#like he just does it in a sweet sort of fidgety way without realizing it drives me crazy

[cherrysnz]

I will yell about how great my partner is from the rooftops, I love this man 🗣️🗣️🗣️

Last night we were spooning, with me being the little spoon. He usually likes to wrap one arm underneath of me as well as over top to kind of cradle my head while he holds me. He had his face sort of half-buried into my neck with his nose basically right up in my ear to the point where I could feel his every breath. Anyway, we were like this for a few minutes before one of my cats ended up joining the cuddle puddle, becoming my little spoon. The three of us were all huddled up like this for a while until my cat started licking my boyfriend’s arm. It made him chuckle, which made me join in. He goes “can you feel that, too?” And I said “yeah, she’s going to town.”

He starts laughing a bit harder before beginning to pull away (we had been lying like that for a while). But as he started turning his laughter began to falter a little. He didn’t have time to pull out the arm underneath of me before he suddenly started sneezing. He like turned as best he could away from me and into his now free shoulder and sneezed once. I blessed him, and kind of figured that was that. He’s a multiple sneezer, but if they’re gonna be multiples they’re usually pretty rapid, so I was expecting this to be a one and done. But this time wasn’t the case! He stayed curled into his shoulder and gripped onto me tight with the other arm until a 2nd finally squeaked out of him. I blessed him again and he just hummed and sniffled and pulled me closer.

Just. The way I could feel everythinggggg was so crazy. God. I’m down so bad LOL

[sapphicquill]

Critickle Role: context clues

(ao3 link!)

Rating: teen

Characters: Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss

Wordcount: 1388

“Caleb, please stop fidgeting around so much.”

Essek’s voice sounds much louder than it normally does in the peaceful quiet of their bedroom. They’d only been cuddled up together for a handful of minutes, but the quaint calm they always slip into while reading is powerfully silent, so any sort of disruption is pretty obvious and hard to ignore. To Caleb’s credit, he hadn’t even been aware he was being twitchy in the first place. 

“Ah, tut mir leid, I did not mean to be a bother.” 

Essek shoots him a sympathetic look before running a soothing hand through Caleb’s hair, carding his fingers gently across the human’s scalp. 

“You’ve been fidgety all day, chathtiu, is everything alright?”

The pleasant little shivers quivering through him make it a little difficult for Caleb to focus, but he makes a valiant effort and rallies. 

“Mm, of course, liebling, I’m fine, I am just a little, ah, restless, I suppose.” 

Essek makes a soft noise before withdrawing his hand and returning his attention to the book in his lap. Caleb manages to keep the instinctive whine that bubbles up at the sudden loss of touch tamped down before doing the same. The tome, while small, was ridiculously dense, but he had promised Beauregard that he’d get it read and jot down some notes as a simplified summary as quickly as he could. It’s dreadfully boring, some sort of ethnography of a mostly-extinct culture from Tal’Dorei, and Caleb couldn’t deny the monk would go half out of her mind trying to stay focused on such material. Lucky for her that this sort of shite had been par for the course when he was younger. 

Only a few more minutes pass before Essek pulls Caleb back to the present. 

“Caleb, my dear, I’m starting to get worried.” 

Before he can ask what Essek’s going on about, cool fingers close around the wrist of his free hand. It had been resting on the bed between the two of them, what could possibly be worrying about—

Something about the sudden touch against his skin brings him even more into the present moment, and it’s only then that Caleb realizes he’d been absentmindedly tracing somatics in the air just a scant few centimeters above the blankets.

“You don’t normally move around this much unless you’re particularly anxious or upset,” Essek murmurs. Caleb lets his eyes come to meet the drow’s, and the sweet concern he finds in his partner’s gaze sends a warm rush of affection through his whole body. 

“I’m as confused as you are,” Caleb replies once he’s sure he can get words out without choking on pure emotion. Essek’s right, this is more absentminded, frantic movement then he’s used to while completely relaxed. Nothing is particularly pressing in their lives right now. Essek had helped him finish marking his intermediate transmutation students’ essays that afternoon; they had Jester, Fjord, and Kingsley coming to visit the following week—nothing out of the ordinary. 

So absorbed in his own thinking, it takes a few moments for Caleb to realize that Essek is watching him carefully, that slight furrow in between his eyebrows the obvious tell that he’s observing Caleb like one of their dunamentic experiments. 

His wrist is still held gently, though firmly, by cool indigo fingers. 

“Ah, I will strive to be still, sweetling, I apologize—”

“Oh,” Essek cuts the human off, understanding painting his expression in a way that just serves to confuse Caleb further. 

“Was?”

In lieu of a proper response, Essek closes the book he’d been reading—some recently-released lurid smut Jester had insisted the two of them talk about the next time they were together—and sends it floating over to the desk with a practiced movement of his fingers. Then, without another word, the drow flops overtop Caleb, straddling him at his middle and pinning both of Caleb’s wrists to the pillows with both hands.

“You’re in, what do Jester and Kingsley call it? A ‘mood’?” 

Keen mind still reeling from the sudden presence of Essek on top of him, Caleb blinks up at the other wizard a few times before he processes what he’d just heard. In a split second, nervous energy cascades down his spine, butterflies exploding in the pit of his stomach, and every place Essek is pressed to him feels electric. 

Evidently, the moment of realization is plain on his face, because Essek lets out a low laugh and smiles, tiny fangs peaking out past his bottom lip. 

“How is it you never figure it out unless someone points it out to you?” 

Warmth surges to Caleb’s face at his lover’s words and he’s sure he’s flushed redder than his own hair. Essek’s not wrong. Despite a perfect memory and years of learning that he’s more than allowed to enjoy getting regularly wrecked by the various members of the Mighty Nein, somehow he’s still unable to recognize when he’s actively craving getting tickled until someone else figures it out for him. 

Once someone does, however, it’s impossible to ignore.

Without waiting for a proper response, Essek murmurs a few arcane words and lifts his hands from Caleb’s wrists. Caleb doesn’t even bother trying to move his arms—this has happened so many times over the years that he knows he’s still properly pinned down until an hour passes or someone casts dispel magic. 

Or if someone recasts the spell in an hour. That’s usually the outcome in these particular scenarios. 

Sitting up straight, Essek lets his hands trail lightly across the now-exposed skin on the underside of Caleb’s forearms. Sparks ignite across his nerves like lightning as perfectly-manicured nails skim down the thin skin, and Caleb is trembling by the time they reach the underside of his biceps. They pause just above the hollow of his underarm and the concentrated, stationary teasing is enough to make a stream of frantic giggles pour from Caleb’s lips. 

“I’ll admit, I should have figured it out hours ago,” Essek says almost conversationally, as if he had already cracked through Caleb’s resolve in less than a minute. Caleb loses the inevitable fight against closing his eyes at Essek’s words. 

“Ah, well, no use dwelling on that,” the drow continues, ever-so-slowly shifting his light tickling lower and lower, “Now that we’ve got it sorted, let’s give you what you need, hmm?” 

Then there’s ten fingers skittering rapidly in Caleb’s armpits and the dam breaks, giggles turning to real, full-body laughter as he instinctively writhes against the magical hold keeping his arms up. Even with eyes closed, it’s easy to picture Essek’s expression perfectly, that little overjoyed smile he always gets when Caleb is laid out and choking out laughter beneath his hands. 

The onslaught of tickling creeps even lower and Caleb whines between bubbling laughter and half-incoherent Zemnian as skillfully dexterous fingers draw rapid shapes in the space just above his topmost rib. It’s getting increasingly harder to focus on forming coherent thoughts, and that small epiphany is enough to make the swooping waves of pleasure and joy coursing through Caleb double in their intensity. 

“Light above, you really are desperate for this, aren’t you?”

The curl of his accent makes it feel like Essek’s words are made of pure arcane energy, Caleb’s laughter adopting the slight tinge of desperation that makes everything feel more intense, more consuming, more insanely ticklish, Scheiße—

Essek laughs warmly, the affection of it making Caleb’s heart jump even with the tortuous fingers tracing rune after rune on his ridiculously sensitive skin. The sound gets a little nearer, and Caleb lets his eyes blink open enough to see his boyfriend leaning down before Essek captures his lips in a deep, sweet kiss. 

“Don’t think I’ll ever forget how much you enjoy being talked to while you’re being driven out of your mind with tickling,” the other wizard murmurs into Caleb’s ear. “As much as I adore kissing the laughter right out of your mouth, I’d never deny you something I know you so love.”

The world slips back into blessed black as Caleb’s eyes fall closed once again. His last truly complete thought before letting himself freefall into the warmth and joy of Essek’s evil, wonderful tickling is that he’ll need to get his dunamancer to recast the binding spell in just about forty-nine minutes.

---

Translations: -tut mir leid: "I'm sorry" -chathtiu: "firefly" (Undercommon) -liebling: "love" -was: "what" -scheiße: "shit"

[cinnamonest]

Hi weird request but what would Kaeya’s and Diluc’s s/o’s daily life be like ??? I’m really curious 🥺👉👈

No no anon not weird at all I like 👀

Tw: yandere, contains n/s/f/w

------

Unfortunately (for them, at least) they can't be with you all day, as much as they'd like to. Both have very important affairs to attend to, but rest assured you're occupying their thoughts the entire day. Diluc, thankfully (again, for him, at least) has some days where the only work he has to do is right there at home, moreso than Kaeya, but at least Kaeya gets some days off entirely.

Diluc's has more of a strict schedule. He's one to determine when you wake up and when you sleep, and he has to stay up a lot working on this or that, but even if he's staying up he'll make you go to bed on time, but a little while later you'll feel the shift of the mattress when he crawls in with you. He'll gently wake you up before he leaves in the morning, and give you just little things to accomplish. It's not immediate, but after you've adjusted to your new lifestyle, he'll give you little tasks around the place to do, cleaning things and the like. It'll take a while before you're trusted to cook things, at least those involving knives. Wouldn't want you to get any dumb ideas about attacking him or the staff.

Speaking of them, you'll never not feel eyes on you, outside of your room. Everywhere you go there's maids and other staff around, watching your every move, making note of anything you do so that they can give the detailed report they'll later be asked for. Don't expect any help -- some of them are sympathetic, but you'll quickly realize that not only are they all well aware of your situation, and not only are they all turning a blind eye to it, but they also are expected to report any instances of you trying to enlist their help. It gives Diluc an idea of how well you're adjusting. Of course, any new incoming staff will be secretly watched themselves -- any move to aid you in any way won't end well for them. In the end, hey, they all got a raise when you came in just as a way of keeping them silent, so they can tolerate the weight of the knowledge of your plight without doing anything. And you take care of some of the maids' tasks for them! Don't think they're gonna want to get rid of that.

Between assigned tasks and reading and, in his words, "approved walks with two or more staff through the vineyards for no more than ten minutes," you'll have enough to do until he gets back, which becomes earlier as time goes on. He's dropped his nighttime vigilante activities.

Now, on days when he has no one to meet and nowhere to be, and all the work to be done is right there at home, he'll keep you with him. Give you a book or a toy of some sort so you can sit in his lap while he does paperwork, keeping an iron grip on your waist. You can still do some little chores around the place after a while once you get fidgety, he likes watching it really. You can feel his eyes on you as you move around. On days like that, he tends to make everyone else clear out, or gives them the day off. He's too embarrassed to actually, you know, show human emotion around other people than you, and he gets irritated by other people talking to or looking at you. And, of course, because you'll inevitably end up bent over the desk a couple of times throughout the day.

At the end of the day, he's honestly one to really like physical affection. Just laying next to you and running hands through your hair is nice, he likes to spoon you with your back pressed against him and his hands around your waist, it feels very secure to him. Once he gets like that, he actually kind of lets go and sometimes just vents his stress and complaints, mumbling and grumbling about this or that thing that happened. It's actually really sweet, if, you know, you're at the phase of your relationship where you've allowed yourself to start becoming emotionally attached to your captor.

Kaeya's poor darling has a bit less to do. No huge pretty winery to run around in, you're more or less trapped in one room. Expect to read a lot of books in the near future. And he genuinely doesn't want you to die of boredom or anything, he will go out of his way to try and pick up things for you, not only books but also coloring books, puzzles, paper and drawing supplies, and other forms of time-occupiers. He doesn't want you going numb and unresponsive, he wants to keep your brain active so he can see all the cute smiles you have and hear your voice.

He won't wake  you up, though, you're too cute sleeping, so if you're easily woken up by him moving around, he'll briefly talk to you, tell you when he'll be back and so on. If you're a heavier sleeper, he'll just kiss your forehead and leave, maybe leave a daily note on the bedside table if there's anything important to be addressed. And your day will primarily consist of those aforementioned time-occupiers, there's not much else to do. Although, he's now taken to taking meals back with him to his own room rather than eating with the other knights, and for whatever reason seems to be taking almost twice the amount. Not that anyone cares enough to check into it. Honestly, poor darling, ya boy is whiny and an absolute drama queen. He's never had an outlet for it before, but now you get to hear all his complaints, talking about the people that irritate him, all the things he has to deal with, he gets all stubborn and pouty about it, blatantly overexaggerating everything he suffers through, hoping you'll reassure and coddle him over it, even faking dangerous occurrences or near-injuries in hopes you'll show some concern for his well-being. And then, he'll put on his daily routine of telling you how much he doesn't want to go back, hey maybe he can take the rest of the day off? Feign sickness? And the other possibilities he always goes through before you finally tell him to suck it up and go back to work.

At the end of the day, he comes back and, ever dramatically, flops down to tell you just how awful the rest of the day was, grabbing you from whatever you're doing and nuzzling into you, picking you up to carry you to bed. He's also very into physical affection! Just. You know. A very specific kind. Unlike Diluc he can't really separate the concepts of cuddling and sex and they both inevitably mold into each other. If he's gonna lay there and hold you after a long day's work, might as well exert some of that pent up stress.

On his off days, well, there's a lot more of that occurring. He's actually one who, much to your dismay, likes to stay in on off days, opting to lazily lay around, talk and talk (it's something he does a lot of, you know), and all that talking and muttering and hands moving and groping eventually progresses, peaks, and soon you find yourselves back to lazily snuggling and talking, only now naked and sweaty. And that's pretty much the entirety of those days. However, on the extremely rare and very gracious day, provided you've been exceptionally well-behaved, you may find yourself allowed to go out on a daytime excursion. Just be warned, it's only at your begging, as he'd lock you away forever if he could, and he's in a pretty pouty, bad mood the entire time. There are two ways it can turn out. One, you notice said bad mood and inevitably it ruins your own time, and you end up conceding to go back. Or, if you can ignore the pouting and cold silence and have fun anyway, good for you, but the trip will probably end faster since he doesn't quite like seeing how happy you are to be out among others.

[flyinghome-againstthewind]

In honor of wee Faithie’s birthday...

I’m reposting an excerpt from chapter 6 of my fic The Best by Far is You when it’s Faith Fraser’s first birthday. Sweet bb angel deserved the whole world so here’s some happy headcanons to cope :) 

A soft thump landed on Jamie’s chest and woke him suddenly from his sleep. He breathed in sharply and raised his head, taking in the sight of a half-awake Faith before him. Her hard head was resting on his chest and her little feet were digging into the mattress to try and propel herself further onto him, leaving her diapered rump wagging in the air. She did all this with her eyes screwed shut against the morning light and her head trying to burrow into him. 

“What are ye trying to do, wee lass?” He laughed. Faith grunted and squirmed, trying to get comfortable. Upset that she even had to be awake and trying her damndest to rectify that, it seemed. “Ye dinna like mornings much, do ye?” Jamie helped scoot the baby up so that she was draped over him. She let out a big yawn and looked to be almost asleep already. “Just like yer mam.” 

His gaze flicked over to his wife and found his comment had gone unnoticed by her. If any two souls ever loved an unhurried morning to sleep as late as they liked, they were his lasses. But while the baby was working at falling back to sleep, Jamie had been woken in the process. It wasn’t as easy for him to drift back to sleep once the sun was up and the day could begin. It also wasn’t the first time Faith had done this since she had become too mobile to be left in her wee crib. They only needed to see Faith pull herself up and flip herself out and over the shallow wall of her cradle one time before they decided to bring her into their bed at night ‒ a decision they knew was safest, but had thus far taken some adjusting to.

But this day was special and the weight of the baby keeping him in bed was exactly how he would have this morning go. 

Jamie sat up slowly, scooching back against the headboard. He cradled Faith against him and shifted her head up onto his shoulder once he was upright. He felt her sleepy huff against his skin. His precious, wee bairn. His and Claire’s.  

His hand still cradled the back of Faith’s head and the other helped steady her fidgety body as her legs kicked and wiggled for a moment longer. At last, she settled in against him and he turned his face into her little head where it rested on his shoulder and kissed her hair. 

“Tha gaol agam ort, a chuisle.” He kissed her hair again, unable to help himself. She was warm and snug against him. “I do love you. Happy birthday, my wee lass. I canna believe‒” He swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat as he was confronted with memories of this day last year. The day he believed he had lost Claire and their baby. 

But the baby in his arms was very much alive, against all odds. And though he’d had a late start in being a part of Faith’s life, he had never let a day pass since then without telling her every morning that he loved her, and praying protection over her sleeping form every night. And he dedicated his time in between just trying to be worthy enough for the life he’d been given with Claire and the family they were building together. He didn’t often allow his mind to drift to those first three months for the sake of the dark memories that haunted that time for him. But with his child’s birthday came a natural desire to reflect and look back.

“No, I truly canna believe you’re still here some days. Ye’re a strong wee thing, that’s for sure.” He rubbed her back in slow circles, feeling the baby go completely lax with sleep. “I’ll never forget the first time I held you. Ye were the smallest bairn I’d ever seen. So delicate and pale. I was so scared of losing you still, even though you’d survived that long already. Ye broke my heart open wi’ how much I loved you, a leannan.” 

He became aware of Claire’s waking presence before her hand reached out blindly for him, her head still buried in her pillow. She caught his thigh and, not expecting that to be level with her, lifted her head to squint at him in the morning light. He watched her take in the sight of him and Faith, and caught her sleepy smile before her head dropped back to the pillow. His hand left the baby in favor of brushing aside the wild curls that had fallen over Claire’s face and obscured her from him. She hummed at his touch and he smiled widely, though neither of his lasses noticed. His touch lingered on Claire, tracing the slope of her cheek until she abruptly captured his hand with her eyes still closed and brought it to her lips for a kiss. 

He couldn’t reflect on the beauty of Faith’s life without the immediate swell of gratitude for Claire. She had changed his life so completely and set it on a path he never dared to dream of. 

“Good morning, my beautiful wife.” 

He was rewarded with another sleepy smile from Claire as she stretched like a cat and propped herself up on one elbow. 

“What does that look mean, Sassenach?” 

She startled slightly as he called her out and she scooched closer so she could join them. Her arm slung around his waist just below Faith’s little feet and her head came to rest on his shoulder. “I was remembering that first night you came home and waking up to find you sitting up like this with Faith asleep on your chest.” She turned her face into his shoulder, as she had done that night as well, and kissed him there softly. 

“She was frightfully small then.” 

“Yes, she was,” Claire agreed. She reached out and covered his hand with her own, both of them now resting on Faith’s back. Jamie let out a sigh as something eased in his chest. He pressed a kiss to Claire’s temple and then met her gaze when she tilted her face up to him. They didn’t speak further on the subject. They didn’t need to. The fear and the gratitude and the absolutely overwhelming love for Faith that Jamie felt was echoed in his wife’s eyes. They’d almost lost Faith once and there wasn’t a day of her sweet life that they didn’t feel exceedingly grateful to still have her with them. 

Perhaps it was the sound of both parents’ voices that woke Faith from her brief sleep. After a moment, Jamie and Claire, with their palms still resting on her back, felt her breathe in deeply and then let the air out in a long, slow sigh. Her head popped up from Jamie’s shoulder, one hand rubbing furiously at one still-closed eye. 

“Well, good morning.” Claire’s voice had a soft lilt to it, and Jamie tore his eyes away from the baby to see the radiant smile on her face. “Happy birthday, my darling girl.” 

 She leaned over Jamie and kissed Faith’s round cheek, still flushed from sleep. Jamie felt his breath snag at the sight. It didn’t matter that it was a moment he’d been privileged to see a million times over; he never loved anything more than bearing witness to the bond between Claire and the child they’d created together, the living testament of their love. 

Faith leaned sideways, chasing after Claire with her lips almost in a pout and her face tilted up expectantly.

“Ye want tae give a kiss, a leannan?” Jamie asked softly. 

Claire pressed a kiss to Faith’s pouty mouth, coming away with a bright smile. “What about for Da? Does he get a kiss, too?” 

Faith turned immediately to Jamie at that suggestion and jutted her lower lip out in the only way she had sorted out how to give a kiss. He obliged that sweet, upturned face with a kiss and then ducked his head to mockingly nibble at her neck. She let out a burst of giggles and squirmed away, her shoulder pressed up to her ear in reflex.         

“You love your da, don’t you?” Claire gently stroked Faith’s cheek.

Jamie felt his heart fit to burst at his wife’s words and Faith’s bright-eyed gaze back at him at the mention of “da”. It was the strangest, most wonderful feeling ‒ to love this child with everything that he had and to then realize, as she grew, that she loved him, too.    

“Ah Dhia,” he murmured reverently. “Ye dinna ken how much I love you, M'annsachd.”

[Read the whole chapter on ao3]

[shinjukuspiritcommittee]

Sunrise With You Too

I’m unoriginal and this is two weeks later than when I wanted to post it. I got in the habit of procrastinating when there are things I really wanna be doing. Also please forgive my lack of creativity but this is the addendum to the first sunrise with you but with a smaller roster this time around to just try and lessen the workload when it comes to projects like this and there have also been characters I’ve been drawn to as of late. Regardless I hope you all enjoy my sappy renditions of these small snippets!

~~~

Sunrise with You (Peace)

~With the endless game finally at an end, and the past behind you everything felt… fresh. Everyone in your life was no longer bound by the rules of any game and could live as they wanted. Even the wall that closed you all in no longer stood in your way. Weirdly enough you couldn’t sleep so you had stayed awake staying off at the night horizon. The Tokyo skyline seemed to go on forever with no boundaries to hold you. Just what did lie out there in the world? It was all so exciting. But then, the door to the roof opened and you turned to find…

Sunrise with You (part 2)

Yasuyori

~“There you are, Summoner.” Yasuyori calls out to you as he stands to attention by your side. “A lovely night, isn’t it?” You agreed with him and asked if Yasuyori came to get some air too. “Yeah. I was also curious where you ran off to once your friends had all claimed you wandered off on your own.” So he was looking for you. “Y-Yes…” The therian admitted bashfully. The blush becoming readily apparent through his fur. “I just wanted to spend a bit more time together. That’s all…” What did he mean by that exactly? It felt as though he wanted to say more but stopped himself ahead of time. “Let’s not… focus on those sorts of topics.” You and Yasuyori were engaged in small talk for quite some time. Yasuyori just seemed relieved all the fighting can be over and done with and you were glad that cycle was over and done with.

~“I’m just glad we can go where we want now. Uh…” Yasuyori averted his gaze away from you and fixated on the ground below. “This isn’t exactly easy for me to say but… once I graduate I plan to take some time to travel.” Is that why he’s been fidgety? “You noticed…” He seemed disheartened that you saw him in a more vulnerable light. His expression was more solemn when he turned to face you as a result. With a deep breath he continued, “I… I want to know what a life without conflict was like. What was it for all those going on outside these walls? What was happening after all this time? I want to understand that better.” You definitely thought it was a valiant effort and made note of all those excited to leave the city. You did have some concern about Yasuyori leaving so suddenly. He seemed taken aback by this. “I-It’s not like I won’t come back! I’ve still got to make sure that fool Ashigara keeps himself in check after all. And…” He blushed and scratched himself nervously. “Y-You’d still…” The Therian gave a low growl and looked back to the ground. “Nothing. You’re still you…” You took a moment to process what he was trying to say before asking something of him. A… promise of sorts. “Y-Yes? No matter the request I’ll do my best to fulfill it while I’m still here!” You took his hand in both of yours with the intent of making a promise to him.

~At first Yasuyori was speechless. When he finally spoke up “That’s… that’s a ring!” He brought the ring to eye level to confirm that it indeed was a ring. “You… this isn’t some stunt you’re trying to pull on me, right? T-This isn’t some cheap ploy to make me stay, right!?” After freaking out for another moment he got a grip over himself and sighed. “No, of course not. That’s not you.” You asked Yasuyori that when you graduate, that he’ll come back for you and you both can experience the world together. Maybe even show you all the things he’s learned while he was gone. With the ring now on his finger his hands interlocked with yours and the two of you stared into each others eyes as the sun began to rise… “I swear on my heart that I will come back for you and more. I also promise to call often and take proper care of myself. I…” He hesitated, gulping his words before continuing. “I promise once I come back to officially make you mine. Just as you’ve promised me. I-I love you.”

Ziz

~“Oh thank goodness. This is where you were.” You were surprised to see Ziz and asked what she was doing here. “I was only concerned about where you had wandered off to. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” You told her it was fine- you were just shocked. “Oh! I didn’t mean to startle.” You once again reaffirmed everything was fine. You asked if she wanted to spend some time watching the sky together and just… talking. You could really use some company, you figured. “Oh, I’d love to! It’s a shame I didn’t prepare any snacks beforehand…” You and Ziz spent a moment together just resting on the roof top under the gaze of the stars at peace with yourselves…

~You and Ziz spent that time in relative silence. You weren’t quite sure how to break the ice with each her so asking how she was feeling was the best you could come up with. “Oh, I’m fine. Thank you for asking. Is everything alright with you?” Aside from being tired after feeling a heavy burden lifted from your shoulders, you were… unsure. You opened up a bit about not knowing what was gonna come next. “I see… you wouldn’t be the only one.” Ziz admits. “You may not want to hear it, but I’ve always worried about today. There’s simply so much out there I don’t understand. It does scare me knowing I won’t be able to protect those I care about from all the dangers from within Tokyo- let alone outside…” You expressed concern for Ziz now with her concerns and finally realizing the size of the world you knew against the world you didn’t know. It was intimidating. You proposed that maybe there was a way to face each day somehow. “W-What?”

~You held out your ring to Ziz and claimed you always want to be side by side. She gasped unsure of what to say. “B-But…!” Ziz stammered. “I’m your- This isn’t-! Oh goodness…” You made a comment about how cute she was when flustered. “I-It’s not polite to tease your teachers like this!” You both laughed together as it turned to daybreak. “Oh… the sunrise is especially beautiful today…” Ziz commented. You agreed and said how glad you were to see this with her. “You know… what you asked isn’t such a bad thought. We could watch plenty more sunrises together… side by side like we are now.” The two of you inched closer and closer to one another until finally your head was resting on her shoulder. “I’ll consider what you’ve asked me today. There’s still so much I want to see and experience. When I have you I feel I can do those things. I just hope you can look out for me all the times I can be rather careless… okay?”

Shennong

~Shennong let out a sigh as he was relieved to find you. “I figured you’d have a hard time sleeping…” Surprised and concerned, you asked Shennong if he had spent a long time looking for you. “Of course not. I was just making sure you kept yourself out of trouble for at least one night.” The bull gave a chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. You denied being a troublemaker while bashfully chuckling with him. “You really expect me to believe that? You’re always the one in everyone else’s problems by choice or chance- you really can’t help yourself.” Your school’s doctor cooed and doted on you in that teasing manner as you tried to deny being as much of a troublemaker as he was painting you out to be.

~It was then Shennong realized something was off about you. “Hey, you’re not sick or anything right? Nothing out of the ordinary?” You felt perfectly normal. In fact, you felt even better with him around to keep you company. “I see… that’s good.” He winked. “I can’t have you getting ill on me now. Or… well, that doesn’t matter.” Suddenly he looked gloomy. As if he was recalling something unwelcome. You said his name out of concern. That snapped him out of his stupor and he laughed awkwardly again. “Concerned for me, are you? You’ll make me blush if you keep doing that.” You took his hand in yours and told him not to hide things on his mind from you. “You’re really sweet… I… don’t want you running off again and putting yourself in more danger. I need you to stay healthy, otherwise… I wouldn’t know what I’d do with myself to let you get hurt again…” You squeezed Shennong’s fuzzy hand as you offered one way he could keep you safe. “Huh?” Without hesitating any longer you showed Shennong the ring.

~“Ah!” He was stunned. “Wait a second here!” Do you have any idea how serious this is!? You’ve made plenty of dumb jokes before but something like this…! This isn’t a game!” You agreed and replied that it wasn’t a game to you. You’ve never been more serious before about anything until now. Shennong makes you feel… safe. After a moment to collect himself, Shennong sighs. “What am I going to do with you?” Rather than just take the ring from you the bull pulls you in for a hug and your eyes lock as light shines over the roof thanks to the sun. “I hope you know what you’re getting into. I can be quite stubborn and overprotective…” You both smile at each other.

Gyumao

~“Ah, there you are my esteemed partner! What are you doing up here? The celebrations are still going on downstairs!” Gyumao claimed with joy as he immediately approached you while on the roof. You said you just wanted to take a break and came out for some air and noticed how nice the stars were tonight. Gyumao looked up right alongside you. “They certainly are a lovely thing. It’s important to slow down and enjoy the smaller things- I’m glad you remembered something as important as that. Mind if I join you?” You told him you would appreciate the company and the two of you shared thoughts about the future.

~“So… that’s it, hmm?” The Therian sighed suddenly. “Once tomorrow comes it’s back to work for me… actually scratch that- It’ll be more than work. It’ll be full on duty to ensure Public Relations with the outside businesses go smoothly, ensuring that the company expansion is well tempered and all sorts of other things. Nothing we can’t handle, right?” You asked him what he meant by that. “Well, I’m going to need my business partner after all. I do depend on you…” He stopped as he realized this was his chance. “Say, what were your plans for the future again?” You told him you were open to a lot of different possibilities so you weren’t quite sure yourself. Gyumao laughed. “An open ended answer for an open ended person!” His laughter quickly shifted to a more serious and passionate tone however. He looked at you with a gentle expression of yearning. You noticed this. “If you don’t mind, I have a… proposition for you.” Oh?

~Gyumao presented a ring box as he got down on one knee. He opened the box to reveal an engraved ring. “I… I would like to ask you to be more than my business partner one day. Of course, that’s only if-” You stopped him right there. As your answer you revealed your ring for him. The bull was taken aback at first, but quickly got onto his feet and was grinning from ear to ear. “That’s my partner for you! I swear I’ll never know what you’ll do next!” The two of you slipped the rings onto each others’ fingers. “A perfect fit…” He sighed with relief. Gyumao wrapped an arm around your shoulder and gave you a wink as the sun began to rise. “When the time comes you and I will spend the rest of our lives together. I swear with all that time you’ll be happier than you’ve ever thought possible. I just know thinking about spending a lifetime with you… that gets me all sorts of excited. Let’s reach greater heights of happiness than ever before!”

Benten

~“So this is where you ran off to.” Benten teased. “What are you even doing out so late? I thought you said you were too tired from all the fighting.” You just told her you couldn’t sleep and wanted some air. What about her? She pulled her weight the last couple of days and then some after putting on a show for everyone. “I, uh… look don’t sweat the small stuff, kay? I wanted to take some selfies under the stars! Yeah, some night sky pics for my medias! That’s all!” You tried to raise the argument it was dark but you immediately stopped once you realized she was glaring right at you. You felt as though her gaze was going to burn a hole right through you so you stepped out of her way and let her do her thing.

~You tried to shift topics in the meantime while she fussed over getting the perfect selfie to start the next stage in her life. You asked what she wanted to do now since the walls are down. “I’m taking my internet fame to the next level. Duh!” Benten said confidently. “I’m thinking of doing a world tour or something when I finally graduate. I’ll be amassing followers if I do that, yeah?” It was always about followers with her, wasn’t it? “You say it like it’s a bad thing. There’s plenty of career potential being an online celeb! I figured a… a normie like yourself wouldn’t understand.” A… normie? Benten blushed. “Ugh, geez. Don’t go asking me things like that! It’s way too cu- wah… waaaah! Not cute! Definitely wasn’t about to say that!” She suddenly snapped defiantly. “I’ll become an internet star! You’ll see!” You had no doubt about that since she already won you over a long time ago. “Wh-What…!?” You presented your ring for her and said you hope to be her Number 1 follower. Benten was speechless for a moment before she couldn’t hold it back and started snickering.

~“ARE YOU SERIOUS?” She belted out through laughter. “Geez, what kind of cringey soaps have you been watching lately? Totally going in the cringe comps later!” She guffawed even harder, making you incredibly red in the face and a bit frustrated you weren’t being taken seriously. Benten just laughed in your face after expressing your feelings. However her tune quickly changed when she noticed your tears forming thanks to the rising sun. “You’re…” She became red herself and a look of shame washed over her expression. It was then she realized something. “Uh, hey! I think I found the perfect spot for that picture!” Benten awkwardly took a place next to you and locked your arm with hers. She held the camera of her phone out while using the dawn’s light as her light source. You were a bit confused. “I just… don’t ever wanna be forgotten. And I also don’t wanna forget all the times we had together. It would suck if I forgot the person I lo- ah, hmmm…” She faked a cough. “The person I stan.” You were just confused about her sporadic behavior. “Look, I just… don’t wanna let you go. Not yet anyway…” She seemed upset about saying something a bit cliché but held her tongue back. “Just promise you won’t forget either. Otherwise I’ll make you remember…” She took the photo when you promised not to.

Typhon

~“There you are, my master~!” Typhon greeted you gleefully. “What’s a cutie like you doing so far out from the rest of the party huh?” He wrapped an arm around you as you asked why he left the party so soon. “Well the cutest one in the room went off somewhere, duh! Glad I found you.” The shark therian winked. “You’re the life of the party!” You blushed at all his compliments noting that they were more frequent than any other instance. “Well…” Typhon blushed and scratched the back of his head. “You are the ‘hero’ of Tokyo after all. Can’t let the good you did go unrewarded…” You and Typhon laughed a bit about calling you a hero.

~You asked him if he had any plans now that you all were no longer locked within the confines of the city. “Hmm, maybe take a vacation?” He suggested. “I’ll level with ya, I haven’t thought that far ahead. Sure it’s exciting but… I like the idea of just finding a partner and just settling down. Then again, the world must be full of beautiful babes so I’ve got time~.” You were a little disheartened he would treat love so casually. You felt it was something that he really should stop messing around with. “I-I know… It’s not easy to find your soulmate ya know. Things like that take time and effort.” You pondered aloud that maybe your soulmates were with you right from the start. “Hmm, what do you mean by that?” You admitted that you had been worried for a while that he might disappear so suddenly again. The thought of losing him scared you for some reason. “R-Really!? Master, I’m sorry for worrying you all the time like that!” Suddenly Typhon pulled you into a tight embrace. You were shocked as he pressed you into his large frame. “See, I’m here now! You don’t gotta cry about me anymore! I-I’m not going anywhere anytime soon!” You gasped saying you couldn’t breathe despite how elated you were to be hugged by him. “Ah- Sorry!” He loosened his grip enough so you two can look at each other. You noticed the distraught look over Typhon’s face and apologized for making him feel that way. “N-No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I should never have scared you like that.” You both processed each others apologies before slipping into conjoined laughter. “Of course we wouldn’t leave each other for so long!” He was right, but… you had to get the burning question off your chest.

~You presented Typhon with a ring that really didn’t seem like it’d fit on his finger, but suggested it’d make for a great necklace one day. “Is… Is this why you were asking all that stuff before?” Typhon’s face turned deep red as he stared at your smaller hands with the ring. “You know I can’t say no, Master!” Typhon’s smiled gently. This time Typhon knelt down and delicately placed his hand on your back as he whispered. “For a long time, I knew we were soulmates. I was just too afraid to admit you were the one…”

Tetsuya

~“Seriously, this is how you’re spending your last night as a free bird?” Tetsuya scoffed as he came up to you and stared down at the city. He got comfortable and leaned against the edge which made you a bit nervous about two things. Tetsuya has rarely been the one to initiate conversation and you’re often the one striking it up. “Everyone was making a fuss over you, so they sent me to look for you. I figured you’d be doing something out there like stargazing.” There wasn’t anything wrong with wanting to gaze at the stars in the night sky you elaborate. You also made a bit of a remark about how he’s looking down all the time which seemed to have irked him. “Cheeky tonight, aren’t you?” Tetsuya grumbled and took a deep breath. It was always awkward to try and talk to him after getting on his bad side, but still something was bothering you. Tetsuya seemed… despondent almost.

~So in order to try and get him to open up a bit you asked if he had any plans at all now that the city was freed. “Well, I was hoping to sleep in since I’ve got my shift tomorrow night. I was lucky enough to get tonight off-” You denied that those were real plans. “The hell are you talking about? Of course they are.” Sure, but no aspirations for the future? The whole world is out there and he’s gonna act like nothing’s different? “For folks like you, yeah. Things are different.” He said while still staring at the city. “For someone like me the red light district is where I belong. Trying to fantasize about a future that can’t come true is just cruel.” You countered that it was more cruel to deny a dream outright because it seemed impossible. You instinctively moved closer until you were side by side with Tetsuya. You looked down at the city and commented on how the street lights way down there were almost like the stars in the sky in there own way. He sighed and actively looked away from you. “Do you always gotta come up with some corny shit to say?” Silently, you put a hand to his back and asked him what his dream would be. He can be as extravagant or as absurd as he wants. There was no need to hold back. “Whatever I want, huh?” His voice quivered. He coughed to readjust his voice. “Fine. I want…” Tetsuya pondered for a moment about what he would want.

~“A big mansion and a lotta cash. That way I could live the easy life and never have to lift a finger ever again unless I wanted to.” You admitted that was something easier said than done, but also pressed to hear more about this fantasy. “You’re just actively trying to annoy me today, aren’t you? Okay then.” Tetsuya turns to face you face you finally with a scowl on his face. “I wouldn’t be all alone in that mansion. I… I’d need butlers and maids to weight on my every whim of course.” You both laughed. “And… someone to share it with.” Tetsuya sighed. “There, ya happy?” You told him you were very happy when you scooted next to him and wrapped your arms around his. “H-Hey!” You told him there was one dream you had ever since coming to Tokyo. It was to find someone to be with to fend off the loneliness. “H-Hold on!” Tetsuya shot up. “What the hell are you even talking about right now!?” It was time when you decided the jig was up and revealed the ring. It wasn’t meant to be anything serious right away, but a promise for right now to have each other’s backs. “T-This isn’t just some off color partnership… this is…” Tetsuya glared at you as his face burned bright red in the rising light of the sun. “You’re a real piece of work, ya know?” You said that you wanted to be the one he would share his riches with. “You… You could have anyone… so why…?” Rather than reject you any longer, all Tetsuya wanted to do was wonder why. Why would you choose someone as garish as him? All you said was that you cared about him, and no amount of circumstances was gonna change that.

Tadatomo

~At first you were convinced you were imagining someone coming to check on you, but then you noticed a familiar sensation of being watched. You laughed and called out to Tadatomo to stop hiding. From beside you, he spoke “You’re noticing me a lot more now. Good.” You jumped a bit as how suddenly he appeared besides you. “Of course I’ll come to your side. Just say the word and I’ll be right here.” You asked if that meant all the time or when he wasn’t busy seeking revenge. “Ah… right. Forgive me, I’ve lied to you once again… The culprits responsible are still out there. I can’t simply leave it be. However…” He stopped mid sentence and you tried to get him to talk about it again. “I’ve… had a change of heart as of late.”

~A… change of heart? “I refuse to give up my pursuit of them. What they did to my father and old master is unforgivable and a disgrace to my family as a whole. I intend to make them suffer a slow and cruel death through and through and I still look forward to the day I can relish in their agony.” Tadatomo grinned almost devilishly as he no doubt fantasized about one day gutting the people responsible. Nervously, you asked what’s changed. “Well… I thought about it more and… I don’t want them doing something like this to anyone ever again. My time with you and the other warriors helped me realize that I still have a sense of justice…” You really asked him if you inspired him that much? “In a sense.” You were still a little lost but you understood that he was no longer seeking retribution for himself, but rather to protect the weak. You really admired him for that…

~Tadatomo realized how long the two of you had been standing outside. He apologized. “I must be off.” You stopped him before he could melt back into the shadows and asked him for something important. “I’ll do anything for you, you’re aware of that.” You asked him to come back in one piece. Revenge or not, he was still someone who won you over in the end. You place in his hand the ring you were entrusted with. You asked Tadatomo to swear to come back alive, no matter if he accomplishes his goals or not. If you had lost him… “Please, don’t cry for my sake…” The therian took the ring and placed it on his finger, then grabbed your hands. When the sunlight finally reached the roof you could see the smile across Tadatomo’s face and the tears that were brimmed on his eyes. He took notice of your forlorn expression as well. “I promise to return here. Though it pains me to leave now, I swear to you I will come back. I won’t let my… my love down ever again.”

[shiroganeryo]

ah, if you're still doin the character thing, how about Lenalee? (I didn't see anybody asking about her, but if sb did, sorry! maybe Johnny then?)

I’m sorry for the delay on replying to this one! This is probably the last ask thingy I’ll be doing for the Character Questions, as they take me some time to type and I’ve been busy 💓 But thank you all very much for the interest in these, I really love writing for stuff like this! I’ll be covering both Lenalee and Johnny in this one - so, a two character reply again! I was hoping someone would give me Lena so the OT4 was complete, but I also really love Johnny... 😭 

Lenalee

My otp for them: With Lavi! I had never paid much attention to the two of them as a couple, but after I reread the series last year, they have grown on me. Lavi has been Lenalee’s emotional support many times and it’s clear he cares about her. People would consider that the time he snapped at her for grieving over “losing Allen” was bad, but I quite don’t think he meant harm; rather, I think he kinda acted on impulse because he wanted her to feel better. He marvelously made up for that during the following arcs (”I didn’t come here to stop you; this is your decision to make. Just let me come along.” - 150th Night). Those interactions made me like them a lot as a pairing. My brotp for them: Miranda! She played a big part in Miranda’s life, and I’m sure they got really close thanks to that. Imagining them doing all the girly things together without a care in the world makes me so happy 🥺 It’s like getting to see the happy girl Lenalee could have been, if she weren’t another victim of the war. I also used to ship them because I have no self-control apparently, so. XD Any other ships: Have you all ever considered her and Emilia? 💦 Both share guts and very strong legs, it seems. I can picture them bonding easily over shared interests and it makes me weak. I also love Lenalee and Kanda’s relationship, so they also get the cake here. As for Allen, they make a beautiful pairing, but only when it comes to appearance to me; imo they would need to work many things out, personally speaking, to work in a healthy way for both. Their best friend: Miranda, Jeryy and Kanda! Miranda, for the reasons stated above; Jeryy, because he was her “motherly figure” when she was growing up and needed a feminine, understanding input from someone she could feel comfortable around. And Kanda, due to their relationship as “childhood friends”, in a way. Lenalee loves everyone close to her, but I see these three being the ones she’s the closest to. My favorite nickname for them: “Lena”, given by Kanda. It just sounds so cute and delicate; it suits her. My favorite AU headcanon of them: People often say they would like to see Lenalee abandon the Order and join Allen’s side. I say the opposite; she should stay. She could be a big helping hand on throwing a rebellion of sorts that could benefit him from the inside. That way she wouldn’t need to abandon the people she loves for Allen’s sake, but would still be on his side, on her own way. My favorite outfit they wear: Lenalee has the cutest chinese themed outfits! The ones I love the most are the one she used during the Zombie arc, and this one I saw her wearing on Gray Log. She looks so darn cute, too precious for this world. *gross sobbing* Defining color: When I think of her, I think of several shades of green, namely Fern (#4F7942) and Pine (#01796F). I also think of deep red (#D30000), because of the ribbons she uses on her hair and the shapes of her Crystal Type Innocence. Would I date them: Lenalee is a strong, amazing girl! However, I wouldn’t date her. She can also be headstrong, and so am I hahah At times, I find myself thinking we’re similar in the way we’re insistent (at the risk of being unreasonable) about some things and I quite don’t see that working out at all 😅 First impression: Bland. Nice character, but her design didn’t interest or stand out at all to me. Dark Boots are an awesome Innocence though! Current impression: I really like her. Not one of my favorite characters, and I have a lot of criticism when it comes to Lenalee, but I love her design and the development she got so far. I started taking her more seriously after the fight against Eshi; it was one heck of an awesome fight! The way she put everything on the line on that suicidal move was impressive; so badass. Hogwarts House: As much as I would love to assign her to Gryffindor for her commendable courage, Lenalee’s home is in Hufflepuff! Before anything else, she cares deeply for the people she loves, and will sacrifice herself for them without thinking twice. Loyalty and kindness are her most prominent trait, but that doesn’t make her a pushover in the slightest. Which Pokemon starter they’d be: Torchic! According to the Pokédex entries, Torchic feels warm to the touch and this makes it very huggable. I have this type of impression about her, warm and welcoming. It also develops a fighting type upon evolving, and Blaziken are well known for their strong legs and jumping capacity!

Johnny

My otp for them: With Cache! I’m very weak for couples where the woman looks (and is) stronger than the guy, and we’ve seen her carrying Johnny to the medical wing before - an occurence that, according to her, happens a lot. He seems to have a crush on her, seeing his reaction (fidgety, blushing) when he was saying goodbye to his science friends. According to Vol. 27′s Discussion Room, the scrunchy he’s using to tie his hair used to be hers, and I love how Allen went “hmm, I see...” when he told them she had given it to him hahah (it’s alright, Allen; I ship it too 👌) My brotp for them: Allen, hands down. Differently from what people say, Johnny has always supported and cherished Allen, what he’s doing for him now isn’t out of the blue. It was actually what Johnny told him that started to change his perception on things and realize that his heart longed to be with the ones he loves despite the hardships (”As Johnny Gill and your friend, I’m going to help you!”, - 215th Night). He loves him, and I can tell how important he is for Allen too; he was able to come back from Nea’s inner world thanks to Johnny’s calling that reminded him of his ties with everyone in “Home”. This part has some of my favorite scenes from the entire series; Johnny didn’t even bat an eye, he simply jumped for Allen. I called it Allen would avoid their fall, but Johnny patting his head in happiness and relief and then hugging him, to which Allen returned, as relieved and happy for having come back... It was so sweet and hopeful. It brings good tears to my eyes!  Any other ships: I don’t have any~ Their best friend: I think Johnny is friends with pretty much all of his buddies from the Science Division, but I notice him being closer to Reever. I would like to mention Suman as well; despite him being deceased, Johnny still seems to hold a fond memory of him. And then comes Allen who’s clearly someone important to him, and it doesn’t seem to be one-sided, judging by the time they (used to) spend together having fun. My favorite nickname for them: I don’t have one! But Johnny deserves cute nicknames, let’s give him some, Hoshino-sensei? 👀 My favorite AU headcanon of them: I don’t have one because Johnny is already perfect as a character and for the plot as he already is imho. All I wish is for him to survive until the ending. Hang in there, Johnny! Allen needs you, but for all you’ve been doing, you deserve to make it out alive and earn your own happiness! My favorite outfit they wear: Out of all the characters, I feel like Johnny is the one that has the most “stripped-down” style, quite modern looking. But I love his current outfit the most! He looks great in vests and the long coat definitely reminds me of the lab coats he used to wear while in the Order. I also like a lot more how his hairdo is atm, it looked a little painful to have tied for too long in the previous style (similar to pigtails). His new frame glasses are also pretty! Gives him a more serious look. Defining color: Curiously enough, I think of an array of varied colors when I think of Johnny? I can’t seem to be able to pick one. There is black, yellow like Mustard (#FEDC56), brown like Cherrywood (#CB6F36) and blue like Maya (#73C2FB), to name some. Would I date them: But of course! Johnny is the sweetest guy I’ve ever seen. He gives off all the geek vibes, but not on the annoying way; he looks like the type of person that would talk lots about things that make him happy, excitedly, while you’d look at him go, feeling blessed with all the bright energy vibes emanating from him. He’s also shown to be extremely supportive, and honestly, everyone deserves someone like him 🥺 First impression: Regular geek scientist guy? Current impression: *incoherent sobbing* I love him so much! Why does Johnny not have more appreciation?! Why do people think he’s annoying??? Anyone who loves Allen gotta admit this guy is the MVP. He’s the trope you’d expect for a smartsy science guy, and at the same time, he’s not only that. I’ve babbled enough on that in the reply under this question. Hogwarts House: I’m in a tie between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, but I think I would give him Gryffindor. People would be quick to place him in Ravenclaw for his smarts and his love for learning, but this guy is extremely courageous. Despite being seen as “weak” and fragile, he was the one to stand up for Allen in multiple occasions throughout the series. He’s also the one who confronted the Earl to ask him what he wanted with the 14th (196th Night), while no one had really questioned or directly talked to him. He left the Order to go after Allen, knowing he was awakening as a Noah (which is already dangerous on its own) and would be in constant situations of peril because of Akuma and other Noah. Johnny, the “regular guy”, did all that, having no care as to what could happen to him. So, Gryffindor for his extreme courage, but maybe Hufflepuff for his honest loyalty and goodness. Which Pokemon starter they’d be: Grookey! The way Grookey and its evolutions handle wood makes me think they’re skilled Pokémon that can craft things and know how to use them as instruments, just like Johnny does with his scientific creations. The tied “hair” also reminds me of him!

[whengreenmeetsbrown]

Sirius

Eleven year old Sirius Black gets his Hogwarts letter and he is ecstatic, skating around Grimmauld Place, showing it to his brother (who looks gloomy), earning a few glares and swear words from his mother. She is the reason he’s so happy to go, to escape from this horrible, pathetic place. But he’s sad to leave his dear brother behind. Don’t worry, he says to him as the train leaves, you’ll be back next year, and I’ll be waiting as your older brother, and hugs him. On the train, he meets a hyper, fidgety boy with glasses, messy hair and a crooked smile. That boy is James Potter, the boy who would become his reason to live after some time. The Sorting Hat is on his head, not Slytherin, not Slytherin, the boy wishes and so he is listened to. Gryffindor! The hat screams as the Hall looks in disbelief, a Black in Gryffindor? At the boy’s dormitories, he comes to know Kingsley Shacklebolt, a tough guy who is strong and kind at the same time, Peter Pettigrew, the boy with mousy hair, sarcasm and shyness, and Remus Lupin. Sirius just cannot seem to get his eyes off him as he takes in his light brown hair which falls to his eyes which look too tired for an eleven year old. A second year Sirius skives off classes, carefree and cocky already. James, Remus and Peter are his best mates and he likes them a lot although James is the closest, the only one to whom Sirius shares his secrets, his dark family with their dumb beliefs and the abuse he and his brother go through. The boy gasped as he heard this, fists clenching and teeth baring. How can they do this to their own sons? James asks angrily and a small laugh escapes Sirius. Oh how little you know James Potter, he thinks sadly. And then he just can’t seem to get why and where Remus goes once a month. He says his mother his ill but Sirius knows it’s a lie. A complete, utter lie. At the end of the year, the sandy haired boy finally opens up, telling them he is a werewolf, shakily and Sirius knows he is about to cry. So he hugs his friend, telling him they won’t care if he is a secret giant or something as long as he’s a Marauder. James and Peter do the same, and Remus almost cries, not able to believe that they’ve accepted him as a werewolf and friend. A thirteen year old Sirius Black gets in a fight with his mother over his choice of friends. A blood traitor, a wimp and a half blood, she scoffs, doesn’t he have any real friends? He gave them enough disgrace being sorted into Gryffindor, wasn’t that enough? To add on that, Regulas acting indifferent towards Sirius, ignoring and not talking to him. The boy expected this, Sirius in Gryffindor and Regulas in Slytherin. But Sirius doesn’t bother, thinking he’ll come around soon, but he doesn’t. Third year Marauders, thinking about Remus’ furry problem and how to help them. Animagus, James suddenly announces looking triumphant. Remus disagrees, saying that they’ll get in trouble but Sirius thinks it’s a great idea. Let’s do this, he says to James and Peter. So they search for books, ask teachers, doing absolutely anything to become one. It will take time, but they will do it, no matter what. Sirius in third year becomes a hot topic as the whole castle recognizes how handsome he is, hollow cheekbones, graceful hair, pink lips and an incredible sense of fashion. This sent the girls after him. His first kiss is awkward with Demi Goaling as they fumble around, pressing some small kisses and Sirius vows to become a good kisser. He goes out with multiple girls, practicing and doing, kissing and something else, but his heart hasn’t landed on anyone. Yet. A fourteen year old Sirius Black smoking with Peter and James with him, thinking about the war even though it isn’t that serious yet, as he declares to his friends. So pranking became their new hobby (along with snogging of course), and the Marauders were infamous all over Hogwarts. Four minds brew together and made the Marauders Map, a whole design of Hogwarts and what not. Along with James’ Invisibility Cloak, they’re a whole mood and even Dumbledore enjoys it, smiling at them slightly. Though the Evans girl isn’t impressed, Sirius can tell who his best mate likes. A lot. She’s so beautiful, James says as Sirius smirks. Sirius notices Remus looking at him strangely and wonders what it is about. And so he can’t help noticing his eyes and how they crinkle when he laughs, mouth pressed in a thin line as he concentrates on studying, whipping his hair whenever they come in front of his eyes. This is weird, I shouldn’t be thinking these things, Sirius says, slapping himself mentally. They are still trying for an Animagus and he passes the classes with flying colors. Fifth year turns out to be a wonderful year as they finally turn Animagus, James a stag, Peter a rat and Sirius a big, black dog. So they finally run around with Remus at night, controlling him, and the werewolf is most comforted by the dog. Minnie, Professor McGonagall is his best one yet, helping them and being warm. He once accidently called her ‘Mum’ in class but she didn’t mind, replying all the same. Girls still run after him but he isn’t interested. His eyes and mind wanders off to a certain Remus Lupin, and the way he is considerate and kind, and the way he stares at Sirius is intense. What is this unresolved tension? Sirius thinks as he catches Remus staring at him. He blushes as Remus sees Sirius and turns away, talking to James hurriedly. Sixth year is here. Sirius is finally aware of the war. And his abusive family. He has had enough of their attitude with them. So when he and his ‘mother’ have a fight, she uses the Cruciatus on him which causes him to run away, without a proper goodbye to Regulas. Sirius doesn’t care. He reaches out to the Potters who help him, support him and Euphemia Potter calls him her ‘own son’ which flatters the boy. He forgets about his own ‘family’. Hogwarts is a mess. Sirius realizes he’s not into girls, no no, he is definitely into boys. Maybe a certain boy named Remus Lupin who causes butterflies in his stomach when he so much as glances at him. I like him, he thinks, a happy sensation appearing. But he isn’t sure if his crush likes him back. So he gets closer to him, causing small physical actions between them. And one day, on Sirius birthday, he kisses the werewolf. He kisses Remus freaking Lupin. And he kisses him back all the same, moving his lips, and intervening their hands. Sirius loves it, and when they break apart, breathlessly, flustered and red, Remus asks him out. They both come out of the closet. It’s his last year at Hogwarts, his last year at his true home. They’ll be fighting in a war soon and Sirius knows. He gets closer to Lily Evans as she and Prongs have started dating. Remus is as sweet as ever and Sirius loves him. But he isn’t going to say that soon because he’s afraid, afraid Remus won’t love him back. He notices Peter acting weird, James all serious, and lovestruck. It’s his last day at Hogwarts and he wants to cry but he doesn’t; he remains strong and happy. It’s his last hour at Hogwarts and so Sirius confesses his love to Remus. Remus stares at him for a moment, before locking him in a heated kiss, saying he loves him back, of course he does. So Sirius doesn’t cry, he laughs, as the camera clicks, taking a picture where his best mate, boyfriend and other best friend stand, arms around each other, living their last moment as innocent teenagers.  

[xxforsaken-angelxx]

> After popping onto the Grease Lightning:

tenebrousalamort

So here you are.

In Cronus's sitting room, with all its lavishly gloomy decor... and the snake.

You've barely seen anyone in days. You haven't seen him in over a week. You feel like you ought to be enjoying this rare opportunity, but truthfully...

It's just unsettling. After this long, you're not sure you much enjoy the idea of change. You don't know how to cope with change.

So you comfort yourself with routine, ensuring the tank is clean, tending to Servitor's feeding. And it is a comfort. The snake doesn't care about anything. The snake isn't here to beat you down or foolishly attempt to lift you up. It's just a snake, doing snake things. It's trapped, too, but it doesn't know the difference. As long as it has branches to drape over, a rock to bask on, and the occasional rodent, what more could it ever want?

...your thoughts are drifting badly, and you try to force yourself to focus before it ends up attempting to swallow your hand rather than the rat you're lowering into the tank. You kind of hate Cronus for insisting on feeding it live prey. Not that you feel particularly bad about it -- you're more than used to predators -- but because you'd like to maintain some pretense of dignity, which means you really, absolutely, do not need to be standing here wondering if it would even take the edge off.

...it's going to be a long night.

xxforsaken-angelxx

On this long night you'd so far found exactly jack and shit while storming about the Grease Lightning, and that wasn't super encouraging so far.

You weren't just running around into rooms randomly, either. Like, you kind of were, but you at least had a sorting order in mind here.

Big areas before small areas, public before private. If by then you didn't turn anything up, you had a couple hunches on where some ~secret~ rooms might be that you haven't seen. Your first guess was that maybe he'd just be hanging around where people were normally hanging around, but you weren't counting it. You weren't hedging your bets on this guy hanging around in one of Cronus' personal chambers either, but his stupid parlor for his casual meetings wasn't the last place in the world you'd look.

It's just that at that point you were starting to get a little frustrated with the lack of anything you'd found, so you don't even bother with more than one warning knock. The door would open, and there you would be. Eridan Makara, the Grinmaww, your hair and loud clothing generally a bit mussed from the running. You didn't look particularly pleased, but your whole face would change the moment you laid eyes on the person who was standing there feeding your ancestor's snake.

You uh.

You certainly haven't seen that guy before.

tenebrousalamort

The sudden knock startles you enough that you fumble and drop the tongs and your phone all at once-- thankfully, only the former actually falling into the tank, rat and all. You snatch them up and leave Servitor to its feasting, and that's where you're at when the door opens-- a little wild-eyed from the scare, phone lying on the floor at your feet and tongs in hand, the python gulping down its meal behind you. What a way to make an impression.

For a moment, you just. Stare at each other. He-- and that's the Grinmaww, most certainly, what in the world is he doing here? He looks quite nearly as taken aback as yourself, and you, your pusher is pounding fit to burst, a brief but chilling moment of abject terror gripping you by the throat. He doesn't-- he can't know. There's no way. You've spoken, yes, briefly, but there's no possible way he'd have any reason to know you to be "Mort"... is there?

You might have a better idea, had you ever been more present. Had you ever noticed more of his moirail beyond the barest fact that he has one at all.

Still, you make a game attempt to recover your aplomb, taking a deep breath as you set the tongs aside and straightening yourself up before giving a brief, respectful bow.

"My apologies-- You took me by surprise. Can I help you...?"

xxforsaken-angelxx

Oh that is Sollux's ancestor. Oh that is so Sollux's ancestor. He has his horns and his hair texture and his pretty eyes and this certain angle to all his features and- that's Sollux's ancestor. What the fuck. What the fuck?

You look at Servitor. Dear sweet precious Servitor. Cute little thing was working on swallowing a mouse and that was pretty gross but the snake itself was cute and that helped. Then you looked back at Mort.

HEY THAT'S SOLLUX'S ANCESTOR. You never really asked him about the guy because it seemed like a sore spot but you know he was a rebel and he was such a rebel that something happened to him and the whole legacy was kind of looming over Sollux and it was all uncomfortable. You also knew that your ancestor was sometimes responsible for helping the Empress dispose of those- For some reason she trusted the guy. He'd always been sparse on details, he was cagey about everything and you hated him, but you'd heard enough to guess how one thing connected to the other.

Everything was clicking together in your head now. Mort, Sollux, Cronus. Rebel man. Sleazy ancestor. 'Some-one off the re-cord'. Looming legacy. Weird caginess. 'GET US BOTH IN TROUBLE'.

"Mort man."

Fuck.

"Mort man you're not in trouble but I've been looking for you."

tenebrousalamort

Your face is the picture of dismay, and under any other circumstance, it might actually be funny. Unfortunately, you're not laughing. You just... stare at him, a moment longer, like he's come to personally announce your execution, then carefully bend to pick your phone up off the floor.

"I-- ...I need. To sit down, I think."

Phone clutched so tightly it's a wonder it doesn't shatter, with unsteady steps you manage to lower yourself into a chair nearby, a mug of coffee already sitting on the table that you'd fixed for yourself before tending to snake duties. You set the phone down and transfer your death grip to the mug instead. You're shaking like a leaf.

"...you'll. Forgive me if I find that hard to believe. After--"

You shake your head, suck down steaming liquid like you don't even feel it. Maybe you don't.

"...how did you know?"

xxforsaken-angelxx

The door is closed behind you and you totter over to the other seat, sitting on the arm instead of the actual chair. You didn't... really want to sit. Just in case. But you were fidgety and nervous and you didn't want to awkwardly stand around the guy either.

How the fuck do you explain any of this to him.

"It wasn't your fault," you say. That seems like a solid start. You really cannot over-emphasize how much he is not in trouble.

"My ancestor played his cards wrong and, fucking- I don't know, people told me pieces and it came together and here I am. You're... Mort, and a Maryam, and Cronus is holding you captive or something, yeah? I want- I wanna help you. I think I can help."

tenebrousalamort

He seems to mean it, so you'll try to believe it, but you're still a shade away from hyperventilating. You kind of feel like you're going to be sick.

"People... Who told you pieces, I don't-- No one. Is supposed to know. Besides him, and... And the helm. You don't understand. There's nothing to help, I--"

You look up, almost pleading, this is all just far too much all at once and he-- What does he think he can do for you?

"...how do you know my name?"

xxforsaken-angelxx

You frown, just a little. Embarrassed, not upset. What did you think would happen, man? There's not actually a way to talk about any of this without giving this dude a goddamn heart attack. But... at least you can start by being honest on that part?

"I don't think I can tell you everything without giving you a panic attack. And I'm trying to avoid that really hard right now."

Cool great cool. Now what. What can you even actually do? The thought that this guy was some kind of criminal had passed through your mind but the fact that he was part of some kind of old rebel faction makes this a lot more complicated. Is any of his situation even on paper?

"I don't want you in my ancestor's custody. I have a feeling you also don't want to be in my ancestor's custody. I don't- know, what I can really do for you, because I am fucking winging it here, but I have an opportunity before said bitch comes back to at least offer to take you back to the Hydromatic for a bit and see what can be done. Worst case scenario you wind up back here, and- I'll try again when I'm in power?"

"I'm not- I'm not going to force you into anything though. If that's too crazy you can stay here for now and I understand."

tenebrousalamort

Your hands are white-knuckled around your mug. You look...very not well, actually, even besides the trembling. Your skin, though somewhat darker than Sollux's, has an unhealthy pallor to it, bloodless and wan. You could fit all your worldly possessions in the bags under your eyes.

He's saying all this, and you just... have no idea how to react. Why he cares so much. Why you almost feel like you could cry.

"Grinmaww..."

You take a breath to steady yourself, eyes fixed on your mug. You don't think you can dare to meet his right now.

"What you want... What I want... It. It just doesn't matter. I'm sorry. It's kind of you, it truly is, but I... I'm here for a reason, you must realize this. Do you even understand what you're offering?"

xxforsaken-angelxx

"What I want does matter, and I care about what you want, so, like, fuckin', by extension-"

You... also take a deep breath. God. You're not mad, you're not upset, you're just frustrated, you are trying SO hard not to look like you have a temper and that any of it is directed at him, because it's not-

He's been through so much. You barely know anything about the guy, but you know he's been through so very much.

"Listen. I really will just leave if that's what you want and I swear you won't even get in trouble for me being here. But. The church is at a weak point right now. I say that as second in command. There's a lot happening. If there was ever a time for me to do something risky like harbor a criminal for a bit and see if I can negotiate better conditions for you, now would be that time."

You... don't want anyone to feel out of options, again.

tenebrousalamort

"You don't even know me!"

It comes out...a lot louder than you'd intended, but you can't take it back now. You're looking at him now, with a deeper jade, with a flicker of... something. Something fearful. Something bright.

What's happening? What's happened, nobody tells you anything--

"What... What more do you think I would ask for?" You have to laugh. Anything to relieve the tension. Anything to keep yourself from believing you could take this seriously.

"I'm wanted for more counts of high treason than I'm probably aware of, do you-- do you have any idea how fortunate I am to not be in chains somewhere? Or long dead?"

xxforsaken-angelxx

Your hands flail up and just kind of cycle about in the air.

"I just generally like it when people are treated like people! And my ancestor's an ass! He's this slippery weirdo that gets in your head! And that's just around me!"

The arms cycle around a little faster in exasperation and then flop back down. Everything happens so much.

"When I have control of this place- cause I will- I'm going to want to treat you better anyways 'cause I'm just like that. I'm not, capable, of whatever the fuck he does or is doing. He tries to make me and fuckin. Bleh. Whatever. I thought maybe I had a risky gamble-y chance to expedite some processes and I've had a long week and change and I would like to expedite some goddamn processes."

You rise up from the arm of the chair, though, and slowly raise your hands up. You're backing off. He really doesn't seem to be taking to this, so you're a man of your word.

"But I don't feel like I'm changing your mind any time fast. So unless me leavin' is doing that then I'll get out of your hair for now."

tenebrousalamort

He's-- You don't know whether you want to laugh or cry. Listen to this kid, he's... He's so idealistic. So determined. So much like you'd once wanted to be. He's been putting up with Cronus for-- not anywhere near as long as you, no, but for his entire life and the guy is his ancestor, if anyone had a right to be well and truly sick of his bullshit, it would probably be Grinmaww!

And you could admire him for it so much. But what are you even supposed to do with this? What right do you have to be treated with such consideration?

Breathe. Breathe. You're going to pass out at this rate.

"Did... You really think you were just going to come in here and. And change my mind about something I have no say in? This is punishment, this is justice, do you have any idea how many people died because of me? How can you possibly believe this isn't going to come crashing down on both of us? That you could just-- get me out of here without setting off an uproar? I don't even know what's going on--"

You drop your face into your hands, staring through the gaps in your fingers.

"I haven't set foot off of this ship in over a century..."

xxforsaken-angelxx

...You just.

You're gonna. Very carefully.

Shuffle over and try to hug him. Arms out before touching him so he can refuse if he wants, like he's a feral cat. This guy needs a hug. He needs a hug just, so bad.

"The helm of the Hydromatic conspired to get a guy to attack our ship and remove them from the helm. And it worked. They're gone, I've been trying to keep us afloat ever since. I'm... trying to find a way to assert myself over Cronus. I feel like now's the time, while everyone is disoriented."

"I... hate that- that the troll who was our helm had to go so far. I hate what we put them through. I already hate what you've been put through, and I don't know you. I'm really sick of everything and I won't pretend that bringing you back wouldn't be a mess but I really do think it could turn out so much better for us if you'd be willing to chance it..."

tenebrousalamort

You freeze.

You don't jerk, or try to shove him away, you just. Freeze. You really do need a hug, even if you're really not sure how to warm up to it. At least it's not like Cronus, when he would play at being your buddy, sling an arm over your shoulders and say something in that wheedling tone that always left you feeling like someone had dumped oil down your spine. Ugh.

...that's. So fucking much to take in. If your head weren't already spinning, if you weren't already seated, you might have to sit down for that one! Ha ha.

"The...helm of the Hydromatic?"

Their helm... got themselves removed? They're free now? Leaving the ship powerless, while the Egregore's contingent was over there, which explained all the fuss and confusion, the radio silence... And Grinmaww, trying to find a path to unseating his ancestor, in the midst of chaos.

...their helm. The troll who was their helm. A recently freed helm, who would surely be in terrible shape after such an ordeal.

"...that was them, wasn't it? That's why... She didn't want me speaking with them."

You're not...quite sure what to do with that information, just now, and file it away. He sounds truly remorseful, and you believe it of him, and somehow that hurts.

You take another breath, and lift your head somewhat, though you're still gazing somewhat blankly at the table in front of you, hair hanging in shaggy swoops around your face.

"I'm a traitor, Grinmaww... If you help me, you're risking so much. It won't just be a matter of succession, anymore..."

xxforsaken-angelxx

"That was them."

And they were... so happy, now. Even Goldwave seemed happier now, as much as you fucking hated the guy.

What else have you ever cared about? Morals confuse you. Philosophies confuse you. All this time you've just liked making people happy.

You break off the hug but still stay touching him lightly.

"Y'know... the weird thing about handling all this is there's only so much to do. I've had a lot of time to think about stuff. I'm... not afraid of getting into something big. I've kind of already done some stupid shit to get here."

There's just been so many little thoughts swirling in your head. So many tiny little loops of what could or couldn't happen. You also still had that headache.

"The stars feel aligned. Stuff feels willing. I don't have any more logic, all I have is that I feel like this is an answer and I'm sure I want to offer it."

He... hasn't given you a no yet.

tenebrousalamort

He is... so close. And it's a good thing your head is so awhirl with distracting thoughts, or that might become a problem. He moves away after a moment, and that's better. You can relax a little, if only a little. You're not that desperate yet, but it's more than you dare risk. You'd never forgive yourself, for throwing one more unforgivable sin onto the pile.

For you, it's all happening so incredibly fast. You'd barely ever exchanged words with him before, it's been perigees since the last, and now... Now he wants to help you. Now he wants to upend your entire reality, and somehow make it better. Your dreams are never quite so unrealistic.

An answer to what, though? Would this somehow help him in achieving his own designs, too? You're here by Imperial mandate, even if the records have been scrubbed...

...and you deserve this. You know you do. The only reason you're still alive is that this is the only way you can atone for how many died by your hand and because of your choices-- because you're all that's left of their memory.

But you are so... so very sick of it here. The idea that you could just up and leave feels so impossible, and he's offering you just that.

Your eyes track across the room, and come to rest on Servitor in its tank. That snake really was your only friend here, and deserved far more than being touted around as the old greaseball's fucking accessory.

"... Do you have a sylladex?"

xxforsaken-angelxx

"I do."

It's a question that caught you off guard, making you tilt your head like a dog until you followed his tired eyes to the snake tank. Said snake was happily resting after it's big mousey meal, so now its just full adorable instead of gross and adorable.

"...Are you the one who's been takin' care of Servitor all this time? I'm pretty sure I could take that whole thing if you want to take them with you."

You pace over to the tank and gently rest your fingers on the built-in cabinet piece it was resting on, sizing it up.

"I always thought someone else deserved 'em anyways..."

tenebrousalamort

You nod, in a somewhat distracted way. You're...really considering this. Really thinking you might go through with it. And stealing Cronus's snake on top of it all? God, you can just imagine how it would stick in his craw, the insult added to injury...

"...then we should hurry. Before I think better of this..."

xxforsaken-angelxx

The tank pops out of the room and safely into your sylladex, leaving only the cabinet behind.

Then you turn around to face Mort again, and you're... grinning. Absolutely grinning. It's a smile that's completely oozing with 'I'll make sure you won't regret it!'

Then you tug on his sleeve, once, and start leading him to the transportalizer from whence you came.

"Follow me."

tenebrousalamort

There's things you'd be leaving behind... Clothing. Books. You have no idea if it would be an option at all for anyone to return for them, after this.

You don't... really care, though. It's all things he's so graciously given you. Nothing that can't be replaced. You have nothing left at all of your old life, nothing but memories, and those you would carry with you.

...what's left for you to do, but follow?

[jyiori]

Slow and Steady

Arcana Fan Fiction | Khayalan Alnazar x Adrian Devorak  It’s time for some self-indulgence~ Thank you ever so much for lending me Adrian, dear @lazyvoyager ~ I had a great time with this one, it’s been a while! A long one, so I’ll be keeping things under the cut. Lime? Lemon? Warning. Exploring their dynamics, mostly... I think I love them a little too much ><

Notes: Kak means elder sister / respectful / endearing term to refer to an elder female in Malay Flickering amber hues lighted the otherwise dark, dingy place. The stench of sweat, booze, and the odd sickeningly sweet perfume constantly permeated the air, while one find themselves easily drowned out by the ambient sounds of shouting matches, raunchy jokes and loud guffaws. The Rowdy Raven has always been one of Khayalan’s favourite haunts, more so because it was so effortless to mingle with the crowd and blend in with the unusual crowd that frequented the place. It was harder to go unnoticed that very night, though. The entire crew and cast members of the Vesuvian community theater’s latest performance were crammed into a large corner of the seedy tavern. Fans, admirers and detractors alike jostled for a closer spot to mingle with the cast, especially the star performers. Tall and graceful with a roguish charm, Khayalan Alnazar was born with beguiling violet eyes, lush raven locks streaked with blue and a devilishly disarming smile. He was used to being the center of attention most of the time, although his head seems far in the clouds that night. Holding his fifth tankard of Salty Bitters of the evening, he gave it a mild shake and gazed unseeingly at the swirling contents. The others paid him no heed and partied on, they knew better to than to intrude when he was in one of his ‘moods’, more so if it involves brooding over a pair of smoky grey eyes. “Isn’t that one of the Devoraks?” drawled a fellow performer, rousing him from his reverie. She indicates a heavily bejeweled hand across the room towards the entrance of the tavern doorway, where the feisty Rhys Devorak stood in an intense discussion with two rough-looking individuals that dwarfed her being. Khayalan swerved his head in sudden interest, although his enthusiasm simmered down a little when upon locating and recognizing the owner of the mop of auburn hair. “Mmn…Rhys. Why?” It didn’t take long for him to fully grasp the gravity of the situation, his eyes narrowing in distaste as one of the men started brandishing a huge fist close to his friend’s face. "I owe you one, kak Zita," he murmurs as he gets up swiftly, lips briefly brushing across the back of the veiny outstretched hand she lazily offered to him. Knowing eyes followed idly as the determined figure navigates deftly through the crowd to reach his friend. A slow, satisfied smirk appears on her face as she reaches across the table to claim Khayalan’s drink for herself – he won’t be coming back anytime soon. The oracle chuckled quietly to herself, a toothy grin showing a glint of solid gold filings. Ah. So easy, so very predictable. If the constellations are right, as they usually are… you owe me a lot more than just one, dear boy. ~~~ It wasn’t before long that Khayalan got the full gist of the dealings between Rhys and the ruffians. Negotiating a new deal however, seemed pretty bleak since his friend already traded off the item they were clamoring for. They were insistent on having her drink from a special brew as a wager, although it was as obvious as daylight what shady contents might be involved. “So back OFF, pretty boy,” the taller of the duo snarls vehemently. “Lil’ missy here deals with us.” “HEY WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE –” “Look.” The word was quietly spoken, yet the icy tone it took froze all parties involved. Holding up a hand, Khayalan waited until he had the full attention of Rhys the disgruntled men. “A deal is a deal, no? Sailor’s oath? Or whatever you call it,” his eyes glinted dangerously, though he continued smiling as he spoke. “If I manage to finish every single drop of liquor wagered without passing out, that fulfills her part of her bargain. Both of you shall no longer give her trouble, yes?” Their eyes bulged almost out their sockets at the blatantly confident proposal, even Rhys tugged on his sleeve urgently. “Khayal, there’s poison –” He turns slightly to face her, long hair falling over his shoulder and obscuring part of his face from the debating brothers. Eyes narrowed into reptilian slits, he gives her a conspiratorial wink – and it returns to normal in a blink. She stares, realization dawning on her face. Oh. Right. Rhys had quite forgotten that her friend was immune to most common poisons. Not that she was really thrilled to test that theory out, but it did seem like an extremely useful skill to have in this particular situation. The brunette crossed her arms with a pout, tapping her feet on the ground impatiently. She would have preferred an all-out brawl, she’s pretty confident about winning, anyway. “Do. We. Have. A. Deal?” Khayalan enunciated each word slowly, taking a threatening step towards the towering men. They looked at each other nasty grins, passing half a bottle of uncorked wine over. He gives the wine a cursory sniff, sheer bravado waning when he couldn’t really tell what sort of poison it holds. With blind determination and a hopeful prayer, the man downs the contents as it is. Waiting eagerly for the alcohol’s effects to take hold, the duo was sorely disappointed to note even after half an hour of patient waiting – it seemed to have zero influence on the dark-haired male. Only Rhys noticed the small slips in her friend’s façade, the slight slurring of his words, the almost imperceptible flush on his bronze skin and the sweat that started beading on his face. Of course, she was not going to point that out to the thugs. Cursing the defective product and bemoaning their bad luck, the two shambled away from the establishment with their loss. Literally moments after they were safely out of earshot, Khayalan’s body gave an involuntary violent shudder and he swayed, staggering to keep his balance. Quite alarmed, the younger Devorak rushed forward to support him by the shoulder. Only upon contact does she realize that his body was almost feverishly hot. “Rhys. Rhys. I don’t think… this was such a good idea after all,” he whined pitifully, trying to walk in a straight line as she tried her best to drag him along. “You think? Idiot,” came the curt reply. “We should have stuck to my plan and kicked their butts.” There was a brief silence when all could be heard was Khayalan’s labored breathing and gasps for air, and then he broke into a faint smile upon hearing her voice again, in the faintest whisper. “…thank you. Idiot.” How they managed to arrive in one piece at the Devorak household was a mystery. Both of them were sweating bullets with the physical exertion by the time they arrived – to be greeted by an extremely upset elder brother. “Thank you for standing up for Rhys,” Adrian grimaced and shuddered at the possible scenarios that might have played out if her friend was not present. He bustled about preparing a large array of various antidotes, laying the herbs on the table. Shooing his protesting sister unceremoniously off to bed, Adrian directs a question the patient who seemed to have grown extremely fidgety in his presence. “Please can you try to describe the taste of the poison?” ~~~ Thus it soon came to light that the poison was in fact, not truly poison after all. In fact, it was an enhanced aphrodisiac. After learning the full story behind their shenanigans, the doctor felt utterly bewildered and plain exasperation about the way both of them handled the entire incident. Prescribing restful sleep as a cure, he settled Khayalan into his own bed for the night. Returning with a fragrant jug of hot lemon tea, Adrian gulped audibly and almost dropped the entire jug on the floor as he came across the sight of Khayalan. Pants nowhere to be seen, his top was dipped low to reveal an ample amount of glistening skin, almost barely covering his manhood. With the alluring expression on his face and legs spread slowly and seductively, the combined effect set poor Adrian’s face on fire with a ferocious blush and he involuntarily took a step backwards. Unsettled by the tepid reaction, Khayalan buried his face into the pillow without much thought, mumbling vague apologies as he tried sinking himself into the bed entirely. It was only a few seconds that the doctor took to set down the jug of water, quickly covering up Khayalan’s body with a blanket – but to Khayalan, it felt like an eternity. He felt a dip in the bed beside him, and a slightly hesitant but soothing hand on his back, calmingly stroking him in a circular motion until his trembles and incoherent mumbling stopped entirely. “You’ll be fine in the morning, Khayalan,” said the doctor, his voice coming out oddly hoarse. “It’s just the effects of the tampered wine.” “What if it isn’t?” the muffled response came from the depths of the pillow. Adrian blinks slowly, uncomprehending. As the younger man sits up on bed to face him, woeful hazy purple eyes meet the clear greys. “Am I not allowed to love you?” “It pains me so… doctor. Knowing I’m in love with someone unreachable.” There was forlorn sadness in Khayalan’s voice, his shoulders drooping like a wilted rose as he gazed mournfully at Adrian through his long lashes. Almost reflexively, he shifts closer towards the doctor to get a better look… oh how he simply longed to kiss away the worries in those constantly furrowed brows. Upfront honesty was rare for him, and it gave him comfort that he would have alcohol as an excuse to fall back on the next day. His mind raced ahead, fabricating even more excuses and jokes to brush off the confession. Perhaps nothing in the world would have prepared him for the answer he received. “I think… I do care for you,” Adrian blurted out despite himself, the fiery blush on his face evident down to the last freckle, especially in such close proximity. “Doct– …Adrian?” Their noses were almost touching, hot breaths mingling together. Adrian felt the heat flush on his face, but somehow, he wasn’t able – simply couldn’t tear his gaze away from the half-lidded violet eyes. Khayalan voice was slightly hoarse, yet oh so soft as he gently cupped the side of the brunette’s face with one hand, tracing the outline of his trembling lower lip with the other, “Please… may I?” It came as a surprise when the doctor made the first move. As he shifted forwards suddenly, their lips meet in a clumsy crash. Eyes widening in astonishment at first, Khayalan smiled into the kiss as he closed his eyes to savour the moment. Their arms seek each other urgently, enveloping one another with a passionate embrace that closed the distance between. He fell back onto the bed obediently at the slightest push, raven locks of hair splayed wildly over the pillows. To his absolute delight, the doctor pressed further, deepening the kiss for some long, wild seconds before releasing him to catch a breath. Instinct and heated desire taking over, Adrian finds himself trailing bruising kisses down the smooth bronze skin. Was it because of the taste of the potent drugs on Khayalan’s lips? It was as if his mind was taken over by a haze of lust. Encouraged by the tantalizing soft moans and the way the younger man arched his back for more, more – the temptation was almost too great for him to stop. However, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind kept whispering to him, a voice of reason that told him what he was doing was very, very wrong. Panting slightly, Adrian realized belatedly his own predicament as he found his arms caging the younger man… feeling a slow heat rise from his arousal as it pressed itself snugly against the other’s. Yet even amidst this moment of passion, Khayalan was quick to catch the flicker of worry that creased his love interest’s brow, the flash of uncertainty that came with it. Carefully, gently, he chooses his words, touching a reassuring hand to Adrian's flushed face, “Will you… take me?” He reads the relief in the other man’s eyes as the reply came, quite readily, as his mind snapped back to sudden clarity at the question. “No.” “Just. Not… today. Not like this,” Adrian added, apologetically. Slightly soothed by the understanding smile he received, he hastily disentangled himself from the bed to excuse himself from the room. A warm hand softly catches his wrist as he turns to leave, and he finds himself once again lost in Khayalan’s pleading gaze. “Please, will you stay?” Relenting with a crooked smile, he picks up a book from the nearby desk and settles himself into the chair next to the bed. Mustering his most practical doctor-like voice, he sternly chides the other figure, "I'll be here. Now, sleep." Comforted by Adrian’s presence, Khayalan drifts off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep. It was unusually difficult for the young doctor to concentrate on his medical book tonight, especially when he was having difficulty willing his unattended business to calm down. Busying himself, the doctor methodically sets out fresh clothes for his sister’s friend to change into for the morning, blushing lightly as a vision of Khayalan in his own clothes comes unbidden into his mind. He heaves a sigh as he sits back in the chair, frowning at the book unseeingly. Unbeknownst to him, the reason he was having difficulty comprehending was probably because he held it upside down, and mostly because he kept stealing glances at the sleeping beauty. What. WAS that about? Long, delicate eyelashes. Inky black hair with the dash of colour. Adrian had often caught himself wondering more than once, how it would feel like to run his hands along it. To idly twirl his fingers around the dark blue streaks and watch as it bounces back upon letting go. And that he wondered, even as a child when Khayalan made frequent visits to play with Rhys. Adrian himself always had his nose buried in a book. Yet he puzzled, for a long time… if those secretive glances and winning smiles Khayalan threw in his direction were truly meant for him. The odd times he would find new, difficult-to-obtain books on his meticulously scribbled read-list placed on his desk. Never an indication as to whom or where it came from, but always, always with the faint lingering smell of sandalwood incense that prevailed through the Alnazar household. They were cordial friends, that much is certain. It was mostly because of their bond with Rhys, and also because of the closeness between their families as the Devoraks and Alnazars. Had there always been something more? The way Khayalan looked at him that sometimes made his heart race, the way he phrased his words like he was hinting at something deeper. He buries his face in his hands as he remembered his vague confession, although he doubted any amount of rephrasing would sound better. Troubled by the uncertainty of the nature of their relationship, the brunette finds his eyelids drooping as he drifts off uneasily, hands folded neatly on the book that resolutely remained upside down. ~~~ It was in the middle of the night when Khayalan woke to a heavy thud, and a mild whimper. He blinked hazily, eyes adjusting to the dim candlelight. A low chuckle came from his throat as he realized that Adrian’s heavy book fell out of his lap and landed partially on his foot, and yet was tired enough to sleep through it all. Sliding smoothly out of bed, he picked up the offending book and smoothened out the creases with a murmured spell, placing it carefully on the desk. He glances at the tired person contemplatively, before just cautiously sliding an arm around the slender waist and another firmly supporting the legs. A small thrill made his heart beat faster as Adrian’s head lolled backwards, nuzzling into his neck. In slow, confident strides Khayalan reaches the bed, setting down the sleeping person without jostling him too much. Settling right next to him, he debates if he should try giving a shoulder massage, but dismisses the idea for fear of waking him up after taking too many liberties. Instead, he contented himself with gently tracing patterns and connecting the freckles on Adrian’s skin, replaying their previous conversation in his mind. It wasn’t exactly a secret, how he felt about his best friend’s brother – but to hear reaffirmation and reassurance from Adrian himself, it was as if a dream too good to be true. As the flickering candlelight peters out eventually, sudden doubt seizes him. What if it was just a rush of adrenaline, some feral attraction based on purely instinct and nothing more? Or even worse… pity? Mind made up, Khayalan gingerly removes one of his earrings and drops it onto the pillow. Landing with a gentle thud, it gleamed inconspicuously on the white cotton folds. After a cursory survey at the clothes laid out for him to change into, he decided to go with the shirt and nothing else – the bottoms looked a little too form fitting for his liking, although it would probably look divine on the doctor himself. Pausing near the door, he cast a regretful look back at the sleeping form peacefully sprawled out on the bed. The first rays of day light filtered in the windows, casting an enchanting glow on the tousled flaming red hair. How long would it take before he could laze blissfully in those warm and comforting arms, never having to leave? A twinge of dread fills him – what if this was the last time he ever gets this close? So he stared, long and hard, committing the scene to memory. From the unruly locks that framed Adrian’s chiseled features, the way the sun kissed that delightfully freckled skin, the loosened collar that showed a delicious sample of skin. Khayalan drinks in the sight thirstily like a man deprived of water, blows him a kiss before turning away regrettably. On his way out of the building, he casually saunters by a second, shorter redhead, mouth agape and eyes widened with incredulity. “Morning, Rhys.” There was no response, although Rhys’ wandering eyes intently took in her brother’s shirt and the questionable blemishes unapologetically displayed on her friend’s neck and collarbone. Before she could come to, Khayalan flashed her a smug smirk before winking conspiratorially and disappeared from the front door. It was seconds after he barely left before a high-pitched shriek of “ADRIAN–” resonated throughout the building, leaving the young lad convulsing with mirth. There was a tremendous bang on Adrian’s bedroom door, kicked open with full force. An excited Rhys stormed into the room like a mini tornado, knocking over a stack of books in her haste. “Wha…?” the prone figure startled awake, rubbing his eyes and trying to focus. “…Rhys?” “…didn’t think you had it in you,” she chatters away at top speed, not really noticing the lack of a proper response. “WAS that why you wouldn’t let him sleep in my room??” Wearily, Adrian stretches out his long limbs, his mind duly registering that he was in fact, in bed and not on the chair. Waking up with a start, his eyes darts to the empty space next to him, that side of the bed fully made up. The glint of gold on the pillow next to his catches his eye as his sister drones on, “Hey. Hellooooo, are you even listening-” Carefully picking up the delicate trinket, Adrian makes a conscious decision to return it to its owner that very day. … … Except that he nearly didn’t. ~~~ The clinic was busy throughout the day, and by the time the last patient left, it was almost dark. As the young doctor reached the magician’s shop, it stood silent and empty of its usual inhabitants. Undeterred, Adrian takes out the earring Khayalan left behind and cast out for the familiar trace of magic. Although there was a large concentration of magic residue at the shop, a fresher trail led away from the building. As he followed the gradual pull of magic, Adrian eventually found a lone figure perched upon tall crates at the docks. Heat flushed his face when Adrian realized the other individual was still wearing nothing but the shirt he lent, yet worry creased his brow as he saw how those downcast eyes were staring forlornly at the setting sun. Did Khayalan wait for an entire day…? The doctor cleared his throat audibly, rousing Khayalan from dark thoughts. The way Khayalan face alighted with joy, the dazzling smile he offered was such a stark contrast from the previous mood that it took Adrian’s breath away. With the grace of a feline, the other man leapt down from his perch and landed easily beside him. “Hey. You found me.” Wordlessly, Adrian offered the earring back to its owner, whose fingers tingled with warmth as they lingered a few moments on his hand. Surprise coloured his voice, almost as if he entirely forgotten about the jewellery he left behind, “Oh. Thanks.” There was growing disappointment in Khayalan’s heart when Adrian remained silent, although he tried to smooth things over by talking quickly. If the doctor was having second thoughts, perhaps a hasty exit would be the best for all parties involved. Turning away abruptly from Adrian, he started walking away even as he started his monologue, “Sorry… you had to come all the way for just this. I can drop off your shirt with Rhys later, after I get it washed…” Yet he didn’t manage to get far before Adrian’s shaky voice called out, halting his footsteps. “Khayal, please.” “We need to talk.” As he faced the doctor again, there was a gradual tinge of blush on Adrian’s countenance that Khayalan had not noticed in the first place, and it gave him wild hope. Sensing that Adrian was struggling with words, he offered his own. “…did you really mean what you said last night?” Khayalan’s voice was so soft that it was almost drowned by the gentle crash of the waves. The brilliant blush on Adrian’s face bloomed to the tip of the ears, and his lowered gaze fell to his own boots as Khayalan continued, “That you also care… about me, that way?” “…Yes.” Adrian mumbled without looking up, still focusing his attention on his feet. He could hear the other man shift, hear the wooden boards creak lightly under soft footsteps, and finally a pair of feet came into view, right in front of him. Still, there was enough space. He could breathe. He focused on it, taking deep breaths, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. He was… confused. It was unusual to be overwhelmed by feelings, of this sort. No amount of reading or research could have prepared him for this. A firm hand tipped his chin upwards, letting go when his gaze lands once again on pleading violet eyes. “Would you allow me a chance…? A chance to get to know you better?” A flicker of surprise came over the red-head. Honestly, he half-thought it would be a more… difficult or intimate request. There was a slight pause, only the soothing sound of waves crashing on the rocks in the background. “I saw another shipment of books come in the other day. Maybe we can go book hunting? Or…perhaps reading… together? Drop by the theatre? Maybe, tea?” the words just tumbled over themselves in their eagerness to please, as Khayalan prattled suggestions one after another. It was all so very simple and contrary to his many worries, that Adrian just stared blankly – and then started laughing heartily, tension dissipating from his shoulders. “Perfect,” he gasped, after catching his breath and regaining his composure with difficulty. “What, tea?” a seemingly perplexed look coming over Khayalan’s face, unconsciously twisting his fingers together. “All of them.” And the dear doctor smiled, that perfect crooked smile that always made Khayalan’s heart skip a beat. Things were off to a great start. He can live with that. Khayalan reached out to Adrian then, lightly wrapping his arms around his neck, pulling him closer till their foreheads were resting against each other. They stayed like that for a while, eyes closed and noses gently nuzzling, when Adrian finally placed his hands around the other’s waist – closing the gap entirely. Even with the cooling salty mist that the waves sprayed, Khayalan could feel the heat of the fierce blush on Adrian’s face. With the warm reassurance of the hands place tentatively around his waist, life seemed like it couldn’t feel any better. It felt… it just felt right. Tipping his toes slightly to reach upwards, he placed a tender kiss right between the ever-worrying eyebrows. “Thank you.” ~~~ And thank YOU for reading it, if you’ve made it this far~! 50 points to whichever House you belong to! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

[thar-be-scribbles-here]

If you’d be down,,,,,,,,,,maybe some slow burn Muriel x Julian headcanons? (Julian being very head over heels for this big boi while Muriel inside is like “Oh GOD I can’t believe I’m liking this idiot”

I…w…would I b-… pffft would I be down, you ask?

Would I be DOWN?

WOULD I BE DOWN?!?! 

Yes. Absolutely.

Sorry this is going to be long as hell because I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS!!!!

So at the start, they probably wouldn’t spend very much time together or even interact at all. It’s very unlikely for them to run into each other in the city since Muriel stays out in the forest most of the time. And even if they did see each other randomly in the city, Julian wouldn’t remember Muriel once they parted ways.

BUT Asra goes to the hut to visit and check up on Muriel every so often, so they would probably meet (or re-meet I guess) through him.

So what ends up happening is that one day Asra comes in to see that Muriel is very sick to the point where he can barely walk around without feeling faint. And since he lives all alone in the wilderness and still has to fend for himself, he hasn’t had time to rest and recover so he’s steadily been getting worse.

Asra would know that Julian could help him, but it would take a lot of convincing for Muriel to let Julian come out to the hut since: 1) Muriel would think that a doctor would be unnecessary since he’s no doubt dealt with afflictions like this alone before, and 2) he does not like Julian very much (for the time being) and would not trust him. Not to mention his need to isolate himself in general.

But Asra is deeply concerned for him and would insist, so eventually Muriel would very reluctantly agree to let Julian come out to examine him.

Julian would of course immediately agree to go help Muriel despite the strange circumstances, because he’s just Like That.

Upon arrival to the hut Julian would be in full Doctor Mode, none of his over-the-top flare or forwardness. Just all calm reassuring smiles, spectacular bedside manner and the utmost care. All while Muriel would initially be quite cold and perhaps even uncooperative with him.

Muriel would eventually begin to feel slightly less tense, but he would still feel quite nervous and be very fidgety from all of the close contact. (Bonus: Julian checking Muriel’s heart rate and stethoscopes are not a thing yet, so he has to put an ear to his chest.)

At the end of the checkup Julian would give Muriel some herbal remedies (since the leeches would be a hard “No”), advise him to rest whenever he could and would ask him if it was alright if he could come back tomorrow for a follow up.  

Muriel would need a few moments to consider but eventually he would get a small wrapped bundle of myrrh, hand it to Julian - with flushed cheeks while absolutely refusing to look him in the eye - and vaguely tell him about his curse and to not forget the myrrh when he comes back.

On the way back to the city, Julian’s professional composure would fall away as he considered his admittedly very handsome patient. But he would try and bury any notions of anything more than a doctor/patient relationship.

Meanwhile in the hut Muriel would be stubbornly trying to remind himself of his distaste for Julian.

Over the next couple of weeks, Julian would come out to the hut to check on Muriel as his health steadily improved. The visits would slowly get longer and longer since Julian would notice all the work Muriel has to put into maintaining his home and would insist on trying to help.

Muriel would be resistant to the idea since he’s not used to being taken care of, especially not to this capacity. But he’s secretly happy to have more reasons for Julian to stick around so he gives in after some time.

Julian would have Muriel rest while he did things like fetch water for him, gather firewood, feed the chickens and other such chores. If he had to do something a bit more heavy-handed like fix the ceiling he would definitely try, but he would probably bust his ass a couple times in the process. He’d always pick himself up right away though because there’s no way in hell he was about to let Muriel worry about him especially when Muriel was the one who needed taken care of. He’d run himself absolutely ragged some days but again he’d never let it show.

The more time Julian spends there, the more the two to them start to talk more casually. Julian does most of the talking but Muriel quietly enjoys listening to him talk about his travels since he’s never gotten to do anything like that himself. Even when Julian starts to show more of his usual dramatic, over-the-top mannerisms as they grow closer, Muriel may roll his eyes but he’s usually smiling at least a little.

One day Muriel has regained his health to the point where he no longer needs Julian to come take care of him. Julian is happy for him, but he is more deeply disappointed than he thought he would be. Muriel is also quietly sad that he won’t have Julian around anymore, but neither of them can bring themselves to say anything about it.

Days and even weeks after Julian’s last visit they both start to miss each other terribly. For Muriel it would take him a while to admit it even to himself. He’d figure that he’s used to being alone, so he could get used to it again. But Julian is always somewhere in the back of his mind.

For Julian he’d seem like his usual self to most people whenever he went for a night out at the Rowdy Raven or something, but when he’s alone at home he’d hold the myrrh Muriel gave him in his hand and think about how fond he had grown of the gruff but still sweet hermit, and how much he would like to see him again.

After lots of overthinking, pacing and muttering to himself for several nights, Julian would finally suck it up and go back to see Muriel with an offering of tea (sort of like in Heart Hunter).

Muriel is completely floored to see Julian again since he probably would have just assumed that Julian got rid of the myrrh after their last visit, and wouldn’t know how to respond other than asking him incredulously what he was doing there.

Julian would do a good enough job at being smooth and explaining that he just wanted to come by for a friendly visit, but he would be freaking the hell out internally and praying that Muriel wouldn’t just tell him to leave.

After a few tense, silent moments Muriel would invite him in while blushing down to his shoulders. And even if neither of them would say it outright then, they’d both be extremely happy to see each other again.

The visits would start up again, but they would both be more relaxed with each other this time around after a brief reacquainting period. Every so often Julian would coax Muriel into coming to other places in Vesuvia with him, definitely not anywhere as hectic as the Rowdy Raven but calmer places that he thinks Muriel would enjoy. Julian would still find some ways to embarrass Muriel in public sometimes - especially since Muriel is still acclimating to being out in public at all - but they would always be alright after some time to cool off afterwards.

The two of them open up more and more with each visit, and their conversations would become more sentimental and heartfelt.

Julian is head over heels within a matter of weeks and would have a very hard time hiding it since this boy is SO obvious when he’s smitten. He’s so pale that you can see him blush from a mile away and he babbles somehow even more than he usually does. But he is convinced that Muriel doesn’t feel the same way about him so he would hold it in (as much as he can).

Muriel would come to his own realization much later, probably during a time when it’s been a few days since’s Julian’s last visit and he misses him dearly. It would suddenly click for him that he was developing feelings for Julian and he would  basically be in perpetual state of “Oh no…” all day afterwards.

Though their feelings would go unrequited for months, they would eventually trust each other enough to share both the brightest and darkest parts of their lives. Julian would tell Muriel about all of his regrets, self destruction and self doubt, and Muriel would tell Julian about his past trauma and the need to isolate himself. It would be extremely emotional for the both of them and plenty of tears would be shed between the two of them.

They would then start to confide in each other on rough days, and subtly show more physical affection to one another. They would sit closer together, place their hands on top of one another’s and they would start to hold hands especially when walking through more crowded areas.

Julian would be the one to initiate their first kiss. It would come to a point where he’s wanted it for so long that he can no longer keep quiet about it anymore. But no matter how desperate or touch starved he would be, he would still ask Muriel before he actually did anything.

Muriel would be stunned by the question, his heart pounding hard in his chest and his face flushed deep red. But he would say yes and lean in for the kiss.

When their lips parted, all of Julian’s feelings would come flooding out. He would tell Muriel how happy he makes him, how much he values him, how much he enjoys his company…

Muriel would get overwhelmed by it all pretty quickly and gently cover Julian’s mouth with his huge hand while blushing hard. After a moment he’d let his hand fall away and mumble to Julian that he talks too much before kissing him again.

[fluffyheadcanons]

Hi ~ I’ve came across your blog recently and I must say I really love your writing 💕 if it’s ok to submit you something I would really like you to write Chan confessing or asking out someone he’s been friends with for quite a time 😊 If you’re ok with the idea of course ! Anyway thank you for running your blog, I really like it. Keep going ! ❤️

Aww thank you so so much, this really means a lot to me!!💖Of course, I'll write your request!! I'm sorry it took me so long, I hope you'll still like it.~

[ 9.28pm ]

You had been laying on your bed with your best friend Chan, his head was resting on your stomach as both of you were scrolling through social media on your phones, enjoying spending time with each other without actually engaging in any sort of conversation. Chan seemed a little tense lately, you would notice. Something seemed to be bothering him, he was more fidgety than usually. However, you couldn't pinpoint what may be troubling your best friend and it also worried you a little that he didn't talk to you about it. He knew he could trust you with everything, so why not with this?

All of a sudden, you felt Chan shifting in his position and letting out a sigh as he sat up, looking down at you. You lowered your phone and eventually put it away upon seeing the troubled expression on Chan's face. He was frowning to a point where it almost looked as if he was fighting an internal battle against himself. You looked at him with a questioning expression, waiting for him to spill his guts to you.

"Y/N...I need to tell you something..." He started, gaze lowered as to not having to look into your eyes. The serious but quiet tone in his voice let a wave of concern shoot through you and you sat up to be on eye-level with Chan, leaning against the headboard of your bed.

"Yes?" You asked. "You know, you can tell me anything."

"Well, I really like you, Y/N..." Chan spoke quietly after a few moments of silence, trailing off after saying your name.

"Aw, Chan. I really like you too!" You weren't really sure where he was going with this, of course, you would like each other as best friends, right? I mean, he didn't need to know that you'd been having a crush on him for God knows how long, so you just played along with whatever he was saying next.

"No, not like that. I mean, I really really like you, Y/N. You mean the world to me." Chan tried to make his point clearer, yet you seemed to be oblivious to his real intentions.

"I feel the same way towards you, Chan. We're best friends after all..." Was he trying to confuse you? It almost seemed as if he was saying... no! That couldn't be. It must've been your mind playing games with you, after years of being secretly in love with your best friend, this was bound to happen. Great, you were officially hallucinating and losing your mind due to love sickness.

"Y/N... you don't understand..." Chan was looking into your eyes by now. His gaze was desperate, almost pleading you to finally realize the true meaning behind his words, as dragging this on got gradually more painful for him.

You could feel Chan taking a hold of your hands, intertwining them with his, as he shuffled closer to you on the bed, slowly, not breaking eye contact. You still stared at him with a confused look in your eyes; what was real and what only a depiction of your fantasy? Your mind hadn't felt this clouded in a long, long time. Not sure what to say or how to proceed, you awaited Chan's next step, who was still inching towards you. At this point, your faces were only about one feet apart and you could feel yourself drowning in the scent of his sweet yet musky cologne. It added to the dizziness you were already experiencing, as if Chan's whole being was luring you in; everything about him was so captivating and you could feel yourself falling deeper and deeper.

"Chan, what's going on? What does all of this m-"

Before you could even end the sentence, Chan's lips silenced you with a sweet and gentle kiss. His eyes were closed, so you did the same and closed yours, relishing in the moment you'd never dreamed of ever experiencing in your life. Was this all real or was it another mind game of yours, and you'd be waking up after all this ended, realizing it had only been a dream too good to be true? Whatever the answer to this may be, you didn't care in that moment and simply focused on Chan and his soft lips moving slowly against yours.

"I like you in this way." He whispered against your lips after breaking off your kiss, you could feel his breath ghosting over your face. Too flabbergasted and speechless to say anything, you just stared at him, open-mouthed, with an unreadable expression on your face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable.... but you didn't seem to realize what I was trying to say, so I thought, perhaps I needed to show you and maybe I should go right now and just leave you alone and-"

"No!" You abruptly cut his rambling off. "I just can't believe all of this. I've crushed on you for so many years only to find out you reciprocate my feelings out of the blue? Am I dreaming?"

Chan's eyes lit up, yet he was the one being surprised now. "You, what? You had been crushing on me?"

"Yes..." You mumbled shyly.

"Y/N... I don't know what to say besides, this is all real, you're not dreaming and heck, I'm not dreaming either?"

Both of you started to laugh at your flustered states. How did you manage to hide your crushes from each other for so long despite always being so close? That was a mystery you had yet to solve.

"Anyway, so, uhm..." Chan seemed like the shy one this time, his cheeks turning a shade redder than they had been before. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

"Are you seriously asking me this? Of course I want to, you dumbass." You smiled and hugged him, feeling like your dreams had finally come true.

a/n: oh dear, I got a little carried away with this. I hope you don't mind. :')

[jdrizzle15]

Hiccups

a RWBY fanficiton.

The date that isn’t a date. Nope, totally not.

If you enjoy this story, please feel free to leave comments here or on the following sites: AO3 | FFN

Chapter 1: Ruby’s Routine Readiness

Author Note: This story takes place as if the attack on Beacon never happened.

They usually meet at a small coffee shop in the center of Vale, right across from a little park. On days that Ruby is able to meet up with her metallic friend, it has become a sort of custom for the young girl to arrive early enough to order a warm, sugary drink while she waits. Not coffee, of course. Ruby only drinks that stuff when the need to stay up late and study arises, or - more often than not - to finish forgotten homework assignments at the last moment. If there’s a choice though, her pick would be a large cup of hot cocoa with as many marshmallows she could possibly get to fit. 

Ruby tries to get an extra early start to make the most out of the day she has with Penny, and today is no exception. Wake up at 5:30, be showered and dressed by 5:45, and rushing out the door to make it to the first airship into the city by 6:00, making a short stop by the mess hall for a small breakfast to eat during the flight. By now, this was her routine Saturday. Getting up so early on a weekend does have its perks; the mess hall is never out of her favorite things. 

Early-morning flights are usually empty for the most part, so being on a first-name basis with the pilot Sapphire makes for a nice little chat during the short trip as she eats her cream cheese bagel breakfast. This time, the two talked about the difficulties of maintaining an airship, a conversation lasting until their touch down in Vale. Before disembarking, Ruby cleans up her mess of crumbs and says goodbye to Sapphire before hopping out into morning sun. Waving as the ship continues on its route.

Practically skipping her way down the sidewalk, Ruby checks her reflection in the storefront windows as she passes, making sure everything is in order. The coffee shop is only a few blocks away from the air station, not a long walk, even for someone of Ruby’s stature. Though the urge to use her semblance to shorten that distance in an instant is ever-present, she manages to contain most of her excitement, somehow.

Upon entering the whimsical shop, the man at the counter brightens, “Hey there, Ruby, good morning! I was just thinking it was about time you show up!” He is the shop’s owner, Markus Sorrel. In his early 40’s, perched upon his nose are thick black rimmed glasses with round lenses, he has short brown hair that he keeps nicely combed, and often wears a nice dress shirt with jeans, though he wears a navy blue apron while at work.

”You know I like to be punctual!”

It’s a very inviting and warm shop, something one would imagine seeing in a fairy tale. An old, dark-wood shingle roof with a spiraling copper chimney, built on walls of stone. A large circular window takes up most of the storefront, just to the right of an arched entryway with a very heavy wooden door. An intricately carved wooden sign is hung just above the door displaying the words “Soul of the Seasons: Coffee and Cookies.”

Over the months of coming here, Ruby had become well acquainted with the staff of the small shop. They’ve gotten to know her so well that by the time the girl walks in, they have her regular order waiting at the perfect temperature: two large chocolate chip cookies and a 20oz Hot Chocolate with a large scoop of mini marshmallows, a layer of whipped cream, milk chocolate candies use as sprinkles, then finally a squeeze each of strawberry and dark chocolate syrup on top to finish it off.

“Here’s your regular, kid,” he says, placing the cup and fresh-baked cookies on the counter. “Do you ever get sick of eating all this chocolate?” Markus quizzed.

“Of course not, I would die before giving up chocolate!” Ruby proudly affirms.

“You think maybe it could be stunting your growth a bit?” He says through a smile.

“What are you implying?” Ruby questions, putting her hands on her hips. “I’ll have you know that my height is perfectly suited to my weapon and fighting style.”

“If you eat fewer sweets, maybe a certain icy friend of yours would treat you less like a child, too?” He chuckles. 

“…Touché old man.”

She picks up her treats, finds a seat, and takes a big disgruntled bite out of a cookie.

“You’re meeting that little redhead again today, right?”

“I am! We can only really hang out on Saturdays, so we try to make the most of it.”

“That’s nice to hear; you’ve certainly gotten yourself a really cute girlfriend. I’m kinda jealous…”

Her cheeks began to burn a little, a deep crimson red spreading like a fire across her face and out to the ears, “Gir-girlfriend!” Ruby spluttered, spraying cookie crumbs everywhere. “W-w-where did you get that idea?!”

“Well...” Markus tilts his head, moving a hand to his chin contemplatively. “You’ve been meeting her here for quite a while now. Like clockwork every Saturday, you show up around the same time to wait for her. And you always get a little fidgety when it gets close to the time she usually arrives…”

“Have you been spying on me?” Ruby asked suspiciously, the blush still persisting.

“It’d be weirder if I hadn’t noticed seeing as you always come here to wait for her.” Coming out from behind the counter with a cloth, Markus begins wiping down tables as they spoke. More out of habit than necessity.

“We aren’t dating! This is the only day we get to actually see each other on a regular basis. In school, we aren’t in any classes together, we don’t even have the same lunch period! I love that she was allowed to transfer from Atlas, I just wish we had more time together. There’s a lot we miss out on with each other, being apart all week…” Ruby paused, looking a little disheartened, “I feel lonely without her…”

“What was that last bit?” he said, through a toothy smile.

Ruby flails her arms. “Nothing, it was nothing!” she says, her cheeks returning to their rosier hue. She looks out the window trying to hide her blush as Markus laughs.

“In all seriousness though, I’m sure she feels the same way, wishing to spend more time together I mean. But anyway, to the main point. You do like her right? More than a friend I mean. If you like, I could give you some advice. I’m sure you have family and friends to confide in, but if you don’t mind me, I’ll help if I can.”

Ruby pauses for a moment, thinking to herself. “I can’t exactly ask any of them, I haven’t even told anyone I like girls yet…”

“So I was right!” He chuckled, while Ruby slumped to the table in front of her, burying her face into her arms.

“I know my relationship experiences are different from yours, but I do have some advice you may find useful. First, have you said out loud how you feel? I’ve found that thoughts alone are quite a powerful thing when it comes to love, but expressing that love aloud, even if it’s just to yourself, can help you to understand just how strong your feelings truly are.”

Ruby lifts her head from the table. “N-no, I haven’t actually said it out loud yet…”

“You have time, but I wouldn’t wait too long to actually tell her, a girl that sweet is bound to get others interested in her. They may try and steal her away. Trust me, I know how it feels, that hurt is not something easily gotten over.”

“NO!” Ruby shouts, jumping to her feet. “No, no, I don’t want that,” she said quietly, almost in a whisper, as she slowly takes her seat again.

Noticing her sudden drop in spirit, Markus comes over to her table and takes the seat across from Ruby. “I didn’t intend to put a damper on your mood, but I feel some things shouldn’t be left unsaid.”

“No, you’re right, I know you mean well. The thought of that just… It just struck me really hard…”

“Would you like some more advice?” Markus asks.

“But you have a shop to run, I can’t take up all your ti—“

Markus interrupts, gesturing around the empty store, “Look around you, does it seem like we’re swamped right now? There’s nothing to worry about. You’re basically the only one who shows up this early, but if someone does happen to show up, the others can handle it. Besides, this is much more important.”

“Well if you’re sure, more advice would be great,” Ruby said, trying not to sound hesitant.

“Okay, have you given any thought to how you’ll tell her? Having some kind of a plan can help keep the nerves down, at least a bit.”

“Of course I have, but I’m not really sure if she’ll understand what I’m trying to tell her…”

Markus gives a look of total disbelief. “Are we thinking of the same girl here? You know, redhead, big pink bow, thin, pretty pale, green eyes and lots of freckles?”

“Y-yeah, that’s her…”

“Oh come on, are you kidding me? That girl is head-over-heels for you! She might not be able to explain the feelings she has for you, but when she realizes that you feel the same for her, she’ll understand. Even if she doesn’t entirely, you will be there to help her.”

“How can you tell? You only see us together for a few minutes at a time.”

“The moment she walks in here and sees you, her already happy face brightens even more. She practically radiates happiness. Not to mention the fact that she always, always hooks your arms together and squeezes as close to you as physically possible while you cross to the park over there.” Markus points out the front window.

“That’s just her being friendly! ...Isn’t it?”

“Also, when you go sit on a bench over there to finish your chocolate stuff and chat, she lays her head on your shoulder, every time! I could name more, but those examples alone should be enough for you to realize she’s in love with you! I don’t know why you’ve convinced yourself otherwise, but I’m sure deep inside you know this.”

Ruby’s eyes widen in realization, “I... don’t know… I must have blocked it out subconsciously. I was afraid of taking advantage of Penny’s innocent nature and affection. As cliché as it sounds, I didn’t want to mess up what we already have…”

“Being in love and wanting to start a romantic relationship with someone, it takes risking the current relationship you share to an extent. Worst case scenario it could destroy your friendship,” Markus warns, and Ruby’s heart drops. “But from what I’ve seen, you have very little to worry about in regards to that. And since she hasn’t told you anything yet, I’m sure she’s feeling these same doubts. I think when you tell her, be sure to also tell her what you just told me, I’m sure her doubts will all but disappear hearing that.” He said, with a soft smile.

“I definitely will. I don’t know if I can do it today, but if I feel the mood is right, I’ll try my best!” she says, determination filling her voice.

“Good, that’s the spirit! It’s somehow very unnatural to see you so down… Now, since we still have a little time until she gets here, why don’t you tell me some things you like about her?”

“Is this to help with my confession?”

“There is that, but I’m also really curious! As you said, I don’t really see you two together that much, and I see even less of Miss Polendina. I want to know some of the reasons you fell in love with her.”

Ruby flinches slightly at the word “love,” again reminded that she hasn’t let her feelings out into the world. “That’s a little embarrassing. But you are trying to help me out, so I don’t mind telling you some things.”

“If you’re worried about it, this conversation never happened! My lips are sealed.” Markus mimes the motion of pulling a zipper across his mouth.

She shrugs. “I’m not really worried. I am gonna tell everyone eventually, so you don’t need to keep it a secret or anything.”

“I see. Well, even so, I’ll keep it to myself. Anyway, you were about to tell me some things about Penny? I won’t interrupt this time.” Markus weaves his hands together and places them in his lap, leaning in to show interest.

“When we first met, I thought she was a real weirdo. Yet, the more time we spent together, the less I thought of her as odd. She was so endearing and kind, I couldn’t help but want to be friends with her, despite my team’s objections. Looking back, she was adorable, when she got in my face after I called her a friend,” Ruby explained, her eyes sparkling as she recalls happy memories. “When we were looking for my teammate, Blake, I bumped into her again. Yang and Weiss bailed on me as soon as there was a chance. I didn’t know what to do, so I reluctantly spent some more time with her,” Ruby continued.

“Did you do that out of charity?” Markus inquired.

“I guess you could say that, I just didn’t want her feelings to be hurt. After a while it just began to feel right, you know? The two of us just chatting about nothing in particular. Spending time with a new friend also helped ease my worry about Weiss and Blake’s argument. It was thanks to Penny that we got Blake out of the docks in one piece, she kicked White Fang butt that night! She was so awesome, mowing them down with her swords! She split two Bullheads in half and actually pulled a third one out of the air!!” Ruby shouted, pumping her fist excitedly while recounting that nights events, “I was baffled at how she was doing those incredible things, but I was in complete awe.”

Markus looks shocked, “Penny was the one who did that? That’s astounding! I remember reading about that incident in the paper. To think someone as dainty looking as Penny could do so much damage. She going to make one heck of a huntress,” Markus remarks.

“She’ll be a top class huntress for sure, I have no doubt about that!” chirped Ruby. “Well anyway, after the police arrived and everything was settled that evening, Penny had basically vanished without a trace. She didn’t say anything and none of us even saw her get up to leave.”

“Were you worried about her?” Markus questions.

“Of course I was!” Ruby affirms. “I thought she was kidnapped or something! In hindsight, thinking she was kidnapped was ridiculous after seeing how she handled the White Fang. It would be a few weeks or so until we would meet next. My mind was swirling that whole time, my worry about her made focusing in class difficult and sleeping nearly impossible!”

But then Weiss and I went to do some research at the CCT, there she was! Turns out she was asked not to talk to me or anyone; Something to do with the worry of an overprotective parent. Being a part of the Atlas military, her father asked for a few soldiers to keep an eye on her. We were spotted together so Penny ran, not wanting me to get in trouble. Two soldiers started towards us, so I followed after her. I was nearly hit by a truck catching up with her, but Penny saved me! She stopped a cargo truck bare handed!”

“A good use of her incredible strength,” Markus comments.

“When we put enough distance between us and them, we stopped to rest a little. I think that moment, there in that alley, was when my feelings for her really started to bloom into what they are now.” Ruby said bashfully.

“What happened?”

“Penny told me about her insecurities, the things she worries most about. She bared her heart to me, really made herself vulnerable. I reassured her the best I could, which seemed to make her feel a lot better. We’ve been very close ever since.”

“You two went through a lot when you first met huh? But that’s not exactly the info I was hoping for. I want to know some of the things you love about her! The things that made you fall for her!” Markus exclaims. 

“Yeah… I know... I’m stalling okay! It’s gonna be embarrassing for me, so if my face starts going red you gotta promise you won’t acknowledge it, deal?” Ruby says, extending her hand for a handshake.

He grabs her hand, giving a firm shake, “Deal.”

“Okay, well, first of all she is the nicest person you could ever hope to meet. Her sincerity is incredible, she’s loyal to a fault, and her personality is so bright that even on your darkest days just seeing her could cheer you up. She’s really strong in a fight and will not stand for her friends being hurt. She’s got her quarks but one of my favorites is when she lies or tries to hide something, she hiccups! It is by far the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! I don’t know if she’s realized that trigger yet, but it kinda makes me want to test it out…”

As Markus listened, he noticed a redheaded girl with a crooked pink bow exiting a big black car on the other side of the street. Immediately recognizing who it is, he decided to let her get within earshot before letting Ruby know. His smile turning mischievous.

“She’s also beautiful,” Ruby continues, “Her freckles are super cute, and I love that curly hair of hers! There’s just so much of her to fall for.”

“Alright! Sorry to interrupt your gushing, but I think we’re out of time today.” Markus said as he gets up from his seat. “Someone’s waiting for you!”

“What are you talking abou-OH! She’s here isn’t she!” Ruby spun around in her seat to find a cute freckled face peeking through the shop’s front window. “Pennyyyy!”

More notes: This is the first story I decided to publish, so criticism is welcomed. I hope you enjoyed it! Look forward to the next part~ I wasn't very happy with the original version of this chapter, so I extended it and changed a few things. Thanks for reading, hopefully I'll get the next chapter out soon-ish!

[tenderdorks]

Sugar

Notes: Howdy, folks! It’s me, @justapalspal / @ryoubandwagon, taking a crack at writing some tendershipping on a sideblog I’ve finally given purpose to just now.

And y’all know me, I live, breathe, and eat goofy tendershipping, so have some post-canon tenderdorks while I stretch my writing muscles! Bakura buys Ryou cookies, then pretends he didn’t.

Word Count: 2722

Warnings: Save for two vague innuendos and Bakura having a semi-sailor mouth, nothing that goes above a T rating.

Ao3 Link: Here!

Oh, gods, I hate sugar, Bakura grumbled, fourth cookie crammed in his mouth. He wasn’t going to touch frosting for a month. Two months. Four was enough of them, he figured; that would be convincing.

Everything in his mouth was too creamy, though; Bakura made it to their floor and grunted, when he wasn’t crushing his teeth together. His jaw burned. His cheekbones stung a little from the force of it, too. By the time he made it to the door he was almost ready to swallow the damp lump, and he paused a second to give himself enough time to do so and scrub crumbs off his face so it wouldn’t look bad. Or suspicious.

Okay. Cool, cool.

Bakura stuck the key in the lock and pushed the door in. “Hey, Ryou.”

No response.

“...Ryou?” Bakura called, louder.

“Huh?” Ryou’s voice was loud, airy. Sounded like he was in the craft room, too; probably working on miniatures again.

“I’m back,” Bakura called, shutting the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and pushed them into some semblance of order next to Ryou’s, just lying about. Messy, but hell, the rest of the place wasn’t any better.

He shrugged his jacket off—as much as he could, anyway, while keeping the box clutched to his chest. The jacket he threw on the couch. He stared at it. He stared at the walls, the unfolded laundry strewn about. He stood there.

“From work,” he said, blankly. Gods, he sounded like a damn fool.

A few clunking sounds, a door creaking, and Ryou poked his head out the hall, breathing just a bit hard from the rush. “Ah, right.” Holy shit, Bakura was going to die. Ryou was casual as hell and yet—his face? Rosie-red? His dark eyes glimmering a bit? His torso, all fluttering with life? 

“Some idiot left cookies at work and I thought you and your whole sweet tooth syndrome would devour these if I brought them home.” That idiot being Bakura and work being a euphemism for I bought them on the way home from work to give to you because I am a sap holy fuck.

He held out the box. Four were missing. It would totally look like Bakura just grabbed them from the break room, he was sure.

Ryou only cocked his head. Then, walking closer, he snorted. “Did you steal someone’s food?”

“No, it was—” Fuck. “They left it for people to take, so I took them.”

Ryou flashed a toothy grin at him. That didn’t stop him from reaching out to pop open the lid.

Bakura’s heart jittered a little, inside him. “Really.” Was that too firm? Too desperate?

“I know, I know, relax.” He held it in some, but not all, of his fingers. The cookie, that is. Ryou did. “It’s just usually when someone leaves food around it’s a ‘take one’ type of deal, not the whole thing.”

Fuck, fuck. “Ryou, five people work there, tops.”

“Take two, then.” Ryou didn’t even nibble; he went straight for cramming it into his mouth, and Bakura had no idea how he managed to make chewing with his mouth open look attracting. Or reaching for another when he hadn’t even finished that first one yet.

Take two, take two. Cocky little—

Bakura didn’t want to think too hard about the warmth twittering up in him. Twirling, and flowing, like warm smoke, seeping into his ribs. So he just watched Ryou, and in watching him, realized he had been watching Ryou far too long. Much too long to be a normal, in-passing look.

Eyes lit up, Ryou grinned at him, with that damn cookie partially obscuring his teeth. “I’m messing with you.”

Hell. “Yeah, sure.”

“Did you have an alright time at work, at least?” Ryou crunched some more, the sounds soft, and took the box out of Bakura’s numb grasp. “Tolerable, intolerable? Yay, nay?”

“It was something, I guess.” Stay cool, stay calm. Everything had gone good. It’d gone great. It was okay, Bakura, really, Bakura, why were his fingers and toes so fidgety, his head so seepingly bleh—

He clenched his hands and then his toes. Ryou hummed as he walked to the kitchen, and without thought, Bakura followed him. It was as natural as being, this mindless tug toward him. So when Ryou set the box down and opened the fridge, Bakura sat down in a chair, filtering the mechanical buzz of it out.

“Is it a good something?” Ryou didn’t turn from the fridge’s contents; his head did, though, skim and flick about, and Bakura really needed to stop watching him this much, fuck.

“Uh.”

“That doesn’t sound like a good something.” The milk carton, ah. Bakura should’ve expected that. He just didn’t expect the chocolate one to be the one Ryou wiggled by the handle, and pop open with that crispy crack—  

“I—oh! Fuck that noise, my legs are ripped from all the biking. You wanna see?” Bakura grinned so wide his face burned, and reached for his pant leg—pulling it up before smacking his leg on top of the table. “Look! Feel my calves, Ryou, they’re rock hard.” 

Ryou burst into snorty sounds. “Bakura.”

“Seriously! Feel my legs. I could crush a man’s head with my thighs.”

“What, and you have men’s heads there often enough that you’d need to?”

There was no way he’d heard that right. Bakura blinked blankly, still smiling. “Y—what?” 

Good gods, at this point, Bakura couldn’t tell if those doe eyes were Ryou playing clueless or messing with him. “What?”

“Uh.” Cup. Ryou had a cup in his hand now, he was coming toward the table, he had that—the milk—Bakura’s eyes darted to the cookie box and his brain jolted hard to connect straws together. Anything together. “You. Oh, hell, are you—”

“Am I what?” The chair made a small, skidding yell as Ryou dragged it back to plop into. His cheeks tugged up in a lopsided grin. Bakura groaned, shutting his eyes.

“You are. Why do I even…”

The milk glugged and popped and dribbled noisily as Ryou poured it. When Bakura opened his eyes again, Ryou had a brow cocked up at him. And a grin. Cocky—

“Yes?”

Bakura’s nostril twitched. “No.”

Ryou laughed, and it bubbled through his chest. “What, Bakura?”

“Oh, you know what. You’re disgusting. You’re mixing chocolate milk with frosting?” 

“Yeah?” Ryou dunked that half-eaten cookie into it, not even blinking. “And? Coward.”

Bakura scoffed. He scoffed loud, hard, enough to send his nose high and his head shaking, but it flittered into a quiet giggle, a smothered grin. Grunting, Bakura rubbed his fingers along his brow, down his eyelids. “You’re an absolute monster,” he muttered. “Gods.” 

“You’re telling me this is worse than pepperoni pizza and chocolate chip ice cream.”

“I’m saying I get you sweets and you wreck them beyond any recognition.” And—okay, Bakura couldn’t help it. He giggled, and snickered, skin tingling so warm that it blazed. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Ryou kicked him from under the table. “You eat raw garlic. What the hell’s the matter with you?”

“We’ll see when I don’t have tapeworms and you do.” Bakura kicked him back. Then he leaned far over, hunching on his elbows and arms. “You wanna try garlic, if you’re going to be nasty about food?” 

Ryou jerked back like he’d been physically startled. “What? No. You are not making me eat that again.”

“It’s good.” Bakura licked his own teeth, very slowly. Very deliberately. “Zingy.”

“You look like a buffoon.” Ryou pushed his head away hard, and Bakura snorted. Maybe cackled a little. Fell back in his seat, even, giddy, as Ryou gave him a deadpan look and said, “Your tongue’s supposed to stay in your mouth.” 

Bakura stuck it out at him.

“Imbecile,” Ryou muttered, dunking his cookie again.

And without a single ounce of filter Bakura tipped his own chin up and grinned and said, “If you want it to stay there so badly maybe you should make it stay, nedjeb nefer.”

”I’m...” Ryou’s eyelashes fluttered fast from how many times he blankly blinked. “I’m not sticking my hand in your mouth, what?”

Hand. Bakura snorted, lightly, out his nose. “You’re not?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes?!” Ryou’s torso jerked a moment, before sputtered, half-muffled sounds spewed out. Laughter. What a fucking dork.

“You’re really sure.”

“Yes I am really sure.”

“‘Cause you can kiss me anytime you want, I’m not gonna bite.”

“What?” 

“What?” Oh holy—well alright then. For a second, Bakura lost the ability to feel. Then everything throbbed at once, shooting into a nauseating spike that made him want to get up and jig and shake his fingers and feet out until they undeniably hurt.

And all Ryou could focus on was that dang word. “Did you just say—?” 

“Stuff your hand in my mouth? Yes, I did.” Put it right next to Bakura’s whole-ass foot, gods be—

“You said I can kiss you anytime I want.” Was Ryou red? Was that a flush on his face going down his neck or was Bakura hallucinating from the lightheadedness? “You did, I heard you—”

“No shit, really? How’d you get that from ‘stuff your hand in my mouth please, Ryou, just smash your fist into my esophagus?’” 

Leaning in on his elbows, Ryou squinted and said, “Do you want me to kiss you?” 

Yes?! “Pff—ha! Ha!” Bakura contorted into some sort of human spring, legs going one way and torso the next. “No? Why would—it’s a joke, holy crap, people joke about stuff all the ti—”

“Because here I was,” Ryou said, head cocked now to one side, “about to give you want you want and smooch you, maybe. You know. If you wanted.”

Bakura had to choke down a squeak; it sounded like some odd, aborted burp. And then he went very very quiet. 

What was—what was happening? 

“And I finally looked up nedjeb online,” Ryou went on, swirling cookie in chocolate milk concoction like a tea party guest might stir a spoon. “Have you really been calling me ‘sweetie’ this whole time and expecting me to think it was an insult?” 

Dry, thickening throat. Bakura had to swallow the gunk away to speak. “Uh.”

“‘Cause I thought you were calling me pretty boy or something at first, but.” Ryou shrugged, eyes rolling upward, head making a few idle movements. He nibbled on his cookie thoughtfully. “Eh? That’s a bit sweeter, I guess.”

“I—uh—r… right.” Right. Some of the tightness was his spine locking up, Bakura realized. Ah, that was it. He sunk down in a vain attempt to relax it. Then he just plopped onto his arm, leaning all his weight on it. Buzzing fingers started tapping. 

And kept tapping.

Tap tap, tap tap.

All he could hear was Ryou’s chewing.

“Maybe a peck on the cheek,” Ryou mumbled, sounding aimless. “Take this nice and slow.”

“They got nedjeb up online?” Bakura didn’t usually squeak, but this one was a bit hoarse, so it didn’t count. At all. He winced and sunk lower anyway. 

Ryou puffed a laugh out his nose. “One of the few words from Ancient Egyptian they got up that’s easy to find, yeah.”

“Fuck.” Bakura dug his face down into his arm, then the table. End him. End him now. He felt too exposed, like eyes bored into his back, like every ounce of his skin had attention on it and he was a tingling display— 

“It’s a cute word, now that I know what it means, not gonna lie.”

Bakura breathed deeply, noisily, in through his nose. Okay. Okay. He rocked a bit, trying to psych himself up, because come on, holy crap, he could deal with this, what was even happening though he could deal with this—

He shot his head up, blinking the imprint of lights from his eyes. His vision wasn’t blurry, per se, but he could definitely feel his ability to process it wither.

“Are those—any good?” Bakura flapped a hand at the box. Good, yes. Carry on like nothing happened.

Something about it made Ryou’s brows furrow. “These?” He turned his head to eye them. One side of his mouth tugged up. “Would I be eating them if they weren’t?”

“You eat shit combinations and then have the gall to say you can cook.” The itchiness spread up Bakura’s neck. Behind his ears, tingling, buzzing. He scratched at it hard, digging his nails into his roots. “But. You like them.”

“Yeah?” Ryou punctuated this by reaching over for the whole box.

“Cool. Cool, good, right. Yeah.” What the hell. All this nodding was going to snap Bakura’s neck in two, he was sure.

“Thank you, I don’t think I said that.”

“No problem.” Bakura rocked his chest a bit with the nodding, now.

Ryou laughed a bit, definitely awkward; not meeting Bakura’s eye; turning his head one way, then back the other while putting his mouth into his palm. His arm balanced him just barely on the table. “No, really. That was really nice of you to think of me, when you saw the—”

“Eat the goddamn cookies,” Bakura wheezed. 

Ryou scoffed. It stayed muffled in his palm. “Well alright, sourpuss.” 

And then they… sat like that. Nothing special. Perhaps too much nothing special, even with the hum of the air conditioning blaring, and the faint chatter in the background from other apartment goers drowned out by the walls and halls. 

Eventually, Bakura’s foot started running a mile under the table, bouncing so hard his ankle burned.

“Bakura, do you like me?” Ryou asked, out of absolutely nowhere, except only a little not, and Bakura couldn’t even fathom how to respond anymore. “Because I’m absolutely oblivious, most of the time. I used to think crushes mean basically stalking because of my high school fanclub, and I don’t always pick up on the cues—” 

“Holy crap, what do you think I mean by getting you sweets when I hate them but you don’t? Gah!” Bakura scrunched his face up. His eyes crushed shut.

“Oh! Good.” Through the numb pounding in his chest, Bakura cracked a slow eye open. Ryou smiled at him, lips closed, mouth full, crumbs on his cheek. “I think I like you too. You’re fun to be around now.”

Oh. Oh, well okay. Bakura eased up the rest of the way, but a layer of tension kept him stiff.

“Especially with how funny you are when I tease you.” Ryou leaned over to pinch his cheek and gave it a good tug. All Bakura felt was the soft stinging yank at his gums and cheekbones, and Ryou jiggling it again, again, and Bakura stared—well, gawked—the whole time, because Ryou’d just said— 

“Ahh yuu—fuhk, leggo!” Bakura scrunched up as much of his face as he could then, which was just his nose really, and shook him off. 

And Ryou just giggled, low and bright and giddy. “Awww, but your cheeks are so cute!”

“Are you serious? I’m going to—fuck!” Bakura stomped once, twice, three times with all his weight and both feet, before throwing his head up and back. “Aaaaaah!”

“Neighbors, Bakura.” Now Ryou spoke in faux-whispers. Cheeky ones. He smirked, lopsided and just as goofy as any time he did. “And save that for later.” 

He was one hundred percent messing with Bakura. Those doe eyes were a farce and Bakura balked at him anyway, body burning, face tingling, the skin of his nose buzzing—and damn it all to hell, he reached over and yanked Ryou in by the shirt so he could get a kiss for himself.

Ryou’s mouth was soft; his hands warm, and getting warmer from how they started patting frantically at Bakura, before settling down steadily on his chest. Ryou kept laughing out his nose and puffing air on Bakura’s face. Fucking hell, Bakura thought, leaning into that smile. I can do sugar, if Ryou’s the one tasting like that.

“Did you—” Ryou muttered, not even breaking away. Fucker just talked right on his mouth. “Did you eat some of these? You taste like them—”

“Please just kiss me, oh gods.” It was wonderful, how Ryou’s laughter filled his mouth and ears.

-

[negasonicimagines]

“All Yours.”

requests: “Hii! Can request an ellie x reader imagine? I do not really care, I am giving you free hand because I am so thirsty for this girl :D thank you very much (maybe get kittens involved) [rq by @crazypurplesnowman]” + “10 FROM THE BUFFY PROMPTS COULD B PRETTY SICK LOOVE UR WRITING KEEP IT UP BABE”

[ 10: “I want to take comfort in you, and I know it will cost me my soul, and a part of me doesn’t care.” ]

notes: I wanted to try something new, so… Yandere!Ellie. Yeah, I’m writing that trope in 2019. This will probably be a flawed version of the trope, because I still want to be at least a little true to the character, and this will mostly be from Ellie’s perspective. Still 2nd person, but will be centered around her thoughts and feelings towards the reader, as opposed to the reader’s perception. DISCLAIMER: I am not encouraging fraud. This is literally the craziest fucking thing I’ve ever written and I LOVE IT. Like… Kittens, an iconic line from BTVS, Chuck E. Cheese, Yandere!Ellie…. Whew.

mini playlist for this fic:

superstar - marina

possession - sarah mclachlan

undisclosed desires - muse

happy place - terror jr

make you mine - public

tear you apart - she wants revenge

warnings: this is a yandere story, so just overall trigger warning. Ellie’s gonna be a little creepy and definitely a little OOC. Also, animal abuse mention & animal death. Also, graphically-detailed birth of kittens. (Here’s the video I watched for research, yes, it’s of a cat giving birth. The things I do for my thirsty ellie thots.)

There was just something about you.

Maybe it was your eyes, those perfect E/C eyes. The way you’d glance at her and smile, unsure of why she’s staring.

Or those lips. Every word you spoke was a song tumbling from between them, even if she didn’t like the fact that it was being sung to someone else.

Maybe it was your mutation. You both were mutants, you already had something in common, not to mention that you follow her Twitter and make her heart burst every time you retweet something from her. Same political opinions, same sense of humor, similar taste in music…

You rush in, a bundle in your arms. You’d gone for a walk and Ellie didn’t trust herself to be stealthy enough to follow you, not outside of the house. So, she’d sat on the loveseat by the door on her lonesome, waiting for you to return. You were all she could think of. She slinks over to where you’ve run, the infirmary.

She watches from the doorway, slowly entering as you open the bundle on one of the small beds used for long-term patients. It’s a large, fluffy black cat, some of its fur matted.

A stray? I love her… Ellie thinks. And it’s even black!

“She’s pregnant,” you tell the nurse, Annie. “I can feel it, the little lives. I’d say she’s going to go into labor very soon. I did some googling, and she’s already started the rhythmic purring.”

“So, you brought her here?” Annie asks, a brow arched. Don’t look at her like that. Just because they’re animals doesn’t mean they don’t deserve care. Ellie grinds her teeth, watching the situation. But, with you in sight, her anger is less intense.

“Well, where else was I supposed to bring her? I can try to heal her, but I can tell she might not make it through labor. I need help making her comfortable. Oh! Ellie, do you need something? I can heal you, if you have a headache or something,” you offer, distracted from your own cause by her. Me, Ellie thinks, lovesick.

“A bit of a headache,” Ellie lies. “But it can wait, if you want me to find some old towels or something.”

“I’d really appreciate that, thank you!” You beam, and she almost gasps in wonder, swiftly leaving to get the towels so you can’t see her blushing. She brings them into the infirmary, and helps you to organize them, hands brushing.

Ellie twitches away in surprise, cursing herself for her natural reaction to touch. While she knows that your touch feels good to everyone that you make skin-to-skin contact with, due to your mutation, which is to heal through touch, she feels that it must feel especially good to her, so she should accept the opportunity to feel your skin whenever she can.

“Thank you so much for the help, Ellie,” you say, eyes glimmering with excitement.

“No problem, Y/N,” she replies. “Anything else I can do?”

“Moral support would be appreciated, but I understand if you’ve got something better to do.”

Nothing’s better than you.

“Not at all,” Ellie responds, and the cat begins to meow. You go to pet her, and she purrs.

The cat starts to get a bit fidgety on the bed, wandering a bit. You and Annie make sure she stays on the bed, stroking her fur as she begins to yowl.

“Looks like we’re getting started,” you say, and Annie & Ellie nod. “Ellie, could you get us some gloves? Two pairs, unless you wanna help.”

Ellie gets three pairs of gloves, and the cat sort of squats on the bed, tail tucked. The yowl increases in volume, and she squeezes out the first kitten, a wet clump of black attached to a placenta nearly the same size. The mother cleans her child with her tongue, detaching the kitten from the placenta and eating it. Ellie notes the droplets of blood on the towels, and you nod.

“That’s normal, but we’ll have to be careful because if there’s too much she might be bleeding internally. It wouldn’t be surprising if she was, that man was kicking her really-” you sniff, clearly trying not to cry, and Ellie wants to slit his throat. “...Really hard.”

As soon as the first kitten starts meowing, another emerges from the mother cat.

“Good girl,” you praise the cat, petting her as she continues to clean her first-born, before moving on to the second. The two kittens, now mostly clean, move on to feeding from their mother, the three purring as she continues to clean them. After a short period of time in which she snuggles the two, and the bleeding starts to get heavy, another is born, and then another. She cleans and cares for them in the same fashion.

Ellie texts her groupchat with Piotr, Wade, Domino, Nathan, and her best friend, Yukio, about the situation, asking if they’d like to meet in the infirmary for an impromptu baby shower. They all excitedly agree, and she warns them that the cat may not be alive when they get there, but that the kittens are in good shape.

She listens silently as you hum to the mother, who you’ve nicknamed “Mama Cat.”

“She’s hemorrhaging,” you say, pointing out the increase in blood loss. “I read that could happen. I- I don’t know how much I can do without touching the wound, and it’s internal.”

“She knows you did your best,” Annie tries to reassure you, and Ellie tries not to glare daggers at the woman. You were Ellie’s to comfort. Ellie strokes your back, watching tears roll silently down your cheeks as you continue to hum to the cat and her litter.

“She’s gone. It’s all… I can’t feel her anymore,” you sob, and Ellie brings you into her arms, not caring about your amniotic fluid-soaked gloves one bit as you cry into her shoulder. But you pull away, and Ellie feels cold, empty. “I’m so sorry, we don’t even know each other that well, I just… I have a deep amount of respect and love for all living things, and this is so-”

“Don’t worry, Y/N. Come here, it’s gonna be okay.” Ellie wraps her arms around you again, and you accept her comfort. She tries not to let her excitement show, knowing that this is a solemn moment for you. She’s also sad, but your feelings definitely take priority over her own in this situation. In most situations. At least, that’s how she feels.

“We came as soon as we heard!” Wade and the gang enter with last-minute gifts and some decorations. Their joy dies down as they realize what’s happened. “Oh. That’s so… Oh. The kittens, are they…?”

You lift your head from Ellie’s shoulder so that your voice isn’t muffled, but you don’t exit her embrace, not yet.

“No, no, thank god. Just… Just the mom.” You pull away, attending to the tiny, helpless creatures. You dry the little screamers off a bit before bundling them in the least dirty towel and turning back to face the group. “I see you all brought gifts. Does there happen to be any formula?”

“I’ve got a good amount here, plus the equipment.” Domino fulfills the request. “Lucky guess.”

“Me, too,” Nathan adds. “I figured it wouldn’t be an easy thing to get ahold of. I was wrong, so I also got a PetSmart gift card.”

“Thank you so much, you guys,” you say, and Annie stacks the canisters on the counter. “Jesus Christ, that’s a lot.”

“Oh, right, I got some, too,” Wade says, and Ellie thinks maybe he got a can. Nope. The amount he got doubles the supply.

“Jeez, I guess we don’t have to worry about feeding them,” you comment. “Thanks a ton, you guys.”

“So...What are you going to do with them?” Yukio asks.

“I mean, keep them, I guess. The only official rules on pets here are that you can have them as long as you keep them away from those allergic and don’t let them make a mess or distract you from your studies. I could probably request a month of independent study while they need round the clock care, and as long as my grades don’t seriously falter, that’ll be fine.”

“Do you think you’ll give any of them away, once they’re weaned off milk and litter box-trained?” Yukio continues to investigate.

“Uh, I don’t know… Maybe? Right now, though, I wouldn’t dream of it. Sorry,” you apologize, able to tell that the sweet girl wants to adopt one.

“Have you named them, yet?” Piotr asks.

“I think I’ll wait ‘til their personalities start to show,” you decide, and Ellie nods, wrapping an arm around you.

“You guys are gonna make great cat moms,” Domino comments, and Ellie finds herself blushing a little. Us? Cat moms? Together? It’s a dream come true...

“Maybe you should share room,” Piotr suggests. “So that you can care for kittens together. It can be arranged.”

“That’d be great!” you agree.

“Yeah, sure,” Ellie does her best to hide her enthusiasm, but based on the expressions of everyone in the room but you, it’s clear she has a crush. At least they don’t know it’s a rapidly-growing obsession, rising with every little interaction, even if that interaction is just you looking back at her and smiling.

“I will go file paperwork,” Piotr informs. “Do not hesitate to open gift while I’m gone.”

“Thank you so much, Colossus!” you cheer. Annie hands you each a pair of kittens and a pair of small bottles, allowing you to nurse your new children together.

Wade takes a picture, and Ellie finds that she can’t be annoyed. She was actually happy someone captured this, even if it was Wade.

“Thank you so much for all your help, everyone, especially Ellie and Annie. I couldn’t have done it without you guys.”

“Happy to help,” Ellie replies, and you smile at her.

“You’ve been such a help, El. Seriously, I- I couldn’t have done this alone.”

The two of you are feeding the kittens in your shared dorm, studying for an American Literature test at the same time. It’s been a couple weeks since the birth of the kittens, and the two of you became fast friends, now that she actually talked to you regularly.

“No problem, Y/N.” It’s my pleasure.

“They’re so beautiful, aren’t they? We can start weaning them off the milk in two weeks.”

“Incredibly beautiful,” Ellie replies, but she’s looking at you, not the cats. She can tell you notice this because of the way you blush, ducking your head. But, you don’t say anything, so she doesn’t either.

“So… What do the eyes of Doctor TJ Eckleburg represent?” You ask.

“The eyes of god over the lawless wasteland that America has become due to greed.”

“Nice answer,” you compliment.

“Thank you,” she replies, it’s getting harder and harder to hide her excitement.

“So, hey, I have kind of a weird question…” You start. Ellie’s heart immediately starts racing. Had you discovered her obsession, or any of the strange habits that came with it?

“Um- Uh… Shoot.”

“It’s nothing bad!” You reassure her. “I was just wondering if you wanted to maybe… Maybe go on a date, this Friday? I’m sorry if you wouldn’t want to, you probably just see me as a friend and maybe not even that, so-“

“I’d love to!” Ellie enthusiastically responds, not bothering to disguise the way she felt as a grin splits her face open.

“That’s great! I asked Yukio to kitten-sit if you said yes and she agreed, so I figured maybe we could go do something relaxing, like watching a movie, or… I don’t know, I honestly didn’t think you’d say yes.”

“You- You didn’t?” Maybe I’m too good at hiding my feelings for her. Her face falls, and you rush to explain yourself:

“Well, I know you didn’t really like me all that much before the kitten thing… I thought you were really attractive and seemed really cool, but you’d glare at me a lot and I didn’t know why, so I figured it was best to keep my distance and be nice to you in small ways in the hopes you’d forgive me for whatever I did. What did I do, if you don’t mind telling me?” You ask, cheeks flushed, and Ellie’s heart still hasn’t stopped racing.

“Nothing, nothing at all, I swear!” Ellie attempts to reassure you, even if the concerned expression on your face is adorable. She decides the best route is to be honest, now that she knows you do like her. “I- This is really embarrassing. I wasn’t glaring at all. I was, um, staring at you, because I really, really like you. If I didn’t think it’d freak you out, I’d say I love you. You’re just… Absolutely perfect.”

“No way!” You laugh off her adoration, and she wishes she could kiss you then and there, to prove that she’s serious. “You’re too nice, El.”

“Well, you saying that just proves that I really do like you, a lot. I’m not nice to people, I push them away. But you, I could never hurt you like that, or in any way. And if anyone else ever did, or tried to, I- I-“ Smoke starts curling off of her at the thought, eyes lighting up orange in fury.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay…” you tell her sweetly, putting your hand at the spot between her neck and shoulder, partially covered by the neckline of her tee shirt...but uncovered enough for the healing energy of your touch to radiate through her.

She happily allows this, taking a deep breath and calming down so much faster than she would’ve on her own. It was meant to be a reassuring hand on the shoulder, but she got so much more from it.

From you.

“Thank you,” she says gratefully. You yawn, removing your hand as you stretch.

“I have another question,” you say. “And please don’t be afraid to say no.”

“Okay,” Ellie replies, curious.

“Well, I was thinking… The cats always sleep on my whole torso area at night… So, to give them extra nourishment, I was thinking about sleeping without a shirt on? So I’ll have skin-to-skin contact with them. If you’re not comfortable with that, it’s totally fine, they’re doing really great health-wise, I just wanted to give them a boost. You know how worried I get, especially about Witchy.”

Twitchy-Witchy (nicknamed “Witchy”) is the runt of the litter and is, well, twitchy! She’s less social than the others, and will hide when anyone other than you or Ellie approaches.

“Yeah, sure. I mean, you could sleep without a shirt on if you just didn’t wanna wear a shirt,” Ellie tells you, returning to being glad about her ability to hide her feelings from you. Her anticipation is returning, and she’d hate for you to think of her as some sort of creep!

“Oh! Sorry, I just didn’t wanna cross any lines or make things weird. But I probably made it weird by asking, didn’t I?”

“No, it was thoughtful of you. You’re so thoughtful…” Ellie says, a mysterious glint in her eye as she looks you over, hoping it’s not obvious she’s imagining what tonight’s gonna be like. She probably won’t even be able to sleep, not that she gets very much sleep anyway with all those thoughts of you bouncing around her head.

You blush at her comment. Ellie wonders how much you’d heat up if you knew about her thoughts, and it’s tempting to tell you… But she knows it’d be too soon. She has to be careful, methodical. She wouldn’t want to scare you, her perfect, delicate flower, away.

“What do you wanna do for the date, anyway? I was thinking a movie, but we wouldn’t get to talk very much if we did that. But I want it to be relaxing, since we’re away from the kids- kittens, for the afternoon and evening.”

“Maybe we could go to Chuck E. Cheese and inspect the pizzas to see if they’re really made of leftovers,” she suggests, snickering a bit. “My family took me and my brothers once, and they have this co-op Terminator game that’s really fun, even if you haven’t seen the movies.”

“That sounds great!” You agree. “I love it.”

And I love you, Ellie thinks.

That Friday, the two of you have an amazing time at Chuck E. Cheese, giggling and bonding over jokes and games, somehow enjoying pizza the same texture as cardboard.

“Kiss my hand for luck, please?” You ask Ellie, watching the light spin in the game you’re playing, Cyclone.

She blushes deeply, but tenderly takes your hand in her own and gently kisses the top. You watch the light dance between the bulbs before pressing the button.

“Holy shit, jackpot! Oh my god, this is the most fun I’ve ever had in my life,” You declare, tickets spewing from the machine.

“Really?” Ellie asks.

“Well...Yeah. You’re just so fun to be around, I feel so safe and happy with you. Sorry if that’s dumb, I just really like you.”

“No, it’s not dumb at all. I feel the same way about you,” she admits. She liked how you made her feel, too. The only time you ever made her feel bad was when she thought she’d never be with you, and that was really her making herself feel bad by being insecure. She tears the tickets from the machine once they’re done spewing, folding them up and keeping them with the others you’d earned together. “Being around you just makes me feel... Better. No matter what.”

“That’s so sweet!” you cheer, giving her a peck on the cheek and taking her hand. You take her to the next game, Skee-ball. “I suck at this, but it’s still fun.”

“I’ve been told I’m pretty good, do you want me to help you?” Ellie bluffs. She was average at best, but the easy excuse to be in close quarters with you was too tempting.

“Sure,” you reply, and something in your smile and the way you blush tells her you’re at least partially aware of her scheme...And that you like it. You put the required tokens into the slot.

Standing behind you with her chin on your shoulder, she takes your wrist into her hand. “Let go in 3…” She says quietly into your ear, relishing in your poorly-disguised shivering before she gently sways your arm forward. “2…” Then, back. Then, forward. “1.” You let go, and miraculously, it rolls up the ramp swiftly before bouncing into the 10,000 hole in the top corner.

“I guess at this point there’s no denying it. You’re my lucky charm, El,” you decide, turning to your date, who smiles at this, pleased.

The two of you continue to play various games before eventually running out of both tokens and energy.

“Okay, Y/N, cover me. I’m gonna do a trick my dad taught me,” she mutters as the two of you walk to the ticket counter. You stand between her and the woman at the prize counter, subtly looking around for personnel while she holds the ticket in place, letting the machine read it over and over again until it gets to about five hundred. She lets the tickets go in, and does this with the next strand, and the next, and the next.

At the end of it, you two have five thousand, five hundred and fifty tickets, at least, according to the receipt.You both approach the counter, and the attendant looks at your receipt.

“Uh-huh…” she eyes you both, but shrugs, deciding either that you two looked skilled enough to have this amount of tickets, or that it wasn’t worth pursuing. “Pick out your prizes.”

“Ooh, Ellie, wouldn’t that mini gumball machine be so cute to keep the kittens’ toys in? Plus, gum. It’s three-thousand tickets, so I understand if-”

“No, I like that idea,” Ellie cuts you off, before putting an arm around your waist to bring you closer, not liking the way the attendant was looking at you: giving you her full attention, not even bothering to hide it. “We’ll have the gumball machine, please.”

“Alright… You’ve got two thousand, five hundred and fifty tickets left.”

“Maybe the giant slinky? We could give it to Yukio for pet-sitting, she likes colorful stuff and novelty stuff,” Ellie suggests.

“Ooh, yeah! And then we could use the rest of the tickets to get little things the cats can play with? Like the rubber bracelets, those should be fine as long as we keep an eye on them.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea,” Ellie agrees.

“Oh, but what about you? You deserve something,” you insist.

“Y/N… I think I’m good,” Ellie chuckles, and you remember that most of these prizes are, in fact, for young children.

“Right…” You nod. “Alright, we’ll have the giant rainbow slinky and as many of those small rubber bracelets and plastic frogs as we can get, if that’s alright,” you politely ask the woman behind the counter. She nods, uses her calculator, writes down your desires, retrieves all the requested items, and gives them to you and Ellie in a plastic bag. “Thank you so much, ma’am. Have a nice evening.”

“You two...too,” she replies with a laugh, and you laugh back. Jealousy courses through Ellie’s veins.

“Here, let me get the bag,” Ellie offers. She takes it and holds out her other arm for you to intertwine yours with. You do, leaving the arcade together. You rest your head on her shoulder the taxi ride home. She pets your hair, soothing you to sleep on the half-hour drive back.

It’s another week later when Ellie returns to her dorm from Poetry Club in a panic. She’d accidentally grabbed your math notebook, which could only mean you had her poetry journal.

She throws open the door, and finds her worst fear: You’re reading it.

“Y/N, I- I can explain,” she says, but she really can’t. Who can?

“These poems are really beautiful, Ellie. I can’t believe they’re about- About me.”

That’s not the reaction I was expecting. Maybe the one I was hoping for, but…

“Definitely not the reaction I was expecting,” Ellie breathes. You rise up from the bed, closing the notebook and approaching her. You give it to her, afterwards pressing your lips to hers in a gentle, but passionate kiss. She drops the notebook, holding your waist tightly. Eventually, you part, foreheads pressed together.

“Ellie, I- I read them all, and… I- I want to take comfort in you, like what you said. And I know that there’s a darkness in you, and that embracing it will probably cost me my soul… But a part of me just doesn’t care.”

“Perfect,” Ellie responds, taking your face in her hands. She presses a kiss to your forehead. “You’re all mine.”

You nod, looking into those beautiful eyes of hers.

“All yours.”

[frvnchies]

     lovable alpha bitch / the speechless / so beautiful, it’s a curse

NAME.

FULL NAME: francesca eloise waverly. PREFERRED NAME/NICKNAMES: frenchie. GENERALLY REFERRED TO AS: francesca by her parents (which she does not like!), frenchie by essentially everyone else.

APPEARANCE.

FACECLAIM: halston sage. SEX: cisfemale. HEIGHT: short — she’s about 5′3″. WEIGHT: about 115 lbs normally, more like 110 during pageant season. BUILD: slim with some tone from working out. HAIR: soft natural dirty blonde with some subtle highlights from the salon, often styled in loose waves. HANDS: small, delicate, perfectly manicured hands. she has a regimen for taking care of herself, hands included (she’s got a mani-pedi appointment every tuesday afternoon). SCARS: faded scar on her knee from a fall as a child. CLOTHES: she dresses like a sorority girl, tbh. a lot of lilly pulitzer, some madewell and free people, kate spade bags, pearls, lululemon leggings & vineyard vines or simply southern shirts when she’s feeling lazy. OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES: wide smile.

SPEECH.

VOICECLAIM: as far as her normal speaking voice, halston works. as for singing, i’m gonna go big and say she’s got a touch of sara bareilles. ACCENT: soft carolinian accent, kind of like this. VERBAL TICS: tendency to use pet names (sugar, honey, darlin’, etc).  LANGUAGE: she’s fluent in english & ASL, currently studying spanish. ARTICULATION: she’s very articulate and sure of herself when explaining things. as with most things in her life, this is a result of excessive pageant practice. EDUCATION: the thing about the way frenchie talks is that it’s long & tiresome, but more from the fact that she drawls her words like a good southern girl and less from the fact that she uses big words. she’s not dumb, but it’s not her style. LAUGHTER: she doesn’t laugh loudly because her mother says it’s not ladylike. she tends to giggle instead. BREATHING: she makes a lot of noise during club meetings, partly because it’s easier to convey her meaning through sighs and humphs than writing something out. 

MANNERISMS.

FACE: a lot of times, she doesn’t mind people knowing what she thinks, so it’ll be written all over her face (i.e. when she sees the murder club being weird, it’s not hard to tell that she thinks it’s weird). that being said, she can put on a pretty good poker face when she wants to. HANDS: being too expressive / talking with her hands / making herself too big or loud in general has been drilled into her as unladylike, so her hands usually stay folded in her lap.  LEGS/FEET: absolutely not. see above. EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS: if anything, frenchie tends to maintain the hell out of a poker face when she’s upset and then burst into tears the second she’s alone. she doesn’t like losing face in front of others; it feels too vulnerable. HABITS: most fidgety sort of habits have been discouraged by her mother. the one thing she can’t get frenchie to stop doing is twirling her hair. POSTURE: her posture is absolutely perfect. that’s a pageant queen for you! PERSONAL SPACE: depends on who we’re talking about. with friends, she’s much more likely to be comfortable with them – ex. brushing shoulders, casual touches, etc. with strangers or people she doesn’t know, she’ll back off a little, and is more averse to them getting up in her space. she’s pretty tolerant of anything, though. OTHER: she can usually be found chewing a stick of gum.

HEALTH.

DIET: frenchie’s on a pretty strict diet as far as keeping in shape for pageant stuff. this usually means a lot of salads, lean meat, veggies, that sort of thing — if she even bothers to eat at all, which is less likely to occur during pageant season. she has an undeniable sweet tooth, though, so she’ll always cave for a shake at marie’s. SLEEP: these days, she doesn’t sleep as much. she usually tries to get a solid eight hours, but her sleep is so restless now that she’s lucky if she can grab a few hours at best. EXERCISE: it probably borders on a little bit too much of the treadmill / stairclimber. right now she’s more busy with the murder club, which takes away from her usual regimen. ACTIVITY: she’ll damn near kill herself practicing pageant stuff if she thinks it’ll make her mom happy. CLEANLINESS: frenchie takes a lot of pride in her appearance, so she’s always been the type to shower regularly and keep herself clean & tidy. she has a whole regimen of soaps, scrubs, lotions, etc. that she follows religiously.  ODOR: her signature perfume is armani’s sí. if she’s not wearing that, she’ll still smell pleasant and vaguely girly, mostly like her shampoo. MEDICINAL DRUGS: she got a prescription for xanax last year, but she never filled it. NARCOTICS: she’s not averse to smoking some weed at a party, but nothing more than that (she tends to worry about her singing voice). PARASITES: does jamie count as a parasite?

PERSONAL.

INTROVERT/EXTROVERT?: definitely an extrovert — she always likes being around people, and usually feels better / more energized when she’s out and about.  OPTIMIST/PESSIMIST: optimist. she has an unwavering belief that things will work out. this is probably a result of the fact that she’s white, pretty, and well off, so things do tend to work out for her. SEXUALITY: frenchie’s still kind of figuring this out, but she’s bisexual. as far as people she’s dated in the past, they’ve usually been the type of person people expect her to be with — hot, popular, etc. as for what she actually wants for herself, she really just needs someone who’ll make her smile. ROMANTIC: biromantic. again, has yet to realize that anyone other than cis dudes are really an option for her, but she’s got a big heart underneath all that hairspray, and she’s secretly a hopeless romantic.   MEMORY: she has a better memory than a lot of people give her credit for. she’s especially good with names/faces/dates/times, that sort of thing. PLANNING: she has a planner. does she use it? no. she just wanted the lilly pulitzer print to tote around. this bitch just wanders into whatever she wants to do next — her whims are wild and often. INTUITION: she generally trusts herself and her gut. whether or not this is a good thing is still up for debate. GOALS: as of right now, her only clear goal is to win the miss teen normal 2019 pageant. other than that, she has a vague idea of the kind of life she wants to have, but pageantry has really shaped a lot of who she is. INSECURITIES: she’s insecure about the fact that she kind of feels like a one trick pony. if she can’t do pageants, what can she do? ACHIEVEMENTS: little miss normal 2012, young miss normal 2014, junior miss teen normal 2017... you get the gist.   ANXIETY: pageants lol. her mother. the idea of failing her mother. anything along those lines, honestly. SELF-HELP: frenchie is very much of the ‘ignore the problem until it goes away’ mindset. this is not working for her at all right now, which distresses her greatly. BAD HABITS: she smacks her gum, which drives her mother absolutely insane. otherwise, she tends to drill out her bad habits before they can form. PHILOSOPHY: she was raised catholic, but frenchie has struggled with the whole believing part of religion for years. she still goes to services every sunday with her family, but her heart’s not in it. she wants to believe in something, but she has a hard time taking the church’s word for it. she’d probably fall best under agnostic for now.

THE PAST.

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: her relationship with her dad is amiable but distant; he’s always at work, so they never really bonded the way they should’ve. she’s tied up tight with her mom, but that relationship is absolutely riddled with anxiety and angst. she wants so desperately to have her mom’s approval that she has very few positive interactions with her. WORST DAY OF THEIR LIFE: the day she lost her voice. not only was it incredibly embarrassing to stand on stage and watch everyone whisper about her, but she’s genuinely distressed by the idea that it has yet to come back. there’s no explanation, no reason — she can’t be stuck like this the rest of her life. BEST DAY OF THEIR LIFE: when she won little miss normal, her mother took the whole family out for a huge dinner and let frenchie get whatever she wanted. it was one of the few times she can remember having everyone together without a single sharp word or argument.

RELATIONSHIPS.

FAMILY: the only family member she truly trusts to have her back is her twin brother, theo. she absolutely idolizes her mother, but frenchie knows that she would leave her kids in the dust if she thought they needed to learn a lesson. FRIENDSHIPS: truthfully, she has almost no true friends. her best friend is, without a doubt, theo. frenchie’s the kind of person who’s surrounded by people, but feels absolutely alone — none of them really know her, or even care to try. though she might try to resist, the rest of the murder club is on their way to being her friend, too.  NEEDING A FRIEND: she generally deals with problems on her own (read: she does not deal with them and waits until it fizzles out), or she consults theo (read: she has him take care of it).   ANNOYANCES: cold shoulder, 100%. she’s a petty bitch and it’s very easy to do now that she legitimately cannot talk. ROMANCE: frenchie is actually very unsure when it comes to any sort of romance. she wants it, but has no idea how to invite it in. ADVERSARIES: people who say ‘lol’ out loud, the entire state of florida, people who chew really loudly, dentists, people who want to be dentists. ENEMIES: people who are mean to animals, probably. FUN STUFF: getting shakes at marie’s, going shopping, taking long drives. BEST FRIEND: theo.

INTERACTIONS.

MINGLING: when she actually tries, she’s got a certain charm about her that makes it fairly easy for her to make people like her. COMFORT LEVELS: as a rule, she doesn’t really have any issues talking to anyone, from strangers on up to close friends or family, so she’s pretty hard to faze in that sense.  GROUPS: she’s comfortable with both big and small groups. she likes having both in equal measure — big groups for a fun time, small groups for that good 1-on-1 dish. OPENNESS: since she doesn’t really have any true, close friends, she has a harder time opening up about real stuff. if she’s having issues, theo’s the one who will hear about it, and she’s never seen need to tell anyone else whatever’s closest to her heart. GENEROSITY: if the murder club was a sorority, frenchie would be everyone’s big. she’s still warming up to them a bit, but she’s very generous with milkshake orders, ghost hunting supplies — whatever. she doesn’t care. she has daddy’s amex on deck at all times. JEALOUSY: she’s jealous of people who seem breezily confident in themselves. though she seems very content with herself, she wishes she actually had that kind of easy comfort in her own skin. TEMPER: depends on the situation. certain people can get on her nerves more easily than others, but she’s not usually the type to have an outburst. EMPATHY: these days, she’s working on being a little more empathetic, especially since the murder club has a few people that she used to be pretty vicious towards. she’ll still lash out sometimes, but she’s trying. AFFECTION: little stuff — private smiles just for them, attempts to fill their needs before they even know they need it, generally trying to make sure that person is perfectly content. DISTASTE: just look for that characteristic derisive sneer. she’s not likely to hide it if she doesn’t like you. ETIQUETTE: etiquette is frenchie’s middle name. emily post who? RESPONSIBILITY: she does not like to admit that she’s wrong. it leaves a very bitter taste in her mouth. SELF ESTEEM: she’s not about to let anyone she sees as ‘lesser’ than her push her around. if you’re below her on the popularity food chain, she’s not gonna act like a little delicate flower. CONFIDENCE: depends on the day, her mood, etc. sometimes she’s all ‘i’m the hottest bitch ever to walk this earth’, and sometimes she feels like shrek. high school is magical. LEADER OR FOLLOWER: she tends to go with the flow more than anything.  PRAISE: she loves a good compliment! boost that ego. CRITICISM: she takes genuine criticism VERY poorly. when confronted with her own flaws, she tends to lash out and try to dig twice as deep into her critic. the notable exception to this is her mother — she’ll take that criticism with little more than an apology and promise to do better. INSULTS: insults are much easier to laugh off, for whatever reason. they feel more surface-level to her. EMBARRASSMENT: not too easily embarrassed, but if she is, she’ll just turn red and not really know what to say. FLIRTING: not usually unless she’s drunk or specifically interested in someone, but she does sometimes think it’s fun to bat her eyes and smile prettily at football players just to watch them trip over themselves. ATTENTION SPAN: frenchie is a magpie. show her a pair of earrings and she’ll forget what she was saying entirely.

LIFE.

DUTY: no real responsibilities to speak of beyond being on time for practice. TECH: she’s been through three phones in the past year. that should speak for itself. COMBAT SKILLS: frenchie might not have bulk on her side, but she’s vicious enough to hold an attacker off for a minute or two. those perfectly manicured nails will go right for your eyes if you try to mess with her. HOME: she’s very organized. her room is nice and neat and very pleasant to be in. INDEPENDENCE: frenchie is absolutely dependent on her parents. she likes to pretend that she can do anything she wants on her own, but she’d be lost without them.  COOKING: she’s actually a pretty good cook. growing up, her nana made sure she knew all the good southern recipes passed down through their family so she ‘could take care of her husband properly someday’.  BUILDING: the idea of frenchie building anything is hysterical. SHOPPING: she shops constantly. i’m sure she’s bought things online literally during murder club meetings, and has come home with bags on bags of stuff before. DRIVING: she’s got a cute little baby blue VW bug, courtesy of daddy’s big bonus and presented to her on her sixteenth birthday. FINANCES: virtually all her money comes from her parents, who are very comfortable financially. her dad is a very successful lawyer, so frenchie will usually end up getting some sort of ‘allowance’ from him each month. this is often flexible — if she really wants something, she’s pretty much guaranteed to get it. PETS: she has a golden retriever named ollie.  LAW: no ma’am, no sir. unless you count underage drinking. MEDICAL: she currently has doctor’s appointments out the wazoo to try and figure out what’s up with her voice. before that, she was pretty vigilant about going to the doctor/dentist. she takes care of herself! WORRIES: these days, it’s her voice. day and night, she wonders — will she get it back? is she stuck like this? what will she do if it never comes back? it’s an endless cycle, and the answer is always the same: she doesn’t know. PARTYING: frenchie actually loves to party. her mother supports it if she has ‘a nice young man to escort her’, AKA she’ll probably call up kaz and ask him to take her so she can go. HOBBIES: y’all, we all know this bitch does pageants and nothing else.

[boogiewrites]

Choking On Sapphires Pt.5

Title & Song: I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor

Characters: Alfie Solomons x OFC

Word Count: 2600+

Summary: Genevieve Durand is a force to be reckoned with. An intelligent, independent and brutal businesswoman. When she moves to London for a new chapter in her life, she finds herself very interested in the friends the father of her godson has found himself in business with. But where does the line go between personal and professional?

A/N: Every chapter of this story will have a song to work as the title and as a soundtrack. Chapter 5 song is I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor by Arctic Monkeys. All text in italics is spoken in French.

Part 1: Thieves & Kings.- Pt. 2 Conquest - Pt. 3 Nail In My Coffin - Pt. 4 - 60 Feet Tall Pt. 6 Stop The World

My Masterlist.

Warnings: Language.

I have to thank my boi @jaegeeeeer who helps me brain when it don’t wanna make the words go. This story is in ways, our first child together and our weird brains and her great taste in music helped form this monster. So, thanks?

You're having a late afternoon tea again with Alfie. You're wearing a much more casual dress, the tight bodice and light weight fabric across your chest and shoulders, breezy layers made up the skirt. You'd had to start switching over your closet for the rising heat of the season. You sat in the chair with one of your legs underneath you, your elbow rests on the table, your chin in your hand. You felt an air of ease between the both of you now. The first initial "feeling each other out" stages of building relationships like these now passing without significant trauma. At this point it was going on weeks since you'd last spoken. 

"I was surprised to see this meeting was for pleasure and not business with the short notice you gave." Alfie has a slight grin on his face, fingers delicately touching china. 

"You told me not to let my bee's keep me from seeing you and I found myself being supremely aggitated with how much my bees needed me this morning and your words just floated to the surface of my mind." you move your other hand as you speak, leaning towards the basket of bread. This time there's more of the pretty little decorated round fruit filled doughnuts you'd praised so much last time. You don't hesitate to take one between your fingers. "A hive was knocked over and I did not want to deal with it," you shake your head taking a quick bite that your barely even chew. "Then I remembered I am the boss and I have people to handle these sorts of things so I don't have to anymore." you shrug slightly, finishing off the puff. You take a sip of tea with your free hand. "Those are new aren't they?" you motion with one finger to the basket.

"You weren't lying when you said you liked these, were ya?" he gives you a pleasant look with his eyebrow raised. His shoulders were much more relaxed than the last time you were here. 

"Not in the slightest." you admit, your voice lowering and shaking your head, your eyes swinging back to another pastry. "Told you." you say motioning towards him with a puff in your hand. "Sweet tooth." you say and take a bite. He takes the same sort of roll as last time and begins to pull it apart.

There's a knock at the door and he shouts for them to come in. You sit up straight as the two men walk towards Alfie, clearly workers as they wore the same apron, with the same black and white smudges across them. One was older and bald, the younger of the two shorter with green eyes. You were thinking of how they resembled emeralds when the light hit them as you kept noticing a nervous tick already in the time he walked from the doorway and stood a few feet from you. 

Alfie pulls out his glasses, you sip your tea and watch the other man, waiting to leave with the other over the rim of your cup. Something was off about this kid. Alfie is discussing what seems to be rather mundane numbers with ingredients you recognized. The boys eyes glance over you and as he sees you studying him and he gets anxious. His fingers pick in the pocket of his apron. He leans forward just slightly, biting the inside of his lip. He's staring at one space, you're assuming to keep his eyes from darting everywhere. His eyes roll up and he lets out a very subtle heavier breath than usual, he's acting like a bored child now, impatient. You keep looking at him, sipping your tea, your back against the chair, elbows perched out, both hands raising your tea to your lips. You see him tense and hesitate when Alfie spoke to him, then he nodded too many times. 

Something didn't seem right. This didn't seem like any first job jitters to you. You watch him leave, after he shuts the door behind them, not looking up to either of you before he pulls it to. You cast your glance downward, slowly moving it back to your cup, taking another sip, in thought about the kid.

"What was all that about?" he asks, moving papers into a pile and off the table.

"I wasn't listening, sorry, what?" you say, snapping out of your focus and returning your eyes to his. 

"You were shooting daggers at  Abe." he says without any judgment to it, just a statement of fact.

"Is that the young ones name?" you ask, sitting your elbow back on the table, trying to relax your shoulders that had tensed.

"Yeah, it is." he says, his expression still neutral. "What'd he do to you?" he says with not enough humor in his voice to warrant it being a joke with certainty. 

"He was a bit too fidgety for my liking." you reply without inflection, sipping your tea. 

"Fidgety?" he says, motioning for you to explain, his chin going down into his chest slightly as he listened.

"His body language was twitchy and it didn't seem like innocent anxious energy." your eyes move towards the direction of the door.

"Do you usually read people like this?" he asks, swirling the liquid in his cup. 

"I suppose it's a bit second nature at this point but yes, I do." you nod slightly, looking back down at the table. 

"So what is that women's intuition going on about?" he asks, his fingers laced together in front of him.

"I don't trust him." you look over to Alfie, your eyes clear and calm, your words certain. The corner of his mouth pulls back just slightly at your words.

"Strong statement to make for not even speaking to the boy."

"I didn't have to." you say casually but he gets the intensity behind your words.

"Right." he says, his mouth pulling back into a half smile for just a few seconds. "And what brought you to this conclusion?" he says, his head shaking just slightly. You sigh and purse your lips at his approach to questioning you.

"Too many twitches." you count a one on your hand, "And once he realized you were just talking about bread ingredients he immediately became disinterested and wanted to leave." you hold up a second finger. "So he had no use for this information and that seems strange, seeing as that's related to his job." you say rising a third finger before retracting them all and picking up another puff in your mildly aggitated explanation. He narrows his eyes, his fingers now messing and twisting his beard in thought, not responding to you. You continue after a roll of your eyes at how he was choosing to pull information from you. "Chances are he's been paid or pursueded to come in here and gather information and repeat it back to someone." he nods in response this time. 

"And what would you reccomend, Genevieve, in a situation such as this?" he asks, tone still fairly smug. 

"I'd recommend you not hire him in the first place." you state, your mouth pursing with attitude, knocking back on his taking attitude. "That's what I'd do." you finish off a piece of pastry with a pop to punctuate the level of retaliation you were presenting at his round about line of questioning. 

"Oh." he nods his head in amusement. "Well." he says, a grin blooming across his face. "Well we can't all be blessed with the intuition of a woman, now can we?" he says, his tone not nearly as stinging as you anticipated.

"No we cannot." you say, giving him a small smile to show your acceptance of his back handed compliment and change in tone.

"What if I told you, you were right?" he ticks his head to the side, one hand in his beard, the other's finger taps the tabletop between the two of you.

"I wouldn't be surprised." another grin comes across his face."But I'm intrigued so continue, please." you give a sly closed mouth smile. You can see he holds back an eye roll at you and you feel the slight urge to laugh but it doesn't travel further than your thoughts. 

"He was hired in for being the son of a friend of a someone's fuckin' uncle, i dunno." he shrugs. "As it were a small favor for someone to hire the boy on, right?" he looks to you for a response and you give him a neutral nod. "I've been feeding him wrong information to see where it all goes." he says with his hands motioning to a presentation of his plan.

"And have you found out where the leak flows out to?" you ask with a lowered chin, showing his words interest.

"I have, yeah." he nods, his words a touch higher than usual.

"Just waiting to fuck them up with the wrong address on the right night?" you grin, taking a sip of tea and setting it back on the table. 

"I like how your brain works, Genevieve, I do, yeah?" he wags a finger at you, other hand stroking his beard. You let out a small huff of a laugh. You shrug in faux hesitancy of accepting the compliment. 

"It's a good brain." you nod and a small laugh escapes. 

"I have a proposition for you, Miss Durand." he begins, leaning forward, hands and elbows on the table, clasped together. You mirror his  motions and give him a close mouthed smile as his eyes narrow with mischief at you. "Are you open to using that brain of yours, to help me make a few judgments on some powerful people that I might be interested in doing some business with?" his tone is charming and his face is surprisingly warm for business negotiations.

"I just might be tempted to do that, Mr. Solomons." you nod, your eyes playful but your face straight. This felt like a real opportunity to be the neck that turns the head. Being a bird in his ear, him seeking your personal opinion on things that would affect his business, you were certainly intrigued with the possibilities.

"May I tempt you then, to use your brain for my own personal gain with an invitation to an Art Charity's Ball?" he speaks purposely and with his hands. His chin moves as he clearly speaks.

"When is this Ball?" you ask, the corner of your mouth pulling back more than you meant it to, your dimple starting to appear at the resistance you put up to hide the smile. 

His chin bobs back in surprise at your response but his face stays pleasant and still. "2 weeks from now. It's in London, yeah?" 

Your eyes move from side to side as you look at the table for a moment in thought. You had nothing on your schedule, so a night out didn't sound bad at all really. "What's the dress?" you ask, a smile showing your teeth now growing.

"Oh these people get all sorts of tarted up, don't they?" he grins. "Very fancy, ball gowns and jewels and all that." he says animatedly speaking in a gruff voice. Now knowing you had the chance to dress up, well the choice was already made before he finished that sentence, wasn't it?

"Consider me tempted." you say warmly. 

"Ah, it's always the jewels that get you, isn't it, Genevieve?" he laughs, his shoulders moving as his hands push on the table to straighten his back in his chair. 

"Normally I would agree with that sentiment but don't sell yourself short on your own company, Aflie." you pause for just a second, just long enough to shake your head once. "A night out with you in combination with art and the smell of money in the air was enough to tempt me without the addition of gowns and jewels." the smile starts with closed lips and shifts into something that makes an audible sound. 

For a small moment you left Alfie Solomons without a clever retort to your kind words. 

(in french) "I find myself being very drawn to blue this evening for some reason." you say in the middle of your closet, your fingers in your mouth, your hair up and tied to set into curls to wear down later. 

"This is for the art school charity ball, correct?" she says, smoothing her hands over the blue ball gown's length.

"Oui. Lots of money in the same room as me tonight. I have to look like money to attract it." you say, your rounded hip jutted out, your breasts weighing heavily on one forearm underneath them, the other your thumb nail between your teeth.

"You'll be there will Mr. Solomons, seems you've attracted money already. Perhaps those midnight romps in the garden are paying off." she smirks at your mystic habits.

"Perhaps. But I'm talking bigger money than Alfie," you say picking up a purple gown. "I'm talking potential buyers." you say, your eyebrow raising, swinging with your hand on the skirt of the dress.

"Good to know you are keeping your mind on business tonight." Claire says with a nod, pulling open drawers of your best jewels. 

"My mind is almost always on business nowadays, you know this." you lay the dress back onto the fainting couch against the wall.

"Oui, however, Mr. Solomons is the first man you've agreed to go out with since we've moved here. I know you're aware of how long that's been, thus you should see the importance of this decision." she says, hanging up dresses she knew you weren't going to wear. 

Your silence speaks more than your words do. You sigh and run your fingers over the white diamond and sapphire necklace. You hold hanging diamond earrings up to your ears, a different one on each side to pick from. 

"Don't think I've forgotten you called this one handsome." she says almost under her breath.

"I know you don't ever forget anything, Claire. You don't have to constantly remind me." you say annoyed, plopping the earrings down into the ornate velvet box. Your eyes rolling to the ceiling, your hands resting on the edge of the white with gold filigree chest of drawers. "If you think me as stupid as to not realize this than I don't know what to tell you." you mumble. 

"Don't play the victim, it doesn't look good on you." she more so instructs than replies. 

"I'm not." you snap. "Just let me try to enjoy getting ready? Leave all this heavy conversation for later and let me be a girl getting ready for date for a moment?" you angrily tug on the navy dress.

"Is this a date?" she asks with a suggestive tone, helping you into the dress. You look at yourself in the large gold framed mirror. 

"He has asked me out but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "date" in the traditional sense." you explain with a roll of your eyes at the logistics of it. "The lines get fuzzy when business is involved." you say with a sigh, trying to concentrate on your choice of dress.

"I personally like this dress the best." she turns and holds out the large matching blue sapphire necklace and smaller diamond earrings. You smile warmly at her with your eyes a bit sad, but relieved that she's dropping her interrogation. 

"I think this is the one as well." you put on the earrings and she places the necklace around your neck as you clasp it, she goes to get a large sapphire ring

. "I suppose a fake wedding ring won't be necessary tonight?" she smirks, putting the ring on your other finger. You narrow your eyes at her.

"Hush." you say with a small huff of a laugh and a weak smile. "You're starting to sound like my father with this dating and rings nonsense." you wag your finger at her as she holds her hands up in surrender, going to grab the matching embroidered and sparkling shoes she knew you'd want to wear.

Pt. 6 Stop The World

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