#daemon's hallucinations were fun at the start but..

[ecstaticactus]

the new episode...

freud would have loved it i guess 🤠

[themadauthorshatter]

It's September, witches, bitches, and litches(I'mso sorry for any offense, I was trying to be funny!)!

Let's see what mischief is in for the Skellington triplets this time!!!!

It is the next day in sunny Halloween Town and Jacob has been let off the hook for the day's meeting, so Jack and the Mayor can discuss something in private.

That leaves Jacob free to do whatever he pleases!

WITH LUNA AND DAEMON AT HIS SIDE.

He asks why they're following him and Luna states sharply that Jack told her to keep an eye of Jacob so he doesn't do anything crazy. That makes sense, but why is Daemon following?

He's BORED.

Jacob's glad to hear that, at least, because he's going to keep his brother entertained with an exploration around town, specifically what's on the outer limits of the town.

Luna warns him against it and Daemon's skeptical, but neither are able to stop Jacob as he slips through the bars of the town gate, explaining that they should stop him, then.

Daemon follows because he's bored, but Luna also follows, very reluctant.

Jacob teases her, asking if she's afraid.

She's not afraid. She doesn't want to get in trouble, lest they forget how mad their parents get when they misbehave.

Jacob corrects her: They don't get in trouble, if they don't do something they're not supposed to.

Luna, fed up, asks if he's been hanging around those bastards Lock, Shock, and Barrel, who are listening behind some tombstones and are all very offended by Luna's insult toward them.

And Jacob's response that no, he'd never go within a mile radius of those three reprobates, not with being the next Pumpkin King amd his father on his back.

Luna asks if he DOESN'T WANT to be his father's heir and Jacob kicks up a stick, asking back if SHE'D like the position instead.

She doesn't, because Jacob is the eldest, therefore making him the heir by tradition. And he's a boy, which us another strike against her.

Daemon reminds them both that tradition and gender be damned, they're ALL the same age. Imagine a Halloween with all three of them after Jack steps down.

Jacob muses that it sounds like fun while Luna sighs that she'll be the ring leader of two out of control hell hounds that are her brothers.

Daemon gawks at her, because he doesn't even take his EYES off of the line, much less set a toe outside of it, so how dare she.

Before she can correct him, Jacob dashes up a hill and stands still, staring long enough for his siblings to catch up.

Turns out they found the treehouse Lock, Shock, and Barrel reside in, and where Oogie Boogie used to be.

Luna is a little freaked out at the fact that it has now started to fall apart and Daemon, who pulled himself up to look, dips back down because he heard rumors that there have been a alot of bugs that remained and are still residing there to this day.

Jacob asks, a little nervously, where these rumors came from and who's been saying them.

Daemon shrugs, admitting he just heard it from Corpse Kid and Vampire Kid and it just stuck with him because some bugs are kind of hard to kill.

And then there's the fact that Lock, Shock, and Barrel are still hanging around, for some stupid reason.

Luna hugs herself and notes that knowing WHO lived there, under the house, and what he did, it doesn't make any easier to look at, even with the knowledge that he's gone by their father's hand.

And Santa's boot, which Daemon adds before sighing that he'd actually like to meet old Saint Nick one day, if it's okay with Jack and Chris Kringle himself.

Those words make Jacob's uneasy look turn to determination as he clenches a fist; now he doesn't just want to exceed Jack and everyone else, he wants his brother to meet Santa Clause.

He's also mentally wondering how he missed the woods with the doors, seeing as how he knows the town very well by his age, even semi-hallucinating/visualizing a map he'd drawn to find the holiday doors.

He's pulled out of his thoughts when he hears Daemon shrieking and falling down the hill.

Turns out a butterfly is flying around him and won't leave him alone no matter how hard he tries to smack it away.

He shouts for either of his siblings to kill the butterfly because it's trying to kill him.

Luna pulls him up and swats it away, givung a sound of disgust because while she likes wearing dresses and playing with her hair, she's not a fan of things like butterflies.

She calls for Jacob, asking if he's coming, because Jack's bound to be finished with his meeting by now and is probably looking for them.

Jacob nods and follows them, after one last look at the treehouse and watching the butterfly circle him before flying away.

Luna was half right, Jack IS done with the meeting and is looking for them, except he brought Sally and Zero with him.

He asks where they've been, and Daemon somewhat saves Jacob's ass by saying they were looking for something interesting and found nothing, except for a good walk.

Somewhat because when asked what they were looking for specifically, he replies by offering the encounter with a killer butterfly.

Jack asks him to repeat so he KNOWS he heard that Daemon was attacked by a BUTTERFLY.

He was, and it did not help that Luna and Jacob stood by and did not help him in the slightest.

Sally, not buying this BS and genuinely curious, asks where their walk took them, while they walk home.

Luna offers an answer, which Jacob would know.

Jacob bites that she was there, too, so she should answer.

She would, but all she did was follow him, so his call.

Jack tells them to not argue because all they want to know is where they went, not if they had some sort of competition. He and Sally are asking because good on them for exploring a little and they want to know what their kids are up to.

Jacob relents and says they were just wandering until they accidentally found the old treehouse. They didn't go inside. They just went there and saw it from the outside, that's all.

Daemon backs his brother, saying they found it on accident and turned around, because it's evil.

Sally calms him by explaining the place itself is not evil, but kudos to the teiplets for no going in to explore.

Luna asks if it's because of all the bugs and Jack explains it is not because of the bugs. It's because he doesn't want them going in and getting trapped there with no way out, and doesn't want Lock, Shock, and Barrel to be anywhere near them because those three are still living in the house.

Jacob is silent as he listens, zoning out and thinking about the rumors and the fact his brother is probably going to be in on the idea of finding the holiday doors.

While the family continues home, the butterfly we saw earlier flies over to a crouching Lock, Shock, and Barrel, whispering into Lock's ear about what it found.

Shock asks what it's saying and Lock explains that they found their way of helping out their old friend, said way being a zoned out Jacob as the family returns to town.

With a bonehead even more clueless than Jack, it'll be easy to bring Oogie back, they just need to get him to walk a little further away than he should and they've got him.

Barrel, in a moment of realization, asks if they should really ask JACOB for help.

Sure, it'd hurt Jack the most, because Jacob's the eldest, and he's really good at sewing, but that's qhen he needs to keep his hands busy, and he's walked into trees mutiple times, sat and stared at a wall for hours on end, accidentally lit himself on fire, and made a bookshelf fall on top of him. To sum it up: he puts the E in idiot, for a guy who's his father's son.

He offers they go for Luna instead, who's worked in Dr. Finklestien's office the most, is very meticulous in her sewing, and is the only girl, so they can use that to draw her to them. Shock explains why THAT is a bad idea: Luna is not stupid. She has been sharp enough to see when people lie to her, just like Sally, and is the most obedient out of all three triplets, so she's a no go.

Okay, okay, that leaves the youngest, and arguably easiest to deal with, Daemon.

HA! Fools! They have never heard the series Pirates of The Caribbean, which Daemon watched on marathon on one Halloween night, or a particular man named Captain Jack Sparrow.

Five words:

Genius diguised as a fool.

Lock laughs and states the two of them are lying, because he's only seen Daemon following his brother and sister or either if his parents. There's no way he's a genius.

Shock challenges Lock, then, asking him to try and talk to Daemon and also try to get him to do something Lock wants him to do, maybe try pranking him.

We end with the triplets with their parents, Sally braiding Luna's hair while Luna vigorously sews a horned hat for Daemon, who's writing and solving math problems, while Jacob and Jack look over Halloween plans.

Jack notices that Jacob looks confused about something and asks what's on his mind.

The question turns everyone's heads:

Who lived under the treehouse, what happened to said person, and why did it happen?

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @outtoshatter!

A/N: My giftee’s requests were fluff, action, adventure, AUs, magic, and 5+1. What I offered were: single parents, daemons / familiars, tattoos, and military (which kinda became a police force, I don’t know). I only got 5 in here, there’s no +1, and I already cut out parts, but in the end, I still went waaaaaaaaay over the max words.

To my giftee, I hope you like it. I tried to smush together as much tropes as I could. *huggles*

Summary:  Derek is a police officer, just recently moved to Beacon Hills, and possibly nursing a crush on the really hot, really powerful doctor with the twin sons.

Read on AO3

*****

Wild and Free

ONE.

“Beacon Hills is a hell of a lot smaller than NYC, but we’re not any less busy here. We’ve got the best arrest rate this side of the county and the best officers, i.e. me.” Erica grinned proudly, hands on her hips. “You’re lucky I’m showing you the ropes, newbie wolfie.”

Derek raised an amused eyebrow. Erica was young, passionate, and enthusiast ic… modest, too.

Isaac snorted, Boyd rolled his eyes, while Jordan chuckled.

“How can you be the best officer, Erica?” Isaac shot back. “We’re all new here.”

“I’ll be the best then,” Erica said confidently.

“And Erica, don’t call Captain Hale a newbie,” Jordan said. “He’s going to be Captain of your unit, and he’s new to town, but he’s not new to the job.”

Erica scoffed. “Same thing.”

Derek cleared his throat. “I’m not really worried about becoming bored, Erica. And I know better than to underestimate the crime rate in any town, big or small… or underestimate its capable officers.”

“Good to hear, Captain Newbie.” Erica patted him on the arm. “Now, let’s go!” She marched off, with Boyd following silently and Isaac continuing to harp on her.

“She’s not lacking in enthusiasm at least.” Jordan grinned as they followed at a more sedate pace. “I don’t even have to play tour guide anymore.”

Derek looked up at the sign: Beacon Hills Interspecies Memorial Hospital.

“You need to familiarize yourself with how the town works,” Erica said. “I know FAITH New York has a network of spies, but at good ole Beacon, a big part of our network is the hospital.” She dragged Derek in, unabashed in her excitement and strong even without using her werewolf strength.

Isaac grinned at Derek. “Fun fact: the hospital was built around a grove of Nemeton trees, one of the largest groves in the country.”

Derek followed along obediently. He liked Erica. Her exuberance was helping him put a lid on his nervousness. Isaac’s snark was amusing too. Add in Boyd’s silent demeanor, and Derek was feeling pretty good so far about his new unit.

FAITH was an interspecies organization established to monitor and police magical activity. Derek had worked for FAITH New York since he graduated police academy more than a decade ago and having to start over especially when he was already over thirty wasn’t easy.

“Welcome to Beacon Hills Memorial!” Erica motioned grandly towards the lobby.

Derek looked around, feeling the zing of magic in the air. He could see just what Isaac meant. An immense Nemeton was the centerpiece of the lobby reaching high up into the ceiling, which had strategic holes for the branches and leaves. Some of the low hanging branches were strung through with lights and signs, while a few select ones had dryads, avians, and a few fairies perched on them, talking to the attendants and medical staff below them or waiting for their appointments. The floor was a mix of tiles and forest floor, with pathways marked alongside some of the thick protruding tree roots.

Jordan waved a hand. “Like Erica said, it’s important we maintain a good relationship with the people here. We have a medical team back at HQ, but the experts here give us a lot of insights on our cases–”

“–not to mention how often we have to patch you all up after a hard day’s work.”

“Stiles!” Isaac and Erica exclaimed. Erica bodily threw herself on top of someone. Interestingly, the man didn’t even buckle under her force or weight. Boyd simply raised a hand in greeting.

“Hey, wolfies, what’s kicking?” He was dark-haired, brown-eyed, covered in moles, and had an upturned nose and a wide grin, decked out in a band t-shirt, black jeans, and obnoxious purple sneakers, topped off with a doctor’s coat.

“Your patients still are, you genius.” Erica grinned, hugging him around the waist.

Jordan motioned to the man. “Captain Derek Hale, this is Doctor Stiles Stilinski, Chief of Interspecies Medicine and Head Medical Liaison for FAITH–”

“And vice versa. It’s too long to say it all again,” Isaac said. “And note, it’s Doctor ‘redacted’ Stiles Stilinski.”

Derek raised an eyebrow. Stiles looked to be around twenty-seven, maybe eight? For someone that young to be Chief of IM and a FAITH Liaison was really impressive.

“Redacted?” he asked instead. Stiles laughed.

“Because no one knows his first name, and he’s supposed to be all mysterious and a genius, even though everybody knows he’s a dork,” Erica said.

“It’s hard to pronounce, that’s all.” Stiles gave Derek a warm smile. “And Captain Hale, eh? I’ve heard about you.”

“I assume from Sheriff Stilinski. You must be his son, then.”

Sheriff Stilinski had been kind and welcoming to Derek. He was human, but exuded a certain aura that made Derek’s wolf stand to attention. Even Erica and Isaac kept themselves in check around him.

Stiles checked his watch. “Sorry I can’t give you the tour now, but I’m actually on my way to a consultation for a family of dwarves. Jordan will do a bang-up job anyway. I just came by to greet you because I sensed you guys were coming.”

Stiles glanced at Derek and Derek felt his wolf perk in attention.

Oh.

Apparently, Sheriff Stilinski’s son wasn’t human like his father.

“And of course, I have gifts for the new officers.” Stiles grinned and pulled out a few chocolate bars from his pocket.

Erica squealed and grabbed hers, placing a large kiss on the doctor’s cheek. Isaac grabbed the rest and handed them out. Boyd simply nodded in thanks.

“Thanks, Stiles,” Jordan said.

Derek took the one Isaac handed to him. “Um, thank you.”

Stiles grinned. “See you around, Captain. Hope the town treats you well.”

Derek reached forward to shake Stiles’ hand and was surprised when he felt a little jolt. Stiles didn’t react. He waved before turning the corner.

Derek’s wolf was still tilting its head in interest.

“That’s Stiles.” Erica already had one end of the treat unwrapped. “He’s a genius and I’m not saying that just because he’s my chocolate enabler.”

“We were all kind-of classmates back in high school,” Isaac explained. “But he only went there a few times a week to get credits. He was already taking classes at the college by then.”

Jordan nodded. “Stiles is pretty playful, but he’s an expert in his field. There’s a reason he’s Chief of IM and a FAITH Liaison.”

“I’ll keep an eye out then,” Derek said.

“Now, come on. I’ll introduce you to Mrs. McCall and all the other nurses,” Jordan said.

TWO.

“You okay, Captain?”

Derek looked up, one eye still swollen shut and forehead stinging. He wasn’t sure he wiped all the blood off, but by the look on the Sheriff’s face, he probably hadn’t.

“I’m good.” He grinned through a split lip. “Didn’t expect a duel to be my introduction to major county crimes though.”

John smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah, well, if you’re still standing and you can still laugh about it, then you’ll be able to face everything else.” He looked a bit worse for wear himself. His left sleeve had blood on it and he was limping.

Nobody really got off scot-free after this mess. Derek had been doing paperwork when the call for backup came, and he was pretty thankful Erica, Isaac, and Boyd had already timed out and didn’t have to deal with this. Derek had experience under his belt. Those three were good, but still too new to get involved in a high-stakes duel.

“Dad!”

“Stiles.” John’s shoulder sagged immediately in relief.

Stiles approached, face serious and steps purposeful. He was wearing his doctor’s coat and purple sneakers. There was a heavy aura in the air around him, contained energy that made Derek’s wolf, tired though it was, twitch.

“I’m good and lucky, son. Nothing serious,” John said when Stiles lunged at him in a hug and checked him down for any serious injuries. After another squeeze, Stiles turned to Derek.

“Hey, Captain,” He paused. “Uh-oh, that doesn’t look good. Kira!”

Derek turned his head, lone eye sighting a petite woman in a similar white coat toting a large medical bag, and behind her was… was that an honest-to-god deer?

He was probably hallucinating.

Stiles knelt in front of him, staring at Derek’s other eye and the cut on his forehead.

“May I?” He waited until Derek grunted a yes. He pressed the tips of his fingers to Derek’s temple and a warm tingle went through him. “K, give me an anti-D and a red leaf.”

“Got it, boss-man,” Kira said, handing over a thumb-sized blue vial and a red leaf. The deer was taller than her and leaned its head on the top of hers, watching Derek with brown eyes.

Stiles stuck the leaf on Derek’s forehead and handed the vial over. “Drink this. It’s an antidote. It’ll stop the swelling and the bleeding.”

The vial was so small, but it felt like cold water flowed down Derek’s throat. He immediately felt pressure in his head ease.

“Thanks,” he sighed in relief.

“We need the leaf to soak up some,” Stiles said, smiling. “Give me five minutes then I can get to that.” He turned to John. He straightened, posture more formal than earlier.

“Sheriff Stilinski.”

John nodded, lip twitching. “Chief Stilinski, thanks for coming. I’ll keep it short.” He waved a hand at the warehouse, the lot of officers, and the suspects held behind a ring of mountain ash. “We got a tipoff a few days ago about a shipment of oxyhexfaro coming into town. We finally got a lead and a warrant to search the place, turns out we walked in on a suppliers’ auction.”

“Lucky and unlucky.” Stiles bit his lip, looking around.

“You’re telling me,” John said. “The initial ops team suffered the brunt of the duel. They managed to call backup before the whole mess escalated. We rounded up most of them, save for two that got away, the head of the operation and his right hand.”

“Aww. Damn,” Stiles muttered.

“We’ve got three officers seriously injured, but your first responders already took them to the hospital. Forensics is here, so aside from staying out of their way, you’re free to check on everyone.”

“Copy, thank you. We’ll coordinate with Danny. We’ll set up a debriefing after.” Stiles nodded. He clasped John’s forearm tight, one last show of affection, before returning to his professional demeanor. “Kira, get a 3-heat pack for the Sheriff’s hip, make him drink a bluebell to avoid infections, and wrap up anything bleeding, especially the arachne’s claws on his back – don’t think I didn’t see that, Sheriff.”

Kira nodded, pulling out a white heat pack. Derek watched in fascination as her fingers sparked and the pack slowly turned green. His wolf awoke and through red eyes, Derek could see the outline of a kitsune behind her form.

“Foxfire,” Kira suddenly said, smiling at him. “I’m a lightning kitsune. Wish we’d met under better conditions, Captain Hale. Welcome to Beacon Hills.” She immediately led the Sheriff to one side.

Derek nodded dazedly.

“Ok, let’s get you checked out, Captain.” Stiles turned back to him. Behind the doctor, the deer Derek had been hallucinating was still looking at him. “You got hit by a pretty nasty he–”

“Deer.”

Stiles paused. “Huh?”

It was probably better to admit it to the doctor. “I’m hallucinating.”

Stiles looked confused. “Hallucinating? That’s not a side effect of–” He noticed Derek’s gaze behind him. “Oh, you mean, that deer?” His face turned bashful. “Sorry, Cap. It’s been a while since I’ve met new people who don’t know her. Sira is a familiar.”

In response, the deer, doe actually, Sira, let out a snort.

Derek was a little stunned. He felt a bit guilty peeking at Stiles’ police file, but Erica had confirmed his suspicion that Stiles wasn’t human. Apparently he was a spark – a spark powerful enough to sense other people’s presence from miles away… and powerful enough to have a familiar.

Familiars were formed by those who had the ability to bind their magic into a corporeal form. They are sentient, though their full range of capabilities and intelligence depended largely on just how powerful their caster was. They served as companions and partners, but powerful casters also created familiars because they had too much magic to contain in their bodies alone.

While Derek was busy parsing that thought out, Stiles was getting to work. He pulled two more vials and replaced the red leaf on his forehead. He placed the other one in a bag.

“The red leaf is a reader, shows us what black magic hit you and keeps a record for both the hospital and FAITH. You got hit with a progressive curse. The first vial was a stabilizing agent, makes sure your system is working fine and stops blood loss, and these two will stop it from spreading and help you purge it. We’ll have to monitor you for either a spike in adrenaline or a fever. Don’t worry though. Everything I’m giving you is werewolf-friendly.”

Stiles spoke slowly, professional but warm and calming. Derek actually felt comforted as he drank down the medicine.

“Got it. Thank you, Chief.”

“Just Stiles is fine.” He grinned. “The rest are easy enough for your werewolf to heal. I’ll have someone load you into the ambulance, okay? And while you wait, Sira will keep you company, Derek.” He winked, making Derek chuckle.

He squeezed Derek’s shoulder and walked off to attend to the other officers. As he said, Sira walked up to Derek. The doe regarded Derek with a steely gaze before settling down close to him, folding her legs delicately under her.

It was bad manners to touch a familiar without permission, so Derek settled for a nod.

“Thank you.”

THREE.

Erica made a face at the body on the examination table. “Oh, god. The smell is nauseating.”

Boyd sighed. “It’s a troll, Erica. That’s kind of a given.”

Erica stuck her tongue out at him. “Boyd, you can be such a bi–”

“Cut the chatter,” Derek interrupted them before the squabbling could begin. “It won’t kill you all to be a bit more professional.”

Erica stuck her tongue out at Boyd, only to make a face when she realized the smell was putrid enough to taste.

“How come you aren’t gagging at the smell, Captain?” Danny, their FAITH forensics expert, asked from the other side of the troll.

“I’ve dealt with trolls back in New York,” Derek said. “You never get used to it, but once you smell it a dozen times, it doesn’t hit you as hard.”

Trolls were definitely quite a sight… and smell. Their skin was a coarse grey, thick as an animal’s hide, and they were tall, with long arms, and large yet agile feet. They have sharp eyes and ears, but close to no sense of smell, which was why they often lived in the oddest places. This one was about seven feet tall, with a hooked nose, and green splotches across his skin.

Isaac turned to Stiles. “And how come you aren’t… why am I even asking you? You probably have a not-smell spell.”

Stiles chuckled, snapping on a pair of gloves. “I don’t. I need to smell it as part of my examination. And hard to believe, but I’ve smelt worse.” From the corner of the room, Sira let out a whinny as if in agreement.

“No, you haven’t.” Erica moved behind Boyd despite their earlier tiff. “Because that is just awful. I’m going to throw up.”

“You’re such a baby,” Stiles said. “You’re lucky I always bring some candy.”

Some of them – Erica and Isaac – perked up. “Candy?”

“Not that kind of candy, though this is actually lemon-flavored.” Stiles motioned to Sira, who had the medical bag strapped to her back. “It’s a candy that dulls the senses for fifteen minutes. The lemon one dulls your sense of smell. It’s all-species friendly, so don’t worry about allergies.”

Isaac and Erica each took one… two. Derek pretended not to see. He and Boyd passed on.

Danny took one too. “This troll’s been stinking up the lab far too long.”

Stiles clapped his hands. “So Danny-boy, give us the lowdown on our unfortunate friend here.”

Danny handed him a file. “Found dead at the basement of a local brewery by the fae owner. Nobody even knew he was living there. We found traces of some kind of booster, but mixed in with everything he’d been taking, including the brew samples, we needed to do a lot of testing on his internal chemistry. Results don’t come in until Tuesday, but we thought you might have a clue what it could be. Save us some time.”

“Sorry to call you on your day off,” Derek added.

Stiles shrugged. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m used to it. My days off are never really days off.” He clapped his hands. “Ok then. Let’s see this. We’ll need a–” He paused and looked towards the door. Sira let out a huff.

Derek was immediately on alert, but when he turned around, someone was peeking through the round window on the door.

Stiles waved a hand. Derek smelled the ozone of magic before the partition curtain suddenly slid sideways on its own covering the body, just in time before someone pushed the door open.

In came a… stag.

After a beat, Derek realized it was another familiar mostly because he already knew Sira and the stag’s immense antlers couldn’t have possibly fit through the door or through the hallway if they weren’t magical. Sira let out a bellow, to which the stag responded.

Sitting on the stag’s back were two little boys, probably three or four years old. They were both dark, curly-haired, chubby-cheeked, and completely identical down to their and shirts, pants, and purple sneakers, save for the fact one had blue eyes and the other had brown eyes and dimples.

“Enzo! Levi! Hello, babies!” Erica squealed and ran to them.

“We’re not babies!” the brown-eyed boy whined, but accepted cheek kisses and nuzzles. The blue-eyed boy only poked Erica on the cheek and giggled.

“Hey, I didn’t know the kits were here,” Danny said, waving a hand. “Hey, boys.”

“Hi, Uncle Danny!” again, the brown eyed boy replied. Apparently his twin was the quieter one. “Hi, Uncle ‘Zac! Hi, Uncle Boyd! Hi…” he paused at Derek. “…erm, Mister.”

“That’s Captain Derek,” Stiles said. “You remember the new officer I mentioned?”

Both boys nodded and waved at Derek shyly. Derek waved back.

“Now.” Stiles had his arms crossed over his chest. “Boys, what did I say?”

The brown-eyed boy’s face scrunched up. “But it smelled.”

“That wasn’t my question,” Stiles said. “And instead of getting away from the smell, you decided to go see what it was?”

Both boys grinned widely.

Stiles sighed, but fondness radiated clearly. “Back to the waiting room, please. Sio, I expected you to be the mature one.”

The stag actually looked offended. He huffed.

“Go back please, or else we’re not going to the aquarium.”

“Can I come with them?” Erica immediately asked.

“To the aquarium or to the waiting room?” Stiles teased.

“Erica this is part of your training,” Derek sighed.

Erica whined. “But it smells. I don’t think the candy is working.”

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. At this rate, they were never going to finish this examination. “Fine. Go on then. But I expect you to be the one to get the results of the lab tests next week and do the report on that.”

“Fiiiine.” Erica waved a hand. She beamed at the boys. “Come on, kittens. Let’s go play and leave your Dada to his spellwork.”

“We’re not kittens, Auntie Erica,” was the last thing they heard before twins, stag, and woman left.

“You do know Erica’s going to bully Isaac to do that for her,” Boyd said.

Isaac protested. “Hey! I’m not going to do it for her!”

Derek ignored them and turned to Stiles, realization coming to him. “They’re your kids?”

It wasn’t as if Derek was actively thinking of asking Stiles out, but they’d seen each other a handful of times around town and in the field… and Derek… well, he had been interested. Stiles was interesting, funny, and incredibly intelligent. He was charismatic, charming, mysterious, and fun. And Derek never saw a ring or heard of a boyfriend or smelled a significant other.

But apparently, Stiles was off limits.

Stiles grinned, proud. “Yep, those two brats are mine.” He glanced at Derek. “Adopted, though.”

…maybe not so off limits then?

“We were on our way to the aquarium, but then you called me so…” Stiles trailed off.

There was a pause and Derek studiously ignored Danny’s smirk, Isaac’s intent gaze, or the fact that Boyd actually looked curious instead of his usual passiveness.

“Anyway, going back… Danny boy, let’s get back to this.” Stiles shook off the awkwardness. “I’d still wait for the results to be sure, but sure you want my opinion on this?”

Danny nodded. “Yes, please. Because we all know your best guess is more often than not an accurate one.”

Stiles nodded and got to work.

Derek watched him, thoughts whirling. He liked children and he had a good opinion of Stiles so far and it seemed, maybe, possibly, Stiles also thought well of him. It seemed Derek just had to adjust his plans a little.

FOUR.

“Living in the big city is fine and it took a while for me to make the decision,” Derek said, watching over the playground. “But my wolf and I have always preferred living somewhere quiet and smaller.”

“Why Beacon Hills, though?” Stiles asked, legs and purple sneakers bobbing up and down as he jiggled his leg. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you picked this place out of everywhere else,” he blushed lightly, which Derek adored, “But I’m surprised you found this off the map.”

“My family went on a road trip once and passed this place,” Derek said. “I always remembered it, and when I was thinking of where to go, this place came to mind. Guess I was drawn here.”

“Beacon Hills has a pretty good energy,” Stiles said. “And we’re pretty all-species friendly, so I’m glad you decided to stay here.” He scratched his nose, awkward and endearing all at the same time. At times like these, Derek saw the man underneath, not just the powerful and intelligent spark.

“So your family,” Stiles mused. “That’s your parents, two sets of grandparents, your six siblings, plus all your parents’ siblings and their families, and all your cousins and so on and so forth. That’s a lot.”

“Hence me moving away,” Derek said, chuckling.

There was a loud shout and they both turned to the playground immediately. It was fine though. Enzo was screeching as Sio chased him around. In comparison, Levi was in the sandbox making a sandcastle as Sira dozed on the grass nearby.

“My immediate family is smaller in comparison,” Stiles said. “Just me, my Dad, and those two kits.”

Stiles had opened up over the past few weeks they’d been seeing each other. Levi and Enzo were found by a fae scout team close to their borders when they were only a month old. The twins were left in a fruit crate with a letter that explained that the babies were ‘payment’ for some life debt the parents owed.

Derek had seen red at that, even his wolf had growled angrily.

The Fae Queen informed FAITH of the matter and an investigation was immediately launched. However the faes could not relinquish the children easily. They would never trade the life of innocent newborns for another, but they took life debts seriously. The parents’ offering, morbid as it was, had already evoked a magical barter. Unless another payment was provided equal to what was owed, not even the Queen could stop the magic from taking the twins’ lives. They had six months.

As a show of faith, the Queen allowed a Fae Friend – a non-fae with ties to the fae people– to guard the twins in the meantime. She chose Stiles, because if the man wasn’t already impressive enough, Stiles happened to be good friends with the Fae Queen – something that definitely boggled Derek’s mind, because how? – Stiles was also approved by FAITH – a doctor, affiliated with the police, lived at a secure neighborhood, and powerful enough to protect the children.

It became even more of a mess when, at three months old, the twins’ orientation manifested.

They weren’t just kids, but kits – twin kitsunes, a rare combination, which was probably why those horrible people taught they would be ‘suitable payment.’

The life debt, realizing how valuable they were, shortened the window to three months.

Stiles said that FAITH, the faes, and him had never found the parents – which Derek knew was a bold-faced lie, even though Stiles’ heartbeat and scent never once wavered – but they managed to find a way to pay the life debt with time to spare.

By the time the twins were five months old, Stiles had applied to be their legal guardian. Two months and an accelerated process later, Stiles had children – Dylan Levi and Tyler Enzo Stilinski.

“Enzo, get down from there!” Stiles called. Enzo was standing on tiptoes on Sio’s back, an arm threaded through the stag’s antlers and the other reaching for a succulent-looking, low-hanging fruit.

“Excuse me,” Stiles said to Derek, and walked off towards his mischievous son.

Derek watched Stiles help Enzo reach the fruit, mounting Sio’s back, and then lifting the toddler up to the tree. Derek stood up and decided to head over to the other Stilinski twin.

“Hello, Levi,” Derek said to the quieter, shyer twin. “Your sand castle looks lovely. May I join you?”

Levi looked up at him through curly locks. He looked unsure and Derek hesitated. He knew he tended to look rough and unfriendly, but he gave the boy a small smile. Levi looked at Sira, who let out a snort. He then turned to Derek and slowly nodded, even handing Derek a toy shovel as he sat down.

They worked side-by-side silently, adding towers to make Levi’s castle bigger. For a child, he had quite good engineering skills. Derek felt Stiles look their way and smelled the sweet dew of fondness. He kept his head down, embarrassed yet pleased.

Enzo’s voice rang out. “How come Levi’s playin’ with Cap’n Hale? I wan’ play too!”

Levi turned to his twin and made a motion with his hands. Enzo let out a whoop and wiggled until Stiles let him down. Enzo started crawling around on hands and knees, looking for whatever it was Levi signed at him.

Derek watched them curiously, but kept on working on the sand castle. He wasn’t quite sure if Levi was mute, but it was obvious that he preferred talking with his hands and face. It wasn’t ASL, because Derek knew that, so he wasn’t quite sure how the twins communicated, though they seemed to understand each other perfectly well, so did Stiles.

Stiles plopped down beside Levi and pressed a kiss atop his curly head. Levi beamed at his Da and waved his hand.

Stiles nodded at whatever that was. “Of course, kid.”

Suddenly, there was a howl and then a loud, distressed cry.

Derek whipped around, a growl of his own already forming.

There was a werewolf stalking out from the tree line.

And he was bloody.

He was stumbling fast on unsteady steps, dripping blood from head to toe, headed right for Enzo seated on the grass. The stranger howled again, making Enzo cry.

“Enzo!” Stiles stumbled to his feet. “Sio, get Enzo!”

Derek was instantly in motion, rushing towards the approaching stranger. Thankfully, Sio was fast, easily approaching the frozen and wide-eyed kit and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt before retreating to safety. Derek cast a passing glance at the kit dangling from the stag’s snout and ran straight for the other werewolf. He pressed the emergency button on the walkie-talkie he kept with him at all times.

“Stiles, go and get help!”

Derek recognized the man, light hair, broad shouldered, and a cleft chin. This was one of the two men that got away during the oxyhexfaro bust months ago – Carson, the righthand man. His business had collapsed following the bust and he had been on the run since. All nearby counties had been on alert, but FAITH certainly didn’t expect him to come back here to Beacon Hills where he had the most chances of being captured.

Derek faced Carson. The wolf seemed to be bleeding from multiple cuts all over his body, one eye was swollen shut, and he didn’t even have all his claws in his hands and feet. His eyes looked crazed and a fine tremor was running through his entire body. A sniff of the air gave Derek the scent of slowly burning flesh, as well as the sharp, underlying stench of drugs.

Derek wasn’t sure which end the wolf was tilting towards; if the wolf had hurt himself in his… Withdrawal? Overdose?

“Carson, my name is Captain Derek Hale of FAITH,” Derek spoke slowly, raising his arms, no claws out, nonthreatening. “Do you require assistance?”

Carson growled and dropped on all fours. Derek hesitated. As far as their information went, Carson couldn’t do a full-alpha shift, but considering the man was drugged, he was unpredictable.

Carson didn’t attack though. He switched between whining and growling, shaking his head from side to side.

“Carson, can you talk? Can you understand me?” Derek tried to get through to him. “If you can understand me, I need you to look at me right now.”

Carson trembled. After a minute, he raised his head at Derek. He looked at Derek with a red eye full of… fear.

“…help …me …”

“Okay, okay.” Derek stepped forward. “Carson, I can–”

The next thing Derek knew, Carson was barreling straight for him.

Instinct took over and Derek let out his wolf’s half-shift. He stepped back just in time to avoid Carson’s claws, but before he could blink, the wolf managed to get a swipe at Derek’s shoulder. Derek roared and swung his arm, managing to graze the man’s face. Carson jumped back, hissing and spitting.

Derek rolled his shoulder. It was a shallow cut, but damn the man was fast and he seemed far stronger than their information on him suggested. If Derek had to guess, the drugs were taking effect.

Before Derek could figure out how to stop him, Carson’s movements suddenly stopped.

Derek looked up and Stiles was there. He had his arms out, a rope of violet magic around one arm leading right for Carson, wrapped around the werewolf’s jaws, around his arms, waist, and legs to hold him back. Stiles tugged and Carson stepped back, roaring but unable to move. Stiles held out his free hand, palm out, and when his fingers curled into a fist, Carson dropped into a ball, the ropes of magic wrapping around him like a cocoon.

Derek stumbled back, taking a deep breath. He glanced at Stiles, who looked back worriedly, looking Derek over for injuries. Derek was relieved this hadn’t led to a full-fledged fight.

“What happened to him?”

“As of now, I’m not sure.” Stiles slowly edged towards the bound wolf. “Possible overdose, but we still don’t know why he’s bleed–”

Stiles paused and Derek let out a shout when Stiles suddenly cried out, falling to his knees, a rope of deep green magic appearing around his neck. Before Derek could help him, Derek felt the sizzle of magic so strong it made his wolf howl.

He remembered now. Two escaped that police bust, Carson and the other one was… Merle, the leader, a warlock.

Derek turned. Merle was behind them. He had long, dark hair and a hooked nose. Similar to Carson, he was almost as bloody, but the difference was that Merle didn’t smell as strongly of drugs and the blood Merle was covered with wasn’t his, but Carson’s.

Merle had his arms out towards Stiles, the tattoos on his arms flashing a deep green. “Give me back my wolf, spark,” he hissed, eyes flashing and hair standing on end. “It’s mine.”

“You used drugs and blood magic on him!” Stiles growled in anger, but the green magic held fast. “He’s a person, you sicko!”

Merle scoffed and made to reply, until his eyes landed on Derek.

“I know you… Captain Hale of FAITH…” he said, voice grating and tilting his head to the side. His face broke into a wide, maniacal grin. “I think… maybe… you’d make a better subject.”

He swung a hand and next thing Derek knew, a similar rope of green was wrapped around his neck. He cried out. He now knew how Stiles felt, because it seemed like he had on a collar of nails.

Merle glanced at Carson who remained crumpled on the ground, eyes glazed, and wheezing with every breath.

“I don’t need that useless thing anymore.” Merle’s eyes flashed, and Stiles screamed as Carson’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell, unmoving.

Stiles stood up, the magic around his neck and Derek’s splintering like glass. He swung a fist in the air, sending something like sharp violet lightning shooting off. Merle was caught in the arm and he screeched something unholy. Stiles swung his other fist, but Merle countered, sending green spikes flying at Stiles. The next thing he and Derek knew, Sio had appeared, acting as a barrier. Merle’s magic shattered as it hit the stag’s skin, not even leaving a mark.

“Sio!” Derek looked back. Sira was standing far away but still in sight, and he could easily pick out two tiny kits on the doe’s back.

Stiles’ face paled in fear. “Sira! Get back!”

Merle followed their line of sight, but before he could see the kits, Derek growled and ran right for him. The warlock noticed him, but before he could attack, Sio seized the opportunity and also charged, antlers pointed right at the man. Stiles waved his arms, trapping Merle’s arms against his sides, making the warlock scream bloody murder.

Derek punched him right on the chest and Sio swung his great head, antlers clipping Merle’s side and sending him sailing to the trees. Merle was crafty though and the man spun a rope, lassoing Derek’s arm and pulling him along. He cackled loudly and sunk green claws into Derek’s arm. Derek was jarred even more by the impact they made against a tree.

“Derek!”

Stiles was suddenly there, physically wresting Merle off of Derek. Before Derek could help, Merle sunk the claws of his other hand into Stiles’ left side.

“Stiles!”

Sio roared and charged.

Derek was an Alpha too, but while it wasn’t a secret, not many people knew he could do a full-alpha wolf shift. Guess now was the time. Derek left his wolf out completely and felt the shift envelop him, skin covered by fur, limbs cracking and lengthening, face morphing.

Between an Alpha wolf, and an angry, overprotective stag, the warlock didn’t stand a chance.

FIVE.

So apparently, Sio and Sira weren’t Stiles’ familiars.

Derek wrapped an arm around Stiles’ shoulders as they leaned back on the porch swing. It had been a few days since the attack and the frenzy had finally died down. Stiles felt it was time to let Derek in on the family secret.

“Remember when you asked me about the deer? And I said Sira was a familiar. I never said she was mine.” Stiles chuckled, leaning against Derek’s chest. “I’m not that powerful, to be honest. My spark’s not bad, but I consider my brains my real superpower.”

He tangled the fingers of one hand with one of Derek’s, playing with them idly. “I don’t know who’s whose. After I adopted the kits, the familiars just appeared and one of them started following me around, probably as protection or to watch over me. People started talking, said my spark must’ve evolved or something when I became a Dad, just rumors and stuff like that. My Dad and I thought it was better than to reveal just how much potential the kits had.”

“Not to mention it’s a good boost for someone’s reputation,” Derek teased, poking Stiles at his ticklish side and sending the doctor flailing about like a fish.

Derek laughed. Stiles pouted, but accepted Derek’s soft kiss. It stretched on for a time, close-mouthed, warm, and sweet in a way Derek had never been with another person. He felt the curve of Stiles’ grin against his and pressed one more chaste kiss before pulling back. Stiles smiled at him, eyes bright and face flushed and Derek had never felt more at peace and in love.

“Everybody decent out there?”

“Dad, you’re embarrassing me,” Stiles whined.

“You do enough of that yourself, dear,” Derek said. Stiles turned to him with a harrumph and lunged, trying to tickle Derek.

John stepped out, only to sigh. “Oh, stop it, you two. We’re back from the store.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But, er… We picked up something along the way.”

Stiles groaned. “Daaad, did you get the kits the sweet cereal again?” He tugged at Derek’s hand and tangled their fingers easily as they followed John inside. “You know Melissa told us we need to cut… down… Oh my god!”

Gathered in the living room were two, trouble-making kitsunes and what was supposed to be two, but now were three deers. Levi and Enzo were hiding behind Sio and Sira, their stubby kitsune tails fanning out and twitching like they knew they were in trouble. A third deer was curled up beside them. At a glance, Derek saw she was shorter and slimmer than the other two.

“Kits! You made another familiar?” Stiles gaped. “Wha– How– You–”

John sat down on his chair, sighing. “She knocked on the car window, almost gave me a heart attack and almost tilted the pickup over with three darn deers squeezed in at the back.”

Stiles kept gaping at his sons while Derek just grinned.

“Think of how in awe everyone will be that apparently you have three–”

Stiles covered his mouth with a palm and glared lightly at him.

“Sona.”

Derek froze and he felt Stiles did too. John looked intrigued. Derek turned to Levi. Levi was looking right at him, not at his father or grandfather.

Stiles kept digging a pointy elbow at Derek’s side. Derek pinched his hip before crouching down in front of the kit.

“Is that her name, Levi?”

Levi nodded. Despite his silence, his voice wasn’t grating or rough from disuse, but his was softer and quieter than Enzo’s exuberant tone.

“Sona, hello.” Derek waved a hand at the deer, who nodded her head with a soft cry. “Now, you and Enzo and your Da can have one of each.”

Levi and Enzo giggled, sounds so sweet that Derek immediately committed them to memory.

“Sona is ours!” Enzo said.

“So Sio is yours,” Levi added.

Derek felt like the breath was taken out of his lungs. “W-What do you mean?”

Stiles fell to his knees beside Derek. He made a motion with his hands, to which Levi replied with some hand-waving of his own before pointing a finger around.

“Sira for Dada. Sona for me, Zo and Grampa. And Sio for Derek.” He paused, suddenly looking at Derek nervously. “…Right?”

And Derek knew what that meant, the gravity of the question a child was asking – if Derek was here to stay, if he was going to accept this incredibly generous and personal gift, if he cared about them all enough to stay forever…

The other two Stilinskis waited on Derek with bated breath.

Derek reached out and Levi trustfully lifted his arms for Derek to pick him up and cuddle him on his lap.

“That would be perfect.”

Levi smiled, so did Enzo who immediately scrambled up to squeeze himself onto Derek’s lap too. Derek fell back, but Stiles was there, arms wrapping around all three of them and pressing a kiss to Derek’s mouth. His eyes were bright and his smile was almost bursting.

“Well, then. Welcome to the family, Captain.” John grinned, pleased.

Derek pressed a kiss to the kits’ heads and one on Stiles’ cheek.

A spark, twins, and three deers – moving here was the best decision he had ever made in his life.

[charlottedabookworm]

hamelin-born

The crucified /Cor/ as well? Oh, how Ardyn must have /wept: when he learned that. And Cor must have been almost literally shaking with rage when he learned that Gil was still kicking around - because Somnus and the others? He'd thought they'd been dead for aeons, beyond his reach - but one of them was still here.

Gil probably thinks - well, he's probably wondering if reincarnation is actually a thing.

@hamelin-born

Originally, I was going to have him executed with his own sword – the sword that was given to him by his King, taken by the Usurper – with Gil swinging the blade, before I realised that I really did not want to figure out how Cor’s immortality would work sans head. At all. Nope.

Then I realised that if Somnus and Bahamut were going for peak symbolism – which they probably were what with the whole crucifying Ardyn as if he was a daemon, making it public and slow and painful, and Somnus having hammered the first nail as a symbol of his rule – then, in that case, Cor would probably be crucified after Ardyn was pulled down and he’d seen the body, as a symbol of what happens to those who followed him.

Also, Cruellest Cut is all about torturing Cor, so *shrug* I apologise?

Yeah, anyway, Cor was crucified.

Cor doesn’t really remember all that much of it, thankfully, because he’d lost a lot of blood by that point and infection had set in and he’d just lost his son and his King/lover/husband in quick succession and he might have been hallucinating a little and… Well, Cor wasn’t really in his right mind and he can’t remember much besides sharp pain and struggling to breathe.

By the time he woke up, miles away from city where his body had been dumped, the wounds had already healed over to scars. He has nightmares about it, sometimes, but he can’t really remember most of it.

And when Ardyn finds out, which he will eventually – if not because Cor tells him then because of the faint scars that he still has, scars that match Ardyn’s – he will weep, and he will rage. Because Ardyn knows that pain, knows it intimately, and it breaks him to see those familiar, hated scars on his husband. Because he is one of the very few who understands crucifixion and he hates that it had happened to Cor. Because how dare they?

How dare they execute him? How dare they crucify him?

Cor had done what he had sworn to, had stood by his King, and Somnus had tortured him for it and Ardyn hadn’t thought that he’d ever hate them more than he already had, he was wrong.

(I feel like Regis et al would know about Cor’s scars, would have seen them before, but they’d never quite placed them – never really considered where those specific ones might have come from. Crucifixion has been outlawed in Lucis for centuries after all – Cor totally didn’t step foot in Lucis again ‘til that happened – and they’d never seen the scars.

It’s only when Nyx rages when he sees them, because he recognises them, that they start to consider. And It’s only when Ardyn weeps at the sight that they realise what they mean)

Oops, didn’t mean to babble on like that, anyway.

So, yeah, Cor is totally pissed. Like, so pissed that he’s gone nonverbal and is shaking uncontrollably with rage when he overhears this conversation between Regis and Clarus about the Blademaster and realises what it means. Because Cor hadn’t been able to get his revenge on Somnus and Gilgamesh for their actions, had spent literal years recovering from the loss of his King (because Bahamut, being a complete dick, blocked Nyx’s and Cor’s and Ardyn’s bonds with each other so they thought each other dead and that sorta shit has consequences) and then by the time that he was strong enough it was too late.

As far as he had known, they had both slipped beyond his reach, into a place that Cor could never follow them, that he was barred access to, and how he raged when he learnt that. He’d, not quite accepted but, forced himself to understand that their fates had been taken out of his hand’s aeons ago. He didn’t like it, but he understood it.

Thus was the curse of immortality.

Then, to find out that Gilgamesh – not his cousin, he doesn’t claim kinship to traitors and kinslayers – lives?

Well, it was like a miracle.

He could finally get his revenge, kill the man who had betrayed them, who had held his King in place as the Usurper had nailed him to that cross.

Cor is so angry and determined to kill Gilgamesh once and for all.

(It’s even worse when he fails, limited by his deaged body, and Cor has never hated himself more – he couldn’t even bring justice to one of his husband’s murderers, even after millennia)

As for Gil?

Yeah, he totally thinks that this is a reincarnation thing. Because like, this is his cousin – his cousin who he killed, who he stood vigil over as he breathed his last while nailed to the same cross that, days ago, had held Cor’s King – but he’s young.

Like, seriously young. Gil sorta thinks that he’s been reincarnated into the current Amicitia Clan or something, because that’s the only thing that makes sense. Since Gil didn’t know about the whole, immortality thing except probably in Ardyn’s case. He hadn’t heard of reincarnation actually being real, but it’s the only thing that makes sense.

All he needs is for Ardyn and Nyx to appear and then all of his mistakes have come back to haunt him. There will be much family bonding after they all reunite, aka going to slaughter the traitor. Fun.

[faierius]

In His Shoes (4. My Body Won’t Change My Heart)

Chapter One (Can’t We All Just Get Along?)

Chapter Two (Out Of Body Experience)

Chapter Three (We Don’t Talk About That)

(Click on Cactii in the fic to read the hilarious cracksmut fic by @rsasai that inspired that little exchange.)

               “You have to sit in the back.”

               “I don’t like sitting in the back! I get car sick.”

               “Since when?”

               “Since always! That’s why I sit in front!”

               “You don’t have car sickness, you just like to have an unimpeded view of the road.”

               “No, I’m telling you if I don’t sit in front, I get queasy.”

               “Look Prompto, that was my body for twenty-three years. I’m tellin’ ya, sick or not, you have to sit in the back.”

               “Big guy knows best, bud.” Noct whacked Prompto on the back, his hand lingering between the man’s shoulder blades. The Prompto Pout settled on Gladio’s rough features was cute. Too cute for Gladio, actually. Something flip-flopped in Noct’s belly.

               “Fine,” Prompto whined. “But if I bard down the back of your neck, don’t blame me,” he added, walking toward the Regalia. He didn’t notice Noctis’ wide, panicked eyes as he snapped his hand away.

               “Just go to sleep if you feel nauseous,” Gladio told him, following him to the car.

               Prompto glanced over his shoulder. “Unlike you, I can’t sleep sitting up.”

               “Bullshit!” laughed Gladio, pulling open the passenger side door of the car. “I’ve seen you sleep like the dead up here.”

               “Quite true. Though you do snore more when you’re sleeping upright,” Ignis added, getting in behind the wheel of the car.

               A dark blush colored Prompto’s cheeks. “I don’t snore! Noct!”

               “You snore, Prom.” Chuckling, Noct resisted ruffling Prompto’s hair. He was suddenly aware of how much he touched Prompto, and how this new body reacted to Prompto’s new body when he did.

               “And here I thought you’d be on my side,” Prompto sighed, flopping into the back with Noct.

               “Sorry, dude.”

               Prompto narrowed his eyes. “No, you aren’t.”

               “Hey, if you need to lay down to sleep, Iggy’s thighs are surprisingly cushy,” teased Gladio, nudging the man as he adjusted his seat.

               “Gladio!” Ignis scowled at the man, blushing deeply. “Ignoring such a ridiculous comment, I believe we should refrain from touching one another unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Finally getting his seat in the right spot for Noct’s height, Ignis started the car.

               “Okay, I get not messing around, but why touching in general?” Gladio asked, stretching his legs out and crossing his arms.

               Ignis hesitated. Clearly, Gladio had yet to notice the way his current form reacted to Noctis’ body as opposed to Ignis’. “Safety precautions. You know as well as I do innocent touches do not always remain as such.”

               “Yeah, okay. Makes sense. So, where should we hit up first? Lestallum or Meldacio?”

               “We’re more likely to learn something out at Meldacio. Loads of weird stories about daemons come out of there,” Noct replied, fixing the position of his glasses for what felt like the thousandth time.

               “And they have plenty of space for us to practice our new skills and weapons,” Ignis added.

               “Someone should give Dave a call, let him know what’s up. Maybe he can get a head start on research for us,” Gladio suggested. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, scowled, and reached underneath him. He pulled out Prompto’s camera.

               “Oh! I’ll take that!” Snatching the device from the man, he leaned back in his seat and turned it over in his hands. Content his camera was intact, he stashed it in one of Gladio’s pockets.

               “Noct, would you call him, please?” Ignis requested.

               “Gonna be fun explaining why I sound like you,” Noct laughed dryly, pulling out his phone.

               “Yes, well, that is the reason for our visit in the first place.”

               “Yeah, I know.” Wrinkling his nose, he stared at the phone for a moment. Setting it on the seat beside him, he leaned forward and reached around the driver’s seat. Without announcing his intentions, he awkwardly shoved his hand into the pocket where he normally kept his phone.

               Ignis let out a yelp, pulling the car into the opposite lane in his surprise. “You could have just asked for your own phone, Highness!” he stated, voice cracking as he got the car back under control.

               Gladio snorted. “Is being in Iggy’s body making you bolder than usual?”

               “Hey, he’s in my body,” Noct answered, returning his attention to his task now that he had his own phone.

               “Hey, big guy?” Prompto asked, leaning forward.

               “Yeah?”

               “If you need anything out of your pockets, how ‘bout asking first?” he told the man, grinning.

               “You got it.”

               Noctis rolled his eyes while Ignis blushed profusely.

               “I’m glad you two seem to be enjoying yourselves,” Ignis grumbled through clenched teeth.

               “Relax, Ig’. Yeah, this sucks, but at the moment there’s nothing we can do.”

               “You seem to have changed your stance awfully quickly.” Ignis glanced over at Gladio, eyes narrow.

               Twitching his shoulders in a shrug, Gladio relaxed in his seat. “Now that I’m a bit more used to it, it’s not so bad being small for a little while. It’s a…It’s a learning opportunity.”

               Ignis raised a brow.

               “What? I’m trying to make the best of a bad situation.” A frown settled on his face.

               “How mature of you, Gladio.”

               “Hey, I can be mature.”

               Catching himself before he could lean over and pat the man’s leg, Ignis gave him a fond smile instead.

               Slouching in his seat, Prompto watching the exchange. On one hand, he felt like he was watching himself and Noct, but on the other, he swore he could see Iggy and Gladio just because their actions were different. Either way, he could see the love in their eyes as they gazed at one another. It was cute.

               Prompto’s brows slid into a frown. Other than the weirdness of it all, what was wrong with general touching, or even kissing? Technically it wouldn’t be cheating because their bodies would still be with the right person, as would their minds. Though now that he thought about it, even if he kissed Noct, he wouldn’t be comfortable knowing he, fundamentally, was Prompto putting his lips on Ignis’. It was a messy concept that made his head hurt. Now that he couldn’t, he really wanted nothing more than to cuddle Noct and trade soft, gentle kisses.

               “Dave said he’d see what he could dig up before we arrive this evening.”

               “Has he encountered anything like this before?” Ignis asked, slowing the car to allow a pack of beasts to cross the road.

               “I’m guessing by the long pause after I explained it to him, no. Probably not.”

               “I’m not surprised,” said Gladio. “I’ve never seen anything like that daemon, either.”

               “We’ve fought all sorts of weird things, but that was a first,” Prompto replied, glad for the distraction.

               “What was it’s face even doing?”

               “Although I was busy trying to keep myself and Noct alive, I also noticed how bizarre the creature was. Almost like two separate beings residing in a single body. Its features were continually twisting and shifting. Very strange.” Sighing, Ignis relaxed in his seat, draping one arm over the door and dropping his other hand to the bottom of the steering wheel.

               “Wonder if this magic, whatever it is, will wear off naturally like any of the other weird conditions we’ve gotten,” Noctis said, twisting his mouth to one side as he propped his chin in his hand.

               “You mean like the time Prompto got toaded and we didn’t have any Maiden’s Kiss?” chuckled Gladio.

               “Or the time you got petrified and the three of us literally could not move you, so we all had to wait around until you turned back,” Prompto countered.

               Gladio grinned. “Oh, and we can’t forget about the time a slactuar stuck you with a needle that made you see Noct as a very friendly little cactuar.”

               Prompto’s jaw dropped as he twisted to face Noctis. “You told them about that?”

               Noct smirked. “Sometimes you still call me Cactii in your sleep.”

               All color drained from Prompto’s face before flooding back into his cheeks. “What?” he squeaked in Gladio’s gruff voice.

               From the front seat, Ignis’ shoulders shook with silent laughter.

               “Cactii? Not very creative, Prompto,” Gladio teased.

               Prompto’s jaw dropped. “I was drugged and hallucinating!”

               The smirk transformed into a grin. “Even though it was weird. Like, really weird, it was also kinda cute.”

               “How ‘bout we never talk about that again?”

               Seeing the embarrassed distress on Prompto’s face made Noct want to hug him. Wrap his arms around that big frame and cuddle him until he was convinced Noct was sorry for teasing him.

               Wait.

               Big frame? Why was that thought so natural? Like it was what he always did, holding a man so much bigger than himself. That’s something Ignis did, not him. Prompto was small, easy to put his arms around. Prompto was cute, affectionate and cuddly, not huge, power oozing from every pore, possessive…sexy.

               Noctis’ eyes shot wide. No. That was not his thought. That was not him, never him.

               “Uh, Noct? You okay, buddy? You’re kinda green.”

               “No. I’m not okay. At all.”

               Gladio turned in his seat. “What’s wrong?”

               “Ignis, your body is affecting my thoughts.”

               The driver sighed. “I noticed this as well.”

               Prompto and Gladio frowned. “What’s that mean?” Gladio asked, gaze flicking between the men.

               Swallowing hard, Ignis inhaled and exhaled deeply. “Gladio, since this morning, have you found yourself thinking it may be okay to kiss me in this body, or perhaps my actions have been more endearing than you may have thought?”

               “I mean, yeah? But I just figured my perspective is a little skewed because it’s you in there.”

               “Perhaps that is the cause, or perhaps your attraction is being affected by your body’s attraction,” Ignis replied.

               “I don’t get it,” Prompto said, eyes darting from Noctis to Ignis.

               Heat flushed Ignis’ cheeks. “I had no reaction to your gaze—normally Gladio’s gaze—earlier, but seeing Gladio do things in your body makes my heart flutter,” he admitted.

               Prompto slumped. “Oh.”

               “This isn’t good, guys.”

               “No shit,” Gladio growled. The anger wasn’t quite as apparent in Prompto’s higher voice.

               Prompto’s stomach dropped and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “You guys know I don’t swear like this often, but if any situation calls for it, it’s this one. If we don’t fix this soon, we’re fucked.”

               Noctis couldn’t have said it better.

[ocprompts-andsuch]

LONG POST

So we ended up getting a lot of asks! Which honestly was fun as hell. However, I don’t want to spam our followers with 30+ posts, so, instead I’m making this.

mixolydian98 said:My OC is a misomaniac college professor who was transformed into a grotesque monster by an evil sorceress.

My OC Bor was cursed to live as a beast by a bunch of angry forest spirits -Ven My OC Ursa was cursed to be a werebear-Chris/p>

Anonymous said:My OC is an edgy, beatnik unicorn in a turtleneck sweater.

The closest thing I have is Priscilla, Sunan, and Hala are also very edgy -Ven My OC Cadence wears a sweater his husband made and tells edgy poetry -Chris

djdashieticktock said:My OC (Yesman) is a smelly rotting boi who needs to take a bath and chill on preforming necromancy

1. that’s a mood and 2. Priscilla is the result of necromancy -Ven My OC Beckett is a necromancer who wants to become a lich -Chris

Anonymous said:My OC is a mutated bunny who is a great mother.

My OC Dryn isn’t mutated but he is a great father! -Ven My OC Adrien is a great father and husband!

Anonymous said:I made my OC super trope-y because cringe culture is shit. She’s a witch with dark skin, bright blue eyes, and pink/magenta hair. She’s a bubbly baby who trains dragons for a living and I love her. Fight me Cus I’m having fun with her!

She sounds fun as hell! My OC Nelsis is a beast tamer who loves space and has a dragon (along with a plethora of other beasts that seem very intimidating but actually just act like dogs) -Ven Cringe culture is shit she sounds really cool! My OC Nimbus has naturally pink hair and she designed her hella mechanical wheelchair after a dragin she saw once -Chris

cyrokinetic-iceman said:One of my OCs is named Rory and he’s an Irish maid for Sean Cassidy from the xmen. he had long, frizzy red curls and is more freckles than man. He’s tall and bony with very pale skin. He’s a hemophiliac but also has mutant powers that allow him to take the energy (and in fatal enough cases life force) from organic life forms and he later discovers he can also enhance their energy and life force. He’s very shy but friendly and likes to bake and cook

Priscilla can take people’s life force (well really the demon that’s with her can but whatever) -Ven My OC Orion has a lot of freckles and red hair but he is trash at cooking -Chris

Anonymous said:My gay OC Steven had his arms ripped off by a demon, after breaking up with said demon.

Wow.. hmm.. My OC Tarryn only has two limbs because of an explosion -Ven My OC Nimbus lost use of her legs after being shoved out of a very tall tree by a schoolmate -Chris

PHANTASYMIST SAYS:my oc practices forbidden magic because of hunger for knowledge

my OC EcC0 is a hellish combination of magic and failed technology and he accidentally made himself and his friends immortal through a series of experimental magic and glitches -Chris

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My Oc is possessed by the spirit of a Samurai and is immortal because of this. She also owns her own City Apartment building and lives in one of her apartments, she even rooms with one of her tenants

My OC Shelby lives in the top room(home??) of the Penthouse her family owns and accidentally became a Naiad’s sugar momma -Chris

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My oc Icarus is the child of Aphrodite but gave up on finding love for themself.

My OC Darcy is a demi-god who always forgets that he passed down his powers to his 6 year old until she starts telepathically throwing his circus group around when having a tantrum -Chris

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My Oc Alex attracts portals to a different world and goes through them in order to close them. She knows a bunch of survival skills because of how often she goes and stays there, especially cause there aren’t any civilizations in the other world.

My OC Ken is a dimention hopper who accidentally got stuck in time jail with three alternate universe versions of his friend Angel -Chris

Uuh… my OC Bor knows a bunch of survival skills cause for a while he was a human living in the forest -Ven

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My OC Regalius is an 2000ish year old immortal who manages to screw up every relationship he has.

My OC Felix used to be dating an ex war goddess until she tried to leave him for dead (the other gods called her out on her bullshit) -Chris

I have an immortal OC Bor, he never gets into any relationships he just kind of sits in the forest and makes stew and helps lost travelers and protects the forest -Ven

THAT-AWKWARD-FANGIRL-270 SAYS:One of my OC’s is Ethan, he’s about half French and a gay trans boy and I love him so much and he’s also an adorable book nerd and has like a hundred thousand siblings (jk but there’s Lots and everyone is good at braiding like trust me sleepovers there are The Bomb) I love him

My OC Wesley is a french american who’s half succubus and owns a giant library, he’s also a necromancer -Chris

Uuh… I have a gay Hawaiian war vet named Jeremiah with like 9 siblings -Ven

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My OC Locke is the headmaster of a guild and he’s also dating another guy also named Locke who tried to steal his money once

My OC Cyrus met his first boyfriend while doing a stickup -Chris

Well… my OC Xaro first met Cinder when Cinder tries to steal his stuff? They’re not dating or anything tho Xaro literally ends up adopting him -Ven

BUNNIKKILA SAYS:My OC is a member of the HEMA Alliance! Her dream is to open her own fencing school, as most of the schools in her immediate area focus on Olympic fencing.

My OC Telly fences in his spare time and is teaching his boyfriends daughter how to -Chris

My OC Cinder loves fencing and is very good at it, but didn’t actually get to start until he was 15! -Ven

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My OC took Tae Kwon Do as a tween. She was one belt away from getting the black belt (highest rank), but financial issues made her have to quit.

My OC Poppy knows Capoeria -Chris

I have an OC who gets to the 7th dan of Judo by age 14 -Ven

ANONYMOUS SAYS:I have an OC based off the planet Neptune….her name is Neptune.(I know, real original name :/ )

I named my OC Castor after Pollux and Castor since I wanted a constellation name and I’m a Gemini -Chris

I have an OC named Snow White -Ven

REMEMBER-THERAIN SAYS:my OC Stevie is a 14-year-old aromantic/pansexual bounty hunter who travels the galaxy with her robot Lux :))

Oh cool!! My OC Dryn is also pan and sometimes does bounty hunting, he also travels a lot -Ven

my OC Castor ran away from home at 15 and is now one of the most renowned Space travelers of his species -Chris

DRAGONIANGIRL SAYS:My OC Nimladrie is a cleric of a drunk god that accidentally swore a blood oath but she can’t remember for what or to whom.

My OC Beckett accidently became a cult leader because he thought it was a Bards club -Chris

((Amazing)) Well uh… the closest thing I have is my oc Priscilla has blood contracts with like a shitton demons/daemons/etc

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My oc Yilim is… well. To plainly state it he one ugly ass mofo.

My OC Scrib is just,,,,, literally a poorly drawn doodle, i usually draw him left handed -Chris

My main OC Tarryn is also considered ‘ugly’, another OC I have is unarguably ugly because his face is literally a deer skull -Ven

ATQEVALE SAYS:My OC Matisse wears a really freaking ugly salmon colored hoodie to school every day and my other OC Sparrow has a crush on her in spite of this

My OC The Boy has no fucking clue what fashion is and neither does his mom Ursa (he’d get it from his dad to if he wasn’t a giant Stag) -Chris

Uhhh… my OC Mike is colorblind and until he memorizes his wardrobe he has to ask people he lives with what color the stuff he’s wearing is?? It led to an Outfit Disaster a couple of times -Ven

WEARETHERUSSIANTWINS SAYS:My oc Hayley Williams (aka Sailor Aries) has schizophrenia and ADHD

My OC Finch has ADHD to! -Chris

My OC Mike has ADHD(a few others do as well but I haven’t hashed that out yet) -Ven

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My OC Janice comes from a planet with pink water, and secretly prefers it over earth water.

My OC Scravenlay comes from a world that is mostly covered in turquoise freshwater that is extremely buoyant -Chris

ANONYMOUS SAYS:My oc Vlansen forgot all about his past and is in love with a hallucination!

My OC Cadence woke up in the middle of a battlefield with no memory of what side they were on and they later married the soldier who found them! -Chris

ANONYMOUS SAYS:i have so many OCs. But my mains are a Schizophrenic ex-hitman who runs a daycare and a half alien-human hybrid that has the ability to control plants and crystals ;v;b

My OC Brin is a (retired later in the story) Rebel Leader with a softspot for kids and animals and my oc Scravenlay was supposed to be the king of his species/people but decided he preferred to be an adventurer after an assassination attempt -Chris

Well… the closest I have is an assassin who also has a soft spot for kids? -Ven

THE-TINY-KRAVIST SAYS:My OC, Binary, is an android who is terrified of water!

My OC Rhys is a self made android (makes more sense in context of the story) who runs a roller rink -Chris

My OC Mike is terrified of water. He’s not an android he just can’t swim -Ven

ANONYMOUS SAYS:my oc has a brand on her left side right below her heart from where she forced to fight in an arena

One of my OCs used to have something like that, now the closest I have is Tarryn has a lot of scars from fights! -Ven

My OC Beckett has a lot of scars after the gang who owned him tried to kill him for trying to escape - Chris

ECHOING-NIGHT SAYS:My OC iasi is claustrophobic.

My OC Beckett tries to fit into small spaces when he gets nervous or scared -Chris

My OC Xaro is also claustrophobic! -Ven

ANONYMOUS SAYS:Uh my OC is a detective in the 1940’s

My OC Lost was a private investigator until he got possessed (this is close enough right?) -Chris