#my girlfriend murdered me because of the glitter one

[she-turned-me-into-a-newt-jpg]

Learning art again vibes

[ennabear]

Hiya ennnabear!! Back with another req (　ﾟ 3ﾟ)

can i ask for sum sevika x hyperfemme!reader? Could either be a fic or a list of headcannons, nsfw or sfw, i really dont mind !! >3< the prompts up to your interpertation!! Whatever u feel comftorable with!! ＼(^o^)／

I can just imagine Sevika, with her pastel pink, poofy-dressed eyecandy, sitting on her lap as she plays cards .. the people shes playing with all sorta eyeing reader because like what the fuck?? And reader is just like 'oh sevikas just so adorable shsjkassjksksk cutie patootie i wuv her!!!!!' while Sevika is off in the distance beating someone half to death because he touched her shoulder .. on accident ( ﾟーﾟ)

also, i beg of you to use inspo from that one scene in deadpool where he meets yukio. I kid you not thats where i got this requests inspo from.

"What in the fuck knuckles is this?"

(Sevika, with a literal living doll in her lap) "Shes my girlfriend you intolerant shit."

"Woah! Pump the hate breaks, fox-and-friends! Im just suprised anyone would date you! Especially pinkie pie from my little pony."

aaaaa i love this woman sososo much ( ´∀`) my 6' criminalistic murderer drug (shimmer) addict babygirl (〃_ _)

thanks in advance if u decide to write this !! sorry for the agonizingly long yap sesh (^_^;)

--🃏🌀⭐️

(and now to crawl back into my pit of lesbian shame .. (ФωФ))

HIII ANON sorry this took me so long to answer but i’m occupied with writing 2 sevika oneshots so i hope i can earn your forgiveness once they’re out 🫶 also i yapped a lil about hyperfemme!sevika here so ignore the fact that i can’t follow a request to save my life!!! 18+

ok so the way i envision sevika’s girlfriend would be a little bit… drag-ey?? i don’t really know how to explain it so allow me to elaborate…

1. we already know that femme lesbians are feminine in a way that’s different from feminine straight women (more cutesy, stylish, female gaze, etc.) but also…

2. with the way people dress in zaun (when they’re not murdering each other) and the general way they’re animated is very costumey. lots of face paint, masks, sophisticated outfits.

so i think in the arcane universe you’d probably dress something like this. painting your skin weird colors, covering yourself head to toe in body glitter, wearing expensive wigs, corsets, and heels that look impossible to move in, and stuff like that.

that means sevika would try to make sure you’re comfortable 24/7!!! especially if you’re wearing something potentially dangerous like heels that are two feet tall, she wouldn’t let you walk the whole night, instead picking you up and hauling you around.

as if the money silco pays her isn’t enough, she makes tons of money from the guys she gambles with. she spends every last PENNY on you. it’s not like she needs to spend it on herself though, her arm and her scowl are a pretty deadly weapon, and she doesn’t go all out with clothes like you do.

also i think she’d completely fold if you ever wore a low cut top or even no top when you go out with her (and she doesn’t believe in bras… so…) especially if you have piercings in/around your tits, she’d be fondling them and groping them all night!!!

she 10000000% has a thing for public sex!!!! while she’s playing cards, she’ll slide your skirt up (if it’s even long enough…), and have you ride her strap. the dumbfucks she’s playing with would gawk and stare at what’s obviously going on in her lap, but she’s about to rob them of their money, so they really shouldn’t be focusing on it.

oooh and once you finally cum, she’d be like “good girl, now give me another. okay?” and her fingers would start vibrating as you slump down next to her… of course you might get weird looks, but if anyone tries to say or do anything about it she could literally just kill them. (or maybe she’s feeling nice and will break a few of their ribs instead, who knows…)

she’d be constantly covered in some kind of your makeup. especially if you wear a crazy color lipstick like bright blue or something, her lips and cheeks and nose would be that color the whole night. and if you wear body glitter, it would look sooooo pretty on her skin. she’d be glaring at people all night like 😡😡😡😡 but her face and hands would look like ✨✨🌈🦄🩷✨✨

adding onto that, she’d look sooo pretty if she let you experiment (which is a pretty big IF), but imagine her with her hair curled, wearing pretty purple glitter on her cheeks and arms, in some sort of heeled boots that make her even taller than she needs to be, and in a dress?? in a short dress??? sevika in a short dress???? i’ll (s)cream right now…

if someone manages to corner you and talk to you about sevika, the conversation would be hilarious and very unproductive. they’d be like “why her? doesn’t she scare you?” and you’d be like “sevika? my little baby bear?? my knight in shining armor who screams at the sight of bugs??? no… she doesn’t scare me…”

meeting silco and the rest of the last drop crew would be… quite the experience. they’re all staring with wide eyes, practically shaking because of how scary she looks, and then there’s you with your hands entwined with hers, some of your bright pink face paint smudging onto her cheeks and neck as you nuzzle into her. silco’d find her alone for one moment and ask “who the hell is that?” and she’d reply with “my girlfriend. 😾 don’t mess with her.” and he’d be like “your girlfriend? your girlfriend is a barbie doll?? o…kay… congrats to both of you…”

[dnovep]

noah is gay!!!! tell us all about it :3!!

tysm for asking, let's talk about it!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ bearing in mind i just woke up & my memory of anything not right in front of me ('the dream thieves' is in my hands rn) is nyot good sooo sorry for any glaring errors 😬

OK SO

wait i'm going to grab the first book send me luck i don't get dizzy getting out of bed too quick hahah

ok i got all 3 other books from the series we're in business baby

1. barrington whelk, family, & his alive days:

resentful, entitled, angry, lonely whelk is like that for a lot of obvious reasons but is also a mirror to noah. even after he was murdered brutally noah still loves glitter in snow globes & blue's spiky hair & playing with ronan. despite all the voices he hears whelk is alone & separate from his coworkers, noah is part of a family (even if not all of him is really there). tl;dr whelk is a reversing mirror to noah - & both are gay! comp het in an all-boys school for kids of rich & successful parents who stereotypically demand success & the perfect-seeming life (declan and the ashleys, get high grades or you're out, how much do those uniforms cost per year?). the czernys seem lovely at noah's funeral but who knows what pressures noah felt from them/school teachers/society or how much or little they acknowledged the existence of non-cishet identities. cabeswater takes adam's control over himself, his security in his own body, "I sacrifice myself." next to that, adam giving up everything, noah says "I almost woke up Cabeswater, we were close enough to do that." it's less how 'close' they were & actually how much whelk valued noah, reciprocated or not. or, this is noah talking, maybe noah thought they nearly woke up cabeswater, thought they were close enough to do that, but whelk didn't care enough for it to do that. noah makes excuses for whelk killing him (with crushing parallels to things people say in real life for people they love who hurt them). i'm including this whole paragraph because there's more here: ""You don't understand," Noah whispered. Blue was afraid he would disappear. This, she understood, had been a secret, carried inside him for seven years [since he died], and he still didn't want to confess it. "He was upset. He'd lost everything. If he'd been thinking straight, I don't he would've... he didn't mean to... we were friends like - are you afraid of Gansey?"" in the 7 years after he killed noah whelk didn't let himself miss him until it looks like he's going to die (neeve, ritual) at which point the guilt & all the good things about noah hits him & he feels "this terrible weight". of course all of this could be platonic but yeah it's just fun in a really heartbreaking & tragic way to think that they had Something almost romantic. "It was a strange, old expression, one that Whelk hadn't heard since his own days at Aglionby, when he, too, had been tight as ticks with his room-mate Czerny. [and they were room-mates!] He felt a hollowness inside him, like he was hungry, like he should've stayed home and drunk more to commemorate this miserable day." "Only Whelk and Czerny, treasure hunters and troublemakers, cared about [St Mark's Day's] existence." "Czerny and Whelk had returned, a half-dozen times, taking readings (next to the circle, there were six different numbers in Czerny's handwriting), digging in the dirt for possible artefacts, watching overnight for signs of supernatural activity." "All Whelk could find out was that the line loved reciprocity and sacrifice, but that was frustratingly vague." before whelk's family lost all their money him & noah kept pushing the ritual to wake the ley line back, there wasn't a desperate need (& maybe they liked staying there together overnight, taking readings, chatting). whelk's second girlfriend was "technically" noah's girlfriend.

2. adam vs whelk:

adam kills whelk. "[To Noah] Adam said, rather more ferocious than he'd been a moment before, "A friend wouldn't kill you."" whelk's ambition & the value he put on his family's good standing & his obsession after his dad's arrested and his family loses their money vs adam's ambition & the value he puts on improving his own good standing & his obsessive drive to push himself forward and up. "Adam had several things he thought about saying, but when he opened his mouth, it was none of those things. "Why Noah?" he asked. "Why not someone horrible?" Whelk closed his eyes for a bare second. "I'm not having this conversation. Why are you here?"" whelk hears 'voices' from his deal with cabeswater, adam sees 'ghosts' from his deal with cabeswater.

[when noah slips from time does that mean whelk does too?? or does he come back to life, if he never killed noah?? or does everything stay the same & they just fill in gaps where noah was to make it make sense???]

3. ronan & noah & The Secret.

"Noah said to Ronan, "I know why you're mad." Ronan sneered at him, but his pulse heaved. "Tell me then, Prophet." Noah said, "It's not my job to tell other people's secrets."" (this quote is so interesting - whose secret is it?? does he mean he can't tell ronan his own secret? or future!ronan's secret? someone else's??) [i could add more here about ronan & noah & cabeswater & cars, noah's red mustang, & both being gay but it's been nearly 90 mins & i'm getting sleepy again]

4. noah dies so gansey lives,

noah & whelk die vs adam & ronan live, whelk kills noah, adam saves ronan (& vice versa).

5. the blue kiss:

noah died when he was 17 - still learning about himself, still ("technically") dating a girl, so it makes sense that his ghost is still stuck in that mindset. maybe it's too early for him to realise he liked girls as friends, not romantically, maybe it's denial, maybe he never gets to work that out about himself. comp het, pressures of being in a rich family sent to a fancy & demanding school. offers to kiss blue if she's "curious" about how it feels, rubs the mark on his cheek from where whelk killed him before he does. the first kiss is a mess, the second is "a lot like kissing a dishwasher". "Blue squinted. "Are you sure you've done this before?" "Hey!" he protested. "It's weird for me, cause it's you." "Well, it's weird for me because it's you.""We can stop." "Maybe we should." then he refers to how kisses look in movies & says to imagine & copy those movie kisses - ok comp het, ok playing the part. after the 3rd kiss, "His smudge had got very dark, and he was cold enough that she shivered. Blue gave him a watery smile. "That was super nice." He shrugged, eyes doleful, shoulders curled in on themselves. He was fading. It wasn't that she could see through him. It was that it was hard to remember what he looked like, even while she was looking at him. When he turned his head, she saw him swallow. He mumbled, "I'd ask you out, if I was alive." Nothing was fair."

i listened to my noah playlist while writing this so shameless plug:

(i don't think maggie wrote him as gay, this is just fun playing about a character i love hahah)

[svnnyd4ys]

(some of the) eah royals as incorrect quotes!

Blondie: Apple noticed only today that they can label their email inboxes, but they took apart their entire bloody laptop two weeks ago. Lizzie: This reminds me of the Apple who couldn’t turn on the coffee maker, but remembers about 500 digits of pi. Blondie: I’ll be delighted to inform you that this is the very same Apple.

!!!

Duchess: The best way to gain someone's undying loyalty is by saving them from a perilous situation. Ashlynn: So you're just gonna wait until Briar is in danger and save them? Duchess: Of course not, I'm going to create a situation that puts them in danger and then save them. Ashlynn: ... Ashlynn: You're insane.

!!!

Blondie: *fills up bottle and drinks from that* Ashlynn: *brought 4 bottles of water so this wouldn’t happen* Apple: *drinks straight from the tap* Duchess: *dehydrates* Lizzie: *drinks from the puddle of water on the floor* Briar: *licks the tap, doesn’t even need a drink*

!!!

Duchess: Fine! Judge all you want but... Duchess, points at Ashlynn: Married a lesbian. Duchess, points at Lizzie: Left a man at the altar. Duchess, points at Blondie: Fell in love with a gay ice dancer. Duchess, points at Apple: Threw a girl’s wooden leg in a fire. Duchess, points at Briar: Lives in a box!

!!!

Apple: From now on we will be using code names. Apple: You can address me as Eagle One. Apple: Blondie is “been there done that”. Apple: Briar is “currently doing that”. Apple: Ashlynn is “it happened once in a dream”. Apple: Lizzie is “if I had to pick a wonderlandian". Apple: And Duchess is.. Apple: Eagle Two Duchess: Oh thank god.

!!!

*Briar comes home absolutely drunk, undresses, and stands in Blondie’s bedroom.* Blondie: Babe, are you.. coming to bed? Briar: No thank you, I’m sure you’re lovely but I have a girlfriend. Briar: *Lies on the ground and falls asleep* Blondie: ...

!!!

Briar: Well, aren’t you all a rag-tag group of adventurers with unclear goals and good hearts! Oh, let me guess: you’re out to save the world! Duchess: Well, actually, that sounds like a pretty fair assessment. Ashlynn: More or less, I guess... Apple: That sounds awesome! Let’s do that! Lizzie: I’m new here, but I am open to the concept. Blondie: I thought that’s what we were doing, guys, come on!

!!!

Duchess, reading the newspaper: Huh. Did you know Nickelodeon opened a hotel? Briar: Yeah, I went there once. There was a dead squirrel in the pool and I made some of Ashlynn cry by telling them it was the real Sandy.

!!!

Apple: Guys, there’s a monster under my bed and it’s really ugly. Duchess, on the bottom bunk: Honestly, fuck you.

!!!

Blondie: What makes you think it's okay to watch Hannibal given its subject matter? Ashlynn: Sometimes, I watch television shows for entertainment purposes. Briar: Because I condone murder and cannibalism.

!!!

*The squad's reaction to being told they're the chosen one* Apple: I will not let you down. Duchess: Sounds fun. Ashlynn: K. Blondie: No, I'm fucking not. Lizzie: Do I have to be? Briar: Please god, I am so tired.

!!!

Ashlynn: I think I just figured something out. I got to go. Briar: Aren't you forgetting something? Ashlynn: Uuh...*hesitantly kisses Briar's forehead before running out.* Briar: No, pay your bill! Damn, who raised you?

!!!

Briar: *sighs* Blondie: You bored? Briar: Yeah. Blondie: Wanna start drama for no reason? Briar: I thought you’d never ask.

!!!

Lizzie: Punch me in the face. Duchess: ...Punch you? Lizzie: Yes, punch me, didn’t you hear me? Duchess: I always hear ‘punch me in the face’ while you’re speaking but it’s usually just subtext.

!!!

Apple: Be right back, gonna hit the toilet for a quick power sob.

!!!

Briar: I'm hot, I’m tall, I'm gay, and I'm on my theatre kid arc.

!!!

Ashlynn, writing in their diary with a glitter gel pen: I'm losing my sense of humanity. Nothing matters. God is dead. There's blood on my hands.

!!!

Duchess: If we were in prison you guys would be like my bitches.

!!!

Lizzie: Don’t weep for the stupid. You’ll be crying all day.

!!!

Blondie: I was born for politics! I have great hair and I love lying! !!!

[be-side-my-self]

Rewatch of ONLY Murders In The Building to prepare for season 4 (V)

<Part I> // <Part II> // <Part III> // <Part IIII>

Block #OMITBRewatch if you don’t want to read notes that will have spoilers up to seasons 3. Just to make it clear, while quoting, I use M, O, C for the main characters.

Also I’m putting this under a read more because it gets long. (also, also this is the fifth part and I finally added "only" to the title.)

S2 E7

Episode of Mabel.

There is Theo and that is a really nice apartment.

M: "Is that me? Did I stab someone? Again?"

Detective Williams baby is so cute! Keith.

Mabel: "Nice accesory." Theo: *Looks down at his ankle* Mabel: "You steal jewelery from dead people, and the state gives you and anklet. Kind of poetic." Theo: *slams the mug, pissed off.*

THEO DIMAS I'm deaf. I write, or use ASL _I catch only 1/3 of what you say,_ through lip-reading.

*insert that video from american psycho about the business cards.

Theo: "When you got off the train, you were in shock so I took you to my place like creep."

Theo is really nice.

Detective Williams is so great.

.... they are so stupid it's amazing... but also that apartment is poorly soundproofed

Talking about a two-men job on the toilet is a really weird thing to say.

M: "Ah, yes. The adventures of a teenage grave robber. Got it."

Theo likes the simple solutions. Nice.

Someone with frustration is playing Whak-a-mole

Crane game... my sister is so good at it. Better than Theo.

So, how did he manage to get the ring in the crane-game? Sleight of hand? He could have put it in there when Mable did not look.

Oliver probably has probably flash-back to the time Will was a baby.

The dads are consulting.

Oh Mabel :(

Of course she is angry, her dad is dying and he can't keep his promises and she does not know.

Uh oh... glitter.

That is such a good scene.

So, the background on Mable's phone... is that her fursona?

Omg... please... I know you need to look at the lips Theo, but please look at the street.

M: "Thank you for stealing my fish."

Oh right! A blackout!

S2 E8

Sith-Avenue Slasher

Something about this was correct...

Also love the fan-made merch. All the tie-die stuff.

You always get Oliver with dips.

Howard! Go for it!!

Psycharatist: "There may be more to life than cats."

... lmao Charles and Oliver bonding over the guy who operated their knees. Besties.

Howard: "Sevenlyn Marie Morris, num num!"

Smooth, Howard!

It's actually nice to see some side-characters in that episode...

Howard and that other guy are a match made in heaven... pity it does not last :/

Also the scene with Nina and the door-man is really good.

Oh... the whole house singing sound of silence. That is such a nice scene.

:(

Mabel takes the dips with her!

lmao everyone getting drunk in the lobby XD

M: "But why are you here? Other than interrogating teenage girls? Detective Kreps: "That's just one part of the job I happen to like."

YIKES YIKES YIKES

The GLITTER!!

S2 E9

Rose Cooper and Leonora Folger are the same person iirc.

Well the alimony is probably partly your fault, Kreps.

Kreps: "And she, or he, if that is your thing, they smile at you, and your whole goddamn universe turns upside down. And that's when shit gets really crazy."

M: "That is ASL for glitter." C: "Oh, that is kind of fun."

Congrats Oliver! You are the father!

O: "There's no real difference. All the European countries are esentially the same."

... boy.

Hey, Alice!

As I said, I did not like Alice but this is really tragic. It would have been nice for Mabel to have an artist as a girlfriend.

Oh lol... Rose just acted like she was Leonora.

And... now I think I remember that Oliver is lying about being greek... but it's a white lie?

25 Willow Dr Lake Placid New York

"Excessive Force Fighting Gym" ... that sounds fun and not serious at all. But gosh the upcoming scene is so good.

Hey, Teddy!

Lmao... Oliver just going for Teddy's throat.

O: "You're my son's father, you piece of shit!"

Kreps: "If I'm so stupid, how come I was able to land the smartes woman on the planet?"

It they weren't murderers their story would have been kinda cute.

Teddy: "Ow!" O: "Can I get you something!? Coffee? Water? A swift kick in the dick?" Teddy: "Look, Oliver, let me explain--" O: "Oh no, no, no. You know you don't have to. I was up all night talking to Roberta. She told me what happened." Teddy: "Did she tell you it only happened once?" O: "She said twice." Teddy: "One night, two times." O: "Well, now you're just bragging."

Mabel figures it out but comes to the wrong conclusion... I mean I would too.

Teddy's whole family was a bunch of crooks.

Teddy: "Aren't we square at this point? You send me to jail, I fuck your wife?"

Well, shit.

S2 E10

I remember that I really enjoyed the episode.

Poppy really had a shitty life.

The Mayor... yikes, yikes, yikes...

Cinda is such a bitch.

O: "Torture? Can we torture her? Charles, get your concertina and whatever you consider your 10 most intersting stories." C *rubbing his nose with his middle finger*: "Hm, let me just muse on that, uh, for a second." O *smirks*: "Mm."

No, Oliver it does not feel like a finale yet... but at least we got to see Poppy's background story.

M: "Oliver, what did we agree on?" O: "You and Charles do the talking."

I know people who are disgusted by the inside of the tomatoe but also someone who gets an allergic reaction when eating unprocessed tomatoes. I on the other hand can eat a tomatoe like an apple. And I enjoy it.

Liverwurst? Yum. Marmelade? Yum. Togther? ... nonono

Uma is great.

Lester's (Doorman) story is hardcore.

Oliver is so fast with giving away Charles' money.

O: "The sexual energy between you two was obvious. I'd say more, but this is a family murder podcast."

Charles and Oliver doing slow motion is so hilarious.

Don't waste food.

... love how Mabel ist using the ego of Poppy to confess.

Holy shit what a scene.

I remember the first time I saw that I was so freaked out.

And the fact that Cinda is now complimenting Mabel...

Again... if they weren't murderers, I would have wished Krebs and Poppy all the best.

C: "Hallelujah! It's a miracle cure!" Lucy: "Nice. you got de-dementia'd."

LMAO... How Charles tries his best to ask out Joy and luckily she understands his grunts.

Pity, that the mural is painted over.

Also it seems like Mabel and Alice stayed friends at least. Maybe dated some longer, who knows?

Awww... Will and Oliver having a moment.

I screamed when I saw Paul Rudd in that role.

But like what kind of ass do you have to be to get on the bad side of Charles?

*dramatic yodeling*

[clotpolesonly]

A Sorcerer, You Say?

some humorous nonsense related to the tags i left on this post, requested by Linorien and also just because i haven’t written funny Merlin nonsense in a while XD

| Gen | 960w | Humor | Magic Accusation | Nobody Believes it |

(also on AO3)

--

“You!”

Considering how few times a cry such as that had been directed at Merlin, it took a few seconds and some pointed looks from other market-goers to realize that he was the “you” in question. He nearly ran into Arthur’s back before that fact fully registered; the king had come to a full stop already, hand on the hilt of his sword as he examined his servant’s accuser.

The man was stout, bearded, and unremarkable. His cloak was dirty, the leather armor underneath looking cobbled together and ill-maintained. He didn’t look in the least bit familiar. 

Merlin glanced around once more, just to make sure there was no one behind him the man could be referring to instead. Finding no one, he pointed at himself. “Me?”

The man didn’t address him, though his face did twist up into a caricature of fury and disdain that was honestly quite insulting. Instead, he turned to Arthur, looking him up and down. Arthur wasn’t in his full kingly regalia, not being required in court today for any reason, but between his demeanor and his glittering, golden sword, he was hard to mistake.

“Sire,” the man spat out. “This man is a sorcerer!”

Merlin blinked at him, too taken aback to be afraid. He’d been accused of sorcery a half dozen times in the past, but never before by someone he didn’t even recognize.

All that came out of his mouth was an utterly bewildered, “What?”

“A sorcerer, I say!” the man shouted, jabbing a finger in his direction. “Not two days past, he killed eight of my comrades. One sweep of his hand, I tell you, and they was dead on the ground. I barely escaped with my own life!”

Oh.

Looking closely, Merlin supposed the style of the leather armour was vaguely recognizable from what he remembered of that group of mercenaries he had encountered on the way back from Morgana’s latest attempt to kill him. It was hard to be sure. It had been very dark and Merlin had been more than a little bit preoccupied. He hadn’t stopped to count how many men he’d sent flying that night, but eight seemed a reasonable estimate.

Merlin opened his mouth to deny having done any such thing, but he didn’t have to—Arthur was already throwing his head back on a laugh. He wasn’t the only one, either. A small crowd had gathered to witness the spectacle, and many of them tittered as well, elbowing each other and slapping their knees at the very thought.

The man looked wholly offended. With the murderous intent in his eyes, and the seriousness of the accusation being levied, Merlin felt like he should probably be at least a bit worried, but there was a flush creeping up the man’s neck to turn his face a splotchy red and, honestly, he was having trouble not laughing himself.

“Are you sure?” he found himself asking. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

The crowd laughed some more. Arthur clapped Merlin on the shoulder with one hand and wiped his streaming eyes with the other.

“I assure you,” he said, pausing for a stray chuckle, “that Merlin did no such thing. In fact, have it on good authority that, two nights past, he was—”

Merlin elbowed Arthur in the ribs before he could announce Merlin’s fictitious girlfriend to the whole town. He’d never hear the end of the gossip if that started making the rounds. He gave Arthur a pointed look, which he responded to with yet more laughter. He was going to pull a muscle if he kept this up.

The only person not amused was the mercenary. He stalked forward with a snarl on his face. He stopped outside of close weapon range, at least, but he got near enough to the king for the nearest guards to rattle their armour a bit.

“I tell you plainly, your majesty,” the man hissed. “I would swear it on my life: he worked magic against us!”

The hilarity of the situation was wearing off.

Merlin released a gusty sigh and said, “If I was a sorcerer capable of the feats you describe, do you really think I’d have spent the last nine years of my life toadying to the likes of him?”

He jerked his thumb at Arthur, who didn’t even have the decency to look put out about it. He just cuffed Merlin on the back of the head in that weirdly affectionate way of his. At Merlin’s dirty look, he raised his eyebrows and spread his arms as if to say, “I’m the king—what are you going to do about it?”

Now, that was familiar.

What Arthur said out loud was, “You’re proud to serve me. You’ve said so before. Apparently, it’s an honor.”

“It’s something, alright,” Merlin grumbled, hoisting his pack, full of Arthur’s…everything, into a less uncomfortable position on his shoulder. “Aren’t you going to be late for the knights’ training?”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “You’re the one getting waylaid in the streets,” he pointed out. “I’d have already been on the field if not for you. If you’re so worried about tardiness, then quit fighting mercenaries with magic all the time.”

The absolute ludicrousness of hearing that sentence pass Arthur’s lips finally wrung a laugh out of Merlin himself. He laughed so hard that he nearly dropped the overfull pack and Arthur had to reach out and steady him with a bemused chuckle of his own. By the time he’d regained control of himself, the angry man had given it up as a lost cause and was stalking away, already halfway toward the city gates.

Finally, Merlin wiped the tears from his eyes, though he couldn’t force the grin off his face, and said, “Can’t make you any promises.”

[oh-for-fic-sake]

Fearfull Proposal

Summary: henry plans a romantic proposal... and instead of coming clean about your secret fear of heights and ruining his romantic plan, you put on a brave face... well until your nearing the top of the london eye.

Warnings: fear, fluff, swearing, typos.

You quivered as you rose higher and higher over londons skyline.

Fuck why? Why the fuck had you got in this dangling glass death trap. A faulty few bolts and you'd be plummeting into the fucking thames!

Henry was standing by the window looking out at the glittering lights in awe.

You were standing with your back turned to the houses of Parliament hands clutching the rail eitherside of you knuckles white. Knees knocking.

God this was the stupidest thing you'd ever fucking done! And it was your own fault.

"Babe, look! God big ben looks soo small never been on this at night"

You hummed nodding but continued looking to the floor.

Henry paused when you didnt correct him with the whole 'big ben is the bell' you usually countered

He turned looking back to you and his stomach dropped.

"Babe? Whoa are you okay there love?" He asked frowning as he saw your eyes clenched shut almost as if you were in pain.

You were trembling and pale to the point he fearded youd pass out.

"Here come sit down and relax, i packed some snacks-" he said placing the specially packed bag of snacks and screw top mini wine bottles.

"No! No I'm fine... I will just stay here... By the saftey bar" you said giggling nervously sparing him a glance and patting the metal you were holding onto for dear life..

Henry faltered and really took in your apperance unsure what to do. It wasn't like he could get you off, you had to ride the ride.

"Babe? Are you scared of heights?"

"Nooo dont be sillyeee- OH MY GOD IM GONNA FUCKING DIE!" you began laughing him off then screamed as the ride stopped.

Instantly you ducked crouching whilst wrapping your arms around the silver bar shouting bloody murder.

It didn't help you were bathed in purple light so couldn't see shit.

Henry got up and rushed to you standing over you arms rounding you holding you securly.

"No, no its fine love... shh its fine baby, they said it could stop to let people on poppet remember?" He said quickly rubbing your sides as you cowered trying to fend off the temptation to look at the thames below.

"Y-yeah fuck hen- im sorry i just..." you mewled turning towards him tucking your head to his chest.

"Scared of heights huh? Why didnt you tell me?" He sighed pressing kisses to your head as you whimpered adn the ride began moving once again.

"Because you went to all this trouble, you planned this surprise and i didnt want to ruin it, you were soo excited" you sniffled blinking at him.

"Hey shh you silly girl, you should have told me. You wouldnt have ruined anything you silly sausage" he cooed winding himself around you tighter.

He was actually annoyed at himself, how the fuck had he not known his girlfriend of a year and a half was scared of heights?

He'd suspected a fear of heights when you both went on holiday for your birthday, but youd managed to convince him it was a fear of flying and planes... not heights.

And come to think of it you didnt even like the glass lifts in shopping centers, you ran to the corner and held on eyes locked onto the doors the entire time.

So this was the worst surprize he could of planned for tonight. Things weren't going to plan. Fuck.

"Babe im sorry" he apologised feeling like an asshole.

"No no dont be, this was extremly sweet bear" you said quickly not wantin to make him feel bad fpr your own short commings.

"Theres noting sweet about terrifying you"

"Do... do you want to sit down? Ill hold you the entire time" he offered peaking to the central bench where both your bags sat.

"I.. yes okay i think sitting will be better" you said then yipped as he prompty scooped you up and placed you in his lap securly.

"Im so sorry love, I just wanted to make this special and romantic" he muttered holding you as close as he could letting you know that you were safe and sound.

"It is! It is love really im just a baby" you said quickly grasping his face pulling him closer before peppering his face with kisses.

"Your not a babe we all have our fears" he said quietly pressing his forehead to yours.

"You dont" you sighed closing your eyes trying to ignore the snails pace of the pod that still rose over london.

You could barely feel it, but your fear amplified it.

"Oh but i do~" he replied peering at you, as yur eyes fluttered open.

"Like what?" The questionnescaped before you could think.

"No" he said eyes now becoming worried, anxiety clouding them.

"No?"

"Yes, at the moment thats my biggest fear" he said releasing a shakey breath as you frowned at him not following but didnt dwell as your ees darted to the side seeing the houses

"You see, i was trying to be all romantic and wait untill we got tp the top, but i think you'll be too terrified"

"Henry?" You said leaning back unsure about the serious tone he seemed to take.

"I brought us here, to the spot we met two years ago today..." he said drawing deeper breaths as the reality of what was about to happen hit him.

"Was it really?" You asked surprized he'd remember something like that. Anniversary? Definitely. But the day you first met? And asked for a selfie with a series of embarrassing squeaks? No you didnt think he'd remember.

"Yep. I remember doing a promo and shoot on this thing, then got off and was sat next to you in wagamama"

"And i squeaked for a selfie" you groaned with a small giggle.

"Im glad you did, i scanned instagram for days after- scouring my hashtag trying to find you... i kicked myself for not getting your number~"

"I still cant belive you did that... but im gld you did henry"

"Who'd have thought the nervous little thing trying not to even breath in my direction would be my girlfriend six months down the line"

"Or that we'd last this long?" You quipped at him trying to reme,ber to breath.

"And.. hopefully a lifetime? Despite me dragging you intoyour actual living nightmare- which i promise to never do again! Not even lifts"

You scowled and tilted your head to him not sure if you heard him correctly.

Untill he pulled the small velvet box from his pocket.

"Henry?! What? You cant be serious?"

"Oh but i am love, as much as i want to do this right and drop to one knee i doubt you'll thank me for releasing you?"

"Dont you dare let me go!"

"I think you'll find im trying to do the opposite~" he chuckled opening the box revealing the simple elegant ring three tiny diamonds.

"Im trying to marry you..."

You gasped eyes glazing over as you locked on to the dainty ring pinched between his fingers.

"I love you y/n, and i want to know if you'd become my wife and share your life with me. Will you marry me?"

"Oh god yes of course its a yes henry i love you bear!" You cried throwing your arms around him making him grunt and quickly clench his fist arohnd the ring before he dropped it.

He groaned into you rocking from side to side littering your head with kisses before peeling you away to sit the ring on your finger.

You looked at the glittering stones on your finger weeping. You may have been cursing yourself for getting into this godforsaken glass bauble in the sky.

But now you were he happiest woman alive.

"I love you bear"

"I love you too"

"Would you like some wine? I brough the little cute bottles you like" he offered nodding to the bag of snacks.

"Err lets not push it hun" you whined not sure wine at this altitude was a good idea.

You kept glancing at him still sniffing and giggleing unable to look from your ring for long.

"Gotcha, no wine"

"You look surprized i said yes?"you quipped needing to talk and take your mind off the fact your at the tippity top.

"I made you face one of your nightmares i thought you'd slap me silly when i ask" he scoffed pressing a kiss to your cheek unable to stop.

"Never love... but please never ever get on this thing again okay?" You pleaded fluttering your lashes at him pleading.

"I swear. Never again, but seeing as this is our one and only ride we should take a few selfies? Mark the occasion?" He said standing letting your feet hit the floor but never once did he let go.

"Absolutly, gotta show off my new fiancé" you hummed rising to share another kiss with him not really paying attention to the height you'd now reached, you had more important things to think about. Like sharing the rest of your life with this glorious man.

"My thoughts exactly" he grinned pulling out his phone aiming it at the two of you, makeing sure to have the hand that rested on his chest donning his ring in shot.

[liberty-barnes]

The Swear Jar

Part 1 of The Jar Series

Mob Boss!Tom Holland x Single Mom!Reader

Prompt: “I've never said a single fucking swear word in my whole damn life”

Warnings: swearing obviously, Tom’s a mob boss so there’s that, there’s like, one sexual innuendo but also ??? not really??? idk

Word Count: 4k (i really need to learn to write short things)

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

A/N: It’s the pic guys, I can’t help it.

Edit: Wow, you guys actually liked this! So since many of you asked, a part will be coming out soon, maybe more, we’ll see. So if you wanna be added to my “The Swear Jar” Taglist, just ask me or add yourself directly through the link in my bio!

Main Masterlist || Series Masterlist

The bell above the door to the diner chimed and you perked up, smiling brightly at the young teenage couple.

“Gracie! Stella! It’s so good to see you again!”

The girls greeted you with the same amount of enthusiasm and proceeded to order their usual meal.

“Your hair’s really pretty Stella! You look like a mermaid now!”

“Thanks, Millie! I took your advice and went with blue instead of purple.”

The young girl smiled and captured the couple’s attention by showcasing her current work in progress.

Millicent Rose (Y/l/n) was your five-year-old daughter. She had brown hair, falling on her shoulders in nice large curls, and big (y/e/c) eyes, a perfect match to yours. She loved drawing (the diner walls were crawling with her masterpieces) and pretty hair, especially if it was soft. 

Her bubbly and fearless personality sometimes frightened you, but you mostly came to terms with the fact that your daughter was a social butterfly and took full advantage of the small diner to interact with as many people as she could.

You watched with a fond smile as Millie explained what she had been drawing to the girls, mentioning every little detail while they praised her good work. The young brunette had a gift to make anyone love her.

Soon enough, their large milkshake to share was finished and Lou, the owner and cook, was all done with the food so the girls sat down at a booth and Millie went back to drawing, little feet dangling off the chair and little brows furrowed in concentration. 

As you were refiling Mr and Mrs Lee’s drinks, the bell chimed once more and four men walked in dressed in stylish suits, much too fancy for this place. They sat down at a booth and started talking while you took a deep calming breath.

Oh, fuck me.

You took your notepad and walked over to them, a much too fake smile on your face.

“Good morning gentlemen, what can I get you?”

The table quieted down and you made eye contact with who you knew to be the leader.

“I’ll have a burger with fries and a strawberry milkshake.”

One of the twins said.

“I’ll have the same but with a chocolate milkshake instead.”

The other one added.

“Vegi burger and a coke, please.”

At least the blonde one had some manners. 

Your eyes lifted from the notepad to the leader once again.

“And for you?”

You did your best to ignore the slight tremble in your voice.

“Bacon cheeseburger, fries and a coke, darling.”

“Right away.”

You got out of there as soon as possible, sparing a glance at your daughter to make sure she was still sitting at the counter before entering the kitchen with a panicked expression on your face.

“Lou…”

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

“You’ve got an order… for the Hollands…”

“Well, shit.”

The Holland family was the oldest and most successful mob in London, extremely rich, dangerous, and seemingly untouchable.

Harry and Sam Holland, the twins, were rumoured to have been behind the Burtons’ death, another famous family known for drug trafficking and other crimes.

Harrison Osterfield, the second in command, was a close family friend, accused of drug trafficking, illegal weapons selling, and other such crimes, though the charges all dropped before the first hearing even took place.

And finally, Thomas Holland, the leader. Arrested for multiple murders, arson, extortion, and a long list of other felonies, but never convicted.

Everyone was scared of them, and the fact that they were eating here was not good for business. 

You ignored the tightness in your chest in favour of helping Lou prepare their food, hoping to do it as fast as possible so the group could leave.

Meanwhile, at the booth, Tom was rolling his eyes at his brothers and friend’s stupidity. 

“Okay, we get it, she’s hot, but you don’t have to talk about it all the fucking time.”

Millie turned her head in their direction and scowled. She stretched a bit to the other side of the counter to take the transparent jar and got down from her chair, making her way to their booth, stomping a bit, which made her Sketchers light up.

The diner watched with curious (and slightly frightened, for the Lees) eyes as the little girl climbed onto the booth next to Harrison, one leg after the other, and kneeled next to the blonde, setting her elbow on the table and stretching so the transparent jar was now sitting in front of Tom.

He looked at it: a lid-less mason jar with a pink bow and right in the front, in a child’s handwriting and pink glittery letters were the words 'Swear Jar’.

“You owe a pound.”

He lifted his head to look at the girl.

“I beg your pardon?”

“When someone says a bad word they have to put a pound in the jar. You said a bad word so you owe a pound.”

“I’ve never said a single fucking swear word in my whole damn life!”

“That’s two more so you have to put three pounds in.”

“Yeah, Tom, put the money in.”

Harrison had his arms around the girl and a smug smile on his face, evidently taking a liking to the young brunette.

“Shut the fuck up Haz, you curse more than I do!”

“Four.”

“Shit.”

That one was not on purpose.

“Five.”

“Okay, okay, jeez, hold on.”

He took out his wallet and took his only five-dollar bill amid all the hundreds.

“Just gonna put the money in this stupid jar.”

“Six.”

“Wha- stupid’s not a swear word!”

“I’m not allowed to say it so yes, it is.”

Tom rummaged around his wallet for a stray pound, reluctantly putting a hundred in after finding nothing.

“Does that mean I’m allowed to say ninety-nine swear words?”

“No paying in advance, everything that’s not the money you owe is a donation.”

“To what foundation?”

“The ‘get Millie new glitter pens’ foundation”

She answered with a smirk and everyone -bar Tom- was pretty much crying at seeing their boss be told what to do by a five-year-old.

“Man, you are so screwed!”

“That’s one pound for you, Mister!”

“Oh shit, right!”

“Two…”

Harry took out his wallet (still laughing his arse off, mind you) and didn’t even try to look for the two pounds, simply putting in a hundred.

Millie’s eyes were focused solely on Tom’s hair. She climbed on top of Harrison, her pink tulle skirt flying behind her and stood on the seat next to the brunette, her hands immediately flying to his hair.

“You have very pretty hair. It’s really soft.”

“Thank you, darling.”

She hummed and kept playing with the soft strands.

“My name’s Tom, and these are my twin brothers Harry and Sam, and my best friend, Haz.”

She looked around for a while, not answering, seemingly lost in thought until she looked back at him and her sparkling (y/e/c) eyes focused on his brown ones.

“Nice to meet you, Tommy. I’m Millie.”

“T-Tommy?”

Sam stuttered out between peels of laughter.

“I don’t like Tom, Tommy’s better. Why are you so shocked Twin Nice?”

Harry looked appalled.

“Why's he Twin Nice?”

“Because you said a bad word and he didn’t, so he’s Twin Nice and you’re Twin Naughty.”

Sam did a little victory dance, bragging about his new nickname to his twin.

The little girl sat down on Tom’s lap and started to play with the black ring on his finger.

“What am I, then?”

She looked up to Harrison from in between Tom’s fingers, still playing with the thick band.

“You’re Thor cause you have pretty eyes and you look really strong.”

To say that the blonde was pleased would be an understatement.

“You, little lady, are my new best friend. We need to come here more often.”

Millie smiled and went back to observing the ring.

“Does this mean you’re married?”

Tom chuckled and shook his head slightly.

“No, it means that I’m a part of the Holland family, like them.”

Everyone around the table showed theirs, a symbol of their high status in the mob.

“So you don’t have a girlfriend?”

“Nope.”

“Do you live with your mommy?”

“No, I live with these dumbasses in a big house.”

She pushed the swear jar towards him and gave him what could only be described as the 'Disappointed Mom’ look.

“Do you like it?”

“Kind of, sometimes they get on my nerves and I wish they’d rot in Hell, but yeah, it’s not too bad.”

She slapped his hand in reprimand and he internally cursed himself.

“Don’t you miss your mommy?”

“A little, but I see my parents every Sunday for family dinner.”

He answered after placing yet another bill in the jar.

“Parents?”

“Yeah, my mum and dad.”

She hummed.

“I wish I had a dad.”

The boys all stiffened. 

Well, that escalated quickly.

Tom cleared his throat, measuring his words before speaking, for once in his life.

“Do you know what happened to your dad?”

“Mommy says he left cause he wasn’t good like her. She says it’s okay, though, cause we only need each other but my friend Lilly has a mommy and a daddy and she told me that sometimes when her mommy’s sad or tired he’ll do all the grown-up stuff like cook and read her a story while her mommy rests and she’s happier that way. I want my mommy to be happy like that too.”

For Tom, it felt like his cold, dead heart was starting to beat again. This little angel sitting on his lap was asking for something most children already had, not for herself, but for her mother.

“You’re a really good person, Millie.”

“If you stopped saying so many bad words you’d be one too, Tommy.”

The boys laughed yet again and they continued talking for a little while, refraining from any work-related issues for the sake of their newest addition, choosing instead to discuss sports and fighting over who’d be on cleaning duty that Sunday. Three more bills made their way to the jar during that particular discussion, one from each boy (bar Sam because he was on cooking duty, as always), and for once they allowed themselves to relax and simply be, instead of always worrying.

You got out of the kitchen with the men’s orders ready and looked at the end of the counter, planning to check on Millie before walking over to the mobsters’ table. Your brows furrowed when you didn’t find her and you immediately looked towards the girls’ table or the Lees’, finding she wasn’t there either.

“Mommy, over here!”

You followed your child’s voice and your eyes widened once you saw her sitting on the leader’s lap. The smiling leader’s lap.

You quickly made your way to their booth, placing their orders in front of them without even taking your eyes off your daughter.

“Millicent Rose! What have I told you about bothering people when they’re in their booths?”

She looked guilty for half a second but immediately perked up again, ready to defend herself.

“Not to, but Mommy, he said a bad word so I had to take the swear jar to him.”

“And why, pray tell, are you sitting in the gentleman’s lap?”

“His name’s Tommy and he said he didn’t mind and this way I can talk to Thor, Twin Nice and Twin Naughty better.”

Tommy, Thor, Twin Nice, and Twin Naughty?

“Oh, fuck me.”

Millie’s jaw dropped open. She’d never heard you swear before.

“You owe a pound, Mommy.”

“Yeah, I know, I know.”

You pulled a pound from your pocket and put it in, eyes widening at the amount of money in the jar.

“How in the world?”

“I didn’t have singles so I just put hundreds in. Apparently, it’s a donation to the 'Get Millie new glitter pens’ foundation.”

You set the jar down and shook your head in disbelief.

“I am never letting Harley babysit you ever again.”

She pouted and slumped down, arms crossed adorably in front of her.

“Now come on, let the gentlemen eat their lunch in peace and come get yours.”

She cuddled up to Tom more than before, burying her head in his chest and fisting his shirt, and shaking her head in protest.

“Millie, come on, let’s go. I’m so sorry for the bother sir.”

“It’s no problem, she’s welcome to say for however long she wants.”

The brunette smiled at your daughter and then at you, before the man on his right interrupted.

“Besides, she’s very entertaining. It’s nice to see someone else call Tom out on his bullshit.”

You and Millie threw the blonde matching glares while Tom just pushed the jar towards him.

“You owe a pound, Haz”

“Excuse you Tommy, my name’s Thor.”

He then turned to you with a smug smile and attitude.

“Cause I have pretty eyes like him and look very strong. Don’t you agree with your daughter… (Y/n)?”

He read your name tag and smiled charmingly while you pursed your lips, looking him up and down. You then looked at your little girl.

“You sure?”

“Well, who else has pretty blue eyes?”

“Captain America.”

She light up right away and straightened herself.

“Right! And he looks like Captain America when he was tiny! Thanks, Mommy!”

She then turned to Harrison with a gigantic smile on her face.

“You’re Tiny America now.”

The whole table -bar Haz- laughed and you had to bite your lip not to laugh too, instead linking your hands and looking at the clock.

“Come on Millie, it’s time to eat.”

“Can I eat here with Tommy, please?”

“If you eat here with Tommy I won’t be able to make sure you eat your veggies.”

The man’s heart stuttered when you used his nickname, a strange sense of happiness overcoming him.

“Tommy can check.”

“Mm… I’m not sure if he can check you ate them. He’s not used to your sneakiness.”

“What if I pinky promise to eat my veggies and eat a banana for dessert instead of ice cream?”

It was a struggle to get her to eat fruits and veggies. You usually had to settle for one or the other, so when she spontaneously decided to eat both, you jumped at the opportunity, mob be damned.

“Deal! But no annoying the boys.”

She smiled and nodded, settling comfortably on Tom’s lap, waiting for her food. You took out her plate of chicken nuggets, fries, and green beans, chocolate milkshake to wash it down.

You tried not to let the butterflies in your stomach distract you from your job but the way Tom smiled at your daughter and praised her when she ate all her veggies in a row, wanting to get it over with, made your heart ache, the longing for someone still very much present.

“Have a nice meal.”

You made eye contact with the brunette and blushed at the smile he sent you before waving goodbye at the Lees. The teenage couple had left a bit earlier so the mobsters were now your last customers of the day.

You wiped the kitchen counters and said goodbye to Lou, assuring him that you’d close up by yourself. As soon as he left, you took a deep breath and sighed, unable to stop your smile when you heard your daughter’s laugh carrying through the wall separating you from the group.

“Mommy, we’re done!”

You straightened up and schooled your features before walking over to them, taking away their plates while asking if Millie behaved and if they wanted dessert. The answer to both questions was a yes and so you came back a little while later with chocolate pudding for the twins, caramel ice cream for Harrison, a banana split for Tom, and a miniature one for Millie.

“Since you behaved so nicely you get a little sweetness with your banana.”

Her eyes sparkled and she smiled brightly at you.

“You’re the best mommy ever! I love you!”

“Love you too, baby.”

You turned around, ready to leave, when a voice stopped you.

“Why don’t you sit down with us for a bit? I’m pretty sure that if you wipe that table down one more time you’ll remove the paint.”

You blushed but complied, sitting down next to Harrison and watching as your daughter ate her dessert quickly and quietly, wincing from time to time because of brain freezes. As soon as she was done, she reached for Tom’s right hand. He switched the hand that held the spoon, eating with his left so that Millie could play with the ring on his finger.

Unfortunately for him, he had a bit of trouble eating with his non-dominant hand while holding a child on his lap, leading to a bit of ice cream falling on his shirt.

“Ah, fu-”

You shot him a glare that made him change courses immediately.

“-dge. Fudge.”

Millie clapped and gave him a big, approving smile.

“See, Mommy? He’s making progress!”

“Indeed he is, darling.”

“Oh, this is fucking hilarious!”

The young girl gasped, mouth open comically wide and utter betrayal swimming in her eyes.

“I thought you were nice.”

Sam realized his mistake as soon as she spoke, covering his mouth with his hand as if to stop any more of the offending words from leaving it.

“You owe five pounds.”

“What? Why? I only said one swear word!”

She shook her head in disapproval, arms crossed in front of her chest, and pushed the jar towards him.

“You made me believe you were nice so your trickster-y will cost you four extra pounds.”

You shook your head, smile firmly plastered on your face as you watched Sam pull out a hundred dollar bill with a pout on his lips. It was quite endearing, really.

“So, (Y/n), tell us about you.”

You locked eyes with the brunette once again, piercing gaze seemingly looking through you.

“I’m afraid there’s not much to tell, Mr Holland. I’m not a very interesting person.”

Your voice was soft, your words calculated. You knew that these men could kill you in the blink of an eye.

“No uninteresting person could have raised such a perfect little angel.”

He smirked and Millie looked at you with a smug smile.

“See, he said I was an angel.”

Life be damned, it’s not worth living if your daughter has an ego the size of Russia. That would most definitely come back to bite you in the ass.

“Yeah, that’s cause he hasn’t had to deal with you in all your nightly glory.”

She put her tongue out and snuggled deeper into Tom’s chest.

“Well, for one, how did you find yourself working here?”

He got the conversation back on you and you felt slightly intimidated with the whole table’s eyes on little old you.

“Customers are nice, I earn enough money for us to get by, owner’s nice, the school’s at the end of the street, and Millie gets to stay with me when she’s not there.”

Even though he was focused on you, you noticed the way he held your daughter close to his chest, his bigger frame completely enveloping her smaller one. She still hadn’t let go of his hand and kept playing with the ring on his finger. Seeing how calm and caring he was being with your daughter calmed you down and the more questions you answered, the more comfortable you became.

“How can you work at a dinner and not like vanilla milkshakes?”

Sam looked horrified at that, and you just shrugged dismissively.

“I never really liked when vanilla was too present. Like, if you used it to just enhance everything else you know, make it taste better, then sure, but just vanilla isn’t really my style.”

Tom took a sharp breath in and tried to stop his mind from wandering at the possible double meaning of your words. Instead, he chose to focus on the little girl on his lap.

Until he noticed she was asleep, that is.

He smiled a little and shifted her so she was resting more comfortably on his lap. Unfortunately for him, that caught your attention.

“Oh my, is she asleep? I’m really sorry.”

“No worries, though we should probably get her to bed so she doesn’t wake up with a stiff neck.”

For the umpteenth time, you pushed down the butterflies upon hearing him say 'we’ and being so careful with your daughter.

You took the remaining dishes and went to the kitchen, putting them in the wash and turning on the machine, leaving it to run so tomorrow morning you’d be able to put everything away. You went back in to clean the booth and Tom practically shoved a hundred dollar bill in your hand, ignoring your protests.

He waited for you by the door while you finished closing up, and you extended your arms towards him when you finished.

“Thank you for everything today, but you must be getting tired, I can take her from here.”

He gently pushed your arms down.

“Let me take you home, please, I don’t like the idea of you having to carry her all on your own.”

You hesitantly nodded and he guided you to his car. It’s only then that you noticed the other three had left. You settled on the passenger side of his black Audi and he handed you Millie, closing the door softly as to not startle her. He then entered the driver’s side and started the car. You gave him directions to your apartment building and within five minutes, he parked the car right out front.

Ever the gentleman, he insisted on carrying the little girl. Knowing by now that there wasn’t much you could do to protest, you agreed and led him up the four flights of stairs to your door.

“Sorry 'bout the mess.”

“It’s no problem, darling, I quite like it.”

You turned your head for a brief second, as if asking him to elaborate while still leading him to your daughter’s room.

“The fact that it’s messy means that someone lives here, that this isn’t just some house, it’s a home. My house is always pristine but that’s because no one’s ever there to actually use it as something other than a glorified B&B.”

He laid Millie down on the bed and you pulled the covers over her. You both stood side to side for a little while, just watching her breathe.

“That sounds really lonely.”

“Yeah…”

Another minute passed by with no words coming from either of you.

“You raised an amazing daughter, (Y/n).”

“You’re a good man, Tom.”

Hearing those unfamiliar words coming out of your mouth almost brought tears to his eyes. He was always used to being called a ruthless mobster, cold-blooded killer, or many other names that all meant the same thing: monster. But you called him a good man, and the sincerity in your voice was almost overwhelming.

He cleared his throat and straightened up, making you turn towards him.

“I should probably go… You should get some rest as well.”

You nodded and walked him to the door. In a split-second decision, you leaned up and kissed his cheek, locking eyes with him afterwards.

“If you ever need an escape, or just wanna hang out somewhere different, our door’s always open.”

That made a smile take over his face and he kissed your forehead.

“Thank you, darling.”

And as you watched him round the corner, only your back visible to you, you couldn’t help but feel like this wouldn’t be the last time you ever saw Tom Holland.

i have mixed feelings concerning this story but at least i have ideas for a part two (if i ever decide to make one)

don’t forget to reblog, comment or like if you feel like it <3

[mangosmemes]

CAPYBARA SHENANIGANS

Collected quotes from the RPC Development Tea Room Discord Server! Feel free to change wording/etc to fit your muse.

(Name), you wouldn't be you if you had chill.

I'm hoping Glitz is like glam rock. Jazz with more glitter. Like a hair band.

It sounds like they've named their dogs using one of those 'what is your porn name?' memes.

sorry sir, you're asking for services that come with the girlfriend package, & you're currently subscribing to the fringe benefits deal, please talk to me about an upgrade

this has backfired tremendously

leaves splayed out like a professional on a porn set's casting couch

my next life, make me a fuckin houseplant

I have moments where I brain goodly

I’m a houseplant with more complicated emotions

But I’m a coconut ho

If you tell me they made you cry, I will burn down their house with them in it, & I will never forget they did that.

I regularly say Mercury is in Gatorade to fuck with people

and at some point I realized that I was in too deep

get your capybaras we got so many of em. ya want a sleepy one? a caffeine addicted one? how about an angry capybara, an angybara if you will

So edible undies, but made of cookies instead of fruit rollups?

where's that cookie underwear, i need to eat my feelings

you're not allowed to charge me with murder again

THREE TIMES I'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF MURDER WHEN IT WAS MAN-SLAUGHTER AND YOU KNOW IT

Well i guess setting yourself on fire would wake you up

DON'T THINK UNPURE THOUGHTS ABOUT WINNIE THE POOH I SWEAR

I came back to some weird shit

I felt my entire ass loosen.

Cows care not for hygiene

I think IHOP might be where hope goes to die, and I say that as having been in many an IHOP at 3am

life is too short and i choose violence

DID YOU JUST COMPARE ME TO THE BUG'S LIFE RIDE IN ANIMAL KINGDOM?

She is a ship, He's a canal, Can I make anymore obvious?

It’s your fault I’m gay as hell so it must be your fault everyone else is too

the feral part is most accurate

send in the bitchslapping raccoons

you don't gotta be old to be a cryptid

stop trying to kill people

I feel like I was rickrolled by a pet site.

grand theft horsey

jeff bezos; not even the first dickhead into space, but probably the first flying in on one

YOU SHUSH YOU SHITSTIRRER

May I remind everyone that they have the ass of a frog

what emotion am I depicting?? fuck around and find out

just because you read it in a fanfic doesn't mean its a good idea

That information makes sense but I don’t like it

The heat wave has turned me into a part time nudist i swear

this isn't twilight

But most importantly, hotter than Satan's asscrack in a lava bath, so not a viable option

I will push your pin

[catgirlxox]

A Deconstruction of The Flame Keeper’s Circle & The Audience’s Common Complaints | Catgirl

As the title states, I’ve been reminded of a couple complaints made about this episode that stem from a large portion of the audience’s general disliking of the way both Ben and Julie were handled during the run of Ultimate Alien. In fact, I recently read a "review" of “The Flame Keeper's Circle,” or, more of a parody, actually, since a review would actually have some kind of substance to it and not just...a slew of insults thrown at a show you claim to like. It's almost like you're looking for something to be mad at, but anyway.

One of those was the OP actually asking someone to (probably joking, but anyway) explain "how Ben's mind works" to them.

And I was like, gladly!

According to the comments under the review, it seems like the general audience didn't really like this episode all that much when it first aired. Which, I bring up because, I on the other hand, actually did. And for a reason: because it proves my previous defence points right.

There's a lot of talk about Ben coming off as a “jerk” or a “douchebag”...but, in a situation such as the one presented within “The Flame Keeper’s Circle,” I would argue he did exactly what he should have done. So that's where I beg to differ.

This episode puts Ben in a position where he, once again, needs to deal with the overlap of a romantic relationship and his priorities as a superhero. The only reason there is conflict here is because they are both important to him.

A bad boyfriend would only care about himself, but Ben clearly cares about not only the safety of his (clearly, quite naive) girlfriend, but also the safety of the rest of the earth. Which, as I’m going to be stating several times, should be something expected of him considering everything else within the series that establishes who he is as a character.

So, on the topic of things that are important, ask yourselves, why would Ben prioritize going along with Julie's idea of joining a cult more than keeping her, and the rest of the world, safe when he realizes the trouble she could potentially be getting herself into?

Throughout the episode, and the fandom’s discussions from what I’ve seen, there is so much focus on "oh, he laughed at her idea so he's a douchebag and therefore a bad boyfriend" and not enough focus on the fact that he's not blindly following an alleged “good cause” because he isn't naive and that's in character based on everything we know about him as a character.

Context matters. And this kind of thing only further makes me question the people who want to cry "inconsistent" writing or characterization because he's acting the way he's been conditioned to.

Arguably from the age of ten, Ben's been dealing with situations where he needed to fight to survive and decide who to trust. Sometimes he trusted the wrong person, which wasn't done out of any other reason besides wanting to help and do the "right thing."

For example, Michael Morningstar in the episode “All That Glitters,” who fooled Ben and his team into thinking he was innocent all while abusing school girls for their life energy and almost killing Ben's cousin.

Or, Simian in “Birds of a Feather," who fooled Ben into thinking he was royalty and into helping him steal something that would aid the Highbreed in their mass murder plot.

In that way, Ben and Julie could have related in this situation because they were both trusting people in the interest of doing something “good.” Both Michael and Simian made Ben believe that they had something in common, or a common goal they could work together to reach. But, he trusted them blinded by his ambition and drive to save the world. Much like Julie is blinded by the promise of being a part of a group trying to make the world a better place.

As such, Ben has made the mistake before, so he's extra weary of how things could go very wrong. He's not against his girlfriend just to be a “jerk” - he's been through things like this before, and we’ve seen him go through those things.

Furthermore, the situation in which Julie is trusting The Flame Keeper’s Circle involves her indirectly agreeing to work with Vilgax. Who, as anyone familiar with Ben should know, is one of if not Ben’s biggest, and more importantly, most dangerous enemy.

Again, she, at the beginning didn’t know that he was involved, or what Ben had gone through already to make him act the way he does in this situation, but she does know what his job entails at this point in the series. She should probably infer that he’s suspicious for a good reason, as should the audience.

Not trusting people blindly is something he learned from being the leader of his team, while trying to protect the earth, namely from the Highbreed invasion back in Alien Force when he was putting together a stronger team. It would only make sense for him to then apply that to a situation in which his significant other gets roped into that which he fights against.

Speaking of fighting against, that brings me to another odd criticism of the writing of this episode. It’s no surprise that the flawed belief of Ben coming off as an alleged “sociopath” is brought up again, considering this episode takes place after The Ultimate Kevin arc. And yes, I realize the problematic connotations of using that term as a borderline insult as part of the issue here. But that aside, in this episode, the fact that he begins to fight Vilgax in his apparent “weakened” state is what is being attributed to that description.

Besides the fact that defending Vilgax is questionable in itself, he’s never needed water to survive for the many times he actually tried to kill Ben. I can’t find a solid answer from a writer that knows for certain if his need for water is genuine except for one who is only assuming that is the case when he’s in this state.

But regardless, (since he clearly survived long enough to morph with Dagon and become a bigger threat to the earth later on) we are still defending Vilgax the LITERAL INTERGALACTIC WARLORD.

Y’know, the guy who’s only in this position because of his own immoral actions? Who absolutely would not hesitate to take advantage of his opponent's weakened state in order to further get away with his immoral actions? Such as he is in this very episode, taking advantage of the people wrongfully worshiping him?

If we are trying to imply that Ben is “just as bad as Vilgax,” then I would assume you’d easily find the flaw in that being Ben’s motivation for incapacitating a dangerous offender who is, at the moment, manipulating naive humans to work for him and help him continue get away with his immoral actions. Which is, needless to say, not the same as Vilgax, at all.

Again, you’d think that’d be obvious.

The Flame Keeper’s Circle’s mission is to end human suffering and find a solution to certain issues happening across the globe with the help of alien technology that is much more advanced than what everyday people are used to. And, while the end goal seems like a good cause, even something Ben as a superhero would be all for, the means through which they attempt to get there aren’t a good idea, at all.

A lot of people find it hard to navigate the use of technology considered advanced by human standards in the real world, so you can only imagine the various things that could go wrong if those kinds of people were suddenly exposed to something much more powerful. In short, a lot could go wrong.

Again, Ben has been in that exact position as soon as he was armed with the Omnitrix. Which is exactly why he’d see the flaw in what these people are trying to do, and therefore not be convinced that it’s such a good idea to allow them to continue, much less endorse it.

This is why I love when the writers actually allow Ben to speak for himself instead of cutting him off for drama or plot. Once he actually gets a word in, or more accurately, has his moment of heroic monologue, he makes himself very clear and, I think, only further proves what I’m trying to say about him.

Here he is, explaining exactly what I’ve been trying to highlight throughout this body of work:

Ben: “Even if Dagon was real, using alien technology to accelerate a planet’s natural development won’t bring utopia, it’ll bring disaster. It’s happened before. Why do you think the Plumbers have those laws? But even that’s not the point, because that isn’t Dagon! His name is Vilgax. He’s not a hero, he’s a selfish, evil warlord who’s using you. And if you let him get in his ship, he’s going to fly off and start an interstellar civil war.”

It’s not that only he can use alien technology to save the world, it’s that his status as a hero proves that he knows what he’s doing, unlike these businessmen in fancy robes leading a cult for profit.

That is not what I would have assumed reasonable people would consider “douchebag behaviour.” That’s actually smart, and going back to my first point, exactly what he should be doing in a situation like this.

The actual episode does end off on a positive note for both Ben and Julie, which is omitted from the review and most of the comments I have read from others on the topic. And, I bring it up because it’s actually vital to wrap up everything brought up within this episode that I have just expanded on. Not only because they make up and seem to understand each other’s perspective after all is said and done, but because they both agree to be open to further discussion on the topic, as Ben offers to go out for dinner.

Which, needless to point out I hope, but once again, is not “douchebag behaviour.”

[mightymorphingayagenda]

So I received an ask a few months ago about my thoughts on nessian having kids and then last night I had a lot of wine and this happened so, enjoy!?

This was one of those little moments Cassian would bundle up, like some cherished Christmas ornament, and tuck inside his heart forever. If his heart remained in one piece. It was so full he was worried it might break.

The smell of Nesta’s perfume and shortbread had lured him to the kitchen, where he’d found her sat at the table, bottom lip tucked between her teeth and brow furrowed in concentration as she’d iced a cookie. The beam of her high cheek bones a blushing pink in the warmth.

Cue tears brimming.

And he couldn’t even blame it on the presence of any smoke because by some Christmas miracle, his girlfriend had managed to cook something without nearly burning his house down.

Júlia had tucked herself into his girlfriend’s lap, and was mimicking her little mannerisms. Brows dramatically knotted and biting her lip. She’d even clearly tried to match their pyjamas, Nesta’s lose fitting red pants and white tank top a mirror to his daughter’s own long sleeve white shirt and fuzzy red pants.

The two of them were hunched over a cookie each, armed with little icing tubes and humming along to Mud’s ‘Lonely This Christmas’.

“One of those better be for me or it’s the naughty list for you too.”

“Daddy!” Júlia whipped her little head round, grinning excitedly in the way that children did- less actual smile more oh my god look at all my teeth.

“The one and only,” he smiled right back, picking her up as she tried to literally jump from the chair to Nesta’s terror and amusement.

He made a little mwa noise with every kiss he planted on her cheeks, and she was giggling in his arms uncontrollably. Probably hopped up on sugar if the crumbs on the table and the green frosting in her dark hair was anything to go by.

Finally he stopped and his daughter didn’t miss a beat. “Daddy me and Nesta made cookies and we even made the icing on our own and it’s all different colours and she’s really good decorating and she taught me how to draw a snow man!”

It was impossible to determine where one word ended and the other began. Perhaps his daughter had invented her own word several hundred syllables long.

“Can I see?” Cassian pleaded excitedly, putting Júlia down when she nodded so hard he was a little concerned her head might fall off.

“Hi you,” Nesta’s voice like velvet hummed soft and low as he leaned down to give her a chaste kiss, murmuring his own “hey, sweetheart”. Her lips tasted like sugar and he swore he saw a few granules dusted through her thick hair as he pulled back to asses one of Júlia’s creations.

“No way you made that!”

“I did I can show you I’ll show you how to draw a snowman too. And it’s harder than with pencils daddy, because you have to squeeze but you can’t squeeze it too much.”

“She’s got very steady hands,” Nesta said, like she was proud, her head falling back against Cassian’s chest where he stood behind her. He began massaging her shoulders gently. “She could be a brain surgeon,” his girlfriend continued.

Cassian was dangerously close to getting all choked up again.

He’d been a little worried asking Nesta to keep an eye on Júlia this evening. Not because he thought she’d let his six year old start licking plug sockets or anything. It was just they’d never hung out just the two of them before. He and Nesta had only been together eight months and he’d only introduced his daughter to his girlfriend two months ago.

But he hadn’t had anyone else to call when the snow had started falling with a vengeance on his way back from picking up a Christmas tree. It wasn’t Mor’s week with Júlia so she and Emerie had booked a Christmas mini-break, and his brothers were at a conference. So he’d called Nesta.

She’d been more than happy to pick up Lia from school and keep an eye on her. Almost as happy as she’d been nervous. He’d read it in her voice even through the phone. Nesta had never wanted kids, she’d told him as much, and it had put the brakes on their first date for a while. But Júlia had a mum, two in fact, and the idea that there was any pressure on Nesta in that department had slowly began to dissipate.

Still, Cassian had felt a tiny bit...scared. A bit crushed by his wanting them to adore each other as much as he adored them. So walking in and finding them like that, it had taken the wind out of him.

“I am going to be a baker!” Júlia proclaimed from her own seat now, knees tucked beneath her so she could reach the table.

“What will you call you bakery?” Nesta asked with genuine interest. It was lovely. She spoke to Júlia the same way she would an adult. There was no entertaining or humouring his daughter’s insane babbling, she treated every word as though it held the weight that of a wisened librarian’s might.

“Lia’s Bakery and I will you give you free cookies!”

“What about me? Do I get free cookies?”Cassian enquired. “I haven’t had a single one of your amazing cookies yet.”

“You weren’t here! And you didn’t help make them so I don’t think you should get any.”

“I was getting our Christmas tree!”

“Yes where is this tree that has kept you so busy?” Nesta demanded, tilting her head back to look up at him with arched brows. A naughty twinkle in her dove-blue eyes.

She loved teasing him, but Cassian always gave as good as he got when it came to her. With Júlia, well, his daughter got away with murder. Which Nesta found endlessly amusing.

“It’s by the front door. I think I’m gonna need a cookie to restore my energy before moving it again,” he looked to Lia.

“Fine,” she huffed. “But you’re not allowed to pick it, Nesta has to pick it.”

The way she said Nesta. Like she were one of the Disney Princess she loved to tell him about even though he’d literally just watched the film with her. It made his heart explode like a powdery snowball.

“Hmmmm, what about this one,” Nesta hummed, picking up a sugary treat frosted with a big red heart and offering it up for Júlia’s approval.

“Yes, daddy can have that one,” she nodded curtly.

“You can have a bite now, and the rest once you’ve put the tree up,” Nesta told him as he rested folded forearms against the back of her chair and hunched down to tuck his head over her shoulder, tilted a little to give her his best I-fucking-adore-you-woman eyes.

“Tease,” he smirked.

“Strategic,” she corrected, feeding him the cookie.

“Mmmmm,” he groaned. He wasn’t even putting it on, it tasted fucking delicious. Buttery and somehow melting and crumbing in his mouth at the same time.

“You’ve got a little something,” Nesta laughed, brushing the manicured pad of her thumb against her bottom lip.

“I was saving you a taste,” Cassian grinned, giving her a gentle kiss.

“Nesta doesn’t want kisses she wants the Christmas tree!” Júlia exclaimed, exasperated and impatient.

“You read my mind, Lia,” Nesta said.

Cassian chuckled, pushing off the back of Nesta’s chair and wondering back through to the front door.

Lia was hot on his heels, grabbing Nesta’s hand and tugging her from her seat.

It was a fucking massive tree, and his daughter’s eyes were wide as saucers as she took it in, halting in front of the sofa and nearly vibrating with excitement. By contrast his girlfriend collapsed onto the coach and he was tempted to laugh again. Childcare had clearly done a number on her.

But apparently she wasn’t so exhausted she couldn’t manage a little ogling of him.

Cassian might have been smirking by the time he got the tree upright in its stand, preening a little at the way Nesta’s gaze had lingered on his arms as he’d hauled 120 pounds of festivity about.

A fresh blush blemished her cheeks and she was rolling her full bottom lip between her teeth as she watched him. Knees half tucked beneath her and an arm laying across the back of the sofa, her ear resting against it and lose hair falling carelessly about the cushion.

He was going to wife her up so hard.

“Right, how about some decorations then?” He grinned down at Lia, having thrown Nesta a wink she’d batted off with a roll of her eyes.

“We did them in the colours look, we put them out colour coorninated.”

“Co-ordinated,” Nesta corrected fondly from the sofa as Cassian took in the neat sections of ornaments laid out on the floor.

“Co-or-din-ated” Júlia repeated, already on the floor and searching for the first glittering item to hang.

“We’ve gotta do the lights first though, anjinho,” he reminded her.

“Nesta we have twinkly lights and they can flash or you can leave them so they are always shining or when you click it you make it so they go like,” Lia wiggled her fingers in the air which Cassian recognised referred to the cascading setting on the lights, but knew meant nothing to Nesta.

She laughed none the less, Júlia’s happiness and excitement infectious.

“Will you show me?” She asked, propping her head up on her fist.

“You wanna go grab them, Lia? They’re in my office, on the desk.”

“Yeah I will go get them!” She yelled, already barrelling up the stairs, her little feed padding up the wooden slates like she were merely a skeleton of springs bundled up in the body of a little girl.

Nesta laughed again, a wide smile revealing white teeth and one of her beauty spots quirking in a dimple as she watched.

Once Júlia was out of sight however, Cassian was making a play for her attention. Falling onto the sofa beside her and throwing an arm around her waist.

“I think we have a problem,” he sighed happily, a smirk that promised trouble tugging at his mouth.

“We do?” She asked, letting her head rest against the pillow that was his bicep. Looking up at him.

“I only got one tree. But I have two angels.”

Nesta rolled her eyes and groaned through a subtle laugh, burying her lovely face into his shoulder and thus a telltale smile.

“You’re the worst.”

“And you, are the best,” he grinned, pressing a kiss to her hair and she looked up, smiling casual and soft. “Thank you for looking after her tonight.”

Nesta pressed her mouth to his, kissing him with a supple pressure for moment. “My pleasure,” she said as they pulled back just barely.

Cassian grinned again at that and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with his free hand. “How was it?” He asked.

“Honestly?” She said, a hand coming to his opposite shoulder, thumb rubbing soft circles there. “Made me fall in love with you all over again.”

Brows immediately rising he let slip an, “oh shit.”

Nesta laughed. “I mean it,” she said, head tilting a little as she watched him. “I don’t think I ever actually appreciated what your being a dad meant. There’s this whole person, this kind, clever, funny person who’s just perfect and you made her, from scratch. And you’re raising her and every little thing she does is because of what you’ve taught her it just...” she trailed off. Overcome by a sentiment she couldn’t put into words.

“What are you doing this weekend?” Cassian asked. Unable to help himself. And if he hadn’t been so preoccupied with how she made his heart ache in the best way, he would’ve noticed a similar ache in his cheeks, because he was smiling like crazy.

“I know we weren’t meant to see each other and if you have plans of course you should do those but, well you’re here now, and judging by those very sexy pyjamas you’re staying the night?”

Laughing Nesta slapped at his hand playfully as it slid from her knee, up her thigh to take a greedy handful of her ass, her jersey pyjama bottoms soft beneath his touch.

“Lia and I are going to go ice skating tomorrow. She’d love it if you came.”

“Really?”

“In fact I think she’ll be heartbroken if you don’t,” he admitted.

“You sure you want me there? I know you have this sad little crush on me or whatever but you’re allowed to want time with just the two of you-“

“Shut up,” he laughed. “Of course I want you there. Really it’d just be cruel sending you home to pine over me-"

“Asshole,” she grinned.

“Daddy I will put the lights on but I need to sit your shoulders!”

They both turned their heads as Lia hurried down the stairs with strings of lights spilling over in her little hands.

“Wowwowwow slow down,” he leapt up. “We don’t run down the stairs, do we?”

“Can we sled down the stairs again this year?” Júlia begged excitedly as Cassian scooped her up at the foot of the stairs and held her at his chest with one arm.

“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” he told Nesta. “We have never once done that ever.”

His girlfriend laughed as she stood up and Júlia shook her head very seriously.

“Never ever,” she agreed.

“Then I’m going to beat you both when we do it this year, because I’m a stair sledding pro,” Nesta flicked Lia’s nose playfully.

Her wide eyed gasp made it seem as if Nesta had told her she was Santa.

“Don’t make me haul the mattresses out into the hall right now,” Cassian warned.

“Bring it, old man.”

Honestly Cassian would lose to her gladly, so long as it wasn’t the only ride she’d be taking on his mattress this evening.

* @featherymalignancy

* @sleeping-and-books

* @my-fan-side

* @hearts-of-persephone

* @witchling13

* @theoverlyenthusiasticwriter

* @typicalmidnightsoul

* @sezkins79

* @thebitchupstairs

* @fourshizzle149

* @monstrousloves-explodinggalaxies -

* @yikesitsmaddie

* @jjellybean

* @thronesandstars

* @mis-lil-red

* @rhysandsdarlingfeyre

* @cf-mist-and-fury

* @breezy-freezy

* @dayanna-hatter

* @anishake

* @candid-confetti

* @goldbooksblack

* @impossiblescissorspeachpaper

* @justgiu12

* @twansy17

* @caotica-e-quieta

* @singinginthedarktimes

* @carebear1339

* @keshavomit

* @januarystears

* @bookstantrash

[crazy-sevens]

anonymous asked: You’re writing is amazing! Can we get a third part of the kidnapped lover???

anonymous asked: Oml we NEED another part to the kidnapped lover onesssss, They’re incredible.

@kactus-loves-writing asked: Hi! Can you please do another part to the kidnapped lover?

Hey guys sorry for the late post, but I’ve been sick this past week and school has been school, so here it is now! It’s long and a little rushed at the end, but hope you like it!

Part one here

Part two here

***

Even before the protagonist opened their eyes they knew that everything about this was wrong. There were sledgehammers pounding in the back of their skull. They kept their eyes shut, but they could guess exactly where they were. A warehouse somewhere, working as bait for [hero’s name].  

But it was different this time.

The villain had never kidnapped them like that. Ever since the beginning they have always been . . . polite about it. 

The protagonist guessed it was some new hotshot villain thinking they wanted to take on-

“Well look who’s finally awake.”

The protagonist’s eyes shot open. Oh no. “You.”

The supervillain smiled. “Miss me?”

“You’re dead.”

The supervillain looked at both their hands. “Funny, I don’t feel dead.”

The protagonist tugged at their restraints, their eyes not leaving the supervillain, as if they would disappear if they looked away. This can’t be happening. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

“Oh darling you’re hurting my feelings,” the supervillain crooned. “I thought you would be excited to see me again.”

“Well don’t you have delusions of grandeur.” 

The protagonist tried to keep their voice even, but they were doing a terrible job at it. If it weren’t for the restraints their hands would probably be shaking. This couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t be alive.

The supervillain’s lips curled up as they observed the protagonist. They could probably see the concealed terror on their face, like a wolf could smell fear. 

“Well even if you haven’t missed me, I have been just dying to see you again.” Their eyes glittered as they walked up close to the protagonist. They crouched down. “Tell me, how’s your hero doing?”

The protagonist cleared their throat. “I wouldn’t know. We broke up.”

The supervillain chuckled. Even to the protagonist the lie sounded pathetic. “You’re adorable.”

“How are you alive?”

The supervillain’s smile widened. “I have plenty of resources [protagonist], it isn’t hard to disappear.” Their eyes hardened slightly as they continued talking. “Though your boyfriend/girlfriend did their fair share of damage.” The protagonist caught a small glimpse of a jagged scar running up the supervillain’s collarbone. They swallowed. The supervillain’s eyes pierced right through them. “But that’s all water under the bridge, isn’t it?” 

The protagonist could barely remember what it was like the first time meeting the supervillain. It had been when they had first started dating [hero’s name]. But looking at them now was like being splashed with a cold bucket of water. 

They remembered everything. The supervillain looked like they had barely aged a day. They were almost a foot taller than the protagonist. And looking into their eyes the protagonist felt bare. Their cold eyes could see too much. They always have. It reminded the protagonist of the villain in some ways, but their eyes weren’t cruel like the supervillain’s. 

Even now the supervillain seemed to read their thoughts with ease. “You still don’t believe it?”

“I saw you die.”

“Did you?’

The protagonist broke eye contact. Well, they didn’t really see it happen, but they saw the body. And [hero’s name] said they were dead. Why would they-

The supervillain laughed. “You really don’t know do you? Well I’m not one to spoil a good surprise, so when [hero] gets here I’ll let them tell you.” They straightened. “But for now we want them a little desperate, don’t you think?”

And before the protagonist could respond, the supervillain’s fist collided with their face. 

Yeah that’ll make them a little desperate.

****

The hero just stared at the villain for a few moments. Until they grabbed them by the shirt and slammed them into the wall. Angry red power danced on their fingers. The villain probably should’ve seen that coming. 

“What did you do?”

The villain kept their voice calm, despite the fact that the look in the hero’s eyes was downright murderous. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Oh and I’m supposed to believe that?” The hero spat. “Where are they?”

“I didn-”

“Stop lying!” The hero shouted. “You’re always the one that kidnaps them and honestly I’m so sick of-”

“[Supervillain]’s alive.”

The hero paused. Their eyes turned guarded, suspicious. Not the least bit surprised like the villain had expected. 

The hero finally dropped them. “And why should I believe that?”

The villain breathed deeply, swallowing all of the annoyance and anger that the hero usually gave them. They had no time for this, but if the hero was going to help them, they needed to remain civil. Just thinking about what The supervillain might be doing to [Protagonist] sent fire to their veins. 

The villain stood up. “You should believe it because they have [Protagonist] and they’re going to kill them.” They spread their hands in what they hoped to be a placating gesture. “I wouldn’t be here if it was my fault anyway.”

The hero narrowed their eyes. “Why do you care if they die?”

The villain’s face flushed. They had expected the question, but still hearing it caught them off-guard. “What?”

The hero stepped close. “Why do you care?” they repeated. 

The villain didn’t say anything, just meeting the hero’s stubborn glare with their own. After a few moments of silence the hero’s gaze flashed with realization. They broke eye contact. 

“Alright,” they conceded. “But if you try anything, you’re dead.”

“I got the point.” 

A little while later they were both sitting one roof away from the warehouse, trying to get a read on the situation through one of the windows.

The villain guessed it was the protagonist tied to a chair and there appeared to be two guards standing near them. But those were just the ones they could see. The villain hadn’t seen the supervillain in a long time and they were a ways away, but they guessed it was them pacing not too far off.

The villain turned to the hero. “They’re waiting for you. Just go in there and distract them for a while. They don’t know I’m with you so I’ll just come in from behind.”

It seemed like a good enough plan, but the hero shook their head. “No.”

The villain’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“No. I still don’t know if you’re working with them or not,” they said. “You go in first, I’ll watch from here for a bit, then I’ll come in from behind.”

“What am I going to say to them? They don’t trust me.”

The hero rolled their eyes. “Just improvise. I’ll come in if you’re in trouble.”

The villain didn’t believe that for a second, but they went anyway. As soon as they walked inside, they finally got a good look at the protagonist. 

It wasn’t pretty. There was a terrible black and blue bruise on their jaw. Their hair was mussed and they were barely moving except for a slight flutter of their eyelids. They were also gagged.

The image sent white hot anger into the villain’s chest. Their jaw clenched and dark cold power long unused itched inside them. They didn’t care what it took, they were getting [Protagonist] out of here. 

The supervillain’s back was turned to the villain, but at the sound of their footsteps the supervillain turned. “Finally! You never seem to be able to-” The supervillain blinked at them. “Well you’re certainly not what I expected.” They put one finger on their chin. “Now where have I seen you before?” They gave a thin lipped smile. “Oh yes, I remember. My little competition. Well only one of us can fight [Hero], so I’ll give them your regards.”

They pulled out a gun. 

The villain didn’t flinch. “[Hero] won’t be coming.”

There was a slight pause for a moment. [Protagonist] looked up at the sound of the villain’s voice. Their eyes widened. The villain could hardly imagine what was going through their head right now. 

When the supervillain spoke again their voice was laced with annoyance. “Oh, and why not?”

“Because [Protagonist] isn’t dating them anymore, they’re dating me and if you lay one more finger on them I’m going to tear you apart.”

Another pause. [Protagonist]’s eyes had somehow gone even wider. A small smile was playing on the supervillain’s lips, but the villain kept their gaze steady.

“You really expect me to believe that?” the supervillain asked incredulously.    

The villain shrugged. “Ask them.”

The supervillain turned to [Protagonist]. They tore the gag off. “Well?” they asked,  impatience starting to grow in their voice.

[Protagonist] breathed deeply. They looked straight at the villain, doubt flashing in their eyes.

The villain looked right back at them. Trust me.

And, to the villain’s surprise, they did. “I told you,” they said to the supervillain, “we broke up.”

The supervillain turned back to the villain. The villain could almost see the gears turning in their head. However, the villain couldn’t do much about it with the gun still pointed at their chest.

But they knew they were lying to themselves. They could do something about it. Except their plan seemed to be going okay, and if the hero kept their word, they would be getting help soon. 

The villain didn’t need the power.

That is until the supervillain pressed the gun against [Protagonist]’s head.

“Well I guess if [Hero] isn’t coming, I don’t need them anymore, do I?” 

The villain’s blood went cold. They started to surge forward, “Don’t you dare . . .”

But the supervillain just pressed harder, making the protagonist gasp, and the villain stop.

They tsked. “Careful,” they said. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

The villain’s jaw clenched. “What do you want?”

The supervillain smiled at them, a sharp vicious kind of smile. “Revenge.”

Right as they said it, the villain knew exactly what was going to happen. And immediately, they knew what they had to do. They latched onto the power inside them and pushed all of it at the supervillain. 

Suddenly all the color drained from their face and the gun slipped out of their hand, falling to the floor with a clatter.

The protagonist’s eyes darted from them to the villain. “What are you doing?”

The villain didn’t answer, all of their focus was on the supervillain as they pulled at every string, everything that made them tick. 

The guards looked at each other and took aim, but they were displaced by a very late attack from behind. 

“[Hero] get them out of here.” The villain said, their eyes not moving from the now writhing on the ground supervillain.

The hero untied [Protagonist]. They almost ran to the villain, but one look stopped them in their tracks. 

“Go.”

The villain had never wanted them to see them like this, but it was too late now. Only when they were gone did the villain loosen their hold on the supervillain.

They walked up close to them. The supervillain’s lips were blue and their eyes were vacant. The villain hadn’t done enough to kill them, but enough to be sure they weren’t going to give them any more trouble. 

But when the villain crouched down to examine them, they heard a faint noise. 

Laughter. The supervillain was laughing. 

“You th-think,” the supervillain rasped, “you can trust them.”

“Not for a moment.”

The supervillain shook their head slightly, unbelief evident in their voice. “So naive. Why do you think they left me alive?” 

The villain didn’t respond to that one. 

The supervillain laughed again. Shaky and weak as it was, it still chilled the villain to the bone. “They used me. They used me until there was nothing left to give.” Their eyes glittered. “And now that they know what you can do . . .”

The villain stood up. They didn’t need to hear anymore. They walked away. 

The supervillain was still laughing long after they were gone.

***

The protagonist was still waiting on the porch. Waiting until the villain finally showed their face again. 

The protagonist didn’t really know what they would say to them. What could they say? The villain had avoided them for weeks and now they had just risked everything to save them. 

The hero had explained to them the whole story. The villain had come to their doorstep. Their doorstep, to tell [Hero] that the protagonist was in trouble. And just when everything couldn’t get more confusing, the villain had superpowers. Horrifying superpowers. 

Powers that could have defeated [Hero] easily in any fight they had. 

The villain let them win and the protagonist couldn’t figure out why. 

And every time the protagonist thought of how the villain risked their life for them, their heart filled with . . . confusing things. They knew the hero did that for them all the time, but the protagonist knew it was mostly for the publicity. The villain did it for them. 

And there they were right now. Walking up the sidewalk with an almost sheepish look on their face. 

The protagonist folded their arms, watching as the villain stopped at the porch. “You ignored me for a month.”

They paused. “Well I did just save you.”

The protagonist raised a brow. “And you think that makes up for that?”

“I think that more than makes up for-”

The protagonist threw their arms around the villain. “I could’ve taken them down anytime I wanted, but thanks for being there anyway,” they murmured playfully.

The villain froze for a moment. But only a moment. They hugged the protagonist back with a warmth the protagonist never knew they were capable of. 

“Glad I could help,” they murmured back.

The protagonist pulled back a little and watched their eyes. Those eyes were everything. And right then, they wanted to see what those eyes had to offer.

They leaned in and kissed them. 

And the villain kissed back, hard and fierce and gentle at the same time. The protagonist couldn’t help the small twinge of guilt they felt in their heart. They knew this would hurt [Hero], but they both hadn’t felt like this for each other in a long time. 

The villain was the first one to pull away.

“What now?” they asked, their voice breathless. 

“I don’t know.”

The villain shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out together.”

“Not if you’re going to say cheesy stuff like that.”

“Alright we won’t find out together.”

“That’s better.”

[whatifyoulivelikethat]

silver, epilogue | myg

pairing(s): yoongi x reader

summary: Good people? Bad people? There are too many ways to judge. Min Yoongi didn’t know what he was anymore. He just knew that he fucked up, big time.

warnings: rated M (18+) for language; angst; feels; Yoongi’s POV conclusion to this and this.

--

His doorbell was ringing incessantly. Yoongi did not want to answer it, but one look at the intercom and he knew he had to. With a heavy sigh, Yoongi opened the door. 

Kim Taehyung looked furious.

Brown jacket, gray shirt, dark loose jeans. All he was missing was a knife and he looked ready to murder him. Taehyung narrowed his eyes, brown hair windswept and wild. His sharp brown orbs spied the open and taped boxes behind Yoongi.

"What are you doing, hyung?" Taehyung growled, looking at him accusingly. No hello, no pleasantries. 

Yoongi exhaled and pointed to the boxes. "I'm moving, Taehyung. I'm selling the house."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. "And why would you do that?"

Yoongi chewed on his lower lip. After a moment, he swallowed and told the truth. 

"Because my ex-girlfriend tried to propose to me and I said no. There's no reason to keep this house. I'm moving."

Taehyung stared deep into his eyes. "You're running away."

Yoongi pursed his lips. "No. I'm taking responsibility for my actions."

Taehyung clicked his tongue and shot him a disbelieving look. "If we're talking about taking responsibility, " he remarked coldly. "Isn't there someone you're forgetting then?"

Yoongi narrowed his eyes. "How is that your business?"

"It's my business because she's my friend and, unlike you, I'm loyal to my friends."

That stung. Yoongi looked away, unable to look Taehyung in the eyes any longer. It was all this fault. He was stupid. He was selfish. He knew he was and hearing it out loud made him feel even worse.

"... She won't answer my calls."

"Are you surprised?"

Yoongi sighed in annoyance. "She's not giving me a chance."

"I don't know what grandiose world you think you're living in, but your past chances at this point," Taehyung said quietly. 

"I know." Yoongi stared down at his white dress shirt. Black slacks. Salaryman clothes. He didn't belong in these. He never did. "I know. I want to say I'm sorry. I just wanted her to know that I'm sorry for being a bad person and making shit decisions. I want her to know I'm grateful to have met her." He sighed again, knowing she wasn't going to hear these words. Only a disappointed Taehyung glaring at him, holding him accountable. 

"Anybody with eyes could tell you didn't belong with your ex," Taehyung huffed.

"I thought I was doing the right thing." Yoongi shifted his eyes back to Taehyung, who shook his head. 

"You and I both know doing the right thing is complicated and fucking confusing as shit."

Yoongi twisted his mouth to one side. He looked out his door, past Taehyung. Out on the street, where kids were playing, throwing a basketball around. The typical suburban life. The raise-your-kids and work-forty-hours-a-week life. He wanted to throw up. How could he ever have wanted this?

"I should have told her," Yoongi mumbled. "I regret not telling her that she made me feel like I could take on the world, that I didn't feel scared of being myself when I was with her." The tears that he had pushed away for a long time threatened him, blurring his vision. He blinked them away rapidly. He sucked in a breath, smiling sadly. "Now I can't say anything at all."

Taehyung didn't respond. He stood there, watching Yoongi. Then he lifted his left hand and beckoned Yoongi forward. Yoongi frowned. He was in his socks, but he took a step out, onto his porch. There was something black and silver in his peripheral vision. The scent of dark cherry, sugary and heavy. Chunky silver rings, short black dress, black denim jacket. Too many silver necklaces and glossy red lips that shone in the sun. And silent tears streaming down her face, smokey eyes opening as Yoongi realized, speechless, that this wasn't a dream. 

Taehyung shrugged. "I told her she shouldn't have come, because you're an idiot."

The side of her lips curved upwards just a little. 

"You’re the worst," she breathed. “The actual fucking worst, Min Yoongi.” She wiped her tears, smearing her makeup a little. “Just be a shitty and terrible person so I can hate you without regret.”

Yoongi bit his lip. She ran a hand through her wild hair, sighing loudly as she looked up at the sun. Glittering, glittering, so bright and beautiful Yoongi became breathless at her profile. Her eyes flickered to him, dark pools that mirrored his reflection.

“I want to believe you.”

The smallest smile, so sad and so desperate.

“I want to believe in you more than anything in the world, Min Yoongi.”

-

134340

Yoongi looked up from his phone to see his ex-girlfriend standing there. She was at the counter, ordering a coffee, standing next to a clean-cut guy in a dress shirt. She was smiling at the guy, clinging to his arm. It was a weird feeling, witnessing it. They finished ordering and stepped away from the counter. Her heels skipped as she chatted with the guy. Then, all of a sudden, she seemed to feel his gaze. Yoongi looked away quickly, pretending not to notice.

“Hey.”

He turned and bowed his head, looking into the eyes of the woman he had cheated on. “Hello.”

She smiled brightly at him. “It’s been a while. How are you?”

The guy waited patiently beside her, blind to the weight of her words.

“I’m doing okay.”

She nodded. After a moment, he continued. “How about you?”

The chime of silver chains interrupted the moment.

“Here, Yoongi, iced Americano, like you asked.”

They both turned their heads at the same time. She held out the iced Americano with her silver-ringed hand, the rings not quite as chunky as when Yoongi had first met her, but just as many. The silver chains on her neck were still far too much, with a moon and star charm necklace. Oversized leather jacket, graphic t-shirt tucked into tight black jeans. Clean but sharp eye makeup, not quite as messy and dark as she wore at night. Perfectly painted lips, a glossy cherry red.

Her eyes darted between Yoongi and his ex-girlfriend, single eyebrow raised. Yoongi could see the tears threatening to spill in his ex-girlfriend’s eyes, the realization kicking in.

“I’m fine,” she said tightly.

“Order 78!”

She turned and rushed to the counter. The other guy looked surprised, sending Yoongi a quizzical glare before going after her.

“You going to let my hand freeze to death?”

He reached out to take the coffee from her. “You’re not going to ask?”

“It seemed pretty obvious,” she replied as they walked out of the store. “But if you want to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

Yoongi frowned at his drink, silent. She had even placed the straw in it for him. He felt her arm snake around his waist, pulling him to her. The scent of dark cherry. He squirmed, looking down at her. She kissed him, just like that. A quick, simple kiss that tasted like sugar and coffee.

“D-don’t do that,” he muttered, flustered.

“Do what?” she asked innocently, taking a sip of her drink. She cocked an eyebrow at him, foxy smile on her lips. He thinned his mouth into a line, narrowing his eyes, and didn’t respond. They stood at the bus stop, waiting. He stared at the cars passing by, her hand still on his waist.

“Going to the studio again?”

His eyes shifted down to his coffee. “Yeah. I want to spend more time with you, but–”

She chuckled, stroking his side through his distressed black sweater.

“You should make music. That’s your calling, my love.”

Yoongi turned his head to bury his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“With your tongue, I hope.”

He smirked.

-

masterpost

[pl-panda]

The vines that bind us - Chapter 9

Chapter 1 || Previous || Next

------

She opened the window and picked a pencil. With deadly precision she tossed it. The wooden tool sailed through the air until it hit the binoculars and broke one side of them. She huffed and closed the window before pulling the curtains closed. How rude.

Jason cursed under his breath. Any other day he would probably avoid the projectile, but it caught him completely by surprise. By all accounts, it was physically impossible to use a pencil with such precision and force to destroy military-grade night-vision binoculars. At least the memory card was safe so he could give it to replacement later on for analysis.

Still in bad mood after having his gear ruined, Jason zipped to Dupain-Cheng’s window and gave a light knock. No response. Another knock. Still no response. Finally, after the third knock, the blinders opened and the window itself followed, revealing a very angry girl. Jason finally had a chance to get a better look at her. She did, in fact, have blue hair and now that he’d seen it close, he would bet half his paycheque that it was somehow a natural color. The purple too. She must have had her hair dyed for the first day of work. Her eyes were another part that he memorized. They were blue and iridescent green at the same time, giving a slight unnatural aura. Or maybe it was just that she looked ready to murder him.

“Are you done staring?” She asked, clearly annoyed. “You are not my type and much too old. And the stalker routine is plain creepy. Get lost old guy.”

She was about to close the window when he started speaking.

“I actually came to apologize. I did not ‘stalk’ you, thank you very much. I was just checking on you, miss. You do realize that you single-handedly kicked Riddler’s ass and got quite a bit of publicity.”

“Suuure. You do that for every brave citizen?” She asked with a raised eyebrow and a small grin. “You would be really short-staffed. I hope that overgrown furry does pay you for the overtime.” Any traces of amusement disappeared from her face. “Now get lost before I sic Chloe on you. She recently started dating Damian Wayne and the two seem to bond over ruining people. I’m sure you would make a decent target.” Without further ado, Mari closed the window and put the blinders back in place, completely cutting him off. 

Jason didn’t protest. He was too busy processing the fact that Demon Spawn apparently started dating someone. Oh, he would have so much fun teasing the little menace. 

----------------

When the motorbike entered the Batcave, Jason expected to meet perhaps the Replacement or Demon Spawn. He definitely did not expect to see the entire family sans B and Alfred. 

“Do you want to perhaps explain why dad received an angry call about ‘some idiot in red bucket’ stalking her through the window?” Barbara asked. frowning deeply. 

“Or at least why were you stalking her?” Dick added.

“Or where you hid my coffee?” Tim joined.

“Timothy!” Several of them shouted.

“What? It’s important!”

“Back to the matter at hand.” Dick turned back to Jason. “What exactly were you thinking?!” He screamed.

“Geez. You thought about joining some opera?”

“Tt. Answer the question.” Damian interrupted.

“That reminds me. Did you know Demon Spawn got himself a girlfriend?” Jason asked, trying to deflect. He really did not like how they jumped at him.

“Not… important.” Cass stared daggers at him. “Talk.”

“Fine!” he threw hands in the air. “I followed a hunch. And I was right. She is a meta!” He procured his destroyed binoculars. “There is no human way to destroy military-grade equipment like that with just a pencil.”

Tim picked it up and quickly tossed it onto the table nearby. A blue light scanned the products and the bat-computer started to display the scan plus introductory analysis.

“Well, he is right. There is no way that a simple pencil could destroy it.” He pressed some buttons and recording from the last seconds of the item’s life played. They could clearly see her throw a pencil at it and then everything went black. “Or I was wrong.” Tim started to do a series of calculations. 

“Bucket-head might be onto something. With her muscle mass, it would be impossible to throw a pen with enough force. Actually, it’s almost impossible to make that throw. Not with human muscle density…”

Barbara rolled over to him and the two started to work side by side. “But that’s also not probable since the body is not…” 

“She would probably…” 

“Plant fibers have a similar structure, but she would…” 

“Maybe… Unless she is not strong and instead…”

“Um… earth to nerd corner. Can you explain?”

“Jason might have hit the bullseye.” Tim grinned and several groans could’ve been heard. “She is definitely a meta. It still doesn’t explain why you stalked her.”

“Is that not reason enough?” Red Hood asked. He immediately regretted it when Duke stared daggers at him. 

“You do realize, that metahumans are not as rare as it was believed at the beginning?” Tim asked.

“What?”

“Roughly ten percent of humans are born with dormant meta-gene and the number is increasing each year. And about one in twenty people have an active meta-gene. They just don’t go around wrecking everything or don a cape and run around beating people.” Tim spoke in a matter-of-factly tone. 

“What?”

“Yeah. Eidetic memory, or perfect recall for our uneducated bucket-head,” Tim snickered while Jason grumbled.

“I hate that name.”

“I think it will stay for a while.” Stephanie was smiling. “She does have a way with nicknames. First an overgrown furry, then red Buckethead…” She was on the verge of laughing. “I wonder what she does next?”

“As I was saying,” Tim regained the control of the conversation, “eidetic memory is actually one of the earliest forms of registered active meta-ability.”

“What?”

“The gene tends to activate under extreme duress, but, as we learned, the definition of extreme duress varies from person to person.”

“So what? A guy afraid of failing an exam might accidentally unlock super memory?” Jason dismissed it.

“More like if someone lived in years under pressure and is about to crack.” Dick pointed. “I mean there was even this large awareness campaign about four years ago led by Beast Boy. Where were you?”

“Dead.” Jason deadpanned. “I was dead.”

“Oh… I guess you didn’t see Garfield’s movies then?” Steph asked, being the first to break through the heavy atmosphere.

“She is still a meta.” Jason tried to fight, but his arguments were wavering. 

“Which changes nothing. You will go to her tomorrow and apologize.” Tim said categorically. 

“Ugh! Fine. But I got one more interesting fact: Demon Spawn got himself a girlfriend.” He grinned and turned to Damian. Everyone followed his gaze.

“Tt. I have no idea what you are talking about Todd.” 

“That blonde! Charlie saw you two sitting and eating pastries together! She is the new intern!” Dick had a big fat smile on his face and his eyes were almost glittering. “Who is she? How did you two meet?”

“Blonde?” Tim suddenly paled considerably. “There is only one blonde intern. Please tell me you aren’t dating Chloe Bourgeoise of all people!” He squeaked.

Damian wanted to deny it further, but seeing the Replacement’s reaction he changed his mind. The grin that formed on his face was borderline malicious before turning back to the emotionless mask he wore every day. “Yes. She finally admitted that I was not at fault for the cake incident. She is actually tolerable now.” 

“What cake incident?” Steph asked, smelling some juicy story about her ex. That kind of story was the best.

“Tt. When we were at this gala in Paris two years ago, Replacement attacked me and we fell into the birthday cake.”

“It doesn’t sound…” Dick started, but Damian interrupted him.

“The cake had six levels and was about as tall as I am now. Mayor Bourgeoise was not happy that we ruined his precious princess’s birthday.”

“So that’s why we no longer go to Paris?”

“Tt. No. That’s because Jason almost trashed the Louvre.” 

“Right…” Tim mumbled while his eyes closed. In just a moment, he was snoring away on the chair.

“Damn. I thought it would work faster.” Barbara complained while peeling the near-invisible sticker away from his neck. 

-----

Thursday actually passed without any trouble for Marinette. The class finally got it through their collective single brain cell that she had the power to end their trip with two words. She was slowly getting the grip on the work and after some talk with Penny, where the woman practically forced Mari to listen to some additional advice. She was actually offended that the girl didn’t call her immediately. 

She did have to practically drag her barely conscious boss to a meeting in the afternoon, but he didn’t put up much of a fight after she gave him a Tikki Special Coffee. The small goddess giggled inside her pocket the entire time as the boy begged on his knees.

After work, she and Chloe went to the Gotham Zoological Garden. At first, she wanted to go to the Botanic Garden first, but their class was supposed to visit there after work, so the girls went to Zoo instead. Gotham had a much broader collection of birds than Paris did. And the less chance of running into their classmates, the better.

“...He did what?” Chloe asked louder than necessary, but nobody paid the two girls in smart outfits any attention.

“Yeah. But don’t worry. I gave him a piece of my mind.” Mari dismissed it.

“It’s still creepy.”

“I know. That’s why I sicced the police at him.”

“That’s my girl!” 

“Well, I threatened to send you and Damian after him, but I decided it would be too cruel.” She smiled. “Besides, I’ve seen that Red Buckethead is trending already.” She pulled out her phone and showed a post there was a picture of Red Hood next to a reversed red bucket.

FashionMari @QueenGoldie Someone in a red bucket was stalking me. I was torn between calling the police and criticizing their fashion choice. In the end, I did both. 

“Only you Goldie. Only you…”

--------

Friday was press conference day. For once, Mari woke up earlier and got dressed in record time. Chloe watched from the side-lines as the girl moved around like a tornado, preparing everything and triple-checking all arrangements. She changed outfits four times before finally the blonde grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to sit down. 

“Goldie! You know I love you and I would kill for you,” She started, “but if you don’t calm down I will tie you up and leave you here for the day.”

“But…!” Bluenette tried to protest, but Chloe cut her off.

“No buts. We are only sixteen. I for one came here to learn a bit and maybe meet someone. You are supposed to be learning. Nobody said anything about getting a full-time job.”

“The deal…”

“So what if they fire you?” Chloe raised her hands over her head. “Ridiculous! Utterly Ridiculous! You have Gabriel Agreste and Audrey Bourgeoise fighting over who will get you while Jagged Stone is willing to fly over half the world just to give your references in person. You run a very successful flower shop and even more successful boutique.”

“But…” She tried to muster a weak protest, but Chloe’s angry gaze made her wither. 

“I will not let you run yourself dry!” The blonde stated firmly. “So either you take a step back and breathe or I will call your uncle.”

“Not uncle Jagged! he already banned me from drinking coffee!”

“So you will behave?” Chloe asked with a smirk. 

“Fiiiinneee!” Mari couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Queenie. I needed this. I’m glad I have you as my friend. And sister.” 

“Well of course you needed me! Everyone needs me!” She huffed before her expression became more gentle and she pulled Mari into a hug. 

Downstairs the class was waiting for them. Probably they finally gathered the courage to confront her about Alya’s fate. The girl shouldn’t have lied while filing for promotion. Mari and Chloe stormed past them not even sparing them a glance. Outside, Adrien was already waiting inside the limousine with Gerard at the driver’s seat. 

“I’m glad your driver is finally here.”

“Me too!” The blond boy was practically beaming. “I’m free from Lila’s clutches.”

“Could you drop us at… No. 2 Twine Street?” Mari asked the gorilla, who only grunted in response.

“Um… We should be going to Wayne Tower.”

“Nope.” Mari popped the ‘p’. “You,” she pointed at Adrien, “are an intern in PR. I asked for you to be present at the press conference to help move stuff around and so on.” 

“And me?” Chloe asked. “If you expect me to…” 

“You’re there to support your boyfriend. He was the one that practically demanded that I get you there. He hates publicity.”

“Oh… Good then. Let’s go.”

“Boyfriend?” Adrien asked curiously. “You mean Wayne?”

“Yeah. Apparently Chloe found herself a partner in scheming.”

“I bet that their dates are filled with planning to take over the world.”

“We could’ve taken the world over by lunch if we wanted.” Chloe looked almost offended. “The question is what way would be the most suitable one.” 

All three of them broke into laughter as the car rode through the city of crime.

----

About fifteen minutes before the press conference was scheduled to start, Tim Drake was still not there. None of the Waynes were there in fact. She sent about fifteen angry messages to Mr. Drake and he was still not here, which only fueled her stress and anger. 

The press had no idea so far and they were eagerly awaiting whatever news the company wanted to present. She bit her lower lips. Chloe was on the phone, trying to reach her boyfriend.

“If that idiot doesn’t get here in the next ten minutes, I’m going to consider stabbing him.” 

“Damian?!” Chloe shouted into her phone. 

“Tt. What do you want?”

“First of all, that’s not how you talk to your girlfriend. Second of all, where in the world is your excuse of a brother?! Mari is an inch from going ballistic!”

“Tt. He’s asleep.” Damian answered in an impassionate tone.

Mari leaped over and wrestled the phone from Chloe. “You go to him right this moment or I swear to all that’s holy and…”

“I get it.” He interrupted her, showing signs of irritation. There were some static and the camera blurred for a moment from the fast motion. When it returned, she saw barely awake Tim Drake wearing blue onesies. 

“wah…”

“Get yourself cleaned up and into a suit in the next three minutes!” She shouted. God bless the soundproof backstage.

“Um… But I will never make…”

“I’m certain you have a great webcam somewhere in this big mansion of yours. Set it in the library and call me in the next few minutes. I so hope you were not supposed to be the model because gods help me…” She took a look at his terrified face. “Of course you were…” 

“In my defense…”

“Shut up. Get going!” She hanged up and turned to Adrien and Chloe, who were looking at her with a mixture of fear and awe. “What are you waiting for?!” She tossed a package to the boy. “You get dressed in the new product.” She pushed him outside and into the janitor’s closet on the other side. “And you’re coming with me!” She dragged Chloe toward the main room. The blonde was sent to the technics room to get the feed started while Mari stepped on the scene. The chatter died quickly and all reporters turned to her.

“Hi. Please forgive us for the slight delay. We have minor technical difficulties that are being solved as we speak. In the meantime, you are free to take the seats. The conference is about to start.” 

Behind her, a screen slowly descended. She saw Adrien leaning from the doors leading backstage and smiling at her. 

“Without further ado, I present you Tim Drake, CEO of Wayne Enterprises.”

The image of the teen with black hair appeared on the screen and he waved everyone. He was holding a red cup of coffee with black polka dots, the same Tikki summoned for him the first time. 

Satisfied with herself, Marinette allowed herself a moment of rest. The conference was going well and after a minute of silence for the dead in the recent attack, the presentation began. Adrien was a natural model so it all went great. Wayne Tech in co-operation with Gabriel brand was introducing a new line of ‘smart’ fabric that could withstand medium stress and was almost impossible to dirty or stain. She had to admit it was quite amazing. Apparently, it was partially how Mr. Agreste got her class internship. Granted, Adrien was not supposed to be the model but you don’t look a gifted horse in the mouth. 

Everything was going great until the doors to the room were kicked open and several goons barged in, followed by none other than Two-face. Everyone immediately fell onto the floor. Mari couldn’t help but sigh exasperatedly. Why did it have to go wrong at every turn?

Ignoring the terrified stares, she stormed toward the intruders. “Excuse me, sir?” She asked with an emotionless face.

“What?” The man looked clearly irritated.

“I don’t see your name on the guest list. Did you remember to call in advance?”

“Of course not! Do I look like…” The criminal was clearly angry. 

“Then I apologize, but I must ask you to leave now.” 

“Do you have any idea who I am?” Two-face pulled his gun.

“I’m sorry, sir, but if you are not on on the list, I can’t let you stay.” She said in an emotionless voice. Mari was honestly too tired to care at this point. Maybe at least the evening would be better.

“I’m not sure you get the situation, miss. I’m not here for the interviews. Everyone pull out your wallets and drop them in the sacks!” He shouted while his men started to walk around.

“Hm… That won’t do.” She said. After muttering something under her breath, Mari tossed her clipboard. The spinning board hit one of the mooks in the head, knocking him cold, before bouncing and hitting the next one. After that, it returned to her hand. 

That was enough for Two-Face. He aimed his gun at her, but she moved faster than he anticipated. Within seconds, she grabbed his wrist and pushed it up so he was aiming at the ceiling. She squeezed it hard enough to make him drop the gun right into her other waiting hand. The girl let go of his wrist and disassembled the gun into pieces in what could become record time. 

Now irritated, Mari grabbed Two-face by his tie and pulled him down until they were at the same eye-level. 

“I was trying to do it peacefully sir. I am now ordering you to leave. Otherwise, I will actually have to hurt you.” She leaned closer until she was able to whisper. “And don’t make mistakes, Dent. I can and will hurt you.” For a moment her eyes lost the blue coloring and became entirely iridescent green, glowing slightly. 

Harvey Dent rarely felt fear. His life was more often than not guided by the toss of a coin. Now though, he stared in the eyes of Poison Ivy, except ten times scarier. He was already afraid of that woman after she almost fed him to her ‘precious’.

“I… I am deeply sorry madame.” He spoke carefully. “Men! We are moving out. Leave the bags!” And with that, they were all gone. 

Most of the reporters gave Mari big applause. There was only one angry old man that stared daggers at the girl. 

“You let that scum go away!” He shouted. “He was a criminal.”

“Sir. You are free to go after him if that’s your wish. I’m at work and my job description never included chasing after criminals.”

“But… But…” 

“Anyway, we were in the middle of the press conference if I’m not mistaken.”

-------

NEXT

[radiant-flutterbun]

It’s Mordecai Part 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

CW: Violence and mild gore

“Hello Inkdrop.”

    Mordecai transformed into a form that more matched Inkdrop’s. It was the form that looked so alike the Muerto Inkdrop knew.

    “It’s good to see you again, sister.”

    “Hmm. Don’t like that coming from your mouth. Sounds sinister.”

    “You’re the one who called me brother first.”

“Well that’s because… Look. It doesn’t matter,” Inkdrop took a deep breath “I’m sure you’ve been conjuring so many nefarious plans while I was away involving my portal powers. Because you’re like. So evil and stuff.”

Mordecai folded his arms “You’re point?”

“Well, how about a deal? I could let you go anywhere you want to go, as long as you do something for me.”

“And what is it you would like from me?”

“You’re like super powerful and stuff, right?”

Mordecai scoffed “Duh. I’m the most powerful creature in the universe, there's nothing I can’t do.”

“Ok then prove it. Can you bring someone back from the dead?”

“Pfft easy peasy.”

“Show me. Now.”

“Awfully demanding! What happened since we last met?”

Inkdrop folded her ears “My girlfriend’s sort of mom kinda got murdered.”

“Oh no how sad wah wah.”

“But you could bring her back?”

“Of course. As long as I had the remains.”

“Great! If I hop over now I should be able to-” Inkdrop created a portal only for Mordecai to move it behind him.

“No, no, no. You’re not going anywhere without my permission.”

Inkdrop snapped the portal away “Fine. Then neither are you. Besides you still have yet to prove to me you can bring someone back from death. And I mean properly back. My Muerto can perform necromancy. He told me the body is easy, it’s the soul that’s the hard part. Show me you can bring someone back, soul and all and maybe I’ll let you use my portals for whatever you want.”

Mordecai’s tail lashed “Oh you want proof? I’ll show you proof!” He grabbed her hand and began to morph back into his demonic form. He lifted his wing casings and the delicate wings underneath were unfolded. He held Inkdrop bridal style. He took flight with surprising ease.

“I’m about to enter the Gateway, so if you dare try your little melting trick your body will likely be scattered across the universe, so unless you want to never be whole again I advise you staying as you are.”

Inkdrop gulped but nodded. She had never entered one of the godly Gateways that connected the eleven god worlds and the mortal world. She had always just used her own portals. Now that she was inside one she saw dizzying visions. The Gateway showed her images of a younger Mordecai, a younger Muerto. He was punched in the face by his older brother Naperone. Naperone laughed. She saw him at the age of eight, backed into a corner by Match. She saw him swing his scythe, his eyes closed and Match fall to the ground, blood splattering both of them. Then she saw him at the age of twelve, bleeding on the floor with Match holding a still beating heart in his hands.

The Gateway spat them out in a cold land Inkdrop barely recognized. She knew this land. She had been there many times. But the state it was in made it difficult to identify as the Land of Love. No birds sang. No butterflies danced in the sunlight. There was no sun. The sky was dark, devoid of clouds or even stars. The flower gardens were withered away, not a speck of color to be found.

The vibrant, almost dollhouse looking buildings looked the same but were eerie in the lighting. The palace in particular looming over the dead land. The hot pink plastic look of the building felt like a mockery of everything the owner had held dear.

Mordecai stepped on the corpse of a hummingbird and kept walking without taking notice of the now crushed creature. He entered the palace. He was no longer holding Inkdrop, but instead dragging her along with him, his claws firmly gripping her hand.

Littering the inside of the palace were piles of glittering dust. He climbed up the stairs of the palace passing a black door that stood out from the rest of the decor. The door was ajar. Inkdrop peeked inside to see that the several band posters within were vandalized by claw marks. A computer was smashed into bits, and more pink dust littered the room.

At the top of the stairs was a grand, obnoxiously pink door bedazzled with pink gemstones. Paintings of flowers, butterflies and mice decorated the door. Mordecai pushed it open. Inside was once the bedroom of a little girl. Her bed was still made. Her plushies still sat atop her drawer. Her bow and arrows were in the middle of the room, right beside yet another pile of pink dust.

“You want your proof? Watch and behold my power little Inkling,” Mordecai bent down so that all six of his limbs were touching the ground. His antennae touched the dust. They began to glow and so did his Chaos symbol. The dust began to float. Mordecai stood back on his hindlegs. Each of his four hands held an orb of light. Purple, Yellow, Black, and Red. One by one he tossed the light into the dust and the colors began to spin and mix with the dust. And then there was a girl.

She sat on the floor. Her pink eyes wide, her ears folded back, her mouth frowning. She looked healthy and uninjured. Her clothes pristine, her pink tiara Crown undamaged, her heart shaped symbol without a scratch. Her eyes met with Mordecai’s and he took a step back.

“Muerto?”

Mordecai growled.

“Muerto wait! Muerto I -!”

Mordecai leaped forward and slammed her into the floor, snarling. Before she could utter another word, he clamped his jaws over her Crown and pried it from her head. The roots that dug into her brain were severed and blue blood splattered the walls. The tiara Crown clattered and rolled away, pulsing with magic. As the girl was busy screaming with a hole in her head gushing blood, Mordecai focused on her symbol. With his claws he pierced straight through it. It cracked and shattered, turning to pink dust. And finally, as her blue blood turned the color red, he snapped her neck with his jaws, his razor sharp beak cutting through as easy as scissors on paper. In an instant there was a pile of dust in her place.

Mordecai stood up. Blue blood dripped from his jaws. He crushed the tiara, and that too turned to dust. He turned to Inkdrop who was frozen in place, her eyes wide in horror.

“And that’s how you kill a god.”

“That… That was Niossa.”

“Yeah so?”

“She was your… She loved you!”

Mordecai licked the blood off his beak “Not enough.”

Inkdrop felt sick. Without breaking eye contact with Mordecai she clapped her hands and a portal appeared behind her.

“Tsk tsk,” Mordecai moved the portal so it was now behind him, right beside the pile of dust “How many times must we do this until you realize you’re not going anywhere without me?”

Tears dripped down Inkdrop’s face.

“You know what?” He glanced at the portal “I have to admit I’m curious as to where you were trying to go. Maybe I should hop in? I bet you’ve got so many loved ones I could pay a visit to.”

“No!” Inkdrop shouted and whooshed away the portal.

“You’re gonna have to let me through one of those portals eventually if we’re going to keep our deal, Inkling.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s a simple transaction. I get something and you get something.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Inkdrop glared at Mordecai “Why did you kill her? She didn’t even bother to pick up her weapon! She just wanted to talk!”

“Because she’s a useless god? I only brought her back to prove to you that I could do it. So you’re welcome, now you know.”

“All those piles of dust… They’re all people! Eumoirous! Kissa! Kalon!”

“Yep and I killed them. I really don’t get why you’re so shocked.”

“But you could bring them back!”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because many were your friends?!”

“Oh I see now,” Mordecai morphed back into his more human-like form. The form that revealed how young he was. His face was so round, so soft, so familiar. “Just because I share the face of your ‘brother’ does not make me him.”

“You’re not wearing your necklace,” Inkdrop noted.

“What necklace?”

“The one Niossa gave you.”

Mordecai lashed his tail “Oh that useless thing? I threw that away ages ago.”

“It was meant to protect you!”

Mordecai laughed “Well it did a shit job at that! I did wear it. And that beast still attacked me.”

Inkdrop gasped “It didn’t work…”

“No shit.”

“That means… No Boo.”

“Who the hell is that?”

“And you never got close to Niossa…”

“Why would I? She tricked me.”

Inkdrop remembered the vision the Gateway showed her. Match stood over Muerto, holding his heart, and there was no one else there.

“Ren wasn’t there to save you.”

Mordecai clenched his fists “She promised me she would be there. I trusted her.”

“Oh no…” Inkdrop put her hand over her heart “I’m so sorry.”

She stepped toward him, and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened.

“You’ve been hurt more than I can imagine.”

“What. The. Hell are you doing?”

“Giving you a hug?”

“Stop it. Stop touching me. Stop pitying me!” Once again he morphed into his demonic form. He pried her off of him. “I am not him!”

“Maybe not, but you’re close enough that I refuse to believe this was what you really wanted to happen. What about Sepulchral? What about Sonder? Don’t you miss them?”

“Shut up! Shut up about those stupid gods!”

Inkdrop created another portal. “Go ahead. Enter it. You want to see my loved ones so badly? You might find them to be familiar.”

“I’ll kill them too. I’ll kill them a hundred times, thousands even if I have to.”

“Then what are you waiting for, Mordecai?”

“You’re coming with me.”

“I was planning on it.”

He took her hand, and together they entered the portal.

***

It was bright. Inkdrop stood tall and proud in her nocturne form. Mordecai got up more sluggishly. He rubbed his head. He examined himself and his voice caught in his throat.

“Wha- What the fucking hell did you do to me?”

“Welcome to my world, Mordecai.” Inkdrop grinned “Looks like you took the appearance of a coatl, just like Muerto. Interesting.”

“Am I a dragon?” He spun around to get a better look at himself “I’m so fluffy. Disgusting.”

“You kept your antennae. Coatls typically don’t have those.”

His dragon form had little resemblance to Muerto’s. They were both coatls, and they were both dark in coloration, but Mordecai was obsidian over grey. His eyes were red instead of pale. His wings were laced with red, and he had red peacock markings instead of Muerto’s black gembond. 

Inkdrop twitched her tail “This world is called Sornieth. It’s where I was created. I’m a Shadeling. I formed when a defenseless nocturne egg was infected with the Shade. Instead of that baby hatching, it was me!”

“Why did you bring me here?”

“If the same rules apply to you as they do for Muerto that means you’re mortal here.”

“What?”

“And your powers should be limited. This gives us even ground to discuss stuff! Maybe we can finally find some sort of compromise. Maybe you could have a chat with Sepulchral or Sonder! They should be right in there,” She pointed to a stone tower in the distance “Maybe they could jog your memory that you’re loved and your friends care about you and hey wouldn’t it be a great idea to bring everyone in your world back to life and to stop pretending like you’re Nefarious?”

“Nope. Nuh uh. Not doing this. Fuck you,” Mordecai pulled out a vial of black liquid from under his floof.

Inkdrop frowned “Hey uh. How’d you get that?”

“You left it on my floor.” A ball of orange light appeared in his paw. He held it under the vial and the liquid within began to boil.

Inkdrop screamed in pain. She fell over onto her stomach and grimmanced.

“Good to know I can still use Sadzi’s power here,” Mordecai stood over Inkdrop who was beginning to melt. “Now bring me back to my world.”

Parts of her started to bubble just like the liquid in the vial. She shook her half formed head.

“No… You’re staying here!”

“Stubborn creature, aren't you?” Mordecai continued to boil the liquid and it began to turn into vapor. “Bring me back now. And there better be no tricks.”

“No!” Inkdrop began to evaporate. The pain was excruciating. 

Mordecai watched her, a cruel smile on his face.

“Fine!” With barely formed paws she pressed them together and a portal formed.

Mordecai dismissed the orange light, and the liquid began to cool.

“That’s a good little Inkling. Now pull yourself together because no way am I letting you get away.”

The pain was gone, but Inkdrop was still rattled. She took a deep breath and willed her body to solidify. Mordecai grabbed her and once again they entered a portal together.

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 79 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Previously: Violet and Sutan showed up for Bob’s drag show. Courtney had a disastrous day at work before Galactica shut down for the holidays.

This Chapter: Violet parties a little too hard, Sutan gets sick, and Miss Fame finds out about her precious sketches.

***

Violet wasn’t surprised that Bob was an amazing and hilarious performer. What had surprised her was how into it Sutan seemed, slapping his thighs at every joke, cheering loudly, tipping all of the queens generously.

It was so unlike how he behaved at the adult parties they normally frequented, so unlike how he normally spent a night out mingling and networking, his charm laid on so thick sometimes that the real him barely even poked through.

At one point, after watching him stuff a couple of bills down one queen’s corset, Violet must have had some kind of strange expression, because Sutan caught her eye and gave her a wink, saying, “Not my first drag show, darling.”

Violet smiled, shaking her head at him, though she gladly accepted the kiss he offered up, Sutan’s lips tasting like whiskey and those horrible green shots. It was great to see him, to watch the grown man she cared so much for light up with boyish delight, Sutan throwing himself wholeheartedly into the show.

By the time Bob came up to their table after the show, she was starting to really feel the effects of all the drinks she’d had throughout the night, her speech sounding much slurrier than she intended when she accepted a sweaty hug from Bob.

“You were so good up there,” she said, trying to get out her words without sounding as crazy drunk as she felt, “Best one by far.”

“Wow,” said a voice nearby, and Bob let out a hearty laugh.

“You heard her, Thorgy, I’m the best. By far,” Bob cackled, turning and sticking his tongue out at a green-haired queen.

“Your friends are so sweet, Bob, you should bring them more often,” she said snidely, and Violet’s eyes widened, realizing her mistake.

“No, I just meant, uh, that...that you-” she stammered out, and Bob laughed even harder.

“No, we heard you,” continued Thorgy, giving an exaggerated eye roll. “As if Bob needs anything else to make his fat head even bigger.”

“Would you chill, bitch? She was just giving me a compliment! Nobody murdered your family.”

“Shut up, Bob!”

Violet tried to shrink as they continued to bicker, Maxwell slipping her another shot and whispering, “Don’t worry, they’re just like that. Bottoms up.”

Violet picked up the shot, toasting Maxwell with a little shrug, just as Sutan returned to the table with a fresh round for everyone.

***

“Sutan,” Violet groaned, and Sutan couldn’t help but smile, his girlfriend under his arm, snuggled against his side, an open bottle of water in her hand.

“Yes darling?” It had been a bit of a struggle to get to the taxi, Violet suddenly a whole lot drunker than he had ever seen her before, but they had had an amazing night.

It had been literal years since he had last been to a drag show, and he had forgotten how much fun they generally were.

It had been good to see Violet’s work friends, and to get to know them a little better, to know for certain that his girlfriend was surrounded by good people when she went to work.

“I don’t feel good…” Violet whined, the tone so new for her Sutan had to bite his cheek not to chuckle.

“I know lovely eyes.” He held her hand, gently lifting it and the bottle to her lips so Violet could drink some more water. He should probably have stopped her about 5 shots ago, but he hadn’t wanted to cut off her fun, which she was now paying the price for.

Violet took a sip, her nose scrunching up like it tasted all wrong, Sutan holding her in place even as he took the bottle.

“We’ll be home soon.”

He had been smart enough to change the sheets before they left, the task one he normally left for his housekeeper but she was on vacation, painkillers and water bottles ready on the nightstands - fresh sheets and a cracked window a guaranteed recipe for a good night’s sleep, something they both truly needed.

“Mmh,” Violet tried to pull away, her hand pushing against his leg so Sutan let her, his girlfriend sitting up straight.

“I really don’t feel good,” Violet dumped her head back against the headrest, “like I think, I might-”

The taxi rounded a corner, and Violet’s hand flew to cover her mouth, her eyes wide with panic, and Sutan knew instantly what was about to happen.

“Stop the car!” Sutan reached over Violet, opening the door and unbuckling her seatbelt in one fluid motion, a hand on her hip pushing her out on the street as he yelled over his shoulder to the driver. “Stay!”

Sutan followed behind Violet with practiced ease, the maneuver one he had done hundreds of times, models often drinking way too much if they didn't snort something worse during the first year of their career.

“Over here,” Sutan hated that he was forcing Violet to stand on her bad leg, but he didn’t have much choice, one hand finding her waist as he turned her in an attempt to support her weight,  “How are you feeling-”

He was cut off as Violet grabbed his arm and bent forward to throw up, the majority of it landing directly on Sutan’s shoes, his fingers only just catching her ponytail.

“Oh god,” Violet choked, “I’m so sorry-” She didn’t finish, as she puked again and Sutan sighed, the second round of vomit soaking his shoes completely, the leather officially beyond salvageable.

“I’m sorry,” Violet’s forehead was leaning against his stomach, Sutan’s hand on her neck, a hiccup leaving her, her voice quivering with tears. “I’m so sorry, I’m so so sorry-”

“Hey, hey,” Sutan tightened his grip, using his other hand to gently push on Violet’s shoulder to get her to stand up. Her face was an absolute mess, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Lovely eyes, don’t worry-”

“You’re wearing Prada.” Violet sobbed, her hand coming up in a desperate attempt to wipe her tears, and Sutan knew it was wrong, he just couldn’t help but laugh.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Violet hit his chest, but she still allowed him to move her so she was leaning against the taxi, the tip he’d need to give their driver growing by the second. Violet had thankfully not thrown up on herself, which was a true blessing combined with the fact that he had shoved the water bottle into his pocket. He took it out, uncapping it to pour the water over his shoes, washing them to the best of his ability.

It wasn’t perfect, but he had dealt with a lot worse.

Violet was pale, but she didn’t look like she was going to throw up again, so Sutan helped her back in the car, giving the driver a hundred as a thank you for not leaving them stranded.

“Lovely eyes?” Sutan felt a moment of panic when he realized Violet hadn’t said a word since they got back in the car, “Is everything-“

“I’m so embarrassed, I can’t believe I-“ Violet groaned, frustration heavy in her voice, “I threw up all over your Prada shoes.”

“You know,” Sutan grinned, the few times someone had thrown up in his hands so much worse than what he had just experienced. “You’re the only girl I know who’d care about the brand of shoes I’m wearing right now. The vomit would have been plenty for most.”

“Can we please just, not?” Violet sighed heavily, but she did lean her head against his shoulder, which Sutan took as a very good sign. “I’d love to pretend all of this never happened.”

“Violet. They’re just shoes.” Sutan pressed a kiss against her temple, “You’re so much more important.”

***

Raven flipped through the dresses she hadn’t worn in public yet, looking for the one she was going to be wearing for New Year’s. She had gotten several options for her and Raja, but they hadn’t had the chance yet to try anything on and make the decision, glittering suits and the more theatrical pieces Raja preferred on her side of their walk-in closet.

“What do you think of a green theme?” Raven looked over her shoulder and over at Raja, who was sitting sideways in one of the arm chairs, her legs over the armrest, a bouquet of lilies on the side table.

Raven loved their gigantic walk-in closet, the room so big they had to take down a wall when they moved in, but it was one of her favorite rooms in their apartment, so it was well worth it. It was all done in shades of beige and gray, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the couch and the arm chairs almost making it feel like a miniature store.

“Raj?” Raven waited for a beat, but when she didn’t get a reply, she turned around.

“Hello? Earth to Raja?” Raven crossed her arms, annoyance curling in her belly. She hated being ignored, and right now, she was being ignored by her favorite person. “Urgh!” Raven huffed, stomping over and grabbing the phone from Raja’s hands.

“Hey!” Raja’s eyes widened in surprise and she sat up, her feet hitting the floor. “Give me my phone-”

“You promised-” Raven held her hand up so Raja couldn’t get the phone, her fiancée grabbing her hips and pulling her in between her spread legs, “you wouldn’t work.”

“I’m not,” Raja tightened her grip, and Raven had to bite back a moan as she felt her short nails dig through the fabric of her dress. “I’m texting Tan.”

“Please,” Raven turned the phone, still holding it over her head so she could see the screen without Raja snatching it away. She had expected to see her emails pulled up, Raja often working at the strangest of times, but instead, all she saw was a row of text messages in Indonesian.

“... Okay, so,” Raven hated admitting that she was wrong, but this once, it seemed like Raja wasn’t actually ignoring her for work. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” Raja smiled as she was handed her phone, her hand guiding Raven to sip on her lap, which she gladly did. “Tan says he has a cold.”

“What?” Raven raised an eyebrow, her arms around Raja’s neck. Sutan never got sick, like, never ever, so this was an unexpected turn of events. “Really?”

“Mmh,” Raja nodded, “He woke up with a fever, but it seems like Violet is there.”

This time, it was Raven’s turn to smile, her hand gliding under Raja’s open shirt. “So you’re going to go check in on him?”

“Oh definitely.” Raja grinned, “Who do you think I am?”

***

“Keep the change.”

To say that Violet was feeling guilty would be an understatement. She did her best not to spill the soup as she made her way back towards the living room where Sutan was sleeping on the couch, the TV running on the news channel.

It was terribly unfair, but she had woken up without as much as a headache, while Sutan was coughing his lungs out, her boyfriend hot with fever. Raja had done a pharmacy run, buying every medicine under the sun for her brother, which was now spread out on the coffee table. Raja had offered to stay, but Sutan had sent her away, telling her with a smile that Violet was taking care of him.

It was equal parts unexpected and amazing that he trusted her, that he still wanted her around after she had literally thrown up on him, the ruined shoes something Violet knew would be haunting her nightmares.

It was truly a miracle that she hadn’t fled the apartment, but she didn’t want to disappoint Sutan, so she stayed.

Violet put the bag down, returning with utensils and bowls from the kitchen, when Sutan cracked an eye open, her boyfriend looking up at her.

“Hey,” Sutan smiled, his hair adorably messy, the blanket all the way up to his chin, a small mountain of used tissues in the bin Violet had put by his head.

“I got you lunch.”

“What?” Sutan sat up, grabbing his glasses from the table to put them on. He was wearing a gigantic sweater and a pair of sweatpants, thick wool socks on his feet. “Wait, is that? Did you get me chicken soup-” He didn’t finish, a cough cutting him off, and Violet felt her heart clench.

“Bread too.”

“Ha,” Sutan snorted, a grin on his lips. “You’re the best,” he tilted his head for a kiss, but Violet reacted on instinct, putting a hand on his forehead, pushing him back, which made Sutan laugh.

“What?”

“You’re all...snotty…” Violet tried not to wrinkle her nose, but it was hard not to, his skin hot to the touch.

“So you can throw up on my shoes, but I can’t get one little kiss?”

Violet rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile over Sutan’s attitude. “Fine.” She leaned forward, pressing a kiss against Sutan’s forehead. “And I really am sorry, I promise that I’ll replace them-”

“Lovely eyes,” Sutan looked up at her, her hands on his shoulder. “I meant what I said last night. I don’t care about the shoes.”

“But-” They hadn’t actually talked about it sober, and while Violet wished that the earth would swallow her up, she pushed on, “You always make excuses for me, and forgive things you shouldn’t, and I-”

“Violet,” Sutan reached up, touching her elbow, “That’s what you do when you love someone, and I happen to love you.”

“...You love me?”

“I do,” Sutan smiled, “I really do.”

“I-” Violet didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do, but as she looked at Sutan’s face, she realized that he meant it. This man, this strange, wonderful, amazing man, loved her, and Violet had no idea what she had done to deserve him. “I love you too.”

***

PEARL: How would you feel about a NYE party at 230 5th?

DAHLIA: Well that sounds fuckin posh. How’d you get on the list for something so chic?

PEARL: I’m chic as fuck

DAHLIA: Lol if you say so

PEARL: Lol, is that a yes?

DAHLIA: Sure, why not.

PEARL: Perf. You wanna come over early and get ready together?

DAHLIA: Don’t want to wait until the end of the night to get lucky, huh?

PEARL: Nope ;)

***

Symone yawned, leaning against a column in the Terminal 5 baggage claim, her sunglasses hiding her face as she was waiting for Gigi to appear on the escalator.

Her flight from Little Rock had arrived less than 2 hours before Gigi’s, and even though she could have easily gone back to the apartment, she had told her that she’d wait for her.

Symone was exhausted, but she was also psyched to see her friend, their time apart feeling much longer than a week, so staying at the airport had felt like the obvious choice.

Finally she spotted her, in what looked like a brand new forest green coat with fur trim, Gigi’s red hair hidden under a green hat, her friend carrying herself like a starlet who had stepped off of an old Hollywood movie set.

“Geeg!” Symone called out, waving, and her face broke out into a huge grin as she waved back.

Once Gigi got to the bottom of the escalator, she raced forward, nearly tripping in her platform boots as she ran towards Symone, flinging herself into her arms for a huge hug, squealing out, “Hiiiii!”

“Hey girl, long time no see,” Symone said, laughing, holding her tight. Gigi smelled like airport but underneath it, she was exactly herself, her skin warm and soft, and Symone had missed her more than she was willing to admit.

Soon, the two girls were standing in front of the baggage carousel, arms linked, giggling like crazy as they caught each other up on the latest family drama and antics from their siblings while waiting for Gigi’s bags to show up.

It felt good to be back together, and Symone basked in Gigi’s attention.

It wasn’t like she had never had friends, wasn’t like she hadn't had best friends, but Gigi was special, and Symone felt her heart skip a beat as she took her hand, intertwining their fingers.

“So,” Gigi looked at her, a smile on her face. “Pizza?”

Symone laughed, but nodded, Gigi a terrible but also amazing influence. “Pizza.”

***

“Sutan told Violet he loves her.”

“What?” Trixie looked up from the onion he was chopping, and over at Katya who was sitting at the kitchen table, one hand on her stomach, her thumb rubbing back and forth, her phone in the other.

“She just texted.” Katya titled her screen, though she didn’t actually show the text.

“Haven’t they been dating for months?” Trixie turned around, pretty sure that he had heard the earliest rumors about them going out together from Pearl all the way back in september.

“Not everyone says love you after the second date sugarbutt,” Katya grinned and Trixie smiled, a delighted flush filling his cheeks.

***

Fame sighed, a sense of restlessness and uneasiness lying heavily over her. They had come back from The Farm that morning, Fame spending the early afternoon in her study rearranging her chicken figurine collection.

Patrick had found the most gorgeous ceramic Plymouth Rock figurine, the black and white chicken absolutely a masterpiece, and Fame knew that she should be happy, tinkering with her collection usually an instant source of joy, but today, she just felt…unwell.

Fame wanted to talk to Bianca, but she also didn’t want to talk to Bianca, annoyance at how she had behaved at the dinner party still dancing under her skin.

Bianca hadn’t said sorry, not beyond the hurried apology she had thrown over her shoulder as she left, in fact, she hadn’t contacted her at all besides a single text on Christmas morning.

Fame closed the glass door to her chicken cabinet, walking over to her desk to pick up her phone. She knew it was torture, but she opened her messages, tapping Bianca’s name.

BIANCA: Merry Christmas, Blondie. Let’s hang out when I’m back in Jan. XO

Fame hadn’t replied, annoyance wheeling up in her at how casually Bianca dared to act, how she attempted to sweep how hurtful she had been under the rug yet again. She had overheard Juju and Detox discussing that Bianca had left the country, but Fame had very intentionally not checked any of Bianca’s social media, though Pearl swore to her that a simple look was untrackable.

She began typing out a message, but then stopped, deleting it again. It was too late to respond now without seeming petty, and Fame hated whenever Bianca accused her of that, but they still needed to talk, needed to actually talk about what was going on.

She needed an excuse, some reason to contact Bianca and lure her into a meeting, so she wouldn’t have to show her how she was feeling in text.

Maybe she could find out if one of their regular brunch spots had added anything new to their menu, and then ask if Bianca wanted to join her.

Fame sighed yet again, the plan seeming impossible as she took a seat in her chair, the latest paper deliveries from Galactica lying in a neat stack.

If nothing else, her bad mood could be useful for tearing through some of the more dull and dry parts of her job. Fame took the top one, the weight of it depressing in itself since Fame knew it wasn’t anything fun, Alyssa amazing at her job though she also insisted on being a pain in Fame’s ass.

She made it two thirds of the way through the report before boredom overwhelmed her. She needed something interesting, something fun, and if she was lucky, she knew just where she could find it.

FAME: Hi love, I know you’re still on vacation, but if you have some time today, I would love to hear your thoughts on my sketches. :)

TRIXIE: Your sketches?

FAME: Yes. The Met ones that my office sent to you before we shut down.

TRIXIE: Let me check my computer

Fame took a bottle of Pellegrino from the little office fridge under her desk, twisting the cap and grabbing a glass as she waited for Trixie’s reply.

TRIXIE: I don’t want to get anyone in trouble

TRIXIE: But the last email I have from Courtney is about the investor meeting.

Fame rolled her eyes, absolutely exasperated at Courtney’s inability to follow through with the simplest of instructions, since she was positive that she’d told her to send the sketches.

It took three calls for her to answer her phone, and by the time she did, Fame was fuming.

“Why doesn’t Trixie have my sketches?”

“Um...well, Miss, I…” Courtney’s voice sounded shaky and tearful, which Fame didn’t understand. If she would just follow simple instructions like any assistant, she wouldn’t get scolded or lectured. Her victim act made Fame even more irritated than she was already.

“Tell me! Because Trixie says he doesn’t have them and I know I told you to take care of them-”

“I-I think they might be gone.”

“Gone?” Fame froze, a few seconds ticking by before she really understood what Courtney had said. She felt her heartbeat speed up, dread collecting in her stomach. “What do you mean gone?!” Fame could hear her tone grow shrill, and knew that there was a good chance that Charles would come running any minute, her dog always showing up when she was upset.

“Well, I was in a cab on the way back to the office and then when you called, I-I was distracted and I must have not seen them on the seat…”

“Oh god…” Fame tried to take a deep breath, tuning out Courtney’s ridiculous explanation, her incompetence so staggering that she hadn’t even been able to do something as simple as not losing Fame’s original work.

She couldn’t believe it.

Her sketches were really gone, her work lost somewhere in the city, defenseless against whoever might happen across it.

“...and I have messages in to every company that operates-”

“Enough!” Fame exploded. “I don’t care for your pitiful excuses. How could you be so absolutely irresponsible?! I have put up with all of your mistakes, your incompetence, but this is beyond anything, those were- You’ve done, this, this is unforgivable Courtney-”

The door opened, Charles annoyingly enough clever enough to work out door handles.

“Miss, I’m so sorry-”

Fame could hear that Courtney was crying, but she didn’t care, her heart hammering away in her ears, words spilling from her lips, the only thing stopping her when she heard Bianca’s voice in her ear.

“Blondie!”

“Put Courtney back on the phone-”

“No.” Bianca’s voice was stern, and Fame couldn’t believe that she was taking that tone with her, especially considering her little sex toy’s latest fuck-up. “We’re trying to enjoy dinner-”

“Bianca-”

“You can finish this rant on Monday, but for now, she’s mine. See ya soon!”

Fame heard the beep of a phone being hung up, and as she lowered it from her ear, she saw that Bianca had done just that, cutting her off, and her blood boiled.

Bianca had betrayed her yet again, and Fame could feel her heart breaking, the whole thing so terribly fucking unfair.

Fame threw her phone down on the carpet, and put her arms around Charles neck, the heavy breath of her dog in her ear as she clung to him.

***

Courtney gaped at Bianca, mouth open in shock.

“What?”

“You just hung up on Miss Fame!” she exclaimed. She wiped the tears still trickling down her cheeks with the back of her hand.

“Yeah, so? She deserved it.” Bianca sipped her cocktail, shrugging.

“Bianca! That’s my boss!” The truth, that Courtney wouldn’t admit out loud, was that witnessing it had been a little bit thrilling. No one had ever defended her like that. If she wasn’t so terrified of the repercussions, she’d have been delighted.

“You wanna call her back?” Bianca asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Well...no.” Courtney lifted her hand to her mouth, smothering a nervous laugh. “Oh god, she’s gonna kill me.”

“She won’t.” Bianca reached out and took Courtney’s hand. “At least not until next Monday.”

Courtney gave a rueful smile, shoulders sagging a bit. She’d been having the best time with Bianca, every day filled with joy and excitement and love. Part of her wished that it could last forever.

But of course, it couldn’t. It was just a vacation. And tomorrow they were flying back to New York. Which in and of itself wasn’t a problem. After all, they had a fabulous New Year’s Eve party to go to, which was being hosted by Jinkx Monsoon. (The Jinkx Monsoon, who Courtney was thrilled to finally meet; she hoped she wouldn’t embarrass herself by being too much of a fangirl.)

And then a few days later, the movers would come to help her get all her things from her apartment, and she could say goodbye forever to the apartment that her friends called “The Dungeon.”

So things were looking up--at least better than they had in a long time.

But then there was work.

Courtney knew that she should be grateful for all the wonderful things in her life, but the feeling she’d gotten when she saw Fame’s name pop up on her phone had been sheer, unbridled panic. And it hadn’t gotten any better once she’d answered. The thought of going back to all that, where every move she made was wrong, where she was nothing but a fuck-up and a disappointment, was upsetting and frustrating and beyond anything just exhausting.

“What’s wrong, sunshine?” Bianca asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Nothing,” Courtney said, attempting a smile, which Bianca clearly didn’t buy from the way she tilted her head, eyebrows raised. “No, it’s just...a bit of a bummer to think about work.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“I feel like someone just threw a bucket of ice water in my face and screamed at me to wake up from a beautiful dream.”

“Well…” Bianca twirled her glass by the stem, then asked, “What if you didn’t have to wake up?

“What do you mean?”

“Look, I’m not gonna tell you what to do about your job, but...it just seems like it’s making you miserable, with no upside. And worse, it’s leaving you no time to pursue the things you actually care about, like music.”

“I know, but what choice do I have? I have to work.”

“Do you?” Bianca asked, a smirk on her face, and Courtney rolled her eyes.

“Well, yeah. How else will I pay for stuff?”

Bianca shrugged nonchalantly. “You know your rent just decreased dramatically.”

“I know, but it’s not just rent. There’s my phone and student loans and credit cards and legal bills and-”

“Angel…” Bianca pulled Courtney closer, into her lap. “If money is stressing you out, then I can help you with all of that. Actually, I’d be thrilled to help you, if it allows you to follow your dreams.”

“I’m not asking for your money, B,” Courtney said, looking away. Bianca had already given her so much, and now this? What could she possibly offer in return?

“I know.” Bianca took her chin and turned her face back gently, looking into her eyes. “I know you’re not, but I’m offering. There’s a big difference.”

Courtney bit her lip, eyes falling closed as Bianca kissed up her jaw. Was this really happening? Was Bianca really offering her such an easy out to all of her problems? What was the catch? Courtney felt her throat tighten, tears pricking at her eyes.

“Let me take care of you, angel…” she whispered, and Courtney sighed against her.

“You don’t know how badly I want to say yes,” Courtney whispered back. And it was true, she did. She’d always been independent--in fact, she’d prided herself on it, and so had her parents. Even before she left home to study in America, she’d been self-sufficient. In a way, it felt like a cop-out to accept so much help from Bianca. But Courtney was tired, so very tired, of everything being hard all the time.

“Then say yes. Or at least, say you’ll think about it. You don’t have to decide tonight.”

For a few moments, Courtney gazed at her, too overwhelmed to speak.

“What?”

“Um...you just…” Courtney couldn’t say what she wanted to say, which was that Bianca was every single one of her dreams coming true. That she was sheer perfection. So instead, she said, “You just...look really cute tonight.”

A grin broke out on Bianca’s face as she asked, “Oh yeah? You approve?”

Courtney nodded. She very, very much approved. Bianca was wearing a vivid tangerine-colored dress, the color something she herself would have loved to wear (although she had to admit, it looked so good against Bianca’s skin that she’d probably hesitate to ever wear it again), and everything, even her accessories, were bright and fun and joyful. She was so beautiful, thinking about it made Courtney feel choked up once again.

“I...I don’t deserve you,” Courtney finally said, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

“You deserve the world,” Bianca told her earnestly. She leaned forward and pressed a soft, tender kiss to Courtney’s lips before moving to her cheeks, kissing away her tears.