#i have a cane and people are kinda weird about it. they keep being worried and it's like. it's HELPING me you assholes

[simptasia]

i remember one time mum and i discussing and looking at my fucked up foot posture and she said "i regret not fixing the way you sat as a baby. sorry about that"

[beelzeboobie-enthusiast]

Obey Me! MC with chronic pain/fatigue

This is so self-indulgent and I have no regrets. Small warning, I didn’t have much to say about Belphie because I uhhhhh kinda don’t like him very much atm. I tried and failed ;-; If I get more fond of him as time goes on I’ll definitely go back and edit this. Without further ado, I present headcanons for each of the demon brothers with an MC who has chronic pain and fatigue issues. Lucifer -Lucifer feels a bit guilty for choosing you of all people to be dragged down to the Devildom as an exchange student. He hadn’t realized you had chronic issues that made your regular day-to-day life hard. It definitely would be detrimental for you to be thrown into such a stressful situation.

-But what’s done is done, and now you’re stuck here. -He’s glad to see you adjust after a while and takes it upon himself to subtly assist with whatever extra support you might need.

-Have trouble walking because of leg/back pain? A mysterious cane appears in your room one day when you wake up. No note attached, but you can tell by the way he watches out of the corner of his eye when you walk into the dining room that he knows where it came from. 

-If you ever need a day off from class because you’re too tired or in too much pain, he’s shockingly (to you) understanding. Of course, he warns you that missing class can effect grades badly, but he never scolds you for it. Sometimes you almost get the feeling that he can sense when you’re having a bad day. Mammon -He’s clueless. -Chronic pain? Huh? Whatdya mean you hurt without being physically injured? -It takes him a while to really get it, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t supportive in whatever way he can be. -In fact, he becomes a little TOO supportive. Protective, even. -His human already hurts, ain’t no dumbass demons gonna make it worse for them. -He goes overboard with it sometimes, but gentle reminders that you aren’t fragile or broken help keep him in line. Everything he does is out of love- ahem, I mean, just not wanting you to  die or whatever because then he’d get in big trouble with Lucifer. -If you ever express that you want something specific to help with your pain or fatigue, such as a heating pad, he’ll get one for you (as soon as he has money again, that is). Of course, it’s on one condition- you’ve got to share it with him. Be prepared to have him attempt to sandwich the heating pad between the two of you because ‘it’s technically his’. He totally doesn’t just want to cuddle or something. Psshh, as if. -He definitely does. Leviathan -It’s worrying and kind of weird to him. Why would human bodies go haywire like that? Is it contagious? -He’s really not great at figuring out ways to help, but if you ask him to help you out with something he will (as long as he doesn’t have other matters to attend to, like a new game  release). -He’s more likely to help and take notice once the two of you get closer with each other. -If you end up missing a lot of in-person class time, he’ll help you navigate the ins and outs of virtual learning. You two end up doing homework together a lot, helping each other figure out lessons that you can’t quite understand on your own. You have a system and it works  shockingly well- even Lucifer is surprised by the way simply spending time with you on schoolwork boosts Levi’s grades.

-Feel free to hang out in his room to watch him play games if you’re feeling low energy. Satan -Probably the most interested in your condition (not in a weird way, I promise). -The Devildom has books from the human realm, but not many modern medical texts so he’s not very up-to-date on his knowledge. As long as you’re okay with it, he’ll want to hear about the details of you chronic illness like what it is and why it happens. -He’s never had a lot of interest in humans before you showed up, but now he’s fascinated. -It’s not all scholarly either- he likes you and wants to know more about what you’re dealing with so he can find ways to help, whether that means with your symptoms, treatments, or talking sense into his brothers when they’re accidentally insensitive to your needs. Asmodeus -Speaking of insensitive- he’s got the spirit, at least. Unfortunately it can be annoying. -It takes him a long time to understand that being cheerful and upbeat won’t make your aches and tiredness go away. One day he stops that type of attempt entirely- you get the sneaking suspicion that Satan gave him a scolding after you vented to him about being irritated with Asmo’s take on the condition you knew better than anyone. -After the abrupt stop, he changes from telling you to cheer up to telling you it’s okay to take it easy when you need to. You’re a little wary at first, worried he might not really understand yet and could go back to being insensitive, but after a while it becomes pretty clear that he gets it now. -Be prepared for so many impromptu ‘spa nights’. Whether its combinations of products that should help you sleep better or warm baths to soothe your aching body, he’s determined to pamper you. -He even offers to let you sleep in his bed since the mattress and pillows are, according to him, the best the Devildom has to offer. Beelzebub -If you thought Beel was sweet before he knew about your struggles, be prepared for saccharine overload after he finds out. -Whether he hears it from you or from one of his brothers, the next thing on his mind is finding out more. It’s not quite the same as Satan’s desire to learn everything about your condition-  instead, it’s more focused on how you feel and what he can do to help. -He’s a protector, and heaven be damned if he isn’t going to protect you too- even if it’s protecting you from your own body. -It’s like knowing you’re in pain makes all thoughts of hunger disappear from his head. He can’t worry about food for himself when he’s got his human to worry about. He’ll even go out in search of ‘safe’ foods for you if there’s none in the kitchen that you can eat. (Of course, he’ll pick up some other snacks for himself while he’s out- you can eat together!) -His size and warm body temperature make him perfect for cuddling on achey days, too. He’s more than happy to let you cling to him if it makes you feel better. He’ll even tolerate frigid fingers pressed against his warm skin for you to ‘steal his body heat’. -And if you need help getting around? Say no more. He’ll carry you anywhere you need to go. Belphegor -Look, he cares that you’re in pain, but he can’t be bothered to get out of bed for it. He’s more than happy to let you tuck in with him, though. -He’s a little more understanding about the fatigue- while most of his sleepiness is just a result of his sin, Sloth, he understands what it’s like to be uncontrollably tired. -Unsurprisingly, his solution to this is the same as his solution to your pain- crawl into bed and sleep. It’s bizarre to him that you don’t always want to sleep when your body tells you it’s tired. -He’s sure Beel will take care of the other stuff. 

[yesimwriting]

The Promise of Rain, blurb 2

The Promise of Rain (part 2?? technically) 

A/n I was not originally planning a second part for this but some people wanted it and this idea came to me and it works better with the context of ‘The Promise of Rain’ but it can technically be read as a stand alone :))

Anyways this might turn into a small series of kinda connected blurbs that are all kind of canon with each other but aren’t necessarily connected except for the reader’s background (the reader is a very sunshine-y person and knows Kaz bc she’s a runaway princess that he was hired to bring back home but she managed to convince him to let her work for him instead)

--

The night air had left me with a chill that made me want nothing more than to have my covers draped over me as I read. I’m normally more sociable after a job, especially after such a simple and safe ending, but a lot of tonight had left me wanting to be alone. 

Well, not truly alone. The company of my books is always welcomed, but tonight I can’t seem to find much comfort within the pages. After almost every paragraph, I find myself distracted by gusts of wind and thoughts of the heavy, silver clouds that seem to make up tonight. A part of me longs for the rain. I know it’s ridiculous to expect rain each time I desire some sense of comfort, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it. Especially when the sky so clearly implies it. 

“This must be the fifth time I’ve come here and you’ve been reading.” Kaz’s sudden appearance is almost enough to shake away my lingering somberness. 

I roll my eyes slightly, turning my attention back to the page in front of me. “That observation is just a testament to how often you come in here.” 

His glare is half hearted, a look I’d find endearing if I was less annoyed. “Where else am I going to find a reminder that good people exist in Ketterdam?” 

I think he may have a sixth sense that warns him when I’m treading the line between being annoyed and displeased. Everytime I find myself mad at him in a way that makes me want to avoid him instead of yell at him, Kaz makes some ridiculously heart-melting comment. He steps further into the room. I don’t miss the way he eyes my stretched out legs. Ever since the conversation we had after he woke up after an injury, we’ve fallen into the unmentioned habit of silently inviting the other to stay by moving to make room for them. 

It had started the day after the conversation in which Kaz had admitted that he wanted me to stay with him. He had been sitting on the small couch while discussing the details of a job. Shortly after I walked in he made a point of shifting so that he was clearly on one side of the couch. I didn’t think much about sitting down, but Inej and Jesper exchanged a look. 

Now, though, I keep my legs stretched out on the bed. He eyes my position on the bed, something grim crossing his features. 

“It might rain tonight.” 

He knows me so damn well. I hate it. “I hope so.”

I turn my head, analyzing the way the world seems to be on the cusp of something. I stare at the silver clouds until I feel something hard tap my leg. The tap is firm but not painful. I’m quick to look at Kaz as he lowers his cane. The mention of rain had been a distraction. 

“You distracted me on purpose.” 

“The first rule of the Barrel is to always be prepared.” There’s a slight uptilt to his lips, something I’ve learned to interpret as a sign of teasing. 

How is he so easy to be around one second and so cold the next? I resist a smile. “I’ll take notes.” 

Kaz ignores my passive aggressive tone. His focus seems to be on my legs that have still not moved to offer him a place next to me. “You wear your emotions too openly.” Great, he’s going to make us talk about it. “What reason could you possibly have to be mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at you.” It’s a partial truth. 

His expression harshens. “Don’t lie.” 

“I’m not thrilled with you, but I don’t think that’s the same as being mad.” 

Kaz lets out a partial sigh. “No, they’re not the same.” Such an early concession feels like a trap. “With you, the first option is worse.” I don’t have anything to say to that. “Is this because of what I said to Jesper?” 

My posture straightens on instinct. “He wants your validation more than he’d ever admit and I understand that expressing praise isn’t exactly something you do, but would it kill you to not actively insult him?” 

“I didn’t say anything that was wrong. He thinks he’s a gambler but he’s just someone born for losses.” The look I give him must mean something to him, because Kaz is quick to tact on, “That doesn’t make him less valuable of an asset or less relatively dependable.” 

I eye him cautiously, the slightest bit of vulnerability playing at his features. “Don’t look at me like that--and don’t tell me that. Jesper’s the one who could use the occasional reminder from you that you hold him to any regard with positive connotations.” His lips press together like he’s thinking about scolding me for scolding him. “It’s only because I know you care more about Jesper than you’d ever let on.” 

“Jesper’s esteem can handle the blow.” The curtness of his voice is a blow in its own sense. “And he didn’t exactly deserve to be in my good graces after what he did tonight.” 

My sigh is not weighted enough to match Kaz’s newfound fountain of emotion. “We were successful--”

“He left you.” I didn’t know Kaz’s voice was capable of such harshness. “I paired him with you, and he left you--and you almost didn’t make it.” I let the weight of his words take up all the available space in the room, keeping the silence that follows them until some of the heaviness has dissipated. “He could have cost me one of my best people.”

Oh. His harshness, his unwarranted coldness, had been a manifestation of his concern. For me. Guilt knots my stomach. Potential words that may offer Kaz some sort of support raise and die back down in my throat. Kaz turns towards the door. 

“Kaz.” He pauses. There’s a long moment in which I think he won’t turn around, but finally, he does. I tuck my legs beneath me, forcing myself to sit up a little straighter. “I told Jesper to leave because I knew the job would have failed if he had been trapped in that room with me.” I drop my gaze towards the window. “I was right, the job was successful, and I got out in time so it was worth it.”

“You risked your safety?” The harsh facet of his being is making its return in full force. 

“For the job,” I’m careful to keep my words factual, “It’s what we’re supposed to do.”

Kaz’s jaw locks. “When I said that keeping you near me would ruin you this is what I meant.” 

Is it really this big of a deal? I made it out. “Kaz.”

“This wasn’t my best idea.” His words are leached of anything. “You’re going back home. Tomorrow I’ll arrange the voyage myse--” 

“Kaz Brekker you may get to live your life doing anything you want but you don’t get to control mine.” My chin raises an inch, an instinctual act of subtle rebellion. “I am not going back there, even if I’m technically indebted to you because you didn’t return me to my father but that does not mean I’ll--”

“I’m not trying to control you.” His words are sharp, boarding on a yell. “A job like that one wasn’t worth you.” 

From Kaz, I know those words are heavy. There’s a lot of things I could say to that. I could tell him that I wanted to do something for him. I could say that I appreciate him telling me that. I could even say that in his own way, Kaz giving Jesper a hard time because he left me, is kind of cute in a misguided way. The thing is I think all of these responses will make things worse. 

“Kaz,” I keep my voice as steady as possible, “I’m fine, you’re fine, it all worked out.” Scratching the back of my arm, I exhale gently. “I’ll be more careful next time, I promise.” 

I watch him carefully, there’s a slight slump to his shoulders as he exhales. Is the fight leaving him so easily? He walks further into the room. “You better.” He sits down in the space I provided for him slowly. “If you’re not you’ll have worse things to worry about than anything that can happen to you on a job.” He moves his cane forward easily, tapping my knee in a swift motion. 

I roll my eyes at the mock threat. “They do say that there’s nothing to fear in the Barrel like the Dirtyhands.” 

“Remember that.” Any edge in his voice is forced. I fight against a smile that seems to always want to break across my face whenever I think I see something resembling lightness in Kaz. 

“I don’t think I could forget anything about you.” 

He turns his head slightly. “You should.” 

“Too bad.” 

Kaz leans his back against the wall, untensing slightly. “I think you just like disagreeing with me.” 

There’s no point in lying about it. “Only because when you argue with me you give me this really particular look.” 

“A look?” 

Adding insult to injury, I smile. “Sometimes you look like you’re too focused on being angry, like you’re compensating for something.” 

Kaz lets out a bitter sigh. “Maybe if you were less of a puppy I wouldn’t have to--”

The laugh that escapes is most definitely a mistake. “Did you just call me a puppy?” I don’t give him a chance to reply, laughter taking over again. “I mean this in the least argumentative way possible--but you’re so weird sometimes.” 

He rolls his eyes, tensing. “I’m leaving.”

I stifle the rest of my laughter. “No. I was--I was kidding!” I keep my eyes on Kaz, expecting some type of annoyed glare, but his expression is a lot more weighted than that. Odd. “Kaz?” 

“You need to be more careful.” I understand Kaz’s pause as something he does before saying something outside of his nature. “I’m not asking you this as a Crow or a Dreg.” 

On instinct, my posture straightens. “I promised and I meant it.” 

“Sometimes I wish I could believe in Saints,” his voice has taken off a distant quality, almost fragile, “That way I could believe something existed to help what matters.” 

Oh. “You never fail, even if I didn’t believe in Saints I’d believe in you.” 

“You’re wasting your faith.” The sound of lightning cracking is almost enough to make me jump. The rain finally came. 

I know I’ll never convince him that that’s not true. “I don’t think so, but that’s why it’s called faith.” 

“I have faith in some things.” His expression is far off. 

“Like what?” 

Kaz’s eyes find the window. “People that find meaning in the rain.” 

Something in my chest swells. “You’re like the rain.”

We sit there in silence, watching raindrops glide down the window. “What were you reading?” 

The question has me dropping my gaze to the forgotten book on my lap. “I stole this book from the palace before I left. It was my mom’s favorite, she’s read it so much the spine’s completely cracked and the cover is practically falling off.” 

“Hm…” He mumbles. “Read some, the books read in a palace must be worthwhile.” 

A part of me wants to tell him that elitism has no place in literature, but his request leaves me frozen. I nod once, turning to the first page of the book. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife--” 

“Your upbringing makes sense--” 

“You can’t judge it off the first sentence,” he’s insufferable, “It’s setting up irony, and if you’re going to complain--” 

He lets out a conceding sigh. “I’m listening, I’m not interrupting.” 

I keep my eyes on him for a second longer than I should. “Okay.” Dropping my gaze back to the book, I adjust my grip on the worn paperback, “Good.” 

And then I keep reading. 

--

@theincredibledeadlyviper @grishaverse7 @lonelystarship @mentally-in-northern-italy @uhanddreag 

[twst-bs]

NRC Students and an Anxious MC

And with this, I've done all of the students at NRC!! Well, with the nervous MC, anyway, I have some other stuff in the works too.

Also, in case anyone was wondering, I'm open for both requests and commissions!

-----

Ace: “You look awful.”

The Ramshackle Prefect shot Ace a glare, but it lacked their usual fire. “Thanks, Ace.”

“Come on, I didn’t mean it like that and you know it.” he caught up with them easily when they turned around to keep walking. “I just meant you looked like you had a rough night. Or like you’re stressed out. You know.”

“Your grave only has to be six feet, Ace, you can stop digging now.”

Ace rolled his eyes. “You aren’t usually this crabby. Seriously, what’s up?”

They sighed. “You’re right, I had a rough night.”

“Any particular reason why? Or just ‘cause?”

The two of them had reached Crewel’s classroom, but they still had a few minutes before they had to be in there. The Prefect bit their lip nervously. “I kind of freaked out last night because of the homework.”

“It was pretty hard, huh?”

“Well, that too,” they crossed their arms, almost like they were trying to hide themself. “But, it’s like...I feel stupid, you know? You guys all know this magic stuff, but I’m struggled to handle even the basics. Then I thought, well, if I can’t handle the basics, I’m going to get punished, and I would deserve it because I’m an idiot, and...you can see how the spiral went.”

Ace was quiet for a moment, studying them with an unreadable expression. Then, he heaved out a side and grabbed their wrist, tugging them into the classroom. “I guess it can’t be helped, then.”

“Huh?”

He plopped unceremoniously into his seat and dug around in his bag. “Be quick about it, okay? Queen only knows what Crewel’s punishment for getting caught copying homework is.”

The Prefect stared at Ace with wide eyes. “Seriously?”

“It’s better than nothing,” Ace shrugged, slapping his notebook down on the desk. “If he says anything, I’ll tell him you helped me word it. Now, come on!”

Deuce: They weren’t getting anywhere.

The longer they stared at the question on their worksheet, the less they could focus. Apparently this was supposed to be basic stuff, but there were so many strange ingredients with different magical properties that they couldn’t keep track. And the more that had to flip back and forth between their textbook and worksheet, the more stupid they felt.

“...right? Hey, are you alright?”

Deuce’s voice broke through the panic that was beginning to set in, and when they finally looked up, his blue eyes were wide with concern.

“What? I’m sorry, Deuce, I kinda...spaced there for a minute.”

That only made the crease in Deuce’s brow deepen. “You looked really freaked out. Is something wrong?”

The two of them had made a habit out of studying in the library together. Since Deuce wasn’t the best student and the Prefect was playing a very intense game of catch up, they figured they could motivate each other while studying. But lately, all they had been able to do was sit there and be anxious about everything.

"I...um…" They absent-mindedly clicked their pen, unable to look Deuce in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" he asked incredulously. "For real, are you alright?"

The genuine worry in his expression made something in them burst. They threw their pen down on the table and buried their face in their hands. "I don't know what I'm doing! I went from magic not existing to suddenly having to study it, and I can't even master the basics! I'm terrified that I'll fail and Crowley will kick me out and -"

"Whoa, whoa, hey, it's okay!" Deuce's chair scraped against the floor as he hurried over to their side, grasping their hands in his. "Everything's gonna be okay."

Their chest heaved as they tried to suck in enough air. "But -"

"Listen," he cut them off. "The stuff you have to deal with is a lot. And I'm sorry for not realizing it earlier. If you want, we can go to Professor Crewel and ask for some tutoring, or even remedial lessons. Whatever you need, I'll help."

Cater: “What are you looking at?”

At the sound of the Ramshackle Prefect’s voice from behind the couch he was sitting on in the Heartslabyul lounge, Cater lolled his head back to grin at them. “Heya! Just scrolling through Magicam, what else is new?”

“That is your favorite pastime, huh?” they leaned on the back of the couch, looking at the screen.

“What are you doing in Heartslabyul, anyway?” he asked.

“Ace thought he could get away with not studying if he ‘forgot’ his textbooks at Ramshackle. I’m returning them before Riddle thinks I was in on it.””

“Yeah, that tracks.”

The two of them lapsed into a companionable silence, the Prefect watching as Cater scrolled. However, out of the corner of his eye, he could see their expression gradually get tighter and tighter, like they were trying to control whatever emotion was trying to show through.

“What’s with that face?”

“What face?” they asked defensively. “This is just my face.”

“That’s the face you make when you start having bad thoughts but don’t want anybody to know.”

“Get out of my head, Cater.”

He snorted, turning so he was sitting sideways on the couch and could get a better look at them. “Come on, tell Cay what’s on your mind.”

They hesitated, picking idly at the loose thread on the couch. “...It’s just me being stupid.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“...The people on Magicam are way more good-looking than I am.” the finally mumbled, looking away. “I keep wondering when you’ll realize that.”

Cater’s green eyes widened before he giggled. “Nope.”

“Nope what?”

“I won’t realize it,” he reached around them to pull their face closer, kissing them affectionately on the cheek. “Because it’s not true. And whenever you start to think like that, you tell me, so I can reassure you.”

Jack: Something felt off.

Nothing in particular had happened, it was just one of those days. But, it was bad enough that they thought about just going back to Ramshackle instead of waiting for Jack like they normally did. Waiting outside of the classroom just made them feel even more antsy.

Just as they were about to shoot him a text to say that they weren’t feeling well - which wasn’t technically a lie - said wolf came out of the classroom, tail wagging involuntarily when he saw them waiting like it wasn’t an everyday occurrence.

Before he could even greet them, however, his nose scrunched up. Furrowing his eyebrows, he leaned down and began sniffing them.

“Jack, what the hell?”

“You’re nervous about something.”

Right. Nothing could beat that canine sense of smell.

“It’s nothing.” Jack opened his mouth to reply, but they cut him off. “No, literally. Nothing actually happened, it’s just a...a weird day, I guess.”

It was clear from the expression on his face that Jack didn’t quite understand, but the guy was nothing if not sympathetic. “Do you need help with anything?”

“Nah, it should eventually work itself out.” They tried to muster up an encouraging grin, but from the look on Jack’s face, they didn’t quite hit the mark. “I’m fine, Jack, promise.”

His tail had dropped, and his ears were pressed against his head. “...When I get worked up, going for a jog usually helps me. Gets all the energy out.”

They raised an eyebrow. “You and I both know that your jogging is my sprinting.”

“Then I’ll walk and you jog,” he grinned. “If you want to, that is.”

They paused before shrugging. “I probably won’t do a good job on the homework if I’m like this, anyway.”

Floyd: Don’t fall asleep. Don’t fall asleep. Crewel will turn you into a rug if he catches you falling asleep.

Their internal monologue was the only thing preventing them from passing out onto their desk. They had had a hard time falling asleep last night, and of course they were working on sleeping draughts in Alchemy today. The vapor wafting from the cauldron was enough to knock them out.

They hadn’t noticed that their eyes had closed until a hard knock on the classroom door startled them open. When Crewel called out for whoever it was to come in, the door opened to reveal Floyd.

“The Headmaster wants to see Shrimpy!” he sang, leaning against the doorframe. Crewel nodded, motioning with his pointed cane for the Prefect to get out.

Physically shaking themself awake, they stood. Next to them, Ace went “Oooooooh~”

“Trappola, just for that, you’re responsible for giving them the notes for the lesson.”

“Aw, come on!”

They didn’t even have the energy to stick their tongue out like they usually would. They just inched past all of the other students until they were at Floyd’s side. The merman casually slung an arm around their shoulder and steered them out of the classroom.

“What does the Headmaster want?” they asked. It could literally be anything, honestly.

“Oh, I lied!” Floyd giggled. “He doesn’t need to see you at all.”

“Huh?”

“You looked exhausted this morning,” Floyd tugged them closer. Not quite a squeeze, but there was something intensely protective in the embrace. “I figured you could use a nap.”

“So you busted me out of class?”

“Yup! This makes me your favorite, right?” he grinned, showing all of his teeth.

“Definitely.”

Epel: They always did have a nervous stomach.

There was a test in Trein’s class that day. No matter how much they studied the night before, they didn’t feel prepared, and their stomach was committing mutiny in response. They hadn’t been able to eat any breakfast, so now they were nauseated and hungry at the same time. They were either going to puke on the test or eat it, they hadn’t decided yet.

“Are you alright?”

They jumped. They had been so caught up in their own head that they hadn’t even heard Epel approach. “Hey. Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit of test anxiety, haha.”

Epel didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure? You look kinda pale.”

“Really, I’m fine. I was just a bit too nervous to eat breakfast.” they insisted.

“Well, that’s not good.” Epel frowned. “You’ll do even worse on the test if you’re hungry.”

Oh, why did he have to phrase it like that? Just the thought made their already roiling stomach turn, and they whined softly as they hugged themself around the middle.

“Ah, wait, I didn’t mean it like that!” he backtracked. “I just meant it won’t do you any good!”

Epel reached into his bag for a moment, mumbling to himself. “I know I have some in here...ah-ha!” he pulled out a bag of dried apple chips. “Here! It’s not exactly a full meal, but it’ll help. And they’re really light, so if you’re sick because of nerves, they won’t upset your stomach.”

“Are you sure?” they asked as Epel handed them the bag.

“Pos’tive.” he grinned. “I’ve got plenty back at the dorm. And Ma’s always sending me stuff from the farm anyway. So go ahead, I don’t want you passing out!”

Sebek: They had no idea what he was talking about.

It was a feat in and of itself to be able to not pay attention to Sebek. The man was a walking lightning bolt. But today was just not a good day, mentally.

A pity, too. They always liked walking around in the woods with Sebek. Something about being in nature and listening to him talk passionately about whatever was on his mind was almost soothing, but it just wasn’t working this time.

“Are you listening?”

They jumped when he said their name. They had gotten so sucked into their own head that they hadn’t noticed him turn his monologue into a conversation. “I’m sorry!”

“What are you sorry for? Is everything alright?” he looked them up and down with sharp amber eyes, scanning for anything that could present any danger. “Are you ill?”

“No, no, it’s not…” they sighed, shoulders slumping. “I didn’t sleep well last night. Nightmares.”

Bad dreams had been a problem before they arrived in Twisted Wonderland, but now they were really plaguing them. It made concentrating difficult, even on simple things such as a walk with their partner.

Sebek stepped in front of them, forcing them to stop in their tracks. His angular features were serious, thrown into deep contrast from the light of the sun setting between the leaves. He clasped both of their hands in his own, holding them tightly as he looked into their eyes.

“You needn’t worry about such things. I will not let anything harm you, even your own mind.” he squeezed their hands. “On my honor as a knight.”

Silver: Watching Silver train with a sword was...something else.

They could watch him all day, going after the training dummy like it was actually an enemy.

Well, usually, they could.

It had been another sleepless night, up worrying about all the various things they needed to do. They only managed to fall asleep around four AM, and they needed to be at their first class by eight, so they hadn’t exactly gotten well-rested. They were impressed that they had managed to stay awake during their lessons, but now it was catching up to them.

The warm sun shining on their face and the rhythmic swishing of Silver’s practice sword was vaguely soothing, and before they really knew it they had slumped against the tree they were sitting under, fast asleep.

When they awoke, they were moving. It took a minute to gather themself, and they blinked sleepily at their surroundings.

“You can go back to sleep.” Silver’s voice rumbled against their side. He was carrying them. “We aren’t that far from Ramshackle.”

“...You could have woken me up.” they mumbled, nuzzled closer to his chest. “I would have walked.”

“You looked so peaceful.” he responded, adjusting his grip. “Unless you want me to put you down?”

“No.” they sighed. “This is nice. Me and Grim are always saying that it takes forever to get to Ramshackle from anywhere in the school, I’ll take the ride.”

Silver chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to their forehead. “Go to sleep.”

[just-antithings]

This just seems like an issue that only white people care about, genuinely. I know that there's an Indigenous and Latinx admin, yes, but A) ytppl lie about that shit ALL the time and B) both of those groups can be functionally white and operate within white privilege, anyway.

Anyway, I REALLY do not want a white mod touching this because that is absolutely not your place, but I would step back from this blog for a second, damn. How many Black people do you know, love dearly, who would consider YOU a friend IRL? I haven't seen any slur discourse here (though I don't doubt that if I scroll down just a few posts I'll find some), but it's the general consensus in the Black community that white queers are so rabid with slur discourse because they SO desperately want to say the N word. I'm incredibly proship (and am an RPF incest shipper lmao 😔) but sometimes you can just tell that a blog is written by white queers who just don't talk to enough real people, and ESPECIALLY not enough people of color.

I guess it feels weird to pull the race card here, but this is an issue that's pretty exclusive to white communities. If you took a poll of all of your followers, I can guarantee around 90% of them are white. This sort of discourse just doesn't happen in communities of color. Fandom communities of color are.... Smaller, yes, but this shit does NOT fly. There are more important things to worry about.

Okay, first and foremost, where is this even coming from? Like I just back scrolled to try and figure out why this ask cane in when it did, no clue still. Second Latinx is not the right word because the x at the end doesn't work with Spanish its latine.

So at least for me personally I only found this blog because a black woman who I know in real life/personally recommend it to me. I would not know this blog existed otherwise. Also yea sure white passing privilege or whatever but at the end of the day a white supremacist still wants me dead, so I don't call that one much of a privilege most people who assume I'm white are just openly racist around me about people like me who look more ethnic, again such a great privilege love being told by the people around me how much they hate people like me but because they see me as white, and the only way to stay safe from those people is say nothing.

Also no we don't get involved in slur discourse most of the time, kinda not what the blog is for.

Also what even is this ask about, I've read it several times and still have no clue what problems you are actually trying to address, you just keep saying oh this isn't a problem in poc fandom or that white people only have these issues cause they don't talk to real people of color. Like what problem? You never once said what it is that you want our white mods to work on. "This seems like an issue only white people care about" "this is an issue that's pretty exclusive to white communities" what issue???? I don't know cause you never make it clear. You need to be more clear if this is an actual conversation you want to have cause right now, there is nothing we can even work on, if it's worth working on, because you didn't even say what was wrong

-the latine mod since it's important

[britishassistant]

The Villainous Paranoiac Has Visitors

You’re a fool.

A blind, tunnel-visioned, desperate fool.

There’s no one you can blame for this mess but yourself.

You were moronic enough to think that a promise would’ve been enough to stop Grim from going after more overblot stones.

And now where are you?

Lying in a bed in the infirmary, bandages and gauze wrapped around you from your collarbone to your chin, because the one creature in this fucked up magic world that you were stupid enough to trust unconditionally tried to rip out your throat over a rock.

Your neck aches. You’re so tired it feels like you can barely even move. Your head is a weird weight of white noise, making it hard to think about anything other than your current predicament and how you should’ve seen it coming a mile away. How you should’ve stopped it.

Maybe—maybe it was because you’d made him hold out too long. Maybe that’s it. Maybe you were wrong to make him swear not to eat any more, and him lashing out at you over Vil-senpai’s stone was just-just temptation that had been pushed too far. Why weren’t you looking after him more closely anyway? You’re his supervisor, you’re supposed to make sure Grim doesn’t get into trouble, you should’ve noticed he was gone sooner. Then maybe this whole mess wouldn’t have happened. And it’s not like Grim wasn’t working hard to uphold your deal, you were the one who wasn’t meeting his efforts halfway. After all, he hadn’t eaten anything after Jamil-senpai’s overblot, had he?

...

Had he?

No stone ever turned up after Jamil-senpai’s overblot.

And you were so out of it that night, riding out the aftereffects of the overblot’s venom and the anti-venom warring in your system.

Grim could’ve easily left during the night and eaten it, and so long as you never asked, never pressed him about it, you’d have been none the wiser.

And you didn’t ask. You just trusted him.

You’re a fool. A pathetic, misguided, twisted, worthless fool.

Your family was right about you.

You would grind the heels of your hands into your eyes, but even lifting your arms towards your face feels like more effort than you can spare right now. Luckily it takes no effort to stare up at the ceiling and just hate yourself for your stupidity.

You’d have thought you would have learned that trusting people is an awful idea already. Hopefully this will finally get the message through your thick skull—

“Yuu?”

You tilt your head and blink up at Deuce. He grins, blindingly bright. “Guys, he’s awake!”

You weakly smile back, ruthlessly squashing the urge to correct him.

Epel pushes the divider back as he rounds it, pretty face worried. “Prefect, how are you feeling? Nurse Kamac said you lost a lot of blood.”

“M okay.” You mumble back, your tongue feeling thick and sluggish in your mouth.

“What the hell happened to you, Prefect?” Deuce moves to pull up a chair and sit down next to you, shooting you doubtful looks. “Was it an attack by another overblot or something? Some kind of monster? Did you get jumped by some punks from RSA?”

You wonder what you should tell them. You know that all you have to do is tell him the truth, say the word, and they’ll all be off after Grim like a group of hunting dogs, just like when you used to ask Ace and Deuce to help you catch him back at the start of the school year.

But Grim might get hurt. Or he might hurt them.

Can you put them through that?

Ace collides with the foot of the bed, interrupting your internal debate, eyes wide and panting. “Guys, bad news. Crewel’s outside asking for us, he looks pissed.”

Deuce and Epel stiffen in tandem, darting nervous glances towards the door like the potions and alchemy teacher will burst in at any moment. “What’d you do?!” Deuce hisses.

“How’d you know it wasn’t you, ass?!” Ace protests. “Seriously, we can’t keep him waiting! I think he’s even madder than the time Grim turned his coat pink and green.”

All four of you shudder collectively.

Epel grabs Deuce’s arm, squaring his shoulders. “We just gotta—need to see what Professor Crewel wants right? It may not even be us he’s piss—irritated at. Just gotta man up and face him.”

Deuce nods, even though he looks like he really, really doesn’t want to. He and Ace follow Epel away from your bed and towards the infirmary exit. You loll your head back onto your pillows and resume your staring at the ceiling.

“But Ace, no one’s...?”

“What the—?!”

There’s a bang as the infirmary doors slam shut.

You look over in time to see Ace slide a mop through the door handles, and drag a chair over to prop under them. He then points his magic pen at it all and a padlocked chain loops itself around the whole affair and clicks shut. You can hear Deuce and Epel hammering on the other side, demanding he open up.

“Ace?” You struggle to sit up, your throat aching. “What—”

“Shh, sh, easy, we gotta be quick.” He darts over you, helping you to sit up and pulling up the pillows behind you to lean back against. “Do you need me to get your shirt for you?”

“W-what?” Your brain is still struggling to catch up.

Ace gestures impatiently to your chest.

You look down.

Oh.

Oh.

You look back up at Ace, cold sweat drenching you.

Please no. Not him too.

Ace reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls something out—!

He holds up your binder. “Figured Kamac might not have let you keep it. It hurts your ribs, right?”

Wait. What?

“H-how...?” You stutter, fumbling with the buttons at your collar.

He shoots you a look. “I basically carried you back here from Dwarf Mines. It was easy to tell something was up when Kamac wouldn’t let me or Deuce stay in the room while you were getting patched up. Plus this was kinda dangling out your back pocket when you came out”

Well. That’s. That’s...

“Look are we doing this or not?!” Ace hisses, shooting a nervous glance back at the door where Deuce and Epel’s voices are being joined by others and growing louder. You think you hear Kalim-senpai’s twittering, Vil-senpai barking orders, and Jamil-senpai’s drawl.

You begin working on your buttons with newfound determination.

Ace helps you get your head through the top hole of the binder without pulling on the bandages around your neck too much.

You struggle your arms through the arm holes, and then shrug the hospital pajama shirt back on. He’s already done over half the buttons by the time you’ve recovered from your discombobulation.

“Feel okay? Not hurting your breathing or anything?” You nod, still disoriented. “Okay, let’s just get you back under the covers, and then I’ll let in the circus.”

There’s another metallic clang from the door and a cry of pain that sounds worryingly like Ashengrotto-senpai.

“W-why?” You rasp, an odd swooping feeling catapulting in your stomach, like you’ve just jumped off the bleachers again. “Why would you...?”

Ace heaves a sigh and gives you a look normally reserved for Deuce and Grim. “Because you’re my friend, you little dumbass. Getting something like this for you isn’t a big deal or anything.”

You gape at him so hard it feels like your eyes are burning.

Something inside you feels impossibly, uncontrollably warm.

Turns out getting a lump in your throat really hurts when you’re recovering from having it slashed open.

“Aw, jeez, what’s with the waterworks?!” Ace leans over you, ungloved hand swiping at the tears on your cheeks. “C’mon Yuu, if they get back in here and see you crying, you know Deuce’ll kill me.”

“Good. ‘S a-all your fault. I won’t f-forgive you until you give me a hug, you big jerk.” You sniffle, opening your arms and holding them out.

He huffs a laugh, before following your orders. “You’re a tyrant, ya know that? You’re as bad as Vil-senpai and Dorm Head Riddle.”

“I’m worse than they could ever be.” You mumble, hiding your burning eyes in his shoulder. “Don’t you forget it.”

“Oi, you better not be wiping your nose on my jacket!” He tries to shrug you off gently. He still hasn’t stopped hugging you though. “Get your snot and tears offa me!”

You cling onto him tighter, unable to stop giggling even as a few hysterical tears slip down your cheeks. “Suffer.”

“Tyrant.” He fakes an exasperated groan, but you can feel him chuckling along with you.

There’s not many things you can think of that would ruin this moment.

“King’s Roar.”

...Being bathed in sand as the doors to the infirmary disintegrate certainly wasn’t one you had in mind, though it does the trick well enough.

Lucky you had Ace hugging you to act as a human shield for the worst of it.

He sputters once the deluge has subsided, shaking his head and rudely dumping the excess sand into your lap. “Ugh, senpai, what the hell?! Would it have killed you to wait one minute?!”

“You take too long.” Leona-senpai shrugs, pocketing his magic pen again and sauntering in to stretch out on the empty bunk next to you. “These guys wouldn’t stop whining until I did something.”

Deuce rushes over to your bedside with Epel and Kalim close behind him, kneeling down next to you. “Prefect, are you okay?! What’d he do to you?!”

“His eyes are all red an’ swollen!” Epel points out before you can say anything. “Ace, you bas—”

“Epel.” Vil-senpai stalks in, looking much better since you last saw him at VDC. Healthier, somehow. “But yes, Potato #1, what exactly were you playing at, locking everyone out like that?”

Ace stammers under Vil-senpai’s cold glare, so you take pity on him, clearing your throat weakly. “Ace just didn’t want any witnesses to him fussing over me. He’s allergic to showing kindness, after all.”

For some reason, being able to say that and have Ace elbow you playfully makes you feel...buoyant, somehow.

Everyone stares at you. The weight of their disbelief is heavy.

Kalim places his hands over yours. “Yuu, you don’t have to be afraid to tell us the truth! You’re among friends here!”

“Oi!” Ace protests.

“Who’re you calling ‘friend’?” Leona-senpai interjects, because he’s still a huge bag of dicks.

Ashengrotto-senpai has his magic pen in its cane form and is leaning on it heavily, limping. “I wouldn’t worry Kalim-san. I’m sure whatever the Prefect experienced can’t be worse than having a cauldron drop on you.”

Deuce inches closer to hide behind you and Epel sheepishly.

“Technically Azul, it was rebounded onto you off the doors of the infirmary.” Jade-senpai interjects cheerfully, switching a bouquet from one hand to the other. “Though I’m sure Spade-san would be glad to reimburse us for damages through labor if necessary~”

Deuce lets out a squeak.

“Eeeeh~~ Crab-chan, were you doing something naaauughty with Shrimy all alone in here~?” Floyd-senpai drapes himself over Ace’s shoulders, arms looping around him. “No faaaaaiiir, I wanna play too~~”

Ace stiffens, face growing to match his hair as Floyd-senpai’s arms begin to tighten. “J-Jamil-senpai—!”

Jamil-senpai cruelly ignores him. “Kalim, make sure you’ve still got your magic pen when we leave. The Prefect might try to add to his collection.”

You shoot him a look. “When are you going to let that go?”

He sits on the end of your bed and smiles sweetly at you. “When you stop making a nuisance of yourself by sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, Prefect.”

You try to dissect that statement, then give up and settle for attempting to kick him off the bed. You only end up depositing more sand into your lap under the covers.

He laughs at you, because for all his talk about reputation, Jamil-senpai is also a huge bag of dicks.

The dust and sand irritates your nose and throat, making you cough hard. It’s not as bad as it was after Vil-senpai’s overblot, but you feel the warning tugs on your weakened lungs and torn throat. You gratefully accept the glass of water Epel hands you, gulping it down.

The sand around you gently shifts and seeps out from under and on top of your covers as you swallow, pooling into a large pile at your bedside.

Leona-senpai’s tail flickers as he tucks his magic pen back away and pretends to be sleeping again.

Deuce begins to fret over you, taking the empty cup from your hands and ineffectually trying to fluff your pillows. You let him hover as Ace rolls his eyes and playfully ribs at him for his mother-henning.

Jade-senpai places the bouquet in a small vase on the table next to you with Vil-senpai and Epel fussing over the arrangement every time Floyd-senpai delights in deliberately poking the flowers out of alignment.

Kalim-senpai promises to bring you a carpet next time, maybe even an elephant if you want, much to Jamil-senpai’s dismay. Ashengrotto-senpai begins trying to negotiate for even more presents.

Leona-senpai half-heartedly growls at everyone to shut up and let him sleep.

You’re a fool if you think trusting these people will turn out any better than trusting Grim did.

But somehow, you feel like you’d rather be a fool and enjoy the warmth blooming in your chest right now rather than anything else.

[oxnardsart]

I don’t think I posted this old chapter up but I made new art for it, so I get to anyway right??

---

    Another day dawned on the Boxer Beats competition! Foxie was pretty nervous, she had another match today, and was worried about what her girlfriend was thinking after their last encounter.     “Heyyyyy Foxie...” Lesbuni gave an awkward wave to her, still keeping two open seats for Foxie and her guard. Clearly things felt a little weird, but Lesbuni was still being nice. “Sorry about last night. I was kinda... confused.”     “Oh, that’s okay... hehe, what’s confusing about a fox dressing up as a fox?”     “Well, I’ve never seen it before, not from you. Are you a fruit suiter?”     Foxie shook her head, “No. Uh, I’m a fox suiter... I guess. He’s just a character I made up and pretend to be sometimes. I think it’s harmless...”     “He?” Lesbuni didn’t like the sound of that.     “Yeeeah...” Foxie sighed. “It’s just pretend. It’s not like I’m really a guy or want to be one or anything.” But Foxie thought on it a bit... she liked being Anomaly a lot... she didn’t even mind being a guy. It was kind of fun and different!     “I’m sorry to worry about you...” Lesbuni thought, “I’m just worried about you.”     “It’s fine, it’s a performance!” Foxie wanted to start sticking up for herself, “Actually, today I’m gonna bring my performance on stage, in the ring!”     “You’re what!?”

    “Laaaaaadies and gentlehams, introducing a brand new boxer!”     The audience cheered in surprise, very curious about the new challenger.     “Hey, that’s not fair!” From the center of the boxing ring, an elephant yelled up at the announcer booth, “You can’t just add new people in the middle of a tournament. The rest of us worked really hard to win.” He had a point.     “We didn’t add anyone new - one of our boxers became someone new!” Oxnard gleamed, the audience now confused. “You may recognize the face of this handsome foxy performer, but everything else should look different. Heeeere’s Anomaly!”     A white fox cartwheeled on stage, raising his hands to the cheering crowd. “Howdy folks!” The top hat-toting, tutu-wearing fancy pants aimed their cane up in the air and sent up an explosion to start things off with a blast. The crowd panicked for their safety, and they loved it!         Anomaly walked on stage and greeted the big elephant with a poke of his tummy, making it jiggle on screen. The self-conscious giant covered his belly with a blush.     “Guess what kind of boxing battle we’re having today?” Anomaly asked out loud.     “What kind? What kind?” the host of the competition asked, quite excited, clueless about his own competition.     “Today, we’re having a circus battle,” Anomaly cheered. Oh boy! The crowd came for a boxing competition, and they got a circus as a bonus.     “I hope there aren’t any clowns,” the host frowned through the microphone.     Anomaly reassured the hamster, “Just me! No big red noses in sight.”     Somewhere off in the distance, Don Badge coughed quietly.     The white faux-furred fox flumped up on top of the elephant, standing on his head with grace. “H-Hey, get off my head! This isn’t fair, I’m not a circus elephant.”     “You are now, tubby. This is Boxer Beats! If you can’t keep up, say goodbye to your butt.” Anomaly’s cane shot out a whip, and he used it to whap the elephant’s tushy, causing him to dance about and rub his stinging rump.     “Hey! ...I could start to like that. But I won’t admit it,” admitted the elephant. “You’re not winning this one.” He tried to reach on top of his head, but his thick, chunky arms kept him from touching the very top.     “You’re coming down RIGHT NOW.” The elephant used his trunk and tried to grab for Anomaly’s ankle in an attempt to pull him down. The graceful performer couldn’t be caught. He then started to shake his head to make the fox fall, but the speakers started to play some circus-themed vaporwave nightcore dubstep music - making it look like the angry elephant was dancing on stage.     “Look at him go!” The audience cheered, enjoying their day at the circus.     Anomaly had been in control the whole match. Mr. Elephant didn’t stand a chance. In one final effort to catch the crazy fox, he folded his arms, “Okay, I lose.”     Anomaly wasn’t sure he believed it. “You lose? You’re giving up?”     The elephant nodded, “Uh huh.” Anomaly was quiet. The elephant didn’t seem completely convincing...     “Okay folks, you heard ‘im. I’m comin’ down.” The elephant could feel little paws on his back as Anomaly crawled down. This was his chance, he slammed himself backwards on the ground to squish Anomaly under him. The crowd gasped!     “Oh my gosh, Anomaly!” Oxnard cried over the microphone, watching the fox disappear behind the giant elephant’s body.     “Aaaaaaaahhhh!”     It wasn’t Anomaly making that noise... it was the elephant!     Depending on where you were sitting made all the difference - Oxnard saw the elephant from the front as he fell backwards - but the people behind the elephant watched the truth poke up right between his cheeks. Anomaly didn’t get squished at all - he used his paws to pat along his back and slid his cane underneath the large mammal. He sat right on top of it as Anomaly rolled off behind him to safety.     “You can keep the cane, elephant man, I don’t wanna touch that one anymore.” The spry fox hopped on his big gray belly, and started counting. “A one, a two, a one-two-three!”     As Anomaly counted his victory, he pulled up a new cane from out of nowhere and raised it to the ceiling - confetti exploded out from the top, followed by tiny white doves flying out in the air! How the heck did they manage all this?     The cameras zoomed in on Anomaly, his chest beating and bouncing with each breath, the fox had put a lot of energy into his performance, and was looking out to the crowd in victory.     “You did it! Great job Anomaly, you made it to another round. We’re getting closer to the end. Hoo baby, what a performance.” The hamster announcer praised the fox over the microphone, “Thanks for the fun trip to the circus, I sure enjoyed it. How about all of you?”     The crowd went nuts, clapping, screaming, a few bras were thrown on stage. Anomaly blushed, “Thank you, thank you all! See you again, yes yes?” The fox pranced on back to the entrance, waving happily to everyone.     Reality set in, Anomaly saw the prison guard waiting for Foxie... and suddenly, he felt like her again. A mental shift, a shift in gender, a shift in personal lives. One moment, this fox was a charming performer getting bras thrown at him from ladies he’d never met - and now she was just a girl playing pretend, going from the stage back to jail. An extreme high to an extreme low.     The high felt amazing, but Foxie wasn’t sure if the depression to follow would be worth it.

[kingdomhearts-and-soriku-trash]

Hi!! I'm finally writing another Soriku fic and this is for everyone and @whyarewecalledtheshipname I hope you enjoy this sleeping beauty sort of fic! A lot of effort went into the ending, and it's probably not too good, but I hope you like it! I love your blog, so I thought you would like this so yeah! Enjoy!

Author notes are at the end and kinda long but yeah. And I'd like feedback since I like getting it to improve my writing or know what you thought about it at least!

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"Momma, will you read this one?" Sora asks.

He and Riku were both laying in their own pillow fort. They were laying on their stomachs next to each other, both in their pajamas, and looking towards Sora's mother. She was laying outside the entrance to their pillow fort with a smile. She was on her stomach, propped up by her forearms, and had a book between them.

"Do you know if Riku likes it? Will he even like to hear it again." She tilts her head and looks over at Riku.

Riku's eyes widen slightly before he nods with a small smile. "Yeah, I like Sleeping Beauty. It's a nice story," he says shyly.

Sora's mother sighs fondly. "Alright, then I'll read it." She picks up the book and shows the front to the boys. "Well, I guess we're reading Sleeping Beauty again!" She opens the book and begins to read. "In a far away land long ago lived a King and his fair Queen. Many years had they longed for a child and finally their wish was granted." She turns the book around to show the boys the picture.

"It's so beautiful," Sora whispers. No matter how many times he sees the pictures or reads the story, he finds it amazing each time.

She smiles and turns the book back to her and flips the page. "A daughter was born. They called her Aurora. Yes they named her after the dawn for she filled their lives with sunshine."

"So, Aurora means dawn? Do other names have meaning?" Riku asks with curiosity.

Sora's mother looks up at him and smiles. "Why yes it does. Isn't it beautiful? And some names do have meaning, but that meaning doesn't make you." She turns the book around so they could see the story being told in pictures.

"They look so happy!" Sora says with a big smile.

"Of course they would be. They just had their first kid!" Riku says with excitement. He wouldn't admit it, but he loves this story.

"Then, a great holiday was proclaimed throughout the kingdom so that all of high or low estate might pay homage to the infant princess. And our story begins on that most joyful day." She turns the book around for the boys to see again.

"That's a lot of people," Sora says with awe.

Sora's mother turns the book back to her and continues to read. "All sorts of people attended, including another king and his son, Prince Phillip. Celebrating Aurora's birth wasn't the only thing being done that day, it was also announced that Phillip was betrothed to the princess."

"He was going to get married to her, right?" Sora asks.

"Yes, he was. It was a common thing for many kingdoms to do."

"It's still weird," Riku says quietly. He's young and doesn't understand love, but he still finds it weird how people were forced to marry someone and didn't have a say in it.

She smiles and continues. "After the prince set eyes on his future bride, horns once again rang throughout the room as three fairies floated down to the king and queen. They, too, wanted to celebrate the princess's birth. They all floated over to her in a rush, crowding each other as they looked down at her crib. However, they weren't there just to see her, they were there to bless her. The first fairy, Flora, gave her the gift of beauty. The second fairy, Fauna, gave her the gift of song. And just as the third fairy, Merryweather, was about to give her gift, thunder rumbled through the room, causing panic as a glowing figure began to appear. It was green, but it slowly formed into another fairy, but a dark fairy." She emphasized "dark" with a scary look.

Sora gasped softly. "Oh no!"

"The evil fairy, named Maleficent, appeared in the middle of the room with her cane and raven. She walked to the King and Queen with a smile as she mentioned every person in the room. She stroked her bird as she told them her woes about not being invited. Merryweather, being the blunt fairy she was, told her how she wasn't invited, which stirred the evil fairy up. She in return decided to give the princess her own gift."

Sora and Riku both had looks of excitement mixed with curiosity. They both knew what it was, yet found it enjoyable to hear again and again.

"The fairies did their best to protect Aurora, but they failed. The evil fairy cast a curse on dear Aurora. "Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel and die," is what she told the whole room. The evil fairy laughed cruelly as she saw the panic around the room. The King ordered for the guards to apprehend her, but she disappeared before they could even touch her."

"But then someone comes and saves her!" Riku says.

"No saving is done yet, dears. However, they could help the poor princess. Flora saw the panic on the King's and Queen's face and reassured them that they could help her. Merryweather didn't give her gift yet and still had a chance to make things better. She went over to the crib and said, "Sweet princess, if through this wicked witches trick, a spindle should your finger prick, a ray of hope there still may be in this. The gift I give to thee, not in death but just in sleep, and from this slumber you shall wake when true loves kiss the spell shall break."

"But what if she doesn't find her true love?" Riku asks with a curious and concerned voice. It was a fake person, but he still feels worry.

"But she will! It's just how fate works!" Sora tells him with a smile. He grabs Riku's hand and squeezes it. "We all find each other through fate, so she would find her true love through fate as well!"

Riku looks over at Sora and smiles back at him.

The rest of the night is spent with Sora's mother telling them how the story went, but the most important part was the ending. When she was done reading and was getting ready to go to bed, Sora asks her an important question.

Sora yawns as he talks. "So, she would've been asleep forever if Phillip didn't make it?"

His mother ruffles his and Riku's hair. "Sadly, yes, she would have. But her prince's heart was stronger than Maleficent and he defeated her to save Aurora."

"Oh, then that's good," he says as he yawns once again. His mother kisses his cheek and leaves to go to bed.

He lays his cheek against the floor as he looks beside him. He sees Riku already asleep, still holding his hand. He smiles and squeezes it. "I'd fight a dragon for you, Riku," he whispers out. "Our hearts are already strong, aren't they," he says slowly. Only a few moments later, he falls into a blissful sleep.

.

.

Riku looked up at Sora's face through the clear glass of his sleeping pod. He could barely see him, but he could still see a smile on his face. It was small, but it was there.

This had been his third time checking up on Sora since he was put to sleep, and he always looked for a smile. It managed to put him at ease, but never erase the true pain he felt.

"I wonder what you're dreaming about. Is it good things?" He knew he wouldn't respond, but he still talked to him. "Are you thinking of the things I did?" He shouldn't have been thinking like that, but he still did. He was inexcusably rude to his best friend, someone he loves with all his heart, and someone who is precious.

He placed his hand against the pod. "I hope your dreams are good and that you can forgive me. Especially for the things I have to do." He knew what he had to do and it was things he didn't want to do, but he had to. He wouldn't be able to be without Sora, so he'd do whatever it took to save him...even if it means hurting someone else.

"I'm sorry."

He turned around and left the room, once again asking Namine to watch over him. He wished he could stay longer, but Sora wouldn't wake up unless he left, so he knew what he had to do. Even if he wished he didn't have to.

He never wanted to be away from Sora, even if his past actions didn't agree. This time felt painful, but when he had to watch Sora from afar? And look like Ansem at the same time? It was even more painful, but it was only the beginning.

.

Riku's legs felt like jelly as he continued to run. His dreams led him to an unknown world, and the only thing he knew was that it would lead him to Sora.

His beloved that had been missing for a whole year. It broke his heart to think about the time again, so he pushed it away as he continued to run and run and run. Every now and then he stopped so he could look around to make sure he didn't miss Sora, but he never saw him.

"I have to keep going," he said through panting breaths as he sat at a bench. He held his head in his hands as he thought. "Our hearts are connected together, but every time I think I'm getting closer, the connection goes away. It disappears all over again." He looks up as he finally realizes what he should do. "But if I just listen...maybe I can sense him better."

He quickly stood up, ignoring the pain his legs felt, and closed his eyes. He felt the connection to Sora, he could feel their hearts calling to each other, but he couldn't feel a direction. It should've annoyed him, but he stayed calm and cool. He only listened.

After a few moments, he felt a tug. A tug that's stronger than any other he's felt. He opened his eyes and looked at the road ahead of him. He felt the tug pulling him that way, so he goes. He ran, but not as fast as before since he didn't want to miss Sora. He looked around as he passed by buildings and shops. He kept going straight past many traffic lights.

However, once he got to another four way, he felt the tug go somewhere else. He felt it coming from a building. He runs over but then the tug comes from above. He backed up and looked up to see something on the roof.

He gasped and stared at the climbing he had to do. "I'm not as good as you are, Sora. But I'll do my best." He began to run up the side of the building, doing his best to not slip off.

He gets to the edge of the top and jumps so he can finally be on the roof, and what he saw makes him gasp with fear. He saw an array of spikes of ice surrounding each other, like a spell of blizzard gone wrong. He looked in the middle and his heart dropped.

Sora was frozen solid and laying in the middle. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was in peace, but Riku felt fear and terror.

He ran over to the spikes, which resembled a flower now that he was closer, and saw a little break through the array of spikes. He walked through the path and got on his knees beside Sora. As soon as he touched Sora, the spikes around him cracked and turned into silver flakes, disappearing into the wind. Sora's crystal form did the same thing as well. It made a cracking noise before falling off in flakes and going in the wind.

"Sora..." he said as he touched his cheek gently. It felt freezing and it made Riku feel even more upset.

He picked Sora up and held him bridal style and signaled to Fairy Godmother. He, within seconds, disappeared in a flash and reappeared in front of Yen Sid's tower. He was greeted by Mickey, Aqua, Terra, and Kairi. They all had a look of surprise mixed with relief, but when they saw Riku's face they were confused.

Riku walked towards them and kept his words brief. "I found him, but he's still not awake. He needs help."

Everyone nodded and all hurried to get Sora his own room. The room was at the top of the tower, far away enough from everyone else. They needed room to figure out what was wrong. They would tell everyone the news later.

Riku sat Sora down in the bed, Kairi started a fire in the fireplace to make the room warmer, and Terra got an extra blanket for him. They all stood in the room and waited for Fairy Godmother to appear. She was there within a matter of seconds and instantly looked at Sora.

She walked over to him and knelt down to be closer. She placed her hand against his chest and went silent for a moment before looking back at everyone. "His heart beat is very distant and his breathing is very slow. I can't tell what's wrong yet," she said with disappointment. She wanted to help him just like everyone else, but she needed time to do so.

Everyone felt disappointment and fear, but pushed it aside as they thought of what to do.

"So, should we leave him to rest? And see how he's doing in the morning?" Aqua suggested.

"But he shouldn't be alone, right?" Terra said with worry.

"Yes, he shouldn't be. I need time to research and see what's wrong, but he may get worse. I need someone to watch over him," Fairy Godmother said with firmness.

"I'll do it," Riku said immediately. He protected Sora ever since Sora saved him. He couldn't abandon him now. He knew Sora would never blame him for taking a break, but he couldn't. He couldn't bare the thought of having him here and not being able to see him in the morning if something went wrong. He trusted the others, but he had to do this.

"Riku, you haven't slept in so long. You need a break," Kairi said with worry. She stepped closer to him and grabbed his hand, gently.

He looked down at her and shook his head. "I just...can't leave him, alright? I need to make sure he's alright. Please," he asked the group.

"How about we do shifts?" Mickey suggested with a smile. He knew everyone cared about Sora, he did, too. However, he knew almost no one could care for Sora like Riku did. Mickey spent time with him in the Realm of Darkness and watched him find his strength with Sora. He understood the fear that Riku was feeling.

Fairy Godmother thought for a moment before she nodded with a smile. "I believe that's a good idea. How about we all go tell Yen Sid, just real quick, alright? Then you can come right back here and watch him," she said as she looked at Riku. She gave him a bright smile, doing her best to put him at ease.

Everyone turned around to leave, but Riku kept looking at Sora. He thought it was creepy, but he couldn't stop focusing on the way his breath was so shallow. He almost couldn't see it. However, he broke out of his trance when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Aqua with a frown.

"You can take a minute. It's okay." She squeezed his shoulder before leaving the room and closing the door gently behind her.

He smiled slightly at her concern and understanding. It made him breath easier. Once she left and didn't hear any more footsteps, he turned around and walked over to Sora. He got knelt down on one knee and looked at him.

"You look like you're in peace, but are you really?" He asked, knowing he would get no reply. "We're going to do our best to save you, I promise. We will save you. I know we can. You've saved us plenty of times, it's our turn to save you." He moved his hand slowly to push aside his bangs.

He remembered doing this when he was a kid on the Destiny Islands. Sora would take a nap and let the wind mess with his hair. Whenever he let his hair grow out, his bangs would get in his face and cover his eyes. Riku would move them away, which always would wake Sora. He would look at him with a smile and thank him for moving his bangs. It would always embarrass Riku, but he'd continue to do it. He liked seeing those blue eyes look up at him, and now he'd love if they could.

He got up and looked out the window. The sun was rising and it was beautiful. He wished Sora was awake to see it since he loved to see the sunrise. He looked back down at Sora and smiled as he leaned in and kissed him right above his temple.

He pulled away and made sure the blanket was covering him, the fire was still lit, and began to leave. He walked to the door and had his hand on the doorknob, ready to open, but stopped when he heard a voice.

"Riku?" Sora said quietly with his voice sounding rough.

Riku turned around quickly and saw Sora rubbing his eyes. He looked around the room confused, but once they landed on him he smiled.

"Riku...you're here." He looked to his side to see the sunlight reaching the tower. "It looks so beautiful. I hadn't seen one like this in so long," he said quietly.

"Sora!" Riku shouted as he ran over to his side of the bed. He got on his knees and grabbed his hand. "You're awake!" He let his forehead rest against Sora's hand and he closed his eyes. "You're awake..." he said again.

Sora sat up and laughed. "You saved me," he said gently.

Riku looked up at him to see those blue eyes. They looked at him with such love and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't find the words to say, so he only acted. He wrapped his arms around Sora and buried his face in the crook of his neck. It took a moment, but Sora wrapped his arms around him too.

"I'm here, Riku. You don't need to fear anymore."

Riku pulled back enough to look at him, but didn't let go. He cupped his cheek with a shaky hand and smiled when Sora leaned into it. "How are you here? How are you awake?"

"You woke me up." He poked right above his heart. "I heard your heart calling out to me. Those spikes and the crystal was protecting me, but they broke when you came because I trust you. You," Sora paused for a moment and struggled to find the words. "You mean the world to me, so they fell away. And I fought my way to wake up, but I couldn't do it. But when you kissed me, it made me stronger," he said with a small blush.

"The kiss helped you?" Riku asked with confusion and slight disbelief.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. You helped me break through. I guess it's like Sleeping Beauty," he said with a giggle.

Riku smiled and gathered up his courage. "Then, can I kiss you again?" He blushed and felt like looking away, but he didn't. He held his ground and waited.

"It better be a proper one this time," Sora said with a laugh.

Riku laughed in return before he leaned closer and gently kissed him. It wasn't perfect, but it didn't matter. It was them. It was their kiss. When they pulled away, they didn't hesitate. They went back in for another kiss, and another, and another, until they had to stop to catch their breath.

They pulled slightly away and laid their foreheads against the others. It was peaceful and everything was beautiful. The sun was shining, Sora was awake, and they both finally confessed.

Well, halfway, but they did it.

"When are the others coming?" Sora asked.

"Oh!" Riku said as he remembered the others. "They should be telling Yen Sid about everything. I was meant to join them! Do you want to go with me or do you want me to stay?"

"Stay. Stay with me, please," Sora said with vulnerability. "I don't want to be alone, and I'm still a little cold." Sora slid over and motioned for Riku to join him.

He smiled and joined him on the bed. He laid on his side and wrapped his arms around Sora when he scooted closer and buried his face in the crook of his neck.

"I love you, Riku."

Riku's heart pounded with joy and he smiled as he rested his chin on top of Sora's head. "I love you, too, Sora."

And they laid together before the others came and got them. At first, they believed Riku was clinging to him, only to hear Sora wake up when they called out to Riku.

They all helped him up so he could hug everyone and make them believe he was really there and awake. However, they let Sora rest back in the bed when he began to feel weak again since he had been sleeping for awhile. But it didn't bother them. They were just so excited and happy that Sora was finally home.

But no one was as happy as Riku. No one.

.

.

OKAY SO! This was a little difficult to write. The opening was good and I kinda liked that part. That's actually where this idea started, since I just imagined Sora's mother reading him and Riku a story and then I saw your posts and was like, "oh...SLEEPING BEAUTY!!!" And then this popped out. These are some author notes.

Okay so like this took so long to come out because I wrote it but then I had so many different ideas. I wanted him to kiss him on the lips but I kinda thought that Riku wouldn't exactly do that since he didn't want to I guess do that to Sora?? Since he was asleep and couldn't say anything?? So he just kissed him on his temple and it woke him up. AND THAT WASN'T JUST MY IDEA!! I got it from the movie Maleficent that came out in 2014. In the end of that movie, Maleficent was the one to wake up Aurora. She kissed her on her forehead and she woke up!! I was like, "oh yeah that's perfect for Riku."

I wanted to include the times Sora was asleep, but I didn't see how that would help anything or contribute to the plot, so I didn't. I only included the time where Sora was asleep to get his memories back, so I could show that Riku suffered during that (Even if we already knew that) and say how it was going to get worse >:).

Thus took so many rewrites because like...the ending of where Sora is found in crystal was so difficult to write. At first, I had him finding him in the position he was in the Remind ending, but I couldn't write it good, so I just switched it to him laying down in crystal form :). Let's just say that I wrote this multiple times and finally got on this version! And??? We like?? Don’t know what caused the crystal (I believe), so I just said that it was meant to protect him and fell away when Riku came bc now he would protect him :).

Putting in the sunlight on the tower part was a little difficult since I couldn't write it properly but!! I hope you enjoyed this!! I love your posts and I hope you love this! It may not be the best, but I love it.

AND!! That beginning of the story is actually from the movie. All of it is from the movie until the, "On that joyous day," part. Like the part of describing the event is my own writing and such. But the quote of Maleficent cursing Aurora and the gift that Merryweather gave Aurora is actually from the movie and word for word so I hope you like that part :).

There is some proofreading, but I could've missed something, so sorry if I did miss something!

[spookysweet-heart]

Just Another Runaway?

Parings: Circus!Egos x Fem!Reader

Fandom: Youtuber Egos (Mark, Jack, and Nate)

Warning: Vague mention of abuse

A/N: Hello! I deleted the original work I had because I wanted to change a few things. I hope you all like this new Introduction to this Circus series! The lovely aesthetic I’ll be using for this intro is by the very talented @huffle-princess​! Thank you again for letting me use your aesthetics! Edited by @semiproeagle23​

           Life was never the greatest, you had to admit that. From the screaming, to the fights, the bruises, and tears. The only escape you had from what was supposed to be your home, was the local Gym. A little weird, but they had a gymnastics section in there and that’s where you loved to go.

Your best friend since childhood, Stretch, is the owner's daughter. She goes to the same school you do. You two would always be at the Gym after school for a bit, and you’d always find the time to practice some moves and get a workout done with some of the other girls who were practicing. 

Though you would never really join in, you were more off to the side. 

Stretch would help you cover up bruises you had that were visible, but you could see it in her face that she was worried about you, though you always told her you were fine and pushed through it.

Those unspoken words you and her shared when she looked at the pain you were in always ended in you running away at the end of the day, but none were successful.

You made plans and sure you were careful to the tiniest detail, perfecting it after each attempt you took. 

Failure after failure, you never gave up. The first few times after being brought back home from the cops, you were yelled at, degraded. 

It took a couple more years, but once you turned 17, you decided to go through with your new plan you worked so hard on.

Packing up some things in your backpack, you made sure to take everything you needed. You went to school as normal, and hung out with your friends. You weren’t really paying attention to their conversation at lunch till you saw one of them pull out a flier out of her bag. 

“What’s that?” You looked over curiously at the piece of paper.

“Haven’t you heard? There’s a traveling Circus coming into town.” You shook your head and Sam smiled at you. “I heard this Circus only pops up for one week in the year.”

Meer rolled her eyes. “So what? You’re saying it like it’s supposed to be scary?”

“Well, it is. I heard each town this Circus goes to at least one kid from the town goes missing and they never see them again. They say the Circus is for the lost souls of the living.” Stretch made a face while making spooky noises.

The whole table burst into laughter. You pointed at the flier and asked.  “Where is it going to be?”

“In the middle of the woods two miles away from the abandoned train tracks.” Sam piped up in excitement.

“Wait, how do you know that?” Meer raised an eyebrow, looking confused at her friend.

“Jordan from science said he was in the woods this morning and he saw them set everything up.” Sam said as she took a bite of her food.

“Jordan?! You can’t believe everything that kid says.” Meer looked at Sam like she was joking.

“Why not?” Stretch asked as she slid the flier over to you when she saw you trying to look at it.

“The kid’s kinda weird, like not normal weird.” Meer made a face and took a sip of her juice. 

You rolled your eyes and carefully folded the flier, putting it in your bag. “Just because he’s really into science doesn’t make him weird. He just likes what he studies.” 

Standing up from the table and making your way to your next class, Stretch stopped you in the hallway. "Hey! Are we still going to the gym after school? You haven't been going the past week and the coach is starting to get worried."

Adjusting your backpack, you gave her a small smile. "Yeah, about that. I just haven't been feeling too well and haven’t been up to going to the gym."

"Is everything okay? (Y/n), your parents aren't-"

"No! No…they aren't, I just haven't been up to going lately. I'm sorry, I have to get to my class."

Right as you started to walk away, she grabbed your arm. "(Y/n), whatever it is you're going through, you can talk to me. You know that, right?"

You nodded and gave her a brighter smile. "Yeah, of course I know. I'll see you around, okay?" Taking back your arm, you headed off to your next class.

------

Towards the end of the day, you had a free period for your last class, so you decided to go look through the school's library. Besides gymnastics, you always loved reading when you were actually home. Scary stories were what you loved to read. Sure, it was a bit childish, but you loved it because you would control the fear and how it affected you. 

Your eyes scanned the shelves of many horror novels, comics, and picture books. Though….you noticed one book in particular. It looked a little odd to the rest.

Picking it out, you saw the cover was faded. There were spots of brown and red, the spine was a bit torn, and the pages looked like they could crumble with the lightest touch.

Taking a look at the cover, the faintest words could be made out. "The Circus of Souls….I read that somewhere- no way…" Quickly taking the flier out of your bag, you put it side by side with the book. "They're the same…."

Gently opening the book, you saw drawings of a ringleader in the shadows with a wicked smile. In his hand held a cane with a small orb. His eyes were hidden by the top hat. What looked like red and black smoke surrounded him.

There were images of a magician in a mask with glowing potions in his hands, a man who seemed to be surrounded by purple smoke singing to a crowd. A mystic and dark fortune teller. A man in pink wearing a blindfold and holding knives. And a girl with glowing green eyes standing next to a tiger.

Every page had a story and specific person to it. Staring at the picture of the Ringleader, you were lost in thought when the last bell rang. You jumped as it brought you back to reality. 

Looking around and making sure no one was near, you placed the book and flier into your bag heading out of the school as fast as you could. 

Holding your bag close, you walked towards the woods, not looking back. You started walking the trail until you turned away from it. 

Carefully, you maneuvered your way through the trees and bushes, making your way to the abandoned train tracks.

Moving through a bush, you made it to the other side to where the track was. Looking around at the abandoned train cars, you sat at the edge of the tracks, taking out a water bottle from your backpack. You sighed after taking a sip, and looked up at the sky, seeing it was pretty cloudy out today. Tugging your jacket a bit closer to your body, you decided to explore the cars that were open.

You knew some homeless people used to live in them, but no one ever saw them around much anymore, so you figured it was safe. Climbing into one, you carefully took out your flashlight and looked around. It was mostly dusty and smelled of rotting food and rusted metal.

In the corner of your eye, you thought you saw black smoke outside of the car, but when you turned to it, it wasn't there. "Weird…" Jumping out of the car, you turned off your flashlight and took out the flier again. Examining it, you saw the picture of the Circus Ringleader. His eyes were, again, covered by his hat and what was supposed to be a charming smile actually looked malicious.

Taking a deep breath in, you turned around to see the black smoke just barely disappear again. You raised an eyebrow at this until you heard the faint sound of music. It was something you'd hear from a music box or a children's lullaby. 

Before you knew it, your feet were walking towards the distant sound. In your head, you were protesting, but it felt like something else was controlling your movement.

Squeezing through tight areas, climbing and jumping from car to car, you put good use into the years you'd taken gymnastics. Keeping your balance and heart rate at a steady pace, you felt like you were being watched with each move you made. 

With the music getting a little louder, you knew you were going the right way. After a while, you found yourself willingly going towards the music instead of fighting back. Curiosity grew with each step, knowing you were that much closer to seeing the source. 

Climbing up onto a tree, you hung onto one of the branches by your hands, carefully pulling yourself up to sit on the sturdy branch. In the distance, you saw it. The circus tents, the lights, the music….everything looked so inviting.

Deciding to stick with staying in the trees so you wouldn't be seen, you managed to swing from one branch to another.

As you got closer and closer, you sat on a branch a good distance away. Placing your bag on your, lap you took out the book and looked over at the tents. "This can't be real…" Opening the book again you saw the circus layout was exactly the same.

Flipping through the pages, you saw two acrobat and tightrope walkers. One was in a blue outfit and the other in a green matching outfit, both standing side by side. Flipping through the pages of story and art, something caught your eye. 

There was a drawing of four silhouettes, but it felt incomplete. Lightly brushing a finger over one, you thought your eyes were playing tricks when you saw golden specks appear when you did so.

Closing the book, you sighed as you put it away. You jumped a bit when you heard a twig snap from underneath you. Quickly putting a hand over your mouth and bringing your knees closer to you, you tried to hide as best as you could.

"Don't be such a frightened stranger. I'm not gonna hurt ya. But it's no use hiding when I already saw you up there."

Your heart dropped hearing that. The man's words meant no harm, but his tone told a different story. 

Glancing down at the figure below, you realized who it was. Carefully, you made your way down the tree and stood a good distance away from the man in the red suit.

“Well, what do we have here? A spectator?” He looked over at your bag and noticed how full it was. His smile grew, making him seem more intimidating. “Ah, just another runaway, I see.” Taking off his top hat, you saw his eyes for the first time. Piercing bright red eyes stared down at you as you took a step back. “Now, now….as I said before, no need to be afraid….yet, at least. Let me introduce myself.” He reached his hand out for you to shake. “My name is Phantom, I’m the ringleader of this Circus here, if you couldn’t tell already.”

Hesitantly, you shook his hand. A shiver ran down your spine when his cold hand touched yours. “N-Nice to meet you…” Taking your hand back, you immediately shoved it into your jacket pocket, surrounding it with warmth.

Phantom stood up straight again and placed his hat on his head. “Tell you what, kid, I’ll give you four free tickets to the Circus Of Souls. They’re valid for the whole week we’re here. You and three of your friends can have all the fun you’d like, my treat.” Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out four tickets. He smiled as he handed them to you. “You look like you could use a little fun in your life.”

Taking the tickets, you looked up at the man who now you know as Phantom. “There has to be a catch. You don’t just give tickets away like that…”

Phantom held his stomach as he laughed to himself. “Of course, everything has a price to pay. So what would you pay for happiness, then?”

“If I’m being honest….anything really…”

Phantom started to smile again, but you noticed it was the same wicked smile he had, like the picture in the book. “Anything….interesting.” He looked up at the sky for a moment before he heard someone shout by the big tent. “Well, looks like I have to go. You should get home before it gets dark. The woods are a scary place to be at night. Wouldn’t want you getting hurt now, would we. Go home, I’ll see you soon, (Y/n).”

As he turned away, you looked down at the tickets and looked confused because you never gave him your name….so how did he know it? Just as you looked back up to get his attention again, he was gone.

Tag List:

@lady-bee-fechin​

@smolwash​

@stretchy-longstocking​

@wildspeciallavender​

@freckled-words​

@nerdqueenkat​

@kateneedscoffee​

@drackenwolfdoctor​

@nekosounds​

[platonic-prompts]

Creatures from Folklore: Slavic Region A-D

You ever need different creatures to base things off of, or just want some legends for a setting? Or heck, you ever just want to chuck a creature at someone and say you’ll figure it out? Well, do I have the posts for you. This one will focus on the Slavic Region but I’ll make more at a later date

Ala are considered to be demons of bad weather in several folklore, including that of Bulgarians, Macedonians, and Serbs. Their main purpose is to lead thunderclouds that produce hail towards fields, vineyards, or orchards to either destroy the crops or to loot and take them. They are very voracious and really like to eat children. Though one shouldn’t assume they limit their tastes to Earth, no. They sometimes try to devour the sun and moon which lead to eclipses and if they succeed it means the end of the world. People who encounter one may find their mental and physical health as well as their lives at risk. It is, however, possibly to gain her favor by approaching with trust and respect. These good relationships can be very beneficial since she (the ala) can make those with her favor wealthy and save their lives if they are in danger. Ala can take on many different forms: black wind, giant creatures with no distinct form, a monster either humanlike or snake like witha  huge mouth, a female dragon, a raven, various human and animal shapes. Ala can also possess people’s bodies. They live in the clouds or in lakes, springs, hidden remote places as well as caves, inhospitable mountains, forests, or even a huge tree. Usually hostile towards humans, they have powerful enemies capable of defeating them like the dragons.

Alkanost have an incredible voice, capable of making anyone who hears her song might forget everything in their search for paradise. A creature of good who resides in the garden of the gods or whatever version of heaven required, the alkanost has the head and bust of a woman and the rest of the body is that of a bird. Sometimes this creature lays eggs which assist in the changing of winter to spring. Basically she wouldn’t sit on her eggs just dump them into the Ocean-Sea and when they reached the bottom the weather would turn fair. Though i think that takes her out of the running for parenting awards.

Anchutka is a small malevolent spirit, residing most often in water or a swamp. Even without wings, it is capable of flight. One of its nicknames is the one without heels. This is a common theme to look for, as oftentimes evil forces have a limp. Though in some storied this spirit has lost their heels because they got bitten off by a wolf. This spirit is often a sidekick to a water spirit called Vodyanoy, and as such you should never say its name aloud since it will always show up.

Aspid, a type of dragon with a beak and other birdlike elements, resides primarily in the mountains, preferring solitude. When it invades a region, nearly always it caused universal devastation.

Baba Yaga: I’m pretty sure a lot of people know about Baba Yaga, the witch who lives in a hut with chicken legs and goes around in a mortar and pestle. She does carry a broom though, but she only uses it to sweep away her tracks.

Bannik is a spirit who rarely does any good for anyone. A mischievous spirit that has the appearance of an old man with long claws, he’s a spirit that inhabits the banya (steamhouse). Whenever people bathed in the banya, they would always leave on the third or fourth session to let Bannik have his privacy. They would leave him offerings of soup and regularly thank him. Bannik had the power to tell the future and if asked a question he would softly touch the askers back if it was a good future or flay it if it was a not so good future. Oh and Bannik, when angry, would claw off the skin of those who annoyed him. The banya was also the place of Russian childbirth, so there were measures taken to keep him from interfering. Part of the midwife’s job was to keep him away. And with good reason. Legends say that he ate or flayed children. So therefore the midwife would dip stones in the water and throw them in the corner to distract the steamhouse spirit.

Bauk hide in dark places and holes and abandoned houses. There they wait to grab, take away, and devour their victims. They have a clumsy gait and can be scared away by light and noise.

Babay, possibly the same thing as the bubak, isn’t often described so children will come up with what is most terrible for them. But despite this, Baby has been described as a black and crooked old man. When he is descibed he tends to have some traits such as muteness, lacking arms, or walking with a limp. He carries with him a bag and a cane. Baby lives in a forest or a swamp or a garden only to come out at night to walk the streets and scoop up the children he meets. He will walk close to windows and watched the children sleep. If they aren’t he’ll scare them with noises. Or sometimes he even hides under kids beds to take them away if they get up.

Błędnica is a forest demoness, who leads people astray before leaving her victims alone in the midst of the forest to die of starvation or be eaten by animals. She is usually described as a young and pretty girl. The only way to chase her away is to use strong spells or to sacrifice something at home or during your hunt.

Blud is a fairy in Slavic mythology. An evil deity who causes disorientation and leads a person around and around aimlessly.

Bukavac lives in lakes and pools, coming out at night to make a loud noise. A six-legged monster with gnarled horns, it would jump people and animals and strangle them.

Bubak is often represented as a scarecrow with a skeleton as frame, which is connected with darkness, it is a type of boogeymen used to scare children. The skeleton often is describes as wearing a heavy black coat where it hides the children it steals.

Cikavac, a mythical creature from Serbian mythology and it kinda feels like a basilisk but way weirder. This thing is a bird that has a long beak and a pelican-like sack. You can acquire one at the low low price of your sanity and clear face. For you see, in order to get one, you need to take an egg from a black hen which a woman now needs to carry under her armpit for 40 days ( is now a good time to note that chicken eggs hatch after 21 days or so) and one cannot confess, cut nails, wash their face, or pray. After that the cikavac would suck the honey from other people’s beehives and suck milk from other peoples cows and then bring it back to their owner. It would fulfill its owner’s wishes and it would allow its owner to understand the animal language.

Chort, a demon or a humanlike spirit in Slavic folk tradition.  They are not exactly evil characters. Yes they try to trick people into selling them their souls in exchange for useless gifts. Yes those people are carried off into hell. But they are sometimes tricked into doing such things as building castle walls in a day. Sometimes is depicted as trying to bring evil characters to hell. A small, hairy man with a tail, horns, and one or two hooves. But due to shapeshifting abilities, the chort is able to appear in nicer forms and tries to trick people while in them. Though these transformations aren’t and can’t be complete, so there’s a way to know if one is dealing with a chort whether it be by small horns in curly black hair or a hoofed leg hidden within high boots. Though they share similarities, a chort is not the devil.

Čuma, aka kuga, is a personification of the plague in Serbo-Croation myths. Typically appears as an old woman wearing white, though in some cases has been depicted as a young woman. Direct mention of them were avoided and were usually referred to by godmother or aunty. According to belief, they lived in a far away land where they came from to infect people. Due to their hatred of dirtiness, if they found a dirty household they would be eager to infect it. Due to this, if a plague appeared,every house and its occupants must be thoroughly cleansed. In addition one could make offerings to of food, clean water, basil, and a comb.

Domovoi are household protectors, generally seen as kind spirits though they would harass the family they protect if said family was rude or unclean. This usually took the form of pulling small pranks until the family corrected their behavior. While domovoi are shape shifters, most depictions show them as small, bearded masculine creatures which are reminiscent of hobgoblins. In order to complete his chores and to fulfill his duty of protecting the house, the domovoi would assume the shape of the head of the household, sometimes working in the yard while the real head of household was asleep. (Guess spirits don’t have to worry about identity theft charges). They were also capable of turning into animals, rarely taking the form of a dog or a cat. Another facet of the domovoi was their ability to act as an oracle. Predictions are as follows

Dancing and laughing= Good fortune would come

Rubbed the bristles of a comb= a wedding would happen soon

Extinguished candles= Misfortune would fall upon the household.

Dziwożona, a type of female swamp demon from Slavic mythology, sometimes called Mamuna or Bognika, who lived in the thickets near rivers and streams and lakes. Thought to appear with foul weather around trees and swamps, they are known for being malicious and dangerous, and usually were previously living humans. Several types of people would be at risk of turning into one after death, such as: midwives, old maids, unmarried mothers, pregnant women who die before giving birth, and abandoned children who were born out of wedlock. Some depictions include an ugly, old woman who had a hairy body, long straight hair, and I quote “breasts so huge she uses them to wash her clothes”. I don’t know what that actually means and I don’t want to find out. She also wore a red hat with a fern twig attached. In case she wasn’t weird enough, she’d watch women with their little children.  Just chilling around making the kid sick and making schemes to get the mother away from the kid when she’d replace the kid with one of her own, a foundling/changeling.

[cakelanguage]

Merry Christmas @okay-sky! I’m your secret Santa for the @fmasecretsanta2020 #fmasecretsanta

I had an absolute blast writing this for you and I hope you like this RoyEd piece as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have a happy holidays and I wish you the best.

You can also read this on AO3

--

The snow was a foot deep and maneuvering through it was a pain in the ass, but Roy was determined to make it to the post office in North City. Normally, Roy rarely makes the trip unless he's on the last dredges of his food supply but the potential for one of Ed's letters to be there had him pushing onward. 

For the short amount of time he'd gotten to spend in Central, he'd spent a large amount of it enjoying the company of the Elric brothers, specifically Ed. It was like an old wound had finally stopped aching when he got to see the man. And he was now. A man, that is. A maturity he never thought he'd see from the older Elric permeated his actions. While he still had a temper he didn't bare his teeth at the smallest of teases. He seemed wiser now and Roy wondered what he'd experienced in this other world. 

His interest and desire to spend more time with Ed wasn't one-sided either. The man--amidst Roy’s own scramble to steal his attention from Miss Rockbell and Alphonse-- found him at all hours of the day to discuss anything. From alchemic theories to the property damage done while he was away, the two never seemed to run out of things to talk about.

When he'd been forced to return up North, Ed had been the one to suggest keeping up a correspondence through letters. Roy didn't mention that he’d have to essentially hike to the post office and instead happily agreed. Ed promised to write often and Roy said he'd do the same. 

And he intended to. 

Which brought him back to his every other day trek.

He didn't know when he'd receive his first letter so he just kept coming back. For the first time, Roy was thankful for the cane that the doctor suggested he get for strenuous exercise in case the scar tissue flared up. He'd been adamant about not using it for the longest time, but out here -- where he wasn't surrounded by people who unintentionally put him on a pillar-- using the cane didn't matter.

His breath puffed in the frosty air as he took a moment to rest his legs. He could already see the city so he'd only have around another 30-minute walk if he continued at the pace he was going. 

North City was as lively as it could be for one with near-constant snowfall. While the population consisted mostly of military personnel there were still plenty of families and small businesses dotted amongst the abundance of government buildings.

These little businesses felt like they’d been plucked out of a different location, the warm glow of the fluorescents glimmering through the large windows. Roy's favorite was a little bookstore that specializes in customer requests. They'd take a poll from an assortment of people to find out what they wanted and go from there.

Roy indulged in much of the literature they had to offer and the sweet family-run shop told him he was welcome to make any requests he wanted.

Ed would've salivated at the thought.

On the outskirts of the inner city lies the post office. It was never terribly busy which was a blessing so Roy had no trouble siddling up to the counter. 

"Well I'll be," the scruffy man at the counter whistled, "you're back again already."

Roy gave him a tired smile. "Glettner, I just don't want to miss the letter I'm supposed to be getting."

"I guess, but you don't live in the city so you gotta walk here." He shuddered. "Couldn't pay me to make that hike more than once a year and I've lived here for over a decade." 

"I want to be punctual."

Glettner rolled his eyes, but those eyes only held mirth in them. "Well Mr. Punctual, you're in luck, a letter for you arrived yesterday evening."

Roy wasn't sure what his reaction was but it garnered him a chuckle all the same. 

"Ah-ha!" Glettner cried victoriously and walked back over with the letter. "This person must really like you if they're willing to use four stamps and Express delivery." He shook his head. "Express is always so expensive.”

The letter in his hand was hefty with Ed’s tell-tale god awful handwriting on the front. He brought the letter close to his chest with a content hum. 

“Ugh,” Glettner whined, “Go read your letter somewhere else if you’re gonna be looking like that when you only read the cover.”

Roy sent him a flat look. “I’ll see you, Glettner,” Roy called over his shoulder, tucking the letter safely into his coat. “Stay warm.”

“Speak for yourself! Try not to get yourself killed walking to the post office you flame-brained moron.”

Glettner always did say the nicest things. 

Back in the relative safety of his cabin, Roy was able to settle down and open the letter. Carefully, he pulled the small bundle of papers jammed inside, out onto the table. Offhandedly he stoked the fire a little more with a snap of his fingers. 

Admittedly, he’d missed the ease that using his alchemy allowed him with certain tasks. 

Colonel Bastard,

Roy snorted and shook his head. He’d already told Ed he wasn’t a colonel anymore, but apparently, the fact hadn’t stuck in the shrimp’s mind. He wondered if Ed still had his infamous temper tantrums about his height. 

Something to find out later.

The other man seemed to have grown up a great deal in the past two years, but Roy doubted Ed would’ve been able to calm himself down when it came to his height and the lack thereof.

I hope this gets to you fast, and that you haven’t frozen solid up there. Havoc told me about your cabin and I’ll be honest: sounds shitty. But they did say you had a fireplace so maybe it isn’t too bad as long as you don’t move from in front of the fire. Though now that I know what your job entails I can honestly say that you might be fucked. 

Seriously, who wants to stand out in all that snow to watch for potential attacks from Drachma? That’s what Briggs is for. So get your ass back here before your ass freezes to a chair or something. 

He couldn’t stop the laugh that burst from him. The letter was just wholly Ed and it almost felt like the other man was here in person. 

Al wants me to tell you he says hi, so that’s from him. He’s doing okay, he’s kinda got everything figured out now. I mean he obviously did before, he was doing fine while I was gone. He’s made a name for himself even if he did kinda steal my look. 

He doesn’t need me anymore. 

The ink is smudged and blurred in spots and Roy’s heart clenched in his chest when he realized that those were probably tears. 

I expected it and I’m glad he was able to keep moving forward with everyone’s help. I don’t know. I guess I didn’t realize how that’d make me feel when you were here. You’re kinda distracting even when Al’s around.

No higher praise than being able to pull Ed’s attention away from his little brother. 

Resembool is the same, which is weird. Germany seemed to change every day. There were always new people coming through or some kind of showcase going on. Did I tell you about the rocket we were building? It’s hard to remember that I’m no longer in a world governed by the laws of “modern science” instead of Alchemy.

I wish you were here. I miss your stupid, smug face. 

Oh did he ache for Ed to be able to insult him in person. 

It’s your turn to write a letter.

-Edward Elric

Beside his name, Ed had drawn what he assumed was a self-portrait of him sticking his tongue out in a cartoonish style. Charming.

Roy set the letter on the table and rubbed at his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Somehow, the letter only made him miss Ed more. He wanted to ease Ed’s worries and reassure him that he was needed. 

Well, he had a letter to write.

--

Fullmetal,

I thought telling you four times was enough, but maybe your ears were too tiny to hear me correctly. I’m not a colonel anymore so the name isn’t correct. Haven’t we known each other long enough to be a little less informal?

You’re right, it’s freezing up here, and staying warm is near impossible without the fire. I wear two layers of wool socks and I’m still wary that I’m going to get frostbite on one of my watches. 

Briggs is in charge of guarding our border. I’m just in charge of keeping watch on the trading routes that weave along the mountain valley for any sign of trouble. 

Al may not need you in the same capacity that he did, but I guarantee he’s happier than he’s been in the last two years now that you’re here. From what I’ve heard from both Hawkeye and Miss Rockbell, he always seemed to be looking over his shoulder for you when he’d accomplish anything. 

You are absolutely needed, and not just by Al. Never forget that Edward. 

Small towns don’t change often so I’m not surprised it seems the same. People grow older, but small towns keep to themselves for the most part. Every once in a while fresh meat joins the community and they’ll be a stir and things might change a little, but generally go back to normal quickly. 

City life is vivacious and ever-changing. A bigger place and more people means more changes. My aunt runs a bar and I remember how often the city would change around us. 

If by rocket you mean the one you released into that crowd of people, then yes I remember you telling me about it. But feel free to tell me again, you have a knack for storytelling that I didn’t think you’d have. 

I wish you were here too. I miss your impish face. 

-Roy Mustang

--

A week later, Roy received his second letter. 

Glettner gave him a wry grin and presented it to him with a flourish. “Your sweetheart replied,” he tittered, “should ask for a lock of hair in your next letter or a care package.” He winked at Roy. “Maybe something for those long, lonely nights.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” Roy grouched, “it’s not from a lover.”

Glettner sighed dramatically. “Well, certainly not with that attitude! You’re clearly pining, can’t you see it?”

He raised his only visible eyebrow at the man. “Really?”

The other man waved him off. “Nevermind, just get out of here. I’ll see you in a day or so.”

“Take care, Glettner.”

“Yeah, yeah, go read your damn letter.”

--

Bastard,

FUCK YOU, I GREW. 

Not that much Ed, Roy thought with a chuckle. 

I hope that’s a better name for you. And I’m not Fullmetal anymore, not really. Sure plenty of people are going to keep calling me that, but I’m not part of the military right now. Still gotta prove I’m not dead and shit. 

Do you know how hard it is to try to reinstate documents after they’ve listed you as dead? I was literally two seconds away from straight-up murdering a lawyer who was at city hall because he kept saying I needed more identification. Which is bullshit because I’m DEAD to the government. 

This would’ve been really handy when Al and I were running from the military, though. But not now! Luckily, it is being sorted out and I shouldn’t have to wait much longer before I have all my documentation in order.

That was good. Ed had just started the whole process when he left to return to his post and it’d given him a headache just thinking about it. 

So you lived with your aunt? Did you grow up in Central?

As much as I’ve traveled, I’m a hick at heart. I still enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside more than the noise and life of the city. I can live in either though. 

A corner of his mouth lifts. Ed preferred anywhere he could read and learn without interruptions. That hadn’t changed.

Are you lonely up there by yourself? I feel like you’re probably spending way too much time criticizing all your past actions and moping. Fuck that. Tell me about something you want to do when you come back to Central. What’s on Roy “Smug Bastard” Mustang’s agenda?

-Ed

Oh, and thanks for saying that. I think I needed to hear that from someone. I’m glad it was you.

--

Ed,

I guess if you can so kindly call me something else, I can just use your name. And as much as I appreciate your affectionate nickname for me, you can just call me Mustang or even just Roy, it wouldn’t bother me at all. But if you insist on a nickname I suppose I can give you one too, shorty.

I haven’t had to deal with retracting a declaration of the deceased before so I honestly don’t have any advice for you. I’d suggest going through all the hoops that they line up for you to jump through even if a shortcut looks promising. Other people were claiming to be you for fame or what-have-you so they aren’t intentionally trying to be difficult. 

Why am I not surprised you actually thought about how useful the situation would’ve been back then… Maybe you’re getting predictable. 

I did grow up with my aunt as my legal guardian. Both of my parents passed away when I was a young boy and she took me in. It was a rocky start. I was mourning my parents and terrified of my new living situation. But Chris Mustang always did her best to make sure I was comfortable and taken care of whether it was food or new clothes.

But she also put me to work. I obviously couldn’t work at the bar, but I bused tables and cleaned the place once we closed for the night. 

Her bar doubled as an information network with her girls -- my sisters-- acting as spies while going about their business. People talk a lot during sex and will let their guard down if they feel comfortable. I learned my networking strategies from them.

I don’t know if I can imagine you as the typical hick. It’s something about all that rage and attitude that makes me think more of small town punks. But there is something nice about the quiet of the countryside.

It’s not I’m not I suppose I am a bit lonely out here. I don’t really have much communication to speak of besides your letters. They’re the highlight of my days. The only other person I normally talk to right now is the man who runs the post office. I feel like I’m disconnected from people nowadays. Whether that’s because I was part of a coupe that unsettled them or my demeanor is just off-putting. Let me know what you think. 

When I get back to Central, the first thing I want to do is look for an apartment. Then I’m not sure. Maybe go back to pursuing the title of Fruher. After the whole Homunculus debacle, I stepped down in a rush to… run as far away from what had happened as I could. 

After that… would you like to go out sometime? Get something to drink, eat a good meal with good company?

You’re probably going to have to fight to spend time with me at first. The team kept reminding me that when I was there that they missed me. But I’ll make plenty of time for you.

-Roy

--

“Roy, you have a package,” Glettner commented the third time he came into the post office that week. “Did you take my advice and ask for a token from them?” He leaned over the counter with a lewd grin. “There’s no telling what’s in here.”

Roy huffed and held out his hand. “Box, Glettner,” Roy ordered. He thought Glettner was funny and the man reminded him of an older, grayer Havoc with all his teasing and good-natured ribbing. It made him miss his team, though.

Glettner deposited the box in his hands before holding out a box cutter, handle-first to Roy. “Can I convince you to open it here? I can even let you use the back room for some privacy if you want.”

Roy shook his head with a put-upon grin. “You seem more excited about this package than I am.”

He shrugged “I don’t think you realize how boring it can get here. Usually the most exciting thing I get in this place is the military personnel transferring sensitive documents.” He scrunched his nose. “I don’t know, guess the whole thing makes my romantic heart sing.”

“You trying to get me to feel sorry for you so I’ll open the package here?”

“That depends, is it working?”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Fine, take me to your backroom.”

Glettner threw a fist in the air and gestured to a door on the right. “Follow me, lover-boy.”

He grumbled but followed after the perky man. They weaved through the stacks of boxes and came across a desk. Glettner shoved a few papers to the side so Roy had a spot to put his package on. 

Roy set his box down and carefully ran the knife along the taped edges. He shifted through the newspaper that’d been carefully positioned around the gift. 

And what a gift it was. 

Nestled inside the box was a phone that was almost the exact one that’d sat on his old desk. He gently pulled it out of its protective paper. Now that he could see it fully he noted the wear on some of the parts. The rotary dial was a polished bronze and looked to be the newest piece on the phone. The body of the phone consisted of a few welded pieces of metal but the job was near seamless so unless Ed knew someone who could weld, he’d probably done it himself with alchemy.

He thumbed at the handset and couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. It felt like the same metal as Ed’s new arm was made of and he knew Ed had made that choice on purpose. 

“They sent you a phone?” Glettner asked, interrupting Roy’s casual admiration of his gift. 

“I’m pretty sure it’s so we can call each other in case we don’t want to wait for the mail system to deliver our messages,” Roy explained. 

The other man turned his attention to him sharply. “So I won’t see you anymore?”

Roy shook his head. “No, you’ll still have to see me,” he nodded his head at the phone, “Even with a phone I won’t have a guaranteed connection with where I am, but it gives us the option if we…” He paused, his smile going from soft to joyful, “to hear each other’s voice.”

“Aw fuck,” Glettner sniffled, “you’ve got that mushy look on your face.”

Roy’s face closed off. “Better?”

The postman shook his head. “I think whatever you two are, it makes you better.” He rubbed at his nose and shrugged. “Take that as you will.”

--

Setting up the phone was relatively easy after he finagled a makeshift antenna to the roof of the cabin. He’d picked up a few pieces of scrap steel and transported his load back to his cabin. With a quick transmutation, he’d constructed an antenna that would ideally not break if the storms got bad. 

Ed had suggested he use steel in his letter and if he trusted anyone when it came to metal knowledge it’d be the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric.

He glanced over at the letter he’d set on the table and reread what Ed had written.

… Winry and Al pointed out to me that I could be calling you if I didn’t want to wait to get a letter. But when I asked Riza how to call you she told me you didn’t have one.

What kind of bullshit is that? I figure everyone has a phone but then you get relocated and haven’t bothered to get a phone in the two years you’ve been gone?

There's a large inkblot on the dot of his question mark as if Ed had paused to gather his thoughts but forgotten to pick up his pen.

 Sounds like you were in a bad place. 

Ed had always had a special gift of understanding why Roy did what he did. Even more so now that he'd matured more and had gone through a similar mindstate.

I get that. I’ve been there. But I’m taking away some of this forced isolation you’ve coveted for yourself. 

I’m not telling you that you have to start talking to people now that you have a phone, but try. You may have lost an eye, but you aren’t blind. And you have tons of people who care about you and I know you can see that so don’t keep shutting them out.

Like that. 

Everyone else had given him ample space to adjust to his vision change and his disillusionment of the government he'd put so much time and effort into. But that space became hard to contain and soon he'd pushed almost everyone behind the protective wall he'd crafted for himself. 

He needed someone to tell him that what he was doing couldn't-- nor should it-- continue. 

I’ve written everyone’s number down on the back of this letter just in case you forgot, old man. I hijacked the Rockbell’s landline so I can have a phone in my room. Feel free to call whenever after seven. 

I don't care if it's ass o'clock in the morning, call me if you need me or wanna talk or whatever. 

Talk to you soon, hopefully.

-Ed

He didn't use the phone for a good three hours until the hands on the clock were just shy of eleven. He tried two fingers of scotch to help him sleep, but it left a smoky aftertaste in his mouth that brought up too many memories of being a walking crematorium. 

He finished spinning the dial and waited for the call to be picked up or ignored. It wasn’t that he thought Ed was lying about being able to call whenever, but Ed couldn’t guarantee he’d be by the phone at all times.

There was a click and then a familiar voice echoing through the receiver. “Rockbell Automail, the store hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. but if this is an emergency we’ll see what we can do,” Ed recited before continuing with a knowing tone, “Unless this is a certain soldier out in the middle of nowhere up North who received his package and decided to give me a call.”

Roy wasn’t one you would call a religious man, but he considered praying for patience. “Hello, Edward,” he conceded. 

“Fuck… holy fuck Roy,” Ed said with the sort of casual blasphemy only he would dare. There was a shuffling on the other end of the line. “You actually called.”

“Time hasn’t made you any less explicit,” Roy teased. He imagined a metal middle finger jerked at him in return. 

“It’s been what? A month?” Ed snorted, “If my cursing hasn’t changed since I was a kid then a month has no chance of changing it.”

He grinned and propped his head up with his hand. “You’re right about that.” He looked around the room for something to focus on, landing on Ed’s letter. “How are you?” The question came out softer than he’d like, but it’s what he meant.

Ed made a noncommittal noise. “It’s weird. The old lady and Winry keep treating me like I’m still a little kid. Maybe it’s because they didn’t get to see me grow up over the last two years. But they’re doing their best to adjust.”

Roy hummed in understanding. “It’s not dissimilar to a person coming back from deployment. They know the person who left, not necessarily the person who comes back.”

“Yeah, I guess… It’s still taking some getting used to. How come you didn’t treat me like I was the teen you last saw?”

“You’re a brat, but it was easy to see you’d changed.” That golden hair pulled back into a ponytail instead of his signature braid. The broad shoulders that filled out his brown trenchcoat and the bookish outfit underneath. He might mourn the loss of the man’s leather pants, but he looked every inch of the man he’d become. His thoughts made him brave. “You’ve become quite the looker, Ed.”

A sputter from the other line had Roy chuckling into his shoulder. It’s enchanting to hear Ed’s embarrassment over the phone and a longing yawned in his chest to see the ruby flush against the man’s cheeks. To see the way he’d turn incredulous eyes to gawk at Roy like he’d spoken gibberish. To see Ed fight the smile that’d reveal his teeth in joy instead of a threat.

He just wanted Ed. Here, with him. Or him with Ed. Together. 

Glettner was more aware of Roy’s feelings than he was.

“-up! I hope you’re not mocking me you ass,” Ed grumbleing finally making it through Roy’s thoughts. 

“I’m not mocking you, you really are beautiful.”

The line remained silent for a stretch and Roy wondered briefly if he’d pushed Ed a little too much. That he’d made the man uncomfortable with his sudden forwardness. 

“You look pretty good yourself,” Ed mumbled.

His heart skipped a beat in his chest and his cheeks grew warm. “Not much to look at compared to you,” Roy managed to say.

“Yeah, okay, sure,” the eye roll unmistakably tacked onto the statement. “I’m guessing you couldn’t sleep.”

“Couldn’t I have called you because I wanted to hear your voice?”

Ed actually laughed at that. “You could and I’m flattered, bastard, but I can hear the exhaustion in your voice.”

“Alright, yes I can’t sleep.” 

“What do you want me to do about that?”

What indeed. He already felt better after hearing Ed’s voice so perhaps more of that? “Tell me about your day.”

“As long as you're willing to pay anything the Rockbell’s might be charged for the long-distance call, I’ll talk all night.”

“Just until I fall asleep should do the trick.”

“Well get comfy and I’ll tell you about my return to city hall.”

Roy settled as comfortably as he could on his couch and closed his eyes, letting himself drift upon the lilts and steadiness of Ed’s voice. 

--

As they reach the two-month mark of their separation, Roy was getting antsy. His transfer back to Central seemed to be in a stalemate. Too much silence from both sides for Roy’s patience to tolerate. He already sent another letter to Ed to inform him that he still didn’t have a timeframe for his return. 

With no set date for his relocation, he got wrapped up in his thoughts. The snow bit angrily at his cheeks and he’d started moving his post office trips to every three days because he couldn’t get his body to plow through the snow. The cabin’s walls were thin and the flames fanned uselessly in the fireplace no matter how close Roy put himself to the heat source. 

Loneliness he’d been able to ignore for years was near intolerable now. He’d talked to his team, reconnected with Riza, or at least started mending the relationship that’d been damaged in the wake of Bradley’s defeat and the loss of his eye.

But ever since his realization during the phone call with Ed, nothing seemed to fill the Ed-sized space in his heart. He pondered on the feelings he’d developed for Ed, questioned why he loves him but only came up with Ed himself as the reason. 

He took a sip of his tea when he heard a knock on his door. 

The suddenness of the noise was enough to startle him into almost dropping his mug and he turned a wary eye to his door. He didn’t get visitors, not out here. The only time anyone had visited him it’d been about the strange phenomenon that ultimately led to Ed returning home to them. 

He doubted something that severe would pop-up again in such a short span of time, but stranger things had happened so he couldn’t rule out the possibility. 

Slipping on his gloves, he cautiously approached the door. He waited until he heard another knock before he openned the door, his fingers poised to snap.

And there’s Ed.

Snow and ice clung to his clothes and he noted that Ed’s trench coat seemed to now be lined with a fur of some kind. He took in Ed’s wind-chafed skin and red nose, saw the ice crystals that had attempted to attach themselves to his lashes. 

This couldn’t be real. He must’ve fallen asleep and he’s dreaming. He had to be. 

Except Ed was waving his hand obnoxiously in his face, grinning at him with the pride of a show dog. “You still in there or did I break you?” Ed asked.

He gaped uselessly at the figure that stood in front of him. “Ed?” He rasped, still not believing his eyes. 

“The one and only.” He tilted his head to the side, his smile going lazy. “Are you gonna make me stay out here much longer? Because I’m pretty sure my toes have fucking frozen off and I only have five. I really can’t lose them.”

Roy snapped his jaw shut with a click and stepped back to let Ed in. “Yeah, of course, come in.”

Ed blustered in with all the hesitation of a tornado, stripping out of his dripping coat and unwinding the scarf from around his neck, hanging both over his kitchen table. 

“Thank fuck you have a fireplace,” Ed grunted, holding both of his hands out towards the heat source. “If Winry and Granny hadn’t hooked me up with this new automail I would’ve really gotten frostbite.”

Roy nodded absent-mindedly, still stuck on the reality that Ed was here in his cabin. “How-How did you get here?”

Ed’s forehead furrowed. “Well after I took a train up here I asked around if anyone knew where I’d find a soldier with an eyepatch, the postman pointed me in the right direction.” He shrugged. “Then I walked here.”

He'd have to thank Glettner the next time he saw him. Or avoid him at all cost because the man was never going to let him live this down. He probably felt like he was some sort of matchmaker, guaranteeing Ed made it to him.

“Through all the snow?”

The man squinted at him. “Yes?” It came out as a question more than an answer. “Are you okay? You’re really stuck on this whole ‘Ed’s here with me’ thing.” 

And what’s he supposed to say to that? That he’s still convinced that this could only be a dream because this sort of thing doesn’t happen to him. “I just never expected you to come here.”

He gets a bemused expression from Ed for that. “Why not? I got your letter.” He huffed and lounged on his couch. “So they can’t even give you a date?”

He shook his head. “Not now, maybe in a week or two, I’ll get an answer from them.” Roy shuffled awkwardly for a moment trying to decide what to say. “Do you want some tea?”

Ed snorted, his nose crinkling. “I could go for some tea, but I’m fine with something stronger if you've got it.”

He cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms. “Don’t you mean if I’m feeling generous?”

“Nope,” Ed chimed.

“Let’s start with tea,” Roy snagged the only other mug he owned and poured Ed a cup, “get you warm first. After that?” He handed the mug to Ed who took it gratefully. “We’ll see about alcohol.”

Humming in agreement Ed took an aborted sip, cursing as the liquid scorched his tongue. “Fuck, dammit you could’ve warned me it was this hot,” Ed grumbled, glaring at his mug. 

“I didn’t know you were expecting cold tea.”

“Bastard.”

“Brat.”

The jibes were gentle despite themselves and Roy felt the familiar contentment in his being that he’d been getting when he was with Ed in any capacity. Whether it’s a phone call or in-person or even in a letter. Ed remained a stained glass masterpiece in his heart.

They sat in campanionable silence. The flickering of the fireplace casted a red glow around the room except for Ed. Ed’s always an exception. Instead of the red overlay across Ed, he glowed gold. 

His skin -- tanned and scarred-- reminded Roy of wedding rings and sun-warmed bronze. His eyes of finely crafted jewelry and the lace-gold details in famous paintings from the west. And his hair. The finest silk, bundled into a ponytail that trailed to at least the bottom of his shoulder blades.

He desperately wanted to say something to hear more of Ed’s voice. A voice that had haunted his mind for the past two years. A desperation to take, take, take until he had all of Ed. 

“I didn’t get to say this before,” Ed said, finally breaking their silence. “But I’m a fan of the eyepatch.”

From anyone else, he would’ve ignored the comment, but Roy knew that Ed was being serious right now. “It was a necessity after Bradley got it,” Roy said, setting his cup down and bringing a hand to the patch. “It isn’t a pretty sight, even Hawkeye had trouble looking at it.”

“I doubt that,” Ed took another sip from his drink, “if anything she probably still feels guilty that you lost it at all.”

He made a noncommittal noise. “No one should feel guilty about this, I got it taking Bradley down. And I survived.”

“You did.” Ed grinned at him. “And I think the patch makes you look rugged.”

Roy snorted and quirked a brow at him. “Sure that’s not just from living out here for the past two years?”

Ed’s eyes rolled so hard that Roy’s surprised they didn’t just pop out of his skull. “You haven’t grown any stupid facial hair yet so I’d say it’s the patch.”

“You don’t think I’d look good with facial hair?”

The tips of Ed’s ears flushed. “I didn’t say that,” he mumbled, “I am saying you’d look god awful with a moustache.” 

There is a niggling temptation to grow one just to get on Ed's nerves but he pushed that thought aside. He heaved a dramatic sigh. "I suppose I'll refrain for now." 

Ed laughed and it reverberated through him with the warmth of an embrace. He wanted to bottle the noise up and tuck it into the spaces between his ribs. Roy couldn't remember the last time he felt this content.

The other man was still looking at him when he focused back on their conversation. "Can I see it?"

Roy’s face closed off and he shifted awkwardly on the couch. “You… you want to see it?” He clarified because surely he'd heard wrong.

Ed shrugged and scooted a little closer. “Why wouldn’t I?”

He asked like it should be obvious to Roy, but doesn’t comment on it. Roy couldn't bring himself to deny Ed something that Roy was readily willing to give. Wanted to give. And maybe there's a small part of him that wanted to show someone. To not have someone shy away from the topic. To look at all of him now and not who he was before. 

Maybe he didn't just leave Central because he wanted to still help his country through a corrupt system.

Maybe he was tired of hiding.

He reached his hand up towards the strings that held his eyepatch in place but hesitates. "Are you sure you want to see it?" He wondered if he would want to see it if this was someone else. He knew for sure that he’d want to see Ed. Roy swore to himself that he’d never hesitate to look at Ed’s scars, not a single one of them would be skipped by his eyes.

Ed's eyes softened and he moved himself closer to Roy. They were barely a foot away from the other, their knees knocking together. The solid press of Ed’s automail knee against his own was surprisingly grounding. He wonderd if anyone else felt this way about Ed’s prosthetic limbs.

Ed didn't hesitate when he cupped Roy's face with his metal hand. He expected the harsh metal to be icy to the touch – unlike his leg that was still covered by the thick material of Ed’s pants – but it was heat-licked by the fire. Roy couldn't help but lean into the touch with a pleased sigh.

Mirth twinkled in Ed's eyes like honeyed gold. He ran his thumb along the bottom edge of his eyepatch. "I'm sure."

I want to see you. That’s what Roy heard inbetween Ed’s words. It didn't need to be said. Ed had already proven his surety with his touch, but it comforted Roy to hear it all the same. 

The satin ties of his eyepatch were easy enough to undo after he loosened the knot and soon the patch was fluttering down into his lap. He kept the eye closed for now, letting Ed see the mess of scars from the enucleation and trauma from Bradley’s blade. He watched Ed’s face for any reaction through his good eye, watching as he took in his face as a whole.

The first brush of Ed’s metal hand on the scars had him letting out a shuddering breath. His heart was pounding erratically in his chest and he couldn’t stop his sudden panic. It’s just Ed. Edward was the only one here with him. It’s just them. Together. Here. Now and not then. This steel was warm and nothing like the biting edge of a blade.

A second hand joined the first, this one with calluses and worn nails that worked their way through his hair. Instantly, he found himself relaxing under the ministrations of Ed’s talented fingers. Losing time or just forgetting everything that wassn’t Edward Elric.

“Come on, lemme see those eyes of yours, Colonel Bastard,” Ed urged, his thumb teasing along Roy’s cheekbone.

Despite himself, Roy found himself smiling. “Not a colonel anymore, Fullmetal,” he reminded Ed, “and I only have one eye.”

“Not Fullmetal anymore, Roy.”

He could hear his name on Ed’s lips for the rest of his life and Roy would never stop feeling his heart skip a beat. “Ed.”

Slowly, he opened both of his eyes and went back to watching Ed’s face. The breath hitched in Ed’s lungs for only a second before it settled back to normal. Roy couldn’t blame him. The clear conformer that prevented his eyelid from collapsing into the socket gave a clear view of the hollow interior. He hadn’t bothered getting a prosthetic eye, not when he’d been out here by himself for so long. His doctors still weren’t sure when he would even be able to wear one given the damage done to his eyelid and ocular cavity.

Instead of the multitude of reactions that Roy had prepared himself for, Ed gave him a gentle smile and cupped his face with both hands. “There you are.”

“How do I look?” Roy asked as though he couldn’t see the way Ed looks at him.

Maybe he couldn’t, because there’s a touch of uncertainty to Roy’s question that he couldn’t write off. Whether it’s over the way the scars mar his handsome face or over what Ed might think about his appearance, Roy couldn’t decide.

“Like you can take on the world,” Ed said without hesitation.

Stealing himself, Roy closed the distance between them and sealed their mouths together. Ed’s lips are chapped from his journey through the snow, but warm and solid against his own. He didn’t intensify the kiss, keeping it chaste since Ed hadn’t started to kiss him back. 

Reluctantly, he pulled away from Ed trying to catch the younger man’s eyes. Did he ruin this? “Ed?”

“Kiss me again,” Ed ordered but didn’t bother waiting for Roy to act, instead grabbing two handfuls of his shirt and smashing their lips together.

It’s messy, too much tongue and their teeth clack painfully against each other like Ed wanted to devour him, but he dived right in. He took control of the kiss, guiding Ed’s lips to slide against his own at a more sedate pace. The corners of his mouth turned up when Ed sighed against his mouth, a near-silent moan escaping him. 

Roy trailed a hand up Ed’s back until he reached the end of the man’s ponytail. He wrapped the silken strands around his fingers and tugged lightly. Ed splayed his hands against the plains of his chest, releasing his shirt from his grasp. 

When he found himself desperate for oxygen, he pulled away once more. Ed made a displeased groan but sat back enough to stare at Roy.

The affection and happiness that sparkled in Ed’s eyes was overwhelming and he couldn’t help but tell Ed exactly how he felt. “I think I love you,” Roy whispered.

Ed smiled back at him, his lips kiss-bruised and tempting. “Why do you think I’m here, Roy?” 

He didn’t have to say it because Ed always showed you how he felt. So when Ed tilted his head back, Roy capitulates to the silent request, sealing their mouths together again.

A flame captured by the glint of gold and steel.

[atc74]

Heartbeat - Chapter One

Warnings: COVID-19, Croatoan, Fluff, quarantine (Each chapter will have additional warnings). 

Summary: Sam, Dean, and Y/N are sheltering in place at the Bunker, researching this new virus that has created a world pandemic. But what happens when one of your own is immune compromised?

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 1630

Beta’d by: @amanda-teaches​ because she’s the best

A/N: I’M BAAAAACCKKKK, well, mostly :) I know I’m not the only one struggling with life right now, and writing has been hard. Thank you all for sticking it out until I was able to get something together for you guys. This is only temporary and will pass. Keep your chin up and try on your jeans every few days. 

Italics indicate flashbacks

Like Dean’s scent? Buy it here from @scentsfromthebunker!

“Son of a bitch!” Dean’s voice echoed throughout the halls of the Bunker. Y/N just smiled softly, shaking her head, and returned to her research. The state of the world was part chaos, part terror as a new virus spread far and wide, creating a worldwide pandemic, the likes of which have not been seen in a century. The medical community was calling it COVID-19, but the Winchesters weren’t convinced it was what they were saying it was. The way it spread screamed supernatural to them. 

They had been hunkered down in the Bunker for two weeks, but even Y/N noticed they were running low on the staples and Sam would only tolerate frozen vegetables for so long. She also needed to refill her prescriptions if they were going to quarantine themselves for the foreseeable future. She’d had the foresight to call in a three month supply earlier in the week and just got the text this morning that they were ready for pick up. 

Y/N was diagnosed in her mid-twenties with Multiple Sclerosis. She had good days and bad days. Growing up in a hunting family made things more difficult for her but she kept going despite the tingling, the weakness, and the numbness she had been experiencing. However, when she realized she was more of a liability than an asset, Y/N stepped down and became the go-to for information, quickly becoming an expert in most things in regards to the Lore. The guilt of not being able to contribute physically nearly crippled her when two of her brothers were killed on a hunt. Her mother was long gone, and now it was just her and her dad left. She had no other choice and called some other hunters, and old family friends; the Winchesters. 

Sam and Dean did not hesitate to lend their assistance, and with their help, they were able to neutralize the pack of wolves that had taken part of her family. The Winchesters invited her and her dad to stay with them in the Bunker permanently, and she accepted, not having much left. Her dad came and went, continuing to hunt either solo, or with others. It wasn’t long after she moved in that she and Dean married, unable to deny their feelings any longer. 

“Sammy! We need to make a supply run,” Dean announced, walking into the library, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Hey, honey. How are you feeling today?” 

“Pretty good today, Winchester.” She smiled up at her husband. “I already started a list.” 

“You’re the best. How’d I get so damn lucky?” Dean pressed a kiss to her lips. 

“I’m a sucker for that car of yours,” she giggled, picking up her notebook and pen to finish the list. 

“It’s always the car,” Dean smiled, shaking his head.

As Y/N finished the list, her left hand started shaking, her wedding band shining in the brightly lit room. Her mind drifted back to the day she and Dean exchanged vows. 

Y/N slipped the circle of silver over Dean’s ring finger, her damp eyes finding his. His verdant irises widened at the sensation he felt when she placed the ring on his finger. He brushed it off as nerves, combined with butterflies, but after a few pictures, and a few drinks, the sensation wasn’t lessening. If anything, it got stronger. 

“Sam, what the hell? I think my ring is cursed!” Dean exclaimed in a hushed voice, cornering his brother in the kitchen. Dean ripped the ring off his finger and the sensation went away. He shoved the ring at his brother. “Go get Y/N’s ring and fix this!” 

“Dean, the rings aren’t cursed,” Sam laughed, opening another beer. 

“It’s giving me a weird feeling man. Like it’s, and this is gonna sound weird, even for me, but I think it’s beating,” Dean whispered the last word, looking expectantly at his brother, waiting for a response, an explanation, anything.

“That’s because it is, Dean,” Sam shrugged, taking a long sip off his beer. 

“What the hell?” Dean said, looking down at the ring in his hand. Tentatively, he turned it over, inspecting it closely, seeing nothing but the heartbeats engraved in the silver, before placing it back on his finger. There it was...ba boom, ba boom, ba boom, just slightly faster than his own. 

“There you are,” Y/N smiled as she entered the kitchen, gliding over to Dean to wrap her arms about his middle. “I love you, husband.” 

“I love you, too, wife,” Dean echoed, kissing her soundly. 

Making his exit, Sam glanced over his shoulder at the bride and groom, a smile playing at his lips. He could relax a little for now; his brother was happy. 

“Hey, honey, um, this is gonna sound weird, but, I think my ring is … beating,” Dean swallowed thickly. It still sounded stupid even as the words left his lips. 

“Mine, too, babe,” Y/N told him. The perplexed look on Dean’s face prompted her to continue. “You know how I always worry about you on a hunt? When you don’t answer, or your phone’s dead, or smashed to bits by yet another monster? I brought the idea to Sam and we spelled the rings. Mine reflects your heartbeat, and yours, mine. This way, I’ll always know you’re okay.” 

“So, it’s not my imagination. I was beginning to think I’d lost my damn mind!” Dean revealed, looking relieved at the information Y/N had supplied. He glanced down at the simple ring, feeling her steady heartbeat inside of it. He smiled. “You’ll always be with me even when we’re apart. I kinda love this.” 

“I kinda love it, too, Dean. it makes me feel better knowing I can always feel you right here.” She held up her ring, wiggling her finger, smiling as it caught the light. 

“Babe!” Y/N called out, waving the list in the air. 

“Got it!” Dean dodged around the table, snatching the slip of paper from her fingers, slowing only enough to place a kiss to the top of her head. He scanned the list as he headed toward the hall leading to the garage. “Really?” 

“Yes, really!” Y/N laughed in response, knowing he hit the part of the list with the tampons and pads on it. “The joys of being married, babe!” 

“This part still sucks ass!” he groaned. “Sammy, get a move on!” 

Y/N grabbed her cane, slowly making her way to the kitchen. She was slightly worried as several times while they’d been gone, did the heartbeat in her ring pick up, like Dean was filled with adrenaline. Things must be getting worse out there, and she wanted to be able to see Dean as soon as he was home, to ensure herself that he was okay. As good as she was with research and theoretical information, she really was a tangible person and knew the worry wouldn’t ease until she had her arms wrapped firmly around him. 

She heard Baby’s engine and doors before she heard Sam or Dean. She waited patiently in the kitchen as Sam came in, arms loaded down with bags. “How was it?” Y/N looked up at Sam for confirmation, knowing Dean tended to sugarcoat information in an effort to protect her. She didn’t need protecting, she just needed the truth. 

“It’s not great. We had to drive over to Smithville to get everything we needed. It’s getting worse by the hour, Y/N,” Sam replied solemnly. “I think this is the last trip we’re making together. It’ll be better if I go alone. If I get sick, I can isolate myself. If you or Dean get sick, I don't know...” Sam stopped, taking a moment. 

“Sam, I’m sure you both took the necessary precautions. Dean’s a germaphobe by nature so I’m sure he is out there now, sanitizing his Baby already. He wore a mask, didn’t he? And gloves?” 

“He sure did. Got some strange looks and things got a little dicey at the liquor store, and the drugstore. I don’t know why people are still hoarding toilet paper and feminine hygiene products,” Sam said, a look of disbelief on his face. 

“It’s actually a psychological response to minimize risk. It’s an emotional contagion as well, so when it starts happening in one part of the country, that news spreads and it drives people, either by fear, anxiety, or panic, into doing the same thing. I get the toilet paper, since that is a need everyone has, but tampons, really? I don't know why I’m surprised by anything at this point,” Y/N chuckled a bit as she reached for one of the bags to help Sam. 

“No!” Sam pulled the bags back from her. “Sorry. It’s just, um, can you please go wait in the library until I get all of this unpacked and sanitized? Please?”

“Yes, I can. Thank you, Sam. I appreciate you and am thankful for your concern,” Y/N smiled as she rose to her feet and made her way down the hall. She loved Sam as more than just a brother and her best friend. He had become her physical therapist of sorts, designing different workouts for her to keep her body strong when the MS wanted to take it from her. Sam had also done extensive research on different dietary and nutrition plans that people with MS have had success with combating their symptoms. Dean was her emotional rock, while Sam became the physical one. She lowered herself into one of the recliners and picked up a book. She’d had enough research for the day and some Harry Potter was what she needed to take her mind off things.

Did you like it? The nicest thing you can do for a writer is reblog their work and tell them, and others, how much you like it!

The Whole Enchilada: @iwantthedean​ @dolphincliffs​ @mrswhozeewhatsis​ @meganwinchester1999​ @cherrycokegirls1​ @closetspngirl​  @roxyspearing​ @flamencodiva​ @blacktithe7​ @sis-tafics​ @just-another-busyfangirl @evansrogerskitten​ @amanda-teaches​ @hannahindie​ @wotinspntarnation​ @winchesterprincessbride​ @winecatsandpizza​ @kickingitwithkirk​  @wi-deangirl77​ @hobby27​ @mogaruke​ @gh0stgurl​ @alleiradayne​ @idreamofplaid​ @seenashwrite​ @manawhaat​ @crashdevlin​ @thoughtslikeaminefield​ @emoryhemsworth​

The Dean’s List: @jerkbitchidjitassbutt​ @dean-winchesters-bacon​ @maddiepants​  @adoptdontshoppets​ @supernatural-jackles​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​ @akshi8278​ @thing-you-do-with-that-thing​

[yn-dreamlife]

Sam Winchester x Reader

Summary: You’ve been blind since you where six years old but one day after something happens you can see again, now you can finally see the man who you love, but does he still love you?

Warnings: angst, Fluff

Characters: Sam Winchester x reader, Cas, Dean, Rowena, Crowley, Gabe, Bobby.

I open my eyes and I am met with the sight of darkness, of course this isn’t unusual due to my circumstance. I sit up and look over noticing I can’t see the beautiful blue that always radiates from him. “Sam?” I call out, I don’t hear him anywhere close by. I get up grabbing my cane and begin counting. I take one step away from the bed and turn to the left the proceed to take five more and I reach out feeling for the door handle but soon realize the door is open, ‘that’s odd Sam always closes the door.’ I thought to myself.

“Sam?” I call out again, I listen as I hear my own voice reverberate down the bunker hall, I can hear running water in the distance and realize someone’s in the shower. I quickly make my way there keeping an eye out for any familiar colors. I get to the shower room and knock as I open the door.

“Hello?” I look over and see a purple hue. “Ah hello Dean have you se-“

“Son of a bitch!” He shrieks I laugh placing my hands on my knees.

“I wish I could have seen your face!”

“Damnit y/n/n! Don’t do that! You scared the shit outta of me!” I continue laughing and he grumbles asking me what I want.

“Have you seen Sam?”

“Yeah in the library, now stop staring at me it freaks me out.” I felt a pang in my chest he might not of meant in a way that’s saying I’m a freak or anything but it’s how I took it, after a childhood of being called a foggy eyes freak i couldn’t help but believe it.

I turned around walking away and I heard the door shut and lock behind me. I walk to the library not needing to tap my cane on the ground since I knew the way. As I approached I could hear sam talking on the phone.

“Yeah I’ll be there soon, okay agh I love you!” He spoke happily.

Who could he have been talking to? He doesn’t say I love you to anyone except me dean and cas.

“You’re the best cherry!” Cherry? That’s not a name I’m familiar with. Sam wouldn’t cheat on me though.

“No no don’t worry y/n’s still asleep she won’t suspect a thing!”

I heard a females voice saying goodbye and she loved him and he hung up, I didn’t recognize that voice. I heard sams footsteps approaching and quickly backed myself up I hit a corner and quickly sunk down. He ether didn’t care or didn’t notice I felt tears well up in my eyes. And I quickly began walking to deans room. When I got there I knocked softly but there was no answer. I had already heard Sam leave the bunker the tears flowed more freely. I knocked louder again and just kept knocking until I was banging on the door. I sunk to my knees continuing to bang on the door.

I gave up with my hands and began hitting me head against it weakly. “Dean?!” I called I suddenly heard footsteps rushing towards me and I fell just as he got down next to me into his arms. “Dean.” I sobbed. He began rubbing his hands up and down my back trying to soothe me.

“What’s wrong y/n/n what’s happened?” I didn’t look towards him instead I stared at the ground.

“Does Sam- would Sam...” I trailed off. If I said it it would be that much more real.

“Sam... what?” Dean asked gently turning my head up to face him I would assume. But I ripped my head back down.

“Does Sam love me?!” I cried.

“Of course he loves you y/n! Look at me.”

“No, you don’t want my weird eyes on you! And no, Sam can’t love some weak blind girl like me!”

“Y/n what’s brought all this on?”

“Sam, he’s been distant lately, he’s not there when I wake up, he’s not there when I go to bed, he doesn’t show affection very much, and...” I trailed off.

“And? Y/n talk to me.”

“I heard him on the phone with a girl, he called her cherry and said he loved her. And he said how I was asleep and would suspect anything. He left a few minutes ago. He walked right past me and he didn’t even notice me Dean.”

“He... what?!” Dean shouted. I flinched and he quickly lowered his voice, “if I find out that he really is cheating I’ll freaking rip his lungs out.” He paused and tilted my head up again. “And y/n, your eyes are beautiful.”

“But you said that- that they freak you out!”

“Sweet heart I meant it freaks me out how you always seem to know where I am even when you can’t see, you make better eye contact the sighted people.”

“Well some people have colors... like you-your purple.”

“Really?” I could hear the smile.

“Yeah, Cas is like a black with sparkles of dark blue. And sam-“ dean cut me off

“We aren’t going to talk about him right now. No instead me and you are gonna go into the tv room cuddle and listen to music and talk, sound good?”

I nodded my head “thank you dean.” I said as I reached my hand out he lead it to his cheek and I placed my lips where my hand just was, it was common for me to kiss him on the cheek, after all these years he had taken up a brotherly role to me.

True to his word me and dean sat on the couch cuddling and talking about anything except Sam for hours, I honestly had forgotten about until I heard footsteps fast approaching. I tried to untangle myself from the blankets and from dean but before I could sam had came in.

“What are you doing with my girl dean?” He seethed. The anger coming off of him was rsditatimg from him. I wouldn’t look at him instead I looked at the floor, I knew if I saw the beautiful blue I would break.

“We’re not doing anything and besides I’m not your anything anymore sam, so just go back to your ‘cherry’ why don’t you!” I shouted at him.

“Baby what are you- oh! No y/n it’s not what you think!” He stepped forward but suddenly purple was blocking out all the blue.

“Get out.” I heard dean growl.

“Seriously?!”

“Get. Out.”

“Fine! But just you wait... you’ll see!” And with that he stomped away.

Time skip

It had been two weeks and I hadn’t heard a word from Sam, well at least I chose not to. He called a bunch and texted but I didn’t allow my phone to read them aloud to me. Maybe I was being to harsh maybe I should have heard him out btu now the damage was done. By now I had all my things packed and I was ready to go. I know Dean loves Sam and family comes first, so I was ready to walk to the nearest motel, I knew the way... well enough. As I left my room and began walking down the hall I couldn’t hear anything besides my own footsteps, as I got into the map room I hear a light flick on and suddenly I saw purple emerge from around the corner.

“Just where do you think you’re going?” I heard dean question me.

“What how did you-“

“Went to say goodnight and saw your bag packed in your room, i was hoping you’d change your mind but just in case I was here to stop you.”

“Dean you can’t stop me my mind is made up, I’m going, and you’re going to let your brother come back because you love him and family comes first.”

“Family don’t end in blood y/n” I smiled at the term.

“Bobby?” I saw the familiar yellow of my adoptive father appear.

“Damn right baby girl,” I heard his footsteps approaching and wrapped my arms around him tightly.

“I missed you dad.”

“Missed you too.”

“Don’t suppose you missed me too?” I heard a whisper behind me and suddenly whipped around there I saw the familiar blue that no matter how much I tried not to let it still sent butterfly’s to my stomach.

“S-sam? What are you-“

“I think we can explain dear.” I heard a familiar Scottish accent. Suddenly four new colors appeared.

Cas’ black with sparkles of dark blue, I saw a golden white that I knew to be Gabriel and a dark maroon that was Crowley as well as a familiar red for rowena.

“Okay what’s going on?”

“Do you trust us love?” Crowley spoke this time. I looked around at all the colors of people I considered family and nodded my head.

“Take samsquateches hands sweets.” Gabe spoke slowly guiding me to him.

“W-what?!”

“Trust us honey bee.” It was cas now who spoke.

“O-okay.” Gabe let me go and I held my hands out moving forward with my eyes closed, for some reason I wanted him to be the one to grab me. The same way he grabbed my hands to help me escape when we first met, this was me asking if he was still my Sammy.

“I’m here y/n I gotcha.” I could have sobbed at the sound, he knew. Those where the exact words he said to me that day and he knew that’s what I wanted to hear.I wrapped my arms around him tightly a tear slipping from my eye.

“Y/n, I have some explaining to do. I have was distant before because I dint want to get your hopes up or spoil the surprise. And ‘cherry’ is actually rowena. I call her cherry because one time dean put some bright red hair dye in her already naturally red hair and it came out as bright as a cherry, I said I love you to her and her to me because we where both so excited.”

“I’m sorry Sammy, I should have just- I was so stupid.” I went to grab my hair the way I had since I was six and first lost my sight but he stopped my hands before I could rip at my hair.

“No you where guarding yourself, the way you had to for such a long time. But can I show you what we’ve been working on?” I nodded my head and he put me an arms length away and grabbed my hands.

I watched as rowena Crowley Gabe and cas all moved around me. “Close your eyes everyone.” I heard rowena say.

“You too y/n” cas said chuckling I raised an eyebrow. Looking towards him.

“Seems kinda pointless me being blind and all but okay.” And with that I closed my eyes moving my head back towards sam. I heard them all speaking in a language I didn’t know and suddenly even though my eye where closed colors where bursting beneath my eye lids. Beautfiul blues purples and green. As well as vibrant yellows pinks and reds. And blindingly bright whites and every color between. I gasped and I felt Sam squeeze my hands.

But suddenly it all stopped and I was met with an unfamiliar color. It was brighter than the usual black I saw but it was still a shade of black. I felt sams hands cup my cheeks.

“Open your eyes princess.” He whispered and I realized he was crouched down to my height. As I did I was meant with a bright light and slowly I realized what was happening. Tears welled up in my eyes and my hands quickly went to cover them rubbing the heel of my palm into them brushing away the tears. I looked back up and I was meant with beautiful hazel eyes.

“Sam?” He nodded his head grinning at me. “Is this real?” I reached my hand out caressing his face. My fingers brushing over his cheek bones and over his nose moving to his silky brown hair that felt so soft.

He nodded as a tear slipped down his cheek. “It’s real, it’s real.”

Everything seemed to settle in my mind and I looked around, “I can see!” I felt my heart rate speed up in excitement. I quickly rapped my arms around sam pulling him into a kiss and I moved between everyone starting with Bobby and dean.

“Dad, you... god I always knew you’d have such a kind face!” I said more tears leaking from my eyes as well as his own which I’m sure he would deny. He had a beard and wore a baseball cap. I looked to Dean seeing his bright green eyes and the freckles that dusted his cheeks.

“And no wonder your so well liked with the lady’s there dean!” I teased grinning at Sam as he scoffed but the smile never left his face.

“Aw Cassie bear! I knew you where like a giant teddy bear! And I must say your color matches your wings perfectly!” It was true his wings where beautiful dark black with dark blue feathers sprinkled in. His eyes where also a bright blue and I saw the trench coat I had felt so many times as I hugged him. I went to Gabe next.

“Wow, your eyes are beautiful Gabey. And your wings are so magnificent they also match your color!” He smiled at me brightly.

And i next turned to rowena and Crowley “you two... wow, gotta say I’m surprised how well everyone’s colors matched them! Deans slightly confused me but I’m sure I’ll figure it out!” Everyone looked confused except for dean and Sam.

“I always saw colors, just hues it’s how I was able to look at you and see you, do you want to know your color? Well it’s not very nice to wonder such things, you shouldn’t even have asked.” I grinned at them and they all chuckled. I found my eyes falling back to Sam.

Everyone seemed to notice and found something to busy themselves with, he was so tall and his hair looked perfect on him. I knew it was long due to the numerous times I had run my hands threw it but I could never imagine it. His jaw line was so sharp, and his eyes where so bright.

I didn’t notice more tears slipping from my eyes until he gently brushed them away. “What’s wrong angel?”

“I wish this would last forever.” I whispered.

He smiled his eyes also watering as he moved so his eyes where level with my own. “sweet heart... it is.”

“R-really?!” He nodded. I flung my arms around his neck, “thank you Sammy... and I’m so sorry.”

“Baby I understand. Believe me, I would have been mad to. Didn’t you listen to the messages or the voicemails?” I blushed shaking my head.

“I- I knew I would have called you back and at the time I still thought you where with ‘cherry’” he smiled gently at me.

He sat me down and he read all the messages to me and we listened to the voicemails together. Some he was crying telling me he was going to fix it. Others he was excited about a breakthrough in the spell. Some where just long winded apologies and confessions of love but his last voice mail left me confused.

“And when you finally see my face I can ask you the question I’ve wanted to ask you since July 1 two years ago.” I closed my eyes as I tried to recall the day and I remembered we where at the beach I loved the way the sun felt on my skin and how vibrant there colors got while we where there.

“What where you talking abo-“ I cut myself off with a gasp as I turned to back to Sam opening his eyes. He was down on one knee and a ring box in his hand.

“Y/f/n, I have wanted to ask you this for over two years, the moment I saw that smile etched onto your lips I knew I wanted to be the one to keep it there, so me being me I began to research. I wanted to allow you to see the place you loved so much I wanted you to see the sky during the rain storms you love, I wanted you to see your father and your childhood home, and I wanted you to be able to see my face while I told you this. That was the day I set my mind to allowing you to see again, the surgery as a child didn’t work and I wasn’t going to allow you to go through that pain again, this solution had to be permanent, and pain free. So I got together with the smartest and most powerful people we know. So y/f/n, if you will do me the honor of being my wife I promise to take you to every place your heart has desired to see, I will teach you to read and write, I will teach you anything you wish, and most importantly I will be by your side until the end of time.”

I sat there shocked into silence. He had been working on this for two years and I almost left him over a misunderstanding. No scratch that I did, and yet he didn’t stop, and he still wants to Marry me. The tears continued to flow as I shook my head quickly, “yes!.... yes!” The grin on my face was so wide it almost hurt but I didn’t care because the second that ring slipped on my finger and his lips met mine I felt whole. And I knew he would live up to his promise.

[ihatecoconut]

4 Times People Found Out They Were Dating, And The One Who Always Knew.

1-      Jack

Jack was, to most people, pretty mild-mannered. The angriest most newsies had seen him had been during the strike, and even then, it wasn’t anything on how angry some of the other older newsies could get.

Some people said that he was mild-mannered thanks to the years of being in charge of the newsies, others argued that he was their leader because he was so calm all the time, but it was irrelevant really. Jack was calm. He was the one who broke up fights, he never started them unless he was defending someone.

This was the reason it was such a surprise when Jack and Race got into a heated argument one night after the littles had gone to bed.

“Jack, all the littles are asleep. You don’t need my help.”

“It’s not the point is it?” Jack hissed back, teeth clenched and very aware that raising his voice would wake them up.

“Then what the hell is the point?”

“You keep sneaking out! And don’t think I don’t know where you’re going, you’re sneaking over to Brooklyn every night, ain’t ya?”

Race didn’t see the point in denying it. “Yeah, I am, what’s it to you?”

“What’s it to me? You’re my second! Mine! If you wanna be Brooklyn so bad, you might as well stay there.”

“Maybe I will.” Race snapped, keeping his voice low, and then he turned and left, continuing his original path out of the lodging house, pausing to call back to Jack, “Don’t expect me back in the morning.”

*

Race was many things, a gambler, a newsie, but most importantly he was true to his word. He was not back in the morning, or the evening. Through the day Jack could put on an indifferent face- “I’m not in control of where he goes, he sells in Brooklyn anyway, he’ll be back this evening”- but when Racer was nowhere to be seen come sunset he began to worry. The littles sensed that, they knew something was wrong when it wasn’t Race who woke them in the morning, he would always tell them if he wouldn’t be there.

“I want Racer to tuck me in.” Rain objected. A chorus of ‘me too’s agreed with him and Jack found himself looking around the littles’ area hopelessly.

“He ain’t back yet kid, sorry.”

A couple of them started crying and Jack looked around desperately for help. To his relief, Albert and Crutchie had come in to settle them down.

Albert caught his shoulder as he moved out, “You need to apologise to him. He’s Manhattan, and we need him.

“I will. In the morning.”

Morning came and Jack bought less papers than usual, planning his walk over to Brooklyn and his apology to Race in his head. He managed to sell a few on the walk, stopped by one passer-by to ask where the boy he normally bought from was because he hadn’t seen him today or yesterday. Jack gave a quick and hopefully sufficient answer and walked on, behind him the man shrugged and opened his paper.

“Ay! Hot Shot!” Jack called, gratefully upon seeing Spot’s second, Hot Shot gave him a cold look.

“You ain’t supposed to be in Brooklyn.”

“I’m looking for Racer.”

Hot Shot stared at him for a couple seconds.

“I’m here to apologise.”

“He’s with Spot.”

“Thanks.”

Jack walked away, forcing himself not to glance back at Hot Shot despite the feeling of eyes on the back of his neck. Everyone knew Spot’s normal selling place; it was where his newsies could find him with a problem or where other boroughs could find him to discuss business.

The only problem was that Spot was nowhere in sight when he approached the docks.

Confused, Jack began to wander around, glancing around and listening out in case Spot had decided that he’d had enough of Race on his turf and was going to soak him. He glanced down an alley, saw two boys kissing and hurriedly kept going. It was weird, he thought, that Spot hadn’t gotten rid of the boys who used his selling spot as a make out spot.

“Kelly!” He turned at Spot’s voice,

“I’ve been looking all over for you two!”

Spot raised an eyebrow, Race was standing a little way behind him and his lips looked kinda swollen, and he had a bruise on his neck and- oh. Jack almost laughed, how had he missed that? This was why Race had been sneaking over to Brooklyn at night, this was why Spot was alright with him selling in Brooklyn.

“I’m sorry,” he found himself saying, before he’d even finished processing his stupidity, “I know you’re Manhattan, and I shouldn’t have accused you have being a traitor or anything, but I need you- I can’t run it without ya.”

“How sweet.” Spot muttered, but he shut up when Race moved past him to hug Jack.

“That was all I needed.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” He paused and glanced at Spot. “I get it now.”

2-      Davey

Jack ran Manhattan and Davey had been his right-hand man during the strike, so he guessed it made a small amount of sense that some newsies from other boroughs assumed he was now Jack’s second. Most didn’t seem to care either way when he corrected them until he ran into Queens’ second. He couldn’t remember the kid’s name, and the kid only called him ‘Mouth’ so he wasn’t really interested in learning it.

“Ay, Mouth.”

“Hey.”

“I just want to tell ya that when I take over for Queens I wanna make a proper alliance with ‘Hattan, now you’re the second.”

Davey nearly told him that he wasn’t the second, that was still Race no matter what people seemed to think, but the kid’s attitude confused him. “Why not before?”

“Didn’t wanna when there was a risk of having to deal with the last one.”

“The last… second? Racer?

“Yeah, fuckin’ fairy, y’know?”

Davey did not, in fact, know, but he nodded anyway and didn’t correct the kid because he was a little worried about what his reaction would be. He found Les and Jack quite easily due to the amount of noise they were making and quietly explained what the kid from Queens had said to him, only saying that he apparently didn’t like Race for whatever reason.

Jack’s face went hard, and he nodded, smiling when Les turned back to them. “I’ll arrange a meeting with Queens soon.” Was all he said, and Davey relaxed, it wasn’t his problem anymore.

Or he thought it wasn’t. Not correcting the kid had apparently been a mistake because he had gone and blabbed to a load of his friends about how the Mouth was replacing the fairy, and it had got to Brooklyn, which was why an angry Spot Conlon had shown up at their lodging house demanding to speak to Jack. Both Davey and Race had got up when he had come in, but both been ignored.

Together they watched the boys argue from the window, Spot kept hitting his cane on the ground as if the emphasise a point.

“What do you think’s wrong?” Davey asked, knowing Race knew Spot much better than he ever would.

“Apparently some kid from Queens has been going around saying Jack made you second.” Race replied, “he asked me about it today.”

“Oh God,” Davey muttered, remembering the kid from a few weeks back.

Race turned his head to stare at him, “What? What did you do?”

Normally he would have been slightly offended by the accusatory tone in Race’s voice, but the guilt at maybe being the cause of this overwhelmed that and he quickly retold the conversation.

Race frowned, “He say why he didn’t like me?”

“Yeah… he called you a fairy. I don’t…”

“You don’t know what that means?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m queer.”

“Queer?”

“I like boys like most guys like girls.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

Spot’s anger suddenly seemed to make more sense. Spot didn’t hate Davey; he wouldn’t have this big of an issue with him being Jack’s second. He was angry on Race’s behalf.

When he saw Spot pull Race out of sight, just before he left, Davey waited until Race came back.

“So, Spot, huh?”

Race threw a cigar at him, “Shut up.”

3-      Crutchie

Crutchie walked in on them, there was no long build up to him finding out, he just refused to be distracted by Davey who knew exactly what Spot and Race were doing on the roof. (making out)

Davey knowing had been a slight relief to Race, he could tell one person the truth- who actually bought him a new shirt, why he had a small flower behind his ear, where he was gonna take Spot the few times he came to the Lower Manhattan lodging house rather than the other way around. And Davey had performed admirably in the position of confidant, even going as far as to distract anyone who made like they were going to wherever Spot and Race were hiding.

This time, he had failed. Crutchie wasn’t as easily distracted as the other newsies (neither was Jack, but he was still keeping Race’s secret) and he had noticed Davey’s pattern. He had also noticed bruises on Race after Spot had been by and was suspicious.

Slipping away from the group and making sure he was out of Davey’s eyeline, Crutchie quietly made it up the stairs, as quietly as one could when using a wooden crutch. Unfortunately, Race and Spot were very confident in Davey’s abilities and slightly distracted by each other, and so did not hear the crutch on the stairs or anything at all until Crutchie went “Oh my God!”

Yanking away from each other they both gaped up at him, trying to come up with some excuse for why they had been kissing. Crutchie gaped back and the roof was silent for a very long time.

Eventually Crutchie found his voice again, “Sorry, I’ll just, uh…” he backed away finding the door with his hand, “Carry on!” and then he fled, as fast as he could, sitting next to Davey and swearing that he would never doubt him again.

Up on the roof Race and Spot watched him go and immediately started laughing, great gasping laughs of relief and hysteria.

“It’s Crutchie. He wouldn’t tell anyone.” They reassured each other, “We’re safe.”

4-      Katherine

Katherine hadn’t really meant to become part of the newsies group, she had just been hanging around them because she was dating Jack, and after they broke up, because she was friends with Davey and his sister and the lodging house was really the only place she could meet up with them. Anyway, she accidentally had become part of the group and Race had taught her to play card games, she was pretty certain he let her win whenever she did, but he was a naturally nice person and they never did it for money between the two of them due to the huge imbalance.

Regardless of the imbalance, the three years between them, and the fact that they had almost no common interests, one year on from the strike, Katherine considered Race one of her closest friends. Weirdly, she found that he was also the person she went to for relationship advice when Darcy asked her on a date- Race was kind, slightly cynical, understanding of her confusion and supportive when she eventually decided that she did want to go on the date.

Three months into dating Darcy, it suddenly hit her that Race gave shockingly good advice, almost as if he were in a long-term relationship and understood personally. He was especially good at advice when Darcy had to move away to help his father with business.

“Are you seeing anyone?” she asked as they sat down at the back of the room for their private game,

“Like dating, a ghost or a shrink?” Race responded, grinning up at her,

“Dating.”

“Why miss Pulitzer, you are a taken woman!”

She threw her cards at him, “Answer the question, idiot.”

He sobered suddenly, “Why do you want to know?”

“You give advice like you are. To me, about Darcy.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“I am seeing someone.”

Sensing that he didn’t really want her to push the subject, Katherine nodded and picked up her cards again. Race did not, staring at the small table instead.

“It’s Spot.”

“What?”

“I’m seeing Spot.”

She blinked twice. Not selling papers meant that she only really spent time with the newsies in the evening and she wasn’t completely aware of the complex newsie politics, but… “The King of Brooklyn?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m impressed,” she told him, trying to steer the conversation back to the light-hearted joking he seemed to prefer, “that’s some catch.”

Race laughed and finally picked up his cards again, “For sure.”

 Later as she was leaving he hugged her, “Thanks Kath.”

 +1- Albert

Albert prided himself on being Race’s best friend, the first person to know when something was wrong or right in Race’s life, the first person Race told when he had won big at the races and he had spent years in that position. Years that he had spent learning Race’s body language, learning how to tell how Race was feeling at a glance and he could.

He could always tell when Race was unhappy or upset and would know what to bring to make him feel better- and the reverse, he could always tell when Race was happy, and about a week after the strike was settled Race had started coming home after selling happy every single day.

Curious, Albert had asked to sell with him at Sheepshead one day and had been accepted. Race chattered on, as usual, as they made their way across the Brooklyn Bridge and towards the races. They split up to sell- two newsies in one place sold less papers- and met up again for lunch, where they were joined by none other than his majesty himself, Spot Conlon. Albert’s first thought was that he had come to argue about Albert selling in Brooklyn, but Race’s explanation that the two of them just hadn’t spent much time together seemed to fly just fine, and Spot bought all three of them lunch.

Watching Race while he ate his sandwich, Albert finally understood what was making him so happy- it was Spot. Just Spot. Always Spot. And when Spot leaned in to brush a crumb off Race’s face, apparently having forgotten Albert was there, Albert relaxed, happy in the knowledge that his best friend was loved.

He watched the others find out, was the first one that Jack cornered to ask about it when he brought Race back from Brooklyn after their argument, watched as Davey protected them whenever they were in Manhattan and was thankful when Kath and Crutchie gave their acceptance in their own ways.

But, Race was still his best friend, his brother, and it was immensely satisfying to be able to give the King of Brooklyn the shovel talk.

[smallestclowninthecircus]

Season 4 notes

Ep 121: mmmm tape recorder turning on without them knowing goes brrr. AAAhjhdsjfhjdf "do you mind if i call you jon" its like "can i call you elias?" is this the dream guy with the tendrils? who wants to bet the boat is captained by peter lukas? big man if it killed yall how are you still here. oh boy the tape is doin that thing. who do we think it is? did he wake up? hmm. ep 122: lol jon. 6 months!?!? bruh quit movin big man. he just Knows things sometimes you know how it is. nah b/c i can relate to feeling like other ppl/ things arent real, thats the biggest mood BUT i think it is kinda pretentious to entertain the idea that youre the only Real person. If you dont see a body dont believe it. i'll hold out hope for a bit. theres not a new archivist is there? surely i wouldve heard about that. oh god peter what changes did you make. ep 123: web development. hope its about spiders. she blames him. bruh why. if they hadnt done anything the world would've ended piss off melanie. why are ppl acting like he chose to be in a coma for 6 months. we know this they just appear. no longer "head archivist of the magnus institute, london" now he's just "the archivist" covered in spiders? cuz ik the spider has to do with controlling what youre doing and all this stuff but i cant think of how this connects to that. ep 124: ugh vertigo. is michael crew an old man? oooh. fairchild. how did he know it was martin? hmm. GRR I LOST MY NOTES AGAIN. FROM EPISODE 125 - part of 131. ep 131: bruh he's so hard to understand big man ur voice is so low. Jared Hotworth. the boneturner. "the ones i helped find their proper bodies" name a better top surgeon? our favorite trans ally? ep 132: woo field trip into the coffin! static lol. he says "chill out im just poppin in for a quick recall mission" is the rib thing actually gonna work? bruh it feels so odd and contrived but he's an odd man with some odd powers so idk. rip that archivist ayyy statement time. voices? recordings? are those tape recorders? was it the tape recorders? did they pull him back? i hope so b/c if the rib thing actually worked im gonna be so disappointed. ep 133: predicting the lonely? tundra. like the lukases. hmm. sanikova! like sanikov land. so its the hunt? i suppose? yeah. so daisy's clearly rejecting the hunt, which makes sense cuz she doesnt seem to like the entities that much. wait so are we just not gonna talk abt all the tapes playing on the ground?? no? ep 134: not an archival assistant anymore? Adelard Decker (or however you spell it) i recognize that name. 15th power. i was right there are 15. the extinction? im trying to remember what ive heard. oooh spooky. no i gotta be real i dont understand this fear but i'll believe you that its a thing. ew lukas is so squealy. lukas can turn invisible? oh boy. oooh martin put the tape recorders there. lol lukas is worried he's gonna be an avatar of the eye. ep 135: yoo its the third Daedalus statement! maxwell rayner (reiner? reigner?) i dont know who that is but ik its somebody. is he the cult leader guy? church of the divine host? 4 people?? what? did they kidnap somebody and keep them up there?? oh dear jon are you dying? did he try to See or Know or whatever? why does everyone call basira detective lol. ep 136: he was the one from the spider movie that ate ppl right? the special effects artist? is it annabelle cane? "its a joke jon" lol. hmm they wanted to record the therapy session with melanie? i wonder who that is. i almost wanna guess annabelle cane but im not sure. ep 137: this is the one! he went to the other place and read the war statement but it wasnt the one she took. not the music again. sounds like the slaughter. who the heck is eric lol. "the watcher's crown" like the crown of eyes we saw in the piccrew ep 138: oh boy Robert Smirk time. is that elias? as unhelpful as usual. if new powers can be "born" can others die out? did jonah magnus wear the watchers crown? maybe they were born from our fear or maybe our fears were born from them. ceaseless watcher does ceaselessly watch so. idk what you want

big man. yeah jonah for sure did something. ep 139: agnes!! lol that one dude threw off all their plans thats so funny. BUT this does tell us something. the tree in the backyard of the hilltop house? not made by her. it going down didnt kill agnes. im guessing gertrude tied agnes to the house using the tree? u good jon? cuz every time you try to Know smth intentionally it seems like it causes you great pain. how come he can do it accidentally with no problem but the second he wants to know smth of plot relevance he gets a headache or whatever ep 140: lol pagan exultation. classic. "oh thats my rib" lmaoo. ppl are always so mad at jon and his Eye powers except when it benefits them. they're like "oh you shouldnt do that its not right" and then all of a sudden they want to know something and its all "oh cmon jon its the only way" ep 142: oh god jon what did you do. its interesting she's giving her statement in the way that they do when jon Asks. did he see her in the Coffin? and so he's following her? ok cmon jon you're supposed to let them come to you. lmao ikr martin. "start to hear the blood" "suure." lmao ep 143: lol that awkward moment when gertrude is already dead. big J if you die im gonna kill you. bruh. ayo helen? i guess it worked? ep 144: lol this reminds me of that one edgar allan poe story where he kills the old dude with the weird eye. spooky music stuff. lol thats my favorite symptom of a heart attack its hilarious. so its smth abt the location probably? bro i feel like you should write down the numbers idk. 162830165049 564846474827. seems like the distortion? like the kinda thing that causes you to go crazy because of the numbers. oh boy is it the extinction again. bro what?? im?? his dad just died and he's like eh. martin dont be mean. he's being all lonely again. big man ur pushing ppl away. oh god its fucking squealy boy. ep 145: that almost sounds like breekon/hope... Arthur? agnes. aah was he from the lightless flame cult. a tree. lol he's just ranting rn. hehehe fuck landlords amirite. yay someone tells jon outright to go to therapy. now do it big man. ep 146: oh great! the distortion! i'm making a spiral themed building in mc right now! jon maybe accept you did a bad? nah this goes back to what i said before. they're fine with him compelling ppl when its convenient for them but otherwise its "no jon you cant, youre a monster jon" the tapes didnt turn on. i spose that means its not important? i agree with daisy, this seems unecessarily dangerous. ep 147: is that a tape? the first tape? well that went better than i expected tbh. BAHAKJASHDJKF she did the "can i call you jon" like nikola says "elias, can i call you elias?" damn annabelle is such a girlboss. oh! the one thing from the picrew. its been a while since ive connected smth to that. lol all the other avatars always talk abt their patron so lovingly and the jon just. absolutely hates the eye. ep 148: lol thats the most elias thing. "i just like the way it sounds" ep 149: did he disappear? bruhh. ur lonely powers are popping off i guess. oops i accidentally deleted my notes for 150 - 152 ep 153: thats the cult right? yeah. it doesnt sound like the church of the divine host? idk. if it is the church of the divine host then they worship the dark right? so is the eleventh the dark star or wtvr? it almost sounds like the corruption b/c of the oil or grease or whatever. oh dear what happened. oh its the hunters. theyre so annyoing. not an "it" he has a name. he's a person. is this a page from the skin book? ep 154: oh shit this is gerry's dad! oh shit he quit! oh dear god. jon don't you do it. haha martin. yeahhhh... is he gonna tell the others? cuz you know theyre gonna get mad if he doesnt. oh also picrew connection! the bandages over the eyes? yeah thats this im guessing. ep 155: oh good he told them. oh my god what did you do. lol i have no mouth and i must scream. nah you get none of my sympathy you're straight up murdering ppl. its like the desolation, destroying lives to sustain your own. ok but taking their statements doesnt

kill them. oh... bye melanie. ep 156: lmao imagine if the tape recorder spoke back. oh boy decker! i swear we got a statement from him already. oh god mirrors scary. They're gonna eat the body arent they. Yup... sounds like the flesh or the slaughter, but I'm not sure. Could be the extinction for sure. Smth at the center! Like Helen mentioned. God Peter you dick. Ep 157: peter's just so :/ another decker statement i see. a statement about the corruption? hmm. maybe its not abt the corruption. the extinction. lol pandemics. topical. John Amherst. helen? lol i can hear admiral purring in the background. oh cmon helen dont be like that. im trying real hard to like you but you make it so difficult. ep 158: did they fucking free the stranger? im gonna lose it. you absolute dumbass. im sorry who is that? jonah magnus? my guy. peter. you absolute dickhead. that's elias. (im p sure i had this spoiled for me that elias is jonah) oh dear this is her death. god peter you prick. i hope this is a pop off martin moment and not a "martin you idiot" moment. i hope the hunters kill the stranger entity. or she kills them. furry daisy pop off! yeah fuck you peter martin can make his own decisions. you know that clip from Twisted where jafar says "ok what the fuck was that" martin D: ok like i know its gonna work but still D: D: ep 159: peter you bitchboy. because if im alone i cant hurt anyone else. imnotgonnacryimnotgonnacryimnotgonnacry do it do it do it do it. pop off jon. ok its a pretty good idea for a ritual i gotta be honest. she didnt even have to blow it up lol. oh dear that was certainly a noise. "he gets you" did he not have jon already? he's back! our boy is back! awwww thats so cute. ep 160: oh right this is the thing in the safe house. i love him. "obviously im going to tell you if i see any good cows" martin my beloved <3 :)) oh boy who is this. fuckin. people. jonah you dick. gahh. you can tell he's trying to resist so hard lol. ohh. hehe keep an *eye* on him. altho if the extinction is a real thing he needs to be marked by that right? lol he sounds so intense im sorry- i want martin to just burst in and be like "look at this cow i saw!" its so dramatic and for why.

[toonytoodles]

Random fun fact time! Ft. OCs! (Repost because I added more/ edited a lot of stuff)

Avery -

- Sneezes like a kitten, and most of the time she accidentally uses her fire breathe when she sneezes, so watch out

- Sleeps on a rock

- Is made uncomfortable by actual dragons, it's just... too weird for her...

- Has a strange and inexplicable extreme fear of eels

- Reacts to fear by singing/humming/speaking very loudly, and also by running and screaming (basically, how markilpler acts when playing horror games? yeah that)

- At least once a week her dad has to help her brush through her hair, he says they should get it cut but she absolutely refuses

- Owns a few pairs of gloves- most of which look nearly identical. Some are for different days, some pairs are for bedtime, and some are for special occasions, but she also has some different types and styles of gloves for different events

- Loves the holidays, dislikes the weather that comes with it

- Absolutely hates people touching/messing with her tail, even if it's by accident she gets kinda mad. That's hers- don't touch it. (Emma's the only exception to this simply because it can't be avoided- although Emma does try to touch it as little as possible)

- Slightly allergic to pollen

- She has a clicking-like purr

- If you scratch under her chin she'll purr and relax, but if scratch a certain spot on her neck she'll sleepily fall over

- Adopted as an egg and raised by her human father and fairy mother

- Has a Scottish accent 

- Works as a Glazier (glass blower) and makes potion bottles, also helps with making the potions, and occasionally costumer service and boring stuff like stocking/inventory

Emma -

- Plays with hoodie strings and/or hair when upset or nervous (it happens often, her hoodie strings are sorta worn out)

- She's a big fan of animals! Especially bears, puppies, and unicorns, she thinks they're adorable! When she was younger she used to like dragons quite a bit too

- She's a protective friend and big sister, and she's a little over protective over people she cares about

- Tends to read into things; if your tone or demeanor is slightly different she begins worrying that something's wrong or that she did something. She also tends to believe that no one actually wants to be her friend or wants to be nice to her, but that they're only being nice because they're afraid of her or pity her.

- LOVES HUGS!!! Absolutely loves them, hugging other giants, hugging people smaller than her, getting hugs, giving hugs, she loves hugs

- Once accidentally ate a fake candy cane decoration, off someone's front lawn, because she thought it was real gigantic candy, left out for giants (she was like four, so it made sense to her then, but she still gets made fun for it a bit by her family)

- Loves snow and winter

- Her favorite color is probably blue

- Is surprisingly good at sneaking up on people, for someone 30ft tall she's quiter than most borrowers

- Is the second oldest of five kids, her older brother Rory is 23, her younger brother Richard is 15, and her youngest sisters Aroura and Tiana are 6 and 8, and they're all pretty close

- Her dad is a size shifter, and so are Richard and Tiana, the rest of the family are giants

- She's ambidextrous

- Very cautious of her surroundings

- Hates surprises/being scared

- Bi-romantic and ace

Sofia -

- Can write without looking at what she's doing

- Only wears slip on shoes or shoes with Velcro/zippers, she never learned how to tie them, she couldn't figure out what to do with her head or look at what she was doing

- She's an artist! She likes to paint!

- Has a hard time saying "no," so when she says it, she means it

- Hates surprises and people sneaking up on her

- Has a pet python named Albert

- Probably the only person on the planet who has worse anxiety than Emma

- Don't call her "Soph" or "Sophie," and she gets mildly annoyed when her name is misspelled

- Typically uses right arm to carry head and left hand for everything else

- Has a weird sense of humor

- Has a million stuffed animals, has like 20 on her bed, but Rupert the blue bunny is her favorite

- She has an enchanted scarf that allows her to wear her head when needed, she doesn't usually use it because she's not used to it & it gives her anxiety (she's scared of the scarf falling off/being taken off unexpectedly) but she has it and uses it on occasion, mostly at home

- She doesn't let anyone else hold her head, it seriously freaks her out, her dad is the only exception, but Avery held her once for a group photo (her body took the picture)

-She loves singing and has a soft beautiful voice but is too shy to sing around anyone 🎶

- She was bullied when she was younger and doesn't like to talk about it, she already gets emotional easily and those memories hurt

- She loves Avery's jokes and has a bit of a weird sense of humor

- She's adopted, she lives with her human father (another fun fact, her dad is one of Avery's parents best friends!)

- Unlike Avery, she wasn't adopted as a baby, she was about 6-7ish when she was adopted

- Loves vegetables

- Gets embarrassed easily

- Doesn't go out of her comfort zone, she only does stuff when Avery basically forces her to

- She really likes Emma, but is also sorta scared of her sometimes, she's just scared of people and being looked at, so she can be a little overwhelming without meaning to be, it's nothing personal and she knows Emma wouldn't hurt a fly, she's just scared of people and sometimes Emma is a lot of person

- Doesn't want Emma to hold her (Emma respects it, although sometimes they work it out to where Emma can give her a gentle hug)

-Her favorite season is fall

-She loves rabbits and frogs, but won't admit she loves horses (there's a stereotype that all dullahans love horses, she won't give in)

-Hates confrontation

-Loves vanilla cake

-Hates strangers and people she's not comfortable around being anywhere near her

- Pansexual

- Sorta has a voice claim, but it's weird and sorta difficult to explain?

Andie -

- Has a French accent (picked it up from dad)

- One of my only OCs to have a voice claim

- Plays the flute

- Mean, selfish, and self centered, but somehow also a good person

- Sings sentences sometimes

- Scared of turtles

- Works as a bard/waitress at the family tavern

- Unfortunately she is heterosexual

Andy -

- Somehow didn't pick up their fathers accent

- One of my only OCs to have a voice claim

- Plates the lute

- Genuine and kind hearted, but also a bumbling moron

- Dreams of being a song writer, wants to be a professional musician

- Works as a bard/waiter at the family tavern

- Bi, but prefers women

Clementine -

- A book worm

- Likes to sing

- Practices magic, knows a few interesting spells

- Sometimes her and Avery fight over magic usage vs. potion usage (they know it's a dumb fight, but they don't care, at this point it's a joke)

- She's a white tailed deer

- She has great hearing, and is usually very aware of her surroundings

- She wants to be a magic professor as an adult

- Demisexual, pan, but prefers men

Pond-

- Elementals don't really have gender, she chooses to present as female and use female pronouns

- Can't "see," but rather senses vibrations, since she's made out of water she doesn't have eyes, but based on other senses she can get around just fine

- She can't smell either

- Doesn't care for romance

- Has 4 pet fish she keeps with her, named Karl, Frank, Phillip, and Fish

- She has a baby sister, Brook

- She's odd and can be off putting unless you know her pretty well, then her weirdness is sort of endearing

- She can tell her friends apart by the way they walk and their gestures, and of course their voices, but really has no idea what any of them look like, she knows their species and the normal traits of those species, but not much outside that

- She doesn't eat or drink

- Smart, but sorta reckless

- Sorta hard to hug :( but the others still try

Sapphire -

- Has minimal size shifting abilities, but prefers to be her true size, she loves sitting on her husband's shoulders or in his pockets (She's about 5ft in her bigger form)

- Used to be an adventurer, at one point she was a pirate

- Met her husband on one of her adventures

- Has a Scottish accent

- She has a sword her size (no it's not a toothpick or a toy or anything, she has an actual tiny sword) 🗡

- Makes potions for the shop and deals with customers

- Grew up outside of Tradeskeep, her and Kal retired from their adventuring career and settled down there

Kalvin -

- Used to be an adventurer/ mercenary

- Huge, ripped, has all kinds of scars, but his 4" tall wife is scarier than he his, he's basically a teddy bear

- Makes potions, does restocking, inventory, and doesn't as much anymore, but makes potion bottles

- Has scars/tattoos from various adventures

- Used to have dragon scale armor, he once saved a village from a dragon, but has sold it and no longer tells the story, he now claims it was a bear

- He's a great dad ❤

- Loves ale & meat, but not as much as his girls

- I cannot overstate how much he loves his family, he LOVES his wife and daughter, like a LOT, it pretty much defines who he is, he's a family man

- Met his wife while on a quest

- He used to be a nomad while adventuring and getting paid for jobs, he'd wander from town to town, until he settled at Tradeskeep and put up a shop

Ok so i know that's a lot, but it's there for anyone who's interested in all that ❤ I have other facts too, so if you wanna know any more just look around on my blog or send an ask, Q&A for OCs are open, and I'm open to art/writing requests/ideas! ❤