#i like the idea that the traveler keeps dropping obscure references from their travels

[randomnumbers751650]

Albedo, removing Sucrose's glasses: You look so beautiful without your glasses.

Sucrose, blushing: Oh, Albedo...

(Albedo kisses her hand and leaves; around the corner, the Traveler is waiting for him)

Traveler: Hey, Einstein, guess what: there's no world over there that this works.

Albedo turns around and sees Sucrose crashing against a wall: Whoops...

[astralexpressarchives]

The Renheng Iceberg Explained

Alright so there's this renheng iceberg on twitter that I was recently informed about. I'm wayyy too deep into the lore so I skipped to the bottom and everything there was stuff I was already more than familiar with.

So I figured why not put all this information to some use and make a post explaining the more obscure items on the iceberg and leaving out the self-explanatory ones, doing my best to reference as well as possible.

Blade gazing at Imbibitor Lunae statue

This was a hidden interaction where you could find Blade standing near the statue of Imbibitor Lunae at the scalegorge after revealing Dan Heng's vidyadhara form. He says he is 'mourning for folly' and asks you if Dan Heng is happy. You can watch a video about this here.

Good friends who are bad for each other

This is Kafka's description of what she knows about Blade and Dan Heng's history in her companion quest. This answer is a "truth" in her game of truth and lies.

"Apparently, they used to be good friends... Well, good friends who were bad for each other. Bladie forgot nearly everything, so he doesn't remember well. Together, they did something bad — something terrible. It led to horrific consequences. That's the information I managed to piece together. Bladie refused to tell me the details."

Dan Heng gets nightmares about blade

We see this in-game in the cinematic leading up to the Xianzhou questline. This is also suggested in the Only Silence Remains lightcone description.

Matching Jade Ornaments

Referring to this idea.

There is also a vidyadhara egg that says:

"You edge closer to the pearlescent shell and have a dream in which you are a Pearlkeeper who rides the waves, and travels across the ancient sea with your true love. The time you have spent with your lover is full of happiness, but the time of hatching rebirth is determined by destiny. You secretly put a jade pendant in your mouth so your lover can recognize each other in the next life."

And considering that DH:IL 4 story has him refusing to speak during the entirety of his interrogation, death sentence, and final verdict, it definitely leaves room for imagination.

Bracer Lore

This one encompasses a few of the other ones on the iceberg, too. Really, it's worth reading the entirety of the Passerby of Wandering Clouds relic set lore. Keep in mind all relic sets are in chronological order of head/gloves/body/feet. The bracer also mentions this part about 'That owner also once shared company and drinks with the unnamed, the two of them simply gazing at the moon with no words exchanged.' This has an interesting meaning in CN that tells us this drinking was an engagement ceremony. People thought this must be a typo but, despite many tickets from people, their only response has been that they're unable to comment further. They still haven't changed it as of patch 1.4.

Dan Heng polishes and gaze longingly at Cloud Piercer

A recent addition in patch 1.4 where Pom-pom now says:

"Passenger Dan Heng often carefully maintains and polishes his spear. Although the Express is very safe, it seems that he is not willing to drop his guard. Hmm, Pom-Pom can tell that when he polishes his spear, there isn't just alertness in his eyes, but a glint of longing, too. Don't underestimate me, Pom-Pom had dealt with all kinds of different passengers!"

I'm sure by now everyone knows that cloudpiercer was made by Yingxing (Blade).

You can see screenshots of this interaction in this post.

Mirror Inverted Colours

Apparently, a big part of CN character design focuses around the concept of inverted colour palette designs for ships. Because Blade and Dan Heng share inverted colours, this is considered a good sign for the ship as it indicates they were most likely designed together.

Danmei Coded

Danmei is the CN genre for mlm. It has a lot of stereotypical tropes that are very common in this genre and apply to renheng also. My personal opinion is that renheng is very similar to something written by Meatbun in particular - this is a danmei author who wrote erha, yuwu, and casefile compendium. The associated tropes are:

Lovers to enemies back to lovers angst timeline often including misunderstandings involving tragic betrayal

Black/red character x white/blue/green character

Under the moonlight

Amnesia and/or reincarnation themes

Protag did something that made everybody turn on them + complicated political drama plot

Redemption in death/isolation/retreating from the world at the end

Waiting frankly ridiculous amounts of time to be with the lover again

One character pursuing the other character literally

One character considered dead or demonic in some capacity, the other is ethereal and godly

Mortal x immortal

Afterlife/spirit realm shenanigans usually involving fractured souls as a result of torment

Contrasting personalities + others don't think they should get along/are bad for each other (usually the deviant personality is considered to be corrupting the noble/revered personality in some way which often involves a rebellion)

Mirrored Ultimates

Their ultimate animation sequences are very similar with close eyes with weapon - open eyes - attack.

And both of their ultimates take place in different versions of the same location:

Vidyadharas can't identify items belonging to their past yet Dan Heng got the bracer, jade pendant(?), and cloud piercer

There is an NPC named Lingling in the alchemy commission who is responsible for assisting in vidyadhara hatching rebirth. She collects the personal belongings of vidyadhara who claim that they want to keep the items for their next life. She says that:

From what I've seen, most Vidyadhara lack emotions fresh after their rebirth, and are unable to understand the sentiments of their previous selves. Not a single one has ever been able to identify which one of these items used to belong to them.

This is a big indicator that DH = DF and that their romance will be continuing in this life, too. We know from Passerby of Wandering Clouds relic set that Dan Heng is still in possession of the bracer because of the line: "His fingertips could still faintly feel the temperature from the other."

The stars always accompany the moon

This is a reference to their names in CN where the Xing in Yingxing means moon and the Yue in Yinyue jun (Imbibitor Lunae) means Moon. Their ship name Xingyue means Star and Moon, which is often why you will see them referred to with the Star/Moon emojis as well as the sword/leaf emoji.

Blade came to see Dan Heng blushing when Xiyan asked him to act the character in his story

This is referring to this video on weibo where Dan Heng is talking to Xiyan. You can see the characters in the crowd then Dan Heng starts blushing. The next time you see the crowd, Blade has arrived third from the right.

"Eternal Regrets of a High Elder" and "Dreams from a Past Life"

These are arias from the Cloudcry Songbook written by a Vidyadhara named Lingjie who reincarnated into Chunfen. Lingjie was an opera singer and apparently a big fan of Dan Feng and his romantic life.

My friend wrote the poem analysis of both of these arias. I would strongly recommend reading her translations.

TW: These translations do include mentions of a new leaked poem. Some of the content is NSFW.

Dan Heng named himself "Dan Heng" due to the "Dan" character carved by Yingxing/Blade

We know that Vidyadhara do not usually name themselves based on their past lives as they have no attachment to them. The other iteration of Dan Heng was named Yubie for example. Dan Heng's name in CN is  丹恒. The Dan 丹 means red/pellet/powder/cinnabar. You can see Dan is inscribed on his spear that Yingxing made for him, thus the logical conclusion is that Dan Heng saw the inscription and chose it as his name.

The Star of the East (Jupiter, Wood Star)'s god is Ying Xing, and their guardian beast is Azure Dragon/Canglong/Qinglong

This one is the only one I didn't understand when I first saw it, so I had to request the help of my CN knowing friends to figure it out.

Yingxing's name is 应星 (where the 星 means star).

The CN god of Jupiter Taisui Xingjun 太岁星君 is known as Yin Jiao 殷交

Jupiter is the planet associated with the Chinese wood element, known as the wood star

Azure Dragon is known as Canglong or Qinglong in CN. This is the guardian of Jupiter (the wood star).

Blade's fansong equates Yingxing with 听星 (judging star) which is an alias for Taisui Xingjun

You can read my friend's explanation of the relevant line in the fansong below.

Dan Feng's crime was inspired by Chang'E, the moon goddess for stealing an elixir of immortality and Yingxing was inspired by Hou Yi, a mortal and husband of Chang'E (he was given immortality but didn't, this parallels and contrasts Yingxing's immortality)

So there's actually a bit more to this. I'm going to just use my friend's explanation here:

According to Shang dynasty’s Guicang, It is said that there is a moon maiden who escaped to the moon after stealing an immortality pill. This story was eventually given more details: The moon maiden became known as Heng’e 姮娥, who was the wife of Hou Yi - the hero who shot down the 9 suns. Hou Yi was given an immortality pill/herb as a reward, but Heng’e stole it and flew to the moon. In some versions, upon finding out, Hou Yi tried to shot down her to prevent her from floating to the moon, but he hesitated and ended up choosing not to in the end because he still loved her. In the moon, Heng’e stayed in a palace called 廣寒宮 (the Vast Palace of Coldness) and cursed to be separated from her husband, alone with only the moon rabbits and the immortal osmanthus tree forever. Later on, her name was changed to Chang’e 嫦娥 because Emperor Wen of Han’s name was 劉恆 Liu Heng, and so the 姮 Heng part of her name became a taboo. The interesting here is that 姮 (Heng’e), 恆 (Liu Heng), 恒 (Dan Heng) are all alternative ways to write the same character, 姮, which originally means moon, Heng’e. In addition, we also have a lot of official artworks depicting Dan Heng with the moon and osmanthus flowers:

Yeah so I think that just about covers everything. I left out the ones that were self-explanatory but if anyone is still confused about any of them I can try to elaborate further in the replies.

[moinsbienquekaworu]

Hey americans I need you to explain to me how high school works in your country. I thought I understood how it was but I was just introduced to the idea of Collegeboard? (which I don't fully get anyway??)

I'll start with France so you have a point of reference, but under the cut. Basically I want to know what your exams look like, which subjects are mandatory & how/if you choose them, the college situation, that kinda thing.

High school comprises your last three years of school, what you I think call grades 10-11-12 (they're numbered the other way around here, so it's seconde (2nd), première (1st) and terminale (last?)). It's been changing recently but there are two main exam periods, at the end of the year in june/july in 11th and 12th grade. There's also midyear exams now, on your specialités, though that's much more recent (like, 3-years-ago recent). The end of high school exam is called the baccalauréat, or bac (for middle school it's brevet, or brevet des collèges)

The spécialités are like, options? You have to take three in 11th grade, then you drop one to only keep two in 12th grade, and you can pick between a total of uuuh. Well technically there's 13 in total, but it depends on what your high school offers. Options include advanced maths, biology, physics&chemistry, foreign literature, french literature&philosophy, compusci, arts, history-geography&polisci, economics, and more obscure/rare things like engineering, PE or classics. Before that it was either a literary path, L, a scientific path, S, or an economics path, ES, with the reputation that only choosing S would let you have a good high-paying job, but they changed it to give more options to combine whatever you like. In my high school we had the 9 first ones I gave you, which did enable students to make their own thing, but in a majority of cases students went with maths/biology/physics, especially in the high schools that only offered those three because they were smaller and couldn't justify paying an arts teacher for 2 students. So that's for spécialités.

In 11th grade you have the french literature exams at the end of the year, both written and oral, for which you prepare a certain number of texts you studied throughout the year that fit this year's themes & curriculum (ie your teacher can pick one of a few options to study the theme of voyage & travel for example). In the written exam it's either an excerpt that you have to analyse (we call that text commentary and you basically talk about stylistic devices and such) or a question about a book you have to answer (something like 'is x book about voyage & travel?', you have to make a 2 or 3 part plan, like uh 'I) yes because the character goes places II) yes because he changes as a person', that's a dissertation). The oral is about one of the excerpts you prepared, a jury picks one from your list, lets you prepare for a little while, and then you present the excerpt and its relevance in the book and to the themes.

In 12th grade you have philosophy instead of french literature, and at the end of the year you have - if I remember correctly - philosophy & spécialités exams, plus your Great Oral? Nothing for languages, nothing for biology/chemistry or maths, just those four I think. Philosophy is like the french written exam but about philosophy instead, you either comment on an excerpt or write a dissertation on something like 'do the arts change the world?'. The Great Oral is an oral that you prepare yourself, it's all shiny and new. You prepare two questions relating to your spécialités (one of them can be spé 1 and the other spé 2, or you can mix and match, but you have to touch on both spécialités in your two questions.), which can be anything from proving a maths equation to discussing censorship in art. You just have to be able to last like 10 minutes on your own and answer the questions of the two teachers who evaluate you (who are NOT from your high school). The spécialité written exams are spécialité specific, so they're like, a maths exam for maths with maths questions and equations and whatnot, or a dissertation in philosophy.

Note that we never ever have multiple choice questions, not in class and certainly not in exams. You write out your answers in permanent ink on special paper they give you. Exams last from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the subject and when in the year you're taking it, and you're not allowed out until the end of the 1st hour even if you're throwing. The written exams are national, the exact same subjects for everyone and at the exact same time for everyone over the country, since we only have one timezone and the state doesn't want people to be able to cheat. The examinators are teachers from your school but the copies are digitised & anonymised, and sent to other teachers who don't know you for correction. You can get your copy back if you ask for it, otherwise you're not seeing it again.

Funfacts: for like two/three years maths was not mandatory past 10th grade! They took maths out of the general curriculum, and if you didn't have the maths spécialité you wouldn't see any maths! Great thing. They realised how dumb it was and put them back like this year or last year, I don't remember. Also, despite the pretend flexibility, most students remade their own literary/scientific/economics bac all on their own, because what are you going to do with an arts/biology/english lit degree?

And for university, all 12th grade students have an account on the national platform parcoursup (parcours + sup -> superior + path, your journey into superior education), you make wishes for what degree you want to do where, universities study your file based on what your teachers say about you and your 11th grade + 12th grade first two trimesters grades, and then you get your answer. All of this is way before the actual bac exams, which makes it feel a little trivial because you know you're accepted at x uni in may and it doesn't matter if you get a shit grade at your bac. The process of selection is more or less competitive depending on where you made your wishes, I personally got all my wishes as soon at the answer period started, but I wanted to do french/english/japanese literature at public unis, so the risk of rejection was low. Some people wait for a few weeks before they get a good answer though. When you're accepted into a programme, you have to answer and say yes or no. If you say yes you're committing to going there because you can only have one yes at a time, and if you say no you lose your spot in the queue and you can't go back on your word. I say uni but actually there's also fancy private schools for shit like business or polisci as well as prépa classes, I just didn't give a fuck personally. (prépa, or preparatory classes, are intensive classes you take for a year or two in a given topic, usually scientific but not necessarily at all, and they're really strict but drastically improve your changes of getting into a prestigious school and give you a very specific work ethic)

That got LONG but if you read that tell me how the US (or your country if it's not the US!!) compares, what you think is insane (derogatory) or insane (why aren't we doing it like you), etc etc. I got through school I get to talk about it now!

[serosgirl]

✧˖*°࿐ fantasy ❛ i could be your private island ❜

this a mature composition that contains descriptions of actions that are not appropriate for children who are not of age. there will be no further warning, so you must read at your own discretion.

warnings: smut, oral (male receiving), gender neutral, 18+

irk was an expression of contempt hardly depicted upon bokuto’s facial. his slanted gaze habitually oozed his aura; bubbly and buoyant, aggravation was scarcely known to his reputative persona. he was gifted the art of fabricating elation. effortlessly casting blithe behind the heel of his step, glee lingered wherever the male had presented himself, so when the front door of your complex aggressively clicked into its lock, you stiffened and brought your attention to the male who stood at the entrance.

he grudgingly kicked off his shoes, head hung downwards as to prolong initiation of conversation. an oddity, that was. routinely, he would forget to disregard his battered sneakers, far too busy rushing himself into your arms to care.

a raised brow accompanied your curious gape. your head had tilted in perplexity, and you motioned to stand when you pushed your palms onto the cushion beneath you. to encounter your lover, you meekly shuffled your feet along the floor, careful to ease your touch onto the tense figure of your boyfriend. his shoulders sagged at your caress. he slipped his jacket from his droopy figure and finally raised his head to reward himself sight of your concerned expression, a frown weighing your puckered lips as you wordlessly analyzed bokuto’s behavior. “tough day?” you queried, eager to discover the source of his dejection.

his response wasn’t instant. rather, he strung you along to chase after his heels as if a curious puppy. he exhaled as he slung himself onto the couch, craning his neck to sink into the doughy cushion supporting the weight of his head. “something like that, yeah.”

you remained at attention. readily awaiting as if a devoted minion who had yet to receive orders, you stood adjacent to the seated male, desperate to erase his deep frown.

keen to the prominent wrinkles laced between his furrowed brows, you sought to replace his expression, ease his vexation; dissipate any ire that weighed upon his sore and overworked shoulders.

diligent effort such as his deserved praise. sacrificing countless hours to better his team; collectively seeking a unanimous goal. late nights of practice was a priority similar to a nine-to-five, and responsibility had been bestowed to bokuto as some nominated achievement. harboring weary was a reasonable feat. practice until perfection; perhaps a foolish rule instilled by his child-like naivety but nevertheless an ultimatum he strived for.

success was never one of generosity. trials that conclude in failure were far more frequent than bokuto’s intended prosperity. unanticipated strife clung to his silhouette and dwindled amongst his withering shadow.

the perceptible gleam to his blissful disposition dimmed. embers to the flame of his eye settled upon hills of ashes, fiery orange dying to a void that was soon to disappear, vanishing with a steady blink of his impending lour. his dull lids fluttered to a close, obscuring the sight of your attentive figure. the heavy frown he previously wore lightened to an extent, but remnants of its presence loitered the expanse of his countenance.

aspiring to return the sheen coating to his amber hues, you proposed an idea that would be sure to revive him of rapture. “want me to help with that?” referring to mentions of his terrible day, you offered to alleviate his contemporary burden. the underlying motives you harbored were left unsaid, leaving the male to hum in question as to prompt you to explain your intent.

his available sense discerned the rustling of cloth, prompting him to raise a brow in confusion. he remained in his lax position. conscious to your sudden silence, bokuto keenly stiffened to concentrate in regards to your action. you continued to shuffle around for a few seconds longer before yielding your hasty conduct.

bokuto’s seated position towered over your stoop. his knees were spread beside the width of your cranium, torso reclined and further granting you access to his hip, groin susceptible to your studious gape.

your shameless gawk precepted the pronounced mound of his dormant bulge, insides fluttering with anticipation due to the cloth of his sweat pants poorly cloaking the length of his cock.

your hands greedily dug into the waistband of his bottoms, prompting the male before you to drop his gaze to his lap. he was startled at the visual of your kneeling figure between his knees. his heart thumped wildly, and he failed to maintain his composure; thickly swallowing what was left of his surprise, bokuto gulped in suspense. aftermath of anxious froth bubbled within the depth of his abdomen, rupturing into a feverish frenzy whenever you shimmed his sweats past his waist.

freed from its unpleasable confines, his eager sex sprung with newfound vigor. a discernable shade of red adorned his impatience; angry veins pulsated beneath the force of your hold, inducing his cock to stiffen in expectancy. the nude color of his tip had become glossed in a sheen coat of his impending arousal, and you couldn’t help but thumb the substance and use it as lube against his throbbing shaft.

“you need a distraction, right?” you questioned your partner. though, searching for no response, you continued with rhetoric. “something to occupy those ceaseless thoughts of yours?” your traveling optics hungrily drunk bokuto’s flustered countenance, inducing a subtle throb to begin its reign within your own sex. descending your focus to his lap once more, you wrapped your deft fingers around the girth of his cock, teasingly kneading your thumb against the skin available to you. he trembled beneath the tips of your fingers, and you hummed in delight. sparing a last glance, you encountered bokuto’s attentive stare. “make sure to keep your eyes on me, m’kay?”

you impishly swiped your tongue past your lips before bringing your parted mounds to the base of his dick. puckishly dragging your tongue against his pulsating sex, you followed the protruding vessels of blue, soon hallowing your cheeks as to sink your head towards his pelvis.

the warm tinge of your tongue extracted a low hiss from your victim, his hips tenuously bucking himself down your throat. his head lulled until it propped against the couch, and his mouth fell open with a groan, praise befalling your ears whenever you worked your hands around what was left of his cock.

his antsy fingertips trembled against his thigh, eager to grip your hair and encourage you to take the remaining inches, but he opposed that decision. heedful to the leisure pace of your bob, he hesitantly brushed escaping strands of your hair from your face, heart wildly thumping when you peered at him from the tender contact.

your water-welled tear ducts glossed your eyes in crystalline solution, the tiny beads clinging to your lashes as you guided his sex towards the ache that occupied the back of your throat. drool escaped the corners of your busy lips, glissading the side of your chin until bokuto rubbed his thumb along the expanse, collecting the overflowing liquid with a gentle swipe. your hinged jaw cramped in discomfort, but the lewd visual of bokuto’s flushed features encouraged you to continue.

wordlessly guiding one of his hands to the back of your head, you cutely communicated he was allowed to do as he pleased. his fingers tangled and hooked the roots of your scalp, his itchy tips tightening their hold but refusing to give him access to abuse your esophagus.

as if to spite his difficult task of self-composure, you grazed his length with your teeth, careful as to only brush the supple skin with sluggish movement of your jaw all while lapping the flesh beneath your tongue.

bokuto audibly voiced his satisfaction, hips rutting into your mouth until his cockhead abrasively pressed into the cotton-soft padding of the back of your mouth. a muffled squeak of surprise lodged in your throat, a pitiful moan wavering around bokuto’s dick and wildly burst into erratic vibrations. he shuddered at the ministration but continued to observe your cowering figure.

droplets meekly fell from your watery optics, your lips has become notably plump; the nude colored appendages swollen from prostration and glossed with a thin coating of your spit. the palm of his hand remained attacked to your crown, permitting the athlete sight of your face-fucked disposition. you weakly peeped from your spot, eyes conveying you inability to sheathe the rest of him with your mouth.

“don’t give me that look.” a pant followed his words, and his lids considerably narrowed until his golden hues slanted into a condemning glare. “take it, i know you can.”

[gloryofluv]

Order Up! (Coffee Shop AU) Chapter 5

Well, I guess Alex is going through the motions. I am really starting to love how well-rounded this is getting. Flirty fics are fun, but they always need heart and perseverance!

Chapter

1 - 2- 3 - 4

Fuck. Why did she do that? Alex wanted to toss her phone but knew she couldn’t afford a new one yet. Memories. Social media keeps track even if you don’t. She was bundled on the ground of the bathroom she just cleaned and sobbed.

All she wanted to do was look at this real estate agent that Lucifer texted her. She glanced down at the picture of her and her mother while she was getting dressed for prom. Would she be upset that she was thinking of selling their home? Would she be proud? She felt so fucking alone.

There was a knock at the bathroom door, and she stuttered on a breath. Fucking get it together, girl. She wiped her face and nodded. “I’ll be out momentarily,” she said in a cheery tone.

Breathe. Stand up. Bitch, buck the fuck up, you’re at work. Alex listened to her inner dialog, turned on the water to the sink, cleaned her hands and face, and fixed her makeup. After she was satisfied, she picked up her tool tote and walked to the door with a plastered smile.

Solomon was on the other side of the door. “Hey, Alex,” he said with a curl to his lips.

“Hey, Sol, how are you doing?” she asked.

“Not horribly. I’m a bit stuck on this formula, but it’s bound to come to me,” he voiced while walking in step with her.

She rocked her head and shifted at the entrance to the counter. “Let me just go put this away and clock out. We can chat a minute after I’m off the clock.”

He rocked his head and leaned on the wall nearby. “Want to take a walk with me?”

She tilted her head and hummed. “Maybe.”

“Good, I’ll order, and we’ll head to the park.”

“Oh, good, we’re taking a walk to the park?”

Alex glanced over to see Satan wander over with his tea and pastry bag. “Oh, hey, Satan. I didn’t see you there.”

He tilted his head and gestured to his messenger bag. “I was grading pages.”

Solomon crossed his arms before touching his chin with his fingers. “You want to join us?”

Satan rocked his head. “A little fresh air would be great.”

“Okay, let me just go finish up,” Alex smiled and walked to the back of the shop. Well, it was quite the variation, but after how interesting her Sunday had been, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. She turned to the computer after putting the tote away and clocked out. Shaking out her body and taking off her apron and hat, she rolled her neck.

There was something to be said about the smears on her uniform. Alex stripped off her overshirt and straightened her purple tank top, and pulled out her ponytail. After checking her face in the mirror and reapplying a few touches on her eyeliner and lip gloss, she was ready.

Better. Alex smiled and collected her bag before marching to the front again. Solomon and Satan seemed to be in a discussion about the book in Satan’s hand. Their hand gestures only confirmed the estimation as Alex walked over to collect her drink.

“Hey, babes,” Jess hummed. “Do you think you could do me a favor and take my Friday shift, and I’ll take your Saturday one. It's closing, and I have a date.”

Alex rocked her head. “Yeah, I can. You never ask me to trade, so they must be pretty hot,” she teased.

Jess smirked and rocked her head. “Yeah, Mr. Macchiato, who comes in the evenings.”

“Nice, well, I hope you have tons of fun. Text Jordan and let him know, alright?”

Jess beamed and blew a kiss. “You’re a lifesaver for my social life, hun.”

Alex waved and met up with the two intellectuals holding their beverages. “I’m just saying that Dickens wasn’t as extraordinary as we make him out to be,” Solomon huffed.

“Oh, no, we’re on about Charles again?”

Satan laughed and shook his head as they walked out the door. “Just Solomon’s primary dagger.”

“Solomon, do you just enjoy debating?” Alex asked.

Solomon smiled and shifted his head from side to side. “Occasionally, but so does Satan, so we have a mutual understanding never to take it to blows.”

“I think the Brontë sisters are probably a staple for every woman,” Alex added to the conversation.

“And men,” Satan nodded.

“Very true, but we need to selectively decide what mannerisms are dated in order to value the interpretation,” Solomon voiced.

Alex smirked and raised her hand to her chest. “'Do you think I am an automaton? — a machine without feelings? And can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart!'” She paused after the quote and laughed. “Imagine declaring equality to a man who was higher in rank and stature than you in that time. The dated behavior is only setting.”

Satan let out a stream of hearty laughter. “Oh, Alex, I would have loved to have you in my class today. There was a sexist animal who was definitely in need of a strong female to set him straight.”

“My little Jane isn’t very plain,” Solomon chuckled and waved his hand.

“No, she isn’t,” Alex laughed before sipping her iced tea.

“I was referring to you,” Solomon hummed.

Alex smirked at him and shrugged. “I do pretty well, I suppose.”

Satan cleared his throat, drawing Alex’s attention to her left. “So, you realized that half your customers are my brothers.”

Alex rocked her head. “Yes, I was informed of that by Belphegor in a rather creative way.”

“I heard,” Satan laughed. “We all live together.”

“So I’ve heard,” she smiled.

“Interesting dynamic,” Solomon voiced. “All seven of them together.”

“They also throw some ridiculous parties,” Alex said and then waved her free hand in a circle. “From what I’ve heard.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I know you live across the street,” Satan snorted with a smug smile. “I’ve known longer than Lucifer.”

Alex gasped as they walked on the sideway in the park. “What?”

Satan chuckled and rocked his head. “Yes, I knew from Jordan. I was the one to buy his motorcycle.”

She shrieked and gasped. “Oh! That’s why I’ve seen it around the cafe.”

Satan wagged his eyebrows. “So yes, I’ve known for about four months. He pulled it out of your garage and brought it over. When I asked why he moved, he told me about your circumstance and why he was torn, but family comes first.”

“It does,” Alex smiled. “His mother was great to me when my parents died. She practically lived with me for the first six months. Then Jordan moved in, and he got me a job at the cafe. He’s always been like my big brother. So when his dad got injured at work and couldn’t work, I told him to move home to help.”

“How did you both meet?” Solomon questioned.

“Oh, that’s a funny story, actually. So, in middle school, he was a grade above me, and I was super shy. He saw me being harassed by some asshole. He stepped in and smoothed the situation. I was so shocked he was able to do so without violence. Jordan took me to the bathroom, cleaned me up, and told me that the only bitches in our life are the beautiful bitches we can be, so I needed to learn to walk like it. From then on, he just started pulling me into his antics,” she explained and laughed while shaking her head.

“You were shy?” Satan questioned.

Alex stopped drinking her tea and nodded. “I actually am in general. I took his advice to heart. I’m friendly and enjoy people, but I don’t have very many people I consider close with.”

“Is this why you aren’t dating anyone?” Solomon questioned.

Alex narrowed her eyes at him and smirked. “Yes.”

“Liar,” Solomon smiled.

“Wait, I really find this fascinating. You aren’t close to any family?” Satan asked.

Alex shrugged and hummed. “My aunts and uncles all live in different parts of the country. I was an only child, and now that my parents aren’t here, the only people I see are Jordan and his parents. Jordan’s sister left for a university across the country two years ago. I see them probably once a month.”

“You live alone? Like no one ever comes to knock on your door or calls your phone?” Satan questioned with a scowl.

“Well, I won’t be living there much longer,” Alex sighed. “I have to sell the place, so I’ll have to clear it out in the next couple of weeks. The financial officer, my parents, left in charge, said that the funds wouldn’t cover the expenses this next year, so it would be a good idea for me to sell.”

“Hm,” Solomon murmured. “I could help.”

“No,” Alex shook her head. “It’s time. I don’t need handouts, Sol. I appreciate it, but no.”

“Why do you feel like you have to do everything alone?” Satan asked as they rounded the outside of the park.

Alex breathed and shook her head. “It’s such a long story.”

“Your parents?” Solomon voiced.

This analysis was cathartic in a way, and Alex felt this heavyweight being pulled from her shoulders. “Well, yes and no. I was telling my mother before she passed that I was thinking of taking a year off to go with my boyfriend at the time to travel the world. She was so supportive, even though it would put my education in jeopardy. When they died, he bailed with some other girl, so I kind of just stopped relying on others.”

Satan tutted and exhaled. “To be an idiot teenager who couldn’t handle grief. I’m sorry you had to go through that, especially at such a young age.”

Alex smiled and shrugged as they made their way back to the cafe. “I’m pretty good. I have a degree. I’ll have a decent nest egg to pay for my schooling for an even better education and my best friend. I’m doing pretty well.”

“I have an intrigue before we conclude our adventure into your life,” Solomon hummed.

Alex tilted her head as she grinned at him. “What’s that?”

“You are strong without someone, but it makes it so much richer to share your heart with others,” Solomon declared.

“Says the man who has done his fair share of that,” Satan snorted.

Solomon rolled his eyes. “Satan, don’t cast stones in glass houses.”

“You have been married three times now,” Satan snorted.

News. Alex raised her eyebrows. “Three times? Aren’t you like barely forty?”

“I resent that,” Solomon scowled. “No, I am not. However, marriage and love are difficult measurements in a formula very few understand. I’m difficult.”

“I actually like that about you,” Alex laughed.

Satan scowled as they stopped at the sidewalk near the cafe. “You enjoy that he’s difficult, but you won’t text me?” he questioned with a sly smile.

She puffed and pulled his phone from his bag’s pocket. It was sticking out and available. Alex then went to his keypad, dialed her number, and pressed the call. Her phone soon rang, and she hung up.

“Now, you have my number. Stop trying to make me do all the work, you pushy professor,” she snorted and handed his phone back.

Satan was grinning as he pocketed his phone. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Solomon handed her his phone, and she groaned but did the same exact thing. “If you both call me all the time, I will block your number,” she teased.

“If you need any help with your house, please tell me,” Solomon nodded. “I am quite organized.”

“I will,” Alex smiled.

Solomon tossed his cup in the trash and smiled before walking to his car. Alex watched him wave and climb inside before driving off in the silver vehicle. Satan shifted and tilted his head when she turned back to him.

“Did you want to have dinner with me tonight? I’ll cook,” Satan offered.

“Just because we’re temporarily neighbors does not mean I’m a booty call, understood?” Alex questioned.

Satan snorted and straightened his shirt. “You’re far too interesting to blow on a booty call, Alex.”

“Just had to make it clear. I would take your offer for dinner, but I’m actually exhausted. Diavolo came in for a coffee tasting, and I hosted it. Since then, I’ve just been drained.”

Satan rocked his head. “Well, I’ll ask tomorrow then,” he smiled and shrugged. “You’ll eventually say yes,” he chuckled and walked over to the motorcycle.

Alex smiled and observed as he slid on his helmet, waved, and climbed on the bike. Bad boy, professor. Pretty sexy. That tickled her to no end. He pulled out with a roaring shift of gears and headed in the same direction she needed to go. Home. Even if it was just for now.

@rsmrymnt-tea @otome-scribbles

[lluvguts]

Cool Blue ; Chapter Two

⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚

sunlight on your face

⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚

☽ warnings: none

☽ fic masterlist

⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚

The sun had crossed Luca's mind many times before, but he was just too afraid to see what it looked like. He'd asked his grandmother what the sun felt like once (or twice, or three times even, Luca had lost count). She would only give her grandson a gentle smile and stick out one hand so Luca's tail would brush along her forearm affectionately.

"That is something for you to find out one day," She winked. "But I'll tell you a little bit about it for now. Sometimes the sun is brilliant and warm on your scales...and other times, it'll burn you." She ended her sentence with another toothy grin and one hand to her breastbone to quiet her knowing laughter.

Luca gaped at her solemnity. "The sun...burns?" He couldn't possibly fathom the idea.

But the sun was so...bright! He imagined it was a big creamy ball in the sky, full of sugar the seeped into the Earth. And the more he mulled it over the harder it was to accept that maybe it wasn't as delightful as he'd dreamed.

"Sure, Bubble," His grandmother chuckled. "It's gotta keep the humans warm somehow, right?"

Luca thought about her answer then. That must be why Alberto smelled so honey-sweet. Nice, he corrected himself. Alberto smelled nice.

But it was the sun dripping all of that sunshine and ardor into Alberto's pores, through the tiny dark spots that spanned across his cheeks and shoulders. Little dashes of the sun. But if he thought over these things too long that fiery sunshine would melt his insides into a pitiful pool of need to see him again and Luca decided not to ask her anymore.

He was a good kid, after all. He didn't need these infectious ideas running through his head.

Luca passed by the herd of goatfish, all grumbling and surrounded in swarms of their own bubbles. He swam by Giuseppe, clearly the favored one, and gave him an endearing pat before glancing over his shoulder. It seemed as though his grandmother had distracted Luca's parents for the time being with some obscure task that he knew granted him a few hours of precious alone time.

He'd dreamed of seeing The Surface before. Herring, he'd actually tried. And once was all it took. A brief sequence of minutes that felt as if they were hours, fluttering toward the crystal glittering skin of the ocean above him, only to doubt his choices and duck back down. But the edges of his mind persisted, Luca the Curious Fish, the one to get caught.

And his mind continued to nag and nudge him toward the parts of the farm that were cooler, left a bite on his scales as he hurried to find that same spot as yesterday. His surroundings flooded again as he was flanked by the jutting sections of the island below the water and into a cave opening leading to the same pool as before.

Luca's eyes fluttered shut past this point. Though it was childish, he feared by whim that a chunk of ominous island rock were to come undone and shatter on top of him, leaving him squished flat in the sand like some scaly water anole scattering for purchase. Luca let the thought, much like his other more intrusive ones leave his head as the temperature lifted around him. His face welcomed the sunlight drifting from the pool above along his fins and closed eyelids.

In a recess of the rock Luca had hidden the purple wooden stick (with the feather-soft bristles that, once Alberto had left, Luca ran along his cheeks until his scales were an embarrassing blue) that Alberto had so kindly gifted him, wedged between the sharp spaces so it didn't float away. He smiled at it sitting there, patiently waiting like he'd been, for a slice of attention.

"Hello again," Luca murmured in greeting to the paintbrush, tracing one finger along the smooth edge of painted wood.

The beams of light flickered along his teal scales, making the darkness of the pool shine pleasantly. But a flash of color even brighter than the sun passed across Luca's dorsal fin so harshly that he yelped aloud in the water and shrunk back from the odd thing. Was it lightning? Another thing Signora Paguro had cautioned him over, something painted quite scary from her perspective in his mind.

But the sun was there, so surely it wasn't lightning.

But even still the flashes appeared once, and then again, with a subdued pop from being underwater.

Wiping the back of his neck, as if the action were to rid him of the itchy feeling the blinding flashes sent along his scales, Luca looked up.

There was Alberto, his silhouette distorted along the water, gripping something bulky in his arms that appeared to be the object of Luca's discomfort.

/ / /

"W-Woah! Hey! What are you doing?"

Alberto leapt back from the mouth of the pool but the boy had swiped for Massimo's polaroid camera. He clawed for it in Alberto's quavering hands, while Alberto was still stunned by the fact that the creature had actually jumped up from the water and attacked him.

Well, he attacked the camera.

He tried to attack the camera.

"What is that thing?" The boy growled, his brows pulled low and angry while it seemed like above water the color of his eyes dimmed to a dark yellow. But still as striking. He had managed to knock Alberto down to the rocky ground where he felt the film in his back pocket crush under the combined weight. Oh hell. That was his last cartridge.

"It's--It's my father's camera! So you can't have it!" Alberto choked out.

"Why does it hurt like the sun?" The boy questioned, his grabbing motion and bared teeth bringing to mind a raccoon. Alberto tried to peel the creature's body from him but it was no use, he had Alberto's legs pinned with his tail.

"What are you talking about?" Alberto shimmed under the boy's weight, taking in a generous amount of air so he didn't gape at his assortment of teal and blue scales inches from his heaving chest, dripping salt water and something slimy. "I was just taking pictures for reference."

"Pictures?" The boy cocked his head, losing some of his fire. Alberto offered a shaky smile, using one hand to press into the ground to wiggle free. The creature got the hint and his vertical pupils widened in shock and wonder. He rolled off Alberto's lap, deflating. "Oh! Sharks, I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me...I just hate that thing."

"The camera?" Alberto wiped his hand on his shorts, now soaked in water, and scooted a little ways from the boy. He waved the camera around in the air for effect, perhaps a bit carelessly, and the other boy flinched. "This takes pictures of things. It's cool!"

"Well, why were you taking picture things of me?" He said slowly, tasting the new words.

Under the sun Alberto was distracted by the creature's scales, so opalescent on the surface with that deep undertone of his true teal color. His dorsal fin, with no buoyant water to trail along, was flopped to one side casually. Alberto avoided looking at his tail, because this thing had a tail like an animal but could converse as lightly as any kid playing soccer by the fountain.

In short, he was beautiful. But also was a sort-of-fish and Alberto worried he was going to turn into someone's next fillet for the dinner table if he cooked out in the summer heat for much longer.

"Uh, aren't you going to dry up or something up here, sea monster?" Alberto pointed to the droplets of water quickly drying up on his scales.

The boy blushed, but from the sun's rays it wasn't as brilliant as it was the day before in the water. "It's Luca. And I think I'll be fine." He tapped the space below the fins on his cheeks, to some hidden part of his scales that Alberto was too shy to inquire about.

"What's Luca?"

The boy wrinkled his snout. "I'm Luca. That's my name, you catfish. Luca Paguro."

Alberto chuckled and let the polaroid camera rest beside him on a soft tuft of grass. "Catfish? Ouch. You know, I think I know someone who actually looks like a catfish."

Luca grinned his pointy teeth at him. "A real catfish? Can I see him?"

"Oh..." Alberto pulled his knees closer to his damp tank top and frowned at the puddle of water beside him. "I don't know about that..."

"Well, why not?" Luca questioned. He pointed to Alberto. "The Surface isn't so bad. I met you! And...And-" He tried to form the right words, looking so cute with his yellow eyes scrunched close. "And what are those things?"

Luca had abandoned his previous statement and crawled over to Alberto's travel hutch of paints, now propped open for him to admire. Alberto watched in silence as Luca tentatively stuck his webbed hand into the box, staring with raw curiosity at the shiny metal tubes of acrylic and the ceramic saucer serving as his palette.

He picked up Alberto's newest tube of red, examining the plastic top, unbroken.

"That's my paint box. I was thinking of doing a portrait--"

Luca turned the tube of paint so it was horizontal in his claws and took a bite from the top.

"...Of you," Alberto finished, shoulders slack. Luca's eyes flung back open when the pressure sent a burst of red acrylic across his fingers and into his mouth. He dropped the tube with a cry, teeth now stained an alarming red.

"You're not supposed to eat it," Alberto commented. He picked up the ruined tube with Luca's teeth marks still in it and set it in a corner of the box. "Here."

He handed over a towel he'd brought to clean his brushes so Luca could clean his face. Luca blinked wildly at the towel in Alberto's hands, not knowing what to do with it, so Alberto took the liberty to dip the cloth into the pool and wipe the red paint off his scales.

"That feels kind of weird," Luca whispered, eyes flickering up to the muscles lightly moving in Alberto's arm as he worked. His skin turned blue again, the odd freckles spanning along his bright cheeks flushing.

"Well next time don't take a bite out of my paints. Besides, it's for painting, obviously. Not food."

Luca sat on the back of his legs and quietly watched Alberto roll the cloth up and set it in the grass. "Can I paint? It looks like fun."

Alberto's eyes widened and bit his lip to hide his excitement. He fished inside his bag for a piece of paper for Luca then a small flat canvas for himself.

"Sure, I guess," He brushed it off. "Just don't get upset if it doesn't look like my paintings. I'm pretty good."

Luca snorted but eagerly snatched the paper from Alberto. He set it on a drier edge of the pool and slid back into the water. Spinning back around, he flashed Alberto a grin and held up the paintbrush he'd taken the day before, the wood soaked and paint chipping in places from water damage.

"I don't think you can paint with that, buddy," Alberto tsked. "The wood's probably rotted."

Luca's face fell and he jammed the paintbrush back into the crevice from before and scanned Alberto's palette he'd been depositing small portions of paint onto, grumbling.

Alberto started to paint and Luca just sat there watching, confused. Luca hid his face below the edge of the rock and used his index finger to dip into the well of green paint, then placed it on the paper. He let out a tiny noise at the discovery, now smearing globby splotches of forest green all along the page.

"Look Alberto!" Luca tugged on Alberto's toe to get his attention. He looked up from his canvas at Luca's paper. It wasn't much, but the look of pure glee on Luca's features was enough for Alberto to reach out and gently brush the fins on his head, like Luca had done with his hand, and smile.

"Nice," Alberto said softly. Luca blinked at his hand touching him, retreating a little into the water in surprise, but he soon floated back up and was adding blues to his messy painting. Luca couldn't be much younger than Alberto himself, only sixteen, and there still hung a childish innocence to him that was because he was so sheltered.

He knew he could never take Luca back to Portorosso. It was a fishing town.

Full of harpoons, nasty blades, monster-fearing Portorosso.

[lady-divine-writes]

Kurtbastian one-shot - “Confrontation” (Rated PG13)

Summary: Things get heated at Blaine's first post-quarantine competition when his father and his old coach make a surprise visit. (2397 words)

Notes: Warning for homophobia. Blaine friendly.

Part 68 of Outside Edge.

Read on AO3.

"This is not happening... this is not happening... " Blaine mumbles, pacing back and forth, arms wrapped tight around his torso but carefully so as not to dislodge any of the hundreds of crystals Kurt had applied by hand to this new costume he'd made especially for him. 

A costume so intricate and lovingly crafted that Sebastian turns green every time he's in its presence (even though Kurt has made him close to a dozen of his own).

"It's going to be all right," Kurt says, trying his best to calm Blaine down. He reaches out a hand to stop him but decides against it. He understands the pain of suffering from this level of anxiety. Standing still when you're about to rip out of your skin can be the worst feeling in the world. 

"I'm not doing this... " Blaine decides, tapping his right fist against his left elbow. "I'm not---I'm not doing this... "

"Too late, champ," Sebastian teases, tucking his button-up into his slacks and joining the freak-out already in process. "You've already skated. No backing out now."

"No jokes!" Kurt hisses. "That's not what this is about!"

"Then what is it?" Sebastian asks, growing concerned when Blaine starts to curl in on himself. Sebastian steps in front of him, feeling a need to shield him from prying eyes wandering by. "I was in the can for all of three minutes. What in the hell happened?"

Kurt leans into Sebastian's side and whispers, "His father's here. And his old coach."

"What the fuck?" Sebastian turns in a circle, half looking for the men in question (even though he's never seen either, so he has no idea who he's looking for), but also searching for a place they can hide, get Blaine out of the public eye. "What the hell are they doing here?"

"I... I don't know. I don't know how they even knew I'd be here," Blaine replies.

"They'd had to have Googled you," Sebastian says, eyes darting back and forth over the crowd.

"Why would they do that? My dad said he never wanted to see me again! So what's the point?"

"I don't know," Sebastian admits. Would it be too much to ask that it's because the man actually cares about Blaine? Sebastian doesn't know a thing about him other than he punched his son and threw him out onto the street, so he can't answer that question, but from the outset, most signs point to no. 

Sebastian hopes the man proves him wrong.

He isn't one for seeing the good in people. He'd rather believe that most are self-serving assholes, that way he's not disappointed when he's right. But this is Blaine's dad. And regardless of Sebastian feeling a bit jealous of his relationship with Kurt, Sebastian secretly prays that one day Blaine and his dad can make amends.

Sebastian spots a line of locker rooms, the doors painted to blend with the walls. They're about the size of the average closet, but hunkering down in a cramped room is better than waiting around for the inevitable. "Come on, guys. We can duck in there."

Kurt takes Blaine by the elbow as Sebastian leads the way, barking out a frustrated, "Excuse us. Excuse us," to the skaters yet to perform, who have opted to do their off-ice warm-ups smack dab in everyone else's way. Sebastian frowns when he remembers that used to be him once upon a time - constantly showing off, always in other people's space. His coach had told him it was an effective intimidation technique.

It's not.

It's just annoying.

Blaine sighs as they reach the blue metal door, relief in sight.

It turns out to be premature.

"Still under rotating those triples, I see."

Blaine sighs again, but this time it's a sound of utter defeat, and something inside Kurt snaps. He whirls around, putting himself between Blaine and whoever might be behind them, saying, "Don't you have anything nice to say?" before he comes face to face with two older men trying way too hard to appear important in their expensively tailored wool suits, out-of-place with everyone else around them bundled up in jeans, sweaters, and puff jackets. They can't even wear simple cloth masks, opting for those overpriced dome things constructed of 'space-age materials', clear so people can see the entirety of the wearer's face.

From the corner of his eye, Kurt sees Blaine turn slowly, as if he would rather be anywhere but here, which sucks because Blaine had an amazing skate! A skate Nathan Chen would have been proud of! But that's about to be ruined by the presence of these two a-holes!

"Nice about what?" the same man retorts, and even though that sounds like the sort of remark one would expect a coach to make, Kurt just knows that this man - with the same dark hair as Blaine's, glued to his scalp with a tremendous amount of product, sucking in his lower lip as he grins - has to be his dad. "His lackluster choreography? His offensive song choice? This fruity costume? Or those skates?" He pops his lower lip in disgust as he gestures down to the black Edea skates Kurt customized with rainbow crystals. "Jesus, Blaine! Why don't you carry one of those rainbow flags out on the ice with you! Or tattoo one to your face! That way everyone knows!"

"Most people already do!" Blaine argues, surprising his friends. But it delights Sebastian more. Despite his 'dapper charm' that he lays on thick as oatmeal, Sebastian suspected Blaine couldn't be as meek as he seemed around him and Kurt. Looks like he was right. "And guess what? No one seems to have a problem with it! And if they do, they have the courtesy to keep it to themselves!"

"That's because you're a figure skater. You're surrounded by gays, aren't you?" he snarks, shooting a pointed glance at Kurt. Blaine's old coach (Simon, if Kurt remembers correctly - supposedly a huge deal though Kurt has never heard of him), who has yet to say anything, has the dignity to look embarrassed by Mr. Anderson over that remark.

"Has he always been this much of an ass?" Sebastian seethes. "Or is he doing this for our benefit?

Blaine's first instinct is to defend him, even after everything the man has done. He is his father after all. But he stops himself, gives Sebastian's question a solid think. 

And his answer is yes. 

Yes, he has. 

He's always been an ass. To him and, to a lesser extent, his mother. Nothing has ever been good enough for him. Gold medals, sponsorships, scholarships, endorsements - not a single thing that has come from Blaine's skating has his father ever been proud of.

"What you see is what you get," Blaine says diplomatically. Mr. Anderson's thin-lipped grin drops like a lead weight, and Kurt snickers.

"Your edges have improved," Simon puts in haughtily. "Don't know how that happened."

"It's called practice," Kurt says, "dedication... and the perks of finding a better, more supportive coaching team."

Simon's eyes travel from Kurt's face to a smug Sebastian, and the man rolls his eyes. "I'll bet."

"So, is this what you gave your family up for?" Mr. Anderson asks, waving a hand towards Kurt so vehemently he nearly smacks him. "Or are you still waiting in the wings?" 

Blaine's cheeks burn, speechless that his father held on to those words he overheard and is now throwing them in his face, especially since he never told Kurt about the phone call that got him kicked out. Not entirely. And as far as he knew, Sebastian hasn't either, confirmed by the confusion on Kurt's face.

"You're talking to your son," Sebastian growls. "You haven't seen him in over a year, haven't talked to him during a global pandemic even once to find out whether or not he's okay. He just won his second gold medal of the night. But you're stomping over here like you have every right, and all you care about is his sex life?"

Mr. Anderson raises a stern finger. "This doesn't concern you."

"Yes, it does! Because after you pulled your little homophobic stunt and blackened his eye, he started living with me. In my house." Sebastian stops himself from clarifying further when he notices they're attracting attention. He didn't mean to out Blaine's abuse. Sebastian had no right to let that slip. But with the tunnel of red obscuring his vision, he'd started to forget there's anyone else around. He's got to apologize but now isn't the time. "He owes me nothing. Happy to have him. But you? You owe me plenty."

"What?" Mr. Anderson scoffs. "Do you want me to write you a check?"

"No. But a little gratitude, knowing that your son was in good hands this entire time, might be nice."

Mr. Anderson laughs through his nose. It's as unattractive as it sounds. "Never happening. I offered to take him back. He felt he knew better. If Blaine chooses to live in a den of sin, that's his business."

Sebastian shakes his head in disbelief. Blaine's father isn't talking about pre-marital sex. Hell, if Blaine was kicking it with some busty blonde cheerleader this whole time, his dad would probably be ecstatic. 

He's referring to the fact that the three of them are gay.

Some people. 

Well, if he wants to be an epic jackhole, fine. Two can play at that game.

"You know, since you're so concerned with who your son is being intimate with, since that matters so much to you, it might interest you to know that he's not just screwing Kurt here. He's fucking me as well." Sebastian pauses, lets those words sink in, and soaks in the delicious fallout. He doesn't know whose reaction he likes better - the men in front of him scowling like he farted in their masks, or the boys standing beside him, staring at him wide-eyed and growing pale. "Oh yeah," Sebastian continues, fueled by the conflicted awe in Kurt's eyes specifically. "The three-ways are plentiful, in every position."

"You... you little liar!" 

Sebastian shrugs. "I mean, that's what it's all about, right? What do you think's been going on at my house while he's been living there? He's gotta pay the rent somehow."

"You're disgusting!" Mr. Anderson sneers.

"You're one to talk - a middle-aged man whose only concern about his son's welfare is where he sticks his dick! Give this a lot of thought, do ya? Talk about it over dinner and shit?"

Mr. Anderson takes a step forward. Blaine and Kurt take a reflexive step back - social distancing and all. But Sebastian doesn't budge. "You listen here, you... !"

"Is there a problem?" a man dressed in a red, white, and blue windbreaker emblazoned with the name of the rink they're in, asks. They'd been so engrossed in this pissing contest, no one noticed the man cut through the crowd to reach them. Mr. Anderson steps back, aggressively straightening his jacket. Kurt thinks he hears a seam pop, and he flinches on behalf of a thousand-dollar sports coat.

"No," Mr. Anderson answers quickly, annoyed by the interruption. "No problem."

Seeing a way to put an easy end to this, Sebastian speaks up. "Actually, there is. These men aren't coaches or skaters. And they're harassing us. So could you please... ?" 

Mr. Anderson chuckles. "Right. Good luck with that. I have no intention of going anywhere."

The attendant shakes his head. "I'm sorry but... " He turns to Mr. Anderson "... I'm going to have to ask you gentlemen to leave. We need to keep this area clear."

Mr. Anderson's eyelids narrow to slits. "What?"

"We have a capacity limit." The man points to a sign posted nearby. Neither Mr. Anderson nor Simon looks. "Skaters and coaches only. Everyone else has to go back to the bleachers."

"Are you kidding me!?"

"Unless you have a pass... "

Mr. Anderson looks at the three boys. They lift laminated tags attached to lanyards hanging around their necks. Blaine's says 'Skater' in neon green letters, Kurt's says 'Assistant Coach' in bright orange, and Sebastian's says 'Coach' in yellow. Mr. Anderson and Simon have no such lanyards.

Technically, they don't even have tickets to the event. 

Simon used the clout he has left to get them this far. 

"I'll have to call security if you don't leave," the man interjects, reaching for his walkie.

Mr. Anderson sniffs, tries to retain his composure, but he's not a man used to taking no for an answer.

Or being bested by teenagers.

"I'll be seeing you boys again," he says low, like a threat.

"Absolutely!" Sebastian says. "Stop by Westerville Ice-plex anytime so my uncle can serve you that restraining order Blaine should have filed the first time around!"

Mr. Anderson doesn't look the least bit amused when rink staff leads him away, glaring venomously at them over his shoulder as he's escorted to the double doors. The three watch, waiting till he's completely out of sight before they breathe easy again.

"That was fun," Blaine says brightly, trying to make light of this newly tense situation.

"Loads," Kurt agrees. 

"I'm so sorry about that. He had no right to talk to you guys like that. Especially you, Kurt."

Kurt smiles. It gets lost behind his faux Chanel mask, but luckily it reaches his eyes. "You don't need to apologize."

"Look, Blaine," Sebastian starts, "I'm really sorry for bringing up... "

"Don't worry about it," Blaine cuts in. He'd happily forgotten about that. He wants to drop it. "It shouldn't be a secret. That's how people like him get away with doing what he did."

"Still, it was kind of shitty."

"Yeah, but that wasn't your fault."

Sebastian puts a hand on Blaine's shoulder and gives it a squeeze. It's the closest thing to a hug he can offer.

"Come on." Kurt puts his hand over Sebastian's. "Let's go get Blaine's medals and head home, hmm?"

"Sounds like a plan." Blaine turns to Sebastian, disarming mischief in his hazel eyes. "So... about that three-way... "

"You mean you, leftie, and rightie?" Sebastian winds a possessive arm around his boyfriend and ushers him quickly through the crowd towards the medal stand. "Be sure to tell us all about it in the morning."

[cutegirlmayra]

Movie!Sonamy - A quick little thing

(Found here x Not mine!)

Scene 1:

As Amy reaches out, moving across the pavement of the deserted back-way road, Robotnik--who at the time is still on the mushroom planet controlling Metal Sonic remotely in a makeshift base he created from the portals he created to function like Sonic’s rings to get random objects to fall into the mushroom world--commands Metal Sonic, “Another one!? Just rotten luck... unless??? Metal! Seize the girl! I want her alive!”

Intrigued at the idea that the girl may have a similar power source as Sonic, he watches as Metal Sonic charges and grabs her before a weakened Sonic from fighting the new foe could take her hand.

“Noo...” He stumble back down as Amy is swooped up, crying out for him.

Robotnik’s drone with a screen of him on it flies over to where Metal Sonic hovers in the air, as Amy squirms to try and break free of it.

“Hey! Let me go, you big bully!” She summons a hammer to hit him, whacking him as Robotnik smirks.

“Metal, be sure to keep our little captive secure.” Then looks back to Sonic as though a warning.

Sonic stumbles to his feet again, holding his hurt arm that Metal slashed into and rolled him off his high-speed escape.

“Leave her alone, Eggman...” He wobbles slightly, squinting an eye.

“Sonic, I’m about to get very unlady-like. Please look away!” Amy continues to struggle, but upon Robotnik’s last command, Metal Sonic locks his arms and she’s perfectly stuck in the wedge therein. “Grr! Hurfh!” she stops with her hammer hits as it doesn’t seem to be doing anything but create nose and knock his head back slightly. “Okay, in 3.., advert your eyes! 2... oooonnneeee...” she holds the last count as she continues to kick her feet and try and ‘squirm’ through the cobra-like grip.

She finally flops her arms down along with her head, dangling before seeing Sonic still staring. Gasping, she continues to try and look like she’s making progress, “I thought I said look away!!! I can’t really let him have it if your watching me!” but it’s clear she’s fibbing.

Sonic worriedly looked between her and Eggman, then glares at Metal Sonic. “It’s me you want... let the girl go!”

She stops struggling, amazed that he’s being so heroic. “Sonic...” A moment ago, when he first met her, he seemed frozen time and excited raced over to greet her with a simple ‘hi’ and raised hand. But when she tried to get ‘closer’ to him through their time together, he seemed to almost try and get away from her...

So now... He seemed like he really did care.

Robotnik laughed, “Let’s first see if you can catch her...” The drone parted and shot out a portal beam that was heading back at light-speeds... then Metal Sonic blasted his jets and flew after it.

Robotnik wanted to test out his Metal creation, having used Sonic’s quill to construct him, mostly.

Sonic took off after them, pushing himself even though he was clearly beat up.

“Noo!!” Amy watched as Metal swung her to the side and fired at a pursuing Sonic. “You leave him alone!!!” She summoned her hammer again, but this time, Robotnik noticed something...

“Hmm... interesting.” he fired a laser to knock the hammer out of her hands, but she summoned it right back as it was flying away and shot it at him.

His drone blasted it out from it’s path towards knocking into it, and flew a little closer to her. Robotnik’s smirk tripled in size... (Grinch stole Christmas reference.) “How very... useful information to know. Metal! Come home!” his drone shot out towards the portal, but Sonic quickly bypassed Metal, surprising both of them, and then rolled up into an electric blue ball.

“Like I’d let you get away!” he charged into him and shred through the drone, exploding it with his electric energy before throwing an electric beam to Metal Sonic (Sonic boom reference) and yanking him out of the air.

Metal missed the portal, getting pulled back as Amy swung one last hammer hit to knock him further to the ground while she still flew off at an angle.

“Amy!” he raced to her and grabbed her, tumbling into the forest as the portal warbled and finally dissipated. (The chase is meant to resemble Sonic CD’s Metal Sonic race.)

“NOOO!!!” Robotnik slammed his fists on his makeshift console as sparks flew all around it. He breathed hard... before a light came on and he rolled his enraged eyes up to it...

Metal Sonic... was still operational. He sneered, typing in some commands. “No matter... I’m not out of this game yet..!” he growled in competitive spite.

Amy’s eyes were a bit dizzy-struck, but Sonic moved off of her, shaking his head and breathing hard. “You... You alright, Rascal?”

She puffed out some air, then her eyes closed and let her head fall to her side.

“Amy..?” He suddenly looked her face over. “Amy!” his blue quills sparked with light as his eyes changed color as well, showing the electricity.

She suddenly began giggling, and he pouted at realizing he was being fooled.

“Don’t you know..? This is when you kiss the girl awake!” she teased.

He rolled his eyes and lightly moved her face back to being against the dirt, using her to push off the ground and get up in a comedical way. “If I did that, I’d have to call out ‘clear’!” he was referring to his power and imagining her popping with electrical emergency like in hospitals.

However, Metal Sonic had turned his head and scanned their heart rates during that moment... there was a link between their heart rate increases, and Robotnik twisted one of the hairs on his overgrown mustache at it.

“All the readings and signs point to a very peculiar circumstance caused by teen acquaintance in the most obscure and annoying frequencies in young creatures... Maybe I can lure him to me yet.” He built up his villainous laughter as the mushroom base he created was shown in it’s full glory with drones flying everywhere around it like a bee-hive.

Scene 2:

Exhausted from out-running Eggman, the gang of Tails, Sonic, Amy, Tom, and Maddie were around a campfire by their camper they ‘acquired’ during their attempt to escape Eggman’s robots.

As Tom was speaking, Amy was growing more and more tired, her eyes drooping before finally it was clear she was practically asleep, and her head bobbed a certain direction as though she was about to fall over.

Seeing this, Sonic scooted over to her just as her head was about to topple over from it’s many deeper bows, and was caught softly by his shoulder.

Maddie, seeing this, cut off Tom by moving her arm out of her blanket and putting a hand on his shoulder, “I think we all just need a breather first, Tom. Then we can talk about staging inter-world battles.” She joked, but was slightly serious as Tom looked to see Tails yawning and rubbing his hurt side and head, as Sonic also looked over to him and patted his tail that was by him, as Tails smiled appreciatively over to him.

“Maybe we should all get some sleep...”

“Look at you, being so responsible..!” proud of her boy, Maddie got up and wiggled her head, striding over to help pick up Amy and take her back to the camper. “Looks like you took my advice.”

“Being nice... isn’t so hard when everyone needs you to save the world... again.” Sonic replied in his usual snark, but then looked sorrowfully back to Amy. “If Eggman learns about Tails... will he get put in danger too?”

“Well...” Maddie looked down, “People put themselves in danger... for the things they love the most.” She looked over to Sonic, eye to eye, before Tails and Amy. “These guys risked everything to escape and find you, right? That must mean they truly loved Longclaw... and believed that you would be the one to help free them.” She bobbed and patted Amy as though instinctively being motherly while she spoke, and Sonic just smiled, nodding to her.

However... when she turned away, whispering goodnight, he frowned and his ears fell back.

He didn’t want to be a hero, the responsibility of looking out for these two also didn’t make him feel like he was enough. He worried about Tom and Maddie too... he didn’t want anyone else getting hurt or put in danger...

Maddie placed Amy down and removed her blanket from around her shoulders, replacing it to be on Amy as she rested.

She dropped the blinds and smiled at the window above her, then stroked and curled her fingers around her bangs before setting off....

When red glowed from the window...

Metal Sonic had carefully camouflaged himself behind some bushes in the forest they were hiding in, and moved over to the camper.

Seeing her, he scanned her, but didn’t see any trace of a similar power to Sonic’s. Even so, he had his orders, and carefully used a heated beam to create a square out of the bunker, grabbing it before it could fall over and on her.

He carefully moved the square piece and maneuvered his dangerously spiked claws under her head and body, lifting her to then sneak away as his operation was complete.

However... Tails looked at his device, “Strange...” he rubbed his eyes awake, “Why is that... Sonic, look out!” he dived into Sonic as Metal shot a beam into the camper, exploding it like rapidly fired, circular bombs.

“Oh my-” Maddie stumbled up and ran towards the flames, but Sonic saw something red, like a stream of moving eyes, dip into the forest.

He glared, and ran after it, not looking back as Tom reached out to him. “Sonic!”

Scene 3:

Trapped in Eggman’s containment unit, not able to fully stand up and not big enough to lay down comfortably in, Amy hit the sides of the clear wall, trying to convince Eggman to let her go.

“Is that what you’re all gonna call me!?” Robotnik’s nose flared at the name.

“You smell like rotten eggs too!” she summoned her hammer and slammed it against the wall.

“Ah! Fascinating.” he bent down to look at the hammer. “Metal? Calm down our experiment.”

Metal, using the quill from Sonic, created a blue electricity that sparked on his raised hands and traveled along his metallic claws...

Amy recongized the power, amazed he had it, and scooted back Robotnik stood up, his glasses flaring with light when Metal seemingly off-camera shocked the unit.

Amy’s cry of pain was quick, and Eggman opened the container to pull out the hammer, showing Amy’s limp body. “I said calm, Metal. We aren’t sure if we can extract her power dead or alive yet... But even so, good boy.” he patted his metallic head, but Metal’s face was emotionless.

His red, blaring eyes peered at the hedgehog girl who squirmed back up to look at him, “I’ll make sure... you regret... this...”

He seemed to have a red light blinking on the side of his eyes, as though recording before she dipped her head back down wearily, and he moved over to Eggman, tracing his movements.

Eggman placed the hammer on the same device he used to measure Sonic’s power, but scooted the two rims farther back to make room to place the hammer. The container swung up over it like a clamped shell, and Metal Sonic watched him, still with only his eyes and head following his movements, as he danced and waited for the results.

He air guitar’d before the results came back faster than he anticipated.

Rushing over, he laughed once again, wheezing at times, pounding his fat stomach as though choking when the results showed that the hammer had an unlimited power source as well. “There’s morrrrreeee!!!” he shot himself up out of his chair and shook his fists in the air.

Wickedly Elated.

Scene 4:

Metal Sonic had showed Sonic Amy’s recording, and faking that she was dead, caused Sonic to think Robotnik had killed her and burst into electricity, charging after him through the portal, exactly what Eggman wanted...

With Sonic enraged, he didn’t realize he was being deceived, but soon enough fights, gets captured, fights again, and finds Amy to save her while he escapes.

-skipping along the dvd in my head lol-

Sonic was carrying a now awake and perplexed Amy while trying to escape the mushroom kingdom.

He came alone to avoid further conflict with Tom and Maddie, who he felt were being over-protective and sheltering, when he just didn’t want them to get hurt.

Metal Sonic pursued, but Amy kept complaining he wasn’t holding her like a ‘lady’ and he swung her over his shoulder.

“Better~?” He teased, already remarking how it wasn’t comfortable to run while holding someone, and also the fact that she didn’t make it any easier by squirming.

The two kept trying to figure out what the best position was as Amy kept firing off her unlimited supply of Piko Piko Hammers while Metal Sonic gained on them constantly, due to Sonic’s poor footwork and trying to adjust Amy in his arms.

Finally, he threw her up to dodge Metal Sonic charging at them with his claw swiping out, and then jumped to spin dash him into his engine on the back, before grabbing Amy bridal style.

As they raced away, Amy looked all around at her new position, and nodded approvingly, “This... This will do.” she wrapped her arms lovingly around him and gave him a sweet, adoring smile before looking back over his shoulder... and then bending her eyes in a regret-stricken arch at what she knew Eggman now had...

Scene 5: -Around the end-

Amy has her feet on a stalled and twitching right engine wheel on Metal Sonic, on his knees, head up as she had looped her hammer around and jammed it behind his neck/quills.

she held his sparking head and glared into his eyes, as Metal Sonic’s red dot blinked in the corner of his eye, revealing the same hologram he had showed to anger Sonic and have him react emotionally to try and extract his power.  “I’ll make sure... you regret... this...”

Amy smiled, knowing he was recognizing that this was her fulfilling her own promise. Not through Sonic...

“You will never be as great as Sonic The Hedgehog...” Amy then rips his head clean off, but as he explodes, his head remains intact and flies off,... he was still recording her...

Forever on his memory now... (concludes Metal Sonic’s hinted jealous rivalry to be better than Sonic, seeing as Robotnik acted about Sonic, and wanted to be more than enough to please his creator... the ultimate Sonic.)

Sonic dives into the flames after her, a slow-motion of him worriedly reaching out as the flames of his exploded body envelop them.

They roll to the side, but Tails, Maddie, Knuckles, and Tom don’t see it. (They will later over hear them and that’s when Sonic will stride in like a hero, touched by their tears and loving speeches)

“We gotta... stop meeting like this.” Amy teased, breathing hard as he got up off of her, mimicking the tumble in Scene 1. “People like to talk.”

For once... he smiles at her charm.

“Well, you said so yourself... There’s only one hedgehog that’s your hero...” He bends down, and as she gets excited and closes her eyes, leaning up to kiss, he moves off of her.

She blinks her eyes and gasps, moving up to see him just walking off.

“Sonic!”

“What? Aren’t you waiting for him to scoop you up and carry you away?” He teased back, gesturing behind himself.

She shakes her head, “I think you know who my destined hero is.”

His eyebrows move up and he smiles. (This establishes their dynamic from here on out. Hero and admirer.)

-I got wind of a rumor about Amy being in the new sequel... I already made 2 scenarios of how she could be played, this is how Sonic could play back xD-

[cakesunflower]

Just My Kind [Teacher!Calum AU] Part 5

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

           “Seriously, Ms. Kline—you two look so cute!”

           Odessa let out a light laugh despite the heat pooling in her cheeks as one of her students, Marci, who was dressed as Padmé Amidala, grinned before pulling away from where she stood between Odessa and Calum after they posed with her for a picture. It was Halloween, and almost every student and teacher was dressed up, and during gym or lunch or the few minutes between classes, people were posing for pictures with one another—and many, mostly the girls, had approached Odessa and Calum so they could take a picture with the school’s Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. They were almost as popular as the four gym teachers who dressed up as KISS.

           She and Calum had decided on recreating costumes from the scene of when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth dance at Mr. Bingley’s ball, Odessa’s white dress and dark hair done in an updo remarkably resembling Kiera Knightley’s costume from the film. Odessa had felt a bit strange, walking into the school in a long white dress that was so soft against her skin, hair done up in braids and curls, but when she noted the costumes of her fellow teachers and students—seriously, the gym teachers had gone out with their outfits and makeup—Odessa had felt a bit more relieved.

           Especially when she saw Calum.

           Just like her, his costume starkly resembled Mr. Darcy’s suit from the very scene they were dressed up as. The dark coat with the white ruffled shirt underneath was a simple outfit, yet there was nothing simple about Calum. Although his blonde hair didn’t match Mr. Darcy’s traditionally dark locks—Calum had lamented about the lack of his natural hair color—he still looked classy and dangerously prince-like—and Odessa knew she wasn’t the only one who thought so. She was pretty sure she’d seen some of the young girls quite literally swoon at the sight of him, which was more amusing than disturbing.

           Just a few hours after school had let out, Odessa arrived to Luke and Sierra’s place, noting the cars that were already in the driveway and parked along the sidewalk. As she unbuckled her seatbelt, Calum grinned from the driver’s seat. “Ready to head in, Ms. Bennet?”

           Odessa scoffed, an amused smile upturning her lips. Calum had taken to calling her that throughout the school day, referring to himself as Mr. Darcy. Apparently he took Halloween pretty seriously, into it as much as the students were, and it was refreshing to be around his excitement. As the two of them approached the door, Odessa mused, “So what’s the prize for the costume contest?”

           Yes, Luke and Sierra were holding a costume contest, which Odessa had found out a few days ago when Luke had reminded her to use that as motivation to get a good costume. When Odessa had asked him what the prize was, he had promptly told her it was a secret—but Odessa knew him well enough to know that was his way of stalling because at the time, he hadn’t thought of a prize yet.

           “Pretty sure it’s one of those Visa gift cards,” Calum snorted before shrugging. “But it’s for a couple of hundred bucks and I wouldn’t say no to that,” he added with a boyish grin and quick raise of his eyebrows, and Odessa chuckled in agreement, her breath fogging in front of her in the cold night air.

           The house, as expected, was filled with people dressed up obscurely, the spirit of Halloween alive as some remix of the Monster Mash played. Odessa was fairly certain it was the same one Principal Howell played that morning prior to the first bell ringing. People all around her were dressed as fictional characters, as their own versions of different occupations, video game characters, and she was pretty sure she’d caught a glimpse of two people dressed in the classic salt and pepper costume. Halloween related decorations were up as well, decals of spiders and bats on the wall, Jack-O-Lanterns placed around the house, and even a damn smoke machine in certain places that had people’s feet disappearing below the ankles.

           They decided to find their friends first, all of them gathered in the back den around a beer pong table, and Odessa suppressed a laugh at the sudden sensation of feeling as though she was back in college. Not that she’d ever played much beer pong; it wasn’t her sort of thing.

           Sierra was the first one to catch sight of them approaching, eyes lighting up with a wide grin as she gasped, her voice traveling over the hum of the music and everyone else as she exclaimed, “Oh, my God—your costumes look even better than I thought!”

           Her words caught everyone’s attention before they all looked over to Odessa and Calum approaching them, earning enthusiastic greetings as Michael raised an eyebrow at them. “Who’re you two supposed to be?”

           Odessa could ask him the same thing, but she vaguely remembered Calum telling her that he and Crystal were dressing up as some anime characters. “We’re Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice, you uncultured shit,” Calum responded with a scoff, bumping his fist with Ashton’s as he came to stand next to him. “Our students loved it,” he added, a proud grin on his face as his gaze met Odessa’s. She couldn’t fight back the smile that quirked her lips in response.

           “Yeah, I’ll bet,” Paige said with a smile that, just by giving her one glance, Odessa knew was strained.

           Paige’s eyes met Odessa’s then, and she instantly recognized the irritation that darkened her hazel eyes. Odessa bit the inside of her cheek, taking a breath and instinctively breaking her gaze with Paige’s, not wanting to actively be on the receiving end of her silent scowl. No doubt Calum essentially dressing up in a couple’s costume with anyone but her was grating at Paige’s nerves, and Odessa had a strong feeling if she wasn’t on Paige’s shit list before, she definitely earned a spot now. The glare Paige had practiced into a look of neutrality—one that Odessa was too familiar with—rested on her face, razor-like eyes settled on Odessa.

           Adamant on keeping her gaze averted from Paige’s, Odessa looked at Luke and offered a smile. “Weren’t you a vampire when we were seniors?”

           Luke scoffed, clearly unperturbed by his repeated costume. “Yeah—but now I’ve got someone to complete the look,” he reasoned with a dimpled grin, dropping his arm around Sierra’s shoulders. Odessa smiled at the sight, taking in her matching vampire costume and makeup, noting the clever detail of fake blood trailing down the corners of Luke’s lips to match the painted on red bite marks on the side of Sierra’s neck.

           Ashton rolled his eyes, giving the couple a pointed look as he said, “If you two win the costume contest, then this shit is rigged.”

           As Sierra told Ashton that wouldn’t happen, KayKay, who was appropriately dressed as Winona Ryder from Beetlejuice, looked over at Odessa and Calum, a smile on her face as she raised her eyebrows and asked, “So your students understood your costumes’ reference?”

           Odessa huffed out a laugh. “I would’ve cried if they didn’t.” Though, it wouldn’t be too surprising, she figured. Not every, if any, high school student knew the beauty of Jane Austen.

           Next to her Calum chuckled before, leaning closer, he asked, “I’m gonna grab a beer—you want anything?”

           She wasn’t in the mood to do any heavy drinking tonight, so she opted for one as well. “I’ll have the same, thanks.”

           He acknowledged her request with a boyish wink, one that foolishly warmed Odessa’s cheeks, before he turned to head towards the kitchen. Odessa tuned back into whatever conversations her friends were having upon his leave, only to have Crystal lean close and smile, “You two would honestly be so cute.”

           She said it quietly, only loud enough for Odessa to hear, and although Crystal’s words had Odessa’s heart stopping for a moment, she also pressed her teeth together when oblivious to Crystal, Paige shot the blonde woman a glare behind her head. Clearly she heard what Crystal said, the idea of Calum with Odessa not one she was in support of as her jaw tightened before her sharp eyes met Odessa’s blue. Her stare was firm, intense, as if she was silently challenging Odessa to agree with Crystal’s statement.

           Odessa’s stomach twisted. The subtle giddiness she’d felt over Crystal’s comment was overshadowed by the anxious guilt—guilt for what? She had no reason to feel guilty!—that stirred in the pit of Odessa’s stomach under Paige’s irritated glare. She didn’t even look hurt at the thought of overhearing someone else would ‘look cute’ with the guy she supposedly had a claim over—just downright annoyed.

           In the back of Odessa’s mind, she wondered if Paige genuinely liked Calum, or just liked the idea of him.

           “No, no, we’re just friends,” Odessa told Crystal, a light yet nervous laugh accompanying her words. She wasn’t sure if she was defending, protesting, denying so she could ease her heart rate or subsequently let Paige know she wasn’t trying to step on her toes. Or feelings. Whichever. Even if the thought of her and Calum made her heart flutter. “There’s nothing like that going on.”

           Crystal shrugged, still unaware of Paige listening in, as mirth danced in her blue eyes. “Maybe there should be,” she hummed.

           One look at Paige and Odessa knew she vehemently disagreed.

           Before Odessa could swallow the small lump that had formed in her throat and reply to Crystal, Calum reappeared next to her, handing her a bottle of Stella Artois with a smile. He held his own out, waiting for her to clink her bottle with his as he greeted, “Miss Bennet.”

           She looked at him, felt some of the tension ease from her muscles as he pulled out a smile from her so effortlessly. Calum was smiling, as always, dark eyes glimmering against the dimmed lighting of Luke’s house. With an amused shake of her head, Odessa asked not for the first time, “You take this seriously, don’t you?”

           Calum grinned, bringing the bottle up to his lips as he offered a shrug. “Just a little.”

           Conversations continued along with the music that was playing, and as Odessa watched Calum engage in a round of beer pong against KayKay, Luke leaned against the wall next to Odessa and asked, “So are you chaperoning that field trip Cal was telling me about? To Big Bear?”

           “Oh, yeah,” Odessa answered with a hum as she remembered. It was a weekend trip for the juniors and seniors between Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas break, and Odessa had signed up to be a chaperone, and given that Big Bear was going to have snow around this time of year, she needed to do some winter packing. “I’m excited.”

           Luke raised an eyebrow at her, although her gaze remained on the beer pong game going on in front of them. “Do you even know how to ski?”

           Rolling her eyes, she told her friend, “I don’t have to ski to enjoy the resort, Luke.”

           Paige shook her head, sipping her drink before asking, “If you don’t even know how to ski, why bother going?”

           She sounded unimpressed, patronizing, and Odessa had a feeling she was the only one who picked up on it—and maybe Luke, who knew Paige almost as well as she did. Inhaling a silent, calming breath, Odessa kept her expression relaxed and offered a shrug. “I want to see snow.” God, there was no reason for her to even have to explain herself.

           Paige rolled her eyes, hiding her sneer behind the rim of her cup as she took another sip, and Odessa clenched her jaw as she looked away from her. Her annoyance with Paige was mixing in with the ever present nerves that made themselves known when she was in her presence, and Odessa did her best to just focus on the beer pong game going on.

           It was a close game, both KayKay and Calum good at the act of tossing ping pong balls into cups, letting out a chuckle as KayKay tossed the ball in the last cup standing and missing. Her groan was drowned out by everyone’s exclaims, and as Calum picked up the ball, ready to toss it into the single cup left for him as well, his brown eyes met Odessa’s blue. Then, with a boyish wink, he said, “This one’s for you, Miss Bennet.”

           Odessa’s eyebrows shot up, unsure if she wanted to laugh or have the ground open up beneath her. He definitely wasn’t making things easier for her against Paige—not that he was under any obligation to.

           He certainly wasn’t making it any easier to completely discard Paige’s glares and revel in the warmth he spread throughout her own cheeks.

           Calum tossed the little white ball, and everyone let out a cheering exclaims as it landed in the cup with a muted plop! that had him smirking triumphantly. Odessa let out a laugh as Calum came to stand next to her, arm dropping around her shoulders as he smirked, “Think you’re my good luck charm, Essa.” He frowned at himself momentarily before shooting her a sheepish smile. “In a way that’s not objectifying at all, I mean.”

           She snorted with a shake of her head, though Odessa definitely found it endearing that Calum would think she’d ever find anything he said as objectifying. Still, as amused as she was by him, she couldn’t entirely ignore the warmth in her cheeks at their sudden proximity—or his sentiment of her being his good luck charm. They stood closely together, his heat seeping into her skin through the thin material of the dress she wore, and Odessa hoped her makeup and the dim lighting of the den would mask the pink blush she could feel spreading through her face. The knowing smirk Crystal shot her way didn’t help.

           “I don’t really have any winter clothes,” Odessa chuckled as she watched Sierra make herself a drink, leaning against the counter. “I think I need to buy at least one coat for the cold.”

           It was some time after watching Calum and KayKay’s beer pong game, and Odessa had ended up in the kitchen with Sierra, the party continuing around them. There was a girl in an Elsa costume making out with a guy dressed up as a firefighter next to the fridge. Meanwhile, Odessa and Sierra were discussing the field trip Odessa was going on soon, and how her lack of winter clothes was going to make it a bit difficult for her to stay warm in the snowy mountains. Truth be told, Odessa hadn’t even been aware California had those, so she was wholly unprepared for the trip to Big Bear Mountain.

           “Oh, you can borrow one of mine!” Sierra offered with a smile. With a laugh, she added, “I’m from the east coast, so I’ve got a couple of coats. I’m pretty sure we’re the same size.”

           Odessa’s eyes lit up in hope. “Really? You sure?”

           “Yeah, of course,” Sierra answered with a shrug. “It’s not like I need to wear ’em anyway. Plus you won’t be wasting money. No big deal.”

           Letting out a sigh of relief, Odessa held her nearly empty bottle of beer to her chest as she said, “You’re a life saver.”

           Sierra grinned before taking a sip of her drink, tasting it. When she was satisfied with it, her dark eyes met Odessa’s blue, and she saw the mischief spark in them. “No problem—although I’m sure Calum would be more than happy to warm you up if you get too cold.”

           Unfortunately, Odessa had been taking a sip of her drink too, and she wished the music and people chattering muted Sierra’s words because as soon as they registered in Odessa’s head, she coughed in surprise, eyes widening as she gaped at her amused friend. Heart drumming within her chest, Odessa gave a shake of her head as she sputtered stupidly, “What?”

           Sierra shot her a look, one that was silently asking Odessa who she was trying to fool, and it only made her cheeks flame up. God. Was it everyone’s goal tonight to make her face permanently red? She folded into herself, lips pressing together as Sierra scoffed. “Come on, Odessa—you two are so obviously into each other in, like, the most wholesome way. I say instead of waiting for him to make the move, you do it. Cal’s way above the average clueless man but, y’know, he’s still a guy and they can be clueless.”

           Odessa had no idea what to say or do except stare at her friend in mortified shock, and Odessa kind of hated that she felt embarrassed at all. Like she was in middle school and someone just exposed her crush on the popular boy or something. The worst part was. . . Odessa wasn’t sure if she was flustered because Sierra was right to conclude that Odessa liked Calum, or because Odessa knew that other people’s acknowledgment of it would make whatever the hell her situation with Paige was all the more complicated and stressful. Stepping on Paige’s toes was the last thing she wanted to do, and in wanting to avoid it, Odessa was somehow doing just that.

           Her throat worked as she glanced away from Sierra, only for her gaze to land on their friends in the living room. She caught them all by the couch and instantly Odessa’s gaze locked in on Calum sitting on one end of the couch—and Paige sitting on the arm rest, as close to him as she could be without literally being on his lap. The sight tugged something painfully in Odessa’s chest and she frowned at herself; she had no right to feel jealous.

           Was this how Paige felt when she watched Calum put his arm around Odessa, how she felt when she was subjected to Odessa’s closeness with Calum? When Odessa first moved into town, Paige had made it quite clear, in just a few words, that Calum was basically off limits—which was gross and territorial in Odessa’s opinion, but she truly had tried her best to respect Paige’s so-called claim—ew. But it wasn’t easy, not with Calum and her working together and their friendship developing within the school and out of it. Being friends with him was so effortless, and falling for him had happened somewhere in between. Odessa couldn’t ever hope to pinpoint when exactly her feelings for him grew—it had happened quickly, blindly.

           Maybe she was in the wrong. For someone who hadn’t wanted to encroach on Paige’s feelings for Calum, Odessa was doing just that splendidly. She didn’t know whether what Paige felt for Calum was purely physical or something deeper, and it wasn’t any of Odessa’s business in the first place. Either way, she should’ve respected whatever feelings Paige had for Calum and kept her distance, for all of their sakes. She’d screwed up.

           As if feeling her gaze on him, Calum glanced away from where he was listening to Ashton talk to the group, his gaze searching past the bodies moving in the space between where he sat and Odessa stood until his eyes met hers. Odessa froze where she stood, watching as a smile upturned Calum’s lips and he nodded at her boyishly, the mundane gesture prompting her to suck in a silent breath. But before she could return the smile, Odessa felt another pair of eyes on her, and her gaze flickered just a bit for her blue eyes to meet Paige’s sharp hazel ones; watching, challenging, narrowing. She’d clearly seen Calum’s little acknowledgment to Odessa and hadn’t liked it too much.

           Oh, for fuck’s sake.

           Odessa looked away from them, catching Sierra’s eye and offering a smile that felt too nervous. “No one’s gonna be making any moves, Sierra,” she told her, not unkindly. “It’d be too complicated.” Finishing off her drink, Odessa tossed her empty bottle in the bin told her friend hastily, “I’m gonna head to the bathroom.”

           “Oh, here,” Sierra stopped her, digging into the pocket of her leather pants and handing her a key. Odessa took it with a raised brow and Sierra laughed. “It’s the key to our bedroom—I’d rather you use our bathroom than face whatever mess in the others.”

           Odessa let out a small chuckle, taking the key with an appreciative smile before exiting the kitchen hastily, letting out a breath as she reached the stairs and headed up. The distance she was putting between herself and her friends made it easier to breathe as she made her way around the dressed up party goers and found the master bedroom, using the key to unlock the door and step inside.

           The room felt significantly cooler than the rest of the house, the lack of body heat making the air conditioner a lot more effective as Odessa walked to the ensuite bathroom Sierra so graciously provided her access to.

           The sound of the flush momentarily muted the music blasting throughout the house, and as Odessa washed her hands, she let out a long sigh. She gazed at her reflection, took in the subtle glittering of her cheekbones and bright blue eyes framed by long eyelashes, and Odessa eyebrows knitted together in an involuntary frown. In the quiet of the bathroom, the party beyond the bedroom muffled, Odessa gave herself a moment to erase the image of Paige and Calum merely sitting by one another—God, how pathetic was she to be bothered by that?—and mull over Sierra’s words, as well as Crystal’s.

           Odessa desperately wished her friends’ comments were just teasing, were derived from, to put it grandly, their shared delusion that there was something between Odessa and Calum. But she had a sinking feeling that it wasn’t, that if both of them were picking up on something, then it was because there was something to pick up on. Despite Odessa’s attempts of not acting on whatever she felt for Calum out of respect for a girl she barely considered a friend.

           She didn’t even to consider the slim possibility of Calum returning her feelings. Odessa genuinely would not know what to do then; she wasn’t a selfish person—at least, she liked to think she wasn’t. But she had a feeling if she found out that Calum liked her back, she would become one, Paige be damned.

           That’s how it should’ve been in the first place. Odessa clenched her jaw, shushing the voice in her head that normally sounded reasonable. Right now, it was just asking for trouble.

           After drying her hands and smoothing down her dress, she exited the bathroom while bracing herself to head back downstairs, eyebrows raising when she heard a knock on the locked bedroom door. When Odessa opened it, she fought to keep her expression neutral when she saw Paige standing in the hallway. “Hey—I have to use the bathroom. Sierra said you’d let me in.”

           “Oh.” Odessa blinked, nodding. “Yeah, sure.”

           Paige stepped inside and Odessa glanced down at the key in her hand. Deciding she’d rather hand it off to Paige than wait for her, Odessa made to turn towards her, only to be cut off by Paige’s sharp voice. “Are you, like, into Calum?”

           Odessa gaped at her, mouth drying at the sudden question. She shouldn’t be surprised at Paige’s bluntness at this point, yet she still found herself freezing in shock. “I’m not—”

           “Come on, Odessa—don’t lie to me,” Paige cut her off with an empty scoff, shooting her a blank look. “It’s so obvious you’ve got a thing for him—you’re not doing a great job in hiding it.” She crossed her arms over her chest, even further accentuating the tight bodice of her Cruella de Vil costume. Odessa tried not to find irony in her costume. The smoky eyeshadow only seemed to intensify her sharp gaze and Odessa hated that she had to fight the urge to bristle. “So, seriously—what the hell is going on?”

           “I—nothing,” Odessa told her, stressing her answer. It was true enough—nothing was going on, not between her and Calum. But her own thoughts and feelings were her own. Odessa didn’t owe Paige any insight on what she was feeling. She hated that she even felt guilty about something she couldn’t quite control, but it wasn’t like she had acted on it. She was doing everything she could to respect that—and it was hard when she saw Calum five days out of the week; sometimes more if they saw each other on the weekend. The line between feeling platonic fondness and actual attraction—more than in just the physical sense—had blurred and Odessa couldn’t hope to figure out when. “Calum and I are just friends, Paige. It’s not like that.”

           Paige scoffed again, utterly unimpressed as she rolled her hazel eyes. “Either you think I’m an idiot, or you genuinely have no idea how obvious your feelings for him are.” Her tone turned mocking. “The whole work husband-wife thing, these costumes? It’s pathetic, Odessa.”

           Air caught in Odessa’s throat, and she wasn’t sure if it tightened from anger or her suppressing the need to harshly scoff. She was calling Odessa pathetic? It was both ironic and hypocritical of Paige to deem Odessa as such, not when she practically latched onto Calum whenever they were in the same room. Paige wouldn’t be mouthing off so much if she knew whatever she was trying to accuse Odessa of was actually all Calum’s doing.

           And, God, Odessa absolutely loathed that she was shitting on another woman over a guy—hated that she was thinking lowly of Paige at all, despite the other having no problem in making Odessa feel like that. She never did—not back in college, nor now. But Odessa had never stooped to Paige’s level; she always kept her bitter and annoyed thoughts to herself, and even then, scolded herself for ever thinking them. She wanted to be better than how people like Paige treated her. And, sure, no one would know what Odessa was thinking but herself, but it still made her feel guilty.

           Her aggravated thoughts and the music playing throughout the house did little to drown out Paige’s words from Odessa’s head, and she bit the inside of her lower lip at the heat flooded her face once more. No. She couldn’t let Paige get to her. At the very least, she couldn’t let Paige show that she did. She wouldn’t let her have that kind of power over her.

           Odessa took in a breath through her nose, willing herself to calm down, at least for a moment. She didn’t like hurling insults and vicious words to someone else. Pushing past the guilt, anger, and embarrassment, she calmly repeated, “Calum and I are just friends, Paige.” With a lift of her chin, she added, “If you can’t accept that, then it’s not my problem. I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

           Paige’s lips parted, clearly caught off guard by Odessa’s words, a short huff of a breath escaping her. But instead of giving her the chance to respond, Odessa placed the key on the dresser next to her before turning and stepping out of the room. “Make sure you lock the door behind you,” she added before shutting it behind her and reintegrating herself into the thriving party.

           It was once the door was clicked shut behind her that Odessa let out a deep sigh. Some of the tension she inherently felt whenever she was around Paige left her body—not just because a door now separated them, but because the words Odessa had uttered seemed to have edged off some of her body’s rigidness permanently. Not all, but it was a start.

           Odessa frowned to herself as she made her way down the hall, moving around the few people lingering. She had no doubt that Paige’s words were coated in jealousy, she’d heard it in her voice, but that didn’t mean they didn’t startle Odessa. Especially adding onto Sierra and Crystal’s—albeit kinder—assumptions. When it came to letting her feelings, specifically in the romantic sense, be known, Odessa wasn’t an expert. She didn’t often get into relationships, mostly because she wasn’t the best in expressing who she wanted. Her last serious relationship had been in college, and although since then she’d taken her fair share part in hook up culture, true romance hadn’t really knocked on her door.

           Not that it had now, either. But even she couldn’t ignore her constantly growing feelings for Calum. And despite her efforts in trying to hide them, she hadn’t been entirely successful. Her childish embarrassment stemmed from her friends figuring out her feelings without her meaning to, and it led Odessa into wondering if Calum picked up on it, too. That’s what was embarrassing; not her feelings.

           Odessa shook her head as she went down the stairs. When was she going to stop letting Paige get into her head?

           More importantly—when was she going to move past the habit of keeping herself from indulging in her feelings?

           She reached the bottom of the stairs and her gaze went right to where she’d last seen her friends by one of the couches. Calum was grinning, drinking a White Claw, the smile on his face bright as he animatedly laughed at something deaf to Odessa’s ears. The sight of him made her chest tighten, her heart yearn. Odessa was completely oblivious to when and how she’d fallen for Calum so quickly, so fucking hard, and that sense of losing control was kind of terrifying. He made her smile so easily, made her feel at ease despite her roaring thoughts. Acknowledging the extent of her feelings for him should be exciting, right?

           She failed to swallow the lump in her throat. It seemed as though allowing herself to indulge in her feelings wouldn’t start tonight.

*****

           “You didn’t have to get up so early, Grams. I have Lettie to keep me company,” Odessa laughed lightly, scratching the top of the feline’s head as Grams poured herself some tea.

           “True, but this one doesn’t talk back much,” Grams responded, sitting down at the small table across from Odessa. It was early on Friday morning, and with it being a county holiday, it made for the perfect day to get a head start on the three day weekend trip to Big Bear Mountain. She would have to get to the high school soon to receive her bus roster and make sure all the students who were supposed to be in attendance were present. Grams’ eyes met Odessa’s. “There’s been something bothering you, baby, and I wanted to see if you wanted to talk about it before you left.”

           Odessa paused in absently stirring her bowl of Cheerios, frowning at her grandmother. “I don’t—I’m fine, Grams,” she said with a breezy laugh, hoping it sounded convincing.

           Her grandmother was perceptive, gazing at her unconvincingly. It was still early in the morning, the sun just slowly rising, and Odessa could see orange and red painting the sky as some sunlight streamed in through the window above the kitchen sink. “Something’s been on your mind, Odessa,” Grams pushed gently, the concerned look reappearing in her blue-grey eyes. “I don’t want you going away on this trip with something weighing you down. Maybe I can help.”

           Chewing her cereal, Odessa’s grip on the spoon tightened as she considered her grandmother’s words. She was right, of course; something was weighing her down, had been since Luke and Sierra’s Halloween party where she’d had her little confrontation with Paige. And where Odessa and Calum had won the couples part of the costume contest. Man, that had only pissed Paige off more, and Odessa kind of really hated she let the girl affect her so much.

           She really was pathetic, wasn’t she?

           “It’s just. . . Drama,” Odessa sighed, throat feeling dry despite the cold milk she was drinking. “Boy drama and girl drama and me being an idiot.”

           “You’re not an idiot,” Grams instantly chastised, a disapproving frown on her softly weathered face. “What drama?”

           Odessa twisted her lips to the side, frowning down at her nearly empty bowl. She’d been keeping all of this inside for so long—maybe talking to her grandmother would lessen whatever burden she felt on her shoulders. And heart. Maybe she’d see the light of herself being so fucking dramatic.

           “I like Calum.” It was a fact. A firm and true as the earth being round and the sky being blue. And yet, uttering out loud in the otherwise quiet of the kitchen, of confessing it to even just her grandmother—it felt like the fist that was wrapped around Odessa’s heart had loosened substantially. She thought of Calum, and she not only pictured his warm eyes and kind smile, but his love for Toni Morrison and talent for writing beautiful songs as well as his loud passion for teaching and coaching. She saw the enthusiasm he taught with, the leadership he coached with, and the kindness he never left home without. He was gorgeous inside and out and Odessa liked him with every fiber of her being.

           As frightening as it was to admit that, it was just as freeing.

           “But so does Paige. I mean, I think she does—”

           “What do you mean, think?” Grams asked with a frown. Before that, though, Odessa hadn’t missed her smile when she uttered her own confession.

           Letting out a sigh, Odessa briefly explained the way Paige presented her attraction to Calum—how it seemed more physical and territorial than consisting of true feelings. Of course, Odessa also acknowledged that all of that was conjecture, because she didn’t truly know how Paige felt. She merely stated what she saw when she watched and listened to Paige talk about Calum. Odessa wouldn’t hold her own feelings above Paige’s, no matter how much she didn’t like her. The only thing Odessa could be sure of was her own feelings.

           “And I don’t—” Odessa let out a tired sigh. “I don’t want to have issues with another girl over a guy. It’s so juvenile and just not what I stand for, you know? But I like him a lot, Grams. Him being my coworker is complicated enough—but other than that, how could I even act on my feelings knowing that Paige is interested too?”

           Not to mention the fact that she and Calum had slept together already before. That was a fact Odessa tried to keep out of her mind as much as she could. Because if she were to dwell on it, the realization of Calum wanting to be with Paige over her would suffocate her unforgivingly. But, God, what if she was already setting herself up for an inevitable heartbreak?

           This is why she didn’t do feelings.

           “You’re making this far more complicated than it is, sweetheart.” Odessa’s eyes widened, gaping at Grams in disbelief. She was what? Grams’s expression sobered up, eyebrows lowering as she adopted a serious expression. “You’re not the other woman in this situation. As far as I can tell, there is no relationship between Calum and Paige that you’re disrupting. If you want to be with Calum, let him know, see how he feels. The worst he can do is tell you he wants to be friends, and you can stop focusing your attention on someone who doesn’t deserve it.” Grams scoffed, then. “Call me biased, but that boy would be crazy to not be interested in you, baby.”

           Odessa could feel her heart in her throat, despite logically knowing it was impossible. But some of Grams’s words had struck a chord—you’re not the other woman. Memories of her parents’ marriage falling apart flooded Odessa’s mind, remembering the unforgettable moments of her father’s secret family coming to light, watching as her parents’ already crumbling marriage turn into dust. Was that what Odessa was doing? Painting herself to be some kind of intruder infiltrating on Calum and Paige’s relationship—one that was very possibly just construed by Odessa’s own imagination and Paige’s fleeting comments—the way she always viewed her now-step-mother as in her parents’ marriage?

           The shaking guilt she felt suddenly made sense, and Odessa gasped before she could help it. Oh, yeah. Adolescent trauma loved screwing with one’s head, didn’t it?

           Her conversation with Grams was all that replayed in Odessa’s head as she drove to the school, not even bothering with the radio. Odessa chewed on her lower lip as she drove, frowning at herself for her behavior for the past week. She’d kept her interactions with Calum as minimal as she could; brief conversations in the teacher’s lounge, only passing hello’s in the hall, not waiting for him to come by her room after school when he didn’t have to coach soccer practice so they could walk to the parking lot together. If Calum picked up on her distancing actions, he didn’t make a comment on them, yet Odessa hadn’t missed the occasional frowns that drew together his eyebrows when she’d cut their conversations short by making up some excuse or another to get away.

           She was being childish. Unreasonable. Scared. Paige’s comments from the party had stung more than Odessa would care to admit, and she let it influence the way she was around Calum. Maybe, she had hoped, it would dull some of what she felt for him. It only seemed to do the opposite.

           What now, though? They were two of the six teacher chaperones for this trip. She couldn’t quite avoid him for the entire weekend. Did she even want to? Perhaps. Despite being vocal about her feelings—even if it was just to Grams—Odessa still needed to figure out whether or not she wanted to act on them, feeling the need to reconsider her course of action. In a confusing and twisted sense, being around Calum would only make the deciding process all the more muddled.

           Odessa sighed. She was being crazy. But it made sense to her and, at the end of the day, she was learning that that’s what mattered.

           Between seven-thirty and eight-thirty, the time passed quickly as students and teachers arrived to the school, all carrying duffels and small carry-ons containing their weekend belongings. Odessa stood by Diana Vogel, a biology teacher and one of the other chaperones, as the two chatted about the trip and having to sit on a two hour bus ride with dozens of students. Hopefully the early morning would allow for many of them to get some more sleep.

           Slowly, as the parking lot filled with more students arriving, it grew bustling, the air filled with a low hum of chatter as everyone waited for attendance and to board the waiting charter buses. Odessa passed her time by chatting with Diana, with some students, and at one point her gaze wandered over to a familiar black SUV pulling into its designated parking spot, and Odessa was only absently listening to Diana talk about her excitement to see snow as she watched Calum step out of the vehicle. He looked comfortable in black track pants and a red hoodie, a small suitcase in hand as he greeted some of the soccer players who immediately went over to him.

           Their eyes met from where they stood, a distance between them that could easily be closed, but Odessa remained put. Her moment alone with her thoughts on the drive to school hadn’t really helped her reach a decision of what she wanted to do. Distance was good. Distance would help.

           Even if the frown on Calum’s face she caught before breaking their gaze had her chest tightening.

           Soon enough, once everyone had seemed to arrive, Mrs. Greggs—who was also the freshman advisor and who was ultimately in charge—distributed lists to all of the other chaperones which consisted of which bus was theirs, which students were to be on it, and who their chaperone partner was.

           Odessa glanced down at the list and bit back a curse. Calum’s name stared back at her and at this point, Odessa wasn’t quite sure if the universe was on her side or against it.

           She glanced up, as if feeling Calum’s gaze on her, their eyes locking for a moment. He offered a small smile and Odessa hated that he hesitated in showing her it, a reminder how her self imposed distancing from Calum was effecting him too, and she mustered up a smile back. It was always so easy to smile at Calum. Why was she making things so difficult for them? For herself?

           “Alright—load ’em up!” Mrs. Greggs announced after anyone who needed to quickly go to the bathroom returned, gesturing towards the buses.

           As she neared the bus she was to go on, Odessa saw Calum standing by the compartments where everyone was going to toss in their carry-ons and duffel bags, and he looked at Odessa as she neared them. “I’ll help them with the bags, you go on the bus?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow to see if that was okay with her.

           Odessa nodded, pressing her lips together and offering a smile at the same time. “Sounds good,” she said, pulling her carry-on forward.

           Calum reached out. “I got it,” he said, and Odessa’s heart thumped as he took it from her before carefully placing it in the compartment.

           She thanked him quietly, unsure if he even heard as he helped one of the girls with hers, and Odessa boarded the bus with a smile towards the bus driver. She and Calum were to sit in the front, so she claimed the two front right seats, back against the window and list in hand as she watched students board the bus. They were all talkative as they did so, some making sure to greet her, and Odessa smiled in return as she took in some of the faces that were familiar and others that were not. She only taught freshman and sophomores, and since this trip was for juniors and seniors, the only students she knew were ones she’d occasionally see in the hallway, the soccer players, or the students she’d see at the games.

           She watched as students settled next to their friends on the seats, chattering away in a quiet excitement about the trip. Though, she had been right—Odessa definitely picked up on several students looking forward to sleeping on the drive there.

           Calum was the last one to get on the bus, and once he stood by Odessa, he called for all the students’ attention, effectively silencing them, and Odessa then proceeded to call out attendance to make sure everyone who needed to be on the bus was present. Odessa focused on the task at hand rather than Calum standing right next to her, until it was done, and Mrs. Greggs came by to check if everything was ready.

           About five minutes later, they had left the school, which meant for Odessa and Calum to be seated together for the next two hours and fifteen minutes. She kept her gaze out the window, watching as they passed by buildings and cars and people, trying her hardest not to focus on the tension between her and Calum she knew she was at fault for. Why was it difficult for her to continue to just act normal, be friends, instead of making things awkward by instilling some distance between them? How was that going to help?

           She knew she was being kind of ridiculous. And yet, she didn’t stop herself.

           Odessa couldn’t block out both of her ears to listen to keep herself occupied, given that she had to chaperone the students, so she merely put an earbud in her left ear, the closest to Calum, and began watching an episode of Dead to Me. She’s all too aware of Calum next to her, who’s pulled out a book to read. Odessa wished she could read something—the only transportation she could read a book on was a plane. Reading while in a car, bus, or train left her feeling lightheaded. Which, as a woman who enjoyed reading more than anything else, was quite frustrating.

           A little over an hour into the drive, Odessa was still watching her show and Calum was still reading his book, and despite herself, she wondered why he hadn’t tried to make conversation yet. The bus was relatively quiet; most of the students opted to catch up on some sleep, and those who were awake conversed in hushed tones. All Odessa could really hear, apart from the hum of the bus engine, was the audio from the show she was watching and the occasional scratch of a page turning when Calum was finished with it. His focus was only on what he read, never glancing at her once. And wasn’t that what she wanted? For there to be space?

           Odessa’s grip on her phone tightened. All she could do was watch her show and try not to think of Calum’s familiar cologne wafting over to her, or focus on the way his thigh occasionally brushed against hers where they sat. Grams’s words from earlier echoed through Odessa’s mind, overpowering the audio of the show. If you want to be with Calum, let him know.

           She glanced at him. His gaze was lowered to the book he was reading, features settled into a soft neutrality, eyelashes brushing his cheekbones every time he blinked. Blonde curls fell across his forehead and her fingers itched to brush them away. Odessa quickly looked backed to her phone just as his head ever so slightly turned towards her, cheeks on fire when she knew he’d caught her staring, could feel his gaze on her. Her throat worked, purposefully freezing her gaze on the screen.

           Fuck. What was she doing?

--

tags: @irwinkitten​ @sweetcherrymike​ @astroashtonio​ @loveroflrh​ @meetashthere​ @loverofhood​ @captain-what-is-going-on​ @angelbbycal​ @singt0mecalum​ @hopelessxcynic​ @lfwallscouldtalk​ @bodhi-black​ @findingliam-o​ @softlrh​ @highfivecalum​ @malumsmermaid​ @erikamarie41​ @quintodosuniversos​ @longlastingdaydream​ @babylon-corgis​ @lukehemmingsunflower​ @miss-saltwatercowgirl​ @pastelpapermoons​ @conquerwhatliesahead92​ @rotten-kandy​ @metangi​ @neigcthood​ @ohhmuke​ @mindkaleidoscope​ @5sos-and-hessa​ @trustmeimawhalebiologist​ @vxlentinecal​ @pettybassists​ @vaporshawn​ @lu-my-golden-boi​ @visualm3nte​ @isabella-mae13​ @dontjinx-it​ @lifeakaharry​ @neonweeknds​ @antisocialbandmate @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave​ @calpalbby​ @grreatgooglymoogly​ @sunnysidesblog​ @miahelizaaabeth​ @dramallamawithsparkles​ @kaytiebug14​ @hoodskillerqueen​ @bitchinbabylon​ @empathycth​ @xhaileyreneex​ @inlovehoodx​ @bloodlinecal​ @sublimehood​ @madbomb​ @raabiac​ @britnicole11​ @outofmylimitcal​ @wildflower-cth​ @wildflowergrae​ @bloodmoonashton​ @vxidhood​ @gosh-im-short​ @thesubtweeter​ @mycollectionofnuts​ @cthwldflwr​ @everyscarisahealingplace​ @socorroann​ @talkfastromance4​ @calumftduke​ @musichoney​ @treatallwithkindness​ @partlysunnycal​ @dead-and-golden​ @kaeleykaeley​ @harrys-sun-flower​ @br-hoe​  

[lonelier-version-of-you]

Thoughts on Long Lost that no one asked for, but I’m sharing them anyway

Or, In Which Annie Pretends To Be A Music Critic Because Why Not. I wrote these up as I listened to the album, so they’re my first impressions (except for Not Dead Yet, Mine Forever, and Long Lost, which I’d already heard).

The Moon Doesn’t Mind: An interesting little song, but there’s not much to say about it given it’s only 1 minute and 10 seconds long. I like it. I wish it was longer.

Rating: 7/10.

Favourite lyrics: N/A, because it’s too short to pick any, lol.

Mine Forever: This song was a banger when they put it out as a single, and it’s a banger now. I LOVE it. Songs about unhealthy, obsessive love are like, my favourite thing.

Also, not to bring my favourite unhealthy pairing of two fictional queer neurodivergent middle-aged doctors from a semi-obscure medical soap opera into this, but this song is still incredibly Johnrik vibes.

Rating: 10/10.

Favourite lyrics: “Love is strange, I can’t sleep without you / maybe in the grave I can dream about you / Everybody lies, but I’ll never doubt you / I don’t wanna die, but I can’t live without you”

(One Helluva Performer): A fun vocal interlude track. Not much to be said for it.

N/A for both rating and favourite lyrics.

Love Me Like You Used To: The moment the lyrics started, I immediately decided I loved this song. It’s great. If there’s any justice in the world, they’ll put it out as a single and it’ll go mainstream.

It’s also vaguely Johnrik vibes, though not as much as Mine Forever.

Rating: 8/10.

Favourite lyrics: “I’ve been lost before / and I’m lost again, I guess / but I never lost this feeling / or this pounding in my chest / I have travelled many miles, I don’t want to walk no more / every road and every highway led me right back to your door”

Meet Me In The City: The title immediately brings to mind Strange Trails’ ‘Meet Me In The Woods’, so I was very intrigued to hear what this song was going to be like. I like it. I think it’ll take me a few listens to fully appreciate it, but I like it.

I like the Strange Trails callback - “put on the dress you wore the night we met”.

And the reveal in the second verse that the narrator and his lover are actually having an affair was very clever. I love LH’s way of telling stories through their songs.

Rating: 7/10.

Favourite lyrics: “Forget the life you had and don’t look back / Get your courage up and drink this down / If our love is so wrong / tell me, why does it feel so right?”

This is getting a bit long now, so I’ll put the rest of my thoughts under the ‘keep reading’ button...

(Sing For Us Tonight): Such a brief interlude I have no opinion on it.

Long Lost: I wasn’t a big fan of this song when they released it as a single - I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t do much for me. In the context of the album, though, it’s fantastic! I can see why they picked it as the title track now.

Also, more Strange Trails callbacks - “out in the night all alone in the way out there...”

Rating: 9/10.

Favourite lyrics: “For a while I was held in the myth of the lost highway / In the spell of the night and the lights of the great white way”, and “Send me to the mountains / let me go free forever”.

Twenty Long Years: A melancholy song about the perils of addiction, and another example of Ben Schneider’s gift for storytelling. Just an absolutely brilliant song. I love it.

And I love the outro, with the crowd singing the song. It really adds to the atmosphere of the album.

Rating: 10/10.

Favourite lyrics: “I destroyed my health searching for myself / but there ain’t nothing there to find”, “I made a life out of chasing a ghost / twenty years takes its toll”.

Drops in the Lake: I thought from the title that this would be Johnrik vibes. I was not disappointed. I fucking love this song, oh my god. It’s perfect. It has me lost for words.

Rating: 10/10.

Favourite lyrics: Can I say the whole song? But especially “I go down to the edge of the lake / where I wait through the night for the dawn light to break / Memories of old crash like waves on the shore of my mind / And I pray that the stars will align / I just want us to be like we were long ago”, and “I look up at the uncaring sky / with a prayer on my lips and a tear in my eye”.

Where Did The Time Go: Another short but sweet song. It’s good.

Rating: 7/10.

Favourite lyrics: “May you laugh and sing your life full / may you learn the reasons why / may you live until you die”.

Not Dead Yet: This song got me hyped up for the album when they released it as a single in February, and I still love it now. It’s just so good, catchy, and danceable. I hope I get to go to another LH concert soon (I saw them in 2018, it was fantastic) just so I can rock out to this there. It’s one of those songs of theirs that feels downright magical.

Rating: 8/10. It’s just a damn good song.

Favourite lyrics: “There’s a stranger in my eyes again / I swear to God I don’t know him”.

(Deep Down Inside Ya): Another vocal interlude to add to the atmosphere of the album. It works for its purpose.

I Lied: I know they released this one as a single, but I’m only just now listening to it for the first time, because having already heard NDY, MF, and LL, I decided I could wait to hear this one. I think I made the right choice – it really works with the rest of the album. It’s a beautiful and bittersweet song, with some more great storytelling.

I love the idea of this song – a relationship where both partners are falling out of love, but they think the other one still loves them, until eventually one partner gives up and leaves, thinking they’ll be breaking the other’s heart… only for the other partner to be relieved the relationship is finally over. Good god, it’s like the definition of bittersweet. I love it. I’m a sucker for a good tragic love story.

Rating: 9.5/10.

Favourite lyrics: “I told you I’d be coming back again for you but I’m not / I’m going way out where the world will never find me / I made a claim that I would dance until we’re bones with my bride / I told you I would never leave you all alone, but I lied”

At Sea: Another shorter song. It’s pretty good, I like it. Gives me Lonesome Dreams vibes (as in the album, not necessarily the specific song). Indeed, you could easily read it as being from the POV of the narrator in Ghost of the Shore.

Rating: 7/10.

Favourite lyrics: N/A. It’s too short for me to pick any.

What Do It Mean: This sounds like a perfect mix of Lonesome Dreams, Strange Trails, and Vide Noir. It feels like a mix of all three albums, too, in terms of the themes. I am in love with it. It’s beautiful, and the lyrics resonate with me a lot. It might actually be my new favourite Lord Huron song ever – and that’s saying something, because it’s very hard for anything to overtake ‘Hurricane (Johnnie’s Theme)’, ‘Moonbeam’, or ‘The Balancer’s Eye’ for me.

Rating: 11/10.

Favourite lyrics: The entire first verse. “So much to say, but my words mean nothing / A life spent talking when my epitaph would do / Wasting my days with my mind on the future / And my past like a chain that won’t ever let me go / Where would I go, and would a lone soul miss me? / If I leave in the night, I’ll only be running / With the weight of the world at the tips of my fingers / A long lost soul in the wilderness alone”

Time’s Blur: LH’s longest song ever – and I’m pretty sure it’s their first wholly instrumental piece, too. Sonically, it reminds me a lot of the songs on Vide Noir. It’s a gorgeous piece of music. Gives me chills. The first few and last few minutes especially just feel downright otherworldly, and I mean that as a compliment.

Rating: 10/10.

Overall, I give Long Lost a 10/10. It’s a masterpiece, just like the rest of LH’s albums. Lord Huron are geniuses and I will die protecting their vision. (Kudos to you if you get what that’s a reference to, lol.)

[general-mahamatra]

Visus Cæcus

Focus: Eret

Genre: Spooky Season

TW: Blood and injuries

Pairing: Platonic Fundy and Eret

Wordcount: 6283

Read it on AO3 here

Note: This is part of a trade with the glorious @strawberry10​ !! They have my whole heart and this piece has been a work in progress for maybe a month now. It’s only fitting I post it so close to Halloween :)

The crunch of decaying leaves and broken twigs mixes with the soft chirping of birds. Sunlight peeks through the leaves, sending shadows across the path and illuminating the forest and accentuating the vibrant green of the foliage. On such a perfect afternoon, the forest is lovely. Tranquil and perfect--almost too good to be real. 

A soft breeze rustles the canopy followed by the scutter of a squirrel climbing a nearby tree. Everything is serene… virtually untouched by humans despite the man-made path twisting through the forest.

It goes for ages, disappearing through the trees. Where it goes is impossible to tell with the way it turns. Undergrowth stretches over the brown trail, small bushes encroaching as young saplings reach across--a strain for sunlight. 

Laughter breaks through the peace and the crunch grows louder. Shoes tread along the footpath, ignorant of the bugs that scuttle out of the way. Two people walk along the trail, bags on their backs, and dressed for a hike. They were chatting, entertaining each other as they made their way down the path.

One of them nudges the other, grinning as if they had just said the most clever thing. The other, a brunette, rolls their eyes with a small smile. 

“C’mon Eret, you know I’m right!”

The brunette--Eret--scoffs. They shove the man back, just enough to make him stumble. “You are not. There’s no way that’s even possible!”

“What do you mean?!” He exclaims, eyes wide with shock. "I'm always right! I'm literally always right!"

"Fundy," Eret deadpans.

"Yeah?"

They stare at each other, quiet for a moment.

"How the fuck are peanuts meat?"

Fundy can barely contain his laughter as he tries to explain, “but they are! They’re literally meat, they’re with meat on the food pyramid. And, AND! They basically have the same protein. SO,” he points at Eret, “checkmate.”

“That’s not how that works!” Eret protests. “That’s not how that works at all! Just because they’re with the meat doesn’t mean shit!”

Fundy hums. “Uh-huh, sure.”

“They’re a nut!” the brunette whines. “They have nut in their name, they’re not ‘pea-meat’!”

The ginger chuckles, covering his mouth as the other tries to argue. It was clear Fundy wasn’t going to back down from the dispute, he had no intention to let Eret win, even when they had a point. Besides, he’s not dumb, he knows they aren’t meat. It’s just fucking hilarious.

After calming down enough to talk, the points to Eret’s pocket. “Get your phone out, prove to me they aren’t meat!”

“Fine! I will!” Eret fumbles with their shorts and pulls out their phone. A couple of seconds pass followed by an “aha! They aren’t meat!” They began to triumphantly read the blurb, far too confident over the fact that they won the debate. “Peanuts do not come from animals. So they are not meat. Although they are called a nut, they are not... a nut…” they trail off, a small frown appearing. “The peanut is a legume, related to the pea family.” Eret huffs and turns off their phone, shoving it in their pocket.

Fundy cackles, the sound disturbing a nearby bird. With a flurry of black feathers, it flutters off.

“It’s still not a meat,” they grumble.

Fundy steps closer to them, grinning as he pokes their shoulder. “But they’re not a nut~” he coos, clearly proud of his victory. If it could even be called that.

Eret rolls their eyes and shrugs the man off but the upturn of their lips is a hint of their amusement. They were enjoying the back and forth--it was far better than the two walking in silence. After all, they weren’t too sure they’d last a week in the woods if they didn’t have the sort of chemistry for lighthearted banter.

The two found the forest a week ago just driving around town and immediately decided to explore it, especially since they’re visiting Fundy for a couple of weeks. What could go wrong anyway? It’s just a forest in the middle of nowhere. 

Though there were times as they were getting ready that Eret thought about some of the… warnings they’ve seen. They never took them seriously, but they always found the posts interesting. 

They were warnings about going to certain places in the dark or at night--warnings about the things that stalk the cornfields of the Midwest or the forests around the world. Hell, even the creatures that lurk beneath the surface, just waiting for a ship to pass by to take without a warning.

As the two continue, Eret’s mind wanders. It drifts to the text posts they’ve seen and just how serious they seem. They were so detailed and specific, it made them start to wonder if maybe there was something behind them. There’s no way someone could come up with those warnings and make them so realistic without having something to back them on.

One that won’t leave them alone is a caution about the forests. The number of times they read it… they had it memorized at this point.

Start traveling during the day, it is always asleep by dawn and it will leave you be.

Never move at night.

Stay on the path at all times.

Never set a campfire outside of a designated area. It can smell the smoke and it will find you.

Always travel with a group. Never go solo. If someone gets injured, never leave them alone.

When the forest goes silent, stop moving immediately.

If you don’t, the crowns will come. When you see the crows, it sees you. Stop talking immediately, find a different way to communicate. It can mimic your voice.

When the crows swarm, run. Do not let them injure you. It can smell the blood.

If you stray from the path, find it again as soon as possible. The longer you are off the path, the more likely it will find you.

If you can't find the path, never stop moving at night. Rest during the day, run during the night. It hunts at night and if you stop, it will attack.

Keep anyone injured close, never leave them alone.

If you hear someone call for help, do not go to it. It’s a trap.

Eret shakes their head to clear the thoughts. There was no reason to be thinking about the list. The paranoia is stupid. It was made to scare people--a short thing for the niche group of people addicted to horror.

They're on a hike with their best friend, not on an exploration trip to try and get murdered by some forest monster. Whatever that forest monster is. 

The thing is only ever referred to as "it".

But the reassurance that it's fake doesn't do much to calm Eret's nerves. If anything, it leaves them anxious--wondering if maybe… just maybe it isn't fake.

No, stop. It's fake, it's literally fake. Why the fuck would this stuff be real?? They think. It's just a forest.

The absence of their friend next to them is what makes Eret pause and look around. So caught up in their thoughts, they didn't even realize Fundy stopped walking. Turning, they find the ginger frowning, brown eyes staring at something obscured by the trees.

"Fundy?"

The man raises a finger to his lips, shushing Eret. Slowly, he points to his ear and glances at the brunette. "Do you hear that?"

Confused, Eret looks the same way Fundy is. When greeted by nothing but trees and chirping, they shake their head. 

"Listen closer," Fundy insists.

Eret glances at Fundy, slightly concerned but curious nonetheless. They fall silent, this time trying to focus on the noises around them.

At first, there is nothing but the regular ambiance of the forest. Nothing out of the ordinary.

A few more seconds pass before they finally notice it. A rustling--faint and distant. It only grows louder, almost as if it’s approaching. It puzzles Eret, making them frown slightly as they comment, “What… is that?”

Fundy steps closer and squints into the trees. His hands wrap around the straps of his bag, his quizzical expression mirroring Eret’s feelings. 

“I have no idea.”

The two stand there, watching. Maybe if they were thinking straight, they would’ve continued. But not everyone is bright, are they?

It’s the first crow darting out of the dense tree line that makes them jump, the bird squawking and frantically flapping its wings. Eret watches it, mouth agape as they stare. Confused, they can’t pull their gaze off the struggling bird.

They don’t even realize the shuffling is still getting louder.

Eret points at the bird and turns to Fundy. “You’re telling me we got scared by that?” There’s a slight smile on their face that only falters when they realize Fundy isn’t smiling and is instead still looking at the trees. “Fundy?”

The ginger doesn’t respond and instead backs up. Slow at first, speeding up within seconds as he grabs Eret. “Move, MOVE!”

Eret doesn’t get a chance to react before more birds burst from the trees. Their screeching is quick to overwhelm the two as a couple of birds turn into ten, then twenty, then a giant shrieking mass. 

Feathers are everywhere, flying around as the crows swarm. They twist and turn, diving around as they grab each other with their talons. They rip each other apart, spraying blood and guts everywhere. The cawing never stops as bodies drop to the hiking trail, the hot crimson liquid misting the two humans as they try to get away. 

And then the birds turn their attention elsewhere: right on the two.

“GO GO GO!” Eret cries, throwing their hands in Fundy’s direction. They make contact and manage to shove the man, forcing him to turn around and book it to the trees. He’s able to get his arms over his head to protect him from the birds. Eret, though?

They weren’t fast enough.

Crows latch onto them. Peck them, claw them. Their clothing tears under the sharp talons as Eret tries to swat the frenzied animals away. Panic gripped them and completely emptied their mind of conscious thought. It left them running off instinct, and it’s their downfall.

It only takes a couple of heartbeats for the crows to start digging into their skin. They shred the brunette’s shoulders, drawing blood under their sharp claws. Eret cries out and frantically tries to rip the birds off.

But a slash to their cheek is what utterly terrifies them. 

They don’t even hear Fundy shouting at them to run.

Some of the birds stick to their upper body, but others go for Eret’s head. More specifically their face.

Razor-sharp claws do their work. They make the brunette finally start to try and cover their face. Even with the birds in the way, Eret did what they could, trying to force the animals away. But not before the most excruciating pain they’ve ever been in radiates from their face.

A blood-curdling scream tears through their throat. High--full of terror and agony. Their hands were on their face as the birds kept coming. But the simple touch only makes it worse, stinging every open wound they touched. Made Eret lower their hands only for them to come away hot and sticky. Bloody.

Eret stumbles back, shaking and terrified as the birds keep coming. They’re quiet, trying to back away…

Another slash to their face.

The world goes black.

They can't stop screaming.

Hands grab their shoulders and drag them back. Eret struggles to stay upright, feet catching on roots and bushes. They fumble around, frightened. They can’t tell where they’re going or who’s holding him or what’s going on. Their hands shoot out and grab onto a tree. Nails dig into the bark, break under the pressure. 

A whimper falls from their lips as they continue to be pulled along.

But the birds are gone.

Eret’s pulled along for a few more paces before they’re stopped. They stumble, lightheaded and sick for reasons they don’t understand. All they know is the feeling of something trailing down their cheeks. Blood… tears… a mix? It’s everywhere.

Arms wrap around them, stabilizing them. A soothing voice follows the action.

“Eret… Eret listen to me, I need you to listen to me.” Fundy. Their friend. “Eret please, look at me.”

They turn slightly, blindly following the man’s voice. It’s dark… Why is the forest so dark…

A hand guides their head, making them turn a bit more.

“Open your eyes,” Fundy says.

It’s then Eret realizes they’ve been squeezing their eyes shut the entire time. It hurt so much to open them. Like something is stuck in them, stabbing their eyes every time they try to look around. They reach up, pressing their hands to their eyes only to gasp. The shock of pain that rushes through them is enough to make them let out another small whimper.

The hand never leaves their face and Fundy tries again. “Eret, don’t- stop. Don’t touch them just open them, please.”

Eret shakes their head.

The pain…

It’s horrible.

They’re shaking at this point, arms now wrapped around themselves as they lower their head. They don’t pull away from the touch… instead, they lean into it a bit.

The only soothing thing in the world of agony Eret’s living in.

“Eret… please,” Fundy begs.

A shaky breath. They look up and open their eyes. The sound that comes out of their friend is nearly lost to Eret as they immediately close them again. It hurt… so much. More of whatever was in their eyes fell down their face, wet and sticky. It trails into the corners of their mouth, leaving a salty… coppery tang on their tongue.

Blood and tears.

Fundy starts mumbling. Eret doesn’t understand him. Everything around them fades out, sounds becoming muffled as if their head had been dunked underwater. Their stomach knots and their body sways. A dizziness takes hold, making their breathing short and head spin. They can’t seem to catch their breath, every inhale shorter than the last as they struggle to breathe.

Eret digs their nails into their arms. They couldn’t focus. Couldn’t think.

The bag on their back is really heavy, teetering their balance. 

Take it off…

Cold, clammy, unsteady.

So much is overwhelming and yet there’s nothing at all. The world is dark and quiet but the pain in their eyes reminds them they’re still awake. The feeling of Fundy’s hands on Eret’s elbows trying to keep them upright…

They open their mouth as if to talk but all they can do is wheeze.

Breathe breathe breathe…

A second passes and their knees buckle. Eret collapses against the ginger and before they even drop that far, they fall unconscious.

--

Eret moans as they wake up, body sore. Their head is fuzzy, mind vacant of thoughts. Everything is black and their awareness of their surroundings is gone. The only things they can tell are they’re lying down, the bag is gone, and there’s a weird pressure on their face. It rubs weird and keeps their eyes shut when Eret tries to open them.

The pain that follows only makes them whimper.

But then a voice… someone is talking to them. It’s inaudible. Can’t tell who’s talking.

Shuffling followed by someone’s hand on their shoulder. 

They nod off as the person tries to get their attention.

--

The next time they wake up their arm is slung around someone’s shoulder. An arm around Eret’s waist is what’s keeping them upright as they’re being partially carried, partially dragged through the forest.

Their foot catches on a root, causing them to stumble. Eret’s reaction is delayed to the point they’re guided by the man carrying them, only barely managing to pull their foot away with the man’s help.

“Come on… ..almost… ..got this.” Fundy. It’s Fundy carrying them. 

Eret doesn’t catch much of what the ginger says, only nodding in reply, hoping that it’s the right answer.

Fundy’s hold on them tightens.

--

Time passes as a blur. Unable to see, Eret is barely able to tell how long they’re awake. Sometimes they fade to unconsciousness, sometimes they’re aware and helping walk around. Their sense of direction has long since vanished as well, the brunette completely relying on the man carrying him.

Eret trips; their legs come out from under them. Fundy catches them, a death grip on the brunette.

“I gotcha.”

--

Fundy’s mumbling under his breath. They’re still moving, only much slower. He’s messing with something at the same time, Eret can tell from the way the man is struggling to hold them up with one arm.

“Come on… Turn on…”

--

“Where the fuck is the path?” Fundy mutters.

--

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Don’t die, come on!”

--

Eret gets tugged along, Fundy seemingly more frantic than before. He’s moving fast, trying to get the taller one around obstacles with less care than before. Panicked, almost.

Both hands are on Eret now. Tight, nails digging into their wrist.

The ginger breathes heavily and Eret can feel him shifting around, constantly looking back. 

--

“Eret, Eret wake up. Wake up right now.”

They lift their head, dazed and confused as they once again become aware. Their face scrunches up as they turn their head towards Fundy.

“We gotta go, you gotta move,” Fundy hisses. He sounds freaked out… Eret can’t figure out why. “You gotta move.” He starts to pull them along, forcing them to get their feet going.

Caught off guard, they lose their balance. Fundy doesn’t wait, not this time. He continues to tug Eret along, set on wherever their destination was. Forces Eret to get their act together and stay upright. They try their best, struggling quite a bit to keep up.

Eret manages to hold their own despite being unable to see. With their feet on the ground and the ginger guiding him around trees and undergrowth, the rush becomes easier. It gives them a chance to finally talk. “Why are we-?”

Fundy shushes them. Pulls them along faster. “Stop talking, just keep moving.”

They fall silent.

--

Eret didn’t even realize they passed out again until they’re suddenly being dragged along the forest floor. Arms wrap under their shoulders and around their chest; their feet trail through the brush and debris.

They lift their head. Barely moves much else, lulling in a fit of exhaustion. 

Breathing is hard… really hard. Short, rapid, erratic. Can’t get enough in can’t take a deep breath why is it so hard to breathe?

They start to move but it’s sluggish. Weak hands reach up and try to pry the arms off. 

Breathe… need to breathe…

Fundy is quick to try and get them to stop. "Stop- stop it! Quit moving, you're only going to slow us down more!" His voice is low and hurried. It seems strained and distant…

...is he running from something?

--

The brunette wakes up to being propped up against a tree. The two had stopped moving at some point. When, Eret wasn't entirely sure. 

With Fundy no longer holding them up in some way, Eret assumes the guy had finally found them a place to stop so he could sleep. It only makes sense.

Rubbing their eyes, they come to find their face covered in bandages. The rough cloth was stark compared to the smooth skin they expected to feel. Carefully, they run their fingers along with the bandages. They're wrapped around most of the upper half of their head, concealing their eyes and ears.

Covering the horrible wounds that mar their face.

Lowering their hands, they find more haphazardly wrapped gauze around their shoulders. It pokes through their shredded shirt.

Makes them wonder just how bad it was.

Their hands shake as Eret pulls them away from their chest. So much so fast…

The two just wanted to hike, to explore. And yet within hours, everything had gone to shit.

And now they have no idea what time it is or where they are or where Fundy is.

"Fundy?" They try to sit up further, looking around despite being unable to see. Somehow the darkness only makes the world lonely.

There's shuffling nearby followed by the crunch of leaves. "You're awake!" More movement and then a hand is on Eret's shoulder. "How are you feeling? You alright?"

A stupid question really. 

Eret feels like shit. Constantly being jostled around while unconscious, waking up over and over and being forced to run… it's hard to feel alright after all of that. And yet, at the same time, they were in considerably less pain than before.

"I'm… okay?" They sound uncertain. "What happened?"

Fundy doesn't say anything at first. He seems lenient to explain and the silence has a weird air to it. It doesn't sit well with Eret.

Soon enough, the ginger says, "a lot. So much.” There’s a pause. “After we got thrown off the path by those birds we got lost and… and I tried to get back to the trail.” The hand falls away, fingers trailing along Eret’s shoulder before dropping entirely. “I couldn’t find it. But! You slept pretty hard I’m glad you’re alright.”

Eret frowns. That… That’s not…

That didn’t explain what happened every time Eret woke up. The carrying, the running, the dragging, none of it.

“What else?” they press, tone skeptical. “We were running, right? Why did we run?”

And there’s the hesitation again. Almost like Fundy doesn’t want to answer him. “Uh- It- It was nothing! Nothing really!” The man spoke quickly, voice pitching up at the same time. “Just thought I saw the path!”

Odd.

“Where are we?” Eret asks.

Leaves crunch as Fundy moves. “Somewhere in the forest. I don’t fucking know where.” He sighs. “I got lost last night… I have no fucking clue which way is what.”

Night.

“You mean it’s morning now?”

“Well, yeah.”

< If you can't find the path, never stop moving at night. Rest during the day, run during the night. It hunts at night and if you stop, it will attack. > 

The thoughts come back, whispering in their ears and latching on to Eret’s conscious mind. Paranoia and anxiety refuse to leave them alone, pushing for them to think about the short list. That horrid, horrid list.

< When the crows swarm, run. Do not let them injure you. It can smell the blood. >

Eret froze, their entire body growing tense. It's just a list, it can't be real. Some stupid post they saw one day that happened to stick with them. They're just paranoid.

< “We gotta go, you gotta move,” Fundy hisses. He sounds freaked out… Eret can’t figure out why. “You gotta move.” He starts to pull them along, forcing them to get their feet going. >

They reach out, shaking hand finding itself on Fundy's shoulder. "Fundy," Eret says slowly. It earns a small hum. "What did you see?"

The voice that answers is quieter than usual. Small, frail almost. Vulnerable in a way Eret has never remembered Fundy being.

"I- I don't know."

--

The two ended up sleeping, exhaustion overtaking their need to stay awake and leaving them napping throughout the day. Though, more often than not, Eret finds themselves awake. Sitting propped against the tree, head resting against the truck as they stare up into the black expanse that is their vision.

They never were claustrophobic. Small spaces didn't make them feel too bad despite their height. Busses, trains, rooms… they were always fine. But the inky darkness that became their reality is constricting. It wraps around their body, suffocating them and leaving them to writhe and struggle in isolation. 

But it's all mental. Up in their head in a world only they know; a world they'll never escape. The only signs of the toll the blindness takes on the man are the faint, quick breaths in and out. And with Fundy asleep somewhere nearby, there's no one there to see Eret holding themselves, lips pressed in a line as they try and stay calm.

If there weren't bandages over their face, maybe a trail of tears would adorn either cheek.

Shuffling makes them perk up. Drags them out of their head and forces them to pay attention to their surroundings. Something was moving nearby.

“Fundy?” Eret calls quietly, just in case the man was still sleeping. The lack of a response is enough of an answer. “Hello?” Now it was more directed to whoever or whatever was moving around.

Not like an animal could reply to them, but maybe someone was wandering off the path. Someone who could get them out of the damned forest. It was worth the shot.

When nothing answers them, Eret sighs and leans back against the tree. The small flicker of hope that ignited in their chest dwindles, snuffed out by the silence.

How far from the path are they anyway?

For all Eret knew, they could be ten feet away. Move around a couple of trees and there it would be. The man-made trail hikers travel on every day covered in sticks and decaying leaves, surrounded by beautiful plants and scenery and just… perfect.

But they’ll never know. They’ll never know just how close they are to the stupid path because those fucking birds STOLE THEIR SIGHT.

They take a deep breath, nostrils flaring as their hands ball into tight fists. A second passes and they slam the side of their hand against the cold hard ground. Frustration and anger isn’t a common emotion for Eret, it never has been. But sitting there with one of the most important senses ripped away from them, drowning them in a world of perpetual darkness… it’s starting to get hard to keep their emotions in check.

Sighing, they force themselves to relax, fingers uncurling and shoulders slouching. There’s no way the two of them are gonna be able to get out if they can’t stay calm. With so little experience getting mad, there’s no telling what could happen.

Tilting their head back, Eret stares up towards the sky. Wonders what it looks like… how the canopy must look with the yellow leaves dispersing the golden rays from the sun across the forest floor. 

Shifting grass right next to Eret startles them. It’s faint, only audible because of the silence that hovers in the clearing, and it confuses them. Sitting back up, they carefully reach their hand towards the sound.

They lower their hand, fingers outstretched as they try to touch whatever is there. It could be a rabbit. A fuzzy little animal just hopping around trying to find something to eat or somewhere to sleep… 

What they feel is not a bunny.

Slimy and boney, gnarled like a tree root but warm like a living creature. It writhes beneath their hand, moving around like a… a finger.

The sound that comes out of Eret is one of disgust and horror. A distorted scream rips through their throat as they try to pull their hand back only for whatever it was they touched to grab their wrist. A strong, wretched hand tightens its grip. Larger than a human’s, nails sharper than should be possible. Digging into their wrist, slicing up the delicate skin.

They kick out, squirming in the thing’s hold as they try to shove it away.

“Let GO of me!” they shriek.

Their foot makes contact with something solid. A grunt follows and the grip loosens.

THUD.

The thing lets go, a warbled cry following suit. Heavy breathing can be heard above Eret before something heavy is dropped on the ground. Barely even a second passes before Fundy speaks, the man on the ground next to Eret with his hands on their shoulders.

He sounds breathless as he talks. “Hey, hey it’s alright. Eret. Eret, look at me.”

Probably the worst thing someone could say to a blind man but it got the brit to react anyways. They turned their head slightly, hoping they were facing the right direction. They reach out, trembling hand finding a perch on Fundy’s arm. Once certain they were holding the ginger, their grasp tightens. A grounding.

“Breathe,” Fundy directs. “For the love of God, please calm down. It’s gone, you’re alright- we’re alright.” The reassurance is partnered with the gentle pull into a hug. Arms--human arms--wrap tenderly around their body. The ginger stays there despite the tension in the brunette, refusing to pull away until Eret finally melts, burying their head against Fundy’s shoulder as they return the gesture.

Fists ball into Fundy’s shirt and a choked sob rattles through the brit’s body. The slow-motion of the ginger rubbing their back is joined by what sounds like his own struggle to keep from crying. Hiccuped inhales and steady exhales… Fundy was... Trying…

Eventually, Fundy whispers, “it’s evening, we need to keep moving.”

--

Walking with the guidance of someone with sight is more off-putting than trying to learn a new language. At least, that’s what Eret would compare it to. It’s like relearning how to walk. Their perception of reality permanently altered, sense of balance destroyed, and their ability to perceive their surroundings forced to rely on their hearing and touch. But surrounded by a thick forest, they’re more than thankful for how accommodating their friend is.

Fundy laughs quietly. “Come on, you know it’s true.”

Eret scoffs, wishing they could roll their eyes at the man’s stupidity. “I can’t believe this is your focus right now.”

“Would you rather me talk about the fact we’re lost in a forest nearly out of food traveling in the middle of the night with no service, a dead phone, and your severe lack of a phone?” Fundy asks, voice deadpan. “Personally, I think my Minecraft boyfriend is far more important.”

Using their free hand that’s not wrapped around Fundy’s shoulder, the brit lightly punches the ginger’s side. “You proposed to him with a diamond only for him to get possessed! And then he had a fucking baby and George claimed to be the father!”

“WELL,” Fundy started, “that’s beside the point. Fuck you.”

Eret chuckles with a fond grin. It’s nice, being able to have a normal conversation despite the impending doom of whatever the hell went after the brit back where they were resting. 

A slight discomfort is felt on the back of their head, making them shiver. A weird feeling. One that sets them on edge and spikes their anxiety. But they ignore it, preferring to focus on Fundy.

"Can't believe you got engaged and your man had-"

"Help!" The distance cry of what sounds like a young child can barely be heard. At first, Eret thinks it may be a trick of the ears, the wind whistling just right through the leaves. But Fundy stops walking.

He heard it too.

The child calls out again and it sets in stone the reality of the situation. "Please! Help!"

The two adjust their course and start to make their way towards the voice. Stumbling through the undergrowth, tripping on loose plants, and smacking against low hanging branches.

< If you hear someone call for help, do not go to it. It’s a trap. >

The wails grow louder but so does a weird smell. It makes Eret scrunch their nose, face contorting to one of disgust when they're first hit by the scent. "What the fu-"

Fundy shushes them, shutting them up. He doesn't clarify why, simply pulling the brit further along. Closer and closer to the cries of the young child.

"I want my mommy!" The kid cries, voice cracking with sadness.

The two come to an abrupt halt and the horrendous stench assaults Eret's senses. Malodorous and foul, it makes them gag as the smell becomes unbearable and so fucking strong they can taste it.

Eret covers their mouth, biting the inside of their cheek to keep from vomiting right then and there. Nothing could describe what they were experiencing. Nothing would ever be able to describe it. From everything they’ve dealt with in their lives, nothing prepared them for the sheer revulsion they were feeling 

Something they vaguely remember their mother telling them creeps into their mind.

< “You never forget the smell of rotten human flesh or burning flesh. People say it haunts them for years.” >

They blocked that memory out years ago but now that they’re standing there, struggling to keep their head clear because of the stench, they can’t help but think about it again. Their head spins, dizziness growing as they reach up to cover their mouth. 

Buzzing… Is that buzzing? Is all Eret can hear now that the child has gone silent. Loud and annoying, way too similar to the sound of a fly.

The tickling feeling of a bug landing on their hand is what confirms their suspicion. Shaking the bug off, they go to grumble a complaint but it’s drowned out by Fundy’s panic-stricken commands as the ginger drags them back.

“Come on- Eret work with me we need to fucking move right now.” He lets go of the brit, instead of focusing on grabbing their shoulders and spinning them around, shoving them back the way they came. Forces them to run--to get their legs moving.

The young child calls out again. “No- wait- please! Come back! Where’s my mommy?”

Fundy’s grip moves from Eret’s shoulders to their wrist, now pulling them along. Weaving between trees, ignoring their protests as they stumble around and run into branches. The two don’t stop moving and soon enough, Eret figures out why.

Crashing follows them. Plants being trampled and branches being ripped apart. Distorted voices begging for the two to come back. Children, adults, boys, girls… all warping and twisting like a broken record.

“Please, come back-”

“-not scary-”

“Hurt you! We won’t!”

“Come back…”

“I wanna go home.”

Heavy breathing… feet slamming against the hard ground… being yanked around every which way as Fundy navigates the forest. Getting them away from the thing chasing them, away from the horrible image Eret can only imagine had been laid out before them.

Their shoulder rams into a tree and the brit gasps and trips up, feet catching against the roots and making them stagger, nearly falling right then and there. The shocking pain that shoots down their arm disorients them. Hit right on the bandaged gashes from the birds’ sharp talons.

It makes Fundy grab them by their upper arm, becoming a better support as their fleeing continues. “Come on, keep moving. We gotta keep going.”

Eret’s only response is a nod. 

Move.

Keep moving.

A warbled shriek from behind makes them cringe. Panic and adrenaline. A rush to run. Get away.

Run.

It’s the motivator that gets Eret to finally match Fundy’s pace, finally managing to ignore the obstacles in their way as best as they can. Trying to get away from the creature right on their tail.

“I think-” Fundy pauses for a moment. “I think I see something!”

A small spark of hope ignites in Eret. What the ginger sees, they have no idea, but that doesn’t stop them from hoping. Maybe, just maybe-

An excited cheer comes from the ginger. “Yes! YES! LIGHTS!”

Safety.

The two continue their push forward, exhaustion starting to set in and nearly making the brit slow down. But they can’t. They can’t. They’re so close… 

Something grabs their ankle and tugs. Pulls their foot out from under them and sends Eret flying to the ground. They slip from Fundy's hold, falling into the dirt with a cry cut off by the wind being knocked out of them. They reach out, scrambling for purchase as the thing pulls them back. Nails did into the dirt, rip up small shrubs…

They finally get their hands on something. A tree root. Rough bark digging into their skin, leaving small cuts as it scraped against their palms. "FUNDY-"

They kick, doing everything they can to hold onto the roots while trying to dislodge the creature. It’s to no avail, the thing tugging and nearly making Eret let go. The bark shreds their hands and rips their nails. Makes them scream. Makes them almost lose their hold.

The ginger says something. What it is, Eret can't tell, but it vaguely sounded like "hold on."

No shit.

A pained, gargled cry, and then the creature let's go. 

Fundy's helping them up now, getting Eret to their feet so they can keep running towards the lights. "They're so close, we're almost there!"

Breathing ragged, the brit does what they can to stay upright and focused on moving. It burns…

Their breath hitches when they run into another tree and it takes Fundy guiding Eret to put their arm around his shoulders for support to get them to ignore it.

It hurts…

Eret flinches when the ginger starts shouting. Presumably at whoever had the lights. They can’t process the words but from what registers, the man seems just as hopeful as the brit.

The two slow down, finally done running. More hands find themselves on Eret’s shoulders and arms, more voices speaking up and talking all at once. The touch makes them snap into reality--makes them listen to what’s going on.

The first thing they hear is Fundy. Breathless, happy, relieved. And a hand on their cheek as Fundy lets go of them… then they’re pulled into a tight hug. A head buried against the crook of their neck, cold, shaking hands wrapped around their shirt…

“We did it,” Fundy whispers. “We’re out…”

Eret returns the embrace, limbs weak and movements slow. They refuse to let go. Even when the ginger begins to profusely apologize. On and on… and Eret refuses to listen.

They’re safe.

[sarcastic-space-gal]

The Dancer with Golden Earrings (Part 5)

Summary: It has been a year since you and Jaskier finally declared to one another. Both of you had never felt this happy in your entire life, until destiny decided to give a cruel turn of events.

Pairing: Jaskier x Reader;

Word Count: 4k;

Warning: Angst, so much angst, mention of blood and wounds;

A/N: I almost cried writing this. EnJOy! (feedback is really appreciated)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

When you regained consciousness your body didn’t respond to your commands. You tried to open your eyes, you tried to talk or just mumble something, to turn your head… nothing. The only thing you were able to do was breathing. For now. Suddenly you felt a cold sensation on your cheek then a small drop running down your face. Was it

snowing… or were you crying?

            ___________________________________________________

A year. A year had already passed without you even noticing it. A year since you and Jaskier shared that desired kiss, and you still remembered it as it was just happened.

Geralt knew right away that something had happened when he came back to the camp covered in blood and other nasty fluids all over him and Jaskier didn’t say anything, not even a sarcastic comment.

He just stood there, playing his lute, his eyes bright with happiness as he occasionally glanced at you while you fixed the things in your bag.

Rain had stopped so you and Jaskier decided to head back to the camp. On your way back Jaskier couldn’t let go of your hand whether it was rubbing his thumb on you soft skin, squeezing lightly your intertwined fingers or kissing the back of your hand tenderly, before reluctantly letting go.

“Geralt! Here you are! How did the hunt go?” you asked smiling, relieved to see him safe and sound.

“Screw the hunt! We are together!” Jaskier sprinted next to you and in front of the witcher, encircling your waist with his arm, earning a giggle from you.

Geralt looked at you two, forgetting the tiring sensation after the hunt and his lips curved in a small smile.

“Hmmm” he ‘happily’ mumbled.

“Hmmm? Just ‘Hmmm’?! You have nothing else to say Geralt?! Just ‘Hmmm’?!”

Seeing the witcher completely soaked in all kinds of fluids and Jaskier’s uncontrollable rant was surely an hilarious scene.

Jaskier’s fist went to his hips “You should change your name in ‘Grumbler of Rivia’”

“‘Geralt’ is fine” he dropped his swords and turned on his heels, he was probably going to take a bath in the nearest river.

But before he could take another step he turned and got closer to the bard, laying a surprisingly soft hand on the bard’s shoulder.

“I’m happy for you” he said, smiling.

Jaskier mirrored his smile “Thank you, Geralt”

The witcher then turned and left but Jaskier couldn’t not notice how the smell didn’t follow him, instead was still filling the air. That’s when he turned and looked at his shoulder, now completely covered with the worst smelling fluid on earth.

“GERALT!”

And now here you were, still traveling around with them, being the happiest you have ever been.

After having a small dinner you sat around the campfire and began sewing the hem of your dress while listening to Jaskier, who was plucking his lute lightly. You were so focused on your work that Jaskier’s annoyed huff almost went unnoticed.

Then his face lit up “Yes!” he silently exclaimed, finding the right rhythm or rhyme.

“Composing something new?” your voice made Jaskier jump a little as he lifted his head from the strings, uneasiness clear in his expression.

“Just playing around with some notes”

“Alright then, keep your secrets” you winked, earning a smile from the bard.

In complete silence he placed down the lute and sat by your side, kissing your temple as you leaned on his touch.

“How far is the city Geralt?”

“I don’t know. Maybe days”

“Days?!” you and Jaskier both asked at unison.

“And that thing is coming with us?”

The ‘thing’ to which Jaskier’s was referring to was a bruxa carcass, result of Geralt’s hunt that he brought back to the camp, filling the air with the worst persistent smell that haunted your nostrils.

“Yes, it will. I hope I’ll get a payment for that, and for the others too”

“What do you mean?”

“I killed one but I think there are more out there” Jaskier gulped loudly at the witcher’s statement.

The idea of spending the night in a forest full of the worst creatures sent directly from the underworld surely made you and Jaskier feel uneasy as you shifted in your seats and looked around you with growing wariness.

However you knew Geralt was a skilled swordsman and having him by your side was reassuring.

“What about you? Who requested your presence?”

This time you spoke “Actually we don’t know” you took out from your bag the letter you received just few weeks ago “the invitation is signed ‘an admirer of yours’”

“Finally someone who has good taste” said the bard.

The fire was getting weaker, Jaskier could see his breath every time he exhaled as he kept you close providing a little warmth to your freezing figure.

“We should get some rest” Geralt mentioned before laying down on his bedroll facing away from you “If you can’t control yourselves tonight just be quiet.”

Your heart skipped a beat while wild thoughts appeared in Jaskier’s mind.

“Geralt it is already quite demanding trying to ignore the foul-smelling creature you brought back. I’m not even sure if I can sleep tonight, that smell is haunting”

Soon after you both heard Geralt snoring, your eyelids became heavier as you sat up and walked toward your bedroll.

“Where are you going?” Jaskier’s voice made you look behind your shoulders.

“”I’m going to...bed?”

“Oh no no no no no” he quickly sat up, grabbed your things and placed them near his “Do you think I would let you sleep over there?”

With that he got under his thick blanket and looked at you expectantly.

“Come on!” he beckoned to you.

Smiling brightly you didn’t think about twice and snuggled into him, the feeling of his arms wrapped around you sent shivers down your spine as you slowly warmed up.

The night was cold and the stars shined above you. It was one of those winter nights where the sky is clear and the pungent cold bites your skin.

“I’m so lucky to have you” he whispered as he looked up to the sky. You did the same.

Scooting closer to him, you placed your head in the crook of his neck, feeling his head leaning softly on you.

“I knew destiny had more in store for me… for us”

Almost at unison your gaze broke from the sky as you met each other’s eyes. I could get lost in those eyes forever, you both thought. Then your lips melted in a blissful kiss.

“I love you” you said.

“I love you too Y/n” he whispered “You are mine and I’m yours”

             __________________________________________________

The night was cold and stars were obscured by clouds. The moon occasionally appeared between them, illuminating everything around you.

That was the first you noticed when you finally managed to crack your eyes open. The little snowflakes tingling your face let you know it was snowing.

Ultimately your eyes adjusted to the dark, you were laying on the ground, on your left side as you faced a three. Actually there were many of them.

In that moment you remembered. A memory flashed into your mind. You remembered anger, sorrow, emptiness, as you ran, careless of the bitter cold hitting your skin, tears ran down your cheeks, your eyes red.

Why was I crying?

Your thoughts were interrupted by loud sounds coming from behind you. Recognizing three distinct voices. Someone was screaming as a metallic sound pierced the air, a sword maybe? An unnatural growl followed.

Then you heard it: someone was calling your name, more and more loudly, repeatedly. You tried to answer, but you couldn’t.

The night was cold but you felt a warm sensation around you. Moving the hand that was laying on your side made you notice how red it actually was. It was for the cold, right?

           ___________________________________________________

At dawn the three of you left the forest. The trip was long and exhausting, traveling around during winter time was already quite challenging and having a rotting carcass near you didn’t make it any easier or a better experience.

If that wasn’t enough, you unfortunately discovered that you had misjudged your position and the city was farther away than you thought.

It took you almost a week to arrive, obviously stopping by along the way in small towns to buy food and sleep in a true bed. Luckily in one of those towns Geralt managed to get some coins for the rotting creature, getting rid of it and ultimately freeing you from the fetid smell.

When you finally glimpse the city’s gates, it looked like a mirage.

“Oh thank you!” Jaskier sighed loudly in relief “I was dreaming about this moment for days”

“So you don’t dream about me?” you playfully pouted behind the bard’s shoulders.

“Dear, I dream about you every night. Sometimes is you welcoming me at the city’s gates, sometimes is you in a warm tavern dancing and many times is me and you in a comfortable bed”

Laughing you poked him in the back.

Your way to the city was probably one of the most tiresome experience of your life but having Jaskier by your side made you forget about the cold and the endless rides on Pegasus’ back. Every night you would lay down next to him stargazing in his arms as you drifted off to sleep. The memories you both made during those times would never be forgotten.

“Now we just have to find our mysterious admirer” Jaskier mentioned while you got off Pegasus.

“I think you are talking about me, Viscount”

A silky, melodious female voice made you turn around where you saw a young woman around Jaskier’s age, dressed in a refined and elegant dress, her hair impeccable. She smiled, but not at you both, she had eyes only for Jaskier, and you immediately noticed.

“Countess de Stael? What a surprise” uneasiness clear in his voice.

He knows her?

“Jaskier, is such a pleasure having you here again” she approached you two and reached her hand out for Jaskier to kiss. Taken aback by her gesture he awkwardly took her hand and gave a small kiss.

“You didn’t change a bit Jaskier since we last saw each other”

All different kinds of thoughts filled your mind, as you tried to not get carried away by your emotions, you decided to play it off and not cause any scene.

“It was a long time ago. May I present you Y/n?” you stepped beside him and felt his hand in the small of your back, reassuringly.

“It’s so nice to make your acquaintance, Countess” you bowed a little.

She then proceeded to make the most perfect fake smile you ever saw in your life before greeting you briefly.

The countess however couldn’t not notice the complicity between you two “So you are together” Another fake smile.

“Indeed” Jaskier stated looking at you fondly.

“So you got over his wild past after all?” she asked finally making complete eye contact with you.

Your eyes went wide.

“Excuse me?” you couldn’t continue because she cut you off again.

“Oh but where are my manners, you must be very tired after a long ride, follow me I’ll show you where you will stay”

Her dress whirled around following her movement as you and Jaskier shared a look, anger in your eyes, uneasiness in his.

The inn was luxurious, the Countess had reserved only the best for her guests: the rooms were huge, warm and styled with all kinds of sophisticated furnishings. She then proceeded to accompany you to the assembly hall that had been completely decorated for the occasion.

“I will see you tomorrow night. I can’t wait to hear you play again like in the old days”

Back in your shared room, you and Jaskier had a lot to talk about. It was clear that he was troubled by that whole situation but you needed answers.

“Jaskier just tell me” you sighed, a little nervous but determined to listen everything he had to say.

He walked over to you and sat on your bed next to you, his eyes fixed on the floor.

“We met few years ago” he began, his tone terse and quieter than usual “It was one of my first travel around in palaces and the first time I played and sang for noble men and women”

You listened carefully in complete silence, occasionally nodding at what he said.

“Then I met her… it was a short romance, just a kiss, nothing important, really. I didn’t know she was her who sent the letter, I would have never agreed to come here” he looked up this time and met your eyes.

“Y/n, I…” before he could say anything else you placed your index finger on his lips lightly and at his own surprise, you smiled.

“Jaskier, we both have a past, I’m not here to judge you or judge your past, what I do care about is us” the hand that was on his lips went to his cheek.

The soft rubbing of your thumb on his skin made him relax a little, as he melted in your warm touch.

“I want you to know that you are the best thing that ever happened to me, I want let this situation cause arguments between us. You are mine and I’m yours.” he stated.

“You are mine, and I’m yours” you repeated.

His hand went to grab yours that was on his cheek, kissing it steadily.

Relief washed over both of you as you leaned making your foreheads touch lightly, enjoying this little moment together.

“If she proposes her hand to you again I’ll cut it off”

            ___________________________________________________

The night was terribly cold.

The tears you shed before were now dry and frozen on your face. Snow cleared, the moon fully shined in the dark sky, the ground was now filled with a white cover. Voices still roared behind you. You had to turn around. Using your hand you pushed a little as your body ached from head to toes. Only now you noticed how labored your breathing was, how tired you were. Gasping for the sudden movement you ultimately managed to turn and laid on your back and saw what was really happening.

The hand you used to push yourself around was now in front of you, staining the snow below. That’s when you realized the red color in your hand wasn’t for the cold.

            ___________________________________________________

Destiny likes to play games and it’s an excellent player. Just a terrible mix of bad coincidences placed at the right time and the trick is done.

That night Geralt was out hunting as you approached the assembly hall. The crowd gathered around the small stage was unbelievably large. Guess who was in the front row? The countess obviously, who kept looking at Jaskier as he played around you. However he was absolutely unconcerned about it and fixed his gaze on you and your beautiful dancing figure.

After performing some of your best songs, Jaskier went to the center of the stage “Now a new ballad, an exclusive for tonight”

You were a little surprised, usually you and Jaskier decided the songs to perform before going on stage, but he never mentioned this.

The song started slowly, his voice just a whisper. Improvising, you began moving around following the rhythm. Dancing around you kept listening to the words he was singing… a beautiful woman, the love he felt for her, the way her kiss saved his soul. One of the most beautiful ballad he had ever written. The rhythm, his tender words, the soft movement of his fingers on the lute’s strings

brought everyone to tears. You yourselves had watery eyes.

When he bowed, signaling the end of the ballad, the audience exploded as the room filled with a thunderous applause. You were instantly surrounded by all of them, complimenting you for the performance, for the ballads, for the beautiful night you had provided.

Fortunately the horde quickly scattered when Jaskier beckoned to you to follow him to the inn.

“I have a little fan here with me, I’ll be right there in few minutes” you said before picking up a little girl, who was completely obsessed with you and your golden earrings.

“Those a’ so shiny” she said playing with one of them.

“Do you like them?”

Jaskier smiled at the scene and nodded before heading out.

Five? Maybe ten minutes had passed since the bard had exited, when the little girl yawned and asked her parents to go to bed. You waved goodnight to the little family and went back to the inn for a much needed sleep.

Entering, you went upstairs toward your room and heard some noises.

“Jaskier, you have to tell me from where came that beautiful bal-”

The noises ceased right when you lifted your head and looked right in front of you. You could swear if someone was right next to you in that moment, he would have heard your heart breaking in million pieces. Tears welled in your eyes clouding your vision, but you could never forget what you had just saw.

Just outside your room there were Jaskier and the countess kissing. She was pushing him against the wall by the chest as he had his hands on her shoulders, his grip tight.

The bard immediately noticed your presence and pushed her away a little.

“Y/n!” he exclaimed as she turned and maliciously looked at you “That’s not what it seems”

You couldn’t hold it back, a hot tear ran down your cheek.

“How could you” you sobbed “How could you?”

The countess still had her hands on his chest before Jaskier firmly pushed her away even more.

The scene in front of you was unbearable, you backed off few steps before storming down the stairs. Without hesitation you took off running, careless of who you met down the streets and Jaskier’s voice calling you.

You ran, ran and ran ultimately exiting the city’s borders and entering the forest. It was snowing when you decided to halt and catch you breath. The houses and the city’s lights were no longer visible when you looked behind you, but you couldn’t care less. The usual silent environment when the snow covered everything around you, was now filled with your cries. Your uncontrollable sobs shook your freezing body as you collapsed on your knees, your hand covered your face.

“Y/n? Y/N?” you heard between your sobs “Y/n?!”

Just few seconds after you heard his voice calling your name, Jaskier appeared next to you.

“Y/n please let me explain”

“There nothing to explain, it is quite clear what it’s happening”

“No please let me-”

“It was only a game for you? All the time we spent together, our relationship, when you said you loved me, they were just empty words”

“No Y/n, that’s not true”  he tried to reach out but you lifted and took a step back from him, anger clear in your voice even if your eyes showed how heartbroken you were.

“Now I understand. The song. The ballad you composed and sang tonight. You knew she was the mysterious admirer, you knew she was here. You wrote it just for her, isn’t it?”

“Y/n please”

You sobbed and his heart ached. Seeing you cry was the worst thing on earth and knowing he was the cause of it was unbearable.

“When I came back to the inn she was waiting for me outside our door, I dismissed her, telling that I wasn’t interested at all” he explained.

Your crying got quieter but your wrath was still there. Just the idea of her getting close to him was intolerable.

“She tried to convince me, she tried to get close to me but when I refused again she pushed me back and kissed me… in that exact moment you appeared”

You listened carefully.

“Y/n I would never do that you, never in my entire life I could disrespect you in a such horrible way. You are my everything. Your kiss heals my soul, you know it” Your eyes went wide.

“Yes, the song was for you” he smiled softly.

In a whisper, you broke the silence “Jaskier”

The sorrowful hint in his eyes spoke to you, you saw he was suffering for what happened and you didn’t want let that pompous countess ruin what you built together. Deep down in your heart you trusted Jaskier, his words were only the confirmation.

He seemed to read your mind because he moved closer to you and hugged you, firmly, steadily.

One of your hand went behind his neck, bringing him even closer to you as you enjoyed each other’s presence.

“I’m sorry” he said after few minutes, still wrapped around you.

“It’s ok” you smiled “I’m sorry, because tomorrow I’ll commit murder”

Jaskier burst out laughing breaking the hug.

“I love you” he said taking your hands in his.

“I love-”

Your head snapped to the side.

“Wha-”

“Shh” you raised your hand and listened carefully “Did you hear that?”

“No, what did you hear?” he asked confused as he began looking around. Then he heard them too.

Footsteps on the snow. But who could be wandering around during night time?

From behind a three appeared what you instantly recognized to be a bruxa. Fangs, sharp claws, dry blood around her mouth and neck, there was no doubt.

Fear clouded your minds, you were far from the city and had no weapons with you to at least try and defend yourselves.

“Y/n when I tell you, you run ok?” Jaskier protectively put himself in front of you.

There was no way you were leaving without him “I won’t let you here with that thing”

You didn’t know how, even thinking about it afterwards you couldn’t explain it to yourself. A bruxa is known to be fast moving, impossible to dodge almost, but somehow you managed to see her run forward, her claws open ready to strike on her preys.

Not him, you thought.

In one mighty movement you pushed Jaskier to the side taking the hit.

“Y/N!” he cried.

Your body was thrown against a three as you collapsed on the ground on your side. The bruxa then turned her head and looked at Jaskier with gluttony written on her gruesome face.

“You and I didn’t finish!” someone shouted.

Geralt.

He had drunk one of his potions, his eyes completely black, a feral expression as he glared at the creature.

The witcher sprinted, wielding his silver sword and began fighting with the vampire. His movement showed years of experience, his strikes deadly.

Jaskier took advantage of the moment and ran toward you.

            ___________________________________________________

Now you remembered. The bruxa. The hit. The screams. Everything.

Jaskier saw you pushing yourself to lay on your back as he approached. Dropping to his knees he saw one of his worst nightmares appear in front of him. The white candid color of the snow was now crimson, a horrible halo around your tired body.

“Gods” he breathed out.

That’s when his hands started shaking lightly in fear.

“What did you do? What did you do?” he asked repeatedly, his voice just above a whisper.

From the gash on your right side, blood was oozing profusely before Jaskier tried to put pressure on it.

The bard was wearing that blue doublet you liked so much, it was the exact same color of his eyes, now stained in that dreadful crimson color. You looked up to gaze into his red-rimmed eyes that were darting back and forth in worry. He noticed.

“Y/n you have to stay awake, can you do this for me?”

Geralt was still fighting behind you but Jaskier couldn’t care less.

“Jaskier” you breathed.

He lifted one hand from the wound to cup your face but stopped midair when he noticed the red stain on it.

“I’m here love, I’m here” and for the first time you saw him cry, his body shook with sobs, tears ran down freely.

With all your strength left, you reached out and placed your hand on his thigh “It’s...it’s ok”

“Hey no no no no no, you can’t do this to me, Y/n-Y/n!”

Gently, he lifted your upper body and wrapped his stron arm around your shoulders as you laid on his lap. A single hot tear ran down his eye and fell on your cheek.

Pressure, i need to stop the bleeding, he thought.

“We will get help, you’re going to be okay” he wasn’t sure if he was saying that to you or to himself “You’re going to be okay, just keep those beautiful eyes open ok?”

The fear of losing you forever, clouded his mind.

Your face journeyed from sadness to pain, the fabric Jaskier put on the gash couldn’t stop the bleeding “I-it hurts”

“Don’t look, don’t look keep your eyes on me, Geralt we have to go!” he shouted behind his shoulder.

The bruxa was injured, the fight was ending and the witcher was the winner, but Jaskier could feel your life slowly fading in his arms. 

”Stay... stay with me” he cried, kissing your forehead.

It was unbearable. Cruel. Painful.

Destiny had brought you together and now it was tearing you apart.

TAG LIST:

@alyxkbrl​ @spencer-reid-in-a-pool​

[four-loose-screws]

FE8 Novelization Translation - Chapter 5, Section 2

FE8 Novelization Translation - Chapter 5, Section 1

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

I call this a “section” because it is not a separate part of the chapter in the book, but divided from the rest of the chapter by a scene break.

———————————

Chapter 5: Fog of War (con’t)

The moment Eirika's army left Serafew, they were already in Grado territory.

They continued on even more carefully before, avoiding all major roads and traveling around the outskirts of every town they neared. The supplies and food they'd prepared was more than enough for their journey, but without even a moment to rest their tired minds, their anxiety only multiplied. 

Still, Eirika had determination to spare. Each step brought her a little closer to her brother.

Her ever growing group of allies also helped to ease the pain in her weary heart. The mage Lute, strange as she was, indeed had the skills to back up her claims that she was a prodigy. And not only that, she was also knowledgeable about plants and animals, and knew the names of many of the weeds growing alongside the road. Whenever they were marching and one of the young soldiers found a rare plant, she would give its name and medicinal properties in the spot, gaining the fascination of those around her.

Her friend, the monk Artur, was quiet and did not stand out, but studied fervently. Almost all of the items in the heavy bag he carried on his back were books. Whenever he had a free moment, he cracked one of them open, and often asked Moulder questions. Moulder seemed happy to find someone he could make good conversation with.

The ally they'd made in Serafew, Natasha, was pure in both beauty and kindness, making her wildly popular among the soldiers. Some would even fall down and injure themselves on purpose in an attempt to get her to heal them. Seth realized this and scolded them harshly for it, and since then, of course none dared to try that ever again, but some never stopped trying to talk to her whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Then, there was the other person who'd joined them in Serafew, the mercenary Joshua. He seemed to be distant with everyone.

He was lighthearted and joked around, however, the moment anyone tried to get close to him, he would distance himself from them. And even if someone was just having a casual chat with him, he would not speak a single word about his personal life. Behind his cheerful face lied a man who did not want to even try opening up his heart to anyone.

Perhaps his many years as a mercenary had made him wary of others, but Eirika did not think that was all there was to it.

Seth saw right through her, and knew exactly how worried she was. She still hadn't gotten very good at horseback riding, so she continued to ride with him. Because of it, they had ample opportunities to talk about topics that they did not want to discuss with anyone else.

One day, a thick fog had enveloped the land around them since the morning, obscuring their field of vision. The air was chilly, and the soldiers' footsteps were heavy. 

Eirika was lost in thought as she rocked atop the horse. When Seth started talking to her in a low voice, she gasped in surprise.

"Something seems to be bothering you, Milady."

"Hm? Oh, no… not exactly…"

"Is it the mercenary?"

Eirika was surprised that he'd seen right through her. She looked around to make sure that no one else could hear, then answered, "Yes… I think Joshua seems to be keeping a secret of some kind. I have no intention of investigating it, but I'm a bit worried about the fact that he will not open up to everyone."

"I think it would be best to keep watch over his movements."

His tone was firm. It made Eirika uneasy. "What do you mean by that?"

"He's a person who casually switched to our side while he was employed by Grado. There's no guarantee that someone like him-"

"Seth!" Eirika realized what he was trying to say, and interrupted him. "No way, are you saying that he will betray us?"

"I'm saying that it would be best to assume the possibility."

"I… believe him. Even if he does possibly have something to hide, I do not think he is a bad person. And his skill with the sword is very reliable…"

"That is the exact reason why he is terrifying."

Eirika couldn't bring herself to respond.

Seth's apprehensions were probably justified.

If a mercenary of Joshua's skill turned over to the enemy's side in the middle of battle, then… he might be able to destroy Eirika's army in an instant. Just as she feared might happen, she lost her confidence in whether or not it was right to make him one of their allies.

Suddenly, the horse stopped. She started to ask what was wrong, but her body froze.

Several people appeared in front of them. Eirika didn't know where they had come from. They were an unsettling group that seemed as if they had burst up from the ground.

The man standing as the leader was nearing them with shaky, unsteady footsteps. His head was entirely hidden under a hood, and his body was shrouded in a long robe. He couldn’t possibly be an ordinary traveler.

He continued forward until he was standing in front of them.

His facial features, shadowed by the hood, were now easily visible. His eyes were sharp, and his cheeks sunken in. He ordered in a hoarse voice, "Stop, Princess Eirika of Renais."

"...Who are you?" Eirika's hand swiftly moved towards the hilt of her sword. 

All of her allies followed suit and grabbed their weapons in unison.

They had no idea what the man's intentions were. He didn't look like a soldier, but who would challenge them unarmed?

"The bracelet you are wearing… I want you to hand it over to me."

The man's demand baffled Eirika. "My bracelet? What are you going to try to do with it?"

"Do you think I would be privy to such information? His Majesty wishes to have it." 

She guessed that he must be referring to Grado's emperor.

In that moment, she realized they were being ambushed, and bit her lip. They'd intended to march carefully, but the empire seemed to have figured out where they were all the same.

"Do not hand it over, Lady Eirika." Seth said.

She of course nodded.

The man laughed haughtily. "I advise for your own safety that you try not to be stubborn. In this case, I shall tell you one thing. Prince Ephraim's army has already lost to the Grado Army. He is currently in the Renvall Castle dungeon, awaiting his execution."

Eirika’s face stiffened. "That's a lie! My brother would never lose!"

"You can cry all you want, but it's the truth. Ephraim lost. So it would be pointless for you to continue on any further. It is best for you to hand over your bracelet quietly, then run on home."

Eirika glared at him.

He seemed to have anticipated that she would not do as he said, as he chuckled, and continued, "If you will not comply, that is fine. Bring me the hostages!"

The man ordered the group following behind him like shadows. Several people were pushed forward.

They all appeared to be ordinary villagers. There were even small children staring blankly at their surroundings, with no idea what was going on. A slightly older girl was crying and screaming, "Help me!"

So his plan was to use people that have nothing to do with the situation to get Eirika's bracelet.

'How awful…' She whispered, but couldn't move.

"These are hostages I brought with me from Renais. Now hand over that bracelet! If you don't, they will all die!"

"...Understood. I will give it to you, so please let them go."

"Lady Eirika!!"

Seth tried to stop her, but Eirika said with determination in her voice, "We cannot take back the lives of the citizens. Please let me do this, Seth." Eirika dismounted his horse and took off her bracelet.

The man snatched the bracelet out of her hands, then cackled a vulgar laugh into the air. "Yes, this is it! This is the genuine item! His Majesty will certainly be pleased… Now, next, will you drop all of your weapons for me?"

"We refuse." Seth instantly replied. "I doubt you have any intention of letting Lady Eirika return home safely. Do you really think we'll comply with such a request?"

"I don't care what happens to the hostages. By the way, did you know? Rumor has it that huge spider-like monsters are living around here…" The man placed one of his wrinkly hands on a small girl's head. "The monsters will no doubt be pleased if I give these hostages to them…"

The children all burst out crying.

Realizing what their enemy was planning, Eirika screamed.

He was going to take the hostages with him. Eirika felt anger and regret stronger than she ever had before in her life, and glared at the hooded man once more.

"You seem disappointed, princess of Renais. But this is war. There is nothing that the losers can do. The people of Renais, resenting their powerless king, will be eaten by monsters…"

"Silence!" Her voice cut him off mid-sentence like the crack of a whip.

The man jumped back and looked down at Eirika. "Wh… What? Watch your mouth, and know your place…!"

Eirika glared at the man again.

She knew she had startled her opponent. Before she could even realize what she was saying, she yelled angrily, "I… throughout all of this, have told myself that I will never hate Grado. Even when the army attacked the palace, even when I heard that Father was dead, I thought to myself that I must not let my sadness turn into anger. Renais and Grado share a long history of friendship. I did not want to ruin that bond!"

Eirika pictured Prince Lyon's face in her head.

Could he possibly know that his soldiers were committing such atrocities? Could he have allowed them to go through with cruel plots like this one?

There was no way. Surely he didn't know anything about the current situation of the war...

"But if this is Grado's way, then I will not forgive them. If these are the empire's orders… then I will never forgive the Grado Empire!"

"Y-You sound awful full of yourself, girl…!” The man was intimidated by Eirika's anger. His voice sounded indomitable, but it was also shrill with anger. "If you intend to defy me, then I will show no mercy! This will be where you all meet your end!” He disappeared as if he had blown away with the wind.

"Was that magic…?” Eirika panicked and looked around. ‘Where did he go?’ 

"I believe the spiders live in the mountains just ahead of us…"

Lute said, but even when Eirika looked at where she was pointing, the mountains she claimed were there were completely covered in fog, and they could only just barely see them in the distance. 

"Let's hurry. The hostages are in danger!" When Eirika pictured the villagers all huddled together in fear of the presence of the giant spiders, she could hardly stand the thought.

The further they progressed, the thicker the fog became. Even after they lit torches, they couldn’t see very far ahead of them.

Before Eirika even gave her orders, Vanessa said, “I will go to them.”

“But it’s too dangerous in this fog…”

“I will be fine. There is no doubt that I can move faster than all of you on the ground.”

However, the enemy was probably using the fog to hide and wait for Eirika’s army to come to them. It was far too dangerous to let Vanessa go ahead on her own.

While Eirika was deliberating over how to respond, someone else spoke up.

“I will go with her.” The person who stepped forward was Joshua. He spoke in his usual tone of voice, and flashed Vanessa a smile. “I’ve always wanted to try riding a pegasus once. Let me ride with you. While you're saving the hostages, I'll take care of the monster spiders."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

"...No." She held him back. Why did he say he wanted to ride a pegasus now, of all times? 

He looked back at her, puzzled. 

Eirika felt Seth's gaze on her as she spoke awkwardly, “...I want you to stay here. The person to go with Vanessa will be… Sir Garcia. Will you go with her?”

Garcia was surprised to suddenly be called out, but nodded. “If those are my orders, then of course I’ll go! But… Lady Eirika…?”

The pained look on her face was probably suspicious. Garcia tilted his head.

Joshua asked incredulously, “What? Why not me? I should be able to take out something like spider monsters…”

“It's not that, it’s because there are likely a lot of enemies lying in wait just ahead, so I want you to fight here.” Eirika turned her back to him and avoided explaining anything further.

When Joshua had announced that he wanted to go with Vanessa, she'd immediately remembered the conversation she'd previously had with Seth. 

It was entirely possible that Joshua might betray them. He might kill Vanessa, then turn back over to the Empire's side.

She couldn't deny the fact that she wanted to trust him, but she was also worried. If he betrayed them now, they would lose both Vanessa and the hostages.

"Okay then, let's go." Vanessa helped Garcia mount her pegasus, then the two flew off.

Joshua furrowed his brow slightly and looked at Eirika with a dissatisfied expression on his face, but turned around with a huff and withdrew his sword.

Eirika called out, "Cavalry, march to the front! Because our field of vision is so poor, please always confirm where your allies are before making any movements. We must be careful not to split up, even for a moment…"

Before she was even finished giving her order, enemy soldiers started leaping towards them from within the fog.

As they'd suspected, the Grado soldiers had been waiting all across the plain for them. The injured enemies went down shrieking into the air. 

Eirika's army panicked at first, but only for a moment, and quickly regrouped. Maintaining their formation in the thick fog was no easy task, but the soldiers remained calm. They cut down their enemies while periodically calling out to each other to confirm their positions.

This battle was their first true fight within Grado territory. The enemies they'd fought before could not possibly compare to this group. And on top of that, the Grado soldiers knew this area very well, and used that to their advantage by trying to lure Eirika's army into dangerous areas such as cliffs and swamps whenever they found an opening.

Throughout the grueling battle, Eirika confirmed Joshua's position several times. His red hair stood out even within the fog. He rushed so boldly into the enemy lines that one would think he was being reckless, and broke through areas so that the cavalry could advance. It was clear that he was an essential member of Eirika's army now.

Was her previous judgement a mistake? Perhaps he had noticed that she doubted him, and she had ironically lost his trust in the process...

"Eirika!"

Seth's voice snapped her back to reality. 

An enemy soldier was running straight toward her.

It took all of her strength just to dodge his attack the moment he lunged. If Seth had not rushed over to her, the Grado soldier likely would have skewered her with his lance.

Seth defeated the soldier, then pulled her up atop his horse.

"I'm fine, Seth. I can still fight…"

But Seth ignored her plea. The moment she realized that maybe her concentration was still lacking in battle, her body shrunk back.

The battle was gradually reaching its conclusion. The enemy army seemed to be mostly defeated. Franz was rushing around their ranks and confirming the number of casualties. They had not suffered many sacrifices at all.

“All that’s left is their leader. We have to search for the man that stole the bracelet!”

Eirika shook her head. “No, Seth. I am more worried about the hostages. Let’s follow after Vanessa and Garcia…”

“It seems like that won’t be necessary!” Colm said while looking up at the sky.

Perhaps because of his experience as a thief, his hearing was far better than that of the average person. Even on a battlefield like their current one with poor visibility, his keen senses had been helpful, allowing him to give effective directions to the soldiers.

“I can hear her pegasus’ wings. Sounds like they’re comin’ back here.”

Just as he finished saying that, the noise reached Eirika’s ears. It was the unmistakable sound of wings soaring through the sky.

As the fog slowly started to clear, a lone black shadow became visible. It became much bigger in the blink of an eye, then lightly started to lower in front of Eirika and the others.

Vanessa landed with a small girl in her arms. “I apologize for returning late, Lady Eirika.

Vanessa’s cheerful expression caused Eirika to breathe a sigh of relief. “Good work, Vanessa. What about the other hostages…?”

“They are safe. Since I could not carry such a large group at once, I returned with the youngest child for now.”

“And what about Sir Garcia?”

“He is safe as well, of course. He fought the monsters all by himself. Since there may be others still lurking about, he is staying by the hostages’ side for the time being.”

“So they’ve already been killed…?” Lute cut into the conversation with disappointment in her voice. “However, ‘Spider Monsters’ is not their proper name. That would be ‘Bael.” I really wanted to see one once with my own eyes, but… I’ll at least go just to see their corpses…”

“Lute!” Everyone shouted.

“We don’t have time to be studying spider monsters right now. Leave the rescue of the hostages to Vanessa and the cavalry. Everyone else has to go after the man from before.” Seth ordered.

“Bael are much more endearing than that seedy human…” Lute looked up at Seth, but realized that there was no chance her request would be granted, and nodded her head in acceptance. “Understood. It is unfortunate, but I will likely have another chance to encounter a Bael. Let’s chase after the seedy human for now.”

Seth gave the soldiers their orders, and they all searched for the man who should be hiding within the fog. Before long, he received a report that a man had been found hiding in a thicket at the base of a mountain.

The fog had cleared considerably at that point. They were able to see him with their naked eyes.

The hooded man realized that enemies were coming towards him, and tried to flee. It was likely that he’d decided to try to leave the fighting to his subordinates while he watched from afar atop high ground. Thick tree cover and cliffs blocked him off, and there were no escape routes behind him.

Eirika jumped down from Seth’s horse and ran up to him. “There’s nowhere for you to run! Now hand over my bracelet!”

The man glared at Eirika with bloodshot eyes, and clutched the stolen bracelet tightly. “S… someone… wants to give it to His Majesty…!”

“Why does the Grado Emperor want my bracelet?”

“I-I don’t know…!”

The man muttered a spell without moving his mouth.

Eirika realized quickly what he was doing, and jumped back. A pillar of smoke rose from where she’d been standing.

It was now obvious that he could wield offensive magic.

Battle with a mage was difficult because while they had no physical strength, they could launch an attack with magic even from far away. Those skilled in magic could somewhat defend themselves against it, but the average soldiers, like sword fighters and knights, had no protections at all against it. It was far from uncommon for those who were unskilled in combat to be killed by a single spell. 

Would it be best to send Lute and Artur his way? But they were not used to battle yet, and he might be difficult for them to put up a fight against... 

While Eirika was still at a loss for what to do, Joshua rushed far ahead of her.

Eirika was in complete shock, and before she could call out "Be careful…!" to him, he sliced his sword through the man's skin.

"Ahh…!!" The man stifled a scream, and tried to chant one more spell. 

However, Joshua's attack was faster.

 The moment the sword glistened in the light, the man screamed his death cry. 

"Hey, this is valuable, right? Take good care of it." Joshua said teasingly, then handed the bracelet over to her.

"Th-Thank you, Joshua…"

However, Joshua immediately turned away as if he was rejecting her.

Eirika felt the giant rift between them become even deeper.

The cavalry returned with the hostages soon after. Garcia was of course with them as well.

When asked about what it was like fighting the spider monsters, he simply answered “They’re creepy,” and grimaced. They seemed to be a particularly disgusting monster. Lute, on the other hand, had the opposite reaction from everyone else. A twinkle appeared in her eyes, and she started bombarding him with questions, which disturbed him deeply.

-

That night, they unsurprisingly decided to give up on marching any further for the time being, and rested on the plains. 

After their meal, while everyone else was sitting in a circle and enjoying themselves, Seth called Eirika over to him, and broke away from the group.

She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to talk about, and put her returned bracelet tightly on her wrist, then waited for him to begin speaking.

Seth walked all the way over to the shadow of the trees, where they could not feel the presence of anyone else, then said gravely, “Lord Fado ordered me not to tell you anything until the time was right… But since the secret has been leaked to the Grado Emperor, it is probably best that I tell you now.”

“...About this bracelet?”

Seth nodded. “As you know, Renais has handed down one of the Sacred Stones since ancient times. And the countries of Grado, Frelia, Jehanna, and Rausten all pass down the other four.”

“Yes, it is said that during the ancient war, the Demon King’s power was sealed away within the Sacred Stones. They should currently be enshrined in each of those countries, which protect them. In Renais, our stone is kept in a large shrine, and the people worship it…”

“That stone is a replica.”

Eirika was surprised by his unexpected words. “A replica…? No… I cannot believe it…”

“I have been told that an exact copy was made and placed inside the shrine. The real stone is sealed tightly away in the Renais Castle basement.”

She couldn’t believe what he was saying. She herself had prayed countless times at the shrine where the Sacred Stone was kept, and she’d seen her father hold sacred rites in front of it before. Had all of that been a large-scale performance to keep the real stone hidden from sight?

“That’s… but… isn’t it pitiful for the people who have prayed at the replica? Everyone visited that shrine with such pure, devoted hearts…”

Eirika’s clouded expression made Seth smile. “No, on the contrary, it was likely for their sake. Lord Fado said that the Sacred Stones contain such great power that they have an effect on people’s hearts… and they will be entranced by that power, so much so that they cannot look away from them. That is why one of the previous kings thought up the idea to hide the real stone. And the key that unlocks the seal is that bracelet.”

Eirika looked down at her bracelet once more.

When she was young, her father had given her and her brother each a bracelet. Her father’s voice had been so uncharacteristically insistent when he told them to take good care of them, that Eirika had always thought it strange.

“Father… never told us even one word about how important these bracelets are…”

“He probably thought the day when we would need to unlock the seal would never come, and decided that it would be for the best. It is likely that Lord Ephraim still does not know his bracelet’s secret. Lord Fado only told me in the case of a one in a million scenario.”

“But then how did the Grado Empire learn of it…?”

“They probably found a way to get the information out of Lord Fado.”

There shouldn’t have been an easy way to get her father to spill such an important secret. No matter how terrifying their methods were… Eirika felt the warmth drain from her body. She couldn’t bring herself to think about it. Now wasn’t the time to lament the tragedy that had befallen her father.

“As Natasha said, the Grado Empire is trying to destroy the Sacred Stones. That is consistent with their actions so far... In order for the emperor to destroy Renais’ Sacred Stone, they are after my bracelet.”

*Maybe.”

“Brother also has the same bracelet as I. So that means…”

“If that man’s words are to be trusted, then Lord Ephraim has already been captured. It is possible that they have stolen his bracelet.”

“Brother…” Eirika clasped her hands together tightly.

They were so close to reaching him… and yet they still might not be fast enough to be able to save him.

“The enemy knows that we have already entered Grado Territory. If they become impatient… it is conceivable that they will execute him.”

“Yes. We haven’t a moment to waste. Let’s hurry!” Eirika looked up at the edges of the mountains above them, clearly visible in the night sky now that the fog had cleared. And past that, she could finally see Renvall Castle.

[foodfantasies]

Shelter (Steak x Reader, Fluff)

Short and sweet! Snuggly fluff with you and Steak. A sudden storm while traveling forces you to seek refuge from the rain. When the chilly air starts getting to you, Steak steps in to protect you, just like he always does. No gendered pronouns used when referring to the reader.

- - - - - -

You had heard reports of a Fallen Angel lurking in the woods near a small town, and naturally had come to the townspeople’s aid. Steak, your most trusted Food Soul, had dispatched the monster with ease. On your way back home, however, a torrential downpour forced you to seek impromptu shelter in the form of a small cave, which you found tucked a dozen meters off the main road.

The cave was tall and wide but rather shallow, the rear wall not quite in total darkness. You had decent visibility of the road from inside, and clusters of foliage framed the entrance, providing partial cover without obscuring your view. “This will be a nice spot to wait out the storm,” you said cheerfully as you dropped your pack. Steak looked around and gave a small grunt of begrudging approval. “This will do,” he commented, “Easily defensible. But it isn’t my preference to be caught out in weather like this to begin with.” You had to agree — as much as you liked the rain, it felt a little dangerous to be out in a storm of this magnitude. You made yourself as comfortable as you could with your back against a craggy rock wall, staring out at the falling rain as Steak paced back and forth restlessly.

As time passed, you really started to feel the effects of the cold. You did your best to hide it, but you were freezing; your hands and feet were numb, and as afternoon gave way to early evening you were fighting to keep your teeth from chattering. You had risen from your resting place and began walking aimlessly around the small space, hoping that moving your body would warm you up a little. Though you remained cheerful as you waited out the storm,  he could tell you were trying to hide your discomfort, and he knew it was getting far too cold to be safe for a human.

Steak was torn. He wanted to help you. And while he had an idea, but he was currently trying his hardest to determine if it was a good — or appropriate — one. 

“Master Attendant,” he began slowly, “Red Wine always says I’m an idiot. That I have no idea how to be polite, or respectful, or how to act properly.” You kicked a rock across the ground and turned to face him.  “You know better than to listen to Red,” you said flippantly, “He says whatever he knows will make you mad.”  Steak shifted his weight from one foot to the other.  “I know,” he said gruffly. “Still, I’m… glad you don’t think of me that way.” He adjusted the lay of the swords on his hips as if to distract himself from his next move. Your faith and trust in him had reassured him that you wouldn’t misconstrue his intentions, but nervousness still gnawed at him now that he’d made the decision to act.

During this brief pause, you glanced at him in silent query, and your kind expression (as well as your half-concealed shiver) was just the motivation he’d needed.

“Attendant, come here,” he said suddenly, “You’re cold. I… I want to keep you warm.” The most adorable blush had crept across his face, though his expression remained almost comically stern.  It took you a moment to register his words. He had been staring straight at you with determination, but now faltered; he glanced nervously at the ground as he waited for your reply.

You smiled and went to him.  He looked down at you and cleared his throat, then pulled the front of his long coat open and held it.  You glanced, wide-eyed, from his stomach to his embarrassed face and back again.   “Are you sure it’s okay with you…?” you asked softly. He nodded.  “This will be the quickest way,” he said. “To—  to get warm, I mean.”  You stepped inside his coat as he held it open for you and wrapped your arms around his torso, a little sound of surprise escaping you as you felt just how warm he really was. His body seemed to radiate a powerful heat from within, like a furnace.  “Oh, my God, you’re so warm!” you exclaimed happily, your hesitancy evaporating as you felt the soothing heat sink in to your numb limbs.  He hadn’t said a word, hadn’t moved at all. You noticed he was breathing a little faster than usual.

“I bet I feel so cold,” you said, “I’m sorry, I hope you’re not too uncomfortable....“  “I don’t mind,” he choked out in reply.   You hugged him tightly, your cheek pressed against his chest, and you could hear his heart hammering within.  “Steak,” you whispered, “Are you sure you’re alright?” He cleared his throat again and you felt him press his face to the top of your head, breathing in deeply. His arms tightened around you now, pressing you close against his body.  “I like this,” he muttered, “Do… Do you?”  “I love this,” you said blissfully, nuzzling your face against his chest. ”I can’t believe how lucky I am...” He looked down at you in mild surprise, but your face was still pressed against him.  “You take such good care of me,” you went on. He grunted, acknowledging your words in his usual gruff fashion, though immensely pleased by your recognition. “And you do so much more than that, too,” you added, “More than anything else, you make me happy. I’m always happiest when I’m with you. And I hope I…” You leaned back a bit to look up at him, your voice sinking self-consciously. “I hope I don’t cause you too much trouble.”  “You are my Master Attendant,” he said. “It is my duty to protect you. It’s no trouble.”  “Steak, you don’t have to do anything. I want you to be happy, too.”  He put one hand on the back of your head, gently pressing your cheek to his chest once again.  “What I want is to stay by your side,” he said softly. “So hush. You’re speaking nonsense.”

You blushed and happily nuzzled his warm chest, listening to the sound of the rain outside. “You know, when I’m here with you, it’s not so bad being caught in a storm,” you said shyly. His arms tightened around you.  “I feel the same,” he replied.

[eeveecryptid]

※ BORDERLANDS: CL4P-TP EDITION

Various lines that Claptrap bots have said through Borderlands 1, Pre-Sequel and 2. feel free to change pronouns if needed. May include nsfw material. ( BL3 version here )

"Wow! You're not dead?" "Hey, check me out everybody! I'm dancin', I'm dancin'!" "Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Ooo, oh check me out. Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Oh, come on get down." "Yoo-hoooooooooo!" "I am the best robot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I am the best robot. Ooh, ooh, here we go!" "Hey! Over here! I'm over here!" "Still haven't found the Vault?" "I'm over here!” "Rrrrrgh...this isn't working!" "Unce! Unce! I think I lost the beat... but, Unce! Unce!" "Wanna hear a new dubstep song I wrote? Wub! Wub--"  "(name) asked me to tell you about a, uh, ‘little sumthin' sumthin'’ s/he needs done. You should ask him/her about it!" "Did you find the Vault yet?" "Sure is lonely around here." "Oh my God, I'm leaking! I think I'm leaking! Ahhhh, I'm leaking! There's oil everywhere!" "I can see through time..." "My servos... are seizing..." "I can see... the code." "I don't like this... this is making me nervous. Take a deep breath- I can't breathe! This is just a recording of someone breathing! It's not real! It's just making me more nervous!" "I'm detecting a motor unit malfunction... I can't move! I'm paralyzed with fear!" "Please don't shoot me, please don't shoot me, please don't shoot me!" "Turning off the optics... they can't see me..." "The traveler will protect me. The traveler will protect me." "Good as new, I think. Am I leaking?" "The box is awaiting your attention." "Please open the box." "Yeah? Well, hmph!" [ gives the finger ] "Good luck!" "There's more to learn!" "Let me teach you the ways of magic!” "Magic waits for no one, apprentice!" "Still working on that quest?" "Shouldn't you be murdering something about now?" "Hey! You're TALKING to me! And I didn't even have an exclamation point over my head! This is the BEST day of my life!" "Sooooo... how are things?" "Hey, best friend!" "Yessss, look into my eyes. You're getting sleepy. You're getting... zzzzzz... Zzzzzz..." "Success! My spell to make you want to hang out with me worked!" "Stay a while, and listen. Oh god, please -- PLEASE! -- stay a while." "Away with thee!" "Don't you worry, minion! Give me one good shot at that (name) dude and I'll take them right out! I... just got some stuff to do first." "We've really come a long way, haven't we, minion? And you're still just as loyal as ever! Who's a good minion? You are! Yes you are!" "Yessiree! This whole place would completely fall apart without old Claptrap keeping things humming along!" "As a robot, I'm completely immune to (name)’s gas attacks. But that hasn't stopped me from incessantly cowering!" "And I thought bandits were bad BEFORE they had nightmare plants growing out of them!" "You already saved Pandora? But... but I'M the hero of Pandora! It's on my business card! I ORDERED SO MANY OF THEM!" "Sanctuary's gone? But the bank! All my stuff! All my crucial information! YES! I'M OFF THE GRID, BABY! NO MORE CREDITORS! Seriously, I owe a lot of people a lot of money." " The Vault Map is gone! Forever! It will never be found. Never, ever, ever-- is what I'll say to everyone I know while I look for it. " “ I can do more than open doors, sir/ma’am! We CL4P-TP units can be programmed to do anything from open doors to ninja-sassinate highly important Janitor-y officials! ” “ I once started a revolution myself. There were lots of guns and a lot of dying. You'd think I would have gotten some better benefits out of the whole thing but no, demoted back to door-opening servitude! ” “ ---Remember what? Are... are you my father? ” “ Are you god? Am I dead? ” “ I'M DEAD I'M DEAD OHMYGOD I'M DEAD! ” “ Thanks for giving me a second chance, (name). I really appreciate it. ” " Hey everybody! Check out my package! " " Let's get this party started! " " Glitching weirdness is a term of endearment, right? " " This time it'll be awesome, I promise! " " Look out everybody! Things are about to get awesome! " " Eww, what flavor is red? " "Where'd all my bullets go?" " Bullets are dumb. " " I need tiny death pellets! " " RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIVES! " " Oh, s/he's big...REALLY big! " " I am a tornado of death and bullets! " " Stop me before I kill again, except don't! " " There is no way this ends badly! " " This is why I was built! " " You call yourself a badass? " " Is it dead? Can- can I open my eyes now? " " I didn't panic! Nope, not me! " " Not so tough after all! " " I have gaskets tougher than you! " " That was me! I did that! " " Don't tell me that wasn't awesome! " " Wait, did I really do that? " " Aww! Now I want a snow cone. " " Freeze! I don't know why I said that. " " I can't feel my fingers! Gah! I don't have any fingers! " " Why do I even feel pain?! " " Why did they build me out of galvanized flesh?! " " That looks like it hurts! " " Oh, quit falling to pieces. " " Is that what people look like inside? " " Huh, robot's don't do that. " " Disgusting. I love it! " " It's about to get magical! " " You can't just program this level of excitement! " " Push this button, flip this dongle, voila! Help me! " " Square the I, carry the 1... YES! " " I have an IDEA! " " Round and around and around she goes! " " It's like a box of chocolates. " " If I had veins, they'd be popping out right now! " " Roses are red and/Violets are blue/Wait... how many syllables was that? " " Aww, I should've drawn tattoos on you! " " Tell me I'm the prettiest! " " Trouncy, flouncy... founcy... those aren't words. " " The robot is dead, long live the robot! " " Take these, gorgeous, you'll feel better! " " Some days, you just can't get rid of an obscure pop-culture reference. " " Oh darn, oh boy, oh crap, oh boy, oh darn. " " Do not look behind my curtain! " " I'm made of magic! " " Like those guys who made only one song ever. " " Everybody, dance time! Da-da-da-dun-daaa-da-da-da-dun-daaa! " " I brought you a present: EXPLOSIONS! " " Is this really canon? " " ... You're dead to me. " “ Nobody hurts my friends! " " Wubwubwub. Dubstep dubstep. Wubwubwubwub DROP! Dubstep! " " I'll stop talking when I'm dead! " " I'll die the way I lived: annoying! " " Come back here! I'll gnaw your legs off! " " This could've gone better! " " You look like something a skag barfed up! " " What's that smell? Oh wait, it's just you! " " Yo momma's so dumb, she couldn't think of a good ending for this 'yo momma' joke! " " You're one screw short of a screw! " " I bet your mom could do better! " " Good thing I don't have a soul! " " I'll never go back to the bad place! " " I have many regrets! " " Can I just say... yeehaw. " " You're the wub to my dub! " " So... does this make me your favorite? " " What are YOU doing down here? " " We're like those buddies in that one show! " " This is no time to be lazy! " " You can thank me later! " " You love me, right? " " You, me... keeping on... together? " " You versus me! Me versus you! Either way! " " Dance battle! Or, you know... regular battle. " " You wanna fight with me?! Put 'em up!.. Put 'em up? " " A million baddies, and you wanna hit me? Aww! " " I am so impressed with myself! " " Ha ha, this is in no way surprising! Ha ha! " " Don't bother with plastic surgery - there's NO fixing that! " " I am right behind you, Vault Hunting friend! " " I can do that too! ... Sorta... Except not. " " You jerks have NO idea what you're in for! " " I'm so glad I'm not one of those guys right now! " " YOU! ARE! SCARY! " " That is in no way disturbing. " " I did a challenge? I did a challenge! " " Glad I didn't mess that up. " " I feel... complete!.. That's weird. " " I actually did something right for once! " " Hmmm, the possibilities are an infinite recursion. " " Do any of these come with a new paint job? " " Which of these gives me my free will back? " " The moon is not enough! " " I'd do anything for a man/woman with a gun. " " At least I still have my teeth! " " Coffee? Black... like my soul. " " Crazy young whippersnappers...  " " I've finally got an electric personality! " " Wait, this isn't vegetable juice! " " Cool! Now we're both super-crazy-amazing! " " These are the best kind of cooties! " " Can I shoot something now? Or climb some stairs? SOMETHING exciting? " " Times like these, I really start to question the meaning of my existence. Then I get distra-hey! What's this? This looks cool! " " It would really stink if I couldn't control what I was thinking. Like, who wants to know that I'm thinking about cheese and lint, right? " " How does math work? Does this skin make me look fat? If a giraffe and a car had a baby, would it be called a caraffe? Life's big questions, man. " " Who needs memories when I can do all this cool stuff? Stuff that I currently am not doing! That's what I'd like to call a 'hint'. " " Does this mean I can start dancing? Pleeeeeeaaaaase? " " Ya know when there was that Vault monster scare? I had these friends, and boy times sure were scary! But, I didn't care because I had friends, and they were like... super-friends! And then they left me, but they saved the world and I was like 'I know those guys!' Even though they never came back after that I still knew they cared, because no one had ever been... nice to me before. ... What is this? My eye is like... leaking. " " It's really quiet... and lonely... (hums briefly) Also this 'stopped moving' thing makes me uncomfortable. It gives me time to stop and think... literally. I'VE STOPPED, AND I'M THINKING! IT HURTS ME! " " Oh. My. God. What if I'm like... a fish? And, if I'm not moving... I stop breathing? AND THEN I'LL DIE! HELP ME! HELP MEEEEE HEE HEE HEEE! HHHHHHHELP! " " Ahem, ahem. What's going on? Did I break something? " “ You hear me, (name)?! You killed my friends! You destroyed my product line! I am the last Claptrap in existence, AND I AM GOING TO TEABAG YOUR CORPSE! ” “ You think a door can stop me, (name)?! I was MADE to open doors! ” “ Dammit, (name) - how did you know stairs were my ONLY weakness?! Next to electrocution, and explosions, and gunfire, rust, corrosion, being kicked a lot, viruses, being called bad names, falling from great heights, drowning, adult onset diabetes, being looked at funny, heart attacks, exposure to oxygen, being turned down by women, and pet allergens! Your brilliance is matched only by your malevolence! ” “ I'm just gonna go ahead and cloak now. You can't hear me crying if I cloak! (sobbing) stairs, why did it have to be stairs? I'll never climb those stairs! ”

[jadenjace]

⤿ ⋆ JADEN JACE LAPOINTE | TWENTY-NINE | ALABAMA ➜ ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO. ( @roswellstarters​ )

hello hello !! my name is emily and this is jaden --  he’s my little angel bug , a sweet joker of a boy who loves sports & video games and is working part-time at forbidden planet . he’s had time off from working following an unfortunate accident that took most of his right leg but that doesn’t get him down -- him , his wife , their dog buffy and pet frog named legs have all recently uprooted and moved to roswell to start their new life away from any potential triggers . i seriously want connections with everybody and will be reaching out to bother anyone who even sniffs around this intro post , so drop a like and i’ll come a-knockin’ .

TW : car accident , mental illness , amputation , injury .. all that good stuff .

character info –

Name: Jaden Jace Lapointe Age: Twenty-Nine Pronouns: He/Him Hometown: La Fayette, Alabama Time lived in Roswell: Three months Occupation: Employee at Forbidden Planet

biography –

1991 brought the birth of the greatest lapointe child , at least according to jaden himself. he was always a little rocket running excitedly from place to place , high-energy , much to the despair of his parents who were left with the task of keeping up . their lifestyle in the early years suited the little powerhouse – his mother and father loved the travelling life and before he was even old enough to speak they’d state-hopped and explored every hidden nook and crevice that the world had to offer . being that young he didn’t realise that it was due to his father’s native american roots – alabama wasn’t known for their open minds , especially twenty odd years ago , and the idea of his mother marrying a man anything other than white seemed unheard of . circumstances relaxed with the realisation that hilary was pregnant and they settled in maine now things had calmed , the small closed off town that didn’t seem to have enough space for a boy desperate to see it all . thankfully , unlike his rather conservative and old-fashioned grandmother she heard so much about , hilary let jaden do pretty much whatever he wanted ( within reason , of course ) . it started off with semi-permanent hair chalks , washable markers on pale skin , an ear piercing when he was old enough to sign the forms , then another , an impulsive nature taking root and leaving him with some questionable scars and stick ‘n’ poked imagery .

during high school he never fit in , but unlike some of the ‘ loser ‘ kids he didn’t fit the mould for the simple reason that he didn’t fucking want to . he didn’t care if teachers told him to dye his hair a normal color , to take those ‘ foul pieces of metal ‘ out of his face , he was there to have fun and maybe learn along the way .. even if not much of it got through . one passion though was computing class . it was the only textbook that wasn’t filled with doodles of basketballs and surfboards , of little aliens and crazy superheros , simply because the world of pixels didn’t seem so far away when he was learning the facts . if he had been more dedicated maybe he would’ve become an video game developer , a big time sports star maybe ; the dream is still there somewhere at the back of that widened mind of his , and one day he hopes he might actually see his name in lights instead of just staring up at them . alongside the nerdy part of his mind was his sporty nature , gravitating toward the basketball team ( which was the only crumb of street credibility he could get his hands on ) and frequenting the skateboard to try , and fail , complicated tricks until they were finally perfected .

meeting ezra was a turning point in the boy’s life . their relationship began with a fateful meeting , a few awkward encounters across the basketball court and in her previous job at the movie theatre . asking her on a date was something that would impact his future in more ways than one , both positively and detrimentally .. on the drive to the arcade for their first real moment as a couple their car flipped and , in a final moment of sacrifice , tipped over on the driver’s side and in turn crushed the lower half of his right leg . beyond repair , the male was forced to have it  amputated merely a few months ago . with his existence put into perspective the couple decided to uproot and move somewhere with more options , more opportunities to heal , grow and recover from a moment so traumatic it was difficult for the both of them to cope , using money gifted from the lapointe parents ( who had practically adopted ezra at this point ) and some stashed away from savings they managed to find a little apartment to rent between them .

roswell is now their sanctuary , and jaden spends most of his days cooped up playing video games or watching cult movies to distract himself from the ever present demons inside of his head . now that he’s on the mend the male has landed a part-time job at the comic book store in order to help with bills and hospital payments alongside his new wife , the pair having wed just a few weeks ago in the height of the forest , a ceremony that was fit for a fairy tale . the two aren’t very financially stable thanks to the payments from extensive surgeries

personality  –

if there was one word to describe him in the dictionary it would be a GOOFBALL – nothing is taken seriously , which is maybe a downfall when he comes anywhere close to a halfway serious conversation or figuring ‘adult’ things out for himself . everything is a joke , followed by a witty comment or obscure reference , a type of humour that would’ve been suited to a late-night television host if he had half the confidence to execute such a thing . jaden never takes anything seriously , before his accident and after it . jokes have been his coping mechanism and they’d continue to be for the near future at least , the only way he is able to forget about what happened to him and figure out a way to cope is through puns , quips and jokes at his own expense . unfortunately for the boy that attempts to be a ball of sunshine 99% percent of the time he is haunted in flashbacks by his accident , old film reels that play back in his mind at the most inconvenient of times . jaden doesn’t admit to many people that late nights are spent fighting tears or crying so hard his head pounds , hiding from the outside world beneath countless of sheets just for a hint of solace , a sanctuary among the fear .