#anyways happy birthday to this giant pup

[decaf-mother]

Your First Valentine's Day Together

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MDNI

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Creepypasta Head-Canons

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GN/Reader

Warnings: None

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Jeff The Killer

Forgot it was valentine's day and last minute grabbed something from the gas station. Thinks most Valentine's stuff is over priced and cheesy anyway.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Y/N." "Is this... A bag of chips..?"

Jane The Killer

Absolutely loves spoiling you and doing cute things for you, so there's a day dedicated to that??? Sign her the fuck up! She arranges to take you to a cute cat cafe and insists on paying for everything, seeing you smile is worth every penny.

"Jane you really didn't have to do all this!" "I just love making you smile."

Nina The Killer

Best. Day. Ever. She will be so excited to surprise you with a bunch of clothes she ordered online that's your style! Doesn't want to get any stereotypical things for you for Valentine's, only stuff she knows you'll enjoy.

"Ahhh! Y/N look at this cute shirt I bought you! I can't wait to see you wear it!~" "Another one???"

Toby Rogers

Is bouncing off the walls excited for Valentine's Day. Is VERY cheesy about it and probably absolutely buries you in every cute stuffed animal he could find. Will curl up and watch cheesy romance movies with you all day while munching on the chocolates he got for you.

"Y/N! Y/N!" "OH MY GOD TOBY IS THAT A GIANT GIRAFFE PLUSHIE?!?"

Clockwork

Teases you if you want to celebrate Valentine's Day, calling it cheesy and too lovey dovey. However secretly she loves it, but she's not going to tell you that- at least not yet. So, you're in charge of planning your date together.

"Oh really? You go for that cheesy crap?" "Come onnn! It will be fun! Please!"

Eyeless Jack

Jack doesn't get many chances to act like just a person anymore, so when Valentine's Day rolls around he wants to take the chance to just act like a normal couple would. He plans a quiet dinner just you two in his room, enjoying feeling human again. Just for today- you are just two people in love.

"Do you like the candles, Y/N?" "I love them. It's perfect."

Laughing Jack

This clown has no earthly idea what he's doing. He just straight up throws you a "Valentine's Party" like it's a birthday. It's sweet though. He's trying his best- even though he invited everyone so you two don't really get any time alone.

"Surprise Y/N!!!" "AH! Is that heart shaped confetti?!?"

Ben Drowned

Simply plans a gaming date for the two of you with lots of gummy worms. This really is just a normal day with him but he claims it's special because he won't hog all the gummies this time.

"C'mon! It'll be fun! Why go out when we can just stay right here?" "Fine... Move over."

Hobo Heart

Tries to plan something special for you two but has no idea what to do. He just wants you to love it! Finally settling on just a nice quiet coffee/tea date with just you and him. Cuddled up in the library reading books.

"Romance or Fantasy, Y/N?" "Why not both?"

Slenderman

Doesn't fully understand the concept of the holiday but isn't going to pass up a chance at treating you. He plans a lovely romantic evening in the underworld with dinner and wine. The man is a complete gentleman.

"Is this alright, Y/N?" "It's wonderful."

Zalgo

You want to spend Valentine's Day? With him? He finds the idea amusing at first but finally gives in, taking you out on the town in the underworld. Showing you off and buying you fancy clothes.

"Everything simply looks stunning on you!~" "Oh hush..."

Nathan The Nobody

He hasn't the faintest clue how to celebrate Valentine's Day with you but he knows he wants too. He simply comes to you and asks what you'd like to do.

"Want to just watch movies together?" "I'd like that very much, Y/N...."

The Puppeteer

Brushes off Valentine's Day. What's the point in something like that? You already have the perfect gift, getting to spend time with him! What more could you want???

"Pup, please!!! I just want to do something fun with you!" "This IS fun!"

Judge Angels

Takes the holiday very seriously, almost too serious! She insists she must make it absolutely perfect for you because you deserve it. Expect a fancy date and lots of dancing lessons, she loves dancing with you.

"Take my hand, Y/N." "You really went all out, didn't you?"

Bloody Painter

He makes you both some tea and you two spend a whole day in his studio. Laughing and cracking jokes while he paints a portrait of you, even offering to give you painting lessons. You just enjoy a lovely date full of giggles and messy paint.

"Aw, Y/N. You got paint on your nose." "Oops-"

Nurse Ann

She doesn't really talk much so she expresses her love for you through lots of hugs and attention. Quality time means the world to her so you two end up in the kitchen cooking together, after all a meal always tastes better if it's made with love.

"....." "I love you too, Ann."

Kate The Chaser

She doesn't exactly celebrate the holiday. She kind of just awkwardly offers you whatever she found in the pantry and hangs out with you for the day. It takes a long time for her to open up.

"Thank you, Kate." "..... No problem."

Homicidal Liu

He loves you dearly and wants you to always know that. He plans a beautiful picnic date at night, that way you two can gaze at the stars and tell each other what you see. Expect a dance in the moonlight, the crickets serving as your symphony. It feels like it's just the two of you in the world.

"This is so beautiful, Liu." "Almost as beautiful as you."

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{More Content}

[guksuu]

#HAPPYMINGYUDAY  ♡ 0406

[immabethehero]

Encantober Day 19 - Otter!

Alma connects with Antonio’s new friend!

Does otter birth (done offscreen) count as a content warning? Putting it here anyways

Happy birthday @missilestorm1!

~~~~~

“Where’s Bruno?” Alma asks Pepa one sunny day. “I haven’t seen him for a while and it’s nearly our painting time.”

“Antonio wanted him for something, I think they’re in his room,” Pepa answers. “Something about a new animal friend.” She chuckles.

Alma nods and gets up from her seat. “Right. I’ll go check on them.”

The matriarch heads to Antonio’s room, opening the door to see his rainforest bedroom. It’s much easier to navigate, with easy paths to walk on and lovely little beds for every new animal that decides to move in. Which is great, considering Antonio’s ever growing animal sanctuary.

Just last night, Antonio welcomed in an animal known as a “giant otter”. The poor animal looked terrified when it showed up at Casita’s doorstep, and once it was settled in, Antonio told the family that the otter was pregnant! Her mate had been killed by a predator. Alma’s heart went out to the little creature, and allowed Antonio to let her live in Casita until she was strong enough to move out.

That is, if the otter decides to move out. More often than not, Antonio’s animal friends promise not to “overstay their welcome”, and never end up leaving. Alma can’t blame them. Antonio is a surprisingly good host for a six-year-old.

Alma spots Bruno and Antonio sitting by the river, huddled over something, whispering with excitement. Alma can barely hear them over the sounds of the small waterfall.

“Antonio? Bruno? What are you two doing?” she asks. The two turn around, beaming as brightly as the sun. Antonio gets up and runs to his grandmother.

“You missed it, Abuela! You missed Laia giving birth!” Antonio exclaims.

Alma squeaks. “I- what?!”

“Laia went into labour a few hours ago and Bruno helped her give birth! You gotta see the new babies! They’re so cute!” Antonio gushes. He grabs Alma by the hand and practically pulls her to the nest.

Inside a strangely patterned green nest is Laia the otter, and her three pups. The small otters suckle on their mother’s teats as Laia breathes deeply, her small chest moving up and down. Alma smiles upon seeing the cute pups, but it fades when she sees the hourglass design underneath the messy babies.

“Wait- is that- Bruno’s?!” Alma shrieks.

Right on cue, her son appears, ruana-free, wiping his hands dry with a towel. He freezes when he sees Alma. Alma glares at him.

“It was an old one, don’t worry! I have plenty of others,” Bruno hastily explains.

“And Antonio?” Alma snaps.

“I had him turn around and face Parce, I still needed him in case Laia wanted to say something,” Bruno says.

Alma’s daw drops. “You- you helped an otter give birth?!”

Bruno shrugs. “It’s not much different than helping rats give birth. Just bigger, and not a rodent, or so Antonio tells me.” He bends down to stroke Laia’s head. The otter rubs her head against Bruno’s hand.

Alma shakes her head. They’ll have to talk about this later. For now, the grandmother turns to Laia, who watches the humans with what seems to be a smirk on her face.

“Yes, Laia, this is exactly what parenting looks like,” Alma says. “Even after nearly 51 years they’re still idiots.”

Antonio translates to the otter, and Laia nods in sympathy. Alma chuckles.

“If you ever need to get away from the kids, Señora Laia, I’ll be up in my room.”

[heartoferebor]

[Ficlet] Seedlings (Letho & Vesemir, gen)

Happy Birthday @scylla-rammshorn! Here’s a little treat for you that I couldn’t help but write - a little piece from a half-formed AU idea that I had where Vesemir survives the fight against the Wild Hunt, Letho remains in Kaer Morhen and it somehow becomes a sanctuary for all those Witchers who don’t have anywhere else to go home to anymore. Lots of Letho love, especially for you! He gets to have a garden :)

Letho & Vesemir, 1.4k, gen, no particular warnings, Vesemir Lives!AU, Letho being a giant softie and Vesemir being everyone’s granddad, mention of past Vesemir/Rennes

 “You should stay.” Vesemir doesn’t even know why he says it, but the words are out before he can take them back. Letho turns and looks at him sharply, eyebrows furrowed.

They are standing (or, in Vesemir’s case, leaning) on one of the few bits of parapet that hasn’t been destroyed by the Wild Hunt, watching as Eskel’s shape slowly disappears into the woods in the distance. He has been the last of the defenders of Kaer Morhen to leave, staying behind longer than the others to help rebuild the most essential structures at least, although it is unlikely that they will ever be able to restore everything the Wild Hunt destroyed. Privately, Vesemir is well aware that Eskel hadn’t remained for this reason alone, of course – he had seen the worried glances his pup had thrown at him when he thought he wasn’t looking. Vesemir can hardly fault him for it. It’s a miracle he’s still alive, after all, and from what the others told him, he was trapped on the horizon between life and death far too long for anyone’s liking.

“Geralt told me your story,” Vesemir continues, noticing the slight glint of hurt in Letho’s eyes at this breach in confidence. “He said you had nowhere else to go, what with the bounty hunters on your trail. That’s still the case, I presume.”

“He was right.” Letho gives the smallest of nods. Not for the first time it strikes Vesemir just how measured every single one of Letho’s movements is. He must be hyper aware of the space he is taking up, how people will perceive him and what he can do to mitigate those perceptions. Vesemir has never seen a witcher quite so masterful in the control of their body before, including his own pups.

“You could as well stay here, then,” Vesemir points out. “It is no Gorthur Gvaed, but a sanctuary nonetheless if you accept it. Unless you wish to return to the Path, of course, and seek refuge in some of the more distant lands.”

“And if I stay, I could as well help you rebuild the keep, I presume,” Letho points out, a smile tugging on the edge of his mouth. Vesemir shrugs.

“I don’t pretend that my motives are entirely altruistic,” he admits. “But I would be grateful for the company, either way.”

“Of course.” Letho looks out into the distance again, in the direction that Eskel has ridden off in. “Perhaps, staying here where nobody tries to kill me for a while would not be so bad after all.”

“You are welcome to extend the invitation to any other of your remaining brethren, if you deem them trustworthy enough to deal with an old Wolf,” Vesemir points out. In for a copper, in for a crown. “We have had Griffins and Cats in these walls, Bears too. There are so few of us left, why should we not band together after all?”

Letho pauses, tilts his head slightly as he digests Vesemir’s words.

“It’s a generous offer, thank you,” he finally says. Vesemir doesn’t know him well enough yet to be able to fathom whether this means yes or no, but it is for Letho to decide anyway, not for him.

“We should get back inside,” Vesemir says, looking at the darkening sky above. A storm is coming, and his throat and chest are aching fiercely, reminding him that he is still far from healed. “Perhaps we can make plans as to what to repair next.” Letho nods, pushing past him on the parapet, one of his hands landing on Vesemir’s shoulder and squeezing gently.

“Thank you,” he says, earnest gratitude in his voice.

*

A year later Vesemir finds him in the middle of the small greenhouse they have managed to restore with lots of patience, some of Letho’s ingenuity and engineering knowledge to make use of the hot springs’ hot steam, and just a little magic. He leans against the doorframe and watches as Letho very carefully takes a few seedlings out of their pots, disentangles their roots to divide them up, and plants them into their predetermined place in the soil on the ground. His arms are covered in dirt up to his elbows, but he doesn’t seem to mind, completely engrossed in his work although he must have heard Vesemir enter. Vesemir waits until he has finished planting the last of the seedlings before he steps forward.

“It’s coming along well,” he observes. Letho turns around to him, the corners of his lips turning upwards in a little smile. He tries to rub the dirt off his hands to no effect as he surveys the little space, filled with all sorts of plants from poison herbs to vegetables.

“It is,” he confirms, the pride in his voice unmistakeable. “We should be able to harvest the first peppers soon.”

“Good. Berrin says that he should be able to procure more glass panels the next time he is out on the Path; perhaps we can expand it even more.”

“That would be good.” Letho nods. His brother has a knack for finding lucrative contracts and procuring the rare materials they sometimes have need of. “How are the stables coming along?”

“Well. Ivo is has begun making the final adjustments on the south wall; we should be done by the time before the next storm arrives.” Vesemir smiles when he thinks of how adamant Ivo was that the horses needed a new and better stable; for a man who claims himself to be devoid of emotion and from a School said to be loners averse to the company of other witchers, he has taken remarkably well to the company within the keep, and quickly attached himself to the care of their animals.

Letho nods when he hears Vesemir’s words. There are a dozen or so witchers from multiple Schools in the keep at this point more than Kaer Morhen has seen at once in a long time. It fills Vesemir’s chest with pride.

“Anything else?” he asks, not unkindly.

“No. I just wanted to see how the plants came along,” Vesemir tells him, pointing at the corner where he can see several trays with fresh earth and packages with seeds waiting, as well as a number of freshly sprouted seedlings that need sorting and spacing out. Sometimes he has to withdraw from the business of the Great Hall, seek a quieter space for himself. “You need some help with these?”

“Be my guest.” Letho indicates the trays and the bench nearby. Vesemir sits down on it with a sigh; ever since the fight against the Wild Hunt he finds it impossible to hunker down or bend over for too long, as if Imlerith’s wound had caused old age to finally catch up with him fully. He takes one of the germination trays on his lap and begins sorting through the seedlings, setting the strong ones aside for Letho to plant into their growing pots. They work in silence; Letho has never been a man of many words, although what he says is usually well-thought out and hints at the intelligence hiding behind his deep-set eyes.

“I wonder what Rennes would say if he could see us,” Vesemir muses, halfway through the tray.

“Rennes?” Letho makes a questioning noise.

“The last head of the Wolf School,” Vesemir explains. Funny, how after all these years, the name still sends a pang through his heart, causing a whole avalanche of what-ifs and should-have-beens that time has lessened the sting of only a little. “He was…” he pauses, considers the memory of the man who owned so much of him, in both good ways and bad. “He was always very insistent on tradition, especially after the debacle with the Cats. Jealous to the point of unreasonable about guarding the secrets of the School, keeping Kaer Morhen ours. He probably would have hated this.”

Letho nods, his fingers pausing only briefly in their work as he looks up at Vesemir.

“Do you regret it?” He asks. “What you did?”

“No.” Vesemir doesn’t even hesitate. “This is good. This is what this keep should have become many years ago. Nobody is meant to spend their lives alone, not even witchers. These walls have protected Wolves for many generations; it’s about time they saw other schools, too. You will always be welcome here.”

Letho takes a deep breath, his gaze catching Vesemir’s for a moment, letting him see the full weight of the thoughts behind his eyes, the simple joy that stems from belonging and being cared about.

“Thank you. It’s good to have a home again.”

Vesemir smiles, turning his attention back to the seedlings.

“Always.”

[deltas-writing-corner]

Courtship: Together

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland (Malleus x GN!reader)

Author note: Thank you all for your patience and happy reading!

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol and alcohol consumption.

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AO3 version

“Really, I insist.”

“And I insist you sit down and relax while we finish preparing your party,” Lilia says as he pushes Malleus back down in his seat; the grand stone throne at the top of the double staircase in Diasomnia’s main lounge room. “We’re nearly done, anyway!”

Malleus tries to argue that setting out a few plates of food or lighting a few candles himself is no big issue, but Lilia skips away before he can get another word in. He continues to watch as the rest of his dorm mates decorate and rearrange the lounge into a grand venue befitting a birthday bash. Every so often, he checks his phone and rereads the last few messages you sent to him. You wrote you would arrive soon and would inform him when you were outside. He was getting antsy the longer he waits. There was even a moment where he was unsure if you knew the way to his dorm and panic-offered to escort you just in case. He snuck out for you once, and he’d do it again if you only asked.

The somber doorbell rings, and he immediately shoots up onto his feet. Lilia excuses himself so he can answer the door, but Malleus quickly descends the stairs and catches him by the shoulder before he can leave the room. “I’ll get it,” he says, leaving no room for a rebuttal from his caretaker. He hears several shouts of his name and approaching footsteps, but no one completely follows him into the halls, most likely thanks to Lilia holding them back. Even as he puts more and more distance between him and the venue, he swears he can hear the elder fae’s playful giggles echoing in the distance.

He picks up his already hurried pace at the sound of the bell ringing again. He’s a bit out of breath by the time he reaches the door and takes a few moments to straighten up and calm his pounding heart before welcoming you in. His efforts to appear calm and collected are all for naught, as he feels his breath being taken away when he opens the door and sees you. While you’re always wonderfully dressed, seeing you dressed in attire that is just a smidge more formal and fanciful strikes a carnal chord he didn’t know existed till this very moment. Black and green are the signature colors of Diasomnia. While your dress shirt isn’t the traditional vibrant green, instead it is a dark and rich hue, he can’t help but wonder if it would be too rude or outright ridiculous to ask you to wear it more often.

“Hey!” you greet with a bright smile on your face. “See? I made it here just fine.”

“Thank goodness,” he lets out a relieved sigh. “I thought I may have had to pick you out of a thorn bush.”

You let out a hearty laugh at his comment as he ushers you inside. He observes you as you look around and take in the decor of his dorm. While the architecture of Diasomnia is a typical design within the Valley of Thorns, his own home especially, he knows from a few off-handed comments that some students find the dorm gloomy and even downright unwelcoming. He supposes the green flames that bathe the walls and windows in an ominous glow can be a bit intimidating to those not used to them, but you don’t appear bothered by it at all. In fact, you’re dragging him in the opposite direction of the lounge and insisting that he show you around his dorm.

“I’m not leaving ‘till I see your room,” you firmly state.

“Why would you want to see my room?” he asks.

“Y’know?” You point back and forth between him and yourself. “You’ve seen my room, so now I get to see your room.”

That sounds awfully familiar.

“What is your name, child of man?”

“Depends on who’s asking,” you answer nonchalantly, completely unintimidated or disturbed by his presence. “What’s yours?”

His eyebrows furrow with annoyance. “It is proper to give your name when asked.”

“That isn’t how mutual introductions work where I’m from,” you scoff. “You’re supposed to give me your name, and then I give you mine.” you point back and forth between you and himself to better emphasize your explanation. As if you were trying to make sense of the difference between right and wrong to a child.

He feels the urge to growl in the back of his throat. “You’re rather ill-mannered, human.”

“I don't think any reasonable person would feel safe giving out their name to a tall guy with horns, wandering around an abandoned dorm that’s seen better days,” you bite back. “You aren’t making a great case for yourself either.”

After his mind finishes playing back the very first memory and conversation he has of you, he gently grabs you by the shoulder and leads you in the opposite direction. “Very well,” he concedes.

He guides you down several long halls, past the other standard-sized dorm rooms and other empty rooms. The large double doors of his room eventually come into full view, and when you turn and ask him if that was his room, you give him a giddy smile when he confirms it is. His room is rather plain. The only personal items he has are a few pennants above his desk given to him by Lilia many decades ago, and a giant statue shaped as the Witch of Thorn’s dragon form. While there isn’t anything in particular that he’s embarrassed by you seeing, he worries you might find the lack of personal decor boring, upsetting even. You have little else in your room as well, but compared to his it may as well be a treasure trove.

“Huh,” you step in and look back and forth, taking in his private space in all its unassuming glory. “So this is what a dorm leader’s room is like!”

The first place that catches your interest is the bed, which you unashamedly fall back on, arms spread out to bask in the space underneath you. If seeing you on his bed wasn’t enough to stir his heart, it would be the fact that another one of your shirt buttons came undone, exposing more of your collarbones and the middle of your chest to his obsessive gaze.

“Damn, I’d kill for a bed this big,” you grumble. “Do you know how much of a pain it is, sleeping with a bunch of full-grown wolves, four newborn pups, and a steadily growing deer?”

“You can always order them out of your room at night,” he suggests.

You fall back on his bed again with a groan. “Believe me, I’ve tried! They nearly scratched my door off and kept me up all night with their loud howling.”

You and your deep, unspoken love for animals. It seems it’s coming back to bite you in small ways. “You’re much more pliable than I thought!” he says, laughing behind his palm.

“Whatever,” you lift yourself and give a dismissive wave with your hand. Something catches your eye, as you look him up and down before tilting your head inquisitively. “Aren’t you supposed to have a sash with your outfit?”

He is, but what you don’t know is that he purposely left it in his closet, hoping you would notice and bring it up as you did just now. The reason and overall style of this birthday suit perplexed Malleus, but he’ll admit that it wasn’t an unwelcome surprise when the headmaster dropped it off the other day. He was actually hoping it would be you that presented it to him as you did with Lilia’s identical outfit on his birthday. However, that one time was because the headmaster had another obligation and handed the task to you last minute. It was the first time Malleus saw you since the end of the winter break, when his love confession went awry. It was awkward and nerve-racking, as to be expected considering how things went. But when you smiled and called him “tsunotarou” (much to Sebek’s disdain), it helped affirm the words the two of you had been exchanging over the phone, that you and he are still friends and that you still cared about him.

As he had hoped, you quickly offer to put the sash on for him when he mentions it still being somewhere in his wooden wardrobe. Your movements are swift and unassuming, but he can’t help the way his shoulders tense up when you put your arm around him to wrap the sash around his torso. Once the strip of fabric is properly secured, you run your hands over his clothes to smooth out the small wrinkles and bunched-up fabric. Your actions feel like a burst of electricity against his skin, even though there were several layers of clothes separating your bare flesh from his.

You casually wipe your thumb over the purple gem on his lapel pin before saying, “White suits you.”

“Is that so?” He timidly raises his hands to button up your dress shirt, just the one button that was undone earlier. He knows you hate having it buttoned up all the way. “I thought you said red suited me best?”

“I still think it does!” you chuckle. “But I’ve never considered you in something white until now. I guess I have to make you a white coat now.”

“You don’t have to,” he insists. “The one you made for me is fine as it is.”

“That’s good,” you smile. “All those years of helping my aunt sew and mend clothes for my cousins finally came in handy.”

“That would be your second aunt, correct?”

You’re visibly surprised at his comment, but you quickly give him a rather adorable smile. “That’s right!” you chant. When he asks you why you’re smiling so sincerely, you answer, “You’re the first person who’s been able to tell which of my aunts I’m talking about without naming them.”

“You speak of them often, so it’s expected that I’d be able to distinguish who you’re referring to after some time.”

“Well, shut me up if I mention them one too many times,” you insist, eyes averted from his own as you fidget with the ribbon tails of his celebratory bow near his breast pocket, his birth month and day were written with shimmering gold foil.

“Nonsense,” he frowns, redirecting your gaze to him so he can look you in the eyes. “They’re your family. If they’re important to you, then they are to me as well.”

While it’s true that you speak or make a frequent mention of your aunts during your many late-night strolls with him, Malleus’s ability to tell which one you’re referring to is mostly due to him carefully listening to each of your stories like they were gospels, writing seemingly rudimentary information down in his private journal to later read back by himself. Initially, he kept a record because your stories about the life you’ve lived alongside your rather rambunctious human family intrigued him. As his infatuation for you grew, he hoped that by showing you he remembers these moments of your life that you’ve shared with him, it would be a clear sign that he deeply cared not just about you, but also the family you deeply care for.

“Honestly,” you sigh and give him a playful look. “You really know how to tug on my heartstrings, don’t you?”

Malleus has done his best to remain calm and composed in your presence ever since he came to terms with his feelings towards you. As always, you shatter his efforts completely just by being your genuine self, open and honest with your thoughts. You seem to relish his red-faced meltdown, pulling him into a comforting hug while also laughing at him. He hopes you don’t think it strange, the way he seamlessly leans against you and melts in your arms. There’s a pleasant fragrant he picks up in your hair, fresh and floral, specifically like roses. He knows you like to make and use rose water every once in a while to keep your skin moisturized and your hair healthy. His heart is on the verge of bursting through his chest, thinking about you using it specifically with him in mind.

Is this your way of enticing him? It’s not much, but it’s working.

You pull away from him when your phone briefly rings. “Looks like they finished,” you announce as you skim over the newly received message, most likely from Lilia. “We should probably head there now before Sebek gets impatient and hunts you down like a rabbit.”

At the mention of his well-meaning, but loud retainer, Malleus and you leave his room and walk back to the venue together. Along the way, he acts bold and grabs your hand as you hurriedly walk side by side. You don’t pull away when his fingers interlock with yours. Instead, you squeeze and swipe the callus pad of your thumb over his knuckles, a silent assertion that his gesture is okay with you. A shy smile adorns his face. When he spares a glance over at you, he sees one as well.

“I know it’s only been 5 days,” he nervously mentions aloud. “But is it safe for me to presume that you already have an answer?”

“Pretty much,” you casually answer, but you still sounding quite sure of yourself. It sends his heart, mind, and body into a hopeful frenzy. “But as you said, it’s only been 5 days. I still have 2 more days left before my deadline hits and I’m taking all the time I’ve given myself.”

That cheeky tone of yours doesn’t go amiss. In normal Ramshackle fashion, you’re going to keep him at his wits’ end for your own amusement. He doesn’t know if he should feel more annoyed or more enchanted by you. Perhaps a mix of both? Truly, only you can make him feel this way.

“Honestly,” he shakes his head in disbelief. “You are by far the most troublesome human I’ve ever met.”

He halts his hurried pace. And you do as well. He grasps your still intertwined hands together with his other hand, holding it carefully like they were as fragile as glass. Your skin is covered in scars, both recent and old, that came from years of foraging and enduring the natural difficulties of mother nature. However, to him, these permanent markings are more precious than the rarest gem or the finest silk. Your hand is neither too large nor too small within his. It sits just right within his grasp like they were made for him to hold and caress as he is doing now.

“I suppose that makes you the person that you are,” he smiles down at you after letting out a curt laugh. “and it is you who I love and cherish immensely, with all that I am and ever will be.”

Perhaps it is in poor taste to repeat the same words he first told you during his initial confession, but there are no other words he could weave together that can equally convey to you the extent of his feelings other than these. He knows he’s getting ahead of himself. He knows that he’s agreed to abide by the time you’ve asked of him. His words are his bond, literally and figuratively.

He’s just so damn in love with you. He’s willing to act a bit more reckless than he usually is just to expedite the days where he can have you by his side and be together with you at last.

He barely catches it, but thanks to the quiet halls, he’s able to pick up the mumbled words you speak. “You’re making me lose my sense of patience, dammit.”

“Young master!” Sebek’s booming voice echoes down the hallways before Malleus can press your comment further on. His impending presence is enough to make you let go of one of him and take a step back to set some space between you and him. “Where are you?!”

He was much closer than he sounded, as you and Sebek nearly topple over each other when you both turn down the same corner. Thankfully, Malleus acts quickly enough and catches you before you could fall to the ground, and you thank him shortly after you’ve righted yourself up.

Malleus looks up at Sebek and asks, “Why on earth are you sprinting down the halls?”

“The human has failed to respond to Sir Lilia’s message, so he sent me to retrieve you both!” Sebek states, a bit too loudly for your liking as you click your tongue and rub your temples to relieve the growing headache. Malleus has assured you that Sebek’s volume is something you’ll grow accustomed to. It seems the day has yet to come.

“Well, we’re here,” you halfheartedly try to reassure the boy. “So can you please use your inside voice?”

“You!” now it was Sebek’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. “Did I not give you an hour-long lecture on proper attire for the occasion?! Today is Master Malleus’s birthday, and you look no different from what you look like any other day!”

“What?!” you look at his retainer with utter bewilderment. “I am dressed up! I even went out and bought a damn blazer just to fall in line with your strict rules!”

“You’re not wearing it properly!” Sebek gestures to your rolled-up sleeves and the two undone buttons of your dress shirt. “Honestly, I expected better conduct from you, prefect!”

“Just shut up and walk, Zigvolt!” you fume and push the young fae down the hall, ignoring his continuous strings of scoldings and high expectations of you. “I’m not in the mood!”

You turn back to Malleus, who silently follows a few steps behind Sebek and you ahead of him. Malleus has to bite his tongue as you make a choking gesture, most likely directed towards Sebek, with one of your hands. He puts his hand up in defense, not wanting to get involved in your ongoing argument with his retainer. Whenever you and Sebek are together, willingly or otherwise, the two of you often butt heads. Your arguments are never too serious. Malleus knows that if he gives you two some space, you’ll both work out whatever it is you’re arguing about and go back to respectfully tolerating each other as per usual.

He wants to ask you about this supposed lecture Sebek gave you about how you should dress. It sounds equally intriguing as it does ridiculous. Unlike Sebek, he thinks you’re dressed rather well tonight.

The scent of roses in your hair is proof enough that you’ve taken some of Sebek’s words to heart, even if he says otherwise.

The food is delicious despite its unusual colors. The cake, although baked by Lilia, was fluffy and not overly sweet like you expected it to be. Your biggest fear of the night was walking into a dorm full of faes who are just as headache-inducing and strict as Sebek is, but thankfully there’s only one of him in the entire dorm! Some students were still standoffish and threw you a few too many nasty looks than you would normally tolerate. Thankfully, there were some students you remember helping out of their dubious contract with Azul during exams week and welcomed you with open arms. They followed you around like a bunch of ducklings, eagerly insisting you try some dishes they specifically made for tonight’s festivities. Whether they genuinely admired you or simply wanted to make even with you for your help, they are a pleasant distraction from your interactions with Malleus earlier.

Love is a strange thing. Unlike a deer, you can’t predict its next movements or manipulate it to a point of disadvantage. Whether you love someone poorly or properly, love isn’t the same across the board. The love you have for your ghostly dorm mates back in ramshackle is comparable to the love you have for your family, precious and irreplaceable. You can share the same sentiments for your flourishing entourage of forest animals you take care of. You even have a bit of love for Grim, even if he wears your patience thin every other day with his dim-witted cockiness.

You’ve been in a few relationships before, but they went nowhere meaningful. They were relationships built upon a foundation of opportunity and convenience, not of mutual affection and a desire for lifelong companionship. You’re also a creature of habit, so the idea of breaking your hard-fought routines puts you on edge, even if it’s for someone you care about. There’s also the fact that you’ve sworn to yourself to not get too involved with the people in this strange world. You don’t want anyone, or even yourself, to feel saddened or at a loss when it comes time for you to depart. You don’t want to inconvenience anyone if you can avoid it. When you return home, you just want to brush this entire experience off as a long and complex dream.

But how can you brush someone like Malleus off as a figment of your imagination? How can you simply forget all those nights you spent talking with him, laughing with him, genuinely connecting and bonding with another person outside your immediate family for the first time in a long while? How can you continue to tell yourself that you won’t get too involved or become attached to anyone in this twisted world after you’ve gone and fallen in love with one of its inhabitants?

You love Malleus, truly, wholeheartedly, and for far longer than you initially thought. You love him, but not to a blind point where you cannot realize that loving him isn’t as simple as acting upon your innermost desire. Even if the feelings you have for one another are mutual, what then? What will a relationship with a fae, a royal fae, entail? Few think highly of humans. Sebek is a living example that there are even faes who actively dislike and look down upon humans. Malleus is at the very top of the social hierarchy, while you are on the very bottom; a magicless human from a completely different world. That’s another problem! What happens once the way back to your home is finally unearthed?

You love Malleus, but no matter how you look at it, a relationship with him sounds nothing more than an outlandish fairytale. Your friendship with him is still a rather delicate issue. You aren’t particular about what others think of your involvement with him, but he can’t exercise the same amount of dismissal of public opinion as you do. He  has  to worry about what others think of him, because eventually he’s going to be king, and a king can’t flourish if his people think ill of him.

It makes you wonder why he fell in love with you, the most perilous person he could have ever met and involved in his delicate lifestyle.

“Having fun over here?” A playful voice interrupts your deep thinking. Lilia has one of his arms thrown over your shoulder, a gloved hand firmly squeezing you for comfort and bringing you closer to his side.

Despite his petite stature and his boyish looks, you knew from the moment you locked eyes with him on the first day of the school year that he was much older and wiser than he let on. In fact, he’s old enough that he’s been mentioned in a few footnotes in a history book or two. You even cited him as a source for a thesis essay just for a few laughs. He even has a copy in his room. It wouldn’t surprise you if he has it framed and hung on his wall. He’s a very sentimental man.

“Do you need a moment to breathe?” he asks, concern discernible in his voice.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” you plead.

“Not at all,” he nods assuringly before excusing him and yourself from the small group of boys you’ve been entertaining for the past hour. He leads you out to a quiet balcony and you bask in the cool night air once the doors behind you are closed. Once outside, you take in a much-needed deep breath and lean yourself against the balustrade railing. He quickly excuses himself again and returns with two flutes filled with a bubbly drink.

“What is this?” you ask, swirling the contents around with caution.

“It’s champagne,” he answers.

You give a quick sniff. It certainly smells like it. “Isn’t everyone here too young to drink?”

“Yes.” He clinks his glass against yours before throwing you a cheeky wink. “But we aren’t.”

That’s good enough of an explanation to have you down the much-needed alcohol in one shot. Lilia takes careful sips instead, but once he finishes his drink, he heads back and brings the entire bottle of bubbly wine for you to finish with him. It’s been a while since the two of you drank together. Lilia has an expensive palette, so you’ve quickly learned to cherish each selection he brings for these monthly get-togethers.

You gesture to the dark bottle. “How old is this?”

“Half a decade. Nothing too fancy,” he tells you while pouring himself another glass. “It’s certainly better than whatever it is you brought last time we got together.”

“Unlike you, I like a little kick in my drinks,” you explain.

“Well, I’m not exactly fond of the sensation of my throat burning up with searing pain,” As if you emphasize his point, he massages around his small Adam’s apple. “No wonder you’re so rough around the edges.”

“That’s a low blow and you know it Vanrouge,” you pour the last bit of champagne in your glass before setting the bottle down by your feet.

“How low?”

”Right in my gut.”

“Then I suppose I’ll need to make it up to you over another bottle,” he subtlety suggests. “Are you in the mood for anything in particular?”

“Not really,” you shrug. “Nothing too strong. I’d rather not get hammered in front of a bunch of teenagers.”

He offers a bottle of red wine he’s been meaning to pop open for a while and you accept without a fuss. He takes the empty bottle of wine and tells you to hang tight while he gets the next one. You’re left alone for a few minutes before someone enters the area and settles right next to you. It’s Malleus, who looks just as out of sorts as you certainly look and feel.

“Needed a moment to breathe?” you ask.

“Yes, but I also noticed you were missing and came to find you,” he admits. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” you smile reassuringly at him. “Just out of my element a bit.”

“I’m sorry,” he looks so downtrodden that it makes your heart sink. “I had every intention of being close by you for most of the evening, but I’ve been busy speaking with the others that I-“

“Hey, relax!” you stop him before he can devolve any further. “Today’s your day, not mine. Besides,” you lift your empty glass for him to see. “Lilia is keeping me company.”

“Why is it that whenever I see you two together, there’s alcohol involved?”

“In my defense, he’s the one who offered,” you explain, but he doesn’t seem that convinced or assured. “It’s been a while since I’ve had champagne! And it’s a special occasion!”

“I’m not opposed to you drinking, but after what happened last time, I can’t exactly trust you two to pace yourselves or get your hands on something far too potent than either of you can handle.”

He’s talking about the last time you and Lilia drank. You’re not sure what it is the old man brought, but whatever it was, neither of you could stop drinking it even after you two were well past your limits. You both blacked out early in the evening and woke up with one of the worst hangovers in your life. Malleus knew well beforehand that you and his caretaker drank together. He’s even joined a few of your drinking sessions, despite not being fond of alcohol himself. But he certainly did not expect to deal with not only one, but two easily agitated and out of touch individuals the next day.

You still don’t know what was in that bottle.

“Malleus!” A newly arrived Lilia perks up when he sees the man of the hour next to you. “Have you come to drink with us?”

“I’m afraid not,” he answers, immediately followed by the two of you whining in disappointment. “Seriously, what is it with you two and alcohol?”

“You make it sound like we’re alcoholics. Which we aren’t!” you protest, eagerly watching as Lilia opens the bottle and pours you both the first glass of many more to come. “We only get together like this once a month.”

“We used to share a few glasses once a week at some point,” Lilia says as he hands your drink. “But that’s a bit too frequent for these old bones.”

“Says the man that downed half a dozen bottles of beer back in September,” you purposely bring up.

“I didn’t know it was alcohol!” Lilia shrills. “If I did, I would have paced myself better.”

You look over to Malleus and shake your head in disapproval. Your action makes him chuckle, and the urge to fidget with the stem of your glass comes down on you. He really does a great laugh. You’re not sure if it’s your genuine feelings or the alcohol that’s making your heartbeat faster after hearing it. For the sake of your sanity, you’re just going to blame the wine for making you feel more infatuated than usual.

As you and Lilia steadily empty another bottle together, the older fae feels compelled to tell you a story or two about Malleus when he was younger. Despite the latter’s protests, you insist and listen intently about the many times Malleus singed Lilia’s hair as a baby with his fire hiccups or the few instances he’s gotten lost on his quest to sightsee every single gargoyle around the castle. It’s never a proper birthday party without a relative sharing embarrassing baby stories with random guests.

After the second battle goes empty, Malleus suddenly asks you if you would like to walk around the dorm grounds for some much-needed air, Since he’s the birthday boy, you agree right off the bat, only after you get a glass of water in you to help stave off the wine a bit. Lilia gently reminds you both not to stay out for too long, otherwise, Sebek’s worrisome nature might get the better of him and he’ll put together a makeshift search party. If you hadn’t had a few glasses of wine, you wouldn’t have found Lilia’s comment as funny as you did at the moment. You’re a tad tipsy, but not drunk enough that you feel yourself acting or thinking too out of character or lose your sense of balance and trip over your own two feet.

“So, where are we going birthday boy?” you nudge him with your elbow. “Are you going to push me into that thorn bush now?”

“But of course,” he laughs. “I just wish for further respite, that’s all.”

Just as you’re about to mention that people usually like to step away from a crowd by themselves, you feel his smooth fingers interlock with your hand once again. He takes you around the back of the dorm where the expansive and well-attended hedge garden is located. The dark-colored bushes are blanketed in blankets of snow, and more green fires are flickering atop the lantern poles lined along the stone pathways. It’s been a while since the two of you went on a nightly stroll like this. They started out as either you or Malleus running into each other by pure chance and just going along with the lucky encounters. Soon your run-ins became much more intentional and a regular part of your schedules.

He’s the first to break the silence. “May I ask you a strange question?”

“Of course you can,” you nod your head, admiring the wooden gazebo the two of you have now settled underneath for a moment. “Isn’t that why we go on these walks, to ask each other a bunch of odd questions?”

It goes without saying that, due to your racial differences, there were a lot of questions burning in each of your minds about your differing ways of life and upbringings. Most of your questions were innocent and came from a place of wanting to learn and take into consideration his boundaries as a fae. As you grew more comfortable with each other, thus more open and honest, the more comfortable you felt to ask him more personable questions. However, you usually have to answer your own question first before he gives his response in return. You find that this is usually the case when conversing with a Fae. They won’t give until you give back something of equal value.

“In my defense, your blunt answers are refreshing,” he admits, almost gratefully. “No one other than Lilia speaks to me with such genuine honesty. Yet even then, he tends to shroud his words in some layer of vagueness.”

“My aunts were like that when I first moved in with them. Something about ‘learning things on your own,” you recollect. “But I was really quiet and withdrawn when I first moved in with them. They had to lead me by the hand and pummel me with lots of encouragement just to get me to do basic things.”

“You and the concept of quietness don’t mix well together,” Malleus laughs. “In fact, much of how you describe yourself as a child doesn’t seem to match up to how you behave now.”

His comment, while true and most likely just a casual observation, is treading into somewhat dangerous territory for you. “You really pay attention to everything I say, don’t you?” you comment in an attempt to divert the conversation elsewhere.

“I do,” he admits with an unashamed expression “But seeing as you now know of all of my embarrassing mishaps as a child, I think it’s only fair that I get to hear a story or two about yours.”

He leans closer to you, something you normally do to him whenever he gets all quiet and reluctant to say what’s on his mind. You don’t exactly mind telling Malleus about your early childhood, but it’s not as grandiose or as pleasant as he may think it is. What’s a friendship without revealing a few stories about your crappy childhood to each other? What happened to you is unfortunate, and you’re not ashamed to talk about it, not anymore at least. Considering the state of your friendship with him and the ongoing issue about whether you’re going to pursue something more with him or not, you’re not too sure if sharing stories of your past should be preserved for later or if doing so now is alright.

“Can I ask you something first?” you hesitantly ask.

“Anything.”

You turn your body towards him more, easily noticing the way he sits up a little more straight. The faint chirps of crickets and windswept leaves fill the silent void you’ve set in place. He remains quiet, tightening his grip around your hand, still interlocked with his, brushing the back of it with the thumb of his other. The gesture is small, but it’s obviously his way of letting you know that he’s patiently waiting and encouraging you to take all the time you need to sort your thoughts out. He’s looking at you with that concerned expression of his. The one he makes when he feels as though he’s made some sort of mistake or said something that was ill-spoken against you.

He tends to critical of himself, only because there is a lot of expectation set upon his shoulders for someone of his station. It is during moments like this that you understand what Lilia meant when he says Malleus still has much to learn and experience before he can truly take on the mantle of a king. He may be many decades older than you, but his maturity is probably not too far from your own; well put together than most, but still in need of opportunities to grow and learn some more.

That’s the purpose of these walks, to learn and grow from each other. All it takes is a question. But your question, the one that has been swirling in your mind for days, isn’t as innocent as wondering if his horns have nerve endings or not.

Your teeth are on the verge of biting your tongue hard enough to draw blood when finally, you will yourself to ask the burning question on your mind.

“What do you plan to get out of a relationship with me?”

He’s visibly taken aback by your question. If you squint really hard, your question is almost an affirmation that his feelings towards you are mutual, but it is only a minuscule part of a much greater whole. There can not, will not, be any do-overs for either of you. Before you pass a point where there is no return, you need to make sure neither of you is setting yourself up for disaster later down the line. You love Malleus, but you will not tell him what your genuine feelings are just to make him feel better. If word gets out about your relationship and it’s ill-received by his family or, heaven forbid, his own people, you’d never forgive yourself. Becoming King of the Valley of Thorns is his only desire in life. You couldn’t possibly understand why he would want to put himself into such a demanding position. You still don’t understand, but he remains firm that becoming king is what he truly desires in the entire world.

You’d rather die with these unpursued feelings of yours than to allow yourself to be the reason he loses his unwavering purpose in life.

“A relationship, with you,” he tests the words, the very concept, out loud. As if he’s trying to gauge the reaction of the world itself. “It certainly wouldn’t be a dull one.”

That look he gives you, the one that is so painstakingly painted in so much love and affection that can give you several tooth-rotting cavities, directed to none other than you, makes your heart do all sorts of acrobatic twirls and lunges. Your hands seek out the nearest object to fidget with, a piece of hair that fell out of place from your hairstyle. There’s a moment of panic that overcomes him and he goes to pull his hand out of your firm grip, but you tighten it just before his hand can slip away. You like holding his hand, you realize.

“Something’s troubling you,” he remarks. “Whatever it is, tell me.”

“This isn’t the best time to bring it up,” you argue. It really isn’t. Not when there’s alcohol in your body that makes you incredibly pessimistic and impulsive. And it’s his birthday. You really don’t want to make this day suddenly about you. You’re slowly regretting having that second bottle.

“Perhaps not, but it’s going to be brought up eventually, I imagine.” He gently cups the side of your face and forces you to look up at him, right into those green eyes that have always mesmerized you. “Speak to me,” he insists once more.

“I…” you start, but the words die in your mouth before you can speak them. There’s an instance where you nearly pull away from him and are ready to just book it back to your dorm and forget this ever happened, but he keeps you in place almost desperately. He wants you to speak your mind. He wants to know what’s eating up inside you. He wants you, all of you.

But like his desire to become king, you can’t understand why it’s you sitting across from him.

The edges of your vision wobble, and you know that if you’re pushed over the edge enough, you’re going to start sobbing. You hate crying, especially when you feel you don’t deserve to. Who are you to get all emotional when you’re the one who’s overcomplicating things? You’re the one who kick-started this conversation, so why are you the one getting all emotional? Shouldn’t Malleus be the one on the verge of breaking down? He’s the one with the most to lose. The most suffering you’ll likely be subjected to is a bunch of scrutinization and disapproval.

“You know this isn’t going to be easy, right?”

He reaches up with a folded handkerchief in hand, dabbing the corners of your tear-stricken eyes. “I know.”

“I can take a judgemental comment or two. I just don’t want you to be on that receiving end of it because of me.”

“People will always find something to pin blame on or direct their judgment towards, even if the detail is as insignificant as my decision to be with a human.” he calmly explains. It almost pisses you off that he’s remaining calm through all this while you’re going through many ranges of emotions. Malleus is a prince, and it's fragile moments like these that he’s been carefully taught how to navigate and work through. Now you’re just mad at yourself for forgetting something so obvious and vital. Damn that second bottle of wine!

“I’m the worst human you could have picked,” you proclaimed with utmost certainty. “I’m not even from the same world as you. What the hell can I possibly offer you?”

“Well,” He leans even closer to you, closer than he’s ever purposely been and you’re almost compelled to move away from him due to your nervousness. There was a brief moment where you thought that he might kiss you, that’s how little space there is between you and him. While a kiss from him sounds both amazing and absolutely terrifying, you let out an audible sigh of relief when he stops at pressing his forehead against yours. “What are you willing to give me?”

Oh, he’s slick and he knows it. The answer is so obvious now. You’ve made it obvious well before your first glass of champagne. You’re practically wearing your heart on your sleeves, but it’s not enough for him. He wants you to say it out loud so that what he assumes is mutual is in fact irrefutable. He won’t settle for anything less, you’re sure of it.

“All I can give you is my love,” you offer, in a hushed, almost embarrassed manner. “If you’ll have it. If it’s what you want.”

“It is,” he answers immediately, without a shred of doubt or hesitancy. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted from you.”

If this is truly all he wants from you, then he can have it. He can have every bit of it.

“Are you sure you can make it back to Ramshackle without issue?”

“I’ll be fine,” you reassure him for likely the 20th time. “I’m not that buzzed, and you look just as tired as I am.”

You’re right. Malleus is well beyond himself now. His social batteries are thoroughly drained. He needs a nice, long rest to fully process this long evening.

As he thinks about his conversation with you under the gazebo, he reaches out and tenderly caresses the side of your face. Your hands immediately reach up to tug and twist one of your shirt buttons. He once thought your habit to fidget with the nearest object meant you were uncomfortable. A dainty smile etches into his face now that he knows that this habit of yours was a sign that you were flustered by his actions.

He thinks it’s an adorable habit and very befitting of your person.

“What?” you look up at him with a nervous gaze. “Is there something on my face?”

“No,” he shakes his head. “Your face is all clean.”

Despite his statement, you wipe at your puffy eyes to ensure there are no visible tears left. Would you think him strange if he told you he finds you endearing like this, your eyes somewhat droopy and your voice hushed despite the lack of need to control your volume? You probably would, but your presumed disdain wouldn’t stop him even if you told him off. He can’t help it. He’s drunk as well, though not because of any wine.

“Are you busy this weekend?” you say into his open palm.

“Not particularly.”

“Good,” you smile against his skin. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Do you now?” He looks at you, intrigued by the sudden presentation of a surprise for him. “Is it safe to assume this surprise is my present?”

“Yup, it’s your birthday present,” you admit. “I found something on the island that you’ll absolutely love. The walk is long, but trust me, it’ll be worth it.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” he says, beaming as he thinks about where exactly you’re going to take him. You have a knack for finding interesting spots on the island. Whatever this hidden wonder is, you seem quite confident that it’ll trump all the others.

“Meet me early in the morning, and dress warmly. It’s going to snow a bit.” you disclose before regrettably pulling away from him. “Goodnight, and happy birthday!” you call out to him one last time.

“Thank you! Please be careful on your way back!” he pleads, but you’ve already passed through the mirror back to the college’s main campus. Hopefully, you heard him. If not, he can always send you a letter through his charmed envelope or message you over the phone.

When he returns to his room to dress down and ready himself for bed, he finds that his desk is occupied by a hefty pile of presents that he had yet to open. While they vary in size, most are wrapped in identical gift wrapping and bows. Presents on the larger scale are fully exposed and have a card set over top of it or tucked in between the gift wherever possible.

He opens some gifts before calling it a night, specifically the smaller-sized ones. Most of them are centered on his skill for stringed instruments; new violin strings, fresh rosin for his bow, and even some sheet music for songs he’s never played before. If it weren’t so late, he’d practice a few stanzas. It’s probably best if he saves his awkward first time playing for another day.

Perhaps he can play for you someday? However, the mere thought of more physical activity causes a surge of tiredness throughout his body and he lets out a deep, bellowing yawn. Playing as host for his own party required much more listening than conversing than he had initially expected. He was also juggling his attention from his guests to you, who was always across the room from where he found himself. There’s a great divide in opinions regarding your friendship with him that, unfortunately, skews more negatively rather than positively. He cannot speak for all faes, but he did not want you to develop any poor opinions or experiences with his people, especially his dorm mates. Seeing the small group of first years keeping you company and even show a bit of reverence towards you was assuring.

You deserve as much praise and admiration as he receives, for you are someone who has well earned his respect and his love.

You weren’t exaggerating when you told him to dress warmly. Malleus doesn’t hate the cold, but he can’t say he likes the way it bites and numbs his minimally exposed skin. Thankfully, the coat you made for him helps stave off the cold rather well. Now if only his gloves could do the same for his needle-pricking fingers.

“Your master sure has the gall to leave me waiting outside in this weather.” He looks down at Gunter, the pack leader of your small bunch of wolves. He doesn’t seem bothered by the snow at all, what with his thick winter coat protecting him from the cold air and the scarf he wears around his neck. Not only did you think to make and put on a scarf for the rugged canine, you even secured it by tying the ends into a neat bow. “I wonder where exactly they’re taking me. Perhaps you have a clue?”

Gunter turns away from Malleus, as if to tell him he’s sworn to total secrecy on your behalf. Malleus can’t help but reach down and pat him on the top of his head. Loyal without a fault. He can see why you keep the wild dog around.

“Are you trying to interrogate my wolf?” He jumps a bit at your unannounced and undetected arrival. He didn’t even hear the crunching of snow and rocks from your heavy boots as you snuck up behind him. If he were wild game, he’d likely have a bullet lodged in his heart by now. “Whatever you promise him, it won’t work. He’s pretty tight-lipped.”

“I can see that,” he quips back. “Are the others staying behind?”

“They can’t stand the cold. Not like this one can,” you explain to him while proudly scratching behind the wolf’s fluffy ears. “The woods are still dangerous, even during the winter. He’ll scout ahead and let us know if we need to change directions and chase off any predators. I also promised I’d share some of our food if he came along, so there’s that.”

“You prepared food for us?”

“Of course I did!” you jostle your pack basket to reiterate your statement. “Did you really think I wouldn’t feed you?”

“You never fail to stuff me with food, so no, I didn’t think you wouldn’t,” he laughs. “Besides, without me, you’d end up with more leftovers than you’d know what to do with.”

“I lived with 11 people back home,” you grunt as you push open the metal gates that enclose the front of the Ramshackle dorm. “So what if I make too much food? You’re really pushing it for someone who gobbles it up all the same.”

“I rather enjoy the way you flavor your meals,” he remarks. “And you know that I’m very particular about my food.”

“Is that why you want me around?” you inquire with a cheeky grin. “So I can satisfy that silver-spooned appetite of yours?”

“What about you?” he questions back with just as much playfulness. “Without me, you’d have no gardening partner.”

“Damn,” you kick a twig and it tumbles down a small incline and into the half-frozen stream at the bottom. “and I thought I was being stealthy about it too.”

Malleus erupts into a loud fit of laughter, with you joining him as he sputters out how strange your shared senses of humor are. This right here. This is why he loves you. You just make him so damn happy! Your companionship and the bond you and him have built with each other is all he’s ever wanted, all he’s ever dreamed of since he was a young boy. There was a point in his life where he had nearly resigned himself to a life of loneliness. Now, look at him, out on a stroll with one of his closest friends. Although now you are not only his friend, you are now his partner as well.

His partner. His.

He involuntarily reaches over and squeezes your hand in his small bout of prideful possession. His enamored smile must have caught your attention as you reach out and poke the side of his face with your free hand.

“And just what are you thinking about, your highness ?"

He has to hold back the snort that he nearly lets out. How kind of you to layout the perfect opportunity to tease you. “Why, I’m thinking about you, of course,” he says, throwing a wink in for added measure.

You let out a huff of air that turns misty as your warm breath mixes and condenses in the cool air. “You should think of something else,” you retort, pulling the hood of your dark cloak closer to your face to cover the side that Malleus can see without strain.

“You seem a bit flustered,” Malleus continues to tease you.

“And you sure are talkative this morning,” you harshly say, but he knows it’s only because he’s “pushing your buttons" as you would say. You do it plenty of times towards him and your friends. This is nothing but well-deserved revenge for all those times you push him and get him all flustered. He’ll need to watch his back in the future. You won’t let him get away with this, not without avenging yourself first.

Oh, if only humans and Faes could get along as well as you two have. Malleus was born right at the end of the last war between his people and many defunct human nobility houses. Relations with the remaining human nobility are better with passaging time, but there is much room for improvement before there can ever truly be a declared peace between both species. A relationship between a human and fae is hardly anything new, the interaction between the two races as old as time itself. As overly optimistic and opportunistic as it surely sounds, he hopes that his relationship with you, no matter how it works out in the end, can be a proper example to his people and onlookers of any other kind than the harmony they once had with humans is still obtainable.

“What you said the other day,” he suddenly mentions. “I feel it would be in poor taste if I didn’t fully address the concerns you clearly have about us regarding my status as a member of the nobility.”

At the mention of your conversation a couple of days ago, your hand grips around tight around him for a moment. “I don’t like facing too many uncertainties,” you admit. “It probably sounds weird, but I do better in situations I have some control over. Being with you. Well, for lack of better words, it scares the living daylight out of me the more I think about it. I don’t even think you know what’s in store for both of us the further we get into this.”

“I have some idea, but to say that I fully understand what’s at stake would be untruthful,” he admits as well. When the court eventually finds out about who he has taken as his partner, he will receive some amount of scrutiny and his decision will be heavily questioned. "However, that would happened no matter who I chose to be with, so long as the person was not someone the court saw as diplomatically advantageous."

“Have you even told anyone about us yet?”

“No. Not even Lilia knows, but I'm sure he has an inkling by now,” he expresses. “As childish as this may sound, but I’d like to keep our relationship a secret as long as possible.”

“And when people start to connect the dots, what then?”

“The only way they’ll confirm their suspicions is to confront either one of us,” he answers matter-of-factly. “But whatever difficulties may be lined up for me in the future. So long as you’re by my side to support me, I'll endure whatever it is that is put forth in front of me."

“You’re right, you sound really childish,” you sigh. “But you also sound so damn sure yourself,” you grumble under your breath, but his pointed ears pick up on your comment despite your hushed volume. “I can’t say I feel the same way just yet. But I hope that, whatever comes up, we can do what we always do and just… talk it out.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he smiles. “After all, isn’t that the purpose for these walks of ours? So we may work through these difficult conversations with each other?”

“Yeah,” you sigh, a clear lopsided smile on your lips despite you not facing directly towards him. “I guess they are.”

Just as Malleus is about to say something else, you suddenly stop when a distant howl sounds. “We’re close,” you tell him.

“Now, where exactly are you taking me?” he finally asks you.

“Sorry,” you shake your head. “I can’t tell you just yet.”

“Not even after I asked so politely?”

“Nope!” you beam.

Still curious about this supposed wonder you’re escorting to, he continues to pester you with questions, trying to pull some sort of hint out of you. You’re not usually as tight-lipped as you are now. Your persistent secrecy only excites him the further you two travel.

Apparently, what you constitute as nearby is much further than what he would consider close. While still within the woods, he can faintly hear ocean waves crashing and a few seabirds cawing about. You’re taking him towards the southern part of the isle, clear by his now unbutton coat because of the warmer temperatures and the tuffs of green grass poking out through the half-melted snow the further you take him. The place finally appears before him, with tall brick walls and a metal gate, both of which are covered in thick, frosted ivy leaves. He can make out of a few shapes past the gate, but not enough to confidently guess what they are exactly.

“Will you tell me now?” Malleus asks once more while you busy yourself by giving Gunter some well-deserved ear scratches.

“What do you think?” you look down and ask Gunter. He makes a deep grunting sound in response to your question. “I guess you’re right,” you nod in understanding before looking up towards Malleus and saying, “The locals call it a gargoyle graveyard.”

“Gargoyles?” he says with clear excitement, like a young boy being told that a pile of candies and toys awaits him in the other room. "You took me out to see gargoyles?"

“Yes, but also no,” you say. “They would have been if they weren’t sculpted incorrectly.”

“So it’s a place where inoperable gargoyles are put?” he asks, still intruiged.

“The family who owns this piece of land mentioned that they also put gargoyles in here that were made purely for art’s sake,” you added. “But can it really be called a gargoyle if they weren’t made to act as a gutter in the first place?”

Malleus’s heart always skips and beats faster whenever he’s around you. That last comment you made nearly stopped his heart altogether. He once had a conversation with Silver regarding the stark difference between gargoyles and statues. The boy couldn’t fully grasp the difference, but it seems you can right out of the blue. By the Great Seven, is your ability to tell the difference between a purposeful gargoyle and a mere decorative grotesque really what’s making him go red in the face?

Yes. Yes, it is.

You easily notice this as well, as you comment how his complexion is almost the shade of a ripe tomato, although you’ve been busying yourself with undoing the many locks and chains secured around the front gate and didn’t even look over to him since. “I can see the tips of your ears getting all pink in my peripheral,” you explain with a hint of laughter arising in your voice. You’re clearly amused by all this. “Who knew my basic understanding of gargoyles is enough to set a fire in your loins!”

“Must you tease me at every opportunity?” he groans. "And so crudely too."

“What? Are you having second thoughts about me?” you jokingly ask.

“Somewhat,” he answers back, though it’s only a half-serious answer.

You toss aside the last chainlink and rusted lock keeping the front gate secured before saying, “I won’t be mad if you bail out now. It’ll save Sebek the future anguish when he finds out.”

“Sebek is already at odds with our friendship as it is,” Malleus clarifies. “Besides, I think the boy is rather endearing when he’s upset.”

“Endearing,” you mockingly repeat. “More like a pain in my ass.”

“Give him some time. He’ll grow on you,” Malleus encourages.

“For your sake, he better,” you glare at him for a moment. “Alright, that’s enough relationship talk for the day. These gargoyles won’t ogle themselves!”

No, they won’t, and it’s music to his ears that you want to appreciate them together.

Together, with him.

[gamerwoo]

[Tales from the Pack] Chan: Homewrecker (Part Four)

Characters: Chan x female reader

Genre/warnings: werewolf au, fantasy, angst, mention of attempted suicide, mentions of abuse, a tiny bit of fluff at the end

Word count: 2,410

Summary: Chan caught your attention as soon as your eyes met across the market. Something about him drew you to him, and you knew you were meant to be. However, you were already taken and arranged to be married on your next birthday, so you could never be together.

Previous | Next | Homewrecker Masterlist

“No,” Soonyoung stated.

Chan gave the alpha an incredulous look, “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“She’s engaged to the mayor’s son, Chan,” Soonyoung explained, rubbing his temples as he tried to figure out how to go about all this. “We can’t kidnap her, the entire town will be out hunting us. That fucking twerp already has hunters out in the woods every goddamn night.”

“Seungcheol would say--”

“Well I’m your original alpha; your real alpha,” Soonyoung snapped before the younger wolf could even finish his sentence. “Before we found them, I was the one who watched out for you.”

“Jihoon and Seungcheol are my alphas now too,” he stated. “I’d rather listen to them if they tell me I can save _____.”

“Ah, so you have selective obedience now? Fantastic. Well, if you get yourself arrested or tortured or murdered, you’ll know why.”

“I’d do any of that if it meant saving _____ from Donghae!”

Soonyoung sighed deeply, letting his head drop against the kitchen table, “Chan, you didn’t even tell her she’s your mate. You can’t just assume she’d want to stay with you.”

Chan frowned, getting more and more angry with the alpha by the second, “What do you know? You’ve never even had a mate!”

“You’re right, Chan!” Soonyoung stated, slamming his palms down on the smooth surface as he lifted his head up and smiled angrily at Chan. “You are absolutely right. I wish I had one so I wasn’t going out every other night just trying to find my mate, but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Ask Joshua about it, he knows better than anybody. In fact, if you act impulsively, _____ is going to end up like Lilly, too!”

Chan’s mouth closed, his jaw set as his eyes darted to the floor. He knew Soonyoung was right, and he also knew he shouldn’t have said what he said. He didn’t realize the alpha was so lonely and that was why he slept around. He thought maybe he just had a really high sex drive or something, honestly.

“Soonyoung, I’m--”

“I understand your frustration, Chan,” Soonyoung said, his voice much calmer now. “I know you want to protect her, but we need to wait until we have a solid plan. Especially with that tracker on her, we can’t do anything.”

“Her birthday in two weeks,” Chan reported, glancing up to look at the alpha. “Do you think we’ll have a plan by then?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “We’ll just need help.”

“Help?” Jia spoke up as she entered the kitchen, one arm hooked through Minghao’s while her other held her cane. “Help with what?”

“Chan’s mate is in a bit of trouble, and we need to get her out in two weeks time,” Soonyoung explained, giving a quick synopsis of the situation. “The problem is she’s engaged to the son of an important man in town, and she’s being tracked.”

“Tracked?” Minghao repeated, settling his mate down in a chair. “Tracked by who?”

“No, they…” Chan trailed off, not even wanting to think about what Donghae did to you.

“Her asshole fiancé put a tracker in her,” Soonyoung spoke up in place of the upset pup. “We need to get her out without anybody knowing.”

Minghao sucked in a sharp breath, “Ouch…”

“We’ll definitely need the assistance of Shua at the very least,” Soonyoung said, already trying to think of a plan. “I don’t know how he’ll feel going into town, though. After Lilly, he doesn’t like going unless he absolutely has to.”

“If it’s to help somebody, I think he’ll do it,” Jeonghan shrugged with a nod. “Especially if it’s to help a mate.”

“Who’s Lilly?” Eunjin wondered, suddenly appearing in the doorway to the kitchen.

The banshee was almost like a ghost, nobody even hearing her walk over or knowing she was listening, but she just appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Although, it was sometimes funny because she’d even catch the werewolves off guard and make them jump.

Soonyoung looked at Minghao, then Chan, then his eyes flashed up at the ceiling, knowing Joshua could probably hear them, “Ah…story for a different time. Is anybody hungry? I can make breakfast.”

“Everybody who can remotely cook is asleep,” Minghao pointed out. 

“Eh, it’s fine,” the alpha waved the concern away as he stood up from his seat. “Jia, how’d you sleep last night? Anything interesting happen?”

The blind girl let out a soft sigh, resting her chin on her palm, “Wonwoo had another nightmare, and Junhui had his bird dream again.”

“…Bird dream?” Chan repeated, quirking an eyebrow.

“Junhui has a reoccurring nightmare about a giant bird trying to feed him to its young,” Minghao explained, holding back a laugh. “Now he’s terrified of birds.”

“There’s also Josh’s dreams about Lilly,” Chan noted. “She says he dreams about Lilly a lot.”

“Seriously, who is Lilly?” Seungkwan’s mate pushed, wanting to know about the girl she’d never heard about. “You don’t have to tell me everything, I just want to know who she is. I have...a...feeling.”

“Feeling?” Jia repeated curiously, eyes darting over to where she’d heard Eunjin’s soft voice.

Soonyoung shrugged, “Eunjin’s part of the pack now. Might as well tell her.”

Minghao let out a deep sigh, running his slender fingers through his hair as he sat down beside his mate, “Lilly was Joshua’s mate.”

“Was?”

“She…passed away,” Chan replied awkwardly. “Joshua doesn’t like anybody talking about it, but that’s basically all you need to know.”

“Don’t werewolves die without their mate?” she wondered, settling in a chair and curling her knees to her chest.

“If their mate dies, a werewolf has another chance to find another mate. The heartbreak, though…” Minghao trailed off, remembering how awful it was to see Joshua that way.

“It’s difficult to live through,” Soonyoung continued where his brother had left off. “It makes you depressed as hell, but it won’t kill you like being denied will. I can’t even tell you how many times Joshua tried to kill himself because of it. The pain is too much to deal with.”

As the older wolves spoke, Chan just listened and thought about what Soonyoung had said. If Chan did anything wrong, you could end up like Lilly. Just imagining anything like that happening to you made his inner wolf whine softly. But the two werewolves just chalked it up to him being upset over their dead sister.

“I think that’s enough about her for now,” Soonyoung decided after hearing Chan’s whimper. “Back to breakfast. You’re all growing boys and girls.”

Chan just rolled eyes, trying to get out of the negative headspace, “Soonyoung, we’re all adults.”

Soonyoung turned around, pointing at the youngest with the tip of the knife he held in his hand, “No, you and Eunjin are our babies. So sit down and be quiet, pup.”

-

Donghae knew nothing of your meeting with Chan last night -- which you thought you had dreamed, honestly. The only reason you knew it was real was because he had left a note, promising to meet you again tonight. 

Once you managed to get yourself out of bed despite the aches in your body, your mother flashed you a worried look. You knew your family did care about your well-being, but their fear of Donghae’s power outweighed their care for you. Therefore, you felt they didn’t truly care enough about you at all.

Maybe Chan’s promise to get you out of there wouldn’t be so bad. In fact, you trusted the boy much more than anybody else at this point.

“Donghae requested to see you, _____,” your mother told you as she kneaded dough for bread, flour coating her apron, and making patches on her cheeks. “Do you need your father to escort you?”

“No,” you laughed dryly, knowing Donghae would know if you arrived without veering off course anyway, “I’ll be fine.”

“What’s so funny?” she wondered, pausing her actions to give you her full attention.

“Nothing,” you replied, shaking your head. “I’ll be back later.”

You slipped on some shoes before leaving the house, making sure the door was closed behind you before you let out a groan. Why would Donghae want to see you? Hadn’t he done enough? He’d left you alone after he hit you so what made him feel the need to bring you back all of a sudden? You didn’t have any answers he was looking for, so you were basically useless to him.

As you walked to his house, you made sure to avoid the marketplace, knowing he’d get upset if he saw you going through there even if it was just to get to his house faster. Instead, you went around, grumbling unhappily to yourself about how ridiculous he was.

You truly hoped Chan could save you from this life.

Before you could even knock on Donghae’s door, he opened it with a toothy smile that seemed too happy, “Ah, _____! I’ve been expecting you.”

“I know,” you muttered, but he didn’t catch it as he had turned away to walk back into his house. “Is there a reason?”

“Do I need a reason to see my dear fiancée?” he wondered, his voice laced with a charm that would’ve had any girl swooning.

Any girl except the one who knew what he was really like.

“No, I suppose not,” you replied, knowing if you talked back to him, you’d definitely be in for it.

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, turning to face you as he held an arm out to you, apparently wanting to take your hand, “I thought I could share something with you. Do you happen to know of Kang Soomin?”

Your brows furrowed as you cautiously took his hand, letting him lead you up the stairs to his office, “I believe so, yes.”

You knew Soomin was a kind girl who lived alone on the very edge of town. She used to live with a kind old woman -- strange, but that gave her charm -- until she unfortunately passed away. You used to see the pretty girl alone in the market, but you hadn’t seen her for a long time. So you were curious as to why Donghae brought her up so suddenly.

Donghae’s house had many stories to it considering his father was very wealthy, so he brought you to one of the windows that faced the direction of Soomin’s cottage. Even with her house being on the edge of town, you could clearly see the large pile of black ash from where you were.

You tried not to show any emotion, your gasp getting caught in your throat.

“She had run off with one of the brothers of your little...friend,” Donghae told you, his voice low and menacing as he stared out at what used to be Soomin’s house. “We had caught her and her mate before, but they escaped. Nobody knows where they went, but I can assure you that they will be found.”

He looked at you, expecting a response. You just nodded, not wanting to anger him more. If he thought you were on their side, he’d have you killed for sure.

“This is what happens to those who hang around with those monsters,” he warned. “It happened to Soomin, and it’ll happen to that pack and their disgusting mates when the hunters find them.”

“Good,” you gulped, unable to tear your eyes away from the ash. You had no idea that was what happened to Soomin, but you hoped she managed to get away safely, and that the pack had been protecting her, but you’d never say that to Donghae. “Werewolves are…bad…”

‘Very convincing, ___,’ you thought to yourself, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything awful about Chan.

“Of course they are,” he agreed, giving you a skeptical look. “You’d know better than anybody, wouldn’t you?”

As you finally turned away from the awful view to look at your fiancé, who was an even worse view, all you could think was, ‘I sure do.’

-

As promised, Chan showed up again that night. This time, though, he brought you ice wrapped in cloth; lots and lots of ice in cloth. You were sure you needed ice packs for your cheeks considering how warm they felt when he made you lay down so he could place them on your bruises.

“So,” he began once you were relaxed onto the bed, “we have a plan.”

“Already?” you asked, surprised the pack had managed to come up with a way to save you in one day. “That was…fast.”

“You said you get married two weeks from now,” he stated, kneeling on the floor, and resting his arms on the edge of your bed. “The night before, we’re coming to get you exactly at midnight. It’ll be the morning of your birthday, so we need to get you out of here before the ceremony. We just need the spare time until then to...figure some things out.”

You frowned, “Midnight? How will we manage?”

“We have fantastic eyesight,” he flashed you a cocky grin. “Plus, I’m quite fast. I’ll get you out of here in no time with a little help from my pack.”

“What about the tracker?” you asked slowly, almost forgetting the square chip in your arm.

Now, Chan was frowning, “Well…we’ll have to get it out.”

Your face contorted like you were already uncomfortable, “...How bad will it hurt?”

“We’re cutting open your arm and taking something out of it,” he sighed, not liking the idea of you being in pain. Quickly, he added, “But one of my brothers can heal you! It’ll only hurt for a minute, and then he’ll make it feel better. I promise.”

“I’ll do anything if it means getting out of here,” you admitted, your eyes looking toward the ceiling now. “There’s nothing worse than Donghae.”

“_____,” Chan’s voice was quiet and soft when he spoke to you again, but it grabbed your attention as if he had shouted, “if he ever hit you again…you’d tell me, right?”

“Would you want me to tell you?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

He was silent for a moment, just staring at you, “I just do.”

“Okay,” you nodded, “I’ll tell you.”

He smiled softly, a soft grumble sounding in his chest. He stroked your hair back, changing the subject, and talking with you until you finally fell asleep, listening to the sound of Chan’s voice.

[songofsaraneth]

Another very busy but very fun couple weeks over here!!!! what a change of pace from the every-day-the-same-blur the last couple months have been.

My parents birthdays are in late June/early July so I went back to Chicago to visit for those + the 4th. It’s been well over a year since I was last at my childhood home and I always miss the lake I grew up on sooooo much. Got to have a nice time kayaking around (pic 1) and enjoying the water lillies and frogs :)))) Also visited my extended family in rural western IL, my uncle is one of the 3 people that make up the towns entire historical preservation society, and they just finished moving/restoring a cute cabin and some equipment from when the area was first settled, which was neat (pic 2). 

On the 3rd I went downtown to hang out with my childhood bffs + partners + my friend’s daughter on a beach on Lake Michigan (pic 3), and its the frist time i’ve been around so many people since 2020 and i’m definitely both rusty on the social skills as well as still feeling weirded out by groups now. It was a really hot day with cold water and good company and food though so while a shock to be back in such a weirdly “normal” setting I did still have a good time. And saw a couple of them again on the 4th at my house, and the neighbors across the lake set off a surprisingly good firework show (pic 4).

I also got to go visit @onionjuggler and her pups (pic 5 & 6 and oops forgot to take any of us together lmao)!!!!!! While this is not actually the first time we have met as we overlapped at the same college (and were both in the campus circus group no less), we reconnected on tumblr last summer bonding over Dragon Age & Mass Effect obsessions and it was soooooo nice to get to hang out irl as a follow up :))))) 

Anyway I spent less than a week back in New Mexico frantically catching up on working + prepping for my following trip this past weekend. Also got to do some baking for a labmate’s post-thesis-defense party, it’s the first time I’ve been able to bake for other people in???? SO long and I missed it. Made doughnut muffins (not pictured) which are delicious but not photogenic and then mini fruit tartlets (pic 7) which taste good and are also very visually show-off-y. Happy to say they were a hit!

Anyway then friday night I drove over to AZ where a photographer couple I’ve worked with a few times before/kept in touch with just moved a few months ago (all the way from New Hampshire). Their new house has a pool so we arranged to do both some figure-on-landscape and figure photography plus also some underwater work! It’s been since last March since my last modeling gig and FOREVER since I’ve gotten to do any mermaid portraits, so it was very exciting to be able to get back to both. Spent the weekend running around jumping on rocks in improbable places with full face makeup + giant lashes lmao (pic 8) and on very little sleep since we were doing sunrise shots as well. I style/advertise myself as an “adventure model” able to get to trickier locations and do harder shoots than the average model, and Jay (the photographer) has done several with me before, so we also went to a location he knew he’d probably not be able to get another model able to reach as it involved an uphill 5 mile technical mountain bike ride followed by a mile of hiking while carrying our giant backpacking bags of camera equipment + outfit/makeup changes + 3 liters of water, all in 95º weather in midday desert sun lmao. The shots turned out SO good though, and I even got to jump in an ephemeral waterfall pool for a bunch of them, and then the mountain bike ride back down was SO fun, though I still had to walk a few bits since no way was I doing some of those technical rocky corners while in a 25lb pack. Bikes & some gear featured in pic 9 :D

Pic 10 is the view from one of the locations we shot at! Involved a technical scramble up the back of a boulder, but looked like a totally sheer face from the front--it’s gonna be super impressive in the final pics. I was wearing a dress made from an old repurposed parashute, so the skirt hangs way down over the rocks and will billow if there’s any breeze, which we did have a bit of. You can see the giant adventure van we roamed around in under a tree in the foreground. I’m really glad I was able to go out and get those because I actually woke up with a migraine saturday night and my rescue meds give me super weird dreams/make me fairly woozy, but luckily the migraine was a fairly small one by my standards and the meds had worn off enough that I could do the climbing stuff safely. But it did mean I only got like 3 hours of sleep after only 2 hours of sleep on friday so I was fairly exhausted. greem.jpg.

And the underwater stuff in the afternoon went really well to!!!! It’s soooo hard to tell if anythings turning out in the moment since you can’t really see on the viewfinder if things are working, but we got some AMAZING stuff I’m super excited to share once he finishes editing. 

Drove home last night (sunday) however there was a HUGE monsoon stormfront. I’m glad becuase we need the rain desperately but for like an hour I had periods of almost no visibility (doing 40mph in a 75 zone with hazards on) and there was up to 2 inches of water on the road surface. So I stopped in a rest stop to nap for 2 hours until it cleared up. But I also hate naps and then slept weird once I got home at 3:30am so now I’m in a weird exhausted haze but also still kinda wired rip. But! Fun times and very much looking forward to a nice hot shower now that I’ve eaten and had an hour to just sit and breathe.

[impracticaldemon]

The Shopping Expedition (or, A Gift for Theo) by impracticaldemon

Fandom: Ikemen Vampire Characters:  Theodorus (Theo) van Gogh, MC; also Arthur, Comte Canon Setting; Canon Characters Words: ~ 4500  [Also available on AO3 and FFnet]

A/Note:  Written for Theo’s (Cybird) birthday on May 1st. Happy Birthday Theo!  This wasn’t intended to be so long, but I had too much fun writing the Theo x MC interactions. The story assumes that MC has been there for a while already, but there isn’t yet an established romantic relationship.

~Imp

______________________

The Shopping Expedition

Cuff links? Nice, but boring. Gold tie pin? He did wear a cravat when necessary, but I wanted something distinctive. Watch chain? …I couldn’t remember what he used to tell time, although he probably did carry a pocket watch; after all, he was always in a hurry to get somewhere.  Heh—the thought put me in mind of the White Rabbit from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the image of Theodorus van Gogh wearing bunny ears and a fluffy white tail made me snicker.

It was the day before Theo’s birthday, and I was getting a little—make that a lot—stressed out over what to get him.  I mean, he had everything he needed, between what Monsieur le Comte provided and his own income.  But I’d recently realized that he had very little in the way of personal keepsakes—things he treasured for more than being useful or necessary.  I wanted to find him something special, maybe even something that would make him smile.

Theo had been rude to me from the moment we’d been introduced.  So why was I trying so hard to find him a memorable birthday present? I suppose it was the little things he did in between mocking my (alleged) naiveté and impugning my intelligence. He noticed how hard I worked, for instance, and respected me for it—even checked up on me a few times when he realized I was putting in late night prep work for the next day.  He paid attention to what I was doing, and acknowledged legitimate improvements.  Mind you, his compliments were often buried among his criticisms, but they were sincere and on-point.  And maybe it was my imagination, but there had been a lot fewer insults lately.

I left the jeweller’s—the fourth such shop I’d been in—and frowned down at the paving stones.  The sun was already low in the sky, and I’d promised not to stay out past dusk.  Paris wasn’t a safe place after dark, and a lot of areas weren’t safe at any time. Or so I’d been told, over and over again, by various residents of Chez Comte, including Master Theodorus.

“Planning to take root and grow leaves?”  Snarky comment, snarky tone, big presence.

“Good afternoon to you too, Theo, and how are you today?”

[READ MORE BELOW CUT]

I looked up—quite a ways—and saw the expected sky blue eyes and irritating smirk.  His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, as usual, which made it feel like he was looming over me.  Other shoppers detoured around him without more than a quick glance of annoyance, with the exception of one belligerent young man who called him a rude name that he automatically returned in kind.  They glowered briefly at each other, but there was nothing in it—just an ordinary exchange of ‘civilities’ in Paris of the nineteenth century.  Or any century, come to think of it.

“Seriously, though, you going in or out?”  Theo indicated the shop behind me with his chin.

“I’m fine, thanks.  It’s a nice day, and I don’t often get out to see the city.  Haven’t needed the umbrella so far.”

Eyeroll.  Sigh.  “Give it up already, would you?  Are you here with Sebas?  Little pups like you need a handler—and maybe a leash.  You might get into trouble, otherwise.”

Right.  Why was I trying to find him a birthday present again? Oh yeah, because there was a heart of at least tarnished silver in there somewhere, and… well, I preferred to not think too hard about the rest.  I gave him my best ‘the customer is always right especially when they’re not’ smile. As a travel planner and occasional tour guide for status-conscious co-patriots, I’d had a lot of practice.

“I’m out on my own today, I’m afraid.  Napoleon and Isaac gave me a lift into town, but otherwise I’m completely unsupervised. How about you?  No big brother around to remind you to play nicely with the other children?”

Sadly, I wasn’t able to get a rise out of Theo, although his smirk faded into something closer to genuine amusement.

“What happened to the polite little girl who first arrived at the mansion?  I seem to remember somebody who stuck to ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘I’m sorry’ most of the time.”

“Well, I didn’t get the best first impression of the tenants, and where I’m from, civility is often the best defense.”  I was going to add more—about lecherous writers and their syrup-swilling friends—but time was getting short, and not only did I still not have a present, but I was starting to wonder what was going on with Theo.  It was unlike him not to be twitching with impatience by this point in the conversation.  “Hey, Theo?”

“Hm?”

“Not that I don’t appreciate your company, but what’s up?”

“What do you mean?  I happened to be in town and saw you blocking traffic—thought I’d better wake you up before somebody knocked you down and stole your lunch money.”

I ignored the usual challenge to my maturity and life skills. “But now we’re both blocking traffic, and you’re always in a hurry when you’re on business.”  The image of the White Rabbit with his giant pocket watch came to mind again, and I added:  “You know—‘I’m late! I’m late!’ and all that.”

Theo frowned, apparently not catching the reference.  It occurred to me that I might be quoting the movie, rather than the book—and would Master Theodorus have bothered to read something as whimsical as Alice in Wonderland?  

“I’m never late for business appointments, hondje–what’s with you?”  Before I could reply, he went on.  “Believe it or not, you have a really terrible sense of self-preservation.  I was just trying to look out for one of God’s dumb creatures, you know?”

“Sure.”  Amazingly, the insult rolled right off me.  Maybe I was finally getting used to him, or maybe it was the dawning awareness that he was genuinely concerned and couldn’t bring himself to admit it.  “So, are you staying in town for dinner, or heading back?”

“Haven’t decided.” Theo shrugged.  “The real question is, how are you getting home?”

“A carriage?  I mean, that’s normal, isn’t it?”

“Napoleon or Isaac meeting you?”

“No, why?”  Great.  Now I had no birthday present and I was starting to feel nervous.  “I can always fend off the cabbie with my umbrella if there’s a problem, okay?  Anyway, I know this is usually your line, but I have to get going.  I still have something to pick up, and—for safety reasons—I’m not supposed to stay out after sunset.”

“…I guess I’ll go with you,” Theo grumbled.  At my look of surprise, he shoved his hands further into his pockets.  “You’re almost useful now, that’s all.  Be a waste for something to happen to you when Sebas finally has you halfway trained.”  More quietly, he added, “Still don’t know what they were thinking, letting you out on your own...”

I stared at him, torn between irritation and confusion.  After a moment, his eyes flicked away from mine.  I thought there was a hint of red in his fair cheeks, but the late afternoon sun made it hard to tell.

“Look, Theo, all joking aside, I’m not a child, and I think I can manage to take a carriage home on my own.”

“Who says I’m joking? What part of ‘Paris isn’t safe’ isn’t getting through your abnormally thick skull?  Look, you’re wearing nice clothes, and you’re obviously carrying money. Sure, you’re probably okay shopping on your own during the day, but taking a carriage out into the middle of nowhere just as it’s getting dark?  I couldn’t believe it when Arthur mentioned—” He broke off abruptly.

“What does our literary Lothario have to do with anything?” I demanded.

“Just—it doesn’t matter, okay?”  Theo was scowling, now; it was a familiar, if not especially charming expression.  “The point is, travelling home alone is asking for trouble, and you’re already trouble-prone.”

“Trouble-prone?”  

“Well, you managed to get stuck in le Comte’s door—that’s a first.  And just—ugh.  If you have something left to buy, we should get moving.  Besides, you’re still blocking traffic.”

Before I could find the words to properly express my aggravation, there was a polite cough at my elbow.  A neatly-dressed, middle-aged man had opened the door behind me, and was looking inquiringly between Theo and I.

“Madame, Monsieur… I do not wish to intrude upon a lovers’ quarrel, but perhaps you would be so kind as to find a more appropriate location?”  He bowed politely.  “You see, Monsieur is rather, ah, formidable, and it is not good for business.  I’m sure that you understand.”

Theo shot me an exasperated look, put a hand under my elbow, and dragged me away.  Since I couldn’t do anything about it without causing a scene, I went with him, calling an apology over my shoulder to the shopkeeper.

After we’d gone a short distance, I tried to yank my arm free.  I wasn’t successful, but at least it got my cranky companion to slow down. Once we’d reached a quieter spot, Theo finally let go.  We were both a little red, and this time it definitely wasn’t just the light.

“You—”

“What the—”

Theo shoved his hands back into his pockets.  I would have crossed my arms in response, but I had a bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

“Theo—”

“Hondje—”

I decided to let him go first.  It had occurred to me—as annoying as it was—that he might have a point about the wisdom of taking a hired carriage back to the mansion on my own.  There was no way to call ahead, and the stretch of road between the outskirts of the city and le Comte’s residence was uninhabited and surrounded by forest.  While I was confident that the residents of the mansion would hunt down anyone who harmed me, it made no sense to put myself in harm’s way unnecessarily.  

“Why didn’t Napoleon make arrangements for you to get home?” Theo asked at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence.  “He usually fusses over things like that.”

“I don’t know.”  I thought about the trip into town, and added, “I got the impression that he thought it was already taken care of.  He reminded me to stick to the one shopping district, but that was it.”

Theo suddenly went still, as though something had occurred to him.  Then he scowled again, but it didn’t seem to be at me, for a change.

“Who gave you the money to take a carriage back to the mansion?”

“Le Comte—well, technically I suppose it was Arthur…”  I paused, thinking it over.  “Arthur came up to me shortly before I left to tell me that le Comte had asked him to pass along the money for the trip back.  I was a bit surprised, but it didn’t occur to me to be worried about it.”

Theo muttered something in Dutch that I didn’t quite catch.  It sounded rude, but when I raised my eyebrows at him he just hunched a shoulder and growled, “Arthur, not you.”

“You think Arthur set me up?”  That made no sense.  “But why? I mean, he’s the one who told me—”

I bit off the rest of the sentence, since I’d been about to tell Theo that I’d been looking for a birthday present for him.  Arthur was the one who had recommended the particular shopping district and given me directions.  I’d reluctantly consulted him about possible gifts for Theo, since they appeared to be friends.  I would have preferred to ask our resident angel—Theo’s brother Vincent—but he’d been working non-stop on a painting for the past several days.

“Let me guess.”  Theo had stopped scowling, although he didn’t look happy, either.  “Somebody—probably Arthur, since Vincent’s been painting—told you about my birthday, right?  And you got it in your head that you should get me something, because you would.  Then Arthur suggested where to shop—he knows I like a lot of the artisans in this district.  Sound about right?”

“…Maybe.  But you still haven’t explained what you are doing here.”

“I told you—I had to be in town anyway, and somebody had to look out for the ignorant puppy.”

“I really wish you’d stop it with the pet references.  How did you know I’d gone into town and was coming back on my own?”

“Arthur.”  Theo grimaced. “We were chatting in the front hall, and he mentioned that he was concerned, because he overheard that the coachman wasn’t returning to town for you.  When I said you were probably coming back with Napoleon or Isaac, he made a big show of remembering that Napoleon and Isaac were staying in town late tonight. Bastard.”

I continued to stare at Theo, as the bits and pieces started to click.  It was beginning to sound as though Theo had rushed into town entirely for my sake—so that I wouldn’t have to travel home alone.  Even stranger, Arthur had been able to wind him up with a pretty suspicious story—maybe because my safety was at stake? Normally, Theo was as sceptical as they came.  …Not that I was feeling warm and fuzzy just because Theo had panicked over me or anything.

“What are you grinning about, hondje?”  The glower was back, probably because Theo hated looking like he actually cared about anyone other than Vincent.

“Nothing.”  For some reason, I couldn’t get the smile off my face.

“Just remember that if you had half a brain, and weren’t so reckless, you’d cause a lot less trouble.”

“Right—because it’s my fault that Arthur set me up just so he could mess with you.”

Theo didn’t respond; he seemed to be deep in thought.  Then he hastily pulled out a pocket watch and muttered, “Damn, I really am late, now.”

I stifled a giggle, as the image of Theo the White Rabbit came to mind once more.  “Hey, Theo?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry if you ended up missing something because you were looking out for me.”

He looked startled, then replaced the watch in his pocket and turned away, running a hand through his bright copper-brown hair.  “It wasn’t a big deal.  Otherwise you’d be on your own.”

“I still appreciate it—thank you.”

“Well… just remember that you owe me one.”  He still wouldn’t meet my eyes.  “You still had somewhere you needed to go?”

“Yeah.  Do you mind if I go into that bookstore?”  I pointed across the street.  I was pretty sure I’d been there once before with Sebastian, who was picking up an order for Leonardo.

“Whatever you want is probably in the library at the mansion, you realize.”  Despite his words, Theo immediately set out towards the store.  I hurried after him, unable to repress the thought that it was a lot more comfortable being in nineteenth century Paris with somebody—especially if he happened to be moderately intelligent and good-looking.  Having a glare that parted crowds like Moses parting the Red Sea was a bonus.

I was fortunate enough to find what I wanted, and quick enough that even Theo couldn’t find fault with me for wasting his time.  When I rejoined him outside the store, he was idly flipping through an art book, criticizing the publisher’s choice of paintings.  I could tell that his heart wasn’t really in it, though.

“So, I guess we should get home then?” I asked.

“Yeah, let’s go.  I’d suggest eating out, but Sebas is probably waiting for you, right?”

To my surprise, he held out an imperative hand for my bag, which now contained a neatly-wrapped two-volume set along with the bits and pieces I’d picked up earlier.  For some reason, I didn’t try to refuse, even though the bag wasn’t especially heavy.

“Thanks…”

“Sure.”  He offered his elbow, and rolled his eyes when I stared at it blankly.  “Take my arm, would you?  Last thing I need is for you to trip and twist an ankle now that the light’s going. And stop looking so surprised—makes you look even more out of it than usual.”

“Uh-huh.  Have you ever considered not adding the insults? I hear it can do wonders for people’s opinion of you.”

He looked down at me, smirking.  “Why would I care what people think?”

“You care what Vincent thinks.”

“He’s my older brother, and an artistic genius.  He’s allowed to have opinions.”

“Right…”

We were walking steadily toward the nearest area that was likely to have coaches for hire that would travel beyond the city limits.  I hated to admit it, even to myself, but it was nice to have an arm to lean on, especially since my feet had been sore for a quite while thanks to the uneven cobbles and hard paving stones.  I’d done more walking than I’d anticipated, and late Victorian fashions in ladies’ footwear were elegant, but not especially comfortable.

“Oi, hondje! Don’t fall asleep until we’re actually in the coach, okay?  Or are you hoping I’ll carry you?”

I stifled a yawn, and realized that Theo had a point—about falling asleep on my feet, not about wanting to be carried.  Because I didn’t.  Why would I?

“Oh jeez…  Come on, we’re here now—up you go.”

I let him help me into the carriage, and settled myself decorously on the forward-facing seat. Theo joined me a moment later, having spoken to the driver.  He sat down beside me, and stretched his long legs out in front of him as much as space allowed.  

“Go ahead and nap if you want,” he told me, pulling out a notebook and pencil.  “Maybe I can get some work done if you’re not babbling at me.”

“I don’t babble.”  At least, that’s what I tried to say.  A yawn got in the way, and Theo snorted.  I narrowly resisted the urge to stick out my tongue at him.  Too bad I really was feeling sleepy, though.

We reached the mansion very shortly after that, from my perspective.  I didn’t remember much from the trip itself, which was just as well—or so I told myself.  For one thing, when I woke up, I was leaning on Theo’s chest, and his arm was around me. Moreover, he’d obviously taken off my hat for me, which was just as well, since otherwise I’d have been skewered by the ten-centimeter-long hatpins.  I felt stupidly pleased about that, as well as comfortable tucked up against him, which was embarrassing.  Best not to remember how it had come about.

Theo’s face was scrupulously neutral when I sat up just as we were reaching the mansion.  He just… totally ignored whatever had happened. Not that anything had happened, but still.  I jammed my hat back onto my head, and tried not to yelp when I poked myself with a hatpin. Theo snickered.

“It’s on backward.  Might as well leave it off—you’ll look a little less untidy that way.  Though I guess at least it covers up your hair…”

I wanted to try for icy disdain, but instead I found myself missing his warmth beside me.  Apparently, he noticed something in my expression. His finger lightly brushed my cheek, which suddenly felt very warm indeed.

“You shouldn’t look at me like that, hondje,” he muttered, only partly to me.

“Wh-why not?”  This time, I tried for aloof.  What came out was anything but.

“Well… you look like you wouldn’t mind being kissed, and it is almost my birthday.”

“You’ve been spending way too much time with Arthur!”  Why was I leaning toward him, instead of grabbing my things and hurrying out of the carriage?

“That must be it.”

The touch of his lips on mine was electric.  Okay, what was going on?  I mean—really?

There was a respectful knock on the carriage door, and Theo’s fingers dropped from my cheek.  He grinned at me, but I couldn’t read the emotion behind it.

“Look on the bright side. The driver was bound to think we’d been up to something, since your hair’s such a mess.  At least this way you’ve gotten some benefit out of the embarrassment.”

“What?!  Theo!”

Of course he opened the door at that moment, and it was plain that the driver thought exactly what Theo had predicted he would think.  Ugh!  It was mortifying, but at least the man was a stranger, and hopefully I’d never see him again.

The same couldn’t be said for Arthur, Sebastian, and le Comte, who met us as we came into the house. I’d tried to tidy my hair and replace my hat while Theo paid off the driver, but the expressions on the three men’s faces when they took in my appearance suggested I hadn’t done a very good job.  I came to the conclusion that I’d have to kill Arthur, just to avoid ever seeing the smug, self-satisfied look ever again.  At least le Comte was back to his normal, pleasant self after a bare instant; Sebastian raised his eyebrows at me suggestively—naturally, I ignored him.

Unlike me, Theo was completely self-possessed.  He handed me my bag with a casual, “Try not to drop it, after all that.”  Then he nodded to le Comte and Sebastian, and dropped a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.  I thought I saw Arthur wince, but if so, any pain wasn’t enough to offset his amusement. He winked at me as Theo marched him out of the front hall towards the games room.

“Are you alright, chérie?” Le Comte appeared to be genuinely concerned, so I reassured him that I was fine.

“You’re late getting back,” murmured Sebastian.  “You’ll have to tell me all about it while we work on dinner.”

“Or not,” I murmured right back at him.  I bowed to le Comte.  “Monsieur le Comte—here is the money that Arthur gave me, from you, to pay for the journey back from town.  As it turned out, I didn’t need it.”

“From me?  No… it’s not mine.  But why don’t you keep it, since it appears that Arthur’s been up to mischief again?  The least he can do is help to pay for your parcels.”

When I tried to protest, le Comte smiled gently at me.  I accepted my defeat graciously—after all, there was some merit to his argument.  After a few more pleasantries—which helped to soothe my ruffled feathers, I admit—I went upstairs to change and put away my things. Le Comte accompanied me to the second floor, and detained me briefly outside my door.

“Did you find what you were looking for?  I gather you were trying to find a gift for Theodorus.”

“Oh…”  I hesitated, then nodded.  “Yes, I did eventually choose something, thank you Comte.  It came to me when I was looking at watch guards—I thought maybe a sturdy but elegant gold chain would suit Theo, you see.”

“That makes sense. But I take it that you didn’t get the chain?”

“No…  I wanted something more unusual.”  I decided to confide in le Comte—he struck me as good at keeping secrets, and once I told somebody, I was less likely to chicken out. I reached into my bag, and pulled out the wrapped parcel.  “Open it, and tell me what you think—if you don’t mind.  I’m sure it’s completely the opposite of what Theo would ordinarily read, but that’s why I got it.”

“I’m intrigued, ma petite. But if you mean that you chose something other than a technical work, or an art book, then I congratulate you.  It’s perceptive of you to realize that he could use something to shake him out of his tendency toward ‘all work and no play’—other than drinking with Arthur, that is.”

“Well, to be honest, that was only part of it.”  I made sure that le Comte followed me into my room, since with my luck, Theo would come up at exactly the wrong moment if we stayed in the upper hallway.

“Now I’m even more curious.” Le Comte deftly untied the string that secured the parcel, and folded back the brown wrapping paper to reveal two illustrated books.  “’Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’… and ‘Through the Looking Glass’.”  He looked up at me, and I let out a sigh of relief when I saw the approval in his warm golden eyes.  “I wonder what our ever-practical Theo will make of these?  An excellent choice, chérie.  And no doubt you feel a certain kinship with Mademoiselle Alice? Although I think you chose a more dangerous world to fall into, as it were.”

I returned his smile and shrugged.  “Maybe. I’ve had a number of frightening experiences here, I’ll admit, but I’m not sure that Wonderland sounds all that pleasant.  At least nobody here has threatened to cut off my head for refusing to play croquet using live flamingos.”  When le Comte laughed softly, I added, “But you’re right that I do feel a bit like Alice at times.”

Le Comte flipped idly through the first book, admiring the illustrations.  Naturally, I’d made sure the artwork wouldn’t attract outright derision from the birthday boy.

“Tell me, chérie, what was your other reason for purchasing these books?  I thought it was because of Alice, and your situation here, but I gather that’s not it.”

“Oh—yes, you’re right.” I took the book from le Comte and flipped back several pages to one of the first illustrations, which showed a well-dressed rabbit with a large pocket watch and an air of panic about him.  Underneath, the caption read: ‘Oh dear, oh dear.  I shall be too late.’

Le Comte stared at the White Rabbit for several seconds without comment, and I began to feel anxious again.  Any resemblance to a certain hyper-busy art dealer was apparently all in my head…  Then the polished, ever-courteous, impeccably-dressed man beside me snickered audibly.

“Comte?”

He closed the book, leaving it between my hands, and bowed politely.  “I wish you all the best, ‘Alice’.  If you can get Theo to slow down and enjoy himself, even a little, you will have done him a true service.”

I nodded, but didn’t know what to say.  Who was I to tell Theo to slow down, if he was doing what he wanted to do?  We had a tenuous connection at best, although the afternoon’s events had suggested something more.  Was there more?  Did I want there to be?  What could I—or should I—read into that barely-there kiss?

When Sebastian arrived at my room twenty minutes later, sounding half-concerned and half-annoyed, I still hadn’t moved, and I still didn’t know the answers to any of my questions. The only thing I knew for sure was that I clearly had Theo on the brain.  I apologized to Sebastian, put ‘Alice’ into a drawer to wrap later, and finally got changed. It was time to concentrate on the job at hand, and not Theo’s unusually protective behaviour, or a stray kiss.

[END]

_______________________

A/Note:  Were you amused? Entertained? Please let me know what you thought!  Feedback is an author’s bread and butter when it comes to fanfiction. ♥ There may or may not be a sequel, depending on my time, other writing commitments, and reader interest.  For now, this story is published under my one-shot collection “Teatime Tales from the Mansion”

[slut-4-beetlejuice]

If I may ask for another request? More soft BJ! BJ being given his first birthday party (probably the next up and coming Friday the 13th.). Star gazing with BJ! Watching him kick ass at carnival/arcade games and always ones up the other couples by getting you the BEST prizes! Oh or BJ nervously about to confess that he’s in love with reader but everything goes straight to hell and the moment is ruined only for the reader to comfort Bj and confess. Idk I’m just spit balling here...

YES

Ok I'm trying to bring my blog back from the dead, and before we get into this infeel I owe you guys an explanation.

I was going through a rough time emotionally and I didn't really have it in me to put any of my "emotional battery" into being creative. But, I'm doing better now. Much better. And, I'm going to try and start posting regularly again! And cleaning out my inbox. I hope I didn't let any of you down, and I hope you all like this! (Also, please bear with me while I try to get a grasp on this character again)

So, Beej never really had a birthday. He couldn't even tell you what it was if he tried, it had been so long and he never really celebrated it. When you asked how he kept track of how old he was, his only response was "bold of you to assume I keep track" so, that was really no help. So, you decided to take matters into your own hands.

You chose Noveber 13th. A friday. In most years it was a friday the 13th. It felt fitting for your bug man. On the 12th you stayed up late, putting up decorations and baking a cake. But, it didnt stop there. The "13 Festival" was going on, something your town did every Friday the 13th. And you bet your beautiful ass you were gonna take him. People would be dressed up as monsters, zombies, spooks and haunts anyways, so he would for right in.

Coming down the stairs that morning, Beetlejuice would be lying if he said he wasn't a little miffed that you weren't there when he woke up. He'd be lying even more if he said the sudden and jarring sound of noise makers and his entire found family yelling "SURPRISE!" didnt scare the shit out of him.

"GHOST ZOMBIE JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" he jumped, "what the fuck is goin on?" He asked, the slept throughly shocked out of him.

"Its your brithday!" You laughed at him, blowing your kazoo at him, "were celebrating! Like the decor? I made it myself!" You beamed, proud of your work. He nodded, looking around, "I mean, it's great babes, but..its not my birthday." "How do you know that?" "....ya know, ya got me there." He smiled, coming down to kiss your forehead.

You played some old rock and roll and hung out with the family. The party was pretty lowkey, but beej like it that way. Everyone was there, Barbara, Adam, Lydia, De, hell even Charles, Charles fricking deets was there and he just wished him a happy birthday. Fucking wild. The cake had black and white stripes in it. Even more fucking wild. And his amazing SO made it, which was less wild but only because they were amazing and could literally do anything, including warm this cold dead heart.

After everyone left, beej was more than happy to call it a night. You on the other hand, were not. "I got one more surprise for you babe" you smiled, "is it vodka?" "No, what? No." "Oh..." "no silly, it's the 13th Festival." "Oh yea! Isnt it that thing where you breathers celebrate it being unlucky?" "Yes! And, I was wondering if you wanted to go?" "Will there be funnel cake?" "Yes." "Why are we still here? Let's GO!"

You laughed as you walked with him. He was getting more and more excited about this, about being among the breathers. It had been forever since he had last been to a festival. Literally.

He wasn't all that big into the rides. They were giant death machines and he was worried about you getting hurt. You tried to explain to him that that fear was irrational and you'd be fine, but he wasn't having that.

Now the games on the other hand...

Beetlejuice had a natural talent for those games. Darts? A natural. Hoop toss? Fucking nailed it. Basketball? A gosh dang pro. And, even if it was his birthday, the prizes went to you.

"Here ya go babes!" He said proudly, handing you a stuffed Cerberus, "one cutie pup for a cutie face" he grinned as you giggled with glee. Then, a squeal much louder than yours rung out next to you. You two turned to see another couple, the presumed boyfriend handing the presumed girlfriend a significantly larger Jason doll.

"Aww, that's so cute" you said with a smile. Beej on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. He would not be one upped on his birthday.

"Can I get 4 more darts please? Actually, 8" he said, handing over 2 dollars and getting the darts. "Beej?" "Yes babes?" He said, taking aim, "what are you doing?" He threw the dart and popped the first balloon. Then pointed at the giant Cthulu stuffie. "Winning you that."

"Darling, you dont have to-" "oh I know" another balloon popped, "I want too." 6 balloons later, you were trying to figure out how to get this giant cthulu into the car.

On the ride home, you couldn't help but notice how beautiful the sunset was. You couldn't help but take a detour. "Huh? Hey babes, where we goin?" He asked as he noticed the change in route. "Trust me" you smile.

By the time you reached your destination, the moon was up and the stars were bright. Beetlejuice got the idea quick. He smiled, reaching into the back seat and grabbing a blanket. "I like the way you think sexy" he grinned, laying it out. You grabbed your Cthulu for extra comfort, cuddling with him on the stuffed lovecraftian god.

He smiled as he looked at you looking at the stars. Is this what birthdays were all about? If he knew that he would have had one aged ago. He kissed your forehead. "Thanks babes." "For what?" "The best birthday ever." You blushed. "Any time Beej." "I love you Y/N" "I love you too Lawrance"

Ok, so, this was kinda rushed and a bit sloppy but listen...as the first thing I've written in like, a month I'm super happy with it, and I hope you guys are too. I hope you guys like it, and as always feedback is always welcome! I hope to get at least one of these out a night until my inbox is cleaned, and then hopefully more after that. Let me know what you think guys!

[andersoncharm]

Don’t Read The Last Page- October 24, 2020

MiniPara: - Don’t Read The Last Page

Rating: PG.

Pairing: Seblaine. 

Sebastian: smythesm

Blaine: andersoncharm

When: October 24, 2020-  Two days after Blaine’s 24th Birthday.

Location: Sebastian’s Apartment- Boston, MA

Notes: Sam visits Blaine for his birthday week and gets to know Seb a little. He gives Blaine some unexpected news that could change Blaine and Sebastian’s lives…

Warnings:  Mentions of death. Parental Death (Blaine’s Mom), Mentions of toxic past relationships. Mentions of brief past Klaine.

Extra Warnings: (This hasn’t been brought up for a bit but, this RP is not Kurt Hummel friendly. You’ve all been warned.)

Blaine’s POV:

Blaine tipped a sip of his tea attempting to hide the smile that had overtaken his face as he watched his boyfriend and his best friend place the freshly carved pumpkins out on the balcony. The visual brought him a joy that he’d not felt in a long time and he wanted to hold onto the moment, freeze it in his brain and save it for a darker day. They’d done six squash and each one had a dreadful grin or the face of a pup, or little cat whiskers carved into the shades of orange and yellow. He, Seb and Sam had spent the crisp day doing various autumnal things that Blaine wanted to do in sort of a birthday weekend celebration and Blaine’s perpetually worried yet happy demeanor over the last few days, had somehow evolved to an even bigger degree of happiness that balanced somewhere between being thrilled to downright ecstatic. Sam being here had brought a little slice of his childhood into his new world and Blaine was over the moon with the feeling of having them both near. If only David and Nick could be here to make it all even better.

He fought the urge to light each of the pumpkins from his spot in Sebastian’s apartment, but refrained- Sam would be leaving soon to go back to Ohio with his family for a few days before leaving for Japan and Blaine could wait before he used his favorite bit of spooky magic. Sam had been in America for almost two weeks now and he’d been in Boston for four days, Blaine only wished he had more time here. He sat his cup down and went over and opened the balcony door as Seb and Sam turned to come back in, the purple and orange glow of the Halloween lights backing them as they stepped into the room.

“I know Sam’s got a long drive ahead of him so I’ve made a kettle of hot water for tea and a pot of coffee, the two of you can take your pick. And yes, Sam, there are about six different types of creamer to choose from.” He rolled his eyes at Sam’s grin and sat down to wait for them to come back. Sebastian came first and Blaine’s face once again threatened to crack open into another smile as his boyfriend snuggled into him, shivering from being outside. Blaine wrapped his arm around him and pulled him even closer before pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “It’s not that cold, baby.” He mumbled teasingly. Seb just grunted in response.

“God the two of you are so gross.” Sam mused with a smile as he came back into the room with the biggest coffee cup from the cupboard filled way too full and slightly sloshing over as he sat down at the end of the couch. “Gross, but like way better than the dude you dated in high school for those few months. Kurt? Did I tell you that I ran into him when I first got to Ohio? Still has major uh, god complex energy. God complex? Did I use that right? Yeah.”

Blaine’s stomach dropped a little at the mention of his brief, witch ex-boyfriend and he pulled Seb a little closer. Whether it was to keep himself calm or Seb safe he couldn't tell.

Sebastian’s POV:

Seb liked Sam well enough. He had brought him a plethora of Japanese candy and a Sailor Moon manga. Sebastian was touched by how thoughtful it all was even if the blonde man wrapped him in a giant bear hug that had lasted a little too long for his liking. Sam laughed at pretty much everything Sebastian said (“your voice is so monotone, dude! It’s hilarious!”) and was Blaine’s biggest cheerleader, had a giant grin and even bigger arms so what wasn’t to like? Ras liked him, too (probably because they had almost the exact same demeanor and ecstatic energy.) Sam fully embraced Blaine’s autumnal themed birthday weekend and didn’t make things seem third wheel-y. 

Sebastian nestled the last grinning jack o’ lantern on the bannister as Sam stood back and wiped his palms on his jeans. They had carefully carried all six of the pumpkins they had carved with Blaine out to the balcony to display. Blaine had made a show of making sure each pumpkin had a little white votive candle inside of it though Seb knew that he would just use his magic to make sure they shone bright and long all season. 

He nodded at Sam as if to signify that their work was done and they headed back into the warmth of the apartment. Sebastian immediately snuggled into his boyfriend’s warm arms, the scent of coffee and cinnamon candles instantly comforting. He wasn’t ready for the nights to grow colder and darker but he knew how much Blaine loved the colder months and so he welcomed the chilly air and tried not to grumble about missing his beloved sun too much. 

Seb peeled himself out of the other man’s strong arms, flipped Sam off and poured himself a cup of coffee with a little half and half. He clasped his mug and reveled in the feeling of the hot ceramic in his hands. Sebastian joined the other men in the living room and tried not to audibly sigh when he noticed Sam’s coffee (kind calling it that, it was mostly caramel creamer) slosh onto the arm of the couch. He knew Blaine would magic it but his Virgo tendencies were itchy with the want to spray the spot down with cleaner and scrub vigorously.  

His ears perked at the mention of Blaine’s ex. Sebastian felt the other man pull him a little closer and could feel the energy change around them. He sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat, “God complex, huh?” Sebastian took a drink of his coffee and watched Sam who seemed very chill as he sipped on his drink and gave Ras’s hair a ruffle. He could feel Blaine’s body tense to his side. “Humor us, Sam. What did he have to say?”

Blaine’s POV:

Blaine’s heart thudded in his chest as he waited for Sam to reply to them. This familiar icy feeling of dread that he’d grown accustomed to ignoring over the past couple of years slowly crept over his body even before Sam spoke what had been said into the atmosphere. He tried his hardest not to react, tired not to grip Seb’s arm too tightly as his stomach fell to the floor. Sam’s perky, nonchalance made Blaine feel crazy about his internal struggle, but one quick glance at Seb told him that he wasn’t alone in his struggle. All at once he was happy that Hunter and Tony had already left a couple of days ago after meeting Sam and weren’t here to hear this. Wouldn’t it be their obligation to the Order to do something about it? Kurt was a Witch. A Witch that now knew about Sebastian and Blaine’s very forbidden relationship… He was especially thankful that Freya was out in the moonlight so that she couldn’t tell him she told him so. No matter how much she cared for Seb and of course, Ras.

“Well, he was like standing there, looking like he stepped out of some magazine, you know how he was, remember? And then he just casually asks how you are. So I tell him how happy you are and how you’ve got this awesome boyfriend named Sebastian that treats you like an equal and not like, you know, a trophy wife like he did and this fucking dude just keeps smiling at me. His eyes got all big and crazy looking and man, ooh, he looked like that cat from Alice in Wonderland, you know? Anyway,  I’m glad you got outta that one as quick as you did.” Sam took a big swig of his too hot drink and winched but still managed to look so proud of himself for talking Seb and Blaine up. He really was a good best friend. But, all Blaine could feel was that shrinking dread. 

Blaine licked his lips, a permanent chill settling into his bones as he sat his tea cup onto the coffee table in front of them before leaning back against Seb. His body tensed and ready for a fight as if Kurt or the Order and Council would bust through the door at any second. “That’s so strange. We dated for like two or three months, I can’t see why he’d even care what I’m up to.” He forced a laugh and reached out for Seb’s hand, linking their fingers and squeezing tightly so as not to float away. “How long ago was this?”

Sam took another drink of his coffee and shrugged. “Like when I first got into Ohio.” He shook his head. “I saw him about three more times on my trip, he didn’t talk to me or anything, just seemed to be at a few places I went to, I wouldn’t worry about it, dude. Like you said, you totally shouldn't give a shit about what he thinks anyway.” His best friend stopped and looked up at the clock with a sigh. “Ugh, I guess I should go soon. I promise the next time I come though that I’ll stay longer than four days, alright?” Sam stood up and not so carefully went into the kitchen to discard his cup into the sink. He pulled Seb into a hug that looked like it hurt before standing up and pulling Blaine into an even stronger hug, crushing him against him. Blaine knew he was tense and that he was distracted and he hated that he wasn’t able to say a proper goodbye to his best friend, but his heart was thudding so fucking hard in his ribcage that he wanted to scream.

He was such an idiot. How could he have been so careless? How could he have forgotten that Sam’s family was from Ohio that sweet, oblivious Sam would have no clue that all the Facebook and Instagram and Twitter posts had been glamoured so that it looked like Blaine was still single to Witchfolk? The high from his Birthday weekend crashed down hard and he couldn’t even bring himself to speak after Sam had left. His body felt heavy as he made his way back into the bedroom to get dressed for bed. He ignored Ras’ pitiful look which made him feel worse. He was working on autopilot as he changed his clothes and he could feel Seb’s eyes on him, searching for answers that Blaine didn’t have. His hands were shaking as he ran them through his curls before finally looking up at Sebastian, lost.

“Fuck, Seb…”

Sebastian’s POV:

It was a good thing that Sebastian was in law school and had been trained not to wear his emotions on his sleeve and had a pretty perfect poker face because his stomach was tied in knots. He knew that he and Blaine needed to remain calm while Sam was around. Kurt was a witch. A witch knew about them and it wasn’t just any old witch, it was Blaine’s ex. Sure, they had only been together a few months but they way it had been explained to Sebastian, he was sure there was a grudge. He could feel his boyfriend’s rigid body and slight shake. “Fuck him.” The words were meant for Blaine’s feelings as well as a reply to Sam’s story.  

Sebastian awkwardly patted Sam on the back as he bunched him up into a hug. Blaine hugged his best friend and gave a half hearted goodbye and Ras gave him a few kisses and he was on his way out. Seb walked Sam to the door and wished him a safe trip. He watched Blaine silently head into the bedroom and sighed. 

“What does this mean, B? What do we do?” He pulled open the top drawer on his dresser to find the pack of cigarettes he had nestled in amongst his boxers. He felt too agitated to get into his sweats or get undressed for bed. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to sleep at all. Sebastian sat on the bed next to the other man, his cigarette in between his lips. “Can I get a light?”

Blaine’s POV:

Blaine gave a half hearted smile and reached out his hand and with a surge of energy and a flick of his fingers Sebastian’s cigarette was lit. Seb rarely let Blaine use magic with him aside from sex and he knew this was an attempt to make him feel better. He watched as his boyfriend took a long drag, his eyes blurring from staring at the reddish orange glow of the magic lighted ash. He worried his bottom lip as his thoughts raced through his head. What would he do? He could go to Hunter and Tony, warn them that someone may know about him and Sebastian. Someone that could do something about it, that might dislike him just enough to turn him in. But, would Kurt? They’d only been together a few months and while they hadn’t had the best break up and Blaine had gotten angry about the way Kurt had controlled every aspect about their relationship right down to what Blaine wore sometimes, surely that didn’t mean he’d try to have him killed. Right?

He blinked remembering the disdain in Kurt’s eyes when he said he didn’t want to be his legacy, descendant prize. He remembered when Kurt had reminded Blaine that some witches never found their fate and that they should just settle for each other since Kurt understood what it was like to lose a parent. Blaine remembered how upset he’d been when Kurt threw his mother's death in his face and suddenly it was all too much for him at once. He shook his head and turned back to look at his boyfriend. 

“Nothing. We’re not going to do anything, okay?” He knew it sounded insane and saying it out loud scared the hell out of him, but what was he supposed to do? “If we tell Hunter or Tony or my dad it will only expedite everything and I want to hold onto us for as long as I fucking can.” His voice was sharp, like he needed to convince himself and Sebastian. “Kurt has known about us for two weeks, surely he would have gone to the Council or the  Order by now, right?” Or he’s just biding his time…  He shrugged that thought off, knowing it was going to haunt his thoughts for the rest of his life, leaned in closer to Sebastian. 

“Whatever has to happen is going to happen. All I know is that I’m not leaving and I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? My top priority is keeping you safe and I plan on sticking by that.” He reached for Sebastian’s free hand and brought the back of it up to his lips and pressed a kiss to it, his eyes falling closed as he breathed him in. The overwhelming feeling of how much he loved this man and how much dying for him and them would be worth it overtook him and he wanted to scream and cry about how unfair the world was but Sebastian needed him to be calm and he needed to be calm for himself or he’d panic and where would that leave him?

“It’s going to be okay.” He mumbled the words, his conviction whooshing out of him as he scooted so that he was as close to Sebastian as he could get, his head pressing into his chest as he tried to steady his breathing and convince himself of the words' truths. It had to be okay.

Sebastian’s POV:

Sebastian took a long drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke up towards the ceiling. He stared at the ceiling fan for a few moments, the light making little blue dots swim in front of his eyes. Seb squeezed Blaine’s thigh and held the cigarette out towards him. “Hopefully this kid has grown up some.” He took a deep breath and his lungs wavered a bit from the smoke and the fear swimming low in his belly. Sebastian didn’t like the sound of any of the words Blaine was saying. It all sounded detrimental and uncertain and scary. “You’re my top priority, too, you know. I need you to be safe, too.” He bit his bottom lip and looked into the other man’s warm eyes. Blaine looked scared and sad and that made Seb’s stomach knot up and his anxiety spike. “We can get through this.” Sebastian didn’t want to turn his courthouse tricks on with Blaine but he wanted to calm the other man down and reassure him somehow. 

“Maybe we should lay in bed and watch a movie. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep and I don’t want to mindlessly stare at my phone all night. You can pick what we watch.” Sebastian stood up and grabbed the sweatpants he had set out for that night off of his pillow. “The water is probably still warm in the kettle. I’ll bring you some chamomile tea.” 

So, even though his body felt sick with anxiety and his throat felt dry and his hands wanted to shake, he forced his voice to stay even and his hands to calmly grip the maroon mug that he filled with hot water for Blaine. Sebastian turned off the lights and plugged in the heating pad for Blaine, snuggled into his side as they watched Tangled and West Side Story. He drifted off to sleep before anything bad happened to Tony and Maria and wished on any star that happened to be out that he and Blaine would be okay.

/fin.

[princesskilala]

11/19/18

That’s a date that I’m gonna remember for a while. It’s the day my baby girl took her last breath.

It was May 6th, 2009. A litter of puppies were born in a nursery in Palmdale. 6 weeks later, our worlds collide. One nibble of a thumb and two weeks later, we brought this wonderful fluff of joy home. We named her Lani. Little did we know just how suited that name would turn out to be. She was an adventurous pup, sometimes sticking her nose in unconventional places. She grew to be a patient dog, dealing with our ridiculous Christmas costumes, and constantly taunting her about her “bath time”. She was a gentle giant, comforting and sweet when I needed to cry into her fur, and was always aware about the emotions in a room. She was goofy, sassy, always needing her butt rubbed by me in particular, spoiled, considerate, and loving. I couldn’t have asked more from a dog like her. Even with her health issues, even with her anxiety, she was a fighter. She was honest about when she needed help from us, but sometimes she wanted to hide it to show how tough she was. She was always come back to me even when I’ve yelled at her when it wasn’t even her fault, and she knows not to disappoint us with her mistakes. She was beautiful, angelic, and extremely intelligent. I couldn’t have asked for a better dog. She lived for 9.5 years full of love, too many dog toys, birthday cake, and christmas presents. I just didn’t anticipate her being taken away from me so quickly.

Last friday I got a call from my dad saying she wasn’t doing well. She had emptied her guts sometime during the day, and ran away into my grandmother’s room knowing that she messed up. Even when she felt sick, this sweet baby was scared of disappointing us. After my parents comforted her, she tried to stay strong and feel better but it got the best of her. After a trip to the clinic, the doctors said that due to a combination of problems that we were aware of, she would have a hard time recovering. Little did we know that she wouldn’t be able to fight longer than 2 days. Her health declined within 4 days total

4 days. That’s how quick she went from being the normal happy baby she was to not even being able to lift her head up because she was so weak. I didn’t have time to even spend more than 10 mins with her. Those 10 mins and that last kiss on her head was the last time I’d see her alive. Even with her passing, she was peaceful. She was always peaceful. She passed in the home that she grew up in, with the people she wanted to be surrounded by. I wouldn’t have done it any other way for her...yet I sit here conflicted.

Some may be thinking “she’s just a dog”. Well she was more than that to me, and I love her so much. At the same time, I sit here unfeeling. Just in the past couple weeks I was trying my hardest to keep my head up during finals season, because it feels increasingly harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know its dramatic, I know there will be an end, but how the fuck will there be if Life wants to pull some shit like this? Did Life just think “this girl hasn’t suffered enough” and took away the one thing that none of us deserved but cherished anyway just to prove me otherwise? This is extremely dramatic because I feel numb. I am a coward because I had to come back to school and finish up this week, and I get to escape the reality that there is a missing being in our home tonight, and tomorrow night, and the next night, and the next night, I’m lucky because my brother, parents and grandpa have to deal with it immediately while I just go back to school and delay that pain for another few weeks. Then again I sit here laughing at something like nothing happened, or feeling so numb I can’t even cry and I still feel heartless. I just really hate this, I hate 2018, and I wish it would die a cold, hard death. I didn’t deserve half the shit it threw at me, and I just want to move on from this heartache of a year.

Lani, I have loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you, and I will continue to love you with the last image of your peaceful, sleeping body. Thank you for being such a blessing in my life, I didn’t deserve it, and I am thankful for the joy you have brought me. Rest up, princess

[insomniaticdreamerss]

Corporate baby

Well alright it’s been past my year mark so time for an update. Hmm where do I start! It’s Feb 18 ‘21 we are current living through a monumental public health crisis with covid 19. It’s almost the year mark of the lockdown which was the day after or before my birthday? In 2020!! Anyways, I am happy to announce that I am now employed (and by my dream job site) and it’s been a year since I joined CS (I actually just submitted my year end review so fingers crossed I get a good review) and well yeah so much has happened. Ya girl is corporate now, and truthfully overcompensated for the job I do but don’t tell my boss. Saddest part of last year (2020 and apart from the pandemic) is when my previous manager left the org and right after we talked about a possible life changing promotion! So not only am I manager-less but I also have to bring this convo up to my exec during my review and hopefully this promotion wasn’t falsely promised. Anyways I miss my old manager she was the best she believed in me she cared not only professionally but on a personal level as well so it’ll be a giant challenge to replace her. Oh I’m also in grad school! Kinda crazy how I didn’t think I would go to grad school and I wanted to get my ultrasound lísiense but turns out I would’ve been making the same as I am right now. But with a masters I can hopefully be in the running for a managerial position in my current department. (Do we noticed how boring I got ) this is a combination from being home all year with little to no hangouts from friends and only focusing on my job. I digress... grad school isn’t as tough as I would’ve expected! Especially since I’m in a working professionals evening program. Sucky part is I had to take out a bunch of student loans but I hope young Biden can toss us a bone and pass some sort of loan relief. Also I just applied for altuition assistance program through my job so I hope this gets approved and helps me out a little :) Hmm what else is going on... I got another pup her name is ginger but we call her gingi and she’s dainty and cute and a bad lady bc she just peed on my bed... Um but I think that should cover it, just focusing on work and school and oh I’ve been trying to read more so hopefully I keep it up. I also hope to install the treadmill back in the house so we can start getting hot and I’ve picked up vaping bc it’s an appetite suppressant but yeah nothing dramatic. Oh I also go to the chiro now, been going since July super expensive but hopefully some of it is tax deductible. I didn’t get any stimmys but I’m hoping I can get them when I file my taxes. First time filing them as an actual adult. Wow I’m actually super boring now and talk about work school and taxes instead of my feelings. Well to end on an emotion note, I’m turning 24 next month and I don’t wanna get older and I feel old my body feels achy what if I never get to retire bc of the lack of SSID benefits... alright I think this is a good place to drop off. To future self... when covid is over do fun stuff go to emo nite get trashed I miss going so bad oh and travel!!! Alright I’m closing this out now, byeee. -E

[krissewrites]

Single Father!Taehyung - BTS Imagine

requested. this is the best concept i’ve ever heard. let’s go.

first of all

has two kids

twins, in fact (a girl, taegeuk and a boy, taekwon.  5 1/2 years old)

he loves them so much

they’re all he ever talks about

he was not married before

the mother of his kids gave him full custody

she isn’t in their lives

so he has actively taken the role of mother and father

“no, don’t eat that!”

“okay... but just a little?”

“that’s not a little taegeuk no--”

dresses them in matching outfits

an example being taegeuk in a sailor dress and taekwon in a sailor suit

actively forces bangtan to love his kids as much as he does

“jin look at my baby girl she is sweet and adorable and all i care about”

“taehyung i just want to eat”

“yoongi look at my baby girl she is sweet and adorable and all i care--”

his kids are just as rowdy and goofy as him

but his son is a little more introverted

tries his hardest to get his son out of his shell but never really gets anywhere with it

just let him play with his legos taehyung god

taehyung is convinced his daughter loves jimin more than him

“say daddy!”

“jimin”

*googles how to change his name legally*

they were born in july

so every july taehyung refuses to focus on anything other than his kids

his favorite game to play with them is hide and seek

but his own little version

he’ll wear a tie around his eyes to hide his vision and tell his kids to run off and hide

and ends up searching through the house listening closely for their little giggles

which only makes him giggle

okay but is that not the cutest picture you’ve ever imagined

he always finds his daughter first

and she’ll rat out taekwon

“where is he?”

“i’ll never tell!”

“how will i ever... make you... tell me...”

insert taehyung tickling his daughter to death

when he finally finds taekwon he smothers him with kisses

and his daughter is clinging to his back

“i’ll save you taekwon!”

my heart

you can’t pay him enough to leave his kids

but unfortunately, the time comes when bangtan has another comeback

and he is forced to part with his life source for a few hours each day

and when those days comes he searches the ends of the earth for the best babysitter

nothing less than the best is acceptable for his babies

so he goes through extensive background checks and weeds it down to maybe, if hes lucky, three people

where from there yoongi and namjoon will have to choose for him

“they’re all qualified for the job taehyung”

“nope. no they’re not. i can’t do this they’re coming with me”

and it was that time of year for taehyung once more

and you were one of the three who were considered to care for his pride and joys

and yoongi ended up choosing you

“why’d you choose her?”

“... seemed nice.”

“that’s not good enough oh my g--”

you were given a schedule that day

you were to be at the house at 3 am so he could leave for the mv filming

and you were exhausted

you didn’t bother to do anything to your hair or wear makeup

so you just showed up at his doorstep in a giant hoodie and leggings

and when he opened the door he was a little anxious

he was busy putting on his shoes as he kept telling you everything about his kids

while you roamed around the living room, looking at all the toys he’d spoiled them with

“taekwon likes seafood but he’s allergic to it so don’t--”

“they need to rest at some point during the day so make sure--”

“they love the park down the street so please--”

you’d finally assured him you’d do everything you could to take care of them and pushed him out of the house

where he reluctantly got into a car and made his way to the film site

and it was finally quiet

day after day you’d come to his house at odd times, one day never being the same as the other

you’d have dance parties with them

and play “superhero” with them

in which you were the villain

thus leading to two toddlers tackling you to the floor and refusing to let you up in “the name of victory”

some days taehyung would even come home to his kids cuddled up to you on the couch

with a book on your chest

and all three of your snoring

and it warmed his heart so much to see his kids comfortable around someone

one day in particular

it was around noon when taehyung was getting ready to head to the studio with yoongi

he opened the door and greeted you

by now it has come to where you just walk right in

and that day you walked in to the toddlers playing doctor in the floor together

in which taegeuk was the doctor and taekwon, reluctantly and against his will, the patient

taehyung was trying to stick a pin to his tee shirt that his son got for him for fathers day

when the two toddlers came running to you

“mommy’s here!”

and taehyung pierces the needle into his chest

immediate falling onto the couch and yelling

“oh my god taehyung”

“dad?��

“bring me some napkins!”

“i’m fine, i promise i’m just--”

taehyung literally never looked at you the same way after that

before you were just a good baby sitter who he (quite frankly) couldn’t wait to get rid of

because that meant he could be with his kids again

but now he wanted you around as much as possible

“hey, y/n, could you be here by three?”

“aren’t you off today?”

“taegeuk has been crying over you all day”

she hadn’t been crying over you all day

she mentioned you once and then went back to playing with a totoro doll

so you gather up a small backpack, throw on a hoodie and trek to tae’s

after about an hour of playing hide and seek with taehyung, taeguk, and taekwon you end up putting taekwon to sleep while tae put taegeuk to sleep

and taegeuk was quite the hugger so she was attached to taehyung by the hip

so imagine taehyung on a small twin sized bed, surrounded in stuffed animals and sharing a cover that only took up the length of his calfs

playing with his daughters small hands 

thankfully taekwon wasn’t a hugger 

so that meant you were free to go

“i’m working next week, right? i’ll see you th--”

“wait!”

taehyung had jerked upright, his daughter clinging to his neck

so now hes sitting up right holding his daughter against his chest

i wish i was dead

“did you make them call you that?”

“call me what?”

“mom.”

you promptly tell him you had nothing to do with it

and you really just assumed that you looked like her

which opened a whole other topic

so you made yourself comfortable by sitting on the small bed in front of tae

“where is she, anyway?”

“who?”

“their mom.”

“we don’t talk about her.”

taehyung then began to tell you about the whole ordeal

how they were high school sweethearts

and had children out of wedlock

and they didn’t have any intentions of marrying each other either

she eventually gave birth to them

and although the original plan was for them to share custody

a month into their life she just packed up and left without an address

taehyung hated when their little faces grew solemn as they saw kids with two parents in the parks, grocery stores, etc.

and they’d always ask why taehyung was the only on they had

and where their other parent had gone

it broke his heart

so when he saw them growing attached to you 

he couldn’t help but grow attached as well

“they’re sweet kids, tae.”

“they mean the world to me.”

and at some point in the night

during the lengthy conversation you had started with taehyung

you fell asleep against his shoulder

so now not only did he have his daughter wrapped around his neck

but now he had a grown woman leaning on his shoulder

but it didnt bother him too much because he fell asleep too

you ended up waking up to the screaming of two toddlers

taegeuk, crawling onto her fathers bed in clothes she dressed herself in

aka a mix-matched mess with taekwon’s shirt on (backward) and shoes on the wrong feet

and taekwon poking your cheeks

“daddy! mommy! wake up!”

“taegeuk let mommy sleep”

taehyung slowly ends up waking up, trapped in the weight of three people simultaneously

“taegeuk, why are you up so early?”

“did you and mommy sleep good?”

although taehyung wasn’t keen on the fact his twins decided to call you mom

he wasn’t against them being happy

“yes, we did.”

comeback season had come and gone and taehyung was back at home daily

but he always made sure you were there before the kids woke up

because he loved seeing them wake up smiling to you every morning

it actually became a full-time job for you

taehyung never actively tried to pursue a relationship with you

but he did have cute pet names for you

“honey, where’s my favorite hat?”

“how about takeout for lunch, love?”

“darling, we should go to the beach.”

and the kids ate it up

you got to see them grow up a lot, too

on their sixth birthday you got to put the candles on their cake

“make a wish!” and they did

taehyung, being the pup he is, badgered them about what they wished for

“did you wish for a car? a dog? a kiss?”

and taekwon piped up

“i wished for mom&dad to kiss”

“i wished for them to get married”

“my wish was better”

“mine was!”

taehyungs face got so red when he looked at you

“did you tell them to say that?”

“no. did you?”

“no.”

“well--”

“... lets get married”

“stop joking i hate you taehyung--”

[imaginexsa]

Reunion (T’Challa x Reader)

A/N: Hey guys!! I’m so sorry that I took so long to post this!! I’m also sorry if this isn’t that good, I’ve been having a bad writer’s block, and pretty much life block. It’s been a bit hard to get some motivation for stuff haha, so sorry again. Anyways, enjoy!

Request: @patheticforaesthetics: Hi can I request a one shot where the reader is T'Challa daughter and they get reunited on her 14th birthday after being separated for 13 years (she lived with Peggy carter before she passed)

You laid on your bed, your back to your room door as you scrolled through your social media feed. Hearing a knock on your door, you turned slightly to see when the door just flung back, making you sit up in shock.

Tony Stark walked in with a giant grin popping a confetti popper, Steve following behind with a sheepish look as he held a bunch of helium balloons in one hand, the rest of the Avengers coming up towards you as well. “Happy birthday!”

You stared at them for a while before breaking out into a giant smile as you stood up. “Aw, thank you guys.” You gave each of them a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.

You had only been in the Avengers headquarters for a few months but you already felt really bonded with them. You used to live with wonderful old lady named, Peggy Carter, she had taken care of you ever since you were kid. You only knew about your father because he raised you for about a year or so before Peggy took you in, but as you were so young, you couldn’t remember much except for the fact that you loved him dearly. Peggy also always showed pictures of him to you so that you’ll never forget him.

Ever since she passed, Steve took it upon himself to take care of you, you knew about their history because of well, history classes and also because Peggy told you about it. You looked at all of them and accepted the presents.

“You’re finally fourteen, still not legal to drink but we might let it slide today,” Tony said, earning a jab to the side by Steve, who glared at him before giving you a pointed look.

“No drinking.”

You put your hands up in defense. “Never said I was going to.”

He nodded in satisfaction. “Good.”

“Okay, now would you boys excuse us ladies,” Nat said as she stepped in front of the group, Wanda by her side. You watched them with a tilt of your head wondering what they were up to.

“Just a moment,” Thor said as he rushed out of the room before coming back with a giant box, placing it down in front of you. “I hope you have a great day of birth, lady Y/N.”

You watched it cautiously as the box moved slightly before looking up at the rest of the team, seeing the frowns on their faces. You met Thor’s gaze, him watching you with anticipation as he motioned to the box that moved. Stepping forward slowly, you noticed that there were holes on the top of the box, furrowing your brows, you opened the lid of the box. The moment you did that, the box tipped forward and a black creature of some sort rolled out.

Your eyes widened as you looked at it, it was like nothing you’ve seen before. It kinda looked like a wolf and a hyena of some sort. You squatted down and watched the creature as it shook itself and looked back at you. Its upper body was bigger than its hind, it’s face resembled a wolf but fiercer, and it’s eyes were purple. It growled as it walked closer to you, making the entire team tense as Thor laughed. “She likes you.”

Smiling you slowly reached out a hand and let her sniff. “She does? But what is she exactly?”

“She’s a Warg, one of the most fearsome creatures in Asgard,” Thor replied. You picked her up and hugged her close to you. “But now she’s just a pup, she would get bigger.”

“You brought a what?” Tony asked, looking at the god incredulously.

“Have this conversation outside please, we have some things to do,” Nat said as she pushed them out of the room and closed the door. Turning back, she glanced at the creature in your arms before looking back at you. “Com’on, we need to get you ready.”

“For what?” You questioned as you petted, Violet, deciding the name for your new pet already. You looked down at her and wondered how big she’ll grow.

“We got you a special date for your birthday,” Wanda said as she looked through your wardrobe.

You looked at both of them. “I’m fourteen.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Nat waved it off as she held her hands out for you to pass her the pup. The moment Nat moved her hands close, Violet flattened her ears and growled, causing Nat to immediately drew her hands back. “I’ll take that as a no.”

You chuckled as you placed Violet down and walked toward Wanda who held a simple dress. “Go put it on, you’re going to meet your date soon.”

You rolled your eyes. “Who’s it anyways?”

Nat and Wanda grinned as they glanced at you. “It’s a surprise.”

~

You fiddled and fixed your dress as Nat and Wanda told you to go to the rooftop and find your date. Walking out of the lift, you looked around, seeing a table at the side. You walked towards it, noticing a tall man standing there, his back to you.

Pausing in your footsteps, you stared at the man, feeling a sense of familiarity. The man seemed to notice your presence as he turned to look at you. You gasped as you stared at your father. “Dad?”

He smiled. “Hi, sweetheart.”

You were in disbelieve, shaking your head, you walked closer. “Is that really you?”

T’Challa gave you a sad smile as he nodded. “I’m so sorry for not being there the past thirteen years.”

You felt tears welling up in your eyes as you walked forward and hugged his waist, him immediately hugging you close. “Why’d you go?”

He kissed the top of your head as he rubbed your back comfortingly. “I had some business to tend to that I promise I’ll tell you in the future but for now I’m back.”

You moved back to look at your father. “Really?”

“Really, I’ll be here when you need me now,” T’Challa said, before smiling and ruffling your hair. “Why don’t we grab some dinner and you can catch me up about everything that happened. Let’s eat out instead of here, sounds good?”

You immediately nodded as you held his hand as you started talking about Peggy, school, the Avengers and everything, both of you heading to the lift. T’Challa smiled as he watched you talk excitedly, knowing one thing for sure. He’s never going to leave you ever again.

~

“Y/N!”

You walked into the living room as you saw your dad lying on the floor with Violet on top of him, your father trying to push the creature off him. You laughed as you watched the sight. Violet was now huge, she was probably bigger than a great dane and when standing on her hind legs, she was taller than T’Challa.

“Are you just going to stand there and laugh?” T’Challa asked and you laughed again, wiping your eyes as you clapped, gaining Violet’s attention.

Violet immediately got off your father and went straight to your side. “You okay, dad?”

T’Challa sat up. “Fine, just don’t let her get close to me anymore.”

You had been living with your dad for about a year now and everything was going great, you told him about everything that had happened and he told you a little about what he had been doing. You were surprised when you found out that your father was Black Panther, and of course you begged him to teach you some of skills.

He still haven’t told you why he had to be separated with you exactly but you know that he would one day. You helped him off the ground and watched as he dusted himself off, you smiled. “Hey dad, have I told you that I love you?”

T’Challa looked surprised before he smiled back, affectionately ruffling your hair. “I love you too.”

Tags: @melconnor2007, @sammysgirl1997

[the-great-black-hat-manor-blog]

About Black Hat and Co.

Name: Black Hat/Unknown

Age: Unknown/Immortal/Eternal 

Gender: Goes by he/him

Species/Race: Unknown; claims to be an eldritch god

Sexuality: Demi-Panromantic/Asexual; Prefers platonic cuddles for intimacy. Does like to bite, scratch, and lick though. Will also use vore as a form of intimacy as well. (Don’t ask. Eldritch Gods have weird ways of showing affection)

Abilities: Unclear/Too many to list; “Think of your worst fears and nightmares, the most unpleasant horrors and the most terrifying blasphemies; Because all this is nothing compared to what I can orchestrate.”

Family: @sisterhat, White Hat (brother)

Relationship Status: Currently has a “mate” named Gen(Zelda Noitare) living with him within the manor.

Black Hat is a self-proclaimed eldritch god, though, from the power he has shown, no one doubts his claims. He is the Supreme Villain, having conquered the world several times over along with countless dimensions. He has also said to have destroyed the same number of dimensions though the only known fact to be confirmed is that he has destroyed a planet. Growing bored of having no challenge from taking over worlds, he decided to settle down and start his business, Black Hat Inc, on earth. Why earth is still unknown.

At parties, he is described to be polite and gentleman-like, especially towards women. He can be seen complementing them, kissing their hand with a bow. When talking business, he is said to be calm and collected... most of the time, always having an answer to everything. Outside of such things, he is described as being manipulative, sadistic, despicable and utterly disgusting. He will not hesitate to hurt you.

However, this statement is being tested as the overlord has seemed to have found himself a mate. He is said to be protective and possessive over her, not allowing anyone to lay a hand on her unless he knows them personally. It is unknown if this girl could be the perfect weakness or the perfect strength for the monster.

Name: Flug Slys

Age: 24

Gender: Goes by he/him

Species/Race: Human/Unknown

Sexuality: Asexual/Bisexual; has never been in a relationship and is unsure what he would like. He is willing to try things though. If he comfortable with it that is.

Abilities: Unknown/Extremely High IQ; Claims to be the greatest mad scientist in the multiverse. Is considered a highly dangerous criminal. 

Family: Unknown; has a cousin that goes by Slug.

Relationship Status: Non

Not much is known about Flug. Very few have seen his face under the bag he wears over his head except for the residence of Black Hat’s manor.  He is a brilliant scientist who’s nervousness sometimes causes his creations to not work as expected, resulting in presentation failures. Flug Slys name means 'aviation accident' or 'plane crash' in Icelandic and has also obtained his driver's and pilot's license. When not in the presence of Black Hat, he is known to be very egotistical and prideful. He also is known to be short-tempered around Demencia and is easily annoyed by the “crazy lizard girl”.  He can also be extremely sassy or salty at times, especially when one claims they have a higher intelligence. He considers himself 505′s dad though the bear seems to think of him as his mother despite Flug proclaiming himself as “daddy”...  Flug has committed 82, 602 crimes and has had his private and commercial licenses revoked because of his crimes. He is considered a highly dangerous criminal, a runaway, and he’s been accused of many violations. These include Falsification and identity theft, stealing planes, not following the aeronautical code, producing fissionable materials, destroying a plane in service, transporting explosive materials, stealing classified documents, etc. Although he respects his boss for finding a mate, he seems to have a distaste for the unusual couple. Especially since one of their main rules to villainy states an overlord should not have a love interest of any kind! And yet his boss, the Supreme Villain of Villains, has suddenly found himself bewitched by this.. inferior creature. What was so special about this young girl anyway? She wasn’t even villain material in the slightest...

Name: Demencia

Age: 18

Gender: Goes by she/her

Species/Race: Human-Gecko Hybrid/Unknown 

Sexuality: Unknown; she seems only interested in Black Hat

Abilities: Superhuman strength, can climb on walls and ceilings, use many forms of weapons, lizard-like abilities, etc.

Family: Unknown

Relationship Status: Non but self-proclaims herself as Black Hat’s girlfriend

Demencia is Black Hat's crazed fan and assassin. Her outfit is inspired by reptiles and she has a love for destruction. She resembles a lizard when she crouches down because of her hair covering her body. She is able to play the electric guitar and love to play in Flug’s lab just to get on his nerves. Besides Black Hat himself, Demencia is also known to play pranks and cause mischief around the manor. Especially when 505 is trying to do housekeeping. He seems to be the main target of her crazy antics. 

She is well aware of the new girl that seems to have tickled Black Hat’s fancy but that won't stop her! Black Hat will come to see that this girl is no match for him and will eventually eat her for good! After all, she’s one of those lower races of hybrids. Not genetically enhanced like Black Hat’s #1 fan~! She can’t even bring herself to hurt a fly! What kind of villain is that?!

Name: 5.0.5

Age: 3 or 5 in bear years

Gender: Goes by he/him

Species/Race: Genetically Enhanced Bear

Sexuality: Unknown; He’s a baby bear leave him alone

Abilities: Night Vision/Unknown; Unless giving bear hugs count as one.

Family: Flug Slys and the rest of the crew

Relationship Status: Non; because he’s a baby bear

505 is the organization's failed experiment that is unable to be killed. He was intended to be an evil creature however, he instead became very loving and kind creature, the complete opposite of Black Hat. He enjoys hugging his friends and love to draw doodles which he tries to show to Black Hat. He is a big blue bear with a single flower sprouting from his head that wilts and grows based on his emotions. It closes when he is asleep and falls apart when under extreme stress. He seems to be the organization's housekeeper and likes to wear a maid outfit while doing his cleaning. He sees Black Hat as his father and Flug oddly enough as his mom despite Flug calling himself 505′s “dad”.

505 enjoys the new girl and already accepts her as part of the family. She even complements the drawings he gives her! He knows Black Hat seems to like having her around so maybe their really good friends! Either way, he is happy to have a new face around the manor~.

Name: Gen Zelda Noitare

Age: 21

Gender: Goes by she/her

Species/Race: Human-wolf Hybrid/ Lobian

Sexuality: Asexual/Straight; loves to cuddle, snuggle, huggle or just sleep on top of someone she trusts

Abilities: Can take the form of a giant blue and white wolf the size of a large school bus (maybe bigger), a regular sized adult wolf, or a wolf pup depending on her emotional state. She possesses some ability to heal others but is capable of seeing other’s dream and possible memories by touching her hands to their head. She has amazing target aim yet she refuses to harm anyone. 

Family: Unknown; was abandoned in a street ally 3 weeks after she was born.

Relationship Status: Is currently Black Hat’s so-called “mate” and has been living with him within the manor for quite sometime

Gen is part of a race of human-wolf hybrids known as Lobians. They are very close to the human race in both DNA and appearance, minus the wolf ears and tail they possess. Throughout the history of the human race, they were hunted in their wolf forms for their fur. The fur of the Lobians is considered one of the softest natural wolves furs known to earth. It was considered highly valuable not only because of the many colors they came in but also because of how durable it was. The fur was thick for warmth but still retained that extra softness to it. Think of the softest stuff animal you have touched or held before. That is how their fur feels or better.  

They were not limited to one country or continent as they could be found wherever wolves were in the world. They were also the cause for the so-called “werewolf” sighting and attacks throughout the world. It is unknown when this race first appeared but the earliest encounter recorded was believed to be in Greek mythology where Zeus cursed Lycaon and his sons into wolves for serving him a meal made from the remains of a sacrificed boy. The public did not know of their existence until the early 20th century and it wasn’t until the mid 20th century, 1966, where rights were passed for them in America to be seen as American citizens. Soon the world followed, yet most people treat the Lobians like animals or see them as an inferior race. 

Gen was no exception. After her mother gave birth to her, she was so disgusted she left Gen in a cardboard box in an ally after being born only a few months at the time. It is unknown if her mother knew who her father was or not. Gen was later found and placed on the doorstep of a foster care. Because it was frond upon to have a Lobian as a child, no one wanted to adopt her. She always woke up hoping someone would come to take her in. Someone had to adopt her at some point, right? But as the years went by, she slowly started to realize she was never going to be adopted. 

She grew up in the foster care all her life. She dealt with bullying in all those years, especially after turning 18. Yet despite this, she remained kind-hearted and sweet in the face of her bleak life. 

Sometime after her 20th birthday, it finally hit her she was never going to understand what having a family was, what being loved by a family felt like. Later that night she had a break down in her room, hiding it from everyone when she finally re-emerged. Though, when she was leaving her room, a few of the teens there saw her and begin to poke fun at her saying "We just got adopted today by our new families. How about you? Oh wait, that's right. You're a hybrid so you'll never be welcomed into a home~." Despite how true their words were, she did not let them see the tears. She doesn’t cry for their satisfaction. Instead, she straightened herself and glared at them before walking off. However, despite her display, deep inside she couldn't take it anymore. She then goes off to find where the sleeping pills were hidden, taking an overdose that night. She lives but she awakens from having a weird dream. Dream of a man in a top black hat...

[thewanderingamalgamate]

Winter’s First Day in School

(Is it normal to be this nervous?)

   They were early of course, it was always best to be early on the first day! The moment Soul Island was finally opened to accept visitors, Wander had whisked his daughter as quickly as he possibly could. Winter was already all ready for the trip, naturally. Wander had discussed the Academy with his daughter over and over, telling her what to expect and what they would be doing there. The excitement had been building for quite a while now, and the pair had spent the time leading up to the Academy’s opening by making sure that his daughter would have everything that she would need!

   Winter was a bit dubious about the uniforms that were provided for her, though after a bit of chiding from her father (*-Sorry Win, it’s required. Have to wear ‘em or you’ll get in trouble.-), she took to them well enough. Being allowed to still wear her scarf was definitely a comfort to her, Wander was quick to clear up that issue the second he saw her start worrying! The excitement slowly built up as they hunted down supplies and Wander told her a bit about the campus (*-Yeah Kissan, really! The cabins are like a giant treehouse now!...why are you looking at me like I’m crazy?-) and soon even she was looking forward to it.

   But they were on the island now. It was the first day of school, ever, for Winter. They were still excited, but the anxiousness was starting to settle in. It was driving Wander absolutely crazy!

(My poor brother... You can get decapitated, hacked across the chest, run into a fire to save a faiyr and come out of it all with good cheer. But Winter’s first day of school, and you are dripping on the pavement heheh. She will be fine~) (But what if she gets lost while I’m working? Or gets hurt?! That tree cabin monstrosity is too tall, she could out! What if-) (Wander!! Win will be okay! Just trust her, please? Our pal survived the first two camps just fine. She has friends here!) (...Yeah. Worried is a~ Hm?)

   Something had pulled the Goop out of his panicked reverie by tugging his hand. Wander slowly looked down, expecting to see something nefarious and wicked. There was Winter, smiling up at him, wide eyes full of wonder and awe. The child had quietly snuck her hand into his and was gently pulling him forward...His expectations were truly exceeded. The evil little miscreant.

* “Co-come on! Show me m- ah, show me around!”

   He continued staring down at her, expression completely flat. With a leisurely deliberate motion, Wander raised his other hand and poked her nose. His eyes brightened at the squeak it elicited from the kid.

*-Heh, alright, alright since you asked. Let’s go!-

   That was his original plan anyways, there was plenty of time before the introductory assembly to get the kid acquainted with the campus. The first stop was the Omega Cabin of course, Wander had to vindicate himself and prove its existence! Though he had to point out the stairs in the trunk and the lifts on its sides when she started worrying (*-No kissan. You won’t have to climb the tree up to your room everyday.-). He took his daughter around a complete circuit of the campus, or at least the outdoor areas, often quizzing Winter about the entrances, exits, and how to get from one place to another. They ended up in plaza where he was just about to ask her about some of the staff he told her about when something truly horrifying assailed their ears.

The call of a dragon that found its prey!

* HoooiiiiHoiif!

   And there they were. The child stealer! Wander was wondering when that beast would make an appearance. The goop and daughter turned their eyes skywards, easily catching sight of the Tem Dragon as they made their descent. Temgon circled above the pair, once, twice, and down they dove!

   The furworm’s landing buffeted Wander & Winter with a blast of air, nearly stripping the scarf off the child. But at least it only kicked up a little dirt. Clean uniforms, small mercies.

* BoiHoif!!

   The Guardian dragon was ecstatic at the sight of their ‘Winter Pup’, hopping about and yipping and utter glee. Every bound brought them closer to their friend, until (after rather rudely nudging Wander aside) they were up close and happily snuffling away at the icy child. After that little formality was done with, the big ol’ furbeast plopped right down, then and there, even curling up slightly around the pair.

   Winter was having a blast though, giggling at the creatures affection.

* “Hmhmhm, H-Hoif!”

   That earned a raised brow from the amalgam. Apparently his daughter can commune with the beast. How worrisome.

   Temgon waved their tendrils at the ‘greeting’ though and patted the ground with a paw. Winter was more than happy to accept that invitation. The kid stepped over to administer some affection of her in the form of snout pats and ear scritches, causing the dragon to thrum in delight.

* “Hello ag-again!”

(Fine, you were right. Think she’ll be just fine, with friends like the furry noodle here.) (Heheh, worrywart.)

[[ @coldsoulgoodsoul Happy Birthday Pal!]]

[[Art by sims @nolvlost. Set in the recently revealed @undersoulacademy !]]