#anyway have a bunch of unasked for tips sorry

[runawaymun]

Some actual tips from a disabled person:

(Caveat: these will not help everyone. I have ADHD, bipolar, and a chronic autoimmune disease.)

When you have extra spoons, meal prep and put those bad boys in your freezer. I’m talking soups and stews mostly. But also you can chop veggies (potatoes, onions, carrot etc) and use them for soups and curries and stews later to take out an extra step.

Get a salad chopper. I don’t have one yet but I want to get one. Makes chopping ingredients less of a (literal) pain.

Casseroles are your friend & they are very SNAP and food pantry friendly. Layer any protein (canned tuna, chicken, ground beef, etc) with a carb (pasta, rice, etc), dump in some frozen or canned veggies and some kind of sauce (canned soups work great) and bake at 350 until done. Can be made entirely with shelf stable inexpensive ingredients. They require basically no food prep and no planning ahead.

Curry is also your friend. Pick up a tub of curry paste from an Asian market and keep it in your fridge, keep coconut milk in your pantry along with canned beans (or dried lentils which cook very quickly) or some other kind of protein you can tolerate and aren’t allergic to. Dump in frozen veggies and some cubed potatoes, serve over rice. Very simple and very tasty and again: chop ingredients when you have spoons and freeze them for later.

Pasta is your friend. Takes about 10-20 minutes and no meal prep. Pick a sauce, dump in some kind of freezable or shelf stable protein and a handful of frozen veggies.

I keep mentioning frozen veggies. See a pattern? They are sometimes even better for you than fresh in the store and you don’t have to worry about them going bad. They can reheat in a minute in the microwave or you can easily toss them into shit. I much prefer them to trying to manage salad ingredients.

Yogurt/cottage cheese is very nutritious. If you’re not allergic, keep it in your house with some frozen fruit for an easy snack.

Cereal my beloved.

Oatmeal is cheap and can be sweet or savory.

Get a rice cooker if you can afford it. Mine was thrifted and we’ve had it for years, and it has saved my butt so many times.

Pancakes can be frozen and they reheat well. Pancakes + peanutbutter and syrup are very filling and very cheap. Use pancake mix if it’s overwhelming.

Potatoes can be baked in the microwave. Wrap in a wet paper towel and nuke for 3-5 minutes if it’s small, add a minute or two if it’s big.

If you can tolerate eggs, boil a bunch ahead of time when you have spoons and keep them in your fridge.

They key here is that I do not meal prep. I keep a list of easy meals on my phone. All of them can be made very quickly. On zero spoon days I have a few meals (cereal, instant ramen, chicken nuggets, instant oatmeal, cottage cheese etc) which can be eaten with nearly zero work or prep. Fed is best.

I stick to shelf stable ingredients as much as possible bc I never know when I will have spoons to cook.

I use higher spoon days to prep for low spoon days.

Do not focus on prepping meals. Focus more on prepping ingredients.

If you don’t know what to cook you can browse meal kit services and steal their menus (and modify them for yourself). But generally I just stick to a rota of soups/curries/stews/pasta/rice with toppings/casseroles/something fancy if I have the spoons

Sandwiches are good for you. Barring the energy to make sandwiches, just shove various sandwich ingredients into your mouth straight out of the fridge.

Toast my beloved.

Bananas and apples with peanut butter (or other tolerated nut butter) my beloved.

Easy cheap foods that require very little food prep:

How to cook a casserole out of anything

Korean beef bowl (can sub crumbled tofu if you want)

Spicy cold tofu

Microwaved baked potato

Thai spring rolls (you can use pre cooked shrimp)

Dahl

Quesadillas (you can swap the chicken for refried beans or use canned/pre cooked. Just drain the canned well though).

Boiled eggs

Another tip: please do not feel like you need to stand the whole time you are in the kitchen. You can chop at a table while sitting down. Bring a chair with you when cooking things on the stove.

Anyway that’s most of it. I know these won’t work for everyone, but this is what has helped me. Please don’t be afraid to get your groceries delivered either, or to buy premade foods. Again: fed is best.

so many tips for budgeting/being frugal are just twice as hard when you have a disability

"meal plan!" idk if i'll be feeling well enough to cook every day so it's hard to plan for what to eat

"cook in advance!" i can't cook meals for a whole week at once and plus i can't count on that because again idk if ill feel okay to cook at the same time every week

"use cloth napkins and towels!" those need to be washed and folded, i already have trouble doing my laundry

"delivery is expensive, always shop in person!" going to the grocery store can wipe me out for the day.

"base your food shopping on whats on sale that week!" one, allergies are a thing and some people don't have that luxury, two, that's a lot that you have to prep for and that takes energy.

"DIY!" takes time and energy. maybe i could do it by myself but would it be worth all the time i need to take to recover?

i mean none of these are bad ideas or trying to exclude people. most of it is cutting out conveniences. but for disabled people, something that's a convenience for someone can be a necessity to others

[logical-little-lies]

{Chapter 5- When The Other Brother is Bigger}//Soft, Cute, and Far Smarter Than You (Sanders Sides Agere/CGLRE)

A/N: This chapter is like, longer then most of the ones I tend to write? I write agere content for fun, so sometimes it's cuteness over quantity, y'know? But this is a whole 4600-ish words! Wow. Hope y'all like it!

--

Logan was a bit awkward when he was big again after throwing his first fit, and earning himself his first ever timeout. Of course, Patton could only comfort him so much. It wasn't guilt that he was feeling, but rather a form of embarrassment.

Logan's head shot up when he heard light knocking on his door the following afternoon. "Who is it?" he questioned from his spot at his desk, where he sat working on Thomas's schedule.

"It's Virgil, can I come in?"

Logan fully expected it to be Patton checking on him for the millionth time, so he was shocked when he heard the voice of the emo regressor. "Uh, yeah. Sure." Logan set down his pen softly, reaching forward for his mug and taking a sip.

"Are you drinking another cup of coffee? I know you had like, three this morning." Virgil narrowed his eyes. It wasn't as if he'd actually do anything, even if he was aware of the unhealthy amounts of coffee Logan drank, but he was still concerned.

"It's tea." Logan shook his head, tipping the cup in his direction so that he could see the clearish liquid before setting the mug back on his desk. "Did you need something, Virge?" Logan asked.

"Kinda of.." Virgil trailed off, sitting down on the end of Logan's bed. When he looked up, he saw Logan looking at him in an expecting silence. "So I know it's Patton's job to check in on you and stuff, and that I don't usually do this. But..are you okay after yesterday? You seemed really emotional and anxious."

Logan sighed before speaking. "Of course I'm fine. I just overreacted when Patton punished me because I was scared of him being mad at me. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but three year old me doesn't want to make sense."

Virgil chuckled a bit at that. "It does make a bit of sense though. I do it too, I assume that just because Roman has to be a little strict or something, that he absolutely hates me. It's not stupid or anything."

Logan nodded, giving him a small thankful smile. This was Virgil's way of telling him that he wasn't alone. The same mutual feeling that came about when they both realized they were regressors spread between them. A feeling of unity, of support.

Of family.

"And also, if you're embarrassed or anything, don't worry about it. I'm sure Patton understands that little you is going to do things like that sometimes, and he won't view big you any differently." There it was. Virgil finding what Logan was actually worried about. Logan had the urge to give a sigh of relief, because those were the words he needed to hear.  

Instead, he gave a larger smile and thanked him. "Okay, cool. See you at dinner." Virgil got up and went to leave the room, he paused at the door with hesitancy, looking back at him and speaking quickly.

"Also, I'm like pretty sure Patton has a crush on big you. So there's that."  

Virgil was gone and out of the room before Logan even got the chance to retort.

Logan sighed, going back to organizing the schedule and trying to convince himself that it couldn't possibly be true, and focus on his work. But no matter how hard he tried, his mind wondered and he thought:

What if Virgil was right?

--

"Oh, hello Logan. I went to check on you but I guess you were already up." Patton entered the living room, where Logan was on his phone. Patton assumed that if Logan was already up, he probably had work to get done today and wanted to be wide awake for it. He figured that the coffee mug on the coffee table in front of Logan confirmed his original thoughts.

"Morning, Dad. What are we having for breakfast?" he asked, looking up from his phone and making Patton pause in his tracks. Patton went to speak, but Logan quickly replied to his unasked question. "I'm fourteen again, by the way."

"How did you know that I was going to-"

"I figured you'd ask how old I am, you always do. Anyways, what's for breakfast?" he repeated. "I can try to make something myself but I don't know how well that would go..." he admitted.

"It's okay,don't worry about that." Patton assured, "I'll make toast for breakfast-" He went to keep speaking but Logan cut him off.

"Do we have Crofters to put on it?"

"You're just full of questions today, aren't you?" Patton teased, deciding to come sit with his regressor. He sat next to Logan, making sure not to look at his phone screen in order to respect his privacy. Logan turned it off, looking at him. Patton realized he wasn't amused by the teasing and that he wasn't going to respond. "Yes, we have Crofters." He gave up.

Logan was definitely excited about this, and if he was regressed younger, he would've bounced in place and giggled a bunch. But he just replied, "Okay, cool."

"Why are you up so early?" Patton questioned. "How long have you been awake?"

"Less than an hour. I just fell asleep watching Youtube last night, earlier then I usually go to sleep. So I woke up early," he explained. Patton paused, looking at him skeptically.

"Were you regressed last night, as well?"

Logan looked at him with wide eyes, as if he hoped he wasn't going to ask about that. "Uh..yeah, sort of. But it was after dinner and I was ready for bed, I didn't really need to come get you!" he defended.

Patton gave him a slightly stern look with a sigh. "Alright, but if you do need something, or regress younger then your teenspace, come and get me." he instructed. Logan nodded with an annoyed look on his face. Patton glanced at the coffee table, eyes widening when he saw the coffee mug again.

"Wait, why are you drinking coffee if your reg-"

"What coffee?" Logan cut him off, quickly snatching up the mug and chugging the last of it before Patton could take the mug. He wiped his upper lip with the back of his hand, giving Patton a dorky smile. Patton knew he shouldn't have, but he laughed a bit.

"Fourteen year olds shouldn't have coffee, no more." Patton took the mug from him softly. "If I catch you drinking anymore, you'll be in trouble." he threatened halfheartedly, still giving him the stern dad look. Logan immediately replied with a cheeky smile.

"You just won't catch me next time."

Patton seemed shocked. "You're gonna be bouncing off the walls whenever the caffeine kicks in, and I don't wanna be the one to deal with that."

"I mean..." Logan leaned back into the couch, "Do you have a choice? You're technically my only carer, and I've already drank it. And plus, I'm not a baby. Sugar and caffeine won't make me hyper." he scoffed at the end of his statement.

"We'll see about that, sweetheart." Patton gave him a skeptical look before getting up. "I'll go start breakfast, how about you get off your phone and do something else? Like read your comic books or something."

"I'll get off my phone..." Logan agreed quickly, shocking Patton. That excitement went away when Logan grabbed the tv remote and pushed the power button. He gave Patton a smile, while Patton gave him a disappointed look.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." he said, crossing his arms as he watched him locate Netflix.

"I don't know anything. You told me to get off my phone,and in all technicality, I did." Logan started playing whatever show he was interested in at the time, and Patton leaned forward to kiss his forehead. He wasn't going to bother with pushing it anymore.

"Love you, Lo. I'll let you know when breakfast is ready."

He left, mug in his hand, disappearing into the kitchen. A little while later, he had butter,honey, and Crofters jelly sitting out on the table, along with a plate of stacked up pieces of toast.

"Babyyyy! Can you get Roman and Virgil for me?" He appeared in the door way of the kitchen, looking at whatever Logan was watching on the screen. Logan looked back at him, looking back to the screen after a few seconds of thinking.

"Maybe if you'd stop calling me baby."

"Logan." Patton stated in a simple and stern tone, crossing his arms again. Logan dramatically sighed, but he hopped up and headed up the stairs. "Thank you!" Patton called after him.

"Welcome, dad." Logan replied quickly, before he was completely up the stairs and heading toward the door of Virgil's room.

--

"Hi, Logan. Is it breakfast already?" Virgil swung the door open. The makeup under his eyes was smeared a bit, and he was still wearing black ripped jeans and a band t-shirt. He had fallen asleep in his clothes, and his hair was a bit messy.

"Yeah, Dad made toast for everyone. And he sent me to get you guys." Logan replied. Virgil went to open his mouth, probably to question if he was regressed due to his sue of the word 'dad', but Logan replied to his unasked question just like his did with Patton. "I'm fourteen again, before you ask about it."

Virgil gave an understanding nod. He walked back into his room, leaving the door open so that Logan could come in if he wanted to. "Okay dork, I was given the job of grocery shopping. If you want, and your caregiver doesn't care, you can come with me." Virgil offered as he picked up his hoodie that was balled up on a dark purple bean bag chair.

"Maybe if you didn't call me a dork, I'd consider it." Logan hesitantly entered the dark-styled room, his arms crossed.

"Oh come on, you're wearing a spiderman t-shirt and a beanie. You're either a nerd or a dork, take your pick." Virgil teased. Logan now wanted to cover up his shirt, and he pulled the black beanie off of his head. "Hey, wait. I didn't mean it like that," Virgil quickly finished pulling the hoodie on, and he came over to where Logan stood, taking the hat softly from his hands. "I was only teasing, dorky isn't bad, and the hat and shirt look good on you."

He pulled the hat back over Logan's head, patting his head. "I'm sorry I teased you," Virgil apologized.

"It's okay..." he looked up, so that he wasn't staring at the floor anymore, giving him a weak smile. His eyes wandered over Virgil's hoodie, but he didn't say anything.

"Do...do you want my jacket, buddy?" Virgil hesitated, but Logan nodded a little.

"I-is that okay?" he stuttered a bit, he couldn't place why he wanted it, it just looked comfortable. Maybe the fact that it also belonged to someone he considered his brother while regressed factored into it.

"Yeah, of course it's okay. Just make sure to give it back to me when you're big again, okay?" he pulled it off, handing it to Logan, who smiled. Virgil didn't usually give his hoodie to anyone, but the middle seemed to want it fairly badly and he knew that Logan would take care of it. Plus, he had his old hoodie to wear if he really wanted too.

"Go get Roman and head downstairs, okay? I'm gonna be down in a sec," Virgil told him. Logan nodded, leaving the room and pausing in the hallway to pull the jacket on.

"Roman, Roman, Roman!" he knocked on the door loudly between each time he called his name, "Breakfast is downstairs..." he spoke sheepishly when the door flew open and Roman gave him a stern look. Roman knew for a fact that he was at least somewhat regressed because of how energetically he woke him up.

"Did you have coffee or something?" he asked jokingly, rubbing at his eyes. Logan nodded quickly, and Roman seemed shocked. "Is your caregiver aware of this?"

Logan nodded again, "He doesn't like it, but he knows."

"Hmm, well please tone is down a bit while I'm still half asleep, okay? I need beauty sleep."

"Beauty sleep whatever, Dad sent me to wake you up." He stuck his tongue out at the end of his statement

"I'm assuming we're stuck with teen Logan again?" Roman questioned, running his fingers through his hair.

"Fourteen." Logan confirmed. Constantly confirming with others that he was in fact, in teenspace, reminded him that he was a teenager at the moment and that was okay.

"The sassiness and dorky beanie gave it away." he teased. Logan pouted, this was the second time his hat had been called dorky within the span of ten minutes. "Dorky isn't bad." Roman corrected quickly, just as Virgil had. Logan nodded, turning to walk away without another word.

"Logan, are you wearing Virgil's jacket?" Roman realized, looking at him.

Logan nodded shyly, turning back around to face him. "Hmm, that's cute. Just make sure not to stain it, or you'll never hear the end of it from Vee." he gave a reassuring smile, Logan nodding gratefully and walking off, for real this time. He had been worried that Roman was going to pick on him for taking Virgil's jacket.

Logan went downstairs, going into the living room to get his phone off of the coffee table. Once he had acquired this, he went into the kitchen and greeted Patton. "They should be heading down soon. Look! Virgil let me steal his jacket," he laughed a bit, doing a twirl for his caregiver.

"That was very nice of him. Did you say thank you?"  Patton asked, and Logan looked down.

"No, I didn't..." he sighed guiltily.  

"Well, make sure you do at some point, okay?" Patton told him, coming closer to him and giving him a forehead kiss. Or at least, he tried to. Logan ducked away before he could, stepping to the side. Patton audibly gasped, looking at him. Logan giggled, sticking his tongue out like he did earlier to Roman.

"You're silly, kiddo." Patton shook his head, patting Logan's head softly before moving on to do something else. Logan pouted, because he expected Patton to go in for another forehead kiss after missing the first one, but he just kept going. Logan told himself that he was being a dork anyways, and that being playful was something for littler him, and that his caregiver didn't need to play along.

He didn't need to play, he was a teenager. He didn't need affection either, no hugs or cuddles or kisses.

But even as a teenager, Logan craved exactly that.

He watched Patton as he plated breakfast for himself, buttering the bread. Logan took action before he could stop himself, side hugging Patton by ducking under his arm. He wrapped his arms around his carer and laid his head on his chest. Patton chuckled, "Hello there, baby."

He dropped the butter knife back on his plate, and set the piece of bread down in favor of hugging Logan back. He hugged him tightly, Logan melting into the touch. "You know, you could just ask for a hug instead of attacking me."

"What hug? I don't need a hug," Logan replied, pulling away from him and grabbing a plate off of the stack on the table.

"The hug you just pulled away from..." Patton seemed confused.

"I never hugged you, dad. You're crazy," Logan kept going, making himself breakfast and acting as if he never hugged him. Patton brushed it off for now and didn't worry about it, because Virgil and Roman entered the kitchen.

Patton greeted them, and as they all sat down to eat, Virgil mentioned taking Logan to the store with him. "Um..well, I'm not sure if that's a good idea..." Patton admitted, setting his piece of toast down on his plate. Virgil seemed confused, as did Logan.

"Why not?" Logan questioned, looking at his caregiver with a confused glance.

"Well, I've never taken you outside of the house while regressed, I'm just worried that someone might see you acting younger and be mean." Patton explained, and Logan frowned.

"Logan's a teenager though, and I'll be there to help if anything like that happens. It's not like he'll throw a fit or anything, he's fourteen." Virgil argued.

"Last time he regressed to teenspace, he was so anxious that he practically threw a fit!" Patton snapped, not exactly shouting. He looked at Virgil with somewhat angry eyes. Patton never gave that look, unless someone he was protecting someone he cared about. Logan sunk down in his seat, zipping up Virgil's hoodie and hiding away from the world for the time being. Virgil raised his hands up in mock surrender before speaking.

"Patton, I'm sorry that I upset you, but please be mindful of Logan. You're probably scaring him by snapping." Virgil reminded. Patton's expression faded from anger to an apologetic look, and he looked toward Logan,who nodded a bit.

"Oh..I'm sorry sweetheart. And you too, Virgil...Just let me think about this and we'll talk after breakfast, okay?"

Virgil gave a nod of agreement, and Logan muttered a weak 'okay'.

--

Patton eventually agreed to let Logan go with Virgil, but not without a lot of convincing and second guessing his decision.

"Promise that you'll be nice to Virgil, and if you get to anxious-"

"Let Virgil know and step away to text you." Logan interrupted, pocketing his phone and looking at his dad. "I'm not a baby, and I'll be fine."

"Yeah, he's safe with me." Virgil assured, coming down the stairs, clad in his old hoodie and a pair of black ripped skinny jeans. "We're good, right?" he looked at Logan, double checking just to be sure.

Logan laughed, "We're good." he confirmed.

"Oh, okay. I love you both, be good," he looked at Logan, as if he needed the reminder, "And please be home before dinner."

Both boys nodded, taking their final hugs from Roman and Patton before heading out. Virgil let Logan sit in the passenger seat

The mindscape was set up to be a small, little town. It wasn't one that existed in the real world, but it was heavily based off of the real world and would change according to real world events. If they really wanted to, the mindscape extended past their imaginary town, it was a whole little world just inside Thomas's head.

"Okay, so I have a shopping list on my phone, and the grocery money we all pitch in for. Though I found that there's always a little extra money, so if you want an extra snack or whatever, go for it." Virgil spoke, stopping as they approached a red light. He looked around, his eye catching on a street sign as he assured himself that he was going the right way.

Logan nodded. He was usually the one to go on the grocery runs, so he already knew about how he slightly over estimated how much money they needed. He'd usually either buy something extra, a treat or dessert, or save it for the next shopping trip. They all got their limited allowance (for the whole 'realistic human life' thing), and they'd pitch in a certain amount of it to pay for food for their home.

"Is there anything you want for the store? That isn't already on the usual list, I mean?" Virgil asked. He was trying to start a conversation, but Logan was being quiet. That was the main reason he offered to take him with him for errands. Virgil wanted to spend more time with his newfound brother, though he'd never admit that out loud. Virgil and Logan regress together all the time, and there's been plenty of time where Logan is bigger than Virgil, but it's rarely the other way around.

Virgil wanted to know Logan more, and also earn his trust. Because it seemed that currently, the only person Teenage Logan really trusted, was Patton.

"I don't know, maybe one of those starbucks bottled frappe things?" Logan said hopefully, giving his, currently older, brother a look in the hopes that he didn't shoot it down immediately.

"Hmm, Patton wouldn't be to happy about that one...and if he found out, he'd be pretty mad at me." Virgil thought out loud, anxiously biting at his lip while he focused on the road. Logan sunk down in his seat in disappointment, immediately taking his hesitancy as a 'no' and looking out the window.

Virgil sighed, glancing at him for a split second before turning his head to examine the road in front of him. "I suppose...if you promise not to tell your caregiver, and you also don't get like, super hyper on me..." he pauses, taking a turn before continuing his conditional agreement, "You can get the coffee. But this is a one time thing, I don't condone littles-" Logan gave him a look.

"Middles?" he hesitantly corrected himself, glancing at Logan again.

"Or regressors." Logan nodded. Virgil hummed before continuing.

"I don't condone teenagers drinking a bunch of caffeinated drinks in one day. I know you had coffee this morning. But today's the exception, alright?"

Virgil was only agreeing to this because he wanted to make Logan happy. And he didn't quite mind stretching the rules just a bit to get there.

"Okay." Logan agreed, looking back out the window.

Virgil had a feeling that this would end up being a good day.

Or at least, he hoped it would.

--

"Virgil, I know I said I'd be okay..but I'm scared."

Virgil stopped in the middle of the cereal aisle, pulling the cart to the side so that people could walk through if they needed. Logan seemed ashamed to admit that, looking up at his, currently older, brother for support. Logan fiddled with the zippers on the cuffs of Virgil's jacket.

"What are you scared of, Logan?" Virgil spoke softly to him, in a voice that seemed to assure that he'd be ready to comfort him no matter what his answer.

"Dad was right, it's my first time going out while regressed and I feel..." he trailed off, his eyes following a cart as a family walked by the aisle. "I feel stupid. Like people are staring a me or something." He looked back at Virgil, who nodded.

"That's okay. I've never been out while regressed, but I'm sure it is a bit scary. I'm sorry that you aren't feeling the best, though." Virgil sighed, not quite knowing what to do. He thought for a moment before offering the best solution he could come up with. "How about you call Patton and talk to him while we shop? I think he'd be the best at comforting you right now."

Logan nodded lightly, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Virgil gave him a reassuring smile before pulling a few boxes of cereal from the shelf. As Virgil motioned for them to keep walking, Logan listened to his phone ring.

"Logan! Are you okay?" Logan winced at how loud Patton's voice seemed through the phone.

"Mhm, I'm okay. Just a bit anxious though...can you talk to me? I-i think it'd help." his voice was filled with hesitancy, but Virgil gave him a comforting look that silently told him 'good job'.

"Oh, yeah. I can talk to you. Do you wanna tell me why you're feeling anxious, baby?"

"I um...you were right," Logan fiddled with the zippers on Virgil's hoodie again, taking a turn into a aisle with bread and snacks. "I kinda started panicking the moment I got into the store. There's so many people, and so much noise. I'm just worried that I'm being judged, I guess." he hummed, glad that there was no one else in their aisle.

"I'm sure that everything is okay, sweetheart. Listen to me, not all the noise, okay?"

Logan nodded, then realizing that Patton couldn't see him through the phone. "Okay."

"Can you tell me what you guys have gotten so far?" Logan was confused by his caregivers request, but he looked in the cart as Virgil set something in it.

"We got Crofters! And butter, and bread." he identified a few items, looking at a few others.

"We can make more toast!" Patton cheered. Logan laughed at that.

"Uh, we have like three boxes of cereal in the cart. And coffee cakes! There's also macaroni..." Logan kept going, not realizing that Patton had successfully distracted him from his anxiety for the time being. Patton spoke in a calm, caring voice all the way through their shopping trip.

"We're heading up to checkout now. I'll text you when we're on our way home," Logan spoke into the phone, following Virgil's guide through the front part of the store.

"Alright. You feel better now, right?" Patton assured.

"Yeah, thanks dad. I'll see you later." Logan hung up the phone, pocketing it and taking a deep breath.

"Feeling better?" Virgil questioned softly. Logan hummed.

He felt almost pathetic for having to call his dad to coach him through a simple shopping trip, but he also felt a lot more at ease. He couldn't quite place why he didn't just pull himself out of middlespace if it really bothered him that much, it almost felt like it'd be to tiring to do. He was getting used to being able to regress whenever and not have to repress it, so when the time came that he might of had to, it felt to hard.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Are we heading home after this?" Logan asked, redirecting the conversation swiftly.

"No, actually. If you're okay with stopping somewhere else first, I mean." Virgil didn't elaborate on where they could possibly be going, which confused Logan.

As they checked out and scanned their items, Logan kept bugging Virgil about where they were headed. "It's a surprise. I'm sure you'll like it, though."

"But Virge! I wanna know!" he whined, handing Virgil his iced coffee to scan.

"Hmm, well that's to bad." he teased. "You'll see when we get there."

Virgil has had this idea since he realized that Logan regressed to teen ages. He was only able to convince Patton to let him take Logan because he revealed his little plan, the second stop that Logan would definitely be excited about. Of course, Logan couldn't know what it was quite yet.

"Virgilll!" he pouted, giving him pleading eyes.

"The pouty face only works when you're a toddler, Lo. Just be patient," he told him, pulling his wallet out of his pocket and looking at the total on the self checkout screen. He counted the money quickly.

"Will a candy bar shut you up?" he asked, pulling a few dollars from the stack.

"That only works when I'm a toddler," Logan mimicked him. It was true, if any of the sides needed to distract Logan while he was little, a piece of candy would do the trick. Of course, it would backfire in half an hour when he got hyper and bouncy, but it works in the moment.

Virgil raised his eyebrows, waving the three one dollar bills in his hand. Logan rolled his eyes, snatching them away. "Fine, I'll be back in a sec."

He disappeared to go pick out some candy, leaving Virgil to chuckle.

Virgil was glad he did this. He felt bad for putting Logan in a situation where he was anxious, but he could still say that they were having a decent time so far. And he was sure Logan would love the next place they were headed to.

There was just one question Logan had.

Where were they going?

--

A/N: Okay so this chapter is jam-packed! I finally hinted towards the romance part of this story, which won't really be a main focus, like at all. It focuses on the agere, and here and there there will be some cute fluffy shippy things. Lmk what you think of this chapter by commenting, reblogging, or sending me asks! (Depends on if you're reading through Tumblr or Wattpad!)

[lexiecarver]

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SPN Writing Challenge/ @roxy-davenport vs. @chuckshvrley

Prompt: jack-o-lantern

Pairing: Crowley x child!reader

Word Count: 1,943

Tags: Crowley angst and fluff

Warnings: Um… none aside from the reader’s parents dying in the very beginning but otherwise, it’s a very fluffy Crowley story. The reader is nine-years-old.

A/N: This was written for the last challenge by @spnwritingchallenge.I am sorry to see this monthly challenge go but I loved taking part in it every month and I wish you guys only the best. xoxo -Lexie     Also on AO3

Fear was running rampant through your system. You could hear your own quickening heartbeat. Adrenalin was the only reason you were able to move. Everything around you faded out and all you could hear were your parents’ screams.

“Run,” your mother said.

And you did run, right into the closet only taking one small detour to grab a few essentials.  You locked yourself in the closet and hoped this would work. A few minutes ago, you were all sitting down to a nice family dinner and then “they” barged in. They had strange knives and weapons. They said your parents did horrible things and they were here for revenge. Maybe they did do things but they were still your parents after all. One of the men was clearly possessed, at least from what your mother taught you of ghosts. No one stood a chance against what you assumed to be hunters, especially ghost- fueled ones. Why hadn’t your mother taught you how to fight back when hunters break in?

You shivered in the closet. Screams were echoing in the hallway behind you. They would find you any minute. You hurriedly put all the ingredients together cutting yourself a little. Blood spells were the most powerful at least that’s what your mother told you. You could hear footsteps approaching the small closet. You screamed, worried that there just wasn’t enough time. The men were talking to you. One of them had his hand on the doorknob. You cowered expecting to meet the same fate as your parents when suddenly you ended up in a strange room.

You appeared in the room still screaming and cowering. It was quite a sight to behold. The floor was cold and on first inspection made of stone. There were lots of people all around you, looking at you. It made you feel suffocated almost. The spell had to have worked since this clearly wasn’t your home anymore. This was what hell looked like? Where was the fire? The brimstone? You were utterly confused.

Suddenly one by one everyone in the room changed their eye color to completely black or red depending on their status.  Your dad had black eyes. He explained to you a little about demons. He told you he was a freelancer and didn’t serve any King. You gulped now as you looked into their eyes. There was a big chair, a throne really in the front of the room. The man sitting on it looking confused yet intrigued. Maybe teleporting to Hell wasn’t such a great idea?

“Would someone like to tell me how a nine-year-old child teleports to Hell?

“All the safeguards are in place, sir.”

“Are they now? Then how did she get here!?”

“Magic,” you answered in a scared squeaky voice.

Crowley narrowed his eyes and looked you up and down not quite believing your story.

“There is an old advanced ritual to teleport here, sir.”

“I am quite aware of that but I am sure you are all aware that if it’s so bloody easy to get in here, my dear mother might come here as well.”

There were several hushed whispers and gasps.

“I suggest you fix the problem. NOW.”

“Of course, sir.”

Crowley slowly turned his attention back to you.

“Witchcraft…hmm. Well, aren’t you a very special little girl.”

You took your strange knife out of your pocket. Your mother told you it was special and it would protect you from a lot of powerful beings. It looked strange and had weird symbols on it. The second you pulled it out Crowley squinted, completely confused about how a nine-year got hold of a demon knife.

“Who the hell is this kid?”

You were terrified with these men all around you but your mother always told you that you were more powerful than anyone knew and all you had to do was believe it. So the look in your eyes was one of fury masking all fear. The demons around you were actually quite shocked. A demon moved out of the corner of your eye and the knife flew out of your hands and into the air killing him. The knife then returned back to your hand.

“My parents were killed in front of me by hunters so you best back off.”

Crowley smirked at the tough girl routine in a girl your age. You had real power, raw potential, and an anger that rivaled his own. You would make a fine princess of Hell, a true heir. You were nothing like Amara; a brat that grew up so fast he couldn’t build a bloody connection. No, you were different, malleable and pleasantly dark. Your parents were killed by hunters? How intriguing. He had to know more about you. He didn’t like the demon that you killed anyway so you actually did him a favor.

“I didn’t tell you to start attacking the girl. I’m the King but you all think you can make up the bloody rules as you go along?”

You stared back at him throwing your shoulders back and standing up straighter.

“But sir, she killed-.”

“I never instructed anyone to harm her. Do try and keep up. He acted of his own free-will, thus endangering himself. Period. EVERYONE GET OUT, NOW!”

Everyone ran away hurriedly not wanting to anger the King any more than he already was. He was sure there would be talk around the demonic water cooler so to speak. He was in the middle of a meeting when suddenly a child shows up, kills one of his minions and all Crowley does is kick everyone out. Damn, he could smell a rebellion on his hands. He’d have to kill a bunch of demons later.

“You are quite the nine-year-old child.”

“I’m nine going on 10, demon.”

“Tsk, tsk, dear. Respect your elders. I’m the King of Hell, Crowley.”

“The King… of Hell.”

You weren’t expecting that though you should have, with a throne in front of you. Of course, he’s the King. You gulped audibly. Getting on his bad side wasn’t a good idea even with your powers. You curtseyed like you saw in the movies.

“Nice to meet you, Crowley. Can I call you Crowley?”

“Of course, dear. It’s nice to see that some youth are still taught manners.”

“I’m Y/N.”

“That’s a beautiful name for a captivating young lady such as yourself.”

Crowley didn’t want to spook you. You had lowered your knife and you relaxed your stance a bit. You were even talking to him. All good signs. He was making you feel safe.

“How did you get here, little lamb?”

“A spell. My parents… two hunters got them. I hid and did a spell and wham.”

“So you teleported yourself here? As my demon said before, that’s upper- level magic, dear.”

“My mom was a witch. I learned the craft from her when I was five. My dad’s a demon. Black-eyed.”

Crowley smirked at your classification of his minions.

“He was a freelancer.” You said answering Crowley’s unasked question.

You were powerful indeed if you could predict his line of questioning. He couldn’t mess up here. He had to get you on his side. He put his hands up and slowly left his throne. Your eyes widened in fear and you clutched the knife. He slowly inched over to you, making his movement slow and fluid. When he was in front of you, there was no masking the fear and some tears ran down your cheeks. He smiled a smile that never reached his eyes. He knew what it was to be an orphan after all. He wiped the tears away and you collapsed in his arms dropping your knife. Crowley was a bit taken aback, not used to feeling emotions. Before he knew it he hugged you close to him. You cried for everything that had happened and the ramifications of what it would mean going forward. Crowley let you cry. He wished it wasn’t his favorite suit but so be it. That’s why he kept making demon tailors. After a long time, he looked in your eyes and spoke to you softly.

“You’re safe here with me. I will keep you safe, little lamb. I will teach you how to control your powers. You can be the Princess of Hell. Would you like that?”

You were so overcome with everything that had happened that you could only manage a slow nod of your head. You took a deep breath closed your eyes and steadied yourself before you spoke again.

“I would like that very much but…there’s something I need to do first. I know you can protect me. My mom was right to tell me to go to the hell if anything happened. But those hunters… one of them was possessed, I think. I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder. I want the ghost to go away. It’s Halloween and…. can we…. Can we go pumpkin picking?”

“I’d love to.”

Crowley snapped his fingers and a demon appeared.

“Yes, sir?”

“The mansion – make it child-friendly, please.”

“Of course, sir.”

The demon bowed respectfully and left in a hurry. Crowley looked down at you and offered you his hand teleporting you both to the pumpkin fields. He had no idea what you saw when you looked at the pumpkins. To him, they all looked the same but to you each one was different; some had leaves, some had minor imperfections and some were huge while others small. You picked the biggest one that had leaves on it proudly presenting it to your adopted father. Your adopted father, the King of Hell. That fact alone left you speechless and beyond happy. No one would dare hurt you again. He had an inkling why you wanted to come here and he knew that he had to let you do. Crowley proudly held the pumpkin for you, taking you both back to his opulent chambers. He placed the pumpkin in front of you handing you your demon knife, choosing in this moment, to trust you. You happily carved the pumpkin alongside Crowley who gave you tips on how to create the most terrifying jack-o-lantern. He occasionally read your mind to see that he had indeed already won you over.

“I’m finished. Crowley, can you teleport us up top? I need to place this by a window.”

“Of course, dear.”

Crowley placed you in an elegant hotel room. He carried your jack-o-lantern gently over to the window and lit the candle.  You ran over to turn the lights off, watching the light from the candle eerily flicker across the room. You stared out the window lost in thought about your future and what had happened, not paying any attention to the people outside in their Halloween costumes.

Suddenly a shadow enveloped the room blocking the light from the candle and you looked up to see the two hunters. Crowley could see your fear and nearly growled at the two men. The possessed hunter smiled until he noticed the jack-o-lantern in the window. As in the lore of Halloween, the spirit was afraid of it and promptly ran away. The other hunter just laughed at the jack-o-lantern, inching closer to the hotel room. That is until he saw Crowley step out from behind you to grab your little hand. He wasn’t going to go up against the King of Hell. He turned to leave but before his feet hit the pavement, Crowley snapped his fingers, killing him on the spot.

“No living in fear anymore, dear.”

“No fear. Let’s go home.” you said, taking his hand.  

[prolestari]

I’m super interested in the relationship between Merlin and Elizabeth, and how Meliodas fit into it all as well. I had some dialogue playing around in my head that wouldn’t leave me be, so wrote this drabble. I’m not sure what to do with it, I don’t even have a title to publish it anywhere, so I figured I’d post it here and get some feedback. Maybe I’ll turn it into something longer.

Anyway, this takes place three years after Meliodas and Elizabeth came to Liones. Baltra has just had his vision regarding the Ten Commandments and Merlin has arrived with her plans for the Seven Deadly Sins. I have messed with the canon timeline a bit to be able to squeeze this scene in, and then proceeded to drop unasked-for head canons regarding the Sins. Little Ellie fluff ahead, along with an uncomfortable Merlin.

Meliodas watched as Merlin read from the parchment in her hand, a beautifully carved pen taking even more notes on their meeting on another scroll on the table. The pen made a faint scratching sound as it travelled across the parchment completely on its own, and once in a while he would stretch up a bit on his elbows to see what exactly was being recorded of the conversation.

Yellow eyes met his when he glanced up, shrugging a bit sheepishly when he took his seat again. The mage he knew better than probably anyone and yet was still such a mystery sat across from the little table that had been brought in for the king to take his tea when their meeting went longer than anticipated. Of course, the king had called him and Zaratras to the throne room to describe his latest vision, and had probably expected that to be that. None of them expected Merlin to stroll in with the mystery already solved.

“In order for the Seven Deadly Sins to have the most effective power, they must be bound with magic that rivals that of the Commandments. Meliodas, can you give us your thoughts?”

His name snapped his attention back to the conversation, and he looked around at the others as he cleared his throat. “What sort of thoughts?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Her smile irked him as much as it always had. How many times had she smirked at him like that, after asking a question she already had the answer to?

“The Ten Commandments,” she replied. “What can you tell us?”

Meliodas looked over at Zaratras and Baltra, whose eyes were trained on him. What is she playing at? he wondered. Casually he leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “Not much. They sounded pretty nasty. The Ten Commandments were the worst of them.” He peeked over at Merlin under his bangs. “Why, what do you know about them?”

Instead of answering, she raised her cup to her lips and took a sip. Meliodas could feel Zaratras shift in his seat, but the blonde only rolled his eyes. It had been about two hundred years since they had seen one another, give or take, and the differences were nowhere near as startling as the similarities. This isn’t the first time he had seen this game of hers.

Merlin smiled at the king. “If my information is correct, and I’m sure it is, the Ten Commandments were bound to one another through the Demon King’s own magic. That magic sealed them as a group, compelling them to work with one another, balancing their power to keep from fighting or from disobeying.”

“It makes sense,” the Grand Master agreed. “It follows what the Druids know. They say there was a mark that tethered them to the Demon King.”

Nodding, the mage continued, “Yes, the mark of the demon is a well-documented phenomenon. Those who are born of the demon race have the mark of their lineage; for others, who join the ranks through other means, they can be gifted a mark with great power.” Her eyes traveled to Meliodas, who quickly busied himself in scooping sugar into his cup. “The Ten Commandments were held to their binding through these physical marks.”

“Too bad we don’t have something like that now!” Meliodas laughed. His cup now halfway filled with sugar, he tipped the teapot to pour the steaming liquid inside. “This is sure to be a rowdy bunch, so some marks would sure come in useful!”

The small laugh she gave made him freeze. He knew what that laugh meant. “Actually, that’s exactly what I had in mind.”

Damn. As he listened to the others talk, he could feel a bit of heat on his neck. Another mark, binding him to another force? He knew that the king’s power was unmistakable, and that if he said the Ten Commandments would come to Liones, then that’s exactly what would happen. He also knew that forming this group was their best and only shot to stop them. But this ritual sat a little too close to home for his taste.

“You’re not suggesting demon magic?” Baltra inquired suspiciously.

“Of course not!” she laughed in response. “No, quite the opposite. We will get to choose our marks, and agree to the rules instead of being compelled. They will serve as reminders, not shackles. Our actions and our hearts will remain our own.”

Zaratras and Baltra murmured their agreement, leaning in to speak with one another. Meliodas did not say a word, simply sipping his drink and feeling the yellow eyes on him again. “What?” he finally asked, unable to take the waiting any longer.

“You haven’t said much,” she remarked.

“Wouldn’t want to interrupt,” he replied.

Merlin leaned a bit closer, trying to catch his eye. “This will work,” she said quietly.

He opened his mouth to respond, but a squeal interrupted them. All four heads turned as a small one covered in silver hair hurried to the table. Baltra leaned down and picked up the girl, who gave a cheer as he planted a kiss on her cheek. Meliodas could not help but grin to see the little princess, his princess, dressed in a simple but elegant frock and her hair in a long braid down her back.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace, I didn’t realize you had company.” The nurse stood awkwardly at the doorway, holding on tightly to the two older girls’ hands. But Baltra just grinned and waved them over. “Anytime, anytime! I told you that before. Girls, come say hello to the Grand Master.”

Margaret and Veronica walked over and gave practiced curtseys to the Great Holy Knight, who stood and gave a bow of his own; however, Meliodas did not see any of that, because little Elizabeth had spotted him at the table. With another yelp she shimmied down from the king’s lap and flew into his, her small arms going around his neck as he lifted the girl up. “Sir Mel! Sir Mel!” she cried.

He chuckled and gave her a squeeze in return, patting her back. “Hey there, bug. You being good?”

“Did you come to see me?” the girl asked, leaning back to study his expression.

“Of course I did,” he answered.

“Look! I have Sir Bear!” Elizabeth held up her stuffed bear, that he had given her nearly two years ago and she was rarely without these days. Positioning the toy in front of her face, she wiggled the bear and said in a low, gravelly voice, “Quack! Quack!”

Meliodas could not help the laugh that popped out. “Sir Bear, what are you doing? Bears don’t quack! That’s ducks, I think.”

“But I want to be a duck,” the bear answered in the same deep voice, punctuated by a giggle.

“Well as long as you aren’t kissing the princess then that’s okay,” he replied, shaking the bear’s paw, and Elizabeth squealed. “No kissing!” she cried, flopping over to the side. Meliodas held onto her easily, but then the princess suddenly righted herself. “Who’s that?” she blurted out, pointing across the table.

Meliodas looked at Merlin and was hit with a bolt of surprise. He swallowed nervously to see her expression, one he was unfamiliar with on her features. Of all the years he had known her, known her before, the things they had done and shared and gone through together and in spite of each other, never had he seen such abject horror on her face.

Merlin seemed to realize they were both looking at her, and cleared her throat nervously. “That’s my friend,” Meliodas answered. “Her name is Lady Merlin.”

“Lady Merlin?” Elizabeth repeated, making him snort. The girl always repeated what he said.

The mage cleared her throat again, leaning over the table a bit. But Meliodas saw that while she was able to set her expression back to its normal passivity, she was unable to hide the shock that still lingered in her eyes. “Your Highness,” she stammered out. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Highneess!” Elizabeth exclaimed, pronouncing it like high-knees. “I’m not Highnees, I’m Elizabeth!”

Then, the girl grabbed Meliodas by the face and pulled him closer. “Sir Mel,” she whispered loudly in his ear.

“Yes?” he whispered back.

“She said hiney.”

Meliodas turned sharply to look at the girl, whose blue eyes were wide in surprise and a smile on her lips. She looked about as surprised as he felt, and he burst into laughter. “Not hiney. She said Highness, you ding dong.”

“I’m not a ding dong!” she laughed, kicking her legs a bit. “I’m Elizabeth!”

“Nuh uh,” he teased. “You’re Her Royal Hiney, Princess Ding Dong.”

“Noooooo!” Elizabeth squealed, throwing her body backwards in a dramatic fashion. Meliodas caught her easily, and a moment later the nanny was there, collecting the top half of her.

“No! I want Sir Mel!” the princess insisted, hugging him tightly again and all seriousness now.

He gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Count to twenty and I’ll come find you,” he said. “Can you count to twenty?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. Then Elizabeth was off his lap in a flash and running to catch up with her sisters, the grateful nanny giving an abbreviated curtsey before following the girls.

When Meliodas looked back at Merlin, he noted that she looked… paler. “Your daughters are lovely,” Zaratras remarked. “They are a credit to you and the queen.”

“Yes,” Merlin agreed smoothly. “Beautiful girls.”

The king beamed as Meliodas eyed his friend suspiciously, wondering what she was actually thinking. He knew better than to believe her polite words and indifferent demeanor.

The talk returned to the Seven Deadly Sins as Baltra called for a plan. Merlin’s cool exterior was replaced completely now as she spoke of the others. “I can retrieve the prince and the unknown one,” she added. “If the Captain would be so kind as to retrieve the fairy, the giant, and the human.”

“Captain?” he coughed into his teacup. “Are you serious?”

“You are the strongest,” Zaratras agreed. “And the most trusted knight in the kingdom. Not that we don’t trust you, my good lady!” he hurried on. “It’s just that we so recently made your acquaintance.”

Merlin laughed, the sound like a magic charm. “Of course. I would be a terrible leader anyway.” Zaratras sank back in relief as she looked over at Meliodas. “You’re the only one fit for the position.”

He cleared his throat, trying to seem as unfazed by this as they expected him to be. “Fine then,” agreed Meliodas. “But as long as no one is binding themselves to me. And I want to set some rules down as well.”

With that decided, the group dispersed, both the king and the Grand Master having pressing business to attend. Merlin tried to take her leave, but Meliodas caught up with her easily. “Hey,” he called, stepping in front of her to stop her retreat. “What happened to you back there?”

Merlin folded her arms and huffed out a laugh. “I don’t suppose there’s any sense lying to you and saying I don’t know what you mean.”

“Definitely not.”

The mage nodded. “I’ve never seen her like… that.”

Meliodas pressed his mouth into a thin line. “She’s doing well here. Extremely well. She is very loved, she has absolutely everything.”

“Yes, I know.” Merlin looked away then, her eyes travelling along the wall hanging next to them. “You did well to bring her here. Liones will be a safe place.”

“If we can stop the Commandments,” he muttered. Then he cocked his head a bit as the corner of his mouth lifted. “I’ll need to go and find Elizabeth, so I can tell her I’m leaving for a bit. She is very astute to when I’m not around. Would you like to come and—”

“No, no, that’s all right.” Merlin swallowed visibly, her eyes closing briefly. “I know you must find me foolish, but seeing her like that—well, I don’t think I can.”

Meliodas sighed. Merlin had been there for a handful of them, coming in and out of their lives as unexpectedly as this time. But of the dozen or so times that Meliodas had known Elizabeth her entire life, Merlin had never been there. “It’s fine,” he assured her. “Probably for the best, anyway. Even though she is only three, it’s possible that her memories could start to stir. There was one that was… very young.”

“I see. It’s for the best then.” There was an awkward silence for a moment before Merlin looked at him again. “I suppose I should have been there, more often. You’ve shouldered this yourself all these years.”

“It’s my curse,” insisted Meliodas quietly. “You have no blame or role in this.”

“All the same, for Elizabeth, I would…” Merlin shook her head. “No sense in lingering in the past. We have a job to do now. You know more than anyone why we cannot fail.”

With that she turned on her heel and walked away, disappearing from the hall in a small flash a moment later. Meliodas stayed for another minute, looking at the place where Merlin had stood. It was the most emotion he had seen from the mage since the first time they had found one another again. In the years since, their relationship was a favor here or there, some attempts at finding a loophole in the curse, a bit of drinking and reminiscing. She had been present for three of the deaths, and had met about a twenty Elizabeths altogether, even though Meliodas had encountered her more often that that.

He laughed to think of her parting words: No sense in living in the past. It’s all he had been doing for three thousand years. It had never really occurred to him to wonder what Merlin was thinking about all this. He had supposed that the curse was a great curiosity to her, and nothing more. She had never been so shaken by an Elizabeth: sad, yes, or angry, or determined. But he had never seen this reaction, this mix of dismay and uneasiness.

Merlin was right, however: there was work to be done. So he decided to take her suggestion and move forward. But first, he had to get a goodbye from his princess.