#b/c i don't feel like waiting until tomorrow

[tblsomedoodles]

Being super self indulgent on main

But i redid my "IRL turtle, George, gets mutated" thing from 5 months back since i can actually draw Rise turtles now : ), and accidentally ended up with a stupid AU about it lol. It basically ended up being just that Raph and Donnie grow up in a street gang with their big brother.

Anyways, have some basic character overviews too

[itwasthereaminuteago]

Hiii, I hope you're well

I have a request, so I was wondering if you could write something of reader wanting to sit on Matt's face but she's scared to tell to him and in the end he gets her to say what she wants but when she moves to his face she hovers and not sit so matt pulls her down and say something like "fucking sit on my face now"

please and thank you 💋❤

Here ya go Nonnie! Love me a pussydrunk devil 😈

Tags/warnings: Cunnilingus, Matt coming untouched, E 18+

W/c ~800

|| Don't Ask ||

His hand caresses the side of your face as he holds himself over you, slowly pulling the wide neck of your oversized nightshirt to one side.

"Matty? You begin, trying not to let the nerves show through your voice and Matt hmms as his lips make their way down your neck to the juncture of your shoulder.

"I wanted to… um, ask something."

He kisses you again, right over the spot that makes you gasp. "Sure, you know you can ask me anything sweetheart." His fingers start toying with the hem of your shirt, drifting down near the top of your underwear.

You take a deep breath. "I wondered if- only if you wanted to… maybe you would-" the words jammed in your throat.

Matt urges you gently, sensing you're holding back, his rich, smooth voice, soft kisses and touches soothing away your apprehension.

"It's okay honey, go on."

You moan as he kisses you again sucking a light mark into your skin and suddenly you're quickly blurting out, "Willyouletmerideyourface?!" before you're tucking your head away in embarrassment.

A wicked smile spreads like wildfire across Matt's face. "God, sweetie, there's nothing I want more…"

He quickly moves further down, hooking his fingers over the elastic of your panties and tugging them down with apparent impatience. He kisses over the skin of your thighs as he goes and when the offending article is finally off, you yelp as he flips you over so that you're now on top straddling his waist.

He shuffles down the bed as he holds you, hands sliding down your hips and squeezing your ass, encouraging you to move up towards his head. "There you go, good girl."

You're on your knees poised, pussy directly over his handsome face but still you find yourself hesitating.

"Wait, are… you sure, Matt?"

Matt's fingers press indents into the warm flesh your thighs as he gives you a quick squeeze. "'Course I'm sure, just sit down and let me taste you baby."

"B-but…"

"Sweetie, sit on my fucking face, now." He grapples you closer, winding his arms around your thighs and yanking you down into his mouth making you throw your hands out to brace yourself against the wall. Your mouth drops open but no sounds come out. His tongue feels like hot, wet, silk on your dripping cunt, alternating between lapping messily between your folds and teasing at your entrance. When his nose bumps right against your sensitive clit your legs almost give way.

Matt guides you, rocks you against his mouth, messily licking and sucking as he works you to what's gonna be a record quick orgasm. As you glance behind you it's like he can't get enough of you, thrusting his own hips up and fucking the air. He moans so deep and low into you and you shiver at the vibrations that reverberate right through to your core.

"Oh god Matt, oh- oh!"

Even though it feels so good you try to lift yourself up worried that you'll suffocate him, but he keeps you locked firmly to the source of your pleasure. He's eating you out like you're his last meal. Your fingers reach down, furrowing in his hair and he groans even louder as you inadvertently tug on the strands. He changes rhythm a few times keeping you on your toes until he settles on the one that gets your heart rate pounding like a bass drum at skyrocketing bpm.

Every time you move the scrape of his stubble heats your inner thighs and the mere thought of feeling that burn there when you're at work tomorrow sends you hurtling over the edge.

Matt grunts like a feral animal into your pussy as he feels you start to quake and you come so hard the neighbours bang on the wall at the obscene noise you're both making. You feel him jerk and gasp under you and when he finally releases you from his iron grip, you realise he's made a mess too. His eyes are closed, chest heaving, and the entirety of his mouth and lower jaw is covered in the sheen of your slick. He licks his lips and his hazel eyes slowly flutter open.

"Next time…" he has to pause to catch his breath, "don't even ask, just get on. Okay?"

"Okay." You grin, leaning down to kiss your taste from him, basking in the satisfying warmth of the afterglow and wondering why on earth you were worried.

"Promise me?"

"Scouts honour." You reply.

Matt chuckles. "Didn't know there was a badge for that…"

[mrbeastimagines-3]

ouuu. could you write a nolan x reader where the reader and him meet in one of those “ages 1-100 compete for money” videos, and the reader catches nolan’s eye because she’s so silly and stays goofing off!

( :0 yes ofc!!! )

Love at First Challenge

NolanHansen x fem!Reader

suggestion by: @ieatedyourcrayons

ft. nolan, y/n (25), mack, karl, + jimmy !!

tw: cringe.

y/n: your name

h/c: hair color

e/c: eye color

y/b/f: your best friend (irl)'s name

◤|◥◤|◥◤|◥◤|◥◤|◥

Nolan's POV

"Another day, another filming session-" Is what Nolan thought. He wasn't too hyped about this video that's for sure, but Jimmy *insisted* on making another "1-100" video since it did so well before.

Nolan did enjoy his job, though. He was just bored. Jimmy didn't exactly let the crew do anything, so there was nothing much for him to do during filming, other than monitor the capsules.

Today was the first day of the video. Nolan, Mack, and Karl were all walking around, asking how different challengers felt about this video. From across the warehouse, Mack was currently talking to contestant 25. As Nolan briefly glance over, he spotted you.

You were a generally pretty person, but Nolan was immediately awestruck. The way your H/C hair blew beneath the AC, the way your eyes shimmered under the florescent lights, Nolan seemed to feel more and more attracted to you.

But your looks weren't all, it was also the way you smiled. Your tone of voice. The way you'd answer each of Macks questions caught him in a trance. You were funny. Silly, even. You seemed to be having the time of your life and Nolan was here for it, staring endlessly at your capsule.

Karl suddenly walked up behind Nolan, giggling as he speaks. "Dude what are you doing-" Karl raises his eyebrow as Nolan immediately bolted his head in Karl's direction.

"Holy crap Karl-" Nolan groans, embarrassed. "you scared me-" Nolan then almost immediately glances back at your capsule, which Mack had now left. Karl shook Nolan in attempt to pay attention to their conversation.

"Nolan are you crushing on 25-?" He laughs, as Nolan's cheeks slowly grew hot.

"What? Pfft- no- I'm just- looking-" Nolan attempted to excuse Karl from asking anything else, but, failed.

"Go talk to her man!" Karl playfully punches Nolan in the shoulder.

"Leave me alone dude-" Nolan laughs with a groan as Karl grins before walking to a different row of people.

After a few more hours of Nolan coming and leaving the warehouse to check on contestants (cough cough, you), until finally building up the courage to talk to you.

He stepped towards your door, opening his mouth to say something, so you could turn to face him, but Jimmy suddenly announced the first challenge.

In a panic, Nolan just dashed away without you noticing. He silently cursed under his breath, as the first challenge went on.

After the challenge was over, you were luckily still in. Since it was almost night, Nolan decided to wait till tomorrow to talk to you, since you would probably be here for a long while...

The next day, Nolan and Karl came to the warehouse alongside Jimmy who was working on the next challenge. Nolan and Karl decided to do a race on who could talk to half of the group first.

"I can deal with 1-50 if you wa-" Karl began to suggest, until getting interrupted by Nolan. "Nope! No don't even worry about it. I'll do 1-50, you do 51-100"

Karl was hesitant before agreeing, yelling "I'm winning Nolan!!!" rushing towards the other side. Nolan immediately went to your capsule, knocking on the door. He wanted to, no, needed, to talk to you.

You perk up from whatever you were doing, walking over to the glass door with a smile. "Oh hi Nolan"

Nolan almost stopped working for a second, his voice failing him. "Oh hey-!" He let out a fake, shaky laugh before restoring himself. "Uh- how are you doing-?"

You raise your eyebrow about how suspicious he was being, but still smile. "Great-! I'm really glad I'm here like, so many people I get to meet, y'know?" You sat down on your bed, Nolan coming into the room.

"Good- good- uhm-" He hesitates before asking. "Anyone that you feel is like a threat to your game?"

You hesitate, before answering "32 is a bit of a threat towards me specifically but, y'know" You shrug. "Nobody's really hated me so far so yayyy"

Nolan gently smiles in relief. "Awesome! I'm gonna go talk to other people now I guess-" He regretted saying that, but he couldn't just let Karl win the race.

"Alright, it was nice talking to you Nolan" You smile. "It's a nice change of pace from Mack, so... Feel free to drop by whenever you can!"

Nolan's heart fluttered at that. Why were you so nice to him?

Y/N's POV

You were extremely happy about your interaction with Nolan. He had always been your favorite member, and it's been your dream to be on a video, especially with him.

You layed back down on your bed, as giddy as ever. Were you smiling? Maybe. Did someone notice? Yep.

24, your closest ally here, just woke up, and could notice your change in demeanor.

"Uh... What's going on-" Y/B/F said, rubbing their eye from sleep.

You look over at them through the glass, smiling. "Nothin" You attempted being casual. You were a grown woman, acting like your crush at school just asked you to the dance.

"Uh huh." Y/B/F rolled their eyes. "Sure."

"Fine.. Fine... Come closer to the glass." You sigh, giving in. Y/B/F moved their ear to the class as you whispered "Nolan talked to me"

Y/B/F pulled their ear away, looking at you unimpressed. "Wow. Nolan talked to you on a MRBEAST VIDEO. DUDE."

You winced at their change of voice. "Look I dont know-! I just-" You dreamily sigh, sinking back on the bed. "It felt special... Y'know?"

Nolan's POV

The next challenge started later that day, Nolan not being there for it since he was busy. But the entire time, he was worried you would get out. Even just thinking about you made him goofily smile and lose track of time, so he couldn't afford never seeing you again without saying goodbye.

Even though you met yesterday, he could already see a future, a life, with you. You were everything he could ever ask for, and he didn't even know your real name.

That evening, he went back to the warehouse, stepping in and seeing so many capsules gone from the previous challenge. He immediately panicked. Did you leave?! Were you voted out?! He then saw Mack and Karl step down from the stage.

"Hey Nolan" Mack says, giving Nolan a quick high five handshake thing (a/n: IM SORRY I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT'S CALLED).

Nolan nods. "Hi- uh- what'd I miss?"

Karl then spoke up. "Jimmy made sure a lot of people were voted out today for like, editing reasons, but I'm pretty sure your girlfriend is still here."

Nolan immediately perked up, not even responding when he ran to 25. He skidded up to the capsule, before noticing, you were miserable. A wash of worry goes over his face as he knocks on your door.

"Hey 25" He tries to smile, but saw how sad you looked. "What's... What's going on..?"

"Oh, Nolan, hi" 25 weakly smiled, as Nolan walked in and sat next to her.

"What's wrong?" He frowns, unaware of placing a hand on her shoulder which made you blush.

"24, uh, they got out..." You sigh. Nolan looked at her confused.

"Oh uhm.. Why is that such a big deal-?" He asked, worrying he could offend you.

"They were my best friend here I guess, and I'm just... Kinda alone now..." You sigh, putting your face in your knees.

"Well, uh.." He looks around the room, looking for something he could do to help you. "I'm still- here- for you-" He mutters. You let out a watery laugh, looking up at him with a smile.

"Well thanks Nolan"

He smiles back, you looking deep into each others eyes for what felt like forever. Suddenly, Karl shouted from the entrance door "NOLANNN! COME ON"

Nolan jumped, taking his hand off your shoulder. "I should go" He sighs, stepping towards the door.

"Alright... See you tomorrow Nolan"

"See you tomorrow 25" He smiles.

"Wait uh-" You stand up and grab his wrist. "Call me Y/N."

Nolan's cheeks turned pink at that as he smile. "I- okay- see you tomorrow Y/N".

◤|◥◤|◥◤|◥◤|◥◤|◥

( little cliffhanger for you guys >:] i hope u liked this.!!! my first nolan centered fic- i hope I did him well enough for u guys )

( anyway this was so much fun to write! thank you @ieatedyourcrayons once again for suggesting this!! PLEASE SUGGEST ME MORE *￣3￣ )

anyway goodbye my simps :D

[mermaidsirennikita]

So the Susan Elizabeth Phillips book I'm listening to is It Had to Be You (because the only Chicago Stars book I've read is Nobody's Baby But Mine and it's football season so TIME 2 GO)

And though there are for sure some choices made that VERY much signal this is a 1994 novel (one wording in like, the first chapter, made my eyebrows shoot STRAIGHT UP) (though I'll also say that this book is super about Gay Rights, like our heroine Phoebe surrounds herself with gay men and donated a fuckton of money to AIDs-related charities, and to be clear her 1990s football coach hero is also v down with the gays~, I am blindly going with it)

I will also say that whenever I read an SEP book, I'm struck by several things I find so difficult to find in current contemporary romcoms...

A) legit humor

B) ... thoughtful writing ....

C) the couple just. FUCKING AROUND.

Like, Phoebe has a lot of trauma and hangups (she's also 33, which I love! And I suspect that her hero, Dan, is probably in his late thirties/early forties) but a big part of this book is her learning to be comfortable with sex, which happens with Dan, even though Dan is in fact completely unaware that this is what is going on and just thought that her being like "Can you pretend I'm a virgin" the first time they boned was roleplaying

(Dan: WHEN WILL SOMEONE FUCK ME IN A NON-ROLEPLAYING CONTEXT???)

But like... they have sex... and he doesn't realize what a big deal it was for her so he just sorta skedaddles... and she's pissed about it so they sort of simmer in mutual "it'll never happen again" resentment... until they sorta buddy-buddy because he realizes he was being a dick (don't worry, this is SEP, he WILL be a dick again) and then she pisses him off so much by being like YOOHOO BOYS I THINK PICTURING THE OTHER TEAM NAKED WILL HELP YOU WIN THE FOOZEBALL GAME and then it WORKS, so naturally he then confronts her in the airplane bathroom directly after and she calls him on his shit and dresses him down, only to realize during turbulence-related body-slamming that her berating him made him FULLY aroused, which leads to a partial airplane BJ (her first BJ) (Dan, who does not know this is her first BJ, mentally: she is "sweetly awkward" about this) and an airplane fingerbang (complete) (this poor football team is just asleep a few feet away)

And now! They're just sorta sitting in snarky, not-dating, sometimes fucking around limbo... all while this man is fully like "I WILL BE ASKING THAT SWEET NURSERY SCHOOL TEACHER OUT BECAUSE I THINK SHE'LL BE A GREAT MOM TO MY NONEXISTENT KIDS.... TOMORROW........................... AFTER I FUCK PHOEBE AGAIN.................."

(Because mind you, when she was all "but you didn't come in this airplane bathroom" he was like "ohmigod her sweetly awkward unfinished BJ made me feel A Feeling, I've gotta put some distance between us by telling her that one day I'm going to just say 'Now' and regardless of where we are or what she's doing she needs to follow me to the closest broom closet and SPREAD'")

(to which Phoebe goes "oh actually that sounds amazing", so it did backfire)

There is no discussion of dating or their feelings! There is no rational discussion! They're just impetuously hooking up when they get horny! And sitting there snarking at the workplace (because MIND YOU, she OWNS THE FOOTBALL TEAM HE'S COACHING) while everyone on this football team probably considers whether or not this is becoming a hostile work environment! They're sort of semi-raising her teenage sister together at this point and there has been NO! DEFINING! THE RELATIONSHIP! NO! SENSE! ALL! FEELINGS! AND! FUCKING! AND! MESS!

Honestly??? It also just feels more like how a lot of relationships develop organically??? From situationships to "Oh wait, we're like... dating..." without a full-length discussion until it's already kinda happening?

Like, this is the vibe I want from a contemporary romance. Less rational robotic shit and more "local idiots stumble into love"

[realandhumanmanthing]

slight Neath! angst for the Neath! fans *cough cough* @ourtalechara *cough cough* that didn't ask

oh no. oh shit. (Neath! quartet)

(also tw/cw (?) for death/accidental murder) (also I have no idea if this is medically accurate don't like sue me or something idfk)

for context, Robert is being followed by someone (attempting to hurt or even kill him) that looks similar to Harry but isn't. the Singing Mandrake closed about 5 minutes ago and Cassi is cleaning. Byron's just sitting outside waiting for it to open like a stray cat.

R: Damn it, I think they saw me hide. I'll just use this if they try to hurt me. *grabs a long piece of glass from the floor*

R: *whispering* That's them. *stabs*

H: *walking calmly, not knowing he's going the same way Robert was*

H: What the..?

R: Harry?

H: Robert?

R: Damn it... I'm sorry, Harry, I... I was being followed and I thought you were them.

H: It's fine... I think I might wake up the next day anyways. I also think I'm dying.

R: Oh no. Oh shit. I'm so dead if Cassi, Byron or anyone finds us. I-I don't know how to stop the bleeding.

C: Who's he- what the fuck.

R: .... Hi, Cassi.

C: What the hell?! What happened?!

B: Cassi? What's going o- oh. That's. That's uh. That's a lot. Of blood. a lot.

R: I don't know what to do!

C: What the hell even happened?

R: I-I was being followed and I thought Harry was whoever was following me.. so I stabbed him.

C: Were you following him?

H: No..

B: What do we do?!

H: It's fine. I.. I think I'll come back the next day. Maybe I will. Maybe not. (bro's literally like 5 minutes away from death because he decided to take a different path home tonight.)

C: How do we stop the bleeding?

B: .... I don't know.

R: Me neither.

C: I'm gonna try to use an old tablecloth I have. Make sure he doesn't close his eyes. *stands up*

B: Uh... Cassi? I think you should've said that a few minutes ago..

C: Please tell me you're kidding. Please.

B: ... I'm kidding?

C: Byron. I'm serious.

B: I am as well. You told me to-

C: That- that's not what I meant.

B: Then don't tell me to say something if you don't want me to!

R: I don't think there's a point in getting your tablecloth, Cassi. He's dead.

C: Fuck. What do we do?

B: We're just gonna have to wait until he wakes up tomorrow.

R: I thought he said he might wake up tomorrow?

B: He will. Just trust me.

I have mixed feelings about this so constructive criticism is highly appreciated and accepted.

[hrhmiat]

Princess Diaries 3 Movie....

Can we get a cannon version of The Princess Diaries 3 because I really want to see Mia and Michael as adults falling in love again! Think about it.... They've texted a few times throughout the year, especially on birthdays and holidays. (Michael still sends her dorky Gifs he creates) and they send gifts (like Star Wars or Buffy-related things, ya know, still being the flat-out nerds they are). It isn't weird that they haven't seen each other because Lilly always goes to Genovia to see Mia, never the way around. Michael is super busy because he still crates Pavlov Surgical and could never find time to go to Genovia (especially since he still has feelings for Mia and doesn't want to make things complicated.) So this is how the movie starts..... they run into each other at a charity function in NYC, the first time Mia's been back in years, but this is a major event that she really feels passionate about. Little did she know Michael would also be there. (We don't find out till later that Lilly told Michael that Mia was going to be in town for that event, and instead of waiting for dinner at their house, he had to see her) Then, after the event, he asks if she wants to grab a pie, but Mia says she's really jet lagged, but maybe tomorrow? We see Mia go back to her room and just start swooning all over again and telling herself they are just friends and he's not into her like that. She's talking to herself and Joe (b/c sadly we cannot add Lars this late in the game in the movies and I do like Joe) Tells the princess words of wisdom and it calms her.

UNTIL Michael texts Mia, "It was great seeing you tonight. Looking forward to catching up with you tomorrow." Mia doesn't know how to respond and deletes several texts until She says, "It was lovely running into you! I am also looking forward to tomorrow! Night!" She thinks how lame she is and wants to call Lilly, but IT'S HER BROTHER! So she settles down and gets some sleep..... NOT The next day, she's sleep-deprived and meets her grandmother for brunch. Clarisse sees the bags under Mia's eyes and how fidgety she's being and asks her what is going on. Mia explains, and Clarisse warns Mia about dating too soon after breaking it off with (what his face) and that she is royal and should have the highest standards for the men she dates. (but then mentions she has been keeping tabs on Pavlov Surgical and how marvelous and innovative his company is.) After brunch, Lilly calls Mia to see if she is free to hang out in the afternoon, and unfortunately, Mia has to go to something, but a rain check? So Lilly asks how about the evening..... then Mia fesses up and tells Lilly she has dinner plans with her brother. Lilly acts all interested and asks her what they are going to do. Mia tries to be SUPER casual about it. And Lilly drops the conversation. We see Mia enter the pizza place where Michael has already secured them a seat, and he waves over to her. Joe greets Michael, and they shake hands and exchange words, then go across the room to sit down. Michael goes to order pizza and comes back. It a not a date where it's never ending, and they end up walking in Central Park at night until Michael walks her to her hotel, and they get so close to kissing, but they don't. Not sure how to end the movie, but this is just the start of where I thought it would be a good meet cute again.

[redheadspark]

hiii 😊 May i request the prompt Person A stealing person B’s sweater/clothes. With benedict bridgerton please 💜

A/N - What a great request for Benedict! Thanks for requesting this, anon!

Eureka!

Summary - Benedict never thought he would lend his crush his sweatshirt.

Warnings - Just some fluffiness

Benedict had to stop his painting to look at his work. Something didn't feel right, leaving him to stand with his hands on his hips and his head cocked to the side. It felt off, unlike the other pieces he would paint and sell. This one didn't feel right to him, maybe it was the shade of colors he used or the way he stroked the brush. But his heart wasn't in the right spot with what he wanted, and he was interrupted abruptly by the tapping at the front door.

It sounded urgent.

"Who would be here at this hour?" Another asked from his spot on the couch, placing his newspaper down and walking over to the door. Benedict paused in his work too, placing the brush down and looking across from his art corner in the living room. Was it the landlord? It couldn't be since Anothy was usually on time in turning in the rent. Nor could it be any of their brothers or sisters, it was even late for them and they would call ahead of time.

What he wasn't expecting was you, drenched from the rain and shaking like a leaf with your arms tight around yourself to stay warm.

"Jesus! What happened? Come in!" Anthony said as he ushered you inside. Benedict was shocked to see you, no matter you being his crush for some time after meeting you through Anhony. You were good friends with Kate, Anthony's girlfriend and soon-to-be fiance. Kate could see how Benedict was instantly smitten with you when you commented on modern art as the new frontier in marketing and high society compared to older art. Kate saw it immediately and teased Benedict endlessly when you left to return to your apartment, Benedict blushing red and trying to play it off. But how to he deny it? You were spunky, exceptionally great with your art history, and your smile was enough to make his heart stutter a bit.

But to see you drenched like a wet cat in his home? He never saw that coming.

"I'm so s-s-sorry for coming to your p-p-place," You stuttered as Anthony ushered you into the apartment and closed the door behind you, "My c-car broke down a mile d-down the road and my phone d-died. I n-need to call K-K-Kate and a tow--"

"Take it easy and come sit, please," Anthony said with ease as Benedict went over to get a kettle ready for some tea, "Let me text Kate and have her come over to take you back to your apartment, okay? And we can call a tow truck first thing in the morning to take care of your car,"

"Oh, I don't wanna w-wait for my car until t-tomorrow--" You tried to reason with Anthony, but Benedtic finally spoke up as he walked over to you.

"It's not worth it in the rain, no tow trucks will come. Just wait until tomorrow when the rain stops, we know a guy who works at the auto shop down the street and I can call about your car," He explained, you giving him a genuine smile. He loved that smile, reminding you of springtime and fresh flowers in a vase, filled with joy and serenity.

"Thank you, you're far too kind," You thanked him, Benedict slightly blushing, "I don't mean to interrupt your night,"

"Our night was boring, nothing to apologize for," Benedict told you as he gestured to the spare bathroom, "Go take a shower and I'll get you some clothes to change into while we wait for Kate,"

You thanked him again and waddled to the spare bathroom, closing the door gently behind you and locking it. Once it was Anthony and Benedict again, Anthony eyed his younger brother with a smirk.

"Smooth, Benny. Real smooth," He teased, Benedict glaring at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," He replied with a shrug, walking away to his bedroom to grab some clothes. Anthony chuckled and followed behind Benedict, pulling out his phone to text Kate as he spoke to his brother.

"Kate told me about your little crush on her," Anthony said casually, Benedict whirling around and hushing him. Anthony laughed, "It's obvious to everyone, including mom mind you! Why don't you ask her out finally?"

"Because...because I don't think I'm her type," Benedict explained as he grabbed a pair of sweats and one of his old sweatshirts from college.

"What makes you say that? You're a catch, Benny. And I don't say that to you a whole lot, do I?" Anthony challenged him, Benedict giving him a soft look to see that he was telling the truth. Anthony merely smiled, looking down at his phone with a message coming in.

"Kate will be here in 20 minutes," He explained, closing his phone before he gave Benedict one more smile, "Think about it, Benedict. You two would be great, I swear,"

Anthony walked back to the living room, leaving Benedict there to think about it. He did think about asking you out, maybe taking you to an art gallery or a picnic since you seemed like the kind of person who would love that. But then again, he was still afraid to jump in and be bold, and sometimes that fear got the best of him.

He was going to put it on the back burner for now.

5 minutes later you emerged from the bathroom, wearing your new clothes that Benedict left outside your door. Anthony was back in his room working on some paperwork from his job, leaving Benedict back out in the living room with his painting again as you walked out to see him. Your hair was back and freshly washed, your skin glowing and looking rather calm and the color was back on your lips and cheeks. The sight of you wearing his sweatshirt, the same one that had a few paint stains and one coffee ring on the end near your right hip, it was gut-wrenching, to say the least. Benedict never thought on how beautiful you would look in that garment when he got it for you, and he would never look at it the same way again.

"Thank you again, Benedict," You thanked him, then noticed the painting in front of him and pointed with a curious finger, "Is this a new piece you're working on?"

"Oh," Benedict said, looking at his piece and then back at you, "Oh yes! I'm trying to work on it but it's....it's not right. Something's missing,"

You hummed, walking over to stand next to him and looking at his work with your eyes. Benedict seemed rather nervous to have you stare at his work, he shouldn't since you've seen his work plenty of times. But not during the process of creation, only when it was complete and hanging on the wall. He felt most vulnerable when he was creating, the barriers were down and nothing was judging him when he had the brush in his hand.

"What if you use your fingers?"

Benedict looked at you in shock as you looked back at him with a shrug of your shoulders.

"W-what?" He asked, sounding a bit more high-pitched.

"Use your fingers, not your brush," You explained, then moving your pointed finger to the cured strokes to the left, "I think it would look more natural with your fingers, don't you?"

Benedict nodded his eyes without saying a word, his eyes on you as you were smiling at him. If his crush on you was bad before, now it was a lot worse. But this time, this time he wasn't afraid about it too much. He was tongued tied, yet you still grinned at him as the front door opened and Kate burst into the room.

"Thank God you're okay!" She said to you as she ran over to you and hugged you. Benedict left you and Kate to reunite and talk about what happened, his eyes going back to the half drawn picture and a massive grin was on his face. The idea struck hard and true, almost sideways to have him be knocked over.

Eureka!

He would hang it a few months later at his first professional showcase, with you on his arm as his girlfriend and the inspiration for the piece called Eureka!

The End

Spring Prompt Session

[mirisss]

Friends Don't

Yoon Jongwoo x afab! reader

Wordcount ≈ 1.1k

Warnings: slight jealousy, eating ice cream, I think that’s it. 

Thank you for the request! I’m a sucker for anything Jongwoo so I couldn’t resist writing this! I did change it a little bit though, but I hope you still like it.

Inspired by “Friends Don’t” by Maddie & Tae

Please reblog!

Jongwoo’s POV

There was barely any traffic out, yet I kept going slower and slower. Wishing that every light would be red, all so I could have just one more minute with (Y/n). She was singing along to the radio as I drove, her voice was loud and a bit off-pitch, yet to me, it sounded like an angel. (Y/n) was smiling as she sang and danced around in the car, my heart was beating so loud I thought it would burst out of my chest. I thought she’d be tired after spending the entire day with me and our friends, but (Y/n) seemed to have more energy than ever. 

“Oh WOO! Can we stop and buy ice cream? Please,” The way her eyes sparkled and the warmth of her hand on my arm made it impossible to say no, not that I would have. “Of course,” Being in love with your best friend isn’t easy, especially when your best friend isn’t in love with you. I would do anything for her. She was the sun in my sky. (Y/n) is like a warm blanket on a cold winter day. I parked the car outside the store, (Y/n) was out of the car and running to the store before I even got my seatbelt off. 

“Ya, wait for me,” “Hurry up, Woo!” I jogged to catch up with her, a wide smile on my lips. As I got inside the store, I quickly found (Y/n) standing by the ice cream contemplating what to get. I snuck up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, giving her a back hug. We often did coupley acts like this, but we’re just friends. To me, these moments were everything. I kept thinking of them for days after they happened, dreaming of how it would be to call (Y/n) my girlfriend. However, to her, I’m just her best friend who likes hugs. “I don’t know whether I want (flavor a) or (flavor b),” “How about we get one of each and share them?” “Would you be fine with that?” “Of course, I like both of those flavors,” “But, (flavor c) is your favorite,” (Y/n) looked up at me with an adorable, and very kissable, pout. “I’m not feeling (flavor c) today, (flavor a) and (flavor b) sound much better,” “You’re the best Jongwoo!” A beautiful smile stretched across her lips as she picked up one of each flavor before she skipped over to the counter. I joined her after getting some other snacks, knowing this was far from the end of our night together. 

After I paid for everything, much to (Y/n)’s dismay, we returned to the car. (Y/n) ripped open one of the ice creams to begin eating it, I opened the other one but before I could take a bite/lick it/whatever, (Y/n) took it and gave me the one she had already tasted. I chuckled at the act, all too used to it. We sat in silence, sharing the ice cream, for a few minutes until (Y/n) squealed. “Woo, did I tell you about the guy I’m going on a date with tomorrow?” My heart sank at the thought, that someone else could be dating her. I answered, lowly, not really wanting to hear about it, “Uhm, no, I don’t think so,” “Okay, so his name is Zhang Hao, and he’s really cute and funny,” (Y/n) continued telling me everything she knew about this guy, I had to admit, he sounded a lot better than other guys she’s dated, but he wasn’t me. 

The more she spoke about this guy, the more jealous I felt, I wanted to tell (Y/n) how much I loved her. But I can’t. “I just wish he treats as good as you do, Jongwoo,” I couldn’t hold myself back anymore, I leaned in, put a hand on one of her cheeks, I closed my eyes, and kissed her. She didn’t push me back, she didn’t resist it, but neither did she kiss me back. After a few seconds, I removed my hand from her cheek and leaned back, afraid to open my eyes. What if I just ruined everything? When I opened my eyes, (Y/n) was looking back at me, her cheeks red with a deep blush, a shocked look in her eyes. 

“What?” I took a deep breath, “I love you, (Y/n). I am IN love with you,” “You’re in love with me?” “I have been for years,” (Y/n) blinked slowly as she looked down, I recognized this action, it’s what she always did when she was nervous. Her right hand came to play with the bracelet I gave her on her birthday last year, on her left wrist. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I’ll just drive you home,” (Y/n) didn’t answer, I started the car and began driving, now in complete silence. Good job, Yoon Jongwoo, you just lost your best friend. I parked the car outside of her apartment. “Are we okay?” I asked, hoping that (Y/n) would talk with me. “Jongwoo, look at me,” I immediately looked up, meeting the eyes that I loved. For a few moments, we just sat there, looking into each other’s eyes. (Y/n) seemed to be searching for something in my gaze. 

I admired her eyes, the way they sparkled in the night lights. Her skin that is soft and warm. The arch of her nose, everything that is wonderful with her. All of a sudden, I felt warm and soft lips pressed against my own. I had my eyes open, shocked, but after two seconds, I closed my eyes and kissed (Y/n) back. We kissed each other multiple times, just kissing for minutes. After those minutes, I had to break away from this, I had to know what it meant. 

“You’re kissing me back, what, uhm, what does that mean?” “I love you too, Jongwoo. Friends don’t call each other in the middle of the night, couldn’t even tell you why, or just to say hi. I love you, Yoon Jongwoo, you’re everything I want,” I broke out into a smile, happiness and relief filling my body, “I love you too, (L/n) (Y/n),” I leaned in and gave her another kiss, this one a bit shorter and sweeter as we both smiled into it. 

[literaticat]

I would like to look for a new agent, however I have several unfinished projects under contract with my current agency (let’s say, a couple of books due in the next year or so).

Assuming I formally part ways, do these existing projects hurt my chances of getting a new agent?

Would it be better for me to wait until I have fulfilled those outstanding commitments before leaving & looking for a new agent?

OK - I don't want to say it will "hurt your chances" of getting a new agent, because that's not STRICTLY true -- BUT (I'm so sorry to sound like a broken record here!) -- it depends.

(Also -- you didn't ask this and I don't know, but just putting it out there -- it SOUNDS like your agent has done a lot for you? If you have an issue with them, maybe it would be worth talking it out FIRST and giving them the opportunity to fix it BEFORE breaking it off and finding a new agent? Obviously if there's some kind of egregious thing happening and you just have to get out of there, OK, ignore all other advice, just do it and figure out the new agent stuff after you've left -- but if this is just Normal Issues, maybe a conversation is in order!)

The thing about getting a new agent is, they will want to make sure you are free and clear of any possible entanglements with your previous representation, AND they will want to have something to SELL. If you are a very well-published author, maybe an agent will take you on regardless just because, hey, they are a fan, and they know it will be worth the wait. But ideally, we'd be able to go full-steam ahead on new projects!

So if you already have several publisher deadlines outstanding for the next year, and those books are not even done yet, it MIGHT be hard for a new agent to step in and start selling MORE projects. (Unless, perhaps, the new work you want to sell is VERY different?)

My reasoning being, the publishers you currently are working with are probably not ready to look at new work yet, since the work under contract hasn't been turned in -- and there may be options on those projects (which, depending on your current agency agreement, your current agent may well feel proprietary about!) -- or those projects might have contract clauses that preclude you from selling something else to another publisher that might interfere with the deadlines or publication dates of works in progress.

But maybe not! Basically, I'd take a good look at your current agency agreement AND the contracts you have already signed to see what the deal is and if there's anything that would hem you up from being able to sell more work straight away if you were to leave your current agency tomorrow.

Unless there is some pressing reason you HAVE to get a new agent right away, I personally would NOT query new agents until all of these things are true: A) You have broken up with your current agent, made sure they have no claim on any work besides the works that are already sold, and waited out any "cooling off period" if there is one in your agency agreement, so you are free and clear. AND B) you understand the nuances of your current deals - which ones have options, what the dates are for all of them, etc. AND C) You have something new and sparkly that can actually be sold without getting in the way of any of the things you already have going on.

So MAYBE all those things are true right now, and if that's the case, godspeed. But if not -- maybe wait.

[wild-oats-and-cornflowers]

Feeling down about cat situation. Basement cat has been safely evacuated (the camera I put down there finally caught it leaving and re-entering its hiding place last week, and now it is outside again.) However, I have made no progress on the Marcus issue. I had two reported sightings of a black cat in different areas this week, one a street over and one half a mile away, but I found nothing at the closer location when I came back to this city, and no one I spoke to around there had seen a black cat. The farther away location, the person who reported it is out of town currently, so I can't go check it out.

Also, this is not a very friendly neighborhood to begin with - the house is on the edge of a not very good area, there's a lot of theft, etc., so people are on edge when they see someone walking around a lot, especially since I don't live here so they don't recognize me. People are getting unhappy about my attempts to search. In addition, when I was coming here, I was staying in the unoccupied bedroom, but now the roommate who was traveling is home again, so there's no spare room, just a spare couch.

My mother told me today that I need to stop all this for a while and stay in my own apartment instead of constantly living at my brothers' house. She is of the opinion that I should start trying to get into the mindset of letting go, which I don't want to do. Cats don't evaporate, he is out there somewhere. I am going home tomorrow and will stay there for a while, though. I do need to spend some time catching up on life and figuring out what the next move is. There really is little point in random searching. I wanted to do an online consultation with the cat finder woman, but she is apparently recovering from something and won't be doing those again until October. So perhaps I will just wait until then and see what help she can give me. It's really a very unfortunate situation all around. The only comfort is that a) the weather has been pretty mild and pleasant, it's still quite warm most days when the sun is up and not too cold at night, so a cat outside will not be freezing; b) this might not be a very friendly neighborhood for people, but it is one where cats can live and thrive outdoors, as far as it goes, since there are cats out here living and thriving; c) Marcus was a semi-feral barn kitten until 11 weeks old, so he definitely has a leg up on an always-indoor cat in terms of survival skills. He always liked to be outside nosing around. If I could just figure out where he might be.

[pacifymebby]

lol Hi😂 I hope your doing well! I saw your post about swimming becoming and an healthy addiction and it made me chuckle (in a good way and respectfully!!!) because it reminded me of me little cousin does swimming for her middle school and is at the pool like every other day of the week plus weekends! And like last time we hung about at a pool she was just zooming around like a little mermaid while I was holding to a noodle b/c I'm not good at floating 😂 but yeah.... also I guess what I'm trying to say is that 4+ times a week probably isn't a bad amount to go swimming! It's exercise remember and exercise if good for all types of health!! Exercise is good for you!! Also plus's I think I've heard that some soreness can be a good think because it (can be) an indicator of muscle growth! There's some medical stuff there too but I can't think of it off the top of my head! Just remember to stretch I guess and stay hydrated especially because id your swimming in salt water I can dehydrate you faster then normal water because salt. Idk how you're swimming but maybe if you are doing like certain strokes you could try rotating to different ones that work some different muscles? Idk? It is also important to rest though! Maybe it would help if you like made out a schedule of sorts for like they days you go and don't go to get a good mount of rest in between? If it's something you find comfort in too it can be good to help relieve stress! And yeah, that's about all I got. Sorry for rambling! I hope I'm not overstepping! You're brilliant!! ❤️❤️❤️

Omg do they swim for the team? Thats actually really cool and something i never could have done in school!!

I had an older cousin like that who could zip around the pool like a shark, i remember him and my dad trying to teach me to swim when I was like 5 and had a big fear of water, i used to think he was the coolest but he was so naturally zoomy and stuff even my dad (who's actually athletic) couldnt beat him in a race.

Yeah i think Id be less para about it if i didn't get the intense feelings of guilt when I don't go swimming. Like this morning I got up to go swimming but missed the bus, so now i have to wait until this evening and I'm genuinely really upset with myself about it. Like I'm pretty prone to eating disordered behavior and I do kinda wonder if I'm attatching more importance to an hours swim than i really should be.

Yeah you're right about the soreness, I've been doing lots of stretches because i want to learn to do the splits and increase my flexibility again (i used to do gymnastics as a child and I'm hypermobile so i have a complex about not being the bendiest bitch in Aldi haha)

I did end up taking a rest day yesterday and not feeling awful about it in the end, and I'm going to go tonight and then tomorrow too, i can maybe even go on Saturday or Sunday which would be cool.

I only swim breast stroke because i dont like putting my head all the way under water (i have ptsd and having my head under water when I'm swimming makes me panic so bad lol) (im slowly working on it) but I'm really only going swimming for my mental health as a way of burning off all my anxious energy. It does do wonders for my anxiety on a good day tbf.

Anyways thank u for ur message and like, giving me the chance to get a different (probably way more rational) perspective on the whole thing, i feel a lot calmer and less paranoid now.

U definitely havent overstepped dont worry!! ❤️❤️

[snnbnny]

Sad anonymous back at it again.

How would Bokuto, Ushijima, and Kyoya (or pick one you don't have to do all three) react to a s/o who starts crying after a verbal fight. Feeling extra sad today.

Hi sad anon!! love your lil asks omg!!

Wakatoshi Ushijima reacting to his partner crying after a verbal fight!!

'•.¸♡ C/W for W.U : Stone cold ushi, Repressed issue, miscommunication, several mentions of pregnancy so afab! reader or if you wish omega reader, little out of my own cannon ushi, soft ushi at the end, this is hurt comfort btw, its nice I swear, mentions of jealousy and falling out of love ���¸.•'

'•.¸♡ Tagging: @wakatshi @towoshi♡¸.•'

'•.¸♡ A/N: this totally went in my own spiral but I hope its something similar to what you wanted! I'm low key proud of this so.... also listen to FINNEAS while you read this,, just a suggestion. Idk the vibe kinda fits.♡¸.•'

╰─▸ ❝ W. Ushijima

"Ushi?" The two of you were halfway threw yet another silent dinner which you had graciously created. "Has everything been ok?"

"Why do you ask?" His tone was flat, you tried to reason with yourself that the lack of emotion in his voice was the same as normal. But the past few weeks had felt so different to you, you were so worried that you had upset the man in someway or that your first fear has come to florishion- he didn't love you anyone or never really did and he found some he did love.

"You've been acting strangely," you couldn't really name the small things that really drew your attention to it.

"You have to be specific, Y/N." A shiver went up your spine.

"You've been distance, more emotionless. Ignoring my messages, hell you've barely made eye contact with me this whole night!" The anger came out of the depth of your chest, it was not truly anger- more like grief.

"Sound's like my normal behavior to me, Y/N." A pin could drop and it wouldn't break the tension. He stood from his seat and walked to the kitchen in order to dump his half-eaten plate and place the dish in the freshly cleaned sink. "Maybe it's you that has a problem."

You couldn't bring yourself to look at the man, your watery gaze fixed on the barely touched dish before you, "Yeah, maybe..." There was barely any confrontation but you were already so defeated. So tired. You had waited so long, hoping it would have resolved by itself- instead it only festered and exhausted you.

"I'm heading to bed, I have an early flight tomorrow." God, you forgot he had an away game in the following days prompting him to be gone for at least a week. Of course you had forgotten, you were so wrapped up in the drama you were possibly creating in your head that everything else lost precedence.

"Goodnight, Ushijima. Good luck." You couldn't let yourself move until he was gone. When he did, the dam broke. Choked down sobs accompanied your waterfall of tears. Quietly you placed your plate into the sink and rushed into one of the guest rooms you use to store some of your personal items. The sound of the soft click which accompanies the closing of door gave you enough sense of safety that you let out a loud sob, followed by others and other sounds of saddness.

It was only made worse by the secret you had yet to tell your husband, one that would normally only tie the two of you closer if it wasn't for

a) the current turbulence in your relationship

b) his past hesitance towards the topic of children

Your hormones were so all over the place, you didn't know what emotions to believe at this point. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones causing you to flip out at something which was probably non-existent.

You were to lost in yourself to hear the sounds of your husbands heavy foot steps coming closer only noticing the hint of his existence when three soft knocks wrapped at the door, "Darling, are you alright?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Then why are you locked in the guest room instead of in bed with me?"

"I-I'm not feeling well Wakatoshi! You need your sleep!"

...

Even Ushijima could smell the bull, "I'm coming in!"

The sight he was by was pitiful, but pulled on his iron heart strings. There you sat curled on the floor still dressed in your day cloths and face covered by tears, snot, and running makeup. He hurt more when you scooted away from him, it took him this long to realize he had truly upset you- that the last interactions the two of you had just had were actually a fight of some manner.

"Y/N-" He knelt down so he was closer to your height almost as if you were a scared dog. "I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to upset you. There is nothing wrong between us."

He was dumbstruck by the following question you asked, "Is there anyone else, Wakatoshi?"

He almost laughed at the inclination, "No- not at all. Not ever. I don't think any one else could stand me."

Just as quickly as you had pulled away from him, your were jumping into his arms- hiding your face in the green t-shirt he had deemed appropriate to sleep in after knocking him on his ass. He smelt of freshness, sandalwood, and home.

" 'M sorry." You whimpered, he was holding the back of your head and had an arm wrapped around your back.

"It's alright love, it was my fault. I got so wrapped up in my work life I didn't notice that you were hurting." He kissed the crown of your head as he petted your hair.

"The hormones don't help though," the remark slipped threw before you could think about it.

"What hormones? You aren't on your-" For once, your husband was truly thinking. It was like it clicked right away, you could even tell before he said anything by the fact he pulled you back and looked you up and down before whispering. "Are you- Are you pregnant?"

"Yes." You responded, no strength to try and change the subject or be coy in any way.

"Thats-" A pause, "-That is amazing, Y/N."

"You're not mad?"

"Mad? No not at all, my love. Having a child with you is a gift! I know I've been awkward about the subject due to the timing, but I've always wanted a big family with you. Our children would not only be as pretty as you, but have so many inherited talents."

You laughed, kissing him in order to stop him from rambling.

[kazuhasbunny]

— feels too good

pairings : bennett x gn! reader

warnings : grinding , dry humping (is it the same ? not sure..) , slight nipple play , outdoor sex , praising kink , slightly rough sex , overstimulation , creampie

yall wanted more benny ... sures ! he needs more love too <3 not sure if this is even a drabble but i hope yall enjoy it ! characters are aged up to +18

— undercut nsfw !

"ah .. [name] .. s-so good.."

low groans and panting came from behind you , hands on your sides gripped tightly by him . his face buried into your neck , hips slowly grinding on to you . your face was flushed , you can't really struggle that much from him . his grip was strong .. you never really expected him to be this strong..

whines left your mouth , you can feel yourself slowy starting to get wet .. making you even flustered than ever . his tight grip on your arms left to run around your chest , hands reaching inside of your clothes and reach for your nipples , pinching it between his fingers

"s-sorry but .. t-this felt too good .. can't pass out on a lucky oppoturnity like this.."

his fingers left your nipples to wrap his arms around you this time , tightly . his grinds became even harder on you , heavy pants leaving from both of you-- all of a sudden you were pushed onto the ground on all fours . the position made him let out a low growl , pushing you further into the ground and grinds onto you way more , his hard on felt so good .. you wanted more but you were too afraid to ask him

"[name].. do ... d-do you mind if i .."

he licked his lips as it was getting dry , slowly coming up on you and dipping down to whisper in your ear "fuck you here..?" again .. you thought . it was common for you both to fuck outdoors due to the daily adventuring but it's .. you were feeling too shy for no reason but the thought quickly left your mind when you felt his tongue brush over your ear lightly nipping on it

"b-benny .. n-not that i don't want to b-but-- hey bennett w-wait !" you turned to look at him , to protest him from doing this any further but it was no use .. his eyes were totally clouded with lust , his shorts already off of him , cock already hard leaking with precum . his hands did an easy job in taking off your undergarments leaving you with nothing , the cold air instantly hits you and you shivered over it until you felt the tip of his cock rubbing on you

"s-sorry .. i-i'm so sorry i just- i wanna--"

his head slips in swiftly due to your wetness , both moaned in unison . your hands gripped on the grass , your face distorted into pleasure once he's pushed all of himself into you , filling you up well . it was such a sin to be fucking outdoors , anyone could come up and see you both in a messy state like this-- but for bennett he could've cared less . hips already moving , thrusting in and out of you at a fast pace

"nngah~.. s-so tight .. you're sooo c-cute hnn.. oh my archons w-what a blessing..!~"

he kept on with his words , telling you how lucky he is to be fucking you right now , his face deeply drown in pleasure . all that came out from you were moans . the thought of getting caught was so arousing but you can't help but get extremely embarrased about it

bennett went down to hug you from behind , still fucking into you telling you how amazing you feel around him , praising you for being such a good one for him . returning back with the praises that you usually give him . it was so cute , his pace was fast and ruthless but the words that came out from his mouth made your insides flutter .. or maybe cause his fingers were now rubbing on your clit smothering you with kisses

"b-bennett i-i think i'm cl--clo- ahn!~ closee~"

his chest rumbles against your back , laughing at how cute you look and sounded . instead of trying to stop himself from pounding into you-- it makes him wants to fuck you even more ! he thrusts into you so fast you weren't sure if you're even able to walk tomorrow , but that one deep thrust of his pushed you off the edge making you cum on him-- hard

he kept on fucking into you still , pushing you over the edge . you tried to pull yourself off of him but before you could even go anywhere he grips onto your hips tightly putting you in place as he rams in deeper "d-don't move .. anywhere .. s-so close.. ahh~" his thrusts were getting out of pace , sloppily moves in and out of you reaching his high

"b-bennett t-too mu-uuh--ch~!" you sobbed into the ground , feeling another orgasm coming up . few more thrusts from him and he still his hips against you , cock deep inside filling you up with his cum . the feel of it was too overwhelming you came on him again , clenching around him whimpering . you let a sigh of relieve as you feel him slowly pulling himself out from you , cum dripping onto the grass coating it . you feel so empty- fucked out raw outside . you weren't even sure if anyone knows that you boh were here but it didnt matter anymore

"s-sorry if i went too rough on ya .. t-that really felt good i couldn't help myse-" a sudden kiss from you shuts him up , eyes wide yet leaning into the kiss , deepening it "it's okay benny ! i really enjoyed it .. t-thank you .. you did so well !" there he goes , his eyes were gleaming with joy once you start showering him with praises , making him feel like an excited puppy ! once the moments between you both ran off he guides you to a nearby lake to , ready to take a long dip relaxing both of yall muscles after a heated session

water splashes between you both , laughs and giggles filled the air . you both played around with eachother , picking calla lilies and snapdragons along to bring back for the adventurer's guild . you and bennett had a nice walk together , hand in hand chit chatting as the sun sets on you both , day ended with you two parting ways ready to have another day of adventuring all over again the for the next day and onwards

[starlling-writes]

Grimm x Pearl Fanfic WIP

Okay so... because I don't know how long it's going to take me to actually write this full fic, I've decided to post my progress so anyone who wants to can read it as I work, instead of waiting for it to be fully done. (This also will help me to be able to work on writing this while I'm away from home/my computer.)

Because I DO plan on posting this fic properly once it's all done, I'm not going to allow reblogs of this post. I'll keep a running list above the cut of when I make updates to this post, that way it's easy to tell when there is new content. Lastly, I don't think I'll do much, if any, proof-reading/editing of this fic until it's fully done, so there will likely be typos and some changes when the final fic is released. Until then—enjoy!

Updates:

June 10 : part of ch2 added

June 12 : all of ch2 added, first paragraph of ch3

June 15 : more of ch3

June 22 : second half of ch3

June 30 : corrected Grimm's rules at the end of ch3, bit of ch4, & some outline stuff (b/c writing has been tough lately but I wanna share something)

July 26 : bit of ch4, removed outline from last update

July 29 : almost all of ch4 (Word has been acting up lately for me so, to make sure I don't lose anything, I'm updating again now instead of when I fully finish ch4 like I first wanted)

Aug 7 : some missing bits from ch4 & start of ch5. Also, I realized the first chunk of ch4 was a bit wonky from a copy/paste error, so that all should be fixed now.

Sept 8 : missing scene from ch4, and the second half of ch5

~ I do have an idea for the Title, but I don't want to share that yet :P

Synopsis

The Universe has a funny way of working sometimes. Pearl couldn’t see how the Universe kept insisting that, despite being jobless and weeks away from being homeless, things were perfectly fine and she was on the right track. And it didn’t feel helpful when her oracle cards clarified to let Death help guide her. Specifically, a Death-Head. And, in a way that only the Universe would find amusing, it was specifically the Death-Head most known for murder and torture in the North. A small quick prayer led to an accidental run-in, led to a deal that would change everything for Pearl. And for the Death-Head, Grimm, that accepted her request.

— CH 1 —

Pearl felt lost in a freefall.

The Death-Head deal was made, and she knew there was a near-guarantee it would be fulfilled in time for her to keep her apartment. But the unease of what she’ll have to eventually pay Grimm haunted like a shadow. In the day following their first meeting, she thought about canceling it. The only thing stopping her was the bright red number of her bank account. She needed money. She didn’t want to have to admit defeat, to move back home so soon.

She yelled out, jumping up off her bed and striking a determined pose. “This will work out!” she affirmed to herself. She had to push aside all the little things making her worry, and trust.

Trust in a Death-Head.

Alarming on cue, her phone rang. It was him.

“You have an interview tomorrow morning at ten,” he told her with no preamble. “I’ll send you the address. Do you have a suitable wardrobe for office work?”

“I have a couple outfits, maybe,” Pearl admitted. “I’ve had to sell a fair bit of stuff to try to stay above my debts, but I should still have at least one outfit.”

He was silent for a moment. “Hmm, alright. If your interview goes well tomorrow, we’ll need to go shopping for some more.”

We? First lunch with a Death-Head and now shopping together? Pearl’s life certainly took an absurd turn. She withheld a sigh. Then a thought occurred to her. “So what is the job for? Where would I be working?”

“Deah-Head Headquarters.”

Pearl nearly dropped her phone. “Death-Head… Headquarters?” The squeak in her voice betrayed her surprise and unease.

“Is that a problem?”

Now it was Pearl’s turn to be silent for a while. She had no idea what kind of office work Death-Heads required. Would she need to paint her face, too, if she got the job? Pearl touched her cheek. Working so close to Death-Heads… could she stomach it? Should she try to fail the interview on purpose? Sure, she was desperate for a job. But this desperate?

Pearl put her back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. She covered her mouth to mute her quickening breaths. Panic was taking over. It wasn’t too late to back out of the deal, but could she really afford it?

“Take a slow, deep breath,” Grimm said gently over the phone. His omniscient recognition of her panic attack sent a jolt through her, disrupting it. She did as he said. “Again.”

When he was just a voice, it was easy to forget what he was. And he had a really nice voice. It took a few minutes, but Pearl calmed down again. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” His voice was still so gentle. “You have a lot of questions.”

“Yeah,” she said meekly.

“Hmm. Would you prefer to discuss them over the phone, or in person?”

“You wouldn’t happen to be available for a deal?”

The words escaped Pearl’s lips before she had a chance to second-guess herself. If the cards were urging her towards this path, it was worth the risk. Right?

Grimm looked at her for a hard moment. She didn’t appear to be the type he’d normally take requests from. He’d either be surprised by her, or he’d hand her off to someone else—she sure looked serious enough to make a request. “Hmm, alright. Let’s go have a chat.”

He led the way through the small, shopping strip to a café. He claimed one of the outdoor tables and motioned for Pearl to join him. She sat rigidly, contrasting his casual demeanor. “What do you want?” he asked.

“Oh. Getting right to it.” Now to put her request into words. How specific did she need to be with this? Pearl barely knew anything about Death-Head deals; did they often try to find loopholes in wording, and mess with wordplay for their benefit? She should’ve thought about this more before approaching a Death-Head. “I’m in need of a job. I moved to Lywood not long ago and I haven’t—”

He raised his hand, palm out, gesturing for her to stop. “I meant from the menu. It’s my treat for bumping into you. We can talk work after.”

“Oh.” This… this wasn’t what she was expecting from a Death-Head. If it wasn’t for his makeup, he’d be just another polite man. It muddled her opinions of him.

She took a menu from the centerpiece and gave it a look. A waiter came over shortly after. They set a drink in front of Grimm—he must be a regular here—then asked if Pearl was ready. Deciding quickly, she ordered a macchiato and a chocolate croissant. There had been other tantalizing options, but she kept it small and simple, not wanting to overstep his hospitality.

Once her food was delivered, he started talking. “So, your request is to find you a job, hmm?”

“Basically,” she said solemnly. “I moved here hoping Lywood would be better for me; but so far it’s just been slowly whittling me to nothing. I’ve tried so much, but everything seems against me. Even the guidance from my oracle cards is starting to feel mocking. Hell—it’s because of them that I’m even here talking with you.”

“Hmm?” That got him curious.

She bristled. Did she really just admit that to him? Too late now. She sighed to herself as she fished her cards out of her pocket—it was a little comfort to carry them with her sometimes. She flipped over the top card, revealing Death. “Usually it represents change—a figurative death. Rarely it means a literal one. But right now, it seems to mean you.”

“You trust in your oracle skills that much?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly at him. “Yes,” she said with a bite.

He held up his hands up defensively. “Apologies. I didn’t mean to offend or diminish.”  He took a slow drink, stealing the moment to ponder. He glanced between the cards and Pearl. There was something about her, and her situation, that piqued his curiosity. “Do you give readings to others?”

“Not usually? I divine well enough for myself. Most others tend to want more insight than I can usually see. Were you suggesting I become a professional oracle?”

“Hm, no.” He pulled out some money and slid it towards her. “Give me a reading.”

“Huh?” Wasn’t she supposed to be hiring, and paying, him? He… this was not how she thought a Death-Head would be. Was he trying to not scare her out of a deal? Was he trying to make her feel more comfortable so she’d ask for more—so he could ask for more? This felt too odd. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Depending on the cards, I’ll either take your case or recommend someone else.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Setting aside how bizarre this all was, Pearl picked up her cards and started shuffling. “What do you want to ask the cards? You don’t have to say it aloud; just concentrate on it. And don’t half-ass this! The cards will know if you’re insincere in your request.”

He scoffs. “I don’t half-ass anything.”

It was unnerving, the coldness that crept through his words. She closed her eyes and focused on the cards, imploring them to give him the guidance he sought. Pearl did her best to not channel any of her own desires into the shuffle. But this needed to go well. Whether the outcome resulted in her working with this Death-Head or another, she needed this to work out.

The cards called her to stop. She splayed them out in a row on the table. “Pick.”

“How many?”

“However many you feel you need to.”

Grimm looked over the cards carefully. He could count on one hand the times he sought out an oracle’s guidance. Not because he distrusted or disbelieved their abilities. Just the opposite. The foresight of oracles was a powerful force—one he dared not abuse or take for granted. He pulled a sing card. The Sun.

“Well that’s a good sign,” Pearl reflexively said. She reached over and traced her fingers along the card’s imagery, taking a moment to decipher the correlation between its meanings and Grimm’s question. “The Sun is a very favorable card. Even when inverted, it still often signifies success and happiness and such—though it’s direct for you, so there’s no muted energies, delays, or back steps.”

“Back steps?”

She paused. How to explain in simple terms? “Anyone in divination will tell you that most of it is intuition based and not a firm standard of meanings. Well, one way that inverted interpretations were taught to me is that sometimes it means you have to step back to the previous card in deck and learn something from it before progressing—for The Sun, that would mean The Moon.”

“I see.”

“But again, The Sun is direct for you, so you don’t need to worry about any of that,” she brushed off. She cleared her throat and refocused on the reading. “As it stands, the situation regarding your question looks prosperous and beneficial. It’s a good sign to continue forward. Though don’t take that as a free-ride; you still need to keep up your end in order to reap the benefits.” He hummed to himself as he mulled over her words. As the silence lengthened, making her grow more uneasy by his lack of reaction, she added, “You can pull some more cards for clarity, if you’d like.”

He waved his hand dismissively, his rings catching the light. “No need. I’ll take your request, so let’s talk in more detail.”

Two emotions clashed within Pearl. On one hand, she was glad to be moving forward with her situation, relieved to know that she will soon have an income. But on the other hand… was the good tidings she just foretold to him in regards to this deal? Did The Sun, facing inverted from her perspective, actually mean the setting of her good fortune rising onto him?

She wouldn’t realize it unless she looked back on this moment months from now, but the cards were indeed giving guidance to them both; if only Pearl hadn’t clung to the negative—and highly absurd—interpretation, and instead reflected on her own words.

— CH 2 —

Pearl felt lost in a freefall.

The Death-Head deal was made, and she knew there was a near-guarantee it would be fulfilled in time for her to keep her apartment. But the unease of what she’ll have to eventually pay Grimm haunted like a shadow. In the day following their first meeting, she thought about canceling it. The only thing stopping her was the bright red number of her bank account. She needed money. She didn’t want to have to admit defeat, to move back home so soon.

She yelled out, jumping up off her bed and striking a determined pose. “This will work out!” she affirmed to herself. She had to push aside all the little things making her worry, and trust.

Trust in a Death-Head.

Alarming on cue, her phone rang. It was him.

“You have an interview tomorrow morning at ten,” he told her with no preamble. “I’ll send you the address. Do you have a suitable wardrobe for office work?”

“I have a couple outfits, maybe,” Pearl admitted. “I’ve had to sell a fair bit of stuff to try to stay above my debts, but I should still have at least one outfit.”

He was silent for a moment. “Hmm, alright. If your interview goes well tomorrow, we’ll need to go shopping for some more.”

We? First lunch with a Death-Head and now shopping together? Pearl’s life certainly took an absurd turn. She withheld a sigh. Then a thought occurred to her. “So what is the job for? Where would I be working?”

“Deah-Head Headquarters.”

Pearl nearly dropped her phone. “Death-Head… Headquarters?” The squeak in her voice betrayed her surprise and unease.

“Is that a problem?”

Now it was Pearl’s turn to be silent for a while. She had no idea what kind of office work Death-Heads required. Would she need to paint her face, too, if she got the job? Pearl touched her cheek. Working so close to Death-Heads… could she stomach it? Should she try to fail the interview on purpose? Sure, she was desperate for a job. But this desperate?

Pearl put her back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. She covered her mouth to mute her quickening breaths. Panic was taking over. It wasn’t too late to back out of the deal, but could she really afford it?

“Take a slow, deep breath,” Grimm said gently over the phone. His omniscient recognition of her panic attack sent a jolt through her, disrupting it. She did as he said. “Again.”

When he was just a voice, it was easy to forget what he was. And he had a really nice voice. It took a few minutes, but Pearl calmed down again. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” His voice was still so gentle. “You have a lot of questions.”

“Yeah,” she said meekly.

“Would you prefer to discuss them over the phone, or in person?”

Pearl felt lost in a freefall.

The Death-Head deal was made, and she knew there was a near-guarantee it would be fulfilled in time for her to keep her apartment. But the unease of what she’ll have to eventually pay Grimm haunted like a shadow. In the day following their first meeting, she thought about canceling it. The only thing stopping her was the bright red number of her bank account. She needed money. She didn’t want to have to admit defeat, to move back home so soon.

She yelled out, jumping up off her bed and striking a determined pose. “This will work out!” she affirmed to herself. She had to push aside all the little things making her worry, and trust.

Trust in a Death-Head.

Alarming on cue, her phone rang. It was him.

“You have an interview tomorrow morning at ten,” he told her with no preamble. “I’ll send you the address. Do you have a suitable wardrobe for office work?”

“I have a couple outfits, maybe,” Pearl admitted. “I’ve had to sell a fair bit of stuff to try to stay above my debts, but I should still have at least one outfit.”

He was silent for a moment. “Hmm, alright. If your interview goes well tomorrow, we’ll need to go shopping for some more.”

We? First lunch with a Death-Head and now shopping together? Pearl’s life certainly took an absurd turn. She withheld a sigh. Then a thought occurred to her. “So what is the job for? Where would I be working?”

“Deah-Head Headquarters.”

Pearl nearly dropped her phone. “Death-Head… Headquarters?” The squeak in her voice betrayed her surprise and unease.

“Is that a problem?”

“Hmm. Would you prefer to discuss them over the phone, or in person?”

“Phone…”

Pearl asked her questions. Grimm patiently answered every one, elaborating when necessary. But soon they weren’t even talking about work. Without realizing it, they slipped into casual conversation, random comments strung into the next

Now it was Pearl’s turn to be silent for a while. She had no idea what kind of office work Death-Heads required. Would she need to paint her face, too, if she got the job? Pearl touched her cheek. Working so close to Death-Heads… could she stomach it? Should she try to fail the interview on purpose? Sure, she was desperate for a job. But this desperate?

Pearl put her back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. She covered her mouth to mute her quickening breaths. Panic was taking over. It wasn’t too late to back out of the deal, but could she really afford it?

“Take a slow, deep breath,” Grimm said gently over the phone. His omniscient recognition of her panic attack sent a jolt through her, disrupting it. She did as he said. “Again.”

When he was just a voice, it was easy to forget what he was. And he had a really nice voice. It took a few minutes, but Pearl calmed down again. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” His voice was still so gentle. “You have a lot of questions.”

“Yeah,” she said meekly.

“Hmm. Would you prefer to discuss them over the phone, or in person?”

“…Phone.”

One by one, Pearl asked her questions. Grimm patiently answered each of them, elaborating as needed, without judgment. Soon the conversation led away from work. One random comment naturally strung into another. The silences ebbed and flowed just as comfortably as the chatter. He even got a laugh out of her.

By the end, Pearl felt comfortable proceeding with the interview.

That’s not to say she didn’t get nervous about it still. She arrived ten minutes early. There were a few others waiting around when she got there. Like Grimm had said, no one here wore the Death-Head mask.  It was like any other office building.

There were two parts to the interview: the typical questionnaire portion—though not-so-typical, since the later questions geared towards Death-Head related things—and then a practical test. While Pearl didn’t have direct experience working in an office before, her natural computer and typing skills, and her ability to pick up their specific programs, were of great benefit. Overall, she felt it went well. Though one of the interviewer’s questions lingered like a bad taste in her mouth.

“I’m sorry, I just have to ask. This interview was set up as part of a deal. Why bother with still going through the interview when you could simply get the position?”

“I don’t want to get a job that way,” Pearl said shaking her head. Grimm had questioned that stipulation too, though he didn’t come off as judgmental about it. “I made the deal to ensure I could interview for a job. I still want to rightfully earn it.” She didn’t add that if she didn’t earn a job within her deadline, then she would, begrudgingly, accept one fully handed to her.

As this was a Death-Head deal, Pearl had the perk of having her interview results be expedited. Not that this was a one-and-done kind of thing. Death-Heads were particular about all their employees. And passing the first step didn’t guarantee Pearl a job yet. Still, she made it through the interview. And her background check was nearly done. Next was the temporary work position.

If she made it through that, then the deal would be complete.

— 3 —

Pearl was excited for her first day of work. It felt good to be doing something, to be making money again. For now, she would be training and working in the North branch’s offices. On one hand, the commute was nicer. On the other, Pearl had a lot more interaction with Death-Heads than she expected. She was marginally more comfortable around them thanks to her time with Grimm. Her deal was working out.

But rumors of a deal made with the leader of the North faction soon became a thorn.

Pearl didn’t tell anyone about her deal. So, it was quite surprising to hear office gossip about her and Grimm. Granted, no one knew it was her. There was just talk about how strange it was that Grimm accepted a non-violent deal. She wanted to ask. Wanted to know the extent of what they meant. She knew that Death-Heads often did dirty work, and someone who was a faction leader definitely didn’t have clean hands, but with how everyone was talking about it, their deal was completely out of character for him.

She couldn’t stop thinking about it…

As the days went on and the gossip developed, Pearl kept to herself. She even started taking her lunch breaks across the street in the park. A number of her coworkers noticed the shift in her personality from when she started, though said nothing to her about it.

Grimm also noticed her acting differently.

Since his office overlooked the park, he couldn’t help but notice her visits there. That alone couldn’t be called odd. But he, too, started to hear the gossip. Add the reclusive comments from her performance report, and the pieces started coming together.

Pearl learned of Grimm’s reputation. He knew it was only a matter of time until she did. Still, it left him with a feeling he didn’t enjoy. He decided to check in with her.

Grabbing his own lunch, he made his way over to the park. When he found Pearl, she was sitting alone on a bench, zoned out and pushing her food around its container absently. “Mind if I join you?”

Pearl jumped and looked up at him, eyes wide and cat-ears pointed back. He didn’t mean to startle her. She recovered quickly, shook her head, then scooted over. “Go right ahead.”

He sat down and took his time to open up his bento. Pearl eyed the three-layered box, each layer packed with delicious looking food. Her lunch was measly in comparison. “How are you doing?”

Her shoulders slumped as she looked back down at her sad, barely-touched lunch. “I’m fine,” she said, clearly avoiding giving him the real answer.

His brows knitted the tiniest fraction. He wanted to ask, but ultimately stopped himself from pressing the matter. They weren’t that close. She seemed adamant to not look at him, so he started eating. Minutes passed in silence. Aside from his concern, the moment was quite nice. Grimm ate lunch alone more often than not; and it was a nice change to eat outside.

“Why did you accept my deal?” Pearl suddenly asked with a hallow note in her voice.

The feeling from earlier crept up again, leaving a bad taste in his mouth. Maybe this was a bad fit for her after all. He did something he had never done before and reminded her, “You can still back out of the deal, if you want.”

“What?” she snapped. She turned and glared at him.  “Okay first off—that is not what I said at all. Second—why would you think I’d do that to you? I basically have this job already; just because you said you wouldn’t consider the deal done until I’m no longer a temp, doesn’t mean I’d jump at the chance to get out of upholding my end of it.” She sighed heavily, looked down at her lunch again, stabbed at it quite aggressively.

Grimm stared at her. Her snap of fury surprised him—he also now had a feint understanding of the cliché of how cute someone could be when angered.

“Why did you accept my deal?” How to answer her question… Was it because of the novelty of being asked for a simple, non-violent deal? Did her being a fellow half-faced cat sway him to give her a break? Or perhaps it was all the little things—her expressiveness; her determination; how nice her voice was to listen to; the possibility she stirred with her oracle reading; the ease he felt with her—that made him want to help her.

“Hmm, I accepted your deal because… I just wanted to. Don’t know how to explain it.”

Pearl looked at him, examining him as much as his words. His explanation eased her anger. But not her worries. She sighed again, leaning her head back to stare at the sky. “Guess I should start get ready for a hefty price, huh?”

He hadn’t given any thought yet to what he’d ask of her. This wasn’t his usual deal. None of his usual type of demands seemed right. “Payment must be proportional to the deal. Don’t worry yourself so hard over it.”

Pearl stopped herself from thinking of ways a hefty payment could still be proportionately demanded. She wanted to believe that this deal with him wasn’t a mistake to make. She took a deep breath in through her nose, then slowly let it out her barely parted lips. “Okay… Okay. I trust you.”

Days passed and Pearl’s temp position was at its end. Having worked well, she was offered to stay on full-time. “Would you like to do the honors? Since you also have to ask for your payment,” Pearl’s supervisor asked Grimm.

“Hm, yeah I’ll tell her.”

“Do you know what you’re gonna ask for as payment yet?” Grimm gave her a lethal glare, making her flinch and quickly ramble, “Sorry for overstepping. I was just curious. Considering the situa… Sorry.”

Grimm knew what payment he’d ask for. But he didn’t want it to be gossiped around—especially before he could officially declare it to Pearl. He folded Pearl’s acceptance letter and tucked it inside his haori. It’d be another hour before she arrived for work. He’d give her the letter then; if she wanted to hear his payment then too, he’d tell her. Otherwise, he was fine waiting until they had lunch, or when her shift ended—yet another unheard-of thing for him to do; yet again for her.

It's a shame he wouldn’t connect these facts and their meaning until much later. For now, he only recognized the oddness of his actions, not giving them much thought.

Ten minutes after Pearl arrived, he went down to see her. Grimm’s visit was keenly noted by the entire department. And the moment he asked Pearl to talk in private, whispers chomped at the bit for them to leave. Despite everyone knowing Pearl was at the end of her temporary position and it was most likely that Grimm wanted to talk to her about staying on, the gossip of his newest, usual deal was rekindled by the fact that it was uncommon for him to handle such a task.

“It’s time, huh?” Pearl said. “The end of the deal.”

“Yes.” He gave her the letter, then gave her a moment to process it, to ready herself for what he was about to ask of her. “For payment, you owe me nineteen kisses.”

“What?” she immediately interjected. She would have never guessed he’d ask for something like that.

He raised his brow impatiently at her before continuing. “There are rules to this payment. First, only one kiss per day will count towards the payment. Second, kisses must be on the lips.. Third, someone else must be around for the kiss to count. Fourth, you have nineteen weeks to fulfill your payment; if you fail, you’re to quit this job immediately without severance. Lastly, until your payment is complete, you will be my avec to any and all occasions I request.”

She needed another moment to process this. Why was the death and decapitation guy asking this for his payment? Was it some sort of humiliation tactic because there was nothing worse he could reasonably ask for? Ultimately… Pearl decided that it was okay. It was just a handful of kisses. And she was comfortable being around him. Though, maybe less so now that she’d be constantly thinking about having to kiss him. Nineteen kisses. What an odd number to ask for. “Why nineteen?”

“For The Sun card.”

Pearl’s eye twitched. Really? That was his reason? She screamed internally at the way her oracle reading was unfolding.

But it was okay.

She had a job now. And the payment to the Death-Head was generous, all things considered. Things were working out, just like her cards had told her.

“Okay,” she agreed and stepped towards him confidently. “Nineteen kisses. And all those rules. Though tell me.” She glanced to the upper corner of the room. “Does the security guard watching on the camera count for the third rule?”

He wasn’t expecting that. He laughed, smirking cockily at her. “Hmm, know what. Sure. Just this time, it’ll count.”

She quickly raised up on her toes and kissed him. She just as quickly turned away to hide the blush spreading across her face. She cleared her throat. “Is there anything else you need from me?”

“No. You’re free to go.”

Pearl left the break room. Instead of returning to her desk, she snuck into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face a couple times, focusing on relaxing her racing emotions and heartbeat.

Nineteen kisses. Eighteen more to go.

— 4 —

Things continued on for Pearl as they had been the past few weeks. Except now she had an income. She was slowing paying off her debts. And she was also having a lot more, awkward encounters with Grimm at work. It could’ve just been her biased perspective, but he seemed to linger around her more. Did he think she’d kiss him at work in front of everyone? She’d rather avoid that, if possible. Stealing a few kisses while they had lunch across the street at the park was enough of a risk for her.

Sixteen.

It was on another one of these days where she contemplated kissing him, that Grimm called in the last rule of their deal. “Next Friday there’s a small event I have to go to. Semi-formal. I’ll pick you up at 6:00pm.”

Pearl’s thoughts slammed to a halt. She wasn’t expecting this part of the deal to come up so soon. The most formal event she had ever been to was a school dance ages ago. Her thoughts darted in countless directions. “Is… is this a Death Head event?”

“Yes.”

So, she’d have to deal with other Death Heads too… At least it was just semi-formal. Though she still didn’t have anything suitable. She wondered if she could get Grimm to buy her a new dress for the event, just like how he bought her some new outfits for work. Did she dare ask?

“If you have any more questions, just message me,” he said, getting up to leave. Any words Pearl had caught in her throat as she watched him go.

With this event now on her plate, the coming days grew stressful. But Pearl was determined to not let it get to her. She focused on what she could control. Namely, her outfit. She spent her free time thinking about the kind of dress she wanted to wear. The color, the cut and material. She had it all figured out so that when her next day off rolled around, she was ready for a day of shopping. She then planned her makeup and hairstyle for the evening—ultimately keeping everything simple.

She was as prepared as she could be. Grimm was punctual Friday evening. He pressed the buzzer, ringing her apartment. “Be right down,” she said over the intercom. When she came out the front door, they both just… stared at each other, taken aback by the little changes each made.

Pearl’s thoughts slammed to a halt. She wasn’t expecting this part of the deal to come up so soon. The most formal event she had ever been to was a school dance ages ago. Her thoughts darted in countless directions. “Is… is this a Death Head event?”

“Yes.”

So, she’d have to deal with other Death Heads too… At least it was just semi-formal. Though she still didn’t have anything suitable. She wondered if she could get Grimm to buy her a new dress for the event, just like how he bought her some new outfits for work. Did she dare ask?

“If you have any more questions, just message me,” he said, getting up to leave. Any words Pearl had caught in her throat as she watched him go.

With this event now on her plate, the coming days grew stressful. But Pearl was determined to not let it get to her. She focused on what she could control. Namely, her outfit. She spent her free time thinking about the kind of dress she wanted to wear. The color, the cut and material. She had it all figured out so that when her next day off rolled around, she was ready for a day of shopping. She then planned her makeup and hairstyle for the evening—ultimately keeping everything simple.

She was as prepared as she could be.

Grimm was punctual Friday evening. He pressed the buzzer, ringing her apartment. “Be right down,” she said over the intercom. When she came out the front door, they both just… stared at each other, taken aback by the little changes each made.

Overall, Grimm’s outfit was the same as it always was: a black haori over a white dress shirt, and plain black slacks. However, the subtle difference of the black-on-black jacquard haori he wore tonight gave him a refined touch. It also helped that he buttoned up his shirt more. But the haori was part of his signature.

And Pearl—she was a breath of spring. Her dress was a comfortable, rayon wrap dress with a ruffle along the hem, and short, flowy butterfly sleeves. The color matched her eyes perfectly. And her golden eyeshadow and rose gold lipstick were the perfect accents.

The soft rumble of distant thunder broke the moment.

Pearl looked to the sky. No clouds were gathering immediately, and she hoped it stayed that way. She’d hate to have to bring a coat—she only had one heavy winter coat, some work blazers, and a few casual jackets and sweaters of varying weight, making none of them ideal for the evening. “I hope the storm misses us,” she said, more so to herself than trying to make conversation. Brushing off her concerns, she turned back towards Grimm. “Shall we go?”

The event was hosted at a fancy hotel, not far from Death Head HQ. Grimm pulled to the front, handed his keys to the valet, then went to help Pearl out of the car. Not that she needed it. She was already walking around the front of the car. Grimm gave her a look. She shrugged. “What?”

“Can I at least escort you inside?” he sassed, raising his arm up in offering.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You’re seriously upset over not opening my door?”

“I’m not upset.”

“Oh yeah? Your furrowed brow says otherwise.” She smiled coltishly. “Maybe I should escort you inside.” She held up her arm, mirroring him.

His kneejerk reaction was to refuse. She was his avec; he was her senior, both within the company and in age. No one dared joke with him so casually—except for Algoth, though his jokes were more often gibes. Grimm decided to lean into it. “Alright then,” he agreed, and hooked his hand up under her arm. “Lead the way.”

Pearl was not prepared for this. “What? No. I don’t know where to go. I don’t want this responsibility anymore!”

He leaned in close with a dangerous smirk. “Perhaps if you make a little payment, I’ll change my mind.”

Pearl’s face quickly turned red. Did she dare kiss him here in plain view of so many of their coworkers? His face was already so close. It would be quick. Maybe no one was looking at them, so she wouldn’t need to deal with prying questions and gossip later.

“Good evening, Sir,” someone interrupted.

Grimm righted himself and turned towards the other Death Head. “You’re here early.”

“You’re just late.” His gaze slid over to Pearl. “Since you brought an avec this time.”

“Pearl, this is my assistant, Algoth,” Grimm introduced. “But ignore what he said; we’re not late.”

“Tell that to Kahamet.”

“Hmm. I wonder what’s got him so impatient tonight.” He sighed. “Guess I better deal with him sooner rather than later.”

They all went inside together. There were far more guests than Pearl expected. She knew not everyone there worked within the Death-Head Organization. But most did. She took a steadying breath and reminded herself that, as wild as it was, she was one of them now too.

Grimm noticed her nerves. “You okay?” he quietly asked.

“Yeah. Yeah I’m good.”

And for a moment she was.

The stares started to linger as the three of them went through the ballroom. She stopped looking for familiar faces. After grabbing glasses of wine, Grimm told Algoth to keep Pearl company while he went to talk with Kahamet.

“So, you’re Pearl Helmi,” Algoth said slowly.

A little part inside Pearl started screaming. He knew her full name? Well—he was Grimm’s assistant. It wouldn’t be too surprising if he knew about their deal. But his gaze was unforgiving, almost threatening. She didn’t like it. He was even more intimidating than Grimm was when she first met him.

After a drawn-out moment, he made a soft hmph sound. Algoth reached into his jacket, then offered her his business card. “If Grimm acts out of line, let me know.”

Pearl stared at him, absolutely dumbfounded. Was he indirectly threatening Grimm? Did he know something Grimm had planned that she didn’t? She accepted the card. “Thanks?” she said meekly.

“I’m curious though… You’re not his usual type.”

She definitely misinterpreted his words. “W-what?”

“Have you really not heard about his usual deals yet?”

“Oh, our deal,” she said, realizing a little too late how revealing those words were.

A sly grin grew across his face. He wasn’t quite sure yet what was going on with them, but this little slip got him closer. “Yes. Usually, he only makes deals involving torture or murder; requesting payment equally painful, like all one’s teeth.” Pearl shivered. She had heard of this, to a degree, but no specifications about the payments he asked for. “When the paperwork for your deal first came across my desk, I thought it might be some sort of test—to see how attentive I am filing all out papers—or perhaps a joke he was playing.

“But here you are,” he punctuated by tipping his drink towards her. Then he took a sip.

His gaze had yet to waver from Pearl, and oh boy, did she feel it boring into her. Algoth was definitely worse than Grimm. She could enjoy a meal and laugh with Grimm. Algoth, on the other hand… at first he seemed to want to maybe help her—albeit in an intimidating manner. But then how the conversation changed… what was his goal with all that?

Whatever it was, she did not have the energy to parse it tonight.

“Heh, yeah. Maybe he made a bet with someone and had to take next job request he got and ended up with me?” she joked lightly, her heart not in it. She took a sip of her drink and scanned the perimeter of the room. “Do you know where the bathroom is? An eyelash is starting to attack my eye.” It was a lie. Pearl just wanted to escape the intense interaction. If Algoth realized this, he didn’t call her on it.

“Where’s Pearl?” Grimm immediately asked upon returning to the gala nearly twenty minutes later.

Algoth shrugged. “Probably hiding out in the bathroom.”

Grimm’s face twitched into a brief snarl. “And why would that be?” he slowly growled.

“Just made sure she knew the full you,” Algoth answered nonchalantly, staring dully at him. “What is you aim with her? I know what you’re making her pay you.” Grimm’s hand went up, but stopped short from grabbing him by the lapels of his coat. Algoth looked down at Grimm’s hand as it gradually balled into a fist and lowered back to his side. He snickered. "Go comfort your princess," he said. His gaze slid away from Grimm and then took a drink.

Grimm clapped him on the shoulder, took a step closer, and whispered a threat into his ear. "Give me all the shit you want. But not her."

Algoth's smirk grew smugger as his boss walked off. "Wonder how long it'll take him to realize," he said to himself.

It was easy finding Pearl out in the hallway. She was sitting on a bench, casually chatting with another HQ officer worker.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Grimm butted in.

"Oh, hey Grimm. Not exactly hiding. But yeah, taking a break from… all that," she said and gestured in the direction of the ballroom.

"What did Algoth say to you?"

The coworker Pearl was talking to—who had been stiffly silent since Grimm approached—quickly excused themself and gave the two their privacy. Grimm took the vacated seat beside Pearl.

She sighed and dug the business card out of her purse and held it out towards him. "He told me to contact him if you misbehaved. Then he proceeded to remind me of how unusual our deal is. Also—why did you ask for all of someone's teeth?"

"They're good for my bonsai."

Pearl's eye twitched. He… he actually used the teeth for something? "Ah yes, how could I not realize something so simple. Bonsai dentures."

He laughed. All the tension he was holding instantly vanished as her sarcastic joke caught him completely off guard. It was a nice change from the very… professional, meeting he just had with the CEO. And from Algoth being cheeky tonight. He gave her a thoughtful look—staring long enough to make Pearl start feeling antsy.

“Should we get back to the event?” she asked.

“Hmm, as you wish.”

They didn’t make it back inside the ballroom.

They were steps away from the door when someone loudly called out, “Oh look. There’s the cheater who bought her way into the Death Heads.”

Pearl froze. There was no doubt that they meant her. She looked at the floor, afraid to meet anyone’s gaze as attention shifted to them. If it had only been that one comment, perhaps her anxiety wouldn’t have gotten the better of her. Unfortunately, they continued ranting.

“Do you know how many times I had to apply before I got an interview for an office job? And you just waltz right past all that!”

Grimm moved himself between Pearl and the other office worker as they walked over. Judging by the stumbling stagger in their walk and the prominent smell of alcohol, they were drunk. Regardless of intoxication, this was unbecoming of a Death Head.

Others began butting in to deescalate the situation. Pearl would appreciate their help later. For now, she focused on not having an anxiety attack. One little thing after another. Cynically, she started to wonder if the Universe was determined to not let her enjoy this night. “I need air,” she said. She didn’t wait for anyone’s acknowledgement before heading outside.

Grimm watched her leave, then sharply turned back to the instigator. He grabbed them by the collar and pulled them in close. “I suggest you go sober up and never be in my presence again."

That comment earned Grimm some looks as he left, following after Pearl. She was pacing with her arms hugged tightly to her chest, her eyes closed, deliberately breathing in through her nose and out her mouth. She heard him approached and stopped.

“How are you?” he asked.

She flashed a shaky smile. “Just fending off some imposter syndrome. No big deal,” she brushed off.

“It is. Things have changed rapidly for you. Even without some drunk asshole making jealous snarks, it’s understandable to second guess yourself.” He walked closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “But you did earn this job on your own. You made that part of the deal, remember? All I did was ensure your resume was seriously considered for job you’re completely qualified for.”

She laughed a little and lowered her head, hiding her smile. How many people got pep talks from such a notorious Death Head? She let his words sink in. Affirmed that he was right. She took one deep breath to clear out all the negativity, then look at Grimm with a genuine smile. “Thanks.”

He nodded, returning his hands to his sides. He glanced over his shoulder at the hotel. “Wanna leave the event?”

“Can we really just leave? I don’t think we’ve even been here for an hour yet.”

Grimm shrugged. “If they get mad at me, then they get mad.”

“Ooo, such a rebel,” she teased.

“I’m not a Faction Leader for nothing, you know.”

A pause lingered between them. “So… Do you just want to call it a night and go home? Or do you want to like, wander around the city?” Pearl asked.

“I’m fine with whatever you wish.”

Well he certainly said that in a way that stirred a little flutter in Pearl. However, she wrote it off as the champagne they had—because why would he be flirty with her?

They decided to go for a walk. Neither knew the area, so they pick random corners to turn at, no true destination in mind. They found a little coffee house having an open mic night. A lush, community garden. But most importantly, a food truck where you could make-your-own fried cheese sticks.

Grimm immediately pulled Pearl over to it the moment he saw it. He had found this food truck a small handful of times before throughout Lywood. They had a fair selection of cheeses that they’d bread and freshly fry. Grimm ordered three dozen of various different cheeses. At first, Pearl was a bit skeptical they’d eat so many. But all it took was one bite and she immediately claimed half of the cheese sticks for herself. Whatever spices were mixed in the breading was perfect; and the breading was the perfect crunchy match for the gooey cheese. She hoped the next time she went out drinking she’d have the fortune of finding this food truck again.

They found a playground nearby and sat on the swings as they ate in peaceful silence. The night had had its ups and down, but in the end, it was turning out well.

And then it started to rain.

At first, it was just a light sprinkle. They sought shelter under a nearby tree. But the rain did not let up. Only increased. They couldn’t stay there much longer. Unfortunately, they had walked pretty far from the hotel; and unless Grimm accepted the future roasting he’d get from calling Algoth by asking him to bring his car to them, they’d have to make a run for it and get soaked.

It was just rain. No big deal.

But Pearl was in a light-weight dress, and was already growing chilled as the rain cooled the once pleasant night. Grimm shrugged off his haori and gave it to her. She was immediately grateful for its warmth. Pulling it closely around herself, they started heading back.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t been keeping the best track of their path. But they laughed about it. Grimm cranked the heat once they finally got to his car. He needed it more than her—Pearl was doing her best not to stare at his completely soaked white, dress shirt. When they arrived at Pearl’s apartment, she lingered in the car, reluctant for the evening to end. Even if they just continued sitting in the car, listening to the rain—that’d be nice. And so she leaned over and kissed him.

Fifteen.

“That doesn’t count, you know?” he said.

Fifteen. Sixteen?

“What? How does that not count?” she defended.

“It’s not daytime.”

“You never specified that rule.”

“The first rule was once per day.”

Were they really going to get into an argument over semantics? Yes. Yes, they were. “Yeah, but you didn’t make it clear that you meant during the daytime. Most people would assume that meant once per calendar day.”

He raised a brow, in both a challenge and in amusement. “Very well,” he smirked. “I’ll count it. This time. But don’t think you can get away with such mischief next time. I’m clarifying now to mean daytime—between sunrise to sunset.”

She blew a raspberry and rolled her eyes. “Oh sure. Change the rules partway through.”

His eyes narrowed at her. “Clarifying, not changing.”

“Hm, yeah no, sure,” she teasingly brushed off. Two months ago, she would not have dreamt of being this playful with a Death-Head, especially not one like Grimm. But she knew him now. Somewhat. She could see the softer sides of him that barely a handful of people got to see.

“Fine then. Day, night—kiss me whenever you’d like.” The small smirk that played on Grimm’s lips made her anxious—but not the negative type of anxious; the eager kind. The kind that made her want to lean forward and kiss him again for no other reason than wanting to.

Fifteen.

Before such emotions could betray her, Pearl hopped out of the car with a quick goodnight called over her shoulder. She suddenly had a lot to think through. Once in her apartment, she leaned again the door, pressing her eyes closed. Her heart was racing. And not just from running up to her apartment. Was she… was she falling for Grimm? No—surely this was just the illusion of infatuation caused by them becoming closer, as friends, mixed with the necessity of having to kiss him.

Right?

She slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor. Looks like there was still quite a bit to sort out in her life. Not to mention, she just realized she was still wearing his haori.

— 5 —

GRIMM: I can’t come in today. I’m sick

ALGOTH: How did you get sick?

GRIMM: Rain

ALGOTH: You were out in the rain long enough to get so soaked that it made you sick?

Algoth gave his phone an accusatory glare as the minutes added up since Grimm read his last message. He doubted Grimm was sick enough to be unable to respond so soon after initially texting him. Grimm was hiding something. Or, more accurately, not disclosing something so that he wouldn’t be roasted over it.

That meant it likely had something to do with Pearl.

This new relationship his boss had formed with his latest client was… odd. He was curious to see where it would lead. At a glance, they were an unlikely duo. He knew Grimm. He knew him better than almost anyone else. Hopefully, Pearl would keep her wits about her as the two toed the blurry line they established between them.

His peaceful morning’s work was interrupted by a knock at the door. He was surprised to see Pearl. But not surprised by her question.

“Good morning, Algoth.” Her eyes quickly scanned the office. “Is Grimm around?”

“No. He’s not in today. Was there something you needed from him?”

“Oh, no. Not really, I just…” She bit her lip and adjusted her arms behind her back. Her overt nerves got him curious. That was when he noticed the bit of black cloth she was now hiding behind her back. He also caught the sheen of a familiar pattern on the silky fabric.

The puzzle instantly came together.

“He’s home sick today,” he said, cutting off her floundering for an explanation. He returned to his desk and started writing something on a scrap piece of paper. “Since I have to cover both my and his work for the day—you can go deliver his medicine for me.”

“Wha–?”

“The medicine is already paid for; you just need to pick it up from the pharmacy. Here are the addresses—the order is under my name—and codes to get into Grimm’s place.” He handed her the paper. His mischievous expression made Pearl’s ears flatten back a bit. This felt like a damned if she did, damned if she didn’t sort of situations.

“O-okay,” she accepted.

After watching her leave, he shook his head, sat back down at his desk, and shot a text to Grimm.

ALGOTH: Your wife will be stopping by later.

He never got a response—Grimm wouldn’t get around to reading it until late that night—but it amused him all the same.

Pearl stood outside Grimm’s house, staring up at it in awe. She wasn’t surprised that he had such a nice place. Still, the large, finely maintained house loomed as intimidating as the man who lived in it.

Well, best to get this done with—mainly because her shopping bags felt heavier the longer she stood there. Besides the medicine, she bought ingredients for soup. She felt responsible; he had to have gotten sick from being in the rain for so long without a coat. She wouldn’t be surprised if Algoth made the same connection and that’s why he sent her on this task.

“Hello?” she called after unlocking the front door. “Grimm? It’s Pearl. Algoth sent me.” No response came. Tentatively, she went in search of the kitchen. The interior design was impressive. Immaculate. To be able to afford all this… She stopped herself from contemplating the deals he’d done for all of this. “Kitchen,” she quietly reminded herself, getting back on task.

It was immediately to the left of where she stopped to gawk.

After unpacking all the groceries onto the counter, Pearl paused. Did she start cooking first, or find Grimm first? Probably find Grimm. She’d feel more comfortable being there once he knew she was there. He could also help tell her where everything was in the kitchen. She went back into the main room and through the only other doorway. There were a lot of closed doors—which was to be expected, given how large the hose was. “Grimm?” she called again, hoping for a hint about which door he was behind.

But apparently, he was behind her. “What are you doing here?” he groggily asked.

Pearl jumped, letting out a little scream. “Where the hell did you come from?” He lazily motioned over to the kotatsu in the room. On the side opposite the foyer, a was a pillow. He’d been there the entire time; she just hadn’t seen him. “Oh… Well, Algoth sent me to bring you medicine.”

He yawned and scratched the back of his head. “Ugh. Please tell me he didn’t get something grape flavored. He always picks out the worst flavored medicine.”

“I think it’s cherry.”

Grimm gave her a curious look. “So. Where is it?”

“Oh, still in the kitchen. You should take it with food, so I was going to make you some soup.”

If Grimm hadn’t been so sleepy still, perhaps Pearl would’ve been able to notice the intrigue that sparked in his expression. “You’re making me soup?”

“Well yeah,” she said and shrugged. “You caught a cold because of me; it’s the least I can do to make up for it.”

“You didn’t give me a cold.”

“Maybe not directly. But since I wore your haori yesterday, you got soaked in the rain and caught a cold.”

“Yes. My decision caused this outcome.”

She pouted a bit at him, narrowing her eyes slightly. “You must really be sick, you’re starting to sound delirious,” she sassed, turned away, and walked back into the kitchen before he could respond.

He chuckled to himself then followed her.

When she told him she was making soup, he didn’t process that to mean ‘from scratch’. So seeing all the groceries she had set out surprised him. He stared dumbfounded at her.

She stared awkwardly back. “Sooo… Where is all your cookware? I’d like to start cooking, and while I could just open every cabinet and drawer until I find the things I need, it’d be easier for you to just tell me.”

“Hm? Ah, right.” He shook himself from his stupor, and started helping her.

But then he started to help her too much. “Go curl up under the kotatsu again,” Pearl gently ordered as she started to guide him over to the door. “I’ll bring you some soup when it’s done.”

“You sure you don’t want help?”

“I just watched you nearly cut off your own finger. Twice. So go rest and stop trying to add your blood to my soup.”

He obeyed.

Pearl turned on music on her phone and continued cooking. She was enjoying working in Grimm’s large kitchen with all its high-end appliances. Much better than her apartment’s kitchenette. About half an hour later, the soup was ready. She portioned out a serving, buttered a few slices of bread.

Pearl gently shook Grimm awake. “Food is ready.”

He stretched, then slowly sat up. As the smell of the soup hit him, he snapped fully awake. “This smells absolutely delicious.”

She blushed a little in pride. “Thank you. I hope you enjoy. Do you want me to put all the leftovers away now? Or I can leave out a second serving if you’d like.”

“You’re not eating?”

“Oh. Well… no,” she said awkwardly. “Algoth didn’t really say I had the whole day off, so I was gonna go back to work now.”

“Stay.”

Pearl froze. The soft way he said it plucked the heartstrings that had shaken her the night before. Granted, it came out that way absolutely because he was low energy from illness. Still…

Then he added, “You’ve come all this way, and did all this work—relax and eat with me.” When she bit her lip, still hesitating, he continued. “As the Head of the North Faction I can and will order you to take the day off work.”

Something about him pulling rank while he was such a miserable, sickly slump made her want to laugh. And so she conceded. She got herself a bowl of soup and joined him under the kotatsu—damn it was cozy; no wonder he kept passing out.

When they’re done eating, Pearl cleaned up. Grimm made some protest, saying he should be doing all the chores since she was his guest; but she argued back that he’s sick and threatened him to rest.

As she got ready to leave, she noticed his haori she left in the entryway. She traced along the fabric. Picking it up, she returned to the other room and set it beside the once again sleeping Grimm.

She lingered.

There was such a softness to him. And she was probably one of the few who saw this side of him. Unconsciously, her hand moved to brush his hair. But she stopped short, noticing just in time what she was doing.

“Fuck,” she whispered under her breath. She immediately stood up and left the house.

There was no way to deny it anymore.

She had feelings for Grimm.

[thesoftdumbass]

just found out that i got an F on my final essay for my english class so i guess you could say that my day is pretty great so far 🙃

[jonnyparable]

Cottage Hills : A Winter Tale, Part XXIII

Eyes of the World

A crow caws in the distance. The cold winter night is biting, and the wind moans loudly. The faint sounds of two voices shouting for help can just barely be heard over the wind. Its been a few hours since May and Stu have been trapped on the tower and its getting dangerously cold. The winter night temperature drops way below freezing and the wind chill only makes it feel colder. Stu and May can only try to stay warm.

May:

"Its so c-cold.... I w-wonder where everyone is. I haven't seen anyone f-f-for hours. The wind is so loud, I don't think anyone c-can hear us. Sh-sh-should we try again, anyway?"

Stu:

"I'm s-s-sorry, May, I shouldn't have suggested we come up here tonight..."

May:

"Its not your f-fault. We b-both wanted to come up here for one last time.... Wait, d-d you hear that? Down below!"

Suddenly, they hear voices below them. Its Rev Carter, calling out to them. They hear a bunch of other people too. Is he with the other villagers too? May gets up and walks gingerly over to the other side of the tower. It seems with every step she takes, the tower shakes a little. With every puff of wind, the tower even sways...

Rev Carter:

"Stu! May! Are you alright? Answer me! Are you trapped? Stu! May!"

Gourmand :

"What on earth are you going on about? Honestly, Reverend, you're making a fool of yourself! How dare you drag my poor guests out here in the cold on a fool's errand? There are no children here! Come! Everyone let's go back now!"

Rev Carter:

"But I saw them calling for help, just now, plea-"

Gourmand :

"ENOUGH!! I have had it up to here with your town's shenanigans!"

Echo:

"Psst, hey, turn on your camera! Are you getting this??"

Gourmand :

"I have spared no expense for tonight's performance and don't think that I don't know you've deliberately ruined it! This is unadulterated sabotage! Just look at all my guests standing around in the snow! You and your fellow villagers have been nothing but reculcitrant ruffians ever since I got here! Everything I've done for you lot has just been met with ingratitude, resistance and ill will by you and your fellow malicious malcontents! You're probably jealous that your insipid little Music Festival has been upstaged, but grow up! It's time for you and the rest of your villagers to accept that I am your mayor, I bought you and now I get to do whatever I want here! Now enough with these petty distractions! If those nasty little children truly are up there, then so be it! If they love that damned tower so much, they can jolly well stay up there until I tear down the blasted thing tomorrow!

Just then, from up above, they hear the faint, weak voice of May calling out to them.

May :

"Hey! We're up here! Please don't tear down the tower! We're stuck we can't come down!"

Stu:

"The door is stuck! Someone get a ladder or something!"

Everyone looks up and gasp as they see the two pale, frightened faces of Stu and May peering down at them from on top of the tower.

Echo:

"Well, I'll be damned! Look everyone! There really is a boy and a girl up there! Looks like they need help! This is definitely going to make the front page!"

Contestina :

"MISERIA!! WON'T SOMEBODY THINKA OF THE CHILDREN! I FEEL WEAK! SOMEBODY CATCHA ME!"

Duke Hildegarde :

"I've got you Madam!"

Ruby:

"Oh gosh they look so cold y'all! Gourmand! You cannot possibly tell me that you're really going to leave them lil kids up there all night!? How could you even say something so awful!? Come on Mister, you're the mayor aren't you, do something, they're just children!"

Just then they hear Stu's voice from up above.

Stu:

"He's not our Mayor, Miss! We don't want him here!"

May:

"Stu! No, don't!"

Echo :

"Hello you there boy! What do you mean?"

Stu:

"People like him make me sick! They think that just because they're richer than others, it makes them better than everyone else. We'll they're wrong! Gourmand came here, uninvited, and used his money to get his own way! Since he's been here, he's trampled on our way of life, thinking he knows what's best for us, but all he's done is make everyone unhappy! He wants to do all kinds of things here in our home but it's our home! It's our land! He even wants to tear down this tower! What gives him the right? This is our town, not his! This tower isn't just an old tower, it represents our town and years of memories! But someone like Gourmand will never understand what that means to people like us! We want our old mayor back, we want our tower the way it is, nobody wants him here and we want him out of our town! I just want things to stay the way they are!! Why did all of this have to happen?"

Everyone gasps. They were under the impression that the town was happy with their new leadership. But to hear that the people are unhappy with their new Mayor and his plans for the town makes everyone uncomfortable with their own unquestioning involvement in his mechanisations.

Duke Hildegarde :

"I say Swindleton. What in blazes is going on here? You said the people of this town wanted you here! Being a leader doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want! This town is the home of these people, how could you not see that? A true leader is loved by his people, and such a place in their hearts cannot simply be bought by money, or force!"

Stu:

"That's because he's not a leader! He's just a big ol' bully!"

Gourmand's guests start gathering around him to heckle him, all voicing their disapproval and disappointment in him, and the whole thing is caught on camera thanks to Echo Dela Mode. As their voices grow louder, Astrid stands aside and looks quizzically up at the tower.

Astrid:

"Hey everyone, I know it's not just lil ol me, now can it? But is the tower leaning a little... too much to the left?"

Suddenly they hear a cracking sound. Snow is violently shaken loose and dislodged from the rafters, and large chunks of it fall to the ground. The tower trembles as a splintering sound comes from within like a groan of pain. May screams and grabs on to Stu's shoulder as the floor beneath them buckles and snow and debris fall around them.

Astrid:

"Oh my god! The tower is falling! Kids, get outta there you two! Oh god someone do something please!!"

Stu looks at May and holds on to her hand tightly. He looks around. There's no way down, and they're trapped. As the tower starts falling apart around them, they look into each other's eyes.