#i'm not entirely sure but i can't shake the feeling that i'll need a cane one day

[genderqueer-karma]

yes, i'm inches away from being in my physical prime. yes, i have the hip aches of someone 4-5x my age. we exist

[whumping-valentine]

Hey, whumplr

Yeah, you. Do you need a quick and easy way to temporarily immobilize your whumpees, that doesn't cause serious injury, but is also painful? Then look no further than the wonderful thing that my brother accidentally did to me a few years ago! Which is hit a GOLFBALL DIRECTLY ONTO MY KNEE.

So there I am, minding my own business at my grandma's house next door, on my phone, sitting on a swing while my brother hits a golfball around in the yard. When out of fucking NOWHERE pain just SHOOTS through my leg because this IMBECILE decided to hit the ball TOWARDS THE PORCH.

DIRECTLY ONTO MY RIGHT KNEE.

It hurt SO BAD. I literally fell to the floor clutching my knee, being all dramatic and woe-is-me because it's how I cope with pain. Meanwhile my brother was just impressed he managed to hit a target that small. I thought it was just gonna be temporary. Just ride it out and I'll be fine. And it was. AT FIRST.

I went home laughing with my brother like, "hey mom, guess what happened" but soon after a few hours the pain came back and it didn't leave. I couldn't even move my leg without it hurting. I consider myself to have a pretty high pain tolerance, yet this had me fighting for my life, man. I never take pain meds unless I feel like I'm dying and I had those bitches on speed dial. It was a journey just to hobble across the hall to go to the bathroom. I was duel wielding canes like a soldier in battle. A few days later before deciding I needed to go to the doctors I was crying in pain and my brother felt so bad he started crying, too.

I had to go and get the most painful X-rays ever to make sure my knee was fucking okay. I was FORCED to stretch it out straight and I was fucking crying on the table like a baby and it was embarrassing. To make it even worse I have mild cerebral palsy that mostly affects my right side, and an exercise I'm supposed to do is stretch out my legs; WHICH HURTS ENOUGH AS IT IS. BECAUSE IT ISN'T SOMETHING I REALLY EVEN CAN DO. I had my leg in like a permanent bent position, man, it hurt so bad to force it out straight. I was shaking and the lady was all "I can't do the X-ray unless your leg is straight" and I was all like "I CAN'T DO IT *CRYING*"

Turns out it was mostly swelling, and I had to take antibiotics to get it to go down, which took like a fucken week.

And actually, a month later, I went out into the city with my family to see a concert. I love the city because I live in a rural place and don't get to see stuff like that too often. I was excited to walk around when all of a sudden my ENTIRE LEG decided it wanted to be a demon. It felt like the joint contecting my leg to my pelvis had a knife sticking through it, and it went all the way down my thigh to my knee. I KNEW it was from the golfball. I was so upset. Though still I persisted on. I walked through that damn city with a limp in my step, getting pizza and cheesecake BY WALKING what a miracle. Unheard of in my rural brain. Amazing.

But damn, man, if you want your whumpees to be crying in pain and unable to move without it hurting like a bitch, just take a golf club and wack them in the knees. Not a serious injury, but it HURTS. Hell, go ahead and take out their elbows too, while you're at it.

Anyways! Yeah. There's your inspo. Golf club to the knees. 10/10.

[im-a-chunky-potato]

Sigma has been stressed about casino work and Nikolai is here to cheer him up/ distract him from his anxiety?

This was a really fun idea, thank you Sol! I will say I'm not entirely sure what I think of how I did, but hopefully you enjoy it!

@caffeiiine I'll tag you too so you can see my attempt at writing Siglai as the official siglai mutual

Sigma sighed at his desk and stared at all the papers he had. With the recent rumors of the Decay of Angels spreading around, more and more people started to arrive at the casino to relax.

Now don't get him wrong, he was very happy that his casino was getting this much attention. But now he had to memorize all the new customer's databases and keep this place from bursting into chaos.

And Sigma's just an average man. This task was impossible to do on his own, and he was well aware of that. However, he doesn't trust anyone else to do this job. Nobody else understands the casino like him... nobody else will see his dreams, his hopes for this place.

Sigma gripped the edge of his desk tighter. He would do this. No matter what, he will not dissapoint his customers. He wants this place to feel like a home to them.

His heart stops at that word. Home. The place he doesn't have. He wants one. He wants one so bad. And he was promised one, by Fyodor.

Fyodor. Yes. The leader of the Decay of Angels, who asked him to join. In exchange for this sky casino, he promised to help him out. If the sky casino gets bad reviews, he will fail fyodors mission. He will lose the sky casino and everything he has. He'll lose the chance at a home.

Sigma shakes his head. He needed to focus before he spiraled out of control. So, he glanced at the paperwork again. But... he just couldn't focus. His mind was filled with fear and desperation. He couldn't lose this place. He wouldn't.

Suddenly, a loud slam interrupted his thoughts for a moment. He looked up and saw a familiar face.

"Hello, Sigma! I see this is quite a nice establishment you have here." The man gave a dramatic bow and laughed.

Sigma widened his eyes. "Nikolai, what are you doing here?"

Nikolai smiled. "What, I can't see a friend?" He waved a cane around playfully with his hand.

"Do you remember what happened last time you were here?" Sigma asked. "You nearly committed arson, threatened to murder at least five people, and was banned for life?"

Nikolai smirked. "See! I never did anything wrong. I merely threatened to do bad things. And nobody can control me."

Sigma was suprised... and yet a small smile appeared on his face. This was the Nikolai he knew. The clown of the Decay of Angels. The most completely insanely sane person he's ever met.

Nikolai walked over to his desk and glanced at the paperwork. "How positively boring of you!" He swiped the paperwork off of the table and grabbed his hand. "Come on! Let's do something else and teach you what fun is."

A yellow flash surrounded them both as they appeared in a empty street on Yokohama. Sigma immediately stepped away from him. "Why did you do that? Unlike you, I have better things to do then mess around with people."

Nikolai giggled. "My friend, you forget you are also a member of the Decay of Angels. His voice softened. "Plus I've been keeping an eye on rumors about the sky Casino. You haven't had a break in days!"

Sigma frowned. "So you've been stalking me is what you're saying." But a slight blush appeared on his face. He was flattered that someone cared about him like this.

Nikolai thankfully ignored it and pointed to a building nearby. "Absolutely. Now let's go over there, they have delicious drinks and deserts." Once again, he was grabbed by Nikolai and dragged over to the bakery.

Sigma's lips turned upward. With Nikolai, he never knew what to expect. It was quite entertaining and just what he needed today.

As soon as they walked into the bakery the a sweet aroma wafted through the air. Nikolai ran up excitedly to the counter and looked at all of the desserts. Sigma wasn't far behind, admittedly he needed a sugar boost.

"Hmm I want everything here. Maybe I can just threaten to blow up the shop and get everything for free" Nikolai said excitedly.

Sigma stared at him in shock before shaking his head furiously. "Don't you dare Nikolai. We'll pay for this properly and not cause any damage."

Nikolai sighed. "Fine, but only since you insist. You're paying though, and I want chocolate cake."

Sigma considered fighting back but decided not to. This was the best case scenario after all. "I guess I will. I want a cookie."

After getting their cookie and chocolate cake, Sigma got a great idea. "I know the perfect place to eat this Nikolai."

Nikolai tilted his head curiously and grinned. "Well well, look whos getting into this now. Lead the way, Sigma."

Sigma ignored him and started to walk away from the busy streets of Yokohama. Oddly enough, he felt a swirl of excitement in his chest as he led Nikolai to a small garden.

Nikolai looked around in wonder. The garden was full of blooming flowers and small cherry blossom trees. This placewas beautiful to say the least. "You know, this is quite the romantic spot. Are you implying something?"

Sigma froze before answering in a rush. "No, not at all! Can you not just enjoy a peaceful garden without having thoughts like that?" His face was flushed red.

Nikolai laughed and almost responded, but a small bird interrupted him by chirping a small tune. They watched as it perched on a tree and another bird joined the first one. Together, they created a melody that vertebrates through the hearts of both of the men.

It wasn't until then that Sigma realized he was happier than he had felt in a while. He hadn't even thought about work since this morning, and he didn't want to. He wanted this moment to last forever, just the two of them.

While he was thinking this a hand gently reached out towards his. It was Nikolai's. No words were said, but they both understood each other perfectly. They stayed like this until the birds finished their song and flew off together.

(hstshhb Sorry I am by no means a good writer. Hopefully whoever reads this enjoys it though! BTW no worries, the desserts get eaten<3)

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #197

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're getting festive with Attila the San(ta)! We do dip into Fighter just a bit, but that's because she's got a candy cane that can turn into pretty much everything, so you gotta be prepared. She's mostly a Swords Bard to channel Dumuzid's whimsical story of Santa Claus into the aforementioned Candy Cane of the War God, as well as a Divine Soul Sorcerer. Some things don't change.

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Something something Super Mario 64, something something Dark Souls

Race and Background

I know last time we made Altera a human, but I think we're going to change up her race between versions for once. Less because she is a different race, more because time marches on. Altera isn't quite human, so this time around she'll be a Custom Lineage. That gives her +2 Dexterity, as well as Performance proficiency to really nail those ho ho hos. You might be santa, but you also get a gift for starting with this race; the Gift of the Chromatic Dragon, that is! Once per long rest, you can add 1d4 of elemental damage to a weapon's damage rolls for a minute as a bonus action. Look, one of the things the candy cane can turn into is a whip, and it needs all the help it can get being useful. Also, proficiency times per long rest you can use your reaction to gain resistance to one instance of elemental damage. Her Natural Body might be a bit weakened by her cold, but it's still there.

She's also still an Outlander, giving you proficiency with Athletics and Survival.

Ability Scores

First up; Charisma. You need it to give gifts to good little boys and girls, and your magic comes from your own soul, pure as fresh snow. Second is Dexterity, because you don't wear armor and you need it for your whip. It'll also make you better with that bow and arrow, the key of any archer! Your Strength is also pretty good, we won't be focusing on it, but you are still beating people to death with a cane, so it can't be low. Your Constitution is above average, if lower than usual thanks to your illness. That means your Intelligence is low, and your Wisdom is lowest. It's hard to think or smell when you've got a cold. Better luck next year.

Class Levels

Fighter 1: Yup, starting off with the one level dip. This gets you all the weapons you could want, and you get a little more HP, super important at level 1. Starting here gets you proficiency with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as the Intimidation skill -you're still the leader of the huns, after all- and Animal Handling. You also get a Second Wind as a bonus action once per short rest to drink a cup of hot cocoa and heal up. How nice. Finally, pick up a Fighting Style. Archery will be super helpful for an archer class servant, giving you +2 to weapon attack rolls made with a ranged weapon. What do you mean she throws sheep.

Bard 1: Now that we've got all we want from fighter, let's hop over to the star of the show, Bard! I'll put that one skill proficiency in Religion, you get your normal and seasonal powers from different gods, make sure you don't mix them up. Anyway, you get Bardic Inspiration, giving an ally a d6 as a bonus action Charisma Modifier times per long rest. They can then use this d6 to add the roll to any one attack, check, or save. For more fun, you get Spells that you cast using your Charisma. Grab Blade Ward so you can still be a pseudo-barbarian, and Dancing Lights to spread some christmas cheer. You also get Animal Friendship to herd sheep more easily, Disguise Self for the perfect Elder Claus stache, and Heroism to make your allies a bit bolder this holiday season. Also, it's more like Dumuzid is casting Speak with Humans, but you casting Speak With Animals is slightly more reasonable.

Bard 2: Second level bards are a Jack of All Trades, adding half their proficiency bonus to skills they aren't proficient with. This means you've got zero negative skills now- I guess it wasn't much of a cold after all. You also get a Song of Rest for more healing over short rests, but I'm not entirely sure how that works in character. You learn Color Spray this level. I'm not sure blinding people is mechanically something you do, but at least it looks the part.

Bard 3: Third level bards graduate from college, and the college of Swords is great when you need to use a whip and mean it. You get another Fighting Style, so pick up Dueling this time for a +2 bonus to one-handed weapon damage. You also get Blade Flourishes, spending a die of bardic inspiration once per attack action to deal extra damage, move an extra 10 feet, and add effects to an attack. A Defensive Flourish add the amount rolled froma bardic inspiration die to both the damage dealt and your AC for the rest of the round. A Slashing Flourish lets you do a little ribbon dance with your whip, dealing the amount rolled to a second creature as well. A Mobile Flourish launches the creature back, dealing the roll in damage and pushing them 5 feet plus the number rolled. Put a little Christmas magic on your cane to shake up how you hit people, easy. You also get Expertise in two skills, doubling your proficiency with them. Double down on Religion and Animal Handling to get a better handle of your new powers and your mount. You can cast Enhance Ability to make everything you do a little better. Well, not everything, you have to pick one type of ability score check per casting, but still, potentially everything.

Bard 4: Fourth level bards get your first Ability Score Improvement. We need to round up your charisma anyway, so grab the Resilient feat to do just that and get proficiency with charisma saves. You can't banish Santa, he'll just come down the chimney again. Also, grab Prestidigitation to make presents out of nothing, and Knock to get into people's homes. It's a bit noisy, but I doubt someone half-loopy from illness will be a master thief.

Bard 5: Fifth level bards get a better inspiration die, launching d8s instead of d6s. They also become a Font of Inspiration, so you get dice back on short rests instead of long ones. You can also put on Motivational Speeches to rally your party around the one true meaning of Christmas: destroying bad civ.

Sorcerer 1: Bouncing over to Divine Soul sorcerer gives you the best spell list in the game, mostly because it's two spell lists. Cast 'em with your Charisma, check the multiclassing section to figure out how many slots you have. Grab Green-Flame Blade for an extra shiny candy cane, Lightning Lure to use said candy cane to drag people towards you, and Guidance and Resistance to be better than most people. You hang out with a god now, this kind of thing will happen. You also get Mage Armor so you can finally get out of that stuffy leather coat, as well as Shield of Faith for even more AC. You also get an extra spell that is supposed to be based on your alignment, but screw that, grab Inflict Wounds for a really scary candy cane whapping. On top of all that, you are Favored by the Gods, meaning you can add 2d4 to a failed save or attack once per short rest.

Bard 6: Sixth level bards get Countercharm, letting you spend an action to give advantage to nearby allies who are making saves against being charmed or frightened. But that's bad, just attack twice thanks to your Extra Attack. You also learn Tongues, because you can't deliver toys all over the world if you can't understand toy commercials all over the world.

Sorcerer 2: Second level sorcerers become a Font of Magic, giving you your sorcerer level in sorcery points per long rest. You can get more (up to your sorcerer level) by burning spell slots, or vice-versa. You also learn how to cast Magic Missile, for some caster... archer... balls. Whatever. Hit people with magic.

Sorcerer 3: Third level sorcerers learn Metamagic, letting you control your magic a little more than most servants. Transmuted Spell lets you change a spell's damage type, so now your weapon replacement spells can deal the same types of damage. You also get a Heightened Spell, letting you force disadvantage on one person affected by the spell's saving throw. If you throw enough sheep, one of them will hit eventually. Speaking of spells, you get Scorching Ray, letting you send an array of flaming hot sheep at your enemies, making an attack roll for each sheep.

Sorcerer 4: Your last level of sorcerer gets you another ASI. Bump up your Charisma for more powerful sheep-based attacks. Speaking of, you learn Melf's Minute Meteors, creating six tiny sheep that follow you around. When you cast the spell, and each bonus action thereafter, you can throw 1-2 sheep at a point within 120', where they then explode. Every creature within 5' makes a dex save, and they take damage if they fail or half if they succeed. A bit more brutal to the sheep, but you can't argue with results.

Bard 7: Seventh level bards get fourth level spells like Dimension Door. You gotta end up in the sky somehow for your NP.

Bard 8: Eighth level bards get yet another ASI, so bump up that Dexterity. There really aren't any other spells I want for this build at fourth level, but take Freedom of Movement anyway. It should probably be a lot harder to break into the underworld than you make it look.

Bard 9: Ninth level bards get fifth level spells, and their song of rest gets a bit stronger, turning into an extra d8 of healing. Grab Awaken to turn a regular sheep into a cool, smart sheep. Unfortunately, sheep are small creatures, so you won't have a mount, even if you use the Custom Lineage to make a mini-santa. If you want to keep with the theme you could always get a cow, I guess. No matter what you awaken though, it's charmed by you for up to 30 days, after which it'll do whatever it feels is best. Be nice to Dumuzid.

Bard 10: Tenth level bards get a lot of stuff; Expertise in performance and athletics to be the fittest goddamn Santa alive, the Light cantrip for more Christmas decorations, a boosted Bardic Inspiration die, and best of all, Magical Secrets. That last one gives you two spells from any spell list, as long as they're at a level a 10th level bard could cast. Grab the Shillelagh cantrip to make your candy cane stronger without having to invest in strength, and Conjure Woodland Beings to create some real sheep. Probably not the best use of a 4th level spell slot, but why not. Eight sheep.

Bard 11: Eleventh level bards get sixth level spells, and now you can finally set up for the christmas party with a Heroes' Feast. More HP, advantage on wisdom saves, and anyone who partakes can't be frightened, that's some good mood food.

Bard 12: Use your last ASI for the Tough feat, giving you +2 HP for each level you have. We have to keep your constitution low because of your cold, but you're still Attila the Hun, you should be pretty tough to fight.

Bard 13: Seventh level spell time! Grab Prismatic Spray to launch a whole herd of rainbow-powered sheep in a 60 foot cone, forcing a dexterity save on every creature inside it. They then get hit by one of eight colored beams, dealing plenty of damage, petrifying them, or banishing them, all depending on the sheep that hits them.

Bard 14: Time for your final sword bard goodies! As a proper swordsmaster, you get a Master's Flourish, letting you use your flourishes freely, but restricting the damage to a d6 when not burning inspiration. The cane's pretty flowy, so restricting it just doesn't make sense. You also get another round of Magical Secrets- this time you can Conjure Fey to finally make a proper big Dumuzid to ride, and cast Haste to boost yourself now for a drawback later, just like your third skill. For Dumuzid, I assume an "Awakened White Moose" from Icewind Dale should work, but I don't have that book to confirm it.

Bard 15: Your capstone level is another boost to your bardic inspiration for the most damage and support possible, a d12. You also get one last spell, this time at eighth level, Mind Blank. You are made immune to psychic damage and can't have your mind read for 24 hours, and it's even powerful enough to shut down the Wish spell. You can't read a mind that isn't thinking about anything.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

For someone using a whip sometimes, you do pretty good damage. Gift of the Chromatic Dragon will probably last an entire fight, and without concentration it's just free damage. Tack on your flourishes and haste, and you're dealing 6d4 + 2d12 + 18 damage per turn- with median rolls, that's almost 50 damage, and you can keep that up for a couple rounds easily.

You also come packing with a lot of variety in your spell list, with plenty of damage and utility to help you in and out of combat.

Speaking of out of combat, you're weirdly good with skills. Jack of all trades mean you'll never have a negative modifier on a skill check, and Favored by the Gods and Enhance Ability push your advantage as far as it will go.

Cons:

Playing to character means you're using a lot of fire damage, the most easily resisted in the game. Ironically you're going to fight Ereshkigal, so not getting radiant damage is actually helping you a lot. But that doesn't change the fact that fire is the most resisted type.

A lot of your early build doesn't focus on damage at all, so it'll be hard to keep up with the rest of your party in big fights for a while.

Playing to character is a bad idea. We talked about fire already, but also- summoning sheep is a terrible use of a spell slot. Awakening a sheep is a terrible use of a spell slot. Using a whip is just bad, period. Please, feel free to shake things up before bringing it to a tabletop game.

[ilasknives]

I’m intrigued by “the dancing scene”!

Heya! You picked the only happy scene in that entire list. It's a future version of my Nico (from Collarbones), after his escape arc and recovery. It's him dancing with his boyfriend - it's only a short scene (and still a draft), but I'll put it under a readmore anyway just for ease of scrolling :)

The music isn't made for swaying, not really.

It's the loud, electronic kind, the kind you're meant to jump to, no thought or finesse required, just good feelings and the thud of your feet against the floor. It pulses through the speakers and across the club, so loud Nico can barely hear himself think, but he doesn't mind. It's all part of the experience, even as overwhelming as it has been, and he's come to love it.

(He's come to love everything like this, everything that feels impolite and reckless and such a far cry from what he was raised to be.)

Nico's cane rests against the wall not too far from him, still in his line of sight but not immediately necessary. His knee's been good today, and anyway, he has something else - something better - to hold on to right now.

There's something he can't quite name in the way the music is so harsh, but he's being held so gently in someone's arms. They're tucked into a corner, he and Sebastian, and they're swaying. Nico's arms rest over his shoulders, one hand in the fabric of his sweater and the other buried in the soft curls of his hair. It's sweet, the way Seb's hands tighten on his waist every now and then, like he's worried he might fall, or leave him. (Neither could happen here. Here, Nico is safe, he is held.) They've both been silent for a while, just holding each other. Being close.

Nico taps his shoulder gently, and Seb's chin lifts from his shoulder.

"Mm?"

He laughs softly. "Just making sure you weren't falling asleep on me."

"With music like this? Never." Seb's voice is soft, so different from the pained rasp of Nico's own, and he loves it. Would listen to him speak forever. Seb moves his hands, gripping the fabric of Nico's shirt gently, then drawing back. "How's your knee? Need a break?"

"I'm fine. It's not bad today."

There's a hum, and Seb's chin drops back down onto his shoulder. He's taller than Nico, and he has to hunch over to do it, but he never seems to mind. The contact, the weight of it, is nice. Reassuring. Nico threads his fingers further into his hair, shifting his weight back onto his good leg. Leaning one way, then the other. Swaying.

"We look ridiculous," Seb mumbles into his shoulder, and Nico hums.

"I know. I'm glad."

The music changes, into something just as atrocious as the last song, and Seb pulls away again. Nico chases his touch, a hand on his shoulder, his cheek, but Seb only smiles and reaches up to entwine their fingers. "Dance with me."

"We are dancing."

Seb shakes his head, laughs. "No we're not. We're… rocking."

"Swaying," he corrects softly.

"Mm. Swaying. Dance with me properly." He grins, a flash of teeth, eyes bright. "Let me twirl you around."

He pulls Nico's arm and he goes, laughing. He lets himself get twirled around, balanced on his good leg, and falls right back into Seb's chest. Arms wrap around his middle. He reaches up behind his head to rest his palm on Seb's cheek, and Seb presses a soft kiss to his palm.

He laughs and turns himself, buries his face in Seb's shoulder to resume their swaying as Seb hugs him tighter.

"That dancing didn't last long."

"I prefer swaying."

"Nicer on the knee?"

Yes, Nico thinks, but that's not entirely it. It's much nicer on his knee, doesn't cause him the all aches and struggles that dancing on it does, no grinding of the never-properly-healed bones together. But he would have preferred this anyway. Nico's always been desperate for touch, and he's closer to Seb this way, held against him, able to hold on.

"Yes," he says simply anyway, and he knows that Seb understands.

Soft lips press against his hairline one, two, three times. "Do you want a drink, Neeks?"

Nico presses his face further into the fabric of his sweater and mumbles a muffled yes, but he doesn't let go.

Seb tries and fails to pull away, and lets out an amused huff on top of Nico's head. "Alright, you've gotta let me go if you want it. We can't go up to the bar like this."

"Sure we can."

"Nico."

"Sebastian."

He laughs again, they both laugh, and it's the best Nico's felt in a long time. When they pull away, he reaches for his cane, the rings on his fingers clacking against it. Seb's left hand slips into Nico's right, and they go up to the bar together.

Later, they try dancing again, and they mostly get it right.

But Nico likes the first part better, anyway.

[do-angels-dream-of-starry-seas]

Love On The Spectrum S1 E1

Michael

Listen, okay, this man has his entire future planned out

Like, he knows the wedding ring, the plaque, even his funeral because he thinks he'll die before his wife

Even though his preferences in women are a little... strict (no tomboys or models), you can tell he doesn't want a wife just for a sake of being with a woman

He described beautifully how he wants to treat her like a queen and make sure she is always comfortable and it's... so sweet

His parents and brother are the most supportive people and now I'm envious

"I think every family needs a Michael." Can you be my mom?

The second-hand embarrassment when he was at the singles event was strong

Seeing people with all kinds of disabilities bonding over cartoons and Thomas the Tank Engine and toy collecting is amazing

Also Michael and his first date doing Spongebob character impressions is everything

Going on his first date ever, he is racing across his room, trying to remember his comb and cologne while his parents tell him to remember his wallet is hilarious and endearing

Chloe

Openly autistic, deaf and bi, hell yeah

Even though her last date ended with the guy storming away cause she's autistic made her angry, she didn't let it shake her self-confidence

Her and her friend are hilarious together, I can see why Chloe said they got into trouble a lot at school

First dates can't be perfect :/

Watching her and her other date talk about anime and their school lives makes me squeal

"Haha, yes, the autistic girl like Minecraft".

Just so everyone knows, I love Lotus

They definitely seemed like they got on the right foot :)

Tom and Ruth

Unlike the others, these two are already together and my god do I want a partner now

She is deaf and regularly relies on her fiance to help understand what others are saying is peak relationship goals

Also, did I mention Tom proposed to Ruth while he was doing his bus transit job? It was cute, I can tell you that

They kiss each other so much and tease each other and talk about how much they love each other and have I mentioned I want a partner now?

Not to mention how she also visibly displays her disability (using her cane and having her comfort item a teddy bear) makes me feel so much better about doing my stims and comfort techniques in public

First episode looks very promising, probably because unlike fictional shows about autism, you meet these people who use autism vocabulary and stim and say they are not ashamed of their disability and it's amazing to see.

Anyways, I'll continue watching, but if you're interested in watching the show yourself, season 1's on Netflix.

[lovemalecforever]

Chapter 7

When Sizzy meets Alec

It's been a few hours since Alec told Izzy about everything, and he was relieved that she was by his side. A few years back, he didn't use to tell her his personal life but was glad that she always understood and was proud of how she grew over the course of years.

A knock broke him out of the chain of thoughts, with a quick reflex he picked up a file and threw the book inside the drawer, but a familiar laugh made him turn towards the door then sighed with relief.

"Seriously, Izzy? Since when you started kn-" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw Simon beside her. "Oh! That makes sense! Coz my family and knocking!" He rolled his eyes, earning a deadly glare from Izzy.

Simon tried not to laugh but failed miserably, earning a kick on his shin from his girlfriend. "Ow! Babe! Hi Alec." He said while rubbing the spot.

"Hey..." Alec said in a flat voice then turned towards Izzy. "please don't tell me you told him everything?"

"Sorry Alec, but I did. And as a matter of fact, we're here to help." She said excitedly.

"Help!?" He eyed the vampire from head to toe making him visibly shiver.

"Ah... Ya... I'm... first things first, I'm happy for you both, happy anniversary in advance and I would like to help in whatever way I can, Alec." Simon tried to give a friendly smile but gulped when Alec kept staring at him. Noticing, Izzy intertwined their hands, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Si, why are you always scared of my brother? He's not going to eat you. And why are you looking at my boyfriend like that Alec?" She said in a fierce tone.

"I'm not looking at anyone in anyways, Isabelle! Can you both come to the point now!?" He exclaimed.

"Seriously Alec, is it because I told him everything?"

"Izzy! If it wasn't clear, I wasn't planning on telling it, you found out. And I have told you... I was waiting for the correct time. So yes, excuse me if I'm frustrated about you telling all this to this vampire here."

"Alec, big brother, he's my boyfriend, will you like it if I talk about Magnus like that?" Alec was about to say something when Simon interrupted.

"Hey! Hey! I'm standing right here. Izzy, calm down, please. And Alec, she didn't tell me, she was asking me the details about the bookshop. I got curious, so I asked her what's all that was about, that's when she told me about your research, about becoming immortal."

Alec rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, Simon, sorry Izzy. It's just... I don't know about the complete spell yet, I want to tell everyone once I'll know about it. You, Clary, and Luke are my family too, I respect you all. I hate admitting it... but I do. Your opinions matter to me as well."

"Alec, I know, and I completely understand your point," Simon spoke, "everything has to be done at a specific time. And I'm happy for you and Magnus, I really am. actually, that makes me remember when you asked me to turn you into a vampire to save him from Edom. You really can go to any extent for him... it's inspiring... your love for each other... you guys are idols for others-"

"You literally can't stop talking, can you?" Alec raised his brow.

"Nopppe!" Simon gave an innocent smile and a second later, both men burst into laughter.

Izzy simply shook her head, she should have known better. The bonding between her brothers and Simon has grown a lot in all these years. He is still scared of Alec, but they have started joking around almost every time, and she's happy with the progress.

"Thank you, Simon, for your support and also for loving my sister." Alec said with all honesty, "and... I'm sorry Izzy for reacting like that. It's just....-"

"It's okay, big brother," Izzy said softly.

Alec sighed. "Thank you. Now, what was about the bookshop you people mentioned ?"

"Simon went to a mundane bookshop in New York a few days back which had a collection of mythology books. We think there can be something in them that can help your research." Izzy said excitedly.

"How can you be sure about that?" Alec asked, confused.

"Because I saw a book which had mention of Cane, his mark and possibilities and theories of him still existing. One of them was becoming a vampire which is actually true, so it can be possible to find whatever you're looking for in your research. Besides, it's not just one book, half of the bookshop is filled with these kinds of books." Simon said enthusiastically.

"Why are these books out in the mundane world!?" Alec questioned.

"Because mundane are curious creatures, big brother!" Izzy shrugged.

"Hey! I was mundane too if you remember..." Simon tried to speak in a fake hurt tone.

"Oh, come on, Si, You know what I meant." Izzy leaned in to give him an eskimo kiss but when Simon's hand snaked around her waist, she brushed their lips gently, then locked them in a kiss full of passion and love.

Alec cleared his throat, eyes trailing anywhere but at the couple.

"Really, big brother! You and Magnus do the same literally all the time," Izzy said after they broke the kiss.

"You people enjoy the show, but I'm not enjoying watching yours. Can we get back to the point!?"

Izzy opened her mouth to say something but then changed her mind. "We need to check that bookshop, so we'll be needing a portal to go to New York."

"I'll let Cat know about it. And what do you mean by 'we'?"

"We meant all three of us, we're helping you. And I meant Magnus."

"What!? Magnus!? Seriously Izzy, are you out of your mind!? What are you going to tell him why am I leaving for New York all of a sudden!?"

"I'll handle everything, big brother. And it's not just you who's concerned about him, since the time we're here we haven't met him at all."

Alec shook his head. "Finee! And Izzy, Look I appreciate your help bu-"

"I'm not asking I'm telling!" She said fiercely.

He looked at Simon who just simply shrugged and smiled. Defeated, he took out his phone and messaged Magnus but got no reply. Worried, he called him repeatedly, but the result was the same.

"He's not replying Izzy! Might be busy with his clients. Look, can we please call Cat!? I don't want to take any chances, and you can meet him whenever you want, Miss Head of the Institute!"

Izzy slapped his arms playfully. "Fine big brother!"

"Thank you! I'll inform Cat!" 'and let Magnus know I'll be late again.' he thought.

***************

Magnus was sitting on the couch, watching his favorite show Project Runway, sipping on the hot coffee, but he wasn't paying attention to the show; his mind was somewhere else entirely.

********* "ALEXANDER!"

Magnus was crying uncontrollably, shaking Alec again and again, but he wasn't moving at all. "No! HELP!"

"MAGNUS!" A voice came from inside the hall and soon Jace and Izzy were by their side.

"ALEC! Magnus, what happened?" Izzy asked, but when she saw her brother's condition, gasped and tears started pooling in her eyes. Jace was crying already.

"A scorpio... demon..." Magnus said in between the sobs.

"Help me! We have to take him to the infirmary!" Jace said while grabbing Alec and trying to stand him.

"J... Jace?" Magnus asked between his sobs.

"I can still feel him, he's not gone. Come on, help me!"

Magnus and Izzy quickly ran to his side and helped him to carry Alec to the infirmary. They informed the others and after hours, found that Alec fell into a coma and had no idea when he'll wake up. that made them relieved and scared at the same time.

Days passed by, the heat of the war was slowed down, but Alec was still in a state of coma nut Magnus never left his side. He sat there beside his husband 24 x 7.

~~5 days later~~

Magnus was a crying mess as he held his husband's hand against his lip. He didn't hear when somebody walked in, but when a hand squeezed his shoulder lightly, he looked up and noticed it was Izzy.

"Magnus... he's fine now, don't hurt yourself like this."

"It's all my fault! I shouldn't have let him go alone, I... I drained all my magic in the war that I couldn't help him, I couldn't save him. I couldn't save him, Isabelle!" He started crying again uncontrollably.

"Hey... Magnus, it's not your fault. Don't think like that." Izzy softly whispered.

"I should be there for him, it is my fault."

Izzy pulled out a chair and sat beside him. "Magnus, look at me, It's not your fault. You told us what happened, no one's blaming you, so don't think like that." Izzy patted his arms gently.

Magnus looked at her and nodded. "Thank you, Isabelle! But..."

"But what Magnus! If Alec will get to know you're thinking like that, he'll kill you! And I really hope he's listening to it right now, so he can beat your ass later." They both chuckled at this and gave a light laugh.

Magnus looked at Alec's sleeping figure connected with various medical supplies. 'Come back to me Alexander! Please!'

*******

A loud and constant buzz of his phone brought him back to reality. Before he could pick up, the ring died down. Frowning, he picked up his phone but gasped when he saw that there were 6 missed calls from Alec and two unread messages. 'Shit!' He was about to call back when it rang again, and he quickly received it.

"Alexander!? Is everything all right? Are you okay?" He asked in a panicked voice.

"Hello to you too, Magnus. I'm completely fine, relax. You didn't reply to the messages so I called you, are 'you' all right?"

Magnus sighed with relief. "Ya... I was in the... kitchen... preparing dinner... sorry." He lied.

"Oh!" Alec knew he was lying, he can tell that easily but chose to ignore it. "I was calling to inform th-"

'ALEC! WILL YOU HURRY UP, WE DON'T HAVE THE WHOLE DAMN NIGHT!' A voice called him in the background.

'5 minutes, Izzy! Coming!' "Ya... I was saying-"

"You're with Isabelle? Again?" Magnus asked confused.

"That's what I was going to tell, I'm in New York. There was an emergency, so I came with Izzy and Simon, I've messaged you, but you didn't reply. I've even called but then figured that you were busy with your clients. They both wanted to meet you before leaving, but you didn't pick up, so I called Cat instead for creating the portal. It's only for a few hours, I'll try to be back as soon as I can. I'm really sorry love, I'm ruining our dinners."

Magnus processed the information then took a deep breath. His eyes were pooling with tears he got from those flashbacks, so he blinked to clear his eyes and mind.' Damn it! How can I zone out like that!?' he thought.

"Magnus!? You there? Are you okay?"

"Yeah! I... I'm fine, Alexander. It's alright. Do your work... I... I was busy... so... I'll meet them some other time." He stuttered out and choked on his words.

"Thank you, I hope I won't get punished tonight as well!" He said playfully trying to lighten his depressed mood, which was clear from Magnus lies and chokings.

"No, you won't! But finish your work soon and get your ass back home! I'm waiting."

"Okay, Mr. Lightwood Bane! Love you, bye."

"Love you too." With that, they hung up the call and Magnus let out a deep breath. 'I'm going insane! I need a drink!' he thought then stood up and walked towards the bar area.

*********************

Alec sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew Magnus was lying to him, he heard him choking on his words which was a clear indication that he needs to go back home as soon as possible.

"If you're done talking to your husband, help me here! I'm NOT a book person!" Izzy yelled.

"Alec! Are you okay?" Simon asked as soon as he saw a deep frown on Alec's forehead. Izzy turned towards her brother and her expression changed.

"What's wrong, big brother?"

"It's Magnus, he was lying about being busy and was clearly crying again. Either he had the nightmare or was zoned out with the memories. I... it's killing me to see him like that, Izzy."

"Hey..." she rubbed his arms soothingly. "Why don't you try talking to him?"

"If that had worked I wouldn't be doing this!"

Izzy and Simon exchanged a look. "What!?" They exclaimed in unison.

"Izzy! Do you think I didn't try? I did, many times, but it only backfired. He became secretive, started crying, and hurting himself behind my back, that's when I knew talking isn't gonna work, I had to do something. I want to make our relationship better not ruin it." Izzy smiled at him and gave him a tight hug. "It's alright, Alec. I'm with you, you don't have to worry, everything will be alright."

"Thank you, Izzy!"

"Hey... ah... sorry to interrupt, but I found the book I read earlier."

They both quickly reached where Simon was standing with the book with the title The Book of Forgotten Legends: Myth or Truth?

"Wow, nice title! Open the list of contents." Alec spoke in a sharp tone.

"Here!"

"Wow, they are a lot!" Izzy was shocked. "Let's see, The Legends of Cain, is that what you read Si?"

"Yeah! A little."

"Focus!" Alec said harshly.

"Relax Alec! Okay, Lilith: mother of demons- the myth; Are angels real?; Raziel-the first angel?; Ramica: an epic love story; The creations of Ramica;"

"Those two sounded weirdly familiar!" Alec said interrupting her in the middle earning a deadly glare from her. "Sorry, continue!"

"The legends of Lucifer; Vampires: real or myths?; The oldest vampires' known- Salvatores or Mikaelsons?; The legends of The Originals; Werewolves: the myth; What is the Beast of Gevaudan?; Fallen angels and archangels- myth or truth?; Human or Angel?: Kasper Windermere; The-"

"Wait! What's the page no.? Kasper Windermere that one?"

"That's what you're looking for?" Simon asked.

"Yeah!"

"Here!" Izzy quickly opened the page and showed it to Alec.

"Damn it! There's nothing new! I already know all this!" He rubbed his temples in frustration.

"Wait! There's something!" Simon said. Alec looked at him. "It says the reference is taken from the book Kasper Windermere: Human turned Angel."

"There's a complete book on that Shadowhunter!" Izzy said shocked.

"Well, looks like it is! Search the whole bookshop! I want that book!" Alec said in his strong Inquisitor tone.

"On it big brother!"

They all separated and started searching each shelf and rows in detail. They had already spent an hour but found nothing. Alec started losing his hope when he heard Simon's scream.

"FOUND IT!" He quickly ran towards the source of the sound. He and Izzy reached there at the same time but went in complete shock when they saw what was in Simon's hand.

"What the-"

"Are you kidding me!"

"Alec! Ow! Can you please hold it, it's quite... ow... heavy."

Alec looked at him then at the book. "Let me activate my strength rune first." He quickly activated his strength rune and took the 5000 paged book from Simon's hands.

"A 5000 paged book for a one Shadowhunter! Who the hell was he!?" Izzy finally spoke.

"I have no idea, Izzy! I'll handle the book to Cat. I really hope this book will finally provide all the answers."

"Let us know if you find something, Alec. You're doing a big thing, Magnus is a lucky man."

"Thank you, Izzy, Simon, for your support. It means a lot. I should leave now. Bye!"

"Bye big brother! Keep us updated." He nodded then left.

Alec told Cat everything and went back to Alicante, going directly to her flat to handle the book. Cat was already waiting for him, pacing in the hallway.

"Hey, Cat!" He said breathlessly.

"Fina-" her eyes went wide and stared at Alec.

"Exactly my reaction too! Can you please take it, my strength rune is wearing off?"

She just nodded in reply then waved her hands to keep the book on the couch.

"I'll look into how much I can, rest we'll look tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow then! Goodnight! Cat!"

"Goodnight, Alec!"

With that, he finally left for his flat eager to finally be in his warlock's arms.