#i think julian should be a little silly

[kuuchuuburanko]

shidou loki friendship or SOMETHING please please please-

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: M6 when MC calls them their husband/wife/spouse

My silly little sequel is here:

M6 planning their wedding with MC

You know, because there was that trend for a bit and they're all down bad for MC/you

Julian

It took you a while to work up to doing it

Not because you were nervous about him having a bad reaction, everybody who has met him knows how much he loves you

No it's because you know his reaction will be so dramatic and you need time to mentally prepare

You know he loves when you take the lead on things, so you let it slip at the Rowdy Raven while you're ordering drinks at the bar

"Yes I'd like that please, and my husband will have a salty bitters. Put it on my tab."

His shrieking puts Malak to shame

"Husband? I'm your HUSBAND?? Did you mean it??? YES!!!"

He's expressing himself in every way at once: laughing, shouting, dancing, "singing", punching the air, spinning you around

All the regular patrons are wondering what secret concoction he ordered, he walked in the door ten minutes ago and he's already on the tables

When did he find the guitar

Give the guitar back to the nice musician, Julian

You're able to herd him back to your regular table and calm him down a bit but you've never seen him giggle constantly like this

After you've had your drinks and left the tavern the walk back home takes twice as long as usual because he needs to tell everyone that he's properly taken now

*bumps into neighborhood acquaintance* "Hey, how are you, I'm their husband!"

Rumors of the beloved Dr Devorak's clandestine wedding are circulating now and he is living for it

He did sit you down and talk about getting married in the future after this

If it's something you were interested in, there are only two reasons he hasn't proposed already:

One, he keeps overthinking and self sabotaging

Two, he's waffling between letting you sweep him off his feet with a proposal or him proposing and getting to make it as grand as he wants to

Asra

Let's be honest here, if any mortal person ever embodied unconditional love, it's him

They gave up half their heart just to have you back in the land of the living, no strings attached, and if you ended up choosing someone else over them, they would support you as long as you were happy

If you're with him though that means you chose him, and he is so so happy

They also love mischief of any kind

You didn't hesitate to try it out once it occurred to you

He walked in from his busy day out as you were closing up the shop, taking off his coat and scarf

"How's your day been, MC?"

"Better now that my spouse is home!"

They stumbled on their way to the tea pot and you could see the blush spreading across the back of their neck

"O-oh, you don't say?"

The dimples are out in full force when he returns with your tea

"Tell me then, MC, how exactly does this spouse of yours make your day better?"

They are going to act on every response they tease out of you

"Is it the way he brings you things to make you smile?" *lays out trinkets he picked up for you while he was out*

"How about the way your spouse kisses you good evening?" *slides an arm around you with a flirtatious smirk*

He's playing it off so smoothly but the blush takes several hours to fade

It'll stay on their mind for a while though, until they circle back and ask you if marriage is something you'd want in the future

If the answer is yes he's getting things in place so he can propose as soon as you're ready to be asked

Nadia

She already introduced you to her family as the person she wanted to marry someday, it's in her plans

She's letting you set the pace for that though, and she's not in a big rush as long as you two belong to each other

Which is why it falls off your lips so casually while you're having afternoon tea on the veranda before she has to host a reception that evening

"I don't know Nadia, if what you say about my reputation is true then those nobles should know better than to give my wife a difficult time tonight."

At least you think you sound pretty casual, you had to rehearse that sentence a few times in your head and your palms are sweating under the tablecloth

She freezes and her eyebrows shoot straight up

"Oh my, MC, how bold of you."

Then she's blushing and laughing and pulling you closer

"Pray tell, when did you begin thinking of me as your wife?"

She's flirting with you but she's also trying to figure out if this is a sign that you're ready to get married yet without putting you under too much pressure

If the answer is no, you're not ready yet, she'll tell you to take all the time you need

But she'll also ask you to call her your wife just one more time, to help her wait

If the answer is yes, you feel ready to marry her, she is gearing up to announce your engagement that evening and reaching for the ring she's been carrying around just in case

This Countess knows a good thing when she has it and she's not wasting any time to make you hers in every way possible

Muriel

Have mercy on his poor heart, he's still getting used to being in love in general

Once you've been in an established relationship for a while though, you start to notice what a wonderful partner he is

He's always happy to help with any heavy lifting or out of reach objects, he makes breakfast for the two of you most mornings, and his favorite moments are when you're curled up next to him

Once your brain assigns the words "husband material" to him you can't unsee it

So when he sees you getting ready to scale the shelves for a bigger wooden bowl and he lifts it down for you, you just can't help yourself

You kiss him on the cheek and thank him kindly

"You're such a wonderful husband, Muriel."

He walks right outside and faceplants into the nearest patch of moss he can find to cool off the blush

The chickens are a little startled

Inanna is laughing at both of you in wolf

You'll have to go after him to make sure he didn't short circuit and apologize for catching him off guard like that

He will want you to explain what you meant right away

If your answer is just that you noticed what a good partner he is and that it just slipped out he'll be bright red and very happy to know that he's successfully treating you well

If you end up admitting that getting married has crossed your mind a few times and you could see that happening with him he's going to need a minute (read: 24 hours minimum)

He's going to ask Asra about it

Somehow he's surprised when Asra's response is an offer to officiate the wedding

Muriel will come back after a bit and quietly let you know that yeah, he's thinking about it too, and it doesn't sound like the worst idea

Portia

In her mind you two are basically married, I mean, you have her back, she has yours, you saved the world together and confessed your undying love to each other, there's not much more to do

You even travel the world and negotiate alliances with other nations together

So you don't think it'll be a big deal if you try it out

You love her "out and about" pirate-esque outfit, and she loves it too

But ever since she wore it to that banquet with Aunt Tasya and Vesuvia's ex-council, the belittling comments she got about it come back to bother her every now and then

You notice she's fidgeting a little before you head out the door for an evening on the town and decide to hype her up

"Damn, you look good! Give me a spin! Look at her Pepi, is my wife the best-looking woman in Vesuvia or what?"

Neither of you expected for it to affect her as much as it did

Her eyes and mouth are wide open in shock, because to be honest?

Getting married hadn't even crossed her mind

But it was starting to sound really appealing, really fast because it meant you got to call her your wife every day

She's giggling and squealing and confused at her own new obsession but very very happy

She won't bring it up right away because you two are about to have the best date EVER and she's about to burst with pride

But she'll bring it up eventually

If your response is that you just felt like calling her that, she's happy. She will request it be a new nickname for her though

If you say that it had crossed your mind a few times, she'll be nervous and excited and very open to heading in that direction

Lucio

He's been married before, it was meh

(A/N: forgive me please, Nadia is not meh, Nadia is a goddess amongst us mere mortals, Lucio recalls their marriage as being meh because there wasn't any love between them)

ANYWAYS (pls don't kill me for real, Nadia fans are top tier and I am but a poor panicking pansexual)

He prefers to leave things in the past, and you're still helping him take the future into consideration, so long-term commitments like marriage aren't even on his radar

Really you just decided to call him that to mess with him a little

You chose the wrong moment for it though, you really did

You were stopping by the palace between gigs to check in on everyone and Nadia invited you to stay for luncheon

Lucio can't say no to a potentially fancy meal and you're happy to chill with a dear friend for a bit

Nadia forgot to mention that she invited Asra over as well, since they're in town and she knows they'll want to see how you're doing

Lucio is reminiscing about some fantastic party trick he pulled in the banquet hall you passed by on your way in and you decide to mess with him a bit

"Yeah, that sounds like something my husband would come up with."

Just as Asra is walking into the room

They're okay with your relationship, they really are, but it's going to take quite a while for Lucio to prove himself worthy of your full commitment

They still worry that he'll regress and it's important to them that you have a way out in case that happens

"WHAT-"

They're not angry, they're freaked, and to be fair Nadia is too

You hurriedly explain to everyone present that you were just messing with them, you didn't know Asra was there, you're sorry, etc

Lucio's not helping. He hadn't thought of marrying you before, but think of the party! Think of the bragging rights! Now everybody knows you chose him!

"Yeah, you heard MC! I'm gonna be the best husband EVER!"

The palace staff collectively refers to the fallout as The Incident

[garf-lover96]

happy anniversary to me and Julian :3 a few months ago i made a post that i will write a fic for the occasion and i DID and i reached the character limit in my google keep note because it was that long. it's almost 4k words!! that's how much i love him guys!! i don't know how i suddenly went from writing little 1k fics to this monstrosity but i'm happy with how it turned out🤞🤞 it's under the cut because it really is huge and also disgustingly mushy, be careful!!.....

i should start titling my fics or something but i don't really want to.. maybe they'll get their titles somewhere in the future

———

Rowan sits in the palace parlor, half sunken into the soft pillows of the sofa. His hand raises to pick at his lips, before the magpie on his shoulder screeches at him and he's forced to drop it back into his lap. The countess sitting across from him chuckles softly and speaks up for the first time in a longer while.

"I do agree with Bluebell. You're much too anxious about the whole situation." Nadia imparts and takes a small sip from her teacup. The magpie seems smug at the fact someone's agreed with her.

"I know, I know that... But are you sure the gift isn't too small?" Rowan asks and starts unconsciously picking at his nails, earning him another loud screech.

"A ring of all things is an accurate gift for an anniversary, I assure you."

"He doesn't even wear jewelry, this is silly..." he mumbles out and rubs his face with a frustrated huff.

Seeing Rowan's distressed expression, Nadia sets her cup down and walks over to sit down by his side. The man straightens up a little as she places a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Can you tell me what this is really about?" she inquires with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Maybe it's just... A commitment thing..."

"...Could you elaborate on that?"

"I just mean- Are promise rings the right amount of commitment? Will he think I'm a hypocrite for giving him a ring when I've previously told him that I don't want marriage-?"

"...Dear, do you hear yourself?"

Rowan is about to start picking at his nails again before Bluebell hops down into his hands and he begins to preen the bird instead.

"I sincerely doubt that Julian would even be capable of such a thought. That is, when it comes to you, at the very least."

"I guess..."

"Rowan, I'm certain that Julian hasn't changed his mind on that agreement. He'll love those rings." Nadia assures, carding through his hair gently and putting unruly wisps back into place.

Sighing softly, Rowan rests his head on her shoulder, her fragrant perfume calming his nerves "I know how silly I sound, I'm sorry..."

Nadia chuckles fondly "This is quite an important milestone for you, it's natural to be nervous about it. Especially since this is your first time celebrating a relationship anniversary."

She glances down to notice that the man is now squeezing Bluebell's body rhythmically. Not that the fluffed up bird seems to mind, she seems a little drowsy in fact, as if she's entirely used to it.

"But you know, if you're this worried that I can't imagine just how troubled Julian is. Remind me when do you have to head back?"

Rowan's eyes move towards the big clock standing in the corner of the room. "In a few hours... And yeah, he's probably spiraling right about now. I bet he got me something beautiful though..." he says and smiles softly.

"Would you like to take a stroll in the garden? You could use some fresh air to relax before your rendezvous."

"Yeah, let's do that... Thank you, Nadia." he nods before reaching over to finish his cold cup of tea.

~~~

Portia stumbles through the streets of Goldgrave, Malak constantly pulling at her sleeves, leading her somewhere. She was really hoping to get some garden work done before the raven showed up and caused a big ruckus. All she managed to deduce from the urgent croaks is that Julian apparently needs help with something. The bird dives down to pull on a strand of her hair once more.

"Give me a break! I told you already, my legs aren't as long as Ilya's-" she yanks her lock back from Malak's talons with a small grunt, "Ugh, if you want me to bail him out again, I swear he'll be going to his little date with a black eye."

She's a little confused when the bird perches on top of her head not a few moments later.

"We're stopping? But this is..." she trails off and looks up. This is undeniably the building where she's watched her brother's stage performances before. But why would he be in the community theater of all places today? She makes her way through the entrance and soon enough she can hear some distant labored grunting, followed by a loud frustrated yell. Malak takes off from her head and flies further through the corridor, then audibly crashes into something with a thud.

"Where were you? I was starting to think you've abandoned me." Julian can be heard talking to the raven the closer Portia gets to the backstage. When the scene comes into view, her jaw drops a little.

"You're stealing a piano." Portia's tone isn't questioning in the slightest, somehow this does seem like something he'd do.

Julian straightens up and whips around to face his sister with a mortified expression "Stealing- I'm not stealing, this is a perfectly legal operation! And what in the world are you even doing here?!" his gaze shifts to the raven sitting on top of the said piano "I told you I don't need any help! Traitor..." he huffs hopelessly and leans against the instrument. The longer Portia looks at him, the more she notices just how exhausted he looks.

"...Don't tell me you were trying to carry a piano all by yourself. Where would you even bring it?"

"It's a gift, Pasha! I spent months trying to renovate this old thing so I could give it to Rowan! He's been taking those lessons from Nadia and he's already so good... I wanted him to have a piano of his own at home." he whines out and runs his gloved hand down his face.

"What- Why didn't you tell me that earlier? I obviously would've helped!"

"Because- Because it's my responsibility! I got the gift so now I have to carry it home! And it's fine because I'm sure you have your own chores to do today and I'm strong enough to drag this thing back to the shop myself. Thank you for your concern." having said that, Julian pushes the piano forward and it makes an outrageously loud creak as it moves against the wooden floor.

It makes Portia grimace. She can't bear the thought of the piano being massacred like this any longer.

"Stop! I'm not letting you drag it on the ground all the way there. You'll just ruin it, idiot." she grumbles and walks around the instrument, managing to get a pretty good hold on it from one end. She shoots Julian a meaningful look, urging him to grab the other side.

He sighs in defeat before quickly laying his discarded coat over it and they manage to lift the piano off the ground together. It makes Malak croak in surprise but he doesn't move an inch. Manoeuvering it through all the corridors leading outside is hard work, so they take a break once they've carried it out into the street.

Only when the daylight reaches the piano can all the intricate details finally be seen. Portia runs her hand over the carvings depicting a bunch of wildflowers and animals. The fresh coat of varnish makes the instrument glisten in the sun.

"And you're telling me you're just allowed to walk out with a piece like this? This must be worth a fortune!"

"A fortune is what I spent on getting it into proper shape... The exterior might be beautiful but the insides were all jumbled up. Not that I know much about pianos... I spent a long time trying to find all the necessary experts to fix it." he huffs out again and rests his elbow on top of the instrument, swinging his hand at Malak to shoo him off of it "Ride's over, I'm not letting you scratch it up..."

The bird relents and moves to perch on Portia's shoulder as she circles the piano, her eyes boring into the insane details. She brings the fall board up so she can see the keys as well.

"...Oh my god, is this ivory?"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it is, yes. It's supposed to be durable, thankfully none of the keys were missing-"

"This is the kind of stuff they have at the palace!" she exclaims and looks at them in awe.

"It's- It's not too much, right? Will he think I'm out of my mind for getting him a piano with ivory keys...?" Julian suddenly seems a little less confident about his present than a second ago. But before his sister is allowed to answer, his eyes dart up and he winces when he notices the sun's position.

"Drat, look at us just standing around here, we don't have much time! We might have to take those tight shortcuts..."

"Maybe we won't have to if you just grab onto the piano, Ilya..."

"Right, yes!" he squares his shoulders, quickly stepping over to take the lead in the piano-carrying assignment. Once they both get a secure hold on the instrument again, they lift it up and start walking through the streets.

In this situation getting some surprised stares from people is inevitable, but Julian is not concerned with that at all. Instead, he keeps glancing up, clearly stressing over whether they'll be able to make it to the shop and carry the gift inside in time, before Rowan returns from the palace.

He glances behind briefly to notice that Malak is still comfortably rested atop Portia's shoulder. Then he speaks up, slight concern apparent in his voice. "Malak, friend, do you think you could check up on Rowan? Er, just to make sure that he's not going to be inconveniently punctual."

The bird seems mildly inconvenienced at the fact that he has to leave his place snuggled into Portia's soft hair but doesn't need much more convincing. Leaving some stray feathers behind, he takes off into the air. Without the ravens frequent croaking, there falls a silence between the siblings. Portia notices Julian's tense shoulders and can't resist to tease him a bit.

"...You know, maybe he will think you're a snob for the ivory keyboard."

"Pasha, don't stress me out!" he yells back at her, trying to hold back a smile at the sound of her jesting giggle.

~~~

While in the air, Malak obediently stays in pursuit of Rowan to distract him if needed, but shortly after spotting him on his way out of the palace, he notices the man seemingly taking the scenic route anyway. Hopping his way along the roofs, the raven notices him stop somewhere in the corner of the town square.

Hugging his knees to his chest, Rowan stares down at particularly stout, shiny beetle. His familiar jumps towards it again but he stops her with an index finger, poking her away.

"I told you it's too fat for you to eat. I don't want you to choke, sweetheart."

A grumpy screech.

"...I'm not going to cut it into pieces either. There are people here."

Another screech.

"What? I'm not tempting you! Can't I just stare at a bug in peace for a moment?" the tension between his brows increases a little as he keeps his eyes on the beetle "I'm not nervous anymore, I just need a second, okay?"

Bluebell hops forward and flops onto her back, trying to distract Rowan.

"Your little baby tantrum won't fix anything, you know."

The magpie seems offended now. She opens her beak threateningly...

"No, hey, don't you dare do that-"

A series of deafening screeches tear through the square as Bluebell tries to put a stop to Rowan's overthinking in her own way. He scoops her up from the ground and starts shushing her frantically.

"Stop screaming! We can go to the shop, you can take the stupid beetle, just don't make a scene!"

She stops immediately and wriggles out of his grasp to pick the beetle up by one skinny, squirming leg. It makes Rowan frown a little.

"...Just make sure to chew it well, please." he mutters and finally continues walking.

~~~

Already inside the shop, the Devoraks try to carry the piano up the stairs and not fall to their deaths in the process. A firm boot planted on the creaking step, Julian pushes forward as Portia leads the way, carefully climbing backwards.

"Just a few more Pasha, you've got this..." he reassures and angles his head so that he can see the short corridor the staircase leads to.

With a series of collective labored groans they manage to pull the piano onto the top floor before almost collapsing against it.

"Now that's a workout! Gosh, I barely feel my calves... And hands... And..." Portia trails off, raising her hand to pull her damp with sweat hair away from her face.

"I think I was seconds away from breaking my spine there..." Julian gasps and quickly pulls his gloves off of his hands, throwing them onto the piano "Just one more... Curve... I swear I'll get you such a nice thank you gift, you're the best sister in the whole wide world..." he seems to be getting a little teary-eyed but he quickly composes himself for the sake of the mission.

Portia seems to nod acknowledingly at her brother's emotional speech as she tilts her head to look downstairs at the sound of slight tapping "I think Malak's back..."

Julian turns around and observes as the raven wanders into the shop through the back door, his talons clicking against the wooden floor. He caws a few times which makes Julian grimace.

"Alright, I have no idea what that meant but I will assume that Rowan is already near... Are you okay to keep going, Pasha?"

She gives him a quick thumbs up and shakes her hands off, then grabs onto the piano as if she didn't just drag a half a ton instrument up some very steep stairs. Carrying it into the bedroom doesn't take near as much work as all the previous routes but once it's sitting in it's designated place, the siblings just slide down to sit on the floor for a short moment.

"You were right, you're always right, I wouldn't have managed without you, Pasha..." Julian weeps out and quickly pulls her into a hug.

"Yes, you would've been dead a hundred times over if it weren't for me." she wraps her arms around him with a grin, feeling just a little lightheaded from all the carrying she did today "I should get going, don't wanna disturb you loverboys." she snorts and pokes at her brother's waist.

"Ah, allow me to escort you then, dear sister!" he gets to his feet—his back cracking loudly—and upon wiping a stray tear from his eye, he pulls her up by the forearms "Good to stand?"

Portia nods. It's a careful walk back down, both of their legs are still quite wobbly after the endeavor. Upon opening the door for her sister, Julian is surprised to find a spooked Rowan on the steps just outside. He staggers back a bit as it suddenly opens.

"Oh, Portia...? What are you doing here?" he asks with growing worry on his face at her disheveled state.

She just smiles and dives in for a hug, making the magpie on his shoulder startle and fly up to the rafters instead "All will make sense in a jiffy! Enjoy your date!" with one last squeeze, Portia takes off, turning around to wave goodbye.

Locking eyes with Rowan, Julian promptly pulls him inside and up into his arms with a beaming smile "Lover, you're here at last!"

"Julian-! I wanted to- Why... Why is your shirt soaked...?" Rowan stares at him with a confused expression, his feet still awkwardly dangling above the ground as his partner holds him.

"Ahaha, I promise to freshen up before our dinner... But what were you going to say?" Julian inquires with a smile and sets him down gently.

"I, uh, wanted to give you my present first because I thought about it way too much and... Just wanted to get that off my chest, you know? Is that okay?" Rowan squeezes Julian's hands gently, looking up at him with an unsure smile.

"Yes, more than okay! I'm dying to see what you thought of."

"Should we go upstairs-?"

"No! Not... Not yet. We, er, can go sit down in the back room, if you'd like."

Rowan widens his eyes with surprise again but doesn't mind going along with the idea. Once they're seated next to each other, he speaks up again "Before you see the gift, I just wanted to say that... Even though we already had that conversation about whether we ever want to take our relationship to the 'next stage' and came to an agreement, I still wanted you to have some kind of confirmation, I guess... I know how important that is for you and I really wanted you to know that I'm very, very serious about this, so..." with one trembling hand and a soft sniff, he fishes out a small pouch out of his vest's pocket and unties the thin string around it. He can feel Julian's eye boring into him as he works on opening it.

"...Hold out your hand, please."

Julian obeys and gives him his hand, palm facing up. His smile is bright with anticipation until Rowan twists his hand gently and takes it into his own instead. A shiny, sliver ring comes into his view, with what seems to be a small, green gemstone embedded in the middle. His jaw drops wordlessly as his partner slides it onto his finger. He inhales a bit before Rowan stops him.

"Don't say anything yet! Just a second!" he quickly reveals a second, matching ring, with the same design as the first one, but the colors seem to be different. It's gold with a red gemstone. Rowan holds it up to the one that's already on Julian's hand.

"These represent us, see? I had the gemstones switched so that the green reminds you of me but you can still wear silver. Ah, and- And you don't have to worry about your gloves either! Yours is actually adjustable so- You can wear it whenever you want!" he raises his eyes to check on his partner's reaction and his nervous smile softens when he sees some tears already streaming down his face, along with a huge grateful smile. Julian takes it upon himself to take the matching ring and slide it onto Rowan's finger before pulling him into a very tight hug.

"God, you really thought of everything... Thank you, love, they're so beautiful-" he voice cracks just a little before he buries his face in Rowan's hair, who's already exhaling in relief because the gift did turn out to be a success.

"There's just one more thing, actually." Rowan gently dries Julian's teary cheeks and makes him look down at their hands again "I'll let you do the honors. Touch one of the stones, hm?"

Once he gently taps his own ring, the other one lights up in a soft glow. It makes Julian gasp softly "This is the single most romantic thing you've ever done, I'm pretty sure."

"I can think of a few more... And it's a simple enchantment, really..." Rowan mumbles with a shy smile, still observing the rings that are finally in their rightful places.

"I'd love to just stare at these forever but... Now I really want you to see what I got for you. You're going to love it." he lowers his head to leave a sweet kiss on Rowan's lips before helping him to his feet.

They walk up the stairs together until Julian covers Rowan's eyes in front of the entrance to their bedroom. It makes Rowan tilt his head in confusion a little.

"Just keep walking, darling, I've got you."

"Yes, okay..."

They stop in the middle of the room and Julian makes Rowan face the direction of his gift.

"Are you ready?"

"I hope I am." Rowan answers with a small chuckle. When Julian's hands drop from his eyes to his shoulders, his eyes settle on the piano at last.

His reaction is a little delayed, but once it kicks in, it's nothing like Julian's controlled few sobs. He bites down on his lower lip and absolutely breaks down. The thick tears streaming down his eyes make it hard to keep his eyes on the piano. It makes Julian worried for a split moment.

"Er, these are happy tears, yes? You haven't given up on the art of music, right?" he asks and steps in to take Rowan's face into his hands as he keeps sobbing loudly. He only manages to nod firmly and pull him into a hug to keep crying into his shirt.

"A whole fucking piano... You're absolutely insane..."

"Now, there's the reaction I was waiting for! I was a tad worried that you were just pretending to like it." he remarks cheekily and runs his fingers through Rowan's hair gently, "I should mention that I couldn't decide on what little bench I should get to go along with it so we can go buy one tomorrow, if you'd like. There's a ton of colors of the cushioning to choose from, apparently."

"Damn it, I should've bought you a vielle instead... We could've been playing a duet right now..." Rowan weeps, attempting to dry his face while the tears just keep flowing.

"Oh we'll play many duets yet, dear. And anyway, you can get one for me on our next anniversary."

"And let me guess, to upstage the piano you'll get me a boat next year...?"

"Oh shush, don't spoil it!" Julian rolls his eyes playfully "We'll have time to talk about the future during our dinner which we don't want to be late to, eh?"

"Yeah, future... We should start getting ready." Rowan wipes is eyes into his sleeve and pulls Julian's face down gently to kiss him "Happy anniversary. I love you."

"I love you too, Rowan. Happy anniversary."

———

according to my screentime app, i spent 2 hours on this yesterday ALONE and almost 12 hours in general during the past 2 weeks. waow❤️ i have a drive

AND FUCKING TUMBLR POSTED THIS WHEN I WAS CLICKING "SAVE AS DRAFT" I SWEAR I'M GOING TO GO ON A RAMPAGE

[m1ssunderstanding]

I don't get why John was ever seen as crazy for thinking Hey Jude might have been about him, at least partially. I mean "You have found her, now go and get her", "You're waiting for someone to perform with" from around the same time as JohnandYoko becomes a thing - it's more crazy for me to assert the song is chiefly about 5 year old Julian Lennon. Not saying he didn't have a distorted perspective on many things, but tbh I'm kinda annoyed at how easily people jump to call John paranoid and delusional.

You are very smart and way ahead of me anon. I don't know why I fell into that 'silly John' line of thinking before. Maybe because he says a lot of out-there things, even in the actual quote where he says he thinks the song could be about him. Here it is in full, by the way:

“I always heard it as a song to me. If you think about it… Yoko’s just come into the picture. He’s saying, ‘Hey, Jude – hey, John.’ I know I’m sounding like one of those fans who reads things into it, but you can hear it as a song to me. The words ‘go out and get her’ – subconsciously he was saying, Go ahead, leave me.“On a conscious level, he didn’t want me to go ahead. The angel in him was saying, ‘Bless you.’ The devil in him didn’t like it at all because he didn’t want to lose his partner.”

So here's what sounds crazy in that quote (imo)

I sound like one of those fans who reads into things. -- yes.

Go ahead. Leave me. -- why would you have to leave him to get together with Yoko?

On a conscious level he didn't want me to go ahead. -- do you know that? What sign did he give you at the time that that was how he was feeling?

The devil in him being the conscious part and the angel being subconscious. -- so basically Paul is consciously evil but unconsciously good?

But the more I pay attention to the lyrics, the more I definitely see what he's saying.

The song starts out with two lines that very well could have been directed at Julian. (Just like Two of Us starts off as something that was probably about Linda but turns into a song for John). "Don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better." Could easily about Julian.

But after that it veers off. "Remember to let her into your heart." "You were made to go out and get her." "Let her under your skin." Can't be about a five year old but could be about Paul himself or any random guy.

Then quickly it gets more specific. "Any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders." Sounds very much to John. "The pain" sounds like something John would reference in their talks and Paul's response would definitely be along the lines of "just don't feel it then."

This line, "for well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder," also sounds just like something John might've said to Paul, telling him his coldness was a mistake.

And finally, "you're waiting for someone to perform with. But don't you know that it's just you. Hey, Jude. You'll do. The movement you need is on your shoulder." It's clearly for John. And it's clearly giving him the okay to go off on his own and do his own thing. Which was not what John wanted and which would've hurt.

Anyway, tldr: John was not crazy to think hey Jude was about him and we should probably take his lyrical analysis of Paul's songs a little more seriously.

[kirk-says-wah]

Hello hello ☎️

I have a request for you that is possibly a little silly or maybe awful? You decide.

Picture this: a 4th of July Party, at Jason's house, in 1992.

James (an idiot) is in the kitchen alone and tries to open a beer bottle with his teeth, but oh no! He breaks his tooth in the process! While the party is happening outside!

Please expand on this, how will they all sort it out? What will James do? Who will help him? Will he cry? I give you complete creative control.

anyway I love you and hope you're doing good! 🫂💖

Ahhh Julian!! *hugs you* thank you for the request! This was fun to write! I’m so sorry, this turned out sappier than I intended 😆💕

𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐥

Pairing: James/Jason

This party is shit.

Jason’s sound system is only half working, there’s hardly any girls, and someone’s already threw up in the living room.

James only came because Jason said “dude it’s gonna be the best fucking party you’ve ever been to,” and he doesn’t go to Jason’s house much, they always go over to James’ house. He also can’t resist Jason with those goddamn puppy eyes.

He’s cramped himself in the kitchen to grab a piece of alone time before having to go out and face the group. He’s not drunk but he’s fairly tipsy. Some shit techno pop is pounding the walls, and he wonders if maybe he should sneak out or something.

Or maybe he just needs to get more drunk.

The other guys are in the garden, mingling with the rest of the crowd, and James knows that he definitely needs to drink more if he wants to fit in. He’s never been good at making small talk. Even when he’s a fucking rock god. That’s always the downside to these kind of parties. He’s only good at talking about his band, but even then most people don’t really give a fuck.

He sighs, grabbing a beer from the fridge, fucking Coors Light, and twists at the cap with fingers.

The top doesn’t budge.

He frowns, tries again, but still it’s not going anywhere.

Great. This is just what he needs.

He tries to get his frustration under control and tries to flip the cap off to no avail, so he does the only thing he can think of.

He brings the beer up to his mouth, tries to pry the metal top off with his teeth, when all of a sudden there’s a resounding crack, and his mouth goofs the bottle, a sharp pain emanating through the front of his teeth.

Shit. Shit fuck shit shit bastard.

He puts his finger in his mouth, swipes over the front set of teeth, only to find one considerably shorter than the rest, the edges jagged and broken.

James takes in a deep breath. Okay maybe this isn’t as bad as he thinks. Maybe no one will even notice.

He puts his beer on the side before going back into the main room, twisting between swaying bodies until he’s in the bathroom.

There’s a couple kissing in there, but with one wave of his hand they’re out of there quicker than lighting. James smirks to himself. Sometimes he loves the power he holds over people.

He locks the door before finally standing in front of the mirror, ignoring his unkempt hair. He lifts up his top lip with his fingers.

Yep. It’s as bad as he thought. His front tooth is so short it almost looks like it’s not there, leaving a dark hole.

He swears, drops his fingers before giving a feigned smile.

Nope that’s no better.

He sighs, white knuckling the sink. He tries to think who he can go to to help him.

Lars won’t be any help. He’d just laugh at him and cause a scene.

Kirk isn’t much help when he’s sober, but he’s already mostly drunk so he’d be no better.

Which leaves him with Jason. Fuck. Jason will probably laugh too but out of the three of them he seems the most proactive and will hopefully be a little bit more concerned.

Now James just needs to figure out how to get his attention without opening his mouth. He needs to do it before the fireworks go off because Jason will just get distracted.

He takes one last look at his busted tooth before taking a deep breath and exiting the bathroom.

The house is mostly empty as he makes his way to the back door, and he keeps his lips firmly shut, can’t help but let his tongue prod at his broken tooth.

He passes Lars and Kirk, sat with their girls by the beer kegs, and Lars waves him over but James just ignores him. He can deal with their bitching later.

He spots Jason at the top of the garden, sorting through cassettes, and he quickly jogs over to him.

Jason smiles, lets his fingers fall from the box he was digging in, and springs forwards, obviously drunk. His hair falls around his face, his tshirt tight against his chest.

“Dude, what the fuck’s wrong with your face?” Jason asks, noting the deep frown wrinkling James’ forehead, but James doesn’t want to talk about it out here. Everyone will see, and he’s not gonna make a fool of himself. He’s James Fucking Hetfield. He’s not a fucking pussy, and he certainly doesn’t chip his teeth on beer bottles.

The rough edge of his tooth says otherwise.

He roughly grabs ahold of Jason’s arm, sinks his fingers into his jacket before dragging him back to the house, ignoring the questions Jason shoots his way until they’re finally in the bathroom.

It’s empty, luckily, and he locks the door behind them, turning to see Jason perched on the edge of the tub. His cheeks are pink, eyes glazed slightly as he sways on the bathtub, the overhead light highlighting the flush up his neck.

“What’s up, man?” he asks, head cocking. “You can’t fuck me in the middle of the party.”

James hopes he’s joking, but his mind momentarily flashes back to a party a few months ago where Jason had pressed him against the wall and sucked on his neck hard enough to leave a bruise that people kept pointing out.

James grinds his jaw, tries to bring his mind to the present and not get hard, and finally works up the courage to speak.

He hovers his hand over his mouth, covering the offending tooth, and says “don’t fucking laugh.”

Jason squints, face sobering a little.

“What’s going on?”

“Just, promise me,” James pleads. He already feels humiliated, and he doesn’t want anyone making him feel like shit, least of all Jason.

“Fine I won’t,” Jason says, standing up now with an edge of concern.

James looks at him for a moment before sighing.

He gingerly pulls his top lip up, exposing his chipped tooth.

Jason’s face cracks and James scowls.

“Don’t you dare.”

“I’m not laughing,” Jason says, but he definitely is, laughter bubbling up in thick waves as he tries to suppress it.

James quickly pulls his lip down, crossing his arms.

“Don’t fucking laugh at me,” he complains. “It’s not my fucking fault.”

“Well, who punched you?” Jason asks.

“My beer,” James says, feeling a bit stupid. “I couldn’t get the lid off.”

Jason bursts into another fit of laughter, wheezing loudly, and James feels shame creep onto his cheeks.

“Forget it,” he mumbles, turning to leave, but Jason just grabs his arm.

“I’m sorry,” Jason says, voice even now, and he steps into James’ personal space, though there’s still a smile dimpling his cheeks.

“No you’re not,” James says, doesn’t look at him, and Jason sighs.

“It was just a shock,” Jason says, lets his hands wander up onto James’ shoulders. “You’re still beautiful to me.”

James blushes, ducks his head a little. Fuck, he really can’t get all sappy when they’re at a fucking party. But still his legs go a bit weak. Fuck Jason.

“We can go and fix this now,” Jason says, reaching up to push James’ hair from his face. “No one will even know.”

“But your party,” James says, finally looking at Jason.

Jason just shakes his head.

“You’re more important,” he says. “Especially when you look like you’re gonna cry.”

James scowls and punches Jason’s arm, and Jason giggles.

“Cmon,” Jason says, cupping James’ jaw.

He leans forward, expecting a kiss, and James rolls his eyes before leaning forwards, pressing his lips to Jason’s.

He can’t help but open his mouth after a moment, their tongues intermingling, until Jason yelps, pulling away.

“What?” James asks, breathless but concerned.

Jason prods at his tongue before he says, “your tooth is sharp.”

James can’t help the laugh that filters up through his throat at that.

It seems like it’s not the end of the world after all.

Jason gets his chauffeur to drive them to the emergency dentist, and he’s not in there long before they’ve fixed his tooth. It looks like nothing ever happened.

They manage to slip back into the party unnoticed, just in time for the fireworks, and James stands close to Jason, lets their hands thread together, covered by the sleeve of his jacket.

[dw-writes]

Once Bitten, Twice Angry - Miguel O'Hara x Anti Hero!Reader

So. This isnt planned to be a fic - in fact Im writing it on my phone (which is something I NEVER do). But the idea came to me today and its itching the inside of my skull so I decided to write it down. Its silly - just an thought experiment to get the Across the Spiderverse brain worms out.

This isnt intended to be a romantic fic, either. At the point of writing this author blurb, i dont even know how Miguel fits into it beyond the main idea of him being venomous.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think

This isnt edited, and was typed out pretty quickly on a phone. I apologize ;;

WARNINGS: Swearing; Violence

"I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here." The bank robber - his name was Ryan, you remembered, and he was a pretty decent guy, just down on his luck too many times - nodded and mumbled behind the collect of irridecent that coated his mouth. You propped your foot on the side of another robber - Julian, Julius, Juli-something, he never really talked that much to you - as he tried to squirm towards his fallen weapon. "It's weird, right?" you mused, "One day, I'm the Black Cat, Nueva York's greatest burglar, the next I'm--" you cut yourself off as you hooked a foot around Juli-such-and-such's hip and tossed him across the bank floor. He released a muffled shout.

"Okay, so, what do you think of Moon Weaver?" you asked, "Too much?"

"Ain't there a Moon Knight?" someone in the bank quipped.

You twisted around, snapping your fingers down on your new, and very much stolen, web shooter. The man crumbled back against a cabinet. He was a banker, and annoying during robberies.

"I didn't ask you? I still don't know if you're gonna be saved by me yet," you replied. You turned back to Ryan. "No Moon Weaver?" you asked.

He shook his head.

"Damn," you sighed, "Anyway, I was telling this to my therapist up on the seventh floor - you should see her by the way, she's great - and we were going over how this started, but since you so rudely interrupted my therapy session, you get to hear it." You crouched in front of him. "Don't worry, you're not gonna remember a thing anyway. I'll make sure of it."

Ryan didn't reply.

You stood back up. "So, let's start at the beginning." You waved your hand as you paced away to another bank robber, kneeling to scoop up his limp ankle. "Remember that heist I was doing a few months ago? Priceless heirloom, lots of money, you know how it is. I was on the job, like normal, when that fucking Spiderman shows up." You dropped the man's ankle and crouched in front of Ryan again. "Have you ever seen him without his mask? He's kinda hot, but in that infuriating "I really wanna punch you" kinda way?"

Ryan merely stared at you. He wasn't a very good audience.

You huffed. "Anyway. He showed up, we did the whole song and dance - the chase, the quips, the obvious flirting with a good layer of sexual tension - and I give him the slip." You frowned at your own memory of that night, planting your fists on your hips. "Except, I didn't. He caught me around the corner, and we went down, grappling. I think I hit him a little too hard in a place that I shouldn't've - that's rude in a fight, you know - because he yelled and suddenly bit my shoulder." You turned back around. "He bit me! Like a four year old!"

You thought Ryan mumbled something that sounded like, "Seriously?" but it was too hard to make out.

So, you replied with, "Yeah! And I went home, and I started feeling weird." Then, you crouched again, your fingers dancing over your knees. "And you know how we all kinda know that he's a weird little freak that's, like, part spider, or werewolf, or vampire, or something freaky? Yeah, I think whatever it is gave me powers," you whispered.

Ryan's eyes went wide.

You shrugged and stood, cupping your fingers around his head. "Yeah, it was weird. And now, here we are!" Your fingers tickled as a surge of electricity arched away from them and through his skull. "Not that you'll remember it," you mumbled.

The robber thrashed as you stepped away, then slumped to the ground. You watch him for a moment, frowning, waiting to make sure he was still breathing. When he groaned, you stepped back.

Then, you snapped your fingers, turning around to face the whole group of thieves you had piled in a corner. "Oh, what about Night Spider? That's pretty cool!" you asked.

"It's pretty," came a delayed reply. You looked over your shoulder. It was a customer, one of the few that was still curled up on the floor.

You smiled, and bowed at the waist. "Why thank you," you preened, standing, and waving your arm towards the door, "What're you all still waiting around here for? Get outta here!" You watched as the customers scrambled to their feet. "And tell the cops it was Night Spider that helped you!" You backed away, eyeing an exit you normally took to escape a bank with a similar layout. "Not Spiderman."

You bolted as the cops rushed into the building.

Miguel watched from atop the roof across the street, an annoyed scowl etched deep into his face. He knew he shouldn't have bitten you that night - but how could he have known you'd have such a reaction?!

And now, you went from being a pain in his side to a fucking problem.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, swearing under his breath.

Lyla would never let him live it down.

[k-ru-h]

i think ds9 fans should be legally obligated to read ASIT before they talk about garak. its so weird to me that so many fans characterize him by the words he literally says when thats like, the thing the show outright tells you not to do. people will write him as depraved or cruel or a mindless caricature of a patriot. people will also forget cardassia is literally structured like a cult. it follows extremely strict rules detailing everything about ones life, and breaking those rules results in severe punishment or even death. it worships a higher idea and everyone must set aside everything else for full submission to it. your means are always justified if its for the state. and there are cardassians who speak out and try to dismantle this! but due to the way cardassia is structured (with people not being allowed to choose their jobs) its not high ranking officials or agents its jobs cardassia doesnt value and thus doesnt keep a chokehold on. garak didnt choose to become a member of the order he was forced to. he isnt like dukat, hedonistic and delusiouned. hes a little kid beaten up bloody on a daily basis because he made a slight mistake. hes a little kid hiding the pet he named after his mom because if anybody finds it theyll kill it. hes a little kid who has to fight to prove himself as worthy because hes seen as worthless due to his heritage. hes a little kid standing in the hot dessert sun for hours until he literally starts hallucinating to show to his peers that he is good enough. when hes pretty much forced into therapy he doesnt understand that what happened to him is wrong despite literally having panic attacks due to traumatic memories from his childhood (post traumatic stress disorder yk). he had to abuse substances to stand living because it was unimaginable to him to ask for very acessible accomodations. his love for cardassia isnt the shallow bullshit our conservatives peddle. his father (tain never was one) was a pagan following the belief of indigenous cardassians. he had the chance to live a life of comfort but he gave it all up to choke on dust and smoke and drag bodies out of rubble with no food or water or shelter. he chose to help his people and his land even though it meant giving up everything. he isn't hedonistic or cruel hes a cult survivor healing and redefining his entire worldview. julian isnt a silly little guy with a spy fetish he sees garak for who he is. dont do my favorite middle aged lizard like that

[nexility-sims]

who's the father-est father of them all?

i didn't plan anything for fathers day, so here's a fun little poll that people can do instead. there's no criteria for voting, but i'd be curious to hear your reason, if you have one, or if you think someone is missing / should be a dad !

[thegeminisage]

okay it's star trek update time. saturday we watched voy's "demon" and "one" and last night we did voy's "hope and fear" and ds9's "tears of the prophets."

demon (voy):

this one was so fun. i kept yelling THE GOOP IS ODO and it wasn't ofc but it was fun to imagine

a y class planet...i feel like we only ever see m class...this was very exciting

always exciting when they break out the space suits too

the ship landing is so silly and ridiculous. only slightly less ridiculous than the saucer splitting from tng

for a few minutes there i thought we were gonna have the tom paris/harry kim version of 2.25 resolutions. like because they could only breathe the planet's air. really really really funny

i love that the solution was to just let them clone everybody. imagine after voyager leaves and you can choose any crewman and all the little slimes want tuvok so you just have a bunch of tuvok slimes running around. 10/10

one (voy):

MY GIRL SEVEN....................

this one was soooososososo good

first of all, wtf at chakotay like talking to janeway about her bond with seven...that was gay as hell

i loved also she and the doctor eventually getting tired of each other. their scenes are so funny because they're both really autistic but in different directions

i love also when she gets put through the fire and succeeds...there is nothing she can't do. she really ran that whole ship on her own WHILE HALUCINATING i'm so proud of her

how clever to kind of leave it up in the air whether or not that guy was real, also. i went back and forth on it a few times and finally landed on not real only second before the reveal

her dream about being alone in the snowy tundra...damn. she like hates other people but also hates being alone. what a way to be

hope and fear (voy):

i had to physically pause this one multiple times to collect myself re: janeway/seven

the holodeck game. the argument where they both hit below the belt. the bit in the brig where they reference the first thing that happened in the brig and janeway had to touch seven's little eye thingy in the soft mood lighting wwwwow

i think the ethical dilemma here was a little silly though. like, my guy, you were banking on the ruthless guys who were stronger than the borg and also wanted to eat everyone else for lunch on helping YOU? like everybody say thanks janeway for getting rid of something even worse than the borg! not fuck you janeway for not letting the borg get killed by them

idk. i don't see that she did anything too awful. she sent them back home and saved them from the borg and saved the borg from them and then also got her people thru borg space AND got a gf out of it. leave her alone

i did like all the stuff about intuition vs borg knowledge though...janeway and her intuition remind me of kirk, but janeway and seven both fighting in the brig and then making up in the brig (complete with the touching) is very spones bread and circuses of them.

tears of the prophets (ds9):

man, sorry to say this, but...this script sucked bad. i dont think avery brooks is capable of phoning it in but we probability saw him get pretty close here. that final monologue, which should have ben about dax and was instead about the prophets, was poorly written

and dax's last words being about a baby - come on.

and kira and odo's argument - he is not so stupid he would do this without expecting her to be mad

and the scene between dukat and damar...where was the tension?? crazy dukat great but he's been better

even the thing with quark and bashir moping around in the holodeck because of dax was bad on paper

like, all of these things were saved (well, some of them were saved) by admirable performances from a charming and talented cast, but whew! like, julian looked so sad this became funny. kira and odo kissing to make up was so charming i forgave the premise

but dax's death was a bad death and her final arc being about a FUCKING baby was really sexist. sisko leaving not sure if he is coming back bc of some prophet thing right when bajor needs him most seems ooc. and his monologue to dax not being ABOUT. DAX. was a crime. poor terry farrell.

overall s6 has been great so far aside from a couple of bumps but man did it end on a sour note. i have heard season 7 is divisive so i guess we will see!!

TONIGHT: ds9's "image in the sand" and "shadows and symbols."

[stargazer-sims]

The More Things Change...

... the more they stay the same.

Victor and Yuri have grown a lot since their early days together, but no matter how much time passes, some things remain as consistent as ever.

Yuri matured significantly and managed to conquer his paralyzing self-doubt. He runs his own successful communications firm now and is well respected in the business community. But, he still dissolves into a sad little puddle and demands all the attention when he's not feeling well.

As for Victor, he's still working at the hospital and he continues feeling fulfilled by his profession. He likes caring for all his patients and makes their comfort his priority, but the patient who'll always be first on his list of priorities is the clingy and still impossibly cute one he has at home.

Yuri: I’m sorry I’m ruining your day off. I know you wanted to go biking with Davey and Lindsey, but now you’re stuck with me instead.

Victor: I’d rather be stuck with you than with anybody else.

Yuri: Not when I’m ill.

Victor: Any time, no matter what. You know that.

Yuri: I feel bad that you’re missing your adventure because of me.

Victor: It’s okay. The mountain bike trails aren’t about to disappear, and the weather will probably be warm enough for a few more weeks. I’ll have other chances to go.

Yuri: I wish I wasn’t so anxious about being alone. Otherwise, you could’ve gone anyway.

Victor: Honestly, I’m anxious about you being alone when you’re sick, too. Even if you didn’t mind, I don’t think I could’ve just left you.

Yuri: I need you.

Victor: I know.

Yuri: You make it better. I know that probably sounds like a silly thing to say since you can't actually make it hurt less, but you just... make it better. I don't know how to explain it.

Victor: It’s all right. You don’t have to explain anything.

Yuri: Stay close to me. Please.

Victor: I'm here.

Yuri: I was doing so well for so long, but I suppose this was inevitable. They don't call it a chronic illness for no reason, do they?

Victor: I'll take care of you. Don't worry.

Yuri: I know you will, but that doesn't stop me from wishing this wasn't happening.

Victor: Do you think you’d be more comfortable in bed? I can go upstairs with you and we can cuddle for a while if you want. Maybe I could give you a belly rub.

Yuri: I’d really like a belly rub, but I’m not certain I can move. Not until the painkillers start to work.

Victor: That bad?

Yuri: Yes. It's that awful cramping pain, like someone's twisting my insides.

Victor: Do you feel nauseous too?

Yuri: Mm-hmm. I've been feeling uncomfortable for the past few days, but it's gotten quite a lot worse since this morning.

Victor: You didn’t say anything.

Yuri: The pain was manageable, and I've been busy. But I'm worried this might be the start of a new flare-up, and I don't have time for my body to betray me like that right now. I've got too much work to do.

Victor: I don't think your body understands your work schedule, love.

Yuri: *grumbling* Stupid body.

Victor: *laughing* Would it be inappropriate for me to say how ridiculously adorable you are?

Yuri: Probably, but I won't complain.

Victor: Let me know when you feel like you can move. I'll help you upstairs, and I'll take your temperature.

Yuri: Do I feel warm?

Victor: A little.

Yuri: Oh... brilliant. This had better not be another infection, or I'll—

Victor: What?

Yuri: I'll cry. I'll quite literally cry.

Victor: It might not be as bad as you think.

Yuri: What if it is?

Victor: If you have a fever or if you're still in a lot of pain tomorrow, I'll take you to the urgent care clinic. In the meantime, try to rest, okay?

Yuri: Maybe we should go now. I mean, not this minute, but when Caroline gets back from shopping with your mother.

Victor: Do you want me to text Mom and let her know what's up? I'm sure Caroline can have dinner with her and Julian, and hang out there for the evening.

Yuri: No, it's fine. I can wait until she gets back at least, and I think she's old enough to stay by herself while we're gone.

Victor: I don't like the idea of her staying alone, and I'm not sure I can handle being worried about both of you.

Yuri: If anything happens, your parents are across the street.

Victor: You're not concerned at all?

Yuri: Of course, but she's seventeen years old. She needs to be independent at some point.

Victor: I know, but maybe not at this specific point. Maybe we can let her stay on her own for a few hours when you're feeling better, when we can both be available if she needs anything.

Yuri: You know you're being overprotective, don't you?

Victor: You say that like it's bad.

Yuri: It's not necessarily bad. You can overprotect me all you want, but Caroline has a much different temperament than me, and she might not always appreciate being protected as much as I do. I think you need to let go, just a little.

Victor: I don't know. I don't like it.

Yuri: What do you want to do, then?

Victor: I still think she should stay with Mom and Julian.

Yuri: Okay.

-----

Caroline: I'm back from shopping! I can't wait to show you the cute... Oh! Papa, what's wrong?

Yuri: It's all right, Caroline.

Caroline: How is it all right? Are you sick? You were fine when I left. Was it something you ate, or...?

Victor: Papa hasn't been feeling good for the past few days. It seems it finally caught up with him.

Caroline: You're going to take him to the doctor, right?

Victor: We were just talking about that, as a matter of fact. We decided we're going to urgent care.

Caroline: Urgent care? But that's like, for when it's really serious. Papa, you haven't needed to go there in ages. Not since just after we got back from Sulani last time. That's like, almost two years. This isn't going to be like the times you've had to be in the hospital for weeks, is it? 'Cause those are terrifying.

Yuri: That's what I'm hoping to avoid.

Caroline: Well, if you're going to the urgent care clinic, I'm coming with you. I'll hold your hand while we're waiting, and I'll do whatever you need me to.

Yuri: Well, I guess that's your dilemma sorted, Victor.

Caroline: What dilemma?

Yuri: He didn't want you to stay here by yourself.

Caroline: What are you even talking about? There's no way I'd stay here by myself in this situation. LIke, I'm already freaking out, so can you imagine how much worse it'd be if I was here worrying about you all alone?

Yuri: I thought you might like to have the house to yourself.

Caroline: Maybe if it was just a normal day and I had a few hours to myself to do something fun, but not right now. Maybe you can let me have the house to myself some other time. You know, like when you're feeling better and I'm not losing my mind over all the worst-case scenarios and stuff.

Victor: There's not going to be a worst-case scenario.

Caroline: I'm coming with you so I can hear the doctor say that.

Victor: Because I'm totally not a fully-qualified registered nurse.

Caroline: Victor, that's not what I mean! You totally are, but you know there's a hierarchy or whatever. Husband first, then nurse. And you can't say there isn't, because I've seen you acting even more panicked than me when Yuri's sick, and I know for sure you'd never be like that with your patients.

Victor: I do not panic. I'm one hundred percent calm. Trust me, I'm a professional.

Yuri: I don't think you're convincing her, love.

Caroline: You're not. Now, stop pretending to be a tough guy, 'cause we all know the truth. And don't tell me I'm not allowed to come with you because this is one time I'm not gonna do as I'm told.

Yuri: Oh? Just this one time?

Caroline: Ugh! You guys are so infuriating! How can I even love you so much when you're so annoying?

Victor: We're not going to tell you not to come. I'd like it if you did.

Yuri: I would too. I certainly wouldn't turn down the offer of you holding my hand while we're waiting.

Caroline: I know that's not much. It's not going to fix anything, but I also know you really don't like going to the doctor, so hopefully it'll make the whole thing a bit easier.

Yuri: Don't say it's not much. You might be surprised how much it truly can fix when you know you're with somebody who loves you.

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 4x23 The Quickening thoughts (I’m re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!) [8 Sept ‘23]

How does this episode start with something as silly as Quark's stupid advertising stunt?! XD

"And believe me, I will have fun." Yeah, Kira is scary. I love it.

I actually adore that shot of Julian and Jadzia transporting down, and the panoramic view.

"I slept in a bed for the first time on my life." That is devastating

"I'm sorry I don't understand. I- I thought you said you could help her." Juliaaaan <3 <3 <3

I love that both Julian and Jadzia have discarded the Prime Directive straight away, with their "we've got sophisticated equipment, we can help!" mindset!

"I thought you l this was a hospital. That you were a healer?" "I am. I take away pain." I have so much respect for Trevean, honestly.

"Well, there's nothing for us to do here. We should go." That's so unlike Julian. Gosh. He's so frustrated by this all!

"Come back for us within a week. With any luck we should have a cure by then." So optimistic! I can see why people would say he's arrogant, and he's definitely naive... but if they have cured a plague in three days it's also not baseless?? And the other two aren;t exactly saying "hah, that's impossible/unlikely, Julian".

Ekoria is so cute. "How would you like to see a picture of your baby?" Her smile!!! :3

Julian's excitement and inability to not use medical words XD

"Ekoria, where did you get all this food?" Jadzia being the gentle emotionally intelligent one next to Julian's unthinking "starving" <3

"I was saving it for my death, but something tells me I'm not going to need it anymore." Her faith from the outset makes this all so more devastating.

Julian doesn't have a problem with people not liking him -- but when people say they don't need a doctor? He needs them to need him -- and he needs to be allowed to help.

"What if I told you there was a chance you didn't have to die. I'm a doctor." It is SO much of his identity. (Feeling some DBIP feels for when he thinks he's gonna be stripped of that part of him.)

"Fixing a broken bone and curing the blight are two different things." "I know that." 💔💔💔

"Others have come here with promises of a cure, and stirred up hope, took food and clothing in exchange for their elixirs." I'm so curious about this, were they actually trying to help and failed and gave up, or were they scammers - in which case, I guess it's an easy planet to scam but for what, really? You do definitely understand Trevean's point of view though.

"I'm not making any promises." At least you know that much, Julian.

"Maybe my people don't deserve your help." "Oh they've just been suffering for so long they've lost hope that things can be better." Now that's the Julian I know and adore -- I love how these two together build up each other's hope and faith in other people 😭😭😭

"I suppose you're gonna wanna bleed me?" "Oh, um, a little." Welp XD I assumed the answer was going to be no 😂

"I cancelled my death for you. I was really looking forward to it." Oh no. I know what's coming. He gets a worse death. Oh, this is all so sad

"Think of it. She may well be holding the cure in her hands. Do you think we should tell her what she's giving them?" "She's nervous enough about using the hypo. It's better we wait till we're positive." He's too eager, just can't wait - I get that Julian, but good work on listening to Dax even if you're disappointed, because she's right.

It's the Kukulaka conversation!

"Trust me." "I do." Ohhh 💔💔

"I was watching you. You're very good with patients." HE'S SO SWEET

"But death comes to everyone in the end." "Except Kukalaka." How did that come to your mind as the next thing to say?! This is the most ADHD, such a random thing XD I'd forgotten how he'd brough Kukalaka up 😂

"Help me, Bashir!" fuuuuuuck

"Come on, breathe. Breathe. Breathe." "Julian..." "Breathe." This scene is everything. All the feels. This is my favourite sort of emotion.

"These people believed in me and look where that got them." 😭😭

"You know what worries me Julian, is that without me you won't have anyone to translate for you." Oh that was so soft :3 just a quiet lil joke. I adore Dax ❤❤

Him just carrying all that equipment by himself! :o

"Oh not a task. A privilege. Can you show me how to make it?" "I was hoping you'd ask that." Not me crying. 😭😭😭💔💔💔

"Good work." "Thank you, sir." He just shuts down with Sisko's praise. My HEART. Oh, Julian.

"But their children won't." "That's what I keep telling myself, sir." He says that so quickly, you can tell he doesn't believe it. That whole scene is just... I think it tells us so much about Julian. Yes, he's too brash and loud and naive sometimes, but everything comes from a place of caring so, so much about everyone... I love him, you know?

[shebeafancyflapjack]

The Ghosts thoughts after first meeting Silver (My OC)

Julian

"Great. A bloody hippy. That's all we need. But so long as she leaves all that tree hugging malarkey outside, we should get on swimmingly - as out of all this lot I'm the one who's most down with the kids of today. We can chat Tetris and Pac Man and Jason Donovan."

Humphrey

"Seems a sweet enough girl. Clearly got a bit of trouble staying focused but that should let her fit in well enough with the others. We had a bit of laugh for the fleeting moment we did chat, good sense of humor on her once you get her talking. All the woo stuff goes over my head but to each their own, at least she has a hobby."

Fanny

"Outrageous! As if I didn't think the company here could become even more debauched, we now have a scantily clad heathen child running about! Whatever next?! She claims not to be a prostitute but just look at those stockings! And that tattoo and that piercing! Can't the feral urchin remain in the woods?!"

Captain

"Tragic for anyone to die so young. With that said, the girl doesn't seem to care much for authority or my offer to take her under my wing to explain how we run things in this house. She's no Katherine, that's for certain, and I do hope her disrespect doesn't rub off on her if they're to become friends. Quite a fetching pair of boots though."

Pat

"Aww, it's always great to have a new face join us! Not so great that she's just a kid, but she seems to be handling it well, bless her heart. She says she loves the outdoors so am looking forward to sharing all my know how with her, though we're gonna have to rein in a bit of that potty mouth on her, for the sake of the vein in Lady B's forehead."

Thomas

"I admit to feeling the briefest of attractions when laying my eyes upon this new maiden who graced our home of the undead, with so much of her body on display it was a test of will to lower my gaze in respect. The moment of lust swiftly passed, as alas it seems, like our dear departed Annie, she seems to only have eyes for the fairer sex. I suppose we have that in common at least."

Kitty

"Oh hooray! A friend! A girl friend my own age, I never thought I'd be so lucky! And she has pink hair. PINK hair! Can I have pink hair? I know ghosts can't change outfits but we can change hair, can't we?! Oh and she loves games and dancing as much as I do! Not quite sure on some of the music she prefers, a bit too....scary for my taste but that My Immortal is hauntingly beautiful! The whole witchcraft thing makes me a little nervous, especially since Eleanor and I once tried to contact the spirit of Mama as children. But perhaps dear Silver could help me with a love potion?"

Mary

"Demon. Demon child. Beelzebub's brat. Lucifer's seed! Look at her, no shame at all, wearing the Dark Lord's symbol on her neck with pride! Doth she not fear the ducking stool? Wilt she not kiss the feet of the Virgin and beg for forgiveness?! Maybe she not be human. Mayhaps she be one of the Fae or a Changeling in disguise as a mere little'en. Can already see some of the others fallin' under her charms. She will bring ruination on us all.....Unless serious measures be taken, so they must...God have mercy on her soul, if one be there." [Mary's first impressions would later be SERIOUSLY redacted]

Robin

"Strange young lady dance alone under Moonah. Sing praise to Moonah. Drink funny smelling tea. See Robin. Dance with Robin. Then scream. Then dead. Then sleep real long time. She ask me to stay. I stay. Wait. It big boring but stay. She pretty. Young and pale. Remind me of sister. No not THAT sister, ew. Baby sister. Nah. We save her at birth with Moonah water but she still die young. Me lay her in blue flowers. Dad call her Moonah Girl. Me lay strange girl in same flowers. Tell others there dead girl in woods. They no listen. I visit new girl every day. Still sleep. On full moonah, she finally wake. She connected to Moonah. She new Moonah Girl. Funny and silly, chat very fast then sometimes go long quiet. Very strange. Have to protect. She need friend. I stay close. Failed first Moonah Girl...can't ever fail new one."

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

HI ITS ME gvxzggsgjfh ok look this is. i know this is a weird one it is SO specific and so obviously something i should just write myself if i want it👏but👏but👏BUT i decided to shoot my shot when a perfect chance has arisenderised for you to pick and choose from anything you like AND in any form, and to see if this one maybe by any chance just so happens to spark anything fun in u too xD

ssssssssssoooooooooooooooooooooo RANDOM EVENT ROLL D20 mc gets bitten by a werewoof or some other kind of "contagious" monster species (....cant really think of anything else other than vampirs, now that i say it) but WAIT THERES MORE because. what if mc insisted that they dont want any potential existent cures, they just wanna stay monstery >:3 JVDTHGLN who's considering it, who would absolutely go in the "its either me or this" direction, who's enthusiastic🤣 this is silly as hell but in the case it sparks joy id love to hear ur any and all thoughts because this idea has been haunting me for forever lmao honestly the best way ive imagined it is like one of your own selfinsert pieces youve posted before where its just all of them together bickering heeheehee💘💕🩷💞💖

love u have fun!!

The Arcana Drabble: MC transforms into a "monster"

In the spirit of things, I though a long drabble/short oneshot would work best to keep the madness going XD

Asra's getting stuck in their "one focus and one focus only" mode and right now that focus is making sure you're okay. He'll decide how he feels later, which isn't being helped at all because Julian keeps calling on him to help him slow down the process and get you to think about this a little more. However, it's hard to tell what exactly Julian wants your decision to be because in between him trying to get Asra to make you think about it some more, he's having all kinds of medical epiphanies about how your anatomy is adjusting to the new monster form:

"MC, let's think about some more, shall we? I'm sure Asra agrees with me - don't you, Asra? Asr - oh, whats this?! Your finger's joints are rapidly adjusting to accommodate for - I need a pen and paper -"

"Right here, Ilya." It's Portia's dismissive tone as she digs a small notebook and pencil out of her pocket that keeps you grounded. Not for long, though, because she can't wait to see what happens next. "Accommodate for what, anyways? Are you growing another joint?? Are you going to get claws??? Talons???? Show me!"

Between Julian jotting down unintelligible notes while he studies your elbow's range of motion, Portia's excited exclamations, and Asra's attempt at soothing touch as they rub your shoulders and ask how you're feeling, it's a miracle you can notice Muriel's quiet mumble in the background. He's clearly overwhelmed and very concerned that the physically-altering substance in general got to your brain first, making you so seemingly okay with turning into a monster.

"MC, do you remember your name? Do you need to take a nap? You don't have to be okay with this -"

"I believe this may warrant far more than a nap to recover from." Nadia's doing her best to keep Lucio calm, holding him back from tackling you much like she might grasp a leash. You can practically see the headache building behind her eyes. "We have yet to determine what the extent of this transformation is and therefore whether our dear MC is even capable of fully agreeing to the current process. MC, darling, did the source of this transformation give you any indication of what the end result would be?"

You'd try to respond, but Lucio's excited yelling is too noisy to shout over. He's fumbling at the fastenings on his cape, distracted by your ongoing changes, and very annoyed at Nadia's interference.

"Where did it go? I want to see if it can give me powers too - OW! Dammit, Noddy, I'm trying to help here! You're keeping me from finding the monster and getting it to give me cool - I mean, getting it to tell us more about what's happening! Don't you want that? Don't you want to help MC, Noddy?! Let me go -"

It's with a loud RIP and subsequent "that was velvet, you know!" that Lucio finally breaks free and sprints off in the direction of your new monster friend. You can feel yourself slowly settling in to your new form as the process shows signs of slowing and reaching completion.

Nadia's facepalming. Portia's looking at you with eyes shining in wonder. Julian's still trying to nag Asra into reversing this as he takes notes. The magician in question is still ignoring him as they ask you how you feel for the nth time. Muriel's eyeing the nearby closet in hopes of taking a nap and waking up to it all being a dream. Lucio's a distant, spiky golden speck at this point.

Faust is quietly trying to sneak her knife into your hand, for crimes.

[writerpussyindulgence]

A Fool Out of Time: A Deep Space Nine Story. Chapter 2

A/N: I’ve had this in my drafts for awhile, so I figured I’d better post it know for readers to snack on before Kinktober. This chapter is a little silly and fluffy (maybe too fluffy at points), but I figured it was earned after all the shit Harper is going through. Hope you enjoy ❤️

Chapter 2: Soup and Stims

Harper followed Julian through the bustling corridors of Deep Space Nine. Her eyes as big as dinner plates as she took in the size of the station.

“How do you manage to not get lost here?” She asked.

“Well to be perfectly honest, I’m still trying to work it out myself. Of course we have a station wide computer so we can use it to tell us where we are and where to go.” Julian replied.

As much as Harper was fascinated by the vastness and complexity of the station, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. In fact she felt a little shaky inside. Her stomach and intestines seemed to be tying and untying themselves in knots. Unbeknownst to her, she was started to break out in a sweat. Julian seemed to notice while he was explaining how the transporters worked when he turned to look at her and stopped.

“Is everything alright?” He questioned.

“Yeah. Y-yeah I’m fine” Harper said shakily. All of a sudden, her stomach lurched and she let out a violent dry heave of a gag and doubled over. Julian pulled out his tricorder again and scanned her. The readings indicated that she hadn’t eaten even before she went under ice and was essentially running on fumes

“My God, we need to get you proper nourishment!” He exclaimed. “Your blood pressure and nervous system are overwhelmed from lack of nutrition”.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and helped walk her to the Replimat. He gently helped her sit down, and ordered a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a couple of saltines, and a mug of hot ginger tea. He carried the tray to her table and set it in front of her. Her hand trembling, she picked up the spoon and scooped up a generous mouthful of soup and carefully swallowed it. The warmth of it sent a shiver down her spine and she felt herself grow a little less clammy. She ate a second spoonful and a third, slowly adding the crackers to the bowl. Julian sat next to her and watched her with keen interest.

He could see the color returning to her cheeks, and he sighed with relief. As much as she seemed to take in everything he told her during their tour, he could tell that she was still very upset. Seeing her enjoy her meal brought a peace of mind to him. She glanced up at him

“What?” She said, with a hint of insecurity.

“Oh nothing” he said, blushing a little at getting caught staring. “It’s just…I’m sorry if this is a little too personal, but your face is adorable when you eat.”

Harper blushed slightly and shifted her eyes away from him a little.

“Adorable how?” She inquired. She couldn’t tell if he was flirting with her or if he was just trying to make conversation. Julian stammered to find the right words.

“Well…well it…it’s like you have…this gentle light to your face when you do. It’s as if you have this aura of positivity about you” he replied.

Harper blushed again, unsure of how to feel. Julian felt his own stomach drop out of embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Harper took a deep breath and managed a small smile. “It’s okay. Thank you for saying that,” she said softly. “It’s a very…unique compliment”

To be honest, she was starting to welcome it. She was so used to people mocking her for her eating habits and how she looked, so it was a nice change. Besides there was something charming about Julian’s kind but awkward demeanor. How he infodumped about the different areas of the station and certain alien cultures.

Eventually she finished the bowl of soup and sipped at her tea.

“Julian, do you think it’ll be okay with your commander if I can stay here?” She asked. “To be honest, I really don’t think I should go back to Earth…for awhile. I feel like if I returned now, it would be too much for me to handle and would make me have a meltdown from how much everything’s changed.”

“I don’t see why not.” Julian replied. “We could go and ask him if you’d like. Whenever you’re finished that is.”

“Thank you.” After taking another drink from her tea, she reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a green and white fidget cube and began to fiddle with it. Julian’s eyes lit up at the sight of the toy.

“Oh! I have a fidget like that! Though not a cube.” He reached into the left pocket of his uniform and pulled out a small white stick. It had a metal hubcap at one end and a red joystick at the other end. Along the sides there were some little green buttons, a green switch, a square comprised of little red textured dots, a silver metal ball, and and two green gear shaped wheels. Harper’s eyes widened as a grin broke out.

“You’re autistic too?” She gasped, all feelings of sadness and uneasiness slowly diminishing. Finally, someone she could have an actual connection and understanding with!

“Yes!” Julian exclaimed. Harper’s grin broke out into a joyful open mouthed smile and she started to flap her hands with excitement. Julian clenched his hands into tight fists, pulled his elbows in and shook his forearms with mutual excitement. They proceeded to stim like this for an extended period, too happy to care about the few stares they were both getting from the other customers. Eventually they both settled and Harper finished her tea.

Julian helped her up and escorted her to Station Ops and up to Sisko’s office. He was finishing with a call with Starfleet headquarters. The two of them walked in and he took a look at them.

“Dr Bashir, I assume that you’ve been successful with getting our guest settled into her new environment?” Sisko asked.

“Yes sir.” Julian said. “Actually that’s why Harper wanted to come see you. She had an inquiry regarding the station.”

Sisko stood up from his chair and walked over to Harper, extending his hand with a friendly smile. Harper shook it, returning the smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. D’Amata. I’m Commander Benjamin Sisko, and I’d like to offer my condolences to you. I can’t begin to fathom how alarming this all must be”

“Thank you, sir” Harper responded. “It’s very scary, but Julian has been really nice and helpful.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” said Sisko. He looked the young woman over in interest. “So, you’re from Old Earth Chicago? I always considered the White Sox a personal favorite team of mine.”

Harper chuckled, noticing the baseball perched on his desk.

“Uh, yes sir. I live…well lived in Jefferson Park. Actually that’s why I wanted to see you. If I have your permission…and if it’s legal, I’d like to live here on the station, please. At least for a little while. It’s just that it’s too painful for me to think about Earth and home right now.”

Sisko nodded thoughtfully. “I understand how that can put you off. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you wish. We’ll have to get your documents updated, in order to reflect Federation Citizenship and the correct time. And we’ll need to find something for you to do here for work.”

“Garak’s been looking for some assistance in his shop.” Julian piped up.

“Excellent suggestion, Doctor.” Sisko said, appreciatively. He turned back to Harper. “Garak is our resident tailor. He’s Cardassian, but he’ll appreciate any help he can get right now.”

“I can do that.” Harper said. “I know how to patch up and mend basic stitches, and I’m very good at knitting and crochet.“

Sisko smiled warmly. "Good, then I'll arrange an introduction for you. In the meantime, we can start working on your documents now if you’d like.” Harper nodded.

About 4 hours later, Harper had a new identification card, a universal translator implanted in her ear, a fingerprint scan and her own quarters. Feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty, she took in her new surroundings. It was a decently large living space. One living room with a couch, table and chair, one bedroom with a single sized bed and one bathroom.

“I know it’s not much, but you have a good view of Bajor and its moons.” Julian said, sensing her unease.

“Oh no, it’s perfect.” Harper reassured. She went into the bedroom and sat on the bed, testing the mattress. “Though, do you think I’d be able to get a better mattress, please? I have back problems and I could really use some extra support. " She glanced back at Julian, hopeful.

“Absolutely! Though it may take a day or two.” He replied. Harper nodded in understanding.

“Thank you, Julian. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I really do.” Harper smiled at him, though her eyes reflected sorrow. She stood up and walked over to Julian, and they shared a warm embrace.

“Anytime. I’ll see you in the morning, but if you need anything, you can reach me with this.” He placed one of the combadges Starfleet officers wore in her hand. “Commander Sisko said that you could have one for emergency purposes. Just tap it and call for me. Good night.” And with that he walked out of her quarters.

Harper looked around the room again. There was something unpleasant about the structure and the dark colors of it all. The lights made it seem cold, eerie almost. She felt her stomach sink once again. Tossing the combadge haphazardly on her bed, she looked out of the viewport. She could see the planet just below and two of the moons, and all around her the vast, ever expanding cosmos stretching towards infinitum. She felt alone, scared and very very small. The tears began to well up again, and she went over to the small chair where her knapsack was. She opened it and pulled out a small, brown teddy bear with a blue ribbon tied in a bow around its neck: a cherished gift from her childhood. She held it tightly to her chest and began to cry again. She curled up into a fetal position on the bed, only bothering to take off her shoes and socks. She held the teddy bear close still as her tears put her to sleep.

[rodolfoparras]

Lucio and Nadia's relationship is basically a business transaction 😭

"While they were legally married, this was more of a business partnership than anything romantic. Nadia comes from a culture where the institution of marriage does not really exist, and before his death Lucio was involved in a physical affair with Valerius. He also would not be jealous of Nadia and a lover of hers, but would be upset he was not invited to join.

It is difficult to say how well they got along. While Nadia bothered to fake solidarity during his illness (pretending to go on a cleanse with him), she went out of her way to lose a gift from him she considered gaudy. She does not share his taste in fashion or décor. Tired of his plague induced whining, she joined in on Asra and Julian's fantasies about life without him, but laughed off the notion."

"During his own route, the Apprentice's empathy helps Lucio become a better person. Although initially unwilling to accept the realities of his mistakes, Lucio eventually feels true remorse for his past actions and is able to take responsibility for them. His growing care for the apprentice allows him to become less self-centered. Lucio also shows off his love for heroics and fighting, frequently putting himself in harm's way to protect the apprentice, although he is surprised when the apprentice shows true affection back. Lucio loves animals, especially his dogs Mercedes and Melchior, and has a fondness for magic despite his lack of skill in it."

If I remember correctly, the Apprentice helps him get his physical form back on his route, but in every route he strives for a physical form, though mostly The Devil's. A bunch of his photos I sent of him, like the one of him flaunting his boobs, is from his route

I really think you should play the game and see for yourself 🙏 I think you'd enjoy the silly little mobile game

It's ad and coin based, so I usually just do the little mini games and watch the ads to gain more and more coins to do the paid path options.

There's a daily Tarot check in, and after a week, you get a tarot reading from Julian, or Nadia, or Asra. But when you check in, it gives you more coins 💪

-🐧

You’re telling me he had a whole fwb but would also join in on whatever fun Nadia was having? The lore of this game is truly a roller coaster 😭 but an interesting one👀

This kind of reminds me of the platonic relationship between gojo and that one female teacher I forgot her name but they can’t stand each other but there’s a crumb of respect somewhere 😭

Ahh I’m glad he too grows throughout the game because he genuinely seems very lovely at times!! I can see that he really loves his dogs and even thought a lot of what he says comes off as obnoxious it’s swiftly followed up by hidden insecurities and suppressed fears he can say yeah I’m the best in the world but it’s quickly followed by what you don’t think so?:(

Also I’ve started to play it!! I find it a bit of a drag to have to gather coins to pick certain options but hey I’m still playing the game I’ll watch the silly ads if it means I’ll see something interesting 😔

[youngpettyqueen]

your julian and keiko post made me want more of them so can I get a 🎲 for them?

YES so happy to get this thank you for giving me an excuse to write them. they are on my BRAIN

you rolled... 30! a kiss to the palm of the hand. which I think is very fitting for these two hehe. went for something simple and cute for this one, hope you enjoy!!

"I can't believe I did that." Keiko huffs, trying not to wince as Julian inspects the cuts scored into her hand.

"Oh, don't beat yourself up, Keiko," Julian says, gently angling her hand to get a better look, "It could've happened to anybody! And these aren't bad, just a quick once-over with the good ol' dermal regenerator and you'll be fit as a fiddle." He assures her.

He's very sweet, but unfortunately for him, Keiko is determined to be annoyed about this. "Oh, sure, anybody could've made that mistake," She agrees, "But I'm not anybody! I'm a professional! And I should know the difference between a scarlet dawnbird and a scarlet dragonbite, so that things like this," She gestures at her wounded hand, "Don't happen."

It really was a rookie mistake. She'd spotted the signature red petals of what she thought was a scarlet dawnbird- a gorgeous flowering plant native to Bajor, with large bright red blooms that light up when the sun hits them just so- and she'd been thrilled because it would've been her first time spotting one in person. They're rare flowers, and have a very short blooming season. Well, in her excitement, she forgot to check the stems, which would've told her if they were dawnbirds, or dragonbites.

Dawnbirds have smooth, sturdy stems with large, velvety leaves. Dragonbites also have large, velvety leaves, which do a wonderful job of hiding the wicked sharp thorns that cover the entire length of the stem.

And Keiko went ahead and grabbed the stem so that she could show Julian the blossom in the sun. She only succeeded in slicing her hand into ribbons.

Julian gives her a smile. The one that says I know what you're doing. He's far too good at reading her. "Yes, how silly of me," He hums, "I forgot you, the great Keiko O'Brien, were immune to error. Do forgive me." He fishes out his dermal regenerator and gets to work, making quick work of healing her hand.

Keiko sighs. She knows she's being ridiculous. He doesn't need to tell her- she knows. "It's not that I'm immune to error," She says, her tone softening somewhat, "I should just be immune to... these kinds of mistakes. I know better than to just grab at plants before identifying them. I was just... excited." Like a happy little schoolgirl, she leaves out.

"Well, I can hardly fault you for that," Julian replies. He's got his doctor voice on- the one he uses to soothe a patient. She's seen him use it on all kinds, from Klingons nursing stab wounds to Molly with skinned knees. It's very soothing, settling her agitated mood, despite herself, "You said those dawnbirds are quite rare, yes? I'd be excited, too, in your shoes."

Keiko feels herself starting to smile. He makes it too easy. She shouldn't be surprised that he remembers her talking about them, he remembers almost everything, but it's still nice. "I wanted to show you," She admits, even though it makes her cheeks flush, "The dawnbirds get their name from the shape of their petals, and from the way they light up when the sun hits them. They glow, Julian- Nerys says they're like embers. And I've never seen one in person, so I thought..." She glances at her hand, healed now, the only sign of injury being the blood that's dried in the lines of her palm and fingers, "I thought it'd be nice if you got to see it, too."

Julian takes a moment to clean off her hand, scrubbing away any evidence that she'd ever been hurt. "That's very sweet," He tells her, his smile going warm and affectionate in that cute way it does, "That you wanted to share that moment with me, I mean. And here I thought I was the romantic one." There's a teasing lilt to his voice. His hands linger on hers.

"Well," Keiko puts on her best winning smile, bats her lashes, "I have my moments."

"That you do," Julian agrees with a chuckle. He checks her hand again and nods, satisfied, "There you are, Mrs. O'Brien. Good as new. Just one more thing." He says.

"Oh?" Keiko raises a brow, "I thought you said it only needed the dermal regenerator."

"A dermal regenerator is all well and good," Julian says, "But it's got nothing on..." And then he lifts her hand to his face, presses a kiss to her palm, "That," He gives her a grin, and lets her take her hand back, "How's it feel?"

Keiko blushes again. She can practically feel the shade of red she's going. She flexes her fingers experimentally, and as promised, her hand is good as new. "Feels just perfect." She tells him.

"Good," Julian pushes himself up, gives himself a quick dust-off, "Now, shall we head back before Miles sends out a search party?" He holds his hand out to her.

Keiko takes it. "Lead the way." She invites, letting him pull her to her feet. He doesn't let go of her hand, and she makes no move to drop his. His thumb brushes over her knuckles, and she leans into his side, bumping her shoulder against his.

Somewhere along the way, she forgets she was ever annoyed.