#it has been today days since I first laid eyes upon her and if she goes down y’all are comin with her

[guthrie-odonto]

Can we just. Talk about Ren’s GN design?

I love

[idkwhatimdoinghere1655]

Perfect Birthday Wish - Max Verstappen

<word count - 3233>

For many years, Max's birthday was nothing special. He tended to spend it at the track, or at practice, or just with a few friends. He simply saw it as one more year of experience, and one more closer to him officially being old. 

This year, however, Max was changing things up - he was branching out. He was meeting up with a friend of a friend -you- since he had been told that you were a lot like him in many regards. You were currently living in Monaco,  and a bit of an introvert. 

You liked keeping yourself to yourself, and Max was the same. He liked the sound of you, you seemed like his kind of person. He wasn't actually sure whether this get together was a date or whether it was just a friendly little 'getting to know each other' kind of thing. 

But, he assumed that since it was just the two of you, then it could probably be classed as a date. Max had picked a nice little cafe that he had been to many times before without the press interfering. 

He kept his outfit casual, making his way through the backstreets of Monaco to the location that you had been informed about. He didn't know what you looked like or anything, all he knew was that he was spending his birthday on a date with some girl that he had never even talked to.

Blind dates weren't his idea of an ideal first meeting, not by any means, but he felt like this could be an interesting way to start things with you. Now, he just had to hope and pray that you were all his friend had chalked you up to be.

Walking into the cafe, he didn't have a clue if you were there or not. "Hi, I booked a table under Verstappen for 2, I'm not sure if someone has taken the reservation yet?" he asked one of the waitresses walking by, and she went to the front of the cafe to check the system. 

"No one has turned up just yet, your table is right this way," she smiled, leading Max through to his usual table that was tucked away in the corner. Something about it was cosy, homely, comfortable. He loved it, and he sometimes found himself just coming here to sit there and drink a coffee in the peace and quiet. 

As he thought about it, the idea of having someone to bring here, to sit with in the solace, was a nice thought. Just to have someone, not to necessarily talk to, but just to have. To have and to hold, to enjoy. 

He was always asked what he wanted as his birthday wish, and he always said 'what could I want when I already have everything I desire?'. His friends would laugh it off as just Max being Max, but every year he spent without someone beside him, he longed for it a little more. He couldn't help but wonder if today was finally going to grant him his wish.

"Erm... Max?" a voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Max looked up and his heart nearly stopped. Standing in front of the table, fiddling with their fingers was the single most gorgeous creature he had ever laid his eyes upon. 

You were like some model stripped right out of a magazine and planted right in front of him. "Yeah, hi, yeah, I'm Max," he stuttered, standing up and holding his hand out for you to shake. Shake her hand? Yeah, nice one, Mr 1940s Businessman he thought. 

As a bid to save face, once you had placed your hand into his, he brought it up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. He was relieved when he saw the small flush of pink that coated your cheeks - his efforts having clearly paid off. 

"I'm Y/N," you said as he dropped your hand back down gently. You slid into the booth and Max slid in opposite you, and this was always the worst part about a first date. What did you ask? You surely knew he was an F1 driver, and he wanted to ask you about your occupation, but he couldn't get the words out. 

"So, how's your day been?" you piped up, breaking the awkward tension. 

"Good, yeah. It's just been me and my friends hanging out," he explained, not bypassing the fact that you seemed to be hanging onto his every word, listening as if you genuinely cared about his answers. 

"Any special occasions?" you asked, and he was slightly shocked. Maybe you had really good sixth sense, or maybe you had been tipped off about what day it was today, but he couldn't help but grin nonetheless.

"Eh, well, yeah. It's my birthday today," he said, as if it wasn't a big deal. Your eyes widened as a grin grew across your face. 

"Really?" you said,  excitement clear in your tone. Max just nodded softly, finding the excitement endearing from you. No one around him seemed that excited for their own birthday, let alone his. Plus, it was someone he had barely even known for 5 minutes. 

"No way..." you trailed off, and Max cocked an eyebrow at you. He was curious as to why you found the news of what today was so shocking, why it seemed so important to you. "Today's my birthday too," you told him, and it suddenly all made sense. 

"And why isn't a pretty girl like you out with her friends on her birthday?" he asked, wanting to see that familiar blush creep up onto your cheeks. He was never the smoothest when it came to compliments, but now he felt a sudden burst of confidence. 

"Ah well, they're all at work and stuff, it doesn't matter. I'm glad to be spending it with you, anyway," you countered, and now it was Max's turn to blush. You were more like him than he previously thought.

You were spending your special day, going on a date that could possibly end in disaster, with some man you had never spoken too. It was admirable, in a way. You were both coming out of your shells and stepping out of your comfort zones, for the sake of what?

A connection? Maybe a fleeting romance that would come and go like the autumn breeze? Love? What even was love in a world so cynical? Was it wanting to stay with someone, no matter how much you thought to have despised them? 

Was it wanting to be by someone's side through thick and thin? Was it needing someone so desperately that you couldn't bear to have your soul ripped from theirs by the ever fateful hands of a ticking clock? 

Alas, Max was getting too ahead of himself. "But surely you can find better ways to spend your special day than holed up here with me?" he joked, causing a small giggle to slip past your lips. Now that was a sound he could get used to.

"I could say the same to you," you countered, already finding the Dutchman to be your type of guy. Quiet, composed, but still with the charms of a traditional gentleman. There was something about Max, too. 

Something settling, something that reminded you of home. You couldn't quite say what it was, but he seemed like the kind of guy that would be good to snuggle up with on the couch on a rainy day. 

"Well when you get as old as I am, partying with your friends isn't so appealing anymore," he quipped, and you let out a playful scoff. 

"Old? What are you? 25?"

"I turn 27 today, actually," he told you, and you were shocked, to say the least. He didn't look that old. Well, 27 wasn't old, but he looked like he was in his early 20s. Maybe it was the still fluffy tufts of blonde hair, the boyish face, or the sparkling blue eyes. 

"OK maybe you are old," you laughed, and Max put an exaggerated hand over his heart in mock offence. 

"Ouch, that hurt my ego," he exclaimed, and all you could do was laugh. Time seemed to slow down as the noise in the cafe died down, leaving the two of you as the only people in the space. God, your laugh was perfect. 

The way your eyes lit up and crinkled with the smile was nearly intoxicating. It was something his brain took a picture of and captured so that he could savour the moment again and again in his mind. 

The two of you ate, drank and enjoyed casual conversation for about an hour. The bill eventually came, and you both looked at eachother. "We can split?" you offered, and Max immediately shook his head. 

"No way, no. I am not letting you pay for your lunch on your birthday," he said.

"But it's your birthday too," you replied, a quizzical look on your face. Yes, the logic was flawed, but you liked the intention behind it. 

"Just... let me get this, please?" he softly pleaded, not knowing what other reason to give for wanting to buy you lunch. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, and what Max had always been taught to do when he was growing up.

There was always the factor of liking the idea of being able to provide nice things for people he cared about, to take care of them. Yes, he was skipping quite far ahead in your barely formed relationship, but it was still something that his mind threw at him. 

"Fine, fine," you relented. Something about those blue eyes just made you weak in the knees, and there was no way you'd be able to say not to him when he asked. Especially when he used that tone of voice. 

Max had a cocky grin on his face, liking how easy it was to get you to bend to what he wanted from you. He could already see it now, such an obedient little- no, Max, no. That was a thought for a different night. A completely different night. 

Max swiped his card through the machine, the transaction going through without a second thought. "So... do you want me to walk you home, or we can go for a walk...?" he stuttered, his confidence suddenly wavering. 

"We can go for a walk, sure," you nodded, wanting to spend more time with the Dutchman. 

As you left the restaurant, you walked side by side. The weather was surprisingly warm for this time in Autumn, the sun only being obscured by a few white clouds. There was practically no wind, and you were glad that you hadn't brought out your jacket. 

For a short while, you walked in silence, just enjoying having someone's company. You were both so used to spending your time alone in your own aggregation, but now it wasn't so bad being with someone else. 

You didn't have to talk to feel comfortable with him, and that was how you liked it. Words weren't always necessary in clear communication between two people. It just took a small glance your way and that little smile that told you he was enjoying being with you. 

"Marina?" you asked, looking out onto the slightly choppy water. Despite the boats that were teeming with people with more money than sense, it was a very peaceful atmosphere. You liked the way the water sounded, lapping at the wood of the docks. 

"Sure," Max nodded, also enjoying the time. He spent a lot of time on his own yacht, but he'd probably take you there another time. He could see you, waltzing around in a pretty summer dress under the high sun with a cocktail in your hand. 

He'd just get to lounge around on the deck chairs and watch you, admire you, worship you with his eyes. Yet again, Max was getting ahead of himself. Maybe he was thinking up his big birthday wish for this year. 

As you walked, your hands kept on brushing together. Every time your skin made contact, Max felt spark of electricity running through his veins. Slowly, Max reached out his pinky finger, entwining it with yours. 

You didn't shy away, but you also didn't make a bid to shorten the propinquity. He decided to bite the bullet, moving his hand closer so that he could intertwine his fingers fully with yours, your hands slotting together like two pieces of a puzzle. 

His hand was surprisingly warm compared you yours, the soft palm of your hand rubbing against the calloused skin of his own. Max was able to walk closer with you, your shoulders occasionally rubbing together.

As if subconsciously, Max's thumb started rubbing up and down, swiping over the cold skin. "Your hands are cold," he chuckled, squeezing yours gently. 

"Oh... Sorry," you apologised, trying to pull your hand away from yours.

"No, no, hey," he dismissed, grabbing your hand back and lacing your fingers together again. Max placed both your hand and his into his jacket pocket, and the warmth almost prickled on your skin. 

"Thank you," you smiled, holding his hand a little tighter. It seemed like having his hand in yours felt so right.

You walked a little longer, both glad that you were spending your birthdays in such a way. Two introverts, brought together by fate, both of the same mind. Neither needing conversation, but both needed a close proximity. 

Both of you noticed the clouds becoming thicker and greyer, blocking out the sun out and allowing the cool breeze to be felt. Then, without warning, it was like the heavens opened over Monaco.

Heavy droplets of rain poured down from the skies, and you and Max just stood there for a moment. "Erm... come on, this way," he said, pulling you along as your feet trod in puddles as the soaked through your shoes. 

"Max slow down!" you shouted between fits of giggles, your legs struggling to keep up with Max's long strides. 

"Shit, sorry," he laughed back, slowing down but still making haste through the pouring rain. Quickly stopping, he shrugged his coat off of his shoulders and held it over your head as you started running again. "We're nearly there," he told you, taking your hand and tugging you along with him again. 

All around you, people were rushing inside to the safety of cafes and shops, but you and Max kept on running through the rain. "Where are we going?" you asked, but received no answer. You were getting more soaked the more you ran, the rain drenching you through to the bone. 

It was cold, that was for sure. The only thing that was keeping you warm was the energy exerted from running. You weren't even that wet compared to Max, since he was sacrificing his jacket for the sake of trying to keep you somewhat dry. "In here!" he shouted, pulling you into an apartment building. 

"I hope this is OK, I should've asked, but I figured this'd be a good place to wait out the rain and then I can take you home," he mumbled, suddenly not so confident about having brought you where he had. 

"This your place?" you asked, taking in the opulent lobby. It was a pretty new building, and you and Max looked like drowned rats compared to everyone else in the room. 

"Yeah, it is," he nodded, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck as he held his sodden jacket in his other hand. "I hope that's OK..." he trailed off, not prepared for you to say no and leave.

"That's fine, yeah." you reassured, looking at him expectantly. He sent you a small smile, before walking off to the elevator. It was on the top floor, and you quickly learned that it was the penthouse suite of the complex. 

To say it was stunning was an understatement. It looked like something straight out of a damned catalogue. Marble surfaces, floor to ceiling windows. Hell, the place even smelled expensive. "Woah..." you said as you walked in. 

"Thank you," Max chuckled, taking in your stunned face as you looked around. "Do you wanna... borrow some clothes? I mean, yours are soaked through, and I don't want you getting sick, but I get-"

"Yeah, I'd like that. Thank you," you interrupted, and Max breathed a sigh of relief as he walked off. He ducked into his room and then into the master bathroom to leave his jacket to dry. He also quickly got changed into something comfier: just sweats and a hoodie. 

Ridling through his clothes, Max found the smallest things he owned, even if he thought they'd still be too big for you. "Hey, you can borrow these for as long as you need." he smiled, handing you a pair of sweatpants, a hoodie and a shirt. 

"Thanks, where should I leave my clothes?" 

"You can just put them over the radiator to dry, bathroom is down the hall and first on your left." he informed you, and you took yourself off to get changed. You practically had to peel your wet clothes off you, and the fell to the floor with a soggy thump.

You put your wet hair up in a bun, before slipping the garments on. All Max could do was laugh when you walked out. The clothes literally drowned you. The heels of the sweatpants dragged down by your heels, and the shirt and hoodie ended at your mid thighs. 

"Comfy?" he chuckled, trying to stifle a full blown cackle. He couldn't help but marvel at how cute you looked in his clothes, but he didn't want to make it something that he wanted to get used to before it had even began. 

"Very," you smiled, knowing he was laughing enough but were too warm to care.

"Come sit," Max said, walking over to the couch and patting the spot next to him. You did as he asked, plopping down in the empty space. "Do you want cake?" he randomly asked, and you narrowed your eyes at him.

"Cake? But we just ate lunch," you said, and Max rolled his eyes.

"Just wait," he sighed, getting off the couch and going off to the kitchen. You heard what you thought was the striking of a match, and in walked Max. "Happy joint birthday," he smiled, and you saw him with a half-eaten chocolate cake. 

The sparklers on top were '27', but he was covering up the '7' with his hand. "I know you're not 27, but I thought you'd wanna blow out some candles," he smiled, bringing the cake to you. 

"Awww," you blushed, touched by how sweet the gesture was. Even if he was presenting you with a half-eaten chocolate cake. 

"C'mon," he prompted, and you just smiled at him.

"You too, blow them out with me," you told him, and Max couldn't help but agree. "On three," you chuckled as he started to count down. "Make a wish," you whispered to him.

He was always asked what he wanted as his birthday wish, and he always said 'what could I want when I already have everything I desire?'. His friends would laugh it off as just Max being Max, but every year he spent without someone beside him, he longed for it a little more. He couldn't help but wonder if today had finally granted him his one perfect wish.

A/N - Happy birthday to Maxie! And to me! I know so many people with this birthday I swear, but happy birthday to the flying Dutchman (and me). Love y'all! 💖

|masterlist|

[yotogibanashi]

Even if you forget them forever, they will remain by your side.

Caution: Hit-and-run accident, blood mentioned and amnesia. Please be aware of this and read my writing at your own risk if you decide to be stubborn (those who have issues related to the caution or having potential traumatized triggered I've detailed above). Pairing: Ellen Joe, Von Lycaon x gn!reader. Genre: Angst.

Part 1: You've promised.

Ellen Joe

Just a normal day. You, Ellen's significant other—just hanging out together on a day when she had the day off from school and work—agreed to spend time with you. A date, to be more specific. Perfect weather for a walk around the Sixth Street area.

Suddenly your steps stopped, causing the young woman next to you to raise her eyebrows, wondering why. You smile awkwardly and explain to her. "Ah, I almost forgot. Since we're here I'm actually want to return this back."

You take out and held up a DVD you rented from Random Play. The problem is, you two are almost far from the video store, but you decide to go alone and saying it would be quick—is what you promised to the thiren—earned a heavy sigh but she wouldn't mind waiting for you, knowing you've always the type of person to keep your promises paid no matter how trivial, important nor out of whim those promise is—even if you somehow failed them you still keep it. Even ridiculous one.

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick!"

Your words echoed in the young woman's mind. You've promised. So... why don't you come back? She has been waiting for you for five minutes. Feeling uneasy suddenly developing within Ellen. What's this? This is a mere Sixth Street and surely you're accidentally caught up helping people on your way to return back to her. Right?

No... maybe I'm just tired. Yes, she probably a bit restless due to classes and her part time job is getting busier recently is why she somewhat feeling uneasy all of the sudden. Her teeth fiddling with the lollipop—not in relaxing way but uneasiness.

In the end she started walking towards Random Play. Wondering what's taking so long for you for a mere returning back the DVD. However, she was greeted with unexpected sight—in this supposed lovely ordinary day of her date with you.

Among the murmuring of several people gathered, you, lying motionless in Belle's arms. Blood flowed out of your head—enough for Ellen's teeth crushed the lollipop with a crack and eyes widened when she saw you in such awful and unsightful condition—a condition where she's failed to be there with you in danger.

Belle was cradling you gingerly while Wise make an emergency call, seemingly without a doubt about the accident and seeking help. The former's eyes accidentally locked with Ellen's—for the first time, Belle saw with her very own eyes. A look that was crossing Ellen's features at that time is uncharacteristic of the usual laid-back shark-tailed girl.

Ellen leaned against one of the row chairs in an empty hallway along with the two siblings. A shadow casting upon her eyes making her expression taking a dark tone. Her mind kept remembering Belle's words—the bluenette mentioned it was a hit-and-run accident. Even Wise and other people nearby gathering the scene earlier confirmed in agreement at the same thing.

Ellen wasn't always this angry. She is always calm and falls asleep easily when there is a chance. This one dared to hit you and is not responsible for your unfortunate they've caused. Intentionally or not—running away is a clear answer as the daylight. Her fingers curled into fist in pent-up anger and resentment.

Belle and Wise can feel it radiant off from Ellen's very own being as they both exchanging concern glance in the background—aware this is a real bad knowing someone is on the shark-tailed girl's bad side and how care she is towards you despite the way she is. You're Ellen's, after all and she's yours. If that wasn't the case you two won't be together more than friends like you two did today.

The door opened and a doctor came out. Ellen quickly got up from her seat as soon as she heard the door opened. The doctor approached the three and told them about your condition.

"Their condition is fine and stable." The doctor assured them that. But a frown formed upon the doctor's features. As if contemplative something and was about to deliver a bad news, "unfortunately—they ended up having amnesia."

Belle gasped as she clasped her mouth with her hands in frightened shock, Wise frown in disbelief upon the news. Ellen—her heart almost sank and dropped to the ground. A hit-and-run accident is bad enough and now you get amnesia? Whoever the culprit behind this is definitely received two folds nightmare from her very own hands.

"Their head suffered a very strong blow on something hard or possibly fell badly earned a bad concussion as the results," the doctor added. "I'd suggest you three go easy on them. Patient is important. I'm sure they'll remember everything when you guide them." The doctor's advice before stepping aside with a gesture—allowing the three to heading inside and look at your condition.

Ellen felt her heart being squeezed hard. The sight of your resting state in daze and blank gaze staring the ceiling in confusion made her chest aches.

Part 1: Bloodstained.

Von Lycaon

As promised. You two spent your free time together on your day off from the job after preoccupied with each other's own responsibility—no work and no to anything related to the former. Just a lovely day for you two having a pleasant date.

Lycaon, being the gentleman he is—never failed to make you walk beside him while he is on the side of the road, open the door for you, pull out a chair for you to sit in. He was already a such attractive, werewolf thiren you've met combination his gentleman and romantic gestures only flattered your poor heart further as if falling in love again.

After filling your stomachs, you both went out and left the cafe with your hand on his arm as usual after he'd offered it second ago. You chatted happily and he listened with a small smile on his lips seeing you always happy regardless the situation. It was something he admires about you.

Suddenly you stopped, making him stop too. He turned to you, wondering why you stopped suddenly. "Is something wrong?" His eye watching your other hand rummaging inside your pocket closely.

"Ah... my key. Maybe I accidentally dropped it back in that cafe. Wait here, alright? I promise this will be quick!" You smiled awkwardly and didn't give him a chance to protest, you turned around and ran back to the cafe. Even though it was a bit far at this point because you two had already walked away from there.

Lycaon wish to after you but since you seem obviously insists it would be a quick one, he supposed he needs to wait like a devoted man he always be.

Time moves. Strange. It's been two minutes and you still haven't found your keys that you accidentally dropped in the cafe as you claimed? Lycaon narrowed his left eye when he saw that his pocket watch had already passed the time he had set around two minutes, waiting for your return.

Being the protective boyfriend he is—he walked back towards the cafe at a fast pace. Feeling of uneasiness begin developing within him and plague his thoughts. However, his major dreads became a reality. His left eye widened as he saw you collapsed on the road with blood on your head. People gathered around and some made an emergency call.

In a few moments he was by your side who collapsed and did not move. His strong arms lifting your limp and injured form with care and unwavering gentleness he'd reserve for you all the time he's always by your side. The thiren's trying to stay calm but his composure is shattered upon seeing you like this. So fragile like a glass that'll easily shattered with a mere poke.

This feeling is suffocating. He never this helpless before—he always be there and protect you, made sure no stains nor mere scratch ruined your pristine features, not even the slightest of them to be acceptable. But this time luck wasn't on his or your side. Your head is bleeding... Lycaon doesn't even care if he gets your blood stained his own fabrics even though he always takes care of his appearance. He couldn't afford to see those priority in this moment—you are more important than some blood stains. You're hurt. His significant other.

The thiren was sitting one of the row chairs in an empty hallway, his mind busy with the residents' comments about your accident earlier when he overheard the witness mentioned it was a hit-and-run accident. That alone enough to flared up his rage despite doing whatever he can do to keep his cool.

No one can blame him. He has the right to be this enrage even though it was a pent-up one. He definitely for sure after whoever this culprit to make them pay for caused you the pain you caught up upon yourself.

The door opened and a doctor came out and approached him. Lycaon was quick lifted his weight off his seat to his feet and expecting for the doctor's words about your condition.

"Don't fret," The doctor reassured him, "their condition is stable now."

The doctor paused. As if contemplative something and it didn't take a genius the doctor was about to deliver those "but" stuff. "However, they suffer from amnesia. The impact from the accident made their head hit hard against the ground and regain a hard concussion."

That news made Lycaon's heart almost sank immediately the moment the doctor's mentioning you've suffered from amnesia. The doctor somehow easily noticed the tension from him and the way he clenched his jaw.

The doctor smile empathetically. "I'm sure that—if you guide them patiently, they'll remember everything." The doctor stepping aside and give the thiren space to go heading inside where you're waiting on the bed in daze and confusion lingered in your dull eyes—like a lost soul.

The sight enough to make his heart sank completely to the ground.

Postscript: This is my very first writing and I do hope this story somewhat satisfied all of you. I'm not really expert about medical field, however. I'm just using logical and information through Google about the possibility amnesia caused. Please criticize me if my writing is not accurate to characters characteristics, the grammar or my words isn't beautiful enough to read. I'm sure it might help me improving my writing better. I'm not really a romantic person about love—but still write this anyway. Haha... what do I have to do for the part two!? I almost losing my idea already for this one!

[janovavalen]

✧UNLOCKING MORE OF HER || percy jackson x fem!reader

part one!

part two!

part three!

part four!

part five!

summary: percy jackson’s first days on camp were hell to say the least—fist day and he got bullied, but when he sneaks away to be alone he finds an interesting girl in the forest.

word count: 3013!

warnings: small curses (literally like one word and it’s not really a curse but it’s considered one) reader is daughter of athena, sister of annabeth, horrid flirting, reader lowkey not felling percy for the first half’s of this story line.

a/n: guys, i def think im like dragging this out to be a slow burn to like don’t hate me HEHEHEHAHAHA

when the day had just begun, percy was so nicely and beautifully woken up with his clothes being thrown into the wet mud by clarisse and her goons. they snickered as they threw us and made sure to twist their feet that laid upon them.

‘oh grate..yeah thanks for the painting on the shirt guys i’ll be sure to give you creds whenever someone asks where i got it’ percy pinter down at the first where his shirt laid that was once orange and was not poopoo brown.

clarisse seemed to be unhappy with the fact he wasn’t shaking in his boots and made her way over to him, shoving him into the mud right where his shirt was painted. grunting as he his the floor, percy looked up at the three of them.

‘dont think you're such a big deal just because you claimed you slayed the minotaur…i still don’t believe you did.’ she smirked down at him as percy kept his quiet, his eyes trained to look up at her.

sneaking she went to signal her followers to do more to his face—perhaps throw mud on it until they heard a stern voice speak behind them.

‘clarisse!’ she shouted.

percy pushed his led up with his arms that laid behind him in the mud, seeing it was y/n he felt the weight of the world set upon his shoulders. his face filled with red from the embarrassment that was unfolding. it just had to be her?

he wouldn’t mind criticism from grover or luke…or even annabeth? but y/n?

looking as she made eye contact with him, percy turned his head with embarrassment and she felt herself feeling a bit of pity for him. sighing with her eyes closed she folded her arms over her chest, her signature pose.

‘don’t you have places to be? other than pushing someone that’s not even your age into the mud to make yourself feel better at the fact nobody has paid attention to you since he git here? jealous are you?’ y/n looked clarisse up and down who scoffed and angrily as she bit the inside of her cheek.

‘let’s go.’ she demanded her goons who stood behind her. they shoved themselves past y/n who moved her shoulder before any of them could check her.

y/n turned to make sure they fully left them, she didn’t have the time to be pushed into the mud this morning unlike percy who shamefully laid down into the mud, accepting his fate.

y/n walked over to percy who looked up through his eyelashes and she looked down at him with only her eyes.

‘aren’t you going to get up? or are you going to sit there and look sad.’ she mumbled as percy looked around and scrambled his way up to eyes hight with y/n who stayed connected to his own.

‘i was going to get up…right when you walked in actually…’

she looked at his clothes as face before straightening her back and head. what percy didn’t expect was for her to reach out and rub the dry splatter of mud on his cheek that he failed to notice was there. his eyes followed her soft hand that rubbed at the hardened dirt. she looked at the rest of his face before humming to herself.

she didn’t say anything else to him, all she did was turn around and walk away from where percy stood. he was purely shocked, but nonetheless. he watched her walk away back to wherever she was really going.

that must have been a sign…it had to be a sign, today he would learn at least one thing about y/n.

ㆍ୨୧ㆍ

as percy swung his sword at luke who dodged and turned, percy grew to accept the fact that every time they dueled it was a never ending repeat of who will win and who will be shamefully walking away to their cabin.

if nobody could tell the one winning would obviously be luke…the one going back to his cabin, would be percy.

‘come on! you can do it—‘

‘no no i can’t!’ percy grunted as he dodged some of luke’s attacks, occasionally getting a good swing in on luke here and there.

‘yes you can! we’ve been doing this since you got here, come on!’ luke encouraged as he pushed his sword over percy’s. the two of them coming into contact as he twisted the sword making it look easy.

percy may get lucky just now? maybe it will finally happen—

‘luke!’ she called out.

percy immediately looked away from luke who saw this as an opportunity and swung his sword at percy making him stumble and fall.

landing right on his back, percy blinked in surprise as he exhaled.

‘oh!’ luke laughed. making his way over to percy who laid on the ground.

‘never take your eyes off of your opponent’ he mumbled to percy who rolled his eyes. luke laughed and pulled out his hand to help percy up who accepted the help and let out a small thanks.

just then he remembered who was actually there. his eyes turning to her immediately, y/n stood, looking at the two boys who looked at her waiting for her to speak.

‘uhm…sorry to interrupt your bonding, but luke your needed at cabin five. some teens are disagreeing and there’s a small fight bound to happen’ y/n warned luke who stood there and rolled his eyes at the immaturity shining though.

‘right…uhm—thanks for telling me n/n’ he placed his sword into its holder on his hip and started to walk but before he fully left he stumbled over to y/n, his hand on her shoulder.

‘oh and please y/n, take him to the bows and train him. i was supposed to but y’know…’ luke gave her a pleading look as she went to intervene but soon gave up when luke looked into her eyes for a bit longer.

percy watched the two of them, his eyes trained on luke’s hand that didn’t leave y/n’s shoulder. he felt his hand flatten against his jeans as he looked up and down at the two of them before clearing his throat.

y/n turned to luke who looked away into the distance as she sighed in defeat.

‘fine…but if this is a thing, i promise—‘

‘i’ll never see the light of day again. i know i know, you're the best!’ luke shouted as he hurried to cabin five.

percy looked at y/n who shook her head at luke.

she wore something more casual as of right now than he saw her in earlier. when he saw her last, she wore more loose pants and a sweatshirt. but now she wore washed out blue jean shorts and the casual orange camp shirt that said camp half blood on it.

her shoes were high top converse like his own, her hair in a half up half down like annabeth’s and her usual necklace full of earned beads to show off. clearing his throat once more in the awkwardness of him just looking at her, unbeknownst to percy, y/n did the same.

‘so—‘ just before he could say anything else she turned her heel and began walking. percy took this as a small sigh and hurried his walk to be right behind her.

‘uh-uhm, i just wanted to thank you for earlier, when you told clarisse and her goons off’ percy looked over at y/n who turned her head a bit to hid the small snicker that failed to be held within her—he succeeded at seeing another emotion from y/n other than serious, dark and mysterious.

‘yeah it’s whatever…don’t mention it’ she mumbled while they cut their way through small groups of people who stood and talked or groups of people who walked by.

‘yeah but i feel like i need to…and i still wanted to thank you for helping me out of the forest the other night? you never let me—‘

‘i’m serious…percy.’ she turned her face to him, her footsteps stopping as she turned her head to him. their eyes connecting, blue meeting (e/c) as she held their eye contact—‘don’t mention it’ y/n finished.

percy nodded his head as the two of them continued to walk their way to the bows and arrows.

ㆍ୨୧ㆍ

‘pick your bow, and get down arrows. get enough so that if and when you fail, you’ll have some to back it up’ y/n spoke boldly ad the two of them stood alone.

luke so happened to pick a day when most of the cabins would be doing other training other than bows and arrows. y/n and percy had the small place alone.

no others. just them alone. together.

‘i won’t fail—‘

‘they all say that’ she shrugged her shoulders as percy rolled his eyes and grabbed the arrows with his bow in hand.

once he got himself ready with the bow gripped in his hand and the arrow in his other.

y/n stood next to him, her figure not to far from his.

‘arms up’ she instructed. percy did just that. his eyes staying focused but his mindset focused on her—he didn’t know what it was but he found it a bit difficult to work properly and concentrate with her near him.

‘place the arrow on the bow and aim for the middle, if you can’t that’s fine, but i would be impressed if you ca make it into the middle’ she folded her arms over her chest like always as she waited for percy to shoot his shot at the red dot sitting on the target in front of him.

breathing out he looked to his backside where he was and mumbled—‘what if i can’t make it into the middle like you want?’ he asked. worried for her answer but ready for it.

she bit her lip a bit to make sure her answer was right. quaking up her eyebrows as she shrugged she began to speak—‘there are no what if’s…there are just doing. don't be worried about what others want from you. do what you want.’

she looked at him in his eyes as he looked down into the grass.

what could she possibly mean? how did that even answer his question…to be fair it answered some of it but not all of it. could her response be related to how she feels? could this be his opportunity to learn something about her?

‘okay…right’ he mumbled. she looked ahead while waiting for him to take his shot. percy prepared himself before pulling back his arms and shooting the arrow.

it flew into the air…it flew straight. could he get it? could this be his moment to empress y/n?

watching anxiously as time seem to slow he watched his arrow go straight, straight and soon straight into the dirt that laid behind the standing target.

‘hm…’ y/n mumbled making percy turn to her.

‘i almost had that! it must be the wind—‘

‘there is no wind today…it’s perfectly sunny, no clouds’ y/n looked up at the sky, prompting percy to do the same who of course did as he saw she was right. not a cloud in sight.

‘i—i wasn’t ready’

‘there’s more arrows…make yourself ready. there might come a time where your put up to something and you need to be ready’ she told him.

percy frowned his eyebrows once more and looked at her as he let his arms drop to his side—‘okay, what is up with you and these instagram superhero quotes or something? why do you keep telling me these things?’

‘telling you what things?’ she tilted her head a bit while looking at percy who scoffed.

‘might come a time, need to be ready?there are no what if’s—who says that?’

‘…me?’ she frowned, her eyes bows.

‘obviously you but why? why do you keep telling me these things?’ percy waited for a answer as he was only met with a small smile from y/n.

she walked her way over to him and fixed the beads on his necklace that laid atop his shirt.

‘your beads are in the wrong order…ones chipped?’ she changed the subject, of course. but she was talking, and that’s all the mattered in the moment.

‘i fell—‘

‘you were pushed?’

‘same thing.’ percy mumbled. y/n scoffed a bit while patting his heads over his neck.

‘you can get a new one y’know? if you're not happy with that one’ she looked him in the eyes before he nervously looked away and back at her.

‘i’m okay with it, it’s not like they’re gold or something’ y/n blinked at his response and hummed.

percy couldn’t help but look down at her own beads and saw the fact she had plenty…probably more than annabeth and luke. she had one that looked rare, the rest like the others. her and her shared at least two of them. he still had some time to go.

‘i tell you these things because somebody wasn’t there to tell me…we’re the same age i know, but that doesn't mean anything. i can still tell people things i wished were told to me’ she mumbled.

percy felt his eyes soften at her words and his hands loosen around the arrow that was once tight in his hand.

she wished someone told her the things he’d been telling here? could they be more similar in ways he didn’t know? just then it hit him. he learned something small about y/n. one down plenty to go.

‘wait—weren’t you supposed to train me today? i don’t think i’m well with an arrow yet, and i hear you're pretty good?’ percy tried to make y/n stay after seeing she tried to make her leave.

y/n had her back turned before she turned his way and looked him up and down—‘i couldn’t stay for long, i have others to train…i’ll train you tomorrow morning, i’ll tell luke he can have you in the evening. you better be ready, i don’t go easy’ she told while turning away from percy who stood his spot in the middle of the grass.

she wanted to see him tomorrow.

well��not like that. it’s for training but she didn’t have to offer it, but she did. so? this could mean something.

ㆍ୨୧ㆍ

‘it has to mean something right?’ percy stressed to grover who groaned while he threw his head back into the bed.

percy’s thoughts raced over and over, could she want to see him? did she want to see him? did she possibly want to know about him just as much as he felt the need to know about her? was this a prank? because if so it wasn’t funny.

after percy had found himself useless in forgetting about it at lunch he rushed us way to grover who had happened to be in his cabin resting. reading a book, with his pajamas on. his day was peaceful until percy threw himself into his cabin like a mad man.

he had been talking to grover about y/n for the past thirty minutes now, non stop.

‘i don’t know…maybe?’

‘but what if it doesn’t mean anything and she’s truly just trying to be a good friend right? wait….do you think she thinks of me as a friend?’ percy had a whole new possibility pop into his head.

‘maybe?’ grover mumbled while holding his head in his hands.

‘maybe? grover! maybe isn’t a answer right now, i really need your help and expertise! you know her right? your like twenty something so you definitely know her, how did she become your friend? how long did it take?’

‘like…two years? i don’t know, she’s reserved and very secretive, very stealthy too’

‘i know, it’s almost like she’s always around without me knowing which is kind of cool and kind of scary’ grover smiled and nodded at this before percy once more continued his speech.

‘but you didn’t answer my other question? how did she become your friend?’

grover wittingly looked up into the ceiling before letting out a breath as he thought.

‘uhm…i don’t know? i just…one day i guess she called me g for the first time as my nickname then after that she started to talks to me a lot more and joke with me?’

‘so, she didn’t really have a way to become your friend she just did?’

‘yeah i guess?’ grover shrugged as percy threw his head back into the bed, his hands over his eyes.

‘this isn’t helping at all grover!’ he whined into his hands as grover laughed and shrugged once more.

‘dude i don’t know im sorry! did you talk to luke?’

‘of course i did, he basically said the same things you're saying…’ percy sat up with a helpless look on his face.

grover felt himself feeling a bit bad and being unhelpful to percy and helping him understand probably one of the most hardest things to understand which was y/n.

grover let an idea pop into his head—

‘listen…she likes (f/f) and (f/c) try like…showing it off as you eat it at breakfast tomorrow and wear your one (f/c) jacket tomorrow, that might get a bit of her attention.’ grover explained while percy nodded.

‘—and if it doesn’t talk to her as you guys train, talk about new york, she’s always wanted to go. talk about anything that she might like…try to make tomorrow about her and maybe you might get five steps into her three hundred doors of being officially her friend’

grover explained slowly and lowly to percy who absorbed everything that he was being told. remembering everything he nodded his what and smiled a bit at grover.

‘thanks grove’ you really do help when you want’ percy teased him as he rolled his eyes—‘i help all the time don’t act like i don’t’ percy laughed making grover do the same.

taglist:

@ifilwtmfc

[fiapartridge]

intro (end of the world) ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ | jack hughes

“how can i tell if im in the right relationship?”

☼ pairing: jack hughes x fem!reader

☼ summary: after seeing jack for the first time since your breakup, you’re left seeking advice from your nonna…

☼ fia’s note 💌: first part of the series! thx for joining us on this 13-part-series, i’m very excited for what’s to come <3 pls enjoy “intro (end of the world)” ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

eternal sunshine hq ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

next part: bye ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

*₊ ° .　. • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

For the past two months, you’ve felt your chest tighten and your throat well up whenever you went to bed. The other side of the mattress felt absent and empty, like the space was waiting idly for a person who would never return.

But today felt different. You saw him for the first time since your breakup. His arm was slung around Nico’s shoulder at the cafe downtown as they talked about their next game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. You didn’t feel like curling up into a ball and rolling out of there before he could see you. No, you felt like breaking into a full-on sob, letting the tears rack through your body and shake you up until you were at his feet, begging him to take you back.

Yet you stood there and you watched Jack talk with Nico, and you clung to your chest, and you stretched the suffocating collar of your scratchy sweater, and you watched him meet your eyes—and you watched him look away. It was like your two-year-relationship was never a thing, as if he had erased all memories of you from his mind. It was like you were no one to him.

Looking around, the cafe seemed smaller, as if the walls were closing in on you and you had to get out quickly before you were trapped.

You sprinted back to your apartment in record time, and upon opening the door, your back hit the wooden slab as you slid down to the ground, pulling out your phone from your pocket. Your hands were shaking, your chest was rising up and down without fail, and your vision was blurred with the amount of tears falling down your pale cheeks.

You waited two rings until your grandmother picked up. She was your safe haven for all things in life. She always knew exactly what wise words to say, and while she was thousands of miles away, you imagined her stroking your hair as you laid your head down on her lap, asking her how life was so easy for her. She would say that her life was everything but that and then go on a long speech about her younger days. That was all you needed now, and all you wanted in the future: to have her, to hear her advice and life lessons, and to pretend she’s still there stroking your hair, wiping your tears, and humming her perfect girl to sleep.

“Nonna?” your voice was shaky and tired, and she could sense it immediately. You could hear her tell your grandfather that she would be in the bedroom if he needed her.

“Sweets? Are you alright?” You missed her voice. It felt like you were calling her less and less nowadays. You hoped she would forgive you for that.

“I,” you stammered, clinging to the silver pendant around your neck. “I feel like every time something good happens to me, it all just…fades away and I hate feeling this way. I hate it, but I don’t know what to do,” you whispered. It all just felt impossible, like feeling happy held this small entity in the back of your mind, telling you that it could all be over in just a matter of seconds. You felt that in your relationship with Jack, you felt that when you saw him earlier, you’ve been feeling that way ever since you walked out of his life.

Being with him wasn’t a solution, but not being with him also wasn’t a solution to your problem. You were stuck and you were clueless as to what to do next.

“Oh, honey,” Nonna’s voice was soft and full of empathy. “Life has a way of tossing us into turbulent seas, but remember that storms eventually pass, and the sun always rises again. You’re feeling the weight of loss now, but that doesn’t mean happiness won’t find its way back to you.”

“But that’s what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of the happiness, of finding someone new and getting hurt again.” You paused, sniffling before asking, “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship? I feel like…like you’re supposed to know that type of stuff but I’ve never felt that, or maybe I’ve felt that too much and it’s never been true. I just… I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

[dirtnapdreamfactory]

Sweetest Sin [Part One]

Content Warnings: Priest Kink, Breeding Kink, Corruption Kink, Loss of Virginity, Vaginal Fingering, Oral Sex (Female Receiving), Female masturbation, Breaking Vows, Abandoned Celibacy, Etc. Etc.

Please let me know if I missed anything.

Word Count: 5.5K

[If this work looks familiar to you, it probably is. I originally had it posted to my old account that has since been deleted, so I am reposting it here.]

The grand archway of the cathedral framed Father Astarion Ancunin, his tall figure casting a shadow against the golden light that spilled from within. Despite being a creature of darkness, he had become an integral part of the town of Emberwood, serving as their shepherd of light. His vampiric nature had initially drawn cautious glances, but the townspeople's faith in him seemed to outweigh their fear. They flocked to the cathedral and found solace in his words, a paradox that the elf would have scoffed at decades ago—a vampire spawn preaching salvation.

"Good evening, Father Astarion," Mr. Tiller called out, his voice warm as he passed by with his family. "Your sermon today was truly moving."

"Thank you," Astarion replied, his smile genuine but unable to reach the depths of his crimson eyes. "Peace be with you."

For a quiet moment, the pale elf held up the silver band on his finger to catch the light, marveling at the small miracle that allowed him to walk under the sun. This ring symbolized not just his commitment to his vows, but also to a life he never thought possible. Each day, the weight of his past sins grew lighter as he embraced his newfound purpose with tentative gratitude.

"Father?" A timid voice broke through his reverie.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Silverleaf." He recognized the couple instantly, their devoutness etched into every line on their faces. "What can I do for you?"

"Your words—they're a balm to our community," The man began, wringing his hat between his work-worn hands. "And…we hate to ask but…well, we've come to ask a favor, if you're willing."

"Of course. Speak freely," The priest encouraged, folding his hands before him in a gesture of openness. 

"It’s our daughter... She strays further each day from the path of righteousness," Mrs. Silverleaf confided, her voice laced with worry. "She has no care for piety or decency."

"Her soul, we fear, is in peril," her husband added, his gaze pleading.

"Would you speak with her, Father?" The woman asked. "Perhaps guide her back to the ways of the faithful?"

The couple's words hung heavy in the air, a weight that Astarion couldn't quite shake off. He knew his duty was to guide and correct those who strayed from the path of righteousness, but the thought of speaking with you, their fierce and free-spirited daughter, filled him with conflicting emotions.

On one hand, he felt a sense of obligation and responsibility towards your soul, which they clearly feared was in jeopardy. But on the other hand, the memory of you tore through his mind like a stormy sea, tempting him with desires he had vowed to renounce.

The request coiled tightly around his heart. The memory of that first night that he had laid eyes upon you surged forward, unbidden and wild. It had been a chance encounter at the tavern, where he had gone to seek solitude among the clamor of tankards and low-burning hearths. You had burst through the door, a vision of ferocious vitality, your presence so startling that even the rowdy din of the establishment had hushed for a brief moment. There you had stood, cloaked in the glory of your conquest—a deer, by the looks of your spoils—and had commanded attention with the ease of one who knew their own power.

"Talia, go fetch Lorrick! And tell the cook to get his shit together, yeah? We're having fuckin' venison tonight!" you’d declared, voice rich with triumph.

Astarion couldn't help but watch you, his eyes tracing the line of sweat that made a glistening path down the column of your neck. Each droplet reflected the light from the hearth, casting a warm glow on your skin. Your soft hair cascaded messily down your back and beckoned his fingers to explore its texture. The sight of you- so raw and vibrant - was like a sharp blade to his senses, breaking through the protective walls he had built around his chastity.

"Father, will you not try?" 

The distant echo of Mrs. Silverleaf's voice pulled Father Astarion back to the present, interrupting his thoughts. He nodded absently, his mind still consumed by the image of your mischievous smirk. Despite his inner turmoil, he affirmed to the couple that he would speak with their daughter, a wave of heat flushing his cheeks at the thought.

"God bless you," Mrs. Silverleaf and her husband intoned together, their sincerity in stark contrast to the hunger gnawing at Astarion's resolve.

"Peace be with you," he replied hollowly, his own words drowned out by the cacophony of conflicting emotions within him.

As the couple disappeared from view, Father Astarion turned back to face the sacred confines of the cathedral. Its cool silence offered no refuge from the heat that still coursed through him, memories of his struggle against temptation flashing through his mind. He had whispered fervent prayers and battled against his desires for flesh and sinew that night at the tavern.

"Forgive me," he muttered to the empty pews, unsure if his words were meant for his deity or for himself. His duty was clear - to meet with the girl and guide her towards the light. But as the sunset painted the stained glass windows in fiery shades of red and gold, Astarion couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to enter a battle for which he may never be fully prepared.

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and called upon every ounce of divine strength to fortify his spirit. He would offer counsel to this wayward lamb and do his best to protect her from darkness. But as he locked up the church and began to trudge his way towards your home, nestled at the far edge of town, he couldn't deny the thrill of forbidden excitement coursing through his veins, like a fire burning just beneath his skin. Though he knew that this could prove to be a rather dangerous task, one that could potentially lead him down a path of temptation and ruin...for the sake of your immortal soul, he was willing to take the risk.

The dying embers of the day cast a warm, orange hue over the town as Astarion tread softly along the dirt trail, his boots pressing into the uneven ground scattered with pebbles and twigs. The outskirts where you resided was tranquil, the only sounds were his solitary footsteps and the distant chirping of crickets. He could see your home now, a quaint cottage that seemed to be in a perpetual embrace with the encroaching forest. The air was scented with damp earth and the sweet tang of herbs that hung from an overhang, swaying gently in the evening breeze.

"Ms. Silverleaf, it's Father Astarion," he called with measured calmness, rapping knuckles against the wooden door. His voice felt strangely intrusive in the stillness. "Your mother and father bid me to speak with you."

Silence greeted him, thick and unyielding. He knocked again, a little louder, allowing authority to lace his tone. "Ms. Silverleaf, please. This is a rather important matter."

The quiet persisted, and a frown teased at the edge of his lips. 'Perhaps she is out,' he thought, but something about the soft glow from within your home suggested otherwise. He reached for the doorknob, finding it unlocked. A moment's hesitation lingered like a warning. With a breath to steady himself, he pushed open the door and stepped into the muted warmth of the interior.

"Y/N?" he ventured again, voice barely above a whisper as he closed the door behind him.

Before him, the small fire in the hearth crackled its last dance, casting flickering shadows across the room. Astarion scanned the space, noting the absence of any presence. His gaze fell on the simple furnishings, the homely touches that bespoke a life lived simply yet fully. In that moment, he felt like an intruder in your world, privy to a privacy not his own.

His ears, sharper than most, caught the faintest sound—a rustle, a breath hitched in distress. His dead heart sank. 'Might the girl have injured herself?' The concern edged his thoughts as he moved silently, his steps practiced and light. The noises grew clearer, more defined, and his pace quickened with a mix of worry and something less definable.

"Y/N," he called out softly, reaching the slightly ajar door from behind which the sounds emanated. With the utmost care, he nudged it further open, just enough to allow his eyes to seek out the source of the commotion.

He stood motionless, his hand still resting on the door, as the scene within unfolded before him.

His eyes widened, the crimson depths reflecting a scene of forbidden desire. There in the dimly lit chamber, the air thick with the scent of sweat and desperation, you writhed upon your simple bed—a vision of unbridled sensuality.

"Gods above," he murmured under his breath, unable to tear his gaze from the sight. His voice was a mere whisper, lost amidst the symphony of your pleasure.

Your small fingers danced along the slick folds of your sex, each movement deliberate and hungry. Lustful whines escaped your lips in ragged sighs and your moans pierced Astarion's heart like an arrow. You were yet unaware of his presence, lost in your own world of ecstasy.

"Y/N," he finally managed to say, louder this time, but the plea in his voice was drowned by your cries. You did not hear him, or if you did, you gave no indication, consumed as you were by your own touch.

'Stop,' he thought desperately, 'you mustn't witness this.' But his body betrayed him, rooted to the spot, drinking in the sight of you. The heat that had been kindling within him since he'd first laid eyes on you now blazed uncontrollably.

He watched, transfixed, as your back arched, your breasts rising and falling with each labored breath. The soft mounds were flushed with arousal, your nipples taut and begging for attention. Your other hand alternated between caressing your breast and pinching your rose-colored nipple, sending ripples of pleasure through your body.

"Please," you gasped, the word a prayer for release. "I need... I can't..."

Father Astarion felt a surge of protectiveness, intermingled with a darker, hungrier sensation. He knew that he, a man of the cloth, should not be standing there, should not be watching this intimate act of self-pleasure, yet he found himself entranced by your uninhibited display.

"Is this what you seek?" he asked silently, the question for himself more than you. "To be the one to push her over that edge?"

His blood roared in his ears, drowning out the remnants of piety that screamed for him to leave. There was a battle raging within him, between his vows and the yearning to step forward—to replace your hands with his own, to taste the salt on your skin, to hear his name on your lips instead of the silent gods you seemed to be reaching for.

Another whimper, more tortured than the last, pulled him from his daze. He took a half-step backward, the creak of the wooden floorboard underfoot sounding like thunder in the quiet room. Astarion’s throat was dry, his body tense with longing.

"Forgive me," he whispered, turning his face away, though his eyes betrayed him, sliding back for another glimpse that lasted far too long. "Forgive me..."

His breath hitched, a silent witness to the carnal symphony playing out before him. Shadows clung to the corners of the dimly lit chamber as the fading light of day bathed your writhing form in an ethereal glow. Your fingers, slick and unyielding, danced fervently within yourself, your movements both desperate and deliberate. The decadent chorus of your pleasure—a blend of wet, rhythmic sounds—sent involuntary tremors through his body.

"Gods... yes, just like that, please..." Your voice was broken and full of lust, a prayer for release that echoed off the walls.

He swallowed thickly, the taste of his restraint bitter on his tongue. His hands, traitorous and curious, sought the heat beneath his breeches, and he winced at the contact – a touch both foreign and achingly familiar. The sensation clawed at his resolve, tearing at the fabric of his vows.

"Ah... A-Astarion..." you moaned, your voice slowly morphing into a sinful incantation - a desperate plea to the heavens, or perhaps to the depths below. His name rolled off your lips like a sacrilegious mantra, stoking that fire within him into something unbearable.

"Gods above…," he whispered under his breath, a ghost of words lost amid the melody of your solitary passion. Envy gnawed at him, its sharp teeth sinking into his heart as you envisioned another, even if that other bore his visage.

"Please... Fuck - ruin me..." you begged the illusion, your back arching, your body tightly stretched like a bowstring. The priest within him recoiled, but the man, the primal creature lurking beneath the clerical collar, stirred from its slumber.

"Enough," He hissed to himself, his conviction giving way to carnal desire. He could no longer be a mere observer, a passive guardian of sanctity. As you called out for him, in flesh or fantasy, he felt that familiar longing within him awaken. With a growl, he shed his clerical collar and entered the room with purpose. This was no longer a soft tread of uncertainty, but the confident steps of a man who knew what he wanted. You needed him, craved him, and he... he needed this. Gods above, he needed this.

"Ms. Silverleaf," he said louder now, his voice cutting through the haze of your ecstasy.

Your eyes snapped open, bright and piercing, locking onto his deep, vermillion gaze. Your silky hair cascaded around your face as you stilled, your body drawn with anticipation. In that moment, your eyes were a tangle of fire and gold, two stars colliding and igniting a blaze that consumed you both. Your stillness was a bird poised on the edge of a branch, ready to take flight at the slightest movement. And in that moment, the question hung in the air like a forbidden fruit, tempting and dangerous: Which would it be? Salvation or damnation?

"F-Father Astarion," you breathed, a mixture of surprise, embarrassment, and something...darker. Something hungry .

The pale elf stood tall and imposing in the dimly lit room, his pastoral leash discarded and forgotten on the floor. The light streamed through the window, catching the soft curls of his silver hair and casting an intimidating glow in his intense eyes. You laid bare before him, a true vision of ethereal beauty - your pleading eyes and wild hair fanned out around you, nearly forming a halo around your glistening, desperate form.

"Tell me, my child," He began, his voice low and steady, "What manner of evil has reduced you to this? A whimpering, sodden mess baring yourself so shamelessly before a man of God?"

"Please, Father...I-I’m so sorry. Please…p-please help me," You whimpered, your voice soft as velvet.

"Of course, child," His voice was a soothing balm, yet it was wrought with an undercurrent of something depraved. "Would you have me guide you in prayer, to cleanse these wicked ideations from your soul?"

Your head shook, a silent bell tolling 'no'. His gaze never left you, sharp and probing as he began to unfasten his shirt, each button relinquishing its hold with deliberate slowness. The pale flesh beneath his priestly attire came into view - his lean, muscular body sending a sharp jolt to your needy cunt.

"Or perhaps," he continued, his tone laced with concern, "you'd prefer I summon the physician? They might concoct a remedy for your... afflictions ."

As he circled the bed, the air around you charged with unsaid words, he grazed your cheek with his knuckles, the touch feather-light yet scorching. Your skin burned under his caress, your heat evident to his discerning touch.

"Ah, you are quite warm," he murmured, almost to himself. He leaned closer, his breath fanning your face as he tenderly pushed away strands of hair that had clung to your dampened forehead. "What then, my dear, do you seek from me?"

You swallowed thickly, your body betraying your desires with a soft whimper. "I don't need a doctor, Father," you managed, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Then what?" Astarion whispered back, his proximity intoxicating.

Your breath hitched; you bit down on your lower lip, trapping it between your teeth. In a voice suffused with shame and longing, you uttered the words, "Touch me."

Astarion clicked his tongue, a reprimand and a tease all at once. "You know that is not possible. My vows..." He let the sentence hang, unfinished, yet heavy with implication.

But desire was a siren's call, relentless and seductive. As your fingers resumed their salacious dance, the soft wet sounds that they made reached his ears, sending a bolt of raw need through him. He watched, transfixed, his body responding despite his resolve.

"Is this a habit of yours?" he asked, his voice husky with restrained passion.

"No," you breathed out, your movements unabated.

"Has another taught you such pleasures?" His inquiry was both invasive and achingly tender.

"N-no. Never," you admitted, your voice tinged with innocence and discovery.

He hummed, acknowledging your confession. "There is much to learn about one's own flesh... to understand what brings pleasure, what stirs the soul."

"Please," you gasped, your plea floating between you like a fragile leaf caught in a tempest. "Help me, Father... Show me how to feel good..."

"Perhaps," he whispered, his voice a thread of silk amidst the tension, "a slight... guidance would not be deemed sacrilegious." The words felt foreign on his tongue, like a dark incantation that could unravel the very fabric of his being.

Your eyes fluttered closed for a moment, as if absorbing the gravity of what he proposed. Your lips parted in a silent plea, your desire an unspoken prayer that beckoned him closer.

With reverent trepidation, he extended his hand, the silhouette of his fingers ghosting over the valley of your chest before descending. The heat of your skin seared his palm as he cupped your heavy breast, feeling its softness yield beneath his touch. Your sharp intake of breath was both a torment and a balm to his conflicted soul.

"Ah..." you sighed, a delicate sound that underscored the urgency of this illicit communion.

Astarion allowed himself a moment to marvel at the responsiveness of your body, the way your flesh puckered against the chilled air, inviting his thumb to graze over the tight peak of your nipple. To him, it was the first transgression – a tactile whisper that spoke volumes of forbidden pleasures yet explored.

His hand trailed lower, a painstaking journey across the landscape of your ribcage, the undulating terrain of your belly, each movement deliberate, a testament to the restraint he fought to maintain. It was an artist's touch, painting strokes of fire upon your canvas of anticipation.

"May I?" The question hung between you, laden with consequences yet to unfold. His eyes sought yours, seeking absolution in their depths. Your gaze held his, fierce and unyielding—a mirror reflecting your shared hunger.

"Please," you breathed, the single word a key turning in the lock of his resolve.

His fingers, cold and steady, grazed the small of your waist, drawing your attention away from his eyes to the point of contact. You shuddered as his touch met the sensitive skin just above your hips. His fingers traced the delicate curve of your pelvis, kneading it gently, exploring your body with the reverence of a man discovering the wonders of the world for the first time.

"You are beautiful," he whispered, his fingers tracing the delicate lines of your hip. "Sinfully so, darling. But your wants, your needs... they are only human."

Astarion's eyes lingered on the curve of your hips, tracing the silhouette of your form with his gaze. The desire within him threatened to consume him whole, promising to both destroy and purify. He knew that once he crossed this line, there would be no going back. You were both aware of the weight of your transgression, heavy like a shroud about your limbs.

But your voice broke the silence, another soft plea that cracked the veneer of control he had so meticulously constructed. "Please," you begged, your voice trembling.

His fingers found you, hesitant at first, exploring the soft folds that lay between your legs. The air was heavy with the scent of arousal and anticipation, a heady cocktail that intoxicated you both. Astarion was no stranger to the touch of a woman, but this was different. This was sacrilegious. He could feel the weight of his vows bearing down upon him, threatening to suffocate him, but he persisted.

Your body tensed at his touch, the resistance only serving to heighten his desire. As he continued to explore you, he whispered softly into your ear, "You are allowed to feel pleasure, sweet girl. It's alright..."

Your breath hitched as his fingers delved deeper, your body arching against him in response. He could feel the heat radiating from your core, the pulsing life within you behind the delicate tissue that covered your being. He had never felt anything so alive, so vital, so right.

His fingers continued their exploration, sliding gently against your skin, tracing the pathways of your desire. Every touch was a caress, a promise, a confirmation that you were real, that you were there, and that he was not alone in this sin.

As his fingers continued their journey, he felt a surge of pure lust wash over him. He knew that he could not resist any longer. He needed to feel you, to possess you. He needed to experience the fullness of your passion and the sinful pleasures that awaited him.

He could feel your heart racing, your breaths becoming short and ragged as he touched you. Every touch, every brush of his fingers against your skin sent electricity coursing through his veins.

"Gods," you keened, your voice a desperate plea for release as he slowly sunk his middle and ring finger into your tight channel. Your body trembled, and you pressed yourself against him, urging him to continue.

Astarion released a long, shuddering breath. This was madness, this transgression. But the need was far too strong, too powerful.

His pale skin almost seemed to shimmer as he shifted his position on the bed. His scarlet eyes, usually so intense and piercing when preaching from the pulpit, were now dark with lust as they focused on your form laid out before him. The contrast between you was stark—him, the embodiment of forbidden restraint, and you, the very image of uninhibited desire.

"Father," you panted, your voice a sultry melody that tugged at the most carnal parts of him, "please..."

He slid his fingers deeper, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from you. The sight of your pleasure, the way you arched beneath his touch, drew a low groan from Astarion's throat. He was no longer the vampiric preacher who had given his life to God and vowed celibacy; he was a man, flesh and blood, driven by primal urges he could no longer deny. Your scent filled his senses, intoxicatingly sweet, and it sparked a curiosity that overshadowed all rational thought.

"Gods, I shouldn't..." He murmured, more to himself than to you, but the words died in his mouth as his tongue dared to taste the honeyed sweetness of your center. The flavor burst upon his senses—a delectable mix of sin and innocence—and his groan vibrated against your sensitive skin. It was a sound of pure, unadulterated need.

"M-more...please..don't stop," You encouraged breathlessly, your eyes half-closed, hands finding their way into his silver curls, urging him closer.

Astarion complied, his once-hesitant licks becoming more insistent, delving into your folds with fervor. The holy man within him screamed for repentance, for restraint, but he was drowned out by the carnal beast that had been awakened. With each stroke of his tongue and curl of his fingers, he mapped out every contour of your dripping cunt, committing your responses to memory like sacred scripture.

"Ah, Astarion," you moaned, a symphony to his ears.

"Y/N," he whispered against you, his voice husky with passion, "you taste positively divine ."

As he continued to worship at the altar of your body, the church bells of propriety and oath rang distant, irrelevant. In this moment, there was only you and the undeniable truth that you were bound by something far stronger than doctrine. The friction of his fingers inside of you, coupled with the relentless pursuit of his tongue, stoked a flame within you that threatened to consume you both.

"Father," you gasped, your plea a beautiful litany, "Aah - Gods, yes.."

Your hips bucked beneath him, the fierce desire in your eyes melting into a tempest of ecstasy. The supple flesh of your sex clenched around his fingers, and the sight of it, the feel of it, sent a shiver down his spine. The moments of hesitation were a blur in the past, all that remained was the hunger between you, the natural dance of bodies, the silent pleas for release.

He felt that familiar throb of anticipation, the prelude to a world of pleasure and sin. It would be a fall from grace, a transgression of the utmost magnitude. But he knew, deep down, that his heart would break if he denied you the satisfaction you so desperately craved.

He could feel the tension within your body, the resistance slowly fading away as you came closer to the edge. Your breaths, once short and gasping, now deep and labored as you allowed yourself to fully succumb to sinful bliss.

His fingers, still buried inside of you, crescendoed their rhythm, matching the tempo of your heartbeat. He traced the swell of your clitoris with his thumb and lapped at the nectar that spilled from you, staining his lips with its sweetness.

"Astarion," you whispered, your voice a low, sultry moan. "Please, I need more."

He understood. He needed more, too. He plunged his fingers deep within you once more, eliciting a scream of unadulterated pleasure. The supple flesh of your sex clenched and spasmed around him, and the sight of it, the feel of it, drew a deep growl from within his chest.

His breath was a harsh rasp, his every sense alight with the raw scent of desire that rose from your flushed skin. Withdrawing his hand and mouth from your quivering, wet warmth, he couldn't help but admire the sheen of arousal that coated him, a decadent gloss that marked his sin as much as it did his yearning. He gazed upon you, reclined and panting, through eyes hazed with lust, finding you all the more enchanting for the sweat that painted your delicious curves.

"Look at you," he murmured, voice laced with both reproof and undeniable affection, "such a greedy little thing."

His fingers, still trembling with the remnants of your pleasure, worked at the ties of his breeches with a deftness born of necessity—this shedding of his final vestment felt like the peeling away of his last vow. The fabric fell away, pooling around his knees before he kicked them off, discarding the cloth and constraint alike into a forgotten pile on the floor.

Bare now before you, the dying light cast shadows across his lean form, playing over the muscles that tensed with anticipation. His heavy, aching cock stood proud, a testament to their forbidden ardor, twitching as though it had a life of its own, the tip shining with evidence of his need.

"Can you handle more?" he asked, his voice a low growl that vibrated in the charged air between you. It wasn't just a question of your endurance; it was a challenge to his self-control, a plea for absolution for the hot sin you were about to commit.

Your response was caught in your throat, your eyes wide as you drank in the sight of him. In your gaze, Astarion saw the war between lust and trepidation—yet when you swallowed, it not only discarded your fears but also his lingering doubts.

"Please," you whispered, your voice thick with want. "Take me... I want to be yours."

The words crashed into him like a wave, sweeping away the last of his restraint. A part of him—the man who had clung to his faith amidst a sea of past temptations—whispered that this was the point of no return. But another part, deeper, more primal, rejoiced in the offering you presented.

"Then mine you shall be," he vowed, his mind afire with images of your union, of how he would fill you, stretch you, consume your essence until there was no distinguishing where one ended and the other began.

As he positioned himself at your entrance, the head of his cock nudging against your slick heat, he felt the weight of years of celibacy poised on the brink of oblivion. His heavy balls tightened, aching with the promise of release, the need to claim and be claimed overwhelming him.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice rough.

"Yes," came your breathless reply.

And with that single word, Astarion surrendered, gently pushing forward and guiding himself into your tight warmth with a slow, deliberate thrust.

You gasped as his girth split your virgin pussy, your body writhing beneath him, a silent plea for more. Astarion pushed in deeper, sinking slowly into you…inch by agonizing inch until you felt his balls press against the tender flesh of your ass. The sensation was unlike anything you had ever experienced, a divine mix of pain and pleasure that sent shivers down your spine.

"Ohh, Gods above ...you're so tight, little one" he whispered, pulling back just enough to tease your entrance and admire the pink ring of your ruined maidenhood around his shaft before plunging himself into your core once more.

You moaned, your hands clawing at his back, urging him on. “Mmf! Ahh…d-don't stop, please..."

Astarion groaned, his hips bucking urgently against you. He wanted to savor this moment, to take his time, but the beast within him demanded satisfaction. He shifted his angle, his cock rubbing at that sweetest spot inside of you just right as his crown pressed rough kisses against your cervix over and over again, and you cried out in pleasure and pain.

"Ahhh - fuck ," you cried, your voice a mixture of ecstasy and anguish, "Gods, it's too much...I can't-”

"Yes you can," Astarion whispered reassuringly, his breath hot against your ear. He thrust faster, harder, his cock sliding in and out of you with a wet, slapping sound. "You're taking me so well, sweet girl. Being so very good for me..."

Your body arched beneath him, your nails digging into his back as you climaxed hard, your orgasm hitting you like a whirlwind of bliss and agony.

Astarion felt your muscles clench around him, a vice-like grip that threatened to pull him under. His release was imminent, and he knew that once it came, there would be no turning back.

His thrusts became more frantic, the need to conquer your petite body overtaking him. Each movement was a battle, each thrust a plea, each twitch of his manhood a promise. He could feel the sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Forgive me," he grunted, his voice strained, his voice echoing your pleas from earlier. "I just can't control myself around you..."

You let out a needy, lustful whimper as your overstimulated body trembled beneath him, matching his rhythm as you reached once more for the edge of a new kind of bliss you had never known.

"I don't want you to control yourself," you huffed. "I want to feel every bit of you inside me."

Astarion groaned, his eyes rolling back as he plunged into you with reckless abandon, his cock twitching and pulsing within your snug hole. He felt your walls tighten around him, milking him for everything he had to offer. This was it; this was the moment. He knew that once he emptied himself inside of you, he would be lost in you forever. With a desperate cry, he buried himself to the hilt inside of your molten core, stuffing you completely with his thick, neglected manhood as his seed flooded and filled you, a substantial overflow seeping from where you remained joined - a testament to your sinful union.

As he collapsed onto you, his breathing came in ragged gasps. You lay beneath him, your eyes closed, face flushed with the afterglow of your lovemaking. You felt his cock twitching inside of you, still wrapped around him in a tight grip from your shared ecstasy.

He could feel your heart racing beneath him. This was not merely sex or desire; this was something forever altered, indelible in your souls. As your bodies calmed from their fervor, he found himself still nestled within your warmth, where he belonged.

He knew that to stay burrowed within you would be to invite temptation's final caress, but he could not make himself retreat. Not now, not ever. You were his now, and he was yours; there was no turning back...

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Hi friends! I know it's been a while (over a month, woof), since I published a fic. Summer is a busy time for me - birthdays, social occasions, festivals, etc. And now I am heading off on holiday for a week. I have been working hard on chapter one of Fire on the Mountain whenever I have a free moment, and wanted to have it finished before I went away today, however, between working and trying to get myself packed and ready to leave for the airport, I've not had time and I didn't want to publish something hurried and low quality. It is very close to being finished, and will be my first priority when I return from my holiday (I will still be around, can't resist a snoop at Tumblr while poolside, I just won't be able to write)

Anyway, to tide you over, I leave you with the following snippet!

Header by my beloved recipient of sour cream and onion dust fingers, @vampire-exgirlfriend

Lia props herself up on her elbow, lying on her side as she watches Alicent carefully stitch delicate powder blue flowers into the fabric suspended within her embroidery hoop. Her own lies discarded beside her, she had given up when the thread had become knotted, in no mood to attempt to fix it.

“Alicent…” she begins slowly, “do you ever think about why your father wanted to bring you to King’s Landing?”

Alicent keeps her eyes upon her needlepoint, her tone matter of fact as she continues her work. “To instruct me in what is expected of a highborn lady.”

Lia huffs, leaning across and tugging Alicent’s sleeve to get her full attention. “Yes, but why?”

Alicent sighs, lowering her embroidery hoop into her lap, fixing Lia with an exasperated stare. “To give me the best possible opportunities in life, so that an appropriate match may be made for me.”

“And that is enough for you, is it? To simply be married off to a man who is not of your choosing?”

She lowers her gaze, her voice soft. “My mother did not choose my father, and yet they were very happy.”

“But is that what you want?”

“What is it that you are trying to get at?”

Lia hums, flopping down onto her back against the plush rug that they sit upon in the solar, clasping her hands across her front as she stares up at the vaulted ceiling. “I am unsure of my own purpose, what it is that I want.”

Alicent nods in understanding. “Well, there will be plenty of eligible knights at the upcoming tourney. Gwayne is going to be there, he is competing in the jousting.”

She scoffs, recalling the gangly boy of ten, a mop of hair the colour of rust, that they had left behind in Oldtown all those years ago. “Ah, yes, how fares your older brother?” She asks, turning her head to the side to look at her friend.

“He is a knight now,” Alicent says proudly, “and quite handsome too.”

“Handsome?! How would you know?”

“He tells me so in his letters.”

The pair burst into peals of laughter, stopping abruptly as Otto sweeps into the room, casting a disapproving glance at both of them. “Do the pair of you not have lessons to attend this afternoon?”

“We were waiting for Rhaenyra, so that we might all go together,” Alicent says apologetically, scrambling to her feet and smoothing the skirts of her dress down.

Lia rolls her eyes, knowing their fun is over and rises to her feet too, running her fingers through her dark curls, rumpled from having laid upon the floor.

“Well, the Small Council has concluded its business for the day, and with it Rhaenyra’s duties as cupbearer, so run along. Do not keep your septa waiting.”

“Yes, Father,” Alicent says quietly, making her way out of the solar.

Lia is about to follow suit, when Otto reaches out, softly grasping her forearm and halting her movements. “I trust you are behaving yourselves?”

“Always,” she says with a saccharine smile, moving to pull away from him.

He tightens his grasp. “The Princess is…spirited. Do not allow her to lead you or Alicent astray.”

She slips away from him, pausing once in the corridor to look back over her shoulder at him. “You have raised a well mannered young woman, Ser Otto. She will heed your wishes, I cannot say the same for myself.”

Full fic coming the beginning of September, otherwise you are free to beat me with your shoes.

[slaymitchabernathy]

Staking the Claim

| “Nothin' happened in the way I wanted, every corner of this house is haunted. And I know you said that we're not talkin', but I miss you, I'm sorry.” |

Coriolanus Snow has sat in many offices.

It’s a way of life. He’s sat in front offices at school, doctor’s offices, work offices.

He’s never sat in a lawyer’s office until today.

Because today the divorce is being finalized.

He drums his fingers against the mahogany desk, thinking of where it went wrong and how this divorce will affect him and his reputation for the rest of his life.

He tried to be good, a good husband, a good partner, a good father. But he wasn’t and neither of them could try anymore, try to make it work.

Divorce is highly frowned upon in their elite circles, only occurring in cases of abuse but never has he laid a hand on his wife. But he’s definitely said things and she has too. It’s better this way.

It’s better this way.

“This will be quick,” his lawyer, Mr. Nimbus promises him with a polite smile, “we’ve already gotten all of the hard work out of the way. All that’s left is to sign the last few papers and it’ll be done.”

Eight years down the drain, boiled down to a few sheets of paper and scribbles from a pen.

Coriolanus still remembers the first time he ever laid eyes on his wife. He had been walking to the library when he caught a glimpse of her bright blonde hair headed to the courtyard. He was suddenly very interested in the courtyard.

He followed her there and couldn’t help but notice how the scent of vanilla seemed to follow her everywhere. After watching her for a few days, he worked up the courage to properly introduce himself to her.

Soarynn Nightingale was beautiful. She was kind, talented, generous, and so thoughtful of others. She was one in a million and he was one lucky man. She stood by his side through everything, through graduation, through University and until the last two months, his aspiring political career.

Coriolanus plans on becoming President one day.

This wasn’t something he had ever mentioned to Soarynn who never yearned for a place in the spotlight like he did. No, she was more than content to start their own little family and live a quiet, comfortable life.

That wasn’t good enough for Coriolanus though. He wanted more, needed more and in the end, it drove her away.

At first he didn’t understand why she’d ever suggest separating. They had a family, a daughter. How could she put their little girl through that?

But after reading through her file, her statements and reasoning behind this divorce, he understood where he went wrong. He pushed Soarynn to the edge with the late nights, long hours, high expectations and little reward. He became less affectionate, more cynical and critical.

There were days where he didn’t even see his wife or daughter and Soarynn eventually had enough of it.

It had caused quite a stir in their circles. Their wedding had been a high society wedding, watched by all and admired by many. Soarynn had been a beautiful bride and it had been a very expensive wedding.

He can’t believe it’s over.

The door opens and he sits up straighter, refusing to look over his shoulder, to look at her.

Their lawyers greet each other, he knows her lawyer, he’s been the Nightingale’s lawyer for years now. Once Soarynn filed for divorce, her father, Glen Nightingale made sure that his daughter demanded and received everything she deserved.

Soarynn and their daughter Ceraphina have been staying with Glen since then, leaving Coriolanus with an empty penthouse to come home to every night.

It’s an eerie, terrible feeling. To walk into his daughter’s room with all her toys but find it empty squeezes his heart. To walk into their bedroom and not see Soarynn lying on their bed or sitting at her vanity goes against everything he’s ever known.

He even finds it strange not to see Petunia prancing around their apartment, leaving little tufts of white fur wherever she goes.

Soarynn’s lawyer takes his seat next to Mr. Nimbus and Soarynn takes her seat next to Coriolanus. The scent of vanilla washes over him and he glances at her from the corner of his eye. He hasn’t seen her for a few weeks, he’s been busy with his campaign and she’s been busy doing her best to care for their daughter while dealing with this divorce.

Coriolanus isn’t a glutton for punishment and neither is Soarynn, which has led to this being a rather quiet and civilized divorce. There have been whispers about it of course, it’s not everyday a prominent Capitol couple calls it quits.

But Soarynn hasn’t run off to the tabloids to sell their secrets and he’s so very grateful for that.

She’s never been one to kick others when they’re down.

“Let’s get started then,” Mr. Nimbus grunts, opening the file in front of him, “I believe we are here to discuss the custody of Ceraphina Snow and who will be taking possession of the Snow penthouse on the Corso.”

Soarynn’s lawyer opens up his briefcase, pulling out his own documents.

“Yes, Ms. Nightingale has filed for her to have sole custody of their daughter, Ceraphina Snow. Visitations will be permitted, unsupervised as long as they are properly scheduled and approved by Ms. Nightingale.”

It feels like there’s water in his ears.

Coriolanus can’t imagine not seeing his daughter every day, not hearing her laugh, not seeing her smile up at him like he’s the greatest man in the world.

The masculine, dominant part in him wants to fight for her, to demand that he be given full custody or at least half.

But can he do that to his little girl?

He still remembers the night he came home to Soarynn packing her things into a suitcase, how livid he had been when he saw her packing Ceraphina’s things too.

“You can’t take my daughter away from me,” he had claimed, filled with anger and frustration.

“She’s my daughter too Coriolanus,” Soarynn had reminded him, closing her suitcase, “and it won’t be any different, you barely see her as it is.”

She was right.

Coriolanus has been offered a handful of opportunities to see Ceraphina since they moved out and he’s only taken a few due to his busy schedule. From what he’s heard, she spends every second with Soarynn, going shopping, going to the park, out to eat with friends.

Should he fight for custody of her, she’ll grow up with a nanny rather than her mother and he can’t do that to her.

He loves her too much.

“Give her full custody,” Coriolanus says to Mr. Nimbus, clearing his throat, “I’ll pay whatever child support the court decides on.”

Mr. Nimbus looks puzzled by his sudden and clear decision but Coriolanus knows what needs to be done. If he loves his daughter, which he does, then he’ll let Soarynn raise her. And he’ll visit when he can, take her out for little dates, remind her how much he loves her and how much Soarynn loves her as well.

She’s a spitting image of her mother in both looks and kindness and he’d be a monster to take that spark away from her.

He finally gains to courage to look over at Soarynn and he can see the relief in her face, the tears in her eyes. Her hands are shaking and she nods, blowing out a deep breath, “I agree to those terms,” she says softly.

Coriolanus wants to reach out to her. He wants to grab her hand and wipe her tears because she shouldn’t feel this way, shouldn’t have come here prepared to put up a fight to have custody of their daughter.

But she did and he can’t.

Nothing has happened in the way he wanted.

Mr. Nimbus scratches several things out on his documents and warily eyes Coriolanus, “Then it’s come down to the penthouse which might I remind everyone, is an ancestral home to the Snows, dating back to the beginning of Panem.”

Coriolanus remembers the day Soarynn moved into his penthouse. How she transformed it, made it into a home. He remembers their first night together, baking cookies in the kitchen, dancing in the living room. He remembers brining Ceraphina home from the hospital after she was born, just a tiny little thing.

Every corner of that penthouse is haunted.

“He can keep it,” Soarynn tells her lawyer who is now the one who looks surprised. Coriolanus is shocked as well, she put so much time and effort into transforming the penthouse, making it more timeless, a space to pass down for generations.

She tears her gaze away from the desk and looks at Coriolanus, taking his breath away, “It’s yours,” she says, “we’ll live with my father in my own ancestral home.”

Coriolanus doesn’t quite know what to say, while Soarynn came prepared to fight for their daughter, he came prepared to fight for his home.

It seems that they’re both full of surprises today.

“I agree to those terms,” he finally says, swallowing down a lump in his throat.

Their lawyers probably came here prepared to throw down and put up a nasty fight but neither parties seem interested in watching the other person bleed.

They’ve both been hurt in different ways.

All that’s left is to sign the papers.

“Sign here, here, and here,” Mr. Nimbus says to Soarynn, pointing at several dotted lines on different documents. She looks at her lawyer who nods, all terms have been looked over and agreed upon. He’ll keep the penthouse, Soarynn will keep Ceraphina who will be able to see her father whenever she pleases. Soarynn will inherit the money she’s entitled to and Coriolanus will keep the rest.

She signs the last line and holds out the pen to Coriolanus who slowly takes it from her hand.

He stares down at the papers in front of him. He can’t believe it’s come to this. He wishes he could go back, change the past, be a better man, a better father, a better husband.

But he can see how tired she is, how exhausting this has all been for her. Coriolanus hasn’t stopped loving Soarynn and he knows she hasn’t stopped loving him either but if you love something, then you let it go.

He signs the papers, finalizing their divorce in black ink.

After documents have been filed away, everyone stands. Their lawyers shake hands and whisper things to their clients who are both quiet.

Mr. Nimbus gives Coriolanus a pat on the shoulder, “Good luck with your campaign, Mr. Snow.”

Coriolanus nods, watching him leave the room.

Soarynn’s lawyer gives her arm a friendly squeeze and follows Nimbus out into the hallway. Leaving Soarynn and Coriolanus alone in a room for the last time.

“Here,” Soarynn says, sliding off her wedding ring, “you should have it back.”

Coriolanus shakes his head, doing his best to act nonchalant, “No, keep it.”

But Soarynn takes a step closer, a persistent look in her stormy blue eyes, “It was your mother’s, please, take it.”

She’s right. It was his mother’s wedding ring and it was the perfect fit for Soarynn’s ring finger.

He takes it from her and slides it into his pocket, “Thank you. Thank you for everything,” he says, hoping she picks up on what he really means.

She does. She does because she knows him like the back of her hand and she sighs, carding a hand through her hair, “We had a good run,” she decides, “good times, good memories. I hope we can keep it that way.”

Coriolanus smiles, a real smile, the first one in weeks, “I’d like that. I’ll see about scheduling a time to see Ceraphina.”

Soarynn slides her purse onto her shoulder, nodding, “Good, she’s been asking about you.”

He looks at her differently now. Soarynn is no longer a woman he’s expected to protect, to love and cherish and yet, he still plans on doing all of those things. Not out of guilt, but out of respect for what they had and what she’s given him.

She gave him eight amazing years, unconditional love and a family.

She gave it her all.

He sighs, this is it. No longer will they be known as the Snows. Death will not do them part.

“Take care of yourself,” he tells her even though he knows that Soarynn is more than capable of taking care of herself.

Soarynn smiles, “It was nice knowing you.”

He misses her already.

“It was nice knowing you too.”

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

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[yanderecrazysie]

Curiosity (Yandere Tsukishima)

This was a Quotev request!

Title: Curiosity

Pairings: Tsukishima Kei x Reader

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, swearing, suggestive themes, non-consensual touching, seriously creepy vibes from Tsukishima

Summary: Tsukishima seems like a normal guy, except that he’s always writing in that journal of his. When you decide to see what he’s up to, you learn that he’s anything but normal.

curiosity

/noun/

a strong desire to know or learn something:

 DAY 1

It’s the first day of school again. (Y/n) looked beautiful as ever today, I missed seeing her in her school uniform. Of course, I’ve been following her around town over the summer, but I missed seeing her in a skirt. This is the last year I see that until I make a move, as I doubt she’ll wear skirts to university.

I’ll do my best to draw what she looks like, since this is a special occasion, but there’s no way my art can do her justice.

Tsukishima Kei was a quiet guy, which, you supposed, was common for smart kids. You hadn’t known him well throughout high school and you doubted you’d have much time to get to know him, since the end of your third and final year was nearly upon you both.

One interesting thing you always noticed is that he was always writing in a journal of sorts, sometimes sketching away in it instead of writing.

You always wondered what it said.

DAY 17

(Y/n) smiled and waved at me today. She does that to everyone, I know, but I couldn’t breathe when she turned her divine attention on me! I felt like, even for a second, I had her undivided attention! I’d do anything, ANYTHING to get that on me again. I’d fucking kill everyone she knows if that means she’ll look at me and only me.

Tsukishima always gave you the distinct vibe that he wanted a friend, especially after his only friend moved away last year, but that he didn’t know how to approach anyone. You sensed a sort of longing when he looked at you and you wondered if your friendliness appealed to his loneliness. Perhaps he was awkward or shy?

You felt bad that you hadn’t had time to talk to him, but life really was just too busy. You always tried to be friendly when you passed him in the halls or made eye contact. 

It was the least you could do.

DAY 33

I love (Y/n) so much that I was willing to dig around in her trash can to find that lip gloss she’d thrown away. How many guys would do THAT for their girlfriends? She only wore it a few times since she didn’t like it very much, but that just meant I had so much of something her precious lips had touched.

I felt like I was in heaven putting it on- like I was kissing her! I had dreams about doing just that and I woke up feeling happier and more refreshed than I had been all year. I need more.

You’d always felt like someone was following you and like your things were disappearing, but you wrote those feelings off as paranoia. Maybe you should take those things seriously, but who had time for that? You were on the student council, an honor student, and preparing for college.

Why didn’t you see the red flags?

Were you really so colorblind?

DAY 52

I went to her house and climbed in through the window. Thank goodness she’s on the first floor.

I went straight to her bed and just laid on it and inhaled her scent from the pillows and blankets. She’s on vacation and I miss her so much, so I really couldn’t help doing all this. It’s her fault for leaving me.

I wonder if she wants our room to look like this or if she has a better one in mind. I’m not a fan of the color but, if she likes it, who am I to disagree? I just want her to be healthy and happy with me. I’ll make her.

You were a naturally curious person. That’s probably why you did so well in school- you had a thirst for knowing why and how that many people your age didn’t care for. You never just wanted to accept things without an explanation. Better to be informed.

Sometimes you were called nosy or told to mind your own business, but you couldn’t help it. You also had a bad habit of eavesdropping and “investigating” on your own. You’d do great in a Nancy Drew book, but it annoyed real-life people.

It’s really no surprise that, when you went to grab Tsukishima’s left-behind notebook, you couldn’t stop yourself from peeking inside and reading some of the entries and looking at the drawings.

DAY 82

I peeked through her window at just the right time and caught her getting undressed for a shower! I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Words can’t describe the experience, so I’ll draw what she looked like instead:

You felt sick. For once, you wished, desperately, that your curiosity was nonexistent. If you could take back everything you’d seen in the last few minutes, you would.

You’d just go off to university, blissfully unaware, and never see that freak ever again. How could he write and draw such things? How could he violate your privacy like that? How dare he-

“You read it, didn’t you?”

The empty classroom went so silent you could hear a pin drop. Your horror felt like metal weighing down your stomach and throat. You couldn’t swallow, you couldn’t breathe.

Tsukishima was right behind you, inching closer each moment, but you couldn’t hope to turn around or run away. You were petrified, rooted in place like you were a statue. A statue with wide eyes and terror etched into your features.

You wanted to claim you hadn’t but the journal was still open in your hands, opened up to a disgusting drawing of yourself and your eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from it. Even if you wanted to futilely make up an excuse, your mouth wouldn’t form the words. You couldn’t so much as squeak.

As he stands directly behind you, his hands caress your waist, finger pads sinking deep into the flesh through your shirt. You shudder in disgust, but that’s the most movement your body can even make.

Even as his fingers dance at the hem of your shirt, daringly searching upwards against bare skin, you can’t move or make a sound. You wished you were a fight or flee kind of person and not a freeze.

You feel his lips brush against your earlobe and you violently shudder as he speaks into your ear a few chilling words.

“Don’t you know what curiosity did to the cat?”

[petrichorvidae]

Mushy May Day 1: Cuteness aggression Doing each others' makeup

Rating: Teen Word count: 3,863 Pairing(s): Cumulus/Mountain (Not main focus) + Written with polyghouls in mind but can be interpreted however you want! Link to it on AO3 for those who prefer!

I couldn't for the life of me think of something for the cuteness aggression prompt so I swapped it out with this... only to realise I don't know all that much without makeup. And yet, I still ended up with one of the longest things I've written in years lol

A huge thanks to @forlorn-crows for organizing Mushy May!

~~~~~~~~~~

Cumulus had woken up that day with only one thing on her mind, a plan set in stone, an instinctual need to do but one not-so-simple thing; Today was the day Cumulus would teach Sunshine about makeup.

She wasn’t sure what, exactly, had brought this sudden urge upon her. Perhaps it was a few too many compliments and comments the Multi ghoulette had been making to her and, on the less than common occasions where she could be bothered to do her own makeup, Cirrus. Or maybe it was just because the new summon had brought back memories of her own time as someone new and foreign in a ministry full of people who knew each other, shoved into an already bonded pack, and remembered her first time discovering the wonders of makeup with some siblings, and how much joy it had brought her to have a new way to add to her self-expression. Regardless of the whys and hows, once she had fresh clothes on and some of Mountain’s famous eggs and bacon, she was ready to set upon her self-assigned mission. 

“Come on Sunny, It’ll be fun!” Cumulus leads the newest member of their little pack into her and Cirrus’ shared room, closing the door behind them a bit too eagerly as a complaint can be heard from down the hall and quickly brushed to the side as she continues doing what her heart was set out to do. Sunshine’s smaller hand is held in hers while she leads her to a corner of the room where some beanbags were set up for them to sit on comfortably while they do this.

“...You’re sure it’s going to be fun?” Quiet and anxious, as she has been ever since her summoning day.

Cumulus turns to her, looking into her fiery eyes and smiling warmly at her. Her hand comes to rest on her arm in a comforting gesture. “Oh honey, I promise you that I will try to make this as fun for you as possible.”. After a few seconds, she thinks to add “And if it isn’t fun for you then I promise we can stop whenever you’d like.”

That seems to make Sunshine a little less on edge. Still, Cumulus can’t help the small chuckle that’s pulled from her when the Multi ghoulette raises one of her hands, pinky finger extended out with the most serious of expressions that she’s seen on her yet, and asks; “Pinky promise?”

It’s nearly instant how she wraps her pinky finger around Sunshine’s and pulls her close. “Promise.”

She gives a quick peck to the tip of Sunshine’s nose and that seems to be what finally breaks her walls down. It warms Cumulus’ heart, just how pure and genuine the little laughs that the young ghoulette lets out are. It might just be the purest thing she’s heard in a good long time, maybe even in all of the time since she had been summoned herself.

Once her little laughing fit is all done and over, Sunshine lets out a relaxed sigh and seats herself upon one of the beanbags. She chooses the one that looks the comfiest for herself, a pleasantly plump one with pink faux fur, leaving the smaller blue-grey one for Cumulus. She’s not really sure what to do while she waits for Cumulus to finish gathering all of her things, so she settles with challenging one of the plushes perched atop Cumulus’ pillow to a staring contest. It takes a while but Cumulus soon returns to her assigned beanbag chAir, a whole bunch of stuff that Sunshine had no clue about now laid out on the floor in front of her. She feels a sense of relief wash over her as she’s freed from her silly little staring contest, the look that beady-eyed plush was giving her was starting to get intense.

“All right,” Cumulus claps her hands together as she takes stock of everything, double-checking real quick that she has everything she needs. “Let’s get started!”

“So what are we doing, specifically?”

“I was thinking we’d start it simple with some eyeshadow and eyeliner since it’s your first time.” Cumulus explains her plan. As if any of those words would explain anything to the new ghoulette. Just as she had expected, the response she gets is Sunshine’s brow creasing in confusion and a tilt of her head that reminds Cumulus a bit too much of those cute dog videos that a Sister of Sin had been showing her the other day. Adorableness aside, she decides to explain further with a simple “You’ll see when we’re done.”, which seems to be satisfactory enough of an answer for the curious Multi for the time being. She goes back to as she was on the beanbag, her legs crisscrossed as she waits for Cumulus to do whatever it is she’s been so eager for all morning.

From Cumulus’ collection of makeup supplies, she procures a simple and small eyeshadow palette and a couple of brushes. The corners of her mouth pull up into an even bigger smile as she watches Sunshine’s expression go from confused once again, to full of wonder when Cumulus opens up the palette to reveal all the colours hidden within. That pure wonder in her eyes is something Cumulus hopes will never fade. 

Cumulus offers Sunshine a warm smile and goes to hold her hand in hers, caressing her hand in a way intended to soothe any remaining jitters she might have. “It’ll be okay sweetheart, promise.” Orange gazes into black as Sunshine locks eyes with her for a moment. “Now,” She clapped her hands together once again “you got any preference for colour?”

Sunshine seemed to mull it over for a few solid seconds, before finally settling on “Hmm, nah. I think I’ll trust you with that stuff for now. Thanks!” She smiled a small and toothy smile at her, fangs and all on display. It was nice getting to see this initially shy and closed-off ghoulette start to grow more comfortable around her new packmates. Cumulus is honored to have the smaller ghoulette’s trust, even if it’s something as rudimentary as this.

With a gentle hand and a bit of hesitance on Sunshine’s half, Cumulus is finally leaning forward, eyeshadow brush in hand, ready to get this party started. She looks over the colours, a range of mostly more natural or neutral colours with a few brighter more saturated options thrown into the mix. The palette was a gift from one of the Siblings in the choir, a thank-you present for helping them out with some extra singing lessons in her free time, and she hadn’t gotten the chance to use it until now. After analyzing her options she decides on trying out a simple smokey eye. 

She starts with one of the darker colours from her selection, getting it on the brush before getting to work, sweeping with gentle strokes across Sunshine’s upper eyelid, slowly but surely applying the makeup while Sunshine sat there perfectly still, save for her tail thumping down onto the beanbag despite the ghoulette’s best attempts to hide her newfound excitement.

It took a bit, especially with how Sunshine started to fidget after spending more than a few seconds without doing something, but Cumulus was all done with the first step and is now ready to move on to the second. She picked a more mid-toned shade, applying it over Sunshine’s crease, spanning from the inner corner to the outer edge of her eye. After a little work, it starts to form a gradient-like appearance with the darker shade. With that all did and done she moves on to the lightest colour she has picked out and is quick, yet careful, to apply it above her crease going up to her brow, it doesn’t take her long at all and she’s ready to start blending everything with a clean brush she saved aside just for this. Everything was coming together now.

“Okay Sunny, just a little bit more and we can move on to the next thing, all good?” It’s almost comical how quick she is to nod her head at the question.

She quickly adds a little of the lightest shade to the inner corners of her eyes, helping to really bring out the brightness of her eyes. Once done with that she puts the palette and all her brushes off to the side, discarded for future her to put away and clean up. Now it was time for the trickier part; eyeliner.

She grabs her liquid eyeliner and while she’s shaking the bottle she explains this next bit to Sunshine “So we’re gonna do your eyeliner now sweetie, but I’ll need you to be very still so I don’t mess it up. Do you think you can do that Sunny?”

“Oh, uhm yeah... I can try, I guess.” Sunshine’s anxiety rears its face a little in her response but is quickly put down with Cumulus’ genuine ‘Thank you, sweetie’, which puts her at ease once again. She still seems a little nervous when Cumulus unscrews the cap and pulls the brush out, but her trust in the older ghoulette seems to cancel it out as she lets out a deep sigh.

Cumulus swipes off a bit of excess liner against the edge of the bottle before going to begin to apply it to Sunshine. After a couple of years of practice along with some good ol’ fashioned trial and error under her belt, Cumulus is able to get a good line on her first try. She’s decided to go for a small wing look for Sunshine, nothing too dramatic. She’s able to do the first wing pretty quick, and is about to move on to doing the same for the other eye when she notices how fidgety Sunshine’s getting with her hands. 

“Oh sweetie, you’ve been doing so good so far.” Sunshine beams at the praise. “You wanna hold onto this for me until we’re done so you have something to fidget with?” She asks as she plucks up the stuffed cow plush from her bed, a gift from Mountain after they both discovered their shared love for highland cows that came as a matching set with one he has for himself, the very same plush that Sunshine had been staring down as if her life depended on it earlier. The fat little thing glares hard deep into her soul once again as she grabs the presented plush, but this time she is distracted from its intimidating gaze by just how soft its pale blonde fur is against her fingers. She lets out a small ‘Ooh’ while she pets it. Cumulus deems this as a mission accomplished, and after giving Sunshine a minute to settle back down with her new bovine friend, Cumulus does the wing for her other eye. 

With the look almost complete there’s just the lipstick left now, and she’s already got a colour all set and ready to go. A simple nude, to really hit home with making her eyes pop. A darker colour didn’t really seem like Sunshine’s sort of vibe anyway. It ended up taking Cumulus a bit longer than it usually would, given how squirmy Sunshine got at the weird feeling of it being applied to her lips, but Cumulus was happy to say that she was all done.

“And done! Tada!” She presented a small mirror to Sunshine, and aside from a few cracks it had earned over the years that reflective surface did a wonderful job at showing the Multi ghoulette how she looks now. That sparkle in her eyes as she took in all the little details and the slight sparkle of her eyeshadow was well worth all the time they’ve spent here, sitting in some old beanbag chAirs in Cumulus and Cirrus’ room, with some fat little cow plush that still bore into the very depths of Sunshine’s being with its little bead eyes.

“Thank you, Cumulus. This was way more fun than I thought it would be at first, to be honest.”

Cumulus chuckles darkly, “Oh honey, we aren’t done yet.”

“Huh?”, Sunshine wears her confusion on her sleeve, her head tilting to the side again in that dog-like manner. Gosh, it was so adorable, Cumulus just wants to eat her up.

“Well, how did you think you were going to learn if you didn’t try it out yourself, sweetheart?” Cumulus brings back the palette and brushes from earlier, along with the liquid liner. She beams at Sunshine with a big and bright smile as she announces “You’re going to try it out on me now.”

Sunshine gulped. She looked to the cow for support, but for the first time today, he had turned his back to her. She was all alone, left to fend for herself. Damn cow.

…

The learning process was painful. Everything was so much harder than how it seemed, Cumulus truly made it all feel effortless but evidently, it was anything but. There were several times when Sunshine had groaned in frustration and considered giving up and walking off, maybe finding somewhere nice and secluded to sulk for the day, but Cumulus was always there to pull her back in with her words of encouragement. After what felt like hours she was finally done, and she took a few steps back to really take in her work.

“It’s… better than I thought it would be!” Sunshine beams at the older ghoul, tail wagging wildly to and fro, slapping with only a slight sting against her legs on occasion. She truly was sunshine incarnate.

Cumulus brings her into a hug, carefully not to step on any of the stuff strewn across the floor beneath them. “You did good Sunny!” She places a kiss on her cheek before pulling away, looking into those fiery eyes once more. “I’m so proud of you.”

Sunshine tried to hide the oncoming blush across her cheeks, but she wasn’t quite quick enough to hide it from the Air ghoulette. She gets a kiss on the nose as another little tease.

“How do you feel about showing the others?”

That seems to startle her a little, as she jumps in Cumulus’ hold. “Show them?” She looks around the room, catching a glimpse of the two of them in a full-body mirror over on Cirrus’ side. “Like- like right now?”

“Yeah sweetie, right now.” A few moments later Cumulus continues on to add “If you’re comfortable with it, that is.”

“Only if I’m comfortable with it?”

“Yeah, we could just take some photos if you want and go clean all this up.”

Sunshine thinks it over once, twice, three times before finally making her decision. She shakes her head insistently “N-no, I wanna show the others. You did such a good job, it would be a shame for it to go to waste.”

Cumulus brings her into another hug, speaking quietly into her ear “Oh Sunny, don’t sell yourself short. You did good too.”

Sunshine laughs a little at that. “If ya say so.” The pAir quickly put their things away, and by that they mean they put it all onto Cirrus’ desk until Cumulus could put it all back in its rightful place at a later time, knowing Cirrus wouldn’t be too bothered by the additional clutter in the time being. With that done the two open up the door, hand in hand, and step out to show their packmates.

They can hear voices down in the den, the name they have lovingly given to the open area of their dorms where they are free to hang out and eat. The smell of something good cooking tells them that Mountain’s in, as are Dewdrop and Swiss judging by the light-hearted yelling they can hear, likely over some game. Their suspicions are confirmed when the ghoulettes walk out into the space and are greeted by the sight of a good many of their packmates already gathered. Dewdrop, Rain, and Swiss were all squished together on the slightly cramped sofa, Dewdrop and Swiss both with controllers in hand as they argue about who allegedly cheated. Rain was of course attempting to mediate the pAir from where he was sat between them, but that was looking like more and more of a losing battle as the seconds ticked by. Meanwhile, Mountain, just as they expected was over in the kitchenette area of the den.

Cumulus decided to announce their presence with a simple question “What are you making there, Mounty?”

The Earth ghoul’s ears perk up, his tail wagging instantly at the sound of his packmate's voice. He doesn’t turn around but answers her anyway while he continues to cook. “I’m making a grilled sandwich since I had to skip breakfast today.” Knowing the question she was bound to ask before she could even think of it, he goes on to explain “Someone must have accidentally locked one of the strays in the greenhouse tonight, and she was reasonably pissed by the time I got there.” He sticks out his arm, littered with plasters and some angry red marks. Ouch.

“Ouch.” She hissed in sympathy “You got them cleaned, I hope?” The question is met with a subtle nod, the ghoul focusing for a moment as he flips his grilled cheese over.

“Oh yeah, it was Lucy so… ya know…”

“Ooh yeah, her scratches sting like a bitch.” Dewdrop butts in from the sofa, seemingly having won his little debate if Swiss’ pout and quiet grumbling is anything to go by. “Pretty sure I’ve still got a scar from the lil’ fucker!” He sounds almost proud of the absolute beating the scrawny black cat had given him when he last attempted to pick her up. But hey, it still somehow went better than all the other times, so that’s something.

“Hey Lus.” Rain waves tiredly over tiredly, and comedically lets out the biggest yawn not even a few seconds later, stretching in a way that never fails to make everyone question the existence of his bones, and a squeal is heard not a moment later when he knocks Swiss right off of the sofa with his tail.

“Ow! You gotta watch that thing man!” The Multi ghoul rubs at the back of his head, feigning injury in typical dramatic Swiss fashion. They’re all used to it by now, and the Water ghoul just scoffs at him with a chuckle before cosying up more to Dewdrop’s side. Oh, it was so clear who the victor of the argument had been.

“Hehe, hi there Rain. Bullying Swiss as usual I see?” Cumulus smirks at the trio from where she was stood at the edge of the hallway. Sunshine was still hidden away behind her, holding onto her hand with a firm grip while she waited patiently.

“Oh you know it, he was exploiting some glitch in their game.” The Water ghoul explains.

“Hmm, deserved.” She says, but they all know it’s all in good fun. A little laugh from behind her alerts them all to the additional presence that they hadn’t noticed yet, and now they were all looking at her as if she’s sprouted a second head.

She looks behind her and checks in on Sunshine, silently communicating to her through facial expression alone, asking her if she is ready. That small nod was all she needed to let Sunshine’s hand slip from hers so she could step up further into the room.

“Ghouls and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make!” She gestures to herself “As you can see, I have a bit of a new look today, at the hands of our lovely little Sunshine. But not only has she done a wonderful job on me, but she also had to go and honour me by allowing me to hone in my skills with her as my latest project.” All of them seem to perk up at that, it’s certainly been a long time since Cumulus has subjected one of the pack to one of her beauty lessons. It was still fresh in the minds of everyone how insulted Rain was when she suggested that he needed moisturizer. He was a Water ghoul, after all, being moist was his whole brand.

“Without further theatrics, I present to you all, my lovely artist and canvas for this evening!” She gestured to her side, and not long thereafter a only slightly hesitant Multi ghoulette appeared. The room is filled with ‘Ooh’s and ‘Ah’s as they all come up to see Cumulus’ work up close, showering both her and the small ghoulette in compliments.

Swiss whistles as he walks up from his seat of shame down on the carpet. “Damn Lus, you did good with this one.” He grins one of his trademark toothy grins at Sunshine, only appearing slightly menacing as he takes her in. “I’d say you may look even more delectable than usual, little spark.” That blush from earlier is now back in full force, Sunshine’s cheeks burning as the Multi ghoul continues to hit on her some more.

“Okay, keep it in your pants Swisstopher.” Mountain calls out from the kitchenette as he starts to make his way over too, his grilled cheese new safe and placed on a plate to cool down for a moment. “You look great Sunshine.” He says before pulling her into a firm hug. “Sorry I wasn’t able to give you your lessons today, like I said, there were some… complications down at the gardens.”

“Oh, that’s fine. It all worked out in the end anyway, Cumulus found me!” Her tail wags strongly behind her.

He chuckles warm and deep, and pulls out from the hug to turn over to the aforementioned Air ghoulette. “And speaking of the devil,” he’s being pulled by Cumulus into a kiss before he can continue the thought. When he’s finally released from her grasp he tries not to think of how her fresh lipstick has probably just smudged all over his mouth and tries to regather his brain cells real quick. “Uh, as I was saying; you look fantastic as always Lus, though the blue is certainly a break from your usual tastes.”

“Hehe, I let Sunny here pick all the colours herself.”

“Damn, you did all that yourself?” Dewdrop asks, sounding genuinely impressed.

Sunshine blushes even more at all the attention but nods in response to the question.

“Wow, you did great for your first time!” Swiss is the next to offer his thoughts. “You shoulda seen what she looked like when Mountain first tried to do her makeup for her.”

Said Earth ghoul was now hiding his face away in the crook of Cumulus’ neck as best as he can with their height difference, and the small whine that can be heard from him causes laughter to spread across the pack. “She looked like a discount circus clown!” Dewdrop exclaimed before clutching at his stomach as he bent over with the sheer force of laughter that hit him. The others were in a similar state. 

Their reactions make Sunshine wish she was there to see it for herself.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Painting of the same title [Love Among The Ruins] , inspired by Browning's poem, by Edward Burne-Jones

+

Here. Have a poem. A beautiful poem. And read it, if you can make time, and if you can stretch your ever-shrinking attention span (like mine is). Not sure why this one today. Maybe because Jerusalem has risen to glory and fallen to desolation repeatedly. It has never been so populous with so many buildings and so much life. It doesn't seem possible it could be desolate yet again. But it probably didn't seem possible at any previous pinnacle either. It certainly didn't to the author of the biblical Lamentations, whose speaker stares in disbelief after its sack by Babylon, as they ask in the opening verse, How sits the city solitary, that was full of people. How is she become as a widow. She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how has been laid low.

Someday, maybe not all that far off, this place where I love, charmed as I remain by its layers of history and poetry, could resemble Browning's vision. Maybe our great edifices will greet people like broken Ozymandias as an unintended caution against arrogance and vainglory. Certainly enough of that to go around these days. Can it be avoided? Seems like that would be bold new territory for this city, and perhaps all humanity.

Or, maybe just because I love this poem.

+ Love among the Ruins ~Robert Browning

Where the quiet-coloured end of evening smiles, Miles and miles On the solitary pastures where our sheep Half-asleep Tinkle homeward thro' the twilight, stray or stop As they crop— Was the site once of a city great and gay, (So they say) Of our country's very capital, its prince Ages since Held his court in, gathered councils, wielding far Peace or war.

Now the country does not even boast a tree, As you see, To distinguish slopes of verdure, certain rills From the hills Intersect and give a name to, (else they run Into one) Where the domed and daring palace shot its spires Up like fires O'er the hundred-gated circuit of a wall Bounding all Made of marble, men might march on nor be prest Twelve abreast.

And such plenty and perfection, see, of grass Never was! Such a carpet as, this summer-time, o'er-spreads And embeds Every vestige of the city, guessed alone, Stock or stone— Where a multitude of men breathed joy and woe Long ago; Lust of glory pricked their hearts up, dread of shame Struck them tame; And that glory and that shame alike, the gold Bought and sold.

Now—the single little turret that remains On the plains, By the caper overrooted, by the gourd Overscored, While the patching houseleek's head of blossom winks Through the chinks— Marks the basement whence a tower in ancient time Sprang sublime, And a burning ring, all round, the chariots traced As they raced, And the monarch and his minions and his dames Viewed the games.

And I know, while thus the quiet-coloured eve Smiles to leave To their folding, all our many-tinkling fleece In such peace, And the slopes and rills in undistinguished grey Melt away— That a girl with eager eyes and yellow hair Waits me there In the turret whence the charioteers caught soul For the goal, When the king looked, where she looks now, breathless, dumb Till I come.

But he looked upon the city, every side, Far and wide, All the mountains topped with temples, all the glades' Colonnades, All the causeys, bridges, aqueducts,—and then All the men! When I do come, she will speak not, she will stand, Either hand On my shoulder, give her eyes the first embrace Of my face, Ere we rush, ere we extinguish sight and speech Each on each.

In one year they sent a million fighters forth South and North, And they built their gods a brazen pillar high As the sky Yet reserved a thousand chariots in full force— Gold, of course. O heart! oh blood that freezes, blood that burns! Earth's returns For whole centuries of folly, noise and sin! Shut them in, With their triumphs and their glories and the rest! Love is best.

(Ori Hanan Weisberg)

[punsmaster69]

9/JAN/20XX

been a minute since i stayed in my room all day by myself.

once upon a time, that was a pretty common occurrence.

and maybe i still won't, but it's how i've spent today so far.

feels a bit different now that i'm actually lifted off the ground.

while stretching out as much as i could, i accidentally knocked something off the bed with my foot. lazily rolling over to see what it was, there was no real intention in me to get up and grab it.

a stuffed plush of a bear laid pathetically on its face.

i glanced back at the other stuffed animals on the end of my bed.

"...but these ones feel special for some reason."

"must be the fabric quality."

..that's what i'd thought the day she won them for me, right?

they're not particularly notable in quality, in honesty.

still, they do feel special.

sliding off the bed and landing on my feet next to the bear, i lifted it to meet my face.

the stuffed animal's beady eyes, obscured partially by fur, returned my stare.

"you're only special because of her, huh?"

i can tell myself i'm not a stuffed animal person.

i'm not the type.

i'm not a sentimental guy.

and it'd probably be true,

if it weren't for her.

the other plush creatures had been arranged by size at the foot of my bed, resting against the baseboard.

the doing of a neater skeleton than i.

and, the un-doing of a messier skeleton than he.

sitting myself in front of the wrecked arrangement, i tried to recreate how they had been previously.

two equally exaggeratedly fat animals start the line off at the largest size - differently colored chickens.

floor bear is the dead-center of the grouping. it's got longer brown fur and a small gold ribbon tied into bow around its neck. the bow and the animal's eyes are somewhat obscured by the fur length.

then, a creature i can't quite determine between raccoon and squirrel which it might be.

either or, whatever that one is has a little fall cardigan on.

smallest, final of the line, is a something that is decidedly not an animal.

stuffed shape is more fitting, it being a heart; that kind of semi-shiny, soft material.

"I never want to be ap-heart!"

reads the front.

the embroidered font is fancy and silvery.

texturally, the words are rough.

really, they're the exact quality one expects from festival booth prizes.

so to be displayed on the end of my bed like this...

it's more a sentiment to the memory surrounding them.

another day like that would be nice. can admit to myself now that i really would enjoy it.

friends can s

the festival setting in particular isn't quite the part i'm thinking about.

where around here could we

....

properly seated, the stuffies feel like an audience in a way i hadn't noticed before.

on the other hand, putting them anywhere but on my bed feels like disrespect.

for now, i'll turn them the other way.

——

turning them away feels wrong in a way i'm not sure i could specify if i tried, so i rotated the bear back to me.

it's a show of innocence.

of normal-ness.

friendshipness.

(the friendship-adjectives are getting out of hand.)

i held my hands up to further prove to the inanimate object that innocence.

i put them back down because hands don't have anything to do with this.

"you're a gift from a friend. no other way to see it."

not entirely sure at this point whether it was really the bear i was convincing - or entirely sure why i was bothering doing this to begin with - i moved on.

...

i already noted the amount of "friendship" adjectives i've been coming up with over time to excuse things.

𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.

sure.

unspecific enough.

"friendship" is a nice label you can put over things that you don't wanna give any 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 labels to.

labels feel like making a choice.

labels feel concrete.

labels feel like 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

and, uh.

you know something?

never have been the kind of guy to act first.

another thing calling it "friendship" is good for is...

can't call it "cowardice" when i won't vocalize (or similar) what's occupying my mind

if it's still called "friendship."

maybe the fact that i'm trying to justify it at all should bring light to somethin'...

but that kind of self awareness is reserved for therapy calls.

and i'm hanging up the phone for now.

[beautifulmindset111]

Heyyy guys this is my first post today im going to try to enter the void state with the lullaby method! I’ve been procrastinating for way too long and me,sister and my nephew are about get kicked out our home in 9 days !!! So I will be updating u guys on my progress !!! Please comment any tips for focusing!!!!!!!

Day 1- I listened to some brown noise for 13 mins and laid down in a my regular position (on my side) started affirming not for the void state but that my sister had 10k dollars to pay for the late rent bcuz I felt like I needed to that so we can have stable housing then the void state comes along. i turned the brown noise off and tried to just fall asleep naturally and affirm I feel asleep and I affirmed but not I fall asleep anyways , I kept waking up and I just affirmed and affirmed then at 4 something am I got into sats I think and I said I am in the void state and I am I started feeling symptoms like tingling I can’t really explain it but instead I should’ve kept affirming the thing I was affirming before ( aka my sister has 10k dollars) but thats basically it I’ll keep update of any other resultss ❤️! one more thing I think I’m gonna stay awake until I get very drowsy like half asleep half awake or sats something like that .

Final update: I didn’t get into the void state butttt WE ARE NOTT GETTING EVICTED!!!

Btw I will trying a new method to get into the void state! Im using yoga Nidra! And since I don’t know how to link the posts involved with it. you can look in my liking section it will be there!! I tried the meditation rn and it worked like a charm but I opened my eyes bcuz I forgot I had to affirm so I will be making a journey/progress post rn !!! I have so much faith in this method I know this method is going to work for me like NOTHING I MEAN NOTHING NO ONE CAN TELL ME THIS WONT WORK FOR ME LITERALLY THATS HOW I FEEL STRONGLY AND FIRMLY I AM GOING TO GAVE THAT DREAM LIFE NOBODY CAN TELL ME NOTHINGHGG. 😭a lil moment but yea this works so fast so im def going into the void with method and u can too it’s fast and it’s easy I wasted soo much freaking time on doing nothing and now im fed tf uppp so my plan is to try at 5:00 am before school I get to go to school at 10:00 so I have ALOT of time!!! I been seeing 444 1111 and numbers like that for so long and this is my final push. This is my moment to SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND ( in rihannas angelic voice😌💅🏾) I AMM SOOO FREAKING READYYY FOR THIS IM READY FOR A CHANGE NOW I GAVE BEEN SETTLING FOR LESS FOR TOO DAMN LONG I NEEEDDDDD TO ACHIEVE BAD BTCH NOT TAKING SHII FROM ANYONE TYPE GIRL TO COMR OUT OF MEEE! I NEED TO SHIFTT TO MY WR AND MY FAME DR TO GO TO POUNDTOWN WUTH MY VERY WEALTHY SWEET CARING HUSBAND AND I WANT TO SEE MY BABIEESSS IM GOING TO SMUGGLE THEM WHEN I SEE THEM FRFR IM SHIFTING TO THE TIME I WAS 5 MONTHS WITH MYLO (my son the youngest 🥺💙) BROOO IM SOO FLIPPING HAPPY RN ALL HIGH VIBRATIONS ❤️❤️❤️I CAN WAIT TIL I GO INTO THE VOID IM GOING TO TELL U GUYS EVERYTHING RIGHT I SAY WHAT I WANNA MANIFEST IM STRAIGHT SHIFTING TO MY WR INTO FAME DR I HAVE TWO MY MESSY FDR AND MY NORMAL FDR IM GOING THE NORM ONE FIRST. I HAVE SO MANY DRS IM JUST GONNA GO TO MY FDR AND TELL U GUYS SO MANY STORIES BRO IM GOING TO HAVE A FCKING BLAST. LIKE I RLLY NEED THIS BREAK RN (srry for the captions 😭) bcuz i js rlly need to yk get from all the bs happening with my family in general I feel so unappreciated I try my best but it never seems good enough for them. My sister makes me feels like im a burden to her so im js gonna manifest me a dad and leave I’ll still communicate with her I js don’t feel like i want to LIVE with her yk she got my nephew and that’s all she could handle our mother rlly js messed us up. Im js tremendously grateful i stumbled upon manifesting & shifting now i can change my life for the better i can heal finally and truly be myself i can literally travel to any reality to ANYWHERE AND BE ANYTHING I want to. I CAN DO ANYTHING I know I have the power to do it ik it’s within me im going to shoot for freaking stars now.

[jiminthestreets-bonesinthesheets]

Love Beyond the Black - CH 1

Fandom: Ateez Rating: Mature Pairing: Jung Wooyoung/Choi San, with a little bit of Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa sprinkled in AO3 Masterlist

Summary: Wooyoung is the son of a merchant sailor for the King, one of his best. He is coming of age to prepare to take his fathers place as the captain, and so his father takes him on his first sail. After nearly facing death in a raging storm at sea, Wooyoung and his father make port at their destination. Not long after their arrival Wooyoung finds a boy washed up on sea, still alive, and the most gorgeous thing he has ever laid his eyes on. He is instantly entranced by him, taken by this boy with no memory of where he came from or why he had been washed up on shore. Wooyoung couldn't have cared any less about the unanswered questions, but how will he feel when he finds out the boy he has so very quickly fallen in love with turns out to be one of the most revered pirates to have ever sailed the seas?

A/N and Warnings: I added them to the bottom of the post, just because it's a bit long, so if you'd like to see the warnings just head to the bottom :)

*** MY WORK IS NOT TO BE POSTED ON ANY OTHER SITE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION. THOUGH REBLOGS AND COMMENTS ARE SUPER LOVED AND APPRECIATED! THANKS FAM!***

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter One

     Wooyoung's favourite thing was the sea. Not being on it, no, that wasn't quite the life for him, but just being near it was enough. He loved the smell of the salt on the air, and the feel of the misty ocean breeze hitting his face as a wave crested upon the rocks below the cliff. He loved the sound, the ebb and flow of the waves as they washed upon the shore and retreated again. Wooyoung could fall asleep to it, completely at peace with his eyes closed laying in the tall grass, his arms outstretched and his fingers weaving through the blades. 

     But the ocean was more than that. It was also full of new beginnings, of hope and purity and strength. With each day the sun rose upon the horizon and brought with it a fresh start, no matter the storms and turmoil of the day before or how dark the night had been, the sun always rose without fault and cleansed the world of the past. For a moment each day, as Wooyoung sat upon the cliff by his home on the edge of town, he could feel those few seconds of tranquillity as the new day began untouched and untainted, completely pure. The sky would be painted in beautiful hues of pink and orange, his skin tinted with it like the sky's own canvas, reflected upon the calm surface of the water. It was the only thing Wooyoung could think of when he pondered upon perfection, even now as he sat on the same cliff looking out.

     “Wooyoung, darling!” He turned to find his mother walking toward him from the house. She had the skirt of her dress gathered gently in her gloved hands, her hair done in an intricate updo with not one single hair out of place, even with the breeze. One of the housemaids followed closely behind her with an arm outstretched, a paisley coloured lace parasol held above his mothers head. She was as beautiful as she always was, the very definition of class and elegance. Every time he laid his eyes upon her, he could see why she was envied by the women in town, and desired by the men. 

     “Yes, Mother?” He smiled at her as he answered.

     “Come,” she waved a hand at him, “your Father’s ship is returning to port today, I've been told they've been spotted on the horizon and should be here shortly. Shall we greet him?”

     He nodded and stood, then turned to walk back to meet her, and held his arm out for her to take as they walked back to the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~

     The port was a flurry of activity by the time their carriage made it through the busy town streets and pulled up at the docks. It was full, each ship docked was a part of his Majesty's royal merchant navy, and all delivering goods to be brought to the King himself. 

     Since his father was head of his Majesty's merchant navy, Wooyoung had been to the palace many times. He had attended lavish parties, elegant dinners, summer gatherings in the gardens. The King's palace wasn't too far from where his own home rested just outside of town, but Wooyoung much preferred his solitude as opposed to the large crowds that a king’s parties would amass. And now that his father had returned from yet another successful voyage, there would surely be another invitation from the King arriving soon. 

     "Wooyoung, my son!" His father called to him from down the dock where he had just stepped off the ship's ladder. "How were things while I was gone?"

     "Perfect," he answered as he hugged his father, then turned and let him sling an arm over his shoulders as they walked back to his mother.

     "I'm glad to hear," he smiled, then when they reached his mother, he said to both of them, "tonight we will have a special dinner prepared. I have some news I would like to share and I feel it requires more than a simple meal."

     "I'll have the chefs informed as soon as we return home then." His mother returned his smile and lifted up for a quick kiss, before she turned and got back in the carriage.

     The two of them followed her, with Wooyoung sitting across from them inside, his leg bouncing with anticipation as the carriage left the docks. "What's the news, Father?"

     His father chuckled, always impatient his son was. "I will tell you at dinner, so you'll just have to wait until then. Though I know that will be difficult for you, patience is a virtue, Wooyoung. Trust me, it will be well worth the wait."

~~~~~~~~~~~

     Waiting for dinner felt like a lifetime for Wooyoung, but finally he was sitting at the table in his usual spot, across from his mother with his father at the head. There was a king's feast worth of food laid out before them, and Wooyoung could wait no longer.

     "Father, can you tell us the news now, please?" He was practically vibrating in his seat.

     His father chuckled, a deep rumbling from his chest as he dug into the pocket of his jacket. “The news is that I have already been assigned another route for his Majesty, this time as a direct request from the King himself that me and my crew are the ones to make the trip, a delivery on his Majesty's behalf to a neighbouring kingdom.”

     “Already?” His mother asked, her brows furrowed. “You've only just arrived home, when did the King have the time to approach you about another route?”

     Finding what he was looking for in his pocket, he pulled out a rolled up, and now crinkled, piece of parchment bearing the King's seal. “There was a messenger from his Majesty waiting for me at the port when we docked the ship, I spoke with him just before the two of you arrived.” He handed the parchment over to his wife, who opened it and read it, but he turned his attention to Wooyoung. “I know that this is fast, as you said I've only just arrived home, but I do believe it comes at the perfect time as there is something else I have wanted to discuss with you both for a while now.”

     “What's that, darling?”

     “Our son’s future,” he answered, his eyes never leaving Wooyoung, who now stared back at him with both worry and confusion clear in his gaze, “Wooyoung, you are of age now where you should be seriously considering your career, and it only makes sense that you would take my place in the coming years as head of his Majesty's merchant navy.” Wooyoung lifted a hand from the table, about to voice his apprehensions on the matter, but his father stopped him. “I understand that it is a very high pressure job, but I trust you will do well, Wooyoung, and that is also why I would like to take you along with me on this assignment. I can start teaching you the ropes of sailing, of managing a crew as well as all of his Majesty's shipments both in and out of our ports. It will be the beginning of your apprenticeship, and when I am ready in a few years I shall retire, and you will be ready to step in and take my place. And the last thing I wished to discuss, is that I believe it is also time that Wooyoung be married.”

     “Father, no, I don't think-”

     He was stopped again by his fathers insistent tone. “It is a wise decision, son. Many men your age are already married and starting families, it is time you did the same. Upon our return we will start the process. Your Mother will arrange for some meetings and see if we can't find you a nice girl from a suitable family that catches your eye, and hopefully by the fall we will be planning a wedding. Are you on board with all of this, Wooyoung?”

     Though it was phrased as a question, Wooyoung knew it really wasn't. It was a warning, more like his father was saying, you will be on board with this whether you like it or not, because that is how it always was. Wooyoung may be a child of a high class family, always been given exactly what he wanted and grew up in a very wealthy lifestyle, but when it came to things like this, his future or his career or even who he would one day marry, he was not so privileged. He knew this would be coming soon, as his father said he was of the age where it should have already been done, but it still angered him deeply that his entire life had just been laid out and decided for him in less than the time it took to eat dinner. But what could he do except agree, nod his head and accept his fate. The last thing he wanted to do was disobey his parents or disappoint them. So that's what he did, nodded his head and accepted it.

     “Excellent!” His father beamed and his mother squealed with excitement across from him. “Be sure you're ready in three days, that is when we shall set sail, and just like that the first leg of your bright future begins, my son.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

     Three days came and passed in the blink of an eye, and Wooyoung suddenly found himself standing on the overcrowded dock wishing he was anywhere else. There were crew members bustling past him, hauling all kinds of barrels full of who knew what, all of them shouting and cursing, not paying any mind to how many times they nearly ploughed him over. He was even less impressed when one of them passed by, dragging a barrel full of something that smelled god awful, bumped right into his side and scuffed a large dark stain onto his new white shirt. 

     “Wooyoung!” His father called to him from down the dock, and Wooyoung turned an annoyed look at him, just finished rolling his eyes at the man who ruined his shirt. “Come here, I want to show you how to ensure the proper inventory makes it onto the ship.”

     “Oh, sure.” He waved and faked his best smile at his father, grumbling to himself as he stalked over. “Exactly what I wanted to do.”

     As soon as he reached his father he instantly pulled him into his side and started going over the inventory parchment with him. But Wooyoung could honestly say he did not retain a single thing his father had told him, he wasn't even really looking at the parchment as his father pointed to this item or that. He had no interest in this whatsoever, frankly if half the items never arrived he couldn't have cared any less then he already did. 

     “And this must be the special item we are delivering for his Majesty, the final piece we were waiting for before we could set sail.” Wooyoung finally snapped to attention as a beautifully carved wooden box passed by them, carried by a man with much more grace and decorum than the other ruffians running around the docks earlier. It was stained in the carved crevices and highlighted with pure gold, he knew whatever was inside must be worth its weight.

     “What is it?” He asked.

     “A gift from his Majesty to the King of Nero.” His father answered, and he baulked at him.

     “Nero!?” He shook his head, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he was able to speak again. “That's a two week sail across the sea!”

     “In good weather,” his father added, absently re-checking the inventory sheets before passing them off to a waiting deck hand, “if we hit any sort of storms or even simply rocky seas, it could take double that. Which is why you always have to prepare for the worst, pack extra supplies just in case your trip takes longer than planned. Not only is your inventory a top priority, Wooyoung, but so is your crew. They need to be fed and well taken care of, because without them the ship would go nowhere. Now, get on board, I'll show you how to set off and then we will meet in my chambers later this evening for dinner.”

     His father left him with an aggressive pat on the shoulder that had him lunging forward a step. Wooyoung cringed as he stood frozen in place. Two weeks at sea, minimum, pending an easy smooth sail, which was highly unlikely. And once they arrived in Nero, it would only be to turn around and spend another two weeks or more sailing back home. Wooyoung loved the sea, but this was ridiculous. He was more than happy just watching and listening to it from the comfort of his little cliff by the edge of their home, he was not thrilled about this at all. Merchant sailing, or sailing of any kind was not the life for him, and if he didn't find a way to tell his father that, he was going to be stuck with it for the rest of his life. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

     Seven days in, not even halfway through the journey yet and Wooyoung had lost count of how many times he'd been sick. It was starting to ease now, but the first few days it had been so bad that more often than not he wasn't even able to attend his lessons with his father, not that he minded that part, but hanging over the edge of the ship for hours at a time had been less than appealing. So far, merchant sailing had turned out to be just as horrid an experience as he had expected.

     “Wooyoung.” He lifted his head as his father approached him and landed his hand on his back. He was still slung over the edge of the ship, still sure his face was as green as seaweed, but he hadn't thrown anything up in at least a few hours.

     “Father,” he panted, closing his eyes tight to stave off a sudden wave of nausea, “I don't know if sailing is for me, I don't-”

     “Don't worry about this,” he gestured to him, sweating and limp on the railing, “I was the same as you on my first sail, perhaps even a tad worse. But it eased eventually and now look at me, head of his Majesty's merchant navy, spending weeks at a time at sea without so much as an upset stomach. You will get there after a few sails.”

     “If you say so.” He shook his head and hung it low over the railing again.

     “I actually came to ask if you would like to join me for dinner.” Wooyoung couldn't help the heave at the mention of food, but his father continued anyway. “The chef is making a special sushi dish, I've even managed to sneak some caviar aboard to celebrate your first voyage as an apprentice, and the chef agreed to make san-nakji just for you-” 

     His father stepped back and laughed, full and straight from his chest, as Wooyoung lunged further over the edge and threw up. 

     When he was finished he groaned and wiped the back of his now soiled sleeve across his mouth, eyeing his father with a deviled look. “Really, Father? Was that necessary?”

     “Just helping you get it all out of your system, son.” He reached out and gave his back another pat, this time lingering and rubbing gently. “You'll be alright soon, I promise. But you really should eat something to replace everything you're tossing over the side. I can have the chef make you something easy, some rice perhaps-”

     Both of their heads whipped up toward the front of the ship as a massive crack of thunder rumbled across the open waters. It was the first time Wooyoung had looked at anything besides the water below him all day, and though the storm wasn't too close, it was moving quickly.

     “Those clouds look really dark,” he said to his father, “much darker than any storm I've experienced on land. What do we do?”

     His father stood still for a moment, watching the storm with a focused look, before he answered, “Our best course would be to avoid it as much as we possibly can. We can change our course to head north east and sail around the islands, put them between us and the storm, and hopefully come out behind the storm on the other side. If not, our next best course of action would be to hunker down on one of the islands. The last thing you want to do is get caught in a storm like that in open sea.”

     Wooyoung looked back at the storm again as a second ear shattering rumble of thunder hit him. It shook him to his core, seeing clouds that black, and he swore it was already much closer then it had been only minutes before. 

     His father turned and began barking orders to his crew, all of them instantly jumping into action, but Wooyoung found he couldn't move and not because of the nausea. He had a bad feeling about the storm, and even more than he already did, he regretted ever stepping foot on this ship.

~~~~~~~~~~~

     The sky around them was so black one would have thought it was the middle of the night. The deck was so shrouded in black Wooyoung could barely see his own feet as he stumbled across the ship. He was soaked completely, both from the rain and the never ending mists that came from the waves crashing against the sides of the ship. His nausea was gone now, replaced with gut wrenching fear with every dip and jerk of the ship being whipped around by the storm. He knew his bad feeling had been right, and how ironic it would be for him to die out in the middle of the ocean, killed by something he loved so deeply, something so beautiful and yet as deadly as the wrath of the very gods that controlled them. 

     “Father!” He screamed above the raging turmoil around him, but he felt drowned out by the thunder, the screaming crew mates, and Poseidon's rage. “Father! We need to do something, we're going to die like this! We're lucky we haven't capsized yet, and we've already lost crew over the sides!”

     A flash of lightning illuminated his father at the wheel above him, and seeing him only made Wooyoung panic even more. He had never seen his father in such a state, washed out in worry of his own and his eyes seemingly lost in the vast darkness around them. “All we can do is keep pushing and pray we make it through! Tell the crew to batten down the hatches and secure themselves!”

     All he could do was stare up at his father, how could this be all they could do? Why did he ever agree to getting on this ship? He did not want to die at sea!

     “Wooyoung!” His father called out to him, a new fear taking over his features, one more intense than it had been moments ago, then Wooyoung found out why.

     Lightning lit up the sky, along with the wave that was hovering over their ship, as tall as the mast and heading right for Wooyoung. All he could do was stand stock still and watch as his fate curled over him and readied to crash down. This was it, this was where it ended for him. A life spent gazing out at the ocean would now end at the bottom of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: So I was going to wait until I had some chapters stocked up before posting, but I was just too excited and I couldn't! Also the writing is flowing right now, so the chapters are coming quickly lol So I gift you chapter one! In this chapter we get a little insight into Wooyoung's life and his expectations. And as a slight heads up, I'm just going to say that after this chapter, things are going to start heating up real fast… and I'm going to leave you with that, enjoy!! <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N and Warnings:

First, yes, I ship kpop groups, but no, that does not mean I am crazy about them outside of their groups. It's hard to explain but I see them in their groups as almost characters in a sense, but whatever my boys decide to do in their real lives outside of the groups, I fully and completely support them as long as they are happy :) And with that being said, if this isn't the kind of fic for you, it's okay if you don't read it!

Second, this is going to be a very different fic from anything I have ever written before (I think). It's not going to be super dark or anything, perhaps a tad bit more angsty then usual, but it is a fic about pirates so there will be fighting, and blood, and violence, some homophobia because of the time period. Though keep in mind there will be a happy ending for our boys, and that the major character death in the tags does not apply to either San or Wooyoung. There will be NO rape or non-con, I do not mess with that, but there will be lots of smut, as promised.

And third, this is my first Ateez fic, so please be kind XD

And I think that just about sums it up. Please enjoy this if you do decide to read it, and I thank you for coming along on this journey with me <3

[willtheweaver]

Writemas day 4

Huzzah! And TY @whatwewrotepodcast @theeccentricraven

Today’s prompts: The sweetness of a song, An island

It along on the shores of the lough that Aiden rested after a long day of work and prayer. The life of a holy man was a lonely one. No company save the weather and the animals. The appearance of four swans at first did not draw his attention. But as he sat and listened, he heard from them a music unlike any his ears had heard before. It was ethereal in its beauty, a sweetness that came from sorrow.

All fell back into silence. Then one of the swans spoke.

“This is the Lake of Darvra. It’s as if we have never left…and yet beyond the shores, the whole of the island has changed beyond recognition.” She then bowed her head and confided with the rest. In near silence they spoke. Then one caught a glimpse of the hermit out of the corner of one eye. He then yelped in surprise. All four then looked to the shore and to the stranger standing there.

“Fear not, I mean no harm.” Aiden spread his hands to show that he had nothing on him. “I might ask, who are you? For I can sense something special about you four.

“We were once the children of Lir.” The eldest told him. “A curse was placed upon us by our jealous step-mother. Our forms were taken from us, and we had to live apart from those who loved us dear.Three hundred years to dwell upon this lake. Then three hundred years upon the stormy Sea of Moyle. Then three hundred more on the lonely Isle of Glora. Only after could we return to the land of our birth.”

“Nothing is as we remember.” The youngest said sadly. “It’s as if all we knew never existed. I don’t suppose you have met any from our time.”

“I’m afraid not, my child. That age has long since passed into the pages of history. The forts and palaces are long gone, the heros are naught but bones in the cold earth, and the children of Dana have disappeared into the hills. And with them went the old gods of Erin.

“I do not know any spell or enchantment, for that gift was not mine to take and hone. I cannot bring back that which is lost to time. All I can give you is the promise of salvation. I do not know what you have been taught, but I was told that beyond death is somewhere beyond pain, beyond sorrow. A place of peace and happiness. I am not Patrick, but I can help you find the path.”

Listening to Aiden’s words reassured the four. And so it was that the four children of Lir lived beside the hermit for the remainder of their days. In the last moments, they called out for Aiden. He saw the feathers fall away and the four children return to their human form. Upon each he blessed them. As they were together in life, they were also laid in the earth together.

Spreading the joy to @ominous-feychild @mxxnlightwriting @topazadine @sunflowerrosy @i-do-anything-but-write

@inseasofgreen @bunnymermaidwrites @jay-avian @thepeculiarbird @the-inkwell-variable and anyone who wants to join in!

[maybeimamuppet]

picking teams- chapter 14: cady

hello everyone!! boo surprise sunday post!! because!! TODAY IS MY THIRD WRITING BIRTHDAY WOOOOOO!

today three years ago i posted my first ever oneshot (i think technically it was on the 4 bc it was late at night but the intention was to be today so i’m sticking with the 3). i can honestly say i was expecting NOBODY to read anything of mine and that this would be something i did for maybe a few months and then dropped like all my other hobbies.

and here we are three years later! so i’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s supported me through this little journey over the last three years. i feel like i really have a community and a little family here. i appreciate every single pair of eyeballs that has ever laid eyes on a fic of mine, whether you comment and i get to know who you are or you’re just a lurker. whether you’re new or you’ve been here the whole time. thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here for and with me <3

anyhoo! mushy stuff over for now lol please enjoy this chapter :)

tw for

broken bones

and as always if i missed something please let me know so i can add it in!

——————

Cady goes back to school that Wednesday.

Her parents let her have one more day off to recover and finish the homework she had been putting off. Cady's still not feeling 100% after her episode, as Janis put it, but she can't afford to miss any more school. Or cheer practice. She's gotten more than a few threatening texts from Regina.

She runs into Janis briefly going into homeroom, since it's in the same classroom as Janis' first period. She smiles, mostly at the ground, and Janis surreptitiously brushes her hand against Cady's and gently links their fingers together before walking off like nothing happened.

Cady blushes furiously and heads to her seat. She hunches in on herself to scribble something on a piece of notebook paper she rips off and folds up. She's so focused on making sure nobody sees what she's writing that she almost misses Ms. Norbury trying to take attendance.

"Cady. Caaaady. Heron. Hello."

"Wh- oh, uh, here," she stutters. Ms. Norbury arches an eyebrow and ticks her off on her computer. Cady trills her lips and tucks the paper into her pocket.

"Glad to have you back, Cady," she says once the bell rings.

"Thanks! Uh, see you this afternoon!" Cady says, rushing out the door. They already don't have much time to get from class to class, and she has a stop to make this time.

She tries to act like she's just leaning casually against the wall and she doesn't have to be across the building in two minutes. Once she looks around to double check nobody is watching, she carefully slips the note between the slats in Janis' locker and rushes off to her class.

Hopefully she gets it.

—-

Cady looks up from her phone in fright when she hears a murmured, "Hey, sweet thing."

Janis is peeking around the corner of the bleachers, lunch in hand and a confused look on her face. Cady spotted this during a rainy-day indoor practice last week. The bleachers are completely solid, so nobody can see in. "Did anyone follow you? See you?"

"Nobody important," Janis shrugs as she puts her food down. "Whatcha doing?"

Cady sighs in relief upon hearing confirmation that nobody will see them together. She leans in for a kiss and gets a sweet little peck. "I want to have lunch with you! It's like our own little place!"

"That it is," Janis agrees with a chuckle. "How's your day been?"

"Good! I got a hundred on my math test," Cady says happily.

"Of course you did," Janis laughs. "What'd you tell Regina?"

"About what?"

"Where you are," Janis says as she takes a bite of her... probably turkey sandwich. Cady's eyes widen. Shit.

"I... didn't tell her anything," she says quietly.

Janis quirks an eyebrow. "Better come up with something quick."

"Why?"

"She's gonna grill you like a war interrogator," Janis snorts.

Shit. She's right. "Uh... um..."

"Just tell her you skipped lunch," Janis shrugs.

"Skipped it?" Cady asks.

Janis shrugs again. "I dunno. That'd probably work."

"I'll think of something," Cady hums, pursing her lips and taking an exasperated bite out of her celery stick. Janis smiles at her like she's some cute little animal.

"So... any particular reason you're slipping notes into my locker and sneaking around with me behind the bleachers?" Janis says with a smirk as she scoots a little closer to Cady.

Cady groans as she's suddenly reminded why she had done this. "I have to go to Regina's after school. We're having a costume fitting for the holiday parade."

Janis looks at her oddly. "You're in the parade?"

Cady nods eagerly. "Mmhmm! I get to be an acro elf!"

"A what?" Janis giggles.

"I get to dress as an elf and do tumbling and acrobatic stuff next to Santa's float!"

"Oh," Janis says. "Stevie loves that one. I didn't know it was us."

"They choose the best cheer team in the region to do it. Apparently this is the first time in, like, ten years that it's been North Shore," Cady explains.

Janis snorts. "That makes more sense."

"I'm really excited. But I have to spend a lot of time with the Plastics, I won't have as much time free after school," Cady says apologetically.

Janis shrugs. "It's just a parade. Once it's done your schedule will calm down a bit and we can spend more time together again. Not like we're breaking up."

Cady giggles. "I still have my knight in shining armor to come save me from the Plastics if I beckon her."

"Damn right you do," Janis smirks, leaning in for a kiss.

Cady happily leans in too, smiling to herself as their lips touch. She's suddenly very glad she totally ate it at their last practice and spied this hideout behind the bleachers from the ground.

"Might need to save you already," Janis hums as they pull apart, looking Cady up and down with a small grimace.

Cady sheepishly looks down at her bright pink crop top she'd decided to wear today. She tugs at her collar, suddenly self-conscious. "You don't like it?"

"No, no, you look cute," Janis says. Something in her tone tells Cady it's a half-truth at best. Oh well.

“Thanks," she says. Janis takes another bite of her sandwich and sprawls on the hard floor of the gym with her head on Cady's lap.

"Oh, get this- my math class this morning," she says. Cady tunes out almost immediately, stroking some stray hairs away from Janis' forehead and just watching her mouth move. It's probably nothing important. God, she's gorgeous.

What is she going to tell Regina?

I got sick- ew, no.

I had to talk to a teacher- too easy to mess up if she comes from the wrong direction. They'd get suspicious too easily.

I- oh, fuck it, I'll think of something.

She continues munching on her lunch and half-listening to Janis speak. Janis doesn't seem to notice or care one way or the other. Cady smiles and pulls out her phone to check her messages. She thinks of something then.

"And then-"

"Have you... told anyone about us?"

Janis pauses mid-sentence. "No."

"Not even Damian?" Cady asks shyly.

Janis shakes her head. "I kinda still don't believe it myself. I wanted to keep it to myself for a while."

"You don't wanna tell people?" Cady asks with a frown.

"No! No, I do. Some people," Janis says. "I just wanted it to stay between us for a little bit. And I figured I should check with you before I told anyone. But I'd be fine telling a few people now."

"Oh," Cady says.

"Do you want to?" Janis asks, sitting up and brushing her hair out of her face. Cady thinks for a moment before she nods.

"We should probably tell Damian, at least. He'll find out sooner or later anyway."

Janis sighs. "True."

"You don't want to?"

"No, I'm just preparing myself," Janis says, looking at Cady out of the corner of her eye with a small grin. "Might as well get it over with, I guess. C'mere."

Cady frowns in confusion and scoots closer. Janis pulls out her phone, opens the camera, and leans in. Cady catches on and gently rests a hand on Janis' cheek, smiling into a sweet kiss. She can feel Janis smiling too as she hears the camera shutter snap and they break apart. Janis sneaks a quick peck to Cady's nose, making her blink in shock and giggle quietly.

Janis opens her text conversation with Damian and types out a message. Cady hugs her arm and leans in over her shoulder to read it.

snarkisian: hey babe

cupboard: whaaaaaat do you want

snarkisian: Sent a photo: things have developed

Janis' phone starts ringing almost immediately. Janis frowns at it as Damian's contact photo fills the screen and it buzzes in her hand, but she hits the green button and the speaker so they can both hear.

As soon as she does, a piercing shriek rings out from the speakers. It's loud enough that Cady practically feels her brain dislodge and start rattling around in her head. She thinks she might've heard him all the way from the cafeteria, too.

As soon as that happens, he hangs up. Janis and Cady both blink at the screen for a moment before bursting into hysterical laughter.

"I don't know what I was expecting," Janis sighs affectionately as she slips her phone back into her pocket. Cady feels her own buzz against her leg and pulls it out to see several incoming texts from Damian that mainly consist of ABSKEOWIWHWJWJABDHWOWOA.

She clocks the time, then, and jumps. "Oh, shit!"

Janis startles. "What?"

"I have to go, lunch is almost over," Cady says, frantically packing up her things. "Bye babe. See you later."

Janis blinks in surprise, but returns the quick kiss Cady gives her before Cady goes rushing off. She has to find Regina before the bell rings. Not that Regina has ever felt much urge to listen to the bell.

She tries to think of an excuse as she hurries through the halls towards the cafeteria. Nothing really comes to her. She skids to a halt next to some sort of booth when she sees Regina and Aaron standing close to it.

"Hey!" she greets brightly after smoothing down her hair and adjusting her shirt. They both look at her. Aaron quirks his head when he sees what she's wearing, but he gets a faint smile.

Regina checks her nails and says, "Hey. Where have you been?"

"Oh, um..." Cady says. Shit. She wracks her brain trying to think of something. What did Janis say? "I skipped lunch."

Regina cocks an eyebrow. "Why?"

Cady smiles as she puts the pieces together. "I'm... trying to lose weight. So I look more like you guys. I just had one of these diet bars."

"Diet bars?" Regina questions. "Let me see."

Cady happily hands over the whole box of Kälteens. Regina holds it between her hands to try to read. Aaron peeks over her shoulder to try to see too.

"It's all in Norwegian or something," Regina says, looking at Cady in confusion.

"Swedish," Cady corrects before she can stop herself. "There's... um... this ingredient in them that you can't get here yet. My mom used to use them to lose weight in Kenya."

"Hm," Regina nods. "Can I keep these?"

"Sure!" Cady says brightly. She has a feeling Regina would've kept them even if she said no. Works for me.

"Now, are you getting me my candy cane?" Regina hums. Cady frowns in confusion before she realizes she's talking to Aaron.

"What happened to losing weight, those things are pure sugar," Aaron chuckles. Regina brushes his hair off his forehead and runs her fingers through it so it stays out of his face.

"But it's such a nice thing to do for your girlfriend," she pouts. "And stop pulling your hair down, you look so hot with it pushed back. Don't you think so, Cady?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, way hotter," Cady says. Two months ago that would've made Cady want to go for the jugular. Now? She couldn't care less.

Aaron sighs and begrudgingly leaves his hair the way Regina sort of styled it. "Alright, move over, since you so desperately need this candy cane."

He leans over the booth selling them to fill out one of the paper slips that'll eventually get tied to a candy cane and passed out in class. Cady giggles into her hand when she realizes Damian is the one in the budget Santa Claus costume behind the booth.

"Cady, remember, student parking lot after school," Regina says as she laces her pink-taloned fingers through Aaron's and leads him off to... wherever they're going. Most definitely not class.

"Got it! Bye," she says. She can feel her face relax as soon as they're turned around and can't see her anymore. Cady goes to the booth and leans across it. "Hi Dame."

"Ho ho ho, happy holidays! Would you like a candy cane?" 'Santa' replies. Cady laughs again.

"Hey, does Regina ever send any of these things?" she asks.

"Nah, she only gets them," Damian replies in his normal voice. "You want any?"

"One please," Cady replies, taking a pen with a smirk on her face.

—————

Cady sighs a little to herself as she follows Regina and the others into her house. Gretchen and Karen chat with Regina's mom. Regina huffs and rolls her eyes, straight off to her bedroom. Cady says a quick and polite hello and takes a handful of the offered snacks. She nibbles on the sunflower seeds while she mulls over what to do next.

Regina took the bars. As long as nobody recognizes them, she should be in the clear there. How can she make them work faster? Kälteens do work quickly, but Cady wants results as soon as possible. For Janis.

What makes you gain weight quickly? Cholesterol, but Cady doesn't want to do anything permanent. This is just to teach Regina a lesson, then she can lose the weight again. Sugar? Yeah. Carbs.

Cady smiles to herself as she puts a plan in place.

"Alright, you girls go find Regina. You'll do great," Mrs. George says after however long. Cady jumps when she remembers where she is.

"Thank you, Mrs. George," she calls as she goes running after Gretchen and Karen up to Regina's room.

"You're welcome!" the woman calls after them.

Regina tosses a hanger at her as soon as Cady walks into the room. "Here. I know, the costumes are fugly."

"I think they're kinda cute," Cady says, holding the outfit out so she can see it all.

"The hat has fucking jingle bells on the top, Cady," Regina huffs, handing Cady hers. She shakes it a little bit, and sure enough, there's a quiet jingling. "Go make sure it fits, but we really just need to work on making sure the hat doesn't hit the ground or fall off while you tumble."

"Okay," Cady says. Gretchen and Karen just changed in front of each other, but Cady sneaks off to the en-suite and locks the door behind her. She looks at herself in the mirror and takes a deep breath.

Janis was right, I do look Plastic, she thinks. Cute, though. Her loss.

She carefully takes off her clothes and tugs on the red-and-white striped tights. She has to jump to get the super stretchy material all the way up, but she manages with only one faceplant. Then comes the green dress, with gold buttons down the bodice, short sleeves with puffed shoulders, a belt at her waist, and red and gold trim around the hem with a collar to match.

It's not a great fit. Hesitantly, she unlocks the door and steps back into Regina's room with an, "Um."

Regina looks at her and laughs. "I kinda thought that would happen, these costumes are all huge. I swear they think we're all fat cows or something. My mom will tailor it for you."

Cady looks down at the very strangely fitting dress. There's a lot of space in between her belly and the dress, and not a lot in between it and her boobs. The skirt hits about mid-thigh, which is entirely too long, if Gretchen and Karen's are anything to go by. The sleeves are both uncomfortably tight in her armpits and loose everywhere else.

Other than that, it's great. At least the tights fit.

"Go change again, she'll get your measurements before you leave."

Cady nods and slips gratefully back into the restroom. She snaps a quick picture before she changes and sends it to Janis.

She's stuck with the dress over her head when she hears her phone go off, presumably with Janis' answer. She wriggles more in a ditch attempt to free herself, which gets her nowhere even faster.

Eventually, she escapes, heaving for breath and her hair all frizzy. She peels off the tights and puts on her non-elf clothes. Regina takes the hanger as she passes her on her way into her bathroom while Cady is occupied checking her phone.

jayjay: cutie

cadygirl: You like it?

jayjay: ofc i do

jayjay: my dorky little elf

cadygirl: Hey!

jayjay: do u get ears and shit

cadygirl: Yeah

cadygirl: Regina's really mad about it

jayjay: holy shit that's amazing

jayjay: reginald in elf ears

cadygirl: I don't get it I think they're cute

jayjay: i think ur cute

"Who are you texting?" Karen asks. Cady leaps a solid foot in the air as she materializes over her shoulder. "Not enough emojis."

"Um..." Cady stutters. Her immediate instinct was to blush and press her phone to her chest so they can't see. Now Gretchen and Karen are both looking at her suspiciously. "Uh... my... g- boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?!" Gretchen squeals sharply. "You can't get a boyfriend without telling us!"

"I can't?"

"Not without your best friends' approval! You wouldn't buy a skirt without asking your friends if it looks good on you," Gretchen hums.

"I wouldn't?" Cady replies in confusion.

"Exactly!"

Cady just blinks.

"So who is it?" Karen asks eagerly.

"Oh, you don't know him," Cady says immediately. Because it's not a him. It's not technically a lie. Right?

"He's not, like, thirty, right?" Gretchen asks in concern, the furrow in her brow deepening the longer Cady goes without answering.

"No! No, ew," Cady replies with a grimace. "Uh... he... goes to another school."

"Which one?"

"Um... do you remember that school we played right before Thanksgiving break? The away game when we stayed at the hotel?"

"Roosevelt?" Gretchen asks. Sure.

"Yeah. He goes there," Cady replies. "His name is... Jasin. With... an I."

"Ooh, unique!" Gretchen coos. "Is he cute? You have to introduce us soon!"

"Well, I don't think he's... everyone's type, but I think he's cute," Cady replies sheepishly.

"Aww, you're blushing!" Karen says. Cady blushes harder.

"Shut up," she scoffs. Karen's face falls. "No, wait, I didn't mean it like that-"

"It's okay," Karen says quietly.

"I'm really sorry, Kare," Cady says. Karen gives her a look Cady can't read. Not that Karen is ever easy to read.

"Don't worry about it."

Cady gently squeezes her arm. Karen smiles faintly at her.

"Do you have pictures of him?" Gretchen asks eagerly.

"No," Cady says immediately. "Uh... he's really shy, we don't, like, send pictures of ourselves much. We just like to see each other in person and text and stuff."

"Aww," they both coo. Gretchen continues, "Well, get one soon! We gotta make sure he's hot enough for you."

"I'll try," Cady giggles. "Oh, could we like... not tell Regina right away? It's all new, still, I don't want her to freak out about our image if we break up or whatever. We've only been together for, like, two weeks."

"Our lips are sealed," Gretchen replies immediately.

"But I'm not using SuperGlue as Chapstick again," Karen adds.

"No, that's okay, K, don't do that," Cady says immediately. "Thanks guys."

"Alright sluts, put on these... eugh. I can't even call them hats," Regina says as she parades back into the room. She chucks one at each of them rather aggressively. Cady's ends up hitting her full force in the face when she's too slow to react.

Regina watches as the three of them carefully push all her very expensive furniture out of the way so they have enough room to flip without fear of crashing into anything. Cady asks why they're not just practicing outside, and Regina goes on a solid ten minute rant about being seen in those costumes more than they have to. Cady doesn't speak for the rest of the evening.

—————

"Did Regina's boobs get bigger?" Cady hears the boy behind her in chemistry class ask about two weeks later, apparently as a conversation opener with his equally-jock-douchebag lab partner.

"Dude, totally," jock-douchebag replies. "Aaron's a lucky guy."

"Isn't she still dogging Shane?" bro number one asks. Cady tries to hide a shudder at the mention of his name.

Bro the second shrugs. "Probably."

Dammit, we made her hotter, Cady huffs to herself as she slides her goggles down over her eyes and turns on the bunsen burner. She looks over and sees Janis with a similarly disgruntled look on her face.

She gestures subtly for Cady to focus. Cady snaps back into the real world, this time before she can set herself on fire. She risks one glance back and sees Janis chuckle to herself, biting her lips to stop before anyone can see and ask what she's laughing about. Cady smiles to herself and buckles down to set some Doritos on fire. Not myself, thank you very much.

—————

Cady is laser focused in calculus another two weeks later. Not on calculus, but... she's there, it's fine.

She jumps and bangs her knee against her desk when Santa Claus slams the door open with a bellowed, "HHHHHOOOOO!"

"Jesus Christ," Ms. Norbury sighs, picking up her shattered chalk bits after she dropped it in shock. "Make it quick."

"One candy cane gram for Shane Oman," Damian says, adjusting his very poor quality fake beard as he hands Shane his candy cane.

He holds it between his first and index fingers like a pair of dirty underpants and leaves Shane to snatch it. Damian wipes his hand on his red velvet Santa coat like Shane has some sort of hetero cooties he might catch.

"Four for Glenn Coco!" Damian continues. "Hohoho, you go, Glenn Coco. Two for Caddy Heron!"

Cady frowns in confusion. Two? She only bought one. She takes them with a smile as Damian wiggles his way between the rows to deliver them. "Thanks, D."

Damian winks at her and moves on to deliver the next few candy canes to the lucky recipients.

Cady checks the tags on hers. There's the fake one, the one she wrote herself. She smiles to herself as she reads the little red slip of paper on the second one.

Merry Christmas my little elf

<3, J

ps ur short lolololol

She rolls her eyes as she reads the very loving message from her girlfriend and unwraps the end of the candy cane. She sucks on it as she continues pretending to pay attention when Damian leaves and Ms. Norbury can resume her lesson.

——

"Sorry I'm late!" she pretend-puffs as she stumbles her way into the gym. Regina just glares at her from across the room, but Gretchen comes scrambling over to join her as she plops her still-open bag on the ground. "God, I was in the middle of a problem when the bell rang, I didn't even have time to get packed up-"

"You got a candy cane?" Gretchen asks softly. She picks it up and unfolds the tag to read.

"Oh, yeah, Regina sent me one! Isn't she just the best friend?"

"R-Regina?" Gretchen squeaks. "Thanks for being such a great best friend. ...Cute."

"She didn't give you one?" Cady asks with faux-sympathy. She's heard it from the mouth of the lioness herself. There's no way Gretchen got any.

Gretchen shakes her head frantically. "She never sends them."

"Oh. Weird," Cady replies. "Well, you can have that one if you want. I had another one."

"I have to go," Gretchen chokes around floods of tears. Shit. Maybe Gretchen is a little more fragile than she thought.

"Gretchen," she says pleadingly, running after her friend to the bathroom.

"Well, i-if you and Regina are best friends now... then you can be in charge of keeping all her secrets," Gretchen says as soon as the door closes behind Cady.

Cady just nods. She can tell Gretchen is about to ramble, she doesn't dare interrupt her.

"Like, for example, she bought you those shoes just to make fun of you! Be-because she knew you wouldn't be able to walk in them. And she's not really blonde!"

Cady's eyes widen. She's not? Her eyes flick to the door as she hears a shocked gasp come from the other side. Was that... Damian?

"Her natural color is dark blonde. Also she totally cheats on Aaron!"

Cady almost chokes.

"Every Thursday she says she has a cheer intensive but she totally just stays behind to hook up with Shane Oman in the lion costume!"

"She makes him wear the costume?" Cady asks in disgusted horror.

"No! They're both in the costume!" Gretchen bellows, snapping the candy cane in half and dropping the pieces to the floor. Cady's jaw drops.

"Oh my god."

"And I never told anyone because I am such a good friend! I-I'm gonna go fill up my water bottle. Cover for me?" Gretchen sniffles. Cady nods.

Gretchen ducks out of the room. Damian enters before the door even closes, and Janis slams her way out of the stall. Damian hysterically whimpers, "I wear that costume!"

"Cads, that was amazing! What did you do?!" Janis says with an adorably delighted smile on her face. She rushes up and grabs Cady by the arms, spinning her around before she leans in for a kiss.

"Just a little Christmas magic," Cady responds with a grin of her own as soon as they break apart. "I sent myself a candy cane but I signed it as being from Regina."

"Clever girl," Janis coos in a horrible accent. Cady giggles.

"Okay, I gotta go! Love you guys." Janis gets another kiss and Damian gets a quick hug before Cady runs back to the gym to start their last parade practice.

————-

Cady grumbles as she wakes up the next morning. It's barely morning, the sun hasn't even risen yet. She has to be in the city, an hour away, two hours before the parade starts at 8:00. And she has to be there with her hair and makeup already done.

She does consider herself a morning person, but four in the morning is a bit much for anyone.

She grumbles as she hauls herself out of bed and stumbles to the restroom. She turns on the light and resists the urge to wince and close her eyes. How am I meant to be a jolly elf on five hours of sleep?

Cady opens her eyes extra wide, looking a little past unhinged when she sees herself in the mirror, to let the light in and hopefully wake her up.

By the time she's done brushing her teeth, she doesn't squint in the light anymore. She still grumbles sleepily as she washes her face, though.

She brings up the photo Regina sent (accompanied by many profanities) of what her makeup should look like so she can copy it. It's honestly not very different from her usual cheer makeup. Foundation, lots of gold eyeshadow, black mascara, red lipstick. Pretty much the only difference is the bright pink blush that she leaves in neat little circles on the apples of her cheeks instead of blending it up her cheekbones to look more natural. It's a little more rag doll than elf, but maybe it'll work better with the costume on.

She does her hair in two french braids, parted as close to even as she can get down the middle of her head and twisted intricately so they won't fall out after a morning of being mostly upside-down. She gives up on each braid a bit before the end, and ties the bands around halfway down instead of at the ends. Kind of a cute look, she thinks, as she fluffs out her curls at the end of each braid.

"You ready, binti? Have a Kälteen bar," her mother says when she trudges her way downstairs. Cady grabs the bar and takes a disgruntled bite out of it. She nods.

"You're sure this Regina friend can bring you home? We have to leave right from-"

"Right from the parade, I know, Dad," Cady says. "I quadruple checked, I'll make it home fine. Have fun at the vet conference."

"Oh, we will," her mother promises. "There's a keynote speaker on upgrades in euthanasia technology."

"...Cool," Cady replies.

"Right?! Alright, go get in the car. You sure you have everything?"

"Yeah. Regina has my outfit, I'll get changed there," Cady says. She looks down and brushes some wrinkles out of her Christmas jammies that Janis bought her. She smiles at the memory. My little dork.

"Time to hit the road, then!" her dad says. Cady shrieks as he hoists her off the ground and marches out towards the car.

"Dad!"

Her dad just starts bellowing the chorus to I Love a Parade, probably really irritating their poor neighbors. Cady gets affectionately tossed in the backseat, and her dad continues singing as her parents get into their spots up front and start the drive to Chicago.

————-

"Binti, we're here," her mother says. Cady jumps and snorts, bashing her head against the window she had fallen asleep against. "Ooh, be careful."

"Shit," Cady hisses under her breath, rubbing her new sore spot.

"Language," her dad chides, only half-serious.

"Sorry daddy. Have fun in Peoria. I love you," Cady says, bending at a weird angle to hug her parents goodbye. They can only stay long enough to see the beginning of the parade, so she has to get her goodbyes in now.

"We will. Be safe, have fun. No boys," her mother says, gently patting her back.

"I know, I know. You don't have to worry about that," Cady chuckles. Really. You have no idea.

"Atta girl. Go get em, tiger," her dad says, opening the door for her and sending her out. "Love you!"

"Yeah, love you too," Cady says, briefly walking backwards to talk to them. She gives them a final wave before she turns around and starts running to her team's meeting spot. "Yeesh. I'm sixteen."

Regina, once again, chucks her costume at her as soon as she's within sight. Cady manages to catch it this time, and looks around for somewhere private to change. The only place is behind some trees, so she heads that way.

Regina's mom is a talented seamstress and tailored Cady's costume to fit her perfectly. Almost too perfectly. It's so tight against her chest and her belly that she can barely breathe, and the skirt juuuuust barely passes her bum. The candy cane-esque tights are all she has left to protect her modesty.

The shoes with pointy toes and jingle bells are a recent addition, and she jangles her way back over to her friends. "Hey."

"Hey!" Karen greets, too brightly for six in the morning.

"Are your costumes, like, really tight?" Regina huffs, shifting her arms around to try to stretch the fabric a little. "They were huge, my mom can't have fucked up the tailoring this bad."

"Mine's okay," Cady shrugs. Her hat jingles for emphasis.

"Ugh, I'm gonna go see if she has any safety pins," Regina grumbles. Cady's phone pings as she stomps off through the frost-covered grass.

jayjay: good mornin buttercup

cadygirl: >:|

jayjay: what ?

jayjay: not a good morning??

cadygirl: Sent a picture: It's 6 in the morning and I look like this

cadygirl: And I'm cold >:|

jayjay: aww

jayjay: someone's grumpy

cadygirl: Yeah >:||||

jayjay: steve and i will be there to see you

cadygirl: Yaaaaay 🥰🥰

jayjay: that easy to cheer you up huh

cadygirl: It'd be even easier if you bring me food

jayjay: little conwoman

cadygirl: Whaaaat nooooo

jayjay: i'll take you to breakfast after

jayjay: hobbit

cadygirl: Hey!!

jayjay: not because you're short

jayjay: this time

jayjay: bc they're hungry all the time

cadygirl: Oh

cadygirl: Still v rude of you

jayjay: if i take you to get a happy meal will that make up for it

cadygirl: Yes <333

jayjay: done

jayjay: see you soon peanut

cadygirl: See you soon gorgeous 😘

Cady suddenly feels much warmer as she puts her phone back into her bag. She and Gretchen glue each other's ears on and the whole team does a warmup and stretch routine together. Cady rolls out her wrists and finally smiles as she gets into her spot.

——

The parade is more fun than she was expecting. It's less intense than what she has to do at games, more walkovers and limbers than tucks and punches. She gets a little dizzy, and it's hard not to get run over by the float on the rare occasions she fumbles a landing, but it's still fun. For once, the smile on her face is genuine the whole time.

She waves dorkily when she passes her parents. They both have their phones held up to film and proud smiles beaming across their faces. They wave back just as dorkily before they duck out and are off to their seminar.

Cady doesn't get to do much in the way of the more limber skills anymore. It's fun. She kind of misses doing skills just for fun, for herself. As long as she stays in her spot she can do whatever she wants to. She does all sorts of front walkovers, back walkovers, aerials, the occasional handspring. It's refreshing.

Whenever they come to a stop is when things get interesting. Nobody wants to see a parade stuck in place, so they practiced lots of choreography for that. One of the floats ahead of them gets stuck on a corner, and Cady does a vaulted flip off of Regina's crouched form like a really, really elaborate game of leapfrog. Regina acts like she's dancing with her and whirls her back around so they're in their right spots before they get going again.

Towards the end of the parade, Cady hears a, "Hi Cady!"

She's not supposed to, but she looks over. Stevie is waving eagerly to her, her arm linked with one of her friends. Janis is behind her with a cute grin on her face as she sees Cady in all her elvish glory. Cady wiggles her fingers back in greeting, and kisses the tips of her fingers twice before blowing the kisses in their direction. Janis smiles wider and sneakily blows one back. Stevie just squeals and dances around with her friend. Cady adds a little more flair to her skills than she needs to just for them.

Things stop and start a lot more as the first floats get to the end of the parade route and have to navigate pulling off to the sides of the road or getting where they need to be. Cady and Regina do their series of tricks at least six times. They start adding little bits of flourish to it when it begins to feel boring and repetitive.

Apparently a little too much flourish. Regina does a dramatic turn before she crouches to be Cady's vault.

Cady's already running.

She has no time to stop as Regina's safety pin breaks.

And her costume comes off.

Regina screams and bends down to try to grab it. Cady slips on the fabric and goes head over heels the wrong way. Cameras are already out, pictures and videos being recorded. Apparently more people from North Shore make the trip out to see the parade than they thought.

But Cady can't hear the shutters clicking or the agitated murmuring over the pop her ankle makes as she lands, and the roaring of blood in her ears as a horrific pain radiates up her leg. No, no, no no no nononono.

One of the coaches was walking alongside the float in between them and the crowd to make sure it all went smoothly. She rushes up and helps Regina get herself situated. "You alright, Heron?"

Cady can only sob. My ankle is broken. My ankle is broken and it really hurts. My ankle is broken and I may never be able to tumble again. My ankle-

"Whoa, kid, hey," her coach says. "Can ya walk? Right flank, fall in! You're down a man!"

Cady hops and hobbles her way to the end of the route and sits down on the curb, cradling her ankle and sobbing.

"Are your folks around?"

Cady shakes her head. "Re-Regina's take-taking me home."

Her coach hums and nods. "She ran off. Hope she's okay, too. Dang, kid, that looks gnarly."

That only makes Cady cry harder. What if I just did my last flip?

"I'll uh... go keep an eye out for George," her coach says. She does have the decency to bring Cady her bag. Cady debates texting her parents to let them know, but they're probably already halfway to Peoria. And they were so excited about the keynote, she can't drag them away from that. She'll just have to suck it up.

The pain is... almost bearable. It's not, but she doesn't exactly have much choice. Her sobs slow, and before too long she's just sniffling on the side of the road and holding her sore leg.

She about jumps out of her skin when she hears a, "Caddy!"

"Jesus Christ, Janis! There's people around here!" Cady hisses. Janis' face falls a little.

"Sorry."

"What are you doing here?" Cady asks more gently.

"There's already like, seventy different people sharing videos of you and Regina falling, what the hell happened?"

"I think the Kälteen bars backfired," Cady sniffs, shutting one eye as a wave of pain radiates from her ankle.

Janis frowns. "What do you mean?"

"She's gained so much weight her costume didn't fit," Cady explains through half-grit teeth.

Janis snorts. Cady glares at her. "Sorry."

"She safety pinned it on and it broke and I slipped on the costume," Cady continues. "And I fucked up my landing and I think my ankle is broken."

"Yikes," Janis says in concern.

"She was supposed to take me home," Cady says, trying to stretch out her leg and wincing in pain. Janis winces too.

"Damian and I will take you to the hospital, don't worry about it," Janis says immediately.

"Don't- ow- don't you have Stevie with you?" Cady asks in concern.

"Nah, she wanted to go to her friend's house, I'm free of the child until tonight," Janis replies. "Can I see?"

Cady looks at her hesitantly. Janis looks back. She doesn't push. There are a lot of people around. But Cady needs the comfort of her girlfriend right now. She nods.

Janis carefully eases her stupid jingly boot off her foot, pausing whenever Cady makes a pained noise. By the end Cady has her bottom lip so firmly between her teeth she can taste blood and her eyes screwed shut. It's still not enough to stop a few pained tears slipping out and down her face.

It becomes quickly apparent that Janis has absolutely no idea what she's doing. She gives Cady's foot a gentle, inquisitive poke and pulls back like she's been burned when Cady squeaks in pain. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Cady says, looking at her through squinted eyes and trying to remember how to breathe.

"It's pretty swollen," Janis says in concern. "And bruising already."

Cady sniffs again, looking down at her stupid candy-cane patterned lap. Janis gently tips her chin up.

"It'll be okay, Cads," she murmurs.

"But what if it's not?" Cady hiccups. "What if I never walk on it again? What if I can never do another flip?"

"And what if it's totally fine? What if it turns out to just be a bad sprain and you're back on your feet in a week?" Janis retaliates.

Cady feels her lip tremble. Janis might be right.

But they both know she's not.

"They're coming, hide," Cady says when she hears the cheers coming down the road. Thank god Damian's almost here.

Janis looks at her oddly, sadly, but she obediently ducks behind the tree line to wait for the crowd of people they actually know to clear out.

"Cads! Hey, coach told me you fell, what the hell, babe?!" Damian says as soon as he sees her, sprinting full tilt over to her. "Oh, yikes."

"Is it bad?" Cady asks, feeling tears brimming behind her eyes yet again.

"It's not... great," Damian replies hesitantly. "Can you move it?"

Cady sniffles. "I don't know, I haven't tried."

"Can I?"

Cady nods. Damian carefully braces her ankle with his large, warm hand and gives her foot a gentle wiggle. Several people look in their direction at the noise Cady makes in response.

"Alright, well," Damian says in a voice a solid three octaves higher than normal.

"I'm sorry," Cady sobs.

"Babe, shh," Damian soothes. "I will donate you one of my feet if I have to. We'll go get you patched up and all that, don't worry about it."

"But how will you be a big Broadway star someday if you only have one foot?" Cady giggles wetly.

"I'll manage. Is that Janis peeping at me through the bushes over there?"

"Probably," Cady replies with another giggle. She turns around and sees a familiar pair of blue eyes poked out from behind a gnarled old tree trunk. Janis ducks back behind it when she sees she's been spotted, and Cady smiles. "Yeah. Dork."

Damian smiles too. "She really loves you. Let me text her so she doesn't get picked up for stalking or some shit."

"She does?" Cady sniffles.

"Girl, are you kidding? We haven't had a conversation where you haven't come up at least once since September," Damian says absently as he taps out a message to Janis.

Janis is close enough that they hear her phone ping and her muffled, "Shit!" Cady can't help but laugh.

"Alright, she'll meet us at the car and we'll take you to the hospital."

"Thanks, papa elf," Cady grins. Damian laughs and tosses Cady onto his back to carry her the half-mile back to the parking lot. "These bells are infuriating."

"I think they're fun," Damian replies, a hand over his heart. He wiggles his head to make his hat jingle for emphasis. Cady giggles.

"Thanks for taking me home. I dunno what happened to Regina," Cady says quietly.

"Nobody does, she disappeared after the... incident," Damian replies. Cady frowns.

"Weird."

"I took over on your side so it was still balanced, but apparently she just ran off naked through the woods. Guess you can cross that off your list," Damian says. Cady laughs.

"You make a great elf," she replies. "Your ear keeps poking me, though."

"Sorry," Damian chuckles. "Alright, madam, we have arrived at your chariot."

"'Sup nerds," Janis greets, pushing herself off Damian's mom's car with a small salute.

"Caddy gets front seat privileges, she's broken."

"Ugh!" Janis groans sarcastically. Cady giggles.

"Um, actually... can I sit in the back with you?" she mumbles shyly.

Janis smirks. "We gonna make out?"

Cady rolls her eyes. "Corndog."

"What?!" Damian giggles.

"Is that not right?" Cady replies shyly.

"Did you just call me a corndog?!" Janis cackles.

"Someone tell me what I meant to say!" Cady insists.

Damian barely manages to put her down safely before he almost collapses to the ground in laughter. "Did-did you mean horndog?"

"Yes!" Cady says. "Stop laughing, it's not funny!"

"Yes it is!" Janis chokes through her laughter.

"People are staring, shut up!" Cady hisses. "Stop laughing!"

"Okay, okay," Damian says, wiping tears from his eyes. "Get in, sluts and slurs."

As soon as the doors close, Janis and Damian burst into laughter again. Damian can barely turn the key to start the car, he's laughing so hard. "I didn't mean to say corndog, stop laughing."

"You're so cute," Janis hums, still giggling to herself. "How's the ankle doing?"

"Hurts," Cady sighs.

Janis pouts and pulls Cady into a cuddle. Cady leans into her shoulder with a wince as another burst of pain radiates up her leg. "Poor baby."

—-

After an interesting drive to the nearest urgent care, Janis scoops Cady out and carries her baby-style into the waiting room. The pain is starting to get to Cady again, and she winces and cries quietly as Janis cradles her in her lap.

Luckily, people are so focused on their own injuries or other ailments that two Christmas elves and their art freak barely catch their eye. There's a mother there with a clearly sick little boy snuffling into her shoulder, a duo of frat bros who are clearly drunk and each cradling one arm close to their chest, and an old man in the corner filling out a crossword puzzle from 2011.

"How did your hat survive that whole thing?" Janis asks as Damian plops into the seat next to them with Cady's paperwork.

"I glued it to my head," Cady sniffs. Damian drops his pen in shock.

"You what?!"

"Only in the front, I used clips in the back," Cady replies. Damian sighs and rests his hand on his chest.

"Do not scare me like that," he replies. "Cads, when's your birthday?"

"July thirtieth," Cady says softly.

"Hey, my birthday's in July too!" Damian says. "Twinsies."

Cady can't help but giggle at his desperate attempt to cheer her up. "When's yours?"

"The thirteenth," Damian says.

"Man, I'm still the baby!" Cady huffs. "Miss January over here."

"Not my fault my parents know how to celebrate Easter," Janis shrugs. Cady gasps.

"Janis Sarkisian, we are in public!"

"Whatcha gonna do about it, tiny?" Janis retaliates. "Since we are in public."

"Hmph," Cady grumbles. She cuddles closer into her girlfriend's warm neck.

"You okay?" Janis whispers against her forehead.

"Hurts," Cady whispers back. "Are they gonna see us soon?"

"Probably not," Janis sighs.

Damian goes to hand in her paperwork at the front desk. Beyond that, all they can do is wait.

-

And wait they do. But, eventually, a nurse calls Cady's name and Janis stands to carry her back. Damian follows quickly, running after them through the winding halls.

"Alright, what seems to be the problem?" the nurse says. She does a double take when she sees the elf with one shoe on sitting on the exam table. She snorts a quick laugh but bites her lip to stop herself.

"I think I broke my ankle," Cady says softly. The doctor looks down at her one exposed foot and winces.

"It looks like that might be the case, hon. What happened?" the nurse asks, taking Cady's vitals. "Cross your arm over your chest."

Cady does when she fastens a blood pressure cuff around her wrist. "Um, I was in the parade this morning and I slipped on... something. I fumbled a flip and landed on it weird."

"Did you hear a pop when you landed or was it just a feeling?"

"I heard something pop, and I can't put any weight on it," Cady says anxiously. "And it's a little numb, and kinda... tingly, I guess."

"Mm," the nurse hums. "I'm gonna try and move it a bit, you let me know if anything hurts, alright?" Cady nods and braces as the mere brush of her fingertips against her ankle sends more waves of pain flooding up her whole leg and out her toes. "That hurt?"

"Mmhmm," Cady squeaks.

"Hm," the nurse hums again. "I'm gonna get the doctor to get you an x-ray, alright?

"Thank you," Cady says. She looks down at her lap with a quiet sniffle. She shakes her other foot and humphs at the jingle she gets in response.

"You okay, Peanut?" Janis asks quietly.

"What if it is actually broken?" Cady asks desperately. "I'm the head flyer, broken bones take so long to heal! It'll be weeks before I'm back in, what are they gonna-"

"We have protocols for this kinda thing, Cads, it'll be okay," Damian says. "We get injured all the time. I broke my wrist cheering in middle school and everything was fine. You just gotta take your time to heal."

"But-"

"If it is broken and you try to do anything you could hurt yourself permanently," Janis says. "Repetitive fractures? You have to rest. And we don't know for sure that it's broken yet, it might just be a bad sprain."

Cady sighs and nods. "Thanks for coming with me."

"Anytime, babe," Damian says, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders and resting his head against hers. Cady blinks as his elf ear almost pokes her in the eye. Janis joins in too, and gets a jingle bell up the nose.

Her little crew gets left behind as Cady hops after the doctor towards the x-ray room. She holds as still as she can on the uncomfortable table and listens to the deafening clunks of the machine as it whirls around her foot. It's so loud she's a little worried it'll explode, but the doctor eventually returns from behind the lead partition and leads her back to her room to wait for the results.

It's a very quick wait.

"Your ankle is broken," the doctor says as soon as she walks into the room.

Cady feels her face crumple, and Janis wraps her in a tight hug as Cady lets out a quiet sob. "It's okay, Peanut, shh."

"It'll heal fine, no surgery needed. We call it a nondisplaced fracture, so none of your bones have actually moved out of where they're meant to be. You just need a cast for a little bit and you should be back to normal."

"So-so I'll still-still be able to-to cheer?"

"Not for six to eight weeks, but yes," the doctor replies with a smile. Janis squeezes her tighter as Cady releases a sob of relief.

"I told you," she murmurs, kissing Cady's cheek. Cady sniffles and leans into her shoulder. She needs Janis right now.

"Technically you broke your leg, the bottom part of your fibula here, and there's a hairline fracture in part of your tibia. But they're not displaced enough for you to need surgery, just a cast and no weight bearing for a good while."

"O-okay," Cady sniffs.

"You might wanna... de-elf yourself before we get the cast on, though. Unless you want to keep those tights for a few weeks."

Cady takes the wheel of possible cast colors and the pajamas Damian hands her from her bag. "These are cute! Where'd they come from?"

"Janis got them for me," Cady says with a sniffle as the doctor leaves and Janis and Damian both turn around to give her some privacy to change.

"Oh, did she now? How very soft of her," Damian hums. Janis shoves him. Damian sticks his tongue out in her general direction, unable to tell quite where she is with his hands firmly over his eyes.

"Shut up," Janis responds.

"Stop fighting, you can turn around now," Cady says once she's back in her comfy pajamas. "Which color cast should I get?"

"What's your favorite color?" Damian asks.

"Yellow," Cady replies.

"The purple is cool too," Janis says, tapping the little swatch of it. Cady nods.

Damian leans in close to see all the options. "I like the green."

"I like green," Cady acknowledges. "The Plastics will kill me if I get anything except pink, though."

"Pfft, who cares about them? Regina did this to you," Janis scoffs.

"Because we made her gain weight," Cady retaliates. "This light pink is cute."

"Do whatever you want, Cupcake."

"Cupcake?" Damian responds immediately, accompanied with a gag.

"Look at this little faaaaace," Janis coos, leaning harder into it and squishing Cady's cheeks rather than trying to fend off her friend. Cady goes along with it too, batting her eyelashes coquettishly at him. "Isn't she just the cutest widdle thing?"

"You two are gonna ruin my life together, aren't you?"

“Mm-hmm!" Cady hums happily, her cheeks still smushed in her girlfriend's hand. Damian rolls his eyes. Janis gives Cady's squished-out lips a kiss before she lets her go and smirks at her friend.

"You're the one who was literally speechless for four hours after we told you we were dating," she responds.

"I was in shock, shut up."

"Because your matchmaking never works?"

Damian huffs. "Whatever, it does."

"Name one time."

"This!" Damian insists, gesturing frantically between the two of them. Janis rolls her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Princess," she replies. Damian smiles.

"Thank you."

The doctor returns towards the tail end of that argument and shoots Cady a confused look. Cady just shrugs a little. She hands back all the cast swatches and goes with the light pink she had liked. She does really like it, and the Plastics won't crucify her for it. Well, they might anyway for what happened at the parade, and for needing a clunky, bulky cast in the first place. But at least this'll show she has decent taste and the ability to match.

Janis and Damian each take and squeeze one of her hands as her bones are painfully squished back where they need to be and wrapped in layers upon layers of fabric. The pink shell finishes the job, and Janis asks the doctor for a Sharpie so she and Damian can be the first to sign it.

"Do it small," Cady insists. Damian shoots her a strange look, but they both sign their names in the smallest letters they can right by her toes. Janis adds a little heart by hers for good measure. "Thanks, guys."

Cady gets fit for a set of crutches. It takes a while and she ends up with kids size ones, but eventually she's clicking slowly across the parking lot and finally on her way home.

"Jan, you wanna come over?" Damian asks. Cady pouts a little. She knows he and Janis are best friends, and that they definitely hang out without her sometimes, but it's not like Damian to ask with Cady right there.

"Nah, I gotta go get Stevie," Janis replies. Damian nods. Cady is confused when they pull into Janis' driveway. She should've been dropped off first. Her house is much further out of the way. "Bye Peanut."

Cady returns the kiss she gives. "Bye, baby."

Damian gags in the front seat. "Bye, dumbass."

"Bye, slut," Janis replies, blowing him a kiss as she climbs out of the car in the most complicated way she can and runs into her house.

Damian puts the car back in gear and keeps driving. Cady is more confused when they pull into his driveway. He turns the car off and gets out, leaving Cady alone in the backseat.

"You coming?" he asks, knocking on her window upon noticing she hasn't moved. Cady jumps.

“You're not taking me home?"

"I am not leaving you alone to navigate that house with one foot. But I'll take you home if you'd rather be there," Damian responds.

Cady shakes her head. "No. No, uh... thanks."

"Of course," Damian replies. "Now come on, cripple, my mom'll make us milkshakes."

"Your mom?" Cady asks with a smile.

"Oh, shit, you haven't met her yet! Uh, be ready for like, a lot of hugs. And she might cry. She's a big empath."

"Okay," Cady giggles. "She sounds great."

"She is," Damian says with a small smile. He unlocks the door and drops their stuff in the small area for shoes and coats and bags. "Ma, I'm home! And I brought Cady!"

Stanley comes running down the hall as soon as she hears the door. Damian protectively stands in front of Cady so the excited pup doesn't knock her over, but Cady smiles and rests her crutches against the wall so she can give the sweet little thing some scritches. "Hi, Stanley! How are you, baby girl?! Oh, yes, hi! I missed you too!"

"Stanley, gentle, Caddy's broken," Damian says. Stanley actually does calm a little bit, sniffing curiously at Cady and wagging her entire rear end instead of jumping on her like she did last time.

"Hey, baby girl!" Damian's mother greets, coming down the hallway in such a blaze of glory that it's immediately apparent where Damian gets his showmanship from. Cady looks up and smiles as she wraps him in a hug.

"Hi Ma," Damian responds, hugging his mom back and handing Cady her crutches again.

"How was the parade?" his mom asks, leading the two of them down the hall. She clocks Cady hobbling after them, then. "Ah."

"Yeah, she broke her ankle," Damian responds.

"At the parade?! Oh, honey!" his mom says immediately, wrapping Cady in such a tight hug she thinks she hears a few of her ribs pop. "You poor thing! Oh, come in, come in, sit down. Damian, help her to the living room, come on now."

"Can we go to my room instead?" Damian asks. His mom rolls her eyes.

"Yes, go ahead. It's on this floor, Cady, don't worry baby."

"Thanks, Ms. Hubbard," Cady replies with a smile. She gets another tight hug and actually has to cough a little when she's released to get her breathing back in a normal rhythm.

"Of course, baby! What kind of milkshakes do y'all want?"

"Oreo?" Damian suggests. Ms. Hubbard looks to Cady, and she nods eagerly. "Please."

"Coming right up."

"Thank you," Cady says as she's off back to the kitchen.

"Don't mention it, baby!" she calls back.

"Your mom is great," Cady says. Damian nods. Cady squeaks in surprise as he hauls her onto his back and starts carrying her down the hall towards his bedroom next to the garage.

"She is."

"She's very comforting," Cady continues. Damian nods again. "I see where you get it from."

"D'aww, thanks," Damian coos. He's actually blushing a little bit, and Cady smiles as he rests her down on his cushy bed. He fusses over her like a worried mother, helping her take her makeup and ears off as Cady looks around his bedroom for the first time. She's been here before for movie nights, but only ever in the basement.

None of the actual drywall is visible; completely plastered over with posters of drag queens and black-and-white photos of old Broadway stars. Cady can barely breathe for Judy Garland and Cher and RuPaul. There's fairy lights of all colors hanging from the crown molding, illuminating and twinkling over a full wall of Playbills in protective clear plastic sleeves. The furniture is a bit plain by comparison, but it all just feels like Damian's spirit has exploded into the room. It's amazing.

"Your room is so cool," Cady says.

"Thanks!"

"You have a lot of Playbills," Cady continues. "Have you actually seen that many shows?"

"God, no," Damian chuckles. "The top row there are the only ones I've seen in person, the rest are from eBay."

"Cool," Cady replies.

"Has Janis taught you about musicals yet?"

Cady shakes her head with a smile. "She said she wouldn't be able to do it justice."

Damian snorts. "Yeah, right. She just doesn't want to sit through them."

"She doesn't like them?"

"She only watches them once a year on my birthday and if I sing a lyric that could even approach being from a musical she'll punch me in the jugular."

"Really?"

Damian nods, fiddling with the mouse to wake up the computer and typing in his pin. "You've brought a lot of her walls down. So... thanks for that."

"I'm glad," Cady replies softly. "She deserves it."

"She does," Damian agrees. He shrugs suddenly. "Anyway, what do you want to watch?"

"You pick. I don't know anything," Cady giggles. Damian nods and opens a folder full of bootlegs. He murmurs the titles under his breath until he lands on a good first musical for her.

"Ooh! Okay, here, you'll love this one. The movie is good too, but the stage production is amazing."

Cady cuddles into his arm and peeks at the file name. She squeals, "Lions?!"

"Lions is an understatement for The Lion King," Damian says. Cady wiggles excitedly as he opens it and makes it full screen. "Can you see?"

"Mmhmm. Thanks, D."

"Anytime, Little Slice."

His mom pops in with their milkshakes a few minutes in and seems completely unphased seeing her son cuddled up with a girl she's known for fifteen minutes. Apparently this is normal for him. "Thank you, Ms. Hubbard."

"You're welcome, sweet girl. Y'all just holler if you need anything, alright? Ooh, Lion King. That's a good one," she replies as she leaves again.

"Cady's from Kenya," Damian explains.

"No shit?" his mom replies, making Cady choke on her milkshake in shock.

"Um, yeah, I just moved here this summer," she says.

"Ain't that something. Alright, have fun, you two."

"Thanks, Ma," Damian says as she shuts the door behind her.

They sip at their tasty milkshakes while they watch. Cady might be in love. She's immediately bopping along to all the musical numbers and oohing and aahing over the special effects.

Damian looks at her expectantly when the curtain call is over.

"That was so cool!" she squeals. "Can we watch it again?"

Damian laughs. "I'm glad you liked it. You like musicals now?"

Cady nods eagerly. "Yeah."

"Good," Damian says with a victorious smirk. He takes a picture of them cuddled up together and sends it to Janis with a caption reading, I win Caddy likes musicals. He gets an eye roll emoji in response and clicks off his phone with a smug grin. "Let's try something else, but we'll come back if you want to after."

"Okaaaaay," Cady huffs jokingly.

They watch about four more, occasionally shifting positions to keep comfy on Damian's plush bed. The milkshakes are long gone, but neither of them care.

"Thanks for taking care of me," Cady murmurs after the last one. Damian gently bumps into her.

"Anytime. Sorry Janis was busy, I know she wanted to be the one to kidnap you."

"No, it's okay," Cady says immediately. "I love her, but she'd be so worried she'd barely let me move. Not that that's bad, she's just... a lot, sometimes."

"You love her, eh?" Damian teases. Cady blushes. "Oh, shit, do you?"

"I mean... we've only been dating for a month," Cady begins hesitantly. "But... I might... already love her, like, a lot."

"D'aaawww, my little gaybies," Damian squeals.

"Shut up," Cady scoffs.

"She loves you too," Damian says matter-of-factly.

Cady looks at him. "She does?"

"I told you earlier. This bitch will not shut up about you. I've never seen her like this. It's kind of freaky," Damian chuckles. "Always, have you seen Caddy's eyes up close? They're such a pretty green. And she's sooooo tiiiiny, she just fits in my arms like a puzzle."

"She did not say that."

"On RuPaul she did."

Cady blinks. "Did I break her?"

"Honestly? Maybe. But I like it. She's annoying sometimes, but this Janis seems... healthier."

"Good," Cady replies.

"You, on the other hand," Damian replies, looking pointedly at her left foot. Cady giggles.

"It's fixed, I'll be okay," she replies.

"You got lucky there, kid. I really thought you were gonna need surgery," Damian says.

"I did too, honestly," Cady admits.

"...And now I think about it, Regina is a little chubbier."

"Right? It totally worked!" Cady squeals. Damian laughs. "Now we just have to get people to stop treating her like the queen bee and get Aaron out of her clutches."

"Godspeed, soldier. Doing the lord's work," Damian says with a salute. Cady giggles. "Do you, like, wanna go home?"

Cady sighs. "I should."

"Bitch, is that what I asked? Do you want to or not?" Damian insists.

"I mean... it's always weird there without my parents," Cady mumbles, fidgeting with her fingers. "But I don't wanna impose."

"Hold on," Damian says. Cady jumps when he turns his head to the side and hollers, "Ma!"

"What?!" his mother yells back.

"Can Cady sleep over?!"

"Her folks okay with it?!"

"Your folks okay with it?" Damian asks Cady in a much, much softer tone. Cady nods in confusion. Damian yells back, "Yeah!"

"Then she's always welcome! Dinner's in half an hour!" his mom replies.

"Thank you!" Cady yells.

"You're welcome, baby!"

"See? Problem solved," Damian says. Cady giggles.

"You're the best, D."

"And don't you forget it."

————-

thank you for reading!!

i have a oneshot coming for y'all on wednesday that i'm very (cautiously) excited about and am working myself to the bone trying to get the next chapter of this and another oneshot done per my usual "schedule" if you can call it that lol.

i apologize for not being more prepared but i spent most of february auditioning for the tour!! so that took a lot of my focus but it's done now and i am back in as full of a swing as i can get lol.

so fingers crossed! and if i don't get it done in time you'll just get three of each with my next round of fics :)

thank you all so much again for being here. i love every little one of you muppets so dearly.

lots of love,

ezzy