#he's taking advantage of having her all to himself without those nosy brothers

[cryptidowl]

Typical mornings in Coctyus Hall

[checkmatein3moves]

Hello! What are the RO's favorite social media platforms (and why)?

considering i've only partially thought about the specifics of popular social media in oracle (so far all i have is that the main one, scry, is like if you combined the connection aspect of linkedin, the nosy aspect of facebook, the forum aspect of reddit and like, the vapid news aspect of any tabloid) then for this i'll just do what they would like if they used social media in this time and universe

hebe: mainly on art twitter. posts her art on tumblr too but prefers the exposure of twitter. gets into her fair share of arguments over people reposting without credit and blatantly misinterpreting her favourite characters. complains about the toxic people but likes commissioning other artists to support them and deep diving into constructive criticisms. uses facebook solely to share pictures of her brother's dogs or to shade her sister. posts on instagram with windo and MC a lot, has an aesthetic theme

windo: goes on reddit but specifically the redditships/tifu/aita realm, occasionally the nosleep type subreddits. gets sucked in. sometimes posts in them so people can laugh at the stupid things he's done, e.g. TIFU by offering to hang a priceless painting for a friend. decided to improvise when i realised i didn't know what i was doing. gives advice on the relationship posts. knows there's a lot of fake posts but operates on the suspension of disbelief to connect with strangers. also has an instagram w/ a mixture of goofy, friendship and fashion posts, and a work twitter to give commentary on political articles

sailor: a finsta to scroll meme instagrams. they actually laugh out loud at some of the bad jokes they come across. doesn't have tiktok so they can sit on their high horse in disdain for it but has seen millions in the reels tab anyway. never posts or comments, just likes. they send the MC memes but not through dms or anything, literally will get up and show them irl if they find something they think they'd laugh at like a cat bringing you a dead mouse. don't really do public social media profiles because they value their privacy.

jelly: their finsta that they just post bullshit on. they have like 3 followers and all their posts are like a slew of every thought that pops into their head at 2am. their celebrity crushes, things that made them laugh for 5 mins for no reason, their take on soulmates, on fictional characters, nostalgia posts, dog pics, them listening to one direction, 5 selfies in a row of different angles, drunk posts. their public social medias are all very put together and well curated tho. pretty pics and makeup #ads on insta. eloquent linkedin. no facebook

twenty: barely uses any. dislikes seeing too many opinions that he didn't ask for. had a phase where he used to troll scammers (and sometimes just random people to be a menace) on habbo hotel. wouldn't admit it but he likes taking uquizzes. what kind of emo are u. what horror movie trope would u be. what colour would u be. 9/10 he’s not even happy about the results but he just goes :/ and moves onto the next one. has seen like 5 total tiktoks and only knows what a tiktoker is because jelly has explained it

noir: doomscrolls on various sites, mostly twitter and douban. hates these sites with a passion but continues to consume all the depressing content anyway as just one of many shitty habits. had a sadboy tumblr (because OF COURSE HE DID) in his teens that is semi-common knowledge but old enough news that it’s not really something people bring up to tease him about. black and white big gifs with text, angsty textposts, classics like that. pretends to care about his linkedin but god if it’s not the most boring thing ever to him. posts view pics on insta 

honey: honestly probably normal twitter. her dn is just honey and her @ is something generic and she shares her opinions on condiments and mundane things like that. not really interested in discourse or fandom spaces and is not the most up to date in meme culture. she’s busy a lot, so she doesn’t have much time to spend online. watches those calming asmr baking videos on youtube. in her teens i think she would’ve been a fan of acoustic cover channels. had a facebook when she was younger but deactivated it because she never used it

jareth: his secret letterboxd. actually reviews movies impartially and passionately. nobody would ever guess it was him. not a mega popular account, but pretty credible. likes to take advantage of the fact he’s not taken too seriously by certain demographics, so he shares his more comprehensive opinions anonymously. gets genuinely irritated by most troll reviews. some are funny enough to let slide. he had a wattpad once but NOBODY knows nor will they ever know because he would die of embarrassment if that came out. sometimes says annoying shit on twitter but nothing too controversial or topical

ludo: it’s not really a social media but like......ebay. he can scroll ebay for hours whether he’s window shopping or actually wants to buy something. likes to look in the antique section especially. the habit started because he grew up with barely any money and used to curiously browse the kind of obscure stuff rich collectors liked to buy, but by the time he had income of his own (albeit not that much) he’d kind of convinced himself that he understood why people wanted this junk. now it’s like an addiction. he also has a twitter that’s more clued into memes and references but is still pretty mundane. 

monty: her instagram is very well curated. meticulous, even, with selfies, fashion, meals, more ‘relatable’ backstage pictures, etc. it’s definitely a little too perfect but she’s proud of her aesthetic eye, and her public image isn’t fake so much as presented in a way that she gets to keep her personal things to herself. is the kind of celebrity to do instagram lives just to make her fans happy. made a youtube channel due to popular demand but doesn’t really have a clear plan for it, so it’s mostly just q&a where she talks about her favourite characters, funny set anecdotes and her met gala looks. jareth appears on it sometimes to talk about their drama greenwood creek and he suggests meme reviews and things like that

[truglori]

Homebody (Ch.5)

Summary: Amiyah is the younger sister of local drug dealer (Durkio). Shy and reserved she keeps to herself and stays out the way. But lately she began to find interest in his right hand man/ best friend (Erik Stevens). Wanting to get him to notice her she discovers that he already had her wrapped around his finger without even trying! There was only a few problems that kept her away from her fantasies , her brother that controlled almost every single breath she took and would kill anyone who looked at her that way and lastly Eriks girlfriend, Alexis , who they called the queen of the hood according to her lavish lifestyle as well as being with the next newest top boy in the making. While Alexis was his girl to the streets all Amiyah wanted to do was be his Homebody...

Pairing: Erik Stevens x Thick OC

Warning: Language, Robbery, Smoking

The smoke from the three burnt out blunts fogged the car. Erik’s head hung low as he tried to focus on the topic of discussion. Looking to his right he watched as Durk sparked a lighter to light up the fourth one and started a new rotation. Taking it from his hand Erik put the blunt to his lips and pulled. He had to admit that he was feeling high but yet nowhere near done with the session.

It was a Monday morning. Almost ten am to be exact. They were parked in Erik’s car in front of Frank’s Auto Garage. To a normal person it look like a regular place of business but it wasn’t. Durk used the shop to clean his money so he wouldn’t have anything tracing back to him. Erik glanced up and watched two corner boys walk out with a backpack each before getting into their vehicle and driving off.

“Aye man I appreciate you for coming through with this assignment. Once I get this nigga Shawn out the way I could finally do some business with the new connect.” Durk spoke before inhaling the blunt.

Nodding his head Erik slouched in his seat.

“I told you it’s nothing. Just don’t forget I’ma need one person to come with me. Someone who can watch my back.”

After going into almost two years without doing a job Erik felt a little rusty. He wanted to be certain that he could bring someone with him who could look out. Someone who he could trust that had to be skilled enough to keep up. The last thing Erik wanted was for this to go wrong and he end up in prison or even worst, dead.

If it was any other person coming to him to offer him work Erik would decline them with a quickness. This wasn’t something that he wanted to be a part of anymore. He had aspirations to become a better man. And with that, that means he had to give up the lifestyle to live a better one. But it was Durk. The man who had the opportunity to gun him down right in front of the trap house when they first met five years ago spared him. Gave him a second chance.

Erik witness Durk do way worst to people who didn’t do nearly as half as much compared to what Erik was going to commit that night. So he felt in a way obligated to come through for his best friend. There was no other option. He owe him his life.

“No doubt. Actually I got this one associate that’s in debt with me. Told him I could use his help whenever I needed him to pay me off. Heard he a shooter that don’t miss. Anybody who have your back I think it’ll be him.” Durk grinned confidently.

Erik nodded his head absorbing the information. Trusting his brother with whatever choice he went with he continue to ask him where the drop would be.

“Okay so what about this nigga Shawn. You got an address.”

Durk pulled out his burner. Going to a text message he clicked on it and passed the phone over to Erik.

He read over it. 4523 Lanely Rd. Pulling up his notes icon Erik typed in the address and saved the information. He gave the burner back to Durk. Realizing the area that it was in Erik shook his head. Nice suburban area where it was mostly Caucasian which amount to one thing. Nosy ass neighbors. It was a risk but he would just have to deal with it.

Hearing Durk sighed he studied him. His hands was rested over his eyes as he was leaned back in the chair. His boy looked stressed.

“You good?” A genuine tone came out.

“I think my sister fucking around with someone but I just don’t know who yet.”

Erik’s eyebrows lifted up. Glancing up to the ceiling as he listened carefully.

“I just really hope it’s not one of these fuck niggas. I might need yo ass for another job after this. We could rob this nigga together.”

The two chuckled.

‘Damn I can’t rob myself.’

Erik thought to himself before engaging back in the conversation.

“What makes you think she fucking with someone?” Erik curiously wanted to know. It would give him an advantage on what he should not be doing.

“Well the other night I walk in the livingroom and there she was sitting there with her titties all out, make up done like she was getting ready for a dick appointment or sum shit.” Durk replied in a stressful tone.

Daydreaming at the ceiling, Erik’s memory jogged back to her outfit from that night. He could still see the way her cleavage appeared in front of him as she sat across from him in the diner. The soft flesh looking at him. He had to control himself multiple times that night from staring at them so much. But he couldn’t with the way they would bounce a little every time she laughed.

Speaking of her smile. Erik adored that about her the most. He love how her lips curled up showing off those pretty white teeth. The way her lipgloss color made her lips appear more fuller than what they already were. The same lips that drove him crazy from the softness. If he could sit in the booth kissing her all night he would have. That was enough to satisfy him. Erik sucked in his bottom lip as if he could still feel hers on his. She just had to let him get a taste.

‘Why she let me do that?’

Erik berated himself with that question as he shook his head about his lack of self control. He felt guilty. He was the nigga who his best friend was worried about hurting his sister. Right now he was feeling like a pussy. It was like he didn’t have the balls to speak up and tell him the truth. He was feeling Amiyah.

“Why you don’t like her dating anyway? I get you trying to protect her but I mean she is 21, you can’t stop her from living bro.” Erik wanted to sound reasonable but without suspicion.

“I know she got a life to live but the fact that mine is tied up with hers don’t help.”

“What you mean?”

Durk paused glancing at his phone. “ I mean besides you I can’t trust none of these niggas man. What if whoever she talk to know that she my little sister? No telling what they’ll do to her just to get to me.”

Erik listened understanding his perspective.

“I done did some foul shit out here that I’m not proud of, you know this. This why I am what I am because if I don’t get them first then I know for damn sure they’ll try to get me. I’m just worry about Amiyah getting caught in between.”

To Erik it seem like Durk just wanted was best for his sister. To him family came first. It was important to him. He valued it and would do anything to protect the ones he love. Erik comprehend this.

“You worried she won’t be able to know who and who not to trust?”

“Every-fucking-day. That’s why I don’t want her going anywhere besides home and work. I just want the best for her.”

“You should that’s your sister. Just trust her. She not gon let you down.”

Durk looked at Erik, who gave him a sincere look. If there was anybody else he could trust with his life aside from Amiyah it was his friend. His brother. Erik.

____________________________

Amiyah leaned against the register as she wrote down her completed work assignment. Blowing the air out of her mouth she let the pen fall from her fingers and on to the counter. She was exhausted and ready to clock out and lay in her bed. Her mind began to wonder about the events that transpired over the weekend.

The last time she spoke to Erik was after he dropped her off. He sent a text asking if she made it in safely and that was it. Nothing else since then. His on and off again of inconsistency irritated her. She wanted him to be all about her just as much as she was for him. Of course under the circumstances they had to be cautious but he didn’t have to go another two days without hitting her up.

Checking the time on her Apple Watch she had an hour left before she was up and out of the boutique. She started cleaning certain areas and rehanging the merchandise back onto the racks to make time go by faster. Hearing the sound of the bell ring brought her back to reality.

“Welcome to Bella Ella’s.” She greeted them without looking up and only focusing on her task out of habit.

“Thank you. Hey girl!”

Peering in the direction of the voice she saw Alexis. She was going through the dress section. Amiyah sighed inwardly before walking over to her.

“Hi welcome back. Can I help you look for anything?” She faked a smile.

“Yes actually, I’m looking for something the same as last time just not too revealing this time. I want to tease him. You know?” Alexis sent her a smirk as she walked in front of one of the mannequins observing the clothes.

Hesitant but curious Amiyah asked her. “For another date?”

“Uh you can say something like that. It’s a surprise.” Alexis eyed her up and down.

“Well we have this ruched bodycon dress. It’s an off the shoulder long sleeve lace type of look. I think it’ll fit you. Check it out.” She handed her the dress.

Alexis put the dress up to her frame. Looking in the mirror she smiled at the choice of clothing. Shaking her head she grinned pointing her finger at Amiyah.

“See girl you get me. It’s crazy. Almost like we like the exact same thing.”

“You can say that again.” Amiyah whispered under her breath.

“Huh?”

“Oh I was just talking to myself. If you’re ready I can ring you out.”

They walked to the counter. Amiyah logged in and scanned the dress. Folding it up and putting it a bag she heard Alexis speak.

“Girl how do you do it?”

“Do what?” Amiyah answered confused.

“Work a nine to five. I mean don’t get me wrong there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just that I personally wouldn’t do it.” She smiled.

“ I like working honestly. I get to meet new people. I have fun here sometimes. This is where I met my best friend and I get to get away from home.” Amiyah shrugged her shoulders as she spoke truthfully.

Alexis nodded slowly. “Right. So are you seeing anyone? Anybody caught your attention?”

Laughing lightly Amiyah shook her head. “No. I met this one guy and gave him my number but nothing popped off yet.” She was talking about Cane.

“Hm if that don’t work out you should let me hook you up. I know a few niggas that’ll blow ya back out and then pay ya bills after.” Alexis grabbed her bag and started to walk away.

Before she could stop herself the question came out faster than she expected. “Is that what you do?”

She stopped midway before turning back around. Her face was contorted. Sizing Amiyah up as she stepped in front of the counter.

“Bitch I do whatever the fuck I have to do to get what I want. Even if it mean that I have to fuck around here and there. It keeps my bills paid and my nails from getting dirty. Maybe I could teach you a thing or two.” She gave her one last look before she strutted out the shop.

Amiyah rolled her eyes. Taking a ‘How to get a man’ class from Alexis was the last thing on her list. Girls like her and Amiyah don’t mix too well. She just couldn’t understand how you could trade in time spent on a fake relationship just to get what you want with true happiness.

Her shift was finally coming to an end. Amiyah sent her brother a text fifteen minutes early just so he would be on time to pick her up. Looking towards the entrance her coworker Kacy was coming in to relieve her.

“Hey Kace, it was pretty much a slow day so there’s not any go-backs that you have to do. I would just try to act like you’re cleaning up. Look busy because you know Rhonda be watching the cameras.”

They both laughed.

“I know. She think she slick but go ahead and get out of here. Enjoy the rest of the day. See ya Amiyah.”

Waving goodbye Amiyah exited the boutique. There she spotted her brother waiting outside in his all blacked out Audi A4. She strolled in his direction and got in.

“Wow it’s been forever since you’ve been here on time.” She teased fastening her seatbelt.

Durk kissed his teeth as he pulled off driving to their home. “How was work?”

“Boring I do the same thing everyday.”

“So quit.” He took a quick glance at her.

She sighed irritated. “I’m not quitting my job Durk.”

“You the one who said it’s boring. Just quit.” He laughed.

Amiyah rolled her eyes. “Why? So you can keep your eyes on me 24/7. You always trying to babysit me, damn.” She snapped at him. The mood changed instantly.

Durkio’s jaw clenched as he turned looking at her with his eyes blinking rapidly.

“Babysit you? Where the fuck you get me trying to babysit you from telling you to quit-“

“I know that’s what your intentions are! Not that you care about me not liking my job but because you just want me to have to depend on you and ask you for everything!” Amiyah’s voice kept getting higher with every word.

“Miyah you already depend on me. That two thousand dollar bed that you sleeping on I brought that. Your whole bedroom set, I brought it. The apartment that you living in comfortablely without worry about having to pay one muthafuckin bill, is because of ME!”

Durkio’s hand gripped the steering wheel tightly as he parked in front of their building. He could feel his breathing began to spike as he felt himself get more agitated and angry. Getting out of the car he headed towards the entrance to avoid going any further with her.

Amiyah jumped out and followed closely behind going inside. The elevator ride going to their floor was quiet and tensed. Amiyah tried her best to not argue with her brother but she had more to get off her chest that she didn’t want to go unheard.

“You know you’re a fuckin control freak.” She slammed her purse and jacket on the couch one they made it threw the door.

Durk paused his steps from going into his room.

“How? Tell me what I do Amiyah.” He walked leaning against the counter with his hand folded over the other waiting for her to talk.

“Durk stop playing dumb. Everything that I do you have to be a part of somehow. Like the time I couldn’t take the job offer from the mall because it was ‘too far’. Or how whenever I want to hangout with Kelley you think I’m going to fuck some man-“

“That’s because you are! I know Saturday night you ain’t go out with no fucking Kelley dress the way you were. I’m not fucking stupid Amiyah.”

Amiyah got in his face. “Why would I go fuck someone and I’m still a virgin Derrick. I’m not dumb. I’m not just sleeping with any and everyone.”

Her eyes burned with tears threatening to fall.

Durk used his forearm to move her out of his space. It triggered him whenever someone would walk up to him with disrespect. He knew he would never put his hands on his sister but he didn’t want to feel the urge like he would so he gave her a light push.

“Miyah back the fuck up.” His jaws were tensed and his nostrils became flared out.

“So you can speak your mind but I can’t? I’m not your girl Durk so stop putting rules and regulations on me like I am. I wish our parents were still here so I wouldn’t have to be in this shit hole of a place you call home.”

Amiyah’s blood was boiling. She spoke without thinking. She let her emotions get to the best of her before she could calm down to try and talk to her brother like the young adults they were. But it was too late. She’d gone too far.

Durk shook his head before releasing a dark chuckle.

“You an ungrateful ass bitch, you know that?” His voice spoke lowly but loud enough for her to hear.

Amiyah looked at him in disbelief as the tears came down her face.

“I had to put my life on hold to take care of you. I put myself at risk everyday just to make sure you’re taken care of. So that you won’t have to go out there doing anything you didn’t want to do just to put food in your mouth and clothes on your back. And this how you show some fuckin appreciation?”

He looked at her confused.

“Durk I do appreciate-“

“Get the fuck out my crib.” His voice spoke coldly.

“What?” She unfolded her arms before she walked towards him.

“You heard what I said. By the time I get back you better be gone. Good luck supporting yourself with that weak ass job.”

With that being the last thing spoken to her he brushed past her shoulder and left. Amiyah waited in the same spot hoping that her brother would come back and just tell her to forget this whole argument. But he didn’t.The tears that she thought she had control of were now cascading down her face nonstop.

“What the fuck did I just do!” She scolded herself as her hands covered her face.

She walked to her room. Pushing her door opened her eyes scouted around the room taking in all of her belongings. Where would she go? What could she take? How much could she take without having a vehicle of her own?

Walking over to her bed she sat in silence. She had to think. She had to find away to get her out of the mess that she put herself in. Picking up her phone she dialed the number of the only person she could run to without judgment.

“Hey, Kelley.”

_______________________________________

Erik rolled up to Frank’s Auto Garage. It was time for him to go on the mission. His attire was all black to make himself easily invisible in the shadows. Getting out and walking to his trunk he popped it opened and lifted his secret compartment befor grabbing a duffel bag.

Closing the trunk behind he locked it using his key fob and walked to the front door. He banged four times doing the code knock before he was invited in. One of Durks look out men opened the door.

“Oh shit, what’s good E. You working tonight?”

Giving a silent head nod of approval Erik dapped him up.

“Ok. Well boss is in management. I don’t know what’s going on but he definitely not in the mood. Tread lightly man.”

Taking note Erik walked to the room where Durk was. When he reached it he saw him sitting at his desk talking to someone that he never seen before. Erik tapped lightly on the door making his presence known.

Durk eyes shifted up. “Erik what’s good? Why you knocking? You my brother, you know you ain’t gotta do that.”

“Didn’t wanna interrupt. What’s good? How you doing?” Erik gave him dap with a hug. When they pulled apart he looked in his eyes trying to find an answer. Durk was hiding something.

“Yeah I’m straight. But I want you to meet the person who gon be going with you tonight.” He replied quickly before walking back to his desk.

The guy that sat there quietly got up from his seat. From Erik’s view he didn’t look too much younger than him. He seen his attire matched his as he seen that the young dude already had some leather gloves and a ski mask rested on his head.

Erik gave him a fist pump. “What’s up, I’m Erik.”

“Cane. Nice to meet you bro.”

Durk watched the two interact before interrupting.

“Alright it’s almost 3am. Just got word that nigga Shawn was at the club,which should be closing now. If y’all make it to the address before him-“

“That’ll give us time to find an area to stakeout and then bum-rush him. Catch him off guard.” Cane spoke.

Durk turned to look at Erik before smirking giving him a ‘I told you’ look.

“Exactly. Listen just make sure y’all get the M and dip.” He was referring to the million dollars stashed away.

“I know how this go. Just make sure this nigga straight before we go out there. You know what you doing lil nigga?” Erik questioned Cane.

He kissed his lips. “Look man this ain’t my first rodeo and if I didn’t know what I was doing I’m sure ya boy wouldn’t be calling me.”

“Whoa nigga you owe me a solid. Don’t act like I need you.” Durk stepped in to check him.

Cane waved the two off.

“Aight I trust ya judgment Durk but if shit hit the ceiling, you bailing me out nigga.”

Durk laughed. “Nigga get fuck and go get my money.”

They dapped one last time and Erik left with Cane trailing behind him. He went up to a shelf that had multiple sets of keys sitting on it. Erik grabbed one before walking to the back. There were five different cars out there. He hit the unlock button on the key fob that led him to a dark burgundy Toyota. It was the getaway car for the night. Erik never used his own when he had to do jobs.

He opened the back door and place the duffel bag in the bag. It had two Beretta M9’s, an Ak-47, as well as a roll of duck tape and rope in case the situation went left. Erik got in the driver side. He heard Cane slipping in the passenger seat as he place the address in. It would take them 37 minutes to get there.

Glancing at the clock it was now 2:24 am which gave them plenty of time to find a place for a hideout. Entering the highway Erik and Cane rode in a comfortable silence. Cane every now and then giving Erik a quick glance over before turning his head.

Some time had past when they noticed that they were arriving in the neighborhood of the house where Shawn stayed. The houses were a few yards away from each other but Erik knew that they would still be able to hear the sound of a gun if one went off.

“If you park on this side that bush will be a blind spot. That nigga won’t be able to see us when he pull up.” Cane pointed to the area.

Erik shook his head in agreement. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Pulling into the spot Erik parked the vehicle and shut it off. The light from one of the houses landscape slightly shined in the car to make it possible for them to see each other as they waited.

“So you the infamous Erik I heard about. Ya name got some clout to it with all them licks you did when you was coming up.” Cane broke the silence.

Ignoring his comment Erik reached in the back unzipping the duffel and taking out one of the Berettas. He began to load the clip.

“I never thought I see the day where I would be doing a job with you. Heard you was one hard ass nigga”

Chuckling Erik stopped to face Cane. “What you want an autograph or something. Damn nigga you sound like a fan.”

Cane smacked his lips and then laughed.“Aight you got it. But nah I’m just showing respect to an OG.”

“I don’t look that much older than you.”

“Still one of the OG’s.” Cane showed him respect.

“I appreciate the courtesy. I heard some good things about you as well.” Erik was referring to his previous conversation with Durk.

Cane shrugged. “I do a lil sumn.”

Reaching in the back Erik pulled out the Ak-47 and handed it to him.

“So then you should be able to handle this then.” He was testing him.

“What! This is personally my favorite. This thing could make any nigga dance.”

Erik laughed watching the thrill of excitement in Canes eyes. He reminded him of himself when he was first getting started. Ready and down for everything.

The headlights of a Cadillac SUV caught their attention. It was Shawn pulling up. They watched as he hopped out the driver side.

“Heard this nigga keep one on him. You think he gon try and pull it.” Cane took the safety off of the AK. He was talking about his piece.

“I don’t give a fuck what that nigga got. He better not flinch.” Erik pulled the mask over his face. He watched Shawn walk to his passenger side and opened the door.

“Oh shit! This nigga got a bitch with him.” Cane blurted out.

“Plans don’t change. It is what it is.” Erik spoke truthfully. He had to get the job done.

Cane nodded his head and pulled his mask down. They watch Shawn walk to the front door with the girl following close by. Three minutes later the couple went inside the house.

Erik and Cane exited the vehicle making their way onto the front lawn. Staying away from the security lights they crept on the side. There was a side door that they found that lead right into the kitchen. Peaking through the crack of the blinds Erik spotted the two in livingroom sitting on the couch facing the opposite way.

“Let me pick this lock.” Cane bent down to eye level with it. It took him nothing but a minute to get it open.

Quietly Erik turned the knob and entered. Both him and Cane slowly tipped toe to the livingroom putting a gun to both of their heads. Erik had Shawn and Cane had the girl.

“If you want you and your girl to make it to see another day I suggest you to comply with my instructions and not try anything stupid.” Erik threatened as he cocked the gun.

Shawn froze in his seat as the girl next to him started to scream. Cane hopped over the couch and snatched her up by the arm.

“Bitch shut the fuck up before I put a bullet in yo head. You know what get against the wall and stare at that muthafucka.” He pushed her towards the wall.

“Y’all niggas know who I am?” Shawn finally spoke up.

“Yeah nigga. Why else you think we here? We just want the money. It’s simple.” Erik negotiated with him. He pulled him off the couch by his shirt.

“I don’t know what you talkin-“ He was interrupted by Cane hitting him in the mouth with the butt of his gun.

“Nigga quit fuckin playing with us. Run that shit.”

Erik shook his head but smirked. This was one reckless ass dude and he liked it.

The girl screamed again. Erik could hear the terror in her voice. It sounded like she was going to cry.

“You got five minutes to give us that money or you and ya bitch die. Which one is it? Yo life or some dead presidents”

Cane started to run the show and Erik let him as he sat back and watched.

“Aight nigga. It’s in the fucking safe.” Shawn spit the blood out of his mouth.

“Lead the way then bitch.” Cane pushed him and followed him to the back.

Erik was left alone with the girl who was facing the wall. From behind she had a bad ass body. Gazing over her wardrobe she was Burberry down and her fire red locks fell down her back. He kept glancing back and forth between the dark hallway and her back before Erik finally heard a few words slip out of her lips.

“Please don’t hurt me.” She pleaded.

The moment her voice reached his ears his face scrunched up. Walking up to her he turned her around to face him. Backing up he put his gun down shaking his head with disbelief.

The bitch that Shawn had with him was Alexis.

____________________________

Please excuse any mistakes! I will edit this chapter soon!

Tag-list (If you’re not on it let me know and I’ll add you if you want to be added)

@supersizemeplz @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @hearteyes-for-killmonger @curls-and-crosses @killmonger-dolan @killmongerkink @migosis @raysunshine78 @alookintohersoul @popcorn803 @just-juicee @mllover260 @kimmyblckswan2 @koriiii @tchallasbabymama @toniilaney @marvelmaree @mia-faith @adreamsublime @queen-b1 @mcdesij @vintage-pvssy @viewsfromrose @ceeverse @smuttywriter @harleycativy @callmemckenzieee @theblulife @bvssmob @everything-is-awesomesauce @xoxomyaah @19jammmy @tchallas-ikumkani-wam @suburbanblackhoe @allhailqueennel @admirehermind @mymeira12universe-blog @bellanay

[mrpenguinpants]

Diluc and Aether: Reassurance HCs

Hey! Honestly, unpopular opinion. I like Aether a lot more than Lumine and I’m so upset that when I rerolled for fun I picked Lumine. Now I’m locked in hahh. But that’s so cute anon, I adore emotionally unavailable men attempting to express empathy just to comfort someone. Thank you!! I’m glad you like my work and no problem^^ This is an outlet for me to SIMP and others to simp with me. Take care of yourself anon if you’re still out there and reading this 💕💕

---

Today’s appreciation post goes to anon-iru. I’ve been seeing you pop up a lot recently so hi hehe. I see you’re a fellow human of the brain worms and honestly, if you actually pin the crackfic that I made for when you get cold. I have no words except for I feel both honoured and ashamed in myself haha.

---

Diluc: Comfort HCs [reader ver]

[Masterlist]

---

[taglist]  <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@hanniejji  @mikeysbike @unionwitch @musekala @twistedsunnshiii @stanzastic @akaasea @xoneaboveallx @adoring-ghost @asheseiler @childelover​ @dilucsz​

---

Diluc and Aether: Reassurance HCs

Since Aether started his journey to find his sister, he’s met so many different people and so many things have occurred that he never had the time to rest and be with his thoughts. But after helping Albedo with his experiment and obtaining the festering desire sword, things seemed to have calmed down. The land of Inazuma was still closed off until he could find a way inside the region but until then, it’s just been him, Paimon, and Diluc. Albedo and Sucrose had left to conduct more research in their lab back in Mondstadt leaving the three of them to camp out for the night. Aether was developing a very deep appreciation for the pyro user since they had no reliable way to light torches without freezing to death. 

But now that everything was settled and the world moved on, Aether was left at a bit of a standstill. He was grateful for the temporary break but it also let him think. How was Lumine doing? Was she safe? Where was she now and would they ever reunite? He hoped that, where she was, she was doing okay. 

He might make jokes about Paimon being his emergency food but he really was grateful she was here. It used to only be him and his twin, traveling throughout the universe until that Unknown God had separated them and he found himself here on Teyvat. Even now he can still feel the nightmares crawl behind his back, waiting for him to sleep before striking. 

Aether is snapped out of his thoughts when he feels a heavy coat rest on his shoulders, turning to see Diluc looking at him in concern. At least, that’s what Aether thinks is concern. Diluc’s range of emotions is limited to say the least but Aether smiles thankfully as he pulls the warm coat in further. He’s come to learn that Diluc isn’t one for talking and prefers to show his worry through actions. Diluc never pushes for Aether to talk, something he’s grateful for since Paimon can get a bit nosy, but he really needs an outlet right now.

It’s silent between the two before Aether let’s his emotions pour out, the nightmares of his sister walking away from him, that he’s unable to catch up to her no matter how fast he runs, being told by Lumine that he was too late. He wasn’t even sure what he was too late for. Diluc remains quiet as he listens along but Aether can’t help but feel that Diluc understands. That he’s been through the same situation and knows what Aether is going through. As sad as that seems, it’s comforting knowing he isn’t alone. Aether breathes heavily as he finishes his troubles, before bringing his knees up to his chest and cradles his head between his knees. He can hear Diluc shuffle a bit before he feels a warm hand being placed on his shoulder. Something to stabilize him and let him know he’s not alone. 

“I wonder how she’s doing right now...” Aether sighed as he stared down at his hands. It felt nice to get this off his chest but now that he did all he could feel was loneliness. No matter how many fights or pranks he had with her, he really really missed Lumine. He hoped that she was alright and that she was safe. Was she looking for him too? Once again, he’s snapped out of his sad thoughts when he feels Diluc reach over and pull his coat closer to Aether’s body and laying a hand on his head so he could place it on his shoulder. Aether hmms contently as he snuggles closer to Diluc’s warmth. It must be convenient to have a pyro vision, you can be your own personal heater.

“Aether, look at me,” Diluc whispered as Aether shifts his eyes to meet Diluc’s, “I’m sure she’s strong and capable if I have anything to base on her brother. Have faith in her like she would in you. Thoughts like those will only cripple you, instead use that frustration to your advantage and conquer your fears. I’m here with you. We will find her together.”

“Diluc...” Aether trails off. He never really took Diluc as one for comforting words but when Diluc offers a small but kind smile. He can’t help but smile back. He was right, there was no use in letting those fears get the best of him until he fulfilled his goal and reunited with Lumine. His eyes shine more determined as he nods to reassure himself, “Yeah...Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Diluc.”.

 “Of course,” Diluc nods as he observes Aether. He managed to pull him out of his loneliness, just for a bit, but Diluc knows perfectly well that it doesn’t last for long. “Tell me about your sister, was she as daring as you?” 

Aether laughs as he reminisces to Diluc about the weird antics he and his sister got up to. From doing rock-paper-scissors to decide who would run errands while the other would slack off. To when Lumine proclaimed she was the oldest and strongest between the two, trying to show him new techniques and tricks while he would pretend he hadn’t seen her and was distracted by a butterfly. Even to when they accidently pranked a high ranking official and almost started a war before quickly dipping out of sight once the situation was cleared up. 

“From the sound of things, you both seemed to be trouble makers,” Diluc chuckled along with Aether laugh before he gave a small yawn. It was getting pretty late, “Rest Aether, we can continue our search tomorrow.” 

“Mm, okay. Good night Diluc,” Aether smiles, after all this talking and finally getting the heavy burden off his chest he was getting pretty tired. He yawns once more as he leans more into Diluc’s side before slipping into sleep. This was nice, hearing the fire crackle, the comforting arm around him, the heavy coat that shielded him. It felt safe. That night, whenever he felt those same nightmares creep up, they are quickly chased away by red flames. 

---

Classes start today and I already want to commit sleep. I’m already getting emails from my profs about due dates and we haven’t even talked about the first project. Why do I have a graded discussion let me live a bit.

Istg HCs to me are just fics without dialogue. Because I suck at dialogue lol. Not sure if I’m up to write another full fic today since I kinda want to enjoy my break while it’s still here [cough unless you wanna commission imjustsaying].

Tomorrow is XIAO CONTENT! oh and diluc too. He’s there too. 

[cherryliqueurkinks]

˗ˏˋ betty smut ideas: canon-inspired edition ˎˊ˗

please note: there are many DUBCON/NONCON elements in the list below! proceed with caution if you are sensitive to those kinks or similarly hard kinks.

A little while ago, I did a Betty-centric exchange with @kagszzy and @riverdaledreaming where we took a canon subplot or scene and put a smutty spin on it! I shared a list of ideas with them that I’ve been adding to throughout the seasons and I realized I should’ve shared this with everyone else a long time ago, because it���s not as if I could possible get to everything on here! So if you’re a Betty-lover like us and need some kinky ideas to play with, I hope these inspire some new smut! 

season one

the game of spin-the-bottle at Cheryl’s party is a kinky one and the bottle lands on Betty instead of Veronica

Betty and Cheryl hang out in Betty’s room and Betty asks Cheryl to teach her how to be good with guys

Betty actually wants to be a bad girl when she approaches Chuck and they fuck (or, alternatively, he knows Betty is trying to play him and drugs her instead)

Betty gets carried away in her “Dark Betty” persona with Chuck and they end up fucking in the hot tub

Betty fucks one of the workers or guards at The Sisters of Quiet Mercy to let her see Polly without alerting Alice as instructed (maybe as a one-time deal or as a regular thing for Betty to continue to see Polly)

Betty asks FP to use his Serpent connections to find a safe place for Polly to stay escaping from The Sisters of Quiet Mercy, and her fucks Betty as form of “payment” for his help

Betty goes to the trailer alone to ask FP about Jason’s death and FP fucks her in exchange for answer (or alternatively, as “punishment” for being nosy or as a way to distract her from continuing to interrogate him)

Betty convinces FP to help her with Jughead’s birthday party

FP “comforts” Betty after her fight with Jughead at his birthday party

Betty goes to the trailer after Jughead ran off from homecoming to talk to him but finds FP there instead (maybe he takes advantage of her being distraught about Jughead, or alternatively, of her being angry that Jughead ran off)

season two

Betty agrees to be in someone’s service in exchange for their help in saving Pop’s from closing after Fred’s shooting (maybe an original character, or she meets Hiram Lodge before she knows he’s Veronica’s father)

Betty bribes the Greendale police to learn details on Ms. Grundy’s death to see if her shooter could also be Fred’s shooter

Betty catches one of the drug deals discreetly being run by the Serpents during Retro Night at Pop’s and confronts them

The Black Hood visits Betty in person rather than calls her and says that he’ll stop killing as long as she keeps fucking him (maybe he also makes her wear sex toys to control her during the day)

The Black Hood kidnaps Betty when he lures her to the isolated house near Fox Forest to put on his mask

Archie and Jughead aren’t in the Ghoulies den when Veronica and Betty sneak in and the Ghoulies have their fun with them

Betty joins Veronica when she sleeps over at Kevin’s house and is the one caught snooping by Sheriff Keller

Sheriff Keller catches Betty sneaking into his home and searching his office and decides to punish her himself rather than calling her parents

Sheriff Keller catches Betty and Veronica following him to the Shady Palm Motel and they learn that his secret is far more perverse than simply having an affair

Betty visits FP at the trailer after his release from prison to check on him and it leads to him fucking her for hours to release his sexual frustration

Betty convinces Toni to let her practice her Serpent Dance before FP’s party and some Serpents are at the bar to watch (maybe even also FP)

Betty stays at FP’s party after Jughead breaks up with her and the Serpents decide to “cheer her up” now that she’s officially one of them

Betty goes to Pickens Park alone instead of with Archie and The Black Hood fucks her (or alternatively, he makes Archie watch as punishment to “cleanse him of his sins” instead of being killed)

One of the clients at Chic’s hostel mistakes her as another “fantasy fulfiller” and drags her into one of the rooms to have his way with her

Betty becomes a camgirl

Hiram fucks Betty in revenge for letting Jughead publish an article shaming him in The Blue and Gold (or as a “warning” for her not to let it happen again)

Tall Boy kidnaps Betty and videos him fucking her as blackmail to drive Jughead and FP out of the Serpents so he could be in charge

Betty fucks Hiram in exchange for him buying the trailer park to prevent the Southside from getting evicted

FP secretly fucks Betty when she’s living at the trailer to avoid Chic (maybe he offers it as “distraction” from her troubles at home, or maybe she wants to “thank” him for letting her stay there)

Betty tries to convince Sweet Pea and Fangs to trust her so Jughead gets the Serpent vote for student body president

season three

Fred wants to give Betty an extra special thank you for giving up her summer to help Mary prepare for Archie’s trial (or alternatively, as a thank you for her fulfilling her promise to Archie to keep Fred company after Archie goes to juvie)

Dr. Glass decides to try some radical methods on Betty during their therapy sessions to get her to open up (or Dr. Glass can be substituted by Fred or FP being asked by Alice to help Betty deal with her trauma)

Jughead asks Sweet Pea (or Fangs, or both of them) to “distract” Betty from their mission to rescue Hot Dog from the Ghoulies

Tom Keller figures out that Betty is investigating Gryphons & Gargoyles and takes matters into his own to convince Betty to stop

Betty is tasked with distracting the guards when the gang breaks Archie out of juvie

Sheriff Minetta takes drastic measures during his interrogation with Betty to get her to admit that she helped break Archie out of juvie

Hiram agrees to help Betty escape The Sisters of Quiet Mercy in exchange for being in his care instead

Hiram takes advantage of Betty while she’s high off of fizzle rocks at The Sisters of Quiet Mercy

Fangs (maybe with Sweet Pea and other Serpents) take their anger over Jughead’s “no crime” ruling out on Betty (or alternatively, they corner Betty without Jughead knowing and force her to convince him to change his mind)

Hiram takes advantage of Betty feeling angry and helpless after Alice “donates” all of Betty’s money to The Farm and he offers to provide for her in exchange for her service

Betty tries to see Hal in prison so he can prove that Alice forged his signature but the only way she can see him is through a conjugal visit

Betty takes the Jones’s offer for Betty to still live with them after they buy the house from Alice and FP takes advantage of the new arrangement

or alternatively, Hiram takes advantage of the fact that Betty is staying with them after Alice sells the house

Betty gives FP an extra special present for his 50th birthday party after everyone else has left

Edgar takes drastic measures to convince Betty to join The Farm

Betty asks Hiram to honor Hal’s request to be transferred to his prison and Hiram agrees to do it in exchange for “a favor”

season four

Betty and Charles are a lot closer than they let Jughead believe considering how much time they spend alone in the FBI office together

Betty helps out at the car wash to fundraise the gym renovations and one of the customers gets handsy with her while everyone else is on a break

FP and Betty find themselves alone together in their house more often than not and they take advantage of it (maybe Charles is also involved because Betty is trying to make a connection with her half-brother)

Charles wants to comfort Betty after being terrorized with prank phone calls by Polly on Halloween and they get carried away

Charles takes advantage of Betty’s vulnerability over having the serial killer gene and offers to help her control her darkness

Jughead is distracted with writing for a few hours during Betty’s visit to Stonewall and Bret takes advantage of it (maybe with Donna)

Betty tries to seduce and drug Bret like she did Chuck to get Bret to admit to Stonewall jumping Munroe

Betty is kidnapped by the Quill and Skull as part of an initiation or hazing ritual for Jughead as a new member

Mr. Honey is skeptical about Betty wanting to participate in the quiz show so Betty goes to extreme lengths to get his approval (or alternatively, Mr. Honey punishes Betty for cheating on the quiz show)

FP questions Betty alone about having Jughead’s phone after he’s gone missing and decides to try another means to get the truth out of her

Sweet Pea is the one hooking up with Betty in the bunker when Donna follows Betty into the forest and she stays to get proof that they’re only faking (or alternatively, it’s Reggie)

[xaphrin]

Part One

NSFW Warning - Adult Nonsense Ahead

Damian quietly seethed as he glanced around the room. He didn’t like the way other men’s eyes followed the lines of her body. They were longing stares, watching every step she took and fantasizing about all the hidden parts of her. Pathetic fools. He could feel something possessive rise up inside him, like an animal that was threatening to break its chains and claw at any face who looked a moment too long Raven. She made him feel wild and untamed in a way that excited and frightened him. 

His thoughts returned to the brandy-soaked kiss they had shared only last week, and he felt his whole body react before he could pin down his own memories. Raven’s back had been pressed against the stacks in her bookshop, eyes wide as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes searched his face, and her delicate fingers slid along the stays of his open shirt, teasing the dip of his throat. He had never felt someone so brazenly touch him like that, like his skin was meant to be worshiped, and he was amazed that he hadn’t ripped her own clothes off just to touch her in return.  

Damian took a sip of his drink and tried to pay attention to whatever the hell Drake was talking about - something having to do with business and tea trade in the east Indies. His mind wasn’t in the conversation. Honestly, right now he couldn’t care. All he could focus on was the way the soft fabric of Raven’s dress clung to her curves and-

“You’ve been staring at her like a dog in heat.”

Damian jerked and whipped around to see Drake staring at him, lifting an eyebrow in a blatant tease. Damian finished his drink and muttered a curse under his breath, ignoring the way Drake was quietly laughing at him from behind the rim of his own brandy class. It was one thing to be teased by his brothers, but something about Drake teasing him made the situation so much more embarrassing. 

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all fall in love at some point.”  Drake paused and tilted his head to the side, watching Damian with a smirk. “Admittedly, I never thought you would fall in love. I thought you were doomed to be a bachelor for the rest of your life.”

Damian scoffed. “I’m not in love.” 

Oh, that was most certainly a lie. He was very much in love. And, no matter how much he tried to avoid the emotion, or Raven, he knew he was very much in love with her. He just wouldn’t admit that to Drake. Not in a thousand years would he admit that to any one of his brothers. They would never let him live it down. 

Damian set his brandy glass down and straightened his jacket, trying to make it look as though he was nonchalant about Drake’s comment. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense with you and the rest of our family. Go tell someone to ready my carriage. I’m returning to town tonight.”  

“Are you?” 

A soft voice slipped down his spine, and Damian turned to see Raven standing behind him, her dark eyes somehow seeing through every crack in his armor. He glanced down at her and felt like he was going to break apart at how absolutely beautiful she was. Her dress might have been out of fashion for several seasons (the paltry income she made from her bookshop would never afford her anything new), but there was something about the way it clung to her that shook him to the core. He followed the delicate line of her necklace that rested against her breast bone, and tried not to think about all the secrets hidden underneath. 

Tried valiantly, and failed spectacularly. 

Damian set his jaw and gave a curt nod, trying to keep his face expressionless. “I’ve never been one for parties like this.” 

“Would you care to bring me along?” Raven moved toward him, and he caught the scent of some kind of fruity cordial and cinnamon, and it was a dangerous combination. Although Damian felt like anything with her was a dangerous combination. Everything reminded him of that moment last week. Her sharp stare continued over the planes of his face. “I know it’s rude to invite myself, but I should return to my shop soon. I purchased a collection of old books and I need to go through them for resale.” 

His eyes narrowed. She was playing a game with him, he could feel it. “At this time of night?”

“Is there a better time?” Raven tilted her head to the side and smirked at him, as if she knew a secret he didn’t. Oh, she was most certainly playing a game with him. “No one will interrupt me and I have plenty of oil for my lamp, if I need it.”

Damian knew better than to engage in a verbal sparring match with her. He’d tried that more than once, and usually lost as often as he’d won. He hated that she could disarm him so easily, and yet he loved it too. She was as sharp with her tongue as she was with her mind, and while that would have easily bothered most men, Damian found it almost exciting. She drove him halfway insane most of the time, but he still found he rather enjoyed it. 

He shifted and nodded in agreement, moving towards the exit. “If you want to accompany me back to town, I have no concerns.”

“Thank you. Let me say my good-byes and I’ll meet you out in the foyer.” Raven was gone in a moment, choosing not to give him the opportunity to say no, as Kory followed after her. 

Behind him, Drake let out a soft chuckle, and Damian turned to glare. “What?”

“You know it’s nearly an hour’s ride back to town from here.” Drake reached for the decanter of brandy on the sideboard and smirked. “You’re going to be spending all of that time in such a small space. Alone. Together.” Drake grinned as though he knew a secret Damian didn’t. “And the way you’re looking at each other, I highly doubt you’ll be whiling away the time talking about the books she sells in the shop.”

Damian caught the inflection in his voice and he forced himself not to blush, staring blankly into Drake’s face. But, it was too late, his mind was suddenly filled with thoughts of his hands thoroughly tracing her shape though the thick fabric of her clothing, and watching those sharp eyes darken with need and desire. He thought about pushing her skirts up slowly, exposing inch after inch of her pale, creamy skin. Grumbling under his breath, he glared at Drake, who looked unrepentant. 

“I am a gentleman.” Damian straightened his jacket and moved through the drawing room to the door leading to the foyer. “I wouldn’t take advantage of someone like that. And certainly not someone who considers the Wayne family as patrons.” 

“It wouldn’t be taking advantage if she was an active participant.” Drake took a sip of his brandy and continued to grin. “But that is my humble opinion.” 

Damian huffed out another curse and made his way to the main entryway, watching as a footman pulled a deep, indigo cloak over Raven’s shoulders. She lifted her head and gave him a small, almost secretive smile, eyes lighting up. His heart did something unusual in his chest, and Damian felt like the world dissolved around him. There was a whole crowd of people filling the entryway, but he could have sworn that the only people here were him and Raven. His heart thundered wildly in his chest, and Damian took a few shaky steps forward as he closed the space between them. 

“Miss Roth. We should be going now.”

“Oh, of course.” She nodded and slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, following him out of the hall. 

As they stepped into the outside, the wind seemed to pick up speed and a light drizzle of rain fell down over them. Damian glanced down at the top of her head and tried not to think about how her touch burned through his clothing, branding him. It was like she was becoming part of him, just by being this close. Heavens help him, he was an utter mess when it came to her. He swallowed and helped her into the waiting carriage before following after her, shaking the water from his coat. 

Raven looked out the window at the front of the manor, and Damian examined her profile for a long moment, until the carriage pulled too far away from the house, drenching her in shadows. Finally she looked back at him and lifted an eyebrow. 

“You know how this is going to appear to our friends and your family?” The teasing inflection in her voice wasn’t lost on him. “The two of us escaping into the darkness, taking a single carriage back to town.” 

Damian snorted and leaned back into the seat, unable to keep the smirk from pulling at his lips as he looked at the outline of her across from him. “Yet you were the one who invited yourself along. I can only imagine that Drake is telling the entirety of my family of our scandalous trip back to town.” He snorted. “He’s a damn gossip.” 

Raven’s laughter eased over him, and without warning, the small space of the carriage seemed almost suffocating. They were too close together, and Damian could feel the heat of her form curl along his skin like whispers of memories from their kiss last week. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to strip himself of his clothes if only so he could feel more of her pressed against him. He took a deep calming breath and wet his lower lip with his tongue. 

“I do need to get back to the shop. That isn’t a lie.” Her words were barely a whisper, but he could hear the caution in them, as if she wasn’t entirely confident in what she was saying. Raven leaned forward, looking into his eyes. He felt her hands rest on the seat on either side of his knees, as if to steady herself. “And… perhaps I thought we should discuss what happened last week… without your nosy brothers hanging around.”

Tch. Discussion wasn’t exactly what was on his mind, not when she was so close to him and he was very eager. Damian opened his mouth to say something sensible, to at least get her to put much-needed space between them, but the carriage wheels hit a large stone, and the cabin lurched. Raven tumbled forward, her slight body nearly ending up in his lap. Heat exploded through him, and his arms went around her waist, unsure if he wanted to steady her or pull her closer to him. His breath stuttered in his chest and he waited for her to pull back with an excuse or apology. 

But she didn’t. 

Raven just sat there, still for a moment before she pushed herself forward even more, angling her face towards his. The carriage continued to jostle, pressing the full length of her against him, and that was… that was not helping. 

He heard Raven’s mouth open, her voice a careful reminder of their situation. “We… should talk.”

Once again, talking was not something he wanted to do right now either. He took a deep, ragged breath as his fingers slid from her waist up her spine. He found the buttons of her dress, and fidgeted with them, wondering if he should rip them off. Rip them off. Strip her bare. Lay her out over the small seats of the carriage and- Argh! 

Damian ground his teeth together, biting back a growl. He shouldn’t be thinking things like this. Not about Raven, at least. This was his family’s close friend, and someone he respected greatly. She was sharp-witted, smart, clever, and determined, and he needed to treat her like that. Giving into his base desires and taking advantage of her in a damn carriage was not respecting her. If they ever were to make love, he wanted to do it properly - in his bed, far from the rest of the world. Where he could spend all the time in the world pleasuring her.

His hands tightened on her hips, and he moved to set her back on the bench across from him, but Damian found himself unable to move. Something that felt like a spell he couldn’t break was taking root in his veins, and he wasn’t thinking clearly anymore. No, all he could think about was their slow, languid kiss last week, and how he had pulled her skirt up a few inches, just enough to taunt them both. She had tasted of whispers and tea, and he wanted. He wanted her more than he wanted anything in his life. 

Damian’s lips twitched and he felt her small hands slide up his chest, pausing over his heart. He looked into the dark shadow of her face and huffed, hoping his tone would force her to behave a little. “Is that what we’re doing, Miss Roth? Talking?” He was ashamed at how low and desperate his voice sounded, but it wouldn’t be much longer before either of them made absolutely terrible decisions. 

Raven moved closer to him, her eyes darker than the night around them. “I said we should talk. I didn’t say we were talking.” 

The inflection wasn’t lost on him, and before Damian could think of the right response, he felt her soft lips on his own. She tasted of that spiced fruit cordial and darkness, and it made him feel like he was breaking under her. His hands tightened on her waist and he dragged her hard against his chest, feeling her move her skirts out of the way to settle in his lap. Even through the layers of petticoats and undergarments, he could feel her muscles twitch against him. He was too far gone to tell her no. Damian groaned into their kiss, his head suddenly spinning as his resolve disintegrated under her touch. With another curse, he nudged her mouth open tasting every part of her and gasping between kisses as her fingers started to untie his cravat. 

The carriage bounced against another rock, and Raven tumbled into his lap even more, the soft flesh of her ass resting against his thighs. His fingers dug into her coiffed hair, spilling cheap gems and hairpins onto the floor. She molded to him, meeting his desperation with one of her own, barely breaking the kiss as she pulled the cravat from around his neck and dropped it next to her. He reached up and flicked several buttons open, exposing her chemise underneath. Honestly. Women’s clothing was a damn riddle sometimes.  

She loosened the collar of his own shirt and ran her fingertips along his exposed skin under the fine linen. It was like her touch was fire, and Damian was content to burn under it. He cursed again and pulled away, just enough to catch his breath. 

Somewhere inside of him there had to be… something. Something that would keep him from ravishing her as though he was starved. He just had to find it. Damian’s hands covered her own and he tilted his eyes to the shadow of her face. “Miss Roth…”

“Raven.” Her voice was stern, reminding him that she would hold her own against anything he said. Raven’s mouth found his again, stealing another harried kiss as her fingers unfastened a few buttons on his shirt before she pulled away. She nipped at his lower lip and adjusted herself in his lap again. “If we are going to make love in this carriage, I am begging that you call me Raven. You owe me that at least.”

Make love? With Raven?

His thoughts were spinning before he could find a response. Make love. As if this was premeditated. As if she wanted this. Drake’s words buzzed in his head like an annoying insect: it wouldn’t be taking advantage if she was an active participant. Damian’s heart stopped in his chest and he looked up at her as she pushed his waistcoat from his shoulders and leaned closer to him. Her hands stilled suddenly and he could feel her touch trembling, as if she realized she said something she shouldn’t have. 

Her eyes swept up to his, and Damian cursed that he couldn’t see them in the darkness. “As long as you don’t… think less of me.”

Think less of her? He jerked back more out of surprise than anything other response. How could he think less of her? His eyes fluttered and he searched her face, still bathed in shadows. 

“I’m not… so innocent.” She cleared her throat and looked away. 

Oh. A spark of jealousy snapped in his chest before he could quell it. Raven was a grown woman, perfectly capable of indulging in flesh when she so desired. But the thought that she had been intimate with someone else unnerved him, and Damian set his jaw with an audible click. He didn’t want to share her. Not with anyone. He wanted to ruin her for anyone else. He wanted to give her such pleasure that she would keep coming back to him and him alone. The thought of her on his bed, spread out like a sacrifice for himself, made his body roar to life.  

“I could never think less of you, Raven.” He dropped his voice as his hands tightened in the folds of her skirt. “Not for knowing precisely what you want. If this is what you want, then let me give it to you.” He began to draw the skirt up the length of her body, exposing trim legs wrapped in the pale white silk of her stockings. The sight was enough to make him curse in his native tongue. He had never wanted the way that he wanted her. 

He looked back into her face as he started to push her skirt out of the way, drawing a hand up her leg under the layers of fabric. He felt the lace on her pantalettes, and moved his hand between her thighs, feeling the split in the fabric. Through the linen, he could tell she was wet and eager, and he felt his mouth water. This carriage ride was not going to be nearly enough for him to satiate his hunger. No, Damian knew that he was going to keep returning to her over and over again. 

Damian’s fingers slipped through the split in her pantalettes, and he split her wide, circling her swollen clit with a fingertip. Raven arched against his hand, her eyes so wide they practically reflected what little light there was outside. She made the most delicious noise, and he found himself baring his teeth at her. He kissed up her bare throat, growling. 

“But know this, Raven… if you ask this of me, I will never be able to share you again.” He slipped two fingers inside her, pumping slowly as his thumb rubbed her clit. “I will never let you court another person. Ever.”

Her eyes opened a half-inch and she looked down into his face as her body tightened around his fingers. Raven’s hands tightened in his hair and she shivered against him, her body riding his fingers as she pressed slow kisses to the corners of his mouth. “That sounds… as though you expect to court me, Mr. Wayne.” Her fingers tightened in his hair again, and she groaned as his thumb pressed harder against her. “You are going to give a spinster the wrong idea.”

He snorted delicately and added a third finger, stretching her wide. Spinster. Hardly. Raven groaned and pulled him closer for a long, slow kiss, each pass of her mouth desperate for him. Damian let himself drown in her, feeling her tense with every push of his fingers. He could hear her gasp, feel her shiver, taste her cries, and he knew she was close. He wanted to watch her break apart and shatter underneath him, and know that he was the one who gave this release to her. He captured her lower lip and sucked on it gently, and Raven’s head fell back against her shoulders. 

“Damian…”

The way she said his name almost made him lose his mind right there. He watched her mouth tighten into something almost like pain, before her fingers loosened in her hair, and her whole body sagged against him for just a moment. A single heartbeat passed, and Raven’s back arched as she clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. She looked gorgeous, lost in pleasure and desire, and Damian realized how desperately he wanted to experience this again. With another muttered curse, he pulled her tight against him, his mouth finding her own as he let her ride out her climax on his hand. 

He waited until her kisses eased in intensity, and her arms wrapped tight around his shoulders. She pressed her forehead to his shoulder and sighed against his bare neck, her breath tickling his skin. When she stopped twitching against him, Damian removed his fingers somehow resisting the urge to lick them clean. He bet she tasted amazing, and one night he was going to find out. 

Swallowing a deep, shuddering breath, he glanced out the open window, taking in the dark landscape. They were halfway back to town, and he could see a few more houses dot into view. The rain was coming down harder now, and Damian was grateful for small miracles. The sound of the rain would block out the sounds both he and Raven had been making. And Damian didn’t know how he would explain to his footman the grunts and groans that had spilled from the cabin of the carriage. 

Damian moved to readjust her skirt, hoping to entice her off his lap so he could have a moment to breathe before his soul burst into flames. But Raven didn’t move. Instead she picked up her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes, and Damian was suddenly ready to give her the world if she asked. She looked wild and insatiable, like she wanted to lose herself in him and him alone, and his body reacted without questioning. 

“More.” Her voice was low and husky and her hands fell to the buttons on his trousers, touching him through the fabric. Damian groaned as the palm of her hand eased over the hard length of his erection, tracing him with fascination and desire. She pressed another kiss to his lips, her tongue tracing his mouth. “I want more.”

He felt her flick open one button, then another, and then another… over and over until she had fully undone his pants and pulled his cock out. Damian felt her skirt slide along his sensitive flesh and his head fell back against the seat as he twitched. Raven made a curious sound in the back of her throat as she examined him, fascinated with his cock as though she had never seen one before. Her fingertips traced the length of him, swirled around his head, traveled back down, all before she wrapped her palm around him and pumped.

“I wonder how you would feel inside me.” Her voice was like a feather trying to arouse his common sense, but Damian was too far gone. He’d lost his mind to a haze of need, and he was happy to let her use him for her own pleasure. Whatever she needed or wanted, he would give it to her without question. “But… more than that…”

Mm?

Damian nearly jumped out of his skin as he felt her tongue swirl over the dripping head of his cock. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cursing loud enough to bring questions from his footmen, and watched as Raven settled on the small floor between his spread legs. Her skirt fanned out around her creating a halo as she looked up at him from the small space. Raven’s mouth was now swallowing as much of him as she could take. He groaned and dug his heels into the floor to keep himself from thrusting into her mouth. 

Heaven help him, he was going to lose his damn mind tonight. Damian stared down at her, watching her expression as she continued to devour him, and he let himself enjoy the sight for just a few moments. The neckline of her dress had slid down to expose the tops of her breasts, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wild, and every part of her looked deliciously wanton. He could happily enjoy this sight for the rest of his life. Damian watched with curiosity as her free hand disappeared under the fall of her skirt, and he realized that she was touching herself while pleasuring him.

He nearly shattered at that thought. 

Damian cursed, and without thinking, wrapped his arms around her shoulders and dragged her up to the seat. Raven’s hands went around his neck, and her knees rested against his hips. He stole another heavy, heady kiss as he moved her skirts out of the way, searching for the split in her pantalettes. 

“I am going to take advantage of you, habibti.” The endearment fell from his tongue before he could question it, but if Raven knew what it meant, she didn’t say anything at all. Gods. Is this what she was doing to him? Making him lose complete control? Tch. He should know better, but it was too late now. If this was how he died, then at least he was going to enjoy it.  

He stole another kiss from her, teeth sinking into her lower lip as he continued to pull her skirt out of the way. “You should tell me to stop.”

“I won’t. I won’t tell you to stop.” She cupped his face and leaned over him, adjusting her knees so that her body rested just over the head of his cock. Her tongue lapped at his lower lip and she pulled away a scant inch to look into his eyes. “And you’re not taking advantage of me if I want it, Damian.” She sunk down on his erection and her head fell back against her shoulder as she shuddered. “And I want it.” 

Damian growled and yanked her hips down, spearing her on his cock. She let go of a short, strangled cry and fell against his chest, shivering as she buried her mouth in the crook of his neck. Gods. She felt amazing. Tight and hot and welcoming all at once. His mouth kissed along her shoulder, and waited until he felt her hips move. She lifted herself up and back down. Up and down. Over and over and over, each movement more bold than the last, and Raven was gasping into his chest, frantic. 

“My lord.”

Oh, that was a dangerous way to address him. Damian groaned and slipped his hand under the yards of fabric of her skirt and found where their bodies met. She was a mess, wet and dripping all over his clothes, but he was no better off. He practically ripped her pantalettes open and found her clit, rubbing his thumb over it. Raven’s movements grew even wilder, and her fingers buried in his hair as she found his mouth in a harsh, demanding kiss. 

“I need-”

“I know.” He nipped at her lower lip, his thumb pressing harder against her clit. “I am here for you.”

Raven’s body twitched and she gave a few harsh thrusts along the length of him before she was tumbling over the edge. Damian watched her, fascinated by the sight. She looked beautiful, her eyes wild and her mouth open in a silent scream. Her fingers clawed down his chest, leaving red marks he would wear with pride, as she let herself fall into oblivion. 

He wanted to follow after her, to spend himself inside her, but he knew better. He didn’t want a scandal on his hands. Damian groaned and he wrapped his hand around the base of his cock, squeezing so tightly that he managed to stave off his orgasm. He waited until Raven had finished coming before he slid from her body, and finished himself off with his hand, spilling into the folds of her petticoats. It was somewhat unsatisfying, but a temporary solution. He’d come inside her when they were properly married.

When they were married? Where had that thought come from? 

Damian shook his head and watched as Raven crawled from his body, falling back against the seat behind her. She took a few shuddering breaths and stared up at the ceiling, her expression somewhere between elated and wistful, but ultimately content. 

“I don’t think I was prepared for that.” 

Damian snorted and started rebuttoning his shirt and waistcoat. “That makes two of us.” 

He glanced at her again, taking in her swollen lips and flushed cheeks, and knowing she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Raven met his stare with a small, coy smile before she sat up, picking up the pins he had scattered on the floor before. He watched her movements with a sinking feeling in his heart. That they would be arriving at her small shop first. He would help her out of the carriage, help her to the door, and they would say goodnight. And then… she would leave. 

But… he didn’t want her to leave. He wanted to stay with her. All night, if possible. 

“Stay with me tonight. At my townhouse.” Damian looked at her with a hopeful expression. “At least for tonight.”

Raven’s fingers paused in her hair and she looked at him, her coy smile turning playful. “And do what, my lord?”

He leaned forward and pressed his mouth against her own, stealing another kiss. He nudged her mouth open and swept his tongue inside, tasting her. Raven groaned, and her hands tightened in the front of his waist coat, trying to pull him close. Damian released her mouth with a smile, his tongue sliding against her lower lip. 

“Allow me to return the favor, habibti.”

[tanoraqui]

AU: Hányǐng-jūn

(”Shadowbearing Lord”, translation by @lyratalus)

(see, this is my problem. I decide, “yes, damnit, I AM going to write this longfic!” and then 0.0003 seconds later I’m absolutely swarmed by other plot bunnies.)

anyway, Yiling Patriarch!Lan Wangji but, like...better

Lan Wangji gets out of seclusion and 3 days later takes a mostly sleeping Lan Yuan, a couple days' worth of provisions, and leaves for Yiling. Lan Xichen somehow catches him just outside of Cloud Recesses and LWJ freely admits that he's going to Yiling - the city, not the Burial Mounds themselves - and he's going to raise A-Yuan there and cleanse the Burial Mounds like Wei Wuxian was starting to do with the life he brought back to them

Lan Xichen lets him go, doesn't even bother to play the "shouldn't A-Yuan grow up somewhere healthier and wealthier" card, bc a) cheap shot, b) he knows Wangji has already thought of it (he's right), and c) this is doing NOTHING to convince him that his brother won't commit some sort of passive suicide if he doesn't get to keep that child. God damn, he thought they were over this phase of mourning but Apparently Not

so Lan Wangji gets a house in Yiling, has to deal with 50 tons of gossip - of a new variety; he's used to political gossip and "isn't he hot" gossip but wow he was not prepared for small town "ooh new hot single dad" gossip with a side order of random advice from elderly women about how to care for a six-year-old

(he is, in fact, very grateful for the advice)

(there is no way in hell that Lan Wangji knows how to be the sole provider for a six-year-old)

in the internal war between "do not let A-Yuan out of my sight" and "do not take the vulnerable child to the death mountain", I think the former wins, considering the small child already lived on the death mountain for about a year, and seemed fine except for malnutrition. Which was...well, yes it was a problem with the death mountain, but not directly. Lan Wangji has money and they live in town and commute to the Burial Mounds each day for LWJ to play Cleansing while A-Yuan runs around catching imaginary butterflies or practicing reading; it's fine

...though possibly the nosy grannies convince him to get a babysitter

and maybe to take a break?

oh no i would want so many OCs of just Lan Wangji's neighbors in this

anyway, it doesn't take long for it to become clear that even playing Cleansing all day every day is like being a bird scraping its beak once a millennia on a mountain. Sure it works, technically, but...not really. Frankly, the resentful energy grows back if he stops for a single day. And even Hanguang-jun only has so much power and endurance

he's going to have to handle the resentful energy himself. If he wants to do this, wants to leave some sort of positive legacy for Wei Wuxian, he's going to have to demonically cultivate himself. Siphon the stuff off, and do...something with it. It won't just vanish. Subdue corpses and monsters, probably? Go back to night-hunting?

I dunno how or how fast word gets out, but I guarantee you Jiang Cheng is the first person of note to hear about it and come furiously flying. The fight that follows is raw and possibly literally bloody, and 99.99% about Wei Wuxian (of course.) I think the only reason it stops is that even though they took it outside, A-Yuan wakes up (as does most of the neighborhood) and pokes his head out the window to ask what's going on, and Jiang Cheng puts two and two together with the kid he saw when he visited to disown Wei Wuxian and- 

He can't quite bear to destroy something even halfway adjacent to family He wants Wei Wuxian to have a slightly good legacy, too He storms off.

the only reason he doesn't pass Lan Xichen in the air is that they aren't quite coming from the same direction. This night is becoming very long but Lan Wangji is happy to explain himself to his brother: the careful methods he's started to use, never very much resentful energy at once, and the careful checks he has on himself, meditation and Cleansing and purification rituals. Lan Xichen isn't happy, but he has to concede that it all seems sound, and the goal is certainly a righteous one, and...there are worse ways to mourn

so when an emergency sect leader cultivation conference is called, because the news that Hanguang-jun has not only moved to Yiling but started practicing demonic cultivation has spread like wildfire, Lan Xichen calmly stands forward and defends his brother, states that Lan Wangji is working on noble goals with careful precautions and the full support of GusuLan, he can confirm it himself as Sect Leader but of course any who wish are welcome to visit Yiling as well and judge Hanguang-jun's precautions for themselves.

I cannot put in words how close Jiang Cheng comes to punching him in the face

So that’s what happens: people visit, see what careful measures Lan Wangji has in place, and are convinc- ha ha lol no it’s politics. But it works out. i wish I could say that it's some sort of tie between who Jiang Cheng hates most: Wei Wuxian for everything, but particularly for not even bothering to try to make it safe like LWJ clearly is; Lan Wangji for thinking he can just get away with this shit; Lan Xichen for helping him do it; everyone else for going along with it when they couldn't give Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng and YunmengJiang a single shred of goodwill; or himself for not standing up for either Wei Wuxian (a la Lan Wangji, however post-mortem)/his brother (like LXC)

but we all know it's nowhere near a tie

so...Lan Wangji doesn't plan to teach Lan Yuan (he's still a Lan! They're both still Lans!) any sort of demonic cultivation, but no matter what he does there's still So Much Dangerous Stuff around here, and they have no backup nearby, and demonic cultivation is just so much easier for those without a well-developed golden core yet -

so he teaches him, you know, some basic chords to make a ghost or corpse go the fuck away

(to start)

UNFORTUNATELY I'm pretty sure the timing is such that the Yi City Affair happened mostly while LWJ was in seclusion? Or at least, the start of it, such that the finding of Xue Yang by the side of the road happened either shortly before or shortly after he got out (and, in this case, went to Yiling)

and they have no reason to visit Yiling, so...all that...plays out. as in canon

no reason to visit Yiling, that is, until Xue Yang is sitting on the floor of the coffin house clutching a bag containing the shards of Xiao Xingchen's soul and feeling something like remorse for the first time in his life and he HATES it, he hates it SO GODDAMN MUCH, he wants to burn everyone who contributed to this to the ground and then torment their ghosts for centuries

so, he might then visit Yiling and the man said to be some sort of inheritor of the Yiling Patriarch's power. He almost certainly tries to play nice and helpless, just a good young man who made bad choices and lost his friend, and Lan Wangji probably tries to give him the benefit of the doubt and...yeah that does not last long.

especially if A-Qing has anything to say mime about it

Xue Yang has a fierce corpse on call and the won't-stay-down attitude of a feral weasel on crack who hates you personally, but Lan Wangji has a the home court advantage, including extensive practice siphoning and applying power from the Burial Mounds, and he's fucking Hanguang-jun.

Result: Lan Sizhui gets a sad fierce corpse uncle and a cheerfully-refusing-to-pass-on ghost-jie

HARD CUT uh...10? Ish? Years later? Wei Wuxian aka Mo Xuanyu is quickly giving up the idea of subtle launching fierce corpses at this hand bc at this point it's either out himself or people die, and the latter is not acceptable. He's just about to whistle them in when a ghost whips in and probably saves someone's life by knocking them out of the way. One of the Lan babies shrieks and hides behind another one - but a third points excitedly to the sky and shouts, "Oh, it's Lan Sizhui! Sizhui, over here!"

and who should descend by sword but one Nice Young Man(TM) with a guqin that he plays while switching effortlessly back and forth between spiritual and resentful energy, which, damn, Wei Wuxian didn't even know that was an option. I mean, it wasn't, for him, but...damn! What a clever kid! Did someone teach him?!

oh yeah, imminent danger of death by angry left hand -

Wei Wuxian does have to openly intervene, or at least, obviously intervene by fierce corpse and shouting some instructions at the kids, and then letting this Sizhui kid take the credit for the fierce corpses and trying to book it but, uh...getting caught. By aforementioned Sizhui kid. Who is polite and formal and, Wei Wuxian points out, extremely un-GusuLan-like, what with the bothering him and also the demonic cultivation. There's probably still the ghost of a teenage girl following them and making rude gestures at Wei Wuxian for insulting her little brother

"That's because I'm from the Yiling branch," Lan Sizhui admits, a little shame-facedly except that it's definitely fake shame. 

"Hmm?" says Wei Wuxian, like he knows what that means but is curious for more information (as opposed to have no goddamn idea what that means and desperately wanting more information)

"I, ah, study with Hanying-jun" says Lan Sizhui, who doesn't want to make a big deal out of his parentage. 

"Hmm?" says Wei Wuxian, who is fucking Dying here "I thought I might escort you home with me, so you can get properly cleansed after manipulating those corpses. One must be careful, of course." He sighs in a slightly teenagerish way. "It'll take most of a day, probably, after that arm. I try to use only spiritual energy on night hunts, but that was...pretty bad." 

Wei Wuxian, internally: okay, CONS: getting spiritually cleaned by Lans, even possibly Cool Lans - ugh, why are Lans always like this. PROS: finding out who the fuck this "Hanying-jun” is, bc...what the fuck. In Yiling? Is he stealing MY schtick?? And I can't just ASK, because clearly this kid expects me to recognize the title, which means Mo Xuanyu would probably recognize the title, and even a Lan who practices some sort of resentful energy manipulation isn't just going to be okay with suddenly meeting the Yiling Patriarch...And i can always run if I have to. 

WWX: I mean...okay! I don't have anything else to do!

except they do detour to Dafan Mountain a little because Lan Sizhui wasn't raised quite Lan enough to beat out the rebellious teenager streak and he wants to fight a big monster, and Jiang Cheng nearly fucking draws Zidian on sight bc he really. Hates. The Yiling Lans. And then Lan Wangji shows up just bc he heard about a ruckus and figured it was a good place to find his son

and then goddess statue, Wen Ning, terrible bamboo flute...

it's definitely not 'til after Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng have started and maybe finished fighting before Wie Wuxian finds out that the mysterious bastard who totally stole his spot as Dark Lord of Yiling is Hanguang-jun

or, you know...different title now

apparently

and then LWJ takes him and orders him bathed and - wait actually if they've developed elaborate formal spiritual purification rituals to balance handing resentful energy, he. he probably does order Wei Wuxian bathed

and then brought to his room

oh wow

beautiful

AND THEN PLOT RESUMES AS NORMAL?!? except possibly several questions of romance and Lan Sizhui's history get cleared up much faster 

also Lan Wangji - Hanying-jun - doesn’t have as peerless a reputation to trade on. Public opinion is probably fairly split between camps of, like, “he’s doing a good and noble thing, cleaning the Burial Mounds” vs. “the Lans say it’s okay so it must be, but wow that seems dangerous and/or useless” vs. “demonic cultivation is always eeeevil!” Among cultivators specifically, it’s more the first two, but...performatively more the first, genuinely more the second.

[ampleappleamble]

lmao how/why am i actually still writing this y'all???? anyway, here's the first finished portion of my new Pillars WIP, working title: God's Children Bathe Free. It's gonna be a one-chapter wonder about an old man takin' a bath and having Feelings about it ♡

—

It was the third Rytlingsdag of the month.

Having been raised in a land of sub-freezing temperatures and a culture that regarded him as more holy symbol than flesh-and-blood man, Vatnir had only ever rarely found himself in the company of the underdressed. Communal bathing was commonplace in many clans to conserve the energy needed to heat bathwater, but bathing alongside ordinary clanmates wasn't an activity befitting the progeny of a god, apparently, so Vatnir had always been obliged to wash by himself, when he bothered at all. (This was all due to piety, of course. Nothing at all to do with how he looked, how he smelled.) And for a brother or sister of the clan to attempt to initiate any kind of inappropriate intimacy with the High Harbinger, to open their robes to him– why, that was unheard of, a perverted act of unforgivable blasphemy. So while he had gotten glimpses here and there over the decades of kith with their chests bared or their trousers around their knees– Hel, back when he'd still had lips, a drunken reveler had even kissed him once, full on the mouth, during a festival– the priest could honestly say he'd seen more dead people in his life than he had naked people.

So to say that his first evening in Neketaka was a bit of shock to him would be somewhat of an understatement.

"Because it's the third Rytlingsdag of the month." That's all she'd said when he'd asked the Duskspeaker why they were here, in this too-crowded, too-loud, too-bright street in the middle of this twisted pile of a city. Though the sun was setting, the streets of Periki's Overlook were more than adequately illuminated by arcane torches, their eerie blue light glinting off of the glittering cobblestone. Vatnir winced against the unnatural glare as he tried to avert his gaze from the unsettling amount of bare skin around him, and he muttered softly to himself, pondering the uncharacteristically cryptic response the little Watcher had given him. What did the day of the month have to do with dragging him up a crowded, noisy mountain, being shamelessly gawked at by barely-dressed socialites?

"You haven't figured it out yet?" The air suddenly tasted strongly of the sea, and Vatnir turned his head to find Tekēhu looming over his shoulder, that seemingly permanent sensual grin still chiseled into his perfect face. "I say, you are a rare one, friend Vatnir. I almost envy you, your innocence..."

"Don't tease him, Tekēhu." Pallegina's voice had an edge to it– more than usual, even– but Vatnir still spotted a tiny smile playing on the feathered woman's lips. Until she addressed him, of course, and her typical cool scowl returned. "We are heading for the Luminous Bathhouse, priest. The proprietor offers use of the facilities free of charge to all Godlike patrons after sunset on the third Rytlingsdag of every calendar month."

Tekēhu laughed and his hand fell heavily on Vatnir's shoulder, his knobbly knees knocking together under the blow. "Ekera, just so! And he has done so every month for at least as long as I have been in the city, if not longer. A truly magnanimous soul, my heavenly half-brother Ganor. And a wise leader our little Watcher is, to take advantage of such a generous deal!" His sharp, white smile gleamed in the arcane lamplight, and the sickly little elf winced.

The bathhouse. They were going to the bathhouse, ostensibly for a bath. And...

"And... the Duskspeaker expects me to go in there?" Vatnir's near-constant trembling intensified for a moment as he considered the implications. Oh, gods, was he actually going to have to disrobe in public, in front of everyone? In front of the Watcher and her little wizard boyfriend and that horrid animancer woman? ...And was everyone else going to...?

Tekēhu blinked at the horned man, oblivious. "Well... ekera, yes, of course. The baths have no entry fee for Godlikes this evening, we are Godlikes–"

"–and the Watcher likes to take good care of her crew," Pallegina finished for him, slowing her pace to match Vatnir's. She craned her neck to gaze into his face, a spark of concern in her golden eyes. "...Although she would understand, I think, if you'd rather not participate."

"Don't get my hopes up, serra, please," Ydwin sighed as she strolled quickly past the little cluster of Godlikes, and Vatnir shot her a vicious glare that she did not notice at all. Tíkka.

Tekēhu actually gasped, and Vatnir found himself tolerating the man's gigantic, clammy hands on his shoulders yet again. "Not participate? Oh, my dear lady knight, you mustn't suggest such wicked ideas to one who has never experienced the pleasures of the Luminous Bathhouse before! Especially on this day of all days! To allow this poor, pitiable man to pass up the opportunity to luxuriate in those magical waters and not pay a pand for the privilege– it's a crime, I say, and one that I simply cannot condone." He squeezed the priest's shoulders to emphasize his feelings on the matter, and Vatnir grunted in annoyance, wriggling angrily out of the well-meaning fishman's grip. Tekēhu looked positively wounded.

"You will go to the bathhouse with us, won't you?" The watershaper's wet, black eyes fixed themselves on Vatnir, shining opalescent in the streetlights. "You must!"

"Unless you would prefer not to," Pallegina insisted, shooting the tentacle-headed man a look halfway between warning and plea, before turning her attention back to Vatnir, that same concern from before still gleaming in her keen eyes. "You seem to be a bit... overwhelmed by the city. If the bathhouse seems like it might be too much for you, there is no shame in admitting that. But ultimately, the choice is yours to make."

It took the priest a moment to realize that the other two had stopped talking and were staring at him, waiting for him to make up his mind now that his options had been presented. His eyes darted quickly between the other two Godlikes– Tekēhu, making sad eyes at him like an orphaned seal pup, and Pallegina, her cool aloofness only slightly betrayed by one feathered eyebrow cocked ever-so-slightly higher than the other.

And then he looked past them to the fore of their little group, at the Duskspeaker marching confidently up the hill, her broad hips swaying alluringly beneath her bountiful burgundy curls. At Aloth next to her, the muscles in his shoulders and neck taut and firm beneath his smooth, flawless skin. ...At that hairy blue gremlin of a pirate, practically hanging from Ydwin's elbow, cracking wise and peeking back over his shoulder to point and smirk at Vatnir. At Ydwin, responding with yet another infuriating snicker that came, no doubt, at his expense. Vatnir glared petulantly back down at his feet, embarrassed and angry and conflicted.

If I go in there, they'll– everyone in there will see me, look at me. At my ruined body, my horns, what remains of my face. He could already picture the disgust on the other bathers' faces, hear the jeers and exaggerated retching that often accompanied his appearance in a public place. Not that others' opinions of his body had ever really mattered to him before, but it hit a little differently without his High Harbinger clout to protect him. And I'll see them, too. All of them, with... everything that implies. He stole another glimpse at the Watcher's curves, her full, round behind wiggling as she walked– and he instantly regretted it, guilt and shame bubbling up in his gullet like bile.

But... it'll feel nice, at least, the bath will. Probably. And all the other Godlikes there will surely divert some of the attention from me, at least insofar as providing a bunch of other strange bodies for the nosy fools to gawp at. And even if I do have to suffer the indignity of being stared at and mocked, they'll have to endure the experience of perceiving me, too. Hel, it might be worth it to attend just to spoil Ydwin's evening... He pictured the haughty little shrew gathering her things and storming off in a huff, her precious bath ruined by his mere presence, and his lipless mouth twitched into a mangled grin.

"Oh, I..." he sighed, picking absently at a scab, "I could join in just this one time, I suppose. If, as you say, I must." He rolled his eyes back up to meet Tekēhu's, just in time for the giant to pull him close with one arm, crushing the frail priest against his moist, briney torso in an overly energetic side hug.

"Marvelous!" he cried merrily as he lifted the poor man off his feet. "My friend, you won't regret this. I'll make certain of it!"

"Di verus, I think he might regret it a bit already," Pallegina chuckled as she picked up her pace again, the matter settled at last. "Do put him down before you hurt him, aimico."

"Too late," Vatnir gurgled, writhing miserably in the aumaua's grip. This was going to be a difficult evening.

—

[nerdzzone]

Light After Dark: Chapter Six

Summary: Brooke Harris was trying her best to be grateful. As the world tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, she was healthy and safe and so was the rest of her family, but her dreams had very quickly been crushed by the economic fallout. Trapped on the quaint island of Jersey with nothing, but free time to wallow in her mistakes, Brooke’s mental health was taking a hit, but when she collides with a handsome stranger she starts to realize that the future might not be so bleak and there might still be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pairing: Henry Cavill x OFC

Content warning: Mention of overdose and past death of a close friend. It’s not too detailed, but I wanted to give people a heads up just in case.

________

May. 12. 2020 

Henry: I have a proposition for you

Me: That makes me slightly nervous

Me: What is it?

Henry: Would you like to go on a hike?

Henry: We can keep our distance and I've heard it's harder to spread/catch if you're outside

Henry: I completely understand if you're not comfortable though

I thought about it for a moment. As long as there wasn't too many people out on the trails then it should be pretty low risk as long as we kept our distance and I hadn't been out of the house at all since taking the cake over to Henry's house for his birthday. So, after my brief deliberation, I accepted his invitation.

Henry: Great, meet me at my house in twenty?

Me: Sounds good!

I quickly dragged myself off the couch, threw all the necessities into a bum bag, grabbed a sweater from my closet and shouted goodbye to my family with a brief explanation of where I was headed. They shouted a few questions back, but I rushed out the door without giving them a chance to get too nosy.

Me: On my way!

I sent to Henry when I was about halfway there before adding another message

Me: All masked up and ready to go

Me:

 As I turned onto Henry's street, he was standing outside his house, looking down at his phone as Kal sniffed the sidewalk around him.

"I like your sweater," Henry smirked as I got within a reasonable distance.

"Thanks," I smiled. "I thought it might scare any bears we might run into. You know, they might get confused and think I'm one of them."

Henry laughed and shook his head.

"There's no bears in Jersey that aren't locked up in a zoo," He informed me. "There's absolutely no dangerous wildlife around here."

"That's reassuring," I smirked. "But it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Fair enough," Henry chuckled before pausing. "Would you feel more comfortable if I wore a mask as well?"

I appreciated his offer, but shrugged.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," I assured him. "I know you've been staying pretty isolated and I'll probably take it off once we're off the main roads, but it just gives me peace of mind if we run into anyone along the way."

"Alright," He smiled. "Shall we head off then?"

I nodded and we started off down the street, Henry whistling for Kal to follow. He did so obediently, nudging his nose against my hand before walking a few paces ahead of us.

"I'm glad Kal gets to come," I commented. "But aren't you worried he might dart off after any little critter he sees?"

"Not really," Henry shrugged, respectfully staying on the edge of the road, just off the sidewalk as I walked along the opposite side. "I've got him quite well-trained. He might get distracted, but as soon as I call him he'll come back."

"What a good boy!"

Kal's tail wagged at that, but he was too busy sniffing around some bushes to pay much attention to us.

"He is," Henry nodded. "He's been an amazing asset. He comes with me every where I go and I can't imagine getting through this whole acting experience without him."

"That's really sweet," I smiled. "I always wanted a dog, but it's such a big commitment. I wouldn't want to get one and then be too busy to give it the kind of life it deserves."

"It is a massive commitment," He agreed. "I'm very lucky that I'm able to bring Kal on almost all of my travels and that when I'm on set there's always someone happy to keep him company."

"Well who wouldn't want to keep him company? He's gorgeous."

I held back a remark about dogs looking like their owners as Henry grinned proudly and we fell into a comfortable silence.

****

It was only about a ten minute walk before we turned off the main road and onto a more secluded path. The sun was starting to get stronger as it was almost mid-afternoon so I slipped my mask down to my neck so that I wouldn't get too hot, but could cover up quickly if we passed anyone on the trails. Somewhere along the way we'd fallen into asking each other random questions and, while most of it was silly, some of it was proving to be rather informative.

"That's so boring," I wrinkled my nose when he told me that his favourite fruit was an apple. "Considering how much of a world traveller you are I would have expected something much more exotic."

Henry chuckled at that as he did every time I criticized one of his answers.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Maybe a papaya or a dragon fruit," I theorized. "Anything more exciting than a boring old apple."

"I don't think I've even tried either of those," He admitted. "Now, speaking of travelling, what's one place that you've not been to, but would love visit one day?"

I thought about it for a moment before answering.

"There's quite a few really, I haven't travelled nearly as much as I would have liked," I confessed. "But if I had to choose somewhere to go first, I think I'd choose Canada. Australia is a close second, but I'm terrified of spiders and I hear there's a lot there. So Canada, the part where the mountains and lakes are."

"My brother lives there," Henry's face lit up. "My younger brother, Charlie. He lives in Calgary which, from my understanding, is quite close to the mountains and lakes."

"That's so cool," I smiled, my words dripping with envy. "Have you been to visit him?"

"No," He sighed. "Usually he's the one to come here. He was back briefly before the lockdown actually, but he left to be with his family just before I came back to Jersey so we didn't see each other."

He looked sad as he spoke and I felt a pang of sympathy in my chest.

"That must be hard," I said softly. "Especially not knowing when international travel will be back up and running."

"It's tough," He nodded. "I'm used to only seeing him once or twice a year, but it's definitely worse not knowing how long it will be until we can all be together again. He's safe though and so is his family and that's what matters the most these days, isn't it?"

I nodded in agreement before a smile slid onto my face.

"And now, you can tell your brother that you'll be visiting as soon as you're allowed to because I fully intend to take advantage of this connection and make you take me there."

"Make me?" Henry laughed. "And how do you intend to do that?"

"I can be very persuasive," I smirked with a suggestive lift of an eyebrow before turning my attention back to the path before he could react. "So, if you weren't an actor, what would be doing?"

"I'd probably be in the military," He answered without having to think about it too much. "A couple of my brothers are and I'm quite disciplined so it seems like a good fit."

"More dangerous though..."

"Well, I do my own stunts so sometimes acting gets dangerous," Henry pointed out. "I did spend a lot of time hanging out of a helicopter for Mission Impossible."

"Yeah, but there's a whole team of people responsible for making sure that you don't die, right?"

"Of course and the stunt teams are amazing," He smirked. "But that doesn't mean there isn't any risk, accidents do happen."

I grimaced slightly, knowing that he was probably right.

"You should switch to baking," I suggested. "Definitely a lot safer."

Henry laughed, shaking his head.

"Alright, well, my next question is: have you ever had any bad baking mishaps?" He asked. "It might not compare to action stunts, but I'd imagine there's the potential for some nasty injuries."

"There is, but luckily I've always been pretty careful. A few minor burns and the odd slice of a knife, but nothing too serious. I have seen some pretty nasty stuff over the years though. Like once..." I paused for a second. "Wait, do you want to hear this? It's pretty bad."

"Yeah, go on," Henry nodded. "I think I can handle it."

"Okay, so, one of the bakeries I worked in for a while made a lot of things like doughnuts and churros so we had a deep fryer." My skin started to crawl just thinking of the memory and from the look on Henry's face he seemed to regret agreeing to hear about it, but I continued. "One day, my co-worker was cleaning the counter next to it, scrubbing really hard on a super sticky spot and her hand slipped and shot right into the boiling hot oil.”

"Oh my god," Henry squeezed his eyes shut, his fist clenching as if he was experiencing the pain himself. "That's horrible. Were you there? Was she okay?"

"I was," I nodded. "It was like it happened in slow motion and she didn't even scream, I guess from the shock, but I was hysterical. I kept expecting her skin to just slide off any minute like you see in the movies, but thank goodness it wasn't quite that bad."

"I think I'm going to have nightmares just hearing that story," Henry cringed. "Has it scared you off ever going near a deep fryer again?"

"I haven't had to use them much since that job actually, but it definitely made me very cautious," I admitted with a wrinkle of my nose. "What about you? Any nasty injuries on set?"

"No, I've been lucky as well. The stunt teams are all very good at their jobs so other than a few near misses with a sword here and there, I've never been in any real danger."

"Do you actually use real swords?"

"For the most part," Henry nodded. "For the Blaviken fight scene in the Witcher we used swords that were cut in half and then CGI edited in afterwards because we did it all in one take and there were a lot of moving parts that made it more dangerous."

"You filmed it all in one take?"

We were on a fairly steep incline and I was feeling the effect. My words struggled to come out as I fought to catch my breath and I was happy to give Henry some more time to talk before I had to answer any more questions.

"We did," He smiled proudly. "For the flow of the scene, it just made the most sense, but it was difficult. The cameramen couldn't see where they were going at all, they just had to use their memory with someone guiding them from behind so everyone had to hit all the marks just right to make sure there were no collisions. And with it all being one take, if anyone made a mistake or the timing was off at all then we had to stop the whole thing and start from the beginning."

"Wow, that's...impressive."

Henry caught my slight gasp for breath and looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you need to rest for a moment?"

I nodded and we both stopped walking as I pulled my inhaler out of my bum bag. I took a quick puff followed by a few slow breaths until I had managed to steady my breathing.

"Sorry about that. My asthma has been playing up the last few days and that hill just took it out of me..."

I felt silly getting winded while he was so unfazed, but he waved me off.

"Don't apologize," He insisted. "We can take a break whenever you need. There's been a lot of hills and I didn't even think about your asthma so I'm sorry for that."

"No need to be sorry. I haven't left the house at all since I brought your cake over last week so it's good for me to exercise," I assured him as I started walking again, much to Kal's delight as he charged off ahead of us again. "Anyway, back to your sword fight. That must have taken so much practice!"

"It definitely did," Henry nodded. "Hours and hours of it. It's like training for a big dance number really, everyone has to hit their marks exactly right, but we pulled it off first try."

I couldn't help, but smile at the pride in his voice.

"That's amazing. It must have felt incredible when you finished and knew you'd nailed it."

"Absolutely," He grinned. "So, if your asthma gets in the way of certain exercises, how do you stay so in shape?"

I felt my cheeks heat up at the subtle compliment, but he was looking ahead and keeping an eye on Kal so luckily he didn't notice.

"I do yoga," I told him. "Not the most exciting, but it is a lot harder than it looks. I thought it would be easy, but the day after my first class I could barely move at all."

"I've heard that a lot about yoga," He chuckled. "Even from big body builder guys at the gym, they try yoga thinking they'll smash the class, but they end up coming out just as sweaty as when they lift weights."

I'd had to defend my love of yoga to many people over the years. As Henry pointed out, my options for keeping fit were quite hampered by my weak lungs so I didn't have loads of choices, but I did end up really enjoying yoga and seeing plenty of physical benefits from the classes. It was annoying to have to constantly insist that it was in fact a workout worth doing so it was refreshing that someone with Henry's gym experience understood right away.

"It's pretty tough," I smiled. "Even though I'm sure you'd find it easy. I imagine with those muscles you could probably lift a car over your head without any struggle."

Henry laughed at that, shaking his head.

"Not quite a car," Henry smirked. "But speaking of strength, are you a good climber?"

I raised an eyebrow at that question as I noticed him looking off to the side of the trail at a small rock wall that was about Henry's height.

"Why? What have you got planned?"

"There's an excellent view if we take a brief detour," He explained. "But you'd have to climb that little cliff."

I looked at it a bit more intently than I had before and it seemed easy enough. It wasn't all that high and the edge was rough enough that it wouldn't be too hard to get a grip on.

"I think I can do it," I shrugged. "But what about Kal?"

"I'll lift him up. He's much lighter than a car."

He shot me a wink and I actually, literally giggled like some kind of flirtatious fangirl. It slipped out before I could stop it and, despite Henry either not noticing my embarrassing behaviour or just politely ignoring it, my cheeks went bright red again.

He led the way over to the wall and whistled for Kal who bounded over happily. The big dog didn't even flinch when Henry scooped him up and plopped him down on the top of the little cliff and he sat down obediently when he was commanded to 'stay'.

"You go up first and I'll spot you," Henry instructed.

I nodded and went up to the wall. It was pretty easy to find a good spot to hold so I grabbed on and hoisted myself up. It wasn't that far to go so I only needed to get my feet a little bit higher before I could push up and get my hands on the ground at the top. I could feel the warmth of Henry's body hovering behind me and perhaps it was the distraction of realizing how close he was or just that my running shoes didn't have the right grip for this kind of activity, but as I got my hands on the top of the cliff, my foot slipped off the wall before I could push myself up properly. I didn't fall very far though as Henry's hand was right there, ready to catch me as it collided with my bum.

Both of us froze for a moment. The warmth of his hand felt like it was burning a hole through the yoga pants I was wearing and my brain instantly felt the need to focus on the fact that his massive hand covered almost the entirety of the cheek it was currently cupping. As the shock of the contact wore off, I quickly found my footing again and dragged myself up so I was sitting on the edge at the top.

"Two metres apart, Mr. Cavill!"

He was standing there with his hand still out where it had been, looking just as surprised as I was, but as I scolded him his shock quickly morphed into a smirk.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," He assured me as he grabbed onto the wall and pulled himself up with an ease that made my attempt look quite sad. "But I must say, that yoga is definitely working for you."

My jaw dropped at his comment, but after a moment I couldn't help but grin. Even if I didn't have muscles like Henry, I did put a lot of effort into my body and my bum had come a long way from the flat board that it used to be and I was proud of it.

"Thank you," I said as I pulled myself up to my feet. "But please, keep your hands off of my bum...At least while we're out in public."

Now it was Henry's turn to be shocked by my comment and my turn to smirk as I turned and headed off towards the little path we were next to with Henry and Kal hot on my heels.

****

The path we ended up on was another steep hill which Henry profusely apologized for once he realized, but I assured him I was fine. It was a beautiful trail and it wasn't long until we ended up in the clearing that he was steering us towards. As promised, the view was amazing and absolutely worth the trek.

"Wow," I gasped quietly, looking out over the ocean. "This is incredible."

"It's one of my favourite places on this whole island," Henry admitted. "I don't think many people know about it as it's not a main viewpoint, but Charlie and I used to run wild all over this place and we stumbled across it when I was only about twelve."

"What a great find," I complimented him, still in awe. "It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me."

"Of course," He smiled. "You're practically a local now so you need to know all the best spots."

I laughed weakly at his description of me as a local even though it was probably true. I’d been here for months and wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

"Well, I can't think of anywhere that would beat this. Can we stay for a while?"

"Sure," He shrugged. "I don't have anywhere to be."

I smiled and went to the edge before sitting down and letting my legs dangle over. It wasn't a straight drop down, there was a big ledge sticking out only a few feet down so it was safe, but gave me a sense of freedom as I looked out at the wide open space in front of me. Henry whistled for Kal and gave him some water from his bottle before joining me, but keeping a respectful distance.

"So," Henry broke our comfortable silence a few minutes into our pit stop. "After all those questions, I realized I've never asked you what your bakery was called."

I felt my stomach drop at that question. He probably thought it was a pretty easy one, but my hands went all tingly and clammy and I was almost positive all the colour had drained from my face. I stayed silent for a moment as I thought it over. I could have lied and told him anything, really. He'd never know. But deep down I knew it wasn't a subject that I could avoid forever so I took a deep breath and answered.

"Lola's."

As I predicted, he gave me a confused look and pressed for answers.

"Lola's? Is that your middle name or something?"

Again, I was tempted to lie and pretended he'd guessed right, but if I wanted to continue our friendship, I had to be honest.

"No, it was the name of my best friend." My voice was quiet, but it didn't crack or waiver so that was an improvement. "She died last year."

I saw Henry turn to look at me out of the corner of my eye, clearly at a loss for words, but I kept my gaze off on the horizon.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," He said after a moment of quiet. "How did she die? If you don't mind me asking."

I didn't mind, but it was hard to talk about. I'd gone the route of burying my emotions rather than dealing with them when she passed so it was usually a topic I just steered clear of completely.

"She overdosed," I told him, still not looking over at him in an attempt to hide the tears that were brimming in my eyes. "She was always into partying, much more than I was, but she never really did drugs until she started dating this new guy. Suddenly she was talking about all the things she was trying and a few weeks later she was dead. Apparently he was a dealer and he'd tried cutting his supply with something dodgy so he could make more profit."

"That's horrible..." Henry's voice was soft and cautious and it made my eyes fill even more. "I'm so sorry, Brooke."

"Thanks," I choked out. "Sorry, this is super heavy. I don't mean to dump it all on you."

I wiped my eyes and tried to sort myself out a bit, but he shook his head.

"I'm happy to listen," He insisted. "How long were you friends?"

"Since we were three," I smiled. "We met in nursery school and were instant friends. Her name was Laura, but I called her Lola from the day that we met, I thought it suited her better."

"Wow, that's a long time."

"It was," I nodded. "She was like a sister to me. Cassie and I are really close, but Lola and I just clicked instantly. No one understood me like she did and she absolutely always had my back. She was the one who gave me the idea to open my own bakery. She'd been saying it for years so when she died, I knew I had to give it shot. You know, to honour her. It made closing down so much harder because I feel like I've let her down."

"I would be willing to bet a lot of money that that isn't the case at all," Henry smiled reassuringly. "I bet she's watching over you, proud that you gave it a good shot and completely relieved that you did what was best for your health."

I teared up again as he spoke, knowing deep down that he was right. Lola wouldn't be disappointed that I failed for reasons that were out of my control and if she was alive she would have dragged me to Jersey herself if it was the safest place for me to be. I hadn't voiced my guilt to anyone else though so no one had the chance to tell me I was being silly and hearing it made at least a tiny bit of my regret melt away.

"You're probably right," I agreed, wiping my eyes again as a few tears slipped down my cheeks. "Sorry, it's just hard to talk about and it's her birthday in a couple of weeks so it's even more of a sensitive subject."

"No need to be sorry," He assured me again. "It sounds like it's still quite fresh, but whenever you want to talk about it I'm more than happy to listen."

I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth, biting hard to try to fight back the floods of tears I could feel rising. It was very touching how kind he was being when plenty of people would have run for the hills as soon as they realized what a nerve they'd struck with such a simple question. I glanced over at him, trying to find the strength to thank him without a sob bursting free, when he tentatively held out his hand, placing it palm up in the dirt between us. A few more tears escaped at the gesture, but a smile slid onto my face as well as I reached out and placed my hand in his.

We stayed like that for a long time. Hand in hand, but almost two metres apart as we looked out over the ocean with Kal settled in the dirt between us. It was refreshing and calming as was almost every moment that Henry and I had shared. Eventually, we realized that it was getting quite late and we should head back before we ended up walking back in the dark, but the comfort I'd felt in that time with him lingered even as we headed home.

The somewhat somber mood that had fallen on us was soon forgotten and the laughter and fun returned as we continued asking questions and talked about everything from what we do if we could be invisible for a day to how much we both wanted a family and children of our own.

We ended up down by the beach just as the sun was setting and paused by the pier to watch it. It was a pretty breath taking sight and by the time I got home I was feeling giddy from the magical day that I'd had. Henry was shaping up to be pretty much everything I hadn't realized that I'd wanted. I'd been so busy in the last year, grieving the loss of my friend and then trying to start and run a business that dating hadn't even been on my mind, but now, after sharing so many heartwarming moments with someone who made me feel as warm inside as he did, it was something I couldn't help, but think about a lot.

I was in the middle of filling Cassie in on my day's adventures as I rather inelegantly shovelled some food into my mouth when my phone beeped on the table. I saw Henry's name pop up on the screen and my heart melted at what I saw when I opened the message.

Henry: 

Henry: I took this picture earlier and I can't get over how beautiful it is...

Henry: And by 'it' I mean you, the sunset pales in comparison

[cb-conceptlibrary]

TW: Airports, Flying, Unaccompanied Children/Minors, Poor parent-child relationships, Holidays, Shenanigans, Pranks, Escaping an authority figure, Slight snobbery of classes, Mention of divorced parents, Sibling antics

Welcome to the Librarian’s Suggestions!

Today’s Theme: Unaccompanied Minors (film)

Plot: A teenage boy and his kid sister are flying across the country to spend Christmas with their father. Because their mother is staying behind, they’re escorted to the unaccompanied minors lounge to spend time with the other kids. The teenage boy falls for a posh girl and tries to befriend her in the lounge, while mixing with other kids who are there traveling by themselves. The manager of one of the airports is gleeful as he plans to head off for his vacation in Hawaii, only to discover that his flight, along with the other flights, has been grounded. Meanwhile, the teenager and some other kids escape the lounge and get up to some antics, like ordering food at restaurants, sneaking into airline lounges, and swiping golf carts. They’re caught by security and escorted back to the lounge, only to learn that they’re forced to spend the night there, due to their bad behavior. The teen learns his sister was taken to a nearby lodge with the other well-behaved kids and the group makes their way to the lodge, all while trying to evade the airport manager. During their escape, they start to befriend each other and learn that they may not be as different as they think.

Characters

Spencer: The oldest in his family who tries to fit in, but is often the butt of the joke, courtesy of his bratty sister’s temper tantrums and antics. Despite finding her a nuisance, he tries to be a supportive brother, telling her that Santa will find them, even though they’re spending Christmas with their father. After getting in trouble for dining and dashing at an airport restaurant, he is punished with staying the night in the unaccompanied minors lounge with other kids who escaped. He organizes the group and plots to help them escape the lounge, while making Christmas a good one for his younger sister. He has a crush on Grace.

Katherine: Spencer’s younger sister. She’s loud and prone to throwing screaming temper tantrums. Often Spencer is forced to tolerate her behavior and ends up becoming the butt of the joke when she acts up. (Ex. She refuses to sit on Santa’s lap and forces Spencer to do so, which gets him called out by his classmates back home.) While she is not above undermining Spencer and pointing out how uncool he is, she quietly appreciates that he cares about her. When Spencer escapes the UM lounge, she is taken with the other kids to a nearby lodge and gets to stay with the flight attendants and an older girl. The latter treats Katherine like a doll and subjects her to a forced makeover and bonding, as the older girl never had a sister. Eventually Katherine escapes and makes it downstairs to the fireplace, hoping to catch Santa.

Grace: A rich girl who is returning home from boarding school. She is first introduced to Spencer while playing cards with her posh friends and quickly takes to his sister Katherine when the latter reveals Spencer isn’t as cool as he pretends to be. She is caught sneaking into one of the airline lounges and getting special treatment in the form of high class food and beverage, plus a massage. When the group is forced to return to the UM lounge, she teams up with the other kids to escape and eventually reveals that the only reason she is at the airport is because she was returning home from school. (Her parents have chosen to spend the holidays elsewhere without her.) Over time, she develops a crush on Spencer, who shows that he cares about her, more than just the stuck-up rich girl image she displays.

Charlie: A smart young man who splits his time between his parents and knows all of the airports very well, due to the frequent flying. He is nosy and curious, probing all the new kids who enter the lounge to share if they are the children of divorced parents or not. At times he is prone to freaking out in tense situations, but eventually time spent with the group helps him to learn how to stay cool under pressure.

Donna: A rough-around-the-edges tomboy who does not like being touched by anyone. She does not like being stuck in the UM lounge and sneaks out to swipe a golf cart. While not much is said about her family life, it is implied she has a poor relationship with her mother. Initially she dislikes Charlie and butts heads with Grace, but eventually realizes that they too come from broken homes and are trying to cope with it.

Beef: A quiet boy who carries around an Aquaman action figure. His parents are split about his interest in the toy figure, his father arguing that Beef is not a boy and he needs to “man up”. Initially Beef retreats into his imagination with the Aquaman figurine and is content with shutting out other people, interested in creating adventures and memories with his Aquaman figurine. When the group escapes the UM lounge, he gets into the safety equipment out of curiosity and gets caught. While the group plan to escape and find a way to the lounge, Beef gets fixated on the idea of getting a Christmas tree, and sets off to find a tree farm nearby. He trades his action figure for a tree and brings it back to the airport to bring holiday cheer.

Zach: An airport employee who manages the Unaccompanied Minors lounge. He’s a friendly fellow who is sympathetic to the kids and their plight, but is a bit neurotic and finds himself being taken advantage of by his peers and the kids.

Oliver: The head of passenger relations for the airport. Originally he was set to go on vacation to Hawaii, only to learn that a snowstorm has grounded all flights, including his. This sours his mood and he takes his frustrations out on the quintet who escape the lounge, punishing them with spending the night in the lounge, versus the nearby lodge. Kids manage to evade him and make his attempts to capture them difficult.

Possible Plots

Your muse is traveling to see family and ends up stranded at an airport. Because they’re traveling without an adult, they’re forced to hang out with other kids in the same situation, which leads them to leading an escape. They attempt to stay ahead of the security, while getting into some trouble along the way.

Your muse is traveling with their younger sibling who gets on their nerves at times. When both of you are unable to make it to your final destination, you try to stay close with them, only to be caught up in some antics with other people your age. Knowing your sibling will be crushed if the holidays are ruined for them, you form a plan with your peers to make sure it’s a good holiday for your sibling.

Notes

Any time period works for this storyline.

The story takes place during the Christmas holiday season, but it can be adjusted to another celebration or reason for the house being empty. (Ex. Vacation, emergency out of state/out of town/out of country, et.c)

While it takes place in an airport, the scenery can be adjusted to another mode of transportation.

Great for younger groups and idols, especially those with youthful or mischievous charms. (Ex. TXT)

Good for multi-muse chatbots or medium-sized idol groups.

@yanlee (OG) @detectivexsicheng @lawyer-mingyu @mafia-chae @hanjisung-bot @softboijisung @lixielee-chatbot @mafiafelixlee @your-seunghun @vampiremomo @mitsukojen @loveline-academy  @sydney-oc @seleneminnie @dandyboyseungminie @nvrendngstry @doll-seungmin @doll-hyunjin @doll-soobin @doll-jeongin @scholar-lia @subbyhyunjinchatbot @ares-bc @soft-hyunjin-chatbot @domyukhei @guitar-sihyeon @softiehyunjinie @darkfaeskz @fairy-yeji @tattooistchannie  @playgirljennie @skz-cb @eboyfelixbot @yourdaddychan @mafiajjh @mulanxningning @demon-lee @moonlit-jaemin @yeojinsheight  @skz-bot @fairy-dejun @kaanghana @chans-chair @model-lucy @churchgirl-nayeon @rose-musician @soft-magicxyujin @sg-jennie @caretaker-irene @vampire-queenirene @universe-of-superm @fatherfigure-jin @hackerxiaojun @model-bomi-oc @floristluda @hernameisangel-oc  

[paladin-lynx]

Human SQUIPtober 2019, Day 5: Dance

Human SQUIPtober 2019 Day 5: Dance

Ships Involved: StageDorks (Jeremy x Christine)

Setting: Post-musical AU where the SQUIP somehow returned as a human and was redeemed/rehabilitated by Jeremy (with the help of the rest of the squad), and lived with him having nowhere else to go. He looks pretty similar to how he looked in Jeremy’s head, and physically he looks to be around college age.

Trigger/Content Warnings: None

Author’s Notes: So I didn’t know this was a thing until yesterday, so I didn’t get to make anything for the first few days of Human SQUIPtober. I may go back and come up with a little something for those days if I get the chance (I’m a little bummed I missed Day 4 because I adore BMC Superpowered AUs). I can’t draw, so I’ll offer my writing instead! I’ll try to explore a slew of settings, ships, and themes for the days I get to participate in. Also, I’ve been in somewhat of a writing slump lately, so apologies if my writing isn’t up to standard. I hope you enjoy!

Squip had a few running theories about how and why he’d been brought back as a human. SQUIPs themselves had limited information on where exactly they came from, seeing as there was always a bit of bleed between their data and their hosts’ and it was too risky to have too much that could cross between them, so Squip had absolutely no idea if something like this had ever happened before. It wasn’t like he had his databanks to fall back on anymore, although he had retained a good amount of the knowledge he had from his time in Jeremy’s head. Granted, his now-human brain could only contain so much without making the facts a bit fuzzy.

He hypothesized that how much power he’d gained from syncing with so many other SQUIPs combined with the fact that Jeremy himself hadn’t been the one to drink the Mountain Dew Red, and perhaps the possibility of him having been a defective pill – seeing as he’d broken the protocol of serving his host in order to pursue a higher purpose – could have mixed together to reactivate him. He wasn’t sure the rest of Jeremy’s friend group’s SQUIPs were strong enough to have managed something similar.

But the sudden gain of an actual human body? That was the one part he couldn’t wrap his head around. He wasn’t sure it was worth agonizing over.

The more sentimental part of him – because, for God’s sake, he had one of those now – wondered if perhaps there were supernatural forces at work that wanted him to feel karma. Jeremy had gone through a careful procedure in the hospital to have his SQUIP removed, since it had still muttered and criticized him even after everything, although its voice had been nothing more than a hiss in the back of his head, and that was the last thing Squip had remembered. He’d begged Jeremy one more time to keep him, and then there was nothing. Before there was suddenly everything.

First waking up as a human hadn’t exactly been easy. He guessed the surgeons had merely tossed the SQUIP out in the garbage, assuming it’d be destroyed eventually since they still didn’t have a solid idea on what it even was, so when he suddenly came to, it was a very unpleasant awakening in the Beth Israel dumpster. Everything had hit him at once: the putrid smell of the waste, the disgusting texture, the burning in his eyes, the confusion rattling his mind. He was feeling, and after having been a supercomputer above simple human functions like the basic senses and emotions, it was too overwhelming. He’d ended up blacking out again almost as soon as he’d woken up.

Then, through a convoluted series of events that involved him being taken into the hospital and having to sweet-talk his way out – even with the nervousness that perhaps he’d inherited from Jeremy, it appeared he still had his charisma at the very least – he’d ended up seeking out Jeremy. He needed to get a grip, but he honestly had next to no idea what he was doing. Sure, he had all of the information in his head about what it meant to be human and what he needed to do in order to stay alive, but that was a lot different than suddenly experiencing everything for real.

More than suddenly being able to physically feel and smell and the like, what was most disconcerting was the menagerie of voices snapping at him in his head. There seemed to be two sides: the first were growling at him: “look how far you’ve fallen”, “you used to be incredible, now look at you”, “how pathetic, coming back to life only to be like this”. Then there was the other side: “do you understand the weight of what you’ve done?”, “you’re a monster, all you ever did was hurt people”, “the only reason you’ve come back is so that you can suffer the consequences of your actions.” It had him feeling so terribly small, doing everything he could to tune out the venomous thoughts. What was it that Jeremy had always said to ward him off? Loudest one is mine? That wasn’t particularly helpful when he knew that all of those voices were his.

Jeremy, of course, had been more than wary at first about helping Squip. He’d actually initially slammed the door in his face before seeing that Squip appeared to be on the verge of a panic attack on his doorstep, and he’d caved and ushered him into the house. He’d talked him down and gotten the story out of him, and reluctantly agreed to let him crash there for the time being.

Since then, Squip had improved immensely. He still had some old habits that stuck, of course. He was very blunt with his opinions, although he was working on that, since he’d unintentionally upset some of Jeremy’s friends with his comments. He was a perfectionist in every sense, a stickler for organization and cleanliness. He was, unsurprisingly, a tech junkie and interested in absorbing as much information as he could. He sometimes slipped into Japanese without realizing when speaking, since he found it easier to process things in what was technically his mother tongue.

The weight of his guilt always sat heavy on his shoulders, but he knew that the most he could do now was try and make up for what he’d done. It was in a SQUIP’s nature to serve and assist, and so he was always lending a hand. He’d become something of an elder brother to the squad, especially when it came to Jeremy. He was still protective over the boy as if he were still his host, and while Jeremy seemed to appreciate the attention most of the time now that he was used to it, there were plenty of times he had to tell Squip to back off and give him space to figure things out on his own. Michael had teased Squip for being as nosy as Jenna Rolan, which Squip still couldn’t decide if that was true or not. Or if he should be insulted or not.

Even with the intense remorse, though, Squip was learning to love being human. He was starting to find himself and distance himself from the cold, heartless machine he’d once been. One of the things he’d discovered he loved was music. Granted, he was sure he’d probably liked it before. SQUIPs were learning computers, after all, and he remembered observing everyone dancing at the Halloween party and deciding to jump in and analyze how the teenagers were having fun. And, perhaps somewhere deep in his code, he’d decided he was having fun, as well. Nowadays, Jeremy still sometimes made fun of him for the handful of times he’d caught Squip in the middle of his chores, playing music and swaying along to the beat, sometimes even humming or singing. Jeremy wouldn’t admit it, but Squip knew that he silently thought Squip had a nice voice, as well. It didn’t have quite as much of a surfer lilt as before, but it was still quite similar to how he’d sounded while in Jeremy’s mind.

Jeremy wasn’t much of a dancer, but Christine was. Now that they were dating – Squip sometimes felt even guiltier for being happy that, even after all the awful events, the pair had actually gotten together and were still in a healthy relationship – it wasn’t unusual for Christine to drag Jeremy into her antics. But the boy was so taken with her that he probably would’ve gone along with her if she’d asked him to rob a bank. Squip often ruffled Jeremy’s hair and teased him for how smitten he was, to which Jeremy’s face would flush and he would just swat him away while half-heartedly protesting.

Whenever Christine came over, Squip tended to hide away in his room. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to see Christine – everyone of course had been concerned at first about accepting him, but they’d mostly accepted him by now, seeing as he was rather harmless as just a boring old human and honestly it was amusing to them to see him learning how to be a functional person – but because he wanted to give the couple their privacy. While there was nothing scandalous happening, Squip knew that there were multiple occasions they’d ended up making out on the couch or just in general be lovey-dovey in that way only high school sweethearts could. In any case, he didn’t want to third wheel, although Michael seemed more than happy to take that role and hang out with Jeremy and Christine when the were together. Squip guessed that Michael often took the opportunity to embarrass Jeremy in front of Christine. You got a lot of dirt on someone if you were their closest friend for nearly thirteen years. You got equally as much dirt having lived in their brain for a few months, but Squip usually only poked fun at Jeremy when it was just the two of them in the house.

Today was one of the days Squip locked himself away so Jeremy and Christine could have their alone time. At some point, he heard the front door open then slam shut and he guessed that Michael had come to join. Maybe they would once again try to recruit Christine as their Player 3 to get through The Cafetorium, which they still couldn’t seem to beat. Squip had offered to help, but Jeremy had protested that Squip would give them an unfair advantage since he’d once been a piece of technology and that they needed to do it the human way. It was a bit silly, but Squip didn’t press the matter. He wondered if they’d ever get past the level. He supposed they’d have to eventually, after enough tries.

Christine normally came over for a few hours, or sometimes she’d stay the night and Squip could sneak out of his room once they’d settled in Jeremy’s– he’d been gifted the Heeres’ guest bedroom, as well as an old laptop and phone that Mr. Heere had managed to buy for cheap from his office – but normally, he just stayed holed up, only coming out if he needed to use the bathroom or if he felt like he was needed for a specific reason.

Squip was still learning how to tend to his basic needs like eating and sleeping – sleeping was hit-or-miss most nights, since either he was kept up by insomnia or kept restless with nightmares reminding him of what he’d once been – so he had set alarms on his phone to keep himself in check. He nearly jumped as his alarm reminding him to eat lunch went off and he scrambled to turn it off, frowning. Christine was over a little earlier than usual, but Squip didn’t really want to interrupt the trio downstairs by making himself food, even if he could just bring it back up to his room, although he’d rather eat in the kitchen. However, he knew that if he waited for Christine and maybe Michael, as well, to leave, he’d go without food for quite a while. So, with a sigh, he stuffed his phone into his pocket and opened the door.

He had expected to be met with the sounds of zombie groans and gunshots. What he hadn’t expected was to instead hear Hall & Oates blasting from the living room.

“What I want, you’ve got, and it might be hard to handle—”

Raising an eyebrow, Squip slowly made his way down the stairs, peeking over the railing towards the living room, and he blinked in surprise.

They were streaming music from the TV, and there was Christine on the couch, giggling loudly. And there was Michael, standing and grinning, taking Jeremy’s hand and twirling him along to the music while Jeremy, flushed in the face, laughed and let himself spin. Once Jeremy was facing Michael again, Michael took both his hands and moved in perfect rhythm – he loved his music, after all, especially his oldies that he’d dragged Jeremy down with him into – with the song.

“But like the flame that burns the candle, the candle feeds the flame, yeah yeah—”

It was only a moment before Christine kicked her legs in excitement and burst with that energy everyone knew her for, jumping up and cutting in so that all three were holding hands and just moving back and forth in an uncoordinated dance. Squip couldn’t help thinking of the memories he’d glimpsed of Jeremy’s Bar Mitzvah party, music blaring in a ballroom while teens and adults alike tried to figure out how to dance along on the shiny dancefloor under flashing lights. Michael had grabbed Jeremy back then just like he did now.

“You make my dreams come true!”

Squip found himself breaking into a fond smile as he watched. The three of them looked ridiculous, just dancing in the middle of the living room, almost bumping into the coffee table more than once, but they were having fun. Squip found that that was part of the human experience. Things didn’t have to have a purpose; people found joy in the most trivial of things, whether it was feeling the breeze tousling your hair on a summer day or deciding you wanted to break out into song and dance for no reason at all. Humans didn’t have to analyze and foresee plausible futures. They just acted. Of course, that often landed them in trouble, but other times they just threw caution to the wind in order to have a good time.

Deciding that the trio was distracted enough, Squip made his way down the rest of the staircase, attempting to keep his footfalls light, but of course the house decided to work against him and one of the last stairs creaked loudly. Swearing under his breath, he turned to see that the dancing had stopped and all three teenagers were gazing at him. He felt heat rise to his cheeks.

“I’ll only be a moment, I just wanted to grab something to eat,” he nearly mumbled, hurriedly making his way down the rest of the stairs so he could shuffle past. However, he froze when he felt something grab his sleeve and he turned with slightly widened eyes to see Michael grinning at him.

“C’mon, S, join us,” he insisted. Out of all of the squad, Michael was the last person Squip had expected to accept him. But Michael seemed so taken by the idea of a computer becoming a person that he no longer viewed Squip as a threat. Besides, as soon as Jeremy had warmed up to him, it was basically inevitable that Michael would, too.

Squip’s brow creased at Michael’s words. “Join you?” he echoed. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your, er…whatever it is you’re doing. Little dance party.”

He peeked up to see that Jeremy and Christine had already resumed dancing, Christine looping her arms around Jeremy’s neck while Jeremy lightly had his hands on her hips. Squip was convinced that Jeremy spent 85% of his time around Christine with a blush on his face. Despite the fact that they’d been dating for quite a while now, Jeremy still seemed so surprised that he’d actually gotten the girl he’d been pining after since freshman year.

“On a night when bad dreams become a screamer, when they're messin’ with a dreamer, I can laugh it in the face—”

“You’re not intruding, I literally invited you, dude,” Michael huffed, pulling Squip towards the living room, causing Squip to stumble a step as he was forced to follow. He scrambled for a response. He felt like he shouldn’t be doing this, despite the fact that Michael was right and they’d quite literally requested he dance with them. But it still felt like he was interrupting. He couldn’t help loathing how feelings often contradicted one another or just happened out of nowhere.

“Michael—” he tried, only to get cut off by Jeremy snickering. The other boy was giving him a half-smirk.

“I think you’re just nervous because you can’t dance,” he teased.

Despite how far he’d come, sometimes Squip’s pride still got the better of him. And he knew Jeremy knew that. The boy was obviously goading him on.

And, like a stupid human, Squip fell right for the bait.

He pulled away from Michael and separated Jeremy and Christine – making sure not to shove them in the process – and wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s waist. The color in Jeremy’s already flushed cheeks only darkened as Squip dipped him down, giving him a crooked grin.

“You should know better than to challenge me, Jeremy. After all, I’m the one who taught you how to dance.”

“Geez, take a joke sometime,” Jeremy muttered, although there was no bite to his voice and Squip could see him fighting a smile as he pushed on Squip’s chest, getting the other to lean up so they were standing straight again.

“You make my dreams come true! Oh yeah!”

Laughing, Squip gave in and joined in the impromptu little dance circle. He swept across the living room with Christine, stepped in time with Michael, and even joined Jeremy in his awkward shimmying. When Michael and Christine started singing, he found himself joining in and soon enough Jeremy was, too. A few songs went by before their hands were interlocked and they were simply moving back and forth like the trio had been doing on their own before.

Squip felt a warmth in his chest that he recognized as affection for his dance partners, and he just felt light as air as all four of them made idiots of themselves. Being human could be so frustrating, confusing, overwhelming, and just terrible a lot of the time. There was so much to process, especially for him when he had never experienced any of these things before.

But at times like these, he couldn’t be more grateful that he’d been given the chance to come back and just love life. It reminded him that, even with the karma he was facing, it didn’t have to be all that bad.

[ashes-and-ashes]

The Prank

Hey!! So, right now I’m working on That Fateful Night, which I’ll probably be completing over the weekend. But after that, I had a few people ask for my take on “The Prank.” I decided to give you guys a tiny snippet of what my next big project is!! Really hope you enjoy this! (This was kinda therapeutic for me, especially after all the shit that happened in the last few days...)

@rosielupin @jencala

tw for homophobia and strong language

~

He sits in the hallway, against the wall. The stone is cool against his back, grounding him against the sea of emotions, the bitterness and resentment and anger.

He was at the table, a few hours before the full moon. Him and James and Peter and Remus, huddled at the end of the long table, whispering in hushed voices about tonight’s transformation. There was some sort of staff meeting that night, and they had to make sure that they were hidden and unseen, make sure that they could keep Remus’ secret.

It was getting harder, sneaking out of the castle. Too many nosy people, the Slytherins taking more interest in them ever since Sirius ran away.

There were the taunts too, mocking smirks and subtle sniggers, whenever they thought Sirius was alone. Hey, Black. Running away again? Cut off from your family name? Mudblood loving fag?

He was good at ignoring them, though, had learned how to over the days and months and years. They couldn’t do anything, not any more, the words like ash and mist compared to the torture he had once faced.

It was still a shock, realizing that he was gone, that they couldn’t hurt him, that he was free. A shock, to realize that there would be no more screaming, no more curses, no more scars carved onto his flesh. He had left, and he wasn’t going to ever look back.

The sounds of the owls cut through his thoughts, thousands of wings echoing in the hall. He always loved this part, the feathers and the beaks and the glowing eyes, rustling paper and the sound of wings. It had always appealed to him, the idea that you could outfly your problems in the sky, amongst the clouds. He’s staring at the owls when he sees it.

It’s a handsome screech owl, the black family crest dangling from it’s collar, and Sirius feels his heart drop into his stomach as it swoops above him. James and Peter and Remus are still lost in conversation, the owls ignored, but all Sirius can do is stare as he sees the letter being dropped into his lap.

He can barely remember leaving, shoving his chair under the table and muttering some half-assed excuse to the others. Fleeing, walking aimlessly, up and down the stairs until his legs were burning and his feet were numb. He sank down, against the nearest wall, the letter in his hand creased from his shaking hands.

It was interesting that his family still had that much power over him, that his mother could still make him feel faint with a single letter. He hated that part of himself, hated that he still cared, still have a damn about what they thought of him. With trembling hands, he spits open the seal, pulling out the thin paper with his fingers.

The letter is blunt, to the point, as if they couldn’t be bothered with their useless, wasted son.

You are no longer part of this family.

You no longer have any right to our name.

Never come back to us. Never contact us out our son.

Good riddance.

Across the bottom was scrawled several words, in a hand that could only belong to his mother: Blood-Traitor Loving Queer.

It hurts, a twisting blade inside of him, knocking the breath out of Sirius and making him feel dizzy with disbelief. It’s ironic, so bitterly and terribly ironic, that the one thing he once wanted more then anything in the world was now right in front of him. He scans the paper again, imagining his father typing it out, his mother scrawling words across it in black ink. They hadn’t bothered to wait, it seemed, perfectly fine to cut their eldest son out of their life.

He sets the paper down, his body shaking against the wall. He tried, tried so damn hard to forget it, to pretend he didn’t care. Fuck them, he whispers to himself. Fuck them, and their pure-blooded bullshitted way of life. You’re better off without them.

A small splotch of ink catches his eye, and he turns the paper over to find a hastily scribbled message on the back: They’re watching me. Don’t try and contact me. Don’t talk to me. Don’t come back.

I’m sorry.

Reg

Sirius lets his head fall back, the agony rising up inside of him. He was selfish, so goddamn selfish, abandoning his little brother to his screwed up parents. “I should have stayed,” he whispers, to the darkness of his knees, his face pressed into them, huddled into a tiny ball. “I should have stayed.”

There are footsteps down the corridor, light and too-casual, and Sirius tenses. He closes his eyes, pulls the cocky smirk and the glinting eyes and the arrogant air onto his face, shoving himself deeper into his shell. He stretches out a leg, shoving the letters into his pocket, the epitome of relaxation.

He winces, internally, as Snape comes up the stairs. He’s sipping wet, covered in mud, and as his eyes fall on Sirius, he raises an eyebrow. “So. The great Sirius, alone in a hallway. What’s wrong, Black? Hiding from your mother?”

Sirius scoffs, something vicious twisting inside his chest. He needs something, anything to take the edge off, dull this whirlwind of emotion inside his chest. He can’t stop himself as he replies, “Thought something smelled shitty in here. But it’s just you, isn’t it Snivellus?” Sirius frowns. “Or maybe it’s just the mud.”

Snape laughs, the sound forced and unnatural. “Brave words, coming from a queer-loving faggot.”

Sirius just shrugs, refusing to let the sting show. “You really ought to think of something more creative, Snivellus. You’ve been using that one for years.”

Snape laughs again, the noise seeming to grate inside his chest. “Where’s your boyfriend, Black? And the rest of those mudbloods?” He spits the words like they are daggers, his eyes gleaming with some strange light.

Anger flares inside Sirius’ chest. He knows he should walk away, before he said something truly stupid, but he can’t help it as he says, “Don’t talk about them like that.”

Snape smirks, a mocking grin, pressing his advantage. “Like what? It’s true, you know. Potter and his arrogance, Pettigrew and his softness, and Lupin. Gosh, that boy is daft. Dresses out of the rubbish bin, but you’ll shag anything, won’t you Bla - “

The roaring fills Sirius’ ears, a haze settling over everything. His voice is quiet, cold as ice as he says, “You’re one to talk, hounding over Evans like that. Following her like a bloody dog, hoping that she’ll throw you a scrap of her attention.” He scoffs. “When are you going to learn that Evans won’t date an overgrown, greasy little weasel of a - “

There’s a bang - Sirius feels his head being knocked back as a white-hot streak carved through his face. He laughs it off, though, ignores the pain as he mocks Snape. “And your aim is shitty to. It’s a wonder you can still see Evans, when you can’t even hit me with a binding spell from 2 feet - “

Snape’s voice is heated, anger pouring off him in waves. “Don’t you dare talk about her, she’s out of your league you little fag.”

Sirius just laughs. “Evans? Evans is completely out of my league. She’s amazing, and there is no chance in hell that she’s ever date a shitbag like you.” He shrugs, turning to go, noting the sun setting in the sky. “In any case, have fun, Snivellus. Try washing your hair - don’t drown in all the grease that comes out of it.”

He’s halfway down the hall when Snape shouts out. “Do you think I don’t know?”

He doesn’t bother to look at him. “Know what, love? We all know your hair his absolutely disgusting...”

Snape laughs, almost manically, his face bright red as he screams back at Sirius. “Know your secret! The big one, that all you keep.” He spits. “Of course it’d be you. The Queer and the Animal, a match made in heaven.”

Sirius whirls. He shoves Snape against the wall, knocking his head against a lamp. “What did you say?”

Snape glares back at him. “You know what I said. You and your vileness. Wouldn’t be below you to fuck a werewolf, would it?”

It’s as if Sirius has been shot. An icy numbness shoots down, turning his body to lead. Dimly, he can head Snape laughing, laughing as he smirks. “Wasn’t that hard to find out anyways. Remus always missing class the days of the full moon.” He spits. “Wonder how Lily would feel, if she knew her friend was a goddamn werewolf. Thanks for confirming it.”

Sirius slams him against the wall again. Panic is staring to bloom in his chest, a desperate, echoing feeling, terror that Snape knows. “Shut the hell up. He’s not...he’s not an animal.”

Snape just scoffs. “Is he?”

With a roar, Sirius snaps, pressing him against the wall. He punches Snape, square but the jaw, and Snape shrieks as Sirius’s fists crushes his nose. “If you tell anybody....”

Snape smirks. “So I’m right. And look, it’s the full moon tonight.” He gives Sirius a tiny smirk. “Wonder who’s transforming right now?”

“Severus, I swear to god - “

Snape just laughs. “Alliges Duplica.”

Suddenly, Sirius is frozen, collapsing to the ground as Snape laughs. “Thought you were the only one with tricks, yeah Black? Tough.” He steps over him, slamming his heel onto Sirius’ stomach. “I wasn’t sure if Lupin was a werewolf, but you basically confirmed it for me.” He leans closer, where Sirius is panting in pain, fire traveling up and down his limbs. “I wonder how he’s going to feel, when he realizes that you told his deepest secret.”

Sirius tried to speak, to scream, to say anything, but all Snape does is smirk. “Reckon you’ll miss the moon tonight. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find Remus.”

“No - “ Sirius croaks, but it’s too late. Without another word, Snape sweeps off, leaving Sirius frozen on the ground, his wand kicked to the side as the moon started to rise.

[illegiblewords]

8. Is your character suspicious of new people? 16. Tell me one (or more) things your character resents. - Cenric and Nivienne

Thanks for these! Also fun, had to think a bit for the answers!

Is your character suspicious of new people?

Lol honestly I think Cenric is suspicious of most people. Besides using his appearance in a manner that also suggests wealth and power, on some level he actively wants to intimidate others. He knows he can defend himself now, but he doesn’t want to regarded how he was when at his weakest. He doesn’t want anyone to assume at a glance that they have him at their mercy. He’s not really aware that his mannerisms don’t match up with the rest, so whenever people react to him like he’s just a person, or an adventurer, or the Warrior of Light–it surprises him a little. He expects to be held at arm’s length.

He was especially nervous about the Doman Adventurer’s Guild I think even while helping out at Vesper Bay. I suspect the kids watched him from a distance initially from a combination of shyness and curiosity, but then Cenric is really lame. He’s liable to break something by accident, discreetly shuffle it aside, then try to replace the item before anyone notices. Or forget what he’s trying to do partway through a task and pivot in place to walk away without saying a word to the shopkeeper who greeted him. These details probably go much farther in terms of getting a warm reception when people don’t know him than intimidation or greed. So when children of all people had positive reactions to him/asked about adventuring, he was completely thrown off.

It does get easier for him over time.

Cenric is also more likely to trust people who treat him like just a person or just an adventurer than those who regard him foremost as the Warrior of Light. He might still care a great deal about the latter, but being on that pedestal scares the hell out of him. This goes for new people and for longtime friends.

On Nivienne, I think she is kind of nosy in a way that isn’t always obvious. She really is very manipulative and curious, and isn’t afraid to behave in ways that provoke interesting/insightful reactions. There are limits in this (she won’t throw her dignity or personal morals away) but she can be mischievous and likes to tease/test people’s reactions to different things. So when it comes to new people, she pays very close attention to her first impression and their behavior. If there’s room to provoke them in ways that will offer answers she’ll do it. How much information will satisfy her varies. So she’s much more case-by-case.

Tell me one (or more) things your character resents.

Cenric resents people who don’t take responsibility for their own bad choices, who prey or look down on others for being less fortunate than them, who lie, and who take advantage of innocent people. He includes himself in this. It’s worth noting that he can also get past these things–he resented Emmanellain for his attempts to dodge his role in shooting a protester and he resented Lyse for lying to him about her identity. He still sees Emmanellain almost like a brother and ends up a little head over heels for Lyse. Eulmore, however, was deeply uncomfortable for him because he’s hyper aware that they’d have seen him dead if he’d approached at a different point in his life.

Oh, he also resents it when people kill those he cares about too. That’s a pretty consistent way to piss him off.

Nivienne I think actually resents people speaking for or over her a lot. She really doesn’t like it when people assume her thoughts or choices and try to make decisions on her behalf.

I think she also holds resentment against Ilberd specifically. His reprimand to Eline Roaille given his own actions, his dishonesty and betrayal toward those who followed him, his exploitation of the scions… some of it is just antithetical to her, but I think some is also that if she had no restrictions or morals in her own behavior she could turn out similarly. He is the kind of person she never wants to be.

[artswaps]

I don't ship kallurance but I LOVE being nosy about other people's projects. Whatchu got in the works 👀

I’m really mad cos I tried writing a long-ass response to this twice already!!! But my browser crashed the first time and then windows hit me with a surprise update the second lol. I had torewrite it so I’m sorry for the late reply :(

Kinda long so I put it under a cut:

Here’s an old summary for the superhero au fic (Title is almost definitely gonna change):

tbh I’m not greatat writing romance and I don’t find it particularly fun to write?? So more like kallurance-leaning slightly-shippy gen but w/ever not important OKAY SO first the backstory and oh boy it’s very convoluted and doesn’t make much sense right now so strap in: 

I was thinking the story would be set in acyperpunk-style AU, wherein Voltron is a team of underground heroes trying totake down the Galra- a sinister corporation who have essentially taken oppressive controlof the city through widespread use of their technology.  

Back when the GalraCorporation were just coming into power, team Voltron was first employed byAltea Industries- Galra’s rival company- as a heroic task-force charged withprotecting the citizens of the city. Before the story begins an “accident”happens  at Altea Industries (obviously a deliberate attack organised byGalra) that left the founder of the company dead and his daughter Allura, heirto Altea industries and member of the Voltron force, in a coma she’s yet towake up from. This is two years before the story begins.

For a short time afterthe incident, the four remaining members of Voltron (Keith, Lance, Pidge and Hunk) tried to keep the teamtogether and continue their work as vigilante heroes. They officially split upafter Keith leaves the group to look for his best-friend-slash-psuedo-brother Shiro, who went missing and isbelieved to have been taken by the Galra. Keith’s decision to leave caused anargument between him and Lance, which led to a rift in the team and the othermembers drifting away for their own reasons.

Keith was captured by theGalra in his attempts to find Shiro, and has spent a year imprisoned and subjectedto the torture of having his powers being experimented on. It’s revealed at somepoint that Keith let himself be captured deliberately so he could look forShiro on the inside- while he was there he discovered that Shiro has beenbrainwashed by the Galra and is working as one of their law enforcers. He doesn’t recognise Keith at all, and Keith realises that without Shiro’s help he’s stuck as the Galra’s prisoner. 

After the other three split, Lance is left as the soleactive member of Voltron, and has spent the two years prior to the start of thestory working to undermine the Galra and protect the city as much as he’s able,turning himself into a wanted fugitive in the process and living isolated inhiding. He’s the only one still in contact with Coran, who is protecting Allura while she’s in a coma, and they both spend the years watching over her and never losing hope that she’ll wake up.

I had some complicated plot stuff planned where Altea, before it was attacked, was in the middle of producing a piece of super-tech that would allow them to take down the Galra and restore freedom to the city. The tech shared the name “Voltron” with their team of heroes, and worked as a power-augmentation device that would allow the team to mentally connect with one another and boost their powers. The attack on Altea industries doubled as an attempt by the Galra to steal it, but somehow when she was caught in the firefight Allura used her astral projection ability to merge her consciousness with the Voltron device. The real reason she won’t wake up in present-day is that she’s still mentally connected to Voltron, which is locked away deep in a Galra facility, miles away. 

So that’s where everyone’s at! The story revolves around Lance trying to resurrect team Voltron- finding and reconnecting with his old teammates and convincing them to take another shot at the Galra- while also dealing with everyone’s separate trauma and the fact that poor Shiro is still mind-controlled and basically acting as the main villain for the entire first act. 

The story begins withPidge contacting Lance for the first time since Voltron’s disbandment, claimingthat she’s been sent information from an anonymous source containing Keith’swhereabouts, and instructions on how to break him out. 

Pidge and Hunk reluctantly agree to team up once again for the sake of rescuing Keith, and they break into the Galra research facility he’s being held in.

During his time as a prisoner Keith learnt that Voltron is being kept in the same facility as him and the Galra are running tests on in. Mid break-out he convinces the others to find and retrieve it.

They rescue Keith, and when they reconvene at Coran’s hideout and bring the device within her range, Allura manages to separate her consciousness from it and finally wakes up. Yay! Everyone is confused and horrified by this revelation!! Allura, you’ve been a brain-ghost infused with a piece of stolen technology this whole time?? And the Galra have been messing with Voltron without realising you were hitching a ride?? That’s gotta have consequences, right??

Probably. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

AND NOW THE SUPERPOWERS:because that’s the most fun part of superhero aus obviously

I wanted to try and be abit more creative with the powers and stay away fromelemental/bending type ones lol. The only one I’m pretty set on is Allura, the others’ powers are things I’m still working out and would love some help with if anyone has any cool ideas! I’m totally okay with everyone having more than one superpower. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Allura: 

One of the world’s most powerfultelepaths/psychics. Can communicate telepathically, “astral project” herconsciousness to other locations within a certain perimeter, and read minds. 

Perhaps has some of her VLD-canon Altean powers eg. can communicate withanimals. 

She can also manipulate other people’s thoughts and perceptions to createillusions. Can’t physically shapeshift but can create the illusion that she looks different. 

As well as abilitiesof the mind, she has a strong connection with spirit/essence; eg. can senseother’s whereabouts or tell when they’re being influenced by an externalsource. Cannot heal physical injuries but has some sway over ailments of thespirit and mind. 

Power augmentation through a conduit: Being connected to Voltron for so long merged her essence with it, so now she can wield it as a conduit to boost people’s power, or like,,, direct and control Voltron’s innate power-boosting abilities at will via her telepathy (tbh I’m bullshitting a bit here while I throw ideas around lol)

Keith: 

If anyone in this AU is gonna have element-based powers it’sgonna be Keith- either he has fire affinity (can create and control fire +heat) or I could ramp up the angst and have him go full-on Jean Grey Phoenixmode ehehehe. 

The other main idea I had was power negation- upon physical contact he can cancel other people’spowers out. This would be interesting if it’s something he doesn’t havefull control over, and I reckon it’s something the Galra would take a lot ofinterest in using to their own advantage- would also be an interesting oppositeto Allura’s power augmentation ability. 

The other things I had listed aspossibilities for Keith are all endurance/enhancement-based powers eg. Enhancedspeed, dexterity and agility, night vision, regenerative/accelerated healingetc. All of these could be innate or they could be powers given to him by theGalra in an attempt to turn him into a weapon like they did Shiro.

Lance: 

Also not settledon anything for Lance but I did want him in part to have more compulsion andcharisma-based powers that fit his more sociable personality. He hascharmspeaking, a hypnotic ability that lets him influence the thoughts and actionsof the person he’s talking to. Even when he’s not using the ability he has away with persuasion. 

I also like the idea of him having omniligualism (thepower to speak all languages) or a similar variant that allows him to be easilyunderstood by and communicate with anyone despite language barriers.

I had an earlier ideathat everyone’s powers, where applicable, would be based on their original lion’spowers in vld canon? I’ve mostly scrapped that at this point but I do stilllike the idea of Lance having a sort of echolocation type of thing- maybe morelike he can feel the vibrations of structures around him and instantly puttogether a mental-map of the area. If he knocks against the outside wall of abuilding then he can feel out the layout of the interior, along those lines.Think Toph Beifong.

I also wanna give him low-level telekinesis because I think he’d had fun with that lol.

Shiro: 

I actually likethe idea of Shiro not having any powers originally; the Galra imbued him withsome abilities through his prosthetic arm that he wasn’t born with. The worst one isthe power to manipulate and deconstruct organic matter; the Galra intended forhim to use it to destroy and kill, but I had a thought I liked a lot where Shiro takesownership of it after they save him from the brainwashing, and he eventuallylearns to use it to heal and becomes the team’s go-to doctor.

I might scrap the idea ofhim not originally having any powers, depends if I can come up with anything.Maybe I can go back to my they-have-their-og-lion’s-powers idea and give himteleportation, and he eventually learns how to do it mentally and can astralproject.

Okay actually NightCrawler is my favourite superhero and I’m gonna fuckin let Shiro nightcrawl,fight me.

Pidge: 

Technopathy,obviously!!! She can do pretty much anything with technology, and I wasthinking that similar to VLD canon where Pidge adds her own modifications to herlion to give it new powers, in this AU she makes a lot of devices of her ownthrough her technopathy that give her access to a lot of manufactured superpowers eg. Invisibility/cloaking,electricity manipulation, some other cool stuff idk yet.

She also has eideticmemory and low-level telekinesis which she mostly just uses to help herretrieve objects in her lab when she’s hyperfocused and doesn’t wanna get up. 

Hunk: 

Hunk is an empath, which makes him goodat intelligence gathering because he can detect when people are lying throughtheir emotions. 

Also had animation/”life spark” down as a possibility, which isthe ability to bring inanimate objects temporarily to life; his creationsfollow his directions but their sentience levels are very low and they have noemotional intelligence. E.g he could hypothetically create an army out ofshopping mall dummies to fight for him, which probably wouldn’t do much physical damagebut would work as a good distraction while he hightails it outta there. Alsowould be a very good intimidation tactic cos that would be a terrifying sightahaha

Idk I don’t have a lot ofother good ideas for Hunk someone help me

Coran:

Enhanced memory, though not photographic or near-infalliable like Pidge’s is, and he’s kinda useless with it (mostly just usesit to subject people to long-winded anecdotes about his crazy life)

Omnilingualism. Thinks this makes him a gooddiplomat but historically it’s just gotten him into trouble with more people.

He’s spent the entire time since Voltron’sdisbandment guarding Allura while she’s asleep, protecting her from assassinationattempts, so it’d be cool if he had some other kind of power that allowed himto do this easily? Not anything flashy, an ability that a lot of people wouldunderestimate or dismiss as harmless, but something that’s let him keep themboth safe while she’s so vulnerable.  

AND THAT’S ALL I’VE GOT FOR NOW I hope it sounds interesting??? It’s kinda a complicated mess atm but I have fun thinking about this AU and I’d like to do something with it soon.

It’d be a mess of cheesy sci-fi drama and angst and found family so like,,, all good things. Thank you for asking about it I love to rant about my projects lmao

[abdicatedarchive]

ladies and gentleman, her || wren and rory

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: wren’s dorm room// just after exams 2021.

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: wren x rory.

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒: none.

𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒: rory is back and wren hopes she is better than ever!

"Wren open up." She said opening the door of his dorm. Instantly regretting it as she remembered he shared the room with Jet. Lucky for her only person in there was her brother. " No welcome party?" She smiled looking through his  stuff for his snacks.  She found two snickers, looking over at her brother she sat at the edge of the bed. " I assume it was your idea to have me here instead of under the parental thumb." She opened the candy bar and took a bite. She spent a few days with them and they wouldn't start asking her questions. She was sure they thought she was in drugs with her attitude but they were not the easiest to talk to. Nana encourages her coming here if she didn't want to stay home. Now that she was here she just wanted to disappear. She knew she would have to pretend more than she wanted to. " If it was, thank you. I love them but they were suffocating." She admitted. " Anyway how are you?" 

Wren was honestly shocked to see Rory in his room, it felt like a hallucination. He had no idea she was coming and he had been studying for exams all week. Now she was transferring, so not only did they have the summer but they had the next three years too.  "You're pretty casual, it's good to see you Ror" said Wren with a big smile, "I'm doing pretty bad, as per usual. How are you doing?" Something about telling someone you're not doing great with a smile on your face just makes everything a little better. "Also, in celebration of you officially transferring, I have started looking at on and off campus housing for us to live in. Dorms are kinda tired, dontcha think?" he said. He wanted a place where he could keep Rory as safe as possible. Where she could feel as safe as possible. Plus they could have the dog there, the dog Chanel had gotten him but that was besides the point.

Rory nodded, if anyone knew about putting on a mask to hide Wren knew. It was like their go to coping mechanism without the actual coping part. "Why? What's wrong?" She opened up the second candy bar. How was she? She didn't even know. She was trying to number herself to what happened so most of the time she felt just that...nothing. "I look better but I still feel like hiding in a ditch somewhere." She bit into the snack. She didn't see a reason for her to lie to him  she was sure they were passed that. " Thank goodness, I'm in a hotel right now and it's not bad. I mean the room is nice and our parents send someone up to make sure I'm not  strung out  or something." She shrugged. "You're my favorite roommate, I think we need better privacy than a r.a being nosy, and telling us we can't have air fryer." She also needed more room if she was going to actually try and find her spark again. She missed designing clothes but her muse seemed have disappeared. Everything just seemed horrendous.

“No hiding in ditches in the fall, also I heard a rumor that this summer is going to be great. Nana said ... hot girl summer?” Wren said to be as encouraging as possible. Things weren’t great for him right now, but nothing he was going through was any comparison to Rory. “I am a pretty great roommate. We could even see about inviting some friends to also live with us if you want. We have a few months to figure out a lease” he wanted to make her living arrangements as positive as possible. A good place to live with people she liked was going to make life better. Happy Rory means happy Wren.

She shook her head in amusement. " I heard the same thing." She wasn't sure what she was going to do this summer, she had a suite to herself and she could wallow in misery in peace. " From personal experience I know exactly what kind of roommate you are." They were together most of their lives so they were used to each others habits. Her mother thinks that them being so far away from each other was why Rory wasn't doing so good. Rory wasn't sure she agreed a hundred percent but she might of been right. " Don't think I didn't catch on to you not telling me what's wrong." She crossed her arms." Go on, spill."

With their parents being so busy and them moving more than once, Rory was the only solid constant in his life. Yes, their family was strong but there was something special about their relationship as twins. Reliability and accountability between them. "Big fight with Chanel, some fucked up things were said by both of us. I am aware that I messed up too, don't worry. I just think that she was in the wrong" he said stubbornly. He wasn't going to let go of this at all. This was a fight to hold on to. A fight they weren't going to be coming back from. A lifetime of friendship destroyed. "But it's no big deal. I'm just going to get out there for real this time. No random hook ups. It's time to rebound and actually date" he said confidently. He had no idea who would want him now. Too much baggage.

Rory always felt lucky to have Wren. She lived her parents and loved how close of a family they were even with her fathers sweater vest. With Wren she knew she had someone who understood her and loved her unconditionally. They could fight and make up and no love was ever lost between them. " You know I support you in anything that you do. I think you should eventually apologize for the things you said because we're better than that." Maybe. " Also of you slept on it and you still feel likes she wrong then its serious. Most things.calm down over a little time. " She laid back on his bed. " If you date I want to vet these girls first. I don't want them taking advantage of you." Rory didn't believe the two would stay away for long but she wasn't going to say it. Plus what did she know anytime her and Jonah broke up is was amicable on the outside and heart wrenching on the inside.

He was not backing down this time. "And let her think she can still walk all over me? No, I'm not doing it" said the boy, even though he still missed her on a major level. They had had such a good day together only a short while before, but then he had to let people get into his head about everything. "She just wants me to forget all that shit that happened in senior spring, and I don't want to. Its a big deal, right?" he said, looking for validation. He laughed when she said she wanted approval first, "We'll see about that. But you know who always has a gold stamp in my book? One mister Jonah Keller" said Wren with a shrug. He didn't want to push her to reconnect, but Jonah was such a good guy. Such a safe option to keep her safe. One of his friends, someone he could trust.

It was always obvious that Chanel had a pull on Wren. She wasn't sure what the argument was this time but she could  he was really upset. It was a family trait to blow up at things unnecessarily but when the smoke clears they could see their wrongs and fix it. Didn't seem like he wanted to fix it. Rory couldn't deny that he had every right to be mad about it, she was sure he never fully dealt with it. "Absolutely, it's huge. " She couldn't tell him he had to work on getting past that. It would make her a hypocrite, internalize until it all goes wild. "Who?" She asked already knowing the answer. " I'm going to marry that man..eventually." She ran her finger through her hair. " I love him but I don't think he'll want if he ever found out." Her voice drifted off. " He deserves better but I still want to be his wife, that's selfish right?"

"Okay good, I'm not being crazy" said Wren, he was constantly doubting himself. Gaslighting his own emotions every minute. He never knew if he was in the right until someone else told him he was. Sometimes he didn't even know if he was angry until he checked with other people that he had the right to be. Wren listened to her about Jonah, "It's not selfish, and I promise you that he will care, but not like that. He cares about you, and nothing is going to change that. He's going to be there for you, all you have to do is talk to him" Wren encouraged. He was so happy that there was a chance for those two to get back together. That Rory would have that kind of support.

" No not crazy." She repeated. She understood him and what he was thinking. She did it too. Over think and make up scenarios in her head. Let other people whisper in her ear things are not always true. The only difference is Wren was impulsive with his words, he said things that hurt but usually felt bad later. Rory never really argued, if she did she was cold and of she said it she probably meant it. " I'm going to talk to him I'm just not going to tell him." She sighed. " I don't want him to look at me differently or secretly resenting  me. "

While he couldn't control his mouth, Wren on a good day was a great communicator. He valued honesty above most things, and he hated himself for every lie he ever said. He had spent so much time lying to himself, letting his brain lie to him, that when he was doing good it was all truth all the time. "Don't be afraid to tell him when the time is right, but take all the time you need. He won't look at you any different, I know I don't think any differently of you" said Wren with candor. It was important that she was still Rory to him. Nothing could ever change that, especially not other people's choices. She was and always will be Rory. "But enough about that. If you want we can ask Jonah and Chase to live with us next year, or tell them to get a place nearby. I would love to have the boys nearby" he added as the conversation changed. He loved his friends, how easy it was with them. Things with Jet had been so difficult recently, he was looking forward to having his own room again.

Rory had played how she would tell Jonah, if she would tell Jonah so many times in her head. She couldn't shake how it made her feel. She could feel herself getting angry and then sad. Deep down she knew she couldn't do it, she didn't even want to tell Wren but he was persistent." Maybe." She said as her thoughts swirled in her head. "Chase is here too?" She smiled. " Sounds good." She never lived with them but she was sure it wasn't any harder than loving with Wren, especially with how they were always at the house, eating up the pizza rolls. " I don't think living on my own would be productive so it's perfect.

"We can get a bunch of people together. Our own little college fam. It'll be fun, and when it isn't we can all just go to our own rooms" said Wren, it honestly sounded like a really good support system for all of them. No matter what got difficult, they could always just go home. "Are you taking any summer classes, or are you just chillin" he asked, wondering what her summer plans were looking like. There were good times to be had, and he was ready to be completely done with school. Rory was back and things were going to be good, he was sure of it. The looming Chanel problem would be in the rearview before he could even overthink it anymore than he already had.

" I'm going to ask Zoe if she would be down." She tapped her chin thinking about it.  "Maybe do a college vlog." She thought outloud. " I have to come up why three designs by August if I want to bring up my grades. Besides that I'm free to eat ice cream in my room and watch young and the restless."She said only half  joking. It might be good for her to be around people that actually cared about her.  It was also appealing to have Jonah in the house to.

"I'll message the boys, Stevie'll probably be down too" said Wren as he messaged in his discord group. It would be really nice to have everyone at home with them. He was mostly excited to live with Rory. The year apart has been way too long, especially with everything that happened. "I'm going to be lifeguarding, but in the evenings I will definitely be down for young and the restless. Maybe even some new stuff?" he suggested. He wanted to make sure they weren't sticking to any depressive patterns, "Other than lifeguarding I have therapy and some basketball stuff, so it's a Bishop summer for sure" he encouraged.

"Sounds like a plan." She looked up at the ceiling. "I would day we need hook up rules but I don't think this group would need to many of those." She teased. She knew for her and her brother they lost their virginity later than most.  " Everyone seems to be doing something, maybe I could find a little  job at a boutique." She sighed. She had to work on her designs She didn't have one that came to mind it was frustrating. " We'll see about all that." She teased. " That reminds me I have to do yoga. Mom insisted."

"I feel like a boutique job is perfect for you. Nana's got connections, it would be super easy for you to work at any one you want" he said, thinking positively about her getting back into what she loves. "You had any of those amazing Rory design ideas recently? Or are you ready to fix my wardrobe again. I've been wearing exclusively hoodies for the whole semester" said Wren, hoping that would tempt her with a good time. Knowing she didn't enjoy fashion school was just killing him. It would be like if he hated basketball. It's hard to see people let go of things they love.

" I will I just want one where I could also do my designs." She looked over at him and pouted. Sitting up she and pulled her book out of her bag. " I made a dress for Zoe, that's the only design in there. " She shook her head. "That was drawn before I left high school. I finally put it together and that took over three months." She sighed. " Maybe I need to find another major." She looked over at him.

He was worried that she was loosing all her passion. He hoped going to Brindleton might fix it. "I would hold out on switching majors just yet. Maybe just take a class outside of it to, in something you're interested. See how the fashion classes go here. New year, new teachers" he encouraged. He wouldn't push her like this if she wasn't talented, but she was honestly so excellent at everything to do with fashion. It would be hard to see her working a 9-5 at some desk when she had so much skill and talent in her soul.

He was right, even with her lack of passion and confidence she couldn't imagine herself doing anything else but that. "All my classes center around it so  maybe it'll help me. I just hate this. I used to have fucking ideas pouring out of me and now it all empty. " she got up to look for more snacks.  "I just feel like I was robbed twice, and it's frustrating."  she was frustrated. "And where are all your snacks Wrennie, no ones room should be this empty of sugar and salt." she wanted to smoke  but she didn't want to get in trouble.

Wren gave her a smile, "you'll get it back" he said. He knew she would, it would just take time and therapy. He hated that guy who took so much from her. Wren did not often get full of rage, but he was explosive even teetering about thinking about it. Wren shrugged, "I just don't eat food like that. Just a reminder of who you're talking to" said the boy, "Chase and Jonah are down the hall, you can always go see Jonah?" he said with a smile. He wanted to know that she was connecting with other people than him. He couldn't be her only friend here.

She wasn't sure if she would get it back but she was going to try, she looked up at her brother and rolled her eyes at him. "So what are you not eating again? "  she raised her brow. "Don't worry i won't tell or convince you to do so if you don't make to to anyone." she smiled, opening his drawer and looking at his clothes and started to pull things out

"Not really eating candy, nana dropped off those treats for me just in case I wanted something for exams" he explained. Wren was doing really well, just not eating sweets unless they were homemade. "I'm going to have to be looking fresh if I'm going to be dating this summer" he said with a positive vibe. Letting go of Chanel was going to be such a bitch, and they had just been together again. No girl compared to her. Not emotionally. Not physically. Not anything.

"I need to call her so she can make us brownies and then come steal the ones she makes for you." She rolled her eyes at his comment. " Not with these clothes you're not." She started taking out his clothes and separating them. "Text me your sizes I can't have you moving on with twenty something pairs of sweatpants." She said in a disapproving tone.  " it's like you don't even care." She turned to him. "We're going to get you summertime fine for all the ladies."

Wren laughed, "I thought women loved a man in gray sweats. It's when I get my best compliments" he said with a laugh. "Just nothing too tight" he said as he started to text her his sizes. He was going back and forth on whether or not he should just go to Chanel and apologize. But a part of him knew she was in the wrong. That it would be an admission of guilt if he were to apologize first. Wren didn't want to seem weak.

Rory made sounds like she was about to throw up, "Eww." she rolled her eyes folding up his nice clothes which they ones she had got him or made him. "I would never, i'm going to have you looking so good that Chanel would look at you and immediately try and win you back." she winked. "You know if you're into that." she knew he was. She had a pit in her stomach for missing someone and it wasn't hers. She missed Jonah but it was more of a longing so she knew it was her feeding off him.

He thought about his words carefully, "I mean, I don't think that's a reality at all" he said. Wren wasn't sure if he even wanted to be back with Chanel, part of him felt like he needed to be back with her. He knew he was happier with her, its just all the shit that happened when they weren't dating. And that thing right at the tail end of their relationship. "But testing the theory doesn't sound too awful" he relented.

"Crazier things have happened." She said absent-mindedly. She knew what ot felt like something wasn't going to work and it came together. At one point she thought Jonah was in love with another girl, but they ended up back together. What if he was in a relationship? Nah she was sure Wren would of given her the heads up. " No and if you can atleast turn her head the  you know you got it in the bag."

"I think we both know that Chanel Hampton has always been and will always be the head turner" Wren insisted. Sometimes, he wished she wasn't so beautiful. Because Wren loved her for everything else about her too. It drove him mad how much attention she got for just her looks, even when they were younger. There is so much more to Chanel than that. And there was nothing about Wren like that, and it constantly made him worry that she would leave him for someone who was in her league.

" Yeah well you're nothing to cough at either." She turned to him. " Dearest brother of mine, you are a catch. You possess everything that a girl wants for in a man and with my help you'll also dress to impress." She said proudly finishing up folding the clothes he was going to keep. " In all seriousness Laurie, Chanel is a great girl I'll never lie or deny it. But you can shine so much brighter than her you guys compliment  each other when you're together." She closed the drawer. " You're a catch without her."

She had a point that they complimented each other. Chanel was everything he admired, and somedays he believed it when she said that about him. It was just hard knowing that you don't feel complete without someone else there. Someone specific. But that ship had sailed, and that was the new reality. "I'll believe it before you know it" said Wren, "fake it till I make it" he added. "I have to get to the gym, but text me when you talk to Jonah" said Wren with a little wink, "go get him".

[mcrpg-archive]

NINO ABRUSCATO

“I never lie... because I don't fear anyone. You only lie when you're afraid.”

a f f i l i a t i o n : The Abruscato Family

Born into the infamous crime family known as the Abruscatos in the Lower East Side of La Juventud, Nino Abruscato was raised to know his worth. And while it's not exactly an ideal situation being the middle sibling in any family, let alone one such as this, with the majority of his parents' attentions going to his older brother Vito Jr, and his younger sister, Vittoria, Nino has found he rather likes the freedom of less attention. There's no real pressure being in the middle. He's not without his jealous moments, though. It's only natural, of course. But it's nothing getting into a fight with some random in a bar... or a night fucking away into some broad won't fix. Particularly if that broad happens to be his younger sister, Vittoria. Cute, innocent Vittoria. There is a strange sort of closeness between all three siblings, but this is especially evident between Nino and Vittoria. But their relationship is hot and cold at best, with Nino occasionally taking his frustrations out on her, and then sweet talking, babying and rewarding her with gifts to keep her quiet. Nino probably gets away with the most out of all three Abruscato siblings, getting involved in heavier shit such as drugs and organised hits... just because he can. But this penchant he has for seeking out new thrills and spills and generally sticking his nose where it doesn't belong could ultimately be his downfall... curiosity did kill the cat, after all.

NEED TO KNOW

Son of Vito Abruscato, who governs the Lower East Side of La Juve.

Middle child, not really suffering from middle child syndrome, but does have his moments of jealousy, which he typically takes out on his younger sister, Paolina, in the form of sex or something of the like.

Actually admires and looks up to his older brother, Vito Jr., and while he would never hurt him, he sometimes thinks about it when he’s having a jealous moment.

Way too nosy for his own good. Kind of a gossip, really.

Sexually promiscuous. Usually fucking more than one person at a time. Almost never exclusive and hard to tie down.

A hedonist and thrill seeker. Wanting to live life to the fullest.

Overly confident. Of the mindset that if he wants to do it, he can do it, and nothing can stop him from doing it. People will use this to their advantage.

Unbeknownst to him, there are those working for the Abruscato Family he should not trust, and they are the ones pushing him to his limits in the hopes that he will go too far and have some kind of ‘accident’ befall him.

Somewhat naive, he truly believes that everyone working for the Abruscatos is devoutly loyal to them.

Basically considers himself a Prince.

Rude as fuck, but definitely has some table manners. Some.

Very handsy. Will outright grope and touch whatever and whomever he wants, whenever he wants. And typically gets away with it considering he’s an Abruscato.

Cares about himself and his family above all else.

A little too sweet on Paolina.

Has a gun and knife collections, and loves all sort of weaponry and torture devices. Favours guns, hands down.

Does not lie. He just doesn’t believe in it. The truth can do so much more damage, anyways.

Face claim - is private and mostly non-negotiable, but open to someone who looks similar. First Name is negotiable, Last Name is non-negotiable.