#dog appearing outside its yard (we were told to call if it was ever outside of the fence in its yard again)

[flippedorbit]

do you all remember when i talked about getting attacked by a neighbor’s dog back on the first of april? well, when it happened, or i guess more-so after the fact when animal control had given the dog back to the neighbors, animal control said if we see that dog outside of their yard again (and we have physical proof) that we can call them. and wouldn’t you fuckin know it, we have cameras outside the house, and you’ll never guess what the backyard one that focuses on the area we feed the squirrels in picked up

above is a message from my mom, sent around 20 minutes ago, containing two images of part of our backyard, both images of which contain physical evidence of that fucking dog being in our backyard.

now for those who have forgotten or simply weren’t here when the incident occurred, we learned a full 10 days after the dog bit me that it wasn’t up to date on ANY of its shots, so while i normally would not hold such a grudge against any neighbor of mine, these ones personally piss me off for that reason and another, because just about four days after they got the dog that bit me back, they got another dog. they already had two when one bit me, and i’m not sure what happened to the original second dog (have not seen it in their yard since the incident) but the fact that they had the audacity to get ANOTHER ONE when they weren’t even properly taking care of the two they had pisses me off to no end

[undercoveravenger]

Clairvoyance

Written for my 2021 Halloween event.

Pairing: Percy Jackson x Warlock!Male!Reader

Prompt: Percy + “Make yourself useful and pass me those eyeballs before this potion is completely ruined.”

A/N: Fun fact- my dog’s name is also Percy, so it was kind of odd to write this one. Also, this is the third piece for my Halloween event. The next piece will be released Saturday, October 9th.

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In all of the years that Percy Jackson had spent going on quests, he had seen a lot of weird things and been to a lot of spooky places. But this? This was a whole new level of creepy.

He, Jason, and Hazel had been sent on a quest to find a legendary weapon that Chiron had called the Sword of Arthur, which was apparently a legendary blade which rendered its wielder effectively undefeatable, as long as it deemed them worthy of taking it from its resting place. The only problem was that no one knew exactly where that was.

Well, he supposed, not quite no one. Hazel had remembered an acquaintance from her time living in New Orleans that she thought might be able to help them. That was what brought them to a sprawling manor beyond a towering wrought iron gate. Once white walls had grayed with time, and ivy climbed nearly every surface, making the frame appear cracked and crumbling. It appeared that one of the windows overlooking the front yard had been broken in and Percy had been able to make out the faintest flickering light through it, like a dying candle was the only source of light in the eerie house.

There had been no answer when they knocked, so they made their way into the house. Percy had honestly expected the place to be abandoned since the outside of the house had looked so decrepit, but the interior seemed almost inviting with curtains in rich colors and comfortable looking furniture.

Hazel led the boys quietly through the house to a room that overlooked the backyard. Percy could make out the sound of something bubbling and the crackling of a fire, though he couldn’t quite tell if there was anyone in the room or not.

Suddenly the door swung open, as though pushed by some unseen wind. “Are you coming in or not?” a voice called out to them, echoing slightly in the otherwise quiet house.

Percy felt an odd sort of hesitance, but eventually trailed into the room behind his friends. The first thing he noticed was the fire roiling under the massive black cauldron in the center of the room, and the second was the ethereal young man standing behind it.

He had never really been interested in anyone apart from Annabeth before, but ever since they’d broken up a few months prior Percy noticed that he wasn’t really attracted to anyone. But now, for the first time since the breakup, he had found himself captivated by someone.

He wasn’t sure what it was that had caught his attention so entirely. Whether it was the way his hair seemed to drift on an invisible breeze or the brilliant gold that his eyes were glowing or that he didn’t even falter at their entrance as he stirred the potion in his cauldron, he found himself enthralled.

“Hazel,” the stranger greeted, lips turning up in a smile without so much as glancing at the intruders. “If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought that we wouldn’t have met again. It’s been, what, seventy years?”

She laughed, moving to stand beside the (h/c) and peering into the bubbling brew. “Something like that, yeah,” she agreed. “I’m afraid that this-”

“Isn’t a social call?” he finished for her, raising an eyebrow pointedly. “I knew that before you even knew you were to come see me.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Percy hadn’t even realized that he’d spoken until the (h/c) turned to look at him. “I just- how did you know we’d be here?”

“You must be Percy Jackson,” the (h/c) said. “I assume Hazel hasn’t told you much about my powers, has she?” At Percy’s silence, he pressed on, “I was born with the ability to see beyond the mortal plain. I see glimpses of futures that may come and that will, much like the Oracle at your camp. I knew that the three of you would come asking about the sword; that’s why I’m brewing this after all,” he nodded toward the swirling concoction in the cauldron, the color shifting and blending as it bubbled. “Make yourself useful and pass me those eyeballs before this potion is completely ruined.”

Percy blinked, visibly confused by the onslaught of information. “What- what is that?” He reluctantly retrieved a jar of eyeballs from a nearby shelf and held it out.

“Drinking this will grant each of you a vision similar to those that I experience the next time you sleep.” The magician twisted open the lid of the jar and plucked out several eyeballs, dropping them absently into the concoction. They dissipated into the liquid almost as soon as it touched the surface. “If you focus on the weapon you’re tracking, it should be a vision related to it; one of the three will likely reveal the location.” After a moment, the (h/c) seemed satisfied and retrieved a large ladle, scooping some of the liquid into each of three glasses before holding them out to the party.

Percy was hesitant to drink it after learning about some of the ingredients, but the confident glint in the warlock’s eyes as the gold faded away to reveal the beautiful (e/c) beneath reassured him. “You’re sure this will work?” At the (h/c)’s nod, Percy steeled his nerves and drank.

He winced at the taste, but he noticed both Hazel and Jason drinking from their own cups.

“I’ll show each of you to your rooms so you can rest,” the warlock said. “You can set out for the blade in the morning.” He turned as though to lead the trio back into the main hall, but hesitated for a moment, “And Percy?”

Percy perked up at the sound of his name, eyes quickly finding their way back to him. “Yes?”

“Feel free to come visit once you make it back from your quest.” His lips twitched up in a knowing smirk, “I have the feeling that we’ll have a lot to discuss.”

Percy didn’t need to be clairvoyant to know that he was right.

[sidetongue]

I want you to know I still miss you, I still talk about you, and I still love you. Over one hundred foster animals and you were the one who stuck; into our family like super glue. I was only meant to take you home for a week - do you remember that? You were this polite old red man sitting in a kennel, patiently waiting for your “suspicious lump” results to come back. As soon as they came back you would be ready for adoption. I took you home so you didn’t have to wait in a lonely, grey kennel.

Well those results came back and your ‘suspicious lump’ turned out to be a ‘malicious lump’ and lo and behold, you were not suitable for adoption. You were grey around the muzzle, stiff in the legs, and slightly cancerous; you were not an adoption candidate. Euthanasia was the only option for you. Except, of course it wasn’t.

You stayed. You were so very beautiful with all of the critters I brought home… cats, dogs, puppies, and of course the resident duo Henry and Miller. To be honest, you never felt like a foster, you felt like family. I remember taking you to the beach for the first time and watched cautiously as I let you off the leash. You walked out into the chest deep ocean, lifted your head, breathed in the salty air and felt the wind sweep past your ears and I knew you weren’t ready to leave this world yet. After being lost, impounded, kennelled for weeks and then hurtled into a random home, you were so thankful for the blissful serenity that was a sunny afternoon by the ocean. We had so many more of those together.

I remember how insane you got when you played with toys. You would thrash them around and slam them into the closest surface. You’d often hit yourself in the face with them which would just make you crazier. I remember when I made the decision to get your lump cut off; so that I would have more time with you. I picked you up from the vet and you rode in the backseat with your tongue poking out the entire way home. I also got them to take the very unfortunate, but harmless, lump off your rear which we dubbed the “butt nut” due to its VERY testicular appearance. A little plastic surgery made you look fresh as a daisy.

You loved grandma’s house, and car rides. You loved taking miller’s spot on the couch. You loved donuts and that was proven when you ate TWO DOZEN of them off the bench.

You hated storms. I remember the first time you escaped the yard was due to a thunder storm. You came home, and I apologised over and over for not realising you were frightened. I vowed to keep you safe whenever thunder was around. Except, then you became fearful of loud noises. Anything loud would have you scrambling up the walls or the fence trying to run away.

Then you attacked Henry. It was so out of the blue, you were such a sweet and gentle boy. No one had ever made Henry bleed before, and I felt like I’d failed him by letting him get hurt. I couldn’t understand why you had done it.

It wasnt long after that where you started chasing the foster kittens. Then lunging at them. We had to keep you outside when they were out and about in the house, and you would charge at the door and growl trying to attack them. Just a month prior you would clean them and let them sleep on you.

Shortly following your aggressive outbursts came the separation anxiety. I couldn’t keep you contained. You would jump the 6 foot fence, screaming because of your arthritis, but desperate to escape. I got calls at work from strangers saying they found you. I had neighbours who knew you by name.

It got to a stage where you couldn’t be left in the house as you would trash it. Crates couldn’t contain you either. We had to lock you in the garage. I told myself it was only temporary until your anxiety meds kicked in, but the guilt consumed me. Remember when you would lounge in the sun, sleep on the couch, play with the others? Now you were locked alone in a garage, waiting for hours and hours for someone to come home.

I remember my housemate let you out to pee once. Within 3 minutes you were gone. I searched the streets for hours.

Desperately, I sought out a second vet opinion for you. Why was your behaviour declining? Why were you so anxious, and frightened, and miserable? What was I doing wrong?

The vet said your hips were in poor condition; that the fact you were jumping fences with such sore hips was a testament to how panicked and terrified you were. She said there were some other anxiety medications we could try, but they would take 6-8 weeks to kick in, and they may not even work. She then, very hesitantly, explained that euthanasia would not be unreasonable, and perhaps your little nose lump that we took off had left it’s mark on your brain before it left. Perhaps you had a brain tumour.

I took you home. Of course I couldn’t kill you. Of course I couldn’t give up on you. I loved you intensely, whole heartedly. I tried driving you to my grandparents’ every morning so they could babysit you. You loved grandma. But even when they would sit outside with you, you would take off and jump the fence. They were too old to catch you. You were so scared even when you had your favourite people there next to you.

I tried taking you to doggie daycare. Gosh, you hated it. You hated arrogant juvenile dogs and jumpy puppies and with your newly predatory behaviours towards small animals you became a liability. I told my grandparents’ about what the vet had said, and grandma cried. She said ‘no, you can’t put him to sleep, I’ll put him on a lead, I won’t let him off, even to pee, you can drop him here every time you need to leave the house’.

How I wish that was an option. I couldn’t do that to her.. or to you. You were suffering. Your once beautiful, gentle, loving mind was now riddled with pain and panic. Life was a burden that you couldn’t escape from. So I made the appointment.

The day of, I was catatonic. I couldn’t speak to anyone; I moved through work like a zombie. They asked me what’s wrong and I couldn’t find the words. So much was wrong. I picked you up from grandma’s. she said goodbye to you with a smile and a kiss, like she did every other day, because I didn’t tell her, either. I couldn’t. I knew if I did, I would back out. I wonder if she forgives me for not allowing her a proper goodbye. Gosh, she loved you.

I drove you to the vet and you walked in like the best boy. I had a giant packet of schmackos and you munched on them happily. You were a good boy for your needle, you didn’t even flinch. You were gone in seconds.

Two weeks later I went to collect your ashes. They mentioned how nice the blue of the urn was. I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to be picking you up instead. Not this dust in a bottle claiming to be you. I took it to grandma’s house and put it next to the other dogs she had lost. I couldn’t stomach having it in my house, and I knew she would appreciate getting a little bit of you back.

I have a painting of you, Henry and miller on my wall. Huge and colourful and happy, just like our life was when you were around. I have so many dorky, cheeky, wonderful dogs now and you’d get along with all of them. You’d be the perfect big brother. I know you sent me Harold to heal my broken heart, but you did a bad job because it’s still broken. Three years later and it still breaks for you.

I still wonder if I made the right choice, and I hope you understand why I did it. It was not for lack of love my darling boy.

Buddy, Boody, Boody-Bood, Boodalicious - I hope you get to go to the beach every day up there.

[embrassemoi]

Surrounded by the Moon and Stars ✷ 26

Pairings: Sirius B, Remus L, [F]Reader   CW: Language, prejudice against MB, blood/injury, sexism A/N: as always, unbeta'd

【 Masterlist: Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 】

Chapter 26: Human Anatomy 

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May 4th, 1976

Following the Mary incident, there were two Death Eater attacks in Birmingham plastered all over the Daily prophet now clutched in everyone’s hand. Y/N watched from the sidelines as Lily gripped her copy so strongly that it began to tear where her fingernails were.

Distantly, she could hear Marlene and Dorcas attempting to distract them by fighting over the last Chocolate Frog. Y/N ignored them, her mood dampened from the news and played with her food idly. That was until she felt Sirius nudge her underneath the table, quietly placing the now stolen Chocolate Frog into her hand.

It was clear that she and Sirius reached a standstill. Ever since his outburst, he hadn’t been avoiding her — they still snuck around — but his witty and snarky comments were gone. He’d become more reclusive, shy, even, and couldn’t keep eye contact for too long. A few times, she even caught him entertaining other women and it caused her to stiffen up, laugh bitterly and chip away at any logic, reason — manifesting in irritation and resentment.

It was clear that she and Sirius reached a standstill. Ever since his outburst, he hadn’t been avoiding her — they still snuck around — but his witty and snarky comments were gone. He’d become more reclusive, shy, even, and couldn’t keep eye contact for too long. A few times, she even caught him entertaining other women and it caused her to stiffen up, laugh bitterly and chip away at any logic, reason — manifesting in irritation and resentment.

It was a game of cat and mouse and Y/N was the cat. So the gesture was surprising. She took it from him, smiling as she ripped open the package and split it into two, giving him the larger half. He gave a reticent smirk and went back to his desert.

Sirius Black was confusing.

She saw Remus had put down his copy of the prophet, who pressed his lips together to hide his amusement as he looked between the two. His brow rose; she looked anywhere but him.

It was nearing the end of dinner when James finally joined, just coming from his career consultation. He went over to Ravenclaw’s table first, talking admittedly with Emmeline before making his way over. He was uncharacteristically nervous as he sat down beside Y/N.

“Saved you a plate,” Peter greeted. A large plate of spaghetti hovered in front of him. Normally James would’ve dug in within seconds, but instead prodded at a meatball with his fork. Everyone noticed but ignored it.

“What took you so long?”

Sirius grinned. “I bet McGonagall was listing off the Quidditch teams that want him. Which one is it? Appleby? Puddlemere?”

“I call Ballycastle,” Marlene warned, “I want their spot!”

James remained quiet.

“Don’t tell us you’re going to live off your trust fund,” teased Remus, but it had a questioning tone.

James’s gaze flittered to Lily’s paper before he spoke.“They all reached out.”

Everyone gave a loud round of applause and cheers; Y/N ruffled his hair while Peter conjured one of the floating candles to explode into confetti.

“That’s amazing! Congratulations, Prongs! You deserve —” “I’m turning them down, for now.”

Everyone went still, smiles fading and utensils dropping.

Remus was the first to speak. His eyes glossed cautiously around the table before leaning in. “Want to go somewhere a little more private? To talk?”

James took a deep inhale, peering over to Mary’s empty seat. Still shaken up, Mary had been hiding away in her dorm. As Marlene liked to say, she was pulling a sickie, and nobody could blame her. Then James’ eyes strayed towards Y/N.

“I told McGonagall that I’m enlisting once school’s done.”

Peter placed a tentative hand on him, “What did you say?”

“Er… after everything that’s happened…” He took a deep breath, “I’ve been thinking… I don’t want to live in a world where the people I care about are judged — innocent people are being… slaughtered... I can’t — I can’t just sit here and let it happen! And the war won’t end — not unless people are there to fight.”

Lily ripped her newspaper as she snapped, “This isn’t the time for jokes, Potter. You can’t just say that and —”

“I’m not joking,” James states calmly yet firmly. “Quidditch can wait until the wizarding world is safe.”

Nobody spoke until Dumbledore dismissed dinner.

“I said the same to McGonagall,” Sirius added. Everyone’s head whipped towards him.

“Is this a sick plan you two haven’t told me about?” Remus scolded. His voice was laced in something Y/N couldn’t place but teetered on the edge of indignation.

Sirius shook his head. “No. Never mentioned it to him. It’s just… I want to fight people like… my… family.”

The phrase echoed in her head: my family… What did that mean?

“Then that’s what I’ll do too.” Marlene states.

Dorcas whipped her head towards her. “No, you won’t.”

“Potter’s got a point,” Marlene says. “What good will my influence — power and position I’ve got as a Pureblood do if I don’t put it to use? Besides, my brothers have all enlisted already. They help with the Ministry and Dumbledore.”

Y/N and Lily stayed quiet, both shared a look — the first time either made direct eye contact since their fight. It communicated worry and pure dread.

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May 14, 1976

“You pincushion. You’re going to break if you aren’t careful!” She’d been waiting outside the hospital wing for Remus who hobbled his way out with a pink flush.

The Marauders and girls were taking ‘partnering up’ seriously. The Marauders escorted any Muggleborns around the castle at night; James, Peter and Sirius using their blood status while Remus used his height and prefect title as leverage. Even Marlene made sure every first or second year was escorted safely too.

In particular, ever since the mention of enlisting and Mary’s attack, James and Sirius were ruthless — merciless to anyone that showed even the slightest allegiance to the other side. More hexes, jinxs and pranks ensued.

Remus tilted his head as his body shook with quiet laughter. “Just a tumble.”

“Clumsy giant.”

He ignored her, going to take her bag off her shoulder to carry.

“Now you’ve lost it — give it.”

“I’m fine,” he grunted, going to dangle the bag so she wouldn’t be able to take it. But Remus staggered forward a bit, having to stop walking and balance himself out. Y/N noticed, sighing as she linked her arm with Remus’, letting him lean against her for support as they walked.

He did seem peaky, she worried, he waved it off. The Marauders did say he’s ill…

“Are we picking up Butterbeer?”

“Mary and Marlene are getting it.”

“Oh… Mary… How is she?”

Y/N sighed as they turned and left through a secret passageway and into the yard. Today was the last Quidditch game of the year. “I’m not sure… we’re not exactly close and Marlene refuses to spill.”

“I’m glad she’s… okay — out and about. What about you?”

“Me?” She turned to Remus.

“No one has tried to hurt you, have they?”

“Nope.” Best to lie.

Remus loosen up at that. His head tilted to hear her clearer, body hunched over as if he’s trying to get closer.

His soft messy curls were strewn messily around like he just rolled out of bed. “Do tell if someone does. I know you can defend yourself but we all need to be there for each other.”

“Of course. You too?” He hummed.

The hot sun beat down against them as sweat began to form on her forehead. Remus wore a light sweater — just by looking at him, he made her feel uncomfortably warm.

“You’re not hot?” Y/N asked.

He dropped his head a bit and a sudden far-away look filled his eyes. “Erm — not really. I just prefer it.”

She instantly felt bad from his reaction. “Well, at least you look dashing.”

He nodded, smiling before making grabby hands. Y/N glanced sideways, already fishing out her cassette player from her pocket.

“All you do is use me for this thing.” “Hush.”

They walked together down the path, arm in arm, over bumps and dips. Both laughing at the other before Y/N noticed a fairly large ball of black trailing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was as tall as Flitwick and as long as Marlene’s broom.

Y/N felt herself stop, pulling away from Remus who was about to open his mouth. A rush of excitement filled her. “Is that a dog?!” She already let go of Remus, motioning him over as she dashed off into its direction.

The dog must’ve heard her footsteps before she came to a stop in front of it. Now, slowly walking up, her hand stuck out and waited for the dog to approach.

“Hi there, buddy!” She smiled largely as the dog sniffed her. There was the slightest hesitation before its head rubbed against her hand, moving happily as its tail wagged. Its head bowed, presenting its neck as a sign of submission. It even nudged her. She rubbed the side of the dog’s body. Its fur was shaggy, matted with a bit of dirt which had her nose wrinkled.

Remus eventually appears, watching them but once the dog notices him, it goes rigid, pulling away from Y/N, even going as far to growl at her. Although it’s weak, she still rips her hands away as the dog keeps its gaze on Remus.

“No! Please come back?”

The dog stopped growling, letting her pet him again but bared its teeth to Remus. Remus doesn’t seem to care as he watches the scene intently, a smirk crosses.

“I didn’t know Hogwarts had a dog!” Y/N scratches behind its ears. “You must be Kettleburn’s, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, he’s been around,” said Remus.

“Oh yeah? You seem like such a good boy!” Y/N then stands, picking up a stick before waving it, throwing it far. The dog bolts to retrieve it. “Why didn’t you tell me there was a dog?”

“I’m more of a cat person.”

The dog comes dashing back, stick in mouth as it runs circles around her. She goes to bend down, fingers gliding through its matted fur before getting caught. “You’re kind of disgusting.”

The dog looks at her, its eyes adjusting to open wider while Remus bursts out laughing. Y/N glances at him, questioning his unusual behaviour before reaching to grab the stick from its mouth. She transfigured it into a dog brush and went to work.

"... Kettleburn has really been neglecting you."

Remus’ hands go up to wipe his happy tears before dropping down to sit beside her. She can even feel his body shake with laughter. “You sure you don’t want to leave this mutt be?”

The dog growls at him, Y/N giggles.

“I don’t think he likes you much.”

His face level with the dog. “Don’t like him either.” The dog barks and Remus practically howls.

“So…” he has a sly smirk that tells her he’s up to no good. The light catches onto his eyes, glinting with golden specs like they were infused in him. “You and Padfoot have been chummy lately.”

The wagging tail halts and Y/N stops combing as they both stare at him. The dog pulls away from her grasp and growls at Remus. This time, it’s guttural and deep, sounding like a warning and losing its playful tone.

“I — ugh —” She falters, mentally slapping herself. “We’ve been getting along since Oats. Studying, spending time together… I got tired of fighting.”

“Mmm, I bet.” His voice is condescending. “I heard you want to be a Healer.”

“Yeah?”

“Say then, do you guys study —” The dog goes and bites down on his jeans, tugging harshly, drawing her attention but Remus continues to study her.

“Look at me, not at him,’” he says cockily. He leans in a challenging manner that has her flustered. He repeats, “Do you guys study… I don’t know… human anatomy?”

The dog barks madly — so loud that they’re getting stares from passing students. Y/N swore she could’ve died there while Remus bellows with laughter: his question answered. She bolted up, remaining silent and marched away from him who hobbled behind her, yelling out false apologies.

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Gryffindor, unsurprisingly, had another amazing win against Ravenclaw. James had improved as Captain drastically — confident with his position and team. Marlene improved too, she was almost as fast as the Snitch itself and never let a single Bludger slip past her while James scored goal after goal.

She and Remus still stuck by each other, walking down the rickety wooden stands as they observed the sea of red robes swarming the pitch. James pulled Emmeline into a kiss before he was holstered up by the Gryffindor team. Sirius was cheering him on while Peter was missing, having to leave right after the match for detention.

James then glanced back, along with Marlene, who waved while the two students grinned widely, sticking their thumbs up, fist-pumping in the air as a sign of congratulations.

But it wasn’t long until trouble came their way. Y/N wasn’t sure how Remus knew, but he suddenly went mute, his head perked up and swivelled around. In a fluid motion, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her flush against him; his hand wrapped around her protectively as he shifted his body to cover her and then bucked down; just before a Bludger came barreling their way.

Remus whipped his wand out, pointing at the Bludger that was hurling back, turning it into a balloon.

“The fuck?” Remus breathed out.

From where they stood, they were obscured by the shadows and wooden stands. The crowd couldn’t see them and the Gryffindor team was too occupied to notice. Cackling sounded from one of the exits. It was Crabble, Snape and two other Slytherin’s she didn’t know the names of.

“How cute! Ickle Lupin protecting his Muggle bitch!” Crabble said, flashing a dark smile.

“What did you call me!” Y/N shrieked, still in Remus’ hold before he finally let go.

“Watch what you’re saying,” Remus cautioned, voice dropping low. He stood tall as waves of authority emitted from him while he held his wand tightly, stepping in front of her. His broad shoulders squared. “Thirty points from Slytherin. You don’t want detention, do you?”

“That’s all you got? House points?” Snape taunted. “Loopy Lupin — acting tough in front of his girl.”

“Heard she’s fucking Potter,” the Slytherin said. He had blue eyes and dirty-blond hair.

“I heard differently,” the other nameless Slytherin blurted. He licked his lips in a snake-like motion. “Have you seen the way she and Black are around each other so much now? A Mudblood and a whore!”

She drew her wand.

“Aw, trembling itty, bitty baby!”

“That’s enough, Barty,” drawled Snape. Barty held his wand, toying with it before he lifted his wand, ready to cast a spell.

“Expelliarmus!” Remus shouted at him. Barty’s wand flew from his grasp but wasn’t lucky before the unnamed boy shouted, “Levicorpus!”

Instantly, Remus was grabbed by the ankle, hauled up into the air. Y/N saw him wince, all his belongings thudding to the grass.

“Aw, Rosier,” Snape said coolly. He took a few steps in a twitchy manner, “Stop playing with the poor mutt!”

But before the Slytherins had an opportunity, Y/N shot a spell at Remus, floating him down gently while Snape and Crabble directed a spell at her.

“Protego!” She cried as an invisible shield expanded between her, Remus and the Slytherins. The barrier was so powerful that they all stumbled as Remus went to retrieve his wand.

“Lupin can’t even protect himself! You had to let a girl do it too!” Crabble shouted.

“A Mudblood and a Half-breed! A match made in heaven.”

Angrily, Remus stood, a black ball of light shot out from the tip of his wand at the feet of the Slytherins. A small boom rumbled the ground, sparks of fire emitting but not enough to start a fire. They jumped back and Snape threw another spell.

“Ad sectis!”

Y/N barely had time to block it as a gust of wind knocked them back. It wasn’t a spell she knew of. Remus sent another hex at them but was blocked.

“Dangerous bloke, that Loopy Lupin,” Snape jeered, directing his words at Y/N while the Slytherins laughed. “You ought to be careful who you run around with. Let alone your boyfriend.”

“Shut up!” Remus shouted. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Where do you think he goes every month?” Snape taunted before backing up from them, rejoining the other Slytherins who left, all bellowing, “AHH-WOOOO!”

The reverberation from Remus’ spell drew the Marauder’s attention as they arrived. James saw them, marching up side by side with Emmeline and Sirius. He wore a large smile as he pressed several kisses to the side of Emmeline’s head. “Whiskers! Moony! Did you see that score!”

Remus and Y/N breathed in deeply, dazed and shocked. Remus stumbled over but she clutched his arm to keep him upright.

“Don’t listen to anything they said,” implored Remus.

“Wait… James,” Emmeline said, “I don’t think somethings right.”

“Moony, you’re awfully pale…”

“Shit! Are you guys bleeding?”

Y/N’s eye travelled to a large slash that travelled up Remus’ jaw and leg, blood seeping out at an alarming rate but the cut was shallow. Y/N in turn only then realized the damp liquid was now travelling down her arm. Her arm was also slashed, not deep, but the amount of blood was concerning.

All their voices began chatting over the other as the girls arrived by now; Dorcas rushed up to Y/N, prying Remus off of her as James and Sirius took Remus and sat them on a nearby bench.

“— happened?”

“— Y/N — Remus —”

“Lift your leg —”

“— get to the wing —”

“Merlin’s beard!” Lily shouted. “Give them some space!” Her eyes were on Remus but shifted to Y/N. Hesitantly, Lily walked up to her and bent down in front of her but still kept her distance.

“Okay, we need to get you patched up.” James stood, looping an arm around Remus and stood up.

Marlene rubbed her shoulder while Lily spoke, both James and Sirius doing the same for Remus. “Would you like us to come?”

She shook her head as the girls reluctantly left, but clutched Lily’s wrist as she stood. In a small voice, she asked, “Stay?”

Lily nodded her head and bid her goodbyes with the girls.

“Right, okay. I’ll see you later?” James said to Emmeline who pressed another quick peck to her cheek. Instead of the hospital wing, Remus asked, and was very adamant, about being brought to his dorm where they hauled in Y/N and Lily.

Sirius managed to get the bleeding to stop and worked on Remus before going to patch up Y/N who sat in James’ bed. The curtains were drawn just close enough for them not to be seen while Lily and James feverishly spoke to Remus.

“Ah!” She hissed as Sirius wrapped her arm carefully. Her free hand went to grip on his arm and he looked up at her apologetically.

“M’sorry — and we’re done.” Sirius tosses a quick smile, “You did amazing.” Sirius placed his material to the side and went to hold her hand gently. “What happened? Don’t you dare tell me a lie because this is serious.”

“I thought you were Sirius.” That joke never got old

Sirius broke out into a grin before it quickly vanished again. “Who did this?” He urged voice hardening yet kind. “Please, trust me.”

And she did.

Y/N reluctantly retold the story. Sirius went stiff. She grabbed his arm to bring his attention back to her. “Don’t do something that’ll make it worse. Don't you dare go looking for revenge. Promise me.”

He nodded his head but looked conflicted. At the same time, James pulled back the curtains; Y/N ripped away.

She looked around the room. “Where’s Lily?” “I told her to leave,” Remus cuts in. “I didn’t think that she would’ve liked to hear about the Snape part.”

Her eyes locked with James who wore the same expression as Sirius; he knew. And so she repeated herself, enunciating every word to the boys. “Don't. You. Dare go looking for revenge.”

[lupismaris]

sorry you’re feeling so crappy 😔 i hope you feel better soon!!

if you’re feeling up to it, maybe silverflinthamiltons on a lake or beach vacation?

SILVERFLINTHAM LAKESIDE HOLIDAY PART 1 with a surprise! and another segment to follow because this is them arriving to the lake!

(this got long so most of it will be under the cut.)

***

It was summer.

Summer meant blistering asphalt and bags of trash stewing on the curb each morning. Hazy sunlight blinding the street, dark cavernous pockets of shade where the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees, but the air stayed stale and suffocating all the same. It meant too many people and too much noise and parties in the park that never seemed to end, one just replacing another in an endless cycle of hedonism, and bottles of chilled wine and cheap beer sweating on the fountain walls. It meant long dinners and longer lunches, ice cream trucks and Italian ice carts on opposite corners of the street carrying on an old world rivalry. It meant golds and blues and lush greens wherever your eyes happened to fall, be it on a back alley garden or storefront window display.

Silver loved summer.

He loved the warmth and the sprawling picnics and the baring of skin and the feral energy of a child free from school amplified to suit a city of millions and the heady summer storms that shook the glittering skyline in a kind of holy cleanse. He loved the summer fruits and the sweet aperitifs and the old school white linen shirts and open fire hydrants flooding the streets and the neon lights reflecting in the puddles left behind, still evaporating in the hot night, giving the whole world an ethereal glow.

Though he had to admit it was always better spent on a beach with a frosted drink and not a goddamn thing to do. But, if a beach couldn’t be procured, a big, cool, well air conditioned house that was paid for by someone else was an excellent alternative. His sister’s condo in Chelsea for instance was an excellent place to waste away a summer on parties and sun bathing and a private pool that no one else seemed to have the time to use. He had spent several summers with Max that way, even once the Rangers had become part of the picture, if Silver was on the east coast for the summer, he would drop in and waste away a while.

Now though, it looked like summers were going to be spent in Brooklyn, in the big cool townhouse that Thomas had paid for, with the truly miraculously internal air con that was always kept at a balmy 65 degrees from May to October, and with very little to do outside of whatever suited his fancy on any given day. Oh and sex, a lot of sex. This would be the first summer in a very long time where he could not only allow himself a libido, but he could also satiate it.

Silver was thoroughly content with the new circumstances.

He was less content however, with how the summer months, or maybe just the summer months in the city, seemed to bring out the worst in people as frequently as it did the best.

Flint, for example, did not handle summers as well as Silver did. In part it was due to the heat and the sun and the weird smells coming off the steamy side walks, and Silver understood Flint’s frustration with all that, he truly did. But summer also meant more tourists and more people going out for a good time, more people starting brawls in bars and fights in the street and parties spilling over from one bar to the next, or worse packs of bigots making the rounds and harassing whomever they find, everything the working class service folks of the city dreaded- in short, Flint’s stress levels seemed to just rise with the temperature. And considering an average day in July might easily crack 100, Silver was starting to get a tad worried.

“Is it like this every summer?” Silver had asked one Friday morning in June.

The kitchen was soft with the morning sunlight, Thomas in his silk night shirt and robe as he perused the menu for the cafe on the corner, Silver fixing them each an espresso.

“To a point yes. You know how James is about control,” Thomas said with a fond smile, “when he’s at his best he can combat every threat to his sovereignty without so much as flinching. But the summer gets to him, makes him a bit of a wolf in a cage, so to speak.”

“Was he worse in Manhattan?” the buildings sometimes reminded Silver of a cell block, the slivers of sunlight cutting through as hot as cattle prods.

“Much. Hal has tried talking him into not working as much in the summer, but you know how he is, can’t be told anything once he’s got his mind made up. Not to mention he’s never been good at simply existing. There always has to be purpose in it, work to be done, fields to plow and what not.”

Silver huffed a laugh and brought Thomas’ espresso over, feeling a sense of warmth at the notion that he and Thomas were able to share this, to share flint and all his eccentricities.

“I’m sure a man as clever as you thought of some way to keep his blood pressure down, hm?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. Thomas took the espresso cup without looking away from the menu. He set it aside and pulled Silver in, kissing him sweetly in thanks. Ah, that was also a nice thing to share with Thomas, Silver reminded himself.

“Oh I came up with a few ideas, pet. How about we order breakfast, and I’ll tell you about them.”

By Friday, the three of them were packed into Flint’s old Range Rover heading upstate for two weeks of holiday bliss. It had taken multiple phone calls to Gates to make sure the bar would in fact be alright while Flint was gone and to make sure he barred Flint from being within a dozen yards of The Walrus once it closed on Thursday night. It had also taken coaxing, convincing, bartering, and eventually outright bribery with sex to get Flint to stop scowling about the idea of being away from his “ship” for longer than a weekend. There had been other phone calls as well, placed by Thomas in the early hours of the morning when he thought he was the only one awake. When asked about them he just waved the questions away with a mild, “oh just a little extra surprise for James thats all” and Silver did his best to trust him.

It was a five hour drive from the house in Brooklyn to the house on Lake Cayuga that Thomas had purchased during his recovery, to he and Flint would have a quiet place to heal and make up for lost time without the strain of the city grating on them. Silver had never been upstate, his various clients had always preferred houses in the Hamptons, but from the photos it was a cozy little cottage style house right on the shore, a couple bedrooms, an airy kitchen, lush garden, and a private pier that stretched out into the lake. There was also apparently a boat, a little hybrid sailboat of polished wood and deep blue paint, the name Ariel written in careful golden script. Silver wanted to ask whether Flint had bought it or built it, because he was the kind of high strung man to just build a boat from scratch instead of buying one or scheduling extra therapy. But the scowl on his face as they tucked the suitcases into the trunk told him it wasn’t worth the teasing. Not yet anyway.

Flint insisted on driving the whole five hours himself, scowling silently behind the wheel as he drove them through miles of lush farmland, leaving Thomas and Silver to chat about what they might do once they get settled in. There was plenty of hiking, though Thomas was worried the gorges might be tricky for Silver’s regular prosthetic, ample water falls and countless parks to explore. Lots of quaint small towns with seafood shacks and local fare and more wineries than even Thomas knew what to do with. And of course, most importantly, there was the lake.

Flint kept his silence till the last hour of the ride, the scowl firmly set on his jaw. Silver and Thomas had switched seats so Thomas could stretch out and nap in the back seats, leaving Silver to try and coax a smile out of his partner. Not that he had to do much. As the car climbed yet another rolling hill, Silver watched the horizon, his hand in Flint’s, trying to figure out whether the deep blue streak that had suddenly appeared was a dark patch of sky.

It wasn’t, for the record.

Silver frowned and turned to Flint, planning to ask if it was the lake and exactly how big was said lake- but the question died well before he could even open his mouth.

The scowl was gone, dropped from Flint’s face and replaced by the softest look of wonder Silver had ever seen on the man, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, making his mustache twitch. It was as if something had hooked its line into Flint’s chest and was slowly reeling him in, his whole body sitting straighter, the tension in his shoulders bleeding out until he was leaning into the steering wheel. His hand even held tighter to Silver’s, an unconscious need to keep himself tethered maybe, or to keep Silver close.

“Is that the lake?” Silver managed to ask with a soft smile of his own.

“Yeah. We’ll be at the cabin in half an hour.”

They got there in twenty minutes, not that anyone was actually counting.

The lake stretched out before them, a sea of deep blues and aquamarines, glittering with the hot late June sunlight that danced across it’s surface. It’s shores were patched with wildflowers and thick thatches of wood, little clusters of cabins and boat houses, who’s owners were out skipping across the surface like dragon flies on their small boats and kayaks. The afternoon air was hazy and sweet, the whole scene a postcard from the mythical summers of memory that everyone aspired to, bird song and the low hum of the radio escorting them along the final stretch of route 90. Flint pulled them down a narrow side road, passing a few comfortably sized homes with ample space between them, until they reached the dead end of the street, and the little cottage Silver had seen in the photos, with the shadow of the pier dark across the water, and the Ariel waiting like a loyal dog in her berth.

“Oh good,” Thomas said with a yawn, finally pulling himself back into a sitting position and stretching, as Flint pulled the car into the drive alongside what looked like a rental car. “I was starting to think we were lost.”

Silver looked back at him, ready to tease about old men and naps, but Thomas was looking down at his phone, his fingers quickly switching on the stop watch. “Thomas what-”

The range rover lurched to a sudden stop as Flint hit the brakes and Silver had to cling to the seat to keep himself upright. Thomas seemed completely unfazed, draped across the back seat in his half buttoned linen shirt and designer sunglasses, watching with an air of fond expectation as Flint threw on the parking brake and booked it from the car, leaving the engine running.

“What the fuck is he doing?” Silver asked.

Thomas laughed and reached around the driver’s seat to shut the car off. “Exactly what I expected him to do, though I’ll admit I expected him to at least properly stop the car first.”

“What? Thomas- oh my god he’s going in the lake?” Silver asked, watching as Flint cleared the back fence and striped off his shirt, leaving it on the lawn as he kept moving towards the pier. His boots, socks, and jeans followed, barely breaking his quick stride to strip them off.

“Last time it took him a whole ten minutes to get into the water,” Thomas said, helping Silver, who was too busy staring in shock at the sight of his stern and stoic partner racing across the back patio like a child, from the car. “He might clear five minutes this time.”

A few more quick strides and Flint dove from the end of the pier, breaking the surface of the lake with a thunderous sound and disappearing into the blue.

“He’s in the lake,” Silver said.

Thomas hooked their arms together, the two of them walking leisurely across the lawn. “Every visit, the first thing he does is go to the water. It’s even more dramatic when it’s the ocean, maybe I’ll book us a house on the coast next month.”

“More dramatic than stripping down to his boxers in the back yard?” he asked.

The back lawn of the house was a mix of a large patio and and a short green, with a fire pit and a grill, a small dining table and some cozy chairs, and what silver hoped was a hot tub. A woman was stretched out on one of the long beach chairs in a deep green bikini, her dark hair cut short and a magazine across her lap, though she was watching the water, where Flint had just resurfaced for a moment before diving again.

“Miranda?” Silver called, aware that Thomas was beaming behind him but not at all surprised to see his ex wife. That explained the phone calls, and the rental car out front.

“I believe our husband is in the lake my dears,” Miranda called with a laugh, getting up to come greet them. “God he’s like a little boy at a swimming hole.”

“I’d ask how you got here but that seems almost silly,” Silver said, letting her pull him into a tight hug. They had taken to each other from the first, which had left Thomas and Flint a little uneasy. Miranda’s humor matched his, her wit sharp and familiar, and Silver had learned very quickly why Flint and Thomas were both still in love with her. He wasn’t far from it himself.

“Thomas called, said James needed an intervention,” She said, letting him go to kiss Thomas hello and hug him tight. “I’m on break from teaching this summer and the fall concert season hasn’t started yet, could I come out and join you for a couple weeks? Which was a silly question, I was buying a ticket the moment he suggested it.”

Thomas kissed the top of her head, smiling brightly. “I had hoped you might be his surprise before he jumped in the lake, I’m sorry my dear.”

Silver watched them, feeling a bit dizzy. They were were a perfect pair, Miranda dark and elegant under Thomas’ arm, the cool dusk sky to Thomas’ golden hour sun.

“Don’t be, I’ll go down to him, maybe join him in the water for a bit.” She kissed his cheek, then Silver’s. “There’s some snacks laid out in the kitchen and dinner will be delivered in a couple hours, why don’t you get the bags inside and then come join us. Maybe we can even take Ariel out before dinner.”

“Oh now there’s an idea,” Thomas agreed, moving to go back and fetch the bags from the car. “Tell our husband we’ll join you in a moment. If you can manage to get him up for air.”

Miranda laughed, a bright sunny sound that always reminded Silver of how she played piano, and made her way down to the pier. He watched as she sat down on the edge of the pier, as the surface of the water broke and Flint emerged, staring up at her in shock. Silver heard her laughing, saw her reach out and watched as Flint reached up and pulled her into the lake with a joyful shout of her name. They were lost for a moment to the water, kicking up waves as Flint held her tight and danced them around, clumsy and free. Behind him Silver could hear Thomas laughing, felt his hand as it came to rest warm and sure on his lower back, pulling him in close, as he said something about wishing they’d gotten that on film.

For Silver, it was one of those moments where suddenly he remembered what all those old love songs were written about. He understood it.

And it was finally his.

[bnhayyy]

Growing Pains

Wordcount: 7.2k

Series Tag: Click

Ao3 Link: Click

Notes: Thank you to @celadongirl​ for the beta! This fic is the third in a series wherein Reiner is Marleyan on Karina’s side, but enough context is provided within that it could probably be read on its own with only a wee bit of confusion. If you enjoy it, please consider following me on twitter at Museflight or buying me a ko-fi!

Summary: Gabi Braun doesn't have a drop of Eldian blood in her. But her cousin does, and for that, the entire family is condemned. 

Or; Gabi is made to live in Liberio after Reiner's heritage is discovered. She tries to avoid the Eldians, only to find that she is not immune to loneliness and Falco Grice is nothing if not persistent. 

He was visiting; the devil that was her cousin. Gabi was careful not to look at him. She wasn't supposed to talk to the devils. Her parents had said that this one was an exception, but she didn't want to take that risk. 

Too bad the devil didn't seem to get the hint. Of course not. He was a devil. 

He cleared his throat. His voice was still dangerously like the one she remembered, the one that had belonged to a good person, back when everything was alright. "Gabi-" 

Gabi snapped her head up to give him her angriest glare - so angry she could feel it burning. "Don't talk to me, devil!" she yelled. 

The devil faltered, and Gabi quickly turned and ran away. By shouting at him, she had messed up and looked at him. And what she saw was absolutely horrible, worse than if she looked up and saw the tallest of titans sitting at her table. 

He still looked like Reiner. But he couldn't be, not anymore. The Reiner she remembered couldn't turn into a monster. The Reiner she remembered wouldn't have let his family get thrown in with the eldians.

But they had been- because of him- because he was-

Gabi raced into her room and collapsed on her bed in a sobbing heap. 

Her parents had told her that the thing that looked like Reiner was going to be sent to the devil island soon. Good. She didn't want him around to make things worse. She didn't want him to stick around and confuse her by acting like her Reiner. 

She wasn't supposed to talk to devils. 

*

It felt like Gabi had been stuck inside ever since they had been moved in with the Eldians. She knew that that wasn't technically true, but it might as well be. Her parents didn't take her out often, and when they did, she had to stay right by their side. She wasn't allowed to play outside without them there to watch her. When they were there to watch, they didn't let her go beyond the tiny yard surrounding their tiny house.

And of course, there was no one for her to play with.

She understood why. The only people around them were Eldian devils. They weren't safe for her to be around. It wasn't safe for her to talk to them, for more reasons than just their evilness.

Gabi knew that they weren't supposed to let the Eldians know that they weren't like them. She didn't really understand why, but she knew that it was their most important rule. She also knew that her parents were worried that she might break the rule if one of them spoke to her. It wasn't true; Gabi was smarter than that. While she didn't want to talk to the eldians, she didn't like that her parents didn't trust her. So she pushed and prodded and begged for more freedom so that she could have the chance to prove it to them.

And because she wanted to play outside.

It took a long time and a lot of swearing up and down that they could trust her, and eventually they started letting her go outside alone again. By the time she was six and a half, she was allowed to leave the yard, just as long as she stayed close enough to see the house.

That was how she met him.

*

Gabi was skipping. She wasn't skipping for any good reason. She just felt like it. It was a nice day, the sun was shining down, she could hear birds in the distance, beyond the bleary old buildings, and it was fun to skip. So she did.

She went further than she should have.

The sight of two devil boys down the street made her glance back at her house, to remind herself that she could be back and safe in a moment if she needed to be. Except the house wasn't there. She couldn't see it. Her eyes widened, a burst of fear exploded in her chest, and she stumbled.

Gabi let out an involuntary yelp as she fell. She caught herself, but it caused a burst of pain in her hands as they tore against the rough pavement, accompanied by an ache in one of her knees. A whimper escaped her throat, and she bit down on her lower lip to stop any more sound from escaping as she fought back tears.

"Hey!" someone called.

Gabi tensed up. Despite the pain, she forced herself to sit up on her knees so that she could see who was talking to her.

It was one of the boys - the smaller one. He was running toward her with what looked like worry on his face. She knew that it couldn't be. A devil wouldn't be worried about some girl he'd never met. He must have been too stupid to realize that though, because he ran right up to her and asked, "are you okay?"

She stared at him. The boy shuffled, uncomfortable, then held out a hand.

Gabi scooted back, eyes wide. The devil boy wanted to touch her.

"It's okay!" the boy said, even though it very much wasn't. "My name's Falco. Maybe we can be-"

No. No more of that.

"Don't talk to me!" Gabi shouted, jumping to her feet and running back the way she came.

*

It didn't take her long to find the house.

When her parents asked how she'd skinned her hands and knee, she told them that she'd tripped and fell. She didn't tell them that she'd gone too far or about the boy she'd met.

*

Her mother had to go to the market. 

Gabi knew that it might be dangerous, since it would be swarming with Eldians, but the change in scenery called to her in a way that she couldn’t ignore. Besides, just because it was dangerous didn't mean she was scared. She begged her mother to be allowed to go with her, and her mother reluctantly agreed. 

In the aftermath, she couldn't tell if going had been a mistake or not. It was definitely nice to get out of the house. She had to stick by her mother's side the entire time, but it was still more than she had gotten lately. 

But she also saw that boy again. ( Falco.)

He looked like he'd been running an errand with his brother when he spotted her. He waved cheerfully, and Gabi glared back, which had made him hesitate and take a step back. 

Falco didn't actually say anything or approach her or her mother. But when they got back home, Gabi found herself wondering how much this boy would bother her. 

She had a feeling that this wouldn't be the end of it. 

*

Gabi was almost seven when her parents finally decided that she could explore a little further by herself.

It was fun.

(It would be more fun if she wasn't alone.)

Sometimes it was fun. It was fun if she found something interesting to explore. Despite being in the devil's land, finding something interesting was actually pretty hard sometimes, seeing as she still wasn't supposed to wander too far from home. She got used to her expanded territory in just a few days. Still, she managed to come up with something to do most of the time. Even when it wasn't fun , it killed time. And when she couldn't come up with anything at all...

It was probably the best she could expect from this place. She didn't belong there and it didn't want her. That didn't matter though, because her parents said that they weren't going to be there forever.

She just hoped that they got out soon. Before things could start to get too boring.

*

Gabi was standing on a big, old, weathered rock next to a creaky, old, abandoned house that she’d already explored four times before when she heard footsteps. She paused, and looked down to see that it was that boy (Falco) again.

"Hi," he said. He sounded a little more shy than before, a little more slow. Maybe he would stop trying to talk to her if she pushed him away again.

(Then no one would talk to her at all.)

Gabi wasn't supposed to talk to the Eldians anyway, and this boy was an Eldian. Even if he was all small and non-threatening looking.

(But could he really do anything if she just said 'hi'?)

Always doing what she was supposed to was boring though, and she was already getting so bored.

"Hi," she said, making sure to frown down at the boy.

Her frown didn't matter. He perked up immediately, like a dog that had been thrown a bone. "Hi!" he chirped. "I was wondering, do you want to-"

"No." 

She'd already said 'hi' when she wasn't supposed to. That was enough. Gabi frowned at the boy again, harder this time, jumped off her stone, and started walking home.

(She definitely didn't wonder what he was going to ask her.)

*

A welcome surprise appeared during another visit to the market.

There was a Marleyan soldier wandering around.

Someone Gabi could talk to!

She was going to wait for her mother at first. But she was taking so long to haggle with the fruit vendor, and as the conversation drew on, Gabi's impatience grew. When she tugged at her mother's shirt sleeve, she was dismissed with a wave, which made a scowl sprout across her face. She didn't know why the soldier was there or how long he would be around. It wasn't fair for her to lose her opportunity to talk to him just because her mother was taking forever with the fruit guy.

Gabi cast a thoughtful glance around the area before allowing her gaze to drift back to the soldier. Her parents didn't like her going over to anyone without them around, but that was with the Eldians. This was a Marleyan soldier. That had to mean that it was okay!

Quietly but quickly, Gabi stepped away from her mother and started walking toward the soldier. She'd be back before she even realized she was gone.

"Hey," Gabi called once she was close enough for the soldier to hear her. "What's your-"

The soldier drew his rifle and pointed it at her. "Get back, devil!" he barked.

Gabi stepped back, heart beating far faster than it should be. It didn't make sense. He was a soldier of Marley. She should be safe around him. Sure, she couldn't tell him that she wasn't Eldian, but she wasn't . He should have been able to tell that she was different because of that. So why was he pointing his gun at her and looking at her like she was some sort of thing?

She swallowed down the lump in her throat and tried to speak out over the sudden clamor erupting around her. "I'm not-"

"Do not speak unless ordered!"

Gabi opened and closed her mouth. How was she supposed to tell the soldier that she wasn't doing anything bad if she couldn't speak?

"Gabi!" her mother shouted. She raced forward and shoved Gabi behind her, looking up at the soldier with wide, wild eyes.

Her mother looked scared.

As her mother drowned the soldier in apologies before quickly shuffling Gabi away, groceries forgotten, she felt tears prickle in her eyes. They should have been because of how stupid and irritating and unfair that whole thing was. But deep down, she knew the truth.

The tears were there because it had been scary.

*

It was weeks before she was allowed to wander alone again.

She couldn't speak with the Eldians, because they were Eldian, but apparently, she wasn't supposed to speak to Marleyans either. Because it wasn't safe. Because they couldn't know that she wasn't Eldian. Even though she wasn't.

When she asked why, they started saying something, but cut themselves off and said they'd explain when she was older.

When she asked when they would be let back into Marley, they gave some excuse about his mission, but didn't give her an actual answer.

When she asked if she was supposed to spend the rest of her life without talking to anyone, they didn't say anything at all.

*

"I haven't seen you in a while," the boy said.

Gabi was at the abandoned house with the big rock again. She wasn't standing on it or exploring anything this time. Instead, she was sitting on the edge with her feet dangling off the side, watching them as they swung back and forth.

She felt empty. Or at least, she felt empty until the boy came up to her. Then she felt...

She felt like doing something that she wasn't supposed to.

The boy took a step back and started stammering when Gabi looked up at him. He waved a hand around, like he was trying to say that he was innocent of some mystery crime. Like anyone would care if he was. "I can leave if you wa-"

"What's your name?" Gabi asked, even though she already knew what his name was. Better to let him think she'd forgotten than let him know she'd remembered.

The boy - Falco - brightened up immediately. Like a puppy. Or a happy bird hopping around with a stick it had found. He looked more like the puppy, but something about him felt like a bird. "I'm Falco!" he said.

Gabi nodded. "My name is Gabi," she said.

*

Falco wasn’t bad, for an Eldian.

Part of her kept expecting him to prove her wrong after she started letting him spend time with her. But he didn’t. He just kept being better than she expected.

And a lot better than being alone.

*

It happened only a few houses away from Gabi's, because some people just had too much audacity.

She knew Falco would be waiting for her when she set out for the day. Despite being friendly, he didn't really have any friends aside from the other kids in that weird program he was in, and he seemed to spend more time with Gabi than any of them. And Gabi... she wasn't going to risk spending time with any other Eldians. Falco was enough for her.

They had a pattern. There were a lot of variations to it, but they had a pattern. Falco was busy with his training in the morning, so she wouldn't bother leaving the house until the afternoon most of the time. When he was able to hang out earlier, he usually told her the night before so she could plan accordingly. Sometimes he would have to leave for more training after that. Sometimes they would meet up again in the night, when he wasn't too tired and her parents let her go without asking too many questions. Sometimes, on big training days, he would be away for most of the day and they'd only get to see each other for a little while at night. Those days were boring. She would go to the abandoned house and wander around for a little while, trying to stay entertained, but always seemed to end up sitting on the big rock and waiting for him to show up. It sucked, but the stupid puppy face Falco made when he saw her kept her waiting.

The point was, Gabi knew what to expect. She liked knowing what to expect when it came to Falco. Maybe she would accept a nice surprise, but that was all.

Showing up at their meeting spot to find two larger boys cornering Falco wasn't a nice surprise. Their body language was tense and aggressive, and Falco was all but cowering against the wall.

Gabi stared, brows furrowing when one of the larger boys said something loud and Falco tried to shuffle away. It didn't make sense. Falco had said that he was in that titan-wannabe program and learning how to fight. So why was he just standing there and letting them push him around?

One of the boys moved to punch him, and as a wave of white-hot anger washed over her, Gabi decided that the reasons didn't matter. She wouldn't call Falco her friend, but she wasn't going to stand around and let people treat him like that. 

(He was hers.)

Gabi rushed forward and jumped on the closest boy's back, wrapping one arm around his neck and smacking the top of his head with the other one. "You leave him alone!" she ordered, tightening her grasp when the boy began to flail and shout.

"Gabi!" Falco cried.

"Hey!" the second boy cried in the same instant. He moved to rush toward Gabi, which finally spurred Falco into action. He rushed forward and kicked the boy right between the legs, causing him to crumple in on himself like a dead spider.

Gabi started to laugh, only to be cut off when the boy she was still clinging to grabbed the arm wrapped around his neck and tried to flip her off him. She let out a tiny scream, tightened the arm around his neck to avoid being flung off, and fisted her free hand into the boy's hair. Once she was secure, wrenched that arm around his neck out of his grasp and plunged that hand into his hair too.

"Be careful!" Falco cried. He was stepping anxiously around them now, his eyes flicking between the boy Gabi was clinging to and the one still on the ground.

"Crazy bitch," the boy she was clinging to spat. His voice sounded garbled, like he was in pain. Good. "I was just-"

"I don't care!" Gabi shrieked. "Go away!" She briefly let go of his hair with one of her hands in order to bonk him again for good measure.

"I will!" the boy cried. "Just get off!"

Scowling, Gabi let go of the boy and let herself drop to the ground. Her victim skittered over to his fallen friend while Falco raced over to her. "Are you okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Gabi looked at Falco and scowled. There was a bruise welling up underneath his eye, and when she looked down, she noticed scratches covering his knees and the palm of his exposed hand. "Why are you asking that?" she demanded. "You're the one who's all beaten up!"

She turned to shoot a glare at the pair of scumbags. Now that she was closer and not on the one boy's back, she could see that they really were significantly bigger than her and Falco. Just not big enough to stand a chance against her. They weren't actual titans, after all. They weren't soldiers, either. They didn't have guns or any real means to beat her down. She wasn't going to let herself be scared by them, and if they tried anything, she could probably even take both of them at once.

---Falco was in a pretty sad state though, and the boys were shooting him as many glares as her as they tried to pull themselves together.

Gabi swallowed down a knot in her throat. She’d been able to pounce on one of the boys before, but now she’d lost the element of surprise. Could she take them on without it? Probably , but with Falco all scared and beaten up…

No. There was no time to think or plan or worry. She had to act now.

"Come on," Gabi said before grabbing Falco's wrist and starting off at a run.

"Where are we going?" Falco asked. He didn't try to pull away. In fact, he kept up with her easily. Good. This would be easier if she didn't need to drag him all the way home.

"My house. We're gonna get you patched up."

"Oh. You don't need to-"

"Shut up, Falco."

He shut up.

Upon reaching her house, Gabi shoved the front door open and dragged Falco into the kitchen. Her mother was standing by the sink washing dishes, but looked up in surprise at the sudden sound. "Gabi," she greeted. Her gaze traveled down her arm, over to Falco, where a hint of wariness entered her expression. "Who's this?" she asked.

"Falco," Gabi said. "He's hurt."

"I can see that," her mother slowly said.

Her eyes flickered over to meet Gabi's. Gabi stood firm. Finally, her mother sighed.

"Let's get him taken care of, then."

*

Her mother patched Falco up and sent him on his way. Gabi knew that she wouldn't be allowed to go back out for the rest of the day after that, so she just told him that she'd see him tomorrow. And for hours, that was that.

Until dinner rolled around and, with everyone gathered around the table, her mother mentioned the boy Gabi brought over.

"You aren't supposed to be making friends with Eldians," her aunt said, disapproving.

Her mother snorted. "You're one to talk," she muttered.

"Gabi, how long have you been hanging out with this boy?" her father asked, worry clear in his voice.

Gabi shrugged. "A while." A few months. It had been a few months since she'd told him her name and started meeting up with him. Her parents wouldn't be happy with her if she said that though.

Her father's frown deepened. "Gabi-"

"I was bored!" Gabi exclaimed. "I'm not supposed to talk to anyone, and it's boring and-" lonely. "- it sucks."

"I can understand that," her mother said, voice slow and careful. "But you know there's a reason you aren't supposed to talk to Eldians, right?"

"I know," Gabi said. "But Falco's..." she paused, struggling to find the words. After a moment, she turned to look at her aunt. "Aunt Karina, you said that some Eldians are different from the others. Better." That was what she'd tried to say about him anyway. Gabi didn't trust that her aunt had been right at all when she said that, didn't see how he had made anything but bad things happen, but Falco... "Falco's like that. He's special."

Maybe he was her friend after all.

No one said anything for a long time. Finally, her aunt said, "be that as it may, you're better off not getting attached. We'll be getting out of here when Reiner gets back."

Gabi's parents glanced at each other and exchanged some wordless message. She looked at them and frowned, but quickly turned her attention back to her aunt. "That could take ages though!" she protested. "You can't tell me that I'm supposed to be alone until then! Falco's a good Eldian - you should let me play with him."

The room went quiet again. Her mother eventually sighed and, with reluctance plain in her voice, said, "alright. You can continue to see this boy. Just... be careful, and don't let yourself get too attached. You are still Marleyan, Gabi. This can't last forever."

*

"You should meet the other warrior candidates sometime," Falco suggested.

Gabi wrinkled her nose. "Why?" she asked.

"Because I think you'd all get along?"

He was doing that thing again, the one where he tried to sound confident but ended up sounding more like he was asking a question than anything. It made Gabi raise an eyebrow at him. That, in turn, made him falter.

"And also... I think you could use more friends," he hesitantly admitted.

Gabi frowned. Why on earth would he say something like that?

(Was he getting sick of her?)

"I don't need more friends," she said.

It was true. She had managed without any friends for years. Now she was almost eight years old and stronger than ever. She was perfectly fine with it staying just her and Falco.

(Was he okay with that?)

"Maybe not, but you deserve more," Falco argued.

Gabi relaxed imperceptibly.

"I don't want to make friends with just anybody," she said warily. The closest she could come to saying the truth.

"I know," Falco said, even though he really, really didn't. "But I think you'll really like them! I'm actually kinda..." He trailed off, then looked away.

Gabi leaned forward to get a closer look at the blush trailing up his cheeks. "You're kinda what?"

He hitched his shoulders up and ducked his head down.

"Falco!" Gabi pressed. "What were you going to say?"

"I'm kinda surprised that you aren't in the warrior program," he squeaked out, still not looking up. "I think you'd be good at it."

"Oh." Gabi looked down at her feet and tapped her fingers against the bench they were sitting on. She definitely couldn't tell him the truth about that one. What could she tell him though? What would he believe? What could she say that didn't run the risk of him finding out that she was lying later?

(Would she be in the warrior program if she was an Eldian? They seemed to think it was a big honor to be chosen to turn into a monster.)

"I'm not in the warrior program because... there's no need," Gabi slowly said.

Falco perked up. The blush was gone. Now he just looked at her with curiosity glimmering in her eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Gabi struggled to hold his gaze and force her next words out, but somehow, she managed. "My cousin's the Armored Titan." A devil, even though she knew Falco wouldn't see it like that.

And he didn't.

Falco gasped. "He is! Why didn't you tell me!? Gabi, that's... hey." The curiosity shifted into worry as he reached out to touch her arm. "Is... is something wrong?"

Gabi blinked, which caused her to realize just how much her eyes stung. Oh. Oh no.

"I'm fine," she said, reaching an arm up to scrub at her eyes. "I just don't see what's so great about turning into a monster."

"The shifters aren't monsters," Falco said, a flicker of hurt flashing across his face.

Right . Falco was a warrior candidate. All of his training was in the hopes that one day he'd be chosen to turn into a monster. Just like her cousin. If he was chosen...

No, surely it wouldn't be the same. Falco was a good thing in her life. A good person. Her cousin had caused her family a whole lot of harm, and no matter what her aunt said, it didn't look like whatever he was doing on that island was doing anything to make it better. He and Falco weren't, wouldn't, and couldn't be the same.

Gabi wanted to tell Falco that it was okay, that he was an exception, but she couldn't risk him asking why. The best she could do was let the fire drain out of her voice as she said, "they turn into titans. Isn't that upsetting to you?"

"A little," Falco confessed. "But the shifters are really brave."

"Because they protect Marley?"

"Kinda, but also... I think they do a lot for their families."

Gabi blinked. When she didn't say anything, Falco nodded and continued. "You know how titan shifters get to be honorary Marleyans, right? And their families get some benefits because of that."

Gabi nodded, even though her family hadn't received much in the way of extra benefits other than not being executed. Her aunt said that would change once her cousin returned from Paradis, but she wasn't sure how much she trusted that, seeing as he was the reason they were in this situation in the first place.

"Sometimes, it's also a second chance." Falco paused then, eyes clouding over with sadness. "My... My uncle did something bad, a long time ago. He was sent to paradise, and now me and Colt are in the warrior program to prove that the whole family isn't evil."

Gabi reached out to squeeze Falco's hand. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

(Not about his uncle, obviously, but anyone who spent a little time with Falco should be able to tell that he wasn't evil regardless of who he was related to.)

Falco gave her a small smile. "Thanks. I think we'll... I hope we'll do well. But for us and the others... it's a way to prove ourselves, take care of our family, and show Marley that we aren't evil . It's the closest that we'll come to them seeing us as people. Turning into a titan doesn't feel like it matters much, compared to that."

Gabi didn't know what to say to that. Luckily, she didn't need to, because Falco kept on talking. "Udo and Zofia - the candidates I spend the most time with - are almost as hard-working as you. I think you'd get along."

The pair were silent for a moment. Then, finally, Gabi sighed. "Alright. You can introduce me to them."

They couldn't be her friends, not like Falco, but... maybe they would be decent company.

*

Udo and Zofia were alright. They weren't Falco, but… they were alright. 

*

A few months after she turned eight years old, Gabi woke up to the sound of shouting.

It cut off almost immediately after, but the damage was already done by then. How could she roll over and go back to bed when she knew that something was happening?

She crept out of bed as quietly as her feet could carry her. Once she was outside her room, she could hear her family's voices again. They were too quiet for her to make out what they were saying, but loud enough for her to follow the sound. It led her to the kitchen. There, she pressed herself up against the wall just outside the entryway and strained to listen.

"You're delusional, Karina!" her mother spat.

Her father sounded worried as he began, "Lyra-"

Her aunt cut him off. "I am not! When Reiner gets back-"

"- If gets back-"

"- Don't you dare-"

"- If he gets back, then he might be forgiven for existing. Do you really think that'll do anything to help our situation?"

Her aunt sniffed. "If Reiner does well-"

"Karina, that's a lot of 'if's," her father said, voice low.

"Well, excuse me for having faith in my son, George."

"You can have your faith," her mother cut in, voice cold. "It doesn't matter. Even if he does everything perfectly, the best we can hope for is to be treated like the families of the other Eldian warrior families."

For a moment, silence descended over the household, and all Gabi could hear was her own heart beating. It was broken by her aunt's voice, lower and more subdued, saying, "well, if he gets honorary Marleyan status, they might-"

Her mother laughed, harsh and unhappy. "Let us all back into Marley? You've been in this place for too long, Karina. Even if they let us out, it won't be until Reiner's-"

"Don't. Say it."

"...There's nothing Reiner can do to help us," her mother said after a long moment. "And I'm not saying it's his fault. I'm saying that it would be nice if you would take a little responsibility."

"Responsibility for what?"

"Are you kidding-"

"I've already been punished, haven't I? Me and Reiner. I know honorary Marleyan status isn't that great, but we are more than that. I know that this place is awful. But we will get out eventually. The deal was that our status as Marleyan citizens will be restored if we perform well. What are you worried about?"

"I'm worried about Gabi."

Gabi felt a lump lodge itself in her throat. She took in a deep breath and held it, since she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stay quiet otherwise.

"What about Gabi?" Her aunt asked. "She's been adjusting well."

"Yes, because she was thrown in here when she was three," her mother argued. "By the time Reiner dies, the Eldian Internment Zone will be all she's ever known. What if they aren't willing to take her back?"

It became hard to hear after that. Her family was still talking just as loudly as before, but the pounding of her heart and buzzing in her head made it hard for her to think.

Marley might not want her back? Just because she had grown up in Liberio? Where they had made her grow up? Why? What were they afraid she would do? It was ridiculous and weird and... unfair.

(They treated Falco unfairly, making him and his brother join the warrior program because of their uncle.)

Gabi raced back to her room and crawled into bed. She laid there, eyes squeezed shut, pretending that she was asleep. Between the racket in her head and heart, it felt like someone should have heard her. Like someone would come in and check on her in a moment. But no one did.

After a few moments, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

Then she started to plan.

*

The facts were simple.

Gabi's family wanted to get out of Liberio. Aunt Karina thought that Reiner would get them out. Her mother didn't think that there was anything he could do to help, which made sense. Reiner was the reason they were in this situation in the first place. How could he possibly make anything better?

Her mother was also worried that Marley wouldn't take Gabi back because she had grown up in Liberio. It made sense when she stopped to think about it. How were Marley's important people supposed to know that Gabi was only hanging out with good Eldians like Falco and Udo and Zofia? They might have been worried that the bad Eldians had rubbed off on her. It wasn't fair, since they were the ones who made her grow up in Liberio in the first place, but...

Marley wasn't always fair. That was why Falco was in the warrior program because of something his uncle had done. He was a good Eldian, but he had to work himself to the bone to prove it. Because sometimes Marley struggled to see things that should have been obvious and pick the good Eldians out from all the bad. That was probably going to be the situation with her. She would need to make them see that it was still good.

Sometimes the warrior program served as a second chance. It was an opportunity to prove that you were good despite who you were related to - or grew up around.

Gabi didn't have a drop of Eldian blood in her. She wouldn't be accepted as a warrior candidate because she couldn't inherit a titan in the first place. However, there were also non-shifters who worked with the Eldian unit. Most of them were the Marleyans who kept them in line, but she'd heard that there were a few exceptions, lower-ranked soldiers who'd proven themselves exceptional. If she could become one of them, if she could make herself useful to Marley and prove herself in their eyes, show that she hadn't become too sympathetic toward the Eldians and only surrounded herself with the very best of them...

Reiner was working for Marley because he had no other choice. But not her. Surely that would mean something.

She would help her family where Reiner couldn't. She would become one of their very best warriors, and when the time came, her family would be allowed back into Marley. And Gabi would go with them.

(She would miss Falco.)

*

"What if I joined the military?" Gabi asked.

Falco choked on his own spit and almost fell off the rock. She grabbed onto his shoulder to steady him, even though they were tall enough now that it wouldn't be much of a drop even if he did fall.

"W-why would you do that?" he asked. "I thought- your cousin-"

"Have you considered that maybe I also want to be useful?" Gabi challenged, letting go of his arm and leaning forward.

Falco leaned back. "There are plenty of other ways to be useful. The military's - it's really dangerous."

Gabi crossed her arms and let out a huff. "I'm fine with dangerous. Besides, that's not all there is to it. The family can't depend entirely on Reiner, and I want to help."

"Are you sure?" Falco asked. "I mean, if there's anything you need, I c-" He looked away, cheeks slowly starting to dust pink. "There are other ways," he said.

"Yeah, but none of them would be as effective." Nothing else would get her in around the warrior program, which was what she needed to happen.

"I see." Falco bit his lower lip. "I mean, it would be nice to see you more often, I guess. If you'll be around the warriors."

"Of course," Gabi said, allowing a hint of haughtiness to slip into her voice. "I have a plan." It was a risky plan, but she was sure it would pay off.

"Are you- Are you trying to get in to the program?" he asked, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice. Probably worried that she would outscore him if she got in. She probably would, too, if it wasn't impossible.

"No," Gabi said. "It's probably too late for me to get in. But I can do the next best thing and work with you."

Falco nodded. He didn't look entirely convinced, but that wasn't her problem. She knew that she wouldn't actually pose a threat to his standing. He had no reason to worry, and in time, hopefully he would see that.

It did make her want to change the subject though.

"Speaking of, Colt's doing well, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Falco said, perking up a little. "It looks like there's a real chance he'll be chosen as the beast titan's successor."

"That's great!" Gabi said. "Are you going to drop out if he's chosen?"

Falco hesitated. When he spoke, it was with a new flicker of resolve in his eyes. "No," he said. "I don't think I will."

*

Gabi had met Commander Magath several times since she started hanging out with Udo and Zofia. He was a strict man who generally seemed to view Eldians the same as all Marleyans. However, he didn't take it long for her to start to suspect that he cared about the warrior candidates more than he let on. She was also pretty sure that he liked her, even if he did sometimes look at her like he was seeing a ghost.

So much of her plan hinged on the hope that she was right about him liking her. It could mean so much trouble if she was wrong. But if she was right...

The potential benefits of her being right outweighed the risk of her being wrong.

Her opportunity arose on a bright warm day. Gabi was walking around town with Falco, Udo, and Zofia when she spotted Magath walking down the street with Zeke Jaeger and a handful of other officials. She didn't know who most of them were or what they were doing there. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that most of them were Marleyan and one of them looked like he outranked Magath.

Gabi turned to her friends and grinned. "I'll be right back," she whispered, taking a step back.

Udo and Zofia exchanged a confused look but didn't question her. Falco, however, stepped forward, worry shining bright on his face. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Gabi's grin grew. "I told you. I'm going to get into the military."

She didn't wait so much as another second before turning around and racing toward the officials. As she did, she coaxed her expression into one of gleaming admiration, the sort that even the soldier from that day in the marketplace would have had trouble lashing out against.

"Excuse me!" she cried. "Commander Magath, Mister Jaeger!" Gabi saluted smartly - perfectly - as she skidded to a stop in front of them. Then, as she looked at the Marleyans, she made sure to look at them like they were heroes, perfect and above her in every way. The way every Marleyan wanted Eldians to look at them. "Are these your superiors?"

All of the men looked caught off-guard. Magath, though, he looked wary.

That wariness might have caused a problem if Zeke didn't beat him to responding. "They are," he said.

"That's so cool!" Gabi exclaimed. Her voice was perfectly sincere. She didn't even need to fake it, considering what she was saying. Even if her own circumstances kind of sucked, she could still appreciate the good that all of these men did. "Thank you for everything you do. My mother was telling me about the devil island the other day, and I'm really glad that Marley's here to protect everyone. I know Liberio's full of Eldians, but I'm glad we don't have those devils with us."

She could practically feel Magath's gaze boring into her at this point. As the chief overseer of the warrior unit, he knew about her family, which meant that he probably knew she was up to something. And because he knew about her family, there was too big a risk that he would turn her down if she approached him and asked to be thrown into the military. That was why he wasn't the one that mattered here though. Gabi kept her gaze on the other Marleyans, noting the bemused expressions. One of them, the one who outranked Magath, gave a tiny nod.

It was working.

"I was actually thinking," Gabi continued, training a hint of humility and hope into her voice. "I want to help the warrior unit!"

In the corner of her eyes, she noticed Magath's expression shift into one of shock. There was something else under it though, something tired and guarded.

"You do, do you?" Zeke asked, amusement leaking into his voice.

"I do!" Gabi exclaimed. "I know I'm probably too old to become a warrior candidate, but there have to be other ways I can help, so let me prove myself to you! If you give me the chance, I'll train night and day to catch up!"

Magath frowned at that point. "Gabi..."

"Magath, you know this girl?" the commanding officer cut in.

"I do," Magath said. "She's the Armored Titan's cousin."

Zeke raised an eyebrow at that. The other Marleyans, however, looked thoughtful, but not suspicious or concerned. Good.

Gabi held her breath.

Finally, the higher ranking officer turned to Magath and said, "she should already be familiar with the program then, and we could always use another soldier."

"No point in turning down such an earnest offer to help," Zeke remarked, an odd twinkle in his eyes.

When Magath hesitated for a moment longer, the commanding officer pointed out, "I'm sure you can find some use for her."

Magath let out a deep breath. "Fine." As he turned to Gabi, eyes shadowed and grave, she was certain that he was seeing someone other than her. It didn't matter though, because he said, "come with Falco to training tomorrow."

Gabi took in a deep breath and smiled so widely that she thought it might pop off her face. "Thank you, Sir!"

Zeke chuckled. Magath, meanwhile, waved a hand and said, "you're dismissed."

Gabi saluted before sprinting back to her friends, and every step felt like she was walking on air.

She was going to save her family. They were going to get out of Liberio.

(Maybe, if they both did well, she could bring Falco with her.)

[thdorkmagnet]

The Princess and the Street Dog

Hello everyone!! So today I am posting a birthday gift for my dear amazing friend @kikithefox231​. She had an idea for a Lady and the Tramp AU and I fell in love with it! Of all her incredible AU’s this one might be my favorite, haha. She also offered to make a cover for it and gosh it just turned out adorable!! Thanks for that Kiki and Happy Birthday, dude! You deserve it!

 Star's life had always been perfect. Ever since she could remember she had been living the life of luxury. She had been adopted by a lovely family of humans known as Eclipsa and Globgor. They treated her with so much warmth and kindness that she never felt unloved. She could do basically whatever she wanted: sleep on the bed at their feet, eat half of Globgor’s morning donut, and she was even free to bark and chase around as many birds or squirrels as she wanted. 

Yep, life for Star was pretty good.

Loving with a silver spoon would do that to you. Sure there was a problem or two from time to time but nothing that ever threatened her lifestyle. The biggest hiccup had been when Globgore and Eclipsa had a 'baby' as they called it and suddenly the attention was shifted away from her. She was pretty upset and even a little jealous until she had actually seen little Meteora and her heart had melted. She fell in love with the baby and her tail was wagging so much the first time she saw her, it was a wonder it didn't break off. 

So yeah life for Star was good.

Except....

It wasn't. Lately Star has been craving more. She wanted to see more than the small fenced-in enclosure she called home. Sure she loved her home and owners and couldn't ask for better but at the same time... she wanted more! She knew there was stuff out there that she had never seen before and she would love a chance to see it someday. 

Of course it wasn't her fault she had started having these thoughts, they had been implanted into her brain by the wild street dog known as Marco. Ever since he started showing up, Star has begun desiring more from her life than the pampered existence she knew. He would come around to bother her and tell her stories about life outside of fences, about railroad tracks and garbage cans and fire hydrants. Star pretended not to care but inwardly, her curiosity was beyond peaked and she secretly loved whenever Marco appeared, something about him just drew her in and she couldn't quite explain it.

Not that she would ever let it show.

Star was thinking about him as she laid out of the grass, letting the bright sunlight soak into her warm fur. She had had a very busy morning, fetching the newspaper, burying the bone Eclipsa had given her, barking at a group of stray birds that wandered into her yard, the usual stuff and she was enjoying some well deserved rest. Of course she was also trying to show off the new pink bow her owners had tied around her ears, it looked great on her and she was happy to gain attention over it.

But then her peaceful morning was interrupted as she heard a distinct set of pawprints heading her way. She let out a groan, while her heartbeat began to pick up its pace again. There was only one animal in the world those pawsteps could belong to, Marco's brash, confident stride too distinct to be anyone else. 

Star felt her heartbeat racing against her chest and her tail began to wag against her will. She did her best to hide her joy though, pretending to be asleep. She didn't want to let him know the effect he had on her, even though she was practically shivering with anticipation.

She felt the tiniest of smiles form on her face as she heard the gate to her yard creak open. She didn't know why but she loved the fact that Marco was there to see her. That he came all this way specifically for her. Something about that caused goosebumps to appear under her fur. 

She listened as his paws padded on the soft grass getting closer and closer but she didn't dare risk looking. Maybe if he thought she was sleeping he would leave and honestly even though she wanted to see him, she didn't want the temptation that came with him. His wild, chaotic nature was hard to resist.

But her charade proved ineffective when a cocky voice said, "Hello princess."

Star let out a fake sigh, pretending to be annoyed by the nickname he had given her, instead of the intense feeling of joy that rushed through her. "Why do you always have the worst timing? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something."

Marco lay down in front of her, their faces so close their noses were nearly touching. "Funny, to my eye it looks like you're doing a whole lot of nothing," he said with an intoxicating smirk.

Star huffed, sticking her nose up in the air like her friend Ponyhead had taught her, saying in a superior tone, "For your information it's called a nap."

Marco wasn't at all affected by her power, rolling around some on the grass as he commented, "Wow, I knew you were pampered but I didn't realize the pet life made you so lazy."

Star couldn't stop the growl at the teasing insult, her cheeks puffing up in the cutest way. "I'm not lazy!" She argued, shooting the street dog an annoyed scowl. "For your information I had a very busy morning!"

"Doing what? Getting a pedicure?" Marco asked with a sly grin, clearly enjoying getting under the cocker spaniel's skin. 

"No that was the day before," Star replied without thinking. But upon realizing her mistake she flushed, knowing how the argument was just made invalid. The collie broke out into laughter and Star resisted every urge in her body that told her to hide her blushing face from his gaze. Instead she simply settled for looking away and pouting. 

"Whatever, it's not that bad," she muttered under her breath. In a louder voice though she asked in an annoyed huff, "Did you come all the way here just to insult me?"

"Nope," Marco said, finally recovering from his laughing fit, stretched out his limbs and back as he spoke. "Actually I was on my way to have some real fun and figured I'd invite you along." The dog crossed his paws in front of him before laying his head on top, giving the pampered pooch a knowing smirk. "But clearly you're too busy to come."

Star saw through the dog’s attempt to manipulate her, his hidden smug and wagging tail giving him away in a heartbeat. But Star was not so easily manipulated and so she kept a straight face as she replied, "That's right. So why don't you run along and let me nap in peace." She turned her back to him and laid down closing her eyes while listening closely to see if he would actually leave or not. 

But even this was not enough to shake Marco as he trotted around her, now facing her again. "Oh come on," he pressed bending down so that his face hovered a few inches from her own. "Don’t tell me you aren't curious? Where's your sense of adventure? Don't you want more out of life than being a pet! Don't you wanna see what a dog's life can really be?"

Star didn't know how to reply to that, because she was curious. She did want to see what life off of a leash was like. She knew she shouldn't but she did and that burning desire made her hesitate. Marco's offer was so intriguing, could she really pass up this chance?

Marco could see her will breaking and added in a hinting tone, "Come on, princess. You know you want to."

"But-But Eclipsa and Globgor," she quickly stammered, but the excuse was halfhearted and she knew it. 

“I’ll have you back before they even know you’re gone,” Marco promised, giving her a trusting smile, one that Star found impossible to resist, her curiosity and the street dog’s pressure pushing her over the edge. 

She let out a long, drawn-out sigh, before finally saying, “Okay, fine.” But she added quickly, “But only because it’ll get you to leave me alone.” 

It was clear Marco saw through her obvious lie due to his wide smirk but thankfully he kept whatever comment he had to himself as he simply replied, “Cool. Glad to hear I finally convinced you.” 

“Not like I had much choice,” Star muttered sourly, stretching out her limbs as she finally stood. She made sure to not let her smile show, her excitement at finally getting to see the outside world making her inwardly giddy. But she did not want Marco to see that. 

Marco chuckled to himself at Star’s pouting and told her smoothly, “Hey, I promise you’re gonna love it and a street dog’s ode is his life.”

“Really?” Star questioned, raising a teasing eyebrow. She allowed the dog to lead her over to the opened gate. 

“Oh yeah, just because we aren’t pampered head to toe doesn’t mean we don’t have standards, princess.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to see how true your ode is then, won’t we?” 

Marco gave her a confident grin over his shoulder, that caused Star’s cheeks to heat up. “Challenge accepted.” The two reached the gate and Marco waved a paw towards the exit, bowing his head low. “After you,” he said in what could almost pass for a sophisticated tone if Star didn’t notice the sarcasm dripping from his every inflection.

“Such a gentlemen,” she returned, playing along with his act as she trotted past him, keeping her head held high in a dignified manner. But she paused just a second as she reached the crosswalk, feeling anxious to take that final step into a world she didn’t know or understand. She didn’t pause for too long though, feeling Marco’s stare on her back, no doubt judging her hesitation and wanting to prove herself to the street dog she forced her paw onto the hard cement sidewalk. For some reason, Star’s body tensed up, her hair standing slightly on end as if she expected some disaster to happen the moment she left the safety of her yard. But nothing happened, the pair remained untouched and Star felt slightly embarrassed for the irrational panic. 

Marco grinned brightly at seeing the fussy dog finally stepping outside her comfort zone and his tail wagged happily as he watched her reluctantly standing on the sidewalk. He had been waiting for this moment for so long and he finally had convinced his crush to go on an adventure with him. He could see her start to rethink her decision though, indecision flashing in her eyes and he quickly said, “Come on, it’s this way.” And with that he headed off towards town, already coming up with the quickest route out of the fancy neighborhood. He held his breath slightly as he listened closely for Star’s pawsteps and after a couple seconds he heard her following along behind him and felt his heart leap in his chest. 

Star made sure to stick close to Marco as she stumbled along blindly behind him, the burning curiosity in her chest pressing her forward as her beloved home slowly faded in the distance as she journeyed into the unknown. 

...

Star was enchanted by the world outside her fence. She could only gap and wag her tail at every new sight that came her way, following along behind Marco. There were so many things to see, automobiles and fire hydrants and so, so many humans! Thousands of new smells invaded Star's nostrils and she couldn't help but sniff back eagerly. She wanted to know what all of it was and meant. 

She tried to keep her composure, especially when she caught a few smirking glances from Marco. She was a lady, after all. Still, it was hard to act sophisticated when you were left gawking awkwardly at something as simple as a window shop. Star jumped when a Jack-in-the-box popped up from behind the glass and Marco laughed. She tried to ignore the annoying tramp as well as her warm cheeks.

Marco led her over to some railroad tracks and they followed them for a short ways. Again, Star couldn't hold in her excitement as she asked, "Do you think we'll see a train?" 

"Probably not, the trains don't usually run at this time," Marco nonchalantly replied, boldly walking on the tracks themselves, while Star trotted next to them. 

"Oh," Star replied sadly, unable to hide her disappointment.

"Maybe next time, princess," Marco reassured her, giving her a tiny glance. 

Star didn't reply but her tail wagged just a little bit harder at the thought of there being a 'next time'. She hadn't been too sure about an outing with the street dog at first but she had to admit she was enjoying herself. Maybe she wouldn't mind having a 'next time' with Marco. 

Then the two reached their destination.

Of all the places Star had been imagining (since Marco had insisted on it being a surprise) an old rundown farm was not one of them. If farm was even the right word. The grass had been picked clean, only dirt and mud left. The house was falling apart loose boards and peeling paint making the place look hazardous. The only thing of even remote interest was a worn down chicken coop. Star gave Marco a skeptical look silently asking 'Is this the place?'

The mutt ignored his critical companion, breathing in the rustic air before sighing contintly, "This place never changes."

"Are you sure that's a good thing?" Star commented, wrinkling her snout.

Marco finally picked up on the pet's contempt and said confidently, "Trust me, Star. You are gonna love this."

"If you say so," Star replied, shifting uncomfortably on her paws, suddenly not sure about her decision to tag along. The dirt especially making her hesitant. Eclipsa hated having to give her baths and would usually ask Globgor do it. Star didn't want to cause trouble for her owners. 

But she was already here and she didn't want to turn back now, she would never hear the end about it from Marco. She had to prove to him once and for all that a pet could be just as wild and reckless as a stray. 

So, Star just took in a breath, gazing up at the wire fence that sealed off their entrance and asked, "So how do we get in?"

"This way," Marco replied, padding over to the fence and gesturing with his paw to a small hole just under where the fence was. He quickly widened the hole, using his front paws to scoop out dirt so both he and Star could fit easily under.

Star watched as the collie easily slipped through the hole, not a single patch of fur even grazing the fence line. He then turned, waiting for Star to do the same.

But she hesitated. 

Marco watched her stand there awkwardly for a second, before asking, "What is it now, princess?" A smirk grew as he added teasingly, "Afraid of getting a little dirty?"

Star's gaze narrowed slightly but she shook her head, causing her ears to flop back and forth. "No, it's just... my bow."

"Your bow," Marco repeated, an eyebrow beginning to raise. 

Star felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment, suddenly feeling stupid for bringing it up, but she lowered her head so Marco could clearly see the pretty pink ribbon tied around her ears, resting comfortably at the back of her head. "Uh yeah, Eclipsa and Globgor just bought it for me, I'm afraid it'll get ruined." Her voice grew softer and softer with each word, shame making her voice slowly break off, lost to the wind.

She waited for Marco to laugh or taunt her but surprisingly the dog didn't say anything, instead just gazing around thoughtfully at the fence. Star watched in surprise as his bright brown eyes searched for any openings, before they landed on a small gate. 

"Hang on I got an idea," Marco said. The hound then began the grueling task of trying to open the small lock with nothing but his nose. It took several attempts, trying to tease the small clasp up and Star held her breath at every try, sighing in disappointment each time it slipped right back into place. 

Finally after several endless minutes, Marco managed to get the gate open, a small push from his paw allowing Star to easily enter inside. 

Star happily trotted inside, touched by Marco's kindness. "Thanks," she whispered shyly. "I really appreciate you doing that for me." She scratched a paw in the dirt absentmindedly. 

Marco shrugged. "Well I couldn't let you ruin something important to you because of me, what kind of friend would I be, then?"

Star was too stunned to respond to that, just staring at him, wide-eyed. The slight sparkle in her eye seemed to make Marco uncomfortable, coughing into his paw before turning away and adding quickly, "B-Besides, then I'd never get you to come out of your fancy cage again, soooo-"

Star smiled softly back at him, easily picking up on his attempts to cover up his compassionate act and simply replied, "Well thanks all the same."

"S-Sure, it's no big deal, really," Marco nervously stuttered, for the first time losing his cocky demeanor that Star had so heavily associated with him. Looks like there was more to Marco than she had thought. And Star couldn't help her curiosity as she wondered what other sides to him waited beneath his rough exterior. 

"Anyways," Marco continued in a desperate attempt to change the subject. "Let me show you what we came here for." 

"Oh please," Star said teasingly, trotting along beside him as he led her to the chicken coop. "The anticipation is killing me."

Marco gestured with a paw at the coop. "Here we are!" He said in a showy tone. 

Stars eyes narrowed in confusion. "I'm confused is it behind the dirty chicken coop orrr-"

Marco gave a fake laugh at the comment. "Haha, very funny. No, it is the chicken coop, Star."

"And why do we care about chickens, exactly?" Star asked, still not following Marco's train of thought.

"Easy. We're gonna scare them and then chase them around a bunch."

Star was startled by this answer, blurting out, "Why would we do that?"

"Because it's fun," Marco replied simply. 

"But we won't hurt them right?" Star asked nervously. 

"Naaahh," Marco dismissively answered, already walking up the wooden plank that led inside. "They love it. This is what they live for."

"Well, alright then," Star said wincing but still followed after her friend. She still had a point to prove, after all. 

Once inside, the smell of must and feathers filled Star's nose and she blinked a few times waiting for her eyes to adjust. The chickens all lay on small piles of straw that acted as their nest, each snoring peacefully, oblivious to the intruders in their home. The pampered pup looked over at her friend, unsure of what to do now.

But it seemed Marco was easily in control of the situation, shooting her a wink before sucking in a deep breath. Before Star could question what he was doing the mutt let out a loud series of barks that caused Star to flinch and startled the birds from their slumber, squawking and flapping around the coop wildly. Then they all rushed towards the only exit and Star barely had time to jump out of the way of the fluttering of a thousand feathers.

Star watched stunned as the birds scattered out across the yard, still clucking loudly and making a huge fuss as they scrambled around blindly. The pet felt a twinge of regret for scaring the birds until her eyes landed on Marco. The street dog crouched forward on his front paws, so his tail was sticking up in the air. It was wagging so quickly it was a wonder it hadn't lifted him off the ground. There was a playfulness in his eyes and his tongue stuck out just slightly and Star couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of the grown dog acting like a mere pup. 

Marco heard her chuckle and flashed her a winning grin that caused Star’s whole body to warm with affection and she smiled back at the mutt without even thinking. Then, without warning, the street dog launched himself towards one of the chickens causing it to squawk and scamper away as fast as it’s claws would allow. But Marco was on it’s tail in a second, following closely along behind it and letting out a few yips here and there to keep it motivated on escaping him. Star now outright laughed at her companion’s ridiculous display, his tongue now hanging fully out of his mouth as he chased after the bird, which zigzagged around the yard in some form of evasive maneuver. 

Star laughed harder and harder until her stomach hurt and there were tears in her eyes and still the mutt continued his hilarious display. Marco paused for only a second, panting wildly but clearly enjoying himself and he gave a slight incline of his head towards the lady dog, beaconing her over. Star shook her head, still thinking of her privileged upbringing, it simply wouldn’t be dignified of her. Marco’s eyes flashed with some kind of determination but quickly raced after the chicken again. 

This time though, he seemed to be guiding it in a specific path, cutting it off at several points and forcing it to turn and run and Star realized too late that he was leading it over to her. She shrieked and quickly moved out of the way as the chicken ran past, a few feathers flying up into the air and landing in her soft fur. Marco flew by her in a blur and she shot him an annoyed glare which he returned with a shrug over his shoulders. 

Star let out a huff, but a smile spread across her face a second later as she chased not after the chicken, but Marco himself, all thoughts of preserving dignity and respect lost as she gave into the tramp’s game. “Get back here, you scoundrel!” she barked playfully.

“You’ll have to catch me, Princess,” Marco shouted over his shoulder, delighted his companion was finally joining in on the fun. 

The two giggled as they raced around the yard, sending chickens fluttering into the air at every turn, the chickens themselves now forgotten as a game of chase broke out instead. Star, not used to running this much, found herself struggling to catch up to Marco but she refused to give up. Thinking quickly, she broke off course, running around the chicken coop and able to outmaneuver the hound. She let out a laugh of victory shouting, “Gotcha!” she lept towards him but he quickly jumped out of the way, causing her to land hard in the dirt. 

Star sat up quickly, spitting rocks and dirt from her mouth before growling as she heard Marco’s laughter. She rose to her paws, shaking the loose dirt off her shiny fur, before shooting her friend another glare. “Oh, that’s it, you’re on now!” she yelled, barely able to suppress her own laugh. Marco fake gasped before taking off running again and Star raced after him.

The two ran around the small backyard together and Star smiled brightly, enjoying the feeling of the wind on her face, the pounding in her heart, her ears flapping behind her. All of it. And all those days, living safe and secluded in her small home melted away as the feeling of true freedom overtook her. Marco hadn’t lied to her when he said she would have fun, Star was having the time of her life and she never wanted it to end! 

Star seeing several chickens pecking at the ground in front of her and Marco, smiled mischievously before letting out a loud bark, causing the birds to panic and scatter, several of them flapping their wings right in the poor dog’s face causing him to stumble back in surprise. Star used this opportunity to pounce on her companion, knocking him to the ground and pinning him under her weight. “Gotcha!” she shouted in victory, her front paws perched on his back and her head held high. “How’s that for a house pet?”

Marco chuckled, before rolling over on his back, causing her to slide off of him. The two lay on the ground for a minute, panting, staring into each other’s eyes as they smiled blissfully. 

“Alright, I admit that was pretty good,” Marco finally said, his tone full of some emotion Star couldn’t quite place, but there was a tenderness in her eyes that made her tail wag in joy. “I knew there was more to you than meets the eye.”

“Hmm, turns out there’s more to you, too,” Star commented shyly, suddenly looking away to hide her burning cheeks. 

“Like what?” he asked, leaning a little closer to her so their noses were almost touching. 

“Like… maybe you aren’t as annoying as I thought you were,” Star answered softly. The cocker spaniel found herself scooting closer to her companion. She didn’t know what she was about to do but she knew she wanted whatever it was to happen. 

“You might even be really… nice,” she finished.

There was now almost no space between them, their faces so close Star could smell Marco’s scent. It was musty and gritty but full of so much life and she wanted to know more. She wanted to know everything about Marco, wanted to be a part of his life in the same way he had become a part of hers. She wanted-

“Hey!” A loud voice interrupted the moment and Star looked over to see a human, an angry scowl on his face and a gleaming gray tool perched tightly in his hands. Star shivered at the hatred on the man’s face and she thought she saw Marco put a protective paw in front of her but it could have been her imagination. “Stop scaring my chickens, you mutts!” The man raised the shiny barrel so it was now facing right towards the pair of dogs and Star felt her heart drop. 

Marco let out a loud bark, which caused the man to jump and a loud bang rang through the air, hurting Star’s sensitive ears. The ground right beside her paw was stuck by something hard and fast, kicking dirt up into the air and terror shot through Star as she instinctively pulled her paw away from the sudden impact. “Run!” Marco shouted and Star didn’t have to be told twice. The two raced out the open gate, several chickens flapping out of their way and scattering into the street. Another loud bang sounded behind Star, who flinched but didn’t dare turn to see what it was, her heart racing quickly in her chest. 

She just focused on following Marco and not on the loud, angry shouts of the cruel man that grew further and further away. The street dog led them onto the street and Star didn’t hesitate to follow him, hoping he knew best. But at that exact moment, a car pulled out right in front of them and Star froze in terror. Thankfully, the car swerved to avoid hitting her, honking loudly in annoyance but sparing her life, thankfully. Star shook her head to free herself from her paralzed state and quickly chased after Marco, who was now quite a bit ahead of her. 

The street dog seemed to not notice his companion lagging behind as he swerved around several humans who now crowded the sidewalks. Star saw Marco disappear around a corner and quickly followed after him.

Star found herself in an abandoned alleyway and she sighed in relief to be out of the street and away from danger. But this was short-lived as she realized she didn’t see Marco anywhere. “Marco?” she called, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice. After the scare earlier the silence of the alley was unnerving to Star and she felt her body shaking some against her will. She tried to hide her fear but her body didn’t seem to want to obey as she shuddered and shook, taking hesitant steps farther into the dark, abandoned alley. Her voice grew quiet as she softly called out for her companion, getting weaker and weaker as she received no answer. Where was he? 

Star was starting to question if she had gone the wrong way, when she heard something behind her and her heart leapt in joy. “Marco!” she called hopefully. 

But her hopes were dashed as a pair of rough looking street dogs emerged from the shadows. Their fur was matted and dirty, their faces set in permanent snears, while their eyes burned with both hunger and anger in equal intensity, everything about them gave Star the creeps and she found herself backing away from them as they approached. They blocked Star’s only exit out of the alley, living her trapped with these vile creatures... alone. 

“Well look what we have here,” one of the dog’s said, the disgust in his tone clear and Star noticed there was a piece missing from his left ear. “A prissy pet has wandered into our territory.” 

Star shrank under the intense gaze, keeping herself as low to the ground as she could, trying to look as non-threatening as possible in the hopes they would leave her alone. But that seemed to be wishful thinking. 

“What’s the matter, little lady, wander away from your humans or did they throw you out on the streets like the rest of us?” the dog said again, clearly the leader. 

Star felt a sudden burst of anger at the comment and held her head high as she responded critically, “Perhaps if you weren’t so ugly or rude you would have a chance to live outside of the gutter. But it seems you two are exactly where you belong.” 

The two dogs just stared at her stunned for a second, not sure how to respond to the harsh criticism and Star felt a small burst of pride for standing up for herself. However, this quickly turned to regret as the dogs let out deep guttural growls, their faces filled with fury and Star instantly wished she hadn’t provoked them. 

“Well it seems the princess has quite a bark on her,” the lead dog said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and envy. He slowly stalked closer and Star backed away nervously, only to run into a large wooden fence, trapping her and leaving her at the mercy of these vicious creatures. Both hounds sneared at their prey’s helpless predicament, clearly enjoying Star’s looks of panic and quivering body, her fur practically standing on end. They moved torturously slowly, playing with their victim as they savored her terror. “Let’s see if your bite is just as sharp,” the lead dog growled. 

With that he sprang towards her, jaw opened wide, his fangs ready to sink into flesh and fur and Star screamed, turning her head away and squeezing her eyes shut so she didn’t have to see her own death. But at the last second, something flew over the fence, a flash of brown descending quickly and landing between Star and the street dogs, slamming into the attacking leader and knocking him to the ground. 

Star hesitantly peaked open an eye only for them to widen in surprise as she saw the determined, brash form of Marco now standing protectively in front of her. He was lowered to the ground in a defensive stance, the nails of his claws digging slightly into the smooth tile, looking ready to attack at any second. His ears were lowered in a threatening manner and his face had contorted into a chilling snarl, baring his fangs at the rival dogs, a deep growl echoing from his throat. Star’s mouth hung open as she stared longingly at Marco, in that moment she couldn’t think of anything more beautiful than the sight of her friend coming to her rescue. Her heart was beating violently in her chest but if it was out of fear or love Star couldn’t determine, ultimately deciding it was a strange mixture of both somehow. 

“Stay away from her!” Marco barked out in warning and Star felt a chill run through her. This dog before her was nothing like the annoying mutt she had grown to care for. The Marco she knew was all smooth smiles and playful looks, but this dog in front of her… he was a predator at its purest form. His every move, every inflection, every action was focused on one task only- to defend. Star realized she was seeing yet another side of Marco today. The true primitive animal that lay beneath the levels of charm and charisma. And yet, instead of fear, Star only felt herself falling all the harder for her companion. 

Because he was protecting her and that was all that mattered. 

The two dogs were not deterred by Marco’s death-filled glares, instead this only seemed to anger them more as the lead dog scoffed and snapped, “Oh what? Are you seriously going to try and tell me you are protecting this pet?” 

Marco only growled in response, his eyes narrowing and seeming to scream ‘Just try something I dare you’. 

The lead dog seemed amused by this as his and his partner started to circle around Marco, looking for an opening and Marco watched them wearily. “Didn’t realize you were so soft,” the lead dog taunted. “Can’t believe you would actually risk your life for an outsider. You’re one of us, remember?” 

“I am nothing like you!” Marco barked and that seemed to bring the tension to its boiling point as all at once a fight broke out. 

Star could barely track the flurry of claws and teeth and fur as the hounds mangled one another in any way they could. Marco fought valiantly against his two opponents, sinking his teeth into any patch of fur that drifted too close, while easily dodging out of the way of the others' attacks on him. 

The smaller dog managed to sneak up behind Marco and jumped onto his back, Marco letting out a howl of pain as its sharp fangs bit into flesh. But with a simple kick of his backpaws the other dog went flying, slamming hard into a trashcan and letting out its own yelp of agony.

The lead dog then caught Marco by surprise, as it snapped its jaw around Marco’s left paw, pressing down and drawing blood, staining Marco’s fur red. Marco again let out a cry of pain but was quick to retaliate, using his good paw to slam into the dog’s face, catching him right in the eye and the lead dog yelped and pulled away. 

But the lead dog shrugged off its injury, snarling and going in for the kill, its dripping fangs opened wide as it headed straight for Marco’s throat, ready to tear it out in one motion. But Marco saw the attack coming from a mile away, stepping out of the way and burying his own fangs in the back of the hound’s neck as he passed. He used the momentum to throw the dog across the alley, the vile dog slamming into the same trashcan as his partner, the two now laying in a heap on the ground. 

They recovered slowly, raising their heads as they looked over to their opponent with bleary, pain-filled eyes. Marco towered over them, his eyes flashing with murder as he growled sharply, “Had enough.”

The other dogs lost their nerve, shrinking in fear before the menacing Marco, whimpering nervously as the lead dog muttered, “Okay, okay, fine. You win. You and the pet get off easy, this time. But if I see you in my territory again-”

Marco stepped closer so they were now face to face, his eyes flashing dangerously as he growled, “Oh yeah and what are you gonna do?”

The lead dog struggled to keep a straight face as he backed away from the superior hound, him and his lackey now the ones shaking in fear. Marco let out a sharp sniff before declaring, “Now get out of here before I change my mind and finish what you started!” 

The two dogs didn’t have to be told twice as they ran speedily away, their tails tucked between their legs as they fearfully escaped Marco’s wrath. Star breathed a sigh of relief when the two dogs vanished from view but stared at her friend in concern as his body remained tense and alert. She approached him slowly, reluctantly, afraid he might lash out at her if she made any loud noises but he didn’t. He simply glared off into the distance, his posture threatening and calloused. 

“Marco?” Star whispered anxiously. She didn’t like seeing her friend this way. Now that the danger had passed she wished the annoying but lovable Marco would return to her, seeing him go from a carefree puppy into this wild animal was too much for her mind to comprehend. 

But slowly, cautiously Marco began to relax. His tight muscles loosened and his fur flattened back into place. His posture grew less rigid and more easygoing. His twisted expression melted into a vacant, far-off look and his hardened gaze slowly softened as he turned to address her. Star nearly fainted with relief, Marco still far from his playful self, but it was still much better. 

Marco blinked once as his eyes seemed to focus in on her face and he muttered softly, “Star.” He regarded her for another second, his brown orbs scanning her up and down before he finally added, “You okay?” 

Star nodded dumbly, not sure she could produce words right now, her throat tight from the terrifying ordeal. Marco gave her a worried look but sighed in relief saying, “Thank goodness. I was worried those jerks might have hurt you.”

“Do you…” Star began, before reconsidering, wanting to word this correctly to avoid upsetting her friend. “Does that happen… often?”

“What, the fights?” Marco asked, an eyebrow slowly raising. 

Star nodded, before explaining, “You seemed like it wasn’t your first.”

Marco scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Well to be fair, that was hardly what I would call a fight. Those two idiots had no idea what they were doing. I’ve been in way tougher scrapes then-” Marco cut himself off when he noticed Star’s eyes widening. He quickly corrected himself, plastering on a forced smile, “Uhh, I mean, it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m as tough as they come, Star.”

“I-I see,” Star muttered, not sure what else to say. Life on the streets must be hard if this experience was anything to go by and she wanted to cry as she imagined all the times Marco must have been hurt or scared. While she was busy living it up in a house where her every need was cared for, he was busy trying to stay alive. 

Marco, almost as if reading her thoughts, suddenly told her in a calm, even tone, “Hey, don’t worry about me, I love living on the streets even if things are a little rough sometimes. Life out here isn’t all bad, I swear. That just.. wasn’t the best example.” Marco rolled his eyes before adding, “I just can’t believe those mutts would attack you like that! If I ever see them again I’ll-” His gaze hardened and a low growl echoed in his throat as he thought of the two attack dogs.

Star quickly cut in before her friend could lose himself to his anger, blurting out, “No, no, I’m fine, really! They didn’t do anything to me! Although that’s mostly thanks to you.” She blushed slightly at this but gave him a bright smile. “Thank you, by the way, for saving me.”

“No problem, princess,” Marco replied, a cheery grin lighting up his face. “What kind of friend would I be if I let you get killed on your first trip into town?”

Star giggled slightly as she added playfully, “Oh yeah, is that more of a third trip kind of thing orrrr-”

Marco laughed and Star felt her heart thump against her chest at the sweet sound. “I see this experience hasn’t hurt your witty comebacks at all,” he said, giving her a knowing look.

“You wish,” Star replied with a teasing grin.

Marco opened his mouth to say something else, moving towards her in emphasis, but instead hissed in pain, cringing as his left paw touched the ground. Star’s eyes widened in concern and she asked worriedly, “What’s wrong?” 

The street dog lifted his hurt paw up, cringing in pain, and that’s when she saw the damage the two dogs had done to him. Blood was dripping from the wound, staining his fur red, and it hurt Star just looking at it. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?!” she shouted, moving closer to properly inspect the wound.

“But Marco quickly brushed off Star’s concern, telling her in a slightly strained tone, “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch is all.”

Star gave him a doubting look. “Are you sure? It looks pretty bad.”

“Nah, just gotta walk it off is all,” he said, before flashing a wide, goofy grin in her direction. Star felt her heart go out to her friend, her stomach churning slightly with guilt over him getting hurt protecting her. He was clearly more hurt than he was letting on and Star wanted desperately to help him in some way. She wanted to repay him for what he had done for her, some small token of her gratitude. And this seemed like the simplest way of doing that. 

She scanned her brain, thinking hard for an idea, when suddenly a thought popped into her head. She smiled softly to herself before turning her head as far around as it could. Marco watched her curiously as she shook her head back and forth a few times, finally managing to grab a loose end with her teeth, before she slowly pulled it loose. The bow came undone, the ribbon now hanging loosely in her mouth and she carried it over to her friend’s paw. She carefully began wrapping the stretch of cloth over Marco’s injured paw as the street dog stood there in stunned silence.

It took a bit of time, having to use her nose, paw, and teeth to tie the make-shift bandage into place, but slowly, meticulously she managed to wrap up the wound. And with a final tug on the ribbon, Star let go, moving back to admire her work.

Marco stared down at the ribbon in confusion, before looking back up at her, a tenderness in his eyes that did all kinds of crazy things to Star’s heart. “Why did you do that?” he asked, looking so baffled that Star almost laughed out loud at the strange expression.

“Well, I had to stop the blood somehow,” she replied instead. “It was dripping all over the pavement.”

“No, I mean, your pretty bow, you kinda just ruined it,” Marco said, his voice hushed. “Wasn’t this important to you?”

Star shook her head. “You needed it more than I did,” she replied simply. “Besides Eclipsa and Globgor can always get me a new one.”

Marco’s eyes flooded with deep affection, a fondness that went so much deeper than he seemed to be able to comprehend, and Star knew without a doubt she was finally seeing the whole Marco. There was a longing there, a need for companionship that he had been starved of for so long, but also slight fear, like he was afraid to give himself away to her, his guarded heart opening up just a little wider to let her in. And from the way his eyes roamed over her face, it was like he was seeing her for the first time. 

And honestly, Star understood all of this, because she was feeling it herself. 

But instead of trying to run from this feeling, she embraced it, welcoming it openly. Because she liked this feeling and she didn’t want it to stop. She wanted it to be a part of her and she hoped that Marco wanted that, too.

After a few awkward minutes of gawking at each other in silence, the spell was broken not by one of the dogs but by a car horn from the street outside the alley, the loud noise causing both of them to jump and bringing them crashing back to reality. Star shook her head, before staring up at the darkening sky, declaring nervously, “Oh no, it’s getting late. I should probably get back to the house.”

Marco nodded in agreement, although he seemed disappointed at this news. “Yeah, that would be best, I guess.” He turned to lead her out of the alley, his tail hanging limply between his legs and his ears lowered in sadness. “Come on, princess. I’ll walk you back.” 

Star stared back at him in sympathy before rushing to catch up, not wanting to risk being separated from him… again. She walked with him side by side, staring at his depressed face for a few seconds before saying softly, “Uh, hey. Thanks for bringing me along. Sorry for the trouble I caused you.”

Marco shook his head. “No, no, you aren’t any trouble. I’m just sorry things got so… tense back there. Looks like my efforts to show you the wonders of life off the leash didn’t work out so well, huh? You’ll probably never want to step foot outside your fence after all that.”

“Actually, I had a good time,” Star told him and he turned to her with shock.

“Seriously?” he asked, giving her a disbelieving look.

“Well, okay it got a little crazy and traumatizing there at the end,” she admitted before letting out an involuntary shudder. She gave him a bright grin as she added, “But I’m glad I decided to come with you. I never realized how boring and predictable my life was before. Or just how much I was missing out on. So thank you, for showing me.”

Marco was still giving her an incredulous look, still too dumbfounded for words. And Star found his awkward gawking adorable, adding sweetly, “But maybe next time we can do something a little more relaxing.”

This finally seemed to get Marco’s attention as he asked excitedly, “Next time.” His eyes shimmered with anticipation, his tail starting to wag, once again.

Star nodded. “Mmhmm ‘next time’,” she repeated, giving him a shamelessly flirty grin.

Marco’s eyes flashed mischievously as he declared in a hinting tone, “Well, y’know I do happen to know a little place here in town, if you’re interested.”

“Oh. What did you have in mind?” she asked, giving him a small nudge with her shoulder.

“It’s a nice Italian restaurant. The owners and I go way back and they are also generous with the hand-outs. Their pizzas are okay but their spaghetti is to die for.”

Star giggled, her heart thumping eagerly against her chest. “Sounds perfect.”

“So, pick you up at your place, late tonight? After the owners are asleep.” His eyes were full of hope and joy and so many emotions at once that it almost made Star ache. He was opening himself up to her again, letting his true self show and Star knew she had to grab on tight. Grab on and never let go. 

Because if she was being honest with herself, life with Marco was what living was really all about. 

“It’s a date.”

[kirah69]

Hills Animal Home [Petopher]

Day 3: "Stop coming back"

For the @petopher-events

Tags: pre-slash, animal shelter, mentions of covid-19

[It's not betaed so if you find any mistake, let me know]

[AO3 link]

Hills Animal Home

The Hills Animal Home was an animal shelter that had opened at the beginning of the pandemic. Many pet owners abandoned their animals with the stupid idea that they could get infected by them. The shelter saved them from almost certain death. The place was big, it was on the outskirts of Beacon Hills, bordering to other two towns. The main building had space for a veterinary clinic with an operating room and spacious rooms for sick animals. Behind the building there were several square yards divided in areas for cats, dogs and other animals. There were big kennels for them to sleep outside if they so wanted and also closed huts with beds if it was cold outside. There were also large play areas with little trees to climb for the cats and lots of toys to play for the dogs. And everything was clean and cared for thanks to all the workers there. They did not receive any help from the State or the County, but it was rumored that the owner was some millionaire animal lover.

Chris hadn't paid much attention to it, but as the pandemic dragged on and things in Beacon Hills had settled down, he felt lonely and bored. He had had dogs when he was younger. Well, they were hunting dogs, and he wasn't allowed to treat them with love like any other family would do. He wanted to do it right this time.

He went to Hills Animal Home early on a weekday, when he was less likely to meet other people there. He put on his mask before getting out of the car. There was a woman in her seventies at the reception desk, her white hair in a bun and dressed in a striking pink flower shirt. She gave him a big smile as he approached the counter, or that was what he thought giving that he couldn't see her face behind the mask.

“Welcome! What can I do for you?” she asked.

“I want to buy a dog.”

“Adopt.”

“Huh?” Chris frowned.

“We don't sell dogs, we have them up for adoption,” she explained. “Would you like to adopt a dog?”

“Yes, I... I want to adopt a dog, please.”

He suspected they would charge him some money later with whatever excuse, but he already intended to pay so he didn't care. The woman called someone through an intercom, and another woman appeared. This one was a bit younger but not by much. She was wearing a skirt suit and had a folder in her hand.

“Hello, I'm Miranda. And you are...”

“Argent. Chris Argent.”

“Pleased to meet you,” she said with a little bow without even holding out her hand. Chris had to consciously refrain from doing so. “Come with me, I have some questions for you before we consider you qualified for adoption.”

Chris opened his mouth and closed it again. What was she talking about? He only wanted a dog.

As he learned in the following minutes, it wasn't that easy. Not here at least. These dogs had suffered a lot from the abandonment and even abuse, and they had no intention of handing them over to the first guy who walked through the door. She asked him a lot of questions about his daily life, about his house, his job, his previous pets, his family... He commented that it was a bit invasive (even more than a job interview), and Miranda told him that he was not obliged to answer, but then he would leave without a dog.

It seemed that his answers were satisfying enough, and he was allowed to go see the dogs. What he didn't expect was to find Peter Hale there. He was dressed in casual clothes (more casual than Chris had ever seen him) and was playing with the dogs. There was at least eight of them jumping around him while others ran after the balls he threw at them. He had a big smile on his face. A real smile. Chris had never seen him like that.

When Peter felt someone approaching, he took a mask out of his pocket and put it on. It was strange since Chris was pretty sure that werewolves couldn't get infected. Then Peter realized who he was and stood still. As if following his lead, all the dogs stopped jumping and running and looked toward Chris.

“To what do I owe this visit?” he asked coming closer.

“Mr. Argent is qualified for adoption,” Miranda said, handing Peter a clipboard.

“Thank you, Miranda,” Peter nodded and took the clipboard without taking his eyes from Chris. “You can go back inside.”

“Okay. Good luck, Mr. Hale,” she said and left.

Chris wasn't sure why he needed luck, but he nodded anyway.

“So you came to adopt a dog,” Peter said. It wasn't a question. He took a look at Miranda's report and left it on a table full of toys and treats.

“Do I get to choose?” Chris asked and wasn't surprised by Peter's answer.

“Of course not,” he said with a snort. “You only get to choose if you want a small one or a big one.”

“I don't really care, but I have enough space for a big one.”

“Good. Get one of those and play with them,” Peter said, pointing to the toys on the table.

Chris didn't know why, but he just took one of the knotted ropes and followed Peter to a more open area. The dogs relaxed as soon as Peter did and some of them came to Chris and started playing with him. Peter played with them too, and the man looked the most relaxed Chris had ever seen him, even if the 'wolf kept an eye on him all the time. He looked almost... happy?

Chris wasn't sure how long they were there and for what exactly, but he was having fun so he didn't mind. At some point, Peter walked up to him and with just a couple of gestures, all the dogs turned away except for one. It was dark brown, and Chris couldn't guess what breed, probably a mixed-breed, but he didn't care.

“This is Burger,” Peter said, petting its head. “I think he'll be perfect for you.”

“Burger,” Chris repeated arching an eyebrow. “Can I change his name?”

“No. And you can't turn him into a hunting dog either. I'll make sure of it,” Peter said with a clear threat in his voice.

“I won't. I don't work like that anymore,” Chris answered truthfully.

Peter looked at him, and maybe he was satisfied with his steady heartbeat because he just nodded.

“Let's go to my office.”

The three of them went back into the building and got into a small office with windows to the back yard. Peter sat behind the desk and Chris in front of him with Burger at his feet.

“You're the owner of this place, right?” Chris asked while Peter took out some documents.

“What gave it away?” Peter said sarcastic.

“Why?” That was what he had been wondering from minute one.

Peter shrugged.

“Because I can.”

“A lot of people could, but you did it. Why?”

Peter left some papers in front of him and leaned back in the chair with a pensive expression. He probably wasn't thinking of his reasons for opening an animal shelter, but if he should tell him.

“Cora left, Derek left, most of the McCall pack has left, including the alpha. And now this fucking pandemic and the first thing people do is abandon their pets as if they were not part of the family. The same assholes that refuse to wear a mask,” Peter said almost with a growl.

Pack. That was what this was for Peter, a pack. He was there for the same reason as Chris, he felt lonely.

“Why do you wear it, a mask?” Chris asked curiously while he started to fill the papers.

Peter seemed grateful for the change of subject.

“I may not get sick, but I don't know if I can carry it and infect others. Although it's mostly as an example for my workers.”

“I didn't think you were so aware.”

Chris signed the papers and gave them back. Peter was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

“You don't know me at all, Argent.” Peter got up and went to the office door. “Take care of him, let us know if you need anything and don't forget about the vaccines. You can vaccinate him here or at your own vet,” he said almost like a robot.

Chris hooked Burger to a new leash and left the office with him. Peter disappeared through a door, and Chris took his new dog home.

Not even three weeks later, Chris was back at the Hills Animal Home. Again in the morning of a weekday. Peter appeared immediately at the reception desk with an angry look.

“If you're here to return him-.”

“No, no, Burger is wonderful,” Chris hurried to say. “He's quickly adapted to the house and is a fantastic boy.”

“I'm glad. Why are you here then?” Peter relaxed a bit and rounded the desk towards him.

“I thought... Maybe Burger would feel better with a friend.”

Yeah, that's why he was there, there was no other reason. Right.

“Well, dogs are pack animals so yes, I think it'd be a good idea. Beside, you have the means to take care of both.”

Peter gestured for Chris to follow him, and they went to the dogs enclosure.

“Should I take Burger too,” Chris asked at the door.

“Of course, it's gonna be his companion after all.”

And just like that, they spent a couple of hours playing with the dogs. Peter laughed, he really laughed even if Chris could not see it with the mask, but the sound of it was... The dogs, he had to focus on the dogs. Yeah, he was there for the dogs. Fuck.

Chris left the shelter with a golden retriever with only three legs that jumped higher than any other dog. His name was Nigel. And no, he couldn't change it.

“Stop coming back!” Peter almost whined when Chris returned to the shelter two weeks later. “You're not getting another dog, two are enough for now!”

Chris opened his mouth and closed it again. Burger and Nigel were with him and greeted Peter cheerfully.

“I wasn't... I didn't want another... dog...” Okay, now he didn't have an excuse to be there.

“Then what?” Peter asked, crossing his arms. Chris' eyes went straight to his cleavage (you couldn't blame him). Why was he wearing a V-neck instead of casual clothes like the other days? And why did it have to be so wide? “Oh, I see.”

“What?” He was glad that the mask partially hid his face. Surely he had blushed (which was ridiculous for a man his age).

“You don't need to adopt a dog to get a date.”

“I-I don't-,” Chris stammered.

“I can smell it, Chris, even through the mask. Knowing you, you'd fill your house with dogs before you muster up the courage to ask me out,” Peter sighed, rolling his eyes.

He gave the dogs a treat and turned to the back door while Chris looked at him speechless.

“Pick me up at five!” he said before disappearing.

Well, he now had two dogs and a date. That was a lot more than what he had five weeks ago.

[headcanonfantasy]

Apple Pie life with an Angel, a new God and a dog-A Destiel fic

“I love you.” Castiel struggled as Dean began to cry angrily.

“Don’t do this Cas.” Dean whimpered as he ran to Cas. Cas pushed him away.

“Goodbye, Dean.” Cas started as the Empty began to pour in.

“NO!” Dean roared out as he ran to Cas. “Don’t do this, not without me. You changed me just as much as I did you, Cas. I need you. I want nothing more than to be with you. You leave me, I have NOTHING, Cas.” Dean touched his forehead as tears streamed harder down his face. “I love you.” Dean then kissed Cas deeply, Cas struggling to push Dean away, but Dean was too strong as he held onto his trenchcoat, the Empty coating the both of them in its goo as both men were sucked into the Empty together, Dean never letting go. As they disappeared in tar-like ooze, the only sound in the dungeon was Sam calling Dean’s phone.

..............................................................................................................................

Sam found it hard to sleep, as did Jack. The two men found it hard to cope.

“Without Dean and Cas, we’re sunk. Do you know where we can find Amara? We could use her help.” Sam said as he drank a beer.

“We could also use Dad’s help. He was right about Grandpa to begin with.” Jack said.

“That’s true.” Sam replied. Suddenly, Dean’s phone was calling and Lucifer, once again in Cas’s body, appeared.

“So, dear old Daddy’s been screwing with the world?” Lucifer asked.

“Cas?” Sam asked confused.

“Funny, Sammy. You forget you beat me the last time we met when I was possessing your brother’s Angel of the morning?” Lucifer reminded.

“Right, I forgot. Hello, Lucifer. You got any ideas for beating Chuck?” Sam asked.

“Sure. Hey, I was able to save a dog for Deano, heard ol’ Cassie went into the Empty. Or if Dean went in with him, Jack needs a pet.” Lucifer said. “Really is a miracle. Just found him outside a gas station. Keeping him safe from Dad, but I’ll be sure to ask Aunt Amara when I see her IF he finds us and snuffs the pupper out, to let me take away his grace.”

“Why are you helping us?” Sam asked.

“Is that Dad? I wanna talk to him, knowing how to smite Grandpa. Maybe he has an idea.” Jack offered.

“Jack wants to talk.” Sam said.

“Great, I’ll bring the dog.” Lucifer said as he soon flew himself and the dog into the bunker. “A lot gloomier than I last saw it.” Lucifer quipped when he set the dog down.

“Dad, I see you’re in Cas’s form.” Jack noted.

“Yeah, when you die in one form, you tend to come back in that form afterwards. Like Nick before I possessed Vince Vincente and later Castiel. Sorry about your loss, by the way. But I think I have an idea. Our Aunt Amara has a bit of history with the Empty, yeah? They may be able to make a deal with her if I offer myself.” Lucifer said. Jack was surprised.

“Why?” Jack asked.

“Archangels and Nephilim have the power to take God’s place. You can do it, Jack. Because you’re the Nephilim of an Archangel, that’s why Dad fried you the first time.” Lucifer pointed out. “But first, we must consult our aunt.”

..............................................................................................................................

The Entity couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was because once again, Cas couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was because he didn’t have a reason to sleep and he happened to bring it with him. Maybe it was because that stowaway refused to unlatch himself from Cas and the men were stuck between moaning and giggling and yessing. It was very loud, very distracting and it felt like he was in Hell.

“Dean, that tickles.” Cas giggled.

“I can’t help it, you’re so ticklish, it makes me feel alive.” Dean purred as he kissed Cas’s chest. Cas moaned before arching his back as Dean stroked his groin. Dean crawled back up to Cas and they began to undress each other.

“Oh PLEASE stop.” The Entity begged as he pounded into the floor. “You’ve been drowning yourselves in each other’s pleasure and vice versa since you got here. You have GOT to stop sooner or later.” The Entity began to cry and plead.

“I’m not tired or hungry. What about you, Cas?” Dean asked.

“The only thing I’m hungry for is you, Dean.” Cas said as he nipped Dean’s ear.

“OOH, right there baby.” Dean said as he unbuttoned and unzipped Cas, making Cas whimper with extreme heat and began to slowly stroke the older Angel’s dick. Cas’s whimper soon turned into a gasp and a shout. The Entity pounded his head against a wall of the Empty a la Gordon Ramsay after Jason Underwood told him he was gonna try and make the souffles less sticky to the ramekin with butter, sugar and cocoa powder.

..............................................................................................................................

Once they had met with Amara, she heard pounding from the Empty. “The Empty should be sleeping. Funny, who’s keeping them awake?” Amara asked.

“Daddy’s favorite peeon and his Angel.” Lucifer said as he and Jack flew in.

“Dean’s in the Empty?” Amara was stunned. “No Human should ever BE in the Empty. How’s he surviving?” She asked.

“I don’t know, he latched onto Cas when it happened.” Sam said.

“Oh, Jack. I want to give you back your Grace.” Lucifer said as he cut Jack’s Grace out of him and Jack breathed it back in. Jack then closed Lucifer’s neck.

“Dad, you didn’t have to do that.” Jack said.

“You need more power, son. I never regretted bringing you to life. I was a crap father, but you’re an amazing person.” Jack and he hugged one last time as Amara went to the Empty.

..............................................................................................................................

“Oh God, baby. Yes. Yes, YES DEAN YES HARDER MORE! YESDEANYESGODDEANYES!” Cas was howling into darkness as Dean thrusted hard, hitting the Angel’s prostate. The Entity just continued to pound his head against the wall. Suddenly, Amara appeared.

“Are you here to take the sexfiends?” The Entity asked, eyes bloodshot.

“Are you willing to trade?” Amara asked.

“Who would I like?” The Entity asked,

..............................................................................................................................

When Amara came back, Dean and Cas were barely dressed and still attached to each other.

“Dude, seriously?” Sam groaned as he watched his brother exchange spit with Cas.

“Shut up, I don’t complain when you kiss Eileen.” Dean said as he went back to kissing Cas.

“I get that, your fly though, Dean. Your fly is open.” Sam sighed as he covered Jack’s eyes.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, Amara didn’t have time to let us dress before the deal to take Lucifer in our stead was taken by the Empty.” Cas said as he zipped himself up, Dean following suit.

“Good to have you back, but I never wanna see that much of you again.” Sam said as he patted Dean on the back and then hugged him, then hugged Cas. “Otherwise, welcome home, guys.”

“Great to be back.” Dean said as he kissed Cas deeply.

“Alright, lovebirds.” Amara said lovingly. “Can we go find my brother?”

“Oh sure.” Dean said as he pulled away from Cas and they all headed out to Chuck.

..............................................................................................................................

Amara cuffed Chuck with Enochian handcuffs and Dean kicked him in the nuts. Finally, Jack touched Chuck’s head and all of Chuck’s powers were absorbed into Jack.

“What?” Chuck asked as he gasped. “But how?”

“I got some help from the one son who was right to never listen to you.” Jack said as he finished sucking all of Chuck’s powers and absorbing it into his system.

..............................................................................................................................

After all was said and done, Jack joined with Amara. She’d guide him on how to rebuild Heaven. Before he left though, he gifted Dean and Cas the dog. “Dad wanted you to have him. His name’s Miracle. Dad said it was a miracle Grandpa had missed the sweetcake.” Jack said as he handed Miracle off to the two.

“After years of the ‘No dogs in the Impala’ rule?” Dean asked. “I’m honored to own him.” Dean said. Cas smiled and kissed the dog before kissing Dean softly in turn.

“Where will you go now?” Sam asked.

“I’m thinking a farm somewhere. Or maybe a nice home in a cul de sac. Or even a cabin in the woods?” Dean asked as he looked Cas in the eyes.

“I hear the barn we first met in is being condemned.” Cas said. “We may buy the property and build a nice acreage where I can keep an apiary and Dean can start a garage.” Cas offered. “Maybe I can even grow peanuts and make my own peanut butter.” Just as he said that, Jack gave Cas the gift of Human feelings for food and such, not needing to give him love as Dean had already taught him how to love. Another thing he did before leaving for Heaven was what Amara had done for Dean.

“Sam?” Sam’s eyes widened as he turned and faced the truest love of his life.

“Oh my God, Jess?” Sam gasped.

“Whoa, what year is this? Last thing I knew, I was making cookies when-God, what happened to you?” Jess asked.

“It’s a long story.” Sam said as he hugged her tightly.

I missed you too.” Jess said as she hugged him back. Then, Sam immediately began to kiss her as deeply as Dean was doing Cas when they left the Empty.

“Let’s beat them in our own game by joining in.” Dean said as he pulled Cas in for another kiss.

..............................................................................................................................

The house was amazing. Everything Dean had wanted, a back yard for Miracle and Cas loved the peanut grinder and apiary Dean had set up for him. Especially with the tap so as not to disturb the bees.

“Try my honey roasted peanut butter burgers.” Cas said when Sam and Jess visited them. “Dean makes his own brioche and it’s amazing.”

“He thinks everything I do is amazing. He makes his own jelly though.” Dean said. “I’m telling you, ever since Cas has been able to taste? His pallet makes me purr.” Dean said as he kissed Cas deep, but chaste.

“You make me blush.” Cas said as he touched Dean’s forehead with his own.

“Imagine if that girls’ school managed to find out you’re officially canon.” Sam began to tease. “The musical they’d be making out of that.” Jess punched Sam’s arm.

“Now now, baby. Don’t tease.” Jess said.

“Brothers are supposed to tease each other, Jessie. Don’t worry, it’s a Winchester family tradition.” Sam said.

“Pranks and teasing.” Dean confirmed. “Hot dogs are up.” Dean said as he put them on a plate after cooking them on a grill. Miracle whined as he smelled the hot dogs and Dean threw one to the dog. “There you go, Miracle.” He said.

“Apple pie life really suits you, Dean.” Jess said.

“Thanks, Jess. Congratulations on the baby, by the way. I can’t wait to be an uncle.” Dean said with a smile.

“Thanks, Dean.” Jess said as she hugged him.

Life was sweet. Not just because of the burgers either.

..............................................................................................................................

When Sam and Jess had left, Cas was cleaning up and putting food away. Dean had decided to help after cleaning the grill. However, his help was beyond drying while Cas washed.

“I missed cuddling with you this morning.” Dean said. “I bought you more pectin for your next batch of Blackberry jam you like to make so much.”

“That’s thoughtful of you, Dean.” Cas said as he got lost in washing the dishes. Once they finished washing and drying, Dean pulled him into a dance, putting on a song they first listened to when they officially moved into their new home.

“But I can see how strong a man I’m gonna have to be to do for you what comes so naturally, it’s in the way you move.” Dean softly sang to Cas as he twirled the love of his life around the living room floor. Cas giggled giddily.

“Dean, why so sappy today?” Cas asked when they took a break.

“Cas, to finally let you know after all this time how much you mean to me? I thought I was gonna lose you and with Jack visiting on occasion, I feel we should have a more official title to what we are.” Dean said as he knelt down and pulled out a box. Inside was a honeybee shaped ring with stripes of Citron and Obsidian and Diamond eyes and wings. Cas was in awe at the look of it once Dean opened the box.

“Castiel, I come to you as a man, no more or less, with the hope that I can take your hand in marriage and we can make each other honest men until death parts us.” Dean said as he handed Cas the ring box.

“Oh Dean, it’s beautiful. It had to have cost a forturne.” Cas said.

“Not at all. I know an expert jeweler in town, he was able to get the materials together for the occasion.” Both men began to cry. “Will you marry me, Castiel?” Dean asked.

“Yes.” Cas said as Dean took the ring out of the box and put it on Cas’s hand, then they kissed deeply. They then spent the rest of the night celebrating in a lot of ways. Not only their engagement, but the start of what’s to come in their future.

The End

[nosferatvpussy]

distorted lullabies [chapter VII]

Word count:  6,292

Warnings: vulgar language 

Pairing: Dracula x female reader

AO3 link

A/N:  I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope you do too while reading it. Side note 1: I reference a few movies here and there. I would advise you skipping one or two paragraphs to avoid spoilers if you still mean to watch it. But, I'm assuming everyone reading this has seen it already. Site note 2: Anne Rice will find a way to sue me if this somehow finds its way to her (it won't, who do I think I am) Side note 3: if you haven't yet, watch every movie and read every book mentioned here. They're all great.

____________________________________________________________

I had a huge grin on my face as I left the courtroom. My client grabbed my arm and shook it, chuckling. 

“You won!” she squealed. 

“ We won,” I corrected. I stopped walking and faced Mirriam. Her make-up was smudged beneath her watery eyes and her lips were quivering. “I’m happy for you.”

She pulled me into a hug, knocking the breath out of me. Both my hands were occupied, carrying my briefcase and purse so, I had no choice but to stand there, unable to hug her back. Mirriam sobbed, her arms tightening about my neck ever so slightly as she thanked me. Over her shoulder, I saw Judge Llewellyn leave the courtroom, still dressed in his robes. He looked at us, the perpetual crease between his eyebrow softening. Mirriam exclaimed and released me abruptly. The squeals of happy children echoed down the hall and I turned to see Mirriam make a run for the two kids sprinting towards her. 

“Congratulations, Miss L/N,” said Llewellyn. I turned my head to see him standing at my side. “You did well.”

“Can you repeat that, please? I didn’t quite catch it,” I said, grinning from ear to ear. 

His lips tugged up as he glanced away. When he looked at me again his face was serious.

“Don’t try your luck,” he extended a hand toward me. “I’m looking forward to seeing you at practice in my court again.”

Any moment now my cheeks would tear from smiling so much. I let go of my purse, not caring that it almost tipped over, and shook his hand. Although his fingers were long and bony, his handshake was firm.

“Thank you, my lord.”

He nodded and made his way to the opposite direction, presumably towards the judges’ chambers. I watched him go, his robes swaying after him and then turned the other way, taking in Mirriam on her knees, laughing at whatever her children had said. Yeah, I did well. As I picked up my purse, I felt it vibrating. I stuck a hand inside it, searching for my phone as I made my way out of the Royal Courts of Justice.

“Hi, Zoe.”

“Any news?” She asked on the other end. 

“None.”

“It’s been over a week since he took you out. Shouldn’t he have called you?”

“Maybe he’s lost interest,” I countered, frowning at the twinge on my chest. 

Out in the open, I lowered my head to protect myself against the drizzle as I walked.

“That’s absurd. He wouldn’t go to all the trouble of bribing someone--”

“I still regret telling you that.”

“Nevermind who he is, that was impressive.”

An outsider could hear our conversation and think we were complaining about some guy giving me the cold shoulder, not plotting against a five centuries old vampire.

“Zoe, I don’t care why he hasn’t called as long as he leaves me alone. Maybe he met someone else,” as I talked, I managed to make eye contact with a cabbie inside a passing taxi and nodded. “I saw you two days ago. I’ll call if anything changes. When do you want to meet again?”

“Let’s make it Sunday. It’ll be the fourth set of samples and I want to keep the every 2 days pattern we’ve got going on until your bite fully heals.”

The taxi stopped next to me and I juggled all my stuff in order to open the door. I glared at the cabbie, hoping that he would be moved by my anger and help me open the door. I could be Queen Elizabeth and he wouldn’t care. 

“Fine,” I said as I managed to open the car door and get inside. “61 Marney Road,” I told the cabbie and he accelerated. “St Thomas Hospital again?” I asked Zoe.

“Yes. 11am. Call me if Dracula--”

“I know, I know. Bye.” I ended the call before she could keep talking. 

Once I settled my belongings next to me and made myself comfortable, I leaned my head on the window, watching as London’s lights started coming to life in the nearing dusk. Getting complimented by Judge Llewellyn deserved to be celebrated. A good film accompanied by popcorn and lots of chocolate appealed to my body overridden by PMS. Add an hour in a hot bath and then I would have the perfect Friday night. How would Count Dracula spend his Friday night? 

I lowered my shirt’s high collar and touched the scar on my neck. It was nothing more than small scabs now that the bruises were gone but I still wore turtlenecks to conceal the strangulation marks. I hadn’t felt the tingling sensation on it ever since my date with the Count and I wondered if it would react at all to him now that it was almost healed. 

“Miss, you alright?”

I removed my hand from my neck like I had been burned. 

“What?” 

“Are you feeling alright? It sounded like you were out of breath,” he spoke the same way someone would if they were addressing an elderly person.

My entire face went hot and I thanked him silently for not being one those cabbies that always had the rear view mirror turned to the back seats in order to watch the passengers. 

“I have, uh, asthma,” I shut my eyes as I spoke, overcome by embarrassment. “But I’m fine now.”

Had I gone mental? Rubbing my scar to test if it was still reactive to touch in the back of a taxi was just plain stupid, especially considering that I’d gotten so utterly lost in pleasure that I had been panting loud enough for the cabbie to hear me. 

“Tragic, innit?” 

That my bond to Count Dracula paired with PMS had made me become a dog in heat? Yes.

“Sorry, what?”

The cabbie leaned forward and a second later the whispering voices coming from the car speakers raised to an understandable volume. 

“ Surrey police has no leads so far ,” was all I heard from the narrator before a song started playing.

“What happened?”

“Two students were found dead this morning in Surrey University. Bright youngins, can you imagine what they could--”

I straightened on my seat.

“Murders?”

“Makes no sense, how brutal. Police says it appears they were having a movie night--”

“How were they killed?” 

The cabbie took hold of the rear view mirror and angled it at me. I smiled dryly at his frown.

“Professional curiosity,” I told him. “I’m a defense lawyer.”

That answer did nothing to soothe the crease on his large forehead.

“Police isn’t sure yet. But I heard from a pal from Surrey,” he lowered his voice, like he was confiding in me, “that the person that found ‘em threw up and so did a coppa. Looked like a scene straight from The Shining, I bet. Nasty stuff.”

I nodded, relaxing against the window again. Taking he referenced The Shining, that probably meant that there was a lot blood. Dracula wouldn’t waste a drop, I supposed. Odd horrific murders came about once in a while, sadly, and all of them committed by humans. Besides, would he really go all the way to Surrey just to murder a bunch of uni students? London was stacked with several student halls for him to pick from without the trouble of traveling across counties.

“First what happened at that company and then this… This is a bad, bad week. My gran used to say that everything comes in threes. I assure ya, miss, there’s more-”

“Which company? What are you talking about?”

“Ya haven’t heard?” he questioned, glancing at me through the mirror. “Why, miss. Two nights ago the, whaddyacallit, the big corporate cunts in charge of a company- oh, excuse my mouth, miss-”

“The board of directors?”

“Yeah, those blokes. Murdered, the whole lot of ‘em, inside a meeting room!” he started whispering again. 

“Was this here in London?”

“Central London,” he nodded.  “Can’t remember the name of the company, now-”

“Like the murders in Surrey? Bloody?”

“Nah, don’t think there’s been news about that. Cameras were dead, caught nothing of it. They were found by security at almost midnight after a wife of one of ‘em called looking for her husband.”

“Cause of death?” I asked and he looked at me. “Just answer the question.”

“Stab wounds to the neck, all of ‘em. Apparently some of them put up a fight because there were broken arms and fingers. Scotland Yard said that it’s prolly more than one murderer, other than that they’ve been quiet about it… They’re investigating it,” he made air quotes, “that’s code for we don’t know shite.”

He continued ranting for the rest of the trip but I wasn’t listening anymore. I doubted that Netflix would be able to salvage my mood after that conversation.

Once I paid the cabbie, I bid him a nice weekend and jumped out of the taxi. Compared to how he had barely cared about my struggle to get in the taxi, he was nice enough to wait until I got my door opened. Now that the night had come, the automatic light above my front door had turned on and I could only make out the shape of his hand waving at me from inside the car. I waved back as a thanks before going inside. 

I went straight upstairs after I locked the door. With how wired I was, I forgot all about my intentions of taking a bath and took a shower instead. Considering I was humming a tune to myself after thirty minutes under a steady stream of hot water, I was making a quick recovery. I was still singing when I turned off the shower and wrapped a towel about my body. I opened the door, tendrils of steam spilling from my bathroom into my bedroom.

“Ohmygod!”

Count Dracula grinned at me, lying on the middle of my bed with both arms folded beneath his head. I pressed the towel to myself, desperately seeking more cover. 

“I was starting to wonder if you would ever come out of there.”

“I wish I hadn’t!” I exclaimed. “I locked my door! How the hell did you get in?!”

“Window." He pointed one long finger at it.

Deadbolts. I’d have to get deadbolts on every single window in my house.

“Couldn’t you have texted in advance?!”

“I did. You didn’t reply.”

I stared at him, waiting for something else to come out of his mouth. Instead, his gaze slid down my body, a crease appearing between his eyebrows as he inhaled sharply. I knew exactly why he was whiffing the air. Thank God my body was flushed from the hot shower, otherwise I would have gone bright red in anger.

“Ugh, leave!” I said, projecting my voice like I was in court. 

I stretched an arm out, pointing at the window. The sudden movement almost caused the towel to open and I immediately took hold of it again with a little squeak. Count Dracula was up at once, circling the bed towards me. I gulped. His gaze pulled me in and for a moment my anger sizzled down.

“I’ve missed you,” he said and a shiver went down my spine.

I stepped back into the bathroom to put some distance between us.

“Too bad, go away.”

A smirk tugged the corner of his lips. 

“You’ve missed me, too.”

“Absolutely did not.”

“Your heartbeat says otherwise.”

“It’s called anger.”

He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“‘I’ll go wait downstairs,” he said before turning away from me and slipping out of my bedroom. 

My knees almost gave out when he left and I rushed to sit on the edge of the bed. I held my head as I tried to concentrate and take deep breaths. Had he stayed any longer I wouldn’t put it past me to lock myself in the bathroom and remain there until morning. Not only I had to deal with him, I also could feel cramps coming. I wanted nothing more to curl up in bed with a heat compress and chocolate. Summoning my courage, I got up and went to get dressed. 

As I went down the stairs, Dracula peeked his head out from the living room.

“You’re going out in your nightgown?”

I stopped for a second, frowning and then continued down.

“I’m not going out. I’m tired and uncomfortable and I’m staying home,” I forced a smile, batting my eyelashes just to annoy him. I rounded the staircase, giving my back to him and heading for the kitchen. “I do hope you haven’t wasted your money bribing someone else to grant us entrance to another museum.”

I swiped at the switch and soft lights came on over the kitchen island and at the corners of the room. 

“I haven’t. There’s no problem in postponing tonight’s date.”

I turned around to see him standing on the other side of the island, staring at me.

“You’re not leaving, are you?”

“No.” He smiled. “Like I said, I’ve missed you.”

I leaned down and opened the cabinet under the sink. I pushed a set of pans to the side, looking for my heat pad.

“Been busy for this past week?” I asked, my voice echoing inside the cabinet. 

“Unfortunately.”

I found the heat pad and stood up, closing the cabinet door after me as I put it inside the microwave and set 5 minutes. I turned to face him, propping my hips on the kitchen counter. I pulled on my courtroom face. If Count Dracula squinting at me meant that he saw me do it, then I needed to work more on my tells. 

“Reading Jules Verne or killing a board of directors?”

One of his eyes twitched before he smiled.

“Both. Although I haven’t finished the book yet.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Not finish the book?”

“Dracula-”

“I was bored." He waved his hands on the air, dismissing my hard stare. “Please, I did the world a service! Yes, I went after them on a whim but as soon as I drank from one of them… I killed them on principle.”

“Principle? You’ve got that?”

“Is it that hard to believe?” He put his hands on top of the island and leaned forward, the light above his head creating shadows on his face. “The first one I bit was a child abuser. It was in his blood so, forgive me if killing him offends you. I broke his neck because I didn’t have a stomach for him. The rest of them… were palate cleansers. Although it didn’t do much good. Incredible how many of them had raped women and beat their wives.”

We stared at each other, frozen in place.

All my anger from before vanished and I had to struggle to keep my courtroom face on. In another world, one where there was no law binding me, I would have done the same. Was this the good in him I had been searching, however twisted it was?

The microwave chimed, prompting me to blink and break eye contact.

“I hope you hid at least some of the evidence,” I said, pushing back from the kitchen counter. “I’m not sure how representing a vampire in court for murder would look on my resumé.”

“No need to worry.” He grinned.

I grabbed the heat pad from the microwave, juggling it between my hands to avoid getting burnt until I dropped it to the counter. 

“What about the students in Surrey?”

“Surrey? No, I haven’t been there.” 

I nodded, somewhat relieved. I turned my back on Dracula to conceal my face as I broke the façade. He wasn’t responsible for the murders on Surrey as I suspected but after killing those ‘corporate cunts’, as the cabbie had put so appropriately, he probably went somewhere else to find another palate cleanser. Somebody else was dead because of him but for the life of me I couldn’t find something inside me to care enough. He had indeed done the world a service. 

I rounded the island, past the Count so I could reach the pantry. From there I took popcorn and a bar of chocolate I had hidden, from myself, behind a set of spices. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time I moved and I fought the urge to steal a glance of his face to try figure out what was on his mind. 

“I’m surprised you made an appearance,” I said in the unnerving silence. 

“Are you, really?”

“Yes.” Hugging the popcorn and chocolate to my chest, I moved past him, congratulating myself for not looking at him. “No, actually. I was fairly positive you would come looking for me again, much to my dismay.” I chuckled. “One would think what happened at the museum would encourage you.”

My back burnt with the weight of his gaze. I started tearing the popcorn package frantically, making as much noise as possible to distract me. It was almost working but after I put the popcorn inside the microwave and closed it, I saw his reflection on the microwave mirrored door, moving towards me. 

“It’s not very nice to sneak up on people,” I said, holding my ground.

He met my eyes through the reflection. 

“I’m not nice.”

He had a reflection. I blinked, turning at once to face him. He was directly behind me, less than an arm’s length.

“You can be.”

“Do you want me to be nice?”

“No. It makes it harder to hate you.”

He smiled. 

“I believed that for a second, really did. Especially when I found out that you had been asking our dear friend Renfield about me.”

I gulped.

“He wasn’t very forthcoming, if that makes you feel better,” I said and he chuckled but when his face grew serious again, I wondered if he forced that laugh. “Is that why you disappeared? Because Renfield gossiped about me to you?”

“Amongst other things,” he acquiesced, stepping back and supporting his body on the island much like I had done on the counter. 

By his evasive answer, there was more to it but if he didn’t want to tell me it was fine. He had his secrets and I had mine.

“What do you know, boys really do gossip as much ladies do.”

He gave me a lopsided smile, one I judged was genuine, unlike his chuckle before. The microwave beeped again and I inhaled the delicious scent of done popcorn. I retrieved the popcorn with the tips of my fingers. I placed it briefly on the counter and then offered the heating pad to Count Dracula.

“Take this for me, will you?” I said and he did. I grabbed a glass of juice for me and then the popcorn and chocolate. “Come on. We’re watching a film.”

Count Dracula followed me into the living room. As I settled myself on the sofa, he gave me the heat pad and then occupied himself with analysing my library. Library was a kind word. It would take up the entire wall behind the telly if the fireplace had not been there. I wouldn’t say it was an impressive collection to a connoisseur but it was my collection and I had love for every single book in it, even the ones I didn’t like very much. Count Dracula had his hands laced behind his back and his head tilted as he admired it. I stopped myself from turning the telly on when I heard him whispering the titles to himself.

“Oh, would you look at that ?” He stepped forward and reached for the second to last row of books closest to the ceiling. I usually had to climb on the armchair to reach that far up but all he did was extend his arm up and pluck a book from up there. He turned around, showing me the gold cover with white and red lettering between his hands. “A vampire book?”

Of course he would find that. At least I should be thankful he didn’t find Story of O or Venus in Furs. If he had and then decided to flip through the pages, I would be doomed.

“Be very careful with that,” I warned. “It’s first edition and it was a gift. It’s sort of a classic.”

“Really?” he grinned, tipping his head up to the row from where he retrieved it from. “Are all of those classics?”

“Anne Rice might say so but the rest of the world wouldn’t,” I scoffed. He looked at me. “She thinks very highly of herself.”

“We would probably get along wonderfully,” he smirked. “Perhaps I should pay her a visit to give her real inspiration.”

“She’s an old woman now and would die of excitement if you actually visited her,” I laughed. “There’s a film for this one,” I pointed at the book in his hands. There was gleam in his dark eyes. “Do you want to watch it?”

“You’ve seen it already,” he said as he placed the book on the shelf. 

“Yes but I can’t deny myself the irony of watching a vampire film with a real vampire,” I said, grabbing the remote control and turning on the TV. “We’ll watch this one and then you can choose the next one.”

I gazed up at him, waiting for an answer. He traced his tongue inside his lower lip, giving my body all sorts of ideas my brain was not agreeable with. My hand tightened around the remote. Count Dracula took off his blazer and threw it on the armchair beneath the window. I almost asked him if all his shirts were missing buttons because the top ones were undone like the last time I’d seen him but then he started undoing his belt. Popcorn spilled on my lap.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I exclaimed.

“Getting comfortable,” he replied with a frown, like I was ridiculous for asking. He rolled the belt around his fingers and then placed it neatly on top of the fireplace. “Like you are,” he gestured at me.

I was sunken back on the sofa between pillows and cushions, with my feet on the coffee table and popcorn all over my nightie. Technically speaking, I was indeed comfortable, especially because of the heating pad on my lower abdomen relieving menstrual cramps. I was less comfortable with Dracula undressing in front of me while my body was working against me in every way possible.

“Fine,” I said between gritted teeth. My eyes widened as he started moving towards me. “W-wait, no, no, no, you’re sitting over there.”

His smirk widened into a full grin as he sat by my side, letting out an exaggerated breath, he kicked off his shoes and stretched himself in the same position as me. 

“What happened to personal space?”

“I thought we’d gone past that already,” he raised his thick eyebrows. 

I clenched my jaw. His gaze fell on my neck. All he would need to do was lean to sink his teeth in me, if he wanted. His lips parted and I was reminded of their softness when he had kissed me.

“Stop it,” I all but whispered. 

“I’m not doing anything,” he said, eyes fixated on my neck.

“You know exactly what you’re doing.” I started picking off popcorn from my lap, hoping that would show him that he wasn’t affecting me. “Let’s just watch the film.”

I endured his stare as I clicked on the remote to bring up Netflix and started searching the catalogue for Interview with the Vampire. He decided to focus on the telly once Louis started talking to Daniel. As the film went on, he laughed with Lestat and cursed at Louis constantly for his sentiment. More than once, Count Dracula was literally at the edge of his seat. He nodded approvingly at Claudia at times and at Lestat’s flare for the dramatics, making his critiques here and there about how Anne Rice had gotten it right or wrong.

“That’s Haydn,” Dracula said, eyes glued to the screen as a corpse-like Lestat played the piano and Louis and Claudia watched in horror.

“Good ear,” I commented. “Not that I’m an expert but it took me a few google searches to find out where this piece was from.”

“Good appetite,” he countered without looking at me, raising his forefinger.

I paused the film and he turned to me with an indignant look on his face.

“You ate Haydn?”

He grimaced.

“Ate is a poor term.”

“You did!” I accused, mouth falling open. “Who else?”

“I didn’t kill Haydn, that would be outrageous. I would have deprived the world of Mozart and Beethoven. I just stole a few sips to understand his genius. Chopin, however, I did kill. He was a prick, and so was Mozart. Bach, too, was unbearable but I didn’t get the chance to off him,” he shrugged. “Paganini was a riot, though. I tried turning him but he was committed already to a long time friend, you could say.”

I stared at him for a long moment. I didn’t know where to start but him saying that about Paganini, very subtly, confirmed people’s suspicion at the time that the man had made a pact with the Devil to have been that good. Finding myself unable to form another coherent thought faced with that, I simply pressed play again.

The film was doing a fantastic job of keeping the Count’s attention and I started relaxing because I didn’t have to be on guard, even if he was laying by my side. That is, until we reached the scene on a theatre where Armand drinks from a woman on stage in front of unsuspecting humans. My heart had begun hammering inside my chest as soon as Louis and Claudia stepped inside the theatre because I knew what was coming. 

Though I kept my eyes on the screen, I was suddenly hyper aware of how close I was to Count Dracula. An entire side of my body touched his, down to where my leg ended. Had I grown that comfortable and not noticed it? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Count Dracula swiveling his head to stare at me. 

“You’re missing the film,” I told him, jamming popcorn in my mouth to keep myself busy.

“Your pulse is more interesting right now,” his words tickled my shoulder. 

I snuck a glance at him. His eyes were still bottomless pools of black. The heat in his eyes was just as worrying if his eyes had been red.

“Don’t,” I warned.

The human girl was on stage now, screaming and begging for mercy. Soft, cold lips touched my shoulder and I swallowed dryly. Another kiss marked his path up.  I forgot how to move, caught in the rapture of his touch. I could have at least this. Nevermind that I was being touched by the man who meant to steal my life. My chest heaved as his kisses became sloppier, less sweet. My entire body shuddered in anticipation as a kiss landed on the curve of my neck. 

“I--”

A hand delved into my hair with a demanding tug and I shut up. The popcorn bag crumpled between my hands. Armand was on stage with the woman, hugging her and providing comfort before her death.

“Say it,” his lips brushed my ear.

“I won’t.”

His lips brushed my scar and I released a shaky breath. His mouth descended on my neck and a cry tore out of me upon feeling him sucking on my skin. Another hand laid on my chest, creeping slowly towards the shoulder strap of my nightie. I closed my eyes, letting myself be consumed by pleasure and forgetting every reason why we shouldn’t do this.

“Be mine,” his words were muffled as he continued his assault on my neck.

Sharp teeth grazed my skin. 

This couldn’t happen, not if I wanted to live. The minute he bit me he would know about my plan. I had to summon every ounce of control on my body to resist the sensuous ripple of pleasure coursing my body. I dodged his hands and shot up to my feet. Dracula caught himself on his elbow before he fell between the cushions. His eyes were still every bit as dark as before but his mass of hair was tousled, as mine probably was.

“I think--” I took a breath. “I think you should leave.”

He sat up and I noticed that another button on his shirt had come undone, revealing more of his chest than I had seen before. I didn’t dare look any lower. I almost cried in frustration. My body demanded him despite the fact that giving myself to him meant danger.

“I want to finish watching the film,” he said, gazing up at me as he buttoned his shirt again.

“I’m sure you’ve got Netflix at your place.”

“I do but I don’t have the pleasure of your company there.”

“Dracula--”

“I’ll behave if you do,” he put his legs on the coffee table again but I didn’t fall for it. No way I was looking below his waistline. “ Promise .”

Would I make it if I ran upstairs to my room? But what use would it be if he could simply climb through my window? I wasn’t ten years old anymore to run away from my fears, hoping they would disappear if I didn’t acknowledge them. Then again, Dracula wasn’t the monster under my bed. He was more likely to be the one on top of it. Jesus, focus! Mind over matter, come on. Up until that point he was being good company. If he was toying with my self control or not, I wasn’t sure. Besides, I couldn’t push the man away any time he made me nervous. I needed to lead him on until Zoe and I found a breach.

“I’ll hold you to that promise. You stay there,” I pointed a finger at him. “I’ll sit over there.”

Grabbing the remote and the bar of chocolate, I tiptoed my way between the remains of my popcorn and curled myself up on the armchair. I started unpacking the chocolate, doing my best to keep my eyes on the telly. Louis and Claudia were now below the theatre, in Armand’s chambers.

Feeling the Count’s gaze on me, I said, “Are you watching the bloody film or not? Because I think I would rather watch something else now.”

After I started chomping at the chocolate bar like there was no tomorrow, Dracula paid attention to the telly. I managed to breathe normally again once he seemed to be engrossed by the film and made conversation about what was going on, like we had been doing before. He celebrated Louis’ revenge by clapping at him and I laughed at the joy on his face as Lestat popped up from the backseat of Daniel’s car and bit him. I mouthed the words to Sympathy for the Devil as the credits rolled and Dracula stayed with his eyes glued to the screen.

“I must talk to this Anne Rice woman,” he muttered.

I chuckled.

“Leave her alone. She hasn’t completed the series yet and I need to know how much dumber Lestat can get in the next book.”

“He’s not dumb,” Dracula said, frowning at me.

I chuckled again. God, he’d grown attached to him.

“You haven’t read the books yet. You might loathe him as much as you did Louis if you read them.”

He groaned.

“Let’s watch another one.”

“Another vampire film?”

“Yes.”

“Narcissist,” I accused and he smiled. 

After searching through the Netflix catalogue, I found a vampire film that didn’t seem so ridiculous called Byzantium. It seemed like a better alternative than Lost Boys or Fright Night. I could just imagine his outrage at Twilight so I spared him of that, too. Twenty minutes later, however, Dracula was rolling his eyes at the TV and asking for the remote. He chose Silence of the Lambs and I thanked the heavens for it. I wouldn’t be able to sit through another sexy movie with him.

“He’s a great actor,” I commented as Dr Lecter and Clarice talked through the glass prison. 

“How many times have you watched it? You quoted that to me before, word for word of what he just said.”

I shrugged. 

“An unhealthy amount of times,” I admitted. He looked at me. “It won four Oscars, c’mon. It’s fantastic.”

I refused to tell him the reason I loved it so much was because of Hannibal Lecter. The Oscars excuse was better. We didn’t say much after that, that’s how fascinated Dracula was. Afterwards, he chose Crimson Peak, at last, one I hadn’t seen. Resting my head on the armchair and using Dracula’s blazer as a blanket, I closed my eyes for a brief moment when Edith met Thomas. 

Sleep’s warm embrace had me floating and I sighed happily. Something hard and cold pressed at my cheek, making my eyes flutter open. Dracula’s face hovered above mine. I wasn’t floating, if his arms around me and his hard chest on my cheek meant anything. My heart hurt like someone had squeezed it.

“I’m just putting you to bed,” he said in a low voice, sparing me a glance.

I was too tired to argue with him and simply rested my head on his chest again.

“You’re cold,” I complained, holding onto his blazer.

“I’m sorry.” 

The harsh lights of the telly made me squint at it with drowsy eyes. Rachel Weisz was on the screen now and I frowned, trying to remember if she appeared in Crimson Peak. Had he started another movie?

“Did the sleep- huh.” I furrowed my brows and tried again, “did I the movie- no,” I sighed.

Hearing his laugh inside his chest made me smile sleepily. 

“You slept little more than 2 hours,” he replied, maneuvering me out of the living room.

“You understood,” a yawn, “what I said,” I giggled and patted his chest. “Well done.”

He flashed me an amused smile before looking ahead again. I wrapped my arms around him when he started going up the stairs, afraid that I would fall. I tried listening to his heartbeat - something I enjoyed doing to people whenever I had chance - but there was no sound coming from his chest. Oddly, that was just as comforting as not hearing soft thump-thumps. But maybe that was just my sleep-addled brain.

“Tell me what happens in Croms- ah, whatever, in the film.” I frowned, mad at how stupid I sounded when I was sleepy. 

He laughed again.

“A lot.”

I rolled my eyes before surrendering to my heavy eyelids and closing them. 

“Be nice, tell me,” I mumbled.

“I thought you didn’t want me to be nice.”

“Right now, I do.”

He started telling me but the rumble of his voice coming from inside his chest, so close to my ear, made me drift back to sleep again. I woke up when he was laying me down on my bed. The bedside lamp made me squint. He set me in the very middle of the bed and perched next to me. I rolled on my side to face him and fluffed the pillow below my head, hiding my face from the light.

“So Edith and Thomas got married, huh?” I asked.

“You got nothing of what I just told you.”

“Not a word." I shook my head lightly.

He pushed back a lock of hair that had fallen on my face and his fingers hovered over me for a moment before caressing my temple.

“You were married,” I blurted. He dropped his hand and frowned. “When you were human. Weren’t you?”

“What does it matter?” He went to get up but I grabbed his wrist.

He glared at my hand.

“It was just a question,” I told him. “Don’t be mad. We bicker all the time, already.” I raised my eyebrows at him. His gaze fell on mine, indecipherable. “We don’t have to talk about her. Forget I said it.”

For a second I thought he would storm off. Dracula looked out the window, staring into the night. I waited for him to say something, waited until sleep started creeping again. My fingers slid down his wrist, resting on the back of his hand. 

“She was nothing like you.”

My eyes fluttered open. He was still staring into the dark. I had to choose my words carefully if I wanted him to keep talking. 

“How was she like?”

“Fragile and fearful of… everything. Deeply religious and foolish, at times. She smiled whenever she looked at me, even when I had done horrible things. In her mind, all that I did was in the name of God. There was this one time when I came from battle and I had blood on my face and armour-" he stopped, shoulders sloping and then stiffening "-she kissed me.”

“She wasn’t that fragile, then.”

He scoffed.

“I suppose not,” he conceded.

“Did you love her?”

“More than I thought I was capable.”

I had a feeling I knew the answer to my next question but asked it anyway.

“What happened to her?”

Finally, he turned his head to look at me. For the first time I saw a semblance of real emotion in his eyes and it broke my heart.

“I happened to her.”

I furrowed my eyebrows and took a breath to ask more but he stood up, his hand grazing mine briefly. I watched as he closed the curtains and then picked up the duvet at the bottom of my bed, unfurling it on top of me. I retrieved his blazer from beneath the covers and handed it to him. When he met my eyes again, his expression was devoid of all emotion. His hand reached behind me and turned off the bedside lamp, plunging us into darkness. I couldn’t make out his face anymore.

“Thank you for keeping your promise,” I whispered but I wasn’t sure if he was still in the room to hear me..

.

Taglist: @festering-queen @feralstare @rheabalaur @girlonfireice @dreamer2381 @mr-kisskiss-bangbang @thorin-smokin-shield​ @deborahlazaroff​ @apocalypsenowish​ @a-dorky-book-keeper​ if I forgot to tag anyone, please let me know

[missaudreyhorney]

Little Magnum

Anon requested the idea of adopting a puppy with Jim Hopper and who am I to say no to something so fluffy and adorable? Major help was provided by chiefharbour here on Tumblr, plus harboursouce and hideloveaway on Instagram.  

1.9k words of self-indulgent silliness and mentions of other ST characters. 

Your friend’s dog escaped from her yard about 5 months ago and had herself a wild night on the town, getting pregnant with a litter of mixed-breed puppies. Most of them had been given out to different families but there was one pup left, a little boy with white patches on his honey-colored fur. El had subtly mentioned to you that she’d never had a pet before and you wanted so badly to get her one, as it would make her time alone at the cabin a lot less boring and isolating. There was just one last obstacle and his name was Jim Hopper.

Since he speaks very little about his childhood, you had no idea if Hopper ever had a dog before, or even any type of pet at all. Based upon the little he has told you, it was easy to assume that if he ever had a dog, it was strictly for hunting and probably slept outside or in a shed. That’s not the way you grew up though. You’ve always had pets and they’ve always been like family to you. You knew it was going to be hard to sell him on the idea of getting a puppy, but that’s why you had your strategy well planned out. All you had to do was tell Hop that the two of you were going to visit a friend of yours and once he saw the dog himself, he wouldn’t need much convincing.

On a Friday after work, he picked you up and drove you over to Jill’s house. As Hopper entered her living room, his eyes immediately went to the dog. He walked over to it and crouched down onto one knee. “What’s up, little guy?” he said, letting it smell his hand before he pet it. The puppy lavished the back of his hand with endless licks, causing Hopper to chuckle. This was easily the happiest you’d seen him in weeks, if not months. Within the first thirty seconds of him interacting with the dog, you could already sense a connection being made. He talked to it in a tone of voice that you’d never heard before. “You got sharp little teeth, don’t ya, boy?” The puppy rolled onto it’s back and Hopper rubbed its belly. “Yes, you do! Yes, you do.” You clamped your hand over your mouth to stop yourself from giggling. This was the first time you’d ever seen him act this way.

“He’s cute, isn’t he?” you asked. “Yeah, he’s adorable. How old is he?” “Nine weeks,” Jill answered. “You’re just a baby, huh?” Hopper cooed at the dog while you and Jill exchanged a knowing look. “The vet said that’s a perfect age for them to find a new home.” He didn’t react, he just kept playing with the puppy. “You hear that, Hop?” “Yeah...” he answered slowly.

All the humor and happiness drained from his face as he connected the dots. “No,” he replied simply. “What do you mean? ‘No’ what?” you feigned ignorance. “Absolutely not,” he continued with a stern expression. You glanced over at Jill on the couch as she drank her Tab and minded her own business.  

“Can you excuse us?’ Hopper asked in his most charming voice. “We’re just gonna go outside for a minute.” Jill nodded, “Sure thing, hon.” The two of you left and stood on her porch. Smiling up at him expectantly, you took one of his hands in yours. “We’re not getting a dog,” he told you flatly, “especially not a puppy.” Your shoulders drooped with disappointment. “Why not?” you whined. “Because I said so,” he stated calmly. “That’s not fair,” you whined again.

“I don’t care if it’s fair. I work long hours, and when I get home, I need to be able to relax. I don’t have time to be chasing after a little dog, making sure it’s not chewing everything up.”

“Come on, Hop,” you pleaded, “I promise I’ll take care of it. You’ll still be able to relax.” You held both of his hands in yours. “Dogs are a man’s best friend, remember? You can do some male bonding together. He’ll be like the son you never had.” Hopper rolled his eyes at you dramatically, knowing you were laying it on extra thick to persuade him.

“What about El? I’ve never seen her interact with a dog, what if she’s scared of them?” “She’s fine with it,” you said matter of factly. “What do you mean ‘she’s fine with it’? How do you know?” his voice went up with a tinge of anger. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her we’re getting a dog. She just dropped a few hints to me before about not having a pet, so when Trixie got pregnant, I asked El what she thought about dogs and she told me she got along great with Will’s before it ran away.” You regretted saying those words as soon as they escaped your mouth. He wasn’t supposed to know that this was a setup.

Hopper took a step forward, his body closer to yours, his beautiful blue eyes glared down at you. “You little brat,” he scolded playfully, “you planned this all behind my back, didn’t you?” You pressed your top and bottom lips together tightly to suppress a smile. “You probably already have a name picked too.” You burst into a fit of giggles. “Magnum,” you declared. “Magnum,” he repeated with a chuckle and scrubbed his large hand over his face.

Determined and unfazed, you continued your pitch. “I wish you could have seen yourself in there. The way your face lit up. Can you imagine the look on El’s face if we bring home this puppy? Can you imagine how happy and surprised she’ll be?”

He gave a heavy sigh as a slow smile spread across his rugged features. “Alright,” Hopper said decisively. ”Let’s go back inside and get Magnum P-U-P.” You ignored his terrible dad joke like you often do. “Really? Are you sure?” you inquired as he opened the screen door. “I think my mind’s already been made up for me,” he replied. “You’re right. It has,” you stood on your tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek before you entered the house again.

As soon as the door opened, the dog ran to him and he scooped it up into his arms. “Guess what, little guy? You’re coming home with us.” The puppy licked Hopper’s face, almost appreciatively as if it understood what was going on. You couldn’t have been any happier if you tried. As the vigorous licking continued, he scrunched up his face. “Okay, that’s enough,” Hopper laughed then handed you the dog.

“I’m so glad you’re taking the little terror off my hands,” Jill joked as she gave half a bag of puppy food to Hop. He shot you a regretful look that you pretended to ignore. “We’re glad too, aren’t we?” you suggested and he rolled his eyes at you. “Yes,” he answered, his look of annoyance fading into a genuine smile. The three of you left in the Blazer and drove straight to the feed store to get a collar, leash, and new bag of puppy food.

In the month that has passed since then, things have been somewhat chaotic, with Magnum living up to his reputation as a terror. Every other word out of Hopper’s mouth seems to be “Magnum!” as he is constantly reprimanding the dog for something or other. Usually for tinkling in the house, as all puppies his age do. You’ve basically having to train them both; the dog to go outside, and Hop to take him out on the leash instead of letting him just roam around the woods by himself.

The puppy barks his tiny head off whenever Mike comes over, growling and even biting the boy if he tries to pet him. It’s the only bad behavior that Hopper actively encourages from the dog. Other than the unexplained animosity towards her boyfriend, El and Magnum get along swimmingly, with him being at his most calm when he’s around her, frequently sitting on her lap as they watch tv together. It’s probably because of the bacon you’ve caught her slipping to him during breakfast.

One of Magnum’s worst habits is that he’s a sock thief. Not just any socks though, they have to be Hopper’s. He ignores any that belong to you or El, as if he’s a sock connoisseur and those just aren’t up to snuff. You’ve found them hidden all over the cabin, though they’re most often under the bed or in between the couch cushions. While he is content with stealing them off the floor, his favorite method of theft is to take them directly off of Hopper’s feet. He bites the end and shakes his little head back and forth until they’re wiggled and yanked all the way off. Sometimes Hop gets mad, especially when the puppy accidentally nips his toes, but a lot of the time he allows it to happen because it’s just so stinking cute to watch.

For as much as Hopper complains about the dog, you know it’s just a facade. You keep finding empty bags of treats on the counter. On multiple occasions, you have arrived home to see that he’s been given a new chew toy. You’ve come across Polaroids not only of Magnum by himself, usually in those seemingly rare moments of slumber, but also of Hopper holding the puppy on his shoulder. The last time you were at the station, you caught him showing some of them to Flo as if they were baby pictures. The thing that truly cemented his love for the dog was the sight you discovered tonight.

You having to work on the weekend and El spending all day at the Wheeler’s house left Hop and Magnum alone by themselves. When your shift is over, you almost dread going back to the cabin, having no idea what type of disaster you’re going to be coming home to. As you unlock the front door, it’s eerily quiet inside, so quiet that it causes you to become concerned. There doesn’t appear to be any disaster at all when you walk in, which would be a relief if it wasn’t so far out of the ordinary.

“Hop?” you call out as you put your things down by the door. “Hopper?” you repeat a moment later and a bit louder when there’s no answer. A feeling of worry growing in your belly, you creep over to the bedroom and slowly move the curtain. Stealthily peeking your head inside, your mouth instantly curls into a smile. Sprawled on the bed is all six feet and three inches of Chief Jim Hopper snuggling with tiny little Magnum as they’re both fast asleep.

The sight not only puts your mind at ease but warms your heart. Up until now, Hopper hasn’t allowed Magnum to sleep on the bed, instead having him sleep on an area rug with a baby blanket on the floor. You almost want to take a picture, if not for your own sake, for the sake of hearing what Powell and Callahan would say. You refrain, however, knowing that the flash would likely disturb their rest. Instead, you slip into your pajamas and curl up in bed with your two favorite guys, feeling so grateful for the little family you have created.

[my-fanfic-library]

Something Different {BBC Dracula x Reader} [16]

Masterlist

~^*^~

~^nine months later^~

After you had buried Zoe, and you and Jack had tasked Renfield with properly disposing of Dracula’s body, moving on became a difficult task in London. It seemed that Lucy lurked around every corner and whenever you went off to work, you’d somehow find yourself looking amongst the towers of concrete and finding the window that once belonged to the undead Count.

The temperature dipped. Christmas came and went and when it felt like the year only dragged on, despite moving into a new decade, you decided in unison to move back up north. Instead of going back to Whitby, where even more memories of the vampire tainted almost every street, you decided to move to that secret haven you had visited so long ago.

Nine months down the line, Robin Hood’s Bay was in the climax of its tourist season. July was blessing the northern coastline with an abundance of hot days and blue skies and both Jack and yourself had secured jobs.

After the trauma of your dealings with the vampire, you both decided to hand your notices in at the Foundation and find more domesticated lives. They suited you well. Talking to normal humans, leading normal lives - it suited you both so well. You had grown much closer in this time. Jack had learnt to forgive you after Lucy’s death; you had grieved for the vampire man that had stolen your heart and had moved on.

Things were finally no longer dark. Life regained its magnificent colours.

Walking along the beach, parallel to the rolling waves, your hand brushed against his - an innocent mistake. The cooling breeze soothed your skin where the sun beat down. You looked left, taking in the sight of the families far out in the rock pools with their neon nets, most likely looking for little sea creatures to fish out to inspect. Every now and again, a small child would squeal in excitement at finding a dead crab and their father would laugh and explain that it had been eaten by the birds who had left behind the shell.

You then looked right, a soft and loving smile came upon your face. Jack wasn’t paying much attention. He was looking ahead (most likely at the two dogs currently racing for the tennis ball their owner had just thrown). To say that you were surprised at your sudden budding feelings for your old friend would be a huge understatement. You had come to appreciate him for all that he was - plus you suspected that living together (platonically, of course) had something to do with it.

Jack had somehow become your home. He was the only person who could truly say ‘I know what you’re going through’ and mean it. Something about having such an intimate secret with him seemed to tie your bond ever closer.

The walk on the beach lasted a little longer, before you silently agreed it was time to head back. There would be an influx of tourists soon and you definitley didn’t want to try and battle for somewhere to sit on the sand. Besides, standing up at the top of the cliffs gave a beautiful view of the sea.

Robin Hood’s Bay was infamous for its steep hill winding up from the beach to the top of the cliffs. It was hard to walk down without feeling like you were about to topple over and roll the rest of the way down, and it was even more painful trying to get back up. There was a searing pain in your thighs as you took broad steps to try and scale the monster quicker.

You could hear Jack’s laughter behind you at the ridiculousness of your walk, but you ignored him. Hopefully living here would soon provide you with thighs of steel.

The feeling of victory that overcame you when you reached the top was worth every second of torture working up that hill in the heat. You turned to see Jack a few metres away. He grinned up at you and when he made it to your side, he was gently panting.

“Well, let’s agree to never climb that damn hill in the middle of one of the hottest days again.”

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna dive off the cliff and take a quick swim after that.” You joked.

“Let’s get going. I could do with some lunch.”

Slowly walking, you made your way back to your small shared cottage. It was cool inside. You took your seat at the dining table, eyeing your leather sofa with disgust. You knew that you’d stick to it if you went anywhere near it.

As he made himself a little lunch, Jack flicked on the TV in the living room and turned it up so that you could both hear from in the kitchen. The afternoon news was just beginning. It was the usual political issues, a virus outbreak in Southeast Asia, another tragic stabbing in London.

“A body was recovered from the Thames river two hours ago after tourists spotted a floating figure in the middle of the water just south of the Millenium Bridge. Scotland Yard have just released a statement in the last few moments confirming that the cause of death appears to be the same as those deaths reported last autumn in Whitby and in London.”

You looked at Jack. He had frozen halfway through buttering his second round of bread.

“CCTV footage shows a man, as you can see, and the police are urging for anyone with information on the suspect to call the number on the screen.”

You leapt up, rushing into the living room with Jack hot on your tail. The image was blurry but you knew that face anywhere. Dear Lord, couldn’t he have been bothered to dress a little differently than usual?

“The lawyer?” Jack breathed.

“Since when did Dracula drink his blood?”

That was the first time you had uttered his name in nine months and you’d be lying if you said that speaking it didn’t spark a little pain in your chest. You missed him so much. You expected a text message or a phone call every day, until you reminded yourself that you had changed your number. Even if by some miracle he was still out there, you’d probably never see the vampire again.

That was how it needed to be. You needed to be safe.

Your mind began to wonder. Had Dracula been drinking his blood back in London? And if so, had it simply taken this long for him to turn? Dracula’s finest bride, it seemed, would never be seen by its creator. You knew there was more to that lawyer’s loyalty than just contractual.

“Thank god we aren’t in London, huh?” Jack mumbled and made his way back to finish constructing his sandwich.

“Yeah...”

You trudged back to your own seat, beginning to rearrange the flowers that day in the middle of the table.

That night, you seemed to have a fever dream. A hot, burning fire, and between the flames, a tall figure. It seemed unharmed by the licks the fire gave it and as you reached forwards, the orange forms split to make way for your appendage. Before you could make contact, it whispered your name in a distorted voice. It sounded somewhat familiar. ‘[First]...’ it hissed as if imitating the sound of the fire, ‘where are you, [First]?’

You tossed and turned as the dream began to die away and you spent the rest of the night in a dreamless darkness. The next morning, the dream lingered in your mind. When Jack promoted you to confide in him, you opted not to tell him. It wasn’t like any of it mattered.

He didn’t press too much on it, but decided that he wanted to try and cheer you up.

“Why don’t we go into Whitby for the day?” He suggested, “only if you’re ready, of course.” He quickly added before shoving another spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth.

You thought about it. You hadn’t been to Whitby in nine whole months. Truth be told, you missed it. But you couldn’t decide if that was because you also missed Dracula. You scoffed. You had to be the only person to have grieved for a vampire. Except for maybe Mina Murray - but she didn’t count because her fiancé had been human for most of the time she knew him. Dracula had always been a vampire since the moment you had met him.

“Nah, it was a stupid idea, right.” Jack supposed your scoff was of disbelief that he’d suggest something so utterly stupid.

“No, I think we should go. I’d like to watch the boats.”

Jack watched as an absent-minded smile took hold of your lips as you thought about the harbour.

Well, two hours later and you were sitting by the bandstand, facing away from the structure as you looked out to sea. The pirate ship that took tourists out to sea a little and back again was coming back into the harbour. Some children not too far away from you excitedly jumped and waved and the pirate steering the ship waved back.

It was comforting to hear the whirl of music from the arcades, to get a whiff of both Whitby’s famous The Magpie and Quayside fish and chips, to see the lighthouse, and of course, to look over and up at the abbey.

Oh, how you had missed it here.

“Should we go over the bridge? I’ll buy you a sugar dummy.” Jack offered.

“Sure, why not?” You shrugged and swung your legs over the bench to turn and stand.

You froze.

Standing across the road, outside of the RNLI centre was him. Your jaw dropped. You had to be hallucinating. It couldn’t be! The yellow tourbus whizzed past and when it revealed that side of the road again, he was no longer there.

“[First]?” Jack broke your absolute disbelief, “you alright?”

~^taglist^~

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[a-solitary-marshmallow]

Please Don’t See Me - Chapter 5

This chapter is a bit longer than the others, but I didn't want to split it up! It was written in a hurry because I was excited to get it out to y'all, so let me know if I've made any typos or mistakes. As always I adore your comments so feel free to tell me what you think.

______________________________________________________________________

“You should come down to Gravity Falls!”

Ford didn’t quite think about the words before he blurted them. His close (and only) friend from college had mentioned in their weekly phone call that he and his family were thinking about taking a holiday from his would-be small computer business, and Ford had reacted without thought.

He laughed nervously, leaning back against the kitchen counter. Rebus padded through the kitchen with the click-click-click of claws that Ford had become accustomed to over the last month.

Ford cleared his throat. “If you want to, of course. I would love to show you some of the research on anomalies I’ve been doing, and I think Tate and Emma-May would like it here. I have plenty of space in my house.”

“Well sure Stanford, if you don’t mind.” Fiddleford said cheerfully. “I’ve been meanin’ to visit for a while now. Course, I don’t wanna get in the way o’ yer research if you’re busy.”

“Not at all.” From the other room Rebus let out a bark, and Fiddleford squeaked.

“What was that?”

“Oh, just my dog. There are probably some Manotaurs passing by.”

“Ya have a dog? When did that happen?”

“A month or so ago. His name is Rebus.”

Fiddleford huffed out a laugh. “Well, at least ya got yerself some company. That dog sounded mighty fearsome; ya sure he’s safe? I don’t wanna bring Tate around if e’s gonna bite.”

“Oh, Rebus is a sweetheart.” A savage growl issued from the other room. “He’s great with kids. When he accompanies me into town he will often play with the children in the playground.”

Rebus growled again, a growl Ford was reasonably certain was aimed at him for daring to imply that the wolf had a heart. Not that Ford had been lying – the kids in town loved Rebus and he delighted in running around with them while Ford ran errands. He was a veritable gentle giant.

“Tate would love him.” Ford continued, unconcerned with the wannabe threat display. The stubborn wolf reminded him of his brother sometimes, all bark and no bite.

…except when he did bite.

“If yer sure.” There was rustling on the other end of the line. “That sounds like a mighty fine idea, Stanford. I’ll have to check with Emma-May, of course, but I’d love ta see some of these anomalies you’ve told me about. Check that yer not crazy, at least!”

“I assure you, these things are one hundred percent real. You’ll be able to see for yourself.” Ford assured him.

“Does Friday afternoon work fer ya? We figured we’d go on the weekend so Tate doesn’t miss much school.”

“Yes, that’s fine. I’ll prepare the spare room.” Ford said excitedly. “It’s been quite some time since I had company.”

“Ah – Stanford?”

“Yes?”

“Exactly how long has it been since you talked to someone?”

“A few hours.”

“Other than yer dog I mean.”

“Oh, only a week or so.”

There was a pause. “Was that ‘someone’ me?”

“Er…”

“When was the last time you talked to a human being aside from myself?”

Ford laughed nervously. “Ah, it seems the connection is breaking up I’ll call back another time-”

“Stanford-”

“Say hello to Emma-May for me bye!”

He hung up.

 Stan heard the car approach first, the approaching rumble of its engine dragging him from a light doze in that ever-illusive pool of light in the hallway. His ears picked up and he let out the beginnings of a warning growl at the intruders.

That was, until he remembered that they were supposed to have visitors. He yawned and stretched, slightly annoyed at having his nap interrupted but more curious to see who it was that Ford had been expecting. Being the local canine, people didn’t usually run names and stuff by him.

All Stan had been able to tell was that whoever was coming Ford was pretty excited to see them, judging by the way he had hustled and bustled to prepare the spare room. It had been pretty nice, these past few days, to just chill and watch Ford buzz around the place. In those years apart he’d missed Ford’s relentless energy; the way he bounced on his heels when excited, and the little flapping, and the excited gleam in his eyes, the way he could never quite hold still. It was pretty hilarious to watch the nerd get all wound up.

God, Stan hoped it wasn’t a family member. If Pa walked through that door…

Maybe it was that guy Ford was always calling, Fiddlesticks or something? Seemed likely. From what Stan could tell, his brother had a maximum of two friends. And one of them was a wolf.

He padded out to watch Ford open the door for… a small family? The man shook Ford’s hand while the woman chatted and held a small child on her hip.

“It’s great to see you again, Stanford. Thank you for letting us stay in your home.”

“Oh, it’s no problem, I have plenty of space.” Ford assured her.

“And Fiddleford said you had a – oh sweet Mother Mary-”

Stan was used to the usual ‘Oh my god is that a wolf?’ song and dance. He stepped forward and wagged his tail helpfully. Scaring kids and dames was only funny when you were trying to scare them. When you weren’t, it got old pretty quick.

The strange man leaned down and hesitantly offered one hand, and Stan allowed himself to be petted. Show of goodwill, and all that. The guy was short and twiggy and he smelled of engine grease and metal and root beer and straw. Stan decided that he liked the guy. The lady, too. Her suspicious gaze had mellowed out and now Stan could see the smile lines around her eyes. The kid, however, seemed… sticky.

Aaaand the kid had fussed to be placed down and was now trying to touch Stan’s tail. He whisked it out of reach but the sticky brat was laughing and already chasing after it.

Oh, hell no. Kid wanted to get its grubby mitts all over his coat? Think again. Stan darted out of its way and weaved past the adults to try and throw it off. Ford didn’t even try to help, the smug bastard.

Alright kid. You think you got stamina? Let’s see about that.

 The kid.

Would not.

Stop.

Tate, as it turned out his name was, seemed to have boundless energy. The two kept up their game of cat-and-mouse all afternoon until Stan flopped on the porch, panting for breath. Tate squealed and rushed forward to bury his hands in Stan’s thick fur.

You win this round, pipsqueak.

A part of him wanted to place the kid on a high shelf where he couldn’t get in the way, and leave him there. Another part of him… wanted to lick his face and wag his tail. C’mon, mighty hunter and all that! Stan was supposed to have more dignity than like… a Labrador or whatever.

His traitor tail wagged anyway.

Ford and the dame, Emma-May or something, stepped outside to join them, Ford glancing over his shoulder and biting his lip as he went. Stan wondered idly where his nerd friend was.

“Oh, don’t worry, Fiddles hardly ever electrocutes himself!” Emma-May said cheerfully. “He’ll be done with his tinkering in no time.”

“…I was worried for my toaster.”

Emma-May flapped her hand. “Oh, it’ll be fine. I think he said something about making it like ours.”

“How has Fiddleford improved your toaster?”

“I dunno, but it has a lot of blinky lights and sometimes it smells like burning sugar!”

“…I feel like you’re trying to be reassuring?”

Stan should probably be on the lookout for smoke. He scented the air and got a whiff of something like burning plastic from inside…

…and curdled wrongness.

He wrinkled his nose. The air smelled weird and it was vaguely familiar, like he’d smelled it before, but never this strongly. There was something oily and metallic and… squirrelly?

Stan shook Tate’s clingy hands from his coat and stood to scan the house yard. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. But it just didn’t smell right.

The faintest scrape of claws on wood made him snap around. There – clinging to a house support and evidently trying to climb up to the roof was what might have once been a squirrel. Emphasis on once. Its front limbs were bulkier than the back ones with claws like tiny steak knives buried into the wood grain. Its fur hung off in patches and it was big – more raccoon-sized than squirrel-sized. The extra weight seemed to be giving it grief because it was struggling to make headway.

Fat bastard, Stan thought petulantly.

“Err – Stanford?” Emma-May piped up. “What on god’s good earth is that?”

Stan glanced across to follow her pointing finger. Apparently he wasn’t the only one to notice the thing.

Ford squinted and stepped closer to the rodent, which started hissing around overgrown teeth like a stepped-on snake with a lisp. “It… it appears to be another mutated creature. I’ve been finding them around the place since I got here. My hypothesis is that they’ve been somehow affected by the size-changing crystals in the forest.”

“The what-nows?”

Ford’s eyes brightened. “Oh, in the forest there are natural crystal formations that, when light is shined through them, have the ability to change an object or organism’s shape. The majority of the mutant sightings have been around that area. I’ve been meaning to investigate but a freak blizzard recently ruined my plans. Now, if I can just capture this specimen here…”

“Throw a blanket over it?” Emma-May suggested.

“Perhaps. I have a number of size-appropriate cages in my shed, would you mind keeping watch over the creature while I retrieve one?”

“Sure thing.”

Ford went to walk past but the movement seemed to startle the squirrel, which launched itself wildly into the air and latched onto Ford’s sleeve, scurrying up his arm. He yelped and flailed. Fortunately Emma-May smacked it and sent it flying. Unfortunately it skidded across the ground and took off towards where Tate was playing in the grass.

Fortunately, that was also where Stan was.

He lunged forward and snapped up the rodent in one bite before it could get close to the kid. Its tiny body gave out with a single, pathetic crunch. Weird-tasting blood exploded in his mouth.

Ford coughed. “Well.”

Stan spat out the creature, wrinkling his nose. The thing tasted – wrong. Like its blood was tainted with seawater and oil slick with an added hint of burning rubber. He spluttered and swiped at his tongue to try and get rid of the rancid flavour.

Ugh, were squirrels so corrupted by the weight of their sins that it seeped into their blood?

“Is it dead?” Ford asked curiously. Emma-May walked over to scoop up her child and prod the body with her shoe.

“Depends. Can these mutant things live with a snapped spine?”

“Dead, then. Still! It’s a specimen to study. I’ll get – oh, I suppose I won’t be needing that cage anymore.”

 Nothing blew up that weekend. Stan took that as a win.

The McGuckets were… a different sort of folk than he was used to. They smiled so easily. Those two dopes of parents looked at their kid like he was the moon and the sun and everything in between, like they wouldn’t kick him out onto the streets no matter what dumb mistakes he made. Damn. Imagine that.

The Sunday night before they were set to leave Emma-May retired to bed early and Fiddleford and Ford settled onto the couch to talk, with cans of beer in hand and Tate playing happily with his Legos. Stan dropped onto the carpet to keep a watchful eye on the little brat. The fire crackled softly and cast a warm light across the room, its heat pressing against his fur.

A month or so ago he would never have let himself relax like this. He would be watching the window, ears pricked for any sign of…

Huh. He couldn’t remember the name of the man chasing him. When he thought hard there was a flash of scarred hands and packets of white powder and the taste of blood in his mouth. That’s right, the guy Stan had used to run drugs for a few years back, the guy who was now after him. Why couldn’t Stan remember his name?

Ford and Fiddleford’s murmuring rose slightly above the crackle of the fire and the clinking of Legos.

“-ya mean Shermie?”

“No, my… other brother. My twin, Stanley.” Ford said quietly.

It took Stan a moment to remember that that was his name. He rested his chin on his paws and tuned into the conversation.

“Ford, ya never told me ya had a twin.”

“No, I probably didn’t. You see, Stanley and I parted on… unpleasant terms. I haven’t seen him in almost a decade.”

“A decade?” Fiddleford squawked. “Why in the blazes not?”

“It’s complicated. Fiddleford, do you remember when I told you how I was rejected from West Coast Tech?”

“When you were drunk outta yer mind and I had to drag ya back to our dorm? Yes, I do recall.” Fiddleford said dryly.

“Yes, well. It was Stanley who sabotaged my project. He insisted it was an accident, but…” Ford sighed.

“Why do you bring him up?” Fiddleford tipped his head. Ford sighed and pulled off his glasses to polish them on his sleeve.

“I was hoping to get your advice, actually. Recently he’s been coming to mind more and more. I thought that, perhaps, he might have grown up over the last decade, and it might be worth getting in contact and seeing how he’s doing. Do… do you think people can change that much?”

Change. Had Stan changed much? Except for the whole werewolf thing…

It was like trying to think through sludge. Stan hardly remembered what it was like to be human. Or… human-shaped. Jeez, how long had he been Shifted for? Time was slipping away from him in this little bubble of happiness. Stan had never been in wolf form for this long before.

A chill shivered through him. The nerds’ talking continued but it was background noise to the humming of his thoughts. He stood and padded into the hallway, ignoring Tate’s whine. Stan shouldered through the (thankfully unlocked) front door and trotted outside.

He glanced around warily before slipping into the trees. Once a quick scan showed that he was alone, he Shifted.

Or… tried to.

The change that had once been liquid and effortless now felt like trying to shove a square peg through a circular hole. His skin prickled. Stan shook himself and tried again with a small growl.

The Shift swept across him with the popping of joints and the crackle of cartilage; creaky, like a neglected machine that had acquired rust from years of disuse. Stan gritted his newly-flat teeth and waited for the agonizingly slow Shift to pass.

He ended up crouched on the damp earth, breathing hard and squinting through suddenly blurry vision at the dark, hazy world around him. His skin felt itchy and it pinched in all the wrong places, like a suit that didn’t quite fit.

Well, shit. Note to self: don’t stay in wolf form for weeks at a time.

Stan flexed his hands, trying to reacquaint himself with having fingers and opposable thumbs. Being human. Or human-shaped, at least.

Because he was still a person. No matter what he looked like he wasn’t just some – some pet. He had a life to get back to.

Except… he didn’t. Not really.

Stan chewed over that piece of information for moment. Before he could really think about it a voice called his name. With a final stretch he slipped back into an awkward Shift, easier than before, and trotted after his brother’s voice.

[lovemesomesurveys]

“how the hell does a broken heart learn to mend itself?”

Would you ever like to own your own gym? No.

Do you listen to Christina Perri? If so, do you like her music? Jar of Hearts and A Thousand Years are a few of my favorites of hers. Oh, and Human. <<< Yeah, I liked those as well. I think those are the only ones I’m familiar with of hers. I haven’t listened to her music in a long time.

When was the last time you went to Wal-Mart? Back in March before the quarantine/lockdown and shit really hit the fan.

Which is worse: Runny nose or stuffy nose? Both are very annoying, but feeling like you can’t breathe is definitely the worst. 

Do you hate how people are quick to judge? i think we all have that tendency, some more than others. It can be an issue when you let that judgment form your whole opinion about a person without even knowing them. Except in extreme cases of course when it a quick judgment could be useful, like if you’re feeling uncomfortable or someone appears to be sketchy. 

Has anyone ever made you feel small? Yes.

Would you rather give your food to a homeless shelter or money to charity? Food to a homeless shelter would be more direct and immediate. When you donate money to a charity you don’t really know when or how it gets used, exactly. And it can take time to be sorted out and distributed. That being said, of course donating to charities is good and important and will help in the long run. I’m just saying, donating food to a homeless shelter would be something they could use immediately and benefit them directly. Does any of this make sense?

Can you tell when your best friend is lying? I think I’m typically pretty good at that.

Would you pay extra money for make up just to make you look prettier? Ha, all the makeup in the world didn’t make a difference for me. Still ugly. I stopped even bothering with it.

Do you like to look at license plates to see where people are from? I don’t pay much attention to that.

Are you more hungry or tired right now? I’m both. My sleep schedule continues to be weird. I fell asleep around 230AM until about 4AM and then fell asleep again shortly after that until like 7:45AM. Now it’s 8:46AM and here I am. Like wtf? And lately I’ve been having a bit more of an appetite, so I’ve been feeling hungrier earlier than usual and actually eating more than just dinner and my late bowl of ramen. My body is such a mess.

Do you follow your head or heart more? It’s a battle.

On a scale 1-10 how much do you like my surveys? I’m assuming the same person has made the last few I’ve done with this same kind of format, in which case they’ve been fine. 

Do you think you deserve more than what you have? I don’t think I deserve anything. 

Would you ever spend $2,000 on a dress? I can’t imagine ever spending that much on a dress. I don’t plan on getting married, but even if I did I’d find something a lot less expensive. 

“Reach out to you, touch my hand”

Have you ever made fresh dough? No.

When you were little, did you used to make cookies with your mom? Yeah.

Has anyone ever said "Say it, don't spray it" to you? lol yeah, when I was a kid.

What is your least favorite type of person? Arrogant, cocky, close minded people.

True or False : Superman is your favorite super hero. False.

Have you ever drank Silk milk? Yeah. Well, I don’t drink it directly (or any kind of milk for that matter, ew), but I use soy in coffee drinks, cereal, or to dunk cookies or brownies or something. I tend to use vanilla almond milk more often, though.

What color is your camera? I use the camera on my phone, which is a coral iPhone XR.

When you create a survey, do you usually make the title lyrics? I don’t create surveys.

Do you play Cityville, Farmville or Frontierville on Facebook? Nope. Never got into any of those.

Do you tend to complain when its to hot out? Ugh, yes. I’m miserable when it’s hot and everyone knows it lol.

Flip flops or tennis shoes? Tennis shoes. I never wear flip flops or any kind of sandal or open toed shoe.

Do you like your fingernails long or short? They’re always barely there cause I’ve had this horrible habit all my life. Well, with the exception of the very few times I managed to stop and let them grow a decent length. Never lasted long, though.

Have you made anyone laugh today? I haven’t interacted with anyone yet today.

Would you like to go to South America? Sure.

Have you ever read Time magazine? I think so.

“Tonight we’re going to dance on the edge of the Hollywood sign”

Do you use the gel, spray or powdered deodorant? I think it’s called a solid.

Do you own a pearl necklace? No. I used to, but it broke. 

Do you know anyone named Julie? No.

What's your favorite candle scent? I love the autumn scented ones.

Does anyone you know own a motorcycle? Yes.

How many different languages can you say “hello” in? Just a few. I don’t feel like thinking about how many different ones right now.

Do you like Train’s music? Yeah. 

Have you ever accidentally clicked on an ad on the side of your screen? Yeah, back in the day when ads were annoying and popped up all the time. I haven’t had that issue in years.

Do you like dark or light pop/soda better? My favorite sodas are Coke and Dr. Pepper, which happen to be dark.

Have you ever been told you were a good dance? No.

Do you own one of those small, battery powered fans? I do.

When you sleep, do you like it complete silence or do you like sound? I need some sound and light, hence why I sleep with the TV on. I have it completely quiet or dark.

Was it cloudy today or clear sky? It’s supposed to be clear skies. Do you like the show Seinfiled or Friends? I never got into either one.

Would you rather have bad breath or body odor? Ew.

“I’m gonna sleep in my Snuggie tonight.”

Have you ever ridden in a hot air balloon? Noooo. I never would.

Do you hate it when people get obsessed with their boyfriend/girlfriend? I had friends who obsessively talked about their significant others and it did get quite annoying, not gonna lie.

Have you ever been to Nevada? Yes.

Are you dating the boy/girl of your dreams? I’m single.

Do you watch Glee? No, I never got into it.

Do you like coffee? I love coffee. Duh.

Do you like applesauce? Yeah. Wow, I don’t recall the last time I had any, though.

When was the last time you had a nightmare? It’s been awhile, thankfully.

Have you ever had a manicure? Once. It was for my 8th grade promotion.

Do you like graphic tees? Ha, my whole wardrobe is graphic tees. And leggings.

Are you the type of person who is always yelling? Not at all.

Do you like Willow or Jaden Smith better? I don’t have any feelings about either one.

Is anything making you mad right now? No.

Name one thing you've NEVER done but want to: Go to Hawaii.

Ever seen the movie Shark Tale? I know of it, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

“No matter what, I’ll never stop loving you”

Do you like Italian food? I love it.

Which would you rather have: drama or no friends? I have no friends now and I’m honestly okay with it.

Do you own a black necklace? No.

Would you rather have white & crooked teeth or straight teeth that are yellow? How ‘bout straight and white teeth.

How many notifications do you have on Facebook right now? Zero.

Do you smile or laugh more? Uhh I don’t know.

Have you ever tried Nutella? Yes, and I don’t like it. <<< Saaame. I don’t get the hype.

What age did you stop watching Spongebob? I was never really into it, I just caught some episodes because my younger brother loved it as a kid.

Have you ever seen the show Boy Meets World? Yeah, I’ve seen the entire series numerous times. It’ll always be a favorite.

Have you received bad news within the past week? No. 

What's your favorite color of highlighter? Yellow or orange is fine.

Do you celebrate the 4th of July? I mean, we go outside to my front yard and watch fireworks lol that’s about it.

Are you better at Math or Social Studies? Social studies. Math and I were always enemies.

Do you like the name Lindsey? Sure.

Do you have a teacher that your close to? Not anymore, but yeah I had a couple.

“We’ll go down just like Titanic”

When you eat, do you always use a napkin? Yes.

On a scale 1-10 how much do you like hot dogs? It’s one of those weird things that I have to be in the mood for, which is very, very rare. It’s not something I ever crave. I haven’t even had one in years. Although, a Costco hotdog is pretty delicious.

Have you ever been on a cruise ship? Nope.

Is your phone a flip, sliding or touch? It’s a touch-screen - most phones are nowadays. <<<

Are you okay right now? I don’t feel well.

Do you own a blue dress? No.

When you look at the person you like, does it seem like its only you two? I don’t currently like anyone in that way.

Do you like pizza crust with cheese in it? It’s good, but it’s not something I tend to get.

Do you like copy paper or lined paper better? Lined paper. 

Are you listening to music? Nope.

Have you ever gone swimming in the moonlight? Nope.

Is it AM or PM right now? It’s AM.

Who is your cell phone carrier? Verizon.

Do you hate public speaking? Haaaaaate. So glad I don’t have to do speeches or presentations for school anymore. It never got any easier, it was always super anxiety inducing and dreadful for me.

Have you ever been in a band? No.

“We can go to the alligator sky”

Are you more of a follower or leader? I definitely don’t see myself as a leader.

Would you rather: write a 10 page short story or do public speaking? The 10 page paper. 

Did you eat any type of fruit today? No. It’s been awhile since I’ve had any fruit. :X

Do you enjoy bowling? Nah.

Do you like the smell of rain? Yesss.

Have you ever seen or been in quicksand? No.

Do you want to get married in a church or somewhere else? I don’t want to get married.

Have you ever played hard to get? No. I’m just hard to want.

Do you go to the fair during the summer? No.

Are more mean or nice? I’m not a mean person.

Do you go tanning? I don’t ever “go” tanning, but it happens when I go to the beach. 

Can you speak Spanish? Not fluently, but yes.

Is it hard for your to compliment people? Only because I’m just shy and awkward.

Are you a goodie goodie or a bad person? I was always the goodie-goodie.

Would you rather visit Chicago or New York City? New York City.

[carbrakes-and-stakes]

Supper Trooper - Margot, Nora, Simon,  Alain

Alain just got out of the police station and goes home to join Simon and Nora for dinner.

Supper Trooper happens right after this (x)

Alain’s anger did not seem to go away, and for a good enough reason : he did not know who he should have been directing it toward. His train of thoughts went back and forth between blaming himself, the police, or Nora and Simon, or even the damn squid and his fishy diet. Having a Mexican standoff in your head was really far from pleasant, as one could easily imagine. He had stopped at the supermarket to get a shirt, grabbed the first one he could find. Actually it was the second one he could find. The first one read: I love mimes, and even in such times, he would never have bought that. Even then, he felt as if he still reeked of fish, and feared that the smell would never leave his nostrils. “Putain,” having arrived at the garage, he saw a person waiting at the entrance. That’s when he remembered. Margot. Showing her around. He glanced at his watch. Yep. 45 minutes late. “Rooh, et merde,” stepping out of his car, he rubbed his face and approached the door, and Margot. “I’m really, really sorry,” looking more worn out than if he had spent the night hunting, he sighed. “How about we do this tomorrow. I’m really not in the mood,” which probably made him sound like an enormous pile of shit, but this was the truth. He entered the garage to get his cellphone from the counter, some paperwork, and walked back to Margot. “Can I offer you dinner? I feel bad enough to have kept you waiting like that.”

Margot would never consider herself one to arrive fashionably late to anything. Not that she was one of those people who showed up half-an-hour before an appointment, either. No, she was usually right on time. And had been… until about fifteen minutes had passed, and she glanced down at her phone to reassure herself that yes, this was the time Alain had told her to come. Maybe he was just running late? She simply left it at that in lieu of texting him, not wanting to seem impatient. However, when his absence bordered on an hour, she was beginning to feel more concerned than anything else. Being here reminded her of… many things she would have rather not thought about, and the potential for something bad to happen churned uncomfortably in her gut. Her thumb hovered just over his phone number when she heard someone pull up to the garage, twitching her head up and trying to gauge if it was indeed him. When he finally appeared, Margot immediately shook her head and waved off the apology. “It’s alright, really. I’m just glad you’re alright, you had me… really worried, not gonna lie,” She tried to cover up her nerves with a tight laugh, and perked up a bit at the mention of dinner. “Oh, are you sure? I mean yeah, I’d definitely be down but, you… You look pretty tired,” 

 Hours ago Nora had been throwing fish in a lake with Simon and Alain. After that fun, but all together disappointing experience, Simon and Nora had gone back to Alains house. They’d expected Alain to be right behind him. He never showed up. So Nora had done what any great friend would have done. She got the spare key and let them in. “I’m going to take a shower.” She had declared and was now, hours later, dressed in Alains clothes, sitting on his counters and eating his food. Without Alain there to tell her no, she’d decided to heat up everything she’d found. The countertops were currently sorted into two sections, already heated and to be heated. The closet, having already gone through its brand new organization, was sorted into four piles. Clothes Nora would never wear, clothes Nora could maybe wear, clothes Nora was trying to convince Simon to change into so all of them didn’t have to keep smelling like dead fish and clothes Nora thought Alain should go ahead and get rid of. “What do you eat first?” Nora asked Simon, shoving another course into the microwave and setting a timer. “Alain is a very good cook.” Hours ago, Simon had been throwing fish in a lake with Nora and Alain. He had a little less fun and his arms were sore now after the labour but he didn’t quite regret it - after all, it was what Nora wanted to do and she was his first friend in town so he couldn’t say no. Then followed a quiet drive down the open roads to Alain’s house only to find that not only was he not following them, he seemed to be delayed by something. Simon, setting his fish-slime-covered jacket in the grass next to the path that led to the door, was considerably more apprehensive about entering someone else’s house, especially if the owner himself wasn’t there so Nora almost literally dragged him in despite his body seeming to stiffen in protest and fear at the sound of two large dogs whining in the back. Now, after awkwardly loitering at the entryway of the house for what seemed like quite a while while Nora presumably moved about the house as though it was hers, he found himself standing in the corner of the kitchen furthest from the sound of dogs, almost plastered against the wall as if trying to phase through it and out of existence. He had gently declined each of the outfits Nora had picked out for him, deciding to draw the invisible line at taking the man’s clothes and he was now juggling several tasks between worrying about why Alain hadn’t shown up, half-heartedly insisting that he wasn’t hungry to Nora who seemed intent on heating *everything* up and trying not to look and sound like a(n even more) disgusting mess as he had a hand up to his nose and sniffled constantly. “I’m sure he is,” He opted to say quietly, thickly.

Alain frowned as Margot confessed that he had worried her here. Obviously, considering what had possibly happened to her father, she did not need another person she knew going missing. “Well I offered, didn’t I? Come on.” The road to his house was a 10 minutes ride usually, but now that he had to avoid Dark Score lake, it lasted 5 minutes more and that was good enough to have a conversation with someone, right? Not that he had ever been ever good at those, but he appreciated the young woman enough to want to speak with her, and invite her over for dinner. “So, you and Dario, you are friends, right? How do you feel about working with him?” Much like Kaden, Alain suspected that they were not just friends, although it was premature to even voice his concern. “Completely different subject, but I have two big dogs. You don’t have a problem with those, do you?” They never strutted around the garage, but someone scared of dogs would never be able to work properly in those conditions.

Margot couldn’t argue with that logic, nodding to herself and partially Alain before following after him. Besides, it had been a while since someone had offered her dinner, and the prospect of getting to know her new boss was one she didn’t wish to pass up. Though Deidre had been dismissive of her initial words, she couldn’t help but wonder if there was truly something about Alain she needed to be concerned with. On the outside he seemed like a genuinely decent guy - but appearances could oftentimes be incredibly deceiving. She had seen enough of the same outcome time and time again to realize that. At the mention of Dario, she shrugged a shoulder at first, but tapered off with a slow nod. “Yeah, we’re… kind of friends, I guess? He likes to brag to me about himself, I take a sort of satisfaction in taking him down a peg or two. I mean, playfully of course. At least I hope he knows that…” Margot could be vicious when the mood suited her, and the past couple of weeks had show-cased that far more than she wished they had. But she meant no harm to Dario, and quite honestly enjoyed their back-and-forths a little more than she expressed. “Like I said, if he does his work and doesn’t call me ‘Little duck’ on the clock, we’re good,” Margot’s expression lit up at the next question. “Not even, I love dogs! Bigger the more to love, right?” As they pulled up to the house, Margot began walking backwards up Alain’s yard. “So, are you making fish or something? It smells good,”

“Are you scared of dogs?” Nora finally asked Simon. The man was a pole, stuck in a corner taking up no space and trying not to be a bother. Nora was no good at soothing people's fear. In fact, she generally thought it was better to make a scary situation scarier. It was a nice little snack, feasting on his fear as she heated up all the food. “Or are you scared of leftovers?” That, Nora decided, would be a silly food. She’d be scared of leftovers if they were going to go bad, she finally decided. All that wasted food. ‘Not today little children’ Nora thought towards the piles of tupperware containers, pulling one out and putting a new one in. “I wonder what’s taking him so long. Maybe he went grocery shopping.” Nora could feel herself salivating over the thought of fresh meat. She swallowed it back, rolling the sleeves of Alain’s single suit to her elbows. After thoroughly going through Alains closet she’d decided that the suit was the only outfit she’d be able to borrow from it. It was a few sizes too big, and the constant accidental slipping of fabric into food. “That’d be cool.” Simon quirked an eyebrow and he looked up in thought at Nora’s most recent string of sentences, deciding not to answer her first question and skip straight ahead to where Alain might be. “Judging by the abundance of things you’re heating up,” He said slowly, subtly trying to mask the congestion now present in his voice. “I don’t think he went to the grocery store.” After all, he already figured Nora was the type to walk around with meat in her pockets anyway. Then again, maybe he DID go to the store considering that Nora seemed to be a black hole of consumption. He doubted it though and didn’t really conclude his own train of thought, instead involuntarily punctuating the end of his reply with a sneeze or two-- or four, that was fine. This was fine. He released an internal groan disguised as an exhale through his mouth as he put a heel to his eye to rub it. Wherever he was, Simon hoped Alain would get there soon and give the man permission to do, well, anything. Despite his amount of respect he had for Nora and how willing he was to do what she said, he just… didn’t like doing stuff in other people’s houses without them there to TELL him he could. That was when he thought he heard noise, like a car outside and he tilted his head slightly as if trying to tell if that really what it was or if he was just thinking wishfully.

“He does have a habit of being full of himself, I guess I would be confident too if I looked like that,” Alain scratched the stubble on his cheek and sighed. Even if Dario could be a lot to deal with, he appreciated his company, and it was good for business too. Apparently women and men liked to spend extra money when Dario offered them to get shampoo for their car. “But I will help you get him back to ground’s level. He needs to get back on Earth,” he commented, parking his car by the garage. The first thing he noticed was the smell coming from the kitchen. The second was his two dogs rushing toward them, tails waggling and apparently very excited. Alain knew that these two loved Nora, and he wondered if they would feel the same about Simon and Margot. “Are they big enough?” He asked, remembering that she had mentioned preferring large dogs. He already knew the answer to that, and anyone who dared to criticize his two babies would have a bad time too. “Alright, that’s enough,” he laughed, pushing the paws off his chest to close the car, windows open to get rid of the fish smells. Heading inside his house, he had a look around. Alright, the living room was not a mess yet. His head poked in the kitchen and while there seemed to be a lot going on in the oven, it was not as messy as he would have feared. Nora’s outfit however brought a frown to his face and he walked across the house, took a worried glance at Margot and realized he had not told her about Nora and Simon. “Two of my friends are joining us for dinner. I’ll go see what they did in my closet, then we can ha- What the fuck?! NORA!” It did not cross his mind to blame Simon. Not for one second. “Get your ass over here, now.”

Margot snorted to herself at that thought, waving a hand dismissively. “Nah, you look just fine. I guess not all of us can have God-like jawlines,” That wasn’t a weird thing to think about, right? No, just… an observation, really. Besides, Alain had brought it up so it was fine. Totally normal. Seeing the dogs, she cooed immediately, genuinely smiling as she watched them encircle their owner. “Oho yeah, definitely. They’re adorable,” She held an appreciation for most animals, but dogs were one of her favorites by far. Following them inside, she began taking in the new surroundings, noting that the fish smell still lingered but not at all bothered by it. She had smelled worse, after all. When she eyed the kitchen after Alain, finally noting the other two she assumed were joining for dinner, she jumped a bit when Alain raised his voice. Yikes. She decided to remain silent for the time being, a little apprehensive.

“Oh someone is in trouble.” Nora’s voice, as ever, remained an impassable monotone as Alain shouted her name from the closet. Grabbing a tubberware of a meaty looking stew as well as a spoon Nora slunk towards the closet. She passed a girl she’d never seen before on the way. “Hey.” Nora greeted. “Foods in the kitchen.” When she finally got to the closet that Alain was standing in Nora had a mouth full of soup going in already. “‘Sup? Did you know there is a blonde in your entryway?” Nora asked. Seeing her four piles Nora continued. “Oh right. I organized your closet. Clothes that I wouldn’t wear. Clothes that I would wear. Clothes I think Simon should wear, he smells like a fish. Clothes you should get rid of because no one should ever wear.” Now that she was reevaluating the piles, Nora picked up a shirt and moved it from the ‘I wouldn’t wear pile’ into the ‘No one should ever wear pile. “Want some soup?” Nora offered Alain the tupperware bowl. “Also what took you so long?” Whatever parts of Simon’s face weren’t already coloured with irritation might as well have been painted with blush as his eyes caught the arrival of a different person, another female and he thinks, at that moment, he was embarrassed. He smelled like fish in dirty clothes in the corner of a room while there was all this food and smells and dogs and he looked like THAT and Nora made piles-- He didn’t knowww that Alain was bringing another person in and why was he THERE and-- He decided to compensate for all these problems by pulling the collar of his shirt over his nose and giving a nervous wave to the new girl. Don’t shut down. “Everything, uh… turn out okay, Alain?” He asked to distract himself from how he looked and smelled and sounded. This evening started out so well and now he just wanted to melt into the ground before he encountered anyone else he could drive away with how unsightly he must’ve seemed.

“Yes, I know there’s a blonde in my entryway. That’s Margot, she’s going to work with me,” he explained, walking over the piles of clothes. Alain sat on the end of his bed and looked at his now empty closet with his fingers pressed against his temples. Folding all those would take him at least two hours, and that was if he kept those things Nora had deemed unwearable. Because, yes, he cared for Nora’s opinion enough to consider throwing those away. “And what exactly should I be wearing then?” He asked, picking up a tshirt that had found its way to the no one should wear pile to see what was wrong with that one. “Simon, you gotta get changed, and I gotta get changed too,” he called out as he heard the man approach timidly. Standing up from the bed, he picked up clothes from the “good” pile and headed to his bathroom, but not before giving both Nora and Simon a glaring look. “I got arrested for being next to the lake, is what fucking happened,” scoffing, he shook his head at the pair. “I’m gonna take a shower, you go speak to Margot and you better be kind to her,” shutting the door, he rubbed at his face and sighed. This evening was a complete disaster.

“Everything in the first three piles.” Nora answered, pointing them out. As Simon came over Nora offered him a reassuring nod. He seemed so out of place in this home with these strangers. Nora wondered if he was regretting his choice of coming along.  “I’m always nice.” Nora commented blandly before taking another bite of her soup. Nora saw the glare, comprehended the glare, and decided that it had nothing to do with her. It was something to do with the incompetence of all police. If the police had been smart they would have known that he wasn’t the kingpin of the operation. Instead, they arrested the most innocent one of the bunch. Marching back out to the entry Nora found herself once again face to face with the blonde. Margot. “Come on, I’m heating up everything in Alains fridge. He’s a good cook.” Nora beckoned Margot to follow her to the kitchen, pulling something out of the beeping microwave and reheating a new meal. “What do you want to eat?” Nora asked, putting the soup she’d been eating down and trying a piece from another dish. “Alain is a good cook.”

This was… definitely a strange situation. Margot felt a little helpless as she watched them wander off into Alain’s room, opting to stay in the kitchen - considering that she didn’t know him that well, it felt like the sensible thing to do. She had offered a tentative smile to Simon, noting that the fish smell was still lingering in the air. But with the varying tupperwares lined along the counter, she figured it had something to do with their contents. She barely took a step further into the room before she heard Alain’s voice echo down the hall, and stopped dead in her tracks. Did he mention the police? Her chest tightened, and she unconsciously gripped the counter top tighter. When the other woman returned, she blinked at her, seeming to take a moment before fully comprehending what she was saying. “I… Uh, I think I should wait for him. To finish showering,” That didn’t sound right to her ears, but, it came out and there was no taking it back

He got arrested? Ohhhhh jeez oh no that was Simon’s fault. He shouldn’t have gone with Nora, he should’ve put his foot down or left when Alain caught them or not even referred to Nora’s ideas as ‘things that were okay to do’. Alain got caught and arrested because of HIM and the thought sent a rock into the pit of his stomach which he swallowed along with another collection of phlegm and saliva. He was torn between doing what Alain said and changing but he was also told to talk to Margot and be kind to her. He glanced between the bedroom and the blonde woman in the kitchen where Nora was reacquainting herself with her copious leftovers and instead of choosing either, he just awkwardly stood there in the hallway with his shirt over his nose like an idiot. “So… Margot?” He repeated her name in his congested voice. It had a nice ring to it. “You’re, uh… gonna work at the garage?” He felt kind of dumb but he had chosen this path of conversation instead of going to change-- WAIT um. Could he change his mind? “S-sorry, I was--” He was tripping over his thoughts. Food. Nora. Margot. Changing Clothes. Fish smell, dog sounds, fear and overwhelming-- He opened his mouth as if to say something, unseen through the shirt and instead of saying or doing anything useful, his eyebrows knitted and he turned away from everything altogether, sneezed thrice more into his shirt, and dropped to a crouch right there in the hall. “Sorry. It’s... nice to meet you, Margot.” He said plaintively, loudly enough for her to hear but still facing away from everyone and trying to bury his head in the hole of his shirt.

Fish was one of those smells, which no matter how much you scrubbed, seemed to never ever leave. It probably was imprinted in his nose for the rest of the evening, but Alain could not help but think that maybe the smell would take even longer to go. Stepping out of the shower, he walked out dressed in sweatpants and a plain white tee shirt. It was not like he had anyone to impress, and after this long long day, he would find comfort anywhere he could. Combing his hair with his fingers, he walked to the living room and glanced between the three people there. Maybe it was best for him to take charge of whatever had been going on so far and invite them all to sit. “I’ll go get the food. Nora can you help me with that. You guys can sit at the table in here, or the one in the garden,” he explained, motionning her to follow him. “I’ll get us some plates, glasses, etcaetera,” he glanced up at the cupboards and paused. “I didn’ t ask but…. where did you get all that fish, earlier?” His brows furrowed. Nora was by far, the most peculiar person he knew, but there was something truly endearing about her. He wondered why. “Not that it really matters, does it?” Maybe he was a bit too tired to hear about this. A part of him feared that she had stolen it, or maybe gone fishing it all by herself, or another completely bizarre explanation.

Nora had done her best to try and get the two strangers to feel at home in this house. It was a nice house. Alain was a nice person. Everything should have been easy-breezy-cover girl. Instead, Margot looked uncomfortable - although that could have been her resting expression, Nora wasn’t sure on account of them just meeting. Then there was Simon. Simon who smelt of fish and fear, crouched on the floor attempting to get his shirt to eat him. Nora felt a very unfamiliar emotion rising over this. Worry… and was that a little taste of guilt? It was her fault he was in this situation. Maybe she should have dropped him back at his house before coming here to eat. Nora let out a deep sigh. People were confusing. Alain was back out, showered and ready to get everything started. Nora followed to help set up, also pulling the required utensils from cabinets to add to the pile of things that should be carried to the table. She’d been over enough to know where Alain stored everything. “The fish market.” Nora answered. “I bought out a stall.” Nora started loading all the reheated foods onto serving plates, mixing and matching courses at her own discretion. “I think I’ve done irreparable harm to Simon by bringing him here.” Nora confided in Alain, her monotone voice lowering to a whisper. She pointed at her friend crouched away in the corner. Taking an armload of meat to the table, Nora remembered that she was also being nice to Margot right now. Nora looked around for the new friend to ask “Margot, do you like meat?”

What the ever-loving hell had she willingly walked into? No wait, that wasn’t entirely fair - Alain had offered Margot dinner. Not dinner with two other people, one who seemed to make herself quite at home and another who looked like he was ready for a hole to open up in the floor and swallow him whole. Yeah, that she hadn’t signed on for. But she was already there, and Alain had picked her up so… Running a hand through her hair, she offered the man a tentative nod. “Yeah, I’ll be working there for now. Nice to meet you, too. And… bless you,” Not wanting to just stand there, she grabbed two containers of food herself. She then turned to… Nora? The one currently wearing what she assumed was Alain’s clothing, judging by how baggy the suit fit her smaller frame. She quirked a brow at the question but eventually nodded. “Yeah, I do. Any kind, really,” She mentioned while following them into the dining room. The thought of some semblance of order pulled Simon out of his temporary shut down and he jerked his head in the direction of Alain’s voice, thankful that someone was trying to run damage control after the chaos the house had devolved into. He pulled enough of his head out of his shirt so he could see again though he still covered the lower half of his face and he got to his feet slowly. He heard Margot reply to him and he knew he was being incredibly rude by not engaging in further conversation with her but he had to sort himself out if he was going to sit at a table with other people for… the first time in years, he thought. Noting that Margot was now talking to Nora - that was good, Nora was easy to get along with - he crept over to Alain. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience and… getting you arrested but can I borrow some of your clothes?” He whispered. “And some allergy medication?” He paused before adding that bit but he was falling apart and seeing everyone else getting it together made him want to, too.

“Good lord, Simon,” putting the plates and cutlery down on the table, he figured that Nora and Margot could deal with that while he took care of him. “It’s the dogs, isn’t it?” Had to be. “Get back in the bedroom,” he commanded, following Simon behind and sighing heavily. Turning on his feet before he left the living room, Alain had a look at Nora and Margot who had just started chatting. “I am really sorry Margot, I will be right back,” what a complete disaster of a night. “Alright, you’ll go get in the shower. I’ll get you some clean clothes and I’ll try to clean up a little and get the dogs out in the garden, alright?” Seemed like the right, and only thing to do as far as damage control was concerned. With his instructions given, Alain walked back into the living room and much to his disliking, took the dogs in the garden, and started to clean up as much as he could because unfortunately for Simon, Alain had never had allergies and this was all he could do. The only other solution would have been to ask him to go and that would have been harsh.

“I like meat too.” Nora told Margot. It seemed like Alain was fixing the irreparable damage Nora had done to Simon by whisking him away. She supposed it was repairable. She just lacked the means to help. Nora picked up the cutlery that Alain had sprawled on the table and started setting the table. “Alain likes to set the table before we eat.” Nora explained to Margot as if setting the table was the weirdest thing currently happening. Nora let silence over take the two then. She wasn’t doing it out of any spite, or weirdness. Nora had never been one for words. Silence was just a natural state of being. Now that she knew Margot liked meat, Nora thought the girl was cool and there wasn’t much more to talk about. Once all the plates, utensils and napkins had been spread out, Nora took it upon herself to serve heaping mountains of food on each plate. Just so she was sure everyone would get a lot to eat. She thought it was very helpful of her.

Margot decided to let the two males be as they walked back into Alain’s room. Maybe it was for the best at the moment. Meanwhile, Nora seemed to know her way around the room just fine, and she offered a small, if not unsure smile as they went about getting everything together. All in all, Alain didn’t really need to apologize for anything. With her personal life fairly non-existent at the moment, and everything else so chaotic, this felt more like a reprieve than a bother. Having dinner with new friends wasn’t something she was accustomed to but, it wasn’t a bad thing either. It simply was. And that would be enough for now. “So, where do you live in town?” She finally asked, settling down in one of the chairs.

As Simon followed Alain into the bedroom, then subsequently into the bathroom where he turned and felt a fresh wave of… he supposed it was anxiety at the thought of getting wet anywhere other than home, he also felt guilty that he was being so… inconvenient about it all between getting Alain arrested, his stupid dog allergy and needing to borrow everyone’s everything. He turned to face the shower stall; he hadn’t taken an actual shower in… months - usually he just went out back and took a bucket of water and a washcloth nowadays. With a gulp and one more thought that maybe he should’ve just left to save everyone the trouble, he stripped down. On and off like a band aid and hope no one notices the wet dog smell. He glanced around to make sure he could find exactly where everything was at - Nnnn just a quick scrub. He really was making this more difficult than it had to be. TURN THE WATER ON, HOP IN, DO A DANCE LIKE YOU’RE ON FIRE, HOP OUT-- And he was done, already feeling it harder to breathe as he snatched the towel Nora had used and frantically tried to simultaneously dry himself off and try to assuage the itch that pricked every part of his skin. “Thank you, Alain!” He found himself calling, trying to dismiss his non-functionality; he exchanged smelling like fish to being cold, wet, itchy and smelling like wet dog instead.. He really was thankful though, for the record… None of them, especially Alain, had to be accomodating. Ugh, he was needy. Uuuugh. The dogs gone in the garden, and most of their belongings shoved in a corner of the room, all Alain had to do before joining Nora and Margot at the table was to wash his hands. He didn’t know what these two had been talking about since he had arrived, but they seemed to get along, and that was all he asked of them. They had had enough drama for the rest of the year. Glancing at the pair, he sat down, and took a look at his plate, then back at Nora. She might have been a bit too generous on the plates, even for his taste, although he did not comment and instead rubbed at his face and yawned in his hands. It was nice to sit down, at last. “So, Margot, I’ll show you around tomorrow instead, if you’re okay with that, although that means that you’ll have to spend your first day with Dario, and that’s entirely my fault,” he scoffed. He was sure that Margot would probably join Dario soon, and pick on her boss too, but until then, he had a right to hope that she would not. “Hurry up Simon,” he replied, and while his tone was rather cheerful, he also was hoping that Simon would indeed hurry and that they could all start to have dinner.

Nora finished serving everyone's plates and plopped down into her seat. This was where the polite thing to do would be to wait. Nora, who had never been polite a day in her life, went ahead and started eating. “I live next to Candleton Cemetery” Nora admitted openly, her mouth full of food. “The haunted mansion. People say that ghosts live there.” She took another bite of food, chewing aggressively. “They are right.” Nora crossed her legs in her chair, readjusting to get in optimal ‘shove as much food in your mouth’ position. “Where do you live?” Alain sat back down at the table and was ready to start talking shop. Now that he was here, Nora slowed down her eating. She didn’t like it when he stared in disgust at her. “Congrats on getting a job.” Nora mumbled to Margot. That seemed like a polite thing to say, right?”

Honestly, the food, even some that she couldn’t readily identify, all looked and smelled delicious. Margot hadn’t been a picky eater a day in her life, and just the idea of stuffing her face caused drool to accumulate in her mouth. She hurriedly swallowed it before grabbing a fork and beginning to dig in. “Candleton? Nice, I don’t think I’ve visited that one yet. This town seems to have a lot of cemeteries, huh?” At the mention of ghosts, Margot paused with her mouth open, instantly intrigued by the other, and she leaned forward in her seat a bit. “Really? Like, you’ve seen ghosts around there before? Not shitting me?” The blonde’s eyes widened a bit, and she looked to Alain and mouthed ‘Sorry’ before going back to eating, being a little less careless about the few drops of liquid that stained her shirt. “I live in the Outskirts, but I’m gonna be moving soon. Downtown, just a little apartment I can call my own,” Somewhere - anywhere, other than where she currently was would do just fine. At the mention of work, Margot snorted, swiping a hand across her mouth. “Sounds great to me. Don’t worry, I can handle him just fine. And thanks. I think I’m gonna like it,” Gradually, Margot’s posture seemed to relax. Something about Nora’s casual nature, Simon’s kind, and painfully apologetic nature, Alain’s acceptance of it all was, impossibly, putting her at ease. It was… nice. He heard his name being called and Simon almost fell over trying to hurry to put on the pair of pants Alain had loaned him. Gaaah he was still being waited on-- He slipped into the shirt last, almost falling over again, and carefully hung up the… decoratively-shredded towel on the back of the bathroom door as he gave his nose one last swipe before swiftly entering the room, noticing where his seat that had a plate full of food was, and sitting down quietly. He saw that Nora and Margot had started eating, which honestly relieved him and he picked up his fork, carefully, settling in as though he was there the whole time. With at least a small portion of his sense of smell having been returned to him from his getting himself under control in the bathroom, he was able to pick up the different scents of the food that had been reheated and it admittedly warmed his heart, like a memory almost. When there was a pause in the conversation, he glanced over at Alain and said a quiet “Thanks for the food.” THIS was what he had in mind after throwing fish in the lake. He also realised that Margot herself was warming up and relaxing, which relieved him given how chaotic it all was just half an hour ago, if that long.

Everything overwhelming that had clouded the early evening had now vanished, and now that they were all sitting here around the table, conviviality was all that transpired from the scene. If Alain’s eyebrow raised at the way Margot was eating her food, his expression softened as he watched Nora making an effort to eat slowly. It was nice, heartwarming to see things go back to being somewhat normal. Even if he knew that good moments never lasted long, he would enjoy this while it lasted.

[7r0773r]

The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

Lolo always told us we could be whatever we wanted to be. When we were growing up, we never thought of white people as superior to us. We always thought we were equal to them or better.

But Joseph, Elaine, and Ivory had only to walk to the curb outside their Roman Street house to see Taylor Park and its sign: NO NIGGERS, NO CHINESE AND NO DOGS. It was a strange sight, the mostly empty, fenced-in park in a black neighborhood. If the neighborhood children wanted a park to run around in or a pool for swimming, they had to travel to Freret Street’s Shakespeare Park, several miles away. “It seemed most of the black people in New Orleans had to go over there,” Uncle Joe said. Getting to Shakespeare Park required a ride on segregated buses.

But there was an added complication in New Orleans, a city fixated on and obsessed with gradations of skin color. My mother, Ivory Mae, understood from a young age the value in her light skin and freckles and in the texture of her wavy hair, which she called good. The favoritism came through in the double-standard ways of all prejudice, in the way people lit up when they saw Ivory but did not come alive so much for Elaine, who wondered why she was a few shades darker than Joseph and Ivory and with thicker hair that she herself described as “a pain to comb.”

As a child, my mother internalized this colorism, the effects of which sometimes showed in shocking ways.

One day Ivory, Elaine, and Grandmother’s sister Lillie Mae were sitting together on the Roman Street stoop watching people. Mom was eight years old. A schoolmate, whom Mom called Black Andrew, walked by. He was headed to Johnny’s Grocery store. This was not unusual. Andrew passed two, three, sometimes four times a day, whenever he  raised a nickel or a couple of pennies for candy. When he went by he stared, sometimes winking at Ivory Mae, who glared back from the porch. She was always taunting: Black Andrew, hey lil black boy. The neighborhood children on their respective porches urged her on without needing to. That lil black boy ain’t none of my boyfriend she remembers telling them.

He never did look like he was clean. I mean he was really a little black boy, nappy and everything. She meant that he was dark skinned, the color of her own mother, the color of her mother’s sister Lillie Mae, who was sitting right beside her.

“You have cheeks to call that boy black?” said Lillie Mae. “Look at your ma. What color is she?”

My mama not black, small Ivory Mae had said then.

She wasn’t black to me. She was my mama and my mama wasn’t black. Looked to me like they was trying to make my mama like the black people I didn’t like.

“I guess we saw it sort of like the white men saw it,” says Uncle Joe now, trying to explain his baby sister. “As people being lower than us.” (pp. 28-29)

***

Remembering is a chair that it is hard to sit still in. (p. 223)

***

My mother, Ivory Mae, called me one day in Harlem and told me the story in three lines: 

Carl said those people then came and tore our house down. 

That land clean as a whistle now. 

Look like nothing was ever there. 

The letter from the city announcing the intended demolition, the planned removal of 4121 Wilson, had been sent to the mailbox in front of the exact same house set to be torn down, its pieces deconstructed and carted away. 

The Yellow House was deemed in “imminent danger of collapse,” one of 1,975 houses to appear on the Red Danger List, houses bearing bright-red stickers no larger than a small hand. 

The notice in the mailbox in front of our doomed house read in part: Dear Ms. Bloom: The City of New Orleans intends to demolish and remove the home/property and/or remnants of the home/property located at 4121 Wilson ... THIS IS THE ONLY NOTIFICATION YOU WILL RECEIVE. Sincerely, Law Department-Demolition Task Force.

Not one of us twelve children who belonged to the house—not Eddie, Michael, or Darryl; nor Simon, Valeria, or Deborah; nor Karen, Carl, Troy, Byron, Lynette, or myself—was there to see it go. 

Look like nothing was ever there.

Before our house was knocked down, Carl had overseen its ruins, driving by almost daily, except for the day when he suddenly fell sick in the driveway of Grandmother’s house where he was living. One minute he was revving his engine for the drive to NASA in New Orleans East, the next, his head lay down on the steering wheel. A neighbor saw this, a busy man’s head down, and became alarmed. Carl was rushed to the hospital for surgery. “Crooked intestines,” was how Carl interpreted the doctor's diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. “They had to chop a large section of me out. I was all twisted inside from all that bad water I was swimming in,” Carl was convinced. 

He stayed in the hospital an additional thirty days postsurgery after incurring an infection from the hospitalization itself. This was how it came to be that he missed the letter in the mailbox and the house was demolished without our knowing it.

Everyone else was still displaced. The only one to see our house go was Rachelle—Herman and Alvin's sister, Ms. Octavia's granddaughter who we called Ray. She was the inheritor of the last remaining house standing on the street. Ray snapped Polaroid images of the Yellow House's demise, instant evidence that she misplaced and could not find when we came back around, months after the fact, asking, “Did you see it? Did you see the house go down, Ray? Did you see?”

Perhaps there is a trick of logic that fails me now, but to deliver such notification to the doomed structure itself seems too easy a metaphor for much of what New Orleans represents: blatant backwardness about the things that count. For what can an abandoned house receive, by way of notification? And when basic services like sanitation and clean water were still lacking, why was there still mail delivery? But we were not the only ones. Lawsuits were filed against the city on behalf of houses that unlike ours stood in perfect condition when they were knocked down. There were sanctuaries, actual churches that deacons prepared to move back into, only to discover them gone. A newspaper article headlined NEW ORLEANS' WRECKING BALL LEVELS HEALTHY HOMES asked the simplest and thus most profound questions, such as: “How do you not inquire before you knock a place down? How do you not knock on the door first?” 

During a later trip to New Orleans, I retrieved the file from city hall that told the story of the demolition. I carried it around in my purse and wrote “Autopsy of the House” in large letters on the front page. The cover letter held the following disclaimer: “The subject property was not historical in nature.” The report tells this story: The house was displaced from its foundation. Structural displacement was moderate as opposed to severe, which would have required that the house float down the block and settle in another locale entirely. City inspectors deemed the house “unsafe to enter.” There was asbestos everywhere, in the living room walls, in the trowel-and-drag ceilings that Uncle Joe had painted, in the asphalt shingles, in the vinyl sheeting on the floor. City inspectors noted that the left wall framing was severely "racked."

I called on an engineer friend and described the house, told her I was trying to learn from reading the autopsy which of the structural problems were waterborne and which were just the dilapidated house. An engineer would not use the word “dilapidated” to describe the house in its post-Water state, she told me. Dilapidated is a judgment. From an engineering perspective, she explained, the house was stable after the hurricane. It just wasn't contained. All the cracks happened so that the house could resolve internally all its pressures and stresses.

Water entered New Orleans East before anyplace else. On August 29, 2005, around four in the morning, water rose in the Industrial Canal, seeped through structurally compromised gates, flowed into neighborhoods on both sides of the High Rise. But that was minor compared with what would come two hours later when a surge developed in the Intracoastal Waterway, creating a funnel, the pressure of which overtopped eastern levees, destroying them like molehills. Water rushed in from in the direction of Almonaster Avenue, over the train tracks, over the Old Road where I learned to drive, through the junkyard that used to be Oak Haven trailer park, and into the alleyway behind the Yellow House, which may have served as a speed bump. The water pushed out the walls that faced the yard between our house and Ms. Octavia’s. The standing water that remained inside caused the sheetrock to swell. Water will find a way into anything, even into a stone if you give it enough time. In our case, the water found a way out through the split in the girls’ room. 

“Water has a perfect memory,” Toni Morrison has said, “and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”

The foundation of the Yellow House was sill on piers, beams supported by freestanding brick piles. Not an uncommon way of building in Louisiana, this foundation did not stand a chance against serious winds and serious flooding. The autopsy report testifies that our sill plate was severely damaged, that the connection was “pried or rotated.” It could be said, too, my engineer friend told me, speaking more metaphorically than she was comfortable with, that the house was not tethered to its foundation, that what held the house to its foundation of sill on piers, wood on bricks, was the weight of us all in the house, the weight of the house itself, the weight of our things in the house. This is the only explanation I want to accept. 

The only structure that was stable at the time of demolition was the incomplete add-on that my father had built.The house contained all of my frustrations and many of my aspirations, the hopes that it would one day shine again like it did in the world before me. The house’s disappearance from the landscape was not different from my father’s absence. His was a sudden erasure for my mother and siblings, a prolonged and present absence for me, an intriguing story with an ever-expanding middle that never drew to a close. The house held my father inside of it, preserved; it bore his traces. As long as the house stood, containing these remnants, my father was not yet gone. And then suddenly, he was. 

I had no home. Mine had fallen all the way down. I understood, then, that the place I never wanted to claim had, in fact, been containing me. We own what belongs to us whether we claim it or not. When the house fell down, it can be said, something in me opened up. Cracks help a house resolve internally its pressures and stresses, my engineer friend had said. Houses provide a frame that bears us up. Without that physical structure, we are the house that bears itself up. I was now the house. (pp. 228-32)