#lifetime well done you have proven it again

[existingingrey]

They really said let's go all the way.

백공죽 Extended Version.

[sterredem]

She’s real!?

Charles Leclerc x reader

Face claim random Pinterest girls

Summary Charles has said he has a girlfriend for a few years now. But the longer people hasn’t seen her the more they think they he made her up. Until they are proven wrong

Warning fluff, rushed, maybe some spelling mistakes.

A/N the ending was ruched cause I am working on something bigger. But This has been in my draft for weeks so I wanted to put it out before the big thing.

Charles knew that he was lucky. He had an amazing girlfriend, his dream job, great friends, enough money so that he could last a lifetime, fans that supported him and a family that loved him.

But not everyone believed that he had all that. It may sound a bit weird because they where all facts. …right?

Well not every on of them. The first one the girlfriend one. That one wasn’t. He claimed he has one. And he always brings her up, for 3 years now. And you may think ‘well why don’t people believe him then?’ Well that can be answered quite easily.

No one has seen her yet. Well not no one because his family and his closes friends have. But they have never been seen public, and if they did see her they didn’t know it because they don’t know who she is and how she looks. They know there is someone, just not how she looks, what she does or what her name is.

And that is why people don’t believe him. Even some of his close friends and colleagues don’t. His team doesn’t even believe him.

And that’s all because they wanted to wait with going public. They wanted to wait because Y/n was really busy with her school work and Charles was travelling the world for formula 1. They did live together in his house in Monaco. But they didn’t see each other that often. But they still managed to keep it private.

And they do want to make it public. But in the first year that they where together they decided to keep it quiet, and when they where in their second year, she was really busy with school and being in her year before her exams she needed to study a lot. And then with him travelling the world and having a lot of trouble with Ferrari they still didn’t have the time. And now in their third year together, she was in her last year of school and studying a lot and him starting the season again. They still didnt find the time to go public.

And when they did find the time they where together and enjoying the privacy they had. So they decided to not hard launch yet and just torture the fans and public with corny soft launches.

And while they enjoyed the privacy they had. Charles did find it annoying that his friends and fans didn’t believe him. And he tried everything, but he will prove that she is real. Even if it will cost their privacy.

When Charles walken in the paddock alone… again, people stared looking and asking questions. A bit teasing of course.

And when it was media day there were a few questions about his ‘girlfriend’ but he successfully dodged them all. Not that he didn’t want to talk about her. But his media team said that it was better to not answer them, and he talked to Y/n about it and she said that it if came up he could talk about her. But just not randomly saying stuff.

So as promised he kept quite about their relationship. And when Fp1 and 2 rolled around it was still going great.

Well besides the teasing comments from his colleagues and even his team.

And when qualifying came around it was going really great. He started on 5th place, with was not the best but still good.

But then Race day came and he was as pretty excited. He started on a good place and Carlos was back again.

He ignored it for now and talked with his engineer for the last time before the race.

Before he got in his car he checked his phone one last time to see y/n has wished his good luck, he smiled a bit at that. But when he looked up again he saw that Carlos shot him a knowing look.

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After Charles was done at Australia he got on a plane. When he was in the airport he saw his girlfriend. He ran up to her and hugged her. After not seeing her for a few days he had missed her.

“Hey amour, I missed you” he said in her hair while hugging her.

“Hey love, I missed you too. So much” she said looking up at him smiling. What they didn’t notice is Joris taking pictures (not that they would mind).

“Would you want to go home or walk around a bit?” She asked with a slight smile while looking in his eyes.

“I think it would be fun to walk around wouldn’t it?” He asked while putting a bit of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah it would. Come on we should get to the car.” She said while grabbing his hand. “Hey guys good too see you.” She said addressing the other people that where with her boyfriend (and a few of the little people that knew about them and believed it).

“Yeah yeah. Good too see you too y/n/n. Could you just keep the PDA down or something?” Joris said reading a bit.

“Oh sure, I will just keep down being with my boyfriend after no one believes we are together and not seeing each other for a few days. You know you are lucky, you get to be with his all the time.” She said jokingly.

“Yeah yeah whatever.” Joris said while smiling at the couple. They really where something.

“Where do you guys want to go?” She asked looking at Charles again.

“We could just walk around the city and maybe catch the sunset, no?” Charles said while they all walked to the car.

“Yeah that would be fun.” She said opening the back door. “Who wants to drive!” She asked specifically to the other two boys not wanting Charles to drive with his parking skills.

“I could drive, Andrea so you want to go home? I can drop you off and give the lovebirds some time to catch up. ” Joris said.

“Oui, s'il vous plaît.” Andrea said while getting in the passenger seat. (Yes please.)

After dropping Andrea off at his home and walking around the city for a few hours they decided to go to a field to watch the sunset.

“It is so pretty.” Y/n said while looking at the sunset.

“Yeah it is.” He said looking at her. Admiring her.

A few hours later they decided to go hand and hang out there. Joris was with them for a bit longer after deciding to go home too.

Once it was just them they cuddled un in bed and talked for a bit longer.

“Hey Charlie I have a question.” Y/n said once the conversation dialed down a bit.

“What is that Belle?” He said looking- no more admiring her.

“Would you want to go public? And if when?” She asked playing with his hair.

“Of course I would want to go public. And whenever we are ready.” He said kissing his head.

“What if I just come to the paddock and surprise everyone. And we just randomly hard launch?” She asked looking at him.

Charles looked at her thing about it. “It would be fun wouldn’t it?” He asked smiling at her with a little smirk.

“Should we?” She asked him.

“We cou wait a few races, maybe chose a good one. We could stir up some thing. Maybe soft launch some?” He asked her now being a lot more serious then before when they just joked around and talked a bit.

“That would be fun.”

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After Y/n postet that on her story a lot of people begin to notice. Especially because Joris was posted. So when people begin to put everything together they where shocked.

So with now people beleving Charles Y/n could finally be at an race. And that happened. And people loved it.

The drivers where shocked that she was real, so where the fans and the people that worked their.

But they where all happy for them

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[yesimwriting]

okay but after the whole lucy gray thing we know coryo was done with “love” and everything BUT what if during the following year of thg he ends up falling in love with another tribute also from district 12 and he’s just going through it bad (again) however he somehow ends up actually getting the girl in the end, maybe even buying her way into the capitol

A/n I've been thinking about a very specific part of this since i first read it but i told myself no more fic writing until i finished at least one of my essays for finals seasons 😭

also ik in the book (and it's implied in the movie) that after the events of the book he lives with the plinths, but let's pretend he lives on his own with access to the plinth fortune for privacy

ik that makes it sound like it's smutty, but it's not lol

----

Proximity aggravates distance. The closer you are to something, the more damage any remaining space causes.

The few feet dividing the two of you have no right to jab at something inside of him the way it does. It's bad enough that instead of going to bed after a long night of fulfilling his apprenticeship duties under Volumnia's watchful eye, he stopped by your apartment. Only one floor away from his.

For months, the only thing holding the two of you together had been memories of those few nights before the Games.

Coriolanus's attempt to remain indifferent towards you had quickly failed, and his backup plan of learning to loathe you had proven to be just as useless. So he settled on letting you unabashedly take his hand whenever fear overwhelmed you and committing the way your kind eyes watched him to memory.

You're looking around the room--his room--openly, eyes darting from the mahogany surface of his desk to the details elegantly carved into his bed frame.

His fingertips itch with the uncertain desire to reach for you. You've only been in the Capitol for about a day and a half. Less than 48 hours. But the move, the beginning of a program for certain, qualifying victors and their families, had been planned for months.

You shouldn't feel like a phantom that'll vanish if he lets go for too long. "What are you thinking about?"

The question grounds you the same way it did last time he asked. You do your best to hide it, but you're still adjusting, still surprised that he managed to find a way to bring you together again. Just like he promised. Your doubt isn't personal, a fact he has to remind himself of.

"I'm just..." You tilt your head slightly, gaze retreating from the royal blue wallpaper and silver trim of his bedroom walls, "Analyzing."

The comment is followed by an easygoing smile that pinches at something in his chest. His new apartment, the penthouse of one of the largest buildings in the city, another gift from the ever flowing well that is the Plinth fortune, still reeks of former poverty. The few things that hint at the personal are hidden behind layers of desperate wealth so thick the items might as well be standard.

A lifetime spent in 12 means that there's no way you can read between the lines. He can't decide if your perspective will make this room look worse or better. It's a nice bedroom, definitely grander than any bedroom you've stood in before...but it's understated. Maybe even disappointing to someone like you.

"Analyzing?"

You turn fully, "A bedroom says a lot about a person."

"You might get more out of analyzing my study," an oddly school boy worthy partial truth slips out before he can stop himself, "I think I've been spending more time there than here recently."

You shake your head once, eyes landing on the crimson red vase filed with crisp white roses his grandma'am had gifted him on his last visit. Her pride and joy now more than ever. "I'm seeing all I need."

A hint of a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. It's the most genuine expression that's slipped past him in weeks. When he first worked out a way to bring you here, some doubting part of him wondered if the draw he felt towards you would still exist in person.

Less than two weeks after your victorious departure from the Capitol, he had searched through your files and found your address. He had written the letter in a moment of weakness and only sent it after deciding that writing a letter to never be sent is the only thing more pathetic than writing to you in the first place. He had spent the week following that wallowing in self loathing until an age-stained envelope arrived at his door.

"And what are you seeing?" He keeps his tone light. This is ridiculous. He dragged himself and his family out of a gutter clogged by the casualties of war. Coriolanus is stronger than fleeting emotion now. Your opinions on his room can't possibly affect him.

If he were to simplify what brought you here, to the Capitol, to him, he could blame it on his bedroom. The urge to see you, to figure out some way the two of you closer together before your undeserving district could swallow you whole in an attempt to make you like them, would flare up whenever he received one of your letters.

Those urges, however, had never burned him. Not until you wrote about wanting to see him out of the most curious nostalgia you'd ever felt. You wanted to see him in a way that'd let you know what his room looked like, in a way that'd let you guess at his favorite color.

He takes a few steps forward, making the conscious decision to not reach for you. You've never rejected his advances, not even when he instinctually intertwined your fingers after picking you and your family up from the train station. You had scolded him after, telling him that you'd hear no end of it from your mother. It took a lot of focus for Coriolanus to not smile at that. You spoke of it like it would've never occurred to you to just pull your hand away.

Your eyes shift from end of the room to the other. Coriolanus moves carefully, passing you before sitting at the edge of his crisply made bed.

"Before you make your decision..." You turn instinctually, expression so polite and expecting he almost doesn't know how to bear it. His hand briefly pats the space beside him in a silent invitation. "So you can see it from all perspectives."

Your head tilts slightly, and for a moment, Coriolanus can practically feel your rejection. Then you move, sock clad feet treading over smooth white-gray marble. You sit next to him so assuredly, anyone else would have taken the way you neatly fold your hands in your lap as politeness instead of a display of nerves.

Your family's presence makes you less pliable. It's a factor he's willing to work around considering that you would've never left them to come to the Capitol. And even if he had managed to talk you into it, your nostalgia and homesickness would've made you more of a ghost to him than before.

At least the position your family's in is uncertain enough to allow for some leeway in the social norms that you cling to. However, every once in awhile it hits you that at the end of the day, he's still a boy that you're close to, which means that it's your duty to create the distance necessary to keep everything proper. Leaving your bedroom in the middle of the night because said boy knocked at your door and then entering his room in his empty penthouse is something you would've done under normal circumstances.

But your connection isn't that black and white. If it was something so simple, he would have been able to sever it the night before your Games.

"It makes all the difference," you agree warmly, and only somewhat sarcastically. You give yourself another second to take in the space, "I like it."

He can tell that you mean it. "I haven't fully settled in yet."

You shrug, paying him little mind, "There's something about it that just feels like you."

Coriolanus shifts his focus to the ground. You can't possibly mean it in the way that he sees the room, as a reminder that he still doesn't fully fit into who he's become.

"I've been meaning to pick up a few things," he says, "Tomorrow, after my classes, I was thinking about browsing some paintings." Another half truth. He had been meaning to. Mrs. Plinth had instructed him to visit her art dealer whenever he had enough free time to pick out a few pieces to demonstrate his taste. He'd been putting it off as a dismissable task, but it feels like a safe way to give you your first taste of life in the Capitol. "If you'd like to help me pick some out."

You smile, eyebrows pinching together in a way that's just barely noticeable. You're as interested as you are puzzled. "I'd like that." Relaxing enough to let your hand rest between the two of you, you beam, "I don't know if I'd be much help, but I'd like that."

He'd be willing to get anything that caught your eye. Paintings and vases already with such an exclusive art dealer hold more or less the same level of standing, anyway.

Coriolanus moves his hand slowly, careful not to startle you before his fingers can settle against your own. You instinctually turn over your palm, intertwining your fingers. "I trust you."

You stare at him with wide, understanding eyes. Sometimes when you look at him, really look at him, Coriolanus is struck with the feeling that you can see right through him. It's an irrational feeling, that every good action and cruel deed is reflected in his eyes. Moments like this make it hard to be near you. They also, however, make the thought of adding distance between the two of you unbearable.

"I have an early class."

You dip your chin forward in an attempt to accept what you're considering a dismissal. "Right, you must be tired." The words sit between you for a long moment.

Your free hand presses into the silk of your still new pajamas. You shift like you're going to stand. His hold on your hand tightens before you can move away. You still.

He's being ridiculous. There's nothing about this situation that warrants his inability to look at you. "Stay here." His thumb runs across your knuckles. "With me."

The words are soft enough to be a request, but there's not enough space between them for questioning. He cautiously lifts his head enough to take in your reaction.

"What?" It's a display of shock more than an actual question. Coriolanus squeezes your hand even tighter. You don't try to get him to let go, but you do shift away just enough to create the reminder of distance. "You know I can't."

His other hand reaches forward, settling against your wrist. "Why not?" He doesn't mean for his voice to come off as raspy, as desperate as it does.

You swallow, attempting to straighten your spine in an attempt to offset the instinctual urge to hide your face. This isn't a topic you're even comfortable implying. "My mother would kill me if she so much as found out that I came up here so late, let alone..." You trail off, head dropping to your lap. "Stayed here."

He envelops your hand between both of his. "She knows we're friendly."

You look up just long enough to imply a pointed not that friendly. "It's--" You blink, eyes darting from to your joint hands and then finally to the ground. "You know it's..."

Coriolanus leans forward. The shift is small, just enough for his knee to brush against yours. "It's what?" He keeps his voice low, a barely there whisper that comes off as so innocent it nearly circles back to anything but.

You glance up, so wide eyed and flighty he's reminded of a rabbit. The level of precaution you're exuding can't just be about your mother's opinions, can it? He studies your expression openly, taking in the set of your eyebrows and the way you steadily press your lips together to avoid speaking without thinking. At least some part of you believes in your mother's concerns.

The realization strike shim so quickly he has to focus on keeping his expression neutral. Your bond is so much more than just coming together on a random night where exhaustion's already clouding his focus.

It will happen between the two of you. Eventually. But not yet. You've barely entered the Capitol and every aspect of your life has become vastly different than what you're accustomed to. If he were to attempt to cement any relationship between the two of you like that now, you'd be too overwhelmed or you might think that that's the only reason he brought you here.

He learned early on that it's best to introduce adjustments to you slowly, giving you enough time to hold onto ideas before enacting them. Anything of that nature would work that way too.

"I haven't been able to see much of you." He focuses on your hand, still resting safely between both of his. The words came out too quickly, a flash of some genuine sort of emotion that claw at him on the way out. With you, sometimes a glimpse of feeling works wonders.

Your thumb draws gentle patterns against the side of his hand. "You're busy." He relaxes his hand, turning over his palm. You place his hand on your knee, fingers tracing the natural creases etched into his skin. "You're important."

The way that last word comes out makes an uncertain warmth crawl up his neck. "I--I've wanted to see you more." Another thing he means so much it turns his stomach to admit it.

Your nail drags down a line that cuts across the length of his hand. "Me too."

He bends his fingers slowly, moving in until he's trapped your pointer finger against his palm. "Then stay." You twist your finger enough to express some lighthearted irritation, but not enough to count as a real attempt at escaping. "If your mother says anything, I'll explain it to her." You glare at him without any true aggression. "She likes me, doesn't she?"

Coriolanus already knows the answer. She credits your survival to him. You had mentioned that in a letter once, telling him that she insisted you pass along her gratitude after discovering that the two of you had started to correspond regularly.

He also saw the way she reacted to realizing that she had made it to the Capitol. Your mother's family had once been part of the wealthier side of 12. You're part of a recently fallen line of mine owners, a fact that your mother has only pretended to let go of. He saw a hunger behind her eyes that reminded him of a warped version of his own.

Coriolanus gave her back the pride the war had stolen from her family name tenfold. He owes her this much.

"She'd trade me for you in a heartbeat." He hears the grin in your voice more than he sees it. Your family means the world to you, which means he's subjected himself to seeking your mother's validation and winning over your two younger sisters.

It's not the way he'd choose to spend his limited free time, especially with you standing right there, but he's endured worse for less of a pay off. "Then she'd be a fool."

You fight to hold his gaze. "I doubt that."

Your eyes are pools of honest, unfiltered affection. The care that you're watching him with makes it hard to swallow. The instinct to press, to dig and claw and tear anything that could be hiding an ulterior motive into shreds makes it hard to take a full breath. You've always worn your heart on your sleeve. You're not a flighty songbird that uses its charm to distract its prey from its fang-like talons.

"Stay." Again. So breathless he almost doesn't recognize the word as his own.

The deliberation is transparent behind your eyes. You're considering it, but you're still not convinced. The hesitation stings in a way he doesn't understand. "I don't want to give her a reason to not like you."

So softly spoken he's shocked by the way the words manage to feel like a nail being hammered into his chest.

"She's let you stay with other people before." The response is too sharp, too sudden. He should refocus and think through what he's about to say. Coriolanus knows that it's easier to get you to agree to something through the use of honey sweetened words and displays of patience. "You wrote about him."

The confusion that briefly etches its way into your expression threatens to quell the uncomfortable swell of jealousy tightening his chest. "Warren?" The name makes tints the air between you with something acidic. "That was--different."

Your explanation adds an edge to the pressure in his chest. "Why?"

"We weren't--" You cut yourself off, the instinct to placate him and your desire to not start a conversation you can't finish battling each other oddly. "We were never alone." You squeeze his hand as best as you can. "He's a family friend and I only stayed over when my mom had to work late and I was too young to be alone for so long, so I haven't stayed over in years. And--and he shared a room with three of his siblings and his parents checked on us constantly."

He frowns, unconvinced. The lack of approval has you clinging to him, adjusting your hold on his hand as you gently trail your knuckles against the inside of his wrist. "I do miss you." You stare at your hands. "I know it's weird because we're--y'know--closer than before, but I-I do miss you."

The expanding wave of tension in his chest begins to deflate. You're good at that, at redirecting and soothing without even realizing it. A talent that had contributed to his original desire to loathe you. "I understand that." He runs his thumb over your knuckles. "Things aren't going to get less busy. That's why I want to use all the time we have."

You nod slowly, a hint of understanding making its appearance in the set of your brow. "I know."

"What you wrote," he begins, too aware of how much he means the question that follows, "Did you mean it."

"Of course I did." Not an ounce of hesitation, of uncertainty.

He turns your hand over before shifting his fingers up the inside of your wrist. "You wrote about wanting to see me."

"I did..." The pad of his thumb gently makes its way up your forearm. Your even breathing falters. "I do."

Coriolanus lets himself look up just enough to take in your expression. "Then stay." He swallows, too aware of the sudden dryness of his mouth. "Please."

You glance up at him through your lashes. There's a softness there that jabs at him. "Okay."

He lifts the back of your hand, carefully brushing his lips against your skin. "You mentioned wanting to see a library."

You wrote about it once. A brief mention in one of your letters of the small room in your school's office that served as a sort of communal study space with a few books stacked on a small shelf. Your longing had been clear.

Nodding curiously, you agree, "Yeah?"

"I could leave for my classes a little earlier tomorrow, you could come with me." The proposal comes out slowly, his own suggestion taking him by surprise. "My driver could bring you back, that'll give you time to meet the tutor that's being sent over for your sisters, and then when I get back we'll look at the paintings."

You immediately grin, "Really?"

He finds himself smiling back, pulling your arm closer. "Whatever you want."

You beam. "I'd really like that."

"Good," he affirms with a nod of his head that's a touch too forward. He regrets it almost immediately. "If you like it, I might be able to get your own tutor to meet you at a library."

Part of the still uncertain victor program relies on setting up the victor and their family with a new life. Education plays a role in that. Placing any one of you in an actual Capitol run institution is far out of the question. For everyone's sake. Even if the thought of sharing a classroom with someone from 12 didn't horrify the Capitol parents, you and your siblings wouldn't be able to just jump in. It's not that he views you as unintelligent, but District 12's education system isn't exactly on par with the Capitol's.

"That sounds nice," you sit up a little straighter, excited by the prospect, "A part of me kind of misses school."

Another aspect of your personality that he had learned about after your Games. You like school for the sake of it. "I'll check on the arrangements tomorrow."

He clears his throat before you can do more than just nod, "It's getting late."

Coriolanus carefully sets your hand down on the comforter. You awkwardly shift, now more aware of what you agreed to than ever. "Right," you push yourself to stand, "You need your sleep."

He pulls back his sheets before you can think about it even further. You crawl into the provided space without looking at anything in particular. He's quick to join you beneath the safety of plush bedding before leaning over and turning off the bedside lamp.

Darkness floods the space. There's something about the absence of light that makes things feel heavier. The potential intimacy of the situation sneaks up on him with no warning.

This isn't a loss of control. It can't be. It was his idea, he had pushed and convinced you to stay here. He's aware of everything that's led up to this moment, but that's not enough to stop him from wondering if this is something than he should have known better than to embrace. He had accepted the familiar, fickle knotting of his stomach once before.

Steady warmth presses itself against his arm. He blinks, head turning a second too quickly. Your hand has found his. Coriolanus relaxes, allowing himself to fully relax against his pillow. You pick up on his shift, reflecting it by laying down as well.

For someone that had been so hesitant, you seem to know what to do better than he does. You pull his arm towards you, gently trailing your fingers against the exposed skin. Heat crawls up his neck.

"Goodnight," you mumble, voice already drowsy.

Coriolanus lets out a long breath. He grasps your hand, bringing it back to his lips before settling back into the position the two of you were in before. "Goodnight."

[les-gnossiennes-fantomatiques]

Getting more writing done these days. It feels nice.

A little bit more from my current WIP:

Lost in the lines of her body, it seemed that the evening had given way to twilight in little more than a blink of an eye.

“I don’t think I ever commented on just how lovely your piano playing is.” Augustine’s voice nearly shocked him out of his stupor. She cast him a kindly glance over her shoulder. “Is there an end to your talents, Erik, or are you this naturally astonishing?”

He was too floored to admonish her for moving out of position, let alone properly process her words.

“It’s muscle memory and craft that make a good artist.” So said Mama, almost every time she found him sitting at her precious piano. To this day, whenever he happened to feel a little more charitable about his existence, he could hear her voice scolding him across the decades, practically feel the metronome clicking away as she beat every hard lesson into him. “For as much as the world loves its Mozarts and Beethovens and whatever little novelties it calls genius, perfection does not just spring forth from the ground like Moses divining water from a rock. If you expect praise and adulation without practice and failure—” (and here, even after all these years, he would wonder how she thought he’d ever leave the house, let alone expect praise from other people) “—if you perform for compliments and applause and not for the purpose of making music, you have already proven yourself a mediocrity.”

Erik would never admit it—not to his dear Daroga, not to the Shah, not to Charles, not to long dead Nelus, nor poor Mama. And certainly not to any woman off the street, hungry for his money or otherwise; the unfortunate truth, however, was that in spite of everything, there still lay some part of him which longed for a sincere and kind word.

“It’s for the best, mademoiselle. I did not ask you here to flatter me. I asked you here to sit still, if that’s even possible—”

“I don’t flatter people I dislike.” She turned sharply to face him, her gaze locked on his for the briefest of moments before it dropped down to his hands. An involuntary gesture most people made in front of him when confronted with his face, to be sure, but now—why was he so charmed? “‘You play twice as well as most of the musicians I’ve ever met, and I’ve sat through enough concerts to last me three lifetimes.” Her words were slow and soft—less of an intrusion, more of an unraveling. “What else can you do, Erik? Sing? Write music? You might as well be a one-man show.”

“Hush.”

She was far too clever for her own good, and moreover, far too kind. And kindness was the sharpest blade a woman like her could possess. Yet when he looked at Augustine, he once again heard the opening chords of last Friday’s music ringing in his ears. The sound of something strange and wonderful and ruinous. To be a man who lives as he pleases, who loves as he might dare—

“If you must know, I am in the beginning stages of writing something.”

“Are you?” She smiled, cordially tossing her long hair over her shoulders.

“Yes—just the very beginning of a project, if you please. A song cycle. Perhaps an opera, if I end up feeling ambitious. Now, please—turn around and be quiet, won’t you?”

[callixpene]

L&DS Future Lifetime Series - PART 4: TIME TO REGROUP I

Note: Please read Parts 1-3 before reading this!Unfortunately, this fic cannot be read as a standalone, as it needs context from the previous Parts to be fully understood.

READ HERE: MASTERLIST FOR PART 1-4

ALL LIs POV - PART 4: TIME TO REGROUP I

Xavier X OC. Sylus X OC. Rafayel X OC. Caleb X OC. Zayne X OC.

Set in Future Timeline. All Love Interests have no memories of their past lives. All of the MCs(5 Sisters) all have memories of their past lives. Very persistent LIs. Avoidant MCs. Love at first sight. Soulmates.

Genre: Fluff, Some Angst

"You don't look well today Prince. Let me guess, your lady turned you down, didn't she?" Sylus mused as he smirked. He was sat comfortably on the chaise lounge across Xavier.

Xavier's blood simmered at the sarcastic jab. Onychinus' boss really had a knack at getting into his nerves. "One more word and this time I really will cut your tongue off," he seethed. "And speak for yourself. I have intel that you got outplayed by your lady. Heard she got up and left you high and dry after your 'VIP time' was done. Must be humiliating." This time, it was Xavier's turn to smirk at Sylus.

The veins on Sylus' forehead visibly pulsed in irritation.

"Now you listen here Prince-"

"Both of you, that's enough." Caleb calmly interjected.

Xavier, Sylus, Caleb and Rafayel were all currently within Xavier's posh residence in Linkon City. Xavier had invited them all to come over(well, everyone except Sylus, who showed up unannounced to Xavier's surprise and irritation) to discuss what had happened on each of their ends at the business party a few days back.

They figured that since they were all going through the same challenge, and since time was very limited - they all agreed that they would at least meet up once a week to regroup, to discuss and strategize and help one another to complete Mr. Kingsley's challenge. Every bit of information they can get from each other at this point might help them, and it was evident that if they helped one another - like how their alliances got them into the business party despite none of them originally being invited, it would substantially raise their chances in succeeding.

After all, the ones who will successfully complete this challenge would end up being family - they were courting sisters after all.

But right now, Xavier vehemently detested the idea of being 'family', or even being generally associated with Sylus. His cocky and arrogant demeanor was unbearable, and every interaction they've had so far nearly ended in a brawl.

"Prince Xavier...and Sylus, don't waste your energy on another fight. We're all here to help each other, alright? We each have twenty-two days left. We need all the help we can get." Caleb reiterated again to calm them down, the heavy dark bags under his purple eyes indicated that he hadn't had much sleep lately. Clearly, things didn't go well for him and his lady at the party either.

Xavier crossed his arms. "This is why I didn't invite this bastard. He still has no manners." He glared at Sylus, who only smirked arrogantly in response. "How did you find out about us meeting here, anyway?"

"Mephisto." Sylus replied, matter-of-factly. "You know, for royalty, your security is incredibly laughable."

Xavier rolled his eyes. "That darn mechanical bird. Of course." He sighed and pinched his nose bridge in annoyance. Just ignore Sylus, he thought. After all, he has proven to be useful to them before. "Where is Zayne, Caleb?"

"He said he needed to take care of something important this morning, and that he'll be here after he's got that sorted." Caleb replied.

From across the room, Rafayel scoffed. He was eagerly drawing something in his sketchbook. "Something more important than this challenge? Seems Dr. Workaholic doesn't care much about his lady after all...."

The three men all collectively looked at Rafayel's direction. They were all envious.

Things actually went well for him. When he came in, he almost immediately started yapping about how 'his' Nerissa gave him a chance, and that he was going to plan the grandest, greatest date the world has ever seen so there would be zero chance of rejection.

"I'll be planning a wedding by next week you guys, you'll see..." He told them all earlier, with full confidence.

Rafayel felt their heavy gazes on him, and turned to face them. He smiled smugly. "Now, don't give me those bitter looks, guys. Just because you all failed to woo your ladies doesn't give you all right to shoot your hideous scowls at me. Just tell me if I can do anything to help. I do kind of owe you guys for getting me into that party in the first place, after all."

Then, he started sketching again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna go back to designing the dress I'm making for Nerissa for our date. She's going to love it."

Rafayel had an annoying lovesick expression on too as he got back to his sketching. Sylus internally scoffed and pondered: How did the brattiest one of them that yaps the most actually score a date with the lady of his choice?

"I'm jealous..." Caleb sighed, but he wasn't looking at Rafayel, he was looking at Xavier. "After what happened at the party...I don't think Lilian wants to see my face anymore. I knew I should've told her that it was me when I had the chance, but she really seemed to like my fake identity. Must be nice being royalty, huh, Prince?".

"Where's this coming from, all of a sudden?" Xavier raised a brow at Caleb.

"When I met her for the first time, when I picked her up from that island....she didn't seem to like me that much. It felt like she was forming an invisible wall between us, so I couldn't reach her. But when I was disguised as your relative Prince Xavier, there was no wall between us. She was herself, and she actually seemed happy and comfortable around me," Caleb continued.

Xavier looked at him curiously. "What do you think that means?"

Caleb's expression turned somber. "I'm worried, that maybe...maybe what I am isn't enough for her. I mean, she's the daughter of the wealthiest man in the country. She probably was raised thinking that she would marry a prince..." he looked at Xavier, "or a wealthy man like her dad..." he looked at Sylus and Rafayel, "when she grew up."

Caleb chuckled sardonically.

"Sorry you guys. I know this is a really pathetic way to think, but I just couldn't think of any other reason why Lilian liked me better as 'Victor Sterling' than just plain old 'Caleb', the family pilot."

Xavier was about to say something, but Sylus spoke first. "Thinking like that will get you nowhere." He said, sternly. This caused everyone in the room, even Rafayel, to face him.

Sylus continued: "So what if she wants to marry a prince, or a millionaire, or the wealthiest man on the planet? Frankly, it is up to you, and you alone, to change her perspective." Sylus smirked. "If that is what she wants now, then show her why she should want you instead. Just give it your all. Mr. Kingsley gave us this challenge to see if we are worthy of his daughters. So prove to him that you are worthy, by winning Lilian's heart."

Xavier was flabbergasted, as these encouraging words did come from Sylus of all people.

Then, he shared his thoughts as well: "Caleb, didn't Mr. Kingsley appoint you as an Aerospace Engineer last time? Frankly, that's an incredible feat. I heard that even the sons of Nexus' own board members with engineering degrees from prestigious academies couldn't meet Mr. Kingsley's excessive standards. Him giving you that position already proves that he thinks you are worthy enough of being around his daughter."

Caleb stilled, and went silent for a bit. Then, he got up from the settee to walk towards Xavier.

He tapped Xavier's shoulder and grinned at him. "Coming from a talented Prince, and this self-made tough guy right here," he turned to face Sylus, "that means a lot. Thanks you guys..." Caleb's voice was lively now, like how it was when they all met. "Alright! Enough with the brooding. Let's start planning our next move to get our ladies!"

"That's what I've been saying! Quit sulking and come up with a decent game plan already. I still need to start sewing this dress when I get home!" Rafayel called out from across the room.

Sylus scoffed, and Caleb and Xavier chuckled.

"Say, what happened on your ends by the way?" Caleb asked.

Sylus perched his chin on his palm, his brows furrowed. "Well, like His Royal Highness over here said earlier, I got outplayed." he said. "I planned to tell Nyx everything that night. My offer to her father, and about my proposal. But she didn't let me get a word in before she left. Even Mephisto couldn't find where she went afterwards." Then, surprisingly, his face shifted to an amused expression. "Seems my girl's quite crafty. I quite like chasing her down like this. Makes catching her at the end all the more rewarding."

Xavier, on the other hand, sighed dejectedly as he rubbed his temples. "I thought things were going well with Celeste that night. After all, she didn't turn me away when I-" Xavier paused and lightly coughed as if to purposefully cut off his words. Rafayel and Caleb each raised a brow.

"Ah, clearly multiple bases were skipped that night. I'm impressed, Your Highness. I didn't expect that from you amongst all of us. Don't tell me they teach that sort of thing back in Finishing School at Philos?" Sylus retorted, amusedly.

Xavier glowered at Sylus. Then, he cleared his throat and his face was flushed as he continued: "The morning after, she left me a note. Said it was a mistake. That I should avoid her from now on..." His tone turned sullen.

"Wow....you and I really are on the same boat, Prince." Caleb said, as he bashfully scratched the back of his head. "That's practically how the night and the morning after went for me too."

In a swift motion, everyone collectively turned their heads to Caleb. He raised his arms. "What?"

"Don't tell me....you slept with her, and she actually thought you were Xavier's relative the entire time?!" Rafayel practically yelled. "That is so messed up! Let me guess, she panicked when she figured out in the morning that it wasn't who she thought it was she slept with, but her pilot instead? God, Caleb what were you thinking?"

Sylus chuckled, quite loudly this time. "I didn't expect this from you either. I guess it's true what they say, it's always the ones who seem decent..."

"I just told you guys....she was more comfortable around my false persona than my actual self! I really tried to tell her multiple times that night, but then she told me she was trying to forget some other guy, then I lost it..."

"Some other guy...?" Rafayel asked.

"I swear when I find out whoever that is...I'm going to make him pay for causing Lilian pain..." Caleb said to himself, furiously.

Xavier could understand that. The mere thought of Celeste having feelings for someone else would make him anxious and envious to no end. He didn't want to think of the things he'd do if someone else vied for her affections.

In the midst of Rafayel and Caleb's clamorous exchanges, Sylus' sarcastic jabs and Xavier's silent plans of ridding a nonexistent rival, one of Xavier's attendants opened the door.

"Your Highness, your guest, Dr. Zayne has finally arrived." the attendant called out.

"Took him long enough..." Caleb said.

"Let him in." Xavier replied.

"Of course, Your Highness. I shall go get him and his companion then." the attendant replied, before leaving promptly.

"Companion? Wait, who did he bring along with him?" Rafayel asked no one in particular.

However, before anyone of them could guess, the doors opened again, revealing Zayne and the so-called 'companion'.

"Hello everyone, I'm sorry for being late."

But Dr. Zayne didn't look apologetic at all. In fact, he looked full of life, a stark contrast from the rigid, nonchalant person he was when they all first met.

There was a bright, joyful smile plastered on his face as the lady wrapped around his arm gracefully bowed to greet everyone in the room. "I had to pick up someone immensely important..."

"Good afternoon. My name is Jasmine. I'm sorry for the intrusion. I'm here, to help all of you..."

Thank you for reading💜🩵🩷🧡❤️

Keep an eye out for updates👀

Please let me know in the comments what you think of this series so far🥹

[shadelorde]

Waava and Yangvik: an Analysis

So! I have reread the Yangchen novels (and understood far better what was happening the second time) so here is a brief analysis on the parallels between Yangvik (Yangchen and Kavik) and Waava (Raava and Wan).

Right away, I noticed several similarities between Yangchen and Raava in particular. One could even argue that Yangchen is the avatar, apart from Wan, that is closest to Raava spiritually, with the boundary between herself and her past lives shown to be far more blurred than in other avatars. Their struggles I find to be similar too - both Yangchen and Raava struggle between two aspects of their identity, the part that is meant to be peaceful and spiritual, and the part that must make sacrifices in order to maintain balance. I would argue that both of them have the capacity for manipulation and less savory tactics to get what they need, and both have caused great amounts of harm in order to achieve a greater goal.

But their most recurring struggle that they have in common is their attitude towards humanity. Both Raava and Yangchen carry a certain level of disdain towards humans, and a level of anger that they are expected to compensate for the incompetence and irresponsibility of other people.

"I'm so tired of fighting on their behalf. Human beings choose their own misery, over and over again. Tell me why humanity deserves an Avatar, Mesose. I could handle the blame, the finger-pointing, if I just knew why." Yangchen says this to Kavik while experiencing the life of Avatar Gun, and this is a theme that occurs repeatedly throughout her novels. (While this is Avatar Gun's words, it's triggered by Yangchen's experiences.)

Raava says similarly. "Ancient one, why would I do that for a human? Especially one who's caused so much trouble?" and "Most humans think only of themselves, no matter how many others are around."

This parallel between the two becomes almost explicit when Yangchen enters the Avatar State, drawing upon the power of her past lives and Raava herself.

From inside the whirling sphere of air, the elements obeyed her; everything obeyed her. Only the humans remained stubbornly wayward. Why were they so special? She examined the villagers scurrying below her feet, and yes, the Airbenders as well. Look what I can do without them. Look at how weak they are without me.

And both of them, at the end, make the decision to go back, to start or continue the cycle of helping humanity, either hopelessly or in reassurance. Raava said "We will be together for all your lifetimes, and we will never give up." And Yangchen decided, at the end of her first novel, to continue that cycle.

Yangchen could pretend all she wanted but it was no use. She would remain the instrument of her own suffering. She'd keep fighting, keep struggling, just like she'd commanded the unconscious woman to do in the hospital. It was her fate to make the same choice over and over again, as generations of Avatars had done before her. To know the past was to know the future.

Even F.C. Yee comments on how each avatar has proven to love humanity, even if they struggled through it initially, and how it connects to Raava's initial choice. "Avatars have proven throughout the franchise that they possess an unshakeable love for humanity. They might express it in different ways, but once they gather their inner strength and come to understand who they are, they'll do what it takes to help the rest of us recover from our stumbles and find the right path. If you subscribe to the theory that Raava chooses, then I like to believe that she chooses well." (found in the interview in the back of The Legacy of Yangchen). While all avatars, by nature, parallel Raava and deal with struggles that repeat throughout the cycle, Yangchen's own struggle and conclusion with her feelings towards the rest of humanity mimic Raava the most closely out of any avatar we've seen.

And then there's Kavik and Wan. Both of them are essential to their partners' character developments, and they spend a good part of their time being distrusted by their partner. Even though they regret their actions (Wan more openly than Kavik, I would argue), they spend most of their stories having to work to build or regain that bond of trust. And yet, in the end, Raava and Yangchen choose to stay.

"We will be together for all your lifetimes, and we will never give up."

"Stay with me. I need you by my side. There's so much work to do, and I want you with me until it's finished."

Initially, Kavik is far more reluctant to help Yangchen than Wan is to help Raava. Kavik is much more driven, initially, by his family and getting them out of Bin-Er and reuniting with Kalyaan, while Wan has no human family to speak of and was actually orphaned (ironically compared to Kavik, who lied about being orphaned.) However, at the end, both of them are driven by their care towards Yangchen and Raava.

"No," She said, shaking her head. "You still feel indebted, I'm calling it off-"

"Spitting spirits, you are so annoying! I want to help you because you deserve it! Do I have to tattoo the message across your skull?"

The ending to both of their partnerships are generally seem as ambiguous - although romantic interpretations can easily be prescribed to the pairings, the most important parts that we see are their devotion to one another and the obstacles they overcame to become close, regardless of the label you might choose to put on the relationship itself.

Overall, I think it would have been very cool to see Raava and Wan's relationship develop over the course of longer than a single episode (because really, we hardly see Raava in Beginnings: Part 1) and I think that their relationship has very similar roots to Yangvik.

[thatstonedwriter]

Never Again – Part 2

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A/N- I wasn't planning on writing for Crimson, but I'm willing to take a crack at his character. I hope I handle his character properly and sensitively. This is an exception and I will not write for Crimson again.

Contents; Crimson, violence, references to the mafia (as its presented in the show), mentions of severe injuries, blood, swearing, angst, fluff, polyam

Feat; Moxxie x Millie x Reader, Striker, Crimson

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Everything stops- there's no air. What did you do? Why aren't you moving? You're like this because you were making sure they didn't get hurt. Its their fault, they know they have to do.. Something, but..

Tears are welling up in Moxxie's eyes. Once again, he's been proven to not be strong enough. Millie is feral, chasing off whoever dared come near you. When she's finally calmed down enough, she rushes to your and Moxxie's side. Even when the emergency services arrive, Millie is so on edge that she barely lets them touch you. The ride to the hospital was tense, paramedics doing what they could to stop the bleeding, and even then, they were worried it wouldn't be enough. Over the course of your recovery, Moxxie and Millie never left your side. Some days, they would take turns staying with you, to ensure your safety, and to keep you company; which would include Moxxie playing music for you, and Millie laying next to you, holding your hand, and telling you about whatever shenanigans the I.M.P crew was up to. They just want to see you happy. It takes a while for them to process the guilt, however once you're back home, these two love birds shower you with more love than ever thought possible.

Striker has never felt so powerless before. And he never would've expected, in a million lifetimes, that someone would do what you've just done for him. It takes every ounce of self restraint for him not to run after the bastard who did this to you. You are his priority. As much as he wants to, he knows he can't treat your injuries- so he calls for help. At first, he doesn't visit you in the hospital. This has never happened before, he needs time to process what it all means. What you mean to him. When Striker finally musters the nerve to visit you (though he has to be sneaky), he makes sure to bring some foods he knows you like. He's never been good at affection or talking about his feelings, so for now, he hopes this can be enough. Once you're discharged, he offers for you to stay at his place. Should you accept, he'll be sure to do his best to show you how much this all meant to him. Striker never wants to risk you getting hurt again.

Crimson orders his goons to rush you to the nearest hospital. Once you're out of his sight, the shock wears off, and the severity of the situation hits him with full force. Because of his.. 'status,' he avoids following you, and instead sends various people to bring you food, and flowers. At first, he does it as a courtesy, but then he notices how empty everything feels without you around. He isn't used to this. Upon your discharge, you find several body guards and a car waiting for you. Lowkey sketch, but you know who gave the orders. Once you're back, Crimson keeps you by his side, threatening to kill anyone who dares to send a questioning glance at the two of you. He's not at all versed in caring for others, but he does his best to make sure every want and need is met. You'll never be hurt again. Not on his watch. And within the next couple weeks, there is a new mount on his wall..

[white-cat-of-doom]

One Idea Is To Be Useful

A lifetime of decisions made for survival, but living is not always impactful if you have nothing to show for it in the end and no one to remember you. Thus, an idea.

My piece for the @namingofcatszine, here formatted to have the italics (to primarily represent an internal thought process) that unfortunately never made it into the printed copy restored, as well as some more breathing room between paragraphs that was not an option with the page limit restrictions.

Thank you to everyone who contributed, to the fellow Moderator team, and to Peach for organizing this and being the lead Moderator, but especially to the six other writers that I had the honour of overseeing as the Writing Moderator for the project. We took up more pages individually than anyone else! ;)

Bravado was a funny thing in hindsight. Everyone wants to be the hero in the end after all, do they not? Jumping in to save the day, perhaps even to rescue someone, with no thought of self-preservation or consequence. Once you had everything under control, the shower of praise and glory cascading down on you in celebration of your achievement would seem like a welcome reward.

All that sounded great in his head at that pivotal moment for Alonzo. It was his chance to prove himself as a valuable protector instead of one of the many henchcats of the Mouser’s Palace he was once a part of. An opportunity to cut himself further free of the threads of the past and to push back against the oppressor that so many had been crushed under, some of which never made it out alive.

How many Cats indeed had he seen erased from this world at the cruel hands of Macavity, or one of the ruthless minions of the Mystery Cat? A good majority of those Cats were subjected to the lottery of suffering, strictly because that they had nowhere else to turn. Life on the streets meant that the fear of being attacked was a real possibility if you stepped foot in certain parts of the city, with the twisted stories of the Mystery Cat permeating throughout the underground circles of the disenfranchised. Macavity’s name carried with it such a weight that you were almost afraid to speak it aloud lest someone be closely listening to what words followed. He had eyes and ears everywhere, if that were to be believed, and few wanted to find out how much truth was held in that understanding. With the rumours, The Mouser's Palace, in theory, brought supposed comradery with an avenue of protection over the uncertainty and anxiety of solitary survival. In reality, that was not quite the case. One not only had to fight to ensure that they were worthy in line with the other rogues employed, but also to keep daily business of the empire going.

A fight for life at all times in the end, as Alonzo would find out. He was a smart Cat, always one to calculate and consider his next move in the chess game he found himself, at first indirectly, involved in life. He had faced the scorn directed towards him for prolonged indecision time and time again, even after joining and working his way up through the ranks of henchcats. Thinking things through was not commonplace in those groups, with the majority taking a more hands-on approach to accomplishing their goals. It was an effective, time-proven method in some cases, after all.

He never felt that anyone trusted his judgement, and realistically why should they? He was no one and had always been. His choices used to only be a cog to turn the machine; one that was redundant and replaceable in the grand scheme of things.

Alonzo never thought that he, too, would have to take the same physical approach that henchcats resorted to at some point. This time, however, it was different. Perhaps that is why he jumped into the middle of that unknown so freely. He simultaneously had nothing and everything to lose, and - at the very least - he had done one thing right in his life if things did go wrong. All he knew was that she was in his grasp, and that Munkustrap could not hold Macavity completely back from accomplishing what he arrived to do. That was enough for him – maybe he did do a bit of thinking then.

The aftermath of his impromptu pas de deux was a fair amount of pain and a familiar red colour once more on his mainly golden fur – a mixture of his and that actual red bastard. Truly a pity; he had looked his best for The Jellicle Ball, trying to smooth down his rougher edges and appearance – almost a new Cat, Bombalurina had teased, with a level of sincerity that Alonzo had not yet determined – and it did not last that long.

Nothing in life is permanent in the end. Everything eventually fades away.

Another part of the aftermath was a trip to The Healer’s Den to get patched up and sent on his way – he might even get a nice treat if he was a good Tom.

And there he sat, staring at the walls lined with vials filled with aromatic plants and liquids that reeked in too many off-putting ways if not well acquainted with them. The pungent odour was all a bit much for Alonzo, and he purposely avoided this den for that reason, but he did not have much of a choice at the moment.

Or did he.

With all the commotion of both the uninvited guest during the Ball and the Jellicle Choice afterwards, he might be able to sneak off. He was not important enough anyway to worry about, he thought to himself. Other Cats needed medical attention as well, and there were plenty of past times he had been hurt; left to grin and bear it without someone to care and ensure he did not make an injury worse.

As quiet as he could muster in spite of the pain, he rose from the bundle of blankets he was told to wait on and made his way towards one of the exits of the den. Everyone else there seemed preoccupied; he could see Coricopat and Tantomile preparing medicines through a slit in one of the curtains, Jennyanydots was in another one of the rooms looking after Munkustrap – he had bore the brunt of the fight with the Mystery Cat and likely needed an overnight stay - and Alonzo could overhear the younger Toms trying to compare injuries while simultaneously also touting how it was lucky for Macavity that they were not the ones to spar with one another – despite Carbucketty being thrown around like he was no more than a mouse. Only a few more turns and he would be free in the early dawn to find another place to rest, away from everyone else.

The touch of a paw on his back stopped him, and he knew exactly who it was without needing to turn around. He was caught by the one Queen he knew that he could not say no to, and she would be all business tonight.

“If it were not for you being injured, I would have scooped you up here and carried you back like a fussy Kitten!” said the familiar voice of Jellylorum.

Was there a hint of nervous fun in that declaration?

“You should be so lucky to have someone to look after you, let alone the four of us, and this is your thank you? Sneaking off without a word?” A biting tone creeped up as she continued.

Ouch, definitely not her cheery self then.

Turning to face his fate, Alonzo could not help but feel guilty as he saw Jellylorum's eyes.

How did she know I would try to leave? Was I for once not quiet enough?

He received the answer soon enough, as if she was already probing his flawed thought process as it happened inside his head, all without his need to speak.

“You should know by now that no one gets past me, Alonzo. I deal with the young ones everyday, and they are very quiet on their feet. I can hear everything when I am the one in charge of looking after them. I cannot afford to lose anyone around here,” she quipped. “And lest you think I am joking about carrying you around, remember who lifted Admetus on their back just last week!”

That was no exaggeration either. Despite her relatively smaller outward appearance, Jellylorum was as strong as a pack of Pollicles. She was also a stubborn one who never danced around a subject too long, a no-nonsense approach that Alonzo appreciated and admired. He knew exactly who Jellylorum took after, after having met Gus for the first time. A couple of firebrands that family is. He also knew that he was not going to be able to charm his way out. Not tonight at least; Jellylorum was busy enough. He was best to return to the blanket pile and not cause any more undue fuss.

Without a word of argument, Alonzo marched back to where he started, feeling the eyes of Jellylorum burn through his body as she escorted him.

She must think that I am so ungrateful.

Having a seat once more on the soft bedding, he again met the eyes of the Queen that he secretly regarded as a mother figure; he was never sure if she had caught on to the affinity he held for her, but was too proud to admit to. Instead of the expected anger he anticipated, Jellylorum looked saddened – a rarity for the stoic Cat that dealt with issues in a practical manner – which only added to his guilt. Still, he had nothing to say that would make the situation better, instead waiting for the verbal scolding that he rightfully deserved for being selfish at an inopportune time.

“Life is hard enough, Alonzo. You understand that possibly better than anyone here in the Tribe, and yet you are always the first to forego anyone helping you,” she started softly. “I appreciate your point of view that you can fend for yourself, but eventually you will need to come to the realization that some of us care for you – I care about you! And I do not think that I need to inform you that Demeter especially cares about you, as I am sure you do her! The poor thing will not stop asking how everyone is doing because she feels that this is all her fault.”

I know, I just feel bad about being a liability. You either are someone who finishes the job or someone who is finished off. There was no room for weakness in any form, in the past.

“You will not be doing anyone a favour if those wounds get infected and you lose a limb! I do not think that you want to force me to be a Protector at my age!”.

With the slightest of grins, she stopped momentarily to show off her physique in dramatic fashion, her cheery disposition shining through to dispel the rare unease between them.

“Although it did feel good to get a few swipes in on Macavity. I bet he did not anticipate me and Jenny giving him that departing gift. I do not need to show you that same treatment to keep you here, do I?”

With that playful threat, Alonzo finally spoke.

“Just let me say thank you before you do, alright?” he sheepishly began, “It is only fair after everything you have done for me. It is hard to admit that I need help. Not exactly what I am used to, being the one that is vulnerable or the one that needs to rely on another. I am lucky to have you. You should know that it truly means the world, even if I never say it."

"I will stay, if only for you.”

[ochrearia]

Biff and YS sillies.

Shakes these two violently. If anyone gets to be the big brother and little brother dynamic first it's these two and that's me being entirely biased towards my own BF but like IVE ALREADY BEEN WRITING THESE ASSHOLES INTERACTING FOR MONTHS IN POPR SO IT MAKES SENSE

I also almost gatekept this? But then I remember most of you guys here only found me off of Poly Propaganda so like. Why would I gatekeep a BF you guys are familiar with reading about

BFs in this drabble: PoPr!BF (Biff, mine) Yourself (YS)

Perhaps he was just losing his edge. Or maybe the world was starting to be kind enough to let him feel like a person again. Either way there was something so incredibly tempting about pushing buttons when Yourself knew he could get away with it. He was good at getting away with a lot of things. “The incentive is in your reactions, Biff. You want me to stop being obnoxious right back at you? Stop reacting then.” 

“See this is on you, really, because I may not be smart but I can recognize the potential to be the worst little shit imaginable with the information you just gave me.” Biff grinned, flopping over YS’s chest intentionally. “And since we’re the same person it’s very likely that any of the ways my buttons can be pushed are the same ways yours can. As you have already proved by pushing a bunch of mine with no prior knowledge.”

“Ooh, big words from the little man.” YS continued to tease instead. He didn’t want to admit at any point that Biff was possibly his favorite, because that wasn’t fair to the others. They’d just known each other the longest, and while they all had the same potential for it, Biff was really the definition his mind jumped to when he thought of the two words ‘little brother’. He wasn’t saying that out loud for shit.

“Patronizing me is going to be your worst mistake.” Biff threatened, grinning wildly. “I think you need to be knocked down a few pegs, you massive asshole. If my buttons are similar to yours then this isn’t going to keep going well for you. No one knows what pisses me off more than me! Meaning I know how to piss you off too.” The smaller fished his phone from his pocket, pushing his elbows against the silly counterpart’s chest to prop himself up. YS watched with a raised eyebrow as he typed something.

“Oh that better fucking not be the watermelon song.”

“What’s wrong with the watermelon song?” Biff asked innocently as the aforementioned song started blasting from his phone at full volume. “Gee, I don’t know about you, but you know what pisses me off? A strong earworm that I know won’t shut up for at least a few days.”

YS had half a mind to shove this dickhead off of him. That was, at first, something he’d thought was a difference between them- how affectionate Biff was, and how he was keen to show that affection by being touchy. Though in reality it hadn’t been a difference at all, something which having met all these other selves has proven. Apparently he gave really good hugs. Something less known was that he stole away just as much comfort from them as he was intending to give. Contact was nice when your body was always cold for as long as you could remember. Pushing him off would just mean more cold, again.

He settled for roughly ruffling his little brot- Biff’s- hair instead. “You’re- okay what’s a good word that would actually make you mad… I’ve exhausted the punch power of things like ‘dumbass’ and ‘shitter’ by using them too often. They’ve lost their meanings.”

“I have literally done nothing wrong and you’re mean to me for no reason.”

“I’m adding ‘a big fat liar’ to the list by the way.” YS snarked back immediately. “Turn this shit off, I’ve already heard this damn thing several times too many for my lifetime.”

“Mean to me.” Biff repeated, not turning it off and just lowering the volume instead. “Can’t believe you’re such a fucking Battleblock Theater hater.”

“I have literally never played that game and I never want to because of you and this song. Turn it off or I’m shoving you away and you will leave back through the mirror without a hug today.”

“Fuck!” Biff swore, mad that his attempt to push YS’s buttons was instead ending in more of his being pushed. “You’re such an asshole! Big, stupid, dumb fuckin’! Jerk!”

YS burst into laughter, rough with disuse. Low snickering that was prone to snorts as he tried to breathe between them. He wasn’t one to laugh very much, and even when he did it was only for a few seconds at a time. It was incredibly rare for him to go on an actual giggle fit, not even believing he still could after everything. Then again, he’d also believed he would never get to feel warm again either. Or that he’d never get to see the colors of life in anything other than sad, depressed, washed-out hues. Things change. There’d been so much bad change to face in his life. He’d forgotten what good change was like.

It was like the sun. Bright and warm. Life giving.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten to hear you laugh for that long before.” Biff said, turning the playful atmosphere in a more serious direction. “That’s not to make you self-conscious by the way, don’t you dare start thinking that shit. Sorry, I tend to blurt things out before thinking, but like, honestly. The others aren’t fully sure how to be affectionate with you on the same level I do, because it’s kind of weird in a way, acting brotherly when that’s literally just yourself, but I know they think the same thing. It’s kind of… I don’t know, crisis inducing? To look at another version of you and know you’re so… sad. Eh, maybe not crisis inducing. Fuck I don’t know words. It makes us sad. That’s probably the most straight-forward way I can say it.”

YS’s laughs faded, shadowed eyes watching the other carefully. There was a very easy and negative takeaway he could get out of those words alone but he knew that wasn’t what Biff was trying to get at. Making assumptions before having the whole picture only led to more problems. 

“You’re smart. Surely you caught on to that by now. You’re seeking us out with the intent to help because it’s the next best thing when you’re so clammed up on your own self that you can’t give everything you give to us, to yourself instead. You’re not going to get away with that without us giving back. So of course seeing you so sad makes us sad. But it’s okay! We’re going to help fix that.” He said matter-of-factly. How confident.

YS huffed out one last chuckle. “All of you are so confident about solving problems you’ve never actually faced. Somewhere along the line I suppose it’s endearing but you’re all incredibly dumb and misguided.”

“I’ve faced them.” Biff reminded. “Not physically. But I have… faced them. Seen everything you lock in your head because you think you have to contain it alone. And I know you’re still mad at me for doing that. You just never fucking talk, man. All of us dumbasses come to you all vulnerable and you fix that but you don’t let yourself get vulnerable. What are you afraid of?”

Don’t you know? Though he never really did say it out loud. There were a lot of things he didn’t say out loud. He was scared of hurting them. They knew that. He was scared to lose them too. Something about the double meaning of losing himself made him uncomfortable.

“...Are we okay?” Biff continued suddenly, voice softer and more nervous. “It’s been weeks since I, I guess, betrayed you in a way. Took your magic and used it against you. I knew it wasn’t what you wanted and did it anyway.”

A flash of him, pounding against the glass of a mirror he couldn’t walk in, because Biff had purposefully avoided anything reflective. His face, always so pale and sad, shadowed out and hung low, but rolling tears still visible, kept company by a panicked and upset grimace, teeth clenched so tight they could shatter.

Had it all been a mistake?

“You disappeared on me for a while after. Scared me. I knew I deserved it, you were so angry when you came to take your baggage back. You stopped showing up in my dreams even. I deserved it but it still scared me. I wondered if we’d ever talk again after a few days.”

Biff was right about one thing. He had been angry. Furious, really, though it wasn’t all directed at him. They hadn’t really talked about it either. The days he had been avoiding Biff were the days he decided to reach out to even more selves- he didn’t need to know that though. That would probably just make him feel some sort of venom towards the others. YS didn’t want that. All of them getting along was important too.

“But… are we okay?” Biff repeated, lips stuck in a frown. “I guess I can’t really ask for forgiveness if you really don’t want to do that. But I need to… know where we stand so I don’t overstep. Hell, I’ve probably been overstepping this whole time…”

This dude worried too much.

“You are annoying.” YS started, almost laughing at the look of shock that caused. “You are. But I’m not saying that as a bad thing. You’re annoying that you care so damn much about my opinion of you. We’ve had this conversation before about your GF and Pico. You lost all your confidence in the face of them not thinking highly of you, in a dream. You know what that’s telling me? That you somehow care about my opinion as much as theirs. Don’t you think that’s a bit overdramatic?”

“Not if it’s the opinion of my big brother…” Biff mumbled. He hadn’t meant it to be loud enough for the other to hear, a reply to himself born from a need to say something in rebuttal. The other had definitely heard though.

YS didn’t think the grin on his face could get any wider without his head splitting. “We’re okay, you fucking idiot.” Big brother huh? Guess that whole changing my nickname in the groupchat thing wasn’t just a joke. I’m not entirely sure if that should make me this damn happy. I think I’d be even happier if the rest started calling me that too… “If everything ended after one shit choice then none of us would be here. None of us, because all of us are prone to shit choices with the small amount of brain cells we have collectively. So yes, we're okay. Just don’t fucking do that again.”

“You got it, bossman.” Biff teased, steering the atmosphere back to silly. “Good to know I’ll still be getting my hug before I leave.”

“So long as you don’t push any more of my buttons before then.”

“No promises!”

[sailorshadzter]

im late to the party & didnt get to do all the prompts

but i had to do this one. any excuse for me to rewrite this scene ill take lol

@zutaraweek / day7: forge

She isn’t certain how many times throughout the night she thinks this is madness.

But then his eyes meet hers and she’s set ablaze once more, burning passion that surges her forward, that keeps her pressing on. Through every encounter, through every moment, each one worse than the last. Until finally, after hours of travel, after a lifetime of waiting, she’s brought face-to-face with the man who killed her mother.

And even still, in the very end, she’s left unable to do anything at all. She wonders if that’s proof of her strength, or even her weakness. She knows Aang will be happy, perhaps even proud of her, and she can picture his gray eyes full of relief when he learns she did not take her revenge as she so desperately wanted. And truthfully, deep down beneath the surface of it all, she knows that would have been what her mother wanted as well. The last thing she’d have wanted was for her daughter to become a murderer just because of her. 

So, she’s done the right thing, yet she’s feeling strangely empty as they return to the place where they’d left their friends behind. 

Dawn is just barely breaking above the horizon when she slides down from Appa, who sinks into place on the shore for a well deserved rest. Katara makes a mental note to find him some apples to feed as her thanks for what he’s done for her over these last few days. Zuko turns her way when she pauses on the dock, but she waves him on, because she just needs some time to herself. And Zuko, somehow understanding her, nods, moving on towards the campsite, perhaps to carefully slip into his usual spot to sleep a few hours before their friends woke and found them returned. 

Behind her, she’s unaware that Aang of course wakes at once, and she’s also unaware that Zuko keeps him from coming her way- again, somehow his understanding of her needs is far greater than Aang’s or perhaps even Sokka or Toph. For that, she would someday be thankful. 

There on the dock, she sinks onto the edge, kicking her feet into the still blue water, unable to stare into her own reflection. She forces herself to think back through the memories of it all; her mother’s death, the pain of moving on… The anger, no, the hate she had felt for the man and the nation that had taken her from her. For her, the Fire Nation was nothing but evil, corrupt people with no regard for peace nor feeling. But then… Golden eyes appear in her mind and she looks up, surprised, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of the wayward prince. Somehow, Zuko had proven himself to be nothing like who she thought he was. Beyond what he’d done for her (not to mention saving her life more than once) he’d been fighting alongside them this whole time. And she supposes, it is easy to lose your way, to lose your faith… Hadn’t she just done the very same thing?

And who brought her back… Him. 

The sound of approaching footsteps alerts her and she looks up and over her shoulder, unsurprised to see the very subject of her thoughts standing there. Almost as if her thoughts had summoned him, he stands there with a sheepish look on his face, cheeks tinted red as he runs a hand through his hair. “Katara… I…” He says quietly, watching as she rises up to her feet, closing the gap between them. 

“You know…” She begins, shifting from one foot to the other, blue eyes rising up to meet gold. “I’m not ready to forgive that man for what he did, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to,” she admits, thinking of the old man he’d become, unlike the man she recalled from her memories. “But I think I am ready to forgive you.” She reaches for him then, embracing him in a way she’s never embraced anyone in her entire life. Though he startles at first, she feels his arms wind around her waist a moment later, drawing her in just a tiny bit closer. He’s warm, she notes, warmer than she expects him to be.

A moment later when she’s drawing away, she can’t help but to keep a hand to his arm, giving it a tender squeeze. In this moment, they both know one thing and one thing alone: something new has been forged from this embrace, from this encounter together. Something stronger than steel, something neither of them has ever experienced before. 

It would be something everlasting. 

[marymary-diva17]

The dreamwalker and the warrior

Female Jake x male neytiro

When an offer a chance of lifetime had come up a person will be fool to turn it down. So what does a women do when she down on her luck and hasn't been having a good life, and watching the home she once love fall apart. Well she had taken the offer to go elsewhere and start brand new and finding new happiness in the world.

Jane " so tell me again why are you fine with me working with you, and no one else" Jane was looking at grace the head of the scientists department and avatar program.

grace " well your brother spoke highly of you and said you could be helpful, and looking your records and hearing of the good deeds you had done you will be good for the job"

Jane " ........"

grace " I'm sorry for your lost your brother was a good man, and I'm also sorry for how life had been treating you maybe you can start brand new here" Jane had faced many tragedies and hardships back on earth she lost her career after and incident, along with losing many people she loves on her.

Jane " thank you grace"

grace " now come on lets go see your avatar body norm are you coming"

norma " yes ma'am" grace and taken the new members of her team to go see their avatar bodies, Jane was so amazing to see her avatar body it was so perfect to her.

max " tomorrow you will get to experience what life inside your avatar body"

Jane " wow there has been so much I have missed doing, and now I can do them again"

norma " you will do great" Jane had smiled at norm day mark the new start for her, she was going to keep her promise to Tommy and everyone else she loves. To keep living her life and find some happiness and just keep seeing what the universe had to offer her.

grace " now come on lets show these jarheads what you can do" so grace smile at jane soon getting a smile back. When Jane had tested out her avatar body the next day she was so amazed, she loved her avatar body so much.

Days later

Jane " ........"

grace " are you going to spend the day checking yourself out in thr mirror"

Jane " oh no I'm just so amazed this had happened I thought it was impossible"

grace " well with the Technology we have we had made it happen, and your have to thank Tommy it was his idea and I obeyed his last wish"

Jane " thank you grace thank you so much"

grace " your welcome now come on we are going to be late for the mission"

Jane " yes ma'am" Jane had been tasked on keeping the scientists and avatar safe when they were outside from the base, she had good combat skills and seem to be less under the RDA control like all the others at the moment.

Jane " wow" Jane was looking at all the planets around her she was amazed by everything she was seeing. pandora was so wonderful Tommy was right after all. A smile had gown on Jane face as she was touch the flowers as they were popping away from her.

Jane " oh" Jane was having so much fun when she came face to face with some of the creatures of Pandora, it was looking at her.

grace " Jane"

Jane " yes"

grace " no movement they get scared easily" Jane had nodded her head listen to grace, as she wish not to make the beast mad at her. When Jane thought she was done with exterminate today, she will be proven wrong when a Thanator showed up.

Jane " grace I think we have a new friend here" the creature was looking at the three avatar, Jane was thinking of a plane to save grace and norm.

Jane " hey buddy pay attention to me not them"

grace " no Jane don't"

Jane " come at me not them"

norma " Jane run" soon Jane took off running as the beast was chasing after her, she was running as fast her leg could take her. She had dropped her weapon as she was fleeing some the beast, Jane was fighting for her life.

Jane " well it seems like my day got more adventurous" Jane soon took off running again after using some tree branch for a shield, she soon reach the waterfall. She had two chose become the meal ticket to this beats or jump and she jumped off the waterfall landing into the water.

Jane " wow that was something" Jane soon swam towards the shore and soon walked out of the water coughing her breath, and feeling some pain.

Jane " oww that hurt nice move Jane" Jane knew she had find some way home or back to the group, she knew this day was going to be very long. As she was walking in the forest she had failed to notice she was being watched by a male navi, who was about to kill her but spotted when wood spirts had gotten in his way.

later that night

Jane " umm maybe I should find shelter for the night it will be good" Jane had made herself a homemade spear but she also had her blade with her, so she had her guard up to her best ability. She knew starting a fire will be bad, but she need some warmth for the night knowing it will be bad. She had made a move hoping to find something to help her make it through the night.

Jane " what is that" soon Jane had been surround by viper wolves and they didn't seem very happy with her.

Jane " oh come on I don't have all night for this" the viper wolves soon started leaping towards her, as Jane was using the spear to fight back against them.

Jane " well I'm up for a fight" Jane getting overpowered by the viper wolves, as they were starting to out number her and attack her in numbers. She had fallen to the ground losing her weapons.

???? " ahhh" Jane had become shocked when a navi male had came out of nowhere and started fighting off the creatures soon sending them running off. As he had hit them with his arrow and firing a couple bows at them.

Jane " ........" The male soon looked at her and he was not happy with Jane. Jane soon got up from the ground and started dusting herself off, still looking that the man who saved her life.

Jane " thank you for helping me"

???? " you are a fool you walk here not knowing anything" that when Jane remember grace school and she helped the navi children learn English, this man might of been one of her students.

Jane " you most know grace Augustine right I'm a friend of her as well"

???? " leave this place" The man had tuned his back towards her but Jane was not giving up, she soon ran after him trying to speak with him.

Jane " wait please I and my friends came here in peace, I don't mean harm I wish thank you for saving me back there" The male soon turned around and hiss at her.

????? " all of this happened because of you acting like a child, and now knowing anything"

Jane " okay then why save me when you could of walked away"

???? " you have a pure heart that why I saved you now head back, and don't come back" Jane seem to not be giving up as she followed the strangers soon meeting more of his clan, and soon being dragged to home tree. It was so amazing a big tree that seem to so tall but it seem like her coming was not welcome, and Jane understood why she was not wanted.

mo'at " Jane sully will stay with us and learn our ways and maybe we cna learn from her"

Jane " ........"

mo'at " my son will help you learn the way"

????? " mother why me that no fair"

mo'at " it has been done my son now take her to get new clothes" the man had soon take Jane away to get new clothes, he and everyone were looking at her.

Jane " so what your name"

Neytiro " neytiro te eyuthan"

Jane " neytiro"

neytiro " neytiro"

Jane " neytiro well it nice to meet you neytiro" neytiro seem not to like Jane at all and hated the idea of teaching her the clan ways. he was wishing his mother had someone else teach her the ways, even tsu'tey and the other didnt like her and thought she was weak. Deep down Jane was taking this chance to start something and see what happens, grace and everyone else seem happy about her being with the clan. This might even be a sign that things are changing for Jane after all and things will become good for her.

Months later

Jane " ......" neytiro is a good mentor and jane was doing her best to learn the ways but she was still not that good in navi ways.

neytiro " so you are a warrior among your people"

Jane " yes that day we meet I was there to keep some of my people safe from harm"

neytiro " your injuries have proven you fought well and not that many survive and thantaor and viper wolves"

Jane " I call it luck"

neytiro " so show me your moves Jane sully so I and everyone can see what type of warrior you are"

Jane " I'm guessing some of you this don't believe I'm a warrior truly"

neytiro " it because you are unlikely the female warriors we know you are shorter them them and seem a bit weak, having fiver fingers and coming from the sky ... you also don't like our female and not like the sky people females" Jane didn't know if neytiro was insulting her or complimenting her at the moment. She was trying her best to be friends with neytiro but it seems like the warrior was giving her a hard time.

Jane " oh great now we have a crowd watching"

neytiro " they will like to see how you Jane a warrior from the skies fight" Jane just scoffed and shake her head soon enough that match between Jane and neytiro started.

neytiro " you are good fighter but still need some work"

Jane " well it seems like I'm making an impression on you" neytiro laugh at Jane words and soon looked at her.

neytiro " there is nothing you can do that will impress me right now dream walker"

Jane " ......" Jane just smirked towards neytiro as the he ran towards her knocking her down, and when everything thought neytiro got the upper hand they were all proven wrong when Jane had side swip neytiro legs knocking him down.

neytiro " nice move" neytiro had gotten up and looked at Jane he seem amazed.

Jane " I have some other moves as well"

neytiro " ......." neytiro smirk towards Jane he was going to tackle her but was stopped when, she had out him to the punch soon tackling him and pinning him to the ground.

Jane " it look like the mighty warrior has been beaten by dreamwalker oh poor neytiro" Jane looked at him as they were so close and neytiro couldn't move at all. The pair had fallen in mud but neytiro was the one that was covered more in mud then her, Jane soon got up and was now looking the neytiro.

Jane " it seems like I'm a good warrior after all" neytiro was looking up at Jane, as she actually had beaten him in fight. She had never done that before until now. Jane had looked back to see more navi had come to watch and were shocked about what happened.

Jane " oh crap good move Jane good move" Jane didn't know what she did was either good or bad, as showing up the clan leader son and one their best hunter and warrior might good thing. Before anyone could say anything Jane decide to take her leave and head to the human camp.

Later that day

grace " you did what"

Jane " what he asked me to show him what I can do, they were questioning if I'm a true warrior and I showed him"

norma " I can't believe you beat the olo'eythan son ... that something I never thought will happen I know you are good fighter but you beat him"

Jane " I didnt mean to beat him or humiliate hime we were training, and I won the fight that all"

grace " what you might of done will be either good and bad"

Jane " I know but if you want to scold me why don't you scold one of your good student neytrio, he was asking me to show him what type of warrior I'm and I did I was not doing good at anything else yet but now I showed him what I can do"

grace " oh Jane"

Trudy " I don't see anything wrong with what happed warrior prince was asking for it and she gave it to him, I'm proud of you girl"

Jane " that your trudy" jane and trudy high five each other and smiled.

Jane " grace if it makes you feel better I will go apologize for my rude behavior towards him and the clan"

grace " well it was not the rude but eyuthan dosnet like us and this might make matters worst"

Jane " yes and I was starting to think that some human males and navi males were all the same"

Trudy " umm guys I think we have a guest" soon trudy showed everyone a screen and it seem like there was someone here.

Jane " I will get it"

grace " no I;m coming as well"

Jane " fine if you don't hear from in in ten minutes you can come after me with from and trudy deal" grace nodded her head and Jane went to transfer in her avatar body. She soon got up and walked around soon hearing someone out there.

Jane " ok whoever is out there come out now or else it been a long day, and I don't need any more trouble"

neytiro " jane sully"

Jane " neytiro what are you doing here out this late and so far from home"

neytiro " I have come here to give this back it fall off during our fight or I might ripped it off" Jane soon saw her necklace a gift that Tommy gave her but it seems to, have some navi details added to it.

Jane " my necklace"

neytiro " it saw it broken in the mud and knew it belong to you, as it the only human stuff you kept I fixed it for you"

Jane " thank you look I'm sorry for beating you and humiliating you" neytiro look at her with a confused expression on his face.

neytiro " you have nothing to be sorry about Jane sully you are mighty warrior your people most be proud of you, you have beaten me and well"

Jane " thank you" neytiro had helped Jane put back on the necklace, and for that mommy their eyes meet with each other and it felt like time stopped.

neytiro " just because you beat me this time doesn't mean our training over, we will start again tomorrow and see what else you are made of Jane sully"

Jane " okay see you tomorrow" neytiro didn't say anything else but nodded his head and soon walk away into the night, soon Jane meet with the others.

Trudy " he seems nice"

norma " yes and it not like there are many fine options back at base of the males ... there are some but not many"

grace " laides enough we are here to help and make peace, not find love of any kind with human and navi ... at the moment" Jane was laughing with her friends as grace, was starting to question if she picked the rights one to work with she knew she did. Over time Jane and neytiro did become closer and Jane become closer with the clan soon bring grace and norma with her.It soon become well know that Jane had gain the attention and affection of neytiro but she was not the only dream walker that gain the attention of navi since their time here. One night neytiro had taken Jane to the spirt trees and confess his love to her as she had confessed her love as well, soon become mates under the eyes of eywa. The dreamwalker and the warrior and soon become a perfect match that will last forever.

[grae-98]

Treatment

Chapter 7

Set between 1880-1890, You have been feeling and acting off. After visiting the doctor's he sends you off to stay in Pelican Town where you are set to receive treatment for your condition. Upon arrival you learn the doctor administering these treatments is better than you think.

Harvey/ unnamed afab!reader

2nd pov

about 3.5k

trigger warnings: reader is diagnosed with hysteria, mentions of depression, cheating/ adultery, doctor/ patient relationship, mentions of infertility

smut tags: Again no smut

notes: i do have this posted on ao3 if you'd prefer to read it there.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Hours after returning to your home you are left with your thoughts. Lying in the once truly comforting sheets your mind felt fridged. The evening felt as though it had lasted a lifetime, causing you to retire early to your bed. Haley gave you a look of knowing as if she felt your pain and sadness, but you would think that it may be concerning the variety of information presented before you just today. Before she had left for the night to return to her own home, she asked you once again if you would be truly okay once she had left.

 You look through the darkness to find the swirling grey fuzz filling your vision. You consider every option. There is to go home and act as though nothing has changed. Yes, you knew of the adultery of your husband; however, that was your husband, and you were obligated to do everything in your power to make things right with him. A second option is to stay here. Be here in Pelican Town. Be happy for a time. Feel completely happy for once since you were a child. Apologize to Harvey and admit that you were acting irrationally and beseech his forgiveness.

‘Why on this Earth would I beg him for forgiveness? He has done wrong to me, and I should feel no way indebted to him.’  

Raging thoughts attempting to be shifted to the sides you lift your hand from beneath your comforter. Tracing shapes within the muddled haze as though it might help you fill out an answer. Suddenly an idea comes upon you however you must rest now and dwell on it come tomorrow.

Forcing your thoughts to rest along with you proved to be more evil than anticipated. Crusted eyes pulled open suddenly as Haley pulled open your curtains. Groaning you motion to her to close them ever so slightly.

“What time is it?” You shift so you’re sitting up un the bed.

“8 o’clock ma’am. Usual time I wake you upon request.” Haley turns her body as to face you.

“Yes, Haley, good. I have not slept this poorly in many months.”

“Does it have anything to do with that has happened yesterday?”

“It has most everything to do with yesterday.”

“Yes, but I am to understand that you asked Robin to arrive early today to join you for a luncheon. Do you still want that?”

Groaning once more, “Yes, I suppose I did ask Robin for lunch, didn’t I?”

“No, actually you hadn’t. I just know you well enough that you would prefer Robin’s company for a lunch rather than dinner.”

“How could you have possibly guessed that?”

“I have been working for you for nearly a year now ma’am. I would like to believe that we know each other well by now.”

“Very good Haley, I am impressed. I like that you will think of me in such a sense as to know the best times to invite my guests. You have truly proven yourself as a lady’s maid. I thought I it was going to be a risk taking you on, but you have proved me very wrong and I am pleased to say that I am delighted for it.”

“Oh. Please do not believe that I have taken it upon myself to know when you should like to receive your visitors.” You laugh as she’s seemed to miss the compliment entirely.

“Haley it is not so deep as to be worried. I was making a point that sometimes you seem to know me better than I seem to know myself.” You stand from the bed and shiver from the coolness of your room. “Shall you get me dressed? I am in no mood for breakfast this morning.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

_

By 1 o’clock the day had pushed itself far enough to see a visit from Robin. She looks pleased to see you as she enters. Her red hair tied simply above her head shows that she had her daughter help her with her hair. The dress she wore looked as though she had only worn it to come here and impress you. As you scan the length of her dress, she seems anxious.

“Robin, how wonderful is it to finally see you and looking so wonderful at that!”

“Thank you, it has been too long since we have spent any time together. How have you been?” You smile as you walk her towards the drawing room with you. She leans in closer to speak in a hushed voice.

“How is your relationship with our fair doctor?” Robin asks as she removes her gloves to seat herself on the all too familiar couch.

You can hardly mask the look on your face as it twists with disgust before settling into a plain face. Taking the seat across from her, your mouth opens and closes twice before finally gritting the words through partially angered teeth.

“Robin, I do not wish to speak about him at this very moment. He and I are no longer.”

She looks at you tentatively before asking her question. “Do you mean to say that you are no longer receiving the treatments then?”

Giving a long sigh before looking down to your hands and then back to Robin. You look to her face and see that there is mild fascination twinged with worry. Her eyebrows partially pushed together while she waits for your response.

“That is correct. I am not and I will tell you about it soon. I need your advice on something else.” After you speak this one of the men you hear approach the room. Holding your hand up to Robin to signal a pause. You watch as the man comes and sets down the try before you thank him and resume the conversation.

“And what might that be?” She asks after settling back on the back rest.

Taking a longer pause you stare empty minded to the window. Eyes looking between the snow-covered pine to the colorless skies. “I am going to leave Pelican Town.”

“Ah…” She looks down to her cup sadly. “I see.”

“It is not a decision I have made lightly. After the knowledge that I have come to know I feel that it may be my only option. Part of the reason I have asked for you to see me today is that I seek your advice on bringing Haley along with me.”

“You wish to bring Haley?”

“Yes. I would like to think of us as nearly friends. She has more than proven herself quite the ladies’ maid.”

“Then I should congratulate you on finding such a person. What of her beau she had found herself?”

“I was hoping you could answer that for me. She had told me some time ago that she heard word that he was to propose to her ‘soon’, but that time has come and gone by weeks. You are far more in the know of what happens in the town itself.”

“Well…” She pauses and leans herself in to allow for a sense of secrecy, “I had heard that he might have thrown her over.”

“He hadn’t surely! When I went to town the day before yesterday she said that she was to visit him!”

“That is why I asked you. Thinking that she would have mentioned something to you, with you keeping her in your employ.”

“I should have like to think so but perhaps you and I have been deceived in her willingness to share her details, especially when it is in regard to this sort of matter.”

“I should say then for you to speak with her on this before you decide that you are to take her away to the city. Where are you set to go?”

“Another topic you have broached much too early into your visit. I was going to have us dine before getting to that.”

“Please, you must allow us to put this business first so we may dine in peace and minor contemplation.”

You laugh, “Yes, I suppose we must. I was to ask you to send a telegram to Mister Acunin for me. I do not wish to go into town, lest I run into Doctor Sullivan.”

“My, his title now. Things really must have taken a turn. I can make a trip out to town after I am completed with my duties tomorrow. What is it that you would like me to send?”

“I wish to ask for some sort of refuge. I must leave this town and I will not let myself go back to my husband.”

“Why? What has happened with your husband and the doctor that you must refuse the both of them?”

“I will make a terribly complicated matter as simple as I can.” Robin leans forward again as you speak much more hushed than previously.

“My husband has known that my treatment is completed and has found himself in business with a whorehouse. The doctor was complicit in my husbands’ doings and refused to me access to my medical information. To put it plainly.”

“I don’t even know what to say to that. Goodness, I couldn’t even imagine what you might be going through. Who else knows of this?”

“Aside from you?” You heave another sigh after taking a drink from your cup. “Doctor Sullivan, clearly, and Haley. Haley is the one who found the telegrams from the doctor to my husband that detailed my course of treatment. I would imagine that the Western Union operator knows just from the telegrams alone. Is that Pam who is employed there?”

“Yes, Pam is the one who works the telegraph in town. I will talk to her tomorrow to see what she may know if you would like for me to?”

“I would be grateful if you had. Robin, you are truly sent from the stars. I could never thank you enough for all that you have done for me since I’ve come to stay here. I should really ask for your servicing to this cottage for more additions. As a thank you I mean.”

Robin laughs. Reaching her arm across the table to settle her hand on yours. The warmth from her palm sinks into the top your hand. Looking to her face once more you look for any easily read emotion only to find she looks serious.

“You are my friend, and I am happy to help you in any way that you may need. No thanks nor are you at all inclined to feel indebted to me.”

“You are far too kind to me.”

“And at this very moment you are deserving of it.”

_

The lunch with Robin ends quicker than you would have liked. She links her now gloved hand in yours before she bids you farewell. Watching as she leaps onto her horse with such ease before setting off. You watch Robin through the window until you can no longer see her and all are left are fresh horse tracks in the snow. As you turn from the window you see the tea platter still set on the table. Letting out a defeated sigh you make your way to bring it to the kitchen yourself.

 The afternoon sets smoothly as usual. After the minor cleaning from the drawing room, you find yourself in your room to write in your diary. Usually, an evening activity but the thoughts racing through your mind warrant an entry. After speaking with Robin, you must find a way to get to Boston without your husband knowing you are back in the city. Scanning the script from last night’s entry and feeling the same fresh wound stab once more. The feeling of betrayal sits heavily on your stomach causing more bile to sit in your throat. Choking in a sharp breath you think of the possibilities.

Leaving the men here is optimally the best you can think of. They can’t go back to the big house because that will be a give-away that you are no longer in Pelican Town. Letting them leave could cause them trouble in one way or another and you don’t feel right to just fire them because you had decided to leave. Getting the train ticket will prove easy enough seeing as there is not really any reason for the purchase to get back to your husband. You worry the possibility of him keeping his eye on your from afar. That he has sent word for the ticket master to keep a watchful eye for you and send him word should you leave the town.

Being in Boston will be a whole separate issue once you arrive. Praying that the lawyer will aid you in your struggle is the main thing you are focused on. The voice in your mind speaks to itself as you worry.

But once arriving in the city what will I do? I have money, yes. I have forced this issue faster than Mr. Acunin or his associate might have planned for. I don’t even know how long divorce proceedings take! For god’s sake, get your act together before you give yourself an ulcer!

“Ma’am?” Haleys voice breaks you from your thoughts with a start. Gasping in shock and sitting straight against your writing desk, pen falling to the pages below.

“Yes? What is it? You frightened me terribly!”

“Apologies. I have no other way to say this but Doctor-“ You cut her off by standing suddenly. Chair scraping against the wooden floor.

“Send the doctor away I have no wish to speak to him.” Your tone turns from startled to irritated and angry in the fraction of a second. Haley wishing to be spared from your ire speaks with her hands in front of her.

“I tried that ma’am. He said that he knows that you are in and that he must speak with you.”

“Then tell him that I am sick or asleep or anything else that you can think of to keep him from my sight.”

“I said that you were asleep already.”

“And?”

“He said that he will wait and sat himself in the drawing room.”

“Surely he did.” Spitting your reply as you make haste towards the drawing room. Heavy footsteps clobber against the floorboards as you make your way down the stairs. Feet falling hard against the floor of the hall. As you approach the threshold your furious march ceases. You watch as the back of his head as he registers that it is you before making a sudden standing to whip in your direction.

You thought in this moment that you would be ferociously angry, bordering on violent. He pushed his way into your home after all that has happened. And yet when you look at him you see him. He is as miserable as you in this moment, his face shows it more than your own. His eyes were dark, and his hair messy as though he tried to piece himself together. Your anger melted into sadness upon seeing him. You felt as though the wooden floor you were standing upon was going to swallow you whole.

“Darling.” He speaks softly. Like his voice was trying to climb its way out of his throat but he forced it down.

You can hear Haley catch up behind you looking to her quickly as she gives you a tight-lipped smile. You willed your legs to move anywhere but where you were currently. The soles of your feet felt glued to the ground making you unable to move as you watch him take his first step towards you.

“Doctor Sullivan I am not receiving visitors at the moment. I am going to ask you to leave please.” You force your voice to be as even as possible. You had hoped it sounded harsh against his ears and prompted him to leave you.

“Please, I just need to explain to you what I was saying yesterday.” Harvey pleads to you as he walks closer to where you are standing. You watch each of his feet fall against the floor in a light pat as steps closer to you. Small steps as to not push any boarders.

“Will you let me speak with you? Privately.” Harvey continues his movement until he reaches only an arms distance, his eyes flicking to Haley then back to you. As you stare up at him chest heaving from the tightness of your dress mixed with the pace of which you arrived. You stopped breathing as he takes a final step forward. Harvey’s eyes meeting your own as he beseeches you.

“Please, my love, let me speak to you.” Haley gasps behind you and tugs the back of your dress. You pay her no mind as you continue to make eye contact with the doctor who now stands nearly brushing against you.

_

“My love? What does he mean by ‘my love’?” Haley rushes you into your room. Your shaking hands grip the post of your bed. You lungs are tight as you try to breathe.

“Get this thing off of me!” You yell as you begin to claw your dress in attempt to free you from the heavy winter wool. Haley comes to your aid attempting to loosen the ties of your bodice.

“Do not dodge me! What changed that he calls you my love?” Haley sounds angry as she speaks to you in a harsh voice.

“We both have our secrets Haley. Do not start with this. My heart is broken at the moment, and I do not wish for you to make it worse.” Your own voice come through as though it may as well been shaking with you.

“May I speak frankly, ma’am?” She stops tugging on you to let her hands fall to her side.

“For God’s sake I wish you would. Hurry and get this thing off of me!” She lifts her hands to your back once more.

“I’m trying, you need to stop moving!” She tugs at the ties a little more aggressively and pulls the last of the lacing free. “I need you to breathe!” She spins you towards her.

“Look at me.” Turning your head to meet her eye with her hand. “Did you fall in love with Harvey?”

You choke a sob upon seeing her face, “Yes.”

“Fool.”

“I beg your pardon?” The tears that were threating to fall dry within a single second.

“Tell me what happened.”

“I will tell me as soon as you tell me what happened with your gentleman.” Haley looks shocked as she falls silent.

“He said he doesn’t love me.”

“Oh Haley. I’m sorry.”

“No, do not apologize. I am 23 years old and I can handle myself with ease. I will be alright.”

“I do not apologize for that. I say sorry because I fear I have forced it from you when you were not ready to tell me.”

“I wasn’t. It happened the night we were in town. He said he was glad I was there and that he has something most important to tell me. So I came into his home and he informed me that our relationship could not continue. That is all I have to say about it as of now.”

“Haley.”

“Please. I do not want to hear you speak another apology.”

“That wasn’t what I was to say.”

“Then continue.”

“I want you to come with me to leave Pelican Town and go back to Boston.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes, and I want you by my side.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you will.”

“But my sister.”

“Emily is 30 years old. There should be no reason for you to stay here. She has a job just as you do and is fully capable.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever left each other before.”

“Go home and talk to your sister. Let me know your answer come tomorrow.”

“But what of the evening?”

“I think I can dress myself for one evening. Go, and I will see you in the morning.”

[mariacallous]

As the Senate considered approving $61 billion to Ukraine this weekend, Donald Trump published an all-caps rant making his opposition clear.

“FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, ARE YOU LISTENING U.S. SENATE(?), NO MONEY IN THE FORM OF FOREIGN AID SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ANY COUNTRY UNLESS IT IS DONE AS A LOAN,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday.

The Senate rejected Trump’s order, passing the bill Tuesday morning 70-29. But the bill still needs to clear the Republican-controlled House, where the former president’s influence has proven powerful in the past. Indeed, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has already stated opposition to the Senate aid bill.

Which makes now a good time to remind ourselves that the objections to Ukraine aid are absurd.

Supporting Ukraine’s defense is one of the single easiest foreign policy calls of my lifetime, a policy that has both protected Ukrainians from Russian slaughter and advanced America’s geopolitical interests in Europe. It has done so at a relatively low cost in dollars and zero cost in American lives. There is nothing to gain by abandoning it, and everything to lose.

Let’s start with the most basic point: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was an act of evil. Since the war’s beginning, the Russian government and its propaganda outlets have openly announced that their war aim is to seize Ukrainian territory and subjugate its government to the Kremlin.

This was evident not just in words, like President Vladimir Putin’s recent interview with Tucker Carlson, but also in deeds. The war began with a failed lightning thrust targeting the Ukrainian capital in Kyiv, during which Russian forces engaged in horrific atrocities: executing entire families and indiscriminately bombing populated areas.

There are many problems with the Ukrainian government it is an imperfect democracy whose battlefield performance has worsened as the war degenerated into a kind of stalemate. Its maximalist stated objective of winning all its territory back through force may very well be impossible.

But the justice of its basic cause is unimpeachable. Ukraine is fighting a classic war of self-defense, a country protecting its people and its sovereignty from a large neighboring dictatorship that wishes to crush it.

And the success of Ukraine’s war hinges crucially on American support.

Why American aid is so important

The United States, labeled “the arsenal of democracy” during World War II, is playing that role again today. America is providing Ukraine with advanced weapons systems, like HIMARS mobile artillery, and ammunition that neither the Ukrainians nor European allies can get to the field on their own in sufficient numbers.

Currently, American funding has been effectively suspended due to the holdup in Congress. We can already see the consequences: Ukrainian fighters, working with a third of the ammunition they need to fight, being forced to retreat.

What happens if the aid dries up indefinitely? Vox’s Josh Keating reported on this extensively, and his sources painted a grim picture:

“A failure to supply military aid to Ukraine isn’t going to cause an immediate Russian victory, but it is going to change the character of the war,” said Franz-Stefan Gady, a defense analyst with the Center for a New American Security who has made multiple research trips to the front lines in Ukraine. Gady said that while Ukraine’s military has traditionally been an “artillery dominant military force,” without shells for those guns, “they would likely start pursuing more asymmetric strategies. That is, withdrawing from certain sectors of the front lines into urban settlements, trying to draw Russian forces into urban combat.” This scenario is … a grim prospect for Ukraine’s civilians. Urban combat always has an extremely high civilian death toll and given the heavy-handed tactics employed by the Russian military, the list of Ukrainian cities and towns entirely decimated by war — Mariupol, Bakhmut — would likely grow.

Even if you see the US government as human rights hypocrites or don’t believe protecting Ukrainian lives is America’s concern, the outcome of this war directly affects US interests.

Currently, the fighting is mostly in Ukraine’s more rural eastern half. If it moves west, into the heart of Ukraine’s largest cities, it moves closer to nearby NATO treaty allies. The odds of a scary spillover incident — of a miscalculation that could trigger a wider war between Russia and the American-led alliance — would rise accordingly.

At present, the best way to limit the risk of war between nuclear-armed powers is to help Ukraine keep Russia physically further away from NATO borders. Continuing aid, by contrast, is unlikely to trigger a direct escalation between Russia and the United States — as the past two years of fighting have shown.

Global security is worth a lot more than $61 billion

Again, it is unlikely that Ukraine will simply defeat Russia and win back all of its territories. The most likely scenario for the war’s end is — like most wars — negotiation.

But as in any negotiation, leverage matters. Political scientists often describe war as itself a process of bargaining, one in which it’s rational for states to continue fighting until the balance of power between the two sides is clear. To bring about a settlement in which Russia’s aggression is punished rather than rewarded, Ukraine needs to be strong on the battlefield.

And if Russia is rewarded, it has an incentive to engage in more provocations on NATO’s frontier. A world where Ukraine is forced to the table by American abandonment is a vastly more dangerous one.

Sixty-one billion dollars sure sounds like a lot of money. But the amount it purchases — sovereignty for an embattled democracy, civilian safety from Russian massacres, and decreasing the odds of a terrifying wider war — is easily worth the price. For Congress to do anything but rush it through would be an appalling betrayal not just of Ukraine, but of America.

[corignem]

“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I don’t need your help, and I definitely don’t need your pity. Fuck off.” // @unheald ( elijah ♥ )

sebastian had been around elijah long enough now to know a few things-- to have picked up things in either the unsaid, or the quick, passing comments. it didn't even have to be about being able to share thoughts-- sebastian was just always good at learning people. it certainly came to be important in his job, but it was especially important now, in knowing someone like elijah. someone who liked to talk but didn't actually like to say much. he had to read between the lines-- pick up on things that way.

one of those main things he'd come to learn, was how distant he could be in times like this. sebastian had rarely seen elijah hurt. in fact, he could count on one hand and have fingers to spare. and those times he had seen it, it had almost been intentional or at the very least, expected. fighting together... purposely going out of their way sometimes to cause trouble, if only because of how riled up it got them...

but this was different. seeing elijah like... this. he knew it wasn't going to go well at all. because in spite of how far they'd come-- drawing together, there was still this wall, wasn't there? this great, vast gap between them. while they certainly both held more memories now-- recalling their last time together, how they'd died for one another, died for... love, it still didn't help. they still both had their own lifetimes worth of pain and manipulation to work through. and he knew how deeply it went with elijah. how fucked up it all was.

sebastian would typically be understanding... would be kind, even. would let elijah get away with the attempts to push him away. it didn't work, of course. sebastian was here. he wasn't going anywhere. but usually he'd give elijah his space. but something felt different this time and sebastian ends up feeling more stubborn than his usual.

arms cross over his chest as he looks to elijah-- elijah who had turned his back on him now, and sebastian just raised an eyebrow at his form before shaking his head.

"you seriously think this is fucking pity? you think i'd give you that? honestly?" he remains staring at the mans back, eyes sweeping down and even without seeing, he can sense the pain elijah is in. the injuries. and while he knows they're both more than capable of patching themselves up-- literally, or magically-- he also knows this is more than just simple battle injuries.

"i really thought we could be past all this bullshit by now, elijah. i thought we trusted one another. but you're still their fucking toy, aren't you? you're still playing by their rules. hide away when you're hurt, don't let anyone close, don't let anyone see because then it makes you weak. it's crap. i thought you were done bowing to their ways of thinking?"

he knows it's not fair. he knows it's not right, because it takes a lot more than just a simple change of mind for those things to adapt. it's not that quick. but he can't let elijah just... continue. get away with it. keep pushing when sebastian had proven time and time again that he was dedicated. that he was loyal to him-- to them. to what they had together-- whatever that was.

"so take your fucking shirt off already and let me see what they did. i'm not going anywhere."

[peninkwrites]

Lines Drawn in Sand & Concrete - Ch 7 of ?

Sapnap gets a second job, Quackity continues to keep his enemies close, and Connor continues to have a bad time.

[CW: mentions police violence/abuse, c!Dream in the first scene]

crossposted to ao3

Ch 1

Ch 6

Ch 8

Mafia AU

~ Sapnap & Quackity ~

When Sam was hospitalized, things started to change around the precinct, but that was nothing compared to what’s changed since Dream got rid of Sam and took his job.  The first warning Sapnap should have heeded was Dream’s thinly veiled threat,  “if we’re talking about associates of the Badlands, you of all people should watch your step, Officer Halo.”

That didn’t mean Sapnap fully abstained from talking to his best friend, because regardless of these changes, Sapnap isn't going to throw away a lifetime of loyalty over a few disagreements, however concerning they may be.  Captain Taken has gotten reckless, or rather ruthless.  He keeps on sending officers to the East side, which he knows is dangerous.  Every time Sapnap points out a patrol entering gang territory, Dream snaps back, “do you want the police to prevent crime, or not?”  At first Sapnap had tried to argue back, explaining why Sam had never sent patrols across the river at night, the bitter truth that they were meant to do damage control, not win the war, and Dream certainly hadn’t taken it well.

Sapnap thinks Dream is now trying to keep him out of the way.  Sapnap has spent very little time in the precinct and therefore can offer no criticism to Dream’s decision making.  Instead, he joins the ranks of cannon fodder sent across the river.  Sapnap assumes his best friend must still value his life a little as he hasn’t been sent over after dark.  Sapnap also notes that other officers seem to be taking the changes in stride.  Sapnap isn’t used to them acting like this, not merely enforcing, but downright cruel.  Sapnap can’t help but think that Sam would never stand for this, and part of him still hopes Dream won’t either, but he’s been proven wrong on a lot of things as of late.

Sapnap returns to the precinct after another uneasy patrol and heads right for the Captain’s office.  He stops himself from barging in at the last second and forces himself to knock.

“Enter.”

Sapnap does so.  He’s not used to this office being so empty.  When he’d been a rookie, the room had been all rainbows and proud-parent memorabilia, and under Sam’s reign it had been a mess of dog pictures and Ponk pictures and little mechanical things Sam liked to fidget with.  Now, there is nothing.  Just a shiny nameplate center stage reading out Captain Taken.  Behind it, sits the man himself, expression calm and inquisitive at Sapnap’s unexpected arrival.

“Hey, Dream, can I talk to you about something?” Sapnap shuts the door behind him.

“Is it about something personal, or work related?”

“Uh, work related?”

“Then, maybe don’t call me Dream,” Dream says it like he’s teasing, but Sapnap knows he’s serious.

“Sorry, Captain,” Sapnap says reluctantly.  “So, out on patrol today, some of the boys were being really shitty.  Really shitty again, like, this has happened more than once, y’know?”

“Shitty?  Shitty how?  That could mean literally anything,” Dream says dryly.

“Like, harassing civilians kind of shitty.  Like, being dicks to the homeless.  Earlier, Morgan and Grant were pushing around this guy who hadn’t done anything.  That sorta goes against the protect and serve deal, right?” Sapnap folds his arms over his chest, preemptively on the defensive.

“Well, was he loitering?”

Dream's blase nature turns Sapnap's irritation to anger.  “They didn’t just ask him to move, they threw the guy’s stuff in the river!” Sapnap says, antagonism and volume rising.  He forces himself to step back.  “Captain,” he adds bitingly like that will make a difference.

Dream is unfazed.  “Not sure if you’ve noticed, but there aren’t really any rigid laws against littering in the river, especially for a government department.”

“That’s… that’s not the problem with that.  Are you serious?” Sapnap doesn’t know why he’s still surprised by Dream letting him down. 

“Look,” Dream sighs.  “We have bigger concerns than a rookie throwing away some low-life’s garbage.”

“Officers under your control are harassing the homeless," Sapnap still tries, and he still expects reason.  "And that… that doesn’t bother you?”

“Not as much as the rampant violent crime we’re supposed to be dealing with,” Dream says dryly.  "But, fine, I'll... talk to them."

Sapnap tries to accept this, even as it feels like a dismissal rather than his concerns being taken seriously.  He knows it’s not worth arguing any further over, however much he hates it.  Bigger concerns feels like an understatement.  “Yeah.  Fine.  Any more bodies?”

“Always,” Dream sighs.  He scans the folder on his desk wearily.  Frustration bleeds through, his fist slams against the desk.  “The Badlands… there’s no way they’re still active, but if they’re not, why the hell are just as many bodies turning up?!”

Sapnap tries to keep focused and ignore his friend’s agitation, however uneasy it makes him.  “More bodies than before considering the serial killer,” he points out.  “And…” Sapnap frowns.  “Why would the Badlands have stopped?”

“Never mind, it’s just– Frustrating,” Dream sighs.

Sapnap hates it when they talk about the Badlands.  He misses when he wasn’t alone in that, if they have to talk about them.  “I bet Sam would know.”

Dream looks over at him sharply, genuine anger directed at him now.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sapnap scrambles to recover, thrown off by Dream’s defensiveness.  “Just like, the Badlands thing.”

“Shouldn’t you know, then?”

Sapnap feels like he’s been gut punched.  “No.  No, I was… Why would I know something, Dream?” He hates how quiet his voice gets.

“I dunno, maybe because you spent your childhood on the lap of the devil himself huh?” Dream says mildly, Sapnap reads it for what it is, an accusation.

Sapnap’s friendship with Dream was foundationally built on him not judging him for growing up alongside violence he had no control over, and on a dime it’s like Dream wants to revoke that history.  Sapnap defends himself in an old, familiar way, but he had never expected to have to use this line on Dream.  “I was a fucking kid.  I never had a choice.”  Something more personal follows, “you know this.  What’s wrong with you?  Why’re you acting like… like…” Like you see me the same way everyone else did.

Dream smiles.  “Sorry, Sapnap.  I wasn’t trying to make you nervous, it’s just… it’s an asset, actually.”

“An asset?” Sapnap says warily, still deeply unsettled, even more so by Dream calming so easily.

“Yeah!” Dream rummages for a different file.  “You heard anything about Las Nevadas?”

“No, what’s that?”

“It’s a casino.  Or, it’s going to be I guess.  The guy opening it used to work for JSchlatt, and I can almost guarantee it’s not going to be an above the board establishment,” Dream explains.

“Wait, why are we worried about something that’s not even open yet?” Sapnap frowns.

“Because, they were previously affiliated with organized crime, and I doubt they’ve magically turned their backs on it.  You of all people know it’s not that simple.”

“No, no it was turning my back on family, not… not the criminal parts.”

“Jeez, Sapnap, calm down,” Dream rolls his eyes.  “Don’t take everything so seriously.”

“What’s your point, Dream?” Sapnap says irritably.

Dream slides him a newspaper clipping.

LAS NEVADAS LOOKING FOR KITCHEN STAFF, SECURITY, AND CARD DEALERS.

It’s written in an ad in large, black lettering, details in smaller text below.  Dream taps the word SECURITY.  “Do you follow, Sapnap?”

“...No, not at all.”

“I want you to go undercover and pretend to work security at the casino!  Let me know when they fuck up and break the law, y’know?” Dream smiles like he’s offering Sapnap a gift.

“Dude,” Sapnap waits for Dream to admit that this is a joke.  He doesn’t.  “You want me to… to go undercover, which means making it look like I quit my job here, starting a new job at a place that I know nothing about, probably having to move out so we’re not living together just to be safe, and change a bunch of other shit in my life, on the off chance a guy who used to work for JSchlatt is still doing shady shit?”

“Well, when you put it like that,” Dream laughs.  “Come on, Sapnap.  This is some important work.  I wouldn’t be asking you if it wasn’t.  And considering your… troubled background, I think they’ll be more inclined to hire you instead of any old ex-cop.”

“Badlanders and Schlatt’s boys weren’t exactly best friends, Dream.”

“Well, good thing Schlatt’s dead and you don’t associate with the Badlands anymore, right?” Dream replies smoothly.

Sapnap struggles to process.  “Shouldn’t we be focusing on the serial killer?”

“We have people working on it, just not you, Sapnap,” Dream says patronizingly.

Sapnap tries again.  “What if I say no?  Turn down the assignment?”

“You’d rather have desk duty?” Dream responds just as icily.  “I’m your Captain, I am giving you your assignment, I expect you to follow through.  Or you can get out just like Sam did.  You’re not supposed to actually be a Badlander, just pretend to have been one.  Don’t make me treat you like you’re actually a problem.”

“What the fuck is your problem?!” Sapnap says before he can stop himself.

“What’s my problem?!  I’m not the one disobeying orders!” Dream snaps back immediately.

“This isn’t about orders!  You’re not just supposed to be my boss, you’re my friend,” Sapnap wishes he just sounded angry instead of hurt.

Dream sighs.  “Yeah, yeah I am your friend.  And I’m your boss.  This is… this is important to me, Sapnap.  I don’t know why you can’t take that seriously.”

“I am taking this seriously.  I seriously am,” Sapnap says fiercely.

“I don’t know if you are.”

A pause, the two men staring each other down.  Sapnap takes a step back.

“Fine.  I’ll… I’ll try to go undercover.  I dunno if me showing up and saying I’m from the Badlands means they’re gonna roll out the red carpet for me.”

“I mean, I still think it’ll be better than just showing up as an ex-cop.  They hired Sam just fine,” Dream shrugs.

“What?”

“Sam is working there, apparently.  I’m guessing also in security, so I thought that might give you an in.  But you cannot tell him what you’re really doing there, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah I got it,” Sapnap is feeling almost dazed.  He feels like Dream is shoving him toward a past he had tried so hard to abandon, but he trusts him.  If this is important, he’ll do it.

~

Quackity is getting desperate.  He feels surrounded on all sides, and his single shred of security is an ex-cop fresh off crutches.  He wants something more than this, but his reputation proceeds him, and anyone honest or honorable recognizes his name and runs.

Really, he could tolerate having one member of security watching his back, the bigger issue is Karl.  Every day Karl goes to work, leaves his sight, and Quackity watches him go with dread.  Quackity would send Sam to guard Karl, but Sam is meant to be his head of security, which means he needs to be around to help with the planning for Las Nevadas.  He tried to get Karl to take a gun.

“I’ve never used a gun before, and I don’t plan on starting now.  And I don’t think Tina would appreciate me bringing one into her bookstore,” Karl had told him gently.

“What if it keeps you safe?”

“Anyone sent to kill me, Q, is definitely gonna have a faster trigger finger,” Karl explained in the most brutally honest way possible, in that same sweet voice of his.

“Damn you, Karl,” Quackity sighed.  “Can’t you just give into my paranoia for once in your fucking life?”

Karl grinned.  “No, I don’t think I’m gonna, actually.”

So, Quackity continues to hunt for someone who will fire a gun on Karl’s behalf.  Quackity is desperate, but when the scruffy, unsure man, dark hair pulled back and hands in his pockets, comes in and asks Foolish about a job listing, Quackity’s first impulse is to send him away.  Karl is still with him for the morning, and had followed him downstairs to meet this mysterious applicant.  Quackity takes one look at the man, and pulls Karl aside.

“Yeah, no.  No fucking way.  I can smell it on him.”

Karl giggles, eyebrows raised.  “You can smell him from here?  Smell what?”

“Pig!  The guy is a fucking pig.”

“You can smell that?” Karl teases.

“No, no I can’t literally, oh my god, I mean his stupid fucking narc shoes!” Quackity hisses, nodding to the black boots every stupid cop wears.

“His… shoes.”

“Yes, his shoes,” Quackity says grumpily.

“Well, if he’s currently a cop, why is he looking for a job, then?  And if he’s a former cop, I mean, you had no issue hiring Sam,” Karl points out.

“Sam is– Sam is different,” Quackity deigns not to explain the difference being he has something he can hold over Sam.  It wouldn’t be very in line with his promises to Karl to stay out of organized crime.

“You need more security, Quackity.  What’s the harm in just talkin’ to him?  Besides, he’s cute,” Karl nudges him playfully.

“Fine, fuck.  You’re coming with me, though,” Quackity says before sulking across the lobby to where Foolish had kept the man occupied.

“Hi.  I’m Quackity HQ, the owner.  How can I help you?” Quackity smiles and he knows some people can read the threat behind it.  He isn’t sure if this man can.

“Uh, hi.  I saw the… the ad.  For the job.  The security one,” he says with an awkward nod.

“Right, right, what’s your name?”

“I’m Sapnap.  Sapnap Halo?”

Halo.  Interesting.  “Well, Sapnap Halo, do you have… any qualifications?” Quackity keeps up that smile, half hoping to scare the guy off.

“Y-Yeah!  I… I used to work in law enforcement, I mean, your other staff member Sam can… vouch for me?” Sapnap Halo sounds unsure.

“Used to be?  Why’d you quit, Mr. Halo?” Quackity is calculating multiple things at once.  Halo.  Sam.  Narc shoes.  Familiar.

Sapnap shrugs.  “Didn’t like the new management.”

“Is that so?  You could’ve just requested a transfer.” Quackity deigns to ask Sam privately about the guy later.  “So, why are you interested in Las Nevadas?”

Sapnap clearly hadn’t planned out any answers beforehand.  He looks mildly startled.  “Uh, gambling is… fun.  Like, it’s exciting.  And I know private security is pretty boring, so… I thought maybe this place could be cool?”

“I know you,” Quackity says, eyes narrowed.

The man looks almost alarmed.  “You… do?”

Something clicks into place.  “You’re the guy who showed up to harass a teenager after his dad died.”

Sapnap Halo looks offended.  “You’ve gotta be confusing me for someone else, there’s no way in hell I’d do that.”

“No, it was definitely you,” Quackity takes a step closer.  “You and that grumpy little cop turned up and interrogated a barely legal kid without an attorney present, ring any bells?”

Sapnap’s eyes widen.  “You’re… right.  You’re Quackity HQ.”

“Obviously.  You didn’t know that going in?”

“I mean, kind of, but I didn’t like, connect dots I guess–” Sapnap shakes his head.  “But wait, I didn’t… I didn’t harass anyone.  I tried to… to help the kid, he was going through something fucked up.”

“Help him?  Really?  Why the fuck would you want to help someone like him?” Quackity is openly hostile now, shark-like smile gone.

“Cause I get it, y’know?” Sapnap looks deeply uncomfortable, bouncing back on his heels.  “Complicated dads and shit.”

Quackity laughs harshly.  “Complicated.  Right.”

“No, seriously, I…” Sapnap trails off, clearly warring over something.  There’s a pause, Quackity letting him simmer.  “You… you used to work for JSchlatt.”

“I was his lawyer,” Quackity says, voice taut, a warning.

“So, like, you get that businesses like that aren’t… uh, squeaky clean?” Sapnap says awkwardly.  He sighs.  “Look, I’m trying to say I don’t care about the illegal shit.  Especially not whatever some kid got wrapped up in ‘cause of his dad, because, well.”  Sapnap winces, as if bracing himself.  “I’m the son of the leader of the Badlands.  Y’know, Halo?  Does that… does that count for anything in me getting the job?” He asks sheepishly, shoulders raised and tense as he shrinks down, waiting for the fallout.

“You’re…” Quackity is briefly thrown off.

“Ohhh.  Halo.  Duh,” Karl finally chimes in.  “I didn’t know Bad had a kid.”

Quackity elbows him lightly.  He doesn’t want Sapnap to know how well he knows his father.

“Um.  Sorta estranged,” Sapnap mutters.  “Fuck, I shouldn’t have said anything, look, I just… really need this job, alright?”  He stands up straight, as if preparing for a fight.  “I don’t care what you guys are involved in, I’ll… I’ll do good work, and I’ll mind my own business.  Is that an alright offer?”

“Hm,” Quackity eyes him carefully, calculating.  “You got a resume?”

“Yeah, for sure,” Sapnap nods quickly and pulls a very folded sheet of paper out of his pocket.

“Charming,” Quackity accepts it with dry sarcasm.  “Give me a minute to consult with my team,” Quackity retreats to the back hallway, Karl following, and after a wave to flag him down as part of the team, Foolish joins as well.  “Sam!  Get over here,” he drags his head of security into the mix.

“What’s going on?” Sam frowns.

Quackity shoves the crumpled resume into his hands.  “One of your old pals at the swine factory came waltzing in asking for a job.”

Sam’s frown deepens when he sees the name.  “Sapnap?  He quit the force?”

“Allegedly, he did,” Quackity folds his arms over his chest, waiting for Sam’s assessment, Foolish and Karl watching on with far less concern.

“Did he say why?” Sam asks carefully.

“Said he didn’t like the new management,” Quackity huffs.

Sam passes back the resume, shaking his head.  “That doesn’t make sense.  His best friend is the new management.  My guess would be he’s undercover, but I don’t know what Dream’s priorities are if he’s sending his right hand man here.  Last I heard, they were dealing with a serial killer.  And so far, we’re… well, as upstanding an institution as a casino can be.  If you want my advice, no.  Whatever he’s up to, it’s a risk to hire him.”

Quackity nods curtly, mulling it over.  “I mean, I hired you.”

“Yeah, but you know I quit being a cop,” Sam points out.

“What about… what about in general.  Is this guy… decent?” Quackity feels a bit ridiculous asking Sam this, but he doesn’t really have anything else to go on.

“Sapnap?  Yeah.  He was a good kid, and one of the best cops I know,” Sam nods.

Quackity’s lip curls in disgust.  “Well, I’ll try not to hold that against him.”

“No, I mean, he was… he wasn’t always great at being a cop, because, well, in the early days because he was reckless and had something to prove, but in general, he actually took the innocent-until-proven-guilty thing seriously,” Sam says earnestly, before growing gloomier.  “I mean, just ask Ponk.  Sapnap was getting on my case about not waiting on them hand and foot…”

“Yeah, you’d rather break hands than wait on someone, huh?” Quackity says dryly.

Sam clearly wants to make a bitter retort, but he holds back.  “The point is, I trust him.  He’s good to his word, and honestly he’s one of the worst liars I know.  Whatever he’s doing here, you’ll probably figure it out in a matter of days.”  He adds pointedly, “not that I suggest you take the risk considering there’s no way Sapnap would just up and quit the force.  Not even because I think Dream is going to keep treating him fairly, but because I know Sapnap would stick around anyway.  The kid is loyal to a fault, but if you’re going to do it anyway, oddly enough, there’s no one I’d rather hire,” Sam frowns, as if troubled by the thought.

“Hm,” Quackity mulls this over.  He needs security because he needs Karl safe.  He could hire this guy, and keep him well away from their business, and know Karl is protected.  He also would feel better knowing exactly who the plant is, if the police are really set on nosing into his business.  “Thoughts?” He glances at Foolish and Karl.

“I don’t care.  He seems chill,” Foolish shrugs.  “I don’t know him super well, not now at least, but I hung out a bit with him when we were kids, or, teenagers I guess.  Post-kidnapping.”

“You did?” Quackity gives him a surprised look.

“Yeah!  Yeah, my dad and his dad would meet up and would have us like hang out together.  I mean, we mostly talked sports, but he was cool.  Really treated me like one of the guys, which, y’know, at the time meant a lot,” Foolish shrugs.

“I don’t know him,” Karl offers helpfully.  “And it’s your call, Q.”

“Okay, but it’s important to me I get your approval, Karl.  Him or Sam is gonna start following you around,” Quackity points out.

Sam takes issue with this.  “I’m needed here, Quackity, you know that–”

“It’s whatever Karl is more comfortable with,” Quackity cuts him off sharply, looking back to his boyfriend.

“Oh! Uh,” Karl glances at Sam, and then back toward the lobby.  Karl shrugs.  “I mean, sounds like we should keep him away from the business stuff.  And I don’t mind,” he grins. “He’s cute.”

Quackity rolls his eyes fondly, “you’re gonna go flirt with the enemy, huh?”

“Keep your enemies close, right?” Karl waggles his eyebrows at him.  “Maybe I can get him to spill his secrets with some of my good looks and oodles of charm.”

“We’re not marrying the guy, I haven’t even gotten a ring for you yet,” Quackity teases.

“I told you I’d be happy with a ring pop,” Karl says.

Sam and Foolish exchange a glance, used to the couple getting sappy on them.  “You should probably go tell him he’s hired, then,” Sam interjects.

“Oh, right, yeah,” Quackity nods.  “And Karl, actually, if you’re hanging around the guy, and he does anything weird, or you can worm anything out of him…”

“I’ll tell you, Q, obviously,” Karl says, taking Quackity’s hand.  “Let’s go invite him to the polycule.”

Quackity scoffs, “you’re the worst.”

Karl giggles, “I’m hilarious.”

Sapnap has been staring at the casino with unsure curiosity.  The place is nearly finished, in opulent glory, using the original molding of the bank, white pillars trimmed with gold, and marbled tile.  He gives Sam a nod of greeting, focus more on Quackity.

“Welcome to Las Nevadas, Mr. Halo,” Quackity smiles, offering him a hand.

“So, I got the job?” Sapnap seems surprised.

“If you want it?” Quackity says dryly.

“No, yeah, I do,” Sapnap nods.

He accepts the handshake, and Quackity at least commends the man for not holding on too tight in some pathetic macho display.  Karl is right.  Quackity had thought it too, even when the man was still in his stupid uniform, he is handsome.  More so now without the pig suit.

“Sam will get you the paperwork, and you’ll start first thing, alright?  Can you do that?” Quackity asks.

“Y-Yeah, first thing like, now, or..?” Sapnap asks uncertainly.

“Well, today Sam can show you the ropes, but properly you’ll start tomorrow morning.  Do you have a gun?”

“Do I..?” Sapnap trails off.

“Do you have a license to carry?” Quackity says slowly.  “Or did they take that with your badge?”

“I mean, they took my gun that I used on duty, but I… yes, I have license to carry,” Sapnap fumbles out an answer.  Sam was right.  He’s a terrible liar.

“Bring that tomorrow too.”

“Got it, Mr. HQ,” Sapnap nods.

Quackity leaves, Karl follows, and then it’s just Sam and Sapnap.  And Foolish.

“This must be fun, huh?  Old buddies working together again?” Foolish says brightly, nudging the two of them comraderally.

Sam and Sapnap exchange an uneasy glance.  “Right.  Foolish, aren’t you supposed to be picking up the tables for the opening night?”

“Shit, yeah, yep, and I was supposed to be there 20 minutes ago,” Foolish winces.  “Bye, team!”  He leaves.

Now it just Sam and Sapnap.

“So, quit the force, huh?” Sam says dryly, clearly skeptical.

Sapnap doesn’t defend himself outright, scanning the casino as if he’ll find something hidden between the slot machines.  “Dream has kinda lost it.  A bit,” he says carefully.

Not what Sam was expecting.  “Lost it?  Lost it how?”

Sapnap wavers, clearly holding something back.  “He’s sending more guys across the river.  And when I try to report them for acting out on civilians, Dream doesn’t give a shit.  Or… didn’t give a shit, I guess.  Since that’s not my problem anymore,” Sapnap says reluctantly.  “I didn’t want to leave, but Dream was really starting to freak me out.”  Sapnap glances at Sam uneasily.  “He started… he started talking about my… affiliation with the Badlands.”

“What affiliation?  A dad you haven’t spoken to in like eight years?” Sam scoffs.

Sapnap shrugs.  “I dunno.  He… he wasn’t acting like my Dream anymore.”

Sam grows less skeptical and instead more concerned, even more, he’s starting to believe maybe Sapnap had left the force.  “I’m sorry, Sapnap.  I don’t love him stabbing me in the back, but for you, it’s…” Sam doesn’t know how to console Sapnap.  In Sam’s mind, Sapnap had always been wrapped up in Dream, it’s almost difficult to disconnect the two.  “Do you have somewhere to live?  You and Dream were housemates, right?”

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be alright.  Gonna get a studio on the East side.  Part of why I… really need a job,” Sapnap once more assesses the casino with something like trepidation.

“Quackity can be intimidating, but don’t let him bother you,” Sam nudges him gently.  “Come on, I’ve been going to town setting up security cameras and such.  It’s a bank, so the layout is perfect for controlling who goes in and out.”

Sapnap follows him and allows Sam’s enthusiasm for systems and mechanisms to fill the melancholy still lingering in his chest.  He still doesn’t want to let Dream down, but he’d meant what he said.  He doesn’t know if it’s the same best friend he’d trusted with his life.

~

Sapnap shows up for work on time and wary at 10 o’clock.  Quackity HQ is waiting for him, cool, collected, wearing a white button down and red suspenders and a few gold rings.  Quackity doesn’t waste time with small talk.

“Now, most of the time, you’re gonna be protecting Karl for me, but forgive me if I want to do a little trial run before I trust you with him,” Quackity says, immediately heading back out the door, Sapnap close behind.

“And… Karl is your partner?” Sapnap asks slowly.

“Yeah, light of my life, my soul, my everything,” Quackity says mildly, as if making an offhanded comment about the weather, but it doesn't make Sapnap doubt that he means it.  “I’ll make sure your priorities are clear later, I’ve got a meeting to get to, which means we've got a meeting to get to,” Quackity nods him to a sleek black car.  “I know you work for me, but I’m driving.”

“Yeah, fine with me,” Sapnap gets in the passenger side.  “Who’s your meeting with?  If… if you don’t mind me asking.”

“The Mayor.��

“The Mayor?” Sapnap blusters.  “I mean, the guy has his own security all over the place, why do you need me there?”

Quackity gives him a look, amused.  “Think of it like training wheels.”

“You think I need training wheels?”

“Haven’t decided yet.  Maybe.  Let’s see how my meeting goes, huh?”

“I dunno how you’re planning on testing my skills.  Are people really trying to kill you that much?” Sapnap retorts in the same half-teasing tone Quackity has taken on.

“This is more making sure you can stay out of my way, how about that?” Quackity replies dryly.  Sapnap huffs a noncommittal reply, and quiet falls for a few blocks.  Quackity doesn’t tolerate the lull in conversation for long.  “So.  You’re a Halo, not only that, but Bad’s only son.  And… you decided to be a cop?”

Sapnap perhaps should’ve expected this line of conversation, considering for the first time in however many years he name-dropped his father, mostly out of a panicked impulse as it seemed he wasn’t going to get the job.  Stupid of him either way.  “Uh, yeah, I don’t… I don’t really talk to my dad anymore.  I didn’t agree with a lot of the shit he was doing, so.  I’d appreciate it if you didn’t hold it against me, or like, casually bring up my estranged family.”

It’s Quackity’s turn to look uncomfortable, even guilty.  He tries to mask it.  “Got it.  I won’t touch the daddy issues.”

Sapnap tries not to take offense to that, and an uneasy silence settles over the rest of the drive.

They do not pull up outside of City Hall, rather, the somewhat tired looking mansion the Mayor has always lived in, old money with a hint of frat-boy chic.  As they approach the door, Quackity is back to business.  “You’ll join me in the meeting, unless the Mayor asks for you to wait outside.  You won’t join in the conversation, got it?”

“Yes Sir,” Sapnap says, sarcasm very poorly contained, earning a look from Quackity that Sapnap almost thinks might be amused.

Quackity rings the bell, and a member of staff answers.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Yeah, Mayor Hedge is expecting me.  Quackity HQ?” Quackity’s dry, sharp humor turns to charm the moment the door opens.  He’s all smiles and niceties.

“Right this way, Mr. HQ,” the man nods the pair of them inside.

“Connor!” Quackity greets the Mayor with his first name and open arms.

The Mayor, quite frankly, looks like shit.  His suit is wrinkled, and there are bags under his eyes, and his expression could best be described as miserable and failing at his attempt to look brave about it.

“Hey, Quackity.  Good to see you, man, good of you to come and see me,” Connor hugs him, clapping him on the back with something concerningly desperate in his mannerisms.  “Who’s this?”

“Oh, Sapnap Halo,” Quackity says dismissively.  “He’s my new security, so, he’s sticking with me for his first day on the job.”

“Hi,” Connor says shakily.

“Uh, hi,” Sapnap had low expectations for the Mayor, his reputation proceeds him, but he’s almost impressed that the man in the flesh is somehow even worse, in a sad wet cat sort of way.

“Come in, come in,” Connor waves them into a lounge that must have been quite nice once, and is instead a bit worn down, the occasional modern fixtures clashing poorly with the original furniture.  There’s a foosball table that definitely doesn’t belong.  “Sit,” Connor gestures to the couch across from him.  Quackity sits, Sapnap remains standing, just behind the sofa.  It feels like what he’s supposed to be doing, at least.  On the coffee table, there is a tray with an open bottle of liquor.  Connor starts pouring two glasses.  “D’you want ice?”

“No, I’m good, Connor,” Quackity takes this all in stride.  He does not glance back to his new ex-cop staff member to see his reaction to the Mayor doing something illegal in front of both of them, but Sapnap, as he stares between the two of them, thinks Quackity is smirking.  Sapnap, cop or not, isn’t a saint committed to abstaining from all wrong-doing.  He’s gotten drunk at a speakeasy or two, or three, or more, over the years.  Really, he’s mildly impressed by how casual the Mayor is being.  Maybe Sapnap shouldn't have had a standard for him to begin with.

“You?” Connor waves the bottle in Sapnap’s direction.

“He’s on the clock, I’m afraid he won’t be joining us,” Quackity answers for him.

Connor shrugs.  “Fine,” he takes a swig, ice clinking loudly in his glass.  Quackity takes a much smaller sip, before setting the glass down.  Connor continues, “so, Quackity.  You been doing alright?  Coping okay?” Connor’s concern seems genuine, if messily presented.

“I mean, it’s hard,” Quackity sighs heavily.  “I miss him every day.  I’m sure you can relate.”

“Yeah… relate…” Connor mumbles, and Sapnap realizes his lip is trembling slightly.  Connor sniffs loudly, wiping his nose on his suit jacket sleeve.  “I… I miss him so much, man.  He was such a riot, y’know?  No one else parties like Schlatt,” he says wetly.

“You could say that again,” Quackity agrees smoothly.

Schlatt.  Quackity is visiting the Mayor to talk about Schlatt?  Sapnap briefly, wildly, thinks maybe this information might actually be useful to him, but from the current direction of the conversation, he has doubts.

“No one else parties like Schlatt…” Connor mumbles, taking another sip of his drink.  “Fuck, man.  I think this is hard, but… but what about you, right?  Wasn’t he… wasn’t he like, your husband or something?”

Sapnap sees Quackity visibly tense, but his voice remains calm and friendly.  “No, he definitely wasn’t.”

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” Connor gives him a tragically earnest and sympathetic look.  “You guys didn’t even get to tie the knot, huh, before he…” Connor gets too choked up to continue.

“How about you, Connor?” Quackity is quick to change the subject.  “I mean, I’d say you were his best friend.”

“Really?” Connor’s eyes are shining with tears.  “Fuck, man, I never told him that I felt the same way!” He’s almost wailing.

If Sapnap recalls correctly, Schlatt died over a month ago.  And Connor is still this broken up about it?  How does anything get done?  Although, if Sapnap really thought about it, he’s not totally sure what the Mayor actually does.  Quackity stands, circling the coffee table to sit beside Connor, a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“He knew, Connor.  I know he did,” Quackity says with such firm insistance, Sapnap can almost mistake it for being sincere.  “I actually… I wanted to talk to you about honoring his memory.”

“Huh?” Connor looks over at him blearily.

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it, and there’s one change that you could make, Connor.  You could use your position for good, and honor Schlatt in a way I really know he’d appreciate,” Quackity says earnestly.

“Something I can do?  What can I do?”

Quackity’s kind smile stiffens slightly into shielded exasperation.  “You’re the Mayor, Connor.”

“True!” Connor points at him amicably.  “True…”

“There’s something we both know was very near and dear to his heart, that the rest of the city doesn’t get to truly appreciate, y’know?  But you could change that.”

Connor sniffs, looking at Quackity hopefully.  “What?”

They stay for another tearful half hour, but the deal was done.  Sapnap doesn’t say a word until they’re halfway down the drive, Quackity striding ahead, hands in his pockets and a skip in his step.

“You just ended the prohibition by… handing the guy a tissue and playing along for an hour?” Sapnap says the moment they’re out of earshot of the house.

“Oh, is that what I did?” Quackity grins back at him, smug as a fox.  “I thought I was just consoling a very dear friend and… making a suggestion.  And maybe it’s also beneficial to myself.  A good casino could use a bar, y’know?  And I don’t think I ended it just yet, let’s see if he can actually pull it off first.”

“Sure, whatever, man, but you…” Sapnap is genuinely impressed.  “You know how to push people around, huh?”

Quackity’s cockiness wanes into something more bristled as he heads for the driver’s side.  He doesn’t care for that wording, it reminds him of someone he’d prefer to stay dead.  “I don’t know if I’d call it that.  More like… guidance.”

“Right,” Sapnap says doubtfully.  “Hey, dude, you did have like, two and a half drinks, and the Mayor is a heavy pour.  I should probably drive.”

Quackity pauses and genuinely listens, if only out of surprise.  “It’s your first day following around your new boss, and you’re calling me dude?” He raises his eyebrows at him.

“Sorry, uh.  Force of habit,” Sapnap says sheepishly.  “Past ten years, my boss has always been kinda a buddy of mine.  Keys?”

Quackity, grudgingly, tosses them to him.  “A buddy of yours…” he mutters somewhat mockingly.  “Well, I wouldn’t call us buddies, Mr. Halo.  Even if I’m letting you drive my car.”

“Got it.  No more ‘dude’s,” Sapnap says dryly.  “I mean, no more ‘dude’s, sir.”

That gets another laugh out of Quackity as he settles into the passenger side.  “You passed the first test,” he says, and he almost sounds approving.

“Huh?”

“You’re not such a buzzkill or a narc that you were gonna tell the Mayor off in his own home.  Low bar, like, exceedingly low bar, but like I said, the first test.”  Quackity doesn't voice it aloud, keeping tally more for himself, that Sapnap also hasn't asked about Schlatt.

Sapnap glances at him, intrigued.  “What’s the second test, then?”

“You not fucking up my car.”

[historysbiggestnerd]

If you do not believe in God, what do you believe happens after death? What do you believe in?

"The universe is its own spiritual being. It knows all but is not a being. It can judge all, it knows what you did when you were an infant and knows what you'll do when you're nearing your last breath. You should not fear nor should you see it as a friend or peaceful.

When we die, it will judge us. Have you been good your whole life? Or have you been horrible? Or, were you just neutral? That judges your fate, what happens after death.

Say you were good. Since you could walk and talk, you were a good kid. Honest, kind, trustworthy. After death, you'll find yourself floating. Floating in nothing. It wouldn't be bright nor would it be dark. It would just be nothing. You'll be in your body where you felt most happy. Maybe when you were a toddler or an adult, or maybe even when you were an infant. You would not have any of your senses. But, you'll float. As if, you were on waves. You would have no sense of time. There is no telling how long you'll be there. Then, you'll see light, and hear faint noises. You'd been born again. The universe judged you worthy enough of having a second chance.

What if you were just neutral? You hadn't done too bad things in your time alive, but you also didn't do too good stuff either. You were 50/50, to say it. You will not experience nothingness. You will wake up but will not be alive. The universe does not believe you've done enough good to deserve reincarnation. You will have to prove yourself, once more. This will take years to do. You will be stuck in a spirit form, watching over another. You will be stuck with them, as if you were a guardian angel. And then, you'll see blinding lights and hear faint noises. You proven yourself to the universe, you have been born again.

Now, finally, say you were bad. More or less, horrible in your lifetime. You were this sick, horrible person or were just a bad person, simple like that. You will not be reincarnated nor will you be given a chance to redeem yourself as a spirit. It'll be like the same, almost, as if you were good. You would be floating in nothingness. Slowly moving as you were on waves. You wouldn't have any of your senses but you can think, and you would have a sense of time. You will be aware of the time passing by as you're stuck in nothingness, and you will only hear your thoughts. You will have memories, not all of them. You will only remember everything bad you did as you float there, in nothingness for, well, "eternity".

What if, you die before you could really do anything bad or good? As an infant or in the womb. You will skip the "floating in nothingness" part, and will be immediately reincarnated. "

--- Anonymous.