#pet clement au

[wutbju]

On August 9, 2022 Paul left his life on earth and entered into his eternal home where he met his Lord and Savior.

On February 14, 1931 Paul was born to Walter and Arlie (Dulmes) Veenendaal in Sheboygan Falls where he grew up going to the First Reformed Church with his family and as a member he sang in the choir and was a co-treasurer of the Sunday School.

He attended the Sheboygan Falls Public Schools and graduated with the Class of 1949. He then went to Sheboygan Business College and in May 1950 was employed by the Mailing Department of the Kohler Company until September 1951 when he was enrolled at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC.

On November 4, 1952, he was drafted into the United States Army and was sent to Fort Campbell, KY. After 16 weeks of basic training with the 11th Airborne Division, he was assigned to the Adjutant General Corps and was deployed to Pusan, Korea where he worked in the Post Office. After 18 months, he returned to the United States and enrolled in Mission House College (Lakeland) and on May 27, 1956 he received an Associate Degree in Applied Science in Business Administration. He accepted employment in the Accounting Department of Schultz Sav-O Stores (Piggly Wiggly) in Sheboygan. He formed their Credit Union and served as the first treasurer in addition to his regular accounting responsibilities.

After 24 years, his time there ended and he became a Teachers Aid in the Sheboygan Public School STRIVE Program which assists students with dysfunctional problems. After 2 years, he resigned and was employed for several years making floral deliveries for Caan’s Floral. In the past, he was a counselor at the Friendship House, a Big Brother, and in the prison ministry at the Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution.

In 1969, he transferred from the First Reformed Church in Sheboygan Falls to Bethany Reformed Church in Sheboygan where he taught Sunday School and served as a deacon. When his term as an elder ended, he joined the fellowship of the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan where he taught a Sunday School class for children. In 1993, he joined the congregation of City Church and served as an usher for several years.

Paul was married to Nancy Veenendaal from 1968-1993. From this union came his son, Mark. He also adopted Nancy’s daughter Barbara as his own. When his children were younger, he enjoyed taking his family to resorts in Eagle River and camping in local campgrounds. He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching games on TV with his pet cat Molly in his home. He had an extensive collection of photographs and helmets autographed by the Green Bay Packers.

What people most remembered about Paul was that he was witty, enjoyed wholesome humor, had a notable memory, and had a desire to read and hear about Bible prophesy.

Paul is survived by his daughter, Barbara (Todd) Anderson of Monument, CO, and his son, Mark (Jennifer) of Sun Prairie, WI, six grandchildren, Ariana (Derek) Buehner, Claire, Katelyn and Noah Anderson of Monument, CO, and Rayna and Kaden Veenendaal of Sun Prairie, WI. He is fur¬ther survived by his sister, Ruth (David) Clement of Menomonee Falls, WI, his sister-in-law, Nancy Veenendaal of South Elgin, IL and special cousins, Glen and Mary Dulmes of Sheboygan Falls, and his special nephew, Brad Veenendaal of Sheboygan. He is further survived by nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Roland and Lamont; sister-in-law, Mary Veenendaal and special cousin, Muriel Reimes.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 3, 2022 at Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, 1535 S. 12th St., Sheboygan, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service 11:00 a.m. Paul will be laid to rest in the Meditation Hall in the Chapel of Eternal Light at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Kohler, WI. He wanted to thank Dr. Marshall Matthews and staff, Dr. Vinicius Lopes and staff, Dr. Jacob DeMaster and staff, Dr. Fisseha Ghidey and staff, Pine Haven Rehab Facility, Aurora Health Care, Progressive Care Center Therapy Facility, S.S.C. staff, Terrace Place staff, St. Nicholas Hospital staff and the staff of Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home.

[fairieboywhump]

pet clement au - branding

nicholas belongs to @spookyboywhump

TW: pet whump, branding, dehumanization, collared whumpee, gags, whumper made whumpee

enjoy sickos [hahaha... yes!! YES!!!]

~~

Clement had never imagined that he would be on this side of the equation. 

Nicholas kept a tight grip on his leash, knowing he could very well try to run, and yanked him forward every time he hesitated. He kept his head down, trying to avoid being seen by anyone else, or worse - recognized, and thus had not paid quite enough attention to where they were headed. He hadn’t actually been in this part of the facility before, but from the things Cain had told him… he knew it was the last place he wanted to be.

The stench of burning flesh was unmistakable, and it filled his senses so quickly that Clement barely even noticed himself recoiling, too focused on the fear that smell brought with it. Nicholas tugged on his leash, urging him forward with an unsympathetic glare set into his expression and Clement stumbled, heart in his throat, through the doors of hell.

If he had been able, Clement would have begged to get out of this. Begged to be taken somewhere, anywhere else and have something, please, anything else done to him. He hadn’t realized this was the other option when he refused to let Nicholas put a tattoo on him, but the damage had been done - and he had been gagged for the occasion. Nothing particularly special, a silicone bar between his teeth - he felt like an animal - preventing him from getting out more than pathetic, panicked little whines as he was forced to his knees to wait to be branded. 

“Mr. Fairfax?” A small voice called. Clement made the mistake of glancing up, just enough to see the wreckage that truly was the poor pet standing before the two of them. His hands shook, and Clement couldn’t even begin to count the scars on him, countless brands and burns, and if this hurt as much as he was led to believe… that poor dog. Nicholas seemed to pay no mind to the damaged state of him, instead cocking an eyebrow in acknowledgement. “H-he, he’s ready for you, sir.” The dog said, gesturing with his arm. “R-right this way.” 

“Fantastic,” Nicholas smiled, standing up and pulling Clement to as well. “Thank you,” he paused a moment, eyeing the small tag on the pet’s collar. “...Brennan.” 

Brennan seemed to light up at the use of his name, and led them down the short hallway with a previously unfound confidence. Nicholas chuckled under his breath, causing a chill to run down Clement’s back as he was dragged through to the actual operating room. 

At least, that was all he could think to call it. Somewhat of a medical suite, although he would be damned before he ever willingly accepted such care in a place so filthy. However the fire - and the iron rods sticking out of it, were what really scared him. He froze when he caught sight of them, having to let Nicholas maneuver him to where he would sit, and Clement whined in opposition as he pushed him down by the shoulders. 

“Hush, pretty boy. Come on now, I told you that you would be marked as mine one way or another, what did you think was going to happen?” Nicholas smirked at the horrified, empty expression on Clement’s face and ruffled his hair. Oh, the pure devastation on his face when Nicholas had cut his hair was nothing compared to this. Clement turned to look at him when Nicholas stepped away, tears just beginning to fall, and Nicholas laughed.

“Crying already, love? I expected better of you.” 

He whined behind his gag, loudly attempting to protest the leather straps wrapping around his wrists and forearms, securing him to the cot-like seating he had been shoved into. His legs were next, straps around his ankles and his thighs, he assumed in case he tried to kick. Not that he could do much damage as he was, practically barefoot and malnourished, whatever strength he had previously draining further with each passing day. 

His shirt was torn open, exposing the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he panicked. Clement whined pathetically, desperately, pulling on the restraints and knocking his head against the cot with a panic in his eyes unlike anything Nicholas had seen from him prior. The terrified cries were only the beginning, however, and the scream that came from him as the red hot iron pressed into his chest only cemented in Nicholas’ mind that he did, in fact, make the right choice. What a fucking catch. 

Clement’s head hung, his eyes empty even as Nicholas grabbed his chin and forced him to look up. Tears streamed down his cheeks, although it didn’t seem like Clement had much control over them. As Nicholas looked in his eyes, Clement stared right through him, and any attempts to make him stay upright resulted in his head lolling to the side, drool spilling past his gag and onto his chest. Right next to the bloody, fresh wound that would heal into the letter F above his heart. 

Marked as an object, as someone else’s for as long as he lived.

Just as he had done to another.

[spookyboywhump]

can i get possibly get a dear diary for nicholas in the pet clement au-

Dear Diary,

Honestly there is nothing more satisfying than bringing an arrogant, stubborn brat to his knees. He never got on my nerves as much as Cain did, he was a lot more tolerable, but still, he makes for a good pet.

He thinks that fighting back and swearing at me will get him anywhere, if anything it makes it much more fun. He’s like Cain’s mutt without the extra strength, or extra willpower. It’s really easy to break him down when it comes down to it, and he cries so pretty for me, I’m not sure that will ever get old. In general he’s a very pretty boy, he just looks so much better when he’s upset and in pain.

I’m particularly fond of pets with longer hair, his is actually the perfect length in fact, but lately I’ve been considering cutting it off. Partially just to see how he reacts, and partially so he’ll realize I control everything right down to his appearance. I plan to think on it some more though.

- Nicholas Fairfax

[redcookies-bestcookies]

I made an Encanto OC!

After thinking about it for months, and with help and support from amazing people these last weeks, I finally did it...

So I present to you Diego Orozco (who I'll call Diegoo for differentiation purposes)

Its still work in progress but more art and info about him under the cut!

Diegoo was born in the Encanto five years after its creation (which means he's 5 years younger than the triplets). His family has a farm, they raise chickens, goats, sheep and cows. Their main production is milk and cheese, but they also sell eggs and wool.

He works at the farm since he was a child, and gets really close to the animals. His father wanted him to learn how to maintain the farm and was really strict about it. His mother on the other hand was sweet and warm, she taught him how to weave, knit, music and never let him abandon school.

As a teen he was a troublemaker, he likes attention and has lots of energy, he wasn't a bully but can be rude when trying to play, he's rough and has trouble reading the room. He's bad at respecting limits, basically, but wants people to like him. Diegoo is a sensitive guy, but doesn't like to show his emotions, he feels like a burden when talking about how he feels.

Of the triplets, he's closer to Julieta, but not super close because she's always busy and had to grow up too fast. He's scared of Pepa and feels protective over Bruno because he's Julieta's baby brother (yes, he's still older but Diegoo doesn't care)

Once he's an adult he takes whole control of the farm, his father being too old to do it by himself. They sell the cows except one he's particularly close to, a jersey cow named Moonica.

He loves animals, refuses to sell meat. He likes children and loves having them around the farm. He obviously loves all the Madrigal kids just because they're kids, but plays favorites with Antonio and Camilo. (Idk how Pepa would feel about this)

His hair is black, curly and messy. His eyes look tired. He wears open overalls, tied around his waist when it's hot. His wool bracelet is really important to him, it's a gift from his mother.

Other facts: he has a heartbreaker reputation because some families tried to marry their daughters to him, he accepted the gifts and the dates but never formalized. Truth is, he's gay. He's scared of fire. His favorite color is dark blue and several parts of his farm are painted dark blue. He plays the guitar. Likes singing, bad singer.

He rescues an abandoned puppy which turns out to be a shepherd, he keeps him and calls him Lulo. They are always together, Lulo is a precious dog, playful and protective, kind with other animals and people. His collar is made of wool by Diego with the same techniques he learnt from his mother.

His name was pretty random, tbh, but I really liked Diego Orozco because it references two important Mexican artists (Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco) which is funny because he's not an artist nor Mexican, but I am, okay? Lulo is the name of a fruit and I have a tendency of naming pets after food. Moonica is just cute.

In modern AUs he's either a Vet or Vet student.

Art by me! Please follow my art blog: @lactucat-art and if you want to play Barbies, collaborate or anything feel free to send a DM. This has been a fun experience. Please embrace my child and his dog, I love them. And pardon my English, I'm sick and thinking slowly

[lcdrarry]

LCDrarry 2021 Master List

Dear lovely Participants, Creators, Alpha and Beta Readers, Commentors, Cheerleaders, Readers and Fans of our fest,

Our 3rd installment of LCDrarry is coming to an end, and we'd like to thank you all for taking part in our little fest, for creating so many amazing new Drarry works for us all to enjoy, for commenting on your favourite creations, for sharing and recommending the LCDrarry gems with your friends and blog followers, and for making this fest another amazing experience for everybody!

You can find out under the cut who created what ;D

~Your LCDrarry Mods Tami ( @celilasart​ ) and Suzi ( @erin-riwen​ )

PS: Please have a look at the author notes and tags on AO3 for additional information and more detailed warnings.

PPS: As always, reblogs are very much appreciated to promote all the wonderful works of LCDrarry.

Thank you! :)

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Podfic

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[Podfic] Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix

Title: "Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix" Written by: postjentacular Read by: @porcelainsalt​ | bluedreaming (AO3) Word Count: 1,304 words / 8 minutes Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: An exasperated werewolf-slash-professor, a decidedly not-dead drama queen, a brat, and a straight white man settle down to watch a movie. It goes as well as you’d expect.

Listen to "Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix" on AO3.

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Art

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[Art] At the Beginning (With You)

Prompt: "Anastasia", 1997, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman Artist: @zandragorin​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: It's one, two, three, and suddenly he sees it a glance.

View "At the Beginning (With You)" on AO3.

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[Art] Between Your Heart and Mine

Prompt: "Crimson Peak", 2015, Guillermo del Toro Artist: @kryptidfox​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: Auror Harry Potter is called to investigate barren and isolated Malfoy Manor, home to Sir Draco Malfoy. There, he finds forgotten secrets, lingering ghosts and perhaps even love.

View "Between Your Heart and Mine" on AO3.

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[Art] Fallen

Prompt: "Chocolat", 2000, Lasse Hallström Artists: @julcheninred​ & m4gOrtz Art Medium: paper, thread, chalk, ink Rating: General Warnings: Food, Depression, Clergy

Summary: As Père Harry passed the window of the chocolate shop early on Easter morning, he was shocked to discover the Comte de Malfoy, who had destroyed the shop's window display and fallen asleep in his grief and exhaustion.

View "Fallen" on AO3.

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[Art] I am only one side of a coin.

Prompt: "Merlin", 2008-2012 Artist: @digthewriter​ Art Medium: Digital Art in Photoshop Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: The better side, obviously. Merlin/Harry Potter fusion. Harry as Merlin & Draco as Arthur.

View "I am only one side of a coin." on AO3.

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[Art] No Sweeter Innocence Than Our Gentle Sin

Prompt: "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare Artist: writingsbydestiny Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: Inspired by Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare starring Draco Malfoy as Juliet Capulet and Harry Potter as Romeo Montague.

View "No Sweeter Innocence Than Our Gentle Sin" on AO3.

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[Art] The Malfoy Family

Prompt: "The Addams Family", 1991, David Levy Author: @moondraconis​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: None

Summary: Harry and Draco have just got engaged. Now Harry has to sit for a family portrait with his weird new in-laws.

View "[Art] The Malfoy Family" on AO3.

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[Art] The Poet's Choice

Prompt: "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", 2019, Céline Sciamma Artist: @kairennart​ | Personaje (AO3) Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteen century, Harry is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of Draco without him knowing, since he refuses to pose. That means a lot of staring, and a lot of time together. Time goes by, and, inevitably, like everything in life, they fall in love. But Harry has to finish his painting, and Draco has to get married.

View "The Poet's Choice" on AO3.

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[Art] there are dangerous men about

Prompt: "The Legend of Zorro”, 2005, Martin Campbell Artist: @dragontamerdame | dragontamerdrarry (AO3) Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: None

Summary: Two wizards engaging in a vicious duel, but make it gay and sexy.

View "there are dangerous men about" on AO3.

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Fic & Art

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[Fic & Art] One More Lantern

Prompt: “xxxHoLiC”, 2006-2010 (anime)/2013 (live action) Author/Artist: vivi1138 Word Count/Art Medium: 8,373 words & Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: Smoking

Summary: Harry is plagued by spirits who seem intent on devouring him, and there’s only one place they can’t follow: a house hidden in wizarding London, belonging to Draco Malfoy. Harry didn’t intend to stay. He certainly didn’t foresee falling in love. Yet here they are. A slice of life where Draco is a sap, Harry buys ice cream, and spirits keep throwing their peaceful life into chaos.

Read and view "One More Lantern" on AO3.

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[Fic & Art] In the Shadow of Your Heart

Prompt: Howl's Moving Castle, 2004, Hayao Miyazaki Author: @fantalf​ Word Count/Art Medium: 854 words & Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: sectumsempra scars, memory loss

Summary: When the recluded ex-Death Eater Draco Malfoy finds Harry Potter wandering around the hills, with no memory whatsoever of who he once was, he and Teddy decide to welcome him into their little family.

Read and view "In the Shadow of Your Heart" on AO3.

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Fic

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[Fic] Paging Healer Twatwaffle

Prompt: "House M.D.", 2004-2012, TV-Series Author: @veelawings​ Word Count: 1,550 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Mild dub-con and manipulation, but they’re already friends with benefits.

Summary: Healer Malfoy is an absolute wanker.

Read "Paging Healer Twatwaffle" on AO3.

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[Fic] (Let's Take Our Time) Just Moving Slow

Prompt: "Holidate", 2020, John Whitesell Author: Melacka Word Count: 1,886 words Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: Harry and Draco have a mutually beneficial arrangement: automatic dates for all holidays and public events, no questions asked, no obligation, no strings. It all seemed like such a good idea when they started. Harry certainly never expected to develop feelings for Draco.

Read "(Let's Take Our Time) Just Moving Slow" on AO3.

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[Fic] Jurassic Drarry

Prompt: "Jurassic Park", 1993, Steven Spielberg Author: PhenomenalAsterisk Word Count: 1,941 words & Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: Unconventional disposal of dinosaurs; fanart includes graphic image of meat

Summary: An unflappable palaeontologist, a sexy chaos theorist, and a distracted palaeobotanist are called in to tour an eccentric billionaire's pet project.

Read "Jurassic Drarry" on AO3.

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[Fic] My Saviour Won't Stop Texting Me

Prompt: "Hercules", 1997, Ron Clements, John Musker Author: fwooshy Word Count: 5,012 words Rating: Teen Warnings: Texting fic

Summary: Long ago, in Ancient Greece, there was a man named Draco Malfoy who sold his soul to Voldemort. Tortured by his sins, he... oh, who am I kidding? This is a Hercules AU texting fic, not some Greek tragedy! Harry and Draco get together and everyone has phones in Ancient Greece. Please enjoy.

Read "My Saviour Won't Stop Texting Me" on AO3.

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[Fic] The Malfoy Family

Prompt: "The Addams Family", 1991, David Levy Author: floydig Word Count: 7,088 words Rating: Mature Warnings: All Addams Family Warnings Apply, Morbid and Dark Humor, Loving Horror, Mild Body Horror (fun), Carnivorous Plants, Blasphemy, Necromancy, Implied Sexual Content

Summary: The Malfoy Family is the Addams Family, and things are about to get interesting. Draco and Harry Malfoy are odd, intriguing, endearingly creepy, and completely and utterly infatuated with one another. This is going to be a fun one. Featuring deadly magical creatures as house pets, recreational use of Unforgivable Curses, hungry carnivorous plants, and plenty of mayhem in between. Also, the whole thing takes place at a Magical Multi-Purpose Store. The Malfoy Family goes shopping!

Read "The Malfoy Family" on AO3.

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[Fic] Love that Blinds

Prompt: "The Batman", 2004-2008, TV-Series Author: aminathescorpio Word Count: 7,245 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Brief graphic descriptions of violence, dubious consent, gaslighting

Summary: When Draco Malfoy gets accepted to work as a psychiatrist in Azkaban Asylum, he finds himself caught in a complicated relationship with none other than Azkaban's most infamous resident: Harry Potter.

Read "Love that Blinds" on AO3.

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[Fic] Sesame Seeds and the Entire Spectrum of Human Emotion

Prompt: "The Proposal", 2009, Anne Fletcher Author: @bisexualronaldweasley​ Word Count: 9,530 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Nudity, Boat Incident, references to past abuse/neglect

Summary: Faced with exile, Draco pretends to be engaged to Harry Potter, who agrees to play along for Narcissa's sake. When they're forced to spend a weekend together celebrating the engagement with the Weasleys, they might try to kill each other, or... they might just fall in love. . Based on the movie The Proposal (2009), though you don't have to have seen the movie to understand the fic!

Read "Sesame Seeds and the Entire Spectrum of Human Emotion" on AO3.

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[Fic] Ghost

Prompt: "Ghost", 1990, Jerry Zucker Author: @maraudersaffair​ Word Count: 10,761 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: major character death (MCD), canon-typical violence, grief and mourning

Summary: When Harry is killed tragically during an Auror raid gone wrong, Draco does his best to move on. He's even a little cheered when Theo Nott starts pursuing him. Then Sybil Trelawney visits Draco.

Read "Ghost" on AO3.

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[Fic] all in good time

Prompt: "Groundhog Day", 1993, Harold Ramis Author: saltwatergarden Word Count: 13,054 words Rating: Mature Warnings: mentions alcohol

Summary: Draco Malfoy's life is boring and repetitive. He supposes he shouldn't complain, since that's better than sharing a house with Voldemort, or doing time in Azkaban. When he gets trapped in a time loop, however, he is forced to confront the routine he has fixed for himself, and try to break out of it. It isn't all bad, facing no consequences for his actions can be fun for a bit. But after he starts visiting the Auror Headquarters and having brief but remarkably pleasant conversations with one Auror Potter, he finally has the real motivation to break out of the time loop - something worth sticking around for.

Read "all in good time" on AO3.

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[Fic] Star Crossed

Prompt: "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare Author: GallifreyisBurning Word Count: 13,615 words Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: Two Quidditch teams, alike in dignity, In fair Great Britain, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. The Wimbourne Wasps and the Appleby Arrows have been bitter rivals for centuries. When a nasty brawl ends one of their Seekers’ careers, the teams need new blood to take up the slack and divert attention from the bad publicity. And who better to distract the press than the infamous Draco Malfoy and golden boy Harry Potter? Called back from successful careers abroad, the pair are once again to be pitted against one another in an epic feud. Too bad no one told them that before they started flirting…

Read "Star Crossed" on AO3.

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[Fic] The Slytherin Host Club

Prompt: "Ouran high school host club", 2006, Bisco Hatori and Takuya Igarashi Author: shushu_yaoi_lj Word Count: 14,377 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: explicit sexual content, scars, non-graphic mention of past abuse

Summary: Harry is simply looking for a quiet place to finish his Potions essay.It's a pity he ends up at the Slytherin Host Club instead. Or maybe it's a blessing in disguise, since he's had a crush on Malfoy since the beginning of his eighth year...

Read "The Slytherin Host Club" on AO3.

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[Fic] It is on the other side of my soul (where your name is written)

Prompt: "Call Me By Your Name", 2017, Luca Guadagnino Author: opaleopioid Word Count: 16,372 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: implied switching, rimming, anal sex, no age difference (HP canon-compliant age difference)

Summary: Harry’s having it all, now that the unpleasantries of being treated like a loose cannon is gone: the war is well over, and Voldemort is long dead. He’s made the choice to stay in B, an unplottable magical town in Northern Italy, whose protection wards had kept him in one piece at the height of the second wizarding war, and whose seclusion provides him with the quiet, normal life that he now lives. Harry adores the grassy hills that enclose B like the warm arm of a mother; Likes playing the grand piano from dawn to dusk; Cherishes his current life, on the whole. He gets himself Mocaccino every morning and sometimes has dinner with the Weasleys at their cottage nearby. With the majority of his friends and family falling in love with B and gradually settling down as well, Harry feels like this is the last place he would ever want to leave. To say that the arrival of a certain wizard—a razor-sharp, infuriating blond—makes anything remotely different for Harry would be absurd, of course.

Read "It is on the other side of my soul (where your name is written)" on AO3.

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[Fic] In Search of Our Better Selves

Prompt: "Mad Max: Fury Road", 2015, George Miller Author: alrespirar Word Count: 17,519 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Mentions of past torture, mentions of past rape, brief mention of miscarriage, descriptions of gun violence and injury. Sexual content.

Summary: Five times Imperator Draco saved Potter’s life and the one time Potter saved his.

Read "In Search of Our Better Selves" on AO3.

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[Fic] Where in the World is Draco Malfoy?

Prompt: "Carmen Sandiego", 2019, Series Author: Anaxandria Word Count: 18,029 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Minor mentions of homophobia, violence, and blood

Summary: After the war, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter took parallel paths of fighting crime. Draco discovered the existence of VILE, an international organisation dedicated to the eradication of Muggle-borns. With the help of his best friend, Blaise, he commits international capers to steal artifacts before VILE can get their hands on them. Harry is the auror investigating the heists, but his instincts tell him there’s more than meets the eye.

Read "Where in the World is Draco Malfoy?" on AO3.

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[Fic] My Fair Gentleman

Prompt: "My Fair Lady", 1964, George Cukor Author: emilattes Word Count: 20,766 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: light alcohol use and mentions of child neglect by Dursleys

Summary: After an extended stay at Charlie's Dragon Reserve in Romania, Harry returns to London and makes a fool of himself at his first Ministry Gala. Minister Shacklebolt orders Harry to seven months of etiquette lessons with Draco Malfoy. Will Harry pull through and become an expert in PR? Will Draco manage to make over the biggest PR disaster the wizarding world has seen in years? Wouldn't it be loverly?

Read "My Fair Gentleman" on AO3.

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[Fic] saying yes (instead of no)

Prompt: "Schitt's Creek", 2015, Series Author: Pineau_noir Word Count: 21,022 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: canon typical alcohol and drug use, marijuana use, explicit smut

Summary: “It’s a general store that’s also a very specific store,” Draco grumbled. “Most people won’t realise this, but I want to market Muggle goods to the Wizarding world as well. I want something that will help boost the economy of the Hamlet and Muggles have so many amazing things we don’t have.” . Draco sighed again. “I think it would benefit everyone.” He glared at Emily. “But there’s not a single witch, wizard, or wix who will shop at a place owned by Draco Malfoy.” . “What if it’s owned by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy?” Potter asked. . “That would be preposterous,” Draco mumbled. “Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy would kill each other before the store opened.” . “What if you didn’t?” Emily asked. Draco opened his mouth to let her know, they would indeed kill each other, but before he could say anything, she continued, “What if it turned into a lovely business?” . “There’s only one way to know,” Potter said. “I really think this is a good idea, Draco."

Read "saying yes (instead of no)" on AO3.

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[Fic] A First Look Into Resurrecting Mummies With the Aid Of the Chosen One, and Why It Should Be Advised Against (an Essay by Draco Malfoy, Assistant Archaeologist)

Prompt: "The Mummy", 1999, Stephen Sommers Author: @cibeewastaken​ | Cibee (AO3) Word Count: 21,948 words Rating: Mature Warnings: minor violence elements

Summary: Draco hopes to find an ancient spell book rumoured to be in Hamunaptra after Astoria found a map to the lost city. If he makes this discovery, maybe the Magical British Museum will finally look at his application, and his annoying colleague will finally leave him alone. It’s a good plan, until Draco is reunited with Harry Potter for the first time in ten years, as the man is about to be hanged.

Read "A First Look Into Resurrecting Mummies With the Aid Of the Chosen One, and Why It Should Be Advised Against (an Essay by Draco Malfoy, Assistant Archaeologist)" on AO3.

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[Fic] Wicked Game

Prompt: "Jumanji", 1995 or 2017 Author: DearJames Word Count: 22,044 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Sexual Content, Implied PTSD

Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy crossed a line during one of their late-night Astronomy Tower Bonding Sessions and neither are sure what that means. Not that they got particularly far, considering they were caught and assigned detention for their antics. And, now, they've been sucked into a boardgame. That's just fantastic...

Read "Wicked Game" on AO3.

***

[Fic] Love in Three Parts

Prompt: "Bridgerton", 2020, Series Author: static_abyss Word Count: 24,172 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Canon-typical content

Notes: Thanks so much to my beta, L, for all her help and her encouragement as I wrote this fic. Thanks to the mods for hosting this fest and to the Anonymous prompter who inspired this fic.

Summary: Draco has everything needed to be the diamond of the season. He has the looks, the pedigree, and if he should be short on the money end, well, it isn't up to him to convince anyone they want to marry him. And yet, he finds himself with no prospects and no suitable matches until Harry James Potter, Wizarding Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor, makes his first appearance in proper Wizarding society for the first time in five years. Together, they hatch a plan to secure Draco a husband and keep the debutantes' mothers away from Harry. And if someone should develop feelings along the way, well, the course of true love never did run smooth.

Read "Love in Three Parts" on AO3.

***

[Fic] He would always win the fight

Prompt: "Killing Eve", 2018 - ongoing, TV Series Author: Akira-kun Word Count: 26,578 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Serial Killer, Off Screen Murders, Corpses, Political Polarity, Corruption in Government, Corruption in Justice System, Off Screen Violence, Post War Instability, Ambiguity, Dark!character, Vengeance, In a Twisted Way, Obsessive Behaviour, Crime Mystery, Open Ending

Summary: “But you were always just a puppet, weren’t you, Potter?” That voice kept haunting him, in his dreams and during his days, as if hovering over his shoulder, cold as a ghost, lost and lifeless. He wasn’t sure why it hurt like that. Maybe because it was an ugly truth that Harry hoped no one would ever throw back in his face. Or maybe because it was Malfoy. . Killing Eve inspired Drarry where people are getting killed, Harry is getting desperate, Draco is too sexy for his own good, and all hell will break loose.

Read "He would always win the fight" on AO3.

***

[Fic] Peaches & Cream And A Little Bit Of Acid

Prompt: "Modern Love", 2019, Series Author: shortie990 Word Count: 27,755 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: suicidal thoughts, mental health issues

Summary: In love there is no real hiding. You have to be pretty up front on who you are. The problem was though, Harry didn’t have a clue who he was one moment from the next.

Read "Peaches & Cream And A Little Bit Of Acid" on AO3.

***

[Fic] Outwit, Outlast, Outplay

Prompt: "Survivor", 2000-ongoing, Series Author: Albuss Word Count: 30,976 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Brief homophobia, mentions of past health issues

Summary: Draco loves Survivor. Loves it. So when his job at the Dept. of Mysteries offers him the opportunity to go on as a contestant, he can't think of anything that could go wrong. He is sorely mistaken, but a little chaos turns out to not be such a bad thing. Featuring gratuitous descriptions of Survivor game-play, really jargon-y magical theory I got way too excited about, and Draco's best friend Isabelle being an absolute QUEEN.

Read "Outwit, Outlast, Outplay" on AO3.

***

[Fic] Advantage Rule

Prompt: "The Queen's Gambit", 2020, Series Author: @ziezie13​ Word Count: 42,738 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Character death, Parental neglect, Brief references to eugenics, Sexual content, Mild homophobia, Alcoholism, Drug abuse

Summary: Draco's life has been struggle after struggle. He was exiled as a baby, his mother died, he was forced to live with muggles... Need I go on? Quidditch was supposed to be his escape, but how is he supposed to beat Victor Krum and take the world title if he can't even beat Harry Potter? ~No knowledge of The Queen's Gambit required~

Read "Advantage Rule" on AO3.

***

[Fic] (This Will Be) An Everlasting Love

Prompt: #12 (also fulfils #6) | "While You Were Sleeping," 1995, Jon Turteltaub Author: @drarrelie​ & @janieohio​ Word Count: 45,139 words Rating: Teen Warnings: None

Summary: Life doesn’t always turn out the way we plan. That’s what Draco’s mother always used to tell him, but Merlin, who could have predicted how right she would be? A story about feisty dragons, loneliness, family, and friends — and finding love in places you least expect.

Read "(This Will Be) An Everlasting Love" on AO3.

***

[Fic] In a Field of Chrysanthemums and the Woods

Prompt: "The Untamed", 2019, TV-Series Author: @outstandingmoralfiber​ Word Count: 83,399 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: None

Summary: Three notes, and yet they made all the difference. Draco could feel it, the slight magic and wavering notes, washing over him in a brief but calming wave that lit his soul and it was then that he knew that he was going to learn how to play this guqin no matter what. Little did he know that, like dominos, this one simple decision would diverge him onto a path he would've never imagined. - Wizarding world in the Untamed setting, (but you don't need to know anything about the Untamed). Drarry AU starting from Goblet of Fire. Rated E for the smut scene in Chapters 13 & 14, but is otherwise rated T.

Read "In a Field of Chrysanthemums and the Woods" on AO3.

***

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Thank you again for participating! See you 2022 ;)

[flumet]

Flumet Fanfiction Masterlist

Link to my AO3

Fandoms so far: MCU, HP, MHA

My Hero Academia/BNHA

Sticky Notes - Aizawa Shouta/Yagi Toshinori, w/c 943, complete

Strain - Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku, w/c 17687, complete. Trigger warning: non-con

Marvel/MCU:

Fuck Mr. Johnson - Phil Coulson/Tony Stark, w/c 5205, complete

One shot series:

Pets and Vets - Stony AU - Tony/Steve, Works: 2/?, total w/c: 3684, on hiatus

Pet's and Vet's

Chocolate Mousse & Cinnamon Pie

Harry Potter:

Listen to my heartbeat - Harry/Draco, w/c ~24k, on hiatus

The Boy Who Chose To Die - Gen, w/c 1220, complete, Trigger warning: Suicide

Clement the Clabbert - Draco/Luna, w/c 3132, complete

One shot series:

The adventures of Snape slowly adopting Harry Potter - Gen, Works: 13/?, total w/c: 30 972, ongoing

The Beginning of Something (called family)

Family Portrait

Stories and Hot Chocolate

Because I Worry

Little Potion Maker

For The Best

Books & Bruises

Little Bat

Just a Nightmare

High Adventures

Growing Together

All Hallows' Eve

When I Look Back 

[thenuggetstealer]

Okay so these's are random things for Tino and Berwald in the highschool au sooo

- Tino has a lot of siblings. He has two brothers and three sisters

Eduard (Estonia), Helenna ( Helenski), Klara (Åland islands), Yannia (Jyväskylä), Amethyst

- Tino is blood related to Elizaveta, Lukas, Emil, Ivan, Katyusha, and Natalia though he has a cousin like relationship will Toris, Feliks, Vladimir, and soon to be born Ravis

- Tino is obsessed with art and joined drama club. He is an outstanding artist and I will say more in part two about it.

- As a child Tino was highly athletic. He used to play baseball and hockey but when they moved to America his mom refused to let him play hockey and it took a lot of will power to convince his mom to let him continue baseball.

- Berwald is blood related to Ludwig, Gilbert, Vash, Lille, and Tilla (Stockholm)

- Matthias is Berwald's half brother

- When Berwald met Tino he absolutely loved tino's accent when he spoke. Tino wasn't the best so he messed up a lot of words

Part 2 hcs

- Berwald joined the army for 3 years and moved back and got a job on the homicide unit with Ludwig

-Berwald married Tino and they had a BIG family together

- Tino does commissions for porcelain dolls and has a successful youtube channel and webcomic. His main job is working at a flower company.

- Hanatamago is a samoyed

- They have a pet hamster named charles and another dog named pentu who is a Saint Bernard

- They adopted Alfred and Matthew after their mother passed

- now let me get on to their children, they have a lot of kids, I don't know if they adopted or they just magically appeared butttttt

Alfred, Matthew, Peter, Oscar, Ravis, Klara, then we got some small kids by the names of, Tobi, Asgardian, Clement, and Octavia

- spoiler most of them die

- Klara joined the family after her aunt in Finland died. Berwald was very happy to have her as a daughter

- Ravis joined the family after Toris made the decision to get his life together in a mental health hospital, Ed couldn't take care of him either because he was firstly a teen and he was also trying to recover from drug abuse

- Helenna is studying forensics and will one day join homicide with Ber a Ludwig

[nny11writes]

Before I get into my hilariously long reply, I WANT TO READ YOUR 6 HOUR DRIVE TO THE BEACH AU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pretty please with a cherry on top!!!!!! 

:DDDDDDDDDDD

I still remember fondly when I did my study abroad and everyone was making the road trip sound SUPER LONG AND ARDUOUS and I was prepared for it to take  f o r e v e r  and then it turned out they’d all made these thermoses of tea and coffee because the drive was just over 3 hours. And I literally laughed so hard I had to use my inhaler and explain the situation.

This comment feels like that post inhaler conversation lol! I don’t know anyone who stops for the night after a 4-6 hour drive one way, but I’ve seen plenty of folks who write fics where the drive is 5-6 hours and, as a consequence of how long it is, they plan to stop at a hotel for the night.

And like, sure that’s probably the healthy and sensible thing to do. We are not healthy or sensible which is terrible considering how none of us can afford health insurance or medical bills lol.

So hell yeah you do that drive no sleep if you can! We’ve got limited time off so we have to jam that time full as possible. No sleeping and no stopping for proper meals usually, maybe a 10 minute stop at a janky rest stop for a sad sandwich you made that morning by that’s it. Bathroom breaks are usually every 2-6 hours depending on how long you can hold it. On my most recent trip we had an old dog with us so I used the bathroom when she did. On the most recent road trip before that I got in my car and drove for 6 hours with one ten minute break to refuel and pee.

Our road trip culture is messed up but I do love it lol.

I’m literally basing the time frame (and the fic) on driving from my hometown of ABQ, NM to San Clemente, CA which is a drive I’ve had the extreme fortune to make several times in my life. According to google maps it’s a 12 hour drive, but with breaks and food it was usually more like 14.

When I was a kid my dad drove the whole 14 hours while baby me and my sister tried to find ways to entertain ourselves while wanting to cry from boredom and also sleep for 15 years but unable to sleep. No switching off for him, just driving. We always rented the biggest car we could afford so everyone could shift around uncomfortably lol.

When I was 20 my best friend was teaching theater at a summer camp out in that area and his family called me at 11PM to ask if I’d be willing to fly out to him the next day if they paid for it, because they wanted someone to drive back with him due to how long of a drive it is. We stayed a few days in San Clemente and hit up San Diego before deciding one afternoon that we didn’t want to stay the night with his family in Los Angeles as planned. So we had packed up and drove off with me laughing about how easy LA highway traffic was compared to at home. We managed to cut the drive down by speeding at highly illegal speeds (we pegged out on his mustang, so we were going at least 110-120 mph (just over 177-193 kph) for large chunks of of the trip, dropping down to 90 felt like crawling along) and I am genuinely shocked that we weren’t ticketed in California or Arizona. 

[New Mexico is where you go if you can’t drive so I’m not surprised about that, I once took my high school freshman band adoptee on the highway to get her oboe when she forgot it for our year end concert at 110 mph and she thought I was the coolest person ever for that lol] ANYWAYS, me and my friend driving home from California. 14 hour trip when done intelligently (kinda), we got it down to 8-ish hours, brain is hazy on where we were at exactly time wise. Which is impressive considering we literally waited out a dust storm in AZ for thirty minutes, had a thirty minute dinner and McD’s, and tried to wait out the biggest T Storm I’ve ever seen for just under an hour.

We did not sleep, we traded off driving and I almost managed to snooze in the Mojave, but he tried to reach for a plastic gallon of water (we got several from a gas station along with food coffee and energy drinks for the trip) and I was hot and grumpy so I snapped at him and woke up a bit more. And he got nervous about sleeping since his family wants to talk to stay alert and awake at the wheel during long road trips, whereas I come from the school of let the driver get focused and if they don’t want to talk you shut up so they can focus. So we were both irritated and hopped up on caffiene but we made it home at an ungodly hour.

And then I had my work orientation the next afternoon at 5PM, and I was an exhausted hot mess.

Nowadays I go on road trips with my sister and sometimes my brother in law. If it’s me and my sister we’ll trade off driving and we use cruise control to stay AT THE LEGAL LIMIT. Seriously, younger me, wtf dude, have some respect for your life and others!?!?

We stop to sleep if the drive is over 10-12 hours long, but we don’t book a room just in case we want to drive further than planned.

OR we’ll stop if we have pets with us, since getting out to let them walk and use the bathroom takes up a lot of daylight so with pets a 8-10 hour drive means stopping for the night. (but we still don’t book a hotel just in case)

Anyways this reply was originally two short paragraphs and then I kept talking about it sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[mychemicalficrecs]

What I've Been Reading Lately (Oct '19)

Soon The Bells Will Start by Jiksa, Frank/Mikey/Pete, 5k, Explicit. Mikey has a slight melodramatic crisis in the middle of the night, Gerard has a herd of capsized sparkly reindeer in his hallway, Frank has five minutes to apologize, and Pete's got a brilliant solution to all this nonsense.

With Words I Thought I'd Never Speak by brynnmck, Frank/Gerard, Lindsey/Gerard, 11k, Explicit. It's like being with Lindsey has switched on some sort of current inside him, and when he gets up onstage it comes crackling out, lighting him up, sparking off the sweaty upturned glowing faces of all the kids out in the audience, and he couldn't shut it off if he tried. And Frankie is, well, Frankie, only turned up to eleven, somehow, flailing all over the place like a downed power line, leaving a trail of blissed-out destruction in his wake. And his face in Gerard's crotch.

An Emergency of the Heart by Bexless, Frank/Gerard, 13k, Teens And Up Audiences. Gerard's fat fucking birds have fat fucking asses.

Mixed Bathing at Home by Bexless, Frank/Gerard, 7k, Teens And Up Audiences. AU which can best be described thus: Bex: it is a pointless AU where gerard writes comics and frank is in leathermouth, but there is no mcr Wax: mmh, aggro leathermouth frank meets gentle frustrated comics gerard? Bex: uh....no Bex: gerard gets his toe stuck in a faucet and frank rescues him. Wax: ... Bex: it's the stupidest thing in the world. Wax: how... how do you-- nevermind, I'll just read it.

Artifacts of Popular Culture by inlovewithnight, Gabe/Gerard/Mikey, 8k, Mature. Mikey blinks slowly. "Gabe, this is my brother Gerard. Gerard, this is Gabe Saporta." Gerard is already familiar with the dazzling smile, but Gabe has a painfully tight handshake, too. "I've heard tons about you, dude," Gabe says while he crunches Gerard's fingers. "You're Mikey's favorite thing except his hair."

Skeleton Paws by mwestbelle, Frank/Alicia/Mikey, 4k, Explicit. Frank runs a petsitting business. He ends up sitting for very special kind of pet.

Fucking Bassists by KateMonster, Patrick/Mikey, 1k, Teens And Up Audiences. Patrick hates bassists. Sort of. Fine, maybe not really. Not like, a lot. Whatever.

Black Market Blood by autoschediastic, Frank/Gerard, 17k, Explicit. Frank's so fucking freaky he's potentially wigging out a fucking vampire.

A State Of Orange by gala_apples, Frank/Gerard, Frank/Mikey, 20k, Explicit. Being a halfling in a red state can sometimes cause issues for Frank Iero. He’s the weakest at Jett Clement High School, and probably the entire state (not counting the meal plans). His moods are oddly stable, as much as he tries to be mercurial. And being able to withstand the sun for up to twenty minutes only allows him more time to be forced into chores. Still, his parents are insane if they think he’s going to be happy about their decision. Frank doesn’t want to move to a Mixed state. How is he supposed to get great friends? How is he supposed to find great food? How is he supposed to have great sex? But Frank doesn’t have a choice. He’s New Jersey bound for the next year, if not longer. He’ll be surrounded by tame vampires who have been nagged out of a sex drive, and humans he’s not allowed to eat. Mixed states suck. Lucky for him, not every person in Jersey sucks.

This One Coming by morphosyntactic, Mikey/Pete, Gerard/Mikey/Pete, 5k, Mature. The sight of his smile helps Pete to relax a little, as does the way Gerard just shrugs after a few more moments of staring at them. He says, "Yeah, I mixed up the train times when I checked them, there was an earlier one right as I got to the station, so. You're Pete?" and then, "Mikey, please tell me there's some fucking coffee left."

[vladislavakort]

Some facts and theories about Rio

Okay, I'm really disappointed, because I see a lot of things like that about Disney movies, but almost nothing about Rio. So I decided to do it myself.

I hope somebody will find it interesting. Sorry for my English and tell me, if I made any mistakes.

1. Both Nigel and Marcel use French every now and then. Marcel said "Au revoir" at the end of conversation with his customer, and Nigel said "So kind of you to join our little soirée". I think it's a way to show that Nigel is attached to his owner.

(I can't say the same thing about Marcel, though)

2. Blu and Jewel are right-hand— right-winged? right-legged?.. How to say that about a bird? I have no idea. Well, anyway, they use right legs to operate things. Nigel obviously is an ambidexter, but he prefers left leg to lock the cage, for example. In real life the majority of parrots are left-handed.

3. Patricious, the bird who caused ending of Nigel's actor career, and the spinning "Who's a pretty bird? I'm a pretty bird!" are the same species: peach-fronted parakeet. It provides a fertile ground for some headcanons...

(Mine is it's just a coincidence which is really annoying for Nigel; he hasn't done anything special to drive her insane)

4. During the cartoon (except the very end, of course) Nigel has lost around 45 of his feathers. Don't ask why I decided to count them. =_=

5. Rafael somehow knows that his eighteenth child is a boy, despite the fact that this child hasn't hatched yet. Or maybe he said it just at random.

6. I believe it wasn't only me who noticed that Pretty Bird is pretty (badum-tss!) much different from the whole movie and even from another songs. I mean all these background, lights, TV, newspaper, globe, etc. I have an idea. The whole song except the end is showed by Nigel's perspective. Then the perspective changes back to Blu and Jewel's... and everything is normal again, it's just a dark dirty room full of cages with the dim light from the window. So maybe Nigel had a hallucination because of that chloroform rag or just because he is insane. If so, I feel sorry for him even more.

7. What. Happened. With. The Russian-accent bat? Seriously. He was afraid of sunlight and we never see him again. So he just stayed in the falling plane?! Poor little thing...

8. When Nigel catches Jewel, she hits him with her claws, and it seemed to be rather painful. But Nigel didn't seem angry at all. He even didn't become less polite to Jewel. Well, except kidnapping, of course.

(This fact is here not because I ship them. Definitely not because of it)

9. Nico wears a bottlecap as a hat, because he was a pet. Canaries aren't native for Brazil. Also there is a line in Hot Wings: "I've been around the world and I wanna life my live in Rio". I don't think Nico was able to do it himself, so maybe he was travelling with his owners, and then something happened to them or Nico was lost. And now he use bottlecap because he is closer to humans than any other of wild birds in the movie.

10. Why Jewel couldn't carry Blu when they were chained together? Male and female Spix's macaws weigh almost the same, and she seems to be rather strong bird. Maybe the weight of the chain was too much for her.

11. Was Marcel Nigel's first owner or not? Maybe he became a smuggler when he lost the ability to make money from Nigel's acting. The argument against it is the fact that Nigel speaks with New Zealand accent — so maybe his first owner was New Zealander.

(And yes, I know that Jemaine Clement is New Zealander, but this explanation is not so interesting)

[vermiculated]

baller as all heck, part two

a cool dinner conversation we have at our house is “what if (x), but lady?” below, I have chronicled the results for KJC, one of the Charleses of the YEAR. thus the role of sex in human history is illustrated. 

Also the way some people are into betrothals is the way I am into the use of the term "Miss" so.

The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh

Lady Gabriel Ashleigh is, if not exactly beloved of the ton, then at least the object of many a vivid fantasy. She's beautiful, careless with her money, and has just lost the guarantee of her freedom through a bad night at the tables! Now she must discover what she can really do when she puts her money where her mouth is.

Miss Frances Webster has, for all her money, never had the manner to travel in such exalted circles. When she seduces Lady Gabriel over a hand of cards, it is the fulfillment of her own hot desire. Discovering that she is swayed by Lady Gabriel's charms outside of the bedroom, and bewitched by her when they are together, can Miss Webster tear herself away from her weaving works to provide fulfillment of her beloved's every fantasy?

(I maintain that Miss Webster is the sole beneficiary of what we would call 'a trust' and that this totally works for her. This is, I am going to insist all the way though #more nonsense twenty nineteen, the least realistic part of this story.)

A Fashionable Indulgence 

Miss Harry Gordon has lived her whole life on the run and she's never done a wicked thing. All she wants is a warm room and regular meals, not revolutionary proposals and the gloom of night. When she returns to England, she must hide her true identity. Dark forces mass against her and suddenly, Harry finds that if she wants the happy life she has always intended for herself, she must stick to her principles.

In London, Miss Julius Norreys is known for her exquisite looks and icy manner. When she is set to reform young Miss Gordon for the marriage mart, the proposition is easy. This will be all efficiency and at a steep remove from her heart which froze with tragedy. Julius, however, finds herself melting into Harry's arms and unable to resist the pleasures that Harry promises her. Can the Ice Maiden melt into the arms of an unwilling democrat -- and who to invite to the wedding?

A Seditious Affair 

To rise to her place in the Home Office, Dominic Frey has lived as a man. Busy at work with the new sheaf of Acts from Parliament, returning to the respectable boarding-house for very respectable gentlemen, she cannot have what she most desires. A chance meeting results in the burn of passion and the sordid pleasure of submission: from a radical who can slake Dominic's lust and charms her with poetry.

What begins as sordid offer of revenge on someone who can most afford it quickly becomes a thrilling series of encounters for Silas Mason. Her mystery woman refuses names, so Silas knows everything about her -- her mind, her heart, her passion -- without knowing the truth of their association. When secrets are uncovered and Silas' own past endangers the woman she loves, will revelation be enough or must Silas seek revolution?

(The best part of these is writing the TRULY OBVIOUS stinger puns.)

A Gentleman's Position

After a night of passion, Lady Richard Vane knows she can never regain esteem she has lost in David's eyes. Her lust must have driven her mad! In London, Lady Richard must return to her former intimacy with her maid without imposing herself upon that vulpine cleverness and enchanting form.

As the most trusted maid in London, David Cyprian is well-placed to name her price. Information is her currency and she spends it only on Lady Richard's account. She has yearned for her mistress and on a harrowing night in Yorkshire, David nearly has her. Never before so devoted, David is bewildered at the sudden change in Lady Richard: there's nothing David does not know about the mistress she has dressed for years, but could there be something David has denied within herself?

The Magpie Lord

Bothered and grieving, Lady Lucien Crane hasn't been herself: can she trust her beloved to relinquish control?

She's nearly died three times in the last fortnight: her return to England wasn't meant to be this eventful! Commanding the seat, all the money, and the apparent magic powers would make a lesser lady quail. Lady Crane has faced down pirates (a misunderstanding) and raging stallions (unpleasant) but she enlists the help of Miss Day to quiet the malevolent ghosts. Miss Day's calm competence and unflinching directness prove a dangerous enticement to Lady Crane.

Determined and correct, Miss Stephen Day is only ever herself: the thrill of following a rule brings a blush to her cheeks.

In London, Stephen is in her element: the power to draw on is near and she can be lost in the crowd in a moment. When she takes a job for the exquisite Lady Crane, there will be nowhere to hide and no assistance if she should fail. Only Lady Crane's desperate need could compel Stephen to do anything at variance with her own plans. If Lady Crane should desire her, Stephen would give of herself: but not until all dead creatures are safely underground.

(The tension as I imagine it in this series is that Stephen is dtf in her own, fairly conventional way, but she insists that she'll only submit when Crane doesn't need her power any longer. Crane, who likes a long game, sitting around her rooms with bared ankles and her hair all brushed out, intends to have Stephen as she really is, not some pliant and trusting doll. They have a lot of sex over various items of furniture to prove these points.)

Jackdaw

Betrayed and grieving, Miss Ben Spenser searches London for the woman who stole her heart ... and the treasures of her employer.

After her release from prison, Ben should want nothing to do with Jonah. The flying thief has brought nothing but misery to Ben with her enchantments and Ben has lost everything in return. Without a job, family, or connections, Ben is reduced to finding Jonah through lies, the thief's natural habitat. After a torrid encounter, they flee together. Ben must now decide if she can bear Jonah's company, or if she can bear to be parted from her beloved.

Alone in the world, Jonah Pastern has always looked out for herself ... and no one else.

When she left Ben, Jonah was only doing what anyone would. When Ben finds her again, Jonah is torn with sympathy and cannot help herself: she pulls Ben into the air and they escape to Cornwall. In a place of safety, where Ben quickly becomes a pillar of the community, Jonah seeks her love. Ben is her only fixed point, has ever been her only fixed point, and Jonah cannot read her expressions in the sunlight.

(@mysharkwillgoon said that this would be TOO SAD, so please notice another fucking pun.)

A Queer Trade/Rag and Bone

Bewildered and grieving, Crispin Treadarloe has too often found the answer to all of her troubles; Ned promises nothing easy.

With the death of her master in magic and the upheaval of finding his papers used to wrap fish, Crispin's only trying to do right. Apprenticed to a new master, she's determined to succeed without falling back into bad old habits. With enough kindness and bravery, can she redeem herself?

Ned Hall's well-ordered life is upset by the guilty, beautiful Crispin; thrown into danger again and again, can she find the strength to save herself and the woman she loves?

In the dingy environs of her trade, Ned Hall hadn't thought to look for the love of her life. An instant attraction and a monster change that, for Ned entrusts Crispin with her very soul. When Crispin turns to the blood magic of her past, Ned must protect her -- even at the cost of Crispin's respect and their love. With the tide rising and peril looming, can Ned and Crispin save the day?

(This doesn't work so well but it has the Defining Feature of a contemporary in that both heroines have bizarrely specific jobs.)

An Unseen Attraction

Glass eyes, nice thighs...

Finally free of her horrific past, Miss Rowley Green has settled down with her quiet pets and the charms of her landlady. The freedom to be who she wants and to have the beautiful Miss Tallifer tell her what to do -- it could be intoxicating.

Smooth hair, quiet thoughts...

Running a boarding-house is the best that Miss Clement Tallifer can do and she likes to do it well. When the fascinating Miss Green begins to spend more time with her, Clem knows that it cannot last. Nothing good, and kind, and splendid ever does. As the fog descends over London, visions narrow and danger darkens the way...

The taxidermied animals aren't the only ones screaming.

An Unnatural Vice

Virtuous all the way down...

In her family of churchmen and true believers, Miss Nathaniel Roy has lost her faith. She spends her days writing about the truth under a variety of pseudonyms and investigating charlatanism. When a dangerous fraud needs her help, Nathaniel cannot refuse in good conscience.  She has only to be her finest self through two weeks of skulduggery and not fall in love with a thoroughgoing scoundrel who heats her desire like the molten core of the earth.

Wicked to the base...

At the top of her profession, Miss Justine Lazarus could not be less attuned to the spirits. Being a medium is easy: it's all the lying, cheating, and gulling she would do anyway. When the troublesome Miss Roy saves her neck and treats her with respect, Justin is first appalled, and then aroused. Spending a fortnight with a pillar of virtue becomes a pleasure with the application of a little sleight-of-hand.

(I have historical dudes canon fic, 1710s fic, modern au LADIES fic, and a whole opus about Justine Lazarus, but weirdly, no historical canon ladies fic.)

An Unsuitable Heir

Most women don't...

Miss Mark Braglewicz hadn't thought to frighten the delight of her days (and nights) away -- she only meant to solve a murder, a suicide, and a subornment to perjury. As the bodies pile up and the night grows darker, Mark will have to defend the secrets she has chosen to keep, and abandon the others. Will she be able to keep Pen?

But some will...

Miss Pen Starling has reinvented herself before and she'll do it again: being trapped in an awful family is hardly new. When Pen's told that she's the new Earl of Moreton and all she has to give up is everything that makes her who she is, she turns to the delight of her nights to firm her up.

warning: pegging!!

(don't I fuckin wish.)

Band Sinister In the country...

Miss Gaia Frisby has lived a thoroughly respectable life in the country: she has her small circle of friends, good works to do, and her wild imagination. When Lady Rookwood shelters Gaia's brother, Gaia goes to interview the famous lady with an eye toward the main chance. Falling into bed with a scandalous lady who knows precisely how to summon the pleasures of the flesh is one thing -- but can Lady Rookwood outrun her thrills?

Lady Philippa Rookwood is practiced, wearied, and entirely not expecting the pleasure of Gaia's company. A lady of experience, habituated to her own feelings, is a rare joy. Philippa is transported with passion and forgets herself with this beautiful stranger. As her regard for Gaia grows, Philippa knows that what they share is fleeting and she must permit Gaia to return to her home, to her life -- without Philippa.

... anything can happen to anyone.

( @getlouder gave me this book and I’ve written this iteration for PURITY OF CONCEPT.)

Spectred Isle

Since the War, magical activity throughout England has been on the rise. Randolph Glyde, last of the Glydes, is meant to control the ghosts, demons, and frights that walk London. She's battling Hell and bureaucracy; what she needs is deliverance. What she's getting is an increasingly restive spirit world and a loyal archaeologist.

When a mystical oak explodes in front of him, Saul Lazenby is startled. He's more startled by the vision in grey silk who introduces herself with a feigned name and seems to follow him everywhere. As the peril around them increases, Saul and Randolph find that their skills (and their affections) are strangely compatible.

With bodies piling up and traps everywhere, Saul and Randolph must trust each other. Can two scarred, scared decadents trap the great evil which has nourished London for centuries and now finds itself hungry?

(half-credit because there's not an elegant way to get Miss Lazenby out to Mesopotamia, convicted of treason, and back to London working for peanuts in 1924, so Saul's a dude. "dude" is the correct way to refer to a male person in historicals, I'm glad we all agree.)

Unfit to Print

When her father's despicable family turned their backs on her, Gilbert Lawless abandoned society altogether. Now she is the proud proprietor of a Holywell street bookshop -- and no one's good opinion can matter to her. Gilbert has no interest in other people's problems, or in their feelings. Her business is a quiet one, until one day, her dearest friend walks through the bookshop door...

As a typist for the Shad Thames Eastern Association House, Miss Vikram Pandey is accustomed to a variety of unusual tasks. She's a very good typist, a fine thinker, and entirely besotted with the only girl she ever loved, Miss Lawless from school. Miss Lawless' reappearance in Vikram's life is nearly as strange as her vanishing, fifteen years ago, and Vikram must manage her growing attraction to Miss Lawless with the need for the utmost discretion as a (semi-)secret agent. Will Gill be able to let Vik back in, and will Vik take her hair down for Gil?

(Mr and Mrs Pandey are rapidly re-introduced in the second half of the book and are completely uninterested in Miss Lawless' personal history. It's a tasteful dinner party scene and Gil doesn't feel pitiable or strange at all. When Vik rises, submitting to kisses on her forehead from both of her parents, she takes Gil's hand and brings her to the third-story bedroom which looks as much like a bookshop as Gil's own bedroom which is actually in a bookshop. "They adored you," Vik tells her, lifting Gil's hand with a courtly gesture. "I adore you." She kisses the back of Gil's hand.

"I'm adorable," Gil confirms. Vik's lips are impossibly soft and she is slow to rise and terminate the kiss.

please also notice the research: I did the rest of this from memory, but I had the joy of my days look up that fact.)

The Henchman of Zenda

Jasper Detchard has been a hired sword, a thug in the night, a curse on all that is good: the handsomely-rewarded work in Zenda promises a favor returned. Not even the merest flickerings of her conscience are awakened by the wiles of an old friend, and the representations of her newest employer are unimpressive except as they relate to the money he's paying. Who she is really matters not a whit when there's swordplay to be done: her right hand is her closest ally.

Duchess Rupert of Hentzau has played at vice for long enough: she now intends a more serious project. Dressing as a man to do so brings her within touching distance of the reprobate Detchard, as fast with his sword as Rupert is with her heart. Breaking the stalemate over the throne is only the beginning; can Rupert accept Jasper's attentions as well as her wisdom -- or will they lose this battle together?

(This novel has a first-act twist: Jasper is questioned by the evil duke and only at the end of the scene does he mention her creased trousers. Everyone thinks Jasper is a dude -- again, like I said, "dude" is the correct historical term -- and it's up to dashing young Rupert to conceal this during their much-watched tryst. Rupert gets point-of-view chapters so it's clear she's working for Flavia from the beginning, also it is much more romantic.)

Think of England

On His Majesty's Service, Miss Daniella da Silva is much too capable to be entangled in the schemes of an English rose. When thrown in with Miss Curtis, Daniella takes matters into her own hands  and gets them out of a tight corner. The trouble only really starts when Miss Curtis makes her intentions plain: Daniella is an elaborate woman and she cannot permit the lovely Miss Curtis to see the evil that men do.

Miss Archie Curtis has resigned herself to a life of uselessness: when a madman arrives to scream on the drawing room floor, she makes him tea and listens to his story. By taking herself to the lavish estate at Peakholme, Archie will reveal a treasonous secret. When she finds herself uncovering Miss da Silva, a fellow guest, Archie discovers greater secrets as well.

(Archie's arguably a girl's name, it works. Why are 'philippa," 'gaia,' "daniella," and "frances' called different names? same guiding principle as everything else: random whimsy.)

[fairieboywhump]

pet Clement au - Cigarette

haha. fuck

content warning: EYE GORE EYE TRAUMA BURNING OUCH EYEBALL OUCHIE yes this is what happened to wren but worse allen signed off on it lmfao, pet whump obviously, nicholas being nicholas

actual content warnings: eye gore/trauma, mentions of going hungry/starvation, pet whump, burnt with a cigarette, cigarette smoke blown in someones face, passing out from pain, fear of going blind, fears being exploited, blinding

enjoy you sick motherfuckers (im talking abt me and allen we’re the sick motherfuckers)

nicholas belongs to @spookyboywhump clement belongs to me

~~

The day before the incident was quiet. 

Frankly, Clement couldn't think of a single thing to be upset about. He was being quiet, obedient, he hadn't broken anything or spoken out of turn. He stayed silent in the morning, as Nicholas dressed him, and he paid little attention to the clothes he wore, knowing the upset caused by seeing himself dressed like a whore wasn't worth it. He hadn’t even complained when Nicholas decided not to let him have breakfast, instead kneeling quietly beside him while he ate, cursing his own stomach for growling. 

The day went by without much happening at all. Just another boring, hellish day spent fighting down the urge to run. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere, knew Nicholas was sure to catch him and punish him and destroy yet another part of who he was, and it wasn't worth it, not when his chances of escape were so painfully slim. He wondered if this was the same torment he had subjected Cathal to for so long… it certainly had to be similar. 

Nicholas spent his day working, and Clement had never been granted the privilege to know what exactly that entailed. Just that he was expected to kneel, again, beside him, and suffer through the man's hands in his hair for yet another day. He never stopped touching him. Clement behaved, as he had been doing for some time now, and although he hated himself for it; obedience truly was better than torture. It was easier, eventually, as much as he hated to admit. There was no pain quite like the pain Nicholas delighted in dishing out, and nothing that could make that kind of hell worth it. 

Clement had never regretted his life more than he did in those moments of suffering.

The two of them had settled into bed late that night, Nicholas holding him close and carding a hand through his hair. Clement shivered involuntarily, as he often did when fingernails scraped against the sensitive spot at the back of his neck, and it made Nicholas laugh, breath hot against the shell of his ear. 

Nothing had happened.

He had been good. 

Nothing had happened. 

But it certainly was, now. Clement's back pressed against the wall, bright green eyes wide and terrified. Nicholas advanced on him with a grin, a lit cigarette between his fingers. 

"I don't know what you're so scared for, pretty boy," He laughed. "If you haven't done anything, why are you backing away?" 

"I-" Clement started, his breath catching in his throat. "I don't fucking- I don't fucking trust you! I didn't do anything, but you don't give a damn about that!"

Nicholas tutted, playfully pouting at him as if his feelings were hurt by the comment. "Well that's just rude, I haven't been that bad to you, love. It isn't my fault you took so long to learn your place." He stepped into Clement’s personal space, blocking him from moving away and grinned at the way he seemed to shrink into himself the closer they were to each other. Clement looked up at him, tears just starting to form and give his eyes that beautiful shimmer that Nicholas loved to see. 

"Please…" he whimpered, eyeing the fiery orange tip of the cigarette as Nicholas brought it to his lips and inhaled. "Please don't…" Nicholas smirked as he exhaled, blowing the smoke directly in Clement's face and making him cough. He hadn’t had a cigarette himself since the day Nicholas had taken him.

"Don't what, pretty boy?" 

Clement tried, hopelessly, to push himself further into the wall as Nicholas pressed the head of the thing into his skin, burning a perfect circle just under his collarbone. Clement screamed. His knees buckled, and he grabbed desperately at Nicholas' shoulders to try keeping himself upright, his head hanging and pressed into the other's chest. Nicholas chuckled, as Clement's vision went white with pain, tears spilling down his cheeks. 

He pulled the cigarette away. Clement whimpered, already shaking aggressively, starving and weak as he was. He fell to his knees once it was removed, resting his head against Nicholas' leg instead, arms falling limply beside him. 

"Don't… that?" Nicholas laughed, and the only response Clement could muster was a soft whine, the fresh burn on his chest throbbing with a red hot pain. "Oh, darling. I've got much worse in store for you." 

"P-please…" Clement whimpered, "Please, stop…" He took a deep, heaving breath, shaking harder with the force of his sobbing. Nicholas took a step back, crouching in front of him and grabbing his face to stop the way he swayed with nothing to support him. They stared at each other a moment, steely gray eyes against bright, terrified green. Clement sobbed.

"You really have been broken, haven't you, love?" Nicholas asked softly. His cigarette had gone out against Clement's chest, and he set it down for a moment to pull out a lighter. Clement took the opportunity to look away, to watch his gloved hands as he set the cigarette on the floor and reached into his pocket. A part of him felt the urge to step on it, or grab it and rip it to shreds. He refrained.

"Look at me." Nicholas said, his voice shifting back to the stern tone Clement was more than used to. "Haven't you?" 

Clement stared at his hands, still, watching the flick of the lighter and the small flame that came with it. Nicholas brought the cigarette to his lips once again, taking a hit and, again, blowing the smoke in Clement's face. "Look at me." He ordered. Clement shut his eyes. 

His back hit the wall roughly, drawing a soft oomf from his lips. Nicholas ordered him to open his eyes once more, and Clement ignored it. He didn't want to see that stupid face again, he would rather die, rather drop dead that moment than look into those cruel eyes even once more. Nicholas slapped him, the sharp pain startling him into looking and giving the chance for him to grab at Clement’s face with one hand, pushing his head against the wall and holding his right eye open painfully. 

"What are you-" He didn't have time to finish, before Nicholas was pressing the lit cigarette into his eye, a pain he could never have even dreamt of overtaking him, shooting through his skull and causing his body to spasm. He tried to squeeze his eyes shut again, tried to push Nicholas away, anything to stop this indescribable pain. Words failed him, screaming failed him, as he thrashed and wailed and grappled at Nicholas' arm, shaking and scratching and crying. Hot tears mixed with blood, the burning cherry pressed so far he felt his eye may pop out, or shatter and explode. He wasn't sure which was worse, which would terrify him or hurt more, and he wasn't entirely sure he cared, both were a nightmare he had never even imagined would be sent his way. He briefly thought of Wren, and the ring in his eye that he was now certain had occurred in the same fashion.

He collapsed, limp and completely unable to fight back by the time Nicholas pulled the cigarette away. He almost felt as though his eye would go with it, however impossible that was. His vision had darkened on that side, and his eyelid twitched painfully, scraping against the injury when he blinked. Leaving it open wasn't much better, the air hurt just as much, leaving him with no option for relief. Nicholas tilted his head, humming to himself contentedly as he examined the damage he had done. "Mm, pretty boy, you match my Love now, don't you? A pretty little pair…"

Clement felt his stomach turn at the comparison, although it very well may have been because of the pain. Either way, he hoped it was over, that he was done, that Nicholas would walk away and leave him to cry to himself like he often did. 

No such luck.

Nicholas flicked his lighter again, bringing that small flame to life, and Clement weakly scrambled against the wall in fear. 

"No… no, no… please…" 

"Shhhh," Nicholas chided. "Quiet down, dear." He adjusted his position, leaning forward on one knee to get himself close to Clement’s face again. "Keep your eyes open for me this time, alright love?" 

Clement shook his head, whining and pleading incoherently for anything else. He didn't want to go blind, in fact it had been one of his biggest fears since the day he was first told he would need glasses. He knew it was inevitable, eventually, but had been holding onto the hope that he would live well into old age before it caught up to him, or that he could get some sort of surgery to fix his condition. Anything to hold onto his vision, any shred of hope to keep him from spiraling about his degenerating sight. 

Leather gloved fingers pried open his eye again, this time the left. He whined, looking at Nicholas with all the desperation he could muster, begging with his one remaining eye to be spared, granted mercy, or something. Anything but this, anything but blinding him. He would've begged, had he been given a chance, promised to be good, sworn to do anything asked of him, to debase and humiliate himself beyond anything he ever would have had the stakes been any different. He would have begged to die, instead, if he thought it would do anything. If he had even a moment to get the words out. 

The last thing he saw was the bright colours of fire, before the unimaginable pain doubled, and he shrieked so loudly, so desperately, that his voice cut out in the middle, leaving him screaming open mouthed and silent. The pain lasted just a few seconds longer, before his wounded eyes rolled back into his head and he fell unconscious.

Nicholas laughed as he pulled away, standing up and admiring his work. Clement laid against the wall, still aside from the sharp rise and fall of his chest, suffering even in his sleep. He would dream of sight, of seeing, maybe of freedom. 

And Nicholas would certainly enjoy watching the reality dawn on him once he awoke. 

[spookyboywhump]

what are nicky’s generic cycle + special favourites

Generally he’ll use “dear” “darling” and “love” for regular people or pets he’s speaking to.

As for his favorites:

Alexei- Doll

Wren- Love

Zander- Sweetheart

Cain- Darling

And @fairieboywhump ‘s

Clement- Pretty Boy (this is more of an AU thing)

Cathal- Little one

[dcleagueofsuperpetsstream]

DC League Of Super-Pets ganzer film deutsch kostenlos stream online

Film stream - https://dc-league-of-super-pets-de.blogspot.com/

Als unbekannte Bösewichte die gesamte Justice League entführen, übernimmt Supermans Hund Krypto, der die gleichen Kräfte wie sein Meister hat, die Mission, sie zu retten. Zu diesem Zweck stellt Krypto ein Team von Superpets zusammen – die gewöhnlichsten Bewohner des Tierheims, die plötzlich Superkräfte erlangt haben. Darunter der superstarke Landstreicher Ace, der zum Riesenschwein PB werden kann, die superschnelle Schildkröte Merton und das kleine Eichhörnchen Chip, das elektrische Entladungen wirft. Kann die pelzige Liga der Supertiere Superman und die ganze Welt retten?

Wenn also ein orangefarbener Kryptonit-Kiesel auf den Boden des Tierheims fällt, werden alle Tiere übertroffen. Krypto, der nie einen anderen Freund oder Teamkollegen als Superman haben wollte, muss versuchen, die Verrückten im Tresor zu überzeugen, ihm zu helfen, Superman und seine Freunde aus der Justice League zu retten: Batman (Reeves, urkomisch auf den Punkt gebracht), Wonder Woman (Jameela Jamil), Flash (John Early), Aquaman (Jemaine Clement), Green Lantern (Dascha Polanco) und Cyborg (Daveed Diggs). Was müssen wir uns zeigen, dass die Gruppe die Kontrolle über ihre neuen Superkräfte übernimmt? Natürlich eine Trainingsmontage, wie uns die Tiere sagen. Sie müssen ihre Fähigkeiten und ihr Teamwork meistern, um die Justice League vor Lulu zu retten, die glaubt, dass sie sich bei Lex Luthor beliebt machen wird, indem sie ihn besiegt. Kate McKinnon tritt als kleines Versuchskaninchen in die Phantomzone-würdige Superschurken-Hall of Fame ein (nennen Sie sie nicht Hamster). Ihre Stimme ist eine fabelhaft böse Waffe für sich, im Stil einer Hollywood-Diva der klassischen Ära. (Denken Sie an Tallulah Bankhead, der einen Cocktail und einen langen Stiel schüttelt.)

Die Lektionen über Freundschaft und die bedingungslose Liebe, die wir empfangen und unseren Haustieren geben, werden in „DC League of Super-Pets“ auf süße Weise vermittelt. Die Action und Komödie dieses lebendigen Films haben all den Enthusiasmus, der unsere bedingungslose Liebe zu Comics und Superhelden an der Schwelle zu seinem zweiten Jahrhundert verstärkt hat.

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[flyswhumpcenter]

Bad Things Happen Bingo! The event where you send me requests according to this marvelous card!

Here you go Nonnie, Riku + Allergic Reaction! I’ve picked platonic Ioriku because we need more of these buddies in the fandom. It was a very nice idea! I’ve just allowed myself to use my residence AU (again) because it just felt natural for such a story, but it’s not that important to the plot. There may be some medical inaccuracies because I’ve never had allergies nor asthma in my life, but I hope it’s fine otherwise!

Spring Panic

Summary: Spring has always had its perks and flaws for Riku, mostly because of his terrible case of allergies. It's in such a time and such circumstances that he had to get a helping hand from the ever-so-tactless Iori. 

Fandom: IDOLiSH7 Relationships: Platonic Iori & Riku

Wordcount: 1.5K words

Event organized by @badthingshappenbingo

AO3 version available here.

Spring had arrived, bringing with it a lot of improvements over winter: plants coming back to life, warmer temperatures, damper air, more clement weather overall. However, it did bring with it the problem Riku was currently facing for yet another year of his life: the classic, yet deeply unwanted, hay fever season.

Pollen had always been one of his fatal weaknesses. It was everywhere around this moment of the year: all flowers were in bloom and, as such, they were spreading this powder in the air, which then made it into his airways. Never a fun time to go through.

 People around the residence were always more careful about whatever entered the rooms, these days. However, nobody could truly prevent the pesky pollen from reaching him, so he just tried to spend as much time as possible in his room, reading books and trying to prevent his allergies from acting up like they’d usually do.

That was always the issue with spring and flowers blooming again. He really liked their colours and their scent, but they were always full of pollen preventing him from enjoying them like everyone else! He couldn’t hide the truth from his friends anymore too: they had known about his asthma for some time by now and hiding anything about it from some of them in particular would only backfire terribly.

 A knock on his door made him think “oh, speaking of the devil”, but he still thought it could be someone else paying him a visit in his pillow fort.

“Yes?” he said, trying to sound as welcoming as possible with his slightly congested voice.

As nonchalant as ever, Iori entered the room and closed the door behind him, making sure to wear a mask on his face too. Was that mocking him or was that just not to catch allergies he couldn’t get anyway? Mean.

 Iori leaned against the wall next to the door, arms crossed.

“Have you made sure to take your medicine, Nanase?”

He was at it again with speaking to him like that…

“Of course I did! Why do you say that as if I was five anyway?”

“I’m simply making sure you don’t have another surprise attack on us. One was far more than enough.”

What a brat…

“I take care of myself just fine! You don’t need to monitor me like a child, Iori!”

“I guess scaring us all was enough to make you change your mind then, right?” he scoffed back.

“I don’t think you should speak about health when you broke your arm last year…”

Iori’s embarrassed face was priceless and totally worth it, as always.

“Tou-ché!” he enthusiastically said to emphasize on his small victory over his friend’s usual calm and collected stance.

 Iori cleared his throat as he took his “cool and sharp” attitude back, once again looking straight into the other boy’s eyes.

“I guess this means you’re ready to take your shift for the groceries, am I right?”

“Obviously, who do you think I am?! I feel so bad for having to make Sogo take my turn instead because I couldn’t…”

“For once, it’s not your fault. Don’t dwell too much over it.”

Urgh… That kid really knew where to hit to hurt, didn’t he?

“You’re implying I’m guikty of what, exactly…?”

“Nothing of importance right now. If we stick around here, the store will close and we’ll still have nothing in the fridges for everyone, so let’s hurry and stop bickering like that.”

“Let’s do these groceries then!”

 One Riku had made sure to cover his face with a mask and taking with him his inhaler just in case an attack would happen (all under Iori’s judgemental stare, of course), the two made their way to the convenience store without much troubles: the road was calm, no car almost ran over them and there was no cats they’d want to desperately pet (no matter how many times Iori’d deny that, Tamaki always proved him wrong on that anyway, if his shirts weren’t giving him away already).

The pollen was obviously around, making it pretty hard to retain sneezes in. It’d be embarrassing and tedious to stop every thirty seconds to sneeze, so he decided the best course of action was to just try and not sneeze. Better try ignoring it, even if there was always that glare in his direction whenever he just tried to keep everything in.

 The way back was where things got off the rails, as some people would put it. It wasn’t a very big round of shopping, lucky for them, otherwise they’d have had to ask Tsumugi or Yamato to drive them there and wait for them to put bags inside the car’s chest. It was more of a half-grocery stock-up thing anyway: they had just bought some food for half the week. Nothing too big to do!

That was where the pollen started to be his biggest enemy once more. It was difficult not to let the bags go whenever he wanted to let out the pressure building up inside his sinuses, shaking hands clutching onto the plastic yet feeling so weak and almost fragile.

 Before he knew it, Riku had started hyperventilating, but he still wanted to get to the residence as soon as possible and hide inside his pillow fort again. It wasn’t going to end well for him or the stuff he was bringing back with him at this rate. He needed to find something…

Okay, so. The two bags he had in his hands were too heavy to hold in only one hand if he wanted to use his inhaler. If he stopped to do so, putting the bags on the floor and taking a breath in his inhaler, Iori would notice. What to do, what to do…

 “Nanase.”

Iori’s voice broke him out of his train of thoughts, right as his mind started to turn into turmoil. He had put his bags onto the ground, which Riku did afterwards. They seemed to have stopped… so everything got out in a bang.

It started innocently enough, as always, with just the sneezes he had kept in. That was however the tip of the iceberg, as he soon remembered how it felt like to choke on his cough: as he was unable to breathe much when sneezing, it had delved down into almost stopping to breathe. It was a chain reaction of symptoms.

 Eyes filled with tears and thoughts filled with the fear of dying today, he barely realized he was getting sat down against a small wall. Hands were browsing through his pockets, eventually finding his inhaler before helping him use it.

It was a literal breathe of relief: even if the situation was beyond confusing at that point, he could breathe again thanks to this very welcome clearly needed, help. Things didn’t need to make sense as long as he would be okay. It was all fine and it was all going to end well.

He closed his eyes, feeling both exhausted by almost asphyxiating and of the sudden soothing vibe taking a hold of him.

 When Riku woke up, he was in his bed and room again, as if he had never gone out to buy the groceries in the first place. The atmosphere was damp and warm, probably so he wouldn’t irritate his breathing again. There was one person next to the bed and, well, he was kind of the obvious possibility.

“You’re awake again, huh,” Iori said as if he was just noticing so.

 There were a few questions in the back of his mind, but his throat felt dry and he still felt tired from the entire and earlier ordeal.

“Needless to say, you’ve scared everyone yet again, Nanase,” Iori scolded him like a child again, as he always did, before sighing and resuming. “Why didn’t you tell me about it? I could have done something about it.”

“I thought I could last until we were home… Sorry…”

“Huh. To be fair, we weren’t this far from the residence. It would have still been much better for everyone involved to have told me about it. I’m not just here to be your morality pet.”

And yet, there was a small smirk on Iori’s face, as if he was amused.

“I guess that’s how you are. You never want to worry people. That’s cute,” he interrupted himself to clear his throat, but instead just looked away and lowered his voice, “… in a way.”

 Riku laughed lightly at it.

“That was a compliment, right…?”

“If you wanted it to be. I guess.”

Iori was digging his grave of embarrassment, but that was quite the show to watch.

“At least it’s all well, now… I hope I haven’t made everyone worry too much…”

“You should spare your breathing right now,” he got interrupted, before the other boy took a cup on the nightstand and gave it to him. “Here, take this, instead. It’ll do you good.”

Riku didn’t need to even taste it to know what it was.

“Warm milk with honey… Thank you, Iori…!”

He got a dry and almost cold “you’re welcome”.

 That kid did care, didn’t he?

[goodfortune-au]

Good Fortune (Soulmate AU) Chapter 16: The Bubble

Slowly but surely, April became May. Spring began to flourish within the town in the form of light breezes and fragrant flowers, and just as the local flora thrived and prospered, so did the relationship between Angel and Pennywise. His visits had become as regular and routine as the days of her full-time job, and she could not be happier for it. It was almost like a fairytale; Angel would wake to his voice in her ear, she would slip out of bed and get ready for work. She would walk to the library, would feel the warmth of his hand enveloping her own along the way; she would work her shift, she would sometimes encounter him waiting for her when she took her breaks. He would talk to her and make her laugh, he would promise to come back to her when her shift was over. She would spend the rest of the day waiting with bated breath for her shift to finally be done, and then as soon as the clock struck five she would punch out and hurry home, not so much for the sake of safety anymore as much as for her own breathless excitement. While she waited for him to return from wherever he had wandered off to, she sometimes wondered just what he did in his free time when he wasn’t making his visits. She wondered more than ever just what he was, who he was, and who she was by extension. She tried not to let those thoughts get to her too much though; she was enjoying all of this far too much to be of rational mind now. They were in a perfect little bubble together, and she wanted more than anything for it not to pop. And then, just as her mind would start to drift off…

“Hello, my darling.” He would say in a low, gentle tone, often behind her.

“Pennywise!” You could always hear the smile, the unabashed glee in her voice. She would immediately stop what she was doing to turn around and hug him. Time would stop as they both embraced each other, Angel pulling him toward her as tightly as possible, letting all worry and trouble melt away from her flesh with the feeling of silver silk within her fingers. Pennywise, in turn, would return the gesture with a protective sweep of his hands around her back, would feel her shivering ever so gently against him out of relief, out of excitement to see him again. He would relish in it, the taste and scent of her joy, just how trusting she was of him, an entity whose origins and history she truly knew nothing about, yet she willingly gave herself to his care anyway. How delicious it was to savor, the secure knowledge in that she was growing increasingly more accustomed to his presence, was even starting to crave it and yearn for it. He would pet her hair, a silken hand brushing elegantly down the chestnut locks that fall over her shoulders and he would hum, would always sing the same song with throaty vibrations that would echo deliciously through her body.

Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clements…

“How was the rest of your day, sweetheart?” He would always ask when they pulled away from each other.

Angel always dreaded that, the end of the hug. He always felt so warm; the sensation of that familiar warmth traveling through her body was addicting. She would spend what felt like an eternity just clinging to him, treasuring the feeling of him, so real and tangible that she could sometimes hardly believe it. Ever since that fateful night on Valentine’s Day, Angel had spent every day afterward in complete and utter bewilderment at his presence. Everything from his repeated manifestations to his supernatural behavior had her in a befuddled stir; she almost felt the need to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. But no, despite it all, he was quite real, and it was truly as though such a dream had come true. His aura was so pleasant to her, almost like his soul was simply resonating with hers, their respective essences two halves of one whole intertwining so perfectly with one another. It felt so right being with him that she awaited the break of their embrace with a sort of subdued melancholy; the second they parted and the warmth left her body she would resist the powerful urge to simply return to his arms. There almost existed some kind of magnetic pull between them, a surge of something she could only perceive to be otherworldly existing in the both of them, an itching to stay with the other at all costs. Maybe she was just imagining it; maybe it was all in her head. Or maybe, just like him, it truly was real, and she just didn’t understand why yet.

“F*cking terrible.” She would admit with a long, drawn out sigh when she stepped away from him to continue what she was doing. “Work was annoying- the librarian kept getting on my case for the smallest shit imaginable.”

Pennywise would always recline or otherwise make himself comfortable somewhere, whether it be the couch, a chair at her dining table or sitting directly on her bed. If Mayor Jello was nearby, for whatever reason, he would quickly make himself scarce and disappear from the room. He would listen intently to her woes and give her his undivided attention, wanting to make clear to her more than anything that he valued what she had to say. After all, that would endear himself to her all the more, to establish himself as someone who listened to her when very little people in her life so far had allowed her the courtesy.

“Mmm, you haven’t done anything to get on her bad side, have you?”

“Of course not!” She would exclaim, usually amid prep work at her kitchen counter. “I don’t screw around at my job, it only gets me into trouble. When I was working the Bassey Park fairgrounds, I was the only one who got caught if I sat down during my shift.”

“How scandalous.” He would smirk.

“I know, right?” She would scoff. “It didn’t matter that I was the only one who emptied out the garbage cans at the end of the day, or wiped down all the stalls, or cleaned bird shit off the picnic tables, my bosses still had it out for me. That old bat has it out for me, too, I’m pretty sure. Ever since I lost that book last year she’s hardly let me see the end of it.”

“Hmm?”

“Oh.” She stops for a moment, suddenly sheepish. “Guess you weren’t… Around for that. I lost a book forever ago when I checked it out from the library. Some BS historical documentation of the town, guess it was… Pretty rare.”

“Ohhhhh… I see, I see.”

“But I don’t even remember losing it. To be honest, I don’t particularly remember much from that time in general. I guess ever since… Georgie went missing, I fell into a bit of a funk. Still haven’t… Completely come out of it. Grief does weird stuff to you.” She continues chopping, or peeling, or mincing. “Or I guess… Depression does weird stuff to you too.”

He comes to plant a kiss atop her head. “I know, my dear. That’s why I’m here now.”

She smiles at him, blush staining her cheeks. “I know.”

Angel had “clued” Pennywise in about Georgie very soon after they had started talking, some weeks ago when their relationship was just beginning. Who he was, how she had known him, how she thought of him as her own little brother in a fashion. Had told him all about that time in her life, when she was just starting out at the library and how, for a short while, things really felt as though they were changing for the better. How things had only seemed to start going downhill ever since that day he’d gone missing, how it made the kids as well as herself feel broken up and disjointed, how it had made a dark cloud of gloom descend over the town’s collective heads.

How the disappearances hadn’t stopped ever since that day.

Pennywise had known very well about all of these things, but there was nothing he could do for the time being except feign ignorance. No, let her tell him all about the boy, let her regale him with silly little tales of her with those brat children. Let her think for the time being that he was a force apart from that which brought this miserable little town cowering on its knees. It would all come in time. The time was coming for her to learn of who he truly was, but he couldn’t very well simply bring it up in conversation. No, there needed to come a catalyst of some kind, some kind of crossroads to shock her system and forcibly make her cope with the knowledge. He knew it to be a dangerous and risky situation; he knew that, as much as he had made great strides in winning her over, she could be just as easily lost if she responded badly to the revelation. He knew she was a girl of some considerable moral character; he’d known just how much the death of that abhorrent child on Halloween had gotten to her, the survivor’s guilt she had endured for both that and the disappearance of the shopkeeper on New Years. He’d known how much the loss of that little child on the day of his awakening had broken her up in ways she didn’t even realize. He did truly regret that, if he were honest. Had he known the significance of that boy in particular, he’d have selected someone else to take for his first meal. It was true that his role within the town would be an unsavory pill for her to swallow, but it would have been all the more easier for her to grapple with if he’d not taken him. How stupid and impetuous of him, but he would hardly ever admit to such a lapse in judgment. It didn’t matter either way, because he was going to get what he wanted one way or the other.

He allowed himself consolation in the knowledge that, whatever she had endured before, it would surely be different now that he was here. He knew who she was, knew that she was prone to these so-called depression funks, frequent and staggering declines that would have her losing all purpose at best and the will to live at worst. A pattern as a result of patent dissatisfaction with her life, in the routine in which she was mercilessly confined to, monotony she wished so badly to break. Add grief to all that and it was exponentially worse; the poor dear was truly having a rough go of it all this time around. But this time around was different. This time around, he was here. Pennywise was that change she so desperately craved, and he was a change so unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Never before had a paradigm shift so powerful as he come to her on bended knee, offering her the world on a silver platter. Never before had she been treated as anything other than a nuisance or an outcast by society, never had she known such love and had it so genuinely reciprocated. He knew how desperate she was to keep that love, knew she was starved for it and knew she wanted to savor it as long as she possibly could. She expected it all to go wrong eventually, he knew that. And it would, just not in any way she could have ever expected. He was going to make sure this discovery would traumatize her so in that she would seek his comforting touch instead of cowering away from it in fear, for the instinct would be so deeply ingrained she would not be able to stop herself anymore. He would make sure of it.

But no, not today. Not even tomorrow. The time would come, the opportunity would present itself and when it did he would simply make his move. Though she adored what they had, the relationship between them growing more with each passing day, there were still certain aspects she was missing out on, things she wanted but didn’t dare to ask for. And he didn’t push it, because he knew some part of her wasn’t ready for it. Physical affection like hugging or spooning wasn’t off the table; it was just enough to familiarize her with his touch without taking things to the next step. But that next step was coming, and though he could taste that she wasn’t yet comfortable enough to go through with it, to accept it, he knew that hesitation to be growing thinner and thinner by the day. The first kiss… How intimate an exchange, and one he had been dangling in front of her for weeks. Whether it be neck kisses, cheek kisses; whether it be long, lingering looks in each other’s arms or moments of unbearable tension between them, he would simply not allow it to go any further. He knew it was driving her crazy, he wanted that. Even if she wasn’t comfortable with kissing yet, he knew some rebellious part of her yearned desperately for it all the same, and he was delighted to encourage that part of her. Once she was suitably ready for it, and at a time when she needed it most, he would make his move.

Angel had wanted so badly to kiss him, it was something she’d wanted ever since she’d started developing feelings for him watching that silly television show. Back in those days, when all she could do was look at his face through the screen and long for something she never thought she’d be able to have, it was simply torturous. It was such a frustrating feeling, it made her feel helpless, like she was drowning in a sea of painful, shameful longing that she could never escape. And yet, despite all, what bliss it was to look on his face and imagine the hypotheticals; how they would feel pressed together in that moment, sharing in each other’s warmth. They would talk together, laugh together, sway together in each other’s arms. They would fall silent looking into each other's eyes, the tension between them untenably excruciating and then, slowly, one would dip forward and their lips would touch. These were thoughts she would entertain on a daily basis as she got ready in the morning, as she worked her shifts, and as she crawled into bed at night. Hardly a single day passed in which Angel wasn’t plagued with such everpresent wanton desire. Why, then, was she so hesitant to kiss him, take the next step; why was she so powerless to ask for that which would make her so sublimely happy? Hard to say. Call it insecurity on her part, perhaps; Angel had grown up ingrained with the cruel assertion of others that she was disgusting and undesirable. Forget Valentine’s Day, every day outside of that was almost just as bad when there were boys oinking at her in the halls at school, pretending to ask her out and girls calling her fat and ugly in hushed whispers during class. That kind of thing was hard to ignore, as much as her family tried so hard to get her to dismiss those things on those tough nights when she would sit on the floor in a crumpled-up heap and cry her eyes out. Even as she matured she was still haunted by all the words of her peers; she’d spent a time in high school brazenly pretending to ignore it all, shove it back in their faces by wearing the most outlandish things imaginable and spurning their hatred, but as times got tough again she would find herself dressed in increasingly less bold color, almost as though all the joy was being sucked right out of her. All the years of rejection were simply impossible to overlook, and now that she finally had something treating her like she wasn’t the most repugnant thing on the face of the planet, she was… So deathly terrified of doing anything that might jeopardize it. They were in a perfect little bubble together, and she wanted more than anything for it not to pop. What if she tried to kiss him, and he simply rebuffed her? What if he laughed in her face, what if he was revolted by the mere thought? There was some part of her so ill at ease about the thought of pushing him away that she wasn’t comfortable at all in making the first move. No, she wanted him to do it instead. At least that way, she would know that this, all of this, wasn’t just some ridiculous delusion on her part. It was safer.

The fear of rejection steeping on her lovely form was a taste as sweet as wine to Pennywise, one he couldn’t help but savor silently. He couldn’t help it, it was just so tantalizingly delectable on his ancient palate, her fear a flavor so different from the rest of them that it called to him, beckoned to him. He was the only creature on this earth and in existence who was worthy of tasting it, of feeling it dissolve on his tongue like the most cloyingly spun sugar, and though he would not deliberately seek it out, not yet, he could at least delight in sampling that which was born from her own misgivings and insecurities. It was an offering that would sate him for now, but only make him hungrier for what was surely to come. Oh, the delicious little cat and mouse games he longed to play with her. How he longed to take her in his arms, share in the wonderful pull of their mutual tension, a little tacit agreement brewing between the both of them before he released her, before he sent her on her way with a single, simple objective; don’t get caught. It was a primal game Pennywise was well-seasoned in playing, but despite all the years he’d been playing it with his chosen victims, it would be different with her, different in a way Pennywise had never truly experienced. And he would surely win. He always did, and when he did he would delight in the spoils that waited before him, spoils he had been waiting to savor for eons; a mate, veins hot with adrenaline from having been found, the blood rushing to her face as she looked at him with desperate, wanton desire and begged with her eyes for him to take her as she lay pinned beneath him. And take her he would. Oh yes, he would give her what she wanted, would give it to her until she was screaming and howling with pleasure into the night, in the cold air of the cistern beneath Derry. He smiles when he thinks of it.

But not now. For now he would simply bide his time and wait, for he knew their relationship was not without hurdles to surpass. He could not give himself to such pleasures until she knew who he was and still trusted him despite it, despite every rational thought in her head screaming for her to get a grip and leave that which brought such pain and suffering to her hometown. She would betray her morals for him, would forsake everything she ever knew to be with him, destined to be his lover and take all that he has to give her not only in compliance, but in willingness to make him happy. He knew how desperate she was to cling to that which brought her own happiness, something which had shown her such generosity and compassion in her greatest times of need, and he would exploit that for all its worth. He would milk her desperation to please him and reward her effort by lavishing her with the utmost love and attention and praise. He had kept up his encouragement of her passions and hobbies as the months progressed, and when she had down days, he was there to offer her comfort and consolation. It was the least he could do for her; after all, she would eventually give herself to him completely, she would belong to him in every sense of the word. She would love him, she would cherish him, she would take care of him. And Pennywise always took care of that which took care of him. Always.

Though Angel was thoroughly distracted with her relationship, she was nonetheless still slightly unnerved by the continued disappearances within the town. The police were still no closer to apprehending the perpetrator of the crimes, not that that particularly mattered to Angel at this point. Given everything she’s seen and heard and experienced, she was fairly certain at this point that whatever was causing all the strife and morbid happenings within the town was no mere man; it had to have been a monster of some kind. The most damning indicator of this was what had transpired on the night of Halloween, where she had bore the unfortunate burden of lying captive witness to the death of Patrick Hockstetter, who had completely disappeared by the morning after. And she knew it was his death; judging by the sounds, the raw, shrill, piercing screams, he was being savaged by something. She did find it strange that the police found no evidence of his body near the Kissing Bridge, not even so much as a single drop of blood. It was all very puzzling, but she couldn’t very well deduce the mystery on her own, no matter how often she was forced to think about it.

So she’d come to Pennywise with questions; whether or not he’d known anything about who was causing it, if he had any power to stop it, if… If he’d had anything to do with it. Pennywise would always deflect the questions. He wouldn’t lie to her, but he wouldn’t tell her the truth either. He would always come around to the same conclusion, would placate her anxiety with the assertion that she was safe, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, not now, not ever. And though this was almost enough to soothe her troubles, there was still a part of her that stewed with worry for the children, for the Losers, who were just as vulnerable as anyone else to this threat.

“Pennywise I… I’m so scared. What if it… What if it gets them? I can’t… I can’t even think about it...”

She would shake like a leaf as she confided in him, would cling to him like a fear-soaked babe fresh awake from a nightmare, and then one day when the town was haunted by one too many chilling disappearances, she had started to beg, implore him to do for them as he had done for her, pressing her head into his chest as she sobbed and cried.

“...Could you… Protect them too? You’ve kept me from harm all this time, and they mean so much to me… Please… Please… ”

He would shush her as he petted her hair, would soothe her with trilling, chirruping insect song, would hum with pleasure as her sniffles gradually tapered into silence within his hold, as the hours passed between them. And he would reassure her, would tell her exactly what she wanted to hear.

“I’ll do as you say darling, I’ll do whatever makes you happy, you have Pennywise’s word.”

But that did not make him happy. No, it made him rife with dismay, to know that she was still so attached to the little shits, the only ones who stood in the way between him and his ultimate happiness, what he had been waiting for years upon years upon years for. It dismayed him so to think of her so committed to their safety that she might… Reject the revelation of who he was, might turn away from him and toward them in her grief. He doesn’t like that she’s so involved with them; she belonged to him. Only him. He wanted her to care about no one else, nothing else, and he wanted to work on slowly eroding their bond. He wanted so badly to eat the little brats, just pick them off one by one until they were gone from this world, nothing more than an irritating afterthought. Nothing would bring him greater satisfaction than to deprive her of that which distracted her from her purpose, her betrothal to him, being promised to him and him only. Yes, he would do as she beseeched him to do; he would hold back from taking them. The time would come when he wouldn’t have to anymore, and he waited with impatience for that day, but that day was not now. She still had yet to come under his spell completely and irrevocably, she still had yet to find out who he truly was and accept it. When she did, and she inevitably would in time, she would not care for them or their wellbeing anymore, she would stand idly by as he disposed of them once and for all.

As the month of May progressed, she continued to keep the company and counsel of the Losers, who slowly but surely came back to continue their visitations following the… Incident that had occurred on Uno night some weeks back. They’d been worried for her but did their best to shrug off her strange behavior, writing it off as simply an anomaly, and in time it had been all but completely forgotten. The school year was winding to a close and they naturally had a number of tales to tell regarding their misadventures. In time, the Losers had even gradually brought with them a couple brand new additions to their group; short and stocky sensitive sweetheart Ben Hanscom who harbored a passion for building things and Beverly Marsh, a snarky, tough-as-nails wildchild with fiery red hair to match her temperament. They were a natural fit for the group, had stumbled into it one day via an altercation with Bowers and his gang of thugs and been welcomed in with open arms. The kids were all too eager to induct a couple new faces, for they all knew very well that there was safety in numbers. With the growing coalition of Losers and the promise of Pennywise to watch over them, Angel felt more and more at ease despite the daunting atmosphere of Derry.

“Show ol’ Anj your battle scar, Ben.” Richie says boisterously in the living room that night. They had sought refuge at Angel’s house following the big standoff.

Ben hesitates before hiking up his shirt. There’s a crudely carved H for Henry Bowers etched into the soft flesh of his stomach.

“See that shit?”

“Whoa, Bowers got you good, huh Ben?” Angel says leaning back, arms crossed. “I swear, that kid is a f*ckin’ timebomb if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Yeah, Angel used to have the worst time trying to keep him in line.”

“Were you a teacher or something?” Ben asks, pulling his shirt back down.

“Oh no.” Angel laughs. “Couldn’t pay me enough for that shit. I was a TA.”

“The only one worth a damn. Richie recalls, fishing through a bag of Doritos for the perfect chip. When he finds one suitably encrusted in cheese dust he continues. “Used to charge for answer keys. Five bucks a quiz, ten bucks a test. I had an A in math for an entire semester because of her.”

“I kind of remember that.” Beverly speaks up. “It was a rumor floating around the halls for a while, but I never had that class. You really did that?”

“Had to make a little pocket change somehow.” Angel sighs. “But those days are over, sad to say.”

“Yeah, now she’s a boring old working stiff. Can’t protect us from the big kids anymore because she’s got a serious full-time job now.” Eddie laments.

“Hey, I’ve got bills to pay. I can’t get by just by babysitting four kids with extremely bad luck.”

“Make that six kids with extremely bad luck now.” Stan says with a smile evident in his voice. Everyone laughs. Bill pats Angel sympathetically on the back.

Angel would never mention Pennywise. To tell the truth, she saw absolutely no point in it, and it seemed an affair best kept private anyway, at least for the time being. After all, the children didn’t have much business knowing the intimate details of her love life, so she kept it to herself. That wasn’t even getting into the aspects of his existence she didn’t even know how to explain, like all the gifts she had received for months from a mysterious benefactor, how he had courted her without her knowledge through said gifts and came to her in her dreams, how he finally wound up introducing himself on such a sordid occasion when she needed it most. Besides, she rather enjoyed that she had something just for her that she didn’t have to share with anyone. It felt intimate, it felt special. This thing, this… Relationship she had with him, it was all so new. She truly didn’t know how to explain it to anyone, not even her family and least of all the kids. Her family… That was a matter all its own she had no idea how to address. She knew they would be ecstatic she had finally found someone, a… Boyfriend of some fashion, but he was a clown, and most bafflingly of all he clearly wasn’t human. She doesn’t even know how to imagine bringing him to visit with them, didn’t know how she could possibly explain herself to them. How would she explain the way they’d met? Would she have to lie? Of course she would.

Pennywise’s patent lack of human qualities was growing more apparent by the day. She’d known from the moment he’d come to her that he was not of this earth, but as the days continued and she’d spent more time with him she was growing more and more aware of that fact. She didn’t necessarily mind; she’d always wanted something… Different in a significant other, not that she ever imagined in a million years that she’d get what she wanted in such a bizarre fashion. The way the gifts he’d given her were inexplicably left in convenient places for her to find, the way he effortlessly infiltrated her dreams and her mind time after time after time, the way he was able to make himself puzzlingly appear on the TV and touch her without physical presence were all very convincing indicators of just such a revelation. It didn’t bother her; she found it fascinating, she found it enchanting. He was just so wonderfully interesting, and she loved to simply marvel at everything he could do.

But yes, in addition to all of this, there was more to him, and she was seeing it all with each passing day. He would make the strangest noises. There was of course the insectile chittering she could hear emanating off of his form from time to time, but sometimes when he was watching the Derry local news, a low, rolling, rumbling growl would rise in his throat, something raw and primal and animalistic that seemed to shake up through the floor like an earthquake of some kind. She interpreted it as dismay on behalf of the disappearances. He would sometimes change his size; though he normally stood at a towering seven-foot stature over her, he would sometimes appear even taller than usual. He’d come to cuddle with her one day in a hulking, massive form that had taken up most of the living room and dining area, and she’d been so taken with his colossal appearance that she had dropped her things by the door and immediately gone to join him. She had fit snugly within the curve of his arm. And most interestingly of all, he would shapeshift himself when she would make art; would act as a model for her ghoulish creative endeavors and mold his face into gruesome shapes for her pieces. She adored this quality most of all, found it… Attractive, in a sense. She’d grown up quite fascinated with the morbid and the grotesque, and knowing he could assume such forms only drew her in to him that much more. It was becoming more apparent with each passing day that he seemed perfect for her in so many ways. She was… She was in love with him.

There was, of course, a small part of her that was still slightly paranoid, though. Despite how perfect things were, despite the bubble, she had a slight niggling sense that things were just a little too perfect, like there was mold and maggots beneath all the saccharine cake and frosting of their relationship. She was afraid some kind of shoe would drop, a realization would come to light which jeopardized the idealistic nature of their rapport and she would be left with the rotten taste of it all. Watching him day after day, keenly observing little hints of monstrous behavior, some part of her was scared. Asking him questions about the dark presence within the town and coming back with repeatedly inconclusive answers, some part of her was slightly intimidated. She knew her suspicions to be an absurd notion after all he had done for her and all he had continued to promise to do, but some small part of her feared it all the same. Yes, despite the purity of their dynamic, all the love and trust that had been established so far between them, some part of Angel… Feared that he was the monster.

That was ridiculous though or, at least, that was what she would tell herself. Pennywise was sweet, he was considerate and compassionate, nothing at all like the thing that had seemingly brought such pain and suffering upon the town. He was protective and gallant, he was her guardian angel and he’d vowed not to let anything happen to her or the children so, honestly, just how could she justify laying such baseless accusations against him? So he was a little on the inhuman side. That meant nothing. Absolutely nothing. It didn’t mean he was a monster, and it certainly didn’t mean he had ill intentions. And though it was selfish and wrong of her to think such thoughts, a small, indifferent part of her conscience made the admission that, as long as she and the kids were safe, it really didn’t matter much whether he was the monster or not. She personally had nothing to worry about, she knew she would be protected from it, and that was all she needed to sleep soundly at night. It was terrible, and she dared not admit it out loud, but it was a thought she harbored all the same.

Pennywise knew of these thoughts, knew all about how they were plaguing her mind and consciousness day after day after day. How could he not when, after all, he’d been the reason for all the dissidence in her head? Exposing some of his own monstrous traits had not been a thoughtless mistake on his part; no, no, Pennywise had done just such a thing on purpose and with the explicit intention of making her familiar with the unsavory revelations she’d soon be contending with. He wanted her to see those sides of him, wanted her to not only see them but accept them, even if it was still hard for her. After all, when all was said and done, she would not only abide his wicked transgressions but openly aid in them as well, even if it was not a transition made overnight. He couldn’t wait for the day when she could join him at his side in his hunts but in the meantime he needed to take the necessary steps to slowly introduce her to the idea of her purpose. He knew that he had already come along quite a ways in this particular endeavor. He knew that she liked cuddling in the crook of his massive arm, found herself silently stirring with something deliciously wanton she didn’t quite understand at the sounds of his snarling growls at the TV. Knew that she loved seeing him take monstrous forms for her little art projects, that she was little more than thrilled to find that he could appeal to such macabre corners of her psyche by visualizing such morbid things. He could already taste her willingness to justify his role within the town in the name of preserving her own relationship, knew that to be indicative of a darker, more twisted side to her that lay dormant, waiting to be awakened, one he would try in earnest to rouse from its slumber. She was meant for him, she was, and this was the reason why, beyond anything else that had been made apparent to him so far. No one else in this shitty little existence could find such things so attractive rather than polarizing in a significant other, could accept such beastly behavior for the sake of love and love alone. Angel truly was something special.

It was the middle of May when she was beginning to reach her breaking point, and Pennywise could sense it, could taste it. It drove him positively wild, but one wouldn’t be able to tell that by his composure; no, by all appearances, Pennywise was positively cool and collected. He was able to keep a lid on things with the greatest of ease, play the part of the suave and charming suitor for, after all, he’d been preparing for this for eons. He’d been imagining these precious moments for so many years, and now that they were within his reach he intended to savor each and every one. He would only get to experience these things once, and the way it all melted on his palate was worth all the hard work, the excruciating months spent looking on her from afar and wishing he could simply hold her in his arms. That first night they’d spent together was such bliss for him, it took everything he had to take everything slow and not move too quickly. If he’d gone too far in their first real meeting he’d risk putting her off. He had showered her in physical affection but had held off from giving her anything concrete, anything of real substance. But regardless of how much he forced himself to hold back, he had basked in the flavor of her innocent desire, in the way she gave herself to his embrace completely and utterly, how she’d fallen asleep in his arms, her gentle breath syncing with his alien heartbeat. Pennywise was not one often capable of such unabashed emotion, but the way he’d felt her stirring contentedly in his hold was enough to make the eldritch beast swoon. How delighted he’d been, to have won her over so easily. Such easy prey.

And it was getting easier by the day. Pennywise found keeping her favor was exceedingly simple at this point. She gobbled up his attention like candy, would talk to him eagerly every day when he would come to visit, would obey his every little command, the way he subtly directed their conversations or beckoned her to sit with him on his lap or simply encouraged her to accept his compliments. It was all a very nuanced manipulation on his part; every interaction was a calculated step in his overarching plan. She was all too excited to oblige in all of it, too moonstruck to consider ulterior motives or devious angles he might be playing at. No, to her, he was her guardian angel, her knight in silken clownsuit; she adored him, she idolized him. He had given to her what she had built up in her mind as the be-all-end-all of human existence, reciprocal love and affection she had never known her entire life. And he had decided he would not delicately introduce his true presence in the town. He would make sure the epiphany disjointed her at her core, would force her to confront it at her most vulnerable, at a time when she was least likely to reject it. It would be a hard pill to swallow for sure, but with all that he had achieved in their relationship thus far, he was all but certain she would eventually come around to it.

Angel was so positively consumed by the honeymoon phase of their relationship and so reassured by his vow to keep a protective watch over her and the children that life was progressively becoming easier to cope with again. The bad wasn’t gone, and of course she wasn’t immune to hard days, but hard days were easier to bear when he was there at her side, cheering her on with a syrupy sweet voice and a winning smile. Pennywise knew that constant attention and approval was the key to winning her heart, and he was content to lavish her with the utmost validation and deference until she would do nothing but hang on his every word. It wasn’t as though he was doing it just to win her over, either. No, she was his queen, and she deserved only the best, from him and from anyone who had the privilege of making her acquaintance. She was the lone sunbeam in an otherwise dim and bleak horizon, the only thing upon this plane that Pennywise would spare of any mortal pain and suffering. He would not hurt her, he would always treat her with the greatest gentility and care, would only treat her roughly when she explicitly asked for it, when she desired it from him. And he would, always, always give her what she asked for, if she begged and pleaded for it sweetly enough to garner his honest consideration. He would spoil her, he would pamper her, he would give her the world. He loved her.

She was getting better as the days went by. It had started out rough; even in her lovestruck elation she was still in the midst of a bad depression spell, and it was evident in the way she behaved and conducted herself around him. When he had first started talking to her, he had an awfully difficult time trying to get her to accept compliments. She would always deflect them or reject them outright, and she often avoided eye contact with him. Her hair was often disheveled at best and greasy at worst, and a lot of the time when he would come to visit he would find her in the process of gorging herself on unhealthy foods, which she would very quickly try to hide from him upon his arrival. It would make her gain weight, and it was something she was clearly upset about. She would wear a lot of the same things when he came to her, and he found that she dressed very unremarkably in general as a result, a stark contrast to what he knew of her wardrobe patterns in high school when she was of a little more self-assurance. He would never remark on her weight with any negativity, he would simply reaffirm his attraction to her whenever she was feeling inadequate, would tell her just how much he liked her curves, that she was so delightfully soft to feel pressed against him. It was with all his attention and unflagging positivity in regards to her that Angel found herself with her head lifted a little higher every day, her confidence increasing until she found herself rediscovering joy in things she had long ago lost passion in. She had even started dressing a little bolder in response to his flattery, finding his words so addicting that she had started reintroducing color and vibrance back into her ensembles. Gone once more were the days of drab, baggy turtlenecks and long, draping skirts that hid the form; Angel was bolstered, so out came the blouses, the mesh, the fishnet tights and the flaring miniskirts once more. And Pennywise loved all of it.

It had bled over into her work routine as well. Sure, the daily grind at the library never changed, and sometimes it got a little boring, but the possibility of seeing or hearing from Pennywise always put a smile on her face. She would always get the same stupid, dopey little grin when he crept into her mind; she would feel warm, she would start to blush, she would get restless at thoughts of him. Thoughts of his voice, thoughts of those eyes boring down into hers. Thoughts of just how tall he was, how his hair in the shadows was a gorgeous auburn that burned fiery orange when it finally caught the light, how crisp and immaculate his makeup always was, that it never seemed to smear. Thoughts of the way he would talk to her, how kind and charming and funny he was, the sing-song lilt when he would purr her name. The way he would rock her in his arms when they were alone… The way he would feel pressed against her at night… All the chemicals, all the tension between them over the weeks and yet he still hadn’t kissed her. It was driving her positively insane. She knew it to be ridiculous on her part; if she really wanted it so bad, shouldn’t she just reach out and take it? But she couldn’t for the life of her be so bold. Though Pennywise had restored bits and pieces of her confidence, this was nonetheless an area in which she had little knowledge or experience, and of course there was still that part of her that was deathly afraid of rejection. She wanted it from him, wanted more than anything to feel his lips against hers, velvety soft and wet, wanted him to take that leap for the both of them and bring them into a new level in their relationship. She wanted more intimacy, she wanted to share herself, she wanted to know more about him.

She’s getting lost in thoughts of him as she works one Friday afternoon, letting delicious musings carry her on light feet as she walks through the rows of tidy bookshelves, cataloguing returns. The pile yields many of the same books from days and weeks before, popular reads that would get checked out on a regular basis that she’d grown accustomed to seeing in the bin every now and then. And the patrons are largely the same as ever too; the library was prone to attracting only a certain ilk of Derry’s population, either students who took their academia at least a little bit seriously and seniors who often had nothing better to do, sometimes frazzled parents who needed someplace to bring their child that would occupy their fickle minds. She’s humming a song that’s been stuck in her head all day ( The Ghost in You by the Psychedelic Furs), looking forward to the end of her shift with a kind of pleasant, stirring excitement. She wears her favorite silk sweater with a chic checkered circle skirt and colorful argyle socks, and around her neck is the pearl heart and the necklace he had given her for her birthday. It jingles delicately with every step she takes, when she bends down to place another book back in its designated row, and when she turns around to grab another book from the pile. The library is expectedly quiet, so she’s left to carry on in her fantasies undisturbed, the only sounds in the room being the gentle sound of turning pages and the mechanical whirr of the AC unit overhead. She’s nearing the end of the pile for the day, she almost looks forward to taking the front desk again so she can sit down and rest her feet for a while. The librarian is nowhere to be seen; she can only assume that she’s off attending to some important matters she need not concern herself with. She simply continues in her duties, her thoughts drifting through elegant pictures of her dashing suitor, and she feels the heat creeping across her cheeks again at the thought of him. She finds herself drifting off, her eyes glazing as she thinks of his towering stature, his beautiful smile, and she pushes the cart forward--

“Hey.”

She snaps back into attention, her eyes shifting back into focus as her fantasy is brought to a screeching halt. She almost thinks she hallucinated the voices behind her, but then she hears the giggling. She turns around. There’s a group of three boys standing before her in a loose circle. They looked to be roughly Bower’s age, or even a little older, and they all wear a leering sneer on their faces. She can sense the judgement in their collective stare as she backs up into the cart.

“I… C-Can I help you..?” She stutters. She wonders what they could have possibly been laughing about. Was there some sort of “kick me” sign taped to her back or something?

“I knew it was you.”

“I… Huh?”

“You’re that chick Henry always talked about.”

She feels sick. Time suddenly slows to a crawl as she stands before them, and she knows she looks stupid just staring back at them but there’s nothing else she can do. She’s frozen to the spot. She knows what’s coming.

“Didn’t I tell you she looked familiar?”

“Yeah, he was always going on about some bitchy lesbo TA, always getting him into trouble at school. Said she wore the tackiest trash imaginable.”

“That has to be you, right? I mean, god, look at that skirt with those socks. You’ve gotta be a fag if you’re gonna wear shit like that.”

Where was Pennywise? Where was anybody? She’s desperate for someone, anyone to come to her rescue, save her from this awful situation before it got too out of hand.

“He said you had a big mouth too. Why aren’t you talking back, huh? Scared of a bunch of boys, you flaming queer?”

All those hurtful words are pelting her like bullets and she’s speechless with disgust. No one comes to her aid, no one even seems to register what’s going on, even as their voices rise to regular speaking volume. They all continue in what they’re doing, simply negligent or at the very least patently oblivious to the current happenings. All she can do is keep taking steps backward. She’s abandoned the cart, she’s inching back towards the south wall of bookshelves, but she comes into contact with something solid behind her. A hand snakes up her skirt to grab her ass and she squeaks helplessly, biting back a yelp. When she whips around again she finds another one behind her, and there’s a chorus of derisive laughter from the gaggle of boys. This one is bigger, stocky and intimidating. His breath reeks as he leans down to whisper to her, seemingly so no one else could hear but she knew better. She knew better.

“You’re pretty hot for a dyke, you know that? I bet I could change you.”

“Bet we all could.” One of them chimes in from behind her. She shivers with revulsion. Her mind is screaming for anyone to intervene but there’s only silence from the rest of the room. Not even the librarian, who had the habit of manifesting at truly the worst of times, was anywhere to be seen. She wants Pennywise. She’s begging for him in her mind; she wonders where she is, she’s frantically trying to will him here, thinking that if she tries hard enough he might just show up and take care of them for her, protect her. Where’s Pennywise, where’s Pennywise? God, where is he? She feels the tears prickling in her eyes, and the boy laughs meanly, the rest of them joining in. When it dies down the boy leans in again with an insidious whisper.

“...When do you get off, sweetheart? I’d like to get off with you.”

And that’s it. That’s all she can take. She kicks into fight or flight mode and shoves past him, and she runs, runs all the way into the bathroom in the employee lounge, ignoring the laughter behind her as she does so. She runs in, slams the door shut and locks it, her heart pounding restlessly in her chest. She can’t come out, won’t come out. The tears well in her eyes now and she sinks down onto the tile floor. One sob comes gurgling out of her throat, and then another, and then before she knows it she’s bawling into her hands, stifling her fear and misery as much as she possibly could in the closed off confines of the bathroom. That cold fear is still spiking through her veins and she cannot assuage it even as she rubs her arms pensively and takes deep, shuddering breaths in through her runny nose and out through her mouth. And through it all she's half-expecting Pennywise to come to her in the way that he always did, give her that telltale sign that signified his arrival, but all she felt was cold, so cold. She knew she should have stood up to them but she was just so scared. It didn't matter how much he had built up her confidence or how bold she appeared on the outside; she was still the same timid, scared girl on the inside, too afraid to do anything that might put her in any real danger. She almost wished she could still be that brazen girl of her high school years but that girl was mostly gone; she'd had it simply beaten out of her over the years with harsh, biting words and cruel cold shoulders. She could put on a brave front for the kids, but when she was alone she was just some shrinking violet, a wallflower that no one would pay attention to because she was just so plain and unremarkable.

She’s so afraid that they might have followed her back there, she just spends eternal minutes cowering in the bathroom, imagining dark hypotheticals that have her shaking like a leaf in turbulent winds. They had… They had threatened to… She’s sucking in heaving breaths through her lungs as she hyperventilates, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind and wishing, hoping to god that Pennywise would come to her. Just where was he? He wasn’t in her head, he wasn’t even whispering to her, he was completely and utterly AWOL. She had gotten so accustomed to his regular presence that she hadn’t stopped to consider that he might be completely absent in such a pressing situation. He was her guardian angel, just what use was he if he couldn’t even be here to protect her? No, no, that wasn’t fair. She chastises herself for thinking such awful things. He was more than that to her, he offered her so much more than a vow of protection that she couldn’t possibly take any of it for granted. Perhaps he was busy, perhaps he was caught up in something else. He did seem to have something of an agenda, even if she hadn’t any idea what that agenda was. She wished she knew more about him, wished she understood him more. She wished she had any clue who he was.

She lets her sobs taper into sniffles and then she gets up from the floor to drag herself over to the sink. She turns on the faucet and splashes cold water on her face, rubbing her reddened eyes and cheeks until they were no longer wet with tears. She lays her head in her hands and sucks in a deep breath through her nose, and then she blindly reaches for some napkins to towel off her face. Once her face is dry she blows her nose, and then she stares at herself in the mirror, small and feeble and powerless behind the mirror glass. She hates the way she looks, she hates it, hates the slope of her jaw and the curve of her nose and the perpetual bags under her eyes. She finds herself wondering just how Pennywise even found her attractive at all in the first place when she was just so… Ugly. She tries to push those thoughts away but they make themselves prominent nonetheless in her vulnerable state of mind, her mind rationalizing that maybe Pennywise finally came to his senses and left her behind just like everyone else eventually did, and that’s why he wasn’t here. It wouldn’t surprise her. It would hurt, but it wouldn’t surprise her.

She knows she can’t stay in the bathroom forever, as much as she might like to, so she takes a heaving deep breath and carefully opens the door. It creaks ever so slightly as she does, and she steps back into the employee lounge. The boys surely had to be gone by now, she assumed they all must have left after they’d had their fun, had no other reason to stick around in such a dull place. She hopes more than anything that they are, she hadn’t the strength to face them, not after how mortally embarrassing the first encounter was. She hates herself for not standing up to them; had it been two or even three years earlier she might have thrown it all back in their faces, carelessly and capriciously insulted them back all in an attempt to maintain bravado, but she wasn’t that person anymore, as much as she wished she was. All that confidence was simply gone now; it didn’t exist as long as there were still people in the town to ostracize and ignore her, as long as she was crushed under the existential weight of adult life, as long as she felt this way. She wanted desperately to be that person again, for herself and for Pennywise. He deserved someone infinitely better than her, not that she could ever admit that out loud to him. She found herself so gobsmacked on a daily basis that he wanted to be with her, that he liked her at all, that he enjoyed her company and seemed to genuinely want to see her. Not that that seemed to matter now, she thinks bitterly as she walks down the steps back into the main room.

She forces herself to go back to work, forces herself to pretend that she felt normal as she comes back to her unfinished returns. She looks around warily, scanning over the space, over every shelf and every perceivable nook and cranny of the library before she lets her gaze lower back down to the cart. They seemed to be gone now, she couldn’t see them anywhere. In fact, the library itself seemed to be relatively barren at this point save for a few lingering students. She breathes a sigh of relief, finding herself comforted at long last by the silence and the fact that her shift was almost over. She’s resolved to get through the rest of it in one piece; she almost dreads taking the front desk again out of fear of interacting with anyone else for the rest of the day but being able to sit down and properly collect her thoughts is a much-needed reassurance. Then she’ll be able to clean up and go home, and leave this terrible day behind her. Maybe she’ll even see Pennywise. She hoped, anyway. She gives a cursory glance to the rest of the books in the pile. They’re mostly nonfiction titles; a few textbooks and a biography or two, but there’s a couple mystery novels and even a western/fantasy epic about a tower in the mix. She takes her sweet time putting back every selection, thinking that for all her trouble she was more than entitled to taking things slow for the rest of the afternoon. She moves with the cart at a leisurely pace, taking deep breaths to ease the lingering anxiety in her head. The pile

is slowly dwindling into nothing, and with the lessening load the clock is ticking further and further past the hour.

She finally reaches the end of the pile, and there’s only one book left, a rambling historical document that could only belong in one place; the archives. Though it was by far her least favorite place in the library to go, she could at least admit that she wouldn’t be bothered by anyone down there; it wasn’t exactly accessible to everyone else. If you wanted anything from the archives you had to ask for it from the librarian specifically. People often didn’t do this out of genuine interest in the history of the town, it was mostly just students doing school projects that required them to do a little halfhearted digging for the sake of adequate grades. She didn’t envy them in the least. She replaces the cart in its usual storage space and musters a big yawn, sparing a glance at the clock overhead. Quarter to four. In no time at all she’ll be taking a broom to the floors, dusting and wiping down all the bookshelves before collecting her things, clocking out and making her journey home. She always liked cleanup time; there was something about mundane tasks like that that allowed her to free her mind of any and all complicated thoughts. She’s all but forgotten the boys by now as she walks, document in arm, through the back rooms of the library and around to the winding staircase that leads down into the archives. She can hear the librarian click-clacking away at her typewriter in her office and she pays it no mind, simply continuing on her way and counting the tiles in her mind. As she meanders along she thinks of Pennywise, wonders if she’ll be seeing him at all when she came home. Who knows, maybe he wasn’t there because he was thinking of surprising her. He did like to do that sometimes. Maybe she was being irrational. Pennywise hadn’t abandoned her, he wouldn’t do such a thing. He… He loved her, didn’t he? She at least liked to entertain the thought. She starts to get warm at the thought of him, and as she makes her way down one flight of steps that warmth only increases. Not in any way that was sweltering or unpleasant, just in a way that swept over the entire body like a comforting blanket. It was the feeling she’d gotten so accustomed to, when he would hold her in her arms or whisper sweet things to her; when she could simply feel his presence, be it through a waiting gift or his own ethereal manifestation. She’s more than attuned to all of this by now, she’s even starting to think that maybe this warmth is a sign that he could be down there waiting for her. They would, after all, be all alone in there, and he loved it when they were all alone. Maybe he would… Maybe he… She blushes at the thought, at the thought of something that she’s been screaming for silently in her mind for weeks every time they came together, at every unbearable moment of tension between them. She wanted it so bad she could hardly stand it.

As she nears the archives she starts to feel that dopey smile creep across her face at the vivid images in her mind, at the tingling warmth that washed over her body with every step, but it sours ever so slightly when she hears a noise. She hears something down there, and she stops. A rat, maybe, or a raccoon? Some kind of pest, most definitely. Angel was the kind of girl who was wary of wild animals like that, not knowing what kind of diseases or contagious infections they might carry or spread, but she couldn’t just… Shirk her responsibilities because of a little childish fear. Her heart pounding in her chest ever so slightly, she decides to brave the darkened corridor anyway and she continues her way down the steps. The noise only gets louder but curiously enough she still feels that warmth. She rounds the corner, making her way towards the last flight. She tries not to think of whatever might be lurking in the shadows, she simply lets her eyes scan lazily over the document in her hands in an attempt to distract herself. It sounds like wet, it sounds like chewing. It sounds like… No, she wouldn’t even entertain the thought. She just keeps walking. She hears her own echoing footsteps as she ambles down the final stairs to the archives, and the picture of the darkened room gets a little clearer as she nears it. The warmth is still there, seeping into her bones and she can almost feel him, though she has no idea where he could possibly be. She makes her way down the last few steps and lets her eyes flicker upward once more to scan over the room. Cold lightning strikes her veins when she sees it.