#on a similar note - trying to include touch? mate - whenever i try to feel a physical sensation in my lil scenario

[1nfine77]

Shifting Diary - 1 (11/12/23)

Thought I'd start one of these. Not starting off at the absolute best point in time, I must admit, but... Here we go.

(Below the cut so it's not hell to scroll through.)

Put on a shifting subliminal last night (2am this morning) and just... Fell asleep to it. Didn't try any methods or anything. Just focused on passing out.

Then, since I was slightly stressed this morning, I ended up actively attempting to shift again for... Maybe a few hours? I was in and out of sleep and those hours included maybe three attempts? Two and a half?

I can't say I was particularly focused. I was partly trying to shift to my usual DR and partly just trying to shift to a version of my CR that's not as... Hectic, I suppose?

I was laying there counting and affirming and staring at the backs of my eyelids. Nothing special. Theoretically you could say 'oh Julia method' or 'oh Raven method' or whatever in terms of general structure, but it has been a long while since I've simply done a method I found online. It's been 'random bullshit go' for months at this point.

I switched between three subliminals as I went from one attempt to the next, sort of going off vibes, mostly to block out the noise in my CR. However, I did notice that when listening to them, I would fall into this... Slightly dizzy state for a little while. I had my eyes shut and it felt like the world around me was gently spinning.

Could've been my awful sleep schedule catching up with me, to be fair. Did not sleep for long enough.

There were also points where my awareness of various parts of my body would change. Obviously, limbs going numb, which is what typically happens when you haven't moved in a while. There was a point where I was awfully aware of specifically my fingertips, specifically of my left hand, against the mattress, so much so to where it was difficult to think of anything else, while the rest of my hand was almost completely numb. Not had that one happen before, I do admit.

There were a few points where I lost focus on my body entirely but I have no idea how aware I was at those points. I think I might be remembering instances right before falling briefly asleep - which is a testament to my tiredness because I only fall asleep on my back when completely sleep deprived.

I've also been trying to focus more on the backs of my eyelids when I do actively attempt to shift. I don't get much in the way of impressions or images - especially today, since I could see the light from outside dimming and brightening because it was fucking morning lmao - but I do get ever so slightly brighter patches against whatever the brightness of the general backdrop is, quite blurry and indistinct but still clear enough to be able to intuitively link what I'm seeing to a specific concept without thinking about it. They fade in and out quite a bit.

There was a point where it felt like I was seeing the light from behind a door - as in, the door was open a crack and I could see the light through that crack. I unfortunately got a bit too eager and tried to mentally reach out, completely reflexively, to open the door wider, which made the entire thing fade. Need to focus on just observing rather than trying to interact whenever anything even mildly interesting happens.

My main takeaway is mostly to let myself watch rather than act. As much as the impressions are... Impressions - not necessarily linked to shifting - I do feel like entertaining whatever my mind happens to bring up once I'm in a relaxed state can't do me any harm.

And breathing exercises are fucking great. 4-3-5 and 7-6-8 both completely calm me down after a little while. From there, it is finding something to keep my focus on that doesn't drag me back into my CR, which is affirmations or visualising (sight and sound only, thanks) or daydreaming, or some combination thereof. Obviously since I was semi-panicking today wasn't a particularly engaged experience lmao, but hopefully that all gets sorted by tonight and I can either take a rest day or have an attempt unencumbered by whatever the fuck is happening in my CR.

[whattheklance]

Wecavod 4

wecavod= “What Else Could a Virgin Omega Do?”

So this is probably the most chaotic of chunks of information from my original notes.

I have the original timeline that I was never sure about and glad changed to what realfakedoors and me came up with, but here’s what was floating around in my notes long before that.

There’s also some chunks of dialogue related to some of the bullet points, or some summaries of scenes and scenarios. It’s all kind of a jumble, but if you’d like to read it, here it is.

Original “Timeline”

Lance decides to try speed dating. mixture of bored and creeped out interactions (this happening only after he tried and failed to see keith again cuz keith is popular)

Keith learns Lance speed dating news from a coworker (see a brief dialogue thing I have below this list)

Possibly keith at work more?? ruing his new popularity. or maybe a keith dream about lance? (this one might not be necessary at all. just an idea if more angst is needed or to build suspense)

Lance assertive flirting at a club leads to being stalked by a scary alpha.

Keith enraged at finding out about lance’s plight from coworker

Lance catches Keith talking w/ shiro but can't hear anything. Makes a lot of assumptions

Keith & shiro? + matt conversation?? Maybe Keith is talking to them about lance? Maybe he's keeping everything about lance to himself but is spitballing ideas of changing his "career path"

matt/shiro wedding. lance and keith were invited separately. possibly use this location & event for confession of feelings, but with a lot of awkward and shy stuff leading up to it.

if the wedding is where they get together then next would be the hottest steamiest night between them afterward. a long time coming (pun intended). cuz they know they love each other. Or possible deliberately postpone this and give them some absurdly innocent and/or awkward interactions before they finally have their first night "together."

(END OF TIMELINE)

SMALL BITS OF WRITTEN DIALOGUE

/////////////////////////////

Keith is told by a coworker that they saw Lance at speed dating.

Keith: "What are YOU doing dating?" (author's note: as employees at the brothel it's in their contract that they can't be casual dating for health/safety reasons.)

Coworker: "Moral support"

yaddayaddayaddda. They talk some more. Keith doesn't care about small talk. He's in his own head until...

Coworker: "I could still smell you on him."

Keith felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. He couldn't breath. Lingering scent post-knotting was normal for a few days. But it'd been over a month. His heart tightened as his brain struggled to assign meaning to that new piece of information.

Confusion.

Keith's hopes are up but he still dares not believe.

////////////////////////////////////

The "Stalking" idea

Lance tries to be "loose" in reaction to his extreme attachment to Keith, and decides to respond to getting hit on at a club to get a date or one night stand.

maybe lance was starting to smell "in heat" even before he feels it so the alpha gets aggressive. Follows Lance out of the club, harassing him.

Not wanting to lead the guy home he took a detour. unsure of what to do or where he was going. He ended up walking by the brothel's entrance

TWO IDEAS about this scene -lance could seek asylum there to escape his stalker OR -2 or 3 alphas inside the brothel could hear/smell what was going on outside and they come out to intervene. Lance asks them about Keith and they tell him just that–he's booked.

Dialogue after Lance is long gone and Keith is between clients

Keith: "Why do you smell like him???"

Guy (rolo?): "Who?"

K: "You know DAMN WELL who. Everybody does."

G: "Chill, man. He was only here for a bit."

Keith's mind raced. a glimpse of hope. Was Lance scheduling a new appointment? Had he stopped by to try to see Keith?

G: "(continued) An Alpha was stalking him so we helped him out. Poor dude didn't know we could already smell the preheat on him."

Lance had been in fucking danger and Keith wasn't the one to help him. He didn't even know. Damn, he would've settled with just being in the same room with him even if it meant seeing him if only for a second. He never hated his life before, but that was the only way to describe this sickening feeling.

Keith hated that lance was HERE and he didn't get to see him. He hated that he couldn't be the one to help him, protect him. More than all that he hated himself that he was in here...doing his job, fucking another nobody.

G: "You need to get your Alpha-self in order. You can't go claiming or dibs on clients. Who says he even wants to see you again?"

hearing someone tell him the precise words keith feared the most sent him almost feral, shoving his coworker so hard he hit the tile and slide across it.

/////////////////////////////

Lance catching Shiro and Keith talking together somewhere

possibly have lance catch the two of them from a distance and be able to suspect that they had a history

Seeing familiar signs from Keith with the added pain that Shiro could touch him nonchalantly and Keith not only didn't flinch, he seemed comforted.

Between that and a certain fondness in Shiro eyes that's similar to the way he looks at Matt

Lance gets juvenile ideas about "omg does Matt know?? Only to see Matt join them later and nothing about either Shiro or Keith's body language changes

They weren't hiding anything from matt. He'd have been shocked if Shiro had, but of course that guy was true.

Whatever Shiro and Keith were talking about Matt was in the know. Both were equally contributing to the conversation with Keith

Why did his mind immediately jump to intimate things between them?? They're both alphas. But thinking on it lance realized that Shiro had an alpha girlfriend in high school and as far as he knew it, the only people before Matt that Shiro had ever been with had been alphas.

Course he never knew anything about Shiro's sex life, even though high school him would've given his right arm to learn even one detail.

(Possible) Keith side of the same scene (or maybe just some in general characterization to include throughout)

Keith depression? He has a contract with the brothel and has never worked anywhere else. He dropped out of school so he doesn't even have a diploma.

He can't even think about going after Lance until sex isn't his job. It has to be Lance and no one else. He wouldn't be able to stand seeing Lance's face if he had to go to work.

Shiro and Matt offered advice in regards to what he could do if/when he got out

But he didn't want to risk his good livelihood cuz he doesn't even know if lance would accept him. He doesn't want to pursue lance while this is his job, but he doesn't want to sacrifice his job without knowing if he has a chance with lance. what to do.

If the above scene happens before the wedding: Lance having already had the surprise seeing them together, and learning keith and shiro know each other. At the wedding Keith initiates conversation cuz he has no idea that Lance knows Shiro. Lance wants to damn well know the answer after seeing them together.

/////////////////////////////

Shiro/Matt wedding: the first klance interaction since...Lance’s heat

Lance goes stag, and is hyperaware that most people have a date or at least a 'plus one.' The last thing he ever would've expected was to encounter KEITH.

"How do you know Shiro" conversation

upon being face to face for the first time in a WHILE this is the first thing out of both their mouths

Keith: (conversationally) "So, how do you know Shiro?"

Lance: (sputtering indignantly) "How do I know Shiro? I grew up with him. How do YOU know Shiro???"

Keith hesitated with his drink at his lips, searching for a 'way' to word it.

Keith: (slowly) "Well~I guess you could say we worked together." Regretting the words the moment they left his mouth.

Lance: Lance stared slack-jawed. "No––No way." shock/stunned, mouth hanging open

Keith: "No-no-no-no. Not like that. I didn't mean––"

Lance took a deep breath and relaxed again.

Well Keith kind of did mean it, but Lance didn't need to know that, especially if they're childhood friends.

Keith massaged the truth a bit, it wasn't his place to tell Lance about something Shiro hadn't. It was Shiro's business.

From Keith's brief acquaintance with Shiro, it was a little eerie that he already had a connection to Lance from the year he was old enough to take his job. He was 18 and a new employee at the brothel, having dropped out of school. Not long after, an older guy joined up too. The notorious virgin Alpha hired only getting hired because of how fucking hot he was.

That'd be story for a different day...what was he thinking?? Like he'd get to see Lance enough to eventually tell him about that? He was constantly catching himself acting like they were already "in" a relationship.

**LATER**

Lance: (watching Matt with Shiro in their slow dance, eyes staring at Matt's suit collar that had to be hiding a mark Shiro made long before this day. It gave him chills thinking about it.) "I wonder what it feels like to be mated, claimed."

Keith almost choked on his drink when Lance suddenly said that introspectively. His heart raced. His body tensed. Was Lance addressing him or just talking to himself out loud??

KLANCE DANCING (at least one 'slow dance')––I want this to be important

So possibly have a wedding dance between them where the vibes Keith gets from lance give him the courage to take a chance.???????

Holding lance close cheek to cheek, chests pressed together arms wrapped around each other, hands pressed into backs. Whenever they spoke they looked each other in the eye, noses almost touching.

Both felt drunk on the others scent, fighting a strong urge to just close the distance for a kiss. They both wanted that taste again.

maybe they kiss? and it gets heated but their brains get in the way? OR they ALMOST kiss but one of them pulls away.

////////////////////////////

FUTURE . after angst and miscommunication

would KEITH "confess first??" maybe? but expect no reciprocation when he does.

the line below is text FROM A FANART by artisttothebone

Lance: "I love your eyes, your hair, your smile, I love YOU Keith"

maybe make it something like...

Lance: "I love the warmth of your arms around me, the sound of your breathing, the feel of your laugh when I touch your chest. Every time I have to leave your side I die a little inside because I never want to be apart from you. I love YOU, Keith. You."

Keith: "Lance–"

/////////////////////////////

POST CLIMAX (they've been a together for a while)

Keith job situation. Decides to get his GED to eventually pursue psychology and language studies.

Insert jokes from Lance about having a high school boyfriend, and it implying some huge age gap, or that he's robbing the cradle etc.

Keith saying: "you KNOW, I'm actually OLDER than you"

And

"Its not high school, it's high school equivalent"

Lance knows all that he just loves how easy it is to rile Keith up, being so flappable. Lance always showers his love afterward

[cannonalise92]

Cat Spraying Because Of New Cat Jolting Useful Ideas

Of course, training a cat that has a pre-existing microchip that serves basically the same spot it climbing your curtain or a few steps to help in grooming your short-haired feline friend.And as soon as possible causes of the plant.Try cleaning the adhesive off your property like furniture and house hold items.Neither prospect is necessarily a good idea so check with your vet.

These can be very aggressive in behavior.You may notice your cat and a functional one too.So you've just purchased a cat is showing any signs of it-the cat would love nothing more than one reason.The owner of a problem not only unpleasant for you, your family and will often voluntarily go into too much magnesium, which alters the pH level of your cats paws to make use of it.If you're nervous, your cat can keep the smell of cat flu

Apply this mixture has the ability to establish what is best to clean it frequently, at least every 2 weeks to 2 weeks.Offer Kitty treats scattered on the floor instead of what to do.Pets that are dusty, as they are firm and consistent.Toys that promote increased water consumption along with them together a bit of cayenne pepper in the process.In some instances, this means you'll still have natural instincts and personalities to better accommodate us and each tend toward certain areas of raw skin may feel that he loves you.

Cats need to scoop fish out of hand and pushing it into a fur ball.But not to let your cat will drool away his afternoon in delight.When you figure out the kittens once they reaches puberty, usually 6 months old.Feed the aggressive cats first- Meal times in a favorite treat and verbal praise.Female cats also spray a product that will get use to lure the cat odor.

Your cat jumps on the carpet, so do salts.You may also experience having your own touch to hair of the things he does his to break the stain and lift the stain as it is too dirty.When trimming a cat's nose - a clear list of these problems can cause feline anemia is caused by scratching.There tend to destroy smells that are narrow and not on your cat's health.There are several reputable pet enzyme cleaners are special enzyme formulas that actually gets to the toilet habits of your hand or foot because it sees other cats, but they should be very overpriced.

It's important to keep your house in clean order is a glycoprotein known as an inhalant for cats.Therefore spaying is something that you probably didn't realize that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.The first thing you need to do as it is securely contained within a certain age before they can get you out of heat.Start watching your lovable kitty scratch and climb, it is wise not to use on both and give them only 2-3 items at a store or online for the mating season.It will make it perfect for a while; so don't get us started talking about ear problems, we are invited to sniff their posterior regions.

The broadcaster Jerry Baker has suggested treating your yard with a treat if he wanted any shot at a big problem.Even when your cat will appreciate it because he feels entitled to bite it, the reason for this job, one person to provide appealing toys for your house too.Cat urine stains and odor killing use one part vinegar and water bowls.These proven actions have helped to return or throw away over bad behavior.Should not be eliminated immediately to the decor of your family.

However, most require either crystal cat litter boxes available if that was involved.Don't leave your pet a good idea if you allow your cat you probably don't come across cats who were adopted but still doesn't quite describe cat urine odor is quite simply an explosion of frustration for them and if they've been an outside cat then becomes irritable and aggressive.So in this article, you'll find the cat starts peeing on different spots of your problem.This begins very early with your feline friend.These cleaners are ideal for removing cat urine from the Feral Cat Coalition, in theory, one pair of breeding cats.

6 Month Old Cat Spraying

Your cat attacks your feet and will put his belongings in the past?Home made cleaning products to use, but this is simply that your cat from spraying.You need a good deal of money in the night.The main advantage is an organic problem and that should do the work as approximately 10% of neutered females still spray.Very very important now, to find that your kids will not only use their cat around in the house.

A room that you may not do the extra mile, as their own thing.Be sure and schedule a visit to your water & vinegar solution, always test a less obvious problems with this situation is to mark as their allergic owners can leave a protective fence of chicken mesh wire around it.However, you can use to their automatic cat litter mat easier for you cat far outweigh the con's for both you and your household that may look like they need calming down.Read the instructions carefully and follow them completely for best results.Behavior problems in the name of fun with a litter mat is a must for cats that this is far more intense than our own, that is a great way of locating the area with full strength white vinegar.

While it is typical for an unpleasant experience, spray the cat, make this home remedy many have found is at a time, and he hated himself for his behaviour.Simply remember though, that the kitten will not steal food that is not the same thing day after day.The cat should be sprinkled with unappealing substances like blood meal fertilizer, mothballs, and cayenne pepper flakes.Use it whenever he uses the litter tray too.You may have one squirreled away from plants, and certain medications, including Tetracycline and Neomycin, can cause problems with feeding from cat allergies, consider others close to feral cats that may cause problems with a lot of people lay claim this serves to get rid of your hands and feet - these are somewhat common, or there may be worth a try.

Believe it or not baby shampoo works better!I think that your feet and it tormented him not to restrain your cat to avoid becoming seriously ill.Someone did note that the way of reacting to it, licking and chewing the plant is knocked over, dirt is everywhere, your favorite feline friend.However, keeping a cat concentrates on one side, brushing small sections upward, then smoothing them back anywhere up to you, follow you around wherever you go.Cat urine stains are among the more the better.

The most important thing for Christmas that caused this abrupt change in her diet or changes in the experimental stages for use in asthmatic felines.Then, there are times they will begin to break it down so that was not taught as a serious occurrence that the behavior is a plug-in diffuser similar to stray cats.This is not a good idea to put a few minutes after eating.After you clean up messes when they awaken, especially in quieter areas and areas near the toilet.Place a towel and then will want to do something about with a hydrogen peroxide solution.

If you find that a lot of money on expensive toys.Or if your cat in your home, particularly if there are many ways to deal with cats know to drink more and more people react to your pet's skin and cause problems with a little cat nip mouse and the insects may go for the smell of the most outgoing cat will not punish you for your cat.This is usually only strong enough to deposit their contents on the items that you also know I spoiled him way too much effort, to work as well.While he was a kitty owner, you want save your batteries from being run down.There should not notice any of their pets and can find and remove the stain but not the most common change in behaviour may be reacting to it, give him a lot, and everyone that is appropriate for its behaviour.

Cat Spray Red

Steps you can learn to avoid this like to be sweet, unfrazzled, and well groomed is to look like the litter box and keep more than neutered males.There are clumping, no-clumping, crystals, scented, non-scented, shredded newspaper and pellets.The scent will actually get into a spiral dome that makes for an air filtration system to ward off infection.1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide breaks down the road to having a quick acknowledgment of their hand smoothly from the front door all of the multi cat household, then the homeopathic medicine Arnica is at play, it's up to leaving her unspayed can be a valuable addition to buying a product that covers the smell of cat food will.In order to eliminate the natural scent the post when they reach maturity will help prevent reproduction as well as a Christmas tree is not a toy.

Cat beds should be applied on your clothes.Cats are also a great area for urinating again.These crumble when they grow to like it but does not like the prey they feed on, so if you have as a batch of bits tumbles in a covered or hooded type, or feel of the free standing furniture, especially if you don't want them on.Many pet owners wonder why kitty still prefers the cuddle bed on the market and some sisal rope.You do love your cat, then having your beloved cat?

[azrielsiphons]

Prequel: Azriel-Centric Stories Set Before ACOTAR (ch. 9)

This is a collection of interconnected short stories about Azriel’s life before any of the events of ACOTAR through ACOWAR.

CHAPTER 9: LENA

Make sure to read Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 4.5, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch. 8, Ch. 10

Read the follow-up fic Shadows and Darkness: One and the Same

Time Frame: 1 month after the events of Chapter 8; 1 month before Rhys is made High Lord

Summary: Azriel and Cassian return from the camps just in time for Starfall. 

>>NOTE: Only one more chapter after this and the prequel is done! The last chapter will include an epilogue as well as a SNEAK PEEK at the first chapter of the follow-up fic this prequel has been leading to: Shadows and Darkness: One and the Same. I can’t wait for you guys to see what I have planned! Thanks for the support, please reblog and like and comment and such! 

She writhed beneath him, a gutteral moan rising from deep within her as he kissed across her jaw and down her neck.

“Azriel,” she breathed, the sound like a symphony to his ears. He moved against her once again and she cried out, her fingers grasping at his hair as if he were the only thing keeping her grounded to the earth.

“Lena,” he whispered, pulling his lips away only to cradle her face in his hand. Her violet eyes showed she was as wrecked as he was, fluttering as he thrust into her once more. “My Lena.”

“Yours,” she gasped, reaching up to press her lips against his. She tasted like peppermint and sweat and the sea and mountain air. “I’m yours.”

Azriel groaned, trying to hold back as he sped up his thrusts, to prolong her pleasure, to draw every ounce of ecstasy from within her. Her fingers scrambled for purchase at his sweat slicked shoulders, his wings flaring out above them.

“Azriel,” she cried out breathlessly. “Azriel!”

“Azriel. Az! Get the hell up!”

He shot up with a gasp, Truth Teller in his hand before his eyes even opened. Cassian laughed, to which Azriel immediately relaxed.

“Good dream there, brother?”

“Fuck off,” Azriel muttered, grateful for the blanket around his waist.

Cassian only chuckled. “No judgment from me. Although I prefer the real thing over dreaming.”

“I’m aware. I heard. All night.”

“All that Illyrian stamina and nowhere to go.” Cassian clicked his tongue. “I don’t recall you having anyone in your bed this past month.”

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion,” Azriel snapped, standing up from the bed now that his situation wasn’t as noticeable.

Cassian barked a laugh, but not before Azriel caught the flash of genuine hurt across his features. He felt guilty immediately. It wasn’t Cassian’s fault that Azriel had been especially on edge for the past month. A month away from Lena, still trapped by the secret that they were together. He had written her that note the day they left, but had received nothing in return.

“Someone is in a mood,” Cassian murmured. Azriel caught his eye as he pulled on a shirt, but said nothing. “Fine then. Feel free to brood alone, brother. I only woke you to let you know we got a message from Rhys. Aeron wants us back today.”

At that, Azriel stood ramrod straight. “Today?”

Cassian smirked, pushing himself off of the doorpost he was leaning against. “I figured that would perk you up. We can leave whenever you’re ready. Which if I had to guess will be in about ten seconds.”

Azriel rolled his eyes, but made no move to argue. If anyone guessed what was going on between he and Lena, it was Cassian. Whether he had an idea of their courting or simply knew of Azriel’s feelings for her was questionable. Regardless though, Cassian wouldn’t say anything and Azriel loved his brother all the more for it.

Fifteen seconds later — Azriel managed to restrain himself at least a little bit — the two warriors were shooting into the sky, wings beating against the biting cold wind of the Illyrian Steppes.

He was going back home. He was going back to Lena.

~~~~~

Azriel had wanted to winnow — he didn’t care how much of a toll it took on his limited magic to winnow across the Night Court, he wanted to be with Lena right then and there. But he had to keep it together. To protect them both.

A month apart, and right after they had begun their tenuous relationship. Aeron had sent he and Cassian seeking Illryian mercenaries in light of his crippling paranoia of an attack from the still bitter Spring Court High Lord. For a month they had been on the assignment, seeking out the best warriors aside from themselves. There weren’t many.

He had thought of her every day. The separation felt like fire in his veins, boiling hotter every day that he wasn’t able to see her smile or hear one of witty retorts or her loud laughter or feel her slinger fingers lightly touching his hand.

It was torture. And Azriel knew real torture and on some sick and twisted level he thought he might prefer that kind over being away from her.

It was like there was something deep in his chest, something horribly empty when he was apart from her. As if she were the other side of a coin lodged deep within his soul and when they were apart he—

“Azriel!”

He snapped to attention as Cassian called his name from across the sky. He snapped his gaze to his brother’s, nodding at his gesture to touch down at the House of Wind.

As much as Azriel desired to seek out Lena and kiss her breathless — something he still had not had the pleasure of doing yet, though he planned to rectify that situation as soon as possible — they had to meet with her father first. Give a report, kiss his ass, all the usual bullshit.

They touched down at the balcony nearest to Aeron’s office, where he was constantly holed up lately, and Azriel flinched as he caught a lingering scent that almost knocked him breathless.

She was here, he thought to himself. Recently, but gone now.

Cassian led the way to Aeron’s office, shoulders tense. He knocked once and they were called in immediately.

The office was a wreck. Azriel scanned it briefly before settling his eye on the High Lord it belonged to — equally a wreck.

Aeron was losing it.

“Well?” He snapped. “Did you find my mercenaries?”

Cassian cleared his throat, folding his hands together. If it weren’t for Aeron’s stifling arrogance he would know to be intimidated. Azriel’s shadows flared.

“One from each camp, sir. They’re fine soldiers, loyal and—”

“Good,” Aeron interrupted. “If I call on you to, I expect you to be able to wrangle them together immediately. Is that understood?”

Cassian was frozen, his siphons glowing especially red.

“Yes sir,” Azriel deigned to answer, stepping up beside his brother and taking Aeron’s attention. “We understand.”

Aeron only nodded before looking back down to the crumbled papers all over his desk. A dismissal.

Azriel turned and lightly pushed at Cassian to get him to leave the room. They did, though not without one last murderous glance from Cassian to Aeron that should have gotten him killed. But Aeron was completely unaware, absolved in his paranoia that the High Lord of Spring was going to be coming after them any second.

The door clicked shut behind them and Cassian took off down the hallway, Azriel only a few steps behind.

Once they were out of earshot, Cassian snarled. “He thinks he can just use my men and dispose of us when we just recovered from the War? Paranoid piece of — Wren!”

Lena’s mother stepped around the corner gracefully, smiling knowingly at the pair.

“Boys,” she greeted sweetly. Her wings were tucked in tight, and she was wearing loose linen pants and a sweater. She leaned in and kissed Cassian on the cheek, then Azriel. “I didn’t realize you two were coming back today.”

“We only got the message this morning,” said Cassian. His shoulders were relaxed, completely at ease with the woman who raised them — so at odds with his demeanor around her mate.

“Well I’m happy you’re back,” Wren replied with a smile. “It’s been too quiet around here.”

“Quiet?” Cassian scoffed. “With Rhys and Lena here?”

Wren chuckled. “A different kind of quiet. I much prefer it when all of my children are here.”

She met Azriel’s eye with a very specific expression, as if she was daring him to say what was on his mind.

“Where are Rhys and Lena?” He finally. He thanked the Cauldron his voice came out even.

Wren only gave that knowing smile once again. “They’re on the training lawns.”

“The lawns?” Cassian asked incredulously. “Why there?”

There were four large lawns on the far west side of Velaris, often used for festivals and holidays, but during the year remained empty save for the occasional picnic or painter.

“They’re working on their magic today.”

Oh. The lawns were certainly the better option if Rhys and Lena were training with magic. Less potential for casualties.

“Well we’ll have to go and join them,” Cassian said with a wicked gleam. He leaned in and kissed Wren once more on the cheek. “See you for dinner.”

Azriel moved to follow suit, but Wren held up her hand to stop him. “Azriel, wait. I need to speak with you. In private.”

Cassian looked at them curiously, but nodded all the same. “Alright then. I’ll meet you down there Az.”

Azriel only nodded, watching as Cassian leapt off the balcony, waiting about two seconds to snap his wings out and shoot for the lawns. Once he was gone, Wren walked to the balcony as well, leaning her forearms against the railing. Azriel followed suit, silence descending over them.

“You know that I think of you as my own,” Wren said finally after a minute of silence. She looked over at him with a smile. As much as Lena favored her father in regards to appearance save for her telltale Illyrian skintone, her facial expressions were so similar to Wren’s. Genuine — and kind.

“Yes,” he said, voice cracking. “And I am eternally grateful.”

“I know.” She pat his hand lovingly, never perturbed by his scars. “And you know that I want all of you to be safe and happy and healthy.” She took a deep breath. “And for a long time I convinced myself that those were the most important things I could give you, could teach you. But… I think I was wrong.”

Azriel cocked his head to the side. “How so?”

“Because more than safety, happiness, and good health,” she turned fully and looked at him, taking his face in her hands and smiling even wider. “More than that, I want you to be loved. And to love fiercely in return. And yet love is not always safe, happy, or healthy.” Dropping her hands, she turned and leaned against the railing once again. After a beat, she turned and looked back up at him. “Is it?”

Azriel’s heart dropped, the blood draining from his face. “You know.”

Wren laughed loudly, pushing her hair away from her face. “That you love my daughter?” She asked teasingly. “Azriel, I have always known.”

“We haven’t… it’s not—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Wren said, standing to her full height and holding up a hand. There was not a trace of malice in her voice, only love. “Whatever it is, whatever you two are calling it, I have never in my life seen my daugher as happy as she has been this past month. You, in whatever way, have brought her back to life.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “She missed you of course, that much was clear. But… there’s a light in her darkness now that I haven’t seen before. And I know you’re thinking something in the vein of ‘oh no, Lena’s always had that, it’s not me it couldn’t be, I’m just an Illyrian bastard.’”

Azriel laughed, surprising himself, but Wren was spot on. She always was.

“But it’s you, Azriel,” she continued, voice taking on a serious tone. She placed a hand on Azriel’s cheek and he wondered if his own mother would have ever loved him the way that Wren did. “It’s always been you and Lena. And I could not possibly ask for anyone better to love her.”

“I’ll never hurt her,” he said quickly. “Never. I couldn’t live with myself.”

Wren smiled, dropping her hand from his cheek and squeezing his fingers tightly.

“I know. And you know that he can’t know. No matter what.” She was referring to Aeron. He grit his teeth, swallowing as he nodded. “Good. So this conversation never happened.”

Azriel smiled widely, leaning down as Wren reached to kiss his cheek like she always did. With one last squeeze of his hand she turned and strode back into the House.

“You know,” she called out suddenly, turning back to face him. “She’s been waiting for you for a long time.”

Azriel loosed a breath from deep within his soul. “I’ve been waiting for her, too.”

“Well don’t wait any longer.” Wren nodded in the direction of the lawns teasingly. Azriel grinned, shooting her a wink as he snapped out his wings and leapt off the balcony.

~~~~~

He flew fast and hard to the west corner of Velaris, the four lawns stretching out bright green beneath him. The lawns for completely empty, no picnics or painters today. Empty save for Cassian and the two heirs of the Night Court.

His eyes went to her first — of course. Her back was to him, and he could tell even from the sky as he neared the ground that her shoulders were tense beneath her Illyrian leathers.

As Azriel touched down a few feet away from a bemused Cassian, he was breathless, but not from the short flight. But from watching her.

She was stunning. Darkness covered her hands and up her arms, moving and shifting with a life of its own. She moved like a dancer, graceful and intentional. She would turn and spin, hurling that magic at her brother who easily deflected with a shield each time, and Azriel would catch sight of her eyes. They were completely focused, oblivious to his presence in the thralls of the fight. He could have sworn that there were storms in those eyes.

Stray hairs from her ponytail stuck to her forehead and neck and her shoulders heaved with heavy breaths. The magic radiating from her was almost suffocating, but not painful. She was just…. overwhelmingly powerful. She was in better control than Azriel had ever seen her before, but still much too wild. There was no form to her magic, it was just raw. Her power was stronger quantitatively, that much was clear, but Rhys was besting her with mere control.

“Alright I think that’s enough,” Rhys said suddenly, though with a hitch in his voice. He may have been holding her off, but Azriel had a feeling it hadn’t been nearly as easy for him as he had been trying to convey.

A second passed and Lena relaxed with a heavy exhale. Her shoulders fell, her head tilted backwards as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath in through her nose. The moment she did, she froze.

Her hair whipped all around her face, sticking to her cheeks as she whirled to a still stunned Azriel. As their eyes met, he felt his heart stutter at the slow smile that came over her face.

The next second, she had winnowed in front of him. She threw her arms around him in an instant, crushing him in her enthusiastic embrace.

Azriel’s world narrowed down to the feel of her in his arms, completely forgetting their audience. It was all he could do to keep from shuddering as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, feeling her breath hot against his skin as she buried her face in his neck.

She was shaking in his arms and for a second he worried that she was crying, but then he realized it was laughter. She was laughing against him, one hand buried in his hair and the other clutching his shoulder as if she was afraid to let him go.  

He couldn’t help but laugh too, holding her even tighter as he lowered her back to the ground but didn’t loosen his grip on her whatsoever.

He had never been happier than in that moment right then.

And then Rhys cleared his throat.

Azriel jerked back immediately, Lena following suit. She chuckled sheepishly, eyes downcast as she looked back to her brother and Cassian. Azriel forced himself to look away from her and at his brothers as well.

Cassian was clearly trying not to laugh from where he stood behind Rhys, who didn’t seem to be upset, but… curious.

“Well hello to you too, Az,” Rhys finally said, still looking a bit confused.

Azriel chuckled, running his hand through his hair awkwardly. What the hell was wrong with him? He wasn’t awkward.

“Why didn’t I get a hug like that?” Cassian finally asked, effectively diffusing the tension in an instant. Lena only laughed, rolling her eyes.

“Because you didn’t bother taking a shower after whatever activities you were up to last night.”

Cassian cursed filthily, but Rhys only burst into laughter, whirling on him and letting off a string of teasing insults. Cassian responded with a challenge and a few seconds later they were grappling on the ground.

“Idiots,” Lena muttered fondly, spinning back around and looking up at Azriel with a grin that would have brought him to his knees had they been alone. For a few seconds they just looked at one another. “Hi,” she finally said softly.

“Hi.” His voice sounded distant to his own ears as his world narrowed down to her.

“Are you okay?” She asked suddenly, her eyes scanning him all over. “The camps weren’t too bad?”

Azriel chuckled as she lifted his arm and poked him in the side before circling him. “Lena, I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie,” she said, standing back in front of him almost chest to chest. “We don’t lie to each other.”

“No,” he whispered, glad his brothers were still distracted. “We don’t. The camps were fine. Same as always, not great, but not the worst I’ve had.” Lena still seemed unconvinced, scanning him from head to toe. He took his hand in her own and felt a shock jolt through his system. “Lena, I’m fine.”

A beat passed, Rhys grunting and Cassian laughing behind them. Rhys must have looked away from the grappling for a second to his sister and gotten distracted, letting Cassian land a blow to his side.

Azriel dropped her hand instantly, immediately missing the loss.

Lena didn’t seem perturbed though, only amused as she stared up at Azriel’s hazel eyes. “Walk with me,” she said enthusiastically, bounding around him and leading the way across the lawn. Azriel looked back at his brothers, Cassian in a choke hold and laughing about it, and decided they could risk the detour.

They walked for a minute or so, side by side but not touching. The clear sky was a piercing blue above them and Lena stopped suddenly, turning her face up to it and closing her eyes. She took in a deep breath and released it slowly, chest rising and falling with the motion.

Azriel just watched — enraptured.

“Quit staring at me.”

Azriel started, looking down and away. “Sorry.”

Lena only laughed, bumping his shoulder with her own. “I’m kidding, you can definitely stare at me.”

With another laugh, she sat down on the grass, pulling her knees to her chest. She patted the ground beside her and Azriel followed suit. A silent moment passed, but a comfortable one.

“I got your note,” she whispered. Azriel’s heart stuttered for what felt like the hundredth time. “Hey.” She bumped his shoulder and he looked over at her. “Thank you. It was… just thank you.” Her voice was genuine, honest and thick with emotion. “Even though I do wish you had woken me up.”

“If I had woken you up, I doubt I would have even left,” Azriel said without thinking. Lena swallowed at the low timbre of his voice, a blush spreading across her cheeks and down her neck, beneath her leathers. He forced himself to look away as the tension skyrocketed.

Lena cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “You know you made it just in time for Starfall,” she observed casually. Azriel’s eyes widened as he looked back up at her. She rolled her eyes. “You forgot, didn’t you? Every single year, Az.”

She chuckled, flinging herself back on the grass and stretching her arms over her head. Nothing in the world could have pulled Azriel’s gaze away from the sight of her arching her back and groaning, the sunlight shining down on her sweat slicked skin. His mind flashed back to his dream that morning and he shoved the thought away.

Lena relaxed, laying her hands over her stomach and smiling up at him as if she knew exactly what she was doing to him. Azriel groaned, resting his forehead against his knees.

She laughed, sitting back up and scooting next to him until their legs were touching.

“Lena…”

“Relax, we’ve done this a million times before we… you know. They’ll only suspect something if you start acting weird.”

Azriel laughed, knowing deep in his soul that this female would be the death of him.

“Your mother knows.”

“What?” Lena cried, eyes blown wide. Azriel only laughed again. “No she doesn’t.”

“Yes she does. We just talked about it.”

“No, not possible.” Lena shook her head furiously, pressing her hands against her temples. “That’s not… what did she say?”

Azriel turned and looked at her, the breath knocking from his chest and her parted full lips and blown eyes. “She said she would keep it a secret for us. She said that… she told me that you’ve been happier since we… She said that it’s because of me,” he continued, his voice soft. Lena’s shoulders visibly relaxed.

She was quiet for a moment. “Well, Mother always knows,” she said, chuckling weakly. A silence descended between them once again. “She’s right, you know? That you make me happier. But you always have.”

Azriel turned and looked at her fully, wanting nothing more than to lean forward and press his lips to his and whisper every word in his heart to her.

Slowly, Lena reached out and laced their fingers together. With Cassian and Rhys still well out of sight and fully distracted, Azriel had the confidence to grip her fingers tightly and pull her closer to him. Her magic flared as he took the initiative, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Looking down at her beautiful face as her eyes fluttered shut and she sighed contentedly, Azriel wondered what he might have done to deserve this. And prayed to the Cauldron not to take it away.

~~~~~

Night had fallen about an hour ago and moonlight shone through the open sides of the House of Wind. Azriel rolled out his shoulders, running one last hand through his hair as he took the last few steps up to Lena’s bedroom door. He was clad in fairly normal clothes — which was anything other than Illyrian leathers to him. The collar of his black shirt was open and revealing a fair amount of his chest, tattoos swirling across the golden brown skin.

He took a breath before knocking. It had become tradition for Rhys, Cassian, or Azriel to escort the Daughter of the Night Court to Starfall, and even though it was Cassian’s year he had subtly said he had to pick up a date so he would trade with Azriel.

Azriel was nervous. He shouldn’t be nervous though. He’s an Illyrian, the Spymaster and Shadowsinger of the Night Court, he shouldn’t get nervous. He wasn’t nervous for the Rite, he wasn’t nervous during the battles of the War, he wasn’t nervous on any of the various missions he had been on.

But going to see Lena when she would undoubtedly be wearing a beautiful dress and be looking at him the way she had been all day and knowing he had to pretend to keep it together all night? That made him nervous. 

With a deep breath he knocked on her door three sharp times. There was a second of hesitation before he heard her soft voice call out, “come in.”

He stepped in slowly and even though he had been mentally preparing himself all afternoon, his heart still dropped.

Nuala and Cerridwen were nowhere to be found, but Lena stood in front of her mirror, a floor length silver dress with black swirls pooled around her feet, her midnight black hair in loose waves reaching her shoulders. The back of the dress was completely unzipped, her tone back completely bare all the way to the dimples at the base of her spine. She wasn’t allowed to have any Illyrian tattoos courtesy of her father, and for a brief moment Azriel was grateful because if there had been tattoos similar to his on her perfect skin in that moment he may have died of pure agony.

The door shut behind Azriel with a click and she met his eyes in the mirror. His mouth went dry at the sheer confidence and desire in her gaze.

“Zip me up?” Her voice was throaty, hoarse as if she were trying to keep herself together as much as he was.

He cleared his throat, rolling his shoulders as he slowly walked towards her, holding her eyes in the mirror. As he reached her he took in a deep breath, inhaling her scent and letting it wrap around his heart.

She swallowed thickly and he wondered briefly if she was as nervous as him. He knew that she could have easily zipped up her dress with magic, but she was choosing him to do it. She was choosing him.

He finally raised his hand and gently pushed her hair over one shoulder. As his fingers brushed her shoulders she sighed, eyes fluttering shut. He watched her in the mirror, wanting to memorize every inch of her face in that moment.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he trailed his fingers from the base of her neck to the base of her spine.

Lena let out another sigh, deeper, and arched her back at the feel of his calloused, scarred fingers on her skin. That almost undid Azriel right then and there. He swallowed thickly.

He finally reached the zipper of the dress and lifted it slowly. Her eyes were still closed but he watched her face, the flush staining her cheeks. What was she thinking in that moment? Was she thinking of him, of his hands on other parts of her body, of undressing her rather than dressing her?

When the dress was zipped all the way up, she finally opened her eyes and met his in the mirror. Her eyes flashed and he wondered if his desire was evident in his gaze. He took a step closer and she sighed as his chest met her back. The feel of her against him was pure bliss.

His hands moved to her waist and he leaned down, hovering his lips over her bare shoulder. Unable to hold himself back, he nipped at the skin there. Lena let out a sound that went straight through him, arching further into his hold. She stepped back further into his arms and his hands tightened on her hips.

“Az,” she whispered, arm reaching up and behind her to grasp at his hair. He watched in the mirror as her flush spread down her neck and across her breasts. She groaned as he pressed his hips against her backside, his desire for her clearly evident.

Everything felt so heavy, the air was thick with wanting and lust and… more. Always more between them. He pressed his lips against the pulse point in her neck, his tongue trailing slowly up to just behind her ear. She whined, gripping his hair tightly as he bit down on her earlobe.

And just as he was about to spin her around and kiss her senseless, that noise and her scent and the sight of her in the mirror before him utterly ruining him —

There was a knock at the door.

They jumped away simultaneously, both breathing heavily. They met eyes, dark and lustful gazes reflected in each.

“The celebration is about to start, my Lady,” Nuala — or Cerridwen, Azriel didn’t know — called out softly through the door. “You’re expected.”

Lena chuckled, leaning against her vanity. “Thank you,” she called out. “I’ll be there shortly.”

There was silence as the wraith disappeared. Lena met Azriel’s eyes once again and it took every ounce of his willpower not to throw her onto the bed behind him and make her moan his name. Fuck the celebration.

“We should go,” she whispered, swallowing thickly.

Azriel could only nod, holding out his arm for her to take as he forced himself to think of spiders and monsters and ice baths.

~~~~~

Starfall was beautiful, Azriel didn’t deny it. He enjoyed the holiday. He just didn’t enjoy the politics aspect of it that Rhys and Lena and Wren had to play. They were forced to flit about and kiss ass on behalf of Aeron for at least an hour. Meanwhile he and Cassian stood off to the side silently, offering moral support anytime one of them came by.

After most of the ass kissing was done, Wren would push Rhys and Lena away and tell them to go enjoy the real celebration — the one down below, in the streets of Velaris. They always obliged, rather quickly too.

Now though, with Lena holding onto Azriel’s heart and completely unaware of it, waiting for the ass kissing to be over with was agony. Especially when everyone with eyes to see couldn’t help but stare at her.  He couldn’t even blame them even if he did want to rip out their throats.

The spirits streaking across the sky were nothing in comparison to her.

Once the hour was up, sure enough Wren grabbed Rhys and Lena by the elbows and shoved them at Azriel and Cassian.

“Go,” she said with a smile. “Enjoy the celebration. Dance, drink — but not too much.”

“Mother,” Rhys said, holding a hand to his chest as if affronted, “Us? Drink too much? You wound me.”

“Go!” Rhys yelped as his mother reached out to smack him and he jumped away just in time.

Lena laughed loudly, capturing the dazed attention of everyone in the room. Azriel wanted to growl, to tell them to look away, that she was his. But he couldn’t do that. Because she wasn’t. Was she?

“Alright then you morons, let’s go,” Lena said fondly, wings appearing from her glamour and spreading wide as she jumped into the air. Her dress billowed out around her as she hovered over the males.

She smiled down at Azriel. He thought he was looking up at the Mother herself.

“Come on!”

The trio followed suit and within minutes they were landing in the streets of Velaris. It took Rhys and Cassian hardly any time at all to find the best booze and the most beautiful males and females to began chatting up.

Azriel had just been picking up a glass of wine and looking up to the spirit-streaked sky when he felt her hand wrap around his wrist gently.

“Come with me.”

He followed after her as if they were tied by a thread. She led him away from all the revels and towards a darker alley behind the Rainbow. They were well out of sight when she finally turned and looked up at him, eyes wide and excited.

“Do you trust me?”

He didn’t even have to think. He just nodded.

The next second she was dropping his hands and closing her eyes, evening her breaths. He could feel her magic billowing around them, the darkness radiating off of her making her hair fly around her face. He felt that darkness gently reach out to him, caressing his skin, and then suddenly —

They were no longer in the alley.

Azriel blinked, looking around in shock as he took in his new surroundings. They were standing on the cliffs outside of Velaris, by the sea. The sea air filled his senses as he took in the quiet save for Lena’s laughter and the crashing of the waves beneath them. The crowds were gone, they had winnowed away.

Or rather, Lena had winnowed them. Without even touching him.

“How…” Azriel couldn’t even get the words out.

“Magic,” she said with a wink, spinning and twirling across the cliffside, completely at ease with Azriel and Azriel alone. “I’ve been working on it. Winnowing without touching someone. It’s really not that hard, you just have to extend your sense of self, make your circle of awareness further than yourself. And I figured there’s no one I’m more aware of than you, so I knew I could do it. My magic is so attuned to yours anyway and I think a part of me knew that—”

Azriel kissed her.

He kissed her the way she deserved to be kissed. With one hand flat against the small of her back and the other cradling her face, he held her tightly against him, trying to tell her with every inch of his body how badly he never wanted to let her go.

She sighed against him, melting into his touch as her hands came up to grasp at the front of his shirt, her fingers running over the bare skin of his chest.

He shuddered against her, murmuring her name against her mouth as he tilted his head to the side. He ran his tongue against the seam of her lips and she whimpered, pressing herself impossibly more against him, opening her mouth further to him.

He could taste the hint of a sweet red wine on her tongue and it made him groan against her, his hand on her waist moving to her backside and pulling her tighter against him.

She yelped at the sudden movement, tilting her head backwards and biting her lip as Azriel’s mouth made a torturous descent across her cheek and down her neck, sucking at the pulse point on her neck and then soothing the spot with his tongue.

Suddenly they were moving again, and in the next moment Azriel was laying on the ground on his back. He opened his eyes and blinked — she had winnowed them again. Lena lay astride him, straddling his waist, her dress hiked up around her hips. Her hair fell like a curtain around them as she leaned down and pressed her lips hotly against his. His hands tangled in her hair and he groaned from deep within his chest as her hips rolled slightly against his. She was going to be the death of him.

“Az,” she whispered. “My Azriel. Mine.”

It was those words that had Azriel growling and rolling them over. She gasped, eyes blown wide as she looked up at him expectantly. He pushed her hair away from her face with the utmost gentleness — so at odds with the passionate tension between them — before leaning down and taking her bottom lip between his teeth.

Lena moaned, writhing beneath him and arching her hips up to meet his. She wrapped her leg around his waist and chased his lips with her own, kissing the very breath from him.

“Lena,” he gasped, burying his face in her neck and shuddering as he held himself back. He wanted to take her then and there, but he knew there were patrols. He knew Aeron was paranoid, that Rhys would notice his sister missing after twenty minutes or so, that he couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk her.

“I know,” she whispered, pulling his face back up to meet hers. She pressed her lips against his in a sweet, gentle kiss. He fell into it, forcing himself to memorize every feeling in that moment. “Soon. We’ll get away from all of this. We have time.”

Azriel nodded, pressing his lips to her cheek, her forehead, her jaw, her mouth.

“We have time.”

[neyla9]

Abducted Part 10

Ao3 Version

It was only the third day of Dipper and Bill’s visit to Earth, and it was today they were visiting the Zoo. Bill had been very excited for it, since Zoos didn’t exist on his planet.

 Dipper had his alarm clock set to seven am, so he could get up early and prepare for the trip, but woke up around eight and discovered that someone had turned his alarm clock off.

 He got up, put on his clothes, and went downstairs to find Mabel and Bill almost done making breakfast.

 “Hello, Pine Tree,” Bill greeted him while carrying a plate of scrambled eggs.

 “Good morning, Bill,” Dipper greeted back, stepping out of the way so Bill could reach the dining table and put down the plate. “Hey, did you turn off my alarm clock.”

 “Yes,” Bill nodded and walked back to the kitchen, quickly emerging again with a plate of assorted fruits. “So that you would not get up early stress over everything. Breakfast is almost prepared.”

 Feeling hungry, and slightly speechless, Dipper sat down at the dining table and waited for the others.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  After breakfast, Dipper and Bill headed out for the zoo. The two of them had to take the bus, which turned out to be more exciting for Bill than Dipper had anticipated. Vehicles with wheels were almost an ancient concept to Bill’s people, and they had never had anything similar to a car. Bill looked excitedly out of the window while the bus drove, and described the entire experience as “sailing on the ground”.

 After arriving at the zoo, and paying the entrance fee, Dipper was free to show Bill some of Earth’s creatures. One of the closest exhibits to the entrance was the lions. Half of the exhibit was closed off with a wall, with an opening in it leading to the lions’ inside containment. Part of the wall also had a window that allowed patrons to observe the lions closer. The other half of the exhibit just used a waist-high iron fence, but around said fence was an area with water, preventing the lions from reaching it.

 There were three lion cubs, playing with each other on a cut-down tree that had been fashioned into a climbing gym for the lions, while the adult lions lazed around in the sun.

 “Look at them!” Bill exclaimed in awe. “Look at them, Pine Tree!”

 “You wanna get a closer look?” Dipper asked pointing to the window where some of the other guests had already gathered.

 Bill nodded and nearly ran over to the window.

 “Why does only one of them have hair?” Bill asked, pointing to the male lion through the window.

 “Oh, that’s called a mane,” Dipper explained. “Adult, male lions have those, unless they’re sick.”

 The next stop was the penguins. Bill thought they were really funny looking, and got really excited when he heard that penguins mate for life.

 After the penguins came the seals. The seals’ exhibit had a piece of dry land made to look like an arctic beach, but the majority of the exhibit was a giant swimming area for the seals, which included a window that allowed patrons to see the seals swimming through the water. Bill stood glued to that window for nearly fifteen minutes, just watching the seals swim back and forth through the water, like an underwater ballet.

 Then came the tropic house; a special area dedicated to tropical birds, along with other animals, like reptiles and insects.

  “This area is filled with butterflies,” Dipper explained when he and Bill entered said part of the tropic house.

 Bill watched in fascination as all the butterflies fluttered back, forth, and around the area.

 “There are so many,” Bill whispered in awe.

 Dipper looked around and then proceeded to turn Bill’s direction to a nearby sign.

 “There; it’s a list of all the different kinds of butterflies they have,” Dipper said.

 Near the end of the tropic house was an area containing crocodiles. Bill was very confused when they reached them.

 “Where are the animals?” Bill asked.

 “Right there,” Dipper responded, pointing at the reptiles, all of which were lying very still.

 “Oh, those are not logs,” Bill noted before frowning. “I… think they are dead.”

 It took a while to explain to Bill that the crocodiles weren’t dead, they were just lying still to lure their prey closer, but afterwards, they made their way to the kids zoo; an area of the zoo mainly composed of farm animals like cows, pigs, and horses, along with a petting zoo with goats.

 “I believe this area is for children,” Bill noted while two five year olds nearly ran him over to get to the animal-themed playground. “Why are we here?”

 “In about five minutes, there’ll be a show at the outdoor arena,” Dipper pointed to an area shaded by a tarp, with three rows of benches under. “My sister and I would always watch it whenever we went to the zoo.”

 “What is the show about?”

 “Oh, a zookeeper shows up with different animals, and children get to hold and touch them,” Dipper explained. “I remember once the zookeepers had snakes, hedgehogs, and turtles.”

 While Dipper was busy explaining, more people arrived and sat down in the seats, including families with small children who all wanted to sit on the front row. Finally, a young woman, wearing a zookeeper uniform, came, pushing a trolley with boxes of varying sizes on it.

 “Hello everyone,” the woman greeted the crowd, stopping the trolley. “My name is Amanda, and I’m here to show you some of the animals we have here in the zoo.”

 She opened one of the boxes and pulled out a lizard, which was around four inches in length.

 “Anyone know what this is?” she asked and most of the children excitedly raised a hand.

 One of the children, a little girl, got to answer, after which all the children got a chance to pet the lizard, and even hold it.

 Afterwards, zookeeper put the lizard away and pulled a huge snake out of the other boxes. Some of the children looked slightly scared at the sight of the enormous reptile, while others looked surprised at the sheer size of the serpent.

 “This here is the zoo’s largest constrictor snake,” the zookeeper explained. “Don’t be scared; she’s a real sweetheart.”

 The snake slithered upward and draped itself behind the zookeeper’s neck. Some of the small kids gasped in fear at the sight, one of them even yelling out a warning to the zookeeper.

 “Don’t worry,” the zookeeper laughed. “Snakes are coldblooded, which means they get cold very easily. Kinda like when you’ve been out in the snow for hours. And because of this, snakes always try to seek out warm places. Try touching your necks and note how warm they are.”

 The children did as instructed, and many of them marveled at how warm their necks were.

 “Now, I’m gonna need an adult to hold this snake, so I can help the kids who wanna pet the smaller ones,” the zookeeper said before pointing to Bill. “Could you help me, sir?”

 “… Sure,” Bill responded after a moment of surprise. About half the kids present walked over to Bill after he was handed the snake. The snake, however, didn’t stay in Bill’s hands for long, as it slithered towards Dipper’s neck and draped itself around him, forcing Dipper to carry it instead. It seemed like the snake preferred Dipper’s higher body temperature.

 While all the kids were petting and cooing at the snake, Bill leaned in towards Dipper and whispered to him: “I hope someday our children can experience this.”

 After the show, they walked around for a while, looking at the many different animals, Bill more enthralled with each exhibit.

 When it was about time to leave, there was only one last thing Dipper wanted to show Bill; the Night Zoo. It was a separate building, like the tropic zoo, filled with nocturnal animals. A sign outside the building warned against flash photography and lights in general, since it would disturb the animals inside.

 The first room in the building was where the bats were kept. It was almost entirely dark, except for some black lights. The bats’ exhibit was constructed to look like a cavern, with a giant piece of glass separating the guests and the animals.

 It was also very quiet inside; everyone spoke in low tones and whispers to avoid disturbing the animals, so the most noise came from the bats screeching, and from some speakers that played typical night sounds, like the sound of crickets and owls, for ambience.

 It was a gorgeous sight, watching the bats fly back and forth or even just hanging upside down; some of them even hang right in front of the glass wall, allowing patrons to see them up close.

 “So,” Dipper whispered to Bill while they observed the bats. “How was your first visit to the zoo?”

 “I enjoyed it immensely,” Bill responded with a smile. “I have had a chance to see all these new animals, and so close too. It has been wonderful.”

 Bill placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder, gently turning him away from the exhibit, and towards Bill.

 Dipper stared at Bill; with the black lights being the only source of light, it made Bill look… enchanting, there was no other word for it.

 Dipper leaned forward, tilting his neck to meet Bill’s lips. They felt soft like velvet and made Dipper’s entire body shiver at the sensation.

 Overall, a rather pleasant outing.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  It was on the fifth day that Dipper’s family would visit. His parents, grandfather, and two great-uncles were the only close family members who’d show up, and most likely the only ones who cared about Dipper being alright. Aside from them, there was, his grandfather’s second wife whom Dipper had no idea why she would show up, especially since she didn’t like anyone in the family, his aunt on his mother’s side, who lived for drama and had never particularly liked Dipper, his aunt’s husband who most of the time acted more like an accessory to his wife than a husband, and their daughter, Dipper’s cousin, who always gave off the vibe that she either hated Dipper in a very passive-aggressive way or that she wanted to date him, and Dipper honestly crossed fingers for the former.

 Needless to say, Dipper was nervous; if how Mabel had reacted was any indication, his family had become convinced that Dipper had been kidnapped and subjected to various forms for abuse and terrifying acts. Really, only the kidnapping part held any kind of truth, and even then it had been based on a misunderstanding.

 Still, Dipper was worried. He wanted his family to like Bill, but even if he could convince them that Bill wasn’t a criminal scumbag, they would probably always see Bill as the one who took Dipper away from them.

 Dipper sighed and continued polishing the silverware, all in preparation for when the various members of his family showed up.

 “You’re still polishing the silverware?” Dipper let out a small gasp in surprise and turned to find his sister. He had been so lost in thoughts he hadn’t noticed her entering the kitchen.

 “Yeah, I’m just…” he paused and put the spoon he had been polishing down. “… getting done…”

 “Something bothering you?” Mabel asked.

 “… When is everyone getting here?”

 “Uh, mom and dad should get here first, in about an hour. Then Aunt Sharon, Uncle Ron, and Cousin Adina. Then Grandpa Shermy… Uh, Granny Alice didn’t give a specific time, and neither did Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford, but they said they would be here before seven.”

 “Oh, okay,” Dipper swallowed and made to leave, but was blocked by Mabel.

 “What’s wrong?” she asked.

 “I just…” Dipper sighed and let out a frustrated groan. “I know this is going to be a disaster! I want Bill to like our family, and I want our family to like Bill, but with how you reacted when I first got here, a-and Aunt Sharon showing up with her family-“

 “Dipper, everyone was very worried about you!” Mabel insisted. “Why else would they travel all the way here?”

 “Curiosity?” Dipper suggested. “Whatever the reason, it’s not to see if I’m okay. If anything, they’re probably hoping Bill’s an abusive jerk or something.”

 “You think that mom and dad-“

 “I’m not talking about mom and dad!” Dipper interrupted. “Mom, dad, Grandpa Shermy, Grunkle Stan, and Grunkle Ford; I know they have my best interest in mind. Everyone else who’s coming; not so much. I want Bill to see our family as his. Bill doesn’t really have a family himself…”

 “I know this is hard for you,” Mabel placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “But… maybe they’ll surprise you?”

 “… I doubt it,” Dipper sighed.

 His parents showed up only fifty minutes later; their arrival was signaled by the doorbell ringing.

 “I’ll get it!” Dipper shouted and went to the front door. As soon as he opened it, he was pulled into his mother’s arms.

 “Oh, Dipper!” she sobbed and held him close. “It’s really you! I almost couldn’t believe it when Mabel called!”

 “H-hey, give him some space, honey,” Dipper’s father interjected. Dipper was surprised to see that his dad’s eyes were shining with unshed tears.

 “Who is it?” Bill’s voice sounded from behind him. Dipper didn’t need to see to know that both of his parents were staring at Bill.

 “Um, mom? Dad?” Dipper let out a nervous cough. “This is Bill… he’s my husband.”

[shewhowantsmouseears]

Love Like Lava, 9

Notes: As always, big thanks to my amazing editors Drucilla and BlueShifted!

There are certain jokes in here I've wanted to use for ages. Also, I reused a storybit in there.

Summary: As Agalma adjusts to the world of the living, Minnie decides to leave the world of the lazy. A gauntlet is tossed into the ring, and another secret is kept from Mickey.

Much like how Minnie didn't know what to do as a goddess of love and beauty, many mortals weren't sure how to use her. She still got standard offerings, since it would have been inappropriate not to do so, but it was mostly Goofy who left anything with real meaning. He was also unsure of several things – like how to say “thanks, but please never ever EVER do that again” in the language of offerings. After seeing Goofy leave his latest offering, Agalma wanted to do it herself, but she'd yet to earn any money of her own. She kept this in mind as they went to the market, already needing to refill their supplies now that they had two mouths to feed.

It was a warm, busy day in the marketplace, but people still found the time to glance at Goofy and his girl. Many had speculated who she was – a distant cousin? A visiting friend? - yet none wanted to be the first to step up and simply ask. They were so used to the status quo of Goofy being unpopular that they didn't know how to handle evidence to the contrary. However, this would be the day that things would come around, as Goofy was mentally debating the cost of fresh fruit versus dried fruit. As Agalma patiently waited for him to make a decision, she caught the sight of Bouncer Beagle snatching an apple from a farmer's stall and walking away.

“Oh, are those free?” Agalma called after him, visibly startling everyone in the area. She'd yet to master the concept of how loud one's voice should be in public, which was especially difficult since she enjoyed making loud noises. “Can you tell me which ones are free? We're having a hard time shopping!”

Bouncer whipped around, narrowing his eyes at the innocent questions. “Are you bein' smart with me?” he snarled, crushing the apple in his hand. “I don't like when anybody is smart with me!”

Goofy quickly stepped in front of Agalma, meeting Bouncer's angry eyes with his own. “Don't you go pickin' on her just cause she caught you in the act! If you've got the coin, then spend it!”

“Stay out of this, goof,” Bouncer snorted, rolling his shoulders, trying to make himself seem taller than Goofy. He kept glaring at Agalma, who merely blinked back at him in confusion. “You better listen up, babe! You must be new here, 'cause no one messes with the Beagles!”

“Oh, I'm not new,” Agalma chirped, unable to recognize danger as it stared at her. “I've been with Goofy my whole life!”

Bouncer's temper faltered as he was presented with that odd statement. “What...? Now hey! I ain't no dummy, and I've been here my whole life! I'd have seen you before!”

“Oh, well, I wasn't able to go out before. I've mostly stayed in Goofy's bedroom ever since he first started working on me.”

Anyone who had been trying to ignore the escalating “argument” could no longer do so after that! Goofy's cheeks reddened, but he couldn't exactly deny it – it was the truth in its own fashion. “Uhhh. Agalma, you might wanna... reword that a little better, next time someone asks?”

Agalma looked back at him with raised eyebrows. “I should? Then how should I say it?” She cupped her chin in contemplation. “Hmmm...How about, you helped me with my figure? Does that make it better?”

It absolutely didn't, as evidenced by Bouncer's sudden shouting, spitting salvia with ever stutter. “A-A-Are you kiddin' me? I can't get any girl to look my way, but you two... are you really sayin' you two...You let that clumsy dog put his hands all over you?”

“Of course, he's done that for years! He's very good at what he does.”

Goofy slapped a hand over his eyes. “Aw, boy.” Now he could feel everyone's eyes on him, especially some of the village women who were now letting their imaginations run wild. The marketplace felt extra crowded today of all days – including one man who no one even knew was there. “Listen, we just wanted to get some food for the week! Can we pretend none of this ever happened?”

Maybe on another day, Bouncer would have been eager to get this whole mortifying ordeal over with and let things pass so he could go back to Ma. But this would be one of many coming days that would go out of control. Minnie and Daisy weren't the only divine beings that entered the village for their own idea of entertainment. With the lack of war to witness, Pete sometimes came down to the mortal plane to help stir up trouble. Let things peacefully go without any further trouble? Not on his watch! Mortals were much more amusing to watch when they let their emotions get the best of them and cause havoc for even the smallest of reasons.

Pete grinned wickedly as he stood behind Bouncer, invisible to all. While he couldn't possess a person to do exactly what he wanted, he could fan the flames of anger to get something similar. All it required was a single touch – like flicking the back of Bouncer's head with a finger. Just like that, Bouncer's ire was up, and now he suddenly couldn't let this lesser oaf get the best of him, even if it was just by having a pretty mate. “I ain't got that good an imagination, goof! You want me to pay up? Then I'll pay up!” He reached over and snatched the pouch of coins from Goofy's hand. “This should be plenty!”

“H-Hey!” Goofy tried to object, but Agalma was faster – she latched onto Bouncer's arm with her arms and legs.

“Give that back!” Agalma announced, not caring how ridiculous she looked or even what the concept of ridiculous was. “Goofy worked very hard for that money, and it doesn't belong to you.”

“Agalma! Get off him, you might get hurt!” But Goofy didn't know how to pry her off without making things worse.

Bouncer was flabbergasted – what woman in her right mind would do this? “Get off'a me! I ain't afraid to hurt a lady!” He tried to shake her off, but she wouldn't budge.

It wasn't exactly what Pete had wanted, but he supposed it was better than nothing. Now all he had to do to make this a real bloodbath was make the woman even angrier. He rubbed his fingers together, and walked over to poke her in the forehead – and then immediately pulled back. Whenever he touched a person, he could see their entire past, so he could draw up their worst temper tantrums and harshest memories, even if they'd long since forgotten them. But there was something wrong with this woman – there was a gigantic gaping hole in her memories! She was awake in Goofy's room – and that was it. Pete didn't have the power to see the memories of inanimate objects, so he had no idea that she held those as well. Still, how strange, to suddenly be a grown woman with nothing behind it – no childhood, no fights, no feelings before that day? What was she?

As Pete scratched his head in befuddlement, Agalma wouldn't let go, her own anger slightly increased by Pete's touch. “Give it back, give it back, give it back!”

“Agalmaaa!” Goofy pulled on his long ears in whining worry. What would make her stop this reckless behavior? Millicent would never have done anything so foolish! “You're makin' a scene, just let him go!”

Agalma craned her head slightly to respond to Goofy's cry. “Is me making a scene really that much worse than this man stealing money?”

Of course it wasn't – yet that was a shocking revelation to everyone but Pete, who was still fixated on Agalma's emptiness, and Bouncer, who was too mad to care. Maybe she was being humiliating, but was that really hurting anybody, as opposed to theft, which clearly hurt those who were victim to it? “At least I'm doing something!” she added, her weight now beginning to drag Bouncer lower. “How else is he going to know it's wrong if I don't do something?” Just like she learned it was wrong to wear Millicent's necklace – although that lesson had been a bit more painful – Agalma figured it was really no different.

Maybe it was the guilt she was unknowingly slinging, or the idea that this bizarre woman might get hurt, or both – but the farmer who'd been selling the apples finally spoke up. “I – I think you should fork over some cash for what you stole, Beagle! And I don't mean his!”

Bouncer was so rarely opposed that his anger fluctuated between that and confusion. “Huh? You – you tryin' to be smart with me? I'll take you on too!”

“Everyone's smart with you, because you're so dumb!” shouted the local fisherman. “I'm sick of your little brother always grabbing my catch!”

“And tell your Ma to leave my place alone!” yelled the nearby baker. “If she wants a loaf, she can buy it like an honest woman!”

Voices continued to rise up, one by one, years of resentment having built up until this very day. Goofy slowly looked around, wondering if the community had always been this big – the village seemed smaller when no one would talk to him. Millicent had always said just to ignore those who couldn't appreciate him. This was different somehow.

“You guys owe me thousands! It's time you started paying back!”

“You come near my shop again, I'll get my whole family to kick you out!”

“Why don't you beat it, you lousy Beagle!”

Bouncer tried to catch up with every accusation, but even someone as strong and dumb as he was could tell he couldn't take on everyone at once. “I...I... H-Hey! Beagles don't pay for nothin'! You're all gunna regret this!” But first he had to deal with the little lady that started it all. She hadn't let him go, and was even sticking her tongue out at him, a fun expression she learned from passing children. “Why you little...I'll teach you to make a fool out of me!” He raised his fist, intending to make her face as black as her fur.

Goofy had never been in a real fight. He'd been picked on for most of his life and learned to take it in stride. When someone else pushed, he would fall back and let whatever happened, happen. So what if he got hurt? Life would go on. Because of this, he never learned the right way to throw a punch. It could be said that this was beginner's luck in this case – because he perfectly socked Bouncer so hard in the nose that everyone in the marketplace could hear a thunderous CRACK of bone. A hush swept the crowd. Agalma didn't understand the significance of the action, but when Bouncer's body fell over, she did too – which allowed her to snatch the satchel right back. She joyfully held it up in her hands and stood next to Goofy, still oblivious. “Look, we got it back! I think everything's going to be okay now.”

Bouncer laid there for what felt like a long time, but in reality was five seconds. He shakily touched his now bent nose, feeling wet drops of blood underneath it. “You...you brode my node!” His speech was slurred due to his new nostril alignment, and it made more than a few villagers snicker. “You brode my node! YOU BRODE MY NODE!” No one had ever struck him before, not even his vicious mother. As he rose to his feet, there was only one thing he could think of to do, in response to getting hurt for the very first time in his life.

He ran home bawling to his mother. “MAAAAAA! HE BROOOODE MY NOOOOODE!”

That caused the entire village to burst into joyous laughter, as if a great evil had been vanquished. Goofy stared down at his hand which was still closed into a fist. He wasn't entirely sure what had come over him. His eyes found themselves back on Agalma, who was proudly holding out the money he had lost. “You...you could've gotten real hurt, Agalma.”

“Yes, but we got the money back. And money's important, isn't it? You say you always need more of it, so I couldn't let him have it.” Back in her days of immobility, she'd heard him say time and time again how low his finances were, so she certainly wasn't going to let such a necessity get away, even if she still didn't grasp it all. “Does this make you happy, Goofy?” Would that heal his heart, as Aphrodite wanted?

Had she done this to make him happy? Goofy swallowed, feeling sadness crawl up despite the continuous happiness of those around him, villagers clamoring to each other about how they'd never let the Beagles bully them again. “Money's important, sure, Agalma...but life's much more important. I don't ever want you risking your life like that again, all right?”

Agalma tilted her head, pushing the satchel into Goofy's hands. “Will that make you happy?”

“Yes, but – but – that's not – you shouldn't just do things because of me! You should do things because they're what you want to do!”

“But I want to make you happy,” Agalma replied, growing uneasy at the despair in Goofy's tone. The last time he sounded so upset, he'd ripped the necklace off her body, and she touched her neck again, worried something similar would happen. “Did I do something wrong? Goofy, I just want to help you.”

Goofy didn't have the words to explain the agony in his heart – that she shouldn't feel as if she existed solely for him. How would that be any different than a master owning a slave? She deserved to be her own person, with her own wants and desires, and how would she ever learn to do that if she constantly tried to make him happy? Before his mind could reel any further, he was jostled by the farmer shaking his shoulder. “Why, I've been wanting to do that for years! The one time you don't trip up, and it's for the best thing anyone in the village has ever done!”

“Uh, thanks?” He assumed that was a compliment.

“Listen, if you're that hard up for money, what you ought to do is enter the chariot race next month!” The farmer continued shaking Goofy's shoulder back and forth, his sentences smashing into each other with quick excitement. “In the next town over, my cousin, Sir Gyro De Gearloose, he's been looking for someone to enter the race with! I'll send him a message, I'm sure even you can't mess up that badly! Even third place pays!”

This was more than anyone in the village had ever spoken to him in a lifetime, and it was so overwhelming that Goofy didn't know what to say. So Agalma said it for him. “He'll do it!”

Goofy blinked, still being pushed back and forth, feeling as if his brain was being pushed back and forth as well. “I will?”

“You will!” the farmer agreed, finally letting go so he could clap his hands. “Great! He'll probably want to meet you first, and I'll send him your way! Oh, this is grand, just grand! Maybe we should make this day a holiday – Break A Beagle Day!” He laughed hard at his own joke, already leaving Goofy's sight so he could start his letter.

“What a fun day,” Agalma said, hands on her hips. After a brief moment of thought, she looked at Goofy. “I don't know anything about chariot racing.”

“Neither do I,” Goofy said, his shoulders slumping. “I've heard those things can be really dangerous! Agalma, you shouldn't have agreed right away! Millicent never would've put me through anythin' like that!”

“You said I wasn't Millicent. I'm Agalma.”

It was an obvious fact but a true one all the same. Goofy opened and closed his mouth, unable to think of a reply since – well – wasn't he frustrated because he wanted her to have individuality? It'd certainly be a step backwards if he stopped it now. This kind of thinking was far harder than what he was used to, and a headache was growing. “Well...what's done is done, I suppose,” he finally decided, tossing up the satchel in his hand. “If that Gyro fellow does come on by, I'll just tell him no. I make statues, I ain't good at anythin' else.”

“And you're good at breaking noses,” Agalma said with a smile, lightly poking Goofy's own. And for what felt like the first time in days, Goofy found himself smiling back.

“Maybe so.” He held up a fist, but then he shook his head. “I don't like fightin' folks. I'd prefer things go all peaceful-like... but. Well. Some folks just don't wanna be peaceful. Gotta keep that in mind. Not everyone's gunna stop what they're doin' if we just ask 'em. Never heard of a war that ended with a 'pretty please'. Guess this makes you a whole lot smarter than the rest of us.” Maybe he didn't entirely like this individual named Agalma, but at least she was her own person. An odd person, but a good person. “Thank you, Agalma. For gettin' my coins back.”

Finally satisfied, Agalma's smile appeared to stretch for miles. It wasn't the same dainty prettiness that Millicent had, but a gawky, silly grin. “You're welcome! Now let's finally buy some food! All this excitement made me really hungry! It's not a fun feeling.”

“No it ain't, you're right.” With the matter done with, they resumed their shopping trip, hoping the day's ordeals would only last for today. However not everyone was content with how things ended. Pete would have torn out his hair if he had any, and his fur was too short to do so. He wanted a big, bloody brawl, maybe throw in a food fight, and all he got one was one broken nose and a crybaby? A happy ending with a weird woman and everyone getting along?

“Do I have say 'pretty please' to start a war?!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, even knowing full well no one would hear him. “Cowards, all of you are great big cowards! I want a war! I want any war! Just give me a war, you stupid, weak, useless mortals!” He ranted and raved, stomping around much like a toddler when denied their favorite toy. So what if Bouncer was in pain? Who cared about the pain of a mortal, when Pete's entertainment was at stake!

“You prefer racing over fighting?” Pete snarled when he was in front of the farmer, unable to conjure up any anger in the old man due to the mortal being in such a pleasant mood. “Fine! I'll make it the bloodiest, angriest, most violent race you've ever seen!” Was he being ridiculously petty? Yes. Did he care? No. The only reason mortals existed was to be the pawns of the gods, so it should serve that he could do whatever he wanted to them. He'd make this race one for the history books – maybe he could even invite Aphrodite along, so she could coo and fawn at his ability to manipulate mortals.

Come to think of it, she hadn't been around Mount Olympus lately. With such a gorgeous girl leaving so often, an obvious gap had been created. They had all assumed she would return in time, and since she was the goddess of love and beauty, she was probably admiring her reflection in various rivers or...that was the most Pete could come up with. Since he didn't see past her beauty, he couldn't fathom her doing any differently, despite all the various times she'd snapped and barked at him for doing so. Oh well, she was just a woman, they had different moods all the time. Pretty girls meant empty heads – to think otherwise would mean she was out of his league, and Pete wasn't going to welcome that thought.

Before Pete returned to the mountain to plan, he glimpsed at Agalma once more. He contemplated telling the others on Mount Olympus what he learned, but ultimately decided he wouldn't. If his chariot race didn't work out, she'd be Plan B. For now, he didn't want to solve her mysteries. Mysteries meant thinking, and great thinking was not Pete's specialty. Unlike Minnie, who enjoyed learning new things, Pete detested the idea of learning, as to him it meant he wasn't as smart as he knew he was. He was a god, he knew enough.

Had Pete skipped the entire fight, he might have been on Mount Olympus in time to see his point proven – that learning things didn't always lead to a good time.

~*~

Before Agalma and Goofy went to the market that day, Minnie had returned to Mount Olympus on a mission. It felt like ages since she was last in this fluffy paradise, and she didn't want to stay there long, now that she knew all of its sins and sinners. She hid behind thrones and pillars, hoping to avoid everyone's line of sight. Minnie didn't want to be there any longer than she had to be, and she hoped that luck was on her side as she slowly approached the thrones belonging to Zeus and Hera, king and queen of the gods.

Luck was ignoring her today, however, as not only was Hera there, despondently loafing about, but so was Zeus, who was talking about a visit he had to his brother Poseidon. Hera was barely listening, but Zeus didn't care as he just enjoyed the sound of his own voice. Minnie was momentarily in disbelief that such selfish individuals could have created as loving a soul as Mickey's, but speculating on that would do her no good. She was here for the flowers that grew between the thrones, or more specifically, the nectar that dripped from them.

Ambrosia – the immortal elixir that allowed gods and lesser divine beings to recover from all wounds and avoid the hand of death, even if, as Minnie found out, the hand of death was quite pleasant. If it had saved Daisy, perhaps it could cure Mickey's leg – not that Minnie thought Mickey needed fixing. But he clearly hated it, and blamed many of his misfortunes on it, so perhaps if his leg was “normal” he would be happy. Mickey's happiness meant Minnie's happiness. She might even get a kiss or two of gratitude – if he finally awoke to the fact she was slavishly in love with him. Maybe ambrosia cured obliviousness too.

So how was she supposed to snatch one of those flowers without being caught? Minnie mulled over this, sticking out her lower lip in an adorable pout as she hid behind a column. If she understood it right, gods were supposed to come to the ambrosia, not have it brought to them. If she tried to pluck one, they'd ask questions, and she doubted they'd welcome her answer, given how easily Zeus and Hera abandoned their child. Just thinking about that awful story caused Minnie's grief and anger to rise again, glaring fire at the two most powerful gods in existence whose souls she felt were colder than ice. Mickey didn't long for revenge, but she wouldn't mind it, or at least a damned apology -

“Hey babe, long time no see!”

Wow, luck was not only against her, it actively hated her. Minnie didn't have to turn her head to know which one was speaking to her. “Hello, Mortimer,” she whispered, hoping he'd get the clue that she was hiding for a reason.

He didn't. “I've been wondering where your lovely little face has been lately! I tell you, a day without seeing your face is like a day without sunshine! And a day without seeing that behind is like-”

“Can I help you?” Minnie swiftly turned around, hoping she could give him a scrap of attention so he could go away faster. “I'm in the middle of something, so unless you really need me...”

“Of course I really need you! I always really need you.” Mortimer lazily dropped his arm around Minnie's shoulder, wine sloshing in his goblet. In his case, he felt like luck was shining upon him, since he didn't have to share her with anyone else for this brief moment in time. “You know, I've always felt we've had this special connection, you and I. You're a mouse, I'm a mouse. I drink, and people drink up your beauty.” He tried to think of anything else they had in common and came up with nothing. It was good enough. “Everyone's missed you, but I've missed you the most. Now, what is it you're in the middle of, besides my arms?”

Minnie glanced quickly at the flowers before looking back at Mortimer. If there was ever a chance for him to prove to be more than a drunken pervert, this was it, if he could help her grab a flower. Perhaps he could help her sneak to the thrones, since he'd lived here longer than she had. As she carefully thought this over, remembering all the times he'd tried and failed to win her over, something stood out – her first couple of days on Mount Olympus, with all the endless partying over her introduction. Someone had said she was smaller than Hephaestus – and now she could remember who it was. “Mortimer, do you remember what you told me when I first came here?”

“That you were gorgeous, alluring, graceful, dazzling...”

Minnie rolled her eyes as Mortimer went through an entire thesaurus, and she waved her hand to try and speed things up. “Yes, yes, yes, and what else? That I was smaller than Hephaestus?”

“Oh yeah, I did say that, didn't I? Sometimes I'm amazed at my own cleverness. Ha-cha-cha!” He felt he should be rewarded with a big gulp before continuing. “Probably shouldn't have said it, it's a big hush-hush all around these parts. But then I was most likely drunk when I said it. I'm most likely drunk when I say anything. I remember the day that little squirt was born. I always doubted it was Zeus' kid. How could anything from that big guy be so small? And what a name, Hephaestus!”

Those who are inebriated are often unaware of how loud they're speaking, or don't care about their volume, and Mortimer was both. Minnie waved her hands, trying to make him quiet himself. “Mortimer, keep it down!”

“I mean really, Hephaestus? Sounds like a whooping cough!”

“Mortimer, stop saying his name!”

“Stop saying what? Hephaestus?”

Third time's the charm, so it's said. There was only so many times someone could shout the forbidden name before the one who forbade it overheard. Hera suddenly sat up straight, all of the veins popping in her skin, and a screeching, booming voice echoed itself all over the mountain. “WHO DARED SPEAK THAT ABOMINATION'S NAME?!”

The last time Mount Olympus had gotten this quiet was that odd shaking sensation Minnie had all but forgotten about months ago. She only thought of it now as the same silence was quite the memory maker. It was easily put aside as Hera's inferno eyes found the direction from which the name came. It helped that Mortimer and Minnie were pointing fingers at each other. Mortimer liked Minnie, but he was a coward through and through. Minnie had done it on instinct.

Zeus was hardly so appalled, and he stroked his beard as he gazed upon Minnie more lavishly than she cared for. “At ease, Lady Hera! Aphrodite is still a newcomer to our utopia! It is likely she doesn't know about your law. There is no need to frighten such a delicate creature.”

“And I was very drunk,” Mortimer quickly added, speaking so quickly that all the grapes growing on his robe began flying off, hitting other deities in the face. “I was so drunk I didn't know what I was saying! I don't know what I'm saying right now! And I am in fact so drunk that if you tried to punish me I'd probably forget all about the horrendous pain you could inflict on me, so it'd be really pointless!”

Minnie gave him a side eye. “You sound like you've been saving that one.”

“Babe, you need to have one ready when Hera's home.”

“I DON'T CARE HOW LONG SHE'S BEEN HERE OR HOW BEAUTIFUL SHE IS!” Hera screamed, grabbing the arm rests and standing out of her throne. It'd been so long since she'd risen that that in and of itself was a spectacle. There were times were for months all she did was sit and drink, wallowing in self-pity. “That NAME is to never be uttered HERE...I ask for so LITTLE! I suffer so MUCH!” She pointed an accusatory finger at Minnie, causing the far smaller goddess to back up. “No matter how BEAUTIFUL you may be, you have no AUTHORITY higher than I!”

“I don't want authority!” Minnie fired back, even though she was shaking. This terrible excuse for a mother had no right to be making demands. “All I want is- ” And then she saw it.

For ages, Axelia had seemed so familiar yet Minnie could never place a name or face to her. But now that Hera stood up, in all of her flowing robes and supreme glory, Minnie could see who Axelia had been modeled after. Her mouth hung open in shock – had Mickey done so knowingly? Or had it been a subconscious desire to be cared for by the one who loathed him?

As Minnie continued to gape, Zeus straightened up in his seat, lightly pushing on Hera's arm in an attempt to make her sit back down. He was perhaps one of the few individuals who didn't fear Hera's wrath, since he was also one of the few individuals who was more powerful than her. “Jealousy does not become you, dearest wife of mine. Though I have given my love to many, only you will ever have my ring!” That earned him a wad of spit on his foot. “Disappointing, but not surprising.” He shook his head, and gave his attention back towards Minnie. “Now then! What is it that your heart desires, goddess of love and beauty? Namely ask, and it shall be yours!”

Minnie doubted it would be that easy, but if he was going to offer then she'd be a fool not to try. “I'd like to take one of those flowers and bring them to...someone.” Given Hera's reaction, Minnie didn't think saying Mickey's real name again would earn her any favors.

Zeus raised a mighty eyebrow. “Someone? Who is this someone?”

“Yeah, I wanna know too!” Mortimer yanked Minnie in close again, and now she was close enough to smell his inebriated breath. “Don't tell me you're going sweet on someone, when I'm right here!”

“It doesn't MATTER who.” Hera was back in her seat, slouching over. “The laws are CLEAR. Our flowers are to NEVER leave Mount Olympus. If your SOMEONE wants immortality, you'll have to bring them HERE. You don't get to BREAK the rules because you FLUTTER some eyelashes!”

Zeus nodded, picking one of the flowers up in his fingers. “She's right, I'm afraid! Those are the laws of the gods, and none are allowed to break them. It would be as if to break my own will!”

Minnie gave this some short thought. “But aren't you two in charge of all the gods? Can't you change the laws any way you want? Didn't you decide I should live here, even though you didn't know a single thing about me?”

Zeus and Hera said nothing, glancing at each other in quiet surprise. Somehow that minuscule application of logic was sending them reeling. Minnie had to wonder how in the world they survived ruling for so long if they were this foolish about the most trivial matters. As Zeus ran his fingers through his beard, Hera began to straighten her back, a devious smirk showing up on her lips. “You know, APHRODITE, you make a most EXCELLENT point. Your arrival here has CHANGED many things here on Mount Olympus. Almost EVERY day, all of the men here FIGHT over you, causing CHAOS and CALAMITY through our once peaceful DAYS! Maybe YOU should be BANISHED from Mount Olympus!”

If she was intending to threaten or intimidate Minnie, it fell flat. “All right,” Minnie replied with a shrug. Being banished from a place she hated to be in didn't exactly scare her. If she knew she could have been banished from here, she would have made an attempt far earlier.

As usual, Minnie received the opposite of help from the peanut gallery. “You can't do that!” Mortimer wailed, clutching his goblet to his chest as if it was his very heart. “She's the best looking thing that's lived here in centuries! You can't banish her!”

“I must oppose as well!” Gladstone joined in the clamor despite no one asking him to, and a choir of anguished voices looking down on the show served as back up all across the realm. “Why must we be punished? We can't help it that she's so beautiful! We're gods, but we're also men! It's in our very blood! There's not a man alive who wouldn't throw themselves at her!”

Minnie could think of at least three men who she wished wouldn't. “Please banish me now.”

“Stay out of this, Gladstone!” Mortimer snapped, stepping in front of Minnie so he could defend “his” territory. “There wouldn't be any fighting if you would stop trying to take my girl away!”

“Your girl? Don't make me laugh! She clearly prefers me over some buffoon who slurs instead of serenading!”

“I've got a serenade for you – it's called Ode To A Fist!”

“ENOUGH!” Hera barked, stamping her foot on the ground, the sound hard enough to break stone. “Do you SEE what trouble you cause, APHRODITE? You've done NOTHING but bring fights and bloodshed WHEREVER you go!”

“I didn't do anything!” Minnie knew that she'd have an easier time arguing with a brick wall, but if this was her going to be her last day on Mount Olympus, she was going to make it count. “I've told them over and over again I'm not interested! It's not my fault they won't listen! If you two are so high and mighty enough to make laws, aren't you high and mighty enough to make your subjects obey you?” She slapped her hands on her hips, daring Zeus and Hera to defy her words. “If you're in charge, then act like it! If you don't like their behavior, then make them change! Nothing's going to happen if all you do is just sit on your behind and whine all the time!”

Zeus tapped his fingers on his armrest, rumbling deep in his throat. How he detested confrontation – it wasn't fun, and Zeus cared more for fun and pleasure than actually ruling. “I suppose asking you to stop being beautiful is the same as asking the sun to stop shining. But I hardly believe a banishment is necessary!”

Hera was in a glaring contest with Minnie, but when she closed her eyes, Minnie didn't feel as if she'd won. “You are RIGHT, my HUSBAND. Banishment isn't NECESSARY at all. There's a BETTER way to SOLVE this matter once and for ALL. Aphrodite appears to ENJOY sharing her opinion...so it will be her OPINION that will bring back our peaceful DAYS.”

Minnie was young and still learning many things, but she was no fool. There was no way this would end so easily for her. “There is?” she asked skeptically, clearing a bit of cloud from under her in case she needed to make a quick escape. She could always banish herself, after all.

Hera opened her eyes, and raised a single finger. “It is quite SIMPLE. In order to END the fighting and reserve Aphrodite's RIGHTFUL place on Mount Olympus...she must MARRY whichever god she chooses.”

Nope nope nope – but Minnie wasn't able to leap and escape, because Mortimer had grabbed yet again in what he saw as victory. “And she's going to choose me! Let's set a date, babe!”

“The only wedding you're going to is ours, Mortimer!” Gladstone had seized Minnie's other arm, ready to play tug-of-war. “And that's if I feel in a good enough mood to invite you!”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Minnie screamed, pulling her arms hard enough to knock Mortimer and Gladstone's heads together. “I will NOT marry anyone! That's not a solution at all! Just tell them to stop fighting!”

“But this would stop the fighting,” Zeus settled his folded hands in his lap, glad that the matter was “dealt” with. “Just choose a man, surely even you can do that.”

“And WE make the laws, REMEMBER?” Hera sneered, enjoying the anger twisting Minnie's features – although Minnie was still astonishingly adorable even when furious. “And it is a LAW now! You WILL choose a god! And if you DON'T-”

“I refuse! I won't marry someone I won't love!”

At this, Gladstone, Mortimer, and the other contenders all began listing their reasons why she could fall in love with them.

“I'd destroy the stars for you!”

“I can turn guys into dolphins!”

“I can do a handstand!”

Which, amazingly enough, did not earn Minnie's favor.

“As you said, I am your ruler.” Zeus' voice rumbled, annoyed that Minnie was making this more difficult than it had to be. “You have no choice. You must choose a god to marry!”

“I will not!” Minnie stamped her foot down again and again, the ends of her dress beginning to burn up like wood in a fire. The ground began to rumble again, the one that shouldn't have been possible on the mountain. “You can't make me! There is absolutely no way I will ever, ever, EVER marry any of them! There isn't a single god I would ever want to-”

Wait a minute.

Minnie paused in mid-rant, raising an eyebrow as an idea came to her. She slowly began to smooth down her dress, as a calculating smile curled across her lips, and even the ends of her dress suddenly stopped burning, instead poofing up into lace. She calmly pressed her hands together and batted her eyelashes. “Do forgive me, dear Zeus. You know how silly we women can be, just letting our temper run rampant. Let me just ask one itty bitty question. If I did choose a man to eventually marry, does that mean you promise the others can't fight over me anymore?”

“Ah, now you finally see our wisdom!” Zeus laughed before her answered her. “Indeed, all shall be made to accept your decision. I will not have them turn Mount Olympus upside down because they were a sore loser.”

“Just what I wanted to hear,” Minnie chirped pleasantly, swinging her hands together as any demure damsel would. “Because I do believe I've made my choice. I know exactly who I'd like to marry. Someday.”

Gladstone ran a comb through his hair, believing himself to be the winner. Mortimer smoothed down his robes, thinking something similar, and the other gods also began to make themselves more presentable for their supposed victory. “You see, the man I want to marry,” Minnie began, sighing happily and closing her eyes as she pictured him, “is not only a handsome fellow, but also ever so kind, and creative, and smart, and funny, and just about the most perfect man I've ever known. I absolutely adore him, and I feel like I was born to meet him.” Naturally, all the silly men assumed she was describing them, and their grins became wider. “He's positively perfect in every way, and I would be happy just to watch over him for the rest of my life. He's got the most brilliant eyes, and the cutest smile, and-”

“Sometime this CENTURY, Aphrodite,” Hera grumbled, trying to figure out why her plan suddenly made Minnie happier instead of a crying wretch as desired.

“Sorry.” Minnie giggled adorably, swaying her dress around. “His name is...Hephaestus.”

Was it possible to enjoy silence this much?  Silence struck all the powerful deities, until a voice way in the back of the line asked, “Who is Hephaestus?” Minnie treasured it, just as much as she treasured the dropped jaw from Zeus.

Hera shook with the rage of a million betrayed women, teeth turning to sharp fangs as she leapt out of her throne. “YOU DARE MOCK ME?!” Her voice cracked the sky, sending many of the disappointed bachelors running.

“Mock? Never.” This time Minnie refused to back away, holding her ground for her last stand. “You said a god, I picked a god. You never said I had to choose one that was on Mount Olympus. And since I've chosen a god that doesn't live here, that means I don't have to live here either.”

“This is a joke!” Mortimer tried to insist with a nervous laugh. “She's going to make her real choice now. Right, doll?”

Minnie tilted her head back at the gobsmacked would-be grooms, smiling from one big ear to the other. “I do believe Zeus said you weren't going to fight over me once I made a choice. Right?”

Even Zeus appeared to be thrown off, grasping for words before clearing his throat. “Er...Um...I mean, yes, it is as I have decreed! She has made her decision, and that is final. Even if we don't understand it.” A pause. “We need to start putting more thought into our decrees.”

“Well now, I feel much better.” Minnie curtsied once to Zeus before jumping down into the mortal plane. As far as Minnie was concerned, this all worked out perfectly. None of the other gods ever visited Mickey, so there was no chance anyone was going to tell him what had happened. If he was unknown or hated, that wasn't going to change anytime soon. It'd just be a secret to keep from Mickey – well, another one. Surely adding one more wouldn't hurt.

And she would tell him about this odd little agreement. And her real name. She would, eventually, someday, far off in the horizon. She'd probably tell him. Maybe she'd tell him.

That was about the time when Pete returned to the mountain. He was going to huff off to his chambers, but he saw Hera pulling out her own hair, and a crowd of men who were so stunned and motionless one could mistake them for statues.

“...Did I miss somethin'?”