him. “He must be mad,” whispered Edric to his sister. 

“Who?” said Emira looking around for the source of her brother's concern but it did not take her long to realize who it was. 

“Hey Ed, did you do something to the Golden Guard without telling me?’ asked Emira while raising an eyebrow at her brother. 

“I was going to ask you the same thing” responded Edric. “What do you think he wants?”

“He probably wants to talk business since the Emperor practically owns Blight Industries now. Although that doesn’t explain why he would want to talk to us.” pondered Emira. 

“Maybe he would rather talk to us than mom.” offered Edric. 

“Well mom did say to mingle. Who knows maybe we can get on his good side?” replied Emira

Before Edric could respond the golden guard was already standing only a few feet from them. Just standing there staring in their general direction. Or at least they assumed he was it was hard to tell with his helmet on. 

Hunter

“Ask her for a dance” he says, like it's that easy. Mumbled Hunter to himself. She doesn’t know I’m the golden guard, she'll probably think I’m just some creep. Not like it would be easier for Hunter to ask her for a dance. They hadn’t spoken since the carnival. When he came back to the castle that day he had been informed about the ball his uncle was throwing. Ever since then he had been extremely busy with managing the event. He hadn’t even had time to respond to her messages. The last message he sent to her just said busy. She probably hates him now. 

Pl”us I’d never asked someone for a dance before and this was Emira. At least as the golden guard she wouldn’t be able to see his reactions to her teasing.” thought Hunter to himself as he continued to make his way through the crowd. “What am I supposed to say? Hey Em it’s me Hunter wanna dance? Oh this yeah I’m the Golden Guard. Yeah, the same Golden Guard that threatens your parents no big deal.” Scoffed Hunter to himself. He allowed himself to look back at Emperor Belos. He wasn’t surprised to see his uncle was watching him make his way to the twins. 

“Right I was given an order and I have to follow it through. Maybe Emira doesn’t need to know who I am. That way I still get to follow my orders and she won't hate me as much” tried to bargain Hunter “...she’ll find out eventually though.”   He was so deep in thought that he hadn’t realized he was already standing just a few feet from the twins. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before taking a step forward “Here goes everything” thought Hunter to himself.

Twins 

“Smile Ed,” whispered Emira to her brother who was getting more and more uncomfortable with the man standing before them. The Golden Guard stood there for an uncomfortable amount of time just staring at them or at least looking in their general direction; it was hard to tell with his mask on.  

“Hey are you o…” before Edric could finish the Golden Guard took a step towards them which caused Edric to stop speaking. 

Both twins bowed before the Golden Guard but when they lifted their heads they were surprised to see his hand was outstretched towards them. 

Hunter cleared his throat before asking “Could I have this dance?” 

The twins were momentarily dumbfounded. Did the Golden Guard just ask for a dance? He was directing his question at Emira but before she could respond Edric stepped forward and took the Golden Guard’s hand.

“Oh I thought you’d never ask.” said Edric as he feigned bashfulness.This was not the first creep that had set their sights on his sister and it wouldn’t be the last. This guy had muscled his way into their families business. Their parents had been on edge ever since their interaction with him. Golden Guard be damned there was no way Ed would allow him near his sister.  

“Uhh I uh” Hunter was compleatly taken off guard by Edrics advance. Not to mention the sudden shift in his demeanor. Even though they had only met once before Ed had come across as a kind, warm, and childish individual. His words and actions did not match his eyes; the person in front of him had no warmth in his eyes. I wouldn't have thought he could be so assertive. “That makes sense after what you did to their parents,” thought Hunter to himself.  

“That’s enough Ed” said Emira while placing a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Besides I believe he was asking me, right?” she noted with a smile while giving Hunter a wink. 

“I uh yes ...um” Hunter felt his face get hot and once again was grateful for his helmet concealing his face. 

“Em are you sure” whispered Edric to his sister while shooting a glare at Hunter. 

“Yeah it’s ok I can handle this besides it’s just one dance. Why don’t you go find mom and dad? I’ll meet up with you guys after ok.” she whispered back trying to sooth her twin. 

“...Ok” said Edric before shooting one last cold glance at Hunter and walking away to find their parents. 

Blights

“...Isn't that right Honey '' gushed Odalia who was speaking with one of Blight Industries frequent customers about a potential new product. “Honey?”

Alador’s attention was completely enthralled by something off in the distance. “Alador?” puzzled Odalia as she began to worry. 

“Dear is that our daughter dancing with the Golden Guard?” queried Alador who was squinting his eyes in an attempt to get a better view. Just like his son he also needed glasses but Odalia had given up on trying to get him new ones since he always broke or lost them. Now his goggles were his only glasses which he never remembered to use when he was not working on a project. 

“What?! Where?!” asked Odlia while searching the dance floor for their daughter. Emira was not hard to find due to the extravagant dress. Not to mention people were giving the couple a bit more space given that her daughter's partner was indeed the Golden Guard.  Odalia had made it a point of getting the twins the most extravagant attire she could find. It was important to make lasting impressions. Although she never thought that would earn this type of attention. 

Odalia let out a slight gasp when she saw her eldest daughter dancing with Emperor Belos' right hand man. “Where's Edric?” breathed Odalia while she looked for her baby boy. There was no way Edric would have left his sister with the Golden Guard and she knew it. He had always been protective of her which means he might have done something reckless.  

“I’m right here mother” grumbled Edric who was still staring daggers at his sister's dance partner from behind his parents. 

“Oh dear, come tell us what happened,” whispered Odalia to her disgruntled son, making note that he did not have a scratch on him. That was a good sign. 

“He just approached us and asked Em to dance, I tried stopping it but Em said she could handle it,” mumbled Edric who was still unsettled by the situation. 

Odalia let out a sigh of relief and straightened herself. “Don’t worry dear, your sister can handle this, she's a very smart and resourceful girl. Before the night is over she’ll have the Golden Guard eating from the palm of her hand.” bragged Odalia while giving her son what she thought looked like a reassuring smile but was more self satisfying than anything. If Emira said she could handle it then Odalia was sure her daughter already had a plan in mind. Out of her children Emira had sertently been the one to have inherited her cunning.  

“This could be a great opportunity for us,” added Alador who was still squinting at the dance floor. 

“Yes indeed” noted Odalia who was already thinking of all the benefits that could come out of this. 

Edric on the other hand was not convinced and he still wanted to get Emira away from that guy as soon as possible.  

Hunter

“Step one two three.. Step one two three.. don’t step on her feet.” thought Hunter to himself as he tried to keep his cool. “Focus Hunter it’s just one dance you can do this just don’t look at her eyes. And remember you have the advantage since she can’t see your face. Yeah but you can see hers. Oh titan, how is she so calm?” 

After a while of dancing Emira finally said “So you’re the Golden Guard?” she mused while giving him a mischievous smile. 

Hunter had been spending all of his concentration dancing that he flinched when she spoke. “I um yes” he stammered before clearing his throat and saying it again this time with more confidence “Yes I am.” 

“Who would have thought that nerdy boy I met at the library was actually Emperor Belos' right hand man,” wondered Emira to herself as she kept on dancing without any hesitation. 

“Yeah… wait what? I... uh no don’t know what you mean,” faltered Hunter before finally giving up. “What gave it away?” he whispered, getting ready for the backlash that was sure to come. 

“Your voice, I knew as soon as you asked me to dance. Did you really think I wouldn't be able to tell it was you?” she asked with a smile genuinely amused. “I will say that I was taken off guard at first. Not that you were the Golden Guard but that you were actually asking me to dance.”

Upon hearing this Hunter felt a huge weight lift off his chest and he felt his body relax. He had been so afraid of losing his best friend he never even stopped to think that no matter what she would always accept him for him. 

“I’m sorry Em…” he started but  was cut off by Emira who had leaned in to kiss him. Or at least she kissed his helmet where his lips would be. 

“Curse this stupid helmet” thought Hunter to himself. He tried to speak but the only thing that came out was something that sounded like a whimper rather than words. 

Emira giggled to herself while trying to hide her smile behind her hand. “Was she blushing?” thought Hunter.

“That was a lovely dance. We should do this again sometime but maybe next time lose the helmet? She said as she pulled away from him. “See you around Hunter.” she said as she started walking with that same smile on her face. 

“What just happened? Did she just kiss him? Why did she kiss him? And why was he wearing this stupid helmet?!” thought Hunter to himself as his brain scrambled to make sense of what just happened. 

It wasn’t until now that Hunter realized that the song they had been dancing to had long since ended. 

Blights 

As soon as Emira reached her family her mother quickly pulled her into a hug. 

“You did good, dear” said Alador in his usual monotone voice. 

“Way to go you just made that boy fall head over heels for you.” added Odalia in an excited tone. 

She knew that her parents ment the remarks in terms of a business achievement but Emira could not help but smile at the thought of them praising her for dancing with the boy she liked. 

“Thanks,” she said with a smile that brightened up her face. 

The only one that was not in high spirits was Edric who could not believe what had just happened but before he could confront his sister Emira took him by the arm and pulled him away. 

“We’re going to get some punch ok?” said Emria to her parents as she pulled her brother along. 

“Alright have fun,” said Odaia before quickly turning around to speak with the crowd of people that had gathered around them. Having their daughter dance with the Golden Guard had definitely gotten them some attention. 

Hunter

As soon as he gathered his bearings Hunter made his way back to Emperor Belos' side. And although he could not see his face he got the feeling that his uncle was grinning at him. But before he could reach him he was approached by Kikimora.

“How unsightly to have the Golden Guard walking around with lipstick on his helmet. You are supposed to be a representation of Emperor Belos yet look at you. Walking around like a love struck boy. You could hardly stay on your feet after that girl kissed you. How embarrassing.” sneered Kikimora low enough so that only Hunter could hear her. 

“What lipstick?” thought Hunter to himself before the sudden realization dawned on him. Instead of heading back to his uncle he took a turn to go to a part of the castle that was sealed off for the rest of the party. Once he was out of sight he took off his helmet to inspect it and sure enough there it was. Emira’s lipstick from where she had kissed him. His face turned a deep crimson color when he realized he had been walking around like that on top of the realization that he had not imagined it she had kissed him. 

He made up his mind, without putting his helmet back on he headed to his room to change. 

Twins

“Em, wait, what’s going on? And why did you kiss that guy?” demanded Edric, digging in his heels so that his sister couldn't pull him anymore. 

“Calm down Ed I just want to get somewhere we can talk without being interrupted ok?” said Emira who was still smiling. 

“Fine, how about over there behind the stairs?” sighted Edric as he pointed to a set of stairs not far from them.

“That’s perfect” said Emira as she started making her way to them with her brother walking next to her. 

As soon as they arrived Edric quickly started again but was silenced by Emira who had placed her hand over his mouth. 

“I know what you’re going to say but wait and listen to me first. That was Hunter.” noted Emira before removing her hand from her brother's face. 

Edric was in a brief state of shock unable to comprehend what his sister had just said. “Wait Hunter? Like your Hunter?” he asked, still not believing what his sister had said. 

“Yup he’s the Golden Guard,” added Emira with a small smile.

“You knew? And you didn’t tell me? Em I was so scared” muttered Edric “Did you not tell me because of what happened at the carnival.” he whispered, sounding hurt.

“No Ed it’s not like that. I didn’t know either, I just found out too. You know I tell you everything.” she said, giving him a reassuring smile. 

Edric returned his sister's smile before asking “So did he confess his undying love for you?”

Before Emira could respond Ed spun her around so she could see Hunter, not the Golden Guard, making his way towards them. He was wearing a white suit with a golden shirt and a mask that only covered his eyes. 

“Ready for round two?” he said before stepping forward to greet Hunter. After they exchanged some words Emira could not make out Hunter continued making his way to her whild Ed used his magic to make sure nobody else could see the pair.

“Hey Em,” said Hunter, who was looking at the floor in a futile attempt to hide his face so she couldn't see him blushing. 

“Hey,” she responded, trying to keep her normal composure. 

“Um… you said you wanted to try a dance without the helmet right? So.. would you… like to dance with me.” said Hunter who had his hand outstretched towards her and whose face was the deepest shade of crimson color she had ever seen. 

“Of course” said Emira while taking his hand. 

The song that was playing was a slow song and it gave them time to talk. Once that song was over they kept on dancing to the next ones and catching up on everything they had not spoken about in the past week. How busy Hunter had been and how he was afraid that she might be angry at him to which Emira confessed she thought Hunter no longer wanted to be her friend.

Hunter had not realized he had made her sad. He always assumed she would be mad at him but it neve occurred to him that he would hurt her. She was the one person in the world he would never want to hurt. It must have been the sadness in her eyes which were always so full of joy and playfulness that made him lose his sense of reason. Before he knew what he was doing his lips were already pressed against hers.

When he pulled away he was ready to apologize for kissing her so suddenly but then she kissed him back. 

When she pulled away Hunter could see her face. She was blushing and had a smile that lit up the entire room “I really missed you,” she said. 

At seeing her face and hearing those words Hunter's heart skipped a beat. Nobody has ever said they missed him.

"I missed you too," he replied, returning her smile. 

[jaskiersvalley]

Feral jaskier and himbo geralt are always lovely!!! “So many questions and not enough brain cells” was absolutely MAGNIFICENT

Nonnie, I am so happy you liked that line. It gave me a chuckle to write it too. Feral Jaskier and himbo Geralt are such a delight, I now feel the need to write a little more for you. Movie stars, stunt doubles and idiots ahoy!

Incidentally, this also seems to fit my @sugar-and-spice-witcher-bingo square ‘sharing a brain cell’.

Prompt: Sharing a brain cell Relationships (romantic/platonic/etc): Geralt/Jaskier, Lambert/Eskel/Cahir/Aiden Rating: T Content Warnings: None Summary: Geralt is the star of a TV series with Jaskier as his on screen arch nemesis. Thankfully that rivalry doesn’t carry into real life.  

The set was like a second home by that point. Geralt spent a good nine months of the year there, the crew feeling like family. It was their fifth season of filming, Geralt couldn’t quite get tired of the monster of the week format though. He loved it, loved how cheesy it was and the fact that it was a production that didn’t bait or bury their characters. The natural chemistry he’d had with Jaskier made it so much easier too. They had kissed on screen enough times that he was intimately familiar with the shape of Jaskier’s lips and the taste of the lip balm he wore. That had started three seasons ago and Geralt had been quietly wishing they could kiss away from the cameras too. So he had been planning, even seeking out the advice of those he trusted - namely Eskel and Lambert.

That had been a surprise friendship that Geralt had discovered. Eskel was brought in as he stunt double for more tricky shots. Usually, Geralt liked to do his own stunts but falling off a horse at a gallop was a little beyond him. As was surviving Jaskier’s rather flamboyant fighting style. Just for a laugh Geralt had sat in on a few of Jaskier’s training session and he was so very torn between laughing his arse off and feeling sorry for Cahir who was doing his best to help them train for their fight scenes. For all his patience and expertise, Jaskier seemed determined to add his own flair. The number of times Jaskier accidentally smacked Geralt, Eskel and Cahir during training and on takes was truly staggering. It could have been a blooper reel all on its own.

Thankfully it was a short day, something about a number of the crew requesting the evening off. As it was towards the end of filming, they were within the time budget, it had been declared that they could all have the evening off.

“Just make him a home cooked meal,” Eskel advised. “Guys love that, trust me.”

“It work for you?” Geralt was a little sullen and sceptic. He didn’t think a home cooked meal was what Jaskier would want. On screen they were enemies with a terrible habit of falling into bed. The reality probably wasn’t so far off either. Though, at least, they had become friends after a rocky start.

“Would I be celebrating my fifth anniversary this evening if it didn’t?” There was no small amount of entertainment in Eskel’s face. “It’s not like my looks are what draw anyone in.”

That had been an unfortunate accident from before Geralt’s time. Some pyrotechnic stunt had gone horribly wrong and left Eskel with the scars. If it hadn’t been for those and the different coloured hair, Geralt was sure they could have been mistaken for brothers, if not twins. Still, now Eskel only worked on sets where Lambert was the one in charge of anything fire related. Which was just as well because Geralt liked Lambert, enjoyed trading barbs with him whenever their paths crossed. As Geralt’s fame climbed, he got to ask for more and more things in contracts and, as he was fond of Eskel, he asked for him as a stunt double whenever he could and then asked for Lambert if the set called for it. It was nice to have so much power and be able to work with those he liked. Interestingly, Cahir was fast becoming another person who Geralt got on with quite well. That wasn’t to say Geralt wasn’t scared shitless of him at the start. Nobody should know so much about fighting with so many weapons without having a very colourful past - one that Cahir refused to talk about. Still, the guy was good at his job and Geralt could talk to him, so his advice was sought out too.

“Just tell him. Bring him something you know he will like. Show an interest in him and his life outside of set.”

For the first time ever, Geralt felt that Cahir was in a rush. He wasn’t quite as patient and measured as usual.

“Excited for the evening off?” he asked, trying to be friendly. And maybe he was practicing Cahir’s advice on him so he could be sure it worked when he talked to Jaskier.

A soft, shy smile crossed Cahir’s face, making him look younger and much less severe. “That obvious? It’s my anniversary today. I want to make it special.”

“Maybe bring them a gift that they’ll like?” Geralt offered with an amused smile. “I have it on good authority that it works.”

Laughing, Cahir clapped Geralt on the shoulder. “Best of luck. Now go get your man.”

Finding Jaskier wasn’t an issue, Geralt just had to follow the sound of laughter and singing. Unsurprisingly, Jaskier was sat with a gigantic sparkler while Lambert was packing away. Those two were a dangerous combination at the best of times and Geralt knew Jaskier had, on more than one occasion, dropped by the writers’ room to posit new ideas that centred around more pyrotechnics. The ideas had obviously come from Lambert but they were mostly good so got used surprisingly frequently.

“Aha! My companion for the evening has arrived!” Jaskier hopped off the box he had been swinging his legs off and approached Geralt. “What say you? Dinner. You and me. We enjoy this rare evening off with some good company and good food.”

“Sounds good,” Geralt agreed readily, it saved him having to ask Jaskier.

Turning back, Jaskier waved at Lambert. “Enjoy your anniversary this evening! Make sure you can walk properly tomorrow though!”

Another anniversary. While Geralt had been feeling quite confident about asking Jaskier out, the news that it was yet another person’s anniversary somewhat ruined the idea. Geralt knew Jaskier liked to be unique, adored being different to everyone else. To ask him out now and share an anniversary with three people they knew, it felt a little less special. Mood taking a bit of a dive, Geralt slouched next to Jaskier as they walked towards the cars.

“Why the glum face?” Typically, nothing went over Jaskier’s head. “Would you prefer a night of solitude?”

Shaking his head, Geralt resigned himself to the knowledge that Jaskier would wheedle until he got the truth out of him. So he saved them both a lot of time and agony. “It’s stupid.”

“Nothing’s ever stupid, just needs to be valued correctly.”

“I wanted to ask you something. But make it special. It’s not special though, not today. Maybe I’ll try tomorrow.”

That made not a lick of sense to Jaskier and he frowned, bumping his shoulder against Geralt’s. “Just ask.”

“But it won’t be special. Three other couples we know have an anniversary today.”

A soft laugh from Jaskier pulled him from his grumblings. “So many people have their anniversaries every day. It’s not like one single day can be declared as only one couple’s.”

For someone so smart, Jaskier sure wasn’t putting the pieces together to solve just what Geralt was trying to say.

“But would you really want an anniversary when Lambert, Eskel and Cahir each have theirs too?” It was actually a little odd, now that Geralt thought of it. Three good friends all sharing an anniversary.

There was a moment of silence before Jaskier was rounding on Geralt, hands on his shoulders to stop him mid-walk.

“Dear heart, please tell me I’m hearing this wrong. Firstly, if I was so lucky as to have an anniversary, I wouldn’t care who I shared it with. I would love to simply have one, especially if you’re offering to have one with me. Secondly, please tell me you know why those three all have their anniversary date today.”

Mind whirring, Geralt tried to process everything Jaskier had just said. He picked the easier bit to reply to first. “They were on a night out together and met their partners at the same time? Bit like how people date within the same friendship groups or even date siblings?”

Face falling, Jaskier cursed under his breath. “And I thought I wasn’t being obvious enough. Oh dear. Geralt, those three, it’s their anniversary together. As in they’re all dating each other. And Aiden is at home, waiting for them. He got the day off today too.”

Geralt’s jaw fell slack. He couldn’t quite believe it. “They-they’re together?!”

“And they’ve not been subtle at all about it!” Jaskier was laughing. “I love you but you are so dumb, I swear.”

That forced Geralt back into the moment and he smiled. “I love you too.”

He didn’t expect an enthusiastic kiss out in the open but he really didn’t mind it at all. With a huff of a laugh Geralt returned it, arms wrapping around Jaskier’s waist.

“Come on then,” Jaskier finally said as he broke away. I believe we have our zero-th anniversary to have and make a solid start on new traditions. I think we should order takeaway as a treat for our anniversaries from now on.”

Laughing, Geralt linked their hands. He liked the idea of anniversary traditions. Jaskier most definitely had the best ideas.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

The Perfect Bad Boy (Pt. 15 of 18)

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader

Word count: 3 K

Summary: Working as a lifeguard in the Hawkins Community Pool, you try to fit in after moving from New York. Things were going pretty well when you notice you've been under someone's stare. Billy Hargrove, Hawkins' bad boy, has been staring at you since day one. You never intended to have anything to do with him, judging by the reputation he has. But Billy won't leave you alone, determined to show you his feelings are different this time...

As if your heart flooding you with confusing feelings wasn't enough, there are weird, strange animals lurking in the woods... But those have to be just part of the wild live of the woods surrounding Hawkins... Right?

<- Previous part (14)

Next part (16) ->

{Stranger Things Masterlist}

×

Missing

There are seven holes. Seven. But they aren't seven different nests, they're tunnels, with seven openings to the surface of the Earth. You only know that because Eleven spent the whole night focused on finding them, seated in the living room of Joyce's place, a piece of fabric covering her eyes. The map from before remained on the floor beside her, and she reached out to draw where the tunnels reach. You barely had any sleep, just the pair of hours you slept with your head on Billy's shoulder, seated on the couch, but someone's voice woke you up.

Relief fills your heart when the morning comes. During the night, you could only think about those things lurking around. After a quick shower, and using one of Eleven's shirt, you go to the kitchen and decide to have breakfast there, where you can be alone. Eating a bowl of cereal, you run a hand through your hair, trying to understand how are you going back to the pool today and act like none of this is happening.

“Hey, princess,” Billy says, coming into the kitchen. Hair is still wet and wearing only his jacket. “Are you ok?”

“I'm trying to be.” Pushing the bowl away, you watch as he makes himself the same meal you had. “Wondering how am I going to work today.”

“Wanna stay here? I can tell Anthony that you're sick. If he even shows up.”

“No. It'll be worse if I stay.” You're confused, not sure what's the best or what's worse. But at least in the pool you'll have something normal going on.

“Hey, you two,” Joyce says as she comes in. Her voice gets your attention, and when you look at her after exchanging a glance with Billy, you see that Hopper is right behind her, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed together. “How are you two doing?”

“Uhm... Good.” It sounds like a question. Joyce sits at the table, with Hopper standing behind her. He has the chief face on, and you have no idea why. “Everything alright? Are we in trouble or something?” Gesturing at you and Billy, and cross your legs, an eye on the clock because you'll still need to stop by home to get the swimsuit.

“No, of course not. It's just that the kids were talking about something and–”

“Are you two living together?" Hopper speaks up, swallowing Joyce's words. She gives him a hard stare, and there's some kind of conversation going on through facial expressions that you can't understand.

“Yes.” You answer, not sure why you're in this situation in the first place. You feel like you're having the talk with Diane all over again. Diane. You have to call her, just to make sure everything is alright. “Why?”

“There were some rumors running around that–”

“That Billy Hargrove got some chick pregnant.” Hopper again. But this time Joyce slaps his arm.

“We agreed you'd let me do this.” She whispers.

“Then just get to the damn point.” He snaps back.

With wide eyes, you look at Billy. He doesn't seem bothered by this, peacefully eating his cereal. There's a smile on his lips that he tries to hold back, but you know him far too well now. You can see it. He's having fun.

“Look, guys, Uhm... These rumors started after I fainted on the pool, but it was from heat exhaustion, so...” Deciding to just end whatever this is, you speak up, kicking Billy's leg and whispering to him. “Say something.”

“(Y/N), honey, do your parents know about that?”

This makes you laugh, but then you remember Joyce doesn't know about your relationship, or better saying, the lack of it. “No, and I don't plan on doing that. But my aunt Diane does.”

“And she allowed it?” Hopper takes his time pronouncing every word as if this is absurd. “You're lucky you're not my daughter.”

“Hopper, just...” Joyce mumbles, her voice fading. “We just wanted to make sure you guys are... You know... Going somewhere with this. Living together is something really big and important to do.”

“I'll only say two things.” Billy finally makes his presence known, getting up and throwing his bowl in the sink. “First of all, I'm planning on marrying (Y/N). Second, we better go now or we'll be late. Again.”

There's a weird buzz in your ears as Billy takes your hand and starts pulling you with him. Joyce and Hopper have wide eyes, mouth half-open, in shock. You're not that different, and all your body is able to do is keep following Billy outside and to his car. You're silently looking through the window as he drives, but you're doing that on purpose, just to get back at him for saying that out of the blue.

“Aren't you gonna say anything?” He asks parking in front of the house.

“Absolutely not.” Stepping out of the car, you don't wait for him, heading inside. “If you really wanna do what you said, I'll patiently wait until you propose, Hargrove.” Turning around just enough to wink at him, you bite back a smile.

You're quick to get ready and manage not to be late. The song is blasting when Billy pulls over on his parking spot, and the moment the song is gone, you hear the chattering, noticing three police cars.

Your heart skips a beat when you leave the car, taking a deep breath. “Hey,” Billy calls, taking your hand. “Let's check what happened before jumping to conclusions, ok?”

“Ok.” Holding his arm, you move to the entrance, where a small crowd gathers. Hopper is here, and by the messy way of his clothes, he had to run over here. He immediately notices you and Billy, a sad look on his face. And that's when you see Monica, running a hand through her hair, tears glistening on her cheeks.

“Mon?” Calling, you let go of Billy and runs to her. Monica breaks a little bit when she sees you, and you're quick to hug her. “Mon, what happened?”

“It's Jason. My cousin is missing, (Y/N).” She cries on your shoulder, and you close your eyes tight because the first thing that comes to your head is probably what got him. The Demodogs. “He went out yesterday to buy dinner a-and his mom called mine saying he was taking long and...” You pull away, holding her hands. “...that was early evening yesterday. And he's still missing. The family spent the whole night looking for him and–”

“Mon, I'm sure we'll find him.” It's hard to lie. It's even harder not to break down in front of her. “Maybe he felt bad and fainted or something like that. We'll find him.”

“I hope so.”

“I'll drive you home, ok? Billy can keep the pools safe for one day.”

When she nods, drying off some tears, you make your way over him, who's talking to Hopper. He probably already knows, but you try to keep a straight face.

“Come here, princess.” He opens his arms and you don't even hesitate, hugging him tightly. “I'm so sorry. But we'll find him. The party is already aware of everything.” Whispering on my ear, Billy places a kiss on the top of your hair.

“I...” Getting rid of the single tear that escaped your efforts to hold it back, you pull away. “I'll take her home, she's very shaken. Can you just keep an eye–”

“Keep an eye on the kids, of course.” He bends over to kiss you, and your arms, almost automatically, move to be around his neck. “I'll pick you up after work, ok? I love you.”

“I love you.” It still makes you blush to hear those words, but you absolutely love to say it back. After one last kiss, you part ways.

Monica talks as you drive to her place, sharing memories with her cousin. Some of them you already know, but you don't stop her, laughing and making silly comments, trying to keep her mind away from the fact that Jason is missing.

Your mind also starts remembering. Obviously, you didn't have all the time around Jason that Monica had, but he was one of the first people you met when you got here. He's always smiling, carrying his siblings around, always complaining, but always happy to be with them. Jason is funny, even when he's the only one who actually gets his jokes.

Jason is missing.

Demidogs need a lot of food. An almost 6 feet tall male human has a lot of meat.

Shaking your head lightly, you push these thoughts away. No breaking down now. Monica needs you strong, to keep her strong too. Her family is either at Jason's or still looking, so you're alone. Both of you stay seated on her bed, and you give her your shoulder when she starts crying again. He's gone for one night and she's already losing it... If anything bad happens...

Her parents return home a couple of hours later, thankful to you for taking her back home. You drag her into the living room, turning the TV on this random movie and trying to convince her to pay some attention. You can hear her parents in the kitchen, making lunch, but you also hear when her mother cries, the low, cracking voice as she talks to her husband. It's getting hard by the minute to stay here, pretending you don't know what probably happened, but if you cry, if you start doubting Jason is ok, Monica will break apart.

A knock on the door, an unusually loud and frenetic knock, gets your attention. Looking over your shoulder, you see as Monica's father goes to answer it.

“Hi. Is (Y/N) here?” You hear a feminine voice, and you soon recognize it's Nancy.

Excusing yourself, you get up. “Yes, she's–”

“Hey.” You go to the front door, seeing Nancy and two cars in the sidewalk, many eyes looking at you. “Something wrong?”

“Sorry, but we need you. Uhm... Maxine is sick. We need to have a doctor check on her.”

“What?” You exclaim, running a hand through your hair. “Mon.” Calling her, you quickly make your way back to the living room. “I'm so sorry, but Maxine is feeling ill, I have to go. But I promise I'll call you later, ok?”

“Sure. Go help.” She says, nodding and clearing her throat since her voice is all clouded by her crying.

“Stay calm, honey. Jason is alright, I'm sure.” Another lie. You shouldn't make promises you don't know if you can keep. Giving her a quick hug, you run outside, muttering a goodbye to Mon's father as Nancy does the same.

“We'll go looking for him.” She says in a low voice as you move toward the cars. “We don't stand still when shit happens.”

Her choice of words makes you raise your eyebrows. You never heard her saying anything like that. “Thanks.” Muttering, you seat shotgun in Steve's car as she goes to Jonathan's. There are four kids on the back seat, fighting for some more space. You're happy to see Max is alright. For a moment, you thought she was really sick.

You park in the woods, and there are already some people here. Everyone but Hopper, because he has to be in the official search party, and Billy. God, you wish Billy was here.

“Alright, let's do this,” Mike says, and he freely starts separating you in groups. “Eleven and Will with me. Lucas, Jonathan, and Robin. Uhm... Max, Steve, and (Y/N). Joyce–”

“Why are you messing up the groups, man. I wanna go with Max.” Lucas complains and Mike rolls his eyes. “Groups of four, as usual.”

“Since when?”

“Alright, just gather in groups, c'mon, guys,” Joyce says, eyeing both her kids until they go to stand by her side, alongside Nancy.

You move to stand with Max and Lucas, and after playing rock, paper, scissors with Robin, Steve comes to your group. You raise your eyebrows at him, trying to get why they had to use that method to choose a group. “Nobody wants to be with these two lovebirds.” He says when he's close enough.

“That's something I can understand.” There's no doubt Max and Lucas are into each other, but they're constantly fighting. It's funny to watch, actually.

“Let's get started then, guys. Be careful, pay attention to the radios, and let's find Jason.” Joyce announces, taking over Hopper's role in this.

And everyone starts moving, each group in a different direction. You're going to the holes first, just to check, and then you'll cover a specific area. Max and Lucas are once again responsible for the map and walk a couple of feet ahead.

“Hey. Take this.” Steve gets your attention, taking the bat from his backpack and handing it over to you. “I know Jason was a close friend of yours. Sorry this happened.”

“Yeah.” You lay the bat over your shoulder, careful not to entangle your hair in the nails. “I really thought it couldn't get any worse but life proved me wrong.”

“I remember when Will went missing. I was a total jerk back then so I didn't really care.” You glance over to Steve, and he has an apologetic look on his face. “They found the body and there was a funeral. But the body was fake and Will was fine in the end.”

“Someone should make a movie out of that story.” You mumble, taking a deep breath. “Do you think Jason could be in the... Upside Down?”

“No. According to Eleven, no portals were open. The Demodogs just made these woods into their new home and are doing what it takes to survive.” Through the corner of your eyes, you see when he almost slips, opening his arms slightly to regain balance. “Don't laugh.” He says, but you're already chuckling. “Anyway, wherever he is, he's here.”

“Why don't we tell Eleven to just use her powers and find him. Wouldn't it be easier?”

“These woods are huge. And we usually just do that when it's the last resource.” Lucas answers.

“We don't like pushing her. It always brings back sad memories.”

That's something you can understand perfectly. “We do it the old way then.” You've seen how complicated it is. Eleven's nose wouldn't stop bleeding while she was figuring out the tunnels, and after while blood came out of her ears too. As much as you want to find Jason, you'd never ask her or the party to do something just so you'd feel better. They're in it far longer than you, so you trust them to make the decisions and set the pace. “I just hope he's alright. He's Monica's cousin, and she's worried to death.”

“Yeah, I get that.” It doesn't go unnoticed how Steve doesn't make false promises as you did with Monica. He doesn't say he's ok, that you'll find him. Running a hand through your hair, you take a deep breath, confused between having hopes or just expecting the worse. “So, changing the subject.” He speaks again. “You and Hargrove. I never thought Billy would actually fall in love.”

A smile comes to your lips, and you're thankful for having something else to think about. “Yeah. It took a while for me to believe that but he... He worked hard.” Involuntary, your hand goes for the necklace, fingers playing with the earring.

“Joyce and Hopper were saying something about marriage...” It sounds like a question, and you give Steve a glance, giggling. “They were trying not to let anyone hear them but Hopper doesn't really know how to whisper.”

By the heat spreading through your cheeks, you know you're blushing. Could it be real? Would Billy marry you? Is he really considering such a thing? “We spoke about it, Uhm... Twice, I think. But not a real conversation, he just spilled it out.”

“Holy shit, he's going serious with you then.” He playfully elbows your arm. By what you've seen and by what Max told you, Steve usually grows protective of everyone since he joined the party, and you think it's cute. He's like everyone's babysitter. “Send me an invitation, would you?”

“I will.”

“You–”

Maxine's yell cuts him short, getting your attention as you notice you have fallen behind. Immediately, you and Steve start running towards then.

“Man, that's...” Lucas says as Max hugs him, eyes tightly shut.

You're about to ask them what the hell happened when you follow Lucas' scared stare.

It's a weird sensation when you're brain refuses to take in the information. When your eyes, focused on something, are blind. And your ears are deaf and the wind blowing doesn't touch your skin. It's like you're not there.

Jason's body is stuck between a big rock and a dead tree. His torso is opened up, and there's nothing inside.

As there's nothing inside Jason anymore. He's empty. Body and soul. There will be no laughter leaving his lips, no more jokes, no more arms to carry his baby siblings around. Nothing. Just flesh and bones, both ripped apart.

“(Y/N).” You're sure it's not the first time you hear someone calling your name, but you're not even sure where it comes from.

You only move when an arm pulls you, and you feel it around you. “We have to go. C'mon.” Steve says, and, far and distant, you hear static, and voices, coming from the radio. “(Y/N).”

“I need Billy.” It's the only thing that comes to your head, and you find a way to force the words out of your throat.

“Alright, let's go,” Steve says, and you're only set on motion because of his arm around your shoulders.

Everything is a blur. You notice people moving around, and some of them come to hug you as they start regrouping near the cars. Nodding and thanking their kind words, you remain silent, arms crossed, the image still burning in your brain.

Jason's rib cage broken open, the blood staining his clothes and the ground around him. His head twisted in an awkward way, neck probably disconnected from the body.

“Let's get moving. She wants to talk to Billy.”

“The pool will close in an hour. Take her home.”

“No, she's scaring me. We need to take her to Billy.” Max intervenes, and Steve pulls you to his car. You let Max seat shotgun, feeling better in the backseat where you can curl into a ball, knees pressed against your chest as the landscape passes by.

It reminds you the first time you saw that thing. You were trying to beat Billy, driving back to your place. Maybe, if you had gone to the police station the next day, let them know something was out there, you could've avoided this. But who would believe you? You didn't believe it either. What are you going to tell Monica? After saying things would be ok, that they would find Jason alive and well when you knew being out in the woods all night long probably meant he'd become Demodog's meal.

You knew it, yet you lied. Vain hope is the worst kind of hope, and that's what you gave her.

“(Y/N).” Steve gets your attention, touching your shoulder. “We're at the pool.”

Blinking a few times to wake up from the stupor, you bolt out of the car, making your way to the entrance. It's crowded today, but you don't see faces, you just see obstacles.

It finally starts kicking in.

You went to find Jason, and you did. But instead of the dear friend you so easily grew to love, you found a dead, empty corpse. The tears threat to overflow as you rudely bump into people, making your way through the pool. At a distance, you see the moment Billy finally notices the commotion, his eyes quick to find you. By the way his face changes, the way he takes off his sunglasses and jumps to the ground, shoving people out of his way, you must be looking terrible.

But you don't care. Billy is everything you need, the only thing you see and you know you can break down in his arms. You just need to reach him, and when you do, you collapse against his chest, not able to hold back the tears anymore, the sobs building up your throat as you hold onto him.

“I'm so sorry,” Billy mumbles in your ear. He knows. How could he not?

You suddenly feel him lifting you up, and you hide your teary face on the crook of his neck. Seconds later you're at the locker room, and Billy screams for the other girls to get out as he puts you down, seated on one of the benches.

“I'm so sorry, (Y/N).” He repeats, kneeled before you, thumbs coming to dry off some tears, just to make space for more.

“I saw him. H-he was all eaten, Billy. His body was-his body was wide open and everything was gone–”

“Stop, stop.” He begs, pulling you into a hug. “You don't have to tell me, not now.” Nodding, you take in his scent, feeling safe, secure, despite the terror creeping under your skin. “I'll take you home, ok?”

“No.” You mutter, pulling away just enough so you're foreheads are touching. You don't know what comes to you, but this has to be said. This feeling has to be let out. Not after, not tomorrow. Now. Maybe it's the fact that you saw death for the very first time. You just need to let him know “You're my home.”

×

@chloe-skywalker @dpaccione @dreamin-of-dacre @funeral-7 @uncookspaget @youhavemyfantasticbeasts @halloweenbitch2764 @redlovett @multific @shinydixon @nikkixostan @clockworkballerina @nope-thanks

[violetwolfraven]

Willie Headcanons

So I actually came up with this like a month ago and forgot to post it. Anyway enjoy my headcanons about our favorite sk8er boi. Be ready for feels.

Tw: death, car accident mention, emotional manipulation.

...

In my mind, Willie had a good relationship with his parents. They were supportive and everything. They both loved Willie very much.

And Willie has youngest child energy so I’m saying he has a sister who’s 2 years older and a brother who’s 5 years older. Their names are Delilah and Austin.

AND ALL THREE OF THEM ARE ADRENALINE JUNKIES.

Seriously imagine the worst possible combination of head empty only skateboarding and you’ve got Willie, Delilah, and Austin.

Austin started skating when he was 7 and got Delilah hooked on it a year later.

Their parents kinda didn’t like the idea of it but those two had already started teaching Willie basic stuff by the time he was 3.

But... the other two had other interests. Delilah was into art (painting) and Austin played piano (like, really well).

For Willie, skateboarding was his thing. And it always was.

He had fun with it when his big brother would put his hands on his and teach him to play a bit, or his sister would give him some paint and a spare canvas and they’d doodle together, but it wasn’t like skating.

As far as I’ve seen (which admittedly isn’t that far) it’s widely accepted that Willie has ADHD so I’m leaning into that here.

And Willie inherited his brain from his dad, who had a bad experience with meds and so wouldn’t let any of his kids go through it.

So Willie grew up unmedicated but probably better off for the time period. His dad taught him coping mechanisms. Him and Austin. Delilah didn’t inherit it but she was taught to empathize with her brothers and recognize when they needed her help with something.

She’s a badass who can and does beat up anybody who’s mean to her brothers for missing social cues.

But anyway while Austin had piano (and skating as a side thing) Willie got even more hooked on skateboarding than either of his siblings because his brain latched onto it from a young age and couldn’t let go.

We all have our outlets. The chaos in our brains has to go somewhere. For Willie it goes into skating.

When he’s young he and his siblings will skateboard to school and then after school they’ll skate all around Hollywood for hours.

They do their homework in random McDonalds and Denny’s and tbh become local cryptid customers. Like they’re just these 3 super friendly skater siblings who tip really well and visit every fast food place within a 20 mile radius of their house with varying frequency.

They also find e v e r y skatepark, empty pool, and vacant lot in that 20 mile radius that they can possibly find.

Their parents have to bail them out of jail for trespassing and the occasional vandalism every so often.

Sometimes one of them has stuff to do and it’s just two of them out skating but if two of them are busy the other one never goes out alone cause it’s dangerous. We’ll get back to that later.

So anyway when they’re 17, 14, and 12, Delilah comes out as a lesbian.

And the family is supportive of course because they’re a good family.

But her coming out gets Willie thinking. About how some of his friends have crushes on girls but he just... doesn’t see the appeal.

Like he has a couple friends who are girls and they’re great and he likes hanging out with them at recess but he doesn’t get the hype. They’re just more friends. So he doesn’t really see what his big sister is so interested in either.

In my mind Willie actually is from around the same time as the boys (dying in like 1999) so one day while nobody else in their house is home he and Delilah are watching Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Willie’s again wondering why people think Leia is so hot cause she’s cool and all but Luke is right there and he looks really good and—

Willie: I think I might be gay.

Delilah: Yeah I know.

They talk about it and Willie does decide to tell the rest of the family but he’s a bit wary about anyone else because he saw how some of Delilah’s friends turned on her after she came out. He doesn’t want that to happen to him.

He does end up telling a few of his friends but he doesn’t quite not care what people think of him the way his big sister does.

Austin is the only straight one and he’s like. So awkward about it but in a sweet way.

Austin: So, Britney Spears is hot, right?

Delilah: Stop.

And

Austin: So I saw you hanging around Chris the other day are you two..?

Willie: ...no...???

Austin: Cool, yeah I didn’t think so. Just had to make sure. Not that I’m doubting your ability to get boys but I’d have to shovel talk him if you were.

Willie: If I ever do get a boyfriend, please don’t.

He tries. He’s a himbo if that wasn’t clear. Where did you think Willie learned it?

So anyway fast forward a couple years and they’re 22, 19, and 17. Austin and Delilah are both in college and Willie’s the last one left at home and things between their parents start getting... tense.

Like they don’t fight exactly but they’ve fallen out of love and things are awkward.

Even Austin and Delilah can tell and they’re only home on breaks and some weekends but for Willie it’s right there and he’s watching it happen. He has no option but to see.

They used to have a rule that they don’t go skating alone because it’s dangerous but Willie just can’t make himself stay home so he goes out skateboarding.

At first it’s never too far from home or anywhere where there’s too much traffic but as things get increasingly awkward at home he goes out farther and farther, chasing the adrenaline high he used to get from going anywhere and everywhere every day after school with his siblings.

Then his parents officially tell him they’re getting divorced and

And it’s not like he couldn’t see it coming, but... it still hurts.

And neither of his siblings are coming home any time soon so

So he goes out skating on his own, way too far from home. He keeps going until he doesn’t even know where he is anymore.

He isn’t really paying attention the way he should but that’s not why he runs into trouble.

The driver of that red pickup is drunk and he rounds the corner out of nowhere.

If Delilah or Austin had been there they could have yelled for Willie to jump out of the way, or maybe up on the hood so the impact wouldn’t be as bad, but he’s alone.

So he gets hit, and the car was going fast enough that he’s dead before he even hits the pavement.

After that there’s a lot of confusion but once Willie figures out he’s a ghost... it’s too painful to think about going home, so he just... doesn’t.

He doesn’t want to see his family mourning him, so he just distracts himself, skating everywhere he couldn’t before without getting busted.

Plus some old routes where he used to go with Delilah and Austin, just for something that’s familiar but not too familiar.

He’s on one of those more familiar routes a few weeks after his death when he’s skating down Sunset Boulevard one night, singing along to Toxic by Britney Spears blasting from a nearby club and a man dressed in a purple suit comments on how he’s got a good voice.

Honestly Willie is just so relieved to have someone to talk to that he forgets about stranger danger completely.

Plus he recognizes an Elder Gay in Caleb and assumes he can trust him because the Elder Gays he met at pride that one time he went with Delilah were so nice and understanding of how reassuring it was to see queer people of older generations who got a happy ending.

Caleb barely even has to try. He just lets this 17-year-old obviously-queer ghost rant at him for a few minutes, asks a few questions and finds out that he also can play piano, and convinces him to come to the Hollywood Ghost Club the next night.

From there it’s not like Willie has anyone to save him so of course he has to join the club.

At first he’s completely alone because the other performers scare him almost as much as Caleb does.

Then slowly, he sees how they give him space because they know he’s scared of them. How they turn a blind eye when he leaves the club without permission. How they don’t critique his mistakes with the same sarcasm they show each other.

Willie starts to realize that the other performers are doing their best to look out for him, and he starts being less afraid.

They’re all too concerned with their own survival to really protect him but if they draw some attention to themselves occasionally so Caleb doesn’t notice Willie being slow to pick up some tricky choreography, that’s not too risky.

The others are all like 21 at the youngest and they really don’t appreciate Caleb tricking a literal child into working for him no matter how talented said child is. (Cause Willie is good at singing and piano. It’s just not his passion.)

The twins are 22 but they died in 1925 and before that they were performing to support a younger brother who they never got to say goodbye to so maybe they see Willie as a kind of second chance.

Lyssa (what I decided to name drummer woman because I don’t know her real name if she has one) is 25 and she died in 1984. She had a daughter who’d be about Willie’s age now and... who knows? Maybe they were friends.

Fuego is 24 and from 1951 and he had a childhood best friend who enlisted and died in WWII that he thought he might get to see when he died but that boy moved on and so... well, Willie’s just a little younger than his friend was the last time he saw him.

In short Willie becomes everyone’s baby brother and they do what they can to look out for him even if they’re just as scared of Caleb as he is.

And the better adjusted Willie gets to (after)life at the HGC and the better they get to know him, the guiltier the others start to feel about him being stuck there.

Eventually a combination of guilt and worked-up courage leads Fuego tells him about the whole unfinished business thing, in hopes maybe he can figure his out and get away from Caleb.

It doesn’t take Willie long to think of his family, how hopeless he felt about the divorce, how worried he was it would change everything and then how scared he was to see his family in pain because of his death.

He realizes his unfinished business is probably seeing them. Letting himself say goodbye.

He almost gets away with it.

Caleb catches up and stops him in the driveway of his house and poofs them back to the HGC.

He convinces (gaslights) Willie into believing that saying goodbye was never his unfinished business and even if it was it’s not like it would matter because Caleb wouldn’t let him do it.

The next morning he ships the HGC out to Tokyo. They stay on the move for a long time and when they are in town, Willie is basically locked in his room.

The next time he’s allowed out in Hollywood, his parents don’t live in their old house anymore and he has no way to find them.

As a coping mechanism, he just starts making the best of a bad situation. Becoming better friends with the other ghosts. Helping soften the blow whenever someone new comes along.

None of that means he stops checking the faces of passing skaters or keeping eyes on restaurants his folks used to like, but it does mean he more or less gives up hope.

That’s what he’s doing when he bumps into Alex.

Look, Willie loves his friends at the HGC. He really does. But there’s a big difference between 17 and 20-something. Like the others will drink alcohol some nights and technically Willie was born over 21 years ago but he still feels weird enough about it that he doesn’t drink.

He hasn’t talked to anyone his age in a long time so Alex is a breath of fresh air.

Also he’s like. Really cute. And sweet. And funny. And shit, Willie’s fallen for him before he even has time to think about it.

He keeps thinking about how Alex doesn’t seem like he’d be physically capable of hurting someone on purpose so Austin would approve and every once in a while there’s that sarcasm that pops out which means he’d get along great with Delilah.

In general Alex is the kind of guy he would’ve loved to take home to meet the family. Them not included, he’s kind of... everything Willie’s missed about Hollywood in the form of one person.

Then they hang out more and Alex is still everything he’s missed but he’s also so much more than that and...

It almost feels like a part of Alex is still alive. And for the first time in years, a part of Willie feels alive, too.

They’ve known each other for like a week tops and Willie is already in love.

Not that he’s admitting that to anyone, because he’s learned the hard way that anyone you care about can be used against you.

Still... when Alex asks for help getting revenge on Bobby, he can’t bring himself to say no because he needs to keep Alex in his (after)life and the only way he knows how to do that (or to make people be nice to him in general) is to be as useful as possible.

That turns out to be a big mistake, because Caleb sees right through him in an instant, targets Alex to confirm it, then immediately starts the process to trick the boys into committing to eternity at the HGC.

Willie feels like an idiot for thinking he could actually get away with it. Doing something good for someone he cares about.

He hadn’t thought Caleb would be interested in them because he’d never actually heard them play. The assumption was that he’d make them do some small favor and then let them talk to their bandmate for 5 minutes. A clean deal where they never have to commit to anything. Willie forgot to take magic into account.

He almost manages to convince himself it was all a bad dream, but when he seeks out Alex and his friends to check on them, he can almost feel the jolts himself, and seeing Alexthem in pain feels terrible.

Willie knows that theoretically they could figure out their unfinished business and cross over, but that all depends on finding it and doing it fast enough and if they failed...

People you care about can be used against you. And Willie does not want to be used against Alex again. He doesn’t want to see Alex used against him.

So he keeps his distance, in hopes Caleb will think he lost interest. He’s pretty sure once the boys find out about the stamp they’ll hate him, anyway.

And plus, as he’s been taught by his friends at the HGC, you have to look out for yourself because no one else will do it for you. Maybe you hurt somebody by not standing up for them, but you can apologize later and hope they forgive you. You can’t apologize if you’re gone, and it’s not like it would make a difference anyway because Caleb is too powerful for anyone to beat.

The thought of how spending eternity with Alex might not be so bad even if it has to be at the HGC does come up, but ironically that’s what makes Willie decide to screw his courage to the sticking point and tell them.

Because he has seen what decades at the club has done to his friends.

They’re all great performers, and they perform happiness well even to each other, but Willie knows them enough to know how tired they all are. How they have been doing the same thing over and over again for decades and they are sick of it.

They’re young, talented tragedies lost to drug overdoses, or AIDS, or accidents, or suicide, and they should’ve gotten to rest after everything they went through in their lives. Instead, they got a curse disguised as a blessing. They got to stay on a stage, got to keep performing and soaking up applause, never got to stop.

Willie has been there a shorter time than most of them and he feels it. The exhaustion, because ghosts are supposed to haunt for a few years then figure out their unfinished business and move on. They’re not meant to be trapped for decades, used as party tricks.

A part of Alex still feels alive and being trapped in the Hollywood Ghost Club for years on end would kill that part of him.

Willie can’t let that happen, so as hard as it is...

He tells the boys what’s wrong with them. And by that hurt, betrayed look in Alex’s eyes, he’s honestly expecting him to never forgive him.

But then Alex does. And that almost hurts worse because whether he figures out his unfinished business or not, Willie doubts he’s ever going to see him again.

He honest to God almost cries when Alex hugs him because... shit, he hasn’t gotten a hug since he was breathing.

He goes back to the HGC and tries to go about his day, and keeps replaying how good it felt to have Alex’s arms around him, hoping that memory will get him through the next few decades on his own.

The ghosts at the club do actually gossip a fair amount and by this point all of them know about the 3 dead members of Sunset Curve.

So when Willie admits to Helen (what I’m calling one of the twins) that Alex hugging him was the first time he’d gotten a hug since he died, she hugs him tight for a good 20 seconds, telling him she’s sorry he has to lose him, and if Willie closes his eyes he can almost pretend it’s Delilah.

The next thing he knows, he’s locked in a closet.

Caleb comes to talk to (intimidate) him a few hours later, saying he knows what Willie did.

He’s magically locked in his room alone for a couple weeks after that and it’s essentially psychological torture.

Helen, Anna (what I decided to call the other twin), Dante, Fuego, Lyssa, and everyone else tell him not to test Caleb for the next couple years, but Willie has a heart full of love and a head full of fuck it, so he doesn’t listen.

He gives it exactly one day of being/acting scared and obedient, then goes out without permission again, fully intending to scream in a museum alone to let out all his feelings.

Remember: Willie didn’t see the Orpheum performance. He doesn’t know the boys didn’t cross over but by Caleb’s mood he has a feeling the outcome of that scenario was not in the magician’s favor.

He gets there and it’s literally this comic by the very talented @williessweatycherrysocks

He can’t stay long but he and Alex scream in each other’s faces, talk a bit, maybe sing a duet.

After that, they sneak to see each other when they can but don’t get to see much of each other for months.

It’s hard on both of them but they don’t give up on their relationship.

Through long and complicated events which I will outline later, Willie eventually gets free of the HGC, hugs his friends goodbye already making plans to take down Caleb for good to free them, too, and promptly declines an offer to stay in the Molinas’ garage.

As much as he wants to be close to Alex he’s done being confined to one place.

He still comes and visits like every day tho.

He knows a lot more about ghosting than the other boys do so he and Carlos get along amazingly like:

Carlos: So do you know who Jack the Ripper was?

Willie: No? How old do you think I am?

Carlos: I dunno but I thought it might be Caleb cause that would explain how he never got caught.

Willie, taking notes in his Things To Potentially Use To Take Caleb Down notebook: You’re a tiny genius.

No one was expecting it but everyone is in awe of how well he and Carrie get along. Between the two of them they know so much celebrity gossip. (and it’s definitely a good thing he’s on good terms with her cause she and Alex are close)

On the angsty side, Willie also bonds with Nick over how they both know how it feels to be manipulated and used by Caleb.

Also it takes a long time before he’s able to trust him, but he does get adopted into the Molina clan by Ray.

Ray reminds him a lot of his own dad, once Willie’s able to see that he’s nothing like Caleb.

Ray’s honestly just 100% happy to Dad™️ anyone who needs a dad so it works out great once Julie and the boys figure out how to make Willie visible.

But anyway back to important stuff.

Now that they don’t have to hide for any reason, Willie and Alex can both breathe a little easier. Or... they both feel better. Ghosts don’t really breathe.

Willie can finally let himself get used to feeling alive again.

The whole ghost gang goes (invisibly) to the Los Feliz Homecoming dance and maybe it should make him feel a little on-edge with the kind of club-like environment but...

He’s got Alex there, and they’re dancing to some corny pop love song from the 90s that Flynn probably put on because she knew the ghost boys would be there so how could he feel anything but safe?

For a minute it almost feels like actually being alive and there’s yellow and pink and blue lights coming from everywhere reflecting in Alex’s eyes and Willie is suddenly very aware of the fact that though they’ve been together for a long time now, they haven’t had their first kiss.

Then the Cha Cha Slide starts up and the atmosphere switches and Willie totally forgets about the whole romantic tension thing because it’s the Cha Cha Slide everybody has to dance along.

Dirty Candi performs towards the end of the night and the ghost boys cheer the loudest despite how Julie’s laughing at them. They don’t care that Carrie can’t even hear them, they’re being supportive!!!

Everybody screams even louder when Flynn runs up on stage and kisses Carrie and Willie feels a big burst of affection at how Alex shouts ABOUT TIME!

Then he gives Willie a quick hug and leaves cause he and the rest of Julie and the Phantoms have to go get set up for their performance.

Since Alex was able to flip Carrie’s hair in All Eyes on Me I’m saying that ghosts can touch lifers if they focus and believe it will happen hard enough, so the ghost gang has developed a system for alerting their non-Julie lifer friends to their presence.

So while they’re waiting in the crowd Willie taps Carrie on the shoulder like: • - - one short tap, two long taps, a Morse code ‘W’ and Carrie lets Flynn know that he’s there.

(Nick can see him too but Nick’s off somewhere with his date {one of his lacrosse teammates you know the one})

Anyway so Julie goes out and starts up the song and then the rest of the band poofs in but

Something’s unusual.

Cause it’s not Luke on the lower main vocals.

It’s

Alex

Singing while he plays the drums and fucking killing it.

Willie totally bluescreens for a second but then when he actually focuses on the lyrics...

It’s a new song about beating the odds and being with the person you love in spite of the challenges that come with them.

And yeah there are Julie elements in there, (and she’s definitely making heart eyes at Luke even as he sticks to backup vocals) because of course there are since she has to start the song up, but

But Willie might not have any formal music training, but he was at the HGC long enough to know his stuff about music and recognize different artists’ styles.

And there’s a time signature switch on the bridge that’s a little off from how Luke would write it. There’s a swing to the melody that’s a bit more ‘pop’ than the band’s usual songs. Julie’s harmony doesn’t go as high as it normally would, as if whoever wrote the song didn’t have as high of an upper range to work with as she does.

The song is so unmistakably Alex that no one else could have written it.

Flynn and Carrie are quietly making smug comments on what they bet his face looks like right now but Willie’s not listening to them.

On the last chorus, Alex fucking winks at him right before poofing out.

Willie has whiplash like how did they go from him having to psych Alex up to break into a museum even when there’s zero chance of getting caught to Alex openly flirting with him from the stage?

He poofs backstage right as the boys get back from dropping their instruments back in the Molinas’ garage and he honestly doesn’t know what he even wants to say to convey how amazing that performance was.

Then Alex just smiles at him.

Alex: So I take it you liked the song?

Willie: Can I kiss you right now?

They both kinda freeze after he blurts that out and Reggie goes wow really quietly before he and Luke poof out to give them some privacy and whoops now they’re both flustered but

Alex: Wow, didn’t expect that. That’s... um, wow. But yeah.

They kiss and it’s a total romcom moment.

And the story’s far from over, but to Willie this definitely feels like happily ever after.

[kar-krashew]

life could be a dream [AO3]

Alec navigates first dates, second dates, and general panic, while accidentally making a friend along the way. He's not sure how to feel about any of that, but it seems to be going okay.

Rated T for language and implied sexual content.

@arsenic-creator for you, my lovely ❤ This is an interlude, of sorts, between the Cars AU and the planned Cars 2 AU :D

Alec is ninety percent sure whoever came up with the concept of first dates was a sadist; who else would devise a concept so nerve-wracking and excruciating? Currently, he’s in a random hotel in Spiral Springs, aptly named as he’s spent the last hour spiraling into insanity as he tries to figure out what normal people wear on first dates with people like Magnus Bane. He can’t even call Izzy, because she’s off on some “important work trip” with Jace. (That basically means that they’re going to be mysterious and vague during phone calls the whole time— and that’s only if they answer. He knows better than to ask.)

Thus, Alec has two options: suffer, and show up to his first date with Magnus in his normal shitty worn-out jeans and shirt, or suffer more, and ask someone in town for help. Unfortunately, the only other people available to him are Raphael (Alec is pretty sure he’d be found dead the next morning if he asked Raphael about dating advice), Ragnor (the man dresses like a reclusive British hermit, Alec really doesn’t think asking him will help), and Simon.

Shit.

“Do I really need someone else’s help?” Alec asks his own reflection in the mirror, “I look fine, right? And it’s not like Simon’s got a better idea of how these dates work.”

He looks great, honestly! Probably. He’s fine, as long as he ignores the suspicious fraying of his collar and the faded white patches on his jeans, and okay, he lied, he does not look fine.

Also, Simon’s had like three pretty steady girlfriends already. The kid must be doing something right.

“Shit,” Alec groans again— out loud this time, for intended effect— before taking a deep breath and grabbing his phone.

Fine. If it takes talking to Simon, he’s going to talk to Simon. Besides, how bad could it be?

---

Really bad. Like, really fucking bad; Alec had forgotten how annoying Simon is, and he’s regretting this decision wholeheartedly now.

“No one’s really asked me for dating advice before, you know,” Simon says from where he’s rummaging through Alec’s suitcase, “And of the people I would expect to ask me, you’re, like, last on that list. Not in a bad way or anything, it’s just weird, you know?”

Alec does know. This is the third time Simon has said this.

“Sure, totally,” he grits out, watching Simon carelessly toss his neatly folded clothing onto the hotel bed. Alec is going to have to reorganize the whole case after this is over, because these sorts of things have systems and the kid is ruining it. This was definitely more trouble than it’s worth.

“Yep. Anyway, wow, I’m no expert, but you really don’t have a lot of options in here.” Simon whistles, pauses for a minute, then upends the entire suitcase onto the mattress before Alec can intercept. God, Alec’s going to strangle him. “That’s better! So, you seem to only have, like, one decent button-down, and those always look nice. Maybe pair it with a tighter pair of jeans? Your jacket would look nice with this, too, though I’d leave it out in this weather.” Simon tosses the articles of clothing towards Alec as he speaks, hitting Alec squarely in the face, but he’s already been distracted by something else before he can register the glare being sent his way.

“Okay,” he says after another moment, “Show me what you got.”

Alec’s skeptical, to be frank, but he decides to indulge Simon anyway, so he heads to the bathroom and tries on the outfit and—

Oh.

Simon’s really not bad at this thing. Izzy probably could’ve picked something a little more flattering, but this is way better than whatever Alec was wearing earlier; he didn’t even know he’d remembered to bring this shirt when he’d packed his bags.

“Hey, man, you look great!” Simon beams. “I wasn’t totally sure that would work out, but you look awesome! Magnus is going to love it.”

“Thanks, Lewis,” Alec replies, and he’s surprised to realize he means it. Simon’s grin stretches out wider, somehow, and Alec doesn’t even feel that annoyed.

(Oh no, does this mean he tolerates Simon now?)

“It’s gonna go great, Alec, don’t worry about it,” Simon responds, oblivious to Alec’s internal turmoil— Alec is seriously having a breakdown over the fact that Simon has somehow made it onto the short list of people Alec doesn’t want to punch on sight, because what the fuck does that say about Alec’s standards? His reputation is on the line. “Magnus has lived here for a while, which means I know him well enough to tell you that you make him really happy.” Alec stares at him blankly.

“I— That means a lot, actually,” he manages, then they both just kind of. . . stand there for a minute. Alec isn’t sure how to process the fact that they seem to be having a moment when he was preparing to initiate anti-Lewis measures just seconds ago, so it’s almost a relief when Simon ruins it with the next thing that comes out of his mouth.

“I feel like a proud mother sending her kid to prom. Do I need to give you a sex talk? No one actually gave me that speech when I was younger, but I did improv in highschool, so I could probably work something out.”

Scratch whatever he said earlier; Alec hates him.

---

The trauma Simon inflicts on him is almost completely worth it when Alec sees the way Magnus checks him out for a moment. The other’s standing outside the entrance to some obscure Chinese restaurant, smiling warmly and turning Alec’s knees to jello with his low-cut blue tunic and shimmery eyeliner (not helped by the fact that he has managed to find pants that are even tighter than his usual leather ones— Alec’s going to die of a heart attack before they can even enter the establishment).

“Hey,” he says, trying not to look stupidly overwhelmed at Magnus’s answering smile, “You, uh, you look amazing.”

“I could say the same, Alexander. This shirt is definitely doing you favors,” Magnus replies, and Alec blushes.

“Would it be completely unattractive if I admitted Simon picked it out for me?” he asks, half-serious, but Magnus just laughs, taking Alec’s hand in his own.

“Of course not. Remind me to thank him next time we meet.”

The rest of the night goes by in a blur: Alec’s sure that the restaurant and everything was amazing, but it’s hard to notice things like ambiance and food when one has a front row seat to the wonder that is the gentle tilt of Magnus’s mouth. He spends the night being regaled with far-fetched anecdotes in between shameless bouts of flirting and giggling, and it’s nice, it’s really nice; alone, away from cameras and parents, just the two of them tucked away in a cozy little corner booth together.

It’s kind of the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to him.

Maybe first dates, Alec thinks, lying in bed later that night, the taste of lip gloss still faint on his tongue, aren’t too bad after all.

---

“Oh my gosh, are you going on dates and making friends? I’m so proud, my baby brother is all grown up,” Izzy sniffs over the phone, “Do we need to talk about safe sex?”

“Why is that the conclusion everyone draws? Do I look that repressed?” Alec groans, thinking back to Simon’s earlier pursuit to educate him on the carnal pleasures of the world. He’d managed to cut the kid off after the first use of the word “penetrative,” but it had been enough to fuel his nightmares for a solid two days afterwards. “Also, I’m older than you.”

“Details,” Izzy dismisses. “Speaking of which, spill! How was it? I still can’t believe you ran off to Spiral Springs without telling anyone. Mom must be absolutely livid, I just wish I was there to see it.”

Alec rolls his eyes, even though she can’t see it over the phone— the sentiment is there, and that’s what matters. “You would be here to see it if you weren’t off doing lord-knows-what in god-knows-where every other week with Jace,” he replies.

“Import-export business, Alec,” Izzy says, “I’ve told you this.”

“Right, the same way you’ve told me you can cook without poisoning everyone. We both know it’s a load of bullshit.”

“We’re getting off topic!” his sister exclaims, which is Izzy-speak for “We’re not talking about this for another year or so,” as she artfully changes the subject. “I believe I asked for specifics about your date with Magnus, hermano. You are not getting out of this.”

Luckily for her, Alec is easily distracted by even the vaguest thought or mention of Magnus, because he’s a total fucking sap and Izzy knows exactly how to use it to her advantage. He would say he hates her, but, well: he’s thinking about Magnus now. That’s infinitely more important, obviously.

“I wouldn’t know where to start,” he sighs. The exhale’s got this kind of pathetically lovesick quality to it, but he barrels on, praying Izzy won’t comment on it. “We ate, then he walked me back to the hotel and kissed me at the door before he left. It was amazing. God, Izzy, I like him so much.”

In a perfect, normal world, this would be an opportune time for Izzy to realize that Alec is kind of horribly vulnerable and honest when it comes to Magnus, and for her to be gentle and supportive about it. However, because normalcy is a pipe dream that Alec’s siblings are hellbent on crushing, he is treated instead to an inhumanly high-pitched squeal, followed by frantic shuffling before a voice that sounds suspiciously like Jace’s floods the phone speaker. Given that the most-definitely-Jace-voice is currently yelling something about condoms and endowment and the logistics of same-sex intercourse, Alec decides that hanging up is the appropriate course of action here.

(God, they’re the worst. He’s never going to talk to them again. Or at least, he’s not going to pick up their calls for the next week. Okay, maybe, like 3 days. Probably.)

Great, he thinks, mentally patting himself on the back. Now that that’s settled, he can get back to other matters, like fucking losing his mind because he had totally forgotten to ask Izzy how to plan a second date so he’s now screwed but he’s definitely not calling her back especially now that he knows Jace has her phone and that means he’s been left to his own resources to plan the perfect second date for Magnus and he’s going to have to do it all by himself and he’s going to fail spectacularly because he’s never had to do anything like this before and no one can help him unless—

Unless. . .

“Shit,” Alec says— out loud, for intended effect again, as a horrible flash of deja vu strikes him— which is how, minutes later, Simon ends up sprawled out on the hotel bed next to him at 4 pm on a Wednesday afternoon.

Alec should really start looking into better coping mechanisms before this becomes a problem.

“Okay, so the first thing about this is that you’re approaching it all wrong,” Simon says, sitting up to peer at Alec over his glasses. “Dates are about spending time together, not about being perfect, so don’t stress! What did you initially have in mind?”

That’s the issue: Alec didn’t have anything in mind, because when he had said that he’d organize the next date, he wasn’t exactly operating on full brain function. Impaired thought processes tend to be a common side effect around Magnus, now that Alec thinks about it— he should probably get that checked.

“I really have no clue,” Alec groans. “There’s so much that could go wrong! What if I take him somewhere that reminds him of his ex? Or I stumble and spill slushie all over his shoes and they’re brand new designer ones and he ends things with me on the spot? Or he hates the food there and realizes that my tastes are shit and he decides to cut his losses instead of being forced to eat shitty food everyday that he hangs out with me? Or—”

“Alec, jeez!” Simon interrupts. “Man, you’re kind of a mess about this, huh?”

Okay, rude. Just because it’s true, doesn’t mean it needs to be pointed out. Alec just groans louder, and lets his head fall heavily against the headboard. “I’m so fucked.”

Simon shakes his head, standing up to pose solemnly. “Don’t lose hope yet, young padawan! Come on, you gotta have something. What do you know he likes?” he says, and because Alec is a sucker when it comes to talking about Magnus (as established earlier), the tactic totally works.

“Okay, well,” he starts, “I know he likes expensive wines with names I can’t pronounce. He likes late nights and old classical music, but his ringtone changes every week to a different Britney Spears pop song. He’s kind of a horrible romantic, but I really like that about him. I. . . like a lot of things about him.”

Simon blinks for a moment, and Alec hurries to wipe the besotted smile that’s inevitably found its way onto his mouth. It’s too late, though— Simon’s already grinning back at him, looking too excited for his own good. “That’s so cheesy,” he coos, “But in, like, totally a good way, I promise.” He pats Alec’s shoulder, once, then stands up. “I think I have an idea of what would work. Any ideas in terms of the venue?”

“Oh,” Alec says after a moment. He’s still thinking about Magnus, which means he’s thinking about their previous meetings, which means he’s thinking about—

“Yeah,” he replies, “I have the perfect place in mind.”

---

“So, where are we headed?” Magnus asks. He’s beautiful like this, in the light of the passing streetlights, silver chains glinting like stars, silk tunic flowing like water, hair mussed from the wind. If Alec didn’t have a plan for this evening, he’d probably do something very dumb like slamming the breaks on the car and kissing him senseless. It’s not the first time he’s had the thought, not by a long shot.

Maybe he can fit that part later into the evening.

“You’ll see,” Alec replies, beaming a little at the pout it brings on Magnus’s— stupidly kissable— mouth. “It’s meant to be a surprise.”

“I don’t like surprises,” Magnus frowns, but he still leans forward as they pass by a familiar waterfall. Alec can see the moment he processes what that waterfall means, his face lighting up completely as he does so. “Are we going to the Dumont?”

Alec shrugs, trying to be mysterious, but he’s grinning too wide for it to mean anything but a yes. It’s fine; if ruining the surprise means that he gets to see Magnus’s bright smile an extra few moments earlier than planned, it’s totally worth it.

When they finally pull up next to the old sign, Magnus has already noticed the changes to the hotel. “Oh,” he gasps, stepping out of the car, “Alexander.”

Lights are strung up around the outdoor courtyard, with a singular table in the center, a candle and plates arranged across its surface. Simon’s standing there, dressed in a black dress shirt, grinning at the two of them as music plays softly from some unknown corner. It’s horribly cheesy and romantic, and, judging by the way Magnus is excitedly clutching Alec’s hand as they approach the table, it’s worked like a charm.

Alec could marry Simon after this; the kid’s a fucking genius.

“Good evening, sirs!” Simon grins, “Welcome to the Hotel Dumont. We’re so glad you could join us this evening.” He bows, pulling out a chair from behind him, and Magnus laughs delightedly.

“This is absolutely lovely!” he exclaims, settling down. “Did you come up with all this?”

Alec blushes, sitting down right beside him. “Well, Simon did most of the work,” he replies, and Simon shakes his head.

“He’s totally lying; he did, like, all of the decorations and set up, and most of the plan, too. I’m just glad to be of help, man.” He hands them menus, then steps back. “Alright, I’ll leave you two alone for a moment while you decide. Don’t do anything too scandalous!”

Alec rolls his eyes— because really, what could they get up to sitting like this?— but then Magnus places his hand on Alec’s thigh as he leans closer and okay, maybe there’s a lot they could get up to, and maybe Alec is now thinking about all those things in a setting he really should not be, and maybe he should’ve let Izzy give him that talk after all.

“Alexander,” Magnus smiles, leaning closer still, “All of this is amazing, I don’t know how to thank you enough.” He tilts his face up invitingly, and Alec’s helpless to the pull of it, pressing his lips against the other’s. It’s supposed to be just a light brush, but then Magnus shifts nearer and opens his mouth up a little further and fuck, Alec’s libido is suddenly making a desparate appearance in this very public locale. That’s an issue, probably. Whatever. He can’t really bring himself to care right now.

“Mm,” he hums between kisses, “we should really decide on what to eat— hm, before Simon comes back,” but then he chases after Magnus’s mouth right after saying it, so that undermines the message a little. Though no one can really say it’s his fault: kissing Magnus is temptation incarnate, and Alec is a weak, weak man.

They do, eventually, unfortunately, break apart, which is exactly when Simon finally shows up with some expensive drink that he’d sworn Magnus would like. It seems to fill the has-an-impossible-to-pronounce-name quota that Alec had mentioned earlier, so he’s rolling with it. He’s also rolling with the menu, because Alec had planned on pre-planned meals for this thing, so he has no clue where Simon had managed to get proper menus with a selection of food (though the Spanish-themed cuisine on the menu and the passive-aggressive text he receives the next day from Raphael might be able to explain that).

Simon’s left them and they’re finally finished with their courses when some even sappier song starts playing on the speakers, and Alec, being a total dork, stands up and invites Magnus to dance with him. Alec’s kind of shit at dancing, so he’s not sure why he does that, but they end up pressed against each other, swaying slowly, and he can’t even regret it, not even when Magnus laughs at him for stepping on his toes.

It’s perfect. Alec has no clue how he’s going to live up to this on future dates. He’s also, like, halfway to proposing on the spot.

“I reiterate my statement from earlier: this is absolutely lovely, Alexander,” Magnus murmurs after a while. His head’s pressed against Alec’s shoulder, so the words brush Alec’s ear softly as he speaks. “I have quite a bit of planning to do for our next date if this is the standard we’re setting already,” he teases.

“We could eat takeout on my couch while watching some boring regency-era movie and I’d still love it,” Alec replies bashfully, “I got a little nervous this time and went really big, but I promise you don’t have to go this hard to impress me.”

“And you thought you did?” Magnus asks. He pulls away slightly, looking Alec in the eyes. “Darling, the same goes for me. This is stunning, but I genuinely just like you and your company, and that takeout thing sounds more than enjoyable. Though we might have to revisit your opinion on regency-era movies.”

Alec grins. “Why, Mr. Bane, don’t tell me you enjoy watching such long-winded pieces of media, filled to the brim with such stuffy, superfluous dialogue?”

Magnus gasps, seemingly affronted. “How dare you!” he exclaims, “It’s about the drama, the yearning! I’m sure you just haven’t seen the right ones. Next time, I’m making you watch my entire collection.” Alec laughs in response, and it seems to soften something in Magnus’s eyes, because he pulls close again, tilting their foreheads together.

“You know, Mr. Lightwood,” he murmurs, “I’m not the sort of gentleman to invite someone into my home on only our second evening together, but I’m sure I could make an exception for someone of your stature, especially given the amount of time we’ve spent together outside of these official meetings.”

Oh fuck, this is really happening. “How scandalous, Mr. Bane,” Alec somehow manages, then Magnus is giggling and kissing him, and yeah, Alec is so on board with this plan. He’s even more on board with the plan when Magnus leads him to the car, and then leads him up the stairs to his loft.

He’s not even annoyed when he wakes up to Simon’s strangely supportive “Congrats on the sex!” text, because there’s a man lying against his chest who he thinks he could easily fall in love with, and literally nothing else matters right now. It’s him and Magnus against the world: everything else can wait.

(Alec replies to Simon with a single middle finger emoji. He likes the kid, but Simon doesn’t need to know that.)

(The Star Wars movie marathon the two of them end up doing a week later kind of gives it away anyway.)

[jadoue1999]

The X-Men and the member they lost - Chapter 8

Summary: Wanda perfected a spell meant to help them feel better, but she gravely underestimated the mind of a speedster.

Previous parts: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Trouble

Wanda had changed, it wasn’t very hard to see either. Peter wasn’t sure what had caused that change, perhaps she was getting over her grief or just sinking deeper, but her whole behavior didn’t match the woman he had known back in Westview. She seemed surer of herself and yet was still riddled with sadness. She didn’t zone out when they talked about Vision and the twins, but he could tell she did miss them. Also, their late-night talks had become a little more spaced out. Which were frankly one of the only things he looked forward to these days, so that really sucked. He hoped she wasn’t regretting her decision to come with them. He wasn’t sure if he could lose another person, especially his sister. Her sudden need of space was all that was on his mind. Erik had noticed it and had tried to help as much as he could. But a father wasn’t the same thing as a twin, multiverse or not. Still, he really wanted to know why she had distanced herself all of a sudden. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait too long as the redhead came barging into his room one night. She had a book in her hand, which he realized with a shudder of fear that it was the very same book that had been in Agatha’s basement. The one she had consulted to find a way to control him. Yet, Wanda didn’t seem to be weary of the spell book, instead she wore an expression of excitement.

“Watch this,” she gleefully said, waving a hand in the air, letting her wiggly woos fill the room.

His surroundings suddenly changed. The room doubled in size and he was now sitting on a plaid couch, a coffee table was in front of him. There was a television with three remote controllers laying in front of it, as if they were only waiting to be used in a game. On his left, there was a tall stairway with a white ramp that led to an unseen upstairs. He could see the familiar kitchen a few feet away. He knew that place, but they couldn’t possibly be back. His heart was beating to a rhythm that definitely wasn’t a healthy one as he puzzledly looked at Wanda.

“Wait for it,” excitedly said the redhead, “the best is about to come.”

She seemed so happy; he hadn’t really seen her that way after the whole Westview incident. They were both too deep in grief to let themselves be, Peter charted this as some kind of survivor’s guilt. Something was definitely amiss. He didn’t have time to question her before a double set of footsteps hurried down the stairs.

“Uncle P!”

“Uncle P, you’re back!”

The twins ran to him and jumped on the couch before squeezing him in a tight hug. Peter didn’t react, it felt so real, but there was no way it could be. They were gone, they’d never existed in the first place. Billy was excitedly telling him how he could now move objects with his mind and Tommy kept running around the couch, rambling about how much faster he was.

“Almost as fast as you!”

This was wrong, none of it could possibly be real. They weren’t even in the right universe. Had Wanda found them somehow? He couldn’t continue wondering on how the boys could possibly be there as he spotted Vision going down the stairs as well.

“Well, he does look surprised to see us, doesn’t he, darling?” He asked to Wanda with an amused smile.

“Yes, he does,” chuckled the redhead in response.

“Wanda, what’s going on?” The twins being there, there was a possibility, maybe their souls had been transported some place where they were trapped, but Vision? The android had been the one thing that was for certain a pure creation of Wanda’s grief, he couldn’t possibly be standing next to her.

She smirked and gently took her husband’s hand, looking at him lovingly before turning her head back to him. “I’ve been practicing with the Darkhold, you wouldn’t believe all the knowledge it contains!” She seemed so giddy; he wasn’t sure how he should react. The last person to have used this book was Agatha and she came close to destroying them all. She had to be careful, who knew the traps it could contain. She let go of Vision’s hand and opened the book. “You don’t have to worry about it, Peter, none of it is real. It’s just an illusion.”

The speedster didn’t move, all of this… was wrong. The book was obviously pure evil, she couldn’t trust it. It would definitely corrupt her in the long run. Wanda seemed to notice his hesitation, she frowned. “If you’re not satisfied, I can always show you what you missed!” She motioned to the twins, telling them to hold on to him as she flipped a few pages. Ominous orange energy glowed from them. This was so wrong; how could she be blind to this? She muttered a few words in a language he couldn’t understand, and the surroundings changed once more. The stairs disappeared first, the floor morphed into a carpet and then a step appeared. There was a chimney next to an exposed brick wall and a rectangle diner table was in the middle of the room. The couch changed to an L shaped one and the television changed to a vintage one. The most unsettling thing was how everything was in black, white, and various shades of grey. He, Wanda, the twins, and Vision were dressed in old fashioned clothes. It was so strange; he didn’t know how to react. The others seemed unfazed, and Peter had to remind himself that none of it truly was happening. Tommy and Billy grabbed him, each one holding an arm and were trying to get him to his feet. They were talking about wanting to show him their drawings, but Wanda stopped them.

“Now boys, remember what I told you,” she warned them, “leave your uncle some space.”

“Oh right, I forgot!” said Tommy as they let go of him. Billy fidgeted with his fingers and apologized to both him and his mom.

“Wanda, why are you doing this?” He looked at the boys who were now staring at him with wide eyes, probably waiting for him to play with them.

“Y-you asked me if I’d go back to Westview if I could. You agreed with me when I said I would if it didn’t hurt anyone.” She sat down next to him and took his hands. “Well, I achieved it. No one is suffering. It took me weeks of practice, but I wanted everything to be perfect. So, you could see the boys again, so you wouldn’t be the only speedster.” She looked down at the floor in disappointment, “I thought you’d appreciate it.”

Great, now he was feeling bad. He didn’t really know how to feel. on one hand, he was glad to see his nephews again, but he was well aware that nothing there was real. He supposed that it was because Wanda was still learning, but it felt wrong. A bit how his mind had been screaming at him when Agatha was puppeteering him around. He suddenly had the urge to run and flee, but it was ridiculous because she was his sister. Even his alternate universe sibling probably wouldn’t hurt him. Well, now she wouldn’t. She knew better.

His mind went into overdrive and it caught the redhead off guard. He understood why, obviously she had figured he would be happy. Tommy and Billy were asking him why he looked so distressed, probably an extent of Wanda’s consciousness. They couldn’t truly be worried because they were never real in the first place.

He could hear Wanda starting to worry, telling him how he needed to calm his mind because it was a lot of energy to maintain the illusion, but he didn’t listen. He was stuck in his thoughts; he hadn’t realized just how much his experience had scarred him. He couldn’t shake the feeling of how wrong everything was. He didn’t like this, he hated it. He wanted to be happy because it was certain that Wanda would not repeat this experience after his meltdown, but he couldn’t bring himself to calm down.

Vision and the twins faded away, along with the weird unsaturated room. The new place was a lot darker. And he was alone. There was a weird humidity in the air and Peter’s heart started beating even faster because he knew those pillars, and those stone walls with the creepy vines covering them. There was a beam of light coming from a small window on one the wall. He could hear footsteps and he barely had the time to turn that Agatha herself was looking at him with malicious eyes. He took a step forward but couldn’t get anywhere because he was trapped in the vines again. The witch took his chin in her hand, a wide grin on her face. She was gloating, he could tell she was delighted about the situation he was in. She was telling him all about her master plan to break out of Wanda’s spell.

“You know, Wanda’s mind was too shielded for me to do anything, but you,” she smirked as she narrowed her eyes at him, “you, with all your suffering and your self doubts. I can slip right through those cracks. Make myself home.” She leaned in close to his ear, “we made a great team before Wanda changed the spell to make you her own.”

His heart was practically beating out of his chest now. This couldn’t be happening, they had escaped, hell they were in another dimension. There was no way she could be there; Wanda had taken care of her. Yet, everything felt so real. Agatha’s fingers had felt so harsh on his skin, the air was so stale, and the vines were practically choking him. Had Wanda’s spell failed? Could he really be back in Westview?

“You know, I waited.” She took a few steps back dramatically. “I waited for weeks, for your sister to delve into the book. To read the pages and feel its power.”

“No…” He closed his eyes in denial, he had thought about it before, but it couldn’t be. She couldn’t mean-

“Yes,” she grinned, a menacing glint in her eyes. “You see, I always plan in advance. The more she uses it, the more her grip over me weakens. Soon enough…” Agatha suddenly stopped talking. Peter opened his eyes, unsure about what he would see. To his horror, she had changed, and Wanda was now standing in front of him. “… she’ll be just as corrupted as I was.”

He could hear someone calling his name, but he was all to focused on the witch who was cackling like a mad woman to make out who it was. It felt so wrong to see Wanda acting so evil, but was Agatha right? The book was evil, he had seen it himself. Could it be changing Wanda without her noticing it? He didn’t have time to dwell on his fears. Everything disappeared around him and he was back in his room. Wanda was looking at him with a concerned gaze, she was holding him by the shoulders. She had probably tried to shake him awake.

“Are you okay?”

Peter didn’t answer her, he was trying to get his heartbeat and breathing under control. Was he really back at the mansion? It certainly felt real, but so had Agatha’s basement. He slowly got up and stretched his arms, making sure he truly was free. He had never felt so vulnerable in life, even with the blue fake god. At least, he had only faced him once. He turned to Wanda, who was still looking at him.

“W-what happened?” he stammered, still a little confused about the whole experience.

She took a deep breath, “the spell enabled me to create an illusion. It worked when I was level-headed and focused; I didn’t expect you to react that way.” She squeezed her eyes in regrets. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t able to follow. You brain was going so fast; I couldn’t keep up. The spell just fed on your mind and transported you to whatever you were thinking about. I-I had no idea she had treated you that way, you never said a word. Why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped.”

She pulled him in a tight hug and continued muttering apologies. Peter hugged her back, still not sure about the whole situation. “It felt so real. I really thought I was back.” They let go and he looked at her in the eyes. “Agatha, she… she told me stuff about you, well us, but I’m more concerned about you.”

“Peter, as real as it might have felt, the spell is nothing more than an illusion. It was fuelled by your subconscious, your thoughts, and your fears. In the end, none of it was real.” He could hear the unspoken ‘like Westview’, but he didn’t mention it.

While his sister might have been right, but there was still the fact that Agatha was very old and very powerful. “She talked about a link she had with the spell book, how they were still connected. She said- she said that the more you use it, the weaker your magic is on her. She’s trying to get free.”

Wanda looked at him with a reassuring gaze and smiled. “Don’t worry, I am being careful. My mental shields are up at all times.”

That did make him feel better, but he reminded himself that the witch had told him of her backup plan. “She... she said she would possess me again because my shields weren’t as strong as yours. She said you’d never suspect a thing.”

“It was turning all your fears against you, none of it was real,” reassured Wanda. “By the way, I think we have the same mental resistance, except that you don’t even have to think about it.”

He hated this, why had the spell backfired? He could have had a nice reunion with his nephews had he been able to control himself. Now, he was just stuck with fears of losing Wanda. She had to be aware of the risks. “But it brought up some valid concerns. The book is dark magic, what if it corrupts you? I don’t really want you going to the dark side.”

“Don’t worry about me,” she winked at him. “I’ll do like Luke, resist it and eventually destroy it.”

A knock on the door made them both jump. Erik’s head popped in, he looked concerned. His gaze hardened when he spotted Wanda next to him. “I- Charles heard your distress, I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Of course, the telepath would have heard. He pitied the man, feeling what he had been feeling mustn’t have been a good experience. Especially in such early hours of the morning. Peter motioned him to come closer, he wouldn’t mind having his sister and his dad finally getting along. Their relationship was strained to say the least. Wanda didn’t want to intrude; she had decided to let Erik do the first steps. He had told her that his dad was way too stubborn to make any sort of first contact, but she had been okay with that. Since then, they had barely exchanged more than five sentences. Erik sat on his desk chair, looking warily at the redhead that was sitting next to the speedster, on his bed. He chose to turn to his son. “What happened?”

“Its my fault,” interrupted Wanda, making the metal bender turn his head sharply in her direction. “I tried a spell and underestimated my control over it.”

Peter could see how the man clenched his jaw and how the bits of metal in his room started clanking. Erik was getting mad. He had to make sure he wouldn’t hurt Wanda. “Dad,” he whispered, making him turn to him. The man was still surprised every time he called him that. “You can’t blame her. She tried to make me feel better; it’s my crazy fast mind that screwed everything up.” His father looked at him, unconvinced, but at least, the metal around them stopped moving. Peter counted that as a win. He cleared his throat, “dad, why do you hate Wanda?”

The question made the man froze for a few seconds before he answered. “I don’t… I don’t hate her,” Peter raised an eyebrow at him, Erik sighed. “It’s true, I don’t hate her. But what you did only served as a reminder that I’m just as powerless to protect my family as I was when the Nazis killed my parents and when the authorities murdered my wife and daughter in front of me.” He didn’t look at them in the eyes. His shoulders were hunched over as if a cloak of sadness and grief was draped over them. “We are similar in our loss, but you took my son away, stripped him of his identity and made him into your puppet. We had to watch, uncertain of his future, if he even had one. For a moment, I was certain we had lost him forever.” Erik finally met Wanda’s eyes, who looked at him apologetically. “So, no, I do not hate you, but you almost took the only family I had left. Not only that, but I have to live with the fact that he is your brother the same way you are my daughter, and I cannot accept this. Not right now at least.”

With that, the man swiftly got up and left the room. Wanda and Peter didn’t say anything as they were left alone once more. The speedster was deep in thought, he had never seen his father in such a fragile light. He really should have controlled his mind.

***

Notes: So, this was a chapter I wasn't sure I was going to include since it sort of opens up storylines I don't want to explore, but I loved it a lot so I hope you did too! One of my personal theory of how Agatha could come back with the darkhold is one I only put in because I hope to see it happen XD Next chapter: Erik and Wanda have a talk

[jubberry]

oohkay let's go tua with those ship asks: fiveya, horrance and alluther.

thanks el i love you

Send me a ship and I'll answer three questions based on if I ship it or not.

fiveya obvs i ship this since this is 90% of my tua drawings lol

1. ill wait ill wait (to be the one) by georgiestauffenberg made me ship it cause holy fuck dude. I dont know if i ship them romantically when i saw them onscreen cause first of all, age difference is kinda weird lmao. Second, they dont rlly interact much outside literally the first couple of eps. But he was so soft for her, and i felt like they had so much unexplored history.

so i looked at fanfics cause i was wondering if ppl still ship it, then i liked the description of this one so i gave it a go.

Basically the premise is that vanya dates a much older man who seems to know a lot about her. And it was amazingly in character and just provided their characters some depth that u wouldnt find outside of a romantic relationship between them. (The implication of five pining while she doesnt know who he is, their missed chances when he time travelled, fives missed chances of living and having a 'normal' life bec of his own hubris, vanyas insecurity and being able to open up bec shes with someone whos known her since childhood). Its so sweet and thats how i was like, oh yep i can do so much more with these two, and what has kept me interested in drawing them etc.

2. My favourite things are the shippers cause i made some friends in the fandom who are super cool and supportive! I dont get super involved in fandoms and usually just watch from afar so finding people to talk to and muck around with in this tiny fandom is super cool 😭

Though thats not to say I havent come across some bad apples in this fandom and things that I dont like. I think thats the importance of carving out a place for yourself and ur friends in fandom tho.

Another thing I like about the ship itself, i just like the grumpy person whos soft for one person trope. Its so cute. I like all the little clues in canon on how their relationship as kids is quite warm, which is interesting cause five is basically the star student and he can be quite cold vs vanya who is the black sheep of the family.

I also like how five likes her powers even when she caused the apocalypse he spent the majority of his life in lol. Like its a popular hc that five is just a wife guy and i love that.

I see vanya as the type who has a lot of love to give, and she sometimes has unrealistic expectations of what her partner can give. Betrayal and lies really angers her, but also when her partner cannot meet her expectations of love she gets very upset bec its also an indication of how shes not good enough, or not loveable enough to be able to have this in the relationship (her insecurity means every failing always comes back to her, even if its out of her control).

I feel like five would be a level-headed person enough in the relationship to not be afraid to say 'vanya ur being stupid' (ie. the s2 confrontation lmao). Also, five's personality means she will never have to doubt his actions bec she knows hes the type who will not give u the moment of the day if hes not interested.

Not to mention they also have the whole apocalypse vs. saviour, hero/villain thing. Theres just a lot to explore!

3. I probably have several. But mostly I dont mind five being a dick to vanya bec first, even if the appeal is hes soft to her hes already kind of a dick in canon lmao. Also, vanya isnt a child. Shes grown and she can handle petty af things like five telling her shes not good at cooking lol. I also dont mind it cause I feel like people are getting too afraid to write... conflict for fear or portraying an abusive relationship or smth. Like, chill. Conflict is fine, resolving it is how u get a story. However in saying that, nobody should be obligated to write any way unless you want to! Fanfic is for comfort so if what your doing is making u happy then its good enough!

horrance which i also ship but i love the platonic and romantic relationship equally:

1. I came in tua in general not shipping anything so Im honestly not sure. I do remember someone doing a meta before s2 came out that was basically how ben acted weird when klaus summoned dave in s1 that made me go 👀 Otherwise, tua s2 rlly made me like them cause tua FED horrance shippers. Like..... the fact that klaus didnt want ben to leave him, and ben knows thats why he stayed 😢 or the fact that klaus was all over him for some reason???? Somebody also mentioned gay ben once and I resonate with that deeply. Like i get that jill exists but i resonate with gay ben deeply.

2. I love their bickering, theyre so cute together. I just like ben being angry bec hes self aware that hes got both shit and amazing taste. Shit bec he cant believes he likes Klaus (and also amazing also bec Klaus). I think the idea of them being kind of underdogs, theyre not rlly leader types and dont want to be, helps them bond together even in platonic horrance. They're both down to earth, and even tho they can annoy each other, they also know if they want a space to feel comfortable its with each other. Theyre not pressured by rivalry over leadership, or any sort of competition.

I love the idea that even tho ben is like klaus's ''conscience'', hes also down for chaos and bitchy. I feel like klaus rlly enabled that side of him, its not exactly a good thing but its p funny lol

3. I know some people think their dynamic is unhealthy but i dont care lol

alluther. So id say i dont ship this, mostly due to the fact that im not invested? Just like all tua ships so far I rlly came out not wanting anything but platonic relationships cause I feel tua doesnt do romance very well. With alluther, theyre so cute but im not super invested in either of their chars so they havent stuck for me. I appreciate seeing them and talking about them tho, and I'm def open to exploring them further.

1. I think tua canon romances are just so lackluster 😔 Idk who writes the romances but I was just like 'nice' but afterwards I dont really think about them. I love their dance scene and the message behind it! Otherwise, theyre sweet like most of the tua romances but im not super invested, same with all the non canon ships.

2. I really feel like tua needs to decide on what their relationship is. Like, just say its incest or not and stick with it 👀 Or if you wanna support it or not, just make up ur mind. I think I would've liked it better if I found the characters more interesting. Allison especially I feel like suffers from the fact that tua just doesn't want to make her ''mean''. They want to make her supportive and are less interested in making her flawed (ie. she should've had a conflict with Vanya in s2, but the writers didnt want to write the girls fighting which is stupid imo and not what that conflict is about).

In regards to Alluther, the scene where Allison gets annoyed at Luther for sleeping with someone else felt out of line. Like, how are you marrying other people and moving on but Luther isn't allowed to? But honestly, I don't mind if they actually just acknowledge it and make it a deliberate part of Allison's trait that Allison can expect a certain loyalty automatically from other people (which can tie in to her childhood being a star, and the rumour).

Luther is a big simp for Allison, which is sweet, but at the same time it would be nice to have him explore himself for a bit, and who he is outside of the academy. Then maybe they can rekindle their relationship again as new people and see where they go from there.

3. I don't hate them, but they're ok. I'm not super invested in them, just like all the tua canon romance. But I wouldn't mind making content for them if I were a bit more invested in their characters. I love their dance scene in s1 and I feel like its super a underrated portrayal of what their relationship is meant to be. I know no one talks about it but it's just such a great scene, and I'm pretty sure the choreographer was into interpretive dance? The scene had a lot of meaning that I don't see people dig around with.

Essentially I'm pretty sure the fairy lights are obviously a throwback to their childhood together, spending time outside of Reggie. So the dance scene kind of symbolized that pocket of space they made for each other in their life (even if theyre far away, or with other people, they will always have that space for each other).

The way they danced was more like playfighting than dancing, which means their relationship isn't sensual. It's more ''pure'', and romantic. Its basically two kids rekindling their love as adults. I also think this is a response to the incest, cause in s1 tua klaus literally said that 'thank god Regg is not their real father' right before Allison and Luther meet lmao. So its kinda like saying Allison x Luther isnt supposed to be 'ohh step sibling hot' but two people who experienced the same trauma as kids and finding comfort with each other (and rekindling that love after many years).

[ashesgraves]

Here’s the first part of my first story!

Warnings: some violence mentioned, a few swears that’s all I think

part 2 https://yourlocalorcishbandit.tumblr.com/post/646294553661423616/an-orcs-promise-part-2

Part 3: https://yourlocalorcishbandit.tumblr.com/post/646373247166906368/an-orcs-promise-part-3

Part 4: https://yourlocalorcishbandit.tumblr.com/post/646477938321244160/an-orcs-promise-part-4

Part: 5 https://yourlocalorcishbandit.tumblr.com/post/646486100736638976/an-orcs-promise-part-5

The chosen: Ellera https://yourlocalorcishbandit.tumblr.com/post/646559933035364352/an-orcs-promise

The chosen: Oridan https://yourlocalorcishbandit.tumblr.com/post/646771371691622400/an-orcs-promise

The chosen: Killian https://yourlocalorcishbandit.tumblr.com/post/647330998732881920/an-orcs-promise

The chosen: All https://yourlocalorcishbandit.tumblr.com/post/647482818600009728/an-orcs-promise

An Orcs Promise

You lived in a simple and small village in the middle of a valley not too far from a forest of fae, an ocean filled with water dwellers, a stronghold of orcs up in the mountains and a field of centaurs.

Everything was about a days trip away by horse, by foot it was typically two to three days worth of travel. It was worth it however, your village thrived with the amount of trading that was available to them. Fae providing seed and saplings already in growth, the water dwellers granting you safe travel or bountiful baskets of fish, the centaurs allowing land share for your crops and the orcs, they provided live stock and hunting goods as well as strong work hands. Doing things you humans couldn’t really do.

You lived a simple life in your simple village as a woodsmith not exactly what it’s called but you liked the title. No you couldn’t do blacksmithing it just didn’t suit you unlike it did your father and gardening/crop tending didn’t feel right like it did for your mother. So you turned to wood, of course you helped your parents but you just preferred to stick to your own, like carving or maybe the occasional building and repairing. Because of your skills you were often called ‘too manly’ and your parents were told “good luck marrying you off” however they didn’t want to do that, you’re too helpful around the shops and farm.

Your mother is a fae and your father is a human giving you some funny features and hair. Your eyes seemed like they could shift colour and you had magic freckles that disappeared with the sun. Long and wild hair that couldn’t be tamed. Your mother always made sure to call you beautiful and your father always made sure to teach you how to throw a punch. But enough of all this back story let’s talk about how three of your favourite orcs are battling in your families shop.

The twins and their older sister going full throttle displaying their strength wits and ability to strategize. It had started off as any other Saturday you were in your own shop your mother in the fields and your father in his shop. You were working on a carving to trade with one of the centaurs for a spot on their bountiful fields to grow a few trees for your upcoming project. A place of your own. You were ready to move out and start new, of course you didn’t want to leave your parents but they’ve been leaving a few hints here and there. They were ready to let you go and fly from the nest. Cheesy as that sounds that’s just how your parents are.

Heavily lost in your work until a soft moss green hand lifted your chin to face her. Ellera the eldest of the three Thundered, you always giggled at their last name but it made sense they sounded like a thunder storm when they all came roaming around.

Your face went bright red as you jumped from surprise. “Oh Ellera!!!! It’s good to see you, sorry I just got lost in my own world again.. what can I help you with?” Your voice was soft as you set your things down and put your full attention onto the orcess in front of you.

“Well my lamb you could start by getting me mother some of those boards for hackin as well as rod for the seas “ Her voice was strong and full of power with a heavy accent but it always held some softness just for you. Smiling brightly as you grabbed a few different types of cutting boards and chopping blocks for Ellera to pick from. Lastly was your prized fishing rod, carved from the finest tree you ever saw. Your best handy work.

“Take your pick! The thicker the block the more force it can handle. And this is the best of the best in my shop, just for you.” Smiling so sweet you would cause a cavity as you watched her face grow a darker shade of green. It was always your own personal mission to make Ellera blush you couldn’t help it. She was just perfect no matter what she did or how she did it.

“So you make these boards like yourself mm ??? The thicker the more you can handle~” Waltzing up beside Ellera was the older of the twins Oridan the flirtatious goof. Now it was your turn once more to blush bright in the face. Ellera on the other hand scoffed as she smacked him upside the head.

“Hasn’t mother taught ya manners you ass.” Ellera rolled her eyes but was her brother wrong? Lastly to join your conversation Killian the youngest of the family. As well as the smallest but compared to you he was still a giant. They all had tree trunk thighs, gorgeous muscles, beautifully braided and decorated hair and ears. Tribal tattoos that littered every inch of their body you wished to explore. Now now reel those thoughts back in.. “as you were saying lamb which is best for meat and which for vegetables “

Drawing you back from your thoughts you shook your head. “This one has thicker boards and the grain is going this way meaning it’ll absorb the force. Better for meats and such. This one is thinner with grain this way meaning it’s better for slicing and all” you could talk about this stuff for hours but you didn’t want to bore the siblings.

“Then we’ll get them” Ellera spoke so kindly as she took the boards under her arm and into her satchel. You knew the rest of their family would prefer to pay as one rather than separately and possibly underpaying your family. No overpaying wasn’t their issue they were happy to do so, it was possibly underpaying you that they worried about. Your family always took good care of them when they needed, the first of your village to show them such kindness and hospitality.

“Oh Ellera here I have something for you.” Gingerly taking the orcesses hand in your own you lead her to your little safe. Digging around the box for a moment you found what you were searching for. A beautiful hand crafted obsidian necklace. You knew orcish traditions you knew this was you asking Ellera to court you. “It’s obsidian, it’s too heavy of a stone for me so I thought you would like it. W-Will you accept..”

“You know what this means correct??” You were no dummy of course you knew, so you gently nodded your head. “Of course l will it’s beautiful thank you my lamb.” Ellera smiled brightly and turned to her brothers with an all knowing smirk. “ suck it losers I have won!!!!! My dearest little lamb had chosen me. Now butt out of the shop before I take both of your heads and put them on a platter. “ You couldn’t help but snicker a bit at her words, it’s just how she was with those two.

Now this leads us to where we are at the moment. Ellera taking off her satchel and her necklace before brawling it out with her brothers. You hadn’t known the twins also had an eye for you, looking around your shop there stand their parents with your own. All of them had the what the hell happened and is going on look. You could only smile sheepishly as you weaved your way through the mass of limbs colliding with one another. “So I’ve asked Ellera if we could court per orcish tradition and I didn’t even know the twins had a thing for me. And now their battling it out because the twins think Ellera had an unfair advantage and can you please stop them before they break anything in my shop??? Oh and Mrs. Thundered I had Ellera pick out some lovely cutting boards and butchers blocks for you !! “ The orc parents laughed and shook their heads at your little story. They can deal with all this after they save your shop from being ripped apart.

Mrs. Thundered grabbed Ellera with most of her might and tossed the girl over her shoulder. While Mr. Thundered grabbed the two boys and held them apart like bickering cats. “Now before you break this lovely shop why the hell are you all fighting. I swear we raised you better than to fight inside. “ Mrs. Thundered spoke sternly as she glared at all of her children. Collecting all the items they have picked out you rang them up while the parents took their kids outside and had a much different conversation than in the shop.

It took maybe twenty minutes of waiting before the orc family came back inside. The boys a flustered mess and Ellera grumpily huffing and sighing as her mother held her back. “Boys. Go. “ you laughed a bit at how large they were compared to you but yet in this moment they seemed so small. “Boys.” Her tone was much sterner maybe the sternest you had ever heard. Tilting your head up to the twins you smiled softly .

“W-Will you accept our own courting gifts.. and by the end of the courting months you can pick who wish to be with the most. “ it was Killian who spoke which surprised you he was always so shy and cautious of his words.

“I mean it’ll obviously be me.. I don’t even know why we have to wait months! Right sugar ???” Oridan made you laugh as he nudged his brother aside to hand you his gift. A simply terribly carved handle but with a beautiful dagger blade attached. You had no idea how he even managed to do such small carvings in the metal. “I know the handle isn’t pretty but I thought maybe you would help me with that.. “ now all of a sudden his loud and boisterous self was no more than just like his twin.

Killian however seemed a bit more confident with his gift a beautiful fur lined cloak. You had no idea he could sew.. “Boys these are both beautiful in their own ways.. but Ellera..?? How would it work what if I can’t choose ? What will happen then ? A fight to the death? “ Ellera nodded and pulled out her own gift she didn’t need to give it to you but she wanted to. Just to out shine her brothers once more. It was a crystal vase with preserved flowers encased inside.

“It wouldn’t be to the death just to where the other two can no longer rise to their feet. Any other orc yes to the death. “ Oridan spoke up once more, you loved all of them but you never thought the twins were interest in you Oridan maybe but, that was just you thinking he was joking. “So please.. will you accept?”

“I will, all three of us can court each other. Until then you need to work on your wood skills how did you not loose a finger and Krillian this is gorgeous I didn’t know you could sew like this. Ellera of course this is gorgeous but what if it breaks ?? What if I shatter it ???? “ The orcess simply laughed and shook her head.

“It can’t shatter I promise hun how can I promise such a thing, well me and my big man hands made it. “ Ellera smiled willy her dark oak brown eyes shining gleefully as she started down to you. Puffing out her chest showing off her muscles it was her final display of strength before her mother dragged her off to the horses.

“I look forward to this.. I haven’t always been able to sew just with the changing seasons I thought you would get cold so I took up the skill for you. “ That immediately made your heart melt. Killian took up a whole hobby just to be able to provide for you. With his Killian getting the last day of the three siblings they all went off on their way home.

Oh dear, how could you choose..