#how to charm the snake | romantic ships

[averagewriter-inthedark]

The Crow & His Charmer 🐍 | Kaz Brekker Imagine P.2

My masterlists

continuation of this imagine

Characters & Pairings: Kaz Brekker x gang leader!reader (romantic).

content warnings: profanity, light fluff, rivals-to-lovers, smoking, mentions of violence, gang activity, threats, typical SOC themes, canon divergence. | female!reader (she/her)—no use of Y/n | wc: 2.1k

Premise: Following the success of the Ice Court heist, Kaz Brekker and the Snake Charmer return to Ketterdam newfound allies and a little something that teeters the edge of, 'I can't stand you but can't get you off my mind."

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

Kaz’s cane clicked along the pavement as he strolled up to the entrance of ‘The Snake Pit,’ located on the opposite side deep into the Barrel, making heads at the sight of the owner of The Crow Club nodding his head to the bouncer who returned the gesture as she opened the curtain for him to pass through. 

“What’s Kaz Brekker doing on this side of the Barrel?” 

“I thought the Serpents and the Dregs were lifelong rivals…”

“Didn’t you hear, lass? Brekker managed to charm the Charmer. Or the Charmer charmed him depending how you see it.” 

Lips curling up at the whispers behind him, Kaz went through the curtain and down the spiral staircase leading into the main floor of the building, smirking at the newly refurbished snake enclosure he paid for following the destruction of the previous one. Destruction he caused. 

“I want fucking crystal, Kaz Brekker.” She told him on the ship back to Ketterdam over a bottle of Fjerdan Brännvin. “No glass, no acrylic, none of that bullshit cheap plastic to save you Kruge. You are going to find the finest crystal on the damn island and you’re going to have my babies’ enclosure rebuilt to a fucking T. And it better be filled with everything they need otherwise we’re going to have a fucking problem. Am I clear?” 

For the amount of money they just earned, Kaz would’ve rebuilt the whole Snake Pit had he destroyed it. Toasting her glass with his, Kaz saluted, “Crystal, Charmer.”

Sure, it was a little uncalled for. Scaring the patrons half to death with a dozen loose snakes. Risking the safety of the animals. But it was a means to an end. How else was he supposed to draw out the Snake Charmer into the light and get her to team up with him and his Crows on their journey to the Ice Court. They needed more muscle, and she had that. 

And thank the Saints, it all worked out in the end. They broke into the Ice Court, rescued Yul-Bayur, dealt with Van Eck, and got their fucking 30 million Kruge. Of course, nothing about the heist was easy. It was the most grueling, exhausting, and downright worse job of their life that it’s a miracle any of them survived. 

And besides millions of Kruge--once split--Kaz and the Charmer walked away with something more…intimate. Strong enough to put an end to their bitter rivalry. Succeeding a mutual respect that leaned toward admiration. 

It was why none of the Serpents paid any attention to Kaz as he migrated through the club towards the Charmer’s office. Why her main bodyguards posted outside her door simply nodded and allowed Kaz to walk in unannounced.  

He found the Charmer seated at her desk, cigarette in one hand and telephone receiver in the other while leaning to speak into the transmitter perched on the surface of the desk. Kaz eyed the telephone with curiosity, it being one of the newest investments to her office as they were slowly becoming popular among establishments. Kaz had yet to purchase one, more keen on sending physical notes to people using a messenger. 

“I’ve told you this time and time again, Bram,” She snapped, agitated by the person on the other end of the line. “You had every opportunity to pay back the loan in increments prior to the final night of Nachtspel, otherwise you were expected to pay in full by midnight tonight. And it is,” she opens her pocket watch, “precisely half past. I’m very impatient when it comes to my money, Bram. So what’s it going to be?” 

Kaz smirked at the Charmer, who narrowed her brows at him as he crossed the space to approach her desk. Then she tilted her head, listening to the man on the other end list off excuses to why he was unable to pay the loan. The loan she gave him months prior, even giving him grace by offering the chance to pay it off monthly instead of waiting till the last minute where she’d want the entire payment in full. 

Stealing a cigarette from her open tin, Kaz leaned forward when she flicked open her lighter and held it to him. Reeling back once it’s lit to steal a glass from her bar cart off to the side and pour himself a glass of Rum before settling in one of her oak wood chairs. 

A heavy chuckle escaped her, the Charmer closing her eyes to rub her temple while careful not to let any ash on her clothes. “Oh, Bram, you really know how to piss me off, huh?” Kaz could faintly make out the high-pitched voice from the receiver trying to beg his way out. But she wasn’t having it. “No, no, no, don’t act like I don’t know what you’ve been up to. Not only did I hear from one of my guys that the restaurant--that I gave you the loan for--was gaining attraction during my time away, that you were earning enough to make payments every full moon, but you have been seen playing tables at The Silver Six four days out of the week!” 

Kaz whistled under his breath while blowing out smoke, chuckling as he tipped back the Rum. He didn’t feel bad for the guy. Not one bit. After all, she gave him money to start up his restaurant, then gambled away its earnings. If anything, he felt sorry for what the guy was about to lose, but maybe he should’ve thought twice than screwing with the Charmer. 

“And not to mention the mere fact your pretty wife has been flaunting diamonds and rubies--covered in silk from Shu Han and fucking fur from Fjerda--you really thought I wouldn’t find out?” An empty glass was passed to Kaz, and he refilled it. Watching her gulp half of it before spitting out, “yeah, well you had your opportunity, Bram, and I don’t give second chances. You’ve got till sunrise to gather 150 thousand Kruge--.” Her brows pinched as she was cut off, face consorting to absolute rage, “It would’ve been 100 thousand had you paid me on time!! You had ten months--ten months and you let greed get in the way! You brought this upon yourself, Bram, now it’s time to deal with the consequences. Pawn off your wife's precious gems, steal from your neighbors--I don’t fucking care! When my guy comes to your door at sunrise you better have 150 thousand Kruge or you can kiss your restaurant and all that you have goodbye!” 

The receiver met the phone handle with a slam, the charmer bellowing out a “Ugh!!” while pounding a frustrated fist on the desk and snatching her glass to down the remaining alcohol. 

“I take it that didn’t go well,” Kaz mused, lifting the filter to his lips to take a drag, watching her do the same with hers. 

“Don’t anger me more than I already am, Brekker.” 

That made him chuckle, “Will he have the money? Or should I go ahead and add restaurant co-owner to my list of investments.” 

“What makes you think you get any say in what happens to my restaurant?” It wasn’t bold of her to assume the establishment would be hers. There was no way in hell Bram would accumulate 150 thousand Kruge by sunrise. 

“Darling, I thought we had an agreement,” he sets down his glass, eyes full of mischief, “The Crow Club remains mine; the Snake Pit stays yours, and then anything added on is a…mutual collaboration.” 

“Hmmmm,” her pointer finger circled around the rim of the glass, “Well, we’ll see about that, Brekker. He won't have the money--that’s for sure. And if he by Saints above does, then the matters of how is not my concern, so long as he meets the expected amount.” 

“And what if he decides to burn down the establishment?” It wasn’t uncommon for people who take loans to attempt to destroy the business if they cannot pay it back. That way whoever gave them the loan cannot own the property as retaliation. 

“I’ve got men posted there,” she smirks, tapping away the ash on the tray between them. “He won’t torch that place once he sees them. And even if he were to manage, it's not like he can claim the insurance for it. My lawyers are drafting a lawsuit as we speak.” The woman leans back in her chair, “I’ll get my money one way or another.”

Kaz leaned back in his own chair with a hum, perching his cane on the side of the desk. “We’ll settle the details of the restaurant’s ownership at another time--.”

“Kaz, for Saint’s sake--.”

“I came by to make sure we’re still on for tomorrow evening.”

The woman’s expression turned incredulous, checking her pocket watch once more to which she then raised a brow, “You came all this way--at nearly one in the morning--to ask if I’m still having dinner with you tomorrow?” 

Kaz would not grant her the satisfaction of him blushing, remaining stoic to the point his jaw nearly cramped, giving only a shrug, “It wasn’t that far.”

This time she spluttered a sound, “Kaz, you live in the East Stave. This is the fucking West Stave.” 

Again, he shrugged, “I needed the walk.” 

“Oh my God,” she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why didn’t you just call?”

“I don’t have a telephone, you know that.”

“So send a messenger!” she couldn’t contain her grin any further. “You didn’t have to walk all the way over here.”

“Well I did.”

“Saint’s above,” the smile never left as she snatched the bottle of Rum to refill her glass. “Might as well stay, you know.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” he voices, unsure about the offer. He’d visited the Snake Pit several times since their return to the island, but usually it was with the Crows or during the day for a few hours when the place was closed and the two gang leaders could talk in peace without the annoyance of patrons gapping at them. Since he revealed the Charmer’s identity, the Snake Pit had garnered more attraction than ever--everyone wanting to get a glimpse at the woman who managed to stay under the radar for years while pissing off Kaz and Pekka Rollings. 

Oh how the tables turned. Now the Crow and the Charmer were considered Ketterdam’s most powerful duo. Kaz controlling the East Stave, and the Charmer controlling the West. 

“We’ve got plenty of room and I’m sure you want to be the first to find out whether or not the restaurant is ours.”

Kaz straightened in his seat, a knowing look plastered on his face, “Ours?” 

She rolled her eyes, putting back the bottle of rum once she tipped off his glass, “Don’t fucking look at me like that.” She points a finger at him, face serious, “The place is on my turf, Brekker. I get the higher cut.”

“Oh, Charmer, you wound me.” 

“You’ll live,” she playfully mocks.

“How much are we talking exactly?”

“Seventy-thirty.” 

Kaz shakes his head, “No, thirty-five.” 

“You want thirty-five?” She tilts her head in challenge, “Then you can cover more of the property tax. How about that?” 

Saint’s, she was just like him. So much so it had Kaz grinning, and he was thankful it was only them two in the office. No witnesses to see the man they called Dirtyhands delighted by the woman in front of him. 

“What if instead of the property tax, I cover the import?” He suggests, leaning into her space as she extinguishes the remaining filter of her cigarette, smirking when she visibly reacts to the proposition. “After all, I own Fifth Harbor.” 

“Thirty-five and the import tax?” she reiterated, folding her hands on the surface of the desk, eyeing Kaz like the businesswoman she was about to crack a deal. 

Pleased to have got her where he wanted, Kaz lifts up his glass of rum, smirk widening. “Thirty-five for my cut, and I will pay the import taxes and deal with whatever tariffs that might come our way.” 

She appeared to be deep in thought, as though pondering over her options. But by now Kaz could read the Charmer like a book. They were similar in nature. Thought alike, conducted business alike. Knew when the other was bluffing or being disingenuous. 

Slowly but surely, the Charmer raised her glass, clicking against his while never straying her gaze, “Very well, Mr. Brekker.” They both shot down the Rum at the same time. Sealing the deal. 

Who would’ve thought a crow could charm the snake. Or maybe it was the snake who charmed the crow. Whichever it was, one thing was clear.

No one in the Barrel could ever go against the crow and his charmer. 

[whereserpentswalk]

When humans first invented ftl they encountered several civilizations they thought to be entirely alien to them. Seeing the presence of these creatures they assumed the generational ships they sent out thousands of years ago never reached their destination. They were horrified to find out that they did.

Slowly. It was unveiled that most civilizations humanity thought were alien, were of human ancestry, dating back to ancient generational ships. It was a shock to most of the solar system, causing a strange type of distress learning that humans in such a short amount of time could become so inhuman. It actually made acceptance of these so called aliens take longer, as many people found it disturbing that such creatures could have been human once, and it became more common for the countries of the solar system to develop human supremacist views.

For example, one of the first "alien" civilizations humanity found was a race of powerful warriors. They looked mostly humans, but were taller, stronger, and hairless, with built in weapons, and sharp toothed lipless mouths with complex structures like a spider's or snake's. They acted mostly human, but seemed to actively take pleasure in causing pain, and lacked any disgust response around blood and gore. They were considered allies at first, but the solar system became more distant twords them when they found out that they had once been human. They were from a generational ship that was under attack (likely by an unknown group of humans) and had to develop super soldiers early on to defend themselves, when the war was done the supersoliders outnumbered normal humans and eventually outpaced them as humans did Neanderthals, creating the warroir race we know today. They were almost charming when we thought them alien, but the idea that those monsters are what a branch of humanity became made so many feel some combination of pity and fear twords them.

Another early species that was encountered was an entirely genderless asexual civilization. They looked humanoid but completely lacked any sexual features and reproduced via cloning. Their origins as humans were even darker, having been subject to famine on their ship they lost most of their genetic diversity. They used cloning to reestablish their food supply, replacing meat animals with versions of the ship insects modified to grow larger, and crops with genetically modified versions of the mold and moss that grew on the ship. But they still had such a small gene pool that incest became a problem, so to avoid it they made sure every human was born artificially from synthetic sperm. To enforce this their sexual morals became stricter and stricter, first banning and demonizing all sex, then demanding the castration of all amab bodies, then eventually removing their sex organs at the genetic level, and having children grown artificially. When we thought they were aliens their sexlessness was accepted as part of their culture, but their was a strange level of upset from humans in the solar system once they found out sexuality was something they had lost, even though it had been hundreds of years since any of them had been sexual beings. A lot of people tried to reach out to them, and teach them how to have sexual or romantic relationships, and many words were waxed about how tragic their situation was. But despite the efforts of missionaries and seductors alike none of them were ever swayed.

Though the race that humans became most upset by after finding out they were human had to be the insectoids. They were a humanoid species who had complex exoskeletons made out of metal, similar in construction to an arthropod's, they were some of the most alien looking of the humans thought to be alien. Their origins were that their generational ship was struck by plague, the illness causing the skins of whoever was infected to rot off. The plague quickly made its way through the ship water supply, so to save themselves the humans of the ship created protective suits that allowed them to live comfortably without skin. And since the illness passed from mother to child, and everyone had it, soon the entire population was skinless. The suits became better and better, and as time passed the humans of that generational ship thought of the suits as part of their bodies, once they were adults they'd never take them off. A child born whose skin wouldn't rot off was seen as deformed, and surgery was required to remove the skin. The humans of the solar system were truly horrified by this, they tried to work with the insectiods to try to get them a cure that would allow them to have skin, but the insectiods didn't want one. It permanently severed the bond between the races, diplomatic relationships never healed. To the solar system the insectiods were victims of their society who've been mutilated by their governments, the idea even sparking failed invasion attempts. To the insectiods the solar system was an imperialist power, who hated their bodies, the bodies that they had spent their entire lives in.

Thr solar system never really recovered from finding out the other races were human. Aside from the big three there were a lot of other races, all of whom disturbed humanity in different ways, whether it be the halflings, the machine people, or the corpse eaters. The solar system has been more cut off from the other races of humans, and more imperialist twords them, though most of its invasions failed. A lot of people just blame sociology. The solar system wanted to represent humanity, it was disturbing for them to realize they didn't.

[vulpineptolemaea]

ache

prologue (ao3 version)

summary: In the year 2000, opposites attract like polar ends of a magnet. Art and Patrick play their first of hundreds of matches together; a promising young Tashi spends hours Duncan-ating on the court, and Fox begins writing stories in the margins of books, in the corners of stray sheets of paper and on post-it notes she tucks into her socks.

word count: 9.1k

series warnings: depictions of abuse (familial and romantic), ableism, biphobia, internalized biphobia, descriptions of mental health decline, mentions of potentially triggering topics like fatphobia, sh, and si. please read at your own discretion.

rating: 18+

warnings: Patrick has an icky relationship with his dad, adult language and themes from time to time, ummmm internalized biphobia (both Art and Patrick), mildly sexual conversations, emetophobia (light gagging), light nonexplicit ableism, internalized ableism, in-universe writing of H*arry P*otter fanfiction (fuck J.K. R*owling and fuck terfs)

out of context spoilers

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The first time Patrick saw Art, he was struck nearly dumb by how much Art looked like a mouse. He was a mouse with snowy pale skin and fluffy angel-blond curls and big ears flushed a tender pink at the tips, a mouse who made Patrick’s palms go sweaty immediately before they had even exchanged a word. Patrick’s mouth went dry and numb like when he would go to the dentist and he got cotton swabs shoved into his cheeks. His tongue felt far too heavy to speak, which was a foreign experience for him—silver-tongued charmer, lead-mouthed clumsy child. He could not recall a time that a person made him feel genuinely nervous in a way that made his intestines twist like snakes, but he knew that he needed to impress this boy. 

It was foolish too; this boy was practically surgically attached to his grandmother as they inspected the hallways of Mark Rebellato’s tennis academy. If it were anyone else, Patrick would have sneered. They were far too old to cling to their mother’s skirts and to tear stitches away as they were forcibly yanked by the advancement of adulthood. But something about this boy screamed tentative, shy, cautious in a way that set Patrick’s blood hot like fire. Before he even knew his name, Patrick thoroughly documented the soft, downy fluff of Art’s blond eyelashes and his side profile, a broad nose that makes his silhouette entirely unique. Before he even knew his name, Patrick would recognize him anywhere. He would know him at the world’s end. He would know him even if he’d never met him. 

They almost ran into each other outside of their shared dorm room. Patrick was busy looking around at the activity going on: older boys reuniting with their roommates all around him and families milling around the halls. He (and his roommate, DONALDSON, A., according to the pink housing slip the Resident Advisor table outside gave him) seem to be the only 7th graders on the entire floor. Patrick had never been easily intimidated; he had always been charming and funny, but he felt smaller than he ever had before, watching boys all around him, much older, saying words that stung his ears, even though he’d practiced them with the kids back home. There was something different about twelve and thirteen year old kids sneaking out back to smoke their mother’s Marlboro Golds and spit curses at one another and hearing seventeen year olds crassly shout back and forth.

Patrick was distracted and Art was staring at the toes of his shoes instead of looking up, so they very nearly collided head-on and instead, their shoulders crashed against each other.

When Patrick looked at the offender, he saw a mouse. He saw squinted soft blue eyes, furrowed blonde eyebrows, and soft pale eyelashes. Patrick wondered how they would feel against the back of his hand. Would they be soft? They looked soft. 

“P. Zweig?” The stranger asked, in a soft, reedy voice that had not grown into a masculine depth yet. 

“Zweig. It’s like a ‘v’ not a ‘w,’” Patrick corrected him automatically after a lifetime of mispronounced names. This boy mouthed it a few times. Zweig… Zweig… Zweig…

“It’s Patrick, though. You can call me Patrick,” he said quickly. The idea of this boy saying his name made his heart palpitate uncomfortably, but the spasms continued even after his voice stopped. 

“I’m Art.”

Yes, you are, Patrick thought, but didn’t yet understand why. 

Debbie came up behind him, startling him nearly out of his skin. He’d forgotten about her the moment he started mapping fluffy blonde curls and pale skin, especially since she was behind him, carrying in a bag from the car. Debbie was technically Patrick’s step mother, but she had been around since Patrick was five years old, way more than his so-called real mom who rarely answered the phone these days. Besides, she was here. Even his dad couldn’t be bothered. 

Debbie glanced between Patrick and Art, calculating, before gently placing her hand on Patrick’s shoulder. 

“Who’s your friend?” Art clammed up immediately. It’s not like he’d been particularly chatty, he’d said all of two words, but his eyes go wide at the sound of her voice like he’s a fawn caught on a highway, staring down the barrel of a set of headlights. Patrick noticed the pale blue of his iris as well as the patch of brown eclipsing the blue in his right eye. Art stared at Debbie, not blankly, but like he was terrified of her. Patrick rolled his eyes, partially because he was always good at playing cool and for some reason, he needed to show that off to Art, and partially because he was trying to avoid being drawn into the dark splotch, swirling in the clear blue, an optical illusion.

“Art,” Patrick said, gesturing at him. “And that’s Debbie.”

Debbie ruffled Patrick’s hair with a scoff before looking to her right and evaluating the door to their room before opening and poking her head in to investigate. Art looked horrified, but waited until Debbie had disappeared into their shared dorm room to speak. 

“You call your mother by her first name?” he whispered, sounding agitated. 

“No, she’s not my mom, she’s my stepmom,” Patrick explained, which doesn’t seem to help.

“Still,” he insisted. 

“Patrick,” Debbie called.

Patrick toed his way to the doorway, observing the room. It was smaller than the one he has at home and much more utilitarian. Two slightly elevated twin sized beds occupied the room on opposite sides of the room and the walls were blank chalk-white concrete. He had never shared a bedroom before. 

A duffle bag already sat on one of the beds—Art’s. A small window on the farside of the room overlooked the tennis courts outside, but it’s not quite enough to lighten the sudden dark, heavy clouds filling his chest. Debbie stopped fidgeting with the plain gray sheets on the unoccupied bed to look at him, her thin eyebrows knitting together at the expression on his face. 

His belly turned uncomfortably and she crossed the room in two steps before wrapping her arms around him. She was still taller than him, but probably not for much longer, so he relished in the moment and savored the feeling of pressing his forehead into her shoulder. 

“I know, Patrick,” she soothed. He took a deep inhale of Debbie’s coconut shampoo and vanilla lotion. When she let him go, he missed her already, but instead of asking for just a little longer, he sniffed a little, feeling the warmth of his nose starting to run. Just a little bit.

Debbie reached into her purse and pulled out a small packet of Kleenex. It was only when she reached over to wipe his cheeks that he realized that he was crying. “I’m sorry,” she said. Patrick understood. Neither of them said another word for several minutes.

It had been Debbie’s idea that he go to Mark Rebellato in the first place. Patrick had been angry that she’d been researching places to send him as a backup plan, but truly, nobody in the world knew Patrick’s father like Deborah Zweig. She had foreseen Patrick’s banishment coming from a mile away and prepared herself for impact. 

Patrick’s father had actually pushed to send him off to a military academy, but Debbie had insisted. She had always been his ally, his only real ally, especially against his father’s expectations and his mother’s, well, everything. Debbie was far from a shrinking violet, more than willing to spit fire back at his father when he was being a dick. 

Patrick recalled the final conversation for the millionth time since it happened, him shrinking in his father’s study as his parents shouted at each other about what they would do with him for the better part of two hours. 

He had fucked up, he knew that, but no worse than usual. 

That was the lie he told himself over and over and over again in his head, trying to force his seasick feeling to subside, trying to make the Earth stop tilting beneath his feet and giving him dizzying swells of vertigo.

“He’s your son,” Debbie had snarled, full upper lip curling in disdain for the man she’d married. “Not just something for you to pawn off-”

“He’s a stain on this family is what he is.”

“He’s a child, Robert. He’s no more of a stain than Abby or Riley.”

“Don’t bring up the girls, you know they would never do anything of the kind.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

Patrick shrunk even further at the mention of his sisters. Abby was his full sister, just as much an agent of chaos as Patrick, if not even more so, but the apple of their father’s eye, so no matter what she did, it was never nearly as bad as anything Patrick did. Riley was still just a kid—Debbie and his dad’s kid, so his half sister, a distinction he only remembered to make when he remembered that she was usually better behaved than he and Abby, even if only because she could hold still for longer than thirty seconds. Otherwise, she blended right in: freckles, lack of an ‘inside voice,’ and eyes that never could quite decide if they wanted to be blue or green.

“Deborah, stop. He’s got to go.”

“At least let him go to that Mark Rebellato place I found. For tennis. That way, he can focus his energy into something he’s really talented at.”

“Oh, talented-”

“Yes, Robert, talented.” 

Afterwards, Debbie sat with him while he sobbed. His father couldn’t be bothered (“Be a man, Patrick.”), but Debbie sat and listened while he choked on his tears, unflinching as he swore at both her and his father (“Fuck both of you, you’ve always wanted to get rid of me ‘cos I’m not your real son…”). And now, she was the one here with him. 

“I’m so sorry, Patrick. On the plus side, your roommate seems nice,” she said with a gentle smile. He nodded, wiping his face with the back of his hand, neglecting his crumpled tissue.

Patrick cried himself to sleep that first night, alone, wrapped in thin gray sheets, sweltering in the humid North Carolina August. His sweat stuck through his t-shirt and his boxers, plastering him to the mattress. It wasn’t like it was hotter than home; Fort Lauderdale felt about the same as Winston-Salem, and the Floridian beaches were much more humid. Still, he was sticky with discomfort in addition to the tears rubbing his cheeks raw as they dripped down from the corner of his eyes down to rest in the shell of his ears. He stared at the ceiling, missing his glow in the dark star stickers.

In the middle of his tears, maybe around midnight, he heard Art get up and pad over on sock feet across the floor. Patrick had thought he was being quiet enough that Art wouldn’t be able to hear him, and to Art’s credit, he had enough tact not to bring it up. Instead, he simply turned on his small desk lamp light and looked across the room at Patrick, his face illuminated on its broad planes, with his delicate features drowned in shadow, his golden hair backlit and shining white. 

“D’you want a blue gatorade?”

Patrick wouldn’t find out until later that Art considered blue gatorade to be nectar of the gods and regarded it nearly as a holy relic and savored each bottle, but he appreciated the electrolytes anyhow. While he drank the offered beverage, Art hopped up on his bed next to him, and together, they played with Art’s tamagotchi well into the early morning hours before they both fell asleep in Patrick’s bed. 

Art’s neck smelled cool and soft, like lavender and his skin felt like a soothing aloe salve on a blistering burn. Patrick woke up almost cold, his nose buried in Art’s blond curls.

It helped him forget to cry, and it also gave Patrick his first glimmer of hope since what he’d done in May. It really was worse than anything he’d ever done, but he tried to ignore the twists of guilt and to take deep breaths until his heartbeat settled back into the ordinary. Until it matched Art’s, still sleeping, his heart thrumming against Patrick’s belly. 

Maybe Mark Rebellato wouldn’t be as bad as he’d thought. 

Patrick had originally felt sour when he found out that at Mark Rebellato, they practiced both singles and doubles and that feeling only further embittered on the first day of New Student Orientation, when he woke up with his eyelashes sticky and his mouth dry, then proceeded to flail miserably with his first two doubles partners. Patrick liked playing by himself, all wild limbs and chaotic moves, and he was irritable about lacking the opportunity to be the star player. He was also irritable about working with people he didn’t connect with. Patrick had too much fire; he wasn’t always a good fit.

Cameron Pierce (Match One) was far too methodical. It was like playing with a robot. He was stiff and slow, like he was just barely calibrating, and he seemed to dislike Patrick’s mess all over the court, with flailing long limbs and erratic shots that seemed to only just land, scraping just inside the court. Cameron seemed nice enough, didn’t argue or sneer, but Patrick could tell his patience was wearing thin by the end of the final set. Patrick’s was too. It seemed like Cameron didn’t have an ounce of passion in his entire body.

Match 1

Pierce/Zweig 5 4

Walker/Zhao 7 6

As if noticing his need for chaos, Coach Jake, an equally chaotic seeming person, paired him with Jackson Moore (Match Two). This was even worse because of the complete imbalance of playing two wildcards at once. They ran into each other at full speed three different times, got into five screaming matches, and nearly got into one fistfight before an assistant coach broke them up. Fire does not play nicely with fire very often, and neither of them were willing to snuff theirs out to keep the peace.

Match 2

Moore/Zweig 4 4

Chen/Walker 6 6

A lot of students at Mark Rebellato played with their roommates. They already had a built-in practice companion, why wouldn’t they? Still, they tried multiple combinations first, just as a test. But the third time's the charm, and Art fit Patrick like a glove. Calmer and more level headed on the court, he walked on with an air of confidence he hadn’t had anywhere else in the day Patrick had known him: not in the corridor outside of their dorm, not in their bedroom, not at breakfast, not through the first half of New Student Orientation. Art took steps onto the court like he owned it. 

And together, they absolutely did.

Match 3

Donaldson/Zweig 6 6

Garcia/Nguyen 1 2

The moment he stepped back off the court, Art turned right back into his mousy self, curling in on himself a bit more than he had before. But there was an undeniable smolder, one that stitched their fast forming bond even tighter.

Art’s grandmother stuck around for the first few days after she brought him to Mark Rebellato’s Tennis Academy. He appreciated it. Art’s anxiety was somewhat quelled by having a familiar, loving face around, even just to get him through New Student Orientation. Plus, he had always gotten along well with his grandmother. His parents had spent his twelve years of life being invested primarily in their jobs, with their only child as an afterthought. That was not to say that he wasn’t loved by them, just that he spent a lot of his time alone. 

His grandmother took care of him when he was too small for school, then began to pick him up from school once he was old enough to go. He was always seen when he was with her. She heard him without being preoccupied by real estate or by whatever middle management was.

Art spent a lot of the first few days pondering his luck and his new roommate. He was surprised when Mrs. Zweig (w pronounced like a v!) had to leave early the next morning. She must have seen it on his face, his has always been an open book, because she stopped to assure him that Patrick would be okay and that she didn’t want to leave but her patients needed her back at home. Art supposed that he could let it slide, however, Patrick seemed to need her, even if he tried to pretend he didn’t really care so much. 

“Bye, Deb,” Patrick had said as she left the first night. After she was well on her way, Art couldn’t help himself. 

“I can’t believe you call your mom by her first name.”

“Dude, I told you, she’s not my mom. She’s my stepmom.”

“Aren’t they basically the same?”

Art understood a stepmother in a conceptual sense. Patrick’s parents weren’t together anymore and now his dad had a new wife. But he thought that she seemed like his mom anyway. She looked like she’d scrubbed Patrick behind his ears when he was little and cleaned up his scraped knees. As far as he was concerned, someone like that was as real a mom as any, even if you didn’t come out of her. Art tried to explain, but then Patrick started talking about babies and vaginas and Art didn’t want to hear anymore at that point. 

“I didn’t come out of her vagina, so she’s not my real mom,” Patrick insisted. Art flinched at the word. He didn’t want to seem like a wuss, he just grew up around parents and other kids who never said dirty words like that.

“What’s the matter with your face,” Patrick said. It wasn’t a question.

Art explained politely. Perhaps Patrick didn’t know that vagina was a dirty word and that it wasn’t something that people were supposed to talk about. Patrick stared at him with incredulity through his entire explanation, like Art was suddenly speaking Greek.

“You shouldn’t use dirty words like that.”

“Vagina isn’t a dirty word, it’s a body part, dude. Like a foot. Deb says so. It would be dirty if I called it a ‘pussy.’”

Art could not believe his ears.

“Well, don’t call it that!” Art said, horrified yet again by his new roommate.

Much of the evening was spent in this way. Patrick spoke in unfamiliar ways, but something about it made Art’s stomach flip. It had flipped anxiously and irreverently when Patrick said the p-word, sort of like on a rollercoaster, and before going to sleep, as he laid on his bed in the dark, back turned toward Patrick, he tried mouthing it out a couple of times. Just to try it out. Maybe Patrick had been right when he said Art had been too sheltered—a brutal read for a first meeting. 

Art had never been able to sleep away from home. He spent many nights having to have his parents called to come pick him up from failed sleepovers, and he’d skipped any boy scout camping trips because he couldn’t stand the idea of being away from home at night. This was for two reasons: he missed his parents and because he didn’t like the dark. He refused to use the word afraid, but he definitely needed some light in order to sleep.

In his bedroom back home, he had glow in the dark stars stuck to every perceivable surface in his room and multiple night lights in various shapes scattered around; at least one on each wall. Art didn’t bring them with him because he hadn’t wanted his randomly assigned roommate to think he was a baby, or scared of the dark. He wasn’t scared—he just didn’t like it and the lurking sense of dread it brought with it. He was regretting this choice now, curled in his bed, staring at the wall, feelings of anxiety creeping in, heavy and dark in his lungs, like a weight on his chest. Art had never been able to sleep away from home and that didn’t seem to be changing any time soon.

As he pondered the lack of light and why he’d insisted so fiercely on wearing a brave mask for someone he didn’t even know, Art’s ears perked up as he heard Patrick’s breathing become heavy across the room. It didn’t get heavy with sleep, but heavy, slow, and wet, with his breaths sharp and shaky. Patrick was crying.

It was for different reasons, Art thought, than his own homesickness. His stepmother was the only family who had been there, and Art’s grandma was the only one there with him too, but it seemed different. For one thing, he called her by her first name, which seemed like a strange distance to him. For another, he had seemed weirdly sad, even through his brash loudness and large white teeth he showed off with large smiles. It was like those big grins didn’t fully meet his eyes. They didn’t crinkle up around the edges until he’d laughed alone in the room with Art. 

Art didn’t want to embarrass him, but he wanted to comfort him anyways, so he uncoiled his body and slipped from his bed, landing lightly on his tiptoes. He turned on a desk lamp as he passed it, just so he could see, not for any other reason, and began to rummage around for his holy grail, his favorite drink, his sealed new bottle of blue gatorade. He found it and for extra measure, grabbed his tamagotchi. 

When he turned to see Patrick, his nose was slightly puffy and pink at the tip. His eyes were bloodshot and shone a nearly electric teal color and his cheeks were wet. 

“D’you want a blue gatorade?”

Patrick took it like he didn’t know he was doing it, almost hollowly. Art climbed up onto the bed next to him and showed him his Tamagotchi, which he had lovingly named Gizmo 2 (Gizmo 1 had died and in his bereavement, he had raised a second, named in memoriam). He showed Patrick how to feed it and play with it as Patrick took little hits of vibrant blue electrolytes and readjusted back into the boy he had met that afternoon. Up close, Art could see the freckles all over Patrick’s face and the way some of them hid in the crinkles of his eyes and in his dimples when he laughed.

One moment, Art was watching Patrick and the next, he was waking up with his head laying heavily on Patrick’s belly at 6:30 a.m. Patrick was warm, like a sentient, breathing heating pad, relaxing and cozy for Art’s anxious sensibilities. Art allowed himself to move with the rhythm of Patrick’s breaths for a few beats before disentangling himself.

He celebrated internally at his victory—falling asleep—before realizing that the lamp light was still on, cruelly reminding him that he had still needed it after all.

Coach Jake Martinez led his orientation group in a way that felt too casual for Art’s taste, personally speaking. He wore flip-flops and gestured vaguely at confusing sets of buildings on a tour that was supposed to take thirty minutes but stretched into two long hours, with frequent side tangents and long stops, which left Art more disoriented than ever. Ancient-looking buildings, carefully tailored to appear worn, despite being no more than thirty years old, loomed all around him. They all looked the same, and Art felt smaller than ever; insignificant, like a dandelion fluff floating in the wind. Art’s panic rested on the back of his tongue as he desperately tried to distinguish between the Mark Rebellato buildings. He’d need to know the difference in only a few days when he was trying to go to his classes, but the dizzying, artificially weathered, gray stone walls all blended together.

The sight of a deep forest green court surrounded by chain link fence caught his attention and he immediately forgot his navigation-based woes. The white asphalt baseline marked the outline of his safest space, and he ached to get onto the court. When he wasn’t at his grandmother’s house, he was spending most afternoons, evenings, and weekends playing tennis at the local community center. 

He’d picked up his first racket at age six at his grandmother’s home for the summer, and he’d never been able to remove it fully from his hand. He felt the weight of it heavy at all times like a phantom limb, his muscles never wanting to let go of the memory, even momentarily. He spent the next six years of his life practicing whenever he could. It almost felt like the court was what sparked him to life every time, reviving a body that otherwise felt useless. 

Watching Patrick play was like watching a raging wildfire; beautiful but chaotic, elegant but overwhelming. His movements were fluid but unexpected, and they didn’t match well with his first two partners, the stiff android and the additional wildfire. But when the other coach, Coach Mark Collins, sent Art in to play with Patrick, their styles snapped into place, two halves of a whole, equal but opposite. Hot and cold, red and blue, wild and calm, chaotic and practiced all at once. 

Coach Collins stood off to the side, watching them as they wiped their opponents all across the court, not turning his head when Coach Martinez came to stand by him.

“I think we may have something beautiful on our hands,” Coach Collins said, taking a sip of his now stale, cold coffee, unblinking. Despite barely having finished his bachelor’s degree in athletic training and a very quick teacher certification that had him now beginning his first year coaching professionally, at such a prestigious academy no less, slipping into an imposter-syndrome sinkhole, Coach Martinez felt inclined to agree.

That night, Art’s grandmother took him and Patrick to some little diner on the edge of town. Patrick didn’t act as lonely as he was. He was crass and loud, but he called Art’s grandmother ma’am and that was good enough for Art. Besides, the fact that Patrick was all alone made the cavity in between Art’s ribs ache with both sameness and sorriness at once. And Art and his grandmother had always been on the same wavelength, even since he was no bigger than her knee. She’d known to invite Patrick without Art even opening his mouth.

“Art and I are going to a little diner next to my hotel. Happy’s, I think it’s called. Why don’t you come with us, Patrick?”

It didn’t take much convincing, or any really. Patrick had brightened up immediately, so bright it was like the scarlet North Carolina sun was in their room with them, a brightness that radiated an overwhelming heat that left Art’s skin feeling pink and tender, like he had a sunburn from overexposure. Patrick had seemed a little gloomy when his grandmother had showed up at their dorm room, but it was gone so fast that Art was sure he’d imagined it and he didn’t see it resurface again for the entire night. Besides, it was eclipsed by the euphoric high of being around Patrick, who was already becoming an emotional support source of dopamine.  

Sitting in the backseat with Patrick, Art’s chest constricted and his heart swirled in his chest. For one thing, he was with Patrick who was fun and made his heart beat so hard he felt like he’d been running uphill for a mile and a half. For another, his stomach sunk with sickening anxiety: his grandmother would be leaving early the next morning, and he already missed her. He was able to sleep somehow (fitfully), but that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid of the chasm of loneliness destined to follow after her departure. 

Patrick ripped open his straw wrapper, placed it at the end of his straw and shot it at Art as soon as he got it. After it hit his cheek, Art’s grandmother showed Patrick how to fold it into a worm. 

“If you fold it like so… then drip just a little water on it…”

Art had watched the trick many times, and something about watching Patrick’s eyes go wide as she eased a drop of water out of the end of her straw, landing on the crumpled worm and it began convulsing immediately, hurt him. It felt like getting stabbed, not that he’d had any experience with such a thing. The diner lights hitting Patrick’s eyes made the gold in the center glow even sharper, which made Art’s stomach feel funny and his tongue feel heavy, and he placed his napkin on his plate, his appetite now gone. 

“How does it… do that?” Patrick asked, sounding for the first time like a vulnerable young person, wishing for an adult to pay attention to him. He was a different person than the person who called his stepmother by her first name only the night before. Despite the present height difference—Patrick stood a few inches taller than him—he looked genuinely small. Art’s ears felt like they had been submerged in hot water. He could barely hear the two of them as they continued to speak.

At the end of night, Art’s grandmother dropped them off at their dorm building. Patrick began the walk back to the front entrance, but she stopped Art after he shut her car door. 

“Hang on just one second, Artie,” she said kindly, getting out of the car. “I have a gift for you.”

She handed him a small, brown paper bag, gently pressing it into his palms, her long acrylic French tip nails sending soothing scratches over the backs of Art’s hands. 

“Hopefully this will help you out while you still need it. Remember that you can call me anytime you need me,” she said, then pressing her lips to the top of his head and ruffling through his soft, fluffy curls. “I love you, Artie.”

“Love you too, grandma,” he says, taking a small inhale of the floral perfume against the crook of her neck.

Back in his dorm, Art sat down on his bed and opened her gift to him. Inside of the paper bag was a small night light, wrapped in pale blue tissue paper.

The wall was a reliable, dependable partner, even if not dynamic. The wall never moves. It would always return her serve, directly back into her racket, sending electric shock through her homemade absorber.

Playing the wall in her family’s rundown Queens backyard, Tashi found out that she was a good player. Playing with other girls on the tennis team she couldn’t afford to be on after school, Tashi found out that she was a great player. Playing against random adults at the local YMCA knock off, Tashi found out that she was a fucking star.

Tashi dragged the toes of her tattered, worn white Reeboks along the subway floor, watching the scuffed rubber gum of the shoes rub against worn sheet ground. Her backpack rests in the aisle seat next to her and she leans back in the window seat to look at various apartment buildings, bodegas, and cardboard signs as they pass by below. Her daily venture took her from school to the youth center, tennis racket and ball in her backpack until her mom could stop by on her way home from work and pick her up to take her home. 

Tashi would stay at school each day until the adults told her to go home at 4:30 (sometimes 4:45, if she was lucky) because the tennis coaches couldn’t babysit her, not for free, she had to be on the team if she was going to stick around after school. The coaches put up with her for an extra hour each day, but only because she truly dominated the courts, which helped their actual students get better, but each day, like clockwork, they would tell her to leave, at which point, she would ride the subway to the youth center. 

Sometimes at the center, she could find adults to play with. She had her favorite recurring characters. Joe was an older man who reminded her a bit of an uncle, too old to be like her dad, too young to be like her grandfather, who worked there and was there four days a week. Usually he could play with her for an hour at least, but on days when Joe was off or busy, she would have to find other partners or play with the center’s back wall. Rita was another good choice, but she wasn't very good at tennis. She was a bit too old to move very quickly and she couldn’t see fuck all without her giant horn-rimmed glasses, but she was a very nice woman, who Tashi really liked. 

The subway came to a screeching halt at Tashi’s daily stop and she evacuated from the automatic sliding door, beginning her three block walk to the center. It was a Thursday, so Joe’s day off, so instead of even going inside and trying her luck, Tashi went around back and began throwing various serves to her best, most dependable partner, the brick back wall of the center. The crack of the tennis ball smacking against the wall was only interrupted by the sharp exhales and her occasional shouts as adrenaline began to snake through her veins, shining pale green under her glistening brown skin, sparkling with sweat. She bit the soft, tender flesh inside of her lips, drawing crimson, salty drops of blood against her tongue. 

It was seven o’clock before her mother’s 1995 deep green Toyota Camry pulled up against the curb. Tashi was ready for her—seven o’clock was the typical time her mother would be by, with both Tashi’s brothers in the car already. She was the last stop on her mother’s way home, which Tashi appreciated. Playing tennis was essentially what kept Tashi alive, and with each day she got better, and that made her chances of becoming a professional and carrying her family to the place they deserved to be climbed higher and higher. At seven, she was sitting on the curb, her right knee throbbing, legs drawn up against her chest, flyaways frizzing at her hairline, the rest of her hair slicked back with equal parts gel and sweat. 

Her mother’s eyes were heavy, like she was half asleep already, behind the wheel. Tashi’s brothers, 10 and 6, already waited in the backseat, also looking half asleep. Tashi’s energy overwhelmed the station wagon, so she nipped back the instinct to immediately start talking tennis. She would need to save that for her father, who despite having no energy for anything else, always wanted to talk sports. Josiah’s small hand reached out from the backseat to squeeze hers and she gave him the customary greeting, twining their fingers together. More than anything—more even than her exhausted mom with bruise colored bags under her eyes falling asleep in her work scrubs for three hours a night, more than her dad, focused on the athletic direction of one of the poorest high schools in the state with a win record of zero, and Malachi, aged ten and already half-grown, Tashi practiced tennis because she wanted a better home for Josiah. She wanted Josiah to have opportunities that she and Malachi would never get to have. She wanted Josiah to have his own bedroom and to eat home cooked meals that weren’t just Spaghetti-Os prepared via microwave. Tashi practiced so she could give that to him. If she was good enough, she could ease the burden of their family, and she could reinvent Josiah’s entire life. It was the reason she was able to power through the ache in her right knee, the reason she was able to power through the pain in her lungs and the blisters on her palms and the arthritic aches in her wrists. 

“How was your day, baby?” Tashi’s dad asked her, placing a quick kiss to the top of her hair, damp from her post-dinner shower. She placed her 6th grade math homework pages back down onto her pale pink bedspread to look up at him. 

“Same as usual,” she said. “Pretty good.”

An unspoken thread hung between them. Tashi desperately wanted to join the school tennis team and she understood that the reason she couldn’t was because of financial strain and a lack of time from her parents. She had stopped asking months ago, but she knew her father heard it every day when she looked at him. It broke his heart not to be able to give her the one thing she ached so painfully for, and it ached even more that he knew that she wanted it not for herself, but for her family. She wanted to be something, sure, but she also wanted her family to be something too. More than anything.

Her dad sat on her bed next to her, shifting her homework out of his way. 

“I found something for you,” he said, handing her a small pamphlet. 

It advertised a local tennis tournament, in Queens, about a month away. Most tournaments for girls her age didn’t boast cash prizes or anything like that, but the first thing she noticed was different age brackets from 11 to 17 and a cash prize of $250 for the winner in each bracket, plenty for her to be able to pay the fee for the school tennis team. Tashi’s stomach swelled upwards like she was on the ferris wheel at the local carnival; that place at the tippy top of the world where her stomach went to her throat and she felt almost like she could step out of the seat and walk into the stars. It felt like touching the sky, it felt like defying every single gravitational limit, it felt like soaring, being pushed up instead of pulled down, not weightless but her weight supported by the sparkling silver staircase of stars she could use to crawl up to heaven. 

She stared at the pamphlet silently for a few moments before emitting a high-pitched squeal she’d never heard herself make before.

Tashi’s win was practically promised to her before she even stepped onto the court. She wasn’t just the best player in her neighborhood or in her city, but maybe in the entire state of New York. Plus, she’d been sleeping with the pamphlet under her pillow for three and a half weeks, thinking, dreaming, doing nothing but tennis. It wasn’t surprising to anyone who knew her that she won. Joe came to watch, screaming at each hit she made, at each feral growl that emanated from between her clenched teeth. When she hit the final winning point, Tashi screamed like a banshee, then couldn’t stop sobbing as she accepted the award check. They were her adrenaline tears, fatter and saltier than sadness tears, the kind that are impossible to really fight. They just run their course.

Rita from the youth center called her at home that night, congratulating her as she iced her right knee, which was throbbing like it had a headache. Still, Tashi couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear, looking at the prize check where she had it held carefully, uncreased, between her hands as her mother held a bag of frozen peas to her kneecap to soothe the internal irritation.

It was only just the beginning of Tashi’s life—and she could not wait to be something.

Step One: Wake up. 

Fox slowly uncurled at the sound of her alarm clocks, two of them, chiming at the same time. Despite very rarely being late, she had developed a truism that she was entirely unable to wake up with just one alarm, so she had two, one across her room on the bookshelf that she would have to get up to shut off, something she always wanted to do immediately. The shrill screams of her alarm sent goosebumps up the back of her neck and she got up as soon as it began, hands clasped over her ears, jolting out of bed to get rid of the nails on a chalkboard to reinstate silent peace. She’d then check the times on each clock. 6:30 on the pink Hello Kitty bookshelf alarm clock. 6:30 on the faux brass twin bell bedside alarm clock. 6:31 on the Kit-Cat Klock on the wall, wagging its tail and dashing its eyes back and forth as the second hand ticked past. 

Step Two: Get dressed. 

Fox fumbled with the buttons on the top of her cotton pajama set, having to take a few extra seconds for direct focus on undoing the buttons. Nimble, quick movements with her hands had always been borderline impossible for her, so she ends up spending a frustrating amount of time on clothing buttons. Sometimes zippers, sometimes locks and door handles, but buttons were always the worst offenders because of the care it took to guide a button through a buttonhole. It was why the ladies at church had ultimately given up on her sewing lessons after nearly four years—she just wasn’t built for hand-eye coordination. She never had been. Fox’s mom told her not to mind the old ladies at church who said that her fumbling, uneven hand stitches made her poor wife material. The first time she’d heard them say it, she had been confused: she was nobody’s wife, she was only just now in the seventh grade. The second time she had heard it, she’d cried. Fox understood why they said it that time; she understood that they meant that she would ultimately grow up to be worthless, something soothed by spending time with her father afterward, where he reminded her that anyone of quality would know that she had inherent value as a human being. Every time they said it after that rolled off of her. She wasn’t anyone’s wife, and she wouldn’t really want to marry anyone who judged her quality off of her embroidery skills, or her lack thereof. 

Fox’s school had a loose dress code. Acceptable clothing items included: dark wash jeans, knee length (or longer) skirts in denim, khaki, black or plaid, dark trousers (patterns were immaterial—that is to say, you could wear whatever pattern desired on your trousers), khakis (gross), polos, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts in either white or blue. Fox didn’t like picking clothes out, so she stuck with the same pattern each day: white polo, knit blue sweater on top, and jeans. She pulled her socks up high so they wouldn’t leave uncomfortable creases in her ankles. Fox always double knotted her white Keds, perpetually smudged with dirt from walking home and pencil marks from doodling. 

“You’re wearing that? The high today is 90.”

Step Three: Eat breakfast and talk to mom.

“I always wear a sweater. It’s cold in the school. Except when I have P.E., but I have to change for that anyways,” Fox informed her mother, as she did most days, who looked at her with furrowed brows. 

“Well, alright, if you’re so sure.”

“I am.” 

Fox poured exactly one spoonful of brown sugar into her plain oatmeal, stirring and mixing it into the damp oats. Oatmeal was never particularly appetizing. Fox used to pretend she was a horse just to get through it, though now she had been eating it each morning for years. But on this day, when she took a bite, it felt cold, slimy and heavy in her mouth, coating each centimeter of her tongue as it slid toward her throat. Her stomach immediately convulsed and she heaved, snatching up a napkin and spitting the mouthful into it. 

“What’s wrong with it?”

Fox shook her head. It was the same as it always was, but the texture was just wrong today and even looking back at the beige slop had her stomach swirling and twisting with nausea. 

“I don’t know. I can’t today.”

Her mom took a deep inhale through her nose, closing her eyes as she did so. Fox was aware that she could be exhausting, but it’s not like her mom ever said it out loud. She could just see it reflected in the same grayish-olive eyes that she had, a sense of exasperation that may as well have been its own new color. Speaking of-

“Five straight seconds of eye contact.”

Fox raised her eyes to meet her mother’s. It’s not like she couldn’t look at people’s eyes, she just didn’t tend to hold eye contact for very long (blinking, glancing away, looking at her hands), so she and her mother had a daily five second staring contest. One. Olive-gray. Just like her own. Two. Dark eye lashes. Just like her own. Three. One pupil is slightly larger than the other. Just like her own. Four. Yellow in the center. Just like her own. Blueish on the outside edge. Just like her own. Five. Blink. Finally. 

“Okay?”

“Okay,” her mom replied. 

Fox felt sorry for tiring her mother out, but to be fair, the staring contest wasn’t her idea, it was her mom’s. Everything else was probably Fox’s fault, though. 

Step Four: Makeup.

Fox went back into her bedroom, pulling out her makeup tin. It was a little tin box that contained all of her little makeup things: powder foundation that was perhaps one shade too light, glitter lip gloss, and the piece de resistance, black liquid eyeliner. The lid had her mirror glued to it and onto that, she had taped a cutout photo of Veronica Bennett to look at each day for inspiration. Veronica sat in her box in picturesque gray and black ink, black cat eyes staring back and beehive hairdo sitting pretty on her head, bangs nearly falling into her eyes. When she’d found the picture of her in one of her mother’s discarded magazines, Fox had practically fallen in love, especially with the dark cat eyes.

Fox first wiped the powder foundation all across her face, over her nose, cheeks, eyelids and eyebrows. Her brows were thick and a tad unruly, so Fox had taken to putting makeup over them since her mother wouldn’t let her puck them yet. Next, the glitter on her lips—her favorite thing about it was that it tasted like pineapple coconut; flavored lipgloss was all the rage. And the eyeliner, which she did, sitting in a hunched position on her bed, her face as close to the mirror as she could get. If she was too far away, her face was blurry, which was no good at all. 

She had just finished the first eye, inner corner extending toward her nose, wing out towards her eyebrow, when her mom came in. 

“Absolutely not. Take it off.”

“But-”

“I said, take it off.”

With a sigh, Fox took her nearby makeup wipes to get rid of the evidence of her hard work. It was a daily occurrence. She and her mom never really argued about it, but she tried every day because maybe one day, her mom would let her finish. She’d see how pretty it was and she would let her go to school that way. Then people would pay attention to her, not as the weird girl to ask out as a joke or the smart girl to copy off of, but as something else entirely. The black smudged makeup wipe tumbled into the trashcan next to her bed, thumping softly on top of a pile of now dried makeup wipes, smeared with heavy black ink. 

Step Five: Take the bus.

When walking past the mailbox on her way to the sidewalk, Fox stopped to pop open the lid, stooping to look inside. She found it entirely empty. She knew it would be, but she found it difficult not to check each time she passed by it. A month ago, Fox had mailed a set of three novellas to a publishing company for a writing contest. The winner would have their story published and sold in bookstores. Fox’s truest passion was writing stories, but she was also trying to build up funds for college. It seemed far away, but it really was only 6 years away.

She arrived at the bus stop two blocks away at exactly 7:13 am, the same time she did every school day. During the six minutes between her arrival at the bus stop and the bus pulling up, Fox pulled her tiny lined notepad and gel pen from her jean pocket, flipping it open to the nearest blank page. 

Hermione Granger was an enigma to all who knew her. To none moreso than Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, her two closest friends in the world, who still knew so little about her. The things that they—and boys as a whole—noticed about her tended to be at the surface-level. Her buck teeth, her wild, frizzy curls, her baggy robes, the way she wore her wand tucked behind her ear. They also knew and understood that she was brilliant. But they didn’t know her. In fact, they knew so little that they didn’t even realize how much about her there was left to discover. She was not the kind of girl to set someone’s heart aflutter, at least not now. At least, she shouldn’t have been. 

But lately, Ron had started to feel seasick around her, something he could not justify to himself. He convinced himself that it was some sort of weird illness that would go away sometime soon. Perhaps with exposure therapy. But exposure to the source of the virus proved to be an ineffective solution and the seasickness only became more prolonged as he tried to address-

When the bus arrived, it did so with a loud sigh, like a neglected shelter dog and Fox immediately flipped her notepad shut and boarded, taking her usual right side window seat three rows behind the bus driver, resting her cheek against the cold window, curling against the side of the bus, pulling her knees up onto the leather seat. The sounds of other students faded into a dull roar around her as the bus left the stop with a loud, high pitched squeal. 

Step Six: Class. 

Most of Fox’s classes were typically monotonous in a way that is comforting for her. All, in fact, with one exception: gym class. She had forgotten that the coach was beginning the tennis unit, something that she was beginning to regret almost as soon as the racket touched her palm. Had she remembered, she would have begged her dad to let her stay home—she was her dad’s favorite, and she might have been able to persuade him to take her with him to work. This would not have worked on her mother, so she would have had to try before her dad left for work anyway. 

Fox swung desperately at each tennis ball, making contact with none of them. The two girls on the other side of the net shared a high five. The one on the left stuck her tongue out at Fox’s partner, who had buried her face in her hands. The other two girls were her partner’s best friends, who were clearly delighting in the assigned partnerships and in their friend’s misfortune. The one on the right had laughed out loud when Fox had been paired with the third in their triumvirate. 

Cory (her partner) was not Fox’s friend, that had always been clear. She didn’t even like her. Cory was out of her friendship league. She was out of Fox’s every league. She glowed in the hallway, turning everyone’s head. Boys, girls, it didn’t matter. She wore shimmery blue eye shadow, low-rise jeans with her g-string floss visible, and had butterfly clips that matched her baby tees that she never got dress coded for somehow. She crimped sections of her hair. Once she came to school with the crimps bedazzled. 

Fox could tell that Cory actually couldn’t stand her. And when Coach had been assigning partners, Cory pretended first not to have heard, then not to know who she was, then she tried begging to be assigned with anyone else, literally anyone but Fox. 

“Felicity is your partner, Cory. You’re gonna just have to get over it,” he said, not even looking at her.

Cory and her friends were fairly competitive, Fox couldn’t fully fault her because she knew that whoever’s team she was on was going to be the losing team. 

She hit one tennis ball for the entire 50 minute class period. She swung at every ball that came her way, but she was a terrible judge of distance and she never could get her hands to do what she wanted them to do. So she hit one and only one. One out of at least fifty. Probably even more than that. Fox would have counted, but she was distracted by the prickling hatred of her doubles partner. 

When Coach allowed them to hit the locker rooms to change out of their gym clothes, Cory shoulder checked her, nearly sending Fox to the ground because of Cory’s major height advantage. Fox took her time walking back to the locker room, looking at her feet the whole way, blinking back hot tears. 

Fox wished she had remembered the tennis unit. She wished it more than anything. She wished that Cory hadn’t been her partner. They both probably would have been much happier that way. She was a little grateful that she hadn’t worn the eyeliner to school that day. When she furiously rubbed her eyes to send the tears away, there was nothing there to smear. 

“God, that was terrible to watch.”

“I know. I hope we change partners tomorrow,” Cory said.

Me too.

Step Seven: Check mailbox again.

Fox opened the mailbox door for a second time that day, this time rifling through letters left in the box before locating the one she had been waiting for so anxiously. Her stomach turned with anxiety but she tore it open anyway, carrying it and all of the other letters into the house. Her mom is the one who reads the letter for her as Fox chewed her nails down to the quick. 

Dear Felicity Lovelace,

We are pleased to inform you that your novella collection has been selected as a finalist for official publication. We received hundreds of amazing submissions and yours stood out among the best of them. We believe that your writing abilities are beyond what your age would suggest and are excited to continue working with you. 

We will be in touch with your parent/guardian to discuss necessary next steps to move forward in the publication process. 

We look forward to bringing your novellas to life in a collaborative effort.

Sincerely, 

Roselight Publishing.

[dasinclair]

king lizard for the ask thing :3

lizzy wizzy

favorite thing about them: his confidence is very charming to me even if it's largely unearned. he's got a classic villain vibe that i really enjoy, from his dress style to his little mannerisms and monologues. i like that he can be something of a commanding presence (to the lizards) but also so casual, like the scene of him putting his legs up on the nuclear control board

least favorite thing about them: he seems to view the other league members as disposable even though they've probably been there for him since he was a kid. also that he gets punched so much in his beautiful face. in the comic he talks about his "infectious seed" and that's kinda nasty

favorite line: big fan of how he says "well, look at this brave little soldier"

brOTP: i will take this as favorite non-romantic relationship and say i'm intrigued by the dynamic between him and his mom. they appear to be the only "actual" lizard people in the bunch (i imagine them as a rare / endangered species) and she's been preparing him for this position all his life. queen lizard seemed to command more respect than he does and he's got to live up to her name. i imagine that'd be kind of a weak spot for him

OTP: my lizardsona that i haven't fully designed yet. their name is skink. skink is very excited for carnage and bloodshed but king lizard keeps making them do technical stuff around the HQ because he likes them too much to send them out on the field where they will surely die

nOTP: this is a question for characters who actually get shipped with people

random headcanons: his fangs are retractable (which is why we only see them in that one shot) and also he has more reptile traits in my mindscape like claws and a forked tongue... he gets cold a lot and will wrap up in his cape but only if he thinks nobody's looking. everybody pretends not to notice that he has a fake Leader Voice that he puts on. he likes citrus flavored things and he loves complaining

unpopular opinion: he isn't stupid, nor is he completely unqualified. i feel like the fact he was able to escape prison and take out supreme lizard by himself is proof enough of that. but he puts his pride above all else and that's his main problem

song i associate with them: black venom or bring it (snakes on a plane)

favorite picture of them: hard call but i really do like this one

[harshly-cold-water]

[More precious than gemstones]

hello,I wrote this after getting somewhat into Topaz,Ratio, and aventurine as a ship, this is just a one shot exploring something I thought of, hope you like it.

(ps, you can interpret this as romantic or not,I didn't think about that when writing it)

The ambience in the bar was dead quiet, on account of it having only a few patrons, some of which were huddled together in their own booth, one was sitting on their own, enjoying a drink, all the while Aventurine was at the counter, the stool he sat on was comfortable, the drinks were good, the barkeep mostly kept to themself, which was preferable to Aventurine, as his reasons for choosing this bar culminated in wanting a reprieve from his work.

Usually his experience at a bar amounted to what is basically an intelligence gathering mission, butter up a few people here and there, get someone in a festive mood where they’re likely to let a few things slip, use his charms to win over a few persons of interest, the works.

And certainly, the IPC provides its workers with the most luxurious hotels, holiday destinations, amusement parks and casinos, for the right price of course, like a very greedy snake eating its own tail.

But this bar was entirely outside of that, a small world of his own, his secret island, the barkeep was more a hobbyist than a merchant, their artistic flare was entertaining, the patrons were few and far between, and none of them knew him, and if they did, they didn’t bother to bring it up, the IPC’s influence does not reach here, mainly because it has no reason to, there is no profit to be made in a random hidden bar, no matter how fancy it may be.

The shop’s entrance opened suddenly and the bell-like device above it let out a melodious ring, surprised by the noise Aventurine turned to look and recognized the figure as none other than his coworker Topaz and her companion Numby, Topaz was looking into a communication device, most likely closing a deal or making one, such was the life of an IPC worker.

He controlled his expression into a wry smile, he was a gambler by trade yes, and unexpected variables were his bread and butter, yet he could not help but be caught off guard by her intrusion upon his little island.

Topaz turned off the device, having evidently completed whatever it was she was doing and looked up, she smiled slightly upon noticing him, and confidently made her way towards him, she took a vacant seat beside Aventurine, and Numby simply floated beside her.

‘’I’ll have a crimson saucer, oh also, one galaxy ranger please’’ she told the bartender, who immediately started mixing the drinks, in a show of finesse and talent, manipulating the ingredients of both drinks at the same , each with a single hand ,they ended their show by mixing both drinks in the same mixer, and pouring them out in succession.

The drinks were then presented to Topaz and Numby, who were visibly impressed.

The crimson saucer , called as such because of how the foam the red liquid contains takes the shape of a saucer, is an alcoholic drink with a fruity flavor, the white over striking red creating a beautiful picture, topped with the simple but elegant slice of silverberry, the galaxy ranger on the other hand, named after a galaxy ranger that had gotten lost and wandered into the bar , apparently leaving a strong impression upon the owner, was a strong drink ,purple liquid with a white line slashing it in half , red particles could be seen floating in it, like flower petals gently swaying in the abyss, as if they came from the slash itself, the drink emanated dark haze, like something sinister, yet its flavor was as gentle as sleep, which was what most of those who drank it experienced right after it entered their bodies, as this drink had a track record of being too much for some.

Topaz held the glass of crimson saucer in her hand, while Numby was sipping? From a twisted red straw in the shape of a flower, Aventurine found the whole arrangement rather ludicrous, but he supposed the body of a trotter interacted with certain things differently.

For his part though, he preferred ‘’Golden slumber’’, a drink that contained alcohol, honey, and citrus, simple, but beautiful all the same, it looked like a sunset, the bottom was a deep violet that gave way to a brilliant gold at the top, the rim of the glass incrusted with some substance , possibly sugar or salt, so that it looked as though it was inlaid with gems, and tasted just as wonderfully as it looked , Aventurine was by no means a lightweight, but he was more partial to savoring the flavors of a drink rather than attempting to pass out.

Topaz broke the silence by putting her elbow on the counter, drink in hand, and turning to face him, she mockingly said ‘’So, come here often?’’

‘’Topaz, to what do I owe the pleasure?’’ he answered sarcastically.

‘’Nothing important, just came to check on you before the big mission, touch base and all’’ she replied, adding ‘’ and you better wipe that look off your face’’ she pointed at him with the hand that held her drink, he smile had become an annoyed frown.

‘’ Well, there’s no need for that, we’ve already gone through what, thirty meetings? I can recite the plan in my sleep now” he sighed” and if you’re still worried about your little jewel, there’s nothing to do , orders are orders and all that” Numby let out a grunt, Topaz grabbed them and started petting the agitation out of them, evidently they had already went through their drink, Aventurine measure of Numby had changed.

“First of all, I know what your plans amount to” she raised her fingers at the words plans, and continued” and second of all, I’m not worried about that thing” the thing in question being her cornerstone, her expression turned serious” I don’t use it that often, not that I like to, and if anything happened to it, Diamond would just make me a new one at some point” she let out a little laugh” not before making me work for it though, I’m worried about you dumbass” saying this , she looked at him, and he felt small under her eyes.

The words knocked him off balance for a second , his fiddled with his hands before covering himself with an unreadable smirk” just do your part , and I’ll do mine” he stuttered through the words more than he would’ve liked to.

“ugh, you know, just cuz you technically outrank me right now, doesn’t mean you have to be such a pain in the ass about it” she let Numby jump off her lap , sensing it was time to leave , they were ready to move out.

“At least you’re working with Ratio, he’ll probably keep you out of trouble” she rummaged in her pockets for her phone” although knowing you two, things might get out of control, is it too late to convince the family to let me in with you?” this she said with none of the conviction of expecting a real answer, the family is suspicious at best of the IPC, that they managed to get Aventurine in was already quite the deal.

“I can take care of myself” Aventurine said, exasperated” and Ratio would rather throw chalk at my head   than work with me, so I imagine he’ll be very enthusiastic about this” he rolled his eyes.

“That may be true” she chuckled “but you know, he cares about you, we both do”

At this Aventurine‘s eyes widened, yet he smile remained “yeah sure”

Topaz frowned, then there was a shine in her eyes, she had an idea.

“ Wanna bet , then?”

“What??”

“Let’s bet on it” Topaz explained “if it’s heads, I’ll pay for the drinks, if its tails, you pay and you have to admit that we care about you”

“You sure you want to gamble with me?” his cup was empty, he supposed he could go for another golden slumber.

“The drinks aren’t that expensive” they were, but both of them were rich, so it didn’t particularly matter who paid, the second part of that bet that concerned Aventurine.

Aventurine used a chip he keeps on him for spontaneous bets such as these, it was his lucky chip, he played with it for a bit, to Topaz’s annoyance, he then flipped it and held it in his closed palm, of course he knew how to achieve desirable outcomes when it came to betting, but he supposed it was only fair to, well, play it fair in this instance.

Before he could reveal his hand however, Topaz went ahead and paid for the drinks, and his second cup of golden slumber was served.

He looked at her baffled “I just thought, whether or not I win you probably won’t admit anything, might as well save myself the trouble”, she put her hand on his shoulder as she was leaving and uttered words that knocked the wind out of him for the second time that night “See you on the field, Kakavasha” and she disappeared with the hum of the doorbell.

The chip landed on Tails.

[the-wild-nerdy-gay]

So I’m thinking about writing for some of my cosplay OCs

There are definitely five I would write for so I’m going to introduce you to them now. I only have photos of four of them though so I will update with the final photo of the last one once I get them.

Naevys Torlana 🪻🐍

She uses she/they pronouns. They are fae and have some pretty powerful magic. They were once a member of the spring court but left it when she fell in love with a human. She moved to the wild court that resides in the fae wilds, they have far less rules about what fae are and are not allowed to do which gives her more freedom. They have a snake familiar named Asphodel who is very loving and quiet cuddly. They continuously fall in love with the reincarnation of their first love who eventually regains the memories of their past lives together. They wait in the fae wilds for the day when their love (this would be the reader) reincarnates as a fae in the fae wilds. Fae are either born or a human can reincarnate as one, coming out as a fully formed adult fae from a tree in the fae wilds. They are loyal, bright, big on found family, a leader amongst the wild fae court, and powerful magician, and quite flirty in both a romantic and a platonic sense. They do have some darkness in their past and are not afraid to get their hands dirty if it means protecting someone or something they care about.

They have similar vibes to the Howl’s Moving Castle movie if that makes any sense.

Quotes from them:

“My darling, if I could give you every star in the sky I would.”

“You will always be the most precious being in the world to me.”

“If they so much as raise a finger against you I will make the heavens weep over the atrocities I would commit to keep you safe. I will become the worst monster imaginable and not lose a second of sleep over it if it meant protecting you.”

Some nicknames they use are ‘my darling’, ‘sweetheart’, ‘angel’, ‘dearest’, and ‘my love’.

Love language:

Giving: words of affirmation and acts of service.

Receiving: quality time and words of affirmation.

Ghewnah Reh ☕️🗡️

She is set in a modern fantasy setting and is an orc barbarian. She uses she/her pronouns and goes by Gwen or her last name, Reh, to make it easier on people. She’s really down to earth and fun, she tends to be up beat and friendly. If I had to relate her to a character I would say Kirishima from mha. She’s very loyal to her friends and very hard working. Her best friend is a character later down on this list. She is very muscular under that loose fitting clothes and loves to lift up her friends both physically and emotionally. Absolutely is the type to run up and hug you while spinning you around in the air while laughing. She is very tall, I don’t care how tall you are she is at least a head taller. She is canonically 7’6”. She is very close with her family and she considers her friends to be family. She can enter a rage much like other barbarians which makes her hit harder, hit easier, run faster, lift more, basically it enhances all of her physical abilities. She works very hard to never make anyone afraid of her though, and if she can feel her anger rising she often asks if she can be excused for a few moments to calm down so she doesn’t yell at someone she cares about. You basically never have to worry about her yelling at you in other words but she will protect you with everything she has in her.

Quotes from them:

“There’s my favorite person!”

“I’ve got you, don’t worry.”

“I will always be here for you. If you ever need anything I’ll do everything I can to take care of it for you. I care about you so I’ll take care of you.”

Nicknames they use are “baby”, “sweetie”, “baby bug”, “cutie”, and “babe”.

Love language:

Giving: physical touch and acts of service

Receiving: physical touch and words of affirmation

Captain Nova ‘Devil’s Charm’ Oakley ⚓️🌊

She is a pirate Captain and her ship is known as the Scarlet Revenge. She uses she/her pronouns. She is from Ireland pre potato famine but she has lost the accent mostly due to not being around people with that accent for a very long time. She is known for being incredibly charming, hence the nickname, and a fierce fighter. She treats her crew like her own and everyone on her ship eats before she does. She left home due to not being accepted so because of that she accepts all walks of life on her ship with open arms. She is hot and she knows it which leads to her being slightly cocky but not in the way where she acts like she’s better than you more in the way that she’s incredibly confident. She is very protective of her crew and sees them as her family but she doesn’t vocalize that, it’s more shown through her actions. If one of her crew members seems out of it she will often take up their job so that they can rest and is always there to talk to.

Quotes from them:

“My beloved horizon has nothing on your eyes.”

“What’s mine is yours.”

“I would trade every scrap of gold I have ever come across just to see you smile, love.”

Nicknames they use are ‘love’, ‘my darling’, ‘my treasure’, ‘my perfection’, and ‘my beloved’.

Love language:

Giving: gift giving and acts of service.

Receiving: quality time and acts of service.

Dr. Jeanine ‘Gene’ Travis 🧪🧬

Gene is somewhat of a mad scientist and has a habit of using themselves as a test subject. They technically use any pronouns but prefer they/them. They use any pronouns in the sense of as long as you get their attention that works but since they prefer they/them that’s what I’m mainly going to use. They invent all kinds of things with a specific interest in genetics which is why they tell everyone to call them Gene as in genes and genetics. They prefer that to their actual name. The scar on their face and neck is from an experiment gone wrong and the purple on the other side of their face is from another experiment. Due to the stress their body was under at some point part of their hair turned white. They tend to be very excitable especially if one of their inventions is working. They are the kind to drag you over to show you while excitedly rambling about what it is. They have little to no regard for their personal safety but other people’s safety is their top priority, they will make you follow all lab safety rules and make you stay back at what they deem to be a safe distance from anything they are working on. This is for a reason but that comes later. They do have a really bad habit of not taking care of themselves so you will have to make sure they eat and drink water and they can become way too invested in their work but if you are sick or hurt they will practically teleport out of their lab to your side and absolutely baby you to no end. They also tend to make things to make your life easier, like if you have issues cooking they will make a robot to do it for you. All and all they are very caring just also very eccentric.

Quotes from them:

“Oh good, you’re here! I have something to show you!”

“No no no no no! Stay back behind the yellow line.”

“The speed of light has nothing on how fast my heart beats for you.”

Nicknames they use are ‘my spark’, ‘my inspiration’, ‘sweetie’, ‘babes’, and ‘lab rat’ as a joke.

Love language:

Giving: gift giving and quality time

Receiving: acts of service and words of affirmation

Gakhael Gozzgen 🔧🪨

This is the one I don’t have a photo for but they are a goblin mechanic and is best friends with Gwen who is further up. Gakhael uses any pronouns but in the sense of whatever is funniest at the time. The tiktok audio that goes like “So she- wait what are your pronouns? Oh I use any. Okay so bingus-” is literally their ideal. Gwen has this on lock btw. For simplicity in writing I will stick to they them unless I’m writing dialogue but please you could use anything in place of a pronoun for them and it would make them so happy. They have green skin and pointy ears and they are absolutely decked out in shiny stuff when they aren’t working. They have yellow eyes as well and they dress very colorfully. They are also quite chaotic so be warned. Basically think like incredibly hyperactive adhd and really bad at controlling it, I imagine them like me on my bad days and when I forget my meds. They are incredibly loyal though and if you need a single thing fixed they have it covered, no questions asked. They love to be helpful and they will drag you out on some of the weirdest and most fun dates imaginable. They are also quite short, they will likely have to look up at you because they are 4’6” and only come up to Gwen’s hip. The easiest way into their heart is giving them literally anything shiny, it could literally be trash you found on the side of the road and they would treasure it forever. They will climb you if you give them the chance though and they are also ace.

Quotes from them:

“Where is my- oh there it is! It was hiding behind you, babe!”

“You brought me a shiny…. I love it! I’m going to go put it in my jar!”

“I fixed your water heater, it was making a weird noise.”

Nicknames they use are ‘babe’, ‘sweetie’, ‘my fuel’, ‘my missing piece’, and ‘my assistant tall person’ as a joke.

Love languages:

Giving: gift giving and acts of service

Receiving: gift giving and words of affirmation.

So that’s all of them for now. I really love all of these characters and I’m excited to write for them. I’m also thinking about doing some small audio clips of them for requests as well since I do have slightly different voices for all of them, those would be rare but I’m willing to take requests for them. If I don’t do an audio of them though I will write it if for some reason I can’t do a recording. I mainly plan on writing for them though. I also do make videos for them over on my tiktok but Naevys is the only one who has videos so far. I hope you love each of them as much as I do and thank you to @lovinkiri who has actually drawn Gwen before and encouraged me to do this when I mentioned it to her. Let me know who your favorite is, I’m excited to know 💖💜💙

[adainesjacket]

happy DADWC! for your Valentine's day collab, could you maybe pick one of your OC couples and each write your character's POV while they prepare a romantic surprise for their partner?

this was SUCH a fun idea, thank you! ♥ dorian/m!trevelyan, post-trespasser, fluff, 864 words, written with @lottiesnotebook for @dadrunkwriting

My dear Josephine,

I'm heading to your side of the continent soon to surprise Dorian - by the sounds of it it's been a hard term at the magisterium and I'm getting slightly desperate with the need to drag him away from it all. (One can only have so many conversations about old mages they've never met.) I'd like to break the journey in Antiva (ship's manifest enclosed), if you're available and willing to host an old friend for the night? I have gifts from Viola's brood to sweeten the deal. They can't stop talking about your visit - I think a repeat trip must be in order, n'est-ce pas?

With everlasting affection,

Seong Trevelyan

PS: And if he happens to ask - you know nothing!

My dearest friend,

But of course! How wonderfully romantic. You know how to let yourself in if I am out, and the guest house is at your disposal. I look forward to seeing you, and rest assured Dorian will hear nothing of it from me.

Affectionately yours,

Josephine Montilyet

*

Josie darling,

I’m planning a little jaunt to steal our beloved ex-Inquisitor away from dreary Kirkwall - Minrathous may be a pit of snakes, but I truly think he’s wasted in that backwater, and besides, you know how he wilts in my absence. Would you be able to provide a lost soul a bed for the night? I've enclosed a caravan itinerary. You know my distaste for inns, and my delight in your hosting skills. It will be delightful to see you in your element rather than in drafty Skyhold, though I’m sure you make anywhere feel finer than the Archon’s Palace (and far more tastefully decorated)!

Your greatest admirer,

Dorian Pavus

*

Cher Dorian,

My townhouse is ever at your disposal whenever you escape the hideous Minrathous weather, and you know I am ever-delighted to hear that you and Seong are managing your assignations despite the forces that keep you apart. Your love is, as ever, an inspiration to all of us. If you could adjust your visit by a week (alternate trade caravan enclosed - the owner is an old friend), I will ensure you receive the warmest welcome Antiva City can provide, and a surprise I think you will enjoy greatly.

Your fellow ambassador,

Josephine Montilyet

*

Seong Trevelyan enjoyed travel - the pitch of a ship beneath his feet, or the slow sway of a trotting horse, or even the dust of the road beneath his feet as long as he had a marching song on his lips. What he liked most about travelling, however, was arriving somewhere he knew there would be a hot bath, warm towels, and somebody to take care of his travel-stained clothing, and Josephine Montilyet, he knew, would provide all he desired and more when he arrived at her elegant townhouse in Antiva City. She was out when he arrived, but her butler was expecting him, and knew his routine well enough to have his bags taken to his room while he headed straight for the bath-house.

The bath-house which was, it transpired, already occupied.

Seong grinned from ear to ear and silently thanked both Josephine and the Maker that he'd been spared any further travel. He took a moment, shrouded by elegant voile curtains, to admire the long brown limbs that were sprawled in the bathtub. Then he put on his best servant's demeanor, a well-rehearsed Antivan accent, and coughed politely.

"Ah, Magister Pavus-"

Dorian, always exhausted after even the lightest of journeys, did not immediately open his eyes. “Pietro, I thank you, but the water is perfect. I simply need a few moments to myself to fully recuperate, and then I will happily come greet my charming hostess.”

"Oh?" Seong took advantage of Dorian's closed eyes to pad over to the bathtub and trail a finger through the water to touch Dorian's knee. "Señor would not prefer… a little company?"

Dorian, to his credit, did in fact draw away from his touch. “Pietro, I-” His eyes snapped open, and he looked up into Seong’s face with cheeks that flushed to a charming umber. “Seong Trevelyan, you are a rogue,” he declared, seizing the offending hand and kissing it with more delight than reproval.

"Your face," Seong laughed. "But what are you doing here?"

“Visiting you!” he retorted. “You don’t think I come to Antiva for the society, darling Josie aside?”

"But I don't live here, mon coeur," Seong reminded him, drawing him forward for a kiss. "And I was en route to rainy Minrathous."

“As I was travelling to dusty Kirkwall, amatus,” he replied, “and would have been with you almost a week ago, but for-” His eyes widened. “My love, I believe we have been tricked.”

"And I, for one, have never been happier to play the fool." Seong kissed him again, and stage-whispered: "For one thing, Josie's guest bath is far bigger than either of ours, and I don't feel like waiting for you to get dry."

“Wonderful.” Dorian’s fingers were already at work on the laces of Seong’s shirt, neatly unpicking them with little care for how his damp fingers soaked the linen. "For I was thinking you were wearing far too many clothes.”

[serpentine-rogue-inactive]

Ship Headcanons

@paanneshiveofmuses​  I had to think really hard on these, so I hope they look okay! I added in Karako Pierot as a platonic one, little purple-blooded brother hours. You’re free to add more, Shepard! I don’t mind at all! <>

🎪💜 Marvus Xoloto (Romantic)

The date nights are really sweet, she’s used the charming nature and gets intensely flustered under five minutes or less. Soldan remembered the first one, and the confession as well.

Often talking over on Trollian, Soldan is always eager to know how things are going. She will send photos, one always ends up with a snake consort on her face and results falling off the couch with it.

Soldan gets in free to every pop-up carnival, but has the ticket on hand just in case. The usual greeting is getting picked up and hugged tightly, and then talking backstage before his show starts.

Gets a lot of V.I.P Merch, sometimes gifted out of nowhere while hanging out! Soldan has it secretly hidden away, of course. Nobody really knows about why she sweats profusely if asked either....

The surprise fake-out hand holding gets Soldan every time, either hugged around the waist or carried around without warning. She’s short, so easy to lift up...tolerating this act is a work in progress.

When not in public, Soldan may end up napping on Marvus if tired enough and won’t wake up for some time. It’s a form of comfort, and likes any form of affection/attention.

Marvus is really good at surprise kissing, she doesn’t expect that until her personal space gets politely invaded, and caught off guard last second in.

🦈💜Cronus Ampora (Romantic)

Both love music, so they send each other demos of what they work on and give positive feedback. Over Trollian, or visiting each others’ homes-Soldan is slowly gaining more confidence with violin playing.

Soldan would listen to Cronus vent, giving advice and reassuring affection. Hand holding is a must, she’s touch starved but won’t say it out loud. Too shy, almost!

Cronus is a really nice Violet-blood, Soldan was curious and oddly open to talk for a bit. Not coming across her same blood colour, this was rare and was pleased to meet him entirely!

The endearing names make Soldan confused, but would start to slowly blush after figuring it out mentally. May end up punching his arm lightly in some playful response!

Duets with a guitar and a violinist? Yes! Good practice, and having fun at the same exact time! Either of the two would start off, turning into a smooth flowing melody in minutes.

Cuddling after a long day, Soldan may nap to rest easier. Naturally warm from sunbathing every morning, extra comfort and barely moving in place once out cold.

⚔️ 💜Karako Pierot (Platonic)

Soldan makes sure he doesn’t wander off from his cave, offering to keep company and to add in snuggle hours!! It’s like having a purple-blooded little brother!

To be fair, Soldan would let Karako go feral and calming him down by gentle head pats and a calm tone of voice. She’s the big sister-type as a reptilian violet-blood!

Soldan will carry this younger purple-blood if sleepy, not a big problem! Protective, will bare her fangs if anybody starts to to provoke a nerve and walking away-Karako being held closely by one arm.

Karako likes painting her face!! But extra careful on the sensitive facial scales lining the cheeks and forehead section. The work is impressive, and doesn’t take the stuff off until back to her home.

Slowly starting to understand the honk verbalization, asking for gestures instead at certain times to get the idea through. Soldan feels awkward when too confused, making up for the behavior by attempting her best efforts!

[oneprompt]

Can I have lucky number 13 with a nb reader and Marco please? Thank you!

authors note: oh my ! im being spoiled with writing suggestive things this morning ... oh , the shamee <333 Anywho ! please enjoy , love <3

Marco x Reader ; Pinning Their Lovers Arms Over Their Head , “ Be Quiet. “

Slightly Suggestive Content Below

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.

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Your breathing hitched as Marco’s strong and large hands scaled along your body, crumpling the blouse you wore. This was shameful...

Often, you and your lover would wait to have such romantic time together, awaiting the departure of the rest of the crew. Wether they had to go out to an island and gain supplies or tend to personal business off the ship. But today was the day to break your usual routine.

It had been weeks since Marco got to kiss you so sweetly. He hadn’t felt the sensation of your warm lips on his for far too long. Hence why you were splayed out across his desk, covering charts and paperwork.

You loved the attention and missed Marco just as much as he did you. But with Whitebeard and the rest of the crew right outside of this very room, you couldn’t help but feel anxious. You hoped Marco’s gentle kisses would wipe your worries away but they didn’t.

But this lingering feeling was one that amplified your arousal. Shame was a negative emotion, so was embarrassment. They often left room for others to laugh or to judge, and general negative aspects. But this sense of shame you didn’t mind as much. Of course, the thought of anybody walking in was a thought you didn’t want to even cross your mind but at the same time, it made the heat of your arousal ache even further.

You shifted against the charts that were beneath you, crinkling them a bit. Marco took note and suddenly bite your neck, a tender and loving bite.

You let out a quiet moan, eyes fluttered shut. Your eye lashes kissed your upper cheek as you tingled in embarrassment from the sound you let out. Had anybody aside from Marco heard that? Your mind raced as you couldn’t help but worry about it.

This felt like torture. Having to control your volume and urges in this very moment was such a hassle, a true annoyance. Why couldn’t Marco have held off until later? You two could do whatever you desired, no limitations. But no, men can be so impatient, can’t they?

Marco smirked widely against your neck, his half lidded eyes gleaming with lust, replacing the usual casual look they held. He nuzzled into the nape of your neck, smothering the light bite mark he left behind with lazy kisses.

Oh, how Marco missed you. He didn’t just miss this for the pleasure but for the intimacy. Marco loved feeling so connected to you, so in tune. It gave him a feeling of love that he couldn’t even comprehend in full. You were always so lovely to him, truly a perfect significant other.

Your hands found their way to his blonde and messy hair, brushing their way through the strands. Every kiss he left behind on your neck made your blush expand in shades, going from pink to bright pink, and soon enough, red.

“Marco...” You murmured, watching his hands trace downward towards your pants, yearning to feel your arousal against his hand. Your lover gazed up at you, peeking out from your plush neck.

You made eye contact with him for a brief moment before averting your eyes. “S-shouldn’t we wait...? At least until everyone falls asleep?” You asked in a whisper, Marco’s hands rubbing against your clothed hips, admiring and cherishing every curve.

Marco looked up at you, standing up straight to leave the vacancy of your neck.

“Mm...no can do, Y/n,” He hummed with a smirk. “We’ve already gotten here... and i know you won’t perform well today if i leave you untreated~.”

You wanted to roll your eyes. He did have a point but every time Marco made some sort of doctor joke and or reference, you wanted to get up and leave.

The sudden pressure of his hands against your wrist broke you out of your judgemental mind. He carefully held your wrists down against his desk, looking down at you with a starved gaze.

You watched Marco’s eyes graze over every inch of your body, showing a gaze that was full of ideas and inspiration, ways he could pleasure you to the fullest.

He flashed you a charming grin, raising a brow.

“Just stay quiet for me and i’ll fix you right up.”

Marco kept a hold on your wrists with one hand whilst his free hand slithered into your pants, as if it was a blood thirsty snake that found the perfect prey to feast upon.

“Okay~?”

His tone shook you to the core in anxious but as well excitement, eagerly awaiting what he had in mind. You couldn’t wait to see what your beautiful lover had in mind, how well he would satisfy and treat your body, every pleasured ache being eased away by his form.

[sitp-recs]

Do you know of any fics under 10k that aren’t too angsty? ❤️

Hi anon, I most certainly do! Thanks so much for sending this ask, I was super excited when I saw it because I’m always happy to celebrate short fics - they could use more appreciation! I’ve wanted to do a proper shorts reclist for a while so I indulged myself and went big, hope you don’t mind! Putting this together was quite hard - going through my bookmarks I realized that I usually go for angsty shorts 💀 so I tried my best not to include anything too extreme, I hope these are okay!

This became a lil monster with 40 recs (and I have lots more hehe) so I decided to sort them by genre - the last category includes light angst (more on the contemplative side) because I can’t help myself. Shout-out to @tackytigerfic for giving me a 2nd opinion and helping me polish this - and for being a darling in general. Happy readings!

ROMANCE/COMFORT

1. Sun Stroke by @peachpety (2020, E, 3k)

Warm, sexy and wholesome, this fic makes my heart soar with the magical beach setting, amazing friendship dynamics and the sweet get together with a delicious side of smut!

2. oxygen [Fic & Art] by @maesterchill (2020, T, 4k)

Tentative acquaintances become something more over a shared smoke at the balcony. Sexy, mature, deliciously atmospheric and full of promise - plus Healer Draco is always a treat!

3. Catch the Snitch (No, Catch My Heart) by @prolix- (2020, E, 4.5k)

Gorgeous bath fic where Harry and Draco just... take care of each other. The raw emotion packed here! Lush and vivid build up with stunning body worship, hot and intimate and breathtaking.

4. Thermodynamic Equilibrium by DorthyAnn (2017, T, 5k)

This quiet comfort fic gives our boys some well deserved healing through physical touching and late night companionship. Love the 8th year atmosphere, soothing and familiar.

5. Blue Sky Is Living Here Today by ignatiustrout (2018, G, 5k)

The loveliest kid fic you’ll see today - real characters, gentle longing, soft understanding. It’s a joy to watch dad Draco through Harry’s smitten eyes, as he realizes there’s no rush to live that love.

6. Gravity Centered by @carpemermaidtales (2019, E, 6.7k)

Possibly my favorite Quidditch fic, this has an original premise and amazing Drarry dynamics, casual and organic, sassy and familiar, with a perfect lil twist at the end!

7. Up The by @shiftylinguini (2018, E, 7.5k)

One of the funniest PWPs I’ve ever read, clever and charming with easy banter and delicious smut. A sweet and sexy glimpse into the Drarry married life! Cw Mpreg

8. And a Malfoy in a Pear Tree by lauren3210 (2015, E, 8k)

Sweet sweet coffee shop Christmas romance! Love the light and fun atmosphere, the easy banter and cute wooing while supportive Ron cheers in the background, what a treat!

9. Ice Snakes, Glow-worms and Wolverine Stew by khalulu (2015, M, 8.4k)

Khalulu writes the softest Drarry, it never fails to put a smile on my face. This has a gentle and sweet get together, with lovely slow burn, a gorgeous San Francisco setting and matchmaker Kreacher 💗

10. Life goes not backward by @shealwaysreads (2020, T, 8.8k)

This delicate comfort fic has a special way to tug at my heartstrings - a gorgeous tale about found family and the unexpected wonders of life. Gentle, magical and breathtaking in its simplicity.

HUMOUR

11. in charge by @bonesliketambourines (2020, E, 2.4k)

The ultimate brat Draco, bossy and confident and absolutely gorgeous with his long hair and impossible snark. Charming and funny, this packs so much character and domestic bliss under 3k! Perfect spoiled Draco is perfect.

12. The Morning After by birdsofshore, capitu (2015, M, 5.3k)

This is hysterical and so delightfully creative - Draco exploring Harry’s kitchen and charming a prudish appliance is the kind of cute, silly endeavor I need with my morning coffee!

13. The Spoiling of Sex From Enthusiastic Ignorance by @cibeewastaken (2020, E, 6k)

I’m impossibly enamored with Cibee’s drama queen Draco and his passionate missions! This time he’s decided to get some good diq, and the dialogue and mutual pining will make you smile from beginning to end.

14. All Tied Up by MyNameIsThunder (2020, M, 6k)

This is a secret relationship delight! Sneaking around gets so much better when dramatic Blaise is losing his shit to protect the Council of Serpents’ integrity! A+ faux-drama, super fun and sweet.

15. Luckiest Fucking Size Queen Alive by @l0vegl0wsinthedark (2016, E, 6.2k)

My favorite brand of thirsty and chaotic Draco; being inside his mind is such a crazy ride and you won’t stop laughing for a second. Amazing dialogue and insanely scorching smut as per loveglows’ usual 🤤

16. Sex Ed for Aurors by curiouslyfic (2010, M, 8.7k)

This is a Harry triumph, so fun and charming! Here he’s the one chaotic and thirsty, for a change - I’m obsessed with his internal ranting under the lust potion. Brilliant narrative and top notch characterization, a classic!

17. Ferocious Determination, Insufficient Deliberation, and a Slightly Wrong Destination by Faith Wood (2012, E, 9.5k)

Drunk Draco has never been so absurd and I LOVE it! This goes from hilarious to vulnerable and sweet in a heartbeat; pining Draco is a precious thing and Harry’s gentle persistence made my heart swell.

18. Stand Back: I'm About to Perform Archaeology by Blowfish_Diaries (2018, E, 9.7k)

This fic could definitely use more appreciation - I had a blast with Draco’s hilarious voice and their cute married banter! The plot is quite original and I love the 8th year domestic vibes.

19. The Full Monty by @magpiefngrl (2017, E, 9.8k)

The calendar fic we deserve 👏🏻 this is ultimate thirsty Draco being completely obliterated by Harry’s casual attractiveness but mostly by his kind heart and big smile. One of my favorite comfort reads, hilarious, sweet and so damn sexy, the full monty combo is here!

20. Aural Gratification by birdsofshore (2014, E, 10k)

This fic is a classic, charming and hysterical with an adorable Harry thirsting over Draco’s smooth voice. Such an original concept and engaging read, not to mention the rewarding shade of smut!

SMUT

21. Tense by Faith Wood (2013, E, 3k)

Me, reading smut for the dialogue? It’s more likely than you think 😂 this fic is hilarious and hot all at once, with perfect banter and clever dialogue, really a smut triumph!

22. Under Your Skin by @p1013 (2020, Explicit, 4k)

Great premise and the sexiest build up, ugh so much teasing and anticipation as pierced Draco takes Auror Harry’s control away 🔥kudos at the A+ twist and promising ending!

23. The Slytherin Urn by @icmezzo (2015, E, 4.6k)

This fic’s geniality slaps me in the face, what a fascinating concept! Redemption kink and magical theory walk together as Harry loses his mind over competent Draco doing some badass curse-breaking ritual.

24. Once Bitten by Frayach (2012, E, 5.6k)

Still one of the hottest things I’ve ever read, lush and raw and absolutely breathtaking. Dark and tender at once, it explores biting kink with unapologetic precision and I love that!

25. Matched Set by astolat (2016, E, 5.7k)

One of my faves by the genius astolat, this is a perfect mix of hot size kink, A+ dirty talk and a brilliant and nuanced plot showing how Harry navigates his post-war reality. A must-read!

26. Teeth by @amelior8or (2020, E, 6k)

This fic is an emotional rollercoaster and goes from light-hearted and casual to vulnerable and tender in a second. Hot and intimate feat scorching wall sex, gut-punching lines and enthusiastic consent🔥

27. Born Slippy by @dracoladon (2020, E, 8.3k)

My favorite clubbing fic ever, clever and sensual, a master class in UST including the drunk haze confusion and panty kink as a treat! I can’t even talk about this fic without blushing 😳

28. The Page Eleven Wars by fireflavored (2010, E, 8.5k)

Competitive boys fighting for dominance both in bed and at the gossip column’s first page This is peak enemies to lovers: witty banter, hot smut screaming switching rights and feisty stubborn idiots finally getting over their asses.

29. The Things They Never Say by @bixgirl1 (2017, E, 9k)

Angry porn with (many) feels, this feels like a punch to the solar plexus. The explosive Drarry chemistry gives way to something quieter and gentler and full of longing, ugh but it aches so good. Absolutely exquisite!

30. Sweet Indulgence by @the-sinking-ship (2020, E, 10k)

The title says it all; this is a lush and charming read, with chaotic but nuanced Draco pining over authoritative, edgy Harry 😳 steaming pent up tension that culminates in glorious semi-public smut, is your body ready?

CONTEMPLATIVE/SOFT ANGST

31. Sharing a Pack by sugar_screw (2016, E, 2.7k)

A fully fleshed-out love story in less than 3k, with complex characters and powerful feels. Raw, poignant and unbelievably romantic.

32. Still Life by orphan_account (2019, M, 3k)

A superb and gut-punching story where Harry realizes all the little things that make Draco so very different from him - and falls in love anyway. Powerful in its simplicity and concise elegance.

33. Harmony (Left-Handed Melody Remix) by mindabbles (2010, M, 5.8k)

Draco finds his way post-war and Harry meets him in the middle. Aching and bittersweet but also hopeful, with a delicious side of coconut cake, Harry in black robes and Romeo & Juliet as soundtrack.

34. Let Me Have You and I'll Let You Save Me by Frayach (2012, M, 6k)

Enemies to lovers deluxe version! Come and feast on this original narrative, amazingly clever, rich and detailed, telling us an unlikely but inevitable love story.

35. A Pain of Our Choosing by @lqtraintracks (2020, E, 6k)

Broken boys fucking through their issues and healing together during the post-war is so my jam! A+ LQT goodness, this fic is evocative and quietly devastating, but full of feels and hope.

36. Our Little Life by @tackytigerfic (2020, M, 7k)

I’ve screamed about this brilliant fic recently; inventive, poignant and utterly romantic, this fic shows all the ways in which Harry and Draco find each other across space and time.

37. the keys to your kingdom by thistle_verse (2016, E, 7.5k)

A beautiful love story packing an impressive amount of character, conflict and emotion. We are invited to witness as work partners Harry and Draco finally take a leap of faith and grow out of their casual arrangement.

38. Clear As Mud by scoradh (2005, M, 9.8k)

Subtle and heart-wrenching, the sharp and clever narrative creates fascinating dynamics between this brilliantly written Draco and poor oblivious Harry trying to make sense out of it. An all-time fave. Cw: infidelity (not Drarry).

39. fine i'll hold my breath / til i forget it's complicated by teatrolley (2015, E, 10k)

Fucks buddies gone wrong but make it soft so we get to watch as pining Draco patiently waits for Harry to get the memo. Sweet and intimate, with lots of late night talks and comfortable silence.

40. Tidings of Comfort series by @blamebrampton (2012, G, 10k)

Quietly cathartic and atmospheric, this fic is a poignant balm to the soul; such a beautiful tone, such lovely interactions! A must-read for those who enjoy church settings, honest talks and redeemed Draco. All-time fave.

[thelittlequeerpumpkinwitch]

Oh, for the ship ask, how about 💖 and 😒 for roloceit?

Hello this came out absurdly long. Also I started, stopped, and forgot this twice because I had to go out for dinner, and then the new Asides dropped.

💖- How do each of them feel about pet names?

I think it goes without saying that Roman is just about the biggest fan of pet names and quirky nicknames there is. He probably dedicates an entire journal to lists of nicknames for each of the sides, and makes little marks and notes to indicate which ones got particularly strong reactions. This one made Janus laugh, use again. Logan was frustrated he didn't understand this one, do not use. He's a dork, is what I'm saying.

Janus gets a lot of snake and scale themed nicknames still because Roman actually thinks his scales are lovely and wants him to know that, always. References to musicals, plays, and mythology are common place in his nicknames. Space themed nicknames are Roman's favorite for Logan, because they're romantic and fit so well, and he loves when Logan reacts to a new nickname in a way that lets him go off on a passionate ramble where he compares him to the sun and the stars until Logan is beet red and mumbling for him to please have mercy and stop his gay heart can't take this?? His nicknames are often themed around novels, sci-fi, science, and also mythology. Roman will also add specific references to Logan's current hyper fixation.

When it comes to simpler, more common terms of endearment Roman's favorites are things like my love, my treasure, my heart, my muse. Sweet and classic, and letting his loves know in a casual way that they're important and beloved and invaluable to him. As for being called pet names? Roman loves it. He's weak for being given affection in any form, honestly, but pet names give him this warm wobbly feeling in his heart. Janus's casual endearment, like loving Roman just comes so naturally and effortlessly to him, makes him melt. Logan's carefully curated nicknames, that he puts so much thought and effort into because nicknames don't come naturally to him but he loves his boyfriends so much that he wants to try anyway, always leave him beaming.

Janus is the second biggest fan of pet names here, because of course he is - he's just as much of a dramatic flirty theatre boy as Roman is. His arsenal of affectionate nicknames is smaller than Roman's, because he doesn't really plan them out like Roman often does. He'll make them up on the spot most of the time, just say whatever comes naturally at the moment. He's made up plenty of little situational nicknames that are almost forgotten as soon as that situation passes, until he says it again like four months later and it immediately reminds Roman or Logan of that exact situation and they start yelling (affectionately). He has a set of favorite nicknames for each of the sides, though, that he uses most often. Roman is his Prince Charming, his Braveheart, his ... terms themed around royalty, bravery, creativity, and charm. Janus is good at this, I am not. Logan can expect to be flustered with My Starlight and My Night Sky fairly often, and also Sherlock Holmes and references to his curiosity, because Janus finds that particularly endearing about him.

Janus's favorite pet name is darling and he uses it constantly, but he can also frequently sprinkle in terms like my beloved, my sweet, dearest, dear, dove. A lot of classic and sweet nicknames, which again, he uses often because terms of endearment just kind of come naturally to him. As for being called pet names, he's fond of it, and certain ones can fluster him, which his boyfriends love. Mostly he enjoys the simple reminder that he's cared for.

Logan's thoughts on pet names are a bit more complex but hey, he's a complex side. He's not good at nicknames, and he admits this. He's not that much better at terms of endearment in general, really. That kind of thing doesn't come as naturally to him, and he tends to express his affection in other ways. He knows, though, that Roman & Janus both enjoy them, so he does make the effort to use them every once in awhile, to cheer them up or just to see them smile. Because he thinks he's bad at them, Logan puts a lot of thought and genuine research into a nickname before he'll use it, because he wants it to be accurate and expressive and liked. Roman & Janus appreciate the effort he puts into them, especially because he doesn't really have to.

Logan always considered himself fairly neutral on the idea of nicknames and pet names, maybe even leaning towards dislike. He has a perfectly acceptable name and there's no reason not to use it, thank you. But that changed pretty fast when Roman & Janus started flirting with him. It flustered him for awhile, because there's a world of difference between pet names and the kind of mocking nicknames he's used to, but once they're all together they just kind of ... make him feel a bit warm and fuzzy.

😒- Who is more protective/gets jealous more easily?

Well, I can tag Logan right as the least protective and prone to jealousy. Not that he isn't protective at all, because he can and will shutdown anyone upsetting his boyfriends, but he has confidence that they can handle themselves and he's pretty good at being level-headed when he's not, you know, angry. He doesn't get jealous often and when he does it's mostly that insecure type of jealousy where he turns it in on himself.

Janus is very protective once he's attached to someone, and obviously his boyfriends are at the top of his list of attachments. He's protective in the way that he won't let anyone talk shit about them, only he can do that, how dare they? And he's very protective of like ... their excitement? If something is really important to them, Janus will bend over backwards to make sure no one else fucks it up, or he'll ruin their lives. He's like ... moderately prone to jealousy? He doesn't particularly like anyone outside of the circle flirting with his boys, and if he spots it he'll usually sweep in and out-flirt the offender and offer some scathing sarcasm and passive-aggression. Sometimes he gets caught up in the fear of being pushed out again and left alone, and he gets snappy and defensive.

Roman is a lot more protective in the physical ways. He's the one that would start a fist fight in public because someone got handsy with Logan or said something especially nasty to Janus. If someone or something is a threat to either of them? Roman will throw down at a moments notice. He'd take a bullet for them, but he's also definitely jumped in front of frisbees and tackled a wild Remus for them. Jealousy ... that's a bit of an issue for him. We all know his self esteem is in tatters, and that can get in his head and in the way of his relationships. He can caught up worrying that Logan & Janus love each other more than they love him, or that they're interesting in someone else and want to replace him, and why wouldn't they, he's so easily replicable-- Roman has definitely cried over his jealousy before, and him starting fights because of it is definitely a bit of a problem early in the relationship, though it is one that's eventually dealt with because of healthy communication and also therapy.

Uh, final verdict is Janus is the most protective but Roman is the most insecure, and Logan loves these fools.

BONUS HEADCANON.

Logan & Roman both own an absurd, insane amount of notebooks and journals dedicated to a vast variety of topics, including nicknames and relationships and random interests. Janus finds it such an amusing thing for them to have in common, and starts keeping a little relationship journal of his own where he keeps notes of all the little things and moments that made him think "wow, I love this person" and presented it to them on their anniversary. They loved it.

[1dclicheficfest]

The time has come, my dears! We’ve compiled, organized and sorted your submissions and we’re ready to share them! We’ve had so much fun reading your clichés and we hope it’ll give you a good laugh.

Important disclaimer because it has to be said: we do not endorse any of the clichés submitted and these are not meant to spark Discourse™ . This is all in good fun, to spark your imagination and perhaps inspire some prompts!

Before we get to the fun part, don’t forget that prompt submissions open on February 1st and will run until March 28th. The full schedule can be found here.

And now, without further ado, here are your brilliant clichés.

HARRY

Green eyes

Huge eyes

Dimples

Always smirking

“The flirt”

Jobs: Works in a flower shop/Used to be a baker/Frat boy/LA socialite/Mermaid

“Quirky”

Clumsy/balance issues

Health nut/Workout junkie/Eats a lot of avocado and kale/loves yoga/gross green health smoothies

Very slow speech

Paints his nails

Beautiful long luscious curly hair

Long legs/large hands

Tall/large/big

Nudity/loves walking around starkers

Obsessed with being pregnant/babies

Kind to everyone

Bites his lip a lot

Tells terrible jokes/loves puns

Naive and oblivious

Clothing: Pearl necklace, Chelsea boots/gold boots/boots in general/Gucci everything/Flared, high-waisted trousers/’red and black sheer floral shirt with black skinny jeans’

Always unbuttons his shirt to show off tattoos

Baby seal laugh

Bad at driving

Hipster/takes artsy photos

Acting out for attention/Petty jealousy for no reason or because of a misunderstanding or when anyone comes near Louis

Bad dancer that gives it his all/makes awkward shapes with his limbs when trying to dance

Cat mom/Wine aunt

Resting bitch face

Rides a motorcycle

LIAM

Little clueless

Insecure

Louis is constantly messing with him

Roommates with Louis

Puppy/a lost puppy/puppy in human form/puppy eyes/puppy who doesn’t know how hot and strong he is/loves puppies

Manly muscle man/buff af/loves working out/sweet himbo beefcake

Bullied in the past

Giant heart/incredibly kind/soft/super loyal

Worry-wart/mother hen of the band/gets nervous when things don’t go to plan

Voice of reason/the responsible one/Daddy Direction/level-headed/most serious of the five/keeps the others grounded

Doesn’t know how to let loose and have fun

Lacking in experience/innocent about sex things

Oblivious to his feelings/other people’s feelings for him

Jobs: Firefighter/boxer/athlete

Super soft for Zayn

Protective

“Wants to cry as soon as Louis opens his mouth and doesn’t know if it’s because he’s scared, because it’s too funny, or because he just can’t handle any of it.”

Fear of spoons

Timid/

“being very shy/awkward in the beginning and then getting more confident because of Louis”

Snake habitat turn around!

Can’t spell

His turtle losing a foot

“Smelly pasta house”

Loves batman

Being alpha in ABOs

Unruly curly hair then trimmed to a crisp buzz

LOUIS

Blue eyes: ocean blue/blue as the sky on a sunny winter day/twinkle eyes

Arse and/or tummy as a defining feature

Sassy/sass master/feisty/snarky/cheeky/witty/playful/funny/sarcastic/joker

Flamboyant

Heart of gold/”Louis IS the sun”

“Does not suffer fools gladly (that’s your job you fooking loosah)”/hot-headed to pick fights only in defense of those he loves

Protective/Mama bear/loyal/Daddy of the group

Small/Dainty stature emphasized

Runs fingers through his fringe/hair always styled

Jobs: Footie player, teacher, drama teacher, actor, plays in a band

Loves music and writes songs

Plays footie (even if it’s not his job)

LOUD

Can’t cook/chicken wrapped in parma/”Can’t cook to save his life and if he does the kitchen ends up in flames”

Soft with Harry

School: Studying drama, being the bad boy, pop!punk Louis

Bratty/petty/snappy

Smoking

Zayn’s partner in crime

Rooms with Liam

Calls everyone ‘love’/uses too many terms of endearment

Yorkshire accent emphasized/always talks about Doncaster

Clothing: Vans or Adidas shoes/Toms/trackies/braces/red jeans/dressing in comfortable clothes only/no socks/scarf

Very good with kids/loves kids/family-oriented/looking after siblings/having a huge family

Eats junk food only

“The gay who cannot drive”

NIALL

Drinks a lot/Drinks everyone under the table because he’s Irish/Guinness lover/fun drunk/Will sing Gaelic folk songs when drunk/big social drinker-always making friends via alcohol/will kiss anyone when drunk

Food: Eats all the food/doesn’t season his food/loves Nando’s/”100% will take the last slice of pizza and not feel bad about it”/can and will eat you out of house and home/actually eats and cooks healthy but everyone thinks the opposite

Irish/Irish and proud/Wey Hey lads!/leprechaun Niall

Carefree/nothing bothers him

Romantic: falls fast and hard

Captain Niall!/Captain of the ship(s)

Music: guitar always present/Goes into the zone when he has an instrument in his hands - nothing will distract or get through to him/The Eagles fanboy/Damien Rice fanboy

Funny/always laughing/joking around/head back cackle of a laugh

Single/hooks up with a ton of people but no serious relationships/sleeps around/Serial Ladies man/Friends with benefits with multiple people at once/

Turns up the charm 100% and never half-asses it/”Scrunches his hair in thought and knows he looks cute doing so (like girls that purposefully bite their lip)”

Friends with literally everyone/has a thousand surface-level friends that think they’re close to him but keeps all at arm’s length/the greatest friend but also pickiest about who he becomes friends with

Clothing: Constantly shirtless/shorts over trousers/flip-flops as house shoes/gold chain/coin necklace/hoop earring/”golf dad that tucks in his shirts and unironically wears polos”

Obsessed with golf and football/practices his putt in the hallway with an empty loo roll

A bro

Secretly insightful/Tactless but gives essential advice as a result

Secretive/keeps his shit quiet/Definitely the guy with the most secrets

The blond one

Hairy chest

Worst poker face

Finger guns/peace signs

Blushes when he’s excited

Adores Shawn and Lewis

Cares a lot about what others think

Says no judgment but really judges a lot/judges you based on music taste

Rings in at 0 on the gaydar but could surprise you/the only het one

Tries to avoid conflict by remaining ‘on the fence’ and not picking a side

Always the roommate

Face mask selfies

Emotions rotate between sad, sexy, and fun - combination vary

Never a villain

Close with Harry

“Violent masturbating in the next room”

Constant pet names for everyone/”Even has pet names for his devices (like his vacuum robot”

ZAYN

Super smart/nerd/wise/The Ravenclaw

Smokes a lot

Secretly very soft/gentle/biggest heart/”His confidence and aloofness hide a sensitive heart of gold”/Bad boy secretly soft

Heart-eyes at Liam/Soft with Liam/”Lee-yum”

Mysterious eyes

Best friends with Louis

Jobs: Artist, tattoo artist, English teacher who loves art, works in comic book store,

Shy/withdrawn/mysterious/brooding best friend/quiet/”Seems intimidating until you realize he’s just shy”/bad boy outside, soft boy inside/”not as cool as he seems but way sweeter”

The artistic one/tortured artist/art student/skater/also does graffiti/spray-paint

Marvel fan/comic book fan/superhero fan

Clothing: Wears his clothes like armor/leather jacket/”He’s the only one with good taste and he knows it”

Most ‘devil may care’ about his sexuality

Family-oriented/family man

Involved with his religion

Model figure/carved by gods/vain but not obnoxious about it

Catchprase is ‘sick’

Needs time alone to recharge

Changes his hair a lot/that one strand of hair that falls over his eyes

Thinks Malibu is called Malabami

“Eats candy underwear off of Harry’s crotch”

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Top 5 Characters in ANF Who Would’ve Made Better Love Interests Than Kate

There are a lot of mixed opinions on TWDG: A New Frontier. Some people like it, some don’t, and some people hate it so much that they refuse to accept as canon in the series. Extreme? Yeah, but hey, to each their own. 

One thing that always bothers me when I do my replay of the series and this game is how much Kate is forced on us and even kinda punishes us for not romancing her. Like, no offense, but I’m not really interested in dating my sister-in-law, especially when her husband is actually alive, and even if she wasn’t my brother’s wife, she’s still not a character I have chemistry with, y’know? 

And every time I play, I can’t help but think that almost anyone else in ANF would’ve been a better romantic interest for Javi over Kate, so I decided to make that the list for this week. 

I would’ve loved more choices and for the game to actually show Javi’s canon bisexuality outside of a flirty line with Jesus that most players didn’t even pick. Just sayin’.

I do want to note that if you enjoy the romance with Kate and the relationship between her and Javi, that’s totally cool. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean you can’t ship them, y’know? I’m not here to try to change your mind or tell you you’re bad for shipping something I don’t because I’m not a dingus. You do what makes you happy, friend. :)

Besides, going off the stats, a majority of players romanced her so if anything, I’m the weirdo. This list is just for fun! 

Before we start, just wanna say a big thank you to @pi-creates​ for helping out with this one! Really appreciate it! Now, here are my top 5 characters who, in my opinion, would’ve made better love interests for Javier than Kate.

5. Jane if the writers didn’t turn her into a dead potato

Oh man, you should see your face right now. 

Wait, wait, stop! Before you click outta here in a huff with your “Kenny good Jane bad” grunts and come yell at me, just hear me out-- this entry is mostly a joke and the other four on this list are serious, okay? 

I needed someone to put at #5 and after talking over some options and going back and forth.... Jane came up as a joke and then kind of made the list. Because really, I thought about it. I was like, “Would I really rather have dingdong “whatever happens stay out of it” potato face Jane as a love interest over Kate? Do I dislike Kate as an option that much?” and Pi and I talked about this for a while and yeah.... yeah I would actually. 

When I said anyone but Kate, I guess I really meant anyone. 

Trust me, I know, I’m just as surprised. I guess this really says a lot about my feelings for Kate. I didn’t know I disliked her this much either.

But for fun, let’s entertain this idea of the writers NOT pulling the ol’ character assassination on Jane and she made it to Richmond with Clementine and AJ because--

Jane: "One time I ate glass because I was drunk and thought it was sugar."

Javier: "I gambled on my own baseball matches and disgraced myself for money."

Jane: “Well, I dragged my little sister around with me after everything went to shit until I finally gave her what she wanted and left her to die.”

Javier: “I wasn’t there when my dad was fighting cancer and when I finally showed up, I was too late and he was already dead, then he turned and I bashed his skull in with a piece of wood.” 

Jane: “I shot a dude’s dick off once.”

Javier: “Oof. I insulted an old lady’s cake and then shot her eye out.”

Jane: “I screwed a guy when I was supposed to be securing a place for some lady to have her baby and it resulted in the death of a teenage girl.”

Javier: “I screwed my brother’s wife.” 

Jane: “...”

Javier: “In my defense, I thought he was dead.” 

Jane: “That’s fair.”

Clementine, exasperated and emo: “Oh my god.” 

....I mean... we might be onto something here, c’mon--

Okay, now onto the more legit entries. 

4. Conrad

Now listen... I know, okay? I know. I know this one can be seen as a bit problematic considering the fact that Conrad, in his grief and anger over Francine’s death, held a gun to Gabe’s head and threatened Javi and Clementine.... plus Javi can literally murder him.

...and if you don’t do anything, Conrad with murder both Gabe and Javi and you’ll get a “YOU ARE DEAD” screen...

But we don’t talk about that because it’s not canon.

I know, but listen... I’m allowed to have ships that are difficult, as are you, and this is my list so... there.

If Conrad was a love interest that’s the route I’d take because I love him and I think a relationship between him and Javi could’ve been so damn good if properly done.

I just find Conrad to be an interesting character with a great arc that you only get to see if you don’t shoot him... which is what most people did, so they missed out. And like, I get it, I get why y’all shot him but maybe next time you play, you could consider not doing that?

So here’s the thing, Javi and Conrad share something-- they both lost loved ones because of shithead Badger. Javi is heartbroken after Mariana’s death, Conrad is devastated after Francine’s death, and they both handle that in different ways. Conrad becomes so focused on revenge and getting into Richmond, that he’s willing to threaten two kids in order to get what he wants but the thing is... that’s not him.

He even says so himself when you keep him alive-- he genuinely apologizes for what happened and will end up coming back to save Javi’s life in ep4. The potential for this to work as a relationship? It’s there... the only problem is that my confidence in the writers handling something like this is low, but let’s pretend they used their time and brains wisely-- ya got yourself a classic slow-burn friends to enemies to friends again to lovers romance and I’m here for it. 

3. Paul “Jesus” Monroe

A lot of people really like the idea of Javi and Jesus and wanted him to be a romantic option, and I don’t blame them. They have chemistry in the scenes they share, and Javi can straight up flirt with him at the end of the season, and it’s super cute... of course, I wish we had more but Telltale was too scared to actually show Javi’s bisexuality outside of that one line, I guess.

But, anyway, this ship has a lot of sweet fanart that we love to see.

The only real reason he isn’t higher on the list is that Jesus is apparently already in a relationship at this point? I guess? From what I’ve been told? Listen, I don’t read the comics, I don’t watch the show, I just go off what y’all tell me. Plus, I believe Kent joked about Jesus having someone in each community during the commentaries so like... that’s a thing?

But let’s pretend that we throw that all out and Jesus is single and ready to be in a committed relationship with our boy Javier here. Like I mentioned above, these characters have a believable chemistry from the moment they meet and I think that has a lot to do with how charming they are by themselves. Those different charms work well together.

I also enjoy how much of a badass Jesus is when it comes to fighting off walkers. Javi has a lot of force that you feel with each hit, while Jesus almost has a lighter but just as impactful hit? I dunno if I’m explaining that well-- basically, Javi strong but Jesus can bounce off walls and do cool shit with weapons that feels effortless.

It’s a combo of fighting styles that I love, so these two fighting together? *chef kiss*

There’s also Jesus’ morality and how he wants to see Javier make “good” decisions, y’know? Sure, he gets pissy if you murder the shit outta Badger, which is mostly just Telltale showing you consequences, but I get it. He sees a lot of potential in Javi, more than Javi himself sees. And unlike certain characters, Jesus doesn’t completely hate you for doing something he doesn’t agree with to a frustrating degree.

If the game gave us the option to pursue Jesus as a love interest, he and Javier would’ve been such a badass couple with a sweet romance.

2. Eleanor

This one might come as a surprise to those of you who know my feelings about Eleanor... as in, I don’t like her. I never forgave her for the shit she pulled in ep4/ep5, and now every time I replay ANF and she shows up? Well, all I really hear is the hissing of a snake.

But, putting those feelings aside and looking at her from a different perspective, I do believe that she would’ve made for a better love interest than Kate assuming that if you romanced her, she wouldn’t rat everyone out to Joan, y’know?

Hell, most people believed that Eleanor was going to be the second option with Kate back when the episodes were coming out, and for good reason. The chemistry is there in the flirting, and their relationship could’ve been super cute.

Of course, Eleanor being a love interest also comes with things becoming awkward with Tripp, but c’mon-- as awkward as pursuing a relationship with your sister-in-law and never telling your brother after finding out he’s alive? Nah, I don’t think so.

Plus, for the first three episodes, Eleanor’s not a bad character. In fact, she’s pretty damn likable, she deeply cares for the group and wants to use her medical skills for good.

And you can tell through the dialogue that she and Javi are fond of one another... well, I guess until they shove the Kate thing in our faces and suddenly Eleanor’s like “oh, I thought you two were a thing??” like... Eleanor, we were flirting and I totally rejected all of Kate’s advances last episode I mean??

If she were a love interest, instead of turning on us, she would... y’know, not do that and instead help us out. We have a couple cute moments like back in ep1 where she’s patching Javi up but this time with a smooch? Super cute.

1. Tripp

Okay but seriously, why wasn’t Tripp a love interest? 

He’s the perfect option. I just-- uuuughhhhh. 

They already have a great believable bromance, so why not take it a step further and make it an official romance? Oh wait, that’s right, ya gotta kill off 95% of your determinant characters, I forgot. Sorry Tripp. 

Well, fuck that. Out of all the other adult characters, Javi has the most chemistry with this man. I believe them more than I believe him and Kate. Sure, they got off to a rocky start the progression of their relationship felt natural with every episode. 

That scene where Tripp is confiding in Javi about his feelings for Eleanor? And in turn, Javi can confide in him about Kate? One of my favorite scenes. I only wish there was an option to tell Tripp he can do much better and set the path for the romance. 

Seriously, I’d probably feel more okay about the romance with Kate if Tripp were the second option. That way, Kate wouldn’t be so forced onto the player, the writers confirming Javi’s bisexuality on Twitter or whatever wouldn’t feel like they were trying to earn points without actually showing representation, and we would’ve gotten the beauty that is Javier and Tripp. 

Also, then Tripp could make it to the end without dying that dumb death of his that no one likes. 

And if I haven’t convinced you yet, then look at these swaps Pi did--

--and tell me they aren’t fucking perfect?? You can’t, because look at them. 

Where’s my Tripp route, Telltale??

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Honorable Mentions

-If I wasn’t sticking to just ANF characters, Luke probably would’ve made the list because that’s apparently a popular combo and I dig it.  -Pudding... because Javi fucking loves pudding.  -Honestly Max probably would’ve been a better love interest than Kate oof--

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So, whattya think? Do you agree with this top 5 or nah? Do you have a favorite Javi ship? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you. :D

Next week’s T5F Top 5 Times Lee was the Absolute Best

[hteragram-x]

LOCEIT HCs...

...because I don’t see nearly enough posts about these two, so here is my contribution. (With some supportive Creativitwins in the background.)

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Their flirting (especially before they got together) is a competition. Not like Roceit flirting when they try to one up the other partner with cute gestures and suave compliments. Nope. With Logan and Janus it’s the game of pretending to not flirt and to not understand flirting until one of them becomes too flustered or reacts like a normal person and, therefore loses.

Janus would, for example, say something nice and innocent about Logan’s intelligence. And Logan only smiles nicely and says: “thank you, that’s my job” in the most neutral way possible. Janus starts escalating the compliment, by saying how much he likes a man that is smart. To which Logan answers politely that he’s glad they are on the good terms. And so one and so forth.

At one point either the person who is complimenting gets frustrated and shouts something like: “I just think you’re hot, goddammit! Take the compliment!” or the other one blushes too hard to hide it and has to admit that they are more than flattered.

The amount of romantic tension in the air is so high that it often involuntarily summons Roman.

He later quietly sits nearby with his phone and texts other sides to make bets who wins this time. Usually he quite likes these battles of patience, but he still calls it: “Who’s more like a fucking human being” contest. Whoever loses in the eyes of Loceit is the winner in Roman’s.

...

Janus still likes to flirt with everyone around without any shame, but they know it’s only a game. If the other side shows the slightest sight of feelings he quickly steps back and fervently explains that it’s just how he is and he didn’t mean it romantically.

If Janus and Logan are on the same side of the discussion Logan actually encourages Janus’ attempts to convince someone (usually Roman), by using flattery. He’d prefer to win using just logic, but if that’s not enough he can use a charming snake to gain some support. If they are on the opposite sides Janus tries to change Logan’s mind with flirting, but that never works unless he combines it with actual good arguments.

When Logan and Janus team up it’s almost 100% guaranteed that they’ll win. At least academically and from the audience’s perspective. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Thomas will listen to them in the end.

If they lose they usually disappear together for some time. The others think that they are simply blowing off steam e.g. by destroying things or yelling (or doing other stuff, according to Remus) and they just hide to not ruin their reputation. In reality they stay together tangled in blankets mumbling how frustrated they are. Basically two braincells recreating the “No talk, me angy” meme.

...

Janus likes to use his cane to pull Logan closer with every little excuse he can find. Sometimes he does that with no reason at all and claims it’s a reflex at this point (which is partially true). He loves to get unnecessarily close just because and if he has no cane around he can always drag Logan by the tie.

Logan doesn’t allow anyone else to do that except for Remus from time to time when he has no patience to argue with someone so irrational and rebellious. Other than that, Janus alone has the tie-pulling privilege.

They do argue about ties and bowties a lot, though. It’s an ongoing, very serious, debate about which of the two looks better and more elegant. They cannot objectively solve it. Janus secret mission is to somehow trick Logan into wearing a bowtie without snapping his fingers and changing his attire himself.

...

When Logan feels terrible about himself Janus shapeshifts into him and repeats everything that Logan says. Not to be annoying, but to let Logan hear his own words in a different context and realize that these are just his own insecurities speaking and it usually has nothing to do with the truth. (No need to tell him that right away. He can figure it out himself. It works better.)

When Janus is upset Logan just recites very blunt positive facts about him. If Janus still has a problem with believing in these compliments Logan calmly explains that these are not compliments, but merely scientifically provable claims. In that case Janus cannot really argue with them and he knows better than to accuse Logan of lying for the sake of emotions.

When they went from flirting and tiptoeing around each other to actual dating they kept these tactics, but added some more tricks to lift their partner’s spirits. The new methods are much more affectionate and emotional, but still backed up with a lot of objective facts that are not up for a debate.

...

Before they started dating Logan went to Remus and Janus went to Roman desperately needing some advice. Logan because he’s so bad with feelings that he fears he misunderstood the entire situation (plus Remus knows Janus better than the Light Sides at this point) and Janus needed some actual help when it comes to romance. He may be very suave and flirt a lot, but it’s just a nice façade he uses to gain something. It works way worse when real feelings are involved.

Eventually, they end up getting together in a very slow, gradual way, because all their attempts to do something romantic are disasters. Not that Creativitwins’ advice was bad… it’s just their plans’ questionable execution. Logan and Janus were playing their “We pretend to not get what’s going on and appear unaffected” game for so long that every romantic gesture seems to be fake or a trap.

So in the end they just painfully slowly grow closer and closer. When Janus drags Logan with his cane, he stays beside him longer than he needs to. When Logan reads and gets distracted, Janus brushes his hair from his eyes with his gloved and later gloveless fingers. When Janus doesn’t know something he stops pretending he understands everything and goes to Logan to ask which makes the other man lit up with excitement. When Logan doesn’t feel like talking and arguing he just leans on Janus seeking silent support and delicate affection.

They probably start officially dating in a very nonspectacular way. They are just very close and Logan says something like: “Well, according to my data we should probably kiss at this point” and Janus answers with: “Can’t argue with science”. So they do kiss, before Logan mentions that science is exactly about “arguing” until you get the most objective and statistically correct answer possible.

...

For some time they do not say anything to the others.

But they notice the change pretty quickly, starting with Roman who nearly faints with relief after their confessions, because the amount of repressed love they were carrying around was insane and was an actual physical burden for a romantic side.

However, before anyone else knows they spend a week together trying to squeeze as much affectionate, loving moments into these few days as possible, so they don’t act too delirious around other sides when they come back. (They do anyway.)

Their flirting is still a competition, though. Sometimes to a ridiculous extent when they try to outdo the other with obscenely romantic gestures. It’s not a date. It’s a game. There is a scoring board and they both simultaneously play the roles of the contestants and the judges.

(Logan wins after carving a heart with J+L sign on the tree, because Janus refused to do anything that would look even more like a scene from a cheesy teenage movie. He gladly accepts his defeat. The punishment was just more soft kissing under the same tree. What a tragedy.)

...

At the end of the day Loceit as a couple is a very unpredictable mixture between them being two cold motherfuckers (with one refusing to show a single emotion and the other using the emotions as a weapon) and being two nerds that can giggle at each other’s jokes about law while combing their partner’s hair with fingers, cuddling, and blushing very hard when they hear a breathless: “you’re so smart!”.

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And that’s all. However, I do feel that we’ve neglected Loceit as a ship which means that I will probably create more HCs and writing prompts about them soon. So feel free to ask about these two :D I’ll gladly post something more.

[a-libra-writes]

who do you think would prefer an s/o who’s charming, more of a people person, using their words to get what they want vs an s/o who’s more quiet, strategic, and plans and schemes to get what they want? is it a case of opposites attract, or would they want someone to compliment them? 👀

.......so i ended up having a lot of thoughts about this LOL 

okay so i think this depends on the s/o’s morals! like you can be scheming to help others instead of hurting them. so let’s go with that bc i dont wanna brainstorm a low ethics/morality s/o (this makes me think of 7KPP, a fantastic visual novel that’s the only decent Court Drama Simulator vn i’ve come across). Also there’s a loooot of characters so imma just list the ones I have Strong Thoughts on and sort them by region oh lord what have you done my dork is showing

Northbois

So while I feel like Robb and Ned would prefer a more outgoing and charming sort of person ... I really can’t help but ship them with someone whose more cunning and can actually play the game of thrones. Like lord someone help these Starks because their intrigue score is 0 and they need someone protecting them from Tywin, Roose and Walder LOL. I can really see both father and son thinking their s/o is this sweet thing and not having a clue of how much scheming they’re actually doing to protect Winterfell... Ned would probs catch on after a while but Robb would just be blinded by love and devotion haha. 

Sansa would probs want the first ideally, but as she gets older she’d greatly appreciate someone who has that sort of cunning and uses it for good purposes. Also she’d like a calm and steady personality to rely on.

Jory is a straight up honest guy to a fault, kinda like Ned, so he’d also prefer the first type of person and appreciate them more.

OKAY SO you’d think Roose would go for the second type but HEAR ME OUT. I think he’d go for both equally, or a mix of the two. Listen. I have a strong HC that he would be very attracted to someone who is his opposite in many ways - outgoing, charming, sweet and kind. If that person also happens to be cunning as hell and willing to manipulate anyone - even him - to protect what’s their’s, oof. He’s gone. I think he’d really get off on the idea of having an s/o who everyone is shocked he’s involved with bc “omg they’re sooo nice” and only he really knows their “other side”, so to speak. Realtalk I don’t think he’d go for someone just as morally awful as him bc he’d see them more as a threat than a potential partner.

Ramsay is a little shit that would also be attracted to the first kind of person but honestly needs the second type to keep his ass in line. That’s the sort of person who would figure him out and manipulate him accordingly so he isn’t skinning the goddamn neighbors. Also he wouldn’t give a damn about their morals so go off i guess just dont start any revolts in the north

VERY Northbois

Jon really doesn’t care for schemes, even if he acknowledges they’re useful, and he’d be attracted to someone who knows just what to say and is charismatic bc lord knows he’s struggled w that for a bit.  Benjen really loves outgoing, charming and talkative peeps esp when they wiggle their way out of stuff or convince the upper command of the Watch to consider a different plan. He’ll be soooo attracted to that. Edd is kinda meh on both I’d feel? Like he’d prefer a quieter person but not a scheming sort, that’s too troublesome to deal with. I think he could come around to the first one eventually.

Mance super respects the second type, he finds it very attractive actually, especially when they start manipulating him into something and he catches them. Tormund is a dork and prefers outgoing people, totally doesn’t notice when he’s being taken in lol. He rlly hates the second sort of person, sees them as snakes.

Southbois

Edmure would absolutely be drawn to a gregarious and outgoing person! And if they can talk their way into or out of things thank god bc fishboy has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth. I really don’t think it’d work out with a schemer person bc of that Tully honor, and unlike Ned or Robb, Edmure would start to catch on (I don’t buy into the show characterization of Edmure like frack that he’s not an idiot). Brynden has a lot of experience and has seen a lot of BS, so he’d understand the risks and sacrifices his s/o would be making when they’re playing the game, and he’d really wish they wouldn’t!! Like yeah it’s to protect their family and friends but he wishes they didn’t have to do that. He wants to protect them on his own.

Brienne REALLY prefers someone whose honest and can talk their way in and out of things!! Like the Starks she’s very honorable and has no patience for lies and manipulating even if it’s for something good. It’d take a lot for her to trust and be attracted to that kind of person, they’d have to like... be very honest with her about what their plans are and why they’re doing them. 

Kingslanding bois

oh lord Stannis okay so INITIALLY he’d be put off by both personalities for diff reasons - outgoing because socializing and diplomacy is something he just sucks at and the second one because holy hell he hates dishonesty and scheming. Now, he can admire a strategic and collected mind, but as soon as dishonorable plots roll in he starts side-eyeing. I think it would take some time for that latter personality to gain his trust, and if this is like... his wife we’re talking about, she’d probs have to scheme behind his back, even if it’s for his own sake. For an outgoing person, he could eventually befriend or fall for them once some common ground is found. He wouldn’t be able to admit how much he admires their people skills haha.

Davos understands that sometimes manipulating and scheming is needed and can be used for good, but personally he prefers a more diplomatic, out in the open approach. So the first type is def his kinda person. He could still befriend the second type as long as they’re not assholes, though.

Tywin would honestly work with both sides of the spectrum and in between, but ultimately, you’d have to understand who you’re dealing with. There’s no honor or high ground being involved with Tywin Lannister, and the s/o should expect to get dragged into his schemes, esp when he trusts them ... and that’s no easy feat. Ultimately it’s less of how you get what you want and more of ... what are you willing to do to get it. Pesky morals and all that.

Tyrion has had enough of his dad’s bullshit that he’d only be romantically involved with the first type, someone who uses sass and flattery like he does. He can still respect and befriend a more cunning person, though. Jaime also prefers the first type, he thinks it’s just because “oh I like outgoing and forward people” and not...”i’ve spent years dealing with lies and schemes from father and cersei”, yanno that old chestnut. Bronn definitely prefers gregarious and cheeky peeps, schemes go over his head and bore him.

Sandor dislikes both sorts of personalities for different reasons ... He’s offput by someone who would be very talkative and outgoing with him (like why are they talking to him wtf), and he also hates scheming and lying and all that, he’s seen too much of it. The first type has a better chance of befriending and getting close to him, the second not so much. 

Petyr very much respects and admires both but like ... you know he’d prefer someone that he thinks he can outwit and manipulate, so probably more of the first type of personality because they seem less cunning and more of “just” a people person. Given his obsessive/yandere tendencies he probably wouldn’t notice he was being taken in by someone friendly and kind. 

like okay weird thing to think about but just consider this... I really wonder what it’d be like if Robert had an s/o like the first one you mentioned. Not Cersei, certainly not his beloved Lyanna - a third party, a gracious and likeable queen that kinda makes up for his faults and she’s TRYING hard as hell. like idk if they’d ever fall in love but like idk i feel like his depression would be slightly lessened to have a partner that’s very beloved and tries to help him and put him in a good light in his subject’s minds. Am I making sense? She’s not perfect but she wants what’s best for the realm and if she’s gotta do it herself she will. IDK sorry this is a tangent, i think about major change AUs and their political consequences a lot

Heckin south n east bois

Margaery is a Big Gay and you can’t fight me on this, you will lose. She’s super attracted to the first kind of gal bc that’s def how she is herself! So she’d love to play those little word games with them. The second personality type she’d just write off as “eh quiet person” but once she got closer and began to realize their cunning and wittiness she’d def take an interest, esp if she found out about some good things they did. Then it’d be a classic “outgoing babe dating more reserved babe” and yall both would be VERY well-known in court. absolute power couple

Oberyn likes both equally! Especially if your motives are to help others and/or save your friends and family. He loves that kinda loyalty and he really admires someone who has a way with words and schemes in equal measure. Hell he does both himself. He might lean more toward an outgoing person just because that’s how he is too.

idk where to put Beric but he rlly likes the first kind of people!! He’d probs ask you to get supplies or money on the Brotherhood’s behalf, and he actually kinda likes it when he finds himself doing something you wanted cause you asked so nicely or talked him into it ..... Thoros calls him a simp and it’s true ok don’t bully he can’t help it

& lastly Essosssss

So, I think Daenerys would be a lot more drawn to the second kinda person. First of all: Very mysterious, ooh. Secondly, she’d appreciate a cool head that will tell her the truth and is willing to do more unsavory things bc they believe in her so much. Obvs she would need someone with unquestionable loyalty, and once she tests and is reassured of that loyalty, then she could start some kinda romance. She’s def attracted to someone who can get shit done that way.

Jorah is a big opposite in that he’s kinda had to do that unsavory stuff himself and is still ashamed by it, and generally doesn’t trust people like Littlefinger and Varys and Illyrio, etc so he’d prefer someone who is just genuine and talks their way out of things. Also yall know him he can’t resist once he starts liking someone like cmon

Grey Worm is absolutely in the first camp too but for diff reasons! Scheming and all that shit just makes him nervous and he distrusts it, even if it’s for Daenerys’ sake. He just wouldn’t associate with the person ... Someone more outgoing would definitely fluster him more but at least he could feel like he could trust them. Missandei can go either way - she knows the power in both diplomacy and manipulation, and would likely admire and be pulled to someone who uses both to help people. 

sorry i got so wordy and a bit repetitive lol both are like, my fav kinda character archtypes, esp for court settings.

[ourwrittenstories-arch]

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Rules::

Rule one

Please be patient with me. I’m either stupid fast at replying or I take a few days. If it seems I’ve forgotten you, though, send me an IM

Rule Two

That being said I will reply when I feel like. I will always tell you if I need to drop a thread, if I take long it doesn’t mean I’ve dropped it. If you need to drop it because I’m taking too long, let me know. I promise not to be mad.

Rule Three

I will not RP with anyone under the age of 18, even if the thread has no smut. I’m sorry, but no. This is an adult oriented blog. Heavy themes, along with smut, will be regularly posted in rp formal and/or in images.

Rule Four

I will not RP with anime/cartoon/game FC’s (There are exceptions like RE8 chars). I will also not RP with any deceased FC’s

Rule Five

As awesome as it would be to be bilingual, I only speak and know English.  Anything you see me post that is not English was brought to you by Google Translate.

Rule Six

I do not have a verse page, but that doesn’t mean I’m not open to AU’s. I LOVE AU’s. I’m a multi-ship multi-post blog and am trash for any and all AU’s. Just ask!

Rule Seven

I can write a lot in my replies (And a lot of it can be unnecessary detail) but don't feel pressured to match my length! Just, please, try to give me something more than two sentences to work with. I don't typically enjoy writing short replies, but I understand muses can be fickle things.

Rule Eight

I don't enjoy pregnancy threads or writing children so I, typically, will steer clear of those types of threads. If our muses have been in a long relationship (and we have been writing partners for a while as well) I may make an exception, but don't come in expecting babies. My girls all have IUD's unless stated otherwise. That being said I am 100% down with the breeding kink.

Rule Nine

If a muse has (unknown) somewhere in their age it means they are old old. Like 100+, so age can be changed if you are uncomfortable with age gap.

Rule Ten

I have a handful of chronic issues that effect my sleep and my mood so I'm up all hours of the day. I live in EST time zone, but I'm often up at 4AM so.....it's a gamble lol!

Rule Eleven

I have SEVERE ANXIETY and struggle messaging new people. IF I FOLLOWED YOU I WANT TO RP WITH YOU! I'm probably just figuring out how to message you without puking lol. I would appreciate the help, if you want, or you can wait until I gather the enrve.

Rule Twelve

My grammar isn't the best in the galaxy, ok? I over use comma's and never really figured out the semi-colon. If something is horribly wrong or you can't understand what I've written, just ask please.

Rule Thirteen

I will tag major triggers (ie; Snakes, Spiders etc) but I won't tag smut or NSFW unless it really needs it.

Rule Fourteen

If I have ever posted a meme please feel free to send one in even if it was a year ago! With that in mind, I do prefer introduction threads with new muns/characters if I am not familiar with them.

Rule Fifteen

Don't like my starters

Rule Sixteen

Don't God-Mod blah blah and Follow TOS k I love you <3 <3

Muses:

Girls:

Inessa Morea

Nicknames: Nessy, Nessa, Ness Age: Unknwon (25) DoB: May 11th Pronouns: She/Her Species: Nymph (Forest) Sexual Orientation: Bi-Curious Position: Sub (Potentially verse) Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic Hometown: New York Occupation: Flourist Personality: Sweet, Curious, Oblivious, Playful, Innocent, Devious Face Claim: Candice King ○

Cassia Poole-

Nicknames: Cass, Cassy Age: Unknown (19-24) DoB: November 3rd Pronouns: She/Her Species: Nymph (Water(mermaid)) Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Position: Sub Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic Hometown: New York Occupation: Student (Robotics and Marine bio-tech)/ Swim coach Personality:Innocent, Nerdy, Hyperactive, Bratty, Playful, Lame Face Claim: Jane Levy ○

 Amara Nyx

Nicknames: Marr Age: Unknown (32) DoB: Oct 13th Pronouns: She/Her Species: Nymph (Underworld) Sexual Orientation: Pansexual Position: Versatile Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic Hometown: New York Occupation: None/ Sugar baby Personality: Smart ass, Rude, Bitchy, Judgmental, Hateful, Possessive, Affectionate Face Claim: Elizabeth Gillies ○

Laleh Narvaez

Nicknames: Lala Age: 25(600) DoB: Sept 4th Pronouns: She/Her Species:Lamia/Naga Sexual Orientation: Pansexual Position: Versatile Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic Hometown: Argentina Occupation: Dancer/Jack of all Trades for Freak Show/Snake Charmer(Circus) Personality:Sharp, Sultry, Flirtatious, Seductive, Venomous Face Claim: Eiza Gonzalez ○

Samira Eve

Nickname: Sam, Sammy, Mira Age: (Unknown) 20-23 DoB: June 2nd Pronouns: She/Her Species: Air Nymph Sexual Orientation: Pansexual Position: Verse Romantic Orientation: Panromantic Hometown: Boston Occupation: Thief/Courier Personality: Sarcastic, Smooth, Sassy, Flighty, Unreliable, Persuasive, troublemaker FC: Elisha Applebaum

○

Maybelline New-York

Nicknames: May Age: 28 DoB:Sep 17 Pronouns: She/Her Species: Zombie Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Position: Sub Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic Hometown: New Orleans Occupation: None Personality: Shy, Angry, Mute, Hungry, Sassy" Bio: Maybelline has no memory of her life before she had been murdered at the age of 23. Hell, she's not even certain that's her age. Her name came from reading a magazine ad when asked who she was after walking into morgue. Zombies had been a small pest problem for a while now, usually obvious in their appearance and traits, but something inside of May kept her from fully succumbing to the sickness. All she felt was hunger and, after begging the mortician to, promptly sewed her mouth shut and clipped her nails. Now she speaks in sign or with a chalkboard she carries around to communicate. After weeks of study, it was discovered that Maybelline had a tumor that had taken over the majority of her brain, blocking the strain from traveling and taking her over. Face Claim: Camila Mendes ○

Juniper Lee

Nicknames: June, Junie Age:29 DoB: Feb 16th Pronouns: She/Her Species:Witch Sexual Orientation: Straight Position: Submissive Romantic Orientation: Straight Hometown: Seoul until 5 then Massachusetts Occupation:Herbalist/Illusionist Personality:Soft spoken, Kind, Intelligent, Playful, Self Concious, Delicate, unsure Face Claim: Jamie Chung ○

 Barabelle Gunn

Nicknames: Belle, Belly, Bara Age:27 DoB: May 28th Pronouns: She/Her Species: Human Sexual Orientation: Straight Position: Versatile Romantic Orientation: Straight Hometown: Killin Scottland Occupation: Hunter (supernatural) / Mercenary Personality: Brash, Rude, Sarcastic, Bull Headed, Loyal, Protective Face Claim: Karen Gillan AU Verses-  Resident Evil 8 Verse ○ Leora Brandr Nicknames: Leo Age: Unknown (26) DoB: Dec 21st Pronouns: She/Her Species: Nymph (Fire) Sexual Orientation: Pansexual Position: Versatile Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic Hometown: Queens Occupation: Pilot/ Glass Blower Personality: Gentle, Kind, Shy, Short-Fused, Fiery, Passionate Face Claim: Daisy Ridley

Boys:

Carlyle Abrams

Nicknames: Lyle Age:32 DoB: April 16th Pronouns: He/Him Species:Human Sexual Orientation: Straight Position: Top/Dominant Romantic Orientation: Straight Hometown: London Occupation: Private Investigator Personality: Charming,Calm, Kind, Playful, Posessive, Warm Face Claim: Adam Driver ○

Maxwell Ardeleane Nicknames: Max Age: Unknown (31) DoB: January 8th Pronouns: He/Him Species: Elder Vampire Sexual Orientation: Pansexual Position: Top/Dominant Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic Hometown: Bucharest Romania Occupation: Mob Boss Personality: Charming, Polite, Sarcastic,Dark, Cruel, Posessive." Face Claim: Tyler Hoechlin ○ Syrian Nyx

Nicknames: Syrian Age: Unknown(34) DoB: Oct 13th Pronouns: He/Him Species: Nymph (Underworld) (Alpha) Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Position: Top/Dominant Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic Hometown: New York Occupation: Bank CEO Personality:Charming, Egotistical, Posessive, Rude, Dark Humor Face Claim: Oliver Jackson-Cohen ○ Esben Hvit

Nicknames: Esben, Ben, Es Age: 27 DoB: Oct 20 Pronouns: He/Him Species: Were-Raven (Albino) Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Position: Vesatile Romantic Orientation: Biromantic Hometown:Seattle Occupation: Famous Writer(Penned under Raven White) Personality:Cocky, Quiet, Shy, Rude, Snarky, Intelligent Face Claim: Lucky Blue Smith ○

Carter Higgins

Nicknames: Carter, Car Age: 24 DoB: June 12 Pronouns: He/Him Species: Human Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Position: Vesatile Romantic Orientation: Biromantic Hometown: Nashville Tenn Occupation: Street/Bar Musician Personality:Sweet, Friendly, Romantic, Goofy, Playful Face Claim: Cody Christian

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Canon characters:

Peter Hale: Teen Wolf

Chris Argent: Teen Wolf

Tags:

#selfie;(name) - Photo’s of characters

(name)Starter- Starter for specific character

#wanted opposite - Wanted partner or character to rp with

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