#pippin says stuff

[pippin-fool-of-a-took]

Guysss I’m bored who wants to play truth or dare

[tehcherrya]

For those of you who never knew as it's a detail one can easily miss (especially depending on which aspect ratio you're viewing in) but a lovely detail at that: Pippin was in the hobbit band in the background!

He's the one playing the banjolele!

These shots I have of the scenes where he is most visible are from the Fullscreen edition (A DvD I own and often watch for the different viewing experience). I believe in the Widescreen edition their heads are cut off by the aspect ratio-- so it's easy to miss!

And for those of you who haven't put it together already, yes! That is our beloved Merry standing next to him as they both watch Frodo dance.

Mind you, Merry is not in the band. A few scenes prior he was actually along the precession line of bringing in Bilbo's Birthday cake. He probably came up to the platform to talk to Pippin, give him a mug of something to drink and inevitably snatch him away for some mischief. Because after this brief scene, Pippin is then absent from the stage-- he and Merry are going to go swipe some fireworks!

[pippin-fool-of-a-took]

an ancient tree with gnarled branches

You are the old soul. You are a being full of quiet wisdom, but it did not come without earning it. Experience has weathered you quickly, yet you remain strong through it all. You are a bastion to those who need the support of a calm and resolute mind. The histories of the world are etched beneath your thick skin, and you hold dearly to things that others would quickly forget. You collect things within your branches, you give home to those left without, and you bear the weight of it all. But through all you have been through, you have not yet learned how to let go. You refuse to relinquish what you cherish so dearly and weep for every precious thing that falls from your branches. You must be careful, or else the past you cling to might destroy a brighter future.

Tagging @merry-themagnificent :3

I've been tagged by @sewing-elven-maid! Thank you.

Tagging: @pippin-fool-of-a-took @eowyntheshieldmaiden @boromir-of-gondor

A rose colored sun

You are warmth. You are hope. You are always reaching, and reaching. You have a great love inside you, and you are determined to share it with others, to warm them from the cold and empty void. But you give too much. You have torn yourself open, and now your light is stained with your own blood. Do you think yourself too reckless? Do you know how to stop? You are passion. You are a burning, bleeding heart. All look to you for guidance, for your comfort, but who will catch you when you fall? Never forget, no matter how many times you fade beneath the horizon, no matter how many times your sun has set, you will rise again at dawn.

[transmechanicus]

Are you alive

No, i was eeping like this so good my heart stopped🖤

[kazz-brekker]

i think it's really funny that the scene with pippin and saruman's palantir in the two towers is about the dangers of touching evil magic artifacts but is also more or less a scene where someone answers another person's phone and their boss starts yelling at them before realizing it's the wrong person on the other end of the line

[come-see-our-show]

i'm not sure why my queue tag is "tonight belongs to queue" since the prom isn't even one of my favorite musicals (i do like it, just not in the top 10)

so i'm currently trying to create a new queue tag based on lyrics from my favorite musicals!

[pippin-fool-of-a-took]

It’s hard to believe you don’t have a favorite..

Be honest… out of me and merry who’s your favorite

Boromir laughs.

How could you ask that?

[bumblingbriars]

Rings of Power is actually kinda fun to watch when you don't have a bitch whispering in your ear about it. Also shes adorable and I'd put my life out for her

[fuctacles]

Pippin the Fluffy, Guardian of Pants

for @steddiemicrofic "guard" | T | 532 | no cw | one night stand, strangers to lovers, musician Eddie, evil little dog | Ao3

The guy's name is Steve, he's sweet, and he made Eddie ache in the best way. 

But now it was time to go. 

He isn't proud of it, but it's what he does. All his partners so far hated the long distance of touring, which isn't something he's ready to leave behind. His band is gaining momentum right now and they all agreed sacrifices need to be made if they want to make it big. Dating is one of them.

So Eddie leaves every hook-up, no matter how hot they are, how sweet they talk to him, how good they smell. 

How evil their Pomeranian is. 

"Dude," Eddie hisses in exasperation the second time the little dog bares his teeth at him. He's usually great with dogs and loves most of the little creatures but this guy seems to have a vendetta against him. He's sitting on top of Eddie's pants like he's Smaug guarding his pile of gold and treasures. The most Eddie's managed to put on is his boxers but the rest of his clothes are under the dog's little body. And it's adamant about staying there.

"Fine. Be like that," he huffs. Maybe if he goes to use the bathroom, the dog will move, join his owner on the bed, or something. 

When he returns, the dog watches him smugly, still leaving its light hair on his black clothes. Eddie sighs, now resigned to a scavenger hunt for dog treats. He's starting to consider getting back in bed because going through a stranger's cupboards feels like a new low.

Thankfully he finds a packet of treats in plain sight. He picks it up happily, but his smile falls instantly when the dog spots the bag.

The little fluffy ball stands up, the hair across its spine raising while it bares its fangs, and Eddie is losing his confidence at an alarming rate. It's like the dog is offended that he's trying to bribe him. 

"What the fuck do you want from me?" he whispers heatedly, looking into its beady eyes. "I just want my pants!"

"Pippin!"

His heart almost falls out of his chest. The dog meanwhile, apparently named Pippin, jumps onto the bed happily, all signs of malice gone.

Eddie laughs awkwardly now that his hook-up is awake and puts the treats away before bending down to retrieve his stuff. 

"Your dog is insane, man. He wouldn't get off my clothes."

Steve hums.

"I trained him to do that."

"What?" Eddie looks at him in confusion. Now that he's awake, he feels weird about just leaving.

"Got tired of everyone leaving without a word. So I taught him to guard their clothes on the floor," he admits while scratching at Pippin's fur.

Eddie gapes at him.

"But by all means," Steve motions at the door. "I had fun, hope you did too."

"You're insane," Eddie says instead of something more appropriate. "I'm... I move a lot so I'm not looking for anything serious right now."

Steve rolls his eyes.

"I was hoping for a second round, not a marriage proposal."

Eddie considers him for a second before placing his clothes on a nearby chair.

"Well, in that case..."

more microfics | ko-fi

[lsd-astronaut]

Random headcanons of the fellowship bc I'm bored (mix of modern & canon)

✨Frodo

Scares the shit out of people by staring them directly in the eye without blinking but if you looked inside his mind, it'd be a rotating PNG of a fish, he just dissociates a lot

Would absolutely steal stuff in Claire's. He's really good at it.

Doesn't smoke, yet he is the one who gets asked the most out of the four hobbits for a light.

He strikes me as a stomach problems & back pain girlie.

🌻Sam

He looks like a bread guy for me. I like bread.

Full on conversations with his plants. Mainly gossip about the Shire, and how dashing Mister Frodo was looking today, can you believe it?

The only hobbit with a driving license (Frodo can't bc of depression and dissociation; Merry got pulled over and got his license revoked for having weed in his car; Pippin is a minor).

🍁Merry

You know these videos where a girl (usually) records her partner while they're cuddling and he's so whiny and talking like a princess, and suddenly he sees the phone and forces his voice like three octaves lower? Yeah...

Narrates everything that everyone in the fellowship does during the journey like it's a nature documentary. Stopped pretty quickly after Moria.

The Walter White of Middle Earth if he could get away with it, let's be honest.

🌱Pippin

Had a phase where he ate anything he saw. Mainly stopped after Merry made him cry by teasing him that if he kept eating ants, they would eat him from inside out. He still munches on flowers when he's bored. Aragorn has given up on telling him to be careful in case one is poisonous, but Boromir suffers mini heart attacks daily.

Accidentally mansplains to everyone he knows but that's because he gets very excited with his hyperfixations! He has no idea why he doesn't have any luck in love, and Merry is like "dude shut the fuck up..."

Is like these children who will constantly ask "why" to their parents, and Boromir tries to be nice and genuine for him but he eventually gets tired. "But, why?" "Because I fucking said so!" "Okay... but why?"

I feel like he cries pretty easily about everything and anything. He is just very sensitive, and feels emotions really strongly.

🗡️Aragorn

Hates parties; when he is forced to attend one, he will sit in one corner and sip on his drink. Gets really drunk and texts Arwen. "How was the party, meleth nín?" "Me, yes."

Hyperfixates on the weirdest things like Pippin, but his autism shows in the most deadpan way possible so he just stands there like "i like swords" and will emotionlessly list you all the characteristics of your weapon of choice. If you looked inside his mind, you'd see he is REALLY excited. He just doesn't know how to show it.

🏹Legolas

For some reason, I feel like he'd know a super random skill? Like ventriloquism. Recreates the "hi my name is snapple" video with Gimli just to fuck with him.

Can actually whistle with a leaf, idk how he does this, but it's the only 'instrument' he can play (apart from his voice if you want to get nitpicky with me) lol this elf does not have a single musical bone.

⛏️Gimli

Crystal girlie. Gives Frodo an encyclopaedia on all the types of healing properties and characteristics of every kind of gem and stone.

Really good medical skills. The rest of the fellowship regularly forget his uncle is Oín, so they're dumbfounded when Gimli gives advice to Aragorn, who is the only one that isn't surprised and actually listens to him when patching up Frodo lmfao

🛡️Boromir

Talks like someone out of a Shakespeare play and is dumbfounded when everyone in the fellowship is like "sup bro"

Keeps a heart locket with a picture of Faramir he likes to show like a proud dad does with his kids' wallet photos. Faramir was horrified when he learned of this and stopped talking to him for a month

Took to the hobbits like a dad who says he doesn't want a dog and then they're inseparable. Says he doesn't have favourites but Merry and Pippin remind him of Faramir and him when they were kids.

[prettyboypistol]

Hey if you're still taking Lotr requests could you please write something about Aragorn, Boromir, Faramir, Eomer and Frodo falling in love with a musician reader who plays an instrument that's basically unheard of in Middle Earth? I'm imagining her being from our world and playing the erhu in particular. I hope that's not too odd of a request, thank you so much! Take care of yourself!

hi there! I love your work and have been reading your pippin x reader stuff for ages! I don't do xFem!Reader though, only M!Reader and GN!Readers! I'll do this request happily though as a GN!Reader :>

The Fellowship and a Person Not From Middle Earth (xGN!Reader)

Frodo

first off, he finds you to be so fascinating in your ways, since you're not from his realm.

When he sees you playing the erhu he's entranced, as he's never seen an instrument like that before- nor has he seen someone play so well!

Will sit down with you and ask a million questions about your old life, how you learned to play, and if he can gently touch your instrument to figure out how it works

Aragorn

Oh my god you are so fucking amazing to him- first off, you come from another world and easily adapted to his own, then you bring the fellowship higher spirits with a new instrument? Fuck dude, he's already in love.

You have this je ne sais quoi that draws him to you- that makes him protect you just a little extra, that makes him listen to you just a little more.

You look like a normal human to him, but that's also a part of your charm. The secret you hold to the public that you're not from Middle Earth- it entices him to learn more about you.

Boromir

The way he's obsessed with you will never get old

he's stealing glances at you whenever you sit down for dinner, he talks about your skilled musical talent every chance he gets, he singe your praises more than you sing yourself!

Has asked you to teach him all about where you're from- how does everything work over there? Do you prefer it in Middle Earth? Why?

A TRILLION questions to get to know you better. this himbo is in LOVE.

Faramir

Oh Faramir. Poor, poor, Faramir. He never stood a chance against your charms. As soon as he laid eyes on you, he knew you were the one. That is, if you fancied him too (which he highly doubted, since he was the spare and Boromir was the heir.)

When you walked up to him and started a conversation, merely asking for when the Captain would arrive to the festivities, singing his praises about how brave Faramir was- despite never seeing him yourself.

You asked if you could bounce a song off him, to "see if the Captain would like it" and when you started playing that newfound instrument with grace, Faramir couldn't help himself but to fall for you deeper.

[pippin-fool-of-a-took]

There is a big spider across from me. I think if I move it’ll attack…. Send help

[live-laugh-legolas]

Hi! For a request could you do The Fellowship as parents? Like reader has a kid with them what would they be like? Have a great day!

Cute! This has just been sitting in my drafts

The fellowship as parents

Aragorn:

-This might be controversial

-Because ik we know Aragorn is daddy (hehe)

-But

-He’s not the best father of those on this list

-He’s a great dad don’t get me wrong

-He’s very patient and guiding

-But he’s also not the uttermost hands on

-He wasn’t raised like that

-He kind of lets his kids figure stuff out on their own while supporting them and making sure they don’t die

-Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all; just compared to the others I’d rank him lower

Legolas:

-I have a hard time picturing him as a dad; more like a cool uncle

-But he would be the dad that’s kinda on the same level as the kids

-I think elves are kind of feral growing up so his parenting reflects that

-Yes they are elegant and poised; he is a prince so his kids need to know manners

-But he will join them in eating things they shouldn’t

-Climbing places probably not good for a child to be

-I don’t get the vibes that he particularly dreams of being a father; but he would take on the job to the best of his ability should it happen

Gimli:

-Father of the year right here

-I just think dwarves are generally good parents and if we consider his father; well let’s just say he’s got a good relationship

-Won’t stop talking about his children

-Will go to all the tea parties and talk to the plushies

-Yes he is wearing a tiara; obviously

-A goofy dad; no problem embarrassing his children for his own entertainment and to keep their egos in check

Boromir:

-A very good father

-He doesn’t take after his father; and instead treats his kids kinda how he treats Faramir

-Literally the most love and pride

-Please give this man a daughter

-He would spoil the shit out of his little princess

-He would also be sooo excited to be an uncle

Frodo:

-Another one I can’t picture as a father; but he would take a kid under his wing

-Let’s kids tag along with him for anything

-Talks to them the same way he would anyone; which makes the kids think he is the coolest

-Like he doesn’t coddle anyone and is very honest (with maybe a bit of cheek)

-He kind of co-parents with all his friends

Sam:

-Another top tier dad right here

-It’s always been his dream to have kids (a lot of kids)

-I’ve been living for the bunny comics made by @rutobuka2 and Sam literally embodies a bunny in the sense of family size

(I’m a definitely more a LOTR person than Hobbit but damn it if this isn’t some of the cutest art I’ve ever seen)

-Anyway; I’ll stop fangirling and get back to the hc’s

-He is super gentle with his kids; but also is very good about discipline

-Definitely teaches his kids to take care of their mom

Merry:

-Super involved with everything

-Gets his kids whatever they want but they do have to work for it; more like rewards and gifts

-Loves to build things for his kids; like a treehouse or wooden boats

-Takes his kids on rides and fishing trips

-Makes sure they know basic life skills

Pippin:

-He’s a fantastic dad

-I feel very repetitive in saying that but it’s true; the fellowship of good dads

-So engaged with his kids

-Will go above and beyond in their games

-Takes dress up very seriously

-I imagine him also being very scheduled with bed time

-He probably riles his kids up before bed with silly bedtime games (which is what my dad did)

-Seems counter productive but it made me excited to go to bed so I never really fought it; genius

Gandalf:

-Grandpa energy

-But chaotic

-We know he is good with kids; or at least that kids love him

-Can keep anyone entertained

-You can trust him to babysit

-This is in moderation though

-He will grow tired and want a break so he will dump them on someone else for a bit

[pippin-fool-of-a-took]

Maybe I need to teach you how to cook…

Tried to be romantic and try and cook some food but it's all burnt.

[autistook]

The fellowship getting accused of shoplifting (they may or may not have done it.)

● THE FELLOWSHIP GETTING ACCUSED OF SHOPLIFTING ●

~

Frodo: Confused, big blue puppy eyes. Shows all of his pockets and every inch of his backpack, holding back confused tears. Makes jokes about it afterwards.

Sam: "NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE!!!!" and proceeds to stay offended and rant on why he did not do it. Also definitely did not do it.

Merry: Hands in the air for surrender, claiming he stole nothing, but is using sleight of hand to keep his stolen little treats out of the accusers sight.

Pippin: Stuffs the snacks he stole in his mouth and starts running away, chocolate bars dropping from his pockets as he runs. Eventually stumbles on his own feet and gets caught.

Aragorn: Just stares at the accuser and says nothing. Eventually the person gets so uncomfortable they apologize and leave.

Legolas: Confused staring, stolen things in his hands, not understanding the whole concept: thought he could just take things.

Gimli: Yells for so fucking long "how dare you accuse me of such things!" Did actually shoplift and gets carried away by three people as he keeps kicking the air aggressively. Aragorn scolds him as he has to be bailed out. Legolas is also in the cell, confused.

Boromir: Starts sobbing and confesses. I take no critisism on this.

Gandalf: Probably just runs away tbh. Doesn't matter if he shoplifted or not.

Bill the Pony: Stands there with his back loaded with shoplift stuff, but no one can do anything, because well, he is a fucking pony.

[shadowtriovibes]

Hello,

Can you write some shameless pre-relationship Sebastian x mc flirting? Like pining, comparing hand sizes, teasing about height, all that cringe cute stuff! Just go off on that however you like!

hello anon!! here's a quick 1.5k pg-rated words for you because i'd just started a little drabble of MC working at j pippin's for the summer and it turned into two goofy teens in love 🥹

edit: i felt like this deserved a name so i'm calling it "the potioneer's apprentice" and i personally love a potion-loving MC characterization very much so i may return to this 'verse later on xoxo

"I happen to know that you can make a perfectly good batch of Wiggenweld yourself," you point out. Sebastian watches distractedly while you untie your hair, shaking it loose as it falls down to your shoulders. "W-well, yours is better," he insists. "Always has been, even Sharp said so." "It's even better now," you say proudly, pulling one of the bottles out of your bag to hand to him. "...You're not actually hurt, are you?" "No, just bored," he admits. "I wanted to see you."

Staring down at the order slip in your hands, you bite the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling.

Mr. Sebastian Sallow Feldcroft Hamlet

x3 Wiggenweld x1 Focus x1 Felix Felicis

“Simple enough,” Parry Pippin says cheerfully, tucking a knut into the pocket of the postal owl that had just dropped off your latest order. “I’ll put together the Liquid Luck, I know that’s a tricky one.”

Bustling over to his potions station, he adds, “I trust brewing the Wiggenweld and Focus draughts should be no problem for you?”

“Of course,” you say, quickly tying up your hair before lighting a fire beneath the cauldron at your own station.

You’ve been an apprentice at J. Pippin’s Potions for just over a month, refining your potions skills over the summer break – and helping keep an eye on things in Hogsmeade. In that time, your brewing skills have improved significantly, and Parry is more than happy to pass on some of the simpler potions to you.

Attempting to be casual, you ask, “Will this be a delivery?”

“Oh, I should think so,” Parry confirms. “Though it’s not exactly my neck of the woods.”

“Would you like me to drop it off?” you offer hopefully.

“How about this,” Parry offers. “I’ll send you down to the hamlet to drop these off, and then you can call it a day.”

“Thank you, Mister Pippin,” you say with a grin.

Your boss smiles approvingly as you carefully pour some horklump juice into your cauldron, precisely tapping the side of the bottle as he’d taught you.

“Besides,” he says cheekily. “I think this is the third time this month that young mister Sallow has ordered from my shop and requested delivery, even though Fatimah’s shop is much closer.”

You nearly spill the entire bottle.

“Any idea why a Hogwarts student on summer break would need so many potions?” Parry asks, smirking to himself as he pours some lacewing flies into his cauldron.

“W-well, I – I suppose he could be clumsy,” you mumble unconvincingly. “O-or stocking up, perhaps. We’ve got N.E.W.T. classes next term, some of these spells are quite challenging, a-and the beasts, we’ve got Grindylows to examine, you know how they bite…”

You trail off feebly, blushing a bright red. The Wiggenweld potion in your cauldron signals its completion with a puff of smoke, offering a welcome distraction.

“Aye, of course,” Parry murmurs, sounding very much like he doesn’t believe you in the slightest. “In any case, as soon as you finish that Focus potion I’ll send you on your way.”

Quickly ladling three portions of Wiggenweld into Parry's glass vials, you scrub out your cauldron and prepare the last draught, wrinkling your nose at the smell of dugbog tongue. Once it starts to smoke and bubble, you measure out a generous portion and collect the Felix Felicis from your boss, tucking the lot into your satchel.

“Please thank young Sebastian for his order, and tell him I said good day,” Parry tells you with a wink. “And to kindly stop pilfering my apprentice so often.”

“Yes, sir,” you reply sheepishly.

Outside the shop, you trek outside the boundaries of Hogsmeade to hop onto your broom and head south toward Feldcroft. It had been more than a week since you’d seen Sebastian, which felt like an eternity compared to how often you saw him during the school year.

One month into your break and you feel like a simpering wreck.

You miss him like crazy – not that you’d tell him like that, of course. He’s your closest friend, and the two of you have been through so much together in the past two years. You aren’t about to ruin it by confessing that you’re hopelessly in love with him.

—

Sebastian is not moping.

And even if he was, why shouldn’t he mope? He’s alone, it’s swelteringly hot in the hamlet and he hasn’t seen his best friend in a week.

He’s bored, and when Sebastian gets bored, he gets creative.

Really, it’s almost too easy to summon you to Feldcroft. All it took was a quick trip to see the owl post stand and another superfluous order for some potions (with a little bit of Liquid Luck thrown in on a whim), and he knew you’d arrive by the time the heat broke.

He conveniently manages to be tending to his small garden when you touch down beside the Sallow home, his sleeves rolled up past his elbows while he pats some dirt around a sprig of fluxweed.

“Sallow?” You call out teasingly. “I have an order here for Sebastian Sallow?”

“Must be a lazy bloke, ordering all those Wiggenwelds instead of making them himself,” he answers, sitting back on his heels and wiping some sweat away from his brow with the back of his wrist. “Or perhaps just daft.”

“I happen to know that you can make a perfectly good batch of Wiggenweld yourself,” you point out.

Sebastian watches distractedly while you untie your hair, shaking it loose as it falls down to your shoulders.

“W-well, yours is better,” he insists. “Always has been, even Sharp said so.”

“It’s even better now,” you say proudly, pulling one of the bottles out of your bag to hand to him. “...You’re not actually hurt, are you?”

“No, just bored,” he admits. “I wanted to see you.”

If Ominis were here, he’d likely pick up on how those words make your heart race a little faster, but mercifully, Sebastian does not.

“Here I am,” you say. “And I’m all yours for the day, Mister Pippin gave me the rest of the day off.”

“Oh, really?” he replies, brushing some stray dirt off of his trousers as he stands up. “Whatever could we get up to with an entire afternoon?”

You blink in surprise as he stands, realizing for the first time that Sebastian has gotten taller.

“What?” he asks, catching your gaze.

“You’ve grown,” you say dumbly. “I – I mean, you’re tall.”

“Am I?” he asks, a teasing smirk on his lips. “Perhaps you’re just short.”

“I am not short,” you protest, following Sebastian as he leads the way into the old Sallow home.

It feels different now, obviously. Less like a family home and more like a chaotic bachelor pad, Sebastian’s strewn-about books and haphazard notes covering up a distinct lack of coziness.

It’s only for the summer, Sebastian had told you the first time you’d seen it.

(You know he doesn’t really have anywhere else to go anymore, what with the Gaunt household becoming more toxic by the day. You wouldn’t be surprised to find Ominis squatting there as well by the time July rolls around.)

“You’re practically pocket-sized,” Sebastian teases, closing the door behind you to keep some of the midday sun out. “I think it’s why you’re so powerful – it’s concentrated, your magic.”

You scoff and shove at his shoulder, wondering to yourself when he became so broad.

It had only been a few weeks since school had let out, hadn’t it? And suddenly Sebastian was walking around in a man’s body, one you were sure wasn’t there in Charms class in May. Or maybe it was, hiding beneath his suit jacket and his robes…

You blink rapidly to clear your head.

“Um. Your potions,” you mumble, pulling the rest of the bottles out of your satchel and placing them on the front room table.

Then you can’t help but ask, “What’s the Felix Felicis for?”

“Not sure yet,” Sebastian admits. “But I’m sure it will come in handy at some point.”

You hum under your breath, picking up the delicate vial and examining it in the light.

“Hand it over,” Sebastian demands with a laugh. “I don’t like the way you’re looking at that bottle, I know what temptation looks like on your face.”

Blushing, you place the vial in his outstretched hand, letting your own hand linger a beat too long. Sebastian quickly catches your wrist, turning your hand palm-side up.

“Merlin’s beard, your hand is small,” he observes.

“Not this again,” you groan.

���I’m being serious, you hold your wand with this tiny thing?” he jokes. “Poor Ollivander had his work cut out for him.”

“Let’s see yours, then,” you insist, holding your hand up to him. “Go on.”

Sebastian presses his palm against yours and you raise your eyebrows. His hand dwarfs yours to the degree that he could wrap the tips of his fingers overtop yours if he wanted to.

“See?” he says, his voice suddenly much quieter in the empty home. “Tiny.”

“And yet I can still beat you in a duel,” you retort, trying to calm your racing heart.

Just like that, the tension in the room dissolves away and Sebastian lights up.

“A duel, hmm?” he echoes. “Is that an offer?”

“Seriously? That’s what you want to do today?” you laugh. “It’s thirty degrees outside and you want to duel?”

“We could practice on the training dummies,” he offers hopefully. “You know you want to.”

…Damn him, he’s right.

“Fine,” you relent. “But if I sweat through this chemise, it’s your head, Sallow.”

Sebastian tries very hard to not think about you in a sweat-soaked white shirt as you lead him back outside, and if he trips over the doorframe on his way out, he’s happy to let you continue to assume it’s just his clumsy streak.