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beelzebuddy-catan · 1 year ago

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The Not Entirely Human-Human Exchange Student pt. 3

Summary: Tired of wanting to help the brothers, but never being able to, Cass finally reaches her limit. Maybe Levi should make a mental note, when the Avatar of Wrath is worried about a human's anger, you should be too. Warnings: Swearing, mentions of death, heavily implied sexual content Spoilers: Up to Lesson three and Lilith's status Characters: Cass (OC), Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmo, Beel, Diavolo, Barbatos, Solomon, Simeon, Preta (OC), and Vassago (OC). Notes: Just like Asmo's mind control doesn't work on MC, demon powers in general don't work on Cass, including Diavolo's. Previous Part • next part

“HEY, I TOLD YOU! LISTEN WHEN I’M TALKIN’ TO – wait, the stairs that lead to the attic? Stop stickin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong. And don’t go thinkin’ you can just offer the Great Mammon a little bit of money so he’ll spill the beans. Let’s pretend I did. Lucifer would kill me – no, he’d have me eliminated and it’d take me a good two hundred million years to recover.”

“Oh, so you’re afraid of Lucifer.”

“I ain’t afraid of Lucifer! Tell ya what. I’ll let you buy the information off me for the monetary equivalent of two hundred million years’ worth of the world’s total oil production.”

“Is that with inflation?”

“Is that with – I ain’t gonna tell ya.”

"DOES HE EVER SLEEP?” Cass whispered sharply as she threw a pillow onto her bed.

This was the fifth time this week she’d woken up to some ominous voice in the walls calling for help only to be stopped by Lucifer when she got to the foot of the stairs. At this point she should take him up on his offer to make her a tea that would put her into a coma because it might be the only time she actually gets some rest.

Lilith wasn’t much help either. She couldn't even tell Cass what was at the top of the stairs. Apparently, there was some charm at the very top preventing her from going through. Lilith wasn’t sure what the spell was since it didn’t seem to be related to her ghostly status. Which meant Cass couldn’t even try and get Solomon to help.

The lack of sleep would have been bad enough, but she also had to deal with the brothers. Each of them had more baggage than she had under her eyes at this point. Worst yet, they wouldn’t let her in enough to even help them with it.

Lucifer acted like a politician giving a statement whenever she tried to talk to him. Do not disappoint Diavolo. We’re counting on you to make this a success. Just once she’d like to see him show any side of him that wasn’t polished or annoyed at his brothers.

Whenever Mammon was near her, he started complaining about having to watch over her. Even though he was hovering around her a lot more since making the pact. He started walking her to her classes and hanging out after, even banging on her door until she let him in. If he wasn’t complaining about her or his brothers, he was trying to rope her into some complicated money-making scheme that always seemed more of a bad idea than a pyramid scheme.

She was lucky if she saw Levi more than once a day. If she did, he refused to make eye contact or acknowledge her presence. The little time he spent with his brothers was spent on his phone, mumbling under his breath, or fighting with Mammon.

True to her expectations, Satan was cordial to a fault. Just like Lucifer, she never really saw past his mask unless he was angry. While anything could set him off, she started picking up on his warning signs. The book he was holding would snap shut with an unexpected force. He’d take a long-calculated breath, staring at the person or thing that set him off. When they weren’t in the House of Lamentation, she could feel the murderous aura building around him before he excused himself.

That aura wasn’t exclusive to Satan, she learned. She felt it with all of the brothers when they weren’t at the house. Whenever their emotions started to take over or they lost control of their sin, it would start forming. Mammon, who seemed to have little to no control over his greed or emotional state, seemed to be the only one who didn’t radiate that feeling on a regular basis.

The first time she’d felt it around Asmodeus had taken her by surprise. While he’d been flirty with her since they met and tried to charm anyone he encountered, the darker side only crept up once and a while. There was a sense of desperation behind his actions. A desire for something more, to be seen as something more.

Beel, she’d learned, wasn’t as apathetic as she’d suspected. He was able to stay level-headed, expect when it came to his brothers or food. He simply wasn’t an expressive person. He’d been spending more and more time with her. There was something comforting about his presence. And just when she started to think he may share the sentiment, he would withdraw, as if afraid of getting close to her.

“Why do I get stuck here looking at your face every morning,” Mammon’s outburst pulled Cass from her thoughts. She gave him a quizzical look over her coffee mug. “Ya know, eating a human is a treat for demons, right? Having you sit there and not being able to do anything is like having a premium-grade, medium rare, roast Iriomote musk hog in front of ya when you're stuck eating dried black belly newt legs.”

Cass’s eyebrows scrunched together. Did he just compare her to a roasted hog? Mammon was too busy going on about blackbelly newt legs and roasts to notice the glare she gave him. He jabbed his fork in her attention, finally making eye contact.

“And ya know what the worst part is? That thick juicy hunk of meat started ordering me around like it’s the boss or somethin’. What kind of sick torture is that?”

“Did you just call me a hunk of meat?” Mammon froze, as if he hadn’t even realized that’s what he’d said. After a moment it looked like he was going to double down and confirm the insult, so Cass continued. “This hunk of meat has only given you an order once, by accident. And if you called me by my name to begin with, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“Where are your brothers?” She asked when she saw him open his mouth, knowing it would end in an argument. An argument consisting mostly of him complaining.

“Hell if I know. Asmodeus is a playboy who sneaks out at night, so he’s probably sleepin’. Satan’s a goody two-shoes and I don’t care where he is. And I don’t even want to think about Beel. He ate the custard I was saving after I TOLD him not to eat anything with my name on it.”

Cass rolled her eyes, of course she can’t get a simple answer from him. Most of the time, she found Mammon oddly charming. With the headaches caused from lack of sleep though, it was unbearable. “Pay attention when I’m talking to ya! Bet the others scurried off to class so I had to deal with ya on my own. They’re rotten and it’s all ‘cuz of Lucifer! Stuck with you in a pact, Levi’s lame haircut, Satan’s stupid horns, Lucifer’s nasty smelly feet.”

“Do you know about those stairs on the west end of the house?”

“HEY, I TOLD YOU! LISTEN WHEN I’M TALKIN’ TO – wait, the stairs that lead to the attic?”

Ah, so the others did know about them. So, whatever was blocking Lilith didn’t seem to affect other ghosts or demons. But how would Lucifer know to put up a spell so she couldn’t get up there. He didn’t even know she was there. What was he hiding and who was he hiding it from?

“Stop stickin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong. And don’t go thinkin’ you can just offer the Great Mammon a little bit of money so he’ll spill the beans. Let’s pretend I did. Lucifer would kill me – no, he’d have me eliminated and it’d take me a good two hundred million years to recover.”

“Oh, so you’re afraid of Lucifer.”

“I ain’t afraid of Lucifer! Tell ya what. I’ll let you buy the information off me for the monetary equivalent of two hundred million years’ worth of the world’s total oil production.”

“Is that with inflation?”

“Is that with – I ain’t gonna tell ya.”

“You could have just said you don’t know what’s up there.”

"Of course, I know what’s up there!” Silence hung between them. “Fine, you want to know so badly? Then go up there yourself. If you want to get past Lucifer, just distract him. What’s that series Levi likes again? The Tale of the Seven Seas Trying to Get Rich Quick...Wait, no. The Tale of the Seven Kingdoms.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. Just get a vinyl edition of the soundtrack from that and use it to distract Lucifer. Don't know why, but he’s interested in it. Get your hands on that soundtrack and you’ll be able to climb those stairs.”

Cass stood up crossing to the door. “Well, let’s go.”

“What makes you think I’m helpin’ ya? If ya want the soundtrack so bad, go find Levi and work it out with him yourself. I gotta get to class.”

“Mammon, I said let’s go,” Cass said, feeling the same warmth from her pact mark she’d felt when she’d first invoked its magic. Mammon followed her out of the dining room grumbling like always.

-- -- --

Cass was about to knock on Levi’s door, when Mammon yelled in her ear. “LEMME GO, DAMMIT!”

She jumped, the magic allowing her to control him, breaking with her concentration. Mammon stumbled backwards, head hitting the edge of the nearby end table. He looked up, rubbing his head. They stared at each other for a moment in shock.

“What the hell, Cass? Ya coulda given me a little warning!”

“I’m sorry! I don’t exactly know how to control a pact. I don’t even like using it.”

“Whatever,” Mammon grumbled, standing up. “You don’t have any prudence, do you? You can’t just storm up to Levi’s room demandin’ the vinyl from the Tale of whatever-it-was.”

“You mean the Tale of the Seven Seas Trying to Get Rich Quick?”

“You know what your problem is? I’ll tell you.” Mammon stepped closer as he spoke.

“Oh, please do,” Cass snapped back.

It probably would have been easier to ask Levi for help without Mammon. The two always seemed to be arguing, even when they got along. Not to mention, his constant put downs and yelling was only making her headache worse.

“Mammon, you jackass,” Levi called out from his room.

“Who said that?” Mammon looked around wildly. “I’m not a jackass! Or an idiot!”

“Or a scumbag or a money-obsessed moron,” Cass added on, unable to resist the urge to mock him a little more.

“I’m tryin’ to help ya!”

“You’re making way too much noise, Mammon,” Levi yelled, “I'm trying to watch Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl.”

At this point, Cass didn’t have the energy to trick Levi. She just needed the vinyl, so she could give it to Lucifer and stop whoever was talking all through the night. Every day she was one step closer to poisoning everyone in the house with holy water.

“Open the door, Levi. I need your TSL soundtrack.”

The only response from Levi was a curt laugh. Both Mammon and Cass knew exactly what it meant, not that she expected anything different. She sighed rubbing her temple, what were the odds Mammon could just break the door down. Levi did say he couldn’t beat Mammon in a fight. Maybe she was at her last resort.

“And I’m the idiot.”

“Well, if it isn’t the pair everyone is talking about.” Solomon stepped up to Levi’s door, knocking softly. “I heard a rumor about a certain human who looks very ordinary at first glance. She just arrived and already has a pact with a demon. Though, the demon must be incredibly stupid because he let the human discover and exploit his greatest weakness to then forge a pact.”

“What a total numbskull! Who was the demon?” Mammon laughed, the sound echoing around the hall.

“Definitely a numbskull,” Cass muttered. “What brings you to the House of Lamentation, Solomon?”

“Levi invited me,” he answered, clearly enjoying Mammon’s obliviousness.

“What’s the secret phrase?” Levi called when Solomon knocked again.

“The second lord attempted to steal the Lord of Corruption’s platypus which could lay golden eggs. Having incurred the wrath of the Lord of Corruption for this misdeed, it was ordered that the second lord would forever be dubbed the Lord of Fools.”

Levi’s door opened a crack. “Secret phrase authenticated you may enter.”

Solomon nodded to Mammon and Cass before slipping into Levi’s room. The sound of the lock clicking back into place echoed through the otherwise empty hall. Cass sighed, not sure what to do next. Mammon, in his own world, seemed to just catch on to what Solomon had said.

“OI SOLOMON! I AIN’T STUPID!” He pounded on the door, but there was no answer. “You know what, he’s the stupid one, givin’ away the secret phrase and all, wait, that was the secret phrase!”

Mammon knocked on the door again, gesturing for Cass to repeat what Solomon had said. “The second lord att-” before Cass could finish the sentence, Levi made a buzzing noise.

“Secret phase authentication failure. Access denied.”

“WHAT? Ya didn’t even let her finish? What is it a one-time password?” Mammon yelled, resuming his banging.

Cass linked her arm with his, pulling him away. “Let’s just go, it’s not like he’s going to change his mind.”

“Maybe you should at least watch TSL on DVD before asking for favors.”

Cass let Mammon pull away to return to Levi’s door, knowing it was a lost cause to fight him. He was already hurling insults at Levi and Levi wasn’t hesitating to yell right back at him. Cass sighed, deciding they could be Solomon’s problem for a while. She was running late for class anyways. Luckily, she caught Beel heading towards the door and was able to walk with him.

-- -- --

Cass stared down at the cover of Volume 8 of the TSL series Levi had lent her, pen tapping against her chin. The book ended with the Lord of Emptiness being trapped in the Tower of Shadow by the Lord of Corruption. Based on the parallels between the series and what she knew of the brothers, the writer was someone close to them.

She didn’t know much about their history apart from what little information Lilith would share, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the end of this volume coincided with the start of the exchange program. Beel had been upset about his younger brother but wouldn’t talk about him because of Lucifer. The youngest brother, she had been told, was an exchange student in the human world.

She groaned, letting her head fall to the table. Something told her that it didn’t matter if she could find a connection or could find more information about them from the series. She just knew that the only way she was ever going to learn anything helpful was getting up those stairs. Which she couldn’t do without Levi. Having Levi’s help seemed more and more impossible by the second.

A soft thud drew her from her thoughts. She glanced towards the noise. A fresh chocolate croissant sat next to her now empty mug. The demon who had brought the plate pulled a chair up to sit down with her. She glanced around the coffee shop, realizing only now that it was empty. The demon who had joined her was working. He must have gotten bored and decided to have some fun.

Cass poked at the croissant, hesitant to eat it because she was still learning what was human-safe in the Devildom. That, and she’d only seen the barista in passing, she didn’t know if she could trust him yet. There was something oddly calming about him though, at least compared to the other demons she’d interacted with him.

Then again, he was just treating her with common decency. Maybe the bar was so low for her expectations now that he was just less terrible than the other demons, but terrible none the less. Her brain hurt trying to figure it out. It didn’t help that her, Mammon, and Beel had been up the entire night before watching the TSL series.

Mammon, who complained about being there every chance he could, ended up crying most of the series. When he wasn’t crying or complaining, he was yelling at Beel to stop chewing so loud. Cass still wasn’t sure why Beel had even come to her room. He said he’d heard them talking about the movie marathon and decided there would be popcorn. Yet, he’s the one that brought all the snacks, something he could have done without Cass or Mammon.

“I didn’t do anything to the croissant.” The demon once again pulled her from her thoughts. “And all the food here is edible for humans.” Cass shot him a look, still trying to figure him out. “Diavolo’s been trying to make human and celestial things more accessible here. It’s not a perfect remake, but it’s safe.”

“Why are you giving it to me?”

“You’ve been here for a few hours and haven’t eaten. I don’t really know how often humans are supposed to eat and don’t want you to die.” He looked up from the notebook he was reading. “Sorry, should I rephrase that? I don’t care if you live or die, but if you die here, it’s going to cause me problems.”

He looked back down at Cass’s notes. Cass tried to hide her smile as she began picking at the croissant. Most everyone ignored her or treated her like dinner. Despite adding the second part, she knew the gesture was genuine.

“I’m Cass, by the way.”

The demon laughed, setting the notebook down. “Is there anyone in the Devildom who doesn’t know who you are at this point? I’m Vassago.”

“I’m starting to think Solomon’s having demons follow me,” Cass murmured.

“How’d you know – " The shop bell rang, cutting Vassago off. He rolled his eyes before going to the front. “Leave her alone. I’m seri – PRETA.”

Cass jumped at the sudden change in his volume. Standing in front of her was the demon she’d seen on her first day. One thing she’d noticed quickly was that most demons stayed in their human form, especially in classes and around the Academy. The demon in front of her was definitely an exception to the rule.

“I’m Preta.” They grinned, mouth stretching further than humanly possible, adding to the unease Cass felt.

The next few seconds happened so fast that Cass almost didn’t process it. Vassago snatched the croissant out of Cass’s hand, jumping up on the chair. He held it out of Preta’s reach, but barely had time to gain his balance before Beel tried tackling him. Did he come in with Preta? Preta’s hand shot out to stop him, knocking over the half-full cup he’d left when the bell had rung.

“Stop trying to steal Cass’s food,” Vas snapped at the two demons.

Beel hung his head and grumbled a quiet ‘sorry’. Preta, on the other hand, didn’t even try to look remorseful. “Vas, I’m hungry. You said you there wasn’t any baked goods left.”

“There aren’t any baked goods left.”

“She’s not even eating it!” Preta yelled.

“I ALREADY ORDERED YOU FOOD. IT WILL BE HERE IN TEN MINUTES.”

It wasn’t until Cass felt something wet hit her foot that she realized the coffee from Vas’s cup had spilled. She shot up, trying to move the papers out of the way. It was too late. The cup had landed directly on Levi’s book, soaking the pages.

She held the book up, coffee dripping from the pages onto the table. The reality of the situation hit her like bricks. An exasperated sound left her lips. It wasn’t quite a laugh, but it had a similar cadence. They were fighting over an old croissant. A croissant she didn’t even care about. What a stupid, normal thing to do. In most contexts, it would have been funny to watch.

Except she wasn’t in most contexts. She was just a human, stuck in hell, surrounded by demons threatening to kill her daily. She didn’t have the luxury to enjoy stupid, normal things. Their fight ended as easily as Vas ordering takeout. Yet, at the end of the day, she was the one whose life was on the line.

She hung her head, letting the book fall to the ground as her hand dropped. The book Levi made her swear she wouldn’t ruin. The book he’d barely been able to bring himself to lend her. Levi, who had threatened to kill her moments after meeting. Levi, who wished death on his own brother for leaving a figurine in a box. Not ruining it, just not appreciating it.

“Cass?” Beel asked, tilting his head to the side. Cass looked up, tears threatening to fall.

“It’s just a book, we can get you a new one,” Preta added.

“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered. “I told Levi I’d give it back to him tonight. I don’t have time to get a new book.”

“There’s a used book shop on the street over, we can look there.”

Cass picked up the book from the floor, putting it in her bag. She haphazardly threw the rest of her things in after. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll figure it out. Thanks for the croissant, Vassago.” With that, she pushed passed Beel and Preta and left the Bitter Inferno.

Usually, she hated walking down the streets alone. In their human forms, most demons were over six foot tall. Even Asmo, one of the shortest demons she spent any time with, was 6’2. Which made her a lot easier to notice. She’d gotten in the habit of wearing heels over four inches, just to blend easier. Not that it did much good.

The streets were almost empty, though. It had rained earlier and was expected to rain more. Maybe she was finally catching a break. As Preta had said, there was used book shop on the next street. Secondhand Spell Books. Cass sighed, knowing that short luck was already over. There was no way a secondhand spell bookshop would have the TSL book she needed.

Cass pulled at the door, but it didn’t budge. The lights were still on, though low. It wasn’t uncommon for a building to have low lights or for her to have difficulty opening the heavy doors downtown. A small, barely legible, handwritten sign sat near the handle. Secondhand Spell Books will be closed on Tuesday due to a private event.

That was more in line with how the day had been going. Cass sat down in the alley next to the bookstore, leaning against the side wall. Something about the empty alley felt safer than returning to the House of Lamentation and whatever waited. That’s when she realized what she was really dreading, was the look on Levi’s face when he realized the book was ruined.

After making a pact with Mammon and helping Levi, she’d seen him very little. The minute she handed the destroyed book back, it would just serve as confirmation for Levi. Conformation that his interests weren’t worth appreciating. That he wasn’t worth appreciating. He put so much energy into the shows and things he enjoyed. But in his eyes, nobody put any energy towards him.

One of the shop bells rang, followed by a moment of silence, then “Cass?” Satan stood next to the bookstore, close enough to the door that the rain missed him. When did it start raining? Satan opened his umbrella, crossing to her. He sighed, squatting in front of her, hand pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Did Mammon do something?”

“What?” The question took her so off guard that she started laughing. Satan tilted his head, unsure what the reaction meant. “Why would you automatically assume it was Mammon?”

“Well, for one, you’re crying, alone in the street, at night. He is supposed to be making sure you’re safe. Two, it wouldn’t be inconceivable that Mammon did something stupid.”

“You should be nicer to him.”

Satan hummed, standing up. He held his hand out, helping Cass up. “May I inquire why you’re out here, if Mammon didn’t do anything?”

Cass hesitated, still not entirely sure how she felt about Satan. It wasn’t like him to genuinely care about her. Plus, even if he could help, he wouldn’t do so out of the goodness of his heart. She relented, knowing she was picking the lesser of two evils, and pulled the ruined book from her bag. Satan took it from her, flipping the cover open. Both of them visibly cringed at the sound of the pages peeling apart.

“You’re hiding because you’re afraid?”

“No, it’s not that.” Satan glanced up at her for a moment before looking back at the book. “I receive death threats every day. It’s just, it’s, I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“Well, we’ve got some time on the walk. Unless you planned on sleeping here.”

-- -- --

“If I’m understanding correctly, you’re upset the book is ruined because you think it means you’ll fail a test Levi was giving you?”

“Kind of? It’s not like I think Levi was intentionally testing me. I don’t think he’d even entertain the thought. It’s just a feeling I have. It’s easier for him to push people away before they push him away. I mean, he spends all day comparing himself to you and your brothers. That has to weigh on him.”

“Ah, in a way he’s convinced himself he’s not good enough and acts out on that. That way, when someone does tear him down, he is already expecting it. The book, or anything he lends out, is a way to see if it’s worth getting his hopes up.”

Satan came to a stop outside Purgatory Hall. Cass sighed, looking up at him, knowing he didn’t have an answer, but wishing he did. It wasn’t that she just failed a test. She failed Levi and he didn’t need any more false confirmations that he wasn’t good enough.

“Why do you care so much, though?” Cass’s knitted together in confusion. Why didn’t Satan care more? They were brothers after all. “I’ll be right back. I have to ask Simeon something. Try not to get too upset about Levi, you haven’t failed him.”

Cass didn’t have time to ask Satan what he meant before he disappeared down the hallway. Cass looked around the foyer. Why couldn’t she have been put here with the angels and Solomon? That would have solved all of her problems. Well, not the almost being killed by demons everyday related ones, but the paranormal life coach ones.

Unlike the House of Lamentation, Cass was welcomed with open arms when she visited Purgatory Hall. It was starting to become a safe haven for her. Simeon would bring a cup of tea to cheer her up. There were nearly always fresh baked goods that Luke prepared. Even Solomon’s mumbling when doing experiments had become a comforting sound.

Despite Lucifer’s warning, she and Solomon had become close. She wasn’t sure how it happened. Maybe they both found comfort in being around another human, even if what they knew about each other was limited. Maybe Solomon was secretly after something. Maybe he found it amusing how she didn’t put up with his shit just because he was a famous sorcerer.

She assumed Simeon’s friendly nature was in part because he was an angel. Though it felt like more when he patiently listened to her vent. He was one of the few beings that knew the brothers, that could commiserate with her.

Despite his protests and claims that he was older than her, she started viewing Luke as a younger brother. And while he may deny it, he took on the unofficial role of her guardian angel, unafraid to stand between her and danger.

“Thank you again, Simeon.”

“You really don’t need to mention it.” Cass turned to see Simeon and Satan walking down the stairs. Simeon held a book under his arm. “Cass, it’s lovely to see you.”

“You too. Actually, Simeon, I wanted to see if you and Luke were busy on Saturday. There's a bakery near the coffee shop I like is trying out a new menu.

“I’ll check with Luke, but I’m sure he’d love too.” Simeon held to book out for her to take. “Satan told me what happened earlier. I think this may help soothe things over with Levi.”

It was a first edition of the book that had been ruined earlier. On the inside cover was the author’s signature and a brief note. A piece of notebook paper was placed halfway through the pages. There were various notes and plot developments from the unreleased volume 9 book. Cass shut the book and tried handing it back to Simeon.

“I can’t take this.”

“I insist. It’s just been gathering dust. I’m certain Levi would appreciate it more. Maybe not the notes on volume 9, but you can keep those.”

“This is amazing, I can’t imagine how I’ll repay you.”

Before Simeon could answer, something cold hit Cass’s neck, causing her to scream in surprise. She turned around to see Solomon grinning, holding up a single winged pendant. He was leaning over into her space, so they were almost eye level. Neither of them blinked, not wanting to back down.

“Here I was waiting to give you this. It’s the Lord of Corruption’s lost wing. It was only sold in limited quantities when Volume 1 was released. I happen to know Levi doesn’t have it. What would you give me for it?”

“How about I don’t kick you in the balls?”

“I’m starting to think you might like Simeon more than me.”

“You’re only now picking up on that? I’ll have to be less subtle.” Cass snatched the pendant before Solomon could pull it away.

“Careful, there’s a curse on that so anyone who wears it falls in love with me.”

“I didn’t realize you liked Levi that much.”

Satan or Simeon coughed, causing Cass and Solomon to break eye contact at the same time. “Do you want to continue whatever this is or walk back with me?”

-- -- --

“Did you think coming back with Satan would help you?” Levi yelled as soon as Cass and Satan stepped through the door. As usual, the dark aura she began to sense from Levi vanished after a few seconds. Cass and Satan exchanged a look. “Beel already told me.”

“I’m sorry, Cass. I thought I could talk to Levi for you.”

Cass sighed, casting Beel a reassuring look. She knew his heart was in the right place. It didn’t really matter anyways, Levi would have found out about the book in the end. Besides, she now had two different things to make up for it, so they should be square.

“This is why I don’t lend things out to normies. I just knew you were going to mess it up. Not only are you NOT an otaku, you’re also a human. Can you do anything right?”

Cass’s hand froze, partially through pulling the book out. “Deep breaths, Cass,” she told herself. After living with the brothers, she’d learned Satan wasn’t the only one who would snap at the drop of a hat. While there were far fewer things that set her off, they definitely existed. One of those was demons underestimating her and brushing her off solely because she was human.

“What? Were you seriously going to return my ruined book? LMAO.”

Satan, who had been observing the interaction, stepped forward. He placed his hand on Cass’s as if to stop her from pulling out the book. “Levi,” his tone left little for argument. He also had become more in tune with your anger.

Levi didn’t seem to care. “Why? What’s she going to do? Did you think learning a little bit about TSL would make it, so I’ll like you? You’re lucky Mammon’s such an idiot or you never would have been able to make a pact with a demon.”

“You know what Levi,” Cass snapped tossing the bag to the floor. “I’m over this arrogant, conceited, woe-is me crap. I get you like TSL, but I don’t think you know as much about it as you think you do. I bet I even know more than you.”

Cass wasn’t sure where that came from. She wanted to be there for Levi, but first she wanted to prove him wrong. No, she wanted to beat him, make him think about treating her like that again. She could blame the anger, the wounded ego, the lack of sleep, the constant disparaging remark about Mammon, but really it could be any one of them. The flood gates opened.

Something flashed in Levi’s eyes, but it was gone almost as fast. “Do you seriously think you know more than me about TSL? As if I’d ever accept a challenge like that.” He scoffed, turning to go back to his room.

“The fact that you’re running away, proves I’m right. You know you’d lose.”

Levi spun so quickly it made Cass dizzy, he marched over, glaring down at her. She refused to break eye contact. Given how tall he was, it was near impossible to hold her head back that far. Due to his horrible posture, Cass was always forgetting how tall he actually was.

“Excuse me?” The words flowed out like venom.

“You heard me,” Cass said with the same animosity.

The tension in the room was palpable. Even Levi, who looked like he might snap at any moment, seemed to be holding his breath. Maybe he was trying to intimidate her into backtracking or maybe he was trying to decide if he should just kill her here and now and be done with it.

“Fine, I accept your challenge. I’ll even make a pact with you if I lose, that’s how confident I am,” Levi answered, finally breaking eye contact. He started walking back towards his room before once again turning to call over his shoulder. “Just one thing. If you lose, you might not make it back to the human world alive.”

With that, Levi disappeared up the stairs. Cass let her shoulders drop, instantly feeling some of the tension leave her body. She picked up her abandoned bag and threw it over one shoulder. So much for fixing things and maybe getting a step ahead with the gifts Simeon and Solomon gave her.

“Can I give you some advice?” Beel, who Cass had forgotten was in the entry way, broke the silence. “Levi’s the demon of envy. If you work him into a jealous frenzy, he’ll lose control. Once that happens, he’ll slip up and give you an opening to exploit. But if Levi does lose control, your life will also be in danger.”

“What else is new?” Cass mumbled under her breath.

She thought of the piece of paper Simeon had put in the book and the pendant Solomon just happened to have. Of course, Satan hadn’t genuinely cared. He certainly was calculating, she had to give him that. He must have realized that if she was upset, there was something he could capitalize on later that would piss Lucifer off.

-- -- --

Mammon rattled off question after question about TSL. Despite her recent introduction to the series, she had actually learned a lot about it and was able to answer his questions easily. Not that she really thought she had a chance at beating Levi. Honestly, if it weren’t for the spoilers and the pendant, she’d be screwed.

“You know that right?”

Cass, who hadn’t heard the question, answered as sincerely as she could manage, “Yeah, that actually makes sense.”

Mammon stopped walking, staring at her in shock. Oh no, what had he asked. She just assumed it was something about how great he was or how he didn’t want to be here. He turned away before she could catch his eyeline, but she didn’t miss the faint blush that had appeared.

“It feels weird when you agree with me like that. I mean, doncha think that would’ve been the perfect time to put me down or somethin’?”

Mammon rubbed the back of his neck nervously, still refusing to look at her. She did like poking fun at Mammon because he always had a big reaction, but she was going to have to change how she went about it. The other brothers must really be relentless in their comments.

“Whatever, just forget it. Let’s talk strategy. Beel was right about Levi and jealous. There’s no way you’ll win a competition about TSL in a fair fight, so we’ve just got to figure out how to make him jealous. It can’t just be some braggin’ ‘cuz all that will do is make him talk about how it’s not fair and you’re lucky.”

“Oh, I have it covered. I have spoilers for the next book, a signed first edition of the book that got ruined, and a limited-edition pendant.”

“Yeah, that’ll do it,” Mammon laughed as they continued walking towards the student council chambers. He continued asking her TSL trivia until they made it to the doors. Mammon stopped her before she could go in. “Ya probably already know this, but if Levi does snap, there’s a real possibility he’ll try and kill ya.”

She really was getting a soft spot for this demon. “Careful Mammon, someone might hear and think you actually care about me.”

There was that blush again. Mammon started sputtering, unable to form a coherent sentence. She stepped back to open the door. Everyone else was already in there. Diavolo, Barbatos, and Lucifer were standing in a cluster discussing something. Levi was looking down at his phone, headphones on, ignoring the world. Asmo was filming a video while Satan and Beel sat waiting.

Asmo lit up when he saw Cass and Mammon enter. He rushed over, looping his arm with Cass and pulling her to the center of the room. As if preparing to shoot a movie scene, he positioned her in front of Diavolo’s seat before fixing her hair. She swatted him away, not worried about fly aways, given the current situation. He continued directing everyone to their seats before forcibly pulling Levi to the center with her.

“All right, everyone! The wait is over!” Asmo announced, ever the performer. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had tried to film this live but was stopped by Lucifer. “It’s time for the Devil’s Trivia Showdown! The quiz show that pits demon against human!” He mock oohed and ahhed behind Levi and Cass. The only one who seemed to be enjoying his antics was an enthusiastic Diavolo.

“Today, we’re testing the knowledge of the super-famous fantasy series known to all The Tale of the Seven Lords! Let’s meet our competitors.” Asmo stood next to Levi holding a fake microphone up for him to speak into. Levi scoffed in response. “First, he’s a demon who freely admits to being a giant TSL nerd, meet Leviathan.”

“I am the G.O.A.T. None can oppose me!”

Asmo oohed again before spinning to introduce Cass. “And his challenger. The human who was only introduced to TSL recently and binged the DVDs. Say hello Cass.”

“Hi.” Asmo didn’t move the microphone, his eyes insisting she say more. “I literally could not care less about this series. I just want to make him cry.” It was a lie. She had really enjoyed TSL. She just wanted Levi to suffer a bit and it’d be even funnier to beat him after saying she didn’t care about it.

Levi inhaled sharply, before turning to face her. “You watched the DVDs ONCE. That’s it! The fact that you even challenged me is an insult to TSL. Do you have any idea how infuriating-”

“Things are really heating up here!” Asmo interrupted stepping up to the bench. “Judging this fierce competition is our very own Demon Lord himself, Diavolo!”

“Hello there, good to see everyone. Thank you for coming!” Diavolo stood up as he made his remarks.

“Color commentary will be provided by Satan, Avatar of Wrath. Can he keep a cool head as a good commentator should?” Satan shot Asmo a dirty look but didn’t answer. “And our guest demon, the always-famished Beelzebub. Appearing for his usual fee, cheeseburgers.”

Cass looked over to see that there was a pile of food in front of Beel. While Beel was describing how much he loved cheeseburgers from Hell’s Kitchen and Asmo started introducing himself, she snatched a few onion rings off the table before going back to her position.

“Are you, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Levi erupted. “You’re eating right now? Did you really risk your life to steal food from Beel at a time like this?”

Cass coughed, trying to breathe around the bite of onion ring in her mouth. She hadn’t expected them to still be scalding hot. One of the special Devildom tricks she was still getting used to was how they could make take out taste just as fresh as when it was made.

“I mean, every day I risk my life,” Cass said, taking another bite of the onion ring. “Might as well get a snack out of it.”

“She may be fearless, folks,” Asmo chimed in, stepping between them, “but let’s see if she really knows her stuff.”

Asmo proceeded to ask them questions about the series. Levi’s questions started difficult and became increasingly more challenging each round. Cass’s questions started easy and stayed that way. After a while, Diavolo seemed to be the only one still finding the game entertaining. Satan’s commentary was becoming increasingly sardonic and Beel’s cheeseburgers were almost gone.

“How long are we going to keep this charade up? It’s so boring, I might fall asleep.”

“You heard him Cass, let’s see if your trump card livens things up. Crush him like a bug!”

-- -- --

Levi started laughing, the sound more maniacal the longer it went on. It didn’t help that the chamber echoed the sound, adding to the eerie cadence. Nobody dared move, as if any movement would set Levi off.

“You can’t just make things up and think you’ll win. The Lord of Masks wouldn’t do that to the Lord of Shadow.”

Cass grabbed her bag and pulled out the book Simeon had given her. She flipped to the page with the handwritten notes. “What’s better, Henry dies.”

Levi froze, staring at the book in her hands. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Despite his words, Cass could see the panic in his eyes. He knew she wasn’t lying.

“I’ve heard that as well,” Satan added from the side.

“While I’m unable to discern the veracity of Cass’s statement, I can confirm the truth in Satan’s.”

“Take that Levi! You know Lord Diavolo can tell if someone’s tellin’ the truth. Except for Cass I guess, but that doesn’t matter right now. Because Cass totally just won.”

Levi’s head turned between them all as he started mumbling to himself. “THAT CAN’T HAPPEN,” he screamed. “The idea that YOU could be a bigger fan than me.”

Mammon stood up, eyes not leaving Levi. “Woah, Levi –"

“NO, NO, NO, I WON’T STAND FOR IT.”

The dark aura Cass had become accustomed to when the brothers got upset started to overpower her senses. Levi yelled, or hissed, or something as his sin took over. His eyes narrowed as he focused on her, horns sprouting from his head, tail hitting the floor.

She vaguely heard Mammon yelling at her to run, but Levi had already cornered her against the bench. So, this is how she died. Not that she was all too surprised. She had been warned by Beel, Levi, and Mammon that this was a probable outcome. For the briefest moment, she thought it might be fear that caused her to maintain eye contact.

When Levi took a step forward, she realized it wasn’t fear but understanding. Of all the things she’d expect to feel when she was seconds away from being killed by a demon, understanding was not it. Satan was right, she hadn’t failed Levi because the book wasn’t the test. All he wanted was someone like Henry. Someone that stood by him even at his worst moments.

Even if he didn’t intentionally do it, this was the test. Would she stick around after seeing what he thought was the worst side of himself, the anger, fear, obsession, envy that was part of him? What happened to them that this is how his brain processed that information? And what happened to her that made it make sense?

As Levi closed the distance between them, Cass refused to cower or hide. If this was the last he saw of her, she would make it count. The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was hoping Levi understood what she was thinking.

I see you for who you are and I’m not running away.

#obey me #obey me oc #obey me fanfic #obey me lesson 3 #obey me spoilers #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me levi #obey me diavolo #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me beel #obey me lilith #obey me solomon #obey me simeon #obey me luke

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yeehanfrf · 2 years ago

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Week 17 Recs: Better Get Comfy

This week, the theme was "Better Get Comfy." I asked for fics between 25,000 and 50,000 words (or thereabouts). These are the fics that are just long enough to cuddle up with for a while!

Behind the cut, you'll find the fics gathered from the Yeehan community, organized by rating and then alphabetically by title.

General Audiences

The Sacred Heart of a Lost Sharpshooter by illune [54,037 words] Reccer comment: "when i tell you this fic in particular changed my life and the way i perceive yeehan... i feel like very few people understand both hanzo and cass as characters, but nestor just *gets it*"

Teen and Up

Discontinuity by SaltCore [25,469 words] Reccer comment: "That fic is so beautifully written!"

They tell him his name is Cole Cassidy. They tell him he’s a vigilante and a mercenary and a brave man and a good man. He supposes he’ll have to take their word for it. He can’t remember for himself.

Mature

Civic Duty by Liquid_Lyrium [40,256 words] Reccer comment: "a fun romp"

When Jesse McCree pulls jury duty—twice—for his writing personas, Hanzo will do whatever it takes to save the reputation of one of his favorite romance/erotica authors. Especially if it means that his favorite series on hiatus will return. The fact that he has feelings for McCree has nothing to do with his equations. Jesse and Hanzo will need to sort out fact and fiction between their accumulated identities.

Threads by CommonNonsense [49,230 words]

Despite being 38 years old, Hanzo has never met his soulmate. He's learned to ignore the red string on his left hand for the last ten years, knowing he is destined to remain alone as he atones for his mistakes. It is for the best. Jesse McCree, however, isn't one to take that lying down.

Explicit

A Losing Combination by manic_intent [42,402 words] Reccer comment: "one of my early favorites in this fandom"

“Do you know what you are here for?” Jesse scratched behind his ear, a little thrown. This, right here, was why Jesse fucking hated going undercover. Talk, talk, talk. Usually, Jesse got bored very quickly, and when Jesse got bored, his trigger finger tended to get itchy. Besides, they’d confiscated his goddamned gun. That was a downright depressing thing to do to a man, that was. “I’m here as hired muscle, yeah?” “Yes,” Hanzo said disdainfully. “‘Hired muscle’. What do you know about me?”

Against the Ropes by Ziane [39,147 words] Reccer comment: "hanzo gets a proposition of a lifetime"

When Jesse McCree met Hanzo Shimada, he never expected to fall so hard so fast. Despite the imminent fight that looms over him, he can only think about how would Hanzo feel under the sheets. In a last-minute impulse, McCree surprises the yakuza prince with a shameless proposition that leaves him stunned.

Boy Next Door by rebeccastceir [35,387 words]

“You know of course,” Hanzo said, “that at some point I am going to have to try to kill you, simply to appease my bosses.” “An’ you know at some point you an’ I are gonna be having lots and lots of sex,” Jesse replied. Hanzo nodded. A smile flickered across his lips. “At many points, if you are any good.”

Coyote Lovely by t_pock [WIP; 38,969 words] Reccer comment: "no way this one hasnt been recced a bajillion times but just for good measure (old name for cowboy and explicit)"

After a mission gone wrong, Hanzo and McCree must lie low in New Mexico for a week. Together.

decalcomanie by a8eja [23,574 words]

Hanzo has a knack for deluding himself and a penchant for will-they-won't-they bullshit.

Ichigo by morrezela [27,121 words]

They break up on a Wednesday

It's All Your Fault by Cadeykat [25,100 words]

Hanzo Shimada joins the ranks of Overwatch and finds that he quite likes teasing the resident cowboy. That is, until a single compliment ruins his thought process, and he has to deal with feelings he's not exactly well versed in.

Puppy Love by MarquesGillette [58,047 words]

Genji signs Hanzo up for a wolfmen/human speed date. Hanzo falls head over feet for a wolf well versed in weather trivia. - Squinting at his brother, Hanzo mumbles, “I do not understand. What is a ‘furry?’” Genji rubs a forefinger under his nose to hide his face-splitting grin. “Literally you."

Ride for the brand by Ziane [37,411 words] Reccer comment: "yakuza hanzo & bodyguard cass are a delicious combo"

Jesse McCree has been working as a bodyguard for the Shimada-gumi for the past two years. He's making a living and he has met Shimada Hanzo, a spoiled brat, his worst nightmare, and his most shameful wet dream.

The Ink Dark Moon by Miko [24,975 words]

Wolf youkai Hanzo has sought only solitude since the disastrous battle with his brother Genji, that resulted in the nekomata's death. Roaming the world, he finds himself settling in a remote area of what humans call the Wild West. It has everything he could ask for; a forest with abundant food, a local wolf pack who are willing to accept him as a friend and ally, and most of all, peace and quiet. Until a gravely injured coyote shifter stumbles almost into his lap, chased by a pack of vicious wolfman creatures. The last thing Jesse McCree ever expected was to find somewhere he wanted to call 'home' again. He's lost too many people that he cared about over the years, and he'd thought he was permanently gunshy. Hanzo is standoffish and arrogant, but Jesse can see there's so much more beneath the wolf's harsh surface. The more he learns of who Hanzo really is, the harder Jesse starts to fall. Problem is, Jesse may well be infected by the werewolf virus in the wake of the attack. And if that isn't enough to tear them apart, the truth of Hanzo's past might be, when Jesse finally discovers how the man is connected to his former packmate Genji. Is love enough to hold them together?

This World Can't Tear Us Apart by ChillieBean [27,894 words]

It was supposed to be a quick and easy surveillance mission. It was supposed to be just another mission. When a series of unexpected events bring Hanzo and Cole closer together, their hidden feelings for each other bubble to the surface.

to say that we're in love is dangerous by kettuluv [31,228 words]

Hanzo Shimada knelt for no man. He would never, ever waver in the presence of someone he deemed lower than him. Never would he bow, never would he get to his knees, never would he show any sign of weakness towards anyone. And yet… Here he sat, knelt in front of that ridiculous man who never stopped talking, who didn't know boundaries, who would've done anything to make someone smile, or laugh. The man who just cared so much. The man whose touch was soft but firm, eyes dark but warm, voice rough yet so full of love. Here he sat with his body trembling, his breath sharp and shaky, face flushed hot, in front of Jesse McCree, the only man he's ever knelt for. *** Letting himself fall for Jesse like this was dangerous for both of them, in more ways than one.

Unabashed by sciencefictioness [36,778 words] Reccer comment: "read it if you love scion - fuck it - read it if you love yeehan"

“Not that I ain’t happy about where this is going, but I’m a fuckin’ mess. You don’t want me wash up first? And I still ain’t got your name, beautiful.” Hanzo pulls the tie from his hair, letting it fall loose around his face and spill over his shoulders. Jesse slides a hand up his side and tangles his fingers in it, like he can’t quite help himself. Behind enemy lines, playing a perilous game, and still Jesse is losing himself, his world realigning with Hanzo at its center. Hanzo preens under the attention, powerful like he only ever is with someone underneath him. Begging, or bleeding, or calling his name.

Willing to Lie by Ilyen [WIP; 69,622 words] Reccer comment: "unfinished, but you know it's good when someone recs that regardless"

"It's Thanksgiving. Want to skip that long, insulting conversation about how you're still single? About how your parents really want more grandchildren? Well, look no further! I am a 28 year old felon with no high school degree and a dirty old van one year younger than me painted like Eddie Van Halen's guitar. I can play between the ages of 20 and 29 depending on if I shave. I'm a line cook and work late nights at a bar. If you'd like to have me as your strictly platonic date for Thanksgiving, but have me pretend to be in a very long or serious relationship with you, to torment your family, I'm game." -Jesse McCree probably A story 110% based on this craigslist ad - http://cdn.foodbeast.com/content/uploads/2014/11/craig.jpg

---

And that's it for Week 17! Thank you so much to everyone who submitted a rec.

If you find a fic you like, please be sure to let the author know you enjoyed it through comments or kudos!

Tune in for the Week 18 theme, "By the Numbers," for all those 5+1, 3+1, etc., fics.

In the meantime, you can also check out the Week 16 recs here, or check the full list of past and future themes here.

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cljordan-imperium · 1 year ago

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Alright CL. This one is very self indulgent so feel free not to answer it but I was wondering how your OCs would react to Heaven? Would they get along well?

Okay, so there are going to be multiple characters answering because...well, they are excited for this. They are from 3 different storylines - @theimperiumchronicles (obviously), @bombsbodyguardsbroken (multiple), and @magical-mistakes-vm. So...here we go!!

I'm going to break this down by storyline, and then by character

@theimperiumchronicles

Abriella -

Brie would love her! She's fierce, she's protective, she loves Arthur scars and all. Brie would be like, YES SISTER, come on in, bring the human and I'll boost whatever magic you need. Need me to bring back some ancestors from the dead, I'm a necromancer bitch!

Cassandra -

ANOTHER WITCH!! OMG!! Do you do naked moon dances? How do you scry? Do you do blood magic or crystal magic? I'm mated to Lucifer, YES...THE LUCIFER?! Need help?? You have a direct line, babes!! Let's have tea and dish!

Arch -

He would observe and be cautious. He is not into dark arts, but is a mage, so he mixes potions, crystals, poultices, and mystical powers. He is very protective of Cruz and Abriella. As long as she is not a threat to them, he might engage her in discussions regarding her magic, if she needs protective amulets for Arthur and herself, any charms or potions/poultices and the like.

Arioch -

Arioch, the demon of revenge is going to see her like a little sister. He'll be protective and assist her in keeping Arthur safe, maybe even doing her dirty work for her, keeping her hands clean. Being able to do the work from the other side of the veil, there will be no trace of how it was done or who did it. He's a demon after all, so it's not like the blame can be left on the human side. They'll get along wonderfully.

Lucifer -

He'll sit back and wait for Cass and Heaven to need something. Imagine him sitting back on a chair, legs outstretched, smirk on his face, arms crossed over his chest, and just shaking his head. That's Luc. He's just amused his woman is excited as hell.

Jasper -

*sigh* Jasper is probably the first one to get stabbed. He's...he's Jasper and he'd be himself. He likes to test limits. Once he'd been an ass enough, he'd love the fuck out of her and take her under his wing like Arioch. He'd help her take care of Arthur and since he plays in the world of the Blinders with Anna and her friendship with Rose & Alfie, he can help run interference without her having to kill Alfie. Doesn't want to upset Anna now.

Anna -

Anna would want to help Arthur because she always wants to fix the broken, so she'd rope in Jean Pierre and Armaund (so we'll just thrown them in with Anna). In that way, they'd just bring Heaven into the fold like a broken person too. She's been damaged and hurt in the past and they'd just love her and try to protect her too. She might be the one that stabs Jasper, it wouldn't be the first time.

Kellen -

Kellen would be curious. Cautious, but curious. He'd want to know where her powers came from and why she is so quick to use them offensively. He'd want her and Arthur to come to the Uffernian Palace so he could study her. Safety for both of them would be promised so he could learn more about her history and magic. The only reason curiosity hasn't killed this panther is he's a very powerful demon.

Grae -

Unlike his boss, Grae would be on guard. He would keep Ada far away from her or Arthur. He's already protective of her, but if he thought she'd be in any danger from a woman who's ready to kill if she thinks Arthur is in any danger, not a chance. He's still trying to figure out Ada's powers so he would not risk it. He'd be careful around her too. Grae knows what he means to Ada, which means he would not risk angering the witch.

Dartan -

If he managed not to get killed, again, I think they'd get along. He was a powerful warlock in his first life so they would have much to discuss. However he has the personality of rough grit sandpaper against raw skin.

Amaya -

Amaya at first would be a little trepidatious, I mean the last spell she did DID end her up in literal hell and married to Dartan..ish. So, she'd be friendly but kind of skittish and shy. Once she felt a little more comfortable, I think they'd be great friends. If Dartan can keep from being, well, the current Dartan, then I think they could be a great foursome, like two couple friend group. Hell would have no fury like the four of them in Small Heath. Dartan is going to help Amaya with her magic eventually so if they were to meet after that, they'd be crazy deadly, like they could take all the Sabinis out in one swoop kind of deadly.

Mithos -

Mithos is another vengeance demon AND he is Co-Captain of the Queen's Royal Guard. The vengeance demon part of him is going to adore her and her style. The guardian side of him is going to totally understand her protection of Arthur. If you have read the scene I posted the other day where Brie almost went into Stasis you know how far he'll go for those he cares about. He will kill and he will die for Abriella, any day any time. So he would understand, and he would help her. He honors those who have love and loyalty.

Seren -

Seren is the Princess Royal and daughter of an ex of Korben that went on to marry one of his good friends and now is a "gift" to him that was originally to be his ward. Yeah...complicated. She's also been sent to study at the Mage Consortium in Uffern. (I have a spreadsheet to keep it all straight when my brain stops working...seriously) ANYWAY...she would find Heaven absolutely fascinating. First, the magic. Seren holds innate magic she's been using her whole life, so she'd want to talk to her about her skills, and how she got them. The whole history. She'd find the treatment of Heaven's family horrific. Then would come her protection of Arthur. This would be a foreign concept to Seren. She's always been a tool. Her mother was a tool, an object, a means to an end. She would adore Heaven, but not understand her love and protection of Arthur.

*****

@bombsbodyguardsbroken

Melania -

The daughter of Marie LaVeau magic is no secret to her, she's seen the darkest of the dark. She's called upon the ancestors herself. She understands protecting those she loves and would want to help Haven if she could. Make it so that she feels safe and that Arthur is safe. She also knows what it's like to not be able to trust family. Mel was killed the first time by the woman who she thought was her mother, requiring Marie to resurrect her, which is when she learned who her true family was. In the current story she will end up being forced to kill one brother and try to kill her true father. So, loyalty is paramount to her.

Dontanion -

A powerful Voodoo Priest, he is the most powerful of the family. He would be interested in Heaven's abilities. He would even offer to show her some protections she might not be aware of and ways to invoke the ancestors and beings from the other side of the veil. And wait till Heaven meets Fluffy!

Francois -

While not as powerful as his brother, his energy is darker and he is more intimidating. Both brothers had to stand by as Melania grew up, unable to tell her who they truly were and also unable to intercede in many things that happened that hurt her. Now the truth is out, they too protect her the way that Heaven wants to protect Arthur. He too would want to help her and develop/strengthen her magic in ways to help her protect him. Also in ways to help her heal the trauma of his past so the demons are held at bay longer.

Mama Marie -

Marie LaVeau herself, the most powerful Voodoo Priestess that has ever existed, and ever will. The Queen of the Bayou. She would accept Heaven as a child of hers, no matter who birthed Heaven or what she had done in the past. She is a soul who need love and practices the craft, that is all Marie needs to know. She adopts lost souls and gives them a home and a mom to come to when they need. She would try to gently guide Heaven where she could, and support her. Give Heaven the family that she had stolen in the past, the love and support a mother can, and welcome Arthur in as well.

@magical-mistakes-vm

Vollrath -

As a Master Warlock, Vollrath would see it as his duty to ensure that Heaven had everything she needed but also that she was not going too far, which might cause conflict. He can be...abrupt/abrasive/an asshole. He comes from a good place but his people skills suck ass. Mahala is going to work on that, but...I think it would go badly, but yeah... However, anyone coming after Heaven would die, and die very ugly. He would not ask questions, he would not give second chances. You come after a witch in his territory and your life is forfeit, whether he and the witch are on good terms is not a variable in the equation.

Mahala -

In contrast Mahala would be in awe. She would have a gazillion questions and just want to know everything. Heaven would be instantly accepted just as she was. Arthur would be loved as like a big brother. Mahala would offer them a family like bond, and want to learn from Heaven to help protect Arthur too, and even to protect Heaven from anyone who came after her. She'd see anyone coming after Heaven as the hunters that Vollrath has mentioned. And, Vollrath said they have to die...so.... *CRINGE*

SOOO...that is how my OC's would see her. At least the ones that immediately went ME ME ME ME ME ME...If any more of them pop up my brain might just turn to pudding. LMAO

#ask answered #What about Heaven?#the imperium chronicles #bombs bodyguards & broken artifacts #magical mistakes #my writing #my ocs #my friend's oc #oc's play together #writeblr #writeblr community #writeblr connect

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h0rr0rsaxo · 2 years ago

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Okay so after that Cassie fic...I have ideas! So Cassie, Vince, and Anni. Omfg it would be cute! Vince is just the best with kids and I feel like Cass would be pretty much raised by everyone in the manor, but she gravitates to Anni as like her "central parental figure". So Anni is being followed around by Cassie and at first Anni doesn't know what to do with her, and Cass even gets found by THE OPERATOR!!! Anni thought Cass was gonna die, but Slender is just like..."Does this human belong to you?" like he's actually chill about it and even picks Cass up to look at her and maybe mention how he wants to make her a proxy and Anni is like, "FUCK NO!"

But Anni is tired and she falls asleep on the couch and Cass just sits there and watches some cartoon and maybe even plays with Anni's hands or pokes at her freckles, just normal, curious kid stuff. And Vince sees this and melts. Then he takes Cass and maybe colors with her or does something kiddy to make her happy and Anni wakes up and freaks out because Cass isn't there but she finds Cass and Vince in the kitchen, making "breakfast dinner". And Vince looks like a dilf with his apron on, his clean white sleeves rolled up showing off his arms, and he has a little bit of flour on his cheek from making pancakes. Cass is just having fun, and Anni practically melts as she watches Vince being so sweet and fatherly towards Cass.

The rest is up to you! Tysm and continue to spam me when you get more ideas! Also if you have any questions...let me know!

[ Cassie || simp party. ]

Warnings: None!

Tags: @insane-horror-movie-addict

A/N: I made it extra long so you could enjoy! And added a little more to what you originally asked for because I thought you might enjoy it.

Word count: 2,644

Anni absolutely didn't know what to do.

Children were certainly not her specialty— so it was honestly such a weird occurrence to just have a child one day just appear into her life— she knew absolutely nothing about children and she never bothered to learn anything about them considering she never expected one to just suddenly waltz into her life. It's been a little over a week since she had found the young, abandoned girl in the cabin, and despite how emotionally unavailable she seemed— she immensely cared about the young child. So she taught Cassie the only thing she knew how to. Shoot.

"This was my first silencer. I rigged it out of the top of a metal baseball bat." She looked up at him, seeing the curiosity on Cassie's childish face. She screwed the makeshift silencer in and tightened it, "And it's yours now. I have a different one."

Cassie took the pistol and studied it, noticing that there wasn't too much more weight to it. Cassie looked back into Anni's eyes and a small smile crossed her liips, "Thanks."

"And I'll take this." Anni pulled her own trusty pistol out of the bag, a silencer already set out on the tip of the barrel. Cassie leaned down and grabbed a small bag off the floor, opening it and moving towards the bag, "What're you doing?"

"Gotta take more ammo." Cassie looked up at her briefly as he stuffed a box of ammo in the backpack. Anni smiled and nodded, standing to her feet and crossing her arms,

"Grab some rope, too."

"For what?"

"You'll see..." Anni smiled and moved past her to a set of shelves on the other side of the room. She pouted at her dwindling supply of Molotov's and homemade bombs, letting out an annoyed sigh as she took a couple. She called Cassie over and she was quick to her side, watching in curiosity as she stuffed a few aerosol bombs into the bag.

"What're those for?"

"You want to have some fun, right?" Anni rigged herself with some warm clothes, zipping up her jacket with her bum arm underneath. She kept her pistol tucked closely in her pocket, pushing herself along with her cane towards the back door. Cassie manned the backpack on her back and the two snuck out through the back door, Anni secretly popping a couple extra hydrocodone in her mouth before leaving.

Anni and Cassie made their way behind the shed, Anni having an easier time making it through the snow than the younger girl. But pursuing on and not wanting to disappoint Cassie, she pressed to the back gate and pulled her spare key out from her jacket pocket. Anni then stopped and stared out behind the house, seeing a few figures scrambling through the snow in the distance. Cassie then took notice of them as well and looked up at her, "This might not be a good idea. If we become overwhelmed you're not going to be able to defend yourself."

"Then I'll leave the defending to you." Anni looked down at Cassie and smiled, "My life is in your hands."

"But I... I won't be able to do that."

Cassie hesitated, but followed through the gate. She heard the click of it shut and the key lock it behind her, knowing there was no turning back. She sucked in a deep breath and nodded her head to herself, gripping her hand tightly around the handle of her pistol. She wanted to make himself better and be able to defend herself so she didn't end up like her parents. Her gaze moved over her shoulder as she looked at Anni out from under her hat, "I'll go first." She moved through the foot of snow, knocking down the wall of powder to make it easier for Anni to walk through. Anni followed closely behind Cassie, keeping her eye out for any demons that were nearby. Tossing a glance over her shoulder, she continued her way through the path that Cassie carved, noticing that they were getting further and further away from the house; just what they needed.

Cassie halted when a demon slinked out from behind a tree, both her hands raising the pistol up in front of him. She closed an eye and looked down the sights, keeping her hands steady in order to take it down all in one shot. With the pull of the trigger, the silenced bullet escaped the chamber and shot out, completely missing the demon by inches. Cassie let out a dry gasp and aimed once again, but Anni gripped her shoulder tight, "Don't kill it." Cassie looked up at her from over his shoulder and she met her gaze, "I have an idea... get that rope out of the backpack."

Cassie gave her a questioning look, but ultimately swung the backpack off her shoulder and tore it open. The two backed away from the slow demon that approached, Anni tearing the rope from Cassie's hands and marching forward with her limp, "What're you doing!?" She shouted as Anni approached the demon, its nasty snarls echoing through the snowy forest around them.

Anni shoved the tip of her gun against the demon's chest, knocking it back a few steps. She took another step forward and repeated, slamming it back a few more feet. Finally, Anni rammed the gun against the demon's chest one last time, watching it knock back against a tree. Anni quickly extended the rope out and wrapped it around the demon's stomach, pulling both the sides of the rope with her good hand and securing the demon to the tree. She quickly zipped open her jacket, and with the help of her hand, she tied a tight knot in the thick rope. Her legs trudged back towards Cassie and she stared at her curiously, her eyes flicking back to the demon. It reached out towards them and its legs dug into the ground in attempts to get away from the thick rope.

"There. Now you have yourself a target." Anni nodded and zipped her jacket back up as a cold breeze descended upon them, "You shouldn't have a problem with twenty feet. It's the perfect distance."

"It's kind of moving a lot..." Cassie said as she watched the demon thrash about in the snow. Anni sighed,

"Well... if you can't hit it from this distance, as he's moving about like that, there's no way you'll be able to hit it at all." Anni looked down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort, "We've got plenty of bullets and take your time... not like we have anywhere to be or anything."

"Alright..." Cassie nodded her head and took a couple steps forward, the long silencer of her pistol tapped nervously on her leg. She finally lifted it and gripped it in both her hands, closing her eyes to get a better aim. She saw the demon's head in her sights and took a deep breath, pulling the trigger and feeling the recoil of the heavy gun kick in her hands. She frowned when the demon continued to thrash about; the bullet had missed its target yet again.

"Take your time, I said." Anni voiced behind her and Cassie raised her pistol again, staring at the demon. She left out an annoyed huff and closed her eyes, the sights following the demon's head every time it moved. With the pull of the trigger again, she watched a splatter of blood squirt across the tree's trunk and drip onto the snow. A light smile crossed her face as she saw the bullet's entry point in the demon's neck, knowing she was close. "Good job. Now this time, try and get it."

Cassie had missed a few more times, her annoyance skyrocketing and making her more irritated by every second. She dropped her pistol to her side and let out a huff, Anni hearing it and kneeling up next to her. He shook her head, "I hate this. I can't hit the thing."

"Yes you can. You're just giving up too easily."

"It's not as easy as it looks." Cassie looked up at her, a clear pout strung up on her face. Anni rested her body and slipped out her own silenced pistol, staring out at a demon approaching them closer with each step. Cassie watched her pull up her pistol while taking quick aim, her finger yanking back the trigger with utter quickness. The slide cocked in sync with the gun in her hand and she saw the demon in the distance crash to the ground, a swell of snow bouncing upon its impact.

"It's not hard... you just have to practice." Anni looked back down at her and slid her pistol back into her pocket casually. Cassie dropped her eyes to the ground and eventually looked back at the demon staring back at her ruefully, "Now do it again." She heard Anni's soft voice say with patience, Cassie letting out a calming sigh and turning to face the demon fully.

The pistol barrel stared at the demon with a determined eye of Cassie's staring back down the sights. Taking a deep breath, the preteen let it out slowly and concentrated all her senses on one thing: taking out the restrained demon. It yanked and shoved against the tight rope, sneering at Cassie with antagonizing intent, its wet hair clingy to its face as it swayed. Anni watched Cassie's hand slowly moving along with the demon's head, her eye keeping the kill-spot closely in his sights. The soft snipe of her silenced pistol clicked through the air and Anni's eyes immediately fell on the demon, seeing its head dip over its chest and its legs give out from under it. With a smile, Anni laughed and nodded, tossing her hand on Cassie's shoulder while shaking it, "Good job, kid. Good job!"

Cassie cheers a little, hopping up and down as she celebrates her small victory. In the midst of her mini-celebration, she spots a young boy— seemingly somebody that is her age. Her eyes widened slightly, dropping her pistol as she spaced out slightly from what Anni was saying. As she paced toward the lone demon boy playing with his little figurine.

Before she can speak to him, his eyes thin themselves into slits as he narrows his eyes, "Girls have cooties."

"Hey! That's rude!" Cassie crossed her arms, "I do NOT have cooties."

"Liar, all girls have cooties." Spooked, the embarrassed 4-year-old kept his eyes glued onto his half-finished snowman before he was greeted by the young girl inching up to him with her cheeks angrily puffed out.

"Well, boys are smelly. And dumb!" The boy's gaze immediately dropped as he began furiously shoving mounds of snow into plastic molds to get his mind off things; he needed a break so that he wouldn’t get too annoyed with this girl. Before Cassie could even ask his name, the young demon boy escaped— before she started to chase after him. They ran and chased each other around, until Hunter skillfully managed to sneak into the operator's office to hide from the young girl, but she had been right behind him.

— . — . —

Anni was exhausted.

She hadn’t felt like completing one of the operator's eccentric missions, she was already tuckered out taking care of a singular child— especially since she couldn't seem to find Cassie at the moment. Anni sighed, she took a hold of the large doorknob once again and gave it a turn to let herself in, even if she didn't want to complete any task at the moment.

"Girls go to Jupiter to get more stupider!"

"Boys go to Saturn to get more fatter!"

Anni's brows furrowed at the scene before her, two little kids yelling at each other on top of the operator's desk— throwing little objects at each other. Fear riddled her system for a moment, but she noticed the operator hadn't seemed frustrated. In fact, he seemed awfully amused. He interrupted their little banter as he gently wrapped one of his tendrils around the girl, lifting her up slightly, "Does this human belong to you?" He questioned telepathically, as Cassie smiled at the presence of Anni.

"Yes— well, uhm, not exactly— I found her on one of my missions, and I haven't figured out what to do with her, so I guess?" Anni's hand wandered to the back of her neck, softly rubbing it in confusion as she shrugged slightly. It was clear she wasn't quite sure how to answer the question, or exactly pinpoint the reason for why he wanted the answer to it. The operator silently peered at her as Hunter hopped onto his shoulder, his tail flickering at the irritating presence of Cassie.

"Wonderful. I have already arranged for Hunter to be trained, and I'd like to make her a proxy as well."

"FUCK NO—"

— . — . —

Anni could feel the pressure building inside of him. Her muscles are tense, her eyebrows furrowed until they ached, her neck carried the weight of a long week. Even if she was one of the most important proxies, it meant nothing if he couldn’t protect herself from the perils of administrative work and the young child she currently had the responsibility 9f taking care of. Her eyes remain shit, even as Cassie giggles and pokes at the pretty little freckles scattered alongside her face.

Lids nearly shield Vince's amused amber eyes from the light of the ceiling fan and he lets out a small breath of amusement as he leans down against Anni. His fingers brush back wintery locks as he pushes back loose strands with a touch so delicate it seemed like he could break her with even an ounce more of force, "C'mon, Cass, you can hangout with her later when she isn't asleep." Cassie quickly hopped into Vince's arms as he pressed a chaste kiss against Anni's forehead.

That night, as soon as she woke up, even before opening her eyes, Anni tried to hug the kid that had sat by her side. A grunt escaped her lips once she noticed the couch was empty. She groaned in protest, softly kicking the couch as she did so. A few seconds later, the smell of vanilla filled her senses, and she finally opened your eyes. Coloring books and crayons were laying scattered on the floor and now that she realized it, there was noise coming from the kitchen. The first steps towards the kitchen, and she realized how intense that undeniable smell of delicious breakfast had smelled— though she was confused on why anyone would cook breakfast at night.

Anni walked to the kitchen and even if she knew she would find Vince there, seeing him wearing a red apron, his button up shirt with slick rolled up sleeves. The little smudge of flour on his face was adorable and Anni was tempted to smudge it off herself. He was focused on flipping a pancake, and continually giving Cassie more pancakes to eat. So he didn’t notice how she lingered in the kitchen, her confused expression quickly melted as she smiled.

“A photo will last longer,” Vince smirked, his eyes still fixed on the kitchen as he poured more batter on the pan. She smiled at him.

“What's all this?”

“Cass was hungry, and I just cooked up a lil somethin', no big deal.”

“God, you're such a dilf.” Anni teased, walking to him and pressing a kiss on his shoulder. Her arms wrapped his waist tenderly.

“I'm a— what?,” Vince's expression twisted into confusion, earning a soft smack on his back.

“Red suits you,” Anni complimented him, changing subjects. He smirked and turned his head, only then noticing that she pressed a chaste kiss against his shoulder once again— earning a little blush from him.

#hunter and cassie lmao theyre adorable #simp party #simp party my beloved #anni my beloved #anni and vince hours #cassie hours #vince being a dilf

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river-bottom-nightmare · 4 years ago

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headcanon that Dick is part veela.

Haly’s Circus traveled all around the world, picking strays and turning them into family along the way. One cold, dreary day in Europe, a couple showed up at the circus tent. Bedraggled, exhausted, and clutching each others hands, they were still the most beautiful people Haly had ever seen. Of course, he couldn’t very well leave them like that, so he invited them to stay, just for the night.

One night was all it took for them to charm their way into the heart of the circus. The other members could tell there was something off, something not quite human about them. It was in the way John, or so he said his name was, stayed in the air a little longer than normal when flipping from a trapeze. It was in the way Mary, or so she said her name was, tumbled down a silk before catching her foot in a lock a little to gracefully. It was in the way their skin seemed to shimmer under the limelight and the way their voices cut through the gloom of the night brighter than sunbeams when they laughed and the way they clutched at each other, fingers tangling and rarely letting go, as if they were being hunted. But they were also good and kind. John, or so he said his name was, joked around with the rest of the crew, his smile instantly putting them at ease. Mary, or so she said her name was, gave hugs warmer than the campfire and gave kisses on cheeks lighter than a butterfly. The two of them were part of the crew by morning.

A couple years later, when the crew was in northern India, Mary announced she was pregnant, with glowing cheeks and a delicate hand on her stomach. John was so shocked, he choked on his stew and upended the water pitcher. Then he ran over the Mary, a little faster than what passed for normal, and lifted her up in the air with an easy that not even Clayton the strongman could manage, and peppered her face with kisses. The rest of the crew turned a blind eye, as they always did, and congratulated the happy couple. After all, by now, they were family.

The troop took a small rest in a small village in Punjab when Mary was close to delivery. She spent her days laughing with the children as the women of the village taught the people in the circus to dance. A few weeks later, Richard John Grayson was born, or so they said his name was, and his gorgeous face became instantly beloved by the entire crew. But no one could deny that when just talking to little Dick, when they believed they were out of earshot, John and Mary lovingly called Dick by another name, one that seemed a little to quick and a little to ethereal to be able to pronounce. Dick spent his first couple of years in that small town in Punjab, doing flips and tricks from the moment he could stand. Ionana the Contortionist learned new skills and taught them to the village children, Fedir the Juggler learned about fifty new dishes to try, Bao the Swordsmaster grew so talented with her blade, not a single person could match her, and Haly added Punjabi to his ever growing list of languages. And when Dick turned four, the circus packed up and left the town in the dust, leaving nothing but memories behind.

After the pregnancy, John and Mary seemed to dull a bit. Not in terms of enthusiasm and personality, no. They were still the cheerful, loving couple they had always been. But the crew noticed how their flips became a little messier, their skin glowed a little less, their voices cracked and became a little more human. The inhuman talent they had on the trapeze was gone, replaced by a normal brand of extraordinary. It seemed that most every drop of whatever was in their blood that made them so unique had been transferred over to Dick. He was instantly a natural at performing. Perhaps a little too good. Not a single circus member missed the way the audience’s eyes drew to him, almost as if they couldn’t help themselves. They never missed the way, no matter how far up Dick seemed to fall from, he never got hurt. They never missed the way the animals came to him unprompted, the way he could almost talk to them (Zitka the elephant in particular). They never missed the way his lilting voice and golden laugh to the crowd right before his performance sent a wave of life and light rushing through everyone there. They never missed the sheer power that sparked in his eyes every time he leapt off the platform, and they never missed the way he floated in the air, more at home up there than he ever was at home. They never missed his beauty, the way his perfect little face and big doe eyes had people scrambling to give him anything he wanted. (They also never missed the way he abused this ruthlessly, gaining sweets and chocolate from the audience with one pout.) And this led them to believe that the Graysons were unstoppable. But before they knew it, John and Mary, if those even were their real names, were dead on the ground, and Dick had been whisked away, and just like that town in Punjab that raised him, left nothing but memories behind.

Now, the problem was that this was how Dick had been all his life. The light inside him, the way the air moved almost lifelike around him, this had all been normal to him. He never suspected he was anything less than human.

Bruce had his suspicions. No human. could quadruple flip into a roundhouse kick strong enough to take out a meta. No human could balance seamlessly on a rope the size of a string while being blasted with cold air at that speed. No human could catch a socialite’s eye at a party and convince them to reveal every one of their safely-guarded secrets with only a few flutters of the eyes and well chosen words. Yet all of these things came as naturally to Dick as breathing.

So Bruce had his suspicions, of course he did. He kept track of every time Dick tried to teach another Robin a move during training that was physically impossible for everyone except him. He kept track of the way Dick could talk Jason down from an explosive rage the way no one else could. He kept track of the way Dick could bring a smile out of Tim on his worst days, the shaky quirk of the lips a pale imitation of Dick’s sun gold grin, but there. He kept track of the way Dick could communicate with Cass nonverbally, seemingly having entire complex conversations with only a few movements and gestures. He kept track of the way Dick could almost read Damian’s mind, know exactly what the boy needed at any given time, despite the way his mind changed fast enough to give you whiplash. (He didn’t think to notice that Dick was the only person who could get him to stop, take a break, to rest.)

Bruce also kept track of the way pure fear soaked into anyone surrounding him the minute anger flared in Dick’s eyes. He kept track of Dick’s temper, more explosive than his and Jason’s combined. He kept track of the graceful ruthlessness telegraphed in every move of Dick’s body, keeping it in check through years of training. He kept track of the way Dick claimed every single person in the family for himself, along with a couple of the Titans and other friends, and the way everyone seemed to know innately know about his possessiveness. He kept track of the way Dick could easily seduce anyone he put his mind to, the way Dick became unnaturally beautiful out of the corner of his eye.

Bruce never brought this up to Dick. He let him carry on as always, believing him oblivious to his touch of something a little more than humanity. And for the most part, Dick didn’t know. He laughed with chuckle of pure light and sang with a voice that carried the depths of the oceans and danced with a grace more flowing than air and loved with a burning flame fiercer than a wildfire.

But every so often, Dick looked at a couple old pictures he had of his parents, salvaged from the circus. On the back, it was scribbled John and Mary Grayson, Haly’s Circus, along with a couple small anecdotes of what was happening in the photograph. But as Dick held the picture that never seemed to fade and touched their faces with fingertips that either seemed to brush right over things or press with a force stronger than Superman’s, a frown tugged at his face as he recalled his parent’s loving words, a little too light and a little too graceful to come from a human throat. He remembered them calling him something, something other than Dick, something that fit the tips of his soul the way the name Richard never seemed to.

John and Mary Grayson. But were those really their names?

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snelbz · 4 years ago

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The Ranch {19}

An A Court of Thorns and Roses, Nesta x Cassian, Modern AU, fanfiction.

Collaboration: @snelbz x @tacmc

Summary: Nesta had spent years in Paris, living her dream and drowning in riches as a gourmet chef, capturing the hearts of the city and its people. But, after her father passes away unexpectedly and leaves his cozy, countryside B&B to his oldest daughter, Nesta is moving back home to the tiny town of Velaris, where the ranch, her sisters, and her father’s unfulfilled dream, awaits.

Sidenote: Being posted between two blogs, it is too chaotic to keep up with a tags list, so all chapters will be tagged with “#TheRanchNessian” & “#SharaCollab”.

Nesta stood in the paint department and looked at the wall of samples in front of her. She wanted something light, but something that stood out, too. She didn’t want anything like her father had chosen back in the nineties and-.

She shook her head, trying to free her head of the deja vu that washed over her and chuckling quietly. She had been here before, had done this before. Things were just...a little different this time.

As if she wanted to remind her mother of this fact, Nesta felt a sharp pain against her ribs and she inhaled sharply through her teeth. Beau looked up at her, brown eyes wide. He hadn’t left her side since the beginning of her third trimester and Nesta had learned to love the constant, comforting presence.

“Your sister is using my ribs as a punching bag,” she told him, regardless of the fact that he couldn’t understand her. He opened his mouth in what Nesta swore was a smile and his tongue hung to the side.

He always smiled when they talked about the baby.

Nesta was floored as she realized how different her life had become in twelve months. A year ago, she’d been deciding whether or not she should give up everything she’d ever wanted, to move home and run her father’s crumbling dream of a bed and breakfast. Now she was about to have a baby, her perfect, little girl, and she was going to marry the man of her dreams, the man who gave her the gift she never thought possible.

“Nesta?”

She froze, recalling how someone had called her name the last time she’d been here, who it had been when she turned. But it wasn’t Tomas, just Azriel standing in his old, torn jeans and black hoodie. Out of all of them, it was Azriel who looked the least the part of a rancher, but he sure as hell knew what he was doing.

“Cass said you were running into town, but this was the last place I thought I’d see you,” Azriel said, when Nesta said nothing.

Nesta, collecting her thoughts, gestured to the wall of paint samples. “Nursery color.”

“Ah,” Azriel said, huffing a laugh as he stopped next to her and looked at the wall. Beau brushed up against his leg, and he gave the pup a loving scratch behind the ears. “What about purple?”

Nesta frowned, looking at the endless samples of purple. She had gone over the lavender hues ten times already. “Too predictable. Pink, too. I’ve ruled them both out.”

Azriel chuckled. “Fair enough. Cass wants to paint it green.”

Nesta rolled her eyes. She had to admit that she had her eye on a neutral olive color, but it didn’t seem right, it wasn't special enough. “So I’ve been told. I told him no, though.”

It was true. In fact, the night before they’d had a heated debate over what color the nursery would be. It ended in them making love on the nursery’s carpet, but that was irrelevant.

“How about blue?” Azriel suggested, picking up a few different swatches. “There are a ton of different shades of blue, surely there’s one you two can agree on.”

It was her favorite color, but it limited her decorating choices. Both the camouflage and rodeo nursery ideas were nixed last night as well, and Cassian was still pouting about it.

“I’ve been leaning towards a softer yellow or orange.” She lifted a buttery yellow card from its slot. It was too bright, too rich. She added it to the stack, knowing it may look different away from the fluorescent lights. “Like the sunrise. First light.”

Azriel was nodding. “Why don’t you ask Feyre to paint the sunrise?”

Nesta was going to blame her stupidity on pregnancy brain as her eyes went wide and she said, “I hadn’t even thought of that. She’d love that.”

Azriel just smiled, softly. “Feyre would be honored, if you asked her.”

Nesta nodded, slowly, then picked out a couple different shades of yellows and oranges. “Since you’re here, please take me to get some tacos. I’ll buy. Might even bring some home to Cass, if he’s been good this morning.” Azriel’s grin widened as they began walking toward the exit. “A little cranky, I must say, but I think that’s just because he’s hungover.”

Nesta snorted. After their fight over paints, he’d indulged himself - one beer too many, perhaps. “It doesn’t take much to be hungover when you wake up at five a.m.”

“True,” Azriel agreed. “I could do tacos, though.”

“Good,” Nesta said, putting the paint swatches into her purse as she and Azriel walked out onto the sidewalk, Beau close behind.

It wasn’t until they were down the street at a taco vendor’s food truck that Nesta asked, “So, when the hell are you going to ask my sister to marry you?”

The bite he’d been in the process of taking nearly came back out. Nesta didn’t even flinch. She’d spent so much time throwing up in the past eight months that partially chewed food didn’t even phase her. She blinked and waited for him to collect himself before he took a drink of the Corona in his hand.

“You just go straight for the balls, don’t you?” He laughed.

She raised her eyebrows. “Have you met my fiancé?”

“Fair enough,” he laughed, but he sighed. “You want the honest truth?”

Nesta suddenly realized she wasn’t sure. She was meddling and the only person who hated meddling more than she did was Elain. But she nodded.

Az took a deep breath and said, “I’ve had the ring for almost six months.”

“What?” Nesta’s eyes must have nearly bulged out of her head, because Az backed up a step. “And why exactly haven’t you proposed?”

His smile was soft but proud, as he said, “I don’t want to take this time from you, or from Cassian. You’re having a baby. Like, Nesta, you’re growing a literal human inside of yourself.” He chuckled and smiled fondly. “Did you know that even when we were in high school all Cass wanted from life was to rope and have a family. You’re giving him one of those things and I can’t ever thank you for making my brother so happy. And I don’t want to take that spotlight from y’all. I want you to have your moment, so that when the time comes, Elain can have hers.”

Nesta hated Azriel for making her cry over her taco, and yet, tears were sliding down her cheeks as she set her taco back down onto her plate and observed him. Eventually, she cleared her throat and said, “Elain is a lucky woman.”

Azriel just shook his head as he took another bite. “That woman deserves the world. If anyone’s lucky, it’s me.”

Nesta found herself completely overwhelmed. A year ago, she hadn’t believed love existed, but now? Her and Cassian, Elain and Azriel, Feyre and Rhysand...this type of love was rare, Nesta was sure of it, but somehow they all ended up in a fairytale romance. Her sisters were happy, she was happy...it was perfect.

“Don’t tell your sister that I made you cry,” Azriel went on, shoving the last of his taco into his mouth. “She’ll kick my ass. She’s scary when she wants to be.”

She shook her head, dabbing at her eyes with a scratchy napkin. “She’ll understand when you knock her up. I cried yesterday during a Christmas commercial.” Azriel waited, knowing that was somewhat common. “A commercial for cattle feed.”

He nodded. “I believe you. Doesn’t change the fact that your sister will punch me in the dick if she finds out I was the cause of your tears.”

They both laughed and Nesta smiled. “Thank you for making her so happy.”

Az gave her that full smile that so many rarely saw. “It’s my pleasure.”

Nesta finished her tacos and ordered some for Cassian for the road. “Word of advice,” she said, getting into her car. Beau already patiently sat in the passenger seat. “Don’t ask her on a holiday. Girls don’t want to share their special day.”

Azriel’s eyebrows raised. “I...hadn’t thought of that.”

Nesta chuckled. “You were going to propose on New Years, weren’t you?”

He nodded once. “Yes, I was.”

She laughed, full and bright, and said, “How about this? You tell me when it’s time, I’ll plan a family dinner and voila, you’ve got yourself a fiancée.”

“Really?” Azriel asked, stopping in front of the driver’s side of the truck’s door.

“Of course,” Nesta said, crossing her arms, the bag of Cassian’s food hanging on her arm.

“Thank you,” he said, and she knew by the look in his eyes that he meant it.

Although they were going to the same place, they said their goodbyes and Nesta drove home, slowly. By the time she made it back home to the ranch with her paint swatches, Cassian was mowing the lawn. He was shirtless, of course, and was chugging a bottle of water as he rode the lawn mower across the grass. As Nesta pulled into the driveway, he was waving and putting it in park.

He was covered in sweat, but Nesta still didn’t stop him as he pressed his lips to the side of her head. “The grass was long.”

Nesta nodded. She had wanted to ask him to mow, considering she was too pregnant to do so, but hadn’t wanted to interrupt his daily plans. “I brought you tacos.”

“Mmm, that’s exactly why I’m marrying you,” he said, pulling her onto his sweaty lap and opening the box in her hands.

She squirmed out of his arms, as best as she could at eight and a half months pregnant and said, “I’m going to go hang the swatches on the wall, come see when you’re done?”

He nodded, shoving an entire taco in his mouth.

She chuckled, but shivered as a brisk wind blew by. “Cass, I know the sun is straight on you, but it’s forty-five degrees out. Don’t you think you should put a shirt on?”

He finished chewing and said, “How else will I keep my tan year round?”

She shook her head and said, “I’ll be inside, call me if you need me. I love you.”

He smiled at her, those hazel eyes sparkling from the joy he felt inside. “I love you too, darlin’.”

She turned and started up the porch steps and heard, “Hey.”

Nesta looked back at him and he asked, the sparkle replaced by his usual mischievous glint, “You got any green swatches in there?”

Nesta rolled her eyes as Azriel pulled the truck in next to her little car. “No.”

She continued up into the house, laughing when she heard Az ask why the hell he wasn’t wearing a shirt. She pulled the swatches out of her purse, including the couple of greens she’d snagged on their way out, along with her phone and she and Beau made their way up to her old room.

The room that she grew up in was the same room her daughter would too.

As she was taping swatches to the room, in various lighting, she called Feyre, putting her phone on speaker.

“Hello?” her sister answered a second later.

“Hey,” Nesta said, looking around the room. “I have a favor to ask.” “Ask away,” Feyre said.

Nesta admired the swatches she had chosen before clearing her throat. “Would you mind...helping me paint the baby’s nursery?”

There was a slight pause, then Feyre’s quiet voice came through, “Of course.”

“I was thinking the sunrise,” Nesta continued, trying not to cry for the tenth time that day. “Bright, cheery, calming.”

“I can do that,” Feyre breathed. “I can come by this weekend?”

“Perfect,” Nesta agreed. There was a few seconds of silence before Nesta said, “Thank you.”

“Anything for my niece,” Feyre said, then added, “And anything for you. And that idiot fiancé of yours.”

Nesta peeked out the window where Cassian was still mowing without his shirt on. He always acted like it was spring, even in the winter. Although their town stayed pretty mild, winter-wise, there was still a little chill in the air. “Idiot he is, but he’s my idiot.”

Feyre chuckled. “Still on for dinner tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Nesta promised. “I’ll see you then.”

They said their goodbyes before Nesta was left alone, in the silence, observing the room around her. Five minutes of planning in her head passed before heavy boots padded up the stairs and Cassian appeared, now wearing a hoodie, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. “Can I help with anything?”

She was admiring the colors in the direct sunlight. “You can tell me which of these you like best.”

“Hmm.” He came up behind her, pressing his big hands against her belly. Even as round as she was, even at over eight months pregnant, his hands still covered most of it. But then they slid upwards until he was cupping a breast in each hand. He made a show of weighing them and squeezing them gently, and said, “I don’t know, I think I’m pretty partial to the left one.”

She rolled her eyes, laughing, and pushed away from him, walking towards the wall. “I meant color, baby.”

“Oh, well that’s easy,” he snorted, coming in closer as well.

It turned out that it was, in fact, not easy.

After forty-five minutes of arguing and an almost silent quickie with the door open to make up, they had narrowed it down to New Spring Chick and Frosted Tropical Apricot.

They would let Feyre make the final decision in the morning.

“Don’t you have to get back out there?” Nesta asked.

Cassian shook his head. “For now, Az has it covered, it’s been an easy day. I was thinking you and I could go out to dinner, though.”

Nesta lifted a brow. “Dinner?”

Cassian nodded, then gestured to her belly. “We only have so much more time before baby comes. We should have a date night while we can.”

Nesta watched him for a moment before saying, “Okay, fine. But does this mean I have to get dressed up?”

Cassian grinned. “You could wear fucking sweatpants for all I care, but I’m taking you out.”

She wouldn’t wear sweatpants, but she also didn’t plan on wearing another real pair of pants until after this baby was out of her.

Cassian pressed a soft kiss to her stomach, which he did every chance he took, and left to go take a much needed shower. Nesta got ready, slipping on a pair of comfy black leggings and a baggy sweatshirt. Cass ended up dressing nearly identically, except he did wear sweatpants.

They hopped in the “play truck” and right before they left, Cassian said, “Shit, I’ll be right back.”

Nesta sat straight up, hands forming a protective cage around her stomach. “What? Is everything okay?”

He jogged into the house and came back out a minute later, backpack tossed over his shoulder. Climbing back into the truck, he tossed it in the backseat and put it in reverse.

“What is that?” she asked. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“This,” Cass replied, putting his free hand in Nesta’s and rubbing soothing circles into the back of her hand, “is our emergency bag. It’s got everything we’ll need in it in case you go into labor. Clothes, insurance paperwork, phone chargers, snacks.” He began a smooth back and forth motion. “Diapers, binkies, onesies, little socks and blankets, and everything else our precious girl is going to need.”

She blinked, and hated that tears were, once again, rolling down her cheeks. “You have truly thought of everything, haven’t you?”

Cassian shrugged. “You’re literally growing my child inside of you. As your baby daddy, it’s my job to take as much stress off of you as possible.”

Nesta leaned over the center console and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Thank you.”

He grinned, fully satisfied with himself, as he pulled onto the road and headed into town. They drove to a little Italian restaurant because Nesta had mentioned she could use a plate full of breadsticks. Cassian ordered it to go, though, and hopped back into the truck before driving a mile down the road to the old high school. He parked in the parking lot before hopping out and putting down the truck bed.

“Come on, babe,” he called, already taking the boxes of pasta out of the bag. When Nesta came around, he helped her onto the back of the truck before joining her there, his thigh brushing hers.

She ate her alfredo happily, indeed chowing down on an insane number of breadsticks that Cassian swore he didn’t count.

He was rubbing her feet when she asked, voice quiet, “Are you scared?”

He looked at her, at how she was staring off toward the football field, pretending not to notice him staring at her. “Am I scared of doing something stupid? Yes. Am I scared it’s going to be a lot more than we’re expecting? Yes. Am I scared we’re going to get in over our heads? Yes. Am I scared that there’s about to be a miniature version of you running around? Hell yes.” He turned her face toward his, forcing her to look at him. “But am I scared to be a father? No. Am I scared to meet our daughter? No. Am I scared to do this with you? Absolutely not.”

She whispered, “Quit making me cry.”

But he shook his head, softly. “I love you, Nesta. And yeah, I am scared, but I can’t wait. This little girl already has me wrapped around her finger and she’s not even here yet.”

A tear slid down her cheek that he quickly reached up and brushed away. “Are you scared?”

Nesta took a moment to think about it, but then she sighed. “Yes, and no. It’s complicated.”

Cassian chuckled, in full understanding.

“I’m scared because I don’t know what to expect,” she said, after a minute. “I’m not sure how to handle the not knowing.”

“That’s why we have each other, sweetheart,” he kissed the top of her head. “Come on, let’s get home. I have a shitload of furniture to build tonight.”

The egregiously overpriced infant's bedroom suit that Nesta had seen online had been delivered that afternoon. Cassian couldn’t understand how Nesta could justify spending as much as some people spent on a vehicle on furniture that was just going to get covered in shit and baby barf.

Not to mention that it had been shipped from overseas.

They packed up their trash and got back in the truck, heading for home.

“While I carry all of the boxes upstairs, why don’t you take a nice bath, baby?” He asked. “And then when you’re done, you can read me instructions that I won’t listen to while I figure out how to put it all together.”

Nesta shook her head, unable to stop herself from chuckling. “At least you’re honest.”

He took her hand and pressed his lips against her knuckles. “I am that.”

Nesta had to admit that the thought of a bath sounded incredible, though, so she didn’t argue. Once they got home, Nesta was making her way, slowly, up the porch, inside, and up the stairs while Cassian got to work on gathering the boxed nursery furniture. They had a changing table, a bookshelf, a dresser, and a crib, all of which Nesta had bought from a small French boutique that had always caught her eye in Paris. When Cassian asked why they couldn’t just go into town and buy something that was already assembled, Nesta’s answer was simple: she was getting what she wanted, and she wanted the modern, white, sleek furniture she’d on her walk to work every day.

Cassian didn’t argue.

While she was soaking in the tub, she could hear Cass moving around in the other room. She’d hear a thump as a box was dropped or something would start dragging across the floor. At one point, she heard a loud bang followed by Son of a bitch!

Nesta laughed quietly to herself and smoothed a hand over her belly, which stuck out of the water by a considerable amount. “Daddy’s getting your room put together, sweet girl, and then we’re ready for you to get here whenever you are.”

She leaned her head back against the cool, porcelain tub, sighing happy. Life had become so crazy lately, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be stressed about it.

Her phone vibrated on the small table by her head and when she leaned up to glance at it, her hand slipped on the slick surface. The table knocked against the tub and Nesta gasped as her phone fell into the water.

“Shit,” she breathed, grabbing it out and tossing it onto a nearby towel. She decided that was the end of her bath and got out drying herself off and getting dressed.

She tried to power her phone back on, knowing she shouldn’t but hoping it hadn’t been in the water long enough to do any damage. The logo popped up in the middle of the screen then it went black and began to make a whirring noise.

“Damn it.” She sighed and made her way downstairs, throwing it in a bag of rice to see if it could be salvaged. Otherwise, it looked like she’d be going into town the next day for a new phone.

Cassian was padding down the stairs a moment later, his brows furrowed. He took one look at Nesta and froze, then looked down at her phone in the bag of rice. “Your phone take a bath, too?”

Nesta’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe.” With a deep sigh, she leaned back against the counter. “I’m pissed.”

“Me too,” Cassian mumbled, throwing open the fridge and grabbing two beers. “I’ve decided that I hate France. Or at least French furniture. Fuck France and their fancy furniture.”

Nesta snorted and came up behind him, attempting to wrap her arms around his waist, but over her giant bump, she hardly managed to reach around his sides.

Cassian's body shook with silent laughter as he turned to face her. “Bump in the way?” He asked, before setting one of his beer cans on the top of it, which only made Nesta roll her eyes.

“It’s not a table,” she laughed.

“Seems pretty convenient to me,” he shrugged, popping open a can and chugging it down. He brushed his hand over her bump, and just when he touched, baby girl kicked wildly from inside, which only made Nesta groan.

“That either means that she loves me, or that she’s telling me to fuck off,” Cassian said, which made Nesta laugh. After he kissed her forehead, then the bump with the wild, little Nazari inside, he said, “Alright, baby mama, come upstairs and watch me struggle.”

She smirked and headed for the stairs as he tossed the empty can in the trash, opened the second and grabbed a third to take upstairs. “I already do that on the daily. What’s so different about building furniture?”

She heard him mimic her words in a mocking tone and she laughed as she topped the stairs and made her way into the nursery.

It looked like a styrofoam factory exploded. There were pieces everywhere and screws littering the little catch-all tray he pulled from his tool box. She sighed, realizing it was going to be a long night.

But when she looked out the window, into the starry, cloudless night, and screamed Cassian’s name, she forgot all about furniture and messy packing materials. She forgot all about her phone lying useless on the kitchen counter. She even, for a moment, forgot her own name.

Because the stables were catching on fire.

Cassian was instantly behind her, his eyes wide as he swore violently. “Stay here,” he ordered, and then he was gone, pulling out his phone on the way out the nursery door.

Nesta could only stare in horror as Cassian's dark figure, only outlined by the light of the moon, sprinted down the path that led to the stables.

It was quickly going up in flames, all consuming, raging flames. Nesta didn’t understand how it could have happened.

Only moments ago, she had been down in the kitchen and the stables were fine.

Then, the thought that had her heart stopping entered her mind. It hadn’t been an accident, couldn’t have been an accident, but that didn’t make any sense.

A slow panic crept into the pit of her stomach, she was breathing heavier, her heart beating wildly as she sobbed, holding onto her bump, the only thing that allowed her to keep her sanity.

Nesta remembered that Az had told her he’d put the horses in the pasture this morning, since it wasn’t supposed to rain, and she was thankful to whatever god whispered in his ear and told him to do so.

She needed to call someone, needed to get the fire department here. Needed to call her sisters, to call Az. Without thinking, she turned and ran from the room, carefully making her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Her phone wasn’t on the counter where she’d left it and she frantically looked around the kitchen.

She plunged into near darkness as the lights went out and a frightened scream burst from Nesta, followed by a sob.

She needed Cassian.

She screamed his name, her voice full of shaking terror as she reached around, trying to find something to hold onto. Eventually, her hands found the edge of the counter and she told herself to breath, in and out. Stress wasn’t good for the baby, panic wasn’t good for the baby.

But she couldn’t help it, and as if the infant in her womb knew that something horrible was happening, she kicked wildly.

Nesta felt the need to puke but she couldn’t move, not in the darkness, not as far from the city as they were. Even as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she couldn’t see through the endless tears.

She tried one more time to scream Cassian’s name, but her voice came out broken, terrified, and it was no use, he was too far away.

She thought she heard a door open and close across the house and she froze. Her voice cracked as she called, “Cass?”

There was no answer.

Something was wrong, something was very, very wrong. She held onto the counter as she quickly ran for the back door - only to find that it was jammed shut, a two-by-four under the doorknob preventing it from opening.

She began to hyperventilate as she realized that this, all of this, was deliberate. The fire still blazed outside, and Nesta heard a creak from the old, wood flooring in the other room. Her blood chilled as she realized that she wasn’t alone in the house.

She ran for the front door, finding it stuck shut as well. “Please, please, please!” She sobbed, pulling on the door as hard as she could. There were unmistakably footsteps from the dining room and she cried, “Please, I’m pregnant, please.”

She hurried back to the kitchen as quietly as she could and silently opened a drawer, pulling out a large knife. She held it out, blindly as she took shuddering breaths.

Then he appeared, in the doorway, wearing a dark hoodie, the hood pulled up. He was tall, his shoulders broad, but slim.

She knew who it was.

She would be foolish to convince herself it wasn’t him. He hadn’t gotten what he wanted from her, had stalked her for months without saying a word. He didn’t come any closer.

Nesta did not lower her knife.

She tried to convince herself to look unafraid, to sound calm, but she couldn’t help the tears that continued to stream down her face.

Inside of her womb, the infant became utterly still.

Nesta swallowed and lifted her chin. “Leave,” she ordered, the demand echoing in the silence. “Or I will kill you, and I will not hesitate.”

Even as she said the words, she wasn’t convinced they were true.

Cassian couldn’t breathe. There was smoke in his eyes, it was unbearably hot, and he couldn’t stop coughing, but then he was out in the fresh night air, his back hitting the soft grass.

He knew that Az had led the horses out before he left today, had watched him take them out one by one, but he had to make sure. He had to verify that there wasn’t one down somewhere.

He found nothing, not a horse or person inside.

Except the overwhelming smell of gasoline.

This fire wasn’t natural, it was intentional. This fire was set.

He’d called Azriel before his feet had hit the landing of the stairs telling him what was happening and asking him to call the fire department. He didn’t know what else to do. It’s not like he could turn on the garden hose and put it out. With as much accelerant was used, it would burn all night.

He knew exactly who it was, he didn’t try to delude himself into anything else.

A truck door slammed and Feyre and Rhys were running toward him.

“What happened?” He asked, helping him stand. Cassian saw that his arm was covered in soot. “I have no idea. We were building baby furniture and the barn was fine, came down to the kitchen so I could grab a beer, and when Nes got back upstairs it was in a blaze.” He coughed, but continued, “Smells like a damn Mapco in there, there was so much gasoline dumped.”

“Gasoline?” Feyre asked, covering her mouth in horror.

Cassian nodded. “Tomas did this.”

Rhysand stilled as Feyre’s face paled.

“I have to go to Nesta,” she breathed, backing away from the fire, even though she wasn’t close to it. She glanced back at the dark. “Is she down at the cabin?”

Cassian’s face fell as he glanced up at the big house, then, he was sprinting.

If Tomas had done this, which Cassian was sure he did, he would still be close. He ran without stopping, without a breath, until he was up the back porch. The door was wide open, a piece of wood sitting off to the side.

Cassian was inside of the kitchen before he screamed, “Nesta?!”

There was no reply in the dark house, no movement or creak or whisper. He frantically flicked the light switch, nothing happening.

“What’s going on?” Feyre called, catching up and coming up the stairs.

Cassian opened his mouth to reply, but there was a banging from the front of the house. “Nesta?!”

He was running through the dark house immediately, finding Azriel and Elain on the other side of the front door. It was jammed closed as well. “Move!”

They did as he said and he put all of his weight into the motion as he tried to shove the door open. On the second try, it gave way.

Elain was already crying when she and Az ran in. He said, “Fire department is on the way.”

Cassian was about to say something when Rhysand’s shaking voice called out from the kitchen. “Cass… come here.”

The sound of his voice chilled Cassian’s blood. He hurried back, could see from the glow that either Feyre or Rhys was using their phone’s flashlight function.

He stumbled into the kitchen, nearly tripping over himself and ran to the other side of the island.

He froze.

One of the kitchen knives was missing from its spot in the open drawer, but it laid on the floor, just a few feet away.

There was so much blood.

She was gone. He took her. By taking her, he took them both.

Cassian heaved over the kitchen sink, everything within his stomach emptying out. He knew he was crying, but he didn’t care. He knew he was sobbing, but no one tried to comfort him. Knew no one was sure how.

Nesta was gone. His baby girl was gone. Tomas had taken them. They were gone, the only hunch of where they had gone written on the kitchen floor: a long kitchen knife and a puddle of blood.

Cassian was ready to set the world on fire.

“I have to find her,” he breathed, he cried, as his face fell into his hands next to the kitchen sink. “I will find her.”

“Cass-.”

“No,” Cassian interrupted Rhysand before he could even say a word. “He’s out there, and he has my fucking fiancée and child!”

But Rhysand only shook his head. “I know. I’m coming, too.”

“Me too,” Azriel agreed, then looked to Elain, who nodded.

“We'll take care of things around here,” Elain promised. “Go to the police. Now.”

Cassian was already near the front door, just as a fire truck pulled onto the grounds.

“I’ll go talk to them,” Feyre said, and kissed Rhysand quickly on the cheek before hurrying out the back door, Elain close behind.

Cassian was looking around the house as he walked, even though he’d already searched the entirety of it. Rhysand and Azriel were on his heels as they exited through the front door.

Rhysand’s truck had the most room, and they knew letting Cassian drive wasn’t the smartest. The first logical place to go was the Carlson ranch, only to find it deserted. Cassian looked at the window, where he’d hurled the brick back at him.

“Where would they go?” Azriel asked, kicking something aside as they searched through his workshop.

Rhysand’s phone rang and he answered it. A quick conversation took place, and Feyre said the police needed to talk to Cassian.

They loaded back up into the truck and went back to the ranch. The police were there, along with the fire department and an ambulance, and the second Cassian’s feet hit the ground, questions were being asked.

“What happened?”

Cassian replayed the situation, from the second Nesta had noticed the fire blazing up until the point he realized they were missing.

“You have to find her,” he told the police, after he told his story. “She’s thirty-eight weeks pregnant, nearly ready to go into labor, you have to fucking find her.”

“We will do everything we ca-.”

“Find her!” he yelled, grabbing the cop he’d been talking to by the shoulders. No one reacted, everyone stayed calm, even the cop that was being grabbed.

The young cop simply took a deep breath before saying, “We will look for her, adamantly, starting now.”

Cassian released his shoulders and nodded, and said in a quiet voice. “Thank you, just… I have to get them back.”

He looked over to where the stables once stood. Now it was a smoldering pile of wood and cinders, all that time put in, all those memories. Gone up in a blaze.

They told Cassian he couldn’t stay in their house that night, that they’d be combing through it for any evidence.

He asked a passing officer, “Will you please, please tell me if that’s her blood?”

The dark red hair, the amber eyes. He was a Vanserra, no doubt.

He nodded. “As soon as we know something, we’ll let you know.”

They let Cassian go in, accompanied by Elain, to get what he would need for the next few days.

Elain did most of the packing, although she cried the whole time. Cassian couldn’t stay focused though, couldn’t concentrate on anything other than her.

All he could think about was Nesta and their baby, where they were, what he was doing to them.

But per the cops request, Cassian went home with Azriel and Elain to wait for further word.

But he didn’t sleep, didn’t rest.

And he wouldn’t until he found them.

Nesta, and his baby girl.

#theranchnessian #sharacollab #snelbz tacmc collab #snacmc #nessian

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peppersonironi · 4 years ago

Text

For @duketectivecomics‘s Duke Week Day Six: All in the Batfamily

Summary: Duke gets woken up at night and is roped into a strange initiation ceremony into the bats. Despite initial chaos, Duke finds that he is actually enjoying himself, and that maybe being a part of this family isn’t such a scary thing. Throwing a glitter bomb at Batman is definitely scary though.

“Are you ready?”

Duke opened his eyes, to find Dick Grayson hovering a few inches away from his face. “Gah!” Duke let out, scrambling backwards on his bed till he hit the headboard. “What are you doing?”

“Poor reflexives,” Duke looked past Dick to find Damian frowning at him, “And he should have known we were present before waking.”

“Settle down, kid,” This time Jason spoke, “Not everyone is as freaky as you.”

Duke blinked the sleep away from his eyes, and surveyed the scene before him. Dick was still by his bed, grinning. Damian and Jason stood behind, along with Cass, Tim, and Stephanie. Wow, when was the last time he’d ever seen all these guys together in the same room without killing each other? Duke had a worrisome feeling that he was the reason for this strange behavior.

“Um,” Duke asked, “What’s going on? It's 2 am.”

“We’re welcoming you to the family!” Dick’s grin grew impossibly wider.

“But I’ve been here four months?”

Tim shook his head. “But you haven’t had a proper welcome, yet. We had to wait till everyone was here, and Steph insisted she be a part.

“Heck yeah!” The blonde teen said, “I’m a part of this family, whether you like it or not! Bruce even gave me an allowance!”

“You tricked him into giving you his credit card,” Jason replied dryly.

“Like you haven’t done that before.”

“I don’t bother tricking him.”

Duke looked back and forth at the exchange, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening.

“That doesn't answer my question.”

Damian sighed. “In order to truly be a Wayne, you must go through the initiation period.” “That's not ominous at all.”

“Tour,” Cass said, “You learn things. Not bad, fun.”

Duke nodded. “Thank you, Cass.” He was still confused, but at least she was trying.

“If you would get dressed, we have much ground to cover.” Damian sniffed, but even Duke could tell the kid was excited.

Dick backed away from the bed. “We'll be right back, Duke, get ready!”

*****

Five minutes later, Duke found himself hastily dressed and standing in the entrance hall of Wayne manor. His siblings were arrayed in a semi-circle before him, all of them in weird red robes. They had managed to set up tiki torches at intervals around the room, adding to the atmosphere of doom.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the bonding between two families. That of the Thomas' and that of the Waynes.” Duke blinked at Tim. “Why are you making it sound like we're getting married?”

“Shh!”

“In this great ceremony, We accept you, Duke Thomas, into our fold. After this day henceforth, you will be one with the bats.” Tim took a deep breath and continued reading from the scarily large book in his hands. “The bonding day is set in three parts. The first, a display of power. You shall be shown our places, and our things, so that you are made privy to the goings on in the lives of Gotham's most secretive family. Next, You shall be given tasks by each member of the clan – excepting Bruce – that you must complete. Fail even one, and be warned.” Tim stared Duke down. “You have been warned. The final and most dangerous stage of all …” Tim stopped reading, and every single one of the gathered Waynes began to stomp their right foot. This went on for several seconds. “Is … Cake. Do you accept the challenge, Duke of the Narrows?”

Duke sighed. He didn't quite like the sound of this, but he might as well. “Sure.”

Jason whooped, and even Damian cracked a smile.

“Well,” Steph said, “let's get on with it!”

* * * * *

“And it was in this room that Dick broke his first chandelier.”

Duke paused, staring at Jason who had taken over as tour guide after Tim started foaming at the mouth. “First?”

The now recovered Tim grinned. “Yup! He's broken twenty three and a half in his fifteen year stay at the manor.”

Duke nodded. “Alrighty then.”

“Over here are some pictures of Bruce's great-great-great-great-great-great-great something aunts. If you look closely, you'll see the outline of mustaches. Bruce made us erase them.” Stephanie bounced by, pointing out exactly which paintings she had decimated.

The tour had been going on for almost an hour now, and Duke would be lying if he said he wasn't having fun. Sure, he had seen most of the stuff here, but the stories that went along with them were amazing. It was sweet to know which room Dick insisted they have a family movie in, back when it was only him, Bruce, and Alfred. It was hilarious to find out that the strange purple splotch on the love seat in one of the east wing's drawing rooms was from the time Damian insisted on trying slushies. Or the many tails that arose from the kitchen. From Bruce attempting to cook (He'd always wondered why Alfred had banned him) to the time Jason sleep walked himself into making beignets.

Cass had insisted they tour the air vents (He didn't know you could get into them, let alone that they could fit people, and wasn't quite sure what to do with the information) and trying to get Jason squished in was a highlight of the night. Cass also showed Duke the best hiding places in the manor, in case he ever needed to hide during a prank war. Or Bruce.

Stephanie knew the places with the thinnest walls, and also other tricks for listening in on conversations. She said she'd never had to use the information, but Duke wasn't convinced.

Dick explained the pros and cons of each chandelier in the manor, along with a very detailed instruction pamphlet on getting yourself onto one. Duke promised himself he'd never try.

Tim knew all the best wifi spots in each wing. Somehow, the wifi wasn't the exact same in every part of the house.

Jason knew the best sniper perches, and how to get there. Also, the coziest spots in the library, primed and ready for any avid bookworm. (Duke was actually excited for the second. He really did enjoy reading, but usually stuck to his room)

Damian was very solemn as he brought Duke to random places around the house that were apparently Alfred's (The cat's) and Titus' favorite hang outs. “In case you need a friend who is not as fallible as humans.”

The tour ended on the roof, each sibling taking to their claimed section. Duke was permitted to choose his own, and did so. He ended up picking a quiet outlook on the forrest, over the west wing.

Duke was given a few minutes of peace, not noticing till a little ways in that he was alone. Huh, he thought, this is kind of nice.

“Alright, Narrows,” Duke turned to find everyone staring at him, “You ready for the fun part?”

* * * * *

“Now lift up your left foot two inches … got it!”

Unfortunately, the first challenge that was given to Duke by Dick, had him breaking his earlier promise to himself. For you see, Duke Thomas now found himself wrapped in the crystal and gold of Wayne Manors largest chandelier.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Duke asked for the seventh time.

“Perfectly!” Dick replied, but the snickers and filming phones of his siblings made Duke question the acrobat's words.

Duke shifted on the chandelier and heard a soft cracking noise. He froze, terror rushing through his entire body.

“That was just me!”

Duke looked to down to find Stephanie pulling a couple twigs from her hair, and snapping them in two. She had a manic grin on her face. Oh, she knew exactly what she had done.

“Just don't do it again!”

“Don't worry, Duke,” Dick called, “You're almost done! You just need to chill for a bit longer. I'm gonna toss up this candy bar, and you need to eat it. Just try not to look like Superman when he sees kryptonite. If you don't catch it, you fail.”

Duke took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Okay, I'm r-”

The candy bar was flung up a second before Duke expected it, causing him to fumble and reach out a bit to far to grab it. The chandelier swung dangerously, and Duke let out a scream. A moment later, however, the swinging calmed down, and Duke paused long enough to register the roaring laughter coming from bellow him.

“Stop!” Duke said, “This isn't funny!”

“Yeah, it kinda is.” Tim was the first to speak, after having to lean heavily on Steph. “You forget, Duke, that each and every one of us had to go through this. It's great to see someone else panic. One of the few pros to Bruce's adoption addiction.”

Duke glowered. “Just stop laughing.”

“Chill, Duchess,” Jason grinned up at him. “Just eat the candy and you can come down.”

Duke sighed and unwrapped the kit-kat that had given him the worst fright of his life – and that included everything he saw on patrol. He gingerly broke it in two, put on a gruesome grin, and took a bite.

Everyone cheered, and Duke's grin became slightly more genuine. “You have completed the first task,” Tim said in a solemn voice. “Let us move on.”

Everyone filed out of the room, and Duke started to panic. “Hey wait! How do I get down!”

* * * * *

“I don't know if I can do this.” Duke sat in the batchair, Alfred having moved graciously to allow Duke to complete his task.

“It's simple Narrows,” Jason said, “Just press the button and ask the question. Simple.”

“But does it have to be … that?”

Jason looked very serious as he answered, “yes.”

Duke sighed. “Here goes nothing.” he reached forward and press the unmute button. “Hey, B?”

Batman's growl came through the speakers. “What are you doing awake, Signal? It's the middle of the night.”

“But you're awake.”

“I'm part of the night patrol. You're not. So what are you doing awake?”

“I need to ask you a question.”

Bruce sighed. “Go ahead.”

Duke sighed and looked back at his sibling who were all grinning maniacally. He turned back to the computer. “Does Santa exist?”

Bruce let out the most long suffering sigh Duke had heard that week. “One of your siblings better not have put you up to this.”

Duke looked at Jason, who was frantically shaking his head. “No, B. It's just, the freaking devil is real, right? And the greek gods, and a whole bunch of other stuff? So why not santa?”

Bruce sighed. “Good night, Signal,” and he logged off.

“Not our best,” Jason said, shaking his head, “next time we should ask how babies are made.”

“NEXT TIME?!?!?!!?”

* * * * *

“You can get it down in one gulp if you try hard enough!”

Duke looked over skeptically at Tim, who was making Duke drink a special blend of espresso, five hour energies, and Monster.

“You just need some ambition!”

Duke gulped. “Ambition to die?”

Tim sighed. “Just do it. If you don't, you'll fail the challenge, and you DON'T want to find out what happens then.” His point was emphasized by every single one of the bats unleashing their personal batglares upon him.

Duke grimaced, grabbed the venti Starbucks's cup, and gulped it down. He swayed for a moment. “I'm never sleeping again.”

Tim grinned, “Nope!”

* * * * *

Damian's task was relatively simple. His pets had to approve of him. They'd already gotten Alfred's, Titus', and Bat-cow's approval, and they were outside trying to find Jerry the turkey.

“Got him!” Stephanie called from bushes, and a loud squawking ensued. She walked over, carrying the bird and placing in front of Duke.

Everyone stood still for a moment, then Damian spoke. “He approves.”

Duke grinned. “Great, what's the next challenge?”

Damian smirked, and Duke's stomach dropped. The eleven year old turned around and whistled sharply. Large wing beats sounded from far off and a huge shape appeared on the horizon. As it approached, Duke could make out what appeared to be a large, fuzzy dragon. The animal landed right in front of Duke, and Damian continued.

“Thomas, meet Goliath.” the tiny terror turned to the beast. “Goliath, decide his fate.”

* * * * *

“So, what do you have for me, Cass?” Duke asked warily. He knew Cass was the nice one, but he wouldn't put it past her to choose something … questionable.

Cassandra smiled sweetly, leaned forward, and whispered in Duke's ear, “hug Jason.”

Duke sighed. That wasn't too bad. He turned around and faced Jason head on. “So, what did she sa-”

Jason was cut off by Duke launching forward and wrapping his arms around Jason's huge chest.

The young man sighed. And wrapped his arms around Duke. “Eh,” he said when he saw the looks he was getting, “Duchess isn't too bad.”

Dick grinned. “Does that mean I get a hug?”

Both Duke and Jason tensed. “On the count of three,” Jason whispered, “We run.”

Dick grinned and opened his arms.

“One.”

He took a step forward.

“Two.”

Dick smiled. “Come on, guys!”

“THREE!! RUN!!!”

* * * * *

“Now pour delicately, Master Duke,” Alfred said as he instructed Duke on how to properly have tea. Everyone had insisted on going to Alfred before Stephanie's challenge, which had Duke worried slightly, but he honestly enjoyed having tea.

“Don't forget to have good posture,” The butler continued. Duke frowned slightly. Maybe this would be longer than he thought.

* * * * *

“Now a tad more glitter. You can never have enough!”

Duke followed the instructions, finishing up the glitter bomb which Stephanie had taught him how to make. He wasn't sure what it was going to be used for, but he knew it wasn't gonna be good.

“Great job, Duke!” Stephanie grinned, then turned to Dick. “How much longer till Bruce gets back from patrol?”

Ah. Yeah, this definitely wasn't going to be good.

“Five minutes,” Dick replied, “Everyone in position!”

And so Duke found himself dragged into the Batcave, glitter bomb behind his back, and a hastily memorized instruction to throw and run in his mind. Five minutes later, the batmobile rolled into the cave. Bruce jumped and and came over to Duke.

“What are you still doing up?”

“Bruce, would you ever disown me?”

Bruce frowned and pulled off the cowl. “No, Duke. Of course not.”

Duke nodded. “Would you ever break your no-kill rule just for me?”

Bruce smiled and shook his head. “Never.”

“Okay, most important question,” Duke paused and took a deep breath, “Would you ever blame me for something that isn't my fault?”

“Not if I can help it, I promise you that.”

Duke took another deep breath and nodded. “Alright.” He then in one swift movement pulled out the glitter bomb from behind his back, and threw it at the Dark Knight of Gotham. The Caped Crusader. The Batman.

Duke turned and bolted, leaving a stunned Bruce Wayne in his wake. Once he was in the stairwell, he turned in time to see Bruce completely covered in purple glitter. He looked down at himself, then up to the heavens.

“STEPHANIE!!!” He yelled.

* * * * *

“That was legendary, Narrows!”

Duke grinned back at Jason. Sure, lobbing a glitter bomb at the guy who was currently giving you a home (not to mention said guy was THE BATMAN) had been one of the worst experiences of his life, but even he had to admit it was funny.

“Seriously, Duke,” Tim replied, “I don't think I could have done that.”

“And the dialogue leading up to it!” Dick grinned as he sat next to Duke on the couch.

“It was worthy of cake,” Damian replied, a smile on his face.

“Speaking of cake!” Stephanie announced as she strolled into the room, a large cake in hand. On the top read 'one of us'. She set it down on the coffee table in front the sofa.

Cassandra grinned as she handed Duke the cake knife. “One of us,” she said, and the chant was soon picked up.

“One of us! One of us! Once of Us!”

Duke grinned as he sliced through the cake. Everyone cheered.

“So how do you feel, Duke? Got the crazies yet?” Stephanie asked as she collapsed on the sofa.

Duke grinned. “Not yet.”

Jason laughed. “Give it some time, kiddo.”

Duke settles back and took a bite of his cake – blue velvet – and pressed play on the movie. Everyone settled down, eating cake and enjoying The Incredibles.

* * * *

A few hours later when Duke was the only awake, Bruce quietly walked into the room.

“How'd initiation go?”

Duke sighed contentedly. “Good.”

Bruce smiled. “Get some sleep. You did well tonight.”

Duke didn't bother trying to figure out the implications of that sentence, opting instead to settle back into the cuddle pile. Cass, tucked under his arm, Damian on his lap, Dick wrapped around his other side, Stephanie atop Jason, and Jason and Tim woven into the chaos of limbs. It was warm and strangely comfortable.

Duke sighed, smiling. It's nice, he thought, belonging.

#dukeweek2020 #duke thomas #batfamily #sibling bonding #batsiblings #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #being part of the family

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tundrainafrica · 4 years ago

Text

Masterlist

This will serve as a personal tracker of all of the fics I have ever written, all of the books and series I have consumed etc. I wrote this out to help me organize my thoughts since I have time now to reflect on this closet hobby of mine. I also put it up just in case anyone has ever read my stuff and is curious about how these works are doing in my head space.

Some were written back when I was way younger so apologies for the quality.

ALEX RIDER

Come Home (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Memories don't keep people grounded in their present. They're the reason people think of what ifs and would haves, regrets and daydreams. Alex sees three dimensions of his reality and makes a decision. Set after Never Say Die.

Status: Done (I guess?), not posted on tumblr or AO3 yet

Killing (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Spoilers for Never Say Die. Killing is like learning to ride a bike as Alex is going to figure out very soon. For Spyfest 2017.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on tumblr or AO3 yet

Transparency (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Although the bank robbery made national news, the young boy who saved the lives of all the people in the bank didn't. First hand witness accounts said the boy was a hero, the media said there was no young hero in the bank and one journalist tries to get to the bottom of it all.

Status:WIP (could probably still finish it, it’s almost done anyway), not posted on tumblr or AO3 yet)

Type II Error (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Written for Spyfest Week 3. Set before Ark Angel. The updates on payroll accounts and budgets lined up too well with mysterious deaths and undisclosed missions. An auditor working for MI6 decides for herself whether or not the orders of her bosses Blunt and Jones were worth prying into.

Status: Done (Oneshot), will post on tumblr yet

Unforeseen Circumstances (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

It's April, the time of year when most students start salvaging their grades. Missions had taken their toll on Alex's grades and he needs to start salvaging soon or risk repeating the year. Nature wasn't on his side though and it turned out that his devil's luck had just run out.

Status: WIP (8/15), On hold, not posted on tumblr yet

ATTACK ON TITAN

Levi and Hange’s Relationship in Erwin’s POV (Status: Completed, not posted yet)

A Tale of Two Slaves (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

"Soulmates don’t exist. Fate doesn't exist. Everything is a choice. At that moment, Levi could only watch as she made the choice for him."

Levi remembers everything from their past life. Hange doesn't.

Status: WIP (6/?)

A Free Spot (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Slight AU! Levi sacrifices himself in Chapter 132 instead of Hange and Hange deals with the consequences years later. Written for Levihan Angstober Week 4. Prompt: Free Spot

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on FFN yet

Division of Labor (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

"The past years, we have noticed a lot of our fresh high school graduates knew nothing about responsibilities the that awaited them outside high school and even college. Many students do not master budgeting, taxes, household planning, loans and we hope to raise a generation who can navigate the adult world without the consequences of bad decisions they are bound to make going in blindly..."

Paradis High school starts a program incorporating adulting into their curriculum and Hange and Levi are paired together.

Status: WIP (1/?)

En Prise (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Hange already had the innate analysis skills and the quick wittedness to excel in the classroom. Chess should have come easy for her. As she processed her fifth loss to the man in front of her, she started to understand that there was more to the game than meets the eye.

College AU! Levi is a little too good at chess and Hange gets roped into studying the game further.

Status: WIP (1/18), will try to create a backlog before I post more.

Heroes or Victims (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Post Chapter 115, Hange reflects on emotions, relationships, war philosophies, and a future while taking care of a severely injured Levi.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on FFN yet

Household Planning (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

"It was Levi's household. The plates were arranged and sorted by color and use, the way Levi liked it. The cabinets and the storage were arranged in a way which would be efficient for cooking, or at least the way Levi would have wanted to cook."

Levi gets sick and Hange is left to navigate household chores.

Status: Done (2/2)

Passion Project (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Levi tries to ignore Hange but it never seems to last. A ficlet detailing the development of Levi and Hange's relationship before canon.

Status: WIP (1/3) Timeline written, Chapter 2 rough draft complete, not posted on FFN yet

Rough Day (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

It should have been apparent to Hange by the weight gain and the sudden lack of red days. Somehow, Levi noticed it first.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on FFN yet, will probably write more fluff similar to this

Sugar Rush

(AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Marley brings the celebration of Halloween to Paradis. Hange and Levi go trick or treating with their child for the first time and start to realize how much the world has changed since the war.

A Halloween piece for the Levihan spookfest one year late.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on FFN yet, will probably write more fluff similar to this

Would You Cry? (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Hange asks an innocent question and Levi finds himself reflecting on his emotions and his relationship with Hange. Written for LeviHan Week, Angstober 2020. Prompt: Silence/Screams

Status: Done (Oneshot)

Vulnerabilities (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Slight AU! Although Levi is humanity's strongest soldier in the battlefield, his rough childhood had left him weaker and more vulnerable to illness. Levi had always taken measures to prevent sickness nit anyone who has ever been close to him caught wind on it anyway. A series of oneshots throughout the story focusing on Levi's chronic weakness and others taking care of him.

Status: Sporadic updates depending on mood, not yet posted on ff and tumblr

Big Hero Six

Deal with the Devil (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

When mourning becomes too much for him, Hiro finds himself resorting to prayers and deals to bring back the brother he lost. The devil may have had pity on him but he never promised to let Hiro go unscathed.

Status: WIP, on hold, probably could get back to it just need to rewatch the movie, not yet completely posted on AO3 and tumblr

Fatal Flaw (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Grieving may be a long and painful process but in time most people do recover. For Hiro Hamada though something probably went wrong along the way because from what Aunt Cass could see, he was moving on yet at the same time, he wasn't.

Status: WIP, abandoned, completely forgot what I was planning, not yet posted on tumblr

Coco

Dares, Pranks and Curses (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Written for the Coco Valentines Fanwork Exchange. The night of Dia de Los Muertos, Miguel ends up staying out late to play a little game with his friends in the cemetery. Hector, Imelda and Miguel reunite through a game of Ouija.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on ff and tumblr

Somewhere between Life and Death (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Dia de los Muertos isn't the only day the dead can visit the living. Miguel is reunited with Hector, Imelda and his other relatives from the other side but in one of the worst ways possible and he finds himself caught in a struggle between life and death.

Status: WIP 9/20, on hold, timeline is complete just need to get it written, need to fix tumblr tags

Crossovers

Quest for Origin: Ranger’s Apprentice x Percy Jackson (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

A young boy gets washed up on the shore of Camp Half Blood with no memories whatsoever of his life before. How did he end up there? Is it all just a coincidence? Or is it a message from the Gods? What's with his uncanny skill with the bow?

Status: On Hold (25/35), timeline complete, will probably continue with PJO TV show comes out, not yet posted on ff and tumblr

Kingdom Hearts

Coded Connection (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Post KH3. If Kairi keeps Sora's memory alive, he'll eventually call out to her right? Then it will be her turn to find him, hold him and never let go.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on tumblr and ff

Kuroko no Basuke

Yellow, Red, Green, Blue and Purple (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Collab with friend back in high school. All Kise wanted to do was complete one more level of Flow Free before practice starts. When you have teammates as lazy, eccentric, hyperactive, sociopathic or invisible as the Generation of Miracles though, sometimes the things that sound the simplest, can be the hardest to do. Crackfic

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on tumblr

Ranger’s Apprentice

Being a Ranger’s Wife (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

As Will leaves on a suicide mission, Alyss ponders on her choice to have married him.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on tumblr or AO3

Danger Zone (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Rangers are human. Humans make mistakes. The difference though between an ordinary human and a ranger is the consequences they'll eventually face for past mistakes. Will should have known that for rangers, this included being on the run from an angry group of pirates with his silver oakleaf on the line.

Status: Probably Abandoned, first fanfic I have ever written lmao, completely forgot where I was going with this, not yet posted on tumblr or ffn.

Farmer’s Apprentice (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Will lied to Mr. Chubb about stealing from the kitchen years ago. How did that small decision change the course of the young boy's life? AU Crack fic.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on tumblr or AO3

Masters, Apprentices and Sons (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Gilan accepts Morgarath's challenge in the Plains of Uthal and Halt is left to care for his apprentice in the aftermath of the battle. Halt wonders why it took him this long to realize that there was no fine line between an apprentice and a son.

Status: WIP. I have written out all the way until chapter 5 but I completely lost the files. I don’t know if my current frustration will allow me to continue this.

The Fall of a Hero (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Will had fallen from his place as one of the top rangers in the corps and one of the top figures in Araluen and it's up to his friends to help pull him back up. Recovery Fic.

Status: WIP, timeline not written, could probably still continue this, just need to catch up to the series

Prince of Tennis

A Break from Ingenuity (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Timing is everything. Fuji gets his timing wrong, makes one misstep then finds himself facing a career ending injury. Maybe, that's when everyone will realize that he's human too.

Status: WIP. Will probs continue if new POT content comes out.

Yuri on Ice

Surprises (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

With all the stress piling up for the Japanese National Championship and more importantly, the World Championship, one can expect an athlete to get injured. To have the coach be the one struck by a career ending injury during practice is another story. That's exactly how Victor surprised the crowd though, maybe for the last time.

Status: WIP (3/?), not yet posted on tumblr

#Yuri on ice #Prince of Tennis #ranger's apprentice #kuroko no basket #kingdom hearts #percy jackson #coco #big hero six #attack on titan #Alex Rider #fanfic #masterlist

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excindrela · 5 years ago

Text

12 Days of Demon Ayno- Day 7

Supernatural AU

Pairing: demon! Ayno (Noh YoonHo) VAV / Female reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: foul language

Word Count: 2228

AU: Look we made it to day 7! (Only 10 days after Christmas) Today is fluffy, but there’s smut ahead in the forecast! To everyone reading this series- I’m so glad you’re here- thank you for reading ( especially to those who have re-blogged!). I love feedback- so if there’s something you like, or something you want to see- tell me!! Interesting fact: Tenley, Katricia & Cassidy are people I actually know! I love giving irl people cameos! LOL

Demon Ayno: Summoned | Thanksgiving | 12 Days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9

On the 7th Day of Christmas: Ayno Experienced the True Spirit of the Season

You strolled out of the bedroom still brushing your hair to find Ayno in the kitchen making your breakfast as usual. He poured and doctored your coffee and turned around to hand it to you but stopped with eyes wide at your appearance. He slowly handed you the coffee cup, while looking you up and down. You knew he wanted to say something but was clearly having trouble deciding on exactly what to say. He opened his mouth, and then stopped and closed it- rethinking whatever it was that had come to mind. You waited. Finally, he seemed to have settled on a way to broach what he had decided was going to be a delicate subject.

“You know that I find you beautiful, right? Have I told you today that you are beautiful?”

You struggled to hide your amusement. “Not today, but you have often told me this, yes. I believe based on your record of that particular compliment you find me most attractive when I am flushed and sweaty and looking totally fucked-out laying underneath you.”

He grinned. “True!” Then he muttered under his breath “I am not sure even that would help right now.”

You struggled to keep your face neutral. “Is there something wrong with the way I look today?” you asked innocently.

“Um...I know you said we are going somewhere today…would you not be more comfortable in the soft sweater with the big neck? It is a good color on you and looks nice with your jeans….”

“Oh…do you not like this one?” you asked strolling over to the floor mirror and admiring yourself.

Ayno, rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, struggling to find something nice to say. “Well…it will be easy to keep track of you…”

Privately you thought he had done very well in finding anything good to say about the knit catastrophe that adorned the upper half of your body. It was made of cheap chunky cream yarn, the whole front covered with a Christmas present made from 4 different red calico prints appliqued on the front, and a giant gold glitter ribbon bow that sat at the shoulder. There were green holly leaves embroidered around the cuffs and on the center back just below the collar.

“Agreed!” you said, “but not as easy as it will be to keep track of you!” you giggled as you ran to the bedroom closet and returned with a larger sweater that made yours look positively tame. Ayno looked with utter horror at the nightmare conceived in polyester yarn you held in your hands. The bottom was knit to look like a rooftop, and the top 2/3 was supposed to be the night sky in royal blue with little silver metallic yarn stars sprinkled on it. The center of the front was dominated by an appliqued reindeer complete with a googly eye, sparkly red pom-pom nose and a harness with actual jingle bells.

“Oh. Yes. You will not lose me.” he said in a small voice.

“Yep! No chance of that! Check this out!” you said as you pushed the hidden button and the tiny lights on all the stars began blinking.

Temporarily robbed of speech by the twinkling atrocity he was expected to put on his body, poor Ayno just stood there, mouth hanging slightly open.

“That…that is very…special.” he finally choked out. Then, hoping for an out, he tried a different tack. “But I thought we agreed that it would be best not to call attention to me. Perhaps the lights…or the whole sweater…are too much? We do not want people to notice me.” he finished hopefully.

You couldn’t take it anymore. The sad pathetic look on his face was too much, and you burst out laughing. “It’s awful right?! I can’t believe I was lucky enough to find something this bad in your size!!”

“Lucky? Uh-huh.” he said, looking very confused.

You needed to explain. “Ayno, today we’re volunteering with Project Reach Out. We’ll spend the morning sorting the food and present donations, wrapping presents for the kids, and preparing a meal. Then in the evening, we’re hosting a Christmas party, and families will come to eat and play games and then the children will pick a present, and we’ll send the families home with a box of food so they will be able to prepare a nice Christmas dinner. All the volunteers are wearing ugly Christmas sweaters today.”

“Oh! So we are supposed to look embarrassing? I will blend in wearing this?”

“Yep! And everyone will know you’re a volunteer.”

“So I am not being punished. Ok. I will trust your judgement” he said as he took the Rudolph sweater from you, “but I still think this should be condemned to the fires of hell.”

* * *

You arrived at the community center and went straight to the check in table. You waved happily to Tenley, Katricia and Cassidy who were already there.

“Whoa! That’s quite the bow there!” Tenley laughed.

You laughed “Its huge, right? Nice tree you’ve got.” You said, admiring her red sweater with a green Christmas tree knit into the front that was decorated with pom-poms, fake lights on thread, and plastic charms.

“Yeah, this tree’s gay green dress isn’t going to delight anyone. But check out Trish’s ghetto snowman.” Tenley said jerking her thumb in Katricia’s direction.

Katricia walked forward proudly gesturing at the snowman sweater that had seen better days. One button eye was thisclose to falling off, too many washings had caused the carrot nose to droop like a flaccid penis, one button on the mid-section was unironically totally different than the other two, and someone had attempted to fix one of the cross-stitched twig hands- but had used the wrong color of brown thread. “Yeah, I don’t know what kinda shit Frosty has seen, but I’m pretty sure he’s a crack hoe straight out the hood.” Katricia laughed.

You all laughed with her, shaking your head at the unfortunate sweater, when Cassidy caught sight of Ayno. “Oh damn. Girl, is that your boyfriend? What did you do to this poor man?!” she cried looking in awe at the awful sweater.

“Isn’t it hideous?!” you cried with glee.

“Yes. That is just terrible.” Katricia said hi-fiving you. “Where did you find that?”

“The Assistance League thrift store in The Heights!”

Poor Ayno stood there looking concerned: he couldn’t decide if he was being complimented or made fun of. You felt his fingers fumble for yours and you took his hand and squeezed it for reassurance. “Yes, the extremely good sport stuffed in the sweater from hell is my boyfriend, Ayno. Ayno, this is Tenley, Katricia and Cassidy.” The girls all smiled and shook hands with him, Cassidy mouthing “He’s so cute!” and Tenley fanning her face and mouthing “HOT!” when he was distracted by someone else.

You had no sooner finished introductions when Jayden, who had gotten roped into coordinating the event this year, breezed over with nametags and clipboard in hand. “Ok ladies…and gentleman, what are we doing today?” she said as she handed out the name tags. “Ayno- we’ll start with you. Do you have a preference on what you’d like to do today?”

Ayno looked at you wide eyed and shrugged. “Ayno loves to cook Jay. He’s good in the kitchen- why don’t we put him there?” you suggested.

“Perfect! Ayno, I’m sending you and Trish to help sort canned goods for the take-home boxes, and then to the kitchen for dinner prep! You already know what you’re doing, right?” she said to you.

“I believe I’m sorting toys and wrapping presents?” you said.

“Yes ma’am!” Jayden said as she moved on with Ten and Cass in tow.

“You will not be with me?” Ayno asked nervously.

“No. But you’ll be fine, and you’ll be much happier in the kitchen.”

“But what if people talk to me? What do I say?”

“Well I’d advise not mentioning you’re a demon.” You said dryly. Ayno gave you a look. “You know what to say. My best advice is to deflect: you want to learn about humans- well lesson number one is that people love to talk about themselves. Just ask them questions.”

Ayno nodded, still looking a little unsure. “Ok.”

“Don’t worry- Katricia will be with you, and she is so much fun. I’m sure she’ll take good care of you”, you promised him.

“Mmmm-hmmm. Yes ma’am, Imma take gooood care of this fine man!” Katricia said looking Ayno up & down and winking at you. “C’mon Ayno, we are gonna go get biz-zee in the kitchen!” she said taking him by the arm and dragging him off.

And that was the last contact you had with Ayno for the next eight hours. You saw him singing Christmas carols while happily sorting canned goods and carrying loaded dinner boxes to the area where fresh produce, dairy & a turkey would be added at pick up. Later you passed by the kitchen and saw him peeling a giant pile of potatoes listening intently to whatever the others doing prep were talking about. You almost dropped the cranberry sauce you were bringing around during the dinner when he snuck up behind you and kissed your cheek as he went on his way refilling coffee. As you cleared dinner dishes, you saw him lifting little ones up to choose an ornament off the tree, and then later being taught how to play “Go Fish” by some elementary age kids.

It was while you were drying baking pans and putting them away in the kitchen that he came up to you waving an envelope.

“Look I won a prize? I do not know what it is...”, he said curiously looking at two pieces of paper inside.

You looked in the envelope, “Oh those are movie tickets! So you can go to the cinema to see a movie... and there is a coupon for popcorn and snacks too! What did you win a prize for?”

“Apparently others think my sweater is very, very bad too. It was bad enough to win the number 3 envelope. I did not think it was possible to wear a sweater that was worse than mine but apparently two people did. I think the number 1 envelope was given to the man who had the Demon of Sahjoolh coming out of a box on the front of his sweater... I am told it is actually a ‘jack in the box’ with a ‘clown’ -whatever that is- but it looks like the Demon of Sahjoolh. It was very frightening, and I could not figure out why anyone would want to make a sweater with the Demon of Sahjoolh on it, so I suppose he deserved to win just for being brave enough to wear it.”

You laughed, “Well, I have never seen the Demon of Sahjoolh, but that does sound frightening. Congratulations!”

His face suddenly brightened as a thought occurred to him. “I have two tickets! You could go with me to the cinema- I could take you on a date! Will you go to see a movie with me?”

You smiled, “Yes, Ayno, I would love to go to the movies with you…but right now, I want to go home, because my feet hurt.”

* * *

Later that night you sat in your usual position stretched out across the couch from Ayno. He was rubbing your sore feet while you watched whatever the insipid Hallmark movie of the day was. You were looking at him and you could see the wheels in his head turning.

“Our life is charmed, isn’t it?”, he said suddenly.

“What do you mean?”, you asked.

“Our home is nice- it is warm and safe…we always have hot water, and there is always food here- you do not ever seem concerned about getting food…your car is big and shiny and seems to work well... and when I want something you get it for me... you give me money every week and let me buy iced coffees without worry. The people today… it is not the same for them is it?”

You shook your head sadly, “No, it’s not. That’s why we do what we did today. To help them. To try to make things better. We helped lift some of their burdens for today: they knew they were going to have a hot dinner for themselves and their families, they knew their children were going to get a Christmas present and they knew that they were going to get food to prepare a nice dinner on Christmas. These are small things to you and me but very big ones to them. We don’t have these worries, so yes- we are privileged. We are lucky.”

He looked thoughtful. “We should do this again. Is this like Thanksgiving where it only happens once in a year? Do we have to wait for next Christmas?”

“Well, Christmas only happens once a year; but there are lots of opportunities to volunteer all year long.”

“Good. More of this then. I like small humans. We should do things for them.” He said as he crawled across the couch to lay his head on your chest.

“Good plan.” You said, wrapping your arms around him and silently marveling at the humanity of your demon.

#ayno #vav ayno #vav #vav fluff #VAV fanfiction #ayno fluff #demon

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criticalrolo · 5 years ago

Note

2, 6, 8, 13, 20, 25, 28, 33, 41, 43, 46, 48, 49, and 50 for Thalia and Limwen (I tried to keep it short, honest, I did! But the questions were just too interesting to avoid asking!)

STRAP IN FOLKS

2. Do they have any titles? How did they get them?

Thalia: Nope!

Limwen: I’m sure she had some ranking in the army? Idk I made her when I was like 14 I didn’t know anything. She’s Ranger Limwen

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

Thalia: She was homeschooled by her dad and her stepmom. It was pretty basic stuff that morphed into an apprenticeship as a healer with her stepmom. She was average at all the technical aspects, but really took to the more human side of keeping patients calm and knowing how to cure them or keep them comfortable. She enjoyed learning about how the different herbs and medicines her stepmom used worked the most.

Limwen: She and her brothers were tutored together, but it was never her favorite thing. She’d much rather be running around outside playing or training with her weapons than reading books inside. She liked learning about nature, biology, etc., but didn’t care for mathematics and didn’t come to appreciate things like history and literature until later in life.

8. Did they have pets as a child? Do they have pets as an adult? Do they like animals?

Thalia: She has a cat named Tulip at home :)

Limwen: No pets since she can’t bring them traipsing around the universe. She likes animals for the food they provide jlaksdkfas but could probably be convinced to get a dog if she ever finds a way to settle down.

13. What is their least favourite food?

Thalia: Anything overly bitter is Thalia’s ENEMY. So like vinegar on salads is the worst thing ever

Limwen: If something is way too sugary it sends Limwen reeling, like if it tastes like it’ll give her a heart attack it’s a NO from her.

20. Do they like musicals? Music in general? What do they do when they’re favourite song comes?

Thalia: I don’t know if she’s ever had the chance to see a musical performed, but she does like music. Her little sister Gili has a really beautiful singing voice which she loved getting to hear. She’ll probably sing along if she likes the song.

Limwen: NAH. Music in general is fine but I’m trying to picture Limwen sitting through a musical and I can NOT see it happening

25. What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Are they funny themselves?

Thalia: I think she would find something like Parks and Rec hilarious. Nothing too edgy or dark, but things that are exaggerated and ridiculous are pretty funny to her. She’s got a sense of humor and laughs pretty easily.

Limwen: She finds gallows humor funny and is the type to make jokes in the middle of fighting for her life and like, never at any other time. So like things that are BORDERLINE straight up tragic but really walk the line between super sad and funny. Otherwise she’s not very funny alkdsjfasd

28. What is their biggest fear? What in general scares them? How do they act when they’re scared?

Thalia: Oh her biggest fear is that she’ll never rescue her parents and her family will be broken forever :( In general she’s scared of being alone and failure. When she’s scared she really tends to knuckle down and push through until she either feels better or cracks.

Limwen: She’s also scared she’ll never get home and she’ll basically die alone on some strange planet so far away from everything she knows. In general she’s always on edge waiting to get phased away at any second. She tends to shut down when she’s nervous, like laser focus on whatever is causing her fear and ignoring everything else until it goes away.

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

Thalia: Bisexual! She finds… competence attractive I guess? She finds someone attractive when they can get shit done. I would say she’s also got a thing for Tall People, which could be a lot of people since she’s pretty short herself. In a relationship, she would need someone who is good at Listening, for sure. Also, if this person would keep her from pushing herself too hard and remembering her limits, that would be great too.

Limwen: Also bisexual. She’s currently head over heels in love with Cassiopeia, someone who is really In Love With Life and finds joy in just existing in the world. She’s pretty and lovely both physically and emotionally. In a relationship, she needs someone who won’t let her get away with wallowing, who is willing to call her out on her bullshit, and someone who will let Limwen also take care of them. She feels better when she can help someone else so if they won’t let her in then she won’t make much progress in the relationship you know?

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people?

Thalia: For all her involvement with angels, the celestial plane, and her own Divine Soul status, she actually never was very religious. I guess it’s different when you can just talk to an angel when you need to. She sees religion as a curiosity, since her own experience with the Divine has been so different, so she’s pretty ambivalent about religious people but thinks some of them can end up going WAY over the top.

Limwen: She’s not religious. She’s been chucked all over space and no god ever stepped in to stop any of that, and she’s seen a million different religions that all seemed pretty much the same to her: lots of rules, not a lot of payoff. She doesn’t have a very high opinion of religion or religious people.

46. Do they make a good first impression? Does their first impression reflect them accurately? How do they introduce themselves?

Thalia: She usually does! (we love a 20 Charisma BABE) She definitely made a good impression on the party since they showed up in the middle of a fight she was having, the monk died, and she brought him back to life with Sariel’s help (pretty great way to get her foot in the door). She usually introduces herself with a handshake and a smile, she’s friendly.

Limwen: Significantly less friendly than Thalia. She usually comes across as gruff and like she’s on edge, so she doesn’t make fantastic first impressions. Which is usually an accurate impression. She comes off as someone worried about something all the time, which is true.

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend?

Thalia: Loves parties! She likes gatherings of people and is comfortable making small talk and putting people at ease. She’d make a great host if she wasn’t Off Adventuring. If she was at a party against her will, she’d probably try to make the most of it and find a convenient excuse to leave early when she could.

Limwen: Oh god she’s being forced to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being Seen and possibly Known. She is an INTROVERT who can barely come up with things to say to her best friend, parties are NOT her thing. She was definitely dragged there by Cass and she’ll do her absolute best to have fun for her, but afterwards she’ll just probably go lay down outside all night lajkdsfad

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

Thalia: Most valued object right now is her sword, which is essentially an anchor for her connection with Sariel while he uses her as like... an angelic horcrux. Other than that, she has a drawing of her family that her sister Wyn did when she was little. She looks at it when she’s feeling particularly lonely. She’s very sentimental, and takes this stuff with her everywhere.

Limwen: She has her bow which is the only constant between all these different dimensions. She didn’t have anything else on her when she got zapped for the first time, so she doesn’t have anything to be sentimental over.

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

Thalia: Sword, family picture, first aid/herbalism kit, bedroll, rope, diamond to Revivify, plant identification book, anything sariel could conceivably give her/direct her towards

Limwen: Bow, arrows, notebook to keep track of jumps, photo with Cass, probably pressed flowers or anything else Cass has given her, rope, first aid kit, tinder, compass

#this was a GOOD set of questions thanks!#limwen #thalia #eziocauthon89

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literatiruinedme · 7 years ago

Text

wrap me up in nothing but you

Cassian Andor had accomplished many things in his day, but he had to say that his greatest achievement was managing to subdue the most rebellious woman the Alliance had ever had in their ranks with a few simple knots.

For the Rogue One Anniversary Week celebration prompt rebellion || 3324 words || E || AO3

Thank you to @deadpanprincess and @happilyswanjones for being amazing human beings and cheering me on!!

When she heard rope pooling on the training room floor for the fifth time, Jyn sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose to ward off the headache beginning to bloom at the forefront of her skull. “Alright Cassian, why don't you take over because clearly you know your way around a rope,” she practically growled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Cassian looked up at her from where he was kneeling down, carefully wrapping the rope back up into a neat coil. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at his blush. “I can give it a try,” he offered gently, slowly rising to his feet. “Turn.” As always, it was a request, rather than a demand. She nodded, turning to face away from the twenty-some-odd recruits staring at them, Cassian standing at her side. She listened to the soft lilt of his voice as he explained the knot to the group, his touch always gentle. When he finally pulled the knot tight and knocked the air from her lungs, he froze, leaning forward to look at her. “You okay?” he asked quietly, leaning in so only she could hear.

She nodded, smiling when he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, his hand sliding down her arm to reassuringly squeeze her elbow. She turned back to the class, watching him speak as his hand rested on her elbow, his thumb tracing a soothing line up and down her skin. Her gaze fell to the mat as Cassian opened up the floor for questions.

“Can she get out of that one?” a recruit asked, drawing Jyn's attention back to the mass of people staring at them.

“That's on you,” Cassian teased quietly, gently squeezing her elbow.

“Oh,” Jyn hummed, attempting to tug her hands free, pausing when she suddenly realised she couldn't move her arms below the elbow or above her palm. “Going to give that a no.”

“But you barely-”

“I can't move,” she chortled, ignoring the slight flush crawling up her skin.

“Oh,” Cassian breathed, biting back a laugh. “I'm sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” she said, giving him a small smile. “I'm impressed.”

He smiled back for a moment before turning back to the class. “Does anyone-” A hand shot up. “Yes?”

Jyn sighed, focus shifting between Cassian and their audience for a handful of questions until they finally ran out time.

As the students finally began to trickle out, Cassian stepped behind Jyn, deft fingers carefully untying her. “Where'd you learn to do ties like this?” she asked, looking up at him over her shoulder.

He shrugged one shoulder, letting the rope fall to the floor before turning her to face him. He slowly rubbed his hands up and down her arms over the angry red marks imprinted along her skin. “It was just something I picked up,” he hummed, his fingers expertly kneading her flesh.

“Teach me?”

His head snapped up, eyes a hair wider, giving away his mild shock. “Really?” He asked, finally finding his ability to speak.

Jyn nodded, reaching up to cup his cheeks as she pushed up on her toes, pulling his mouth down to his. The kiss was soft, tender even, but quick. When she pulled back, she couldn't help but smile as Cassian chased after her, eyes still closed. “I trust you,” she breathed when he finally blinked the world back into focus again.

He nodded, pulling her closer. “Okay,” he smiled.

He'd been sent out on a short mission and returned a few days later, landing back on base so late at night that it bordered on being early morning. He was quiet as he entered their quarters, smiling when he saw Jyn’s sleeping form. He toed off his boots and hung up his jacket before he finally walked over to her.

“Cassian?” Jyn asked sleepily as he sat down on the edge of the bunk.

He smiled, leaning over to press his lips to her forehead. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, smiling when she curled closer. “I missed you, frijolito,” he breathed, smiling down at her.

“I missed you, too,” she yawned. She hummed as he slowly dragged his fingertips along the side of her neck, his touch featherlight.

He chortled at how easily she melted for him. “I have a gift for you,” he hummed.

“What?” Jyn yawned, slowly blinking her eyes open. She stretched, smiling when he rested the hand not clutching his bag beside her shoulder, leaning over her. She huffed, reaching up to cup his jaw. “Cassian, it’s three in the morning and I look and taste disgusting,” she rolled her eyes. He shrugged a shoulder, inching closer. “You're insatiable.”

“Only for you,” he hummed, leaning in to kiss her. She smiled against his lips, mouth molding to his as he kissed her as deeply as he pleased. He pulled back slowly, licking his lips as his head cocked to one side. “Did you have candy before bed?”

She blushed, biting her bottom lip. “I had a few of those sweets you brought back from the last time you went out without me,” she shrugged, her blush faint but still visible as his eyes finally adjusted to the lack of light in their room.

He huffed out a laugh. “Your teeth are going to rot out of your head if you keep doing that,” he tsked, thumb dragging along her bottom lip.

“You said you liked when I tasted like cherries,” she hummed, pulling him back in for another kiss. Truth be told, the taste of her was absolutely intoxicating and he didn’t care if she tasted like candy, caff, or just regular old Jyn Erso. “Wait,” she said softly as she pulled away, confusion evident on her features. “You said got me something?” He nodded, smiling when she groaned. “Cass.”

“I like spoiling you,” he breathed, pecking her lips chastely. “You want to see?” She bit her bottom lip, contemplating her answer for a long moment before nodding slowly. He smiled, pulling his bag out of his lap and setting it down next to her. “I saw these in the market on Geonosis and thought of you,” he said, pulling out a scarf and two bundles of thin rope.

Her brows furrowed and she pushed herself up into a sitting position, a shirt of his that she'd commandeered slipping off of her shoulder, revealing her soft, pale skin. Her fingers first brushed the scarf, the light purple-blue colour a deep contrast to the drab blankets covering their bunk. She tested the texture of the material between her middle and forefinger, carefully unfolding it to see how large it was. Jyn barely bit back a cat-like grin as she draped it over his shoulders, pulling his mouth to hers. He smiled against her lips, free hand reaching up to thread his fingers through her messy hair. She slowly pulled back, chuckling as he followed after her. “You’re cute,” she hummed, biting her lip as she tapped the tip of his nose. He huffed, pulling back as she looked back down at the mattress, taking one of the bundles of rope in her hand. She turned it over in her palm, humming to herself as she observed it. She glanced up at him, her cheeks a light pink. “Is this for-” He nodded, a smile blooming on his lips when she ducked her head down.

“Did you still want to?” he asked, not bothering to hide his smile. Jyn rarely changed her mind when it came to him and the things they talked about trying in bed, though he never stopped asking.

“You know I do,” she smiled, looking up at him through her long lashes. Cassian held out his open hand to her, silently asking for the rope. Her smile slowly faded to an expression of contentment as she traced her index finger along the lines of his palm. He waited silently, forcing himself not to close his hand at her effortless teasing sending tingles up his forearm. “So what will we do then? Just you showing me how ties work and then another night I get to tie you up?”

He shrugged, closing his fist around her fingers, making her chuckle. “I’m okay with whatever you’d like, little bean,” he promised. He squeezed her fingers before finally releasing them. He stood, picking up the bundles and her scarf. He waved the scarf in her face to tickle her nose, laughing with her before leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead and stalking off to tuck the rope away in their shared desk, dropping his bag next to the desk. He draped her scarf over the chair and pulled his shirt over his head. He dropped his shirt on the ground by their bunk, haphazardly kicking off his pants before he crawled under the covers, smiling as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him flush against her.

They lay in silence for several moments, sleep slowly approaching them both until-

“I don’t believe you.”

His eyes shot open as he turned to look at her over his shoulder. “Excuse me?”

“I think,” she sighed, squeezing his abdomen teasingly. “You’re lying.”

“About what?” he frowned, turning to face her.

She grinned. “You have something in mind for what you want to do to me.” He felt his mouth fall open. “Come on, Cass” she coaxed, trailing a finger along his jaw. “What is it?” His jaw snapped shut and he swallowed hard, his gaze focused on her clavicle. “You know you can tell me.”

“Could I-” He bit his lip, his nerves dropping as Jyn slowly rubbed her thumb back and forth over his shoulder, an unspoken way of saying you know I’m always open to try anything, especially if you want to.

“Ask me,” she breathed.

“Can I be in charge?” he asked timidly.

“Anything you want,” she smiled, leaning in to press a featherlight kiss to his forehead. She brushed his hair from his eyes, cupping his cheek as he leaned in to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Sleep, soft boy,” she sighed. “You deserve it.” He nodded, curling close to her, his ear over her heart as she held him close, the steady rhythm quickly lulling him off to sleep.

“I just want to make sure you're completely okay with this,” Cassian sighed, biting his bottom lip as he stared down at Jyn. She was perched on the edge of their bunk, the top half of her torso bound in a rather intricate harness, though her arms were still free. She'd crossed her legs underneath her, cradling his hand in her lap.

“I'm fine,” she promised, her thumb slowly stroking along his palm. He smiled, leaning down to capture her lips with his own. She relaxed below him, her mouth easily yielding to his. He placed her hand back down on the mattress, slowly trailing his fingertips along her side before he finally pulled away. She wet her lips and offered him a small smile. “So what's next?”

He chewed his bottom lip in consideration as his thumb hooked under a notch in the rope at her side. “Would you-” He paused again, his gaze following the orderly tangle of knots before he finally had the courage to meet her gaze again. “Would you be okay if I tied your hands behind your back?”

She nodded, every ounce of anxiety within him melting away at the sight of her lips curling up into a soft smile. “Nothing too crazy, right?” She asked shyly.

“Of course not,” he promised, a soft smile crossing his own lips.

“Okay,” she hummed, stretching her arms out over her head before wrapping them around his neck, pulling him back in for one more chaste kiss. “I know we’ve established it already, but-” She smiled, her nose bumping his. “I’m yours.”

He felt his heart squeeze in his chest. She was his. He leaned in to press his lips to hers, holding her close. She was his. “And I’m yours,” he breathed, resting his forehead against hers when they finally pulled apart.

She hummed happily, stretching up to kiss his forehead. “I know.”

He smiled, kissing her cheek before he slowly pulled back, his hands softly brushing along the underside of her arms before he was able to thread his fingers through hers. “Would you be more comfortable sitting or standing while I tie your arms?”

“Either way,” she shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

He hummed, biting his bottom lip as he though. “Sitting may be easier...you’ll probably be more comfortable and I think you’ll be raised a little which will be far more kind on my back.”

She laughed, though it lacked any hint of maliciousness. Her old man, she'd always tease when he brought up his back; though in their defence, sometimes it was easier to laugh than to remember. “Whatever you want,” she nodded, turning away from him.

He smiled, stepping forward to press his lips to her shoulder. She jumped slightly at the contact, straightening quickly. “Relax,” he breathed, resting his hands on her hips. He slowly rubbed his thumb back and forth on either side of her spine, relaxing himself as her muscles untensed. He slowly trailed his lips across over shoulder, over the one spot at the crook over her neck that he knew made her knees go weak, over her spine, all the way to the opposite shoulder. She reached back with one hand, squeezing his hand as their fingers intertwined. “You okay?”

She nodded, rubbing her thumb back and forth over the back of his hand. “I'm just used to seeing more of you,” she shrugged, making him chuckle.

He squeezed her hand again, easing it behind her. “I'm right here,” he promised, taking her other hand as well.

“I know,” she hummed, one hand wrapping around her elbow.

“If you need me to stop I will,” he promised. “And I have a knife right next to the bed if you need me to cut you free.”

“Kinky,” she teased.

He chuckled, pressing a chaste kiss to her shoulder before looking back down at her arms. “Just remember I'm right here,” he repeated. She hummed, nodding her head. He picked up the length of rope loosely draped over the bed and began wrapping her arms, repeatedly asking her if she was uncomfortable or if something was too tight or too loose.

When he secured the final knot, he helped her turn back towards him. “All good?” She nodded, smiling up at him. “Good,” he breathed, leaning in to press his lips to hers. She smiled against his mouth, letting him kiss her hard. She moaned as his tongue caressed her bottom lip, slipping inside her mouth when her lips parted. He hands slowly rubbed up and down her upper arms, holding her tightly. When he pulled back, he couldn't help but grin as she followed, unthinkingly chasing his lips. “You're so good to me, Jyn,” he hummed, leaning down to pepper kisses along her throat.

“I try,” she breathed, arching into his touch as he laved over a tendon he'd bitten. “I like making you feel good.”

“You're so good at it,” he breathed, reaching up to palm at one of her breasts. She let out a whine, nodding as his thumb traced slow circles over her nipple. “Always so kind and thoughtful,” he continued.

“Cassian,” she gasped. “What are you-”

He shushed her, his free hand slowly snaking down down down between her thighs. “I want to try something,” he said, smiling against her skin. He smiled when he found her already slick, waiting patiently for him. She was always so controlled in her wants and her desires, her need for him, in contrast to his ever-present need; his need to touch her, to hold her, to be held, but Jyn held back more- that was, until she was allowed to let go. “You're so wonderful,” he hummed, his fingers finding her clit with ease. She whimpered as he started to move the pads of his fingers in slow, neat circles. “Always so giving. And all to me,” he breathed, pulling his fingers away despite her whine, both of his hands settling on her hips as he stepped back from her, making sure to still touch her, to ground her despite the few inches of space between them. He smiled down at her, already so wanton- and at his hands. He pressed another kiss to her lips as he helped her back on the mattress. He crawled in-between her thighs, kissing his way up her stomach. “You're so wonderful,” he breathed as his hand slid back between her thighs. She threw her head back against the pillow, breathing hard as he slowly, teasingly worked her up to the edge. “I love how you make me feel so loved,” he breathed in her ear.

“Cassian,” she gasped, her leg hooking over his thigh.

“No,” he warned, gently pushing her leg away.

“But-” He slowly trailed his fingers downward, teasing her with two fingers. “Oh- okay,” she gasped, back arching. He smirked, leaning down to kiss her neck as he slowly pressed two fingers into her, gasping when he curled his fingers. “Force- Cass,” she cried out. “Kiss me,” she begged, eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze. “Kriff, please.”

“If I kiss you-” He pressed his lips to the space below her jaw, his nails digging into her hip. “Then I can’t put my mouth other places.” She swallowed hard, panting as he looked down at her. His fingers curled up, hitting that perfect spot that stole her breath every time. “What do you want, Jyn?”

“I-” She moaned when his thumb returned to her clit. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking below him.

“Are you going to come before you can even decide?” he grinned, kissing along the line of her jaw. She nodded with a breathy laugh, making him chuckle. “That’s okay,” he promised, pressing one final kiss to her jaw before his mouth was back on hers. He smiled against her lips as she hungrily bit at his lips. “Impatient,” he chuckled as his fingers hastened, quickly pushing her over the edge. Her legs shook as she came, a sharp noise falling from the back of her throat. He slowly worked her down, pressing soft kisses anywhere he could reach.

“Cass?” She breathed as he slowly pulled his fingers back. He hummed in acknowledgement, pushing up on his forearm to look down at her. “Can you untie me?”

“Of course,” he nodded, carefully climbing off of her. He helped her sit up, crawling behind her to begin untying her. He was quiet for a long moment, making sure her arms were free before he dared break the silence between them. “Did you not like it?” He asked timidly.

As soon as the last of the ropes was removed from her arms she turned, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him in for a kiss. He laughed, nearly pulling back when he felt her hand on his belt. He froze as she pulled away, kissing along his jaw until she reached his ear. “Can I fuck you?” She breathed, sending a shiver up his spine. He nodded quickly, reaching up to cup her face in his hands, pulling her in for another kiss. She smiled, reaching up to pull his hands away and force them behind his back. “Turn.”

“But-”

“Turn,” she repeated, more sternly this time. He swallowed hard, nodding as she tied a quick knot he’d taught her, his wrists bound together tightly. She quickly turned him back to face her, shoving him down on his back. “I did like it,” she promised, climbing into his lap. She leaned down, cupping his cheeks as she pulled his mouth to hers. “But it's my turn now.”

#RogueOneFirstAnniversary #rebelcaptain #jyn erso #cassian andor #rebelcaptain fic #rogue one fic #star wars fic #therebelcaptainnetwork #Rachael writes stuff

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itsclydebitches · 7 years ago

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Hey! I saw on one of your fics for preacher to send you prompts so here's one! Tulip learns genesis is fiore and Deblancs baby and all five get in a big fight cause tulips like "GIVE IT BACK???" and Jesse is like "HOW?" There's some "we miss our baby" angst and ends with our gayngels getting to hold there son for a bit??? Idk I think about this alot????

Hello again, @hetaliaprussia! I hope you like this. For the record, I think about our gay angels and their child a lot too :D

AO3: x

***

Jesse knew this sensation well: the weight of a body pinning his to the floor, a hand clenched, ironclad, into the front of his shirt. Everything from the knee in his stomach to the stench of another's sweat—it was familiar. He knew that as soon as he looked he'd see the barrel of a gun pointed just an inch or so from the bridge of his nose. Jesse understood that any words he heard would be a threat. Rinse and repeat.

Except that this attacker...

Tulip's hands were shaking as she pressed the muzzle flat against Jesse's forehead. No one else would have spotted it, but he did. He could feel the wound tightness in her limbs.

"You took their fucking child?" she hissed.

"Tulip. Tulip. C'mon now, luv, you are missing some real fuckin' important context here…"

Cass dithered behind her, arms reaching to try and pull her away before panicking and snapping back. Off to the side Fiore and DeBlanc looked on in shock. They were such smug, pretentious assholes. If Jesse hadn't known for sure that the gun Tulip held was loaded, he would have found their fish-like expressions amusing.

Instead he held perfectly still. "You're not gonna shoot me," he said, bland as white rice.

The gun pressed harder into his skin. "Really? That's your response here? You're digging yourself in real deep, Jesse Custer."

"You care?"

"Of course I care."

"Well then you're not gonna shoot me. Get off, Tulip."

Jesse wormed his leg up between hers, grabbed hold of Tulip's wrist, and flipped them so that she was the one now nestled against the church's floor. It was a move that only worked because a part of Tulip wanted it to. She scowled, jamming the gun back into her jeans and shoving him off her chest. They scrambled and backed away, Cass looking like they'd just averted a bomb going off.

"Okay," he said slowly. "I appreciate your wild sides, I honestly do, but the two of you have gotta get the whole fuckin' picture before you go threatenin' to shoot one another!"

"Who did I threaten to shoot?" Jesse snapped at the same time that Tulip spread her arms wide and yelled, "What picture, Cassidy? Jesse took their child!"

She pointed fiercely at DeBlanc and Fiore who now appeared sheepish in the extreme. Alright. That was amusing. Fiore muttered something too low for them to hear and turned away, eyes drawn to the ceiling in a comical display of aversion. It was DeBlanc who took the hesitant step forward, removing his hat and placing it protectively over his chest.

"Ms. O'hare..."

"Tulip. Do I look like a blasted 'Ms.' to you?"

DeBlanc swallowed. "Tulip. We contacted you because we know you're... close with this preacher. Jesse. It is true that he has our child... though it would perhaps be more accurate to say that our child chose him."

"Huh?" Tulip peered at the four of them, most of that anger giving way to confusion. "Hold up now. You made it sound like this kid of yours is an infant. How the hell does a baby choose someone? And who the fuck would choose Jesse?"

"I'm right here," Jesse said, but no one listened.

Cass raised his hand. "Yeah. Fascinating. But I'm more interested in how two blokes make a kid together in the first place. Can clones make babies?"

"Clone—?" Fiore gapped for a moment. "I'm an angel, you twit, and we don't adhere to your idiotic gender binaries."

"A what," Tulip said.

DeBlanc laid a hand on his arm. "His question is still valid though. Certainly no one in heaven knows how our union resulted in... procreation." He turned to the group. "It's just one more reason why you must return them. There are many who would do anything to seize the child of an angel and a demon."

"A what."

"Oh wow. Okay. That explains a whole lot of stuff. Did you know about this?" Cass asked. Jesse had his fingers pressed hard into the bridge of his nose, nodding sadly.

"Yeah. Had a whole damn conversation about it last night in the diner. I was going to tell you but then someone," Jesse glared at DeBlanc, "had to go and tell my girlfriend, who recently lost a child, that I went and stole someone else's."

DeBlanc blanched. "We didn't realize. We only wanted you to give them back."

"Well I can't! I've tried!"

"How come there's no word for that?" Cass murmured. "A woman who loses a child? We've got 'orphan' and 'widow,' but nothin' else that I know of. Huh. Just doesn't seem right."

"Enough," Tulip spit, interrupting them all. With the jerky movements of someone that was at the end of their rope, she reclaimed the gun and pointed it somewhere in the middle of their circle, essentially threatening them all. "You are treating this like a joke, but you know—you know, Jesse—that it's not." He bowed his head at that. Acknowledging for once that no, it wasn't a joking matter. "Now who is going to explain what the hell is going on here?"

Cass made short work of that, slotting together all the pieces they'd gathered thus far: angels and demons (not clones), God going missing, Genesis' creation, unfathomable power now rooted in their very own Jesse—who watched the proceedings with a vaguely bored expression. He didn't even flinch when Tulip raised the gun this time. Really, she was just using it for emphasis at this point.

"So this 'baby'..." she said slowly.

"Is probably the most powerful thing in existence," Jesse confirmed. "And it's currently nestled somewhere between my soul and my ribs."

"That doesn't mean we don't love them any less," Fiore snapped and there was a moment of silence as the group tried to decided if that was in reference to Genesis' power or the fact that it had chosen Jesse. Probably the latter.

He took a firm step forward. DeBlanc and Fiore held their ground. Jesse smiled.

"So what do you want, huh?" he demanded. "Getting Cass all riled up. Trying to turn Tulip against me. She pistol whipped me earlier." Tulip shrugged to show she really didn't regret that part. "You've tried luring this thing—"

"This child," DeBlanc said.

Jesse inclined his head. "—child out of me with songs and magic and who knows what else. It didn't work. So what exactly do you want me to do about it?"

"Haven't tried the chainsaw yet," Fiore muttered and DeBlanc had to shoot out a protective arm to keep him and Cass apart.

"Easy, love," he said. "To be frank, Jesse, I'm not sure how we should go about this, but we have to do something. At the very least I’d appreciate it if you—"

"Why don't you order it?"

All of them turned to Tulip, staring. She shrugged again and pretended to shoot Jesse straight in the middle of his chest. "It's all-powerful, right? So just use that power and, I don't know, tell it to come out for a second."

Fiore spluttered. "That is the most idiotic thing I've ever—"

"Genesis, c'mere."

And they did.

The flash of light blinded them all momentarily, filling the church and worrying poor Mrs. Hinderson miles down the road, wondering what in the name of loving Jesus that was supposed to be. As she went back to walking Pepper and resigned not to stick her nose where it might get snapped off, DeBlanc was pushing groggily back to his feet, one hand supporting Fiore while his other had latched onto Tulip's arm. Cass was on Fiore's other side, his stunned expression no doubt a reflection of everyone else's.

"Oh my," DeBlanc whispered.

They'd never seen Genesis before. Not really. Not since the brief, confusing moment of their creation. And they weren't quite seeing them now either. How did you see something that wasn't a thing, but the absence of things—everything by virtue of being nothing at all? There was light, yes, but at the same time they were a void. DeBlanc knew at once that he couldn't look on his child for long, not without a vessel to act as a buffer. Still, he reached for them.

He felt Fiore doing the same. For a moment it was only the two of them in that church, fingers curving around the edges of their child. DeBlanc felt heat, ice, the thrum of electricity, and—

—and then they snapped back into Jesse.

He bent like a bow, stumbled, and only kept his feet by grabbing hold of the nearest pew. Jesse heaved like he'd just run a marathon, but he looked as rapturous as the rest of them.

"Don't see how it's any different," he finally whispered when no one else would speak. "You two taking human form. Genesis possessing me. It's all necessary. Like child, like parents right?"

DeBlanc nodded. The pain against his wrist was Fiore's hand. The sting on his cheek was a tear.

"Well," Fiore huffed, wiping inconspicuously at his own eyes. "That may be the case, but don't think for a second that I'm letting you run off with my child alone."

Jesse froze. "...No."

"Yes."

And it began over again, Fiore, Jesse, and DeBlanc launched into full-blown bickering about who got to tag along on what adventures, their tone completely at odds with the miracle they'd just witnessed. Cass shook himself like a dog, giving Jesse a lopsided grin and suggesting that he should make Genesis pay rent. Tulip sighed, tossed Jesse the gun, and made it very clear that this was not the kind of child they'd agreed to raise. Jesse waved the gun under Fiore's nose who just batted it away.

And somewhere inside Jesse, Genesis hummed with what might be termed happiness.

When they left the church, for all their arguing, they were heading down the same path.

#Preacher #AMC Preacher #drabbles #hetaliaprussia

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moiraineswife · 8 years ago

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Ooooh yes autistic!nesta is my favourite thing ever. Do u have any more thoughts/hdcs??? Also do you have any book recs with canon autistic characters???

-Thank u friend. Okay have some pure headcanons of what autistic!Nesta might be like as opposed to like my flimsy EVIDENCE headcanons of the previous post: (heavy nessian emphasis on some of these just because) (I’ve also ficced some of these before…just because I can, so if a few feel familiar that’s why)

-Nesta loving the library at the House of Wind because it’s quiet and calm. No loud noises to make her jump and get her back up, no overly bright lights, no people to try and navigate. Just quiet. Soft, comfortable chairs with nice textures and good books she can lose herself in for hours. She admits issues with sensory sensitivity sometimes (which have not been improved by her making) and Feyre arranges for the room to be warded to filter and mute sounds and bright lights and scents so she gets a nice little controlled safe space that means the world to her.

-I still love Nesta reading romance books to try and get a handle on her relationship with Cass but I love even more when she goes as far as making scripts with them. She isn’t quite sure how to approach this herself but she can take on a role and mimic someone else (even if she feels a bit foolish).

Cassian is…Baffled but he’s a switched on bat and he figures out what she’s doing quite quickly and does his best to play along and not make her feel self-conscious or uncomfortable. She’s trying to ask him out on a date and even if she’s going about it in a slightly odd way…She’s trying, he isn’t going to ruin it for her.

(He does manage to gently tell her that he just wants her to be her, okay, he didn’t fall in love with some soppy heroine from her romance books, he fell for her, that’s all he wants. But he does it super tactfully so she doesn’t feel weird. He’s a good soul.)

-Speaking of researching aspects of her relationship with Cassian this definitely includes sex. She knows how it goes, basically, but she’s still afraid of somehow doing something Wrong and the solution to that is to find out as much as she possibly can about the subject. She probably tries books again but she gets quickly irritated with how wishy-washy they are on the subject, she doesn’t want elegant metaphors here, she wants the gory details.

She ends up cornering Azriel and sitting him down and telling him that she wants to talk about sex. Az is..A bit confused but she’s blunt and to the point and explains things as best she can and he takes pity on her and does his best to put her at ease (and also ropes Mor into helping asap because she’s much better at this sort of thing (she is))

-Once they’ve had sex, Nesta likes Cassian remaining on top of her because pressure. He’s…A little bit bemused by this because well he’s quite big and quite heavy and she’s quite small and…delicate, but she growls at him something terrible when he tries to shift off of her so he just…well alright then, sweetheart. (Nesta loves his bear hugs for similar reasons. They spend a lot of time squishing each other)

-Nesta needs certain things to be done a certain way (like if she’s researching something - her books and notes are very deliberately ordered and people messing with that (even unintentionally) bothers her) She’s happiest when she can have her routines and plans done precisely the way she wants. (She can get a bit bothered by Cassian’s impulsiveness, especially on dates because NO WE ARE NOT GOING TO JUST GO AND QUICKLY CHECK OUT THAT MARKET, WE HAVE DINNER RESERVATIONS FOR 7.14 AND WE ARE PRECISELY ON TIME FOR THEM NOW. NO DETOURS THAT WILL MESS EVERYTHING UP. CASSIAN NO. They solve this by letting Nesta have her dates be organised and perfectly planned while Cassian’s are more impulsive (if he isn’t actually disrupting any of her set plans she doesn’t mind because following his plan was her plan and that’s fine))

-Nesta loves the rain, the sound of it and watching it. Same with the Sidra. It’s soothing, watching the water. She likes to nestle into Cassian and watch it and he has no problem with this at all.

-Nesta having super intense interests in things like history, certain plays, books etc that she will talk about endlessly. (She bonds with Rhys over a lot of these things, he’s perfectly happy to let her talk and engage with him, especially when he’s nearly as passionate about them as she is)

-Nesta having a deep love for calligraphy.

-Nesta continuing to wear the dresses that were typical for her in the human realm because the fabrics/shapes of the clothes at the Night Court bother her and the familiarity of those clothes is comfortable and comforting.

-Nesta having meltdowns sometimes when she overloads because there’s Too Much sensory input, especially with her new fae senses. Cassian is very good at recognising what’s happening and helping her. He blocks out as much of the sensory input as he can and makes sure not to touch her but stays close for when she needs him, and will sometimes talk to her to help calm her down. Then he cuddles her because nice, soothing pressure stims help her fully calm down again.

-Nesta being hypersensitive to cold therefore Cassian must keep her warm and wrapped up in a bat burrito at all times, like this is an emergency, Cassian, I need to be cuddled for my health, can you not see this!? Cassian just...Can’t find a way to complain about this.

-Nesta taking a trip to the Dawn Court and meeting Nuan, who recognises Nesta’s experiences and quietly tells her that that there’s a word for what she is, and that she’s not alone.

Nesta cuts the trip a little short so she can go home to Cassian. She cries in his arms for half the night because finally, she finally understands herself. They research autism together so they can both learn to understand it and how to best help Nesta cope. Nesta is a little surprised by Cassian’s enthusiasm and level of interest in the subject which he’s a little bemused by because this is a huge part of who she is and he wants to understand it/her better.

-Nesta accepting and embracing herself and her autism and not apologising for a single piece of her and just god bless.

As for book recs with canon autistic characters that are well written the only ones I can actually think of off the top of my head are both by Brandon Sanderson.

The second Mistborn trilogy Alloy of Law has a lady autistic (!!!!) called Steris who is particularly dear to me and has a lovely little arc. The Stormlight Archive series has Renarin Kholin who has made me squeal repeatedly bc of visible autistic traits/coping mechanisms and I’m really excited for him hopefully having a much bigger role in upcoming books.

Sanderson is an allistic writer, I believe, and I’m aware he’s made mistakes with regards to his autistic rep in earlier works. But I’m also aware that he’s actually listened to the autistic community and worked to correct those mistakes and Steris and Renarin are both pretty fucking awesome as far as autistic rep goes (and there isn’t NEARLY enough of that, in any form of media) bless his heart.

As a note neither series focuses exclusively on Renarin or Steris and I didn’t read either series for the autistic rep in them (that was just a bonus) but they’re both definitely worth reading for the rep and just bc they’re awesome, awesome books.

#nesta archeron #nessian #cassian #acotar series #autistic!nesta #autistic nesta #brandon sanderson #stormlight archive #sa #mistborn 2.0 #steris harms #is The Most Dear to me <3 #renarin kholin #both of those series are really good for everything apart from the autistic rep tbh #more autistic!nesta i will never get over this hc FIGHT ME #book rec #steris and renarin are both so important to me as canon autistic characters tho like i could write NOVELS ON THEM #esp steris

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goonlalagoon · 8 years ago

Text

Goldilocks

AU where everything is the same in @ink-splotch‘s Leagues and Legends universe, except people can see soul bonds strung out between themselves.

Spoilers for Remember the Dust under the cut

(Read on Ao3)

The threads looked as though they would slip away from George's fingers at any moment. They hadn't used to; once upon a time they had coiled around her left fingertips to merge with the creases of her palms, just like - so far as she'd heard - everybody else's. She'd had a fair handful, even if most of those were the ubiquitous gossamer connections she'd barely been able to see, but one or two had been strong enough to see clearly, only fading to invisibility when her closest friends and caretakers were out of the village.

They had all disappeared after they left her for the dragon. It hadn't hurt, except for all of the ways she was already wounded, as those threads snapped and burned away. Soul bonds only formed between humans (at least - were only visible between humans) so for the entirety of the time she dwelt in the dragon's shadow her hands were free of threads.

After the dragon was dead, her fingertips stayed stubbornly clear of even the barest connections. George wasn't certain why, but - dragon blood had splattered over her fingers, burning, and her hands hadn't felt clean since. Maybe all those questing connections boiled away on that acid stain. Or maybe she just didn't really stay places long enough for them to form.

Maybe she'd stopped trying to link her life to other people's.

Jack was an oddity, an annoyance, a tag along, until the day she realised she was picking out her place to camp for the night expecting there to be two bedrolls laid out not just hers. She almost didn't believe it when the string first faded into view. She thought I'm seeing things. She thought why is he different? She thought I don't deserve this, I don't want -, and the tentative thread snapped. Jack, sleeping by the fire, frowned in his sleep while George stared at her shaking fingers. Soul bonds didn't work like that. You couldn't will them into or out of existence. They formed whenever another's life touched yours, however briefly, growing the closer your lives grew, the greater their impact on you became, until they ere strong enough to see glimpses of.

Weeks passed, the bond flickering and fading until eventually it stayed. It didn't spiral into the creases of her hand like part of her - it was looped and knotted around a finger, as though someone was stubbornly making sure it stayed there this time. Jack grinned with pleased confusion the afternoon it finally settled into place. It had occurred to George to ask what he saw on his end of it, but it was the first time she'd dared ask. He squinted, the way people did when they wanted to see the lines shimmering in the air.

"I mean, my end its a pretty thick thread - but when it gets closer to you it goes kind of grey and dark? I've never heard of that before. But it's a patchy grey, now, so you can see glimmers of gold through it." George rubbed her hands together absently, thinking quietly about how they'd stayed grey for days after she was done burying the people who had left her to die.

For a long while, Jack's thread was the only one she had. No matter how close they grew it was never visible when they were more than a room apart. She fidgeted nervously the first time it faded out until Jack came back in, and it strung out between them again.

Bea built to a thread, long after Jack could tell that this tough, steady woman was about to enter the room by squinting at his hand. It wrapped around her palm, knotted, a little more like she was grasping onto something than someone had tied it to her. It never grew strong enough to see more than a few feet distant. Neither did Liam's.

Jack knew he was gone when the thread broke. George knew by the set of Jack's shoulders, by the way Liam was so quiet and still, by the way Jack was staring, horror struck, at his red stained hands. George had stared at her own clean hands that way, once.

She could see him walking away long after that string had faded from view. There were still two threads she could see when the living Joneses were close enough to touch, but she tangled her hands in loose thread, wool, her own hair until it left smarting lines around her fingers that she half pretended came from something else. She hadn't realised how much weight she had given that thread until as soon as it was gone for more than a day she began to doubt every thread she had, to puzzle obsessively over the ones she could never seem to see.

It got easier to build those bonds, though they were still things tied and grasped rather than grown, and never stretched far. When asked, once, Bea said they still faded an ashy grey. But they were there. There were people she liked, trusted, allowed to influence her, and maybe that was enough. She knew they were there, and that was enough.

It didn't take long for ties to fall into place with Jack's new friends - because they were her friends too, because they were the kinds of people who changed you - or simply because they were with Jack?

She puzzled over it, quietly, and squinted suspiciously at Grey when no one was looking. Some people believed the soul threads meant you could trust the other person implicitly. Some people hadn't seen all of their ties severed by the hands of those at the other ends of them. Just because this child mattered did not mean he was innocent. Just because he had ties to her people did not mean he wouldn't hurt them

They all had ties to people they would hurt, wanted to hurt - but few could see them, these more complex webs, bonds strung out between other people. Most people could only see their own bonds of love and trust, and the occasional strong link to someone else.

Jack could see the heavy, ominous rope that led to the Seeress, all the way to the edge of the mountains, and glanced absently at that hollow space whenever old, cold memories threatened to choke him. It knotted itself around George's wrist, a tightened noose that when they were close enough for her to see it looked as though it should be leaving bruises and scarring welts. Liam's fingers had twitched over it, and Bea - Bea had woken one morning to an empty bed and a dark coil, and had slowly, steadily built her years of work around that grim anchor.

(None of them had ever been foolish enough to think the real threat was the mayor.)

Cassandra saw them all - the friendships, the hatreds, the individual strands of each thread that told you what had built it. All but three of the strings on her hand were born from fear or hate. Sam’s was an unconditional love that never wavered. Spider had been careful respect that grew and grew. The third had been the happy, open smile of a boy who hadn't yet learned that calm girls in an inn speaking of destinies might have cold calculations in their morality. Jack, so young, had not yet stopped trusting everyone he met to be good, so at the core of that tether was a thin thread of easy, cheerful trust.

The Seeress could see everyone's strings, so she saw the way George's hands burned at them, the way they had to be clung onto, the way they were never more than tentative. If she had felt like being kind, she could have told George that she was not the only one the Seeress had seen who had sould bonds tied not grown - though George was the only person she'd seen with bonds that faded grey and seemed to be trying to crumble as though splashed with something that burns. But the Cassandra Graves was rarely kind. When she met Ana, hands bedecked with knotted threads only the Seeress could see, Cass leaned forwards and hissed about stained, empty hands, revenge for years of conflict this girl no longer remembered.

(By the time Cass left the underground lab, she had a thread strung out from her to Rupert strong enough for him to see too. It was rooted in steady disapproval, but built with a precise line between the justice she deserved and what she received, and a patient sympathy that scared her more than all the hatred in her other ties put together. By the time she left Rivertown, she had a tie to Miz Eliza built up from curiosity and kindness. By the time she reached the desert even to her eyes they were faint, but she could see the precise knots on both - things determinedly given and made to last. She still would not have told the Dragon Slayer that she was not alone in this.)

Ana Jones noted the way her eyes read words longer than the meanings she could recall, the books she couldn't remember titles or pages of, the way her fingers absentmindedly skipped over raised, empty spaces on her fingers. Memory crashed back, painless but overwhelming - well, no pain that wasn’t old, familiar, something she had lived with for so long she barely remembered to notice it any more. There were knots looping around her fingers where there had moments before been empty air that had caught her absent attention.

She teamed up with Jill, as the dust settled, with Laney and Rupert, to track down all of Jill’s rescues and escapees that they could find. She was there because she wanted to be; she was there because George understood, better than any of them, what it was to walk in the long shadow of your choices. When they had found the last - the first - rescued mage’s family, Jill dragged George out into the open air in search of market stalls. George followed, smiling, and ran gentle fingers over the thread that flickered into view, looped around her palm like something grasped, something she had chosen to hold on to.

Nearly all of the time it couldn't be seen, but she had lived with that for a lifetime. George was long, hard years from the time when she could judge the strength of her ties by their visibility. She was long, hard years from the time no longer seeing that link made her feel like maybe there was no longer someone waiting on the other end. She was long, long years from the days when the lack of stings felt right, because maybe she didn't really deserve to have people tied to her anyway, because if you didn't try to cling onto people you couldn't be hurt when they let go of you. George ran absent fingers over the knuckles of her left fingers, the creased palm, the knots and loops she couldn't see, as she trekked into hills and valleys and ridges in search of dragons. She didn't breathe a sigh of relief when she came home to the little cottage she and Jill shared, looked after when they were both away by a friendly neighbour, and found that string still firmly there. George only formed soul bonds with people she trusted to stay in her life so long as they had the choice.

Jill had a scientist's fascination in this as in everything, a calm patience and frantic curiosity. She peered at the ash grey of George's threads, sketched the knots and tracked their complexity over time, person by person, soul by soul. She collected stories, anecdotes, pulled out the obscure texts hidden in University libraries that Grey had babbled excitedly about until George's lack of response and Jack's pained grimaces broke through the the shell of academia. Jill was better at politeness, empathy, and knowing how to not make this seem like George was an interesting test subject than Grey had been. She'd had a lot of practice, George supposed, and it helped that this wasn't literally the first conversation they ever had.

Laney looked at the sketched knots with professional interest, naming them and in some cases trying to figure out how you would tie them. Sez skimmed a curious eye over them as well, but shrugged and said she had her system sorted. She could see her threads clearly - but only her mother could see the other end of hers. They tinged purple, she mentioned in a casual pause on conversation, and George ran an absent thumb over the creases of her own palm, breath catching. So far as anyone knew, soul bonds only formed between humans - everyone said so - everyone knew - but Sez had purple threads twining around her half monster fingers. When asked, cautious, if he had them too, John nodded absently, preoccupied with cooking supper and keeping an eye on a couple of kids playing a little too close to the fire. George made careful notes, and wondered about the dragon as she put them in order for writing up at a later date.

On dark nights when old, cold things rustled in the back of her head she traced the invisible strings and shivered to herself. Would it make it worse, if that terrible, beautiful beast had been in the centre of its own web of connections, shattering at her hands? Or better, somehow, Jack’s long held stance that if a creature is capable of understanding then it should also have been capable of restraint and reason? She wondered about what heavy tether may have been strung out, unseen, across that valley before she stole a spear and shattered it for the sake of other people’s peace.

On dark nights, she breathed deep and pressed up against Jill’s warm shoulder. When she was still just a child, really, someone had handed her a knife and let her choose what to do with it. Golden strings had snapped, shattered, burned; an invisible anchor had been cut free (and dragged her back ever since). Trust would never again come easy to her. Her loyalties would always be something held inside of herself, not written out into the air, but she had lived with that for years. It was enough.

I’m glad that you used it on the ropes echoed in the quiet of her mind. “Me, too” George whispered back, and meant every aching part of it.

#Leagues and Legends #Had a burst of inspiration to finally finish this #Once again this was supposed to be happy?? It's maybe happier than my previous George pieces?#L&L #RtD spoilers #remember the time #echoes of a giantkiller #beanstalk #my writing #L&l fic

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