#he was on the ‘hey guys :) but hat if we tried getting on the royal family’s good side :)’

[fluffypotatey]

thinking about how Amphinomus is the first man Telemachus ever killed. thinking about how he died out of Telemachus’s protectiveness for his father. thinking about how that was his warning shot. thinking about—

[mikaela-granger]

The Long Wait (Season 2) Chapter 21

Goodnight, Sweet Grimm

Fandom: Grimm

Pairing: Sean Renard/OFC

The Long Wait Masterlist

A/N: The gang comes up with a way to help the victims of the cracher-mortel.

The next morning, Sean dropped Lorelei off at the spice shop on his way to work. He had said he would feel better if she was around people he trusted to keep her safe.  Rosalee was one of those people. “Please stay here until either I or your brother or Hank come and get you.” He told her.

Lorelei nodded. “And you’ll tell Nick about your brother?”

“I will.” He leant over, pressing his lips to hers. “Be safe. I love you.”

“I love you too. You be safe as well.”

As she walked into the shop, Rosalee and Monroe looked a little surprised to see her, but not a whole lot. “Hey, surprised to see you here this early.”

Lorelei sighed. “Yeah, well. Um, Sean just dropped me off. Apparently, his brother is in town, and he doesn’t want me going anywhere alone.”

“His brothers a Royal?” Monroe asked.

Lorelei nodded. “Yeah. A prince. If its ok, I’m just going to study in the backroom for a bit.”

“That’s fine sweetie. Take it easy.” Rosalee told her gently.

Lorelei was able to get some study done before Nick and Hank arrived with an unconscious man, who they believed was a victim of the cracher-mortel. Apparently, it was pandemonium downtown. Nick and Hank had grabbed this guy and brought him to the spice shop to be examined by Rosalee.

“He looks dead.” Monroe commented, peering at the guy laying on the loveseat in the shop’s side room.

“Yeah, I know he looks dead, and he probably was for a little while, but he’s not now.” Nick said, putting handcuffs back on the man’s hands.

“So far we’ve seen three just like him.” Hank advised them, as he secured handcuffs to the man’s ankles.

“Three?” Rosalee asked in disbelief.

“That we know of.” Nick answered.

“Two were pronounced dead, then got up and caused a lot of trouble. So, we brought this one here.” Hank continued.

“And we went through the books, and found something that we think, might explain it.” Nick added.

“You mean the guy with the top hat.” Monroe said.

“Yeah, yeah, the cracher-mortel.” Nick said. “There was also a reference to a vodou priest, known as Baron Samedi, among other names.” He glanced at Hank before looking back at Rosalee. “We were hoping you might have some information about him, what he’s done here.”

“I think I might. I’ve got several books on wesen dammerzustand – wesen trances. There’s a pretty big pharmacology associated with this.” Rosalee said, walking back towards the main shop.

Nick looked at Lorelei. “I thought you’d have been all over this.”

“I’m sorry. I was trying to study since I am missing a class.” Lorelei said. “Did Sean tell you about his brother?”

Nick nodded. “He did.”

“Sean dropped me off here. He doesn’t want me going anywhere alone. In case his brother tries to grab me or something.”

Nick nodded again. “Yeah, he mentioned that. It’s ok. You got a lot on your plate.” He said, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. “Plus, like baby brain or whatever it’s called.”

Lorelei rolled her eyes. “Yeah, something like that.” She said and Nick laughed.

“Hang on, so you’re telling me this guy is gonna wake up?” Monroe asked, looking incredulous.

“Yeah.” Nick replied.

“And not in a very good mood.” Hank added.

At that moment, Rosalee came back in. “Ok. Alright. There are several categories of trance like states.” She said, looking through the book she had grabbed. “Bhakti, maenads, rapture, bacchae, euphoria…Ok, here’s the one we want. Dammerzustand.” She said, as the rest of them gathered around her. “Caused by several different types of wesen including cracher-mortel, who can induce paralysis, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucination, and the temporary illusion of death.”

“Good lord, is there any treatment?” Monroe asked looking shocked.

“Seems to be but there are four stages they go through. First is paralysis, second is a drugged like state in which they can move, it progresses to the third stage which to all appearances is death, and then comes the last stage, oh, this looks to be super fun, increasingly violent behaviour which basically leads to murder and mayhem.”

“So, we treat them in the first phase.” Nick guessed, as Rosalee walked past them towards the table.

“No, we can’t. As a matter of fact, the treatment would kill them in the first three stages” Rosalee said, looking up from the book. “It’s only effective in the final stage.”

“So, what is the treatment?” Hank asked.

“We have to stimulate the central nervous system.” Rosalee told them, looking at the shelves behind the table. “And we can do that orally or with ointments, or ah, the most efficacious way, subcutaneous.”

“So, we give them a shot?” Nick asked, as Rosalee grabbed a box, putting it on the table.

“Three simultaneous shots, actually.” Rosalee said, opening the box up. “With a piqure-gigantesque.” She held up some old school looking instrument. “It is not a pleasant experience.”

They crowded around to have a look. “Oh man.” Hank said, staring at it.

“How long does it take?”

“The effectiveness of the treatment is pretty fast, but it takes take a while to prepare the dosages. Fortunately, though, I think we’ve got everything we need.”

“Ok, we’ll we need to get back to the precinct.” Nick told them. He glanced back at Rosalee, Lorelei, and Monroe. “You three ok if we leave him here with you?” He nodded his head toward the handcuffed man.

“Just as long as you keep him handcuffed.” Monroe said, not sounding like he liked the idea. But what choice did they really have.

Nick reached into his jacket pocket. “Here are the keys, just in case.” He said, handing them over to Monroe.

The two detectives left after that, leaving them alone with the handcuffed and unconscious man. Monroe inched toward him slowly. “Ok, let’s get started. Lorelei, can you help me prepare the ingredients?” Rosalee asked.

“Sure.”

“But when we start brewing the treatment, you will need to stay away. I have no idea if it’s safe for a pregnant woman to inhale.”

“Yep.”

“You know, the morning started off so well.” Lorelei heard Monroe mutter.

They got the ingredients prepared quickly, and then Lorelei stepped back to allow Rosalee and Monroe to start the brewing process. Lorelei stood a short distance away, but still in the room listening as Rosalee talked them through what was being done.

“One, alright.” Monroe muttered under his breath as he used a long pipette to move liquid to a beaker.  “We gotta get it into him before he…” At that moment, the unconscious man groaned. It appeared he was finally waking up. They glanced in his direction. “Oh, you’re up.” The handcuffed man was sitting up on the loveseat. He started struggling, trying to use his hands. “Ah, you’re probably wondering where you are?” Monroe started walking towards him slowly. “Uh, we’re your friends, and –”

“We just want to help you.” Rosalee said tentatively. “We want to make you better.”

He did not seem to like that. He stood up, yelling, still trying to get his hands free. With another yell, he kicked over a small table. “Ok, get the shot, get the shot.” Monroe told Rosalee, as the man screamed and yelled, knocking over whatever he could. “I’m gonna hold him, and you’re gonna shoot him. Lorelei, stay back!”

Monroe seemed to be fighting the urge to attack the man, as he advanced toward him. After a couple of minutes of chaos, Monroe ended up punching the guy in the face, after being kicked in the leg. The man fell to the ground, as Rosalee approached him with the piqure-gigantesque. “Ok, lift up his shirt, lift up his shirt!” Rosalee yelled to Monroe, who did as told.

Lorelei watched from a distance, frustrated that she hadn’t been able to just run up and knock the guy out herself. But she couldn’t. There was a risk he could have hurt the baby, especially after the kick he gave Monroe. All she could do was watch, feeling useless, as Monroe and Rosalee took on the man, shoving the piqure-gigantesque into his stomach.

It took a few hours but eventually the guy woke up and seemed to be of sound mind. He was, however, very confused and a little panicked, especially when he found himself handcuffed. The treatment had worked. He was untied, and received a cup of tea, seeming happy to answer their questions. He had no memories of what had happened to him. Monroe called Nick, as Rosalee and Lorelei took care of the man. Nick hurried down, Juliette in tow. Monroe brought them through to the side room.

“Juliette.” Rosalee said, giving Juliette a surprised look.

“Learning curve.” Juliette told her.

“Works for me.” Rosalee said, before looking back to Nick.

Lorelei introduced the man, Al, to Nick. “This is my brother, Detective Burkhardt.”

“He’s the one that brought you in. Rosalee said, as Nick took a seat in front of the man.

“Hey, Al. I need you to tell me anything you can remember about your last call. Um, do you remember if he was wearing a hat.”

Al thought about it. “He sure was. I mean, I remember that most. It was a top hat, like Lincoln wore, and…well, a lot of pain. It felt like my head was being crushed.”

“And, um, what about the car?”

“It was a ’73 Buick Centurion. Supposedly it didn’t start. When I tried, it did. I just don’t remember much other than that, and a big black room. I think he took me there.”

“All right. Was there anyone else there?”

Al nodded. “There were others, I mean, a lot. I thought I had died and gone to hell.”

Nick considered what he had said. “Do you remember where this was?”

Al shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t. There was, like, moaning and yelling. Could have been, like, the sound of a loud horn?”

“A horn like, in a train or a ship?”

“It could have been a truck. I mean, I don’t know.”

“All right, anything else?”

Al thought about it. “Green. There was a lot of green. Before everything went black.”

“What kind of wesen are you?” Juliette asked and Al looked at her surprised and confused.

“What?”

Everyone looked at Juliette, and Monroe stepped towards Juliette and started whispering to her. Rosalee distracted Al. “Hey, Al. How about some more tea, hmm?”

Nick glanced at Lorelei and nodded his head before getting up and walking off. Lorelei followed and so did Monroe. “That car we found was left across from the container yards, and some of those containers were green and I’ll bet you it would be pretty damn dark in there if you got shut in one.”

“Should probably check it out” Monroe said, as Rosalee joined them.

“Hi, what do you want us to do with Al? Because he’s starting to ask a lot of questions, we don’t have a lot of answers for.”

“I’ll send an officer to pick him up.” Nick said, as Juliette joined them.

“He said there were others.” Lorelei noted.

“A lot of them.” Monroe added.

“Do you want us to treat them? You know, cause if you do, we’re going to need a lot more antidote.” Rosalee pointed out.

“Start making it.” Nick told them.

Juliette stepped forward. “I want to help.”

They looked at her. “Well, she’s a vet, and we’re going to be giving a lot of injections.” Rosalee said.

“I guess she’s sort of familiar with what we do here.” Monroe added.

“But why is this guy doing this here in Portland?” Rosalee asked.

“I know. I mean, we have, voodoo donuts, but that’s the kind of the extent of it.”

“I was reading in the books, and there is a reference to one of these guys starting a revolution.” Nick said.

“A revolution in Portland?” Lorelei asked.

“It might not be connected. But the captains brother is in town.” Nick advised them.

Monroe’s eyes widened. “A member of the Royal Family came here?” He asked. “That sounds kind of revolutionary to me.”

Nick nodded. “And the captain said he was going to make a play for the key.”

Lorelei hoped it really was just for the key. They watched as Nick removed the chain from his neck containing the key. “That means you, or Lorelei. Probably both.”

Juliette looked at the key with interest. “What is that?”

Nick smiled at her. “I’ll tell you later.” He told her before turning to Rosalee. “I need you to hide this.”

Rosalee nodded, taking the key. “Ok.” She said, before walking off with the it.

Monroe looked at Nick. “So, I guess we should start making some more antidote. Does anybody know how much more we’re gonna need?”

“As much as you can.” Nick told him.

After an officer had stopped by to pick up Al, and they finished making as much antidote as they could carry, the others headed off. Lorelei decided to wait at the spice shop for them to come back. She didn’t like the idea, but she couldn’t risk going up who knows how many aggressive, zombie-like people. Lorelei had just settled down on the loveseat, trying to read a book to keep her distracted when she heard knocking on the front door. With a sigh, Lorelei got up and walked towards it. There was a man standing outside the door. “We’re closed.” Lorelei called as she approached the door. He kept knocking frantically on the door. “We’re closed!” Lorelei repeated.

“Please, I need help.” He called, sounding desperate.

Lorelei sighed. She couldn’t exactly turn down someone needing help. Maybe there was something she could do. She wasn’t as knowledgeable about this stuff as Rosalee, but she was learning.

“Please!”

Lorelei caved and opened the door, stepping back to let the man in. “Thank you. I am sorry, I know you are closed.”

“It’s ok. You must be desperate to come here so late.” Lorelei told him, head back towards the counter when she suddenly sensed the man close behind her, grabbing her and putting a cloth across her face.

Moving quickly, Lorelei grabbed the hand and shoved it down, while elbowing the man in the stomach causing him to let go of her and swear in French. Before he had a chance to react, Lorelei punched him in the nose, unleashing a further torrent of French curses. Lorelei shook her head slightly, as her brain started turning all foggy. What was on that cloth? Hopefully it hadn’t been on long enough to knock her out.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“Je ne te veux pas de mal. J'ai mes commandes.” He told her, replying in French as he attempted to stop the blood streaming from his nose.

Lorelei stared at him. “Des commandes de qui?”

“Mon suzerain. Ne rends pas ça plus difficile qu'il ne devrait l'être.” He answered

His liege? Was he referring to Sean’s brother? Was this him making a play for her, for the key? Lorelei wasn’t really interested in finding out. If this guy worked for Sean’s brother, she’d kill him before he took her anywhere. Lorelei pulled her dagger out, his eyes widened slightly. “Désolé, je ne vais pas vous faciliter la tâche. Ou votre suzerain.”

He didn’t know it yet, but it would be a fight to the death. Preferably, his.

Lorelei looked down at the two dead bodies on the floor of the spice shop. She had just killed the first one, when another came in, no doubt investigating what was taking his friend so long. They had fought well, but Lorelei was able to take them down. She was still feeling groggy, from the effects whatever they’d tried drugging her with. Using what was left of her energy, Lorelei locked the door before collapsing beside the loveseat. She was aware she would need to clean up her mess, but for now, she had to rest. Her last thought before she passed out was wondering how the others were doing.

A/N: And that is Season 2 done. Sorry for the lack of badass fight skills from Lorelei. I just couldn’t do the fight scene justice. Just imagine something like Black Widow in the MCU, taking down men twice her size. Season 3 will be posted tomorrow or not long after this one. Oh, and excuse that French. I had to use Google Translate as I do not speak or write the language. And I also don’t know a whole lot about chloroform and how long it takes to take effect, so I decided to take some creative liberties.

Translations (courtesy of Google Translate):

Je ne te veux pas de mal. J'ai mes commandes (I mean you no harm. I have my orders.)

Des commandes de qui ? (Orders from who?)

Mon suzerain. Ne rends pas ça plus difficile qu'il ne devrait l'être. (My liege. Don’t make this harder than it has to be)

Désolé, je ne vais pas vous faciliter la tâche. Ou votre suzerain. (Sorry, I'm not going to make this easy for you. Or your liege.)

Next Part

Taglist: @zoexme, @nu1freakshow, @star-yawnznn, @bella250

Banner by @cafekitsune

[hazbincalifornia]

Oops: Double or Nothing

The 'HB but Blitzpreg' ficlet for Oops!

Ao3 link

Of course. Of fucking course. Of all the days, of all the points, of all the people. Blitz was no stranger to brawls in Greed- you show up there, you can expect to throw hands with somebody who looked at you funny. Tensions always simmered over, whether it was a shopkeeper jacking up the price because he didn’t like how you looked or somebody who really wanted your jacket. Showing up and waving around your wealth was tantamount to sticking up your ass in the middle of Lust and begging for a cock in it, so if Blitz had been tossed out into the stinking alley instead of the stinking street, then somebody else would have fucked Fizz up, no question.

It just would have meant that he wouldn’t have gotten yanked up through the window with the clown prince of Sin cock, and slammed into a wall hard enough to get the baby doing backflips.

Fizz’s face had gone even whiter than usual when he slid down next to Blitz, hands fumbling toward his stomach, but Striker and Crimson barely seemed to notice as they hauled Blitz out of the room and yanked Fizz towards Crimson’s desk, fishing around in the jester’s pockets before pulling out a phone. Going for ransom, obviously.

Blitz tried to wriggle his way out of the ropes, but they tightened them every time he shifted, and a weak flutter from his stomach convinced him to knock it off. He’d find another way. He always did. He always did. Fuck his corpse if he was going to die in a stinking warehouse surrounded by the goons of some guy Millie already kicked the ass of.

Okay, evaluate, assess, see if he could find any weakness. These guys must be real green new hires, considering how badly Millie fucked up the last lot, and he could work that to his advantage- at least unless Crim had a whole army working for him. Working with Striker wasn’t expected, but he might be able to get close enough to slit his throat, so the day could even end in a win once he slipped out. Plus, getting taken out by the pregnant bitch would really piss him off in whatever seconds he’d have left before he choked on his own blood.

Blitz was yanked out of his thoughts by Fizz getting chucked into the cage, the jester hyperventilating with the bells on the end of his hat jingling like crazy as his head whipped around and sweat dripping down his cheeks. At that, Blitz raised an eyebrow as the cage was pulled up, shifting around in his rope.

“Geez, how embarrassing is it that the fucking pregnant guy is handling getting tied up better than you?”

“No more embarrassing than the fact that somebody was stupid enough to not pull out on you,” Fizz shot back instantly, seemingly on instinct as he rolled his shoulders and desperately tried to tear at the tape. They’d secured him way better than they had Blitz. Sure, it was probably because he was valuable and had his robo-limbs and Blitz was basically part of the buy one get one asshole free deal today, but he had enough pride to be a little insulted considering he’d already slipped past both of these pricks in the past.

“Hey, this is just a brief bump in the road, alright? As soon as it’s out-”

“Sure looks like a big fuckin’ bump to me,” Fizz said with a snicker, raising an eyebrow before his eyes darted down to his own torso, just long enough for Blitz to raise an eyebrow of his own.

“Oh, and is there anything you’d like to confess, your royal pain-in-the ass?”

“What? Nothing. Noooothing. We were focusing on the physical manifestation of your fuck-ups.” Fizz retorted, but Blitz scooted closer.

“You’re knocked up too, aren’t you?”

“What gives you that idea?”

“I’ve got eyes, dipshit. You keep looking at and grabbing your guts. Does your big chicken know yet?”

Fizz snarled, baring his teeth, but Blitz waited and counted to three before his face dropped.

“...Not yet.”

“Ha! Knew it.”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, asshat.” Fizz’s face scrunched. “I found out yesterday, I was going to tell him today when I got back until the big-assed bitch with the same stereotypical sense of fashion as a mid-century pincushion yanked me up here.” He glanced down at Blitz’s gut. “So what’s the story with you? That from your big bird?”

“None of your fucking business.”

“Taking that as a yes.”

“Look, it was an accident, alright?” Blitz groaned, slumping back on the bars of the cage until the impact sent vibrations down his horns that rattled his skull like a gong. “His wife’s a bitch that’s no fun to fuck and he wanted another kid, so he told me not to tear it out when we found out, that’s it.”

“And you just rolled over for him just like that? Where’s all that macho posturing about making your own way, huh?” Fizz grinned.

“Hey, we had a different deal, he called that off for a few months while I’m doing this for him,” Blitz growled. “I know how shit in the real world works. I do something for him, he does something for me. He just wants me for my hot bod like any other rich asshole would, that body just happens to include baby-making parts. End of story, capisce?”

“Right. Which is why he’s fine getting a kid that’s half-imp.” Fizz raised an eyebrow. “Brave guy, wanting a brat that’s going to be half you.”

“Yeah, well, he’s a moron, and if he’s paying well I’m not fucking complaining.” Blitz nodded down at Fizz’s middle. If he squinted, he could see the start of a bump now that the tape had compressed down his shirt, but it would be nearly imperceptible if you didn’t know where to look. “You really think your sugar daddy won’t toss you out on your ass when you show up full of freak-baby?”

“He wouldn’t-” Fizz cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, yours might be an asshole, but mine has taste. He’s been musing about wanting a protégée, and he’s a Sin, they’re probably gonna come out looking like him anyway.”

“Riiiight. And they’re gonna have five gazillion eyes on them too. You’re just sucking on his giant blue tits to keep being a pampered little-”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Fizz slapped the end of his tail over Blitz’s mouth, and Blitz licked it, making Fizz snap it back. Blitz couldn’t help a brief grin as Fizz groaned. “You’re lucky you found the one person who can stand to be around you.”

“Hey, I’ve got other people!” Blitz said, hesitating for just a second too long between ‘other’ and ‘people’ as Fizz’s mouth twitched sideways. “Just because Stolas wants to get fucked into the sweaty mattress-”

“Pretty sure that’s not how you got knocked up, buddy boy.”

“We swapped a few times and once when I was drunk, piss off to Heaven.” Blitz cracked his neck and the kid squirmed, a little gurgly whine escaping his stomach. “Anyway, he just wants this because it’s part of some kinky breeding shit, alright? He wanted to knock up some poor little peasant like a dirty little secret. I’m not tied to him and he’s not tied to me.”

“Which is why he got you pregnant, with an actual kid,” Fizz said flatly. “You know they make spells for that to fake it for a day, right?”

“He wanted a kid, I just happened to be the one he got in bed. Coulda happened to anybody. And he’s so fuckin’ needy, always checking in to make sure if I’m eating enough, asking how the baby is, commenting on my posts five fucking seconds after I make them, bringing me shit then asking if he can cuddle like a bribe, then laughing at my jokes to get me to fuck him again quicker…”

“Mhm.” The bells jingled again as Fizz tilted his head. “Totally all him being a prick.”

“Exactly! And he’s all ‘Oh, how’s the baby? Oh, how’s my little Blitzy-witsy?’ Like, piss off, I know what you’re doing.”

“Look, there is no way in the Rings anybody would knock you up without wanting something more. They’d have to be even sadder than you are.”

“You don’t know my fucking life anymore, so fuck off.”

“I’d love to, but I’m a bit tied up at the moment.” Fizz tried to pull at the tape again, but sparks sprouted from it and threw him sideways, banging into the bars before he muttered, ‘no, no, nonono-’

“Hey, I was still going up top and killing people until like a week ago, your empty skull can handle a little percussion unless the kid’s a spoiled bitch already.”

“Yeah, well, I want this kid coming out like a kid and not like a meat smoothie,” Fizz retorted. “I think we know who’s going to win parent of the year.”

“Hey!” Blitz tried to swipe at Fizz with his tail, but he rolled to the side. “I’m not even gonna-”

“Not even gonna what, take responsibility? Like when you-”

“Shut the fuck up down there!” Striker slammed a hand on the cage before hopping down, easily dropping himself against the cage with a bang that shook everything around them and knocked the two imps into each other. Blitz could feel Fizz’s weight on his belly for a moment before they scrambled away, kicking the ground to maintain distance. “You both make me sick, carrying blue-blooded leeches just because they’ve got you on leashes you’re too weak to break out of.”

“Hey, hey, hey, only I get to call junior a parasite!” Blitz spat back, and Striker twirled his gun before sending a warning shot above Blitz’s head that made Fizz yelp and almost duck into his collar.

“You-”

“Hey, cowboy, we need ‘em in one piece, got it?” Crim called, and Striker snarled before leaning back, the cage shaking again as he did.

“You’re fucking pathetic.”

“Yeah, well, takes one to know one.” Blitz followed him with his pupils as he leaped down, glancing over at Fizz who had pulled up his knees to protect his stomach. There was something watery in his eyes that snagged at Blitz's gut like a hook.

He was getting the fuck out of here. And he’d be blessed if he’d let all four of them die to those fucking assholes.

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Dionysus

Hey y’all, sorry for going dark! I’m alright, almost completely recovered in fact! I just got so sleepy while my body was fighting stuff off and couldn’t really work up the energy to write... Still going to be spotty for a short time, but I’m glad to have gotten this done. See ya soon!

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus

Lucifer

Well, this mortal stumbled out of the portal covered in glitter, body paint, and carrying a red solo cup… which they proceeded to stare at like, "'ell sshhit… Thiz iz sum stron s'uff…"

First impressions were not on their side here.

He spent a depressingly long amount of time more or less assuming that the MC was a drunken f-up and spent the first few months trying to make them more… presentable.

But like… How do you stop someone from acting like a drunk fool when they can turn any drink they touch alcoholic???

For months they would show up to meetings buzzed or stumbling, all smiles and all giggles but HORRIBLY unprofessional, and he just couldn't stand it!

But then he found out their little secret…

Assassination threats befall the exchange students all the time. Most of them are dealt with quickly but some (through skill or dumb luck) manage to slip through...

He had been walking with the MC through their new vineyard in the House's courtyard, yet again trying to lecture them about their drunken behavior, when suddenly the two were ambushed!

Ten or so heavily armored demons dropped down from the sky to attack them! Lucifer was so preoccupied that he got cornered by three of them and it took him a hot minute to destroy them.

When he looked back at the mortal (who had been fighting a 1-on-7) he was certain they'd have been kidnapped or worse…

But he saw that they had already cut down two attackers with their weapon with ease. The other five were rolling in the dirt, babbling about inexplicable terrors and imaginary pain as their minds succumbed to madness…

Meanwhile, the MC just stood in the middle of it all with the icy glare of someone who’s just revealed how stone-cold sober they've always been under the surface...

When they turned back to him, they put their usual ditzy smile back on over the tormented wails of the demons around them...

MC: Whoopsie… Gotta little mad there. 🙂

He uh… took a big ol'step off their back after that. Surprisingly, they're more pleasant (and less dangerous) "drunk" than they are sober…

Mammon

Oh HELL yeah!! Lucifer actually gave him a mortal that knows how to party!!

Admittedly, they looked like utter trash when they first met, like, "Hey, I've been at this party since DAWN" trash, but they gave him one good look and pulled together a surprisingly hot smile.

MC: "-ey yer cute… Ya like strip poker?"

Spoken like someone else who also makes shit decisions… They were going to get along just fine!

And they did. The MC to him was that one friend that's always down for anything. Just anything. Whenever. Wherever.

He wants to try sneaking into Lucifer's room to steal stuff? Sure, what time?

He wants to take a mattress and see if he can ride it down the grand staircase of the palace? Alright, we bringin' pillows too?

He needs to set up another scheme that's gotta involve live rats and box of tiny hats and monocles?? That's oddly specific but count them in!!

Sometimes he honestly can't tell if they're laid back or just crave chaos... but it works out fine for him either way so who cares? 🤷‍♀️

And if you think normal Mammon is a pain in the ass for Lucifer? Check out drunk Mammon. All the same urges but literally none of the (marginal) competence!!

At one point, the eldest ended up stringing both Mammon and the MC from the ceiling after they both barged into his office looking for Goldie… while he was still in there… watching them wander around aimlessly calling out for a piece of plastic like it was a missing puppy…

They end up together on the ceiling a lot come to think of it, but hey, at least now he has some company. 😌

Leviathan

Thinks they're the most normal normie to have ever normed on this normie planet!!!

No, seriously. They're a billion times worse than Asmo!! All they want to do is go to parties and drink all the time! What kind of use is he to someone like that??

… That being said they ARE pretty fun to be around… And their sake is WAY better than anything he could get off Akuzon!!

They also like karaoke too! So at least he has someone else to go with (even if they get so drunk they can’t remember any lyrics and just belt barely coherent discount Mariah Carey vocals behind him...)

Of course, the real fun between these two is everybody else getting to watch a couple of the Devildom's sloppiest drunks attempt to communicate with each other…

Levi: MMM-*hic*-MCCC…!!! *throws himself at them from across the bar*

MC: What Leviachan??? 😨 Did the chair kick you off?!

Levi: Nooo! *pokes their cheek* I wanna-I wanna tell you sometin'...! *tries pulling them closer*

MC: Whaa? Secrets?? *leans in eagerly*

Levi: Mammon used all ma money on’a pyramid scheme a thou-zand years ago… AND HE STILL WON'T PAY ME BAAA-!!! 😭😭 *starts shaking them violently*

MC: *getting flung around like a limp noodle* Waaaat?! Nooo!!! I'm so sowwy!! 😢

Mammon: *watching it all go down right next to him* 😑 Ya guys need some water… I'm cuttin' ya off, got it?

MC: 😱 Shut yer whore mouth, criminal!! *starts pelting him with pretzel bites*

Levi: 😤 Yah!! *joins in*

Good thing he's a shut-in, because the hangovers he gets after those escapades are unreal…

Satan

A little concerned for their liver, honestly… How much damage have they already done to the poor thing...?

But at the same time, he'll be damned if they don't make some utterly fantastic wine!

Alcokinesis wasn't a power he would have pegged a demigod to have but apparently the great art of making drinks comes from their godly DNA.

When they first met, he was trying to get the MC to act less slovenly but made the mistake of agreeing to a wager: he'd let them dress however they pleased if they could give him the BEST drink he'd ever tasted.

Now, Satan isn't a huge drinker (thank you terrible alcohol tolerance), but he's still a man of fine tastes. Plus, he's sampled Demonus from Diavolo royal stock before. They should not have won…

But on that day, he had to let them go to RAD in a pink blanket toga... 😑 Their wine is just THAT good.

He hates to admit it, but they've gotten him drunk more times than he could probably count too… He's not a huge fan of clubbing with them and the others, but if they bring over a bottle from their vineyard he just can't resist. They're a master of their craft, truly.

And it's a good thing he likes their drinks so much, because if they called him, "Kitty-boy," when he's sober, he may have just become a sour grape himself…

They also may or may not have copious amounts of blackmail material of him either meowing between sentences, sobbing over some fictional character he likes, pole dancing on dares….

Yeah, he's been trying to destroy their phone for months now. If Lucifer were to see ANY of that, he's done for… 😣

He has also been meaning to ask them about other aspects of their abilities, their father is also the God of Madness after all, but anytime he tries to bring it up they shove another glass in his hand and tell him not to kill the mood...

Eh. What's the harm in having another drink, right? 🤷‍♀️

Asmodeus 

Honey. He's MET Dionysus. He's been to a Dio-party or two and they're INSANE. He could not be more thrilled by this!!!

He practically scooped them up on the first night that they were in the House and it’s practically been a nonstop rave between these two ever since. They’re like the party twin he never knew he needed!!

He absolutely abuses their ability to turn pretty much any drink they touch into alcohol at clubs. It makes the nights so much easier on the wallet PLUS it makes an excellent little party trick to impress the succubi! Who doesn’t want a free drink? 😏

And can he just say that their drinks are better? Just flat out amazing! If it weren’t so unhealthy he’d consider drinking nothing but their booze and wine for the rest of his days, Satan’s certainly getting close to it.

But little does Satan know, he’s not even getting the GOOD stuff...

There’s the normal wine: grapes picked from the vineyard, hand squeezed, then magically helped through the fermenting process. But their real good stuff? They were given enchanted oak barrels from their father and anything that comes out of those is worth starting a WAR over. 😩

He knows, because he gifted an extra bottle to Diavolo once and Barbs came to him the very next day demanding to know what vineyard had produced it with the look of man willing to annex a small nation...

Asmo had to beg Lucifer to talk to Diavolo after the butler more or less kidnapped the MC back to the Castle… Devil knows even Barbs wouldn’t ever be able to reproduce their wine, so they could have been locked there for eternity!!

Thankfully, he got his party-buddy back and their debauchery continued! (Just now with Barbatos following them around sometimes like he’s trying to gather state secrets... It’s an impossible task but he hasn’t given up yet, bless his black heart.)

Beelzebub

He isn't much bothered by their carefree nature, at least they seem to be having fun with his family which he appreciates. 🙂

To be honest, though, he nearly ate them when they first met because they smell like freshly peeled grapes… and for good reason.

By their third day at the House they had (somehow) planted and cultivated a full on vineyard in the courtyard. Hell, the wall growing to their bedroom balcony was covered in grapevines!! Always ripe and completely healthy in defiance of the lack of sun... Whatever magic they used was strong.

And, of course, their grapes were also delicious! Easily among the best fruits he's ever tasted! Every cluster is ridiculously plump, juicy, and sweet like little droplets of pure Heaven… 🤤

When their fruit first ripened, the MC came out with a basket to collect some only to find Beel had gouged himself on over half of their crop!!!

… which may have been why he got snared up on one of the courtyard walls by pissed off grapevines... Even with all his strength, he couldn't break through them and had to wait for Lucifer to cut him down… 😔 

From then on, Beel was pretty much the pesky rabbit to the MC's harvest. They had to set up traps and magical barriers to keep him from their precious grapes…!! Which inevitably meant one of his brothers had to come rescue him from their furious vines at least once a week... 🙄

SOMETIMES, the MC will bring him along to help harvest with them with the deal that he can have an extra basket for however many he helps them pick. But the second he takes a bite he shouldn't, it’s back on the wall!

Out of the vineyard, they're nice enough. But put some grapes between these two and they're mortal enemies… STOP messing with their plants, Beel!! 😤

Belphegor 

So… this drunken fool is supposed to get him out of the attic? Never mind, this is never going to work…

He was SEVERELY underwhelmed when the "human" finally made it up the steps. This was who they decided to bring for their exchange program? They seemed like they could barely stand!

Naturally, he figured all the better for him. They probably wouldn't even last that long! 

Some poor, incompetent human falling victim to a demon out there? Diavolo's reputation would in tatters and he wouldn't even have to lift a finger! (His favorite way of doing things really 😌).

But… they just kept coming back? Like. Nothing was killing them….! How guarded were they keeping this moron?? 

Or… maybe it was something else?

Sure, the MC seemed like a drunken idiot but there were times when he'd swear that they were just… too aware to be sloshed…

MC: *suddenly stops smiling at him mid-conversation and looks him in the eye* You tilt your head when you lie. You know that?

How can someone so cheerful ALSO be so unnerving…?

So really, he should have seen their sudden heel-turn after they opened the door coming. There he was, fully intending to take them by surprise and choke them after a hug…

...and they knocked him down, climbed onto his back like a spider monkey, and rode him around like a bucking bull using his horns like handlebars!!

It wouldn’t have been AS humiliating if they didn’t also keep shouting things like "Giddiyap!" And "Yee-haw!!"

It took him a whole month to be sure that any and all footage of that nightmare was erased and he STILL hates the MC quite a bit for it…. But he's too scared to attack them now, so…

The lesson here? It's not a fair fight when one side’s crazy... 😔😒

[alltooreid]

All Too Well

Spencer must go to him and Y/N’s once shared apartment to clean out his things and leave her life forever. While there he can’t help but look back on his actions, the ones that made him lose the love of his life forever

A/N: Hi!! This is my first fanfic ever published on here and I’m excited to share it with you all! It’s inspired by one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs All Too Well, but although I utilized some of the lyrical genius and imagery from it, the story is not the same as the story in the song. This is a very angsty fic, and there is not a happy ending. Although there are some cute fluffy elements, including a Reid’s purple scarf origin story, I would in no way call this happy. Additionally, because of a reason you may later realize, the content warnings are very vague. If anything even slightly mentioned in them may affect you, I advise you to maybe stay clear. On a lighter note, if anyone wants to request anything, whether it’s another song inspired fic or a general plot line you would like to see please do so!! Also sorry this is kinda short, I’m still learning but I’m really proud of this one :))

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem Reader

Type: Very Angsty, Not a Happy Ending, (Y/N and Spencer do not end up together)

Word Count: 2.4k

Content Warnings(try to ignore if you would prefer to stay surprised): slight cursing, discussions of death and gore, discussion of car crash

Things to Know: Italics and bold are flashback moments :) let me know what you think!

“But you keep my old scarf from that very first week 'Cause it reminds you of innocence And it smells like me You can't get rid of it 'Cause you remember it all too well”

Spencer was packing up his things, finally getting the chance to clear out and move from the apartment he and Y/N once shared.  Their relationship was rocky and unconventional but he loved her all the same. Even though he left her broken-hearted and destroyed his most cherished relationship. Even though Y/N’s parents now hated him because of what he did to her. Even though hope of repairing what they once had was long gone and there was nothing else he could do about it. Even though he had torn up the masterpiece they once had together. He still loved her so much.

But the magic was gone and so was she. 

Now Spencer was left with memories, and since the apartment they lived in was hers instead of his, filed entirely under hers and her parents name. In his excessive knowledge and wisdom, Spencer Reid struggled to understand how the kitchen where Y/N told him she loved him for the first time as he lit the candle on the collapsing confetti cake he had attempted to bake for her birthday was in no way legally tied to him. 

“Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Y/N! Happy birthday to you!” Spencer sang as he lit the single pink birthday candle he found after rummaging through his desk drawers for longer than he cared to admit. He knew it was in there somewhere, but at the same time there was a whole lot in there. 

As he looked at her face, eyes welling up with tears as she took in the sad, homemade excuse for a birthday party Spencer had thrown together after they got back from a case hours before, he couldn’t help but feel he should have done more. He wanted to take her to New York, where they would’ve enjoyed fine dining and one of those incredibly detailed floral frosting cakes he knew Y/N was infatuated with. 

However, the case in Oregon ran long. They had only returned to their apartment 2 hours ago, hours past their 7pm dinner reservations. Although Y/N tried to hide her disappointment, you don’t need to be a profiler to know that someone wants to celebrate their own birthday. So although they had agreed to go to bed and play everything by ear tomorrow, the young genius had, what he would still argue to be, his most brilliant idea when he saw Y/N asleep once he got out of the shower.

It was still her birthday.

And Spencer had just under 2 hours to throw you a party. 

So sure, Y/N deserved more than a cake that was definitely not cool enough to frost, but was frosted anyway due to time constraints. And she definitely deserved more than present hastily wrapped in his printed out articles and newspaper clippings. Spencer wished that he had time to go buy new candles, instead of lighting a green sparkly number 7 because it was all he could find.

But it was almost midnight, and that meant he only had 18 minutes before it wasn’t Y/N’s birthday anymore.

So instead of dwelling on it, he headed to their bedroom, shook her awake and watched her roll over to face him. He watched the smile overtake her face as she said the stupid party hat he was wearing, made out of a pom pom and a wedding invitation.

“Hey birthday girl,” he said softly, “you do realize you’re sleeping through your party right?”

She looked so happy that night, even as she saw the way too messy kitchen and her birthday cake that was melting by the second. She laughed as Spencer fumbled with the lighter. 

And as he finished singing her eyes started releasing tears. 

“I’m sorry sweetheart, I wish we could’ve done more for the first birthday we get to spend together. “

“No, no, no” she said as she wiped her tears away, “It’s not that at all.”

She smiled and looked up at him “I just love you so goddamn much Spencer.”

Although at one point, all Spencer knew was logic and logically Y/N had never ever known him when she filed her paperwork, the genius still struggled to grasp the concept. That even before the ending of it all, you had no legal, definite connection to her at all. 

How was nothing about this place, his? 

  All that he knew was that he had today to pack all his shit and leave. All he knew is that Y/N’s father had made it very clear none of their family wanted to see him again. 

He wished he could talk to Y/N about it. However all of his calls went to voicemail immediately. 

Logically, Spencer knew why, he had completely fucked up. 

But still, he called every single day, as there was nothing his heart wished for more than to speak to Y/N again. To apologize, to beg for forgiveness he knew he didn’t deserve.

As the cold air from the open windows blew into the apartment, Spencer couldn’t help but feel he was leaving his home behind. Everything left of her was going to be here, and he wouldn’t get to experience any part of the life you and him had once shared together anymore.

But then he saw it. 

The royal purple scarf Y/N bought the day of their first date. 

“You like this color right?” she asked as they stopped by a booth at the street festival she had taken him to. Spencer was too distracted as he watched the other couples on dates, as they walked hand and hand down the streets. He sometimes wished he could forget things like the number of germs and bacteria that lived on her hands. He at least wished he could forget long enough to gather enough courage to hold Y/N’s hand as they walked down the sidewalk.

“Hmm?” he said, looking back at her, then the scarf she was now wearing. “Oh, yeah! I love that color, it um- looks great on you.”

She smiled, then turned to the weird old guy running the stand. “How much for the scarf?” she asked.

He looked at her, then looked at Spencer, “depends which one of you is paying.”

Before Spencer could say anything, let alone pull out his wallet, Y/N already had hers out. 

“Well, for a pretty lady like you, it’s 2 dollars,” the man said.

She handed him five and turned to Spencer. “You hear that? I’m so pretty I get 80% off! Wonder what you would’ve paid huh pretty boy? He would probably owe you money.” The man handed her her change and whispered something Spence couldn’t quite catch. 

“Gross,” Y/N said as they exited the booth, “he wrote his number on my change.”

Spencer chuckled, “Did you really just buy that scarf because I like the color of it?”

She smiled, “Don’t get so cocky now Einstein, I like purple too you know? And maybe if you’re lucky I’ll let you borrow it.”

At that moment Spencer felt just okay enough to wrap his arm around Y/N’s, and she felt just right enough to wrap the new scarf around them both. 

The one she left next to her front door, after making the last minute decision to leave it at home the night of their final outing.

No one would notice if he….. Right?

Sure maybe Y/N would but what would she do about it? Hunt him down just to get a scarf she paid less than five dollars for? Definitely not. 

He wrapped it around his neck and closed his eyes, even days later he could perfectly picture Y/N singing in his car, fascinated by the autumn leaves falling around her. He felt the wind in his hair, but instead of the cold, dreary air from the open apartment window, he swore he could remember the warm air from that October night. 

“Spencer I know you hate it but please, please, please. I’m so tired.”

“Sweetheart you’re not tired, you’re drunk. Of course I have to drive you home.”

“Oh, whatever.”

A phone call broke him away from his memories, it was Hotch. Spencer was angry, how effortlessly cruel of him to call him during such an emotional time. Hotch knew how much Spencer loved Y/N, the whole team did. 

So he didn’t pick up.

Instead he walked over to the coffee table they used to put their feet on when they binged watched Doctor Who together. Letting the ringtone play out in the background, Spencer picked up an old photo album Y/N’s parents must have brought out. Of course he remembered it, it was the same one they flipped through when he met Y/N’s parents for the first time. He didn’t realize she had brought it home with her.

His eyes welled up with tears as he flipped through the old school pictures, remembering how embarrassed Y/N was of her big glasses. He saw her old athlete pictures from when she used to play tee ball, and flipped through more pictures until he reached the end of your softball career, in college. 

He remembered how hard Y/N blushed when she showed him her childhood bedroom. Her twin sized bed was full of stuffed animals and her walls covered in boy band posters. 

“You know what Spencer? I don’t want to hear it. I loved and still love the BackStreet Boys and I am not ashamed of that.”

He laughed, “You know, before we started dating I always thought you were so cool and unattainable. I imagined that you had always been this chic, beautifully brilliant badass. It’s oddly comforting to know that you wore tortoiseshell glasses and had a fruitless infatuation with Nick Carter.”

She gasped, before tossing her tabby cat stuffed toy at him, “You’re about to get it!”

Once again he was called out of the memory by his phone. 

And once again he let it ring.

Spencer went into their shared bedroom, most of his things were already put into boxes for him. Honestly he was surprised that they hadn’t been set on fire or thrown away after what he did. 

Soon it was time for him to take his things down to his car.

Except it wasn’t even his car. It was Morgan’s.

“Spencer, you are the most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my entire life. I am infatuated with you, I want us to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“You sure that isn’t the alcohol talking Y/N”

“Look at me Spencer, no, no really look at me.”

He couldn’t imagine ever using his old car again after what had happened in it.

“You are my future.”

Not that he could use it again.

“You are my everything.”

It was pretty much destroyed, after that accident on that little town street.

“I want nothing more in my life, than for you to be in it.”

When he was so enamored by Y/N, so in love that he couldn’t take his eyes off her, that he ran a red light.

And the truck waiting to go didn’t stop either.

“SPENCER! SPENCER CAN YOU HEAR ME? I NEED YOU TO CALL 911!” she screamed, her voice filled with agony, her limbs mangled in a sea of crushed mental and snapped backwards by the emergency airbag she didn’t realize she was resting her feet on.

Spencer had already called 911. That was the sickest thing about it. Spencer was, physically, perfectly fine. Spencer would get to leave the hospital after just a few days. Spencer could’ve probably gotten out of the car if he tried to. But he stayed, he stayed with Y/N, as she wasn’t fine. As Spencer looked down on her broken body, and tried desperately to find just one piece of skin that wasn’t coated in blood, her blood, that is when he realized. That not only could Y/N not walk out of the hospital with him, but she probably wouldn’t even make it there.

So he sobbed, he struggled to breathe, not because of the ways Y/N did, but because he had caused all the reasons she couldn’t.

“Hey, Spencer, look at me.”

So he did, and he reached for her hands and held them so tightly, and wanted one last time to feel her squeeze back. And she did, just ever so softly. 

“Spencer, I meant everything I said to you. I want you to spend the rest of my life with me. Please.”

“I love you so much Y/N”

“I love you too.”

Spencer was drawn away from his memories once again as he got another phone call. 

But it wasn’t Hotch this time. It was Mr. Y/L/N, so he answered it. He owed him that.

“Are you out of her house yet? You’ve had hours. I want you gone Spencer.”

Spencer sighed, “I’m leaving now sir, I’m just putting the last of my things in the trunk and then I’ll be gone.”

“Good, I never want to see you again Spencer, you hear me?” Mr. Y/L/N said. “And you better not have anything of hers either. All that stuff in your car better belong to you and you only. If Y/N paid for even a dime of it it better still be in that house.”

Spencer looked down at this scarf he was wearing, the one that still smelled like her perfume. The one that he couldn’t bring himself to take off because he reminded him of so much innocence and beauty.

“Yes sir, I didn’t take anything.”

“Good. And Spencer do me a favor.”

“Anything sir.”

“Go fuck yourself.” Mr. Y/L/N said, and then hung up. Spencer sighed, he expected that and fully deserved it.

How else should a father react when you kill his daughter?

“'Cause there we are again when I loved you so Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well”

[jeyramarie]

The forbidden zone- Pogue x OC

summary: It’s time to look for the wreck and the weather won’t stop them.

wc: 4,752

a/n: here it is! as requested 😁 @halsmultibitch and i have so so many ideas. we can’t wait for all of you to read it!! happy reading 🦋

prologue~ pilot~ the lucky compass

Previously on Good Life...

Lani had volunteered to climb into it since she was the smallest. Once inside she asked for a flashlight due to it being so dark. She looked around for a bit until she found an envelope leaned against the wall. 

“Oh my god.” she whispered as she stared at it. ‘To Bird.’ it read. 

John B stared at the envelope in adoration, perfectly knowing it was from his dad. JJ helped Lani out of the tomb as a cold breeze ran through the trees making her shiver. 

“Holy shit. This is from my dad.” He said and looked around as his friends while JJ lit his blunt, puffing some smoke. Suddenly, car headlights came into view coming their way. 

“Code red. Code red. Square groupers!” JJ said desperately as he walked backwards to his friends. 

“Oh my god, go.” Lani said, pulling Kie’s arm to hide next to the tomb. They all got down and fidgeted with their flashlights to turn them off. 

“Light!” 

“Turn it off, John B!” the curly haired kook exclaimed as she saw the pogue jam the flashlight up his shirt. JJ turned off his cigarette against the wall as they all stayed there quietly. The car came to a stop as a man climbed out.

“I think I see something!” He shouted to the other person in the car as JJ and Pope peeked their heads out, trying to see. 

“Is it them?” Lani whispered to the boys feeling fear in the pit of her stomach. 

“Homie’s got a gun.” JJ whispered as he turned back to lean against the wall. 

“Oh fuck this.” Fallon muttered as she stood up before running off. John B immediately followed, then Kie, Lani, JJ and finally, Pope. Everyone made it over the fence successfully until Pope’s pants got stuck. Of course he’s the one that gets stuck, classic Pope. 

“Guys, guys. I’m stuck!” He said as he desperately tried to free himself from the fence. 

“I got you, buddy.” Lani said as she came for his rescue alongside John B. They used all they’re strength to get him out causing the pants to start ripping. 

“Guys, you’re gonna rip me.” 

“Pope, don’t move okay?” JJ said as he held up his gun towards the pogue. 

“JJ, what the fuck? Put that down, man.” John B pushed his arm down making the blonde put the gun back in his cargo shorts. 

“No, no. You’re gonna rip me. No! You’re ripping me!” and with that Pope fell from the fence leaving his shorts hanging. 

“Oh my god.” Lani laughed as she walked backwards to get to the car. 

“Hey, it's a little Tootsie roll!” JJ shouted, making everyone laugh as they all ran to the car. Fallon opened the door waiting for them to get closer.

“Get in.” Kie laughed as she saw Pope climbing in in his underwear. 

“What the hell happened?” Fallon slid the door close and turned to Pope who was frowning in annoyance. 

“You don’t wanna know.” he groaned as he sat at the chair at the back of the van. They went back to the Chateau, quickly clearing a space to look at what the envelope had. JJ ran to the kitchen looking for food since he hasn’t eaten all day. He found some bread, some peanut and jelly making his eyes sparkle as his stomach growled. 

“That bread has had mold for like a week.” Lani said as she opened her water bottle to take a sip. 

“I’ll just pull off the bad parts. Plus, mold is good for you. It’s just a natural organism.” he said, picking up the sandwich and moving to take a bite off of it, receiving a disgusted look from the kook. 

“Guys!” Kie called as John B pulled out a map from the envelope. 

“We’re going.” Lani said walking out of the kitchen with JJ trailing behind her as he took a bite off the sandwich. 

“Mmm.” JJ muttered and then gagged as he spit out the piece of moldy bread. 

“Told you not to eat it.” The kook with her arms crossed made the pogue pull out the middle finger. The pogue opened the map to see coordinates, scribbled lines and an x. 

“Well, x marks the spot.” Fallon said, pointing her finger on the map. 

“Longitud, latitud… wait, there's something else in there.” John B said as he traced his finger along the lines before dropping it and picking up the envelope again. He reached in and pulled out a tape recorder. 

“What’s that?” JJ asked in confusion. 

“It’s a tape recorder, J.” Lani said, looking at him and chuckling a bit. The pogue held the recorder for a bit more and started playing it to reveal his dad’s voice. Big John talked about the Royal Merchant, how he found it. He actually found it, which was a huge surprise to everyone, including John B. Once the recorder stopped, the room was filled with silence until JJ broke it. 

“Holy shit, he found it! Big John…. He found the Merchant.” He lifted his arms in excitement as Lani stood up straight and forcefully lowered his arms.

“Can you not right now, JJ?” Fallon said, running her hand through her hair. John B stood up and leaned against the door as he began to cry. Kie went to his side and hugged him, giving him comfort as his tears continued to roll down his cheeks. 

A few hours later, everyone was found on the docks. Kie was playing her ukulele, Lani was sketching Pope and everyone else drinking beer in silence. 

“How much was it again?” JJ asked and sipped from his beer can before tossing it aside. 

“Four hundred mil.” Lani said never parting her eyes from the sketchbook as she erased the eyebrow to fix it’s arch. 

“All right, let’s talk split. Now, before we say “evenly” may I remind you that I am the only one that can probably defend us from those square groupers that were after us. Protection? Not cheap, okay?” He said, holding his gun up for everyone to see trying to make a point. 

“You haven’t trained. You’ve done zero training.” Fallon crossed her arms leaning against the railing. 

“Youtube, Fal.” he winked at the caramel haired pogue making her stick out her tongue making him chuckle. 

“You haven’t-” Pope started objecting when JJ cut him off.

“Any objections? Didn’t think so.” Lani and Kie were holding up their hands in objection but were ignored by the pogue.

“There’s a couple objections.” 

“I don’t hear any so…”

“Okay well, what are you gonna do with 66 mil Pope?” Fallon said, cutting him off and she sat down on the floor. 

“Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive.” 

“What about you, Kie?” 

“Yeah, what does a socalist do when she’s rich?” Lani asked, smirking at the pogue who chuckled at her question. 

“Just wanna make a double album. About the OBX, the pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it in Marley studio, Peter Tosh producing. And before you say anything Pope, yes I know Peter Tosh is dead.” The pogue lifted his hands in surrender as he laughed at her last comment. 

“Lani? What about you?” John B asked, leaning back on his beach chair as he opened a new beer can. 

“I’m not sure what she would want. She’s already rich.” Fallon muttered under her breath making the kook frown as her face fell making her look at her sketchbook.

“Well, you’re rich too but you don’t see me making comments about it.” Everyone opened their eyes and muttered ‘ooo’s’ as Lani looked at John B to answer his question. 

“I wanna go to Italy, get a house by the beach. Not even a house, I want a cute little hud with a window facing the ocean. So, I can paint and eat all the pasta I can get.” she said and raised her beer can in the form of the toast before sipping from the cold beverage. 

“Fal, your turn.” JJ smiled, turning his head towards her as he fidgeted with his lighter. 

“I’m gonna leave Outer Banks. I’ve only felt trapped here. So, I wanna go and I don’t know… escape life, I guess.” John B nodded and lifted his beer can in agreement while the blonde pogue nodded too. 

“I know what I’ll do. I’m gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full Kook.” 

“Full kook?” “You are not going full kook.” Lani and Fallon said at the same time, making him laugh.

“Yes, full kook. I’m gonna get a big statue of myself and a koi pond with a bunch of fish.” He said making circular movements with his hands as he described the pond. 

“You know I’m never visiting right?” Kie said, placing her ukulele back on her lap. 

“What are you gonna do, John B?” Lani asked, leaning towards Pope, handing him the portrait she made. 

“To going full Kook.” he smiled as he stood up and held his beer can up causing everyone else to hold up their beverages too. 

“To going full Kook.” They hollered and laughed as the night went by smoothly. Lani was starting to feel like part of the group now which made her very happy since she was never the girl to have a bunch of friends. All of her ‘friends’ were the children of her parents' business partners, whom she never really liked. 

The next day came around, sunny as ever giving the pogues the perfect idea to go on a boat ride on the marsh. They got ready in record time with their swimsuits and the cooler filled with drinks and the ice Pope brought from his dad’s store. They picked up Kie at her house’s dock first and then Lani, who wasn’t far. As they sailed through the marsh, getting to their favorite spot, JJ spotted two kooks on their own new boat. 

“Holy shit. You guys see that? That’s the Malibu 24-MXZ, the world’s finest wakesetter. Number one in luxury, quality and performance. That’s 200k easy.” He said squinting his eyes behind his sunglasses moving his head to his friends and back at the kooks. 

“No, here comes Malibu Barbie and Ken.” Fallon tilted her head as she laughed at her joke. 

“You don’t have to act like you don’t see us, bitch.” Kie said as she looked at Sarah while the boats crossed paths. The blonde kook waved and smiled at Lani causing her to do the same thing.

“Of course, you wave at her.” the caramel haired pogue scoffed in annoyance.

“Says the one who’s friends with Rafe.” Pope muttered under his breath loud enough for the pogue to hear and blush.  

“She’s been nothing but nice to me. I have no hate against her.” The kook shook her head as she continued sketching. Most of the day was spent swimming, drinking and planning on how to get a computer with the Internet in order to find the coordinates from Big John’s map. After the marsh, they all went back to the Chateau to get dressed so they could begin their trip to the hotel JJ worked at. Everyone got into the van making their way to their destination as they jammed to Kie’s favorite reggae music and JJ’s classic rock playlist. 

“All right, we should keep a lookout. We’re behind enemy lines.” JJ said as he pulled his gun out from the glove department while they parked outside. 

“Come on, man. Just put it back.”John B said, turning off the car as he ran a hand through his hair. 

“What?”

“JJ-”

“You can never be too careful.” he muttered as the door slid open for Pope to climb out. 

“Bringing a gun to a four star hotel will cause more problems than actually solve.” The curly haired pogue said as he leaned against the door next to JJ. He muttered a ‘thanks’ before Lani popped her head in between John B and the blonde.

“JJ, put that shit away or I'll throw it in the ocean.” She said and quickly got out of the van as John B ripped the gun off of JJ’s hand, putting it back where it was. 

“Okay, let’s go.” Fallon shouted as she closed the van door ready to walk in.

“Wait! Can’t forget my badge.” the blonde pogue smiled and pulled out his employee ID.

“Professional busboy.” Kie rolled her eyes and continued to walk behind Lani who was already halfway to the entrance. They walked in through the back into the kitchen where a few of JJ’s co-workers said hi and asked him how he was doing, some eyeing Fallon which was an everyday occurrence for her. After going up a few stairs, they finally made it to the lobby and walked towards a semi secluded room with computers. 

“Sweet lord, the Internet.” Pope said, running towards the device almost like he was gonna hug and kiss it. 

“Let me get in there. Check on my insta models.” JJ said as he leaned down next to Pope making Lani chuckle as she sat down.

“What insta models?” Fallon questioned as her arms crossed over her chest.

“No one, no one.” he muttered, never parting his eyes from the screen. They started looking for the coordinates written on the map and found how deep that part of the ocean was. To get there, they needed some type of submarine to be able to find the Royal Merchant. JJ gave the idea of getting the drone at the salvage yard where his dad used to work. On the way to the salvage yard, Pope couldn’t help but comment on how real or fake this wild goose chase was. 

“So, what’s it gonna be? Fantasy or reality?” 

“Fantasy.” Fallon muttered as she rolled JJ’s blunt. 

“Fantasy but possible reality.” Kie stared at John B through the rear view mirror with sad eyes, feeling pity for her best friend. 

“Both.” Lani said rummaging through her bag as she placed her sketchbook and pencils back. 

“Virtual reality.” JJ groaned as he leaned forward to grab the blunt. 

“Reality.” the shaggy haired pogue said, turning his head to look at the kook sitting in the passenger seat. Lani stared at him and gave him a sad smile as the van came to a stop not too far from the salvage yard. They ran over the plan one more time, making sure everyone understood. Especially JJ, he had a tendency of improvising everything. Lani got out of the van first, throwing her bag over her shoulder as she crossed the street to Kie’s car. Fallon slid the van door open and stepped out but was held back by a muscular hand. 

“Can’t Kie go?” JJ asked worriedly not liking the idea of his lifelong crush distracting a man with her looks. 

“No, she can’t and it’s not like you care anyway.” she spat out as she pulled her hand away from the pogue, slamming the door shut. The kook was putting her things in the car, making sure everything was rightfully placed when she turned to ask the pogue a question.

“Hey, Kie did you see th- You’re not Kie.” Lani said as she noticed her partner for that crima wasn’t who she thought. 

“I’m not thrilled about this either but they made me, so let’s just get it over with.” the pogue said bitterly as she got in the passenger seat leaving the kook alone and confused. The short ride to the salvage yard was filled with tension and awkward silence. Neither of them know what to say. 

“Should I go call him or do you-”

“I’ll go.” Fallon spat dryly, cutting Lani off as she quickly got out of the car. The kook sat there staring at the pogue as she walked towards the gate giving her some time to sigh and think to herself ‘this is harder than i thought’. After a few seconds, the gates opened cueing her to get out of the car and stand by the flat tire. The rest of the pogues were hiding by the gates as they saw the scene unfold. 

“It’s not weird, awkward or anything.” John B whispered, never parting his eyes from the girls as he answered Pope’s question. 

“I told you she wasn’t into you.” Kie said suddenly which confused JJ more. 

“Who isn’t into you?”

“He kissed Fallon.” Pope whispered immediately, opening his eyes wide realizing what he had done. JJ’s nostrils flared as anger burst through his body. 

“Well, she can kiss whoever she wants. She’s not dating anyone.” he said with gritted teeth as he gripped the wood harder. 

“Yeah, it’s just us.” Lani smiled, answering the guard’s question while leaning against the boat. He stared at them for a long time, moving his eyes from their legs up to their faces and back to the tire. Suddenly, barks came from the yard making the guard stand up and turn to the gate. 

“Tebow’s got something.” 

“Oh no, I don't think so.” Fallon said, placing a piece of hair behind her ear. 

“Yeah, maybe it’s a racoon.” Lani nodded and smiled, giving the man enough reassurance to go back to the tire. They noticed that he was finishing way too fast which meant that the boys could get caught but luckily, Fallon had an idea. 

“Oh, I forgot to call my mom. I’ll be right back.” she said before disappearing around the boat making it look like she was grabbing her phone. When in reality, she was using a hairpin to deflate the other tire. Fallon stayed like that for a bit not realizing how long she took until she heard Lani’s protest to the guard. 

“No, she’s talking with her mom. Something private. Sh-she’s probably crying!” The kook shouted as the guard pushed her aside as saw Fallon defaulting the tire on purpose , giving him the realization of what was going on. He began walking backwards as the girls looked at him holding their hands up trying to keep him from running. But of course, that failed miserably as the man bolted towards the gate making the girls run to the inside of the car. 

“Shit! Shit! He’s gonna call the cops. We need to tell them.” Fallon closed the door and put her seat belt on as Lani turned on the car. 

“Just call Kie, we have to go.” and with that, she drove out of there leaving the pogues behind. After a while, they all met back at the Wreck feeling all of their stomachs growl. Kie immediately hugged her dad when he saw him as the pogues walked towards the tables. 

“Hey, Mike.” Lani waved sweetly as she walked towards the counter.

“Hey, how’s John doing?”

“Oh, he’s good. Just working with mom a lot.”

“That’s really nice. Can I get you anything?”

“Can I have the turkey sandwich? With fries?” she smiled, reaching into her purse to pull out her wallet. Mike nodded and walked away into the kitchen. Fallon stared at the whole interaction, feeling pissed on how Lani had “stolen” everything from her. The kook paid and left a $5 tip before walking towards the pogues, who were starting to sit down. 

The restaurant closed, only leaving them in there to eat. Kie turned up the radio as one of her favorite songs came on. She pointed at John B which resulted in them dancing. JJ stood up to throw something away when he saw Lani’s drawing, again. Giving him the perfect idea, to dance with her. 

JJ tapped her shoulder making her turn around as he extended his hand for her to grab. Lani timidly looked around and placed her hand on his, making him grab it immediately as he pulled her out of the chair. JJ started dancing with her as well as making funny faces to make her laugh. Fallon wasn’t laughing, at all. If looks could kill, there would be two dead bodies already. 

JJ swung her around and dipped as she laughed hysterically at the gesture since she has never really danced with anyone. As this all happened, Pope and Fallon sat drinking beers alone. He turned to her and raised his bottle to toast, making her chuckle. The bottles clinked together and they drank from it as the song ended. 

“Well, let’s get going guys.” John B announced as it was getting late. They threw away the wrappers and paper cups before stepping outside. Lani left with Kie since they lived close by to each other, which left Fallon with the boys.

“I think I’m gonna walk home.” she said as they got into the van.’

“You’re not gonna walk.” JJ refused, stepping out of the Twinkie.

“I am gonna walk. I need to think and some time alone.” and with that she walked away ignoring the pogue’s calls. 

“Just give her some space, man.” Pope said as he got in the Twinkie making JJ get back in and slam the door shut. Fallon walked hugging her figure as the cold night breeze went through the trees. She was reflecting on the day, about how Lani was actually nice to her but then her thoughts drifted to seeing her dance with JJ. Suddenly, car headlights shone behind her as the vehicle stopped next to her. The window rolled down to reveal Rafe.

“Hey Fal, what are you doing walking alone?” 

“Hi, I just… um.. Just needed to clear my head.” 

“Well, get in. Let me drive you home.” He said and leaned over to open the door for her. Fallon was hesitant at first but somehow felt comfort once she went inside the car. Rafe began to drive and kept looking at her and back at the road. 

“You look good.” he said, making her smile and slightly blush. 

“Stop doing that, Rafey.” 

“Doing what?” 

“Complimenting me to distract me.” 

“I just wanna make you feel better, that’s all.” he stared at the road as Fallon looked at him. She grabbed his hand making him look at her.

“Thank you for that, really.” 

“No problem.” The ride to Figure 8 was short and filled with comfortable silence. Once they pulled into the driveway, Rafe lowered the volume of the radio and turned to Fallon who was getting her bag ready. 

“Thank you for driving me.” she smiled as he nodded and gave her a small smirk. Suddenly, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, making him blush. 

“Goodnight, Rafe.” and with that she got out of the car, waving at him once she opened her front door. The kook stayed there for a bit, still feeling euphoric by the kiss. He smiled widely as he changed his car to R, making his way home. 

The next day, Pope wanted to try out the drone, making everyone go to the Chateau. It was like seeing a child open his christmas gift and seeing that it was what they asked for. Excited was an understatement. Kie, Fallon and John B swam around for a bit while JJ, Lani and Pope stayed on the dock to test it out. They wanted to make sure the camera was looking HD, that it’s motor was functioning and that nothing was broken. 

“What’s this?” JJ asked as he touched a button from the panel that controls the drone. 

“Don’t touch that. I’m trying to work out this thing.” Pope said, slapping the blonde pogue’s away. 

“God bless geeks, Pope. Truly, man. What would we do without you to control the drones?” he asked as he leaned against the railing while Lani chuckled in the background, still standing next to Pope. 

“It’s not a drone. It’s an ROV.”

“Shut up, shut up. It’s too early for that right now.” 

“It’s 12 in the afternoon, JJ.” Lani smiled as she lifted her head and looked at the blonde who shrugged and turned back to the marsh. The conversation turned to mention lawyers once the wreckage was found. Loud thunders would be heard as the pogues climbed out of the marsh. 

“In the wrong weather, it’s gonna get pushed around.” Lani stated as she squinted her eyes looking at the sky. A big gray cloud was going over the OBX making the kook feel a bit anxious. 

“Then we’ll go at dead calm.” John B suggested wrapping himself in a towel. Right after that, thunder interrupted his thoughts as it filled everyone’s ears. 

“Well, today’s not the day.” JJ said, looking at the sky. 

The next day had perfect weather which was also perfect to look for the Royal Merchant. Pope asked his dad for his boat and surprisingly, Heyward said yes. Which gave him the responsibility to pick everyone up. JJ took over the wheel and Lani stayed with him in the cabin while everyone else got the equipment ready. 

“All right, JJ! Pin it here!” John B shouted as the blonde nodded. 

“Roger that! X marks the spot.” he said and stared at Lani who was already staring at him with slightly scared eyes. 

“All right, ladies and gentleman. To going full kook.” The shaggy haired pogue smiled as Kie started lowering the drone into the water, immediately giving Pope a clear image of the ocean. It kept going down as John B checked the location of the boat hence the constant screaming.

“JJ, you're right over it. Ten seconds northwest!” 

“Got it!” the blonde shouted back as he steered the wheel in a quick speed making Lani be on the verge of falling over him once the boat turned. He chuckled at the kook causing her to roll her eyes.

“Careful there.”

“Yeah, yeah.” 

“One hundred feet!” Fallon shouted as she helped Kie lower the rope. Pope gasped in fear as he saw many animals which caused John B to be on edge. Inside the cabin, Lani and JJ were in comfortable silence as she stared at him. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“Yeah.” 

“Sorry, I asked, I just… you’re wearing a sweatshirt.. It's the middle of June.” Lani looked at JJ with worried eyes as he hesitated for an answer. Not wanting to tell her about his dad. 

“Four hundred feet!” Kie shouted, interrupting JJ’s thoughts as he turned to look back at the front of the boat. Thunder was heard all around as they all stared at the sky. 

“Guys, the tide’s turning.” Fallon said to John B making him look down at the boat monitor. 

“JJ, ten seconds easy, south-southeast.”

“Copy that.” the blonde replied as he turned the wheel again making Lani trip and crash into him. JJ extended his arm and stood her up, pulling her to between him and the wall.

“Stay there, k?” she nodded and chuckled a bit, making him smile. 

“JJ, 20 second mid speed, south.”

“Copy that! Aye, aye, cap.” The pogue kept steering and steering the wheel, not receiving any feedback from John B. 

“John B! Is That good?” Lani shouted from the cabin as JJ focused on the wheel.

“Yeah, we’re good!” He shouted only his thumb up. The shouts kept coming back and forth as a trom approached the boat. Thunder got louder and winds got stronger making it harder for the female pogues to handle the rope as JJ tried to keep the boat at the right position. 

“There’s too much current!” Kie shouted holding onto the rope, afraid that it would leave her grip. 

“We’re gonna lose it!” Fallon shouted as she lowered the drone a bit more. 

“No, we're not! Steady at this bearing, JJ!” John B shouted as the blonde followed instructions. The shouting went on as the girls yelled how far the drone was. 

“You should be seeing something, man.” he told Pope as he looked closely at the screen. 

“I know, I know! Wait.. oh God.” A silence filled the boat as the boys stared at the screen closely.

“What the hell is going on?” Lani asked under her breath looking at the boys. JJ turned his head and got confused as he quickly turned back to look at the storm. 

“Do you see anything?” he asked, suddenly hearing the boys laugh in cheer. 

“It’s the Royal Merchant!” John B shouted in victory as he saw the wreckage on the screen feeling as if his father was standing right there with him. 

good life: @ilovefandoms102 @agardenofbooks @cloverrover

[aurabird]

Unexpected Sympathy

Was in the mood to write some Empires hurt/comfort, but between two individuals you would not expect.

Sequel to this~

Tw: mentions of violence, torture and a panic attack but otherwise this is relatively tame

Also on Ao3

------------

The nightmare of being a prisoner within Xornoth’s dungeon had seemed and felt so real and flashes of it still blinked into Fwhips mind as he tried to calm himself.

The sky was dark, but save the sounds of the night there was no rain, no thunder, no harbinger of the demon’s presence. And yet, he shook like a leaf, curling up in fear as sobs escaped him.

It was pathetic. Him, the Lord of Darkness, crying in bed like a child.

A crash resounded from outside and Fwhip felt his blood run cold, the sound echoed like thunder and was followed by footsteps, a dark silhouette appearing in the doorway.

His heart raced as he scrambled out of the bed and pressed himself against the back wall. Xornoth had come for him, he knew it. He would be taken back...tortured and hurt some more... 

“Um...Fwhip, s-sorry to trespass like this but my elytra broke and I'm not really equipped right now to travel through the...

...Fwhip?”

When Jimmy had entered the room to apologize for trespassing, he had not expected to see Fwhip cowering like a cornered animal. The man’s eyes were puffy, the look in them one of fear and horror. Jimmy could tell that he’d been crying.

“G-Go away! You aren’t taking me back! I won’t go back! P-Please...have mercy...”

Jimmy’s expression morphed into one of concern at those words and slowly, he stepped into the light, his hands in front of him submissively as he approached his fellow royal. “Fwhip, mate...what’s gotten in to you? Its just me, Jimmy. You know, the Codfather? The guy who would very much like what you stole from him back?”

Yes the last bit was full of sarcasm and could be taken as passive-aggressive, but despite that fact it seemed to have worked. Jimmy saw Fwhip begin to relax, realization slowly fading into his eyes at who stood before him.

“J-Jimmy...?” Fwhip questioned, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yeah, Fwhip, it’s me. I’m here.”

The panicked breathing of Fwhip began to calm at those words and the tinkerer slumped against the wall in an undignified manner he clearly didn’t care about anyone seeing.

Sympathetically, Jimmy sat down across from him, eyes full of concern despite their empire’s current relations with each other.

“Why are you in my Empire this late at night?” Fwhip asked, the harshness in his voice masked by exhaustion, “You shouldn’t be here.”

Normally, at this point Jimmy would have made some form of comeback that would descend into either banter or an argument, but the Codfather knew what he’d seen. “My elytra broke and kinda crashed into some barrels near one of your village houses. I’d go through the Nether, but I’m not exactly equipped to traverse that place on foot.” he paused for a moment before continuing, “Maybe its good that I ended up here though; you were freaking out mate, like a cornered chicken about to be slain by Joel or something.”

A chuckle escaped Fwhip at Jimmy’s demeaning metaphor, "Thank you for that wonderful image of me.”

“What happened? I’ve never seen you like that before. You begged me for mercy as if I was going to kill you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I would totally do it if it meant getting my cod head back, but... ”

Fwhip didn’t want to admit it to his worst enemy, but the words left his mouth before he could stop them, “I dreamt that demon had me as a prisoner...that it was torturing me...corrupting me. It hurt so much...I felt like I was going to die.”

Mentions of the enigmatic entity that had recently shown up sent a chill down Jimmy’s spine, remembering quite well the horrifying encounter he’d had with it.

“Realistic nightmares aren’t fun, trust me, I should know.”

Fwhip let out a small laugh, “I find it hard to believe that you, the most upbeat person I know, have nightmares.”

Jimmy simply shook his head, “Well, there more like flashes of events that I feel I should remember but yet also don’t. Its always the same, starting with myself living in a flower forest with someone that looks suspiciously like Scott, only less...elf-like and that I think I’m married to.” Fwhip snorted at that; as if the elven king could want to be in a romantic relationship with anyone, let alone Jimmy of all people.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. Like I said, they looked like Scott. Anyway, all of us in this...dream? Memory? Whatever it is; have three lives before we’re dead, only a limited amount respawn magic in the world to bring us all back twice. I loose my first two to lava and an attempt to disarm a TNT trap...then loose my final one to an arrow through my head. Last thing I see is my husband’s face as I die in his arms before I wake up in bed here.”

The tale was so detailed, as if Jimmy had seen it countless times with each playthrough of it growing more and more complex and clear. If Fwhip didn’t know any better, he’d believe it was true, maybe it even was in some ways.

"I’ll admit, there's some parts of it that make no sense, such as the lack of respawn magic and the blurred figure that looks like Scott, but it feels so real you know? Maybe I should ask him if he has dreamt anything similar.”

Fwhip only nodded, a yawn escaping him. He was tired and his panic attack hadn’t really helped with that. He looked at the clock, there was still plenty of night left for him to sleep.

Jimmy seemed to get the message and moved to help him get back to his bed. Fwhip was out before his head even hit the pillow.

-

His eyes fluttered open, vision flooded with color as the world came into focus around him.

Slowly Fwhip sat up, looking around the room until he caught sight of a familiar cod hat and green robes sitting at the foot of the bed, eyes focused on a book and hand scribbling down words.

Jimmy must have heard him stir as the Codfather was quick to lay the items down and turn to him with a goofy smile on their face. “Hey Fwhip, how you feeling mate?”

“Better...you stayed here all night?”

“Couldn't really do much else with a broken elytra and all so yeah, I did.”

Fwhip sung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, going over to a chest and fumbling through its contents.

Eventually, he pulled out a stack of bottles, enchantment orbs floating around within them. “Here, to repair your elytra.”

Jimmy took the bottles graciously before shattering them against the damaged wings, the tears within the membranes sealing shut through magic.

With his elytra repaired, the Codfather thanked Fwhip and bid him farewell before leaving the storage room. However, just before he was about to take off he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“We never speak of last night again alright? I’m still going to make you work to get that cod head back.”

Jimmy simply grinned, “Wouldn’t expect anything less.”

With that, Fwhip watched him activate a firework and disappear into the distance.

His attention then turned to the amount of corruption in the area and he sighed. Gem would be coming over later to discuss Wither Rose Alliance matters and she would definitely kill him if he did not get the place cleaned up.

Time to get to work, he supposed.

[allsassnoclass]

okay so re: smutless long fics, I’ve tried to compile a list of fics as close to 50k words as possible since that’s the wordcount the anon cited and tbh my friends there really are not that many that I personally have read but I did my best.  All fics under the cut are over 30k and have either been verified good by me or my trusted friends

delete this transmission by @anxietycalling: 67k mashton sci-fi. I reread this one recently and it’s just as amazing the second time around I very highly recommend it

“Yeah,” he says, catching sight of his reflection in the dimly reflective surface and running fingers through his hair to fluff it up. And instead of getting on the mag-train home like he wants to, he catches the northbound train to the greenlawn with Calum. “You know, I think I might not go through with it,” he tells his best friend, meaning his activation. They sit together across from the back doors of the car and watch the adverts for an upcoming showing of ‘Titanic’ at the interactive theater. While Calum sits beside him silently he gnaws on a thumbnail and wonders whether it’s too late to get his money back.

“You can’t go back on it now,” Calum tells him.

And it’s true: His payment has already been processed, the credits removed from his profile. The invoice showed up in his e-net overnight and he’d added it to his encrypted folder. “It’s just - weird,” he says, weighing each of the words on his tongue before he speaks. “To be in charge of another person like that. I don’t want that responsibility.”

I’m a Falling Star by @pixiegrl: 55k lashton fantasy, very cute and sweet

A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars or do we gaze at them because we are human?” Pointless really. “Do the stars gaze back?” Now that’s a question.

Or: Ashton’s a shop boy setting out on a adventure to find a star to help grant a wish. Luke’s a star crashed to Earth looking for some help to get back home. They’re both in for more adventure than they bargained for.

I Wanna Sleep Next to You... by milecgv: 54k malum college au.  I read it over a year ago but I’m pretty sure I enjoyed it then

"Cuddle buddies, how can I help you?"

Pausing, Calum thought, he could just hang up. Get over the moment of weakness and face the rest of the night alone. He could do it. But the idea of spending one more second alone, brought a fresh pang of hurt to his heart and really, he couldn't bear it. Before his thought process could spiral out of control, the calm voice repeated itself.

"Um, yeah. I-, I need someone to-" He cut himself off because really, how was he going to phrase this?

Chuckling softly, the man on the other line interjected. "Sir, do you need someone to cuddle you?"

Shit, it was now or never. "Yeah. I-uh, I do." His voice came out so small, and he really hoped the man on the other side wouldn't pick up on how desperate he was.

~~~

Calum gets the opportunity to live out his dreams in New York City but it proves too much for him, and on a lonely night he ends up calling the professional cuddle service he swore he'd never call.

those are the only three completed fics over 50k that I personally can vouch for, but here are a few more longer ones I’ve read and I’ll link some over 50k that have gotten good reviews from my friends after those.

Destination: Perth by onlythevoid: 34k lashton 

The stranger swung into the seat next to him and sighed contentedly. Luke stole a glance from under his hat. It was a boy with light-brown messy hair, reminiscent of surfers Luke saw on the beach in Brisbane - he had a t-shirt on and black jeans, and fade-tint round-frame sunglasses propped on his straight nose.

The stranger caught Luke’s eyes.

“Hey?” The stranger asked. Shouldn’t have looked at him, Luke thought. Too late.

The stranger had set his sunglasses on his head and was peering below Luke’s cap. “Dude. You look terrible. Are you okay?”

Oh, so the stranger was one of those guys. Too friendly and ever-inquisitive. Yes, Luke looked like shit; he’d been crying for an hour at a time, every few hours, and all he’d had to eat in the past two days was some wet broccoli at the hospital and a bag of chips he’d bought that morning in Brisbane, and there were bruises all up and down his right arm from a car crash he wished he’d died in.

Luke didn’t say any of that. He prayed his voice would be steady and said, “Yes. Thanks.”

The messy-haired boy did not seem convinced. After a pause, he offered, “My name’s Ashton, by the way.”

hello, hello by @clumsyclifford: 30k lashton

For one long, blinking minute, Luke stares at Ashton and wonders if he’s hallucinating. Because that’s definitely Ashton. That’s Ashton Irwin, his former best friend from Sunny Days, the show they co-starred on as children.

But it’s also definitely Ashton Fletcher, professional film actor worth many millions, possibly hundreds of millions, of dollars, standing on his doorstep, wind ruffling his hair.

Now for the fics that I haven’t read but can confidently say are good through a rigorous peer review system (aka I have friends who read them/I have read and enjoyed other works by these people)

home is wherever you are tonight by @lifewasradical: 72k lashton. this one is on my tbr, I have only heard good things, and I’ve read other things by Amanda and trust her as a writer

Life has become so mundane in the past few years that there’s very little that sends a thrill up Luke’s spine anymore. It’s that idea that had him saying yes to the idea of moving out here for a few weeks anyways: the knowledge that this was a completely new place where no one knew his name. He could be anyone he wanted to be here, within reason. He wouldn’t be seeing any of these people again after May, so what’s the harm in becoming a new person for a bit? Someone not so bogged down by the shit in their head that they can’t get out of bed some mornings. Maybe this is a step in the direction of the person Luke wants to be in the future anyways.

Or, Luke inherits a beach house on a tiny costal island that needs some work. He didn't plan on falling in love with the guy at the hardware store.

world war series by prettyluke: 58k lashton historical au. Megs really likes this one and I trust her judgement

Even after months of seeing bodies ripped apart by bullets and bombs, Ashton still isn't prepared to be ripped apart by the fragile German soldier who has seen far more than any child should.

and

Luke shows up in Britain after 25 years right in time for World War Two to start, and Ashton has been waiting for someone to yank him from his melancholy since Christmas of 1914.

i’ll keep on fighting (just to make you believe) by @squishmichael: 33k muke I have heard good things about this one, have read other works by Taylor and trust them as a writer, and also I did skim this one when it first came out and it’s good I just need to sit down and fully read while paying attention

“Hi, Mike,” Luke says softly.

Michael might have cried from hearing his voice so clearly, not through a phone line, but instead his smile just gets bigger and bigger until his cheeks hurt.

“Hey, Luke,” he replies before throwing himself at Luke, arms looping around his neck and holding tight.

“Easy there, tiger,” Luke says with a chuckle, but he hugs Michael back.

It feels so different, all the shapes and sizes wrong, yet Michael has never felt so at home, melting right into the hug. Luke still fits so perfectly against him despite everything. Because it’s them, and they’re meant to be, and Michael never wants to let go.

*

In which Luke is finally coming home to Australia for the summer after two years, and everything should be perfect. Michael quickly realizes nothing is.

Under the High Low Lights I See You There by @pixiegrl: 33k lashton 90s bar au. I have heard a lot of good things and I have read and enjoyed Emily’s writing

Luke moves onto cleaning the glasses, sneaking glances over at him, admiring the open blue flannel he’s wearing with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his chest in the white tank top he’s wearing and the pull of it over his muscles, the acid wash denim pants straining over his thighs. He’s attractive and Luke knows he shouldn’t be looking, shouldn’t be so obvious in his stares, but he can’t help it. The man was made to be admired.

Or: It’s the summer of 1996 in New York City when Luke meets Ashton at his bar. Things aren’t always as they seem.

He Did Ballet by @kaleidoscopeminds: 34k cake. people love this one and meg is a great writer

Like the way he danced, everything in Luke's life was perfectly placed, an allegro exercise all on beat, an enchainment with no mistakes. The last thing he needed was a distraction, something to pull his attention away and make him stumble, like losing your spot during a series of fouettés. He glances back towards the bar and sees Calum still looking in his direction. Luke catches his eye again by mistake for just a second too long and Calum smiles slowly and winks at him. Luke shivers slightly and already feels slightly unbalanced. Calum is definitely not a good idea.

Luke's life is perfectly on track. He is about to get everything he's ever wanted, to become a Principal dancer for the Royal Ballet. He's focused, determined and nothing will get in his way. Then he meets Calum, a smooth-tongued barman with dangerous eyes, and suddenly not everything's so simple.

The Sun Is Burning Down Los Angeles by @burstingsunrise: 40k cake. have heard good things and Molly is a good writer

Calum probably signed a form saying he wouldn’t fall in love with the lead singer of the band. And he really doesn’t want to. What a cliché. It’s just…people get famous for a reason. This guy got famous for all the reasons.

***

Calum moves to LA to work for 5SOS.

[saltymiraculer]

Ceremonial Kisses (Part 2 of 3)

Ahhhhh, thank you for all the support I’ve gotten on this fic! It is with great pleasure I present to you *trumpet noise* Part 2 of Ceremonial Kisses!

I apologize for the huge wait, and I’m really sorry about my update schedule in general. 

Also, you might notice that around the middle of this chapter, the writing gets a little bit choppy, and I’m super sorry about that! My apartment just decided to evict anyone with a cat, and I’m under a lot of stress right now. Thankfully, it gets smoother towards the end!

Happy reading!

Part 1 | Part 3

                                                    -🌸-

After ten minutes of gorging themselves on the Chinese equivalents of Kit-Kats and Lays chips, they pulled up to a hotel.

“Whaf, wewen’t we goih to da cashale?“ Nino asked, his mouth stuffed with cookies. Marinette shot him a disgusted look. He swallowed and took a swig of soda. “Wait, weren’t we going to the castle?“

Marinette had been thinking the same thing. This couldn’t be an ancient Chinese palace–it looked like a hotel!

“My instructions have changed. I was informed you would be staying at the Overseas Suites instead.“ The driver (she still didn’t know his name) said, pulling up to the front of the hotel.

As soon as they stepped out, they remembered that time zones existed.

It was 5:00 PM there.

They were going to be up all night.

The driver handed Marinette a gold-embossed business card with a phone number written on it.

“Call me whenever you need a lift, miss Marinette.“ He stepped back into the car and drove off.

Marinette shrugged and stuffed the card in her pocket. “Well, that was weird. Let’s go inside now, it’s freezing.” 

As soon as they walked inside, Bustier scurried up to them.

“Where were you? You had me worried sick!“

Before anyone could say anything, the chauffeur from earlier appeared.

“I am Marinette’s uncle, ma’am. I heard she was going to be staying in China for a week and I just had to see her. The school was informed that I would be picking her and her friends up.“

“Oh–well–you still should have told me where you were going!“

“But shouldn’t you have already known?“ Marinette asked sweetly. “I mean, you were informed of it, weren’t you?“

Ha. She had her there!

“W-well, yes, technically, I was…but it’s time to go to your rooms! Off you go, everybody!“

“Oh, wait, I’m sharing a room with Marinette, right?“ Alya asked.

“Yeah, I think so.“

“Shit. Guys, I’ve got to share a room with Adrien. Say your prayers, ‘cause I don’t know if I’ll make it out alive.“

Oh, right. I guess it’s time to explain.

Adrien had stayed with his “high road” approach, but not in the way that she had expected. He started treating Lila to lunch, buying her jewelry, asking her to school dances, the whole shebang.

But it was all so forced that nobody believed any of it, and one day, all the ‘affection’ had just stopped.

Lila milked it for all it was worth, blaming Marinette and Nino and Alya, and the president of some far-off African country, and Adrien...

Something changed.

His face was more gaunt and his cheeks were more hollow, and he barely ever talked to anyone, just shrugged them off and turned away.

He was, to put it frankly, terrifying.

Which was not good for Nino at all.

“Oh, I’m sorry, class, but Ivan will be sharing a room with Nino. Adrien and Nathaniel will be roommates.“

All three of them heaved a sigh.

“Okay, so I’m sleeping tonight, that’s a plus.“ Nino joked. “What are we doing for dinner?“

“Um, I think Bustier said there was food already in the rooms. There are kitchenettes and, like, boxes of pasta and stuff. The trip was sponsored by–“ Marinette suddenly froze. She was contemplating how to finish her sentence when Alya finished it for her.

“–By your family, right?“

“Yeah. It feels so weird to say that, like–me? A princess? I’d probably trip over my own dress.“

“I know what you mean, girl. Now, let’s go get some food.“

After scurrying back up to their respective rooms and scarfing down some fettuccine, they fell asleep almost immediately, despite it being only about 3:00 in Paris.

Which, in hindsight, was probably why they woke up at two in the morning and started eating Cheerios with chocolate milk.

“Marinette, it’s so early!“ Alya said, stretching her arms towards the ceiling. “What should we do until it’s time for the first tour?“

“Wanna play Uno?“

And play Uno they did, a six-round monstrosity that lasted five hours and many draw-four cards.

There was a knock on the door and they both whipped around. “Girls, are you awake yet?“ a muffled voice asked. “You have to be down in the lobby in ten minutes!”

Alya and Marinette looked at each other. “Shit!” they yelled, jumping up and grabbing clothes out of drawers. They took the elevator down to the lobby after getting dressed, only to face something that made them wish they hadn’t.

Lila.

“And since the princess was so touched by what I did for her, she told me that she’d grant me any favor!“

“So…what was the favor?“ Mylene asked, inching closer.

“I asked her to bring our class on this trip, of course! Because I love my friends–unlike some people.“ She tilted her head in Marinette and Alya’s direction.

“When did you get here? Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?“ Kim shouted.

A few of them turned pink and tried to turn away.

“No, but I’m sure we’ll hear plenty of other horrible things about ourselves from you guys on this trip.“ Marinette said.

“Oh, get over yourselves! Lila’s the one who got us here, and she can kick you out just as easily. Right, Lila?“

“Of course! Marinette, I really want to be friends, but after the way you’ve treated everyone, it’s only fair I had to do what I did!“

“Oh? And what exactly did you do?“ Alya challenged, putting her hands on her hips. Alix smirked and nudged Kim with her elbow.

“Let’s just say…some of the tours might not be for you.“ Sabrina interjected, swiping something on a familiar white tablet. Marinette’s eyes widened. “Did you steal Bustier’s tablet just so you could take us off the tours? You risked suspension for that?!”

“Well, Mari-nette, you should be surprised to know that some people are willing to take risks for their friends.“ Kim snapped over his shoulder, earning many a nod from Lila’s entourage.

“Kids!“ Bustier yelled, startling them all. “What are you doing with my tablet?“

“Um–uh_Marinette stole it and threw it to us!“ Lila replied nervously.

Everyone turned to Marinette. “Marinette, I expect better from you! You just earned yourself a week of detention when we get back to Paris.“ She whisked the tablet out of Sabrina’s arms before Marinette could protest, and turned around, taking a deep breath.

When she faced the class again, she had a smile back on her face.

“Okay! Today, we will be touring a replica of one of the ancient Chinese palaces. Please behave yourselves.“

She started walking out, and the class followed her, Alya and Marinette tagging behind. Nino joined them soon after.

“So, that was weird.“

“No kidding.“

Once they had stepped off the bus in front of the palace, everyone stopped. Of course, they had all done a bit of googling about the places they would visit, but seeing everything live and in person was taking it to a whole new level.

“Whoa,“ they whispered. Even Lila, who wanted nothing more than to break something, was dumbfounded by this wonder of architectural beauty.

Miss Bustier was the one to break the silence. Clearing her throat, she said “Well, shall we head inside?”

As they shuffled inside, Marinette secretly wished she had about eight more eyes so she could take in everything she was seeing. But she had to be on high alert, Lila and her crew were sure to pull something nasty.

“Ah, and this,“ Bustier gasped. “This is one of the things I was looking most forward to seeing.

“As you all know, the princess will be coronated soon, and this is exactly why I wanted to take you here. This is a replica of an ancient Chinese coronation hall, isn’t it breathtaking?“

Lila snapped out of her trance and elbowed Kim, whispering something in her ear that made both of them snicker. 

“Hey, Marinette!“ he yelled, running up to her. “What are you doing?“ Marinette watched in horror as he pushed a porcelain vase off of a pedestal, backing away immediately so she was the only one in the area.

Everything seemed to go in slow-motion after that.

Everyone in the room turning to them.

Lila’s grin turning up towards her ears in an almost Grinch-like fashion.

Marinette diving to catch the delicate artifact and balancing it in one hand just before it smashed on the floor.

Security appearing to lecture them.

“Now, miss, what you did was punishable by law,“ one of them said. “And by nature I’ll have to ask you and your whole gang to leave, if you don’t want the royal family to press charges.“

“The-the royal family?“ Lila squeaked. Marinette sighed and stood up.

“I’m sorry, sir,“ she said, hanging her head.

“Wait just a second!“ Someone in the crowd yelled. “That guy in the red hoodie pushed it–I saw it with my own two eyes! The girl saved the vase!“

“Yeah, why don’t you go check the security cameras? I’m sure the girl was the one who stopped it from breaking!“

“No, no, I’m quite sure I saw Marinette push the vase.“ Bustier interrupted. “She’s quite the troublemaker, and it wouldn’t be inconceivable for that to happen.“

“I’m terribly sorry, miss, but only once we review the security footage can we make a decision.“

They left with a promise to return as soon as they were done, and everyone started at Marinette.

Nino was the first to speak.

“Alright, who’s gonna fess up? Marinette didn’t do it, I didn’t do it, Alya didn’t do it. So who did?“

Marinette saw the look on Lila’s face. There was no wriggling out of this one.

“Kim did it! I saw…he tried to warn Marinette about a huge bug, but she had this evil look on her face and moved out of the way…and Kim accidentally pushed the vase.“

“What?! That never happened.“ Nino said, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, I was there the whole time, and there weren’t any bugs.“ Alya said, leaning against a wall. “Give it up, Lila. The security guys’ll be back in a minute.“

“Actually, we’re already here.“ said a deep voice. “The boy’ll need to come with us.“

“Oh, please don’t!“ Bustier cried. “He’s only a kid, he didn’t know any better!“

                                                         -🌸-

“I’m sorry, miss, but the security footage suggests otherwise. Though, if you pay a fine, all charges will be dropped.“

“What’s the amount?“ She asked nervously, pulling out her checkbook and hoping euros would translate into whatever the Chinese currency was. 

“794.71 yuan.”

“Do you take euros?“ Caline asked weakly. Nino glared at her, and several of her students looked dumbfounded.

“You didn’t bring Chinese money…on a trip to China?! Even Kim brought some!“

Kim suddenly looked scared. “I don’t have to give up my money, do I?”

She sighed. “No, you don’t. If anything, Marinette should be the one paying. How much is that in euros?“

“100, I believe. We do take euros, if you’ll follow me.“ She sighed and shrugged. 

“Kids, please don’t push anything else over. I’ll be right back.“

                                                        -🌸-

As soon as Bustier hurried away after leading them outside, everyone glared at Marinette except Alya and Nino. Lila still didn’t understand why they had left her, Alya had just stormed up to her one day and yelled, but that was besides the point.

“Marinette, how could you blame this all on Kim? Now Miss Bustier has to pay eight hundred euros!“ Lila cried, earning Marinette a few glares.

She smirked inwardly. Now, if only she could have gotten Marinette arrested…

“Eight hundred yuan, Lila. It’s only a hundred euros, and besides, it would have cost much more if Marinette hadn’t caught the vase.“ Nino said, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, but she’s gonna call my mom. Do you know how long she’s gonna ground me for? Thirty years!“

“Marinette, what is wrong with you?“ Alix accused. “You seriously need an attitude adjustment. And I think I know just what we need to adjust.“ She whispered something into Lila’s ear and smirked.

“But hey, all disagreements aside, do you want a drink?“ Lila asked, shoving Marinette backwards. She stumbled a bit, and Nino and Alya tried to stop her, but she fell back into a large fountain and emerged a second later, sopping wet.

Her hair had come out of the bun, her makeup was running, and her clothes were soaked through.

Everything was going according to plan. “Oh, Marinette, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to…I was only trying to squish a mosquito!”

“Mosquito?“ Marinette seethed through gritted teeth. Her expression was terrifying. 

Lila backed away, as did most of the class. “This was one-of-a-kind, Lila. You ruined it. Chloé should know!“

Everyone turned to Chloé for an answer to the nonexistent question. “I didn’t get her that shirt on purpose! My mom did!” She yelled, ducking into a bathroom. Lila shrugged.

“Marinette!“ Bustier screamed, appearing at just the right time. “What are you doing?!”

Lila interrupted Marinette before she could even speak. “Marinette was trying to push me into the fountain, but I dodged.“ She glanced to the side, where Nino was helping Marinette dry off with handfuls of paper towels. She frowned, then looked over at Alya.

Bad idea.

“Miss Bustier, I have a question. Why would Marinette, one of the most non-violent people we know, try to push Lila into a fountain? Especially after she was just proven innocent? Do you really think that she would compromise her innocence like that?“

Miss Bustier looked alarmed. Lila gritted her teeth–she would have to lay low for a while if she wanted anyone to believe that Marinette would do anything wrong.

They're such idiots, she thought to herself. I’ve got practically the whole class under my thumb.

“Lila? Are you coming? We’re going back to the hotel so nothing else gets damaged.“ She shot a pointed look at Marinette, who was dripping all over the floor.

“O-of course, Miss!“

They caught a bus back to their resort, and Lila was delighted to see that Nino’s efforts had come to no avail trying to distance Marinette from the older men who approached her from behind.

                                                       -🌸-

“Marinette, I can’t believe that little liar.“ Alya said, seething. “She must be getting cocky. Like a game of ‘catch me if you can.’ She’ll have to lay off you for a few days if she wants anything to be believable, though.“

Marinette was toweling off her hair, deep in thought.

“This isn’t like her. Normally, she would stop after the vase and lay off for the rest of the day, maybe badmouth me a little at dinner, but know when to quit.“

“Well, I think you should just bop her in the head with your yo-yo.“ Alya added.

“Agreed!“ Trixx squeaked.

“I don’t normally condone using the Miraculous for selfish purposes, but I’ll let this one slide. You know what to do, Marinette! Get those spots on!“

“Guys,“ Marinette sighed, tossing the towel onto her bed. “That’s not the point. I just want a peaceful few days before I have to deal with her again. Is that too much to ask?“

“Not at all, Marinette!“ Tikki said, nuzzling her cheek. “Just know that I’m always here if you need me!“

“Thanks,“ she whispered.

                            Two Glorious, Lila-free days later...

“So, Marinette, it’s your free day!” Tikki chirped, patting Marinette’s face. “What do you want to do?”

“Sleep,“ she grumbled.

“No, silly! I mean after you visit your family!“

Marinette bolted upright. “What?!”

“You didn’t remember? You’re supposed to meet your biological parents today for brunch at 10.“

“And what time is it now?“ She asked, jumping out of bed to see if Alya was awake.

“5:30.“

“So I only have four hours to get ready?! That’s not nearly enough!“

“Marinette...? Why are you up so early...?“ Alya mumbled sleepily.

“I’m meeting my family!“ she squawked.

Alya sat up and put on her glasses. “Oh. Want me to help you get ready?“ she asked, walking over to the kitchenette for a glass of water.

“That would be great. Now, can you hurry up!?“

Alya took a long sip. “Calm down, Marinette. Do you want them to think you’re nervous all the time? You don’t want that in a princess. Take a deep breath.“ Marinette glared. Taking a deep breath, she focused on how tranquil she would be.

Her mom would probably be there. Wait–mom–not really her mom, but who she...used to think her mom was? Agh, now she was nervous again!

“So, Marinette, what do you want to wear? Something more traditional, or something that’s a little more...you?“ Alya asked, setting her empty cup down on the counter.

“I don’t want to offend them by just wearing, like, a nice blouse and jeans...but I don’t want to overdress. What do I do?“

Alya munched on a bagel thoughtfully. “Do you still have that qipao dress from a few months ago? The pretty pink one with cherry blossoms on it?“

Marinette nodded and pulled a blur of pink fabric out of her suitcase. She shut the bathroom door, and when she came out a second later, she thought that maybe she actually had a chance to make a good first impression.

On her mom.

Hoo boy.

                                                      -🌸-

When Marinette stepped out of the bathroom, Alya immediately started squealing. “Marinette, you look perfect!”

The outfit was simple, no more than a short-sleeved, a-line dress if not for the neckline, which resembled a traditional qipao, adorned with tiny embroidered flowers.

Marinette twirled around. “You like it? I was thinking of wearing those light pink heels. What do you think?”

“Do it.“

                         🌸 at brunch because op sucks 🌸

“Good morning, miss. Where are you headed today?“

Marinette glanced down at the little card in her hands. “The east dining room, please.”

The man at the desk raised his eyebrows so high they were in danger of disappearing into his curly grey hair. “Right this way, your Royal Highness.” he said, pointing her towards an entryway with a significantly fancier arch than the rest.

She walked down a seemingly endless hallway, wondering when she would get to eat, when the narrow room exploded into a dining room larger than her house.

“Ah, hello…Marinette.“ a peaceful voice greeted her. “I’ve been waiting for you!“

“Hi.“ was all she managed to squeak out. The lady in front of her was stunningly beautiful, with black hair that fell in a curtain down to her waist, wearing nearly the same dress as her, but in what looked like red silk.

“Sit, please!“ she said eagerly. “I’d love to get to know you.“

Marinette awkwardly positioned herself in ont of the high-backed chairs.“Okay.“

The lady sat on the chair opposite from her. “My name is Fei. I’m so sorry to have just...left you with my cousin for years, but I really do hope you can forgive me. This is all a bit hectic–trust me, I know–but I believe that if we can get along, this will go smoothly. What do you say?”

Fei had a warm smile, but there was a nervous undertone to her words. She had felt that way before, and a new feeling coursed through her body. Marinette moved forwards forwards and hugged her. “I’d like that.”

She seemed surprised at first, but hugged her back immediately but then let go almost as fast. “Look, I’m just ecsatic, about this, but if it’s uncomfortable calling me ‘mom’, or anything else, I need you to know that it’s okay. You can call me Fei, you can call me mom, you can call me māmā, anything you want. Okay?”

“Thank you.“ Marinette said, looking down. “It’s nice to know I have you. I think it’ll take a while for me to…adjust, but I’m so happy to know that you’re okay with that. Now, can we stop being so serious and eat?“

She beamed. “That sounds great, Marinette!”

After a few minutes of slightly awkward eating, Marinette cleared her throat. “So, other than the whole coronation thing, are there any other princess-y things I’ll have to do while I’m here?”

Fei choked on her water. “Actually…” she coughed. “I’m glad you asked. See, this is only day three of your 10-day trip. We need to get outfits, jewelry, speeches, everything prepared, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to do it all in time.”

Marinette was soeechless. This was unexpected.

“But that’s not all. I have to intruduce you to my mother, my husband, the whole royal family. “ She was sounding increasingly stressed with each sentence. “Everything has to be taken into account.“

“Hey, it’ll be okay!“ Marinette assured. “Things happen. They’ll sort themselves out. I promise.“

“I know. I have to be calm and levelheaded, or else my mom will take over. If that happens, you’ll end up naked at your coronation, or worse, if my husband takes responsibility, he’ll give it to my mom three days later. Do you know what I mean?“

Marinette nodded. “I know, but sometimes things will just happen. But other times, you have to work for them, you know? As long as you don’t give up on it, it will work out. I promise.”

“Hah–usually I’m the one giving the pep talks. Thank you, Marinette, I-I really needed that. How about you go and…meet up with some of your friends? No use in talking to a boring old lady any longer. Go on!“ she said, motioning towards the door.

Marinette turned back and smiled. “Um...bye, I guess!” she murmured, waving.

                                                     -🌸-

“So, Alya, when’s Mari getting back from breakfast with her peeps?” Nino asked as they walked down the street.

“I don’t know. I’ll text. If she replies, she’s free. If she doesn’t, she’s still the–“

“Hey guys, what’d I miss?“ Marinette asked, appearing in front of them. he screamed. “Where did you come from?“

“Brunch.“

“Marinette? You’re already done? We were about to go check out some of the tourist shops.“ Alya remarked, scrolling through something on her phone. Nino rolled his eyes.

“We were going to text you, but since you’re already here, what do you want to do?“ he questioned. Marinette fidgeted with her dress.

“Actually, that sounds fun. Which ones were you thinking?“

“Um, there’s actually one right there.“ Nino said, pointing around her to a shop with neon signs covering the whole window. “It looks fun.“

“So let’s go!“

They walked into the shop, the door jingling cheerfully behind them, and immediately things started catching their eyes. “Oh. My. God. Nino, are you seeing these?” Alya blurted. “They have Carapace merch. We’re world famous!”

Marinette was examining a bracelet with plastic rhinestones on it. “This looks like the bracelet from yesterday’s museum. Isn’t it pretty?” She dug through the bin. “Oh, they have other replicas, too? Awesome.”

Nino walked around, perusing the shelves, not really finding anything that sparked his interest. He picked up a trinket here and there, maybe checked a price tag, but wasn’t very interested. But then he saw it.

“An authentic OctoInk ‘I ain’t callin’ you a truther’ t-shirt? The printing block had an extra line, and only 47 of these were made!“

“Dude.“ Alya and Marinette whispered simultaneously.

“Um, how much is this shirt?“ Nino asked innocently, showing it to the girl at the register. She looked up uninterestedly, blowing a bubble with her gum.

“8 yuan.“ She scoffed. “Like that thing would sell for any more.“

“Hey, this is a nearly one-of-a-kind piece that–mmph!“

“Don’t tell her it’s supposed to be expensive!“ Alya hissed in his ear. “That’s the opposite of what you do!“

Wayzz poked him from his pocket. “She is not wrong, Nino. Purchase the shirt for eight yuan, if it makes you so happy.”

“I’ll take it.“ he said. Marinette put her bracelet on the register with an ‘eh, what the heck?‘ sort of expression. Alya placed a tiny glass turtle on the counter, and Nino felt a flush spreading over his face.

Alya smiled.

                                                    -🌸-

“So, Marinette, why did you get that bracelet?“ Alya asked once they had left the shop. “It looks pretty real, but you have way nicer jewelry at home. Like the necklace you wore this morning?“

“Yeah, but this one looks like the one from the museum. I know it seems silly, but it feels special.“ she said, twisting it around her wrist.

“Nah, I get it. And speaking of special, here comes a special little liar.“

Marinette’s head straightened immediately. “Aw, shit. And here I was thinking this would be a nice day.“

“Oh, hello, Marinette!“ Lila purred, snaking into the space between Nino and her. “I love your bracelet. It looks expensive…“ and with that, she sauntered away, all other interactive possibilities completely wasted.

“Well, that went better than I’d hoped.“ Nino chuckled.

“Ooh, Nino, there’s an art gallery! Want to check it out?“

“Sure thing, babe!“ He turned to Marinette. “Wanna come?“

“You can go without me, I’m going to get a bite to eat.“

“But–didn’t you just get back from–never mind.“ They walked into the gallery, chatting about who-knows-what.

Marinette spun around, and immediately someone on a blue bike yelled a split second before they knocked her over.

“Aaaack, my bike!” A male voice yelled. Marinette tried to open her eyes and stood up. A pale boy with bangs that hung over his eyes stared at her. “Sorry, I guess…”

Marinette stared back. “Okay?” she whispered. Maybe it wasn’t going to be a free day after all.

Just as she was about to ask for his name, her stomach growled like an angry Godzilla.

He chuckled.

“You wanna grab a bite? I know a place.“

“Sure. What’s your name?“

“Jianyu.“

“Marinette.“

He opened the door to a little sandwich restaurant and walked in, but let it swing shut behind him in Marinette’s face. Rude. Once they were seated and Marinette was starting to get a little annoyed at him–it was like he didn’t even notice her–he decided it was time to order.

Jianyu snapped at one of the waitresses to get her attention and whistled to get her to come over. She walked over with a pained expression on her face, then plastered on a smile.

“How may I help you today?“

“I’ll have pork dumplings and a Pepsi, the lady’ll have the chicken salad.“

“Actually, I was going to get–“ Marinette started.

“Sorry, sweetheart.“ he said, shoving the waitress away and turning back to her. “But why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself while she’s gone?“

I know that when I’m crowned princess, I’ll kick your scrawny ass, she thought. But she didn’t say that–in fact, she didn’t say anything, just got up from her chair and knocked Jianyu’s water glass down his front.

She swept out of the store before she could hear his cursing.

Yeah, that date was over.

And–being Marinette–as soon as she stormed out of the restaurant, she slammed into a cute girl with her wavy black hair in a ponytail, wearing leggings and a red hoodie.

“Oh, no, are you alright?“ she gasped, checking Marinette over for injuries.

“I’m fine.“ Marinette grumbled. She wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone else she bumped into, not if they were going to be like him.

“You don’t sound fine. I’m Chuntao.“

“Oh–um, I’m Marinette. Little tip, don’t go in there unless you like being catcalled.“

Chuntao frowned. “Hm. I think my brother told me he was going there for lunch–I wouldn’t put it past him to do that.“ She walked in and came out a second later, dragging Jianyu out by the ear.

“What do you have to say for yourself?“

“Marinette!“ he shouted. “I didn’t do anything! Back me up!“

“You called me ‘sweetheart’.“

“Mom’s gonna kick your ass,“ Chuntao growled, letting go of Jianyu’s ear. He scampered away, and she turned back to Marinette, rubbing her temples.

“I’m so sorry for him, but you seem like a really cool person. Can I get your number?“

“Y-yeah, totally!“ Marinette swapped phones with Chuntao, slightly dazed. She handed her phone back and waved.

“Thanks, Marinette! Text me later!“ She yelled, jogging away.

“See you…”

“So, who was that?“ Alya asked, appearing at her shoulder.

“Waugh! Alya! You know…maybe we should sit down first.“

                                                        -🌸-

“So…what if I’m gay?“

Alya and Nino simultaneously choked on their drinks.

Alya dabbed at her face with a napkin. “Marinette, darling, may I know the circumstances that have led you to entertain this line of inquiry? Because what the fuck?”

“Tell me all about her.” Nino said, resting his chin in his hands.

“Well, she saved me from a really sucky dude,“

“Hm. So she’s already a nice person.“ Alya remarked.

“And she’s super pretty,“

“So are you, honestly. But that’s off-topic.“

“And I haven’t had a real crush on a boy, like, ever,“

“And you went out with Kagami a few months ago, too. That settles it, Marinette! You are most definitely likely probably gay!“ Nino announced, raising his virgin Piña Colada in a toast.

Alya clinked her Shirley Temple against Marinette’s glass. “So, Marinette, it’s your free day. Only 48 hours until the coronation. How are you feeling?”

“Honestly, I d–“

“Hands in the air!“ an amplified voice screamed. “You’re under arrest!“

.

Tags: @professionalfangirl1738 @kuroko26 @k-poplunardreams @smolplantmum @heaven428 @briareris @dnsakina @purplesundaze @bloodydragon000 @mimika-28 @strawberrycheesecakebar @k-laconia-bug1@kristycocopop @abrx2002 @wannajointhecrabcult @mochegato @lozzybowe @ozwaltwashere @flufflepuffle296 @fandom-trapped-03 @nanakeid @hetalia-lover-is-here @futursworld @pale-lady-dreamer @susiej1118 @lostinthewrongfandom @fantasyfandommaiden @aestheticnpoetic @feliciakainzofspades @schrodingers25 @echpr

[theclockworkmonk]

Cultural Exchange

Written for @kataang-week

Day 2: Blending Cultures

Words: 2,009

Read on AO3

Read on FF.net

Summary: Katara has some selfish reasons for encouraging Aang to explore Fire Nation culture.

*******

Katara was starting to get worried as she walked up to Zuko's old family house on Ember Island. The outdoor furniture was smashed and splintered, and the door was ajar, hanging off its hinges. She sped up, beginning to panic, and ran up the stairs onto the porch.

She threw the door all the way open forcefully. "Hello!? Aang?"

She was greeted by a chorus of pained male groans.

"Close the door!" Haru wailed, shielding his eyes from the bright morning light that was now flooding the front room of the house. All the other young men, basically every male friend their group had made since leaving the South Pole, gave similar cries of distress from where they were strewn haphazardly across sofas and armchairs.

Katara sighed in relief, but then grew annoyed at the boys for scaring her. Instead of closing the door, she moved to the windows and threw all the curtains open.

"You're evil!" moaned Te'o from the floor, where he had fallen out of his chair.

"What exactly happened to those plans for a laid back, calm bachelor party?" Katara asked the room harshly, "How did it go? 'Oh don't worry, Katara, Zuko's not one to throw wild parties!'"

"Uggghhh, I"m not, but I'm friends with a lot of bad influences," came a weak voice from under a coffee table.

Katara laughed at the sight of the soon-to-be-married Firelord crawling out from under the table, looking like he had been put through a dozen successive Agni Kais. But her laughter died and she gasped when she saw what was on Zuko's head.

"Zuko, what happened!?"

"What does it look like? Your brother got us drunk."

"No, I mean what happened to your hair!"

Katara bent all the water from a nearby vase and froze it into a flat, shiny mirror, and held it up to Zuko's face. His eyes widened in horror and he leapt to his feet, upending the table.

All of his hair had been reduced to a narrow strip down the center of his head. That hair had been left long, and was tied back, but both sides of it had been shaved down to his scalp.

He recognized this look. It was exactly the way Sokka had his hair when Zuko had first encountered him.

"Aw Zuko, I'm touched!" crooned Katara dramatically. "Showing your support for rebuilding Southern Tribe culture by sporting a warrior's wolf tail!"

Zuko stared in disbelief at his reflection. He raised his shaking hands to the sides of his face.

"I look like I stuck my head between two grinding stones," Zuko muttered.

"Oh, don't say that, I'm sure once the Firelord is seen sporting this hairdo at his wedding, it will be all the rage across the Fire Nation," said Katara with a grin.

Zuko buried his face in his hands. "Oh, spirits, the wedding! Mai's going to kill me."

Katara was about to agree, but was interrupted by a scream of anguish and horror coming from the bathroom.

Katara and Zuko both bolted across the room and down the hall. She whipped out her bending pouch, ready to slice the door open, but lucky it was still unlocked. She kicked the door open and her blood froze in fear again as she saw Sokka doubled over, his face buried in the sink and his hands over his head.

"Sokka, what's wrong!?" asked Katara urgently, placing her hands on her brother's back. "Are you hurt—oh…."

She jumped back and gasped when Sokka turned to face her, his lip quivering.

He was completely bald, with a crude painted blue arrow leading from the back of his head, ending between his eyebrows.

Katara's chuckle at Zuko's expense was nothing compared to the explosion of laughter that erupted out of her now. She had to put a hand on the wall to steady herself as she shook until she was out of breath.

"Well, it was just a regular festival of cultural exchange last night, wasn't it?" she squeaked out.

"This isn't funny, Katara!" said Sokka desperately. "You don't understand, it's not coming off! It's real! And my hair! Next time I visit home, my brain is gonna freeze!"

"Oh, calm down," she said dismissively. She grabbed her brother's cheeks and pulled him down to inspect his new body art. "There's no inflammation on the skin, it's not a real tattoo. You just found some...wow, really durable face paint."

She looked him in the eye suspiciously. "Where did you get this stuff?"

"Uuuuhhh," said Sokka uncertainly. He turned to Zuko. "Where did we get this stuff?"

"Uuuuhhh," Zuko concurred.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Seriously? You don't even remember last night?"

"I can remember most of it," said Zuko defensively. "Things just get a little fuzzy after that bottle of moonpeachshine got opened. He was the one who brought that, so really this is all his fault."

"Hey, I don't remember tying you up and forcing the stuff down your throat, Lord Lots o' Shots," replied Sokka.

"Where's Aang?" Katara suddenly said, her grin wiped from her face.

For a moment, they just looked at each other in silence, then ran through the house again.

After searching the whole house and not finding Aang, Katara was beginning to panic again. But when she checked the back garden, she found Appa there sleeping soundly. A lumpy mass was sitting on the bison's head: a human body, the top half covered by a blanket, but long legs protruded from underneath, with blue arrows ending at the feet.

"Aang!" Katara called as she ran towards him, and thankfully the tattooed feet stirred. Aang slowly sat up, squeezing his eyes shut at the sunlight as the blanket fell from his face.

"Oh come on!" Katara sighed in relief. "You too?"

"What?" he mumbled, getting his bearings. He reached up to scratch his head, and discovered what was itching him.

Aang was wearing a wig. Avatar Aang, the mightiest being in the world, was hungover with a lopsided wig of black hair glued to his head. The foreign hair was pulled back into a knot that was contained by what Katara recognized as Avatar Roku's old hairpin.

Aang reached up and felt the hairpin, and winced. "Oh Spirits, I had hoped that was a dream."

"So you actually remember what happened?" asked Zuko, joining them outside along with Sokka, who had put a hat on to avoid getting sunburned.

"Well last night, Sokka got excited by this idea of me wearing Roku's hairpin at the wedding, as a sign of the Fire Nation's commitment to the Avatar and the balance of the world. I wasn't as intoxicated as he was, so I pointed out to him that one needs hair in order to wear a hairpin crown."

"Oh yeah!" said Sokka, remembering now, "Seems like a short sighted fashion decision."

"It's not short-sighted, that's the point," said Zuko irritably, "When royals or generals suffer a great defeat, they cut their hair off. The crowns of the Fire Lord and Prince are designed so that you can't wear them unless you've gone long enough without a defeat to have enough hair to wear it."

"Yeah, you said all this last night," said Aang. "Then Sokka suggested that I could borrow some hair, and we asked who would have extra hair to borrow, and that's how we ended up partying with the—"

"The Ember Island Players," Zuko finished in horror. "Oh, kill me now, this is going to be the subject of their worst play yet."

"I certainly hope so," said Katara. "I'll be there opening night."

"The wig and the facepaint….seemed like a good idea at the time," finished Aang painfully.

"Well if this stuff doesn't come off my face soon, then the Firelord is going to have to have them interrogated about how they undo it," said Sokka.

"Oh I will?" asked Zuko, raising his eyebrow. "The way I see it, I just have a bad haircut, I didn't put any crap on my head, so you can go begging for them on your own."

"It is not a bad haircut!" said Sokka angrily. "You're now the best looking guy here, saving my dignity is the least you can do."

"I might need help getting this thing off me too," mumbled Aang, futilely pulling at the wig. "And we should probably put this back in a safe spot."

He detached Roku's hairpin crown from his knot, and Katara gasped as his hair (that wasn't actually his hair) fell from it.

The messy black hair fell to the base of his neck, covering his ears and hanging in bangs over his forehead, partially obscuring his eyes. He scrunched his face in annoyance and brushed the hair away from his face. Katara felt her face grow hot as she watched her boyfriend's fingers run through the hair, and an image floated up in her mind of her fingers replacing them.

Zuko and Sokka went back into the house, Zuko cheekily offering to melt the facepaint off of Sokka, and promised to keep most of his face intact, as Aang climbed down off of Appa, still pulling at the mop glued to his head.

"I need to find a way to get this thing off me," Aang grumbled. "It won't stay out of my face, people can't see my arrow."

"Well, we can't have that," Katara chuckled. "The world can't know that the last airbender has broken such an important air nomad requirement as the sacred chrome dome."

"Well, it's not a requirement," said Aang, "but I still suspect I look far too much like Zuko for my taste—"

"Wait, really?" Katara cut him off, her eyes widening.

"Well you tell me. I don't have a mirror, but I suddenly feel the urge to sulk and reclaim my honor— "No, I mean, shaving your head isn't a requirement or anything?" Katara asked quickly.

Aang seemed surprised by her question. "Uh... no. Most of the boys did anyway, because it gives you a slight edge in airbending, since your skin is in tune with the air currents. We all had to shave it once, when we got our arrows, but most girls grew it back."

He continued to fidget with the wig as he started walking back towards the house, seemingly oblivious to the blush creeping up his girlfriend's face.

Katara tried to act casual as she fell in step with Aang and linked her arm with his.

"Sooooo...hypothetically speaking," she began, not looking at him, "you could have a full head of hair. If you wanted to."

Aang shrugged. "Yeah. But I've never really felt the desire to. With hair, you have to wash it, and there's so many different haircuts to pick from, it's easier to just shave it in the morning."

He turned to look at her curiously. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason!" she said innocently.

They walked in silence for a few seconds, then a strong morning breeze blew past them and Katara felt her knees grow weak as Aang's messy "hair" whipped in the wind, dancing around his handsome face beautifully, in a way his real hair had never grown long enough to do.

"I was just thinking Sokka might be onto something!" she blurted out before she could stop herself. "You know, about wearing Roku's crown. Maybe the Avatar adopting a few Fire Nation fashions will placate a few of the naysayers, who say that you're a foreign interloper. It will show them that you're their Avatar too. It would be a great exchange and blending of cultures, to reflect peaceful cooperation."

Aang frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I….guess that kind of makes sense." He shrugged and chuckled. "I'm still definitely going to get this hair off me, though. Then I can decide whether to start growing my own."

"Hmmm….yeah," Katara whispered greedily under her breath, "I bet that'll look even hotter."

"Hmm? What was that? I didn't hear you."

"Nothing!" she squeaked, and ran back into the house.

[ultimatetornshipper]

Daminette December Day 3

@daminette-december2019-2020

Princes and Pedestals

Chapter 3 – Legend

Previous

Next

Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The breeze softly danced through her hair as she sat in the windowsill of her room. She opened her eyes and stared at the parchment resting on a book on her lap, her little bottle of ink sat next to her on the ledge. She fidgeted with the quill in her hand, frustrated.

She was trying to write a letter to Luka to let him know that they'd arrived safely. He was her right hand man and their friends were most likely bugging him on whether he'd heard from her or not. She needed to give them an estimate on how well the whole thing was going but she barely had a feel for these people. She was pretty certain they wanted this alliance just as much as the Order did, but she didn’t yet have any idea what exactly they’d ask for.

She sighed and dipped her quill in her ink, maybe if she started the words would come.

Dear Luka

I hope you are well. How is everyone doing? How’s Alya and the baby? How’s Nino dealing with her pregnancy hormones? How’s she dealing with his overprotectiveness? Has Chloe returned from her mission? How did it go?

I miss you all, I hope everything is alright back home.

We arrived safely at the Gotham Royal family's Summer home. They have treated me with kindness and respect.

She took a breath. Should she tell him about Prince Damian? He would in all likelihood be the next Black Cat. He was her match. She didn’t know him, but the Destruction radiating off of him was on par with the Creation that followed her. As much as she didn’t want to replace- She shook her head, moving on was inevitable, she needed someone to rule by her side. She needed to tell her court the truth.

I met him. It all feels too soon after everything that happened last year. The Destruction coming from him was incredible. Plagg would kill me if I didn’t introduce them. Please have Pegasus deliver the ring when you receive my letter. He can deliver it to my exact location, I’ll explain things to any witnesses. I’ll disclose more information on who he is if he accepts my offer of the ring.

Yours sincerely,

Marinette

She tapped her chin with the end of her quill as she reread her letter.

A soft mew made her look up, sitting next to her little ink bottle was a beautiful calico, staring at her curiously.

“Hey girl,” she replied softly, holding out her hand, the cat sniffed it then pressed her cheek against Marinette’s hand. She scratched the cat's head softly, smiling.

“Her name is Legend,” a voice said from her doorway. She looked up and recognized Lady Stephanie standing in her doorway. She was about to greet her when the girl kept talking.

“Oh sorry, your door was open, I didn’t think it'd be a problem, we’re just pretty casual around here and it slipped my mind, Your Majesty,” she said, quickly, her hands gesturing as she spoke.

Marinette smiled at her, standing and placing her letter, book and quill on a nearby table, “It’s quite alright, Lady Stephanie. My court and I are quite similar to you that way, and please do call me Marinette,”

“Only if you’ll call me Steph,” she replied, shifting from foot to foot in the doorway.

Marinette saw the movement and invited her in. They sat at the table she’d put her letter on and she folded it as they made small talk.

She melted some wax onto her envelope and pressed it with the Miraculous Court's seal as she listened to Steph detail a story about the time she and Jason had snuck into the kitchen to steal some of the pastries before a big event when she’d first arrived at the castle back in Gotham.

“It seems you are all quite close,” Marinette commented after Stephanie wrapped up her tale.

“Yeah, we’re family, you know?” she replied. Stephanie wrung her hands together before meeting her gaze, “Can I ask you something?”

Marinette could feel the girl’s unease, so she tried to appear reassuring, “Yes,”

“Yesterday,” she started hesitantly, “In the throne room, the older man who came with you did most of the talking. I don’t know much about the Order of the Miraculous, but I was pretty certain you’re their leader but you didn’t really talk so...” she left the rest of the question unsaid, clearly hoping Marinette would understand hat she was trying to say.

She could tell the girl didn’t mean any disrespect, she was simply curious and she couldn’t blame her. So she gave her a smile, “Master Fu is my teacher, I’m still learning to lead and he’s helping me through everything, until my training is complete he makes the important introductions and still does a lot of the talking. I will be voicing my thoughts a lot more during negotiations though,”

Stephanie nodded slowly, “That makes a lot of sense actually,”

They spent the afternoon together and had tea in the garden.

Marinette was listening to Stephanie ‘s retelling of how she and Tim first met when she recognized Prince Jason heading towards them.

Stephanie spotted him too so she paused when he got close. Marinette nodded her head at him, “Your Highness,”

He nodded back, “Your Majesty,”

He sat down on the open chair at their table and Stephanie quickly continued her story.

She listened politely, but she was aware of the Prince who had joined them studying her discreetly, if she hadn’t been trained to notice, she would’ve missed it.

He noticed her noticing him and she was impressed by his ability to read body language. He, if her training was correct, was growing more and more curious about her by the second.

Somehow managing to miss the tension Stephanie kept telling her story.

“We were both so incredibly oblivious to the other’s feelings and denying our own. Months of pinning and so many misunderstandings. Apparently it was an incredibly frustrating debacle to watch,” she said laughingly, giving Prince Jason a pointed look.

He groaned, playing along and ignoring their silent sort-of conversation that had transpired earlier, “Don’t remind me, it was torture,”

They all laughed, and a comfortable silence followed.

Well that was until Tikki appeared and the other two almost fell of their chairs. She turned to her kwami and decided to explain later.

“Guardian, Queen Bee is attempting to contact you,” she quickly supplied, ignoring the two royal siblings who were staring in shock.

“Put her on, these two can be trusted,” she replied, sipping her tea.

Tikki put down a device on the table and the familiar image of Queen Bee appeared shining in the air in front of her, it was nothing new to Marinette but the other two stared in shock at the moving image of a blonde girl in armor unlike any they’ve ever seen.

“Bee, this better be important, you know how much it takes out of the kwami to do calls (a/n I’m not gonna figure out a new name for it, calls make sense sorry not sorry °3°),” Marinette said sternly.

Chloe looked grim but stood up straight, confident in her choice, “I’m afraid it’s rather urgent Guardian,”

Marinette felt chills, Chloe rarely looked that grim, it was even rarer for her to address her by her title, “Queen Bee, what is it?”

Chloe grimaced. She gave her a meaningful look softly replied, “It may bring back a few unpleasant memories, Mari,”

Oh

It felt as though the wind had momentarily been knocked out of her.

The familiar green eyes that haunted her at night flashed through her mind. Immediately followed by a darker, newer pair. She pushed both images away, she’d deal with that later, now Chloe needed her to be the Guardian.

Marinette took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her cup, “I can take it,”

“It’s Gabriel, he has the butterfly, he wants -,” Chloe swallowed, looking at Mari with pity, she lowered her voice, “He wants to bring him back, Mari,”

Her grip around her teacup was deadly, it was a shock it hadn’t broken yet. She was certain her knuckles and face were both as white as a cloud.

“I -,” her voice cracked and she took a deep breath, she was in the presence of strangers, she couldn’t break down, she pushed her emotions back and went into her Guardian mode, “Tikki add Carapace, Viperion, Tigress, Rena Rouge and Paon to the call. Now. I want it taken care of quickly,”

Chloe’s eyes widened, “Those are all our top warriors,”

“Like I said, I want this taken care of quickly,” Marinette replied briskly.

The others were quickly added and they all switched to the language of the Guardians. If the two royal siblings could speak French, her and Chloe’s previous conversation had already given enough away. Chloe explained the situation while Marinette quickly pulled herself together, she could fall apart later. Right now her Court needed her.

Carapace looked on edge and she knew why. Rena was on the call and she was pregnant, he was scared that she’d have to fight.

“Rena,” she said after Chloe finished explaining, all eyes turned to look at her, “You’re not fighting, but your strategizing capabilities are too valuable to have you sit out completely. You’re on the side-lines for this one,”

Carapace looked relieved and Rena nodded, understanding.

She looked at Viperion, while half her letter turned out to be written in vain, at least she could get this done quicker, “I need you to send Plagg and his ring with Pegasus as soon as you guys finish discussing details,"

She took a deep breath, "I found my match,”

(a/n did I totally just only put the prompt as part of a single paragraph? yeah i did. Do I have any idea where this is going? No i don't. Is the fact that I don’t listen to my outline and do whatever the hell I want gonna stop me? Nope, not at all)

(fr tho I’m just as surprised at this plot as yall are ngl, also, look at me doing a cliffhanger hehehe)

Taglist:

@animegirlweeb

[out-of-jams]

Howl’s Moving Castle || Part One || kth

↠ Howl’s Moving Castle ↞ Part of my Ghibli Yandere Series!

It was an accident: offending the witch. But he didn’t take it lightly, cursing you to age into an old hag overnight. With no way to reverse the spell, you took it upon yourself to hunt down the only person who may have been able to help. But the self-absorbed wizard who lived hidden away in the moving castle wouldn’t be so easy to convince.

Especially when it came to letting you go.

Warnings/Genre: Horror. Soft Yandere!Taehyung. Howl!Taehyung. Magic.  Mature themes. Light violence. Some fluff. Explicit language. 18+

Word Count: 7.5k

Part 1 of 3.

A/N: Hey guys. Holy shit did this take a lot longer than I’d originally planned it to. I’ve decided to split it into three parts instead of two so that I could get it out to you guys quicker. Hope you all are staying safe out there! (just a warning, this is unedited haha).

All of my works are purely fiction. Everything I write is my intellectual property and therefore belongs to me. ©out-of-jams. Do not copy or repost without permission.

                              | Next | Masterlist | 

In, through. Pull. Around.

In, through. Pull. Around.

The steel needle twisting around your fingertips did so without a second thought. Pushed through the heavy material to stitch together fabric until it resembled something wearable. Your eyes were glazed over as your mind wandered away from your task. Sewing was simple, so-much-so that you could look away from the hat in your hands and still thread it together. It came from the experience of owning a hat shop for most of your life.

“Is that Taehyung’s castle?”

The excitable titering of women’s voices brought you out of your trance-like state and left you blinking down at the half-sewn brown hat in your hands.

“It can’t be.”

You let the grasp you had on the needle falter in order to send a glance at the gaggle of women gathered at the window to the left. Through an archway they stood, with their bright colored dresses and overly large skirts. One of them tapped against the glass windowpane facing the street like the rest of them weren’t already looking.

And you couldn’t help the curiosity that had your head turning back to stare out of the window in front of you. Placed in the wall right above your cluttered work desk. You squinted in an attempt to see through the smog lingering in the air outside to the rolling green hills in the distance. Past the tops of buildings cramping the streets.

You could just barely see it, the giant machine that seemed to almost float across the ground it walked on. Even at its distance you could tell it was big, taller than the top of the highest building in the city. But you’d never seen it up close. No one had and lived to tell the tale of it.

The sight wasn’t common, but it wasn’t quite rare either. The monstrous mechanical structure that just barely resembled a castle had roamed the land for years. Ventured from town to town, city to city, never stopping in one place. Where it went and what it did, you hadn’t a clue. You’d only seen it a total of three times throughout your life.

But never close enough to get a glimpse of the wizard who was rumored to dwell within it. So evil and so powerful that no one dared to go near.

As it disappeared into the fog, you sighed. Turned back to the needle lying between your fingers with distaste. You didn’t hate what you did with your life, making hats day in and day out. But you didn’t like it either. Never had. But you’d been forced into taking over the shop when your father passed away years ago. It was boring, the routine, and you couldn’t help your craving for something more.

For adventure.

“I heard that the last man who saw Taehyung’s face disappeared. Vanished right into thin air.”

You shook your head to snap yourself out of your thoughts and went back to work.

In, through. Pull. Around.

In, through. Pull. Aro--

“I heard that he looks like a monster.”

“A monster? Don’t be ridiculous, Lotty. I heard that he’s quite handsome. Likes to go into towns and seduce women to take as his own. Then he kills them afterwards!”

The needle fell from your fingers to dangle in between your legs by the threat still attached to the fabric. Frustrated at the lack of ability to focus due to the obnoxious women not working, you dropped the unfinished hat onto your work table. And pushed back your wooden stool to stand up.

The four women didn’t turn at your movement, didn’t even acknowledge your presence there. While they loved to gossip up a storm, they were good at what they did. So you didn’t berate them for their lack of work. Just grabbed your bag and slipped out the room and down the stairs. Maybe a few moments to yourself would do you well. You’d been stuck up in that stuffy shop for hours and taking a quick break wouldn’t hurt. Especially when you could barely focus on your work anyway.

The door to the shop closed tightly behind you and you took a moment to pull out a piece of cloth from your bag. Slipping it over your nose, you adjusted the thin straps of the face mask behind your ears until it sat perfectly. It wasn’t safe to step outside without one because the smog in the city was unhealthy to breathe in. Polluted by the airships that flew above your head and cast streaks of black smoke through the sky. From the four-wheeled cars that prowled the cobblestone streets like cats, puffing unbreathable air through the Square.

You hitched your bag higher up onto your shoulder as you took off at a sedated pace. There was a large amount of people crowding the streets, more so than what was usual in a city as large as that one. Perhaps it had something to do with the military parading through the roads on their way to the king’s castle as they returned from wherever they’d been. Taking up space like they owned the place. Like the citizens of Market Chipping actually wanted them there.

No one did. Not when your land of Ingary had been at war with the neighboring kingdom of Strangia for longer than you’d been alive. No one knew why exactly you were at odds with one another. Some debated that it had to do with stolen land, others insisted that the king of Strangia had done something to slight your own king. Whatever it was turned the land into a warzone.

“Hey, watch it!” A sharp elbow found its way into your side. And you stumbled back, a grunt falling from your throat as a short, middle aged man shoved past you with a glare.

He held a flag in his hand with the emblem of the royal family embroidered into it. Either he was on his way to protest the military parading through the city, or he was going to embrace them. While a majority of the people hated the presence of soldiers in Market Chipping, took to the streets to scream at them until they left. Some of the population praised them, welcomed them with open arms like they didn’t leave a trail of dead bodies and burned cities in their wake.

Because wherever the military went, death was soon to follow after.

You knew the main roads would’ve been packed from end to end with people and you didn’t feel like dealing with crowds. With more elbows forcing their way into the grooves of your ribs. So you took a shortcut through one of the alleyways closest towards your shop. They wouldn’t be as congested seeing as how almost all of the citizens poured themselves out into the streets for a reason.

So your journey was quiet. And your shoes scuffed at the ground as you wandered through the mazes between the buildings. The sounds of military vehicles driving through the streets that you could occasionally see through the gaps between buildings filled the silence. Along with shouts from the people pouring out of homes and hanging halfway out of the windows. Who sat on their balconies with heavy frowns on their faces.

A pair of single-manned airships flew above your head with the flag of the king following behind, attached to the backs of the machines to catch the air. You were close to your destination. Just needed to walk through a few more twisted alleyways until you made it.

“Well, well. What do we have here?”

You didn’t stop when the deep growl hit your eardrums. Kept walking in hopes that whoever had tried to talk to you would take the hint and leave you alone.

“Hey!” A rough hand grabbed at the bag hanging from your shoulder and pulled you backwards. And you tripped over your own feet in an attempt to stay upright. “I’m talking to you!”

With another tug, you were sent careening back into someone’s chest. The stench of cigarettes and whiskey hit you like a wall and had you sending a glare over your shoulder. A man towered above you with a blue rimmed hat pulled down low across his forehead. But you could still see the dark eyes that glimmered beneath like a snake.

“You lost, little mouse?” His lips, chapped and thin and unhindered by the facemask pulled down to his chin, lifted up into a smirk that spelled nothing but trouble. The navy blue military blazer on his back didn’t bring you relief. Quite the opposite really. Especially when the backdoor to a pub hanging open behind him spilled out another man that came stumbling to his side.

Caged you in like an animal.

“Let go.” Your jaw clenched as you attempted to pull away from the hand that held onto your bag like a leash.

“What do we have here, Reny? Why don’t you let us help you find your way?” The second man had a dark caterpillar that sat atop his lip in the form of a mustache. He leaned down to fan his heated beer stained breath across your face and it was only the facemask that prevented you from smelling it. “And we’ll only ask for one thing in return. How’s that sound?”

The first man let go of your bag to watch you stumble backwards with an amused flash in his eyes. You bit your lip in an attempt to stop it from quivering. But it did nothing to prevent the fear from flooding your veins and taking hold of your throat.

“I’m not interested. Let me pass, please.” You hoped that they weren’t able to hear how loud your heart was beating.

They were bigger than you, stronger than you. And you didn’t know what they’d do if they got their hands on you. Weren’t sure how far you’d make it if you had to run. The closest main street was farther than you would have liked, to the point where you could barely hear the roar of the crowd.

The second man took a few steps closer towards you. “Aw, don’t be like that sweeth--”

“Are you deaf?” That voice didn’t come from either of the men in front of you. It brushed through your ears with its rich baritone and had you straightening where you stood, tense muscles unconsciously relaxing. Especially when an arm wound itself around your shoulders to settle with a comforting weight, bringing with it warmth that heated your skin. “Or are you just stupid?”

The first thing you saw was a slender hand decorated with a plethora of multicolored rings as it casually adjusted the bag hanging haphazardly from your shoulder. And you followed it up, and up until your eyes landed on who it was attached to.

You could only see his side profile, but that was all you needed to have your breath catch in your throat.

Harsh, but gentle, was the first thought that popped into your mind. His nose, while soft and rounded at the tip, contrasted with the sharp angle of his jawbone. Even his hair followed the same guidelines as the rest of him. It looked silky, smooth, but the dark curls it fell in across his forehead and to the nape of his neck made him appear innocent, and yet not.

“Because I believe that the lady said she wasn’t interested.” The voice that fell from the stranger’s bow shaped lips was deep, strong, and filled with a humorous edge that teased around the syllables.

He wasn’t looking at you, but his arm still around your shoulders gave off the same amount of heat that his gaze more than likely would.

“This has nothing to do with you. Mind your business.” One of the men, you didn’t know which because you’d yet to take your eyes off of the strange man, spoke.

You were sure that you would get a kink in your neck from how much you were straining to look up at the man towering over you. But you couldn’t help but stare, not when a smile perked up around the edges of his soft looking mouth. The stranger tilted his head to the side and the emerald earring dangling from a chain pierced through his ear brushed against tanned his neck.

“Or, here me out.” He lifted a single eyebrow and nodded pointedly at the still opened door to the pub behind the men. “You go back inside and leave this woman alone. How’s that sound?”

They didn’t respond.

Tearing your eyes away from a mole painted onto the tip of the man’s nose, you watched confusedly as the military men suddenly stood up straight. And with their gazes blank and mouths partially opened, they turned on their heels and staggered back inside the building like they’d never left it.

Like they’d been compelled to do so.

“Are you alright?”

You blinked yourself out of your stupor and turned to look back up at the man who’d saved you. With his complete and utter attention now focused on you, the breath that’d caught itself in your throat earlier struggled to remove itself. Which left you floundering with your mouth opening and closing, but no sound escaping.

“Miss?” He leaned in a little closer, brows knitting together in concern. And his eyes. They were the softest blue that you’d ever seen.

Clearing your throat, you nodded. “Yes, thank you for rescuing me.”

He smiled, a box-shaped, gentle thing that had his eyes creasing in the corners. You didn’t even think to wonder why he was outside without a mask. “No need to thank me.”

And then he winked.

Ah, a lady’s man then.

“Well, thank you anyway.” You smiled in return before stepping out from beneath his arm. And with a glance down the alleyway, you gestured over your shoulder. “I should get going.”

His arm dropped back down to his side, hidden beneath the dark blue and grey jacket that hung around his shoulders like a cape. The black, long-sleeve blouse-like shirt he wore stood out even amongst the darkened alley. “Where are you heading? I’ll escort you there.”

“You don’t have to, really. I don’t want to waste anymore of your time.” You tried to argue, not because you didn’t want him to, but because he’d already gone out of his way for you once. And you didn’t want him to feel obligated to do so a second time. “I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Nonsense. It’s no trouble at all.” The man stepped forward to rest a hand on your shoulder once again, only that time he turned you around to start walking down the alleyway. “Besides, someone needs to ensure that no more danger finds you.”

The pressure of his hand on your shoulder was gentle, but firm in the way he guided you. And when he leaned down to whisper in your ear, the look in his eyes was something that you couldn’t quite put your finger on. Maybe if you would have spared a second to take another look, you would have seen it for the warning that it was.

“But just don’t look behind you.” The man’s breath was warm against the shell of your ear. “Because I’m being followed.”

Alarm sprang through you at his sudden admission. “Wha--?”

He merely winked at you and held a finger to his lips before leaning back out of your personal space. And when you tried to turn your head to look behind you, he stopped you with a hand to your cheek.

“Don’t look back. Just walk.”

The alleyway was long. Neverending. It encased the two of you in a bubble where even the loud shouts from the people in the streets couldn’t pierce through.

“Who’s following you?” You asked in a hushed whisper.

Still unnamed, the stranger glanced at you out of the corner of his eye. A lot of different things swam in the ocean that was his iris. Things that you couldn’t discern, things that were hidden just below the surface. And just as he went to part his lips in answer, his attention left you to focus on something behind you.

When you turned to look too, all you were able to see were shadows emerging from the alley walls like ghosts. With long, spindly-like limbs and headless bodies, they filled the spaces where the two of you had just vacated. Crawling over each other in an effort to reach the man at your side.

Fear bubbled in your throat. What the hell were those things?

“Sorry.” If he was trying to reassure you, he was doing a horrible job. “They weren’t supposed to find me so soon.”

Especially when the nameless creatures began to pour out of the walls in front of you like an endless tidal wave.

“Why are they--”

“No time.” The hand he had on your shoulder turned gripping as he quickly turned left at the fork in the alley and dragged you down it. “Just walk.”

Your eyebrows shot up into your hairline, but you did your best to keep up with his brisk stride anyway. A quick glance behind you had another bout of fear surging through you.

They were close.

How had you managed to escape one type of danger, just to wind up in the clutches of another?

You turned back to the front.

And let out a scream.

Because those creatures had cut you off again. Only now they moved faster, with their spider-like arms and gaping maws extended to capture you in their grasp. The man at your side let out a curse before stopping in his tracks to wrap both his arms around your waist.

“Hang on!”

Hang on?

“To what?”

Your question went unanswered. At least verbally.

The only warning you got was the tensing of the muscles in his slim arms before he leapt into their air. But it wasn’t an ordinary jump. Your feet left the cobbled ground and even with your face pressed into the stranger’s chest, you could still see if you looked down. Could see how one of the creature's claws missed your foot by a mere centimeter. Could see how they piled on top of each other as both sides crashed into the other in a wave of black.

You’d thought that the two of you would go falling right down onto them. That they’d devour you whole until you could no longer see the light of day. But you didn’t.

Because you were flying.

At least, that’s what you assumed when you continued to soar through the air like a wingless bird. And when the both of you cleared the rooftop of the building next to the alley, well, you couldn’t help but dig your fingers into the back of the stranger’s shirt.

“H-how is this happening?” Maybe if you weren’t a hundred feet in the air, you would have been embarrassed by the way your voice came out in a stuttered squeak. Or the way you clung to him like a particularly stubborn barnacle. But you weren’t. Because you’d never been so high up before in your entire life.

The man keeping you from falling to your death chuckled. It was a nice sound: smooth, deep and warm with his amusement. He pulled back a little, just far enough to let his eyes meet your own. Though that did little to loosen the death grip you had on him.

“Magic.” His boxy smile made another appearance as his gaze sparkled in mirth. More than likely at the wide-eyed, stunned expression on your face.

“You’re a wizard then?”

He merely winked in response before reaching behind him to grab at your wrists. “Do you trust me?”

“I..,” Your answer got stuck in your throat. Did you trust him? Hell, you didn’t even know his name. But he had saved you and your life was technically in his hands. So what harm could it bring really? To put your faith in a mere stranger? “I suppose so.”

“Then let go.”

“What?” Was he crazy?

His eyebrows raised playfully, disappearing behind his curly bangs. “Trust me. Let go.”

You hesitated, gaze snapping back downwards at the city below. At the streets filled to the brim and packed with people who looked no bigger than ants. If you fell, you’d die. Become nothing more than a splatter on the cobblestoned streets.

As your heart raced in your chest, you looked back up at the man with your bottom lip caught between your teeth. Well, you’d wanted adventure, right?

Ever so slowly, you loosened the tight grip you had on his shirt until your palms were pressed flat against his back. His grip on your wrists was loose, not enough to keep you up should you fall. Taking a deep breath, you removed your hands from him completely.

And didn’t fall.

“See?” You could hear the smile in his voice even when you were too busy staring at your floating feet to look at him. “Now, are you ready for the best part?”

“Best part?” The question left you with a voice filled with wonder.

The stranger hummed and used his grip on your wrists to spin you around until your back was to his chest. His hands on you were barely there, just hovering beneath your fingertips. And when he leaned down to murmur in your ear, the scent of him flooded your senses.

Sweet like freshly mowed grass on a summer evening.

“Yes. Now walk!”

You were positive now: he was absolutely crazy. Magic or not. “But we aren’t standing on anything.”

“Didn’t I say to trust me?” He mused.

Though he didn’t give you a chance to respond because he took a few steps forward, which in turn made you follow. Made a gasp leave your lips when your feet hit something solid that wasn’t there. As you continued to walk through the air like it was completely normal.

Magic. You’d only ever seen it displayed from afar where you could barely make out the details, never up close. Never to the point where you could feel it rippling off the man at your back like it was second nature. It was...it was…

“Amazing.”

“You like it?” The man smiled at you from the corner of your eye. “This is always my favorite part. Look down.”

And you did.

From the ground the city always looked drab. Lifeless. Dull. But from up high, where the pollution didn’t quite reach? It didn’t look so bad. Not when the brightly painted rooftops stood out amongst the grey slated military vehicles, like a beam of light in the dark.

“I believe that this is your stop.” The man’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts. Drew your attention to the fact that the two of you were descending into an area that looked very familiar.

Your feet touched down on a balcony attached to the side of a building. One you’d stood on many times before. When you turned to look at the man who’d just flown you halfway across the city, he had his arms planted on the wooden railing like he belonged there. Despite the fact that he was hovering in the air on the other side.

“Unfortunately, I have some things to go take care of. But I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” He threw you a charming wink. “So try not to find anymore trouble in the meantime, okay?”

You nodded slowly with a smile forming on your lips. “I’ll try my best.”

Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone too quickly for you to really see it. “Good girl.”

And then he flew out of sight as if he’d never been there in the first place.  

Like the pop of a bubble, the noise of the crowded streets came flooding in. And with the roar of the protesting yells brought a thought to your mind.

How did he know where you were headed? You’d never told him.

The inside of the building was just familiar as the outside. However, unlike the raging streets outside, once you’d closed the balcony doors behind you, you’d been enveloped in silence. Not even the shouts from beyond the four walls surrounding you could enter inside. Which, to be completely honest, gave you a little bit of peace. There was only so much yelling you could take.

Old wooden stairs creaked beneath the weight of your feet as you descended the well worn staircase to the bottom floor. With your facemask safely deposited in your bag, the scent of baked bread hypnotized your nose as you followed the smell. The swinging door to the kitchen swung open underneath your hand with a squeak to announce your presence.

“Hey.” You greeted the man on the opposite end of the room. He stood with his back towards you, the strings of a white apron tied behind his neck and right above his broad shoulders. Before you’d announced your presence, the man had been bobbing his head to a soundless tune as his hands rolled out fresh dough onto the countertop.

“Y/n?” His head turned to look over his shoulder, and once he spotted you in the doorway, his plump lips pulled back into a grin. “It’s been a while.”

You snorted, pushing off the doorframe to walk across the room. “I just saw you like, three days ago, Seokjin.”

“What?” Even though Seokjin had turned back around to continue kneading the dough, you could practically hear the pout on his lips. “Am I not allowed to miss my little sister?”

Despite the fact that he was the older sibling by a few years, sometimes it felt more like the opposite. Shaking your head, you couldn’t help the smile on your face as you leaned your side against the counter. From where you stood in the kitchen, you were just able to see through the glassless window cut out of the wall and into the front of Seokjin’s bakery.

“How’s business been?” You asked, lip caught between your teeth. The front of the shop was empty of customers, leaving the freshly baked sweets to sit beneath the glass case untouched.

A sigh left your brother’s lips and he stopped in his work to send a sad look through the window. “Same as usual.”

It wasn’t that Seokjin was bad at baking or anything. Quite the opposite. However, with the war going on, not many people had the extra money to spend on pastries and things that could be considered “non-essential.” The only reason your brother’s shop was able to stay afloat was from his usual customers that never failed to buy from him.

Hell, you didn’t even know how you managed to keep your hat shop open.

“Things will turn around.” You tried to reassure him, gaining a tiny smile from Jin in return. “The war can’t go on forever.”

“Hopefully you’re right about that one.” He was frowning again, eyes dull as his thoughts drifted away somewhere you couldn’t follow. After a moment he shook his head. “Speaking of, how did you get here with all those people and cars in the streets?”

“I--” Crossing your arms over your chest, you contemplated how to tell your brother that you’d simply flown over the rooftops like a bird. “I...met a wizard.”

Seokjin choked on his spit. “A what?”

You broke eye contact with an awkward clearing of your throat. “A wizard.”

“Y/n.” His tone turned stern like the elder sibling he was. “A wizard? Seriously? You should know better how dangerous they can be.”

Staring down at the toe of your shoe that you dug into the wooden floorboards, you shrugged half-heartedly. “I know, but he saved me, Seokjin.”

Jin released a haggard, deep sigh and you could see his shoulders slump out of the corner of your eye. “Yes well, be more careful next time, alright? It could have been someone dangerous, like you-know-who. Or the Wi--”

Ring!

Both you and Seokjin snapped your heads back to the front of the store just in time to see a man meander through. He had a dark blue hat pulled down low over his eyes and a walking cane clutched in one of his hands. And when the bottom of his long coat brushed across the floor as he approached the front counter, Jin wiped his hands on the front of his apron.

“Hello!” He called to the man looking at the sweets beneath the glass case, an inquisitive expression on his face. Your brother’s hand squeezed your shoulder once as he walked past you towards the front.

This conversation isn’t over. It said. Don’t think I’ll forget.

Well, you’d take that for the dismissal that it was.

Your home was dark, quiet, once the front door was shut behind you.

The hat shop was attached to the bottom of your house, but only you had the key to get upstairs to where you lived. And with the sun long set beneath the skyline and the moon in its place, everyone had gone home. Which left you.

Alone.

Like always.

You knew that if you told Seokjin how lonely you truly felt, how you hated being alone, he wouldn’t hesitate to open his doors for you. But he had enough problems on his own plate and you didn’t want to intrude on him and his fiancé anyway. They’d just recently gotten engaged, so you didn’t even want to think about how awkward it would be if you moved in with them.

Friends weren’t something that you had aplenty of either. If any at all. Not that you were too shy to make any, you just didn’t know how. Living in a city surrounded by people all the time was actually very lonely. And making connections beyond the work relationships you had with your employees was excruciatingly difficult.

So you’d just forced yourself to suck it up. To deal with the aching longing you had deep in your gut.

A sigh escaped your lips as you dropped your bag onto the floor of your bedroom. However, just as you were about to start undressing to change into your pajamas, you felt the fluttering of a breeze brushing against your skin. Frowning, you turned to look questioningly at your open bedroom window. Because you could have sworn that you’d closed it that morning. You never left it open when you weren’t home.

As another gentle gush of wind played with the curtains on either side of the window, you hurried over to slide it shut.

“You really should keep that locked.”

That wasn’t your voice.

With a gasp, you whirled around and pressed yourself back against the glass of the window. Your heart leapt to your throat the second that you caught sight of the man standing in the center of your bedroom. Where you’d just been not only a few seconds ago.

You didn’t recognize him. Had never seen him before. And either he could feel the fear that flooded your veins like white hot fire, or he could tell by the expression on your face, because his dark green eyes flickered.

“Wh--who--” You couldn’t even get the sentence out past your trembling mouth. So you snapped it shut and glanced to the opened door behind him, the one that would lead back out into the hallway by the staircase. Maybe you could make it if you were quick enough.

“Don’t even think about it, little dove.” His voice, while not as deep as you would have expected, was still intimidating all the same. Even with the amused way the words left his mouth. And either he’d read your mind, or you were just ridiculously obvious with your thoughts. “You wouldn’t make it very far, and you’d just piss me off. And you don’t want to piss me off, do you, Dove?”

Swallowing, you shook your head slowly. Watched as the man ran a hand through his neat blond hair. And when he smiled, his eyes scrunched up in the corners. Though it did well to make him appear less threatening, you didn’t believe it for a second.

“What do you want?” God, you silently cursed yourself for not turning the lights on in your room. Because the dark made it so much worse. Made him look like a demon apparating out of thin air.

He didn’t answer. Not right away. Just crossed the room like he owned it and you were the trespasser. Watched the way you pressed yourself further back against the window like it could somehow save you. Even if it was still open, you wouldn’t have been able to survive the three story drop to the ground. But that fact didn’t stop you from trying to pull up the latch anyway.

“You’re not at all what I expected.” He slowed in his approach, head tilting to the side like he was analysing a wild animal. And it seemed as if he were talking to himself, like you weren’t even there. “But that doesn’t matter.”

Just as your fingers lifted the latch on the window, he crossed the remaining feet separating you in a flash and slammed his hand down on yours. A shock of pain shot up through your arm, tearing a gasp from your lips.

“I told you not to piss me off.” The man tutted. He was close enough to look down at you, eyes raking your face as if in search of something. Close enough for his scent to wash over you and threaten to drown you in the pure heaviness to it. Like the pollution that filled the air outside, or the ache of loneliness that would sometimes pang deep within your chest. And when his full lips turned up into a smirk, you swallowed. Hard.

“It seems you’re no good with directions, but no matter.” His free hand came up to grab your chin between his fingers hard enough to dig into your skin. Slamming your eyes shut, you weren’t sure what he was going to do. Kill you maybe. Probably. Most likely.

But what you didn’t expect, was for him to lean forward and press his lips to your forehead in a kiss. Your eyes widened at the softness of his mouth, a stark contrast to the painful grip he had on you, and couldn’t help the confusion that took root in your heart. Especially with the invisible static that drifted off the man in waves.

It was familiar, almost, to the wizard from the alleyway. But not quite. Tinted with a wrongness that raised the hair on the back of your neck.

And when he pulled away with one last squeeze of your chin, his words echoed through your mind like he’d planted them there.

“You really should have let yourself get killed in that alley. How unfortunate for you. But no matter, give Taehyung my regards.”

Your eyes shot open, only to find your room empty.

Or maybe that was just because your world went dark.

Something felt off.

Even with your eyes still closed and your mind barely conscious, you felt it.

Like everything was slow, groggy. Not quite right.

With a groan, you peeled your heavy eyes open and stared blankly at the bottom of your dresser. It didn’t register at first that your cheek was pressed to the wooden floor of your bedroom until a few more moments of empty blinking. Of forcing your eyes back open when they threatened to close.

God, you were so tired.

And the last thing you remembered was hazy, blurry like a well-forgotten dream. No matter how hard you tried to recall the events that lead up to you sprawled across the floor like a dog, you failed. Slipped through your fingers just before you closed your hand around the memories.

Another groan had you shifting to try and sit up properly. Your muscles ached, joints ached, everything ached. And the pounding headache that threatened to turn your brain to mush wasn’t helping.

“What…” The word came out as nothing more than a barely-there whisper, tongue dry and stuck to the roof of your mouth like you’d eaten sand. It wasn’t until you stood up that you caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of your eye.

A scream bubbled up in your throat, but left just as quickly in a whoosh of hot air. Because staring back at you through the reflection in the mirror above your desk, was an old woman. Her face was wrinkled with crows feet and laugh lines, drooping like the flesh was barely hanging on. And she stood hunched over as if she were unable to fully stand up. Though it wasn’t the way her grey hair stiffened around her shoulders that had your stomach dropping.

No.

It was her eyes that caught your attention and refused to let go.

Because they were your eyes. When you blinked, the old woman blinked like a mirror.

It couldn’t...you couldn’t…

With a shaking hand, you slowly lifted your fingers to your face and the old woman echoed the movement.

“Holy shit.” You croaked. And yet again, the old woman did the same.

You were...her...but how…?

Grimacing to fight off the panic that tightened your throat, you closed your eyes in an attempt to think back on how the hell you’d ended up that way. But…

Nothing.

Only a bodiless voice that whispered through your memory on a loop that you could barely hear.

“But no matter, give Taehyung my regards.”

“Tae...hyung?” Your tongue tasted his name like it was something foreign. And you felt a brief flicker of alarm at having said his name aloud. The wizard who lived in the castle whose parents told the children about to scare them from sneaking out of the house.

Your eyes snapped back open in fear. There was a lot of power in a name. But when you met your own gaze in the mirror once again, you blew out a small sigh of relief at your bedroom being empty. However…

...maybe..?

Were you supposed to find him? To have him undo whatever curse had been casted upon you. Was that right? Was that why his name kept repeating on a loop that you couldn’t silence? But he was dangerous, would more than likely outright slit your throat before offering you a favor. Then again, you’d seen no proof to those rumors, so maybe they weren’t true.

Or maybe you were just trying to fool yourself into going off in search of him.

But you couldn’t continue to live life as an old woman. Hell, your lifespan had more than likely been sliced down to almost nothing now. So, it was either die by the sudden onslaught of old age or take your chances with a dark wizard.

What choice did you really have?

The city of Market Chipping wasn’t grand like the Capital. Nor was it as pretty to look at. But you still felt an ache within your chest as you stared down at it from your spot on top of a hill. You’d never left the city before, never had a reason to. And with the tall grass brushing against the exposed skin of your ankles beneath your dress, you felt a certain sadness that you never would have expected.

Shaking your head of the thoughts, you gave one last lingering look to the city and turned your back on it. On everything you had ever known. Hopefully Seokjin would take the note you’d left to be delivered without question. He knew you well, would more than likely believe the lie you wove about wanting to set off on an adventure. With luck, he wouldn’t worry.

But that was unlikely.

The sooner you found Taehyung and convinced him to undo whatever curse had been put upon you that you couldn’t remember, the sooner you could return home. If you survived, that was.

“I will.” You weren’t sure who you were trying to assure: yourself, or the miles of empty grassland around you.

The area beyond Market Chipping was mountainous, filled with tall hills and rocks that sprawled amongst the grass that you never saw within the city. You had a plan in mind, at least the base of one. And while you shuffled along as quickly as your aged body could move--which wasn’t very much at all--you tried to figure out how you were going to find a person who didn’t want to be found.

It was well known that Taehyung moved around alot, given his home of choice. But he’d been within the area yesterday morning, so that had to count for something, right? He couldn't have wandered off very far. At least that’s what you were aiming for.

You weren’t sure how long you’d been walking for. It was difficult to tell time when you didn’t have a watch on you. The only things you’d thought to bring with you was some food and a blanket stuffed into your bag. You’d packed light in hope of not needing to be gone long.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, you hadn’t come across another living being for hours. Not since you’d hitched a ride on the back of a farmer’s wagon up one of the trails. So you were bored, and incredibly exhausted. Such an old body got tired a lot quicker than you were used to. Despite that fact, you had to convince yourself to stop and take a break.

Which was exactly how you found yourself lying back in a spot on the grass, arms stretched out and eyes closed. You hadn’t meant to drift off to sleep, to take a nap right out in the open where anyone could find you. But your breath evened out before you realized it and the sounds of the wind brushing the grass lulled you to sleep.

Psh!

You awoke with a start.

Eyes shooting open, you mentally cursed yourself when you saw that the sun had set. Just how long had you been asleep for? And what, exactly, had woken you?

Slowly sitting up, you cast your gaze around the surroundings that you were able to see beneath the light of the full moon. There were no lanterns, no street lamps that far out into the wilderness, so you weren’t able to make out much.

Psh!

The high pitched whistle of steam had your head snapping to the right. Your eyes narrowed in an attempt to see with the lack of light to no avail. Holding your breath, you refused to move lest you miss whatever it was that you’d heard. Until movement caught your eye near the edge of one of the taller cliffsides.

“That’s convenient.” You mumbled, scrambling to your feet as quickly as you could. Perhaps your luck was beginning to turn around because right before you was the very thing that you’d been searching for.

The castle was huge, bigger than the tallest building in Market Chipping. But it didn’t look like a building, nor did it appear to be a castle. It was stuck somewhere in the middle, with a metal and steel structure that held itself together in a plethora of different shapes. Three legs stuck out of the bottom as it slowly propelled itself in your direction. And steam wafted from two gigantic metal chimneys at the stop of the monstrous castle.

Even though it must have been extremely heavy, the ground barely shook upon impact. And as it slowed to a stop a few meters away, you sucked in a deep breath. Maybe you were getting a little in over your head. Hell, it wasn’t too late to turn back and head home, even if you were in the body of an old woman. Surely that would be better than death at the hands of a dark wizard.

Right?

No, no. You couldn’t turn back now. You refused to be a coward. Besides, you’d think of it as karma from praying for an adventure so many times.

With a loud burst of steam, the castle lowered itself from its great, towering height and closer to the ground. Despite the darkness surrounding you, the door that led inside could be seen almost as clear as day. You took another deep breath. And shuffled forward.

When you came upon the three stepped porch that led up to the door, you grabbed onto the metal railing before you could doubt yourself again. Climbing stairs, even as little as three, was enough to leave you puffing for breath.

And as the heels of your shoes tapped across the wooden porch, and your hand reached out towards the doorknob, you grabbed on.

And swung the door open.

Tagging: @chimchimsauce @naajix @adoreyoukoo @ihaveakoreanseoul @btsarmysvtcarat @red--aren @micchikari @worldwidemochiguy @taebaelou @stardust-and-ashes @callmeyourstarrynight @ddaeng-whispers @kpopgirlbtssvt @byebyebycycle @busangloss @futuristicpinklemur @pjmlylyn @krystle1990 @parkchimchiminie @missseoulite @wannabesoftstanhaha​ @hxsxxk-180294 @leilalago​ @doodlesandthings​ @btsxarii​ @thedarkwinterrose​ @saxpam24​ @kawaiikiwithefruit​ @someonewhowannadielol​ @starrytae​ @lume0801​

[lapis-arts]

The Knife of Amphibia

Chapter 2: Prison Escape

Summary: Months had passed since Anne's arrest. After putting up with mistreatment and retaining her innocence, she finally thinks about breaking out of prison... Little did she know, someone is willing to help her out.

Fandom: Amphibia

Features: Assassin AU, Aged Up Anne and Plantars

Warnings: Violence, blood, interrogation

Word Count: 1,807 Words

--

Anne woke up in her dingy cell that morning. Her body had ached all over from sleeping in the prison’s horrible conditions for the last few months.

Lady Olivia was nowhere to be found to hear her out, having to replace the king's duty to restore order in the city, lest it burned down completely. She had told General Yunan what happened word for word since day one, but it all fell upon deaf ears. All Yunan wanted was for Anne to confess to the murder and she might get life in prison. She wasn't going to, though. She knew what happened, her story stayed consistent throughout the months, so she stood her ground and retained her innocence.

It had felt like today was the final day of her life as guards came to her cell and dragged her to the torture chambers once more, strapped down into the chair for the torturer to do as Yunan ordered. The tall and hulking toad burned Anne repeatedly with a red-hot iron rod, the human crying out in pain, the general trying once again to force a confession. A few burns later, Yunan finally stepped in.

"Ok, ok, that's enough!" She said, motioning for the torturer to leave them alone. Anne growled as the woman got closer and spat in her direction.

"I already told you everything that happened... Why won't you listen to me!?" She hissed. Yunan just gave her a grin as she walked up to Anne and placed a hand on her chin to make her look up at her. "Oh, you foolish human.. It was part of the plan all along." Yunan said, about to reveal her hand to Anne.

"Wh-what?... What are you talking about?" Anne asked, clearly confused by what Yunan was telling her.

"Andrias was bound to be murdered before you and Marcy arrived earlier than noticed.. You just showed up at the wrong place at the right time. Now, I get to hit three flies with one stone." She chuckled, Anne staring wide eyed at the general in disbelief.

"You're insane..." Anne said, her brows furrowed in anger as she tried to struggle through the straps, the thick leather leaving rope burns on her skin the more she struggled to break free to beat up Yunan senseless.

"It's far too late to put up a fight, Anne. The whole kingdom believes you killed Andrias in cold blood and poor Olivia has no time to listen to your pleas. I'm in charge of your fate now.." Yunan smirked, grabbing the iron rod the torturer left in the burning fire, poking at Anne with it to get an official fake confession for the last time.

"Don't make this harder than it already is.." she threatened, burning Anne every time she refused to agree to the confession, the human stifling her cries of pain the best she could, not giving Yunan the satisfaction of hearing her pains.

After enough torment, Yunan knew the human wasn't going to give in. By that account, refusing to admit to the murder, Yunan had sentenced Anne to death by guillotine.

Anne was to be thrown back in her cell and await execution for the next few days, her body completely sore and covered in fresh and painful burns. She can't take on this abuse anymore. Anne had to get the hell out of there. She was clearly innocent based on the evidence, but a conspiracy damned it all...

Something didn't add up.. Why would Yunan kill off Andrias? Did she have something to do with the plague, or does she just want to rule Amphibia for all the glory and power? No matter what the newt's motives were, Anne needed to get out or her head will be rolling from the chopping block this weekend no matter what. For now, all she wanted to do was rest and slumped into a corner of her cell to sleep the afternoon away.

---

Later that evening, Anne woke up from the sound of a guard rattling the bars of her cell, signifying that it's dinner time already.

"You should eat up, Anne. This meal is from a friend." Is all the guard said, leaving rather quickly. A friend, was it? The human made her way over to the food tray, seeing a bowl of soup as usual, but it was actually warm and fresh this time. As she pulled the bowl away, she noticed a folded piece of paper in tact. She nearly tossed meal aside and quickly opened it, a small key falling out on her lap, yet revealed a handwritten note directed to her, and she couldn't be more relieved to recognize it was Lady Olivia's handwriting in particular.

"Hello Anne. I apologize for my absence, but I know for a fact you are innocent. I've pestered Yunan to extend your trial, but she's too over her head for reasoning and I have no time on my hands to continue doing so. Take this key, escape your cell and take refuge into the sewers."

Anne wasted no time at that point. She looked out the bars of her cell to check for no guards doing rounds, and slipped the key into the cell lock and got out. To her convenience, it seems like the guard who gave her the note left a sword on top of one of their tables, Anne gladly took it and fled the area. The human stuck close to the walls, peeking over the corners to make sure no guards were in sight. In some parts of the prison, Anne had to stick to the pipes and vents near the ceiling to avoid the guards scattered across a room. Never had she been more grateful to endure Marcy's stealth training, as it came quite in handy until she reached the exit point.

Just outside of the entrance gate was the river that surrounded the prison. If she could find a way out, she could easily dive and swim to the sewer entrance on the other side. Unfortunately, in order to do that, she had to get through the guards. Anne evaded the guards doing rounds, sticking to the shadows and hiding behind storage containers. She managed to slip through a broken window the entry office hadn't fixed yet, seeing a newt guard yawning while he was writing something down. Anne couldn't take any chances and neutralized him, putting him in a chokehold until he passed out.

"Sorry.." she muttered under her breath, quickly traversing to the next room, taking down whoever was there. Next to the window was a control panel, a lever off to the side labeled "Gate."

Bingo, her one way ticket out of here.

She quickly pulled the lever and waited for the gate to open, slipping out through the back door. All the guards turned their attention towards the gate, puzzled as to why it was opening. Once the moment was right, Anne sprinted as fast as she could towards the exit, shoving guards aside as they got in her way.

"Sound the alarm!!" A guard yelled, a couple of officers running towards the nearest alarm, hastily ringing the series of bells.

"Shit!" Anne growled as she heard the alarms ring out, pushing herself even faster towards the ledge. Near the edge of barbed wire fence were the watch towers by the lifted bridge, the prison guards hearing the alarms and spotted Anne down below. The guards grabbed their crossbows and shot at her, Anne pulled out her sword in response, slashing a few bolts out of the way, save for one that nicked her right on the shoulder, drawing blood. Anne hissed from the sharp pain, but ignored it once she reached the ledge, and finally jumped off.

She dove down a few yards into the water, quickly swimming away. She made her way to the sewer gates just across, swiftly opening and shutting them close as she entered, finding a loose pipe and shoved the metal in between the handles of the gate, making sure no one would enter for a good moment.

Once the adrenaline rush ended, Anne took off deeper into the sewers and stopped as she was met with a locked gate. She took a step back to rest for a moment, collecting her thoughts before continuing on, processing that she actually broke out of prison.

"Oh my fucking frog.. I actually made it out.." she panted, sliding down the wall onto the floor to take a breather. After regaining herself, Anne turned to the locked gate again, trying to figure out a way around it. Off to the side of the wall, was another handwritten note, seemingly from Olivia again.

"Anne, if you made it, then congratulations! Beyond the sewers should be your exit, and familiar friendly faces should see to you after you leave through the storm drain. Good Luck"

Anne looked up the gate and saw a little crawl space, climbing up and crawled through to get to the other side. She soon heard footsteps and officer commands echo through the sewers, knowing it was the Royal Guard trying to find her. The human stuck towards hiding again, trying to avoid much conflict as she could this time around. Anne even had to endure swimming through the sewer water under bridges just avoid detection, thankfully leaving unscathed.

--

After exiting the sewers out of a storm drain, Anne finally reached above ground where she saw a familiar looking family wagon, seeing three young looking frogs keeping watch. It wasn't until she saw that unmistakable aviator hat on one of the pink frogs that she realized who it was.

The said frog with the hat turned towards the drain to see the human climbing out of it, his eyes widened in disbelief as he realized who it was and quickly hopped over to her.

"Anne! You're ok!" He said, jumping into Anne's arms and hugged her.

"Sprig! Hey buddy!" She hugged him back, embracing the moment for a bit before she placed him down as the other frogs came to see her. "Hey Polly, hey Ivy. Damn, it's been a long time." Anne said. While the sentiment was nice, they all understood they didn't have time to waste.

"We gotta get you to Wartwood! It wasn't easy for us to get past the barricade." Ivy explained, Polly brushing off the situation. "Oh please! Those guys are nothing. We can take them on if they're trouble." That statement hinting the young frogs certainly weren't going down without a fight.i

After that, the frogs quickly got Anne into the fwagon, making sure there were various hiding placing for Anne just in case someone inspected them. Sprig took the driving seat and grabbed Ol' Bessie's reigns and finally took off to make the journey to Wartwood.

[grumpy-zane]

((Idk what to title this. DOTD stuff/Royal Blacksmith HC lore.

WARNING: this is long.))

Dareth ran the tablecloth up and down the counter, scrubbing out the spots that had ring stains to the beat of the song cracking from the radio. It was still too early in the evening to open up shop, but he didn't mind the wait. It gave him a lot of time to double check everything and re-count inventory. He flicked off the radio and on the TV, leaning on the counter to catch the news.

Nothing important was happening today, unless you counted traffic jams as a lethal city attack, and it was the perfect weather to hit the beach according to the news. No doubt Gayle was trying to find something to talk about, but, "Not a single story to get a scoop out of today, miss reporter," he spoke to the screen. Eyeing the window, he contemplated going out for an hour to catch some rays. Not that he needed it immediately, but he had notice that his tan was starting to fade as of late.

Knocking against the door pulled him from his thoughts. "We're not open yet, come back in three hours!" Dareth called, hoping his voice carried though the thick wood.

"Not a patron!" A prideful voice muffled back.

"Lou?" He stood up and answered the door. "Lou! Good to see ya, how have you been?"

"Well I've been just wonderful," he smiled and stepped inside, taking a seat at the bar while Dareth returned to his position, "I stopped by to talk to you about Day of the Departed plans."

"You know me, always room in my schedule for that. That's a few months away though, right?"

"Yes, but its always good to plan these things far in advance. Anyway, the other day when I was going through the archives, It hit me that I never let Cole experience how the Royal Blacksmiths formed."

Dareth lowered the TV volume, "Wait, I thought Cole didn't want to be a Blacksmith?"

"No, of course not! But its family history that I think he and his friends should know.. on top of a performance of course! That’s why I've come to you! We need the Jade Palace rented out." Lou beamed.

Bewilderment struck across his face, "Lou. You can't just rent out the Jade Palace- sure the city rebuilt it and turned it into a memorial.. museum.. actually I haven't been inside. But! Isn't that a little 'out there' in terms of.. you know.."

He laughed, "That’s why I came to you! You know how to make the impossible work out! And it's perfect too! 'The Royal Blacksmiths perform at the Jade Palace: a Historical Unraveling', I can see the headline now." He looked up, picturing the scenario in his mind.

Dareth folded his arms and thought about it. No doubt he'd have to talk to a rabbit hole of people just to pull it off, at least Lou came to him about it now rather than one week in advanced. "I'll see what I can do," he sighed.

"Haha, yes! I knew I could count on you!" He jumped up and headed towards the door, "I'll give you more details once I flesh them out. This is going to be so much fun!" The door shut in excitement.

---------

"You said your dad planned something?" Jay popped a few pieces of candy in his mouth, "something about the palace?"

"Yeah," he reached over and dug into the bag, grabbing out a taffy. "He said he had something special for the team- more importantly me, but he extended the invitation. He said something about Blacksmith history, I just hope he doesn’t drone on and on." Cole rolled his eyes.

"It sounds like you didn't have a very good experience with this in the past?"

He shrugged, "My dad was never a 'when I was your age' person, but he was a 'your great great whatever' person when it came to performing. I didn't like listening to it, so I never payed much attention."

The two climbed the front stairway just as people were departing. so much for making the show, but at least they weren’t absurdly late and didn’t leave Lou waiting half an hour. Kai and Nya looked away from the entry way and waved at the two, drawing the attention of Dareth was was hovering around the side walls. He whistled, Lou snapping away from the conversation of the quartet and smiling. “Cole! Jay! there you two are!”

“Hey dad-” the two hugged, “sorry we missed the performance. Crime never rests.”

“Yeah, luckily Pixal and Zane took over for us.” Jay chirped, “So, a story? Will it be in the form of a song?”

He laughed and rested a hand on Cole’s shoulder, leading the two up through the entrance. “No, no, I’m afraid not. The boys want to call it early tonight, so it’s going to just be me.” Lou nodded to the rest of his group, the three calling their goodnights and goodbyes. “So, you said two of you aren’t showing up, what about Lloyd?”

Jay and Cole exchanged glanced, then repeated the motion with Kai and Nya.Usually everyone would be here, but the S.O.G. no doubt made him rethink things in regards to his father. “I’ll keep a look out for him,” Dareth waved a hand and smirked, “I already got the low-down and I’ll get him up to speed. You guys enjoy the tour.”

--

The interior was much like it was before the destruction, though more antique fitted for the occasion, no doubt. Glass cases displayed attire and relics of an older time; worn armor stood tall on wooden racks, faded paintings hung beneath special lights, weapons held vertically reflected the gold trimmings surrounding them, and masks hung from the walls. Lou proudly walked past the displays to a dark lit wall, “As all of you know who the Royal Blacksmiths are, I won’t e going over that. Instead, I want to start from the very beginning.” He flicked on a light, illuminating the wall with a portrait through a lamp. “Before there were Blacksmiths, there were entertainers. This group of four traveled through Ninjago by foot, performing tricks no one had seen before! Their acts drew the attention of the Royal Family, who’s prince was delighted by their performances! So much so, that he invited them to perform at the palace.”

Cole tried not to sigh, feeling deja vu from this spiel. Taking a look around, it seemed like no one else was feeling the same. Whether that was for better or worse...

“Mr. Compère, You’re needed!” Lou jumped with the rest of the group, the masked man wrapped his arm around the Blacksmith, his attire making him look out of place, hailing from a lost time.

“M-Mr. Compère?” He sputtered.

“Yes, the King wants to see what we can do!” He was promptly pulled away, the person stopping to look back at the stunned Ninja. “You best be making your way to the stage if you don’t want to miss the performance.” He held up a finger to the lips of the mask, dispersing away into smoke.

Jay gawked, “Did you just SEE THAT?!”

“Who was that?” Kai asked, Cole pushing everyone aside.

“I dunno, but I don’t like the sound of what he has planned. Come on!”

Grand pillars held up the octagonal roof, the rafters danging dozens of lights of varying color, each held at a height that pointed down to the stage. The squad shoved open the doors, weapons brandished ready to fight when they were once again dumbstruck. On the far side the king sat, his green robes draping over his armored body. The Jade undertones in the trimming angled in a way that drew attention to his pale face, his dark eyes watching intently at the four masked men who stood in a circle with their backs on the inside. Among the four, one rose up an instrument: a lyre, intricately carved in ancient Ninjagian. The notes that escaped it echoed in the large room, the lights flickering as the air reacted to the music. The other three drew comically long blades, lifting them to the air and spinning around in a dance.

“The King and his son watched as their performance spelled out the story of a bard, One of which caught in plans that would prove to be quite fatal,” Lou’s voice spoke from the upper floor. As if on queue, one of the masked figured drove their sword into the other, shocking the royalty as the other two dropped to the floor dramatically. The bard only paused, returning to his playing once again. Another masked person stabbed their sword through, followed by the third, but the playing did not cease. This frightened the assailants, the person turning and gliding towards them, scaring them off stage. “It was such a grand display of endurance, that the King thought it would be foolish to simply send them away without compensation. Thus, he dubbed the ensemble, ‘The Royal Blacksmiths’, entertainers of the Royal Family.”

Cole lead the way around the lower balcony, the lights above blowing out suddenly before flickering back on. The stage had dramatically changed, one of that reflect a circus. The ringleader faced the four who had taken a seat next to the railing. Kai blinked, “Hey is that-”

“Ladies, and Gentlefolk, Tonight’s performance is none other than The Wondrous, Illustrious, Roooyaall Blacksmiths!” He brown cape flew as he lifted an arm to them, the curtains flying open as a large tiger leapt forward. One of the blacksmiths, wearing a black suit and white face paint with red accents, jogged across the ring, leading the large cat around the obstacles and through the tubes. From the other side, another Blacksmith ran out, performing flips through the same obstacle course and landing on a rolling board. A third leapt over the back curtain, landing in the hold of the rolling one who lifted them elegantly. The fourth emerged in a cloud of smoke, holding an arm out to the Ringleader who promptly through his hat and cane.

“Cole, That’s your dad!” Jay giddily squealed, pointing at the center circle.

“What?!”

Lou gently bowed, spinning the cane around and throwing it into the air, catching it and tossing it up again even higher. “No more was the need to act plays and stories, the people wanted to see something extraordinary, and so it was!” Lou shouted, barely turning around in time to see the tiger leap from the back curtains again.

“Dad look out-!” Cole leapt up from his seat, gripping the railing as the tiger fell into the hat and disappeared completely. Lou caught the cane and tossed it up again, winking at his son as he whipped the hat directly at him. It spun back around just out of reach and out of the light. The wheeling blacksmith sped up their circles, tossing the other into the air and catching the cane. The other landed next to Lou, striking a pose as the third slid out from the curtain on the other side. Lou kept his hands raised, marching in place as the cane was tossed up again. He grabbed it just as the last smith found his place behind the three, sparks exploding from the end of the cane like fireworks. The hat finally came back around which he promptly caught, lowering it to the ground and letting a small house cat step out of it.

“But it was so, that the life of excitement wasn’t something everyone could handle. Generations of building up elaborate stunts were daunting to the eyes of a junior, and so he chose a different approach,” Lou spoke as the quartet began humming various pitches. “He thought no one should bear to hear such noises that left ears ringing, Instead he came up with a new plan! One that involved singing!” He held the last word on a high note.

The tiger let out a low grumble, its purring distracting everyone to look at the side wall. “Oh nuts,” Dareth, the ringleader, smiled sheepishly, gently scratching the large cat under the chin.

Lou cleared his throat, “And so here we are now, carrying out the tradition to entertain no matter the form, display, or song. I hope you all enjoyed the performances, you especially, Cole.” He smiled up at his son.

Jay barged into the conversation, “That. Was. Awesome!”

“How did you pull it all off??” Nya asked, beaming.

“I would have never guessed that it was that deep,” Kai mirrored their excitement, “who knew?”

Cole leapt down from the balcony and approached his father, “You did all of this, just for me?”

“Of course, Cole, It’s family history!.. and I wanted to let you know that, not everyone in our historical line wanted to do what their fore-fathers did. I’m proud of you, that you’re a ninja, It gives me a lot to write and sing about!” He gripped Cole’s shoulder and laughed, pulling him into a half hug.

The other ninja had leapt down, asking the others as the group of performers congregated in the pit. It was a shame that Zane, Pixal, and Lloyd missed it, but Cole was sure that Kai had recorded at least part of it on his phone for his social media followers. The earth ninja eyed around at the general happiness, content with it, and leaned against his dad. “Happy Day of the Departed, dad.”

He squeezed him back, chuckling, “Happy Day of the departed.”

[imemeyoumemeweallmeme]

Quotes from “Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier” as starters

But today could be the day I finally make a difference!

Where are you off to today, you no good piece of shit?

You’ve got to dream a little harder!

It took you long enough, you shit-eating dog.

Oh, so you think you're better than me just because you can read?

Just try to keep your fat face out of that motherfucking book.

Why am I the only one who sees things as they are?

Oh, ___, sometimes I feel you're my only friend in this world.

Today, things got a little out of hand and a lot of good people are dead.

Did we get the loaf of bread back?

Why do you even bother visiting us commoners anymore, you aristocat?

I sure hope you haven't goofed this one up, ___.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, look at this mess. Dead bodies in the street.

Did you know in this barbaric country they only give you money if you work?

Who would seek employment when life offers such enjoyment?

You're only in trouble if you get caught.

My father says that you must marry me now, or I'll bring dishonor to my entire family.

I can't give up on my dreams and settle down just 'cause your dad's being a dick.

‘Cause you stole my daughter’s hymen!

That’s completely fair, but in my defense - dude, your daughter’s hot.

My ass cheeks…they're hanging out.

And what's this? Blood. Blood on my ass cheeks. Tell me, ___, how the fuck did it get there?

Oh I am grateful for your tiny ass, ___!

This really is an act of war, ___!

Do not feed me shit and call it couscous, ___!

Well an hour free is better than a lifetime in a cage. Being fed and pampered and cleaned up after. What kind of a life is that?

When are you going to learn that your actions have consequences?

One of these days, you're going to learn that life isn't about dreams coming true. It's a series of compromises and disappointment.

That's supporting a corrupt system. You're a part of the problem.

I want everything, and more!

My secret is simple, really. Anyone could do it. I just follow the golden rule!

Always treat others like sisters and brothers and they’ll do the same for you.

I get back what I give!

My hunger blinded me and forced me to act like an animal.

But we're not animals. We're gifted with minds to reason and hearts to love!

I think that's enough fun for one day, eh, ___?

Well, we have our own golden rule here. Whoever has the gold…makes the rules.

The gold that my neighbor earns through his labor is gold I’ll never see.

So keep your mouth shut and your palm open, and you may just get...filthy stinkin' rich!

You could start by telling me your name.

I suppose this will be the end of me.

I am a servant to the people, and therefore your servant.

Magic does nothing if not touch the soul.

I want to know your story, I want to know your past, I want to know your future too.

Fill my days and nights with the tale of you.

I never cared for stories until you entered mine.

Let’s make ours the story with no end.

Their mouths aren't fit to hold a donkey's shit.

Many years ago, I took my finger…and I pushed in my penis…and it hasn't come out since.

A very wise and enthralling tale, ___. We can all learn a lesson from it, I expect.

Where's my opium?

Speak now, ___! And don't fuck it up!

Well, maybe I have a new purpose now.

That is what your story is about.

I wish I had the power to rewrite this tale.

Never stop wishing it, ___.

We will be reunited one day, and unlock wonders beyond your wildest dreams!

After all, I must be pretty great, if you believed in me.

I only hope you haven't fallen prey to some sex-crazed ruffian!

Right this way, babe.

This is so unfair! Poor people need slaves just as much as rich people do! Maybe even a little bit more.

Of course it's a free thinker like who's struggling to get by. And all because of our totally corrupt class system.

I hate the class system. That's why I said, "Fuck it, I'm never going to school again."

So, you abandoned everything, to be free? That is so brave.

Brave? Me? Yeah.

All my parents ever did was support me. Give me a place to stay, tell me they loved me, no matter what. They were really bad parents.

How's a thirty-three-year-old kid supposed to know how to survive on his own?

But that is not fair! ___’s a victim of circumstance!

Don't look at me like that! These are my orders from ___.

Wait, wait, what? You slit people's throats? I didn't tell you to kill anyone! This is awful!

___, no. That is just an expression.

I'm gonna have so much gold I could swim through it! Like a pool. Do you think people can really do that?

Once I get my mind set on a chick, I just can't move on until I get this nut out.

I can’t wait to be a rich dude!

Stealing is so much easier when you’ve got already tons of gold.

We’ll get our happy ending tonight.

We weren't sure if you were ever coming back, ___.

Everyone, look at my ass!

You received the manhood of a badger?

Those are stretch marks, they happen.

Oh, I see! You received the manhood of a tiger!

Did you hear that, lads? ___ made love to a tiger!

Tiger fucker! Tiger fucker! Tiger fucker!

I DID NOT FUCK A TIGER!!!

Am I not a thing of beauty? Don't you want a piece of this? Wouldn't you gladly give up all of your worldly possessions just to greet me when I come home from a one-sided massacre, and bathe my sweaty, bloody body with your tongue?

Oh…you. Aren't you busy ruining my life?

I noticed you weren't at dinner, but I saw you tried to poison my wine. Usually when you do that, it means you want to talk. What's up, are you mad at me?

You ripped my heart out and smashed it into a million pieces. And don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.

He/she/they was perfect! Like if you cobbled together all the best features from all the best guys/girls/people, and then gave them a tragic backstory! It's like he/she/they was designed specifically to appeal to me.

I knew everything about him/her/them! He/she/they was my soul mate! My -- my -- God, I am freaking out, what was his/her/their name?

Believe it or not, I care about you.

I don't want to be prepared. I want to expect the unexpected.

Look, you're young. You don't exactly get how things work yet. And, while I don't appreciate any of your ideas, I do appreciate the fact that you HAVE ideas. Maybe one day you'll have some GOOD ones.

Sexual predators the lot of them! Their tactics target vulnerable, young girls, and build up false senses of trust and then isolate them on magic rides of sorts. And when the moment is right, they whip it out. You know... their songs.

Be wary of young boys who whip out their songs. A song is often a prelude to a dick.

A song is a dick in sheep's clothing.

Can't you see I'm trying to impart a life lesson?

I feel like you only come to see me when there's bad news.

I counted thirteen dead before the peacocks got to them.

How the fuck did you know it was me?

Because it IS you, you're just wearing different clothes.

Wow. Pretty AND smart. You're the whole shebang, babe.

Everything I told you the other night was a lie. Don't you trust me?

Ugh. Oh no. Okay, um, now I'm kind of feeling like everything about you that was attractive to me before isn't really there anymore.

No! No, I'm just being indecisive. It's still you.

I've just got to get back on that high that I was on before.

Look into my eyes and talk to me some more about the world's injustice!

Sure. Just let me roll this blunt first.

But I don't want her/him/they to love me. I just want her/him/them to fuck me.

You guys know there's a way to get people to think about sex without even talking about sex? You just gotta do it subliminally.

Hey, babe, it's such a beautiful night -- take off your clothes.

But…let me ask you this: is your penis an innie or an outie?

___ explained everything to me. He/she/they was just pretending to be a ___. For fun.

I bet the ___ is under that ___ sized hat!

Bullshit! Why would I pretend to be a ___? Just to get laid? That's not me.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Why are you picking on me, ___? Afraid I'll reveal your little secret?

Whoa! I thought I was just bullshitting you guys!

What made me think that I could get away with such a plot?

How does the golden rule apply in such a situation?

Whichever road I take, I will only encourage someone’s wrath!

‘Til now I’ve always traveled down the straight and narrow path.

But which way do I turn when the road’s become so... so... twisted?

You think you know me, as others think they know you, but there are two sides to every story.

I was prepared for anything, except for what ensued.

They weren't ready for my ideas.

Fortune favors the beautiful.

My only crime was love.

But the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes what it wants, is twisted.

I only wished to reclaim what was mine!

I only wished for equal rights for all!

I only wished to save her/him/them!

I only wished to be invited to the party!

I only wished to improve relations between the races!

I only wished to teach ___ responsibility… so he/she/they wouldn’t end up like me!

I only wished to give the people a voice… To help the miserable, lonely, and depressed!

I never knew my father!

It's an unfortunate situation…But you do have a choice.

What remains of a man when that man is dead and gone?

Why protect my reputation? I’m a dead man/woman/person either way!

How will they tell my story? How will they tell my tale? Will anybody even care?

Is it nobler in the mind to be well-liked but ineffectual, or moral but maligned?

If I hide to save my life, what has my life been for?

The road ahead may twist, but I will never swerve!

I’ll give them all the unsung antihero they deserve!

I’ve nothing left to lose, to the only path to choose is twisted.

So let them twist my words, let the people scorn me.

Who cares if no one will ever mourn me?

Let them bury the side of the story that they’ll never learn!

Let the truth be twisted!

Let my life be twisted!

I’ll be twisted, it’s my turn!

Your armies have abandoned you. Your ruling class is corrupt and we have come to put an end to your tyrannical rule!

You'll never end our tyrannical rule!

It is I who will be doing the fucking today.

It appears that ___ has cold feet!

Yes I am talking to you! Now get your ass over here!

I've got to become a sorcerer! Can you do that?

Yes, I do feel lucky. I've got a ___! But I think he might be a fucking moron!

My fuse is about this long right now.

You either need to back me the fuck up, or shut the fuck up. Got it?

And what's the last thing you wanna do before that happens? Take off your clothes. That's right, have sex! Hurry, take off your clothes.

I'm not going to take off my clothes in the middle of a battle!

My skin is melting!

Would you stop acting like an asshole for one minute?

I'm not a tease. I'm just…not a freak.

You're making sex seem gross and lame.

You got that, ___? We are not a thing anymore, okay?

We're just having our first fight. Maybe after some make up sex…

You're the guy who killed my parents. Where have you been?

Okay, Jesus Christ, I don't know what's going on here.

That's the trick! You just really have to believe your own bullshit!

It takes someone who believes they can change the world to actually do it.

This isn't fair! Life is supposed to be fair!

Your youth and your passion, and yes, your naïveté -- these give you power.

When I was your age, I thought I could accomplish anything I ever wanted and more! But I didn't. Perhaps no one does. But you have to think you will or you won't have the strength to try.

Maybe you won't make any big changes, but a few little ones that pave the way for the next generation. And then they'll make small changes and leave it to the next and the next! It's a bit like a carousel of progress. Always spinning towards a great, big, beautiful tomorrow. And tomorrow is just a dream away.

But what if tomorrow never comes?

Tomorrow always comes. Even if it comes without us.

What will I do without you to guide me? When I am lost, where will I turn?

You remind me of someone I knew long ago.

You’re the one who put it there -- the power in me.

The power to love one another is the greatest power of all.

No matter where life leads us, we’ll never be apart.

Through thick and thin, success or ruin, I’ll carry you in my heart.

I will treasure forever what the world will never see.

You are kind, and that’s enough.

I wish you didn’t have to go when our story’s just begun.

Then I wish you every happiness.

It was more money than I had ever seen. But I was able to count it.

And that's the end of the true story.

[ridiculousn3sswrites]

Coffee’s for Royals

*Zuko (ATLA) x Reader

*Summary: Opening shift is usually terrible, but a certain prince coming in every morning makes things more tolerable.

*Warnings: Swearing. Let me know if I need to tag anything else.

*A/N: Coffee Shop AU starring a certain angsty prince. My childhood crushes on both Zuko and Mai are back in full force.

My Ko-Fi

**********

You hated taking the opening shift. You were the closing type, not the wake up at 3:30 in the morning so you could open up the store with your overly peppy coworker type. Normally your manager was amazing and let you work mostly closing shifts, but there were the rare occasions the opening shift was short staffed, and your manager would send you a text. Now, you were never one to turn down an extra shift (you definitely needed the money), but you didn’t enjoy taking the opening shift.

When you walked into the coffee shop at four in the morning, you were already fighting the urge to fight somebody. “Why the hell didn’t the closers clean up last night?” You asked as you pulled on your apron.

“I don’t know, aren’t you a closer?” Suki asked, unimpressed. She was a regular opener, having the kind of discipline to regularly wake up at hellish hours. You loved working opening shifts with her - she was a complete badass and one of your closest work friends - but she hated your habits as a closer.

“Yeah, but when I’m a closer, cleaning is a problem for the openers,” you groaned. She threw her hat at you. “Hey!” 

“And that’s why I hate you. Give me back my hat,” she said, walking towards you with some cleaning supplies.

“No, you threw it at me, now it’s mine,” you joked, taking a rag from her.

“So what the hell are you going to do with two hats? Hurry up before shift lead comes in.” You tossed Suki her hat, already feeling better about taking the shift. Sure, you were tired as hell, but you enjoyed the banter you always had going with her. “Alright, what coffee do you want?”

While Suki made the two of you some drinks, you got to cleaning what closing shift didn’t. Most of the machines were cleaned on the surface level, but you had to run some deep cleaning cycles on them. Once that was done, the two of you started brewing the base coffees, needing at least something to serve the customers that would come in during the first few hours of the shop being open. Before you knew it, it was officially time to open. Suki sent you to unlock the door, and then the two of you were just hanging out, filling the occasional order.

Once it started nearing six, you were already wondering when you could take your break. Sure, you hadn’t seen that many customers yet, but you just wanted to sit behind the counter and drink the second coffee Suki had made for you. You stood behind the register, kind of just vibing to the music Suki was playing over the speakers. A guy wearing a hoodie came in, hood pulled up to mostly cover his face, so you went to pretend like you were fully present at work. “Hi, good morning,” you said, putting on your customer service smile. “What can I get for you today?”

“Yeah, hi, uh, can I get a grande white chocolate mocha?” He asked. You knew that voice from somewhere. You didn’t know how, but you recognized that voice. You looked up, scanning his face to see if you actually recognized him or just thought you did. When your gaze landed on the scar, it immediately hit you.

“A-are you Prince Zuko?” you asked, taking the grande cup from the stack.

The guy’s hand immediately went to rub the back of his neck, suddenly shy. “Yeah, I am.”

“Cool. So is that hot or iced?” You asked, not knowing what else to do. It wasn’t like your manager trained you on what to do when royalty randomly walked into your store.

“Hot, please,” he said with a small smile. You typed the order into the computer, waiting a second for the cup’s label to print.

“Alrighty, can I get you anything else?”

“No thanks.” You nodded, finishing up the order. He handed over his card, and went to wait by the order counter to wait for his drink once you handed it back. There was no one else in the shop, and Suki was already working on his drink. You just stood behind the register, not knowing if you should make small talk with him or just try to act like you had things to do. His drink didn’t take long, and when Suki went to put it on the counter, she just lit up when she saw who was there.

“Oh, hey, Zuko!” Suki called as she worked on his drink. “You know, you should try something else every once in a while. I’m starting to get bored just making this one drink.”

“Nah, I like my white chocolate mocha,” he joked back. The two of them kept talking as Suki went about making his drink, and you just stood there, drinking the coffee Suki made for you. You couldn’t believe the way Suki was just immediately joking like that. He must have been a regular, but even with your regulars, you didn’t joke like that. It seemed like they were actual friends, but then how the hell did Suki know the Prince outside of just being his regular barista? Once Suki handed him his drink, they stayed chatting for a few minutes before he finally left.

As soon as the door closed behind him, you turned to Suki. “How the hell do you know the Prince?”

“Oh, Zuko? Yeah, he’s one of Sokka’s friends,” Suki explained. “You know, you’d see him more often if you took more opening shifts. He gets here before the rushes so he doesn’t get recognized.”

“Who said I wanted to see him more often? I just think it’s wild you’re friends with the Prince,” you explained, taking another drink to hide your little embarrassed smile. You hated being put on the spot like that, especially if Suki was implying what it seemed like she was.

“Anyways, he’s single now, not that you’d be super interested in that,” Suki continued to push. You choked on your drink, making Suki laugh. In the nicest way possible, you were going to kill that girl.

**********

It was a complete coincidence you happened to take a couple opening shifts over the next couple weeks. It wasn’t too often, but it was still more than you were usually willing to take. “You know, it’s weird that you’re taking these shifts now,” Suki commented as you cleaned.

“Shut up, I just need the extra money,” you said, rolling your eyes. “It’s not my fault no one else wants to work opening.”

“Okay, sure. Then why’d you look so bummed out when Zuko didn’t show last shift?” Suki teased. You shot her a deadly glare, which she answered with a self-satisfied grin. “He was sick, just in case you were lying about not caring.”

“Anyways,” you tried to change the topic, saying the one word louder than necessary. “Can I choose music today?”

“Yeah, dude. All you had to do was connect your phone first.” You finished cleaning the machine you were working on, already heading over to the door to open for the day. “Hey, what coffee do you want?”

“(Coffee drink of choice),” you said, unlocking the door and flipping the sign.

“No, something easier,” Suki joked, going to make your drink anyways.

“Thank you!”

There was a little rush of customers for about twenty minutes after opening, the super early commuters trying to get their caffeine fix. After that, you and Suki were able to just hang out, adjusting your playlist to whatever vibe you wanted in the shop, and tend to the occasional customer. You were kind of starting to get used to the vibe of opening shift, and you had to admit it was kind of nice. Not enough for you to want to become a regular opener, but it was still nice.

Almost on cue, Zuko walked in as soon as six rolled around. You perked up when you saw him in his red hoodie, hood up but now with a black baseball cap on his head. “Hi! Good morning, Prince. Grande white chocolate mocha?” You asked as he walked up to the counter.

“Oh, uh, hey. Yeah, how’d you know?” He asked as you put in the order.

“Sorry, I just heard Suki say you always order the same thing, so I kinda figured it was your regular,” you explained with a small smile. You could see the flush on his face at your answer, so you immediately went to focus on getting the cup.

“Yeah, it is. She’s always trying to get me to try something else.” Zuko laughed. “I just can’t handle the pure coffee flavor, so, mocha.”

“I get it, I didn’t start drinking actual coffee until I started working here. Alright, so that’ll be $4.45.” Zuko handed his card over, but instead of going over to the pick up counter to talk to Suki like he did last time, he just stayed near the order counter once you handed him his card.

“So, uh, you don’t normally work opening, do you?” Zuko asked, not meeting your gaze directly. You were a little taken aback, not expecting him to actually try to hold a conversation with you. You handed Suki his cup, and she just grinned as she looked between the two of you. “I come in like every morning and I haven’t really seen you here before, you know?”

“No, I work closing but I’ve been picking up a few shifts every now and then,” you explained. You didn’t know why you were giving him so much information, but it wasn’t like you could stop it. Zuko nodded, still looking around the shop like there was something that could take his attention away. You waited a second to see if he was going to go talk to Suki, but when he didn’t, you figured you’d keep the conversation going. “So, you’re friends with Suki’s boyfriend?”

Zuko looked at you, once again a little surprised at your question. “Yeah, we met a few years ago when we were both travelling around. How’d you…?”

“Sorry, I asked Suki how she knew you cuz you guys seemed like kinda close. I hope I wasn’t overstepping my bounds, Prince,” you apologized, looking down at your register. You could feel your face heating up, realizing admitting to the Prince that you were asking his friend for information about him might come off as very weird.

“Don’t worry about it! Oh, uh, by the way, you can just call me Zuko,” he told you. You looked up, catching a glimpse of the shy smile he had. “Sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

“Oh! I’m (y/n)! Nice to, like, officially meet you.” The two of you just stood there, awkward little smiles on your faces until Suki decided to ruin it.

“Hey, Prince Moody! Stop flirting with my coworker and come get your coffee!” Zuko looked to you, mortified at what Suki just said. He sputtered out an apology before going to the pick up counter. You tried to ignore the rapid-fire whispering from the other side of the counter, instead focusing on what drink you were going to ask Suki to make for you next. The whispering lasted for the longest minutes of your life, but finally Zuko made his way to the front door, turning for a second to wave goodbye to you before leaving. Your heart raced at the small gesture, but the second you looked at Suki, your mood was ruined. She was leaning against the counter, resting her chin on her fist. “So, when’s the wedding? You could do spring, but I’m thinking you’re more of a fall person.”

“We were literally just talking! What, I can’t speak to my customers now?”

“Oh, so he’s your customer now?” Suki teased.

“I hate you.”

“You know you don’t.”

“You’re right, I don’t. Can you make me an iced coffee next?” Suki gave an exaggerated gasp, holding her hand up to her chest.

“Do you only like me because I can make coffee?” Suki questioned, pouting.

“Well, I can make coffee too, I’m just too lazy to make it myself right now,” you said with a sweet smile.

“You gremlin.” Suki rolled her eyes, grabbing a cup for your drink anyways. “You’re lucky you’re my friend.”

“I’m honored.”

**********

When one of the openers gave their two weeks, your manager asked if you wanted to switch over and become an official opener. Before then, you’d already been working a few opening shifts a week, only taking closing about two nights a week. You agreed to the switch, knowing you were already heading that way anyways. Suki quickly jumped in with the teasing when you told her, but you just rolled your eyes and laughed. So what if you enjoyed seeing Zuko in the mornings, just talking about whatever while Suki made his drinks?

When Zuko walked in during your first shift as an official opener, he could tell something was different. As he walked up to the counter, you already put in his order. He immediately pulled out his card and handed it to you. “You seem happy. What’s going on?”

“What, I can’t just be happy?” Zuko gave you a look that let you know he wasn’t awake enough to deal with this. “Alright. So, you’re looking at the newest opener!”

“You switched over from closing?” Zuko asked, eyes widening as you handed his card back to him.

“It wasn’t like she was actually working closing shifts anyways,” Suki chimed in, grabbing the cup you set aside for Zuko’s drink. “She’s been mainly opening because of her favorite customer.”

“Would you please just go make coffee?” you whined. You were avoiding looking at Zuko, but you could picture the blush no doubt on his face.

“Yes, ma’am!” Suki said, giving you a salute before heading to the coffee bar.

“I would say sorry about her, but you’ve been her friend for longer,” you said, finally looking at Zuko. There was the faintest blush tinting his cheeks, a lot less than what you expected. “But, yeah, I’ve been opening a lot more lately so the manager asked if I just wanted to switch over officially.”

“Well, I mean, that’s good if you’re enjoying opening shift anyways,” Zuko said. He paused, looking around the shop before turning back to you. “I’m kinda glad. I like seeing you in the mornings.”

And now it was your turn to blush. You didn’t know what to say, so you just looked down at your register as you tried to will away your burning cheeks. It took a few seconds for you to look up to him with a shy smile. “Thanks, I like seeing you in the mornings too. You know, Suki wasn’t exactly lying when she was talking about my favorite customer.”

“Your Royal Asshole, your boring coffee is ready!” Suki called out, voice clear across the empty coffee shop. Zuko groaned in annoyance while you tried to stifle your laughter. She always came up with a new nickname for Zuko when she felt he was too distracted talking to you, each one more creative than the last, always having something to do with his royal blood.

Zuko went to grab his coffee, having another whispered conversation with Suki before going to leave the shop. Just before he got to the door, he turned to look at you. “See you tomorrow, (y/n)! Have a good day!”

“Thanks, Zuko! See you!” You called back. Zuko smiled brightly as he left, while Suki huffed from beside you.

“Rude ass. He didn’t even say bye to me,” Suki pouted. “I’m supposed to be his favorite worker here. You should go back to closing.”

“And he’s the rude one?” You asked with a gasp, holding your hand up to your chest. “Plus, aren’t you all supposed to hang out later?”

“Oh yeah, I told you about Sokka’s thing, didn’t I?” Suki crossed her arms over her chest. “But still, he should’ve said bye.”

“And I’m sure he’s going to hear about it tonight,” you told her, rolling your eyes.

“He absolutely will. Alright, what coffee do you want?” You could tell that was her way of trying to make peace. It worked.

**********

You were used to your routine of being an opener now. You managed to switch up your sleep schedule, you didn’t have to deal with any overly-peppy coworkers - though there were the rare times Suki had her moments - overall, opening shifts were going pretty well. You weren’t going to attribute it completely to a certain royal that came in at exactly the same time every morning, despite how often Suki would tease you about it.

When you were working, you noticed Zuko was sticking around longer. Before, he would stay just long enough to get his coffee, any conversations had while Suki was making his drink. Now he was hanging around, chatting (which was closer to flirting, in your opinion) while he drank his coffee, leaving just before the morning rush officially started. He’d been recognized a few times, the other customers coming to the counter and whispering ‘Was that Prince Zuko?’ You and Suki found it amusing, but never let it slip that he was a regular.

Just as you were in the groove of things, you got a text from your old shift leader. One of the closers had called in sick for the next day, and she’d already spoken to the store manager about switching your shift that day from opening to closing. All she needed was your approval. It only took a few seconds before you gave her the go ahead to switch your shift around. You texted Suki, letting her know what was going on before you jumped in bed, looking forward to a few extra hours of sleep.

When you walked into the shop, ready to start your shift, your old coworker immediately lit up. Well, about as much as she could. “Hey, I thought you abandoned us,” Mai said. “I don’t know why you’d switch over to opening.”

“I have my reasons,” you joked. While Suki was your favorite coworker for opening, Mai was definitely your favorite for closing. There was just something about her stoic nature that you loved. “Why the hell do you guys leave such a mess?”

“Ugh, you definitely sound like an opener now,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Go put on your apron and help us.”

You smiled and followed her orders, going to the back to put on your apron and hat. You quickly fell back in step with everyone else, used to the more laid back nature of closing. The time just seemed to fly by, and you had a brief moment where you questioned why you switched shifts in the first place. It was only a moment before your favorite customer came into your mind, reminding you what you’d miss if you went back to closing shift.

The half hour before closing was one of the quietest times of the day, probably tied with right after opening. You and Mai were chatting about some different concerts she went to since the last time you saw each other when the door opened. You had your back turned to the front, but you saw Mai’s eyes narrow at whoever just walked in. 

“What are you doing here?” she snipped. Your eyes widened at her attitude - which wasn’t anything new, it was just never directed at the customers if she could help it.

“You know, she still scares me.” You recognized that voice from the few times he came in to get Suki after work. You finally turned to face the customers. Zuko stood there, trying to look anywhere other than at Mai, and Sokka was standing next to him. Sokka waved at you.

“Well?” Mai demanded.

“I, uh, I wanted-”

“(Y/n) wasn’t working this morning and Zuko got bummed out. Suki told me she was working closing today,” Sokka cut him off. Zuko nodded, looking at the floor.

You looked at Mai, wondering what the hell was going on. “So am I just dumb or is there something happening right now?” 

“I used to date Zuko, and I told him never come in here when I’m working,” Mai said, getting louder as she directed the last part to Zuko.

“It’s not like I knew you’d be working tonight!” Zuko tried defending himself. Sokka ignored their back and forth, walking up to the counter.

“Alright, so can I get an iced coffee?” Sokka asked you. You just nodded, going through the motions of taking his order. Zuko and Mai were still going at it, so he lowered his voice as he talked to you. “Look, I know this entire thing here is awkward, but Zuko likes you. Like, he won’t shut up about you. Ever. He was supposed to ask you out today, but, you know, this is happening now.”

“So what, you decided to just pop in so you could flirt with my coworker? You really couldn’t find anyone else in this entire city?” Mai argued. You were a little surprised she overheard.

“It’s not like that!”

“Then what? You just decided to follow one of the workers from opening to closing shift?”

“You know what, I’ll wait for you outside, Sokka,” Zuko gave in, just leaving the shop.

“I hate that guy,” Mai huffed, going to the back, leaving you to finish up Sokka’s order.

**********

The next morning Zuko came in during your shift, things were definitely awkward. You put in his normal order, not sure how you were going to address things. “So, uh, you and Mai?”

“Yeah. We dated for a couple years. I didn’t know you guys knew each other,” Zuko mumbled. “I’m really sorry for that. I shouldn’t have let Sokka talk me into coming during closing shift.”

“I mean, it did get a little tense-”

“A little?”

“Okay, very tense, but like, I guess it was kind of sweet of you,” you said with a tentative smile, Sokka’s comments at the back of your mind.

“Wait, what?”

Zuko’s confusion immediately made you question what Sokka told you the last time you saw them. You turned to Suki. “Why does your boyfriend like messing with me?”

“He’s just like that,” Suki said, obviously confused at her sudden involvement in your conversation. You just finished ringing up Zuko’s order, giving the cup to Suki so she could make the drink.

“What did Sokka tell you?” Zuko asked as he took his card back from you.

“Nothing important,” you tried brushing it off with a wave of your hand. He’d already caused you enough embarrassment, and he wasn’t even there.

“(Y/n)...” Zuko dragged out. You hated how easily he could tell you were lying. Suki was busy making the coffee, not paying you any mind (as far as you knew), but the drink would only take so long to make. “C’mon, what’d Sokka tell you?”

“I mean, he might’ve said you liked me-”

“Well, yeah, I think you’re a pretty cool person-”

“No, like, you like me as in you were gonna ask me out, but you and Mai got into it,” you interrupted him interrupting you. “That’s what Sokka told me, but he likes messing with me, and since you’re his friend he probably likes messing with you more, so I probably shouldn’t have taken it so seriously.”

You could feel Zuko watching you as you rambled, even as your own eyes stayed glued to the register. “Sokka likes messing with people,” Zuko started. He paused, probably looking around the shop as he tried to figure out what to say. Your mind raced, thinking about how you probably just made things really awkward. He was probably just figuring out a nice way to reject you, and you really shouldn’t have switched shifts just because you might’ve had a crush on this dude. What were you even thinking? This guy was a royal, there was no way he-

“But yeah, it would’ve been nice if I could be the one to tell you I like you. And I guess he kinda asked you out for me?” Zuko said, more of a question than anything else. “Well, would you like to go out? We could get coffee or something.”

You froze, not sure if you heard him right. Zuko immediately flushed, taking your shock as a bad sign. “If not that’s really fine too! I’m sorry, it’s probably weird for a customer to-”

“I’m not doing anything right now, if you want to get some breakfast or something,” you interrupted him, regaining control.

“Yes the hell you are doing something right now!” Suki called from the pick up counter. “You’re working! Go on your little date after your shift is done.”

“She’s technically right,” Zuko laughed. “I can come get you after your shift?”

“Yeah, that’d be great.” You could feel the excitement bubbling up within you, the little wisps of nervousness somewhere in there too.

“That’s cute. Your coffee’s getting cold, by the way,” Suki said, holding up Zuko’s cup. He went to get it, leaving soon after with a small smile and a promise to get you once your shift was over. Once he was out of the shop, you looked over to Suki. “Question still stands. Spring or Fall wedding?”

“You’re so annoying,” you laughed.

“I called it and you know it!” Before you could say anything else, another customer walked in, calling your attention to the fact that, yes, you were still very much at work. Only a few more hours, then you would be free to go on your date. You just needed to survive Suki’s teasing until then.

**********

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