#on the one hand I doubt there was anything to laugh about at the circus

[five-and-dimes]

Your honor he is a BABY

Some things are just universal.

[lucygxybaird]

you're pregnant with billy's baby, and you've started to show tw: pregnancy

You stand in a shaft of sunlight, stirring porridge with one hand while the other rests on the small of your back, which has begun to ache when you stand for too long lately. Not that you’ve had the opportunity to exert yourself even in such a minimal way over the past few months — ever since Billy found out you were carrying his baby, he’s been true to his word that you won’t lift a finger. And as much as you appreciate the way Billy dotes on you, you’ve started to find yourself missing simple things, like cooking or gardening. 

Right now, you’re intent on making breakfast, planning on having it on the table by the time your fiancee wakes up. Maybe he’ll be less concerned about you standing on your feet for more than five minutes if you’re already sitting down when he— 

You hear a sharp intake of breath, and you pause mid-stir, pressing your lips together and squeezing one eye shut as though bracing yourself for impact. After a moment of silence, you turn your head, meeting Billy’s wide-open gaze. He’s still sprawled on the bed across the room; the only thing separating the kitchen from your bedroom, such as it is, is a filmy, flimsy curtain that really could do with replacing. He can see you standing there clear as day. 

You turn to face him, still clutching the spoon. “Billy, really, you don’t have to worry,” you insist, before he can even open his mouth. “I’m not doing anything too strenuous. I know you just wanna take care of me, but I—”

Billy gets out of bed, pushing the curtain aside and taking a few steps toward you. “Turn back toward the stove,” he says, his voice soft and husky, almost like he’s talking in his sleep. In fact, he’s looking at you right now as though he’s in a dream he doesn’t want to wake up from — wide-eyed, his lips parted like he wants to drink you in, moving closer like he’s swimming through syrup. 

“What?” 

He gestures with his hand, a little semicircular motion. “Please,” he says. “Just turn back toward the stove.” 

So you do, hesitantly sticking the spoon back in the porridge and starting to stir again. You look at Billy from the corner of your eye to find him staring at you. It’s hard to tell when you can’t actually face him, but it looks like his eyes are shining. “Billy?” 

He gives a little start, as if you’ve splashed him with cold water. “You…you’re showin’,” he says, his voice trembling ever so slightly. 

You look down at yourself, raising an eyebrow. “Oh.”

Of course, you’ve noticed that your body is changing, giving way to the life the two of you created. But it’s been such a gradual process — outwardly, at least — that you’ve started to think no one else is really going to notice. Not until you’re the size of a house, anyway. It’s especially true considering the nightgown you’re wearing, which is so voluminous that it could double as a sail. “How can you even tell? This thing fits me like a circus tent.” 

Billy laughs. “I could see your silhouette when you were standin’ just there, with the sun hittin’ you just so,” he says. “At first I was just thinkin’ about how you looked like an angel in that light, and then” He swallows, smiling a little. “I noticed…there’s a little bump. C’mere.” 

He holds out a hand for you, and you don’t hesitate to go to him, sticking the spoon in the gently bubbling porridge. He puts his hand at the small of your back, drawing you closer; his free hand grabs at the material laying against your hip, pulling it closer to you, so you can see your shape better. “Look,” he says softly. 

You look down again, and now you see the little curve of your belly. You doubt anyone except Billy — who knows your body so well, who has been so attentive (to say the least) to you — would even see it, but now that he’s drawn attention to it, you find that you can’t look away. “Hi,” you say softly, putting your hand against your stomach. “Look at you.” 

Billy covers your hand with his, and in a moment, he’s on his knees in front of you. He puts his other hand on your other hip, pulling at the material there, too, so that your little bump is even more defined. “Hi,” he echoes, and you put your hand gently along the back of his head as you realize his voice is choked. “Oh, I can’t wait to meet you. I hope you know I love you and your mama so much.”

You weave your fingers into his hair. “Oh, I’m sure they know,” you say. “I do.”

He kisses the thin cotton stretched over your belly, which makes you giggle — it does tickle — and he does it again, earning another helpless little laugh from you. Billy looks up at you, grinning, his eyes still very bright. 

On the stove, the porridge gives a particularly insistent boil, as if it’s about set to spill from the confines of the pot. 

“Let me get that,” he says, practically jumping to his feet, and you have to bite back a groan.

“No, you sit,” you say firmly, putting yourself between him and the stove. You prop your hands on your hips. “I’m serving you breakfast whether you like it or not, damn it.”  

He smiles crookedly, a little sheepish. “Yes, ma’am,” he says, and drops into a chair. He looks over at you, wrinkling his nose. “I’ve been drivin’ you crazy, huh?” 

“Well…” You hesitate, taking a moment to grab a couple of bowls and ladle porridge into them, reaching for a bowl of fresh strawberries sitting on the counter. (Yesterday, Billy went into town to buy a bunch for you when you mentioned, in passing, that you’d like one.) You chop some up and sprinkle them into each bowl, setting one in front of Billy. You can almost feel the weight of his gaze on you, waiting on your answer. Of course, you don’t want to hurt his feelings, but you need to be honest. 

You clear your throat, setting your bowl on the table, too. “Well, I…” 

Before you can sit in your chair, he reaches for you, gently pulling you into his lap. He pulls your own bowl toward you, hooking his chin over your shoulder. “You can just say yes,” he says, and you hear his smile in the warmth of his voice. “I’m sorry, honey. I don’t wanna drive you up the wall, I just wanna take care of you.” 

He smooths his hand over the soft curve of your belly. ‘The both of you,” he adds, leaning down to nuzzle his nose against your neck. 

“I know,” you assure him, putting your hand over his. “And I appreciate it, I really do. But I can still do things for myself, you know? I promise you I’ll let you know if I ever feel like it’s too much, or if I need your help, but until then…I’m still me, even if I’m carrying a baby. I can do things for myself, and for us.”

Billy kisses your temple. “I know you’re still you,” he says. “Believe me, I’m grateful for you being exactly who you are, every day.” 

You smile, shifting more comfortably onto his lap. “I’m grateful for you, too,” you say. “And I’m grateful that we’ve always been equal partners. I always have been.”

Another kiss to your temple. “Equal partners,” he agrees. “I’ll take care of you, you’ll take care of me, and we’ll both take care of little Lasairfhíona.” 

You laugh. “Who?”

Billy grins. “Lasairfhíona. It’s a Gaelic name for a little girl. Means somethin’ about wine, I think.” 

You giggle helplessly. “We’re not naming our baby that. I don’t even know how to spell it. Or pronounce it, for that matter. Besides, what if it’s a boy?” 

“Deasmhumhnach.” 

You shake your head, still laughing. “Well, I was thinking William for a boy, but we can talk about it.” 

You feel his soft huff fall against your neck, as he slides his hands gently over your stomach again. It seems that he can’t stop touching your bump, not that you mind. 

“William, huh?” he says quietly. “What about Patrick William?”

You smile, leaning back against him. “I like that.” 

The two of you eat in comfortable silence, with you remaining in Billy’s lap. You have time, you know, to talk about baby names, to plan the wedding, to imagine your future. The most important thing is that it’s the two of you — well, the three of you — together, always. 

There’s nothing in the world more important to you, and you know Billy feels the same. 

Equal partners, after all. 

[cherry-4200]

A deal with the devil

Lucifer Morningstar x femreader

Part 1?

Slow burn

Hi! This is my first time writing on Tumblr I am trying to get everything figured out on here. I’ve had writers block for sometime, and I’m trying to get back into writing but I hope y’all enjoy the story it’s not gonna be 100% accurate to Lucifer‘s character but depending on how the story goes, I may turn it into a series!

Story description :y/n’s a human girl who owns a strip club, and is one of the dancers she’s been down on her luck and fortune so she decides to make a deal with the devil himself, not knowing that it was a double edge, sword….

I sat at my desk, groaning and rubbing my face as I looked at the pile of past due bills the club hasn’t been doing so great with the new competition in town I mumbled to myself in frustration as I pull out my phone calling my best friend Jess hoping to gain some advice. I sat as I watched my phone ring, hearing a high-pitched voice.

“Hey girl,what’s up!!!” Jess shouts over the phone she’s always been an oddball and so energetic. I don’t know how she does it I softly smile as I spoke. “ hey Jess… I need some advice. I’m running out of options on what to do for the club. I’m getting to the point where I might just make a deal with the devil himself.” I chuckled in a joking manner I hear Jess laugh as she spoke up “ I mean I know you’ve always been skeptical about that kind of thing, but why not give it a try who knows what if it works???” I spun around in my chair humming . “ it’s not like I have anything to lose but I doubt it will ever work” I look up over towards the clock seeing the time 7:25am letting out a solemn sigh “ I should probably head home I’ve been up here all night” groaning I stand up taking a big stretch I spoke on the phone with Jess a bit more as I headed out to my car heading home as I pulled up into my driveway I lay my head on the steering wheel,letting out a small huff stepping out and heading inside. I had a small apartment. It looked a bit rundown, but it was good enough. The rent was cheap. I got ready for bed then flopped down onto my mattress as the event of the day played through my head. slowly, I felt my eyes begin to droop as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up the next morning groggy as ever. I got ready for the day deciding to go out into town since it was my weekend off. I heard of a new shop opening up in the downtown area so I decided to go check out. I made my way down the street softly, humming to myself as I walked up to the store, it was in between two bigger shops with a small sign. It looked pretty, cozy as I walked in the walls were lined with books. after about 20 minutes or so a book caught my eye. I walked over to the shelf and picked it up. It looked to be an older book with mysterious runes over it remembering the conversation I had with Jess the other night I decided to take it home. Later throughout the day, I ran a couple of errands and picked up some dinner for the night. I sprawled out on my couch as I skimmed through the book. The book contained odd imagery, and descriptions on ancient, summoning rituals. After about an hour or so, I began to fall asleep as the book fell to the floor with a soft thud. through out the night I restlessly tossed and turned my dreams felt so vivid I was in a dimly lit hallway I blinked a couple of times trying to get adjusted to the lighting I slowly walked down the hall frames of unfamiliar faces decorated the walls the faces all blurred the wall paper looked old and was peeling in some areas the hallway felt as if it went on forever with multiple doors, at the end there was a figure wearing a simple suit with a tall white hat almost like a circus ringmaster would wear, as I stocked closer and reached out my hand. I suddenly woke up in a cold sweat.

Groaning out, I sat up and rubbed my eyes looking at my surroundings. I was still in the living room I looked down and saw the book on the floor it was open to an odd looking page. I reached down grabbing the book and inspecting the page I got a chill down my spine remembering what Jess had said it was about a ritual to make a deal… an eerie feeling fell over the room as I studied the pages, a familiar figure was on it. I read through the book, mumbling out the words on the page. The room started to shake, and the lights began flickering to sigils started , appearing on the wall. The room sudden grew dead silent as I looked up in disbelief at the man in front of me he was beautiful with rosy cheeks and golden blonde locks his skin was pale white i wasn’t expecting the summoning to actually work slowly I sat up from the couch as my words left my lips faster than my brain could react “ i expected you to be a lot taller and scarier” the demon chuckled a little bit , giving you a small smile. His eyes are a bright yellow that almost seem to glow in the dim light of the room "Well, what can I say? The stories about me may be a tad bit exaggerated. I'm actually quite charming, if I do say so myself." I slowly nodded my head squinting my eyes a him as I asked “so who exactly are you?

Lucifer can't help but laugh a little bit at your reaction. It's not often that someone summons him without knowing who he is already. "Okay, then. Let's back up here. Let's assume you do know who I am, as most people who summon me do. What exactly did you summon me for? What is it you want from me?" I softly rubbed the back of my neck looking away awkwardly then pinching myself to see if this was real I looked back up at the man “ I-i need help with my club…it’s not doing so great right now with the new compilation of the other clubs opening up” Lucifer raises an eyebrow in surprise, a small smile playing across his lips. He had expected that you might have something more personal in mind when you summoned him. "Oh? You need help with a business venture? That's not exactly what I would think someone would summon the Devil for." I quirked up my eye brow as I stared at the man did he just say THE devil that couldn’t mean.. “ are you the Lucifer like the actual devil himself ??” Lucifer can't help but laugh a bit at your reaction. but he thought it was funny that you were so surprised. "That's right. I am THE one and only Lucifer, the infamous Devil himself, Lord of Hell...the whole shabang."

“So you can help me right ? I mean I’ll do anything please “ I begged if this was really him maybe I could save my club from being shut down…..

Lucifer nods, though it's hard to tell if it's out of pity or not. You can't help but think that this is a rather boring request for him. Most people would ask for immortality, or to bring someone back from the dead, but you're just asking for his help because your club is failing."Okay, sure, I'll help you. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve when it comes to business matters. But remember that nothing i do comes without a price….”

[sanjuwrites]

wip wednesday

IM BACK! i have been gone for a hot minute because my life caught on actual fire, but im back and better than ever baby <3

to make up for it, i'm posting two different snippets from two different fics, one firstprince and one tarlos! enjoy! thanks to @alrightbuckaroo, @birdclowns, and @inflarescent for the tag!

agent reyes

TK greets him in the morning with a cup of coffee. 

The cup is made to perfection, and Carlos is seriously starting to doubt how much Paul is really involved in TK’s agenda here. 

Carlos murmurs a quiet thank you instead of screaming like he really wants to and approaches Marjan, who’s in a hoodie with the hood up, furiously typing. 

“Marj, have you even slept today?” 

“No sleep when we have a crime syndicate to take down.”

“Okay,” he says slowly, “but I have access to information that the CIA has spent years compiling. Why are you botheri- oh.”

Marjan flips her laptop around and Carlos is startled to find a clone of Sean Cunningham’s l staring back at him. “Marjan, what the fuck? How the hell did you – what?”

“Turns out Cunningham’s lackeys are kind of idiots because the video was sent from Cunningham’s main compound, where he stays. Really, the asshole apparently hasn’t ever heard of a firewall–”

Paul, who’s wandered over, interrupts her. “Marj, get to the point. You do this every time.”

Marjan rolls her eyes but continues. “I traced IP addresses back from the ransom video that was sent to TK’s email address and from there I hacked into his Wi-Fi connection–”

“Marjan, I don’t think any of the intel departments at Langley can do this.” Carlos is staring at her in awe.

She smirks at him, before continuing. “You fools need to stop interrupting me. Anyway, I just hacked through the four laptops hooked up to the Wi-Fi connection until I figured out which one was his. Voila!”

Carlos ducks down, pressing a palm flat to the table as he scrolls through the laptop. “Marjan, this is insane – we have data here that I could only dream of having.”

Marjan smiles tiredly, sipping at the mug of coffee Nancy hands her. “Babe, I think coffee is the last thing I need right now, but thank you. I love you very much,” she says while pressing the mug into Paul’s hands, “but Paul and Carlos are going to play now. We,” Marjan says, pulling Nancy close, “are going to go to bed now. ” Judd whistles from where he is in the kitchen, drawing a laugh out of everyone in the room. 

Nancy wraps her arms around Marjan in reply, “You heard her, gentlemen. I will be taking my girlfriend to bed now, and I expect no interruptions. My girlfriend needs her beauty sleep. It’s decaf, by the way!” she says, her voice faraway now.

alex runs for congress

“Politics hasn’t been my dream for almost twelve years, sweetheart,” Alex says softly, not really making eye contact with Henry.

“Alex, I know what happened with Richards and the emails was brutal, but we have nothing holding us back like that anymore and –”

“It’s not Richards, Hen, it’s you.”

That stops Henry cold, and he looks at Alex, mouth open in shock. “What do you mean?” Alex stays quiet, and Henry pushes further. “Alex, what do you mean?”

Alex continues to avoid eye contact with Henry as he starts talking again. “That night I came to Kensington Palace, you told me you wouldn’t trade one prison for another. You’re barely free from the Crown, Henry, and I don’t want to drag you into the circus of American politics, not when you hated being in the public eye so much, to the point that it almost cost me you. I refuse to let anything cost me you again, so I put all my dreams in a little box and locked it away, because I would rather live a quiet life with you and immigration law than a loud one alone in Congress. I was wine drunk at one of Mom’s fundraisers when I was talking to Erica about wanting to flip Texas again, and I didn’t think it would ever really come up again.”

Henry doesn’t answer, grabbing Alex’s face between his hands and pressing a featherlight kiss to his lips before resting their foreheads together. “Love, I didn’t realize you had that in the back of your mind, and that this was what is stopping you from entering politics. Listen to me,” he says, moving them so he’s looking at Alex eye to eye, “nothing is going to stop me from spending the rest of my goddamn life with you. You could lose your job, become a house husband, or go on to become the president of the United States, and I would not care.” Henry takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. “Do you want this, Alex? Like without the influence of anything else, deep down, do you want this? Do you want to run?”

i'm gonna tag @carlos-in-glasses, @catanisspicy, @theghostofashton, @welcometololaland, @rmd-writes, @paperstorm, @bonheur-cafe, @chaotictarlos and @lightningboltreader!

[emmy-dekarios-bg3]

Heart of the Weave - chapter 56

A couple weeks passed by and during that time, I met up with Jaheira for some breakfast and a coffee, went shopping for new attire, and went to the circus for some entertainment.

As I’m waking up comfortably in our bed, I look down at my belly and see it rounding out, smiling at the sight. I’m surprised to see myself with a bump already. This early? How is that even possible? Does immortality have anything to do with this? I turn to my left and see Gale asleep with our baby girl curled up in his arms, who is also very much asleep. When did he bring her in bed with us? Regardless, I absolutely adore watching them sleep comfortably. I sneak my way out of bed to avoid waking either of them up, and notice Karlach in the middle of the room eating a bowl of hot oatmeal.

“Oh hey soldier,” she whispers, a wide smile growing upon her face as she shoves the food in her mouth. Her eyes basically roll to the back of her head as she savors the taste. Today is the baby's appointment to check on baby Ravengard – just bloodwork and using druidic magic to get a sense of how the baby is. I’m not sure how that works, but I can’t wait to see what it entails! “I was too excited about the appointment today, so here I am, up and early as hell.”

“You’re always up super early though,” I tease, sitting down next to her and preparing myself a bowl as well. “I can’t wait either. I’m already showing and I’m honestly surprised!”

“They say if you’ve gone through pregnancy before, you show earlier the next round. What do I know, though? Okay, Gale may have lended me some tomes on how this whole thing works.” For some reason, that made my heart race; Gale bought baby books? He actually read them and prepared for Jenevelle before she was born? While I’m not surprised, I love knowing that actually happened. Karlach looks down at my exposed belly; I am wearing a sleeveless silky white pajama shirt and have it lifted up for her to see. “GAH. You have no idea how happy this makes me. I do feel it’s pretty early for you to show though.”

I hear cries from Jenevelle as she wakes up, which then wakes up Gale and Wyll shortly after. I rushed over with swift feet to pick her up, stumbling over my own feet on my way there in the process, and I proceed to get her changed and fed for the morning ahead of us, dressing her in the cutest pink onesie that was handmade by Gale’s mother.

“There’s my two girls,” Gale utters quietly in my ear from behind as he approaches me, his hands touching my waist. “Good morning, my love. I’m surprised you’re awake before me, that never happens.” He’s right: why am I up so early after all? I turn my head to face him, pursing my lips as a request for a kiss. He smiles and does so immediately, then reaches down for our daughter, who is happily kicking her legs.

“I was surprised to see her in bed with us this morning. Was I really so heavily asleep that I had no idea she was in bed with us?” Before Gale could answer, Karlach lets out a loud laugh interrupting his thoughts.

“Girl! You were so conked out, I dropped a glass of wine and it shattered, which…did end up waking Jenevelle, scaring her to death, but you slept through all of it. A lion could’ve been in the room with us ripping someone to shreds and you’d sleep through it. I have no doubt.”

“That’s a bit dramatic, but it does seem that pregnancy is causing me major exhaustion, and I’m not a fan. I sure didn’t miss that. At least I can’t get nauseous or throw up anymore. And no pain. This one is so much more tolerable than the one I had with Jenevelle.” I sit back down by Karlach and finish my breakfast. “Gale, my love, do you want some?”

“No thank you, dearest. I’ll grab a scone and a coffee on our way to the druid’s place. A freshly baked blueberry scone is calling my name today. I love Waterdeep but my Gods, Baldur’s Gate does have the best bakeries in Faerȗn.” He has a point. Back in my childhood days, I’d walk down the road with my grandmother to one of the finest bakeries in the whole city. Unfortunately, it got destroyed when the whole ‘Absolute’ bullshit was taking over the world. The owner is no longer alive either, sad to say. There are other delicious bakeries and markets though. I notice Wyll getting up and stretching, then proceeds to sit down next to Karlach and kiss the side of her head.

“What in the hells are you doing up so early, my heart? I figured you’d be tired after being up so late last night,” he mutters, yet has a smile on his face. He reminds me of Gale — always happy to see the love of his life. Karlach and I both got so lucky.

“Oh! Hey you! Ah, yeah, you know I’m up and at ‘em just right before the sun comes up. Plus I got hot and needed a cool bath.” Gale and I both exchange glances and smile, knowing she’s just overly excited about the appointment today.

After we grab Gale a scone and a hot cup of coffee from the bakery next door, we make our way to the Upper City once more for our lovely visit with Jasik. The clouds are coming in above as if it’s going to storm today, so hopefully the appointment is quick so we can make it back before the rain comes pouring down. I have an unfamiliar feeling rise inside me, and I know for a fact it’s intuitive, but for what? I try not to let it bother me and fight off any expression that might concern the others. We step inside and Jasik is standing at the front behind the mahogany desk, as if he was waiting for us.

“Ah! You four! I wasn’t sure if you’d show up today or tomorrow.” He puts down his mug of coffee and stands up eagerly, ready to lead us back to the room. He ties back his long, wavy ginger hair and guides us to the back room. His brother, however, doesn’t appear to be in sight at the moment. “Let’s check up on the little one, shall we?”

We follow him to the back room and we all sit down, anxious and thrilled about what’s to come. I stare at the glass container on the table with the liquid he used to test for pregnancy. It also detects illness or anything else unusual depending on the color the blood gives it. There’s another container next to it with the same liquid. I wonder why there’s two?

“So, hear me out. Emmy, I’m going to draw your blood again. Make sure baby is still viable and alive. Karlach, I… I am also going to draw your blood. Don’t panic, I just have a certain instinct something is going on and I need to make sure all is well.”

“Wait, what do you suspect is wrong?” Wyll asks. “She doesn’t seem to be giving off any signs of issues. At least not to me.”

“Look…I’ll be honest. I am a Druid and cleric. Spiritually, something is telling me to check on Karlach. I just need to prick her finger and test. Karlach? Is this alright?” I look over at her, noticing sheer panic growing on her face, though she’s trying to stay calm.

“Yeah, do what you need to do.”

“First, I’ll draw Emmy’s blood, then yours. After the blood is dripped into both containers, I’m going to cast my magic to gain entry into the womb, to see how the baby is doing. Are you ladies ready?” Karlach and I exchange glances, then shift our eyes back to Jasik, who seems to know exactly what he’s doing, which is comforting. He sticks the needle in my finger, drawing just two droplets of blood, and sticks it in the right container. He does the same with Karlach, dropping the blood in the left container. Both have a piece of paper underneath with our names written on them so they don’t get mixed up. I feel Gale’s hand rub my upper back as he holds Jenevelle in his left arm.

“Easy as one, two, buckle my shoe,” Karlach comments as she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. “Now to check on the baby, yes?” All eyes are on me as I sit back calmly in the comfortable wooden chair (no seriously, why is it so comfortable?) and a golden aura is released from Jasik’s body as he takes a peek into the womb. Guidance, perhaps? His eyes close, getting a deep and vivid visual of the womb. After a few moments, his eyes shoot open, staring right at me in shock, which suddenly concerns me.

“What? What is it?” I inquire, feeling my hands tremble as I sit here anxiously, wondering why in the hells he’s looking at me like that. I can feel my heart sink to the trenches of my stomach as I await the words he’s about to say out loud. Gale holds my hand, squeezing it as I sit here impatiently.

“Baby is alive and well, don’t you worry. But… Emmy, the baby is a half-elf like you. And you are further along than what we thought. The baby is Gale’s. Karlach, Wyll… I’m so sorry to say that the surrogacy did not take.”

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. All I can hear right now is the beating of my racing heart, a look of pure horror is painted across my face I’m sure. It feels so tight and frozen as I sit here trying to process the words that just escaped his lips.

“How can this…how can this be?” Gale asks, his voice echoing and loud from the news presented to us. “Don’t answer that. I’m just in an unbelievably ridiculous amount of shock. But… Jasik! Why in the hells couldn’t you look into her womb before we got started on this process?! You do realize the heartache our friends are going to have to deal with because of that, right?”

“Wh-what?” Karlach’s voice begins to crack from the devastation, but she stands up without saying another word, bolting out of the room. Understandably so, of course. I don’t want to fully blame Jasik, but if we had known he could check in the womb like he just did, we would have kindly asked him to do so when we first arrived. And since when is he a cleric?! I thought he was just a Druid.

Wyll follows his wife into the lobby, completely speechless at the horrible news presented to all of us.

“I’m really…sorry. I’m so sorry. Emmy, Gale, I should have done this in the beginning and you’re right. I’m sorry. And it is for sure Gale’s baby. The other fertilized egg, obviously, didn’t take.” He turns around to face both containers that contain our droplets of blood, the liquid in both turning purple — including Karlach’s. Oh my Gods. Karlach is pregnant after all. Jasik gasps and practically jumps out of his chair from excitement. “Wait! Wait!” He bolts out of the room to chase after Karlach and Wyll, leaving Gale and I in the room alone. Okay, so maybe a miracle is waiting for them after all. I can most certainly say I didn’t expect any of this to happen, and I am unsure of which emotion I’m feeling right now.

“So…we’re having another baby, huh?” Gale seems horrified, but I can sense he’s somewhat excited. But why? Our plan was to adopt if we were to have another, so we could have a baby that will grow. “I can most certainly say I didn’t expect that. Though I feel weird, as if I predicted this would happen, judging by our talk we had at dinner awhile ago.”

“WHAT?!” Karlach’s voice can be heard from down the hall, and I can just tell she’s over the moon. I hear her footsteps thumping across the wooden floors as she approaches us. “EMMY! GALE!” I immediately stand up as she dashes into the room, her arms wide open to pull me into an embrace. Wyll follows her into the room shortly after, flashing a smile and dried tears on his cheekbones.

“I heard. Oh Karlach… I’m so happy. This started off as a bad time, but look… I can’t begin to explain how thrilled I am to see this news.”

“For almost two years, we tried on our own. We didn’t think it was possible. I — I’m still speechless. I had a drink last night, I hope that doesn’t effect anything.” I chuckle and take a deep breath, lowkey panicking about my situation but I’m more happy for my best friend than anything.

“You should be fine, but do not do it again,” I respond, still in her warm embrace. Shortly after, Karlach and Wyll are taken back to the lobby so Jasik can speak with Gale and I privately about my pregnancy.

“I am sorry about all of that. That was a mistake on my part, and it wasn’t intentional.”

“It’s alright and I apologize for snapping at you like I did. It was definitely out of character for me, I was just in shock. No excuse for it,” Gale responds, bouncing our fussy baby girl in his arms. I take her from him and hold her close, placing a pacifier in her mouth; we call it her pinkie. “What news do you have for us?”

“Well, baby should be healthy and is looking great so far. However, with you both being immortal, your pregnancy will slow down and drag out toward the end. We will have to take a long, hard look at the baby every tenday to ensure everything will be alright. The baby will stop growing at a certain point, but it will be shortly after he or she is born.” It’s an absolute miracle this man knows what he’s talking about, and I’m thankful we found him. I wonder how he came across all this helpful information? He did say he is immortal himself, so maybe years of study and experience helped.

“Another immortal baby unable to age… I didn’t think it was possible,” I murmur, fighting tears in my eyes. Maybe life will surprise us somehow. If not, that’s alright too, it will just take a long time for me to accept it. So, I’m definitely further along than I expected, which explains why I had very weird symptoms before we even came to Baldur’s Gate that I didn’t realize I had at the time…until now. I’m not going to stress about it and surely I’ll eventually get excited, just not right now.

“I still want you to come by every few days so we can keep tabs on the little one. Hells, even bring Karlach with you. Two for one visit,” he says confidently with a smile. “Thank you for continuing to put your trust in me.”

There’s a lot Gale and I will probably end up discussing regarding this, but for now, we are just needing to take a breather and maybe a nice long stroll around the city. That might help. We leave the Druid’s and begin to head back to Elfsong, where I’m mostly silent the entire walk — and I can tell it concerns everyone.

“Emmy? How are you holding up?” Wyll asks, his hand holding Karlach’s. “Is everything okay?”

“I just didn’t expect this. I’m in shock, and I feel like I failed both of you.”

“It wasn’t your fault. I promise, all is good, and we’re still getting our wish. Please don’t blame yourself. Besides, I’m still a bit flustered at Jasik for not doing what he did at the beginning of it all. Curse having a good heart though, I forgive the man.”

“I’m just worried. Worried I won’t give Jenevelle the attention she needs. I was always worried about having another because I can’t imagine loving another child other than Jenevelle.” I hold my daughter close, who is snoozing quietly against my chest. “I’d be more excited if the baby could age, if we’re being honest.”

“My love, we’ve got this and I’ve got you,” Gale chimes in, his voice sweet and reassuring. “Besides, maybe after watching Karlach grow with their little one, you might get excited. Who knows? Experiencing the miracle of life with your best friend could help ease your mind. Trust me, I’m trying to adjust to the thought too. I didn’t even think it was possible. If I knew…we definitely would have been more careful.” He’s right — it’s not the end of the world. It just took me by complete surprise, and I’m sure it will take some adjusting, but in the end, it will all be alright.

“Say, Emmy. Why don’t we stop by your mum’s house and reveal the news? I’m sure she will be thrilled!” Karlach suggests with an enthusiastic tone. I just realized I never told her what actually went down at her house recently. Gale and I exchange worried looks as silence fills the air. “Oh no, what happened?”

“I didn’t want you to freak out so I waited to tell you this, but… Gortash is somehow alive again, and I can’t figure out why. Or how. My mother told me but part of me doesn’t believe her. Anyway…put the two and two together…” I just know deep inside my heart that Karlach won’t take this news well; I certainly didn’t. I have to be reminded that I killed my own father each time I make my way into the Upper City now, and I hate it. His renewed existence brings me memories I don’t want to relive.

“Wait, are you saying…? Gortash and your mother are…? Whoa. WHOA!” Karlach leans her head back and exhales, and I can tell she just isn’t having it. “Tell me everything.”

“They’re both trying to make it right with me. Apparently he worships Sêlune now, and she saw ‘potential’ that he would no longer serve Bane, and gave him another chance. Surely if a goddess actually shifts him away from a horrible God, then…?”

“While I enjoy you not wanting to make any sort of amends with that horrible man, I do want to mention that Bane has been completely banished from existence. According to Withers anyway.”

“How do you know this?”

“We may have had a nice talk recently over a cup of coffee. But, erm… Do you want to speak with your mother?”

“How do I know she’s not brainwashed?” I question as I stand here, trying to figure out what to do. Good lord, so much is happening right now and my brain can’t fully process it all. Should I give my mother another chance, or just wait and see what happens? Karlach stands there with a blank expression on her face, realizing I made a valid point. “If I ever forgive that man, he is being supervised at all times.”

We head back to the Tavern for a brief period of time so Jenevelle can eat, be changed, and take a small nap before heading back into the city for a nice lunch. I could use the distractions, but it will also be nice to explore the city and discover new places to eat at. Here’s to a new adventure in our lives.

[denimbex1986]

'Actors, sometimes known as a “circus of the unemployable,” at least if you ask Cillian Murphy, pretty much have to do what they do. “I can’t do anything else, at all,” the “Oppenheimer” star says, laughing at his own early ambitions to become a lawyer. “It failed catastrophically and was a terrible decision. But I think it’s a need to express yourself in some way, and I’m obsessed with story. And as we become older, we think there’s certain stories I want to tell now. All the films here have something to them; they’re provocative or stimulating or they ask questions in them. That’s the long-winded way of saying there is something potentially useful for the human spirit, maybe.”...

The actors’ strike is over, but one of the contentious issues still out there is AI — how it’s going to be used, what actors’ rights are. Have you guys given that any thought?

Murphy: It was nice when they took [John] Lennon’s voice on that Beatles track [“Now and Then”]. The AI managed to separate it from the piano, and it was so incredible to hear his voice. So ghostly. That’s a good application.

“Oppenheimer” is the largest grossing biopic ever. Could you have imagined that so many people would embrace it?

Murphy: Not at all. We didn’t have any clue that people would respond the way they did, and it’s just the brilliance of Chris [writer-director Christopher Nolan] — he has always presupposed that the audience are super-smart. Which they are. He never panders to them or patronizes the audience. They seem to be ready for this and wanted something that was challenging and provocative and asked questions. But yeah, it was gobsmacking that people went out in those numbers to see it. And multiple times. Which is kind of crackers.

Is there a role you played that changed you?

Murphy: When I was younger, I began to understand empathy through acting. I doubt I ever would’ve been able to learn that or activate that as a young man otherwise if I hadn’t found this. They say the definition of empathy is to walk in someone else’s shoes. That’s all we do.

Cillian, about playing Oppenheimer … as with Rustin, there is historical material you can use – and with Adam Clayton Powell for Jeffrey. What did you find in your research that you felt like you had to bring out, so that it was a truthful portrayal?

Murphy: At the beginning, honestly, I didn’t have a clue. It was so terrifying, you know because he’s such an iconic 20th century figure and the world that we live in now is Oppenheimer’s world because of what happened in ‘45. It’s vast [what’s available] but then you’ve got to not just look at that the whole time because you get overwhelmed. You’ve got to focus on the humanity, and that was my gig, the humanity of it. A lot of people said to me, “So, how are you with quantum mechanics?” [Laughter] That is not my job. [laughs]. People dedicate their lives to that.

And the other thing was, doing an impression — that’s not one of my skill sets. I can’t do that .… Really, it was what is at stake at this point in this scene? And you know, you always know what’s at stake in the bigger picture but, what’s at stake right now between him and his wife, between him and uh, Groves and all these different characters and that was what I focused on every day. You have to do it, go at it bite by bite with those big ones, because otherwise you’re just going to be overwhelmed. A lot of it came from the outside as well. Trying to find how he walked, how he looked. Not trying to do an impression, but stealing little things. Like, he always stood with his hand on his hip in a very jaunty angle.

I think that intelligence is extremely difficult to convey on screen, but I felt like you guys conveyed genius. That this is a guy who’s seeing the world differently. Like when you’re looking at the puddles and the ripples in them — I felt, this guy’s unlocking the secrets to the universe.

Murphy: But I’ve always felt like those guys — it’s a burden. It’s not a gift. His mind is operating on a level where we could only imagine, and all of his contemporaries said that he was the most brilliant of them all. I don’t imagine that’s a happy place, because you’re thinking about things that you know, us mere mortals can’t even conceive of....'

[lnights]

@10yearsofblindchannel

Music day! 1352 words, no pairings just bros being bros

"I think it should be fears," Niko said, "or nightmares."

Tommi nodded, they had always planned to release Bad Idea as a single and they had agreed early that Niko would give the direction for the music video.

Sure, they all contributed to each song, but Bad Idea was truly Niko's, and maybe Aleksi's. Aleksi may have first written Timebomb with them, and Darkside was the first he wrote when he joined the band, but he took Niko's pain and helped him turn it into something beautiful, something none of them had been able to do.

No one had any doubt about him joining the band after that. Not that they had before, but it wasn't until their DJ had spent two weeks at Niko's working his magic that all five of them had started actively kicking around the idea of asking him to run away with their circus.

"I like that idea," Joel nodded, "I don't know about you guys but I've had some fucked up nightmares that I can use."

Joonas laughed, "of course you do! Fears and nightmares huh… what do you think, like bad versions of us?"

Niko nodded, "maybe, I think we should all give some ideas here."

The six of them were in Aleksi's little home studio, it was already so late and pizza boxes and empty beer scattered around, but Tommi recognized the look in everyone's eyes; they had an idea and no one would leave until it was fully thought out.

"Ok so I'll start," Niko said, "I'm thinking it flips back and forth between our good sides and our bad sides… I have this worry that there's just this shit side of myself you know? That I can be apathetic and depressed and… yeah."

"So it would be like a doppelganger?" Olli asked, "would we all have that?"

"We could." Niko nodded.

"I think we should each have our own thing." Aleksi piped up, "I've had this nightmare… only once but it stuck with me, where I was being chased by like an evil version of myself and it wanted to kill me and take my place."

"Oh!" Olli sat up straighter "ok I had one once where my shadow was separated from me! It waved at me and moved differently, it just seemed sinister."

Niko was writing so fast his hand seemed to fly down his notebook, "this is great, keep it coming."

"I have dreams a lot of forgetting lyrics or my pants falling off on stage," Joel offered.

"Me too." Joonas laughed.

"I think that's fairly common for people in our line of work." Tommi told them.

Joel frowned a bit, "I guess I have this fear of having so little sleep I go nuts."

Niko nodded and paused, "that could be something… how would we convey that though?"

"Shadow under the eyes?" Joonas suggested, "pale skin?"

"A mirror," Joel said quietly, "I'm looking in a mirror and it starts acting differently than me, it's not really me. But is it really happening or is it a delusion?"

"Creepy," Olli whispered.

Joel nodded and took a drink from his water, they all knew how little Joel enjoyed horror or creepy things; to be that specific, it had to have been a nightmare he had.

Tommi reached over and patted his shoulder a bit, handing him one of their stash of chocolate bars.

"I guess for me," Joonas added quietly, "it would be a fear of a stalker."

All of them went quiet at that, the atmosphere in the studio had started to change from lighthearted to more serious with Joel, but now the room felt cold. While their new popularity since Eurovision had been gratifying, there had been some less than pleasant aspects too.

"Have you been having problems with that?" Niko asked. He had somehow gotten the worse so far, some even going as far as trying to get to him through his family.

"Some people followed me around a couple stores, but no one followed me home or anything." Joonas answered, then added in a whisper, "at least that I know of."

They were silent for another moment before Niko nodded. "That's a good one Joonas, hell we could just make the whole thing about stalking if we wanted."

Joonas shook his head, "no, I like everyone else's ideas."

"Maybe you get a message and it's a picture or video of you from behind?" Aleksi suggested.

Tommi shuddered a little at that, it was certainly a creepy thought.

Joonas nodded, "yeah let's do that."

"How about you Tommi?" Olli asked, "what nightmares do you have?"

"I don't really have them," Tommi answered honestly, he had had some very strange dreams, but not anything he would consider bad or frightening, at least not recently.

"No fears or anything?" Niko clarified.

Tommi thought for a moment, it was true he didn't have a nightmare to pull out, but he did have a fear… one that had stayed in the back of his head for years and have never shared.

"I'm scared of being invisible." Tommi said.

"No one could miss you on the street," Niko laughed.

"No, I mean," Tommi sighed, "invisible as in no one cares, no one remembers I existed. I like my privacy but sometimes I worry that I'm easily replaceable and that if you guys swapped me for another drummer no one would even notice." He held up his hands as they all started to talk at once, "I have no worry you guys would actually do that, I mean more from the fans' and label's perspective."

"I think the label wouldn't care if any of us were replaced." Olli offered and handed him another beer.

"It's going to be hard to show, maybe floating drumsticks?" Joel mused.

"I'm not sure." Tommi said.

"We'll come back to it." Niko waved his hand, "let's move on."

"Maybe a few of us get trapped in an elevator to hell or something." Aleksi suggested.

Niko laughed and wrote it down.

They spent the rest of the night throwing out ideas, and by the end they were pretty happy with the vision of the music video, just still needing to figure out Tommi's part.

"I don't think any of us should drive," Olli sighed as he cleaned up the bottles.

Tommi nodded and went with Aleksi to grab spare blankets and pillows for everyone to sleep it off, almost running into Joel on the way back as he went to the bathroom.

"Hey," Joel said quietly, "you know no one is ever getting replaced in this band right? We're friends first and I would fight anyone who tries to suggest it."

Tommi smiled, remembering how loud and angry Joel had been when a label had tried to tell them to get rid of Niko. "I know J."

Joel nodded, "good." He shuddered a little "I think I just need to stay away from mirrors for a bit."

Tommi laughed and went to get Aleksi's guest bed ready; Joel, Joonas and Olli would be sharing it while he and Niko shared Aleksi's bed. It was better than sleeping on the floor and certainly not the first time they had shared a bed or couch when working late.

As everyone got settled for the night and drifted off, Tommi found himself in a bathroom; he could hear a crowd and music so it had to be at a gig.

He washed his face, he didn't know why, maybe he had been sweaty after a show? But when he looked up-

He had no reflection.

He touched the mirror, trying to figure out if it was real, and cool glass was under his fingertips.

He wasn't there.

Tommi jolted awake, breathing harder and looking around in the dark. When his eyes adjusted he could see Aleksi and Niko sleeping peacefully next to him, and he laid back.

It was just a nightmare.

And the exact right way to show his fear in the music video, resolving to tell them in the morning as he let their steady breathing lull him back to sleep.

[spookedeadfish]

Trick or treat!

I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids -- and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination -- indeed, everything and anything except me. Nor is my invisibility exactly a matter of a bio-chemical accident to my epidermis. That invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality. I am not complaining, nor am I protesting either. It is sometimes advantageous to be unseen, although it is most often rather wearing on the nerves. Then too, you're constantly being bumped against by those of poor vision. Or again, you often doubt if you really exist. You wonder whether you aren't simply a phantom in other people's minds. Say, a figure in a nightmare which the sleeper tries with all his strength to destroy. It's when you feel like this that, out of resentment, you begin to bump people back. And, let me confess, you feel that way most of the time. You ache with the need to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world, that you're a part of all the sound and anguish, and you strike out with your fists, you curse and you swear to make them recognize you. And, alas, it's seldom successful. One night I accidentally bumped into a man, and perhaps because of the near darkness he saw me and called me an insulting name. I sprang at him, seized his coat lapels and demanded that he apologize. He was a tall blond man, and as my face came close to his he looked insolently out of his blue eyes and cursed me, his breath hot in my face as he struggled. I pulled his chin down sharp upon the crown of my head, butting him as I had seen the West Indians do, and I felt his flesh tear and the blood gush out, and I yelled, "Apologize! Apologize!" But he continued to curse and struggle, and I butted him again and again until he went down heavily, on his knees, profusely bleeding. I kicked him repeatedly, in a frenzy because he still uttered insults though his lips were frothy with blood. Oh yes, I kicked him! And in my outrage I got out my knife and prepared to slit his throat, right there beneath the lamplight in the deserted street, holding him by the collar with one hand, and opening the knife with my teeth -- when it occurred to me that the man had not seen me, actually; that he, as far as he knew, was in the midst of a walking nightmare! And I stopped the blade, slicing the air as I pushed him away, letting him fall back to the street. I stared at him hard as the lights of a car stabbed through the darkness. He lay there, moaning on the asphalt; a man almost killed by a phantom. It unnerved me. I was both disgusted and ashamed. I was like a drunken man myself, wavering about on weakened legs. Then I was amused. Something in this man's thick head had sprung out and beaten him within an inch of his life. I began to laugh at this crazy discovery. Would he have awakened at the point of death? Would Death himself have freed him for wakeful living? But I didn't linger. I ran away into the dark, laughing so hard I feared I might rupture myself. The next day I saw his picture in the Daily News, beneath a caption stating that he had been "mugged." Poor fool, poor blind fool, I thought with sincere compassion, mugged by an invisible man!

here's your candy :)

[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Lock On The Lost Night - Chapter 5

Translation of chapter 5 of the event ‘Lock On The Lost Night’ from ‘Helios Rising Heroes’.

Billy: HAHAHA~! Million’s pride and joy of an informant! Billy Wise has arrived~☆

Keith: Sigh… Ya didn’t have to go out of yer way to come here, y’know

Billy: I mean it’s kinda hilario---

Billy: Horrible, horrible that it turned into such an ordeal, so I thought I could at least emotionally support you two a little.

Keith: Naw, it’s definitely hilarious to ya

Billy: Woaw, you seriously are handcuffed to each other. May I snap a few pics?

Keith & Brad: Stop.

Billy: Eeeeh~ Keith-paisen aside, Brad-paisen being like this is a mega rare sight, you knooooow~~~~

Brad: Did you come all the way here for the sake of making fun of us?

Billy: NO, NO! I’m here to look into that rosary! I wasn’t able to judge if it’s authentic or not from the picture you sent me.

Keith: Got any clues then?

Billy: From my point of view, this rosary is probably some kinda membership card to this one bar.

Billy: What’s written on the back is the name of that place. It’s a pretty unknown bar that only those who are in the know, well, know about it. Now lemme have a look♪

Billy: Hmmm, not a doubt this is authentic…

Billy: I heard that these membership rosaries are pretty hard to get your hands on though, how did you score yourself one?

Keith: That’s where my memory completely fails me

Brad: ……….

Billy: Brad-paisen, you also drank yourself dead, right?

Brad: Ah, yes…. It’s embarrassing to speak of.

Billy: Haven’t you considered you’ve been there for a second round of drinks?

Brad: ….Right, there’s value in taking our chance with it. Tell us where it is, Billy.

Billy: Gotcha☆ I’ll text you the full details~

Keith: Then, let’s take a breather while we’re at it. Feelin’ like I need to smoke soon either way

-

Keith: Haaah~ Finally can have a smoke…

Keith & Brad: ……!

Keith: Tch, every single thing’s a pain in the ass…

Brad: I’m on the same page as to how inconvenient it is. You ought to abstain from smoking during such a time to begin with---

Keith: Ah geez, and you gotta stop nagging during break time!

Brad: ……..

Billy: Pfft…

Keith: Oi, what’cha laughing for.

Billy: I’m not laughing~♪

Billy: Me has used handcuffs for magic before, but that does indeed look troublesome

Keith & Brad: ……

Billy: Say say, how about you let me try to unlock these? I might be the capable man you need for this☆

Brad: Come to think of it, Jay had reported how you’ve done escapology at a circus before.

Billy: YES! As long as it’s not a complex structure, I can unlock anything I believe.

Keith: For real now. Be my guest

Billy: OK! Feast your eyes upon Billy Wise’s lock picking technique-----

Billy: !?

Brad: What is it?

Billy: Some… somehow these handcuffs are squishy!?

Keith: Huh? What did ya just say

[thatphantomtroupelady]

~HIS SHADOW~

An x Unlikely x Alliance

Hanako- rescued from a travelling circus at a young age- dedicated the rest of her life to her savior and older brother, Hisoka. However, she eventually realises there are worlds beyond the one her brother rules in. Will she be able to escape his shadow by being a hunter?

Prev | Masterlist | Next

Word Count: 2k

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This year's exam-site was a large area of land, bordered by tall electric fences. Long blades of grass that reached upto her waist went on for acres, interrupted only by a tall tower in the middle of the field. It reminded her of a lighthouse, painted a faded red and white.

"Do you think he's the examiner?" Hanako stared at the short man standing atop the tower, hands on his hips.

Hisoka only hummed in response, wide eyes dancing across the examinees. Of course.

"What do you think the exam this year is going to be?" She nudged his leg with a knee, annoyed.

"Who knows~" He continued his nonchalant assessment.

"You're in a mood." She scoffed. "What? Nervous? Excited? Or... bored?"

Hisoka tilted his head up to the skies, lost in thought. "Who knows~" He repeated, smiling down on her.

"Huh?" She glared up at him. "You're only doing that because you know it pisses me off."

"Who knows~" He patted her head in a mocking show of affection, walking away. When she began to follow him, he paused. "You know you can go off somewhere without me too."

"But- you like it when I'm with you... don't you?"

"Who knows~" He shrugged, continuing his pace.

"Fine." She rolled her matching golden eyes at his retreating figure. "I can manage on my own too, you know. I don't need you." She made an effort to say the last part louder, only getting more frustrated when he refused to 'grace' her with a reaction. Narcissist.

Before she could recover from that blow to her ego, a short stout man with a poor excuse of a friendly smile began to approach. Bad timing.

"Oh hey!" He babbled. "You know that guy? He looks pretty intimidating, huh?"

Hanako crossed her arms, turning away. "Who knows."

The man blinked stupidly before regaining his composure. "Right... I forgot to introduce myself. How rude! My name is Tonpa-" After a judging pause, he proudly added, "-and this is my 33rd attempt at the hunter exam."

"Psht. Thirty-three? You're really that weak? I mean you look weak, sure but... that's a bit too much."

She could sense Tonpa's aura flaring in suppressed anger as he gave her a nervous laugh. He can use nen? But no... his aura isn't strong enough to have been trained. Maybe he doesn't even know about it himself?

"If you keep failing so much, why keep trying?" She attempted to prod.

"Well," He smiled, scratching the back of his head with one hand, "I guess I'm a bit addicted to it."

"Sure." Hanako was unconvinced.

"Hmm... I'd say we have a toast to friendship!" Without waiting for an answer, he sets his rucksack on the ground and begins to go through it, careful to hide the remaining contents from her sight.

Is his plan now to team up with someone strong to pass? She wouldn't mind playing around with him really. At first notice, he appeared quite simple and week. Yet, she could sense something brewing under the surface, a potential waiting to be unlocked. After all, finding the exam site thirty-three times and not dying in each of his thirty two attempts so far has to count for something.

"Here!" He pulled out two cans of orange juice, holding one out for her.

"Cool." She mumbled as she accepted. She was thirsty anyway. The moment she pressed her lips to the can, Tonpa's aura shook with glee. Something was wrong. She pretended to take a sip.

"Like it?" He grinned.

Hanako shrugged. After a moment, she continued. "You wanna team up?"

Tonpa's eyes widened. "Wanna what?"

She shrugged once more. "Team up. I doubt it's agains the rules or anything."

"Why would you wanna team up with me?" He was on high alert.

"Maybe I just wanna see you pass." She glanced at the examiner high atop the tower, so high in fact that she could barely discern his appearance. "Who knows~"

Tonpa gulped. "Fine." He sounded more serious now. As the two shook hands, Hanako attempted to agitate his aura. He only frowned, pulling away a bit early.

"So... what's your name?" Tonpa asked, slightly more at ease.

"Just call me by my number. I don't like giving out names unless I have to."

"Sure." Tonpa read out the tag attached to her bright orange hoodie. "Number fifty-one. It's gonna be quite a while before the others arrive, huh? How about we find a nice place to sit?"

"Uh huh." The two walked on for a bit, before Hanako decided to settle down against the tower, placing the still-full can of juice next to her. At least the grass was shorter there. As she pressed the side of her head to the wall, however, a faint rumble shook her brain. What?

Backing off, she pressed her hands to the wall instead. A series of faint rumbles. Some over the other. A lack of a pattern. Couldn't be a machine.

"Hey," She frowned at Tonpa. "What do you think could be-"

"ALRIGHT!" The sudden announcement from above rattled her. The microphone sizzled before the examiner continued, "WELCOME TO THE TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIXTH HUNTER EXAM!" Shit. The stupid speaker was only a few feet above her. She ran a good few metres back with Tonpa at her heel before stopping to glare up at the examiner.

"I will be the examiner for your first phase, that shall begin in ten seconds. Survive to pass!" With that, he began counting down. "Ten! Nine! Eight!" Everyone took a wary fighting stance as one side of the bottom wall of the tower began shifting up to reveal metal bars. A cage? "Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three!" As the door stopped extending, the entire cage came into view. Beasts of all shapes and sized snarled inside, restless for blood. They were somewhat trained though, Hanako noticed. Despite being crammed into such a space, none of them were attacking each other. "Two! One! ZERO!"

More than half the examinees let out panicked cries, running away from the tower as the metal bars suddenly disappeared at 'zero'. Tonpa, too, was about to break into a run, before Hanako grabbed him by the collar. "As long as you stay close to me, I'll protect you, yeah?"

Trembling with fear, Tonpa nodded. The idiot was already trusting her with his life. Fine.

A big frog with wide blurry gray eyes took ridiculously high leaps towards them, Hanako's aura flared. Already, two examinees had been crushed under its weight, blood and gore stuck to its belly and feet. Suddenly, Hisoka's words before they entered the exam site echoed in her brain. "Don't show off your nen." Fair. The beast was not using any extra, so why should she?

Beside her Tonpa shuddered. "You'll take care of it, r- r- right? Because I sure as hell won't be able to."

"Of course." She took out a small but deadly sharp knife, previously hidden in her right boot. Amidst the chaos and the anxiety of the beast almost upon them, she focused. Using Gyo should be fair game. It was always useful in figuring out the weakness of the opponent. There was a complete lack of aura in his eyes. The stupidly big frog was... blind.

"Come on." She grabbed Tonpa's hand, forcing him to run along.

"Didn't you just say-" He began, panting with both mental and physical exertion.

"We don't have to fight it." She explained as they kept running towards a more emtpy area. She had stopped flinching over dead bodies a long time ago, but the amount of blood, gore and screams strewed around still kept her uneasy. The examiner was certainly a sadistic one.

Suddenly, an enlarged decapitated head of a... tiger? began rolling towards them at a great speed. The hell? It has only a single big eye where two should be and red bubbling drool oozed out of its mouth, spilling around in its trail. Where its neck should be was only a seemingly-thick layer of dark red skin. Its creepy eye was locked onto her, leaving her with no doubt that this one could in fact see. Fine then.

Leaping forward to take it head on (pun intended), she held the knife out in front of her, bringing the blade down just before she landed on its head. The beast screeched out, drool splashing in her general direction. Pulling out the knife from its eye a little too late before she jumped back, a few drops of the liquid landed on her collarbone, sizzling the skin there.

"Hisoka!" She cried out without thought as the chemical rapidly ate away at her skin and flesh. Through adrenaline blurred vision, she saw the creepy tiger head blindly rolling towards a stunned Tonpa, as she landed back on the ground. Shit. Bracing her body for a run, she- stopped.

A

 blur of motion and two cards were lodged at the side of its 'neck' ended. Before she could realise she was slipping, a strong hand was supporting her back. Hisoka. The moment her brain said his name, his smiling face came into view.

"Relax," He said softly, but she knew it was an order. "The chemical has cooled down. There's not much damage, except to your shirt, if you count that." With a dramatic sigh, he added. "When I said you shouldn't use nen, I meant your nen ability. Not things like Ten and Ren. Don't disappoint me." Abruptly, he let go and disappeared in another blur of motion.

Hanako struggled to catch her breath, wide eyes searching for Tonpa. There. He was crouched down in the grass, trembling arms over his head. The now-unmoving tiger head lay dead at his side.

Don't disappoint me. Hisoka's words played over in her head as she looked for another target. Since so many examinees were dead or fatally injured by now, there were less beasts running around and more feasting on their prey. The sight, on such a large scale, was an awful one. She had researched the trials on previous exams but had never even heard of one this brutal. How had he even been allowed to do this? She wondered as she noticed Hisoka fighting the bigger beasts around in the distance, his bloodlust in a frenzy. Of course he was enjoying the cruel atmosphere.

Watching him playing with the beasts like that, however, made her itch for a proper fight too. With a burst of Ren, she ran towards the nearest target. A big snake with a long tongue swallowing the eyes of a dead examinee. As she got closer, it shifted its focus on to her, releasing its whip-like tongue at her. Dodging its first attack, she used Gyo to find a vital point. Its belly. The snake hissed at her as she drew closer, launching another attack. This time, she slashed away its tongue, leaving it defenseless. As the snake helplessly thrashed around, she flipped it over with a strong kick and drove the blade in its underside. A fountain of blue blood spIurted out of its wound as it hissed once more and twitched for the last time.

One more. Her wild eyes scanned the field, landing on a large ostrich with an unusually long neck, head bobbling as it ran around aimlessly. She ripped the knife out of the snake, wiping the blood on the tall blades of grass around. As she positioned the knife, however, an ear-splitting whistle echoes throughout the arena, catching the attention of all beasts. In a frenzied hurry, they all began dashing back towards the tower. In a minute, they were all inside, the metal bars back on. A few more seconds and the tower door slid back down as before.

Hanako sighed. Too bad.

"All survivors! Please gather around the tower. If you're still standing without major injuries, you will be permitted to move on to the next phase. You have thirty seconds."

Tonpa. She suddenly remembered once more and returned to where she had last seen him. As the examiner's loud count down assaulted her ears, she nudged his head with a foot. "Hey! Next round. Come on!"

Slowly, he turned his head up. "It's- it's o- o- over?"

"Yeah." She looked at him more closely. "You don't seem to be in much of a condition to try the next phase. You sure you wanna continue?"

The determination returning in his eyes, he stood back up, brushing away dust from his clothes with a hand. "I'm fine."

"Good for you."

Near the end of the countdown, the pair joined the small group waiting at the foot of the tower. "...Two, One, and... Zero!" The voice boomed. "Congratulations! The fifty-three remaining applicants, out of the original 239, have passed the first phase of the hunter exam. A total of eleven applicants have lost their lives while the rest 175 are too injured mentally and/or physically to continue."

Only eleven? She hadn't expected fifty-three applicants to be able to pass either. Maybe she had overestimated the examiner's penchant for sadism. Oh well.

"The buses for taking you to the next exam site will be here in a moment. In the meantime, please wait patiently. No fights allowed."

With a sigh, Hanako walked over to sit against the tower once more. A familiar rumbling greeted her and she smiled, just then realising how drenched in blood she was.

^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

[scottbblackwood]

“That’s what I do,” Scott agreed. “But I do that so none of you have to,” He added. Scott knew that if the roles were reversed, he would’ve grown wings and flown to them if he had to. Being on the other side was unbearable. He hated himself for putting the looks on all of their faces. “Ah,” Scott said, his stomach dropping to his feet when he realized just how far out of hand this had gotten. Sophie called? If Eleanor wasn’t going to kill him, then Sophie must be sharpening her knives. He wasn’t sure which was worse. “She should know better than me that this isn’t anything new. Dunno why she’d bother you with it,” He grumbled. “Once again proving me point that me honesty is a problem for you,” He said, then chuckled to himself. “Right, because these are the conditions that she’d want to—you know what?” He huffed, and put his hands up in surrender. “You got what you wanted. So let it be,” He griped, then crossed his arms. “You think I don’t know what they used to say—what they still say about her?” He spat. He felt guilty every day for not being there, for removing a piece of her armor. “This is what it’s like,” Scott replied before he could stop himself. He immediately regretted it. They got on well enough. The lights mostly stayed on, and he usually had food in his belly. He was lucky to have even that much. “Because I don’t want you to,” He countered. “That’s what I’m supposed to do,” He said, and then put a hand up before she could argue. “I just am,” He added, silently pleading for her to just let him have this one. Now, when he imagined his eternity in Hell, it was going to a whole lot like this day. “Well, you’re gonna get more of it than you’ll want to handle in about—“ He paused, looking down at this watch. “Eleven-sh hours?” He concluded. Scott was never sure how to talk about his mother. Things were easier with Ivy because she’d always known Erica. She’d grown up with a house full of Ericas. As a kid, he didn’t think Eleanor could understand. Now, it just felt too far gone to even mention. “It is,” Scott said, then heaved a heavy sigh. “Which is yet another reason why this circus didn’t need to happen,” He said confidently. “Trust me.”

“The cost of having a sexy boyfriend is that he’s gonna drive you nuts,” Isla said with a laugh. “It’s a fair trade if you ask me,” She added, then gave Eleanor’s side a little poke. “I think Scott’s gentleman enough to at least pretend that your punch really landed,” She added with a smirk. “I keep hearing all these stories about young Scott. I’m dying to figure out how to bring him to the surface,” Isla pouted. She couldn’t help but be curious about that version of Scott, the one that seemed to be a polar opposite of the one she knew. “Oh, there’s no doubt that Scotty’s intelligent,” Isla argued. “But that doesn’t mean he’s not fucking stupid,” She added with a giggle. “I mean, it’s hard to know how much of that would’ve even been true,” She agreed, shrugging. “Because it’s a who said what to them who heard this and said that to the next one, ya know?” She said. “And besides, what really matters is the person you know. So long as they’re not like—a secret evil person or whatever,” She chuckled. “I can’t say that I’m totally surprised that Scott’s so protective of his mom. He’s so protective of all of us, she must have it tenfold,” Isla said, hoping Eleanor wouldn’t get offended for her to be arguing Scott’s side. “My love, I’ve known some crazies that would’ve come in screaming and causing a scene. You kept your screams to a whisper. Didn’t even catch a glance from the people around you. That’s grace,” She laughed. “You know Scotty’s saying the same about you, right?” She teased. “Mr. And Mrs. Stubborn,” She added with a smirk. “I’m your Emotional Support Isla,” She said, puffing out her chest with pride. “It’s my job,” She grinned, then gave Eleanor a squeeze. “I already knew it before, but this just cemented it,” Isla said, and smiled dreamily between Eleanor and Scott. “You two are gonna make it. I’m an expert with these things.”

“I know it means fuck-all to her, but I can’t really see the point in all of you wasting the money and time to fly to Scotland, just to turn around and fly right back before the weekend’s through,” He said with a sigh. “This is—“ Scott paused, trying to think carefully of how he wanted to proceed. “I’m gonna get to the hospital, they’re gonna let me sign her out, and we’re gonna drop her off on our way back to the airport,” He explained. “Doesn’t even make for a holiday for you all,” He added with a sigh. “We’re ultimately going to be fine,” Scott agreed. “We’re just not thrilled with each other at the moment,” He added with a sad chuckle. “Gotta find some silver lining in you all coming,” He chuckled. He was already having a vision of Ewan knocking his and Sam’s heads together. “Oh, I’m sure you’re gonna love him,” He teased. “Life would be a hell of a lot quieter,” Scott replied with a snicker. The truth was, now that he knew he had a brother, there was no life without him. Scott would sooner travel to Hades and drag Sam back rather than live any more life without him. Not that he’d ever let Sam know. “She’s got shit taste, clearly,” Scott agreed with a laugh. “The poor lass,” He added, shaking his head. He chuckled at Sam’s look when Isla came up. He wondered if he had the same stupid look when someone brought up Eleanor. Hopefully Sam would catch up faster than he did. “It’s hard to be upset when you’re around that girl too long,” He chuckled. “Never said it was,” He said, then shook his head. “I just don’t want anyone to. I can handle it.”

As they made their way from the bar with the boys, Isla gave Sam’s arm a little squeeze to hold him back a step. “How did it go with Scott?” Isla asked quietly, keeping an eye on Eleanor and Scott to make sure that they didn’t hear. “This is all such a mess, I feel awful for the both of them,” She said with a quiet sigh. “I’m just hoping that they settle down on this flight. If not, I’m putting melatonin in both of their drinks and forcing them to relax,” She joked. “I’m excited to see this side of Scott’s life. I’m sure you must be ten times more excited,” She said, and gave Sam a little side-hug. “I’m also really excited that it might snow while we’re there. I’ve never actually seen snow before, somehow,” She chuckled. “Been everywhere but the cold-weather countries.”

Scott’s body felt like it weighed a million pounds as he dropped himself into his seat. He was starting to feel the gravity of what was really happening. On top of Eleanor’s desperation to connect with Erica, he also started to worry about Sam. If he looked too closely, he might start putting together two-and-two and start a conversation that Scott wanted to have even less than one about his mother. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. This was all more than he was prepared for. He tried not to be resentful of Erica for being the very reason that all of this started in the first place. But he learned long ago that blaming Erica got him nowhere but deeper in the hole. He was so lost in his head that he’d barely registered what Eleanor had said. “Let’s uh—“ He started, then heard the tone of her voice. He wanted to kill the guy that caused it. “Let’s just cross that bridge when we get there, okay?” He asked. “If we’ve got time before the flight home or something,” He said mindlessly. “You’re going to sleep too, right?” Scott said, then kissed Eleanor’s forehead. “I love you, Len,” Scott murmured, then put a hand on her thigh. Once Eleanor reclined, Scott leaned over to take a glance at Sam and Isla, then gave his brother a short nod. It felt so foreign to sit in a seat so lush. It might’ve been even more comfortable than the bed he’d grown up sleeping on. Though he tried to fight it, Scott felt himself starting to nod off.

“That’s ridiculous,” Eleanor said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes again. “I love you—we love you. You worry about people you love. It’s just what you do,” she said with a shrug and a hefty sigh. “No,” she began, “Sophie asked me to come with you because she’s worried.” Eleanor didn’t want to elaborate. She didn’t want to dive into Erica’s condition right now when they were already so tense. It wasn’t worth the extra headache. “Please don’t say things like that,” she said, and her bottom lip wobbled again. Although Eleanor knew he was just feeling very sore at the moment, she didn’t like him suggesting such a grim outlook about their future together. “Your honesty isn’t a good enough answer. You can’t possibly think that I’d let Erica get away from me this time around, did you?” Eleanor asked. “No, of course not. But every time I even broach the subject of your mother when we’re home you walk away from me. I can’t let you walk away from this conversation anymore,” she said sternly, even if her voice was shaking. Eleanor immediately cringed at Scott’s reaction, and reached a tentative hand out to touch his arm. “I’m—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out like that—oh, Scott,” she stammered, taking a deep breath and giving his bicep a little squeeze. “I don’t care what anyone else has to say about your mother besides you. The only person I ever wanted to hear about her from is you. What it’s like for you. Because you are the most important person in the world to me. Fuck everyone else and their big gobs,” Eleanor said. “How is it different? Why can’t I care for you in the same way you care for me?” she asked. As much as she felt like she understood Scott, there were times like this, where he felt a world away from her. And she hated it. “Antimony, my darling,” she whispered, bringing his hand to her lips to press a soft kiss to his knuckles. “Don’t lie to me,” she muttered against his skin. “No matter how messy or ugly things are with you mother, I’m not going anywhere. I—I can’t go anywhere. Nothing is going to scare me away, I promise. You know I’m here for you forever, don’t you?” she asked, looking up at him with an earnest expression. “And I know you don’t want to hear it, and maybe this is too general to even say but,�� she gave his hand a squeeze, “everything is going to be okay.” Eleanor recalled saying those words to him thousands of times, and every time she did she didn’t know if everything was going to be okay, but she still said it. She didn’t know if everything would be okay now, but she wanted to be strong enough for the both of them, and she wanted more than anything for him to believe her when she said it. 

“Is it good?” Eleanor asked with an exasperated laugh. “My difficult, beautiful boy,” she sighed, looking over at him and frowning a little. If she loved him any more she knew she’d actually combust with how emotional he made her sometimes. She chuckled half-heartedly at Isla’s joke. “If I actually swung I’d have probably broken my hand on his chest,” she said with a playful eye roll. “Oh, darling, if only you’d known him as a teenager,” she snorted, then smiled as she reminisced about her young Scott. How cocky he’d been, how brazen in his young age. He was still young now, but so much has happened to him, so much has weathered his spirit and she knew that he’d lived a hundred more lives than he was supposed to by now. “He can argue with me like an adult. I wouldn’t be with him if he didn’t,” she said with a little chuckle. “People in that town had a lot of things to say about Erica, some of it wasn’t kind. Not that I ever regarded any of it. I only ever wanted to know what it was like for him, but he wouldn’t tell me. Would hardly speak about her other than the occasional comment here and there,“ she said with a small shake of her head. She hated to remember how much it hurt her then, that he wouldn’t open up to her about Erica. It made it hurt worse now. "He is totally mad,” she agreed. “I appreciate you thinking this is graceful at all,” Eleanor laughed, gesturing to herself; her mussed hair and wrinkly plane clothes, the dark blue circles beneath her eyes. “I know he’ll come around, he usually does for me, I just don’t know why it has to be so difficult at the start every single time,” she lamented. But she would do this a million more times with Scott if it meant they’d still have each other. She wrapped Isla into another hug and sighed against her shoulder. “You’re very good at this, you know. Calming me down,” she said, then gave Isla a soft smile. She nodded at Isla’s sentiment. “Even if it feels a little painful right now, I do feel lucky to get to love him so much. I just hope he feels it because I think he wants to kill me a little bit right now,” Eleanor said with an exasperated laugh. 

Sam furrowed his brows and tried not to laugh and tease Scott about his ridiculous plan to exclude Eleanor at all from his trip to Scotland. It didn’t really make much sense to him, considering how close he and Eleanor were, but Sam couldn’t rib him for it now when he knew how uncomfortable Scott was right now. “Aye, you’re clearly the smart brother ‘ere,” he joked anyway, because he couldn’t help himself. “It’ll all work itself out though. As intense as Eleanor is I’ve never seen her fold faster than for you,” Sam said, shooting his brother a smirk. “Ah, so it’s not so bad that I’ve come after all then, aye?” he said when Scott expressed his excitement for Sam to meet Ewan and Sophie. He felt like he knew them already, with how much Scott talked about them. “I think meself and the geezer will get along just fine,” he snickered. “Don’t lie now, old brother o’ mine. Your life would be so dull without me,” he laughed, dramatically batting his eyelashes. “Eh, like I said. As much as she wants to curl you up a bigger part of her is complete and utter fucking mush for you, mate. God knows why, but who am I to judge,” he chuckled. Though Sam didn’t think he’d ever seen a more sincere form of love in his life before he met Scott and Eleanor. It was something to behold for him, that was for sure, when every relationship he’d been in or witnessed always ended in shambles. “Aye…” he said, cocking an eyebrow at Scott’s expression when he spoke of Isla. “Looks like she’s already soothed your girl enough to be able to talk to you again,” he shrugged, glancing back at the girls. “Or it could be those martinis she’s drinkin’,” Sam sighed, and gave his head a little shake. “It’s not a bad thing to have someone care so much about ya, lad,” he said with a knowing look. Once Sam allowed his friends and family in closer his life got a hell of a lot easier. 

After finishing her cocktail, Eleanor looked down at her phone to see they were due to board in a twenty minutes. She gave Isla’s hand a reassuring squeeze and they made their way over to the boys sitting at the bar. “We’re boarding in a bit, we should head to the gate,” she told them, and they shuffled in tired silence to the gate. Eleanor was sure even her bones felt tired now, and she prayed she’d be able to sleep during the flight. Once they were settled into their seats in first class, Eleanor felt like she was going to cry again–from this disconnection she felt with Scott, from anxiety, from exhaustion–she couldn’t tell. It wasn’t a normal quiet between herself and Scott as they sat in their seats, but one that had her feeling desperate to reach him. It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling, but it never got easier to handle. She turned to him a little and reached for his hand. Eleanor couldn’t believe she was about to concede to him, but she couldn’t bear putting him through anymore pain when he was clearly already spiraling over his mother. “I just want to say this.  If you really, really, don’t want me to meet Erica I won’t go to the hospital with you,” she said quietly, and sighed, her shoulders slumping. “But I very desperately want to meet her. Obviously,” she added with the ghost of a chuckle. “I just…want you to want me to meet her.” She took a deep breath. “Don’t say anything now, just…remember that. When we get there,” she added, because she didn’t have it in her to start up another argument. “And I want you to try and get some rest before we land if you can.” She leaned in and pressed her lips softly to his cheek before reclining her seat a bit to try and get more comfortable. 

[squidcave]

D&D - Oneshot for my boy Basal <3

by exactly one person's request 👍

The silence was quickly becoming unbearable. A heavy tension had settled in the air around them, so thick Basal could have pulled out his rapier and cut it in half. Or he would have been able to if he still had his rapier. He looked up just enough to glare at Thaeo’s unconscious form thrown over Lucious’s shoulder in front of him. Next to him, Althea looked back and offered him a small smile. It withered under his continued glare.

He wasn’t being unreasonable, Basal thought. Realistically, he knew Althea, or Lucious for that matter,  didn’t deserve his anger, not really. She had tried to apologise once they’d all reached the safety of the forest but he hadn’t listened, choosing instead to silently fume. Their little secret was kept with good intentions, he knew that, and knowing it wouldn’t have saved him from being kidnapped and shoved in a cage like some kind of animal but he couldn’t help it. 

He turned his attention back to the forest floor, resisting the urge to stomp his way through the undergrowth. If they were to escape the circus - no the cult, the circus cult?- they had to exercise at least a little bit of stealth.The yellow light filtering in through the branches above was hardly helping mask their great escape. The creaking wind sounded a million miles above them. Basal doubted the trees were that tall but he could imagine. They were packed so closely he couldn’t really tell from just walking through the place but that was fine. He wasn’t going to look up to check. Nothing good happened to those who looked up.

He shuddered and gripped the small knife Atlas had given him a little tighter.

Basal could have laughed. After everything that had happened, everything their rag-tag group of adventurers had been through together, Atlas was the only one Basal really trusted anymore. Atlas. The Aarakocra had made it very clear that Basal was his least favourite member of the group over the months they had been travelling together so when he had shoved his prized lukewarm shank  into Basal’s hands with a pointed look at his empty sheath, Basal had felt their dynamic shift.  He found himself walking closer to Atlas at the back of the group, finding a strange sense of safety under the cover of his dark wings. 

The silence persisted and they kept walking. 

-

“I really am sorry we didn’t say anything, Basal.”

The fire crackled softly between the two half-elves. It did little to stave off the night's cold. Basal looked up from the meagre pile of flaming sticks to see the equally meagre shelter Lucious and Atlas were trying to construct. Behind them, he could see the slumped figure of Thaeo against a dark tree, Jam and Jewels standing guard nearby. 

He looked away.

“I know, I know,” He sighed. “Listen, Althea, I appreciate it, but you should get some rest. Tell the others I’ll take the first watch, ok?” 

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. She left him with a quiet “If you’re sure..” and made her way towards the shelter. It was for the best. Althea meant well, he knew, but the two of them were too awkward for their own good and the added tension from the past couple of days did not help. 

Basal didn’t believe in any Gods but if he did he’d be cursing them all. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? Looking back he couldn’t even remember what they’d all been doing before Venus had shown up out of nowhere. For just a moment he had thought he’d finally found his best friend. A long deserved stroke of luck putting them in the same place at the same time. It was never meant to be, he supposed. 

A humourless laugh clawed its way out of him, something dark and quiet. He was so stupid. His mother had warned him about travelling. About strangers. About making friends with the wrong people. It was a lesson she had learned the hard way, she’d said. All her stories from travelling the kingdom and he’d made the exact same mistakes she had. 

What would she think of him now? He knew the twins would happily yell ‘I told you so!’ and he’d smile and defend his honour. With them he could pretend nothing had happened. His mother always saw through him though. Sometimes Basal thought she knew him better than he did. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hide this from her.

He blinked, suddenly aware of his watering eyes. He’d been staring at the fire too long, that was all. He sniffed (it was cold) and stood quickly, striding out into the trees behind him. He wouldn’t go far, of course, just enough to have some privacy.

The conversation happening behind him washed over him, fading into the background.

“Atlas, you left a dimension shunting shovel out in the open for anyone to find!” Lucious.

“Yup.” Atlas.

“There was no one there! Everything was dead except for this tabaxi guy and his pet frog or something!” Althea.

“Sounds cool.”

Basal closed his eyes.

-

“You know, some answers would be pretty cool right about now,” he tried. The cloaked group of weirdos dragging him through the trees hadn’t said a word to him since he’d woken up. They’d taken all of his weapons too. At this point they were just being rude. 

His shin hit a rock and he sighed, loudly and dramatically. If they weren’t going to answer him, he’d fill the silence himself. Basal had two siblings. He was good at being annoying.

“I just want you guys to know that we, my friends and I, that is, met a bunch of people at a roller derby recently who had the exact same cloaks. Isn’t that weird?” He smiled wide, confident. “Although, I should say, we absolutely destroyed them on the rink. And not just because we expertly beat them in a fight. I think we were also the better skaters.”

The group stopped. Basal tried to get a good look at their surroundings but the two Cloaks holding him kept their grip. Just as he was about to start talking again he heard it. 

Footsteps.

The hope in his chest died quickly at the synchronised thumping approaching them. He was willing to bet the footsteps belonged to more of these cloaked goons. As the group started moving again, Basal twisted around as best he could, trying to get a good look at the new additions to the gaggle of goons.

Just as he’d expected, there were about 5 new cloaked figures trailing along behind the first group. Unexpectedly, they had someone else with them being pulled along much like he was. Before he could get a good look at them though, the group started down a small hill. 

Basal quickly put his focus into staying up right. He would not face plant the ground in front of these clowns. 

They made it to the bottom of the hill with no problems, and pushed through a line of low bushes into a wide clearing. Basal looked up and immediately regretted his earlier choice of words.

Brightly coloured tents littered the small area and a happy chattering noise filled the air. As they approached, more and more cloaked figures pushed their way out from the striped circus tents, calmly watching as he was taken to what he guessed was the largest tent. 

To his surprise, the tent was nearly completely empty. The wooden pole in the tent’s centre served as the only point of interest Basal could see at first. However as the people in front moved aside, he saw why he was here. 

He started kicking and struggling against his captors as they marched towards the wooden cage at the back of the tent. In seconds, he was being thrown into one half of the cage. He scrambled towards the door only to have it slammed in his face. 

“A cage? Are you serious? What kind of psychos are you?” he yelled. The figures ignored him still. “I’m not an animal!”

The second group hauled their catch into the space next to Basal with little fuss. The cloaked figures left them wordlessly, sweeping out of the tent with much more grace than they’d been allowed to enter with. He turned immediately to the second prisoner. 

Jewels looked back at him and Basal watched as his own growing fear reflected in her eyes.

She ducked her head, trying to keep her horns from scratching the wood above her head. She fidgeted for a little longer before seemingly giving up and looking back to Basal.

“Well, shit.”

-

“Hey!”

Basal stumbled from the tree he’d been leaning on and looked up at Atlas from the ground. He shrugged and offered a clawed hand to Basal, pulling him back to his feet with ease. 

“Don’t look at me like that, you were ignoring me,” he said flatly. 

Basal mumbled an apology and stared intently at a snail going by on the forest floor. He heard the bird sigh beside him and he looked up tentatively. Atlas was standing at full height, wings down and arms crossed, doing his best to give Basal his most intimidating look though the effect was lessened by the small height difference between them. 

He shot for some humour, hoping to lighten the mood. “You’re short -”

Atlas cut him off almost immediately. “You’re upset. Understandable I guess. Now I have one question for you.”

This could go badly. 

“Alright,” Basal paused, trying to figure out what Atlas wanted. “Shoot.”

“Do you want these gloves?” He held out a pair of differently coloured gloves. The right hand was a deep red and had clear sigils all along the back. The left hand was a dull blue colour with matching sigils. Basal took them, gingerly pulling them over his own hands.

“Lucious said they’re magic or something. I’d ask him about it. Apparently, the lot of them got a bunch of loot from an apocalypse world. Sounds fake to me.”

Basal nodded numbly, investigating the gloves further. He looked up as Atlas began walking back to their makeshift camp and smiled. He reckoned he’d be alright.

“Oh, and if you call me short again, I’ll kill you in your sleep” Atlas shouted over his shoulder.

Probably.

[rogueddie]

Steve wasn't born, he was made. The perfect son, wished into existence by his parents. They gave him so much, trying to get him just right. He was made to be perfect after all. They had to make sure they avoided any flaws.

But they didn't understand that their wishes for him were constantly contradicting. They didn't understand that the Gods aren't kind.

They wanted a son who is smart, but obedient. They wanted a son who can take care of himself, but won't ask questions. They wanted a son who puts them first, but is ambitious. They wanted a son who is good, but will lie for them.

So the Gods carved him out of marble. They filled him with light and love. They made him perceptive and gave him one last warning; humans aren't always nice and they will hurt you.

Steve quickly learnt that they were right. He learnt that questions are met with pain, that anything but perfection is met with punishment. He learnt that his love is met with abandonment.

He learnt the hard way. He learnt slowly.

When enough time had finally passed that they could send him out into the world, Steve floundered. He'd been locked away in the cold Harrington house for so long, with nothing but the cruelty of his parents, that he didn't understand how to... be. And the kids in high school were just as cruel.

He wanted to fit in. He wanted to be loved. He wanted the pain to stop. He wanted to be the one in control for once.

So, when Tommy Hagan invited him into his little circle? Steve jumped at the chance. He clung to the boy like a lifeline, not bothering to question him. He kept Steve afloat, made him popular and loved. He gave Steve what he needed.

But then he met Nancy. Then he got in a 'fight' with Byers. Then he met his first monster.

And it was easy. Hold a hand to his cheek until he can find make up, wince like the punches hurt and keep his head down. No one looked too close. No one noticed that he wasn't really bruised. Not even Byers, who nearly broke his hand on Steves face.

The second time was easier. The third time too. He hated how easy it was, how good he is at lying. He hates how naturally it comes to him, even if it does help him. It just reminds him; he was made for this.

But then, finally, he meets someone who doesn't believe him. He meets someone who sees through the bullshit. He meets someone curious enough to look at him.

Eddie Munson is fascinated by Steve. He always has been but after the Vecna mess, it becomes something of an obsession.

Steve encourages it.

He knows he shouldn't. He knows that it wouldn't be good if people found him out... but he wanted Eddie to know. He wanted Eddie to see him. He wanted to tell the truth. He wanted to be a good person.

"You're a liar," Eddie finally says, pointing at Steve. He's relaxed, lounging on the Byers couch. He smirks when he notices everyone giving him dirty looks. "What? None of you are curious?"

"About what?" Robin asks. She glances between the two of them, curiosity peaked. "What's he lying about?"

"I don't know. Everything?" Eddie shrugs. His eyes are locked on Steve. "He doesn't bleed."

Most people laugh, turning away, dismissing the conversation. Eddie jokes around, is dramatic so often, that it's easy to see this as another play at circus leader.

"No, that..." Jonathan frowns. "What do you mean?"

"That bottle. Didn't leave a scratch."

"You didn't really try to hurt me," Steve lies. But he remembers how the sharp edge had felt against his skin, remembers the shiver of fear he'd felt when he realized that anyone else would be bleeding.

Eddies eyes narrow.

Everyone knows that Eddie is soft hearted now. Everyone knows how unwilling he is to hurt anyone. No one doubts Steve. Even Robin, Dustin and Max, who had seen how terrified he had been that night.

Steve keeps glancing at Eddie the rest of the night. He's not surprised to find him already looking. He is surprised that he doesn't try again. He's not usually deterred so easily.

He isn't, as it turns out. He uses the two beers Steve has as an excuse to drive him home. No one lets Steve try to wriggle out of it, insisting that Eddie is right, it's better to stay safe. Joyce promises to drive his car back in the morning.

Eddie gives him a smug grin when he holds the door open, so he can follow Steve inside. They hover in the living room for a moment.

"Why doesn't anyone know?" Eddie finally asks. "Why don't you tell them?"

Steve debates lying again. He knows Eddie won't believe him though, there's no point. So he shrugs. "I don't know."

"But there is something? I'm not just... losing my mind, right?"

"Yeah, um... it's just- it's hard to believe."

"We've been to an alternate dimension where bat things were going to eat you. We're past that shit."

Steve raises an eyebrow, lets the pause drag out for a moment. "Alright. I'm not human. I wasn't born. I'm marble."

Eddie blinks at him. "Marble."

Steve tugs his top up so his stomach is showing, pointing at his sides. "The bats did try to eat me."

"Jesus Christ," Eddie whispers. He reaches out like he can't help himself, fingers tracing the cracks in his skin. "Jesus- you're marble."

"Yeah. Wild, right?"

"Wild," Eddie echoes, his laugh high pitched and a little hysterical. "How the fuck... what made you?"

"I don't know. My parents always said that it was the work of the Gods, that they'd wished for perfection and got me instead. I kinda... remember, a little. It's weird."

Eddie shifts closer, hands shifting from the cracks to hold his side. "You remember being made?"

"Only a little. Like, uh... they had a little trouble getting my hands right. It's mostly a blur."

"Did it hurt?"

"No? If it did, I don't remember." Steve shifts, struggling to read Eddie with how blank his expression is. "You, uh... I mean... this isn't too weird, is it?"

"Oh, it definitely is," but Eddie grins. He looks excited. "This is so much weirder than the Upside Down stuff. Miles more. Fuck. Can I touch you? More than this, I mean. Is that making it more weird?"

"N-no, um, that's fine."

He's gentle with his exploration, careful and specific with where he touches. He touches his hands, his fingers, feeling the grooves and details. His worn down fingertips, the details slowly smoothing out. He touches his arms, testing the give and the cold, solid stone of his elbows.

He hesitates before touching his chest, lingering on his chest hair. His eyes widen a little when he realizes that, those too, are marble.

Then, he raises his hand to Steves face. He cups Steves cheek, thumb rubbing his cheekbone almost reverently. He looks fascinated. Especially when Steve blushes, shifting his hand out of the way, fingers tracing the warmth.

"You're so..." Eddie whispers, frowning as he struggles for the word.

His hand keeps straying, thumb tracing the skin bellow his bottom lip, tugging down slightly, gentle. Just enough to part his lips.

"Perfect?" Steve offers, keeping his voice hushed so he doesn't break whatever moment they're having.

But Eddie shakes his head, finally meeting Steves eyes. "Human."

He looks at Steve with love. His fingers are still on his face, he can feel the marble, can feel that he isn't. He looks at Steve with the same curiosity, the same desire, that he always has.

"Eddie..." Steve whispers. There's too many emotions, too strong, so unfamiliar. It feels like it's trying to find a way out of him, bloating him with emotions. He wonders if this is what people usually feel like.

"Steve?"

"Kiss me."

Eddies smile is so soft, so gentle. His kiss matches it, so soft and slow and gentle. Loving. His other hand comes up, cupping Steves face like he's something precious. Like he's delicate.

He doesn't learn his last thing about people that day, but it feels like the most important.

Sometimes, humans are nice. And they do love him.

[rozcdust]

Addicted

Pairing: Ran Haitani x f!reader x Kakucho Hitto

Genre: Crack, SMAU

Word count: 1.2k

Warnings: Canon divergent, ooc, profanity, substance abuse, kind of locker room talk

masterlist

It wasn’t always, but since throwing himself in the world of Bonten and near constant threats of death, it got to be in Kakucho’s nature to investigate people before engaging for a prolonged period of time, to gather enough blackmail and dirty secrets to be a threat.

Yet, there was hardly anything dirty to be found on you.

And not because you didn’t have plenty of filthy, nasty little secrets, no, it was because you were so goddamn open about them.

It was one of those lazy afternoons, where after the meeting, everyone stuck around for a little longer, lounging on sofas and just existing in each other’s presence, some chatting, some doing their own thing, but together nonetheless.

He suspected Kokonoi was the only one actually working, though, as Mikey was probably just watching Netflix on his phone, snacking, Ran engaging in idle chat with Mochi, absentmindedly petting Rindou’s hair as the younger tried to sleep, head placed on Haruchiyo’s lap and legs over Kakucho’s.

Kakucho sighed, scrolling on his laptop, through the archive of files he dug up on you, and they told him everything and nothing.

There were no police records, you didn’t have a file, although he found a report on your mother’s car accident. She died when you were a little over 3 years old, and you were an only child, your father never married afterwards, passing two years ago due to complications during a liver transplant.

Your love for games of luck was a well-known fact, as was your engagement to Naoto fucking Tachibana out of all people, but the two of you seemingly broke it off out of nowhere, mere few weeks before the wedding.

You also inherited your father’s IT firm, and seemed to run it well.

Kakucho couldn’t find anything else.

Sanzu peeked over his shoulders, reading along, cockily smirking before Kakucho even had a chance to slam his laptop shut.

“Searching up our y/n? My, my, Kakucho, are you interested in her?”

Kakucho scoffed, throwing the man a nasty look, but refused to relent into Sanzu’s teasing.

“I’d suggest you go for it, she liked you, and she’s not the type to be on the market for long, never was. Plenty of men and women interested in warming her bed.”

“Plenty of douchebags interested in a bitch.” Kokonoi muttered from the side, gaze still fixed on his work, “If you want someone to fuck you up, go ahead, sign up for the circus.”

Sanzu laughed.

The conversation seemingly caught Mikey’s attention, and he threw a look between Kakucho and Kokonoi, seemingly pondering about something.

“She is a blood-sucking fiend, correct, but she has her good qualities too.” Mikey mused, shutting everyone up in a second as everyone fixated their gaze on him, “She’ll never leave you high and dry, at least. Kinda reminds me of Ran over here.”

“Excuse me, I’d be an excellent boyfriend.” Ran grumbled, turning his nose up in offence when Rindou, Sanzu and Kokonoi started cackling.

“With your commitment issues, the tendency to ghost people and 24-hour napping? Doubtful.”

His face turning serious now, Ran looked at Kakucho, seemingly deep in thought.

Deep in trying to pretend he wasn’t a sad and lonely loser with a desperate crush.

“Go for it Kaku, why not? You’ve been alone in a while, a few months of having fun won’t kill you.”

Kakucho opened his mouth to at least try and defend himself, but Kokonoi cut him off firmly.

“Don’t. Go for anyone else, hell, you’d be better off going for fucking Sanzu-“

“Hey! I am very happily taken!”

“Than her. You deserve at least some joy in your misery of a life, and you won’t get it with her.”

Kakucho wasn’t sure if he should be complimented or insulted.

Mikey and Sanzu rolled their eyes simultaneously.

“Put it to rest, Kokonoi.”

“Hey, Kakucho.” Sanzu smirked suddenly, and Kakucho wasn’t sure he liked it when the older man put his hand on his shoulder, “I know y/n’s going out tonight, to Ran’s and Rin’s club, actually. Why not stop by?”

Kakucho pondered over it.

The day of the car accident was coming up, and he could use a little harmless fun to get it off his mind.

“I hate it already!” Draken yelled into your ear, face sour as one of his arms was wrapped around Inui’s waist, the other occupied with his drink.

“C’mon, Kenny boy, live a little! It’s fun!” You yelled back, the smile echoed into your cheeks, containing the urge to laugh at your friend’s miserable state.

At least the rest knew how to have some fun.

Mitsuya and Hakkai were dancing together, fingers interlaced, way too slow for the rushed beat of the song, but they’ve always been like that, way too lovey-dovey and cute and borderline making everyone else gag.

At least the pet shop bitches knew how to have fun, shaking their hips to the beat and grinding all over each other, borderline fucking on the dance floor, as God always intended.

Flicking your eyes up to Draken and Inui, you could already tell they’d be good for nothing in that department, if anything, they’ll probably have a lazy makeout session in the booth, and you didn’t want to be anywhere near for when that happened.

Downing your drink, you went ahead to sway to the beat alone, close enough so Draken could see you, but far enough away that you could pretend he didn’t.

He has been fussing over you since the two of you were 9, and it doesn’t seem to be improving with age, no matter how many times you tell him you’re all grown up now.

Soft idiot.

An arm sneaks it’s way around your waist, interrupting your train of thought, and you don’t even have time to turn and glance at the person responsible.

“Hi, pretty girl.” A familiar, husky voice fills your ears, sending a pleasant shiver up your spine.

“Hello.” You reply back softly, allowing him to turn you around, his hands still locked firmly around your waist, “Long time no see. Assumed you’d never call back.”

Kakucho smiled, too softly for a man like him.

“Got busy, sorry.”

“Wow, I’m not a priority after the two times we’ve spoken? How horrible!“

He rolled his eyes, but there was no malice behind the act, no insult at all.

You found he looked just as handsome under the dim, flashing lights of the club as he did in the bright light of the wedding hall, a graceful sort of beauty adorning his face, his eyes clear and warm and his smile pleasant, even if his face betrays his real emotions, his real intentions.

You were staring into the eyes of a man in depths of misery, just trying to find a way to forget.

People often assumed you didn’t care about others’ feelings, or merely didn’t notice them at all, considering you to be a spoiled brat with no kindness or consideration for others.

You merely considered one’s private feelings their own business, and it wasn’t something you felt the need to pry into.

“Wanna get out of here?” You ask, your hands making their way onto Kakucho’s shoulders and around his neck, your fingertips lightly caressing his nape.

He smirked, and your suspicions got confirmed.

. . . next

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a/n: just to let you guys know, updates will be delayed for all fics bc a bitch got ✨ e x a m s ✨

[manybcdthings]

Felix noticed it immediately, the way Astra's eyes softened when they landed on him, her expression glowing with something warm and unguarded. Adoration. Pure and simple. It always knocked the wind out of him, like she saw something in him no one else ever could. Something he didn't think he deserved but couldn't help wanting to keep. Selfishly. All for himself. It eased some of the tension still strung tight across his shoulders, though his jaw stayed locked. "Doesn't matter. That's for me to worry about. I'll talk to them." he said, softer now and brushing off her concern about Quinlan and Aurelius. He was confident he could smooth things over. It wasn't like she hadn't earned a break. Anything was worth it to hear her laugh like that, bright, carefree, like the little chimes she kept hanging around her trailer.

He wasn't surprised she noticed the tension he still carried, and it wasn't as if he could ever hide it for long. But, Felix shook his head and offered her a playful smirk. "No, nothing's wrong. Just think we need a night to explore Berlin, don't you?" his tone was smooth, but he could tell by her soft frown that she wasn't entirely convinced.

As they stopped a few steps short of the circus's edge, the bustle of it still alive behind them, Felix let himself take her in. The way Astra looked up at him. The way her words flowed with a soft certainty that always managed to undo him. He dipped his head to kiss her, but Astra beat him to it, her arms flinging around his shoulders, her laughter bright and sudden. "Yeah?" he murmured against her lips, a chuckle of his own slipping out as his hands found her waist, steadying her as she leaned into him.

Felix let her lead him next, his hand holding hers and there was no doubt in his mind that he'd follow her anywhere. "Okay, but you know I meant a club, right?" he teased, breaking into a grin as his steps took him to her side, his arm draping over her shoulders and tucking her closer. His other hand reached to tilt her chin, angling Astra's face for another kiss as they moved. "Because last time...In Norway..." Another kiss. "You told me there was something I needed to see." Two more, this time dotting to her nose. "And it was a bridge." he said, smirking as he pulled back, glancing momentarily to ensure they weren't blindly walking the sidewalk. "It was a great bridge, but…I was thinking a club." his eyes moved back to hers, his grin lifting.

Astra steps out of the small tent, her gaze immediately softening as they land on Felix. Within an instant, the concern from her lingering vision melts away and she lets out a quiet, confused laugh when his hand wraps around her wrist. When he announces for the line to leave, Astra's eyes go wide. A surprised gasp escapes her as she covers her mouth with her hand, half laughing as she glances at the scattering line. "What!? What will I say to Quinlan or Aurelius?" but she's not protesting, not really. "Felix, I love it when you don't make much sense but I love it even more when I understand just a little bit of your nonsense." she teases, her giggles stirring as she scurries alongside him.

Only then does she notice the tension in his shoulders, the sharpness in his jaw. Even his words carry an edge as he suggests they go out, his gaze set somewhere beyond the present moment. "Okay…is something wrong?" Astra's voice dips, soft but concerned as she watches him closely. When they finally pause, she stops, her gaze lifting to meet his, and for a brief moment, they just look at each other. Felix grins, and without thinking, she mirrors it, a quiet laugh spilling out as his hand holds her. His words come, clear and bold, telling her he loves her like it's simply the truth of the world.

Astra nods, her eyes sparkling with affection and she laughs as he gently shakes her face from side to side, holding her steady in his palm. "Of course I know." she says, her voice light and full of certainty. "Because I love you and everything about you, too." without waiting, she rises onto her tiptoes, arms flinging around his shoulders as she pulls him into a sudden kiss. A spark of excitement ignites her as she peels away, grabbing his hand and now taking the lead with a skip to her step. "I know exactly where we can go." she tells him, glancing back over her shoulder with a wide smile, her turn to pull Felix with her as they leave the circus for a taste of adventure.

[hellodeez]

heyaa!!

if it's not a bother, can you do a ♥️ of dick grayson with a male reader who can't sleep due to paranoia cuz of thought of someone breaking into their house?

it's perfectly fine if you won't do it YUH <3

Hey! So this was intended for a male reader but ended up being more gender neutral I hope this is ok I've never done this before so it's bad but whatevs 😭 also for ppl that don't know Dick got a dog called Haley in the comics so i added her cause i love her sm <3 thx to the person requested this!

Warnings: swearing, paranoia, crying, fluff kinda i think 😭

Dick Grayson x GN reader

Tap...Tap...Tap... Was the noise that the tree branch next to the window made.

Your mind couldn't focus on anything but the little noises. Every creak, tap and whoosh. Your eyes wide open staring everywhere. Of course you knew Dick would fight anyone who dared cross you but a little spot in your brain held doubt. "What if there's someone here? What if I can't do anything if there's an intruder? What if Dick can't do anything of there is an intruder?

You could hear your heart pounding in your ears and you could feel tears start to form at the edges of your now tightly shut eyes. "N/n?" You could feel hands on your face. You screamed and Dicks face immediately formed into one worry. "Hey! Hey, everything's okay. I'm here, you're here, Haley's here." You could feel Haley jump on the bed. "Everything's fine..." You could still feel your uneven breath.

You hated feeling this way. You know Dick's usually here. But what if...maybe... Before you could finish your thoughts you could feel strong strong arms embrace you "I'm here for you my love. I know what it feels like..you can talk to me about it. Or we won't if you want." You felt seen by Dick. He understood what it's like. "I just.. i don't know why but i just feel like this. I feel like at any point something terrible is gonna happen and i don't know what to do! I don't know why I feel like this... I don't want to feel like this!" You rambled and Dick listened.

"I know...We can set up cameras around the apartment if that'll make you feel safer. I know what this feels like and i know it's hard to live with this feeling." You didn't say anything, still feeling like shit. He out of most knew what this felt like. He knew just what you felt. "Plus you know me and Haley would kick anyone's ass if they even dared to look at you bad." You chuckled and he had a smile on his face happy to know he could make you laugh.

For the rest of the night he told you stories from his time in the circus until you fell asleep. He caressed your face and placed a kiss on your forehead.

"I love you."