#book: the Fool wore a glove over his hand because of -

[jewishdainix]

You guys should be proud of me for not yet making a safehand joke about the Fool

[nyrasbloodyclover]

a real fucking legacy (a. k. vornsky)

a/n: stop asking why because i REALLY DON'T KNOW. my fav book, my fav fictional man, i am literally an anna karenina bible

I entered the ballroom that glittered with golden lights from the crystal chandeliers. I felt dizzy from all the excitement that was following me throughout the whole day, making sure my posture was perfect, dress unwrinkled and smile bright, just as everybody expected.

It was my third year after I came out into society, and no matter how many balls I attended, each one of them held a special place in my almost empty heart. Especially the ones I went to in the last 3 months.

All because he looked at me. He danced with me. And then decided to sneak out and find a place where no one would see us. We spent hours together on some deserted balcony. He was a good man and as much as I wanted to, he wouldn't lay a finger on me let alone, touch me the way he was wasn't supposed to.

Count Vronsky had many qualities that made him different from other gentlemen I've met, but the one I loved the most was that he was an amazing storyteller. He's seen so much, he's been everywhere and as a girl who practically did nothing my whole youth I was a great listener. He painted landscapes to me with his words and even when he thought some things he said didn't make any sense, I understood it all.

As he was older and much more mature, I made myself remember the way he formed his sentences and try to use it while telling the story of us.

I wore a maroon dress, not wanting to stand out, though the patterns on it were granular.Black lace was covering the edges while the corset was tied enough to make my breathing almost painful. My hair was pinned up, making my scalp hurt, but I somehow got used to all of it.

I saw some of my friends not too far from me, but a tall figure appeared before I could approach them. A younger man. I knew him. His name was Ivan-something and my mother would be delighted if  I decided to marry him. I fake smiled at him as he asked me for a dance. He absolutely blended in with all the other men I knew. I had to say yes. They couldn't suspect me and Vronsky, It was never going to happen, so why make fool of myself?

I inhaled sharply as he took my gloved hand and led me to the center of the ballroom. I loved to dance, but with an awful partner, even life could be miserable. I felt despondent as he spun me around and stepped on my feet continuously. Music ringed in my ears.

Even if I adored this piece, I couldn't stand it at the moment. I looked around and I felt like my gown was blood-soaked. My lungs were bleeding. I needed air. I wanted to go away, far, far away. Everyone was either dancing or talking and smiling, having much better time than me. Everyone except one person. And that person was approaching us right now. His pace was fast and strong and confident, everything I wasn't right now. He looked resplendent. I was counting seconds and begging him silently to end this torment.

He heard and answered my prayers.

Ivan suddenly stopped and I couldn't be more grateful. I wanted to hug my savior and thank him properly, but the only thing I could do right now was smile and slightly nod. Enough for him to understand. Vronsky's eyes went over my figure. His expression was flat but he tried to act polite. 

Ivan and I separated and Vronsky took a chance to whisper something to him. I couldn't make out any of the words, but I could see Ivan't expression change immediately. He tried to act friendly but miserably failed and excused himself. I tried not to laugh at him and couldn't stop wondering what had Vronsky said to him to make him leave without any protest. Vronsky turned to me.

"Good evening," he smiled,  "It looked like he was bothering you?" Did we actually look that bad? I thought I put on a great performance. 

"I don't think it was that miserable. He only stepped on my shoes three times."

Vronsky let out a rich laugh that I adored and It reminded me how much I miss him. I wanted us to sneak out like before. And I wanted to listen to him talk. But most of all, I wanted to dance with him, and feel his touch even if it was minimal. It was the most I'm ever going to get from him.

I took a step closer and he noticed. I wanted him to read my mind and do the right thing. He looked hesitant. Too hesitant. I looked up at him through my lashes and he tilted his head backwards. Not too much, it was the smallest movement but I noticed. 

"I should g—" 

"Ask me to dance," I blurted out.

He practically whipped his head in my direction and I felt blood rushing into my cheeks. If he refuses I'll leave. I'll leave immediately. And die of embarrassment, while we're at that.

He looked like he was fighting with himself, trying to do what he wanted and what was expected of him. But what I said was painfully forward and I should be ashamed of that. And I would be if it was someone else. With him I felt completely different. A moment passed.

"Very well," he said as he reached for my hand.

I tried to hide my face from him because I swear it was the color of my gown. Scarlet — practically maroon.

He placed one hand on my hip as his other took mine and I forgot everything else. 

His touch burned on me as Vronsky held my gaze. His eyes were mesmerizing and I ached to be closer to him in any possible way. He led me through the ballroom as we moved to the rythm of the soft music that was not so irritating now.

His fingers traced the laces on my back, toying with them. I inhaled sharply and he smirked at me, but we didn't stop dancing. I felt like we were the only ones in the entire room—I couldn't see anything except him. And I wanted it to stay that way.

I was dazed for a couple of seconds before he let go of me and stepped away.

I felt empty and for some reason exposed without his body shielding me from the people in the room.

"I'll bring us something to drink." It was a simple offer and it made me realize how thirsty I actually was. I nodded and moved to the side, so I don't bother anyone. My face was burning. Because of him.

Vronsky appeared seconds later with two wine glasses. Smiling up at him, I reached for one glass but instead of taking it like a normal person I managed to spill it all over my dress. I wanted to cry but he didn't look like it bothered him that I was practically ruined now. I tried to not cause a scene but it was hard. That was my favorite dress.

Tears prickled my eyes, but he didn't let me roll in self pity. "Don't worry. We just need to go somewhere more...private and I'll fix this. But look, now the dress completely matches your face." And he left without letting me respond to his comment. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die, but instead I waited for him.

He came with napkins and took my hand looking awfully suspicious. But I wasn't sure why. 

He looked around and saw that nobody was paying attention to us, though that was unexpected. Alexei smiled like he won the biggest prize and quickly led us through the backdoor of the ballroom. The rest of the house was empty and I swear he could hear my rapid heartbeat along with pulsing in my ears.

I knew what he wanted and where he was going. I was glad I knew his mind so well that he became predictable to me. I knew his desires and dreams and I couldn't help but wish I was one of them.

His white uniform matched perfectly with my much darker dress. Though Alexei was perfectly put together, while I was...the opposite.

We entered some dark room I didn't recognize. It was large but almost empty. It looked like someone's personal gallery. There was a desk in the corner along with some bookshelves. He closed the door. Then locked it. 

My head immediately turned to him, "There is no reason to lock the door, Alexei," I smiled innocently. "We aren't doing anything wrong." 

A moment passed between us. I scanned the shelves and touched the hard spines with golden embroidery. I tried to act like a fool, but I knew.

"We are about to."

And that did it. It made me completely lose my self control as I was throwing away the last pieces of dignity I had tonight. He practically marched towards me and grabbed my neck as he gently placed his mouth on mine. He knew I had absolutely no experience with men, so he was going easy on me. For now.

My whole body was on fire while he almost unnoticeably squeezed my neck. I moaned into his mouth and Vronsky towered over me, leading me back with his body. I was going backwards until I hit the large shelves. 

"Stop me before it's too late," he gasped into my neck. It was intoxicating. Everything about him, about the way he moved to the way he touched me was addicting I wasn't sure I would be able to stop.

"I won't," was all I said, but it made him aware that I was willing to give myself to him completely.

"You said you will take care of my dress," I added, still playing innocent, even if what we were doing was far from that. 

"And I'm planning to do just that," he said as he turned me. I was now facing shelves, my back to him. It gave him complete access to my corset. Which he began to untie immediately. He was skilled with his hands, I realized just now. It made my stomach turn in very unfamiliar way. I didn't know what kind of influence he actually had on me, but I liked it. It made me careless and stupid, but I was in control my whole life. It was nice to give it to someone else now.

Corset was down and my whole body felt hypersensitive for whatever reason. I wanted him to do so many things but I didn't know how to ask or if I was supposed to anyway. So I let him play with me.

"Turn, dorogaya," he whispered from behind and I obeyed. The nickname made me want to grab him and kiss his whole face. Then he went down. "I'm going to make you see stars." 

That was the last thing he said before taking down my skirt and the rest of the undergarments until I was stripped bare in front of him. But I was surprised I wasn't the least bit ashamed. Somehow, this felt completely ordinary with him. I was scared to move. I didn't know what or how to do anything. 

He naturally noticed and smiled, but not in a mocking way. His smile was so sweet I melted. 

"Touch me wherever you want. And however you want. Don't be afraid." That gave me a bit of confidence, so I looked down at him, on his knees. The image before me made me feel things I didn't know I was capable of feeling. I ran my hand through his hair and he closed his eyes, while his eyelids fluttered. 

It seemed like I had the same effect on him. Then I did something that made me question myself. I led his head down, in between my legs and I saw him smirk, but he knew what to do. 

The first time I felt his tongue on me was the closest I'll be to setting myself on fire. I gripped his hair on instinct. 

His mouth was doing wonders to me. I felt every sensation of it through my entire body. My head fell on the shelves and I had to press down a moan. Was this supposed to be this intense? He stopped using his mouth and continued with fingers while continuously kissing my lower stomach.

Vronsky did everything with patience and commitment. I didn't know why I thought this would be any different. I made a noise that sounded painful, but only because he was moving so slowly and torturedmewith his fingers. He shot me a concerned look, "Should I stop?"

"No, no, nonono," I cried out. I felt hard pressure building in my lower stomach and I grew dizzy. He went faster but then stopped and my hips buckled, while I was fighting the urge to do something myself. "Please continue," I pleaded.

"How could I not when you beg me so pretty?" He cocked his head and continued working me much faster this time, but still gentle. He took his time with me, looking at my reactions to certain movements, the sounds I was trying not to make, my face expressions. He knew what he was doing and he did it so well that It actually made me see stars. I choked on a scream as I was trying to catch a breath. My knees buckled and I felt I was closer to the edge.

He switched to his mouth again and Alexei's tongue finished the job. He put my leg over his shoulder to get better access and that completely pushed me.

I finished on his mouth and seconds later went down with him. He held me as I was trying to even out my breathing. "Can we do it again?" I surprised myself by asking.

He smiled down at me, "When you become countess, yes."

[casspurrjoybell-20]

FOOLS Fall - Chapter 12 - Part 1

BOOK TWO: The 'Fools Fall in Love' Trilogy

*Warning - Adult Content*

Noah Wright

I kissed below my boyfriend's ear then whispered 'more of a shout-whisper considering the chatter of the crowd and the bumping music' in Sam's ear...

"Don't you want everyone to know that you're mine?"

But, I never got his answer because Ciera came up to us.

"Oh, am I interrupting?"

I looked up from Sam to face Ciera, her costume was definitely fitting for her.

Tomb Raider, light grey crop top and very short, shorts.

Black straps around her thighs up with' I was pretty sure' a real knife strapped to it.

She wore black, leather, fingerless gloves and her black Doc Martins.

She had a BB gun strapped to her hip.

"You are interrupting," I confirmed dryly.

"Hmm, really? 'Cause it's seemed like you were harassing this grossly adorable Dalmatian."

She gave Sam a wink before looking back at me with her bored eyes.

Ciera checked out my outfit.

"Are you... Magic Mike?" she deadpanned.

Sam laughed.

"I like her."

I turned to him,

"Don't be fooled," then I glared at her harmlessly.

"She's evil."

"Ouch, Noah," she said but didn't seem the least offended.

"But we even shared a meal together."

"Ahahaha. Wait, what?" Sam questioned, uncomfortably.

I rolled my eyes at Ciera.

"What Ciera... this is Ciera, by the way..."

I forgot I hadn't introduced her yet.

"What she means by 'sharing a meal' is her taking a bite of my food without my permission," I explained and prayed to a God I didn't believe in, that Sam didn't freak out over what Ciera did.

But luckily, Sam only sighed in relief.

"Oh, okay."

"Don't worry, skyscrapers aren't my type," Ciera told Sam, mocking my height.

Then to both of us, she said...

"We're all smoking in the garage, come on," and she turned around, walking away from us.

"Can we just dance?" Sam asked me but his eyes were pleading for us to to stay put.

I grabbed his hand, lacing our fingers together.

"Don't you want to meet the people I hang out with and talk about?" I asked him, tugging him with me to follow Ciera.

"Yeah okay," Sam agreed and on our way to the supposed garage, Sam stepped away from me, into the kitchen to grab himself another cup of that strong punch.

"Pace yourself," I told him but I hoped he also heard my warning.

I didn't want to deal with his jealousy shit that night.

Or to get puked on, Sam was notorious for that.

Ciera guided us to a mud room then led to a grey door that I thought might've been a bright white at some point in a past time.

She opened the door and immediately an earthy and almost musky smell wafted into my nose.

I quite liked the smell of weed being I smoke it a lot.

Sam on the other hand, scrunched up his nose in distaste.

I gave his hand a short squeeze, hoping he knows how grateful I am that he was there with me.

The gang... Jude, Kyle, Alice and Dinah... were in the garage along with a guy I didn't recognize.

The garage was set up for the perfect hang out and they seemed to keep that space only for their inner circle.

A tall refrigerator stood against the back wall.

Off to the side was a long plastic table that seemed to be set up for beer pong.

There was numerous old rugs overlapping each other that took over most of the concrete floor but there was one big burgundy rug that laid in the middle with its bohemian style.

A beige couch sitting on top of that burgundy rug along with a futon couch next to it.

A large beanbag chair was also in the mix of seating arrangements the Kyle was plopped down on.

Ciera went over towards the fridge while speaking...

"Look who I found," to the group.

She pulled out a beer before closing the fridge.

They all gave their version of a greeting to Sam and myself.

One greeting louder than the others.

"Sam. Omg," Dinah exclaimed.

Her costume matched Jude's as she was an Angel, sort of.

She had a white, flowy lingerie on with a halo attached to a head band.

Her usual straight hair was curled with some tinsel streaming through.

"I'm so glad you're here, Noah said you might not come," she pulled Sam and I into a hug.

She reeked of marijuana and alcohol.

She pulled back from us.

"Wow, you guys look adorable. Fireman and his Dalmatian? That's clever," she complimented us with a wide grin.

Dinah looked like she was about to topple over, she was definitely drunk.

Sam shyly said...

"Thank you, it was my idea," as I pulled him with me and took a seat on the futon.

Jude to my left and my boyfriend on my right.

Jude was taking a long hit from a large, glass bong before he offered it to me, blowing out smoke.

Sam placed his hand on my arm when I grabbed the bong...

"Maybe you shouldn't get high, you're driving."

"Ah, the DD, that's right," Jude recalled then waved off Sam's concern.

"He'll be fine. If anything, I'm more focused when I'm driving high."

The group chuckled and most of them agreed, except for Alice who said...

"No way, I'm too paranoid about getting pulled over when I'm high."

Sam gave me his pleading, puppy eyes again.

"It'll be okay," I assured him in a low voice so that others didn't hear.

"We're gonna be here a few hours anyway, so I'll be sobered up by the time we leave."

Sam didn't comment, so I leaned forward to grab one of the multiple lighters off the wooden coffee table that stood in the middle of all the seats.

The faded circles from past cup placements had me thinking the table was older than I was.

There was also an ashtray with quite a bit of cigarette buds smooshed in there and I wondered who smoked cigarettes until I looked over and saw Ciera.

She was standing close to the garage door that was open a quarter of the way to let the October chilled air in.

She had a cigarette hanging from her lips.

Sam was already chatting it up with Alice who showed up as Bob Ross to the party, with a big fake, curly afro.

They seemed to be talking about something LGBTQ+ related and I heard her mention that she was pan sexual.

I was about to ask what the hell that was when someone caught my eye and I think also Sam's eye as he gave me a look and I shrugged.

What we saw was Dinah making out with that random guy I didn't recognize earlier.

I looked over at Jude who was talking to Kyle while Kyle rolled up a joint.

I nudged Jude with my elbow.

When he looked at me, I nodded towards Dinah in question.

He understood as he shrugged.

"She's a big girl, she can handle herself."

"Aren't you two dating?" I asked.

"We are but we both do our own thing, ya' know?"

No, I didn't know because I couldn't imagine being in an open relationship.

Not only would I get stupid jealous and angry at someone even flirting with Sam, there was also the risk of STDs. 

So all I responded with was,,,

"Hmm," and I took another hit from the bong as I watched Dinah grab the guy she was kissing and they both stumble back into the house.

"I'm gonna play foosball with Alice," Sam told me as he stood up.

He dropped his red solo cup on the table which caused it to tip over but no alcohol spilled out because it was empty.

Damn, he must've chugged that punch.

Jeez, did he know the definition of 'pace yourself'?

Before Sam went to the foosball table, which I had just then realized was in the back corner, he walked to the fridge and opened it.

Sam grabbed two Truly's then met Alice at the game table and handed her one.

She said something I couldn't hear and Sam laughed which made me smile.

I didn't care anymore if he drank, I just wanted him to have a good time.

"I'm gonna go find the bathroom," I said, suddenly having the urge to pee, as I stood up.

I glanced at Sam and thought about telling him but then I thought he'd probably want to stick by my side, so I decided not to mention it.

He'd be fine for a moment while I was gone, it wasn't going to take long.

[luimagines]

Perhaps them being protective over you(the reader)? Mostly platonic but hints of romantic(if you get what I mean?) Like, the relationship between them has been platonic and they’ve only really seen it has platonic, but someone(the Heroes) might be catching feelings. Also if it isn’t too much trouble do you think you could keep this in the same timeline? Like, your other scenarios had the same reader and felt like these all happened at some point, can you do the same for this one? I hope this isn’t too much trouble, really love your blog!💖💖💖

Masterlist

Ok, I think I get what you mean. The Hero is protective with a hint of feelings they haven't come to terms with. They're crushing but they don't know it yet.

I don't know what you mean by the same timeline though. It wasn't supposed to be the same reader for all of them but hey! It be like that sometimes, I guess! Especially if they're just friends.

The Reader is also set to be the same age as Wind for his scenario.

Warrior's got longer than intended and there is some catcalling in that one. FYI

Scenario under the cut!

Legend

"You can be seriously going out in that." Legend couldn't help but snap. The group had been dropped into a snowcapped mountain in the middle of a blizzard. The only luck they had on their side was a nearby cave where they all but ran to in an attempt to weather the storm and get their bearings.

But someone still had to scout and you were planning to take Wild and Twilight with you since they were the only ones who could both brace the cold and most likely find their way back.

He, however, didn't like the idea of you going out there period.

Even less so when he found you severely underdressed compared to your companions.

It seemed however, that you saw no problem with it, even going as far as to tilt your head and look down at what you were wearing at his comment. It sparked something in Legend's chest that he wasn't willing to decipher at the moment.

"What's wrong with it?" You asked.

"Are you serious right now?" Legend scowled. The top you wore was tight around your chest and the cloak that clasped at the front billowed around you ever so slightly from the wind at the front of the cave. There were thin layers of furs under your linen over shirts that matched the fur lining your boots outlining your figure and silhouette in a way he found irritating.

The light that barely peaked through the clouds lit up your form gave you a halo of light over your head and made you look more of a hero than he ever would have pictured you.

It didn't sit well with him.

"That doesn't nearly look warm enough. If you plan on going out in that then you'll freeze within the first ten minutes." He crossed his arms and stared you down, willing you to disagree, to challenge him, keep you here longer so one of the others can pick up the lack and go instead.

"It's bear fur Legend." You reply instead with an easy grin your face. He elected to ignore it because he was trying to stay mad and irritated at the lack of care you seemed to have for your own safety. Why weren't the others backing him up?! Wouldn't Twilight have said something by now?! Or Time?!

Why was it just him?

How dare you smile like that? And at him no less! He's trying to make a point, darn it! It's hard to concentrate when you look so... innocent and bright and happy and-

Focus Link.

"I actually have four layers on as well." You continue and peel back what you can to show him what your clothing looks like. Unknowingly giving him a great look at your figure beneath said layers. "Two layers of wool and two of fur and I still have my clothes under here as well. Without enchantments like Wild, it's probably the warmest thing here. I'll be alright."

He can't bring himself to believe it.

He grits his teeth and continues to look at you, not bothering to spare a glance at Wild or Twilight when they eventually join your side, both now ready to head out.

"Honestly Legend. I know it doesn't look like much but I grew up around snow and ice and mountainous storms. If anyone knows what they're doing here, it's me."

He knows this. You told him. He knows that he knows this.

Why can't he believe it?

His hand forms a fist with a tight grip and he gets an idea.

Before he can fully think it through, he's marching up to you and snatches up your hand before you can protest.

You haven't put on your gloves yet so it's skin on skin.

He can't think much of it or he'll lose his nerve and he's already gone too far to go back now or he'll only be making a fool of himself.

Legend all but rips the most powerful ring he has on his person and shoves it onto your own. It's a protection ring, it'll shield you if anything tries to hurt you.

He's not entirely sure why he cares so much, just that he does, and this is all he can do if no one is going to back him up and stop you from going.

"I want this back." He says. He knows it sounds meaner than he's intending but then you let him put it on, take your hand back and marvel at it for a moment.

"I'll protect this with my life." You flex your hand, testing out how it feels and wonder what magic it must posses for Legend to not only give it up but deem it worth for the storm outside.

"Thanks Vet." You grin brighter and Legend finds himself floundering for a moment at the intensity of it.

The tips of his turn red, he knows this and he forces himself to distance himself or else the others would notice.

Your trio disappears into the white and he sits down by the fire made for the smaller ones of the group. He hasn't made eye contact with anyone since you left and he makes the mistake of trying to casually play it off by looking up.

Time is watching him with a knowing smile on his face.

"What?" Legend barks and scowls at the attention.

The older man just laughs a bit to himself and shakes his head but he doesn't say anything.

Legend thinks back on his actions a little sooner than he thinks he should and glances at his hand. The hand that grabbed yours.

Despite the journey, your hands were so soft.

He can't help but smile.

Time

Time was watching the over the group for the morning shift, his hand over his sword and his eyes watching... well you.

You intrigued Time.

Out all the heroes of courage on this journey, you weren't one of them. You weren't a Link and yet you seemed to fill a gap the group didn't know it had.

He couldn't figure out why or how but he found himself wanting to know what made you tick, why did you work so well with the others, what your world was like, and how did it mold you to be so....

He had trouble finding a word for it.

As the boys rough housed and played around, he found himself relaxing. It was a quiet morning and he had the added support of Wolfie on look out for any monsters.

He put his sword down and and walked over to where you were.

You were sitting with a book in your lap, something he found you doing often. But this time you were ignoring the book, laughing at Wind's and Wild's antics as they blasted each other with their Deku leaves. Wind continuously knocked the Champion around but neither of them seemed to mind.

If anything, it appeared the were doing on purpose and were trying to see how far he'd go.

Boys.

He could feel the smile on his face as he made his way toward you.

"Enjoying the theatrics?" He spoke up.

You jumped with a small yelp, something he found endlessly entertaining.

"You're the biggest guy here! How are you so quiet?!" You yelled in his face with a pointed finger and hand on your chest.

Time chuckles and sits down next to you, sitting just close enough for your knees to brush. "Sorry. It's not always intentional, I promise."

"So you admit you do it on purpose!!" You turn to face him fully. Book absolutely forgotten.

Time finds himself pleased by the change.

"Occasionally." He grinned.

"Oh, and I so happen to be your favorite victim then?" You crossed you arms and leaned closer to him. Your words were biting but the smile on your face was teasing and the glint in your eye was knowing.

"Of course."

"You're impossible." You shove him away. "You're only like this because no one will ever suspect you."

"Is that so- LOOK OUT!" Time had noticed a second too late but in the seconds Time stopped paying attention to them, Wind and Wild had stopped launching each other and started launching objects.

Such objects like coconuts and hard wooden barrels.

Like the ones heading in your direction.

With no time to act, he grabs you and rolled out of the way, pressing you into his chest. The huddling objects bounced off of your spot, some exploding on impact while the rest crashed into the nearby trees and bushes.

It looked like a war zone.

Time held onto you for a second after the damage passed, waiting for any else to come your way. When nothing appeared, he began to let you go, looking down on you to see your reactions. "You ok?"

You had curled yourself into his chest, continuing to press yourself close to him even after he let go.

Time finds himself pleased by this as well.

"Well..." You took a deep breath and slowly looked up and around. "That was exciting."

"Are you hurt?" He asked again. You looked fine, if only a little shaken, but he wanted to hear you say it.

"I think my leg got scratched in the chaos."

Time forces himself to stay calm and to not show any reaction. A scratch is better than getting hit head on. You'll be fine.

"What about you?" You look up to him again, eyes wide and bigger than he remembers and they were such a lovely color-

"I'm more concerned about you." He says, cutting his own thought process off. Time proceeds to get up, being as gentle as he can with you still in his arms. "I did just happen to grab you."

"Well, I'm sure it would have been worse if you hadn't." You grin at him and push yourself away.

Time now finds that he misses the feeling of you there but isn't able to focus on why when the two culprits are running up to you at break neck speeds.

"Are you two ok?!" Wind reaches you first.

"We're so sorry, we miscalculated the angle and it went wildly off our target." Wild continues and helps you to your feet.

Wind hovers near Time, unsure of what to do or how to help.

Time looks over to where you are, breathless but smiling dazzlingly. "We're ok." You tell Wild. "Just thrown around is all, we're fine."

Time sighs and stands up, putting his serious face on. "You boys better have a good explanation for this."

They could have hurt someone. They almost hurt you. His only consolation is how they squirm under his gaze.

Good.

Wind

"What the hell? What the hell? What the hell? What is this place?!"

Wind looked over his shoulder from the fight over to where you were, the monster he was fighting falling before him. It was a great thing in his eyes to no longer be the youngest of the group. Not only for there to be someone of his age to talk to but also get the group off of his back for some of their more dramatic attempts at keeping him safe.

Wind was having a blast.

Everyone had found a dungeon in the sense that they fell into it against their knowledge and will and had happened to land with partners.

He hopes so anyway.

But on his end, he's with you!

And he's loving it!

You've never judged him and you've always thought that his stories were great and this was a great opportunity to show you how cool he is in a fight without the others trying to stop him from doing all his cool stuff.

And as an added bonus, he loves spending time with you!

Wind was close to wishing on stars for more time to spend alone with you. The others were always around and always in his business. How lucky that it seems he got his wish without doing that little kid stuff, like star wishing.

He didn't take into account that this might be your first dungeon though.

...Guess you didn't have those in your world...

But that's fine! He'll just walk you through it. They're easy once you get a groove going, and as dungeons go, this one is old hat for him.

The enemies around you fall within minutes and you're a little more shaken up than he likes.

"You ok?" He puts his sword on his back and walks toward you. You're staring at the fallen enemy in front of you with your own sword still raised. There's a slight cut on your arm, a red line going across and down, but Wind is almost certain that the cut is across...the blood is just going down your arm.

Wind takes a moment to quiet the sudden and unexpected rage. The monsters are lucky, he thinks, that they're already dead.

He grips his wrist tightly at the sight and places his other hand on your own. You gulp slightly and look at him tearfully. "Wind, where are we?"

You're scared, he realizes.

Scared, and alone and you don't know what kind of place this is.

There's another cut just above your eye and there more blood going down your face.

Wind feels himself fill with determination. He has the experience you lack to make it through here. He has been in more fights than you have. He knows what he's doing.

He's going to make sure you get out of here without being afraid anymore.

"Come on." Wind lets himself go and places his hand on top of yours, gently pushing the sword down and make a small effort to lace your fingers together. His other hand grips his sleeve and he begins to swipe it across your face, trying to clean the blood the best he can. "We're going to find the others, ok? We just have to keep going and if we're lucky we'll find a map, maybe a compass and it'll help us get out of here. We'll be back with the others in no time!"

You gulp and nod, tightening your grip on his hand and let him lead you through the unknown. Your voice is quiet and soft and Wind finds that he wants to hear it more often like this...just not laced with fear. "Ok. I trust you."

Wind nearly preens at your words, a large smile overtaking his face.

He'll protect you and you won't have to be afraid, not while he's here.

"Just leave it to me. I got this."

Warrior

"Whatup, Captain?" Warrior feels a weight be thrown on his shoulder at the call of the voice.

He looks to the side where it is and throws an easy smile on his face.

It's you! And you're grinning fabulously in his direction.

"Nothing in particular. Just checking our supplies, we might need to make a supply run in the nearest town for potions if we're lucky enough to find one but..." He looks at the bag in front of him with slight distain.

Truthfully, the group is low on a lot of stuff. Food, medical and magic supplies, someone is going to have to buy the Veteran more sewing supplies as well with how much battery all your clothes have taken on.

It would have to be a big buy....

A small town probably won't have half the stuff they need. And he doesn't know what kind of budget he's working with either.

But he's dealt with worse with less.

The group will hold on for a little longer if nothing drastic happens.

But Warrior doesn't want you to know that. If he had things his way, he'd let you think that everything was ok. That everything was fine and under control.

He's used to having to keep dire news from the troops so that they can keep fighting the good fight.

Lying to you though feel wrong. Dirty.

He finds your complete trust in him endearing and your willingness to help him with any and all loads on his shoulders means more to him than he'd ever be willing to tell you to your face.

You brighten and throw a thumb in the direction behind you. "We're in luck then. There's a town, that-a way according to Wild's weird telescope from his slate. I was planning to go check it out regardless but was in need of a partner. Wild can't because Twilight benched him after last fights stunt. Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone?"

That idea sounds fantastic.

"I'd love to." He says easily. "Got anything to do before we head out?"

"Nope. Ready to leave immediately." You get off of him and he follows after you without missing a beat, quickly falling into sync with your steps. It's a habit he has trouble breaking, but if he can focus on matching your stride instead, he can stay by your side for the walk.

"We're getting supplies from the town. Be back soon!" He calls out to Time and the group as you walk by.

Time raises his hand in acknowledgement and goes back to pinning Wild down with his stare alone. Warrior doesn't feel sorry for him.

With that taken care of, you both pick up your speed and quickly leave the range of your little camp. Jokes are traded easily between you two and Warrior finds himself relaxing.

It's a strange feeling but one he knows that he can share with you.

You put him at ease and there's something about you that calls for his attention.

Maybe it's your attitude. Maybe it's your determination. Maybe it's the way you fight and the grace you carry yourself with.

You're a good fighter, a good team mate, and a good person.

You take care of the others. You take care of him.

He doesn't know how to thank you.

Warrior notices that you both reach the town in record time, the conversation seeming making time a useless way measure distance.

You both walk in and begin with Warrior's shopping list since it has a higher priority than simply exploring.

Warrior makes a promise to himself to find something for you.

A small gift, if you will.

He's not entirely sure what you like just yet but he thinks you deserve something nice and if he's here to buy nice things, then why shouldn't you get something as well.

The trouble is getting it without you seeing him buy it, or figure out his plan.

You were always able to read him like a book.

"Lookin' good sweetheart!" A voice calls from the side. A loud and obnoxious voice followed quickly by multiple cheers and whistles.

Warrior instantly has a spike in irritation and he forces himself to not shout back. He's used to this. It happens sometimes back home. He's not surprised it can carry elsewhere. There's pigs everywhere.

He ignores them.

"Why don't you leave your boy toy and come find out how a real man can treat you darlin'?!" Another one comments. More cheers and howls.

Boy toy?

That's new.

Warrior looks in their direction and comes to a startling discovery.

They're not looking at him. THEY'RE LOOKING AT YOU.

Now... Warrior likes to think he's a rational man. He's good at keeping his head on straight in tough situations. He's good under peer pressure and under stress.

He takes one look at you and sees your smile gone, your head is down and your face is red in shame, anger and embarrassment.

But you don't say anything in reply and only shuffle closer to him, trying to get in front of him so he'll shield you from their gaze.

Warrior is a rational man.

Many would agree with that.

He wants to tear their heads off.

"Come on baby, don't be that way! As easy as your back is to watch, we want to get a good look at your pretty little face!"

Warrior turns suddenly and faces them all head on. "Thank you for the compliment doll face! I'm new in town and just passing through but maybe-"

He starts walking towards them as sultry as he can manage, pulling on every acting cell he has in his body.

Which is a lot if you ask him.

The tactic works as he wants it to. Warrior knows he wasn't their target and the idea of him responding instead throws them off their rhythm.

"No, no, wait-" One of them holds a hand up and takes a step back. "Not you."

"Who else darlin'?" He mimics their drawl and smirks at their instant discomfort. "You want a good time?"

"I'm leaving." One of them says after a second of horror shows on his face and not so subtlety turns on his heel and leaves. The third follows without saying anything and it just leaves Warrior and the first caller.

Warrior likes these odds.

He drops the act and lets his murderous intent shine on his face. "Got anything else to say?"

Warrior reaches for his sword and the idea finally gets through the guy's head. Leave us alone or else.

"...No." He says and finally leaves as well, not looking back at either of you.

Warrior nods at his retreating form and returns to you, a little ashamed by how long it took him to react. For your sake.

His head is low when he reaches you and he scratches the back of his neck instead of making eye contact.

"Um... What do you want to do now?" He asks lamely. By Hylia, he wants to kick himself into oblivion.

A small snort catches his attention and he snaps his head up.

You're looking at him, hand over your mouth and crinkled eyes giving away your not so hidden smile. Your shoulders are shaking and it only grows as he stares at you.

You're not mad? He has trouble believing it because he's still furious.

A small bark of laughter escapes without your consent and it's the last wall to break as the dam flows out. You're laughing hysterically and it's beginning to scare him a little.

"D-Did you see their faces?!" You nearly scream. "Oh my god, Warrior, I love you. That was amazing."

Warrior shakes off the shock and feels himself blush. "It wasn't that special..."

"Wasn't that-? Oh boy, I wish Wild was here. I would have loved to get a picture! Warrior that was awesome. I'm so glad that you agreed to come with me." You walk beside him and grab his hand, beginning to drag him through the town. "You know what? I owe you. I have some rupees and we're not expected to come back to camp yet. You want something? I'll get it for you. My treat. Anything you want."

Warrior begins to flounder, and he's uselessly dragged behind you while your grin grows with every second that you talk.

While this all happens and you talk about the ways you plan to treat him, Warrior starts to think that he might just do anything for you.

Hyrule

Hyrule was busy enjoying the scenery of their most recent trip. He had managed to sneak away from the group and walk around the area without having to worry about the others for a moment.

The quiet was nice and familiar. The place was new and begging for him to explore what it had to offer.

Hyrule... found himself wishing for companionship, weirdly.

Well, as long as his travel companion is you.

He supposed Wild would have been just the same....but he found himself wanting to be with you instead.

He just... he doesn't know why. It doesn't bother him.

There's just.... He has trouble finding the words.

You're warm and gentle and it reminds him of casting his Life spell on himself before he met the others. There's a sense of safety, of calm.

A cool breeze on a warm summer's day.

A smile creeps on his face at the thought of you. Hyrule knows that he does it often but he still can't bring himself to care about it.

"Oh my- NO! HEY!" He hears your voice. Panicked, frantic and shrill.

And it gets cut off.

It's a bucket of ice water dumped over him. His heart launches into his throat and his stomach drops to his feet. His feet are moving in the direction towards you before he even realizes it.

Hyrule has reached a full on sprint and has to continue to run when he fails to find you. He takes a moment to be grateful for his stamina and how he's used to running but you're not.

At least he doesn't think so.

But he hopes this isn't where he finds out.

He trips over something. A sharp pain cuts across his shin as he falls to the ground, palms barely sustaining damaged thanks to his armor.

Hyrule gets up and sees something even worse than what he thought.

It's your sword.

You don't have your sword.

You're unarmed and alone.

Hyrule picks himself up and your sword and continues running at an even quicker pace.

He reaches you eventually and feels unadulterated rage flood through his system.

There's a pig monster over you, cheering and dancing in victory. There's only one. He thinks it's one of Wild's bokoblins but he calls on his magic and sends his sword straight through the monsters beating heart.

There's no black blood as it falls.

He sprints even more in your direction and begins to cradle your head, gently checking for blood any injuries.

He lets the healing spell move through his fingers to catch whatever he might be missing, whatever he can't see or get to without hurting you further.

He can feel what areas need the attention the most and can almost reconstruct the attack.

There's a large bump on your head, most likely the hit that knocked you unconscious.

Your arm is scratched and multiple pieces of skin have been torn off but it's a graze more than anything, it's not bleeding and doesn't goa any deeper than that.

Probably the hit that knocked your sword out of your hand.

There's a bruise blossoming on your knee and on your stomach and he has trouble figuring out what came first. They could have come from your fall or the beast could have simply hit you again.

The magic works its way through your system and subsequently heals him as well from his own minor injuries.

There's no way you can wake up fast enough and it leaves his heart pounding in his chest.

Hyrule knows when there's nothing left to heal and has to force himself to stop before he overexerts himself. The uncertainty is killing him. Just when he was hoping to spend time with you alone, this happens.

You groan and begin to sit up, your hand going to your head before realizing that it doesn't hurt and that you're not alone.

"Hyrule...Hey." Your voice is soft and a smile overtakes your face. You looks around and sit up straighter when you catch the dead body of the monster not two feet from you. "Guess that's your doing?"

Hyrule nods and moves to give you space, reaching his hand out for you to take. "How are you?"

"Good, all things considered...." You shrug and pick up your sword. Hyrule didn't even notice that he dropped it. "I was looking for you."

A mix of emotions fills his heart. Guilt at being the cause of it. Relief that at least you're together again. Happiness, strangely, at the thought of you thinking about him.

"Well I'm not lost, just..." He nervously looks up to you, his hand coming to scratch the back of his neck. "Got left behind."

"We noticed." Your smile fills with mirth and it's borderline a smirk.

Hyrule is not prepared by the realization that he finds that incredibly attractive.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue." You say, wrapping your arm with his. "The rest of the group is over here by the way."

"Yeah... Yeah ok." He grins and tightens his grip around your arm. "Let's meet up with our friends."

Yeah....friends...That's just what friends do.

Why does he feel weird about it?

Twilight

"On a scale of one to ten, how hard is it to learn how to ride a horse?"

Twilight looked around Epona's form, pausing his motion in brushing her to see you leaning up against her, a hand on her neck and brushing ever so slightly.

"Some people are more natural than others I suppose..." Twilight responded, an idea forming in his mind. "But it's not difficult."

You nodded in response and continued to pet the best girl around.

"I can show you how... If you want that is." Twilight grins to himself, leaning closer to Epona so you don't notice. The thought makes him giddy in a childlike way and he doesn't want you to be put off by his overexcitement.

You snap your head in his direction, a bright and excited smile on your face. "Really? I've always wanted to learn but I didn't want to impose."

Oh.

Out of everyone who could easily show you how to ride a horse, you came to him.

Well... doesn't that do something to his heart.

I mean, he is the only one with the horse but -DETAILS!!

He doesn't care for them.

"Here. Get on." He walks around and holds the reins, gesturing for you to get on Epona's back.

"Right now?" You're surprised, but delighted.

Twilight thinks it a good look on you.

"Sure. We're not going anywhere just yet and Epona can use a walk to stretch her legs." He says and helps you get up. Twilight is quick to follow after you and sit behind you, your back pressed up upon his chest.

"Ok, here's what you're going to do." He gives you the reins and places his hands over yours, leading you and Epona to where he thinks is a good place to go for a small trot.

It's effortless for him to lead you both through the trail.

Your trio actually pass by the group who are resting for lunch and wave to them as you go. Twilight catches the smile Time has on his face and is quick to put together that he knows something he doesn't. He'll ask Time about it later.

Twilight talks to you about how to hold the reigns, how to kick the horse into gear, how to steer and anything that he can think of that means safety for both you and the animal.

"Hey Twilight-" You mention suddenly and point just beyond the distance. "-Should we be concerned about that?"

Monsters, also on horses.

An arrow wizzes by suddenly, imbedding itself in Epona's side.

Shocked by the pain and scared by the suddenness of it, Epona takes off in a sudden sprint. Encouraged by the reaction, the monsters give chase.

Twilight notices that they don't have as much control over their chosen transportation.

He has the advantage.

Epona's first instinct is to run back to the group, back to the numbers and safety. Twilight knows better though, he can't lead the monsters to the group, even if he has a sizeable lead on them. He quickly turns her away, a plan forming in his mind.

You don't have weapons or back up, so this is going to get interesting.

"TWILIGHT!" You scream and throw yourself against him, covering your eyes with one and and gripping him tightly with the other. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Trust me!" He yells over the rushing wind. "I think I have a plan!"

"YOU THINK? You're crazy!" You reply, directly into his ear. "But I trust you... so I guess I am too!"

"That's the spirit!" He grins. Twilight knows Epona won't be able to do much more without injuring herself further and he doesn't want to make any reckless decisions with you right next to him.

He'd hate for you to no longer want to ride a horse over this bad experience.

"Hang on tight!" He finds himself yelling, adrenaline in his veins and he pushes Epona to go a little bit faster.

There's a cliff nearby, a ledge that if he can Epona to go fast enough, she can jump it.

The monsters may try to follow but Twilight is riding heavily on their lack on control and the horses will to stay safe.

Epona reaches it and jumps.

There's a moment of weightlessness and Twilight's heart floats up to his throat. You gasp, and fling yourself around to press your face into the crook of his neck.

Twilight takes one arm off of the reigns and wraps it around you, pressing you tightly into his chest.

Epona makes the jump, landing on the other side with a little more turbulence than Twilight is used to, but he'll blame her shot.

He slows her down and looks to the other side of the ledge.

The monsters do in fact try to follow but Twilight's gamble and intuition pays off. The horses stop just by the edge and several monsters fly off of their backs and down below. The other monsters who can't get by, stop in anger and scream from the other side.

But it appears they lost their archer to the abyss.

So you're safe.

"Oh my goodness..." You gulp and remove yourself from him. "Holy cow... You did it. You mad lad, you did it."

Twilight chuckles nervously and begins to lead Epona back to the camp, gentler and a little more aware now of how she's moving, how much she's been hurt.

"Is Epona ok?" You try to look around him and spot the injury, but there's not a lot of space on the saddle to manage that. He does it for you and sees that it's mostly blocked by the saddle itself, the arrow imbedded deep into the side, just missing the both of you.

Epona most likely only has a scratch and was more startled if anything.

Twilight's not happy about his girl getting hurt but knows that she's taken worse hits. He'll tend to her later, he's worried about you too.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, but Epona?" You insist.

"She's fine. It mostly hit the equipment. They were terrible shots." Twilight grins easily, taking the lead in steering Epona and leans into your back.

You laugh breathlessly and turn your head directly into his. It gives him a great view of your eyes and how they seem to glow in the light. He finds himself entranced and almost misses what you say completely.

"You're incredible, you know that?"

He nearly preens and he pulls himself back. "You think so?"

"Incredibly reckless." You snort. "You've lost your privileges' for yelling at Wild. You're just as bad as him."

"I-..." Twilight starts but can't finish.

"But hey, at least we're ok." You lean back and make yourself comfortable against him. "That could have been worse."

Twilight doesn't move a muscle while you're there, if you're comfy against him, then he'll keep you comfy. "Yeah. Sorry about freaking you out back there."

You go quiet for a moment and he wonders if he's ruined something. Twilight doesn't know if there's something to ruin actually, and he doesn't understand the thought now that he's had it. He doubts you'll stop being friends because of this, so that's not at threat. Monster attacks are not something new. But...

He wants to do this with you, for you.

He doesn't like the idea of you turning him down.

"I don't know..." You say eventually. "Maybe you can make it up to me by continuing these horse riding lessons. Maybe I'll forgive you then."

Twilight doesn't look at your face, he doesn't turn to look at you. He's afraid he'll give too much away on his face if he does.

"If you're still up for it?" It's question. It wasn't supposed to be a question.

You nod and fully relax, your heartbeat gently beating against his own. "Maybe less monsters next time?"

"Agreed." Twilight grins. "Not until after you learn to go out on your own."

"How about... No."

Wild

"Wild. I. Have a question." Wild looks up to your approaching form, tensing up in anticipation.

"Yeah, what's up?" He tries to grin naturally. Wild feels his heart start to beat faster and his face heat up. He gets nervous around you even if he wants to be by your side, but he doesn't know why.

He knows you're friendly and sweet and nice and incredibly smart and there should be no reason that you do this to him and yet he wants to impress you so bad....

But he doesn't know how.

"Your slate has that crazy inventory right? So you carry a whole bunch of stuff on you at all times?" You try to stand tall but you dip your head and thread your fingers through your hair.

You're nervous.

Now you really have his attention.

"Yeah. I might have enough stuff to rival the Veteran and he's known as the Collector as well." Wild sits back and tilts his head at you. "What's up?"

"I..." You start and bite your lip. Wild's eyes land on it and he focuses there for longer than he thinks is appropriate. "I just wanted to ask if I could borrow a sword if you had extra... Mine's about to break and I don't want Smithy on my case about it, since I don't have what I need to fix it. But....um...You know what, nevermind. It's not a big deal, I'll manage, I'll-"

"No! It's fine!" He shoots up to his feet and grabs your hand to keep you from leaving. "Got anything in mind? I've got claymores and short swords, elemental weapons and sheikah blades. I've got some cool boomerangs or clubs from monsters if you want those."

While he's talking, he brings up his slate and begins sliding through the pages and icons, bringing it up to your faces so you can get a better look at what he had to offer. He's quick to point out what weapon can do what and how he has one story for each of them.

He takes a look over to your face and is overjoyed when he sees that you're looking through the screen with as much fervor and excitement as he did when he first came into contact with his world's weapons.

"..." He sees your eyes lock on one of them and voice comes out in a giddy giggle. "This one."

"Which one?" He leans over and places a hand on your shoulder. You let him, or you don't notice but the fact that you don't shove him away makes in happy in a way.

You point to it and he has a brief moment of panic when he sees the one you want. It's one of Robby's creations, a sheikah chainsaw so to speak. It's one of the biggest weapons he has.

"OK." He gulps and takes it out. He presses the activation button and watches your face when it lights up the blade.

A large grin over takes your face when you see it and stare at it for a moment. The light is bright in your eyes and you let out a giggle that's borderline hysterical.

"This is awesome!" You make grabby hands at it and he hesitates to give it to you.

He likes that you like it....but he's suddenly not all to convinced that he should. Wild knows that he's reckless and that he gets hurt a little more than anyone appreciates but... What if you get hurt? With his weapon, no less?

The thoughts scares him a little more than he'll admit.

Maybe you should have that one.... Maybe a more... normal weapon would have been better?

You step away and give it a few experimental swings and his heart launches into his throat.

"Ho-ok!" Wild frantically opens his slate again and takes out a another weapon, a normal iron sword. "Take this one as well actually."

"One is enough Wild. Thank you but-"

"We don't want the others to get jealous, now do we?" He lies. "This way it'll be easier to explain...so maybe save that one for emergencies?"

"Alright." You press the button and stash the weapon away, taking the other sword from his hand. Your fingers brush and he tries to not jerk his hand back and make it awkward.

"For the others sake." You grin, and there's a glint in your eyes that makes him think that you're on to him.

But you don't mention it.

He won't plan to mention it either.

He'll gladly share anything else with you though. You just have to ask.

Four

"RUN! WE HAVE TO RUN!"

Four's head snaps up and he doesn't have the time to register why before you run past him and grab his hand, dragging him behind you.

"WHAT?!" Four yells next to you and matches his stride to your easily. "WHY ARE WE RUNNING?!"

"THEY'RE AFTER ME!" You cry and continue running, taking a sharp turn. "NO TIME TO EXPLAIN!"

Four isn't prepared for the level of rage and concern for your behalf as he begin to reach for his sword and turns around to fight whatever has you in a panic.

"Don't!" You pull his hand harder and nearly throw him off of his feet. "It's not worth it. Just run, maybe we can find a place to hide."

"What's after you?" He asks instead. How bad did it have to be that you didn't even want to fight back? Was it monsters? Did they have numbers on their side? Was it the weapons they had? Were they infected?

He'd gladly fight them for you.

But if it's bad... it's bad and he knows that infected monsters take more effort then they should and they're not something he can do alone.

"Here!" A smile appears on your face and with another sharp turn to press him close to your body and squeeze into a small space. There's no space between you two, it's chest to chest, completely up against each other and Four suddenly has a hard time concentrating.

Four says your name in an attempt to distract himself from your body and eyes the hand you press against his mouth in response.

"Shh..." You look outside the hidey hole and snap back in.

Familiar voices ring with mirth and exhaustion but they are not dangerous. Four finds it in himself to be a little miffed at there not actually being any danger but he keeps quiet at your request.

"Where do you think they went?" Wind has a grin in his voice.

"I don't know. I think they actually lost us." Wild replies in kind. "But they can't be far. It's not like they can out run us."

"You take the right and I'll take the left?" Wind offers and Four has to wonder what they want with you.

You keep your hand over his mouth for a moment longer before slowly retreating.

Four gulps and takes a breath. He's immediately assaulted by how you smell. It's weirdly not just sweat, but apple blossoms and some kind of herb that he's having trouble pin pointing.

It's intoxicating and despite the lack of personal space, Four thinks that this is the most comfortable place he's been in a while.

"Ok. I think they're gone." You turn and begin to shimmy out of the hole. "Sorry about that. They want me to do something dumb with... an item of mine and I don't have the heart to tell them no. So I ran... Which didn't really work because they followed."

Four follows out of the hole and brushes the front of him off. He places his hands on his hips and fixes you with a stare.

"And then I ran into you and I didn't want to explain everything but you're a good guy and you'd just tell them where I went because you wouldn't know and I didn't want to risk leaving you behind-"

A good guy?

"So you kidnapped me?" Four raises an eyebrow. "That was your solution?"

"Well... How else do I get your attention?" You mimic his position and look him in the eye.

Four's about to retort with something that you could do before he stops himself. It's... not something one would just say to a friend. But he finds the idea very appealing for a moment before being disgusted with himself for thinking that about you.

He rolls his eyes to change the conversation outwardly but he continues thinking about it. "There are easier ways to get my attention. One of them, for example, say my name."

"Hard to do, if all of you have the same name." You grin.

He smiles back.

Truthfully, now that he's thinking about it, a lot things that you do catch his attention.

The way you move your hands when you talk. The way you move when you fight. The sound of your laugh. The color of your hair and your eyes.

"Um..." You laugh nervously and scratch the back of your neck. "Would you mind staying with me for a moment longer? I uh- Don't know the way back and I don't want to risk running into either of them just yet But.. I did kidnap you, so if you have something better to do-."

Oh yeah, he'll stay with for for longer. He doesn't mind one bit.

Sky

Sky yawns and rubs at his eyes for a moment before turning his gaze back into the fire.

It's early.... like, stupid early. He hates getting up before the sun and would have gladly stayed in his bedroll... but it's his shift.

Admittedly, he doesn't mind being on watch.

But it's the whole concept of being up before the very time keeper in the sky that miffs him. His body wants to fight it and he typically has to put his whole bed roll away when it's his turn or else he'll be tempted to go back to it and sleep the rest of the night time away.

The only bonus, he supposes, is the chance to watch the sunrise.

It's so different on the surface than on Skyloft, there's more colors and it's not as blinding. He can't to experience more when he reaches his own time again.

The other bonus, he supposes, now that he's thinking about it, if the chance to watch over his new friends and that includes you.

You... Are just as mesmerizing as the sunrise, he thinks.

There's something about you that he finds completely captivating. Your endless colors and arrays of simplistic beauty keep his attention in ways he wouldn't have thought possible. Bringing peace and tranquility to the group when they need and being a signal to start the next leg of the adventure.

And yet, he can admit that it's nothing extraordinary.

You're not trying to impress anyone. It comes naturally to you.

Like the sunrise.

Sky smiles to himself and....he's mature to admit that he's glad he met you, and he think he'll miss you the most when this is all over.

When Sky comes back to the present instead of being trapped in his own head, he realizes that he's been staring at you for a while.

You're still sleeping.

He takes a breath. That wouldn't have been awkward. He prides himself on not being a creep, thank you very much.

You turn in your sleep and a sound escapes you.

Sky sits up a little straighter and watches you again. He knows that everyone has their fair share of demon to fight even when they're asleep. It wouldn't be all that surprising to learn that you had your own battles beyond daytime.

You move again, lifting your arm to fight whatever your brain says is in front of you and a gasp comes through.

Sky shoots up again begins to make his way over to you. He's careful not to wake the others but if he kicks Wind's on the way over, he won't mention it... It's not like that woke him up anyway.

When he finally reaches your side, you're shaking and moving side to side without knowledge of what is happening outside your own mind.

Sky nearly growls and kneels next to you.

"I wish I can fight those things for you..." He says out loud as he begins to gently shake your shoulder. "How dare they still plague you. They're not even here. Who gave them the right?"

You give out a small scream, something in your mind terrorizing you and it prompts Sky to shake you by both your shoulders until you wake up.

Your eyes shoot open with a gasp. You're covered in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. It takes you a while to realize where you are and who's in front of you but in the meantime you try fighting Sky off, still not fully aware that you're awake.

"Hey, hey, it's me." Sky takes a step back in hopes of calming you, even if it's the last thing he wants to actually do. "You're safe now. It's ok."

You finally stop and look at him, staring for a moment until he can see the moment when you see him. "...Oh..."

"You ok?" Sky takes the step forward. "That seemed rough."

"I... Um..."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He takes another step forward and places his hands on your shoulders. You're still shacking but instead of answering him you launch yourself into his arms.

Sky doesn't hesitate to hold you and lets you cry into his shoulder for as long as you need. He makes a vow to himself right then and there.

He's going to do his best to protect you... and the others. So that even if things get hard, maybe you'll have less nightmares to deal with.

If you'll let him, that is.

For now, he's going to hold you and be there for you when you need him.

It's... really all he can do.

[bookstantrash]

A/N: Who’s in for more Nessian Pride and Prejudice? This is now going to be a multichapter fic so I hope y’all enjoy it as much as I do! This is also almost 4K (3.997 words to be more specific lmao), the most I’ve ever written, so you can tell how obsessed I’m with P&P.

You can check here Pemberley’s Lake , part one of this fic.

Once again, huge shoutout to the gc for always being so encouraging. I love y’all 🥺 and special thanks for @perseusannabeth for brainstorming this fic with me 💜

Hooked on you

“The baskets?”

“Yes, my Lord”

“And the refreshments?”

“Yes, they are cool and ready to be served”

“And the table was set in case the ladies prefer its comfort to sitting in the picnic towel?”

“The fluffiest and silkiest one has been chosen and is in place, along with the table, chairs and parasol”

“And what about—”

“My Lord,” Mrs.Potts firmly said, interrupting Cassian’s nervous rambling “Everything has been double checked and ready since my lord inquired about it during breakfast”

Cassian exhaled, running his hands through his hair. Nesta and her companions were to arrive at any minute now, and he had to make sure everything was perfect. She deserved nothing but perfection, and Cauldron blast him if he ended up offending her and her friends in any way.

“Forgive me Mrs.Potts,” he said with small smile “My nerves are getting the best of me”

“You have nothing to worry about my Lord, the staff and I will not disappoint” the elderly head maid assured him. All of Pemberley’ staff had noticed how much their master’s encounter with Lady Archeron had raised his spirits, and they had made their life purpose to make sure his smile never disappeared.

Cassian had to be one of the kindest masters Mrs.Potts had ever served, and most of the staff agreed with her. He always made sure to make all of them comfortable and inquire about how their family was faring, if they were in need of any assistance. He showed a care towards his personnel that went beyond the common care of a master towards his servants, but rarely appeared to be truly happy, wearing a mask that concealed a deep sadness and loneliness within himself.

They had taken upon themselves to organise the most elaborate picnic in the history of Pemberley, in hopes their lord’ smile wavered no more.

And that a certain lady decided to accept his heart.

“The guests have arrived, sir” Cogsworth, Pemberley’s major-domo and head of the household staff, announced “They are waiting in the parlor”

“Thank you, Cogsworth. I shall be with them in a minute”

The butler gave a small nod and left them, going back to tend to the guests.

“Mrs.Potts,” Cassian said, turning in his head maid’s direction “How do I look?”

“Quite dashing, sir, if I may say so” she replied with a motherly smile.

“You may. And the compliment is most welcome” he replied, a boyish grin on his face.

Cassian had taken the utmost care getting dressed that morning. His hair alone had taken him two hours to achieve its natural messy and ruffled appearance, he wore one of his best fitted clothes, and his shoes were so polished he could see his reflection on them.

He could not allow himself to ruin this second chance fate had given him. Even if Nesta had not accepted his heart, he would do anything and everything to be of assistance to her and make sure she had the most enjoyable time in Pemberley.

Cassian quickly walked to the parlor, possible dialogues with Nesta going over his head, from polite greetings to teasings and inquires about her sisters and trip.

But it all went flying from his head the moment he laid his eyes on her.

Nesta Archeron possessed a beauty that took Cassian’s breath each time he saw her, and her current attire did little to help him breath.

She wore a light blue one piece gown, but what had him mesmerised was its off shoulder design, allowing him a clear view of her clavicule and showing a little bit more of skin than the current fashion allowed. White flower shaped buttons added a nice touch to the design, and her elbow length gloves acted as the perfect element to balance the daring dress.

“My Lady,” Cassian greeted, boldly reaching for her hand to drop a chaste kiss on it, wishing those stupid gloves were not in the way “I hope you did not wait for too long?”

“Not at all, sir” Nesta answered, a slight blush in her cheeks “May I introduce you to Miss Gwyneth Berdara, Miss Emerie Carynthian and Sir Balthazar Oristian?”

Cassian looked at both ladies, greeting them as he had with Nesta.

“It is an honour to finally meet the most sought singer in all England” he said, raising the opera singer’s hand to kiss it too, her pale constitution allowing him to notice how much she blushed.

He had thought it better to greet all ladies in the same manner, for it would be impolite and could arise assumptions of his feelings towards Nesta.

Miss Gwyneth Berdara was a petite woman, but Cassian knew that once she sang one could not help but be drawn to her, who shined the most brightly on the stage. Her copper chestnut hair was free, pinned back from her face by a dark blue ribbon, allowing a perfect view of her teal coloured eyes and freckled face. He could not help but wish that Nesta had followed her friend’s example and let her hair down too, which was fashioned in a coronet braid.

Cassian had not been able to stop thinking of Nesta with her hair unbound, that look of surprise on her face in the back of his mind.

He was always thinking of that look on her face.

Miss Berdara held a dark green parasol — no doubt to protect her fair skin from the sunlight —  and a matching dress in similar fashion to Nesta’s, although hers had long sleeves.

“And you must be the famous business woman who has been driving society mad with your beautiful designs” he eyed the lady in question and tried to hide his surprise as he greeted her.

Because Miss Emerie Carynthian was wearing high waisted black pants and a long sleeved white shirt with ruffled laces, her curly brown hair in a high updo.

She for sure was the one responsible for Gwyn’s and Nesta’s daring attire.

“How flattering, sir. At least one gentleman here knows how to talk to ladies” Emerie said, glancing at their only male companion with a smirk.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, sir” Balthazar ignored Emerie, quite used to his business partner’s teasing “I heard incredible stories about your feats in the War. Shame I was placed in a squadron so far away from your or else I could have seen you in action.”

“You participated in the Battle of Meinir Pass?” Cassian asked, surprised, shaking the other man’s hand in greeting.

“Aye sir, third squadron. After the War I invested some money in business, being fortunate to make a big deal. The unfortunate side being that said deal was with Miss Emerie here”

Cassian laughed. They were a curious group, with only Nesta actually having a place in high society, but still befriending those of different status. It was not something usual, and he felt even more wonder towards her.

“Shall we move on? There are refreshments and we were graced with wonderful weather.” escorting his guests outside, Cassian asked Balthazar about his time in the army, all the while keeping an eye on Nesta, that damn dress threatening to undo his sanity before lunch time.

~•~

Fishing was supposed to be a nice activity. Calming. Relaxing.

Harmless.

Except nothing was truly harmless if Nesta Archeron was involved, because Cassian could not care less about catching fish.

Emerie and Gwyn — she had insisted to be called Gwyn instead of Gwyneth, “We are friends now, you cannot call me Gwyneth, it is too serious” — had gotten bored of fishing after twenty minutes and were now eating strawberries in the blanket laid near the lake. Cassian was really glad they had liked the blanket and ditched the table.

It meant they were comfortable around him.

It meant that he was one more step away from ruining his plan to make today perfect.

Balthazar had promptly prepared his things and in no time had caught three fishes. Emerie had bet he could not catch ten until they left for their inn, so now he was making his goal to catch not ten but fifteen.

Cassian could only wonder how their partnership was if this is how they usually behaved around each other.

Nesta, on the other hand, had been busy reading a book, completely lost in her world.

Until Gwyn and Emerie thought it would be a good idea to splash water at her.

Cassian thought she was going to be angry to have her clothes wet — or to risk getting her book damaged — but he was taken by surprise when Nesta threw her head back and laughed, cheeks flushed and the sun shining in her hair.

It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, and he was so mesmerized by it that he almost hooked his finger instead of the fishing bait.

Cassian lost all interest in fishing once they started splashing water at themselves, watching them play with a small smile on his face, no doubt appearing to be a fool in love.

Balthazar, however, was not so happy.

“This must be a plan from Emerie to ruin my fishing” he muttered a little annoyed “I was about to catch a big one but they scared it away”

“They will get tired soon, my friend” Cassian tried to assure him “It is quite hot today to be moving around, even if they are splashing water at each other”

The sun was indeed high in the sky, and Cassian could not help but wonder how the ladies managed to appear so composed and fresh despite the many layers they wore. He and Balthazar had long ditched their coats to stay only in their shirts, Cassian going as far as rolling his sleeves.

He had failed to notice how Nesta had been eyeing him as he rolled his sleeves, her eyes tracing every new piece of tanned skin being exposed.

“It must be the sun” she thought to herself as she felt her mouth getting dry looking at Cassian’s bare forearms “Surely I am not attracted to him. I am just thirsty because of the weather.”

Nesta had been feeling strangely anxious since they had arrived at Pemberley, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest when Cassian kissed her hand. Oh, how she had momentarily wished she was as bold as Emerie and Gwyn to not bother with gloves — Nesta had been offered by Emerie to wear one of her newly designed pants, which she politely declined, stating that the off shoulder gown was as daring as she would allow herself to be — so she could finally know how Cassian’s lips would feel against her bare skin.

She was not proud to have thought such an improper thing, and even more ashamed of the ugly feeling in her heart when Cassian greeted her friends in the same manner.

How delusioned she had been to think he was showing her some preference.

That his feelings had stayed the same since her sister’s ball.

Cassian was a gentleman, and as such was only showing proper courtesy by greeting them all in the most dignified manner.

“Oh, it is so hot” Gwyn complained, their water game interrupted to get some refreshments “Even your light designed gowns cannot keep it away, Emerie”

“If only we could go for a dive” Emerie sighed, eyeing the lake.

“It would not be proper” Nesta mumbled, still distracted as she watched Cassian.

“Proper” Emerie snorted, taking off her shoes and rolling her pants until her ankles “I almost regret wearing those pants, if only they did not look so good on me”

“Emerie what are you doing, for the Mother!” Nesta exclaimed, watching as her friend dipped her feet in the cold water.

“I am refreshing myself dear, what does it look like?” she waved her hand in dismissal. “Balthazar could not care less about seeing some skin, he is too busy trying to win our bet. Whereas Cassian is too polite to stare. Besides, I dare say he would not care either, as he seems to be used to female attention.”

Nesta found herself with nothing to say in face of Emerie’s remarks, except her annoyance that Cassian would have ladies falling left and right at his feet.

That strangely bothered her.

“Pardon me then, I will agree with Emerie on this” Gwyn declared, dipping her own feet in the lake and sighing in delight “Join us Nesta, please. You must be feeling quite hot”

“Oh well, stop rushing me” Nesta replied, faking annoyance. She promptly dumped her feet in the water, even going as far as taking off her gloves and unbuttoning the first two buttons of her dress, letting the fresh air cool her warm skin “There, all relaxed and improper.”

“Bravo!” Emerie exclaimed, and the three of them laughed loudly.

Nesta had to agree that the cold water was indeed very refreshing, soon not even caring about Cassian or Balthazar’s presence. It was good to let off some steam and forget proper etiquette for a moment. She imagined her mother rolling in her grave in ultrage at her eldest daughter's attitude, which filled her with smug satisfaction.

A fish came up to swim around Nesta’s feet, and she giggled at the sensation.

“Do not move” Balthazar said, eyeing the fish “I have my sights on this little fella”

“Balthazar! Let it go! It’s not bothering me” she exclaimed, feeling protective over her new aquatic friend.

“But Nesta, I have caught twelve fish already. If you let me— “

“I do not allow you to dare and hurt it. You have more than enough time to attempt and win yours and Emerie’s bet” Nesta declared, leaving no room for argument.

Balthazar cursed quietly, but he knew better than to try to go against Nesta. Even if it was over a small thing as a fish.

Nesta asked Gywn about her mysterious sponsor, which had made it possible to fulfill her dream of singing in the most renowned opera houses in England. Gwyn informed she had yet to meet her generous patron, but that recently she had been receiving flowers every new performance.

“You think they are from your patron?” Nesta inquired “Or from any of your mass of admirers?”

Gwyn blushed at her friend’s teasing. Her dressing room was usually crowded with gifts after her performances, be it with expensive jewelry, chocolates, dresses and even love letters.

“I do not know. All I have as a clue are the lovely ribbons used to tie the flowers with” she indicated the one currently tying her hair.

They kept talking about who possibly could be her sponsor, lost in their gossip.

If they had paid attention, both ladies would have spotted Cassian — a small blush that could pass as a result from the hot weather adorning his face — gazing at Nesta. 

More specifically, at her ankles.

His hands were tightly gripping the fishing rod, his eyes moving from her ankles to her bare arms to the two open buttons of her dress.

Cauldron, the places Nesta Archeron made his thoughts wander to.

He quickly looked back at the lake, shaking his head to try and think of other things, glad they were too busy to notice his blatantly staring.

Only that Emerie had seen him and the way he looked at one of her dearest friends. She tucked that information for later, both to tease Nesta about it and to think of more scandalous clothing to make her wear.

She knew a look of love when she saw one, and she was sure Cassian held it.

Nesta, on the other hand, would need a little push to realise her feelings.

And to Emerie’s joy, it appeared that until the end of the day she would have plenty of teasing material.

Both Cassian and Balthar took a break from fishing to have lunch with the ladies — although the latter kept eyeing his fishing rod while he ate, no doubt wanting to get back as soon as possible. Mrs.Potts and the rest of the help had really outdone themselves, there was enough food to feed at least twenty people.

“This has to be the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten” Nesta declared, already in her second slice “Please deliver my compliments to the cook”

“I am sure Chef Ramsay will be most pleased to hear that” Cassian said, knowing his chef would most probably scream something along the lines of ‘Of course she liked my food, I am the one who cooked it!’ but be secretly happy with the compliment.

“Elain will be sad to hear that” Gwyn teased “To think her cooking talents are viewed in such poor manners in your eyes….”

“Hush now. My sister’s cooking is exceptional, but even her would have to agree with me on this”

“You certainly enjoy it, I have never seen you so unlady like” Emerie said laughing, indicating the chocolate sauce that had gotten on her fingers.

Proving that she could be even more unlady like — by that time her mother would be almost resurrecting to hit Nesta with a whip for her horrid attitude — and shock her friends even more, Nesta licked her fingers instead of using a napkin, promptly cleaning her hand. That action brought fake gasps from her friends, who feigned horror at her action. Even Balthazar got in the play, saying no man would now dare to court her after such behaviour.

Little did he know that Cassian was thinking of proposing to Nesta again. He had tracked each lick, each portion of the chocolate sauce being eaten, his heart beating faster and faster, feeling his body warming and his mind wandering to unspeakable places not for the first time in the day.

“Get a grip Cassian” he thought to himself, drinking some lemonade in hopes of calming down.

Nesta chose the exact moment to glance at him, wanting to see his reaction at her attitude.

Not that she was anxious he would find her repulsive or unworthy of having been invited to this outing.

Rather, what she saw was Cassian drinking lemonade, the sun making his dark hair shine like obsidian, her mouth suddenly dry as she watched him swallow.

“What sorcery is this? Why do I feel that way even with the smallest things he does?” Nesta asked herself. feeling her cheeks getting warmer and looking down at her empty plate.

She made her best to try and avoid looking at him again, jumping at the opportunity to make flower crowns with Gwyn while Emerie sketched some news designs in a small notebook she carried everywhere.

Soon she was lost in the calming motion of twisting and knotting the flowers together, all thoughts of Cassian momentary forgotten.

It was Emerie’s voice saying her name that brought her back to reality.

“I think Nesta may have something”

“What?” she asked, looking up to find both Cassian and her friend looking at her.

“I was wondering if any of you would have anything I could tie my hair with” he brushed his hair back, a few curly locks falling in front of his eyes “I forgot to bring my usual leather strap with me”

“I have a ribbon” Nesta said, fumbling in her purse for the spare she always carried.

Handing him the red ribbon, her heart skipped a beat when their hands touched. She could swear his touch lingered for longer than necessary.

She watched as he gathered his hair in a bun, failing again and again at tying it with the red piece of silk.

“Is the General Commander losing against a mere hair accessory?” Nesta could not help but tease.

“This is quite different from what I am used to” he sighed in defeat “I’m withdrawing from this fight. It seems I will have to bear with the sun for a little longer”

“I could tie it for you” she blurted out before she could hold her tongue back.

Cassian only blinked at her.

“I mean, if Your Grace allows and is not bothered by me touching your hair or—”

“I would be most honoured” he cut her nervous rambling, moving to sit in front of her.

"Pardon me then” Nesta breathless said, taking his hair on her hands.

His hair was much softer than she had imagined and she dared to wonder if had she accepted his proposal, Cassian would have let her brush his hair.

If her making those small braids to make it easier to tie his rebel locks would have been a frequent occurrence.

“Oh, how lovely Nesta!” Gwyn exclaimed and placed one flower crown on Cassian’s head “There! Now he’s perfect!”

“The General Commander of the British Armies wearing a flower crown and with braids on his hair! Ha! No one would believe me if I told them!” Balthazar exclaimed, having grown tired of fishing after his eighteenth catch.

Cassian’s land really was blessed with an abundance of fish.

“What are you laughing for? I also made one for you!” Gwyn said, dumping one crown with pink flowers in Balthazar’s head, making Emerie roar with laughter.

If Cassian appeared to be bothered, he did not let it show, and Nesta could not help but think he looked adorable, nothing like the famous Lord of Bloodshed, who had killed many enemies of the Crown in battle.

“Your friends are rather charming, my Lady” Cassian pointed out, watching Emerie and Balthazar bickering while Gwyn laughed at them.

“I hope we are not causing Your Grace much trouble”

“Not at all” he assured her “This is the most fun I have had in a long time”

Nesta hoped he was saying the truth and not being excessively polite.

The afternoon went on, the group deciding to call it a day and gathering their things. Nesta stayed a little behind the group, too busy trying to button her dress again to keep up with them.

“Those beautiful unpractical buttons” she muttered angrily, failing to put the flower shaped buttons in their place.

“Lady Nesta, is something the matter?”

Nesta almost let out a scream when she saw that Cassian had not left.

“I was just— “ her words died in her throat when Cassian got closer, his hands hovering over her dress.

“May I?” he inquired softly.

Nesta could only nod and pray to the Mother he could not feel her heart beating faster than racing horses. Up close and with his hair tied back neatly —  the small braids suited him more than she would have liked to admit —  she could pinpoint every scar he had, from the one on his left eyebrow to the small cut near his mouth.

Her fingers itched to trace them.

To kiss them.

To kiss him.

“There. All proper now” Cassian said, his voice a little hoarse.

“Thank you, sir” Nesta managed to say despite wanting to scream and melt inside.

They walked silently back to the main state, a comfortable silence between them.

Cassian desperately wanted to hold her hand, using once again the excuse of helping her get on the carriage to do just that.

“Shall you pay Pemberley a visit tomorrow?” he hopefully asked “I could show you the rest of the state”

“I shall be waiting for your call, sir” Nesta replied.

“And please accept this,” she added in a rushed tone, dropping a small object on his hand “ it is not much but I would like to show my gratitude for today.”

“I am most thankful” Cassian said, the carriage leaving before he could say anything else.

Looking at his hand, he realised he held a delicate daisy chain, no wonder made by Nesta while she and Gywn were making the flower crowns.

“I will treasure this forever” he said looking at the carriage turning smaller and smaller as it got away from Pemberley.

Tags: @sayosdreams​ @thewayshedreamed​ @sjm-things​ @perseusannabeth​ @arinbelle​ @caotica-e-quieta​ @vidalinav​ @swankii-art-teacher​ @ireallyshouldsleeprn​ @duskandstarlight​ @greerlunna​ @thegoddessaltenia​ @dayanna-hatter​ @verypaleninja​ @awesomelena555​ @courtofjurdan​ @valkyriewarriors​ @moe8​ @illyrianwitchling13​ @silvernesta​ @bri-loves-sunflowers​ @queenestarcheron​ @imwritingthesewords @vasudharaghavan​ @rainbowcheetah512​ @darkshadowqueensrule​ @letstakethedawn​ @starlightorstarfire​ @city-of-fae​ @thalia-2-rose​ @nestaarcher0n​ @rowaelinismyotp​ @julemmaes​ @dontgetsalmonella​ @alinaleksanders​ @lysandra-tiara9​ @inardour​ @hikari274​ @fatimafares123​ @angelina-figjam​ @castielspelvis​ @illyrianundercover​ @firebirdofscythia

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[discojupiters]

Another Lonely Night in New York

Casually uploading Bee Gees fanfic as if I haven't had this account for almost five years and I'm just now using it to post stuff because I am upset at the lack of Bee Gees fanfic that exists and I need to change that also cuz I haven't posted on any form of social media in literal ages and I just really want an excuse to post classic rock shitposts and whatnot. :D

Ao3 link to the fanfic if you'd prefer to read it there

Another Lonely Night in New York

Robin/Fluff

The rain had been predominantly worse at night than it had been in the morning. Dense raindrops splattered onto Robin's hotel room window as he sat near the window, flinching every now and then at the speed at which the pellets of rain struck the window. The weather had been like this for almost the entirety of Robin's stay in Manhattan, which made it difficult for him to see many of sights that he originally intended to see. He stayed for nearly 4 days straight cooped up in his hotel room and if he forced himself to stay in there a minute longer, he was about to go mentally insane; he had to get out and go outside for a stroll. Despite the brutal showers and the absence of an umbrella, he put on his coat and made his way down to the lobby and out the door. He knew not where his first stop would be nor how long he'd be out, all he knew was that he needed fresh air, whether the air was battling fierce weather or not. Robin trekked out east in hopes to find something worthy of his time.

Robin had originally desired to head to New York in order to find inspiration for new music for his solo album that he was working on. After the Bee Gees decided to take a break for a bit following the release of Living Eyes, Robin found himself in a great opportunity to release more solo albums and expand his talent as a songwriter. His intentions were unfortunately tampered with as the climate in New York at this time was not the best. Little to no inspiration had crossed through his mind for the entirety of his trip and he only had one more day before he needed to be back in London to begin recording sessions.

Robin's mind was as blank as a fresh piece of paper as he strolled through the streets of midtown Manhattan. Bright and colorful lights guided him to Times Square in what felt like no time. Robin had only prayed that something in those lively, radiant billboards and lights would make a light bulb go off in his head and give him enough material to write a perfect song.

The rain showed no signs of stopping any time soon, and it wasn't until now that Robin realized how foolish he looked sopping wet with his hair sticking to his face and neck while everyone else were as dry as bones under their umbrellas. Robin reached for the hood of his coat to hide his drenched hair only to notice he brought the coat without a hood instead of the other one he had in his room that did have a hood. He thought for a moment about heading back to the hotel to spare the rest of his embarrassment but he kept walking, tenacious to find even the smallest bit of inspiration for a new song.

The stop at a crosswalk was the first break Robin had given his legs in God knows how long the amount of time he had been walking for. They ached almost enough for Robin's knees to buckle and give out on him. He could feel people staring at him, businessmen coming home late from their office jobs, young fools in love heading to various restaurants and clubs downtown, rebellious teens on their way to their secret hideouts. All these people nice and dry under their umbrellas while they stared at the lonely freak in New York who couldn't have even bothered to bring the correct coat in order to save his head from the rainfall.

'Another lonely night in New York'

Eagerly waiting for the crosswalk light to flash white, at this point he couldn't wait until it was time to go back home to London. This trip had been nothing but disappointing to him. No benefits to his song writing or even his own well being what so ever. The only thing he'd catch from this trip now would be a cold from the rainwater coating his entire body, making his pants stick to his legs, seeping into his sneakers and making his socks damp, that he'd have to deal with once he got back home. On the bright side if he did catch a cold then he would be able to delay the recording sessions until his voice got better which would give him more time to write some more material for the album.

'The city of dreams just keeps on getting me down'

In the midst of all the dismay washing over him, he almost didn't notice that the rain had suddenly begun to repel him. He could still see the rain in front of him, yet none of it was touching him anymore. Puzzled, he looked above his head to see what had happened, but all he spotted was a black, dome shaped piece of nylon; the canopy of an umbrella above his head. The misty scent of perfume filled his nostrils. He glanced over to the right of him to find a woman holding the umbrella over his head for him. Her resting face was nonchalant as she peered across the street, also waiting for the crosswalk light to turn white, but she gave a coy smile to Robin when she noticed him staring at her.

Robin wanted to speak up, wanted to thank the winsome young lady for sharing her umbrella with him, but the words wouldn't come to him. As the crosswalk light finally changed, everyone made their way across the street. New Yorkers were fast walkers, it was strenuous to keep up with the woman. Her strut was self-assured, even in the six inch stilettos that she wore; it was like she injected confidence into her veins every morning. Robin was mesmerized by her. He was still thinking about the smile she gave him when they were on the other side of the crosswalk, trying his best to hide a cheeky, daydreaming smile.

As the walk with the woman continued, Robin couldn't help but wonder: Was he going to be following this woman around until she reached her destination? Did they both have the same destination? Robin didn't even know where he would end up, he wracked his brain wondering if this woman was gonna lead him somewhere or if she was just doing a quick favor and wanted him to leave now. The woman hadn't spoke the whole time. Her nonchalant expression turned into a gentle smile yet she refused to look at Robin anymore than that one glance she shot at him when he noticed her.

Robin and the woman were now exiting Times Square, the high-spirited lights merely staining the background now as the woman continued to head for the subway. Robin knew right then and there that it was time for him to head back, as much as he adored this woman, he couldn't take a chance. He didn't know her and God forbid he let himself get killed tonight all because he had love fogging up his brain just for a woman who did a single kind deed for him. Again, Robin's mouth couldn't open to say a goodbye. It was like his throat was frozen every time he was near this woman. After an extensive fight to make the words come out, he gave up and instead stayed put in his spot on the sidewalk, waiting for the woman to notice and hopefully say goodbye first. After the woman reached a few paces noticing Robin had left her side, she worriedly glanced around, holding onto her hair to make sure the rain didn't touch it. She glimpsed behind her to find Robin slowly sauntering backwards in order to give her the indication that he was leaving. She relaxed her arms as her gloved hands waved goodbye to Robin, granting him the same kittenish smile she had given him earlier that night. Robin waved back and finally turned around to make his way back to the hotel.

Robin tried hard not to glance back every few seconds to get one last look at the woman, but failed miserably; he couldn't help it. After fully losing sight of the woman, he ran back to his hotel. He was grateful that she helped him, yet suddenly glum now that he was aware that he may never see that woman again. He didn't know anything about her, not her name, not her voice, not her story, but that didn't stop him from falling head over heels for her. He knew that feeling wouldn't last long, it would probably be gone by the time he'd step foot on the plane back to London, but it was a nice thought to occupy his mind with for the time being. It fascinated him at times that he could be so in love with a woman that he knew absolutely nothing about all because she noticed him and did something good for him.

'Cause my baby's no longer around and my feelings can never be found'

Robin made it back to the hotel, tracking puddles of the water all the way up to his room. The first thing he did upon entering his room was remove all of his drenched clothes and head for the shower. Once he dried himself off, he frantically searched the room for a pencil and paper, heading to his window when he finally had one. Before he could even write down a single lyric, he found her. The woman who had helped him. She was making her way down the street of the hotel as if she had been walking in circles this entire time. Was she actually trying to reach a certain destination? Or was she just out and about looking for men to swoon over her through her acts of kindness? It didn't matter to Robin, because at least he got to take one last look at her that night. That was all he needed for inspiration. If that woman was enough to give a songwriter with writer's block inspiration for a new song, than in Robin's book that woman was enough to make the world go 'round. Robin wrote down lyrics as swiftly as they came to him.

'Another lonely night in New York, and my sorry eyes are looking out on the world'

[cloudbattrolls]

Prison Blues (Or Is It Green)

Etuuya Vannyn || Present Night || Underground

You carved the soil out beneath your forest hive with tools and time and patience, but it also helps that you have a natural sense of how things are underground. You’ve always thought that odd; you’re not earthworms, after all. Perhaps the drinker parasite came from some deep cavern somewhere.

As you descend into the tunnels, lantern on your hip, you relax instinctually even if your conscious mind is occupied. You become more loosely wrapped around your bones even as your mind grows more wary and your ears flick.

It’s quiet down here, with the smell of dirt overlaying everything. You don’t breathe, of course, but you like to smell what’s around you.

As you walk along, lantern tapping against your thigh, the sounds of thrashing and clanging grow from distant to immediate, wracking your ears as they pin back.

His ears are just like yours, too. With how soundproofed it is, all he can hear in there is himself.

The cell built into the earth is a cube of dull metal. It took you time and several jobs to get enough money for it and the black-market carpenter drone you used to help build it. It was meant for you, in case you ever needed to lock yourself up.

But hungry as you tend to be, Vednir is clearly worse to the point where he can’t even control himself.

You put a hand on the door, leaning on it, using your other to take out a pair of earmuffs to block the noise. They’re fuzzy and lime.

He bangs against it and you fall back with a startled yelp. You pick stand up and dust yourself off, checking the lantern to make sure it’s unharmed. Thankfully there’s no damage.

“Oh, hush. You’re being dramatic. And if I’m saying that, it’s bad.”

You chuckle a little, conceding your tendency for flair and edge.

More bangs.

“Goodness, Vednir, what would Hydran think? I haven’t told him, you know. I don’t want him to be terrified or set back after he’s been doing better. He can still be cagey in class, but he’s trying. I hope getting a matesprit will be good for him…ha, I sound like Claire does about me.”

There’s a pause, and then you hear muffled growling.

You sigh.

“I guess you’re only interested in one thing right now, hm? Admittedly, so am I, especially after wrestling you down here. That was a job.”

The slot in the door has a barbed wire mesh over it on the other side, meant to keep you from wriggling through. So you have to put thick gloves on to ease the long vials of blood in through the holes so they can drop down. You put goggles on as well and isn’t that a good thing because he dives for them and even through the slot some drops splatter you.

You let some worms free to suck them up before they go back in.

So good. Why do trolls have to taste so good?

You give him as much as you can spare - he’s suffering enough, you can at least put some dent in his hunger. Unlike you, he probably doesn’t just slip peacefully into hibernation if he’s starved. Drinkers can die again that way - or exist in such agony they wish they could.

Then you sit and take out your own share. Several gallons of various hues, much more than a lean thing like you should be able to manage. Like the rest of your appearance, your size is deceptive when you are not one appetite but many, and you have no stomach to be limited by.

That’s what trolls, even other drinkers, don’t understand. Hunger isn’t just something you have. It’s what you are, what you were made for - spying and being a ravenous threat to back it up.

You down the blood and you feel strong, content, lazily satisfied. Your clothes sit slightly tighter on you.

Even Vednir has quieted down a little. Maybe he’s full too for the moment, maybe he wore himself out.

A long sigh escapes you as you ruin your own good mood with worry. How long will he be like this? You managed to raid enough corpses to satisfy both of you, but it took a decent chunk of time. You’re going to need help to keep him fed and manage your own affairs.

“Come back to us, old man.” You plea quietly. “You’re a silly fool, you know? Who else am I going to bother about monuments and tombs? I’ve got a book on pre-imperial history you should read.”

Nothing.

You pick yourself up and go back. Will you have to kill him if he doesn’t get better, to spare him his suffering? To spare everyone else?

You wish you could do more to compensate the club. At least you gave them some money.

As you stand in your hive once more, the entrance to below firmly locked, you decide you’ll give it a perigee.

Then you’ll have to figure something out.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Motion Sickness Chapter 46

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Wutai was burning when we returned. We could see the smoke a ways off. I rushed to help, flying with Limit Breaker. People were trapped under rubble, a collapsed house and I picked it up off them allowing them to escape despite the flames licking out at me.

With my aura I was amongst the safest.

Neo caught up to me but I was already moving. I'd seen enough burnt down villages for a life-time.

I found Godo in the middle of town, he was directing the firefighting crews about.

"What happened here?"

"Strife-San? We were attacked. Bandits in the woods. Ever since Branwen took over they've been getting bolder. They took my daughter."

"Why would they do that?" My hands itched. I was jumping out of my skin. That murderous something rose up in me. The Grimm we'd slaughtered on the way back had satisfied me none.

"Ransom. They believe they'll be able to hold her over me and receive our supplies. It's not the first time we have been attacked in such a way. Though I was stronger back then. I fear for my daughter's life."

"I'll help you. You just worry about putting out the fires. I'll see about getting you your daughter back."

I had a great deal of pent up rage that could only be quelled against human opponents. Things prone to suffering deserved my attention, not like the Grimm.

"I would be in your debt."

I dismissed him with a wave of my gloved hand and turned to the tracks in the earth. My preternatural ability to track Grimm wouldn't help here but the footprints were clear in the soft ground and I was faster than even your average hunter. I'd catch up to them.

I flew through the woods. One hand out and the other back holding Crocea Mors up in its broadest form. I hungered for violence. The little book about my construction in my pocket felt as heavy as the relic by my side. It felt as heavy as Crocea Mors, even.

I wanted to use both my sword and the relic. After this… after this I'd give it a try. I needed something to help me cope and I wasn't sure murder and drugs were going to do it for me. I really wanted to kill something, though, something that could feel pain. And I really wanted to get these bugs out of my eyes.

Maybe knowledge would be the key. It was one of the four most powerful relics on Remnant's face. I'd be a fool to not try something with it.

I glid inches above the forest floor. The bramble and uneven ground which might have tripped me up couldn't slow me. I leaned forward over the vines and flew faster. It was dusk, only getting darker. Someone who couldn't fly would be seriously slowed and hampered by the terrain. I low profiled the tree branches and flew right through them where they might delay me, my aura and I weren't to be halted by this.

There was a reason most horror stories took place in the woods and at the moment I felt like such a terror.

I must have flown kilometers, chasing them through the underbrush they trampled and I merely breezed past. I left Neo behind but she'd be able to catch up if she was decent at tracking. Teleporting would also help her match me.

I could make out a light in the woods ahead. A small light which burned beneath the great pine trees.

I hovered forward and transitioned to easy footsteps. "Found you…" I murmured. I wanted to murder. I wanted death. I wanted to kill.

The bandits had a building made from hewn logs to make walls. I could spot the light of their campfire inside and a few tents. They didn't have wide enough walls for battlements and had no sentries. Instead it sounded like a party inside.

Neo appeared beside me. She panted hard for a minute or two as I took stock of the situation.

"Like I said, go nuts." I told her. "Personally I'm taking no prisoners."

She laughed silently beside me.

I front-flipped over the logs and landed in the middle of their camp near the blazing fire.

I spotted Yuma tied up with rope by the fire. She was surrounded by celebrating bandits who slowly went for their weapons. Well slowly relative to the speed I was running at.

"Things may not work out for you," I whispered, holding the broadsword level. Blue light streamed off my body and I felt good in the elevated state.

Some of them wore armor imitating Grimm bone. If they wanted Grimm I'd show them Grimm. I was a can of that type of worm. I would show them the trouble that meant. The beast in my chest roared something angry and malevolent.

I attacked. One nearest me went for a sword at his belt. I slashed him. Biting deep into aura, I knocked him to the ground. I brought my sword down in a hacking motion once, twice, three times and I sliced through him at the neck and sent his head rolling.

I felt the violent spirit inside me only grow louder. It was hungry for bloodshed and I was going to give it to it.

Spears, axes, guns all pointed at me. Neo flickered into place beside me and bullets bounced off her bullet proof umbrella.

I rolled behind her taking cover from the storm of bullets that ensued. When there was a reprieve I flew out from behind her and slashed down at a girl nearby me wearing that Grimm white bone on her shoulders. She flinched back and raised her pistol. I swung upwards and clipped her arms. Another man came at me with a spear but I blocked it to the side.

I Cross Slashed him and he fell into four pieces. Even without Limit I was feeling good. I… I wasn't sure I wanted to stop at these bandits. Wutai was weak. I could kill everyone there and no one would be the wiser.

I came back to the girl with the pistol and slashed her across the ribs. Then brought my blade down at her shoulder. Her aura flared and shattered as I thrust the wide blade into her chest. I gave it a shaking motion, bringing the Titania up and she fell off with a shlick noise.

I swung horizontally at one with a rifle and he tried to block with his weapon but I cut right through it and knocked him to the ground. I kicked him in the chest where he fell with my right foot in a snapping tai-kick. Then I stepped forward and snapped out a round kick with my left. Then I brought the blade around lightning fast and cut him at the torso, just above the arm, and all the way through his rib cage.

Another still I punished with a devastating falling aerieal attack. I sliced at him and tore away a chunk of aura. Then I side-flipped and slashed with the motion cutting him again. He tried to stab down at me but I caught it easily on my massive blade. I lifted my weapon and the motion tossed him backwards and I was on him with the cuts until he fell forever. Horizontal. Vertical. Diagonal. Vertical.

Neo landed beside me and pulled at my sleeve. She got my attention. I glanced at her face to see something like fear on her expression. I'd never seen her look like that. I followed her gaze. I turned to look at a woman in a Grimm faced mask with a long red katana. She had a wild mane of black hair that went waist length.

"You have some nerve attacking me."

"I have no idea who you are."

She laughed beneath her mask. "I'm the Khan of Khans."

"Raven Branwen. I know your daughter," I confessed.

"I have no daughter."

I charged Limit for a beat and was rewarded with the trailing, glowing, blue wisps. I twirled my weapon about and placed it between us. She waved her Katana at me, it was nearly four feet long but it looked fragile in comparison to Crocea Mors.

"I would know your name, Warrior. You know mine."

"I'm Cloud Strife. Your reign of destruction and pillaging ends here."

"Doubtful. Many have tried and stood where you now stand."

"None of them were like me. I am danger's oldest son."

She blurred forward as though to get around me but I matched her speed and blocked her. She lowered her weapon slightly. Because of the mask, I couldn't identify what emotion she felt. She was fast, like Cinder or Tyrian fast.

But I'd kept pace with Cinder when last we met. Raven blurred to one side, trying to flank me again but I matched her once more and our weapons collided in a flash of blue and red. She stumbled back and took stock of her situation. I was faster than her with my semblance active. I might even be outright stronger than her too by a degree. Perhaps even without my semblance. My range was superior to her too and of course, one way to look at that was that she is slower than Ruby who I was able to match at times.

I raised my weapon parallel to my face. I thrust at her but she swept it to the side. She front-flipped at me but I caught both her and her downward swing with a horizontal roof block. I held one hand on the handle and the other against the back of the blade. I held up the force of her strike and her entire body weight easily. I pressed her back and she landed on her feet neatly.

I wasn't about to back down from this fight. I felt like I had a real shot at winning it.

The beast in my chest let out a low wary murmur. It was not satisfied. I wasn't satisfied. Both I and it wanted Raven to die, just for getting in my way. It shrieked for more blood to be spilled. A devouring volume that kept rising. A drum that beat in time with my heart.

Raven came at me and slashed her katana then when I shielded she reversed it and tried to stab at me. I deflected that too and quickly brought the weight of Crocea Mors down on her head. She stepped back out of my range hurriedly, desperately avoiding the massive strike. The power of it left the earth grooved. For five feet out in front of the tip of the blade. It would have splashed that energy across her body if it had come into contact with her.

She jumped somersaulting acrobatically towards me and I just flew straight at her. Our blades met twice in a crossing gesture while in mid-air but I had some force propelling me as I flew and with a low guiding hum of metal on metal I flung her back into one of the tents.

She landed ungracefully and rolled to the side as I brought Crocea Mors thrusting vertically down where she had laid fallen. She kicked at me and I stumbled back from the force of it.

She swept her blade at my legs but I hovered over it, grabbed her and pushed her all the way back to the wall where the bandits had hurried logs to make up their camp.

I tried to push her straight through it but I only managed to slam her into it. At this range neither of our swords could be brought to bear and it turned into a melee.

She elbowed me in the face and down across my eye as I went to knee her in the gut. She knocked my knee back down, catching it on her one open palm.

I grabbed her by the shoulder and stuck out one leg and tossed her back all the way across the clearing. She rolled to her feet. Bringing her katana up to handle what came at her next.

I slashed at her twice before I thrust forward and caught her by the belly. I pulled twenty feet straight up in the air and came slamming back down on her with a Climb-Hazard. She dodged out of the way of the second hit. And sliced me across the chest. She went for another cut about mid-height but I deflected it and with a shout I slung her away and into the wall of the camp once more.

I ran up to her and slashed horizontally in a move that brought the fifteen foot high wall of logs down on us. She flickered out of the way but I cut my path up through the falling tree trunks.

"You know I thought you'd have a whole entourage with you, following the queen of the bandits. Seems to me you're mostly alone. Why is that?"

She jumped at me and I Limit Break blade-beamed her. The tall beam caught her by the legs and dragged her into it. The move blended against her aura until it began to crackle, then it tossed her away.

No longer glowing blue I found myself still propelled on nothing more than my will. I was tractionless above the ground and I slid at her on a pocket of air until I slashed at her baseball style and it connected across her body and sent her rebounding off the ground.

"Vernal is dead. I didn't kill her but your little spring maiden is gone." I went on.

I stood still, just charging away at my next Limit Break. I'd get it eventually and once I did I'd be in a comfortable position to end her.

"You work for her, for Salem."

"Yes." I breathed. "And no. We have a complicated relationship. Family is like that, though. I'm sure you understand."

She moved fast enough to leave behind an after-image. She sliced at me and I blocked the first attack but the second caught me under the ribs. It buffeted me back but I quickly regained my balance. She came around for a third but I twisted my much wider blade around to catch it.

She front kicked at me and caught me in the center of the chest. I was once more knocked back but I wasn't losing any real ground. I laughed. She cut me four more times in the blink of an eye. Slashing back and forth with her long red katana. The pain felt amazing. There was a popping sound as the air expanded around me and my semblance returned.

Blue flames licked out and I caught her sword arm, picked her up and slammed her face first into the ground once. Twice. Three times. Then I delivered a boot to her head that sent her rolling. I swept after her on a pocket of air and gave her an upwards gold swing.. It was a strike upwards that caught her by the chest.

It launched her into the air and I chased after her. I slashed at her with my heavy weapon while she was airborn and helpless. I spent Limit on an eight cut move. I hit her with two diagonal cuts that rebounded off her aura. Then I hit her with four horizontal ones. Then I front-flipped and delivered two more massive vertical ones alternating each direction.

The final hit sent her rocketing to earth where she threw up dust and dirt. I landed gently nearby and began to pace over to where she was slowly struggling to rise.

She sheathed her blade, I watched the compartment cycle for a moment until she withdrew it and shot a current of electricity at me.  It came at me like a curtain and I watched the yellow blade she had drawn shatter as she spent the dust forged into it.

It hardly mattered since the bolt threw me off my feet into the encampment wall and left me singed. She slashed at the air and a red portal appeared. She stepped into it and was gone as the portal faded and collapsed.

I screamed. When I picked myself up I howled and stabbed some poor bandit soul who was still standing too close, perhaps waiting to finish me off. My aura was indeed on the lower side, but not so low that I'd be finished by scum like that.

I reached out with my sword and slashed at the man's purple aura until it gave way and I sliced through his body too.

Neo reappeared beside me and for a moment I wanted to kill her too. I breathed in and out, nice and easy.

"I'm fine," I said through grit teeth. "Just pissed off she escaped me. I fucking had her dead to rights with that Octa-Slash."

She gestured at the remaining bandits.

"Kill them. Torture them. Whatever pleases you." She nodded looking relieved and pleased. She vanished, flickering away.

I walked over to Yuma and sheathed my broadsword. I pulled the longsword free from my back and cut her loose. I pulled the gag that had been in her mouth out.

She reached out and embraced me and the monster in my heart that I'd discovered in Merlot's laboratory died down. I just held the young girl in my arms and shushed her.

She looked over at what Neo was doing and I pulled her head back.

"Look at me, sweetheart. Don't pay that any attention." There was screaming coming from behind us.

"You saved me."

"It was the right thing to do." I said it gruffly like I didn't want to believe it. Ruby… Pyrrha… neither would be proud of they'd seen what I'd become and before this young girl I felt a crawling sense of shame.

I was ashamed of letting the darkness in my heart rule me.

So what if I was a puppet? So what if I was born a monster? So what even if I had to kill people? Even if I have to torture people?

I didn't have to like it. I wasn't sure if that was enough of a difference to set me free. I wasn't even sure if it gave me a sense of hope. More than anything I still felt an inching dread. Maybe I was hopeless. Maybe I was doomed.

But there was a difference between doing what I must for the sake of doing what I had to and doing what I wanted to because I could.

I didn't have to be like Tyrian. I didn't have to be like Salem's agents. I could still choose what I wanted. And tonight I'd chosen death and torture over everything else. I'd wanted that. Me.

And I couldn't take it back.

And a thousand saved little girls didn't change that.

It didn't change the fact that if Wutai hadn't been burning when I arrived, I might have been the one to burn it down. If there hadn't been a drive, something for me to focus my rage on I'd have been the cold creature that stalks the night. Just a puppet all the same.

I pulled the relic from my side and pulled the top off of it.

Blue gas floated free of it as it drifted loose of my fingers. The fire stopped flickering and held in place. Yuma held her shuddering sobs still.

A woman formed of that mist. She stretched over her golden chains and yawned.

"Ah- tell me now. What knowledge do you seek? Three questions yet remain this century. So ask, and I shall answer."

"Mother...How do I stop her? She can control me. So how do I stop Salem?" I choked out.  

The floating woman gave me a small sad smile.

"Stop her? Or vanquish her?"

"There's a difference?"

"You tell me."

"Either."

"You cannot vanquish her. As long as this planet turns, she shall walk it's face," the blue woman spoke. She floated forward and cupped my face in her hands. I looked away and where I touched her, her fingers faded into that blue mist.

"She's immortal? She's unbeatable, then."

"Perhaps. Only her mind. Her body can be injured, however temporarily. She can be cut and she can be lanced."

"Then… then she can be stopped. Just… just…"

"Just not forever. She will never be just a memory."

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-WG

[lazyangeltreemoney]

Never Doubt I Love

One Shot, Royal AU

Description : Prince James is to wed Princess Y/N of the neighbouring country after the war to try and strengthen their countries. Bucky is less than happy about it and is shamelessly rude to Y/N, one day she has enough.

Pairings: Prince!Bucky x Princess!Reader (platonic), Prince!Bucky x Natasha, Loki x Princess!Reader

Word Count: 4987

Warnings: mentions of war, arranged marriage, death, insults, swearings.

A/N: just had this idea in my head all day and I’m a sucker for AU’s. Hope y'all enjoy

Bucky hated her from the second he saw her. When she stepped out of the limo in front of the palace an instant disdain burned in him. He would say it was from how she dressed being so dull, or her hair and makeup seemingly so perfect to the point of she looked like a doll, not a real human being. Natalia looks real. She was by no means the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Natalia is beautiful. This, this was who his parents expected him to marry?

When they finally got to talking it only cemented his hate. He hated how proper and ladylike she was, a proper princess who knew all the curtseys and proper rituals, it was almost robotic. Natalia at least would talk like a real human being. She talked to his parents and said everything she was trained to say, nothing seemed real about her. Natalia has a personality.

As time went on and she would try talking to Bucky she would be able to talk circles around him, any insult he gave she was able to bat back in a moment. Natalia knew when he did and didn’t like being pushed. He didn’t like being outwitted, especially on his own turf. 

“You just hate her because you can’t marry Nat without giving your mother a heart attack.” Steve stated as he took a swing of his water. 

“No, I hate her because she’s the most boring and insufferable woman I’ve ever met, I would say human but I’ve met Sam.” Bucky commented back. 

The pair had been sparring and training. Steve was Bucky’s cousin and Head of the Royal Guard. The pair had been friends since they could talk, thick as thieves. They had gone to war together and by some miracle survived and came out stronger than ever. Bucky was the soon to be King, he had no reason to be training but some of the old army habits he was never able to kick. 

“She’s in a new country, a country she will soon have to rule, it’s a lot to take on.” Steve tried to get his friend to sympathise with Y/N. 

“Not my problem, now if we’re done here I’m going to see Nat.” Bucky retorted and walked away. 

“I’ll see you at the ball tonight!” Steve called down the hall. 

Bucky simply ignored him and kept walking on shaking his head. Of course Steve would have to remind him of that stupid ball, the one to announce Y/N’s and his engagment. Y/N had been staying in the palace for nearly over a month now, to try and not raise suspicion of an ‘arranged marriage’. Bucky had gone over his proposal speech about a thousand times to try and give it something to make it believable. Nothing worked, it all sounded robotic and cheesy to the point where the press would see right through him. 

This led to him sitting with Natalia in his bedroom trying to think of what on earth he was going to say tonight. The pair were both naked with only a sheet covering them, Bucky was sat by the window smoking a cigarette to try and clear his head. Natalia was going over what he had already written down so far. 

“-I love you to the moon and back’ oof.” Natalia laughed. 

“I know, I know, it’s awful and I’m about to make a fool out of myself in front of the whole kingdom.” Bucky huffed, stubbing out his cigarette. 

Natalia leaned forward and began to card her hands through his hair to try and comfort him. Telling him how some of it was sweet or how he could close his eyes and try to pretend it was her, he was proposing to. 

“Urgh, it doesn’t matter what I write how I can be any form of genuine when I’m proposing to an iceberg.” Bucky groaned holding his head. 

“Come on, she’s not that bad, Wanda speaks pretty highly of her.” Natalia offered. 

Bucky was so sick of everyone trying to convince him Y/N ‘wasn’t that bad’. Even Nat, apparently her and Y/N would often go into the gardens with Wanda for some form of a book club. Y/N knew full well what was going on between Nat and Bucky, she had told her in person and she gave Nat her blessing. Told her that she was simply doing right by her country and had no claim over Bucky’s heart. 

Bucky didn’t buy it, he was convinced Y/N was trying to play some bigger game. He was the only one in his conspiracy theory. 

“Nat I’m having to ask that bitch to be my wife, to stand by me, raise my heirs, how can I?” Bucky let out an exasperated sigh. 

“Because you’re a King and like it or not she is your Queen.” Nat tried to calm him. 

“Well right now I want to pretend that you are my one and only queen.” Bucky smirked and grabbed Natalia ready to ravish her again. 

So lost in the moment he had no idea Y/N was just right outside of the room, hearing their whole conversation. She had gone to talk to Bucky about tonight, about how to play in front of the press watching and just them in general. Y/N only closed her eyes and let out a small frustrated sigh as she marched back to her room. By the time she was just outside her room she didn’t know how or why but she was crying. Endless streams of tears seemed to be flooding and nothing she did could stop it, but why? Did she love Bucky? No, but at the very least she wanted him to respect her. Not call her a bitch or human iceberg. 

Rushing into her room she slammed the doors behind her. In her room were her clothes for this evening, a gorgeous gown with silver trimmings and heels to match. However the very sight of the dress made her feel sick. It was less of a gorgeous gown and more like shackles. As if she was submitting to a life of ridicule and hate from her husband. 

Falling to her knees she held herself for a second. It was never meant to be like this. It was meant to be so much kinder and happier, the life a princess was supposed to have. This however was the reality, cruel and ironic at every chance it had. 

Y/N wasn’t sure how long she had laid on the floor but she knew it had been a while and she would have to start getting ready. As she had been trained since birth, she wiped her eyes and gracefully rose from the floor, back straight and head high, thinking of all she would sacrifice for her kingdom. 

It was now only a few hours til the ball and Bucky still didn’t know what to say during his proposal. Anything he had down was tibits he had gotten from people Y/N actually talked to, like Steve or Wanda. However none of it sounded like him, he had always been vocal in the press, they knew how he talked. Defeatedly, he walked towards Y/N’s room knowing she was the only one who could fix this. 

Y/N had a way with the people, even Bucky couldn’t deny that. When the war was at its worst, it was Y/N’s speeches or public acts that seemed to give most of the soldiers and citizens hope. If anyone knew what the public wanted to hear it was Y/N. So Bucky now stood in front of her ornate door hanging his head. Letting out a frustrated sigh he knocked on the door. There was a short pause before a voice called him in. 

“Enter.” 

When he walked in he saw Y/N in her dress. It was a dark blue silk that was sleeveless, that seemed to hug her figure just right. She wore white silk gloves that had the most delicate lace and pearls wrapped around her neck. Bucky hated to admit it but he was speechless at the sight of her. Her hair was in a bun but a few loose hairs cascaded down her face shaping it perfectly. Her makeup was a lot more natural and her lips seemed to be the perfect shade. The more he looked at her the less and less she looked like the girl who first appeared in the palace. 

“Was there something you wanted to say James or are you just going to stare?” Y/N asked bringing him back to reality. 

Bucky coughed slightly and stood up a little straighter. 

“Ah yes, I came to talk to you about tonight,” Bucky began before Y/N let out a sarcastic laugh. “Something funny?” Bucky raised a brow to her. 

“Just surprised that you would want to hold an actual conversation with me is all.” Y/N spoke in that tone that made Bucky cringe. 

It was royal and regal, just the right amount of sweetness with the right amount of authority. No one had a voice like that unless they had been trained from day one. Bucky hated that even now she was playing mind games with him and talking so many circles around him his head could spin. But right now he had to let it slide because he really needed her help. 

“Look I need your help on conning an entire country that we’re in love.” Bucky tried to explain. 

“Love.” Y/N scoffed back. 

Bucky was now losing his patience. 

“Yes love.” Bucky’s tone was getting dangerously dark. 

Y/N however didn’t care, she had been pushed too far. She was too tired, tired of his arrogance, his childishness, his stubbornness and how he was convinced that Y/N wanted this. Especially when he didn’t know the first thing about her. 

“How can you when you hate me, god James I know you don’t love me and I don’t want you to but you could at least tolerate me.” Y/N exasperated, he was finally getting put in his place one way or another. 

Bucky went to argue back but Y/N was nowhere near done. 

“I tolerate you, I tolerate your lover, even befriended her but you can’t even look at me without insulting me, God, you think I want this? You think my heart doesn’t belong to someone else as well, at least you get to see your lover everyday.” Y/N ranted. 

So much information was coming at Bucky at once it was hard to process it all. His brain was almost on autopilot. 

“How does any of that help me write this?” Bucky asked. 

Of course, of fucking course, Y/N just poured her heart out to him and he still doesn’t care. Well now neither does she. 

“Say whatever the fuck you want.” Y/N yelled storming out of the room. 

Bucky was left alone in the room feeling uneasy. Y/N had never swore once in the whole time he had known her, not even with anyone. She had always tried to be the perfect lady but now that seemed to all go out of the window. Sighing, Bucky sat on Y/N’s bed and let his mind wander. The words Y/N spoke seemed to be playing on a loop until it finally hit him. 

 “You think my heart doesn’t belong to someone else as well”

It was about an hour before the ball was supposed to begin when Bucky finally found her. Y/N was on one of the balconies having a cigarette. He had no idea that she smoked, but she even made that look graceful. She seemed to be deep in thought, almost relaxed. However her little moment of peace seemed to be ruined when Bucky showed his face. She looked at him for a moment before turning away to look at the night sky. 

“So who is he?” Bucky asked, leaning on the railing. 

Y/N remained silent and took another puff of her cigarette. Her face was like a statue wanting to give nothing away. 

“Is he back in your country?” Bucky hummed. 

“He’s buried there.” Y/N finally spoke. 

Bucky looked at her in astonishment. Y/N had revealed one of her deepest secrets so casually he wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating. He tried to study her more to see if she was lying but he honestly couldn’t tell, until she stubbed out her cigarette. 

“His name was Loki and he was beautiful.” Y/N spoke softly with a sad smile forming on her face as the memories came flooding back. 

Thor was her usual royal guardsmen. He was a bit of a goof with more brawn than brains but Y/N got along with him just fine. Just like all the guardsmen in her country Y/N trusted them with her life. However one morning Thor greeted her before she went riding accompanied by a dark haired man. He was a lot shorter than Thor and paler. His eyes were an emerald green that seemed to be locked on Y/N from the second he walked into the stable. 

“Ah Thor, ready for our ride?” Y/N spoke enthusiastically

“Actually your Majesty will have the joy of my brother with you today.” Thor explained, gesturing to the man next to him. 

“Brother?” Y/N raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Adopted.” Thor explained. 

“Call me Loki.” The dark haired man introduced himself. 

“Only if you call my Y/N.” She replied. 

Loki instantly smirked at her. Something about the tone of her voice told him this was going to be fun. The pair saddled up the horses and were off into the royal woods. Y/N led the way and Loki had to try his best to not lose her. After about half an hour of riding Y/N finally stopped by a lake. Loki was exhausted and more than happy to have his own two legs on the ground. He practically collapsed off his horse and gulped some water from his bottle. 

“Anyone would think you didn’t want my protection.” Loki said breathily. 

Y/N only giggled at him and began to set up her camp. Loki noticed she was building a small fire, she then took out a metal can and took some water from the lake. With that she took out a book and a tea bag she placed into the can of water. 

“Would you care for some tea?” Y/N asked. 

Loki merely nodded and sat down beside her. The lake was beautiful, the water was so clear and glimmering, it seemed to show his reflection perfectly. The woods circled around them, it almost felt like he was in the eye of a storm. He glanced over to Y/N who was pouring him a small cup of tea. She was so beautiful as the light shone on her, regal, elegant. 

“What are you reading?” Loki mused as he took the cup. 

“Shakespeare's sonnets.” Y/N showed him the cover as her eyes went back to the pages. 

“Would you mind if you read them to me, I’ve always had a soft spot for his works.” Loki admitted. 

He wasn’t sure why he was telling her this but he felt like he could, he felt like he could tell her anything within a few minutes of knowing her. She had the air of comfort around her. Y/N nodded and began to read out loud to him. Her voice seemed to give the words meaning, as if before now they were just words on a page. The pair sat together like that for hours, eventually Loki began to read to her instead. They discussed and argued about what he truly meant when Shakespeare wrote certain rhymes. They continued to jest and tease each other on the ride home. By the time they got to the stable it was nearly sunset. 

“Thankyou for this today, usually when I go with Thor he gets bored after an hour and I have to head home.” Y/N smiled at Loki as she tied up her horse.

“Anytime, Y/N.” Loki replied smiling at her. 

Y/N wanted to scold herself for how her heart fluttered when he said her name. The two bid each other goodnight but the lingering glances were clear neither of them wanted to part ways.

Them running away to the lake quickly became a little tradition between them. Even if they could only have an hour there they would wake up at the crack of dawn or dead of night to simply be in each others company. It was one of the times when they both had busy schedules the next day so they were in the dead of night Y/N’s head laid in Loki’s lap by the lake. The moonlight shining down on them. The soft neighs of horses and gentle lapping on the lake could be heard. It was the most peaceful thing Y/N had ever experienced. 

“Doubt thou the stars are fire;Doubt that the sun doth move;Doubt truth to be a liar;But never doubt I love.” Loki spoke softly

Y/N nestled into more as his words rang seemed to lull her to sleep.

“Love maybe we should head back, the sun will be coming up soon.” Loki reminded her. 

“Just a few more minutes.” Y/N sleepily mumbled back. 

Loki couldn’t help but chuckle at her sleepy stubbornness. To be completely honest, he didn’t want to leave either, this was their little sanctuary, away from their duties, the fear, the pressure. But they couldn’t hide away forever, Y/N especially would never abandon her people like that.

“Alright Love.” Loki spoke softly. 

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. By the time he finished reading the page Y/N was asleep. Her soft snores and gentle eyes closed. Loki wanted nothing more than to see that sight every night, to have her fall asleep in his arms every night. But she was a royal, the princess no less and he was not. It didn’t matter though, he had this and it was enough for now. 

“What happened?” Bucky asked. 

“The war happened.” Y/N replied. 

She had to hold back the tears as the memories played on in her mind. 

Loki had agreed to meet her at the lake early that morning. They both needed it, the war had just begun and they were both on edge. The war had barely begun and Y/N was trying to think of ways to end it. Meanwhile Loki was more scared for Y/N’s safety than ever, scared she would end up performing some act of Martyrdom just to end the war. 

Loki and Y/N had ridden in complete silence to the lake. It was weird, usually their ride together would be filled with teasing and discussing whatever book they were reading. This however was uneasy and uncomfortable. Too much was on each others mind for them to just be themselves. 

However once they reached the lake and Y/N had made the tea it was as if everything outside those woods no longer existed. Y/N laid her head on Loki’s shoulder and he began to read aloud to her, pausing occasionally to make a remark about it or flirt with Y/N. To which she would merely giggle and kiss his cheek to tell him to keep reading. 

It was one of those moments when Y/N went to kiss his cheek did he turned so to catch her lips with his. Loki dropped the book and wrapped his hands around her waist. Y/N had hers around his neck as she deepened the kiss. The two only broke apart for air, resting their foreheads against each other. 

“I’ve missed my Love.” Loki spoke breathlessly. 

“I’m sorry, I just want this war to end.” Y/N admitted guiltily. 

Y/N noticed how Loki’s face turned slightly when she mentioned the war, as if there was something he needed to tell her about it. No, surely not. 

“I got my draft letter yesterday, I ship out in a few days.” Loki almost hung his head in shame. 

Y/N broke apart from him. This couldn’t be happening, no she wouldn’t allow it. She had given almost all of herself to her people, to the crown but they couldn’t have Loki. 

“No, no, no.” She rambled pacing up and down but the lake. 

“Love.” Loki called trying to soothe her. 

“No, I won’t allow it, I decree it as the Princess of this land you will not set one foot out of the palace grounds.” Y/N tried to sound strong, use her authoritative tone so Loki wouldn't argue. 

But it was to no avail. 

“You think I want to leave you, but if I stay on your orders, what will people think?” Loki explained. 

“I don’t care what they think, I’ll marry you, you’ll be their king and adore you.” Y/N pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. 

“We both know that’s not how this works.” Loki sighed, he hated to see her cry. 

He hated any form of sadness she had to endure. He hated how she would never be able to let it show, always internalising it and keeping it hidden. She only let her emotions go when she was with him, which made all of this hurt even more. 

Slowly he walked over to her and held her close. She sobbed into his shirt until no more tears could physically come out of her. Even after that Y/N still held him close, afraid that the second she let go he would be gone. 

“Promise me that you’ll come back to me, that no matter what happens you will come back here to this very spot.” Y/N’s voice was crackled and strained from the crying. 

Loki knew he couldn’t truly promise her that, but nonetheless he did. 

“I promise, Love.” 

Y/N watched him get shipped out. She went in disguise to kiss him goodbye on the dock. Tears were in both of their eyes. She used her spies to give him love letters and gifts of books with their favourite passages circled. Loki saw the work Y/N was doing and the speeches she made in the papers and on posters everywhere he went. He had never been so proud of her, she was truly going to make a wonderful Queen. 

It was the very last year of the war when Thor knocked on her door in full uniform with that damned letter and dog tags.No body could be recovered, there were too many hidden among them. She had locked herself into isolation after Thor had told her the knews; Simply wanting to be alone with her books and memories. Then her maid came and dropped breakfast by her door while slipping a letter under the door. 

Y/N walked towards the door and picked up the letter when she gasped at the handwriting, it was Loki’s. She felt almost feral as she tore it open, instantly checking the date, it was from three weeks ago, two weeks before…

To My Dear Y/N

I miss you my love, miss you more than you will ever know. I’ve seen your face all around the city, in the papers and although I am proud of you it does make my heart ache, a constant reminder of the distance between us. 

It is something I can bear no longer. Which is why when I keep my promise to you I will meet you at our spot and march into the palace demanding the King to make you my wife. I know I am no prince or lord but I am yours and I hope with everything in my being you are still mine. You are the only thing that makes this war worth fighting for and we both know it is drawing to a close. So please just hang on a little longer my Love. 

Soon we will have all we can desire; we will be wed; we’ll have children and take them to the lake. You will splash them in the water and then we’ll dry them while we read them stories with tea sat round the fire. Until then we will just have to read our stories apart, me around the fire here and you in front of the fire there. 

All my love, 

Loki. 

“I took his dog tags and the letters he wrote me,put them in a box and buried them by the lake, In the spot where I would always light the fire.” Y/N’s voice shook a little, she had never told anyone where she hid the letters before.

She couldn’t take them with her, if anyone ever found them there would be hell to pay. Burying them seemed like the only option and what better place than in their sanctuary. After she buried them she swore that she would never visit the lake again. About a week after she was told by her Father that she would be marrying Prince James within the next year. 

Bucky had listened to her story and his heart broke for her. He remembered all the times he thought he would never see Nat again while out in the trenches. All the time he was under heavy fire and prayed for some miracle to get him out of it. It made more and more sense now why she had such a hard time opening herself up to new people, especially him.

“I’m sorry, I get it now.” Bucky spoke softly. 

“Thankyou.” Y/N replied offering him a small smile. 

“Did you two have a favourite story in the end?” Bucky asked looking up at the stars. 

Y/N was honestly touched and surprised he had actually been listening to the story. 

“Hamlet I think, it was one we could talk about endlessly.” Y/N smiled at the memory of them. 

With that Bucky excused himself. Y/N simply thought he was allowing her sometime to herself before the big night. For the first time in a long time she let herself think of Loki and not feel too distraught about him.

The ball finally came around. All the Ladies and Lords, prime ministers and ambassadors seemed to be there. Y/N even got to finally see her Mother and Father, she knew she couldn’t but she wanted to so desperately run into her Mother's arms and stay there for the whole night. Instead she merely curtsied to them and shared a few dances with her Father. 

The party seemed to be in full swing, everyone took turns dancing with Y/N while they waited for Bucky to actually arrive. First Steve danced with her, always the gentleman, then Sam, then Pietro who kept remarking on how beautiful she looked tonight and if ‘Barnes screws up I’m more than happy to take his place.’ When Y/N was finally all danced out she sat down at one of the tables with Wanda and Natalia. 

“Do you think Bucky isn’t coming?” Wanda asked concerned. 

Nat and Y/N shared a look. Bucky had always been emotional and brash that after his and Y/N’s talk he could have decided to call off the whole engagement. As much as Y/N wished Nat and him could have a happy ending Y/N had to put her country first. Worry began to spread between the three when suddenly. 

“His Majesty Prince James.” The announcer beconned. 

Y/N looked up the the top of the room to see James and finally arrived. They made eye contact across the room and Bucky came practically bolting down the stairs towards her. Everyone watched the Prince cautiously, knowing what tonight was going to be. Bucky reached Y/N’s table and leaned down towards her. 

“Close your eyes and imagine his voice.” He whispered in her ear so only she would hear. 

Taking a fork and champagne glass he tapped the two together and the crowd instantly went silent. Bucky shot Y/N a look almost saying ‘Do you trust me?’. Y/N simply nodded and Bucky got down onto one knee as Y/N closed her eyes trying to remember Loki’s voice.

“I’ve never been good with words so I’ll leave summing up my love for Y/N to someone who is far better at it than me. Y/N, Doubt thou the stars are fire;Doubt that the sun doth move;Doubt truth to be a liar;But never doubt I love. I love you more with every book we read and every fire we light, will you do me the honor of becoming my Wife and my Queen?” 

“Yes.” Loki

Bucky got up from one knee and placed a small kiss on Y/N’s cheek. 

“Thankyou.” Y/N whispered back at him. 

The whole crowd cheered as the sight of the newly engaged couple. It turned out all those hours Bucky had been gone he was reading Hamlet trying to find the quote Y/N had mentioned when she told him about Loki. It was the start of friendship between Bucky and Y/N and understanding. That no matter who they gave their hearts to, their country would come first. A fondness grew between them over the years, they paved the way for a long and peaceful reign. When Y/N reached the age of 86 she passed away, Bucky buried his Queen back in her homeland by the lake she had told him about, along with a marked grave stone for Loki. The gravestone read, ‘Never Doubt that I love’.

[twomoonstwosuns]

valentine’s day.

back to you [series masterlist]

previous part · next part

pairing: professor!poe dameron x reader

warnings: swearing, pure sweet cheesy af fluff for literally the entire thing

word count: 4.8k lol oops

a/n: eee, here it is! i really hope this lives up to expectations because i really agonized over trying to make this perfect. feedback would be so greatly appreciated.

also shout-out to @myrandom-fandomlife for giving me the help to kickstart my brain and get this written <3

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You felt lighter than you had in weeks.

The semester was going well. Graduation was just a few months away. Your sister Tallie announced she was pregnant, her baby coming in the fall. The only thing that had the potential to turn your mood was Poe, but even that had been going well.

You talked more. You hadn’t been over to his place since he bent you over his table the previous week, but you were talking to him nearly everyday. You texted often and stayed up way too late talking to him. You were enjoying it, but you knew you had to be cautious as you fell deeper into attachment.

With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, you began to wonder if you’d be spending it with Poe. You weren’t together, much to your chagrin for fear of putting your heart on the line and being turned down, but people had sex on Valentine’s Day. Maybe you’d at least get that. You tried not to dwell on it too much, but Poe made it increasingly difficult to not think about it…or him. He had spent the majority of the day sending you the most ridiculous pick-up lines, having heard one that morning at his favorite coffee shop that made him cringe with how bad it was. Whether it was a joke or not, he didn’t know, but he found the most ridiculous ones on the Internet and sent them to you, if anything just to brighten your day and make you laugh.

You had just dropped a book off at the library and were heading towards the university center to meet up with your roommates when a car flashed its brights at you. You stopped when they did it again and it took you a minute to realize it was Poe’s car. You made your way over, hearing the soft whir of his window going down.

“Hey, what’re you doing here?” you asked as you leaned in, the warmth from the car’s heater fanning your face. “I thought you had that mixer thing tonight?”

“I’m on my way, I just had to grab something from my office. Then I saw you and just wanted to say hi.”

You could just see him, the cover of darkness providing the perfect shield for your meeting. The smell of his cologne filled the car and you realized it was different but just as distinctive than the one he wore everyday. You narrowed your eyes when you noticed the tension in his shoulders.

“You don’t want to go, do you?”

“Not really.” He admitted with a humorless laugh.

“Could you skip it? I can’t imagine sucking up to department heads is very fun.”

“It’s not, and as much as I want to, I can’t. Snoke’s retiring and they’re looking to find his replacement before the fall semester. There are a lot of people that will be there that I have to impress if I want to be considered.”

“Do you want to be considered?”

Poe nodded, the knot of nerves in his stomach tightening. “It’s just a rumor right now, but word is that President Organa’s already got a small list of people she’s considering to replace him and I’m on it.”

You gaped, a smile forming on your face.

“Poe, that’s amazing. They’d be stupid not to pick you.” You placed your hand on this shoulder. “You have to get going and I have a move to catch, so neither of us have time to listen to me tell you all the reasons why you’d be the best option, but just know you are. And although I may be a little biased, I’m also usually right.”

Poe smiled appreciatively, the support making him feel a little more ready. Of course he’d talked to his dad and his close friends about it, receiving the same encouragement, but it meant so much coming from you.

“So, what’d you think of the pick-up lines I sent you?” He asked, changing the subject. You giggled.

“I thought they were great but my roommates think you can do better, so we spent an hour after class googling pick-up lines,” you explained, making Poe chuckle warmly. “I’m definitely going to blame you for not getting anything done the rest of the week.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“I did actually like some of them. They were cheesy as hell, but some of them were pretty cute. And the dirty ones were good too.”

“I have one more if you want to hear it.” You nodded enthusiastically. “Do you have any raisins?”

“Did you just say raisins?” you asked incredulously. Poe gave you a pointed look that told you to just answer the question. “Ok fine, um…no?”

“Then how ‘bout a date?”

You threw your head back and barked out a laugh. “That’s a good one. Very smooth.”

“Y/N?”

“Yes?”

“How about a date? Saturday night?”

You froze, unsure if you heard him right, but the way he was observing you with hope told you that you heard every word correct. You couldn’t help the smile that grew bigger with each second you took to process Poe’s words.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I’ll go on a date with you.” you repeated with a grin, your smile disappearing when you felt your phone buzzing incessantly in your pocket. With five minutes until the movie started, you knew it was your roommates wondering where you were. You glanced at the clock. “I have to get going and so do you. Try not to die of boredom.”

“I’ll text you.”

“You better.”

You took two steps away from Poe’s car when you decided to turn back. You knocked on the window, giving Poe an apologetic smile when he jumped in surprise. The window rolled down once again and you leaned in to press a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“I can’t wait,” you said softly, taking a few steps back as your cheeks heated up. The way he was smiling at you was turning your insides to mush. “Good luck tonight.”

Poe’s soft gaze stayed on you until he couldn’t see you anymore. If he had room to punch in the air in victory, he would have. Meanwhile, you felt like you were sixteen again, like the boy you had a crush on for months asked you to the big dance. The smile stayed on your face for the entire movie, while the one on Poe’s face lingered for throughout the party.

》 》 》

Dress warm. I’ll pick you up at 8.

Nervous was an understatement. You paced in the lobby of your apartment building, your hands practically sweating through your gloves.

If this date didn’t go well, that would be it for the two of you.

“Stop psyching yourself out,” Jessika had told you just moments before. “You guys already have this amazing connection, it’s gonna take something short of admitting to a murder for this not to go well.”

She was right, of course, but this wasn’t just any guy. This was Poe, someone you’d come to care for greatly in the last few months.

It had to go well.

Poe pulled up at exactly 8 o’clock and you snuck into his car, speeding off before anyone could see, like an undercover mission. “So, where are we going?”

“You’ll see. It’s not too far from here.”

You narrowed your eyes and studied Poe, looking for any clues in his facial expression that could somehow spill where you were going. He kept his face neutral, a small hint of a smile on his face. “Mysterious. Ok. How’d the mixer go the other night?”

“Good. Not to sound conceited but I think President Organa likes me.”

“Of course she does.”

Poe winked and you rolled your eyes with an amused smirk on your face. The soft music in the car filled the silence, neither of you quite knowing what to say. You wrung your hands in your lap as nervous butterflies flapped around in your stomach.

“You seem nervous.” Poe said, his hand coming off of the steering wheel and covering yours in comfort. You immediately stopped fidgeting.

“Is it weird that I am?” You asked.

“No. I am too.”

Your confession gave him a boost of confidence. He felt he had gone the extra mile to make this night special, to show his true intentions of what he wanted out of this. He hoped you’d see it and want it as much as he did. Knowing you were just as nervous as he was showed you cared about this going well just as much as he did.

He pulled his hand away to steer his car into a parking spot. His was the only car in the lot, not that it was surprising. Cold and dark winter nights didn’t exactly bring a lot of people out to wander around a park for fun. Poe opened his door, but your hand on his arm stopped him. “I’m nervous, but I’m really happy we’re doing this.”

He gave you an easy half smile, the one that made him so effortlessly striking.

“Me too,” he said, covering your hand with his. “Come on.”

You got out of his car and finally realized you were at Canto Park. It was unrecognizable at first due to the darkness of the night and the lack of people, but you recognized the streetlights that lit up the walkways when you got a closer look. Poe handed something to you and it took a minute in the dark to see that they were a pair of skates.

“We’re skating?” you asked in surprise, completely caught off-guard. You were expecting dinner and a movie at his apartment, the options for doing anything together extremely limited. “This is not going to end well, just so you know.”

“You’ll be fine,” Poe assured you. “Have you ever rollerbladed?”

“When I was like thirteen.”

“Then this’ll be fun. I’ll help you.” You couldn’t help but become a little anxious. The chance of you making a fool out of yourself was very high.

The park was eerily quiet but peaceful, the only sound crunching underneath your feet. The man-made ice rink was lit up with bright lights that nearly blinded you with its sharp contrast to the inky black sky.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to be here,” you said with a smirk as you sat down on the bench next to the ice rink. “I’m pretty sure the park closes when it gets dark.”

“Better be prepared to run if we get caught then.”

“I’m flattered you think I’ll be able to skate, let alone run in skates.”

Poe finished tying up his skates and as you tied up your left one, he scooted closer to you and brought your right foot into his lap.

“What’re you doing?” you asked.

“Making sure you tied them right,” he winked. You gave him a dry, sarcastic laugh as he grabbed the foot you had just finished with. With his seal of approval, Poe helped you up and over to the ice. You gripped the wall until you were sure you had your balance. Like riding a bike, the familiar movement of gliding came back, although you wobbled like a newborn colt with fresh legs because it had been nearly ten years since you did anything like this. Poe did a lap around the rink as you glared at him.

“Show-off!” you called after him, hearing him laugh from the other side of the rink. “Let me guess, you played hockey?”

“Only for fun.” Poe answered, slowing down as he approached you. “I was more into music than sports in high school. I was in a band, though.”

“College professor by day, rock star by night? It’s like modern day Indiana Jones. What kind of music did you play?”

Poe smirked at the reference. “Rock, pop, alternative, whatever you want to call it. We called ourselves The Resistance. It’s how I met my friends Finn and Rey. Still best friends to this day.”

“Do you guys still play?”

“Individually maybe, but together no, we left that back in high school. We had a demo of songs that somehow got into the hands of someone over at Skywalker Records, but we weren’t interested.”

“You didn’t want to be a rock star?”

“Sure I did, but I had other things I wanted to do more. Finn and Rey did too.”

“The Air Force?” Poe gave you a curious look. “The tattoo on your back. I recognize the symbol.”

“My dad was in the Air Force. I got the tattoo for him. I almost enrolled right out of high school, but then my dad got sick.” You gave him a sympathetic look. “He’s fine now, but instead of enlisting I went to college and I worked to be able to stay home and help him out.”

“You guys are close.” You observed.

“Very.” He wanted to tell you why, but didn’t want to bring the mood down anymore with the story of his mother. “What about you? Sports, music?”

You told him how you played soccer as a kid through an amateur league in your hometown. You played up until high school, making the varsity team your freshman year but taken out of the game indefinitely during your first game from a severe knee injury. You told him while you loved music, you participated in choir during high school not because you could sing, but so you could hang out with your friends.

While the conversation was entertaining, you stumbling around on the ice was not.  Poe thought it was though, as he tried walking you through it step by step, giving you tips on how to keep your balance by focusing on one spot in the distance and not moving your eyes from it. Of course your mind chose Poe to focus on, but every little movement he made, especially when he was close to you, grabbed your attention, which made you unable to concentrate. You were having fun even though you were slightly embarrassed about your lack of coordination. You’d miraculously had not fallen, but you bumped into the wall and crashed into it whenever you had to stop yourself.

“Ok, new idea. Let’s try one more thing.” Poe said, turning so he was facing you. He grabbed your hands to make sure you were steady before moving backwards, pulling you with him. “Don’t look down, eyes on me. Now talk about something.”

“Like what?” You were finding it extremely difficult to focus on anything at all except your hands in Poe’s and the impending doom of rolling your ankle at any second.  

“Anything.” He said, turning so he was facing you and skating backwards. “Tell me something not a lot of people know.”

You hummed as you thought about his question. “I seriously considered going to school for photography.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Same reason you’re not a famous musician. I had other dreams and it’s a hard industry to make a career in. It’s probably better as a hobby anyway, I can’t get mad when something doesn’t go right because I’m not under any obligation to be successful.”

“What do you photograph?”

“Anything. I’ve done some senior pictures over the past few summers when I’ve been home. I’ve done some engagement photos, pregnancy announcements. I like to think I’m really good at those black and white hipster photographs of nature and stuff.”

“You’ll have to show me sometime.”

“I always keep my portfolio with me, just in case. I’ll bring it by next time.”

Next time.The promise of a second date. Poe smiled down at you and then looked over your shoulder with a soft chuckle.

“What?” You followed his gaze and your jaw dropped. You had skated from one end of the rink to the other without almost falling.  “Oh my god, I made it!” You laughed happily. Poe smiled at your excitement.

“I told you you’d be fine.”

You were practically bouncing in excitement. You pushed forward, gaining speed and catching up with Poe when you suddenly fell onto your butt when your skate hit a loose chunk of ice.

“Damn it, I was doing so well!”  You exclaimed, holding your arms out in front of you. “Help me up?”

Poe pulled you up with ease, gripping your forearms when you nearly slipped again.

“You good?”

You nodded with breathless laugh, your eyes meeting his. The sudden urge to kiss him consumed you and you glanced down at his lips. Poe did the same, the air surrounding you standing so close becoming thick. Your feet suddenly came out from underneath you and you ended up on the ice with a hard thump. Poe laughed loudly and you couldn’t help but laugh with him at your clumsiness.

“Ok, I think that’s enough skating for you.” Poe said, holding out his hand. You lay back onto the ice with your eyes closed, arms out on either side of you in defeat.

“Nope, I’m done, not moving. I’ll die here.”

Poe grabbed your arms, hauling you up before crouching down to the ice, urging you to get on his back. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride back.”

You hesitated a second before wrapping your arms around his neck. He gripped the back of your thighs tightly as he picked up speed, taking a quick detour to do a lap before taking you back to the bench. You squealed in delight at his sudden burst of speed, the wind whipping your hair. You held on tightly, not letting go until you were being lowered onto the bench. Before you could start unlacing your skates, Poe was doing it for you, being gentle as he slid the skates off in case you hurt your ankle.

“If photography doesn’t work out, I don’t recommend skating as a back-up plan.” Poe teased, and you shoved his chest playfully as you grabbed your boots. You handed Poe his and then the skates, but he pushed them back towards you. “Keep them for next time.”

“You’re going to make me do that again?!”

Poe took your hand and you walked back towards his car, both taking it slow as your legs were exhausted.

“You’ll be a pro by the time I’m done with you.”

You sincerely doubted that, but didn’t want to tell Poe it’d be useless after seeing him so excited to try and teach you. It’s not like you wouldn’t mind trying again if it meant spending more time with Poe.

From relearning how to skate to the conversation, time had flown by and it was nearing ten o’clock. As he drove, you couldn’t help but hope your date wasn’t over despite it getting late. When he took the familiar route to his apartment, you were ecstatic.

He led you inside, itching to grab your hand but knowing there were too many possibilities of someone seeing it. Whether or not they went to school or knew he was a professor and you a student, the night was going too well to risk it. When Poe unlocked his apartment door, your jaw dropped.

The lights to inside were dimmed. A bouquet of roses sat in the middle of the wooden table that had been used not so innocently just last week, with a bottle of wine and two glasses. You scoffed in disbelief as he led you in.

“Wow,” you breathed, still taken aback. “Is this what you did all day?”

“Yeah. I cooked too, if you’re hungry. It just needs to be warmed up.”

You were speechless. Poe had really gone all out. You were secretly happy he had been the one to ask you out and not the other way around, as there was no way you could’ve come up with something to rival what he came up with in a few days. While he dealt with the food, you begged him for something to do to help him out. He insisted he had it but had you open up the bottle of wine.

“Where’s Beebs tonight?” you asked as you twisted the wine opener into the cork, looking around the apartment and not seeing him or any of his toys lying around.

“He’s at a friend’s house.” You glanced up at Poe, giving him a weird look. “No seriously, he’s down the hall at my neighbor Mr. Frick’s. He has a dog named Zorii that Beebs likes to play with. He lives alone, so I think he likes having two dogs to keep him company.”

“Have you done that every time I’ve come over?”

“Sometimes. Other times I usually put him in the guest room when people are here. I love him to death, but he’s nosy. He just gets so excited when people are over and not all of them like him jumping up on them. Not to mention I didn’t want him worried about the noises you were making.”

You understood, having had a dog growing up that had to be kept in a room when you had birthday parties and sleepovers. You were also surprised at how hyper-focused you must’ve been to get Poe naked that you didn’t realize that Beebs hadn’t really been around whenever you were there. You made a mental note to pick up something special for Beebs for being so tolerant of you and Poe’s frequent activities.

You handed Poe a glass, gently clinking yours against his before taking a sip. You noticed he had also lit some candles, adding to the romantic ambiance of his apartment.

“I keep meaning to ask you,” you said as you walked over to a cabinet that held a record player that had caught your eye many times before. “Does this work or is it just for show?”

You waited for an answer, but instead Poe walked over to you, reaching over your shoulder to grab a record. He practically boxed you in, the close proximity of him brushing up against you making you buzz excitedly. He grabbed a record and soon enough the slow strums of an acoustic guitar filled his apartment. Between the flickering candles and the smell of delicious food was filling the apartment, you were in awe.

“Dance with me?”

You set your wine glass down, your heart thundering in your chest. You knew Poe was sweet, but this was turning into the kind of date you thought only existed in movies. You were absolutely swooning and it was only the first date. You’d never been romanced this hard by anyone you dated. You took his outstretched hand and he pulled you into him. The position was familiar, you’d been in this exact stance with him many times, but his touch was soft, not lustful, like he was holding something truly precious. His hand was on your waist, the other holding your hand between your chests, holding you close. Any chill that lingered from your outdoor adventure was long gone. You were warm with adoration.

“What’re you thinking about?” Poe asked softly, bringing your attention back to him.

“The music, the candles, the dancing…it’s all so romantic.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“Not at all.” You swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous again. “I just really thought I missed my chance for this.”

Poe pulled back just enough to give you a questioning look.  

“I wanted to ask you out last weekwhen you told me about your date,” you confessed, and Poe felt his chest tighten with a little bit of guilt. It read on his face and you shook your head. “Don’t. I should’ve told you not to go, or to go out with me instead, but I chickened out. My feelings have been all over the place the last few weeks and after that night I cried on your couch…”

“Yeah, me too.” He didn’t need to elaborate. You knew he felt the dynamic change that night as well. “Since we’re being honest, I only agreed to that date to try and forget how much I was thinking about you. This whole arrangement we have—“

“Not really working for me anymore,” you interrupted, Poe nodding his head in agreement. “But this? This is what I want. Even if I come out of this with a bruised ass.”

“I could say something about bruises on your ass, but we’re having a nice moment.”

Your shoulders shook with quiet laughter, your head dropping down onto Poe’s chest. He hugged you to him once again, his cheek resting against your head.

“Did you have fun tonight?” Poe asked, his tone suddenly unsure. You looked up at him concernedly. “Even though you fell a bunch of times?”

You went to answer him, but he kept talking.

“I know we don’t have a lot of options for dates because we’re technically not allowed to date, but—“

You put your free hand on his cheek, silencing him and bringing his attention down to you.

“This was the best first date I’ve ever been on,” you assured him and he smiled softly as your thumbs gently ran over his cheeks. “And it’s ok if we don’t have options. We’ll make it work. I just want to be with you.”

Poe let go of your hand, allowing his to fall at your waist. His eyes searched yours, brown eyes sparkling with warmth from the candles looking for any hint that you didn’t mean it. He found none and you stood up on your tiptoes, guiding yourself to him with the hand on his cheek, meeting his lips at the same time as he met yours.

He’d never kissed you like this before. Your lips molded together perfectly, already familiar with one another, but it was soft and light with nothing behind it except being in the moment. It took your breath away. You pulled away at the same time and it took you a minute for you to open your eyes.

The beeping of the oven pulled you apart. You reluctantly let go of Poe, grabbing your wine glass while Poe dished up the food. He suggested eating on the couch instead and your achy muscles couldn’t have agreed more. You made yourself comfortable on his couch as Poe ran to get Beebs before it got much later, both of you having severely lost track of the time. Although the dog was happy to see you again, he ran right into Poe’s room to sleep, tuckered out from a night of playing with another dog.

It didn’t surprise you that Poe was a decent cook and you made sure to let him know as you ate. How he managed to plan everything from the date to the food, you had no idea.

“You said earlier that you and Finn and Rey might still play individually. Do you?”

Poe shrugged. “Occasionally. I find myself mostly playing when I get really stressed. It’s relaxing.”

“Do you play for Beebs?”

“No, but he’ll sometimes lay next to me while I play, so I guess maybe a little bit.”

“Will you play for me?”

“Someday.” Poe was already thinking through all the different songs he could sing to you.

“So you skate, you cook, supposedly sing, and dance. What can’t you do?”

“Water ski.” Poe answered and you gasped theatrically, which turned into a loud laugh. “I’m serious! I’ve never been able to stand up.”

“I’ll teach you. It won’t hurt as bad as ice skating.”

Poe moved the dishes onto the coffee table, bringing your legs into his lap.

“Will you stay tonight?” Poe asked, giving your leg a squeeze. “No sex on the first date, I promise. We’ll do this right. There have been too many times I’ve wanted you to stay but didn’t ask you. But if you don’t want to, I’ll take you home.”

“I want to stay.”

You and Poe, on his couch, found yourself in the same position you were in a few weeks prior, except sadness and anger were replaced with adoration and bliss and neither of you were holding anything back. You stayed up until the early hours of the morning, just talking. With how much you knew about each other, it felt more like a sixth date than a first date. It was truly amazing how smooth the this transition was, from just sex to dating.

Like you were meant to be doing it all along.

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[kathyprior4200]

Haven Hotel: That’s Disengagement!

 A princess with long black wavy hair walked out onto a high balcony. She wore a black undershirt with a white bow tie on top. A dark teal shirt, long white pants and white high heel shoes completed the look. Her face was pale white and teal blushes were present on her cheeks. Her eyes consisted of white pupils and dark blue sclera. Perched on her head was a black spiked crown. She was the inverted, antithesis of Charlie, the princess of Hell in a parallel world.

 “For all my life, I’ve been taught that all angels have good inside them. But I know that to be a lie. Ever since Lucifer and Lilith, God’s closest angels betrayed Him… I don’t think I can believe in these flawed teachings anymore…”

 The princess was Coerciona Egnam, Coercia for short. She was born and raised in Heaven…though she was not at all one would expect her to be in such a place. Self-entitled and pessimistic, nothing much could cheer her up except heavy metal music, rebelling against the rules and the occasional brawl.

 “It makes sense that only a worthy few are able to be here in Heaven. Choosing them out of the sea of sinner scum. Yet ironically, even the saints and Heaven-born aren’t flawless all the time. It’s inevitable that all those imperfect beings will go to Hell. They deserve to deal with suffering and challenges. Best of all, they wouldn’t be bound by social expectations. Heck, I wouldn’t be too surprised if it were me. I do enjoy my comfortable life here, just not these restrictions.”

 Her servants Pub and Chub were fat white naked cherubs with horns on their heads, small white feathery wings, and black eyes. One tested the strings on an electric guitar while the other shot out torpedoes from a small cannon.

 Outside was a white clock tower standing tall against the blue sky. The numbers read 0 then changed to 365 days. Writing above the numbers read “Days until the next cleanse in Hell.”

 The black Exorcists did their job in eliminating part of the demon population in 2P Hell like they did every year in the canon Hell. But at the same time each year, the Anti-Exorcists, risen white demons with white bat wings and horns, invaded 2P Heaven. They carried glowing black pitchforks and turned innocent denizens into demons. The Anti-Exorcists would carry books and tempt angels with their innermost desires. Sex, sin, self-expression, sorcery, whatever that need was. Then, once they were hooked, they were stabbed with the pitchforks, causing their wings to burn off and sending them plummeting down to Hell. Nearby families would grieve at their loss.

 It was quite the entertaining show for Princess Coercia!

  Coercia leaned against the marble balcony and began to sing in a low growl.

     (“I’m Always Evading Shadows”)

  “At the end of the journey, there’s suffering

Denying it, how often I’ve tried

But my life’s a disgrace

Just a slap in the face

And the harsh truths have all been denied”

 “A sliver of despair in this world of light

I know this world’s not free of sin

I search for the good

But get misunderstood

And reality will always win”

 “Why have I always been imperfect?

Lost in this brainwashed sea

I wonder if the world’s to blame

I wonder if it could be me”

 “I’m always evading shadows

Trapped, drowning in the social flow

Free-will forbidden, my answers are hidden

Lying down below”

 “Some people sugarcoat their speeches

I always blab out what I mean

I may be cruel but I am no fool

Things are never what they seem

Believe me”

 “I’m always evading shadows

Waiting for people to awaken

In vain”

    A nearby portal opened and out came the Exterminators, bloodstains over their wings and bodies and harpoons. They took off their creepy LED masks, their white angelic faces revealed. One by one, the citizens clapped and cheered. One of the Archangels with four black wings flew up to the front, his spiked halo glowing. He took off his mask, revealing a white stern face with yellow eyes and short black hair. In his utility belt were a few daggers, whips, chains and a bottle of emergency holy water.

 “Another successful purge,” their leader Samael (Venom of God) praised. “You cleansed more sinners while still keeping the population in a good balance. Well done, all of you.” He cleared his throat and made a cross symbol over his heart. “For the greater good in the name of our Lord.”

 The angels repeated the phrase.

 “Until next year. Dismissed.” The Archangel soldiers saluted and then flew off separately to see their families. Several of the angels, having been brainwashed in their Exterminator states, shook their heads sadly at what they had done.

 All around Coercia, Holy City was basked in a heavenly glow. The city was located up in the sky among the clouds, but no one had to worry about falling, even the ones without their wings out. A large church with the appearance of the Notre Dame Cathedral stood proudly in the city square, made of polished marble. Choirs and songs floated through the stained glass windows as the regular angels went in and out to pray and visit with their neighbors. A large fountain sprouted non-alcoholic wine of a golden color. It had a white statue of Mary and Jesus as a young boy at the top, both with welcoming faces.

 The streets were spotless and clean. Roofs and roads were powered by the sun’s rays. The Cloud 9 supermarket had endless amounts of food for sale…no one ever had to worry about going hungry. Charity workers and volunteers worked by the dozens, passing out food and bestowing miracles for those who needed them in the lower levels of Heaven. Metatron, the highest ranking angel, was busy keeping records of human lives, deaths and the messages of God.

 This version of Heaven was very similar to the Heaven in the realm next door, the one above the familiar Hell with the Hazbin Hotel. The architecture was almost the same. But unlike those angels with their blonde hair and red blushes, these angels most often had black hair and teal blushes on their pale cheeks. Like in the other Heaven, some of the bipedal angels displayed animal-like characteristics: some had heads of doves, others had swan wings and mannerisms. Many of them had fur, ears, and fluffy tails of dogs and wolves. It was the only place where dogs and cats could dance and prance together without conflict. Still a few others had faces of flowers or even objects like harps and musical instruments.

 God’s Palace was the grandest place of all: it was settled at the highest point of Heaven like Mount Olympus. Only a few angels were allowed to visit there. God’s abode, the Empyrean, had an elite group of angels guarding it. Seraph angels with six fiery rainbow wings guarded the throne of God, chanting “Holy, holy, holy!” much to the annoyance to those nearby. There were rumors that in the palace gardens, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge were grown there, heavily protected.

 Lucius and Lilian were Coercia’s parents, those who took the place of Lucifer and Lilith after they were banished. They were named the new king and queen of heaven (Under God and a few Archangels), thus Coercia became the princess.

 Lucius had a white face, teal blushes on his cheeks and short dark hair. Lucius wore a gray suit with a dark blue bow tie and a black top hat with two white feathers attacked to the brim. Lilian’s hair was long and black, and she too had the teal blushes and typical angel features. She wore a golden halo crown and an elegant white sequined dress. Both had white wings which could turn black when they were angry or defensive.

 In a nearby movie studio, Valentine the butterfly producer, Nil the TV angel and Ashen, the doll angel sat together playing a board game. Despite liking old fashioned shows and the like, they still controlled much of Heaven’s technology and media. Iris, owner of an emporium, cried as she crossed out the name of her former female colleague, Francesca.

 Along the street, a red car stopped beside the sidewalk. A tall creature opened the car door and stepped out. The spider angel had a furry dark gray face and body, plus multiple slender arms: six in total. He wore tall boots, green gloves and a shirt with a teal bow-tie near the top. His shirt and sleeves had black and dark green stripes. Green dots resembling eyes were located under his eyes.

 “Thank you for the ride,” said the spider angel.

 “No problem, Devil Grit,” said the driver Sivart, a white furry owl guy wearing a top hat. He tipped his hat to him and drove away.

 Devil Grit walked over to a vending machine and bought himself a granola bar. He then gave it to a homeless guy leaning against the wall.

 He walked inside a building and onto a stage in an auditorium. His opponent was already standing nervously at his spot, a microphone rising from the ground and stopping in front of him.

 Sir Anguis was the nervous white snake. He had a white face with large slightly teal eyes with white pupils. He wore a white bow tie with a blue circle in the center below his thin neck. Surrounding his face on a flap of skin were bright teal eyes against dark purple. His suit was light gray with dark purple vertical stripes. Finally, he wore a large light gray top hat with a large green moving eye in the center.

 The crowd settled into their seats and the debate began.

 “Those other brave do gooders will do great with helping me with my presentation. Anyone want to try?”

 A couple of hands shot up. Mechanical eggs on robotic legs moved around to help out the white snake lord.

 “Oh thank you, my Nestlings,” he said.

 Air Anguis pushed a button and a presentation showed up on a screen titled “Heaven Economics and Invention Ideas.”

 “I don’t like to fight,” Sir Anguis said, clearing his throat, “and I’m super nervous up here…”

 The Nestlings rolled their eyes.

 Devil Grit glared at his cowardly opponent who then yelped, “Don’t look at me like that!”

 “Heaven doesn’t need any future technology,” Devil Grit argued as he stepped to his podium, “because we already have better things: friendships, food, and fun.”

 Sir Anguis glanced down nervously at his note cards and read from them. “At this rate I will persuade the entire East end of Holy City by night’s beginning. Or was it day’s end? And nothing, not a single beauty in this paradise of bliss, will be able to change my mind or escape the constrictive grasp of persuasive argumentation.”

 “Heaven will be ours, though it’s mine in my mind. And everybody will know the name of…”

 “Scared Snake,” said a female voice.

 “W-who said that?” Sir Anguis asked.

 “You ready for a debate, old man?”

 The voice belonged to Berri Blossom, the opposite of Cherri Bomb in Hell. She was a tall cyclops with black skin, with a single green eye with a black cross in the center. She wore a long dark green dress and white high heeled shoes. Her black skin was decorated in some areas near her shoulders with tiny teal specks. Her long hair was curly, blue at the top and black near the bottom. She pushed her thin dark rimmed glasses up to her face, looking at her organized set of notes in front of her.

 She walked over beside her academic partner Devil Grit. “Why don’t you play with your tinker toys somewhere else while I go over the logistics of divine law school?” She looked professional and poised. “Seven Reasons Why Heavenly Traditions Never Fail.”

 “You want to go, madam?” Sir Anguis asked, a spark of rebellion in him. He fiddled with a few gadgets before the well-dressed Nestling eggs…egged him on to continue. He flicked his hood back. “Well, let the battle for tenure and status begin!”

  A neon logo appeared on the screen, saying “777 News” surrounded by a halo. The names of the news cast appeared on the bottom of the screen.

 “Good afternoon, Holy City!” smiled a pale woman with short black hair, wearing a light blue dress. “I’m Catie Carejoy!”

 “And I’m Ron Wrench!” said the man next to her, wearing a business suit and who had a wrench for a head.

After discussing the weather, various humane societies, and legends on Earth, Catie continued, “The debate battle is underway between inventor and coward Sir Anguis and professional economics expert Berri Blossom. Coming up next, we have an exclusive interview with the daughter of His Majesty Lucius, who’s here to discuss her brand new passion-project! All that and more after the break!”

 Inside the break room, Phalla the romantic butterfly angel adjusted Coercia’s white bow tie. Nearby, a blue tinted sign read “No smoking.” Another sign read “In The Air” in large letters.

 “Okay, you remember what to say?” Phalla asked Coercia.

 “Yes, I’m ready,” Coercia stated.

 Phalla brushed her long black hair from her face, the ends of her black hair teal. Like Vaggie in Hell, Phalla’s thick hair extended down to her legs, giving her hair the appearance of moth wings. She had a glowing green cross over her right eye and her left eye was purple with a white pupil. A teal bow was perched on top of her head. Her skin was light gray and she wore a dark gray crop top with white Xs over her breasts. She also wore leggings, her right legging striped dark green and light gray, her left legging light gray.

 “Oh this is gonna be great!” Phalla squealed happily. “How about you make your speech sound more exciting?”

 “Come on, Phalla, I know what I’m going to say,” Coercia answered, crossing her arms.

 Phalla walked over to the pitcher of ambrosia punch on the table. Pub and Chub ate bagels from the table. Phalla got an idea. “Oh! What if you…”

 “Sing a song about it?” Coercia asked, with a roll of her eyes. “I’m not going to. This is serious!” She curled her hand into a fist and brought it down on the palm of her other hand. “They won’t take me serious if I start belting out some random song. Life isn’t a musical.”

 “But neither is it an emo tragedy,” Phalla pointed out. “Life is great, especially with all the cute guys around.” Her single purple eye shinned.

 “Romance, bleh,” Coercia made a face and Phalla giggled.

“Hey,” Phalla brightened, pulling out a piece of paper. “I have some ideas about what you could say.” She bounced up and down. “The highlighted bits are the best parts!”

 “They’re all highlighted,” Coercia replied, scanning the paper. “You call your childish drawing your ideas for me?”

 “Sure!” Phalla said. “Look here.” It showed a list of different terms “sinners = winners” “Misunderstood are still good” and “demons and angels party between worlds!” Skulls were lined up at the bottom of the page: “we’re all connected by death.”

 “Say, that’s actually pretty good!” Coercia said with a smile of sharp teeth.

 “Thanks!” Phalla beamed.

 Coercia snatched the piece of paper from her friend and tore it in half, much to her shock. “But you should know my ideas are always better.” She tossed the pieces of paper aside, gave a salute and walked out the door.

 Catie waved with a smile. “Hi. I’m Catie Carejoy.” She held out her hand but Coercia didn’t take it, instead remarking, “You can put that away. I don’t touch commoners, I have standards.” Catie, looked stunned, pulling her hand back. “So this project of yours, when did you come up with this idea of creating a hotel in order to…break the law as the rumors say?”

 The angel crew murmured nervously.

 “I’m gonna keep this short,” Coercia said as she walked over to the desk. “You might think my idea doesn’t hold water, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’m too influential to give a flying feather about what some stuffy old news lady thinks of my proposal.”

 The crowd gasped. Ron shook his head.

 “Well, if you can’t take constructive criticism and be polite…”

“…and we’re live!” called a voice as a buzzer sounded.

 “And we’re back!” Catie said, rushing over into her seat. “So, Carrie…”

 “It’s Princess Coerciona Egnam,” said Coercia, sitting in a chair beside her and Ron Wrench.

 “Sorry. So tell us about your project.”

 Coercia took a deep breath. “As most of you know, I was born here in Heaven, and growing up, I’ve always tried to see the good in everything around me. But recently, I don’t believe that’s always the case. We just completed another Extermination. So many sinful souls lost but for what reason? God said in the Commandments “thou shall not kill,” yet killing random people is okay? If we can’t even trust ourselves with our actions and thoughts, is Heaven truly paradise? Not to mention that ever since Lucifer and Lilith betrayed Him, we don’t know who to really trust. Some people are given too many chances!” She pounded her fist on the desk, startling Catie.

 Coercia stood up and made her way forward. “No one is truly flawless. Mistakes are made, but we get blamed for doing things we sometimes enjoy. Sex, drugs, partying, swearing, even violence. All because we don’t live up to impossible standards imposed upon us, both here and on Earth! I can’t stand idly by while the place I live is subjected to such lies and propaganda! So, I’ve been thinking…isn’t there a more liberating way to hinder forced compliance here in Heaven? Perhaps we can create an alternative way to express change through…recreation?”

 The angels talked quietly amongst themselves. Phalla nodded in appreciation.

 “Well I think yes,” Coercia continued. “So that’s what this project aims to achieve.” She walked back to the desk and sat down. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m opening the first of its kind, a hotel that encourages moderate amounts of so-called sin!” She spread out her arms.

 The audience stared in stunned silence. Many of the adults were shaking their heads.

 “Who is that girl?” asked a dragon watching from inside a soup kitchen. “What’s her deal with trying to cause more trouble for this world?”

“She’s nuts!” added another angel with an eagle’s head and wings, wearing a suit.

 Coercia added nervously while still trying to keep a glare, “I figure it would serve a purpose…a place to work toward self-expression. Yay.”

 Among the crowd of angels watching the news outside, a tall man with a thin pale face stood toward the back. He wore a light blue dress suit, had blue and white hair, fluffy deer-like ears, and large blue eyes. His white wings were folded behind him. He watched the program with a look of worry. A deer creature made of light appeared beside him. A sign posted on the wall showing the same man as a DJ read: “Counseling and good times with the Techno Angel!”

 A camera man shook his head at Coercia. Phalla walked up to him and pleaded, “Please give her a chance.”

 Coercia sighed. “Look, I know every single one of you has insecurities and issues that need not be bottled up. If you could just embrace those sides of yourselves…”

Coercia then smirked. “Maybe I’m not getting through to you.”

 Phalla clapped her hands and “ooohed” in excitement as Rub and Chub got the electric guitar ready.

 Coercia showed a pair of sharp white teeth and black curved horns emerged from her head. Black feathery wings sprouted from her back and an X appeared over her right eye. A harpoon appeared in her right hand and a spiked halo appeared over her head.  She was in her dark angelic Exorcist form. She posed over the desk and began.

 (“Inside of Every Angel is a Sinner”)

  “I have a dream

I’m here to tell

About a fantastic mind-blowing hotel

One of a kind, go and yell

A great place to dwell

Catering to specific clientele”

 *Guitar starts and scream vocals*

 “Inside of every angel is a sinner

Inside of every do-gooder is a beast

Inside of every jolly go-lucky mentality

Is a subconscious portion we know the least”

 “Resist all the rules

You’re not passive fools!

With just a little time

Down at the Hazbin Hotel!”

 “So all you rescuers, priests, and heroes

Gifted athletes, jocks, and cheerios

And the sheep citizens, relief is here!

All of you angels, leaders, and stars

Traditionalists with fancy cars

And the activists on Mars

Show no fear

No taboos, no laws

Embrace your flaws

You’ll be truly free

Check in with me

It’s the right path, you’ll see”

 “There’ll be no more pressure

And no more status quo

Just friendship, fun, and endless bags of dough

Establishment put to rest

You’ll be like, “Yes!”

In the tunnel of darkness you’ll go!”

 “So all your hierarchies, GMOs, politics, and isms

Lectures, labor standards, and diamond studded prisms

Ancient Indian elitisms

All must die”

 “All you fantasizers, artists, servers, and lords

Spoiled children, winners of awards

Imposers of chores

Face your fear!”

  “Be who you are

And you’ll go so far

Our service will raise the bar

You’ll be the star

Come from near or afar at the Hazbin Hotel!

Yeah!”

  “Wow,” said an angel in a top hat. “That was…alright.”

  The crowd clapped half-heartedly.

  Catie shook her head. “What in the Nine Levels makes you think a single denizen of Heaven would give two feathers about becoming a sinful person? You have no proof that your little experiment even works! You want people to disobey God and the rules just…because?!”

 Coercia lifted up her head. “Well, we have a patron already who believes in our cause.”

 “And who might that be?” Catie asked.

 “Oh just someone named…Devil Grit.”

 “The grumpy old spider?” asked Ron Wrench.

 “He’s not old,” argued Catie. “He just acts older than he is.”

 “Anyway,” said Catie to Coercia. “You couldn’t even get that guy to do something bad, even if a gun was pointed at his head.”

 “Oh I beg to differ,” Coercia argued. “He’s been troubled, dirty, and having conflicted thoughts for two weeks now.”

 “Breaking news!” called a voice as the screen changed to a recent debate shown in a building.

 The news came on, detailing Devil Grit and his recent TED talk about the 7 Heavenly Virtues.

 “Well, it looks like the one discussing the Heavenly Virtues is none other than…conservative Devil Grit! What a coincidence!”

 She and Ron did a “ratings!” and jazz hands.

 Corceria rolled her eyes.

 “I’m sorry to say, but it looks like your plan’s departed on arrival,” said Catie. “I hope you learned a good lesson here.”

 Coercia’s eyes twitched, her teeth barred. “Lesson?! I’ll teach you a lesson, bitch!”  The princess and Catie fought fist and claw on the desk. Ron called for security.

 After Coercia was kicked out, Phalla followed her wordlessly to the white limo. Devil Grit, Phalla, and Coercia rode back to the hotel.

 Devil Grit lounged in the far seat, wearing an outfit of black with green stripes and green gloves on his four hands.

 “Devil,” said Phalla with concern. “I know you were trying to do good by doing your professional speech. But could you please try not to help society in public? Now people won’t believe us when Coercia says that people are free to express their earthly desires.”

 “I’m sorry Phalla,” said Devil from the other seat, “But I have a reputation to keep up. Helping the greater good is His plan for all of us. Besides, a good professional debate is a reasonable form of self-expression right?”

 “Not to everyone,” said Phalla. “What about the hotel? People are thinking that you don’t care about Coercia’s project at all.”

 “I do care, senorita,” said Devil. “I just don’t think it’s going to be easy to accomplish in such a short time. So many angels are fixated on tradition, myself included.”

 “I do appreciate all of your help,” said Coercia, still fuming after the interview, arms crossed. “But I will make this project work, even if I have to do it myself.”

 The white limo pulled up in front of the hotel, a pristine building made of glass and marble. The group got out of the car and stepped inside.

 White wings made of rainbow scales posed as part of the structure on the roof. The stained glass windows by the door were decorated with apples, a tree of life, and many shades of blue and green. The sign above read “Hazbin Hotel” in big letters on the roof. Inside the lobby, a painting of Adam reaching toward God was displayed on the high ceiling. The hotel had seven floors with seven rooms on each floor. There was even a lab down in the basement which belonged to a man named Baker, the opposite of the demon fish scientist Baxter from Hell. A bowl of blue berries and blue raspberries sat on a table below a welcome banner. Phalla rested on a couch while Devil Grit munched on a granola bar.

 “It’s probably a good idea to stock up some more food in this place,” said Devil Grit. “Good or bad, people always seem to be greedy when they’re hungry.”

 Devil Grit pulled out a chart and went over probabilities and graphs regarding the hotel and the potential number of visitors. Coercia just sighed and walked away toward the door. She went outside and took out her cell phone, calling her mom.

 “Carol cakes!” called her mother through the phone. Coercia cringed.

 “Mom, I told you not to call me that! I’m not a little kid anymore.”

 “Sorry, I can’t help it,” said Lilian with a giggle. “How was the interview?”

 “Meh. It was alright. I proposed my idea, but nobody seemed to buy it.”

 Lilian’s tone turned more serious. “Coercia, why do you insist that everyone must go down to that horrible place? Why can’t you just see the good in people?”

 “Because,” Coercia said, “Everyone has flaws and they don’t realize it.”

 “Yes, but that also applies to you, too. Before you get involved with the lives of others, you need to look inside and critique yourself.”

 “I’m a princess. Everyone else has more flaws than I do.”

 Lilian let out a long sigh. “Young lady, we’ve been through this I don’t know how many times. You have to push your selfish thoughts aside and just accept the way things are. It’s part of a higher purpose.”

 “And what is this “higher purpose” anyway? To be His flock of dazed sheep, dancing around without any care in the world? To not experience ecstasy and adventure, even for just a moment?”

 “That stuff is dangerous and forbidden. Thousands of souls would do anything to get up to this level of Heaven. And you just want to throw your life away?”

 Coercia paused in thought. “If it means proving myself and serving Him in a way I see fit, then so be it.”

 “You have delusions of what entertainment and happiness is, Carol. Sometimes, you need to take the time and appreciate the beauty that’s in front of you.”

 “Other than my own refection, I don’t really see beauty in many other things. Well, heavy metal and watching battles…oh and watching sinners beg for their last breaths…”

 “You have a lot to learn, dear daughter,” Lilian replied. “I’ll leave you alone to think about it.”

 “Whatever.”

 “Love you.”

 “Love you too. Bye.”

  Coercia hung up and went back inside, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the door frame, closing her eyes in frustration…trying to hold back a stream of tears from the stress.

  Just then, there was a knock on the door. Two knocks, four ones, then a last one. Coercia turned around with a sigh to answer it. She swung the stained glass door open. From outside stood a tall slender man with a pale light gray face, wearing a light blue pinstriped dress coat. A white upward cross was part of the design on his light blue undershirt. He was carrying a modern microphone atop a staff in his left hand. His small antlers were white and his hair and deer ears were blue with white tips. A monocle rested under his left eye. Coercia narrowed her eyes.

 “Hi, excuse me…” he spoke quietly. “Is this…”

 Coercia angrily slammed the door in his face.

 She opened it again.

 “…the right address?” finished the man.

 “No!” she shouted, slamming it again.

 “Hey Phalla!” called Coercia.

 “What?” her friend asked.

 “The crybaby Deer Man is at the door!”

 “What?!” she asked, blushes appearing on her cheeks.

 “Who?” asked Devil Grit.

 “What should I do?”

 “Well…let him in!” Phalla cried, eye shining.

 Coercia rolled her eyes and scoffed. She sighed and opened the door again.

 “May I talk now?” the man asked in a radio voice.

 “Sure, whatever,” Coercia said.

 The man held out a white gloved four-fingered hand. “Rotsala, it’s a pleasure to meet you, miss.” He walked in. Worry was etched on his face. “I saw your interview on the picture show and I was worried sick! I was afraid you were never coming back after your argument. Why I haven’t been that upset since the 1929 Stock Market Crash!” He sniffed, “So many poor orphans…”

 “Hello there!” Phalla called with a smile, staring up and walking in front of him. She greeted in Spanish. “I’m so glad you’re here to help out my friend with this new hotel! I’m a big fan of yours and just being in your presence is just…” She swooned. “Oh just take me already you cute, pompous, talk show, blueberry pimp lord!”

 She embraced him and he stood stunned, his face blushing. “I do love hugs,” he whispered as she stepped back. “I bet all of you would be so nice and soft after we get to know each other for a while…”

 Phalla blushed while Devil Grit and Coercia made disgusted faces. “Not gonna happen, creep,” Devil Grit said.

 Rotsala gave a nervous laugh, and popped a strawberry and blueberry into his mouth.

 “You’re not gonna cling to us are you?” Phallas asked. “Or, you know…”

“Dear, if I wanted to screw anyone here…I would’ve done so already.”

 Rotsala tilted his head. His blue eyes briefly glowed with blue upside down radio dials in them. Electricity sparked around cyan colored voodoo symbols in the air. His eyes filled with tears, tears spilling down his pale gray cheeks.

 Phalla watched in bliss, while Devil and Coercia rolled their eyes at the show-off.

 Rotsala shook his head and his eyes returned to normal blue.

 “No, I’m here because I want to relax and help out.”

 “Say what?” Coercia asked, eyebrow raised.

Rotsala held up his staff which glowed blue. He said with a sad crack in his voice, “Goodbye, is this thing off?”

 He tapped it. A blue sad looking eye appeared in the center of the microphone. It spoke in a mechanical voice. “You’re silent, quiet and unclear!”

 “That’s your motivation motto every day?” Devil Grit asked, crossing his four arms. “Pathetic!”

 “Tragic and mysterious, I love it!” Phalla squealed. “It’s like the opposite of announcing. It’s…denouncing.”

 Devil Grit elbowed her. “Hun, could you not get attracted to every other man you see?  I’m your boyfriend.”

 “I can’t help it, love!” she cried. “I just get so distracted easily.”

  “Um…you want to help?” Coercia asked.

 Rotsala appeared behind them after morphing into light.

 “With…” he spoke in her growl then his normal shy sounding voice, “…this random thing you’re trying to do. This hotel. I want to help you run it, if that’s okay.”

 “Uh…why?”

 Rotsala choked a bit on his words. “Why doesn’t anyone do anything? Sheer absolute lethargy! I’ve been partying around and keeping busy for decades. I would like to do something more relaxing and easier.”

  “My work became overwhelming, lacking focus. I’ve come to crave a new form of disengagement!”

 Coercia rolled her eyes. “Does getting into a fist fight with a reporter count as disengagement?”

 “No,” Rotsala said. “It’s violent and messy, not really my thing. Life is truly strange…reality, fantasy, true tragedy. After all the world is a grave, and the grave is a world of disengagement!”

 Coercia brightened a bit. “So, does this mean you think it’s possible to taint an angel? That life is meaningless without your own self to temporarily control it.”

 Rotsala sniffed and held up a hand. “Who knows? Anything’s possible. Sinning, oh the vice of humanity! I think there’s plenty left that can change such marvelous saints. But then again, the chance that was given to them was the life they lived before. The reward is this!” He spread out his arms. “According to God, there’s no undoing what is done…or at least that’s the way it should be.”

“So then, why do you want to help me if you don’t fully believe in my cause?” Coercia asked.

 Rotsala turned around to look at her. “Consider it an investment in ongoing knowledge for myself and others.” He let out a small smile. “I want to watch the blessed of this world struggle to give into temptation, only to repeatedly realize and raise themselves up the golden ladder of success!” His eyes glowed blue.

 “Right…” Coercia began.

 “Yes indeed,” Rotsala said, both of them walking off to the side. “I see you taking risks and who better to keep you grounded than I.”

 “Ah, so what’s the deal with Mr. Frown over there?” Devil Grit asked.

 “Wait, you’ve never heard of him before?” Phalla asked. “You’ve been here longer than me!”

 Devil shrugged his shoulders.

 “The Techno Angel, one of the most complex beings Heaven as ever seen?”

 “Eh, I’m not too big on people.”

 Phalla sighed and leaned in close to explain.

 “Decades ago, Rotsala manifested in Heaven, seemingly in one day. He began to catch the attention of overlords and archangels who had kept to themselves for centuries. That kind of attraction and magic power had never been harnessed by a mortal soul before. Then, he broadcast his adventures all throughout Heaven just so everyone could experience some joy, tragedy and emotions. Saints starting calling him the Techno Angel, (as unoriginal as that is). Many have speculated what unimaginable force enabled him to rival our world’s most ancient and constructive heroes. But one thing’s for sure: he’s an unpredictable source of silliness, a depressed spirit of mystery and a loving being of order…or disorder, the likes of which we can get involved in, especially if we want to end up aroused!”

 “You done?” Devil asked. “He looks like a blueberry businessman. Or a shady con-man. Either way, you’re delusional.”

 “Well, I trust him completely!”

 “Do you blindly trust any man? All men?”

 Phalla skipped over to Coercia. Rotsala examined a family portrait of Lucius, Lilian and a young Coercia in the center. Young Coercia wore a white dress with a turquoise top to it. Her hair was jet black, braided in black barbed wire, her cheeks had teal blushes. Her mother had long black hair and wore a fancy white dress and a round gold crown. Her father was dressed in a dress suit of white and blue, with blue and black stripes in the center below a white bow tie. He wore a large light gray top hat with a dove and a green apple on it. His cane also had a green apple on the top. Both of them were smiling, showing rows of sharp teeth, white wings folded behind them.

 “Coercia, listen to me, you can believe this dreamer. He isn’t just a sad face. He’s a miracle maker, pure good! But… don’t count on him to believe in your cause. He could be tainted and rebel, but we don’t know that. He could very well side with God and your parents. And he’s most likely looking for a way to hinder everything we’re trying to do if it means following God’s rules. But still, give him a chance. He’s really sweet.”

 “I…” Coercia began. “…we don’t know that. Look, he’s a crying bitch, and he probably doesn’t want to change.”

 Phalla put her hands on her friend’s shoulders.

 “The whole point of your hotel is to give people a chance! To have faith things will be better and people can embrace their flaws, their true selves! How can you turn someone away? You can’t. It goes against everything you’re trying to do. Everything you believe in.”

 Coercia looked downcast. Her friend had a good point. She hated when people made good arguments against her. But it also gave her a chance to consider her thoughts. Phalla kept her grounded and added some cheer to her overall fake afterlife. Coercia smiled at her.

 “You take care of yourself,” she said to Phalla.

“Coercia,” warned Phalla, “Unless you are serious about responsibility, do not make a promise with him!”

 Demons often made deals with each other that often resulted in gaining power at the cost of one’s soul or freedom. Usually the one who initiated the deal would gain advantage. A demonic deal was bad in and of itself. Breaking an angelic promise could result in rejection, eternal torture and damnation.

 “Don’t worry,” said Coercia. “I learned one thing from my dad.” She mimicked his low voice, “Ya don’t break trust with other angels!”

 Coercia marched over to the Techno Angel.

 “Ok Mr. Rot... You’re prissy as fuck, and you clearly see what I’m trying to do here is a too-dangerous risk. But I don’t.”

 Glowing blue symbols briefly appeared around a concerned Rotsala, then vanished.

 Coercia continued. “I think everyone deserves a chance to prove they can be themselves. After all, it’s in their nature and the sooner they realize it, the better. So, I’m taking your offer to help. On the condition there be no lessons or lovey-dovey speeches made.”

 Rotsala twirled his cane and held out his smallest finger from his right hand.

“So, it’s a promise, then?”

 The room was surrounded by a pink aura as light spirits roamed around the walls. The wind blew against Phalla’s and Devil’s faces.

 “Nope!” Coercia yelled, holding out her hands. The energy stopped. “No shaking, no promises! I…hmmm…”

 She paused in thought.

 “As Princess of Heaven and heir to the throne, I hereby order that you help out with this hotel for as long as you desire.”

 A moment of pause…

 “Sound fair?”

 “Fair enough,” Rotsala said with a slump of his shoulders and walked on. His cane vanished.

 Rotsala stopped and spotted Phalla to the side.

 Phalla went up and tickled him under the chin, much to his shock.

 “Smile, deer man!” she said.

 Rotsala walked on, speechless.

  “So…where is your hotel staff?” Rotsala asked Coercia.

 “Uh well,” Coercia began. Rotsala peered at Phalla through his monocle below his left eye.

 He stuttered. “You’re going to n-need more than that.”

 Rotsala walked over to Devil Grit, who was sitting on a stool.

 “And what can I do, my business fellow?” asked Rotsala walking over to the dark furred spider, blushing.

 “You can suck a dick,” Devil retorted in a grumpy tone.

 “AH! Ok,” said Rotsala, blushing and stepping back. “Can it be yours?”

 “Fuck off,” Devil added, pulling out a long knife from his belt.

 Rotsala summoned his cane. “Well this just won’t do. You want others to cause trouble, yes? I suppose I can cash in a few favors to deaden things up!”

 He snapped his fingers and the wall beside the fireplace cracked. The circle went dark, the fire going out. Ice cold water appeared to fill in the circle and a shadowy figure solely formed inside. Rotsala walked over and removed the dripping figure from the water. A large single purple eye was revealed.

 Devil Grit, Phalla and Coercia peered at the creature. With a balloon deflating sound and a puff of white smoke, the figure was revealed.

 “This little rascal is Klutzy!” Rotsala announced with a worried smile, dropping the figure.

 A black-skinned short cyclops female landed on her face on the floor. She stood up with a grumpy look on her face. She wore a dark green skirt with a white stray cat off to the left side. Her arms and legs were white and stick-shaped. Several blue dots stood out from the lighter green color of her skirt. Her shirt was black with cyan paint spots off to the right. Her large eye took up much of her pale white face; it was dark blue with a white pupil. Her short hair was teal with a dark blue spot off to the left.

 “I’m Klutzy,” she grumbled, clenching her fists. “It’s a waste of time to meet you. It’s been a while since I’ve seen strangers.”

  Her pupil narrowed from side to side.

 “Why are you all men?” she asked. “Have any women here? Or video games? Screw this place.”

 She briefly picked up Coercia, then let go.

 “Oh man, this place is boring!” she exclaimed. She ran over to a vase and proceeded to knock it over with her elbow. It shattered to pieces on the floor. She tossed couch cushions aside.

 “It really needs a more manly touch, disorganized clutter’s more fun.” She grinned as she poured dirt from a flower pot onto the rug.

 “Yes, yes, yep, yeah!” she yelled as she proceeded to break windows and knock down more stuff. Then she plopped down on a couch once the room was messy. “I’m bored. Make me some food or something.”

 Phalla, Devil, and Coercia looked on in worry, Rotsala just stared off into space. “She has quite the temper sometimes.”

 A cat angel was working on a Rubik’s cube with colleagues. His furry face was black, framed by white fur. His little top hat was white with a blue band across it. A big teal bow tie was under his neck, over his black furry chest framed by white fur. His wings were a brilliant blue, with black and red mathematical symbols on either side: the pi symbol, E = mc squared, signs for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, among others. More symbols were visible within his two pointed ears. His teeth were sharp and purple and his long eyebrows were teal. His eyes were purple and sclera white. The angel placed a Rubik’s cube in front of him. “Ha!” he declared in triumph. Read ‘em and weep, boys! Full…whoa…”

 He felt himself being transported in a flash of light to the hotel. Part of the science room that the cat had been in was merged with the hotel lobby…posters of the elements, the solar system and Biblical works of art.

 “What in Heaven’s name is going on?

 Then he brightened when he saw Rotsala. “You!”

“Ah, Core, my old friend,” Stalaro sniffed, his head briefly looking like it was in between antlers from a stuffed deer head on the wall. “You made it.”

 “Glad to see you, you son of the sun!” Core said. “I just completed my Rubik’s cube after just an hour.”

 The cube vanished as Rotsala looked on.

Core raced over to Rotsala and embraced him in a side hug. The deer-like man blushed. “So, what can I help you with this time?”

 Rotsala blinked nervously. “C-Can we snuggle?”

 Core laughed. “I mean, seriously, why’d you bring me here?”

 “My friend, I’m doing some dirty work, so I took it upon myself to volunteer your services. If that’s okay?”

 “You must be joking,” Core said, laughing nervously.

 “I don’t think so,” he replied.

 “You thought it’d be a great idea just to pull me out of nowhere? You think I’m some kind of tragic boy?”

 “Maybe,” Rotsala sighed, as crying sounds came from his microphone.

 “I ain’t doing no dirty work.”

 Rotsala appeared behind him. “Well I figured you would be the perfect face to greet and critique the guests at this fine establishment.”

 He pointed his staff off toward a stand with vegetable drinks as claps and boos sounded from his staff.

 “With your grumpy cat face and love of solitude…”

 Core lifted up the corners of Rotsala mouth with his paws. “Aw come on, Al, Don’t forget to smile once in a while!”

 His mouth frowned once he let go.

 Rotsala walked over to the stand. “Don’t worry, my friend. I can make this more interesting…if you wish.”

 He conjured up a bottle of catnip with his finger.

 Core stared with wide happy eyes. “What, you think you can buy me with sad eyes and some cheap catnip? Well, you can!” He purred and took the bottle with him.

 Coercia, Devil, and Phalla arrived.

 “Yes, yes, yes!” Phalla squealed. “Brilliant idea to have healthy drinks!”

 “No!” Coercia protested. “This is supposed to be a place that encourages sin! Not some kind of, frilly, Zen, child’s play…”

 Core noticed Devil Grit and slid up to him. “Hey cutie,” he flirted.

 “Go screw yourself,” muttered Devil Grit.

 “Only if you watch me,” Core joked. “Or more likely, Rotsala will watch you.”

 Coercia leaned in close to Core. “Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel! You are going to go insane here!” She grinned, her teeth sharp.

 “We’re all mad here,” Core replied, sniffing the catnip.

 Rotsala walked in, an ever-present frown on his face. “S-so, what do you think?”

 Rotsala ran over to him. “This is horrible!” she spat.

 “It’s amazing!” Phalla beamed.

 Phalla leaned in close between Coercia and Rotsala, embracing them in a hug.

 “This is going to be very disengaging,” Rotsala exclaimed. Dubstep sounds emitted from his mouth as he stared around with worry. He stepped away from Phalla. “Coercia, I can’t lose you. We can’t lose you.”

 Rotsala changed his light blue suit into a dark blue funeral outfit with a matching top hat. He did the same with Coercia, Devil Grit, Core, Klutzy, and Phalla, who were all wearing black clothing from the early 1900s. Coercia wore a short tan flapper dress and a round matching ladies’ hat. She and Klutzy stared at their outfits in disgust, while Devil Grit, Core and Phalla smiled as they stared at theirs. The room changed, the walls now covered with Voodoo symbols, Christian crosses and deer antlers.

 “Take it boys,” Rotsala said. Light spirits appeared and played violins, a piano, and a flute in a sad symphony.

 Rotsala sang his reprise to Coercia as they did a slow dance. Coercia looked annoyed but Rotsala smiled.

  (“Stalaro’s lament Reprise”)

 “You’re on a mission

Your innocence fell

And it’s so dangerous but hey, I wish you well

Yes your blunt protests

Will send you straight to Hell

And I can’t bear to see you banished, or your soul up to sell”

  “Don’t bring your life to an end

No matter what you say, I’m still your friend

We all have our wounds to mend

And you’re vulnerable feelings are real, don’t pretend”

 “Inside of every angel is love and emotion

They have values and lasting devotion (devotion to God)

While you recruit those around

Don’t be swallowed by the ground

The authorities can retrieve you tight and bound (no turning around)”

 “Here above the sky

Spread your wings and fly

They’ll spend a little time

Down at this Haven Ho…”

  An explosion rattled the windows. Klutzy saw a door flying toward her face and she broke it in half with a karate chop.

 The room and everyone’s clothing returned to normal.

 Everyone looked outside and saw a podium in the air, held up by flying metallic eggs. A familiar snake debater appeared.

 “Look who it is harboring the striped annoying opponent! We meet again, Rotsala!”

 “Do I know you?” Rotsala asked.

 Tears came to Anguis’ eyes. “Oh yes, you do! Watch this presentation!”

 The eggs danced in the air, singing a song about Sir Anguis trying his best to rule Heaven. He read from notecards. “You all can’t compete with me. Your hotel sucks. I…shall…destroy it…with… my…”

 Rotsala giggled and blushed. “Your baby weiner havor?”

 Anguis looked up from his cards in anger. “Not like that, pervert!”

 Rotsala snapped his fingers. A portal appeared and white tentacles shot out, knocking the podium off balance. The metal eggs knocked into Sir Anguis and he yelled, “Ow that hurt! Show mercy!”

 Rotsala used a drop of his blood and the podium exploded in green smoke.

 Sir Anguis emerged from the crater, arm shaking, fangs shattered. Rotsala waved a hand and the snake was healed.

 “Shoot me with your ray gun,” said a metal egg beside him. Sir Anguis face-planted on the ground.

 Rotsala looked on, sadly while everyone else stared, stunned.

 “Anyone hungry?” Rotsala asked turning around. “Please don’t make me cook jambalaya. It’s way too spicy and it nearly killed me! I much prefer tea and sugared strawberries, oh the way they melt in my mouth… but anyway, you could say the kick brought me straight into Heaven.”

 Rotsala lead the way back to the hotel, the group following him.

 “Yes sir, new changes are about to take place. Now…”

 Rotsala waved his finger at the lit up sign above the glass, gem-encrusted building on the roof.

 The sign changed from “Hazbin Hotel” to “Haven Hotel.”

 “Stay tuned.” He finished with low whimpers.

[queenmuzz]

Operation: Tiddy Freedom

A special Valentine’s Day Dante x Reader oneshot.

“Oh, you guys are not going to believe this...” Dante yelped as he leapt down the stairs, three at a time, startling both you and Vergil as you organized the bookshelf. You were dusting, while Vergil placed the books (after 'checking' them thoroughly, more than once you had to clear your throat to get his nose out of a book and hand it to you) in their correct slots.

“Found this baby in storage in the upper room, it's over twenty years old, and boy, does it bring back memories!” he crowed proudly “And the best part, it still fits!”

You gave up resisting the distraction, and you finally turned around and saw Dante in the most ridiculous get up. Combat boots, dark brown leather pants... and no shirt. Instead, he wore a bright red, if a bit faded over time leather overcoat, with a wide matching red belt at the waist, with a silvery metal buckle. Looking at the holes on the belt, you deduced that it had never actually been buckled up, ever.

But what really caught your eyes was the brown, nearly black belt of leather that wrapped around his chest. Barely. It had obviously been designed when he was a younger, slimmer, less developed man. It looked like a hoop around a whiskey barrel, barely holding on. In fact, you were certain he was contracting his chest in to keep it from snapping. You could imagine the pattern of the leather embedded into his flesh for a few precious moments after it snapped, the texture of it as it faded under your fingertips as you slowly dragged them across across his chest...

“Ahem” The sound of Vergil disapprovingly clearing his throat, most likely in mockery of your earlier actions dragged you kicking and screaming back to the present. Slightly mortified to be caught in such a daydream, you anxiously glanced at both men, but Vergil was busy frowning at his younger brother, and Dante was too busy checking himself out in the reflection of the jukebox to notice you gawking.

“You looked ridiculous in that as a nineteen year old, and you look even more ridiculous now as a middle aged man, Dante.” Vergil observed, sharply.

“Says the guy who wore an ascot at the same time I wore this,” Dante countered, “Brother, you have no leg to stand on when it comes to fashion. And unlike you,” he paused to flex, and you swore you could hear from across the room, the leather belt protest at the stretching, “I still make it look good, regardless of age, don't you agree sweetheart?”

An uncomfortable period of silence occurred as his words pushed aside the fantasies you had clogging in your brain, like an overcrowded elevator. “O-oh, yeah... Dante... y-you look great,” you stammered. Okay, at least one of them had to notice that you must have turned as red as Dante's overcoat, but nope, the younger brother was too busy preening at your compliment, while the elder was rolling his eyes as he picked up several boxes full of old books.

“Dante,” Vergil's dour voice cut through his brothers cheerfulness, “you were supposed to be cleaning upstairs, not playing dress up. I thought we had agreed that today was to be dedicating to cleaning this poor excuse of a residence”

“Aw man,” Dante pouted, “You can't let a guy just reminisce about his younger years, just a little bit?”

“Look,” you interceded. You didn't want a fight to break out, piling 'Clean bloodstains off the floor' to your list of cleaning duties. “We all deserve a little break,” you turned to Vergil, “How about you drop off those old books to the used book shop, and have yourself a treat at the cafe?” Vergil paused, taking a moment to think about it, before hefting the box of books a bit higher, and nodding. “Very well,” he agreed, “I shall leave you and... this fool alone” You could have sworn you saw a knowing look in his eye as he stared at you for a moment, before he left. Did he know what thoughts were going through your head?. No, he couldn't have.

Even if he had, it was apparent that Dante was oblivious. He was still grinning like an idiot as he adjusted his leather gloves. “I guess I'll get back to the boooooring parts of this job. But....” he said as he pointed his thumbs to his muscular chest, “I'm still gonna keep wearing this”. And after clicking his tongue as he gave you finger guns, he leapt back up the steps, and back into his work.

You continued to tidy up the living room, dusting, organizing, and eventually you pulled out the ancient vacuum cleaner, nearly as dusty as the room itself had been. After getting it to work, you methodically sucked up all that you could, but you couldn't get the image out of your head. That leather belt pressing against his chest, the sound of it creaking as it struggled to envelop that mass of pure muscle. The white hairs peeking around the edges....

That was it, you thought... you needed to find a way to make that leather band snap, preferably while in your vicinity. And you had to be subtle about it, you'd be mortified if Dante found out what you were up to....

Operation: Tiddy Freedom commences now!

The easiest way was obvious; get him to flex his chest muscles. And to do that, he would have to exert himself, lifting something heavy... you looked at the couch, blocking your progress...

“Hey Dante!” you yelled over the drone of the vacuum. For a moment, you thought perhaps you should have turned it off first, but then, the man appeared, sliding down the banister, before landing perfectly on the ground floor.

“What's up babe?” he asked over the din, and you pointed at the couch, miming it being lifted up. You couldn't trust yourself to voice yourself, worried you'd give away your true intentions.

He got the message, “No problem! Anything for you, sweetcheeks” and you blushed, (you hoped if he noticed that, he'd think it was because of the pet name, and not in... anticipation.

And with about as much effort as it took to lift up the receiver of his phone, he lifted up the couch up with one hand, and smiled as he motioned you to proceed. Keeping one eye on his chest, you quickly vacuumed underneath, getting rid of the veritable hutch of dust bunnies that had accumulated.

The leather belt held....

You did your best to hide your disappointment, but really, what were you expecting? The Sparda brothers were freakishly strong, it wouldn't have taken Dante much effort to lift something like this, barely needing to flex his muscles. Your sighs were drowned out by the persistent whine of the vacuum, and you faked a thankful smile to him, (to be fair, he had been helpful, the antique couch would have been a pain in the butt to move by yourself).

The man gave you a cocky smile and then headed back up. You'd have to think of something else.

Operation: Tiddy Freedom

Phase One: Failure

After the living room was decent, you headed to the kitchen. You could vaguely hear Dante thumping around upstairs, and every so often you could hear him singing a rock tune or something. You wiped down the cupboards, emptied the drawers of all unessential items (Did you really need that power cord that goes to who knows what? Nah, just toss it....TOSS IT) and boxed the old dishes that you guys never used.

After coating the oven with the foamy oven cleaner, you decided to sweep the kitchen while you were waiting for it to do it's magic. While not as dusty as the living room, there were some grimy corners that cried out to be swept and scrubbed. One such threatening spot was on the edge of the base of the fridge. The metaphorical light-bulb (that strangely looked like the oven light) went off in your head.

“Dante!” you yelled out, “Need some more help!” And quick as a flash, as if you had summoned Hermes himself, the red clad demon hunter appeared.

“Alrighty, what can ole' Dante do for you?”

You composed yourself as best as you could “I need to sweep and scrub underneath the fridge, mind moving it for me?”

He grinned, and with a focused 'Hmmmph' he wrapped his muscular arms around the machine, pulled, and lifted. You had never in your life thought you would be jealous of a refrigerator, but then again, you never thought you'd fall in love with a silver fox half-demon. But now to the business at hand.

Dante kept the fridge up, a few inches off the floor as you tried to pretend to move quickly to sweep and with the scratchy side of a sponge, getting rid of the decades old dirt that had accumulated there. After all, the longer he held it up, the more likely that leather belt would snap. But there was no distinctive sound of creaking leather being pushed past it's breaking point, no grunt of surprise from Dante, and as he set it back in place after you finished, you quickly glanced at his chest.

The belt remained intact.

Dismay fought to take over your facial features, but you held firm. If he knew what you were trying to do, you weren't sure you could handle the teasing. So instead, you gave him yet another fake smile, thanking him profusely for his help. He gave you a quick kiss on the cheek, and left the kitchen, and you heard his combat boots clattering up the stairs.

Operation: Tiddy Freedom

Phase Two: Failure.

You began to wipe out the cleaning foam out of the oven, marvelling at how something so delicate as a bunch of bubbles could be strong enough the strip the encrusted dirt. After that, you finished sweeping and scrubbing the rest of the kitchen floor, before taking a breather. All that was left for this room was taking the boxes of unused dishes to the car, for transport to the local second hand shop.

The boxes themselves weren't that heavy, so there was no point in asking him to help you, it was easy enough on its own.  But as you loaded the boxes into your car trunk, a devious idea popped into your brain.  Alright, perhaps the couch, and even the fridge hadn’t been enough, but surely lifting a car….

You pulled out your phone, then gently set it on the ground, before pushing it so it was totally out of reach underneath the vehicle.   Now, to put your acting skills to good use.

“Dante!” you cried out in mock horror, “I need help!”

The man came out running, a bit quicker than you thought, obvious worry on his face. Good, the ploy was working  “What’s wrong, babe?”

Now to play the part of lover in distress.  “My phone,” you said sadly, “I was carrying out the boxes to put in the trunk, and my phone popped out of my pocket, and I can’t reach it under the car.  Silly me, I should have left it inside.”

Dante’s face relaxed in relief as he took a peek at the undercarriage.  “Ah, don’t you worry your pretty little head, just be ready to snatch it up.  And after spending a few moments cracking his knuckles, he grabbed your back bunker, and with both hands, lifted the car a good three quarters of a metre off the ground.

You darted underneath, grabbed your phone, and once you were free and clear, tapped him on the shoulder to let him know it was safe to put it down, which he did with surprising gentleness.  You gave a kiss on the lips as thanks.

And yet, the leather belt still remained unbroken.

Operation: Tiddy Freedom

Phase Three: Failure

You sighed sadly.  All this work for naught.  You’d have to ask him who the leather-worker was for that, seeing as it was such good quality, even after these years.  But it was cold comfort…

“Babe, you okay?” his worried voice split into your morose thoughts.  You shook your head to clean out the mental cobwebs, and you smiled, although you didn’t feel like it.  You felt as dirty as the floor behind the fridge for making Dante do all these things, just for your amusement.

“It’s…. just been a long day, cleaning and such” you replied, truthfully this time.

“Awww, come here sweetheart,” and you felt his strong arms envelope you in a big hug.  So this is what the fridge felt like… You thought to yourself, as he tightly held you against his bare chest. 

All of a sudden, you heard, and felt  what was unmistakably the sound of leather stretching beyond its capabilities, and then....

SNAP!

Dante’s chest belt ripped down the middle, the two ends dangling sadly at his sides.  You stared at them, then at the reddened mark where just a few moments ago, it had been practically embedded into his skin.  You swore you could see the stitches echoed into his muscular flesh.

“Aw shucks,” you heard him say, and you looked up to see him with a cheeky grin on his face.  “Will you look at that?  Looks like I hugged you a bit too strongly.  Sometimes I don't know my own strength, didn’t crush any of your ribs, did I?”

He was joking of course… but that grin he gave you….and the fact that he’d just snapped his belt like it was a piece of dried spaghetti...Wait….did he know what your plan had been all along?

You pressed your face into his chest, both attempting to feel the rapidly fading marks, and also to hide the fact your face had more blush than the entire pharmacy makeup aisle.  

Dante lowered his head, so his mouth was at your ear level, and murmured,seductively “You know, I cleaned up the bedroom, we ought to… christen it before Verg gets home…”

You had barely nodded your head before without warning, Dante lifted you up, bridal style, and carried you indoors like you weighed nothing at all.

And to be truthful, that’s how you felt.

[carry-on-snowbazzing]

My 5 best of 2020 (in 2021 😂)

1. A summer day ☀

"Well, Baz! Do you want to move?" Penelope yelled, already in the car (a certain MG dated 1967).

Simon studied his own reflection in the rearview mirror, running a hand through his bronze curly tuft and resulting in even more messiness.

"A minute!" was the answer from a few floors above the apartment.

Penelope rolled her eyes and picked up her Iphone.

Shortly after, hurried footsteps were heard coming down the stairs and Baz, after closing the door, got into the car.

Simon leaned out of the back seat and kissed him on the cheek.

He smiled and, starting the engine, exclaimed:

"Destination: fun!"

  Later there were four of them getting out of the car: Baz with a beach umbrella over his shoulder, Simon struggling with a giant inflatable pink flamingo, Penelope with a cooler bag, and Agatha with another bag, containing beach towels and sunscreen.

"The weather forecasts were right; today’s a perfect day for the sea," Penelope commented as she slipped off her flip-flops and dropped her bag into the sand.

"Edward shines like a fairy!" Simon yelled, putting on a pair of sunglasses and pointing to Baz.

"Stop it, Snow," he laughed, "and give me my glasses back; all this sunshine stuns me."

Trying to ignore them, Agatha took off her cover-up and began to rub off the protection angrily.

"Whoever dives himself last is a pixie!" Simon yelled, throwing his t-shirt and starting to run towards the sea with Penelope at his heels.

Several splashes and laughter later, the two returned wet, smiling and hungry.

Meanwhile, Baz and Agatha had dedicated themselves to crossword puzzles and to the horoscope.

"Agatha, there must be some butter and turkey sandwiches in the cooler," Penelope said as she wrapped herself in her towel.

"I couldn't find anything better for you than beef carpaccio," she said to Baz.

He smiled making 'OK' with both thumbs.

"And for me?" Agatha asked, offended that her friend hadn't thought of her too.

"Fruit salad" she replied. "I know you're on a vegetarian diet."

Agatha blushed feeling a little guilty and muttered something like "Oh, thank you".

Everyone literally devoured their lunch, because, as Simon ruled on his fifth butter sandwich, "The sea makes you hungry."

They gossiped a bit about their old classmates, wondering if Gareth still had his belt buckle as a wand and if Trixie had a fight with his girlfriend.

  They lost track of time after falling asleep in the early afternoon sun.

It was the sound of a notification that woke Agatha, who, after seeing her mother's message ('Where are you? Coven party tonight!'), made a shrill sound that woke the others too.

"Damn, I'm in mega-delay!" she complained, sitting up and hastily gathering his things.

Seeing her so agitated, no one dared contradict her and they hurried too.

Before leaving for the return, all already in the car, Simon took out a Polaroid from the trunk (not an easy feat, given the bulky mass of the flamingo) and urged them:

"Wait! Say 'cheese'!"

Everyone posed, waiting for the flash.

Once the picture was taken, Simon reached for the film that had just come out of the instant camera, but found himself clutching a slice of Emmental in his fingers.

Baz couldn't help himself and laughed uncontrollably.

"Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch!" Simon bursted, but he couldn't bear a grudge and joined in the general laughter.

___________________________________________________

2. Shopping (Big & Little) 🥄

"They'll be emptying the mall, those two" Agatha commented, looking at the clock on the kitchen wall and adding another egg to the bowl.

"Probably" replied Penelope, who was handling the curry risotto.

"They've been away for three hours!" Agatha insisted, "and with two credit cards!".

Penelope gave her a look like 'what can we do?' and again consulted the handwritten note attached to the refrigerator with a magnet (shaped like a scone).

"Oh, I forgot the onion!" she moaned after a quick glance, "my mother would kill me if she knew!".

She went back to the stove and for a few minutes they remained silent, one intent on vigorously banging the whips, the other busy slicing the bulb.

Once Agatha had baked the chocolate cake (wiping a non-existent sweat with her glove) and Penelope had remedied her mistake, the girls dropped onto the sofa.

They were just debating which movie to watch that night when they heard the key turn in the lock and Simon exclaim from the entrance:

"We’re at home!"

The two joined them in the living room and Baz asked:

"Curry and chocolate?"

Penelope nodded.

"Sometimes I wish I was a vampire; just smell a dish to understand if the doses are right or wrong," she sighed.

"Shopping?" Agatha asked, looking at the numerous envelopes they both had in their hands and casting a reproachful look at Simon.

"There were the sales" he tried to justify himself, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hurry up; you’ll show us your spoils of war after dinner" Penelope ordered.

  "What do you think?" Simon began, smugly showing a set of jeans for Baz and a giant jar of sour cherries scones.

Penelope seemed to try not to roll her eyes.

"I stayed on the intellectual side" Baz said, pulling a stack of books and a pack of pastel highlighters out of a bag.

"I need them for the college" he explained to Agatha, who was trying to get hold of the markers.

"And you haven't seen the piece of resistence!" Simon shrieked, grabbing a smiling Baz by the wrist and dragging him into the nearest room.

They came out moments later walking backwards (in what was supposed to be an imitation of Michael Jackson's moonwalk), so they could only see their backs.

"3, 2, 1 ..." Baz counted.

"Ta daaaan!" Simon exclaimed as they turned at the same time.

They wore matching gray sweatshirts; both had a black molded spoon.

'Big' was written on Baz's, while Simon's 'Little'.

"Awww" the girls screamed in unison, in the grip of a fangirl attack (which managed to make Agatha look adoring too).

"We have a pair for you too" Baz said, handing Penelope a black t-shirt with 'Brownie' on it, while Simon gave Agatha a white one with 'Blondie' on it.

"Thanks, guys" Penelope murmured moved and Agatha initiated a group hug.

photos references

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3. Anniversary 💞

here

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4. Ops! 🧴

 Simon knocked for the tenth time on the bathroom door:

"Occupied!" Baz yelled for the tenth time.

"And sorry, but I can't hold it anymore anymore ..."

Simon abruptly released the handle, abandoning his irritated tone.

He let out a cry, muffled by the hands that he immediately brought to his mouth.

Baz was shirtless in front of the mirror, glaring at his own reflection.

Everything was perfectly normal, except for his hair: it had turned from raven to red.

Fawn red.

"If you tell anyone about this, Snow, I will end you" he growled menacingly.

Simon stood there, speechless. When he had regained the use of his mouth, he barely stifled a laugh and intoned:

“Weasley is our king

he always lets the Quaffle in ... "

From Baz's look, he knew it would be wiser to stop, so he did it.

He approached cautiously and asked gently:

"What happened to you?".

"I wish I knew; I was taking a normal shampoo shower" sighed Baz.

Meanwhile Simon had reached the sink and was looking closely at the bottle of the citron and bergamot scented blend.

"It doesn't seem to have anything strange" he then ruled, placing it back on the shelf.

"Indeed; I went to get it from my home in Hampshire; Daphne can only find it in our town's herbalist's shop," Baz replied sadly.

"I really can't explain it" he went on, unable to get over it.

"My sister gave it to me ..." he stopped suddenly.

He clapped her forehead and turned on the lock screen of his smartphone.

"Today is April 1st," he murmured.

He took the vial in one hand and, with the ivory wand in the other, exclaimed:

"Show me your secrets!".

The writing on the label changed from 'Shampoo with citrus notes' to 'Permanent color intense red'.

"MORDELIAAAAA!" he screamed as Simon rolled with laughter.

"April Fool!" he managed to exclaim between a laugh and another.

That’s totally inspired by a fanart of @vkelleyart​ 💖 :  that 

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5. Trick or treat? 👻

 "Well, Baz! If you don't move, we'll only have the sub-brand candy left!" Simon railed.

With all the peace of mind he could, Baz went down the stairs and joined his screaming boyfriend, who was immediately silent at his sight.

"Morgana, Basilton; you really mean it" Penelope commented, watching him as she lit another candle to put in the Jack o 'lanterns carved by Simon and Baz (which occupied all the flat surfaces of the apartment).

"I've been doing some accurate researches over the last week" he began, making a theatrical gesture in his vampire cloak.

"You even have the same jacket as Gary Oldman" she observed excitedly.

He, in response, gave her a perfidious look, baring his fangs.

Simon was still in his silence and couldn't take his eyes off him.

"What's up Snow, the cat got your tongue?" Baz asked, amused.

He answered with a tongue sticking out and approached him with a raised eyebrow (in perfect Baz style).

"Wow" he commented after kissing him on the cheek.

"Enjoy yourselves!" Penelope exclaimed as they came out hand in hand.

  "Where do we go now?" Baz asked.

Simon moved with great ease between one bell and another, meticulously illustrating the specialties offered by each house.

His phrases were: "Here you can always find top quality stuff", or "No, better to avoid an indigestion".

After scouring all the houses on the first five blocks, Simon had an epiphany.

"For a thousand snakes! Baz, we absolutely have to go to the 'Spooky night' party!" he screamed, making him jump.

"Crowley, Snow! Calm down!" he retorted irritably, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt.

"You don't understand," Simon insisted.

"Our loot is loser when compared to everything you can find there; Strawberry Blood Drip, Every Flavour Beans, Pumpkin PIE, Butterbeer and, hold on ... Oreo with Orange Cream!"

Baz, seeing him so excited ('like a child', he thought), couldn’t say no to him (although he wanted to go home more than anything else; his feet protested against Count Dracula's boots).

"And where would it be?" he asked, trying not to smile.

"A couple of blocks from here; hurry up!" Simon urged him, taking him by the hand and starting to run.

  "A delusion!" Simon snapped, leaving the bag full of sweets on the doormat.

"What happened?" Penelope asked Baz, who had just closed the door behind him and limped desperately as he headed for the sofa.

"In short at that damn party they had finished everything and told us our costumes sucked" he explained.

Simon was with his arms folded, all sulking, sitting in the armchair.

"Look at their costumes! And let me have something to eat, rather!" he barked.

Penelope approached him and, looking at him tenderly, reassured him:

"We always have our repertoire of horror films."

Simon shrugged, hitting the nearby lamp.

"And I was prepared for any eventuality," she went on, snapping her fingers and popping up a pack of Oreos with orange cream.

Simon's face cleared, illuminated by a huge grin.

__________________________________________________

Ty @letraspal​ for tagging me 💕

That’s all; hope u like it!  💜

Happy new Year! ✨

[gay-for-paulson]

“Well, No One Told Me About Her...”-- Vikki Hiller x Original Character

~~Hello there! Long time no see! So, I wrote this fic about the great Vikki Hiller a few months ago and forgot to post it! Vikki is my babe, she’s a star, I love her to pieces. And we all know what a power lesbian she is. I actually plan on writing a sequel to this story, so keep your eyes open!!

Enjoy, lovelies! <3

P.S. Shout out to @grilledcheeseandguavajelly for reading through this for me a bajillion times, for always being there to boost my confidence in my writing, and for consistently reminding me to actually post my stories ;)

Warnings: Gay Panic™ lol but for real, I don’t think anything in this warrants a warning, but let me know if you feel otherwise!

Word Count: 7,327

“Well, what a surprise! Catcher’s late, once again!” Vikki announced, tossing her gloves onto the table next to her chardonnay.

Barbara jumped in, “I wonder what it could be this time. I mean, how many stray poodles could that man possibly need to help in three days?”

“Now, now. I-I’m sure he just got held up in traffic, I mean you know what the bridge is like at this time of night,” Peter said, wiping his sweaty palms on his trousers.

“Peter, he doesn’t need to cross the bridge to get to this restaurant.” Vikki pulled a compact mirror from her her purse and reapplied her lipstick.

“Well, still,” Peter muttered softly, “The bridge can get very busy…”

The maitre’d walked over to their table with a telephone in hand, “Excuse me, Miss Novak?”

“Oh, look! Right on time!” Barbara exclaimed, as Peter let out a sigh of exasperation and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Oh no, no!” Vikki interrupted, slamming her compact shut and reaching for the telephone, “I’ll talk to him this time. I refuse to let this man make a fool out of you or me any longer!”

Vikki picked up the receiver and sat back in her seat, “This is Vikki Hiller.”

Catcher Block’s voice came through the telephone over the slow swinging of a jazzy tune, “Ah! Miss Hiller! Listen, the darnedest thing happened to me today-“

“Let me guess,” Vikki crossed her legs curtly and twisted the telephone cord around her index finger, “You needed to help a blind orphan read a book? Youuuu ran into a group of homeless nuns? Oh, I know! You singlehandedly saved a group of school children from a burning building, what a hero!”

“Your words, Miss Hiller, not mine.”

“Mr. Block, let’s cut to the chase. What is your location?”

“Well, now, why would you want to know a silly thing like that?” Catcher laughed.

“Because, I am running out of patience. Miss Novak and myself have been floundering about, waiting for you to show up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the past three days. Now, I can’t speak for Miss Novak, but I, personally, am getting awfully cross.”

“And I’ll bet you look adorable when you’re cross.“

“I want an address.”

Catcher sighed, “1552 Park Street.”

“1552 Park Street,” Vicki repeated. Peters’ eyes widened as she continued, “I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” 

Vikki hung up the telephone and stood up, pulling her gloves back on, “Barbara, you enjoy your dinner, I’m going uptown to meet with the rat.”

“Oh, Vikki, you really don’t have to go to all this trouble.”

“Nonsense!” Vikki pulled on her large coat, “You’re my client and you’re my friend. I promised you a meeting with Catcher Block, so a meeting with Catcher Block is what you’ll get!"

Peter stood up from his seat, haphazardly gathering his things, “Uh-uhhm, perhaps- perhaps I should join you!”

“Peter MacMannus, you sit!”

Peter sat, and Vikki grabbed her purse and stormed out of the restaurant.

                                                     ~~~~~~~~

Vikki’s cab turned the corner onto Park Street and she was brimming with rage, just waiting to give this Catcher Block a piece of her mind. 

The cab driver pulled up in front of her destination, “That’ll be $3.25.”

She pulled a five dollar bill out of her purse and handed it to the driver, “Keep the change.” 

She got out of the cab and looked up at the blinking neon sign on the brick-front building that read, ‘Sunset Lounge’. She believed she’d overheard some of the other editors talking about this place over coffee during their morning meetings. It wasn’t until Vikki made her way closer to the entrance and noticed some smaller posters that read, ‘DANCING’, ‘GENTLEMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT’, ‘BEAUTIFUL GIRLS’, and ‘TOPLESS HOSTESSES’, that she realized what lurked inside. 

“Of course Catcher Block would be wasting my time in a place like this,” she shook her head, “He’s just like every other man.”

Vikki hiked her purse up over her shoulder, puffed up her hair, and marched inside without giving it a second thought.

The door closed behind her and the hallway inside was dark and seedy, the sound of muffled jazz music coming from somewhere she couldn’t see. She walked slowly, trying her best not to touch anything and eventually she came across a pair of glass doors that opened up into a fabulously decorated room, the music now swelling all around her. 

Vikki inhaled and took in her surroundings- half naked ladies dancing to a choreographed number on a large ornate stage, topless hostesses serving guests at the bar, a VIP lounge filled with all kinds of people. 

Well, this place sure is a gas.

She lit herself a cigarette and scanned the room for Catcher, but when she couldn’t find him, she took to moving about the room. She inched her way through the bustling crowd of tipsy older gentlemen and topless ladies holding trays of drinks, when she was dumped out right by the stage. She looked up and watched the girls dancing around in their teeny, tiny, shiny skirts and their knee high boots. Some girls wore bustiers, others simply wore tassels on their nipples, and Vikki found herself wondering whether or not those things were comfortable.

She realized she had been staring a little too long, but one of the ladies had caught her eye. All of the girls had their hair pulled back into ponytails, except for this one. Her long, dark red, wavy hair was bouncing around as she kicked her long legs high into the air, and-

“Oh!” A large man bumped into her, causing her to drop her cigarette onto the ground.

Her last cigarette.

She exhaled angrily, and shouted in the direction of the man, “Well, thank you very much!”

“Cigarettes?”

Vikki turned around and was met with a topless women holding a tray full of different brands of condoms, cigarettes, and tiny bottles of liquor.

“Oh. Umm,” she murmured as she scanned the tray, just trying to keep her eyes on the tray and the items on top of the tray. The tray. She found her brand, plucked a pack from the bunch, and tipped the hostess, trying incredibly hard not to make eye contact with her breasts. 

She didn’t want to be rude.

She pulled a cigarette out of the new pack, lit it, and searched the room once more for Mr. Block. Vikki took a long drag and exhaled a colossal cloud of smoke, “That man had better hope that I don’t find him, because when I do, the next exposé he writes will be about his own funeral.”

She caught a glimpse of the ropes leading to the VIP lounge and figured that he must be hiding there, pompous as he was. So she elbowed her way through the crowd, her cigarette locked between her knuckles. Once she made it to the red velvet ropes, she was confronted by an unenthusiastic bouncer of sorts.

“Name.”

She took a step back, brushed her hands down her dress, and cleared her throat, “Vikki Hiller.”

“Not on the list.”

Vikki’s eyes dropped down to the piece of paper in the man’s hand and then shot back up to meet his eyes, “You didn’t even look at the list.”

“You’re not on the list.”

“Well, how could you possibly know that if you didn’t take the time to check?” Vikki crossed her arms, and took a quick puff of her cigarette.

“You’re a woman.”

“And?”

“Miss, the VIP lounge is for private dances from our female dancers.”

Vikki straightened up and adjusted her coat, “You don’t know what I’m into.”

“Look, lady, you’re not on the list, so why don’t you go back to your book club or whatever and let me do my job, alright?”

“No, you look, buddy!” She pointed her index finger into his chest. “I am trying to find Catcher Block so that I can wring his sorry little neck! Now, is he on the list?”

The man sighed and looked through the names on his form, “I’m sorry, miss, there’s no one on the list with that name,” he turned the sheet around, “Look for yourself.”

Vikki scanned the names on the list and, sure enough, Catcher’s name was nowhere to be found. The crowd erupted into an uproarious round of applause as the stage dancers finished their number. She dragged on her cigarette once more, and blew the smoke up toward the ceiling, eyeing the man, “Well, thank you,” she said sarcastically, “for all of your help.”

She turned on her heels and trudged through the crowd in the opposite direction. This time, when she made her way out of the crowd, she found herself by the bar, and if she was being completely honest, a comfortable seat and a stiff drink sounded amazing right about now.

She dropped herself onto a stool, tossed her purse onto the bar, and asked for a gin and tonic.

While she waited, Vikki spun her seat around so that she was facing the crowd. She started to wonder whether Catcher was really here or if he had just sent her to this place to drive her crazy. She definitely wouldn’t put it past him. 

That man. Some nerve he has.

She caught sight of some of the dancers coming from backstage. Some were still in costume but the rest were dressed in regular clothes, so Vikki figured they must have finished their sets for the night. And still, some of the girls were only wearing those tiny skirts and those nipple tassels. Now, Vikki was definitely one to risk comfort for a stylish outfit, but if that were her, she knew she would be just freezing! She wondered if those girls were cold, too. And then there were the ones on the floor that were straight up topless. She really respected those girls. She typically had a good amount of confidence in herself and her body, but if she had to have it on full display like that, at work no less… she simply wouldn’t be able to do it. 

Wow, she thought, these girls must be so confident in themselves. So tough. She crossed her legs, and took a drag on her cigarette.  Ugh. The men they probably have to deal with night after night. No, thank you.

“Your gin and tonic, miss.”

Vikki spun back around to face the bar. She thanked the waitress, and took a sip of her drink, thankful that it helped to melt away at least some of the tension of the night. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another woman take the seat next to hers and overheard her order a dry martini.

“Rough night?” The lady asked, leaning her elbow on the bar.

Vikki took another sip of her drink, stamped her cigarette out in the crystal ashtray on the bar, and said, “As rough as one night can get, I think.”

The waitress placed the girl’s martini on the bar, and the girl put the olive between her teeth and pulled it off of the toothpick, “Care to talk about it?”

Vikki thought for a moment. Part of her felt uncomfortable, and a little guilty, unloading her problems onto a complete stranger, but the exhaustion of the night was taking over and she desperately needed some advice. She sighed, “I’m having trouble with a certain… gentleman. If one can even call him a gentleman, that is.” She rubbed at her forehead in an attempt to dissipate her headache, “He told me to meet him here, and-“

“Here??”

“Yes.”

The girl played with the toothpick, stuck it between her teeth, “Well, you’re right, he doesn’t sound like much of a gentleman to me.”

Vikki nodded in agreement, took a large sip of her drink, and tilted her head back. She closed her eyes and allowed the warmth of intoxication to spread throughout her body.

“I mean, he could have at least taken you to the Russian Tea Room or something, but hey, what do I know?” The woman laughed.

Her eyes still closed, Vikki actually started to laugh a little bit, too. “No, no. This wasn’t supposed to be a date or anything of that nature.”

“So, you two aren’t…?”

“Heavens, no!”

“Well, thank goodness for that! I was beginning to worry about the future of mankind for a moment, there!”

“Oh, goodness,” Vikki laughed, “No, he’s a writer, and for Know magazine of all things, so that should already tell you how pompous he is. You see, I’m a senior editor at Banner House, and this man has swindled my client out of a meeting for the past three days. I finally got so fed up that I demanded to know his whereabouts, so that I could give him a piece of my mind in person, and he gave me this address. I’ve been looking for him all night, and either he’s reeeeeally good at hiding,” she finished off her drink,” or he stood me up.”

“That sounds just awful!”

Vikki ordered a second gin and tonic, “Or he simply lied to me, which is also an incredibly real possibility, given his plethora of alibis over the past three days.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what, he sounds like a proper jackass.”

Vikki looked over at the woman, “He is a proper jackass! I’m Vikki Hiller,” she stretched her hand out, “Thank you for listening to me ramble on about my problems, I’m sure this is very uninteresting to you,” she laughed. 

The woman shook Vikki’s hand, “No, not at all, I’m… really enjoying getting to know you, Vikki Hiller.”

“May I ask your name?” 

“Cashmere.”

Vikki hesitated for a moment, “Huh, that’s… different!”

The woman laughed, “Don’t worry, that’s not my real name. Cashmere is just my stage name.”

“Oh my goodness!” Vikki put a hand over her heart, and laughed. “Not that Cashmere isn’t a pretty name!”

The waitress set Vikki’s second gin and tonic on the bar.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Some of these men can get pretty sleazy, so I like to protect my identity. My real name is Quinn.”

“Mmmm,” Vikki sipped her drink, “Well, if it means anything at all, I think Quinn is a lot prettier than Cashmere,” she smiled.

“Why, thank you, that’s very sweet of you.”

“Stage name… Oh, wait! Aren’t you one of the dancers I saw on stage earlier?”

“That I am, Miss Vikki!”

“I knew your face looked familiar! Your hair was down while you were onstage,” Vikki remarked on Quinn’s hair, now pulled back in a low bun.

“Oh, you’re right,” Quinn reached back and pulled her hair out of it’s bun, letting it fall down past her shoulders, “Some of the other girls can’t dance with their hair down, they say it get’s into their eyes, or it makes them sweaty, blah blah blah…” she laughed and shook her head, letting her hair bounce around, “I think it’s fun!”

Vikki became so distracted by Quinn’s hair, that she almost forgot to speak, “Uhm, well,” she cleared her throat, “You have really gorgeous hair, I must say.”

“Thank you!” Quinn sipped her martini, “I also wasn’t wearing this jacket on stage.”

She flashed it open for a brief moment and Vikki saw that she was one of the dancers wearing the tassels on her nipples, and her eyes went wide for a second before she forced herself to reign it in, “Oh!”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I wasn’t even thinking!”

“Oh, no! It’s not that, it’s just… aren’t you cold? When you’re walking around in just… those?” Vikki leaned in and asked.

Quinn laughed, “It can get a little chilly, yes! But when you’re dancing, it just feels so… freeing. And comfortable!”

“Wow. I don’t think I would ever have the confidence to pull those off,” Vikki crossed her legs.

“Oh, come on! You would look great, I’m sure of it!”

Vikki laughed, and covered her now reddening face. She was enjoying this conversation so much, she almost forgot why she had originally come here. That is until she noticed Catcher Block out of the corner of her eye. He was leaning against a wall, talking to another gentleman and drinking a scotch.

“Oh, lord.” Vikki drawled. 

“What is it?”

“Don’t look, but that’s the man I’ve been trying to find all night,” she said in a hushed tone, as if Catcher would be able to hear her from across the room.

Quinn looked anyway.

“I said don’t look!” Vikki laughed, “Oh, see? There. He saw you.” Vikki pulled her compact out of her purse, and reapplied her lipstick. “Well, this should be a fun conversation, that is if he doesn’t try to run away again. Is he still looking over here?”

Quinn checked, “Mhm.”

Vikki snapped her compact shut and put it back in her purse.

“You wanna give him a show?”

“What?” Vikki glanced over at her.

“Y’know… A little something to really get his attention.”

“What do you m-“ 

Vikki was cut off as Quinn reached over, hands on her cheeks, and planted a giant kiss right smack on her red lips. She was so taken by surprise, that her hands shot back and her fingers splayed open, and she practically froze right there on the spot.

Quinn pulled back and noticed Vikki’s stiff demeanor, “Ah gee, I’m so sorry… was that too much of a show?”

Vikki closed her eyes, her eyebrows raised, “Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Uhhumm, it was- Oh, god he’s coming over here.”

Quinn turned to look, and then turned back to Vikki, “Hey. You’ve got this.”

“Yes. I do.”

“Don’t let him take you for a ride again.”

“No,” Vikki downed her whole gin and tonic.

“You’re the senior editor!”

“I am!” She lit another cigarette.

“Go get ‘em, Vikki Hiller.”

Vikki stood up, took a long, deep drag on her cigarette, blew the smoke out in front of her, and brushed her hands over her dress, making sure it was perfect. She puffed up her hair, and rolled her neck. 

As she walked over to Catcher, she took notice of the smug look on his face hidden underneath the thin layer of charm, and she was ready to blow her top.

“Catcher Block.”

“Ah, you must be Miss Hiller! You sound as angry as you did on the phone earlier.”

“Mmmm, yes, earlier, you mean three hours ago?? Where have you been?”

“Well, you see, I was a little busy, Miss Hiller, I-”

“Busy! Ha! Peter, Miss Novak, and I were all busy, too. Busy waiting for you! Busy sitting around when we could have been working. Or having social lives! But no, we were all busy waiting for the phone to ring so that you could tell us whatever harebrained alibi you had come up with that day!”

“Oh, have you not heard my brilliant story about how I had to help an elderly woman with a broken leg cross a busy street?”

“Why, no. I must have missed that one while I was arguing with bouncers, getting knocked over by men twice my size, and trekking around this seedy joint looking for an arrogant, self-indulgent lunatic.” Vikki’s pokes into Catcher’s chest with her index finger. “But don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll catch the next one.”

Catcher started chuckling to himself.

“I’m sorry. Do you think this is funny?”

“Oh, no no. I don’t think this is funny.”

Vikki was losing her patience, “Just what are you laughing at?”

“Well, pardon me if I’m wrong, Miss Hiller, but it sure looked like you were having a good time over at the bar…”

“At the b-“ Vikki stopped in her tracks, almost forgetting the out-of-the-blue kiss that Quinn had planted on her a few moments ago.

“There it is, yes! The kiss! The one deployed in order to 'get my attention’.” Catcher made air quotes with his fingers. “The one that you definitely ‘didn’t enjoy’.”

Vikki thought for a moment. Had Quinn kissed her with intention? And not because Catch was watching? No, no. No, that’s ridiculous. Quinn had to be straight. Vikki wouldn’t necessarily label her as a ‘girly girl’, but she was still pretty feminine. And pretty. She couldn’t be a…homosexual. A lesbian. Weren’t all lesbians supposed to be butch and masculine? Yes, right, and they wear suits, not… tassels… on their nipples…

Vikki shook the thoughts from her head, “Oh, what do you know?”

Catcher let out one more snide chuckle as he eyed Vikki and leaned in close to her ear, “I know an excited woman when I see one…”

Vikki stood stark still and stared straight ahead.

“…And you were one excited woman.”

Catcher stood back up, and Vikki took a long drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke across his face, sarcastically, if that was possible. He patted her on the shoulder, “You think about that one a little bit longer. I’ll meet you and Barbara at the Waldorf Astoria tomorrow for breakfast…” he eyed her once more, “Or maybe lunch, perhaps?”

He walked away and Vikki stood alone, cigarette in hand, lost in her thoughts for a moment or two before eventually shuffling back over to her seat at the bar.

“Hey!” Quinn said, “I ordered you another gin and tonic.”

Vikki eyed the drink and considered downing it all in one gulp, but she wanted to hang on to whatever sobriety she had left.

“Do you have everything sorted out now?”

Vikki pulled her focus from the glass and simply gazed at Quinn for a moment, biting her lip. And then she stopped thinking. No more thinking. No thoughts. She leaned over and grabbed Quinn by her jacket lapels and kissed her, right there. And for longer than she had anticipated.

She sat back down onto her seat and exhaled, before wiping at the corner of her mouth with the tip of her ring finger, “Yes. Yes, I think I do.”

Quinn settled back into her own seat, dazed, “Well. That certainly was…” she trailed off, “What was that all about?”

Vikki tried to put on an air of confidence, however her vulnerability was seeping through slowly.

“You kissed me.” 

Quinn looked down at her drink, “I did.” She lightly slid her finger around the rim of the glass. “I apologize if I put you in an uncomfortable position.”

“No, no, it’s- you didn’t. In fact, I think you might have done just the opposite.”

“…The opposite?”

“Quinn, I think you may have… opened me up to a part of myself that I didn’t even know existed.”

Quinn looked more than relieved to hear Vikki say these things, yet it seemed she was still having trouble looking Vikki in the eye. She exhaled, “I’m just glad you’re not upset.”

“I am not upset. I… I don’t really have the words to describe what I’m feeling, but,” she paused, and shook her head, “I really like you, Quinn.”

Quinn looked up, her eyebrows raised. She smiled, “I really like you, too, Vikki Hiller.”

Vikki smiled back and took a sip of her drink. “I must say, this certainly does explain the things I was feeling when I saw you up on that stage,” she laughed, swirling the liquid around in her glass.

“Oh, really?”

“Mhm.”

Vikki caught Quinn staring at her out of the corner of her eye. She slid her now reddening face into her hands, “Stop that!”

“Stop what?”

“Looking at me like that,” Vikki laughed.

“I can’t help it,” Quinn sipped her drink, “Y’know, I saw you, too, when I was up on stage.”

Vikki peeked her head out from behind the palms of her hands, “You did?”

“I did. The look on your face was… pure wonder. I almost messed up the whole routine because I couldn’t take my eyes off of you,” she chuckled.

Vikki gazed at Quinn.

“And then this big lug bumped into you and made you drop the cigarette you were holding, and the vexation that washed across your face was absolutely priceless, I just knew I had to talk to you.”

“Oh goodness,” Vikki cackled, “did I really look that angry?”

“Yes, but it’s alright because then you bought another pack,” Quinn laughed right along, “Once you pulled out a new one and lit it, all I saw in your eyes was confidence. Strength. Determination.”

“Well…” Vikki grew quiet, “that’s very sweet of you to say.”

“I mean it! You, Vikki Hiller, are a force to be reckoned with.”

Vikki blushed, and took another sip of her drink, and another drag on her cigarette before stamping it out. The two girls sat in comfortable silence for a moment or two, until Vikki turned back to Quinn.

“Y’know,” she said, “I really enjoyed kissing you.”

“I enjoyed kissing you, as well.”

“I think… I think, I’d like to do it again.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

“Well, then what are we waiting for?”

“Well, I certainly don’t want to do it more in public! I might be a force to be reckoned with, but I am more reserved about things like this.”

“I’m not talking about here, silly!”

Quinn pulled some cash out of her jacket pocket and left a tip on the bar. Vikki followed suit, pulling a neatly folded ten dollar bill from her purse and placing it on top of her glass. Quinn grabbed her hand and pulled her through the buzzing crowd.

“Wait, where are we going?” Vikki shouted above the music.

“Backstage!”

The music swelled as they made their way closer and closer to the stage in order to reach the door. The girls ducked and weaved themselves around groups of people large and small. Dancing, drinking, networking, and definitely not moving out of the way. Vikki wasn’t afraid to use her elbows, but she made sure to keep a tight grip on Quinn’s hand, afraid of losing her in this mass of people.

After what felt like an eternity of “Hey, watch it!”’s and “S’cuse you, sweetheart!”’s, the two ladies made it to the door and pushed their way through, finally managing to escape the commotion.

Quinn exhaled, triumphantly, “Okay. Made it.”

“Well, wait, aren’t there still going to be people back there?”

“There shouldn’t be, it’s pretty late.” Quinn led Vikki down the long hallway. “Besides, I’m taking you to the dressing room. There might be some dancers lingering around in there, but I assure you they’ll be very cool about it when I ask them to leave.”

“How do you know that?”

“Honestly? Most of the dancers here are queer, and the ones who aren’t are incredibly supportive. They’re like my sisters.”

“Well, that’s really sweet.”

“And plus, they use the dressing room for this kind of thing all the time.”

“Less sweet,” Vikki joked. “It’s interesting that all of these queer women work at a gentleman’s lounge.”

“Well, now, there are a couple of reasons for that. For one thing, this place pays very well,” Quinn laughed, “And the men who come into this place might be scum bags, but at least if we’re dancing for them no one really suspects anything about us.”

“Wow…”

“And we all get to be together! I’ve known some of these women for years from other jobs, gay bars around town, things like that. Y’know, there is a bar downtown that I’d love to bring you to sometime,” Quinn winked.

Vikki tried to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.

The two approached a large blue door with ‘Lounge Dancers’ printed on it, “Here, we are!”

Quinn opened the door to a room filled with flashy costumes and feather boas, bright lights around mirrors and posters of famous female performers plastered all over the brick walls.

There were three girls chatting on the sofa, when one of them looked over and said, “Oh hey, Quinn! Would you please tell Ginger that we do seven high kicks in this dance and not eight. She keeps messin’ up the timing,” the girl laughed.

“Listen, Kit, when we learned that dance, I swear on my life it was eight counts and eight kicks!”

“Oh yeah,” the third girl spoke up, “and the rest of us just happen to be messing it up at the exact same time in the exact same way.”

Quinn laughed, and closed the door behind Vikki, “Ginger, it’s seven kicks.”

“Told ya.” 

Ginger rolled her eyes, and Kit asked, “Who’s the tall dame ya got there, Quinn?”

“Ladies, this is Vikki. Vikki, this is Kit, Ginger, and Pamela.”

“Well, hello there, Vikki,” Pamela purred, and Kit smacked her on the shoulder.

“Soooooo, Vikki and I were hoping to use this room for a little while, if you girls don’t mind…”

Kit stood up from the sofa, “Say no more, we were just about to head out anyway.”

The other girls arose and collected their things, making for the door. Ginger said, “We’re all gonna grab a few drinks at Lottie’s if you wanna meet us there. Vikki can come, too!”

“We’ll see. If I don’t catch up, you ladies have a great time!”

“Goodnight, Quinn!” The girls hollered. 

“Goodnight, Vikki,” Pamela winked from the doorway.

Kit tugged on Pamela’s ear, “Whatsa matter with you?”

Quinn closed the door, laughing.

“Your friends seem like a real blast,” Vikki chuckled, placing her purse on top of one of the vanities, and tossing her coat onto the sofa.

“Yeah, they’re definitely an interesting pack of gals,” Quinn placed her hands on Vikki’s waist, pulling her close, “but, um… I don’t wanna talk about them anymore.”

Vikki’s voice hushed, and she glanced down at Quinn’s lips and back up to her eyes, “What do you want to talk about?”

Quinn was now an inch or two from Vikki’s face, and getting closer by the second. She brushed her bottom lip against Vikki’s, and said softly, “I don’t want to talk.”

A fire lit behind Vikki’s eyes and she closed the space between them with a passionate kiss. She threw her arms around Quinn’s neck and pulled her as close as she possibly could. She doesn’t remember ever kissing a man this intensely, or feeling anywhere near the amount of things she’s feeling right now. Sparks. Fireworks.

The two parted, breathing heavily. Quinn looked up at Vikki, “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes.”

“This isn’t just something you’re experimenting with right now that you’re going to regret tomorrow, is it?”

“Quinn, just shut up and kiss me, goddamnit,” Vikki said, breathlessly, and Quinn did just that.

Vikki let her hands wander for the first time. They were exploring so many new places. Touching so many new things. Her hands were laced through Quinn’s hair, tugging, pulling. She’d never experienced anything more sensational than running her hands through the long, luscious hair of a woman. She grabbed Quinn’s ass. Every man she’d ever been with in the past had a backside so flat, you had to use a telescope to find it. Her hand lightly brushed against Quinn’s breast. Men sure as hell didn’t have those.

She slid one of her hands underneath Quinn’s jacket, embracing the bare skin of her stomach, hips, and back as she pulled her even closer, wanting to experience all of her.

Quinn started kissing down Vikki’s neck, “I wanna wrinkle that perfect dress of yours.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmmm.”

“I want you to take it off.”

Quinn looked up at Vikki for a brief moment, and kissed her hard. Rough. She reached around to unzip the dress and Vikki let it fall to the ground as she kicked her shoes off. She was now standing in the dressing room of a gentleman’s lounge wearing nothing but her bra and underwear. Which were matching, of course. 

“Wow,” Quinn breathed, “Red lace. You didn’t peg me as the red lace type.” She winked.

“Oh, didn’t I?”

“No. But, my god, am I glad to be proven wrong.”

“Well, if things keep going the way they’re going, you might be able to see me in nothing at all,” Vikki leaned in and kissed Quinn slowly, with purpose. She slid Quinn’s jacket off until it fell to the floor next to her dress. She traced her hands down the other woman’s bare, freckled arms, causing her to shiver. Quinn took off her boots and her skirt, until she was just as bare as Vikki.

Quinn quickly flipped the switch and pushed Vikki up against the door, Vikki gasping as her bare skin met the cold metal. Quinn kissed down Vikki’s neck once more, her hands running over her smooth skin, cupping her breasts, as Vikki’s eyes drifted shut. Quinn reached up and removed Vikki’s hair from its ‘do, and it fell down into a mass of dark waves that now sat just below her shoulders.

“God, you’re gorgeous.”

Quinn kissed down Vikki’s stomach and Vikki leaned her body against the door, her arms stretching up and over her head, as something inside of her pulsed, ached.

“Quinn,” Vikki breathed.

Quinn looked up and into the big, dark eyes gazing down at her. Vikki simply stared, her chest heaving. She didn’t know how to ask, but it turns out she didn’t have to say anything.

Quinn stood up, making understanding eye contact with Vikki, and she leaned in and kissed her softly, her hands on her hips. But her hands slowly moved, now teasing at the hem of Vikki’s underwear. Both of their eyes closed, Quinn broke the kiss and waited a beat, as she leaned her forehead up against Vikki’s. She felt Vikki nod, and she slid her hand down, between her legs.

Vikki exhaled at the touch, at the long-awaited release of tension, while Quinn moved her fingers rhythmically, quickly realizing just how turned on Vikki actually was.

“Oh my god, Quinn,” Vikki hummed.

Quinn kissed along her jawline, down her neck, across her collarbone.

Vicki whispered, “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course you can.”

Vikki bit her lip, “I’ve never… you know… with a man before.”

“You’ve never…”

“…Orgasmed. No. Only by myself, never with another person.”

“Oh, honey,” Quinn kissed Vikki, “I can promise you won’t be saying that after tonight.”

She began moving her fingers expertly once more and Vikki moaned and threw her head back. Quinn was slow and fast. She was rough and soft. She was so many things all at once and Vikki almost didn’t know how to process it. Sometimes her brain would take a brief second to remind her of exactly what she was doing. Something she’d never thought in her entire life she would be doing. But then Quinn would bite her ear, or leave a mark on her neck, and Vikki would tell her brain to zip it, because she was having the time of her life.

“Oh. Quinn. Fuck.”

“That’s it,” Quinn said softly. She could feel Vikki tensing up beneath her. “C’mon, Vikki Hiller. Senior editor at Banner House. Tall, gorgeous, force to be reckoned with.”

Vikki moaned, biting her lip, almost in an effort to stifle it. She was nervous. Once she did this, it would mean that she really… did this. And she was anything but prepared for what she was about to feel.

Vikki had her arms wrapped around Quinn, and she leaned her head on the other woman’s shoulder, “Quinnnn, ohhh. Oh, god!”

Quinn felt Vikki clench up around her fingers and she held her as her body rattled and jolted against her own.

Vikki held on to Quinn as tightly as she could, afraid she was going to fall to the ground because her legs just about gave out. Her vision blurred for a moment and she shook from shivers of aftershock. 

“That was…” she breathed, “I can’t…”

Quinn kissed her nose.

Vikki exhaled, smiling, “That was cute…” her smile turned devious, “but I’m no princess, honey.” She pushed Quinn over toward and onto the sofa and straddled her. She leaned down and whispered into her ear, “It’s your turn.”

Vikki moved Quinn’s long hair out of the way and kissed down her neck, leaving little bites and marks, trying to mimic what had been done to her. She felt like she should be more nervous, but she just… wasn’t. She had never made love quite like this with a man. Vikki liked it a bit rougher than the average person, but any time she was with a man, it was about as bland as an unsalted cracker. Now, she realized she was able to really let her true colors shine.

“Jesus, Vikki…” Quinn moaned.

Vikki kissed down Quinn’s chest, stopping at her breasts. She looked up at Quinn, “I wanna take these off.” She flicked one of the tassels covering Quinn’s nipples, and pulled it off. And then the other one. She massaged Quinn’s bare breast and then moved her hand down her stomach, resting her hand right above where Quinn wanted it to be… needed it to be.

She teased Quinn by rubbing overtop her underwear, just light enough to make her squirm.

“Vikki, please. Please…”

Vikki kissed Quinn’s breast and sucked on her nipple, making Quinn moan much louder than she expected her to.

“God,” Vikki said, “You think I’m gorgeous? You should see yourself.”

“Shut up,” Quinn breathed, giggling softly.

Vikki quit teasing and shoved her hand beneath the waistband of Quinn’s underwear and moved her fingers like she would on herself. Slow circles. She could feel Quinn’s arousal, she could feel her chest heaving, could hear her whimpering and whining. She wanted more. She wanted to unravel this woman. She’d never wanted anything like she wanted this.

She sped up and Quinn gasped, clutching the cushion beneath her with a white knuckled fist. Vikki took that as a wonderful sign and kept speeding up, changing rhythms, soft, hard, light, rough. 

“Vikki… aahhhh, my god. Please, Vikki.”

Vikki decided to try something that she had done on herself a few times, and she moved her fingers down and pushed two of them inside of Quinn, thrusting hard, still working her clit with her thumb. 

Quinn moaned, almost screaming, “Oh, god! Ah-Oh my god! Ohhhhh…”

Quinn’s back arched off the couch and she shook, her legs wrapped around Vikki’s body, squeezing her tight. She covered her face with her hands, muffled moans escaping.

“Vikki…” Quinn said, breathlessly, “Jesus Christ… You are very, very good at that.”

“Why, thank you.”

“You’re sure you’ve never done it with a woman before?” Quinn joked.

“Mmmmm, I’m fairly certain,” Vikki blushed, and adjusted her bra strap.

She got up off of the sofa and sauntered over toward the vanities.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Getting a cigarette,” she shuffled through her purse and she could feel Quinn’s eyes on her. She popped her hip out to the side and heard a small “Mmm…” from across the room. She just adored teasing this woman.

Vikki placed a cigarette between her lips and and lit it. She took a puff and let out a deep exhale, looking into one of the mirrors and playing with her now tangled hair.

“That was just the best time I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like that, Quinn, I mean it.”

“I hope you don’t think we’re finished…”

Vikki held her cigarette between her fingers, and glanced back over at Quinn, “…Really?”

“Come here.”

Vikki smiled a devilish smile, stamped her cigarette out in the ashtray on the vanity, and sauntered back over to the sofa, kneeling in front of Quinn. The other woman sat up and unclasped Vikki’s bra in one swift motion. She tossed it over with the other clothes on the floor, and said, “Lie back.

Vikki, impressed, raised her eyebrows and did as she was told. Quinn leaned over her and began pulling down her underwear. She spread Vikki’s legs apart and kissed her way up her thighs. The kisses didn’t last long though, as she made her way all the way up, and immediately licked from her entrance to her clit, making sure to linger there a little bit longer.

Vikki hummed in approval, letting out soft moans of pleasure. No man had ever done this for her. Missionary, yes. Most of time, actually. But this? This was definitely a first, and she was so far over the moon, she was dancing with the stars. This exact moment could last forever, if she had anything to say about it. 

Quinn used her tongue in ways Vikki certainly never imagined one could. She went a little lighter for a moment and Vikki’s hips jerked reflexively, as she ached for as much contact, as much pressure as she could get.

Quinn dug her nails into Vikki’s slender thighs and scraped just a little bit, causing Vikki to gasp, and tense up. She reached up and massaged Vikki’s breast with her free hand, pinching at her nipple, effectively undoing the woman. Vikki was already incredibly turned on, so it didn’t take any time at all.

“Quinn, fuck. You’re gonna kill me.”

Quinn sped up, she could feel how close Vikki was to breaking.

“Oh, fuck, oh my- Oh my god… Quinn, fuck. Fuck.”

Quinn felt Vikki squeeze her thighs around her. Vikki felt as though she was about to explode, her body quivering, almost unable handle the intensity of what she was feeling. Quinn dipped her tongue inside and that was it. Vikki was gone.

She screamed out Quinn’s name, her hands gripping the other woman’s hair as though it were the only thing tethering her to the earth. She jolted, surged, feeling like her body was struck by 1000 volts. By lightning. 

Quinn kept going until Vikki made her stop, and then she crawled up the length of the sofa to lay next to her. She held Vikki as she came down and kissed her, softly. An intimate kiss that lovers share. She brushed the hair out of Vikki’s face and cupped her cheek, and the two just lay there in the silence for a few moments. Soft breaths, the only sounds to be heard. 

“You certainly are no princess,” Quinn whispered.

Vikki chuckled, softly, “You’re damn right.”

“Hey, the night’s still young. We can still meet the other girls at Lottie’s, if you’re in the mood.”

“That sounds like a gas, it really does, but… maybe we could just stay here for a while?”

“Maybe we could… go back to my place instead..?”

“I would love that.” Vikki smiled, her tongue between her teeth.

Quinn smiled back and then remembered, “Oh wait, don’t you have that breakfast meeting tomorrow morning?”

Vikki thought about it for a moment, “Mmmm. You know what? I think tomorrow morning I have to bring food to the homeless shelter, and help a child get their cat out of a tree.”

Quinn laughed.

“Well, darn, I guess I’ll just have to phone them and tell them I can’t make it.”

Vikki leaned over and kissed Quinn, then rested her head on her chest. She let her eyes close as Quinn played with her hair, and she melted into the other woman completely. 

She lay there, breathing softly, thankful that Quinn had kissed her earlier. Thankful that she decided to take the leap and kiss her back. Hell, she was even thankful to Catcher Block! If he hadn’t put her through the mess that he did, she probably wouldn’t be here right now, completely comfortable with herself for the first time in a long time. 

Quinn hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head, and Vikki found herself looking forward to the rest of the night. Looking forward to tomorrow. Looking forward to forever, wherever it took her.

[love-minor-poltergeist]

Hi I really enjoyed your Cuphead scenarios :) If you're still taking asks, could I ask for romantic scenario with Grimm Matchstick?

A/N: Grimm seems like a big ol’ scaly sweetheart and he deserves all the love in the world tbh…This is also my first time writing for this sweet boy, so lemme know if you want me to redo this anytime!

(Also, I’m super sorry for the long wait. I had an idea that ended up growing out of hand, and here we are :’D)

Word Count: 5974

Warnings: None

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

The sweet aroma of French vanilla and cocoa scented the air like a heavy perfume. Most would describe the smell as overwhelming, even too sugary, but it was simply the norm for anyone who worked for Baroness von Bon Bon. In the case of one Grimm Matchstick, his nose had grown mostly numb from years of handling fires and smoke.

However, today seemed to prove the opposite for the dragon, as he can already feel the faint traces of a headache slowly start to creep in. He can feel the weight in his stomach worsen the longer he dwelled in the Baroness' private guest room, the soft embroidered silk cushions of the couch he sat on doing nothing to ease his tense muscles. 

Across from him sat Bon Bon herself, quietly puffing away at the slender cigarette holder wedged between two thin fingers. She calmly leaned against the back of her armchair, amber eyes lidded as she stared at the small, thin book that laid on top of the ornate coffee table between them. 

Grimm could feel his throat grow warmer the longer he sat there, the familiar ashy taste of smoke hitting his tongue as he fiddled with a loose scale on his hand. He lost track of how long he and Bon Bon had been sitting in silence, and the dragon wasn't too sure if he wanted to interrupt the smaller woman before him. 

Before the dragon could ponder further, his friend's smooth, calm voice interrupted his train of thought. 

"I take it that the book I lent you wasn't much help?" Bon Bon leaned forward, chin propped up on a gloved hand. 

Grimm felt a blush warm his cheeks as he silently nodded. Dark eyes flitted over to his lap, only occasionally straying away to stare at the unhelpful manual between them.

Courteous Courtship for the Romantically Clumsy had proven to be a humiliating bust, to put it lightly. Grimm had tried his absolute best to follow what the manual had told him, he truly did. However, each time he had tried to approach and woo you, it always ended in one of two ways: 

He had either ended up growing tongue-tied at the last minute, which led to him fumbling until he was a red mess and you offered to get the nurse from the medical tent, or you had given him that small, sweet smile you saved for him and thanked him for being so nice.

Not smooth, handsome or dashing as a knight like the book insisted he’d be after reading the entire thing back to front, just a nice friend who was just shy and viewed you in a perfectly platonic light.

Grimm let out a low, anguished whine before he shoved his face into his hands, distressed. Across from him, Bon Bon let out a small sigh. The calm and collected mask she wore was fading as a worried frown pulled on her lips, hard amber eyes softening at the sight before her. 

She had been the first one Grimm had come to about his little crush on you, and a part of her couldn’t but feel a tad responsible for this predicament. 

You had happened to be the newest addition to her work staff, which meant that she held the most contact out of both of them. Despite the sometimes grueling workdays and the days where her temperament was far from friendly, you had always been a sweet-tempered little thing. 

You were a wee-bit oblivious (well, maybe more so very oblivious), but kindness and dedication were your strong suits. 

Thinking further about it now, it wasn’t surprising to Bon Bon at all that Grimm ended up developing a crush on you. 

He was rather shy and soft-spoken, and despite his towering stature, it was easy to forget Grimm was there. 

Most people usually brushed him off as rather dull once they had spoken to him after his fire-handling performances, which didn’t do much for the dragon’s already fragile self-confidence. He ended up growing rather lonely because of it.

But then you came along. 

You had happened to be a frequent attendee of his performances, so frequent that Grimm had almost always expected to see you in the crowd when it was his turn to perform. 

‘They m-m-made me a little nervous at first. But then we started talking, and well, I got even more jittery. I m-m-mean, they’re adorable, Bonnie! I can’t help but be a little bit happy that they like watching me!’ Grimm had told her once. 

Even before Bon Bon began to help out her timid friend, Grimm had already been a tiny bit infatuated with you. 

When the two of you finally started talking to each other during your breaks, it was enough to make him fall head over heels. You were always eager to greet him, always eager to hear about how he was doing and what he was planning later.

Hell, you had ended up earning such a high place in his heart that Grimm even decided to share the few musical pieces he’s worked on with you. Bon Bon herself had been the only other person to know about Grimm’s hobby. 

In other words, the dragon had it bad for you. To see the sweet dragon so torn up about this was enough to make Bon Bon’s chest ache. 

With another light puff of her thin cigarette, Bon Bon stared down at the dating manual in between the two of them. 

What to do, what to do… 

It was already evident that it had been no help whatsoever, and the only reason she kept that outdated, poorly-written excuse for a book around was that Grimm had insisted on borrowing it. 

She quietly let out a scoff at the thought and idly flicked her cigarette over a nearby ashtray. 

She had highly doubted it would have helped him win you over anyway. You seemed far too fond of Grimm’s actual personality than some ridiculous forced persona he had tried to put on. After all, why else would you keep visiting him on your breaks? Why else would your gaze soften the moment Grimm’s back turned away from you? For someone as attentive as the dragon in mention, he sure was (almost annoyingly so) oblivious to the idea that his little crush may not be as one-sided as he feared.

The candied noble lets out another sigh, her brow furrowing in frustration. 

She loved Grimm. She truly did. He was always a delight to be around, and he was a sweet reprieve from dealing with infuriating business partners or Beppi for an entire day. However, after all of these failed attempts (the dating manual was far from the first botched plan), two of the most oblivious fools together was beginning to wear her patience thin. 

“ ‘m s-s-sorry, Bonnie. I know you probably have better things to do…” Grimm trailed off, and it’s enough to snap the baroness back into attention.

“What? No, no, Grimm, it’s fine. I’m,” She paused for a moment. “I’m just thinking, is all.” 

“O-oh, okay.” 

His dark eyes lowered back to his lap as the pair fell silent again. 

With the thin cigarette holder still burning away in her hand, Bon Bon quietly stared at the man across from her. 

He was doing that thing again, that thing where he tried not to look as miserable as he felt on the inside but failed majorly. The way his floppy ears drooped sadly was more than enough to form a crack in her stoic mask.

The last thing Bon Bon wanted to do was force him into an uncomfortable situation, but she didn’t think she'd be able to take another failed attempt. With the sight of a crestfallen, soft-hearted fool like him laid out before her, it was the fuel she needed to take matters into her own hands finally.

She takes in a small breath before lifting the thin holder to her lips. The soft, subtle burn of cigarette smoke fills her lungs as she takes in one last puff before clapping her hands.

Within seconds, a small peppermint dressed in a pink maid’s uniform hesitantly peaked her head through the double doors. Bon Bon quickly waved her in. 

Bon Bon spared another glance towards the dragon not too far away, and she made a mental hum as he hadn’t moved from his slump. Good, she needed him to remain oblivious for the time being just so that she could reach the midpoint of her impromptu plan. 

Just as the round little maid held out a pink ceramic ashtray, the baroness silently leaned over to the side of her head. Watching Grimm from the corner of her eyes, Bon Bon quietly whispers.

“Could you send up our little recruit? The one with the penchant for a certain green gentleman?”

Red and white brows knitted together for a moment, but they soon raised as the maid’s eyes lit up when she quickly caught on. She gave her boss an eager nod, silently mouthing a small “thank you, my baroness.” With another nod, Bon Bon handed off her cigarette, holder included, before calmly leaning back onto her chair. 

Cheeks mottled with an eager flush, the maid gave her boss one last giddy nod before hurrying off to the door, the ashes from the tiny tray in her hands nearly spilling from her eager pace.

The door opened and closed with a hurried slam that resonated throughout the room, causing Bon Bon to flinch lightly. Grimm, however, merely spared a small glance behind him before sighing. 

Just as he was moving to stare at his lap again dejectedly, Bon Bon cleared her throat. A wave of sheepish embarrassment washed over him, as he had completely forgotten that his friend was right in front of him amid his moping!

“Oh, sorry, Bonnie. Did you need something?”

A hint of annoyance flashed across the baroness’ face for a brief moment, and she nearly clicked her tongue. She gently shook her head, though, and took in a deep breath, her eyes slipping closed briefly before continuing. 

“Well, Grimm, maybe it’s time you had a reminder about our little goal here. Don’t you agree?” She said, chin perched on a gloved hand. 

“Uhh, okay?” Grimm’s brow furrowed in confusion, apprehension filling his stomach. 

And that apprehension spiked into a nervous sweat when your name slipped past her heart-shaped lips.

"You like them a lot, don't you?"

The dragon nodded. 

"And you wish to court them, correct?" She continued. 

He nodded again, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. 

"Well, why don't you first think of what sort of date you would take them on? Not what some trashy dating book told you.." 

Grimm's shoulders immediately tensed up, biting down on his lip to hold back the sheepish squeak steadily bubbling up in his throat. While Bon Bon had been there for him for all his ups and downs, not to mention that she probably knew him better than anyone on Inkwell, sharing what kind of dates he's daydreamed about was a little…embarrassing.

"Bonnie, are you sure? It's kind of-"

"Grimm, I've known you for years now. I assure you, whatever fantasies you may have are probably nowhere near as humiliating as you think they are," She interrupted in a flat voice, waving her dainty hand. 

She had a good point. Then again, Grimm supposed as someone of her social status, she probably has seen worse. 

The dragon nervously fidgeted in place for another few seconds, taking his tail into scaly hands as he sucked in a deep breath. He could feel the smaller woman's stare focused on him, and he couldn't help but feel like an ant under a magnifying glass. Grimm quietly counted to ten to ease his nerves. 

With one last nervous breath, Grimm started. 

"Ah, well, I know it's probably not the best idea for a first date, but I thought it'd be nice to take them to the clip joint. N-n-not to drink or anything like that! But to hear the band performing there! M-m-my friends in the band over there would like them, too!" 

Bon Bon felt the beginning of a smile tug on her lips. Of course. Leave it to Grimm to find a way to make a hole-in-the-wall place like the clip-joint sound charming. She quietly waved for him to continue. 

"And if it hasn't gotten too late, I'd think it'd be awfully swell to see if some of the bakeries are still open. It's usually nice and quiet in the later hours. M-m-makes me feel a lot less antsy…" Grimm raised a hand to his cheek, turning his head off to the side.

"...It'd be nice to talk, you know? I mean, we kind of already do that a lot when they're on their break, but I just like spending time with them." 

A toothy smile broke out on his face, a soft red dusting his scaly cheeks. 

Bon Bon, on the other hand, felt her chest growing tighter by the minute. Dear heavens, she hoped that her impromptu plan would work. 

Then, as if some divine force had finally willed them into existence, Bon Bon had heard the familiar click of tiny heels against tiled floors. 

She quietly made a mental note to give the maid a raise after this. For someone with legs as tiny as hers, the woman worked fast.

Bon Bon ignored the growing sweat in her palms as she quietly cleared her throat. The dreamy, faraway look in Grimm's eyes quickly faded away as he jumped. He whipped his head back towards her.

"O-oh, sorry. Too much?" He asked, too focused on his friend to register the two sets of footsteps growing closer. 

"Not at all, Grimm," Bon Bon cleared her throat again. "I was just wondering something...How would you ask them out on a date?" 

Grimm made a choked sound, his eyes wide and nervous. 

"It's just…We've been trying to follow the advice written by some old fart who died years ago and you..." Bon Bon trails off for a moment, her lips pulling into a small frown, her brows creasing in worry, "Well, it just feels like you've been doing everything you can to follow someone else's idea of the ‘right’ way to like someone.." 

Her voice grew quiet, eyes lidded as her gaze trailed over to the book between them. The pages have long since taken a yellowish hue from age, the cover nearly-pristine from sitting untouched in her family’s library for untold amounts of years. 

“Bonnie, I,” Grimm trails off for a moment. “I know it’s dumb. But it’s just… what if they don’t like me?” 

A sharp pang filled the smaller woman’s chest. She could feel the threads of guilt begin to weave themselves into the back of her head, chastising her for growing tired and impatient with her friend. The voices increased louder in volume with each passing minute as heeled feet drew closer. 

There wasn’t time to turn back, though. 

“Grimm, I know you’re afraid that they don’t feel the same, but I think it’d be better for you in the long run if you just came to them like you normally talk to them. If they say no, then they say no, and you’ll be fine. They’re not going to outright shun you. They like you for you.”

The dragon sat quietly for a few moments, eyes glued down to his hands as the stone weight grew heavier in the baroness’ stomach. 

She wasn’t typically one to panic when it came to situations like these, but the thought of everything going up in flames had already taken root. It wouldn’t be long until the footsteps reached the door, and she needed to act fast. 

While her hands grew clammier under velvetine gloves, Bon Bon took in a sharp breath before forcing herself to stand up. She walked towards him tentatively, the same way you’d go about approaching a fragile, injured bird, and gently reached towards him. Grimm didn’t move away as gloved hands cup his face. 

Painted lips offered up a weak smile. 

“Besides, I think they’d much prefer something real from you than whatever that was you tried to give them last week. It was a little painful to watch you try to act like one of those old-timey knights. ” 

Grimm groaned, eyes sliding closed as he made a weak whine.

“You promised that we’d never speak of that again…” He mumbled, desperately fighting back a smile as Bon Bon quietly snorted. 

“I know, I know… These lips will stay sealed, but you have to promise me that you’ll try to ask them out as yourself,” She chastised, almost tutting at the towering dragon before her. 

“I-I... I will. It’s just nerve-wracking,” he mumbles. 

“I know it is, Grimm, but you-” 

Bon Bon was suddenly cut off by the sound of a tiny fist rapping at the door, causing the dragon in her hands to jump and pry himself away. She fought back the urge to let out a frustrated growl, and instead pinched the space between her brows. 

Dammit, it looks like she has to move now. 

Sparing the door one last glance, she turned her head back towards Grimm. 

Think fast, Bon Bon. 

“I think that’s for me. One of my business partners had wanted to call me about a shipment arriving later in the month,” She said curtly, desperately hoping that Grimm wasn’t able to hear how her heart was beating a mile a minute. 

“Oh! That’s fine, Bonnie. I think it’s about time I head out anyways-”

“NO!” 

Grimm immediately shrunk back into his seat, eyes wide. 

“I mean, it will only take a few minutes or so to finish up. Wait here, please? I’ll have one of the maids bring over some tea.”

Before the man could even begin to protest, the baroness was already out the door, leaving him glued to his seat, absolutely dumbfounded at what just transpired. 

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

Once she had closed the door behind her, Baroness von Bon Bon immediately whipped her head towards you. Her bright amber eyes practically stared into your soul as she moved to grab your shoulders with an iron-tight grip. 

A startled noise barely even escaped your lips before she spoke.

"You. I need you to return the book on the guest room coffee table back to the library," She pauses for a second. "Be sure to take your time, though." 

Just as you were about to ask if she was alright (you were certain those were beads of sweat you spy running down on her face, after all), she had already turned to face your coworker.

"And you, please bring some tea for our guest. He must be parched right about now."  

You could only see the side of her face right now, but you swear that you saw something flash in her eyes, that particular 'something' proving enough to make the far more paranoid part of your brain act up.

It didn't help that the maid who brought you here seemed to be in on whatever was happening right now, the small peppermint beside you giving the taller woman an eager "yes, my baroness!" before all but bolting off. 

Baroness von Bon Bon quickly fell silent as the maid turned the corner, yellow eyes staring off into the empty air as her heart-shaped lips pulled into a tight frown, brows furrowed. Neither of you made a move, the air stagnant and heavy. It was rather awkward, to put it lightly. 

"My baroness?" 

You narrowly managed to hold back the urge to flinch as she whipped her head towards you, her eyes wide. 

"Is...is everything alright? You look a little bit nervous-" 

"Nothing is amiss if that's what you're asking," She sharply cuts you off. "I'm just a bit tied up at the moment with a business partner."

You had an inkling suspicion that wasn't the case. The baroness didn't normally look this flustered when it came to business matters. If anything, she had always looked like she was preparing for a battle of all things, and that was just to sit down and talk about something as mundane as candy shipments. But then again, you could just be overthinking things again. 

Right?

The baroness’ sharp sniff tugged you away from your confused musings, and you nearly jumped when you met her intense amber eyes. 

She moved to place a slender hand on your shoulder, her touch ghosting over the tense muscles as she cleared her throat. 

“Again, take your time. I’m not quite sure how long I’ll be gone.” 

Before you could open your mouth to object or further question her, the baroness had already turned, the downy feathers of her hat whipping across your nose, and made her way down the hall. 

Tongue heavy and useless, you silently watched her turn the corner, leaving you entirely alone save for her quieting footsteps and your jumbled thoughts. 

Well, that certainly wasn’t weird at all. 

You let out a small sigh, hands reaching up to rub at your temples. This assignment wasn’t, by any means, the worst thing you had to do all day, yet you had this strange feeling in your gut that something was up. 

Still, a job was still a job, and unless you could think of a better excuse other than “it just felt off”, it was probably better that you just dipped in and dip out as quickly as you could. The last thing you wanted was to potentially face Bon Bon’s sugar-dusted ire. 

How someone managed to be extremely scary while covered head-to-toe in pink and frills, you’ll never know. Nor do you think you want to.

You turned towards the pink door, apprehension flowing through your veins as you raised a shaky fist and knocked on the door. Almost immediately afterwards, you heard the muffled protest of a couch creaking.

A loud ‘bang’ followed shortly after, and you faintly caught the tail-end of someone letting out a grunt of pain. The couch creaked some more and you could faintly make out nervous muttering. You furrowed your brow for a moment, light frustration clawing at your thoughts, and knocked again, this time with more force.

“Oh! Please come in! Uh, I-I’m decent?” The voice cracked at their attempted joke, tapering off into an awkward, near frantic chuckle. 

Hold on a moment…Was that Grimm on the other side?

Before you knew it, an eager smile had begun to tug on your lips, and you found yourself reaching towards the doorknob. You paused, hand merely inches away from the cool glass handle. 

Things had been a bit weird between the two of you for the past few weeks. Since you had first met him, Grimm had always been the type to keep to himself, never venturing too far into the spotlight (unless it was for his job, of course). He hardly ever raised his voice, even if it meant that others would accidentally end up overlooking him. 

None of which you truly minded. If anything, it made it easier for you to feel at ease around him. Sure, you may or may not have developed the teeny tiniest (and not all obvious) little crush on him, but you digress. Grimm was a bit of a socially awkward dork.

So imagine your surprise when he started forcing himself to be louder; quoting lines from classical literature around you (always romantic ones, too). Hell, he even started to compliment you more, whether it was on how lovely you looked, even when you knew you looked awful.

It was rather sweet of him, but it was enough to pull at your heartstrings. You kept finding yourself stuck in a constant back and forth. Did he possibly feel the same soft-hearted fascination you held for him? Or was Grimm just being nice? Whatever it may be, you desperately didn’t want to get your hopes up.

You gently slapped at your face, desperately trying to ignore the nervous beating of your heart. 

‘Just go in and get out,’ You chided to yourself. ‘If you’re quick, then things won’t get so weird between Grimm.’

You grasped onto the doorknob tightly. The glass was cool against your sweat-slicked palms, each ridge pressing a swirled imprint into your skin from how tightly you were holding on. With one last nervous breath, you pushed open the door.

You were immediately met with the sight of Grimm, sprawled out onto the table on his stomach. 

The two of you froze. You could feel your eyes go as wide as saucers and mouth fall slack. In a matter of seconds, you watched all color drain from Grimm’s face in stunned silence. The dragon’s mouth flapped open and closed, like a fish gasping for water on land, as high-pitched, dying animal squeaks fell from his lips. 

After what felt like centuries, you were the first one to break the silence. 

“Sooo,” You drawled, voice high and teetering on songful as you fought back a nervous laugh. “Did I walk in at a bad time? Cause, ah…you ain’t looking so decent there, Grimm.” 

The dragon, to his credit, recovered fairly quickly from his catatonic state after that. In nearly the blink of an eye, he shot up from the table quickly, avoiding your gaze. Shaky hands brushed away non-existent dust from his body, the motion stiff and bordering on robotic. 

It was almost enough to distract you from how red his face had gotten. Almost.

You could feel a blush of your own threatening to creep along your cheeks, and you silently cursed your body for reminding you of your crush on the man before you. 

“Sorry about that. I, uh, kinda sorta tripped a little bit when you knocked,” Grimm weakly laughed and rubbed a clawed finger against his cheek. 

“Oh, you’re fine, Grimm! I’m just more surprised you’re here of all places...Aren’t you usually out on your shift?” 

The dragon let out a small hum and nodded, a small, tentative smile on his lips. Your breath hitched, face flooding with warmth. 

“Haha, yeah...Usually I am, but I decided to take the day off. The perks of being your own boss for the most part, you know?” He laughed again, tail wagging against the table behind him.

His tail caused marble table legs to suddenly groan as they pushed across the tiled floor. The two of you jumped, and you nearly missed something small hitting against the floor with a dull thump in your surprise. A few seconds passed before you broke from your startled stupor, and your mind switched back into work mode.

“Oh, hold on Grimm. Bon Bon sent me in here to get something real quick. Let me just go do that and we can chat when I’m done!” 

You were about to brush past him to retrieve the book off the floor, but instead were met with a face full of scaled stomach. Your startled squeak was muffled against warm flesh, causing Grimm’s entire body to stiffen. 

You could feel his breath hitch as you gently pried your face away, and you looked up with him furrowed brows. At this point, Grimm was nearly purple from how much he was blushing. Not that you were any better. You don’t think the room was this warm before. 

Grimm cleared his throat and took a few baby-sized steps away from you. His slitted-pupils wildly darted around the room as a toothy, shaky smile formed on his face.

“Y-you don’t have to do that. I...I mean. You kind of have to, since Bon Bon’s your boss, but I...”

He let out a huff, shaking his head before forcing himself to continue. 

“I was the one to take it out from the library in the first place! Why not let m-me?” 

He was doing it again, desperately trying to take any work you may have by doing it himself. And once again, you could feel your foolish little heart pick up its pace in hope. You mentally huffed, barely resisting the urge to shake your head. Not this time.

“Grimm.” 

The dragon immediately went pale, his smile melting into a sheepish expression.

“That’s nice of you and all, but that’s kind of my job,” You hesitated for a moment. “And…you’re kinda being weird again.” 

“Not that it’s a bad thing!” You quickly threw your hands up. “I thought some of the stuff you did for me earlier was real nice, but...”

“Wait, was I making you uncomfortable this entire time?” A mortified expression overtook him, and a fresh wave of panic washed over you.

“No, no! It’s just that...” You could feel your cheeks growing warm under his gaze, and you quickly turned away. 

“It’s just confusing...” You mumbled out.

You quickly ducked your head down, blood pooling into your cheeks like magma within a volcano. It was pointless. Grimm could definitely still see how red you had become. He was absolutely silently judging you, you thought.

Sneaking a glance up, Grimm was stunned into absolute silence, lips pulled into a taut line. You hugged your shoulders, nails pressing sharp crescent-shaped marks through the thin sleeves of your uniform. 

“C-confusing how?” Grimm asked quietly.

You abruptly lifted your head back to meet his gaze, a shaky frown on your lips. He flinched, ears folding back and shoulders tensing. His eyes watched you with a fixed skittish anticipation, no doubt taking in the ever-growing fire alarm shade of red in your cheeks. 

“It’s just…you’re normally not that forward! Do you know how hard it is to focus when I’m too busy fixating on all the times you called me cute?! Especially when I’m trying to get over my own dumb crush on you so things won’t be awkward between us!”

Your heart was frantically beating against the bars of your rib cage now. Every breath you took felt like a razor against the burning, raw flesh of your throat, and it quickly dawned on you that you had screamed at him.

You had practically announced to the whole world that you had a crush on Grimm. Directly to his face. 

In a matter of seconds, your stomach dropped as your heart leapt into your throat. All the breath in your lungs was stolen away. With pale cheeks and dread creeping up your spine, you forced yourself to look back up at the man standing before you, both of you still as statues.

Green scales were flushed into a brilliant shade of red and cheeks hot to the touch, the embers of a lively, crackling fire safely tucked beneath Grimm’s skin. His mouth trembled for a moment, but the dragon cleared his throat. 

“I,” he started, an unsure smile now forming, “W-what?” 

Raising a close hand to your mouth, you awkwardly coughed into your fist. 

“Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag now,” You admitted with an uneasy laugh, your legs beginning to tremble. 

“I’ve...kind of liked you for a while now, Grimm, but I just…kinda-sorta figured you didn’t feel the same.”

“Wait,” Grimm interrupted, the smile on his face growing,“You like me? As in...You have an actual crush on me?” 

His voice cracked slightly, but it wasn’t hard to recognize the more upbeat tone his voice had taken. You could hear the gentle rhythmic thumps of his tail against the tiled floors, and a small glance upwards revealed a wobbly grin stretched across his face. 

Dread melted into uncertainty. You felt your brows furrow, throat locked into dumb silence. It took a few seconds for you to take in everything, Grimm’s excited expression never wavering. 

“Y-yeah? I do-” “That’s great!” 

Wait, what? 

Scaly hands reached forward and pulled you into a tight bear hug, causing you to let out a tiny wheeze from how tightly he held onto you. You could faintly hear the steady, giddy pace of his heart beating away within his chest, the wagging of his tail following along in it’s metronomic rhythm. 

“I’ve had a crush on you for a while now, too! I just...I never thought you’d actually feel the same!” 

You peaked up to see his grin turn sheepish, his eyes growing bashful as he met your gaze. He fidgeted in place for a moment, arms still wrapped around you in a tight embrace. 

“Did you know that I had to ask Bon Bon to help me? I figured she would’ve known more about it than I would. I mean, I even asked to borrow this book from her-” “Grimm-”

“At the time I thought “why not?” It said that it would help me become, ah, irresistible-”

“Grimm-” 

“All it did was make me feel like an idiot, though-“ 

“GRIMM!”

The dragon flinched and released you, eyes wide and mouth now clamped shut. 

Free from the overbearingly warm embrace, you took in a deep, shaky breath to get your bearings. Your head was spinning, your heart struggling to stay in your chest from how hard it beated. 

Everything hit you at once. Only seconds after your accidental confession, not only did Grimm actually return your feelings, but it turns out that the big nerd had indeed been flirting (or trying, rather) with you. 

Bright pink soon dusted across your cheeks, spreading across your entire face like a flustered wildfire. An awkward laugh tumbled out of your lips, and you found yourself covering your lips, a flustered grin eagerly stretching itself across your face. Grimm shot you a concerned look for a moment, but it seemed the weight of the situation dawned upon him not long after as a shy grin formed.

It didn’t take long for the two of you to melt into pink, warm-cheeked messes, the two of you shyly trading glances before breaking out into a mess of laughter. 

Once the two of you finally calmed down, Grimm was the first one to speak. 

“Golly, don’t I feel dumb for overthinking this now, huh?” He mumbled to himself, grin softening into a small smile. 

He paused for a moment, tongue wetting his lips before he soldiered on.

“So, ah, I guess now would be a good time to m-m-maybe ask you out? When you’re free, of course-”

“Yes!” 

Poor Grimm nearly jumped at your acceptance. but soon the loud thumps of his tail wagging against the floor fill your ears once more. 

“Then it’s a date, then!” The dragon gave you a toothy grin as his face exploded into red. 

A rapid set of knocks suddenly cut through the soft, vanilla-scent air, and you whipped your head to see the tiny peppermint maid from before opening the door. 

She gently pushed through, a rococo tea set clinking along a tray in her hands. As she raced across to set down the still piping-hot drinks on top of the coffee table, she turned towards you. 

“You might want to make yourself scarce, dearie. The baroness is set to wrap up her phone call soon!”

You quickly nodded, gently pushing past Grimm to snatch up the book off the floor. A brief glance at the cover and title caused you to shoot your soon-to-be date a sly look, earning you a flustered cough for your troubles. 

The peppermint maid soon tugged at your sleeves, silently urging you to get a move on. You turned and mouthed a small ‘I’ll see you during my break’ before you were effectively dragged out by the round older woman. 

You and Grimm shared a tiny wave of goodbye before you were out the door, book still clasped in your hands. 

As you quietly parted ways with the maid along the halls, you eagerly planned out an outfit to wear for your now upcoming date.

[fragcc]

Are We The Fools?| Chapter One: Fall

The Series | Prologue 

Word count: 3800

Warnigns: cursing, mentions of sex

A/N: I know I took forever to write this, life isn’t easy at all. But here it is! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I hope you guys like it! I’m so soft for doofus!Rick, it was hard treating him like this.

                          ——————————————

One thing was certain: Rick Sanchez was in love.

All he could think was Diane: Diane and her soft, blonde hair; Diane and the sweet perfume she always wore; Diane’s beautiful green eyes; The flavor of her mouth during a kiss; Her small fingers running through his hair as she hungrily kissed him.

Diane. Diane. Diane.

He couldn’t get tired of her. Rick could remember all the moments he spent with her, for it was his favorite time of the day. Gosh, he even remembered — with his face and ears burning — their first kiss! It has been six months since they first started with their deal and Rick still thought it all could be a long dream.

It was Wednesday afternoon and classes were over. Putting his books inside his locker, his glance landed on a light blue piece of paper that fell at his feet. He quickly and discreetly picked it up and read.

“Will you help me getting ready for tomorrow’s exam, rabbit? 7:00 pm, at my place. Be good and you know what happens later ♡”

Rick felt his blood rising to his face again. It didn’t even need to show the sender, for he already knew it was Diane’s doing. She always send small notes telling him what to do and where to go, promising good things later.

The blue haired man quietly folded the paper and put it inside his ripped jeans pocket. Closing his locker, he started wandering through the corridors again.

He couldn’t help but get anxious imagining what Diane’d do after their study session. Biting his lower lip, his hand lightly rested against his left shoulder, over a specific sensitive spot close to his neck. The hickey Diane got him was right there, covered by his shirt and jacket. She always leaves marks on his body so Rick can remember that all these fever dreams were actually reality. He never dared to mark her, though, he couldn’t bear knowing that he hurt her soft skin.

Rick turned the corridor with his head down, trying not to show his reddened face to everyone who passed by. Remembering all the things he got to do with Diane makes him happy and embarrassed at the same time. Sadly, he knew the love of his life was kind of using him.

But was she really only using him?

There were times, right after some studying together, that she’d ask him which lipstick to use or if he liked how she did her hair. At these times, Rick got confused, since he didn’t expect her to care for his opinion, but would gladly tell her what could make her look even more stunning. And she actually used what he suggested. Carefully painting her lips and flirtatious curling a finger around a lock of her hair, she’d look at him with a malicious smile.

“Like this, rabbit?”

Rick scratched the back of his head and entered the chemistry lab, a goofy smile forming on his mouth. There was more. Diane, after some weeks with their agreement, actually asked him trivial questions. They sometimes talked about ordinary things like stupid TV shows and the food they like. Rick learned that her favorite color is mint green and that bunnies are the animals she likes the most — don’t even have to say how his heart melts every time she calls him rabbit since he discovered it. Diane even had spent hours on the phone with him, gossiping about her popular friends and complaining about something they said.

Humming a song, Rick started cleaning the laboratory as his teacher had asked him. And his mind couldn’t stop thinking that she asked for him. She kissed him because she wanted to, and she always came back for more. He never forced her to go to bed with him, she was the one seducing him every time. And it was his name she moaned, she cried out for him. That should count as something.

Rick covered his mouth, hiding the hopeful smile he was wearing from the emptiness of the laboratory. Yeah... maybe Diane actually was somewhat interested in him? He never saw her going out with other guys since they started their thing, it’s a fact. Part of him shyly assumed it was because he was enough for her, that she wouldn’t need anyone else if she had him.

The young man put some acids back in the cabinets and locked the glass doors. Throwing away the gloves he used to do such task, he turned the lights off. It was already past 5:35 pm and he had to prepare his notes for Diane’s studies.

“You being enough for her? Don’t be stupid, Rick.” He sighed and shook his head in order to get rid of the wonderful idea.

“Don’t be stupid.” Diane replied.

Rick froze. His heart started beating so fast he thought it was going to explode. Gosh, when did she enter the room? He definitely didn’t hear the distinct echo of her high heels. With sweat forming on his forehead, he slowly turned around with his hands raised in a defensive way, completely ready to face the death glare Diane always gives him when he does something stupid.

But what he saw was... nothing.

He was the only person in the room. Furrowing his eyebrow, his eyes searched for the blonde woman in the dark laboratory. No, she definitely wasn’t there. A low murmur could be heard and Rick carefully followed it. Slowly, he approached the large window in the right corner of the room. He looked outside and his heart skipped a beat.

Out there, he could see Diane with her back against the wall and a tall muscular man with his right arm beside her head, cornering her. Diane had an unamused expression on her face as the guy continued saying something Rick couldn’t hear. He had that cocky grin as he shamelessly analyzed her body.

Rick thought of fighting the man, of pushing him away from her and telling him to never look at her again, for he was the one who truly loved her. But before he could gather all the courage to do so, his eyes saw the kiss that man gave Diane. He firmly held her neck from behind and hungrily kissed her mouth. Diane stood still at first, but, when that guy pressed his body against hers, her arms wrapped around his neck and the kiss somehow got even more intense.

She wanted to kiss that man.

Rick couldn’t understand. He quietly took some steps back, his chest aching. Why was she kissing him back? He took some more steps and gulped, his throat dead dry. His mind screamed that, yes, she was kissing that guy the same way she kissed him: with the same fever and need.

He is not special.

She was just using him.

It was all a big joke.

Rick turned around and quickly made his way towards the door. He abruptly stopped, feeling something wetting both of his cheeks. His right hand lightly touched his cheek and he looked down at his fingers. It was water. No, tears.

“... A-Am I crying?” He whispered to himself, his voice cracking.

He passed his hands over his cheeks to remove the tears, but it was no use: they came back no matter how hard he rubbed his eyes. A sob escaped his throat and he felt the air escaping his lungs.

“She tricked you and you fell right into her trap. It never meant anything to her.” His mind echoed.

Rick held his head between his hands, trying to shut his mind at all costs. But he couldn’t. All he could see was Diane kissing that man. All he could hear was her voice repeating over and over again:

“Don’t be stupid.”

So he decided to run away. He desperately opened the door and somehow managed to lock it. Turning around, he walked out of the college in a quick pace, crossed arms hugging each other. His desperate eyes evicted any kind of contact.

Fortunately, there were just a few people left. Rick didn’t need anyone to humiliate him and his appearance now, he already felt like the worst and most ridiculous thing in the world. With his head down, he made his long way back home, tears on the ground wherever he passed.

Geez, he felt his heart breaking in two. Why was he like that? Why so dreamy and weak? He really thought he would mean anything for Diane? Diane falling in love with him... just in his dreams. It was about time for him to grow up.

After what felt like hours of running, he finally arrived at his safe house. Twisting the doorknob with unsteady hands, he made a decision: It is time to stop. He will no longer be her toy.

“You... You have to respect yourself and, and s-stop with what hurts you.” Rick murmured to himself the lines his therapist many years ago told him.

He was standing in the middle of his living room. It was a modest house, and all he could afford was a tiny tv and cheap furnitures. There were a few frames on the walls and some plants in the corners of the rooms, for they relaxed him. The light walls contrasted with the usual dark illumination. And behind his couch was a huge mirror that came along with the house.

The mirror showed him a pathetic figure: It was a man strangely tall with ridiculous messy blue locks; He had swollen eyes, tears still making their way down his deformed red face; His longs arms wrapped his excessively skinny body; Oh, and how he looked utterly terrified. Clearly, it’s a man no one wants around.

Something that’s meant to be alone in this world.

“I... am not like that!” Rick sobbed, closing his eyes tight. Once again, he had his head between his hands in a firm grip.

It felt like dying. No, he wish it was death he was facing. The air escaped his lungs, his throat ached and his heart was beating so loud he can hear it. He wanted all of that to stop, to go back to the time he wasn’t in love with Diane, or at least to the time before all this nightmare started. But it’s impossible, he already tried making a time travel gadget.

“Get over with all of this!” His mind screamed.

Rick groaned and, still holding his hair firmly, ran to his room. For a moment, he froze still at the door. His eyes met a frame with Diane’s picture. It was from the day they went to a carnival, in which she herself took the picture and gave it to him as a gift.

Rick took some steps towards the frame and grabbed it. Diane looked so gorgeous. Her devilish green eyes looked at him as if daring him to look away. Her lips were painted in pink and showed a sided smile. He remembered the perfume she was wearing that day, a sweet one, which made him feel somewhat relaxed by her side.

His trembled hands held that frame as if it could break at any second. Hesitantly, he brought it over his trash can. Rick’s dark eyes locked with Diane’s big ones and she dared him to throw her away.

“Don’t be stupid.” She warned him.

His eyes shut tightly and he breathed heavily. Rick looked one more time to the painful feeling he was holding and sighed sadly. He couldn’t do it. Even so badly hurt and used, Rick couldn’t throw Diane away. His heart shamefully belonged to her and it couldn’t bear treating her as nothing less than the most important thing in this world.

It’s really stupid and naive, he knew. But something needed to be done.

That’s why Rick took everything he had that came from her or that reminded him of her and packed it all together in a huge box. That beautiful frame, some tiny bunny shaped plushies and every single note she once wrote him that he kept, everything now locked away from his heart.

After putting the box deep inside his closet, under some other things, Rick allowed himself to take a deep breath. His body felt tired and all he wanted was to sleep, maybe for a thousand years and never have to look at her again. However, it’s exams week and he can’t just stay home whenever he wants.

This thought reminded him of the exam Diane will take the next day and he felt guilty for not helping her. He quietly took the light blue paper he left inside his pocket and unfold it. His tired eyes read the same words he remembered, but now they sounded so melancholic.

One more tear hit the floor as Rick weakly ripped it in two.

                         ——————————————

Diane put her hands over his chest and firmly pushed him away. While he was still trying to keep his balance, she grabbed her pocket mirror and fixed her lipstick and hair.

“Wow... that was hot.” The brunette smirked down to her, removing her lipstick from his mouth with his thumb.

Diane rolled her eyes.

“No, David. That was boring.” She closed the tiny mirror and put it back in her purse. Her sharp stare back at him. “Is that all you’ve got?”

The man named David laughed under his breath, not believing what he just heard. His left hand found its way to her hair and put a lock behind her ear, grabbing her chin right after. His right arm once again was lifted besides her head, as if to trap her. The harsh look the woman gave him made a sided smile appears on his face.

“You’re a though lady.” He commented.

Diane faked a laugh and slapped his hand away from her face. She removed the hair from behind her ear and slowly approached her body to his, a sweet smile over her lips.

“You’re right, I’m too much for you, little boy.” She seductively trailed her finger over his chest, her mouth almost touching his ear as she whispered. “And I’m not losing my time with you again.”

She patted his right cheek two times as he slowly leaned in for a kiss and calmly made her away back to the insides of the building, her cat walking keeping his confused eyes on her hips. Diane smirked as she went inside, knowing very well that he just couldn’t understand why he wasn’t enough and yet he still longed for her. Tricking and dumping horny guys is such a pleasure to her, she would never stop loving how their confident smile tragically fades as she walks away.

The blonde woman grabbed a new pack of bubble gum and shoved some inside her mouth to get rid of what was left from David’s saliva. Sometimes the privileged view she had from dumping them doesn’t really makes up for the nasty mouth she has to kiss or the abusive hands she has to tolerate over her body. Today was just like that. Yet she couldn’t let David know that he did affect her, even if it wasn’t the way he wanted.

Diane stopped in front of her locker and opened it. Pretending to search for something inside, she took the moment to take a deep breath and relief her anger. David was not planned. That disgusting kiss definitely wasn’t something she wished to happen today. And how she hated when things ran out her control.

It had been some weeks since the first time David flirted with her. Although she never really flirted back, he didn’t stop. Everyday he’d come up with something new to show her how he was “a good catch”. But no matter how long Diane stared at him, she couldn’t even call him cute. He was just a shithead with some muscles, just like most of the guys she knew. Nothing special, nothing new, just the same old crap. That’s why she decided to put an end in all of this and give him that goddamn kiss. A kiss he would probably remember for the rest of his life as the one followed by her eternal indifference.

The beautiful lady rolled her green eyes in disgust at the recent memory. Her glance finally fell over her math book, reminding her of someone else. For the first time in her life, Diane grabbed her exercises book somewhat excited. She threw it and some papers inside her purse and closed her locker with a confident smile. She had some preparations to do.

Diane took a taxi back home and lost count of times the driver made her roll her pretty eyes in boredom. He kept talking about how he was looking for a girl who would understand him while giving her suggestive looks. As if he had any chance with her. The blonde asked him to stop one street before her true destiny to make sure he wouldn’t know where she lived and almost threw the money at his face while leaving the car.

Picking up the pace, Diane cursed under her breath for having to walk on high heels back home. God, she needed someone who owned a car and wasn’t a complete asshole to drive her home once in a while. Maybe everyday. Her mind searched for anyone she knew that would volunteer to drive her around the town, but only came up with stupid guys with whom she had already slept.

“Those are useless, I can’t rely on them even for good sex.” She murmured to herself as she stopped in front of her house, searching for her keys.

Once inside, Diane quickly got out of her high heels and breathed deeply. Damn, her feet hurt really bad that day. Massaging her tired toes, she looked up at the clock, it was already 6:10 pm. She called that driver’s mom a bitch a few more times as she passed a hand through her perfect, golden locks and looked around the room. Now she had to run her preparations for the study session.

Diane took all her clothes off and shoved them somewhere in her wardrobe. Her eyes scanned the furniture for something appropriate for the occasion, something he would like seeing her wearing, but that wouldn’t distract him too much. Just a little. With a malicious smirk, she decided for something simple. He was a simple man, after all.

It was already past seven when Diane really finished everything she wanted. She was wearing white shorts with a thin, glued to her body, blue t-shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra, just so the true curves of her average sized breasts could be seen. Her hair was in a messy bun and her lips were painted in a light pink. She looked casual, but still desirable. Or at least she hoped.

On the table, she spread books and notes along with colorful pencils and bowls of snacks. She also put two glasses of wine and its bottle on the right corner of the table, she needed them to survive this task. Diane looked at her doing with a proud smile. It seemed like a local of study, but also with some intimacy. She almost couldn’t hide her excitment for what was to come - after all the calculations and studying, of course. Now all she had to do was wait for her colleague.

In an instant, Diane threw her tired self on her couch and closed her eyes, feeling all her tense muscles finally relaxing. It had been a though day. She had to keep up with Sharon talking about her dreamy guy, her teacher complaining about her grades, her mom calling her house to remind the lady to pay the bills and then with David being the complete idiot he is. All she wanted was peace. Complete silence. Maybe someone to tell her how amazing she is for dealing with all of this.

And, out of nowhere, his face popped into her mind. His stupid, gentle smile and messy blue hair were a unique combination in her memories. The way he shyly laughed at her comments and scratched the back of his back somewhat made her want to kiss him hard. As if she wanted to remove all his innocence and kindness from him, as if she wanted him to look and act just like all the other guys she knew: like she was a prize they earned after long minutes of chatting and flirting, not wanting to waste a single second of touching her body. But he never changed, he never treated her like that. To Rick she was like a divine visitor and he gladly satisfied all her wishes. Almost like he saw it as a mission.

He was so pure and naive...

Diane turned to her side and looked at the door. It was weird that Rick didn’t arrive on time, he usually is really punctual. She frowned her thin eyebrows and closed her eyes again. He soon will knock at her door, just like always. Although this time she’d mock him about showing up late.

Without her noticing, a small smile soon appeared over her lips. She was thinking about him again. But this time it wasn’t about his cute compliments or nice behaviour. No, the young woman was remembering all the long nights she had kept him awake, all the marks she had left over his body to satisfy his lusty dream and all the pleasure he made her feel.

Yeah, that’s right, the nerd guy was really good at bed, she couldn’t deny it. And it was also true that she didn’t go out with other guys ever since their thing started. Rick sure as hell made her feel good, but it was also because no other guy seemed to be worthy her time and body. It’s just a coincidence.

Even so, Diane still questioned herself why she had to spend so much time getting dressed and doing makeup for him. Why so much work for Rick Sanchez? He would die to breath the same air as her anyway. So why?

“You’re getting crazy from lack of sleep, Diane.” She murmured to herself, her right hand massaging her temple.

Diane opted to leave all those questions to another time and breathed deeply once again. Now she wanted to focus on happy thoughts only. Since she was getting close to sleep, all her mind could remember were short memories: the mint green bracelet her father gave her, cute bunnies she once petted and the beach.

And before she knew it, Diane fell asleep as her mind drifted off. The last happy thought she had was with Rick, at a carnival.

                                   ...................................

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