#arc ii finale

[smile-files]

not gonna go in depth on my feelings about the finale right now... i'm just so happy for cabby!! :)

[w33zerbluealbum]

II16 SPOILERS!!!!!!

-

-

-

-

"I miss you so far, and the collision of your kiss that made it so hard.."

[happi-dreams]

yknow on the topic of object shows i haven’t watched all the new tpot episodes n i was like ‘oh em gee i wonder if they’ve showed firey and leafy my favoruite lil guys any more?? :D’ and i searched a lil clip!

.

WHAT THE HELLLLLLLLLL,,,

[kinaesthetiqueer]

where i am:

where i really want to be:

where i actually have to be:

just. gently lower me into a nice soft hole in the ground and let the worms take me.

[alacarhelsng]

The Request

Finally, he was going to see his mate-sprite again. The only issue was getting to that ship and back out alive. His odds of completing such an insanely idiotic feat were worse than nothing especially alone. Which meant he was going to have to do the thing he hated doing the most and ask for help.

It was with that thought in mind that he found himself standing in front of Vlad's hive, a hand raised to announce himself. Pride, doubt, and fear held him frozen there for a minute, then 2. It would have likely been another 3 or 4 before he even made the choice to knock or not if not for the red that leaned over and knocked for him.

When he looked over his shoulder to find out who the hand was attached to it was somehow both surprising and completely expected to Lonque standing just behind him. How the larger-than-normal troll managed to sneak up on him without so much as a whisper Alacar didn't know or have time to think about. "Thanks.." He spoke hesitantly but Lonque simply nodded with a smile on his face that was simultaneously warm and smug.

The door opened before Alacar could decide whether or not to punch the troll in his face, even if it was unlikely that he'd land the hit to begin with. The familiar and unfamiliar face of Syhren greeted him with a cold glare. 'Hel-" The door was slammed violently in his face, so he waited patiently until he heard muffled talking from the other side of the door. If he wanted to he could have listened it but doing so to Vlad was one of the few lines he wouldn't cross. Shortly after the muffled conversation ended the door opened again to a slight bemused Vlad. "I was wondering why she was so agitated, she's still upset about her.... coalescence. Why don't you come in so we can chat." His eyes met with Lonque's and the silence stretched between them for a very long, very uncomfortable, amount of time before he finally continued with, "Your friend is also free to join us of course." Inside the hive of his Moirail Alacar felt a profound sense of comfort, as well as a mild sense of looming danger. As if the she-demon staring daggers at him was gearing up to slit his throat the moment he let his guard down. She likely would too if he wasn't so important to one of the only people that cared about her on this forsaken rock.

"Hello again Syhren." He said to her, his tone dripping with forced cordiality "Demon." she shot back with cold venom. "Now that's just hurtful, after everything I did for you?" "More like what you did TO me you-" "Syhren stop." Vlad cut in before the verbal combat between the 2 of them could escalate into something much worse. "Do not condemn him for my wants." Syhren glared at Alacar in the way that only someone that had experience death could glare but relented and sat down in a chair away from the group but still close enough to hear and contribute to the conversation if she felt the need to insult Alacar. At least that what he assumed she would do if she dained to interject. "So what brough you over today?" Alacar's mental villianization was brought to an abrupt end with Vlad's question and the hostillity he felt towards Syrhen instantly dissolved into dread. "I-" He swallowed, unable to keep eye contact with the man in front of him. " I need your help...." "With?" "I found them.... I finally found Calmet but I can't get them without help." "I see." Because he wasn't looking at Vlad he could see the exact moment Syrhen decided to add her two cents, rather explosively as well. "Fuck. You. We shouldn't be helping that- that THING at all!" Despite her outburst Vlad didn't admonish her at all, instead asking Alacar a question. "Where are they?" The very question Alacar was dreading to hear and hoping he could get away with never having to answer until Vlad already agreed to help. For the first time in a long time Alacar was scared beyond just the primal fear for his life. He was scared Vlad would deny him, reject him and let him go it alone to what would surely be his doom. Worse than that, he was scared that he might say yes and die helping him. For that reason he remained silent, eyes staring at the floor until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Once again Lonque was silently lending a hand to the troubled troll for no other reason than he wanted to and it made the fear and doubt a little thinner and easier to wade though. "They..... they're on a ship, a ship that is in the empress' fleet. Ship number 8375." "No." Syhren answered on behalf of Vlad. "That's asking us to die for you, a monster like you isn't w-" "I'll go." Vlad cut her off. "V you can't." "I can, and I will. Alacar is the reason you're still in my life Doll, I owe him." Syhren clenched her fist in rage as she stared down Vlad until finally softening for the briefest of moments before her icy gaze snapped to Alacar again. "I'm going too."

Not wanting to agitate the very very dangerous woman Alacar simply nodded in agreement with her. It's not like saying no would stop her and more people made the operation much more feasible to a point. Besides, having the incredibly lethal assassin on his side would be a nice boon. He also did in fact recognize that he was justifying her coming along to himself so that he would still feel in control which was a bad habit he probably should be trying to break. He instead moved on. "I have a man on the inside, the previous agent I was using overreached getting me this information but this one doesn't know he's working for me yet so hasn't had the chance to fail." "How do you know he's going to listen to you demon?" "Easy, I know who he's in red with even if it's unrequited and All I need to do is get that person to tell him what to do, as long as my orders are coming through their lover they'd probably kill themselves just because they asked." "Names, and will this lover listen to you?" Vlad spoke up "The worker's name is Rimmer and the person he's in lover with is Qimzal, and yes he'll listen to me we're close friends him and I." "Wow, I didn't know monsters could have friends. " Syhren added sarcastically. "Oh and I thought we were getting along so well!" Alacar quipped back to which Syhren hissed at him, actually hissed like a cat. The action was so terrifying it made him jump back and Vlad snickered at his expense. The exchange even seemed to make Syhren slightly happier. She stood up and took out her palmhusk. "I'm going to let Harvey know." "Doll don-" "No V, Harvey needs to know that we're both going to be in danger, he won't be okay if something happens and he didn't know about it." Once again they stared at each other, a silent battle of wills before this time Vlad caved and slumped into a chair. "Fine, but if he insists on coming I'm holding you accountable." "Oh no, I guess I'll die.... oh wait." She smirked and walked out of the room while Vlad massaged the bridge of his nose in frustation. "Sometimes I swear..." "I'm going." Both Vlad and Alacar snapped their heads up to see Lonque who had be silently watching the conversation the entire time, so quietly that they had both forgotten he was even there. Alacar opened his mouth to object but was silenced by Lonque speaking once again. "I'm going." It was a statement of fact, he would be there and Alacar would have to accept it. He was dumbfounded, this troll owed him nothing but was willing to die to help him out. Alacar couldn't help but to laugh.

[love-killed-the-superstar]

why did they never bring nano back in fast forward... He's an immortal being made of nanobots he would go so fucking hard in some futuristic gear

[emilykaldwen]

💕 Tell me about the latest project you're working on or what you're most excited about creating right now. Send it to as many people as you want. 💕

Thank you, Hagi!

I'm incredibly excited about these last few chapters of arc one of The Maiden and the Drowning Boy. I've taken a long time with this chapter as I've had to keep reshuffling the order of the events like, six different times to try pace things out properly (what's all going on pre-wedding). This chapter is quite fun: It's Aegon's POV, We've got him and Daemon meeting, a throw down with the riverlords who have some... concerns about the wedding, and a bonus Larys and Aegon scene after the HUGE plot reveal at the end of the previous chapter.

I'm really excited about it, and I'm doing my best not to beat myself up for how long this chapter is taking. I hope people enjoy it.

Thank you so much for asking!

[multifandom-rambler]

cabby’s files were like a kinda interesting flaw

..and then they made it a disability thing 🤨

[n1ghtwarden]

NO GOD PLEASE NO I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN MENZOBERRANZAN PLEASE

[moonlitbride]

Verses

Verses available to be written in for one Miss Margolis. There are great many of them due to having written Emily for as long as I have. Will likely be updated periodically. Some verses I would consider to be singleship and will be noted down below. Others I haven't included below or skipped over because they're hyper-private.

( 🦋 ) = HIGH muse for currently / and or believe it might be of more interest to others to write in for various reasons!

arc i. jubiliciously lovely corpse bride! ( MAIN verse ) 🦋

Following a forbidden whirlwind romance with Lord Barkis, Emily has died at the hands of her fiance and dwells in the Land of the Dead. She is well-liked by many others who continue on beyond death in a cheerfully macabre limbo, and has spent time exploring parts of the ever expanding deathly metropolis, as well as within the Bone and Socket Pub. Emily meets Victor after he slides a ring mistakenly onto her dead finger in the woods — but is eventually set free from her netherworld existence. Interactions can take place anywhere within this time frame, from when she first arrives at the hour of her death up to before she transforms into butterflies.

arc ii. wasp waisted beauty known for miles around! ( MAIN alive!emily victorian era verse ) 🦋

Living during the Victorian era of Great Britain, Emily's family is of the upper class with the title Earl of Bellamond, a noble rank her grandfather earned. She is a sought after prize by suitors and seen as an important step forward in society by her parents. Emily herself only desires a loving relationship full of romance and warmth with a chance to truly be accepted for every part of herself. She must strain to rein in the full sparkle of her luster and adhere to expectations of her parents and the gentry as she navigates a world of splendor and unknowns. To break those expectations and fail her family in front of the monarch with other families constantly spectating could strip them of everything Emily's family has worked so hard to achieve.

arc iv. her diaphanous headdress unleashes in slow motion small bats and horrors! ( the nightmɑre before christmɑs verse ) notes — all i can say is that i understand why this is such a popular crossover concept. 🦋

Freed from the former ties that bound her, Emily departed the earthly plane, leaving behind a pair of young lovers and wishing them wedded bliss and a lifetime of happiness. She drifted through the world in a glowing maelstrom of butterflies, exploring foreign lands and reaching the furthest corners of the earth to discover a copse of trees…one with a grinning jack-o-lantern carved onto its door. It was here Emily found a new home, a town full of monsters and frights. Excited for her new home and the new friends made, Emily has continually worked hard on herself to become quite uniquely proficient at delivering scares for when Halloween unleashes its residents upon the human populace.

Months after her arrival, Emily creates the Welcoming Committee for any new arrivals to Halloween Town that might very well follow her. Named the 'Corpse Bride', Emily has gained an array of otherworldly abilities to aid her in scaring humans. Mortals shriek as her beguiling visage rots before their very eyes. She's beautiful…and terrifying!

Abilities pertinent to THIS verse include:

Death Shifting: Emily can switch between her living mortal appearance to a rotting vision of bridal splendor — once she gains proficiency, the level of rot she chooses and pace at which it happens can be controlled at will.

Transcendent Butterflies: At any point, Emily can burst into an eerily gorgeous maelstrom of black and blue butterflies to travel across the skies to destinations of her choosing. When her butterflies are gathered together, she can reform...both in full and only individual limbs to truly frighten a poor soul.

Determined Immortality: For as long as she chooses, Emily is effectively immortal as she will not age nor can she be killed.

Alluring Charm: Known for her effervescence and charms, along with her shapely hourglass figure even before death, Emily can entice those around her with a voice like a caress, her ethereal beauty, and the music she creates...to an even more unnatural, spellbinding degree beyond conscious thought.

arc vi. uptown girl ( alive modern emily verse ) notes — my take on what a modern emily would be like, no barkis ( ahem, he could be inserted as an obstacle later on ); ended up an 80s verse, though if there's a preference for even more modern that's do-able too. default age set at eighteen and during her college years in general.

Born to affluence, Emily's hardships within the Decade of Greed has been relegated primarily to her neglectful home life. Her father continues to put business ahead of time with the family to be rarely seen within their walls. Her mother is as distant and cold as a beautiful, remote star, and at times, rarely cognizant from self-medicating with alcohol, leaving Emily under supervision of nannies and chaperones for much of her life. As family pressure builds upon graduating high school, Emily is expected to honor the prestige the Margolis name is renowned for. While she is indeed excited for Julliard and honing her skill at the piano, Emily remains idealistic when it comes to her prospects for love. Movies and books have helped bring the idea of exciting romances and charming encounters straight to Emily as she steps into the next stage of her life.

arc vii. it is a kind of hunger that brings us to love, a devouring hunger ( straight up blended folk horror verse ) 🦋 notes — technically a private verse, but open to being written with upon request!singleship verse due to her marriage to @fatesrecollection's victor being at the center of its foundation.

Swept up into a whirlwind romance of hushed scandals and a quick marriage, Emily courts and soon after weds Victor Van Dort. She is unaware of the faerie toying with their lives for a chance to hear a song that could make a skeleton cry. Such a song is created when she is brutally murdered in front of her husband who wallows in lonely misery for nearly a year. Dead and gone, Emily is suddenly thrust back into the mortal realm with a body no longer human, resurrected by none other than her dear husband. Now an estrie, Emily craves the blood of mortals with a hunger unmatched as she navigates a world with newfound supernatural capabilities.

Marred in acts untouched by the holy, Emily and Victor flee together across the sea to begin a life anew in the Americas.

Abilities pertinent to THIS verse include:

Superhuman Body: Increased strength, speed, and senses with consumption of blood. Lack of blood means eventual death.

Flight: Can fly as long as her hair is unbound.

Animal Shifting: Able to shift into cats and birds at will.

Daywalking: Sunlight can be uncomfortable after long periods of time but does not immediately burn

arc viii. i wanna do real bad things with you! ( true blood ) notes — technically a private verse, but open to being written with upon request! i have a soft spot for this verse due to the uniquely paternal figure she has in it.

Due to the Margolis family financing a secret vampire hunting legion with other wealthy families, Emily was turned into a vampire as retribution by 𝖤𝗋𝗂𝖼 𝖭𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗁𝗆𝖺𝗇 in the late 19th century. While Emily dearly missed the sunlight, she delighted in the newly obtained freedom she found underneath the moon at night, away from the expectations of noble society and her family. Adjusting to her transformation took time in the beginning as she learned her limits and unbridled craving for the taste of blood. Still, Emily chose to prove herself and be a loyal progeny to Eric. Occasionally she went shopping with and even brought a smile to her sister progeny, Pam.

While she is not as old as other vampires, she has continually learned how to master her new inhuman capabilities.

Vampiric Boost: Increased strength, speed, and senses.

Blood Healing: Capable of healing from various injuries ( barring silver still against skin ) and can use her blood to heal non-vampires.

Flight: Can fly through the sky for sustained durations due to her sire's bloodline. Still learning on controlling herself in the air. Mental and emotional connections are formed when a human drinks vampire blood.

Vampiric Weakness: Silver, lack of sleep, and sunlight.

arc ix. rise from your grave‚ final girl ( alive modern emily verse ) notes — like the title says, it's the final girl verse she deserves but set in modern times. barkis gets his just desserts and emily is surviving and thriving. default age set at twenty-five. 🦋

Brought up an accomplished pianist with many natural gifts from a young age, Emily was expected to have a bright future. Yet she found herself swayed to risk it all when she fell prey to the conniving charms of a much older gentleman. Against her parents' wishes, she planned to elope so that they could be together as Barkis proposed. Instead Emily found herself brutally attacked and left for dead in an unmarked grave in the woods — but surprised her would-be-killer when she climbed out of the hole she had been left to rot in and was able to find help at the side of the road.

She testified against him in court, braving the media scrutiny to put him away behind bars. Barkis never saw the inside of a jail cell, however, as he took his own life.

Emily stepped away from the spotlight, undergoing massive therapy for the trauma induced by Barkis, healing aided by the all consuming power of the arts...and an unexpected interest arising in raising insects. No longer as tightly bound by restrictive parents, Emily adopted a large, fluffy dog named Figaro ( Figgy ) who helped keep her safe. Eventually, she was accepted into Juilliard and moved to an apartment to be on her own. Emily still yearns for a life of romance and passion from someone who loves her for who she truly is. As she looks for that special someone, Emily has emerged back into the world as a blossoming concert pianist whom the media is intensely focused on...as famous for her charms and expressivity, her family name, as she is her dark past.

Hers is a tale of survival, perseverance, and hopeful optimism.

arc x. lively spirit from a fairest star ( cbs ghosts verse ) notes — technically a private verse, but open to being written with upon request! singleship with @fatesrecollection's trevor in a hot and cold slow burn i'm particularly fond of. default age set at twenty.

Tied to the forest and specifically the massive tree she was buried under in a makeshift grave, Emily's spirit lingers past her death. For a time, she watched from the edge of her forest until civilization encroached on her resting place. As the trees of her woods were cut down and fashioned into a variety of carved household objects, Emily found she could travel to where those objects went, and in rare instances, interact through them. Emily's burial tree was used to fashion an ornate mirror and splendid piano that was eventually donated to the Woodstone B&B, whereupon Emily encountered the other ghosts residing there. Many found her power to jump around the world to different relics fascinating, while Jay and Samantha enjoyed her musical skills. Both the piano and mirror reside in the primary lounging room for all to enjoy ( though one ghost in particular would like the mirror moved to his room. )

Abilities pertinent to THIS verse include:

Ghostly Body: A full body apparition reminiscent of when she was killed that can still feel as a human body would. Immense pain experienced when passing through a human.

Medium Access: Can speak to mediums or anyone who sees ghosts.

Undead Travels: Connected with the trees she was buried under, Emily can jump to residents where the remains of those trees have ended up and interact with them. Some trees allow for a greater distance of separation like the one made into a piano that she can still play in death.

arc xi. the social season for flinging petals high ( bridgerton verse ) notes — for further context, even though it's the fault of the suitor, the families had drawn up an agreement, reaching the point of engagement. emily would not be blamed per se, but a mark would be left on her family nevertheless for coming close to being disgraced by association. basically judging her father for not doing his due diligence or for looking outside the ton when there are many ( especially christian ) suitors who would have been better. default age set at twenty.

Dearest Reader,

It has come to my attention that one Miss Emily Margolis has returned to society some two years after her debut to London, and what a prize she had been at the time. Late in bloom compared to many other rising flowers, she swayed above the rest, but her bouquet had already been purchased and arranged before even witnessed by the ton. How disastrous such delicate planning had shattered when her fiancé was found to have wilted beneath pressure of the monarch and flee from reach of the queen’s scepter. Many suitors were disappointed with her absence last year required through uncommon religious customs, though her competition must be pleased for a year’s grace.

Will her return this year herald yet another scandal keen to be witnessed and further besmirch the Earl of Bellamond, or will she flutter forth in glittering splendor to dazzle a marriage minded bachelor?

Arranged for marriage even before her debut into Regency era England at eighteen, Emily miserably expected her life to proceed directly to nuptials soon after being deemed a lady. Instead, after courtship and engagement, the wedding was called off. Her ex-fiance's family had lost a considerable amount of favor with the Queen and the Margolises no longer wished to be associated — so as to protect their name and title. Emily's second year was met with further complications at the death of her grandmother; in adherence to religious customs, the family remained out of society. Now twenty and with no official courtship set up, Emily is on the market for an eligible bachelor. With this second chance, she hopes to find a true love match.

[superthatguy62]

“Know that you stand before the ruler of countless ages- the Lord of Time! Across the eons, several mighty warriors have stood before me as you do now, all wanting to acquire my powers. And in my labyrinth I test their minds, weeding the weak out from the strong. Kneel before me, brave souls! I bestow upon you an honor reserved only for the wisest of sages, I offer you the power of time!

“Indeed, the very power I possess-

shall be fed by your powers!”

_____________________________________________________________

“I am the flow of time itself.

I can come to no end.”

Remember Chronodia? What was up with it?

[aces-and-kings]

Viper,

It has been a considerable amount of time since our paths last crossed, and no doubt in receiving this you will be met with the same shock as I was when I first saw you again after so long. I wish I didn't have to cause you this upset, but having you wonder seems a crueler fate.

There are truths that need to be spoken, burdens that need to be shouldered, and redemption that needs to find its way into our lives. As I put ink to parchment, I hope these words may find you well, despite the rift of time and distance that has kept us apart.

First and foremost, I want you to know that I left to protect you. The Syndicate we faced was relentless, and their pursuit of you consumed my every waking moment. They demanded your life for what they perceived as your betrayal, for not following through with the mark to kill me. In my heart, I knew the only way to keep you safe was to take to the sea, disappear into the depths, and take each one of the bastards with me.

It was two years before they seemed to stop coming. When I returned from my self-imposed exile, I discovered that you had found happiness and moved on with your life. How could I blame you?You had no word. Nothing to go on. I'm sure you would have waited if you knew. No, you'd never have let me face them alone, but that was a risk I couldn't take. Your life could never be a gamble.

Spider, your dear… brother, made it clear that you had rebuilt, that wounds had healed over, and life had taken a new course for you. He implored me not to disrupt the tranquility you had found, and in my cowardice, I obliged without so much as an apology.

Recent events have turned my world upside down, yet again, as my closest companion, Red, has died. His parting words, urging me to seek you out for the closure that has eluded us for far too long. Yet, as I stand on the precipice of this decision, I find myself incapable of taking the necessary steps toward a reunion.

I confess, that this reluctance stems from fear - fear that our tumultuous past would resurface and continue to consume us both, like a storm that knows no end.

Even though I cannot bring myself to stand before you once more, I want you to know that your happiness and well-being have always been my greatest concern, and it is with great reluctance that I release my grip and grant us both peace, happy for the life you've built for yourself.

Here, enclosed with this letter, is a simple trinket. You'll recognize it, but it is nothing more than a token, a reminder of the bond we once shared. Hold it close, Viper, and know that it carries the echoes of our past and the hopes for a brighter future.

Please find it in your heart to forgive this coward who has sacrificed so much but cannot gather the courage to face you. May your path be filled with serenity, happiness, and love, for you deserve nothing less.

with a heavy heart,

Thor

:the stamp of A.H. a top an hourglass symbol decorates the bottom right corner of the letter:

[dreadgrace-a]

the following verses and arcs are paired with @mindhallow. I default to Wish's canon choices. if you want an ask or thread to take place in an alternate worldstate, let me know. see below the divide for those verses.

verse. a knife to slaughter heaven . main pre-BG3

arc. a garden of agonies .

-"childhood" through mid-fourties (subject to change)

arc. shadow of elturel .

-what it says on the tin

arc. a lifetime's faithfulness .

-thay timeline through fall of elturel

verse. a kingdom of cards . baldur's gate 3 timeline

arc. upon the altar‚ in bloom | act ii .

arc. all my devotion turned violent | act iii .

arc. the greatest escape .

-finale

alternate worldstate catch-all verses.

verse. a fire set . pre-BG3

no arcs yet.

verse. in the light this blood is black . BG3 timeline (arcs to be given flavor text later)

arc. act ii

arc. act iii

arc. finale .

[dangerous-drabbles]

hey. hey. hey. psst.

chapter eleven (part ix) of 'it was futile' is up (:

[randomuzerthelozer]

I once saw a post saying "Why do you all like trophy but hate nickel" something along those lines. Now I don't care for nickel personally I don't deadass hate him. Honeslty I like trophy because there's a good setup for a character arc... Plus almost all my old ii roblox friends liked trophy lol

Anywyaz

I think the reason people like trophy more is that, they can kind of makeup the arc for themselves. You have some setup in the shorts and you can fill in the blanks.

And also many people just don't like Nickel or his arc in III, I think everyone has their reasons, and whilist some people's are more writing centered.

For me personally I don't like how drawn out it is. It takes up the full season, for honeslty mediocre resolution. Honestly back when I was really into Silver Spoon(in canon), Nickel and Balloon always felt like they were in the way of the thing I had going on with Cabby and Silver and whoever else would be in the top 3.

Like imo the arc could have been in the first part III. Like have balloon and nickel in this on and off relationship.

Then well, yiu can have thr thing that happens in canon exepct in a shorter time span

Or Balloon self leaves because he can't deal with Nickel's bs. This leads for nickel to do self thoguh. Which in turns makes him realize he has more important fish to fry then winning a competiton.

Mabye you can have him apologize in the post credit scene.

Again that's just my personal thoguhts on the arc, and I've seen better reason too why people dislike it lol

But back into the trophy thing

So why would you pour your attention, to the arc you personally dislike, when you have a fresh new slate who you can give a simiallar arc too and make it more fufilling! (For yourself of course)

[lucentaire]

Love Day was not exclusive to romantic relationships. Indeed, it was also a time to show appreciation for friendships and other connections too, which was why Freed now held a small giftbox out to her. It contained a delicious new tea blend, the package of which was nestled in a delicate and distinctive teacup (white, with beautiful vines subtly decorating it), along with a small selection of fine sweet treats. "For you, dear Rena, happy Love Day."

she could always count on freed to gift her a small something when love day came around---and she truly, fully appreciated it each year. it was always something to look forward to, much like the fact that the next day, all sorts of sweets would be on discount. she appreciated that, too. her own package for freed was sitting on the chair next to her, just hidden enough for him to not immediately spot it while still being in reach for her.

'' i will need a new shelf for all my new teacups, '' she said as she lifted it from the box, all too happy to inspect the fine porcelain. freed always had a wonderful taste in these things, she was always curious to see what he had bought her because she knew that she always liked it. there was some serenity in the knowledge that someone knew her so well that she could trust him blind, not just with her back in battle but also with aesthetic choices. '' perhaps we can go visit a carpenter later today, commission a nice new decorative shelf? ''

she paused as an almost impish expression appeared on her face. he had teased her in the morning, it was time for her revenge. or at least: parts of it. the full revenge would have to wait until she had a specifically good idea, but it was always wise to keep freed on his toes. he was a pretty good dancer, he would be fine. still, hours had passed since she had opened the fateful envelope and she still wished she had had the wisdom of taking it up to her room. it was too late now, of course. it had happened. '' unless you have some secret hot date none of us know about, we could check out the furniture store to see if we can find one that suits our living room, '' she pondered out loud. '' we could even get some takeout for everyone on the way back---unless you think certain interested parties managed to ask out the other two? ''

well, the joke was mostly about laxus, who had been the target of much admiration since they had been teens and she had had to avoid the other girls that had kept asking her to deliver their letters and chocolates to her best friend.