#maybe I'll search for a sentence that I could share

[atalienart]

well done on your draft!! Is there a sentence you’re proud of that you’d like to share?

Thanks so much! ❤️ I have and I'd love to share it but it would spoil the whole ending.

[vivwritesfics]

"You Did It"

Something short in celebration of me passing my dissertation! I didn't think it would happen but I fucking passed!

She'd been staring at the keyboard of her laptop for a good ten minutes now, fingers itching to dance across the keys. But the words just weren't coming to her.

"I hate this," she mumbled. She'd said it at least once a minute for the last few minutes.

And one of her boyfriends was getting bored of it.

"Stop then," said Lando. He was laying on the sofa beside her, head propped up on the cushions, legs stretched out in front of him and his arm slung over the back of the sofa.

Suddenly, Oscar raised his head. He looked like a meerkat on sentry duty, searching for any danger. "Nope," he said as he stood up and walked over to his partners. "Don't listen to him, not when you're so close to being done," he said as he leaned over the back of the sofa.

Immediately, Lando was begging for his attention, but Oscar ignored him. No, Oscar was focused on their girl. "Promise me you'll try and do as much as you can tonight," he said before he leaned down to kiss her.

"I promise, Osc," she said and tried to get back to it.

And she really did try. She got maybe a few more sentences done, but that was about it. Still, it was progress.

She worked on it for the next week, on and off until it was finished. Concentrating wasn't easy with Lando and Oscar around. But then they headed off to the next grand prix and she was, admittedly, grateful to be alone.

It was easy to get it finished now that she was alone. She worked in silence, maybe to some music as she checked for any kind of spelling mistakes.

But no, it was perfect and it was ready to go.

As soon as she hit submit on her final essay of her final year of university, she called Lando and Oscar.

They couldn't answer right away, not with them both being on the race track. But as soon as they were out of the car, as soon as they had debriefed and as soon as they were back in their hotel room, they called her back.

She picked up almost instantly. "Hi, baby," said Lando as he held Oscar's phone. She could hear the shower running and could only assume that was where Oscar was. "Sorry we missed your call earlier."

"I forgot you guys were out on track," she mumbled as she laid herself in the bed the three of them shared. Her head was on Lando's pillow, half of her face squished against it. "Osc in the shower?"

Lando nodded.

"Surprised you're not in there with him," she said with a small grin.

Lando let out a chuckle as he ran his hand through his curls. "You know I would have," he replied. "But I wanted to call you back."

She and Lando made idle conversation as they waited for Oscar to return from the shower.

And, once she had both of her boys on the screen in front of her did she tell them the good news. "Boys, I did something pretty cool," she said to them as she sat up slightly. They could see her properly now, could see that she was dressed in one of their hoodies (it had originally belonged to Lando, but all three of them wore it so often that it had no owner).

"What did you do?" Oscar asked as Lando settled against his chest. She could have done anything to be there with the two of them, cheering them on through the weekend and cuddled up in bed with them.

She was unable to keep her grin from her face. "I submitted my final essay," she said as that grin grew wider.

Lando sucked in a gasp and Oscar's grin matched her own. "Well done, Baby!" Lando cried.

"We're so proud of you," said Oscar.

They were so fucking proud of her. The final year had been a mental struggle for her, they knew. But they'd encouraged her, kept her going through it. She could safely say that she wouldn't have been graduating without them.

"I wish I was there with you guys to celebrate."

Lando let out a laugh. "It's fine, baby. We'll make it up to you when we're back. Plus, I'll throw in another win on top."

"Or maybe I will," Oscar said as he looked at their boyfriend.

A laugh bubbled up from her lips. That might have been the only thing that would have made this weekend better.

"I love you boys."

"We love you too!"

[crescenthistory]

hi pookie!! it was actually my birthday a few days ago and i was wondering if maybe you could write a regulus x reader fic where it's reader's birthday? (prompt b.12) if not, that's totally fine! take ur time bub :))

~🍓

i'm usually not a birthday fic kinda gal, but i'll make an exception for you my love<33 i hope you had a super birthday the other day, sending you big bday hugs!

Words: 1.3k

Warnings: not proofread, fem!reader, slightly suggestive (implied aftercare), kissing, toothrotting fluff, wolfstar reference, implied black family trauma (super brief)

Your chest is still slightly damp beneath Regulus' t-shirt that he gave you about twenty minutes ago, but your breath is coming at slow, regular intervals again. The dorm around you is wonderfully empty, Barty and Evan banished for the night, which they only reluctantly agreed to when you gave them a “it’s my birthday tomorrow and I want to wake up with my boyfriend” pout. It feels private, intimate, in a way you relish in.

Here, curled up against Regulus’ chest with your fingers tracing constellations between the moles on his fair skin, is the first comfort you have felt all week. The kind that sinks into the bone and warms you through winter. His sheets are warm too where they are draped across your forms, and you feel increasingly like one singular being, heartbeats synced.

His lips are tracing faint butterfly kisses across your hairline and forehead, absentmindedly, as if it’s second nature to him by now. Maybe it is.

This is all you needed.

“What are you thinking about, amour?��� His breath fans across your face as he murmurs against your skin.

“You.” The word is spoken around curved lips and you feel his begin to match yours as he hums contently into your hair. “How nice this is.”

“It’s been a hectic week for you, hasn’t it?” he says, voice laced with empathy and understanding.

You just hum in response, burying your face deeper into his shoulder. You begin kissing at the skin you find there, light and soft in comparison to the passionate ones you shared earlier. It feels right to have both, like your heart is being completed.

“So good. You’re so good,” he whispers adoringly, and while you don’t know if he is referring to your handling of said week or something else, you’re fairly certain you’ll accept any and all praise slipping from his lips.

You tilt your head up to look at his eyes and find them already gazing at you. Regulus’ hand comes up to brush over the side of your face, from your temple to your cheekbone and jaw. “Yeah?” you ask through a smile. 

He breathes out something akin to a laugh and whispers back, “Yeah. The best.”

Stretching your neck only slightly, you lean up to give him a soft and delectably slow kiss, savouring the feeling of his lips between yours. He reciprocates in full, humming against you when you support some of your weight with a hand on his chest. You feel his heartbeat beneath it and burrow your fingertips deeper, as if in search of it.

“Do you have anything specific you want to do tomorrow?” Regulus muses when you separate and you begin pressing kisses along his jaw and cheek instead.

“Nothing at all. Not leaving this room.” While your heart means it, your mind is a more logical being and thus doesn’t, so your words come out with a slight laugh, a joke at how stupidly good it would have been.

“Hiding out from the world with me?” A cheeky grin before he captures your lips with his again briefly. “Sounds like the best birthday ever.”

Supporting your own weight isn’t ideal when you’re still a tad worn out, so you lay down with your head on his shoulder again and he runs his hand comfortingly up and down your arm when he feels it shaking. You keep your eyes on his though, head tilted up with a look that contains more worry than Regulus cares for.

“I still have to do quite a bit of reading for my History of Magic project,” you say in the same tone as someone would use to convey their life sentence in prison. “So I’m going to have to hole up in the library for quite a while tomorrow, birthday be damned.”

Regulus cannot fight the tsk-ing sound that escapes him as he frowns in sympathy. “I’m no expert on the perfect birthday, but I’m quite certain that’s not in the recipe.”

“I know,” you groan, burying your head into his flesh. “I know, but I have to.”

“You have to do no such thing, pretty girl.” He kisses the top of your head to coax you back out from hiding. “Don’t think about the project tomorrow, I’ll help you get back into it the day after.”

“Absolutely not,” you try, but you recognise the look in his eyes as one you are rarely able to defeat. “Reggie, baby, you have enough on my plate.”

“Yet the most important thing on it is you.” He says it almost fiercely, passionately, but when you lift a smug brow at him at his unintended double meaning, he jokingly swats at you. “Don’t sully my declaration of love, you heathen. I’m saying I’ve got you.”

You kiss him part in apology and part selfishly because his lips jutted out enticingly when he pretend pouted. “I know, and I love you for it, but you can’t help me with that big of a project baby, you just can’t.”

“There is no such rule in the boyfriend handbook,” Regulus says solemnly, as if reciting scripture. In theory, he technically is because when Regulus first opened up to Sirius about his anxiety of ruining things with you, the older boy made the ugliest homebound book titled How To Be A Good Boyfriend When Your Parents Fucked You Up Real Bad.

When Regulus questioned Sirius’ expertise on the matter, he said Remus made it based on all the missteps Sirius already had made in their relationship.

“Maybe not,” you reply. “But you forget the first rule: a girlfriend’s word is always more important than any silly rule in any stupid handbook.”

Regulus rolls you over onto your back so he can attack your neck with kisses, likely because he had no actual argument against that. “Querulous girl,” he made out between kisses but your laughter drowned him out.

When he came back up to hover his face above yours, bicep flexing beside your head as he held himself up, his hair was somehow even more messed up than before and oh so pretty. His eyes too, filled to the brim with love and humour, softening as he saw the clear flash of admiration across your own face.

“Let me spoil you,” he whispers, kissing your cheeks, your eyes, your forehead, your nose. “You deserve it, amour. You deserve everything.” 

You thought you heard a small “I don’t deserve you” muttered when he kissed your head, but you couldn’t be certain. Nonetheless you brought his face into your hands to press a resounding kiss to his lips to shut down any such stupid thoughts.

“I love you, you know.” Your smile was blinding, but Regulus looked good in the light.

“I know,” he whispers back. “I love you. And I am not letting you sit in the library on your birthday, no matter how many cute dates we’ve had there. Tomorrow is about you – nothing matters but you.”

Tears almost well in your eyes, but you blink them away. Your voice is still watery when you whisper a soft, “Okay.”

“Okay?” A grin starts to form over his previously soft smile. He gives you no time to respond before his lips sweep down to catch yours once more.

He captures your bottom lip between his two, swiping his tongue slowly across and breathing a soft sigh into your mouth as you allow him access. Leaning more of his weight on you, he continues to deepen the kiss, feeling you completely, as he has so many times before and as he will again.

You aren’t certain when it was you fell asleep, time floating around you like soap bubbles, irrelevant but beautiful in its presence nonetheless. What you do know, is that when you fall asleep it is with your body held close to his. And that when you woke up, it was to soft kisses across your face and a “happy birthday, amour” whispered in your ear.

[goingmerryfics]

Previously Betrayed/Cheated on w/ Killer, Zoro, & Mihawk

Content: Gender neutral reader, SFW, mentions of past cheating/betrayal in another relationship

Notes* Added a few more characters here! Thanks for the great prompt @juinewasbonker !

Killer

Killer is very calm as you explain your past to him, even while you’re a mess as you do it.

Offers physical comfort; he’ll hug you or hold your hands while you talk, never interrupting you even for a second

His patience also knows no bounds- he will wait there while you half to calm yourself in-between sentences as the painful memories and feelings begin to surface. He helps you by guiding your breathing by example

The great thing about Killer is how stoic he is here. You know he would never turn it around and make you feel as if it were your fault like your narcissistic ex did- in fact, he’s the opposite, and when he does speak to you, it’s so validating.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. You deserve so much better than someone who would betray your trust."

He pushes your hair out of your face and wipes your tears away so gently while going on and on about how it wasn’t your fault, and praising you for coming to him and letting him know so the two of you could become closer in your own relationship. He tells you that it's normal to feel hurt or distrustful after such an experience, and that he doesn’t take it seriously when you’re apprehensive about certain things with him.

Being who he is, he does get a little protective and asks if there is anything you need him to do. You know what he means by that, and it makes you laugh a little at the notion of him beating down your ex for something that had happened ages ago. He’s already a criminal, but you still shake your head at his offer and let him know you’ll keep it in mind, though.

"I promise to always be honest with you and to never do anything to hurt you. You mean everything to me, and I'll always be here to support you."

Zoro

Zoro is very direct, even to the point of that being a bad thing sometimes. So as you explain your past to him, you search his face constantly for any hint of a reaction, as if you’re trying to prepare yourself for him to tell you that you must have done something to cause the betrayal- that you were too much of a prude, or maybe it’s the way you speak

But he doesn’t say anything like that at all. This isn’t the time for his problem solving, and he knows that. He hasn’t experienced a betrayal like you have, and that’s all the more reason why he knows that this is an active listening situation

When it is his turn to talk, he knows exactly what to say and doesn’t hesitate for a moment

“You're better off without someone who can't stay loyal. You deserve someone who respects you."

In this situation he would be talking about himself, but it comes out so fast that he forgets he’s your current boyfriend for a moment

The both of you share a bit of a laugh at that, and you let him know that you hope he can be patient with you while you learn how to trust your romantic partner again. He understands that you need some time for that, and he’s not worried about having to wait.

"You're not alone in this. I've got your back, always. If you need anything, just say the word."

He’s not big on initiating physical contact, but he gladly returns it when you pull him in for a hug and a kiss.

You let him know that you appreciate him, and the two of you go off for a nap to regain the energy from the exhausting reveal

Mihawk

His strong suit does not lie in handling big emotions, so this conversation takes a while. 

He keeps asking you what’s wrong, knowing from your actions that there’s something you want to tell him, but you keep mentioning that you don’t want to talk about it yet- and he doesn’t want to push you, but he’s getting worried

Finally, you two sit down to have this talk over a glass of wine. You keep yourself calm while you explain, and you talk about how the situation had destroyed your self confidence in the past and your ability to trust. He listens to every word, and even sets his glass down so you have his full attention.

"I admire your resilience in the face of adversity. Remember, you are not defined by the actions of others."

The way he leans forward to take your hands in his and kiss your palms is so romantic that you can’t help but to swoon and break into a smile. He can be so sweet very suddenly, and you were glad that this wasn’t something he would find as a waste of time, or a nuisance

He shares that he has gone through this before, too. He understands your feelings of hurt, and he understands the malice towards the person that destroyed you just as he felt to the person who destroyed him, too

He urges you that dwelling on that hurt will only keep you stuck in that time of pain, and even offers to guide you back into self-love in many ways. He asks if you’d like more insight into his life, like coming with him to warlord meetings, or if you simply would like more compliments, which he is always happy to do

Whatever it is, if anything, he commits to doing it for you if you say it will help you to feel better in your relationship with him

"Should you ever require guidance or assistance, know that I am here to offer what counsel I can.”

[thefirstknife]

So this week, huh. Some stuff and things.

The beginning is nice for a sort of official summary about what we're dealing with:

Paired with the lore tab from last week, now I think we know exactly what's going on in regards with the issue of understanding how the Conductor came to be. It's also interesting how they're not directly telling us which Maya turned into the Conductor, which is as we suspected before. We just don't know which one it is, maybe even a combination of multiple Mayas. And they're going with Maya maybe not knowing either.

I love Saint. He's so excited.

More under:

The exotic mission is largely the same, but there are some extras: new areas and new chests with a bit of new dialogue. I'll get to that in a moment. I want to mention something I didn't bring up last week, but the Subjugator and the Tormentor bosses are pledged to Yirix. This week, Ikora expands:

Yirix is a Psion and leads the Conclave, a section of Psions that does all sort of stuff. She's responsible for the attempt on Zavala's life back in Chosen when they used Light-suppressing tech to temporarily disable Targe. She also had her hand in the Presage shenanigans and then later Vox Obscura mission on Mars where we fought her Psions and Caiatl listened to the various futures she's seen, all of which have come true. It's interesting that she's leading some section of the Shadow Legion. I am hoping for this Psion stuff to be some sort of hint about stuff in the future. We might eventually have to deal with them.

And then! The lines from grabbing the new chest for this week:

Once again, back with the simulated Ishtar scientists! And once again, I am begging everyone to read Aspect. We've heard from .59 Chioma last week, that's the one from the final part of this page, a Chioma that has lost Maya.

You'd found a simulation with a city where you discovered a jewelry store, picked out a necklace, brought it home to her, and wished her a happy pseudo anniversary. Maya didn't like bracelets, said they always fouled her work. Her hair had been getting shaggy again and was due for a trim. She could never decide whether or not to grow it out. She laughed at you lifting weights to maintain simulated muscle, but she spotted for you all the same. There are other Mayas out there, layers of them, all the way up to the original, wherever she is. You hope they're doing well. But that doesn't stop you from missing this Maya, missing whatever arguments and discoveries you'd have shared in the rest of the lifetime you'd promised to one another. Shim and Duane-McNiadh pull you up from beside Maya's marker. A basalt lily rests on top of it, petals thin enough to let light through. You go on.

The same page also mentions the .33 group:

227.33 You lose Duane-McNiadh.

We don't know .27 group from Aspect. Also interesting that one of the Chiomas isn't sharing her number. I wonder what's up with that. I'm also not sure what the final two sentences would be about. About them having "a place" and figuring things out together. The whole point of Aspect was that these groups were coordinating with Praedyth about escaping, so maybe they're talking about this plan they had with him?

Next thing in the line is Maya's recording of once again messing with Chioma and this one is so normal (lie).

OKAY? How about we all die. This also connects to one of the queries in Enigma Protocol. We speculated that these might be some personal stuff for Maya and Chioma that she's search for through the Vex Network and they are!

And then new lines from the new chest puzzle:

More stuff about the simulated scientists! Same as last week, .97 are also in Aspect. Eagerly waiting to see where they'll end with this. Literally have been waiting since 2019 to get answers about Aspect. Please. Answers please.

As we get through the mission, we get treated to some devastating Osiris and Saint lines. I really like that they have quite a bit of sympathy for what's happening to Maya and Chioma. Because they relate!

On the floor. But we're not done.

Stoppp ittt. Stopppp.

I like, again, that despite everything, he seems to sympathise. Or at least he understand it because he knows how he could've ended the same so Maya didn't do this because Maya is just like that; she did this because of the circumstances. If the circumstances were any different, Osiris could've done it too. This terrifies him. Anyone could be one step away from doing the same.

The radio message continues with the horrors, with another one of Maya's logs where she's insisting that her Chioma would understand what she's doing and that Maya is a "savior" and that everything that happened in the system since the Collapse needs to be fixed and that Maya can fix it. Osiris goes on a rant against this and realises that Maya is acting selfishly and that her obsession is destroying even her love for Chioma. But at the end, he says this:

Please. I hope we do. I want this to have at least a semblance of a happy ending for Maya and Chioma. Maybe not for the Conductor ofc, but for some Maya somewhere to get what she wanted; to be with her Chioma. Kinda similar how they went about with Saint and Osiris as well, to complete the parallel between the two couples.

And then ofc the lore tab.

One more week to go. Going to be blowing myself up in the meantime.

[vastill]

I love you Rebecca Welton fics🩷

So maybe a Rebecca Welton Fic where reader and her have been married for a while but no one quite believes it until reader shows up to drop off pinch for Rebecca?

Forgotten lunch

Rebecca Welton/fem!reader

warnings: fluff

words: 1700+

My requests are open!!

English is not my first language!

A/N: firstly, i love your request, and thank you for sending it! and secondly, im really sorry, my brain read your request a little differently but I hope you will like it! hope you will enjoy reading it! let me know what you think!!💚

Rebecca Welton always wanted to have an aura of secrecy around her. Sharing every aspect of her life with others was not for her. After a messy divorce from Rupert, she learned even more about living in secrecy. She didn't want to experience another drama in her life, and she certainly didn't want the press meddling in her private affairs again, so she decided to keep some things to herself. However, as the owner of a football club, it wasn't easy, as it involved many plans and rules she had to follow.

Rebecca's daily schedule remained consistent. Each morning, she had to go through her ritual to ensure she didn't forget anything important. Being an early riser, she would often admire her partner's sleeping face before the alarm went off. Despite her demanding job, Rebecca always made time for you. Mornings were her favorite moments, a brief shared moment of lying in bed and cuddling before she went to get ready for the day. During this time, you would go downstairs to prepare breakfast for both of you and pack lunch for Rebecca. Remote work had the perk that you could spend most of the day in your pyjamas without worrying about anything.

“How can you look this gorgeous so early in the morning?” You asked when she came downstairs in all her glory. She grabbed you by the hand and tugged you for the sweetest kiss. “I don’t know, how can you look this cute in your pyjamas?” She laughed when you scoffed and kissed your nose.

“Well, not everyone is the owner of a football club, baby. So I need to pull off my pajamas look.”

“And you do it perfectly darling,” she smiled and beckoned you closer to her, “I love seeing you like this. It’s a shame that I need to go to work.” She said while her hands went under your shirt to caress the soft skin of your stomach.

“Someone is clingy today. You sure you can’t stay today?” You asked, internally knowing the answer but there was no harm in asking, maybe one day she would agree.

Rebecca sighed, leaning her head on your chest and hugging you tightly, “No, sorry sweetheart. I can’t, I have some meetings today but I promise I will be home for dinner.” The two of you stood in your embrace for a little while, taking this moment of calmness.

“Oh fuck,” you heard Rebecca silently murmur before quickly getting up. “I need to go, otherwise I will be late. Have a good day, I love you!” she shouted as she left the house. As she opened the door, you noticed her packed lunch sitting on the counter. “Wait, love! You forgot your...” The door closed before you could finish the sentence, “...lunch.”

You pondered for a moment about what to do with the lunch box. Your initial thought was to bring her lunch to work, but since no one knew about your relationship, you weren't sure if Rebecca wanted them to know. However, you had made her favorite dish, and you knew she was craving it, so not having it today would surely ruin her mood. Ultimately, you decided to send her a text and wait for her response.

Hi, love! You forgot your lunch from home and I know you have been craving this meal so what do you want me to do with it? I think I'll put it in the fridge and it'll be waiting for you. Missing you already xx

Rebecca got to work without being a minute late. She sat in her office and checked her phone, seeing your message she searched her purse, “Shit!”

“Hello to you too, Boss!” she saw Ted standing in her office with his usual box of biscuits in hand. “Sorry, Ted. Yes, good morning.” She said with a tight smile.

“Got up on the wrong side of the bed? Maybe these will help.” Ted said, handing her the box.

“Thank you,” she said, grabbing one of the biscuits, “I just forgot my lunch at home. It was a tasty lunch, so I’m a little upset.”

“Maybe you can send someone to grab it for you? I don’t mind going there if you want me to. It’s not like I have many things to do today.” Ted offered.

“No, that won’t be necessary. I think I have an idea. But back to work, do you have something you want to talk about?” she asked while texting you.

I didn’t even notice! You and your pyjamas distracted me! But I thought maybe you could come here and drop it. And if you are not busy, have lunch with me in my office? That would be very nice. Love you xx

Yeah, of course! When do you want me to be there?

Around two? How does that sound?

I’ll be there! I can’t wait! xx

Rebecca was nervous, not because she was ashamed of who she was or her relationship, but because she wanted to protect her and your privacy. And you coming here wasn’t something that she expected to do. But she was also excited. She wanted you to be in all parts of her life and perhaps introduce you to some of her friends at AFC Richmond if you were up for it.

As two o'clock approached, Rebecca paced in her office. The door swung open, and she turned around to see Keeley standing there. Although she felt disappointed, she didn't show it on her face.

“Hey! I need to tell you all about this new staff at my office. He is getting on my nerves so bad!” Keeley said, settling comfortably on the couch in Rebecca’s office. “You know, he is new but fucking hell he doesn’t know how to do anything. He broke the printer today! Printer, Rebecca! How does someone not know how to use the fucking printer!”

“Oh hey, yes, I’m good, thanks for asking. And no, you are not interrupting.” Rebecca said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

“Don't tell me you're busy. I saw you pacing!” Keeley exclaimed. Another person appeared in the doorway. “Oh, Ted! Come here, maybe you have some gossip to share!” she shouted from the couch.

I’m here. Do I just go straight in or do I need to do something?

Go straight in, when you reach the stairs you need to go up and there is my office.

Rebecca didn’t know what to do. You will be here any minute, and she is not alone.

FYI Ted and Keeley are here in my office.

Oh. Do you not want me to go there? I mean I can ask someone to bring you lunch.

Don’t be silly, come here. I want you to meet them. I want you to be a part of this family I have here <3

Okay, give me a second, I love you xx

“Who are you texting? Me and Ted are here so..did you finally meet someone?” Keeley asked, and Rebecca could only smile. She saw you standing in the hallway and beckoned you inside. “Who is there? Are we inviting more people to the gossip group?” Keeley said, but Rebecca wasn’t listening to her anymore.

You shyly stepped into the office, stealing a glance at Keeley and Ted before waving at them. They looked at you with confusion, unsure of who you were. But before you could speak, Rebecca embraced you in a hug. “I’m so happy you are here, darling,” Rebecca whispered in your ear. After releasing the hug, her hand remained on your waist. “Thank you for bringing me lunch, I know I promised you to eat together but I didn’t expect to have company." She said, giving a narrowed look to the two individuals on the couch.

“You didn’t tell me you are bringing a hot date here! So that’s not my fault!” Keeley exclaimed. She quickly introduced herself, saying, “Hi, I’m Keeley, Rebecca’s best friend, and you are?”

You smiled at her, “Hi, I’m Y/N, Rebecca’s-“ You glanced at Rebecca, and she nodded, so without hesitation, you continued, “wife.” The two of you exchanged smiles as you noticed their confused expressions. You couldn't help but feel a rush of joy as you saw the surprise on their faces.

“Wait a moment, did I hear correctly? You said wife, didn't you? I mean my hearing isn't as good as it used to be, but surely it can't be that bad. Or maybe I imagined it?” Ted questioned, his eyebrows furrowing as he nervously rubbed his ear, trying to make sense of what he'd just heard.

Rebecca laughed lightly at his surprise, nodding in affirmation. “Yes, Ted, you heard me correctly. She is my wife, it will be two years soon.” Rebecca confirmed with a gentle smile, her fingers tenderly squeezing your side for reassurance.

Keeley seemed to get out of her confused stage, “I knew you were a little fruity but WIFE! And you didn’t tell me! I’m seriously offended!” she said, her voice filled with faux disapproval, “It will take a lot of hot gossips for me to forgive you!”

“I don’t know about hot gossip, but we definitely will have girls' night since you know who I am.” You said, a note of excitement creeping into your voice, “I'm sorry Ted, I can't make any promises about them letting you in, but just so you know, from my side, you're also invited!”

“Yes! Girls night! I always wanted to be invited to one!” He jumped into the air in his excitement, his fist pumping in victory.

The room filled with laughter as Ted looked like he'd just won the lottery, and even Keeley's initial surprise had faded, replaced with an eager grin. Rebecca and you both laughed at his excitement, “I'll look forward to it,” Rebecca said, a smile dancing on her lips.

You couldn’t help but feel a rush of warmth spread through you as you watched Rebecca talk and laugh with her colleagues. It was a sight you didn’t get to see often. She caught your eye and winked at you, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

This was a new chapter in your life, and you both were ready for it. Rebecca was finally ready to let the world know about her love for you, ready to take on whatever came her way with you by her side.

[oswildin]

Hi, I was wondering how Loki would react to a romantic partner who stutters. It's not bad, but it worsens when they are nervous. There's a thing that happens to me called blocking, basically the words get stuck in my throat and refuse to come out unless I force them out or if i find another word to replace it. It all makes me very insecure and I am trying, but it's hard for me not to dislike myself and see myself as not worth it. Which isn't true, but it's me of course I'll get these thoughts

Perhaps for the same for Sylvie too (as in, if she had a romantic partner who did that too) but I have no idea if you write for her! If you don't, ignore this bit

Oh wow, I didn’t even realise there was a word for that! That’s exactly what happens to me! Just did a little research and it happens to me when I’m under stress or nervous or my mind goes ‘blank’ (especially in trying to find a word and I end up having to change the word I was originally trying to say!). So thank you for sharing that, and I relate to that struggle! I often feel the same about it, and I struggle with feeling ‘stupid’ when I know that isn’t the case - I’m sorry you feel that way, but remember you’re strong, you are worthy and you’re valid 💚

Loki with a Partner who stutters Headcanons:

People would be surprised at how patient Loki is, not because of you but because Loki isn’t exactly always known for his patience

He wouldn’t rush you or make you feel on the spot when you’re trying to find the right word or get the word out

He would give a small subtle smile and nod, a little look of encouragement and reassurance, letting you know that he was listening and understanding

If you looked like you would particularly struggling, he would offer the word kindly and softly, helping you to continue with your sentence

Reassurance! He would never want you to feel like it was something to be insecure or embarrassed by. He would try to be as comforting and open as possible to make you feel like you could express such issues with him

“Take your time, I’m not going anywhere.” “Is this the word you were looking for, darling?” “Take a breath, give yourself a moment, don’t rush on my account.”

He would do whatever he could to help you when you’re nervous, not by speaking over you or for you, but by simply being near you. Maybe a hand on your lower back, his eyes on you so he could give you small looks of encouragement and reassurance. His goal is to never make you feel like you are alone or like you are less than - he knows how that feels - but he also doesn’t want to seem like he’s trying to speak for you or over you

If anyone ever made a comment about it, oh Loki’s eyes would turn to daggers faster than you could say ‘Loki, no’. It’s too late, he’s already absolutely making a sardonic quip/dig at the person, a small ‘roasting’ if you will

Loki would always ask what you need from him. He prefers to be told, so he knows exactly how to offer any sort of aid or support, because his priority is always making sure you feel comfortable with him

Sylvie with a Partner who stutters Headcanons:

Sylvie has experience with patience, I mean she spent years concocting a plan against the TVA, so she always has time for you

She would wait patiently, probably glancing at you rather than an intense gaze, not wanting to make you feel under pressure

She may not be the best at comforting you, but she does her damn best and always makes sure you understand that she’s there to support you

She would nod along, offer the word you may have been searching for softly with a quick smile, her eyes crinkling faintly in the process

She would also probably ask you directly what you would like from her, wanting to be sure that she was offering the right sort of comfort and support

When you get frustrated, she would give you an empathetic look, she knew how it felt to be frustrated and not able to do something about it

“It’s okay, take your time. The world isn’t ending, we have all the time in the universe.” “Hey, don’t worry about it. It’ll come to you. Take a second, despite what you may think, I’m not going anywhere.”

When you’re nervous, Sylvie would likely find your hand and loop your pinkies together. It’s a small and subtle gesture, but one that she hopes brings you some reassurance and comfort, a bit of strength too. She would likely stay quiet, not quite knowing exactly what to say, but gives you the time and space to take a moment and recollect

If anyone ever makes a comment about it, the whole room better clear out. Sylvie is already grabbing whoever it is by the collar and giving them a good little reminder of manners

[sweetestpies]

𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄!? ୨୧ 𝐃𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐠 !!

TW: ANGST, STABBING, DEATH..🍓

Basically Dan Feng sins, somehow resulting in his S/O's death. With a little twist in the end. No pronouns used for y/n

Authors Notes: Still ends with fluff I guess? I'm very very new at this so uhm. (omg help why I-) I'll probably update this..‼️

Unrealistic death, you probably wouldn't last this long if you got stabbed tbh?? Dan Heng in his Dan Feng self instead. Also this is written with just a squeeze of information, Slight OOC probably. Not much lore oriented :/ (I'll try better next time I swear)

You don't remember when it happened, nor do you want to. It was about your lover, Dan Feng. He committed one of the ten unforgivable sins. You knew what the consequences were. Life imprisonment, even a death sentence. The High Cloud Quintet was searching all around for you both. You couldn't lose him. It couldn't end like this. "Let me face my punishment for my mistakes!" He protested. You pressured yourself to think of a solution to get you both out of this mess. You could feel your throat hurting and your eyes watering. "Please! We really should do something!" You said. You couldn't help but feel bad for him as he looked up to you in worry and panic. He was shaking; you could sense the fear through his voice. "You're the most important person in my life; I don't want to drag you into this. Please don't try to save me." He said it with stress and panic in his voice. You desperately hugged him. He hugged you back. You could sense the fear in every move he made, as he was about to be held accountable for his actions. It all felt like a dream, but the reality of what was happening hit you like a truck.

"If the cycle of reincarnation is true, maybe we'll meet one day again." He held you tight, trying to make you forget about the situation you both were facing. The thought of meeting again in your next life gave you at least a bit of comfort. You both hear footsteps outside the door. They were here, The Quintet. "It's over." He said it with a sad expression. The guards were talented individuals. They all looked at Dan Feng with shame. "Well, at least we tried." You said. He smiled at you. "Thank you for coming into my life." Then you kissed his cheek gently, causing him to blush one last time. "Thank you, my dear." You embraced each other. "I never want to let go," he said. You both looked so peaceful in each other's arms. You shared one last kiss.

Sadly, the guards weren't that patient. One of them just stabbed you out of anger instead of stabbing Dan Feng. You gasped in pain. Dan Feng was shocked and was cut off from his sentence. You winced in pain. "Ouch—NNGH—hurts.." You fell onto him as the pain grew sharper. Dan Feng's eyes widened as he realized what just happened. "Y/N no..no please! NO—" It's all too late now. He decided to only make your last minutes better. Since even doctors won't help a sinner, won't they? "Shhh, remember our first kiss?" He knew this was so stupid to do. But that's the only way to take your mind off the situation. You teared up more as he said that. "Shh..Shh..Our walks in the parks? The first time I held you tight?" He remembered everything. It made you so happy. He tried so hard to remember the good times at this moment. "I thought I could change my fate," he muttered. "At least we'll see each other." You spoke slowly. He held your hand, making sure you weren't alone in your last moments. "I'm so sorry, Y/N., for dragging you into all of this." He teared up more. "I promise I'll find you again." You spoke your last words. "Good. See you in our next life then, my love." He caressed your cheek as tears slowly rolled down his cheeks. "I love you so much." He said, then everything became blurry and dark.

It was your first year in your new body, recently hatched from the pearl egg. You quickly grew, and you're so beautiful and elegant now. You were busy drawing until you heard a familiar voice from your back: "I found you, my love."

Wow this was awful! but hey! Thank you so much for reading this. I hope you have an AMAZING week! 🙏❤️ My requests are open now by the way! Feel free! 🍰

[kyojurosprettygirl]

Bleeding Love , Genya Ver

Genya Shinazugawa x Fem! reader

a/n: genya first bc he's the one who inspired me to write this (UvU) i'll make a poll to see who's next; i was thinking the hashira hmmm X))). i'll make a poll !

to say Genya was panicking was an understatement, anyone with a singular brain cell could tell how distressed he was simply by his breathing pattern. he was rushing away from everyone, ignoring the burning feeling in his chest and the calls of his name, just so he could make his way back to you. Tanjiro, and by extension Nezuko, along with Zenitsu and Inosuke had tried to keep up with him, but easily fell behind as Genya impossibly became faster. insoluble being able to understand the gravity of the situation made it so that he wouldn't be the one to the estate first. The gratitude Genya gave the gods when he finally saw your estate in view was unmatched to the way Gyomei usually did. you. it was late at night , and at this time you usually had small burning candles outside, a way to let Genya know you'd been expecting him. but it's the darkest night he's ever experienced. and it's quiet. he feels his heart drop, and he swears he can hear his blood run cold. he hesitates in opening the door, not wanting to find you there the way he was expecting. laying there, alone and cold. without a pulse. he didn't want to come to terms with the fact that he had in fact failed to protect you, and with all his running thoughts chasing each other around in his head, nothing compares to the restricting feeling in his chest, where he feels like a demons teeth are sunk into and it's claws are ripping apart. he already misses you, and you haven't even been confirmed dead. he rushes into your estate, realizing he shouldn't waste time, if you were alive you needed to leave quickly. so with child like hope, he held out and searched for you. he wanted to scream in agony when he saw signs of struggle and crimson painting your floors. his breathing became much more ragged, yet everything was oddly calm, he was oddly calm.

he made his way to the only place he hasn't checked, one he maybe subconsciously avoided, because he couldn't bare to think about how you had tried to hide in the bedroom you and him both shared for protection and all of it being in vain. it's then when he drops to his knees infront of you, being unable to physically keep himself up anymore. you laid on the floor, blood that had seeped out of you, giving you the look of a morbid painting. the room was cold but when he reached out to you, he choked at how your body was warm. you were still alive while he was running to you, and when it dawns on him, he lets tears fall. the others finally make it into the room and stay behind Genya, the only person to shed tears with him being Tanjiro and Zenitsu. for a moment everything is silent, until they hear you try to speak. your crying, they notice, and as much as you try to form a sentence it just won't come out. you reach your hand out, and they all back away, noticing the claws and patterns adorning your skin. urging Genya to do the same, he shoots them a 'back the hell off' look and they do so. . Insouke immediately readied his blades, but was having trouble coming to terms that if you were a demon, he would have to kill you, but it just felt right in the moment. you slowly push yourself up and begin to touch your face, the panic evident on it when you realize you are no longer human. you cry , and cry, and push Genya away as he reaches out for you, being unable to speak. Zenitsu silently tries to get inosuke to sheathe is blade, while nezuko looks at Tanjiro. he furrows his brows deeper, not knowing what to do or say.

"y/n," he hiccups, "please." genya begs. you shake your head slowly, covering your face, but allowing him to finally touch you. he gently pushes your hands away and cradles your face, sighing in releif when you leave into one of his palms. you open your eyes and look at him, tears still running down your cheeks. he feels his heart break, and he doesn't know if he can live with the guilt. you hold onto his wrist and he tugs you into him, holding you tight, whispering incoherent words. you're able to make out 'im so sorry' and 'i love you' and you feel as if you were robbed. because you love him too, and you hate how this was the confession. you try to say the words back to him, everything feeling foreign to you, and when your able to sound coherent enough he chokes again, holding you against him in a way that prevents you from seeing his face. he's relieved almost, and whispers 'stay with me' and you nod. holding him back being careful to not hurt him with your new nails. you see a glimpse of the patterned skin and you close your eyes, being unable to look at yourself.

you find yourself in a new routine, an isolated one. you understand that you're a demon now, you are a danger and liability to the corps, but you're emotions are still very human, and your mind even more. your soul feels like it was tugged away into a new body, and there are days where you feel you cannot continue to live like this. but you just couldn't leave. not when you fought so hard to stay. the windows that once let natural light in were bordered up, and covered the once beautiful sky you'd always look at. the door was replaced with thicker wood that wouldn't let light him either, and you grew tired of living in such darkness. you wondered how demons did it. you missed everything about the daylight and what it brought you, but decided it was better to focus on the beauty of the night; atleast then it would become more bearable.

Genya had initially visited every day, but as he rose up the ranks, the less time he was able to visit you. he never left without dropping something off, but his absence truly felt like the last straw. you spent every night outside in the garden, the luminous moon giving you a small lit path to walk on, and allowing you a moment of air. Some days, whenever he could, Genya would stay with you for as long as possible, sitting and talking in the garden, but the hours he'd spend with you only felt like minutes, and he was gone as soon as he came. your old comrades visited too, Tanjiro and Nezuko, to offer support and understanding, Zenitsu to tell you his overexaggerated stories, Inosuke following along either of them, Kanao to keep you company, and so on. yet regardless, you felt disconnected from them. they were walking on egg shells when they spoke to you, and every time they visited, it felt like a pity party.

it's late and your heart feels heavy. standing in the familiar garden, you feel your body weighs more than it usually did, and you try to ease your anxiety by meditating. nothing was working. Genya had gone on a mission with the others, and although it was normal to spend some nights alone, something in the air had pushed you to think otherwise. they always make it back, but something in your gut pricked nails into your heart, 'what if this time, they don't'. unable to ease the thoughts and deal with the thick air, you seek out to find them. the sun had set only an hour ago, so you figured you had enough time, and used your demonic form to its advantage. as you made your way around the deep parts of the forest, you make it to the place of the mission, finding nothing except footprints, evidence that they fought. not seeing any blood, you kept your hopes up and continued to search the area, they couldn't be far.

"Hey, get up get up get up!" Tanjiro yells , recovering as quickly as he could from the fall he took. "The next attack is coming!" Genya grunts before angrily facing Tanjiro. "I know that alright!" they get up and begin to carry Mitsuri as Tanjiro tries to raise the spirits; to hold out a little longer, find a way for Mitsuri to help them out. As she is both the most experienced and strongest. "You're kidding me." Genya says, noticing the demon was already forming his attack. before the attack could hit either of them, Mitsuri easily slices through it and begins to cry as she goes on her rant. Genya can't help but feel awkward about it. She gets a few more hits in as Genya, Tanjiro, and Nezuko run in the forest. She continues to fight, saving them once more, before they make their way to the main body. "Don't let it shake you off!" Tanjiro screams, "Hang tight on to it!". They all try their hardest to hold on, Genya getting more agitated by the minute, 'I can't even swing my sword like this' he thinks. and before he's able to complain, he remembers he can simply eat the demon and begins to do so. a piece of the snake makes it's way out and Nezuko spills her blood onto it to use her blood demon art, successfully revealing the main body. It's soon after where the chase begins and Genya finally reaching his limit, throws a tree at him, loudly insulting the demon as he does so.

"You stupid moron!" you hear, it's Genyas voice. you sharply turn your body at the sound and jump over the tree that he threw, watching the dirt cloud form from far away. You look behind you and catch Nezuko, she pauses for a second at seeing your body appear. As the main body begins to limp, you harden your expression and jump forward, reaching for him. You and Nezuko begin to try to catch him as he constantly slips from you both. Genya reaches you both soon after, your sudden appearance giving him whiplash as she does a double take. Tanjiro tries his hardest to keep up. 'Y/N!?" he screams, you turn to him and huff, your eyes oozing fondness. "Hi Genya." you say, and suddenly stop, waiting for tanjiro. It Nezuko and Genya to both reach out for you, but get back to running when you simply kneel a bit, and make eye contact with Tanjiro. You give him a look, and you both nod at eachother as you suddenly bolt past them both, giving the illusion of a lightning bolt. Tanjiro makes it to the main body faster than you, and before he can land a hit his mouth his held right from the demons grip, leaving him immobilized. you suddenly appear, stunning the demon, and kick him farther back giving Tanjiro a chance to breathe. "Nezuko!" you scream, she nods and uses her blood demon art to burn the demon accidentally burning Genya in the process. As the demon tumbles back, you quickly help Genya put his flames out. As you move to run back towards the demon, he grips your forearm, gentle but firm. "Y/N, you shouldn't be here." he says, he's distressed and your heart aches that your the reason for his expression. You put your hand on his cheek, and give him a sad smile, removing his grip from you and running to tackle the demon. You succeed, Tanjiro and Nezuko following in suit. It took Genya a moment to process what you just did, the action being faster than he expected. Genya screams at you all as you tumble.

Tanjiro leaves the demon gravely wounded, hanging from a tree as Nezuko stays out below. Genya looks for a sign of you when he notices you aren't near either of them. As the demon moves to take his leave, tanjiro notices and groans out the words he can, mustering the little strength he had left. "And.. I'm gonna cut off your head!" he screams. It strikes a nerve and the demon makes his attempts to find a human to rejuvenate his strength. He runs to the swordsmiths once he spots them, dwelling on the four of you who just almost killed him, feeling relieved that Tanjiros blade couldn't cut his head. The swordsmiths run as the demon begins his chase, Tanjiro quickly making his way down to Nezuko. he calls out to her, and hearing a lack of response he looks back at the demon, trying his best to encourage himself to do it one more time. 'one more time, i can do it.' he thinks. He hears his name and looks toward Genya, but when he hears his name once more, he faces the opposite side of the cliff. it's Muichiro. Genya still frantically seeks you out, trying his hardest to not panic. you were strong, stronger now that you were a demon, there was no way a fall could take you out. Muichiro throws tanjiro a sword, and tanjiro can feel blood rush to his heart. he readies himself, newfound strength gracing his soul, and breathes out. He calls a form, and cleanly slices the demons neck, the scene looking straight out of a warriors painting from those who saw. He catches his breath as he realizes he finally did it, a smile forming on his face a she realizes the job was done. his smile faded though, noticing the suns light beginning to filter the world around it. He panics and runs to Nezuko, gripping at his chest as it burns him greatly. he tries to get works out but nothing he does is working, bending down a little to give way for him to catch his breath. Nezuko notices and reaching out to him, running towards him when notices the demon continuing to run and chase the swordsmiths. . 'No, Nezuko!' Tanjiro thinks, he wants so badly to be able to yell out to her. 'You don't have to come this way!' he heaves harder, 'It's you, You're the one in danger!' He reaches out to her as she comes closer embracing her as she panics even harder, trying to get him to notice the problem behind him. He grunts, gasping as he notices, instinctually getting ready to attack the demon once he realizes it wasn't the actual body. it's when nezuko begins to burn when he pauses, ''Nezuko!" he screams, running to cover her. It breaks his heart even harder, feeling conflicted. As he holds Nezuko trying to cover her from the sun, he feels tears prick at his eyes. Who is he to save. Before Nezuko makes the decision for him, preparing herself to kick him, he and Nezuko pause when they see you emerge from afar, making your way toward the demon. Nezuko begins to calm down as she reaches for you, noticing your beginning to burn. Tanjiro covers her arm that sticks out toward you as he screams, 'Y/N! What are you doing!" you scream when a particular glare from the sun burns and it hinders you for a moment before you brush him off with a hand, suddenly appearing right behind the demons body where you tackle him.

Genya takes notice of it and quickly jumps down the cliff. His expression begins to harden as he makes his way toward you, enduring the sharp pains he got from it. Just to make his way to you.

his feet burned and his chest felt tight. 'Keep going.' he tells himself.

his wrists and neck begin to cramp but he tightened his grip on his weapons. 'She needs you.'

his muscles burn and begin to become stiff. "Y/N!" he screams your name out.

"Genya!" Tanjiro screams, looking at him as he gets closer, he stops and looks at them both Nezukos burnt face coming into view from Tanjiros arms. He looks between you and Tanjiro, Tanjiro could help you win that fight, he could cover Nezuko in the mean time, or, he could fight with you. His head forms a thousand thoughts every second and he shakes his head, deciding to run towards you. he just wants to feel you. He doesn't have time to decide anything when suddenly a strong metallic smell overruns everyone's senses. Nezukos blood never smelled, nor did any demons, but yours was a strong, and it was almost sweet as well. he pauses as he looks at you, Tanjiro and Nezuko doing the same. 'What the hell?' he thinks.

They look confused at you as you claw at your arm, extremely thick blood spilling around you. you summon your blood demon art and they pick up on quickly. Genyas at loss for words, he's still a far distance from you so he continues to run toward you when suddenly your blood suddenly turns a deep purple color as begins to form into a dark purple shadowed man. you step on the ground and a huge gust of purple causes everyone to fall back, even the swordsmiths. Tanjiro is now using his entire body to cover Nezuko, relieved that you and Genya were there to kill the demon, guilt panting at his chest because of it, why was he relieved when it was your life for Nezukos. you lift your burning arm up and the shadow man then forms a gun. It's comical almost, that the weapon your blood chose to use of all things was a gun, but when the man fully forms, they all notice it's mimics Genyas form perfectly, down to his height. Genyas heart beat quickens, a blush forming as he tries his hardest to get to you, while Tanjiro smiles in a sick way 'Ofcourse it would be Genya' he thinks. you flick your other arm and they make the connection when your blood creates a dark and iridescent purple blade, a carbon copy of genyas blade. your shadow man forms white eyes and you both make a single move to cleanly kill the demon. it was quick, the way you sliced through the demons arms and legs, it was even quicker when the shadowed man shot the demons head. the sound of the bullet had genya and tanjiro reeling, genya making a quick move to cover Tanjiros ears instead of his own, noting that he was unable to do so without putting Nezuko in danger, an act of selflessness he learned from you. everyone was disoriented as they noticed every time the demon would reform a body part, it would turn into ash and never reform again. Thanks to the suns help, the demon had quickly and fully disintegrated, you recalled what was left of the purple shadows, the sun having turned it to ash, and you fell to your knees covering your head from the pain. had the situation been different, they would've all admired your blood demon art, but as beautiful and dreamy as it looked, you were dying.

Genya finally made it toward you and quickly pushed you into him, covering your entire body with his own. his grip was tight, and his body's ache went away once he finally has you in his arms, he softly sighs into you when he feels your body still move. "Oh thank god.." he says, positioning you so that your farther into his body. "Get smaller, woman!" he yells out, holding you tighter as he feels you shift your body into a smaller size. he thanks the gods it's one of your abilities. "Are you crazy!" he screams, you weep, "im sorry.." you choke out, he grips you tighter and kisses your head, "im not mad," and before he can speak further you try to mold yourself into him, "Genya, it burns," your voice wavers, "so, bad.." your voice is raspy and it aches his heart, "i know, baby." he kisses your head, "i know." his voice cracks. trying his hardest to ease the burns on your skin, he lets a tear fall. he can feel your skin and it makes him want to tear the sun and its rays apart for hurting you so badly. "oh my god." he repeats over and over again, silently praying to the gods that they don't take you away from him. he can't even bare the thoughts of losing you, having you stripped out of his arms would truly be the final nail in the coffin. you tilt your head and watch Nezuko struggles the same way you do. you look at Genya and you hold your gaze at eachother for a moment before you speak, "he can't hold out for long Genya.. you both can't be here forever.." Genya tightened his grip, more so than he already had and it's almost suffocating, "Don't even think about it." he grits out, "We're staying here until we find way." you look at him longer, and nod, any attempt to change his mind would be futile. "okay." you say, gripping his shirt tighter. Genya and Tanjiro share a look, both of them having trouble deciding what to do next. but when you hear the swordsmiths panicked voice you immediately turn your head to face them, genya quickly covering you again. One of them was greatly wounded by the demon. you hear genyas heartbeat as she shifts around, the soapy smell still lingering on his uniform, you had washed it for him the day before the mission. Nezuko takes notice and removes herself from Tanjiros grip, deciding the people were more important than herself. When she does so, you quickly remove yourself from Genya and tackle her, pushing her back into Genya and Tanjiro who had stood up as fast as you both did. The push was stronger than you intended and pushed them back a few feet as it was now genya would was covering Nezuko, being the only one with demonic strength to hold her back as she continued to writh in his grip. Tanjiro tried to get at you but you decided it was better to help the wounded swordsmith. You make your way and put pressure on his fatal wound and draw blood, careful not to get it into his blood stream. your blood then turned into a thick purple again, and slowly formed the shadow man again, or, "genya", who gently merged its hands to create a thin protective layer on the man's wound, completely stopping him from bleeding out. "it's okay," you smile fondly, "you'll be okay." the swordsmiths wanted to cry at how soft your voice is, at how gentle you are and how no matter what happened your humanity remained. Tanjiro tries to cover you, but you glare at him, "either he dies, or i do, and it's most certainly not going to be him." tanjiro cannot argue, and his mouth becomes dry. He could cover you, save you from the sun rays, but if he did that he couldn't help the swordsmith. your purple shadow was keeping him from bleeding out, and he had to wait until everyone made it to you guys to get you safe.

it was then when Tanjiro realized you had stopped burning, and that your blood demon art was still working just fine. you instead had steam radiating off your body, the burn marks had returning to their normal state of softness, and Genya choked out a surprised sound of relief. his eyes became glassy and he laughed as he saw you. you were no longer burning, he only had to worry about nezuko now. Tanjiro gasped, tears no longer kissing his cheeks and he pointed at you. you looked at yourself, and smiled in disbelief. "Tanjiro!" you said, "Y/N!" he said back. you both laughed, feeling happy that at least something good came out of the fight.

Tanjiro made his way to collect Nezukos box, Genya helping him put her in the box saftey, as she quickly made his way toward you once everyone else was able to get to the swordsmith. Genya was the first person you ran to hug, and you tackled him onto the floor. He grunted, the air getting knocked out of him completely, laughing nonetheless and holding you tight against him. "Genya!" you scream, and he smiles wider at hearing his name. he elongates the kiss you give him, leaning further on your lips as he holds you against him, leaving you no room to consider backing off. he sits up and holds your face, admiring how beautiful the sun makes you look. your eyes are brighter, and your skin is warmer, and he truly feels like he was gifted a goddess. he puts his forehead on yours and you both close your eyes.

"I cannot wait to marry you." you gasp, and he chuckle. "i can't either," you say shyly.

"what exactly is your blood demon art y/n?" Tanjiro asks. genuine curiosity showing from his expression. you blush and look away. "i don't know" you say, and genya turns a deep shade of red. he had forgotten about it and although he was curious too, embarrassment took the best of him. he simply opted to just hold you tight instead, looking away from you.

funfact! when asked to explain what had happened on the mission, you were forced to explain your blood demon art infront of all the hashira (considering when first asked about it you said you didn't know if you even had one.) thanks to mitsuri.

"well, i don't know for certain if there's an actual name for it, but my blood forms a shadowy figure. i can form a blade from it as well, but the figure always forms first. i can't form anything else from it" Mitsuri nodded, "it looks just like Genya!" she states. your eyes widen and you gasp.

you didn't hear the end of it after that.

my first ever not sad fun fact XD

[perspectivestarters]

Perspective's Sentence Starters; 1989 (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift (Part III)

"SLUT!"

Being this young is art.

What if all I need is you?

Got love-struck, went straight to my head.

Got lovesick all over my bed.

Love to think you’ll never forget.

Lovelorn and nobody knows

I'll pay the price, you won't.

If I’m all dressed up, they might as well be lookin' at us.

If they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once.

If I'm gonna be drunk, I might as well be drunk in love.

Everyone wants him, that was my crime.

The wrong place at the right time.

In a world of boys, he's a gentleman.

We’ll pay the price, I guess.

This is luxury.

You're not sayin' you're in love with me.

It might blow up in your pretty face.

SAY DON'T GO

I've known it from the very start, we’re a shot in the darkest dark.

It won't stop.

Halfway out the door, but it won't close

I'm holdin' out hope for you.

Say, "Don't go".

I would stay forever if you say, "Don't go".

Why'd you have to lead me on?

Why’d you have to twist the knife?

Walk away and leave me bleedin’?

Why’d you whisper in the dark just to leave me in the night?

Now your silence has me screamin'.

You kiss me and it stops time.

I'm yours, but you're not mine.

Why'd you have to make me want you?

Why'd you have to give me nothin' back?

Why'd you have to make me love you?

I said, "I love you".

NOW THAT WE DON'T TALK

I heard from everybody.

You part the crowd like the Red Sea.

Did you get anxious though, on the way home?

I guess I'll never, ever know.

You grew your hair long.

You got new icons.

From the outside it looks like you're tryin' lives on.

I miss the old ways.

You didn't have to change.

I guess I don't have a say.

She said that it was for the best.

The more I gave, you'd want me less.

I cannot be your friend.

I pay the price of what I lost.

What do you tell your friends we shared dinners, long weekends with?

I can't pretend it's platonic.

She said to get it off my chest.

Remind myself the way you faded 'til I left.

I don't have to pretend I like acid rock.

Guess maybe I am better off now that we don't talk.

Guess this is how it has to be now that we don't talk.

SUBURBAN LEGENDS

You had people who called you on unmarked numbers in my peripheral vision.

All was quickly forgiven.

You were so magnetic, it was almost obnoxious.

I didn't come here to make friends.

We were born to be suburban legends.

When you hold me, it holds me together.

You kiss me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever.

I had the fantasy that maybe our mismatched star signs would surprise the whole school.

You'd be more than a chapter in my old diaries with the pages ripped out.

I know that you still remember.

We were born to be national treasures.

You told me we'd get back together.

I broke my own heart 'cause you were too polite to do it.

You don't knock anymore and my whole life's ruined.

IS IT OVER NOW?

You still wouldn't go.

Let's fast forward to three hundred takeout coffees later.

I see your profile and your smile on unsuspecting waiters.

You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor.

You search in every maiden's bed for somethin' greater.

Was it over when she laid down on your couch?

Was it over when he unbuttoned my blouse?

Was it over then?

Is it over now?

Your new girl is my clone.

Did you think I didn't see you?

At least I had the decency to keep my nights out of sight.

Only rumors 'bout my hips and thighs and my whispered sighs.

Oh, Lord, I think about jumpin' off of very tall somethings just to see you come runnin'.

Say the one thing I've been wanting.

Let's fast forward to three hundred awkward blind dates later.

If she's got blue eyes, I will surmise that you'll probably date her.

You search in every model's bed for somethin' greater.

SWEETER THAN FICTION

You never saw it comin'.

Now you've come undone.

Wish I could make it better.

Someday, you won't remember this pain you thought would last forever and ever.

I will say, "I knew it all along".

This life is sweeter than fiction.

All you got are your shattered hopes.

They never saw it comin'.

Now you're on to somethin'.

Proved me right when you proved them wrong.

It's like we don't remember the rain we thought would last forever and ever.

All at once, the rest is history.

Look at you now.

You've made us proud.

You know that I'll be there time and again.

[love-me-purple]

“Lost & Found.” Shuichi Saihara / Reader (Fluff)

CW: mild cursing

"Shit! Shit-No! No..No..No-" You pulled all the sheets from your bed. "Where is it?!" You groaned in frustration, sitting back on your mattress. You had lost your journal. Normally that wouldn't be so bad. Only you had some pretty embarrassing things written in it. What if it got into the wrong hands? Maybe you were stupid for keeping a journal in a place like this. Who knows what would happen if all your words were shared with everyone?! Especially not the person you were crushing on! It was only a crush, really. You'd only fill pages with your poetry, and sometimes you'd write about your classmates. One in particular though. Shuichi Saihara, that is. Even thinking of him made you smile. Only, You didn't want him to know!

You decided to leave your room and search elsewhere. Hoping nobody had found it before you had. It was so much easier writing than talking to someone about it. Or actually telling them how you felt. Maybe you were kind of a loser. A hopeless romantic at best!  Always wanting more out of things, always wanting to be somewhere else. Oh god, anyone who reads that would know! The last person you would want to find it would be Shuichi himself. How could you make such a foolish decision to leave your room with it? You'd be embarrassed .. you'd probably let yourself get killed instead!

You tried retracing your steps. (with each step further from your room.) Where was the last place you remembered having it? You mentally scolded yourself, being so careless like that? You stopped in your tracks. The library? Maybe someone had mistaken it for a book? You were grasping at straws here. Your anxious voyage began, keeping trembling fingers crossed in hopes that nobody had found it before you. Hopefully, that is.

____

You walked into the library with confidence. Those anxious fingers fumbled with your sleeves, looking around the disheveled area. "There's no way I'll find it in here." You admitted to yourself in a mumble, realizing that even if it was there, there was no way you'd have much luck sifting aimlessly through books. It was an average, run-of-the-mill journal. It would blend in perfectly! You only felt worse now. You absolutely poured your heart out into that journal! You accepted your loss and gave up. (in defeat. in sorrow!)

When looking around the library, you were sure you'd never find it in there. Maybe it was just lost for good. You hadn't written your name in it. So, It could always remain a mystery. (worst-case scenario.) It would still leave you very anxious. Maybe there was somewhere else to look? Geez. You sighed, taking your frustrated and upset leave towards the exit of the library. This was ridiculous!

Your monologuing was cut short when colliding right into someone. Someone - Someone who sounded very familiar. You stepped backward, almost falling over on your own feet. "Sh-Shuichi!" You were a little startled. Even if you wanted to make up an excuse to get out of this situation, you couldn't. "Sorry-! Sorry, I should'-"

He seemed more shaken up than you were. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?" He grasped your shoulders, "No-No .. Uhmn. I was just-I'm fine." You nodded, assuring him of that. He let out a relieved breath. (still sounding anxious!) "I was meaning to talk to you." He said, sliding his hands from your shoulders. The pressure of his fingers was warm. No! Don't get flustered now!

"You ... were?" You questioned feebly, staring back at him. "It reminds me," He ducked his head down, pulling a small notebook from his pocket. "My journal!" You gasped out. Before he could even finish his sentence, you were reaching out for it. He allowed you to do so, carefully handing it over. You noted how his fingers brushed over yours. "I found this yesterday," Shuichi explained. "I wasn't sure what it was or who it belonged to. If it belonged to anyone at all .." He began. "Though, I thought it was unethical to read someone's journal."

You were so relieved! Thank God, Shuichi hadn't read it! You held your journal close to your chest, nodding to his words. "S-So I didn't .. at first." He admitted. Seemingly ashamed to say it. "Huh?" You thought aloud. Quite the loud reaction, might I add. The fingers holding that damned journal to your chest trembled. You were at a loss for real words.

"I'm sorry, y/n." He apologetically spoke your name. "I-Well .." He nervously laughed, sounding taken aback himself. The red flush of his cheeks was easy to understand. "I had this feeling about it. I shouldn't have .. I know that now." His eyes darted away from you. (anxious?) "I knew it in the first place. Maybe it's the curious intuition in me. But, The writing.."

Shuichi looked back to you, "The delicate words. y/n, I  knew it belonged to you." He confessed.  You stared back at the boy before you. Each word that came out of his mouth sounded just as uneasy as the next. (nervous regrets?) You felt the same way. With a lethal grip on your journal, you could only nod. He read your journal. All those paragraphs on how you felt, and what you felt for your classmate? (Indeed, you had pure intentions!)

You were terrified of his next words.

"Did you.." He cleared his throat, "y/n, Did you .. really mean all that?" He questioned. Your hands were sweating now. That was it! He knew .. he knew it all. "Uhmn.." You couldn't muster the strength to keep looking at him. Your eyes met the floor, taking in how close you were to him. You were burning up. A furious red in your cheeks; anxious sweat mixing with your emotions. "You wrote with such honesty and emotion .. You couldn't have been dishonest. y/n." His voice was comforting to you. But he sounded nervous.

Shuichi had gone over the possibility that you felt something for him. More than your friends did. He didn't have enough confidence within himself to believe it though. "If I make you feel that way? .. I don't think anyone has ever thought of me that way." He confessed. (breaths were trembling!) "It's only poetry, Shuichi." You spoke quietly and lifted your head. Just enough to see his eyes. "Only poetry?! No. Your words .. they mean something y/n." He corrected you, reaching out for your hand. "To me, at least." He smiled.

You swallowed, grasping his outstretched hand. There was an awkward noise from him with your warm squeeze. "I-Erm-" He choked up, surprised you'd return the proposition. Or maybe it was the contact. Your sweaty palm pressed against his? "I .. wouldn't have expected this." He glanced at your hand, placing the quivering fingers of his left hand over the connection. "Do you really like me that much?" He asked more clearly, moving his eyes back to you. What nervous blotches of red across his face. You took in a deep breath, acknowledging that he could take notice of this. "It's true. I .. did mean what I sai-Wrote." You squeezed his hand, catching a hum from him. (was he touch-starved or something? nervous?)

"Y/N - I .. I think it's sweet. It makes me happy to know I can make someone feel like this."

Your mouth eased into a little smile, unable to form a sentence. "Especially from you. y/n, I-I'd.." He let out a breath. "I'd like to see where this goes." He carefully moved you closer to him by the wrists. "I confide in you more than anyone else. I trust you. That's all I need right now. To have you by my side like this? Its .. " He glanced down with a small laugh. It sounded more nervous than anything. "I wouldn't have expected it." He said, meeting your face again.

"Mhmnm." You hummed, biting down on your lip. Tears stung in your eyes. (don't cry don't cry don't cry!) "Oh! Please don't cry.." Shuichi let go of your hands, breaking the contact. "Shuichi-" You sniffled, taking the moment to pull him against your body. Close enough to press your arms against his back.  He was quiet at best, hesitant to return the embrace. "Y/N .. I .. When we get out of here .. I'll make sure to keep you this happy." He spoke calmly, running his hand down your head. As happy as I am to be around you .. You inspire me." Shuichi continued, holding you there comfortably - leaving you to hear his heartbeat. "So, Thank you, y/n."

His words were .. hopeful to hear. It was quiet. Your foggy mind felt quiet, taking in this moment. It was the most comfort you had felt this entire time. Hopefully, you could hold onto that.

__

You ran your hands down his back, slowly pulling away from him. You only moved a few inches away. Enough to see his flustered expression again. "Oh, Y/N." Shuichi lifted his thumbs to your face, rubbing the wet skin. "Let's stay as positive as we can. Okay? I know .. I feel better having you here."

You nodded, returning a warm smile. You held his hands there - enough to press his palms to your face. Enough for his fingers to press against your warm cheekbones. A quiet sigh from you, and you closed your eyes. (leaning against his hands.) It was easy to feel better around someone you loved. When flickering your eyes open, you'd stare back at Shuichi. Such a sincere expression from him. He was so kind to you. That meant something. When seeing how stray hairs would fall past his eyes, now .. you had someone to hold onto.

"Shuichi," You parted your lips to speak, but his name came out quietly. "Hmn?" He brushed his thumbs against your cheeks. (maybe wondering what you'd say next?) What warm skin pressed against his.

"This is how I want to remember you. Just like this." You said, pressing your fingers against his hands. "Here, with me." You sniffled, unable to hide your smile. "Without worrying about anything. That's what I want to remember." Your voice broke at the last vowel, catching a view of the empathy in his reaction.

"I'll be sure of that," He nodded, steady to keep eye contact. "I'll do what I can to leave here with you. I promise." He assured you, voice soft and full of determination. Bittersweet. That's all you needed. For the past days following, you'd write about the losses. At least you had someone to keep by your side.

[twoidiotwriters1]

The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: This is another chapter I was looking forward to post! -Danny Words: 2,549 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Eight' -by Sleeping At Last

XXXI: I Would Fight Myself if I Could

Percy is on the steps to Cabin Ten waiting for me. Lily and Nico share a look and mumble something about the Big House before turning away. My brother stares at me, and a small smile shows up on his face.

"Purple's definitely your color."

I grin. "You really know how to cheer an Aphrodite up." I pause and reform my sentence. "Former Aphrodite."

He doesn't get up from the steps. "You know when we went to the sea of monsters? When Hermes gave me those gifts?"

"Yeah?"

"I tried to give 'em back at first because he wanted me to help Luke. I told him Luke was a lost cause, he hated the Olympians."

"Did he get angry?"

"He told me no one can quit their family, no matter if you hate each other."

"Bet you didn't believe that."

"He said I would someday. I thought he was trying to sound wise... but he was right."

Percy's looking so defeated even though he just won the war, that I feel like a terrible person. I'm the reason why my brother can't enjoy his victory.

"Do you hate me, brother?" I ask quietly.

He gets up. "I'm trying to say I'll always care for you even if you hate me."

"I don't hate you," I frown. "I've said mean things, but I don't hold them against you, I know you're scared. I'm scared for you too, that's why I did this."

He nods slowly, deep in thought. "I was willing to die for all of you, I can't lie and say I don't understand where you're coming from..."

"We're good," I state. "You know, sometimes I feel like we've been siblings our whole lives, maybe our souls are old friends," I walk past him. "But we're on different paths. Don't make me quit my free will and my family on the same day."

His face gets really serious. "Never. I'm here for you, Birdy."

I smile. "Would you help me, then? I can't stay in Cabin Ten now that I'm the Strategus."

He pauses. "But isn't it against the rules..."

I stare at him with a deadpan expression. "We're siblings, Percy."

"Right," he makes a face. "I need a nap."

After Frank explains that he's been hearing the Roman and Greek versions of his dad shouting inside his head, it makes sense that he was interested to hear more about the voices in her head.

"Maybe we can fix your problem and save Hazel while doing so," Ara's mind races through several ideas. "If you offer a deal to your mentally unstable father, maybe he'll get us a python for Trip's chariot. Ask them if they'd like that."

Frank looks at her begrudgingly, but he closes his eyes anyway. He grumbles and groans for a few seconds, then fixes his posture, still not opening his eyes. "Horatius... Fine. If that's what it takes, I'll prove I'm as good as Horatius. Uh... what did he do?" 

After a second, Frank's eyes open and he looks at her. 

"I hope you're in the mood for a Phorcy's 2.0"

Ara grins. "Always am."

"Get on one knee so I can crown you the Canadian lone ranger."

Ara ties a large shirt over Frank's nose and mouth to protect him from the cow-dogs's poison. She won't even try to call those monsters by their name, she knows she'll get it wrong.

"All set," Ara covers her nose and mouth as well. "Ready?"

"You look weirdly happy," Frank points out while pulling up tiles and searching for roots.

"That's because I'm absurd. It took Jason, Piper, and Leo a week to figure it out," Ara cuts pieces of the roots and stuffs her pockets with them. She's wearing safety gloves to protect her skin. "Sorry you have to put up with me."

"Percy's a lot like you, Greeks are generally crazier," he comments while Ara ties pieces of roots to the belt loops of his pants. "I'll survive."

"That's the first time someone says Percy's like me and not the other way around," she says bemusedly.

Frank chuckles, then shrugs. "So why are you happy?"

"Because we have a plan. I like it when solutions are found quickly, and even more when it's something I can do without help. Well, partially—I sort of need you."

"Thank you," he replies without much excitement. "Now let's hunt some smelly cows."

The monsters might look heavy, but these creatures can run. Ara turns Almighty into a spear and Frank turns into a lion, she climbs his back and holds onto his mane, stabbing the cow-dogs that dare to inch closer.

They run through narrow streets, taunting the creatures with the nasty smell of their roots. Her spear isn't killing them fast enough so she switches to something different: a BB gun. Ara has better aim with a gun than she ever had with a bow, but Michael never let her use guns in camp because he considered that too risky.

She wonders what he'd think, watching her ride a lion through Venice while shooting at an army of cow-dogs. He'd be torn between awe and horror no doubt. Ara thinks about what her younger self would think, and that image comes effortlessly: Little Ara would be whooping and screaming at her to aim between the eyes.

Frank stops near a canal and turns into a human. Ara jumps off his back and keeps shooting. "You want our poison roots?" He screams, slashing through the herd with Hazel's sword. "Come and get them!"

He grabs Ara by the waist and jumps to the canal, turning into a dolphin. The girl holds onto him, but even though she'd been expecting this part, the smelly water is warm and repulsive, and she squirms in disgust.

"This sucks!" She shoots at the monsters angrily. "Nico's in debt for life!"

It feels like an eternity of running and killing, Ara keeps changing Almighty into different weapons to test out its efficiency, and she keeps glowing different colors as well: White, silver, green, and teal (she grew tired after that one, pulled half a dozen cow-dogs to the canal). 

"There!" Frank points at an old wooden bridge.

"Looks weak!" Ara nods approvingly. "Let's go!"

Frank turns into an eagle to make sure all the monsters are still following them, and Ara focuses on shooting, slashing, stabbing, and exploding the monsters with the bombs she had in her Octopi. Frank joins her in human form, pulling her to the middle of the bridge.

He grabs the roots from her pockets and tosses them behind them along with his roots, then he draws out Hazel's spatha. "Come on! You want to know what Frank Zhang is worth? Come on!"

Ara's never used all of her blessings in a row, and it takes a lot from her. Her anger is keeping her standing, she's tired of having to guess whether they'll be wounded or helped—most of all, she's tired of pitying herself. 

Ara likes a good fight, and she enjoys killing monsters, but lately, all she thinks is that she's sending threats to Percy and Annabeth, thinning their chances of survival and getting in their way like she's always done. 

Her actions have consequences, in this world and the next, and the ones around her. All she can do is minimize the damage by not going apeshit. She focuses on achieving their goal even if it costs her a limb, she can't go back to the ship with Nico as a plant and no Hazel, so she'll do whatever Frank tells her to, twist herself into knots if she has to.

The girl calculates all of her moves and keeps an eye on Frank, who attacks the monsters in all the forms he can imagine, animal and human. He's a little frantic too, their strength and patience are running out. 

Eventually, a red light envelops them. There are no monsters left except for one, and Ara yanks Frank backward before he slays it. "You said we needed one!"

"Mars!" Frank yells, eyes wild and angry. "I've proven myself. Now I need a snake!"

The cow-dog jumps at them, and Frank moves Ara out of the way to cut it in half. The monster vanishes in a flash, and in its place, a python lands at their feet.

"Well done," says a voice.

Ara drops her sword. This is Mars, not Ares, she knows the difference because this version looks less stupid. She kneels before him, grateful. Percy would not approve of this, but the girl doesn't care. Ares has always kept her alive, like Clarisse did when they were little.

"On your feet, Strategus," he commands her. "A good leader knows when to hand over the reigns, and when to take control. You've earned my blessing."

Ara feels a lump in her throat but says nothing, she steps back so Frank can talk to his dad. "Father," the boy speaks hoarsely.

"It's natural to feel fear." Ara only heard him speak this warmly when Clarisse killed the drakon. "All great warriors are afraid. Only the stupid and the delusional are not. But you faced your fear, my son. You did what you had to do, like Horatius. This was your bridge, and you defended it."

"I—" Frank gulps. "I... I just needed a snake."

The god smirks. "Yes. And now you have one. Your bravery has united my forms, Greek and Roman, if only for a moment. Go. Save your friends. But hear me, Frank. Your greatest test is yet to come. When you face the armies of Gaea at Epirus, your leadership—" the god bends over, his form glitching from the Roman to the Greek. "Agony!" He moans. "Go! Hurry!"

"Get on my back," Frank tells her. 

Ara does and then he turns into an eagle, grabs the python with his claws, and flies away. 

"You found one!" Triptolemus says delightedly.

"Heal them," Frank drags the python into the room and then moves over to Hazel. "Now."

"How do I know the snake will work?"

Ara yanks the python closer to the chariot, tilts it sideways, and wraps the creature around the broken wheel. The chariot comes to life and starts circling the room.

"Fixed." Ara crosses her arms. "That'll be two healthy children of the Underworld, please."

Triptolemus tilts his head, toying with their worry. "Well, thank you for the snake, but I'm not sure I like your attitudes, demigods. Perhaps I'll turn you into—"

Frank jumps to his feet and pushes the god against a wall. It's only then that Ara notices his physical change. She glances down, her body looks different too.

"Think about your next words," Frank growls. "Or instead of beating my sword into a plowshare, I will beat it into your head."

"You know..." The god's eyes dart between him and Ara, who's glaring at him too. "I think I'll heal your friends." 

"Swear it on the River Styx," Frank presses.

"I swear it on the River Styx."

The boy steps back and Triptolemus stumbles away from him. "Just—just gathering herbs!"

Frank stands next to Ara, taller than before. Before they left Trip's house, Nico the potted plant was the same height as her, now it barely reaches her chin. Both demigods look at each other and Ara whistles.

"You look scary."

"You're small... but a different small," Frank frowns. "Like a bodybuilder that's just getting started. There's a child of Venus in New Rome—"

Hazel coughs and sits up. Triptolemus is next to her, his fingers full of crumbs and greenish matter.  "What—?"

Frank approaches and wraps his arms around her, he could suffocate the fourteen-year-old without even trying. "You're going to be fine. Everything is fine."

"But..." Hazel moves away and eyes him. "Frank, what happened to you?"

"To me?" He looks at himself. "I don't... Uh... I don't... Maybe I can fix it."

Hazel laughs. "Why? You look amazing!"

"I—I do?"

"I mean, you were handsome before! But you look older, and taller, and so distinguished—"

"Mars's blessing," Ara explains. "We both got it, I think."

"You think?" Triptolemus snorts. "Now, if we're done here..."

"We're not done," Frank points at the corn plant. "Heal Nico."

Nico turns back into a human and Ara steadies him before he falls on his face. "I—I had the weirdest nightmare about popcorn." He scowls at Ara, now as tall as him. "Why are we eye-to-eye?"

"You've been a corn plant for two years—"

"Knock it off, Birdy," Frank interrupts her. "Everything's fine. Triptolemus was about to tell us how to survive the House of Hades. Weren't you, Trip?"

"Fine," Trip makes a face. "When you arrive at Epirus, you will be offered a chalice to drink from."

"Offered by whom?" Nico questions.

"Doesn't matter. Just know that it is filled with deadly poison."

"So you're saying that we shouldn't drink it," Hazel says hesitantly.

"No! You must drink it, or you'll never be able to make it through the temple. The poison connects you to the world of the dead, lets you pass into the lower levels. The secret to surviving is... barley."

"Barley." Frank repeats.

"In the front room, take some of my special barley. Make it into little cakes. Eat these before you step into the House of Hades. The barley will absorb the worst of the poison, so it will affect you, but not kill you."

"That's it?" Nico frowns. "Hecate sent us halfway across Italy so you could tell us to eat barley?"

"Good luck!" Triptolemus gets on his chariot. "And, Frank Zhang, I forgive you for threatening me! You've got spunk. And you're brighter than you look, daughter of Olympus! I'd love to see you two get a degree in farming!"

"Not a chance, Trip!" Ara waves him off.

"Yeah," Frank makes a face. "Thanks."

"He's right, you know," Nico tells her. "You don't look smart. Ouch! You're stronger?!" He asks in outrage.

"Be quiet or I'll send you to camp in pieces," Ara warns him.

"Oh, to be mobile again!" Triptolemus exclaims as the garage doors open. "So many ignorant lands in need of my knowledge. I will teach them the glories of tilling, irrigation, fertilizing! Away, my serpents! Away!"

"I kind of regret fixing his ride," Ara mumbles. "We've released a nuance into the world."

"Can't be any worse than what's already out there," Frank sighs.

"That," Hazel says, "was very strange."

"The glories of fertilizing." Nico moves away from Ara and brushes off the corn hairs of his jacket. "Can we get out of here now?"

"Are you two okay, really?" Hazel places a hand on Frank's shoulder. "You bartered for our lives. What did Triptolemus make you do?"

Frank looks at his feet and takes a shaky breath. "Those cow monsters... the katoblepones that poisoned you... we had to destroy them."

"That was brave," Nico points out. "There must have been, what, six or seven left in that herd."

"No." Frank corrects him. "All of them. We killed all of them in the city."

Ara holds Frank's hand to absorb some of his torment. "I told Triptolemus I could fix his chariot, and Frank just did his best to help me."

"You put your life on the line just so we could heal Hazel," Frank squeezes her hand once and then lets go. "We helped each other. I know it's your job, but..."

"My job is to keep you from danger, not to put you in its way," Ara makes a face. "It won't happen again, I apologize."

"Look at that," Nico raises a brow. "That's the second time I hear a sincere apology from you. Maybe those blessings make you grow in more ways than one." 

She thinks about what Hercules said, her ambition feeding on her youth. "How fun..."

"Well," Nico moves toward the exit. "Does anyone know what barley looks like?"

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @asnyox-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh

[katakankollector]

DARK CABARET SENTENCE STARTERS

Sentences were taken from the mesmerizing songs by Jill Tracy and shall suit such topics as obsession, longing, heist, revenge, dark humor, sorcery, desolation, criminal lovers, pain and pleasure, doomed love, melancholy. Slight changes occurred for rp needs ( aka the lion share of the delightful innuendos is gone ). Change names and pronouns further as you see fitting. [ art credit: Erté ]

EVIL NIGHT TOGETHER "We'll rendezvous in cold blood." "We'll drink a toast in the torture chamber." "You'll go down on a bed of nails." "I'll tie you up to the third rail." "Who's gonna make you a hero?" "I'll hold you close while they dust for prints." "No need for cake or flowers." "Let's spend an evil night together."

JUST THE OTHER SIDE OF PAIN "The prophecies have all proved wrong." "Your picture's hanging upside down." "Oh, time stands still without you around." "Those blasted clocks have all run down." "The wishes drown beneath the well." "The waxy moon has lost its flair." "This is confidential, you're the one to blame." "Although it's rather late, I lie awake in vain." "'Cause I'm still waiting for what's wonderful."

HOUR AFTER HOUR "Numbers on the wall prove that sky’s about to fall." "Maybe persistence will melt it all away." "Just watch my heart disintegrate." "I’m suffocating." "Could you spare the time to rescue me?" "Your light years away, but you're still mine most every day." "I feel your hands upon my face." "Hour after hour, I’ve been caught inside the days." "It's like some broken fascination." "I can’t make it go away."

BETWEEN THE BLACK "You’re a traitor to sacrifice with all you take away." "You’re full of nothing cause there’s always something more." "You’re the dark side of the quick, forever and a day." "You’re the other half of evil because you’re awfully good." "I’m captivated."

EXTRAORDINARY "You're open to interpretation." "The perfect pales beyond compare." "Your guise will leave no stone unturned." "I'm paralyzed by your concoction." "I've searched the holy books and I've dogeared every page." "Your sleight of hand keeps all my fingers burned." "I've stolen secrets from the sorcerers and sages."

[alina-dixon]

I can't sleep

Pairing: Morpheus x Male reader

Warnings: none, fluff.

Requested: Yes / No

A/N: Have fun reading!😚

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It was dark in the dreaming, the stars were shining bright in the sky that you were watching while lying on Fiddler’s Green. Humming a soft tune. You couldn't sleep so you thought it was a nice Idea, and you didn't want to bother Morpheus with that.

It's actually not the first time you do that, but it's the first time you do it because you couldn't sleep. So you thought that it maybe could help you getting tired.

It didn't really help, but you still enjoyed it lying there right now, the thing you didn't know was, was that Morpheus was looking for you right now.

Morpheus walked into your shared bedroom but all he found was an empty bed that made him frown. ‘Where is he? It's way past midnight.’ he thought as he walked out of the room to continue searching for you.

The next place he looked for you was The Library where Lucienne was. Lucienne was putting the last few books away that came in a few hours ago, when she saw Morpheus walking in with a frown on his face. “Is something wrong, my lord?” she asked pushing her glasses up a little.

“Yes, do you know where Y/N is? He isn't in our bedroom.” this caused Lucienne to frown herself. “I'm sorry my lord, I have no idea. Perhaps he's outside, watching the stars you know how much he likes them.” She suggested. Morpheus nodded. “Thank you Lucienne” he said turning around to leave. “Anytime, my lord” and with that Morpheus made his way outside to look for you.

Morpheus already knew where to look, because he knew the spot where you were always watching the stars in the sky. “Hey, Boss!” Morpheus looked up and saw Matthew flying towards him. Matthew landed right beside him and walked with him. “Matthew, is there something you need?” he asked the raven.

“Uh, no not really. I'll be flying off to Lucienne. Bye Boss!” with that he flew away. Morpheus continued his way to your spot. And when he finally got a glimpse of you his face softened.

He slowly walked towards you, so when you heard someone walking towards you, you looked up and smiled as you saw Morpheus in front of you. “Hey, Morpheus” you say softly making him smile softly. “Hello, Love. Why are you still out?“ he asked.

“I can't sleep. And I didn't want to bother you with it, so I thought maybe it would help me get tired.” By the time you finished the sentence he knelt down and put his hand on your cheek making you lean into it. “You know you could never bother me, Love. I could have helped you,” he whispered softly. “Mmh... Ok. Can we go back now?” you ask softly. Morpheus nodded still smiling. “Of course, now come.” he put one arm under your legs and the other around your waist, and you put your arms around his neck.

He started to walk back with you in his arms. You look up at him, making him rise a brow while looking back at you. “Sorry didn't mean to stare, you're just handsome you know?” you said without thinking, making him chuckle. “And you're just too cute” he said back making you bury your face in his chest in embarrassment.

“Say, can we go to the park tomorrow? I want to feed the birds again.” your voice sounds muffled against his chest. Morpheus laughed softly. “Of course everything you want, my love.” his voice as soft as ever.

When you finally arrived at the bedroom he got inside and gently laid you on the bed he went to the other side of the bed to get in as well but before he did so he had put his clothes off, leaving him in his boxers. You did the same and put your clothes off except for your boxers of course.

He got in next to you and covered the both of you with the blanket. You both were facing each other when Morpheus put his hand on your cheek, making you lean into it. “I love you, Y/N.” he whispered to you making you smile sweetly at him. “I love you too, Morpheus.” you whispered back.

Then he gently kissed your lips and pulled his hand back and softly blew the sand in your face, and you immediately fell asleep. “Sleep well, my love.” he said. And of course, he made sure you had a beautiful dream.

[sprouseandall]

𝑷𝑶𝑷𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑺

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

Blood was oozing out of the newly formed hole in the middle of my chest. Breathing was getting harder for me to inhale so maybe it was safe to say its quite possible that the bullet has punctured one of my lungs. My facial and emotional expression matches that of Cole. Just the fear was different; for him of losing me and for me... to leave him alone in this unforgiving world. I can see our field of dreams engulfed in fire which matches the background of this mansion in way; bullets showering like rain.

The sound of shots being fired did not bother me anymore. In each shuddering breathe my lunges managed to fill in, I was more concerned about Cole, who was weeping holding my fragile frame close to his, shielding me from any danger since the beginning of the shootout showdown.

"C'mon Ashley. Keep your eyes open for me, please Ashley." Cole begged, tears blurring his vision. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes with his palm before applying pressure on the open wound.

"I c-can't." I croaked out, moaning in pain.

"Yes you can, you're stronger than this. You can face this you know I'm with you. Just keep on savin' your breathe."

"It's okay." I weakly places her bloody hand on top of Cole's.

"No! It's not okay. Nothing is okay and you know it! I won't let you go I-I-I just can't. I love and we promised, remember? J-Just keep on breathing babe."

"It's not your fault Cole." I managed to say, pulling him impossibly closer to me, wanting to feel him one last time before I die in the arms of the man I loved. Of course I did not plan on dying this soon but at the end of the day if this is how I end, I have no regrets. I did the right thing.

I could feel the weakness taking over me. I was feeling paralyzed, weight of my body getting heavier when the click-click sound appeared getting louder and louder.

Cole still held me tight in his drip while his free hand went to grab the gun placed beside me. He upheld the gun high aimed in the direction of that sound with his finger resting on top of the trigger, just in case it was one of Martinez scoundrels.

Guess not because I recognized that voice. It was Dylan's voice. He knelt next to us with shock plastered on his face.

"Oh god at this rate she will bleed out to her-" He did not dare to finish the sentence.

"We need to stop the bleeding until the help is arriving." Cole says looking around to search for something useful but he did not find something.

The light bulb of his brain glowed. He began to slip off his flannel shirt and belt off his waist. He made a bundle out of the shirt and placed it on top of my wound. He asked Dylan to strap the belt tightly onto my chest as he held me a bit upright, thinking it stop the blood flowing and keep the cloth in place. When Dylan proceeded to do so, I yelped in pain.

"That's it. That's it Ash. You got this." Cole coos, trying to comfort me. Dylan shot a few times in between, killing a couple of Martinez mens and missing a few times.

THIRD PERSON POV:

Dylan passed three ammo magazines to Cole as reserve when a voice came through his ear piece on comms.

"Come in alpha-one. Angel is here, I repeat Angel is here."

"Copy that daybreak. The sweetness is fading. Need a cover out, Charlie team flood in please." Dylan ordered.

"Affirmative."

"You heard it. Fast dry on my mark. You need to take Ashley out of here."

"I'll come back for you" Cole says.

"No you won't. You're already in this mess because of me."

"Did you ever listened to me?" Cole tried to shake it off, making Dylan shake his head as a grin broke into his face. Cole clutched Ashley's limp form, her blood-soaked body draped across his arms. The brothers shared one last look and then Dylan moved across the next pillar scanning the area for any signs of danger.

"Now!" Dylan yelled, his voice piercing the din of gunfire.

Cole sprang into action, dashing towards the entrance with Ashley cradled in his arms. Bullets whizzed past, but Dylan's covering fire kept the attackers at bay.

He panted and kept on saying "Almost there Ash, almost there. Just a couple of more seconds. Help is here, just hand on for me, just hang on for me, just live for us baby." He cradled her delicate frame. A bullet grazed his left arm and he hissed at the physical contact but his grip never loosened and nothing else mattered to him at that moment as they burst through the mansion doors, Cole spotted the friendly forces, their guns trained on the mansion still going inside.

KJ and Camila spotted their bandmate and KJ flew in to help Cole while Camila brought the medical personnel, rushing forward with stretchers at the ready. The nurses helped Cole to lay Ashley on the stretcher.

Cole removed her hand off his bloody t-shirt which as Ashley held on to it. "C-Cole" she murmured.

"I'm right here Ash, I'm not going anywhere." He said with urgency.

The medical team swept in, surrounding Ashley with a flurry of activity. Cole watched, helpless, as they worked to save her life.

Cole instantly broke down in tears, KJ wraps him into his embrace, rubbing his back and said "You know she's going to be alright. You know that right? She will be back in your arms, pinching your nose before you know it." Cole was instantly hit with a wave of their memories together and this particular sweet gesture shared between them multiple times. This was their love language; simple little yet sweet things.

"Okay now lets get yourself cleaned up mate." Cole broke their hug, wiping the length of his eyes across his cheeks and rubbed his hands to the sides of his jeans.

"You keep Ashley safe. I have to get back in there."

Camila stepped in, "Are you crazy? You can't go back in there!"

"Look man, I know Dylan is inside but I cannot let you back in, okay? rest of the team is going in, they will make sure Dylan make it out just fine safely." KJ tries to reason with Cole but he does not bug in.

"I promised Ashley I'd always protect her, I failed. Didn't you just see her in that state? She's fighting for life because she chose to take a bullet for me. I promised her, I will keep us brothers safe, it should not matter what happened between us in the last few months. One bad deed can't outrun all the good ones, Dylan IS my brother and I still do care for him. I can't sit here let the worry eat me alive for him and Ash. I have to go back to him." Cole finished.

KJ signed deeply and gave in. "Fine but on one condition: I'm going with you."

"No" Cole replied without a pause, earning a look serious look from his friends.

"That's non-negotiable" Camila says, arms resting on her hips.

"Okay fine!"

Dylan sprinted through the mansion's grand hall, bullets ricocheting off the marble floor as he dodged and weaved between columns. An agent burst from the doorway, gun blazing, and Dylan leapt into a flying tackle, slamming them to the ground.

They wrestled, punches flying, as Dylan struggled to pin the agent's gun arm. But another agent closed in, boot raised for a crushing kick. Dylan rolled, avoiding the blow by mere inches, and countered with a lightning-fast jab that sent the second agent crashing into a nearby vase.

The first agent broke free, gun raised, and Dylan knew he was out of time. But before the trigger could be pulled, a shot rang out, and the agent's gun hand exploded in a crimson splash.

Cole, Dylan's brother, stood in the doorway, smoking gun still raised, a hint of a grin on his face.

"Need a hand bro?"

"Yeah but can't say the same about him though." Dylan says sarcastically referring to the dead man laying in front of them.

"I told you not to come for me." Dylan teases though no matter what happens knew his little brother would forever come to save him.

"It's always me saving your ass. You can't last 5 seconds without me."

"I may agree with the first part however I did last for ten minutes until superhero Nat King Cole saved the day!"

Cole chuckled, eyes still scanning the area. "We need to roll out. More are coming."

Dylan nodded, and together they charged forward, guns drawn, returning fire as they battled their way through the mansion's deadly maze. They leapt over shattered furniture, dodged falling chandeliers, and took down agents with precision shots.

The body count increased and the noise quieted down.

KJ informed Cole over comms that he with the help of delta team has captured the last man alive: Martinez's left-hand - Enrique.

The twins dart towards the East entrance, when they arrived at the scene the group of their alliance members shifted and made a passage for the boys to come forward, face-to-face in front of this last rascal.

Dylan and Cole loomed over the gang leader, guns pressed to his temples. "Last chance," Dylan growled.

"Who's behind this?"

The rascal spat blood, eyes flashing with defiance.

"You can suck my balls."

Cole's gaze narrowed. "Wrong answer."

With a swift motion, Cole slammed his gun into Enrique's jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. Dylan followed, pinning the leader's arms behind his back.

"You see, we have a problem with stubborn people," Dylan said, his voice dripping with menace.

Cole knelt before Enrique, a cruel smile spreading across his lips. "We like to break them."

With a swift kick, Cole sent the man scraping across the floor, the sound echoing through the mansion. The leader groaned, his body trembling.

"Who's behind all this?" Dylan repeated, his grip tightened. Enrique's eyes bulged, but he remained silent.

Cole's patience ran thin. He propped himself straight ahead of the blood wheezing man and placed the mouth of his gun on top of Enrique's right kneecap and with that devilish glance and then Cole pulled the trigger, a scream filled with agony fill the air, his knee bust open with all the blood splattered all over the floor and all over the twins face, down to their clothes staining them in crimson color.

Cole leaned in, his voice a whisper. "We'll keep asking until you talk. Or until you can't talk anymore."

Dylan's eyes locked onto the leader's, a fierce intensity burning within. "You choose."

The leader's face contorted in agony, but still, he refused to yield.

With a nod, Cole resumed the brutal interrogation, the brothers working in tandem to extract the truth. The leader's screams echoed through the halls, a haunting symphony of suffering.

Finally, as the leader's voice cracked, he whispered the name.

Suddenly the man started to laugh like a maniac. "How do you suppose you'd make it out of this mess alive? Huh? Who are you? You are nobody. NOBODY."

Dylan and Cole exchanged a look, a spark of mischief igniting between them. In perfect sync, they smirked, and their voices became one: "We're Popstars." as two bullets got fired at the same time piercing the eyes of a now useless man, blood pouring down rapidly.

A/N: I thought I will not be posting this story until the whole thing is done and written but I couldn’t resist! I was so excited to share this so here it is, I hope you enjoyed it.

ᯓ ✈︎ SERIES MASTERLIST

Taglist is open! Let me know if you wanna be added 🤍

Like, reblog and comment they are appreciated. DON’T YOU DARE STEAL MY WORK. I WILL FIND YOU AND THAT IS WRITTEN.

[moonmeg]

Did Caleb ate Kitty's food? And didn't he feel sick after that?

Althought....How Caleb found Flapjack? In Human realm or in Demon?

I answered the second question some while ago with human realm!

For the first one I present you: another glorious piece of writing (it follows my comics not the canon version but Catherine has been changed to Evelyn lol)

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Caleb closed the door behind him. Barely listening to his brother's ramble on how they (again) almost died out there in the Boiling Isles' woods, he brushed the dirt off his coat and picked the stuck leave out of his hair.

"Calm down, Pip. Don't you think it's a little interesting to see how different the flora and fauna of this place is in comparison to earth?"

Philip halted his rant to stare at his brother.

"Oh, right. Now that you mention it... it's actually very interesting how the flora and fauna here tries to eat me or set me on fire or bring death upon me in any other way!", he replied sarcastically while wiping ash and dirt from the surface of his journal. "I can't wait to leave this place behind and be back on earth.", he mumbled angrily, stuffing his journal back into the satchel that was handing around his torso.

Philip started marching off up the stairs to where the brothers each had their chamber. Caleb followed without much thought but stopped upon a sweet scent coming from the kitchen. He couldn't quite say what it reminded it of, he doubted to ever have smelled a scent so sweet as sugar. Maybe that was it. Maybe Mrs. Clawthorne was melting sugar in her cauldron. But Caleb was too curious to just let it be a theory of what it could be.

"Are you coming?", Philip groaned annoyed.

"In a second. Go ahead. I'll be right there.". Caleb didn't even look at his brother when saying that. Instead he stared into the direction of the kitchen down the hall. Philip rolled his eyes but did as Caleb told him to.

Taking a peek into the kitchen he saw not Mrs. Clawthorne in front of the cauldron, but her daughter.

Humming a melody he had never heard before, she danced and spun around the kitchen with a dozen ingredients and a recipe book floating around her.

Seeing her so lightfootedly move around the kitchen was a beautiful, magical sight to him. He came out of hiding to watch her better, a soft smile accompanying his face.

Her palisman curred, flying right next to her. "If you may have this dance?", she turned to the white bird placing her hand on her chest, "Why of course, you may!"

She took the right side of her skirt into her hand and held it up while pretending to share a more formal dance with her palisman. After a turn she was facing the doorway of the kitchen and once she opened her eyes her joyful dancing stopped.

"Caleb!", she yelled out, taken aback by his sudden presence. The magical spells she held up losing the power over the things they held: all ingredients and the book dropping to the floor, the large ladle stirring whatever was in the cauldron suddenly stopping.

"I'm sorry! Please excuse me, Miss, I had no intentions to startle you!", he quickly apologized and took a step back. "I was only curious about the smell coming from here and seeing you dance so happily and carefree... it...", he paused searching for the right way to phrase it, "it was radiant to watch."

The little red tint his cheeks got saying that didn't go unnoticed by her. Evelyn softly smiled at him with a quiet thank you. His eyes moved from her face to the dirty floor with all the ingredients spilled over it around her feet. Caleb cleared his throat and offered his help to clean everything up but Evelyn stopped him before he could finish his sentence. Drawing another blue circle in the air the floor cleaned itself effortless.

"I'm just trying to improve my cooking and baking skills a bit. I wasn't expecting audience though.", she explained eyeing him with a cheeky smile.

"My apologies if I made you uncomfortable.", he fiddled with his fingers, unsure what to do.

"Don't give it a worry. You said the smell got you curious?"

"Yes. It smells incredibly sweet. With a hint of...", he took the smell in a bit longer to make out what it reminded him of aside from melted sugar, "...blueberries?"

She gave a small chuckle. He always said things that barely made any sense but she found it intriguing.

"I have no idea what those blueberries are but what you're smelling is the tarts.", she took one that had no burned spots from the tray and offered it to Caleb to try.

His last meal was hours ago and dinner was even more hours away. It felt like he'd starve before dinner would even be served. And so he happily accepted the small snack in between.

"I think this time they turned out quite alright.", Evelyn leaned onto the kitchen counter and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She looked proud of herself. Usually more than half the tray ends up completely burned and inedible. This time only a few had burned spots.

Without thinking much (again) Caleb took a bite of the tart. While he chewed, holding his hand before his mouth, his eyes sparkled up. "Mmh!", he looked at the brunette standing in front of him, indicated he wanted to say something and with a stuffed mouth told Evelyn that he thinks the tarts are really good.

"You think?"

He nodded enthusiastically. He swallowed and continued: "These are probably the best things I've ever eaten!"

"Well, thank you.", she smiled and blushed shyly, "They're called 'Griffin's Breath'. I used to love them as a little girl."

"Griffin's Breath'? What a unique name to call tarts. I like the crunchiness in between the fluffy dough! What are those?", he went in to take another bite.

"Spider legs."

He froze for a second, eyes shot wide open.

"Excuse me, they're what?"

"Spider legs. That's where the tarts get their name from."

Caleb felt a shiver run down his spine and a sudden feeling of disgust rising in his guts. He still had the second bite he took in his mouth but with the information that he was eating spiders he had lost all appetite and the desire to spit it out. It would've been extremely rude of him to just spit out what he had already began to chew, especially when he said it was the best thing he's ever eaten just a minute earlier.

"Oh how... how nice. Yes, the... the spiders really give it all a certain unique flavor.", he tried his best to act over his distaste and wish to vomit with a crooked and instable smile.

"Just spit it out already.", she stared at him and his sorry performance with narrowed eye lids.

Caleb did so immediately. He coughed a few times to try and get the taste and remainders of spider legs out of his throat but with mediocre success. "I'm so sorry.", he wiped his mouth and put the tart on the kitchen counter.

"It's alright. That's the usual reaction to my kitchen creations.", she shrugged and chuckled.

"No, no it's more that I am not used to the delicate taste of spiders and would actually rather avoid eating them or body parts of them."

"I didn't know the other side of the world was so different.", Evelyn handed him a napkin, "You should show me around there someday. Show me your home town, your family and friends... I'd love to see that."

He blushed more this time. He cleaned off his hands and mouth with a nervous laugh. If she knew the truth, she would never suggest that. His home town would be her death, aside from his little brother there is no surviving member of his family remaining and he never truly had friends. However, the idea that she could stay in his life filled him with joy and this fluttering feeling in his stomach. "Maybe someday."

The two exchanged soft looks and smiles for a moment before Caleb's eyes got bigger and his smile fell again. "Your uh... your cauldron is-", he pointed behind her and couldn't finish his sentence once Evelyn turned around and exclaimed a panicked "Ah!" at the pink dough getting a will of its own.

While she tried to get it under control again, Caleb backed away a little, noticing just how close he is to her.

"Perhaps I should go again. I seem to only be distracting you here."

"It's fine. You can stay if you want. I enjoy your company, Caleb.", her voice softened on the last sentence and seemed to be the softest when pronouncing his name.

His blush giving color to his cheeks deepened and spread even more. The smile she gave him after saying that didn't help toning the red in his face down. There it was again: the feeling of a hundred small butterflies flying around inside his stomach. A feeling that was unknown to him, a feeling that was on the border between uncomfortable and pleasant, but a feeling Evelyn kept triggering with so many of her actions.

"I-I-I- Philip is actually waiting for me to join him upstairs and I'd hate to keep him waiting.", he rubbed his upper arm nervously and pointed at the door.

"I see. Well, in any case I'll see you later today."

Caleb smiled and slowly walked towards the door of the kitchen. "Ah, blondie, wait!", she called out again, making him stop and turn his head over his shoulder to look at her. He met her piercing teal eyes first before noticing that she held out another tart on a plate towards him.

"Eh- Evelyn I-"

"Not for you. For your brother. He didn't even have breakfast if I remember right. He must be starving."

"Oh.", he took the plate and met her eyes again with a small smile, "Thank you."

Evelyn's grin grew brighter as she held the eye contact for a moment longer. His brown eyes may not be as piercing as her teal ones but they radiated a warmth ans comfort she could sometimes find herself wishing to melt into. She slowly turned around, back towards her cooking experiment. She took one last glance at him over her shoulder before fully returning to the cauldron.

A little lightfooted and awestruck, with a pinch of nauseated, Caleb walked up the stairs and turned the doorknob to the chamber Philip claimed as his for the time being. He entered the room and leaned onto the door until it closed.

"Well that took you long enough.", Philip looked up from his journal he still tried to clean.

Caleb however was staring into nothingness, trying to hold on to the mental image of her beautiful face for just a minute longer. He didn't give his brother even a second of a glance as he walked to the desk, where he had registered Philip sat at, and put the small plate on it, commenting on it with a "For you."

"Food? Actual edible food? Thank goodness, I'm starving!", Philip's eyes sparkled up for a second upon seeing the tart. He picked it from the plate and already had his mouth open for the first bite when Caleb stopped him. "No, don't eat it. There's spiders inside."

As quick as the sparkle in this eyes came it was gone again. He examined the tart a bit better but decided to believe Caleb on this, despite the appetizing and almost inviting sweet smell, and set the tart back on the plate with a disappointed but not surprised frown.

"It's from Evelyn. She thought you would like a small something to eat since you skipped breakfast.", Caleb explained.

"Ah. Well, if it's from her then I don't want it at all.", his eye lids narrowed even further and he shoved the plate away. Evelyn is the last person he'd accept anything from. He disliked her and was not afraid to show so. To his worry, though, Caleb seemed to like her and secretly Philip feared there may be even more than just liking to it.

A few hours later Philip's eye lids didn't raise much higher from before as he watched his brother toss and turn in the bed groaning. Caleb had started complaining about queasiness half an hour after entering Philip's room and decided to lay down for a moment. Unfortunately laying down did not help his condition much.

"I think those Griffin's Breaths are showing their effect on my stomach.", he groaned in pain.

Philip pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why would you even eat them in the first place? Aside from the knowledge of what these witches eat and put in their recipes and that we can't eat majority of that, she could've put poison in it!"

"I don't think it was her intention to poison me."

"Right... and that's why you're lying here all sick-"

"Hand me the basin please-", Caleb interrupted, sensing the upcoming consequence of trying Boiling Isles' food.

Philip grabbed the basin and held it to Caleb, who clung to it and immediately buried his face in it with a retching sound.

"-vomiting.", Philip finished his sentence, rolling his eyes.

Once his stomach emptied itself Caleb spit into the basin before handing it back to his little brother and throwing his head back onto the pillow groaning and whining. Philip placed the basin on the floor and sat down on the bed next to Caleb. Remembering how Caleb would tend to him anytime he was sick when the two of them were still boys, Philip gently patted Caleb's back and assured him everything will be fine again but that next time someone in this place offers him food he should not just eat it to avoid this from happening again.