#it's pretty great though that since there is so little known about Basil we can just make him be anything

[its-teeem]

Coal-Black

I find it interesting that one of the few things we know about Basil’s physical appearance is his “coal-black hair.”

Ignoring the possibility of Basil being in an insert for Wilde(which is very likely), the fact that Basil never describes himself is pretty interesting especially since he’s an artist, it’s practically his job to be able to recreate visions of others. It’s only thanks to Henry not understanding what Basil means about Dorian’s portrait, that he “put too much of myself into it” that we get to have even the tiniest sliver of information regarding Basil’s appearance. 

It’s kinda like that trope in which an artist can see beauty in anything but themselves, therefore purposefully omitting themselves from everything since they are merely there as an underserving spectator. 

Basil practically has background character syndrome.  

[usercelestial]

Heyy I don't know if you take prompts still but could you write something about Mickey loving on Ian a whole bunch <3 Thanks

This wasn’t the plan. Not in the slightest.

When Tami asked Mickey to go out and get drinks with her, he wasn’t expecting to get this shit-faced.

Nevertheless, here he is, swaying back and forth in a bar he doesn’t recognize, knocking back beer after beer, only thinking about one particular red-head.

“Mickey!” Tami shouted over the loud music, drunk herself, “Mickey! I hav’ta go to the bathroom, ‘k? Watch my shit,” she stumbles away to the bathroom in her three inch heels while Mickey watches her carefully, making sure no men are creeping on her.

Then he notices a guy staring at him. His immediate inebriated reaction is to sneer, assuming the man wants to fight. Then that little Ian that lives on his shoulder tells him to turn away. And he’s about to do so when he sees a glint in the man’s eyes.

The man walks over to him, sliding into the seat beside him. Mickey slaps his palm over Tami’s drink and pulls it towards him.

“Hey, I’m Michael,” the man juts out a hand.

Mickey eyes him but eventually takes it, “Mickey!” He shouts though he realizes that the music got significantly quieter when the man winces.

“That short for something?” Michael leans onto the table.

“Uh-huh,” Mickey doesn’t elaborate, he just sips his beer while keeping his palm over Tami's cup.

“So, what brings you here?”

Mickey isn’t sure how to answer that, “Well, my friend had a baby, and her boyfriend-partner? They call themselves partners. Anyway, her baby daddy doesn’t drink but Tami-my friend's name is Tami, she’s gorgeous, you probably saw her. She’s super tall but she’s wearing heels so it makes her even taller, it’s insane. She went to the bathroom so I’m watching her stuff so no one like you,” Mickey points his finger at him, almost touching his nose, “does anything creepy.”

Michael stares, “Right, so you’re out with friends-”

“How’d you know that?” Mickey tilts his head, it feels heavy.

“Doesn’t matter. Your friend isn’t my type-”

“No way!”

“You on the other hand, check all my boxes,”

Mickey gasps, he’s not sure what he means but something far away tells him to say, “I’m gay, too!” He laughs and tilts his head back, closing his eyes.

“Really?” Michael says like he’s discovered something new.

“Ian told me I’d meet other gay guys here. He’s been here before!” He vaguely remembers Ian telling him about it. He told them both to be safe, pecking Mickey on the cheek and taking Freddie from Tami’s arms to babysit him for the night. He also remembers thinking about how cute Ian looked holding little baby Freddie close to his chest like he was the most precious thing in the world-

“Is Ian your friend as well?” Mickey’s not very happy that his thoughts were interrupted but he giggles.

“My very, very best friend. Even better than Tami but shh, don’t tell her that,” he puts his finger to his lips and looks around for Tami again, “Or Ian for that matter. Issa secret.”

Michael chuckles, “My lips are sealed. Have you come here before?”

Mickey shook his head vigorously, “Ian has though, he’s been to a lot of places but that makes him sad so he doesn’t like to talk about it. I don’t like it when he’s sad,” Mickey suddenly feels very sullen, his lips pouting, “I hope he’s not sad right now.”

“I’m sure he’s fine. What about you? Are you having fun?”

Mickey nodded but started to pull out his phone, “I should check in with Ian. He told me to check in with him when we got here. How long have we been here?” He asks Michael, who shrugs.

“You’re not very useful,” Mickey bites his lip and sends a quick text to Ian.

“I can be,” Michael slides closer to him, Mickey thinks his breath stinks. He also thinks back to Ian, cooking dinner right before Tami picked him up. He’s so good at cooking, he’s been getting better at it ever since he started his own garden. He’s good at that too. He’s good at a lot of things.

“Ian’s great at cooking!” He shouts again, Michael’s face scrunches up. Mickey takes it to mean he doesn’t believe him, “It’s true! You should fucking taste his cooking, he’s amazing at it. He grows tomatoes and basil and shit in our garden. He has the greenest thumb on the South-err, shit, Westside. He can cook anything, I mean it!” Mickey nods, sure of himself.

“That’s nice. Uh, so-”

“He’s so good at so many things! He used to be an EMT, did you know that?”

Michael shakes his head, “I did not,” his face falls, like he’s disappointed. It reminds Mickey of something else.

“He’s good at making people smile, too. Not just laugh, like a real smile. It’s like-like,” he burps, “A gift. He’s like sunshine! Or a puppy, or cake. Oh! He used to be an EMT, real official and shit, he used to save people! I didn’t get to see it, but when he talks about it, his face lights up and gets so happy, you know?”

Michael nods, “So what do you do for work?”

Mickey shakes his head, “He’s trying to get his job back. I mean, he doesn’t want to tell me that, but I know, you know? I’ve known the fucker for eleven years, of course I know when he’s sad. I don’t like it when he’s sad.”

“So, you’ve said.”

“And-and I want him to get the job back but-we work together, by the way-I don’t wanna stop working with him. But you should see him-he’s so happy. Do you wanna see my favorite picture of him?”

Before Michael can decline, Mickey’s pulling up a picture on his phone. It depicts Ian, topless, laying out by the pool underneath the sun. He’s scrunching his nose up and peering at the camera, smiling,“I love this one. Oh, I have other good ones, too, but those are just for me.”

Michael nods, “That’s great-”

“Hey!” A loud, familiar voice rings through the air. Mickey turns to see Tami, throwing an arm over Mickey’s shoulder, “Are you ready? I’m ready,” Tami pulls on her coat.

Michael shrugs his shoulders and perks up, “Hey, do you think I could get your number?” Maybe we could hook up sometime?”

“Gross!” Mickey screams, looking around to Tami, who snickers.

“Sorry,” she says, also obnoxiously loud, “This one’ssss taken.”

“Uh huh, by my stupid redhead,” Mickey closes his eyes and leans on Tami for support, “He’s so stupid, and petty,” he giggles again, “And smart and charming. And strong, did you know he can fucking pick me up?” Tami shakes her head in disgust, “Ahh, he can and it’s so hot. Bet Lip couldn’t do that.”

“Call Ian to pick us up, I don’t think I can walk,” Tami pulls back and tugs Mickey with him.

“Bye,” Mickey waves back at Michael who sits slumped over and frowning.

Mickey dials Ian, who picks up immediately, “You picked up!” Mickey says fondly into the phone.

“Course I did, you sound drunk, are you okay?” Ian’s voice, while hushed, raises slightly, “I’m at Lip’s right now, dropping off Freddie. Do you need me to pick you up?”

Mickey nods and when Ian doesn’t answer, Tami says, “You need to speak into the phone, idiot. He can’t hear you nodding.”

“Fuck off, asshole. He can, like, read my mind, can’t you, Ian? Cause you’re better than Tami’s stupid life partner or whatever the fuck.”

Tami punches his shoulder and he punches right back. They continue play-fighting until Ian speaks again, “Stay where you are. I’ll come pick you guys up, alright?”

Mickey nods again and Tami rolls her eyes.

They wait almost ten minutes until Ian drives up to the side of the street, “Need a lift?” Ian walks over and helps them both in the car. Mickey gushes over how sweet Ian is for picking them up while Tami asks about Freddie.

“You’re so pretty, did you know that?” Mickey asks, tracing Ian’s jawline as they drop Tami off.

“Gross,” Tami says as she gets out of the car.

“You’re just jealous cause your boyfriend looks like a frog,” Mickey says, a bit rudely even in his own opinion.

“God, you’re drunk, aren’t you?” Ian sighs.

“Am not!” Mickey crosses his arms, “Fine, whatever, you’re ugly, too,” they wait a few beats in silence, “No, wait, I’m sorry, don’t be mad.”

“‘M not mad, baby,” Ian says gently.

“Mhm, love that about you,” Mickey closes his eyes and reaches over clumsily, grabbing at Ian’s hand and playing with his fingertips, “You’re so sweet, too sweet sometimes but that’s okay. I like it, it suits you, like you were made to be nice and shit,” he’s not sure what he’s talking about but he doesn’t want to stop, “You were made to be an paramedic or whatever the fuck. You were made to help people, and be kind to them, and be happy ‘cause, like, you make me happy, you know that?” Mickey looks up to Ian, he’s tearful and biting the inside of his cheek.

“Why are you crying?” Mickey hugs Ian’s hand to his chest, “I don’t like it when you’re sad, please don’t be sad.”

Ian laughs breathlessly, “I’m not sad, honey, I just- I love you, Mickey.”

Mickey smiles, squeezing Ian’s arms tighter, “‘Love you, too, Gallagher. Love everything about you.”

[waka-chan-out]

Ballroom Dancing

(Tsukishima Kei x Fem!Reader)

I wrote a Tsukishima dance fic and I’m here to make it everyone’s problem

post-timeskip, obviously.

word count: 4.4k

content warning: SMUT, semi-public sex, degredation, taunting because he’s a little shit, brat!reader, oral (m. recieving), hair pulling, fingering, alcohol consumption (nothing crazy), slight orgasm denial, light choking

also featuring: kuroo and kenma

“I cannot believe you talked me into this,” you said, turning into your friend as you scanned the huge ballroom.

“What do you mean? You look great.”

“I know I look great, Tetsu, but I still feel ridiculous.”

“Why? Once you start dancing you’ll feel better.”

“Whatever you say. Please dance with me first or I will combust.”

“As you wish,” Kuroo said with a laugh. You moved towards him as he took your hand, starting to move you around the room. The other couples on the dance floor were pressed against each other, hands slipping down from their partner’s waists and faces leaning in close to whisper who knows what in each others ears. Kuroo held you respectfully, knowing that he dragged you here and you could run off at any moment if you felt like it. The music swelled, filling the ballroom with a beautiful hum. The room was huge and silver. A giant chandelier dangled from the ceiling and cast lovely shattered flecks of light all around the room.

You had practiced this dance so many times that you could go into autopilot and observe your surroundings without missing a beat. Kuroo spun you quickly as your eyes passed over the crowd. You recognized a few faces as Kuroo’s friends from college. Some of them he had known since high school. All of the friends of his you had met so far were fun. If they could put up with Kuroo they could put up with anything.

You saw Kenma in the crowd and cast him a smile. He held up a hand to greet you. You knew he’d find you later and talk your ear off, but there was no way you could get him in the middle of the room for a dance. He looked handsome in his tuxedo. He was never as strong as Kuroo, but he still filled it out nicely with his newfound confidence.

“Hey, Kei is here!” Kuroo said happily. You looked back at him with confusion. You knew the name, but he was one of Kuroo’s high school friends that you hadn’t met yet.

“Where?” you asked.

“Right next to Kenma. The blond.” You spun around again and looked over to where Kenma was. A giant loomed over him, his back to you. He had shaggy blond hair and looked relatively thin, but you could see muscle through his tight-fitting dress pants.

“Jesus, how tall is he?” you asked. “He looks huge compared to poor Kenma.” Kuroo laughed.

“He’s always been big. Last time we saw each other he said he was over 6’4 but who knows at this point.”  Your eyes widened.

Kuroo let out his hyena laugh in response and the blond - Kei, though you didn’t know his last name - turned at the clearly familiar sound. He wore a wide pair of glasses that framed serious eyes. His face was cold as he turned, but as soon as he saw Kuroo it softened into a smile. He held up a hand, long fingers twitching slightly in greeting. Kuroo’s hand left your waist, waving eagerly back at his friend.

“After this song let’s go say hi,” he said. You nodded, eyes still fixed on the man. His face settled into a slight smirk as he observed you, then turned back to Kenma, running a hand through his blond hair.

The song ended and you and Kuroo made your way to the edge of the ballroom, but the blond was nowhere to be found. Kenma greeted you with a hug and a shower of compliments. He had really come out of his shell since college.

“Where’d Kei get off to?” Kuroo asked.

“No idea,” Kenma said, glancing around. “He’s hard to miss, though. I’m sure you’ll find him easily enough.” He laughed. “I think he’s grown even more since we last saw him.”

“Are you serious? That’s hardly fair.”

“Agreed. No man deserves to be 6’5.” Six fucking five. It wasn’t often you ran into someone that could dwarf Kuroo. Jesus. You needed a drink.

“I’m heading to the bar, Tetsu,” you said. Kuroo nodded and waved you on, chatting happily with Kenma as you walked away.

Even the bar sparkled with silver. The man behind the counter wore red velvet, looking more like an employee at the Tower of Terror than a bartender.

“What can I get for you, love?” he asked.

“What can you make?”

“Absolutely anything you’d like.”

You laughed. “Can you make a mojito? Pineapple, if it’s possible.”

“Absolutely.” He turned and began to skillfully rifle through the selection of rum behind him.

“What are you, on vacation?” a voice asked behind you. You could almost hear the smirk in his words. You turned, immediately having to look higher up than you thought you would. Kuroo’s blond friend stood behind you with a sly smile on his face.

“Something wrong with my order?”

“I think the answer to that is pretty obvious,” he said, leaning on his elbows against the bar beside you, shrinking to your height. “Who orders pineapple at an event like this?”

“People who don’t give a shit about the snooty atmosphere.”

He cocked an eyebrow and looked away, watching the bartender make your drink. “Am I snooty, then?”

“I think the answer to that is pretty obvious.”

“I assure you, snooty I am not.”

The bartender set down your drink in front of you, plopping a cherry on top as he did so. “There you go,” he said cheerfully. “Whose tab will this be on?” He looked between you and the blond.

“I’m not paying for their little cocktail, thanks.” Kei shrugged and looked at you, that annoying smile still glinting in his eyes.

“I guess that’ll be mine, then. Put it under y/n. I’m definitely not done drinking tonight.” Your eyes met the his. He was looking at you with an unreadable expression, eyes glinting with something that looked like amusement. The bartender laughed and turned to the other man.

“Anything I can get you?” Kei let his eyes leave yours.

“Dry martini, please.” You laughed loudly and took a sip of your drink. The bartender began his order and the tall man looked at you.

“Something funny about my order, too?”

“A dry martini? Who are you, James Bond?”

“Tsukishima. Kei Tsukishima.” He smiled widely this time, clearly amused at your reaction.

“Y/n,” you replied, happy that he went along with the joke. The bartender set the martini down in front of Tsukishima. He picked it up and licked his lips, taking a sip without letting his eyes leave yours.

“Put this on their tab, as well,” he said.

“Excuse me?” you said, incredulous at his attitude.

“I’ll get the next.” He took another sip as the bartender walked off to deal with his other customers. “So, you Kuroo’s new partner?” The word fell from his mouth dripping with sarcasm. You choked out a laugh.

“Absolutely not. We’ve been friends since college.”

“College, huh? He ever mention me?”

“Yeah, actually. I’ve heard all about what a brat you are. He pegged you perfectly.”

Tsukishima smiled. “You think I’m being bratty?”

“You are absolutely being bratty. Don’t forget I’m paying for your drink.” His eyes kept on sparkling. You weren’t sure what he was thinking, but the way he looked at you made it feel like he was seeing straight into your thoughts.

“So.” He twirled the glass in his hand. God, his hands were huge. “If Kuroo’s not your partner . . .”

“If I wasn’t here with Kuroo I’d be dancing alone.” He nodded, looking satisfied with your answer. He threw back the rest of his martini and gestured to your cup.

“Finish your drink,” he said, straightening up and towering over you again.

“Why?”

“We’re going to dance, dumbass.”

You raised your eyebrows at him. He mirrored your expression and nodded at your glass. “Finish it or I’ll finish it for you.”

You glared up at him, pulling the cherry out by the stem and tipping the drink back, swigging the last bit of bitterness. You popped the cherry in your mouth and flicked the stem into Tsuki’s empty glass. He smirked and made his way through the crowd. You followed, head a bit hazy from chugging your drink so quickly.

He made it to the edge of the dance floor right as the next song began playing. He turned and held out a hand to you. His fingers were long and well-manicured. You raised your eyebrows with as much attitude as you could muster, taking his hand. He smiled. His hand was soft and a little cold. He pulled you onto the dance floor.

Your breath caught in your throat as his hand settled on your hip, long fingers splaying out and digging into your side. It was almost possessive. This close he smelled like basil soap and something musky that made your head spin as he gracefully sidestepped and led you around the room.

For such a tall man, he was a remarkably good dancer. His movements were precise and sure, leading you better than even Kuroo did. When he moved his arms you could see his jacket strain slightly. He wasn’t a thick man by any means, but what he had was all muscle. His eyes didn’t leave yours as you danced, intense gaze making you antsy but determined not to look away first.

“I didn’t mention this before but your dress is lovely.” His gaze trained down your body as he spoke.

“What, are you being nice now?” you asked.

“I can be mean if you’d like.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” His eyes darkened.

“Try me.”

“You sure?”

You shrugged. His hand slid along to the small of your back and he dipped you. Your breath caught in your throat as he pulled you back up, face suddenly serious. He looked around the room.

“Do you know how much attention you’re drawing to yourself with that neckline?”

You scoffed. “What does that mean?” He leaned down, very close to your ear. You got goosebumps as he spoke.

“I’m saying your dress makes you look a little slutty.” You drew your head away from him. He perked back up and smiled at your shock. “I thought you wanted me to be mean.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to diss my dress.”

He shrugged and dug his fingers into your side, pulling your hips flush against him. “I never said I didn’t like it.”

Your face felt suddenly hot. He grinned.

“You’re a pretty little thing when you’re flustered,” he said.

“Keep talking and those dress pants aren’t going to be able to hide how pretty you think I am.” His eyebrows shot up, this time in genuine surprise. You smiled. He clearly wasn’t used to encountering people willing to taunt him back. He looked away for a moment and regained his composure.

“Why would I try to hide that?”

“You seem the private type. I figured a broom closet or bathroom stall would better suit your taste.” His smile darkened.

“Done.”

Your eyes widened. “What?”

Too late. He was already pulling you off of the still swirling dance floor.

He led you past the bar and down a hall, clearly familiar with the terrain. The hallway was littered with doors, but he led you to one of the very last ones. He threw open the door and pulled you inside. The room was mid-sized but cramped. There were chairs lining the table. The walls looked strangely soft, like it was soundproofed for privacy’s sake. There was a window on one side. Moonlight streamed through the half-shut blinds, giving the room a cold glow.

Tsukishima wasted no time in locking the door and taking you by the hips, pushing you against the wall.

“You’re a testy one, aren’t you?” he growled, gripping the fabric of your dress tightly.

“I try to be,” you replied, hand finding its way into his hair and pulling him down to your lips. He kissed you hungrily. His lips were soft and angry, attitude apparent even in how his tongue slipped into your mouth. He was teasing you without words, daring you to push back. You obliged, biting down lightly on his bottom lip. He let out a small sound and pushed harder against you. He separated from you and began to trail aggressive kisses down your neck.

“If you’re going to be smart with your mouth I’ll give you something else to do with it,” he breathed against you. You shivered.

“You’re all talk so far,” you sighed. “If you’re going to do it, do it.” You felt his lips curl into a smirk against your shoulder.

“Naughty thing,” he murmured. His hands trailed up your body, finding your face. He held your cheeks and smiled. He ran a finger across your bottom lip. “Why don’t you show me what else those pretty lips can do?” You said nothing but grabbed his belt all the same, staring him in the eyes with a smug expression on your face. Once his dress pants were undone you sunk to your knees in front of him. He inhaled sharply at your compliance.

He was hard already at the way you kissed him. You wasted no time pulling down his boxers and taking him all the way into your mouth.

“Fuck,” he groaned as he hit the back of your throat. He covered his mouth with his hand, seemingly more out of restraint than to actually hold back any noise. You continued moving your head, tongue sliding over the head of his cock. It didn’t take long to figure out that drove him crazy. His groans raised in pitch the more you took advantage of how sensitive he was. You wrapped a hand around him and swirled your tongue around his head. He let out what was almost a whimper and grabbed your hair, gripping it so tightly it made your eyes water. You sped up, eliciting similar sounds from him.

“Mother . . . fucker,” he groaned in a whisper, hand moving from deep in your hair to your forehead, his touch nearly a caress. You slowed your pace at his enthusiasm and his breathing hitched.

“Fuck. Don’t do that.” You hummed in amusement, the vibrations causing him to tip his head back. You sped up again. Just as he began whimpering you slowed again. His second hand found your hair this time, both tugging tightly.

“One more time and I -- fuck.” He tipped his forehead forward against the wall as you quickened your pace again. You felt him twitch in your mouth and knew he was close.

“Shit. Fuck. Fuck.” He spat out his words, rocking his hips a bit to the pace you set. “Oh, fuck.” His swearing raised in pitch. He was so close. “I --” You pulled off of him completely and looked up at him. His eyes were shut tight. His hips bucked and he let out a horrible little whimper. His breathing was irregular as he repeated the word “fuck” over and over again, to himself and to you. The haze of his denied orgasm began to fade and he looked down at you with deadly serious eyes.

“I’m not playing that fucking game.” He tugged on your hair, pulling you into a standing position. It hurt in the best way, especially satisfying now that he was so riled up. He whirled you around and pinned you against the table. He lifted your hips so that you were seated and began pushing your dress up, hands lost in the mess of skirts.

“You don’t get to pull some shit like that and think you’re getting away with it.” His hands slid up your thighs and pushed them apart. You shivered. His long fingers found the lace of your undergarments.

“Slutty under here too. I should have expected that.” He pressed his fingers against you through the cloth, making you inhale sharply in anticipation. “Oh well,” he chuckled. “These just make it easier for me.” He pushed the fabric aside and slipped a single long finger inside of you. You gasped and your brows furrowed. He mirrored your expression like he was taunting you.

“So wet just from sucking my cock.” He whispered the words like he almost didn’t want you to hear the taunt. He pushed a second finger into you. You breathed out hard, suppressing a noise. He chuckled.

“Oh, no. You don’t get to act all shy now,” he said. His fingers curled and you let a moan escape. “There we are.” His smirk returned to his face. He repeated the motion. You felt your core tightening, forcing your back to arch up against him.

“Fuck,” he breathed. “You’re pretty when you’re all wound up. Too bad you’re such a whore. You let guys do this to you often? Whisk you into a dark room and have their way with you?” You shook your head. He laughed lightly, curling his fingers again. You moaned, gripping his shoulders tightly. “I like your honesty. I guess you’re only a slut for me.”

His pace inside you was steady and his gaze was intense. You knew you were close but if you told him that he’d probably pull away just you did to him. Your eyes shut tightly, hand finding his hair and tugging. You swore and he pulled his hand away. Though you were expecting the motion, it didn’t stop your thighs from closing tightly, begging for the contact that was no longer there. He slipped his fingers into his mouth so casually it made you gasp. He popped them out after a moment and ran his messy hand through his hair.

“Sorry to torture you back,” he said, pushing your legs apart again and pulling your hips closer to the edge of the table. “But when you come I want it to be on my cock.” He slipped his dress pants down again and tugged the lace off of your legs. He ground his hips forward, rubbing against you. Your breathing hitched and he laughed.

“So needy for me. What would you do if I just walked out?” You glared up at him and wrapped your legs around him, pulling him close.

“Not letting me go, huh? Don’t have to tell me twice.” He pushed inside of you slowly, brows furrowing and eyes fluttering closed as he did so. You both swore as he buried himself inside of you. He was big, but it didn’t hurt. You wiggled your hips a little, wishing he would move. He chuckled at your efforts.

“You want me to hurry up? You’re gonna have to ask nicely.” You glared up at him.

“Please,” you muttered.

His brows shot up.

“Please what?”

“Please move already, you stubborn fuck.”

He laughed in surprise.

“So dirty. You asked nicely though, so . . .” He drew his hips back and drove back into you. You let out a sigh. He grabbed the back of your neck with his huge hand and pulled you forward into a kiss as he continued moving. His swearing and your moans got lost in the kiss as he set a faster pace. He pulled away from your lips, leaving his forehead leaning against yours.

“Fuck.” He choked on a groan as he spoke. “You make such pretty sounds. Did your drink make you this honest or is it my cock?” You buried a fist in his hair and pulled. He let out an unexpectedly loud sound at the motion. He stared down at you, eyes on fire.

“Shut the fuck up,” you breathed. He grinned and pulled you in for another kiss, this one much more desperate. His hand trailed up your neck, squeezing lightly as he did. You tipped into his palm but it kept traveling upwards. It stopped along your jaw, thumb slipping up to separate your kiss. He slipped it into your mouth. He swore as you eagerly sucked in the finger, staring him in the eye. He smiled and pulled it back, returning his lips to yours. His hand slipped down between your legs, using the thumb that had been in your mouth to trace a circle on your clit. You gasped and moved away from the kiss. He caught your head with his other hand, keeping you close to him as he continued the snap of his hips and the motion of his finger.

“Fuck, Tsukishima.” He sped up the pace of his hand.

“Say that again.” He sounded desperate, leaning his head into your shoulder.

“Tsukki . . .” you trailed off before you could say anything else, lost in the feeling of him. He let out what sounded like a growl at the sound of his name.

“Fuck,” he said. It was almost pathetic how messy he sounded. You buried your hand in his hair again, tugging slightly.

“Tsukki, please.”

He let out a shaky sound. He picked his head up and laid a quick kiss on you.

“Come with me. Please,” he said. You nodded and your head tipped back. He began swearing under his breath, words bleeding together into a mess of desperation.

“Fuck, Tsukki,” you moaned, body tensing as you came. At the feeling and sight of you finishing he quickly followed, pulling out of you but leaving his thumb moving to carry you through your orgasm. Your faces pressed against each other, both breathing hard. You felt him twitching against you as he came. He might have gotten on your dress, but that was the last thing on your mind.

His sweaty face buried into the crook of your neck and his arms slipped around your waist, holding you close to him. Your shaky hands found their way into his hair, running your fingers gently through the mess. It felt good to just hold him as you both caught your breath, his strong chest rising and falling against you. He withdrew slightly and placed a gentle, sloppy kiss on your lips before letting out a laugh. You did the same, smiling up at his face. You hadn’t even noticed, but he was still wearing his glasses. They were fogged up from leaning against you.

“You’re pretty,” you said, pushing the frames up into his hair and pressing a gentle kiss onto his lips. When you pulled away his face was red.

“Don’t just say shit like that,” he muttered.

“Aw, who’s flustered now?” You laughed as his face twisted into a frown. He put his glasses back on properly and peeled himself away from you.

“We really should get back,” he said, tugging his pants back up and redoing his belt. You nodded but were unsure what to do about the problem he had left all over your thighs. He saw you hesitating and laughed when he realized what you were thinking.

“Here,” he said, picking up your underwear and approaching. You looked at him in confusion before he used them to clean you off and slipped them into the inside pocket of his jacket. He noticed you staring in horror and laughed.

“I have to give them back at some point now,” he smirked. “Guess you’ll have to see me again.” You rolled your eyes in amusement as you rearranged your dress and tried your best to fix your hair. He was having trouble with his since the rim around his face was coated with sweat. You tried your best to help him. He stared at you with a gentle smile as you worked. You pretended not to notice.

“I think it’s best if we go out one at a time,” he said. You nodded and he approached the door, turning to face you before he left. “Do I look like I just fucked someone in a dark room?” You grinned and shook your head.

“You look fine.”

“You look great, too,” he said with a small smile. He left the room and left you alone, waiting impatiently to go. When it had been long enough you slipped the door open and walked out, shakier on your feet than you’d like to be.

You immediately went to the bar, asking for a shot of tequila. Anything to soothe your nerves. You took it quickly and shook your head. You were fine. You just needed to make sure you got Tsukki’s number from Kuroo.

“Y/n! Jesus, there you are.” Speak of the devil. You turned to face Kuroo as he approached, Kenma and a disheveled looking Tsukishima in tow. He looked flushed. His hair was still messy and a little sweaty despite his best efforts. Your eyes widened with pride when you saw him looking so fucked. You smiled at Kuroo.

“Sorry, I went wandering.”

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Got lost.”

“Of course you did. I wanted you to meet my friends.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, ‘oh’. This is Tsukishima Kei. We knew each other in high school. We were volleyball rivals.” Kuroo looked proud as he explained. “I taught him everything he knows.”

“Oh, I’m sure not everything,” you said, turning to Tsukki. His eyebrows raised at your borderline suggestive comment. He reached out to shake your hand with the same hand that had been buried in you not long ago.

“It’s nice to meet you, y/n,” he said through a smile.

“They haven’t said their name,” Kenma said, frowning. Tsukki’s eyes widened before setting into a more sure expression.

“Kuroo mentioned them earlier.”

“Uh-huh . . .” Kenma still looked suspicious. Kuroo didn’t seem to notice, slapping Tsukkishima on the shoulder and starting to talk about the ‘good old days’. Whenever Kuroo turned to address Kenma, Kei’s eyes found yours, smiling very slightly so the other men didn’t notice. You didn’t contribute much to the conversation, quietly observing the huge man in his well-fitting tuxedo.

“Oh shit, y/n,” he said suddenly, cutting off the conversation. “I think you spilled something on your dress.” Your face flushed and eyes widened. Panicked and annoyed, you looked down at your dress.  Sure enough, about halfway down the skirt, there was a patch of what thankfully looked like nothing but a spilled drink at the moment.

“God. I’m clumsy. Not surprised that I ruined my nicest dress.” You laughed it off as the three men stared at you, Tsukki with a smirk on his face.

“Oh, it doesn’t look that bad. I’m sure your dress is fine,” Kuroo said.

“Nope,” you said, glancing up at Tsukki. “Definitely ruined.”

[mussthemoose]

.....drop the sunny meta.....plssssssss.....do it do it do it.....also what do you think about Sunnys mom? No one ever talks about her but I ahve feelings

Ps don’t leave me hanging!! o/

Hey there! Finally got around to giving this an answer because I’ve procrastinated on it enough! Here’s a few things I’m going to drop that’s personal headcanons and stuff from what I gathered from the game:

-People say Sunny is a good listener, and the reason for that isn’t just because he’s quiet, it’s because Sunny has a very active imagination and whenever he listens to someone talking, he seems to almost be making a whole little scene in his head -He doesn’t express a lot, but you can always tell he gets the meaning behind what you’re saying once you learn to read his expressions -It’s also a sign he really likes you, because the space inside Sunny’s head is very precious to him so him letting your words roam free there of his own choice is just a huge mark of trust for him -In order of people who can read Sunny: Basil, Mari, Kel, tie between Hero and Aubrey. -They can all actually ready him pretty damn well, it mostly comes down to who can notice the smaller signs. -Basil puts as much love and effort into noticing the little things for Sunny as he does for his most loved plants, and he has a lot of experience with noticing when something small is wrong in something that doesn’t give many signs about it -Mari is second, but it’s a very close second. She’s been with Sunny since he was a baby and puts so much love and effort into understanding him. The only reason she is slightly lower than Basil is, in part, because of how well she’s known Sunny in a paradoxical way. -Sunny is after all, at the end of the day, still someone who can be tricky to read, and sometimes it’s easy to look at past ways he’s acted and think it’s just a repeat of that instead of something new. Like a parent who doesn’t realize that they’re using personal knowledge that’s 7 years old to figure out what you like. -Hero and Aubrey can ready Sunny quite well, they just don’t notice the small signs as much. It doesn’t make them any worse friends for that, but Hero tends to take people on their word and Aubrey trusts her friends, and hopes they’d let her know if they needed help or were hurting. -Kel is...an interesting case. You’d think he’d be the densest for reading Sunny, and sometimes, in some ways, he is. But also I think he’d be one of the few to realize how much Sunny was hating the violin. -Everyone else I think, from what we see, seem to think that he’s just being Sunny, worried about doing something with these expectations but thinking that’s just how he normally acts, and he must obviously love getting to play with his sister Mari! -But Kel is so honest and straight forward that he’d put the pieces together, how Sunny has to be pushed to play for them, how sad he looks to have to leave to practice with the tutor, the look he gets sometimes staring at Mari. -He still doesn’t say anything because even though Sunny seems sad and upset, he knows what it’s like to feel like that to do something for an older sibling who’s just so much better, so for once he lets it slide because he also trusts that Mari is a good sibling and would stop him if something was seriously wrong, like when Kel almost got to the point of throwing up in the hotdog eating competition and Hero stopped him (but still managed to win...) -Later, realizing what happened later post-truth, Kel reaffirms to himself that he’s always going to be honest when he sees one of his friends hurting. Never again. -Sunny’s favourite breakfast is that oatmeal with the dinosaur eggs that melt to reveal dinosaurs when it’s warm and his absolute favourite thing is to pretend that he’s digging them up from a sand dune, hence the whole dino dig. -He does this well into his adult years still -Kel got him a pirate eyepatch after noticing this (Sunny makes sure to dig it out whenever Kel visits, it makes him happy...and maybe Sunny happy a bit too). To stop this post from getting too incredibly big, some Sunny’s Mom meta real quick: -I’ve read a lot of meta, and I personally think she didn’t know the truth. -Sunnysviolin did a really great few posts about autistic Sunny which I heavily agree with, and I heavily agree with the fact Sunny’s parents probably aren’t the best fit for the kids they got (it’s really easy to code them as Asian-American and there is a lot there when it comes to non-neurotypical kids) -And while there is a decently common consensus that Sunny’s dad has a lot of disappointment in Sunny for not being like Mari, I feel like Sunny’s mom was one of those ‘bless her heart she’s trying but she really does not understand at all’ -I feel like she’s tried, honestly tried, but didn’t have as much time to try to look into this stuff that Mari had, or the drive to think she needed to do so heavily in a sense. -Mari loved Sunny so much and seemed to want to do so much of the work anyways, and it’s so much effort to even get a proper idea of how Sunny’s mind works so, I think she’d end up being happy to have Mari be a sort of translator for her, more or less -She wouldn’t excessively baby him, though she’d likely act a bit much because she doesn’t really understand how his mind works so she goes with what she knows instead of what’s best -And at the point where we start the game, I think the whole ‘mommy’ thing where she seems to almost baby him comes after Mari is gone. -Her Husband is gone, Mari is gone, and her last son barely seems to be able to take care of himself unless she holds his hand to do it (not because he can’t do it, but Sunny seems to have trouble sometimes finding enough care to put in the bare minimum effort to survive). -It seems more likely to me that she, like some other people, tried to mentally distance herself from everything. -Her sun is all she has left and all he wants to do is sleep, she’s entirely out of her comfort zone and she doesn’t have any lifelines. -I think there’s a part of her that knows this too, that knows that this situation isn’t good, and isn’t fine, but what’s she even supposed to do? She doesn’t know, so she...just keeps going on. -It’s horrible, everything is wrong, she’s hurting and suppressing and she just wants Mari back so so much, she wants her husband back, she even wants Sunny back because at least back then he’d look at her when she said she loved him. -But they’re not coming back, Mari is never coming back and she knows that without her she has no chance in figuring out how to pull in the other two. -Sunny’s all she has left, and sometimes she doesn’t even known for certain if he counts at this point in the bad endings she gets an answer, he did. He counted for so much and now she has nothing

-Sunny’s mom once yelled “Ayo, the pizza is here!” and Mari almost tripped down the stairs with Sunny. They all had a laugh at it after a gentle scolding to be more careful. -Sunny always takes the steps extra carefully whenever he picks up food delivery with his friends post-true end, none of them say anything about the way he grips the handrails hard enough to leave a mark on the way down

[lodi-writes]

RFA with MC Quarantine Headcanons

Write what you know as they say, and all I know right now is sitting around the house lmao so here we go, RFAxMC Quarantine Headcanons!

Yoosung:

So much animal crossing

You don’t even know

MC and Yoosung do live together, but of course they’re gonna go on animal crossing dates because they can’t go out for a real date

They’ll go on a little museum date, take some pictures on a little picnic, it’s all super wholesome

SO many snacks

Oh my god, the two of them do not eat healthy

It’s not as bad as Seven’s diet, but still not great

Before everything got really bad, the two of them went on a huge costco run and filled the cart to the brim with any kind of snack you could think of

Of course they both forgot to get any kind of actual meal-like foods, so they order delivery a LOT

Movie night is every night y’all

It started with a Lord of the Rings movie marathon

Then it turned into a search for every rom com on Netflix

Then it turned into literally just letting Netflix autoplay whatever was on next

This turned into watching so many bad movies that Yoosung and MC’s cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so hard

Hair dye, anyone?

Yoosung’s hair is growing out some so his dark roots are visible, and his hair clips aren’t pulling all of his hair back anymore

So! MC cuts and dyes it for him

And not to toot her own horn or anything, but it turns out pretty good

So of course she decides to dye her own hair, nothing drastic but definitely noticeable lol

Zen:

Zen does not do well with being stuck at home

He’s so anxious and jittery from having to sit around all day and not be able to go out and perform or go to the gym

He likes to go jogging every afternoon though and MC started tagging along

His jogs turned into strolls very quickly with MC by his side because he can’t help but slow down to just hold her hand and chat with her

Sometimes he like to surprise her by finding a remote little spot in the park where they can have a picnic

He’s still really antsy about not being able to do anything creative and it’s driving him crazy

So he and MC start making custom cloth masks for all the other RFA members

MC has to do Jumin’s though because she knows for a fact that Zen is gonna put something mean on it lol

They make Yoosung a LOLOL themed one, Jaehee one with little coffee cups and pastries on it, Seven gets one with little bags of honey butter chips and dr. pepper on it, Jumin gets one with a little cat smile and whiskers

MC makes one for Zen with little hearts and roses on it and he practically melts when she gives it to him

He would absolutely love anything she gave to him, but it was just too cute and made him love her even more, how sweet and loving and thoughtful she was

In return, he made her one with little princess tiaras and hearts on it in a similar color scheme and pattern so that they could match

If they have to go out for groceries, just because they have masks on doesn’t mean he’s gonna stop his PDA lmao

He’ll still constantly hold her hand and wanting to kiss her on the top of her head but his mask is in the way :')

Jaehee:

C&R is considered an essential business so it’s still operating

But! The offices are closed and everyone is required to work from home

This cuts out all the time from Jaehee’s commute, and cuts out all non-essential tasks from her job

Because of this, she’s able to work the normal amount for a chief assistant AND is able to spend so much more time with MC and they’re both LOVING it

So! Much! Baking!!!

The two of them are constantly looking for new recipes online to try out, creating their own little menu of pastries

They’re always getting ingredients delivered from the grocery store so they don’t have to go out to just buy flour or just buy baking soda

MC’s favorite to make with Jaehee is eclairs because, even though it makes such a mess, it’s always so fun to have a full day project to work on with her so they can watch musical clips on youtube while the pastries are in the oven, or just chat and laugh together while they fill and dip the eclairs

Jaehee’s favorite to make with MC besides eclairs is layered cakes because she loves decorating them almost as much as she loves watching MC decorate them

It’s so relaxing and almost therapeutic to watch her decorate, it makes her forget about all the stress and work she has to worry about

Whenever they bake, since there’s only two of them and there’s no way they could eat all of it, they’ll drive by all of the members houses to drop of little care packages of their extra desserts

Jumin:

Same as Jaehee, Jumin is now able to work from home

It’s a really odd experience for him to have MC around while he works and as he expected, she’s incredibly distracting

All he wants to do all day is hold her in his arms and make her pancakes and see her smile

He was never known to be much of a procrastinator but with MC around, some of his work starts slipping through the cracks and he forgets to attend certain zoom meetings or review certain documents and it starts piling up

One weekend he ends up having to work all day and pull an all-nighter to catch up on everything he’s missed

MC tries to stay up with him, doing little tasks around the house to keep herself occupied

Giving Elizabeth the 3rd some fresh water, picking up the bedroom a bit

Eventually she settles down next to him while he works and reads

Unfortunately she doesn’t make it past 3am and falls asleep with her head on his shoulder

Jumin’s heart swells and he’s so nervous that he’s going to wake her up with his typing so his works slows down significantly while he tries to type quieter

Since he can’t go on trips to various farms or gardens like he normally would, MC starts slowly collecting little tiny potted plants, not just succulents but also just like itty bitty pots with basil plants or parsley plants, and lining them along the windows in the penthouse

After the first couple plants, Jumin notices a patter and realizes what she’s doing and appreciates so much how thoughtful she is

He starts getting really intrigued by the world of tiny plants and it lowkey becomes a new hobby of his that he shares with MC

He orders some tiny cat grass and catnip plants for Elizabeth the 3rd, of course

MC orders the tiny pots and decorates them all individually while Jumin will pick out the kinds of plants they’ll get

It gets a little out of control and there are now concerning amounts of tiny plants along every window and now along the kitchen counters and the dining table

The penthouse becomes their own little private garden and Jumin loves every bit of it

Seven:

Tbh life isn’t that much different at first for Seven, he normally doesn’t leave the house anyway

The only difference is that MC is always home now and god, he loves it

They get everything, literally everything, delivered to the house so they don’t have to leave the house

At first everything is pretty wholesome

Lots of cuddling on the couch while Seven works

Lots of making rice krispie treats and eating raw cookie dough

But MC and Seven are both very quick to lose their sanity to the likes of quarantine

Day 15 of quarantine, they accidentally ordered that week’s groceries twice, so they got two times more food than they need 

So of course they have a movie marathon and eat SO much food

Day 27 of quarantine, Seven dyes green streaks in his hair so he looks like someone threw up Christmas on his hair

Day ??? of quarantine, they start making really concerning cursed tik toks

[callophelia-ailingamnemonic]

If The Omori Fandom Played Homestuck... [Pt 1]

Okay... so um... y’all know how I love assigning hero titles/classpects to characters and how I love the potential of Fandomstuck, right? Yeah, lmao so I decided to assign a hero title to my Fandomstuck interperetation of this psychological horror RPG game called OMORI! It’s a really good game and I had an idea for a hero title for them! And cuz I have a feeling this post is gonna be pretty long, I’ll go through what I think their lunar sway would be, as well as other things such as chumhandles, typing quirks, planets, sprites, strife kinds, and fetch modi in the next post uwu

Though please keep in mind that this is purely my opinion, and if you disagree with it, then that’s cool, you don’t have to listen to my conclusions! They’re merely suggestions uwu Additionally, all this speculation is based off of OptimisticDuelist’s own research and that this post will contain a lot of spoilers for OMORI, so be warned, and remember; this is all just for fun and to satisfy my Fandomstuck obsession :33

For the sake of not confusing the actual game from the character, I will refer to the game’s personification as ORI.

After playing the game, I strongly believe that ORI’S hero title is the Prince of Hope.

The aspect of hope relates to faith, possibilities, positive emotions, and all things imaginary, idealistic, and as my friend would say, all about “Faking it until you make it”. Additionaly, as quoted by optimisticDuelist, hope also “describes our faith in the narrative’s coherence, our excitement for building plot threads and our ability to immerse ourselves in the fictional world”. Majority of the game takes place in WHITE SPACE, a DREAM WORLD created by SUNNY after MARI’s death as a sort of coping mechanism to handle the guilt of the truth. Many things about the DREAM WORLD relates to hope, such as how SUNNY hopes to forget what really happened to his sister by immersing himself in the DREAM WORLD for the price of isolation in the real world (for FOUR years!) where, in the DREAM WORLD, everything is better because MARI is still alive there and all his friends are together and happy. The aspect of hope, however, is not just restricted to SUNNY/OMORI and WHITE SPACE, but also to the characters outside in the real world which is why I think the aspect of hope relates to ORI beyond the game’s protagonist. BASIL believes in SUNNY and that there was no way he could have killed MARI or vandilised all the photos, no matter how clear it was, and instead blames SOMETHING for all of it. Additionally, the rest of the cast believed in the lie SUNNY and BASIL created regarding MARI’S death and don’t even find out until the very end of the game if you get the true ending. We can also go a few steps further by bringing up the group’s hopes and dreams for a brighter future, SUNNY’s hope for forgivness and the fact that happy (And its other stages) are all positive emotions that play a role in battles.

Although I’m pretty set in stone about hope, you do see traits of other aspects throughout the game.

Time, since the aspect is linked to music, narrative pacing, decay, and is associated with photographs through the canon Knight of Time, Dave Strider. Right off the bat, we can link the whole photography thing to ORI since the truth is revealed to the player through a series of photos, and also that BASIL loves taking them. Additionally when the game brings us to the real world for the second time, we get to learn how the world SUNNY used to know changed in the last four years. Additionally, MARI and SUNNY played the piano and violin (respectively) and MARI died the day of their recital. If we wanted to go above and beyond, we could probably bring up how BASIL’S mental state takes a quick turn south when he finds out SUNNY’s gonna move, and on the last day, if left alone, will kill himself, which will either lead SUNNY to lock that memory away, or kill himself by stabbing or jumping off the hospital’s roof if the player gives up during OMORI’s battle. So yeah... lot’s of death.

Void and how it can represent secrets, lies, misfortune, and the unknowable alongside nothingness/meaninglessness and the physical world. This applies to ORI and how the whole reason WHITESPACE exists was due to MARI’s death and how it was covered up with a lie and how hard OMORI tries to stop SUNNY from discovering the truth.

Light, which represents imagination and true information, good fortune, and what’s important. Imagination also applies to WHITESPACE and how as the game goes one, we begin to learn the truth behind MARI’s death. 

Blood, which represents connection, responsibility, commitment to a collective, an attachment to the world and character dynamic. This applies to ORI and how despite the fact the characters had drifted apart ever since MARI’s death, they were all able to fall back together due to their friendship. Heck, the whole thing about them all being close friends is often seen and mentioned throught the game! In addition to that, the lack of connections ended up making everyone miserable and eventually, SUNNY owns up and tells the others how MARI really died in the end of the true end.

Heart, which reflects the soul, inner feelings, love and attraction, and platonic ideals of both people and objects. Additionally, canon heart players are known for roleplaying and personality splinters, which if you count OMORI (SUNNY’S dream alter ego) going around and protecting the truth by pretending everything is alright, then that kinda fits the heart bill as well. We could additionally go a little deeper by bringing up Sweetheart and the fact that the dreamworld is personal and important to SUNNY, since everyone in that world was either people in real life when they were still young or mascots from games and comics SUNNY knows of.

Kind of breath, since a part of the aspect includes detachment from the world... since... y’know, SUNNY HASN’T LEFT HIS HOUSE IN FOUR YEARS.

And kind of rage, since anger is one of the emotions the play a role in battles, and that a part of rage is that its contrivance is meant to make us see through the illusion of the fiction and focus on its flaws instead. This can be applied to how quickly the dreamworld falls apart as the game progresses, breaking the harmony time and time again, and constantly reminding us that everything is not as it seems.

Although these aspects could all be used to describe ORI, I still kinda see hope as the main aspect.

Now for the next point, why in the world would I think ORI to be a prince of all classes (Especially considering Homsestuck’s canon Prince of Hope)??? Well, I’ve already describes what hope is and how it relates to the dreamworld and its purpose, and then I’m gonna bring up what a prince (Alongside its passive counterpart, the bard) does; they destroy.

Princes are ones who destroys their aspect, or destroys through their aspect for themselves. As one of the most active classes, it can be stressfull for them to adopt passive roles, and tend to dominate the plot with the sheer impact of their actions.  Royals (princes and bards) are those concerned with aristocracy, nobility, and the great figures who shape society, and due to that, share a focus on birth-rights and legacies. Royals are often intensly devout to the cause they believe in and the people they love and are not afraid to fight for what they believe is right.  They tear down what’s old and stagnant to allow the flourishing of the new and are often formidable attackers, but also effective debuffers, as they remove their aspect from reality or wear down their enemy through its use. However, their reverence for high-class court society can make them judgmental or arrogant, and their greatest challenge is to resist the ego that would convince them that they’re above others.

The main reason I chose the Prince class for ORI is because they can destroy their aspect, and in this case, I will their aspect, being WHITE SPACE/the DREAM WORLD. As mentioned countless times earlier, WHITE SPACE is SUNNY’S safe place and their protection from the truth or what really happened, but as the game progresses, the player’s actions and OMORI’s reaction to anything that would reveal the truth breaks the illusion of the DREAM WORLD, before eventually, destroying it althogether in the end and (if you managed to figure out the hangman’s game) uncover the truth in the form of a broken realm known as BLACK SPACE. Additionally, the entirety of HEAD SPACE (WHITE and BLACK) was created by the game’s protagonist, which would already put them (SUNNY/OMORI) in an important position. If we want to expand on the whole aristocracy-nobility thing, we could bring up the fact that SWEETHEART is... I don’t really know what she is, but she’s super popular, rich, and owns a castle in the DREAM WORLD, and that CAPTAIN SPACEBOY/FRIEND is a well-known space pirate, and MR JAWSUM who is the owner of this hotel-resort thing. The fighting part of the Royals’ description easily fits ORI, since it is an RPG game. I could keep giving reasons as to why I think ORI would be a prince, and several other alternatives I thought would fit, but this post is already really long :’DD So the last thing I wanted to say about this was that the reason I thought ORI would be a prince, and not a bard, was mainly because of the prince’s activness and how as the game goes on, OMORI grows stronger before the final battle of the game turns into a struggle for power between SUNNY and OMORI.

Anywho, this is my really long explenation of why I would think ORI (My Fandomstuck interperetation of OMORI) would be a Prince of Hope! At one point, I did contemplate the idea of them being a witch, but then I felt as if that would have suited SUNNY more as an individual.

So yeah, that’s basically it and I’m gonna make another post later about all the other stuff afterwards, and to finish this post off, here is a picture I made of ORI using Gacha Club uwu (Cuz I have no drawings prepared ;w;)

[jebentnietalleen]

How abouuut 75 and 96? – Bisous Tara💟💖

“What did you expect?” & “Can’t you stay a little longer?”

Being the designated driver during a great party is both a blessing and a curse. On the upside: Lucas got to observe everybody with a clear mind, which means that he notices that Eliott is getting more wasted by the minute, and that he is smiling at him with a glint in his eyes, and the way that he is leaning into Lucas is enough to make his heart beat faster. On the downside: it’s enough to make his heart beat faster and he can’t turn to liquid courage to make himself a little braver and he doesn’t know what to do.

Eliott’s stare is boring right into him and it looks like he wants to say something but doesn’t at the last minute. Instead, he raises the bottle of beer that’s in his right hand and takes another swig. Lucas doesn’t know whether to be glad that he is getting a breather or disappointed about the sudden lack of eye contact. He thinks the former might win out, this time, and takes this opportunity to turn to Yann, who is laughing at some joke Basile made.

‘Do you think maybe we should cut Eliott off? He’s not supposed to drink this much, right?’ Lucas asks Yann worryingly, glancing back at Eliott just in time to see him grab a new bottle, bouncing up and down to the beat of the music. They’re at Arthur’s place, having an impromptu party just because Arthur’s parents are out of town for the weekend. Lucas picked up the boys because he is the only one with a car at the moment, and Eliott is the first person he picked up.

Eliott already seemed different and giddy during the ride over, not answering Lucas’ questions about his summer holiday with Lucille, but ever since they arrived at the party, he’s been acting very unusual. When Lucas asked him what was going on, he just shrugged and said he doesn’t want to talk about his holiday, or about Lucille, and just wanted to enjoy being back with the boys. Lucas figured he must have gotten into a fight with Lucille, but that was nothing new.And then, just before they rang the doorbell, Eliott leaned over and said: ‘I’ve got something to tell you. But it will have to wait, for now.’What was he suppose to do with that non-information?

‘Well, we’re not his babysitters. If he wants to get drunk for once, I’d say let him. Unless he gets sick or something. But I don’t think he had that much to drink, right?’ Yann’s voice brings him back to the present.‘No, I think this is his fourth beer since we got here, not that bad. It’s probably just hitting him harder than it would hit you and me, because he’s not used to it. But you’re right, I should stop worrying’

And so he does. He dances and he laughs and he sings along with the music. It’s a blur of bodies, he is dancing with Emma and then with Imane and then with Eliott and all of the sudden he realizes that they are dancing so closely that he can feel a surge of heat radiate from Eliott, and he is basking in it. It makes him want to gravitate even closer, just a few inches and they’d be touching everywhere, and the thought makes a blush creep up from head to toe. Makes him want to squirm away, to keep a safe distance, because he doesn’t know if he can contain himself if he doesn’t. As if Eliott can read his thoughts, he swings both arms around Lucas’ neck to keep him from moving away and steps in just enough that suddenly they are bumping into each other when they dance. His own arms respond to the new situation on their own accord, as they move to Eliott’s waist. 

It’s making his head swim, and all rational thoughts leave his mind immediately. The whole room disappears and it’s only him and Eliott, dancing together as if they were made for it, and since when did Lucas start to have such cheesy thoughts? God, he was done for. Their eyes meet and Lucas can’t fight the grin that forms, fortunately he can see the same happen to Eliott. He is vaguely aware of someone, probably Basile, whistling in the background and he has an inkling that it might be aimed at them, but he can’t find it within himself to care. He does care, however, about the fact that Eliott is more than slightly drunk and is looking at him with such fondness in his eyes that he might explode. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Eliott wants to kiss him and even though that is something that he has wanted since forever, he doesn’t want their first kiss to be a drunken mistake.  He does the only thing he can think of: he takes ahold of Eliott’s hand, surprising him in the process, and twirls himself around it, creating some time to collect himself and changing the mood. He hears Eliott laugh behind him as his plan backfires, because mid twirl, Eliott’s other hand sneaks across his stomach and pulls him close. All of the sudden his back is pressed against Eliott’s chest and Eliott is burying his face in his neck and then he is whispering in his ear and he can’t take it. ‘I love you so much Lucas, you know you are my best friend, right?’ Lucas finds it hard to speak as so many different emotions run through him in a matter of seconds, he feels warm inside because Eliott sees him as his best friend and loves him, but slightly hurt at the fact that it’s only as a friend, which in turn makes him feel guilty for not appreciating what he has. Which is silly, because if all they ever are is best friends, he can live with it. He will live with it, because he’d rather have Eliott as his best friend than not have him in his life at all. He nods against his chest and turns his head a bit so he can say something back: ‘I know, you’re mine as well.’ At that, Eliott hugs him even closer, his smile taking over his entire face, and it’s pretty dark at the party but he feels like he is staring into the sun. He can’t say ‘I love you too’, because. Well, because it’s just too damn complicated right now. Lucas catches Yann’s gaze while Eliott is still busy getting very familiar with his neck, and he tries to convey how he is feeling right now: I know, I know, this is pretty messed up, but I am not at fault! Eliott is drunk and if he needs a cuddle buddy, so be it. Yann looks unconvinced, but at least he tried. It does, however, shake him out of the Eliott-bubble he’s been in, and he pulls himself lose from Eliott’s grip even though every cell in his body is screaming IDIOT!! We like this! Stay!And that’s the whole problem, isn’t it? Lucas does like it, he likes it too much, in fact. He tries to ignore the way Eliott is pouting at the sudden loss of contact, and says: ‘I’m going to get some water, want some?’It looks like he wants to say no, at first, but then something makes him change his mind and he nods. ‘Sounds good, lead the way’ That’s not what he was hoping for. Trying to hide his annoyance (because Eliott really isn’t to blame here and he knows that), he turns around and makes his way to the kitchen, only to hear a loud bang and some shrieks the minute he has his back turned. Confused about the sudden commotion, he turns around and sees Eliott lying on his back, laughing way too hard about nothing in particular. ‘Oops, I fell’ he says, stating the obvious. Maybe Eliott had more to drink than he knows of.He crouches down and looks him in the eye: ‘Want to go home? I’ll drive you’ ‘Yes, please. My guardian angel’ Lucas tries to ignore the blush that is creeping up, and extends his hands to Eliott: ‘Let’s get you home, smooth talker’

The ride back to Eliott’s place is kind of weird. It’s different. Lucas has never been in this position before, he never is the sober one when it comes to him and Eliott. When he told the gang that he was leaving early to drop off Eliott, everybody was pretty surprised at this turn of events, but quickly waved them off when they saw the state Eliott was in.Now, Eliott is quietly staring out of the window, and Lucas doesn’t know what to say, so caught up in his thoughts and reflecting on everything that happened between them at the party. That’s why, when Eliott does say something, he almost misses it. ‘Lucile and I broke up during our vacation. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner.’Out of all the reasons why Eliott was acting this way that Lucas thought of, this did not even cross his mind. In his mind, Eliott and Lucile were… like, forever. ‘Shit, Eliott, I didn’t know. I mean. Of course I didn’t, but. Did you guys have some trouble beforehand?’ His voice grows quiet at the end, because it makes him kind of anxious, the thought that Eliott had trouble with his long time girlfriend without telling him, his self-proclaimed best friend.Eliott lets out a long sigh, like it’s something he has been holding in for a while now. Maybe he has. ‘Well, yeah. I mean. She didn’t really know about it, which is really fucking shitty of me, I know. But I’ve been having some doubts for a while now.’Lucas doesn’t know what to say to that, staring straight ahead while he makes his way to Eliott’s apartment. He decides to just say it like it is.‘I’m sorry to hear that, Eliott. I don’t know what to say. Uhm. I guess this is just not what I expected when you said you had something to tell me. Are you okay?’Eliott stays quiet for a moment, and when he does speak up, he seems to be ignoring the question: ‘What did you expect?’He should have known that was dangerous territory. Hopefully he can get away with beating around the bush. ‘I don’t know, you found a new hobby? You suddenly love cats? You hate the new Beach House album? Anything, really. But not this.’Eliott snorts, ‘Are you surprised? Be honest, please’Lucas can’t help but hear the vulnerability in his voice, the way he seems to be asking don’t lie to me, don’t mask the truth, I can take it. ‘Well… shit, this is hard, Eliott. I mean, I never really thought Lucile was right for you. You two just seemed to… annoy each other, more than anything. But on the other hand, I really thought you wanted it to work out, so I guess I just figured you would, you know? Work it out, I mean. So, uhm, there really isn’t a solid answer to that question. I’m sorry.’Lucas can see the way Eliott twists in his seat, to face him better. ‘I think I know what you are trying to say, and yeah, I agree. I wish it would have been different, but it wasn’t.’He doesn’t know if it’s the fact that Eliott is drunk, or the fact that he is now single, of something else, but he feels brave all of the sudden.‘So, may I ask, what is the reason you finally broke up with her? What happened?’He should have known better, because right after he asks this question, they arrive at their destination. Eliott seems to be grabbing it with both hands: ‘Home sweet home. Will you come up with me, please?’Who is Lucas to say no to that? The walk up to the apartment is so strange to Lucas, because he has a feeling that everything could change, any minute now, but he doesn’t know why. They enter the building and Eliott shrugs off his jacket and lets himself fall on his bed. Lucas makes sure his shoes and jeans are off, and tries to think about things that can distract him as much as possible.When he is finally happy with his result, seeing Eliott lying peaceful in his bed with his eyes closed, he whispers: ‘Alright, I’m gonna go now, Eliott. I’ll text you in the morning, hope you sleep well.’Just as he stands up to leave, Eliott grabs his wrist: ‘Can’t you stay a little longer?’Lucas thinks it over, it’s obviously not the smartest idea seeing how he is feeling about his best friend, but if Eliott needs him, he’ll stay.‘Sure, yes, okay. I’ll sleep on the couch, if you need anything, you know where to find me.’He gets up to leave and the hold on his wrist tightens: ‘No, I mean. Could you maybe stay here? With me?’ his eyes flutter open and Lucas feels like he is staring into his soul.‘Y-yes, I could. Uhm, if you want that.’A small smirk ghosts on Eliott’s face and he loosens the grip on Lucas’ wrist, Lucas takes this as an opportunity to shrug off his jacket and take of his own shoes, so that he can slide under the covers as well.Looking at Eliott, his heart swells and his mind shuts off. His hand automatically caresses his cheek. ‘Thank you for staying. You know, you never said it back…’Lucas tries to figure out what Eliott means by that, and in the end, he is pretty sure that he was referring to the fact that Eliott had said he loves Lucas but Lucas stayed quiet. ‘I’m sorry, Eliott. I do love you. More than you know, probably.’He grazes a finger across his eyebrows, into his hair, but Eliott stays silent. He fell asleep. Lucas lets out an enormous sigh and whispers: ‘That’s okay. I can wait.’

[feathers-and-fisticuffs]

Surprise Visit...

[chapter list here]

Basil held Rose’s hand under the table, good leg bouncing nervously as he tried to keep up with the conversation.  Everyone was talking so quickly, and there were so many numbers, and terms, he couldn’t keep track of them all.  He hoped Rose wouldn’t try to ask him to add to the conversation, he was completely lost.

Rose gave him a quick smile and squeezed his hand as someone else started to talk, reassuring him that it was going well, and he was doing a good job.

“Yes, I agree.  I think that if we were to--”

Rose’s thought was cut short as the door slammed open.  “Chairman Rose, Sir, I -- “  Bede stepped inside confidently, until he realized he was interrupting, and his shoulders hunched.  “I’m sorry, Chairman, I didn’t realize...”

Roses’s smile never faltered, but the look in his eyes quickly changed.  “Young Bede... You’re interrupting.  Where are your manners?”

“I’m sorry sir.”  He stared at the floor, sulking over at Rose’s beckon and taking a seat on his other side silently.  Basil watched him hide his face in the collar of his coat, the eyes of the board members all on him.  He straightened up his posture and looked back towards the group at the table.  If he wasn’t on his best behavior, Oleana would punish both of them for this...

Bede held the letter in his shaking hands, severe eyes barely making it past the first line before he was overcome with the urge to rip the letter into a million pieces and never look back.  But he knew he wouldn’t do that.  He couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He took a deep breath, and started the letter over.

Dearest Bede,

I hope this letter finds you well.  I know must not mean much coming from me right now, but it is the truth.  You have been at the forethought of my mind since our argument at Stow-on-Side, and I will be eternally grateful to Opal for opening her home to you, and seeing to it that you’ve been safe in my absence.  It warms my heart to have seen how far you’ve come as a trainer, and now a gym leader.  I always knew you’d find your place in the world.

I know It’s hard to understand, but believe me when I say, things are better this way.  For you, and for Basil.  I want you to remember me as someone who did everything I could to keep you safe.  Everything I did, I did for you.  For Galar.  Sometimes in life, we have to do the right thing, even if that makes us the villain.

I’m not asking you to forgive me.  I’m not asking for your pity.  I only wish that you know how much love I have, for you and your brother.  From the bottom of my heart, truly, I am sorry.

Your loving father,

Rose

Bede was gripping the fancy paper so hard it was starting to crumple in his grip, anger coursing through him like boiling water.  How dare he?  The nerve!  He abandoned them!  He can’t just drop them like they were nothing, only to come back when he wanted something!  He scanned the letter again, searching for a clue of what possible motive could be behind the sudden letter.  Why now..?  Why...?

He was brought back to the present by a sharp stab to his chest.  He looked down, smiling slightly as his Rapidash nudged his chest again with her horn, looking concerned.

“I’m alright.  There’s no pain there you’ll be able to heal...”  He pet her mane gently, though he didn’t think the healing energy his Rapidash tried so often to use could heal a heartbreak, the act of trying was healing enough.  He leaned back against her and shoved the letter in his pocket.  “I know, I know.  You’re worried.  You’re always worried about me, sweet thing...” 

He laid his head back against her flank and looked up at the stars, listening to the sounds of his team running and playing as they camped in the deep, dark center of the Glimwood Tangle.  Sylveon hopped up into his lap and curled up, licking his hand.  

“You’re worried too, huh?  Is it that obvious?”  He chuckled.  “Well don’t worry about me.  I’ll be okay.  If you’re gonna worry about someone, worry about... Basil.”  He sighed.  “Arceus, don’t send him a letter Rose... Don’t do this to him...”

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

“KABU!”  Basil kept an arm up, trying to shield his face from the whirlwind of sand making it impossible to see a thing.

“It’s okay, keep going!”  Kabu called through the swirling debris.  “Keep going!  Trust in your pokemon!”

A maniacal laugh tore through the blinding storm, and Basil turned towards it.  “There!  Go!”  He pointed, and Scorbunny and Nickit dissapeared into the storm too.

There was a quiet sound of confusion, but he didn’t hear the sound of an attack being made,  Suddenly, it was quiet.  Too quiet.

“Scorbunny?!  Nickit come back!”  He called, and in the same breath let out a cry as two claws grabbed him under his arms and lifted him into the air.  “HELP! NO!”

The storm began to clear, revealing two very confused looking Pokemon looking dazed and lost.  On the other side of the gym stood the Dragon Tamer himself, hands on his hips, laughing at Basil who was now dangling in the air, being held up by Raihan’s Duraludon.

“Close!  You almost had me that time kiddo!”  He teased, stepping up in front of him and poking his stomach with a grin.

Basil kicked at Raihan’s hand.  “Stohop!  Tell him to put me down!”  He pouted.  “Kabuuuu tell him to put me dooown!”

Kabu laughed from the sidelines.  “You didn’t trust your Pokemon enough!”  He called, which made Raihan laugh again. 

 “Okay, you’ve had your fun you can put him down now.”  He ruffled Basil’s hair, laughing as a dust cloud poofed up from him.  “You’re gonna need a bath after today!” he teased.

“Ugh...”  He dusted himself off.  “I’m never going to be able to do this...”

“Sure you will buddy!  Just keep practicing!”  Raihan encouraged.  “You’re a strong trainer, you just need to trust yourself more.  Don’t second guess yourself!”

Kabu pat his back.  “Head for the showers, kid.  You did good today.”  

Basil smiled at the praise and grabbed his cane.  “Thanks Mr. Raihan...”

“Any time kiddo!  Always up for a good spar!”

Basil waved shyly before rushing out of the gym with his Pokemon following close behind.  He was in an exceptionally good mood today, the excitement of the exibition matches happening over the weekend were already getting to him, the chance to meet the rest of the gym leaders was exciting enough as it is, but knowing that Bede would be in town, and that they’d get to see each other in a few days?  That was what excited him most.

The doorbell rang, and he detoured to the front door, trying to brush himself off enough that he was looking presentable if someone was calling for Kabu.  He opened the door and prepared to give his overly polite, generic greeting when he was almost knocked over by someone rushing him at the door and wrapping him in a big bear hug.

“Oof--!  Bede?!”

He hugged back immediately, melting into Bede’s hug.

“I missed you little brother...”  He squeezed tight.  “How have you gotten even shorter than the last time I saw you?”

Basil giggled.  “I didn’t get shorter you got taller you big jerk!  What are you doing here?”

“Bede has decided to come stay with us for a few days, until the exhibition is over.”  Kabu explained over his shoulder.  “Won’t you help him up to the spare room with his bags, Basil?” 

Basil already had an armload of stuff, hurrying  down the hall.  “Come on Bede!  I’ll show you where your room is!”  He limped, leaving his cane at the door.

“Hey!  You know you’re not supposed to be walking without your cane!”  Kabu called.

“It doesn’t hurt!  It’s okay!”

Kabu sighed.  “Basil, you know what the doctor said, I’m not going to tell you again.”

“I don’t need it!”

Bede grabbed the cane from the floor and followed Basil with his other bag.

“This is great!  I was worried I wasn’t gonna see you at all!”  Basil bounced all over happily, and Bede grabbed his shoulders and sat him down on the edge of the bed.  “I know.  That’s why I’m staying.  Also... Opal thought it would be good for me to spend a little time here with you and Kabu.  She thinks I’ve been spending too much time alone.”  He smirked, and there was a twinkle in his eye.  Basil couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Bede look this happy.

“So what’s she like?  What’s it like being a gym leader?  Tell me all about it!”

Bede flopped down beside him and told him all about life in Ballonlea, and about Opal, and all the hell she’d been putting him through.

Basil listened intently with wide eyes.  “She sounds awful!”

He giggled at that and nodded.  “Oh, she’s the absolute worst.”  Bede agreed.  “But... I have to admit.  It’s done me so much good.  And... sometimes I think she really does care about me.  And she wants me to be better.”

Basil hugged him again.  “I’m so happy for you Bede... I’ve been so worried about you... I’ve missed you so much...”

“Enough about me, tell me about you!”  Bede hugged back.  “I want to know everything!”

Basil gave him a tour, running around with excitement while pulling Bede along, telling him about all of the interesting new people he had met, and his new pokemon, and how nice Kabu had been to him.  Bede laughed at his stories and tried to keep up with him, and pretty soon he, Basil, and Kabu were in the living room having tea and snacks.  Bede and Kabu were talking cordially to each other, albeit a little coldly, Bede still hadn’t forgotten about the humiliation he had suffered at Kabu’s hands, and though Kabu knew the boy couldn’t have known, he hadn’t forgotten the humiliation that Rose had put him through later in payment.

Neither one of them noticed when Basil snuck out of the room and back upstairs.

“We normally don’t eat fast food, but I think tonight is a good night to order some delivery.  What do you think, Basil?”  Kabu glanced over finally and noticed he was gone.  “Basil?  Where’d he go?”

Bede frowned and shrugged.  “Maybe he went to take a nap.  He did just burn off a lot of energy...”

Kabu nodded.  Of course.  That made sense.

“Why don’t you go get settled, Bede?  I’ll order some food, and come get you when it gets here.”

He nodded in agreement, keeping his eyes narrowed and his shoulders tense as he stood, trying to look as mature and menacing as possible.

Kabu only smiled, sheepishly, wishing he could go back and fix things.  “Uh.  Sorry.”  He muttered.  “I know I... I mean.  You know.  I’m sorry.”

“Don’t mention it.”  There was a bite to Bede’s tone.  “Ever.”  He turned on his heel and marched to his room then, and once he was out of sight Kabu exhaled.  That was awkward.

***********

Kabu set the table, humming to himself, before stepping out into the hallway.  “Boys, food is here!  Dinner is ready!”

He washed his hands and sat down at the table, waiting patiently.

Bede looked as if he had just woken up from a nap, hair sticking up in more odd places than usual and clothes wrinkled on one side.  “Where’s Basil?”

“He should be down soon.  Basil!  Dinner!”

They sat in silence a few beats, before Kabu frowned and stood.  “Don’t wait on us, go ahead.  Eat up.  I’m sure you’re hungry.”  He gave him a friendly but forced smile before excusing himself to Basil’s room.

The door was closed, and Kabu made sure to knock this time.  “Basil?  Is everything alright in there?  Dinner’s ready...”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Bede is waiting for you.”

“I don’t care.”

“Can I come in?”

Silence.  Kabu opened the door to find Basil curled up on his bed, holding his leg.  His face was red from crying, and one look told him he was fighting not to start again.

“You hurt your leg, didn’t you?”

Basil’s shoulders jumped with stiffled sobs and he nodded.

“Let me see.”  Kabu helped sit him up and straighten his leg, being gentle, careful not to do anything that might hurt him or make it worse.  “Tell me if this hurts...”  He started pressing around with his fingers, looking for out of place bones or other alarming issues.  Basil winced when Kabu’s fingers dug into the muscle, but that was all.

“I warned you, Basil.  You’re lucky, you’ve just knotted up some muscles, but if you aren’t careful your leg might not heal.  The doctor said as long as you give it time, you can make a full recovery.  But you have to be careful.  And use your cane.”

“I hate it!”  He cried.  “I hate it it isn’t fair!”

Kabu sat down beside him then and rubbed his back.  “I know it isn’t fair.  But it isn’t a punishment.  You want to get better, right?  It’s no different than using a cast for a broken bone, or medicine for a fever.  It’s to help you heal.”

Basil hiccuped.

“You understand don’t you?”

“I don’t want Bede to see.  He’s doing so much better now, I want to be better too.”

“You are!  Are you kidding?  You’re doing great!  You caught your own Pokemon!  And you learned how to fold laundry really fast!  You’ve made new friends, and you don’t have to use crutches anymore!”

Basil looked up at him then.  He hadn’t really thought of it that way.

“Where’s your cane?”

“I don’t know.”

“We’ll find it later.”  He put his arm around Basil and lifted him up a bit.  “Hold on to me, let’s go get some food.  Food fixes everything.”  He smiled.

Basil wrapped an arm around him to keep himself upright and limped along beside him, trying to keep his weight off of it with Kabu’s support.

“I think Bede’s still mad at you.”  He whispered once they got out into the hallway.

“That’s alright.”  Kabu soothed.  “He’s allowed to be mad.”

Bede was sitting at the table when they got back, and though he hid it well enough from Basil, Kabu could tell that his eyes looked red, like he had been crying.  He didn’t bring attention to it.  Bede would let them know if something was wrong, pressing would only upset someone.

Their meal was peaceful, and delicious.  Bede held Basil’s hand under the table when he wasn’t using it, and Basil didn’t fight it.  He squeezed tight, thankful for the comfort.

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

Kabu tucked Basil into bed, giving him some medicine to help soothe the pain in his leg and making sure he was set up for the night.  “You need anything else?”

“Another blanket?”  He asked shyly.  “It’s kind of cold tonight.”  

“Of course.  The warmest blanket I can find.”  He smiled and left the door open a crack as he left.  Basil relaxed and closed his eyes, not opening them when he heard the door open again. 

“Thanks, Kabu.” 

He didnt’ hear a response, which was weird, so he opened his eyes and turned to look at what he was doing.  The door was open, but no one was there. 

“Kabu?”

“BOO!”  Bede pounced on him, startling him with a cry.

“BEDE?!  Don’t do that!”  He shoved his brother hard, trying to avoid his hug.  “Youre a jerk!”

“Oh come on it was funny!  Don’t be such a stick in the mud!”  He moved around his arms and hugged him.

“What do you want!”

Bede’s smile fell a bit.  “I dunno.  Couldn’t sleep.”

Basil scooted over then, giving him room to crawl up further and sit.

Kabu returned with blankets, and two mugs of warm milk and honey.  “Hm.  I had a hunch you were gonna need these.”  He handed each of them a mug and distributed blankets to them.  “I’m going to bed, if you need me, wake me up.”  He ruffled Basil’s hair and kissed his forehead gently.  “You too, kiddo.”  He looked over at Bede, who looked only slightly jealous of the attention.

“I’m not a kid.”  Was all he could think to respond.

“Goodnight.”  He smiled and closed the door then, leaving the two alone, sipping their warm drinks and talking about the past.

“Remember the last time we had a sleepover like this?”  Basil yawned.  “You were afraid Oleana was gonna punish you for interrupting a meeting, and I told you that I was gonna protect you and I stayed awake all night waiting for her.”

Bede laughed.  “No you didn’t!  You fell asleep before I did!”

“Well i tried to stay awake all night!”

They both laughed then, lapsing into comfortable silence.

“Do you... ever miss Rose?”  Bede asked after he had sat his mug aside and curled up under the blankets.

“No.  I hate him.”  Basil said seriously.  “I never want to see him again.”

Bede nodded.  “Yeah.”  He thought about the letter in his pocket again.  

“Do you?”  Basil asked cautiously.

“I... Don’t know.”  Bede admit.  “I’m still so angry... but part of me wants an answer for what happened.  But I know that no answer could ever be good enough for me.”

“He used us.  That’s your answer.”

Bede sighed and closed his eyes.  “Yeah.  I know.”

“We don’t need him.”

***********

Kabu cleared the last dish at the table, still rubbing the beginnings of sleep from his eyes.  It had been a long day, it was past his bed time, and all he wanted to do was crawl under the covers and sleep.  Something about this state he was in had him feeling venerable, so when there was a loud knock at the door, he practically jumped out of his skin.  

“Heavens!  At this hour?  I swear..!”

He stormed to the door and threw it open dramatically, putting on his fiercest scowl he could muster in his state.

There was no one there, he scanned the horizon looking for tricksters, but if they were out there, they were hidden well.  He glanced down before shutting the door, almost missing the bouquet of flowers on the doorstep.  He grabbed it, scanned the horizon one last time, and closed the door.

The flowers were beautiful, orange and red and yellow like a raging fire, with a note attached.

I’m sorry.  I was wrong.  Give me one more chance to make things right.  I won’t let you down.

Nanu

Kabu rolled his eyes and chucked the note into the trash.  Until he could talk to him face to face like an adult without getting defensive, he could stay sorry.

The flowers were beautiful, though.

[blueoswin]

Let’s make him jealous!

Summary : Eliott went back to Lucille. However Lucas can't forget him. For now he just has to try to get over him, even if the boys want to push them back together. They all come up with an awesome plan ( their words) in order to do so. Well Emma does : making Eliott jealous. How ? By hiting on  Lucas obnoxiously. Too much for his taste. And for Eliott's as well.

Or : Eliott is a sad raccoon pining from afar. Lucas is grumpy, Emma is a snake and the boys are elu stans #1.

                                                        Chapter 1

Lucas suppresses a shiver, feeling Eliott's eyes on him from across the room. He's sitting with a bunch of people unknown to him, his eyes are glassy, as if his mind was elsewhere. Not that Lucas is watching him, was watching him actually, his eyes automatically founding Eliott's in the crowd as soon as he entered the cafeteria. Nope. Not at all. No way. Unfortunately for him though, his friends are too perceptive for their own good, immediately catching up with what is going on in front of their eyes. Especially nowadays they are all watching his every moves, with no subtlety whatsoever. After the “Eliott fiasco” as they now called it, Yann, Arthur and Basile began acting like Lucas was a baby in need of protection. He equally loves and hates them for this, part touched by their concern, part annoyed. He couldn't ask for better friends truly.

“Lucas, Arthur interrupts his train of thoughts. “Do not look back but Eliott is watching you like he wants to eat you alive. It's insane man, I swear, he hasn't even blinked once for the past five minutes!”

Lucas sighs,dropping his head on the table, crossing his arms. No point in denying what is true right?

“I know Arthur, I can feel him staring you know? It pisses me off honestly, I don't know what he wants from me.”

“Maybe he just wants to talk ? “Yann suggests.

“Or something more physical.” Basile adds, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Damn it Baz, not everything revolves around sex.” Lucas hisses.

“Except he's looking at you like he's holding back from jumping you in front of everyone.” Seeing Lucas glaring, he fumbles over his words for a bit. “ I'm just saying dude.” He lifts his hands in mock defeat.

“For once I agree with Basile.” Arthur is the one to speak this time. “Did the two of you at least talk it out? To solve your problems?” Lucas scoffs, not believing his hearing.

“For what? He played me before going back to his girlfriend. I'm the one who can't get over it, end of the story.”

Lucas feels his throat constricting while memories kept flowing back to him, the mental picture of Eliott kissing Lucille stuck on a loop at the forefront of his mind. He lowers his head towards his half-eaten food. The boys are quiet for a few blessed  minutes, all of them lost in thoughts. Yann is the first to break the silence.

“I have an idea!”

Lucas lifts his head so quickly he almost snaps his neck. Dread is taking over his body at the speed of lightning. He knows his best friend; too well in fact. That's why he is one hundred percent sure he's not gonna like what's coming. Yann carries on though, unbothered by the inner turmoil going on inside Lucas.

“Well, given how he still hasn't stopped staring at you since you sat your pretty little butt over here, he definitely wants something.”

“Give it up Yann” Lucas replies, a tad panicked. “He's a big guy, he can come talk to me whenever he wants.”

Basile laughs loudly, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Easier said than done Lulu! You literally spend your day avoiding him. You've become an hide and seek master.”

“Woah Baz I didn't think I would get to say this one day but you are right.” Arthur teases, pleasantly surprised. “What do you have in mind Yann?”

Yann looks at them in the eyes one by one, pausing before speaking. Lucas tries not to roll his eyes at his friend's antics, he's always loved a dramatic effect.

“Let's make him jealous!”

He drops his fork in his plate, his fingers having become lax from shock. The whole idea seems so messed up. The boys are excited though, their eyes sparkling with mischief. Of course they would be on board with this stupid idea. Why does it surprise him anymore?  The more stupid the idea, the stronger the approval. Just his luck.

“Yann you're a genius!” Basile exclaims.

“How petty!” Arthur whistles proudly.

No no no no no no no no no nononononono

Lucas has to stop them. He shakes his head, desperately tring to talk some sense into their thick skull. His only other option being smashing said skull for cause of idiocy. He'd rather keep his friends alive however. For now at least, so talking them out of it seems the better option out of the two.

“Guys no! You don't play with people's feelings like that! It's not fair.”

“Isn't it a bit hypocritical of you to say that Lucas?” Emma says popping out of nowhere, making him jump on his chair.

He stares at her, hopeful. She is his only opportunity to make the boys see how stupid their plan is, maybe they will listen if it's Emma being the responsible one for once. He is hanging on the tiniest thread of hope known in human History, he knows it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. After all, counting on Emma to be responsible is as impossible as him being straight. Doesn't mean he can't clown himself though.

“ I know exactly how it feels both to manipulate and being manipulated.” He grabs the edge of the table, anchoring himself to mark his point. “Spoiler alert, it's fucking awful. Big no from me.”

“What are you talking about by the way?” She asks, curious, mouth full of food.

“You're so refined Emma” Yann shakes his head, smiling fondly. “Since you so desperately want to know, we plan to make Eliott jealous to get him to finally talk to Lulu over here” Yann replies, ruffling Lucas already untamed hair.

Emma eyes widen comically in excitement, jaw hanging open, food not far from falling from her mouth. She closes it after a few minutes, recovering from her original surprise, a devious smile playing on her face.

“You my friend are a snake! I love how you think boy.” She high fives him, enthustiastic.

Lucas looks towards the ceiling, ready to commit murder, maybe smacking their head open was the best option after all.

“For fuck sake guys! What don't you understand in the word no? Come on it's just two letters! I thought you were more intelligent than this” Lucas stirs up.

“Well you didn't explicitely tell us no”

Emma gives him a look before turning back to the others. He crosses his arms, pouting at the clear dismissal.

“Anyway, what did you have in mind Yann?”

“Mmm, good question. I haven't thought of it yet.”

“Well, thank god I'm here right?” She claps her hands for emphasis. “You look like you need a mastermind to set everything up. So for starters, for obvious reasons, it has to be a guy... Unless... Wait Lulu, did you tell him you're gay?”

Lucas frowns, trying to remember.

“No but I think he figured it out you know. Sleeping with each other and all that.”

“Oooooh ! You didn't tell us you went farther than kissing” Basile exclaims. “My little Lulu is growing up. I'm so proud of you.”

“Basile, they are two adolescents in the middle of a puberty crisis with overflowing hormones, of course they went farther than kissing” Arthur replies, throwing his arm around the other boy's neck.

“Good for you Lulu you finally got some! I was starting to feel sad for you you know. Now focus guys!  If you haven't officially come out to him girls can hit on you too. It will give us more options to choose from. We're gonna have so much fun!” She claps her hands in excitement, she reminds Lucas of an excited puppy.

“Emma, honestly I have a bad feeling about this.”

Lucas is stressed, the fact that he could still feel Eliott's eyes on his back wasn't helping either. He put his face in his hands, shutting out the world, trying to relax.

“Emma, do you think you could involve the Crew in our plan?” Yann perks up, ignoring his bad mood.

“Of course! The girls would do anything for Lucas and his pretty little baby face!”  She pinches his cheeks, cooing at him, dumb smile on her face. The boys laugh, Lucas sighs, resigned.

“Well guys, what are you planning to do? Taking turns hitting on me? Come on, Eliott isn't dumb enough to fell for this.”

“You know, when you're in love you say and do stupid things” Yann retorts, glancing at Emma.

“Obviously, look at Basile making mistakes upon mistakes with Daphné” Arthur jokes.

“Hey! I'm telling you, I'm this close to get it on with Daphné. It's only a matter of time!” The boy protests, gesturing wildly.

“If you say so Baz. But it's already been a year though and you're not even to first base yet.”

Emma claps her hands, drawing the boys attention back to her.

“Guys stay focused! Lucas, excellent idea!” She points her finger in his direction.”We are all going to hit on you one after the other.” She marks one second of silence between each word. Lucas can see why they made a great pair with Yann back in the days.

“Seeing people being this close to you will make him jealous for sure in the long run.” She goes on. Lucas is getting a bit desperate, not knowing what to do anymore.

“Guys, you missed the point! He doesn't give a fuck about me. I was his dirty little secret, nothing more.”

Arthur looks in Eliott's direction, who hasn't blinked once during the whole exchange, too focused on Lucas's back.

“Sure Jan, he doesn't give a fuck about you. His eyes are telling another story though.”

“Thank you Arthur! That's what I was talking about! I'm sure that if he could he would jump  you right now” Basile adds.

“Well, since he's so focused on you, let's get started” Emma perks up. “Arthur, Yann, Basile, follow Eliott's stare, don't you dare let your eyes wander for even one second.” She leans closer to Lucas, whispering in his ear. “Lucas, just sit back and relax darling.”

A  few seconds later, Lucas feels a hand land in the middle of his thigh. He tries not to flinch at the foreign touch, not sure of his success.  He can't help thinking that Eliott's hand on him was more pleasurable, a grounding presence instead of an uncomfortable one.

“Holy shit!” Yann swears, eyes round.” Dude, if only you could see how he's looking at the both of you right now. He looks ready to kill you Emma. You might want to stay away from him from now on.”

“Awesome then, he's definitely jealous. Now guys, please protect me I'm too young to die. I'm gonna talk to the Crew to set up everything.” She gets up, resting her hand on Lucas's  left shoulder, squeezing it lightly.This is gold really, bye boys!

Before anyone can react, she leans in to plant a quick kiss on Lucas cheek, winking cheekily at his shocked expression. She then turns away, leaving the four of them at the table, their lunch unfinished. What have I gotten myself into this time?

[peepingtoad]

Anonymous Fanmail // always accepting

Good evening (or day) to you anon! Let me say first off how touching it was to see this message pop up earlier on! I know my activity has been spotty as hell lately, with inspiration being flaky and my attention span even more so--so it really is encouraging to hear that the little I've managed to do in the past couple of months is still well received.

From reading your message it seems like you have a great handle on writing and vocabulary, but I also know that English really can be a bastard of a language whenever it deviates from the standard. So I can only commend your commitment to gaining even more understanding.

So to answer your question, under the cut are some of the authors/works that have influenced me most. I’ve not really had a chance to make my way through my huge reading list, or read much for a couple years now, so I’ll just mention some of the ones that really stuck in my mind:

Darren Shan 

I really must start with Darren Shan, because for a teen author his descriptions of monsters and violence still are some of the most viscerally gross and visual I've ever read. So you can imagine what it was like reading him as a 9/10 year old! I don't get to show it very often on Jiraiya, but I really do love to write a bit of nasty gore where I can. This probably shows more when I'm writing certain toad stomach themed jutsu scenes... but yeah. This author really inspired me as a kid, and fantasy-horror for young adults is still a genre I'd love to write one day (if I ever come up with a solid original idea, that is)! Which leads me on to--

Stephen King

Who, honestly, I haven't really kept up to date with. The novels I read by him were his classics: Carrie, Misery, Pet Sematary... which I think were all written before I was born, now that I think about it. I know he can be a little long-winded for some, but I really appreciate how he builds up tension and works with multiple threads at a time. His are some of the few books that actually made me scared in my teens, his psychological horror is great, and he doesn’t shy away from a sex scene, even if they’re usually horrible. I always love an author who goes into nitty-gritty, not necessarily pleasant detail.

J.R.R.R.R.R.R.R.R.R.R. Tolkien

A predictable one, I'm sure! But I've definitely drawn influence from the sheer world-building of Middle Earth, which has inspired worlds for my own OCs, but in regards to fandom has made me want to delve a little deeper into areas the canon leaves unexplained (it really is my goal to one day fill in all the blanks in Jiraiya's life, working with what little we were given and the messy timeline). And while Tolkien's characters can be a little wooden and overly functional at times, the true joy I find in his works is the sprawling descriptions of nature and the world, and how well-linked all of the characters/figures of the past are to each other. Also I feel it's an unpopular opinion, but I absolutely adore the songs/poems. Every one of them. Especially 'The Ent and the Entwife'.

Richard Adams

Most known for Watership Down, and his style again contains lots of beautiful nature imagery (with a very strong environmentalist lean). It's a pretty traumatic story, as anyone who has seen the animated film from the late 70's will recall, but what the book offers on top of that is a whole mythology that the animals believe in, world-building, animal characters that are both intelligent and believably still animals, gorgeous descriptions of the English countryside... yeah. It's one of my all time favourites! I’ve yet to bring myself to read The Plague Dogs, however, because I know it will upset me a whole lot.

Whoever the hell wrote 'The Soddit' and 'Bored of the Rings'

Yes, seriously. I'm a sucker for a good spoof, and these made me laugh out loud. I recall many terrible euphemisms. Not to be read with a critical mind whatsoever :’) they are kinda trash, but I really enjoy content that doesn’t take itself very seriously.

Terry Pratchett

Count this as a relatively new inspiration--I'm an absolute newbie when it comes to Pratchett, if I'm honest, which is ridiculous because it’s right up my alley. I’ve only fully read Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman), read halfway through a few of the standalone Discworlds, and watched several of the animated and BBC series adaptations, but I’m definitely inspired. It's just really daunting to know where to start with the main body of Discworld in particular. But I think after spending my childhood enjoying comedic fantasy in general (I also thank the Fable trilogy of games for that), it was only natural that I found his tongue-in-cheek, conversational to the point of being mundane, playing with tropes style a perfect fit for me. All of that, with some pretty immense world-building in too! It’s great to see such a loved world that is written in such a light, funny way (from what I’ve read), especially since I do my best to let humour inject itself into my writing wherever possible.

Oscar Wilde

And more specifically, The Picture of Dorian Gray. This is just peak gothic sexy decadence, I assure you. And it's one of my all time favourites... again, for gorgeous descriptions, but it's more sensory than physical. And of course, high-key gay subtext. And did I mention it's sexy? Not in the obvious way, just in a 'this level of indulgent description of luxuries and hedonism is downright slutty' kind of way. If you want obvious sexy though, definitely check out the film starring Ben Barnes too!

Anaïs Nin

Ok look, so in answer to one of your other questions, I do indeed read fanfic. Not as much now as I used to or would like to, but I certainly do. And Anaïs Nin is one of the few well known erotic writers I’ve read that I think is better than the best fanfiction stuff I’ve read. Because honestly, lots of them are dudes (sorry Jiraiya) and it’s just... nah. I’ve always thought that the erotic writing in decent fanfic tended to be high tier for somebody not paid to do it. Anyway, when it comes to Nin the writing is beautifully sensual, but I’ll warn you for questionable content at times--and I mean triggering content. I think that a lot of her erotic short stories were commissioned by others, so I don’t judge her, but there is also a lot of symbolism within the taboo so... that’s my warning about that.

John Keats

Time for a poet, and one of my favourites is this guy. Pretty much covering the Romantic/Gothic cusp, all the poems I remember reading by him were long, indulgent, sensual and low-key filthy. I can’t really say much other than read Keats! ‘Isabella, or the Pot of Basil’ is a favourite!

Seamus Heaney

My favourites are ‘Death Of a Naturalist’ and ‘Blackberry-Picking’. Get that gross, kinda visceral nature imagery. Nice.

Wilfred Owen

Mostly studied him in college, which I enjoyed a lot, but I ended up revisiting his war poetry when I started writing Jiraiya. Something about the way he questions patriotism and feels for the ‘enemy’ related a lot to him for me, and the poems themselves are so tragic they really spark up your empathy.

... As for songwriters? Hmm. Lyrically, I always enjoy pretty gloomy stuff. Nick Cave, The Cure, Placebo, Depeche Mode. A lot of it very spooky and sad-romantic. I definitely have a type :’) a definite favourite is also Björk, both for her surreal lyrics, and the crazy stuff she can do with her voice also helps!

I’m honestly struggling to think of more off the top of my head, because I know I have read and enjoyed more books/poetry than this. Sadly I’ve been too preoccupied with other things to branch out into more world literature, but it’s something I want to make an effort to do--especially Chinese and Japanese literature, some of which are on my current book pile. But these are some of the few that came straight to mind for me, and are probably my biggest influences. Hope you enjoyed my lengthy rambling nonetheless. And again, thank you so much for your kind message! It really lifted my spirits <3

[drimaury]

i don't mind your shadows - an elu fan fiction. ch.1

"Wait for him to come back to you, because he will, and it will be worth it."

Lucas really hoped so, because he didn’t know what he would do if Eliott were to leave.

or; after a bad manic episode, Eliott crashes, and it takes a week before Lucas starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

also on AO3

It was on days like these that Lucille’s words from that morning many months ago would ring in in Lucas’s ears while he desperately tried to hold on to some resemblance of normalcy while his boyfriend was at home, hopefully asleep and resting.

Wait for him to come back to you, because he will, and it will be worth it.

Lucas really hoped so, because he didn’t know what he would do if Eliott were to leave.

The air was cold, spring not having arrived to Paris just yet, and the street taking Lucas home to said boyfriend were narrow enough that Lucas kept bumping his grocery bags into the fence lining the apartment block a few blocks before his own when he accidently steered his bike a bit too much to the left. It was fucking annoying, but it meant that he would get home to Eliott quicker, so it was worth it.

It hadn’t been pretty. Lucas had only moved into Eliott’s apartment six months ago, both of them too broke (and too fucking horny for each other) to stay in the flat share for any longer than they did. 

Eliott had just been starting his second year at the Sorbonne as a film student while Lucas started his first term at UPD, and they has both realised that with the student debt they were both going to rack up, two apartment rents were more expensive than just the one, and since Eliott’s parents were more than eager to help them with Eliott’s apartment, it seemed stupid not to take the offer. 

Which was great, because that had meant they had been able to save money every month between Lucas’s shifts at Starbucks, Eliott’s tutoring lessons and their respective loans, creating a small but steadily growing savings account that they planned on leaving be until next summer when they would travel Europe together, hitting every single stop on their shared bucket list.

(Including pasta dates in Venice, meeting up with Eliott’s cousin in Rome, going clubbing in Barcelona, Eliott watching the history nerd in Lucas walking the streets of Berlin and the both of them being struck by the immensity of it all. The two of them visiting the Scandinavian countries just so Eliott could see the northern lights, and for Lucas to be able to see where the Nobel Ceremony is held. Just the two of them alone, together, in all different places.)

It would have to wait for a little longer, it seemed. Lucas had woken up a week ago to an empty bed, save for a note declaring that Lucas had to meet Eliott at a hotel, because he had reserved a suite!

He’d spent the better part since then thinking, or rather analyzing how he missed the signs, how he could’ve let himself be too caught up in his studies to miss the signs Eliott had been sending him. How if he’d only realized that hey, suites are expensive, where in the world did Eliott find the money for that? If only he hadn’t been to caught up in the romance and pleasure of it all to see the big flashing sign above them that read: HEY, SOMETHING IS WRONG! If only if only if only.

“Good morning baby, I have a surprise for you! I heard you complain about how much school is stressing you out so I thought I’d do this for you!”

And the thing was, Lucas had been beating himself up ever since then, even though he knew, (he knew!) it wasn’t his fault. And even if it was, he couldn’t do anything to change it now, besides be there for his boyfriend when his mec was ready to let him be there. Even though he knew this rationally, that didn't stop him from worrying. Feeling like he had to hold the dam together, making food he knew would go untouched, buying flowers only he would care about, it wasn't a nice feeling.

That didn't mean he wouldn't continue doing it every time Eliott couldn't.

Today’s classes had been rough, him having fallen asleep early yesterday whilst neglecting the reading assignment that was due this morning, and he had had to run by the film institute on his way home to speak to Eli’s professor to find out what his boyfriend was missing. Luckily, it wasn’t anything that couldn’t be caught up on, and Eliott’s professor had sent Lucas on his way without any hostility, just a “Tell Monsieur Demaury that his class misses his argumentative spirit!”

Lucas really loved his boyfriend, and he’d been lying if he denied the fact that Eliott’s passion for film hadn’t gotten him all hot and flustered, on multiple occasions.

Their apartment block was coming up, and Lucas parked their bike against the fence, setting down the groceries to pull out a lock from his and chaining the bike to the fence post before walking upstairs.

Getting inside the building meant his hands started to warm up again, him having forgotten his gloves this morning and not having his boyfriend walking him to school sadly meant no hand holding, something the guys always used to mock them for back in high school. With working hands, he opened the door to their apartment with one hand while holding two grocery bags and a bouquet in the other, pushing the door wide open with his foot while putting the groceries down on the kitchen table.

He could see Eliott curled up in bed, blankets covering his face and blocking out any sunligt that passed through the curtains. The eggs Lucas had made him before leaving this morning sat untouched on their bedside table, prompting Lucas to put them in the sink before putting the groceries away and checking his phone.

Y4z4s: how are u guys doing? txt me if there’s anythng i can do <3

basile_simple: remember to take care of yourself as well! Make sure you drink a lot of water and get some sleep!! At least eight hours a night!

monvoisintuturo: eight hours a night? Basile we’re college students! I appreciate the sentiment but that’s just not possible,

basile_simple: I sleep at least nine hours a nght wht’s ur point???

monvoisintuturo: remind me again how ur doing, grade-wise

basile_simple: touche

y4z4s: srsly tho, tell us if you guys need anything, and txt us when we can come over and cuddle our best boy

monvoisintuturo: yeah just let us know and we’ll be over with alot of hugs!!

basile_simple: my mom told me to tell you that Eliott is welcome to talk to her if he ever feels like it!!

lucallemant: thnks boys, and thnks basile i’ll tell him <33 and yann we’ve been friends for 16 years I thought I was you best boy??

y4z4s: u were but then Eliott brought those brownies to our first pregame and ever since he’s had my heart

lucallemant: okay yeah that’s valid

He couldn’t help the smile growing on his face, scrolling through all their conversations from the past week where the guys had offered their support countless times, Basile even going as far as offering to fight the staff at the hotel they had stayed at to force them to give Lucas and Eliott a refund before Arthur had to remind him to use one of his three remaining braincells to realise it wouldn’t work.

It was really, really, sweet how the guys cared.

Suddenly, he heard the blankets shift over where Eliott had been laying, and Lucas could see the top of Eliott’s head peeking out from under the blankets. Throwing his phone somewhere in the couch’s general direction, Lucas walked over to their bed and layed down on top of the blankets, not touching Eliott but letting his presence be known by shifting his weight, now facing his boyfriend's’ back before letting out a soft,

“Hi baby”

and the dam breaks.

[bazzledazzled]

Fuel for Disaster- Chapter 1

Summary: Simon Snow only wanted to be Baz’s fake boyfriend to get back at his extremely homophobic father. That was the only reason (and to find out what he was plotting).

It wasn’t like he was actually going to fall in love with him.

Comments: Thank you so much to @dragonsandgayvampires and @abbie-the-unicorn for editing this! I’ve been desperate for a Snowbaz fake dating AU so here we are

Trigger Warning: Homophobia

Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

read it on ao3

“I just don’t understand, Basil.” A voice says from behind the door.

“Don’t understand what?” Baz roars. Simon has never heard Baz roar. Baz might be a self centered prick, but he always kept his emotions in check. Simon could get him pretty riled up, but never like this. 

Maybe it would be better if there was some context. There’s a week every year at Watford where parents are allowed to come and visit the students to see how things are going. Typically, only first years ever really got a visit, but something seemed to have piqued Baz’s dad’s interest that caused him to pay a visit. 

Honestly, Simon shouldn’t be eavesdropping. Something about this conversation seemed too personal, Baz didn't even seem to share his secrets with his friends. Were Dev and Niall his friends? Baz doesn’t seem to treat them that way.... 

“Why you would choose this! You know how important presentation is to this family.” Baz scoffs. 

“Being gay is not a choice!” Yep, definitely way too personal. Simon should leave. He really should. 

“You just haven’t found the right girl yet, Baz,” Baz’s dad says, sounding almost annoyed. And tired, as if this was a conversation they had many times before. Simon could practically hear Baz’s nostrils flare through the door. He even saw it in his mind, with his perfect brows drawn together angrily. The look in his grey eyes would be absolutely vicious, like a viper rearing back to bite. 

“Father. I am seventeen. When are you going to realize that this isn’t a phase?” The tone of Baz’s voice... it’s so dejected. He sounds like he’s lost all hope, like he’s drowning. He sounds like he’s been drowning for years, calling out for help but nobody has ever come. 

“Baz. I don’t know what kind of teenage rebellion you think this is, but you are never, under any circumstances, going to have a boyfriend.” There’s a moment of tense silence. Simon knows what Baz is doing. He’s calculating his best move. 

“Try and stop me, father. Just. Try.” 

Simon is about to turn away and leave when the door bursts open. In the doorway is Baz’s dad. 

Baz’s dad is a whole new brand of terrifying. Honestly, Simon isn’t too surprised considering Baz, but Baz’s dad holds something even more unsettling. Simon’s heart pounds in his chest. 

“Simon Snow,” He says, sounding disinterested. Simon squeaks, but he never gets to stutter out a reply. Mr. Grimm-Pitch pushes past him, walking down the hall as if nothing happened. As if he hadn’t just gotten in a huge argument with his son. 

Simon walks into the room, not sure what to expect. Somehow he was both surprised and not surprised to find Baz with a bored expression on his face as he opened a book. It was almost  as if the conversation didn’t phase him. Honestly, Simon started to wonder if it was even real. 

Simon had a tendency to get himself into messes, which may have led him to where he’s at now, pulling at his curls as a crazy plot brews in his head. 

A few hours later, after Baz had left to go do vampire things and came back to find Simon “sleeping,” the sniffles began to start. 

At first, Simon wasn’t sure he was hearing correctly. Eight years, and he’s never heard Baz cry once. It had to be in his head. 

But then the sniffles came again, and Simon knew that he wasn’t imagining it. 

“Baz are you crying?” Simon tries not to sound like he’s mocking him, but his voice sounds so indifferent that Baz takes it the wrong way. 

“Fuck off, Snow.” Simon sits up on his bed, reaching over to turn on a lamp. He grunts at the way the light stings his eyes. 

Baz is facing away from Simon, all scrunched up in a ball. His shoulders are hunched and his hair is a disaster. He looks so unlike Baz. He looks so vulnerable. 

“Hey,” Simon says, hitting Baz lightly with a pillow. That gets him to sit up. He flashes Simon the most vicious glare, but it doesn’t really work when his eyes are so red and puffy. 

“What do you want, Snow?” Baz sounds tired.  “What’s wrong?” Simon says seriously. Baz looks down, kicking his feet against his bed, a frown on his face.  “It’s none of your business,” Baz snaps.  “Course it is! I’m your roommate and you’re crying!”  “Since when do you care?” Baz hisses viciously. Simon groans.  “Merlin why are you such a prick?” Silence falls across the room. Baz isn’t crying anymore, but Simon still doesn’t want to leave this alone.  “Is this about your dad?” Baz’s head whips up so fast that Simon isn’t sure how he didn’t break it.  “What?” Simon leans back a little. He probably should stop. It’s not a good idea to piss off your deadly, evil, vampire roommate. But his brain doesn’t seem to be getting the message.  “I overheard you and your dad arguing earlier.” Baz sneers, like he isn’t bothered by that. But after years of looking for any emotion in Baz’s eyes, Simon knows that it’s bothering him a lot more than he’s letting on.  “So what, Snow? You’re going to spread rumors that I’m gay as well as a vampire?” Baz doesn’t even sound scared. He just sounds done.  “What— no. No that’s not what I—“ Baz huffs, standing up. He starts to make for the door, but Simon darts up and blocks his path.  “I wouldn’t do that,” Simon says, looking Baz in the eye. They’re close. They’ve been this close before, but for some reason this feels more intimate. It causes a blush to rise up into Simon’s cheeks.  “What do you want from me, Snow?” Baz says, crossing his arms. Simon doesn’t know what he wants.  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Simon’s voice drops low. Baz’s lowers to match.  “Tell you what? That I’m gay? That my father is a homophobic arsehole? That he doesn’t think I can find a boyfriend that will actually love me? Crowley Snow, these are things I’d prefer not to share with my half-wit roommate.”  “I’m sorry.”  “Sorry for what, Snow?” Baz says, sounding exasperated. Simon straightens, pulling himself up to his fullest hight. It doesn’t help, though. Baz is still taller.  “I’m sorry your father’s an arsehole. He doesn’t have any right to hate you because of who you’re attracted to.”  “Thanks Snow.” Baz doesn’t sound thankful. He just sounds pissed off.  Simon sighs, stepping aside. Baz glares at him, then walks swiftly out the door, shutting it behind him.  Simon sinks into his bed, his thoughts filling with Baz (which wasn’t too abnormal). 

In the care homes, there were sometimes boys and girls who would come in after being kicked out of the place they called home for so long. They were the kindest and sweetest people, but everyone always judged them. They were judged because they liked guys instead of girls and girls instead of guys and everything in-between. They were tossed aside because they felt like more of a guy than a girl or a girl than a guy. They were rejected, just like Simon, because they were different.  And Simon hated it. He hated that Baz was going through the same thing with his father. He hated how much it made Baz lose all of his control.  Simon hated to admit it, but he hated how heartbroken Baz sounded. Like he actually believed his father when he said a boy would never love him like that (especially considering Baz was, well, Baz).  Simon sat straight up in his bed, his eyes wide. It was crazy, and definitely would probably get him into trouble later. He wasn’t even sure if Baz would agree, but maybe, maybe....  Maybe it was time to prove Baz’s dad wrong. 

Baz was hoping he’d walk in to the room to find Simon sleeping soundly without a care in the world, but he should’ve known better than to hope. Simon was frustratingly stubborn and apparently this was something that bothered him enough to wait up. In any other situation, Baz may have felt touched, his idiotic feelings going wild, but right now he just wanted to let it go. 

“Baz,” Simon says, looking at a loss. And also adorable. Merlin, why was he always so adorable?  Baz raises an eyebrow.  “That is my name.” Baz hopes he looks as cool and collected as he thinks he does as he looks down at Simon.  “I had an idea.”  “Brilliant. Try not to kill me while you’re at it,” Baz says, tugging off his shoes. Simon scrunches his hands in his curls.  “I think I know how to get back at your father.” Baz huffs, sitting down on his bed.  “Snow, I’m not interested in—“  “I’ll be your boyfriend.” Baz isn’t sure he heard Simon correctly. His vampire senses allowed him to hear a lot more than a normal person, but in no universe would Simon Snow ever want to be Baz’s boyfriend.  “What?” Simon stands, walking over to Baz’s bed. Baz’s breath hitches as Simon sits down.  “You’re going home for Christmas, right?”  “Yes?” Simon is shifting anxiously and his magic is pouring out of him. Baz almost takes him by the shoulders and tells him to breathe, but he doesn’t.  “How about you invite me over for Christmas and I pretend to be your boyfriend to prove your father wrong.” Simon Snow is an absolute idiot. Why did Baz like him so much?  “And how do you propose we do that?” Simon huffs, pulling at his hair even more. His curls are thoroughly rumpled.  “Your dad said that you could never be in love with a boy and that a boy could never be in love with you, right?” Baz looks at him suspiciously.  “Right...”  “So... we prove him wrong by acting like we’re in love.”

“Snow... we’re enemies. You’re the Mage’s foster son who has been out to get the families since as long as I can remember. Plus, I don’t take you to be that great of an actor.” 

“I can pretend to be in love with you.”  “Sure, Snow. And you can ace all your classes without Bunce.” Simon glares.  “I can.” Baz’s lip curls.  “Prove it.” Something shifts in Simon’s expression. Suddenly he’s moving closer to Baz and Baz feels his heart stutter in his chest. He twines his fingers through Baz’s, smiling up at him with the dopiest grin Baz has ever seen. For a moment, Baz thinks Simon might kiss him and he feels like he can’t breathe.  “Baz,” Simon says, smiling a little when he says his name. He whispers it like it’s a secret that he only wants Baz to hear. It makes Baz’s head is buzzing and he feels like Simon is about to go off, filling the room with his magic and making everyone feel drunk. Except he isn’t drunk on Simon’s magic.

“You look really pretty tonight.” Merlin and Morgana this is going to be terrible.

Simon must be better at this whole flirting thing than he thought.

That was odd to think about. Him, flirting with Baz. Simon didn’t even like guys, but he sure as hell was making Baz blush the tiniest.

“AHA! You’re blushing!” Simon says, sounding proud. Baz scowls at him, but a light pink dusts his cheeks.

“That’s moronic, Snow.” Simon snorts.

“Admit it, Baz. I’m a good flirt.”

“What you are is an idiot.” Baz won’t look at Simon directly and that’s all it takes for Simon to know that he’s won this argument.

“But…” Baz sighs, letting go of Simon’s hands. Simon forgot that he was holding him. “Maybe you are a little better than I anticipated.”

 “Did THE Basilton Grimm-Pitch just admit that he was wrong?” Baz glares at Simon, who bursts out in laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation.  Baz scowls.

 “You done?” He says when Simon finally calms down. Simon takes a deep breath.

 “Do we have a deal?” Baz’s nostrils flare.

 “Why are you doing this, Snow. You have nothing to gain.” But Simon had everything to gain. He got to prove a bully wrong and maybe get close enough to Baz to find out what he was plotting.

 Thinking about it now, Simon was starting to think that was the real reason. If he kept close, maybe he could figure Baz out. Maybe he could understand what he’s plotting.

 “Because I want to. I don’t have anywhere to go for the holidays anyways.” Baz takes a deep breath.

 “Fine.” Simon doesn’t know why this makes him so happy. He feels his heart swell as he smiles widely. At first he thinks it might be a mistake, but when the pink tinge comes back to Baz’s cheeks, well, Simon decides to count it as a win.

[carbonoffer0-blog]

Adelaide’s best curries bar naan

PAPADUMS Indian restaurant The poultry varuval is one connected with the hero food with this late-night eatery specialising in southern Indian dishes. Served in a copper pail, the chicken curry from the Chettinad place consists of generous portions connected with hen thigh in a good gold sauce with suggestions associated with coconut and new curry leaves. You’re always in charge over the essence levels in this article. The spot itself is pretty lush, too. 3/522 Grange Rd, Fulham Gardens SA 5024 open daily, 4.30 PM TO 9. 30 PM, PHONE 0414 891 133 ROYAL HAANDI Catering to the gluten and dairy-free group, this eat-in/takeaway restaurant is a specialist in generous servings associated with traditional and contemporary North-Indian food. Amounts are as big as the menu, which insures a variety of curry options — consider the hearty noble goat curry in gravy spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, coriander and bay renders. 62-64 Payneham Rd, Stepney, 7225 9904 MRS Q This specific contemporary Asian loft-style eating place gets rave critiques with regard to it has the red shift curry. It’s on the pricier area ($26) yet you get a ample serving of roasted shift leg with pineapple, chilli and Thai basil. It’s the perfect blend involving lovely and sour. Stage 1/120-128 Gouger St, metropolis, 8211 8887 JASMIN AMERICAN NATIVE INDIANS EATING PLACE This is typically the place chief cook Moldura Pierre White raved regarding in his last visit to be able to Adelaide. Certainly not only did they “without question, many probably” have the best Indian meals of the life here, he rewarded owner Anant Singh for being a new special place in Adelaide’s crown. Of Best indian Restaurant in Adelaide , often the locals who have been coming here since 1980 will say they presently knew this. Mrs Singh, eighty six, is the curry queen — and We are not necessarily saying because it sounds snappy — the lady really possesses earned the fact that title. The girl doesn’t follow a recipe ingredients, cooks the particular meat gradually with onions, tomatoes and spices rather of water, and begins the curries from damage every day. She’s in the kitchen one moment a full week, nonetheless has taught the woman family members well. For those wondering, Moldura had this bhoona gosht. 31 Hindmarsh Square, metropolis, 8223 7837 FISH HEAD My coworker and The City’s The thing that is On guru Steph loves the beef rendang from this Indonesian eatery, expressing the spiced beef along with coconut, lemongrass, shallots in addition to galangal melts in the particular mouth. In addition check out the chicken chop chop — chicken curry for the bone with roasted nuts, fried anchovies and rice. 270 Morphett St, city, 8212 2411 INDIAN LURE “It’s easy to overlook the spot (nothing fancy)”. This isn’t from the Yelp review, it’s from the Concerning Us section of the particular restaurant’s website. Instant points for honesty. The food is just as very humble, and regulars here realize they can count with changing a tenner plus some free change to get a simple, real and hearty curry. Versions include goat, fish, combined veg and chicken. 490 Primary North Rd, Blair Athol, 8260 5757 EASTERN SIDE NAMASTE NEPALESE RESTAURANT It will be far from a good key meal, but the pumpkin curry at Namaste Nepalese Bistro is among typically the Parkside diner’s primary interesting attractions. Flavoured with mustard plant seeds and fenugreek, often the vegetarian curry — or perhaps Pharsi ko Tarkari as the regarded in Nepalese — is usually a delicious accompaniment to any of the traditional food provided up at this award winning cafe. And it may be only $11. 50. Discount! Wash it down using a good legitimate mango lassie or even possibly a Nepalese chiya green tea — milky, hot and spicy plus oh, so good. 41 George Street, Parkside, 8272 2288 CINNAMON CLUB For the curry fanatic looking for the interesting twist on an traditional dish, choose often the award-winning Cinnamon Team. Keepers Harsh Kumar plus Jwala Singh are acclaimed with regard to their extensive menu, which usually features standard dishes from just about every part of Of india. Mr Kumar says a popular dish is the nihari chaampa curry ($31. 90) — juicy lamb grinds little by little cooked in an old-style gravy. They says is considered about some sort of “medium” in the spice factor, but that they are happy to up typically the heat for anyone which wants a bit a lot more of a kick about a cold winter nights. Across Best Butter chicken at this time there are gluten, dairy together with nut-free options. 211A Typically the Parade, Norwood, 8431 3311 BELAIR HOTEL ROOM A vigorous, flavour-filled food perfect with regard to one of those icing Adelaide Hills nights. That will is how Belair Resort head chief cook Julian DuBois describes his signature Jaffrazi vegetable curry. “It is usually a vegan curry, together with with more and extra people looking for that option it really does have extensive appeal amongst our consumers, ” DuBois says. Stuffed with cauliflower, chickpeas, sweet potato and capsicum — and accompanied by way of naan and raita bread — the 20 dollars dish is light upon sex, but heavy in Indian-inspired flavours. Just bear in mind to be able to save some room for dessert. Dark chocolate bars cheesecake ($12). Carrot and ointment cheese sponge ($12). Salted caramel tart ($14). Ill stop now... 141 Main Road, Blackwood, 8278 8777 TASTE OF NEPAL Delivering a taste of his / her mother’s cooking to Adelaide was at the center of Tastes of Nepal head chief cook Kashi Ram Poudel’s judgement to open the city’s very first Nepalese restaurant in 2004. The particular Kensington restaurant is known around town for it has the innovative, authentic and fragrant meals. Several dishes will be his mother’s original tested recipes while he delivers his / her own flavours to others. Trying to keep things in the family, Mr Poudel’s son, Kamal, also works at this diner. The butter rooster ($24. 50) is the menu showcase. The chicken breast is smoked in clay oven after that simmered found in tomatoes, garlic clove, star anise and szechwan pepper. “It is rather mild, is kid-friendly but is also good for adults, ” Mr Poudel says. Even though we’re talking clay stoves, make sure you try out the clay-oven mushrooms via the entree food selection when you’re there. One particular standard diner says there are little or nothing quite like them. 300 The Parade, Kensington, 8332 2788 HOUSE OF YOGA Indian cuisine is well known due to the curries, yet Asian choices are in addition ample. House of Yoga in Belair isn't any exclusion. Owner Hung Note against it features been serving up curries from his Main Rd restaurant for 13 many years. Now is prime time frame for curries, according in order to Mr Lien, found been selling them within great numbers during the winter time. He recommends the green curry — with a good rich coconut flavoring, rooster and a generous serve of vegetables. At $15. 20, it’s hard for you to get past. 6 Major Rd, Belair, 8370 2333 TO THE SOUTH HARVEST OF OF INDIA Brand new Delhi-born chef Tarun Kumar studied civil engineering ahead of embracing his exact enthusiasm of cooking plus planning mouth-watering food by South Indian recipes. That passion is on 100 % screen at Tarun’s eating place Harvesting of India just where diners are treated for you to true Indian cuisine. Best Butter chicken incorporate bhuna gosht — young pieces of lamb, spices plus lemon — and prawn malai together with cashews. Curries range in between $10-$20. all day and Saltfleet Saint, Port Noarlunga, 8326 8832 IND’O’MEX Could not decide between Indian or maybe Mexican delicacies for dinner tonight — precisely why don’t you may have each? Ind’o’mex at McLaren Recibo touts flavoursome foods within an unpretentious setting having regular Bollywood-themed evenings for people who choose to dine found in. Try out the goat masala cooked properly in the chef’s signature gravy — having a bowl of nachos on the side. Mains are listed around $15. 225 Essential Rd, McLaren Vale, 8323 8575 ALSO CALCUTTA For upscale Of india look no further since Oh Calcutta has a person protected. The popular curry house has become a dining installation in Morphett Vale regarding 30 years along with regular favourites such as typically the best selling butter chicken and lamb korma in no way not being able for you to please. Recent those who win will include a tender duck breast area curry which has remained on the deals board for eight constant many months. Curries start at $14. 171 Main South Rd, Morphett Recibo, 8382 0079 BOMBAY TO BEIJING Tantalise your tastebuds with a new blend of Chinese and Native indian dishes at Bombay to Beijing. From supporter favourites, which includes butter chicken plus korma, to a great deal more exciting dishes, including murg methi malai with boneless chicken breast and lamb accomplish pyaza, there’s a meals for everyone have fun with. All of are under $20 every. Be sure to look at the restaurant’s web site intended for regular specials, including those people for first-time buyers. The particular diner at Seaford Meadows is dine-in cafe although that delivers across the southern. 12/1 Prow Commute, Seaford Meadows, 8386 1695 MISTER INDIA A quirky but regal interior equipped with a new roaring fireplace will be the appropriate cosy placing to indulge in some sort of curry banquet. As well as better nevertheless — spice up your own personal Wednesday with some sort of self serve buffet including three main courses, rice, raita, pappadums along with a dessert. Favourites include this prawn malbari (cooked together with a coconut-based sauce and even finished with mustard seedling and fresh curry leaves) and beef saagwala featuring spinach and garlic oil. Curries range from $18-$23. 218-220 Old South Rd, Previous Reynella, 8387 9999 TO THE WEST DELHI SPICE Manager Pankaj Sharma and his father Sukhdev established this diner last year, with a strategy to bring the likes of Delhi to Adelaide. “My dad was doing work here in a five-star hotel for quite a new although, ” Pankaj claims. “He got a possibility to work at Raj on Taj (Unley) to get 8-10 or nine decades, to be a head chef. But Indian Takeaway wanted to open up a cafe associated with his own, so as soon as I actually grew up plus started employed in the industry, we decided to clear a place with this taste regarding Delhi. ” The bistro, just around the highway from the Marion outdoor pool, also provides some famous fans. With regards to five years ago, staff members specific for the American indian Test workforce, who had been eager to down various real subcontinental food. “They took their picture in addition to sent it to you — they liked it very much, ” Pankaj says. 271A-271C Oaklands Rd, Marion, 8177 2355, delhispice. junto de. au THAI ORCHID Get hold of a table by way of the window or exterior and watch sunlight head out down while you example some sort of curry at this specific Henley Beach front institution. In case you’re lucky, you could even spot a dolphin. Diners can choose coming from about 15 curries, having sea food, beef, duck, chicken breast together with vegetarian options all of available. You can also opt to now have your own personal food mild, or popular enough to breathe typically the paint off the entry. The particular restaurant has the spectacular family-friendly atmosphere, together with personnel add to that by wearing traditional man made fiber Thai clothing. If the surroundings is fine, get some alcohol delivery dishes together with sit outdoor on the particular grass or yellow sand plus enjoy the sea surroundings. 255 Esplanade, Henley Seashore, 8353 4686, thaiorchidrestaurant. contendo. au MITRAN DA DHABA This specific small eatery needed upward residence in a good little Anzac Hwy shopfront some three years ago and, fixed in considered one of Adelaide’s American indian strongholds down the highway, has developed a dedicated subsequent among locals. Often the setting is very modest yet it’s always busy using local families enjoying a good meal and others popcorn in to collect their late night delivery. In regards to calendar year ago, often the selection changed from most vegan fare, to provide for carnivores and herbivores alike. Having said that, vegetarians express joy — you will still find 17 droit available for you — yes, that’s right, 17! Top menu choices contain the dahl makhani, palak paneer and aloo gobhi. RELATED CONTENT Billy Petropoulos at Billy's Table PLATFORMS TURNED TABLES TURNED 287 Anzac Highway, Plympton, 8297 7979, mitrandadhaba. com. au TASTE OF THE HIMALAYAS Chief cook and owner Dharma Musgo cooks with legitimate salt to serve up the best at Nepalese fare. The cozy setting up is beautifully appointed having Nepalese-inspired decor, together with that is a lovely spot to meet friends or perhaps loved ones for a quiet evening meal. Along with a good range connected with curries which have a docile taste compared to Indian ones, the diner also delivers sizzling dishes, green salads, platters and the Nepalese solution, momos (dumplings). If Indian Pickup to Nepalese food, or perhaps just want to sample as many dishes as you can, try the Himalayan Weekend Buffet, served on the previous Weekend of every month. That costs $25. 95 for men and women in addition to $12 for children. 489 Brighton Rd, Brighton, 8358 2483, tasteofthehimalayas. web. au THE RED ASS Often the Red Ass specialises through food with the remarkable kick. If you happen to be a lover regarding hot food, this area can be the go, with curries ranging from a one-chilli distinction, to six, for the more amazing. Typically the hottest dish on the menu will be the ‘devil curry’, with topside beef, prepared with lots of chilli, Indian herbs and seasoning in a gravy marinade. The Red Bum will be also a good selection if your evening meal party can’t decide on what sort of meals to try regarding the night’s feast, providing Thai, Singaporean and Indian dishes. The idea even has got some sort of play area for children, and offers movie supper deals, including a window of the Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas, entree, main plus a drink. 2/120 Semaphore Rd, Semaphore, 8341 7878, redasscurry. com NORTH INDIAN FAMILY TABLE Growing up, Saqid Ahmed says he or she was usually amazed with the emits a smell plus spices that wafted by means of his house when his mother began preparing with the food prep. Despite Best indian Restaurant in Adelaide of dishes, there was always a specific favourite as soon as dinnertime got around — butter rooster. Best curry House has been these early years learning family quality recipes that brought about the chief cook to available his or her own restaurant. “If we all have twelve orders by different platforms, they are going to all have butter rooster, ” Mr Ahmed tells. “It is my personal mum’s recipe ingredients so we like using it and revealing it with others. ” Offered with rice, delicious roasted chicken pieces are thrown having a homemade cream, cashew, peanut butter and saffron sauce ($13. 50). Shop 3/3 Cathedral St, Salisbury, 8258 1721

TABLA Northern locals are heading to Smithfield this winter to get their very own hands on a good niche Indian curry that is a number of to warm typically the heart. Quite a range regarding hot and spicy and creamy curries on offer at Tabla, the most popular regarding which is the tawa tikki masala ($15. 90) Served hot, medium as well as slightly spiced, the masala has roasted boneless rooster pieces topped with the yoghurt-based sauce, tomato together with onion. 81/600 Main Northern Rd, Smithfield, 8284 0063 PIQUANCY SHOT This tucked-away gem stone has been making the effect in the particular area since it popped in January last season. Spruce Shot owner Samir Paranjape says two preferred curries are the chausser chicken plus Jewel of the Sea eating fish or crustaceans curry. “In the Treasure involving the Sea you’ve got squid, mussels, prawns plus fish, ” he says. “We utilize the stock via leftover seafoods and we all add coconut dairy products, red onion, ginger, curry foliage and even spices. ” He or she in addition recommends the Death by Cheese Naan bread in order to accompany curries. “For dairy products lovers that’s anything quite awesome, ” Mr Paranjape says. 38c Moules Highway, Magill, 8431 0115 INDIAN TEMPTATIONS Owner Parkash Chand Sharma prefers clients discover their own favourite satellite dish, so he invites those to try a tablespoon involving any kind of curry in advance of they will order. “The first issue We ask people is definitely what meats they would likely like, ” this individual clarifies. “Then my question will be, do you like slight, medium or warm? Now I could put some sort of curry prove plate. Our duty will be when a customer comes through my door I actually need in order to notice them happy. ” Indian native Lure is open up for eat-in and takeaway services, and even serves to those late-night transfer workers with a 2am closing time every working day on the year. U3/490 Key South Rd, Blair Athol, 8260 5757 RUBY HENDIDURA Dark red Raja, which open around 2000, has created a track record for it is relaxed surrounds, trusted foods and friendly service. Entry of house worker Brad says the most popular dish is easily the Thali Curry Denture. For $27 you can enjoy a new mixture of butter roasted chicken, ground beef korma, prawns, chicken tikka masala, rice and naan bread. “It’s some sort of mixture of a couple different things, it’s just like a tasting plate for 1 person in addition to it’s really popular, ” he says. you Conviction Rd, Teas Woods Gully, 8395 2288

[theplaguezine]

MORTIIS

Interview with Mortiis by Daniel Hinds

(conducted November 1999)

Mortiis is the elusive musician that started his career as bassist for the notorious black metal outfit known as Emperor, before going solo and heading off into uncharted territory.  Using synths, he has created some stirring, epic-length pieces that blend dark ambient with medieval folk and even some classical music elements.

Released through Sweden's Cold Meat Industry and his own Dark Dungeon Music, the drow elf produced four full-length albums before signing with Earache for his latest, The Stargate.  Using the vocal talents of Sarah Jezebel Deva (ex of Cradle of Filth) and Kalle Metz, this album shows Mortiis developing a much broader and deeper sound than ever before.

After a string of dates here in the U.S. with Christian Death, Mortiis and crew were just about to cross the border into Canada when I got a chance to chat with him via cell phone…

Could you tell me a bit about the storyline of The Stargate and what inspired it? I guess musically I was inspired by Basil Poledouris - he did the soundtrack to the first Conan movie, for example.  Musically, that's about the only thing I can put my finger on.  As far as concepts and stuff, there's a myth in certain cultures that you can travel between different dimensions using stars - use them as gates.  I just found that concept very fascinating and it inspired me to do something along the same lines and incorporate that into the whole Mortiis thing.

The CD booklet says "to be continued..." at the end - will it be continued on the next album? Probably not the next album, but at some point in the future I would like to make a second one.  It's not actually finished.  I have the rest of the concept worked out, the storyline so to speak.

Did you come up with the concept before writing any of the music? Sort of.  I think I had some basic musical ideas, maybe a few raw demos or whatever lying around, but I think the storyline was pretty much figured out before I did the music.

In the past, your image has always been very mysterious and in the shadows, but on the Stargate, there are very clear pictures of you on the cover and back cover and tray card.  Why the decision to make yourself more visible this time out? I think I always wanted to do that.  The fact that it turned out the way that it did [in the past] gave people a certain impression - it's not like that was intentional.  We didn't have any professional photo shoots back then, so basically it was me and my girlfriend with an amateur camera, taking photos in the marshes.  That kind of thing, which tends to give things an obscure angle.  So when I had the chance to work with more professional people as far a photo shoot, it turned out differently.  That's how I wanted it from the beginning anyway.

Are you pleased with Earache so far?   Yeah, I guess.  You know the way it is with labels, they can be bastards, but what can I do?  What can I say?  We have a contract.  But I think they're doing a pretty good job, though.  I'm getting to do a lot more shit now that I would have never done with another label.

Do you still have a connection with Cold Meat Industry?   Yeah, sure.  Not at this point, because I'm doing the U.S. support and stuff, but when I'm back home, we do talk.  I'll check in and see what's going on and stuff like that.

How about Debbie at Blackmetal.com? Yeah, how about her?  (laughs)  We were kind of not talking for a long time.  I did a San Francisco show a couple weeks ago and she turned out at the show, she and her guy Elden, they do this thing together [blackmetal.com], and we talked and things were okay.  We exchanged new phone numbers and stuff, so I think that dispute is probably in the past.

How is the tour going? Not very good.  I mean, someone has not taken responsibility for promotion - the promotion is horrible.  I don't know who to blame anymore and I don't want to mention names, but it just seems like no one is doing their job, basically.  We had these posters printed up and we've done like 23 or 24 shows so far and I've seen those posters up at about 3 of the shows.  That's very annoying.  Plus the fact that my album should have been out in the U.S. and Canada at least a month ago, before the tour started.  That got screwed up, so I'm pretty much doing a tour for a record that's not actually out.  If you look away from that, we are getting a good response, which is very good.  People show up at a show that is pretty much not being promoted, they get to hear music they've never heard before, and still at some of the shows we're getting an amazing response.  I'm pretty happy with it, despite everything that's fucked-up about the tour.

Have you done any major touring in the past? No, this is my first tour basically.  I'm being introduced to a pretty rough world right now (laughs).  Is it supposed to be this fucked-up all the time?  But I'm getting the impression that it's not supposed to be this bad.  I've talked to the other people we're touring with who have done this a lot of times and they're like, 'This is a fucked-up tour!'  So, I guess I'll try it again.  Maybe.  (laughs)

I understand that Dark Dungeon Music is closing down.  Is that true?  Why? Yeah.  I was the only guy working at that label.  I was doing everything and it just took up all my time.  I saw my music fall to shit - I could mention a couple of records that I've done that I should have never done or should have taken a lot more time doing.  But I didn't have the time because Dark Dungeon took up all my fucking time.  So, it just came to a point where I realized, okay, this is not working out.  I don't want to do the label anymore.  I hated going down and doing it every day, I hated every minute of it.  I don't want to deal with all these people, I don't want to have all these worries, 'Is he gonna pay me?,' 'Are they gonna pay me?,' 'When are they gonna pay me?' and blah blah blah.  I hated it and I still hate it.  So I put it down.  I want to make music; I don't want to be in the business side of it.

You've always released your music on vinyl.  Is there a vinyl version of The Stargate?  Is that important to you? The Stargate is available on vinyl.  We have a bunch of it in the van.  Vinyl forever!  It is something that I used to be a lot more fanatic about in the past.  I've come to accept CDs.  I mean, you have to accept the day and age that you live in.  If you didn’t do that, you'd be in big trouble.  Time will not wait.  But there's nothing wrong with being a bit nostalgic; I just try not to take it too far.

What is the status of your other projects? I put them down.  Just like with Dark Dungeon Music, I pretty much put everything down the same day, except Mortiis.  This is what I'm going to do now, fuck everything else.  I want to do one great thing instead of a bunch of mediocre stuff.

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with musically in the future? I don't know.  I could probably come up with a few names, but I don't want to say, "I want to work with this person,' as it might create problems or something.  I'm sure there's a whole bunch of people I'd love to work with, but I'm so used to working alone it's hard to come up with names.  I've never really bothered with other people, never paid attention to anyone else.  I'm starting to change that, I'm starting to look into what other people do and it's pretty healthy, actually.  It's good to be on top of things.

Was it kind of a different experience working with vocalists on this album? Yeah, I was nervous.  Before they came out, I was really nervous.  Like, oh my god, I haven't worked with anybody since Emperor back in '92 and that's like six years at that point.  I don't even know how to collaborate.  But it worked out really good.  It took a little longer than we expected, but just a couple days, no big deal.  But it definitely worked out really good and I definitely plan to continue to work with other people.  It can only make things better.

Would you like to score films at some point? Everybody asks that and I always say that I don't think I'm good enough.  Definitely not good enough.  I mean, I know what I do and I can compare it to movie soundtracks and I'm like, okay, damn.  I'm a long way away from being that good.  That's how I feel anyway.  I mean, I'd love to do it, but I don't consider myself good enough.  That's just me being my worst critic.  At some point, I would like to try something like that out, but maybe not this week.  (laughs)

When you write songs, do you hear the whole work in your head or do you start with one instrument and build it up from there? Kind of both, I guess.  I think I know kind of how I want the song to sound, but it never really turns out like that.  I start realizing, okay this didn't work out, that didn't work out - maybe 50% of what you had in mind stays with you.  The rest is just something that popped up during the writing process.

I read that you are working on a book… That is something that I've been working on for several years.  It's pretty much like the young days of Mortiis up until the day he decides to leave the world he was born into.  It's all very symbolic and reflective of what goes on this world and my own state of mind.  It'll be out next month, as far as I know.

Who is publishing it? Oh, Earache I guess.  They're doing like a limited edition thing, a box with The Stargate CD and the book.  Sometime in November.

Are you happy with how the book came out? Well, basically, if I were to do it today, 90% of that I would have never done.  It's like a diary almost of the last few years and it's the oddest thing to see the changes in the attitude.  In that sense, it's very interesting.  As far as me being very naïve and evil and shit like that, but as you grow and develop, your mind matures a little bit and becomes more realistic.

www.mortiis.com

[esthersnippe]

In Brussels? Here are my top picks on what to do, see, drink, and eat

I am not going to claim to be an expert, but this winter I will be celebrating my 7th year in Europe’s Captial City—and I adore this city. 

I have gone to hundreds of cities, I believe there is nothing quite like Brussels. 

But it took me years to get here, and many tourists don’t immediately find it charming. And that’s ok. Because Brussels is small and too many tourists is not super good...and I am only partially joking. 

It is a secret city. Non-obvious and full of delights.

Over the years, I have learned one or two things about Brussels, and today I present you with my list of top things to do, see, drink and eat. You can do all of this in 24hours. 

My 10 favourite things to do in Brussels

Here we go! 

1. Eat a waffle in the Grand Place. 

It is best to see the Grand Place at night first, then in the day after.

For my vegan friends: Go to The Sister’s Cafe for vegan waffles WITH vegan ice cream.

For my non-vegan friends: Go to Maison Dandoy—they are simply the best waffles in the city. There are two kinds Brussels (light and airy) and Leige (thick and cakey) so if you are with someone else, get one of each, and if you are alone, choose wisely! 

Once, Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables, lived in an apartment in the place. He said it is “a dazzling fantasy dreamed up by a poet, and realized by an architect.”.  There is so much history I would love to share with you about it, but I’ll save that for another time. Just go an enjoy it. It is truly spectacular. 

2. Walk from Park Royal to Park Cinquantenaire. The whole walk takes about 35 minutes, and you will see three beautiful parks: Park Royal, Park Leopold, and Park Cinquantenaire, as well as the Royal Palace, the European Parliament, and the Triumphal Arch.

Its a much better way to spend your time than going to the Atomium—which will take 2-3 hours minimum and is ok, but really rather touristy. 

3. Go and see the Palace of Justice at sunset Or any time, but it is the best at sunset. You can go to the grocery store and buy some drinks and snacks and sit up there to watch the sunset, it is chill and has a great view of the city skyline.

4. Eat chocolate at the Grand Sablon: My top picks are

Frederic Blondeel

Wittamer

Pierre Marcolini

How it works: you buy the chocolate by weight, so choose 2-3 different pieces from each place. 3-4 chocolates should cost between €4-€7.  Usually, the people behind the counter are not very helpful, but I still ask for personal favourites and recommendations anyway. Either way, you should always try the “Grand Cru”, this is the best the chocolatier thinks they can do. Yum is usually the result. Plant-based buddies: most of the dark chocolate is vegan! But make sure you double check, because some of the other ingredients might not be, like caramel being made with butter, etc.

5. Go to the European History Museum in Park Leopold 

It is free. And amazing. One of the best and most interactive museums I have been to: it has great tech, tons of ways to get involved with the exhibits, and tells a fascinating story. 

6. Go see our national monument, the Manneken Pis Also... the Manneken Pis Museum. It is just up the street and guaranteed a right giggle.

7. Sit at the top of Mont des Art. Best in the early evening. then walk through the garden. There is always a lot of animation and things going on, but it is also very relaxed. 

Make sure you check out the architecture on Rue Montagne de la Cour, like the Musical Instruments Museum and the Old English Pharmacy. 

8. Do some unique shopping/browsing. I am not personally big on buying loads of stuff, but these little streets are jammed packed with the unique and wonderful. Here are my top picks:

Rue de Rollerbeek

Rue du Haute

the Royal Galleries (Actually, I have never bought anything here, but the buildings are amazing.)  

9. Eat some fries.

I might be plant-based but I make an exception for the occasional frites treats, because they are the best in the world. There is no contest.

For the sauce: you can go:

Traditional with a dollop of Mayonnaise

Spicy with the Pili-pili (less spicy) or my favourite Samurai (more spicy).

Not spicy, but with a burst of flavour go with the Andalouse (which is kind of mayonnaise with tomato and basil) or Curry Ketchup (which is exactly what it sounds like.) 

Aioli is another very popular sauce, but I find it too garlicky (but if you are into garlic, try it out. Just don’t try and kiss me after.)

Vegans + vegetarians: the frites definitely contain animal fat.

My top picks

Fritland right by the Grand Place

Friterie Saint-Josse

Frit Flagey

Which brings me to number 10! They are related. 

In Brussels, there is a local phrase which goes “faire du gras” which translates to something like “lay down the fat” and means “eat something heavy”—and is good advice before you start drinking in Brussels. 2 strong beers on an empty stomach is almost a guarantee you will end up tripping on one of our many uneven, cobblestone roads. 

10. Drink beer. 

Also—the best in the world (Yes Germany, I have tried your beers, and I am sticking to what I said.) God, this needs a whole other post. But you are only here for a short time, so let’s get into it.

First: where to drink.

These are my favourite watering holes and their locations.

Le Coq in front of Beurs: Classic Belgian pub, and very fairly priced. (ie. cheap) 

Zebra in St.Gery: This old island is the best spot to drink and people watch after work and on the weekend. 

Bar Llanes or Café Charbon on Marche du Charbon in front of the Notre-Dame de Bon Secours. They are beside each other. 

Monks in Saint Catharine: a bit overpriced, but great selection and cool ambience. 

The Brussels Beer Project Brewery by the canal: They are constantly creating new brews, and you can test out the new flavours, then vote on them, which is fun. 

Le Barboteur Bierothèque in St.Josse: Amazing selection and very unpretentious. (But only good if you are in the neighbourhood, because it is pretty far from the city centre.)

Le Verschueren in St.Gilles: Sit with the cool, Belgian artists. Great people and good prices, but also only good if you are in the neighbourhood.) 

Café Belga and L'Amère à Boire in Place Flagey: Really different atmospheres, but both are fun, although a little hipstery. Don’t make a special trip out to see them, but if you are in Flagey, they are great. 

If you want to see some breathtaking architecture from the turn of the century and drink some rather overpriced beer, visit:

Le Cirio

Cafe Metropole

Mort Subite

There are 1150 Belgian beers, which is an overwhelming number. Even if I had drank a new beer every other day since arriving, I still wouldn’t have tried them all. So don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to start. Here is a quick and dirty guide to some of my favourites. For something heavy that will get you drunk almost immediately, try the Trappist beers. There are only 6 breweries in the world, and the beer is brewed in the traditional style by monks! (Note: Proceed with caution) 

Rochefort 10: Hold on to your hats, you are heading to drunk town on a smooth chocolate river.

Westmalle Tripel: This is a very good, bitter, mega strong beer.

Chimay Bleu: A sweet, dark, internationally-known bestseller! Stop at one though, it gives a vicious hangover after you’ve had 3. 

For something unique only to Belgium, and is stupidly delicious, like a refreshing beer-lemonade, try the gueuze:

Gueuze Boon: This is my all time favourite drink in Belgium. Possibly the world.

Oud Beersel: Also a hella delicious gueuze, but brewed in the old style, without wheat. 

Mort Subite Kriek: a gueuze sweetened with cherries. I can only have one of these at a time because they are intense, but a good occasional treat.

If you are not even sure you like beer, but are in Brussels so what the hell:

Faro Lambic: light and sweet and way too drinkable. Like juice.

Tripel Karmeliet: a delicious, well-balanced crowd pleaser

Chouffe: very light tasting, but watch out! Strong in effect. 

Saison Dupont: a very popular, classic Belgian beer. 

You are not a fan of stong or heavy beers, and really want a pils (once again Germans, I am looking at you.) we have three very popular pilsner brands that you’ll be able to get just about anywhere. 

Jupiler: mildly sweet, and the most popular beer in Belgium (especially with sports fans). 

Maes: a little closer to a lager than a pils, but if I am going to drink a pils, I choose this one. 

Stella Artois: This is Belgian, not Italian beer! It is a pretty easy drinking beer and also available just about everywhere....including the country you are coming from.

Like Stella Artois, I have a tendency to tell guests to avoid Duvel and Leffe—while they are fine beer brands, they are available around the world, and you will probably be able to find them in your home country, although perhaps for a much higher price. 

There is a lot more I could say about Brussels, but I hope this is enough to get you started! See you soon. 

Want to read stuff I’ve written about Belgium? 

Here are a few other posts about life in Europe’s Capital. 

21 Reasons to love Belgium

20 Canadian/British Habits I Lost When I Moved To Brussels

An Adult Tour of the Beaux Art Museum Part 1: The history of Belgium Part 2: Because art is awesome

I am safe: A post about what it felt like to be in Brussels after the Brussels Attacks. 

[seadeepywrites]

find the wrong within the past

Character: Basil Noctis Words: 2508 tw: Chath and Basil's fucked-up headspaces, references to childhood abuse & neglect

"Has anyone ever told you," I ask Basil, "that there's something really wrong with you?"

Basil blinks at me. "Yes. Many times."

"I don't mean that in like, an insulting way," I add as an afterthought.

"I didn't think you did."

I stir my bowl of gruel, and actually take a moment to think before I speak. "Have you always been like this?"

"Like what?"

Basil sits further from the fire than I do, cross-legged and unassailably composed. I served him a third of the portion I ladled out for myself, but he set his bowl aside after taking only a few bites. If I nag him about it, he'll just retreat into a frosty silence.

Frowning, I say, "You know how high elves are supposed to be all calm and repressed?"

"I've heard that's the stereotype, yes."

"Well, most of the ones I've met still have emotions under all that," I say. "They just don't want to show them. Or something."

Basil arches an eyebrow.

"But you..." I shake my head. "Did they like, beat them out of you really young?"

"The emotions?"

"Yeah."

Basil's thin lips twitch in amusement, but he seems to be actually considering the question. Eventually he says, "Something like that, perhaps."

"Wait, really?"

Being Basil, he doesn't exactly relax, but he does shift his weight, settling into a more neutral position. The green of his eyes glints gold as he studies me in the firelight, and shadows snag along the sharp edges of his cheekbones.

"I can tell you that there was certainly no place for emotion in my relationship with my family," he says, as matter-of-factly as discussing the weather. Then again, I've heard him use that same tone to detail the gruesome torture of innocent civilians, so maybe it's not a great metric for how fucked-up his childhood was.

Hence the topic of this conversation, I guess.

Basil adds, "But I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge your point about elven society. It's true that many elves are bred to hide their stronger sentiments beneath a veneer of civility."

I stare at him. "Ignoring the fancy vocabulary words, you're saying you're an exception?"

He sighs. "Yes. That's most definitely a possibility."

"Say more about that."

Basil tilts his head. "You mean 'elaborate?'"

"Okay, now you're just doing it on purpose."

"I am," he agrees placidly. Stretching out his fingers, he flexes them once or twice before continuing. "I would say that I saw many, many small dramas play out over my years in Bastion. Rivalries and politics and heartbreak. I had my own share of challenges, but I never got involved in that side of things, exactly."

"But do you think that has more to do with your position in the household or who you are as a person?" I ask. "Was it because you weren't," I gesture, "you know, a proper noble?"

"Partially. I never had any honor to defend in the first place." Basil's clear-eyed gaze fogs over a bit. "But I was aware from a very young age that I didn't tend to pour energy into relationships the way that others did."

"And by young age," I say, "you mean, what, thirty-five?"

A sliver of a smile from Basil, just a flash of his pearly-white canines. "Yes."

"Elves," I grumble, motioning for him to go on.

"I don't know that there's much more to tell." He looks at me with a courteous degree of interest. "Was it like that in your childhood? With everyone getting involved in petty squabbles and all that... yelling and crying?"

I grin, baring my own canines, and toss my mane of black hair. "The other kids were pretty scared of me. A lot of people still are."

"So I've noticed."

It's one of the things we bonded over when we first met -- how even in a monastery full of murderers, thieves and outcasts, we are considered unsettling. Me for my violent emotions, and Basil for his complete lack of them.

"I did a lot of yelling and crying, yeah," I say. "Are you telling me you didn't?"

"Not particularly. There were things I wanted, to be sure, but..." Basil's eyes narrow, before he shakes his head. "No. Not that I remember."

"You little freak," I say, but affectionately.

"To your earlier question," Basil says, "it wasn't as if I had many peers of a similar social status to myself. There were the servants, and then there were the members of the nobility, and neither group really saw me as one of their own."

"Oh." I stir my gruel, aching with a sudden sense of connection between us. "It was kind of like that for me too. With the orcs and the dark elves."

"So while I don't have any comparisons I can draw to other Noctis bastards in the same position as myself," Basil says, "I also believe myself to be predisposed to... tranquility."

"Is that what you'd call it?"

"It seems more descriptive than 'something really wrong,' don't you think?" Basil says, looking at me meaningfully.

I grumble, conceding the point.

Basil is silent for a few seconds before he adds, "I have not found myself capable of the, ah, attachments that others form. Nor any kind of powerful emotion like love or hate."

Even having known Basil for over a decade, there are times that he makes my skin crawl. It's some kind of visceral physical reaction -- quite separate from the attraction I've felt towards him, though both are primal instincts I cannot control.

As I look at him now, I shiver. Something about the emptiness in his expression as he says it unnerves me, the unnatural sharpness of his elven features. It sets my teeth on edge, though I have trusted him unquestionably since the day he disobeyed Hieram's orders and saved my life.

"Well, maybe you're better off that way," I say, weakly, not really believing it. "It's a lot less messy, huh?"

"I suppose. I don't have much to compare it to, aside from observing people for whom the opposite is true." Basil fixes his gaze on me, and I breathe in suddenly against the sensation -- like being impaled, a butterfly pinned to felt inside a collector's case. "People like you."

"Yeah..." I hold up one hand and murmur a word, setting my fingers alight with smoky purple flame. "I know my magic is a gift from Our Lady, but sometimes I almost think..."

Basil doesn't roll his eyes, but it's a near thing. His tiny blasphemy gives me the courage to continue.

"It feels like it comes from inside me," I say. "From my emotions. The angrier I am, the more powerful my spells get."

"Couldn't your Lady have given you magic that works in that way?"

It does not escape my notice that he refers to the Starshadow as my goddess and not the both of ours. All these years in the monastery, and he still clings to his impiety with the stubborn force of a mollusk.

I close my hand around the purple fire, which smolders out. "Yes," I say firmly. "I guess that's a better way to think about it."

"Glad I could help," Basil says, tone as dry as drought.

"What I'm saying is that for me, being emotional makes me better at what I do. Do you think the reverse is true for you?"

"It's possible." Basil blinks a few times. "I suspect the acolytes at the monastery would prefer a bit more rabid devotion and fewer level-headed decisions, but in the Spire? A Lieutenant who prioritized the organization over any personal influences was desirable."

I genuinely have to sit with those sentences for a moment, sifting through the ridiculously long words to get to the meat of what he's saying. Sometimes listening to Basil talk gives me a headache.

"So you were good at your job in the Spire, then?" I ask, hoping to entice him into dropping more details about his past.

Basil sets his bowl down and folds his hands neatly in his lap. "I would like to think so," he says. "Many of my superiors have also seemed to believe as much, over the years -- though unfortunately not all of them."

"Mmm. Where does Hieram fall on that list?"

"Above Adrian Crowstar," Basil says instantly. "For giving me a chance to work in the field instead of saddling me with babysitting duty."

I gape. "They let you near actual children?"

"Sixteen years old," Basil says with a huff. "Not a thought in that empty head of hers."

"Oh." I'm a little disappointed, actually. I say, "I was kinda hoping you meant like, a toddler. Because that would have been hilarious."

"I would have left much sooner, had that been the case." Basil's face has clouded over, stormy and disdainful. "It was out of respect for the others in the Order that I stayed as long as I did."

"And some of those..." I hold up my two hands and weigh them like balancing scales. "Better or worse than Hieram?"

Basil tucks his displeasure into the corner of his mouth as he considers.

"I won't tell anyone," I say hastily, realizing he might be worried about bad-mouthing his current boss.

"I have few objections to Hieram," he says after a moment. "It's simply that Magister Uthgart was... well, he understood my abilities on a level that few have, before or since."

"You liked him." I point triumphantly. "Admit it."

He glances at me, irritated. "As I have just finished telling you," he says, "I do not form attachments the way the rest of you do."

"Yeah, yeah." I wave my hand. "Whatever. You tolerated him."

"I tolerate many people."

"You..." I screw up my face as I search for the right word. "You wanted to hang out with him?"

"I do not ‘hang out’ with anyone." Basil glares. "Not even you."

I pitch my voice up and affect a godawful posh accent. "You preferred his company over the unwashed masses."

Basil flicks a pebble at me. He has annoyingly excellent aim, so it bounces off my forehead and lands in my gruel. I grimace and fish it out, growling a little.

"Okay." I say, relenting. "You worked well with him. I get it."

"I don't know that you do," Basil says.

I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts me off.

"I'm not saying you've never cooperated with anyone." His smile is thin and bright, like light off a knife's edge. Just a flash, and then gone. "Though I'm tempted to imply as much."

Glaring, I hold onto my snarl because I want to hear where he's going with this.

"But you... the best you get is agreeing with someone. I don't think you know what it is to..." Basil pauses, searching for words. "To fit together as a larger part of something."

My hand goes to my amulet, curling around the cool enamel of the disk.

Basil doesn't miss the gesture. "I'm not talking about religion. Or perhaps I am, but the mundane aspect to it. The organization."

I think about this. Then I say, "What?"

"Chath," Basil says, pronouncing my chosen name with enough delicacy and care to make me shiver, "do you know what it's like to be one stone in the foundation?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

There is a set to Basil's face that I haven't seen yet in this conversation, a glow beneath his skin's usual pallor. He says, "Like a stream joining a river. All flowing in the same direction, gaining force with every mile traveled."

I look at him. "Where are you going with this?"

He holds his hands parallel to each other, then rotates them a quarter turn and brings them down again, like he's outlining the sides of a small box. "There's a satisfaction to be found in order."

"Like, following orders?"

"That as well. But I meant clean lines and neat edges. A well-crafted object. Fulfilling one's function."

"I feel like my purpose is to follow the Starshadow," I say, stumbling over my words a little. "Are you talking about something like that?"

"No." Basil inhales through his nose in the way he does when someone is trying his patience. "There are many people involved in it, and your own purpose is... not as important. Submerged. Included, but not given particular emphasis."

I frown, frustration licking up around the bottom of my ribcage like a dozen hungry tongues of flame. The thing is -- I can almost figure out what he's getting at. Not because of anything I've experienced, but because I've seen how happy it makes him to be given an assignment, and then carry it out. It's the closest he gets to real joy, the only times I see him make true, lasting facial expressions. Most of the time, Basil reminds me of a wax figure -- animated by magic to move and bend, but lacking some essential component of life. I look at him, and I wonder what's missing. Maybe that's why I asked. I thought he might know the answer, after a century and a half inside his own head.

"And that's a good thing?" I say doubtfully, picking up the thread of the conversation from where I dropped it a few moments ago. "That doesn't sound very appealing."

"Not to you," Basil says with subtle emphasis. "Because you and I are very, very different."

"Hmm. I won't argue with that. But what does that have to do with the feelings thing you were saying earlier?"

Basil stares into the fire, so I do too. I look at it and I see life -- an animal that cannot be tamed, and yet one I love with my whole wild heart. To him, it's probably just a campfire.

Basil says, "I liked what I was doing in the Spire when I was working for Magister Uthgart. Because it felt like that. I don't think any kind of personal feeling for him entered into it."

"I don't really understand the line you're drawing there, honestly." I shake my head. "It sounds the same to me."

"One more comparison," Basil says, mouth firming into a flat line. "Before I give up my attempts to communicate entirely."

"Hit me," I say. "Not literally."

"A piece of woven fabric," Basil murmurs, unwinding the cloth strip that binds his left hand. He tugs at the end, pulling it loose from between his knuckles. "The threads in it are small, but pulling one loose can affect the integrity of the whole garment."

I stare at him helplessly. "You want to be important."

Basil says nothing to that, but I can see his jaw clench.

"I give up," I say, holding my hands up in surrender. "Sorry, little man. You lost me."

"Call me that again," Basil says pleasantly, "and I will snap your neck."

I believe him. But I do light up my fingers again in purple flame, and grin back. "You can try, Basil. You can damn well try."