#him wanting meg to be free to hang out is SO

[keepmovinjunior]

Cute. It was one thing she'd admit was genuinely descriptive of Pit, that was for sure ━━ and not a descriptor she used lightly or with intent to condescend ━━ at least, not without irony. So few deserved it. But Pit? Meg can't help but smirk, softly, playfully, at the back of his bowed head. What a funny gallantry he carried. She's amused at his obviously playful, grandiose gesture; intended to make her laugh, perhaps. Despite everything she knew and disliked about heroes... well, Pit was different. He'd shown up enough times now; interacted with her enough, and despite everything Meg can see his heart, his light; genuinely enjoy his presence. He's a good friend, with a decent heart, from what she could tell. He's harmless. She liked him.

Only a matter of time before he couldn't say the same...

Well, anyway. She'd cherish their camaraderie while she could.

❝ Woah there, tiger ━━ don't get too ahead of yourself. I'm not used to that whole... smilin' thing. ❞ Hard to be, when you spend all of your time with shades. ❝ Heh, no pressure, right? ❞ A wink, though. She's still smirking; her body relaxes in his presence, and she places one hand on her hip, coolly. ❝ Yeah, too long. It's good to see you, kid. ❞

Do you think your boss will allow you one day off?

She'd been smiling through his clever comments... up until there.

Hades, showing leniency? If only. She could only dream of spending time with her winged pal, with the living... being free, just for a day...

Frowning slightly, she crosses her arms now; tilts her head. ❝ From your lips to Hothead's ears, Ace. I uh, don't think his department's known for the PTO. ❞

X @keepmovinjunior

As Pit walked among the pale, ghostly white Asphodelus Flore, Meg's voice cut through the silence like a sweet symphony. It was as if she were a blooming sunflower in a desolate field, her presence casting a spell on the bleak surroundings. Despite the underlying Greek tragedy of the situation, there was a silver lining for Meg—she was spared from drinking the murky waters of the Lithe River. Though the Captain of Angels would never loudly admit it, he couldn't help feeling grateful for that small mercy despite Meg's servitude to the Lord of the Dead, Hades.

Pit proudly shined his light for his dear friend. With his hands placed at his hips and chest puffed up, Palutena's champion replied full heartily, "For you, Meg-icus, I'd light this whole place if that meant I'd get to see your lovely smile every day. It's been far too long!"

He is a charming little rascal, indeed, with the way he gallantly bows like a gentleman, one arm sticking out alongside an extended wing. Quite the lively pair for being among the dead. When his friend pops that question, it only causes Palutena's Captain to snicker, lifting up his head towards Meg, "Pft, honestly, I'd like to think Cerberus looks forward to seeing me. Poor guy needs to be played with more often. Think I'll send in my complaints when our oh-so-favorite hot-headed big boss."

Pit withdraws from his playful bow, casually crossing his arms, his cheeky smirk never leaving. "Ya know, you and I need to hang out more often-icus other than my routine Medusa checkups. Do you think your boss will allow you one day off?"

[demigodsanswer]

Percabeth + coffee shop au + holiday au?

The holiday part of this is a bit squint and you miss it. I meant for there to be more, but alas.

Percy had wanted to open up a bakery, but a coffee shop that sold pastries seemed more lucrative. In hindsight, he was glad he made that choice. He wasn't sure Annabeth ever would have stepped inside if he only sold apple turnovers and cupcakes.

She came in every morning, dressed like a young professional, her hair back in a ponytail usually, high heels sticking out of her purse, flat shoes on her feet. When she got in line, Percy knew to start making her soy latte extra shot before she even made it to the register. Sometimes he slipped one of their vegan brownies in too, on the house.

(He never asked if she was vegan or if soy milk was just a taste thing, but his ex was lactose intolerant. Last thing he wanted to do was ruin her day.)

"Thanks Percy," she said, grabbing her drink seconds after paying for it. He handed her the brownie, in a clear sleeve with their "vegan" sticker on it. She smiled and accepted it graciously. "You're a hero," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he promised.

So, maybe he had a thing for one of his patrons. It didn't matter that much. She was about his age (probably), and never yelled at his staff. Her seven dollar daily latte was keeping his lights on. And she was maybe the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Do you think I should add more vegan options?" He asked Grover. Grover was the lead barista and his business partner. He some how sourced fair trade coffee they could actually afford.

"It's better for the environment," was Grover's response.

"So, yes?" Percy asked.

"Give it a shot. Everyone loves a little vegan treat."

"No, you love a little vegan treat. Most people think they taste like sand," Percy said.

"That's an exaggeration. Your brownie is delicious. And I'm sure whatever you make, Annabeth will love it."

Percy bright red face ended that conversation. "I'm going to to hang the Christmas lights," he said, heading out into the cold without a jacket in the hopes that his face went back to normal.

~

Percy kept the coffee shop opened later than was maybe wise, but he worked most of the late shift hours by himself or with Meg, a high school kid working after school. They always got a few late afternoon coffee drinkers, and a couple of high school kids sitting to do homework.

Percy had to be there anyway. He was working on a few new vegan options. The holiday season was a good time to find out what people liked; they were more likely to treat themselves to something sweet.

He'd worked out a good vegan pumpkin pie, which they sold by the slice. That was a hit, although he was still working to get the crust perfect. The oatmeal cookie had been easy enough. The Nutella banana bread was actually so good that Annabeth ordered it the next morning. Percy made a note to keep it on the menu.

The holiday brought festive drinks too. He needed to compete with Starbucks, so he offered peppermint ... everything, caramel everything, and pumpkin everything. He was hanging a sign in the window advertising their peppermint mocha when he spotted a familiar face on the other side of the glass.

Annabeth smiled at him. It was six at night. They were only open for another hour. And she never stopped by after work. She must have come right from the office, because she still had her heels on.

The bell rang as she opened the door. "Are you still open?" She asked.

"Sure am," Percy confirmed. He would have said yes even if that wasn't true. "Soy latte?"

She shook her head. "No, no. Um, what about that --" she pointed towards the sign, "peppermint mocha?"

"You got it," Percy said, heading back behind the counter. "Soy?"

"Sure."

"I don't have a dairy-free whip cream," he said. He made a note to try and find one. Frank would like it.

"Regular is fine," she said. "I'll treat myself. Decaf though," Annabeth added.

"Are you vegan?" Percy asked as he brewed the espresso.

"I try but fail a lot. I'm pretty good at avoiding meat, but real dairy is just too good," Annabeth said.

"Easier to bake with too," Percy said. "For here or to go?" He had a to-go cup in his hand out of habit, but Annabeth had settled down at one of the open tables.

"Here," she said. Percy made the drink in a large ceramic mug.

"What brings you in tonight?" He asked, as he dropped off the coffee.

He didn't have anything pressing in the back, and there were only two college students diligently working on the other side. He could chat for a while.

As if reading his mind, Annabeth used her foot to push a chair out for him. Percy said down as she took the first sip. She closed her eyes and sighed happily.

"That's so good," she said. Percy was pretty sure he was flushed again. He hoped it went away before she could open her eyes. "It was just one of those long end-of-the-year work days, you know? Everyone rushing to get things done. I wanted something to cheer me up, and I walked by and thought ..." she looked at him in a new, attentive way he'd never caught before. "... a warm drink sounds nice."

"I hope it helped," he said.

"It is," she promised.

"I've got a new vegan cinnamon roll I'm testing. Want to try it?" Percy offered.

"How is it?" She asked.

"Not sure, they're fresh, first round," he said.

"I guess I can help test it for you," Annabeth said with a smile.

Percy jumped up and came back a minute later with one round roll on a plate and two forks.

He tried not to be too creepy as he watched her take a bite, savor it, and then carefully make up her mind.

"It's a little dry," she determined. "The icing is great, and the taste is good, but ..."

Percy took his own bite and nodded. "Too much cinnamon. It dries it out."

"Still pretty delicious," Annabeth said, going for another bite, "especially for not having half the ingredients that make food taste good."

"Thanks!" Percy said with a wide smile. "You know, my co-owner Grover is vegan."

"Oh, is he the motivation for all the new treats?" Annabeth asked.

"Uh, sure," Percy said, barely playing off that she was the real reason, not his best friend of almost twenty years, "but he was telling me about this new vegan restaurant. He says it's pretty good."

Annabeth was smiling, and she had a mischievous look in her eyes that told him she was six steps ahead of him.

"Oh?" She said innocently, going for another bite of the cinnamon roll, but not actually putting the fork in her mouth yet. "Have you tried it?" She asked, finally taking a bite.

"No, I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go with me? If you're not too busy?" He hadn't planned to ask her out today. He was thinking of maybe doing something corny and easy to ignore, like writing his phone number on her to-go cup. But he was in it now.

"I'd love to," she promised. Annabeth reached into her bag and pulled out a business card, and then shook her head. "Is this horribly impersonal and --?"

"It's alright," Percy said, "as long as I don't have to fax you the date information." There was a fax number on the card.

"Please don't, it's a communal machine," she said, "and older than I am."

"Alright, I won't," Percy promised. He didn't have a business card of his own, just ones with the coffee shop's information. So instead he did what most modern people did: he texted the cell number on her business card with a simple hey it's percy and a coffee cup emoji.

Annabeth smiled and took a second to save the number.

"So," she said, picking up her still-full drink. "Why did you start making vegan pastries?"

She had that I'm way ahead of you look in her eyes again. Percy swallowed hard.

"Um ..."

[scarlettriot]

Our Girl • Kirishima X f!Reader X Bakugou

Smut • 18+ Only • Minors & Ageless Blogs DNI

this piece is written as an X Reader but it was written with @meggsngrits in mind. If that bothers you, you don’t have to read it. It’s for Meg, anyway ♡

Meg, I know it’s been a rough few days for ya so, I hope some time with your guys helps ♡

i definitely didn’t proof this at all so I’m sorry about that…

The moment Katsuki opened the door to your house he knew something wasn’t right. None of the lights had been turned on, your bag was on the floor rather than hanging on the hook like usual, and you, his adorable little wife, we’re nowhere in sight.

After taking off his boots, he took the time to hang up your bag in its rightful place and then started his search for you.

It wasn’t too hard to find you though, he didn’t exactly like seeing you laying face down on your bed with work clothes still on. Hell, you hadn’t even taken your shoes off!

For now though, he started by sliding off your shoes and setting them at the foot of the bed. “Baby girl,” his voice was low but softer than usual, “when’s the last time you ate?”

You didn’t even answer him. Just shrugged your shoulders. But, when you turned towards him, he could see the wet streaks that ran down the balls of your adorable cheeks. Nah. He couldn’t handle having you crying.

You didn’t even answer him. Just shrugged your shoulders. But, when you turned towards him, he could see the wet streaks that ran down the balls of your adorable cheeks. Nah. He couldn’t handle having you crying.

“Silly woman, c’mere.” He’s suddenly so damn thankful he showered before he left the agency so he’s able to sit on the bed fully and pull you into his arms. “Ya get ten minutes of cuddles and then I’m gonna go get you some water.”

Because if you didn’t know when the last time you ate was that also meant you hadn’t been properly hydrated either.

He pulls his phone free and texts your other husband to bring home your favorite take out.

Shitty Hair: Bad day, huh? I’ll grab some mochi too. She want anything else?

“Ei wants t’know if you want him to grab anything on the way home?”

It took you a minute but you shook your head. “No�� just want ya both home.”

He relayed the information and then set his phone to rest on the nightstand.

Your arms wound around his torso and your face went back to being buried in his chest. “You’re cute, but your vice grip isn’t gonna stop from gettin’ you water.”

“Does it have to be water?” He barely heard your muffled sass.

“Yea it does, you little brat. Now, you can stay in bed while I get it for ya or you can hold on and I’ll take ya with me.” Your locked hands behind his back told him your choice.

With ease, he swung his legs over the side of the bed while you clung onto him like a little koala. His hands gripped your thick thighs and wrapped them around his narrow waist to make walking effortless.

Normally he would’ve set you on the counter but this time he moved about with you still attached. Grabbing a big water bottle and filling it to the brim. “But Kats! It’s so much!” The corner of his mouth twitched upward and so did his blonde brows. “Oh, fuck off!”

He chuckled and handed the bottle over. “When you’re finished with it, you can drink whatever ya want for the rest of the night.”

There was no point in arguing with him. He wouldn’t budge. So you sighed, “fine,” and took your first swig.

From there he took you back to the bedroom and got you changed into something more comfortable: one of Eiji’s hoodies and a pair of his sweats.

Of course, what should’ve taken less than five minutes ended up closer to thirty… you took your bra off and he couldn’t help himself! He just had to worship you for a while.

Pin your back against the closet wall and pepper kisses across your skin. Over your chest, swirling his tongue around your nipples before migrating down to your soft tummy.

The affection stopped just at the hem of your panties. “Think I’ll wait until Ei gets home, wouldn’t wanna have too much fun without him.”

You looked ready to kill but he kissed you then, hard enough to take your breath away and keep you pleasantly distracted. Stealing kiss after kiss until your lips were puffy and lungs depleted of oxygen.

“Please, Katsuki,” Gods, you sounded so pretty when you said his name like that. Already trying to guide his hand to your core.

You did have such a hard day… “Alright,” his head dipped to your neck, “my needy little woman—”

He pushed your panties to the side and felt how much you actually did need him. Groaning and pathetically rocking his hips against you as his fingers slid inside.

It didn’t take long at all to have you panting for him, whimpering broken versions of his name each time he hit your sweet spot.

“Such a good girl.”

He nips and sucks at your neck, thumb circling your clit again and again. Precise movement that he knows you love.

“Well, that’s one way to cheer her up,” both of you looked to the doorway to find Eijirou looking on, completely pleased with what he’s come home to. “Don’t stop on my account.”

“Wasn’t plannin’ on it.” He hadn’t quit moving those long fingers of his the whole time either. “Think you should join me though.” He turned his ruby gaze back to you. “You want that, right baby girl? Want Ei t’make you cum too?”

He was already walking over as you nodded your head. His smile was as soft and sweet as ever dropping a light kiss on your lips like he does every day when he comes home with his little, “missed you,” and then does the same to Katsuki.

“Gimme some room, would ya?” It’s an awkward little shuffle as Katsuki makes room for Eijirou to sink to his knees between you both. Wasting no time lapping at the mess Katsuki’s made between your legs as his hands tug at his husbands sweats, pulling them down his thighs to give him a little relief too.

Between Katsuki’s fingers and Eijirou’s tongue, you certainly forget about the day you had, you forget about the whole damn week, even your name for a few seconds there.

Eijirou held one of your thighs in his large hand, kneading your soft skin, even taking a few breaks from your cunt to leave a few bite marks over the ones that had faded from just a few days ago.

His wrist flicked, using his other hand to get Katsuki closer to a release too all while muttering praises that sent the sweetest vibrations to your clit.

G— guys, oh fuck, ‘m gonna—“ you whined rather than finished the sentence.

“Gonna cum for us, cutie? That’s our girl,” Eijirou teased since Katsuki was getting close too. “G’head then. We gotcha, love.”

Your nails dig into Katsuki’s arm and pull at Eijirou’s hair as your high crashes over you. Eijirou takes a final lick at your core and leans forward to take Katsuki’s cock in his mouth. Letting the man finish there rather than in his fist.

The two of you pant above him while he smiles, using his thumb to swipe a bit of cum that spilled over.

“Welcome home, Red.” You barely get the sentence out, leaning your head on Katsuki’s shoulder.

He chuckles and kisses your thigh again. “It’s good t’be home. Feelin’ better?”

“Much better now.”

You all sat lounging around the living room with the containers of food Eijirou had brought home covering the coffee and end tables.

The guys listened to you rant about the assholes trying to tell you how to do your job. Thinking they know everything better than you do. More than once they each offered to give these retired gasbags a piece of their mind but you waved them off each time. Just thankful for them listening to you.

The two of them always do though. You could talk to them about anything and they’d give you their undivided attention. And they knew they could come to you for the same.

Whatever the three of you needed, you were always there for each other.

A shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, someone to sit around and eat junk food with… or even bending you over and screwing you until every other thought faded away. Which just so happened to be what the two of them intended on doing for you tonight just as soon as you finished your dinner ♡

[baylz]

I BLINKED AND SUDDENLY, I HAD A VALENTINE .ᐟ

IN WHICH: Yuji requests spending Valentine's Day together, but it isn't a date, right?...right?

pairing: Yuji x oblivious reader

tropes: friends to lovers, mutual pining, idiots in love, fluff, small angst

song to play: valentine by laufey

word count: 3, 108

warnings: annoyed nobara, judgemental megumi, gojo being a annoying, swearing

a/n: i was supposed to upload this on the 14th but i was super busy that week so IGNORE THAT. ALSO!! this was SUPPOSED to be an oblivious reader au but it i wrote as if they were in denial so...ENJOY ANYWAY!!

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

Japan has always been so beautiful during spring. It’s February, and the flowers are in bloom. Young love has also begun to blossom around the school. It is Valentine’s Day, and there is a great deal of chocolates, bouquets, letters, and love confessions. Everyone seemed to have someone to spend the day with except you.

Nobara usually spends the day with you, but plans changed this year. “Maki and I have a cute date. This is gonna be our first Valentine together!” She swooned, and you groaned, dropping your head onto the desk.

Megumi plopped himself down next to you. “What’s wrong with them?”

“They don’t want to spend today alone.” Nobara rolled her eyes at your antics. “Oh!” She aggressively patted Megumi’s shoulders as an idea appeared, earning a glare. “Why don’t you keep them company, Megs?”

“I wish to spend today alone. Gojo is making me go see a new movie that came out. Said he needed ‘emotional support’. Geto needs to stop playing and get him off my back.” It was Megumi’s turn to groan now.

Yuji entered the classroom to see his two sulking friends with their heads hung low and a disappointed Nobara. It was similar to when he would get scolded by Nanami. He shivered at the memory.

“Uh, what is happening?” He cautiously stepped closer to his friends. Nobara poked at the moping duo to get up, but no one budged. “They’re being whiny.”

“Spending the day alone is fine, but I’ve always wanted someone to spend it with. Receiving flowers, a cute note, and overall just being wanted by someone.” Your words were completely muffled but understood nonetheless, receiving a comforting pat on the head from Nobara. “You will.”

You finally looked at her, “Oh, yeah? who?”

“Me.”

“HUH?!” They all simultaneously broke their necks to look at the pinkette. Even Megumi snapped out of his grief to gape at him. Nobara was flabbergasted, to say the least. Megumi? speechless. But, when wasn’t he? Yuji ignored the astonished stares of the room and focused on your gaze instead. “I was thinking since we’re both free, I was wondering if…” Yuji nervously stuffed his hands in his pockets before continuing, “You’d spend the day with me?”

As they looked at each other, time seemed to slow down, and Nobara's retorts were completely ignored. You started to think about what today meant and how nice it would be to be part of it with a person like Yuji. He has always been kind to you, flashing the sweetest smile your way when he sees you. His presence was welcoming, and you couldn’t help but feel at home. Plus, you were friends, so why wouldn’t you agree?

“Pick me up at my dorm?” A grin spread across his face, eyes twinkling. “I’ll see you at 5 o’clock then.”

After Yuji left, Nobara and Megumi’s eyes were boring into you. You furrowed your brows at them, shifting uncomfortably in your seat. “What?”

“Dude…Yuji just asked you out on a date!” She exclaimed, shaking your shoulders in excitement.

“Quit it, Bara! He did not! We’re just hanging out as friends.” She stared at you blankly as if saying, ‘You’re fucking joking, right?’

You looked to Megumi for support, but he just shook his head judgementally as if he was telepathically calling you an idiot. He was.

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

“Oh my god, how many times do I have to tell you that it’s not a date?”

“Until you stop being stupid.”

It was 4:57, and you were currently being pestered by Nobara on the phone while getting ready for your date hang out with Yuji. Nobara was propped up on your vanity while you were doing your makeup, “We’re just two friends hanging out on Valentine’s Day. If he wanted to ask me out on a date, he would’ve worded it differently.”

The girl on the other line stayed silent, considering it and understanding your point. But, she knew Yuji. You may not have noticed, but she had seen how differently he treated you compared to them.

He was normally very friendly and playful towards them but it was different with you. He often joked, but she noticed how he would always look at you first. When you’re sick, he’s the first one at your door with medicine and soup. Even during the times when you cling to him after he gets injured during one of his missions, his top priority is to comfort you and wipe the tears of worry off your face.

Nobara had been friends with him long enough to know that he hid his emotions very well. He was never the open type, but Nobara could always tell how he felt.

And from the look in his eyes earlier when you agreed, Yuji really thought he finally had you. Her heart ached for him, but she knew he had to tell you himself.

“Listen, Y/n, Yuji may seem to have it together, but he has never been good with his words and makes up for it with his actions. So, keep that in mind, okay?”

There had been a knock on your door at the moment. You said your goodbyes to Nobara before hanging up. You checked yourself out in the mirror to make sure everything was in place. After fixing your hair and spritzing some perfume, you open to door and are greeted by a beaming Yuji holding a bouquet of…pink paper tulips?

“I made these for you.” He held them out to you, and you could feel your heart pounding at the sweet gesture. You reached out to take them, your hands accidentally brushing, causing the two of you to flinch away from the contact. Two hearts pounding in unison.

Yuji laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck, eyes looking everywhere but at you. When he did finally look at you, a blush crept up his face as he silently marveled at your outfit.

“You look really pretty, Y/n.” Your brain short-circuited at that moment.

It’s not a date. It’s not a date. It’s not a date.

“Thank…thank you, you look pretty too.” Wait, can you say that? No clue.

Yuji laughed genuinely at your compliment and extended his arm to you. “Ready?”

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

Yuji mentioned that the place he wanted to take you was pretty far, so you had to take a train, which you obliged to. Knowing him, you expected him to make this a fun experience for you because that was just the kind of person he was. What you hadn’t expected was a packed train.

The train is usually filled with children, parents, businessmen, elders, etc. So, it was no surprise that it was particularly crammed today. You and Yuji maneuvered through the crowd, attempting to find a secluded area or an available seat. Thankfully, you did.

Unfortunately, there was only one spot was left.

The two of you bickered back and forth about who would take the seat. Yuji insisted you take it, but you stubbornly argued he should instead.

“You can take it. I can stand.”

“No, I’ll stand, and you sit.”

In the end, Yuji wound up taking the seat, but with you in his lap.

His hands were snug where they were wrapped around your waist, his head resting comfortably on your shoulder. You felt how fast his heart was thumping against your back despite his calm demeanor. You leaned against him because you couldn’t deny how nice it felt to be held by him. He was so warm and smelled so good, and you honestly couldn't think about anything else but the boy that clung to you.

This isn’t a date. This isn’t a date, This isn’t a date. He’s just being nice—

“Are you okay with this?”

Yes.

Definitely.

Absolutely.

You placed your hands over him as a way to reassure him that you were okay and trusted him. He silently nodded his head and relished in the moment of being able to be this close to you. You consumed him; your body radiated a type of warmth that not even the sun could provide him. Everything about you was just lovely. The sweet scent of your perfume and the honeyed fragrance of the shampoo in your hair was heavenly to him. Whether this time with you had a positive outcome or not, he was just happy to be with you. Having you in his arms like this was one of the best things to happen today.

“Yuji?” He acknowledged you with a hum, the vibrations thrumming against your back like the train rumbling around them. “Where exactly are we going?”

He adjusted his grip on you and thought for a moment, trying to decide whether he should tell you or not, and you could mentally picture the mischievous grin on his face as he said, “You’ll see when we get there.”

You peeked over to glare at him, “You’re really not gonna tell me?”

“’Course not.”

I’m gonna beat the shit out of him.

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

Yuji currently had his hands over your eyes, leading you to god knows where. No matter how often you poked and probed at him, he refused to relent.

“Just tell me, please?! One hint?”

“No.”

You groaned and blindly followed his lead, literally. The tepid spring breeze caressed your skin softly, and you listened to the swaying of the trees as you felt something prickle at your bare legs. The more you walked, the more you started to realize you were stepping on grass.

The wind blew harder, and you felt a wisp of a feather-like touch against your cheek. The suspense and secrecy were killing you. “Yuji, where are we—”

“Okay, we’re here.”

He removed his hands from your face, and your words immediately died in your throat. You were standing in a field of cherry blossom trees. You have never seen such a sight like this before. The meadow was covered in scarlet and ivory corolla, and you drank it all.

In the center of it all, there lay a single pink blanket and a picnic basket. There was a wide spread of all your favorite foods and desserts. Your mouth watered at the sight of the decorative cupcakes, cookies, drinks, fruits, and sandwiches.

“You did all this?!” You gawked, eyes flickering between the display and your friend.

“Well…I made the food and organized the setup...in way.”

You and Yuji plopped down on the duvet. You picked up a cupcake with a sloppily frosted heart on top and took a bite.

You suspiciously eyed Yuji. “Did you make these?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because your pipe work is shit.” You laughed while Yuji threw you a look. You remember a time when he attempted to make your birthday cake for a surprise party the group had planned. To say the least, it was a mess because the letters looked like a child scribbled on them. You recall the look on Nobara’s and Megumi’s faces and smiled at the memory. Even though he’s not great in the kitchen, you can tell that everything he made today was prepared with a certain fondness.

You and Yuji spent the rest of your time eating and talking. The atmosphere was pleasant. Aside from all the flowers that surrounded you, you could feel something blooming in your chest the more time you spent with him.

From an outsider's point of view, you resembled a couple. How close you two were sitting, the longing looks, the light graze of fingers, and even the way you were finding excuses to feed each other.

You bit into a chocolate-covered strawberry and savored the deliciously sweet flavor. “Here.” You plucked another one off the plate and held it before Yuji’s lips. “Try this.”

He wasn’t a huge fan of chocolate, but who was he to turn away from being fed a strawberry by his crush? A fool, that’s what. He leaned forward and took a small bite, chewing slowly and trying not to gag from the taste.

You looked at him expectantly, eyes sparkling under the sunlight. “Do you like it?”

He gave you a quivered smile, causing you to burst out in a fit of laughter and hand him a napkin. “You can spit it out.” Yuji stubbornly shook his head and swallowed. Whether he liked it or not, he would eat whatever you gave him.

“Yuji…you didn’t have to eat it.” You wiped off a chunk of chocolate on the corner of his mouth.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to suppress the blush forming on his face. He failed.

He looked at you with an unreadable expression. An expression you’ve never seen on his face before. It was almost…serious. “I had to. I’ve never made a habit of denying you, Y/n.”

Your brows furrowed at that. You were never good at reading people. Especially people like Yuji. You weren’t sure if there was a hidden meaning behind his statement. Yes, he always tried to indulge in your interests and let you ramble about your latest fixation. But what did he mean by “deny you”?

You were about to ask when you felt a sudden drip on your head. Grey clouds suddenly loomed over you, casting a shadow over you and Yuji. Tiny droplets turned into a downpour, completely drenching you and your perfect picnic.

The two of you ran to take cover under one of the cherry blossom trees. It didn’t help much, but it lessened the impact of the rain. You watched from a distance as your food got completely destroyed. You could feel how the mood had shifted. The look on Yuji’s face confirmed that.

“I am so sorry.” His apology left you at a loss for words.

“What are you sorry for?” You softly asked.

He didn’t look at you as he said, “I didn’t check the weather. I would’ve brought an umbrella if I did. I completely ruined this date. I wanted to make this a memorable day for you.”

His words struck. You quickly turned to him at his dejection and wanted nothing more than to provide comfort. But there were so many things scrambling through your mind at the moment that you had no idea what to focus on. The fact that Yuji had confirmed this was a date. The fact that he felt he had ruined everything when it was the complete opposite. Or the fact that he had thought about this so carefully because he wanted to make you happy. You couldn’t believe he thought of himself as a failure when you felt so lucky to have him.

“Yuji I…”

“I spent an hour making all that food. I had to remake those cupcakes four times because I kept burning them, and now they’re soaked. I was never much a baker, but I did it for you.”

“Yuji…” You tried again.

Except, he didn’t hear you. He watched as the bouquet he gave you earlier wilt under the rainfall. His fists and jaw clenched, he said, “You know, that bouquet took hours to make. I practically burned my fingers multiple times because of the glue gun I used, but I knew it was worth it because I wanted to give you something that wasn’t temporary. Flowers die so fast, and I knew how much you loved them, so I made sure they would last forever and the rain ruined it—”

“Yuji!” Your hands cupped his face, forcing him to look at you. “I loved everything you did today. I loved the flowers, I loved the picnic, and god, I loved being with you. I wouldn't have had it any other way.” It was hard to maintain eye contact due to the droplets constantly getting your line of vision, but Yuji could see the sincereness in your gaze.

But you had more to say. You had to make sure he truly understood. “I don’t care that it didn’t go exactly as planned. I loved it regardless, and I…” You stopped, scanning his features. The look of shock in his light brown eyes, his mouth slightly parted as he waited for you to finish.

“I realized today how much I love you. I really love you, Yuji.” Not wasting a second, you closed the space between you and pressed your lips against his. He was quick to return your affections, placing his hands on your hips and pulling you closer. Bodies flushed together as your mouths moved in a smooth rhythm. He kissed you desperately as if he had been wanting to do it for a long time. He kissed like you provided him oxygen, so passionate and so devoting.

He pulled away to catch his breath, face crimson and disheveled. “I really love you too, Y/n.” He was about lean in for round two until…

“Finally!” A voice screamed suddenly.

There was a smack and yelp. “Will you shut up?” A hushed voice snarled. The two of you could hear the two strangers murmuring back and forth, bickering.

It had sounded all too familiar.

“Gojo sensei, is that you?” Yuji called out. The white-haired male peeked out from behind the tree, waving at the pair. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt!”

You exchanged a look with Yuji at the sight of your teacher crashing your date. “Who else is with you?”

Gojo reached next to him and pulled a drenched and scowling Megumi to his side. If looks could kill, Gojo would be dead again. Your eyes flickered between the two and back at Yuji. “What are you guys doing here?”

Megumi sighed. “Yuji asked us if we could help him by setting up this picnic while he went to pick you up so everything could already be ready by the time you got here. But, you guys arrived before we could leave so we hid behind the tree.”

“So, you lied about the movie?”

He shrugged. “Pretty much.”

You swatted Yuji’s chest at that. “You told me you set this up yourself!” Yuji giggled, taking hold of your hand against his chest, and apologetically kissed your forehead. “Sorry, I should’ve been more clear.”

Ultimately, Gojo took everyone back to the school, throwing away all the soggy food and packing the dampened blanket and basket in his trunk. Gojo and Megumi sat in the front while you and Yuji cuddled in the backseat. The only sound you could hear was the pitter-patter of the rain, the gentle blow of the car heater, and the sooth thumping of Yuji’s heartbeat as you laid against his chest. The atmosphere was quiet and cozy and you felt your eyes growing heavy, unable to stay awake.

“Happy Valentine’s day, Y/n.” Yuji mumbled tenderly against your hair before you fell into a peaceful sleep.

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

@baylz please do not copy, translate, or repost any of my works onto other platforms!!

masterlist

[pumpkinbxtch]

MY LAST REQUEST 😭 I feel so bad requesting right away AGAIN but I loved your response so much I want more. I CRAVE more of it PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP MAKE A PT2 DO ANYTHING WITH THE PART 2 SLIGHTLY ANGSTY AND FLUFFY PLSPLS 😭🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️ TYSM AGAIN LIKE YOURE LITERALLY THE BEST ur single handily fueling my obsession rn this will be my last one for a while TRUST unless you say otherwise, I don’t wanna overwhelm you ❤️💔

• ° . ☆ “Free coupons, take one and cry all afternoon ” II

— apollo x mortal!reader

part i

summary: part ii, you need to read it, the link is above. run, go warnings: none a/n: really forgive me, haha. I wanted to do something very nice but, well, you'll read what I did. I don't know, forgive me 😔 I couldn't control myself HAHA Still I hope you enjoy it.

Lester was about to throw up the burger, or well, the two bites he had taken. No misunderstanding, it was good.

But you continued to check that they were well taken care of; Giving him pretty smiles and walking near him with that lavender smell of yours. Shit, he wanted to be close to you.

They were too many of you, so they had to join several tables and, among the place that was about to explode, they stood out.

A very lively table, Apollo assumed.

Percy played with his soda making swirls telepathically, Leo put his hand in and undid it, it was funny until the son of Poseidon realized that the drink was disgustingly tampered with. He didn't take a sip again. The other boys laughed.

The girls were talking and laughing and pushing each other, including Meg.

Nico picked at Percy's fries and sipped on Will's soda. Living his best life, Apollo thought.

He liked the idea of being with them and being able to take care of them (even though they beat them to the times they had saved his ass) he could now return the favor.

Oh, if only you could see it. You would be happy. You told him in almost all your lives that he was guilty of being self-centered.

Apollo found himself struggling with the thoughts of him, you weren't dead. You were in front of him.

You passed the door to the counter, holding a tray in each hand. That image flashed in his mind, transporting him back to when you used to walk around with two vases on your shoulders, dancing among the people. Some chains hanging from your neck and the jewelry clashed. You have always been beautiful. Whatever way you came back to him; Boy, girl, you were always beautiful.

— LESTER! —He jumped out of the seat and collided with Jason's shoulder.

— All good?

No, he wanted to be with you.

— The girl over there is talking to you, — Will said with a worried look for his father.

He looked up and spotted you behind the cash register. He made his way towards you without hesitation.

—Mr. Lester, I see that you didn't wait two seconds to use those coupons.— You said with a smile on your lips. Some strands of hair were sticking out from under the cap you were wearing.

—We were hungry.

Idiot, couldn't he think of a better line?

You let out a laugh, and he leaned slightly on the bar, his stomach wouldn't leave him alone.

You leaned over the bar, closing the distance between you. The boy smelled like sunshine and some kind of sweet scent, totally pleasing to your sense of smell. Strangely, you wanted to be even closer to him, like a little impulse to be with him alone, to hug him. Were you attracted to him? But it seemed like a joke, they had only met by chance. You cleared your throat.

— Everything's alright there? — You pointed with your eyes to the table where the rest of his friends and sister were. Although this one had nothing in common with him.

You looked at him. The blonde curls mixed with the black ones making a particular blend, you wondered if it was something genetic and his blue eyes, you had seen them. You were sure.

He touched your shoulder excessively softly, as if he was afraid of breaking you.

— Excuse me?

You let out a laugh and straightened up. Again he was a little further away and you didn't like the feeling.

—I didn't hear you, sorry. Did you say?

Lester smiled.

— It's all good. If we make too much noise, we can leave.

You denied without thinking, almost as an act of desperation. You and he chatted a little more, and you told him to sit down so he could finish his meal.

Walked into the kitchen and cursed under your breath. It was inevitable, he would have to leave at some point. What if you asked for his number? The thought made you bite your lip, and you squeezed your eyes shut.

You felt stupid. Would you look like that in front of him?

You gave him the coupons you had collected to go out with your friends for half a month, just for the sake of it? You never talked to strangers on the street, but Lester didn't seem like a stranger to you.

Apollo returned to the table and ate a chip without much enthusiasm.

Rachel glanced at Piper.

— Any problem? — Frank said drinking soda from the straw.

The god shook his head and sighed. He felt useless, helpless because he wanted to be with you, but he couldn't find a way. Maybe he could ask you for your number. Yeah! Or not?

— I think it's better that you eat. —Rachel said. As if she could guess his thoughts. Or maybe yes? He looked up and took the burger in her hands, after examining it, he handed it to the son of Hades. Nico ate it almost in an instant. And he got up again to go with you.

— Excuse me!

— Tell me — A waiter served him. Apollo felt stupid, so he ended up ordering ice cream.

He returned with the cone in his hand and a pout on his mouth.

Piper hid her giggle behind the paper menu.

The thoughts of asking for his number also didn't leave you alone, but every time you tried to approach him, something simply interrupted you.

You quickened your pace towards him. You cursed the fact that Lester's back was turned, and an arm stopped your path.

— Miss…

Again. You ended up in the kitchen, mumbling and grimacing.

Apollo also couldn't find you at any time that you could speak. He slammed his hand on the table and bumped his forehead against the plastic surface. It seemed like a joke!

Rachel shook her head slightly and stroked her head.

—Hey, Apollo.

He denied rubbing his face on the table.

Everyone wanted to ask, but the redhead put a finger on her lips.

— Apollo

— It's not Apollo, it's Lester

She understood, things weren't going well, but it was inevitable. Rachel got down to Apollo's level.

— Try it one more time, if you hate this, try it as many times as necessary. But know that you tried everything.

The god's blue eyes peered through his hair, and stood up with a sigh.

Everyone at the table pretended not to have heard, they played dumb talking about the weather.

And he tried again.

and he failed again.

You didn't feel any different, you felt like everything had been so easy until you got it into your head that you needed to be with him. You looked through the delivery window and noticed that his table was almost empty, you had worked in food chains for so long to know that they were about to leave the place. Your soul felt a despair that at the same time seemed meaningless to you.

You looked for a pen and paper, a sheet they use for receipt notes.

You wrote your number and a note: call me!, and you doodled a heart. Inexplicably, you also drew a sun. If you couldn't get close, someone else could.

—Brenda!

Your coworker stopped her pace and raised her chin. She just had a tray in her hand, perfect. You walked over to her quickly.

— Deliver this to table seven.

She nodded.

Apollo was already feeling hopeless, he drank Piper's drink and talked to her friends. During the conversation, your coworker handed the note on a small tray. Rachel looked at the paper and waited for Apollo to take it.

He did, and while he was laughing about something Frank had told him, he crumpled it up and threw the ball of paper into the metal trash can.

The redhead didn't say anything, she knew what was happening. She knew that even if she went to the boat and gave the paper to her friend, it would be something else.

The food was finished, and the rest had been pleasant.

Then everyone rose from their chairs.

Apollo looked again at the same window through which you had been spying on him, until at that same moment it was your turn to throw out the trash.

And that's how things ended.

Apollo walked away from the place, and you didn't see him leave. Both felt their spirits on the ground, their stomachs full of anxiety. It was strange, it was fleeting. But when things didn't have to happen, it was that simple. They just wouldn't happen.

At least, not in this life of yours.

Every chance with Apollo would wither, corrode, perish. It didn't matter how much they tried or struggled.

It was not going to work. At that moment, you were destined to meet but not to stay together, not even for a full day.

And how cruel because there was so much he wanted to show you.

But not now, but until 100 years later.

[stillness138]

where are characters from the first Hades game now, and some other character-centric theories:

inspired by this post by @thebuttsmcgee

so from the technical test gameplay stream we learned that Chronos straight up took over the underworld and kidnapped not only Hades, but Zagreus and Persephone too. out of the underworlders from the first game, Charon is still doing his thing in secret, Skelly returns in a new coat, the Wretched Broker is back too, and Hypnos is the only other guy from the House who's hiding at Hecate's hub, but he's also fast asleep...

personally, i think Hypnos might be cursed or something like that. Chronos using Hypnos's schtick against him? lose time by sleeping through it all? or maybe he just wakes up a bit later. hell, maybe he's always asleep during the test but not the final game because he would've dropped a spoiler or something.

so what about the rest?

assuming they're not all imprisoned somehow,

-Nyx and Thanatos: they could've fled to Chaos. a narrator's note at the Crossroads says that it houses 'those still loyal to lord Hades', but doesn't necessarily say 'all of them'. Nyx visits Chaos in the first game once their relationship is mended, and like the post i linked said, Than would've probably tried to protect the family and the House for as long as he could. but in the face of no other option, i think Chaos would be a viable place to flee to for the two of them, out of Chronos's reach similarly to the Crossroads. Than also visits the surface though, so maybe he'll show up at the Crossroads at some point? maybe in a plot point, trying to help Mel free Zag and the fam? both of them are important enough to warrant an appearance.

-the Furies: my idea is that all three of them were forced to serve Chronos. they're a very important part of security and upkeep down there, i think he would've wanted the realm's employees on his side. i don't however think they're going to be the bossfight between Asphodel and Tartarus. they, or Meg alone, should have some presence however.

-Sisiphus: it would be kinda cute if the furies went behind Chronos's back and helped to tuck Sisiphus away somewhere safe, given that he is loyal to Zag/the family and maybe that'd mean they were ordered to torture him again. depends on what Chronos's rule over the underworld looks like for the different shades there, but Melinoë speaks to the few that hang around at Crossroads in an almost comforting manner, so i imagine Chronos is trying to rule by fear and get shades on his side that way. Bouldy's gonna be sad, but fine. i hope. but at least a mention would be nice.

-Achilles and Patroclus (and Theseus&Asterius): ...they're probably separated again, aren't they... brainstorming now, i like (pain and) the idea that they're both in Elysium, just not together. because i think Elysium would've risen up as an army of sorts trying to oppose Chronos, given it's all warriors and heroes. separated by war. Nemesis having Stygius with her makes me believe Achilles could be wielding Varatha. additionally, Theseus being forced to step up and put his vanity aside, delicious idea i think. also, Mel arriving to this supposed paradise only to find it in a desolate state. all of them, i think, should be at the very least mentioned too.

-Orpheus and Euridice: they could be both hiding or imprisoned or forced to serve, but. what if this time it's Euridice who's looking for Orpheus. he's at the house and at Chronos's whim, while she makes it to the Crossroads and asks Mel for help. it'd be a shame if they were never heard from again.

-Cerberus: probably locked up with the fam :( orrr he's running wild all around the realm and Chronos is literally incapable of taming him. that would've been fun. Cerberus bossfight tho... nah. no way he wouldn't see something familiar in Mel. but it could be fun too if done right. he definitely has to reappear.

-Dusa: wild theory time but she's hiding in the rafters, spying on Chronos. :D. if the situation is much more dire, she's either also forced to serve, or even banished into Asphodel to be with the other gorgon heads. either way i think she'll pop up again in some capacity.

-House Contractor, Head Chef, Resource Director: probably unwillingly continuing their jobs under Chronos's rule. although the chef might've lost his job, depends if Chronos like, eats normal food. well mostly onions and fish but still. alternatively, the chef will also show up at Crossroads like the Wretched Broker does.

-THE GOOD SHADE from Elysium: okay war hero good shade arc when? i'm sorry, but i love them.

some other ideas, theories and wishes:

-the obvious one is Hera, like many others i also hope she will appear as a major boon giver.

-i have a feeling, however, that Hermes might not. it seems a bit that Artemis and Selene are filling up his role as the little bit specific boon giver, but maybe i'm wrong. Artemis provides crit boons just like in the first game and Selene has a bit more of a Chaos vibe to her. let's see.

-i do think, or would like it if, Chaos shows up, but not as a boon giver. but i believe they would definitely have something to say about Chronos's actions.

-back to Hermes though... there's that sealed staircase that leads upwards from the Crossroads. people have already been theorizing this, but there might seriously be a section of the game taking place on Olympus, or at the very least somewhere under it. still, i don't think Hermes would be a boon giver either if he does appear. i would however like to see him interact with Charon.

-the Fates will, i think, remain obscure, even if Moros has more of a connection to them. maybe they'll be mentioned and explored a bit more, but i wouldn't count on them appearing by themselves.

-i would however like to see at least one more of Nyx's kids. originally, i also hoped Erebus himself ever shows up personified, but i like what they've done with it as a place.

Eris is i'd say the biggest contender, given that she's namedropped in the first game through a weapon aspect and a purchasable item. maybe she's even boss material (again, if Nemesis has the sword, Eris may wield the rail).

-same thinking can be applied to Ariadne (she lives with Dionysus on Olympus, does she not?), Talos (giant robot made by Hephaestus, how cool is that), and Lamia (snake lady with personal history with Zeus and Hera, would even make for a cool boss too i think, although i always viewed her as a more melancholic figure. but i'm just spitballing here). there are also Atlas, Prometheus and other names on Charon's many items, those are less likely to make an appearance imo.

-Talos also obviously has a weapon aspect in the first one, and then there's Chiron. in myth, he is the son of Chronos. the juiciness of that situation, given he has a relationship with Achilles and Patty as well... perhaps he'll be Elysium's miniboss in the spirit of Asterius? or straight up a main boss? or actually a friendly? i really hope they did something with him, the potential is so very there.

-i think Daedalus will remain present just in name and spirit.

-now that i'm on the weapons though, for all we know there might not be such a thing as weapon aspects (at least not tied to specific figures) in Hades 2, but if there are, including hidden aspects, i'd like to see nods to more of other world mythologies/histories/cultures, like Egyptian, Japanese, pre-columbian American or Slavic.

-this brings me to keepsakes and companion plushies, if they're in the game at all and if so, who gives them out.

keepsake-wise, beside the olympians, Hecate is obvious, as well as Odysseus, and Nemesis and Moros are too. Arachne and Skelly also. Charon seems likely, so does Dora. maybe Hypnos if/when he wakes up. Selene, probably.

i'd say, if companions are a thing, it's also up to Nemesis and Moros, Odysseus, maybe Hecate, likely Arachne, and if there's 6 of them like last time, the final one will be from either Dora or someone we haven't seen yet. or Hecate doesn't give one (she's pretty op for a summon) but Skelly does.

-this also ties into romance! it's been deduced a long time ago, right when the trailer came out, that Nemesis and Moros are very likely romanceable. i also see the appeal and potential of romancing Dora, and from the technical test, i like Melinoë's friendship with Artemis. Hypnos's presence at the Crossroads is interesting from this point too, but i wouldn't guess he'll be romanceable if/when he wakes up.

there are more details to speculate about, especially in gameplay and resources (boss room rewards! the equivalent of nectar/ambrosia to give characters!) but i wanted to keep this mainly about the npcs.

honestly curious what other people are saying!

[slashthrashandcrash]

What realm(s) do you think Danny enjoys being in the most. Be it killing time or actually in Trials

Same goes to The brats (Legion) and even Meg. Tho I'd prefer an answer other than Ormond for Legion

To kill time: The meat plant, to bug the shit out of Amanda. Hawkins, it's quiet and not many people will bug him due to it being demogorgon territory. Haddonfield, it's...weirdly nice to have a little piece of suburbia, even nicer that it's haunted by a local legend. Ormond, if only because that's just where he ends up most time to smoke or fuck around with the kids. Survivor campfire, only from the tree line, to observe and take notes of future victims for funsies (:

For trials: He likes places that have a lot of obstacles and nooks and crannies for him to sneak around with coverage, nothing too open but not too cramped that he'd risk losing a survivor. The asylum, autohaven, the silent hill school depending on his mood. And also the realms mentioned previously since he'd be more familiar with them by proxy of hanging out there frequently enough.

I think old habits would die hard for the Legion brats, so they'd like places they already used to break into to loiter/graffiti; places like autohaven or greenville, and naturally Ormond. They'd probably fuck around in the bigger places like any of the schools or the police station for fun and to plunder in all the different rooms. Their favorite for trials though I will still say is Ormond purely because it's "home" and therefore makes them feel like they have a greater advantage over survivors (plus, they're still young, I feel like they still like the comfort of familiarity/home even if they don't want to admit it).

I don't think Meg likes any of the realms outside of the campfire since she only goes there during trials to possibly die lmao. She'd probably like the ones that are open and free range (complete opposite of Danny) so that it gives her more opportunity to sprint.

[monstersandmaw]

Laces for a Lady - 18th century, poly, shifters x human romance - Chapter Five (sfw)

Disclaimer which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me. 

Here's chapter five! I've been blown away by your reaction and love for this story so far, and the fact that I've got two lots of fan art out of it as well has just totally humbled me. Thank you! You can find them here and here, by the way, as well as my own doodles of Locryn and Ned.

Anyway, here we have the Harvest Festival Dance, where all bets are off, and there's some angst and a sprinkling of drama for some *spice*...

Wordcount: 4203

Part One (sfw), Part Two (sfw), Part Three (sfw), Part Four (sfw)

The night of the Lammas Festival dance ticked around in no time, and even though the focus of the festivities was the great barn and the yard outside, the whole of Heath Top House itself came alive.

The staff spent the entire day scouring the stone floor of the barn and setting out the long tables in the barn and preparing the feast, while Winnie and Nel tried not to get in their way while weaving and hanging decorative wreaths and festoons along the walls, and tying ribbons in bows on the huge doors.

As promised, Aggie had come to the house a few days before to teach the two ladies how to weave the traditional corn dollies, or Nests as they were called in these parts, much to Nel’s confusion. Her own hadn’t turned out too bad, despite her lack of skill with an embroidery needle, while Winnie’s was decidedly lumpy and misshapen. Still, they laughed and hung them in pride of place in the drawing room window, and Aggie had even managed a kind word about their efforts while gossipping about everyone in the village.

“Little Betsie Carne is going to get a proposal from Arthur, you can count on that, and Meg has been leading poor Jack on something dreadful. If he can get a word out without turning red as an autumn apple to ask her to dance on Lammas night, I’ll eat this whole Neck with gravy and turnips!” she cackled, waving her own intricate corn dolly at them like a cook with a wooden spoon while they all laughed.

Nel refrained from asking about whether Edmund Nancarrow or Locryn Trevethan would be seen with anyone, though she was curious if the older woman had noticed their seemingly obvious adoration for one another. Perhaps it was one of those things that everyone knew about and simply didn’t mention in case it brought unwanted attention down on them, much like the smuggling and Free Trade in the area. Nel was not one to rock the proverbial boat, and kept her focus on the plaited strand of corn in her fingers, all the while remembering the way Locryn had crowded close to Edmund on the quayside and the sound of his smouldering voice as he’d growled soft endearments at him under his breath.

On the night of the dance itself, the trestle tables in the barn stretched all the way down its length, and were flanked by long benches for seating, and the stall doors of the stables along the edges of the barn each sported a different wreath and a coloured ribbon.

Blackthorn immediately ate the enormous sunflower that had been at the top of her wreath with great relish, and Nel fell about laughing while the black mare blithely scattered yellow petals all over the floor while Winnie looked honestly heartbroken. The stable hand nearby chuckled too, and Nel moved the remainder of the wreath to a spot where Blackthorn’s pincer teeth couldn't reach.

As dusk fell and the lanterns were lit around the yard and in the barn, Nel continued to help the staff where she could until Winnie emerged and called her name into the dying afternoon. It was so unlike her that Nel nearly dropped the basket of hazelnuts she’d been carrying. Liddy, a kitchen servant, gently took it from her and chirped, “Best see what she wants, Miss Nel.”

The slight glow of affection that she felt whenever the household called her ‘Miss Nel’ instead of ‘Miss Bywater’ or even ‘Miss Eleanor’ hadn’t faded since she’d first heard them start it up, and she offered Liddy a quick smile and her thanks as she handed the basket over and scuttled over to Winnie on the threshold of the manor house.

Winnie laughed and dragged her by the wrist through the house as though they were both barely fourteen, not twenty-five and thirty. “Come on! The guests will start arriving any minute and you’re still wearing that horrible brown dress! And it’ll take me at least an hour to style your hair properly…”

In the end, her hair only took twenty minutes, though that was more because Nel’s wild tresses refused to be properly curled and even Winnie simply gave up, but it was a good couple of hours before they were both fully dressed and ready, and dusk had well and truly fallen outside.

Winnie led her arm-in-arm across the hallway to the front door of the hall, where her father and mother in law were standing and smiling. “You both look beautiful,” Lady Mary said, speaking first to Winnie but surprising Nel by including the young woman in her gaze too.

“Shall we go?” Lady Mary asked her husband, who nodded and a servant opened the door for them.

Nel’s breath caught when she saw how the staff had finished off the decorations, with lamps settled on the ground all around the courtyard, candles glinting within them, and festoons of foliage and flowers around the edges of the open space. The shrill piping of a tin whistle and the steady, heartbeat rhythm of a drum kept a leaping fiddle carefully in time as the music rose above the chatter and laughter in the barn beyond, and she walked with Winnie towards the celebrations that were already kicking off by the sound of things.

Nel recognised many of the faces from the farm and estate workers, as well as a few from the village, and she caught Agatha’s eye as the old woman beamed at her while laughing with the man beside her. Nel grinned at her and slipped away from Winnie to hug the woman.

“Dearie, you look right lovely,” Agatha said as she released her and gazed up and down at her embroidered green dress. “Doesn’t she, Martin?” she asked, and her husband nodded enthusiastically.

They glanced around the great barn and smiled at the sight of all the horses poking their noses over their stall doors, clearly wondering what the fuss was all about. Blackthorn had a piece of hay in her dark forelock, and Nel had just thought about going over to pick it out for her when Lord Penrose cleared his throat and tapped a knife against the edge of his glass, calling for silence.

Although he wasn’t as popular with the local folk as Winnie herself was, people fell silent quickly to listen to him. Just as he opened his mouth to begin, however, one of the carthorses near the back of the barn broke wind and let rip an enormous noise that made everyone go completely still and then burst out laughing. Once one person started, the cacophony rose and people slapped the table and guffawed, and even Blackthorn joined in with a shrill neigh of her own before things eventually sputtered back to quiet.

Nel covered her mouth with her hand and turned her face into Agatha’s shoulder, still shaking with silent laughter, but just as she shut her eyes, she saw Edmund Nancarrow standing nearby, biting his own lips together to keep from laughing. When their gaze met, it was all over for Nel and she whickered out a shuddering breath that was just the right side of decent to escape Lord Penrose’s attention as everyone else gained control of themselves.

“Yes, well… quite,” the older man chirped around a tight smile of his own. “Well, after such a crude reminder from Old Flint there for me to keep things brief, I would just like to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication this year. I believe this was a record harvest for us, and I hope you know how valued you all are as my tenants. None of this would be possible without your daily hard work. Providing a feast like this is a truly inadequate way of thanking you, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Please…”

And with a gesture and a wordless toast, he raised his glass and everyone cheered.

Nel glanced back at Edmund, who was then looking in the other direction and speaking to a young woman in a dark blue dress, so Nel used the brief opportunity to take in the slender lines of his body in the wine red coat he wore. Angular and handsome, he was quick to laugh, and he ducked his head shyly as he ushered his companion forward ahead of him to the trestle table to help herself before him.

The motion left him standing alone, and Nel slipped free of Agatha to join him.

He watched her approach and bowed his head as she joined him. “Miss Bywater,” he said in his quiet tenor.

“Mr. Nancarrow,” she said. “Old Flint got things off to a good start,” she giggled, and Edmund snickered like a schoolboy again.

 She could see an endless well of mirth in the depths of his brown eyes and didn’t trust herself not to laugh along with him if he started up again in earnest.

“And here I thought it was going to be my dear Blackthorn causing all the trouble,” she went on, nodding at the black mare as she popped her head curiously over her stable and sniffed curiously at the tankard of cider someone was holding in their hand while talking and facing in the opposite direction. “She’s a bit of a menace, but she’s a sweetheart too.”

Edmund looked very much as though he wanted to talk, to say something in response, but perhaps his innate shyness got in the way and he just swallowed thickly and he smiled one of those devastating, dimpled smiles instead.

“No Locryn tonight?” she asked quietly, and he smiled to show he wasn’t anxious about the topic.

“He said he might come later,” he said. “He doesn’t tend to have much to do with the village, even at big events like this one.” He finished the statement with another bashful smile that lit him up from the inside out, and she fought down a wave of selfish jealousy; she would have been lying if she’d said she didn’t want someone to smile like that at the thought of her.

“Can’t say I imagine him being overly comfortable at a gathering like this,” she ventured, and Edmund snorted.

“No. It’s a shame though,” he added with a glance at the musicians near the back of the barn. “He loves music.”

“Let’s hope he shows up then,” she said. “I’ve been to my fair share of gatherings and balls in London, but this is already ten times more fun.”

A hand at her elbow made her start and she looked round just as Winnie giggled and squeezed her arm. “There you are,” she said, and then her eyes fell on Edmund and her smile grew. “Oh.”

She clearly recognised him, but didn’t know his name, so Nel turned and said, “Winnie, this is Mr. Edmund Nancarrow. He is assistant to Mr. Fordyce.”

“Oh, a tailor!” she beamed, with a rosy flush in her cheeks. “How talented! You must never, ever be allowed to see my embroidery, Mr. Nancarrow,” she said with the perfect sincerity of the very tipsy. “Nel’s isn’t much better though. Dreadful, actually, but you didn't hear it from me.”

Nel gave a laugh through her nose and began to steer Winnie towards the table, and towards a glass of water. With a look back over her shoulder, she said to Edmund, “Will you excuse us before Winnie drops any more embarrassing truths about my shortcomings? Give her another glass of Mr. Meddlar’s cider, and she’ll be telling everyone how bad I am at the fortepiano too. At least I can speak French to a passable degree. Come on, Winnie…”

Edmund was smiling again as if she’d told him the world’s funniest secret, and when the young woman who’d been with him earlier joined and immediately led him away by the elbow with the air of a close friend who needs to know every detail of recent events, he shook his head fondly and indulged her.

Nel lost track of him after that. She and Winnie sat down together near the head of the table to enjoy the glorious roast beef and pork pie and boiled vegetables that had been prepared for the feast.

“Who was that young man you were talking to?” Winnie asked about an hour into the festivities, having soaked up a little of the cider with some supper. “He was rather handsome…”

Shaking her head, Nel reached for her own wine glass and sipped from it. “His name is Edmund Nancarrow. He’s Mr. Fordyce’s assistant.”

“You told me that,” Winnie said flatly. “That wasn’t what I meant. You seemed…”

“Don’t,” she sighed, and whatever bitter, sad undertone carried in the single word, Winnie caught it and let the matter lie.

Instead, the young widow closed her hand around Nel’s forearm and leaned in close. “Make sure you dance with whomever you like tonight, mmm? There are no rules at the Harvest Dance, and no one will think anything of whatever happens tonight.”

She didn’t reply, but she mulled her friend’s words over while they ate dessert, and when the merry drone of the bagpipes started up outside in the courtyard and the people began to line up, Nel followed Winnie and tried to take part as best she could. Nel had never danced most of the country dances they all seemed to know there though, and after embarrassing herself by stumbling through a few sets under Winnie’s rather chaotic directions on the fly, she slipped away and strolled along the barn towards Blackthorn’s stall, snagging an apple from the table on the way.

The horse whickered, low and warm when she opened the door and slipped inside the dark stall, and while the heat of the dancing faded a little from her cheeks, she stroked the mare’s velvet nose and fed her chunks of apple until it was all gone.

The mare’s ears pricked forwards suddenly and Nel turned to see Edmund slowly sinking down onto one of the long, empty benches outside the stall.

He had a tight expression of pain on his face and he seemed to be breathing carefully through the sharp discomfort in his leg with the practised pattern of someone who deals with chronic pain on a daily basis.

Aware that she was intruding on his privacy, she had just begun to turn back to the mare when she heard Edmund laugh quietly and she glanced over her shoulder again to see Locryn’s massive form sliding onto the bench beside him.

He wore an undyed linen shirt that was open a little at the neck, and simple brown trousers and boots, but somehow he had the presence of a lord in a great hall, and she found herself transfixed. He pulled Edmund against his side for a moment and then, from what she could see from her limited angle, he appeared to lay his big hand quietly on Edmund’s painful hip. After a few long, measured breaths, Edmund simply melted into his supportive touch, allowing the bulk of the bigger man to buttress him up entirely, and he half closed his eyes in the relative privacy of the shadowed barn.

The noises of dancing and merriment drifted down the empty table, over the abandoned plates and tankards, and for a time, everything stayed perfectly, timelessly still.

Nel hardly dared breathe, let alone turn around, in case her skirts dragged on the straw and disturbed the couple by alerting them to her presence.

Blackthorn scraped her hoof along the stall floor a few moments later, shattering the silence with the jarring sound, and she nudged at Nel’s hand for more apple. Using the shuffling of the horse to mask her own movements, she turned her back on the two men to breathe in the scent of the mare’s glossy coat.

She rubbed her cheek against the silky hair on Blackthorn’s neck and slowly buried her fingers in the dense, dark coat that was starting to grow as the year turned colder. Tears prickled hot around her eyes as she was struck starkly by the force of her loneliness, despite her friendship with Winnie. The sting of knowing she would probably never curl up with a man in bed, never feel his hand resting on her hip, never hear him sigh with pleasure or feel his lips brush over her neck, suddenly seemed all the sharper with the knowledge that just outside the stable were two people who meant the world to each other.

With a huge sigh, she pressed a kiss to Blackthorn’s neck and prepared to walk out with her head held at a dignified angle, politely ignoring Edmund and Locryn as she left and went back to the manor house for the night.

Instead, she turned around and found Locryn leaning his huge, bare forearms on the stable door immediately behind her, and nearly leapt out of her skin. How on earth he’d moved so silently, she couldn’t fathom.

He offered her a lopsided grin and opened the door for her as she approached. “Not hiding in there, are you, Miss?” he asked as he stepped back, and, comically, both Nel and the mare made to leave the stall together.

Nel turned around and glared pointedly at the horse, who tossed her head, snorted, and then promptly turned her quarters around and stuck her nose in the hay trough on the back wall without so much as a farewell nicker for the apple.  

“No?” Nel grimaced at Locryn, nodding her thanks as he secured the door behind her. “Truth be told, I got fed up with tripping over my own feet in dances I don’t really know, and I wanted to make sure Blackthorn didn’t feel too left out. You’re not dancing either, I take it?”

“Me?” he laughed, the oddly delighted sound carrying easily over the deserted table and echoing around the otherwise empty barn. “You think anyone wants to partner up with me?”

“Why ever wouldn't they?” she asked with a frown, stopping abruptly and staring up at him. He was nearly a foot taller than her, and so broad and muscular in the confines of the dimly-lit barn that he seemed almost like a giant out of a fairytale.

“You saying you would?” he countered, one thick, steel-grey eyebrow rising.

“I —” her gaze flickered to Edmund, who was sitting on the bench and watching the exchange with a wry twist to his lips that made his dark eyes glitter. “If I were halfway decent at dancing, and if you asked me, I might,” she told Locryn archly. “But I didn’t think you liked anyone else here enough to want to dance with them, let alone me.”

At that, a little of the playful laughter faded from his green eyes and he took half a step back. “Now why would you think I don’t like you, Miss?” he asked, arms folding across his chest. The movement pulled the fabric of his undyed shirt across his shoulders and accentuated the enormous muscles of his arms and chest, and she looked down at the ground before answering him. Some of the heat from her earlier dancing returned to her cheeks and refused to leave a second time.

“Well,” she mumbled, “For starters… you glowered at me something fierce the first time I came to Polgarrack, and you nearly knocked me flying off the cliff when you brought Mr. Nancarrow up from the sands. You didn't even check to see if you’d toppled me over the edge in your haste.”

“Forgive me for caring about —” he hissed and stopped himself from saying what Edmund truly meant to him and ground his teeth. “You weren’t in any danger,” he said with a clenched jaw.

“Perhaps not,” she conceded, “And you did redeem yourself somewhat by helping me onto Blackthorn afterwards.” The way his huge hand had lingered around her ankle joint had lived far longer in her mind than it had any right to. “Fine. Are you saying you would genuinely dance with me?”

“You saying you want to? Thought you weren’t enjoying the dancing… Two left feet and all…”

She rolled her eyes and flapped her hands a little in frustration. “Oh, you’re impossible. Forget the whole thing. I was going to call it a night anyway.” She looked over at Edmund, who was just barely holding back a laugh at his lover’s antics. “Mr. Nancarrow, I wish you good night. I hope you and Locryn enjoy the music. God knows, I think I’ve had quite enough of all of it.” Her cheeks were stinging and it had nothing to do with the exertion after dancing.

With that, she turned and walked briskly towards the open doors of the barn, her chest churning with the strange and unsettling feeling that she’d either been flirted with or made a fool of, and she couldn’t tell which it was. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

“Wait!” Locryn's bass voice was soft, and she almost missed it over the shrill piping and rapid-fire scraping of the fiddler outside, but she stopped all the same.

Slowly, she turned and found him walking towards her with a completely new expression on his face. With his green eyes wide and dark, he looked contrite and abashed, and behind him she could just make out Edmund, leaning his elbow against the table while he drank deeply from a wine goblet as if to hide a smile.

“If I asked you, would you dance with me?” Locryn asked in a low rumble.

A little suspicious, she frowned and jutted her chin back towards Edmund. “What about…?” she asked carefully.

Locryn shook his head. “He asked me to ask you. He knows I like dancing, and it’s not something he’s comfortable doing.”

“You like dancing?”

The mountain of a man just nodded.

“And you’re not making fun of me?” she asked.

“No,” he breathed. “I’m sorry if I made you think I was just now. I was just having a laugh with you. You give as good as you get, and I like that.”

She smiled and held out her hand, palm down. “Alright then. One dance. And if I tread on your feet or trip over, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I won’t let you trip over,” he said with a smile that showed his thick canines and made his eyes glint. Despite all that, she trusted him, and let him lead her out of the barn and towards the dancing.

A few people looked at them as they joined the end of the line for the next set, but true to his word, Locryn neither embarrassed her nor let her embarrass herself. His big, rough hands were gentle as he turned her under his arm, and he moved with surprising lightness of foot for someone his size. And he really did enjoy the music. She saw it in the way his eyes lit up and his lips curved into an attractive, heartfelt smile. He picked her up by the hips and floated her down to the ground again in a turn that left her dizzy, with two points of heat searing into her skin where his hands had been, if only for a second or two.

The set passed in a blur of lines weaving in and out of each other; of steel grey hair and dark green eyes and wolfish smiles that lit her up inside. From time to time, since they were on the end of the line, she caught glimpses of Edmund’s pale face watching from the shadows of the barn, and each time she saw him, he was smiling.

And then it was over almost before she’d even realised it.

They stared in breathless silence at each other for several pounding heartbeats while the rest of the dancers cheered and applauded the musicians, but Nel couldn’t tear her eyes from his. They were as green as the sea on a summer evening, and there was an otherworldly glow about him that drew her in like the promise of soothing waves after a long and thirsty day in the sun.

For some reason she could almost taste saltwater on her tongue.

There was a pounding in her ears like the thunder of distant surf and she couldn’t catch her breath.

Locryn leaned down and she watched the very tip of his tongue move to wet his upper lip. For a wild, wonderful moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.

Someone bumped into her from behind, sending her lurching a step towards him and he steadied her where he still held her hands in his rough, rope-callused fingers.

The moment vanished like sea foam and she swallowed, looking up at him. He looked as stunned as she did.

“No wonder he’s so in love with you,” she whispered, blinking back tears. She bobbed a tiny, stiff curtsy. “I thank you for the dance, Mr. Trevethan.”

Without waiting long enough for him to react, she turned and walked as quickly as she dared back to the house.

__

Uh-oh... :)

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[antebunny]

go for it, Lois Lane!

FOUR WEEKS BEFORE CLARK JUMPS OUT A WINDOW

Lois has a crush on Clark for six months, two weeks and three days before she asks him out. Not that she’s counting or anything. It feels a little silly to say “crush,” even though that’s what it is. It feels even sillier for a go-getter person like Lois to wait for so long before asking, but really, her reasons are completely logical and totally understandable.

First, she’s friends with Clark for about a year before she considers that he may actually like her back, and he’s only keeping quiet about it because he’s, well, Clark. After that is when the “crush” develops in which Lois continuously overthinks every act of friendship she previously took for granted. 

Second, Lois is the senior at work, even though they’re the same age. For the first couple weeks or so, it was her job to show him the ropes, which makes speculating about a relationship feel inappropriate. Though as far as improprieties go, Lois is not sure this one is even on the list. 

Third, it’s never a good idea to date someone from work. This sticking point holds Lois back for a while until she realizes that Clark is not just a friend from work.

“Uh, where do you want the fridge?” Clark’s voice is muffled from behind the boxed side-by-side refrigerator held precariously in his arms.

It’s move-in day for Lois and her new apartment, and she recruited a bunch of friends to help her. Friends from work, friends from college, people who just happened to be in Metropolis at the right time. Mostly they’re just free labor to her, but Lois bought some very nice wine and snacks to share, and she started off with her closest friends.

“Just put it on the kitchen floor!” Lois calls back.

Clark is one of her favorite friends.

This is the realization that sinks in as Clark settles the refrigerator carefully on the kitchen tiles. Even if one of them quit working at the Daily Planet, Lois is confident that they’d still find time to meet up. They are friends outside of work too.

“Phew!” Clark catches Lois’ eye from across the living room and smiles that goofy smile of his. He rolls his shoulders back as he straightens, but there’s not a hint of sweat as he wipes the back of his hand across his forehead. “That was pretty heavy.”

Lois rolls her eyes fondly. He’s obviously lying; there’s not a hint of perspiration, no heaving chest, or anything other sign of exertion. It’s kind of sweet that he feels the urge to comfort her about the difficulty of lifting her boxes. Unnecessary, as Lois never had any plans to carry it around herself, but sweet nonetheless.

That’s just how Clark is. He’s kind of a coward, but he’s surprisingly strong. And so what if he’s not a daredevil? This isn’t the 1600s. She doesn’t want him to grab a horse and a lance and joust for her honor. He’s thoughtful, he remembers the little things, he respects her, he’s quietly funny, he can cook, and he is genuinely kind-hearted. Of course she likes him. 

One by one, her friends bow out and head home. Ellis helps her get the last rug down, gleefully samples all of her wines, and has to be driven home by Xochitl. Perry swipes a handful of snacks on his way out, Irene takes the subway and a taser, and Meg, self-proclaimed expert bedroom decorator, sets up hangings and decorative pillows until her phone hits 10% battery and she catches a midnight cab home.

In the end, it’s just Lois and Clark, settled in her newly-furnished living room and talking into the wee hours of the morning. Politics, arts, home decor, lead pipes in housing projects, superheroes and the proper way to grill a chicken; Lois will lose her voice before she runs out of conversation topics. She wishes she could have this regularly. Just her and Clark, passing around a bottle of wine or that mysterious red-blue ice cream flavor that Clark likes. 

Clark, Lois knows, lives alone, and it’s so hard for a big guy like him to take the subway at midnight. Still, he’s had a little wine, so it’s not ideal. Maybe that’s why, when Clark eventually slaps his knees and reluctantly says that he should get going, Lois speaks up.

“You could stay.”

Okay, so it’s not the wine that drops her stomach off a cliff when he rises and heads for the door. But in any case, he pauses at her words, and glances at the couch. It’s white and soft, ideal for sleeping, but Lois doesn’t have a change of clothes for him. At least, nothing that fits him. Clark had only intended to help a friend move into her new apartment.

“Do you have a spare blanket?” Clark asks. He tips his head to the side. “For the couch?”

Lois hesitates, still thinking of what he will wear tomorrow (Sunday) even though no one in Metropolis will blink twice at a man walking around in a giant marshmallow costume. Really, she muses, it’s better for him not to wear clothes at all. And then she’s thinking of her nice new bed, which deserves a housewarming party of its own, and maybe it’s the wine, or the lighting, or the (to emulate Clark) gosh-darn genuineness of Clark’s question, but–

“Don’t have to take the couch,” Lois blurts out. “Could come to bed with me.” She’ll blame the wine to the end of time, but her cheeks immediately color deep red. “That’s not how I wanted to say it. I don’t mean just–I like you.”

Oh, this is embarrassing. This is really quite off-game for Pulitzer prize winning journalist Lois Lane. She swears she usually has more game than this.

Clark smiles the crooked little smile of his. “Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Ms. Lane?”

Well, she always knew that Clark was at least as embarrassing as her. 

Lois tosses her dirty blond hair back, one hand on hip, reclaiming her dignity through performance. “And if I am, Smallville?” 

Clark beams. “Then yes.”

Faster than Lois knew was humanly possible, Clark crosses the space between the front door and the arm of the couch. Lois rises to her feet, vaguely shocked by how much taller Clark is than her when he’s not hunching his shoulders as per usual. The breadth of those shoulders nearly halves when he’s hunching them, too. He hides so much with the way he carries himself. His sense of humor, his silent, steely convictions, his compassion; everything that makes him Clark Kent.

He’s not hiding anything now. Clark bends his head down, a boyish smile on his face. Behind those thick glasses of his, his eyes are shockingly blue. The stubble on his chin brushes against her forehead. He leans in. And all Lois can think is: holy shit, I can’t believe that worked.

Whoever said the course of true love never did run smooth? Lois thinks it’s pretty easy. 

SIX MONTHS BEFORE CLARK JUMPS OUT A WINDOW

Lois discovers Superman’s weird obsession with her around the same time as she’s learning about the existence of Superman. The Flash has been running (ha) around Central City for a few years now, the Batman is somewhere between urban legend and dangerously real vigilante, and everyone knows Wonder Woman. Superheroes are not uncommon. But Superman is the first one to really stick for Metropolis. And as always, Lois Lane is right on the case. 

She’s worried, now, that her persistent, journalistic pursuit of the guy might have been taken as interest. Perhaps this worry could be interpreted as ego-inflating, i.e. can you believe it? Superman is just soooo obsessed with me. But Lois can safely make this claim from her unwanted vantage point of Superman’s arms.

 He’s saved her from falling to her death, or so he says. Lois doesn’t know that she was truly in danger of falling, but she’s not going to argue with the man when he’s carrying her hundreds of feet over Metropolis. Survival instincts 101: don’t talk back to the only person standing between you and certain death. Thank you for coming to her TED Talk. And please note that this is the first red flag. 

In any case, she sure feels weak in the knees when he sets her down gently on the roof of the Daily Planet. He hovers for a moment longer, about a foot off the rooftop. Like he’s forgotten that people generally like to have conversations eye-to-eye.

“If you ever need me, just give me a shout,” Superman says, in a way that’s probably supposed to be comforting. 

Then he flies off without waiting for a response. So much for having a conversation. But Lois is more preoccupied with the implications of give me a shout. Just how far is his hearing range? Can he hear her if she’s underground? Can he hear her in the office? Is he eavesdropping on the conversations she has with coworkers? 

Lois makes it down to the Daily Planet offices in record time. This is not the first, and, distressingly, probably not the last time that Superman has dropped her off on the rooftop of the Daily Planet. She slinks back into her cubicle, glances left and right, and ignores the knowing looks of her coworkers. 

“Hey, Bea,” Lois rolls her swivel chair backwards and places an arm on the divider of the desk of her colleague, Beatrice Langford. “Superman ever invite you to dinner?”

Bea stares at her blankly. “No? Why?”

“Just curious.” Lois rolls her chair back to her desk.

Lois is pretty sure that Bea is more conventionally attractive than her, though there’s no accounting for taste. True, Lois is the one pursuing his case on the regular, but just about everyone in her office has had an interaction with Superman, and she hasn’t had significantly more than the average. 

Still, she’d probe Bea more if she weren’t so worried about Superman overhearing. That’s another problem: the fear that he could be watching her at anytime. The more she learns about his abilities, the more scared she becomes. He can hear her heartbeat through a skyscraper. He can see through anything, can smash through every material that is commonly found in a major city. Bullets break on his skin. 

And he asked her to dinner, just over a week ago.

Lois turned him down, of course, as politely as she knew how. Worried, again, about antagonizing the person she was stuck on a rooftop with who could fly, shoot lasers with his eyes like he’s in Star Wars without the cool lightsabers, and send her flying off said rooftop with a flick of his pinky finger. 

Superman has never been anything but polite, if somewhat distressed at totally reasonable times. Still, getting asked to dinner by someone like him is what turns his obsession from weird to worrying.

She looks to her left. Ideally, she could talk about this with Clark. But funnily enough, he’s out of the office again.

[loopscereal]

Day 4: Pride i wrote it on his shirt instead of the black text in the bg like I've done for the past days, since the space is surprisingly occupied Okay so i kinda went crazy with this one... If you wanna read my decisions and thoughts behind this thing feel free to read below the cut !

Anyways, Pride. Bon. Where the hell do i start. I see Bon as a very proud person, at least proud of his craft, at what he excels at, which is playing guitar. SO. Why is he so many colors and shit? Hes the colors of the people closest to him. Friends. Malva/Usagi is the blue, Mangle/Meg is the pink, Toddy's the red, Joys yellow, and Bonnie's purple. All the different colors and expressions represent what they sorta do to Bon? How they affect and influence him n shit... All with his pride at the center of it. Malva/Usagi. Shes his sister, his twin. They are directly compared what feels like constantly to Bon. He's specifically in his school uniform because school is where they show their true personalities most. Where they differ the most. Malva is organized, in control, plans thing out, is a natural leader, book smart. She's always 'on top of it' and mature. All things he feels he lacks/inst enough of. A point of shame and envy within him, at least in comparison to her. Same situation and she can somehow 'handle it all better'. Whether that's all true is a different matter lol. perception and reality am i right? Anyways onto Joy. Yellow. All the toys boost each-others egos and shit, but where Bon and Mangle are comfortable being brutally honest and blunt, but giving genuine compliments is sorta few and sparse, laced in their silly stupid sarcasm and fake hatred of each-other. Joy just says what she wants straight up. If the others are going off, she'll say it, if they're blowing it, she's gonna say it straight up. Shes always energized, and imbues the other two with that same energy. For Bon, Joy is someone who pushes that cocky side of him further out. Full of himself, thinking he's hot shit. (I mean thinking that isn't completely undeserved, hes impressive for his age n shit, but kid has an ego is hat I'm saying lol) She brings out his fiercer energy. She gasses him up, inflates his ego, and his pride gets the better of him and can turn kinda shitty and egotistical and mean ect ect Mangle/ Meg, lol. haha stupid stupid stupid decisions. They are both. very proud of their craft and Mangle is someone who has peen put through and continues dealing with a lot of pain. He pushes through it though. She pushes through her pain, through their days, through everything that's handed to him because she's determined to get through shit and not let things like constant aches and loss of balance hinder him. They'll do what they want and it doesn't matter what hurts. Bon. Was already a dumb-ass with that sorta mentality, but alongside mangle they both push each-others pride to being a detriment to their own health and safety. lol

Toddy. Toddy, Toddy, Toddy. Longtime family friend, has known that blue rabbit family since. ever. okay? Okay. She knows. She just knows what the fuck is up with their house and situation, she's seen Bon at his worst and helped him. Moments he'd rather not be aided, moments he'd rather not be seen. Moments of shame. Along with that shame of being seen, comes the discomfort and shame of being known. They know each other, they do, yet they feel like strangers at the same time. They can hang out and have fun, but they don't click in the same way Bon clicks with the Toys. There's a seed of shame in Bon that he cant be the good friend Toddy wants and needs. The friend she feels she had. The friend she feels she lost somewhere. Bonnie. Bonnie. End of sentence I cant do this anymore I cant fucking tackle that one i cant do it you cant make me- Okay what if you someone really pissed you off. Like super pissed you the fuck off. You have this one thing you're really good at, you have this one thing you you are GREAT at, you consider yourself unmatched. Then you get matched. Then you aren't an untouchable god at your craft. You're tumble down from your pedestal, you ego is more bruised than you can admit. Then he bugs you cause he think you're cool and can teach him shit. Even though you feel like you totally lost just by being matched, and part of you hates it cause he's a walking reminder that you aren't untouchable. but part of you likes it because someones fucking gawking at you and looking at you with admiration, directly. SO you fucking cave and do it and whoops oh shit you kinda vibe with this guy. Shit he likes Zelda. shit hes letting you use is switch cause you mentioned never having played any of the Zelda games even tho you've both been passionately ranting about the games for a while now. You became friends with the guy who irritates you good job doofus. Goodluck with the weird mix of friendship and resentment idiot. And the underlying romantic bullshit cause fuck you , fuck you royally. And scene. Killing Bon fnaf highschool my curse to carry. lololololol

Pride, Shame, People.

[mcltiples]

On Halloween, Rick just plans on hiding from Morty all night. He'll probably binge watch interdimensional horror movies. There's a few where Movie Star Jerry gets killed in, so he'll be watching those while getting drunk. Maybe he might visit a few friends if he gets bored enough.

In the Timeline split verse, he'll mostly be spending the night with his boyfriend, locked up in the garage doing everything from watching horror movies to making out to working on inventions to kinky rough sex. All while getting shit faced drunk.

In his default verse, Rick Prime will just kidnap his kitten and watch horror movies all night. If he gets bored enough, he might take him along to go on a murder spree. On a purge planet or an unsuspecting planet.

The timeline split verse, he'll be convinced to dress up as The Shape from Halloween. Complete with the iconic outfit and mask. He'll hang out with Meg for a bit, watching horror movies with her, then he'll go visit his counterpart to bother him. Play a few scary pranks on him.

In the reunion verse with Evil Morty, Rick V-79 has been forced to dress up as The Dark Knight's version of Batman as a sort of matching costume with his Morty. It's based off old tradition of what they used to do long before their separation. He'll spend the day handing out candy to Mortys who decide to knock on the presidential headquarter's doors.

In his partnered/default verse, he's managed to watch the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show and has decided to dress up as Dr. Frank N Furter for Halloween. He's made his night free for whatever his Master wants to do, but he'll busy himself with his experiments as well.

E-Rick has decided to just put on cat ears and clip a cat tail to his pants, calling it a costume. So he'll be a cat! His plans are simple. Just work and go back to his place to watch some spooky movies. Though, if he gets invited somewhere, he won't say no to that!

Due to it being his birthday, he'll be subjected to whatever his Morty or his housemate have planned. He isn't picky and he'll just go with the flow. Maybe once he's escaped their celebrations, he'll go find a few drunk people, seduce them, and drink their blood. Which will, in turn, make him drunk as well.

[wildelydawn]

2 7 11 17 18 35 40 47 73 for the writers ask game

I know it's a lot feel free to not answer all of them hahaha

Hello my dearest!! I will do all of them for you <3

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

It's very minor because he has so few lines/so little presence in the story, but it's when Big dies in II4Y. I didn't want him to die but I realized he needs to die for Kim to understand what permanent loss is. In chapter one, Kim is dealing with a break up, which is definitely a sort of loss, but once Chay and him begin to matter to each other again, Kim begins to realize that loss can be a lot worse, a lot more permanent. By chapter four, he's sort of gotten everyone back, right? Chay is talking to him, he's hanging out with his brothers. Big's death shocks him into remembering that it can be all taken away very quickly.

7. tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote

I know that my first fic was something written for classic Fruits Basket, but I can't remember the plot for the life of me. It was probably fluff or a retelling of Kyo's transformation when his bracelet comes off. The earliest, actual fic I can recall the plot too very vividly is a Supernatural Megstiel fic, in which I rewrote parts of Hello, Cruel World so that Meg Masters finds Castiel's trenchcoat and body. Unfortunately, I deleted that story because I wrote it at the height of SPN, and Megstiel was a rough ship to write at the time lol. I wish I hadn't deleted it! It would've been cool to take another look at it now, or maybe even potentially rewrite.

11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

The entire process of making Thai desserts/food for BSC90 has been so great. Like, truly unmatched. Outside of fandom, my research is really depressing and almost always about the Law/law. So to really deep dive into how these foods are made and how chocolate was/is produced in Thailand is really fun. I do take research pretty seriously, and I do what I can to be as accurate as possible. Right now, I'm pretty knee deep in reading about football/football RPF, and I recently followed a bunch of popular players on my Instagram, and that's been pretty wild. And, of course, can't forget my favorite Dutch politicians either. Though, that research wasn't for writing. I just really got interested in reading about the Netherlands and far right government officials. I find myself just rereading or watching Dutch debate whenever I can find translations, fan-written or official.

17. what is your favorite line you’ve ever written?

God. It changes so often, especially depending on my mood. Right now, it's from YLTTL:

The subtle but decreasing hesitations in WIK’s motions make Porchay unsteady and ashamed at the same time. In his dreams, he envisioned WIK as the criminal: keen on stealing Porchay’s heart and laughing mercilessly while walking away, leaving Porchay naked on the floor. He imagined, the other week, after WIK had left him alone, that at their best, they could only ever be temporary bliss: a mistake, heat of the moment, other clichés that left Porchay feeling angry and confused. He had resolved that if the moment were to come, he’d give himself entirely to WIK and blindly hope that WIK would do the same, and they could leave without saying anything more. 

Their togetherness, he cruelly imagined, would be one born of force, passionate with no regard for the future, a story as old as time: those with power taking advantage of those with none.

18. what is your most and least favorite part of writing?

The action of writing is my favorite part of writing. And also finding out if someone reread something of mine. Least favorite part is posting/submitting/publishing.

35. tell us about a character who’s very different than you who you love a whole lot

Definitely Chay. Chay is so different from me. I think what we have in common is poverty and independence, but other than that, Chay is such a bold, forward, dynamic character. He takes what he wants! When I wanted to ask out my current partner, I wrote a letter and then fled the country. Chay, on the other hand, just fucking shows up to where Kim is and calls it a date. I think he's the bravest character in the whole fucking show actually. All of what he does, what he navigates, is mostly done alone and independently and, up to a certain point, by choice. I admire that so much. He takes risks, even if it ends in detriment to himself. He's never static, he's never standing still. He feels things and acts on those emotions. Now, whether he processes them properly or maturely is up in the air, but he's not wallowing for long, and I truly think in a post-canon world, he would continue to do what he can to move on and adapt to his new life. That can be "Chay having a ho phase" or "Chay integrates into the mafia" or "Chay runs to Switzerland, meets Kang Yohan from The Devil Judge, and becomes a vigilante judge when he comes back to Thailand."

40. best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

"You're probably going to get decimated, but everyone will have questions." This came from my dissertation advisor/mentor. And she was right!

47. what story are you most proud of?

It's definitely a tie between YLTTL and Still Painting Flowers for You. I'm quite proud of the latter. It's short and it has, what I feel, is a good balance of canon and a reflection of two very important women in my life.

Thank you for all these questions, my crunchy little friend! It was so fun to write this out hehe.

Ask me writer things!

[twoidiotwriters1]

Almighty (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: The concert was amazing I feel great -Danny Words: 2,476 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Cough Syrup' -by Young The Giant

XVI: I'm up to My Tits With Morons

Ara does not get to kill stuff, all she gets to witness is the egregious birth of more ant eggs and an outrageous rap from Apollo.

"I'm never calling that thing Mama," she protests as they crawl out of the nest. "There's something really wrong with you, man."

"Let's not go there," Apollo comes out behind her and examines what's in front of them. "It's a gateway, to the Grove of Dodona."

"Aren't we in the grove?" Meg asks squinting.

"No... I think this is more of an antechamber. The grove itself is behind those trees." 

"I don't hear any voices." Meg tilts her head.

"The grove knows we are here," Apollo mumbles. "It's waiting to see what we'll do."

"Ara," Meg says shakily, reaching for her hand and tugging. "Look..." The girl follows her gaze and feels her soul leaving her body: There, hanging from the trunks framing the entrance, are cocoons of... 

"Demigods," Ara says hoarsely.

"Oh, monstrous," Apollo closes ranks next to her. "We need to free them immediately."

"Wh-what's wrong with them?" Meg stammers.

Ara approaches Cecil and examines him, she sniffs the wrapping and makes a face. "Don't touch it, Lester." A growl comes from above and Peaches appears, severely beaten. 

"Thank the gods!" Apollo beams. "Meg, hurry! Order your friend to—"

"Apollo." Meg points over their shoulders sounding stifled. Emerging from the tunnel are two broad and tall male figures, imposing and blond like Octavian, but these men are not as weak-looking as him and they're covered in armor. Ara steps to the side to hide Meg.

"Germani." Apollo stands next to her in a way that tries to be protective. When he speaks, the guards step sideways and let a third person enter the scene.

Ara's blood pressure drops. "Is that..."

"Emperor Nero," Apollo says darkly. "The Beast."

The man smirks. "Nero will do. It's good to see you, my honored ancestor. I'm sorry I've been so lax about my offerings during the past few millennia, but I haven't needed you. I've done rather well on my own." He eyes Ara, stopping a moment on the flowers in her hair. "Daughter of Olympus," Nero drawls the name as if she's a yummy dessert he can't wait to take a bite of. "The wonder of a millennia... finally within reach."

"It's me you want," Apollo steps in. "Cut these demigods down from their stakes. Let them leave with Meg and Ara. They've done nothing to you."

"I'll be happy to let them go once we've come to an agreement. As for Meg... How are you, my dear?"

Meg keeps her head down. Ara understands who the spy is then, but she's left stunned and speechless, having the Nero before them terrifies her so that she's scared her voice will give it away. One of the guards whispers something at Nero and he nods a bit. 

"Soon. But where are my manners? Allow me to introduce my right hand, Vincius, and my left hand, Garius—Ah, sorry. My right hand, Garius, and my left hand, Vincius. Those are the Romanized versions of their Batavi names, which I can't pronounce. Usually I just call them Vince and Gary. Say hello, boys."

"They have serpent tattoos," Apollo points out, "like those street thugs you sent to attack me."

"I have many servants," Nero says casually. "Cade and Mikey are quite low on the pay scale. Their only job was to rattle you a bit, welcome you to my city."

"Excuse me?" Ara snaps out of her shock, but Apollo places a hand on her shoulder, knowing that attacking is exactly what Nero wants her to do. 

"And these two gentlemen... they are actually Germani from the ancient times? How?"

"Lord Apollo, please," Nero laughs. "Even before Gaea commandeered the Doors of Death, souls escaped from Erebos all the time. It was quite easy for a god-emperor such as myself to call back my followers."

"A god-emperor?" Apollo tenses. "You mean a delusional ex-emperor."

"What made you a god, Apollo... back when you were one? Wasn't it the power of your name, your sway over those who believed in you? I am no different. Vince, fall on your spear, please."

Vince prepares to stab himself with the spear before the emperor lazily gives him a new command. "Stop, I changed my mind. You see? I hold the power of life and death over my worshippers, like any proper god should."

"The Germani were always crazy, much like you."

"I'm hurt! My barbarian friends are loyal subjects of the Julian dynasty! And, of course, we are all descended from you, Lord Apollo."

"Wh-what do you want, Nero?" Meg stammers.

"Straight to the point. I've always admired that about you, Meg," Nero smiles. "Really, it's simple. You and Apollo will open the gates of Dodona for me. Then these six will be released."

"You'll destroy the grove," Apollo states. "Then you'll kill us."

"Not unless you force me to. I'm a reasonable god-emperor, Apollo! I'd much rather have the Grove of Dodona under my control if it can be managed, but I certainly can't allow you to use it. You had your chance at being the guardian of the Oracles. You failed miserably. Now it's my responsibility. Mine... and my partners'."

"As if you'd know better than the god of prophecy," Ara scoffs.

Nero sighs. "Apollo wasn't always in charge, child. And unlike him, we act. You can't argue that he's done his job right, can you?"

"Triumvirates have never worked," Apollo scoffs. "They always lead to civil war."

"The three of us have come to an agreement. We have divided up the new empire... by which I mean North America. Once we have the Oracles, we'll expand and do what Romans have always done best—conquer the world."

"You truly learned nothing from your previous reign."

"Oh, but I did! I've had centuries to reflect, plan, and prepare. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to be a god-emperor, unable to die but unable to fully live? There was a period of about three hundred years during the Middle Ages when my name was almost forgotten. I was little more than a mirage! Thank goodness for the Renaissance, when our Classical greatness was remembered. And then came the Internet. Oh, gods, I love the Internet! It is impossible for me to fade completely now. I am immortal on Wikipedia!"

"We can still give permanent destruction a try," Ara says, lifting Almighty.

He laughs. "You're delightful, girl. But unless you're a goddess, I wouldn't bother trying, we're way above your payroll." Nero turns to Apollo. "I could explain my plans and everything, but I have a lot on my plate today. I need you and Meg to open those gates. They've resisted my best efforts, but together you three can do it. Apollo, you have an affinity with Oracles. Meg has a way with trees. The daughter of Olympus, I've heard, has some pretty good charmspeak. Get to it. Please and thank you."

"We would rather die," Apollo hisses. "Wouldn't we, girls?"

"You know it," Ara responds bravely.

"Meg?" Apollo tries again.

"She won't," Ara looks at him somberly.

"Won't what?" He scowls. "What's going—why are you crying, Meg?"

"Oh, my," Nero feigns shock. "It seems we've had a slight miscommunication. You see, Apollo, Meg brought you here, just as I asked her to. Well done, my sweet."

"I—I didn't mean..." Meg trembles.

Apollo looks at Ara and gets the slightest nod. "Meg, no. I can't believe—" He tries to step closer and Peaches aims a bite, but Ara points her sword at the creature between Meg's feet, keeping him away. "This man killed your father! He's a murderer!"

"The Beast killed my father," Meg says weakly. "This is Nero. He's—he's my stepfather."

"That's right, my darling," Nero smiles proudly. "And you've done a wonderful job. Come to Papa."

"Oh, that is messed up," Ara frowns. "I really wanted to kill you before knowing this, but now I truly need to see your head sticking out of a spear."

Nero barks out a laugh again. "Oh, you're truly perfect."

"Meg, we are friends." Apollo demands in outrage. "How could you do this to me?"

"You barely know her, Lester." Ara reprimands him.

Her tone makes Meg wince. "I tried to tell you, to warn you."

"She has a good heart." Nero hums. "But, Apollo, you and Meg have been friends for just a few days—and only because I asked Meg to befriend you. I have been Meg's stepfather, protector, and caretaker for years. She is a member of the Imperial Household."

"I risked my life for you," Apollo insists. "And that actually means something, because I can die!"

"We're all impressed, Apollo," Nero says with boredom. "Now, if you'd open the gates. They've defied me for too long."

"Nero, what have you done?" Apollo demands examining the trees.

"Oh, a number of things! We found a way into this antechamber weeks ago. The Labyrinth has a convenient opening in the myrmekes' nest. But getting through these gates—"

"You forced the palikos to help you? You used a nature spirit to destroy nature? Meg, how can you tolerate this?"

"Come now, Meg knows there are good nature spirits, and bad ones. This geyser god was annoying. He kept asking us to fill out surveys. Besides, he shouldn't have ventured so far from his source of power. He was quite easy to capture. His steam, as you can see, didn't do us much good anyway."

"And the five demigods? Did you 'use' them, too?"

"Of course. I didn't plan on luring them here, but every time we attacked the gates, the grove started wailing. I suppose it was calling for help, and the demigods couldn't resist. The first to wander in was this one—The last two were your own children—Austin and Kayla, yes? They showed up after we forced Paulie to steam-broil the trees. I guess the grove was quite nervous about that attempt. We got two demigods for the price of one!"

Before Ara can jump him for putting her campers at risk, Apollo does it first, but he trips and lands face-first half a meter away from her. She picks him up, too pissed off to even reprimand him. "Apollo!" Meg tries to reach them and Apollo jolts back.

"I don't need your help! Don't you understand who your protector is? He's a monster! He's the emperor who—"

"Don't say it," Nero growls. "If you say 'who fiddled while Rome burned,' I will have Vince and Gary flay you for a set of hide armor. You know as well as I do, Apollo, we didn't have fiddles back then. And I did not start the Great Fire of Rome."

"But you profited from it. Meg, your stepfather watched as seventy percent of Rome was destroyed. Tens of thousands died."

"I was thirty miles away in Antium! I rushed back to the city and personally led the fire brigades!"

"Only when the fire threatened your palace."

"I can't help it if I arrived just in time to save the most important building!" 

Meg whines, trying to muffle their voices by pressing her hands on both ears. "Stop arguing. Please."

Ara has seen this too many times. Demigods influenced by evil because the gods, their main caretakers, abandoned them. It's infuriating to see so many kids suffer, so many souls get hurt and reaped just because the gods are too lazy to catch the abuser's hand before it can taint the world further. What a waste of godly power.

"You had the nerve to put a hundred-foot-tall bronze statue in your front lawn!" Apollo cries in anger. "A statue of yourself as Sol-Apollo, the sun god. In other words, you claimed to be me."

"Indeed. Even after I died, that statue lived on. I understand it became famous as the Colossus of Nero! They moved it to the gladiators' amphitheater and everyone began calling the theater after the statue—the Colosseum. Yes... the statue was the perfect choice."

"I fought there, against a giant. And here at camp, I will wipe the floor with your flimsy chin," Ara growls.

"Not now, dear, the men are talking," he brushes her comment away. "The point is, I had style! The people loved me!"

Apollo scoffs. "They turned against you. The people of Rome were sure you'd started the Great Fire, so you scapegoated the Christians."

"But the Christians were terrorists, you see. Perhaps they didn't start the fire, but they were causing all sorts of other trouble. I recognized that before anyone else!"

"He fed them to the lions," Apollo tells this to Meg as if that would make any difference. "He burned them as human torches, the way he will burn these six."

Meg trembles. "Nero, you wouldn't—"

"They will be released," Nero assures her, "as long as Apollo cooperates."

"Meg, you can't trust him! The last time he did this, he strung up Christians all over his backyard and burned them to illuminate his garden party. I was there. I remember the screaming."

"My dear, don't believe his stories! That was just propaganda invented by my enemies."

"Nero... you didn't say anything about making them into torches."

"They won't burn. It won't come to that. The Beast will not have to act."

"You see, Meg?" Apollo makes a face of disgust. "It's never a good sign when someone starts referring to himself in the third person. Zeus used to scold me about that constantly!"

Ara tries to speak in the calmest voice possible. "Meg, he's manipulating you. He's groomed you into believing you mean something to him..." She takes a step forward, and when Peaches doesn't attack, she keeps talking.  "But when someone truly cares for you, there is no fear involved. You don't flinch at their sudden movements. Look at me," the young girl avoids her gaze. "Let me help you, Meg..."

She gives another step forward and Nero growls, which causes Meg to push her and run over to the man. Ara stumbles and Apollo steadies her. "Go away!"

"You'll open the gates," Nero says darkly. "Then Meg will see if she can use the trees to interpret the future. If so, wonderful! If not... well, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it."

"Meg," Apollo tries one last time, "he's a madman."

"Nero cared about me, Apollo. He gave me a home. He taught me to fight." 

"You said he killed your father!"

"No! No, that's not what I said. The Beast killed him." 

"But—"

"Oh, Apollo... you understand so little. Meg's father was weak. She doesn't even remember him. He couldn't protect her. I raised her. I kept her alive."

"What a pig," Ara spits out venomously. All she wants is a clear shot, and she could tear this man to pieces with her bare hands.

"Meg..." Apollo keeps a hand on Ara's shoulder to keep her from pouncing. "I am so sorry..."

"She doesn't NEED sympathy." Nero snarls. "Now, my dear, if you would be so kind, open the gates. If Apollo objects, remind him that he is bound to follow your orders."

"Apollo, Ara, don't make it harder. Please... help me open the gates." 

Apollo looks at Ara and sends a message through his touch. "Not by choice."

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh @ebony-reine-vibes

[artsy-hobbitses]

do you think Thundercracker, while helping Marissa with her NGOs and seeing the refugees and all those effected of the war and is like “Oh God, I never wanted it to be like this” or a “Oh God, what have I done…”

A little! The thing you gotta know about Teo Cortes (TC) is that he’s led a VERY sheltered life under Sharifuddin/Shockwave’s care and protection, and always with the weight of what could happen to him if the world knew what he could do constantly hanging over his head.

In fact, that’s likely how Marissa finds him—he’d already been marked as an Important Asset by Functionist splinter cells, and when he left the Cons’ territory, he didn’t have their protection and was brutally bagged and tagged for research purposes until her men manage to free him (which is why he tags along with her because he wants to be free but with no Institute and no Cons for the first time in his life, nothing out here in the great big unforgiving world to show him the way forward, no script, he’s like a lost puppy—likely why he bonds with Buster so quickly)

Of course he makes a great actor, he’s been playing a role and fooling everyone outside the Institute his entire life! And he HATES it!

He doesn’t regret fighting for Megatron’s cause in its early days, he literally doesn’t really know better—what he KNOWS is that he wants a world where his Institute friends, and Ravage and Laserbeak can be FREE without being treated as second class or immediately commissioned as government property.

He does regret it took him as long as it did to realise that Megs’ way to get there wasn’t the way he wanted to get there either.

Stefan/Starscream had always pointed out (both mockingly and in a sad sort of affection some days when they’re bantering more like brothers) that Teo was never meant for the battlefield, and some day, Teo won’t have to be.

So he doesn’t dwell on it too much! He’s here right now, that’s all that matters, and all he can do is keep writing the script to the pages of this new chapter in his life and embrace his new role, one with a group and a person he doesn’t have to play pretend (whether it be a ‘normal man’ or a soldier) with.

[chessyhoward]

"Give me a twirl, Chessy!"

Her little sister's face dominated the entirety of her phone screen, so that Chess could see right up Genevieve Howard's nose. Chess suppressed a giggle, filled with an ridiculous fondness for her younger sister. Between the time zones, Chess being busy with Hazel, and Genevieve planning a wedding, the Howard sisters rarely got the time to chat. So Chess soaked up whatever time with her sister she possible could. Whether that be a quick FaceTime before bed, or walking down a busy New York street. If the other woman called, Chess always answered.

"Fine!" Chess pretended to roll her eyes, standing up and setting her phone down across the room. Propping her iPhone up against a cart filled with complimentary snacks and fancy bottled water, Chess checked her outfit in the screen, watching as Gen clapped her hands together and wolf whistled.

"It's so fancy in there. Let me see... pleather skirt, white shirt, chunky boots... Francesca Howard, is that Jaxxy's racing jacket?" gasped Gen, her voice tinny through the speakers.

Chess blushed immediately, jogging to the phone as best she could in heels so she could snatch it back up, curls bouncing around her shoulders.

"He came over last week to give Hazel her Christmas present, he might have left it behind... and it goes with my outfit!"

Chess tugged at the stiff leather, admiring herself in the outfit. She knew very little about Jax's job, except that it meant he had ownership of a very stylish nineties Ferrari jacket, something Chess had been coveting for years. Gen snorted on the other end of the phone, shaking her head.

"Tongues will wag, sis." Gen tsked, causing Chess to roll her eyes for the second time in about five minutes.

"Yeah, I'm sure everyone will think I'm bonking Jackson Otto." she laughed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. It was common knowledge in close circles that Jax had no interest in anything Chess, nor any woman had to offer, although the girls who wrote explicit Fanfiction about him from the comfort of their bedrooms had yet to catch on to this glaring fact.

At that, Chess lifted her head as she heard a rap at the door to the press room. Dropping her voice to a whisper, Chess held the reciever up to her mouth.

"I have to go, Gen. Enjoy cake tasting, okay?"

"Okay!" her sister whispered back, "break a leg, Cheshire Cat!"

Hanging up abruptly, Chess shoved her phone into the depths of Jax's jacket pocket just as the door swung open, revealing one of the most beautiful women Chess had ever seen in real life.

"Francesca?" she queried, juggling a clipboard and coffee cup so that she could hold a hand out to Chess, in a haze of strong-smelling perfume and bright smiles. "I'm Meg Davis, the social media manager."

Taking her hand, Chess gave it a soft shake, offering her a bright smile.

"Just Chess is okay, really. That's the name I use on Instagram." she explained. Meg showed all her teeth when she smiled and managed to both look incredibly sexy yet approachable at the same time. She wondered if there was a way to ask her how she did it without sounding like she was flirting.

"Alrighty, Just Chess. You want to see where the magic happens?"

Nodding eagerly, Chess shoved her hands in her pockets as she followed Meg out of the press room and out into the small studio. There were a handful of Instagram hopefuls, like herself, who had already been set loose on the models, the free samples, the table from craft services. The whole place was bustling with activity, no matter where Chess looked, a harried intern was running holding fistfuls of clothing, a model Chess had pinned to her Pinterest board a thousand times over had sprung to life and was reviewing her photos from behind the camera. The brunette's heart felt fit to burst. This was a small facet of the fashion industry, but it was the closest Chess had ever come to being on the inside. What was the quote? Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. Chess was certain she could die happy here.

Realising Meg had been talking to her, Chess nodded eagerly, trying to tune back in to the tail end of her speech.

"... So you'll have free reign to vlog and take photos of the day, the models, and of course, the clothes. Pretty much anything you want as long as you're not in the way of the actual shoot. And then you'll be expected to put something on your feed about the free samples, ca-peesh?" she said, drawing out her words, and raising a single eyebrow at Chess to make sure she understood. Chess pressed her signature red lips together, nodding eagerly.

"Really, we just want you guys to have fun. We'll probably get some photos of you all at the end, if that's okay?"

The thought of being behind a professional camera was kind of terrifying to the young Mum. Chess was used to her own iPhone set up, her carefully posed selfies that got all of her best angles in. But she smiled and nodded nevertheless, she feared she was beginning to resemble a nodding dog, actually. Remembering to use her words she chirped, "Amazing!"

Giving Chess' arm a little squeeze, Meg dismissed herself with a, 'have fun!' and a little wave, before skittering off in her kitten heels to... do whatever social media managers did. Talk to more Instagram girlies like herself, she supposed.

Peering around at the chaos, Chess wondered where to start. Everyone else seemed so incredibly confident, chattering animatedly to their front-facing cameras and flirting with the photographer and models. She was used to doing everything from the comfort of her plush bedroom, not putting herself on blast in front of four other infuencers with higher follower counts, better equipment and more confidence than herself.

Deciding to start small, and with her favourite part, Chess wandered over to the clothing rack. Her stomach fizzed with delight as she approached the rich fabrics, feeling very much the desire to make like young Lucy Pevensie entering Narnia and dive right in, burying her face in the luxurious fabrics. She managed to contain herself, and settled for taking her phone out, swiping into the camera and starting to record.

She took a few arty shots of her running her perfectly manicured nails over the fabrics, figuring she could edit it into a bigger Instagram reel later. It would be cool to get some shots of her surroundings, work up to the scary stuff. Using her free hand, Chess shook a few dresses loose from the rack, holding each one up to the camera to show them off. They were pieces Chess could only dream of owning.

Panning away from the clothing rack, Chess began filming the overhead exposed lighting, figuring it would be good for something. Perhaps she could do a slow pan of the whole studio? Dropping her camera, Chess began to execute her, rather brilliant, idea, only to find herself filming the naked torso of a male model.

Nearly dropping her phone in shock, Chess juggled her iPhone from one hand to the other before finally catching it, holding it tight against her chest.

"Oh, sugar." Chess blushed, peering up apologetically at the man. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were..."

Chess gestured towards the man's glistening chest, trying not to stare anymore than she already had. Her eyes moved from her phone, to the man, and back again, feeling her eyes grow comically wide and her face red. Oh, she might as well give up and go home now.

"I'm here with Meg, for the... social media outreach thing? I'm not like a... sex pest."

Squeezing her phone tight, she choked out, "I'll delete your, um...shirtlessness."

[kevin--of-desert-bluffs]

WTNV quick rundown - 65 - Voicemail

Featuring the voice of Kevin R Free as Kevin of Desert Bluffs, Dylan Marron as Carlos the Scientist, Erica Livingston as Maggie Penebaker, Christopher Loar as Donald Penebaker, Jackson Publick as Hiram McDaniels, Jasika Nicole as Dana, Retta as Old Woman Josie, Mara Wilson as The Faceless Old Woman, Meg Bashwiner as Deb, Molly Quinn as Fey, Wil Wheaton as Earl Harlan, Symphony Sanders as Tamika Flynn, Hal Lubin as Steven Carlsberg and Kate Jones as Michelle Nyugen. You have reached the voicemail of Cecil Gershwin Palmer. That might seem like an easy thing to do, but think about how long you had to stay alive just to learn how a phone works and who I am. Congratulate yourself on that. Give yourself a vigorous pat on the back. And don’t forget to leave a message after the heavily distorted sample of a man saying “I JUST COULDN’T EAT ANOTHER BITE”

This is one of the few episodes which doesn't start with a 'welcome to Night Vale' segment. As shown in the above opening, this episode is a collection of 'voicemails' left by various characters. I'll write them in the order they are heard in the episode.

The first message is from Carlos. He rings to tell Cecil that they've started building infrastructure in the otherworld, mainly using the rocks from the mountain but also using parts of old settlements. It seems they've just been 'finding stuff' like microwaves and toolboxes. He also mentions the possibility of getting a tattoo with the definition of science according to Webster's (“I don’t know, but I’m trying to find out, ok?”) with possibly a skull and some roses or an anchor for an 'old timey' feel. He also states that he doesn't understand how people can find scientifically inaccurate jokes funny.

The seventh message is also from Carlos. He apologies for 'leaving so many messages' but tells us that he's found people out in the desert otherworld. They are ex-citizens of Night Vale, currently resting in the 'hot yoga' studio Carlos and the masked warriors built as they're somewhat traumitised from wandering for two years in the largely featureless desert with nothing but a distant rumbling and a light they can feel in the roots of their teeth.

The thirteenth message is also from Carlos. This time he tells us that he's studying the people he found and is on the verge of something really big. He follows this up in the sixteenth message, telling us all of the people he found ended up there after they were lured into the dog park during Poetry Week, that the stuff they keep finding is likely things thrown over the dog park wall by citizens and that if Cecil wants to visit all he has to do is wander into the dog park for a few hundred miles.

The second message is from Michelle. She says that she's got the new Woodie Guthrie album for him. She says that he should come down and see the archival records of bees she's been listening to and maybe hang out because she's lonely and needs more human contact.

The third message is from Steve. Steve is asking if it's alright for Janice to stay with him in a few months as he and Abby want to have a couples vacaction to somewhere romantic, like the warehouse district, the sandwastes, or Arby's. He says to get back to him either by the phone or during one of Cecil's rants about him during his show. He also mentions that Cecil tried to convince him that voicemails weren't real so he wouldn't leave any and that he's sorry if the t-shirt's he made with Carlos and Cecil looking at the lights on them upset him (Steve Carlsberg first Cecilos merch maker???).

The fourth message is from Tamika. She's talking about her and the rest of the 'missing' children taking the books on a kind of 'cattle drive' but also admits that books aren't actually sentient so they won't actually be going anywhere.

The fifth message is from Earl. He says he'd love to be on the show again to make pumpkin pie (with much less blood-splatter than you'd think) and that he's still adjusting from going from a childless teenager to a middle-aged man with an 11 year old and trying to balance his job and being with his son. He finally found out that his son is called Roger.

The sixth message is from Fey, technically. She's doing her normal number readings with chimes in between.

The eight message is from Deb. She's running an ad by him which she plans to run whether he likes it or not. It's an ad proclaiming the superiority of sentient patches of haze.

The ninth message is from the FOW. She has carried moths from outside into his closet so they'll destroy his clothes. She can hear some of them eating one of his suits as she speaks. She's pretty mad he saved Dana. She also says to say hi to Carlos, whom she's always liked.

The tenth message is from Old Woman Josie. She needs a lift to League Night because she stopped believing in her car. Also she's had trouble using his left hand lately, but is still sure they can win.

The eleventh message is from Dana. She says that she did not buy Lot 37, just some collectable spoons and a baseball autographed by Lee Marvin. She's still unsure if she's the original Dana or the double. She mentions how they work 5 minutes drive from each other and yet talk less than when she was in the otherworld.

The twelfth message is from something unknown making weird noises.

The fourteenth message is from Hiram, pretending to be Frank Chen (badly) to try and figure out if Dana has told Cecil about any plans she has.

The fifthteenth message leads onto the weather and is a 'daily automated weather service' (Donald and Maggie, if not mistaken). Weather: "Tag!" by Scarves http://scarvesmusic.bandcamp.com

The last message is from Kevin, who acts like basically nothing happened but a vague 'unpleasantness' and hopes that things have been pleasant for Cecil since. He says he's been working on something big that Cecil will be jazzed about and to get back to him 'ASAP'.