#dock vincent

[ghostvypng]

back at it again with the deceased tableware

blood warning under cut!!!

i cant choose okay? okay.

[philoursmars]

A Marseille, il y a (déjà) quinze jours, j'ai pu voir à Arenc, aux Docks des Suds, une expo immersive sur Van Gogh, souvent très touchante...

[abd-illustrates]

Are you gonna make the playlists for the heartless characters public? Or has that already happened and I just missed it

AH I haven't shared my character-specific Heartless playlists as some of the songs on them were SUCH specific picks that they risk being highly spoilery lol 😅

(For funsies tho I'm gonna put some of my non-spoilery-est top tracks for each character under the cut! 🎶)

HEARTLESS: Heartbeat – The Midnight

ALCHEMY: Transform – Julianne Hough (this was the very first track on Alchemy's playlist it is SO them)

FLINT: Change Your Heart Or Die – The Midnight

EIRA: In The Cold – Vincent Lima

DOPPEL+GLASS: Call Them Brothers – Regina Spektor (And "Still Here" from Treasure Planet, but especially the Alex Ubego version)

RIVER: Machine Learning – Janani K. Jha

CREED: Hunting Witches – Kyle Stibbs

LORELEI: Siren Song – Lambia (Also: Ado’s version of Unravel 😩👌)

DIANA: Hell’s Comin’ With Me – (the Chloe Breez cover in particular)

LANCE: Blood Upon The Snow – Hozier (Most of his playlist is the kind of metal and high energy tunes you might expect for him, so this one's a fun outlier :3c )

BANDY: HARLEQUIN! – Vana

DOCK: Eye For An Eye – 8 Graves

[getvalentined]

Vincent actively hiding from people at every single (public) port in the game gives me the giggles, so here's all of them. Junon is so ridiculous it almost took me out—there's no other way to access that dock! He had to have flown over there to get away from everyone else! WHY IS HE LIKE THIS.

[peeweekey]

everyone adores you (at least i do)

pairing: sam x reader

wc: 1.1k

tags: CHEEEEESY cheesy cheesy puppy love, mutual pining, sam is PATHETICALLY down bad, pre-relationship, abigail and sebastian mentioned, friends to lovers

synopsis: if it were up to sam, he'd spend every second of everyday at your side.

a/n: in all of my other sam fics, its reader embarrassingly in love with him...he gets a taste of his own medicine here lol!

With vanilla ice cream melting and dripping down your fingertips, coarse sand underneath you and the salty ocean waves lapping at your feet; you are a child again, sitting with your grandpa at the docks, watching as he reeled in a ‘big one’. Filling his bucket with loads and loads of fish.

Those days are far gone now, but the memory remains, as clear as the day you remember it. The feeling is nostalgic, sleepy in the way your senses are dulled by syrupy thick contentment. Beaches at sunset have that effect on you, you suppose. 

“This is fun,” Sam says, tone lacking its boisterous loudness, you almost don’t hear it over the sound of crashing waves. “I had a lot of fun today, farmer.”

Your eyes flicker to him, his green gaze dead-set on the peachy golden sky, the taste of sea salt mingling with sweet ice cream heavy in your tongue. The sea breeze is cold, whipping against your face and running through your hair.

“I did too,” you agree. “Y’know, I don’t get a lot of off time with the farm and stuff. This is a nice change of pace.”

He smiles, that sunshine smile you’ve come to associate with Sam. “I caught you at just the right time then, huh?” 

You shrug, your own smile mirroring his. “Auspicious.” He did.

The sun is setting, the day is coming to a close yet Sam wishes it wouldn’t, silently pleading with any higher being to somehow stretch time. He is barely a religious person, but the weight of his want is enough to transcend his own beliefs. Every second with you barely feels like enough; like sand slipping through his fingers.

One thing’s for certain, Sam isn’t going to just let it end here.

“We should hang out like this again,” Sam says, a little hurriedly, captured all in one breath. Shy and tentative, like a bashful child with a school crush. “Uh, I mean, do you? Wanna? Hang out with me?”

You can barely suppress a delighted chuckle from slipping past your lips, your chest warming with fond affection. “I’d be more than happy to. Yoba knows I need a break or two or I’ll actually explode,” you huff while Sam hums in agreement. “We can even invite Abigail and Sebastian… so can demo that new song for me, I see you all working very hard when I visit sometimes.”

He should be happy to hear that; that you’d be more than happy to spend your precious off time with him out of all people. You and him, him and you, Sam and the farmer. Your name connected to his with ‘and’, it makes him giddy, causes his cheeks pinken and pinken. 

Just the two of you, though. Sure, he loves his friends, Abby and Seb have been with him since day one. But it feels out of place—

(Sam, Sebastian, Abigail and the farmer doesn’t have that ring to it…)

“Yeah, I—I dunno, it’s just…”

The unfiltered truth is stupid, at least to him. Vincent is far too young for some of the things Sam longs to say. There’s a reason Abby and Seb hang out under his nose, he won’t blame them, they have their own secrets he isn’t privy to—too serious, too dull for him.

(And now with you, he thinks you might just be the one he can share his own secrets with. Because even he has his own serious, dull thoughts. Thoughts that he doesn’t want brushed away with a snarky remark or a sarcastic laugh.)

“I kinda like that it’s just the two of us?” 

His voice sounds unsteady, squeaky. Trailing off at the end, lost in the sound of water crashing at your feet. Phrasing his statement into a question that you could deny, that you could easily brush off—because if you did, he would too. 

(It would be a bummer if you did though, but Sam is cool with that, chill with any decision you make. Really, he totally is.)

You grin, bumping your shoulder against his, your ice cream is dripping down, down, down your knuckles. Once your skin meets his, you don’t pull away, you press closer and closer to his side. Leaning your head against his sunburnt shoulder—but he barely registers the sting—and your arm against his own. It’s a pleasant weight, having you against him—grounding and tethering him to you.

“I do too. Like it, I mean. I think I get to see so many other sides to you, Sam. Without the others and all that.”

Sam feels his breath hitch, his cheeks flush even pinker even with the sunburns. “Woah, phew, I mean—awesome… When, when do you think we can meet next?”

You tilt your head, running calculations through your mind. You’re very busy on that farm, he knows; but Sam can’t help but keep his hopes up, you’re fun company. Maybe the best he’s had yet.

“I know I won’t have enough time until my melons are ready for harvesting—and don’t you dare try making a joke about that,” you smile, wide and cheeky. Right as Sam readies an innuendo at the tip of his tongue; it makes his blood pump faster and his breathing stutters at the thought of you knowing him so well. 

“So how about this?” you propose slowly. “We spend one day every month doing all the stuff we wanna do, together. just you and me—fun right? I’ll even sleep a little earlier the night before.”

Sam bites into his ice cream—chocolate and your treat, at your insistence—though he isn’t quite sure if the immediate smile on his lips is due to its sweetness, or yours.

He leans closer into you, resting his head on top of yours, strands of your hair tickling his lips. Lowering his voice into a whisper so only you can hear.

(The secret is that you make Sam want. Want, want, want like he’ll never get sick of it. He hoards these stolen moments with you so greedily yet wants more.)

“…two days, two days each month.”

He feels your body shake with the strength of your laughter, warmth swirls all throughout his body, tingling wherever your body brushes against his own. Sam finds that he likes the feeling, the buzz of it—it’s addicting.

“Yeah, alright then,” you reply, mirth dripping from each and every word. “two days. We have a deal. Better?”

“Yeah,” he turns back to face the water, the ocean spray misting his face. “Yeah, a lot better. That does sound fun.”

Anything sounds fun when it involves you.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi there! If stardew requests are still open i would like to ask you for one. Recently in your writing Shane has been very sad, which is great for angst and o loved reading that but i think we can both agree our boy needs some rest.

I was wondering if you could write some good ol' fluffy fluff with him and the farmer with prompt number 20 ("You look amazing tonight").

If you're busy or closing requests or just don't feel like writing this one that it's totally cool, no pressure. I hope you have a great day

The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies.

A summer spectacle that Shane attended like clockwork. He only ever went because of Jas, staying away from the saloon just for one night. For her and Marnie's sake...as he didn't want his aunt talking his ear off about staring at the aluminum can in his hands more than the ocean.

That was in years past.

This year, however, was different.

Because it's the first time he'd be seeing it with you by his side, and boy..was he looking forward to it.

Both of you arrived together a bit later than the other villagers, but only because there was a lot of farmwork to take care of..and time quickly got away from you.

Fortunately, your spouse remembered and you practically rushed to the beach together, praying that Major Lewis didn't launch the boat yet.

You would have used a warp to get here sooner, but the first time Shane used one of the mini obelisks...the effects of teleportation made him horribly sick, and he vowed to never touch one of those again.

That was understandable, and you refused to leave him behind. So you headed through the dark town square and to the docks.

With luck, you managed to arrive in the nick of time.

Instead of idly standing alone with a beer in-hand, Shane stood with your hand in his own. He still liked keeping the PDA subtle, never wanting to make a huge scene out of your relationship in public--despite the whole town being there at your wedding--but you didn't mind it.

Once everybody got into their places to witness the event, Lewis lit the candle and finally launched the boat out into the open sea.

For a minute, there was nothing...

And then they arrived.

Hues of lavender, blue, and green began to illuminate the dark waters, which Jas excitedly pointed out to Vincent and Leo, the latter being mesmerized by the jellies--as was everybody else who managed to catch a glimpse of the magnificent creatures that came closer to the surface.

You chuckled softly at the wonder in that boy's eyes, thanking Yoba that you were able to rescue him from a life of solitary on that island and introduce him to life here in the valley, before looking back at Shane and realizing...

He wasn't staring at the jellies anymore, but you.

Tilting your head, you smiled a bit, wondering what was going on inside his head right now. "Something on my face?"

"No..it's just..." For a moment, he felt breathless, his head dizzy (not from any beer for once) and his heart fuller than ever.

All he could do was look at you. The bioluminescent glow from below highlighted your best features, the lights reflecting in your eyes like stars.

'Wow..how did a guy like me get so lucky?'

"Just what?"

Coming back to reality, he just grew bashful at your persistence, being grateful you couldn't see the rising blush on his face.

"You look amazing tonight," he said with full confidence, only to find himself holding his breath afterwards.

As though he were expecting some negative reaction from you..

Was that a weird thing to say?

Was he being weird again...?

Your soft chuckles pulled him out of those thoughts, and you leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks, so do you..but then again you look amazing everyday."

He snorted, although internally he was dying..in a good way. "Even when I'm out on the farm all sweaty and dirty?"

"Hey, you always compliment me when I look like that."

"..true, but-"

"Woah.."

"What?"

"Look! Your mermaid pendant is sparkling." You pointed out his necklace.

"Huh?" Glancing down, Shane held the shell between his fingers for a few seconds, staring in wonder at the tiny pinprick lights dancing across its surface. "Ah..guess you're right. It's pretty sparkly." He chuckled, before noticing a peculiar jelly lingering in front of you two.

Unlike the rest, it was a seafoam green.

"Babe, look..that's a rare jelly!" He pointed it out, his smile growing as you gasped, holding onto his hand even tighter. "They're really something, huh? Nature's pretty neat."

"Yeah, it's incredible....ah...and there they go." You hummed, watching the horde drifting away from the docks, a bit disappointed it was over so soon. "Bye, jellies!"

Once more, the glow of summer fades away, leaving everyone on the pier in darkness. But you knew they'll be back next year when Lewis sends off the candleboat, hopefully with bigger and brighter jellies.

You looked forward to seeing them again with Shane..and every year after that.

[drabblesandimagines]

Materia Pops

Vincent Valentine x reader Fluffy nonsense, potential for minor spoilers depending on your knowledge of the FFVII compilation, and Vincent is def out of character at this point in the game but let me dream...

Costa del Sol seems stiflingly hot this visit round, though maybe that’s more due to the manner in which you’d arrived, frazzled and somewhat flustered from the events over the past few days – surviving the trials of Hojo’s laboratory, followed by the Tiny Bronco making a crash landing and then Cid rejigging the craft into a boat to make it back to the beach resort.

It had been hectic and frightening, meaning you were given little opportunity to converse with the newest member of your ragtag crew, one Vincent Valentine, after a more than questionable introduction.

It had all happened so fast – the so-called security guard transforming into a hulking beast, leaving your party with more than a fair number of bruises and abrasions as you fought. The noises were sickening as he had returned back to his body – bones cracking, splintering in all direction, accompanied by pained grunts as he lay catching his breath upon the floor.

Cait Sith had approached, cautiously, saying something about how Vincent was a former Turk and had some history with Sephiroth.

You’d watched as he struggled to get up to his feet, limping back towards his sanctum. You don’t know exactly why you rushed forward when he stumbled, trying to steady him by his elbow. You felt his arm tense under your fingers, before his eyes flashed red and he yanked himself free from your touch with such ferocity, sending you crashing on your tailbone on the concrete floor. Only a second later, Barret’s gun arm cocked behind you, swiftly followed by a gust of air as Cloud readied his sword in retaliation.

You stumble back up to your feet with a poorly concealed wince, holding your hands aloft. “Sorry. I just-”

Vincent lurched forward, resting his cheek against the wooden door to catch his breath before he growled out an order.

“Get out… now.”

It was a complete surprise when he had boarded the plane hours later, after you’d downed a couple of potions and replenished your supplies within Nibelheim itself, somewhat thankful to say goodbye to the odd town. Vincent had made his way to the very back of the plane, giving a polite nod as he sat opposite, legs swiftly crossed, eyes cast down upon his lap.

Every once in a while, you swore his gaze fixed on you – a prickling feeling upon your scalp, though you’d never caught him looking, his chin tucked back under his collar so you couldn’t see the unspoken words on his lips.

Vincent had offered you a gloved hand when you’d hesitated, looking at the gap between the boat and the dock, worried you might fall by how big of a step it needed to be.

You’d taken it without hesitation and he’d pulled you up with ease, immediately releasing his grip once he seemed confident you were on safer footing.

“Thank you-” But he’d already turned and started to walk towards the ramp at an impressive speed.

The rest of the group seemed content to split up whilst Cid hung back to continue tinkering with the Bronco to make sure it could make the next part of its journey.

No-one was changing into beachwear at least – it didn’t feel right to truly relax, ready to set off again as soon as possible, but you decide you can at least wander the streets again, deciding to forego the segway this time.

“Beat the heat with this magical treat!” The vendor yells from his cart as you approach. “Materia pops have arrived in Costa del Sol…”

The small board positioned besides the cart shows iced globes upon sticks – all different flavours. It did look refreshing, especially as the sun bared down upon you.

You pull out your gil pouch, only to find it disappointingly empty. Of course, you’d spent the last of yours on potions and whatnot back at Nibelheim.

The vendor had already spotted you, beckoning you closer. “What will it be?”

“Ah, sorry… Gil’s a little light.” You apologise with a polite smile, putting your pouch back. “Maybe next time.”

You hurry away, deciding to head down to the shaded seats by the Card Carnival. You could spectate any matches going on down there and get out of the blazing heat – probably could even keep an eye on Cid...

It is a little cooler, thankfully – a refreshing breeze coming in off the sea. You lean back in the chair and take a deep breath, deciding to savour the moment of relaxation whilst you could, for you’d soon be traversing across again in search of the Temple of the Ancients.

It isn’t long until you are interrupted by a subtle clear of a throat. You open your eyes, finding Vincent of all people stood over you - a red Materia pop in his gloved hand, held out in a peace offering.

“I had to guess what flavour you would prefer – I hope I chose correctly.��� 

You hesitate. “You got that for me?”

“Mm. I saw you at the cart earlier. It is my fault you are without gil, afterall.”

“Oh. No,” you shake your head in protest, but Vincent only extends the Materia pop in your direction once more.

“Consider it an apology for how I treated you when you tried to assist,” he pauses a moment, “if you would be willing to accept an apology from me, of course.”

You reach out and take grip the stick as he relinquishes his hold, not wanting to brush him off.

“Hardly necessary,” you shake your head, but take a lick of the pop, aware it’s beginning to drip in the midday sun. It’s refreshingly cold and sweet – made with real red fruits. “Thank you.”

Vincent nods, before he gestures at the seat besides you. “May I?”

“Please.”

He does so with a flourish of his cape, crossing his legs and then his arms, staring out into the horizon, as you eat your Materia pop in companiable silence.

It isn’t long before you hear Cid whistle – signaling he’s ready to depart when the rest of you are.

You swallow the last piece of your sweet treat before getting to your feet, Vincent immediately joining you – whether out of courtesy or urgency, you’re not sure.

“Thank you – again.”

There’s a hint of a smile on his face, though mostly obscured by his collar still. “I believe I chose correctly. Red is definitely your colour.”

“What makes you say that?” You raise an eyebrow, eyes flickering between him and the card tables as the two of you weave your way between them.

“It has stained your lips to a rather pleasing degree.”

You stop on the spot, face burning at his compliment, unsure what to say in response. However, the opportunity has passed with Vincent somehow already a dozen steps ahead of you.

You can only hope the heat in your cheeks has died down by the time you take your places back in the back of the boat.

--

Masterlist . Requests welcome . Ko-fi

Comments, reblogs and likes make my whole day x

[fromthe7thsidelines]

| for @phantomyre-vincent-valentine |

Cid couldn't proper recall the last time he'd had a stopover long enough for relaxation, especially not since meeting Aerith and the whole merry band of misfits. But now here they were in Costa del Sol, probably the world's hottest vacation destination, with free time on their hands. The others were just as eager to take advantage, splitting off in pairs or trios until Cid was left standing near the docks with only Vincent. Not company he much minded, truth be told, though a place like this didn't seem the other man's speed.

Still, Cid wanted to enjoy as much as possible while they were here. And besides, from what he'd seen, Vincent could use some loosening up.

"Looks like it's you 'n me." He patted the other's shoulder, then dropped his hand to Vincent's elbow for a coaxing tug, his grin broad and a little lopsided. "C'mon! If we're gonna be out in the sun, might as well be seein' some sights."

[cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme]

Tifa Lockhart X Dragoon!Reader

This was part of collection of requests from inconsistentlyinterested

Also, I apologize in advance for the egregious Iron Maiden reference and focus on the combat.

NOW! YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND!!!

The Buster Sword clashed with your Supercharger Lance, creating a storm of sparks between both you and Cloud while you and him sparred with The Highwind behind the both of you, docked on the ground for the group to take a bit of a break and for Cid to do a critical bit of maintenance on it with the semi-reluctant help of Vincent and the others.

Off to the side, Barett, Red, Tifa, and Aerith were in the middle of preparing food for the group that was kindly provided by You, Cloud, and Yuffie.

Speaking of Yuffie, the little thief was also hanging around the cooking group, though she was mostly pestering them with questions while trying to sneak bites of the ingredients, especially the dough Barret was making for the Cookies Marlene had always loved and the special dish Tifa was making with the help of Aerith who was chopping the vegetables that would serve as the sides and Red who was serving as the flame while he took a nap.

Alas, Yuffie’s attempts to get into either were thwarted by Barret lightly flicking her on the head or Tifa slapping her hand with a set of tongs.

This was an important dish for Tifa after all, and after being slapped on the hand for the twelfth time, Yuffie decided to ask her a few questions in order to distract her.

They were, of course, ineffective at distracting her.

However, the answers she gave most definitely did distract Yuffie.

Especially when she asked “Where did you guys even find someone who can go toe to toe with a SOLDIER like Cloud?”

Barret let out a groan and Aerith let out a chuckle as Tifa got a glint in her eye.

“Now why’d you have to go and ask something like that?” Barret groaned

“Well then Yuffie, if you must know, our resident Lancer kind of just… walked into Seventh Heaven one day from the desert, massive lance and all, before ordering a cup of clean water, a burger of whatever would be easiest to make, some kebabs and a single cookie.

“Wait a minute… isn’t that what you guys are cooking right now?” Yuffie asked, enraptured by the story.

“Correct, Tifa here has a question she wants to ask, but that's neither here nor there, I want to hear about their… What did Cloud call it? Supercharger Lance and Powerslave Engine?” Aerith asked as she continued to clean the vegetables, cut them, place them on sticks, and then grill the kebabs.

This is when Barrett decided to pipe up.

“I’ll admit, I don’t know all that much about it, just that it was a part of some sort of experiment involving using summoning Materia to power weaponry. Hell, up until we met that crazy fool I thought it was just some bedtime story to be told to anyone who got too uppity with Shin Ra, that they would ship you off somewhere and have you use one of those ticking time bombs on a stick against anyone they didn’t like. Yet there is one of those weapons right over there, apparently it isn’t as much of a myth as I thought.”

“Ooh! What was that experiment called!?” Yuffie asked, completely invested now.

“If memory serves, Project Dragoon. And let me tell you, I can definitely see why after the first time I saw that lance really go into action!” Barrett stated before beginning to recount the tale of the Airbuster.

“We had our backs to the wall, some mean bastard of a Robot was sicced on us by Shinra himself-” Barrett stated as the entire group, even the sleeping Red said in unison.

“May he burn in hell eternally.”

“-It wasn’t looking pretty, not because we couldn’t handle the bot but because we were running out of time on our bomb. Then the Dragoon there decided to pull out that limit break of theirs.” Barret stated, his memory returning to that moment which would forever be something he would remember.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Retracting heat shields, activating turbines, injecting fuel… LIMIT BREAK: POWERSLAVE SUPERCHARGER!!!” you shouted as you raised your lance which was beginning to hum and spin as the blackened and soot covered metal slid open in places, revealing a blood red materia crystal about the size of Barrett's shoulder within that let out an infernal heat upon the battlefield.

Then… it began to scream like a banshee, the moisture in the air vaporizing, the materia flaring to life and your lance beginning to spin faster and faster, as if it was getting up to the right speed for something, like an engine readying for take off.

Little did they know, that was an accurate descriptor of what was about to happen.

You grabbed the Supercharger Lance tight in your hands as the revolutions of the metal finally came up to speed and then… you were gone

BOOM!

The arm of the robot flew off as you cratered into the metal wall before pushing off and disappearing.

BOOM!

The second arm was destroyed and you appeared on the catwalk before vanishing.

BOOM!

Its lower right half exploded and you appeared behind it.

BOOM

Its lower left was gone in a flash and you were in the sky behind Barrett, Cloud, and Tifa.

Then finally.

BOOM!

A molten hole appeared in the core of the mechanical monster, you directly behind it, Lance glowing red and melting the metal catwalk just from being in contact with it.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT AND WHY DIDN’T YOU DO IT SOONER!!!” Barrett shouted in equal parts amazement and frustration.

“A Powerslave engine?” Cloud muttered to himself in shock.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“After that, all hell broke loose and we lost track of Cloud, not to mention we had to carry that crazy idiot and their damn near flaming lance back to Seventh Heaven.” Barrett muttered irritatedly.

“After that came the whole Don Corneo debacle.” Aerith chimed in.

“Who is-” Yuffie began before Barrett, Tifa, and Aerith all shouted in unison.

“NO!”

“Alright, alright, alright jeez!” Yuffie quietly muttered before asking “What happened next?

“Next… the plate fell…” Tifa mournfully stated as her mind wandered back to just after, when everyone brought her back up, both to save Aerith and to show Shin Ra they wouldn’t die so easily.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Well then… better get ready old man… CAUSE AVALANCHE IS COMING FOR YOUR ASS!!!” Barrett shouted, raising his gun to the tower.

“We’ll be taking Aerith off your hands as well!” Cloud shouted as he took his sword and pointed it at the tower just like Barrett and his gun.

You smirked as you picked up your Lance and followed suit, offering your hand to Tifa who took it and was pulled up as you shouted “You're gonna be paying from out of the grave to fix all of this! Aerith, Sector Seven, The Slums, all of it!”

After a moment, Tifa followed everyone else's lead and raised her closed fist at the tower and shouted “Mako, The Planet, The People, ALL OF IT!!! WE REFUSE TO BE YOUR TOOLS ANY LONGER!!!”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After that, they spent the next hour or so parroting back their adventures and all the hijinks that took place during them.

And over that Time, Yuffie noticed something, whenever Tifa would talk about you, she would get a certain look in her eye, her face would start to turn a tad pink around the cheeks and she would always say things in a certain way… if Yuffie had to describe it, she would call it an admiring tone.

Then, finally, after dinner when Tifa asked you to come somewhere private with her and then the two of you returned, hand in hand looking extremely happy it hit the ninja.

The reason Tifa went through making this meal.

The reason she would talk so fondly about when you had her back or she had yours.

The reason she held you in high regard as a person, and a fighter.

It was because Tifa Lockhart had a crush.

A crush she just acted on.

[cliqueyourheels]

Smoke Break prt 1

Fandom: Stardew Valley

-> Sebastian x Sam

-> Tooth rotting fluff | sfw | Hurt/Comfort

a/n - This fic is turning out way longer than I thought it would be! So if i break tumblr word count this will be prt 1 (816 words)

Preview: Sebastian finds out Sam is leaving town and Sam grapples with wanting to tell him how he feels and not wanting to break a promise and a friendship

Gravel crunched under his boots, still stuck in the cracks and crevasses from walking through town, despite the cold stinging his cheeks and the snow starting to coat the ground, it actually felt kinda nice. Reaching the rundown community center his eyes flicked to a window, “What the fuck?” For just a second the dim moonlight may have tricked him into thinking that there was something staring at him from the window. He rolled his eyes and continued the winding path up to Sebastian’s house, it wasn’t unusual to get the Wanna come smoke? Text so late, but they hadn’t exactly been talking since Sam found out Abigail had a crush on Sebastian. But despite every bone in his body warning him not to, and Abby’s warning that pursuing Sebastian would result in .. less than wanted consequences, he was still staring at the door of Sebastian’s house at 11pm. 

“Hey, I’m over here.” Sebastian’s whisper shout came from three feet away at the lake. His legs dangled in the water, smoke puffing from his open mouth. “You think I’m smoking in the basement? I’d rather freeze to death.” He turned his head back to the lake, legs swishing in the still water making small pools flush out into the darkened waters. Sam sighed, rolling his eyes as he closed the distance between him and Sebastian, snow crunching under his weight with each step. Once he was standing next to him, Sebastian seemed smaller. Less intense than during the day – well the little daytime that he saw – Sam took off his winter boots setting his socks inside them and joined Sebastian in the chilling winter waters. “We haven’t talked in a while..” Sebastian let out his puff and handed the rolled paper to Sam who shrugged and took it gently. He avoided Sebastian’s keen eyes trying not to poke the emotions laying in his now tight chest as he took a drag and handed the paper back to Sebastian. He released, smoke blowing over his submerged legs.

“Yeah.. I guess it has been a … while.” Sam chuckled, he knew exactly how long it had been. He’d been counting the days until he didn’t feel like he was betraying Abigail by talking to his best friend. His bandmate. His … “I guess I got busy?” It was a lame excuse for having avoided Sebastian on the last four holidays. Days they would have usually spent smoking or practicing or sitting. Legs in the lake, talking. Sam rubbed at his neck, picking at loose strands of hair that hadn’t been blasted by hair spray. “Man it’s cold out here” he mumbled.

“I’d say you got busy but Vincent was telling Penny all about how you’d been locked in your room.. Or bothering your mom about leaving town..” Sebastian trailed off leaning forward to force Sam to meet his gaze. His brow furrowed as Sam leaned back, turning his head to the sky. “When were you going to tell me you were leaving town?” Sebastian’s face and tone was full of hurt and guilt, the kind that only comes when you lose something you love. Sam’s face contorted, a sad and neutral expression washing and retreating like the tides of the ocean. They sat, silence lingering as their legs swept water away and towards like boats on a dock. Rocking slowly with the comings and goings. Abigail’s words lingered in Sam’s head over and over, If you tell him how you feel. I’m telling your mom about the two of you. His mom wasn’t quite homophobic but the idea that his dad would somehow find out crushed a part of him. As if his loving Sebastian was something to be ashamed of. “Why do I have to find out third hand that my best friend is going to be gone before the next egg festival?” Sebastian couldn’t contain his hurt anymore. The once hardened and nonchalant facade gone, replaced with the expression of a child who doesn’t understand what’s going on.

“I..” Sam looked into the black-blue of the lake, “I was going to send you a letter-” Sebastian inhaled sharply, a tear fell from his eye, trailing down and falling into the lake. “Seb..” Sam raised his hand to wipe the tears off of his best friend’s face, “I just,” but he was lost for words. Everything had lost meaning. All the words he had prepared were gone. “I’m sorry.” was all he could manage, just above a whisper, almost as quiet as the snow falling on their jackets and on Sebastian’s eye lashes.

“A letter isn’t good enough.” Sebastian sniffled, wiping his face with his gloved hand. The paper forgotten and burned out in the snow beside them as Sebastian stood. His legs cascading water across the snow as he trekked back to his front door and left Sam out in the cold, alone with his thoughts.

[klaprisun]

One Sunny Day

(Stardew Valley)(Haley x Female Farmer)

Chapter 30

The rest of the days of summer have finally been nothing but the sun shining down on us. The rain and thunderstorms have all cleared up, just in time for the season to come to an end.

Unfortunately that meant more work for me now that I have to water my crops. A lot of them had fully grown as well, but I waited until the rain stopped to pick them. I have been so busy with the farm that I haven’t had much time to visit Haley again. She has written me a letter reminding me about my hat I’ve left at her place, but I wrote back saying I’ll have to pick it up soon.

This morning I ran over to my mailbox to see if she responded, but instead of a letter from Haley, it was one from Demetrius.

“That’s odd. I don’t usually get mail from him,” I mumble to myself as I unfold the letter.

Dear Danny

Tonight at around 10 o’clock PM, a rare and beautiful event will take place.

The moonlight jellies will be passing by Pelican Town on their long journey south for the winter.

We’re all gathering at the beach to watch. You don’t want to miss this!

See you tonight,

Demetrius

“Did you receive the letter from Demetrius?” a voice calls out from behind me, causing me to jump.

“Give me some warning next time. Jeez!” I huff as I try to collect myself. Leah and Elliot have somehow snuck up behind me. I hadn’t even heard their feet shuffle across the field.

“Looks like she did,” Elliot answered Leah’s question for me.

“You ARE going right?” Leah speculates, raising a threatening eyebrow at me.

“Duh, of course I will. I wouldn’t miss an event as sick as this,” I say as I wave the letter around in the air. I had no idea they had so many cool events in Pelican Town. Grandpa had never told me about any of them when he would visit!

“Alright. We will see you there. Don’t be late,” Elliot points a finger at me and I put my arms up defensively.

                                                     🌻 🌻 🌻

Making sure to not cross Elliot and Leah, I show up a few minutes early to the event. I scope out my surroundings to find the best spot to hangout that has a good view of the water.

There are a bunch of floating candles set up in the water around the edge of the docks. A few people are already here as well like Jodi and Vincent, Penny, Maru, Demetrius, and Mayor Lewis. I walk over to Maru and Demetrius to chat with them about the event.

“The 'Moonlight Jelly'... what a remarkable species! We're very lucky that they stop here on their long journey south. It's unknown why they are attracted to light... very curious,” Demetrius spews out as I approach him.

“I’m so glad I get to experience this. You make it sound magical,” I responded.

“It truly is. You’re going to love it,” Maru chimes in. “ My dad loves to study them every year during their migration. I decided I’m going to help this year.”

“I hope your studies go well. Good luck!” I smile at the two of them. I had noticed Leah and Elliot had arrived and I didn’t want to hold them up much longer.

“Here she is. She beat us here!” Elliot gasps as I run up to them.

“How is that even possible? We were right there in your cabin and we still were beat,” Leah laughs as she replies to Elliot.

“You guys scared me by telling me not to be late. Didn’t want to test those waters so I decided to be early,” I chuckle.

The three of us pace around the docks while chatting. The rest of the town begins to fill up around us, getting good spots along the edge. We notice our path crosses by Mayor Lewis who is intently staring off into the horizon.

“Good evening, Danny, Elliot and Leah. The Moonlight Jellies are close... I already saw one glowing in the distance. Once we launch the candle-boat they'll come up to the docks and say hello,” He explained to us as we got closer to him. He bends down and leans over the ledge of the dock. He could fall in at any time due to him not holding onto anything. I see the candle-boat in question when I take a peak over the edge to see what he is up to.

“I dare you to push him in,” Leah whispers to me.

“No way,” I swing my hands around in denial, refusing to do that to Lewis. As annoying as he can be at times…

“Boooo,” The two of them chant, playfully. I wave them off and look around at everyone along the dock.

Just as I’m taking in everyone’s excited expressions, I catch my gaze veering off to the right towards the beach entrance.

Haley and Emily are making their arrival to the event, dressed in outfits Emily must have made for the occasion. Emily is decked out in glow-in-the-dark fabric made into a hoodie. Her shoe laces are glowing as well, matching her hoodie. She has a few patchwork glowing stars on her shorts as well.

Haley has on a dark blue dress with the same patchwork stars decorated across the body of the dress. She has her hair draped over her shoulders like usual, but there is a glowing headband tucked onto the top of her head.

I watch her eyes scan the crowd and land on me. From all the way over here, I can tell her expression lit up when she noticed me. She immediately starts racing over to my side.

“Long time no see!” She sings out as she comes to a halt in front of me. “Hey Elliot. Hey Leah!” She shoots the two a friendly wave. They both shoot her one back.

“Hey Haley. I like your outfit. I never expected to see you wear something like that,” I say.

“Do you not like it?” she pouts, thinking I meant it derogatorily.

“No, I love it! I didn’t mean to make that sound sarcastic.” That seemed to wipe the pout from her face. She gave me a nod of approval and went back to gleaming brightly.

“We are going to let you two be. We don’t want to third wheel you guys on your date…” Elliot grabs Leah by her arm and starts tugging her away. As they shuffle awkwardly away, they give us a thumbs up and start pretending to make out with the air, mocking us.

“So…this is a date?” Haley questions me, leaning on a wooden post of the dock.

“If you’d like it to be?” I reply with a smirk. I reach my hand out and take hers, rubbing my thumb against the palm of her soft hand.

“Nahhhh,” she rolls her eyes and shakes her head, obviously joking. Making a bold move, I yank her from the post she was leaning on and spin her around into my arms. I wrap around her back, holding her by the waist. She seemed to enjoy that just as I thought she would.

Just as I did that, Mayor Lewis announces he is about to release the candle-boat. The crowd watches as the torch in his hand erupts into flames. He bends down over the edge and places the flame to the wick of the candle. It ignites immediately and he pushes it off into the vast ocean.

Everyone watches in anticipation as the boat sails away with the current. It is such a magical moment with all the candles lit up and floating in the water. It truly feels like Haley and I are the only two in the world right now. My arms are still wrapped around her waist, but she has fully sunk into the embrace. She has her hands clasped onto my forearms and is leaning her head back onto my chest.

“Are you falling asleep?” I whisper in her ear as she seems very quiet and relaxed.

“No but I am comfortable like this,” she whispers back.

Suddenly, a blue glow emerges from the depth of the water. It was a Moonlight Jelly. It wasn’t alone though. The single blue glow was soon followed by what seemed like a million more. I hear Jas and Vincent squeal in joy, and many more murmurs of excitement ripple through the crowd.

There are some big ones, some little ones, but all of them are equally as pretty. They light up the ocean like the stars of the night sky.

“What a way to celebrate the last day of summer,” I whisper to Haley again. I don’t want to disrupt the mood by talking too loudly.

“That’s for sure,” she whispers back.

A couple more minutes go by of all the Moonlight Jellies dancing around in the water around the docks. I hear a few gasps and I start alertly looking around at what caused people to start gasping. My gaze lands on the water right in front of me. The thing that made everyone gasp was a faint teal colored glow. Unlike all of the blue Moonlight Jellies, this one was different. The teal Moonlight Jelly stood out more than all of the others and it was right in front of me.

I take Haley by the chin and guide her gaze down to where I was looking. Just like everyone else, she let out a gasp.

“It’s the Rare Green Jelly!” she breathes out excitedly. She starts squirming in my arms, freaking out over this uncommon situation. “It’s right in front of us!” she squeals with joy.

Soon, the ocean that was brightly lit up with the glow of the Jellies begins to fade away. They all start to submerge back down to the depths of the ocean to carry on their journey south. The last one to go was the Rare Green Jelly that hung out in front of us.

“We’ve all heard stories of the Green Jelly but none of us have actually seen it,” Haley explains to me as the event starts to die down. I watch as Jas and Vincent are hurried home to get to bed since it’s way past their bedtime.

“It's crazy how it was right in front of us,” I replied back, stifling a yawn.

“Someone's sleepy,” Haley says while pinching my cheek. “You sure you can make it back home without falling asleep? You could always come back to my place…?” Haley smirks while twisting back and forth.

“You draw a hard bargain. But I have chicks to tend to bright and early in the morning. I also have to gather millions of ripe crops in the morning due to someone clearing all of the seeds out from Pierre’s for my farm,” I snorted while nudging her shoulder.

“C’mon Dannnnyyy. Don’t make me beg,” she whines as she tilts her head at me, batting her eyelashes.

“Sorry, pretty lady. Duty calls,” I take her face into my hands and place a kiss on her forehead. I see her face turn pink in the faint light of the candles on the water. Everyone on the beach has cleared out now. It’s only her and I still standing around on the dock.

Next thing I know, I feel Haley’s arms grab my biceps firmly. I don’t fight it, but I’m unsure of what she is up to.

“Say hi to the Moonlight Jellies for me,” She gives me a devilish smile and then gives me a hard shove. It took all of her strength to uproot me and get me to fall into the water, but she somehow managed.

I feel myself fall for a few seconds, but the cold waters encase me soon after. I’m completely submerged in the ocean, trying to figure out what just happened. I paddle myself to the surface to give Haley a piece of my mind.

“Haley what the fuck?” I curse at her, somewhat playful but a tiny bit annoyed.

“Watch out,” she says, gesturing to me to move. Doing as she directs, I wade over to the right a bit to give her space. She takes her shoes and headband off and sets them aside. She lines up for a running start into the water, and takes off. When she reaches the end of the dock, she does a dainty little jump and plunges into the water with me. I turn my head away so I don’t get splashed in the face.

“Now we are going to be freezing,” I complained to her.

“Well we are going to be freezing together. You look like you give off good body heat,” she treads over to me and latches onto my side. She wraps her legs around my waist and allows me to hold her back.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I give her a little playful frown.

“This is what I mean.” She squeezes my bicep, referencing all the muscle I have.

“Fair point.”

“Are you suuure you can’t come back to my place?” She begs again.

“As long as I’m home before nightfall tomorrow. I have to feed my chickens, remember?” I cave.

“Mmhmm. You’ve got a deal,” she swings herself to my front, holding onto me with her arms around my neck.

“Can we go now…? I’m freezing,” I shyly say to her, not wanting to ruin her fantasies of me always being warm.

“Yeah I’m freezing too. I don’t know what I was thinking,” she shivers. Her teeth chatter together as she speaks.

The two of us swim back to shore and hurriedly rush over to Haley’s place. We keep our arms wrapped tightly around our bodies, trying to hold in heat and block the wind caused by our sprint. 

[honey-crypt]

a/n: i love this! i'm gonna do sfw for now cuz i'm low on the nsfw juice but i will try to write a nsfw part in the future so this can act as its own part or a standalone :D also sorry for prematurely posting your request, i got butter fingers

★ elliott & the farmer - the first of many ★

★ elliott had prepped for this day at least a month in advance, he prides himself on his planning skills (except when it comes to his novel but that's beside the point)

★ he wakes the farmer up with breakfast in bed, it's a buffet of eggs, bacon, toast, and so on with his homemade coffee on the side, and completes it with a bombardment of smooches

★ the farmer is a bit groggy and out of it when this happens but eventually reciprocates the kisses with a sleepy smile

★ elliott informs them about the agenda for day, a variety of fun activities for the both of them to do together, such as a private dinner at the saloon and get their painting done by leah

★ the farmer asks elliott about the farm responsibilities and he ensures them that he has it covered

★ cue the farmer peering out the window and seeing penny, jas, vincent, jodi, kent, sam, marnie, and shane working on the farm

★ elliott explains that he convinced penny to do it as an educational experience and she invited the kids' families to help out as a part educational, part family bonding day

★ the farmer, relieved, gestures for elliott to join them back in bed and the two share the breakfast that he prepared

★ after breakfast, elliott takes the farmer down to the beach and to the docks, where the pair enjoy one another's company while their bare feet and legs dangle off the dock's end

★ willy stops by and hands elliott the items he requested earlier in the week, some hemp yarn and a drill

★ noticing the farmer's confusion, he explains that he thought it would be a cute idea to collect seashells on the beach and make one another bracelets, similar to how they worn their mermaid pennant necklaces as a sign of their matrimony

★ the farmer didn't think they could fall even deeper in love with elliott, but time after time, they've been proven wrong and this was just one of the many moments

★ the married couple head off to the beach and begin combing the sands for seashells

★ the farmer and elliott each pick the other person 3 seashells and fasten the shells through the hemp yarn before presenting their counterpart with the finished bracelet

★ elliott's bracelet had a scotch bonnet, a dog head triton, and a partridge tun while the farmer's had a true tulip, an angular trition, and an apple murex

★ they took turns tying the bracelet around their partner’s wrist and exchanged a kiss once they both had their bracelets on

★ next on the agenda was by cindersap woods, where elliott and the farmer found leah with painting supplies in hand and standing by an ornate bench

★ elliott and the farmer listen to leah’s directions, the couple holding one another’s hand while they sat down on the bench as their pose

★ it took all of the farmer’s mental energy not to try and move a muscle, the slightest twitch earning them a side eye from leah

★ it felts like hours went by before the farmer and elliott were allowed to move and get off the bench, their butts sore from sitting for so long

★ leah shows the pair the painting and both of them are in awe at how beautiful it is, the farmer didn’t realize how much of a talented painter leah truly is and compliments her on such an incredible piece of art

★ elliott also shares his praises about the painting and thanks leah for doing this for them

★ leah informs the pair that the painting will be ready for transport by tomorrow or so, it needed time to dry off

★ with the painting session all finished and bidding goodbye to leah, elliott takes the farmer off to the saloon for their dinner reservation

★ gus greets them with smiles and directs them into the private dining space, taking their dinner orders

★ once they’re situated at the dining table and waiting on their food, elliott sets a neatly wrapped gift in front of the farmer

★ the farmer chuckles and does the same, setting down an emerald color box in front of elliott

★ the farmer tells elliott to open his anniversary present first since he had already done so much for their anniversary

★ elliott understands their logic and unwraps his gift, revealing it to be a new set of duck feather pens and squid ink, completed with a small note

★ elliott reads the note from the farmer and in TEARS, as the note sings his praises and how much the farmer adores and loves him

★ the farmer wipes away his tears and gives him angel kisses, thanking him for giving them such a wonderful anniversary celebration

★ elliott laughs through his tears and by then, gus returns with their meals (elliott - crab cakes, the farmer - spaghetti and meatballs)

★ as the dinner goes on, the farmer unwraps their gift from elliott and finds that they were given a new set of boots and a journal

★ the farmer peers into the journal and sees that it’s a collective of poems and entries from elliott that span from the night of their wedding to now

★ the farmer can’t help but sob at elliott’s love for them, how dedicated and caring he is

★ the two of them quickly finish dinner and take some of gus’s famous pink cake home for dessert

★ back at the farmhouse, the farmer embraces elliott and cries happily about how much of an amazing anniversary celebration this day was

★ elliott peppers their face with kisses and tells them that their anniversary isn’t over just yet, as they lead them towards the small pond on the farm

★ lights flash and the farmer sees that someone had decorated the area with fairy lights and flowers, soft classical music playing in the background

★ elliott extends a hand to the farmer and asks them to dance, to which the farmer gives an astounding ‘yes’

★ as the music plays, the married couple waltzes the night away, almost identical to their first dance as spouses

[philoursmars]

A Marseille, il y a (déjà) quinze jours, j'ai pu voir à Arenc, aux Docks des Suds, une expo immersive sur Van Gogh, souvent très touchante...

[zeebreezin]

So here’s the thing about Vincent Beverley, right. He’s a manipulative, sensation seeking sadistic little bastard with a career built on indoctrination and light torture. Vincent likes his work and the power that comes from being the smiling face of these things, and he loves his Isobel, and his favorite doctor, and if you’d ask the man, he’d say that’s all there really is to him. Vincent considers himself a pretty simple guy.

And honestly he’s not… wrong? But here’s the thing with Vincent Beverley - that’s not the name he was using when he came down to the Neath.

A Sardonic Charlatan took the name Vincent Beverley as part of yet another con - He’d stolen documentation form some poor soul signing into the navy, looking for a couple years at sea away from his debtors. The whole ‘London is in a hole’ thing did mess with his plans slightly, but well, he’s always been one to adapt.

He was never a good person, not really. Opportunistic and dry, willing to use a natural charm to skirt the law. But he wasn’t a monster. Eventually he fell into recruiting people for some new construction, or scientific project, way out on the western edge of the Zee. After that was finished, the Charlatan figured he’d be heading for the surface, cashing out and seeing how much his stories of the mysterious world below would sell for up above.

Because here’s the thing about the Sardonic Charlatan - they didn’t tell him what was going on.

I mean, why would the admiralty tell everyone on Station V about their project? It was a dangerous thing, something on a need to know basis, but of course there were rumours. Rumours and little distant flashes of light. No one really knew how dangerous stars really were, though, when they were trying to build one.

So on the day when the Dawn Machine turned on, when the chosen few were watching aboard the ships, as the rest carried on on Station V… no one really expected what happened. Especially not a Charlatan who was barely invested in the cause to begin with.

It was beautiful, at first. People crowded around railings and docks to catch a glimpse of the distant light. It was almost sunlight, they said, and after so long in the dark, no one could fault people for getting enraptured. But then people weren’t able to look away. And the ships way out by the machine, casting long shadows in the golden glow didn’t seem like they were going to come back. Then of course, people started to change.

Here’s the thing about the Sardonic Charlatan, though - as self serving as he could be, he wasn’t a monster.

When the people you’ve spent months with start to break apart, bleeding light and hymn from every wound, it doesn’t matter if you share their sailor’s comradery or goddamn patriotism, you’re going to do something about it. Perhaps for the first time in his life, the Charlatan grew selfless as chaos reigned in the birth of new law on Station V. He gathered the less affected somewhere dark, somewhere safe, and made a plan. They’d get their own ship, and they’d high tail it for London. They’d have to know what to do - or at the very least, they’d be safe there.

No one noticed as something began to creep into the Charlatan’s blistered lips, a harmonious lilt that wasn’t there days before. He hid his wounds, he tried to do what was right, and he tried to go back into the calm of the dark - he really, truly did.

But here’s the thing about him, and here’s the thing about her. It was already over.

He knew it, but he wouldn’t admit it. She knew, though, the quiet but witty mechanic the Charlatan recruited personally. She accepted the machine quickly - another love melding into one in a single breath. It wasn’t hard, by the time she found him, collapsed and shivering. Trying to swallow down whatever light he could. It was her words, though, that sealed his fate. Even still, the Sardonic Charlatan went out screaming.

The dawnlight wasn’t kind to him - the Sardonic Charlatan had never really believed in anything before, and it burnt through him without restraint. Whatever his name was, whoever he was before the navy, before this job, he’s nothing but embers now. He loves the woman that saved him, so long ago, but some days he can’t remember the first time they truly met. All that matters is that he’s whatever he needs to be to bring more people into the fold, to be remade, happier and far, far brighter.

Because here’s the thing about Vincent Beverley. He’s a pretty simple guy. Anything else is long gone.

Here’s a lil Vincent dialogue test for making it to the bottom of this post lmao!

“That’s just the thing, though, isn’t it? People always seem to think of it the wrong way around! I don’t sell anyone anything, no, not really. I’ll admit it would be easier if I could just offer up a little slice of sunshine to anyone interested n’ be on my way, but… that’ll never really work. Dawnlight’s a powerful, beautiful thing, but there’s nothing like a human touch in this line of work. The secret’s simple: just be whoever they need you to be. A friend, a job prospect, a helping hand, a lover, a bringer of opportunity. The light comes later - and it will come later, don’t you worry. But once you offer sweet, lonely, desperate people just a little kindness? Well, then you’re already halfway there.”

[our-future-is-up-to-us-2]

'Cause You're A Brand-New Species

Here's another oneeee

You're all going to be sick of me at some point but I'm gonna keep posting!!

Title is from Touch-Tone Telephone by Lemon Demon, and the idea for this fic supplied by @daeagon !

Word Count: 1.4K

Relationships: Bianca Pullman & Charles "The Jackal" Calthrop, Bianca Pullman & Vincent Pyne

Warnings: SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 9! A sprinkling of content from Episode 8 and also a tad from the beginning of Episode 10/Season 1 Finale.

This is a post-episode 9 fic fyi!!

~ Read the fic under the cut ~

The boat chase is highly exhilarating, if the Jackal says so himself. 

UDC is dead, his minions and the authorities racing after him… It’s all a victory lap, really, to really solidify the achievement. 

As he approaches a place to dock, he turns back to face the crowd. He can spot at least six boats tailing him, out on the water. 

A crowd of law-obsessed maniacs, they are. Some are just driven by hell and high water, doing it for whatever reason fits their purpose. 

And in that crowd, he swears he recognised one or two of those authorities, talking to each other, crouching down in their vessel… 

Right. He can’t take any chances. 

In times like these, he hates thinking on his feet. He always needs a schedule, everything meticulous and prepared well in advance. 

But being The Jackal means being able to suit up for any situation, to adapt like the tides beneath his feet. 

He lets himself laugh, smiling wickedly as he drops something in the driver’s seat, docking the vessel, and escaping. 

After all, he makes everything seamless. From a boat to a car, zooming down Croatian highways… 

It’s a beautiful thing to be wild and free of burden… Well, for the most part. The authorities are connected and he’s certain they’ll find some way to trace things back to him. 

Perhaps that’s exactly what he wants. 

All he has to do now is wait, and keep his eyes focused ahead. 

***

Vincent Pyne groans as the boat halts, many others surrounding Bogdan’s. He shakes his head and tuts, exchanging a glance with Bianca. 

“Remember how I told you he’s a fucking ghost?!” He exclaims, gesturing to the vessel ostentatiously. “Motherfucker just comes and goes without a trace. We had eyes on him!” 

Bianca huffs and crosses over from their MI6 vessel to where The Jackal was. 

There is nothing to hide, The woman thinks, even as she searches every nook and cranny for a lead, a clue, anything, And The Jackal does not make mistakes…  

When she takes her attention to the driver’s seat, finding an old cell phone and a number preloaded to dial, she’s left smirking. 

This is not a mistake. Nor is this a trap, so she hopes. This is an intentional move. 

“He must be desperate,” She picks up the phone, waving it in Vincent’s direction, “There’s no way he would’ve left this without noticing.” 

The man crosses his arms and watches Bianca as she steps back over to their vessel. “Well, we have no other choice, do we?”

She shakes her head. 

The other authority boats do not leave their post, instead drawing their guns in case of sudden fire. 

She feels better with the security, with Vince as her right-hand man. So why can’t she help the tremor in her fingers as she hits the dial button? 

***

He allows the phone to ring four times before picking up. 

“There you are,” He says, soft, slow, with the same satisfaction he had before killing UDC. 

Finally, they could speak, bringing this cat-and-mouse chase closer, more personal, even. He doesn’t know why he’s thrilled by the whole scenario… She could actually find him and he’d be arrested, worse, dead, in a matter of days. 

Maybe it’s because he hears her breath now, steady, but holding back from so much worse. Maybe it’s because she’ll start speaking, then start yelling at him, losing all her MI6 professionalism. 

He eases his foot off the accelerator, just to focus on her. In his mind, she should be feeling very privileged. 

“Yeah,” Bianca hisses, “Here I am, right where you want me,” She ends up sighing, glancing over at Vince. 

His eyes tell her everything: This is our chance. Rip into him, do whatever you can. Find him, Bianca.  

“I’m here, left with Bogdan’s tarnished boat… And you’re in a car, judging by the engine I hear, driving speedily down some roads, in…” 

The Jackal scoffs, tapping his hands against the steering wheel, “You really think I’m giving myself up? Leading you right to where I am?” 

“I’d appreciate it!” She forces out a laugh, and forces herself to take a few breaths. She can’t let her ambition and zealousness get ahead of her, not this time. 

Not when the MI6 agents have him on the ropes, closer than ever before. 

“You could tell us where you’re headed. Better yet, who’s paying you millions of dollars to take out these hits. Or…” She says slyly, letting out a laugh, “Why don’t you recall something for us?” 

“Oh, yeah?” His eyebrows quirk up, but of course, she cannot see that. She’s left with his curiosity in the moment and a hint of mischief that she hates to define, “And what will I be recalling for Bianca of MI6?” 

He remembers spelling out the details to Zina, convolutedly asking for her help: First name Bianca, tall, black, mid-30s or so, and another male, white, about the same age.   

He never ended up finding the name of the other male, but he has Bianca. Bianca, a woman of MI6, on the phone with him, right on his tail. 

“Your time in the British military?” She says in a knowing tone, “Must’ve been quite the journey. Expertise, weather and all.”  

She sits down now, aware of how long this call could take. At least, that’s what she thinks: That she should be taking notes, making sure not to lose any detail. 

Vincent grunts as he sits down next to her, admiring the crystal-clear view, the water, calm and fresh. Working in the MI6 does present plentiful opportunities for sightseeing… 

Bianca simply rolls her eyes at his sudden lax behaviour. This is not a time for slacking. She tells him with furrowed brows, pointing to the phone. 

The moment of silence lasts longer than she expects, and she’s prepared to press as though she hasn’t done so throughout the entire investigation. She’s killed to get here, and she’ll threaten more if she has to, if it means finishing up the job. 

The Jackal’s voice is softer when he next speaks, “I dunno, Bianca. It’s pretty… Complicated. Expertise can come from anywhere, these days.” 

He shrugs it off like it’s nothing, because he does his best to regard it as nothing. His whole unit, taken out by his own invention, and he’s still alive, making a sharp left turn onto a desolate street?  

Well, that’s how the cookie crumbles, so he’d like to think. 

He presses his sunglasses closer to his face, “Speaking of killing, I wonder how all that guilt is treating you these days.” 

The woman clenches her fist, laughing drily, “Yeah, and I wonder the same for you. Every day, you seem to pop a bullet through someone’s body. Innocent, corrupt, billionaire… You’ve gotta care, Jackal.” 

“I care about the work and that’s all.” He smiles, “I really think that you and I are one in the same. Bye, now.” 

It’s easy to hang up, to leave her with that parting thought. He can feel the mirth in the air he breathes… Everything is oh-so effortless, and everyone is oh-so gullible! Feelings are the key to unlock necessary hope in her, while providing no substantial intel. 

Her words happen to play on his mind, however. 

… Military, must’ve been quite the journey… You’ve gotta care, Jackal. 

And perhaps, that was her intention all along. 

***

“You think we were successful?” Vincent asks, shuffling closer and peering over the phone. “Sounds like we were.” 

“Yeah, right…” Bianca rolls her eyes once more and pats Vince on the shoulder. “All we know is that he’s on the move, and that he’s potentially being chased by authorities. Knowing him, they’re either dead or exhausted.” 

“So we got jack shit. Hip hip fucking hooray.” He scowls, shaking his head. “Apologies for the optimism, Bianca.” The sarcasm in his voice is as clear as day. 

She looks between the phone and her co-worker, thoughts running through her mind. We may have never reached contact if he didn’t leave this for us…  

She shoves the phone into Vincent’s hands, determination ablaze in her eyes. 

“Not quite. We look after this phone, call him at random intervals. We judge what we can on voice, sound, and intel, along with anything from Isabel and Osi. We can’t give up on this fight.” 

Vincent nods, smiling broadly, “I never said that we were.”

[headfulloflettuce]

The Human Who Fooled All of Prythian

31. I Am Definitely Just a Tourist. For sure. 100%

“I confess I do not know why, but looking at the stars always makes me dream.” 

- Vincent van Gogh

“Holy shit.” Cosette whispered as their boat entered Velaris’s port.

“This is nothing yet, wait until you get into the city.” one of the faeries yelled, laughing at her reaction, helping several crewmates drag rope to help the boat dock.

Cosette closed her mouth, still staring at the city of starlight. Or well, the parts she could see. 

From the ship Cosette saw the city stretch out into the mountains, streets glowing like someone had spilled starlight over the peaks and let them slide down, creating various cascading patterns.

Cosette leaned on the edge of the ship, trying to get a better view of the city beyond the port’s buildings. The wind, chilly, but not nearly as harsh as the one in Winter Court, ruffled her hair and dress. She had taken the cloak and hat off after they entered Day Court’s waters, the weather shifting to one of warmth.

The Sidra River cut through the city, filled with small sailing boats. Several bridges went across, permitting carts and people to travel.

As the boat moved deeper into the port, the Sidra River was partially obscured from sight, making Cosette frown like a child denied a tasty treat.

Alright, well, at least the Velaris hype was real.

Cosette no longer questioned why any individual, faerie or human, would want to come to this place. It was just too pretty to pass up!

“Sorry to wake you from your reverie Miss, but the boat has docked.” the same fae from before gently patted her on the back.

“Oh? Right! Thank you!” Cosette quickly moved from her spot, finding Amelio and Linus ready to climb off the ship, waiting for the gangway to be raised.

Their boat was much larger than most of the other ships in the bay. Thus the faeries at the dock had to raise a platform to make climbing off the freighter easier. 

Otherwise the bridge would be more like a slide.

Cosette walked down the steps, holding onto the railings, her head looking from side to side, earning an eye roll from Linus.

“For spirits sake Cosette, you live in the capital of Winter Court, Velaris isn’t that impressive by comparison.” the man muttered, quiet enough so that the Night Court sailors nearby wouldn’t hear.

Cosette ignored him.

No wonder all the girls want to be isekai’d here. Look at the buildings! Look at the sky! Oh my God the sky!!

Cosette stared at the sky. Despite it being daytime the stars were still visible, with the sky being a darker shade than normal.

Okay, that’s it. If I find a bat boy out on the street I am gonna make them fall in love with me so hard they have to take me in and help me.

Cosette paused.

Wait, none of the bat boys are eligible bachelors though. Damnit, that means I cannot get a sugar baby pass. Whoever put me in this world really forgot to give me the traditional isekai startup kit for a girl. I want my money back.

Similar to the Winter Court, Lesser Faeries were rushing from bay to bay, managing and assisting ships with loading cargo or maintenance, with several large faeries carrying tool kits to a nearby sailing ship that was unloading boxes of fish.

Cosette didn’t even care that Amelio was too busy to chat, there was just so much to see.

Some of the faeries here had grayish skin tones, with a couple blue heads peeking out near the edge of the pier, reporting something to the faeries with tools.

“Cosette?”

“Huh?”

“Back to Prythian Cosette.”

Cosette snapped out of it, turning to blink at Amelio, his eyes crinkling in amusement.

“They have unloaded a part of our cargo which we’re planning on delivering now.”

“What about the rest of it?”

“It’ll be stored in a warehouse and we’ll take care of it during the following days.”

Cosette nodded. 

“Will you be coming with us?” he continued.

“Yes, I don’t really know my way around the city, so I would appreciate some direction.”

Amelio nodded, offering his arm to Solene who took it, and began walking towards the exit of the port, several carts of produce and packages following after them.

“We will be traveling down the roads meant for goods, but afterwards you’ll be able to properly see the city.” 

I don’t know what you’re talking about Amelio, I can already see plenty from here.

Just in the port Cosette had already spotted various shops and restaurants where sailors mingled with regular civilians.

“Miss, head down!”

Cosette barely ducked under as a wooden log appeared where her head was seconds ago.

Two large faeries with skin color of smoke, walked past her, carrying a long wooden log.

“You should move back to your group, Miss, don’t want to get hurt.” one of them warned.

Cosette nodded, quickly moving back to rejoin Amelio and the rest, having gotten separated from them as she was exploring. 

“Seriously…foreigners…so annoying…go back to your own court.” the other faerie muttered to his friend who shook his head in disappointment.

Amelio cast a small glance over his shoulder to Cosette, “Don’t fall behind.”

Cosette picked up the pace, getting into the carriage that was waiting for them at the edge of the port, after Solene and Amelio entered, with Linus begrudgingly, letting her sit down first.

Since they would be returning to the ship to rest for the night, Cosette had just a small bag with her, inside of which was her xeranthemum perfume, the perfume samples, notebook, pencil and a light cloak, in case she got cold in the evening.

The carriage was different from the ones in Winter Court. Instead of the whole thing being enclosed, it had no walls, with curtains hanging off the roof of the carriage, ready to be unfurled to provide privacy if needed.

The moment the carriage took off Cosette leaned over to get the best view she could, looking out at the city in fascination, earning a snort from Linus who quickly coughed to silence it when seeing Amelio’s expression. The road they took was a separate one from the main street passing between shops and businesses, permitting faster and more direct travel to the backs of stores and other warehouses.

Despite this, Cosette could still see quite a bit of the ongoings on the main streets where faeries walked in groups, chatting and laughing. Some were shopping for food, others casually relaxing in cafes. The cobblestone that made up the roads almost shimmered, making it look iridescent. 

In retrospect, she could see just how much their group stuck out by clothes alone. While most of the Velaris citizens wore airy robes and clothes in darker blues or purples, their group wore much more heavy clothing with furs that didn’t suit the weather. Even those that decided to cover up from the chilly breeze wore translucent cloaks or sparkling, light shawls. 

The whole scene seemed almost otherworldly. 

I am sure the Night Court citizens have warmer clothing for venturing into the mountains, or when it snowed.

The carriage eventually came to a stop behind a furniture store, with Amelio and Linus leaving Solene and Cosette to greet the business owner that came out to meet them.

Cosette also got out of the carriage, still not used to the lack of snow separating her from the ground.

Funny how quickly I got used to Winter Court as my new norm, though perhaps, that was a human strength rather than a weakness: adaptability.

Cosette watched Linus delegate and assist in the distribution of goods, doing her best to not get in the way. Solene joined her.

“It’s really pretty here.” Cosette said tentatively, uncertain if Solene’s frost towards her had thawed by this point.

“It is.” Solene nodded, “I especially like the main streets, it’s unlike anything we have back home. Everything  is practically glowing with moonlight.”

“Yes!” Cosette nodded excitedly in agreement, happy that Solene was finally speaking normally to her again.

Amelio approached the group, his employees unloading produce with Linus going down a catalog.

“The next shop is right next door so we can just walk to it to deliver the goods.”

Solene nodded in agreement.

“Amelio, why do you visit all the vendors personally?” Cosette asked.

“Well, I want them to like me.” Amelio smiled.

Like you want me to like you?

Seeing that she wasn’t convinced he elaborated, “It’s to establish good relations in a place that I don’t frequent on the regular.”

“Right.”

The group walked with the carts several shops over to a restaurant, where the amount that faeries began unloading was much more substantial than for the previous stop.

“Don’t you have anything better to be doing than staring at the buildings?” Linus raised an eyebrow.

“You seem to have plenty of time to chat with me even though you’re supposed to be helping.” she retorted.

“Sure, sure, turn it around on me when you’re the one who supposedly came here because of your project.” Linus walked back over to the other Lesser Faeries, checking something off his clipboard.

“We’ll be staying here for about three days, with us leaving midway on the third one.” Amelio spoke up, “If you want to find the information you came here for, it’s probably best to go now.”

Are you trying to get rid of me?

Cosette had to admit they had a point though, she needed to get a move on.

“Where should I go to find weavers and artisans?” Cosette didn’t mention the Rainbow of Velaris since according to her ‘lore’ she shouldn’t know about it.

“You’ll want to head to the Rainbow of Velaris. Just cross the Sidra River and you’ll find it.” 

After giving her directions on how to get to the bridge Amelio turned back to Linus, monitoring his work with the other faeries, Solene wrapping her arms around her husband’s.

They look like a family.

Taking a deep breath, and without looking back Cosette began her journey.

Cosette was starting to fear she would never make it to the Rainbow of Velaris as her eyes kept wandering to literally everything else that was present. Bakeries, forges, clothing shops, cafes, and various food vendors selling fruits she had never seen before. The streets managed to not be too crowded despite the number of buildings, faeries and carts, because of the organized design of roads.

Perhaps it was simply the number of magical elements that prevented it from feeling like New York or any other major city Cosette had visited back on Earth, but something about the streets just felt like an inescapable dream.

It was almost a similar experience to when she first came to Winter Court; except that when she had arrived there she had hiked in heels for several days straight and had been stressed out of her mind for her own and Ophelia’s future. At least, Cosette assumed if she had been in a better state of mind she would have been as blown away as she was now by Velaris.

The human took a deep breath and relaxed, being able to afford to enjoy the scenery around her.

A real privilege in this world - not fearing that Eris would ride up on a horse and bust your secret for the whole of Prythian to see.

Cosette stopped before a small table full of unfamiliar sweets.

Ophelia would like these.

In fact, I should get her and Blanche’s family some souvenirs while I am here. Something for Theo too, he’s hard at work after all.

After managing to pull herself away from the food stalls, Cosette stood in awe of the Sidra River for a few minutes, staring at all the sailboats. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen a river before. Cosette had seen plenty, albeit smaller ones. The Sidra was simply enchanting, from its shimmering dark blue hues to the sailboats that had various flags and ribbons billowing in the air.

Crossing the bridge, the next place that had caught Cosette’s eye was different from the rest. Instead of a shop, a merchant’s tent or some other vendor, it was a shrine. 

The walls were tall, built out of granite and limestone, forming a large dome. Craning her neck as she walked up the steps, Cosette could see how the stained glass windows, stretching almost the entire length of the wall, depicted great horned owls and unfamiliar planets.

Do they have their own solar system?

Cosette stopped.

Wait, do they even know they’re on a planet? How much has science actually progressed in Prythian?

Do…do they know about gravity?

Cosette couldn’t remember if such details were mentioned in the ACOTAR books.

Walking up the stairs leading to the heavy doors that opened with ease to her touch, Cosette stepped inside the shrine.

It was brighter than she expected. The center of the shrine, which was beneath the dome, was the brightest spot in the building and contained rows upon rows of seats in a circular fashion, surrounding a pool of water. 

Looking up Cosette gaped, unable to tear her eyes off the ceiling decorated in a large mosaic made out of crystal and stone, depicting a night sky full of stars and nightjars. She could swear the crystals shone, being the ones responsible for the surprising illumination within the building.

In the air, specs of green, purple, pink and even orange fluttered across the sky, Squinting, as one flew closer Cosette realized what they were - moths. Moths of various species danced across the fake sky, landing on any object they chose to, before taking flight once more.

The candles placed along the walls provided additional luminance, highlighting how the mosaic sky crept down the pillars and walls, before slowly fading into the limestone peppered with granite, where cabinets with books and scrolls rested, accompanied by small paintings decorating the walls.

“Ahem.” a soft voice made Cosette almost jump.

She turned to face a woman dressed in a dark blue light dress with cold shoulder sleeves, the hem of which was decorated with sparkles. The whole outfit felt casual and relaxed due to its silky and floaty design. At the center of the woman’s chest there was a large ornate star brooch.

“Do you require assistance?”

“I-oh. No, I just came in. Sorry, is that not allowed? No one stopped me…”

“No, no, it’s completely fine.” the lady smiled, “I just ask because I haven’t seen you here before. I know most of our visitors by name.”

Aw shucks, was it the staring that gave me away?

“I am a tourist.” Cosette cringed, deciding to be honest, “I came in because the building looked pretty.”

The lady tilted her head, before smiling, “Ah, well that makes a lot more sense. You had me concerned that something had been keeping you from coming to a Spirit’s shrine all this time. May I ask what court you are from?”

Is there a strict schedule for coming to church, because me and Ophelia haven’t gone once in Winter Court.

“I am from Winter Court.”

“Lovely.”

“Is…is it required to go to a spirit’s shrine, regularly?”

The lady frowned, “No, of course not. Or well, it isn’t in Velaris. We give our citizens the choice of who they choose to worship, but most people come in to pay respect once in a while. A small portion of the citizens choose to worship the minor, supporting spirits instead, along with the Mother, of course. It’s quite funny actually, you can tell whenever exam season is happening in schools, or when merchant families are traveling as High Fae and Lesser Fae kids alike will come in to pray for their success.” she gently brushed her dark black hair, “Times like that make me think we’re truly the same.”

Cosette’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say anything, “Minor spirits…like the farming spirits?”

How did education work within Velaris? Or anywhere in Prythian in fact?

The lady gave Cosette a look.

Cosette, shut up, you’re digging yourself into an early grave.

“Not exactly…but something similar. Do you not have minor spirits in Winter Court?”

“I-no I am sure they exist, I am just not aware of them. I came here from Winter Court but I am originally from the Faerie Realms.”

“Ahhh.” the lady nodded in understanding, “Do you worship just the Mother then?”

Again, a reminder to self to get a specialized textbook about spirits. My lack of knowledge is absolutely unacceptable at this point. 

Also, when I find your Mister Aristippus I am going to tell you exactly what I think about your vague answers or lack thereof for the spirits. How dare you only focus on the High Priestesses?! I am being quizzed out here and you did not prepare me. I place all the blame on you.

“That was the case for my family and village.” Cosette decided if she was going to bury herself, she would put the final nail in too, “Is there a difference between the priestesses who work here and the ones that worship the Mother?”

“Are you referring to the High Priestesses?”

Cosette nodded.

“Oh, most definitely, although, we too worship the Mother.” she frowned, “Do they not separate the two in the Faerie Realms?”

Cosette shrugged, “Not sure, my family just didn’t worship the spirits as much so…”

“You seem to be quite an uneducated child. The High Priestesses visit the Faerie Realms for important celebrations and events, you should know this.” 

Sorry ma’am.

Cosette looked down at the ground in shame.

Easing up on her though the faerie explained, “The priestesses are High Fae we are Lesser Fae.”

“Always?”

The lady was starting to look very concerned, “Yes…always.”

“I see.” Cosette smiled brightly.

See? I am cute, you can’t stay mad at me for long! 

The faerie tilted her head slightly.

Please don’t stay mad at me.

The faerie nodded, the only sound coming from the shimmering pool of water, and a few other shrine workers, moving around silently in the background.

Deciding to change the topic, Cosette blurted out, “Does the Spirit grant them?”

“What?”

“The wishes of the children?”

The faerie laughed, the sound like an evening breeze, “Sometimes.”

“Well, thank you for having me.” Cosette bowed, unsure where to take the conversation next, “I am sorry for disturbing you.”

The faerie shook her head, “You’re fine, would you not like to come and pray?”

“Can I?”

“Of course child, why would you be turned away?”

The fae led Cosette deeper into the shrine, passed the rows of seats and the pool. 

“My name is Lailah, what about yours?”

“Cosette, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lailah.” Cosette hoped the shrine maidens didn’t have a particular title she was supposed to use.

The faerie stopped and knelt before a stained glass window of a white hooded figure with white sparkling hair, and skin made up of galaxies fading from white to dark, clothed in modest robes from which nocturnal critters peaked out, hiding amongst the stars in the form of constellations. 

Cosette followed her lead.

“Here is where we say our prayers. I assume you do not know how prayers are done in Winter Court?”

Cosette shook her head.

She sighed, tired but not angry, “The youth these days…no respect for tradition.”

“Sorry.”

My apologies for being too busy trying to survive to go to church.

“No worries, I was just curious if it was different from our traditions.” Lailah gave Cosette a slightly annoyed smile.

Right, I forget you all have basically never left Velaris.

“If you would like to go somewhere besides Velaris, where would you go?”

Lailah thought for a minute, “I have always wanted to see the Summer Court.”

“The beach is the best!

“Have you been to Summer Court as well?”

“No, we had a beach back home.”

The faerie nodded, turning her attention back to the stained glass, and lit one of the many candles. Throwing away the match she closed her eyes, and put her hands together in prayer afterwards.

Seems like a waste to get rid of a good match.

Cosette followed suit, staring at the candle she lit herself.

Noticing her tension Lailah jokingly whispered, “You can pray if you wish.”

So Cosette prayed.

Hi, Spirit of the Night Court. I apologize, I am not very good at this due to a lack of experience, but I will try my best.

Cosette sat quietly, thinking.

I pray…please let me find what I am looking for.

She paused; not specific enough.

Spirit of Night, please help me in finding the necessary information for the spirit homes. I would be honored if you assisted. I really want to help the people back in Winter Court and I truly think your court can help me.

Cosette shifted slightly, Lailah beside her not moving a millimeter.

Should I do something else? What else does a perso-faerie do in this kind of situation?

Cosette tried to think back to the times when her mother would take them to see cathedrals in France, claiming them to be better than the ones in America. Or the Sunday service their father would insist on driving them to once in a while to maintain appearances with extended family.

Cosette wasn’t sure why their father insisted on it, considering that he beat up an uncle who claimed he shouldn’t have married an immigrant, but who was she to judge? Maybe he wanted to beat someone up again. 

Cosette and her brother would always be a willing audience, to their mother’s displeasure. Not that she didn’t like the act of honor. She simply didn’t want her children to witness such brutality amongst adults that were supposed to protect them.

Aren’t you supposed to confess to your sins or something?

Cosette thought hard.

Okay. What have I done that’s absolutely terrible?

I guess I did stab a faerie, but he was also trying to kill me and a fellow human so that was somewhat justified.

I did buy the home of two innocent faeries but I also allowed them to stay there, while giving them a job! I lived in a hotel while those two lived in a house I technically owned!

I stole a faerie’s locket and the money of other workers in the Forest House.

Cosette thought hard.

Guess that one is harder to excuse. It was a simple act of revenge. Granted, revenge against the fact that I had gotten whipped and thrown into a cell for that snake’s lie, but nonetheless it was petty. 

Cosette opened her eyes.

The smarter choice would have been to steal something else. Targeting a personal item was too bold a move.

She shook her head.

It was in the past now. Nothing I could do about it anyways.

Cosette almost laughed. 

Aren’t I supposed to be feeling remorseful, not strategizing for how to commit crimes better?

As for an actual sin…apart from the countless minor things I have done throughout my time on Earth, I wish I had said goodbye to my family. A simple text at the end of the messages she had spammed her parents, or the voice memos she had left her brother saying a proper ‘Goodbye.’

Cosette considered that of all things, her greatest sin.

She stood up, Lailah opening her eyes to look at her. The fae’s dark hair looked a dark shade of blue under the lighting, with a couple moths finding their resting spots within Lailah’s locks.

“I will be going.” Cosette said quietly so as not to disturb her too much, “Thank you so much for showing me the shrine and letting me pray here.”

“We welcome anyone who is curious.” she responded, accompanying Cosette back to the front door, trying not to move her head too much so as not to disturb the moths, “I am glad you decided to stop by Cosette. Perhaps this will encourage you to go to a shrine back in Winter Court.” she gave her a slightly pointed look.

“I will make sure to pay my respects to the Spirit of Winter as well.” Cosette gave a small bow, unsure how one was supposed to pay respect to the shrine maidens, “Thank you again.”

“Have a safe rest of your trip.”

As much as the Rainbow of Verlaris was gorgeous, Cosette couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

“Sorry love, but it's a trade secret. I can’t show you how I weave my baskets.” the woman gave her an apologetic smile.

“It’s okay, I understand.” Cosette smiled back. 

This was the twentieth one. Guess I should have expected this strong of a resistance to not share how products are made. 

Cosette let out a small sigh, continuing her walk through the colorful neighborhood.

At least, this lady was nice. The last vendor I asked practically chased me away with a broomstick.

She didn’t let it get her down though, the paper bag she carried crinkled slightly as it brushed against her dress.

If they didn’t want to tell me, I would just figure it out myself!

Cosette had purchased several woven items from various vendors: two baskets of different shapes, and a hair ornament meant to ward off malicious spirits by sensing their aura. The prices were a bit steep but she was certain they would be worth it.

Albeit, Cosette was doubtful of how well a hair accessory could protect someone just by detecting bad vibes.

Despite all this, she still had hope that she could find a faerie willing to explain the weaving process to her. In particular how it related to magic and runes.

Having actual instructions would speed up the process of creating a new prototype since deciphering how the artifacts were created in the first place is time consuming. I am not looking forward to having to work backwards on these works of art side by side with Theo.

Not that Cosette judged the artisans; who would willingly give up a trade secret? Besides, as she continued exploring the neighborhood, despite its clear beauty, certain areas stuck out. Boarded windows, active construction: all signs of the war with Hybern. It made sense why everyone was so on edge. Their city and court were weakened yet borders were open to complete strangers.

Even Velaris wasn’t safe from the aftereffects. Though, they didn’t seem to have much problem with acquiring produce in the city. I wonder where they bought it from? Dawn or Day Court maybe? Thinking logically, they probably have a lot of trade amongst the solar courts.

Cosette made her way over to another stall, spotting tapestries hanging up for display.

Another target unlocked. Let’s hope it goes better than the rest.

She approached the vendor carefully, admiring the pieces on display. The works of art showed scenic images of Night Court’s nature or artistic sprawls of colors in various patterns and designs.”

“Your work is beautiful.” Cosette complimented, taking in the details on the tapestries.

“Well thank you.” the High Faerie’s black hair shifted as she smiled at her new potential customer, her gray eyes watching her movements.

Cosette carefully touched the blankets on display, “They’re so soft.”

“I make them with the highest quality threads Velaris has to offer.”

“How high does that make the price then?” Cosette blurted out.

The faerie laughed, “Certainly on the higher end, but I have some more affordable options if you’re interested.”

Cosette shook her head, “No thank you, I am looking for something more along the lines of your tapestries.”

“Well, you’re in luck! I have many of those.” she smiled, showing some more of her woven works, “What is your name dear?”

“I am Cosette.”

“Nice to meet you, I am Aranea.”

Cosette’s face lit up.

Yes! A character! An actual character with a direct connection to the main cast! And not just anyone in the main cast, Feyre of all people!

Cosette was choosing not to count Kallias, Viviane or Eris. The first two still had an unclear relationship with the Night Court as far as she knew, and the Autumn fae was someone she never wanted to see again.

“Do your tapestries contain magical properties?” Cosette continued the conversation with new found vigor.

“No dear, I just weave for the sake of beauty.”

Admirable, but unfortunately not as useful. Though, I was certain that ‘void’ tapestry of hers was supposed to be magical, was it not?

“Could I purchase one of your smaller pieces?” Cosette asked.

Another time when she had tried to purchase a piece after asking how it was made, the faerie guessed what she was trying to do and threatened her to leave before he called guards on her.

“Of course!” Aranea happily sold her a tapestry of Night Court’s mountains.

Cosette mourned her steadily emptying wallet.

Thank goodness me and Ophelia budgeted before this because 20 gold for a small tapestry that I will have to unravel would have been complete bonkers if no thought had been put into my spending for this trip.

“Wow, it’s just so beautiful.” Cosette murmured, playing up her fascination slightly, “Would it be possible for you to show me how you make your tapestries?”

“No, sorry dear, unfortunately I can’t.” Aranea smiled.

“Ah, it’s okay, I understand.”

“May I ask why you’re so curious?”

“Oh…well…in truth, I am from Winter Court and am currently working on a project that is meant to help our crops grow better...” Cosette mustered up the best downcast, puppy eyes she could, “Unfortunately nothing we have tried has worked, and no one here is willing to speak on the subject.” 

It always worked on my parents. Hell, even my brother would concede to me when I used the forbidden power.

Cosette followed up with a compliment, “The reason I came to Velaris was to seek guidance. I heard you had some of the best weavers so I just knew I had to come here.”

The speech seemed to have somewhat worked as Aranea looked at her with sympathy.

“That is quite terrible, I am so sorry to hear that. Around here we’re also still rebuilding from the war with Hybern, I can only imagine how bad it is in areas where the larger battles took place.” 

Cosette nodded.

The buildings seemed to have been fixed pretty quickly over the two years, but that’s in the nicer areas. If one were to look at streets with less guards patrolling, or even the spot we went with Theo, that would be enough to spot the abandoned buildings and the less than fortunate businesses.

“Say, are you free tomorrow at noon?”

“Yeah, I should be.”

“You’re welcome to come visit an art studio at which I teach free weaving classes. We have a class tomorrow at that time if you’re interested.”

“That would be amazing, thank you so much!” Cosette beamed, practically hugging the faerie.

Aranea laughed lightly, “My pleasure dear, I’ll see you tomorrow then, alright?”

Cosette nodded eagerly.

Finally, a proper stepping stone.

Cosette walked away after getting the art studio’s address, enjoying the scenery, passing by other tents full of pottery, paintings and other creations.

By any luck, I might even get to meet Feyre!

Cosette acknowledged that it was somewhat of a pipedream. Even if Feyre taught art classes, the likelihood that they would cross paths during a weaving class wasn’t likely. She was  High Lady after all. 

As she made her way through the Rainbow she re-entered a main street, spotting a bookshop across the road.

Perfect. 

Cosette’s heels clicked against the cobblestone, as she carefully crossed the street, avoiding the wagons, carriages and other faeries passing through. She stepped inside, determined to find something about the Spirits.

I’ll check in Winter Court when I get home, but it’s quite possible that they have a different selection here that’s not available back there. 

Browsing the store, Cosette migrated deeper into its depth, walking past softly shattering faeries and shelves lined with various books from politics to baking, towards the section labeled ‘Beliefs of Prythian’.

It should be called ‘Belief of Prythian’, these are all on the same subject.

Cosette gently ran a finger down the spines of the books, selecting a ‘The Ways of Spirit Worship’ and a large tome labeled ‘The History of Prythian’s Spirits and Traditions’.

“Excuse me.” a soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes?” Cosette turned, to be greeted by a beautiful golden-brown haired woman, with sun-kissed skin and brown eyes so warm that they could melt the harshest winters.

“May I ask what perfume you are wearing? It’s absolutely delightful.”

“Oh, it’s actually one of my own creations.”

“Really? Are you a perfumer?”

“Sure am!” Cosette grinned.

“May I know your shop’s name so I can visit sometime?”

“It’s ‘Serene Fragrances’, however it’s located in Winter Court.”

“Winter Court?!”

Seeing the woman deflate slightly Cosette pulled out a small vial and handed it to her.

Three cheers for Ophelia’s foresight. 

“Here, I brought samples with me just in case. This is goldenberry, the scent that I am wearing right now.”

Cosette had been experimenting back home with adding some of the perfumes she had created to the scent she used to conceal her human smell. According to Ophelia, the added perfume didn’t mitigate xeranthemum’s effectiveness.

I am very careful when it comes to modifying the scent currently protecting me, but if I never wear other perfumes, faeries might get suspicious. Ophelia said I smell fine, so I should be safe.

“Oh wow, can I really have this?”

“Of course.” Cosette smiled, “If you ever get the chance, I would be happy to have you at my perfumery back in Winter Court of course.”

“I will be sure to visit when I can. What’s your name Miss?”

“Cosette, and yours?”

“Elain, it’s wonderful to meet you.”

Cosette’s brain stopped working upon hearing the name.

Elain.

This is Elain.

THE Elain.

“Is everything okay Miss Cosette?”

“Absolutely fine!” Cosette quickly responded, “When you say Elain, do you mean Elain Archeron?”

“Oh, um…yes.” Elain’s face fell slightly upon hearing the last name, although she tried to smile through it.

Wait, she’s with the inner circle do I bow? Is there a sign of respect I am supposed to give??

“Elain, there you are, I lost you after you ran off from the counter.” a man with dark hair and massive Illyrian wings approached the duo. His hazel eyes remained unchanged as they met Cosette’s nervous green ones. 

“Oh, I am sorry Azriel. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“It seems your training is going well if you’re sneaking off this effectively.”

“Haha, well I have the best teachers in all the land, no?”

On second thought, Cosette wasn’t prepared for this.

“Azriel, meet Cosette. She’s a perfumer from Winter Court.”

Do I need to bow to Azriel?!

“Ah, Miss Cosette of Serene Fragrances I presume? I heard about you when we last visited Winter Court for the Winter Solstice celebration. Mor tried to purchase a perfume from you.”

When did Morrigan try to purchase a perfume from me?

Seeing Cosette’s confusion Azriel’s lips twisted into a small smirk, “Unfortunately she got held up and never got to place her order.”

Cosette wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

“Have you ever been in Velaris before?” Elain asked.

“No, this is my first time.” Cosette said.

“Then we must show you around! Right Az?”

Azriel nodded, still watching Cosette silently as Elain took the blonde’s hand and led her back out into the street, after she purchased her books.

“Me and Azriel have been out and about for a while now and are ready for some lunch, are you feeling hungry Cosette?”

“Yes actually, I think I am ready for some food.”

Unsure if I’ll eat anything considering that you two are making my stomach complete Olympic level gymnastics, but I appreciate the thought. 

Cosette and Azriel let Elain steer them to a cozy cafe, filled with various plants, flowers and trees. Despite the fact that it was only 5, the sky looked like it was much later in the evening. The stars, now fully visible, shone brightly and the city showed no signs of slumber.

“How do the plants grow here?” Cosette ordered a cup of blackcurrant tea and a sandwich, gently poking the  Purple and shimmering blue flowers decorated the tables. Leaning in closer, Cosette could see that the petals were fluffy, and the inside was filled with a blue powder.

Elain and Azriel sat across from her with their own drinks and snacks, a few shopping bags resting by Azriel’s feet. Dark vines slithered down the walls of the establishment, with leaves akin to flower petals.

“It’s actually quite interesting!” Elain’s face lit up, “The plants here have two stages throughout the day, one is when they take the limited energy they can from the sun, and the rest of the time they rely on starlight!”

“Starlight? Is that really enough?” Cosette sipped her tea.

Azriel nodded, “It is, but due to it some of the plants have stranger shapes compared to what most other court dwellers would consider the norm.”

Cosette nodded, “They certainly are unusual compared to Winter Court.”

She recalled the palace garden Viviane had invited her to have tea in.

Flowers have become expensive, especially ones that would grow during spring. The market had been filled more and more with crystal-like flowers and branches.

I might need to consider raising prices on the existing perfumes and switching to making perfume with the native Winter Court flowers to not lose customers.

“If I may ask, what are you doing all the way in Night Court?” Azriel asked, but his tone screamed that it was a command.

“I am a tourist.” Cosette said simply. 

Something told her she shouldn’t go talking about how she berated every artisan in the Rainbow about their weaving techniques.

Azriel hummed, gently swirling his black coffee with a teaspoon, watching the ripples spread.

Elain added some sugar to her black tea, “How many days are you here for?”

“Only three, technically two and a half as I’ll be leaving midway on the third day.”

“That’s so little time, you won’t be able to see all that Velaris has to offer, you should stay for longer!” Elain said.

Cosette had to admit the offer was tempting, but as of this moment she had obligations back in Winter Court she couldn’t abandon, and she had no guarantee that the inner circle would actually get close to her, or let her near the dead trove. God forbid use the dead trove for her since there was no way she could without severe consequences. 

“I am afraid I can’t, I have people waiting for me back in Winter Court.” Cosette smiled apologetically.

“Aww, that’s unfortunate.” Elain nodded sadly, but with understanding in her eyes, “Do you have any areas you want to visit?”

“Hmm, well I visited the Rainbow today, along with a shrine. I also signed up for a weaving class run by one of the vendors.” Cosette tapped her chin, “I guess I would love to try some native Night Court food, if you have any suggestions for where I should go?”

“Well, how about we show you around tomorrow? We can join you for the weaving class too and then go from there!” Elain offered.

“Oh, I would appreciate that, thank you.” Cosette beamed.

A tour given by the main cast? Sign me up!

“Who is teaching the class?” Azriel took a swig of his coffee.

“Aranea.”

“Oh! So it’s at Feyre’s studio!” Elain clapped her hands together, “You’ll love it there. Everyone is kind and welcoming.”

Cosette took a sip of her tea, doing her best to practice the etiquette listed off in the books Viviane permitted her to borrow.

I should probably return those soon.

“I really wanted to visit you during the Winter Solstice, but unfortunately didn't get the chance.” Elain confessed, “I was curious, how did you get the idea of starting your business?”

“Well, the perfumes sold in Winter Court are different from mine, so I wanted to diversify the market.” Cosette answered politely. 

She could swear Azriel laughed quietly at her statement.

“Did you bring other perfume samples with you?”

“Yes, I brought our entire collection.” Cosette pulled out a sample vial of the vanilla, cinnamon, mahogany teakwood, and goldenberry perfumes, “There’s not many at the moment, but I am working on creating new additions to the catalog.”

“What scent are you working on at the moment?” Elain sniffed the teakwood one.

“I am afraid I cannot tell you, it would ruin the surprise.” Cosette winked.

“Do you do custom perfumes?” Azriel spoke up.

“Yes I do.”

“Any notable customers?”

“I made custom perfumes for Viviane, Kallias and Solene.” Cosette felt bad, as if she was bragging.

Azriel picked up the goldenberry scent, taking a small whiff, “Is this the scent you’re wearing now?”

“Yep!”

He nodded, his eyes narrowing.

Oh please tell me this man will sniff me out.

“Would you like one?” Cosette offered, a bit nervous.

Azriel shook his head.

Right, makes sense, why would a spymaster want to wear a distinct scent?

“What is your favorite perfume?” Elain asked.

“I am partial to the scent of cinnamon.”

“Do you hire a lot of employees?”

“Not really, it’s just me and two other faeries.”

These are all very business oriented questions, is this an interview?

“Would you ever consider moving your business to Night Court?”

“Well, maybe not move permanently, but expanding as a branch could be interesting.”

“Expand? But wouldn’t that be hard to manage?”

Cosette shrugged, “Merchants manage their trade routes, I see no reason why this wouldn’t be plausible.”

Elain nodded, “I guess that makes sense.”

Azriel merely hummed, chugging the coffee.

Cosette hadn’t even noticed how much time had passed when she checked the grandfather clock standing in the corner - 7:30 pm.

“I should go.” Cosette stood up, “It’s getting late and I would like to get back to the ship I came on before any of the crewmembers began to worry.”

“We can walk you there!” Elain offered, quickly standing up.

“No need.” Cosette declined, “I appreciate the offer though.”

You have berated me for the past two and a half hours, and although I do want to get close to you, this feels a bit too intrusive for my tastes.

“It’s unsafe traveling by yourself this late in the evening.” Azriel said.

“I thought Velaris was a safe haven though?”

Oh my, I am practically blushing, are you worried about me Azriel??

“It is, but you can never be too careful.”

Talk about being paranoid.

“Besides, the conversation was flowing so nicely, it would be a shame for it to stop.” he looked at Elain with a soft smile who practically sparkled back at him.

Ah, tis not me you’re worried about.

“Thank you for spending time with me.” Cosette bowed, at which Elain giggled lightly, “I look forward to meeting you both tomorrow.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Azriel said, “Please get back to your ship safely, Miss Cosette.”

On second thought perhaps Cosette should have taken Elain’s offer as she only got back to the ship in the late evening, by which point the sky had turned a dark indigo color and the stars were shining like brilliant jewels. 

“What the hell happened to you?” Linus was relaxing on a chair on the deck of the ship, watching a couple of the smaller sailboats still catch fish, despite the late time, “You look like you just survived a war.”

You have no idea brother, I have just returned from the trenches. 

“I got lost on the way back.”

“Ha, stupid.”

“Excuse me?”

“There are literally street signs?”

“I still got lost.”

“Exactly, so the title ‘stupid’ is deserved.”

“Hm, then the title of ‘asshole’ is equally earned.” Cosette walked away, heading to the cabin where they were staying.

Once she got changed there was a knock on her door, and Amelio’s voice, “Cosette? Are you back?”

“Yeah.” she opened the door after straightening out her new dress, “I just got back.”

“Good, I was about to send out some of my men to go looking for you. You shouldn’t stay out too late by yourself.”

“The streets were still full of faeries.”

“Still, you can never be too safe in a new environment.”

You have a point.

Seeing Cosette concede with a smile, Amelio relaxed slightly, “We’re having dinner with the whole crew on the deck, are you hungry?”

She nodded, after all, getting lost in Velaris was extremely tiresome and she deserved a meal for all her troubles. Cosette followed Amelio back up to the surface of the ship where faeries had already set up tables with food. Cosette sat down opposite Linus, both of them sitting by Amelio who was at the head of the table.

“Where is Solene?” Cosette asked.

“She’s staying at the House of Wind and won’t be coming back until the last day.”

“Wait, what? Why?”

“Did I not mention it? She’s coming to negotiate the import tax with Rhysand and Feyre on behalf of Kallias and Viviane. Well, it’s likely she’ll be negotiating with Morrigan or Amren rather than the High Lord of Night himself.”

“Right…” Cosette nodded.

Well, good thing I didn’t get my hopes up about Feyre. She’ll probably be busy.

“How did your day go?”

“Productive. Linus did a great job coordinating everyone.” Amelio nodded, starting with his salad, “He even managed to secure additional trade agreements with a few of the restaurants.”

Linus’s ears went red, “It was nothing…”

“How about you?” Amelio turned back to Cosette.

“It went alright. Shock of all shocks no one wanted to tell me their strategy for creating magical artifacts.” Cosette began eating her soup.

“Almost like they want to stay in business.” Amelio chuckled.

“Indeed.” she laughed, “I did manage to find a faerie, her name is Aranea, and she offers classes on weaving. I also bought some smaller pieces from various artists as examples for us back home.”

Amelio nodded approvingly.

“I also met Elain and Azriel today.” Cosette dropped a bomb that exploded into thunderous silence at the dinner table.

“You’re just…a magnet for interesting people aren’t you?” Amelio looked at her.

I didn’t choose this life! The magnet life chose me!!

“You met Azriel? The Night Court’s spymaster?” Linus leaned in, his eyes gleaming with curiosity, “What was he like?”

Cosette shrugged, “Quiet and reserved. He was hanging out with Elain when she approached me about my perfumes.” she looked up at Linus, “What do you have to say about my fragrance water now?”

“At least they’re useful socially.”

That’s all?!

“Still think it’s not that hard to make something smell good though.”

Amelio frowned at Linus.

“Go visit the Night Court perfumeries, then we’ll talk about high quality products.”

“If you’re so confident Linus, maybe you and Cosette should switch jobs for a day once we return to Winter Court.” Amelio took a swig of his wine.

“What?!”

“It seems I’ve been too lax on your ego.” Amelio smiled, making Cosette shiver

Something felt off. His smile was usually warm, but this one felt…

As soon as the feeling came it was gone. Cosette felt herself breathe normally again.

“Sorry sir.” Linus murmured, turning back to his food, avoiding Cosette’s gaze.

I feel like I did something wrong…

“Anything else you want to tell us?” Amelio joked, “Perhaps you had tea with another one of the other Archeron sisters while you were at it?”

“I got to stop by a shrine for the Spirit of Night.” Cosette replied, still trying to meet Linus’s gaze, but he adamantly refused. 

“Hmm, yes, their shrines here are quite different from ours back home.” Amelio mused.

“So, about that, are we required to go? To the shrines, back in Winter Court?”

“Wait, have you never gone?” Linus stared at her incredulously, “You’re kidding.”

“I’ve been really busy since arriving at the capital and haven’t gotten a chance to…”

“No excuse!” Linus practically screeched, “If our boat crashes it’s because of yo-”

“Linus.” Amelio’s stern voice interrupted, “Don’t.”

Linus faltered once more, returning to his plate. 

“As for your question Cosette, no, you aren’t required to go, although it is encouraged.” Amelio’s tone softened.

“Are there any laws regarding this?”

“Again, no, you’re welcome to go when you are able to. Kallias and Viviane removed the requirements to attend shrine gatherings officially once Kallias returned from under the mountain.” Amelio’s calm demeanor helped soothe their side of the table, “Most faeries go simply out of respect and tradition. Plus, it would never hurt to have a little extra support in your corner.” he winked.

“Right.” Cosette nodded, Linus’s comment worrying her slightly.

Amelio rolled his eyes, “Our boat won’t sink Cosette just because you didn’t go to a shrine. To truly be in trouble with the spirits you would have had to offend them. Being too busy to go, while contributing to the betterment of their court is not the thing that will set them off.”

“You say that as if you know what they’re thinking.” Cosette noted dryly.

“For once we agree.” Linus said, “If I were a spirit I’d take offense to it.”

“You’d take offense to anything.” she quipped back.

But if we look at most legends, deities, spirits, you name it, tend to be volatile in unpredictable ways. Linus’s concern is valid.

“How did the court react to the change Kallias and Viviane made?”

“Ha, depends on who you ask Cosette.” Amelio smirked.

Ah. I see.

“It wasn’t a favored response, and a risky move by the two of them. Many faeries turned to rather fervent worship during Amarantha’s reign. Making shrine gathering an optional, personal decision, was a slap in the face to some.”

“Because the moment they make it optional faeries won’t go and then you have unhappy spirits and a court that is falling apart because they cannot agree on a belief system.” Linus retorted.

Amelio shook his head, “Faeries still go to ceremonies and regularly provide offerings. Can you name a household that has truly forsaken the faith?”

Linus made a dramatic motion towards Cosette.

“Well that’s not fair, Cosette is not technically from Winter Court. The Faerie Realms may worship some other spirits.”

“Decline of worship and belief is a valid fear. If our borders are open and we’re diluted by nonbelievers, how will that make the Spirit of Winter happy?”

“Beforehand faeries could be persecuted for not showing up to gatherings or events. Innocent faeries were beheaded Linus.” Amelio’s voice wasn’t harsh, but firm, “The whole reason they changed it was because during Amarantha’s reign some faeries didn’t have access to a shrine and couldn’t go. Kallias and Viviane already lost enough of their citizens after the war, they don’t need more useless bloodshed being caused by their own court trying to snitch on each other.”

“I think it could also be a matter of principle; that people get a choice in what they want to worship or believe in.” Cosette pointed out.

Kallias and Viviane seem like they would stick up for such autonomy.

“Principles are great if they’re not actively making the court fall apart.” Linus muttered.

“Sometimes sticking to your beliefs is not without casualties.”

“But if it tears everyone apart, is it worth it? At what point are the casualties too much?”

“I already miss Solene, you two will be the death of me.” Amelio ruffled Linus’s hair, “Have you both considered becoming philosophers?”

“Philosophy doesn’t earn money.” they both said at the same time.

“Well, unless you're in Day Court. Then you’d be paid handsomely.” Amelio pointed out.

Paid? To yap? Sign me up!

Linus looked annoyed, “Don’t call their whole show ‘philosophy’, it’s a disgrace towards critical thinkers.”

“What’s wrong with Day Court’s philosophers?” Cosette asked.

Apart from Mister Aristippus ignoring the spirits, he seems like a cool dude.

Cosette gasped internally.

Is that the problem!? His lack of writings on spirits?

Amelio sighed as Linus began his tangent, “Day Court prides itself on being the court of knowledge and justice but all of their philosophers are on Helion’s payroll meaning that they literally cannot be completely free in their thoughts and opinions because they are sponsored by the court’s ruler. Now, there is no issue with Helion sponsoring skilled or smart faeries, in fact it’s a good thing. Their universities are so great because of the funding, but they deny it whenever faeries point out that their philosophers are actually extremely constricted in their opinions and beha-”

Linus unfortunately didn’t get to continue as a fellow Lesser Faerie approached him, slinging an arm around his shoulder, “We’re playing cards, Linus, Amelio, wanna join?”

“Absolutely.” Amelio dragged Linus away to the group of faes, with the white ash haired faerie squirming, trying to finish his thought.

Cosette giggled lightly, finishing her food, observing the faeries as they played cards. The sailors cursed and cheered whenever they lost or won. Amelio, although still maintaining an air of dignity seemed to relax, his expression more coy and voice louder than when he was with Solene. Linus also seemed to return back to normal, chatting with the cabin boy and a few of the other workers.

Cosette headed back to her room.

Gotta admit, it’s admirable how Amelio teaches Linus. I didn’t expect a faerie in Prythian to be that free thinking, and for his teacher to not only not censor, but encourage him.

Although, my surprise is unwarranted. Looking back at Earth’s history there were always people who were ahead of their time. Granted, they almost always got burnt at the stake.

On the other hand, Linus manages to be conservative in certain beliefs. Maybe that’s why he gets away with voicing his thoughts aloud? Because he still fits into the general status quo?

Getting to her room Cosette changed into her pajamas, redoing her braid before crawling into bed.

Now that I think about it, what were Azriel and Elain doing out and about if Solene is here to discuss trade? Maybe they’re not needed since Azriel’s job is not directly related to taxes, and Elain is just not involved?

Wait, were they on a date?! Did Rhysand cave and approve their union then?

Cosette shook her head.

It didn’t feel like I was third wheeling. I am sure it was nothing.

Cosette pulled out the ‘The History of Prythian’s Spirits and Traditions’, beginning to read it by candlelight. However, she didn’t get far before her drowsiness won out, and her eyes closed, plunging her into darkness.

Next: Chapter 32 -Behind Closed Doors

Back: Chapter 30 - Quiet, the Adults Are Talking

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