#i realized that the dog reading about bones was probably just reading about its interest

[lesservillain]

an on the outside story.

summary: a new edition to the family

“Too nice?” 

You raise a confused brow as you read the little info card on the outside of the kennel. The name “Killer” had caught your attention as you approached the barred door. When you saw the dog itself a chill ran down your spine.

This dog looked big. Like it could rip the head off of anyone for looking at it wrong. It sat quietly, the only dog not barking amongst those at the shelter. His eyes were on what you thought was you at first. But when you shuffled over slightly, you realize he’s looking right at Eddie, who stands behind you with a grin.

“Oh, yeah,” the kennel girl chimes in, “Killer’s owner wanted him to be their guard dog, did all the training and whatnot. But they said that he didn’t listen to them and was too nice, not the right fit for a guard dog. So they dumped him here with us.”

“Can we see him?” Eddie asks, a glint in his eyes as he approaches the kennel.

You whip your head around, looking at him incredulously. “What?”

“Yeah of course!” The girl seems excited that Eddie was interested in the dog. “He’s really such a sweetheart. And a huuuuge cuddle bug.”

“It’s name is Killer,” you whisper anxiously to Eddie, but he ignores you. You grab his hand, squeezing it nervously.

The girl goes to open the door, and you start to tense up. The dog watches quietly, eyes still set on Eddie. You feel nervous, afraid of what this dog might do to your fiancé if he gets the chance to. 

But, once the door to the kennel finally opens, its whole personality flips. Suddenly he’s tapping his feet and jumping around playfully as the kennel girl greets him. When she waves for you to come in, Eddie’s hand slips from yours and he takes a step in. 

“Hey there, buddy,” he says in that chipper tone people talk to animals with, “Aren’t you just a handsome man.” Killer gets excited, turning in a circle and giving a deep bark. Eddie kneels down to his level, giving him head scritches and ear rubs. “All big and scary on the outside, but you’re just a big ol’ softie, aren’t cha.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” you say sarcastically, taking a cautious step into the kennel. You crouch down next to Eddie and Killer just about loses his mind when he starts getting attention from two people at once. He flops over on his belly, letting you scratch while Eddie pats him on the chest, playing him like a drum.

The three of you play for a while in his kennel. The way Killer carries his toys so very softly in his mouth makes you giggle. You also learn quickly that tennis balls make him lose his shit after taking him out to his run.

When the kennel assistant comes to check on you, you and Eddie look at each other. “Can we get some adoption papers?”

On the way home, Eddie wants to stop at the pet store. Killer came with a spiked collar and chain leash but you decided to leave them behind, opting to use one of the leads given by the shelter. Killer didn’t pull at all, but Eddie wanted to start running with him the next morning, so a proper collar and leash were needed.

“He’d been cooped up in that kennel for how long? Yeah, trust me babe, I know that feeling. He’s gonna love running, aren’t cha, Bud?” Eddie reaches into the back seat where Killer pants happily, patting him on the head. You’re glad you put a blanket down with how much he’s drooling back there. 

Once inside, you pick out a nice leather lounging collar for the house, and Eddie picks out a good harness for him when you’re out and about. The both of you take Killer down the toy isle and let him pick out some toys, and he goes absolutely bananas as he tries to fit as many toys in his mouth as he can. 

When you get to the checkout area, you stop when you see the tag machine. “We should probably get him one of those in case he gets out. Like put his name and our address on it.” Eddie agrees, the three of you standing in front of the machine. Looking through the options, you decide the classic bone shape is the best, and all that's left is to input the name. 

Neither of you moves, looking at the little keyboard as it waits for your input. You look over at Killer, then to Eddie, who seems to have the same thought as you. 

“Okay so what are we going to call him then?” You laugh. 

“Uh, what about…Rex?” 

“Rex,” you scrunch up your nose, “he’s not a Rex. Right buddy?” 

Killer’s ears perk up as you talk to him, almost dropping the duck toy from his mouth. 

“Fine, you got any ideas?” He crossed his arms. 

“Hmmmmmm,” you place a hand on either side of Killer’s big head and peer into his eyes. You rub his ears as you think, feeling the density of his noggin in your palms as you look him over. A smile makes it way on your lips, and you look at Eddie matter- of-factly. 

“His name is Bear,” you say, standing up straight, facing Eddie. 

“Bear?” 

“Yep, he told me.” 

Eddie looks down to now Bear, stares at him for a moment, and then nods his head. “Yeah, his name is Bear.”

And Bear has no issues when you bring him home. He really was well behaved, knowing a lot of tricks and commands, including bumping his nose on the back door to tell you to let him out. Eddie even played fetch with him while you cooked dinner.

When Wayne stopped by to drop something off, Bear was instantly on him, begging for attention. Wayne was pulling his old grumpy man act, but you saw him give bear some ear scritches when he thought no one was looking.

 As soon as its time for bed, Bear gets comfy at the end of your bed on his new dog bed. You’re under the covers as you watch Eddie bend down and talk to Bear. 

“Goodnight, Bear. I’m sorry you had to be locked up for so long. Your new mommy knows how to make a guy feel at home, though, so I think you’ll be just fine.”

[cha-melodius]

HAPPY 100 FICS / 1000 KUDOS DARLING

Could I please get Firstprince at some sort of pet store?

💜💜💜💜

(HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRICKET!!!! This is the fill for your fandom fest request of firstprince at a pet store. Thank you for being such an excellent doc gremlin and wonderful friend, I hope this fic brightens your day!!)

The Hazards of Unsolicited Toy Advice

(T, 2.2k, read it below or on AO3)

There’s a staggeringly gorgeous man loitering by a display of chew toys.

The sight of him momentarily brings Henry to a complete halt, which confuses David. He reaches the end of his lead and looks back at Henry with his head tilted, clearly wondering what could have interrupted their usual pilgrimage to the elaborate collection of bones, pigs’ ears, and various treats that make this store worth going out of their way to visit. Unfortunately for David, Henry needs a moment. He knows he’s being kind of weird, but surely he can be forgiven. It’s not every day one comes across the personification of pure sunlight in a pet store.

The man doesn’t seem to notice Henry’s watching, thankfully. His full lips pout thoughtfully as he pokes idly at a few toys, picking them up and putting them down again without much intention. A few dark curls fall forward over his forehead as he props one hand on his devastatingly narrow waist, perfectly emphasized by the way his tailored button-down is tucked into navy chinos that hug a truly perfect arse.

David chuffs softly, pulling Henry out of his reverie. Right. The beautiful man looks like he could use some decision-making assistance, perhaps. Henry will take whatever tiny opening he can get.

“If you need some advice on toys, I have some experience,” Henry said, only realizing the way it sounds once the words are out of his mouth.

Unfortunately, the beautiful man does not miss the innuendo. He looks up at Henry, warm brown eyes fringed by the longest eyelashes Henry’s ever seen flashing with mirth as his face breaks into a grin and, oh, if Henry was in trouble before, it was nothing on this. The man’s entire face lights up, nearly blinding in its brilliance, and Henry’s stomach swoops.

“Do you, now?” the man returns as his lips settle into a smirk. He looks Henry up and down, and Henry doesn’t think he’s imagining the interest in his expression.

Henry’s cheeks are heating, but he holds the man’s gaze. “Yes. David is a bit of a connoisseur.”

The man’s eyebrows shoot upward. “David? Is that your…”

“My dog, of course,” Henry says, gesturing toward where David is sitting obediently at his feet. “He’s got quite the collection.”

“Dog named David, ok,” the man mutters, laughing a little to himself. “Does he have a favorite?”

Henry reaches out and plucks a rubber toy shaped like a duck and hands it to the man. “This one is probably his first choice.” At his feet, David makes a noise of interest, and Henry glances down at him. “You have this one at home, Davey.”

The man turns the toy over in his hands, but before he can say anything an employee walks up and hands him a plain brown paper bag with the top stapled shut and some numbers written on the side.

“Anything else, sir?” she asks.

“No, that’s it. Thanks,” the man says, then looks at Henry and lifts up the duck. “Thanks for the advice.”

“Yes, well, if you need any further toy suggestions, we’re here regularly,” Henry manages to say, and it sounds like just as much of a come-on as he means it to.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” the man replies, smirking, then heads off to the front of the store.

~~~~~

Henry runs into the beautiful man again a couple weeks later, standing in the same place as last time. He’s wearing a t-shirt and jeans today with his curls combed and tamed, and is no less stunning for it (though Henry’s always been partial to curls). Today, Henry is slightly more prepared; he’s thought about—ok, fantasized about—running into the man again. This time he’s getting a name, at the very least.

“So, was it a success?” he asks as he walks up to the man. Warmth blooms in his chest at the look of recognition that takes over the man’s face, though it’s quickly followed by a furrowed brow.

“What?”

“The toy. Did your dog like it?”

“Oh. Yeah, definitely,” the man says, bobbing his head a little. “Any other suggestions?”

Henry lets his gaze skim over the toys until he sees the plush strawberry David’s been favoring lately and picks it up, but the man shakes his head apologetically. “No soft toys.”

“A penchant for shredding them apart?” Henry guesses.

“Hard to keep clean,” he says, wrinkling his nose.

“Always an important consideration for any toy,” Henry agrees sagely, only for the man to raise his eyebrows again. It seems to happen with alarming regularity. As does the way Henry’s cheeks heat. He clears his throat and picks up a rubber toy with numerous large holes punched through it. “What about something like this? You can put treats in these for a bit of a challenge.”

The man looks at the toy consideringly before taking it from Henry. “That one could work.”

“I’m Henry, by the way.”

The man opens his mouth, only to be interrupted by another employee with a brown paper bag. After accepting it, he looks back at Henry. “Well, thanks again, Henry,” he says with a little wave, leaving Henry decidedly unsatisfied with the outcome of this encounter.

~~~~~

“The toy with the holes was a hit.” 

Henry turns to see the beautiful man approaching him this time. He’s already got his brown paper bag clutched in one hand this time, and his other stuffed in the pocket of his jeans.

“That’s good to hear,” Henry replies, smiling. At his feet, David starts wagging his tail, apparently having by now decided that the man is a friend. “You’re back again.”

“Turns out you have good taste in toys,” the man says, shrugging a little.

“You’re not the first person to tell me that,” Henry says without really thinking about it, and the eyebrows shoot up again. Henry coughs. “I mean, dog toys.”

He does not mean dog toys.

The man grins wickedly, like he is not fooled. “Well, be that as it may, I thought I might try my luck a third time.”

Henry thinks that it’s about time that he tried his luck, actually. “How about, you tell me your name, and I’ll give you another suggestion,” he counters.

“Oh, I wasn’t aware this toy advice came at a price.”

“Too steep for you?”

“Nah, that’s a bargain, sweetheart,” the man replies. “I’m Alex.”

“Alex,” Henry echoes softly, tasting the name on his tongue, and Alex’s lips part slightly. “And what about your dog?”

It seems to take Alex a moment to parse his question. “Oh, Miss Piggy. She came with the name. I adopted her from a friend of a friend that was trying to get rid of her.”

“That was good of you.”

Alex shrugs. “She’s low maintenance, and it’s kind of nice to talk to someone else in my empty apartment. Not that she talks back.”

Henry tries to suppress the little thrill of hope at the fact that Alex doesn’t live with anyone. “I understand,” he says. “David isn’t much of a conversationalist, but he’s an excellent listener.”

“How long have you had him?”

“Since he was a puppy.”

“So you chose the name David,” Alex says, a touch incredulously.

“I did,” Henry confirms. “It’s after Bowie.”

Alex blinks, like he’s re-evaluating something. “Oh. That’s cool.” He crouches down, which of course makes David start squirming in desire to get to Alex, but he stays sitting next to Henry’s feet. “He’s very well-behaved. Can I pet him?”

“He’d like that.”

Alex reaches a hand out to scratch behind David’s ears, which David immediately presses into, his tail thumping rapidly on the floor. “Who’s a good boy?” Alex coos, and Henry honestly counts himself lucky that Alex’s soft smile is directed at David instead of him; he might not survive it. But then Alex looks up at him in his current position practically kneeling on the floor, and Henry comes very close to shuffling off this mortal coil right then and there anyway.

“So,” Alex says as he stands again, brushing his hands off on his trousers, “what kind of toy advice do I get for my name?”

Henry very nearly suggests some quite different toy advice in response to that question, but manages to bring his brain back online at the last second. “Well,” he says, picking up a tube-shaped rubber toy, “if she liked the treat toy, then this one is a similar idea.” He holds it out to Alex, but he doesn’t let go when Alex grabs the other end. “I have another request.”

The eyebrows go again. “This is an expensive toy.”

Henry shakes his head. “Not a price. But I’d very much like to take you to dinner, if you’d be interested.”

The dimple in Alex’s cheek deepens and he drops his gaze before looking up at Henry through his eyelashes. Christ, but this man is lethal.

“I’m interested.”

~~~~~

Alex tugs Henry in by the front of his jacket as he backs up against the front door to his flat, and Henry wastes no time before sealing their mouths together again. At the end of their first date, Alex had dropped him off outside his building and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Henry’s mouth; it had been utterly lovely, but Henry has to admit he’s very much enjoying this, the conclusion to their second date. Alex’s tongue in his mouth and the cut of his teeth, Alex’s hands grabbing onto his waist, Alex’s thigh pressing in between his.

“You wanna come in, baby?” Alex asks in the gaps between their kisses.

The endearment makes something warm settle in his gut, and he grins against Alex’s lips. “Thought you’d never ask, love.”

They stumble through the door, and despite the fact that Alex has now attached himself to Henry’s throat, Henry finds himself distracted, listening for the tell-tale sound of claws on the hardwood. Nothing comes, though. Perhaps Miss Piggy is a heavy sleeper?

“What’s wrong?” Alex asks, clearly noticing his inattention.

“Sorry,” Henry says, shaking his head. “I was expecting your dog.”

For some reason, that makes Alex look down and bite his lip, and when he finally meets Henry’s eyes again, he looks decidedly sheepish. “I, um. Don’t have a dog.”

Henry blinks at him. Opens and closes his mouth. “You don’t?”

Alex shakes his head. “No.”

“So you let me suggest you dog toys…”

“Because when a ridiculously hot guy wants to talk to you about dog toys, you talk about dog toys,” Alex says, a little helplessly.

It’s honestly hard to be anything but insanely flattered, but he still doesn’t quite understand. “So all of that about adopting Miss Piggy, and the toy reviews… it was all made up?”

“Oh, no, it wasn’t,” Alex says, nonsensically. Then he takes Henry by the hand and leads him into the living room, where there’s a terrarium set up along one wall. Amongst the water dish and a fake-rock hut, Henry spots the duck, and the toy with the holes, and the tube, which has the head and tail of a small brown-and-tan-patterned snake sticking out of one end. “Miss Piggy is a snake,” Alex tells him. “A western hognose, to be specific. Hence the name, I guess. I was in the pet store buying frozen mice for her the times I saw you. I did adopt her from a friend of a friend who didn’t want her anymore, and she does like the toys, as you can see.”

Henry bends down to get a closer look at the snake, who has big eyes and a little turned-up snout. “I never thought a snake could be cute,” he says, unaccountably and unexpectedly charmed by the small creature.

“She’s a drama queen, is what she is,” Alex says. When Henry looks at him questioningly, he explains, “When they feel threatened, they either pretend to be a viper or play dead. Turn over onto their back, tongue hanging out and everything. She hasn’t done that since right after I got her, though. I think she’s happier here.”

Alex gets a kind of soft, fond smile on his face as he talks about the snake, and Henry can’t help but be ridiculously charmed by that, too. He takes a step closer to Alex and slips his arms around his waist, pulling him in and pressing a kiss to his temple, and Alex’s smile widens.

“What was that for?” he asks.

“You care for her,” Henry says simply. “It’s endearing.”

“Of course I do,” Alex replies. “How could you not love that face?”

“Mm,” Henry hums in agreement. “I suppose this means we don’t have to worry about her waking us early in the morning to go outside.”

Alex’s eyes sparkle as he turns in Henry’s arms, looping his own around Henry’s shoulders. “You planning on spending the night, baby? What about David?”

“Is it terribly forward if I said I already arranged to have someone take care of him tonight?” Henry asks, biting his lower lip.

“Not any more than what I was gonna ask you,” Alex says, smirking as his fingers play idly with a flippy piece of Henry’s hair.

“Which is?”

“Well, y’know, I wanted some advice.” He leans in close, until his lips are brushing the angle of Henry’s jaw, and murmurs, “On a different kind of toy.”

Henry doesn’t need to be asked twice.

[wh6res]

three's a crowd | nomin

synopsis. picking favorites is impossible when you like neither of them.

warning. read at your own risk. abuse, bullying, poly relationship, yandere themes, manipulation, nonconsensual touching, noncon, degradation, smut threesome oop

disclaimer. i do not condone whatever tf i wrote in this nor does it reflect my beliefs or values or morals and such. it is all pure fiction and i also dont think jaemin or jeno would act like this in real life.

note. this was meant to be a new year's gift lmao i obviously got a lil carried away 👀 anyway a late happy new year to you all! we survived 2020, let's start living in 2021, yeah? lmao if covid lets us grr mwah!

the relationship you had with the two of them was a weird one, bordering on taboo, but it wasn't as if you willfully chose to be who they wanted you to be and it took jaemin's unwanted pining and jeno's intimidating demeanor for you to fall right into their arms.

it was a joint effort on their part, you couldn't've possibly stood a chance.

"this many?" the cashier asked. "are you sure?"

stepping back and studying the whole situation, you figured you only had your addiction to caffeine and procrastination to blame. it was a chain reaction you didn't even know will lead up to your inevitable doom.

if you hadn't been slacking off during your first semester of junior year college, you wouldn't be forced to overwork yourself trying to catch up to the looming deadlines, but to be able to 'work yourself to the bone' you need your boost of energy… and that was when you met one of them.

"uhm," you scratch the back of your head sheepishly as you eye the six glass bottles of iced coffee. sure, it looks bad and you kinda appreciate the look of concern the cashier throws your way but it was none of his business.

"yes. now could you, like, you know… hurry up? i'm in a little bit of a time crunch right now."

screw it. although you hardly snap like that with other people on a daily basis, it'll be a whole different conversation if you were under a significant amount of stress and today, unfortunately, is one of those days.

now can he just fucking stop asking questions and give you your six bottles of death drink to keep your fucking brain going so you can pass an eight-page essay tomorrow? thank you very much!

the guy snickered, the beeping sound of a barcode being read sounding a thousand times more annoying than it usually sounds as he keeps his hand busy by punching your items out.

you fail to notice how he studies you through the gaps of his lashes, finding you interesting rather than threatening as you stood before him with your messy hair and oversized hoodie.

"haven't seen you around university grounds 'till today," he tries striking another conversation with you. "you new? i'm jaemin."

this was your first mistake, you shouldn't have been so… downright rude when you met him. if you were granted the miracle of meeting him a 2nd time, you would've acted more nice, throwing yourself at his feet even to blend in with the rest of his fangirls you didn't even know about at the time. you would've done anything to make sure he never gives you a second glance, to never pique his interest.

jaemin is the pep squad captain. flying over colored blue mats and doing tumblings in the air with no ounce of fear. he was the best in his team, that much was evident when your friend dragged you into watching a pep rally practice. his landings were clean, balanced, and executed to the best he can at all times.

no wonder he was popular, his talent is outstanding and his looks are a bonus. his killer combo of a smile and wink after pulling off a tough flip is enough to send them squealing in their seats.

he spotted you that day and since then, he snuck the quickest glances at the bench during practices. recognizing you as the coffee girl he met during his convenience store shift. jaemin tries not to let his disappointment show too much when he doesn't see you, but of course, a pair of cold calculating eyes could see right through him.

"i saw that," his boyfriend said, hand darting forward to hold jaemin's gym bag for him. "you kept looking at the crowd. do you want to see her that much?"

"but she reminds me so much of you, jeno!" he retorts, pouting at the slight grumpy tone the other boy used. "i can't help it. she doesn't seem to give a fuck around me so she's quite interesting. maybe she can even be a great addition to our relationship!"

"well," jeno replies after a beat of silence, plastering a small smirk on his face before slinging an arm around jaemin's shoulder.

"convince me?"

you don't like jaemin's attention. not in the slightest. and it seems that was enough reason for the reign of terror his little fanclub has subjected you too.

it wasn't the petty elementary forms of bullying like pulling at your hair or calling you names. they pale in comparison to the other things they do to you—beating you up, messing with your homework, "accidentally" dumping their food trays on you.

and you weren't stupid.

you knew exactly who was behind it, knew how jaemin spectates the whole thing from afar so that he can swoop in at the end to play your knight in shining armor.

"oh, you poor thing. do you need help?"

the first time you accepted his "help" you ended up in a supply closet near the gym during your free period, cornered and weak as your cries for help drowns under the squeaking of shoes and the booming sounds of rubber balls hitting the floor.

if it weren't for jeno appearing out of thin air and prying the boy off of you, you would've been painted blue and red from the death grip he had on your wrist, neck, and waist.

you can still remember feeling the soreness of your scalp from when he pulled your hair too hard. remembered feeling his teeth gnawing at your lips as if he wanted to tear them off.

that time hadn't been the first time you saw jeno. you've shared a few classes with him and it strikes you how polar opposites they are with one another.

while jaemin likes to bask in his professor and classmates' recognition by confidently reciting his answers, jeno would rather keep to himself. liked sitting at the last row, near the window, so he'd be the first to go once the professor ends their lecture. while jaemin loved the attention of his fangirls, jeno preferred solitude. while jaemin is impulsive and wild, jeno liked to think things through.

it was within these reasons that you decided to do what you did. but your judgement of character has never been more wrong.

you approached jeno one day in the library, tried to make yourself appear as stoic and confident as possible. but your constant slouching and averting eyes was a dead giveaway.

you came to talk to him about what jaemin has been doing, hoping there's one person left in this entire school that isn't under the cheer captain's trance. the one reasonable person that has already saved you once and (hopefully) is willing enough to save you again. the only one that probably has a certain level of control over jaemin, if the supply closet incident is anything to go by.

but you've overestimated lee jeno.

"you should've just given jaemin what he wanted."

"but—but aren't you two lovers? isn't it bothering you?"

you try baiting him, only for an uncomfortable shiver to start crawling down your spine when he chuckled humorlessly, pushing his school materials to the side while pinning you with an unreadable stare.

how can a person make someone feel so small just by a gaze alone? it was nothing like you've felt with jaemin. this is way worse.

"the only thing that's bothering me is why you're not ours yet."

you feel cold fingers creeping their way under your shirt, going higher and higher until it brushes against your bra. and when your eyes meet, the look on his face was unmistakable—what are you going to do about it, huh?

you stood up in lightning speed, the chair you've been sitting on scraping loudly against the floor.

you've never ran out as fast as you did.

and jeno swears it'll be the last.

you tried everything in your power to ignore them for the next following weeks but it soon became useless when the two boys took it upon themselves to give you your space.

although judging by the pinpricks you feel on your back, and the constant weight of a stare you feel on your shoulders, you knew they weren't done with you yet. far from it. and for some reason, you just knew they wanted to lull you into a false sense of security first before striking again.

and while they continued to ogle at you from afar like a hawk circling its prey in a desert, you took it upon yourself to return the favor. not because you were the slightest bit interested in those creeps but maybe, just maybe, if you look hard enough you'll find a way out, a weakness.

but what you realized made your insides churn in great discomfort—although it may seem that jeno holds the reins in the relationship since his reserved nature fits the role, it's actually the other way around.

jaemin might appear too self-centered, too focused on himself to give a fuck about his surroundings but in actuality, he has quite a knack for reading people. even more so than jeno. and it was scary how he used it to his advantage, and paired up with his devoted fangirls? it was hell on earth.

you found it alarming how the two seem to magically appear wherever you are.

although you weren't in the least bit surprised. for some reason, you can't take your eyes away when jaemin's devotees flock around him (and jeno) in a circle.

it almost reminds you of a shoal of piranhas, waiting for their meal to drop into the water before ripping it to shreds with their teeth. only their "meal" isn't actual flesh but the carefully crafted words jaemin says that drive them into a sick frenzy.

one that has them doing everything in their power to satisfy him like the loyal dogs they are.

so this was how he got them to bully you?

"oh, that? don't worry! yangyang just ran into me during cheer rehearsal. no biggie. my cheek stung a little bit, though…" is what he said but really he's telling them "scruff him up a bit for me, why don't ya?"

"of course, i can't be the best all the time. haechan is just too good, maybe even better than me…" is what he said but really he's telling them "can you remind him where his place should be?"

all the while jeno did nothing to hold him back.

no matter how wrong jaemin is, how much of an asshole he is, jeno will stick by his side through and through. so as much as jaemin is a puppeteer that gets a kick for controlling people, jeno is as much at fault for looking the other way.

because in jeno's perspective, why the fuck would he do shit when he can just get off from the entertainment that comes with jaemin's sweet little mind games?

we lost :(

you had been busy sorting through paperwork for one of your professors in the faculty when your friend texted you the results of the intercollegiate cheer dance competition. a frown paints your face, heart feeling heavy at the bad news.

in all honesty, you still supported the pep squad—you just hated the captain and his boyfriend. they've been practicing non-stop for this and prior to the weeks of the competition, jeno looked a lot more tense and jaemin less smiley than usual. you swore you even saw the latter snap at one of his fangirls.

not to mention, they paid less attention to you, too, and it was the best three weeks of your life.

tension starts rising in your shoulders, fingers absentmindedly running through the edge of the papers you had been sorting until you became immersed with your thoughts.

jaemin must be in the worst mood yet.

and jeno too, probably. if anything, that guy gets triggered the most when something bad happens to jaemin or when he catches snippets of people talking shit about his oh so "perfect" boyfriend.

jeno is a lot scarier when jaemin is in one of his mood swings, you noticed. he steps up in the relationship to offer comfort to the other boy and for outsiders? it isn't a great experience to go through—being on the receiving end of jeno's ice cold stare is a position you don't want to find yourself in after that time in the library.

he is still as much a threat to your peaceful life like his lover.

you snap out of it when the blinding headlights of a vehicle seep through the closed blinds. you hear the gentle hum of an engine switching off as the headlights vanished as quick as they had appeared. that must be the cheer squad's bus.

as you look around the empty faculty room, something in your gut tells you to ditch file sorting duty for professor kim tonight and fucking get the hell out of campus grounds as quick as you can.

after haphazardly throwing the unsorted papers back into the cabinet, you groan aloud when the keys to the office drop out of your skirt’s pocket.

the indoor gym where the cheering squad practices is right across the hallway. you sure as hell don't want to bump into jaemin. or jeno, too, if he had decided to ride along the cheer squad's bus on the way home.

you kept looking for the keys underneath the cubicles, cursing aloud when you heard the telltale squeaks of shoes rubbing against linoleum. you almost hit your head against a table when you quickly got back up your feet, darting forward to shut the lights for the faculty room.

they can't know you're here. alone. and if it meant sitting in the dark for a few hours 'till they leave, meant going back home a little later than usual is what you have to do then so be it.

you try not to react so violently when the door you're leaning on jolts when someone from outside slams their back against it.

"it's not like we didn't do our best, right guys? i don't have regrets. it might sound fucking cheesy and although i'm sad myself, atleast we did what we can."

it's jaemin. his voice clear as day.

you try peaking, craning your neck up from your place on the floor. only to see the back of his head leaning against the glass section of the door. someone else joins in on the conversation, followed by coach park himself, and you slowly tune out whatever they're saying as you stealthily start scanning the faculty room.

you curse under your breath. is there no other exit other than this door? jesus christ! even classrooms in this university had two doors—

"what are you doing here?"

the switch flickers on, basking the once dark room with light. only when you hear an echo of your name being called, did you snap out of it and quickly picked yourself up from the floor.

"i said, what are you doing here?"

their coach asks, drilling the question as he looks at you skeptically with his arms crossed. you try not to look at the people behind him.

particularly, not at his cheer captain standing on his right.

particularly, not at jeno, who stands out like a sore thumb with his blue hair, a protective arm snaked around jaemin’s shoulders.

this isn't your lucky day, too, you guess.

"i was…" you cursed yourself for stuttering. "i was, uhm, i was file sorting for prof—professor kim, sir."

coach park looked like he didn't believe you as he narrowed his eyes in scrutiny. your nerves are going haywire and you can feel the sharp pins of their stare with how close they are.

you kept juggling your weight with the balls of your feet, hands fisting and unfisting behind your back. you want to leave. you have to leave.

"file sorting… in the dark?" he asked incredulously.

fuck this.

"uhm, you can ask professor kim himself tomorrow, coach. for now, uh, i'll be going now. i'm sorry you guys lost…"

originally, the exit is on the right side, at the end of the hallway. but no, you are not going to pass by those two while on your way out so you ducked behind a random student standing on the coach's left instead and practically ran away from the scene.

everyone had been too busy. too busy looking at your retreating form to even notice jaemin and jeno exchanging glances, too busy to notice the latter untangling himself from their captain to slip away unnoticed, his hurried steps filled with a burning purpose.

you didn't know why you ran, but you did. your shoes practically booming against the floor as you sped away through darkened hallways. you're sweating profusely, heart hammering in your chest. you can worry about professor kim tomorrow but right now you just had to—

"why are you in such a rush, pet?"

crashing into jeno felt like crashing into a wall. if it hadn't been for his arm quickly wrapping around your waist, then you would've landed on your butt before him.

with the small distance between the two of you, jeno could see as clear as day through your eyes.

jaemin was right.

it was addicting to stare into them.

especially when he can see every single one of your thoughts flying through your pretty little head. but hey, it wasn't their fault you were so easy to read.

jeno barely conceals the wicked smirk on his lips when your hands come up to his chest, trying to push him away but to no avail.

he can see your eyes shifting from shock, to confusion, until it finally settles on fear—to which it's slowly becoming a favorite emotion of his to see on your face.

"you know, jaemin is in a really shitty mood right now. and we were wondering, maybe you can cheer us up?"

no. this can't be happening.

"jeno, please." your dilated eyes and disheveled hair made his blood run south. "let me go. you don't want me. you don't need a third party in your relationship."

you yelp when he lets you go, literally shoving you against a wall—which you found out is actually a door, as it swings open as soon as your body crashes against it.

with jeno looming unforgivingly before you in his full height, the tears stung extra hard but you won't let them fall.

if he wanted to bask in the image of your weakness then it'll be something you'll deprive from him for as long as you can.

"i don't need a stupid bitch like you to tell me what i feel." he scoffs. "don't fucking kid yourself, you little whore—i don't want you. i'm not jaemin."

the echo of the classroom door shutting closed surged through you like a wake up call.

this is really happening.

you've always led a decent life, had done nothing too questionable and you've always thought maybe life will spare you if you lived quietly enough. but the feel of jeno's freezing hands crawling against your skin felt like life itself had spat at you in the eye and left you to rot in a ditch.

"i've always liked how you wore skirts," he comments. playing with the ruffled hem of the soft fabric as he purposely grazed his knuckles against your supple thighs. "gives me easy access, don't you agree?"

you scream when he flips your skirt up to reveal the innocent pink of your cotton panties. it was as if a switch had flipped inside of you and the will to fight started coursing through your veins.

"stop! jeno! i don't want this!"

his brows furrow, grunting as he struggles to push the waistline of your skirt up higher with how much you're thrashing underneath him. you buck your hips, tried curling in on yourself, anything to prolong what he wants to do to you.

with your legs trapped underneath his, you blindly reach forward, relying on your upper body instead to push and scratch whatever your palms and nails reached.

you continue screaming like a banshee until he shoved two fingers into your wet cavern.

"stop fighting me," he sounded strained, as if he's holding himself back. you feel him fisting the fabric of your skirt and you fear he's simply going to rip it apart.

you tried responding to him, only the sound had been muffled, gurgled by the flat of his fingers pushing down against your tongue mercilessly. when you reach forward to push him away, your hands land on the apple of his cheeks, nails digging through skin.

until it slips and—

you lie rigid when red scratch marks in the size of your fingernails slowly appear on jeno's skin, his head turned to the side as he paused. your actions slowly start sinking in to him as he shuts his eyes and bit his lip 'till it looked like it was about to bleed.

oh no.

"jeno—"

the slap he planted on your cheek left your ears ringing. all those hard earned muscles of his put to good use—if the tears hadn't fallen for the last few minutes, then it definitely started falling now.

the hit had been so strong, a few of your hair flew astray, the buzzing feeling of your skin tempting you to reach a hand up to soothe your abused cheek.

until jeno let out a low growl and your hand immediately drops limp against your body, afraid of whatever else he can do to you other than a slap.

"that's more like it," he whispers under his breath. you let out the tiniest of whimpers when his hand darts forward to fist your hair. "do you know what happens to bad girls? they fucking get busted up. do you understand me?"

his patience is nonexistent.

jeno slams your head against the floor when you don't answer because you thought his question had been rhetorical. it felt like your skull had been split in two as you wail in pain.

"are you fucking deaf—i asked you a fucking question!"

the hand that cups your jaw is painful as he squeezed your cheek with his blunt nails. your hand shoots up to wrap around his wrist, silently pleading for him to let up as you sobbed out loud. you started nodding as best as you can despite his firm grip on your face.

your reply was nothing short of pathetic. with lips forcefully pursed and the steady stream of your tears and snot rolling down your face, your response is gargled and hardly incoherent and jeno seemed to thoroughly enjoy your anguish if the condescending curl on his lips is anything to go by.

"look at you," he whispers, his face coming close to yours as he holds you down. there was something in the way jeno stared so intently that it made your skin crawl.

"i think you're prettiest when ruined like this."

with his nose touching yours, he felt too close, bordering on intimate as you felt his hand creep back up your thighs, trailing up with feather-like touches that made goosebumps appear on your skin.

you tried wiggling your legs underneath him but one sharp look from jeno is enough to make you stop.

the hand holding your face moves. coming down from gripping your face to encircling his hand around your neck.

"do you like it when i touch you? freaky bitch."

his hands trail further up, up, up until you felt him slotting a finger underneath your panties.

jeno didn't like how frozen you were underneath him as he pulls at the hem before letting go. the elastic snapping back against your skin.

the action evokes a strong feeling through the young male, promising to have you writhing and screaming and begging because by the end of all this, you'll be so needy and frustrated that you will have no choice but to give in to what your body wanted.

"jeno, didn't i tell you to play nice?"

someone stands by the door, the minimal light from the hallway creating a silhouette with his form but you knew who he was. that deep voice, with the same annoying flippant tone, is a dead giveaway.

you didn't know why you even hoped in the beginning. as if there'll be someone who can save you from these two.

you thought the flash of hurt in your eyes was quick to disappear but jeno noticed it quicker.

in a span of seconds, he pulled you up from your position from the ground and tugged you towards his lap. you haven't even gotten the time to settle on your new position when he already smashed his lips against yours.

it was messy. too much saliva. too much teeth. no tenderness to it at all.

the fabric of his jeans felt rough, not to mention the ice cold belt buckle made you severely uncomfortable as it seeps through the thin fabric of your skirt.

when you attempt to hover over his lap, jeno grunts as he snakes an arm around your waist, pulling you back down without your lips breaking away from each other. you didn't know why he let out a whine, but you understood the moment you fully sat down on his lap and you felt a tent on his jeans hitting your clothed entrance perfectly.

in a normal circumstance, you would've found everything hot and might've actually gotten off from it but not when it's him who’s doing this to you and you didn’t consent to any of this.

you start squirming again. palms lying flat against jeno's chest as you attempt to push him away and jaemin sees this as the opportune moment to slot himself behind you, caging you in between them.

“i want my turn,” he hisses and without an ounce of hesitation, jeno stops to do what he's told.

jaemin doesn't waste any second to grab your face, awkwardly craning your neck up to meet his lips in the same feverish kiss.

while jeno had been all teeth and aggression, practically forcing you to open your mouth and kiss him back, jaemin on the other hand is more soft, more romantic, you daresay. he seemed to like taking his sweet time by clutching your face, kissing you like he actually meant it.

he pulls away slightly, resting his forehead against yours as he murmurs something incoherent under his breath and then he's kissing you again.

you think you heard something along the lines of, "finally."

you've been too distracted by jaemin to notice jeno's nimble fingers quickly fumbling with the buttons of your blouse. it was only when you feel the sensation of his tongue laving against the swell of your breast did you turn away from jaemin, jerking backward in surprise.

"no—!"

your scream is cut off by a hand cupping your mouth. jaemin pulls your back towards his chest, molding your body against his as jeno licked and suckled all he wanted, thankful to have the other boy there to not worry about restraining you and keeping you quiet while he has his fun.

"ah, ah, ah," jaemin teases, going hard over the pleading and teary look you sent his way. it looked pathetic, he wasn't going to lie, but it doesn't mean he didn't love it. "just keep still and appreciate jeno's efforts to take care of you, alright baby?"

you don't like how he talked as if this was all a mutual thing, how he talked slowly like you were some toddler who didn't understand anything.

it's cruel how jaemin giggled and basked in your vulnerable state as he kept his eyes pinned on you while undoing the zipper of your skirt. your muffled cries of his name only serving to egg him on.

the way he stared was similar to jeno, too intently and intrusive, like he wants to burn your image of despair in the back of his head.

you whined involuntarily when jeno got bored of all the licking and thus decided to start biting and nipping at your chest instead. he was hypnotised by how responsive you were, how every little bite and nibble made you shudder.

it was a shame that jaemin had to cover your mouth. he didn't get to hear your pretty mewls but it wasn't as if he'd let the night end without hearing them loud and clear.

jaemin is fast in undressing you, feeling slightly betrayed by how quick your skirt and blouse fell under his hands.

you know what he wants, what he's going to do, and the tears fall harder when you can't dodge away from him. forced to endure and accept whatever they give you.

"you act like you don't like it but look how fucking wet you are," you bit your lip hard when jaemin starts circling the pads of his fingers against your clit, fascinated by how more juices streamed down your thighs.

"jeno, do you see this? fuck."

you can only blink in defeat, staring off to the side as you force down any noise bubbling up your throat, forcing yourself to think of anything else other than what's happening right now.

you try not to think about how they managed to tear all of your clothes off while they're left completely dressed. tried not to think about the fingers lazily drawing up and down your slit to collect your essence.

if they're doing this as a way to further humiliate you, it's working.

"slut," jeno mocked, a wicked curl on his lips when he wraps his fingers around your throat. the moment he dives down to claim your lips again is the same time jaemin pushes two fingers inside you.

"look at how wet you are because of me," jaemin whispers hot against your ear and you feel a sick churn in your stomach when you feel his smile against your skin.

he purposely drives his fingers in and out quicker, settjng a brutal pace, wanting you to hear the lewd squelching sounds. "hear that? do you hear that, darling? that's because of me—"

"don't go talking big now, jaem," jeno retorts, pulling away from your lips to start nibbling on the back of your ear. "i was here first. did you see how she fucking reacted when i sucked on her tits?"

you're quick to catch how jeno particularly loved degrading you. but how he talks about you as if you're literally not in front of him naked made you hit a new all-time low.

you felt… filthy.

his hands find purchase on your butt—only because jaemin has already claimed the front. for now.

you close your eyes tight when he painfully squeezes the flesh of your ass. you swear, his blunt nails will paint your skin black and blue.

"i'm the favorite!"

"i'm the favorite!"

as someone who's part of a varsity team, you already knew a competitive nature runs through jaemin's veins. but never had you thought jeno would share the same sentiment. once again they prove that they're cut from the same cloth.

all of a sudden it wasn't all about claiming you as theirs anymore rather it was all about who can make you moan the loudest, who can make you cum the most, who can make you feel the dirtiest you can be.

you're absolutely terrified for the hours to come.

thankfully, they have yet to ask for your verbal opinion or validation. they let your body do all the talking—every repressed shudder and sharp gasp is enough.

but it's game over once they pop the million dollar question.

"who do you like best?"

you don't want to find out the consequences if you actually answered their question because you didn't know what could be worse.

jaemin's manipulation or jeno's aggression?

but it was all normal. trial and error is inevitable in order to build and mold you into the ideal lover for the both of them.

because adding someone new to the mix has never been easy—after all, three's a crowd.

[thekingslover]

Jetski For Sale (Lokius fic)

He stops riding the jetski.

He keeps it on the small trailer at the end of his driveway beside his modest split-level home and covers it with a blue tarp.

Every morning, in his brown button-up pajamas and a bathrobe, he walks to the end of the driveway and collects the morning paper. He’s careful to hold his coffee mug steady as he leans down, but he always manages to spill a drop or two. His slippers are covered in tiny coffee spots.

He tucks the newspaper under his arm and turns back toward his house. He left the television on; through the window, the screen flashes with the bright white letters, Breaking News! Two houses down, his neighbor is already out mowing the lawn. Further away, a dog barks.

Though he lives alone, it’s a perfect life. Everything’s simple. His mortgage is affordable. His brown sedan is paid off. And the jetski...

He doesn’t remember buying it. He always wanted one, dreamed of it. He had a savings set aside for someday. Yet... his savings is still there, and he still has this jetski.

He looks at it now, at the way it bulges under the tarp. A shame to leave it like that. He should take it out again. But the last time he did that...

Shaking his head, he walks back to the house. He drinks his coffee and reads his newspaper. He goes to work, comes home, goes to sleep, and does it all again the next day.

“Something’s different about you,” his sister says on the phone, their weekly call. “You sound different.”

“Same old me.” He’s good at keeping back his feelings and pushing forward the cheer.

She knows, though. Older sisters always seem to. “Are you sure you haven’t been seeing anyone lately?”

This sends him laughing. “A secret boyfriend? Come on, you have quite an imagination on you.”

“Laugh all you want,” she says, stern. She’s not backing down, though her voice does soften as she adds, “It’s only that you... Well, you sound... heartbroken.”

“That’s...” He should deny it. He hasn’t dated anyone in a good long while, but, well, now that she mentions it... He’s had his heart broken before, long ago, and it felt a little something like this. Like something crucial is suddenly missing. Like you spent so much time learning someone and adapting to them, shaping whole parts of your life around them, and then they are just... gone.

There’s a person-sized hole in his life now, but he can’t quite remember their shape.

No, that can’t be.

“That’s crazy,” he says, thinking, maybe I’m crazy.

“Why don’t you come visit us for a while?” she says. “The kids would love to see you.”

“Yeah,” he says, shaky. “Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea. Tell them I love them. Love you too.” Then he hangs up.

*

That night, he lays on his back in bed and stares at the ceiling, afraid to look to his right. He used to sleep sprawled across the entire width of the bed, a true bachelor enjoying his bachelorhood. When did he start picking one side?

He turns over, facing away from the barren expanse of the rest of the mattress, but the bookshelf offers little comfort. Most of his books are about history, biographies on interesting characters from the past. There’s a couple of jetski magazines wedged in, too. But what catches his eye... He remembers buying it, knows he did, the morning after watching a documentary on the perception of time and space. The documentarian had written a book. The Mobius Strip.

Frowning, he doesn’t find any sleep that night, no matter how many long minutes he closes his eyes, or how many sheep he tries to count in his head.

Mobius.

It’s a mathematical theory. Not a name. But it wedges between his ribs and stays buried behind them.

He’s not even a maths guy! But he can’t shake it. It feels heavy, too important.

He tosses and turns. He reaches out to the other side of the bed, realizes its empty, and snaps upright, dread overtaking him for one sharp moment before he remembers that its supposed to be empty.

This is normal. This is his perfect little life.

He flops back into bed and runs a hand down his face. Maybe he should go visit his sister, before he fully loses his mind.

*

His hands shake the next morning when he walks out to get the newspaper at the end of the driveway. Half his coffee spills when he leans to pick it up, but its fine. Maybe he should give up coffee entirely. Maybe too much caffeine is his problem.

He doesn’t know what’s wrong with him.

Turning towards the house, he spots the jetski, there under the blue tarp. The mysterious jetski that he doesn’t remember buying. The one, when he’s out on it, he sits too far forward, like he’s making space for someone behind him. But there’s no one there. There’s never anyone there.

The jetski, he decides, was the start of his problems. Maybe if he... If he...

Storming back into the house, he leaves what’s left of his coffee in the sink and the newspaper forgotten on the counter, and hurries into the office. He rips off a long sheet of dot matrix printer paper. Biting off the cap of his pen, he scribbles on it in large block letters, all caps, FOR SALE.

Back in the driveway, he removes the chocks from behind the wheels of the trailer, and flips off the tarp. He wheels the trailer and the jetski to the end of the driveway, right up against the road.

He must look like a mad man, out there in his brown button-up pajamas and coffee-stained slippers. The neighbor’s mowing the lawn. The dog’s barking further away. Everything’s perfect in this perfect little neighborhood, this perfect little life. But he feels like he is going insane.

He slaps the for sale sign on the front of the jetski, and starts back for the house. The sooner that thing is out of his life... Maybe... Maybe things would go back to normal.

His heart pangs in a way he doesn’t understand. Heartache. So much heartache. Why?

Does he even want normal?

But if not that, then what? What is he missing?

He’s at his front door, hand on the doorknob, when someone politely coughs behind him. He pauses a moment, there’s no way someone is there... But when he glances over his shoulder - yeah. Someone’s behind him, only a few feet away.

Not just someone. The most gorgeous person he has ever seen, wearing a sleek black suit and a pair of sunglasses. Long dark hair is slicked back and pushed behind their ears.

He should probably feel self-conscious, standing there in his brown pajamas in front of this god of a person - probably a model - but he doesn’t. Strangely, he feels more at ease now than he has in weeks. His whole body relaxes like he finally exhaled a held breath.

But that doesn’t make sense. They’ve never met. He would remember.

He would never forget a face like that.

“Hello,” the person says, and the word tremors slightly.

“Hello.” It tremors when he says it too.

There’s no car on the road. No bicycle on the sidewalk. However this person got here, it’s like they dropped down from the sky.

The person clears their throat. “You’re selling the jetski?”

“You...” He blinks. He knew jetskis were popular - hell, they are the best - but he hadn’t expected an offer before he even got his pants on. “Yeah. You interested?”

“Yes, I...” They drop their head a moment, taking their time to think. When they lift their head again, their shoulders lift too, like they are preparing for a battle.

He supposes negotiations can be seen as a battle, but he can’t bring himself to match the person’s pose. He’s ready to give up the jetski for free at this point. Whatever gets it gone.

The person asks, “What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing’s wrong with it. It runs like a dream.”

“Then why get rid of it?”

His heart hurts, so he laughs through the pain. It’s silly, but he can’t help feel his sister was right. This person wouldn’t know either way, so he finds himself telling them, “I’m heartbroken.”

The person goes very still. Their mouth opens and they take in a shaky, noisy breath. When they say, “What?” the word is bone dry and crumbling.

“It’s something we did together... I think.” He’s making it up, but it feels right. So he keeps talking. “And now. Well. It kinda reminds me of... I’m pretty sure I forgot a lot of things, but I can’t forget that. There’s supposed to be someone else. And I can’t... I can’t...”

He’s not making any sense, but the person is hanging on every single word.

“Anyway,” he says. “I’ll let it go cheap. Too many memories... or... I don’t know, feelings?” He sighs. “Just make me an offer, okay? I have to get ready for work.”

He wants nothing more than to keep this beautiful person on his doorstep, but... well, life isn’t always about getting what you want. This person wants a jetski, he has one. A transaction will occur, and this person will move forward like he never existed.

He’ll be left behind again.

Again?

Now, he’s the one to stand a little straighter. “Do you ever get deja vu?”

“Deja vu?”

“You know, where you feel like you’ve lived an exact moment already, once before. I’ve been reading this book about mobius strips and...” There’s that pang again, in his chest. A subtle ache that is swelling. He wants to ignore it, like he always has, but he’s finding he can’t really anymore. “Don’t you think that’d be a cool name? Mobius. Mobius M. Mobius.” He laughs, and it hurts. It hurts.

The person doesn’t laugh. Instead, they take a small step back. “I shouldn’t have come here.”

His laughter dies quickly. It wasn’t real anyway. “You don’t want the jetski?”

“I do,” the person says with naked longing. “More than anything.”

“Then its yours.” He shrugs. “You know, it kinda feels like it was already yours? Like, maybe its just been waiting around for you to show up and claim it.”

The person shakes their head. “It’s better off without me. It finally has a chance to... to... live the way you - it deserves...”

“I mean, that’s a nice thought. But in practice... wouldn’t it be better for jetskis to decide for themselves the kind of lives they want? Whose to say that their life before was all that great? Because let me tell you, this perfect little normal life I’m living? Kinda sucks.” He doesn’t really understand what he’s saying, but the words still fall out of him, like ripping a scab off an old wound and all the blood starts running again.

The person takes another step back, but this time, he follows, taking a step forward. Somehow, it feels crucial that he not let this person leave him behind again.

There, another again. What is he not remembering?

“There’s something terribly wrong with all this,” he says. “I’m forgetting something important, but whatever it is - whoever - I don’t think I can be happy without them. Not really. Not in any way that matters.”

“Mobius...” the person says, soft, under their breath. Stronger, “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

And the dam breaks.

“I know exactly what I’m saying, Loki.” The name, that name. How could he forget that name?

The person - Loki - exhales again, watery this time.

“Maybe if we never met, this would be enough. Maybe it was once. But not anymore. Never again. Not since you. And not even your little mind hocus pocus could change that.”

Mobius takes another step forward. This time, Loki does not move back. They stay just as they are and let Mobius close the distance. Mobius lifts his hands to Loki’s face and slowly removes those sunglasses. Loki’s eyes have always been the most expressive - the easiest to read. No wonder they would try to hide them. Because now they shine with sorrow and regret and... love. So much love.

And that, Mobius knows, is exactly what he’s been looking for when he reaches out to the empty space beside him on the bed. When he sits in his kitchen and stares at the pulled-out chair across the table. When he rides his jetski and turns, ready to laugh with the missing person behind him.

“I’m not angry,” Mobius says, tossing the sunglasses aside. He takes one of Loki’s hands in his. Loki grips hard onto his fingers. “I understand why you did it. It’s kind of flattering really, to know you’d give up your own happiness to try to give me mine. But there was a very big problem with this latest Loki scheme.”

“What’s that?” Loki asks in a whisper.

Mobius gives them a smile. The first real one since they parted. “You’re unforgettable.”

Loki laughs once, a burst, like they’ve been holding something in and now its escaping. The hard lines of their face smooth out. And they look less like a frightened, broken shadow and more like themselves, god of mischief, with a small but growing smirk. “Of course. I suppose I should have considered that.”

“Big flaw. Ruined the whole thing, to be honest.”

Loki leans closer. “I hate to admit to fault, but I fear there was a second issue that I had not considered.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

“Your absolute stubbornness.”

“Stubborn? Me? You should look in the mirror, pal.”

Loki closes their eyes a moment. Mobius studies the planes of their perfect face, and wonders how, in all the infinite timelines, he ever forgot it. 

“Loki,” Mobius says. “Do me a favor, though, huh? Don’t do this again. I... uh, well. It wasn’t the most fun for me.”

“Me, either.” Loki presses their forehead to Mobius’s. “I regretted every moment, but I... The TVA stole you from your life. I wanted to -”

“I know, I get it. I’m not mad. But communication is key to a relationship, yeah? So maybe next time you want to do a grand gesture of love for me, we should talk about it first?”

Loki leans back. They blink. But it’s not the love that trips them up, it’s, “Relationship?”

Mobius runs his hands along Loki’s arms, up to the shoulders and back down to the elbows. “Yeah. I mean, we’re partners, right?”

“Partners.” Loki doesn’t say the word with disgust, more... intrigue.

“Boyfriends?” Mobius tries.

“Boyfriends.” Loki frowns at that one.

“Lovers?”

Loki’s eyes are bright and full of wonder. How they could look at Mobius, someone so normal, like that... well. Loki makes Mobius feel like a god himself, no wonder he couldn’t go back to his old life.

“Lovers,” Loki says and kisses Mobius. Mobius smiles against their lips. Lovers, it is, then.

Kiss turns to kisses, and they linger. It’s right, so right that it further amplifies how wrong everything else was before. Mobius belongs here. Right here. With Loki. Forever, if possible.

When they break, they both laugh, and it’s light and true this time, for both of them.

“Hey, Loki,” Mobius says. “Want to buy a jetski?”

Loki pulls an annoyed face, but its all an act - Mobius sees right through it, and Loki’s not trying that hard to hide it. “I believe I’m the one who acquired that jetski for you. You have no right to sell it.”

“It was a gift,” Mobius says.

“It remains a gift. One I insist you keep.”

“Alright, alright,” Mobius laughs and Loki kisses him at the corner of his smile. “But only if you promise to keep me.”

“Oh, dear Mobius.” Loki brings their mouth to Mobius’s ear. “I hope you appreciated this display of selflessness, because I will not be repeating it.”

“Good.”

“I am a selfish god.”

“Uh, huh.”

Loki’s arms grip tightly around Mobius’s waist. “And from here to eternity, I will be keeping what’s mine.”

The last remaining knots in Mobius’s chest untangle. “And the jetski.”

“And the jetski,” Loki says and kisses him again.

[yandere-sins]

Hey there^^ Haven't done a request for quite a while but I'm pretty stuck myself and I could really use something to lift my mood, too, and your writing always does that :) So, I thought of Satan or Lucifer with prompt 3 and 34, maybe? If it's not too much it'd be nice if the reader could be rather anxious (my anxiety is really acting up these days .-.) but that's not that important

Have a nice day and stay healthy ^^

Blue

Hi Blue! Thank you for requesting ^-^ I decided to do some Satan bc I have another Lucifer request and this way we can have some variety :D Please enjoy! ^-^

Pills - “Be a good girl and sit still. You don’t want me to be unhappy right?”

Stickers - “One more time. I’m giving you one more chance to stop fucking resisting.

»»———————— ♡ ————————««  

“Be a good girl and sit still. You don’t want me to be unhappy, right?”

His demand sounded reasonable, and his voice was calm. Still, the hand clutching your thigh was too rough with your skin, the fingers digging into it painfully. Immediately, you stopped bopping your foot, a nervous habit you hadn’t even noticed you started.

How long had you been sitting in his lap for now? An hour? Two? It felt like the whole morning and was probably more like the entire day, but through the partially hidden window in Satan’s room, you couldn’t make out the time of day, even if the Devildom had varying daytime-lightning outside. But this way, you could only count the pages Satan had already read as any indications of time, even though it wasn’t a reliable source.

Clenching your fists on top of your legs, you wondered what else there was you could do. Perhaps it was one thing to read the day away, but it was an entirely different one when you were just the lapdog to someone doing it. Even if you showed interest in books, Satan preferred to keep you close to him, and unfortunately, his favorite reading chair didn’t allow two people to read comfortably. That, and the constant fear you might actually find something useful to slip out of his grip, made him decide that you could read only with him or not at all.

It was just a problem that the language of the book he was reading wasn’t one you could understand.

All you were reduced to was a stiff, anxious, warm body sitting on top of him, hoping that soon Satan would decide to do anything else. You couldn’t live with his suggestions of taking baths together or being left alone for hours to no end while he took care of daily business, but this was the third day in a row where things were simply... too calm.

You had been quick to cease bringing up arguments. Satan had scared you once when he grew angry before your life took this turn by his side. Still, it was nothing compared to the violent and oppressive force he used on you now when you acted ‘unsuitable’, as he called it. Part of you wanted nothing more than to scratch his face, bite and kick, but when you brought up the courage to stand up for yourself and your rights, his exuding magic alone made you crumble to your knees in primal, inferior fear, knowing all the bad things he would do to you if you pushed it any more than you already had.

Wherever he took the patience from, it was wearing thin regardless of its masses.

That, and that alone, was the reason you even listened to what he said.

Looking down at yourself, you might not have been able to see any bruises left on you, but you felt them in every flinching of your muscles. The soreness, the pain - they never disappeared, and Satan wasn’t going to help you forget by applying magic to heal them.

Instead, he caressed your thigh with his hand, fingers circling over your skin menacingly. Perhaps from an outside view, it looked almost sweet, but you felt nothing short of a warning from his touch. Every touch was calculated. A game. Maybe he truly wanted to help you calm, but you wouldn’t have put it past Satan to actually try and provoke you to do something stupid. It was his way of forgiving the bad things he did to you, much like an eye for an eye. He disapproved of many things, but he couldn’t quite justify his actions if you didn’t act up. Satan swore up and down that he preferred cats over dogs, but god beware you’d behave like one. Unknown sadistic tendencies seemed to ride him when it came to you, and from what you understood, you were his place of comfort and peace when you were in his arms and his punchbag if you made his days worse than they needed to be.

But arguably, you were just his; all he needed, either way.

Worse thoughts crossed your mind than this. Ideas of how similar he was to Lucifer when it came to oppressing, but you would have taken the eldest brother’s help without even a moment of hesitation. At the same time, you wanted nothing more than to get away from Satan. 

Encountering a sudden change of mood was what you feared the most. It happened too often. Satan wasn’t that hard to please, but he unexpectedly and sharply changed moods for no apparent reasons, just like a teenager.

What if he read a passage in his book he disliked? What if your foot began to bop again? What if your breathing was too loud? What if he decided you were too heavy... When would it stop? When would the worries finally go away?

He loved you. He told you he loved you, so why were you a prisoner in his room? Why did he refuse to let you go? See other people? Sleep in your own bed for a change? And why was he enraged every time such a wish crossed your mind?

The book in his hand lowered as you sunk deeper and deeper into your panicked thoughts, wondering what you should do from now on to stay on his good side and maybe regain your privileges. So many emotions fogged your senses; you didn’t even hear him take a deep breath as his eyes narrowed while they focused on your leg, nervously bopping up and down again.

However, you did notice the sudden jerk as he threw you off his lap, pain shooting through your body as you scrapped your knees on the floor. You hit the stacks of books Satan threw you into, hardcovers falling down on you, making you yelp as they felt like bombs raining down onto your body.

“What’s the matter this time?” he asked, standing up and closing the book. It took a lot of courage to look up at him, Satan’s pretty face and perfect posture as intimidating as the waspish shine in his deep green eyes. You perceived it as cold and belittling as he looked down on you, standing over your legs.

“I want to go home--” you whispered, close to tears as you averted your eyes from his, unable to look at him when he glared back at you so resentfully.

“[Name],” he called out to you in the most condescending way you could imagine someone speaking your name. However, you no longer could bear looking him in the eyes, and so, you let your head hang low, expecting the worst but hoping it was over soon.

“How long will you keep complaining. I was so good to you the last few days, wasn’t I? It’s all because you said you were unhappy with me, so I bettered myself, yet, you behave just the same. When will you realize this is home?”

Hearing this from him, you felt your heart break. Hearing that this dangerous, painful situation should be a norm and comfort for you made you want to throw up. But at the same time, it rose your spirits, and before you knew it, you were back on your wobbling feet, the pain being suppressed by adrenaline as you grabbed Satan by the collar. In retrospect, you realized you had been just like a frightened animal and snapped as he came too close for comfort.

“THIS ISN’T MY HOME! YOU ARE KEEPING ME HERE AGAINST MY WILL! WAKE UP, SATAN!” you screamed at him as loud as you could. Perhaps you wished for a stunned realization overcoming him, or maybe that someone else could hear you outside this little, private room. But it wasn’t like anyone came running to help anyway.

Instant regret flooded your mind as you felt his hands grip your wrists, the book he had held onto falling to the ground with a loud thud. A zip of magic sparked from where he grabbed you, burning through your body like venom. It was no question who was the stronger animal in this struggle, your body falling back and down into the pile of books with just one step Satan took forward. But with your hands still anchored in his clothes, you pulled him with you, and on top, giving him a chance to pin you down on the uncomfortable bed of books.

Though it felt like your bones were breaking under the pressure and awkward position, your will hadn’t been affected as much yet, your body instinctively pushing against him, even though it was futile.

“One more time. I’m giving you one more chance to stop fucking resisting.” The words escaped him through clenched teeth, a hostile fire flickering in his eyes that you were forced to stare into. You knew you had it coming for you. His rage. His anger. There was no way out now, and once again, you had made the situation worse for you than needed. Finally, as you felt your ragged breath fill your lungs unreliably, you calmed down, tears shooting to your eyes while the sobs escaped from your mouth.

For a minute or two Satan merely let you bawl it out, the streams of tears falling down your cheeks and onto the books beneath you, but it was of no concern to either of you. At least now, he didn’t tell you to cease your sadness too, and you realized all he wanted was for you to stop attacking him, even if it was unfair when he apparently was allowed to.

Instead, you found yourself being scooped into his arms, face pressed into his shoulder as you hugged him instinctively. His hold was right out of a book about how to console crying children, his hands perfectly falling to your head and back, calmingly rubbing over the hurt part of your body.

“Please...” you sobbed into his shirt.

“I love you. I will always love you, even if you do this to me,” he assured you. You didn’t want it. Not his love, not being held by him like this, not him playing the victim in this scenario. As if it was your fault he had to do these terrible things.

“Just... please...”

“Forever. We will stay together.”

His words did nothing to help you, even more crying ensuring as they laid down heavily on your mind.

“You’re all I have. All that only belongs to me,” Satan whispered while you shook your head softly, rubbing in the wet stains into his clothes and wishing it was all just a nightmare that you could wake up from.

“That’s why, from now on, I will be the only one for you as well.”

But you never woke up from it.

[You can find the prompt list here]

[shirtlesssammy]

7x07: The Mentalists

Then:

Dean’s drinking professionally this season

Now:

At a seance, a couple inquire about their Uncle Danny. The woman is interested in knowing if he’s happy and with the family dog. 

The man wants to know where some important papers are located. The psychic seems in control at first, but when the lights flicker and the flames in the fireplace grow, she looks surprised. The planchette moves ALL on its own and the air gets frosty. Then the planchette impales itself in the psychic’s neck. 

Dean’s all alone and driving a crappy, stolen car after his bust up with his brother and the Leviathan’s making the Impala a wanted vehicle. He learns of deaths in Lily Dale, the most psychic town in America, and hits the road. 

At the crime scene, he finds all the tricks the psychic employed, and then heads to Good Graces Cafe.

It’s not his type of place, but he hears his brother’s voice. Sam’s in town too to investigate. Dean jumps right into his everything’s good and let’s work the case spiel, but Sam is not happy. 

Dean gives up the facade and tells Sam they might as well work together to get the case over with. A woman walks in and recognizes them. They convince her that they’re not the Winchesters, and then her dining partner comes up and recognizes them as FBI. They both express their shock at the deaths. The man introduces himself as a spoon bender. 

The brothers start looking at the victims. Dean notes that they both had the same necklace, possibly a cursed object. 

They head to interview Melanie, the granddaughter to one of the victims. They ask about the necklace, and she tells them all her things went to the emporium. They ask to see the necklace. 

And then they take it under the FBI pretense. The shop owner says it’s the Orb of Thesulah. Dean wonders what that is. Sam points out that it’s a fake --and a town of fakes. Shocking. 

That night, the man from the cafe pulls out his utensils to practice his craft. Suddenly they all stand on end and he gets whisked above them, only to fall to his death. 

The brothers check out the crime scene and learn the man had a vision of his own death. Dean then gets a call from Melanie, and they head to her house to talk. She tells them that her grandmother left her a voicemail message of her own coming death. When she mentions that the air got cold, the brothers tell her they’re dealing with a ghost. 

She does not believe them. 

They tell her their story. She needs a drink (and so does Dean.) 

Sam and Dean realize how difficult their situation is --fake and probably real psychics, ghosts, and a whole lot of confusion. They split up to canvas the town. 

Camille Thibodeaux, a friend of Melanie's, has a death vision. She calls Melanie, and her friend brings Dean. 

Camille tells him about her death vision. Dean cannily surveys the room and spots a security camera. Cut to later, where they watch her get attacked by an actual G-G-G-GHOST on the camera footage. Melanie remembers seeing a picture of the ghost in the museum. 

At the museum, the tour guide spins a little backstory towards us. Hooking into the “brothers rift” theme of Season 7, we hear about sibling fights in the psychic gallery PLUS one success story of two brothers who got along famously. “Of course, that was just a stage name. They weren't actually brothers. That was a cover for their, um... alternative lifestyle.” Cut to a closeup of Dean.

They spot the Fox sisters’ portrait. One of the sisters (the ghost) was known for her death prophecies and telekinesis. The older sister, the museum guide reports, “didn't have her sister's charisma, but she looked after Kate. Sometimes, one's true gift is taking care of others.” Sometimes I watch these thesis statements on Dean and shriek at such a high pitch that I break every pane of glass in the gas station. Sam heads off to dig up some Fox sister skeletons, but the tour guide grabs Dean. “Do you know an Eleanor or an Ellen?”

“She seems quite concerned about you. She wants to tell you – pardon me – if you don't tell someone how bad it really is, she'll kick your ass from beyond. You have to trust someone again eventually.” ANYWAY. The tour guide fucks off and leaves both Dean AND myself shattered into a million pieces. 

Dean storms out moments later and demands that Sam treat him with a modicum of courtesy. Sam entrenches in his anger. When Dean defends his choice to kill Amy, he then also dredges up Sam’s best pal, Hallucifer as reason number one to coddle Sam.

Later at the cemetery, Dean stands watch while Sam digs up a grave. They wonder why the ghost is warning all the psychics before killing them. The ghost zooms up just as they’re about to salt and burn the body. She seems relatively stable for a murderous ghost and pleads with them to listen to her. WHY won’t anybody listen to her? GIRLFRIEND, I feel you.

Sam and Dean torch her and she flames out dramatically. Camille and Melanie celebrate the good news: the ghost is, uh, dead. Re-dead-ified? Back at Camille’s place, they pack a quick bag. The death omens start to spiral around poor Camille. The older Fox sister arrives as a desperate Melanie calls the Winchesters for help. Melanie ineffectually tosses an empty salt container at the spirit before watching her friend get killed before her eyes. UUUUGH.

Later, a grieving Melanie shoos the Winchesters out of her home, telling them that Margaret (the ghost) enjoyed killing her friend. That morning, they dig up Margaret’s grave. “I feel naked doing this in daylight,” Dean observes. Oh, sunshine. From the shadowed forest, something lurks. Unfortunately, nothing lurks in the actual grave. Margaret’s coffin lies empty. Later, Dean notices a flyer for an upcoming psychic festival. All the headliners featured in the poster are now all dead. Dean runs this theory by Melanie, who realizes that she’s the next logical successor to the Lilydale psychic throne.

Sam heads back to the thrift shop to pursue new necromancer leads while Dean tries to ghost proof Melanie. He surrounds her in a great big salt circle. (SALT HULA HOOP, I whisper in Dean’s ear.)

Sam bursts into the suspected necromancer’s house only to find a lamaze class. He and Dean realize that the pawn shop owner is the necromancer, trying to feed them false leads. This is all very useful, but it doesn’t help Melanie. Margaret shows up at the house ready to REDRUM. 

Breaking into the pawn shop owner’s house, Sam finds a spooky altar complete with a skull. The necromancer levels a gun at Sam. 

The ghost appears, blowing out Melanie’s windows. RUDE! They fight while the necromancer monologues over them, telling Sam that he’s a real psychic. He just doesn’t get top billing because he’s not that pretty or charismatic. 

Sam grows weary of the villain-splaining and shoots the necromancer. He then heads into the dude’s bedroom where he finds Margaret’s bones...in his bed. Welp. Good night, everybody!

After Sam torches the bones and saves Melanie, Dean gets the full recap at the psychic diner. 

For Dean and Flowers Science:

Sam bows out of the conversation when Melanie arrives. Dean desperately tries to minimize his feats of heroism. She thanks him anyway and they both circle around the mutual-attraction-imcompatible-lifestyles hole. Honestly, I am so firmly entrenched in the Cas endgame but WHY don’t I read more of Dean/Melanie in fics? She’s a cutie! And then we can have Shipper!Melanie too.

Dean leaves the diner to find that Sam’s moved his duffel to Dean’s car. Sam tells Dean that he understands why he killed Amy now. He ALSO tries to get Dean to admit that he’s swirling around the black hole of drinky drinky despair. Dean tells Sam that he killed Amy out of instinct - he didn’t trust her. “Ever since Cas, I’ve had a hard time trusting anybody.” GUH. Dagger to the heart.

They trundle off into the next episode. (GUYS, this was written by THE Acker and Blacker duo! I had no idea!)

Look Into the Crystal Quotes:

See, there’s fake woo woo crap. And there’s real woo woo crap

This is gonna be looking like a needle in a stack of fake needles

If you affirmate me, I’m gonna punch you in the face

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

[ms-rampage]

Nice to Meet You

Charles Smith x [OC] Kate Winchester (or female reader)

This is my first RDR2 writing. I've had this swimming around in my head for awhile now, and this is one my favorite ships 😁😁💕💕. This is pretty much one of the ways I would have Kate and Charles meet. My writing requests are closed for now, but I'll save your request in my queue.

Warnings: None, maybe some slight language but thats normal for my writings. Awkward Kate/Y/n? 😅😂

A/N: Feel free to insert yourself as my OC as you read on. 😁😊

Photo of Charles isn't mine

Camping out near the Hanging Dog Ranch in Big Valley, West Elizabeth. The lavender field is such a beautiful place to set up camp, its even more beautiful with the snowy mountains from the West Grizzlies of Ambarino.

Kate always had this connection with nature. This spot is great for star gazing, and sometimes hunting. She normally didn't like hunting unless it was really necessary, such as for food, or to make a few dollars to sell some pelts for food. Being a naturalist can be difficult sometimes. You study animals, but sometimes cravings kick in, and you sometimes gotta hunt animals for food. Saloon food doesn't do it sometimes, so you gotta cook your own food.

Camping can be dangerous, even by yourself and especially if you're a woman, but for Kate she's a natural and somewhat of a veteran at camping alone, especially for her size. Being 5'4 and very easy to miss, especially when sitting or laying down, but that's why she has her guard dog Haley watching over the campsite while she's away. She's a good dog, German Shepard.

She's just relaxing, drinking some coffee as the cold West Elizabeth breeze blows past her, and that's when something startles her Missouri Fox Trotter, Lily. She somehow manages to unhitch herself, and takes off running into the wooded area nearby.

"Lily!" she exclaims dropping her cup of hot coffee to chase her horse. "Lily come back!". She sprints after her.

[Charles POV]. Normally he doesn't go this far from the gangs camp, but sometimes a good ride is good to clear your head. The areas around Strawberry is good for hunting. Getting away from the gang even for couple hours or a couple days can be a good thing.

Charles sets up his camp near the Black Bone Forest, not far from where Kate is set up, but of course he doesn't know this. Fixing up the fire as the evening sun is less than an hour away from setting. Warming up his hands as the cold weather starts to pick up, and night time will be arriving soon.

As he warms up his hands, he hears the voice of a woman calling out for someone, sounding distant but very close. He continues to warm up by the fire then a black, white tovero horse with saddle, and everything on, trots by looking a bit agitated. Putting two and two together, he figures it belongs to the woman calling out for it.

He gets up from his spot near the fire, and slowly approaches it, not wanting to startle or scare it away.

[Kate's POV]. "Lily!" she shouts, the tracks her horse had left now fading. Feeling like hours since she's been tracking her down. Normally she's really good at tracking animals, but it's close to night time and she left her lantern at her campsite. As well as her dog, hoping she doesn't get attacked by wolves, bears or cougars.

"Fuck" she sighs, "Lily!". She whistles for her, waiting for the whinny and heavy hooves of her horse, but to no avail. No sign of her. Not realizing she had chased her down a little too far. Kate is now nowhere near her campsite and is now in an area where there are dangerous predators lurking in the dark somewhat terrifying forests.

[Charles POV].

"Hey there girl" he says softly to the horse. She whinnys softly at him, digging her hoove into the dirty, not sure who he is. He continues to slowly approach her, when he gets to arms reach of her, he calms her down. "You're okay girl".

[No POV]. Patting her, Lily then calms down. He guides her towards his campsite, hitching her near Taima. 10 minutes had passed, "Lily!" the voice of the horse's owner echoes through the trees, followed by footsteps not far from Charles campsite. After another few minutes, a woman comes into view.

Charles sees her walk into view of his camp, "Ma'am is this your horse?" he asks. Relieved to see her horse is alive and well. Kate lets out a sigh of relief, "Oh fuck. Oh my God. Yes, thank you so much sir. I don't know what she saw, she just took off from her hitching spot". She unhitches her horse from the spot.

"I can escort you back to your camp" he tells her, knowing that this is O'Driscolls and Skinner brothers country. "Oh no its fine but thank you for the offer. I don't want to be a burden" she tells him.

"I insist" he tells her, "Its dark, and I don't want you to get attacked. This is a O'Driscolls and Skinner brothers area".

"Are you sure? My campsite isn't set up far" she asks, "I hope it isn't trouble?". This little lady can easily get attacked by any bandits and robbers. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't escort her, and made sure she was safe.

"I'm sure. I don't want you to get hurt" he tells her.

"Well if you insist then thank you sir". she tells him. She mounts Lily, and Charles mounts Taima. "I'm set up at the lavender field. Near the Hanging Dog Ranch" she informs him.

"Near the O'Driscolls hideout?" he asks, looking at her with a look of concern.

"There's no one at the hideout. I checked it out earlier, its empty". she replies. He escorts her to her campsite which is less than a 10 minute ride.

As they're riding, Charles gets a better glimpse at Kate's face. He knows he's seen her before but he's not sure when and where though, she's very beautiful, and also very small, short but height and size isn't really important to him. He knows she can probably hold herself in fight, but he wants to be a gentleman, and guide her to her camp.

When they reach her campsite, her dog greets with a bark of excitement and tail wagging. Kate hitches Lily. Charles gets off his horse. "Have I seen you before?" he asks her, "I feel like I've seen you before".

Kate did recognize him, but like him, she wasn't 100% sure. Getting a better look at his face and other features from the fire and a bit of light from the moonlight. He's most likely half African American and Native, he's also very handsome. "Outside the Smithfield Saloon in Valentine" she tells him, "I believe one of your friends got into a fight with Big Tommy".

He lets out a soft chuckle, and a slight smirk "I thought so. That was Arthur".

"And also in the Heartlands" she tells him, "Well you didn't see me, but I saw you with that same man... Arthur, who fought Tommy. I was studying bison, and you two were riding by. I recognized you".

"Studying bison?" he asks, intrigued by her response.

"I'm a naturalist. I study animals, and wildlife. I'm also a herbalist". she tells him, "I usual camp by myself to clear my head... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name".

"I'm Charles" he introduces himself.

"I'm Kate. It's finally nice to meet you" she was always terrible at introducing herself because she's very awkward, "But yeah, I study animals. Bison, Buffalo, cattle in general, I find very interesting... Sorry I'm just rambling on about my interests". She chuckles nervously.

"No worries. It's fine" he tells her, giving her a soft smile. Finding this woman very interesting and very attractive, also getting this strange feeling in his stomach that he has never ever gotten before, "I should be getting back to my camp now. Have I nice night, Kate".

"You too Charles, and thank you for the escort" thanking him with a smile. He hitches his horse and rides back to his camp. The whole time Kate was on his mind, even when he would try to sleep. Just something about her, her interests, and her demeanor. How sweet and down to Earth she is.

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S5 Ep 19: Yugi and the Only Neck Accessory He Didn’t Really Want to Wear

Been busy! Hopefully stuff will open up soon as I’m taking a hiatus on a different quarantine project and will be finishing painting the entire roof of my car this week? One can hope. Sanding the rust off the whole top of a car takes a long time it turns out?

Also, fun Yugioh fact, I recently painted a book cover for an author who is older so she’s never seen the show, and she looked at my tumblr, saw my Duke Devlin fanart and was like “That’s him. That’s my main character. OMG. You captured him perfectly!” and I was like “Ma’am that is Duke Devlin, hence the single dice earring on his lobes there, but we can work with this.” and now a spiritual Duke Devlin is on the cover of a Wuxia-style fantasy trilogy on the Vella. Had to give him a top knot and delete the eyeliner for Wuxia reasons but uh, that’s just Duke.

So long story short, fanart can get you work, don’t even worry about posting that stuff online because most people don’t even know it’s fanart anyway and older ladies freakin love it.

Back in Yugioh, the team was doing their best to navigate a map through the woods and they do about as well as they normally do.

And inside Tristan lifted up the floorboards and was like “I found the only way out, this is it, this is the only way.”

And they ended up in something that has a color scheme I would actually associate with a jungle. Finally. We have finally left California (in order to go to another Hell.)

Youknow, when we went to California, we visited Hell, and when we went to India, we also took a stop at the nearest death destination. There’s just so much death on this show and sometimes I forget because there’s been a ghost in our party for so freakin long it’s been normalized.

(read more death imagery under the cut)

Joey freaks out at a flock of crows and reveals in this episode something I never realized about him before.

Like I’m not always the perfect observer as I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I love that this is canon for probably only this episode, but I will never forget it for the entirety of this series.

You go on hating birds, Joey.

Bro was like “Maybe it’s a deep cut about Mai Valentine because she’s a harpy lady” but eh...pretty sure we spent like an entire season of Joey telling us that Mai was a good experience? Would be incredibly funny if immediately after all of S4, Joey was like “You know what? Screw Mai, guys.”

So my thoughts...it’s probably just a literal bird experience. Like I had a friend who hated deer because once she went to a petting zoo, got some pellets to feed the deer, but her finger was sticking up, so when the deer came over to nibble on some pellets her finger went up it’s nose by accident. She was so disgusted by this event that was entirely her fault, that she brought up how much she hated deer basically whenever we saw one.

So like...maybe Joey fed a bird wrong at a petting zoo. I can see him getting bit by a parrot because he was too Joey Wheeler.

But now that we’re in a graveyard neighborhood, Pharaoh decides to hop out because there’s a lot of ghosts here and he needs to practice socializing with his peers.

So that’s just a Yugioh monster doing the ostrich dance, right? Like this is a meme from like 2010 but on Yugioh in 2003(4?)

Good to see the Ostrich dance here in the land before Vine.

So they pull out their Pokemon to do some antics, Tea looked like she was about to do something useful, and Yami does a yump across time and space to get her as far away from playing (not)cards as quickly as possible and y’all...sure was a position these animators animated.

Holy crap.

And I was going off about that scene last season where they woke up in the same bed like...

...have these two been together this entire time? Like together together?

They’re like...way more comfortable than you’d figure they’d be considering Yugi nearly passes out every time he gets a hug. But Yami just like....How long has this been going on? As long as Joey’s fear of birds?

Like obviously this show would never cover what the hell Yugi may be thinking about this overreaching move here, because we’re gonna gloss right over that, and just run away up a flight of stairs. No one mentions this ever again. Which is mind blowing for an anime to do. I think in most anime I watch, the kids would be like “ahh ahhhh I bumped into a booooob!” like it does for I want to say every other episode of My Hero Academia. But in Yugioh, they saw that low hanging fruit and they were like “we expect a higher level of maturity out of our audience. Now here’s a fleet of ostrich dancing tree monsters with faces for crotches.”

They decided to sprint up this flight of stairs, and it enough of a slope to deter the monsters who are only unbalanced weird legs.

I want us to take a moment and admire this background painting. I can’t unsee the rocks that are all the same size, just piled on top of eachother. Did Alexander the Great just plop rocks here--or was the mountain made up of tons of similarly shaped boulders?

Like there’s a lot of nice bg’s in this arc, don’t get me wrong, but this one...I’m just trying to wrap my head around the logic of it.

At the top, they meet a pantheon, that is immediately blocked by this wall, because if this arc had a tagline, it’s “Yugi gets inconvenienced every 4 seconds.”

Bro was like “Clearly they would have pushed it over if Tea wasn’t slacking off” and like...she is actually. Look at her. Only used one hand? Slacker.

Joey was disappointed he couldn’t push over a massive wall, and the team decided not to analyze how much Joey Wheeler thinks of his own strength and instead fixate on these statues.

Usually in anthro characters they kinda look birdlike but act human. But what about an anthro that’s just a bird? Like human torso, but can turn his head 180 degrees? Yugioh made me ask this question.

And then Joey was like “wait, there may be a solution that isn’t just to use brute strength!”

Youknow it is a bummer that Kaiba couldn’t witness Joey own a dragon while he himself only has a robot jet dragon. Although, the jet is probably faster, stronger and overall...better than this baby dragon. It would have been great for Kaiba to witness Joey under-utilize this dragon and forget he has it for like huge swatches of the episode.

And then Grandpa pulled some body horror out of nowhere.

Wow.

I mean that is really gross.

I guess Grandpa can’t use Blue eyes, because Kaiba ripped it up, Grandpa can’t use Exodia because Weevil tossed it off a boat, and grandpa can’t use the card that’s just a building because...it’s a building.

So instead Grandpa has a bunch of meat and bones that look like something out of Doom. It’s probably from a more obscure Konami property, but I forget which.

I’ve seen Tristan hold back Joey in this hold, first time it’s been Tea.

So much shipping in this episode, it’s wild.

It’s also wild how low my standards are for what could possibly be shipping when it comes to Yugioh because of how freakin tepid all of these characters are, which as I’ve brought up before, I really don’t mind.

So Yugi decides that because Grandpa was folding his arms like one monster and it made a gem light up or something, to just do the video game thing and use the giant ass statues as clues.

Why was this arc not a video game? Like parts of it really feel like it was meant to be.

So Yugi falls down a hole, where the walls cave in like it’s that dumpster in Star Wars but like...it barely phases him.

Also...Yugi might be able to see in the dark. It’s never been brought up but like...the more I think about it...has Yugi ever struggled to see without the lights on?

After Joey disappoints everyone, he confronts death.

And Pharaoh and Yugi decide to solve the puzzle of “how do I get out of this trap dungeon room” which, honestly, is probably what they’re doing every time they hang out in the brain pyramid.

So they summon their mascot monster, and surprisingly the show decided its ability to fly cannot help them out here.

Kuriboh manages to become enough of a doormat to push Yami up to the stone and they end up in a set of weird cuts that ended in this?

Like seriously it was like flashes of light and then they were just...up here like this.

Hey like...

Alexander the Great, my man...

Were you planning to put that stone in the middle of a exhaust vent hoping someone would touch it? Because there’s no way anyone would rationally have done that. You would need to fly to do it. This is the world’s worst DM.

Like Yugioh pulls a lot of fantasy nonsense but this arc is a lot more like a “it’s a kid’s show, just go with it.” arc than most of them. It’s not a bad vibe, necessarily, it’s just not the vibe I’m used to.

So once I witnessed maybe the most boring conversation I’ve ever witnessed about corn (this was on a twitch stream, by the way, a guy was playing an interesting game, and then a guest came on and started talking about corn and plants for 2 hours) and they would not shut up about how all taxonomy is wrong because there are no such thing as trees and how all animals are labelled incorrectly, and then they started comparing it to like all sorts of mushrooms and phytoplankton as you would if you clearly got a little bit high before dumping your corn knowledge on a twitch stream.

Anyway, after that bizarre experience I suffered so I could learn how to play an obscure video game, I think I can safely say, that while I know everyone here thinks a bird can’t be a dog. If you’re a high biologist: a bird is absolutely a dog. Apparently you can just do that if you’re the most boring biologist alive and no one will argue with you because to do that would involve talking to you. We’ll just say a bird is a dog and no one can fight me or I will talk about the corn book that this guest on this twitch chat was thinking about renting from the library about the different types of corn mutations inherent in freakin Indiana. Therefore, Joey’s fear of birds and dogs is same.

So they use Dark Magician to save them from the statues, and Yugi busts into the pantheon again because they got to open this casket before a time limit that I kind of forgot about, tbh.

And inside the casket, is...this thing!

(enjoy this line on the bottom of the image I don’t feel like fixing it)

And you may say to yourself...it looks like it’s just floating in mid-air, that’s silly, and so I want to introduce you to the next panel where you can see that it is...quite literally...just floating in the air like a video game.

and it just slurps itself onto Yugi before he can be like “nonono.”

Wasn’t there some horror movie where you were stuck in some sort of body brace that slowly tortures you (was that Saw?) This has that vibes. Like man that looks uncomfortable to wear over a jacket and two belts and a collar that is another belt.

That and I...I gotta appreciate that Yugi popped his collar while wearing body armor and chunky necklace. What 00′s fashion appreciation right there.

Bit like...this isn’t breathable, right? Like Yugi’s gonna finally take this thing off and his jacket will just be completely soaked in sweat?

Anyway, that’s it for this post, next week we’ll see if Yugi can walk through a doorway in that thing.

Also, I can’t bring up the ostrich dance without sharing the vines of my generation

[joezworld]

📁

Specifically, any headcanons of the Sodor Engines interacting with the internet, or the internet in general?

For some reason, I’d imagine that podcasts and the like are popular among vehicles in general.

That is a question that I've been working on for some time - because I'm workshopping my own Tornado headcanon (and boy oh boy does she use the internet a lot) - but I have some ideas for the Sodor engines as well: 

Henry is probably the most "plugged in" engine on the island, weirdly enough. One of his drivers gave him an iPod back in the early 2000s, and kindly preloaded it with a bunch of torrented music.

 BTW, that works because all the engines are now equipped with automatic train warning systems, and the little on-board computer has a USB port - as a nice side effect it allows music players to work with the engines in the same way as bone-conducting headphones do. The computer also acts as some kind of computer interface, which I am not going to explain how that works because Jesus Christ I don’t know how it does either.  

 Henry has managed to upgrade his iPod a few times since thanks to hand-me-down units from NWR staff, so he eventually got his buffers on a wifi-enabled iPod Touch and now downloads new music from the station wifi. He does listen to podcasts, but as every other engine will tell you, you could show Henry ten thousand new and exciting songs from the best artists in the world, and his top ten played songs are still going to be Genesis, Phil Collins, and Yes. Bear considers it a win that he managed to convince Henry to regularly listen to Rush after a mere twenty years of convincing. 

 Mavis and Daisy listen to a very interesting program called The News, because as stated elsewhere, they invest a shitload of money and need to be on top of things. Thomas and Percy wish that Daisy would use headphones or something similar to that, instead of listening to Bloomberg TV at loud volumes in the middle of the night. Toby frankly doesn’t mind, as it’s very nice to be kept up-to-date on the outside world.  

In a move that surprises no-one, Bill and Ben have a podcast where they talk about whatever they think about at that moment - usually horse-racing, investing, and clay mining. As such, they have a wide audience, almost none of whom know that they’re that Bill and Ben, as their podcast is audio-only.  

 In an also unsurprising move, Edward and BoCo have been made very much aware that Bill and Ben have a podcast, but are still unsure as to what the hell a podcast is, despite being frequent guests on it.  

Of the main line diesels, only Bear has shown any real interest in the internet, and was immediately put in charge of the Amazon Alexa when a unit was installed in the diesel shed. He also has an iPod that he got for Christmas a few years back. (The NWR has a very good personal  electronics recycling program called give it to Henry, he’ll make use it.)  

Bear does listen to podcasts as well as music, but his choices are so insufferably boring that even Henry refuses to listen to them. (I don’t really listen to podcasts - despite making one - so insert the most boring podcast you can think of here.) 

 As for other internet uses... 

Gordon is very up-to-date on the newest social media trends - somehow - but only really cares when he is involved. He won’t admit it, but he’s been trying to figure out how to work a camera/selfie stick for some time so he can start up his own Instagram account. So far he has been unsuccessful, but one day he will manage it. 

 James has had an ongoing feud with his own Wikipedia page for about a decade now. The article sourced most of its information about his construction off of some out-of-print book about the L&Y. The book in question is accurate about James’ class, but not James himself - as he was a prototype engine. There’s no other primary sources available, so the very dedicated Wikipedia mod who created the page won’t change it - no matter how much James complains that he was there! He knows what happened! 

Every now and again a TTTE fan blog/tumblr will make a post about hypothetical “ships” of the Sodor engines. Most of the time it’s shipping the core characters like Gordon and Henry, much to Gordon’s bafflement and Henry’s amusement! 

Only one blog (a ttte fan tumblr by the curious name of @mean-scarlet-deceiver  ) has gotten it right. Henry actually reached out to congratulate this blogger, but was unfortunately mistaken for a very dedicated roleplay account.  

James is very annoyed by these blogs, as they have never once correctly guessed who he is “shipped” with! He has tried several times to be seen in public with Delta, but these events have never gone as planned - the “best” instance is when Edward rolled by at exactly the wrong moment, leading to months of speculation that JamesxEdward was the ship to look out for! 

Thomas, being a generally oblivious sort of engine, was totally unaware of the online fan community around the TV show until he started getting actively harassed by vloggers and Instagrammers in the early 2010s. He’s fine with it now, but it was a deeply unusual experience for most of 2012.  

Toby has developed an unexpectedly popular following on social media following his collab with Stormzy. His official twitter is huge now, with over a million followers, even if he has no idea what to do with it. He posts rarely, but usually manages to make an incredible post when he does.

No-one is sure who told Oliver what a “fan-production” is, but if you manage to get ahold of him for any period of time and ask him nicely, he will lend his voice to your TTTE fan-project, so long as it isn’t about [INSERT TERRIBLE SOCIAL/POLITICAL VIEW(S) HERE]. This means that he has 100% voiced dramatic readings of NSFW Fanfics before, which is always an absolute riot to spring on people unannounced.

There is a series of slice-of-life TTTE fanfics on Ao3 that have been written with such accuracy and innate railway knowledge that people are sure it was written by a Sodor engine, but nobody knows which one.

The Culdee Fell Railway has very active Instagram, Twitter and YouTube accounts, with all of the engines and coaches showing up regularly. It’s about the closest any of the railways on Sodor have come to what those outside the UK would call “normal locomotive social media”.

The Skarloey Railway has social media accounts too, but they don’t really feature the engines in any meaningful way, instead being used as a normal service announcements page.  

 The SR is a real working railway that doesn’t rely on tourism money as much as the others do, so they get a bit of a pass here.  

 The Arlesdale Railway has Twitter and YouTube, which didn’t usually get a lot of hits until 2020, when Ivan and Amanda Farrier started badgering the staff to make some videos just to alleviate some boredom. So far the most popular videos on the channel are a front-mounted camera video of the entire line slow-tv style, Bert explaining how steam engines work, and a video of Mike complaining about Justin Bieber for a solid half-hour.  

 That’s about it as far as Sodor goes, but before we’re done, I want to take a moment to talk about Tornado, because I have some fun ideas for her... 

First of all, we need to establish that Tornado is very young. Her construction only started in late 90′s, and she was steamed to life in 2000, putting her firmly into the “Zoomer” category. Add in the fact that she was built by a bunch of old men who didn’t really know how to treat a new engine, and she was raised much more like a human than a locomotive - I’ll get to this much more in the proper Tornado Headcanon post, but what this means here is that when social media started being a thing in the mid-to-late 2000′s, the people at the A1 Trust decided that they needed a young person to run things like Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace... and, well, Tornado was the youngest person in the trust by a large margin.

I should state here that in the rest of the world, locomotives are on the internet at roughly the same level as humans are, so there’s plenty of equipment to connect a phone/computer/camera to an engine - being English, the A1 Trust didn’t know how common it was, but they managed to get it up and running just the same.

 So Tornado has very quickly become attuned to the internet, just like any other teenager would. (yes, let’s let that settle into our minds for a moment - Tornado is barely old enough to drink in the US!) Quite naturally that means that she knows social media inside and out, and is actually quite a proficient social media manager for the trust, managing all of their social pages. More than one person who has complained about the trust on twitter has unknowingly been complaining to Tornado herself! 

 “On the internet, nobody knows that you’re a dog��Engine”. 

 Tornado has her own personal social media accounts too, but most/all of the time she gets mistaken for a very dedicated role-player, as the general perception of British Locomotives is that they don’t tweet. This has resulted in some amazing reactions from podcast hosts (because, as you might expect, Tornado is very knowledgeable about steam traction in the 21st century, and tweets about it often, so train podcasts want to talk to her) when she gets invited onto video calls, turns on her webcam, and is met with screams from people who suddenly realize that her profile picture is accurate.  

 By far the best instance of this is when she was invited onto a video call with a railfan podcast. She was at the NRM at the time and managed to convince them to let her use their Skype setup. A wide-angle lens was needed because she was on the turntable in the Great Hall, so that podcast quickly got sidetracked when her webcam was turned on and revealed Tornado, with Mallard, Evening Star, City of Truro, and Green Arrow visible behind her. Whatever the original topic was quickly got thrown out in favor of a 2-hour Q&A with some of the most famous engines in the UK. 

[laddieseddiemunster]

The Lost Boys x Reader Who Has A Pet

Sorry that I haven’t been posting very much. I have two posts that are sitting in my drafts and they’re probably going to take some time to make. One is an ask and the other is an idea I came up with. By the way the anon who gave me a request about a 13/14 year old reader that the boys accidentally turn, I’m sorry that your request is taking so long. If you’re reading this then I will get your request out soon.

David

david doesn’t hate animals. no matter how much they hate him. it really just depends on the animal though. david likes animals mainly for protection. not so much for loveable purposes. that’s kind of the reason why he’s not too fond of marko’s piegons. how are those feather friends going to be able to protect them if hunters come after them. that’s right. they won’t.

you had kept your little secret from david for a while. it was until he offered you to move into the cave with him when you realized you were going to have to tell him about your secret. when you told him about your pet he wasn’t too upset about it. he was more upset about the fact that you didn’t tell him before. depending on what the pet would be, this is how it would go:

if it’s a dog that’s big or a puppy that will eventually become big then david has no problem with it at all. they could use a hound for protection anyway. of course, he wouldn’t change the dog without your permission, but he might have to anyway. since animals can sense a vampire as danger, your dog doesn’t really like david. so if you don’t let him change the puppy into a hellhound then it’ll just hate him. david would probably end up changing the dog anyway, since he doesn’t want a good protector dog to hate him.

if it’s a small dog then it’ll go differently. david doesn’t hate it. he just wishes it was a bit bigger. how is this little thing going to protect you? it’s just there for playing and cuddles. and david plays, but he doesn’t cuddle. (unless the other guys aren’t around). eventually, he’ll warm up to the little guy. especially when he sees that it makes you happy.

cats are a completely different story. david isn’t a cat person. it’s not because the cat can’t protect him. he just doesn’t really like cats. he’s definitely the type of person/vampire that’s never had a cat but says they’re mean little creatures. it’ll definitely be something he’ll have to get used to. the only thing he doesn’t mind about having a cat is there is a possibility the cat could kill some of marko’s pigeons. david won’t tell marko this, but sometimes those birds get on his nerves.

pets that live in a cage (birds, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, etc.) he really has no problem with. if it’s a hamster or something similar, he’ll occasionally let it out of the cage since it can’t really do much damage. for some reason david likes watching it roam around for a little while before putting it back in its cage. if it’s a bird then david won’t complain, but it’s just another feather creature to add to marko’s collection. same goes with a fish. it can’t get out of the tank and bother him, so he has no problem.

if you have some sort of reptile (snake, lizard, turtle, etc.) it really goes in the same category as a pet in a cage. it can’t get out and mess with his things so he doesn’t mind. if you have a snake then david will be pretty impressed. most people hate snakes yet you have one as a pet! he’d always hold it in his arms while it slithers to feel the scales. your snake will end up being his pet too. he just cant get over how cool it looks, and that you aren’t afraid of it.

Dwayne

dwayne considers himself an animal person. size doesn’t matter to him. big or small they all deserve to be loved. he hates the fact that they can’t really have pets since most animals hate them. he doesn’t remember the last time a dog even got close to him without barking. dwayne is a fan of any animal with fur. he loves to pet them and cuddle them even though he hasn’t gotten that opportunity in decades.

you kept your pet a secret from him mainly because you didn’t know how he was going to react. you’ve never seen him interact with an animal, so you just assumed he didn’t like them. when dwayne found out about your pet he was quick to let you know that he had no problem with animals. then he had to explain the whole animals dont like him story to you. depending on your pet these would be his different reactions:

if it’s a big dog then he has no problem at all. he grew up with a dog so he already knows how to take care of it. since the dog probably won’t like him he’ll want to change it to a hellhound, but if you don’t want to then he’ll just try to win over it’s trust. once dwayne has the dogs trust he’ll treat it as if it was his own dog. he’ll take it on walks at night with you, and totally spoil it with toys. since the dog is big and can protect you it gives him one less thing to worry about. if your dog ever saves you from something, dwayne will treat it like it’s the best dog in the world.

small dogs basically fall in the same category as big dogs to dwayne. they’re just smaller. he likes small dogs because they’re easier to carry and cuddle with. dwayne won’t admit it, but he loves to cuddle with a furry friend. if it falls asleep on his lap or chest he will not move. he will wait for it to wake up. another reason why dwayne likes small dogs is its a good playmate for laddie. the boy is small and so is the dog, so it works out for both of them.

surprisingly, dwayne has no problem with cats. he thinks that the whole dogs are for boys and cats are for girls is bogus. they weren’t made for a specific gender, so who cares what other people think. he’s aware that cats are a bit more difficult to gain trust of unlike dogs, but he’s a pretty patient guy. if the cat doesn’t like him at first, then he’ll wait for the right time. dwayne admires how close you are to your cat. one time he saw you and your cat asleep together while cuddling, and he couldn’t think of a more adorable sight.

if it’s an animal that lives in a cage (birds, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, etc.) he’s pretty interested about it. dwayne has never had an animal like that other than marko’s piegons, but even then he doesn’t really know how to take care of them. he’s eager to learn though. if it’s a bird then he’ll try to gain its trust. he’s always wanted to hold a bird on his finger. if it’s a fish then he’ll buy food for it, but he’ll be a little disappointed since he can’t really hold it.

pet reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles, etc.) are on a different road for him. he’s not afraid of them, but he’s just more on the cautious side. the last thing dwayne would want is for your snake to bite you or hurt you in some way. even though the snake isn’t venomous, that still doesn’t stop his worrying. he also doesn’t want the snake to scare laddie. he’d feel terrible if the snake got loose and scared the poor kid. other than that lizards and turtles are fine.

Paul

paul likes animals, but he also likes to bug them. so when he was human, animals didn’t really like him, and obviously they hate him as a vampire. after a while he missed the affection that he received from animals even if they didn’t like him. at least they went near him. now they don’t at all.

when you told paul that you had a pet he was pretty eager to meet it. he also wondered why you kept it a secret in the first place. you told him it was because you didn’t know if he liked animals or not. he explained to you that he did like animals, and that he wanted to meet yours as soon as possible. paul does have a preference towards animals, so this is how it’d go depending on what pet you have:

if it’s a big dog or a puppy that’ll become a big dog, paul will want to gain its trust as soon as possible. he doesn’t want the dog that you love so much to want to tear him apart. he’ll start by giving it loads of treats and bones from people they kill. you’ll have to tell him to take it down a notch because you don’t want your dog to gain a lot of weight. paul would want to change your dog into a hellhound mainly because no matter how much he tries the dog still doesn’t like him and he’s getting impatient. if you let him then he’ll turn your dog right away, and they’ll become best friends.

small dogs are a little bit different for paul. they’re so little and all he wants to do is get on it’s nerves. after bugging your small dog he starts to realize that the dog has more reasons to hate him now. he won’t ask to change it into a hellhound because a small dog won’t really be much protection. so the only way to win over the dogs trust is for paul to use some mind tricks, and that’s exactly what he does. paul does learn the hard way that you can’t be too rough with a smaller dog. he gets a little disappointed when he can’t play fight with it.

if you have a cat then paul will actually want to get to know it. he’s never had a cat and he wants to know why everyone says they’re annoying. when he finds out that cats aren’t annoying and they’re just moody he’s kind of relieved. at least he knows that the cat isn’t staying away from him because he’s a vampire. paul had to be patient with the cat and that’s one thing he’s not. if that cat doesn’t start liking him after some time he’ll get disappointed and give up. you’ll have to help him get on your cats good side.

if it’s an animal that lives in a cage (birds, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, etc.) with paul half the time it won’t be in the cage. he can’t help but want to take it out of its cage and let it walk around. if it’s a bird he can’t exactly do that unless it’s wings are cut. he can’t exactly play fight with any of these pets, so he’ll just help you take care of them. if you have a ferret then paul will sneak it into star and laddie’s room to scare them. after a while it won’t work because they realize it’s just a ferret and not a rat.

if you have a reptile (snakes, lizards, turtles, etc.) he’ll be pretty surprised and a little nervous. paul won’t admit it but the thought of living with a pet snake isn’t something he wants to do. of course he won’t tell you that because he doesn’t want to seem like a chicken. if you have a lizard or a turtle he doesn’t mind, but a snake...yeah he’s not a fan. he doesn’t understand how you can just live with something that could kill you. even if the snake has no venom that doesn’t stop paul from staying away from it.

Marko

marko has made it pretty clear that he has no problem with animals. he’s already befriended all of the pigeons that live in the cave. no matter how much david and the other boys complain about the bird poop everywhere, marko still somehow has them. he even has names for all of them and he can tell them apart. they’re now his family and he will be upset if one of them goes missing or dies.

when you tell marko that you have a pet he’s really excited to meet it. marko pretty much likes all animals, so he doesn’t really care if your pet is cute or not. all pets deserve love. marko has introduced you to his pets, so now it’s his turn to meet yours. depending on the pet this is how it’d go:

if you have a big dog then marko will treat it as if it was his own. the only dog he could really get to know is thorn, and even max’s dog doesn’t like him too much. even if the dog doesn’t like him sooner or later it will. marko has a way with animals. even though he’s a vampire he somehow gets any animal to like him. it could be mind tricks, or it’s just a gift he has. to your surprise your dog didn’t just like marko, it loved him. it was like it happened overnight. all of a sudden your dog was following marko everywhere, and laying its head in marko’s lap when he was sitting on the couch.

small dogs in marko’s eyes are no different from big dogs. except they’re smaller and easier to hold. he knows that he can’t be too rough with a small dog, so he’ll start by trying to hold it and if that doesn’t work then he’ll give it some treats. of course, the dog usually accepts marko’s trust pretty easily since every animal loves him. marko is pretty good at knowing whether your dog is sick or needs something. somehow marko just knows the look on the animals face when it needs to be taken care of.

you have a cat? well, now you might not. when you first told marko that you had a cat he was excited at first, but then he realized something. he has birds, and you have a cat. marko likes your cat, but it cannot visit the cave. he will not risk the idea of the cat eating one of his pigeons. if you do move into the cave along with the cat, things will be a bit hectic. marko will be constantly checking his piegons to see if one is missing, and if one is then he’s going straight to your cat to see if it’s eaten one. if your cat did eat one of his piegons then say adios to your cat. marko will not let it live there.

if you have a pet that lives in a cage (birds, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, etc.) marko is eager to learn how to take care of it. if it’s a bird then he obviously already knows exactly how to take care of it. he’ll attempt to have your bird get to know his piegons, but they probably won’t like each other since they’re different birds. if you have a hamster or rabbit then marko will never let it out of the cage. the last thing he would want is for you to loose your pet in the cave, and most likely never see it again.

if you have a reptile (snakes, lizards, turtles, etc.) for a pet then marko would be super surprised. especially if it’s a snake. he’s not afraid of it. he’s just surprised that you aren’t. marko would hold it in his arms and scare star and laddie with it. if he manages to scare one of the guys then he’ll tease them about it until they die. a lizard pretty much goes the same way. marko loves to hold it and feel the roughness of its skin. he can’t exactly scare anyone with the turtle, so he’ll just help you take care of it.

[gar-trek]

Would you tell us the Shatner story?

this has been sitting in my inbox because I don't know what to say, the story in itself isn't all that interesting, I guess. I wish it was something like “Shatner hit my dog with a car” but its not really about what he did, its more about the vibe i got from him. 

Okay, lets set the scene here a little. Imagine your about 12 years old, which is already atrocious in it’s own right. Now imagine your 12 and you really really really like Star Trek the original series. Well, your probably going to feel a little alienated. Your probably gonna think to yourself all the time “God, no one feels the way I do, no one ever has or ever will.” You’ll probably have daily internal monologues that are similar to Jugheads iconic speech from the new Riverdale series (I.E “In case you haven’t noticed, I'm weird. I’m a weirdo. I don't fit in. And I don't want to fit in.”) You know, 12-year-old stuff. But, there is one thing that kinda makes it okay. Maybe you don’t have a lot of real-life living breathing friends that understand you, but you do have the fictional Crew of the fictional USS Enterprise on the fictional TV show Star Trek. Star Trek characters? they totally get you. Spock gets you. Bones understands, Sulu and Chekov are like your fun cousins, Uhura would totally listen to all your problems. And Kirk? He’s like the super charming cute boy who in real life would never ever look at you, but in your delusional adolescent mind maybe you could like, hold hands or something. So yeah, of course all these characters don’t actually exist, but in a way they all feel like good friends of yours....  Now, you understand the characters don’t exist, right? BUT (and this is one huge delusional but) they were played by living breathing real people. And if your just a kid and have never read a Wikipedia article in your life, it's really easy to pretend that these actors ARE just their characters. I didn’t know what the hell IMDb was back then. All i knew was that William Shatner played Captain Kirk, which pretty much meant William Shatner WAS Captain Kirk. I didn’t want there to be a difference. 

So, one day my dad is like, “Hey, you know William Shatner, the guy who played Captain Kirk? He’s doing a live show right near our house and we can go see him if you like!” and I was all like “See captain Kirk? See my beloved Captain Kirk? See James T Kirk himself, one of my favorite characters living and breathing on stage? LETS DO IT” So my whole family went, and I was beyond excited, kid me sitting in the dark auditorium waiting to see THE Captain Kirk. Unfortunately though, as you may have guessed, Captain Kik himself did not walk out on that stage. I think William Shatner would have very much liked us to have thought he was THE captain kirk (in fact, he made it very clear in his show). But he is not. I slowly realized, sitting there listening to William Shatner talk very loudly about how cool he is, that even though he played Captain Kirk, he very much was not Captain kirk. William Shatner is an old (and this was in the 2010′s, so very old) washed-up actor. The most washed-up actor I’ve ever had the displeasure of learning about. I don’t like to talk shit on the elderly (and he is, I can not stress this enough, very old) but I have never experienced anyone with a larger ego than Mr. Shatner. It’s very obvious that he thinks he's one of the most genius actors that has ever graced the TV screen. The show was awful. It was a narcissist complimenting himself for 2 hours straight. My heart sank down slowly into my gut the whole time. By the time it was over, i was very certain of one very disappointing fact: Captain Kirk does not exist. And obviously, I already knew that. Logically, he could not exist, he was a character made up for TV. But I think when you're a kid, you're slightly removed from reality. I was living in ignorance. I had yet to experience how cruel life could really be. I guess what I’m trying to get at is that I was extremely let down by someone I (ignorantly) thought I knew. I think everyone has that moment, at some point, where they realize someone they idolized, someone they thought could do no wrong, someone they put above other people, was actually just as low as the rest of us. People are people, I guess. People are (sometimes) really awful people, too. Captain Kirk isn’t a person. He is a character. William Shatner is a person, and he is pretty awful. 

So yeah, there is my pretty boring story about how William Shatner did me wrong. TL:DR; 

I have seen William Shatner in person. I have heard him talk about his life. He is extremely egotistical and it was extremely disappointing. 

[thegoldielocks28]

45. "Do I even wanna know?" for Tala and Mathilda (because I'm interested in seeing your version of their friendship when she's with or moving towards being with Spencer) Or if that line doesn't work, either of the others will do as long as it has those two :)

Title: Do I even want to know? Pairing: Sergei Petrov and Mathilda Alster romantically, Yuriy Ivanov and Mathilda Alster platonically. Notice: Written from Yuriy´s point of view. Mostly. Also, I haven't yet read the new manga so some of my headcanons for him might be off, aged or not canon. Also, I kept writing and adding to this for ages, and feel it's a bit of a mess. Hopefully, it shows some emotion that I meant for it to show. Not sure if I will post this anywhere else hm...

Yuriy has mastered the art of ignoring others' eyes on him. Easily walking by as if he's clueless of their attention on him. Even if the fact that they were staring was something he noticed before the person themselves knew their eyes were trailing him.

Observant as he is.

During Yuriy´s early childhood, he’d get looks of hatred and disgust as he lived, or barely survived, in the streets. Wearing old and tattered clothes, pale skin almost grey because of malnutrition, and blue eyes desperately searching for help as passerbys continued to choose not to see him. At times, the hatred in strangers´ eyes was better than being ignored. When they pretended not to see the misery Yuriy was in he ended up feeling like he was already dead.

Soon, Yuriy learned of another kind of fear. The fear that came from those who were threatened by his skill in the bey dish, fear because of the harsh fates waiting for them if they lost to him in the days of the Abbey. Once that first child lost terribly to Yuriy, and was never seen again, his peers started to respect him. Respect born from fear.

As Yuriy and his brothers were manipulated and tricked to threaten the safety of the world, he was looked on as both a hero and a monster. A hero who´d give Russia the top spot in Beyblade again.And as something a little less than human, perhaps closer to a cyborg, leading the world towards its demise while being seemingly void of much emotion. Perhaps only rivaled by how power hungry Kai had gotten together with Black Dranzer. Or even by Boris after that match against Rei. Boris had been Balkov´s triumph card. The man is still recovering from the lack of love he got from a young age, and to learn to handle his growing emotions just as his rage.

Today the world knows how all of it ended, and who to thank for their safety and freedom: the Bladebreakers.

After the Demolition Boys´ loss, people started to look at them with yet a new set of eyes. The eyes of those who viewed them as victims of manipulation, of harsh childhoods. Often with pity. It never suited Yuriy. Being a victim. Rather, he aimed for them to be seen as young, free and brave men redeeming themselves and growing into something better. Growing into the people they want to be now when they have a real shot at it.

Survivors.

Today, Yuriy is well trained in observing strangers and deciding whether or not they´re sincere when approaching his team. If they truly want to get to know them, or if they want something from them. Regretfully the Russians often decide it's safer to assume people are out to hurt them than blindly letting strangers into their lives.

It´s a snowy and cold day in Moscow, Russia. The air is crisp, cold and dry. Chilling to the bone. A good winter's day, with a clear blue sky telling of an even colder night ahead. Probably with stars. The streets are busy with people. Families, couples, children playing around. At a corner of a smaller street a coffee shop recently opened, carrying a foreign brand of coffee to Russia.

To the untrained eye Yuriy´s pale face appears indifferent as he thanks the young woman accompanying him for holding the door open. He's carrying some of the things they bought today. Books. Clothes. Some new toys for his pet dog. However, even if he might look like he'd rather be somewhere else, his eyes tell of a new kind of warmth as he looks at his female companion. An attentiveness few earn from him.

Yuriy´s presence has stirred people to life it seems. Staff greets him with almost spooked expressions and “Hi!”s. They must be newly hired, since the shop has just been around for a few weeks. It instantly sours his mood, as he much prefers workers to treat him like any other customer. From that point Yuriy makes sure it seems like he pays little attention to the people around them, but only after he shows his appreciation with a slight nod of his head. There´s this middle ground he has found as of late. Looking strangers in the eye as they gawk at him while fighting nerves. Some are his fans, and they pay a bit of his paycheck through watching his matches. Supporting him and his family. No matter how Yuriy looks at it, his fans matter, they all do in beyblading. Not all of them are stalkers, or want to hurt him or those closest to him. Even if it is hard to remember that sometimes.

The woman with him takes the lead to a small two-seater table at the back corner of the shop. Fairly isolated, yet with a view towards the street outside. She's always considerate like that. Sitting down with his back against the wall and a good view over the coffee shop, Yuriy´s eyes settle at the woman in front of him. The scent of sweet fruits washes over him. Nothing too overpowering. She takes off her coat, observant eyes darting around the place as she too notices the eyes on them. Unlike Yuriy, she can’t hide her discomfort. Yuriy has already deemed the room safe. The usual quick sweep of the eyes he does every time he arrives somewhere, especially somewhere new. Checking where the exits are, if there’s anyone suspicious around. Old habits are hard to break, and this one he won't try to: it has saved him before. Yuriy lets out a soft sigh as he allows himself to relax in his chair. Body grows heavier as he sinks into his seat. Knees falling apart ever so slightly. The only threat in this room seems to be awed struck fans, and those he can handle. At least well enough to make his friend enjoy their short coffee break.

Although Yuriy appears relaxed, his body language erects a barrier between his safe bubble with his friend and the people around them. Nothing about Yuriy is inviting. He leaves no room for strangers to think it's suitable for a quick chat or to ask about a signature: his focus is on his company. The girl in front of him tries to hide the fact that the attention from strangers gets to her, and Yuriy can´t help but imagine what the fans around them think as they see how she squirms in her seat. How they draw the wrong conclusions. The Russian offers her a hint of a smile in an attempt at making her feel more comfortable. If her attention is on him, Yuriy knows she´ll be able to relax and enjoy herself as well.

Ever since his brother started dating her, no one has seemed to want to accept their relationship for what it is. At first, not even Yuriy. The girl in the chair across from Yuriy is called Mathilda Alster. A young woman with a petite frame, big eyes and soft short pink hair. She is still red in the cheeks from the cold outside. Mathilda holds the hot cocoa she ordered tightly in both of her hands as if her fingers would turn into ice if she didn’t. That, or, it´s another sign of her nerves. Yuriy frowns slightly at the sight. Mathilda has been with them in Russia for over a week, and it seems like even the thick clothes he and his brothers helped her get doesn’t keep her warm enough out in the dry cold. It's the major reason why the two of them ended up shopping for clothes together.

Mathilda can't continue to wear her boyfriend´s shirts and hoodies once she gets cold. It works at their home, but not out and about, as most clothes that's supposed to end by the hips reach her mid-thighs or lower. Every borrowed t-shirt ends up a dress.

And Yuriy can't have her get sick.

”...I don’t really go to these kinds of places often, so it’s making them excited.” Yuriy says flatly, talking about the other people who keep stealing glances at them.

The fans are watching from a respectable distance so far, luckily. Yuriy is a very well-known face in Russia but he doesn't doubt people have realized just who is with him. The red haired man crosses a leg over the other and sips at his coffee, adding a bit of milk after a moment as he finds it just a bit too bitter for his liking. Something his teammates surely would judge him for. They always have their coffee black, black as their souls, as Boris says. A part of Yuriy regrets going to a crowded coffee shop during daytime. He loves coffee, but he´d normally have gotten it on the go or brewed it himself at home. However, Mathilda wanted to go for a snack after they were done with what they needed to do in town... so here they are. Not like Yuriy could deny her that when she looked so hopeful, so eager to spend just a little bit of more time together. Without really demanding anything but some of his time and company.

Before they set out this morning Mathilda had told Yuriy she'd keep him company, and that she had something she wanted to tell him. A secret. It made Yuriy curious. Mathilda might be someone who’d never tell someone else´s secret but she wouldn’t be able to hide that she is in fact, hiding something.

”So, you said earlier that there was something on your mind.” Yuriy asks at last.

Usually, the two of them have these kinds of conversations back at home. During Mathilda´s stays with them it has become a habit to gather around the kitchen table, having tea or coffee with something sweet and just talk. Even if she could just lock herself up in his brother's room and spend all the time with him, Mathilda put effort into getting to know all of them better. Never once voicing she thought their lifestyles were odd, but asking if she could help out with meals and chores while she lived with them. After a few days, they realized that all of them had breakfast, lunch and dinner together at the same hours a day. Even if their work, school, or individual practises were scheduled differently. Mathilda had observed, and made a good schedule that´d suit their hectic life-style. Before that, it had mainly been Sergei and Yuriy who were responsible for any home cooked meal. This change resulted in Yuriy and Mathilda growing closer, spending more time together, and learning each other's habits and likes and dislikes.

Today Mathilda was a little bit too eager to help Yuriy with his errands. She seemed almost anxious to get away from the three other men as she spoke with him in a low voice in the hallway. Asking if she could come with. Mathilda would often be content staying back reading when her boyfriend was at his part time job, or hanging out with whoever was at home, but Yuriy didn´t mind that she wanted his company. He has come to enjoy hers, and found the way she seemed to want to rely on him quite endearing.

However, he's certain whatever she's trying so hard to keep a secret has something to do with her boyfriend. It had left him feeling a bit uneasy for a while, as he's concerned it´d be something negative. Yuriy might not be able to admit it yet but he would miss her if Mathilda ever broke up with his friend. His thoughts straying to if it would work staying in touch even if it happened.

Mathilda´s cheeks end up getting a bit redder at Yuriy´s question. Her embarrassment and shyness is always refreshing, especially since it has never stopped her from doing what she wants in the end.

Leaning his chin in the palm of his hand, Yuriy leans forward over the table. Elbow resting just at the edge. ”Do I … really want to know?” Yuriy asks at last, the corner of his lips turning upward in a smirk.

Judging by Mathilda´s expression this won't be about a break up.

Even if Yuriy´d consider Mathilda to be something like an addition to his family by now, it wasn't always that way. It was something that happened gradually over time, until she was included with no questions asked.

Yuriy had learned to be observant from a very young age. It didn’t take long for the captain of the Russian team to notice that someone was getting uncomfortably close to the tight, sturdy and often very solid barrier of safety he had erected around his team. The intruder was that of a young woman, a woman he knew almost nothing about, during a beyblade tournament where their teams were rivals. Every team was the enemy in a sense.

Yuriy´s eyes soon followed Mathilda every time she was around, looking for any signs of ill intent while a small lump of anxiety grew in his chest. That lump grew in size as he realized she had been around for much longer than he had known. Rude as he sometimes can be, he genuinely decided it must have been because of her lack of presence that he at first didn’t take notice of her. She was always in the background, quiet and didn't take up much space. Not an opponent he´d have to worry about in the dish, but if he was going to be fair, his focus had been on other players.

Eventually he was informed about her, and that they had actually been in the same tournament once before. Alongside the fact that her team had too been victims of greedy and manipulative adults.

As Yuriy continued to observe Mathilda, he noted yet again that Mathilda was neither tall nor had a strong build. Her body, and eyes, showed her emotions as if she was an open book for everyone to read. He also realized that Mathilda was always observing too. Always conscious, self-conscious. With a build like that, and emotions so easy to read, Yuriy concluded that Mathilda wouldn´t become a threat to them physically. Whatever she threw at them in the dish or outside of it they'd know ahead of time and be able to counter. Yet, soon, he also realized that she might come too close in a completely different way than he expected.

Mathilda had her eyes set on Sergei.

With a risk to sound egocentric, Yuriy thought of how there have been people in the past who had tried to befriend, for example Sergei or Ian, with hopes of getting let into the Russians´ circle for their own personal gain or to even end up in his or Boris´ bed. Ian has always been the teammate most strangers assumed to be the easiest one to get close to. Often getting played in return as Ian has through bad experiences learned how people wanted to use him. All it took was for the short man to get excited over a friendship only to realize he wasn't the one the person was really there for. Others thought Sergei could be their key in. For some reason, many interpreted his silence for lack of depth, and assumed he´d accept almost any positive attention shown his way. They often realized their mistake when the usually gentle giant showed signs of irritation, and they realized just how intimidating the oldest and tallest member of the team could be.

It took Yuriy a while to realize that Mathilda was having a thing for Sergei. Even if her skin grew red with embarrassment, her voice cracking, she kept on approaching his brother with small conversations. Eyes were bright with delight as Sergei eventually started to return her greetings. Answered her questions, even if he seemed a bit put off balance by the attention and the fact that the girl didn´t stop approaching him.

Yuriy trusted Sergei to shoot her down if he felt she was overstepping, and he forced himself to let it go, only for him to see the two together more often. The lump of anxiety in his chest grew larger. Now, would this tiny girl, who sometimes stuttered out of nerves, be that cunning, to get close to Sergei with a false promise of.... affections... to later hurt him? Hurt their team? Yuriy didn´t want to take any chances. Yuriy knew Sergei had his walls up just like himself. He might seem approachable, at least the most approachable one out of his other teammates, just for the person trying to strike up a conversation feel like they're facing a cold brick wall. However, Yuriy could tell that Sergei´s walls were starting to crack around Mathilda.

Soon Sergei allowed her into his space, closer than any other stranger, and would expect Mathilda to be around. His steel blue eyes searched for her when she wasn't there when he expected her to be. How the quick meetings in the shared kitchen area of their hotel floor turned into longer and longer conversations over tea and coffee.

At one point Yuriy had felt Mathilda´s Captain Miguel´s eyes on him from across the dining area as they had both observed the same thing, and Yuriy felt annoyed. For once not so much over that Sergei and Mathilda were getting closer, but because of how cautious Miguel´s eyes had been. As if he was telling Yuriy to make sure his team behaved.

It didn't take long for Mathilda´s name to leave Sergei´s mouth around his team. It had made them grow quiet, because it had been rare for any of them to have plans with others outside of their small circle. Boris was the first one to break the silence as he made a crude joke about Sergei´s and Mathilda´s difference in size and that Sergei should be careful not to crush her. Boris deserved the death stare Sergei gave him after that.

Yuriy kept fighting his unease, believing that Sergei knew what he was doing, while also getting ready to act if things got out of hand.

The first time Mathilda ate with them she was very nervous, Yuriy could tell, the whole world could tell, but she still sat there with them and tried. Tried to keep up with conversations even if Boris was rude, and spoke mostly in Russian in a childish way to exclude her. Something Yuriy wouldn´t accept, as he instead used the lunch to talk to her. Gently poke her to see if there was any ill intent, testing the waters.

What in the end convinced Yuriy Mathilda was safe and good for his brother was the way she reacted to Sergei getting hurt. It was a minor injury: Sergei had stepped badly during practise and damaged his ankle. Leaving him with a swollen foot and a bad limp he tried to cover as well as he could among strangers. Somehow Mathilda saw through his pretense and realized he was hurt. The usually quiet girl had stopped Sergei as he and Boris were walking past her in the hallway. Voice a bit high-pitched as she asked about Sergei´s limp, and grew almost pushy as Boris told her it was nothing. As he told her to back off.

Mathilda had spent that evening sitting by Sergei’s feet cooling the swelling of his injury with ice and cold water. Yuriy had only realized this when he returned from a meeting with the BBA. The worry he saw on her face wasn’t an act. The challenge in her eyes as she looked at him and his team while staying by Sergei’s side, daring them to ask her to leave, was her true feelings.

Yuriy´s eyes narrow a fraction. He swirls the tablespoon in his now half-empty coffee cup, and tilts his head to the side while taking in Mathilda's sincere expression. Her face tells him that whatever secret she is hiding her nerves is from excitement and not out of anxiety.

“Our one year anniversary is coming up.” Mathilda starts slowly, her cheeks seeming to get even redder as she tries to word her thoughts as she wants them. “And I'm… trying to decide what I can do for him in celebration.”

Yuriy´s expression softens slightly, his concern fading. “...A year already?” He asks, feeling calm again. The thought that something between Sergei and Mathilda had turned bad had made him feel strangely uneasy. The man mentally sighs at himself. Focus returning to the current conversation and not what he dreads of the future. It feels like he met Mathilda just yesterday, at the same time as he feels as if they have known each other for several years already.

Anniversaries. Yuriy hasn´t thought much about it, but have they ever celebrated things like that, him and his family? They do keep track of a few dates, when things changed for the better for them. Boris is usually the one bringing out the alcohol. They always made sure to celebrate each other's birthdays as well. Celebrating they´re still getting older, living. Being free. Sergei was the first of them to get into a serious relationship. This is all new.

“Sergei probably won't expect anything…” Yuriy trails off slightly. “You have a good shot at surprising him, Mathilda.”

Mathilda has been patient and gentle as she guides Sergei through his first relationship. Yuriy thinks Sergei might not be Mathilda´s first love, but her first in many other ways, and they could experience it together at their own pace.

Sergei rarely wants something for himself, or expects others to do things for him. Emotions that Yuriy has seen grow since he started seeing Mathilda, as the man too learned he wanted her attention in different ways. Sergei had gone from only making sure others were alright to having someone, outside of family, who’d get worried sick about him. Who he would fight wars to keep happy and safe.

Mathilda smiles at Yuriy´s answer, and she seems pleased about what he just told her even if it didn't solve her problem of what to get Sergei in the end. Yuriy wonders what she has planned for her boyfriend. Warmth grows in him as he knows that Sergei now has more dates to remember and celebrate. Just like he too has a reason to spoil yet another person, Mathilda, when he wants to.

“I thought of… kidnapping him for a day, taking him to our favorite places, eat his favorite foods… “ Mathilda speaks, excited. “And-- … “ “You want us to be… somewhere else that day?” Yuriy asks with a slight smirk. The smirk is quite natural as he´ s amused imagining how Mathilda would ´kidnap´ Sergei.

“N-no!” Mathilda exclaims, understanding what her friend means. If they want some more privacy, just for them. “Well, it would be nice but--… “

“I'm sure I can get Boris and Ian out of the house for one evening…” Yuriy continues to playfully tease her.

A low buzz in Yuriy´s pocket makes him reach down for his phone, looking at the screen for just a moment.“Sergei´s off work, he's coming to pick us up on the way home.” Yuriy is thankful as he would rather not get on the public transport again today.

Mathilda nods, clearly thinking time must have passed quickly today, as she too checks her phone. Red cheeks slowly return to a normal shade as her embarrassment fades. Mathilda had neglected her phone simply because she was focused on Yuriy today, and there's an unread message from Sergei there waiting for her. The blonde Russian must have texted Yuriy too, due to the lack of reply on Mathilda´s part.

Just like Yuriy calls Mathilda when he can't get a hold of Sergei.

“I'll go and buy something for the others!” Mathilda says, getting her wallet before walking away. Blue eyes watches her as she checks out the display of different treats. Yuriy can already see Ian grinning at the gesture, and Boris not reacting much but whatever Mathilda gets for him will get eaten before next morning. For once, Yuriy isn´t the first one to notice Sergei. Instead his eyes follow how Mathilda rushes over to him, bag of sweets in hand. Taking in how Sergei´s tall and stiff frame softens as he leans down towards her: listening attentively to whatever she's saying. Yuriy gets up from his seat and pulls on his coat slowly, unable to look away at the sight. They look happy. It warms him, from inside out. He gets Mathilda´s things for her before he moves towards the couple. A long exhale through the nose.

Not everyone is out to hurt them.

[evolutionsvoid]

The arctic lands are already ruthless places, where the cold is unyielding and the wind chills you to the very core. The ice shows no mercy, and the earth offers little for shelter and food. Those who live in these frozen regions are hardened by the elements, as one must be strong to survive the brutal winters. Many beasts exemplify this harsh icy place, but the one that will always come to mind when I think of them is the Barbaratus. It is hard to not think of them, as their booming calls echo across the jagged glaciers, and the bloody remains of their kills splatter the pristine snow. They stalk within the curtains of snow, and strike with the savagery of a winter storm. The Barbaratus is a species of large flightless bird that lives in the northern regions of the world. Be it tundra, frozen forest or the icy coast, they will be there on their never-ending hunt for food. Like Cockatrices, their wings have been reduced to simple arms, having no way to lift their bulky bodies. Since they do not fly, then they are not hampered by its restrictions. Their bodies have grown large and heavy, their bones reinforced and tough. Their hind legs are packed with muscle, allowing them to charge across the land like a speeding carriage. Upon these powerful limbs are monstrous talons that can slice through skin and blubber with ease. Their beaks are massive and are strong as steel, giving them a bite that can crush bone. Plenty of feathers and thick down give them the warmth and protection they need from the brutal elements. All of this makes for an incredible predator that haunts these snowy places, one you never want to meet! While some of these beasts may travel alone, they tend to move in small flocks, with four being the max. These numbers give them an advantage over attackers, and make it easier for them to corner prey. In a land that gives no guarantee for food or shelter, they must be ready to bring down whatever they meet.   With such a hefty size and powerful weaponry, it should be obvious how these beasts hunt. They spot prey with their sharp eyes and run them down with their impressive speed. All they need is to hook their victim with their beak, and the fight is pretty much over. The beak is serrated and has a wicked point, once it sinks in it is painful to remove. This will slow prey and allow the Barbaratus to use its thick neck muscles to pull them off their feet. If the snared prey is small, the Barbaratus will grab its head in its mouth and crush their skull. If they are larger, they will reposition their beak so that it wraps around their spine. A savage bite will break their victim's neck or back and leave them paralyzed. From there, they can feast, ripping into flesh with their beaks and talons. Those that travel in flocks tend to target larger prey, as they need more to go around. Those who hunt solo will go after smaller stuff, which means animals that are smaller than human-sized. Even then, they will certainly take on anything they think they have a chance against, be it man or beast. These single birds may also switch up their tactics and try an ambush approach. If they find burrows or breathing holes, they will stand in wait. When a seal or other aquatic creature comes up for a breath, they will snap forward with their maw. The hooked beak will sink in, and the bird will fight to pull their prey out of the water. To get an idea how strong these creatures are, they can totally yank a full-grown seal out from the ice, practically slamming them to the ground. Can you do that with your mouth? Probably not. An interesting thing to note about the Barbaratus is the rumor that they use sound to help hunt their prey. This is said because the call of these birds is extremely loud. The sound of a calving glacier is almost comparable. Ice-shattering shrieks and booming caws are emitted from their powerful vocal chords. No doubt this is to help others of their kind hear each other's calls over the howling wind. Stand next to one while it lets out a deep bellow, and you may think it is trying blast you off your feet instead! While it still hasn't been settled that these beasts can do real physical damage with these calls, it is certainly believed that it can help with disorienting prey or driving them into making a mistake. As they give chase, an ear-splitting shriek can certainly throw someone off, which could be enough for the birds to overtake them. Some say that these calls can break ice and are used to blast seals out of the water. These folk are what we call "idiots," because that is certainly not true. They might be mistaking this ability for the strength of their pecks and kicks, because those are where the real walloping is at! A jab from their beak can easily cut you down to the bone, and a quick kick can disembowel you or crush your ribcage. All in all, not the kind of beast you want to fight hand-to-hand. Just ask the locals of these regions and they will tell you what devils these things can be.

  As a powerful predator that is always searching for a meal, the Barbarati are a never ending problem for those who live in this frozen worlds. Their sharp eyesight and decent sense of smell means that they are good at picking up trails that lead to food, even if they go straight into a hunting camp or settlement. Add to that the fact that these vicious creatures are quite smart, and you got a beast that will find some way to rob you of your kill or life. Hunters from these locales are trained in speedy field dressing and covering their tracks, as they want to be gone before a nearby Barbaratus is lured in by the blood. Villages and settlements must be careful when storing food and butchering their meat, as these birds will try to sneak in for a bite. Even if a freshly butchered seal isn't around, these beasts may decide to pick off an unwary wanderer or nab a tied up sled dog. Some may think that watchful eyes are all it takes to ward them off, but this isn't enough. Some are smart enough to set up traps or fake out watchers so another flock member can swoop in for the kill. I have heard of one famous Barbaratus that was known for setting up false attacks on villages, just so they could charge in and grab hold of a victim during the chaos. With this, vigilance is crucial for the folk who live here, and they are well-trained in picking up signs of nearby Barbarati. Be it out of necessity or self-defense, these birds can be killed and their bodies used. The meat is an obvious choice, but their plumage can be just as useful. Their thick down is great for coats, and the feathers serve for warmth and decoration. The talons are obviously excellent weapons, with the largest ones bring perfect daggers on their own! The terror these birds bring have caused them to be immortalized in paintings and carvings, acting as the vengeful claws of the unforgiving winters. I must admit that these creatures have certainly left an impression on me. In fact, this species defined an entire expedition! It was one of those times that I had packed up provisions for a month, bundled myself up and voluntarily had myself dumped in the middle of a wild, frozen tundra. I had locals drop me off in a place where I had access to pine forests, open tundra and an icy sea, all I had to do was walk! It was my hope to have a chance to explore each of these ecosystems for a week, and get a feel of what I wanted to focus my studies on. The possibilities were many and thrilling! It was on my fourth day when I caught sight of a pair of Barbarati, their hunched forms stalking the icy land for prey. Excited to watch them, I moved towards the perfect spot so I could study their hunting behavior. Unfortunately, these creatures had keen eyes, and their heads whipped in my direction as I fumbled with my gear. Their path quickly turned towards me, but I was not worried. As a dryad, my plant nature made me unpalatable to these carnivorous birds. My coloration did not fit in such a place, which would confuse them, and I did not give off any meaty odors that they would be looking for. Like how many dryads do, I just had to stay still and blend in with the scenery. As they continued to stalk forward, closing the far distance we once had between us, one of them started to let out a deep coughing sound. I recognized it from my readings as a sound of hunting. They would give these throaty calls as a signal to their fellow hunters and to terrorize their target into making a panicked mistake. Amazing as it was to hear it echo across the land, I was confused on why they were acting like this. I am a plant, and they don't like plants! It was in that moment that I looked down and finally registered that I was covered cap to root in animal furs. And that was when I ran. After talking about their speed and their ability to chase down fleeing prey, you would think it stupid for me to run. It certainly was, but it was still a smarter thing to do then stay in place and let them tear me to shreds. I booked it to the edge of a pine forest, as the open tundra offered no protection. It would maybe slow them down or give me a chance to lose them, if I even made it that far. The second I started running, one let out a booming scream and the two gave chase. Sometimes I can close my eyes and feel the vibrations that came from their pounding feet, shaking the ground as they launched themselves at me. It was terrifying. I had a head start, but that gave me mere seconds. Fit as I am, I am not capable of outrunning a skilled predator like them. They were gaining fast, and I knew they would catch me before I hit the tree line. There was the thought that they would lose interest in me once they found out I was made of vegetables and not meat, but this realization would only come after they crushed my head in their beak. So that was off the table. Instead, I started ripping gear and parts that hung off my pack and blindly flung them behind me. The rain of objects slowed them, either due to curiosity or fear that this was some kind of attack. It succeeded in buying me time, but it certainly wasn't enough for me to lose them in the forest. My best chance lay in a tree that stood in my path. Scraggly bark and low hanging branches gave me hope in scaling it, but I had to do it fast. That meant ditching my backpack, which was an easier action than I had suspected. As I was getting my arms out of the straps, the whole thing was ripped backwards, nearly pulling me with it! One of the Barbaratus had sunk their beak into it, which no doubt saved my life! The two thought they had a meal pinned down, and only realized it was a fleshless sac until I was halfway up the tree! I scurried to a high branch as they leaped at me. Their beaks snapped and tore at the air, but these beasts were not arboreal. They could not reach me, and I was safe. This fact did not register for me for a couple minutes, as I remained clinging to that branch in pure fear. They made some attempts to reach me, but soon realized I was no longer on the menu. Frustrated, they turned to my pack and tore that up in search of anything to eat. My jerkies and rations proved to be a substantial substitute, and they greedily devoured my provisions. After a few more thrashings of my shredded belongings, they turned away and disappeared into the wilderness. They were at last gone. I remained in that tree for two more hours, terrified of it being a ruse. At last, I convinced myself that the coast was clear and I hesitantly scrambled back down. I was so relieved to be free of that nightmare, until I looked at my destroyed pack and realized what it meant. My provisions were gone, my equipment was mangled and any extra clothing and supplies I had were torn beyond repair. Save for a tent and a few pieces of gear I left at base camp, I had nothing. It was then I knew that I hadn't fully avoided death. My pick up wasn't for weeks from now, and I had very little supplies. Starving or freezing to death was still an option, and they were quite possible. I can't tell you the range of emotions I went through when I thought of my situation. It still frightens me to this day. It was only when I remembered that a Conifer settlement was located deep in these woods that a sliver of hope appeared. It was certainly going to be a trek to reach them, and I had little left to make such a trip. I had no choice, though, and I started my long slog. Thankfully, my strength and spirits helped me make it to their camp, where I kindly begged for help. The Conifers listened to my situation and talked amongst themselves. After reaching a decision, they came to me and threw me out of their camp. I was deemed a burden, and they had no obligation to help me. Seeing that this option was a failure, I knew I had to come up with a different plan to survive. With this in mind, I instead broke down and cried. It was not a shining moment for me, but what else could I do? I just lay in the snow bank they dumped me in and bawled my eyes out. I was certain I was done for, as I had no idea how I would make do for these next few weeks. As fate would have it, this emotional moment wound up being my miraculous plan B. One of the Conifers of the settlement was watching me and took pity on my pathetic self. She strode over and pulled me from that snowy bed, much to my surprise. With me slung in her arms like a load of lumber, she went to the village elders and informed them that she was "adopting" me. With no sapling of her own, and no others to take care of, she agreed to share her portion of food and resources with me. Since all my costs would come from her pockets and not the village's, they finally agreed to let her keep me. From then on, I was glued to her side. "Adopting" me turned out to be a fitting term, as I was pretty much a sapling compared to them. I had none of the strength and hunting prowess for me to compete with them. Most of the meals I ate were shot with her bow, and the furs she gained were used to bundle me up. She even stepped in when other Conifers tried to give me guff, and she shut down any who thought to mess with me. My savior wound up turning the opinions of the whole settlement. After a week, the others seemed to warm up to me, and some even helped teach me some skills. The saplings were absolutely mystified with me and my diminutive appearance (they were mere years old and nearly my height!). When I started telling them tales of my travels and studies, I became their favorite source of entertainment. Their love of my stories actually gave me some respect from the elders, as they couldn't ignore the stranger the young ones approved of. It didn't give me full sway, but it at least cut down on the amount of glares I got when they walked by me. By the time my rendezvous arrived, I was doing alright by the Conifers. Some even seemed sad to see me go! I know the saplings were heartbroken to see their storyteller wave goodbye, even when I promised to return. When I made my trip to reach the rendezvous, I didn't do it alone. My adoptive "mother" came with me to see me off, so that she could guarantee my safety and to ensure I actually got home. It was when we stood there in the snow, waiting for the sled team to pick me up, that I finally asked her what had been on my mind the whole time. I never had the courage to ask before, especially since I was terrified she would change her mind and ditch me. Now was the last chance I had to ask (as far as I knew, at the time), so I went for it: "Why did you save me?" "We lose much to the cruel winter, but we must never abandon our compassion." That was her answer, and that is what I will always remember. I could see that these words meant a lot to her, so I made sure to give them respect. Thank you, Thuja, for all that you have given me and taught me. I am always delighted when I get a chance to see you and your village again, and I hope I can see you a hundred times more. You were the kindest mother any sapling could ask for, and I am honored you chose me. ...Oh right, the Barbaratus. Yeah, I hate those things. Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian     -------------------------------------------------------- I said it many times and I will say it again, I hate making birds. And I also hate how good this turned out. Curse you! Also I imagine if this thing had a scientific name it would be Barbatus glacies. I was thinking of mentioning it in the entry, but then realized if I gave one creature a scientific name, then I would have to do it for all of them. Not enough time in the world!    

[maxineswritingcenter]

Bray Road - Fox Mulder x nonbinary!reader part 7

TW: Remains

-

It was so interesting how different things can change how you feel. On (Y/N)’s cheek they could feel the soft cotton their dad’s blue sweater he liked to wear. They remembered laying their head on his shoulder after they fell asleep in the car on a long trip. On their right, their fingertips brushed an objected that made them remember their mother’s wedding ring. They remembered fiddling with it as a small child, moving it from side to side on their mother’s finger because it was too big for her slender digits. They smiled to themself, surrounded by familiar feelings and senses. 

But...how?

(Y/N)’’s blood ran cold as they opened their eyes and was met with the skeletal face of their father. Looking to their left, they saw their fingers playing with their mother’s wedding ring on her skeletal hand. (Y/N) screamed, scrambling across the dirt floor to move away from the remains of their parents. Both of their clothes were in tatters, covered in blood, bugs and rats crawling through the skeletons. Roots of trees rooted them to the dirt walls Their bones were brown, their hair was straw like and white. 

“I thought you would like to see them.” Winterfield came from the shadows, much less hairy than he had been earlier that night, “Give you the closure you deserve. Twenty-five years of waiting to find them.” He walked towards them with his arms behind his back, he wore black sweatpants but was bare everywhere else. Their eyes were brought to their arm, a cotton swab was tapped to their arm, tell-tale signs of an injection. (Y/N) glared at him.

“What did you do to me?!” 

“I gave you what you needed!” He came closer, “I gave you the ability to become stronger, faster, healthier. To be perfect.” 

“I don’t want to be a monster!” 

He chuckled at their words, “A monster. That is exactly what I said to my maker. I was only fourteen when I was turned. I was a weak, frail child, sickly. I was dying and my family brought us to our lake house for one last vacation. And that’s when he found me and made me what I am. He made me strong again, so strong that I killed him myself after my bloodlust started attracting the locals and he called me dangerous. I realized after that that I needed no one, so I killed my family. But I became lonely, I wanted to share this gift that been given to me. I decided that I would make more, taking children like you and make them strong, for them to realize their true potential. It took years of trial and error, but finally I perfected the transformation. By introducing canine DNA into their systems, they were more likely to take to the gift.” He kneeled down in front of them, “You were my vision. A sickly child that could be healed by the transformation. But your parents took you away. I had to get rid of them, you understand.” He stood again, “They would not let you get better.” He grabbed a hold of their arm and tugged them into standing, “Just one bite. And you’ll be like me.” He looked up and they followed his gaze above, a lattice work of roots on the roof of the cave, revealing the moon near its peak. He looked back down, bringing their arm closer to his mouth where sharp teeth. 

“Wait!” They said, causing him to pause with his mouth open. 

“You want this to be perfect, don’t you? You should wait until the moon is as its highest.” (Y/N) rambled. 

“You’re right.” He smiled, dropped their arm, “I should also prepare what you’ll have as your first kill. But then again, once the thirst starts, it won’t end well for your partner. I am so glad you finally understand. And soon, we will see the world through the same eyes.” He made his way back into the shadows. 

(Y/N) bought Mulder time, but would it be enough?

- 

After getting back out of the woods, Mulder led the Elkhorn sheriff’s department back to Winterfield’s home, the idea being that he would take her back to the cellar where the other body was found. But maybe... that wasn’t the case. He made an abrupt right turn onto Stuart Drive. 

“Where the hell are you goin’, agent?” The sheriff’s voice crackled in over the walkie talkie they had given him. 

“Bray road has been this guy’s feeding ground, I think he’s taken (Y/N) there to turn them. Once they becomes a beast, they’ll associate the road with food, he’s starting the cycle over with (Y/N).” 

“Bray road goes out for miles, how are we going to find them?” He asked. 

Mulder thought a moment, “We spread out in a fifty mile radius around the site of the most recent killings. I think that he took Jason there before dumping him back on the road since he was the only one left alive.” 

When they made it to the area, the officers surrounded Mulder as they looked over a map. 

“We start here and branch out. Please use your weapons with the silver bullets, your regular rounds will not work. We are looking at a monster, not a man. He is to be treated as an on-site shot. He is extremely dangerous and will kill you. Agent (Y/L/N) is top priority. Go out in pairs and keep your flashlights on when it gets dark.” He sent the officers on their way. The sheriff came up to him, cocking his shotgun. 

“Lead the way, Agent Mulder.” 

-

After a while into their search of the woods, the sheriff spoke up. 

“So, do you think he’s already... bit, Agent (Y/L/N)?” Mulder had put off thinking of this, not wanting imagine them turning into a monster. Thinking about it though, (Y/L/N) was smart. Smart enough to get him on a case with them when he would only work with Scully or alone. (Y/N) believed in the truth and fought for the justice that their family deserved. He looked up at the sky, seeing the moon was getting closer to its apex. 

“(Y/L/N) is smart, I’m sure they bought us some time.” He said, then tripped over a root in the ground. The sheriff caught him by the shoulder and steadied him. 

“Whoa, there, Agent. Gotta watch out for those roots. These trees have root systems that go out for miles, they can make some pretty big sink holes too.” He said. Mulder looked down at the thick tree root that caught his shoe and an idea popped into his head. 

“Are there any large sinkholes in this area?” Mulder asked. 

“I do believe, about a mile or so that’a’way.” The sheriff motioned to the west. 

“I got a hunch.” Mulder said, the both of them making their way towards the sinkhole. 

When they made it to the sink hole, they found a large gaping hole in the Earth, there were deep grooves around the rim that seemed to be created in a clawing motion. 

“I think this is where he’s been hiding,” The sheriff was down on one knee, looking at the foot prints in the soft dirt, “Looks like he’s left here recently, but he could be back at any second. You go down there and get Agent (Y/L/N), I’ll keep watch.” He stood. Mulder nodded, carefully scaling down the wall on the sink hole using roots and natural footholds in the dirt. He go the bottom, and flashed his light down to reveal a tunnel. If (Y/L/N) was any where, here was probably a good place to search. 

He made his way until he saw light again, a voice caused him to pause. 

(Y/N) was sat against the wall of the cave, watching the moon move across the sky. Winterfield would be back any minute and they would turn into a monster just like him. Tears burned in their eyes as they looked back at their parents. One of their father’s arms had been ripped away and half of their mother’s face gone. 

“I’m sorry.” They said, biting their lip to try and stop crying, “I promised you I would never come back here. But I had to find you. I had to find the truth.” They hiccupped and laughed sadly, “I guess I did it though. The mystery is solved. But I’m going to be a monster just like him.” 

“(Y/L/N)?” They stood up quickly at the voice, fearing that Winterfield was back. But to their overwhelming joy, Fox Mulder appeared in the moon light. 

“Mulder.” (Y/N) breathed out, running to greet him at the tunnel mouth, wrapping their arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. After the excitement subsided, they realized they were hugging their superior and that really wasn’t appropriate-

Mulder pulled them closer, hugging them around their waist. They were quite sure he could feel their heart pounding. He created space between the two, placing his hand on their cheek. His green eyes were filled with happiness and his sly smile graced his face. 

“You found me.” They whispered, leaning into his touch. 

He nodded, “Yeah, us spooky people gotta stick together.” He looked over, seeing the skeletons in the corner. 

“Is that...?” 

They pulled away, and looked at them, “Yeah, that’s mom and dad.” 

“I promise. We’re going to give them the proper funeral.” He said. 

“I’m afraid, Agent Mulder.” Both the agents frozen at the growling voice that came from the shadows of the tunnel, “The only funeral will be yours.”

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Growing Pains

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Notes: Thank you to @celadongirl​ for the beta! This fic is the third in a series wherein Reiner is Marleyan on Karina’s side, but enough context is provided within that it could probably be read on its own with only a wee bit of confusion. If you enjoy it, please consider following me on twitter at Museflight or buying me a ko-fi!

Summary: Gabi Braun doesn't have a drop of Eldian blood in her. But her cousin does, and for that, the entire family is condemned. 

Or; Gabi is made to live in Liberio after Reiner's heritage is discovered. She tries to avoid the Eldians, only to find that she is not immune to loneliness and Falco Grice is nothing if not persistent. 

He was visiting; the devil that was her cousin. Gabi was careful not to look at him. She wasn't supposed to talk to the devils. Her parents had said that this one was an exception, but she didn't want to take that risk. 

Too bad the devil didn't seem to get the hint. Of course not. He was a devil. 

He cleared his throat. His voice was still dangerously like the one she remembered, the one that had belonged to a good person, back when everything was alright. "Gabi-" 

Gabi snapped her head up to give him her angriest glare - so angry she could feel it burning. "Don't talk to me, devil!" she yelled. 

The devil faltered, and Gabi quickly turned and ran away. By shouting at him, she had messed up and looked at him. And what she saw was absolutely horrible, worse than if she looked up and saw the tallest of titans sitting at her table. 

He still looked like Reiner. But he couldn't be, not anymore. The Reiner she remembered couldn't turn into a monster. The Reiner she remembered wouldn't have let his family get thrown in with the eldians.

But they had been- because of him- because he was-

Gabi raced into her room and collapsed on her bed in a sobbing heap. 

Her parents had told her that the thing that looked like Reiner was going to be sent to the devil island soon. Good. She didn't want him around to make things worse. She didn't want him to stick around and confuse her by acting like her Reiner. 

She wasn't supposed to talk to devils. 

*

It felt like Gabi had been stuck inside ever since they had been moved in with the Eldians. She knew that that wasn't technically true, but it might as well be. Her parents didn't take her out often, and when they did, she had to stay right by their side. She wasn't allowed to play outside without them there to watch her. When they were there to watch, they didn't let her go beyond the tiny yard surrounding their tiny house.

And of course, there was no one for her to play with.

She understood why. The only people around them were Eldian devils. They weren't safe for her to be around. It wasn't safe for her to talk to them, for more reasons than just their evilness.

Gabi knew that they weren't supposed to let the Eldians know that they weren't like them. She didn't really understand why, but she knew that it was their most important rule. She also knew that her parents were worried that she might break the rule if one of them spoke to her. It wasn't true; Gabi was smarter than that. While she didn't want to talk to the eldians, she didn't like that her parents didn't trust her. So she pushed and prodded and begged for more freedom so that she could have the chance to prove it to them.

And because she wanted to play outside.

It took a long time and a lot of swearing up and down that they could trust her, and eventually they started letting her go outside alone again. By the time she was six and a half, she was allowed to leave the yard, just as long as she stayed close enough to see the house.

That was how she met him.

*

Gabi was skipping. She wasn't skipping for any good reason. She just felt like it. It was a nice day, the sun was shining down, she could hear birds in the distance, beyond the bleary old buildings, and it was fun to skip. So she did.

She went further than she should have.

The sight of two devil boys down the street made her glance back at her house, to remind herself that she could be back and safe in a moment if she needed to be. Except the house wasn't there. She couldn't see it. Her eyes widened, a burst of fear exploded in her chest, and she stumbled.

Gabi let out an involuntary yelp as she fell. She caught herself, but it caused a burst of pain in her hands as they tore against the rough pavement, accompanied by an ache in one of her knees. A whimper escaped her throat, and she bit down on her lower lip to stop any more sound from escaping as she fought back tears.

"Hey!" someone called.

Gabi tensed up. Despite the pain, she forced herself to sit up on her knees so that she could see who was talking to her.

It was one of the boys - the smaller one. He was running toward her with what looked like worry on his face. She knew that it couldn't be. A devil wouldn't be worried about some girl he'd never met. He must have been too stupid to realize that though, because he ran right up to her and asked, "are you okay?"

She stared at him. The boy shuffled, uncomfortable, then held out a hand.

Gabi scooted back, eyes wide. The devil boy wanted to touch her.

"It's okay!" the boy said, even though it very much wasn't. "My name's Falco. Maybe we can be-"

No. No more of that.

"Don't talk to me!" Gabi shouted, jumping to her feet and running back the way she came.

*

It didn't take her long to find the house.

When her parents asked how she'd skinned her hands and knee, she told them that she'd tripped and fell. She didn't tell them that she'd gone too far or about the boy she'd met.

*

Her mother had to go to the market. 

Gabi knew that it might be dangerous, since it would be swarming with Eldians, but the change in scenery called to her in a way that she couldn’t ignore. Besides, just because it was dangerous didn't mean she was scared. She begged her mother to be allowed to go with her, and her mother reluctantly agreed. 

In the aftermath, she couldn't tell if going had been a mistake or not. It was definitely nice to get out of the house. She had to stick by her mother's side the entire time, but it was still more than she had gotten lately. 

But she also saw that boy again. ( Falco.)

He looked like he'd been running an errand with his brother when he spotted her. He waved cheerfully, and Gabi glared back, which had made him hesitate and take a step back. 

Falco didn't actually say anything or approach her or her mother. But when they got back home, Gabi found herself wondering how much this boy would bother her. 

She had a feeling that this wouldn't be the end of it. 

*

Gabi was almost seven when her parents finally decided that she could explore a little further by herself.

It was fun.

(It would be more fun if she wasn't alone.)

Sometimes it was fun. It was fun if she found something interesting to explore. Despite being in the devil's land, finding something interesting was actually pretty hard sometimes, seeing as she still wasn't supposed to wander too far from home. She got used to her expanded territory in just a few days. Still, she managed to come up with something to do most of the time. Even when it wasn't fun , it killed time. And when she couldn't come up with anything at all...

It was probably the best she could expect from this place. She didn't belong there and it didn't want her. That didn't matter though, because her parents said that they weren't going to be there forever.

She just hoped that they got out soon. Before things could start to get too boring.

*

Gabi was standing on a big, old, weathered rock next to a creaky, old, abandoned house that she’d already explored four times before when she heard footsteps. She paused, and looked down to see that it was that boy (Falco) again.

"Hi," he said. He sounded a little more shy than before, a little more slow. Maybe he would stop trying to talk to her if she pushed him away again.

(Then no one would talk to her at all.)

Gabi wasn't supposed to talk to the Eldians anyway, and this boy was an Eldian. Even if he was all small and non-threatening looking.

(But could he really do anything if she just said 'hi'?)

Always doing what she was supposed to was boring though, and she was already getting so bored.

"Hi," she said, making sure to frown down at the boy.

Her frown didn't matter. He perked up immediately, like a dog that had been thrown a bone. "Hi!" he chirped. "I was wondering, do you want to-"

"No." 

She'd already said 'hi' when she wasn't supposed to. That was enough. Gabi frowned at the boy again, harder this time, jumped off her stone, and started walking home.

(She definitely didn't wonder what he was going to ask her.)

*

A welcome surprise appeared during another visit to the market.

There was a Marleyan soldier wandering around.

Someone Gabi could talk to!

She was going to wait for her mother at first. But she was taking so long to haggle with the fruit vendor, and as the conversation drew on, Gabi's impatience grew. When she tugged at her mother's shirt sleeve, she was dismissed with a wave, which made a scowl sprout across her face. She didn't know why the soldier was there or how long he would be around. It wasn't fair for her to lose her opportunity to talk to him just because her mother was taking forever with the fruit guy.

Gabi cast a thoughtful glance around the area before allowing her gaze to drift back to the soldier. Her parents didn't like her going over to anyone without them around, but that was with the Eldians. This was a Marleyan soldier. That had to mean that it was okay!

Quietly but quickly, Gabi stepped away from her mother and started walking toward the soldier. She'd be back before she even realized she was gone.

"Hey," Gabi called once she was close enough for the soldier to hear her. "What's your-"

The soldier drew his rifle and pointed it at her. "Get back, devil!" he barked.

Gabi stepped back, heart beating far faster than it should be. It didn't make sense. He was a soldier of Marley. She should be safe around him. Sure, she couldn't tell him that she wasn't Eldian, but she wasn't . He should have been able to tell that she was different because of that. So why was he pointing his gun at her and looking at her like she was some sort of thing?

She swallowed down the lump in her throat and tried to speak out over the sudden clamor erupting around her. "I'm not-"

"Do not speak unless ordered!"

Gabi opened and closed her mouth. How was she supposed to tell the soldier that she wasn't doing anything bad if she couldn't speak?

"Gabi!" her mother shouted. She raced forward and shoved Gabi behind her, looking up at the soldier with wide, wild eyes.

Her mother looked scared.

As her mother drowned the soldier in apologies before quickly shuffling Gabi away, groceries forgotten, she felt tears prickle in her eyes. They should have been because of how stupid and irritating and unfair that whole thing was. But deep down, she knew the truth.

The tears were there because it had been scary.

*

It was weeks before she was allowed to wander alone again.

She couldn't speak with the Eldians, because they were Eldian, but apparently, she wasn't supposed to speak to Marleyans either. Because it wasn't safe. Because they couldn't know that she wasn't Eldian. Even though she wasn't.

When she asked why, they started saying something, but cut themselves off and said they'd explain when she was older.

When she asked when they would be let back into Marley, they gave some excuse about his mission, but didn't give her an actual answer.

When she asked if she was supposed to spend the rest of her life without talking to anyone, they didn't say anything at all.

*

"I haven't seen you in a while," the boy said.

Gabi was at the abandoned house with the big rock again. She wasn't standing on it or exploring anything this time. Instead, she was sitting on the edge with her feet dangling off the side, watching them as they swung back and forth.

She felt empty. Or at least, she felt empty until the boy came up to her. Then she felt...

She felt like doing something that she wasn't supposed to.

The boy took a step back and started stammering when Gabi looked up at him. He waved a hand around, like he was trying to say that he was innocent of some mystery crime. Like anyone would care if he was. "I can leave if you wa-"

"What's your name?" Gabi asked, even though she already knew what his name was. Better to let him think she'd forgotten than let him know she'd remembered.

The boy - Falco - brightened up immediately. Like a puppy. Or a happy bird hopping around with a stick it had found. He looked more like the puppy, but something about him felt like a bird. "I'm Falco!" he said.

Gabi nodded. "My name is Gabi," she said.

*

Falco wasn’t bad, for an Eldian.

Part of her kept expecting him to prove her wrong after she started letting him spend time with her. But he didn’t. He just kept being better than she expected.

And a lot better than being alone.

*

It happened only a few houses away from Gabi's, because some people just had too much audacity.

She knew Falco would be waiting for her when she set out for the day. Despite being friendly, he didn't really have any friends aside from the other kids in that weird program he was in, and he seemed to spend more time with Gabi than any of them. And Gabi... she wasn't going to risk spending time with any other Eldians. Falco was enough for her.

They had a pattern. There were a lot of variations to it, but they had a pattern. Falco was busy with his training in the morning, so she wouldn't bother leaving the house until the afternoon most of the time. When he was able to hang out earlier, he usually told her the night before so she could plan accordingly. Sometimes he would have to leave for more training after that. Sometimes they would meet up again in the night, when he wasn't too tired and her parents let her go without asking too many questions. Sometimes, on big training days, he would be away for most of the day and they'd only get to see each other for a little while at night. Those days were boring. She would go to the abandoned house and wander around for a little while, trying to stay entertained, but always seemed to end up sitting on the big rock and waiting for him to show up. It sucked, but the stupid puppy face Falco made when he saw her kept her waiting.

The point was, Gabi knew what to expect. She liked knowing what to expect when it came to Falco. Maybe she would accept a nice surprise, but that was all.

Showing up at their meeting spot to find two larger boys cornering Falco wasn't a nice surprise. Their body language was tense and aggressive, and Falco was all but cowering against the wall.

Gabi stared, brows furrowing when one of the larger boys said something loud and Falco tried to shuffle away. It didn't make sense. Falco had said that he was in that titan-wannabe program and learning how to fight. So why was he just standing there and letting them push him around?

One of the boys moved to punch him, and as a wave of white-hot anger washed over her, Gabi decided that the reasons didn't matter. She wouldn't call Falco her friend, but she wasn't going to stand around and let people treat him like that. 

(He was hers.)

Gabi rushed forward and jumped on the closest boy's back, wrapping one arm around his neck and smacking the top of his head with the other one. "You leave him alone!" she ordered, tightening her grasp when the boy began to flail and shout.

"Gabi!" Falco cried.

"Hey!" the second boy cried in the same instant. He moved to rush toward Gabi, which finally spurred Falco into action. He rushed forward and kicked the boy right between the legs, causing him to crumple in on himself like a dead spider.

Gabi started to laugh, only to be cut off when the boy she was still clinging to grabbed the arm wrapped around his neck and tried to flip her off him. She let out a tiny scream, tightened the arm around his neck to avoid being flung off, and fisted her free hand into the boy's hair. Once she was secure, wrenched that arm around his neck out of his grasp and plunged that hand into his hair too.

"Be careful!" Falco cried. He was stepping anxiously around them now, his eyes flicking between the boy Gabi was clinging to and the one still on the ground.

"Crazy bitch," the boy she was clinging to spat. His voice sounded garbled, like he was in pain. Good. "I was just-"

"I don't care!" Gabi shrieked. "Go away!" She briefly let go of his hair with one of her hands in order to bonk him again for good measure.

"I will!" the boy cried. "Just get off!"

Scowling, Gabi let go of the boy and let herself drop to the ground. Her victim skittered over to his fallen friend while Falco raced over to her. "Are you okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Gabi looked at Falco and scowled. There was a bruise welling up underneath his eye, and when she looked down, she noticed scratches covering his knees and the palm of his exposed hand. "Why are you asking that?" she demanded. "You're the one who's all beaten up!"

She turned to shoot a glare at the pair of scumbags. Now that she was closer and not on the one boy's back, she could see that they really were significantly bigger than her and Falco. Just not big enough to stand a chance against her. They weren't actual titans, after all. They weren't soldiers, either. They didn't have guns or any real means to beat her down. She wasn't going to let herself be scared by them, and if they tried anything, she could probably even take both of them at once.

---Falco was in a pretty sad state though, and the boys were shooting him as many glares as her as they tried to pull themselves together.

Gabi swallowed down a knot in her throat. She’d been able to pounce on one of the boys before, but now she’d lost the element of surprise. Could she take them on without it? Probably , but with Falco all scared and beaten up…

No. There was no time to think or plan or worry. She had to act now.

"Come on," Gabi said before grabbing Falco's wrist and starting off at a run.

"Where are we going?" Falco asked. He didn't try to pull away. In fact, he kept up with her easily. Good. This would be easier if she didn't need to drag him all the way home.

"My house. We're gonna get you patched up."

"Oh. You don't need to-"

"Shut up, Falco."

He shut up.

Upon reaching her house, Gabi shoved the front door open and dragged Falco into the kitchen. Her mother was standing by the sink washing dishes, but looked up in surprise at the sudden sound. "Gabi," she greeted. Her gaze traveled down her arm, over to Falco, where a hint of wariness entered her expression. "Who's this?" she asked.

"Falco," Gabi said. "He's hurt."

"I can see that," her mother slowly said.

Her eyes flickered over to meet Gabi's. Gabi stood firm. Finally, her mother sighed.

"Let's get him taken care of, then."

*

Her mother patched Falco up and sent him on his way. Gabi knew that she wouldn't be allowed to go back out for the rest of the day after that, so she just told him that she'd see him tomorrow. And for hours, that was that.

Until dinner rolled around and, with everyone gathered around the table, her mother mentioned the boy Gabi brought over.

"You aren't supposed to be making friends with Eldians," her aunt said, disapproving.

Her mother snorted. "You're one to talk," she muttered.

"Gabi, how long have you been hanging out with this boy?" her father asked, worry clear in his voice.

Gabi shrugged. "A while." A few months. It had been a few months since she'd told him her name and started meeting up with him. Her parents wouldn't be happy with her if she said that though.

Her father's frown deepened. "Gabi-"

"I was bored!" Gabi exclaimed. "I'm not supposed to talk to anyone, and it's boring and-" lonely. "- it sucks."

"I can understand that," her mother said, voice slow and careful. "But you know there's a reason you aren't supposed to talk to Eldians, right?"

"I know," Gabi said. "But Falco's..." she paused, struggling to find the words. After a moment, she turned to look at her aunt. "Aunt Karina, you said that some Eldians are different from the others. Better." That was what she'd tried to say about him anyway. Gabi didn't trust that her aunt had been right at all when she said that, didn't see how he had made anything but bad things happen, but Falco... "Falco's like that. He's special."

Maybe he was her friend after all.

No one said anything for a long time. Finally, her aunt said, "be that as it may, you're better off not getting attached. We'll be getting out of here when Reiner gets back."

Gabi's parents glanced at each other and exchanged some wordless message. She looked at them and frowned, but quickly turned her attention back to her aunt. "That could take ages though!" she protested. "You can't tell me that I'm supposed to be alone until then! Falco's a good Eldian - you should let me play with him."

The room went quiet again. Her mother eventually sighed and, with reluctance plain in her voice, said, "alright. You can continue to see this boy. Just... be careful, and don't let yourself get too attached. You are still Marleyan, Gabi. This can't last forever."

*

"You should meet the other warrior candidates sometime," Falco suggested.

Gabi wrinkled her nose. "Why?" she asked.

"Because I think you'd all get along?"

He was doing that thing again, the one where he tried to sound confident but ended up sounding more like he was asking a question than anything. It made Gabi raise an eyebrow at him. That, in turn, made him falter.

"And also... I think you could use more friends," he hesitantly admitted.

Gabi frowned. Why on earth would he say something like that?

(Was he getting sick of her?)

"I don't need more friends," she said.

It was true. She had managed without any friends for years. Now she was almost eight years old and stronger than ever. She was perfectly fine with it staying just her and Falco.

(Was he okay with that?)

"Maybe not, but you deserve more," Falco argued.

Gabi relaxed imperceptibly.

"I don't want to make friends with just anybody," she said warily. The closest she could come to saying the truth.

"I know," Falco said, even though he really, really didn't. "But I think you'll really like them! I'm actually kinda..." He trailed off, then looked away.

Gabi leaned forward to get a closer look at the blush trailing up his cheeks. "You're kinda what?"

He hitched his shoulders up and ducked his head down.

"Falco!" Gabi pressed. "What were you going to say?"

"I'm kinda surprised that you aren't in the warrior program," he squeaked out, still not looking up. "I think you'd be good at it."

"Oh." Gabi looked down at her feet and tapped her fingers against the bench they were sitting on. She definitely couldn't tell him the truth about that one. What could she tell him though? What would he believe? What could she say that didn't run the risk of him finding out that she was lying later?

(Would she be in the warrior program if she was an Eldian? They seemed to think it was a big honor to be chosen to turn into a monster.)

"I'm not in the warrior program because... there's no need," Gabi slowly said.

Falco perked up. The blush was gone. Now he just looked at her with curiosity glimmering in her eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Gabi struggled to hold his gaze and force her next words out, but somehow, she managed. "My cousin's the Armored Titan." A devil, even though she knew Falco wouldn't see it like that.

And he didn't.

Falco gasped. "He is! Why didn't you tell me!? Gabi, that's... hey." The curiosity shifted into worry as he reached out to touch her arm. "Is... is something wrong?"

Gabi blinked, which caused her to realize just how much her eyes stung. Oh. Oh no.

"I'm fine," she said, reaching an arm up to scrub at her eyes. "I just don't see what's so great about turning into a monster."

"The shifters aren't monsters," Falco said, a flicker of hurt flashing across his face.

Right . Falco was a warrior candidate. All of his training was in the hopes that one day he'd be chosen to turn into a monster. Just like her cousin. If he was chosen...

No, surely it wouldn't be the same. Falco was a good thing in her life. A good person. Her cousin had caused her family a whole lot of harm, and no matter what her aunt said, it didn't look like whatever he was doing on that island was doing anything to make it better. He and Falco weren't, wouldn't, and couldn't be the same.

Gabi wanted to tell Falco that it was okay, that he was an exception, but she couldn't risk him asking why. The best she could do was let the fire drain out of her voice as she said, "they turn into titans. Isn't that upsetting to you?"

"A little," Falco confessed. "But the shifters are really brave."

"Because they protect Marley?"

"Kinda, but also... I think they do a lot for their families."

Gabi blinked. When she didn't say anything, Falco nodded and continued. "You know how titan shifters get to be honorary Marleyans, right? And their families get some benefits because of that."

Gabi nodded, even though her family hadn't received much in the way of extra benefits other than not being executed. Her aunt said that would change once her cousin returned from Paradis, but she wasn't sure how much she trusted that, seeing as he was the reason they were in this situation in the first place.

"Sometimes, it's also a second chance." Falco paused then, eyes clouding over with sadness. "My... My uncle did something bad, a long time ago. He was sent to paradise, and now me and Colt are in the warrior program to prove that the whole family isn't evil."

Gabi reached out to squeeze Falco's hand. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

(Not about his uncle, obviously, but anyone who spent a little time with Falco should be able to tell that he wasn't evil regardless of who he was related to.)

Falco gave her a small smile. "Thanks. I think we'll... I hope we'll do well. But for us and the others... it's a way to prove ourselves, take care of our family, and show Marley that we aren't evil . It's the closest that we'll come to them seeing us as people. Turning into a titan doesn't feel like it matters much, compared to that."

Gabi didn't know what to say to that. Luckily, she didn't need to, because Falco kept on talking. "Udo and Zofia - the candidates I spend the most time with - are almost as hard-working as you. I think you'd get along."

The pair were silent for a moment. Then, finally, Gabi sighed. "Alright. You can introduce me to them."

They couldn't be her friends, not like Falco, but... maybe they would be decent company.

*

Udo and Zofia were alright. They weren't Falco, but… they were alright. 

*

A few months after she turned eight years old, Gabi woke up to the sound of shouting.

It cut off almost immediately after, but the damage was already done by then. How could she roll over and go back to bed when she knew that something was happening?

She crept out of bed as quietly as her feet could carry her. Once she was outside her room, she could hear her family's voices again. They were too quiet for her to make out what they were saying, but loud enough for her to follow the sound. It led her to the kitchen. There, she pressed herself up against the wall just outside the entryway and strained to listen.

"You're delusional, Karina!" her mother spat.

Her father sounded worried as he began, "Lyra-"

Her aunt cut him off. "I am not! When Reiner gets back-"

"- If gets back-"

"- Don't you dare-"

"- If he gets back, then he might be forgiven for existing. Do you really think that'll do anything to help our situation?"

Her aunt sniffed. "If Reiner does well-"

"Karina, that's a lot of 'if's," her father said, voice low.

"Well, excuse me for having faith in my son, George."

"You can have your faith," her mother cut in, voice cold. "It doesn't matter. Even if he does everything perfectly, the best we can hope for is to be treated like the families of the other Eldian warrior families."

For a moment, silence descended over the household, and all Gabi could hear was her own heart beating. It was broken by her aunt's voice, lower and more subdued, saying, "well, if he gets honorary Marleyan status, they might-"

Her mother laughed, harsh and unhappy. "Let us all back into Marley? You've been in this place for too long, Karina. Even if they let us out, it won't be until Reiner's-"

"Don't. Say it."

"...There's nothing Reiner can do to help us," her mother said after a long moment. "And I'm not saying it's his fault. I'm saying that it would be nice if you would take a little responsibility."

"Responsibility for what?"

"Are you kidding-"

"I've already been punished, haven't I? Me and Reiner. I know honorary Marleyan status isn't that great, but we are more than that. I know that this place is awful. But we will get out eventually. The deal was that our status as Marleyan citizens will be restored if we perform well. What are you worried about?"

"I'm worried about Gabi."

Gabi felt a lump lodge itself in her throat. She took in a deep breath and held it, since she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stay quiet otherwise.

"What about Gabi?" Her aunt asked. "She's been adjusting well."

"Yes, because she was thrown in here when she was three," her mother argued. "By the time Reiner dies, the Eldian Internment Zone will be all she's ever known. What if they aren't willing to take her back?"

It became hard to hear after that. Her family was still talking just as loudly as before, but the pounding of her heart and buzzing in her head made it hard for her to think.

Marley might not want her back? Just because she had grown up in Liberio? Where they had made her grow up? Why? What were they afraid she would do? It was ridiculous and weird and... unfair.

(They treated Falco unfairly, making him and his brother join the warrior program because of their uncle.)

Gabi raced back to her room and crawled into bed. She laid there, eyes squeezed shut, pretending that she was asleep. Between the racket in her head and heart, it felt like someone should have heard her. Like someone would come in and check on her in a moment. But no one did.

After a few moments, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

Then she started to plan.

*

The facts were simple.

Gabi's family wanted to get out of Liberio. Aunt Karina thought that Reiner would get them out. Her mother didn't think that there was anything he could do to help, which made sense. Reiner was the reason they were in this situation in the first place. How could he possibly make anything better?

Her mother was also worried that Marley wouldn't take Gabi back because she had grown up in Liberio. It made sense when she stopped to think about it. How were Marley's important people supposed to know that Gabi was only hanging out with good Eldians like Falco and Udo and Zofia? They might have been worried that the bad Eldians had rubbed off on her. It wasn't fair, since they were the ones who made her grow up in Liberio in the first place, but...

Marley wasn't always fair. That was why Falco was in the warrior program because of something his uncle had done. He was a good Eldian, but he had to work himself to the bone to prove it. Because sometimes Marley struggled to see things that should have been obvious and pick the good Eldians out from all the bad. That was probably going to be the situation with her. She would need to make them see that it was still good.

Sometimes the warrior program served as a second chance. It was an opportunity to prove that you were good despite who you were related to - or grew up around.

Gabi didn't have a drop of Eldian blood in her. She wouldn't be accepted as a warrior candidate because she couldn't inherit a titan in the first place. However, there were also non-shifters who worked with the Eldian unit. Most of them were the Marleyans who kept them in line, but she'd heard that there were a few exceptions, lower-ranked soldiers who'd proven themselves exceptional. If she could become one of them, if she could make herself useful to Marley and prove herself in their eyes, show that she hadn't become too sympathetic toward the Eldians and only surrounded herself with the very best of them...

Reiner was working for Marley because he had no other choice. But not her. Surely that would mean something.

She would help her family where Reiner couldn't. She would become one of their very best warriors, and when the time came, her family would be allowed back into Marley. And Gabi would go with them.

(She would miss Falco.)

*

"What if I joined the military?" Gabi asked.

Falco choked on his own spit and almost fell off the rock. She grabbed onto his shoulder to steady him, even though they were tall enough now that it wouldn't be much of a drop even if he did fall.

"W-why would you do that?" he asked. "I thought- your cousin-"

"Have you considered that maybe I also want to be useful?" Gabi challenged, letting go of his arm and leaning forward.

Falco leaned back. "There are plenty of other ways to be useful. The military's - it's really dangerous."

Gabi crossed her arms and let out a huff. "I'm fine with dangerous. Besides, that's not all there is to it. The family can't depend entirely on Reiner, and I want to help."

"Are you sure?" Falco asked. "I mean, if there's anything you need, I c-" He looked away, cheeks slowly starting to dust pink. "There are other ways," he said.

"Yeah, but none of them would be as effective." Nothing else would get her in around the warrior program, which was what she needed to happen.

"I see." Falco bit his lower lip. "I mean, it would be nice to see you more often, I guess. If you'll be around the warriors."

"Of course," Gabi said, allowing a hint of haughtiness to slip into her voice. "I have a plan." It was a risky plan, but she was sure it would pay off.

"Are you- Are you trying to get in to the program?" he asked, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice. Probably worried that she would outscore him if she got in. She probably would, too, if it wasn't impossible.

"No," Gabi said. "It's probably too late for me to get in. But I can do the next best thing and work with you."

Falco nodded. He didn't look entirely convinced, but that wasn't her problem. She knew that she wouldn't actually pose a threat to his standing. He had no reason to worry, and in time, hopefully he would see that.

It did make her want to change the subject though.

"Speaking of, Colt's doing well, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Falco said, perking up a little. "It looks like there's a real chance he'll be chosen as the beast titan's successor."

"That's great!" Gabi said. "Are you going to drop out if he's chosen?"

Falco hesitated. When he spoke, it was with a new flicker of resolve in his eyes. "No," he said. "I don't think I will."

*

Gabi had met Commander Magath several times since she started hanging out with Udo and Zofia. He was a strict man who generally seemed to view Eldians the same as all Marleyans. However, he didn't take it long for her to start to suspect that he cared about the warrior candidates more than he let on. She was also pretty sure that he liked her, even if he did sometimes look at her like he was seeing a ghost.

So much of her plan hinged on the hope that she was right about him liking her. It could mean so much trouble if she was wrong. But if she was right...

The potential benefits of her being right outweighed the risk of her being wrong.

Her opportunity arose on a bright warm day. Gabi was walking around town with Falco, Udo, and Zofia when she spotted Magath walking down the street with Zeke Jaeger and a handful of other officials. She didn't know who most of them were or what they were doing there. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that most of them were Marleyan and one of them looked like he outranked Magath.

Gabi turned to her friends and grinned. "I'll be right back," she whispered, taking a step back.

Udo and Zofia exchanged a confused look but didn't question her. Falco, however, stepped forward, worry shining bright on his face. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Gabi's grin grew. "I told you. I'm going to get into the military."

She didn't wait so much as another second before turning around and racing toward the officials. As she did, she coaxed her expression into one of gleaming admiration, the sort that even the soldier from that day in the marketplace would have had trouble lashing out against.

"Excuse me!" she cried. "Commander Magath, Mister Jaeger!" Gabi saluted smartly - perfectly - as she skidded to a stop in front of them. Then, as she looked at the Marleyans, she made sure to look at them like they were heroes, perfect and above her in every way. The way every Marleyan wanted Eldians to look at them. "Are these your superiors?"

All of the men looked caught off-guard. Magath, though, he looked wary.

That wariness might have caused a problem if Zeke didn't beat him to responding. "They are," he said.

"That's so cool!" Gabi exclaimed. Her voice was perfectly sincere. She didn't even need to fake it, considering what she was saying. Even if her own circumstances kind of sucked, she could still appreciate the good that all of these men did. "Thank you for everything you do. My mother was telling me about the devil island the other day, and I'm really glad that Marley's here to protect everyone. I know Liberio's full of Eldians, but I'm glad we don't have those devils with us."

She could practically feel Magath's gaze boring into her at this point. As the chief overseer of the warrior unit, he knew about her family, which meant that he probably knew she was up to something. And because he knew about her family, there was too big a risk that he would turn her down if she approached him and asked to be thrown into the military. That was why he wasn't the one that mattered here though. Gabi kept her gaze on the other Marleyans, noting the bemused expressions. One of them, the one who outranked Magath, gave a tiny nod.

It was working.

"I was actually thinking," Gabi continued, training a hint of humility and hope into her voice. "I want to help the warrior unit!"

In the corner of her eyes, she noticed Magath's expression shift into one of shock. There was something else under it though, something tired and guarded.

"You do, do you?" Zeke asked, amusement leaking into his voice.

"I do!" Gabi exclaimed. "I know I'm probably too old to become a warrior candidate, but there have to be other ways I can help, so let me prove myself to you! If you give me the chance, I'll train night and day to catch up!"

Magath frowned at that point. "Gabi..."

"Magath, you know this girl?" the commanding officer cut in.

"I do," Magath said. "She's the Armored Titan's cousin."

Zeke raised an eyebrow at that. The other Marleyans, however, looked thoughtful, but not suspicious or concerned. Good.

Gabi held her breath.

Finally, the higher ranking officer turned to Magath and said, "she should already be familiar with the program then, and we could always use another soldier."

"No point in turning down such an earnest offer to help," Zeke remarked, an odd twinkle in his eyes.

When Magath hesitated for a moment longer, the commanding officer pointed out, "I'm sure you can find some use for her."

Magath let out a deep breath. "Fine." As he turned to Gabi, eyes shadowed and grave, she was certain that he was seeing someone other than her. It didn't matter though, because he said, "come with Falco to training tomorrow."

Gabi took in a deep breath and smiled so widely that she thought it might pop off her face. "Thank you, Sir!"

Zeke chuckled. Magath, meanwhile, waved a hand and said, "you're dismissed."

Gabi saluted before sprinting back to her friends, and every step felt like she was walking on air.

She was going to save her family. They were going to get out of Liberio.

(Maybe, if they both did well, she could bring Falco with her.)

[khaleesiofalicante]

I’m going to be honest. I was planning on reading this yesterday but I knew that if I started I would stay up until 3 a.m and I had school tomorrow 😂, but here I am:

“Rafael had all but screamed when Bapak had surprised him with the motorbike on his birthday '' It has only begun and I’m screaming!!!

“But Rafael had dressed up. He had even let Max paint his nails black.” I love Max and Rafael with my entire soul

“Max had a habit of ‘borrowing’ things and selling them on eBay.” I love that little shit and his mischievous 💙💙

Octavian was one of his closest friends. Okey but that friendship??? Love it

“Dude, college kids don’t give a shit,” Tavvy laughed. “You could walk into a lecture covered in runes, holding a seraph blade and they wouldn’t give you a second look.” “Cause they are chill?” “Yes. But mostly cause they are dead inside,” Tavvy chuckled. SJHDUEHISAM WHY IS THIS SO TRUE??

You should follow me on Instagram. My handle is simp_for_carstairs.” I’M LAUGHING SO FUCKING HARD 😂 😂 😂 “She is not wrong,” Lily nodded seriously. “I’m a Jem Carstairs fan first and a vampire second.” Me too bro

“I heard there is a dalliance between a shadowhunter and a warlock,” Lily went on anyway. WHAT THE FUCK??? I LITERALLY SCREAMED. AND I’M IN CLASS

“But people bothered anyway. People liked to bother about things that did not concern them.” I know this is of shadowhunters, but it really speaks of everyone

“Rafael was sure there was something more than friendship between them. But David was polite to a fault and Max was an oblivious little shit. So, obviously nothing had happened yet. Sometimes Rafe wanted to knock their heads together and ask them to just talk it out. But no, it wasn’t his place.” JSSUHDEWIMS. OK. if i continue to quote everything i won’t finish. Let's move forward

Me when i found who started the rumor: 🙃🔪 🔪

“What the hell? Come on, Rafael! Bros before…uh, girls.” I SHOULDN’T BE LAUGHING THIS HARD. MY DOG IS GIVING ME WEIRD LOOKS. A DOG!! Like...He makes fun of Max but he is also an oblivious little shit

“David and I added rosemary to this one,” Uncle Jace wiped his hands on his apron. “It has definitely improved the taste, hasn’t it?” I- I don’t know if this was on purpose but- I- Wow

“I am this close to kidnapping the twins from the academy and bringing them back home. I love Mr. Herondale to death but this is getting out of hand.” How can a line be so funny and beautiful at the same time?? 💙💙

“Empty nest syndrome,” Rafael chuckled. “I’m glad neither Max nor I had to leave home. My fathers are much worse.” He remembered his first sleepover at the institute. His parents had waited for “an excruciating hour” before crashing the institute and joining the sleepover themselves. HOLY SHIT THIS IS GIVING ME SO MUCH SEROTONIN THAT I’M ALREADY AFRAID OF THE ANGST

“David,” Rafael grinned. “Are you afraid of my father?” “What? No! He is just a regular person…who can throw me in the silent city any time he wants,” David rambled and then shook his head. “Where is Max?” He tried to sound nonchalant. But Rafael noted the way the other boy’s eyes fluttered every time he said Max’s name. Just the way a crooked smile appeared on his brother’s lips every time someone said David’s name. Idiots. YES THEY ARE😂😂

Ahhh yess. The angst is starting and it will break my soul. Guess I’ll keep reading.

WHAT. THE. FUCK??? HOLLY SHIT!!! I WAS EXPECTING ANGST BUT THIS??? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?? I LITERALLY STARED AT THE SCREEN CAUSE I THOUGHT I HAD GOTTEN IT WRONG!!! THE FUCK??? I JUST CAN'T PROCESS THIS.

“Do you people know Magnus could have destroyed the clave decades ago if he wanted to do that? EXACTLY. HE WOULD HAVE LET YOU DIE IF HE WANTED TO!!! I CAN’T.

“Of course you don’t see anything wrong with this,” Paige sneered. “It’s not like you have a problem with incest. SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME AND I WILL FIND A WAY TO GO THERE AND BREAK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR BONES!

You talk about warlock corruption but where all of you when Valentine exploited Jace and Clary? Where was this moral obligation when Valentine lied to his children and played with their feelings as if they were nothing but toys to be controlled and manipulated? I’m sick of shadowhunters victim blaming children instead of holding people like Valentine accountable.” EXACTLY. WHERE WERE THEY?

Ok, ok, I’m not ok but I'll just keep reading. I’m slightly traumatized but ok.

For the next thirty minutes, Max paced around the room, threatening to portal all the shadowhunters to hell. Then he went on about a plan to attack the cohort and portal them all to hell too. He kept talking about portalling people to hell. I feel him on a personal level!!!

“Rafael knew he had the option of not listening to what they had to say. But here is the thing about people, they don’t get to you. You get to them. They simply say something and leave. They probably don’t even mean the things they say or lose sleep over it. But it wasn’t the same for you. You obsess over it. You stay awake at night and let it consume your dreams. And that was the worst part because all of it looks like a choice. All of it looks like your fault.” THIS!!!!

“He ran his hand through the boy’s blue curls. Max had his own battles to fight. But they had to fight together.”

NO. ANYTHING BUT MAGNUS CRYING BECAUSE THEN I CRY!!!

“Fuck everyone else,” dad growled. “They’ve hurt our family enough.” EXACTLY!!!

“He needed to survive this. So, he decided to go back to the place he had learned how to survive in the first place. He needed to go back home.” Okey, this was a lot and I need a moment and some therapy probably

“Camilla Alvarez.” Interesting

The texts are just *chef kiss*

“His father had done that. Alec Lightwood had helped Joaquin and his people create a new world in Buenos Aires.” I LOVE ALEC LIGHTWOOD

Okey, but all of that conversation with Rafe and Magnus was beautiful and now I’m crying

THE OUTFIT!!! MASTERPIECE

Blue banners when the lost return, the shadowhunter rhythm said. Rafael had returned home – and he was no longer lost. WOW. JUST WOW.

“I would like to propose that we include a provision on hate speech,” Rafael said. FUCK YEAH

Not to be dramatic, BUT HOLY FUCK!! All this Cohort moment really hits cause its what society is like

“This is unacceptable!” Paige Ashdown looked furious. “Lightwood, you can’t just keep bringing up new laws to protect your family.” “I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t keep attacking my family, Paige!” the Consul Voice boomed across the hall. “And I���m not doing this to protect my own. My family happens to be one of the many you’ve victimized with your vicious prejudice.” LOUDER SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR

“I’m the Inquisitor’s daughter,” she said. “Next time, think twice before you quote the law at me.” Hello? Yes, I would like to request a seat at the Anjali supremacy cause that girl is such a badass

She turned to the Council. The Inquisitor looked like he was going to cry from pride. Rafael’s dad looked half terrified but mostly impressed. Lily was blowing kisses at Anjali. The other downworld leaders looked quite pleased.“Over to you Consul,” Anjali gave him a salute as usual – and then she was gone. “THAT’S THE BEST SHIT I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!” Emma Carstairs yelled. “Goddamn, I wish Magnus was here to see this,” Uncle Jace grinned. “That was satisfying as hell.” “No worries, I recorded the whole thing!” Kit put up his hand.- THEY HAVE SUCH AN ENERGY

“He wasn't afraid. He still wanted to hold her. He realized he wanted to hold her even if it would set him on fire.” My heart, i just 💙💙💙

OKAYY. That was a lot of trauma, screaming, loving and hating. And it also came longer than expected but you can’t blame me!! I loved it soooo much, it was amazing as always

Now guess who has 10 assignments to deliver and hasn’t started them for spending all the time reading this?? YES, it's me, so I better get to work 💙💙

FIRST OF ALL WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE SO MANY ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS I AM GOING TO SET THE EDUCATION SYSTEM ON FIRE AND BUILD IT AGAIN FROM THE ASHES DO NOT TEST ME!!!

Also I am glad you enjoyed this. It is a very heavy chapter. So, do feel time to rest and recover.

I'll see you soon bebe 💙