#drew a whole background with intent to do cool lighting but then gave up what else is new

[uniclair]

slice of life defenders 2 ref:

[phoneboxfairy]

Working Up a Sweat - EPILOGUE!

Finally! It’s done! ao3 link to the first chapter, with all intended formatting -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/22405093/chapters/5352884 Flash forward about a year. The Dragneel Fund was as prominent as ever, with potential expansion in the future. This meant a lot of hard work for the Dragon King and his son. A year ago, Natsu would have been constantly exhausted. And sure, he was pretty tired some nights, but these days he worked with a smile even when things were difficult. Why? It was all because of Lucy. That fateful night in Natsu’s gym and bedroom strengthened their bond, as physical intimacy tends to do. From that point on the pair got together as often as their schedules allowed. Even when they couldn’t, even when Natsu was stuck in meetings or Lucy was working on inventory, they found ways to make one another smile. Little gifts and sweet, flirty texts were rather common on days like that. Of course, there were other special times, besides their dates and romantic interludes. Every so often, Lucy invited Natsu to attend her yoga class. He accepted every time. Then, when Lucy had been having a particularly rough time re-organizing her shop for the sake of cataloging...there was Natsu with Chinese takeout and a willing helping hand. On that particular afternoon Lucy leapt into his arms in tears of joy. Once the shop had been thoroughly organized and the takeout had been eaten, the pair shared an embrace and a kiss on the fuf. This in turn led to Natsu carrying Lucy upstairs and showing her exactly how much he loved her. There was also the time Natsu decided to get a tattoo of his family crest on his right bicep. Lucy had to admit that the red tribal dragon suited him well. The first night, they cuddled together on Lucy’s couch watching movies. She reached over and grabbed a bottle of ointment while he wasn’t looking, then started rubbing it into his skin. He exhaled, leaned into it. “Thanks, Luce. That feels really good.” “Welcome.” Gentle kiss before they got back to cuddling. They ended up falling asleep on the couch that night. Natsu’s last thought was that he wouldn’t mind spending every night with this amazing woman. Preferably for the rest of their lives… A thought was stuck in Natsu's mind. To be fair it had been there since the first time they had slept together. That night, the idea of forever had occurred to him right as he was falling asleep. He shrugged it off as an effect of their activities...but it kept coming up. He loved Lucy. Loved spending time with her, even when they weren't doing much of anything. Their chemistry was undeniable, and about so much more than just incredible sex.He wanted to spend his life with her. He wanted to learn with her, to have a little family with her, to grow old with her by his side. Hell, he wanted to marry her. But that would take a while. There were protocols that needed to be followed. He couldn't just bring the girl into the family. He had to ask his father. The very idea terrified him at first. In fact it scared him so much that he avoided Igneel as often as he could outside of work situations. He wanted to avoid suspicion. He failed miserably. For all of Natsu’s business smarts he was still a bit of a bonehead. One afternoon, after the day’s final meeting, he came face to face with the Dragon King. “Natsu.” “Oh. Uh. Hey, dad. I was just headin’ home to take a nap.” Big fake yawn. No surprise. Igneel saw right through it. “Nice try, son. Come. Let’s talk.” With that he put his hand on his son’s shoulder and led him to his private office. Both sat down. Natsu did his best to act calm and cool, the exact opposite of how he was feeling. “Now, what’s going on? Don’t lie. I know when my son has something on his mind. How are things with your girlfriend?” The mere mention of Lucy made Natsu’s eyes light up. So much for calm and cool… “Amazing. That’s, ahm, what’s on my mind.” “Oh?” The Dragon King raised an eyebrow. Natsu felt like his father’s yellow eyes were staring right into his soul. The whole thing reminded him of a board meeting. And board meetings were something he could definitely handle. “Yes.” Natsu cleared his throat, his resolve somehow strengthened. “Lucy’s incredible. I love her, and I love having her in my life. I wanna make her part of this family, our family, but I need your blessing for that first.” Having said what he planned he braced himself, half expecting to face his father’s wrath. Instead… Igneel laughed. Natsu watched, feeling a little relieved...and a bit confused. “I’m serious, dad.” “I know, Natsu. I’m simply glad you’re settling down at last.” Part sincere, part teasing jab at the younger man’s rather adventurous past. “Lucy has been good for you, and I want to meet her. Invite her to our family dinner Sunday night.”   The significance of his father’s words didn't process right away. Natsu sat for a moment just blinking.Then..."...that's all it took?" Igneel roared with laughter."All you had to do was ask, son!"~~~ Flash forward to Saturday night. Natsu and Lucy enjoyed a pretty relaxed date and were laying together in her bedroom, a tangle of limbs, sheets, and the bliss of afterglow. Suddenly Lucy giggled. Natsu quirked his head at her. “What’s up?” “I forgot to tell you earlier, but I found the perfect outfit for tomorrow. Wanna see?” “Sure.” “Okay. Hold on.” She slipped his t-shirt on over her head then bounced over to her closet. She pulled out a long white garment on a fancy hanger, held it up so he could see every detail. The dress was made of soft silk, with a collar and an angled skirt accented with a train of flowy lace. Golden trim gave an extra dose of elegance. “Wow.” “It’s called a cheongsam. I got it when I went on vacation last year. I just didn’t have any occasion to wear it until now.” “That’s good, because it’s perfect for tomorrow night.” “Thanks…” She blushed, hung the dress on the closet door, then rejoined him in bed. For a few moments they lay together, at least until Lucy broke the silence. “Hey Natsu?” “Yeah?” “Do, um….do you think your dad will like me…?” "Why wouldn't he? He knows that you mean the world to me. No, Luce. I think he'll love ya...almost as much as I do." "Thanks, love." They shared a kiss that conveyed so much: love, support. Then they snuggled closer, enjoying each other's company as they eventually fell asleep. ---Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun was shining, highlighting Magnolia's magnificent buildings and colorful summer flowers. Lucy thought it was a good sign. Natsu agreed.  Privately he was a little nervous about the whole thing, but he was determined not to let it show. He wanted this to be the perfect day. For her. Every so often he peeked at her while they got ready, brushed his hand against hers, flash her a big smile. He knew that she was still a bit nervous despite her calm exterior. The least he could do, he reasoned, was make her smile. So while she worked on finishing up her hair, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Once she finished braiding she looked at him,  eyes dark, mouth pouting. Natsu got the hint right away. He shifted, tilted her head, kissed her. Perfect. He still couldn't believe his good fortune. How he had initially started flirting with this hot chick at the gym with the intent of a casual fling, only to find the incredible love of an amazing woman... Soon enough they drove to the Dragneel estate. He clasped her hand in his as they walked through the elegant main hall to the family's dining room. She was used to refinement. Even so, she couldn't help glancing around in awe and admiration. Her boyfriend's family clearly had a strong sense of style. Then something caught her eye and made her smile. There on the mantle in the dining room sat a large framed portrait of a younger Natsu and his father horsing around while his mother watched in the background. All three were absolutely beaming. Given what he had told her about his life, she knew this picture had to have been taken right before illness changed the family forever. She squeezed his hand. "Your mom was beautiful." "Thanks. She would have loved you." A quick yet sweet kiss on her cheek, then he led her to the table where Igneel stood. "Lucy, this is my father, Igneel. Dad, Lucy; Lucy, Dad ." "Pleasure to meet you, sir." She smiled and did a little curtsy before Igneel shook her hand. "Likewise, Miss Heartfilia. I can see why my son is so enamoured with you." Here the Dragon King flashed a smile identical to his son's. "Now, let's eat." Dinner went rather well. The family chefs prepared a delicious meal paired with intriguing conversation, wine, and chocolate cake. At one point Lucy excused herself to check her makeup.That's when Igneel nodded at Natsu, the signal they had agreed upon. The nod meant  that he approved of Lucy and specifically Natsu's relationship with her. He reached over and pushed a small box to his son. "I think your mother would be proud of you, Natsu. I know I am. Now go on. Make her cry tears of joy." "Yes, sir." He took the box, put it in his pocket. "And Dad?" "Yes?" "Thanks." Igneel had just enough time to grin and nod before Lucy returned.Natsu stood up, then stopped her in her tracks by taking her hand. "Follow me." "O...kay? What's up?" "You'll see. There's, uh, something I wanna talk to you about, that's all." “Alright. Now you’ve got me really curious…” She followed as he led her to a nearby balcony overlooking a lush garden. The sun was just starting to set and the sky had a lovely golden tone. “So...are you gonna tell me what’s up?” “I want to thank you, Luce.” “Thank me…?” “Yeah. You’ve changed my life. I wasn’t really happy until I met you, and now I want nothing more than to make you happy.” He took her hand, drew an almost shaky breath. Her eyes widened. “Natsu...what are you saying…?” “I’m sayin’ I wanna marry you.” Here Natsu Dragneel, the one nobody had ever thought would ever settle down, got down on one knee and pulled out his mother’s ring. “Lucy, will ya marry me?” Lucy couldn’t respond at first. Tears flowed from her eyes and although she opened her mouth to try to articulate the words wouldn’t come. For once in his life Natsu was patient. He watched, waited for her to regain composure. Of course, he was completely blindsided when she nodded, pulled him up to his feet, and threw her arms around him. Tears still flowed. “Is...that a yes?” “Duh.” Sniffle, giggle. “Yes, Natsu. I’ll marry you.” “Great.” Utter and complete joy. He slipped the ring onto her finger, kissed her hand. “I love you, Lucy.” “And I love you, Natsu. Together forever?” As if there were any doubt. “Hell yeah. Even longer, if I have any say.” Then, having said all he wanted to for the time being, Natsu grinned a signature Dragneel grin and pulled his Lucy into a sweet kiss. More than anything that kiss was a promise, a promise of continued adventure, of a love that would last a lifetime. And that, dear friends, was worth more than any fortune. ~Fin

[split-n-splice]

Anon requested an update so I'm doing that in a timely manner for once.

[Chapter Guide]

24. Welfare Check – 6

A little orange bottle of her past had come back to haunt her.

The longer Shilo lay awake staring at the prescription drug, the more it felt as if the bottle was mocking her. That might have been a figment of her imagination, but one thing wasn’t: her family didn’t trust her. Why else would they deliver a suppressant disguised as a sleep aid? They still thought she was a danger to society, didn’t they? They were right, of course, but it still stung.

It had been hours since she’d gone to bed. Eventually she groaned and rolled over to face the wall, skewing her eyes shut – only to throw the blankets back and hurl the damned bottle into the bathroom trash, so she could shut the door to put that much more space between her and the pills.

Only to fish it out in the morning and stow in the medicine cabinet. She changed her mind. Tossed it at the back of her makeup drawer. Stifled a scream and put the bottle back in the cabinet next to the aspirin and generic sleep aid.

She finally dressed and sat on her bed to shovel cereal for breakfast whilst glaring at the news coverage of the bizarro clown jet that had been parked outside her apartment until ten o’clock last night. Of course it had attracted attention yesterday. How could it not? As she glared at the footage showing her residence in the background, her spoon superheated and warped in her hand. She hoped Hugo choked on his breakfast for ruining hers.

Hugo had taken her skateboard yesterday in a failed attempt to slow her down so they could chat. Bold and bullheaded as ever, he’d grabbed it from under her feet and threw it, lacking the forethought to take gravity into account or consider who the board might hit when it came down, or what window it might sail through. Without the wheels under her feet today, she had ample time to notice incognito figures darting in her peripheral.

They didn’t trust her.

They didn’t trust her with powers she’d received from Lady Fate – just as they had – any more than they trusted her to really be busy as she’d said she’d be.

If they were expecting to catch her in a drug bust or underage booze chugging or whatever miscreant activities they were so sure she squandered her days on, they had another thing coming.

As Buckley got the door for her, glaring up and down the street, Shilo couldn’t help ducking her head and hoping desperately that the presence of heroes in the vicinity due to her wouldn’t be grounds to fire her over. She liked Buckley’s Café, most of the time. It smelled nice and there were more tasty treats than she could stomach, which made up for having to fake a smile for the customers. The other gals on Buckley’s crew were starting to warm up to her too, after a sort of initiation ceremony involving dope and the robbery of the 24-Seven.

Though, they were still sour with her for her Friday disappearance. That had been alleviated somewhat thanks to serving a certain blue customer yesterday, but the elbows were starting to be prodded in her ribs in a teasing way more than distinctly passive-aggressive. She’d much rather the “accidental” elbowing though, because she’d nearly lost her cool on Abigail for whispering snide insinuations five minutes into her shift as Shilo watched the storefront waiting for a blue idiot to appear again.

She decided she would have preferred Drakken when someone she was somehow even less happy to see moseyed in.

Shilo served him like she would anyone else. In turn, her pops ordered and left like anyone else would.

The cold but peaceful exchange made her feel dumb for giving her father the stink eye upon his entry. Even if his intentions were good, she didn’t need a helicopter parent.

Aside from a couple petulant customers, that was the extent of confrontations at Buckley’s for the day. It came as little relief when she knew her brothers were out there waiting for her, probably playing up the vigilante act as they kept a lookout.

Well if they wanted to watch her, they could watch her exit out the back door and light up a smoke with her middle finger as she left for the sanctuary of the library once again.

Before she reached the end of the alley, she turned on her heel, opting out of the direct route in favor of a detour. She’d mistakenly told her brothers yesterday that she habitually hit up the library after work. They didn’t have to know exactly when she went. The library was still open for a couple of hours, so there was no rush – and hell, there was no rule she had to go to the library anyway. Plans changed. She could change her plans on a whim.

So Shilo went window shopping around Main Street, walking slow as she clutched her purse, cursing to herself for not bringing more cash than what she needed for Chow.

It was just a little too chilly out to think about ice cream, as tempting as the colorful parlor was, and the competing coffeehouse was going out of business for good reason so something hot to drink was out. Pawnshops, thrift shops, antique shops, and the likes were a dime a dozen. Shilo ventured into a couple anyway, if only because a gnarly bear trap in a window lured her into one and the other displayed fine jewelry. She might have filched a pearl necklace if it weren’t for the antique shop’s owner, an antique herself, in a rocking chair at the back with a cane and seeing-eye dog while a grandson no older than ten tended the counter. It would have been a piece of cake, but she didn’t have the heart to rob her blind or steal from the scruffy little kid. Her family might be watching her, anyway.

Shilo was venturing around one of the side streets when a gaudy purple storefront drew her eye from a block away. As she neared, she spied an equally purple arrangement of amethyst geodes in the window. Other quartz varieties were displayed around the prominent purple centerpiece, and as she cocked her head and peered in, she couldn’t shake the sense the array was familiar.

As she entered the rock shop, she realized why. A boy with fair blond hair like the sun itself sat at the counter, barely looking up from his task of polishing a stone-carved elephant as he issued a mechanical greeting, “Welcome to the Quarter Quartz.” Dazzling aquamarine eyes made up for the dull reception. He blinked as though shaking off his polishing daze and added politely, “Have a look around. Take your time, I’m here all day. Holler if you need something.”

Suddenly Shilo felt especially stupid perusing shops around town with so little cash on hand.

The quaint gift shop had a broad selection, yet was just small enough that she couldn’t hide from the aqua eyes following her. Inoffensive Gospel music played softly from speakers in the corners of the shop, just shy of obnoxious as long as she didn’t pay much attention. Which was easy, given there was so much else to take in that weren’t freakishly picture-perfect blue-eyed blond angel boys.

T-shirts with technicolor graphics, either tigers or religious hype, didn’t hold her attention any longer than bulk bins of tumbled stones and quartz tidbits, to which the shop surely owed its name. It would have been easy to pocket a few of the prettier pebbles, but she knew there were eyes on her back, even when she heard the angel boy flipping pages of a magazine. They were worthless rocks anyway.

Colorful bandanas and artsy jewelry lined the way as she crept closer to the counter, and she paused halfway there to contemplate turning and bolting out of the shop. As naturally as possible, she grabbed the first thing of interest off a shelf of shiny knickknacks made from a wide range of minerals in every color.

She inspected the small glass globe on its little pedestal. As she stared at it in her palm, a wry tune flitted through her head, and she could just hear her bluebird singing it as she mouthed to herself, “He’s got the whole world in his hands.” She grit her teeth then at the distant memory of her mother plucking away at a guitar to the very same tune.

She almost threw the globe, or at least set it down carelessly, but took a deep breath and gave the golf-ball-sized sphere a spin on its functional axis. She checked the bottom for a price tag. Twenty dollars, even. She had twenty-five on hand.

Lips pursed in thought, she cast a sidelong glance to the cheap trinkets at the checkout counter, contemplating the basket of overpriced five-dollar strings of little stone beads that served as bracelets, which she couldn’t help noticing the fidgety boy was making more of now. She looked back to the heavy glass globe in her palm.

It would make a good paperweight, she decided. And it might serve to keep Drakken’s mind on track with his whole world-domination fantasy.

Shilo resigned herself to approaching the angel-turned-cashier. And not just approaching him, doing business with him. Her hands almost glittered as she came forth and set the glass decoration between them.

As she dug into her purse at her hip for her wallet, she almost jumped at the sound of the angel boy clearing his throat.

“Find everything?” he chimed.

She made the mistake of glancing up, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was busy fidgeting away with his string of beads. Her hands were warm again, try as she might to divert it, or stamp it out, or exhale a hot breath to relieve herself of an unpleasant burning not too unlike heartburn. She couldn’t wait for the day she mastered her accursed fire completely. She’d gotten clear through high school with impromptu flare-ups. She could bear to give an angel boy with some of the prettiest blue eyes she’d ever seen her business.

After a moment, she realized she was staring mute, so she nodded and fished out the crumpled twenty dollar bill from her wallet. For a second, she hoped Drakken wouldn’t miss it. She’d meant to return the tip she’d stolen from him yesterday, but she could replace it later, along with the rest of the money she’d been taking from his wallet on a weekly basis now. He hadn’t seemed to miss any of it yet.

Paying should have been uneventful. She didn’t anticipate the boy to catch her by the wrist, swiftly clasping on a bracelet of—

“Obsidian,” he supplied. “And jasper.”

Shilo clamped her jaw shut and yanked her hand back from the boy’s baby-soft touch before she could mistakenly give him a burn that would surely leave a callus. She fumbled with the clasp, trying to get the string of black and green pebbles off, just as competently mumbling, “I-I can’t buy this. I’m only—”

“On the house,” said angel boy, already shaking out a small paper bag and padding it with tissue to cushion the glass knickknack.

As he handed her the purchase, she managed to move her jaw again to utter a simple, “Thank you,” and spun on her heel to make a getaway before he changed his mind about being dull or giving her a shiny trinket.

“God bless,” he called pleasantly after her.

Déjà vu wasn’t complete without nearly running into the door on her way out.

She really wanted to damn him now. If not for getting her flustered just by being pretty, then for the knowing chuckle that followed her out as she escaped. And if not for that – well, he just deserved it. She didn’t know what for, but there had to be something. Everyone had something.

She slowed her pace as she reached the far corner and looked back over her shoulder at the purple Quarter Quartz, then groaned and shook her head to herself as she went on her way.

Once the nauseating butterflies settled and her mind turned to scouting for her brothers scouting for her, Shilo became increasingly aware how long she’d been on her feet and how hungry she was getting. She checked the receipt in the bag for a timestamp to give herself an idea of the hour, as the cloudy sky was growing dim fast, and she had to stomp down the stirring in her belly again as she decided it was late enough to head for Cow-n-Chow.

She counted herself lucky to catch the bus, one of the scarce few in town, even if she had to run for it, relieved to hitch a ride back toward the center of town. She dug out the globe to idly spin it, but try as she might to study tiny engravings on the world map, her eyes gravitated to her wrist instead.

The rocks were pretty. Even if there didn’t seem to be any particular pattern to the tiny pebbles, and they looked a little like glorified aquarium gravel.

She’d take it off, rip it off, something, but it was her stop, so discarding the freebie trinket was put on the back burner.

Cow-n-Chow was a nice enough fast-food chain as any. Specialty burgers and milkshakes were their big sellers, and there was dining with wait staff like any nice restaurant, but there was also an express-service counter for grabbing Chow to go, and a drive-thru, and Shilo’s soles were too achy for takeaway.

She was glad the joint didn’t have much in the way for windows, making watching for her brothers popping in as easy as watching the door. Well, almost as easy. Milo was still an expert in covert infiltration.

She must have been more wiped out than she thought she was, she realized when a familiar voice made her jump.

“Mind if I sit?”

Shilo lolled her head back to cast a tired glare up at Dr. Drakken, dressed in typical civilian wear consisting of a plain black sweater and slacks, as well as his preferred gloves. His hair was loose, veiling his neck and leaving the only remarkably bizarre feature about the man being his blue face, which she was grudgingly reluctant to admit she was happy to see. It meant he hadn’t been hauled off yet.

“It’s your funeral,” she sighed and kicked his shin under the table when he slid into the little booth across from her. She cast a watchful glance around the restaurant, but he dismissed her worries before she could glare too long.

“They’re down the street at the grill,” he informed, a note of resent dripping in his grumble.

“How do you know?” Shilo snipped back at him. She narrowed her eyes on him, anticipating a confession to stalking. Though the thought of her brothers preoccupied elsewhere was comforting, and she almost relaxed.

Drakken snorted, his lip twitched into a sneer. “To tell the truth, I was headed there myself but they beat me, so now I’m here for happy hour.” He took a long sip from a chocolate milkshake he’d brought to the table with him.

Curiosity killed the cat. “There alcohol in that?” she piped, nodding to the tall glass, and he grunted confirmation. “Can I get a sip?”

“No.” He jerked back a bit and pulled it further from her.

Using it as a bargaining chip, Shilo set the sack from the Quarter Quartz on the table beside her. “I’ll let ya know what’s in the bag,” she playfully bribed. “It’s a gift for you. But I guess it can wait until Christmas. Or, I dunno, your birthday, whenever that is.” She shrugged nonchalantly, and watched as the blue man’s curious eyes locked on the bag.

She swore she could see him tensing to spring as three seconds ticked by, and then he cast a quick look around the restaurant himself before pushing the glass across the table to her. “It’s not that strong,” he warned dismissively as she took a taste. “Just enough to give it a kick.” She could only hum in acknowledgment as she pushed the bag his way.

Shilo wanted to blame the spiked drink for warming her as he pulled out the globe. His weary eyes brightened up a little. His mouth quirked into a smile and he gave the tiny planet a spin, watching it rotate for a moment before flicking a glance up to her, and then his smile cracked and crumbled and he dropped his gaze.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” he chuckled, stifling his smirk and taking his milkshake back.

“Whatever do you mean?” Shilo feigned innocence and had to smother a small laugh of her own, composing herself as the waiter came around. She looked across to Drakken, unabashedly wondering, “Since you’re here, you gonna buy me dinner?” She only had five bucks for herself, which was just enough for a basic Chow combo.

He pulled a face, looking ten times more tired in an instant, and drug his hand down his mug. “Fine,” he grumped, and ordered for her before she had the chance. Lucky number 7, extra pepper jack and mushrooms, hold the onions, and large fries – not that she was complaining, but since when did he know exactly what she had in mind? Face warm, she decided it was just a lucky guess. She’d only been ordering the same Chow meal for weeks.

She supposed she could say the same for him, though, because she rolled her eyes as his own predictable order. “Leave it to you to go into Cow -n-Chow and get chicken strips,” she sighed when the waiter left.

“I like the crunch,” he defended.

Shilo reached across for the milkshake to thieve another sip, and he only grunted his objection. “You know you’re really pushing your luck here, right, Doc?”

He only gave a nonchalant shrug, taking his glass back to wipe the straw with a napkin like some kind of germaphobe. “Maybe I like the danger.”

Shilo found herself slumping over the table, holding her head up with cheek in hand. “Live for the thrill, huh?” she guessed, watching for the next opportunity to take the milkshake he now guarded.

“I don’t mind it.”

“We should go skydiving sometime.”

The man’s suave exterior was a sham, and it broke easily as he just about choked on his drink. “W-what?” he sputtered. He almost let go of the glass and gave her a chance to grab it, but then he was holding it closer, stabbing at the milkshake with the straw in an anxious fidget.

Her pinky nail found its way between her teeth as she contemplated negotiations. “Alright, hang-gliding,” she bartered. “Sound better?”

Drakken was still frowning. She decided she’d have to sway him into it eventually. One way or another, she’d bring out his adventurous side. “I was thinking skiing,” he grumbled, and changed his mind when she rolled her eyes. “Snowboarding?”

“That’s more up my alley,” she feigned, though if she were honest, she’d done neither, so she couldn’t say for sure. But she used to surf, so snowboarding couldn’t be much different, could it? She shook her head to dispel fanciful thoughts of a resort vacation, and made a grabbing motion for the drink he was reluctant to surrender. She was bound to catch something if she didn’t break the habit that was forming.

“Alright, you’re cut off,” Drakken declared in a hiss as a waitress swept by, and Shilo reluctantly forfeited the spiked milkshake. He wiped off the straw again, and hummed thoughtfully as he sculpted peaks in the dessert. “You know, if we ever need to skip town, I have a place in Alaska,” he noted. “I imagine the skiing is good there.”

She arched her brow. “Seriously?”

Drakken sighed. “Seriously.”

A minute later, Shilo was drumming her fingers impatiently waiting on the order to arrive when Drakken hummed again. Her sidelong glance cut to him, and she couldn’t shake the feeling he licked his straw from one end of the other to make a point that it was his, like some kind of overgrown child. She didn’t care. If she wanted another sip, she’d take it. It couldn’t be any worse than sharing leftovers with her baby brothers.

The food came at last, hot and fresh.

Drakken was dipping his fries in the chocolate and Shilo was having the damnedest time not watching the display. She tried to eat quickly. They were really pushing their luck, sitting around, shooting the breeze, when her family was out there somewhere, hunting for her like hound dogs.

Yet he didn’t seem to be in any rush when he waved an especially long chicken strip at her like a pointer. “That’s nice. Did you steal it?” he wondered, and Shilo didn’t have to glance to know what he was pointing at.

She all but slammed her soda down as her palm warmed over with an odd fizzling sensation reminiscent of the carbonated beverage she nearly crushed in her grip. “I got it for free,” she answered with a vague lilt. She was that much closer to tearing it off, but hid her hand under the table instead and filled her mouth with fries so she wouldn’t have to speak.

She spoke anyway before she could even swallow. “Some guy gave it to me,” she divulged, and convinced herself she only let it slip to watch the words burrow under his skin.

They really must have, because his innocent curiosity and relaxed stare hardened into a frown as he scoffed and sat back. “Imagine that,” he mumbled into the milkshake glass as he took a swig, not bothering with the straw anymore.

Shilo didn’t zip her lips shut in time. “Jealous?” she quipped.

Drakken hardly bothered to shake his head, preoccupied with dipping a chicken strip in his milkshake as if it were just another condiment.

Lip curled in disgust, Shilo sat back as he took a bite of the abomination. “Can you not be gross?” she snipped. “Cripes, I thought you had good taste.” She thought she had better taste. She told herself even angel boy fanning inexplicable hellfire ready to engulf her was preferable to sitting down to Chow with Drakken. She barely convinced herself, even watching him double-dip chicken in chocolate.

She shuddered. “I’m done,” she announced as she jumped up. “Catch you later.”

Drakken didn’t spare a farewell as she left him with the little glass globe and the bill.

[bourbonboredom]

Bachelorette Party II

This was originally going to be a one shot, then I realized I’m basically incapable of keeping things brief.

A ClydexReader fanfic

Part I  Part II   Part III

Summary: You’re back in Boone County for the first time in seven years. Your best friend from high school is getting married and you wouldn’t miss it for the world. On her last night of freedom, the bachelorette drags her bridal party to Duck Tape as a final stop on their bar crawl. It’s under the dimmed lights that you see your high school friend/high school crush, Clyde Logan. Is it fate? Or is your friend just trying to set you up?

Word Count: 3,204

Warnings: drinking, cursing

@a-whole-damn-sackler​ @sadsexvibes @ladygrey03​ 

You spent the next thirty minutes stealing glances at Clyde. You tried to be present at the table and be apart of the bachelorette activities but you were having trouble focusing. Sarah hip-checked you out of one of your space-outs and motioned to the tray of empty shot glasses in front of them.

“Hey can you grab us another round?” she asked.

“Are you making me get it on purpose?” you ask back. You were aware of her intentions now, and were a little more cautious.

“Absolutely,” she said, “You keep lookin’ that way, you might as well go over there,”

You shot her a look, but you knew you’d been caught. She gave you a look back, and you knew she wasn’t gonna let you go on this one. You flipped her off as you walked away, making her and the other girls laugh behind you.

You approached the bar slowly, the deafening music proving no match for the sound of your heart beating in your ears. This was stupid, why were you acting like this? It’s just Clyde. He’s the same kid who had you pull a crawfish off his nose when he held it too close to his face and it pinched him. He’s a dumb boy who you had a dumb crush on. This was fine, you were fine. Just be cool.

You walked to where you stood before, feeling a little more put-together. Jimmy was still sitting on his stool, nursing a new beer. Clyde stood behind the bar chatting with him. They both looked up as you drew near, Jimmy smiled and Clyde’s face was, well, unreadable.

“Back so soon?” Jimmy asked.

“Sarah sent me up for another round, whiskey this time,”

“On it, I’ll be back in a sec,” Clyde said as he went to retrieve a bottle of Jack Daniels.

“He hasn’t been able to stop looking at you all night,” Jimmy leaned over to whisper in your ear. “He’s havin’ a hard time bartendin’, I watched him almost flood the counter with seltzer a minute ago,”

“You’re an awful brother,” you roll your eyes. He just laughed.

“Am I? Would an awful brother tell you he had the biggest damn crush on you in high school?”

Your eyebrows shot up and he took your stunned silence as a signal to keep talking.

“I spent years trying to get him to ask you out. He never did it obviously, he’s too stubborn for his own damn good,”

“You’re crazy,” Jimmy had to be wrong. Clyde never did anything to indicate he liked you.

“He’d kill me if he knew I told you but he has a stack of letters he wanted to send to you when he was serving but never got up the nerve to actually do it. I found them in his pack when he came home,”

This was all too much. This couldn’t be true. But before you had the chance to ask him anything else Clyde was back with a new bottle of whiskey.

“Jimmy what’re you tellin’ her,” his look was dangerous, not that his brother seemed to care.

“Were just catchin’ up, you worry too much Clyde. I gotta head out actually, gotta pick up Sadie in the mornin’,” he said his goodbyes and patted his brothers arm as he got up.

His metal arm.

You can’t believe you didn’t notice until now, it’s kind of hard to miss.

“Clyde, your arm,” you said softly.

“It’s nothin’,” he said, pouring the shots. He worked with his good arm, trying to keep the robotic hand out of view.

“That don’t look like nothin’,” you noted. “Was this overseas? How long ago did it happen?”

“About five years ago now, right as I was gettin’ out of my last tour. They did a trans-radial amputation. This prosthetic is newer. I had a standard plastic one, but was lucky enough to be upgraded to this one. It can grab on to stuff, so it’s closer to havin’ my hand back. I got it probably a year and a few months ago,”

You felt a wave of shame wash over you. How could you not know about this? Sure, you fell out of touch but this was literally life-changing. Your friend lost his arm and you were so busy doing whatever that you didn’t even know. Nothing in college or at work could have trumped this, you felt like you let him down.

“I’m so sorry Clyde, that must have been so painful to go through,” his eyes caught yours as you spoke, flitting away a moment later to focus on the bottle of Jack. “I should have been there for you,”

“It wasn’t your fault. And you were busy with school, I wasn’t gonna bother you. It did hurt but I’m better now. The doctor’s said I healed near perfect and I got this fancy arm,”

“I would have dropped everything to come see you if I knew,”

“I know, that’s why I didn’t tell you. You got out of this town, I wasn’t gonna have you comin’ back on account of me gettin’ hurt,”

You looked at him, at a loss for words. He purposely didn’t tell you because he knew you, and how you’d react. Part of you wanted to be mad, but the other part understood. You were overwhelmed with emotion. You wanted the counter separating the two of you to disappear so you could hold him close. You settled on reaching across the bar to hold his good hand in yours. He looked taken aback at first, but gave you a gentle squeeze when he saw the look in your eye.

“Don’t be worryin’ about me, you’re supposed to be partyin’ tonight,”

“I’d rather talk to you,” the words came out of your mouth before you could stop them.

“Go, we’ll catch up later,” he gave a small smile that made your heart skip a beat.

You took the tray of shots and headed back to your table. Except it was empty now. You looked around for Sarah and the rest of the bridal party, but they were nowhere to be found. Still carrying the tray of shots, you headed outside to call her. It was colder now and you crossed your arms across your body in an attempt to keep warm.

She picked up on the third ring and you immediately heard a chorus of laughter in the background.

“Hey girl!” her voice came.

“Sarah, where did y’all go I can’t find anyone at the bar,”

“Oh sweetheart I’m so sorry! A few of the girls got real sick and we had to take ‘em home right away! And you were talkin’ to Clyde and I didn’t want to disturb you because you looked so happy!” your stomach formed a huge knot. This was the damn country, there weren’t any ubers or taxis around and Sarah’s parent’s house was a few exits down the highway. It was much too far to walk back.

“So whats the plan then?” you tried not to grit your teeth as you spoke.

“Well, my sister and law and I and come back and get you but it might be a bit. One of the girls threw up in the car and we wanna get it out as fast as possible. You could ask Clyde for a ride home, maybe? I don’t think he could say no to you,”

Ah, there it was. This was probably not an accident. Sarah liked to try to set you up. You thought it was just her taking you here but you realized she’d planned a little further than that.

“Oh! And I left my card at the bar, can you close my tab and stuff?”

You stop for a beat and smile to yourself. You had your own plan now. If she was gonna play this game with you, you were gonna change a few of the rules.

“Sure thing babe, I’ll ask if Clyde can help me out, I’ll be home soon hopefully,” your tone dripped like honey, a rare occasion for you. Sarah was too drunk to notice though and just said her goodbyes.

You hung up and let out a loud sigh. It was almost three in the morning now, way too late for this shit. Way too early too. You headed back into the bar and back over to Clyde. Duck Tape was rather empty at this point, the crowded dance floor had cleared out and your friend was closing out the last few tabs for the night.

“Hey, didya find your friends?” he asked.

“They had to run home for an emergency, so I’m kinda stuck here for a bit,” she settled on telling half of the truth.

“Do you need a ride? I’m pretty much done here, I can take you home if you want,”

“Thats sweet of you, I’d appreciate that. But no need to rush, I don’t want to keep you from your job,”

He stepped away from the cash register and put both arms on the bar counter on either side of yours. He towered over you, his long locks threatening to fall in his face as he spoke softly.

“Darlin’, I’m the owner. I can do whatever I want,” he said as he stared into your eyes with a small smile.

You knew he didn’t mean it like that, but fuck you felt heat pool in your stomach with those words. He’d never called you by a pet name before. You didn’t know if that was something he just said when talking to girls, or if it was just for you but you wanted to be the only girl he’d call darlin’ ever again. You mustered a nod in response and sat on a stool to wait.

“Sarah, um, left her card here. She wanted me to close out her tab,” you mentioned.

“Sure thing, I kept the card but I wasn’t gonna charge her for anything,” he passed the plastic your way. Before he could turn around, you tapped his shoulder with it.

“Actually,” you started. “She said I could get myself something for the trouble. Would you wanna stop by the Exxon station and get some junk food? For old times’ sake?”

He smiled for the second time that night, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Only if we can get Slushies,”

—————————

The two of you practically bought out the gas station using Sarah’s card.  M&Ms, chips, twinkies, cookies, candy bars, and of course, slushies. You don’t remember when it started, but buying gas station junk food was kind of a thing between you and Clyde. When one of you was having a bad day, you’d both go to the Exxon by the high school and buy as much crap as possible. Slushies were always a must, no matter the weather. Red for you and blue for him.

Since there wasn’t anywhere for you to sit at the gas station except the pavement, you’d accepted his invitation of going to his trailer. He’d noticed you were starting to shiver as you walked through the store and he offered you his coat that he kept in the back seat.

You sat in the passenger seat of his car as you drove down the highway. You were the only car on the road, something Clyde told you he was used to. He worked weird hours because of the bar, and was fine staying up with you. You snuggled further into his coat as you listened to him talk. It was much too large for you, but you didn’t mind. It was warm and smelled like him. 

His trailer was just off a main road, tucked in the trees. He told you about how he lived with Jimmy for a while after he and Bobbi Jo divorced and after Clyde’s medical discharge. They never really said it out loud, but they needed each other back then. Now, Jimmy moved to be closer to his daughter and he’s been seeing this girl so he’s all set. And Clyde has the bar, and he’s saved up “a lil bit of cash” so he figured he should get his own place. It looked modest enough from the outside, just a standard trailer.

When he took you inside though, it was a far cry from anything she’d seen in Boone County before. It was clearly new, with no wear and tear in sight. It had a decent sized kitchen, with an even bigger living area. A tv was mounted on the wall in between two large built-in bookcases that were filled with books.

He always did like his books, you thought.

You could only imagine what the rest of the place looked like. You were kind of surprised he could afford this, the bar must be doing really well.

“This place is gorgeous,” you tell him, “did you decorate this yourself?”

“Mellie helped a lot, she’s better with that stuff than I am. I chose the bookshelf though, wanted to have a place to put everything,” He stood next to you, watching you look around.

“Well it looks great, I bet girls love coming over here,” your cheeks heated as you realize what you had just said to him, you turned away to focus on drinking your slushie, trying to use the cheery-flavored ice to cool down.

You didn’t notice as a blush spread across his cheeks. He was thankful for the hair covering his ears because he could feel them burning.

“I don’t get too many girls coming here. Or any, really,” he said.

“I find that very hard to believe,” you tease him. Your mouth was clearly on auto pilot and you decided to just roll with it. “A handsome guy like you? You mean picking up women at the bar is harder when you’re the owner?”

“I don’t know about all that,” his face was getting pink.

“About what?”

“Bein’ handsome. That’s not somethin’ people really think,”

“They’re idiots then,” you say, meeting his gaze. He gave a half-smile, cheeks getting a little pinker.

“Come on, lets sit down and eat all this junk,” Clyde said. You knew he was just changing the subject but you didn’t mind much. He’d always been bad at accepting compliments.

You sat down a respectable distance away and poured out the contents of the gas station bag on the table. You grabbed a pack of m&m’s while he grabbed a Twinkie and you sat in silence for a moment, reminiscing.

“So what’re you up to these days?” He finally asked.

“Nothing exciting really, I got a job in my field of study and have been working there for about four years now. I’m up north now, not too far from where I went to college,”

“That’s nice, I’m glad you’re doin’ well,” he paused for a moment, clearing his throat. “Are you seein’ anyone?”

“Not at the moment no. My last relationship was kinda... intense so I’ve been taking it too slow,” you explain.

“Intense?”

“Well, there was talk of marriage and I thought I wanted that at first, but the person I was seeing was pressuring me and I wasn’t really comfortable with it. And then i found out they were cheating on me and it kinda fell apart from there,” you tried to drown the bitter taste in your mouth with more chocolate, it was kinda working.

“You got cheated on?”

“Yeah, it’s shitty, but at least I didn’t marry them. I got out while it was still relatively easy to. It’s harder once there’s a ring and a wedding involved.”

“I suppose so, and I’m glad you aren’t with them. They don’t deserve you,”

“Thanks,” you mumble, cheeks heating. “I think being at Sarah’s wedding is helping me not be so bitter about it all, her and her fiancé really love each other,”

“That’s good to hear. It’s a shame she had to run off like that, I hope those girls are feelin’ better,”

“Actually,” you press your fingers to your temple, in disbelief that you’re actually going to tell him her plan. “I kinda think she did it on purpose,”

“She’d leave you behind on purpose?” he asked, clearly confused.

“I think she’s got bride brain, she’s too obsessed with love right now. It’s embarrassing...” you start, figuring out if you really wanted to tell him this. “...but I had a crush on you in high school. And I think she thought it’d be a good idea to try and set me up with you because of it,”

He was silent, brow furrowed as he studied you. You didn’t know whether to look at him or not, your gaze flicked between your lap and his face. Suddenly you weren’t so sure of what Jimmy had told you. Maybe he’d just been pulling your leg. Maybe he didn’t really feel the same way and this was all a cruel joke.

“I–it’s stupid, I know. That was like ten years ago, it’s not really helpful to tell you now and Sarah’s clearly out of her damn mind and–”

“I had a crush on you too,” he rushed to say.

Your eyes shot to his. He was picking at the slushie cup in his grip.

“I didn’t know you felt the same, I thought you just wanted to be friends so I never brought it up. And then when i went to the army and you kept sending me letters about how much you missed me and I thought maybe I had a chance.

"I was gonna tell you. I wrote letters where I was gonna tell you when I was afraid I might not make it back. But I never got up the nerve to send them. And when you came and visited me between tours, you were seeing someone else. I didn’t want to come between you. So I stopped writing as much,”

You had no idea he felt that way.

“I wanted to be with you,” you said quietly. He almost missed it. So you spoke again, louder. “They didn’t mean anything, i broke up with them as soon as we got back to school. I— thought I was over you but then hanging out with you that week just brought everything back. I wanted to be with you, Clyde,”

“And now?” he asked, his tone almost ghostly.

“Now…” you swallowed, his dark eyes felt like they were going to swallow you whole as he waited for your answer. “I walked into that bar tonight, saw you, and knew nothing had changed for me—”

His lips were on yours in an instant. You were shocked at first, barely registering what happened. This was something you’d only dreamt of, and now here he was, kissing you like you were the only thing that mattered in the world. Your hands tangled tentatively in his dark curls, something you’d been longing to touch all night. He leaned into your touch, deepening the kiss. He broke it when he needed air, chest rising and falling lightly as he looked at you.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I was 16,” he said.

“I’ve been wanting you to do that since I was 16,” you smiled, pulling him back in.

[itsclydebitches]

Summary:

Just days after Balem returned to his adult self, Jupiter is thrown head-first into another adventure - one she, frankly, really doesn't have the energy for. But when has the universe ever taken her desires into account? Mysteries, promises, and desperate moves forward; bees, splices, and awkward family dinners. It's enough to make even her seasoned head spin.

...which doesn't even include the chance to play at 'Mother' once more. Only question is: will Jupiter take it?

(DIRECT SEQUEL TO "ROCK THE CRADLE")

Fandom: Jupiter Ascending 

Words: 9,779 so far 

Warnings: Will eventually mention previous neglect/abuse of children

Pairings: Jupiter/Caine 

Where to Read it: Below the cut or on AO3 (AO3 recommended for formatting) 

Chapter Six

“This went from ‘kind of cool’ to ‘seriously annoying’... oh, twenty minutes ago?”

Jupiter irritatingly swatted at another cloud of bees (careful not to actually hurt them) as they made a desperate dive to try and burrow into her hair. Another batch was settling in all the crooks of her body (collarbone, beneath her chin, in the hollow of the backs of her knees), while still others seemed to seek actual skin contact, bypassing her already covered arms and legs to flit up beneath her shirt. Jupiter grit her teeth at the feeling of foreign bodies crawling everything, stupidly glad that her skinny jeans didn’t allow them to burrow anywhere else.

“Enough of you,” Caine growled, mimicking her swat with a lot less patience. Jupiter caught his hand and brought it into her lap instead.

“It’s fine,” and no sooner had she sighed it than the bees were back, landing wherever they could and taking whatever she was willing to give. Jupiter wondered if she looked somehow regal like this—or if she was just a cheap monster out of some low-budget horror flick.

Kiza’s expression suggested the latter. Her phone click-click-clicked as it took a million, horrible photos. No way was she buying her a better phone. This girl did not need more storage space.

Jupiter thought about pointing out the obvious though, that there was no photo album to fill anymore. Or there was, but it was gone, and she doubted Balem wanted her to send updates. The mere thought of him painstakingly adding pages to the back of the book and gluing in new photos was so ridiculous it had Jupiter releasing a slightly hysterical laugh.

Kiza slowly lowered her phone. “You okay?”

“Not really.”

“Yeah. Yeah I feel that.”

The whole party was largely off kilter and a massive swarm of bees invading the living room was only part of the problem. Jupiter was high-strung of course, and Caine had a tendency to follow her in all things, even emotions. Same with Kiza and Stinger now that she thought about it, some hereditary loyalty rising to the surface as they honed in on their queen, and okay, shit, was everyone in a bad mood just because she was?

Three pairs of eyes stared at her intently. Huh. Maybe “I feel that” was less a common phrase and more a literal expression of truth. Jupiter mustered up a smile.

“Whoooo’s gonna explain what’s going oooon?” she sang.

Stinger sighed, throwing up his hands. He obviously needed to do something with them though, and without a weapon to point at a concrete enemy he just ended up fiddling with everything in reach: the throw draped across the couch Jupiter sat on, the edge of his shirt, a pencil he’d stuck haphazardly behind his ear. In the end Stinger settled on pouring her another cup of coffee even though Jupiter had barely touched the first.

That done he spread his arms. Whole strings of bees followed the movement.

“You’re more equipped to answer that than I am, Your Majesty. You say you were visited by a fox splice?”

Caine nodded. “One sent by Kalique. You think there’s a connection?”

Kiza snorted. “Between her suddenly changing the game and an attack on our house? Absolutely. Though what the hell would she want with our honey?”

“Nothing,” but Stinger’s hands made fists just thinking about it. “She has the resources to pull off a theft like that of course, she could hire any group she’d like, but why the hell would she want to? There’s no commercial value to it—at least not compared to her own vast wealth—and as for personal reasons...” he trailed off, shaking his head. “It makes no sense.”

Jupiter scoffed. “When has anything involving Kalique ever made sense?”

“The fact that she’s actually the most logical and methodical of the three is kinda sad. And by ‘sad’ I mean hilarious.” Kiza dodged Jupiter’s whack to the head.

“You didn’t hear anything?” she pressed. “Earlier?”

“Nope. Slept in, did my chores, went to do more chores outside—” Kiza sent a nasty glare her dad’s way. Stinger challenged it stiffly—”finally got to the hives out back, called you, and discovered... that.” ‘That’ was clearly the missing honey, though Kiza made the absence sound like a foul addition instead. Like an enemy. Or no, something that grew. A cancer.

Jupiter felt Caine shifting on the couch beside her. She gave his hand another squeeze and was relieved to feel him doing the same.

“We’ll figure it out,” she said. “I promise. And not to make light of that situation, but...can we focus on one emergency at a time?”

“Dinner,” Caine said solemnly.

“Politics,” Stinger countered.

“Food,” Kiza finished. “Wasted. Which I am very happy to eat for you anyway.”

“You’re welcome to the steaks,” Jupiter sighed, like she didn’t already know that Kiza had squirreled them away for a late night snack sometime. The girl’s appetite was easily the most alien thing about her. “You’ll all come then?”

Stinger’s hand settled on her shoulder. “Don’t be foolish, Your Majesty. Where you go, we follow.”

She actually wanted to say something appropriately thankful in response, but the movement was—once again—ruined by a flash from Kiza and an exaggerated “Awww.” She raised her phone in the air as Jupiter rubbed at her eyes.

“I like this one,” Kiza announced.

“Good for you,” Stinger said. “Caine. With me. I won’t be going into another Entitled’s lair blind. Not again. Kiza? Entertain your Queen.”

“Sir, yes sir,” she said and as the two boys went off to discuss super cool space weaponry she threw herself onto the couch beside Jupiter. A massive cloud of bees rose up like a wave.

Jupiter carefully extracted a bee that had gotten caught in the belt loop of her jeans. “Can you make them go away?”

“I’ve tried.” Kiza actually sounded apologetic about it. “They’re really... just...” she blew out a slow breath. “They need this right now.”

“...and so do you,” Jupiter said, realizing the words were true as soon as she’d said them. Kiza was pressed shoulder-to-shoulder with Jupiter, much like how the bees themselves were seeking her touch. If Jupiter focused, she could feel the lightest tremble running through Kiza’s body. She lifted an arm and settled it around Kiza’s back. The younger girl nestled there, vulnerable.

“It probably seems stupid to you,” she muttered, face now pressed into the fabric of Jupiter’s shirt. “Just honey, yeah? Got plenty of that. And sure, sure the bees themselves are fine, which is the important thing, but... it’s an invasion, you know? Someone was here. In our home. They took something that didn’t belong to them!” Kiza was trembling harder now and it had little to do with disquiet. “Ugh. I sound like dad. I know he’s super mad too, even if he’s better at controlling it. I’m a second generation splice. I love our bees, alright? But even I’m not connected to the spirit like he is.”

Jupiter’s fingers had found their way into Kiza’s hair. She paused there before resuming her slow, soothing movements. “Spirit?”

Kiza hummed. “It’s not really a religion, like you have here on Earth. You gotta remember its all tied up in our biology too. It’s more that we understand all the layers.”

“Like onions,” Jupiter intoned and was relieved when Kiza shoved her lightly.

“Don’t quote Shrek at me. But yes, layers. Or—or connections. Like how one bee isn’t just a bee. They’re part of a hive, an ecosystem; they’re connected to you and to me. It’s the same with honey. It’s not just a food source, it’s something they made. It’s exploration and life and they always create more than they need so we can have some too and—” Kiza drew in a massive breath. “It’s just important, okay?”

“Okay,” Jupiter agreed. She sometimes forgot just how young Kiza was, not only compared to her but their group at large, everyone either in a genetically enhanced middle age or outright ancient. Kiza was the little sister Jupiter had never, but who she was thrilled to have now that she was here.

She also felt a little like a daughter.

Jupiter twisted her earring.

“Good talk,” she said, because Jupiter was nothing if not awkward when it came to heart-to-hearts. There was a little part of her mind that whispered, ‘I love dogs’ and she firmly stuffed it into the deepest, darkest pit she could conjure up. “So… whatcha got there?”

Still curled against Jupiter, Kiza had her phone out again, though for once it wasn’t pointing and clicking. It looked like she was online, though what website needed such a violently blue background, Jupiter didn’t know. She shooed a bunch of bees out of the way to get a better view. Kiza helped by tilting the screen.

“Tumblr,” she said, like that explained anything at all.

“Tumbling?”

“Tumblr. Don’t you ever waste your life online?”

Jupiter considered. “Yes, but you’re talking to the girl who grew up in a poor, super large family that always monopolized the one desktop. Also, excuse you, but I’ve been busy. Saving the world? Or did you forget?”

To Jupiter’s horror, an unexpectedly evil grin stretched across Kiza’s face. “Oh, I didn’t forget, Your Majesty. I documented it.”

“You—wait what?”

Over the next mind-boggling ten minutes Jupiter got a crash course in current social media, complete with the distinction between those parts of the website that humans had access too, and the sprawling, galaxy-wide network that catered to everyone else. Scrolling through pictures, news articles, and GIFs of funny cats was one thing, finding out that Kiza had been blogging about Queen Jupiter on the equivalent of Space Facebook was something else.

“You’ve made me kind of famous,” Kiza said, sounding infuriatingly smug about it. “My follower count skyrocketed when I started posting these pics. I mean sure, we get the stupid anon or two, but pretty much everyone else is supportive. They want to know you, Your Majesty. It’s the classic rags to riches story, plus you’re the first Entitled in, what? Ever, who isn’t a dick? You should totally start your own blog. Provided I help, of course.”

“Oh my god,” Jupiter whispered. Her finger felt numb as she scrolled through an endless stream of stories, questions, and, yes, pictures of her. Most of them were candid, shot when Jupiter had been otherwise engaged. There was one of her upside down on her bed upstairs, a half-piece of toast dangling from her mouth. She couldn’t even remember when she’d done that, let alone how Kiza could have gotten a pic without her noticing. The ones of her and Caine were particularly popular, at least according to the number of ‘notes’ each one had. Jupiter was torn between flattered and mortally embarrassed.

She scrolled down further and found a picture of her holding Balem. Jupiter snapped her hand back.

“You’d be good at it too,” Kiza was saying, oblivious. “You’re pretty, famous, and rich, the trifecta for getting a good following. Plus half of what you say is basically shit-posting, so.”

“Kiza—”

“I can—”

Whoom.

Too late for talk: at that moment a massive crash sounded from somewhere outside; too short to be an earthquake, not quite large enough for an explosion. Still, it knocked Kiza back into Jupiter’s shoulder, the both of them slipping halfway off the couch and their cloud of bees scattering with worry. The two filled coffee cups splattered onto the carpet. The throw fell down across their backs. Jupiter ended up jarring her hip and watched as Caine and Stinger store sideways into the room.

What now? was her first and completely justified thought.

Jupiter pushed up quickly, righting the boys in her vision. They looked ready to take on a whole army together. Which tended to happen when you carried whole armloads of weapons into the room.

“What the fuck?” Stinger growled. He’d already hefted something large and glowing blue over his shoulder, marching towards the door. Caine stopped only long enough to pull Jupiter to her feet.

“My thoughts exactly,” she grimaced.

“You’re okay?”

“Fine, fine. Do we know what—?”

Whoom! Again, but closer and with a bit more... solidity. This time Jupiter felt the foundations of the house shake.

“Oh, but it’s never boring with you, Your Majesty,” Kiza breathed. Jupiter watched with a mixture of disbelief and respect as she began composing a new post.

“We’re talking about this later,” she said and grabbed them both by the arm.

Careful of what they might find, Jupiter, Caine, and Kiza followed Stinger out of the house.