#kae’s like ‘I will take what i can get and then attempt to sneak a lil more’

[mommalosthermind]

hello?????

pls give the name for the kaeluc fic you're posting, i have not read a good kaeluc fic in Ages and the snip i just saw was so gooooood-

‘Forgiveness on your lips, heart on my fingertips’!

Full confession, that snippet is from the final chapter and I’m hoping to get it slapped up today or tomorrow, so what’s up is nearly 40k of Diluc monologuing about how he’s not allowed things like love while being confused at how no one agrees with him. Also ballroom dancing. So much dancing. I don’t know shit about dancing, why did I do this. No worries if it’s not to your taste. 😉

Fancy Official Summary:

As strings blend into woodwinds, Kaeya’s elegant bow is met with a regal incline of her head. Their hands settle into place with the gentility drilled into them as children.

That façade shatters a split-second before their cue when Kaeya’s most devilish smirk flares. He sweeps Jean through the first rotation with as much overblown flair as he can muster. Jean’s laughter bubbles around them.

Pinned behind the bar, Diluc can do nothing but watch.

———

Diluc’s prepared to spend the rest of his life ignoring the gaping hole he’s carved into his chest and his life. But as the night wears on, it grows harder and harder to remember why he keeps himself so aloof from those who matter most.

How My Brain Thinks Of This Fic : In which half of mond decides to dance Diluc out of his sad-stoic-martyr-routine and somehow it kind of works? Also: Diluc over-commits in all things.

[grapecaseschoices]

okay @plasticdodecagon

answering; what does their tent area look like? where do they prefer to pitch their tent (next to water, covered on three sides, etc)? [from this ask]

this is subject to CHANGE BUUUT

Amryl:

The material is very nice, something expensive and sturdy. It is probably black and purple, with lightly threaded simple designs done with golden thread. or better yet maybe something silver, simple stars but like in lines. Something like the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th here.

I think it is large to account for the fact that it has wings! But I think also because they have a quite a few instruments too. I feel it has a number of books with sheet music, plays, etc -- both to read for enjoyment and to preform~ [they're an entertainer bg!] Probably more for the latter, lol.

I'm picturing something wide but something with pointy tips. Maybe something like this? But smaller. But the inside is probably similar re-the bedding lmao. They were a merchant's child, their parents had money! Even though they've been roughing it they're used to some luxury I am thinking. And they are pretty enough, charming [a good actor, a good liar] enough to get as the desire.

I guess their tent structure would be like Wyll's, but bigger. [Dang rich kids lmao]

I think the spot that takes the most place in their tent/in front of their tent is a prayer area. Bahamut is more of an 'act to show service than prostrate to give service' sorta god, but Amryl is very devoted and feels indebted to him. So it tries to do botth.

I think they prefer to be by trees AND water if they can help it, consider it the ranger in them [and the fact that it's nice to be able to be near/cross running water now lmao.] I think their tent faces the sunrise. But I feel they're very far out; like the way shadowheart and lae'zel are often seeming to have their tents in some secluded corner? Amryl is worse.

Maybe something on a level slightly higher than everyone else's? lmao.

They're probably make sure the magic storage box isn't too far from them. Not too close so camp can be a nuisance, but close enough so they can get to their fifty billion different armor.

It's tent is a good attempt at neatness. LOL. It mostly succeeds.

Isyl:

If Isyl could have an open floor plan, with windows they would. But they know something like this might seem creepy lmao, to others. [Obviously not plastic] You find out you're traveling with the child of Bhaal and you wake up find them unblinkingly staring at you via the tent window, lol.

But I think Isyl likes being able to see people coming/going, xe also like having Lathander's light seep through.

So I feel I think Isyl'd have a mix of Shadowheart and Astarion's tent. I think Isyl would like the color a lot of Astarion's a lot, earthy colors are a set of colors that xe likes. But I don't think it'd have stripes or designs -- or if it did have designs it would be Lathander's up top, large for all to see lmao. But like Shadowheart's it'd have those window openings at the side, though I feel the front of Isyl's would be more open.

Isyl would also have a prayer area.

I don't think it matters TOO MUCH what they're around, but I think they'd like to have their back to some sorta hill/mountain/rock formation that isn't easy to climb. Or they will have a window opening up top, because you gotta see when bitches bout to sneak attack.

The practice dummy is probably near their tent.

And flowers. They probably like camping near meadows best.

Kaeliana:

I'm not sure what shape Kae's tent would be, or what color, but I think it's very nice. Likely nicer than Amryl's [my liars are so fancy lmao]. I feel it's probably like an earthy or dark purple or red color with like leaf -- what are they called: brocade? fabric. probably in ... maybe not gold, but bronze or copper colored?

Kae is a wood elf, lmao.

Though I think she's probably parked not too far from the direction facing the nearest road, but she'll probably prioritize setting tent next to Wyll. LMAO.

I think actually, I feel like her tent isn't -- at center but close enough to it. But that wasn't purposeful lmao.

She has a big strange crate/box/wte for her armor too; but unlike Amryl her shit is in her tent.

Kendis:

Kendis' tent is near whatever major formation of nature they can find, but also close to wherever scratch and the cub sleep. Because they're a basic ass druid like that.

If Kendis could get away with it they'd just park their tent in the forest but these bitches keep following her and calling them their 'leader', ugh.

Responsibility!

Kendis like Kae likes to have their tent set so they have an eye on everyone, but unlike Kae it is on purpose lmao.

I think Kendis' tent color is definitely red, lmao.

But it's designed a bit like the druid's intro uniform. I think it has little leaves intertwined in the flap, maybe fallen antlers they found attached somewhere, IDK I'm tired. It's like though if some stranger was passing by and saw the tent and Kendis came out, they'd be lik eyeah. That tracks. Of course a half-orc Druid lives there. It looks "rough" in that it's very naturey.

But it's actually neat and often dead leaves are replaced, etch.

[kyriolex]

Kawaki Academy Arc: The Tea Party

Episode 2 of the arc was exactly the sort of mindless fluff you would expect from a tea party episode.

So Himawari knows there's a secret mission and is gunning hard for that sidekick position. But Kawaki tells her to get her own mission and buzz off.

The female bully, Osuka, brags about how her fancy lunch is SO MUCH BETTER than the princess's dainty bento. Osuka then yells at her minion for getting her the wrong kind of tea.

The girl minion's name is Neon, a name that should have gone to a much cooler character. Neon's parents also work for the Kaminarimon company, so she's basically a female Denki.

Princess Kae sneaks off to the roof again to hork down a hoagie. Kawaki points out that maybe she has an unhealthy relationships with food, but Kae insists that as princess, she can't be seen eating anything that comes in a plastic wrapper. Her reputation would be utterly destroyed.

Kae then informs him that she's going to make friends by inviting everyone over for a tea party. Osuka was also planning a party that weekend, so she's furious when Kae beats her to the punch.

We see Kae painstakingly preparing a cake while talking to her dead mother's photograph. Her mother also threw tea parties, and Kae's party is going to be the closure she needs for her unresolved grief. Because of course it can't JUST be a tea party - it has to be therapy too.

Himawari and Kawaki go through a quick "I'll make a gentleman out of you" session, and then it's time for the party. Kawaki panics and can't stop talking about taiyaki, which makes everyone realize that even though he looks scary, he's actually a huge softy.

Then the cake comes out. Kawaki smells something off with the cake and immediately concludes it is poisoned. Instead of saying "hey, something's wrong with this cake," he scrambles across the tables like a feral cat and bats the cake out of Princess Kae's hands.

Everyone rightfully asks him what the hell he's doing, but Kawaki doesn't want to scare everyone by saying it was an assassination attempt, so he runs away with zero explanation. Himawari follows him, and after hearing his side of the story, helps him investigate.

They realize the weird-smelling yellow stuff in the cake isn't poison - it's spicy mustard. How the hell the mustard got INSIDE the cake after it was iced is anyone's guess. The two detectives immediately decide Osuka is behind the prank, because let's face it:

No one who laughs like this can be innocent. Osuka is having the time of her life, scolding Kae for failing at the tea party and declaring this an international incident. Neon looks suspiciously guilty and slips off.

She confesses to Kawaki that she and Osuka "poisoned" the cake. Apparently she used a drone to slip in through a window with a bottle of mustard. I'm still not sure how the drone injected the mustard into the cake without disturbing the icing. That's bothering me a lot.

Kawaki and Himawari reveal the crime to everyone in the party. Kae yells at Osuka, not for ruining her party, but for being a bad friend to Neon. Somehow Neon gets off scott-free because everyone knows she's a wimp who can't stand up for herself.

Osuka cries, and Kae realizes she has broken Princess Code by showing negative emotion. But the other students all praise her, saying she's much more likable when she has flaws.

Yes, really. None of these children has a social filter. Not a single one. But the tea party resumes, with the kids chilling on the lawn eating, you guessed it, taiyaki. Osuka cries bitterly and crams her face full of snacks, vowing revenge.

Ongoing mysteries

I keep hearing the Inuzuka child is actually a girl? I can't tell if Mimi is their name or the dog's name.

Still no clue whether the kid in the aviator helmet is an Aburame or just weird. They're definitely a sassy one though.

Do the twins speak in unison because of a special jutsu, or are the writers just being lazy?

Will Eiki ever take a damn chill pill?

[cuttingthe-painter]

Could you do something with like a merman? Im thinking reader is on the beach and sees a guy in the water but doesn't realize hes a merman at first. Props if u can find a way for them to actually be together but if not thats cool, I love a good impossible romance

Hey anon, thanks for the request! I loved writing this. I have never tried writing something with merfolk so I hope I was able to do this justice. Sorry it took a few days. I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to send more if you wish! 

merman x female reader

The warm sun heats your skin as you lay on the dock dangling one arm over the side and gliding your fingers through the chilled ocean water. You close your eyes, enjoying the sun’s hug, and listen to the wave’s music around you. This peace is a welcome feeling, a reminder that there is more to life than work and that maybe you should have used your vacation time more.    

It’s been years since you’ve traveled to the coast. Life caught up with you and you found yourself pouring every waking moment into work and relationships. And for what? For you to be passed up for yet another promotion? For your boyfriend to sneak around behind your back with his coworker? Work and relationships are overrated. All you need is the warm sun to kiss your skin and the cool water under your fingertips. 

You’re so caught up in your thoughts that when the bracelet you’re wearing slips over your slack hand, you’re too late to notice. You shoot up, looking over the edge of the dock, and watch as your silver bracelet sinks down into the water. Thirty seconds barely pass before it’s completely out of sight.

“Fuck,” you hiss, pressing your palm against your forehead. Normally, you wouldn’t care if your bracelet had fallen into the water, but you had been careless and attached your cabin key to it. The cabin owner had one request when you checked in, and it was to not lose the key. Your shorts and t-shirt have no pockets, so you thought you were smart this morning when you hooked the key onto your bracelet. Apparently not. 

You stand and start pacing on the dock. No key means no access to the cabin. No access to the cabin means you can’t get your phone or car keys. No phone means you can’t call the cabin owner. No car keys means you are stuck here until someone else shows up. You’re settling in for the panic attack of a lifetime when you hear it. A soft, metallic tink behind you. Turning slowly, you feel your jaw drop when you see your bracelet and key sitting on the edge of the dock. What. The. Fuck.

It’s still wet when you pick it up, proof that it had, in fact, fallen into the ocean. And now here it was, back in your hands once again. You hook it back onto your wrist and slowly look over the edge of the dock. Uncertainty twists at your stomach, reminding you that this is not normal and anything could be in that water looking back at you. But nothing is there. You stare down into the deep, blue abyss and let out a shaky breath before looking back up and scanning the horizon to look for something, anything, that could explain what just happened.

Out past the dock, you see a figure moving towards a cluster of rocks. A figure that is undeniable male. You squint, attempting to see the man more clearly, but the setting sun glares off the ocean, making you close your eyes. You rub at your eyes, wiping away the tears the sun caused, and look back out towards the rocks only to find...nothing there. No one was swimming towards the rocks or even on them. There's just nothing there besides waves and sea-foam licking at the base of the rocks. 

“The heat must be messing with my head,” you mumble, turning to head back towards your cabin. You’ve been out on the dock since before lunch and you need food and some sleep. Inside the cabin, you eat some reheated pasta from the night before and head to bed. 

The next morning, chilly air bites at your skin through your chunky sweater on your walk to the dock. Today, you’ve set out on a mission to figure out what had brought you back your bracelet. Your grandmother always told you stories of the ‘people in the water’ when you were a kid, but you thought they were nothing more than tales. 

The bag of rocks thuds heavily onto the dock when you set it down. You lay on your stomach, recreating the position you had been in yesterday, and grab a rock from the bag. When your fingers touch the water, you let the rock fall from your hand, and quickly stand up. Just like you had yesterday, you turn around and begin to pace. Moments later, the tell-tale clunk of rock on wood sounds and you turn around, seeing a dark grey rock sitting right where you had been laying. 

You walk over and run your fingers over the wet stone before moving it aside and grabbing a new stone. You repeat the motions over and over, each time finding a wet stone where you had been laying. Sitting at the edge of the dock, you pull out another stone and drop it in, this time never looking away from the stone in the water. It falls, sinking deeper and deeper into the oceans depths. The stone’s ripples fade away and you find yourself staring into your own eyes. 

You hold your breath, anxiously awaiting for the return of the rock, when suddenly your face is no longer staring back at you. You gasp slightly, taking in the inky black eyes staring up at you, but you’re frozen in place. A smile stretches across the face of the man and you feel your heart race as you take in the razor sharp teeth. You shoot up, scurrying back on the dock. A sickening weight settles in your stomach when you see the man’s arms brace themselves on the edge of the dock and he lifts out of the water. 

White hair sticks to his grey face and those dark eyes stay fixed on you, watching you pant in the middle of the dock. He reaches towards you and you squeak, fearing he’ll come closer. Instead, he opens his fist and lets a rock clatter down onto the dock. Your eyes fall down to the stone and your mind is reeling. You had hoped for this, so why are you so scared? What other explanation could there have been for the rocks reappearing so quickly? You look back up to the man, letting your eyes roam his figure. His skin was ashen, with occasional splotches of gold. You take in the gills on his neck, the black fins on each shoulder that trail down his back, his defined chest and strong arms. Strong arms adorned with black fins at each elbow and webbed hands tipped with claws,

“Kaerius,” he says, voice low and raspy. He’s smiling as he watches you observe him. He looks relaxed, despite him holding his entire body up on the dock with just his forearms.

“W-what?” you stutter back, not registering the words he spoke. He shakes his head and laughs, letting his body sink down into the water a bit. 

“My name is Kaerius,” he responds, looking at you expectantly. You stare at him in shock before you realize he’s expecting you to give him your name. You do, and he smiles in response. “A very pretty name.” You feel your cheeks flush from the compliment.

“I’ve never heard a name like yours,” you say, allowing yourself to move closer.

“Do you meet very many people like me?” he teases, tilting his head. You let out a breathy laugh and feel your body relax at his casual demeanor.

“I don’t,” you admit, “you’re definitely the first.” Kaerius drops into the water then and, before you realize what you’re doing, you hurry forward to chase him. Your face meets his smiling one when you lean over the edge of the dock.

“Why do you lose so many things in the water?” he asks curiously. You smile at him and laugh when you think of how many rocks you threw in today.

“This one,” you say, motioning to your bracelet, “fell in by accident. But after you returned it, I was curious, so I dropped in rocks to see who was bringing my things back. Do you always bring people's lost items back for them?” He smiles and shakes his head, his wide smile turning shy.

“Most humans do not catch my interest like you have,” he admits, his ashen cheeks turning a light purple. You feel your cheeks mirror his flush. You find yourself crossing your arms on the dock and resting your chin, settling in to sit and talk with Kaerius. He tells you of his home, Natapis, and his family and friends. When you finally look away from him, you notice the cotton candy sky overhead and realize your stomach aches with hunger.

“Kaerius, I have to go,” you groan, letting your forehead hit your arms. His eyes are sad when you look back to him and you want nothing more than to see him smiling again. You reach out and press a hand to his cool cheek. “I’m just hungry, Kae, and I have to sleep. I’ll be back in the morning.” A smile returns to his face in an instant and you feel your heart soar.

“Then I will also be back in the morning!” he declares. He pulls your hand from his face and places a gentle kiss onto it, waking the butterflies in your stomach. He smiles up at you once more before swimming off and you feel lost, wishing you both could stay here and talk forever.

You wake later than you mean to the next morning; your stomach falls when you roll over and read 12:00 pm on the alarm clock. You throw the blankets off of yourself and hurry to get ready, throwing your hair into a quick ponytail and pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt over your swimsuit. After brushing your teeth, you throw some food in a drawstring bag and rush towards the dock.  

A black and gold tail breeches the water out by the rocks when you’re walking up the dock. Moments later, Kaerius’ head pops up by the docks edge. He smiles and waves a clawed hand at you and you return the gesture. 

“I thought you would never come,” he teases when you’re within earshot.

“I’m sorry, I overslept,” you admit, sitting at the edge of the dock. 

“No worries, my dear. I was wondering…” Kaerius trails off, looking unsure of himself. You offer a reassuring smile to him, encouraging him to finish his thought. He takes a slow breath and continues, “I was wondering if you would join me on the rocks today. It would be much easier to talk if we’re both on the same level. People can see me on the dock, but not out there at the rocks.” 

“I can’t swim that far,” you say, furrowing your brow at the offer. “I mean, I would love to, but I don’t think I can make it!” His face lights up again and he reaches for your hands.

“I will take us,” he laughs, pulling you towards the edge of the dock. You pull back, but he’s stronger than you and you can feel yourself sliding closer and closer to the water.

“Kae! Kae, wait!” He pauses, noticing your panic and drops you hands. "Let me take my clothes off so they don't get wet." Kaerius nods, watching as you pull your t-shirt over your head and stuff it into your bag. When you’re unbuttoning your shorts, you notice his eyes locked onto your fingers. When you pull the zipper down, he swallows and looks away. You tuck the shorts into the bag and pull it closed. You lift the bag up and motion to it before asking, “Is this going to get wet?”

He doesn’t answer when he looks back at you; his eyes land on your swim top and roam over the rest of your body. You clear your throat and hide your smile when he jumps and looks back up to your eyes.

“Is this going to get wet?” 

“Put it on your back and we will keep it dry,” he answered, patting the dock for you to sit. You follow his motion and sit on the dock, letting your legs dangle into the cold water. The shock of the temperature sends chills up your body and Kaerius rubs his fingers over the goosebumps, inspecting them. Though cold, his touch feels electric on your skin. Watching his fingers circle on your thigh has you wriggling under his fingers as warmth builds in your stomach.

“We should go, then,” you breathe, voice low and wanting. He looks up to you, smirking when he realizes what his touch has done. He turns his back to you and looks over his shoulder, a signal for you to get on his back. You shimmy off the dock, catching your arms around his neck before your torso falls underwater. And then he’s swimming. He’s fast, but careful to not overwhelm you or take you under. You close your eyes, savoring the feel of the salty wind whipping past your face before he slows. 

Kaerius lifts you onto the sunbaked rocks and lifts himself up behind you. You take in his full form when he’s laying beside you, admiring the beauty of his tale. The scales are dark obsidian mixed with spots of gold. You’ve never seen anything so breathtaking in your life. You reach out, but stop just short of touching his tail. You look up to him and, when he nods an okay, you run your fingers along his tail. A soft sigh escapes his lips when your fingers move along his scales, drawing your attention to his face. You watch as his eyes flutter closed and another sigh leaves him when your fingers move towards his torso. 

Before your fingers can move any higher, Kaerius grabs your hand and pulls it away from him. His cheeks are that light shade of purple again and his eyes look impossibly darker.

“Tell me why you are here,” he urges. “I have been coming here for years and had not seen you once before you arrived last week.” You close your eyes and groan, remembering the lead up to your spur of the moment vacation.

“It’s a long story,” you groan, letting yourself lie back on the rocks.

“We have a long day,” he retorted, rolling to face you. The smile on his face is genuine and caring and makes your heart ache.

“This is the first trip I’ve really taken for myself in years,” you admit, closing your eyes and thinking of Stew. “I was with someone for years who only wanted to go on vacation if it meant there would be partying. On top of that, I’ve spent every free moment in my life trying to work my way up in a job that refuses to promote me.” Kaerius makes a noise of understanding beside you and rests a hand on yours.

“You have a mate, then?” Kaerius asks in a dejected tone. Your eyes shoot open and find his.

“I don’t.” You can feel desperation in your voice when you say it, needing him to know, for some reason, that you are single. “We broke up a few weeks ago when I found out he was seeing another woman.” Anger clouds Kaerius’ face at the words, and he bares his teeth.

“Pathetic man,” he growls, before reaching over and pulling you to him. “I am sorry this pitiful man hurt you, my dear.” Kaerius runs a hand over your back, a small gesture that brings tears to your eyes. It’s been ages since someone held you so tenderly, so lovingly. You melt into him, savoring the feel of his cool hands gliding down your spine. 

You look up to him, and see his eyes tracing the lines of your face. You offer a shy smile and move to turn your face away when Kaerius’ other hand reaches up and lightly grabs your chin. He turns your face back towards his and moves in to kiss you. He moves slowly, offering you time to stop him if you want. Your heart beats faster and faster as his face nears and when his nose brushes against yours, he tilts his head and slots your mouths together.

He moves slowly, taking his time and savoring the feel of your lips touching. Then the kiss grows hungrier, his insistent mouth parting your lips and sending heat through your body. He tilts your head back, allowing his languid tongue to explore deeper. You moan into him, fisting your hand into his wet hair. You’re both breathless when he pulls away, panting helplessly as you lay there. 

“I could do that forever,” he whispers, pressing another soft kiss onto your mouth. You moan in agreement as you kiss him back. He pulls away and presses his forehead against yours.

“How long will stay?” he asks.

“I’m supposed to leave in a few days,” you mumble, feeling hot tears prick at your eyes.

“I wish you could stay forever,” Kaerius whispers, gently brushing a wisp of your hair behind your ear. You rest your hand on his, turning and pressing a soft kiss to his palm. You stay like that, willing away the inevitable tears as you breathe in his salty skin. His thumb brushes your cheek, slow caresses wiping away the tears that escape. “Don’t cry, my dear. Please don’t cry.”

“I don’t understand,” you whimper, “I just met you and now I can’t picture life without you.”

“I think you are meant for me,” he murmurs into your ear. “And when you leave, I will watch the shores everyday waiting for your return. I will wait for you.” You tuck your face into his chest, stifling your sobs. You would do anything to stay here with him. Every moment you spend with him, tucked into his arms, he feels more like than home than anything else in your life. 

“I will come back, Kaerius. Before you know it, I’ll be back and then we can have our forever.”

“Kiss me and promise me a forever.” And so you do. 

~

Thanks again for the request!

[rottenwoodandwiltedsunflowers]

Waffle and Kae Joint Recap 8/16

Hello Tumblr! We still exist! Children are hard for free time...amiright? GET READY FOR AN ACTUAL RECAP!

Waffle So we both decided that life was far too hard at the moment and it was time to give our child to the wolves for the weekend and run to NYC. (Not really, we dropped her with Gramma and Grandpa and came to down to see Noirtown) As long as we were sneaking away, why not stop by the McKittrick. We flew in Friday afternoon and had a drink at Gallow Green before heading down to queue up. There was a surprise happy hour in the Manderley so we were let in early which is always a pleasant surprise. We found some friends inside to pass the time with before the first elevator was eventually called. I have to say what an adorable and charming pair Elizabeth and Joseph make in the bar. They have great chemistry and are just a joy to watch.

Once inside, I headed to the ballroom which was in mid-scene. It was actually the only ballroom I would see in my 2 shows. Jenna’s Sexy witch did a great job of sucking me in with her creepy and seductive eye contact. I wasn’t sure where I was going to go but by the end of the ballroom, the glances and smirks had me hooked. I followed her up and got a Banquo couch duet all to myself. Jenna’s dancing is next level! This dance easily ranks in my top McKittrick dances. She quickly and gracefully disappeared behind the couch. The dance is breathtaking when done well and Jenna seemed to float through the air at every lift. When she was coming down from the bookshelf for the final kiss, she planted her foot on the couch in a way that was strong and invoked thoughts of a wild animal pouncing on her prey. She still clearly commanded the scene and Jack’s Banquo looked dopey and fooled until the final kiss.

The crowds have certainly gotten bolder and pushier the last few years. I would wager that some of it is what I refer to as the Shanghai effect. The cultural norms in Shanghai are much different than in New York. Personal space and following distances are much closer and fan culture is much more intense. The crowds certainly seem more aggressive then I remember years ago. Two shorter girls pushed in front of me when we all entered Agnes’ apartment and to be honest, I am years past the stage where I will push back at all or even stand my ground aggressively. The performers recognize people and know who is around most of the time. Sometimes that results in those people getting a 1:1 and sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, I am not in a place where I need a 1:1 to feel good about my show.

Jenna reached between the 2 and grabbed my hand to pull me in. The first half of the 1:1 was great but we hit a snag when we had a set malfunction which resulted in her not being able to open the proper door to exit Agnes’ apartment. It wasn’t for lack of trying! She gave me the jellybean before taking my hand and escorting me out to the entryway and back to High street. We watched Pil’s Fulton through the window for a while before he pulled open the door to the autopsy room. I wish I could have seen his face when there was no sexy witch waiting for him. She waited until he came back into the main office before forcefully pushing the door open and standing menacingly in the doorway. She backed Fulton up into the bookshelf behind his desk and proceeded to harass him. She retrieved what she needed then tossed Fulton onto High Street. Jenna’s bartop solo was also great like literally everything she does. 

I didn’t feel like seeing the banquet so I headed up to 5. I love me a matron. I really love me a matron that is able to surprise me. I was delighted to find Ginger Kearns’ matron. The matron played a fun little game where she brought out a hand mirror and used it to watch me as I watched her. I love new, weird matron shit! I also love watching how people come and go. It’s oddly comforting watching other guests and pattens in the hotel. How there can be a mob of people and when you look up 30 seconds later, you are alone in a forest. 

Tori’s Hecate is a powerhouse. She still unnerves me. She is in control of every moment that happens in the rep bar. She has a signature look she gives Agnes when she comes in looking for help. She smirks, quirks her eyebrow, and leans back in her chair sizing Agnes up. This Hecate is playing the long game and she is having the best time doing it.

I was very disappointed to find there were no red licorice bites in Paisley’s Sweet Shop. I begrudgingly settled for a fruit slice. 

The other standout of the show for me was Doug’s Speakeasy. I like my speakeasy one of two ways...either a total jerk or fun and carefree. I want a puppy who either pisses in your shoe every time you come home 5 minutes late or I want the bestest boy ever! I used to call Nick Dillenburg Toolbox Speakeasy because his speakeasy was like a toolbag except also, the whole damn toolbox. I loved it. Doug’s speakeasy is mischievous and funny and adorable. He is a good boy. A loyal servant and a fun speakeasy. He did the most delightful little dance I have seen in ages during his downtime. I LOVED IT!!! He leaned back over his bar and did a little flip/roll to the other side at the start of it. Utterly charming! He also gets points for his cute little tap like dance on the pool table. 

Once again, I hung back when it was time to do the shot game but he summoned me forward. I love watching the different variations on the game from performer to performer. He started with the 3 shots before laying out the cards face down. He made a show of flipping them until all the red Kings were facing up and only one card closest to us remained hidden. When he flipped it, it was a black King. He shuffled the cards before smirking and crouching down to continue shuffling while making noises consistent to hacking up a lung, presumably on said cards. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the ridiculous/disgusting nature of it. He came up and we all drew cards. The first person revealed a red King. Doug held out the shot and just before the person could reach it, he sent it flying over his shoulder into the wall behind him. The second person revealed a red King. Doug once again held out the shot and as the person reached for it, he slowly poured it out over the edge of the bar (probably on the white masks shoes). I revealed a red King. He held out the glass and as I reached for it, he drank it himself. 

At this point, he pulled out the box with the whiskey shot. He slowly opened the top and took a big sniff of the contents. We were then invited to do the same. Round two. He narrowed it down to 2 red Kings and the black King. He reshuffled, complete with crouching and coughing. We all drew a card and when we turned them over, the man in the middle had won. He took his shot. Doug took a moment to stare at us all before reaching in and pulling out another shot of whiskey. He then reshuffled and dealt again. We turned over our cards a second time and the same white mask had won again. One game, two shots. Poor dude looked a bit ill by the end of it! We shook hands and the story moved on.

I spent a good amount of time in the bar this show because Elizabeth Lindsay is my absolute favorite. I considered going back in for the finale but in the end, decided that I was having far too much fun chatting which is a new thing for me. I wanted to close out my bar tab before the rush anyway because we had tickets to Bartchland Follies after the show. Would recommend! KaeLyn Hello, weirdos. It’s been a minute, both since we’ve been to the Hotel and since we’ve posted anything remotely resembling a recap. In fact, the formulaic recap era of SNM itself may have passed, as it seems fewer and fewer fandom posts about the show itself are being posted to the hashtag. 

Also, I feel compelled to drop an explainer that we have some questions piled up in our inbox and I just want to say that we do see them and appreciate them, even if we don’t reply. Most likely if we haven't replied it’s because someone else either gets to them first (if, as it often seems, anons are sending those same questions to several old SNM tumblrs at once) or we just don’t see them for a long time because we don’t log in as much and it seems silly by the time we read them. Of course, sometimes we’re just not going to answer on principle (spoilers, rude, etc.). We are still here, queer, going to shows every few months when we can ditch our toddler for a weekend. You’re also likely to catch us at Mayfair or Halloween (Inferno VI? lol). Anyway, our flight home is delayed and we thought it’d be fun to attempt recaps while we were waiting. I imagine mine will come first because I have less to report and, well, Waffle’s recaps have always been more detailed than mine! On Friday, we checked into our hotel and set out to get a leisurely dinner at Ovest, always a good start to a long night in the Hotel. We arrived to the McKittrick around 6:00 PM for a quick drink at Gallow Green, then queued up at 6:30 PM, which I thought was aggressively too early for a 7:30 show, but lucky us–there was a happy hour! Apparently, a thing that’s happening on weekdays? So we were among the first to arrive at the bar, where we unexpectedly ran into some friendly faces from the fandom. One had snagged the corner booth already with some friends. The childfree weekend was off to a great start! It was only made better when Elizabeth (Virginia) showed up and surprised Waffle with a shoulder squeeze.

I rarely full loop these days. Especially after I passed the 100 show mark earlier this year, I have a very chill relationship with Sleep No More. I still look forward to each return, but each show is a slower burn for me and you won’t catch me running up and down the stairs. More often than not, I end up in the bar before the finale. It’s like catching up with an old friend. I find out what’s new. I reminisce on some favorite stories. I settle into a familiar pattern.

This particular night, I started at the ballroom because FOMO-motivated habits are hard to break. The night was kind of a greatest hits list, honestly, and I wish I could tell you I spent time with people I hadn’t watched before or picked up some stuff I hadn’t yet seen (like Doug’s speakeasy), but that’s not what happened. I stayed to watch Stephanie C’s bald witch (f*ck yes) and popped up to catch Nate’s boy witch at the phone booths on his way up to the pool table dance. (Maybe it’s my particular age showing, but Nate looks more like a member of a pop punk band that I definitely saw at Warped Tour in the late 90’s than Draco Malfoy to me. Either way, it works!) 

So, I haven’t been lately and I just have to say that the Nick-Jenna-Stephanie witch trio is A+. Best witch coven energy I’ve seen in a while!I caught the first rave, standing near Tori’s Hecate to catch a bit of everyone’s performance (while the crowd was still light enough that I could also see the prophecy even at a distance). I popped up to five for a bit, which was obviously recently cleaned and freshened up. I actually did a full loop ballroom-to-ballroom with Parker’s porter. Then, I came out to the bar for a drink and chatted with folks out there for the duration of the show.

It was a standard McKittrick re-entry show for me, after a few months away, an all-around solid cast and show. We slid out at the end of the night to go up for the Bartschland Follies (which was superb and sexy and silly and so rad and fun and also had far more straight people who looked slightly scandalized front-and-center in the audience than I anticipated).

[dhawkesnest]

Prompt 1: Omen

A prompt from Gathered Fate’s Tumblr prompt list, linked here: https://gatheredfates.tumblr.com/post/617061345483014144/hey-so-i-did-a-thing-from-a-suggestion-given

Prompt #1 OMEN Kaestian had been sleeping deeply, and so he had not been conscious of the movement in his room at first. It was not until the figure was looming over him, and there was the scrape of wood against wood, that his senses dragged him from sleep and warned him he was not alone. Only then was he aware, and he attempted to keep his breathing shallow while he listened and opened his eyes to slits in an attempt to peer into the faintly lit room. The dim flicker of the hearth's light did little to aid in his sight, and the person's features were steeped in shadow with the light of the fireplace behind them. His heart thudding in his chest, he shifted his arm carefully; attempting to appear to move in his sleep by adding a moan, and reached for the sword that he usually kept close to his side hidden under the covers. When he could not feel the cool metal of the blade, the knot in his belly grew. All he had was the element if surprise, if the possible attacker was not aware he was awake. Carefully gripping a fist full of blanket, he waited for a bell or two. He could feel the person there, the presence causing all his hair to stand on end. He could hear the creak of the floorboards under the stranger's feet. Ellemeare will be cross with me for tearing my wounds, but if someone has made it this far into the home, she could be in danger, and I won't have that. In his mind, risking her ire and his injury was less of a threat than her coming to harm. Gritting his teeth against the inevitable pain, Kaestian swung upward with the edge of the blanket, hoping to cover his would-be attacker in it before they could make their move or deign to escape. Using the weight of his body, he and the person went to the floor with a crash, knocking the contents off a nearby nightstands as they went. The person beneath him thrashed wildly and attempted to strike at him with feet and hands from beneath the sheet. Pinning their torso with his forearm across the collar bone, he wrenched the edge of the linen trap back from the attacker's face. Ignoring the burning pain in his back, he raised the free hand, balled into a fist, for a punch. Kaestian stopped his hand at the sight before him. Mumbling words unintelligibly and wriggling to try and gain her freedom was none other than Ellemeare Sergenaux. Her dark hair obstructed her face, but it was her. “Ellemeare?! What in Halone's name are you...” He was going to scold her for sneaking into his room, question her sanity, but his words halted as his fist had done when he noted something shiny clutched in her hand. Grasping her wrist and pinning it, he used his body to hold her down as he pried the item from her clutches. The Elezen woman let out an almost inhuman sound of frustration and kicked wildly, clipping him in the shin. He let out a grunt at the action and gave her his glare, but for the moment he had her held and she would go nowhere, so he turned his attention back to the item he had retrieved. Tightly held in her hands had been the pendant he had asked her to guard. “What did you want with this, Ellemeare? Why did you take this, when you know I would have given it to you freely had you asked??” He looked back to her with accusatory expression, and brushed her disheveled hair from her face to get a clear look at her. “Why would you steal from me?” Closed. Her eyes are closed. Asleep? The man sucked in a breath and shook her gently. “Ellemeare? Ellemeare?!” She looked in his direction but her eyes remained closed. Instead, her mouth opened and she made another guttural sound followed by a series of intelligible words in a language he didn't understand. She began to wriggle beneath him again. Kaestian attempted to shake her by the shoulders, but it did nothing to awaken her. He was growing exhausted already from holding her down and running out of options. The next move he made was out of pure instinct and he regretted it the instant after it occurred. Kaestian reached back and slapped her hard across the face. Instantly, the woman started and her eyes flew open wide. She jerked her head to look up at him in shock and then her expression twisted into a glare. “Kaestian Teaurelin, what in the bloody twelve are you doing on top of me, and slapping me, no less?! Get off me this instant or I shall burn you to a cinder! And look what you've done! You've probably torn your stitches you prig!” The stress of the previous situation, the pain of his injuries, and the relief that it was over washed over him at once, and he burst into laughter that brought tears to his eyes as he slumped off of her and leaned back against the side of the bed. “Sleep walking. Thank Halone.” “What in Menphina's teats are you talking about?!” “You were...” He winced. “...sleep walking.” Kaestian shifted slightly to try and find a more comfortable position, but his back felt like it was on fire, and so there was none. Getting off the floor, she moved to tend to him. “I don't sleep walk.” She muttered incredulously as she shifted him to carefully get a look at his bandages, tsking. “You did tear the damned stitches. My mother is going to kill you, though I have half mind to do it for her.” Though his laughter had died to a chuckle, he couldn't help but be relieved at listening to her swear words and threats. Scandalous as talk like hers might be to high society, it was a part of who she was, and he needed that right now. He shook his head. “You were sleep walking. How else did you get in my room in the dead of night and have no recollection of it whatsoever?” He raised a hand to show her the pendant on its chain, dangling from his fingers. “You were after this.” Ellemeare pulled back with the intention of arguing until she looked around the room, then her eyes widened as he brandished the trinket. The color left her face. “Please tell me you are joking...?” Kae shook his head once more and looked at her apologetically. “Would that I could, milady. Honor does not allow it. I thought you meant me harm when I didn't know who you were, and wrestled you to the ground. When I saw it I took it from you immediately. After what you had told me in the store that day, I thought it better to do that.” The woman before him paled greater still, her hands trembling as she went to work removing the bandage to see the extent of the damage. “You didn't have to slap me.” “It was the only thing that seemed to work. I called your name. I shook you. We were wrestling on the floor with you kicking and punching at me.” He paused and frowned, though not from the pain in his back. Guilt was already settling within him at the action. He didn't make a habit of striking a women, let alone nobility. She was someone he respected, and possibly a friend. “Do forgive me, milady.” She groaned in irritation and gave him the usual glare, glossing over the worry she was obviously fearing. “Drop the formality, Kaestian. Let's get you back into bed, then I need to get mother to tend to this.” Once he was settled back onto the bed, he gave her a meaningful look. “We have to find another place to keep this. It can't stay here anymore, Ellemeare. It can't travel with us if it has any sort of hold over you. You came into my room in your sleep in the dead of night looking for it. This will only get worse.” Kaestian watched as her jaw clenched and released, and then as she went to chewing on the inside of her cheek, a gesture he was used to. She was thinking. Part of him wondered if she would argue with him, all of him hoped she wouldn't. “You're right. There may be another way. Mother and Father have been working with a company that may have technology that can help. I'll speak to them about it as soon as possible.” The man let go of a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. At least when she was awake, she still had control of herself. He worried if that ever came to not be the case. Though he knew not where her powers came from, he'd seen a taste of them before. If that power was out of her control. Kaestian's hand clenched around the trinket in a fist hard enough that the item left indentations in his skin. If he could have, he would have crushed the item then and there. The idea that it was risking her life far outweighed any of what trouble it had caused him. Catching his thoughts going in a direction that wouldn't be safe, he shook them free. She belongs to another, and we are colleagues. Keep this professional. Do what you are meant to do, then move on with your life. A housemaid does not want you, what makes you think a noblewoman would? Kaestian clenched his jaw, the pain of that acknowledgment worse than that of his wounds. “Did I hurt you?” Elle asked, withdrawing her hand that had been carefully prodding at his injuries. Kaestian shook her head. “Don't worry over it, mi... Ellemeare. I'm fine.”

[spyroid101]

Mask and Shield

In celebration of Sloane Kelly Appreciation Week, have a little Sloane X Kaetus hurt/comfort drabble~

((Nexus Uprising spoilers))

'You're going to die.'

Red...

Smoke...

Fire...

'You're going to die.'

Pain...

Fear...

Anguish...

'You're. Going. To. Die.'

Screaming.

Gunshots.

Blood.

'YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!!!'

Sloane couldn't speak.

She couldn't think.

She could hardly even BREATHE, smoke filling her lungs.

They only had small ground teams, and the pirates were ruthless.

Bullets continued to spray, and the people’s panic only grew.

Those who could fight were fighting with every fiber of their being to protect the ones who couldn’t.

The weak.

The injured.

The young.

These slavers would either kill these people without mercy, or drag them off to an even worse fate.

And so, Sloane had to keep going.

No matter how many more kept coming.

Click.

Boom.

A batarian drops dead, only to soon be replaced by another.

And another.

‘Just one more...’ Sloane urged herself. ‘Just once more, and this will all be over. They’ll be safe...’

...And another...

...And another...

...And. Another.

Click. Boom.

With each pull of the trigger, the louder and louder the screaming around her became.

More frightened-

Click. Boom. More desperate-

Click.

Boom.

Pleading-

CLICK. BOOM. PLEADING FOR HER HELP!

The screaming was now DEAFENING in it’s volume, constantly ringing in her ears as more and more voices were added to the chorus.

‘They lied to us!’ A battered and bruised truian woman cried.

‘How could they do this to us?!’ A human man wept over the bloody remains of his husband.

‘Don’t let them do this!’ An asari pleaded, holding onto the limp, torn body of a salarian.

Suddenly, a deep, bloody roar cut through all their pleas.

And just like that, Sloane was no longer facing down Batarians.

But huge, bloodthirsty krogan.

...She wasn’t on Elysium anymore...

She was on the Nexus.

Sloane’s entire vision was filled with red as the krogan clawed through the resistance as if they were made of nothing but wet paper.

Teeth tore off limbs.

Claws spilled open entrails.

They were helpless.

‘SLOANE!!’

She had to do SOMETHING!

Ignoring her pain and exhaustion, she charged at the krogan, a knife drawn as she plunged it into the brute’s eye.

In retaliation, it swung it’s claws at her face in full force, sending her FLYING into the wall, and crashing to the ground.

The krogan’s blow had split her face open from her nose to her chin, and any attempts to breathe were just rewarded with a throat full of blood.

From the corner of her blurred vision, she saw a turian stand next to her. He was... trying to say something, but Sloane couldn’t hear him...

"...Calix...?" She whispered through the little air she could take.

The turian spoke again.

Though Sloane still couldn’t quite catch what he was saying, she did notice one thing...

That wasn’t Calix’s voice...

It was-

In that moment, Sloane saw the light of a sniper’s laser bead on the turian’s head.

Her stomach churned.

No.

Not again.

Not HIM!

No, no, no, no, no, no, no-

Click.

No...

BOOM.

“NO!!!”

"Sloane?!” Kaetus gasped.

He was just on his way to get armed up and start his rounds, when he’d decided to go ahead and drop off his report on their efforts to push back the Collective to Sloane.

What he found, was Sloane crumpled up on the floor next to her bed, tangled in her blanket, whimpering and thrashing.

Kaetus’ first instinct was to run over and see if she was hurt.

What if one of those Collective bastards managed to break into her room and land a sneak attack on her, or maybe poisoned her, or maybe-?!

“...Calix...?” He heard her whisper.

It was then when Kaetus caught sight of her eyes.

Though they were pointed in his direction, he could see that Sloane wasn’t looking at him, but rather staring a thousand miles through him.

Kaetus’ panic melted away into sympathy.

Now he knew what was going on...

“Shit... Sloane? Sloane, hey, can you hear me...?” Kaetus asked, trying to keep his voice as soft as possible as he knelt down next to her.

Sloane didn’t respond to him. She just continued to mutter incoherently, until suddenly, she let out a loud SCREAM.

“Sloane?! Hey, look at me.” Kaetus tried again.

He had to resist all temptations to grab her by the shoulders, it’d most likely only make the situation worse.

“C... Can’t... Ca... Bre... ” She gasped, starting to hyperventilate. “Off!”

“’Off’?” He repeated. “Sloane, talk to me. What do you need me to do?”

“IT! Breathe-! Can’t-! FUCK!” Sloane shouted. “OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!!!”

Her volume was rising with each and every word she managed to push out. If it weren’t for the fact that her room was built to be nearly sound-proof, Kaetus  would have no doubt that over half of Kadara would have heard her screaming and yelling. Trying to keep himself from making too many sudden movements, he carefully grabbed the edge of the blanket covering her, and pulled it off, depositing it in a pile off to the side.

“It’s off, Sloane.” Kaetus said gently. “Just... Just breathe. You can breathe...”

Sloane gave a few more weak thrashes, before just letting herself go limp on the cold, metal floor, clenching her eyes shut, as her only movements now were her heaving breaths.

“Good, good. Maybe little slower?” He suggested. “...Please?”

She didn’t verbally respond, but after a few seconds, she managed to shift from hyperventilating, to a series of slow, deep breaths.

“Theeeere we go.” Kaetus sighed. “It’s okay. Just keep breathing...”

“Kae... Kaetus...?” Sloane murmured, finally cracking open her eyes. Her voice was hoarse from all her previous screaming and yelling.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Kaetus’ mandibles twitched in a grin. “Just me. Just us.”

After a second of silence, Sloane slowly shifted, getting into a sitting position.

“Hey, take it easy-” “Kaetus...” She repeated, reaching out her hands.

A command, not a question.

A command Kaetus was sadly familiar with.

Slowly, he lowered his head, allowing Sloane to grab a hold of it.

Tightly.

Her hands roamed the sides and back of his head.

Searching for gunshot wounds.

Even upon finding none, Sloane still pulled his head to her chest, holding it as tight as she could.

As if his head would split apart if she let go.

This position wasn’t comfortable for Kaetus by any stretch of the imagination. Her nails were pin-pricking the scales on his neck, and his back and knees were already starting to ache...

But he didn’t rush her.

He knew she needed this.

“I’m right here, Sloane...” He said softly.

“Yeah...” She murmured, loosening her grip.

“Do you know where we are?”

“Kadara...” She hissed. The word leaving her mouth as if she were spitting out acid. “Fuck.”

She finally let go of his head, letting her arms drop back down to her sides as she leaned her head back against the bed.

“Sloane, it’s-”

“Help me up...”

That was probably supposed to come off as an unquestionable demand, but the tone of her voice just sounded... tired...

Kaetus felt an ache in his chest.

He wanted oh, so badly to just tell her that everything was okay, that there was no shame in having these flashbacks...

But he knew she wouldn’t believe him. As far as she was concerned, it was a weakness.

A weakness the leader of Kadara could not afford to let her followers catch wind of.

All of this wasn’t helped when the Nexus apparently sent this supposed “Pathfinder” kid to come and “Play nice” with them.

And, by “Play nice”, they clearly meant “having the kid rip Kaetus’ fucking gun right out of his own damn hands and threaten him with it right in front of Sloane.”

Fuck Tann.

Fuck the Initiative.

Fuck the Nexus.

Even in the far reaches of exile, Sloane couldn’t escape them trying to tear everything she’d worked for apart.

She deserved so much better than this...

When Sloane outstretched her hand, Kaetus gently took it in his own. Slow, steady, no sudden movements. Only when he felt her squeeze his hand, did he start to ease themselves up.

His leg joints were crying out in joy over FINALLY being out of that uncomfortable squatting position, but Kaetus’ mind was squarely on Sloane.

Her legs were shaking, looking like they’d give out any minute...

Oh, so BADLY did Kaetus want to hold her. Give her his shoulder, support her.

But he couldn’t.

Not without her permission first.

“May I...?” He asks softly, his gaze locked onto hers.

He needn’t vocalize the context to his question, he and Sloane had been dancing this dance for awhile now. Years before they left the Milky Way, even.

A way to keep the question discreet, hidden away from those who didn’t need to be sticking their noses into their business.

She knew what he was asking.

Sloane remained silent for a good, long moment, just keeping her eyes locked with his.

Her face wouldn’t betray what she was feeling, but her eyes did. At least, they did for someone who had the privilege of knowing her as well as Kaetus did.

Had she been any other human, she would have been weeping now. Dragged down by all the horrors and betrayal she’d witnessed, all the pressure constantly on her shoulders, the mask of cold, ruthless strength she always had to wear, least Kadara ever catch wind of her “weakness”, and fall apart into complete, self-destructive anarchy.

But Sloane didn’t cry.

Because she was Sloane Fucking Kelly. She never cried, not even before Andromeda.

...But whether she would admit it or not, whether the people of Kadara would admit it or not, she was still human. She still had feelings and emotions.

And sometimes... it all just needed to break.

And so, when she she did need to break, Kaetus would happily be her shield to hide behind.

“Yeah...” She whispered in such a tiny voice compared to how she usually spoke.

Gently, Kaetus pulled Sloane to his chest, lightly wrapping his arms around her, making sure she knew she had the option to change her mind, to pull away if she wanted.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she pressed against him more, burying her face against his neck, right where she could strongly feel his pulse.

Once he was sure she was comfortable, Kaetus tightened his hug, letting himself take on her weight as her knees finally gave out.

“I’m here...” He said softly, resting his chin atop her head, allowing himself to let out a steady purr.

...Sloane had to be the only other person besides his parents who’d ever heard him purr.

She was the only one worth the effort.

“I’m here...” He repeated. “I’m right here...”

Now her arms were around him, gripping so tightly, it’d probably take a whole squad of krogan to force her to let go.

“...Don’t go...”

the voice was so small, so faint...

Honestly, Kaetus might have just been imagining it...

...But all the same, he answered.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Kaetus wasn’t sure exactly how long he’d been asleep when he found himself stirring awake.

Long enough that he’d actually gotten comfortable, that was for sure.

How many things was he suppose to have been doing in that unknown time frame?

Fuck it. He didn’t know, and he didn’t care.

Let everyone else stand on their own feet for a few hours, Sloane had needed him.

...Speaking of...

He slowly cracked his eyes open, and saw that Sloane was still asleep, snugly nestled in his arms.

Safe.

Secure.

Protected.

Just looking at her, this was the most calm Kaetus had seen Sloane in... Weeks? Months?

Her body was completely relaxed, her breathing was steady, she didn’t have that typical scowl hard set on her face...

In fact...

He might have been mistaken, but was that a hint of a SMILE on her face...? Ohh, now THAT wasn’t something he saw every day.

Quite frankly, he was ALMOST tempted to snap a picture....

But nahhh, he knew Sloane would probably throw his ass into one of the sulfur lakes if he did.

He’d just have to be happy knowing that whatever dream she was having, it was probably a good one.

...He really hoped so.

She certainly deserved one after all this time...

He missed seeing her at such ease like this, missed seeing her smile...

Missed not having to watch herself constantly bottle up all her pain to keep her “weakness” hidden from others...

Missed...

...Moments like this...

Gently, Kaetus shifted, holding Sloane tighter to him as he softly nuzzled her forehead.

...It was kinda funny, really...

He was suppose to be here with her to make her feel better, but just... watching the gentle rhythm of her breathing... It made him feel at ease too. As if months worth of stress just magically melted away.

...If only this didn’t have to be a temporary reprieve...

Kaetus didn’t care how impossible the task seemed, he just wanted her to be able to be happy for more then just a few fleeting moments.

Someday, some how...

He’d find a way.

He’d do it.

For her.

...For them...

Just keep the wheel turning, and eventually, it’d all work out.

That’s how it’d worked so far. By all accounts, both him AND Sloane should have been long dead by now, but here they were...

Kaetus sighed, resting his chin on top of her head as his eyes slowly drifted shut again.

Whatever it was he was originally planning to do at this time... They’d just have to make due without him. He wasn’t about to risk waking Sloane up by trying to get out of the bed. A few more hours of him not helicoptering over the recruits surely wouldn’t kill anybody...

Besides... He’d made a promise...

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The first thing Sloane noticed when she began to stir, was a comfortable warmth surrounding her...

The next thing, was an annoying beeping sound.

And then the final thing, was the fact she seemed to be immobilized somehow...

At that LAST point, a knee-jerk reaction of panic started to rise, only for it to immediately vanish as a taloned hand gently stroked the back of her head.

‘Ah. Right. Kaetus being a cuddly bastard.’ She thought with a sigh.

She found herself unconsciously snuggling up against him more, burying her face in his cowl, causing him to let out a gentle, comforting thrum.

It all just felt so warm.

So safe.

So... familiar...

If... if Sloane just kept her eyes shut... there’d be nothing to tell her that the whole nightmare with the Nexus ever actually happened.

Nothing to say that it wasn’t just some horrible hangover nightmare, nothing to say she wasn’t still in the Milky Way, crashing with Kaetus in the back room after getting completely hammered at the party, hours away before launch, and she’d have time to plan to ‘accidentally’ jettison Tann’s cryo pod from the airlock mid-trip.

Hell, while she’s at it, maybe she could figure out a way to ‘accidentally’ misplace Addison and switch her out with Kaetus before they left.

Maybe, just maybe, she could fix everything before it all went to shit...

Beepbeepbeepbeep-

...Unfortunately, she was swiftly reminded that reality was a bitch, as that ungodly annoying beeping sound blared again.

“Ugh, stupid piece of crap... Shh. Shut up, you son of a-” She heard Kaetus swear under his breath, fumbling for his omnitool, which was on the arm Sloane was currently laying on top of.

Sloane slowly opened her eyes to see the familiar, dark and grim sights of her room on Kadara.

Well, that’s what she got for being foolish enough to hope otherwise, she supposed...

“That’d probably be easier if I got up off your arm...” Sloane mumbled.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you, I...” Kaetus paused. “N-no, it’s fine. Just stay right there, I can get it off, just...”

Internally, Sloane wanted to take him up on his offer.

She really, REALLY, wanted to take him up on his offer.

To just... close her eyes and curl back up into that familiar, comforting warmness, far away from the grimness of Kadara, and its bullshit PTSD triggers...

...But she couldn’t.

Close her eyes all she wanted, it wouldn’t make everything go away. She knew that.

She had her little break, now it was time to put the mask back on.

There was work to be done.

“I’m getting up, go check what it is.” She said firmly.

Kaetus simply nodded. Internally, he may have wanted to argue, but he knew better.

The mask was back on, it was time for him to step back as her shield.

Sloane slowly sat up, freeing Kaetus’ arm.

He took a deep breath, before sitting up himself, and pulling up his omnitool.

‘Back to work it is, then.’

He glanced through the messages, 10 of them within the past two hours.

What could have possibly-?

....

‘...Crap.’

“What is it?” Sloane asked, clearly reading the concern in his mandible twitches.

“Oh, it’s... Probably nothing...” Kaetus attempted to sound optimistic. “Has to be a mistake...”

Sloane continued to just stare at him.

Clearly, she didn’t buy it.

“They... Think they’ve had Kett attacks...” He explained, hesitantly.

“Fuck.” Sloane hissed.

She really HAD been falling behind...

“Again, it’s probably just a mistake...” Kaetus attempted to reason. “But I’ll... find a way to take a look into it, just to be sure.”

“Good.” Sloane said, finally standing up.

No more falling behind.

No more letting the Nexus break her down like this.

No more.

“And Kaetus?” She added, motioning him to come closer.

“Yeah?” He asked, standing next to her.

Sloane then grabbed his chin, pulling his head down to touch his forehead to hers.

Her silent promise. The only one she dared make in this uncertain Hellhole.

‘I won’t let you end up like Calix.’

If the bastards wanted to try, they’d have to do it over her dead body.

“Be sure to send me a full report of what you find.” She said, finally pulling back. “And I expect to see you here tonight for a full debriefing.”

Kaetus’ mandible twitched in a smirk.

“Of course, ma’am.”

[milkhakyeon]

my heart is still remembering [7kpp day 2; sacrifice]

title: my heart is still remembering

pairing: jasper-centric, kade/jasper

rating: g

summary: it starts to dawn on him that maybe he’s been sacrificing the wrong thing.

a/n: apologies for the super late post! real life has been a pain lately ;-; anyway here's my first 7kpp fic! i only started playing the game three weeks ago so i apologise if they're ooc (i'm taking artistic license with their teenage selves though bc pRECIOUS CHILDREN ;A;)

one of the good things about being a butler, jasper thinks, is that he gets to observe.

he has always liked watching from the sidelines, catching the uncertain waver at the tail end of a sentence or the nervous quiver of a finger. the split second of vulnerability in someone’s eyes. things that no one but him sees.

it is what he is supposed to do, after all. it is his duty, his path, his purpose.

but there are…times. times he wonders why he does the things he does.

times like today.

he gazes at the necklace, lying forgotten at the far end of his drawer.

no, perhaps forgotten isn’t the right word to use. after all, he’d hadn’t been able to truly forget about it. he hates to admit it, but he’d been pushing it as far away from him as he could. but as hard as he’d tried, it hadn’t worked, not really. not when his heart isn’t so easily deceived.

tentatively, he picks the necklace up, fingers brushing over the glass locket. save for the dust that’s settled in a thin film, it’s exactly as he remembers.

maybe that’s the thing. he can try his hardest to block his mind, to force himself not to recall the memories by force of sheer willpower. he’s trained his self-discipline enough that he doesn’t think of him anymore, not unless absolutely necessary. but he can’t control his heart. can’t stop it from twisting painfully when he sees things that used to be special to them. can’t stop it from being drawn to him like a moth to a flame, even as it knows the dangers of playing with fire.

even now, his heart is still remembering.

“found you, kae!”

at six years old, his lips are still unable to enunciate his best friend’s name properly, the word tapering off in a triumphant lilt instead. he’s always been better at hiding than seeking, so victory as a seeker is always extra sweet.

kade shushes him, eye still glued to the tiny crack in between wood panels. jasper pouts, and crouches down next to his best friend.

“what are you looking at?”

kade motions for him to come closer, moving away from the peephole so jasper can see what he’s been staring at.

“do you see it?” kade whispers, voice quick and eager.

jasper’s about to shake his head when a tall, slender girl steps out of a room, dressed in a off-shoulder chiffon gown and heels so high jasper has no idea how anyone can balance in them, much less walk a few steps.

jasper turns to face kade, blinking quizzically. “who is she?”

“doesn’t matter. look behind her.”

jasper peers through the hole again, and this time he sees the man, dressed in formal attire, broad shoulders filling out his blazer nicely.

“see him? that’s my uncle,” kade says smugly, puffing up. “he says i’m gonna become a butler like him when i grow up.”

jasper tilts his head curiously. “you want to become a butler?”

“yeah,” kade nods, leaning against the wooden fence and looking up at the clear sky. “uncle says it’s one of the better, if not the best, jobs on the isle.”

jasper scoots closer, imitating kade and leaning against the fence, though he looks at kade instead. kade turns, and smiles.

“say, jas, how about we become butlers together?”

jasper’s eyes light up, and he nods enthusiastically. kade grins.

“it’s a deal, then.”

before they know it, years have passed, slipping past them like sand through their fingers.

the library is silent, save for the scratching of pen nibs and the rustling of endless sheets of parchment scattered across varnished wood. jasper’s used to silence, especially since it somehow always manages to find him in every conversation he has, so he doesn’t attempt to break it.

kade, however, has never been one for staying still.

so it’s not really a surprise when kade speaks up, baritone voice slicing through the thick silence that had settled over them, though jasper does allow himself to raise an eyebrow at the decidedly unique question.

“jas, do you ever wonder why we're even doing this? why we have to sit for a test that evaluates us on criteria some old hag probably created decades ago?"

for all his incisive remarks, kade has never asked him this before. neither has jasper ever thought about it, for that matter. he has always bought fully into his job, his supposed duty.

“why do you believe so readily in what they tell you? why are we trying to hard to ace a test created to evaluate our worth based on terms they set?”

jasper wants to correct him, wants to defend the values he’s always believed in. but that wouldn’t answer the question, not really. what his friend seeks are reasons. reasons he can’t formulate, reasons he can’t provide. reasons he doesn’t even know.

he knows he has to explain himself, but he doesn’t know how it’s possible to explain something he doesn’t understand.

his mind is a whirl as he tries to piece together his fragmented thoughts into coherent explanations, eyes staring unseeingly at the far end of the table. his pen lies forgotten in his hand, a dark stain slowly spreading where the tip meets parchment.

it takes him a while to organise his thoughts, but he knows kade is used to him and his slow pace by now. after a few long moments, jasper sets his pen down and turns to face kade. looking up to meet his gaze, when—

when kade swipes across his face with ink-stained fingers, laughter bubbling past his lips.

jasper freezes, the sudden streaks of cold moistness on his cheek enough for him to realise what has happened. kade’s eyes have already disappeared behind crescent curves, his laughter a resounding staccato.

he must have stayed silent for very long, because kade slowly sobers up, regarding jasper warily, cautiously, as he leans in closer, raucous laughter subsiding to an awkward chuckle.

“wait, jas, are you mad? i—“

jasper doesn’t wait for him to finish his sentence before he reaches into the ink pot and smears the contents on kade’s nose with more speed than he’d thought he was capable of, his lips betraying a small smile.

kade’s lips curl into a cheshire grin, and jasper has about half a second of a head start to leap out of his chair before kade is chasing him around the room, ink on both his hands, ready to be transferred onto pale unmarked skin.

jasper is still no match for kade, only getting a few smudges in for every five or so marks kade leaves on him, but he finds that he doesn’t mind when it ends with kade pinning him to the table, drawing silly patterns on his face as they laugh, clear and uninhibited and blissful.

later, when they’ve calmed down and realised the mess they’ve made, jasper takes kade’s hands in his, gently rubbing the ink stains off with a handkerchief.

“i can do it myself, you know,” kade sulks, eyes looking everywhere but at jasper.

jasper smiles, breath escaping his lips in a soft chuckle. “yeah, and you’ll only rub off the edges of a few stains before you lose your patience and resign yourself to a woeful fate of spending the rest of the day with ink-stained hands.”

kade scowls, but it doesn’t last long, his lips quirking up in a tiny smile by the end of it.

jasper never does manage to tell kade his answer, but he thinks it doesn’t matter anyway, not when they’re happy and content in this moment and that’s really all that matters.

(isn’t it?)

one day during self-study time after breakfast, kade charms his way through a hallway of servants and sneaks into jasper’s room.

jasper’s always had a tendency to unconsciously block out everything when he works, so he doesn’t notice kade until a flash of silver enters his vision and there are hands fastening a chain at the back of his neck.

he looks down to see a clear glass disc hanging on a woven cord, its thin silver rim encircling bits of dried purple and white flower petals.

“sweet pea and white carnations,” kade mumbles, hovering behind jasper even after he finishes fastening the necklace. “wanted to give you some luck before the test.”

jasper smiles. “they’re our birth month flowers, right?”

“yeah.” kade fidgets awkwardly, eventually shoving his hands into his pockets. “yours mean thank you, as well as blissful pleasure. and mine... when white, they represent good luck.” kade pauses. “well, there’s another meaning, but that one isn’t important."

jasper’s known kade long enough to know he won’t be able to get anything more than what he wants to share out of him, so for all his curiosity, he doesn’t say anything, just runs a finger over the glass almost tenderly. “thank you, kae. it’s beautiful."

“yeah, well, it’s nothing much,” kade says, dismissively, even as a light pink dusts his cheeks. “i’m going back to my room. gotta study to beat you."

jasper laughs, calling out “keep trying!” as kade makes a hasty exit, almost crashing into a servant on his way out.

once he’s alone, he tries to go back to studying, but he soon finds the margins of his notes filled with sketches of flowers.

(kade would've thought that on a place like the isle, with all its concealed nooks and crannies, people would find better hiding spots to discuss their secrets. but no, apparently people like to talk in places that aren’t exactly that obscure.

like the small library.

he’s there searching for books on the isle's rules of conduct, because jasper had complained about needing to find and memorise every single one of them, and between the dark circles under his eyes and his appalling tendency to forget to eat kade decides it's a better idea for him to help him out. though he does have a backlog of work from all the times he skipped self-study time to explore the isle, but well. he'll figure something out later.

he's found the fourth book and eliminated the thirty-seventh when he hears muffled voices carrying over, filtering through the gaps between crisp pages on shelves. he can't quite make out the words, so he edges closer, curiosity piqued.

"...this year's trials will be interesting, don't you think?"

"yes, certainly, though i still can't quite understand why ren decided to sign up for the chef trials instead. he'd make a fine butler, if i do say so myself."

gossip, then. kade's about to turn and leave, disinterested in such inane small talk, only to be stopped in his tracks by something a lot more relevant.

"say, talking about butlers, jasper's practically a shoo-in, isn't he? given that he's our leader's descendant and all."

"yeah, of course. how could we possibly not select our isle's golden boy? even if he were to flunk the test, we'd probably still accept him anyway."

the books fall from kade's arms, tumbling to the ground before he even realises he's let them go. then he's striding out of the library, gaze steeled into a hard glare, tension pulsating in his veins.)

seventeen minutes before the test, jasper finds himself allowing kade to lead him to the small pier, a strong hand wrapped firmly around his wrist.

“i need to talk to you,” kade had said, and jasper had allowed himself to be pulled along, like he always had.

they’re back at their usual hideout, a secluded spot on the far end of the beach, where the wind’s rustling both drowns out the surrounding noise and masks their voices from any eavesdroppers. it’s a mystical place, magical even. jasper would question it if not for the fact that the rest of the isle is equally mystical, and he’d end up having to question the entire basis of his existence.

regardless, he likes this place. whenever they’re here, it feels like they’re the only ones who exist, like they’re the only ones who matter.

but they’re not here for that today.

“i’m leaving the isle,” kade blurts, blunt as always. “come with me.”

jasper pauses, looking up at kade. any other person would either have laughed it off as a joke, but he knows kade, knows him well enough to recognise the look in his eyes. the steely determination burning bright behind violet irises.

“why?”

kade laughs, hollow and haunting.

“i'm sick of this isle, jasper. why not? why do you even want to take the test? why do you want to live under someone else’s terms?”

jasper stares, stunned, before replying disbelievingly, “because it’s our duty. you told me that yourself when we were kids, remember? it’s passed down from generation to generation. it’s more than just culture, or tradition, or beliefs. it’s who we are. who we’re supposed to be.”

kade rolls his eyes. “and who gets to decide that? who has the right to dictate how we should lead our lives?”

“this isn’t dictating! it’s what we were born to do. if we don’t do it, who will?” jasper pleads.

“i don’t know. i don’t care. i don’t want to be a part of it.”

jasper lets out a short, exasperated noise. “kade, what’s gotten into you? why are you needlessly rebelling against our beliefs?”

kade scoffs. “and why are you blindly following in your ancestor’s footsteps? acting like some pet pathetically tagging along wherever its master goes.”

“it’s not called blindly following if i know where i’m going,” jasper says, his face darkening. “what are you trying to do, play around? i don’t know who gave you these ideas, kade, but you need to grow up."

the next thing he knows, kade’s punched him, knuckles connecting hard with bone.

the finger jasper raises to his lip comes away bloody.

“you don’t understand me at all, do you,” kade snarls, voice low and caustic.

jasper doesn’t respond, just looks at kade, gaze laced with hurt and disbelief.

this isn’t the kade he knows.

kade laughs scathingly. “well, i’m leaving,” he says, eyes cold and cruel, "since clearly i’m not good enough for you, mr. golden boy.”

then he stalks off without so much as a second glance back, shoulders set in an angry line.

and jasper’s left alone, wind whipping loud in his ears. too loud.

kade doesn’t show up for the test, because he’s kade. jasper aces it, because he’s jasper.

even after the exam ends, the other candidates are still gossiping about the bloody cut on the corner of his lip, about kade’s absence, about how visibly shaken and distracted jasper had been throughout the test. mostly it's about how they must have fought and what must have happened. whose fault it must have been.

all the candidates get a long break as a reward for studying so hard. jasper doesn’t have the energy to deal with other people, so he retreats to his room and proceeds to spend the rest of his time locked in it.

the days pass by in a daze, sunrises blending into sunsets until he can’t tell the days apart anymore. the servants learn to ignore him when they bring him food or take his laundry or clean his room. he doesn’t notice them anyway, his mind far too focused on something else entirely.

then one day kade walks into his room. he doesn’t say anything, just stands in the doorway, so jasper tries to comfort him. tells him that he can still study and pass the test next year. instead, kade scoffs. tells him that he doesn’t even want to become a butler anymore, and leaves without saying anything else.

the memory is so fuzzy that jasper can’t remember whether it actually happened or not, so he tells himself it was a dream, as if that would somehow make it sting less.

he buries himself in endless silence and endless thoughts, and it’s only weeks later when the head butler personally comes to drag him out to begin his butler duties that jasper finally forces himself to leave the safety of his room.

after years of preparation, he’s gotten the position he’s always wanted. but he feels emptier than he’s ever had, eyes blank and heart numb, a walking shell of his former self.

and now, it’s been years since he became a butler.

it’s been years, and the system is starting to crack and collapse around them all.

the worst part is that jasper, bound by duty, can only watch as it happens.

he's powerless to stop it. he shouldn't be interfering, he should only watch and record as is. it is not his place to do anything.

and yet he desperately wants to. wants to help delegates who deserve it, wants to expose the corruption rooted within the isle staff. wants to ask the reasons why the isle is what it is.

but he doesn’t, because these were the exact things kade had been questioning before he shut him down so harshly, and he’d be a hypocrite to bring it up now.

but it’s been years, and jasper thinks all that time has taught him a little about courage.

the walk to kade’s room is longer than he remembers, but he steels himself to continue. he’s delayed this for far too long. he can't keep hiding anymore.

the locket hangs heavy on his chest as he knocks on the door, tentatively at first, then determinedly. swallows his pride because between the two, it’s the thing he’d rather lose.

kade opens the door, and regards him with an icy, doubtful look.

jasper swallows the fear and hurt and regret bubbling up in his throat. reminds himself to breathe.

“kae. can we talk?"

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

CHILDREN OF LILITH CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Michael stopped mid stride. “You’re what?”

“I have to,” Gabriel replied, running his thumb along the creases in his palm. “It’s the only way.”

“The only way? C’mon.” Michael snorted, turning away from his brother. “I know things look bad-”

“More like increasingly terrible.”

“But is this really worth it?” Michael spun to face him, twigs snapping under his boots. “Going to her for help? To go begging on the doorstep of some She-devil?”

“She’s not-”

Michael cut him off with a wave of his hand. “Whatever. The point stands. This is only gonna cause more trouble. Not to mention it’s breaking about a dozen of your ‘rules’ so…” He sniffed, pressing his lips into a tight line.

“My rules don’t matter anymore,” Gabriel said quietly. “Not when people’s lives are at stake.”

Michael’s jaw clicked. “Everything she touches rots. And you want to bring her in for a Hail Mary pass?”

“We have to do something. Our Father has made that abundantly clear.” The pain in Gabriel’s eyes made the spot behind Michael’s sternum ache. “All of this is because of my own… cowardice.”

“I would’ve gone with ‘self-preservation instinct’.”

Gabriel tried to smile as he watched Michael lean against a neighboring tree, glancing warily up at the pigeons above him. Gabriel sighed.

“We have to act. Observing from afar seems to have only done more damage.”

Pulling out a cigarette and lighting the end, Michael took a long drag and exhaled a cloud of smoke. “You,” he said.

“What?”

Michael felt his brother’s gaze on him instantly. “I’m sorry Gabe, but you’re on your own with this. I signed up to help you deal with a couple of genetically mutated humans with shitty luck. But if you’re gonna call her in…” He lifted his eyes to Gabriel’s. “Then I gotta tap out.”

The only noise around them was from birds, and a group of joggers passing nearby. After a long moment, Gabriel nodded solemnly.

“I understand.”

Flicking ash on the ground, Michael offered a weak smile. “You always were the sympathetic one.” Shoving one hand in his jacket pocket, he pushed away from the tree and started to turn. “I’ll see you around, Gabe.”

He was just about to duck behind a broad maple when Gabriel spoke.

“Will there ever come a day when you don’t hate me for what I did?”

The question pinned Michael where he stood. “I never hated you for that,” he said over his shoulder. “I hated what it did to you.” With a last puff from his Marlboro, Michael said, “Goodbye, brother.”

The atmosphere crackled as a soft flash of light illuminated the surrounding brush.

Central Park was inhabited by only one angel now.

* * *

The plastic upholstery of the hospital recliner squeaked as Nikki lowered herself into it. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure she had closed the door before pushing back the hood of her gray sweatshirt. Her attempt to sneak back into the hospital had been successful but very risky. She knew she couldn’t stay long, but the few minutes she would have were worth the threat of being discovered by another Familiar.

Folding her legs under her, Nikki stared at the bed’s occupant. The lights were low, but she could still see the mottled bruises along the side of Kaelin’s face. Thin black thread held her split lip together, and kept the ragged wound at her temple closed. A ventilation tube inserted into her mouth was helping her breathe and the heart monitor was beeping a constant rhythm Nikki was eternally grateful for.

She stayed silent for a long time, taking some comfort just by being close to her best friend. It would probably be the last time she’d have the opportunity.

Words bubbled out of Nikki in a soft murmur.

“I’m not sure if you can hear me. I hope you can because… I need you to hear it. Or at least, I need to say it.” Her voice grew thick as she continued. “Kaelin, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you got hurt. I’m sorry you were alone when…” She paused, swallowing hard. “After all the times you were there for me, I couldn’t be there for you. And now I won’t even be there when you wake up.” Tears rolled down Nikki’s cheeks, dripping down the collar of her tee shirt.

“Turns out, all those times you called me ‘special’, you weren’t far off.” A sad smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “But it’s… It’s making me sick, Kae. Really sick. And everyone says… I’m not gonna make it much longer. I thought… I thought I’d get to do so much more. I thought I’d get to see you wake up, see you heal. Get to be your maid of honor one day…” Her fingers gouged the armrest, making it squeak.

“I have so much to tell you and now… I’m not going to get the chance. You’re gonna wake up in a world without me.” More tears fell from her lashes. She wiped under her eyes with the cuff of her hoodie sleeve.

“I’m gonna tell Griffin, and Boz, and Lisa to be there for you. To… to explain what happened. Why I’m gone.” Nikki took a deep breath. “They’re good people. You might want to hate them at first, but please don’t. They didn’t do this to me. They helped me find out who I really am, and I’m so grateful for that.”

Nikki stared at the faint highlights in Kaelin’s hair, at the crescents her lashes made along her cheeks.

“I love you Kaelin. You were so much more than just my best friend.” Nikki’s voice cracked into a sob. “I hope you felt as loved as I did. You’re so important to me, and I’m so happy I got to know you. And I promise, if this whole afterlife thing is real… I’ll be looking out for you.”

Tears continued to spill, but her weeping was silent. Nikki didn’t fight the grief rolling over her, pushing her under and tossing her back.

She almost didn’t hear the creak of the door, or the shuffling of feet. By the time she’d realized there was another person in the room, they’d already made it to her chair. Whirling around, Nikki stifled her scared gasp.

Dirty blonde curls poking out from under a knit cap and wide dark eyes were the first things she saw.

“Holy shit, you scared me,” Nikki whispered, thankful it wasn’t a nurse. After a moment of scrutiny, it occurred to her that she knew the woman. “You’re… you’re the woman from the subway. You’re a, um… a Veil Walker, right?”

With a hesitant nod, the stranger stepped closer. “Found you again,” she said, eyes darting up to Nikki’s. “Found your light.”

Nikki offered a smile. “Yeah, I guess you did. What’s your name?”

“Maggie,” she breathed, appreciative, as if it was the first time anyone had ever asked her that question.

“Hi, Maggie. I’m Nikki.” Something wrenched in her gut, and Nikki frowned. “The first time you found me was to warn me. Why did you find me again?”

Maggie’s fingers wiggled, gesturing to unseen objects in the space in front of her. Her mouth worked, chewing on words and humming in discomfort.

“Lion Heart… is missing.”

Nikki blinked. “Lion Heart?” Then she remembered. “You mean Griffin?”

Maggie’s head jerked, like whatever was filtering into her left ear made her itch. “They came for him. Wolves took your Lion Heart.”

Wolves…? “You mean Vampires?”

“Blonde wolf… she led her pack. They took Lion Heart to her den.”

“Serena. She took Griffin?” Nikki rose from her chair, slowly as to not scare Maggie.

Her eyes darted up, meeting Nikki’s gaze before following something invisible to the other side of the room. She shook herself, trying to focus.

“They’ll take Lion Heart’s wings. Mount them on the wall… Mock the Lion who once could fly…”

Nikki’s breath stalled in her lungs.

Maggie curled her fingers in a tuft of her hair, pulling at it. “You need feathers to catch the sun. But Icarus fell… and they will too…”

Moving forward, Nikki tried to lock eyes with her. “Maggie? Are they going to hurt Griffin?” When the woman didn’t respond, she reached for her dusty hands. “Is the blonde wolf going to kill Lion Heart?”

Gaze suddenly sharp and aware, Maggie stared at Nikki. “Yes.”

The air punched out of Nikki. She started to pull away and run for the door when Maggie’s hold became vise-like.

“Don’t be fooled by white cages. They can’t hold fire and lightning.”

Nikki nodded, accepting the message without any idea as to what it meant. “Thank you, Maggie.”

As she took off running, she heard Maggie call out from behind her.

“Burn them! Burn them!”